Executive View Q & A
Executive View Q & A
Q & A with Ted Gottlieb, president, Gaming International Inc.
Ted Gottlieb is president of Gaming International Inc. and creator and distributor of the WIN CARDS program-a detailed card-based instructional program geared at enticing new table game players for casinos. A 15-year veteran table game dealer at the Sahara Tahoe, Gottlieb was charged with overseeing table game lessons. To help in both capturing more players and better training the ones already wanting to learn, Gottlieb created his instructional WIN CARDS, which gave players a useful tool to advance their learning, and ultimately spending, at table games. The WIN CARDS program took off, and casinos across the nation have seen the benefit of having it available on their properties. Gottlieb recently spoke with Casino Journal contributing writer Regina Lafay about the program's success and where he envisions future growth.
The WIN CARDS Program has been around for over 20 years now, helping to acquaint people with the ins and outs of table games. How does this program work?
The WIN CARDS wholesale to the casino for $5 a set of blackjack, craps and roulette instructional cards. The casino then sells them for $10 and the people who buy them get $15 back in special chips that they can play at the tables. It's limited to one per person, and they have to join the player's club to do it, but as far as a good deal for the customer goes, this is a great way for a new customer to get acclimated to the games. For the casinos, it's a great way to introduce new customers into their database for follow-up marketing.
You've marketed these cards to casinos as a way to help entice new players. What benefits can casinos reap from utilizing the WIN CARDS Program?
Number one, it gets novices interested in live casino gaming. It gets people over the intimidation of the games without having to read a book or take a live gaming lesson or watch a lengthy video. They can just pick up these cards and have an instant gaming lesson. The more they know, the more they'll play. If you have somebody who goes into a casino and tries it out and walks away from the table saying, "I lost all my money and I don't even know what I did," or even, "I won a bunch of money but I don't know what I did," that's not an adequate way for a casino to expose the population to their games. The worst thing you can hear is a customer saying, "I don't know what I was doing."
How is the program implemented? How is the program passed on to their players or potential players?
I provide the casino with a total turn-key promotion which I pay for. It's the total set up of the promotion, including the production of the signs, fliers, coupons, training of the staff-everything that's involved. Then I provide the WIN CARDS to the casino on a consignment basis during a 90-day free trial. So the casino only pays for the cards that they actually sell, a month after they've sold them. For a prospective casino looking into this kind of promotion, it's pretty attractive in as much as they don't have to make any capital investment.
After the 90 days, if they like it, we step up to the next stage, which includes personalization of the cards for that specific casino to include the casino's logo and advertising on them.
The customer takes a flier that is distributed along with hotel check-in or players club. The flier touts the $15 for $10 deal and a free set of WIN CARDS. They buy a players club card and the WIN CARDS and get their $15 in non-negotiable chips, but they also get a coupon for the dealer. The coupon for the dealer is a very important part of the whole promotion. It ensures that we get the support of the front line staff when beginners come to the table with these cards.
The dealer's tip coupon is unique in the gaming business. There's never been anything quite like it. Printed on it is, "Please present this coupon to your dealer. It will be played along with your bet. If you win the dealer receives a $1 tip." The intention of the coupon is to show the new players the etiquette of tipping without it costing them anything. This also provides incentive for the dealers to be more helpful when new customers come to their table with the WIN CARDS.
How do your products differ from other strategy cards, like those you can sometimes find in casino gift shops?
We've been trying from the beginning to provide an industry standard to the casino business that is recognizable, and something that the industry can embrace as a method to bring beginners into the live casino action. It's a casino marketing tool that everyone can feel comfortable with.
The cards that you finding the gamblers store or casino gift shop are only for blackjack. Our cards cover blackjack, roulette and craps and come in a tri-pack that allows casinos to cross market the different players.
Also, the cards in the gift shop provide beginners with a perfect basic strategy, but the WIN CARDS are not designed to increase the skill of existing players. The information on them is correct but is intentionally limited. They work more as a way to introduce new players to the games rather than a way to sophisticate existing players. Ours is a casino marketing tool more so than a retail sales item.
You market directly to consumers as well. Is there a different message in marketing this program to consumers versus marketing to casinos and other gaming establishments?
The consumer finds out about this program when they go to the casino. It's almost like a point-of-purchase item at the supermarket. People react to this offer. Sometimes it seems as though the offer is too good to be true, but it is exactly what we want it to be. The casinos that subscribe to this program know that this is a good way to wet the whistle of the customer, as well as a way to get more clients into their player's club database.
You've distributed over 10 million of these cards. Can you list some notable gaming industry clients who've utilized the WIN CARDS Program?
We've been at the Excalibur in Las Vegas for seven years. During that time we have introduced over 150,000 people to the live table games with the WIN CARDS program at the Excalibur.
Are you doing any work with regard to poker, especially with the number of new poker games and themes? It seems that could be a market potential.
We've tried to do a poker card, but the there are too many variables in the game. We have acknowledged that poker is a big thing, so our role is to be the instrument that gets people to be cross marketed. I see where poker is very relevant to our business, even though making a poker WIN CARD isn't in the plan.
What were you doing before this, and how did you find your way into what you're doing now?
Well, I was a dealer for 15 years at the Sahara Tahoe. I was assigned to do the gaming lessons. It always seemed like they were sending me out into this big swarm of fish with this tiny aquarium net. What was I supposed to do as an individual with no instruction on what to say or do? How was I to go out there and do an efficient job in enticing and educating new customers? I had no tools to work with. That's really where the WIN CARDS came from. They became the vehicle in which people were able to remember what they learned in the classes. That's a very important point. All other casino efforts to get people to play the games have lacked this key ingredient.
When I was dealing it was very common for people to come up to the table and ask how to play. What we would do was a little trick the casinos used in the old days, and that was to give out a free gaming guide to those customers. By doing that the dealers were essentially saying, "You have to read this book," which put off the beginners rather than bringing them into the game.
So we started out in gift shops just selling the cards for $10. Then we started giving people their money back in casino chips but we found out that didn't excite anybody. When we started doing 15 chips for $10 we started seeing people in lines to buy these things. The result was that they all ended up playing them at the tables and it wet their whistle enough for them to buy in for more.
People don't want to lose their money, look silly and walk away with nothing to show for their experience. With the WIN CARDS the customer may lose, but at least they have a nice souvenir and something that might entice them to come back.
Where do you see your company and the WIN CARDS Program in the years ahead?
As the word gets out I think that eventuality this program will become an industry standard for teaching people how to play. It should be as common in casinos as dice and cards.
Q & A with Ted Gottlieb, president, Gaming International Inc.
Ted Gottlieb is president of Gaming International Inc. and creator and distributor of the WIN CARDS program-a detailed card-based instructional program geared at enticing new table game players for casinos. A 15-year veteran table game dealer at the Sahara Tahoe, Gottlieb was charged with overseeing table game lessons. To help in both capturing more players and better training the ones already wanting to learn, Gottlieb created his instructional WIN CARDS, which gave players a useful tool to advance their learning, and ultimately spending, at table games. The WIN CARDS program took off, and casinos across the nation have seen the benefit of having it available on their properties. Gottlieb recently spoke with Casino Journal contributing writer Regina Lafay about the program's success and where he envisions future growth.
The WIN CARDS Program has been around for over 20 years now, helping to acquaint people with the ins and outs of table games. How does this program work?
The WIN CARDS wholesale to the casino for $5 a set of blackjack, craps and roulette instructional cards. The casino then sells them for $10 and the people who buy them get $15 back in special chips that they can play at the tables. It's limited to one per person, and they have to join the player's club to do it, but as far as a good deal for the customer goes, this is a great way for a new customer to get acclimated to the games. For the casinos, it's a great way to introduce new customers into their database for follow-up marketing.
You've marketed these cards to casinos as a way to help entice new players. What benefits can casinos reap from utilizing the WIN CARDS Program?
Number one, it gets novices interested in live casino gaming. It gets people over the intimidation of the games without having to read a book or take a live gaming lesson or watch a lengthy video. They can just pick up these cards and have an instant gaming lesson. The more they know, the more they'll play. If you have somebody who goes into a casino and tries it out and walks away from the table saying, "I lost all my money and I don't even know what I did," or even, "I won a bunch of money but I don't know what I did," that's not an adequate way for a casino to expose the population to their games. The worst thing you can hear is a customer saying, "I don't know what I was doing."
How is the program implemented? How is the program passed on to their players or potential players?
I provide the casino with a total turn-key promotion which I pay for. It's the total set up of the promotion, including the production of the signs, fliers, coupons, training of the staff-everything that's involved. Then I provide the WIN CARDS to the casino on a consignment basis during a 90-day free trial. So the casino only pays for the cards that they actually sell, a month after they've sold them. For a prospective casino looking into this kind of promotion, it's pretty attractive in as much as they don't have to make any capital investment.
After the 90 days, if they like it, we step up to the next stage, which includes personalization of the cards for that specific casino to include the casino's logo and advertising on them.
The customer takes a flier that is distributed along with hotel check-in or players club. The flier touts the $15 for $10 deal and a free set of WIN CARDS. They buy a players club card and the WIN CARDS and get their $15 in non-negotiable chips, but they also get a coupon for the dealer. The coupon for the dealer is a very important part of the whole promotion. It ensures that we get the support of the front line staff when beginners come to the table with these cards.
The dealer's tip coupon is unique in the gaming business. There's never been anything quite like it. Printed on it is, "Please present this coupon to your dealer. It will be played along with your bet. If you win the dealer receives a $1 tip." The intention of the coupon is to show the new players the etiquette of tipping without it costing them anything. This also provides incentive for the dealers to be more helpful when new customers come to their table with the WIN CARDS.
How do your products differ from other strategy cards, like those you can sometimes find in casino gift shops?
We've been trying from the beginning to provide an industry standard to the casino business that is recognizable, and something that the industry can embrace as a method to bring beginners into the live casino action. It's a casino marketing tool that everyone can feel comfortable with.
The cards that you finding the gamblers store or casino gift shop are only for blackjack. Our cards cover blackjack, roulette and craps and come in a tri-pack that allows casinos to cross market the different players.
Also, the cards in the gift shop provide beginners with a perfect basic strategy, but the WIN CARDS are not designed to increase the skill of existing players. The information on them is correct but is intentionally limited. They work more as a way to introduce new players to the games rather than a way to sophisticate existing players. Ours is a casino marketing tool more so than a retail sales item.
You market directly to consumers as well. Is there a different message in marketing this program to consumers versus marketing to casinos and other gaming establishments?
The consumer finds out about this program when they go to the casino. It's almost like a point-of-purchase item at the supermarket. People react to this offer. Sometimes it seems as though the offer is too good to be true, but it is exactly what we want it to be. The casinos that subscribe to this program know that this is a good way to wet the whistle of the customer, as well as a way to get more clients into their player's club database.
You've distributed over 10 million of these cards. Can you list some notable gaming industry clients who've utilized the WIN CARDS Program?
We've been at the Excalibur in Las Vegas for seven years. During that time we have introduced over 150,000 people to the live table games with the WIN CARDS program at the Excalibur.
Are you doing any work with regard to poker, especially with the number of new poker games and themes? It seems that could be a market potential.
We've tried to do a poker card, but the there are too many variables in the game. We have acknowledged that poker is a big thing, so our role is to be the instrument that gets people to be cross marketed. I see where poker is very relevant to our business, even though making a poker WIN CARD isn't in the plan.
What were you doing before this, and how did you find your way into what you're doing now?
Well, I was a dealer for 15 years at the Sahara Tahoe. I was assigned to do the gaming lessons. It always seemed like they were sending me out into this big swarm of fish with this tiny aquarium net. What was I supposed to do as an individual with no instruction on what to say or do? How was I to go out there and do an efficient job in enticing and educating new customers? I had no tools to work with. That's really where the WIN CARDS came from. They became the vehicle in which people were able to remember what they learned in the classes. That's a very important point. All other casino efforts to get people to play the games have lacked this key ingredient.
When I was dealing it was very common for people to come up to the table and ask how to play. What we would do was a little trick the casinos used in the old days, and that was to give out a free gaming guide to those customers. By doing that the dealers were essentially saying, "You have to read this book," which put off the beginners rather than bringing them into the game.
So we started out in gift shops just selling the cards for $10. Then we started giving people their money back in casino chips but we found out that didn't excite anybody. When we started doing 15 chips for $10 we started seeing people in lines to buy these things. The result was that they all ended up playing them at the tables and it wet their whistle enough for them to buy in for more.
People don't want to lose their money, look silly and walk away with nothing to show for their experience. With the WIN CARDS the customer may lose, but at least they have a nice souvenir and something that might entice them to come back.
Where do you see your company and the WIN CARDS Program in the years ahead?
As the word gets out I think that eventuality this program will become an industry standard for teaching people how to play. It should be as common in casinos as dice and cards.
