Station Casinos is offering players a Golden Knights futures bet. The wager pays 4-1. The amount of the bet depends on the player’s status in the Station Casinos Boarding Pass program. The smallest possible bet is $5. Some high-volume players may receive up to $250, according to published reports.
Players will need to go to a Station Casinos property and swipe their Boarding Pass card at a kiosk to claim the promotion. This may be done anytime on Monday, April 23. Players that do not immediately qualify can get the Golden Knights futures bet by earning 100 points that day.
Free brand exposure with little actual monetary exposure
Station Casinos has much to gain by this promotion. The goodwill of giving its mostly local customer base something to cheer for is the most obvious. Players may relate the Golden Knights with the brand of their favorite Station Casinos, especially if the team progresses deep into the playoffs. If the bet eventually wins, players will always remember that they had a bet on the Golden Knights, and likely where they had it.
The story has run in numerous media outlets. This includes local newspapers and TV news, as well as gambling portals and some national outlets. This is free advertising for the brand that would never be accomplished through a typical free play promo.
At 4-1, the bet is a massive longshot. When considering the vig, the bet has about a 20 percent chance of winning. This promotion costs Station Casinos nothing about 80 percent of the time, yet it gets a massive amount of attention for it.
Players are required to visit a Station Casinos property on a Monday to claim the free bet. This will draw many players that otherwise would not visit a property on that day to do so. While those customers are on the property, they may gamble, eat or drink. Virtually any amount of money spent on this visit will cover the expected value of the futures bet.
Some of these players will need to earn 100 points to get the offer. The expected loss of earning exactly 100 points is between $1 and $5, depending on the game a player chooses. Many will play well past 100 points, more than covering the actual offer and those that gave no action.
It will take about six weeks for the Stanley Cup winner to be determined. Players may use the free bet as a reason to visit during that time, perhaps making more wagers, even some hedges, if the team gets to the finals.
Massive celebration if Golden Knights win Stanley Cup
Las Vegas will go wild if the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup. Station Casinos knows this. People will have a reason to immediately go to one of its properties if it happens to celebrate. The found money from the futures bet will be burning a hole in the pockets of winners.
The rules are not yet available to know if it is cash or free play. I predict that it becomes free play. Players will have to wager it one time to cash out. Most will give it far more action than that. Any money that gets cashed out still has a chance to be played elsewhere on the casino floor or spent on food and beverage. The same scenario applies if the promotion is paid in cash.
At the same time, Station gets a second wave of national exposure of its Golden Knights promotion if it has to pay it out. The amount of money that would find its way to the door, never to return, pales in comparison to the value of mainstream media coverage of a brilliant casino marketing idea.
Last Updated on August 5, 2023 by John Mehaffey
