Panellists speaking on the “Online Casino: Big in Japan?” panel during the CasinoBeats Malta Digital summit agreed that Japan boasts some of the global gaming industry’s most valuable players.
Andrea Bellazza, VP of EU and Asia Pacific at KaFe Rock, argued that although Japanese players may be more difficult to acquire, they are also worth the extra effort.
He commented: “I can’t give specific numbers but I will tell you that for sure their lifetime value is higher than American players.
“These players are a lot harder to get and you have to put in more effort and more focus but it is definitely worth it because of the amount they spend.
“This is a lot more than we are used to – especially in Europe. I would say it is one of the most high-value players there is.”
Robin Reed, CEO of Ichiban Ventures, agreed with Bellazza’s estimation, adding that he had seen lifetime value figures of “upwards of €2,000 ($2257) per player” from some of the Japanese market’s biggest competitors.
Reed only expects this number to rise in the future. “Japan is still a relatively new market,” he commented.
“It’s only in the past four to five years that online casino has really penetrated the market, so I think the numbers you’re seeing now are likely to go up.”
