Casino Marketing 101

From the flashing lights of Vegas to the illegal pai gow parlors in New York’s Chinatown, there are casinos everywhere. But what draws people to them and keeps them coming back? In a word, money.

The average casino patron is an older adult with above-average incomes and plenty of vacation time. They enjoy the glitz and glamour of the gaming floor and are often enticed by hotel amenities, flexible event space, gourmet restaurants, award-winning spas, and other perks. It’s important for marketers to understand what motivates these people and how to position their offerings accordingly.

Unlike other entertainment offerings, casinos depend heavily on a mix of emotional and rational decisions to lure and keep customers. Whether it’s the thrill of winning or the excitement of not knowing what the next hand will bring, these feelings help drive behavior and can make or break a casino’s bottom line.

While many gamblers think they’re making a wise decision by betting their money on games of chance, there is one thing about gambling that is always guaranteed: the house wins. To make sure they do, casinos employ a team of mathematicians and computer programmers to calculate the odds for every game, know how much they should profit, and predict their variance.

Although the cast of characters in Casino is stacked with great actors—from De Niro to Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta—the movie never feels long or bloated. The taut editing and expertly delivered narration keep the action pulsing right up until the last minute. Casino is a classic Martin Scorsese film that stands up well over time.