Omnico Group’s 4 Casino Guest Expectations in 2022- and How to Meet Them report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on consumer expectations. It explores how casinos can meet these expectations, improve the customer experience, and recover lost revenue in 2022.
According to Omnico, 94% of casino goers believed venues needed to do more to encourage them to return, despite COVID-19 rules easing, and the demand for in-person gambling driving footfall.
Shawn Harris, casino lead at Omnico, said: “We’re in a new era of guest engagement where consumers expect more of casinos. What’s clear is that consumers don’t want things going back to the way they were before the pandemic. They now expect technology to be seamlessly integrated into every part of their visit to keep them safe, entertained, and don’t forget, they want to be rewarded too. The onus is on casinos to meet these expectations while still creating an experience their guests will love.”
Focus on safety
While 77% of consumers visited a casino over the summer, only a quarter were satisfied with the safety measures put in place. Only 51% reported sanitiser stations in use, just under half said there were no clear social distancing markers in place, and just 35% said they were able to pay by contactless methods. As a result, less than half of visitors rated their experiences either ‘excellent’ (46%) or ‘good’ (45%). 1 in 4 claimed they would not return if a casino did not meet their expectations.
Delight visitors with smart tech
Nearly 3 in 4 (71%) of casino guests agreed that technology needed to be more integrated into the overall casino experience, and 31% believed contactless was the way to do it with a third saying that access to engaging experiences would bring their visit to the next level. Casinos can fulfil this by deploying smart technologies, from digital maps to electronic tickets.
Drive spending through personalization
Although intended as a stopgap during the pandemic, technology has created a new definition of guest engagement where personalisation is expected at every step of their visit. 1 in 3 of consumers said they would spend more if they received personalised offers while at a casino, and 46% said they would be more likely to return if offered custom discounts following their visit. To meet this expectation of personalisation, casinos need to connect all guest-facing touch points so they can create a 360-degree profile of what their visitors actually want.
Treat your most loyal guests like royalty
Despite the 77% surge in casino foot traffic in Q1 of 2021, more than half (56%) of consumers said they did not have a good experience. In addition, 2 in 5 agreed that a loyalty app program is a must-have, as 77% said they would spend more if it was made possible.
Jason Ashwell, chief product officer at Omnico, said: “As we continue to rebound from the pandemic, meeting guest expectations at casinos is only possible by connecting and digitising the end-to-end experience. The last thing you want is to turn guests away. Which is why following them throughout their journey and providing them with the rewards and incentives they actually want will add value to their visits and get them returning.”
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