Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

The online casino industry has experienced remarkable growth, influencing digital business strategies globally. Technological advancements have been pivotal in driving these changes, with innovations such as AI and VR at the forefront. Businesses are adapting to these developments, integrating them into broader digital strategies to maintain competitiveness.

The rapid expansion of the online casino industry has significantly impacted digital business strategies. As these platforms continue to grow, they are incorporating cutting-edge technologies to enhance their offerings and improve user engagement. Platforms that are on the rise, like Admiral Casino, exemplify how the industry is leveraging technology to remain competitive. This article explores the technological innovations driving this sector forward and how they are reshaping the way businesses approach digital strategy.

Technological Innovations Driving the Sector Forward

The online casino industry has embraced various technological advancements that have transformed the way it operates. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most significant technologies currently being employed. AI algorithms help in personalising user experiences by analysing player behaviour and preferences, which allows platforms to tailor content and recommendations effectively. Additionally, AI assists in fraud detection and maintaining security, ensuring a safe environment for players.

Virtual Reality (VR) is another technology making waves in online casinos. VR provides an immersive experience, allowing users to feel as if they are inside a physical casino from the comfort of their own homes. This innovation enhances user engagement and offers a unique gaming experience. Blockchain technology also plays a pivotal role by ensuring transparent and secure transactions. These technologies collectively ensure that online casinos can provide innovative solutions to attract and retain users.

Enhancing User Engagement Through Personalisation

User engagement is critical for the success of online casinos, and personalisation plays a significant role in achieving this. By using data analytics, platforms can deliver customised experiences that cater to individual preferences. This tailored approach helps in keeping players engaged and encourages longer interaction with the platform. Gamification elements, such as reward systems and leaderboards, further boost engagement by providing users with a sense of achievement.

Online casinos also focus on creating interactive interfaces that enhance the gaming experience. By employing high-quality graphics and sound effects, platforms aim to replicate the atmosphere of a real casino as closely as possible. The inclusion of live dealer games brings an additional layer of authenticity, allowing players to interact with real dealers through video streaming. These strategies not only attract new players but also encourage existing ones to return for more engaging experiences.

Strategies for Expanding Market Reach and Demographics

To expand their market reach, online casinos employ diverse strategies aimed at attracting various demographics. One such approach is localising content to cater to different cultural preferences and languages. By offering games in multiple languages and tailoring themes according to regional tastes, casinos can appeal to a broader audience. Additionally, implementing marketing campaigns through social media platforms helps target specific demographics effectively.

Mobile compatibility is another crucial factor in reaching wider audiences. As mobile devices become increasingly prevalent, ensuring seamless access across all platforms is vital for attracting users who prefer gaming on-the-go. Collaborations with influential personalities or partnerships with other digital services also help in expanding market reach. These strategies highlight how online casinos adapt their approaches to remain relevant in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

The Future Impact on Broader Digital Strategies

The influence of online casino gaming extends beyond its immediate industry, impacting broader digital business strategies as well. Companies across various sectors are learning from these innovations by integrating similar technologies into their operations. The focus on user engagement through personalisation and gamification offers valuable insights for businesses looking to enhance customer interaction.

As technology continues to evolve, businesses must remain adaptable to keep pace with these changes. The lessons learned from the online casino industry can serve as a blueprint for future digital strategies across different sectors. With ongoing advancements in AI, VR and blockchain, the landscape will continue to transform, presenting new opportunities for innovation and growth.

Speaking on ET Now, Rohit Srivastava, Founder, Strike Money Analytics & Indiacharts pointed out that the current phase is marked by a narrow leadership, where isolated pockets of strength are driving gains rather than a broad-based rally.

“So, this is a very-very narrow market. We are seeing few pockets where you are getting growth. If you look at the total earning season for the quarter, it has not been that great for the Nifty 50, but M&M and earlier State Bank have been the ones that have surprised or at least done better and that is why you are seeing these stocks make new highs. But it is not an across the board event that we are seeing, so therefore it is very-very stock specific and it is not even like the entire sector doing that, so yes, M&M has done fine, but we will watch the next few days how it aligns with the sector.”

Mahindra & Mahindra’s performance, along with earlier strength in State Bank of India, has helped these counters touch new highs, even as much of the market remains under pressure. However, Srivastava cautioned that such moves should not be mistaken for a broader sectoral or market-wide uptrend.

On the outlook for other opportunities, Srivastava said the current environment calls for a more cautious and tactical approach, with investors needing to be highly selective.

Live Events

“So, we are playing it very-very cautiously. If I have to look for value, it will come in very-very vague segments of the market. For example, sugar is one of them where there is deep value but it has been an underperforming segment. But if somebody has to look for value, then I would have to look at places like that where nothing is happening.”
At the same time, he flagged continued weakness in certain areas, particularly technology stocks, where pressure may persist.“At the same time there are some very-very weak parts of the market that are still getting hammered, for example, technology, so that is where we have to completely avoid trying to buy the dip. In fact, there may be more opportunities for traders on the short side of the IT sector. So, very-very different approach that we are having to take in the type of market that we are in. We cannot always be bottom fishing. There are now a lot of opportunities on the short side as well.”

Overall, the message from the charts and earnings commentary is clear: the market is rewarding select stock-specific stories, while broad-based participation remains limited. For investors and traders alike, this environment may demand sharper stock selection, greater discipline, and a willingness to adapt strategies to both long and short opportunities.

Across Australia, more business owners are rethinking a decision to outsource customer acquisition to a marketing agency.

For years, the retainer model has been the default solution for founders who want more enquiries but don’t have the time, confidence, or internal expertise to run advertising themselves. In many cases, agencies do deliver results. But a growing number of Australian founders are finding that even when leads come in, the arrangement can leave them with limited control over the system that drives the growth. That’s why workshops have started to gain momentum as alternatives where owners learn how to build acquisition systems they can operate internally.

One example is “Where U?,” a two-day in-person workshop designed to teach Australian business owners how to generate leads using Meta and Google Ads, framed less as a “marketing hack” and more as a repeatable engine.

The Problem Is Dependency

Many business owners walk away from agencies because the dependency can become uncomfortable. When customer acquisition sits entirely outside the business, owners often feel exposed. If results drop, they may not know why. If an account manager changes, the strategy can shift. If communication slows down, decisions get delayed. Over time, a business can end up paying for outcomes it can’t clearly explain or replicate.

That’s a serious risk when customer acquisition determines revenue stability.

Even strong agencies can struggle to understand the nuances of a business the way the founder does. Business owners know the real objections customers raise, the offers that convert, the services with the highest margins, and the reasons clients choose them over competitors. Translating years of customer experience into a short onboarding call rarely captures the full picture.

Workshops appeal because they reduce that gap. Instead of outsourcing understanding, owners build it themselves.

Workshops Offer Internal Capability

The biggest difference between a workshop and a retainer isn’t cost. It’s what the business owns at the end of it. With an agency, you may get leads, but the expertise often stays with the provider.

With an in-person workshop, the goal is capability transfer. Owners leave with knowledge of how the system works and what levers move performance. They understand how targeting influences lead quality, how messaging impacts the conversion, and what metrics indicate a problem BEFORE revenue is affected.

That doesn’t mean every founder becomes a full-time marketer. But it does mean they become far more effective decision-makers.

Once a business understands the mechanics of acquisition, outsourcing becomes smarter. Instead of relying blindly on a provider, owners can hire specialists selectively while maintaining strategic control.

Why In-Person Workshops Are Gaining Traction Again

A growing number of founders are starting to treat lead generation like key infrastructure to their business.

That shift is being driven by a simple reality: referrals aren’t predictable. Reputation takes time. And in many industries, the speed of growth is limited by how consistently new customers enter the pipeline.

That’s why more owners are focusing on building systems that create repeatable demand. Systems that don’t rely on luck, seasonal spikes, or platform changes, they don’t understand.

Workshops fit this new mindset because they deliver structure. Instead of random marketing activity, owners build a process that can be measured, improved, and repeated.

“Where U?” (Founded by Brandon Willington) was one of the first Companies in Australia to push this direction with strong satisfaction and increasing demand for workshops as momentum continues to build.

Owners Want Control Over Growth

The rise of workshops is a response to the new reality of running a modern business. Growth is harder to predict. Competition is higher. Customer attention is fragmented. And when the pipeline slows, the consequences hit quickly.

Workshops are gaining popularity because they offer business owners something that outsourced lead generation often doesn’t: control. The most valuable outcome isn’t simply generating leads. It’s understanding how demand is created so it can be repeated, improved, and scaled over time.

For Australian business owners looking for stability, that shift toward ownership may become one of the defining growth strategies of the decade.

For more information about “WhereU?” Workshops, visit: https://www.whereu.com.au/

It has said it could lose the title of busiest airport

Heathrow Airport has begun the new year by smashing its previous traffic record, but has issued a stark warning that it risks losing its crown without advancement on expansion.

Approximately 6.5 million passengers passed through the airport in January, representing a 2.2 per cent rise on last year and making it the busiest January on record. The month also saw multiple peak days exceeding 250,000 passengers, surpassing the previous January’s record of 246,000.

Yet despite the fresh milestones, the airport’s leadership seized the opportunity to deliver a stark warning on expansion, as reported by City AM.

“We remain Europe’s largest airport, but latest figures show we may lose that position in 2026 and we cannot keep driving growth for the UK economy without more capacity,” chief executive Thomas Woldbye said.

“That’s why Heathrow expansion is so critical.”

Woldbye said the decision the government takes this year is “essential to enable the delivery of the UK’s flagship growth project”.

As of February 2026, the expansion scheme for Britain’s largest airport officially shifted out of its paused state and into a preparatory phase. Following the government’s formal endorsement of the Northwest Runway scheme in late 2025, the project is now working towards a series of critical regulatory hurdles this year.

Towards the end of January, the airport disclosed that mounting staff costs and the government’s controversial business rates policy were set to take a bite out of the company’s growing turnover.

The business revealed its profit had plummeted by 38 per cent during the nine months to October and highlighted higher-than-anticipated expenses, chiefly stemming from government policy.

The firm particularly pointed to “employment and business rates” putting its bottom line “under pressure”.

At the start of 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves backed the Heathrow expansion as part of the government’s flagship growth drive.

Reeves told business leaders the Heathrow expansion would “make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business”.

Historic expansion attempts have previously encountered obstacles owing to environmental concerns.

Reeves’ proposal has continued to meet resistance, including from London mayor Sadiq Khan who last year stated he “remains opposed” to a third runway.

“I remain opposed to a new runway at Heathrow airport because of the severe impact it will have on noise, air pollution and meeting our climate change targets,” the mayor said.

Retail spending picked up sharply in January as consumers flocked to post-Christmas sales, offering some relief to a sector hit by a subdued festive period and rising employment costs.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG showed that retail sales increased by 2.7 per cent year-on-year last month, up from growth of just 1.2 per cent in December.

The improvement suggests that many shoppers delayed spending before Christmas and instead waited for deeper January discounts.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “A drab December gave way to a brighter January as retail sales picked up pace. Many shoppers had held off Christmas spending and waited for the January sales, with the start of the new year showing the strongest growth.”

Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer, retail and leisure at KPMG, said discounting proved decisive. “January sales enticed consumers to spend, with personal electronics, furniture, and children’s clothes and toys among the best-performing categories,” she said.

She added that New Year resolutions had also driven spending in health-related categories, including wellness-focused food and drink.

Food sales rose by 3.8 per cent compared with January last year, up from annual growth of 2.8 per cent previously. Non-food sales increased by 1.7 per cent year-on-year.

However, the data will provide limited comfort to retailers concerned about margins. The reliance on heavy discounting to stimulate demand suggests that underlying consumer confidence remains fragile.

According to the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes are still 1.5 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. Official figures showed sales rose by only 0.4 per cent in December.

Consumer spending is a major driver of UK economic growth, and weakness in retail demand has weighed on GDP since the pandemic, as households grappled with rising living costs and higher borrowing rates.

Financial markets expect the Bank of England to cut interest rates two or three times this year, potentially beginning as early as March. Rates were reduced four times in 2025 to 3.75 per cent, their lowest level in three years.

The Bank’s latest forecasts indicate inflation is likely to return to its 2 per cent target by the spring. However, the central bank also expects unemployment to rise to 5.3 per cent this year, a post-pandemic high, potentially dampening consumer confidence.

Retailers are also contending with higher operating costs following the Labour government’s £25 billion increase in employer national insurance contributions and further rises in the minimum wage.

With official GDP data for the final quarter of last year due later this week, January’s rebound offers tentative signs of resilience — but the sector’s recovery remains closely tied to interest rates, household incomes and the strength of consumer confidence in the months ahead.

Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.

The WA Police Force has flagged a multi-million-dollar plan to redevelop the old East Perth lockup into a museum.

An application lodged with DevelopmentWA shows a proposal to demolish the western side of the East Perth building and reuse the eastern portion for a museum and café.

The building on Adelaide Terrace was a corrective institution that has been unoccupied since 2013.

Partial demolition and adaptive reuse of the building will cost about $14.5 million, according to the development application.

The application also shows other options WAPOL has explored, including a $39 million plan to retain the existing building and undergo remediation works.

A WA Police spokesperson told Business News a not-for-profit entity has been set up to operate the museum, while the police force retains ownership.

The spokesperson said WAPOL forecasts the museum to be partially open by March 2027, to coincide with the World Police and Fire Games in Perth.

If approved and built, the WA Police Museum in East Perth will replace the existing exhibition in Highgate.

“The current museum volunteer Historical Society facility in Highgate is undersized, technologically outdated, and lacks adequate teaching, learning, and storage facilities,” the application read.

“It is also unable to properly display or preserve the artefacts and exhibits currently in [Western Australia Police Force’s] possession. 

“Although the WAPOL Historical Society operates independently, the new museum will provide a dedicated public facility to showcase WA Police history and heritage, integrating the historical society’s collection with WAPF’s own under the direction of a newly appointed WAPF museum curator.”

The application said the proposed museum would be a catalyst for the future growth and expansion of the police force’s collection and public outreach programs.

“The proposal is supported by an extensive building program of structural repairs, including the building’s concrete frame, roof, and services infrastructure,” the document read. 

‘As noted in the engineering report, the eastern portion of the building, while in disrepair, remains structurally viable, whereas the western portion is beyond repair within foreseeable financial capacity.”

President Donald Trump claimed in a new interview that outgoing Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell is “incompetent,” and even “corrupt,” in his handling of renovations underway at the Federal Reserve building.

“It’s the most expensive construction job ever built anywhere in the world per square foot. It’s crazy. They’re either corrupt, which somebody’s corrupt has to be, or grossly incompetent. Now we know he’s incompetent, but the question is, is he corrupt?” Trump said during an appearance on “Kudlow.”

“I would have been able to do that job for $25 million, and it would have been much better than what they’re ending up with,” the president added, estimating that the project’s total cost was up to $4 billion, nearly double the price tag given in Fed documents.

Documents on the Fed’s website maintain that renovation costs are $2.5 billion, not $4 billion, as Trump said.

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOT DROP DOJ CRIMINAL PROBE INTO FED CHAIR JEROME POWELL

President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speak during a tour of the Federal Reserve Board building, which is currently undergoing renovations, in Washington, D.C., July 24, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Reuters)

When Trump visited the Fed in July 2025, he clashed with Powell over the cost of the renovations, with the president saying the cost was up to approximately $3.1 billion at the time. As Trump told the press that the cost had gone up from $2.7 billion to $3.1 billion, Powell said he was “not aware of that.” 

The president said the figures “just came out” and proceeded to give Powell a document purportedly from the Fed. When the chairman pushed back, saying the document had included a project that had been completed five years earlier.

While Trump has already tapped Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, a federal investigation is delaying the transition. FOX Business host Larry Kudlow asked the president if it was “worth holding up the Warsh nomination” to pursue the case against Powell, and the president said it was unclear.

“I don’t know. I mean, we’ll have to see what happens,” Trump said. “Look, I’ve been fighting Tillis for a long time — so much so that he ended up quitting — so let’s see.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, has said that he would “oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ’s inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved.” Despite his determination to block Wash’s nomination, Tillis did not seem to have a problem with Trump’s pick, calling him a “qualified nominee with a deep understanding of monetary policy.”

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell holds a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee meeting on June 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images / Getty Images)

TRUMP VS THE FEDERAL RESERVE: HOW THE CLASH REACHED UNCHARTED TERRITORY

The costs of the renovations at the Fed have become central to a Justice Department criminal investigation opened in January into Powell’s congressional testimony about the project.

On Jan. 11, Powell released a video message regarding the criminal probe, calling it “unprecedented” and saying that it “should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure.”

“This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. It is not about Congress’s oversight role; the Fed through testimony and other public disclosures made every effort to keep Congress informed about the renovation project. Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president,” Powell said in the January video.

“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” he added.

Earlier this month, the president doubled down on the probe, saying the DOJ would not drop its criminal investigation. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, will “take it to the end and see.” He also said he “feels badly” for Warsh, who “may not have an office for four years,” referring to the overhaul of the Fed’s buildings.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Trump nominated Powell during his first term, something that he recently told Kudlow was “a mistake.” He also said Powell was a “runner-up.” The president told Kudlow that “my secretary of the Treasury wanted him so badly,” likely referring to Steven Mnuchin.

The president also expressed his confidence in Warsh, saying he believes the nominee could help the U.S. reach his goal of 15% economic growth.

Fox Business reached out to the Federal Reserve for comment.

Fox Business’ Amanda Macias contributed to this report.