A complete resort, Fallsview has a first-class 364-room hotel and full service spa. It aggressively markets its entertainment and dining amenities to draw both gamblers and non-players. The 1,500-seat Avalon Theater offers renowned entertainment personalities. Seven restaurants offer something for every culinary taste. Guests may stay in shape by exercising in the full workout room.
Fallsview’s Elaine Christenson notes, “We recently renovated The Spa in 2008 and added more treatment rooms to serve our customers. We did conduct focus groups with our customers to get their input on our newest amenities, from design and layout to location. The amenities we provide are synergized with our gaming trends. We hope to optimize our customer’s experience at our Resort and this includes providing amenities we know they will appreciate with the types of gaming they prefer.”
Taylor credits their dedication to exceptional customer service with stabilizing their strong customer base. He says, “Anticipating their needs, exceeding expectations and making their stay a positive experience all contributed to ensuring our guests’ return time and again. Thanks to our strategic marketing, resort development and cost management, we were reasonably pleased with our results throughout 2009.”
Fallsview weathered the external economic challenges in 2009, despite an unfavorable currency exchange rate, strong competition, an overall softening of the tourism market in Niagara and confusion over new documentation regulations for U.S./Canadian border travel.
“Given all these factors, we have seen a softening of our US customer base. However, our domestic business and Niagara’s role as a major tourist destination have offset the impact,” says Taylor.
At the other end of the gaming spectrum, governmental gaming must also effectively market its products. The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) has developed several programs. The ALC acts as a coalition of the gaming associations within four eastern provinces-the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation, the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
ALC Senior Public Affairs Counsel Courtney Pringle-Carver says the Atlantic Canadian video lottery terminal (VLT) player of 2010 has changed over the past five years. She describes the current typical Atlantic Canadian player as a 40-year-old male who earns approximately $50,000 annually.
Pringle-Carver says, “Today’s average VLT player is a little older and skews slightly towards a male-dominated player base. The average annual income for VLT players has also increased over time. Today’s casino slot players are looking for ever increasing variety in their gaming experience.”
These same players who spent their childhoods playing video games have maintained those interests in their adult gaming choices. Future programs means offering games that population will want to play.
Pringle-Carver states, “Generally speaking, younger demographics prefer skill based games to games of full chance (i.e. table games over slot-style games). While we develop our base product experiences for our current middle-aged to older core player demographic, we plan a product expansion over time to appeal to a broader scope of the population.”
The ALC has enjoyed a significant poker revival, and has regularly conducted successful poker tournaments over the past several years. Pringle-Carver affirms that to achieve success, they must deliver on the expected experience and provide top notch service.
Fortunately, Atlantic Canada felt less of an economic downturn last year. Whatever the game, low denomination games have always performed well in that geographic market, and the denomination splits have not significantly changed over the past few years.
However, even the most successful operation must continually innovate to grow its customer base, using all available tools. For example, the revolution of social media has changed the communication methods among a new generation of players.
Pringle-Carver explains, “In the coming year, Atlantic Lottery plans to significantly expand our use of technology to establish the right connections with our players. Future communication plans include altering how we use our rewards system and social media.
Today, players have choices of mainstream poker, Internet gaming and online casinos-many of them unregulated. As our players’ expectations change, so must Atlantic Lottery. The objective in launching our new Coasters brand locations is to develop a fresh destination gaming experience for current and first-time players alike.”
The first ALC Coasters site debuted in New Brunswick in the summer of 2009. Six locations now operate in licensed destination gaming sites and bars across the province. The ALC expects to open another four sites by this summer.
Each Coasters site has:
- 15-25 VLTs
- Scratch’n Win products (offering Bingo, Crossword, Set for Life and a SuperPack)
- Online terminal PRO●LINE, Lotto 6/49, etc.
Digital merchandising (a way for ALC to promote winners, products, jackpot amounts and other key messages on a TV screen that their customers may like to know)
“It’s important for Atlantic Lottery to understand which games in the marketplace can help us remain relevant to players. We are constantly researching and planning for new products. However, no others are currently planned for the Coasters brand,” says Pringle-Carver.
While marketing to new and existing players is crucial, the entire Canadian gaming industry remains very aware of its public responsibility towards those individuals battling their own compulsive gambling behavior.
Addressing this issue in 2007, New Brunswick released its Responsible Gaming Strategy, which called for two VLT classifications. The first, Category II, would permit up to 10 VLT units on site. Category I, the second classification, increases that number to allow between 15 and 25. Coasters are designated a Category I location.
In 2010, gaming is a static, continuously evolving environment. The successful stories are of those operations that understand their players, select the ideal products to maximize their patronage and design an atmosphere that creates a permanent desire to participate in the fun.
By Sharon Harris