The Innovation Group (TIG) has published a new study, ‘Coronavirus Recovery Analysis, A Gaming Industry White Paper’, which details the impact of COVID-19 on the gaming industry since the pandemic entered the global stage in mid-January.
Initially, the firm tracked domestic and international gaming activity and revenue declines on a market by market basis, until it became clear in mid-March that casinos along with the entire hospitality and leisure industries would essentially shut down.
Since then, its focus has been multifold, stimulating dialogue between tribes, operators, investors, and regulators to discuss how they are addressing business needs during closure and their best practices.
The company has also produced a forecast model for a wide range of potential recovery patterns across gaming markets which can be adapted on a local market basis as new information and data become available.
TIG added that is tracking customer sentiment to enable its Innovation Analytics team to use player perceptions to refine forecasts and inform marketing decisions in the new gaming environment.
The White Paper is, said the firm, a preliminary analysis of potential recovery patterns of the gaming industry from COVID-19. US commercial casino revenue for 2019 is utilized as the baseline in the recovery model forecast, and presents regional percentage recovery estimates that apply to commercial and tribal casinos. Destination, international and online gaming markets are considered qualitatively in the report.
The analysis applies a range of demand recovery scenarios based on the level of decline in the economy and in perceived customer security; ramp up of economic recovery and; ramp up of consumer acceptance for spending and use of public spaces.
Findings indicate that the rate of revenue recovery by the end of the first year of operation following reopening would be lower than demand potential as long as social distancing measures are in effect.
Said TIG: “A casino with extremely high utilization pre-virus would reach pre-virus levels of only 33%, while a casino with minimal utilization would reach 73%, or an additional drop of approximately 10 percentage points off the demand potential. These estimates are based on closing three of every five gaming positions. If wider spacing is required, the recovery would naturally be lower, or vice versa.”
To view the white paper go to theinnovationgroup.com
