Focus
HARRAH’S INTERACTIVE
Familiaritybreedsrevenue
One of the biggest brands in land-based arrives late to the online sector, but knows how to make an entrance
One of the world’s largest land-based gaming companies, Harrah’s Entertainment, went live in the UK with its pay-to-play websites earlier this year, including
www.WSOP.com,
www.caesarscasino.com and
www.caesarsbingo.com.
Taking a very proactive approach to the online gaming sector, Harrah’s has tied its Las Vegas Caesars brand to its new websites and integrated its UK subsidiary, London Clubs International, into the mix. “We are taking some of the most recognisable brands in land-based gaming and tied them into a powerful online presence,” explains Harrah’s Interactive CEO, Mitch Garber. “It’s the first time we’ve seen this happening in a really significant way. We are taking the credibility of the Caesars brand online,
exploiting the brand loyalty of existing customers and those of next generation of online players.”
Harrah’s Entertainment began building the infrastructure of its online presence from start-up to launch in the summer, having taken the view that building its own software infrastructure would be impractical due to time and cost.
“We decided to use the experience of long-time software developers to speed access to market, with the help of
888.com for our poker offer, and gamesys for bingo,” described Mr. Garber. “We focused especially on the marketing and promotions side of offer, ensuring that fraud and risk management, key infrastructure pieces, were in place. We then looked for reliable scaleable software suppliers to best portray our brands online.”
In regards to researching exactly what was needed to launch its brands into online sectors, Harrah’s Interactive is in
G3i I ISSUE 2 I PAGE 20
Harrah’s Interactive CEO,MitchGarber.
“We are taking some of themost
recognisable brands
in land-based gaming and tying theminto a powerful online
presence. It's the first timewe've seen this happening in a really significantway.We are taking the
credibility of the Caesars brand online.”
the enviable position of being able to draw upon internal resources, including the experience of Mr. Garber himself, whose former existence in the UK with PartyGaming provided the business with a formidable collective skill set.
In the land-based sector, Harrahs is renowned for its player rewards, customer service and bonusing, but re- creating the brand online is more than just choosing an off-the-peg software solution, though Mr. Garber maintains that it was still a relatively straightforward process. “Taking one of the world’s leading brands online was a challenge, but you accomplish it through the familiarity of logos, promotions and pricing,” states Mr. Garber. “These are the factors that set Harrah’s apart in the offline sector.”
Harrah's Total Rewards Programme is the no.1 loyalty rewards scheme in the world. Integrating the prizing and promotions from offline channels, including LCI and World Series of Poker, differentiates Harrah’s offer from others currently out in the online space. “What differentiates us is our land-based assets and the credibility of the Harrah’s brand,” described Mr. Garber. “This is a
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