28 CAESARS Big Data At The Casino
Background
Caesars Entertainment run hotels and casinos around the world, including some of the most famous names in Las Vegas.
They have hit turbulent times recently, with parts of their operations facing bankruptcy and have been hit with a $1.5 million fine over irregularities in their accounts.
During these proceedings, it emerged that the individual asset most highly prized by the company – above even their property portfolio – was their customer database, containing data on 45 million hotel and casino customers around the world.
Caesars (formerly known as Harrah’s) built their business model around Big Data and analytics, to allow them to gain an in-depth understanding of their customers and, of course, encourage them to carry on spending money.
What Problem Is Big Data Helping To Solve?
The US casino industry has been in decline for many years, in terms of money spent at the gaming tables.
This isn’t necessarily a problem if you own a large hotel and gambling facility, though – because at the same time the luxury hospitality sector has been booming. Middle classes have emerged among the developing world’s populations, hungry for a taste of international travel and Western-style indulgence.
This means casino operators have to look elsewhere to increase their incomes: customers may be losing less money at blackjack, roulette and slot machines but they are spending more on drinks, food and entertainment.
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