“ We ’ re shifting from being casino-centric to a more resort-amenities property .”
— Kari Smith , Chief Operating Officer and General Manager , Cache Creek Casino Resort , California
Gaming First
Unlike in Las Vegas , at many tribal resorts , gaming remains the big draw and dominant revenue source . “ We focus first on people who enjoy gambling ,” says Smith , “ and add amenities that will be decision-makers in winning their decision to come here .”
The same can be said of the biggest tribal resort in the U . S .— the biggest casino , period — WinStar World in Thackerville , Oklahoma . WinStar , which also started as a bingo hall , now also attracts visitors from around the world , as well as the immediate vicinity , including Arkansas , Louisiana and Texas ( the latter still has no legal casinos ).
Clearly , WinStar caters to gamblers , with a 300,000-square-foot casino floor , divided into nine plazas representing Paris , Beijing , Rome , Madrid , London , Vienna , Cairo , New York and Rio .
According to General Manager Jack Parkinson , gaming drives visitation , with concerts second , “ but WinStar patrons have diverse motivations for visiting — the common thread is that each is looking for a solid experience . Gaming and non-gaming support each other in meeting today ’ s patrons ’ expectations .”
To be sure , for many tribes , gaming is the cornerstone — the foundation that ’ s enabled them to grow and prosper . Harrah ’ s Cherokee in North Carolina , which had its roots in a bingo hall and opened as a video-poker-only facility in 1997 , is now in the midst of a $ 300 million expansion that will add a fourth hotel tower , an 85,000-square-foot convention center , a sportsbook , additional retail and dining and other amenities .
“ It ’ s an amazing thing , to see a hotel tower going up so quickly ,” says Brian Saunooke , regional vice president of marketing for Harrah ’ s Cherokee , which also runs a sister resort in Murphy , North Carolina , about 50 miles away . “ We currently have a little less than 20,000 square
feet of meeting space . Our new conference and convention center is going to open up a lot more opportunity for us to host bigger trade shows , and our sales team is out in the markets to get those confirmations for 2021 and beyond .”
One study of the restaurant industry divided food-and-beverage outlets into “ amenities ” and “ attractions ”— the former being types of eateries that are expected , the coffee shop or burger joint , and the latter acting as differentiators .
At Harrah ’ s Cherokee , “ consideration is given to the traditional offerings you see at other casino resorts ,” says Saunooke . “ We ’ ll do research within our markets , but also look at the industry nationwide , what ’ s working in other areas that might work here . Beyond that , we do a lot of listening to our customers , not only through surveys , but also one-to-one relationships they have with our employees .”
Second to gaming , the resort ’ s hotels are most in demand , “ so much so that we have to turn away quite a bit of business ,” says Saunooke — hence the decision to invest in another tower , which will add more than 1,800 guest rooms and suites .
Market research also taps potential guests , says Saunooke , “ to better understand their preferences , the price points that should be represented , the brands they ’ d like to see .”
Gaming generates “ the lion ’ s share of profits ” at Cherokee , but nongaming and gaming go hand in hand .
“ A significant percentage of our business comes from customers who visit the resort , stay in the hotel and go to a concert , then play on the slot machines or table games ,” Saunooke says . “ So an in-demand hotel or concert adds to a busy casino floor , and a busy casino floor boosts the restaurants and retail shopping . They work together .”
www . tribalgovernmentgaming . com 39