The difficulties of achieving a truly harmonious relationship across all aspects of an operation is a quandary that is seemingly pondered on a never ending basis. The benefits of achieving such a feat would undoubtedly be far reaching, but just how is this accomplished?
Step forward Flows, whose Omni solution is tasked with bridging the divide between legacy land-based and online to facilitate a much more structured, effective, efficient and unified product offering.
In conversation with SBC News, CPO Andrew Doublesin breaks down the headwinds associated with legacy retail businesses embracing the digital domain, as well as looking at the troubles associated with siloed data, importance of real-time orchestration, key advice to ensure a smooth and successful journey and more.
SBC News: Adopting a digital solution can often be a troublesome prospect for legacy land-based operations. In your experience, what are the primary challenges that are often run into when this process is encountered?
Andrew Doubleson: One of the biggest challenges legacy land-based gambling operators face when adopting digital solutions is the contrast between their outdated technology stack and the modern, agile infrastructure of digital platforms.
Many legacy systems were not designed to integrate with cloud-based, real-time, or mobile-first technologies, making it difficult to create a seamless omnichannel experience. This technological gap often leads to a fragmented adoption process, where digital solutions are implemented in silos rather than as part of a cohesive strategy.
Additionally, resistance to change, regulatory complexities, and the need for significant investment in system upgrades can further slow down the transition, making it difficult for operators to fully leverage the benefits of digital innovation.
SBCN: How does siloed data hamper traditional retail operators in making significant moves within the online arena?
AD: Siloed data is a major hurdle for traditional retail operators aiming to expand into online gambling. Land-based venues gather valuable customer data, but it often sits fragmented across different systems like loyalty programmes, point-of-sale transactions, and player tracking tools that don’t connect.
This lack of integration makes it hard to build a complete view of the player, limiting personalisation, targeted marketing, and cross-channel engagement. Without smooth data flow between retail and digital platforms, operators miss out on key opportunities like real-time promotions, tailored player incentives, and insights that help boost customer loyalty and lifetime value. Breaking down these silos is crucial for creating a seamless omnichannel experience.
SBCN: Why is real time data orchestration the missing piece of the jigsaw?
AD: Real time data orchestration is essential for connecting retail and digital gambling experiences, creating a smooth and unified player journey. By syncing data across all touchpoints, whether in a physical casino, online platform or mobile app, operators gain valuable insights that fuel personalised engagement, targeted promotions and improved customer satisfaction.
It enables businesses to respond instantly to player behaviour, offering dynamic promotions, managing risk and applying responsible gaming measures in real time. Without this, operators face delays, miss key opportunities and risk delivering an inconsistent player experience, making it harder to attract and retain customers.
SBCN: What advice would you give to those businesses that boast a pre-existing presence in one form or another that could see regulation opening the door to digital possibilities?
AD: For businesses with an established retail presence, the best advice is to start structuring their data and events in a way that allows seamless integration between systems. Even if digital gambling isn’t yet an option due to regulatory restrictions, investing in real-time data sharing and interoperability will provide a significant competitive advantage when the opportunity arises.
A well-structured data ecosystem enables businesses to leverage customer insights, optimise marketing efforts, and create personalised experiences that can easily transition into the digital space when regulations evolve.
Additionally, even in a retail-only environment, having real-time data orchestration improves operational efficiency, customer engagement, and loyalty programs, ensuring that the investment pays off regardless of regulatory shifts.
SBCN: How does FlowsOmni facilitate the creation of a cohesive player journey between land-based and online?
AD: FlowsOmni plays a crucial role in creating a seamless and cohesive player journey by acting as the central hub that connects land-based and online operations.
Positioned in the middle of an operator’s ecosystem, FlowsOmni listens to and learns from data events across various independent channels, enabling real-time synchronisation between retail and digital platforms.
This allows operators to implement key omnichannel solutions such as combined loyalty programs, shared wallets, and cross-channel promotions, ensuring that players experience a unified and frictionless gaming journey.
By breaking down data silos and automating interactions between different systems, FlowsOmni empowers operators to deliver a personalised and dynamic experience that enhances player engagement and retention across all touchpoints.
SBCN: Looking ahead, how do you see real-time data orchestration evolving, and what role will it play in shaping the future of omnichannel gaming?
AD: The future of omnichannel gaming will be increasingly driven by real-time data orchestration as more legacy systems upgrade to support real-time capabilities.
As operators recognise the need for seamless integration between land-based and digital platforms, real-time data will become the standard rather than the exception.
This shift will enable more dynamic and personalised player experiences, improved responsible gaming measures, and enhanced operational efficiency.
Orchestration products like FlowsOmni will play a pivotal role in this transformation, acting as the glue that connects diverse systems, automates workflows, and unlocks new opportunities for innovation.
As technology advances, the ability to instantly analyse and act on player behavior across multiple channels will become a key competitive advantage in the gambling industry.
