Guest loyalty isn’t dead—it’s just evolved.
The most resilient regional casinos aren’t outspending competitors. They’re winning hearts through emotional connection and consistent brand experience.
If you’re ready to turn brand love into lasting casino brand loyalty, this is where it starts.
When budgets get tight, too many casinos start cutting in the worst possible place: the guest experience. In this conversation, customer service legend Shep Hyken joins Julia to explain why service still wins in casino marketing, even when players are impatient and promotions are under pressure. They dig into why saving customers’ time shows respect, how guests now compare your casino to the best experience they’ve had anywhere, and what it takes to make every player feel like your only customer. Shep also shares practical ways regional casinos can protect loyalty, build trust, and stand out without spending a fortune. If you care about guest experience, player reinvestment, and long-term revenue, this is a must-listen episode.
The idea of being a challenger brand can often be reduced to a shallow concept of David vs. Goliath, but this notion can often block market leaders from the nimble mindset of a challenger. In other words, although what follows could be a playbook for a small casino operator, large operators can also learn valuable lessons. Moreover, given the shift in consumer habits, it could be a valuable strategy for us all.
Most casino promotions don’t fall short because the offer is weak; they fall short because handoffs are weak. This guide shows you how to run casino promotions like a team sport using a repeatable system: define the win, run a quick pre-launch “practice,” and finish with a post-event film review. You’ll learn what to measure beyond redemption: profit, behavior change, and the guest/employee experience that determines whether players come back.
2026 marketing trends are full of buzzwords, but which ones actually move the needle for regional casinos? This guide breaks down six national trends and shows how to translate them into real results — without a big tech stack or Vegas-sized budget. From AI-powered personalization to lifecycle email automation and local influencer strategy, every trend includes regional use cases you can actually execute. Whether you’re leading a lean marketing team or managing multiple properties, you’ll walk away with smarter tactics to grow loyalty and visits. These are trends you can act on — not just admire.
As we enter 2026, casino marketers are facing evolving guest expectations, tighter wallets, and increasing competition—but also exciting new opportunities. This roundup highlights six pivotal trends that will shape strategy and success in the coming year, with expert insights from casino executives, analysts, and innovators. From emotional loyalty and AI adoption to the return of traditional media and value-based marketing, these are the ideas you need to stay ahead. Whether you’re leading a small regional team or operating a large resort, this is your guide to smarter, more human-centric marketing in 2026.
Most regional casinos don’t have a creativity problem—they have a clarity problem. When the calendar is packed with promotions, execution gets thin, teams burn out, and guests learn to chase deals instead of building loyalty. Marketing with meaning is the discipline of making every offer serve a purpose, not just a due date. In this post, you’ll get a practical framework to cut “random acts of marketing” and focus on the guest moments that actually shape loyalty—arrival, player’s club sign-up, redemption friction, and service recovery. You’ll also learn how employee behaviors translate brand meaning into real experiences, even on your busiest nights. If you want fewer promotions, better execution, and stronger loyalty, this is the place to start.
Tired of looking only at what the casino down the road is doing? In this new article, we explore casino marketing lessons from other industries—airlines, streaming services, coffee chains, gyms, and more—and show you how to adapt them to your regional casino. You’ll see how these brands think about loyalty, habits, and experience design, and how the same ideas can strengthen your player strategy without a big budget. Whether you’re focused on hosted players, mid-worth locals, or new member onboarding, you’ll find practical, testable ideas you can plug into your existing marketing plan. This is a great read to share with your GM, VP, or marketing team when you’re ready to think beyond copycat promotions and build a more strategic player-focused approach.
What if your strongest loyalty “program” isn’t about offers at all, but about how connected your players feel to each other? In this conversation, Julia Carcamo and marketing legend Mark Schaefer explore how belonging, community, and human moments create lasting casino loyalty. You’ll hear why the most powerful brand strategy for regional casinos is becoming the “most human company” in your market. Mark shares research and stories that show how friendships, shared experiences, and small gestures turn casual visitors into committed regulars. If you’re ready to move beyond comp wars and start building a casino guests truly belong to, this episode is a must-listen.
While some casinos coast into the holidays, a few are quietly shaping their 2026 success. This post lays out seven high-impact levers regional operators can pull right now—before Q1 chaos hits. From brand alignment to database cleanup, smarter promos, digital strategy, and cross-team clarity, this guide is built for the people doing the work, not just planning it. These aren’t New Year’s resolutions—they’re strategic moves with real payoff by February. If 2026 has aggressive goals or stretched teams, December is the month that separates casinos that lead from those that scramble.
The good news? You still have time.
Recent Comments