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

Hi all,

I recently started working in online marketing at a brick and mortar casino in Asia. I would like some advice on what some of your favourite casino websites are and particularly what you think are great features of casino websites and any important information/usability which a casino website should feature.

Many thanks in advance for any advice!

Best regards,
Mike.

Most important to me is the ability to login and check on my personal slot club information and book online. Other nice features are:

* A listing of which casinos have which slots (for casino operators with more than one casino)
* A map of the casino
* Restaurant menus and operating hours
* Slot club and sports/race book hours
* Calendar of current casino promotions and entertainment options (not necessarily on the same calendar)
* Detailed explanation of all available rules at the table games

Some nice sites with some of the elements listed above (not in any way recommendations):

peppermillreno.com
totalrewards.com
bconnectedonline.com
soaringeaglecasino.com

Harrah's does a pretty good job with its website, lots of links to info, up to date, easy reservation system which automagically includes all of your offers in the price of a room. MGM is better looking but less useful. Wynn's website is awesome but useless.

Put the information where it's expected.
Last week, I stayed at Bally's in AC. One of my plans was to spend some time in the pool. The website pool page did not specify a charge to use the pool. It was a surprise to me when I got there. When I said something, I was told that it IS on the website. I re-checked. It's specified on the SPA's page that there is a charge to use the spa, including the pool, but the pool's page did not specify the charge.

Make it compatible with all browsers.
When using the Caesar's website on a PC, I have no trouble bringing up the hotel rate calendar. I have to jump thru hoops to get to that page on my Mac.

Provide complete poker information.
As a poker player, I sometimes arrange my trips around poker and tournaments. The poker page should list the number of poker tables (most do), cash games offered (many do), tournament schedule (many do), blind structure (few do), and holiday cancellations (none do).

Property map.
This should include all areas that are open to the public, and specify some "orienting" landmarks, such as the main entrance, parking lot, access roads.

Restaurants.
Complete menus, including current prices, for all full service restaurants - including those that are well known chain restaurants. Links to make reservations to all restaurants that take reservations. Basic item listing with per person price range is acceptable for fast-food / self-serve restaurants.

FAQ.
Include a link to ask a question not listed. Pay attention to those questions for possible inclusion. I often find it laughable what some companies list on their FAQ page. Don't include a question if the information is already on the website. If you get those kinds of questions, maybe the website navigation needs fixing.

I want a complete and UPDATED list of table games available at that particular casino. I know casinos change their offerings frequently, but there are so many websites that show there's a game available that hasn't been spread for years. I think Harrah's website shows that Boston 5 is still offered at Harrah's Council Bluffs, but that hasn't been there for at least 5 years.

Updated slot club information and relevant charges for hotels (like resort fees and deposits that are truly required) are also very helpful.

There is often surprisingly little information about how to get to the casino. A link to a taxi information site that shows you how much a cab should cost. For lower price options you could give some idea of the cost/time tradeoff (i.e. it will take you an extra half hour to save 20%).

Seasoned gamblers with large budgets know how to find hosts. But the marginal gambler who is thinking about being rated often doesn't know how to get on a list. I've often felt that a website should have a place with some very simple instructions like: "Do you intend to play 4 hours a day for $25 play?" If so, then put check this box on your reservation, and a host will contact you.

Have a smart-phone version (in addition to the main one). Nothing in smartphone land upsets me more than an uber-trendy website with drop downs and animations that makes my phone barf.

Quote: Tiltpoul

Harrah's website shows that Boston 5 is still offered at Harrah's Council Bluffs, but that hasn't been there for at least 5 years.

Three of Caesar's Entertainment four Atlantic City Web Sites don't even give craps a paragraph in their Table Games entries. They do cover a lot of the carnival games.

Paco's comment about taxis and directions reminded me of another problem Caesar's has at the AC locations. Of the 4 casinos:
- Two include links to the ACES train (Didn't that die? The link still work, so maybe not).
- Two mention local airports - both include Bader Field (it closed Sept 2006).
- All 4 include MapQuest directions links, however, the Bally's link is broken and has a destination of London!
- None have a phone number on the home page.
- None have a Contact Us page, although all have that info on the Directions page.
- All 4 provide direct numbers.
- Only 2 provide the toll free number

My suggestion is a blank page with just the name, address, and phone number of the casino. As you can see by the feedback, the most frustrating thing is to have out of date or incorrect information. So if you are not going to keep it current, then don't even bother creating it in the first place. And above all, do not have email links or addresses that will not be answered.

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).

Quote: FleaStiff

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.

It's a difficult judgement to make. I assume that the reason Casinos don't give any information about getting to the casino from the airport, is that they are very afraid of getting blacklisted by the taxi drivers.

For instance, let's look at the taxi fare to Tropicana. Assume 2+11/13 miles which is slightly over the estimated distance (taxis round off to nearest 1/13 mile)
The taxi fare should be $3.30 pick up fare + $1.80 airport charge + $7.40 for the distance = $12.50 . Now if there are no time fees at all, that would be the fare.

Assuming a slow ride in traffic where the entire trip is under allotted speed and average 7 mph on average, the trip would take 24.5 minutes (only 10 minutes over the "no time charge" travel time), and the slow speed charges would be $12.25 nearly doubling the fixed fees and distance charge. For this trip, I have to believe that there are almost always some "time fees", and the 7 mph for the entire trip is more or less a worse case scenario.

Even an honest taxi driver would be hard pressed not to work within the system. Every red light that he has to sit behind makes him a $1, so he has little motivation to make a light.

Assuming a completely honest taxi drive who just sat in traffic for 24.5 minutes, has a customer who is now confronted with showing a $24.75 taxi bill. If the patron read your statement on the Tropicana web site, he may begin an argument with the driver.

If you poll people on what they pay for a Vegas taxi fare, very often you will find that it is twice the estimated fares. I have to believe that the hidden fare of the slowing ride is responsible for much of that difference. It's not that I believe Vegas drivers are more honest than NYC taxi drivers, it's just that it is harder to go the long way in Vegas, because it is very obvious what you are doing. In NYC it is much easier to pad the trip a little.

If you are going to Circus circus instead of Tropicana it is an additional 2 miles which should cost and additional $5.20 for the distance charge. However, the possibility of running up three or four times that amount in "time charges" depending on traffic and lights is very high.

If the taxi driver gets pissed off enough at the casino, he will do everything in his power to avoid driving there. So I have to think that is the primary reason casinos have no information on their sites about the cost to get there from the airport.

More than one responsible Vegas drinker has been burned on these time fees for a taxi. He may know that there is a $3.30 fee for pick up, and he figures he is 10-12 miles from the bar @ $2.60 per mile. The "time fees" are often advertised as $30/hour, but he doesn't figure he'll be asking the driver to wait outside the bar. The patron goes home drunk in the taxi, and the taxi drives slowly and the meter reads $80. To add insult to injury, the taxi driver pulls away if he gets a $100 bill saying "Thank you for the tip". Our responsible inebriated drinker is wondering how it cost him so much to get home.

I understand it is highly variable and that darned low-speed surcharge can be difficult.

A Vegas cab driver can not refuse to take someone to a lawful destination but he can refuse to pick someone up at a particular casino and he can refuse to recommend any place to his fares and can even make negative comments about a casino once he hears his passengers destination or questions. I don't think the casinos like to get on the wrong side of cab drivers and a casino can give a Trespass Warning to a cabbie but it is valid only for twenty-four hours.

Long hauling can be cited but in reality it really doesn't add all that much to the fare, it can be faster traffic and the cab companies are the ones that pressure the drivers to long haul.

Taxi drivers don't like Bar Calls. Usually by the time they arrive, the person no longer wants a taxi, having already left or having found someone they want to be with rather than search somewhere else. If a bartender calls then a drunk can usually pay the cabbie twenty bucks to simply drive off but this depends on the cabbie and the bar.

At a casino, its often obvious when Security is putting someone in a cab and often a doorman will make it up to the First-in-Line cabby if its going to be a short haul with a drunk or something.

Quote: Ayecarumba

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.

Once again thanks to all. I wasn't sure I would get many responses but this is proving to be an invaluable suggestion thread for me. I am compiling a list based on the content of this thread and hope to get some of the simple things done then there is also a wish list of the more complex things such as the idea which was mentioned to have an interactive floor plan where you click on tables and see the limits, restaurant and see the menu etc. that's a very good idea but would take a lot more work with the web designers/programmers. I am starting by fixing our landing page, making our navigation more intuitive and focusing on the gaming page, as it's useless at the moment. Our target market is in Asia, yes.

Thanks to everyone.