What Can We Learn from Macau
As gaming markets mature and individual casinos’ databases become established, casino operators are able to better understand the demographic makeup of their core customers. With few exceptions many Indian casino operators have come to recognize that Asian Americans, in particular immigrants from China, make up a sizable minority of their customers and display an almost passionate love of casino gambling. To better serve this important segment, many casinos have introduced noodle bars, expanded Asian food offerings in their buffets, added Chinese speaking hosts and printed collateral material in various Asian languages. Some have also brought in Asian entertainers. While these programs make sense, they are essentially tactical plans that
are put in place on a hunch rather than understanding that player segment’s wants and needs. They fail to recognize that not all Asian American gamers are alike and each nationality has its own particular appeals.
For most domestic markets, Chinese Americans are the most dominant Asian gaming segment. Notwithstanding some markets may be comprised of other nationalities. Therefore, it is critical to first understand which Asian nationalities comprise the largest part of the casino’s demographic mix. If Chinese Americans are indeed the largest, then it is important to understand their unique wants and needs. And to really understand what motivates Chinese gamblers, you have got to go to Macau.
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