By David Tyre, VP of Business Development – North America at Zoox Smart Data
The global casino and gaming market has seen significant market upheaval over the last year with industry professionals questioning what they should do next to regain much needed revenue from their operations. Yet as the pandemic has continued to grow, so too have advances in the area of big data technology for the casino industry. With the rise of big data, casino businesses have the ability to gather the vital intelligence they need to identify market conditions and act on both revenue opportunities and threats.
While casinos may typically gather and maintain robust data on gambling activities, valuable analytics generated from their hotel operations and guests are often overlooked, resulting in missed opportunities to generate significantly more revenue along with greater guest satisfaction and loyalty. However, with the latest advances in ‘smart data’ software, casino operators are now able to instantly access and leverage in-depth analytics on each guest, providing businesses with a virtual roadmap of the many preferences and interests of their individual customers. In an increasingly competitive market environment where personalization is key to attracting guest business and loyalty, smart data solutions ensure that each guest will always find the exact experience that they seek. This leads to guest satisfaction, increasing the likelihood of reservations for subsequent visits, the potential for guests to stay on property and the ultimate goal of converting a guest into a loyal customer for life. Leveraging a casino’s existing Wi-Fi network, here are just three examples of how a smart data strategy can quickly result in more revenue for your casino business along with the potential to grow guest loyalty numbers:
1. Breaking Down Casino to Guest Communication Barriers
A common challenge for many consumer-facing markets is the ability to understand the precise expectations of each customer. However, for casinos equipped with a smart data platform, what was once an out-of-reach goal has become an automated process that consistently delivers results. From the moment that a guest signs one of their devices onto a smart data-enabled Wi-Fi network, an individual profile is created that can compile valuable background information on a guest including age, gender and marital status. Smart data tools can even gather analytics on guest hobbies, active memberships, education and income level.
Once armed with such metrics, which are updated every time that a guest signs onto a smart data-enabled network anywhere in the world, casinos can instantly determine the services and promotions that are likely to resonate the most with individual guests. Smart data platforms can also streamline communication between casinos and their guests by eliminating time-consuming manual processes once needed to review guest data to share relevant promo details. Instead, such systems can automatically identify and push targeted promotions to guest devices, guaranteeing each with instant access to details on how they can make their stay more enjoyable while opening up additional revenue-earning opportunities.
2. Give Your Loyalty Program Sign-ups a Boost
One of the most advantageous benefits for casinos integrating a smart data platform into their existing guest Wi-Fi services is the ability to convince more guests to sign up to loyalty programs by presenting them with incentives that appeal to their specific interests. For example, a guest whose profile indicates that they enjoy playing casino games can be provided with an offer for free playing chips if they agree to join. Another who regularly visits the bar can be offered a free purchase of their favorite beverage. Those that enjoy live entertainment can be presented with a free or discounted ticket offer for an upcoming show if they sign-up. Smart data platforms can even continue to push loyalty program sign-up reminders after a guest leaves by capturing email address details from a casino’s Wi-Fi login page after a guest agrees to take part in the service.
Once a guest returns, a casino’s smart data solution can further identify which guests are loyalty program members and can ensure that they continue to receive program-related offerings that are tied to their individual preferences. This advantage not only increases the likelihood of achieving full satisfaction. It also strengthens a guest’s loyalty and desire to remain onsite by continuously presenting custom-tailored offerings that minimize the potential for them to look at other nearby competing options. Ultimately, implementing a smart data-enabled loyalty program strategy can ensure that any funds a guest plans to spend is always directed at casino services to maximize revenue-earning potential.
3. Staying Ahead of the Competition With Instant Experience Personalization
A rapidly growing business differentiator and not just for casinos, but for virtually any consumer-facing market, is the ability to successfully attract customers by offering instantly personalized experiences. With the near universal ownership and daily use of smart devices, consumers have become accustomed to receiving any service or offering on their terms and precisely when they desire it. Casino businesses that mirror this increasing trend can gain a tremendous advantage over their competition by instantly demonstrating themselves as more suitable and appealing to each potential guest at every point of the customer journey.
As previously shown, smart data technology provides casino operators with a crucial means to stand out immediately by knowing what each guest is interested in and how they expect to see their experience unfold. Using a guest’s individually created profile, casinos can seamlessly determine what favorite food and beverage options should be waiting for customers in their guestrooms or if any extra pillows are necessary, for example. Each guest can also instantly be notified of any upcoming onsite events, such as happy hour or live entertainment that matches a guest’s preference for a specific performance or music genre. Perhaps a guest has unique dietary requirements that they need addressed during their stay. Smart data technology can always ensure that guests are automatically made aware of such services while simultaneously reducing the burden on casino labor resources to identify specific needs; instead allowing staff to focus on guaranteeing that experiences seamlessly live up to expectations.
Sandy James, Director of Business Development – North America at Zoox Smart Data further points out, “Even prior to the challenges caused by the pandemic, the global casino industry was already becoming a highly competitive market in attracting customers, with businesses seeking out any means that would allow them to stand apart from similar competing properties. With overall visitor and booking numbers significantly reduced for the foreseeable future, competition has only intensified and those that are able to provide guests with the personalized service they now expect will be the ones that ultimately prevail in achieving a speedier recovery. With virtually all casinos providing their customers with Wi-Fi service, each business already generates the mass of data needed to understand what can best attract each customer. The only other thing they need is a smart data solution that can mine the information and can present relevant offerings in mere seconds, importantly before a guest makes a decision to book elsewhere or venture offsite. More and more casino operators are recognizing these significant advantages and are racing to deploy a smart data strategy of their own. In just the last few months, we have had three largescale casinos sign up to implement our smart data platform alongside their Wi-Fi service and expect many more to follow as experience personalization continues to become a defining factor in the global casino market.”
As the casino industry looks towards the future and more prosperous times, it is vital that operators focus current efforts on preparing their business for the new market environment. Gone are the days when casinos could get by with offering guests the same uniform experience from start to finish. For casinos to continue attracting a steady stream of customers, they must recognize that each customer now must be presented with a custom-tailored stay experience that goes beyond what competitors may offer. Smart data technology offers the opportunity for casinos to finally achieve this goal while at the same time monetizing existing Wi-Fi services that traditionally represented yet another expense. By investing in a smart data strategy each casino not only gains an ability to immediately generate much needed income, but it also ensures that guests will become loyal customers knowing that their unique preferences and expectations will continue to be met far into the future.
