A recent article in the Associated Press has highlighted the rewards associated with marketing land based gambling to Asian communities. One of the largest casinos in the world, Foxwoods, estimates that one third of its customers are Asian. Similarly, Mohegan Sun, one of Foxwoods’ rivals, states that one fifth of its revenues come from Asian gamblers, an increase of 12 percent during the first half of 2006.

While the online gaming industry’s penchant for the Asian gambler is the next big thing in the online casino world, the increasing number of Asian customers at land-based casinos has received little mention. According to Ernie Wu, director of Asian marketing at Foxwoods, “Asian blood loves to feel the luck. We call it entertainment,” he says. “We don’t say it’s gambling.”

The number of Asians residing in the United States has increased by 17 percent between 2000 and 2004. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, this makes the Asian community the fastest growing ethnic group by far for that period.

As a result, the land based gambling industry has been quick to recognize this potential area of growth and has set out to actively attract and retain Asian casino players. Both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun employ Asian marketing professionals specializing in Asian languages and possessing inside knowledge of specific communities. Advertising campaigns run in media targeting the Korean, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Chinese communities, and sponsorship deals supporting Asian activities such as the Toronto Asian Beauty Pageant and the Boston Dragon Boat Festival are becoming more commonplace. Entertainment events specially catering to Asian gamblers are regularly staged by casinos, with Mohegan Sun recently paying to bring Sandy Lam from Hong Kong and Taiwan’s A-Mei to the casino.

Asians are also becoming more visible in casinos as employees. According to Foxwoods, Asians account for one fifth of its staff. Asian dealers are highly sought after for their knowledge of cultural idiosyncracies. An Asian dealer knows better than to say the Chinese word for number four, which is similar to the word for death, and will never touch an Asian player on the shoulder, considered to be bad luck.

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