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researching players‟

needs & motivations

presented in partnership

and

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introduction

maslow‟s hierarchy of needs in the context of life changing jackpots

a cause outside oneself; a calling or raison d‟etre; music, art;

greatness; abstraction; moral and spiritual uplifting

stable, based sense of self respect and respect from others; status; niche in social & family unit; education

love; affection; friendship; family; community; organized religion; culture; escape from loneliness

safety; shelter; organization; structure; protection against intruders or endangerment

necessities of life; food; air; water; warmth

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introduction

the gaming segmentation yielded 5 segments all defined by their needs

basis for segments came out of psychoanalytic focus groups conducted

with past 12 month gamblers in Canada and US

groups designed to uncover deep-seated needs of gamblers, which in

turn were incorporated into a questionnaire used to create the

segments

OLG conducted major needs based segmentation of current customers in

its 3 lines of business – lottery, OLG slots and casinos, and resort casinos

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psyche of gaming

5

conscious

psychoanalytic approach

EGO

CULTURAL

UNCONSCIOUS

COLLECTIVE

UNCONSCIOUS

PRIMITIVE

ego

cultural/social

archetypal

unconscious

imprinted norms and

values, cultural

archetypes

myths, magic,

symbols

feelings and experiences which are repressed but

accessible with some effort

information which is available

to be used immediately

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unconscious need - being alive

When people gamble, they are buying

more than a game. There is a set of

emotional benefits which satisfy

unconscious needs and desires.

a feeling of being alive

getting a rush, thrill, adrenaline flow

being active, a participant in life rather

than an observer

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unconscious need – escape

escape from the mundane

world

to be lucky; to find your luck; to be

in control

to experience a state of flow, to be

“in the zone”

to get caught up in the energy of the

group

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unconscious need – “bubble world”

visitors to a resort casino are also buying a “bubble world”

experience

exotic, romantic

treated as special

try new things, many choices

slightly unreal

excess, luxury, royal treatment

fine food and drink

play like a child but in

adult world, doing adult things

non-judgmental

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unconscious need – hero‟s journey

deep archetypal significance to

gambling and being a winner

the hero’s journey

the Hero is about an ordinary

person who does extraordinary

things

invoking this archetype allows a

person to see meaning in their

lives and get in touch with the

divine aspects of themselves –

that part which is not of the

mundane world

highly gratifying, fulfilling,

self-affirming, and pleasing

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steps of the hero‟s journey

These steps are part of the imprinting of casino gambling. They constitute the

structure of the experience which must be followed and reinforced.

the Hero plays alone

the Hero must overcome obstacles

the Hero portrays virtues of faith, hope, perseverance, focus and charity

it’s about winning, not the winnings

player is transformed to the Hero through winning

the Hero must share his winnings

hero‟s journey

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other side of gaming

the shadow side of gambling is addiction, and for many there are very

few stops along the way. When you become addicted, you are more

dead than alive

gamblers perceive that persistently chasing the thrill can easily lead to

gambling addiction

online-gamblers dominance, anonymity, play on-line for practice

challenge gamblers bonding experience with friends and family

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other market opportunities

at the present time, these groups represent a challenge

in fact, non-gamblers actually present a slightly less challenging target

for casino visits, especially if the main purpose of the visit was dining or

seeing a show

issue for video gamers: is there any way for casino/slots products to

catch up with video technology?

non-gamblers “don‟t get it”, “do the math”, realists & pragmatists

video gamers bond through competition, status in skill/high scores, no real world consequences

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implications

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vegas north

Participants accept that Ontario casinos will never be Las Vegas. They are what they are and

that is okay.

They do not compete directly with Vegas or other exotic locations most of the time, but people

still want to feel that they are leaving the mundane world and becoming special.

active

archetypal

(special)

passive

mundane

Vegas

movies

gym

spa

OLG resort casinos

OLG Slots / Casinos

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The challenge is not to make Ontario casinos like Las Vegas casinos. Rather, it

is to make people feel the way they feel when they‟re in Las Vegas.

How do we take a customer from their everyday, mundane world through a

transformative experience into the archetypal world?

the challenge

me

mundane

world archetypal world

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casino & resort needs hierarchy

ego

cultural/social

archetypal

conscious

unconscious

to have a pleasant

evening or holiday

to feel alive, experience

state of flow

to escape the mundane

world and/or enter a

bubble world

to experience the

hero‟s journey

least

motivational

most

motivational

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implications & growth opportunities

technology internet and mobile technology, trust issues, channel opportunity

youth casino as „old school‟, new generation skilled in technology

video gaming large time & money expenditure, compelling graphics

non-gamers challenge, opportunity in non-gaming attractions.

cross-border border crossing hassle, Vegas “North”

responsible gaming

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conclusions

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status seekers social interactives value seekers fun seekers independent gamblers

15% 35% 25% 20% 5%

needs: More programs/events for

young people

More table games/high limit

table games

An area for younger people

Competitive when

gambling

Believe can make a lot of

money gambling

Special winners/VIP lounge

High denomination slots

VIP area

needs: Don‟t consider myself a

gambler

Don‟t know how to play

table games

Want fewer problem

gamblers at casino

More interactive games

More DJs with latest music

More games like video

games

More activities aimed at

younger people

needs: More giveaways

Double bonus points

Casino more entertainment

than gambling

If luck not with you, walk

away

Special rates at local hotels

Accept used lottery tickets

for WC points

Use WC points to buy lottery

Point sharing between OLG

& resort casinos

needs: Get a thrill gambling

Love the casino

Lights and sounds create

excitement

Casino has energy

Staff treat me well

Feel special when I win

Like challenge of

gambling

Casino makes me feel

alive

needs: Feel bad when spend too

much

Easy to lose track of money/

time when gambling

Want faster payouts on floor

Want more staff

Play alone

Gambling is a waste of

money

Don‟t like people close to

me when gambling

demos: mainly male

52% 25-44

$108,000

Canadian/Asian

demos: Male & female

61% 25-54

$82,400

Canadian/European

demos: Mainly female

54%. 55 and older

$69,900

Canadian/European

demos: Male & female

65% 35-64

$77,200

Canadian/European

demos: Skewed female

67% 45-64

$81,100

Canadian/European

play behaviour: Slots, table games, poker

play behaviour: Slots

play behaviour: Slots

play behaviour: Slots mainly, table games

play behaviour: Slots

summary of gaming segments

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take home points

If first-time visitors to the casino can be imprinted with a positive experience, they are likely to return to repeat the experience. People who go to a casino to gamble are looking for a transformative experience. They want to feel alive, to experience Flow, to escape the mundane world, and possibly to take the Hero‟s Journey. The Hero‟s Journey is an archetypal dimension to motivate trial. The structure of this experience must be respected and reinforced by the casino. Resort casinos represent a Bubble World – a non-judgmental adult world where they can discover the exotic and romantic, be treated as special, try new things, play like a child and feel slightly unreal.

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