First a compliment to a few casinos – this month some of you seemed to realize that players like to plan ahead. I always hated it when there was a holiday toward the end of a month – and marketing seemed to disappear for several days to take a department vacation before they thought about the next month’s promotion. Then when they finally straggled back to work, it took several days of feverish scheduling – and we players often didn’t know what was going on in that new month until the 2nd or 3rd or even later. Sometimes we would get offers we would have loved – but they were already expired before we received our monthly mailer.
This is not a new problem. Back when we lived in Indianapolis, I would get extremely frustrated when I didn’t get our Vegas casino mailings in a timely manner to take advantage of airline savings for advance booking. Now – 20 years later – I still am frustrated when too often our local monthly mailers are late!
I try to think about and write about the positive things that I like about casino life. And I try to be realistic and accept the fact that casinos are a for-profit business. But recently I have just been pounded with examples of casino actions that absolutely astound me. A casino business depends entirely on its customers. No customers – no business. Most people businesses find they are most successful when they look at their customers as fellow human beings and treat them…. well, nicely.
I’m not talking about profits and bottom-lines here. Of course I don’t like resort fees and paid parking – but if the casinos continue to think up new ways to charge their customers more and their profits increase, then I just say that this is the American way of capitalistic freedom. I can accept it – or choose another entertainment option.
I’m talking about a casino environment where it seems like the people in charge seem to – at best – have no idea of how their customers think, and – at worst – they view their customers as enemies. To all that talk about how big data will tell them how to run their business more successfully, I want to say, “Get off your office computers and throw away all those data mining reports. Go down on the casino floor and look around – talk to the players at the machines and the people eating in your restaurants, and to the people in lines everywhere.”
Specifically, since this is an article about promotions, I want to vent and – if perhaps some casino marketing executives read this – I’ve heard some do – give some examples of promotions I have seen or experienced that drive people away from a casino instead of bringing them in. No names, but if the shoe fits……..
- Someone(s) sends out perhaps thousands of offers for a free or discounted popular buffet that is good only on one date. Does that marketing person(s) leave his plush office hidden far up on the lofty executive level and go down on the casino floor that day and see the long line snaking through the casino, with security guards setting up velvet ropes to steer it around customer traffic? Does he see the pain on the faces of the elderly and handicapped who look like they are ready to drop? Does he hear the grumbling turning to real anger when the coupon holder realized he will not get to that buffet food for 2 hours? Did the person(s) who dreamed up this promotion realize how unruly a crowd can get when their blood sugar gets low? Does he see how many people leave the casino mad, vowing never to return?
- Have casinos heard of inflation? An offer is sent out for a bonus amount “up to $500.” Most got only $5. “That’s the last time I will make a special trip for anything like this; at least they could have told us the minimum and I could decide in advance whether it would be worth my time and gas.” Or, the signs for a players club new-member sign-up bonus reads “Play $5 to get $5 in free play.” “Jeeeez, this casino is so cheap I have to risk my own money before they will give me even a fiddly amount. I don’t want to play in such a tight place!”
- “Mystery gifts” are offered very frequently –but there is usually a very limited choice, most from the casino inventory of left-over gifts few wanted the first time they were offered. This is the perfect way to insult your customers – over and over again!
I am out energy to rant any longer – maybe another time. But I bet many of you can add to this subject in the “Comments.” Feel free!
A local casino (formerly Hollywood Casino Jamul in San Diego County) recently has been trying to keep it’s local customers happy, by giving away it’s umpteen hundreds of Hollywood logo items and other (leftovers). Some are good (if you need $20-30 value kitchen items like a new crockpot), others not (you name it, they’ve offered it).
Thumbs up: USUALLY on these gift pick up days (qualified players) can choose either freeplay or the gift, with a swipe at the kiosk. I like this idea, and I’d like to see other casino marketing depts. offer that instead (if players happen be playing on a giftday giveaway anyhow, and pts needed for the gift, but could exchange for freeplay value instead).
Thumbs DOWN: Jamul Casino possibly marketed to their whole customer database earlier this June – sending out postcards for a Super Saturday gift giveaway….The problem – 1. It was on a Saturday (casino usually busy on weekends already, why have gift giveaway on a day when there are already crowds in the casino?).
2. You still had to swipe at kiosks to get a printed coupon/voucher…which you 3. had to stand in another line to pick up the gift of your choice. PROBLEM: They weren’t ready for the crowds (1000s) of players who showed up. I took one look in the casino and had never seen such chaos of lines of people snaking around machines, aisles, everywhere – they were under-staffed for this event – also only from 1pm-6pm on a Saturday!! They could of resolved this by (setting different dates – NOT on a weekend) for different tier level of players) – Another casino (Viejas in San Diego East county) regularly gives out weekly gifts, but they spread out the number of dates by tier level, so crowds usually aren’t an issue for the qualified players to pick up these gifts… Or they could have at least had enough staff with extra kiosks to swipe for the gift(s) thus preventing the crowded lines- due to not enough kiosks for the event, etc.
I most likely will stick to the Thursday evening weekly gift/exch for freeplay instead, as long as they continue that (no other promos on Thursdays at Jamul casino- but anything can change at any time!).
MM in San Diego
Not to mention having a “grand reopening party” during the Electric Daisy Carnival weekend, then close a few levels of the parking garage, ( for remodeling) so there is no parking anywhere on property!
The kicker is the construction isn’t even finished yet. Still workers on ladders, roped off areas, and wires everywhere! Invite thousands when you have room for hundreds for a complimentary buffet.
Then take away ALL the 9/6 Jacks or Better programs. Take away all the double points promotions. ( They are now 1.66x points)
Someone is trying to bankrupt the property it seems. VERY poor decisions. Or is there another motive for creating negativity among the players?
Do not go to Rampart Casino. Tight Slots and lousy Buffet.
My wife and I have been coming to Vegas for 33 years and really miss the “old vegas”. We’ve played downtown at all the properties but no longer go there. The Fremont street circus is just too sleazy for us. We’ve been saphire for several years at Boyd and they still send us offers for free rooms and minimal food ($10), but we don’t like the casinos/hotels anymore. With the exception of Suncoast, but they don’t have 9/6. We tried GVR and still go there because of the free rooms. We tried the M after I saw on VPfree2 that they had put in a few 9/6 machines. They really surprised us with $250 in free play and two nights with a free buffet included. We now get as much as $150 in free play and two free buffets along with two nights. We have to combine several offers to get that much free play, but double and triple dipping is allowed. I have to admit that their buffet is far superior to any of the Boyd or Station casinos as are the rooms. The M is giving us much better bang for our buck than any other casino. I highly recommend that newbies to the M try it out. I’m a 50¢ 9/6 player and my wife is a 5¢ triple play (the ultimate x type) or quarter single line ddb. She also plays stupid games (penny slots). So you can see that we’re not high rollers, but the offers from the M are better by far than Boyd or Station. We’re from Arizona and I don’t know if that makes a difference in offers from locals. May the Royals be with you.
Would be nice if loyalty and advancing age were appreciated when comps are doled out. Ha. I play the same casinos as I have for decades, and the same amount of play per hour, roughly. In younger years I would play all day (same place), then husband and I would go for dinner at 8 pm, then he’d go to bed (not a gambler) and I’d play on through some wee hours. Now, after dinner it is off to bed for me too. I can’t do “wee hours” much anymore. It shows…more sleep, lower offers. Ah, the joys of aging.
Stations Texas Station had a good steakhouse Austins. It has closed. It has others but they are overpriced. Casino’s were better when the mob ran them. We now have Resort fees, Parking Fees, High Restaurant and entertainment Fees,and of course TIGHT SLOTS.
I play $25 minimum blackjack, and usually get offers which include a couple of free nights, $10 or $15 in free chips and maybe #15 free food. The chips don’t give me enough to play minimum on one hand, and the food allowance will cover one breakfast buffet minimum. It is an insult when I am betting $25, $50, $75 per hand at their BJ tables.
Dear Jean,
Great article and accurate feed back on the customer’s take on casino promotion offers. It is true that many of us travel thousands of miles to enjoy the amenities Las Vegas offers. The cost of these amenities are increasing and the number of totally free benefits such as buffets at the Boyd Properties YAH Wednesdays have ceased. What a loss to us who planned our travel to be there on Wednesdays to enjoy the super benefits.
To their credit the casinos have recently established video poker and slot tournaments that are easy to qualify to play that offer significant prize pools that are winnable. Great improvement.
Aloha,
John M. Tamashiro
Agreed. Always believed that Casino Marketing shold take travel time and distance into account.
One locals casino does a promotion on Wednesdays called “Young at Heart” for people 50 and over. They make a big deal out of “up to 50 times points” on that day. You swipe your card and you’re presented with six hidden choices of from 4 to 50 times points. Their system is rigged. It’s impossible to hit the 50 times points no matter which choice you make. I picked the same box nine times in a row and was awarded 6 times points every time. What would be the odds of that happening, out of 6 choices, IF it wasn’t rigged? Last week I saw seven different people make their choice and everyone got the 6 times points award. Each person picked a different box. Over the years, I’ve watched the same thing happen every week I was there. The casino seems to pick a lower multiplier for that day, and that’s what everyone receives no matter which box they pick.
For several years, I got offers in the mail from Boyd for 2 free nights and a little match play and/or food credit thrown in. This made it worthwhile to drive up from Phoenix 3 or 4 times a year. Historically, the offers were valid only weeknights, at any of their properties. The offers came regularly which I took as a sign that my play was sufficient – no one has ever suggested that it isn’t.
Starting in mid 2017, the offers began to worsen. First they excluded the downtown properties. They eventually reduced it to just Sams Town, which was still tolerable. However the last couple offers haven’t even been for free nights – they’ve been for “50% off” although it’s “off” some silly high rate that no one really pays. The “offer” is practically the same as the cardmember room rate. Their rooms are not expensive, but come on – the trend is obvious, the message is clear. They don’t care if I come or not. So I haven’t so far in 2018.
Try living 1000+ Miles away and get an offer for $50 free play — really?
Could not have said it any better. Most have no idea who pays their salary.
How about drive for 6 hours for a discounted buffet or worthless trinket.
Thank you for these comments! Well said!!
Whenever a casino is offering a free or discounted buffet these days, people should expect long lines and probably a disappointing selection of food items to choose. I can count the number of casino buffets on one hand that I would even choose to eat at these days thanks to finance and accounting people deciding what buffets should offer customers to eat rather than what tastes good and is worth paying to eat. Regarding the other two points, as long as customers are showing up to “collect” the offers, casinos will keep on doing just that. It is amazing at the casinos in my area how many people stand in line to pick up cheap luggage, sheet sets, blankets, dishware, and all sorts of other Made In XXX junk to take home.
How about really good promotions from a Casino whose business comes mostly from out of town customers. But when those customers try to take advantage of the promotion they are informed it is for locals only.
I once “won” a promotion at Caesars and was given a token to take to the “promo” desk where I could pick up my prize. Having seen some of the goodies they were giving away, I figured it was worth the effort to wait in line … FOR 45 MINUTES! The gold medallion that I received went right into the waste basket!