For Jon Wolfe, a casino’s mobile app has one job: Help each customer through virtually any interaction with the casino, whether on-site or online.
“With everything the customer wants to do, the mobile app should play a meaningful part – ‘meaningful’ being the key word,” said Wolfe, president of global systems and service at Light & Wonder.
That’s the philosophy behind L&W’s Patron Mobile App, a customizable program that runs on any casino management system and can function as a digital wallet, resort wallet, players card, social casino, igaming portal, reservation center, personalized communication tool, and more.
“Where a lot of mobile apps are focused more on the technology or the utility, ours is revamped to focus on the player experience,” Wolfe said.
Parx Casino in Philadelphia already uses Patron for cashless transactions and plans to add loyalty features and other components for itself and affiliated operations, he said. Three other operators, two in Canada and one in California, will launch their Patron apps in the coming weeks, he added.
Patron’s range of capabilities reflects the increasing role that mobile technology plays in everyday lives compared with only five or six years ago, Wolfe said.
“That’s changed dramatically. We’re not focused on technology as much as on what customer experiences we can create with technology and how it makes their experience better.” Wolfe founded the loyalty and marketing technology firm House Advantage in 2004 and joined L&W in 2022 when the global company bought his firm.
The app can alert players about the availability of a dining or hotel offer, along with giving them the ability to use the app to make a reservation. “Operators can engage with customers on a regular basis, making them aware of (benefits) and issuing calls to action,” he said. “If a player is almost at their next tier, you can offer a promotion. Or if they have points that are going to expire next week, you definitely want to let them know.”
On the other side of the conversation, customers can opt in or out of communications on specific topics and pick their preferred messaging method. Because operators offer so many amenities – not only gaming, dining, and lodging but also attractions such as shows, bowling, movie theaters, gas stations, shopping, and horse racing – customers want to set their own limits on messages, Wolfe said. “Customers want to hear what they want to hear. If they’re getting too much noise, they’ll shy away from the app.”
In addition to the cashless and loyalty components, Patron also enables customers to play virtual games in a social casino and earn points that can be used in the land-based casino. The slot lineup has several L&W favorites, including Monopoly Super Grand Hotel, 88 Fortunes, Quick Hit Platinum, Hot Shot Progressive Wonderland and Jackpot Block Party.
“We also have online slot tournaments to create communities where our players can interact with each other, not just with us,” Wolfe added. “The app has many different bespoke transactions that the customers want to embrace and use on their journey with us. There’s something in it for everybody.”
The app also has built-in facial recognition for Know Your Customer purposes and for verification for gaming use. He said L&W is working with several U.S. and international clients interested in using the app in their land-based and igaming environments.
Even with the multiple capabilities Patron already offers, L&W is looking forward to adding more.
“When we launched the app, that wasn’t the finish line,” Wolfe said. “That was the starting line for this journey. Our customers are constantly challenging us with new ideas. We’ll continue to move this product forward.”
