At last I’m able to update my blog–it’s been a very busy day. I wanted to do a win/slot analysis to address the “fewer slot machines, but they have more games so it’s OK” idea, but that’s going to have to wait. Instead, read about my latest Vegas Seven column, which covers casinos breaking into the social games market:
Casinos in Las Vegas have been marketing through social media for some time now, mostly via Facebook and Twitter. Recently, however, two Las Vegas-based casino companies have taken their investment in social media to another level with Facebook applications.Facebook allows third-party developers to create applications, or apps, that users can access through their Facebook pages. Social games are some of the most popular apps available. Unlike sites that offer play-for-free or play-for-cash, these games require no download and can be played in a standard Web browser. By definition, they allow players to invite friends to join games and compete in friendly competitions.
I played both games, and found the casino-builder to definitely require more attention as you play–no replying to emails in another tab while you play it.
This is probably going to be a big growth area, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see casinos big and small partnering with game developers.
Online gaming that builds bonuses which can be activated only by a physical visit to a casino will probably maintain customer loyalty and bring in some customers but the real bonus may come from social groups forming in cyberspace and deciding to visit Las Vegas as a MeetUp group.
With all this Farmville, Yooville, CafeWorld, trivia contests, CyberHoldEm, etc. … the Facebook world may become a de-facto replacement for the casinos “Free Gambling Lessons”.
There is a movie about Facebook’s founder (Mark Zuckerberg) coming out soon called The Social Network. Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg and I have seen him in some movies and he is a very good actor. I have a feeling Mark Zuckerberg is not going to like this movie very much because here is how they are promoting the movie: You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies. Fair or unfair once you get to the top there is a lot of people who are jealous and want to knock off your lofty perch.