NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While the stocks of gaming companies have been on the rise based in part on the news that New Jersey is likely soon to approve a multi-year trial period for online gambling, a new nationwide survey by AlixPartners, the global business advisory firm, finds that 35% of active gamblers say they would wager online if it were legal.
There is good news in the study as well for the bricks-and-mortar casinos. Only 15% of the active gamblers say they are likely to reduce visits to casinos if online gaming is legal, 57% say they are more likely to wager online if the sites were run by known casino brands and 58% say they would be attracted to Internet gambling sites that let them earn loyalty points redeemable at casinos.
Overall, the AlixPartners study provides an extraordinarily in-depth evaluation of the underlying factors, across virtually all gaming sectors, that influence key gaming-activity decisions, including accessibility, win expectations, customer-service levels, bankroll required and two dozen more. It also compares the gap between the performance desired by consumers and their actual experiences at more than 200 individual gaming establishments nationwide.
"Our study provides unique and valuable insight into what gamblers are looking for in both online and other gaming sectors," said Mike Sinoway, managing director at AlixPartners and leader of the firm's Gaming Practice. "While gaming companies have made monumental progress in the last decade in understanding guest play patterns, many remain in the dark as to how much net profit is generated by that guest spend and unsure as to why the guest chose that specific gaming establishment in the first place. Our work with clients in the gaming industry helps answer the first question, and now this study provides deep insight into why gamblers choose a particular gaming type and location."
According to the survey, the five most importance factors in selecting an online gaming site are 1.) ease of registering, 2.) ease of navigation, 3.) lack of wait times for desired activities, 4.) availability of options at desired wagering levels and 5.) security of financial information and deposited funds.
About the Survey
The AlixPartners Gaming Survey polled 1,031 adult Americans Jan. 25-29. The respondent group was taken from a generally representative sample of the U.S. population and selected from those expressing a general interest in gaming. The study examined multiple forms of gaming, including lotteries, race-track betting, sports books, local casinos, destination casinos and online gambling.
About AlixPartners
AlixPartners, LLP is a global business-advisory firm offering comprehensive services in four major areas: enterprise improvement, turnaround and restructuring, financial advisory services and information management services. Founded in 1981, the firm has offices around the world, and can be found on the Web at www.alixpartners.com.
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