I write this on the evening of Jan. 1, 2007. Something about each New Year’s Day causes me to wonder what the coming twelve months will bring, and what lessons I can take from prior years to make the coming one even better.
This day also brought thoughts of you, the readers of this column, to mind. What is it that you want me to write about? What benefits can I offer? Just as importantly, if I somehow manage to meet your expectations, will you buy me lunch when I visit? These are the important questions of my life, and I take them seriously. Honestly, I do.
That’s why (without a single word of this column written, no real notion of what to write, and my deadline just hours away) I decided to inventory what’s most important to me and prioritize. I soon realized one task rose above all others for today: Watching college football with my sons!
Certainly I’d be putting your needs behind my wants and shirking my responsibility to this magazine, but isn’t that why we prioritize?
And a great decision it was, because the Fiesta Bowl—pitting Boise State’s Broncos against Oklahoma’s Sooners—proved spectacular. Boise entered the game undefeated, but their schedule, weak conference, and lack of exposure cast them as decided underdogs.
Oklahoma is a traditional football powerhouse and many observers believed only bad luck and some incredibly poor officiating earlier in the season kept the Sooners from next week’s championship game. Instead they were humiliatingly matched against a backwater Idaho college whose unique distinction is their home stadium’s bright-blue Astroturf.
Underdog Boise played surprisingly well and held a 28-10 lead midway through the third quarter. It looked like a Cinderella story, but everyone suspected there’d be a pumpkin ending.
Sure enough, Oklahoma battled back and took the lead with just a minute remaining in the game. Boise wasn’t quite ready to leave the party and miraculously scored with time running out, tying the score at 35.
Oklahoma got the ball first in overtime and scored immediately. The Sooners appeared strong and, with a 42-35 lead, appeared to have the game in hand. Seeking a fairy-tale ending, the Broncos played with stunning dedication and, using a trick play, managed an improbable touchdown. Trailing 42-41, Boise could kick to tie, or win or lose with a two point attempt.
Being nothing if not courageous, Boise went for two—and got it! Cinderella beat the midnight curfew! Only the glass slipper was missing after the game when, on national television, Boise’s star running back proposed to Boise’s head cheerleader. She even said yes. Though corny, unbelievable, and absolutely ridiculous, everyone—excepting those from the OK state—loved it anyway: the quintessential story of underdog overcoming adversity through perseverance and hard work with a “happily ever after” ending.
Obviously, the Boise players were elated. Their fans at the game were ecstatic. More interestingly, those of us watching from home were elated too. Even without a connection to the university or the town—and in spite of an aversion for bright blue Astroturf—I felt as if I had won something too.
That’s partly due to a natural affinity for the underdog, but it mostly comes from identifying with those who diligently work to overcome long odds and barely escape disaster. Had Boise won by 30 points, the feeling would not have been as personal or important.
Boise State will benefit from this shared elation in many ways. Existing fans will be more loyal. Many people that were not Bronco fans previously now identify with the school. Some of these will become loyal followers.
High school students that had never before considered Boise State will apply for admission. Some will actually attend. Greater numbers of high school athletes will want to play there. Donors will give more to the school. More fans will attend games and buy Boise State apparel. And thanks to television exposure, these things will happen on a much greater scale.
So what does all this mean to you? How does this help you in the gambling business? I see four important points you can use to your advantage:
1. Winning creates a feeling of exhilaration.
2. Exhilaration is amplified more by overcoming a strong risk of loss, than by the actual prize won.
3. Exhilaration is further amplified if the win (or loss) takes place in front of others.
4. The exhilaration of winning is communicable. A very strong sense of exhilaration—let’s call it the “winning feeling”—can be enjoyed even when you are not a part of the actual game, or at the location where the win occurs.
Lotteries and casino gambling are really about providing the exhilaration of winning for a fee. Players desperately want that feeling and are willing to pay. As an industry, we fail miserably in recognizing that fact.
While gaming machines do offer a chance to win or lose, most of our promotions do not. We give away comps of specific value. We award points for loyal slot play. And we call this good management.
Perhaps it is.
But I contend there is significant opportunity to replace fixed rewards with the chance to win (or lose) rewards. What if our comp rewards became entry tickets into games that offer chances to win (or not win) prizes? Some game outcomes will result in losses, or wins, that are smaller than your current average reward, and therefore top prizes can be larger than current offerings.
If these games are somehow publicly viewable, that is if players can watch or learn the result of other player’s games, the value of that game play is enhanced even more.
Suppose that instead of assigning a fixed dollar value to loyalty points, those points became entry tickets or chips in a separate game. That new game could be purely chance, or involve some amount of skill. Because the entry tickets are not purchased for cash, you’ll likely have more leeway in how to conduct the game and regulatory oversight will not be as intense.
What if those games could be played at home with other people playing, or watching, simultaneously? After all, more people watch football games from home than those who actually go to the games. Playing your games at home could enhance people’s desires to visit your casino in person.
Of course you’ll be hard pressed to get national television coverage for a point redemption game. But we have the Internet. It’s interactive, low cost, and widely accessible.
While actual gambling is illegal on the Internet (only until government figures out how to develop effective taxation), sweepstakes and entertainment games are perfectly legal. Millions of people play Internet games of entertainment already. The Internet could be a great vehicle by which to strengthen relationships with existing players and establish relationships with new players.
By now you’re probably thinking that all this sounds fine in theory, but will be hard to put into practice. You’re right. But you do need new players, don’t you? And don’t you want to enhance existing player relationships? Isn’t your future growth and well-being worth an investment of time, energy, and effort?
Boise State didn’t just magically appear on national television. Far-sighted people invested in facilities, coaching staff, and recruiting many years ago without knowing exactly when, or where, the return on investment would occur.
You can, and must, do the same. The supply of gaming venues and gaming machines is growing faster than new demand for gaming activities. Only dedicated and far-sighted marketing, combined with giving people the winning experiences they crave, can grow your customer base in the long term.
Still have questions about how to proceed? Are you unsure how this could work for you? Let’s have lunch!
John Acres is CEO of Acres-Fiore and a Director of Game Logic Inc. He is the Founder of EDT, Mikohn and Acres Gaming, and holds a number of U.S. patents relating to the gaming industry. He can be reached at john[at]acresfiore.com or (541) 738-4301.
Comments
Post new comment