A new report from a leading market research firm will show that a solid majority of Las Vegas gaming regulars believe the casino capitol of the world simply isn’t mobile enough yet.
Based on an exclusive sneak peak provided to mGamingWatch, the data — which will be officially published as part of a larger report this spring — affirms that which we’ve suspected for some time: Las Vegas is lagging in mobile.
Although there’s been a relatively recent boom in mobile advertising, mobile concierge, and mobile gaming resources available throughout the gaming and hospitality industries housed in Nevada, the fact remains that the big boys in Las Vegas aren’t utilizing mobile to the utmost to give tourist and resident gamers the ultimate in comfort and convenience.
As we’ve been reporting for nearly two years now, avid casino gamers also want more from casino marketing. That much is no longer a well-kept secret.
From player reward programs to mobile-centric dining and hospitality features, even the marketing initiatives underway at casinos and resorts across the U.S. are falling short of player expectations.
Once used to simply track players’ frequency of play and award free play credits, many casinos’ Players Club programs are evolving into true loyalty programs, say the organizers of a 2014 study conducted by Phoenix Marketing International. Unfortunately, consumers’ expectations of the programs exceed what many casinos are currently offering and many programs need to be modified to better reflect their customers’ wants and needs.
The Phoenix study, called Casino SCORES spoke with 3,000 people from the Mid-Atlantic region that belong to at least one casino Players Club program and visit a casino to gamble a minimum of three times a year. “When asked the importance of numerous features and benefits of the program, not surprisingly the amount of free play offered, dining discounts and complimentary rooms topped the list,” the report summary reads.
Consistent with the findings of similar surveys and consumer polls, today’s gamers – young and old – want their gaming experiences and getaways to become more mobile-centric. Studies consistently show that players like SMS, email, and other practical forms of digital communications that increase awareness about relevant gaming, dining, and entertainment opportunities.
Every industry, it seems, is doing more to capitalize on mobile for marketing purposes. And while the casino gaming industry is definitely headed down a similar path, the pace hasn’t been fast enough to keep most mobile-savvy gamers happy.
In an exclusive interview with mGamingWatch last year, Joingo co-founder and Vice President of Business Development Alex Kanwetz said: “Clearly, mobile is the next best direct marketing channel and it will continue to grow. We’re on the beginning of a wave. Given the number of devices that are out there, if it’s marketed respectfully to players and consumers, mobile can be an absolutely fantastic channel.”
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