Club and casino help

We've recently opened a dance club and casino. The club is doing great, lots of people, good atmo, etc. However, we can't seem to attract people to the casino. We seem to only get campers. We'd like some ideas to get the expensive poker and roulette games going. We have tried what the others do such as tournaments, but attendance was poor. Any ideas?

Offer something the 1000000 other casinos aren't! Do some market research. Find out what people want but aren't getting and then give it to them. Offer something of value. Satisfy a need. Marketing 101.

I'm new here. I'd love to play some Hold 'Em but I have very little $$. I'd come play a free roll tourney or low buy-in. How 'bout 1/2? Even 2/4 is a bit steep for me right now. If it were me I'd start at the bottom and work my way up rather than try to compete with the big guns right off. Would you try to compete with Amazon or Google? Well, I suppose you *could* try.

And in my very uneducated biased opinion - get rid of the campers. That'd be something new and innovative! They lag me and the impression I'm getting is that many established residents don't like them either. I was in one casino the other day. 30+ people (26ish campers - I counted). My system couldn't handle the lag. Even if I had the money and wanted to play I wouldn't have been able to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

Trying to make your fortune by just copying what you *think* the big boys are doing isn't the way to get things done.

The goldrushers have flooded SL with casinos, there are already far far too many IMO. Seems like no matter what I search for, there's a little gaggle of lying bastard casinos that I have to wade through before I get to what I'm after.

But, just because somthing's been done to death doesn't mean there's no more room for one more. If you really want to run a casino, take some time to think about what sort of casino you'd like to spend time in. To date I've never been to a casino in SL that I could stand for more than a few minutes. Haveing to wade up to my waiste in sticky lag treacle past strung out junky zombie campers, spikey blue haired noods pestering me for sex, tacky flashy neon SEX SEX SEX GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS signs etc.

My life is full of stress, as is most people's these days, so the time I get to spend in SL relaxing and having funis valuable to me. I wouldn't in a million years visit one of the casinos I've seen in SL for any length of time. Howeve, that doesn't necessarily mean I'd never want to play games or gamble in SL.

I don't know anything for sure, but I'd guess that there are other people in SL who might enjoy spending time in a casino as a social activity, but are put off by the sleaze. I'd also hazard a guess that the people with the deepest pockets aren't going to be tuned on by camping chairs etc.

Learn to script and build, make new games that are fun that can't be found anywhere else.

When you've got everything in place and you're ready to open the doors, go out and find people who would enjoy what you've got to offer. Don't expect people to come to you, and don't spam! Go to casinos and make friends with the people who already gamble.

I'm gonna stop rambling now

Vale

1. - get rid of the campers. Most people dislike the practice, although they have nothing against the campers. Perhaps you could give a few of them jobs as greeters or hosts for the same amount you pay them to sit there. People like the personal touch and being greeted by someone to whom you can ask questions to is generally appreciated.

2. Offer live entertainment. there ar esome FANTASTIC live entertainers in SL!! Truly and wonderfully marvelous people! See about hiring some live entertainment and advertise in the events section.

ooooh another idea....

Recuit from outside SL. Trying to bring people into your casino using the search/traffic and classifieds etc won't work, the big boys are just too big and boyish. So, set up SecondLifeGambling.com, the home of gambling in secondlife, with loads of info about SL and the games that people can play there, a little forum etc.

Then go hit the non-SL online casinos. Meet people there, let them know that gambling on a website isn't the only way to do it online, tell them how cool SL is and that they can gamble like they already do online but with little 3D friends around them

Loads of people really enjoy gambling online, if you go and find them before they even know about SL you get to be the only SL casino in their eyes. It'll take alot more work than the 'if you build it they will come' school of promotion, but if you take the time to win over people personaly you'll not only get a casino full of people, you'll get a casino full of people who actualy want to play and have the dough to do it with.

Do research, make sure you're little place is as cool and fun to be at as the places they already use, or they wont bother staying.

And above all else remembe this, if you set up a casino on the same sim as my shop I'll kill you slowly. Seriously, I'll set fire to your eye balls or somthing nasty like that! Be a considerate neighbour.

Vale

Wow!!! Thank you all for your time and replies! Lots to think about here. Yes, I hear you, about the camping .