Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | March 2008 10 times,they know themaths exactly.And they know which games are their type.” Changing customer base While slot clubs around the world are usually dominated by local players, Mocha Clubs has a solid customer mix, with Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and China among the major source markets. Mocha is also getting more international. Ms Hsu comments that “since last year, we have been making efforts to tap Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan with different programmes” in conjunction with partner hotels. Four of Mocha’s six outlets are located in affordably-priced and conveniently-located hotels, including Hotel Royal, Hotel Sintra, Hotel Taipa Square and Hotel Taipa Best Western. Hotel guests, especially those on long-stays for business, are obvious customers for Mocha Clubs. Mocha’s membership has increased 60% between early 2007 and early 2008. By tracking and responding to its member’s preferences, Mocha Clubs has been able to thrive despite intensifying competition from the casino Goliaths and their pricey new properties. Mocha’s solution is to “provide more personal service”and“be very proactive to provide customers what they need,” explains Ms Hsu. A large part of giving customers what theyneedtakestheformofproductselection, and Mocha Clubs introduces new games every month. “We have a comprehensive understanding of the preferences of our members—what they like, but more importantly, why they like it,” claims Ms Hsu. “Different games have different maths, different curves, different probabilities.” Ms Hsu also points out that “different tiers of members have different preferences.” Mocha Clubs has four tiers of members. The very top tier consists of Royal Members, who have access to the ultra-exclusive Royal Members’ Lounge at Mocha Marina Plaza. Royal Memberships are granted by invitation only.Also ranking as Super-VIPs are the second tier, the Premier Members, who have access to the Premier Area at Marina Plaza. Premier Memberships are granted to customers according to a matrix of criteria including volume of play and number of visits, as well as by invitation. The remaining members—the vast majority—are either Advantage Members or Regular Members. The regular members “want a chance to win the big jackpot, so they prefer linked games,” says Ms Hsu. Mocha’s top- performing linked games are IGT’s Great Escapes and Aristocrat’s Cash Express and Jackpot Carnival. The mid-range Advantage players, meanwhile, do not appear to have strong game preferences, and shift between linked progressives and stand-alones— perhaps depending on how large the jackpot has grown. Ms Hsu also mentions that slots players and multi-terminal players are usually distinct. “People who play multi-terminals don’t touch slot machines, and vice versa,” she explains. Furthermore, “most multi- terminal players prefer being uncarded,” even though some of them would qualify as Super-VIPs based on their turnover if they did opt for membership. The top-performing baccarat multi- terminal at Mocha Clubs used to be Stargames’ Vegas Star Baccarat, but it’s performance is now being rivalled by the recently introduced Mocha Baccarat, developed in cooperation with Slovenia’s Interblock, who tailor-made the game for MochaClubs.UnlikeVegasStar’stheatre-style Cover Story