Operators and suppliers need to create a “seamless and frictionless” digital experience for Gen Z consumers according to Suzohapp’s President, Sim Bielak.

Bielak offered his insight when he sat down with the Editor of SBC Americas and Canadian Gaming Business, Jessica Welman, at the recent Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto.

The Gen Z generation encompasses people born between the late nineties and early 2010s.  They are known as the first social generation to have grown up with access to the internet and portable digital technology from a young age.

As a result, Gen Z’s consumer expectations and preferences in the gaming industry differ from previous generations.

Bielak said: “They’re very digital orientated. So I think, irrelevant to what your product offering is it needs to be a seamless experience, and frictionless because that’s what they’re used to.”

He also explained that he has noticed an increase in Gen Z adopting electronic table games as they closely resemble PC gaming, where players can pick and choose between games rather than slots that are limited to a single game.

He added: “I think you’ll see a natural technological evolution over time. If you look at somebody like in my generation, we know about an arcade game. We went and put quarters in and picked the game we wanted to play. 

“They’re used to getting a little console or a PC and picking what they want to play. I think it has to be, irrelevant of how they’re going to play – whether that’s on a home PC or they’re going to play on their mobile or in a casino – it has to be presented to them in the fashion that they’re used to.”

A challenge for operators and suppliers is trying to include an array of different games in one cabinet when working in regulated environments. To overcome the problem, Bielak stressed the importance of stakeholders working together.

He said: “I think the way we have to start thinking about this is it’s no longer about just your traditional slot machine gaming, but more of a gaming experience encompassing gaming as in PC gaming complete. So this is another form of entertainment. And I think that technology is there.

“If you look at the traditional slot machine business as it is today  It’s not really sustainable long term. So if you look at what an operator does and what a manufacturer does, they want to make sure that they’re all running as profitable, successful businesses.

“So I think there’s an opportunity there to help them bridge the gap between the hardware side, and the operator side, and to come in with a solution that could create a really digital experience.”

An important part of offering a seamless and frictionless experience is offering different payment options and thanks to the rise of credit cards and digital wallets society is becoming more accepting of cashless systems.