Truck stops play a big role in the Illinois Gaming Market. If you own or operate a truck stop, you may have considered adding slot machines. Accel services 25% of all truck stop gaming locations in Illinois, so we have plenty of experience seeing how video gaming can improve truck stops for a variety of reasons. Below is a short list of what our truck stops have experienced.Before we get into the benefits of adding gaming to your truck stop, it may be beneficial to understand how you can add gaming to your truck stop. Our blog, Three Requirements to Qualify for a Video Gaming Truck Stop Establishment License in Illinois, will discuss how to get there.
Regardless of your establishment type, adding gaming is usually driven by the desire to grow your revenue. This may be especially true for truck stops. Did you know that truck stops outperform all other gaming establishments by 141%? Truck stops have a customer base that tends to be looking for entertainment, and their hours are favorable to gaming, so they are likely to perform well.
Adding gaming to your truck stop incentivizes potential customers that might not typically visit your establishment at all to stop in and try their luck on the slots. Whether travelers who make a one-time visit or locals, adding gaming provides potential patrons with a new product to enjoy, which may lead to them purchasing your other products as well.
This gaming benefit goes hand in hand with increased foot traffic. When you add video gaming to your establishment, you increase the likelihood of guests coming back for another visit. It costs about five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Repeat customers are proven to spend more as well – 67% more according to Business.com. Repeat customers are more likely to become loyal to your establishment, which could also benefit you through their word of mouth influence on their friends and family. Word of mouth marketing is the most effective and efficient source of marketing to a business.
Gaming gives you the opportunity to market to a new segment of customers. Video gaming adds another differentiator to set your business apart from your competition who may not have added slots to their similar business. Outdoor marketing such as feather flags and window decals that promote your slot machines in addition to efforts such as mailing campaigns, billboards and digital advertisements on social media can help potential customers notice your business.
Having a private gaming room with comfortable chairs and updated machines can help drive traffic to your business and intrigue customers even if they are not interested in gaming. Accel has learned from designing, and redesigning, gaming rooms what is conducive to a successful customer experience.
Learn more about maintaining customer loyalty here.
Adding a new segment to your business can bring in new revenue and customers and keep existing customers coming back more often. Interested in adding gaming to your truck stop? Get a free consultation with Accel! Any questions about truck stop gaming that weren’t answered above? Ask us in the comments below!