Interesting article in today’s AC Press about local casinos’ new focus on…locals:
The sluggish economy and fierce competition from Pennsylvania’s slot parlors for out-of-state customers have forced Atlantic City casinos to fine-tune their marketing strategies to focus more on the local area. In doing so, they have discovered there is a lucrative market right in their back yard. The four women, all from Atlantic or Cape May counties, like catching up on their gossip, but they are also drawn to the casino by food and drink specials aimed at local customers on what is typically a slow weeknight.
“You can have the same thing here Monday night at a special low price as you could on a Saturday night for a higher price. That makes it great for the locals,” said Essick, 46, who lives in Upper Township, Cape May County, and works as a saleswoman for a radio station.
“We have some affluent customers locally. Obviously, all customers have value to us,” said Dave Coskey, vice president of marketing at Borgata.
via Atlantic City casinos look closer to home for new customers – pressofAtlanticCity.com.
It’s a definite sign of the times, but if Atlantic City casinos are going to rely on the 300,000 adults that live locally for a significant chunk of their customer base, it’s hard to see how the industry can sustain itself at its current level. Marketing more to locals to fill otherwise-slow periods is a smart idea, though. Unfortunately, those slow periods are getting longer and longer.
Finding a reason other than gambling for people to visit Atlantic City is imperative.