In focus: Passport Technology

The Personal Touch - High Tech High Touch for All Players

I was struck by a recent conversation with a newly acquired customer around the need for modern casino loyalty systems to be flexible, modular and robust enough to touch all players including the ones that don’t play. This includes non-gaming patrons within the resort, the concert goers, the convention attendees, the happy hour crowd, the retail shoppers, the foodies and every customer aspect of the resort experience that drives their offering.

To do this right, casinos must have the tools to understand behaviour and purchasing decisions across disparate systems with little to no integration. Getting this right is imperative within a highly competitive market where destination casinos fight for every dollar and regional casinos fight just as hard with an aggressive route market for that same dollar.

We believe Lush is the tool to help operators individualise and target all patrons, and drive solid decisions that yield resort spend and win.

Our industry is constantly seeking strategies to attract and retain customers. Among these strategies, loyalty programs have emerged as a powerful tool to foster customer engagement and enhance brand loyalty. However, the true potential of loyalty programs lies in their ability to target individuals on a personalised level. A one-size-fits-all approach does not fit and Passport’s strategy emphasises how individual targeting can significantly contribute to the overall success and growth of the total resort experience.

A well-executed loyalty program can generate significant returns, including increased customer retention, enhanced customer lifetime value, and improved overall profitability. By rewarding customers for their continued patronage, loyalty programs foster a sense of belonging and connection, thus strengthening the emotional bond between customers and the brand. Lush takes this to the next level by affording operators a full licence, without inhibition, to customise all our promotional game content and create unique offers by mass, group, tier and even down to the individual player. The latter could be a customised spin and win promotion for a five-year anniversary or a personalised promotional scratcher with a player’s image and likeness to celebrate a tier milestone.

While loyalty programs serve to reward customers, their true value lies in their ability to drive customer engagement. Engaged customers have a higher propensity to make repeat purchases, refer others to the brand and provide valuable feedback. Targeted loyalty programs enable businesses to understand individual preferences, behaviours and purchase patterns, allowing for the customisation of rewards and offers that resonate with customers on a personal level. This personalised approach creates a sense of exclusivity and makes customers feel valued, thereby enhancing engagement and loyalty. To implement effective individual targeting in loyalty programs, casinos must leverage the power of data analytics. Each casino has a unique way to look at what key metrics and drivers “move the needle” relative to player development. As partners, Passport emphasises need for a robust data-driven approach that captures and analyses customer data to derive actionable insights. In turn, casinos can segment their customer base, identify high-value customers and understand their unique preferences and needs. This knowledge enables companies to create personalised offers, tailored recommendations and relevant communications that resonate with each customer individually; all aspects that drive continuity gifting, combination offers (e.g. hotel, food & beverage, gaming and non-gaming) and brand messaging.

A successful loyalty program goes beyond mere rewards and discounts; it aims to provide a seamless and personalised customer experience. Our discerning customers expect tailored experiences and interactions with brands. By leveraging individual targeting within loyalty programs, casinos can deliver a highly personalised experience at every touchpoint, whether it is through personalised offers, curated resort recommendations or exclusive events. These personalised experiences not only deepen customer loyalty but also create positive brand associations and differentiate the casino from its competitors.

Passport has strategically married its Fintech and loyalty platforms to ensure every aspect of resort spend and behaviour is properly tracked, and subsequently rewarded. We are unique in our ownership of our proprietary DataStream processing switch that enables deep insight into each dollar to the floor. Our Origins API is used by our customers for third-party providers (e.g. point of sale, hotel, etc.) to juxtapose customer spend to the total resort experience. Lush is a powerful tool to reward that customer journey and this vertical integration is a key reason behind our growth in this vertical.

By Diallo Gordon, Chief Marketing and Product Officer, Passport Technology, Inc.