It all came from an original marketing idea: slot machines set up at different casinos one after the other for a short time only. Barrière launched the concept in 2015, with six Bejeweled machines touring 13 establishments over a year. Similar to Candy Crush, the game is all about lining up the diamonds, and it was available in a different location in France every month – from Le Touquet to Deauville via Cassis. Success was immediate.
“The limited edition exclusive nature of the Bejeweled machine created an instant buzz. Our clients loved the experience”, explains Julien Pauléréna, Barrière Casino Marketing Manager.
Encouraged by their success, Barrière decided to expand the tour the following year, trialling 11 games at 11 casinos. With one big difference: the temporary machines stayed at each location for three months, giving the games enough time to win over their audience. Dungeons and Dragons, Aladdin in 3D, Wonder Woman and Dark Samurai - clients had plenty to choose from.
“As soon as one machine left, another one arrived. This gives each casino the chance to offer 4 new types of game throughout the year, fitting perfectly with our policy of continuous innovation”, continues Julien Pauléréna.
Massive tours introduced
The slot machine tours passed a new milestone in 2017: the concept was extended to 21 casinos, with 19 games available over 54 machines. Each game concept was in the guise of a story that was well known to audiences: Wheel of Fortune, Pink Panther, Monty Python etc. They couldn’t get enough of it, so much so that the tours are to be expanded yet again this year. There are now 22 game concepts (Space Invaders, Iron Man, Spider Man, One Night in Hell etc.) and 98 machines, with all Casinos Barrière in France* and Switzerland involved. The latest big thing is slot machine tournaments - much in vogue in the USA. Hundreds of players compete in teams of 6 on machines set up for the event, the aim being to notch up as many wins as possible against the clock in 2 minutes. A few days before the machines leave, the 24 best participants compete in a grand finale, with 5,000 euros going to the winner.
“The tournaments are really entertaining: there’s a host, and the audience follows the rankings in real time. The atmosphere is nothing like the classic slot machine scenario; it’s a different kind of gaming experience”, emphasises Julien Pauléréna.
These one-off events fulfil one of the Casinos Barrière promises: to offer clients a unique gaming experience.
*Excludes the 2 Casinos Barrière de Cannes
