Club gaming in New South Wales, Australia: the transition to industry maturity

The New South Wales club gaming industry has existed for nearly forty years since the introduction of slot machines in 1956 and has witnessed the impact of changing legal, competitive, social, economic and technological factors on its competitiveness. Using Michael Porter's framework of competitive forces (1980), this paper analyzes the industry's lifecycle in terms of entry barriers, industry rivals, customer markets and substitute products. This analysis provides evidence that the industry has evolved from an emergent industry to one which is now approaching maturity. Industry cooperation, strategic management and a refocussing of marketing efforts are suggested as suitable responses by club management to the intensifying competitive forces accompanying industry maturity.