Online Casinos and Social Networking

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Social networking sites are Internet locations where people from different parts of the world can join up to form communities with the objectives of discussing issues, sharing information, showcasing their skills or just having a good time. At social networking sites people with different interests form sub groups to interact on issues relevant to them. Over the past few years there has been a tremendous growth in social networking. Not only has the number of sites grown, but more significantly the membership of leading social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook and MySpace has grown beyond any imagination. Therefore businesses, at least those that are Internet based and reach out to individual consumers, have begun to consider the millions who frequent social networking sites as a potential market. The online casino industry is one such business.

There are many ways the online casino industry can take advantage of social networking sites. Software developers like Zynga have developed gaming especially for social networking sites. However, of interest in this article is how regular online casinos create their own communities at the social networking sites and foster a forum outside the casino where its members can interact.

Bwin is a leading European online gambling operator with over 20 million players from 22 countries. It has introduced innovative and proprietary software that enables its players to communicate with each other on Facebook and Twitter. This software, known as Shoutbox, takes social interaction to a much higher plane than is possible through chat facilities within the casino software. One of the grievances against online gaming is that it makes the player feel isolated. The Shoutbox software brings a bit of Las Vegas style casino experience to the online poker games at Bwin. Bwin Chief Technological Officer Thomas Kiessling is of the opinion that social networking will drive the online casino industry’s future growth heading into the next decade. He said, "It's really the customer experience that’s key. The customer churn is very important, anything around customer relationship management, customer intelligence, usability studies. That is a major priority for me."

Special software is not essential to create a vibrant social networking community. The Realtime Gaming powered Jackpot Capital online casino has close to 850 members in its Facebook group. Through promotions announced at its web site Jackpot Capital has encouraged its players to contribute regularly at Facebook. Information on Facebook spreads faster than wild fire. Information on new games and promotions posted on Facebook reaches customers faster. The best part is that customers can respond honestly to their experiences. Recently a new game Fruit Bowl XXV was launched at Jackpot Capital online casino. Ken Mils has responded by saying that the game sucks, whereas Rain Valera says, "It's so funny, I love this game!" Some of the other online casinos that have a presence on Facebook are Jackpot City, Virgin Casino and Ladbrokes.

E-Gaming Review has for long been a leading journal in the online gaming industry. It is also the host of the prestigious EGR Awards that are held every year. E-Gaming Review has also recognized the importance of social networking. It is for this reason that it has announced an award for the online casino that best uses social networking. Very clearly the nexus between online casinos and social networking is all set to grow.

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