Casino players have changed. The question is whether casino operators have changed with them.
On our trip to the 13th Annual Tribal Casino Executive Conference a few weeks ago, the Casino Player Trends Report was presented by the LT Agency. The findings are striking. Players are evolving quickly. Operators are catching up slowly. And the casinos that close this gap first will be the ones that earn loyalty and revenue for years to come.
What’s Changing in Casino Player Behavior?
According to the report:
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45% of players now spend more than a quarter of their visit on non-gaming activities (up sharply from last year)
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91% visit casinos with others
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66% say non-gaming offerings significantly impact their decision to return
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69% research casinos online before visiting
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54% use loyalty apps
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79% say a strong customer experience can help a smaller casino outperform a larger one
Gaming is no longer the entire story. It’s part of a broader social, experiential, and increasingly digital journey. Revenue growth is now directly tied to experience orchestration, not just gaming floor optimization.
Loyalty Is Being Redefined
Transactional perks aren’t enough anymore. Younger audiences, especially Millennials and Gen Z, expect loyalty to live where they live: on their phones, across digital touchpoints, and through personalized interactions.
Even affluent players (HHI $175K+) are prioritizing:
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Food & beverage experiences
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Atmosphere and quality
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In-person engagement supported by smart digital tools
The takeaway? Loyalty is no longer about comping more. It’s about recognizing more.
Digital is now the key component in the experience layer
The report highlights something we’ve seen across luxury hospitality and casino environments alike: Players expect digital tools to enhance their in-person experience, not replace it.
They want to:
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Research online before arrival ➡️ 69% of players research casinos online before they visit.
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Manage rewards easily ➡️ 54% use loyalty apps.
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Book non-gaming amenities ➡️ 74% expect digital conveniences like apps and portals to be part of the experience.
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Receive personalized recommendations ➡️
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Communicate effortlessly with staff ➡️
Closing the Experience Gap
The top barriers to digital adoption tell the story: data privacy concerns (45%), clunky navigation (25%), and simple lack of awareness that an app even exists (31%).
As the report notes: “The best tech is invisible to the end consumer.” Casino guests don’t want to think about technology. They want frictionless access to information, rewards, and experiences, similar to the same intuitive experience they’re used to from Airbnb, Starbucks, and Delta.
When digital feels clunky, fragmented, or optional, loyalty erodes. But when digital is seamless, invisible, and intelligently connected to the property’s operations, it amplifies the entire guest journey. This is what INTELITY’s AI Concierge and AI Insights are all about.
At Intelity, we’ve built our platform specifically to address the friction points this report identifies. Our technology gives casino operators a single, integrated solution to:
- Give guests a seamless digital touchpoint to manage loyalty rewards, make dining reservations, book hotel rooms, request services, and explore amenities all from one intuitive app or in-room screen.
- Enable personalized, data-driven communication that goes beyond generic offers and reaches guests with relevant messages at the right moments in their journey.
- Streamline operations by giving staff real-time visibility into guest requests, preferences, and activity so every interaction feels informed and intentional.
- Make non-gaming amenities a central part of the guest experience, not an afterthought and drive incremental revenue while extending dwell time and satisfaction.
The gap is real. So is the opportunity. And we’re here to help you close it.
Want to see how Intelity can help your property deliver on the experience players expect in 2025? Let’s talk.
You can download the full report, here.