 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! Eric Rosenthal Archives
More Strategy Experts
|
Eric Rosenthal Gaming Guru  When everyone has elite status10 November 2018
By Eric Rosenthal During the last few months, new casinos opening up have offered tier match and even tier upgrades around the country. In the Northeast alone, we have seen Ocean Resort, Hard Rock Atlantic City and MGM Springfield open with very generous programs. In response, the two largest players, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts, offered tier matching programs of their own. While I firmly believe players should extract as much value as possible for their gambling dollar, there needs to be some acceptance of short term bumps in the road. Adding thousands of players with unearned elite status has strained the service levels for hosts, at players' lounges, VIP check-in, and even loyalty club desks. The simple fact is that when everyone has elite status, nobody really does. Larger numbers of people are vying for the attention typically given to the relative few. This is creating hard feelings with players and having the opposite effect than was intended and desired. I’m regularly seeing and hearing complaints from gamblers feeling entitled to better service due to their status. When there are a glut of elites pulling from the loyalty program, casinos tend to just focus on the larger or real players. They realize they are giving away some tier-based benefits to the masses, but more than ever will scrutinize play to determine how other discretionary resources should be allocated. It is justifiable from a business sense, but turns mid-range players away because they may be used to better service at their current house. My unsolicited advice is to walk in with an understanding of your value to the casino. Action provided and theoretical losses derived will mean so much more than the color of one’s player's card. Expecting top-tier service, only because you have a top-tier card, is a recipe for disappointment. Outside of tier-based guarantees the color of one’s card actually means very little no matter how much marketing dollars are spent to say otherwise. When establishing a relationship at a new property, I try to find out what level of play is expected for the level of treatment that I expect in return. Know going in if this relationship can be a win-win. Both the house and host will need to be happy with your perceived value as a player for continued requests to be honored. On many occasions I have determined that what they ask was too high for my perceived value of their property, program or even casino floor. It’s a completely subjective decision, but having the information will keep the player from being disappointed. Few things are worse in a casino than taking a large loss and not feeling like there was anything to show for it. Enjoy yourself, extract as much value as you can, and know up front what is a reasonable expectation in return for your play. This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net. Opportunities at new casinos20 October 2018
Anytime new casinos open up, there are typically a lot of opportunities for players to find more yield for their gambling dollars. As new properties open, they typically have promotions and offers that are above and beyond what a gambler would normally expect, and which, if played right, can be used at other properties as well. ... (read more)
Comps 101: Hard vs. soft comps29 September 2018
Unless successful at advantage play, most of us engage in negative-expectation gambling. I’m not an advantage player, but I do focus on maximizing the value I receive in comps to help make up for any losses I may face from my play. In order to be effective at this, it’s important to understand the casino’s cost structure for the comps you seek. ... (read more)
Group gambling8 September 2018
One of the easiest ways to increase your comp offers is to increase your perceived worth to the casinos. Casinos track and measure your worth in terms of the theoretical loss you should have on an average trip or an average daily basis. But increasing your “theo” does not necessarily mean you need to gamble more or have more at risk personally. ... (read more)
Eric Rosenthal |
Eric Rosenthal |