Posted by Stics on April 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Indian Gaming Moving in a Positive Direction
There was a lot to be excited about during the NIGA conference last week in Phoenix! From Lynn Valbuena, vice chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, receiving the Chairman’s leadership award to Danny Glover and Adam Beach opening the trade show floor for business on Tuesday. The buzz at the show was optimistic that the gaming industry may finally be shifting back in a positive direction.
Consider Predictive Analytics to Launch New Growth
Now is a great time for Indian gaming properties to gain a new competitive advantage from Stics℠ Predictive Analytics. Predictive analytics can help you significantly increase revenue and build stronger relationships with your most valuable customers.
Predictive analytics is a form of statistical science that Stics uses to predict a customer’s worth and behavior. It is a cutting edge technology that blends marketing with science to deliver an ROI that exceeds its investment rate by ten times, in less than 90 days, with no software or hardware to purchase.
Make Stics Your Casino Marketing Advantage
Stics works with leading casinos in Indian Country, on the Las Vegas Strip, and regionally throughout the US. We give our clients a significant completive advantage that helps them drive revenue from their existing customer databases.
Contact Stics if you are interested in the most affordable and effective predictive analytics solution for the casino gaming industry. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Posted by Stics on March 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Indian Gaming Still the Recessionary Winner
Indian gaming began its widespread popularity in the States during the late 1980’s and its growth rapidly escalated. Despite the trend, even Indian gaming could not completely escape the impact of the recession, reporting an overall revenue decline of 1% in 2009, as reported in Casino City Press.
Casino City’s latest Indian Gaming Industry Report reveals national Indian gaming revenue declined 1% to $26.4 billion, from $26.7 billion the previous year. This marks it the first year of decline in Indian gaming history. According to the report, the overall slowdown was due to the economy and other factors including, public policies restricting the supply of gaming.
The performance of Indian gaming varied widely across states, California and Oklahoma were the top two states accounting for 38% of the total national Indian gaming revenue.
The overall decline in Indian gaming was much less serious than the commercial casino of the nationwide gaming industry.
Why Did the Indian Gaming Community Do So Well in the Economic Downturn?
Stics believes there are two major factors that contributed to the relative resilience of Indian Casinos over the past few years― and they both relate to location.
High Percentage of Local Gamers
If a property has a higher percentage of local gamers, its resilience in an economic downturn will be greater. Generally speaking:
- In a recession, people travel less.
- If gambling is a preferred form of entertainment, the destination gamble will reduce expenses by gambling closer to home.
- The percentage of gross gaming revenue from local gamers is higher for Native American properties than destination cities.
Less Competition
Native American properties often, but not uniformly, enjoy less competition. This is due to:
- Unique or remote locations
- A scarcity of nearby gaming alternatives
This encourages customer visit stability, as gamblers come back to nearby casinos more consistently over time. Because of this local access, gambling can become a recurring part of the local entertainment budget.
Posted by Stics on March 8, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Public Supports Gambling
Should gambling be legal in Texas? That was one of many interesting question in a recent independent poll of voters from the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune. The survey shows gambling has a fair amount of support in the public: The support for gaming is on the rise in Texas with 56 percent saying they would allow full casino gambling compared to 8 percent who want to ban gambling all together.
Details about the push for expanded Texas gambling can be found on the Texas Gaming Association website and is being fueled by the States budget shortfall expected to exceeding $15 Billion.
The casino owners say their plan could produce $1 billion, mostly through the fees that operators would pay for the licenses to operate casinos.
Everybody Wants a Piece of the Casino Gaming Pie
Today dozens of casinos in the neighboring states of Tennessee and Louisiana benefit from a large population of destination gamblers who live in the Dallas metropolitan area. Oklahoma is also gaming on gaming to fill its state coffers with 70 Oklahoma casinos with plans to expand gaming within the State.
Legalizing gaming in Texas would have a significant negative effect on existing regional gaming properties. For that reason we find it difficult to support this push. What are your thoughts? Do we have enough casinos near Texas?
Posted by Stics on February 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Casino Stocks Rise from Recession Lows
The Las Vegas Sun reported that the gaming industry recovery on the Las Vegas Strip will continue this year and accelerate in 2012 according to a prediction by, Moody’s Investors Service in a recent market update.
Wynn Casinos, Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts have all shown huge gains in stocks from their March 2009 lows, outstripping even the solid performance by the broad market. Las Vegas Sands (LVS), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and MGM Resorts (MGM) are up 3,299%, 722% and 546%, respectively, but they are still not close to their 2007 highs.
Does this prove that people are feeling better and ready to gamble again?
Posted by Stics on February 23, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Our hearts go out to the people of New Zealand
We were personally touched by this recent geologic event as our VP of Sales Leland Rolling and his family traveled to New Zealand to play on the U.S. Tennis Team.
We are so thankful that Leland and his family are home safely and had no serious injuries. Fortunately, they were all together when it hit, but they were also in the center of town where buildings collapsed around them.
Its our philosophy to encourage our team to follow their passion and do what they love. For that reason Leland was strongly encouraged to play competitive tennis and follow his dream which lead him to New Zealand. Living in Southern California we are no strangers to earthquakes. The Stics family has escaped so many and yet our star tennis player goes half way around the world only to find his family in the middle of tremendous destruction caused by an earthquake.
Posted by Stics on February 18, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Senior World Team Championships
Ranked # 3 in the US, Rolling will Play Doubles in New Zealand
Our very own VP of Sales, Leland Rolling was selected as one of 40 players who will represent the United States at the 31st International Tennis Federation (ITF) Seniors World Team Championships in Christchurch New Zealand February 16 – 26.
Leland is ranked #3 in the US in his division and is playing on his first Cup team. He is a member of the esteemed Dubler (45) Cup team with four time Grand Slam winner Rich Leach, Newport Beach CA, Mario Tabares, Miami, FL and Andy Stoner, Cave Creek, AZ.
ITF Seniors/Super-Seniors World Team Championships is the most coveted team event on the ITF Seniors circuit. This year, the ITF invited the top 4 ranked players for the Dubler Cup team. The US team will be playing against 13 other countries including France who is the defending Dubler Cup Champs.
While it is strange to call an athlete in his mid 40’s a senior, we know Leland to be a fierce competitor and wish him and his team safe travels and victory in New Zealand.
The team matches start Monday and the finals are Saturday.
Posted by Stics on January 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment
MGM Generates Complete Customer Profile Across the Brand
In today’s economy, brands are finding new ways to be smart about attracting customers. Las Vegas casinos have always offered marketing promotions and comps such as free drinks, hotel rooms or tokens to keep customers coming back.
None, however, have gone as far as the new customer reward program from MGM Casinos M Life. This new customer loyalty program for MGM has found an innovative way to reward their customers and build brand loyalty.
Rather than focusing solely on customer’s gambling patterns, MGM tracks members of their reward program across all resorts and all facets of their hotels, including clubs, dining, spas, shopping and gambling. MGM then uses this information to offer its customers perks targeted to their personal interests. For more information on the program visit the M Life site or this recent Las Vegas Sun article about M Life.
Stics is pleased to have a number of MGM properties as Stics Predictive Analytics clients. MGM has a very strong marketing organization and they are always looking to improve their marketing strategies and tactics. As marketing optimization experts, Stics understand the complexities in executing multi faceted marketing program and expect the M Life approach to further enhance MGM Casinos revenue retention while building stronger brand loyalty with high value guests.
Posted by Stics on December 10, 2010 · Leave a Comment
The Decline in Casino Gambling Leveling Off
Upon approaching the bottom of the market, we noticed that flat casino gaming revenues were being carried like a badge of respectability and even a harbinger of hope. Over the past year, Stics conducted three market surveys, of U.S. based casino, to better understand the challenges and needs of casino marketers and the gaming industry.
Our primary research confirms what you may have suspected:
- Fully 63% of the market finds their revenues down or flat.
- Pockets of actual “up” markets exist where geography and competition permit
While this is not good news, there is a general sense that the decline in casino gambling has leveled off.
One, of many current challenges, is how to effectively and efficiently re-engage profitable gamblers. Most properties are working hard at this problem, but sometimes that is not enough. If you are looking for a new way to increase revenue at your casino property Stics predictive analytics has a proven track record for increasing ROI.
Feel free to call us for more information.
Posted by Stics on November 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Stics back from Global Gaming Conference
In keeping with serious economic times, the Global Gaming Conference (G2E ) turned serious this year. Upon entering this year’s G2E in fun filled Las Vegas, many things looked the same but one thing had clearly changed. The suits were back!
Stics has exhibited at the G2E for many years. In the recent past, the de facto dressed code was the business casual polo shirt. That fashion statement changed this year in keeping with the serious nature of business.
In addition to a sea of suits, we observed fewer booths, less giveaways, lean booth staffs and more earnestness. Next year the gaming industries marquee event will be moved up a month and have a new location at the Sands convention center.
So as the saying goes….everything old is new again. But I do hope that shoulder pads get lost forever.
Posted by Stics on September 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Casino Marketing Survey
Earlier this year, Stics conducted a preliminary research project to gauge the state of the U.S. gaming industry, from a marketing perspective. We contacted both senior level business executives as well as high to mid-level marketing department professionals to learn more about their challenges and perceptions.
Listed below is a high level summary of some of the more interesting observations.
Top 5 Casino Marketing Observations
- Respondents felt their casino marketing efforts were performing well – despite the down economy.
- Direct mail volume of was up by 10 – 20%.
- Marketers put more value on the website and online programs while business leaders didn’t see value in the websites as compared to direct mail and analysis.
- Business leaders are “likely” to “very likely” to invest in new marketing technologies but marketing teams were “very unlikely” to “unlikely” to invest.
- Marketers were concerned about expenses.
While it is obvious that the economy has taken its toll on casino marketers and the gaming industry as a whole, Stics believes that today’s casino marketers are being asked to do more with less. As a result, they are executing on a large number of campaigns to a wider audience. This presents them with the new challenge of how to profitably reach this wider audience.
Stics is currently conducting a more comprehensive study as a follow up to our preliminary findings. We will keep you posted on other interesting facts when they become available.
Stics helps casino marketers reach a wider, more profitable audience through the efficient and effective use of predictive modeling. If you have any questions about predictive analytics for casino marketing, please give us a call. We look forward to speaking with you.
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