Casino customers are getting more digitally savvy and their desire to access gaming and hospitality experiences via mobile devices is increasing. But not all tribal properties have moved in that direction.
Raj Dubey, who leads the digital team at LT, a marketing agency from Phoenix, and has overseen digital initiatives at tribal and commercial casinos, headlined a session at the TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow, “Mobile Apps – Creating the Best Customer Digital Experience.”
Dubey said digital is a journey and every property is in different phases, but it can’t be ignored and must be aligned in terms of branding and functionality between mobile apps and websites. A lot of tribal casinos don’t have apps and only two properties in Dubey’s session had mobile apps.
“You’re competing with what exists in the market,” Dubey said. “That shouldn’t be a roadblock. It doesn’t mean you have to build an app that’s going to compete with Starbucks or Amazon. You can always start somewhere and take small steps.”
Some 74% of users surveyed said they want their casino to have a mobile app and player portals that guide them through the journey. Some 69% say they do research before visiting. “They’re researching everything about your casino, the restaurants, the entertainment.”
The end users, however, don’t care about the technology, Dubey said. They only care about the experience and 44% of those surveyed said technology has made their experience worse.
The same survey showed that 70% of players said that a good digital experience can even help a smaller casino win over a larger one. “It’s not about small or big or how much of a budget you have. Whatever you’re doing, make sure it’s focused on the end user and making their life easier,” Dubey said. “If you can do that, it leads to adoption and success.”
Dubey said it’s important to start with the guest, rather than the app; they’re not asking for technology, but asking for answers. They want instant recognition and gratification, a seamless online and on-property experience. Nearly 80% of players prefer in-person gaming, but want tech to be there to enhance the experience.
“If you’re trying to get more people into your property, keep them longer, and keep them engaged, that’s where the ROI is,” Dubey said. “They’re looking for mobile or a web experience if you don’t have mobile apps. Make sure your website is on the phone, because nobody is walking around with their laptop in the casinos. You can enable player portals and people can log in, see where they are in the journey, and redeem something. You have to look at those things to attract more customers into your property.”
Younger audiences are looking for more from casinos than gambling, Dubney said. They’re looking for entertainment, food, and beverage. They won’t come unless a property excels in those areas.
There are issues to overcome, however, when it comes to players’ digital experience, Dubey said. These hold players back from adopting mobile apps and player portals that have nothing to do with the tools themselves.
Some 45% have data-privacy concerns. Another 31% said they lacked information about the app, while 25% had a poor user experience in navigating the app or website.
Dubey said data privacy is a concern, considering casinos have been hacked and customer data has been obtained by criminals. He called it a nightmare for casinos that have to deal with that breach and face lawsuits. The average cost of a security breach is $5 million.
“I think we can address some of those concerns about data privacy,” Dubey said. “You can personalize it, so it doesn’t sound like you’re snooping on them. If it’s done nicely, the customer will feel the comfort of wanting to come to the property.”
Tribal casinos should start small when it comes to mobile apps and follow the crawl, walk, and run process. Everyone needs to be aligned and drive the marketing.
“Plan a marketing approach to reach out. If you just release an app, thinking most of the patrons will come, it doesn’t happen that way. You have to push it out. It has to be properly marketed.”
