RSS Feed

The all-time top-10 types of casino promotions

Feb 22, 2025 admin
Gambling laws and taxes

Many of you may know that I gained valuable experience in marketing through the process of conceiving and executing casino promotions. Player parties. Gaming tournaments. Daily promotions. Entertainment. Gift giveaways. And so on. If it was something that would create business and be fun for players, I either tried it or wanted to try it. Some flew to great heights, while others were colossal disappointments.

I would admit to being mostly unenthused about the state of the casino-promotions scene nowadays. Promotions seem almost indistinguishable from each other: free play, a monthly entertainment event, a cash drawing, and party hats and noisemakers on New Year's Eve. It's pretty standard stuff.

Giving you my all-time favorite ten types of best online casino incentives these are a few ideas from savvy casino marketers that helped them succeed.

Here we go

# 10. Linked Slot Tournaments: These tournaments offer slot competitions between a casino company's different venues or a few of a slot manufacturer's individual casino customers, including the TournEvent by Everi, and occasionally even across actual competitors of casinos in a good market. For competitive prizes, the slot tournament players qualify in a qualifying round to advance to the finals. It's exciting for players, and the best marketers of this genre in the casino world ensure that the grand prize is flashy, there are lots of preliminary prize winners along the way, and that they inject some pizzazz and hoopla into the execution of the whole shebang.

# 9. Executive Invitational Events. In these events, casino VIPs are “invited” by members of the executive team, who spend the event partying, playing, and schmoozing with the VIPs. Whether a tournament, private dinner, prize drawing, entertainment party, or anything, this type of casino promotion is extremely powerful if the casino execs truly buy in, spend real time with the VIPs and NOT with one another, and really make fun happen for these players. Warning: Some CFO types who may rarely interact with a living, breathing, casino customer may be awkward in this event. Make them get over it.

#8 Quality Casino Entertainment. This casino promotion really ranges from hot lounge acts to top A-list entertainers who command six figures or more in pay. Still, regardless of the case casino entertainment works as promo if the entertainer and his genre please your players (especially VIPs), the events are held at valid timings (not on Saturdays, for example), and do not disrupt regular business due to huge concert crowds. Also, anything special done by the entertainer for your VIPs-a meet and greet, for example-can make the occasion even more memorable.

7. Gift Giveaways. I remember not being too fond of casino promotions that would often give away some gift to players; you just can't slot a toaster. Yet, across the years, I've seen many casinos conduct such promotions with all kinds of items for long lines of eager customers, so I certainly must say something exists such as "gift giveaways" and "continuity programs." The most impressive ones seem to provide items of very high perceived value (even if inexpensive). These are often a grouping or series of items that are to be given away at intervals in a collection. They present an element of "you've got to have it." They find a way to give better stuff to better players. And most importantly, they drive players to come in on the days when the giveaway is held to earn the gift.

# 6. “Too Crazy To Be True.” There may be others, but in my mind, this category is the near exclusive domain of two crazy like a fox marketers, Michael Michaud and Michael Broderick (maybe it’s a “Michael” thing). They’ve pulled off such stunts as shoot a set of special- edition players club cards into space (then give them to VIPs at a special party), and give away Fonzie’s motorcycle and Bernie Madoff’s repossessed Rolexes. They’ve had Academy Awards parties, not to watch the Oscars show, but to honor their players, in a black-tie affair, in a number of categories. The “Michael mavericks” don’t do these promotions just to be different, they do them to create buzz and be memorable, and most importantly to move the marketing needle by attracting their best VIP players, partly by making them smile.

# 5. All You Can Eat Lobster Buffet. The COVID pandemic has sidelined various all-you-can-eat buffets, but the lobster buffet continues to be an operating phenomenon in casino marketing, particularly for well-established venues such as Yaamava' Resort and Casino and Palms Casino Resort, owned by San Manuel Tribe. Very simple: Turn a day (or two) of your buffet into a lobster party. Get lots of (good) lobsters. Sit back and enjoy the scene of people queuing for crustaceans. Just make sure to work out a way to manage a large crowd (and entertain them for a while with incentives to gamble before they dig into the lobster). Price the lobster buffet appropriately (it ain't cheap!). Find a quick, exclusive way to zip VIPs in and out of the lobster jamboree.

# 4. A signature promotion is one owned by a casino and marketed predominantly and exclusively for a long duration. It is a hit among customers, who know that it will be available at these definitely stated times. It can be free, like free pictures in front of a million-dollar display at Binion's in downtown Las Vegas. It can be real cheap, like a $2 hot dog and beer special at the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas. Or it can be lavishly expensive, such as the 200-day dry-aged rib eye ($1,000!) at Resorts World. Whether it is shrimp cocktail, free seniors' slot tournament, a players club sign-up incentive, or any of a number of cool and creative offers, it must be worthwhile, dependable over the years, and recognizable as 'yours.' It should be a winner.

# 3. Instant Up-Tiering. Here’s a signature promotion that’s little known and little utilized (yet). Most players clubs now have tiers, levels of recognition (and benefits) for players at various levels (spending). Most casinos take months (even years) to move their players from Silver to Gold to Diamond, for instance. They want to be sure that these up-tiered customers aren’t flashes in the pan who go back to playing at a Gold level once they’ve achieved Diamond status, with all of its attendant perks. But … a few savvy casinos are discovering real value in moving a player right from Gold level to Diamond, even in their first day of play as a new players club member, if their play is truly at a Diamond level. It makes a huge impression on these immediately recognized VIPs. Plus, few casinos are willing to do it, which is why YOU should. You can always lower the new tier status if play levels fall on the next few gambling trips.

# 2. Casino Host Events. Basically akin to Executive Invitationals, these events pull into play cashiers of various echelons within the casino ranks. Hosts already “own” most of the relationships with top VIPs. Allow them to use this leverage to create their Signature Promotion by inviting their best VIPs. Be it a host/player team slot tournament, a one-of-a-kind dinner party, even a weekend out of the casino for some awesome group activity-the fact is that your players will come out in droves if they like their host and your casino and believe that the Signature Event is cool, fun, and exclusive.

# 1. Comps/Free Play. Why Free Play and Comp are the very engines of the engine known as a casino loyalty program. There are few exceptions where they are used as Signature Promotions, though they can be. Half-Off Comps Tuesdays or Double Free Play Thursday mornings can make sense. A great comp or free-play offer at around the time the player reaches their first 5,000 points, for example, is very motivating. For players with more comp dollars than they could ever use, a Signature Promotion Day allowing them to convert comps into free play will drive business and make most players happy.

Conclusion

Signature Promotions offer almost boundless opportunities for casinos that few other enterprises can match. Possessing these promotions gives casinos a way to excite their players, preferably in a manner that sets them apart from other casinos.