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It’s Better to Give For some patrons, a free room or drinks on the house just aren’t enough. Today’s technologies, including enhanced modes of delivery, let resorts thank their best players in prompt, personalized ways Bling Is King By Dave Bontempo
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layer gifting has entered a significant age. Enhanced service methods blend gratitude with gaming. Players can pick the gifts themselves and choose how to obtain them. This is quite an intersection. Operators juggle mass production and the personal touch. It’s a tricky mix. How casinos handle these factors will form some separation in this sector. There are the roles of hosts, and their public-relations impact on players, to consider. There are big parties and gifting events that strengthen the casino-patron bond by underscoring the individual’s importance. And there is the potential reduction in play, albeit temporary, these efforts will produce. All factors have their merits. There’s a powerful emotional connection to “free,” and most people who receive promotional products or offers do additional business with that company. Will a short-term distraction of a line or a party provide more benefits later from a happy patron? That’s where the decision-making comes in.
128 Global Gaming Business OCTOBER 2019
Pine Brook, New Jersey-based Rymax, which formed a gaming division 10 years ago, conservatively estimates it has reached 50 million players with gifts that denote panache. On the web, via onsite loyalty programs or in bulk giveaways, “If you got a great product from the casino it almost certainly came from Rymax,” says Paul Gordon, the company’s senior vice president of sales. Operators have long used gifts—watches, handbags, jewelry, etc.—to express appreciation beyond points or a comp. They can be worn, displayed and enjoyed long after a player leaves the resort, maintaining a tie between patron and property. Names like Amazon (Alexa), Google, Cambridge and Ring convey significance to a player. The nuggets of luxury provide a key psychological component, labeling the individual as an executive player. Rymax rolls out 40 to 50 new brands a year. Casinos buy the high-end products at a sizable discount, enabling them to engage the patron in an economical way. The company also produces player-loyalty shopping sprees, experiential events and bulk-product giveaways that create loyalty and drive frequency of play. “We created a new dynamic when we brought high aspirational brands into the offerings,” Gordon asserts. “We don’t do the logo items or knockoff products. Rymax offers brands that people want to buy and will redeem with comp dollars driving play and frequency. “The idea of a free meal and going to see a show has no trophy value to it,” he adds. “The trophy value is what gives that same dollar spent longer