Megan Nation: “We Need Incentives for Women To Become Interested in Sports Betting”

Interview with Megan Nation, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Aristocrat Gaming and Board Member of WISE (Women in Sports and Events)

Today I am speaking with Megan Nation, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Aristocrat Gaming. In addition to her role at Aristocrat, Megan is an MBA candidate at the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University as well as a Board Member of WISE (Women in Sports and Events) Las Vegas, where she actively champions the advancement of women in the industry.

I wanted to connect with Megan as she has a true passion for empowerment and community engagement and to get her take on how we can strengthen women’s role in business and the gaming industry specifically.

As a Director of Strategic Initiatives at Aristocrat Gaming and Director of Membership for the WISE Las Vegas Board, what role do you see women playing in shaping the future of the gaming industry?

Megan. I recognize that the future of any industry, including the Gaming industry, relies on leveraging diverse talent and perspectives.  Women have been, and continue to be, crucial to the growth and evolution of the industry in numerous ways. 

Including women in a more equitable way within the industry allows for increased diversity in thought, representation in leadership, advances in technological innovation, mentorship, and empowerment for consumer involvement. Women bring a variety of experiences and insights that can lead to more unique and inclusive game narratives, designs, and mechanics.  

How would you guide women who aspire to advance their careers in a predominantly male-dominated industry?

Megan. My advice to women, who are looking to advance their career within a predominantly male-dominated industry, would be to:

Network, network, network – Finding your community and support system will allow you to seek opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations to thrive within the industry. I highly recommend networking and connecting with male and female leaders to ensure you have a diverse thought leadership within your circle. Having this diverse circle will allow you to have representation and a “champion” in the room when you’re not present.  

Personal Development – I’ve always considered myself a lifelong learner and feel it’s important to seek opportunities to better yourself. These opportunities can be seeking a mentor, executive coach, or continuous education. By staying up to date with the latest trends, you’ll increase your confidence and bolster your position within the industry.

Negotiate – Women should know the power of negotiation whether it’s for salary, benefits, or a new role.  Do your research, know your worth and advocate for yourself. 

What skills and qualities do you think are most important for women who aspire to leadership positions in the gaming industry?

Megan. In my opinion, women make great leaders because they innately possess high emotional intelligence and communication skills. Having these skills allows leaders to thrive in diverse and complex situations, as well as have a more collaborative approach. 

Additionally, I feel it’s equally important to develop skills around adaptability and resilience. The Gaming industry is dynamic and ever-evolving. Leaders must be able to pivot in response to technological advancements, market shifts, customer needs, and player feedback. 

Lastly, an important quality for leaders to possess is clarity of thought on their strategic vision. The ability to anticipate future trends, understand the Gaming landscape, and develop long-term plans will be critical in aspiring and being successful in a leadership role.

What impact could increased diversity and representation have on the gaming industry as a whole?

Megan. When teams have a more diverse range of employees, there is a positive impact of enhanced creativity, innovation, and profitability. There have been multiple studies showing the increase in diversity inherently results in higher profits for an organization. Based on research completed by Harvard Business Review, I wanted to cite the following quote to highlight the impact of increased diversity and representation: “The business case is clear: When women are at the table, the discussion is richer, the decision-making process is better, and the organization is stronger.”

What are some of the biggest misconceptions you have encountered about women in the gaming industry?

Megan. Women in the industry need special treatment and cannot handle the challenges of the industry; women can’t do longer shifts than male counterparts because we have kids to take care of; women can’t travel because we need to be home to take care of our kids.  If traveling, asked, “who is taking care of your kids?”

What are some of the biggest opportunities and challenges in the sports betting industry today?

While I’m not an expert in the sports betting space I do believe the following are opportunities and challenges:

Opportunities

Interactive and Immersive Experiences:  If the Gaming industry knows how to do one thing extremely well, it creates a memorable experience! Based on Gaming’s ability to scale and create memorable events, Sports Betting will be another showcased experience for operators to leverage to enhance brand awareness and loyalty. 

Diversification: Sports Betting brings a new diversified offering to customers, which results in diversification of revenue.  This diversification of revenue also means additional opportunities to secure wallet share for operators looking for additional market expansion opportunities. 

Additionally, Sports Betting diversification also means diversification in talent and development within the industry to bring in new thought leaders.

Challenges

Regulatory:  Due to the highly regulated nature of the Gaming industry, Sports Betting presents new challenges related to jurisdictional regulations, Responsible Gaming, and regulation of emerging technologies. Partnerships and open communication with regulators is going to be a necessity to ensure integrity is maintained within the Sports Betting industry to allow for growth.

Adoption: Currently, the Sports Betting industry is predominately male-dominated. In order to increase awareness and accessibility for new groups of sports bettors (who are of legal age), there needs to be more education and incentives for women and diverse groups to become interested in Sports Betting.

How do you see the gaming industry evolving in the coming years, and what opportunities and challenges do you anticipate?

Megan. Opportunities: Omnichannel Experience. To amplify brand awareness and loyalty, Operators are going to have the opportunity to add Sports Betting to their portfolio offering. Providing one platform for Sports Betting, online Real-Money Gaming, traditional brick-and-mortar gaming, and on-premises amenities will become the expectation for consumers. Leveraging technology will allow Operators to create a unique and meaningful loyalty experience for their customers, which will translate to meaningful brand awareness and opportunities to secure additional wallet share.

Opportunities: Expectations. As more jurisdictions embrace new regulatory approvals, customers’ expectations will change to expect a higher level of engagement and improved experience. This expectation will provide the opportunity to advance innovation, platform enhancement, and provide the opportunity to grow Sports Betting.

Challenges: Regulation. As mentioned above, regulation and responsible gaming are at the forefront of gaming operations in a modern casino environment. As Sports Betting evolves and looks to make innovative advancements within the Gaming industry, there may be challenges related to regulation approvals on laws and technology advancements.

Challenges: Market Growth. In order for the Sports Betting market to grow and evolve, new betting participants need to enter. Sports Betting cannot continue to mirror the current analytics if sustainable market growth can be secured over time.   

What’s your view on women sports bettors?

Megan. Women sports bettors are a valuable segment of customers, who should not be underestimated.  With their growing presence, women are smart, passionate, and have the ability to help transform the industry. The rise in women sports bettors represents a significant market potential.  

What do women want?

Megan. Equality. This has a range of meanings and applications – this can be equality in their personal or professional relationships. Equality in opportunities. Equality in how they experience safety and security.  Equality in recognition and value. Equality in representation. Equality in pay. Equality in access to healthcare. Equality in a sense of community and belonging.  

When we have a more equitable society, women will be able to achieve success without limitations.

RELATED ARTICLES

Place your first $5 bet to get $200 in Bonus Bets