Buying buses for mass-market gamblers is one way casinos are trying to attract more players, especially in Macau. However, when it comes to entertainment there is a whole string of different options, some of which are more successful than others. Valley Forge is offering wedding packages.
Andrew Klebanow was interviewed recently and discussed what some of the land-based casinos are doing to maintain their competitive edge. Online gaming portals can take a huge chunk of revenue from brick and mortar facilities. In the past, players needed to drive to casinos, sometimes for miles to have fun. With online venues it became easier, but not all countries have accepted online gambling. The US started blocking sites, stating they would not provide licenses or accept internationally licensed operators to provide online games to US players. It has kept the US players in casinos, but some markets are saturated like New Jersey, and some of the New England states with a casino in each state right on the board of another.
One of the biggest advantages that land-based casinos have over online venues—entertainment. With the proper entertainment, there is a reason to still drive those miles to a casino. Klebanow also stated that some players love to interact with others, not virtually, but in person and that is entertainment to them.
Entertainment has always been a driving factor for casinos to succeed. The reason people go to casino resorts, stay and play, is due to the entertainment value. It is about socialization as much as gambling.
Major casino operators have to lure in the mass market gamblers with proper entertainment options, whether it is a show or water park. Macau’s Melco Resorts and Entertainment spent $300 million on House of Dancing Water production. The Sphere in Las Vegas has its special entertainment, plus the 18k arena for virtual reality fun. Even malls are starting to get entertainment value by having integrated resorts attached.
There is nothing like walking through malls in Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok and being able to see three story video walls that show images, products, and videos. If casinos want to survive they had to capitalize on what people consider entertainment, like product hocking, celebrities, and more.
Andrew Klebanow’s Analysis
Andrew Klebanow not only assessed entertainment in a recent interview but stated that Cambodia is a good place for casino brands to start looking. The area is largely uncultivated for gambling, which makes it a potentially rich market.
