What Do Casino VIP Players Actually Want?

Sounds like a fairly straightforward question, right — and you’d expect a fairly obvious response?

Most people in the industry would respond with better bonuses; faster withdrawals; exclusive promotions and cashback; gifts and events; maybe higher limits; and obviously special treatment! Of course everything I’ve mentioned matters. There’s perhaps a level of expectation from someone who is labelled as a VIP — let’s face it, these players know they’re valuable to a casino and many players will expect to receive something different from the regular player experience, which they should.

In my more than 30 years in the industry dealing with high-value players, I think we often make the mistake of assuming that the offer (some of which I’ve mentioned above) IS the relationship. But it isn’t necessarily everything. In this hectically diverse environment, we deal with different personalities with very different expectations. There are different levels of play; different reasons for gambling; different communication styles; and very different ideas around what being a “VIP” actually means. I don’t think there’s one definitive answer to the question.

What I have learned is that there are a few things that will ALWAYS come up — and most of them are around the human element. What do I mean by this?

A VIP player wants to be treated fairly

Sounds obvious, right! But fairness matters enormously. Most VIP players don’t realistically expect to get everything they ask for (there are obviously exceptions). What a VIP player does expect is to understand WHY something has happened. Maybe it was a bonus request that was declined; a withdrawal that hasn’t been processed; a decision that’s changed; or an offer that’s different to last month?

Sometimes the answer is never going to make the player happy — but unfortunately that’s life; it can happen. There’s a difference between a flat-out no and a response that says no but offers a genuine reason why not.

You’re going to get players who feel disappointed by a decision — but it’s how you respond that makes the difference. You may have a player who walks away disappointed but still accepts it because they felt they had been dealt with fairly and hadn’t been “fobbed off” with no genuine explanation or reason.

A player wants honesty — not bullshit.

A VIP player knows when he’s being given the runaround and when you’re making up excuses or avoiding the question. A VIP player will know when they’re being sold to, and they will definitely know when a Host is promising something just because the Host wants to avoid a potentially difficult conversation.

I’ve always felt that honesty and being straight with a player is the best way to build trust. If you don’t know the answer — rather say you don’t know — but make sure you find out, and let the player know you’ll follow up.

Once trust disappears from a VIP relationship, no amount of offers or CRM is going to magically get it back.

VIP players want and expect transparency

This goes hand in hand with fairness. Don’t suddenly change the rules. Problems often start when the expectation created by the Host is different from what the business can actually deliver.

VIP hosting isn’t about constantly saying yes just to try and get favour with a client. It’s going to bite you at some stage. I would rather disappoint a player slightly today with the truth than massively disappoint them later because you overpromised and can’t deliver.

A VIP player wants someone they can trust

Trust is built up over time and it definitely isn’t created by one amazing bonus or a call every Friday just before the weekend. Trust grows over time and requires patience.

• If you say you’re going to call back — make sure you do call back
• If you promise you’re going to look into something — make sure you do
• If there’s an issue that needs resolving — make sure you stay involved
• Behave consistently — always. That is how trust is developed

This might require uncomfortable conversations — but make sure you own it and always tell the truth.

Another casino is only a click away. What is much harder for a competitor to replicate is a relationship built on trust.

A VIP player wants to feel recognised — not just rewarded

This is an area that I feel very strongly about. Recognition and reward are NOT the same thing. Reward normally responds to activity. Recognition says “I know who you are.” It means remembering something; understanding a particular preference; recognising an important moment or milestone; following up without being asked; recognising when it’s appropriate to start a conversation and when not to. A VIP player will see the difference.

A VIP player wants relevant communication — not constant communication just to tick off a contact requirement. In my opinion, providing good VIP service doesn’t mean more contact or contact volume. It means better contact. You will see players who love talking to their Host — and then there are others who prefer not to and don’t actually want conversation and a stream of meaningless messaging. The job of an effective VIP Host is to understand the difference. A player cares about whether the contact actually has any relevance to them.

Not every contact needs an offer. Every contact does need a reason.

A player wants a Host who can take ownership when things go wrong. In my opinion the true quality or value of a relationship becomes evident when things go wrong — and how and when the issue is dealt with.

A VIP player wants to feel respected

This is something that I’m seeing far more often these days — where operators are chasing every cent, using every opportunity as an “upsell” opportunity. A player’s commercial value does NOT give us the right to push constantly.

Respect means recognising that now is not the right time for another offer. Sometimes it means accepting that a player doesn’t want to talk or doesn’t even want to play. Avoid trying to turn every conversation into another deposit. It might also mean recognising the need to apply the appropriate responsible gambling approach.

A truly great relationship must have boundaries. If not — then it becomes exploitation, dressed up as VIP service.

The REAL Framework

When I developed the REAL Framework I wanted to bring the human side of VIP back into focus. REAL talks about the following:

• Recognition — Does the player genuinely feel known?
• Engagement — Are the conversations relevant, genuine and worthwhile — or are we just contacting players because it’s a KPI?
• Authentic Relationships — Does the player trust the Host or the person representing the operation?
• Lasting Loyalty — Does the player have a reason to stay when the competition is making similar offers or promises?

So what do VIP players actually want?

In summary — I think the answer is simpler than we sometimes make it.

A VIP player wants value; to be treated fairly; to understand what is happening; to be spoken to honestly and to know that someone is listening; to feel recognised; to know that their Host will take ownership; and to feel respected.

Above all, in my opinion, a VIP player wants to know they can trust the person representing the brand — their Host. That leaves us with one question every operator should be aware of:

If the offers disappeared tomorrow, would the player still answer the Host’s call?