In a casino market that may be nearing saturation, regional casinos need to craft personalities that will distinguish themselves from their competition, says marketing guru Mark Sutter, chief strategy officer of the Halo Group.
Sutter, based in New York, notes that for years regional casinos have relied on the “convenience factor,” but asserts that strategy will no longer work. There are too many casinos competing for the same market,” he recently told the Pittsburg Tribune. The “box with slots,” approach is no longer enough.
Sutter predicts that local customers will have a stronger say in what kind of casinos serve them, and casinos may need to reach out to area businesses to form alliances.
With the death spiral of several casinos in New Jersey, but the overall proliferation of casinos, the topic of competition in the gaming market is now the subject of much debate.
Regional casinos aim at a localized market, sometimes an area as small as twenty miles in either direction, rather than being destinations that seek to attract a national or international clientele. Often they don’t need to be near a metropolitan area, as long as the surrounding region has a large enough population.
Pennsylvania’s Meadows Casino markets to such a base in Washington County, aiming to at patrons who are within an hour’s drive.
According to its manager, Sean Sullivan, the casino made some changes to attract a local audience, including serving free alcohol to table players and remodeling the slots area so that it is not so crowded. It is also offering more boxing and harness racing. “You can’t be just a casino,” Sullivan says. “We want to have much, much more,” he said.
Sutter concludes, “Casinos are entertainment options, and there are a lot of entertainment options available to customers. So, why are they going to go not just to your casino, but your casino as opposed to something else?”
