Most important thing on a brick & mortar casino website for you

Be succinct. Stop with the adjectives and puffery and praise.

Restaurants: Give name, Type, Price Range, Reservations required or not. Hours.
Table Games: Don't try to explain craps to us... just tell us: How many tables, usual minimums, what odds.
Hotel Rates: Just give us a calendar and show the rates for the cheapest rooms. Thats it.
Contact/Map: one page of driving directions, street address and clickable map of how to get there and the site's floorplan.
Amenities: A short list is fine. Don't try to say exciting bowling alley filled with fun loving bowlers and cheap beer. Just say 16 lane bowling alley, open xxxx with bar and snacks available xxxx hours at xxx Rates.
PLEASE differentiate between a Fitness Center (ie Gym) and a ladies massage place and a Whirlpool, sauna, showers type thing. It doesn't matter what you call them but I dont want confusion on the issue. My companion likes spas and likes to know what the rates for the various procedures are. Swedish Massage One Hour X dollars.... quit with the unnecessary verbiage about oils, aroma or relaxing. If it wasn't relaxing, do you think she would be doing it? You put that verbiage in a separate paragraph off to the side.

Specials... I don't care if its a room special or a spa special or a casino special or a restaurant special ... dont hide them. Be bold with them or else don't have them. I hate searching and searching and then finding it in some hidden location.

Dear All,

Thank you very much for your valuable feedback.

We have a lot of work to do on our website and your suggestions are very useful and appreciated. It's great to hear what casino customers are actually looking for.

If anyone has other suggestions, please keep them coming.

Thanks again,
Mike.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Paco's comment about taxis and directions reminded me of another problem Caesar's has at the AC locations.

For instance look at the Tropicana Las Vegas site .

Tropicana guests are budget visitors. Now wouldn't the following statement somewhere on the website would be very helpful.

Quote: Sample Statement

According to the NEVADA TAXI CAB AUTHORITY a fare from McCarran airport to Tropicana Casino is 2.85 miles and is estimated to cost $12.50 with plus an additional $0.25 for every 30 seconds when the taxi is moving slower than 8-12 mph. The fare should be identical for 1 to 5 people. Please note that NOT ALL TAXICABS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS AS PAYMENT…

The casino is simply quoting the NV Taxicab authority. That way people know exactly what to expect, and if the cab shows 8 miles to get to the casino, they know that they have been tricked. They also know not to try and use a credit card.

I really appreciate a detailed description of how the point system works for the players club. When there is no information about how much play you need to recieve a point or how many points are needed for such and such I get worried. I get very worried if Video Poker is not part of the player's club point system.
Up to date table game offerings are of course a must, but so are the house rules for those games. Finally a good calendar of events and promotions with a detailed description of what the promotion is all about and how it works.

Your Sample Statement sounds like it was drafted by an attorney to be included in an SEC document of some sort. Well, okay... its not quite that bad.

The 2.9 mile taxi ride from the airport to the Tropicana will usually vary from 12.00 to 14.00 depending upon how long the taxi was moving slower than 12 mph. A tip is voluntary and might vary from xxx to xxx depending on the quality of the service and the number of bags handled. Many, but not all, taxicabs accept credit cards. Taxis are limited to five or fewer passengers.

I don't think my version is all that much shorter but it sounds less formal and more fitting for a website dedicated to fun rather than mentioning various authorities or the formal name of the airport.

Quote: mikeforrest23

Thank you very much for your valuable feedback.

Just the fact that someone in the payroll is dedicated to keeping the website up to date, etc, is going to put you head and shoulders above most!

Quote: odiousgambit

Just the fact that someone in the payroll is dedicated to keeping the website up to date, etc, is going to put you head and shoulders above most!

An important point during these Social Media times is the casino's online presence on Twitter and Facebook and the like. This means maintaining a presence but not overdoing it. Its a way for a casino to learn of gripes promptly and attend to them. Its a way for the casino to announce various special events, but not to over do it.

A lot of things have been mentioned already.

What I'd consider absolutely essential is three things:
1. Games, including number of tables and table rules. If there are any promotions, it's the place to mention them.
2. Booking - an online system, or at least information on rates, dates and availability.
3. Location and instructions for getting there, via car, taxi, public system.

Or, in other words, Why, When and How to go to your casino. These three should be be easily accessible from the main page, including from phone browsers that might not fully support flash or javascript. Harrah's main site has some good examples, with all important links available in text, and in Asia phone accessibility should be especially important. However individual properties' sites are rarely as usable.

For full-capability browsers, as a balance of showoff and usability, what I would consider a great format for a small-medium casino's website is an interactive map/virtual tour, providing a gateway to all the information and pages on the site. On the uppermost level you have a map for getting to the casino, then the casino itself, table pits and hotel area, and down to individual tables, banks of machines, hotel room types. Clicking on the tables provides game rules, the hotel area provides booking, the reception area has contacts, the cage tells what currencies and credit cards you accept, restaurants provide their relevant info.

It doesn't hurt if there are multiple ways to get to the same page, better to have too much connectivity than too little. Simple all-text links above or below the main area should duplicate the functionality for restricted browsers or very low bandwidth.

Is your target market in Asia? If so, you will need to modify your site to appeal to local cultural tastes.

I appreciate it when sites have views of the various classes of rooms available in the hotel (if rooms are available at your casino).

Also, please make sure the staff that handles the online reservations has a method of forwarding the special requests to the front desk staff. Nothing bugs me more than having to restate everything once I arrive at check in.

Quote: FleaStiff

Be succinct. Stop with the adjectives and puffery and praise.

Restaurants: Give name, Type, Price Range, Reservations required or not. Hours.

On the "succinct" list, include the dress code.

Personally, I like hotels that provide restaurant menus (especially if prices are included, but just a list of what is available is fine, and I realize that this isn't particularly practical with buffets).