How casinos can develop appealing non-gaming attractions

Thursday, February 6, 2020 6:41 PM

As part of ICE VOX’s panel discussions on how casino operators can cater to the increasing trend of customers wanting non-gaming experiences, a session included Matt Barton and Margreet Papamichael from the Themed Entertainment Association, a trade body that covers theme parks, museums, and all kinds of leisure offers in between. Their presentation showed the power and variety of these LBE options and reiterated that they, and the potential casino-affiliated equivalents, need to be unique live-entertainment options that can’t be replicated at home.

This panel session, which also featured Bobby Soper and Rom Hendler from Innovel, picked out one fantastic example of the power of getting an LBE right – TopGolf in Las Vegas (their best performing outlet). Taking a sport with a traditionally limited demographic appeal and a need for a lot of expensive space and turning into a well-rounded interactive attraction with a heavy F&B element is a poster child for what can be achieved with the right thought process. That ability to offer a differentiator can elevate a non-gaming experience to be visible above the static. Everyone in Las Vegas has a celebrity chef, a megastar residency, or an upscale nightclub, so it takes something special to stand out.

With some exceptions, there may not currently be that much in Las Vegas that a consumer can’t access at home, but the MSG Sphere (which is currently under construction) is an example of something truly different. The concept of beamforming audio, with two people in two different seats being able to hear entirely different audio feeds, is a perfect example of using technology to try to offer a differentiator.

The final panel featured the concept of deploying technology to reinvent your casino property, and added Erwin Van Lambaart, CEO of Holland Casinos, Holly Gagnon, CEO of Seneca Casinos, Shaun McCamley of EuriAsia Consulting, and Nicolai Padaon of Kerten Hospitality, as well as a repeat appearance by Bobby Soper.

This session continued the thread of the day, with Holly relating a great story from her company. They’d had the same difficulty with staff communication that is perceived to exist in pretty much every company – and perception becomes reality – but solved it with technology. Recognising that a small minority of their team used email (around 15%), but nearly all had smartphones, they developed an app specifically for internal communication, and have seen great results.

Erwin told the audience about the NXT innovation at Holland Casino Scheveningen and Utrecht, a high-energy combination of electronic gaming (with a bespoke chat function) at low stakes, and table-gaming coaching designed to appeal to younger and less experienced players. Such concepts have been seen elsewhere, of course, and the short-term costs can often appear not to be justified by cash returns, but perhaps a longer term view is required.

Simon Thomas earlier told the audience of plans for a hidden bar in the Hippodrome, knowing that the actual cash returns would not get close to justifying the expenditure, but banking on the fact that the excitement and buzz, especially via social-media chatter, generated by the concept would lead to a longer-term return.

The future of land-based casinos, with online gaming either here or coming soon in most jurisdictions, will clearly involve the need to offer an experience that can’t be replicated at home. The nature of the experience may depend on the scale of venue, but one thing’s for sure: If you don’t deliver something unique, whether technology based or simply creative, you’re in danger of your competitors finding the magic formula and gaining the upper hand. It’s a safe bet that next year, the hospitality element of this conference will be significantly better attended, as the future was on show.