Inside Asian Gaming

48 several large promotions and special events to launch this new marketing effort targeting both younger and Asian players. Many of the younger players also like to mix their energy drink with Vodka. Twin River Casino has partnered with popular vodka brand Absolut on its new promotion. The casinos’ “energy drink” promotion will also incorporate many fun activities designed for a younger audience of casino customers including food, music and various free giveaways to add to the excitement. This is also a perfect example of how a casino can involve outside sponsorships to help reduce its internal expenses and maximize the promotion. Asians seek a playing boost Asian players are different, and are not big drinkers. They will occasionally drink top name brandy or possibly a little wine, but they are much more serious about their gaming. Therefore, Asian players tend to consume energy drinks for a different reason—to stay alert while gambling, and to gamble longer. Top quality energy drinks such as the one developed for Twin River Casino contain healthy vitamins C, B-6, B-12, and Pantothenic Acid, Niacin as well as caffeine, Taurine, Guarana extract and Ginseng extract. In addition, the formula that Twin River Casino chose also uses crystalline fructose along with natural and artificial flavors. Doctors recommend Crystalline Fructose over all others because it is the slowest burning sugar available. Rather than producing a sugar high followed by a sugar low, Crystalline Fructose produces more of a steady consistent boost in energy. One concern thatwas initially surfacedby the casinowas related to its Master Contract with its soft drink distributor, who pays the casino annual marketing support money for an exclusive on all soft drinks sold or given away in the casino. Twin River learned that the contract did not pertain to any private labeled products developed by the casino such as their own private labeled bottled water. Therefore, after a detailed legal review, they elected to develop their own private labeled casino energy drink through a large independent producer. Mike Barlow also commented that the entire energy drink phenomenon is very interesting and financially attractive to the casino. Casino management also felt that they would rather give their players a free Twin River Casino Energy Drink in order to keep them alert and hopefully playing longer, than a free alcoholic beverage, which could make players drowsy and lethargic and want to go home. The real test will be to see whether anyone can figure out and calculate howmuch extra play time on the slots or tables will result from serving complimentary energy drinks in the casino. The incremental play may even pay for the cost of the beverage. Casinos can have a lot of fun developing creative and innovative labels and names for their own private label casino energy drinks. If anyone would likemore information about private label energy drinks,please email me at the address below. Good luck and keep innovating. Steve Karoul is a top casino marketing consultant with almost 30 years of experience with the best casinos both within the US and internationally. Steve has conducted casino marketing activities in over 90 countries around the world. He is a contributing writer to several different major casino publications. Steve can be reached at tel: (1-860) 536-1828 or by email: [email protected], or via his website: www.euroasiacasino.com Casino Marketing