Inside Asian Gaming

NOVEMBER 2018 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 29 COLUMNISTS to allow for a whole new experience, whereas it sister property, City of Dreams Manila, has just opened a similar game zone. In the US, from eSports arenas to arcades to diverse pool concepts, IRs are increasingly looking to draw new customers from outside of the Baby Boomer demographic and are doing so with amenity concepts of novelty. The rise of eSports-oriented amenities is a clear trend targeting the much-discussed and elusive (to gaming floors) millennial customer segment. This bet on eSports appears to be warranted. A 2017 study completed by Limelight Networks found that 22% of American millennials polled say they regularly watch competitive gaming and that males between the ages of 18 and 25 in the US say they prefer eSports over traditional sports. Luxor’s eSports Arena Las Vegas is one of the recent eSports-only developments. With a space of more than 3,000 square meters, the arena represents group of customers to their properties. The pool amenity is often built to capture one of two seemingly opposite customer segments: the younger patron traveling to the resort in search of fun and entertainment, or the older patron visiting the resort, perhaps with a family, in search of rest and relaxation. To capture one of these two segments, many properties have historically created an atmosphere that caters to only one – the pool party atmosphere to capture the younger demographic or the spa-style pool to capture the older demographic. More recently, however, properties are creating pool areas that offer value to a diverse set of patrons. One such example is “The Cove”, the 4.5-acre pool area that was part of Pechanga’s recently completed US$300 million expansion project at the Southern California IR. With multiple, segmented areas that cater to each of the distinct guest segments, the new pool retains not only families and millennial party guests, but also those non-participating guests who just want to watch the party pool. An important caveat to consider as properties look to expand their customer base with non-gaming amenities – especially through the targeting of families: don’t forget about your core customer. Experts stress that creating an overall theme for a casino resort that strays too far from the core gaming customer can be a fatal flaw. REGIONAL PROPERTIES MUST GIVE OUTER MARKET VISITORS A COMPELLING REASON TO VISIT When targeting customers from outer markets, it’s imperative for regional and local gaming properties to offer a compelling reason to visit. As many of these properties compete with metropolitan areas that can provide a diverse set of leisure and entertainment offerings, gaming properties often must provide something more than a steakhouse and mediocre entertainment to entice outer market visitors to make the one to two-hour drive to their properties. Continuing to innovate and positioning themselves as one-stop shops for entertainment is crucial for regional casino properties to capture and retain outer market visitors. For gaming customers, more amenities mean more to do and more No matter the location, many gaming properties need to focus on customer segments outside of their core gamer to thrive. Providing an atmosphere that pleases a diverse set of patrons is key to expanding a property’s customer base. one of the many new faces of non-gaming for IRs. Las Vegas represents perhaps one of the best environments for eSports as the city welcomes over 40 million visitors per year. No matter the location, many gaming properties need to focus on customer segments outside of their core gamer to thrive. Providing an atmosphere that pleases a diverse set of patrons is key to expanding a property’s customer base. FAMILY While the millennial customer segment may not be available as a target customer for regional gaming properties, one demographic group that is available to many gaming properties is the family. More and more gaming properties are introducing family-oriented amenities, offering a one- stop entertainment destination for the entire family. For example, some operators are reinventing the pool to attract a diverse City of Dreams Manila recently launched its new VR Zone and innovative food truck facility called The Garage.