Tracking consumer trends through big data and analytics may be all the rage in the casino business these days, but visitors aren’t necessarily comfortable with that concept.
That’s a key takeaway from a casino and gaming listener study undertaken by Pandora, the popular music streaming service, and the American Gaming Association.
47 percent of respondents to the study, which surveyed more than 1,300 Pandora listeners about their casino visitation and gaming preferences, reckoned that the data collected on consumers is used in a manner that is “not favorable” to the individual player.
“Half of the audience surveyed thought data is used in a way that is not favorable to the gamer. They saw it in a negative light,” said Laura Fernandez, Pandora’s director of Casino Gaming. “The takeaway here is: How can casinos and game developers improve perception of data usage among players?”
By contrast, just 28 percent of respondents said that data collected is being used in ways that improve the overall player experience.
“How are our customers thinking that we’re using their data and their information and their appearances on games? It’s certainly something that’s worrisome when you look at this and (see that) half of them think that you’re using it to make it more addictive and another 25 percent don’t know,” said Jonathan Michaels, senior director of member services at the AGA.
Michaels added that operators must ask some tough questions and rethink the ways they are currently engaging with players on data security and privacy matters.
“Do we talk about collecting all this data on people? How do they feel about that? How do they know you’re not in some way taking advantage of them?” he said.
The study also shined an interesting light into the gaming preferences of Pandora’s primarily younger listener base.
Roughly one-third of respondents indicated that they had visited a casino within the last year, 53 percent reported that they had played the lottery, and 66 percent said they had played at least one social mobile game.
The study also found that more than two-thirds of listeners are willing to travel more than 30 miles to visit a casino property, suggesting that operators shouldn’t be shy about casting a wider geographic net in their marketing.
When asked what aspects of a casino they were most attracted by, listeners overwhelmingly identified non-gaming amenities.
71 percent indicated that they are very interested in the restaurant and dining experience, 56 percent said entertainment and 37 percent reported bars and nightlife.
On the flip side, just 48 percent identified playing slot machines as their primary interest, while just 27 percent indicated table games.
“What patrons are looking for are properties that tend to bring everything together,” said Michaels.
More than half of survey respondents are casino loyalty members, with the average individual enrolled in at least two separate rewards programs.
“This shows that respondents visit multiple casino properties and don’t just stick to visiting the same one,” said Fernandez.
Lower priced perks such as free meals and hotel upgrades were far and away the most appealing aspects of being in a rewards program, the respondents indicated.
These more predictable rewards proved far more enticing than larger, more exclusive promotions like car giveaways.
“We’ve all been to casinos that do that. They’re somewhat successful in drawing people in, but you pretty much know you’re not going to win,” he said.
