Say No to Cheap Gaming Software Solutions!
We are often tempted to save money on everything we buy. In the hunt for the right bargain, we end up making poor buying decisions. Take for example, the innocuous looking car tyres. Tyres are the only part of your car that make direct contact with the road. If you think about skimping on the tyres of your car, you might end up putting yourself and your family at risk as cheaper tyres can let you down at the most critical time when you are travelling with family.
The same principle applies to online lottery systems. Gaming business is a major investment for an operator with the lottery software, network infrastructure, and hardware. What if the customer faces issues with the system – would they come back with more business?
The answer is obviously ‘no’.
Purchasing and installing a gaming management system for lottery, virtual sports betting, or even in a casino is a huge investment. It is a one-time investment that decides the future success of the operator, much like a set of good tyres on your car. While looking at savings in the short-term, operators run the danger of overlooking long-term dangers to the continuity of the business.
Costs can not be the only deciding factor for gaming operators when selecting a technology partner. Understanding the requirements and a careful evaluation is needed when the risks involved include the reputation of the brand.
- References and testimonials – Small vendors may lack client reference and testimonials. So, it is always better to test the credibility and quality of online lottery software vendor independently. Do a little research on the Vendor to find out if he is reliable. Find out experiences of the software and after-sales service from other gaming operators. It makes sense to go for a vendor with a wider experience in executing projects on a large scale.
- Technical support after deployment – Most vendors offering cheaper online lottery software solutions find it difficult to provide technical support to the clients. They often have limited time support options with more costs attached to extended support options. They also lack the manpower to provide support services that results in delays in response time.
- Low Cost Trap – Compromising drastically on the charges they levy on an Operator for their software so as to gain more customers, can negatively impact their long-term sustainability and many a times the operator will end up finding out to his disadvantage that the Software vendor has closed shop and cannot be traced.
- Flexibility – Cheaper online lottery software may not possess the flexibility to add new games, or configure new rules quickly, resulting in a dull experience for the customer and added frustrations for the gaming Operator.
- Scalability – Even if the game gains popularity among players, cheaper online lottery software are difficult to scale-up as the user load increases due to various inherent weaknesses of the system.
- Poor user experience – Cheaper online lottery software often comes with a poor front-end user experience for the customer. Players often face problems with the user interface and are turned off, probably to never return to the same operator ever again.
- Compliance to regulations– Cheaper online lottery software are often cheaper because the developers cut corners while making it and the first corner that usually gets the cut is compliance, resulting in a lottery software that is not secure and can easily lead to loss of financial data for the customer and the gaming operator.
Care must be taken while selecting a vendor for online lottery software and systems. A vendor’s role is of a strategic consultant that covers multi-dimensional aspects of the lottery business.
- Risk assessment: The lottery industry is subject to extreme market volatility and competition. Starting up a lottery business requires careful approximation and historical comparison of trends. Figures like probable footfalls, costs of setup, estimated revenue and expected earnings require intervention of experienced consultants who can guide the gaming business in a professional manner.
- Training of personnel: Personnel operating the lottery software system need to be trained in client handling and operation of games. These trainings are specific in nature. Technical aspects of managing a lottery system is counted among specialized skills; cash on hand and priority handling require specialized training for the personnel involved in operations.
- Regulation compliance: Lottery industry is under constant and careful watch of the regulatory authorities. Since the scope of manipulation on part of the lottery operator is high, regulations to protect clients from being duped are very stringent. For example, the U.S. passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006 leading to the closure of many online gaming sites. A consultant would have better overview of such scenarios and would be in a position to guide the business according to these market forces that shape the gaming industry.
- Strategic Alliances: The gaming industry witnesses a lot of mergers and consolidations that with larger companies absorbing smaller ones. Bwin acquired Gioco, Italy’s largest poker website in 2009. In the same year, IGT acquired Milton 2-1 with its entire mobile devices gaming portfolio.
These changes and trend shifts have implications far beyond the obvious for the gaming industry. Ideally, online lottery software vendors are also able consultants for their clients. They possess the ability to understand the implications of a lottery software implementation and provide better solutions suited to the needs of the gaming operator that include operational consulting and marketing consulting to assist in making the lottery venture profitable. Consultancy services for lottery software are often essential and the leaders qualify their positions with the quality they bring into a lottery gaming operation.
Dusane Infotech is a leading technology solution provider for the gaming industry from India, providing comprehensive, integrated consultancy services to clients for lottery operational setup and roll out.
Dusane Infotech’s role goes beyond being a technology vendor for clients and encompasses 360 degree solutions that include:
- Staff training
- Facilities planning and design
- Consulting on telecommunications design
- Consultation on sales and marketing plans
- Game design
- Consulting in hotline set up
- Field service procedures for online lottery software solution
- Consumables design
- Retailer registration
- Retailer training materials and plans
- Banking integration
- Website design
- Lottery terminal roll-out plan
A cheaper variation of an online lottery software may make sense in the short run while it “saves” costs on the face of things. But the hidden costs and the cost of reputation of the gaming business is probably not something worth gambling with.
For further information on a robust and scalable online lottery solution, please reach out to us at solutions@dusaneinfotech.com