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Marketing - Archives
Entertainment You Can Bet On
Showcasing A-list entertainers in intimate settings is what many Canadian gaming destinations are doing to attract new guests
The future of gaming is officially here.
It’s just past 10pm and the jam-packed crowd is screaming as Canadian pop superstars The Barenaked Ladies (BNL) return for their second encore. Just a year ago, the band played a sold-out show in Vancouver to over 12,000 fans at General Motors Place. Where are they playing tonight? Welcome to the 1050-seat Red Robinson Show Theatre at Great Canadian Gaming Corporation’s Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Across the country at Casino Halifax’s intimate, 500-seat Schooner Show, another sold-out crowd is flocking to the casino floor to hear comedy legend Bill Cosby joke about cracking into some fresh lobster during his first stay in the Maritimes.
A-list entertainers performing in intimate, exclusive settings is just one of the many creative ways Canadian gaming and entertainment destinations are reaching out to new guests. In Ontario and Quebec, casinos have successfully employed this strategy for years.
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The trend moved west in 2001 when Casino Regina added a purpose-built show theatre to house acts that would draw the desirable middle-age demographic, and in recent years, full service entertainment facilities in Alberta and British Columbia have also joined in on the fun, hosting both all-star headliners and live entertainment on the casino floor. The result: guests are staying on property longer thanks, in part, to the full complement of gaming, hospitality, and entertainment facilities.
That said many Canadian casino marketing teams now have an arsenal of amenities to attract both new and returning guests to their respective properties. Canadian gaming facilities are branching out to offer fine and casual dining, health clubs, hotel and convention facilities, sports bar and off-track tele-theatres, lounges on the gaming floor with complimentary live entertainment, slot and gaming tournaments, daytime shows, events geared to bus tour and key senior demographics, and, finally, theatres that provide world-class entertainment.
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Some examples are:
- In Rama, Ontario, Casino Rama boasts an all-star line-up that resembles a seating chart for a past Grammy Awards show: Wayne Newton, Aretha Franklin, Santana, Bobby Vinton, Gloria Estefan, Don Rickles and Diana Ross.
- Niagara Falls’ Casino Niagara opened a Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club to complement its sister property, Fallsview Casino and Resort that features a 1,000-seat show theatre for an exceptional array of big name stars and acts.
- In Montreal, Casino Montreal has opted for more theatre-review style shows that have a specific run period. Their line up includes: Moonlight Girls, Hommage a Grease (Grease) and Rock Story.
- Both Club Regent Casino and the McPhillips Street Station Casino in Winnipeg offer live entertainment. This year they’ll welcome Aaron Lines, Loverboy, The Osmond Brothers and Herman’s Hermits. Rumour has it that they will soon be constructing a theatre similar to the one at River Rock in Richmond, BC
- In Regina, Casino Regina plays to their audience with a heavy country and rock line-up that includes: Los Lonley Boys, Lyle Lovett, George Thorogood, and the Country Rat Pack.
- Edmonton’s River Cree Casino features a varied group of artists including: Great Big Sea, Andrew Dice Clay, Bob Saget and Live.
- In Calgary, the Deerfoot Casino will welcome a host of entertainers including: Chilliwack, Caroline Rhea, Trooper, April Wine, 54-40, and Honeymoon Suite.
- In Richmond, British Columbia, River Rock Casino Resort’s giant posters inform guests of an upcoming roster of stars that includes: Chris Rock, Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli, and Don Rickles.
- Vancouver’s The Edgewater Casino is offering free pay per view Ultimate Fighting Championship cards and Vancouver Canucks games on their big screen TVs, while Cascades Casino in Langley, BC is serving up Juice Newton and Allanah Myles in its 400-seat theatre-lounge.
As you can see, the Canadian gaming industry is a huge catalyst for bringing in all-star entertainment to cities and towns across the country. It is estimated that casinos budget more than $50-million a year for artists alone. For this, we should stand up and take a bow. Canadians from coast to coast and the lucrative tourism market now have venues in which to enjoy unequaled entertainment complemented by unsurpassed gaming excitement.
By Howard A. Black, VP of Entertainment, Corporate Communication, and Responsible Gaming for Great Canadian Gaming Corporation
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