Asian Casino Marketing: Lucrative but not Easy
Almost every casino around the world understands the value of Asian Casino Marketing but most do not understand what Asian Casino Marketing really is. Therefore, many casinos seem to make the same fatal error and then wonder why their Asian casino marketing program failed. One of my more popular articles was titled “I’m not Chinese, I’m Vietnamese”. This article sums it up nicely because the first thing a casino needs to understand is that not all Asian market segments are the same or simply stated; one size does not fit all when it comes to Asian casino marketing. It means the same thing when one considers that Asia is not Asia. Asia consists of many different countries, many different cultures, many different languages, many different foods, customs, traditions, beliefs, holidays, etc.
I consulted for a very nice casino recently located in the United States and asked why they did not have any Asian casino marketing programs in place. They told me that they had tried Asian marketing in the past and that they were unsuccessful so they abandoned their efforts. Upon further investigation I learned that they had hired one Chinese speaking Casino Host and put that individual in charge of their entire Asian Casino Marketing efforts. I also learned that they added a number of Chinese food items to their casino buffet because they did not have an Asian restaurant or an Asian Noodle Bar. They also did not promote any Asian games on their casino floor such as Baccarat or Pai Gow. I kept digging and finally learned that the majority of Asian players from the surrounding communities were all Vietnamese and not Chinese. Their Asian Host was unable to communicate with these players in their own language. The Chinese food items that they prepared were unappealing to Vietnamese players. And they did not focus on any Vietnamese holidays or Vietnamese entertainment. No wonder their “Asian casino marketing” efforts failed. […]