Route 66 Casino Hotel launched a new slot initiative called Area 66 this February. Area 66 was an idea developed to create a sense of mystery and suspense for the guests of Route 66 in anticipation of the arrival of new slot themes. Similar to the mysterious Area 51, a top secret military airfield in Nevada that is frequently referenced in articles about UFO’s and alien folklore, the Area 66 promotion is intended to grab guests attention and keep them curious about when the next top secret slot unveiling will come and what it will bring.
The new Area 66 initiative is a team effort between slots and marketing to identify and showcase the newest slots quickly, on or before, the slots are installed on the casino floor. New slot themes will be unveiled in the casino entrance inside slot-sized crates that will be decorated to mimic the themes of the games, bringing the slot themes to life in a way that guests cannot help but notice as they enter the casino.
In addition to the entrance displays, the newest slots will be identified for guests with directional signage on the casino floor. Area 66 slots will be located throughout the casino and not restricted to one area of the casino floor.
Laguna Development Corporation is committed to keeping the guests at both Route 66 and Dancing Eagle Casinos engaged by bringing in new slot machines throughout the year. On average LDC purchases over 100 new slots each year and makes updates to over 30% of the existing slot machines. Most importantly, Route 66 is first-to-market with over 20 slot machines every year.
Keeping the slot floor fresh with new slot product is something that has been part of the LDC strategic plan for many years. The new Area 66 promotion makes this initiative more visible for the guests by making them aware of the new slots as well as identifying where they are located. “Our goal is to increase awareness and play on our newest slots by showcasing the new themes in a more prominent way,” says Skip Sayre, Chief of Sales & Marketing, LDC.
In addition to the new slots launched at G2E, the annual gaming conference held in Las Vegas, hundreds of slot themes are rolled out throughout the year. “The number of new slot games being released has grown exponentially over the last ten years. Where a manufacturer might put out five to six games a year, now that many new games are being released by each manufacturer every month,” says Jeff Inman, Director of Slot Operations, LDC. To keep up with the increased number of offerings, LDC executives visit each of the major manufacturers at least once a year, as well as attend customer advisory boards to find out what themes are trending with gamers.
The February launch is just a taste of what is to come for Area 66. There are already plans in place to debut new slot themes in April. The slot and marketing teams will be working to make Area 66 a legend of its own.