Slot Trends in Indian Country

Transcription

1 Slot Trends in Indian Country With the annual Global Gaming Expo approaching, slot directors are looking forward to new technologies that could enhance their gaming floors and make their properties more competitive. This month we asked our panel of distinguished guests about their slot floors, the features that make their properties unique, their selection process for new games, and what they ll be on the lookout for at this year s G2E. Chuck Hickey Director of Slot Operations Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino San Diego, CA GAME FLOOR: We have 2,000 machines on our casino floor and in our private gaming areas, ranging in denomination from $.01 to $1,000. The largest percentage of games on the floor is nickels followed by Chuck Hickey dollars, then quarters, and then five dollar games. Our floor mix is weighted fairly heavily on the top end of the scale. The bulk of our games are video machines (not counting poker). Around 20% are reels and 20% poker. About 30% of the floor is either stand alone or linked progressive. We feature mystery progressives as well. Wide area progressives account for less than 3% of the floor. As the first property for IGT's server based gaming launch nationwide, Barona is also home to a current count of 48 server based slots - which vary in what denomination and title at any given time. WHAT S UNIQUE: First and foremost is our commitment to service. One thing you will not notice at our competition is the presence of change cashiers. Barona was the first to offer hand-held ticket redemption capabilities by our change cashiers. Our guests tell us that our cashiers are a point of difference to them and a convenience they value. Our sneak preview area includes 72 machines where we test the latest games and technology by many of the industry s leading manufacturers. Our guests love the fact that they can play a game at Barona first and perhaps have some influence on whether it gets a chance elsewhere on the casino floor or perhaps even in the overall market. Also, our private gaming areas are unique. You can get the game you want in the denomination you want with electronic funds transfer (EFT) capabilities along with fingerprint access to your account. We even offer high denomination ticket in vouchers instead of cash. We combine these features with an opulent and comfortable area to play in total privacy. PLAYER LOYALTY: Barona builds and maintains player loyalty with its unwavering commitment to customer relationship management whereby all areas of the casino and resort are fully coordinated to manage each touch point of our players gaming/resort experience. Most important is our investment in the one-to-one relationship with our guests. Each and every player that enters our casino will never have to leave their machine for service as we employ over 100 hosts that rove the floor to enroll new members, issue comps, reserve machines, celebrate jackpots and provide a warm touch and good conversation (while most of the industry is moving towards impersonal kiosk style service.) The latest technology is embraced to enable our service providers to maximize their efforts by using Mariposa's Player Contact System which allows our hosts to find players on the floor using mapping software and manage the relationship with tools that record contact history, preferences and gaming activity. SELECTING GAMES: Our database tool gives me easy access to the numbers generated by the machines, and also links to our player tracking system. Not only do I know which games are doing the best and worst, but also who is playing them. I know which games our Diamond players prefer, which they like least, and which they are migrating to or from. Our Real Player campaign is built around providing the best players with the best choices and to do this, we have to know what they want. Just knowing which game is performing the best isn't good enough. I need to know why the game is doing what it is doing, who is playing it and when they are playing it. This way I can optimize the floor and at the same time our marketing and special event folks can ensure that they invite the correct people to the property for any given timeframe. AT G2E: I'm more in the market for new ideas instead of features. Frankly, I probably spend more time at G2E walking around the fringes looking for someone trying to sell their idea or concept. There are lots of folks who have great ideas, but 28 Indian Gaming October 2006

2 don't have the exposure they need to make them succeed. Barona is a place that likes to try new things and we are constantly looking for something new and different. We like to call ourselves the hub of casino innovation and we need a lot of new ideas to stay in that role. For games specifically, I will be looking for novel ways to increase the size of bets, increase the speed of play, provide a unique experience or comfort for the casino player. It isn't always about slots, either. Whether it is a way to improve lighting, ventilation or even architectural or mechanical advantages - all contribute to the Barona experience. Mitch Klumpp Director of Slots Coushatta Casino Resort Kinder, LA GAME FLOOR: We have 2,867 total games, ranging from denominations of $.01 to $100. The game mix consists of reel slots, video slots, video poker, keno, and multi games. Over half of the games are reel games. One Mitch Klumpp third of the games are video slots, and the rest of the games are a mixture of multi games, video poker, and keno. We have 24 wide area progressive games and 105 lease games. We also have 335 in-house progressives, which are linked and stand alone, in addition to 171 video poker games. WHAT S UNIQUE: Coushatta is a landbased casino offering the largest gaming area in the market. The slot floor is divided into three differently themed areas. We have just installed EFT, allowing our guests to download promotional credits from their player cards to their machines. We also offer our guests coin games and ticket-in/ticket-out slots. The casino features kiosk machines that redeem players' slot payout tickets to cash, ensuring those guests receive extra-fast payouts. Coming soon are new kiosk machines that will transfer players' points to cash. Coushatta is also the only casino in the Lake Charles market to offer the popular Super Spin Wheel of Fortune progressive games. PLAYER LOYALTY: Coushatta's excellent guest service and superior gaming product offer our guests the finest in gaming entertainment and Southern hospitality. Coushatta's players club is the most generous in Louisiana. We offer many incentives to our loyal guests, including a cashback program, plus comps, free or discounted meals and hotel rooms, free concert tickets, invitations to member-only events, free rounds of golf at our award-winning championship golf course, and more. Coushatta's slot department tracks all response times for jackpots and machine fills. Our goal is to have the response time in two minutes or less to ensure our guests receive the fastest and most courteous guest service. We also strive to maintain the highest payback percentage in our market. SELECTING GAMES: We listen to guest comments and requests. We continually research information received from manufacturers. We attend all gaming expos. We also have monthly slot reviews in which games are evaluated by a committee of six associates, boasting a combined 60 years of experience in the gaming field. These reviews ensure our guests have available at Coushatta the games they want to play, and that the games are set to the highest efficiency by coin in, average bet, accruals and theo win. New game features would include cost efficiency of maintenance and upgrades, downloadable, and more intensive research into the integration of manufacturers on server-based technology. AT G2E: We are looking for new multilevel progressive technology offered by manufacturers that is not participation or lease. Lumpy Lambert Vice President of Operations Harrah's Cherokee Casino and Hotel Cherokee, NC GAME FLOOR: Our current casino floor consists of 80,000 sq. ft. of gaming space, and includes 3,400 gaming devices and 40 electronic table games. Game mix consists of Lumpy Lambert video, poker and reel games. Denominations range from $.01 to $100 dollar games, which includes multi-denom units. Our state-tribal compact does not permit the use of wide area 30 Indian Gaming October 2006

3 progressives. We have multi-game cabinets as well as individual game types incorporating progressives that are video poker based and popular video based games such as 5 Times Pay and Wild Cherry. Between the two types (video poker and video based), roughly one third of our floor is some type of progressive. WHAT S UNIQUE: There are several elements that contribute to our uniqueness. One, our tribal-state compact requires that each game approved into the jurisdiction pass a skill and dexterity certification. Customers experience the same video game themes they might in other jurisdictions but because of the skill/dexterity requirement they are given a second spin to win or have to make a decision on the outcome of the game. Another unique feature is the "Cherokee Raffle Reels." In North Carolina, raffles are permitted and we execute a raffle utilizing the electronic gaming device. It complies with the state law and provides us the opportunity to introduce stepper games customers experience in other jurisdictions. PLAYER LOYALTY: Our location and easy drive plays a big part of player loyalty as we're ideally located within three hours of Charlotte and Atlanta. Since we are considered a drive in market, we are able to provide attractive, appealing marketing events and promotions that resonate with our customers. Coupled with great customer service, player loyalty remains very consistent. Something we are all very proud of. SELECTING GAMES: We're constantly reviewing our game mix and performance daily and weekly. Additionally, we have an internal team representing operations, finance and executive departments that review analysis on a monthly basis and make adjustments. On a bigger scale, as a managed property of Harrah's Entertainment we receive great support from our slot partners on what's hot or not in other areas. We always consider the advice from vendors on their products. AT G2E: We'll be focused on adding additional devices to complement our raffle reels, exploring more participation game opportunities, and options for our electronic table game offering. Frank Neborsky Vice President of Slot Operations Mohegan Sun Uncasville, CT GAME FLOOR: Mohegan Sun currently has 6,198 slot machines. Our denomination mix ranges from 1/2 to $100 games. For the enjoyment of our guests we offer a wide variety of slot machine configurations including uprights, slant tops and bar tops. This includes the traditional spinning reel machines in 3, 4, and 5 reel versions; 3, 4, and 5 reel video slots, video poker and keno. We have found that low denomination games ($.25 and below) have become very popular. As a result, these games make up about 38% of the slot machine mix and include both spinning reel and video reel machines. Approximately 13% of our Frank Neborsky floor is made up of WAP and leased games. This breaks down to about 360 WAP games and 475 leased games. Although these numbers may seem high, these machines must perform at a premium compared to house averages if they are to remain on the floor. Included in the mix are approximately 100 in-house link and standalone progressive machines in denominations ranging from $.01 to $5. Rounding out the game mix are about 800 video poker machines in denominations from $.25 to $100. WHAT S UNIQUE: The most impressive, and distinctive aspect of Mohegan Sun is the level of theming and attention to detail, which exists throughout the facility. The Earth and Sky Casinos offer a comfortable gaming environment, which is as relaxing as it is exciting. The variety of slot product is also second to none. We continuously strive to offer the newest, most innovative slot machines to our guests while providing a level of customer service, which exceeds our guests' expectations. PLAYER LOYALTY: From a marketing perspective, we offer a variety of monthly promotions targeted to different levels of our players club. Our player points offer a valuable and flexible rewards program that can be enjoyed by all members of our players club. Our guest service is also key. At the foundation of our guest service is our employees. Everyday, their warm smiles, inviting 'hellos' and friendly, attentive service and quick response to any problem means more to maintaining player loyalty than you would expect. SELECTING GAMES: I have always taken the approach of "try a lot of things, keep what works, and try again." By this I mean try a lot of different product in small amounts, 6 to 12 games at a time. This limits the exposure of any bad games while offering our players as many new games as possible. I also look at the performance of new machines in different venues, seek the suggestions of our sales reps and review and evaluate the manufacturers marketing tests. AT G2E: Given the latest downloadable technology, I'm looking forward to seeing what progress has been made in this area. I will also look for any new game platforms, new bonusing features or any product that would enhance the experience of our players. 32 Indian Gaming October 2006

4 Dan Savage Slot Director Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Cabazon, CA Dan Crites Video Gaming Manager Muckleshoot Indian Casino Auburn, WA GAME FLOOR: We currently operate 2,000 Class III slot machines and we have 700 Class II video bingo. Since we have very little wall space most of the machines are "chop top" so when you come into the Dan Savage casino you can see across the casino floor. We have very few signs so we don't clutter or overwhelm the casino floor. The signs that we do have identify the various themed banks like Zorro, Cash Express, Jackpot Carnival, Wheel Of Fortune in $.05, $.25 and $1. We have $.01 to $100 machines on the floor. Wheel Of Fortune and Marilyn Monroe are the only wide area progressives that we have. We have Mega Bucks arriving this month. Other progressives include Quick Hits, Blazing Sevens, Pot Of Gold, Fusion, Konection, Fort Knox and some of the Class II machines are progressive. We have two bars with video poker/keno machines (34); we have a wide range of video poker machines from $.25 to $25 Jacks or Better with a 9/6 pay table. We also have Jokers Wild, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker for a total of 300 poker machines. WHAT S UNIQUE: I try to keep the slots fresh with new games. In some cases I will get new game themes before anyone else gets them and if they work well I will buy them. Sometimes my fellow team members get frustrated because we are the only casino that have the games and they can't play them because they work here. We have great access off of Interstate 10 and about 70,000 cars drive by every Saturday, unless there is a holiday and then there are even more. PLAYER LOYALTY: We have the usual players club, but that is not what attracts and keeps the players; it's loose slot machines. SELECTING GAMES: There has not been very many new game features that have come along for several years, just more of the same. I have spoken to most of the slot manufactures about changing gears to more quality and less quantity. Several of the manufactures are having pre-g2e shows which will help because it gives a more one on one experience. GAME FLOOR: We have Dan Crites 2,600 machines on the floor of which over 85% are $.05 denomination or less. Also included are 22 Class II machines which are denominations of $5 or more. We don't have any wide area progressives because of compact restrictions with the state of Washington. We do, however, have 130 progressive machines throughout the casino. We also have 112 poker machines. WHAT S UNIQUE: We have over 1,000 machines in two large and separate non-smoking areas, which have been embraced by our guests. We also offer 24 hour gaming on the property which is unique for Washington. PLAYER LOYALTY: We offer customer service that meets or exceeds our guests expectations while offering promotions and offers that are geared toward increasing and maintaining player loyalty through the use of the Preferred Players Club. Gerri Williams, Assistant VGD Manager, a Muckleshoot tribal member, leads our team in seeing that we get only the best to work on the gaming floor. SELECTING GAMES: Due to the unique requirements in Washington we are limited by the type of games and manufacturers that may be offered to us. Therefore we work with the manufactures to provide us with game titles that are available elsewhere but that fit the requirements here in Washington. Currently we use Bally Technology as our source for games and systems and they in turn work with other gaming manufactures to provide games along with their own titles. If we see a game in another jurisdiction that is popular among the guests then we bring that game to the attention of our manufacturer and they will see if it will fit within our system. This allows us to provide to our guests many of the same titles that they see elsewhere. 34 Indian Gaming October 2006

5 AT G2E: I don't necessarily go into the different shows looking for anything specific but I do like to see what the industry has done in the past year and see if there is something that would be beneficial at our casino. There are many new things that come out, however not all things fit each casino's needs. You have to be cautious as to what will and will not work and keep that in mind as you set out on the trade floor. Devin Shewmake Vice President of Slots Paragon Casino Resort Marksville, LA GAME FLOOR: Paragon Casino Resort takes the slot floor to the next level. We have what's new, what's just come out, and feel that we have one of the most technologyforward slot floors around. Having the latest in slot technology, games and products is a must in the highly competitive gaming market of Louisiana. We have 2,100 slots and the denominations range from $.01 to $100. Our innovative products are from IGT, Aristocrat, Bally Technologies, Atronic, WMS Gaming, Konami, Speilo, and VLC. Our floor boasts of over 100 participation games from A.C. Coin & Slot, IGT, Bally, Devin Shewmake Aristocrat and WMS. We do incorporate in-house progressives and have over 40 games that are in-house progressives. We feature over 100 video poker games, as well. WHAT S UNIQUE: We pride ourselves on being first to market with new products. Paragon offers the widest variety of games allowed by law compared to any other casino in our area. It's crucial to our continued success that we have the newest game themes available and we attempt to get them on the floor first. October 2006 Indian Gaming 35

6 PLAYER LOYALTY: We're about providing the best product and the best value to our players. We offer a wide variety of entertainment value options, great food, a convention and meeting center, five restaurants, luxurious hotel accommodations, an RV resort and a championship golf club. Our marketing department entices our gamers through direct mail, promotions, and players club benefits while our hosts are all about relationship building. Our friendly, Southern hospitality and the value we offer accounts for Paragon's high rate of return guests. We also market and offer an extremely low hold percentage, lower than anyone in our competitive market. SELECTING GAMES: We ask our guests what they would like on the floor and we deliver those products to ensure continued customer satisfaction. We deliver the largest and widest mix of games available. Every new game that comes out and has been proven by the manufacturer or is requested by our guests, we place on the floor. We review our slot date bi-weekly and we replace games that are not performing with ones that our guests will prefer playing. AT G2E: We want to continue to take advantage of the latest in slot signage. We like unique signage packages and will explore the latest. We will investigate the latest in player comfort, particularly in chair design. We are looking forward to seeing and examining the new technology, including server-based gaming. Central server-based game programming is perhaps the most exciting development in the near future. Making real-time adjustments as volume and customer tastes change has huge potential for our level of guest satisfaction and slot revenue. We are also interested in floor layout and design and advancements in systems technologies, along with interactive sign packages that tie to the game. Technologies that help to reduce labor cost are in the viewing mix, as well. Bryant Martin Director of Slot Operations Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel Niagara Falls, NY GAME FLOOR: Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel has 147,000 sq. ft. of gaming, including 4,289 slot machines. Our games range in denomination from penny machines to our high limit $100 slot machines, with many $.05, $.25, $1, $5, $10, and $25 machines to choose from as well. The game mix at Seneca Niagara includes stepper, video reel and poker machines. Patrons can choose from a wide variety of manufacturers, including Aristocrat, Atronic, Bally, IGT, Bryant Martin Konami, WMS Gaming and A.C. Coin & Slot, among others. We have a wide variety of wide area progressive machines, as well as in-house progressives, including CJS and Mystery progressives. WHAT S UNIQUE: One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the gaming floor at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is the sheer size. With 4,289 machines, we are able to offer our patrons the widest variety in our market. PLAYER LOYALTY: We work hard to offer our patrons the latest technology in order to increase convenience for them. In return, we have been able to build a strong foundation of loyalty among our patrons. Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel also tries to build and expand that patron loyalty by enhancing the patron experience not only through the service they receive, but by providing our patrons with the best possible game offerings we can provide. SELECTING GAMES: Identifying new trends in the industry has helped us keep a fresh variety of game offerings at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel. In addition we carefully watch game performance and evaluate new products that are emerging in the industry to ensure that our facility is at the level that our patrons expect. AT G2E: One of the features I am most interested in is the latest developments in Group Activity Gaming, similar to IGT's Super Spin. Joshua Collins Slot Manager Soboba Casino San Jacinto, CA GAME FLOOR: Soboba offers 2,000 slots consisting of over 600 new games and 300 conversions. Over the past 18 months, we have changed out over 60% of our products to provide a more enjoyable and exciting gaming experience to our players. These games vary from $.01 to $1 denominations. We offer a large variety of new games in a penny 36 Indian Gaming October 2006

7 denomination on top of being home to Southern California's largest non-smoking room with over 500 slots. We have moved away from a large number of wide area progressives and created more in-house progressives. We are Joshua Collins currently at approximately 2% of our floor being wide area progressives and 7% being some sort of participation, meaning a revenue split or daily fee. We have two separate mystery jackpot banks with a car displayed on each. Each bank hits on an average of once a month resulting in two cars being awarded a month. WHAT S UNIQUE: Our uniqueness comes from our wide variety of denominations enabling us to fit each player's preference and budget. Whether you want pennies or dollars, volatility or more traditional time on device game, our players know they will find it at Soboba Casino. We are also running Soboba's Treasure Chest, known as IGT's Carded Lucky Coin. This is a mystery progressive giving any player the chance to win up to $100,000 just by using their players club card. At the time of the jackpot, every player that has their club card in the machine wins $30 in free play. PLAYER LOYALTY: At Soboba each guest is treated like family and not a number. We spend a lot of time working on customer service and making the players experience exciting and enjoyable. We get a lot of feedback from our guests and go the extra step in addressing each request regardless of what it is. To sum it up we give the player more bang for their buck. SELECTING GAMES: We are very aggressive when it comes to our game mix. We are not shy about being the first to try a newly released game. When researching a game we look at the math model, graphics, available configurations, cabinet style, and whether the game will appeal to the player. There are many factors to take into consideration and still no guarantee if the game will do well. Ultimately our players decide if the game will remain part of our mix. October 2006 Indian Gaming 37

8 AT G2E: We will be looking for at several new products while at the show this year. With the continued new technology being developed and offered by the manufacturers, it is hard to say what features we are looking for. Each year at the show I wonder what new exciting technology or feature will be introduced. Overall we are looking for a reliable game that we feel will appeal to our players. Tom Sedlock Director of Slot Operations Spotlight 29 Casino Coachella, CA of playing all the games to get a feel for the hit frequency, volatility, and the bonus rounds or features. The 180 day performance guarantee is a great tool the manufacturers are providing. None of us can predict the success of a game 100% of the time, especially with the library of themes each manufacture has available. This gives us the appropriate time and flexibility to evaluate the product. AT G2E: I go into G2E with an open mind. Server based or downloadable has been the hot subject for several years. Until someone can come up with a clear strategy for implementation, regulatory issues, and pricing, it is still the biggest issue with the most potential out there. Otherwise, reviewing the different bonus rounds and features is exciting. Mystery jackpots have been a success, and implementing these jackpots in new ways will be interesting. GAME FLOOR: At Spotlight 29 casino, we have 2,000 of the newest and latest models offered on the market. We have available all denominations from $.01 to $100. We offer a variety of games to Tom Sedlock play from video reels, the traditional 3 reel stepper games, new innovative 5 reel machines with or without internal progressive meters, video poker machines, and keno machines. Currently, 4% of the floor is wide area progressive or participation machines. There are several in house poker progressive machines along with keno and stand alone video and reel machines. WHAT S UNIQUE: We are constantly changing the floor around by either relocating assets or introducing new product on the floor on a monthly basis. We offer the widest variety of penny machines in our market. But what makes every property unique are the employees who interact with the customers to provide the best service and experience possible. PLAYER LOYALTY: Player loyalty revolves around service. Having the games customers enjoy playing, the proper staffing levels and resources to reduce down time, as well as clean functioning operating machines, and effective meaningful club benefits are a few examples. SELECTING GAMES: For me, G2E is the biggest research tool in our industry. You have to take advantage Rick Brock Slot Performance Manager Treasure Island Resort & Casino Red Wing, MN GAME FLOOR: Treasure Island has 2,500 slot machines, 100% video. Denominations range from $.01 to $25. Currently 17% of our floor is Rick Brock multi-denomination and we are moving aggressively to provide this option on all games that have the capability. We also offer multi-game on 14% of our games. This wide range of multi-denom and multi-game choices gives our guests options as well as flexibility. Couples or friends can sit side by side and play different denominations and/or different game themes and share their experiences together. I've seen a husband playing dollar poker with his wife playing nickel poker on the next machine. IGT, Aristocrat and WMS Gaming represent about 87% of our floor. Currently 81% of our games are ticket-in/ticket-out. We are on track to reach 90% by the end of November and 99% by Spring We do not have any wide area progressive machines. Approximately 10% of our games are 38 Indian Gaming October 2006

9 in-house progressives and approximately 20% of our games are video poker. WHAT S UNIQUE: Our slot floor stands out because we make an effort to ensure our guests are as comfortable as possible. When designing the floor layout, we give a lot of thought to traffic flow throughout the casino. We also use wider than normal spaces between our slot banks. I really believe players drive farther to play at Treasure Island because it is a more comfortable environment. We operate with a philosophy of zero down time. Our slot techs are tenacious about keeping the floor at 100%. Our bill acceptors are also kept clean and in working order. Burned out lights are replaced in very short order. Our games are routinely cleaned inside and out. This is one of the cleanest looking gaming floors in the Midwest. well. We analyze the amount of play various machines receive and use this information to figure out what types of games may interest our guests. Most importantly, we pay close attention to what our guests tell us and try to implement their suggestions. AT G2E: We'll be looking at the progress of server-based gaming since last year's show. We'll also be looking for the latest trends in video slots. PLAYER LOYALTY: We listen to our players. Our players tell us what they want, both through personal communication ( , phone, right on the floor, etc.) as well as through their play. By analyzing their play we can get a picture of the types of games they prefer and look for similar games to offer. We give them options like multidenom and multi-game. Even giving them the ability to adjust the sound level on their game can give them a feeling of being in control of their casino experience. We offer a quality product and provide topnotch guest service by our frontline staff. Our guests are our top priority so we strive to provide the best gaming experience that we can. There are other entertainment options that may be closer to our guests' homes, but they continue to choose Treasure Island. They do so because they know they will have a great experience when they visit. We give our players more play time and more gaming options than some of our competition. We work hard to give them a better value for their gaming dollar. SELECTING GAMES: In addition to getting input from our players, we work closely with our slot manufacturers. They often have feedback from other markets as to what is already performing October 2006 Indian Gaming 39