Press Room
All ArticlesAdvertisers gain access to casino floor via sports-betting kiosks
February 9, 2007
Sports bettors at Hooters Casino could skip the long lines at the sports book for the first time during this year's Super Bowl, heading instead for electronic betting kiosks in classic Hooters orange.
There they could check the spread and bet on the game, or even book a golf outing, make dinner reservations or peruse promotions from local advertisers.
The kiosks, called iSports Stands, are now available in more than 30 Nevada casinos in addition to Hooters, representing the first time outside advertising has been allowed on the casino floor.
And the mastermind behind these eight-foot bundles of betting and buying says the machines offer benefits to advertisers, casinos and gamblers alike.
"It's great for everybody," says Bill Stearns, president of ISI, the company behind the software that runs the kiosks. "Advertisers now have the ability to put their product on the casino floor, which they've never been able to do."
David deMontmollin, executive director of marketing for Hooters Casino, said the machines were installed recently in preparation for the Super Bowl.
"There are lots of different ways to tie marketing, advertising and couponing into these systems," he said. "In the future, they will be used as a strategic tool in our marketing campaign."
DeMontmollin said he expects larger casinos to pick up the technology soon.
"There are a lot of benefits and no real downsides," he said.
The machines are currently in Leroy's Race and Sports Book locations and the Rampart, Silverton, Riviera and Sahara casinos.
Sterns said the kiosks don't replace sports book employees, but do allow gamblers to place bets at almost any time.
"A kiosk is open virtually 24 hours. It doesn't call in sick," he said.
By March he said they'll be available in 60 casinos, and they can already be found aboard cruise ships.
ISI developed the kiosks in cooperation with American Wagering, a public company that owns Leroy's and designs much of the back-of-the-house software used by casino sports books.
ISI's AdCaster software, installed on the kiosks, works with those back-of-the-house systems.
Casinos lease the kiosks for $900 a month. But the machines are essentially being paid for by advertising, making them a free way for casinos to increase sports-betting revenue.
Each kiosk holds 50 ads, sold for at least $50 each per machine. Casinos get a 40 percent cut of ad revenue.
And many of the advertisers pay a percentage for referrals to their services or bookings made through the kiosks.
DeMontmollin said there are several advantages to casinos.
"Some people don't like to make wagers at the sports book because they have to announce (their bet) to everyone around," he said.
The kiosks give customers added privacy.
They also add capacity during major sporting events, such as last weekend's Super Bowl.
"For every major sporting event, especially during football and the Super Bowl, there are people who get shut out of making a line on the game," deMontmollin said, adding that sometimes hundreds of people wait in line to place bets at the sports book. "A lot of those people don't get their bets in."
Kiosks will allow the casinos to take additional bets and ease wait times for bettors.
And the kiosks are also more convenient for bettors who want to check the lines and place a quick bet from across the casino, rather than walk back to the sports book.
"It's really easy to go in there quickly and then get back to the restaurant or the bar," he said. "It makes the sports book available around the property."
And if they can schedule a tee time or get a coupon for a two-for-one dinner while they're at it, even better.
 |
 |
 |
