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Marketing system and method for customer specific promotionsRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), Credit/debit Monitoring Or Manipulation (e.g., Game Entry, Betting, Prize Level, Etc.)Marketing system and method for customer specific promotions description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060240891, Marketing system and method for customer specific promotions. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application for Patent Ser. No. 60/670,069 filed on Apr. 11, 2005. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Over the past thirty years America has evolved from a place where gambling was a relatively rare activity with casinos operating only in the Nevada, and a few states operating lotteries, and pari-mutuel gambling on a smallish scale, into a nation where legalized gambling, in one form or another, is one of the more popular leisure activities. The amount spent on gambling compared to all other leisure activities is particularly noteworthy. In 2004, more than ten percent of the over $650 billion Americans paid for leisure goods, services and activities was spent on gambling, not including monies spent by gamblers on hotels, food, transportation and other related expenses. In terms of "destination leisure" (e.g., spectator sports, cruise ships, theme parks, concerts, etc.), "destination" gambling accounts for more than one-third of total market revenues. And of all gambling categories, casino gambling is the most popular, generating over 50% of the total commercial gambling revenues for all categories. [0003] As the casino resort and gaming industry has grown and matured, the use of entertainment to drive gaming revenue has continued to be the market's principal proven formula for success. In Las Vegas, entertainment (non-gaming) related revenue now accounts for over 40% of total casino gross revenues. Las Vegas' successful entertainment driven formula is the model for other major casino resort destination markets striving to increase their potential. [0004] Two factors influencing casinos decisions related to management of their entertainment assets and investments are the (i) fixed cost, and (ii) perishable nature of related inventory. Entertainment products are generally characterized by fixed versus variable cost based investments (i.e., facilities, maintenance, entertainer fees, etc.) and corresponding inventory is predominantly "perishable". Therefore, many important expense levels cannot be readily adjusted downward if necessary to meet lower than average or projected sales levels, and if an inventory allotment for any given day is not sold (e.g., hotels room, seat at a boxing match, etc.) related revenue potential is lost and can not be recovered. [0005] As a result of the popularity of casino gaming, the number and size of casino resorts has seen rapid and continued growth. Similarly competition between casino resorts to attract and retain gaming customers has intensified. Casino sponsored entertainment such as shows, events, and night clubs, is the most popular method used by casinos to attract gaming customers, and "comps" are one of the most widely recognized promotional tools to use entertainment assets to successfully build and retain valued gaming business. [0006] "Comp" is the casino industry term for special promotions, e.g., free rooms or upgrades, tickets to events, complimentary food and beverages, provided to customers to foster goodwill and build customer loyalty. The level of comps a casino may provide to a customer is generally based on an individual players rating or value to a casino, as typically determined from the customer's historical level of play or wagering. [0007] Casino rating systems utilize various methods to track players wagering history. Related historical data is utilized to determine such information as a player's average wager, amounts wagered during an average gaming session, type of games preferred, frequency of visits per year, etc. This data provides casinos with the ability to reward individual customers with comps that are proportional to each customer's unique wagering status. With accurate historical waging data, casinos can make promotional comp commitments more quickly to their customers to attract or retain their business and prevent the danger of (i) over spending based on the customer's actual value to the casino, or (ii) failing to provide treatment and accommodations for valuable customers at levels to which the customers are accustomed or entitled. [0008] Casinos issue "player cards" to track the wagering activity of their customers during their casino stay or visit. Player cards are common enough to be considered a standard, industry-wide feature. Customer data that individual casino properties acquire from player cards is proprietary to the casino property collecting the customer data or to the casino owners. Therefore, such data is typically not shared between or among competing casino operations. [0009] The absence of an industry wide, shared historical wagering data platform creates a "disconnect" when players with established waging histories at one casino seek to patronize a second casino where they have no wagering history. In these instances, the second casino is ill prepared to quickly or conveniently provide such customers with comps at levels they may be accustomed to. This "walled garden" data structure that limits customer's freedom of choice by curtailing efficient, automated transfer of wagering profile related casino privileges or entitlements. [0010] Numerous business models have proven that consumers tend to retaliate when their access or freedom is arbitrarily limited. As a result, the use of containment tactics in businesses can have the affect of lowering overall customer satisfaction levels and potentially limiting a markets true potential. [0011] One prior arrangement provides a multi-player tracking system that tracks a player's wagering levels at any one of a several gaming venues. This system, however, requires a "new" management information system be installed over the top of the current information system at each casino property. It is commonly known that whenever a new system installation requires an existing business system to be changed or replaced, particularly where large established companies are concerned, a significant amount of time and expense is generally required to affect such change. Furthermore, such requirements can also prohibit adoption altogether. [0012] Promotional activities such as providing "comps" motivate and stimulate consumer purchases. People are attracted by the opportunity to win or receive things perceived as being free. In fact, use of the "free" is so effective in motivating consumer purchase decisions that use of the word is regulated in certain industries to prevent abuse. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] In accordance with the principles of the invention "comps," generally perceived by customers as free bonuses or rewards, are more effectively utilized as an important and compelling promotional tool for casinos. Accordingly, access to a universally accessible player wagering profile database would open up the market for casinos to use comps to more readily promote growth and profitability using a more efficient, automated system. [0014] We have determined that what would greatly benefit the casino industry and casino consumers to provide an arrangement that (i) collects consumer related wagering profile data and stores it to a non casino specific wagering database, (ii) aggregates such data, in a cumulative manner, into a database that can is accessible by participating casino members, and (iii) provides a casino travel related website where casinos, having electronic access to said player wagering data, can offer individually tailored, incentive comp packages to attract new customer business and motivate existing customers to increase their frequency of visits. [0015] A method in accordance with the invention includes: providing a database of customer wagering profiles; receiving a request from a potential customer for a destination casino hotel reservation; obtaining wagering profile data for the potential customer from the database; providing a modified or enhanced request by attaching the wagering profile data for the potential customer to the enhanced request; utilizing the enhanced request to generate one or more promotional incentive offers; and responding to the request with at least one reservation option including said one or more promotional incentive offers. [0016] A marketing method for customer specific promotions in accordance with the invention includes: receiving from a requesting customer an electronic request for promotional offers via a website connected to a global computer network or via a device located in a casino and coupled to a communications network; attaching wagering profile data from the requesting customer to the electronic request to provide an enhanced request; sending the enhanced request to one or more casino properties to produce promotional incentive offers corresponding with the request, the incentive offers being proportional to the requesting customer's wagering profile; and responding to the request with one or more promotional offers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING [0017] The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawing figures in which like designators are used to identify like elements, and in which: [0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a system in accordance with the principles of the invention; [0019] FIG. 2 illustrates steps in registering a user of the system and method of the invention; [0020] FIG. 3 illustrates steps in providing incentive offers in accordance with the principles of the invention; Continue reading about Marketing system and method for customer specific promotions... 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