After the success of Goodfellas, Scorsese signed on to direct Casino, a movie set in Sin City and about Sin City. With a script by Nicholas Pileggi and starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, the film was packaged as the spiritual sequel to his previous gangster epic. And in a period when violent and profane crime was en vogue, Casino looked like a monster hit in waiting.
The gambling industry is a billion-dollar business. The games of chance may only earn patrons a tiny percentage of the money that passes through their machines, but over time that amount adds up. Casinos make enough from this to build elaborate hotels, fountains, towers and replicas of famous landmarks. But what makes casinos really successful is the excitement and anticipation that gamblers feel when they try to win.
Gambling is also a social activity that encourages conversation and interaction. Most casinos have bars and restaurants that serve food, drinks and other amenities to create a comfortable atmosphere for their patrons. Casinos are a great place to enjoy time with friends, family and colleagues. The sights, sounds and smells of a casino can provide an experience that will never be forgotten.
Casinos also use scent to keep their customers coming back. Throughout the day, casinos will waft the pleasant aroma of their casinos through their ventilation systems to help patrons relax and feel happy. The dazzling lights, the joyous sounds of slot machines and the scent combine to create a manufactured sense of happiness and euphoria that keeps people playing and spending.
Another way that casinos make money is by offering free goods and services to their most loyal players. These are called comps and can include free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows, limousine service or even airline tickets. To qualify for comps, players must meet certain spending thresholds and play for a specified amount of time to be considered “good” players by the casino’s standards.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it is important for casino owners and managers to understand their audience and how they are changing. Demographics are helpful, but they cannot tell you what is motivating people to visit your casino. You could have a group of women who are all in their late 20s or early 30s and college-educated, but that doesn’t tell you whether they are taking weekend bus trips to the nearest casino with their friends or are visiting on business.
To stay competitive, casinos must offer more than just gambling. They must also focus on events and group business, luxury hotel offerings, cutting-edge technology, spa and fitness centers and delicious restaurants. This can be done by leveraging Cvent’s competitive market ads to expose your casino to event planners searching for venues in similar markets or sister cities. This strategy helps you reach the most valuable customer segments and increase your chances of attracting groups and winning group business. This in turn helps you maximize your return on investment.