The gaming industry is entering a period of deeper convergence between land-based and digital operations, though challenges around organisational capability and regulatory frameworks remained significant, said executives at a Wednesday panel session on the second day of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2026 in Macau.
The speakers agreed that digital gaming was not expected to replace brick-and-mortar casinos, but rather complement them through more connected ecosystems and personalised player experiences.
“I think land-based and the digital segment are converging. That’s absolutely true, but I think there’s a perception that one is going to replace the other,” said Jamie Dorbian (pictured second from left), managing director for international at Light & Wonder Inc. “For me they can work together.”
According to Mr Dorbian, the challenge for operators was “crafting the right player journey”, while ensuring any convergence complied with regulatory requirements.
He added that some cannibalisation between businesses was inevitable, “but that’s the way things are going, we just have to regulate it”.
Shaun McCamley (pictured right), founder and chairman of social gaming provider GameWorkz, said changing consumer expectations – particularly among younger customers who had grown up with technology – were forcing operators to rethink how they approached both digital and physical gaming.
“The market’s changing daily,” he noted. “We’re now dealing with a different set of requirements for what the public wants, namely a younger generation that grew up with technology.”
He described cross-platform capability as “a foundational need today”, arguing that operators could no longer treat digital as an entirely separate vertical.
“Particularly when you’re looking at loyalty programmes, which are a key cornerstone for the industry, you must have a good loyalty programme, but those must be able to interact completely and seamlessly with the digital space,” Mr McCamley suggested.
At the same time, he stressed that demand for physical casinos would remain resilient because of the social and experiential aspects of gaming floors.
“Some people like to have the experience of walking through the floor and that would never go away; whereas some people are very happy playing their games from their living room,” he said.
Kurt Gissane (pictured second from right), chief revenue officer for Aristocrat Gaming, said the industry had already shifted from being “a product-led business to a more experienced, intelligent based operation, providing a journey to customers”.
He pointed to the increasing integration of loyalty systems, payment solutions and marketing between digital and land-based operations.
“I think there’s definitely convergence between digital and land-based businesses, but I definitely do not think land-based goes away,” Mr Gissane stated. “People like human interaction and connection.”
He added that operators were increasingly relying on analytics and player data to drive decision-making and create more personalised experiences. “I think data is the most valuable asset on the balance sheet at the moment,” he stressed.
Operational challenges
The panel – titled “How Technology Might Shape Gaming’s Future”, and moderated by Niall Murray (pictured left), founder and chief executive of Murray International (Macau) Co Ltd – also highlighted operational shortcomings that have slowed digital adoption in parts of the gaming industry.
Mr McCamley argued the problem was often not the technology itself, but a lack of internal expertise among operators. “Pretty much all of the major properties throughout this region have set up their digital business to fail,” he claimed.
According to him, many operators incorrectly placed digital operations under casino management, IT departments or marketing teams, rather than establishing dedicated online divisions staffed by specialists.
“Until the operators understand that they need to structure their internal department as an independent department with professionals that have experienced in operating an online business, they will continue to fail,” he suggested.
Mr McCamley added that many operators subsequently relied on third-party providers, giving up control of valuable customer databases in exchange for faster market entry.
Mr Gissane partly disagreed with the view that capability alone was responsible for slower digital progress, saying regulation was also a major factor.
“We’re in a heavily regulated industry across the globe, and the barriers prevent the industry to be able to escalate this,” he said.
The Aristocrat executive cited cashless gaming as an example of technology that had long existed but faced slower implementation because of regulatory barriers.
The panellists also discussed the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics in gaming operations.
Mr Gissane highlighted that AI tools were enabling operators to make “immediate decisions” and better understand the player journey. At the same time, he noted caution remained around the use of AI in sensitive areas such as game mathematics and intellectual property.
Mr Dorbian observed that AI technology was evolving faster than regulation. “AI is moving so quickly and the technology is changing every day,” he said. “And regulatory wise, that takes time to change, which just creates some challenges.”
All three speakers emphasised the importance of closer cooperation with regulators as technology adoption accelerates. “I think we can all do better in partnering with the regulators to work on the technology prior to releasing it,” Mr Dorbian stated.
Mr Gissane echoed that view, saying operators and suppliers should help regulators better understand emerging technologies and consumer protections.
“I think us as vendors, as well as operators, can work with regulators to help frame regulations, and provide information on what we’re doing in terms of technology and how we can put protections in place,” he said.
