A casino is a place where champagne glasses clink, music blares and tourists and locals mingle. It’s an energetic atmosphere where people let their hair down and try their luck at games ranging from poker to roulette. There’s no telling when luck will strike, and that rush of uncertainty is what keeps many casino goers coming back for more.
But the glitzy interiors and upbeat music are only part of the appeal. Casinos are also known for offering a variety of free goods and services to attract customers. This is referred to as comping, and it involves giving players things like dinners, hotel rooms, tickets to shows and even limo service and airline tickets based on the amount they spend gambling.
Casino explores a world of greed, treachery and avarice, and its depictions of these characters make for compelling viewing. Robert De Niro delivers a tour-de-force performance as mobster Ace Rothstein, and Sharon Stone is nothing short of mesmerizing as blonde hustler Ginger McKenna. But, despite the grotesque violence—including a torture-by-vice sequence featuring a popped eyeball and a baseball bat beating that had to be trimmed for NC-17 ratings—the movie never sinks into exploitation territory.
Many casinos focus on demographics, such as age and income levels, when marketing their gaming offerings to consumers. While this strategy can be helpful, it’s important for marketers to consider what other assets their casino offers and how those can be marketed. For example, while a casino’s gaming floor might be an attractive draw, its luxurious hotels, flexible event spaces and award-winning restaurants could all be targeted with specific messaging and marketing strategies.