by Kell Houston
Building a successful concert entertainment program for a casino is one of the most important branding efforts a property can undertake. Yet it is probably one of the most misunderstood businesses in today’s casino world.
Costs to Start With – Why is Everything So Expensive?
Artists face many similar challenges as casinos do, including finding and keeping crew members and behind-the-scenes staff. Band members often command significant salaries. The better they are, the more in demand they become. Many prefer to stay home rather than jump on a tour bus for months at a time. Bus and truck rentals are also costly, and add to that gas, maintenance, drivers, and insurance.
Live performances remain a vital income source for artists, especially as CD and album sales have shifted to downloads and streaming. To maximize revenue, artists seek to capitalize on their popularity while it lasts. Additional income streams, such as VIP experience upsells, create new opportunities but tend to be prone to issues and complaints. Social media has become an essential marketing tool, offering relatively affordable promotion. Traditional outlets like TV and billboards remain expensive, though local newspaper entertainment sections on weekends continue to be effective in many markets.
Finding the Right Artist for Your Venue
Bigger names command higher prices and greater demand. Major touring producers such as Live Nation and AEG often package artists into large festivals and promoter venues, limiting availability for smaller casinos. Strict radius clauses can further prohibit access to these artists, while overall demand continues to push prices upward. Competition for these acts frequently results in bidding wars.
The challenge for casinos is to keep ticket prices at a reasonable level acceptable to artist management. More affordable artists are often excluded from major tours but may have already toured through the region extensively, reducing customer interest and demand.
Emerging artists present another opportunity, though identifying them requires constant monitoring of social media. By the time new acts are discovered, they often have already gained millions of downloads and followers, placing them in competition with major promoters and long tour runs.
Steps to Take
Casinos need to build internal teams and strategies for all entertainment efforts. Establishing budgets, processes, and clear delegation of authority for approving talent is essential. Venues must maintain complete information about their capabilities and restrictions. A venue information pack containing these details is a valuable tool. Since artists often have mandatory requirements, alignment must be achieved before moving forward.
In today’s concert buying environment, venues must plan far in advance. Numerous tours are already wrapping up their schedules for 2026. Waiting too long leaves limited choices, so many casinos rely on outside production teams or experienced talent buyers to secure access to acts.
Understanding the customer is imperative. Identifying what motivates players to visit the property helps shape entertainment strategies. Players Club staff can be an invaluable resource.
Casinos should also look beyond traditional concerts. Options such as game shows, mid-week senior programs, celebrity appearances, meet-and-greets, retired professional athletes, and local TV personalities or shows can all attract audiences. Flexibility in scheduling is also critical. Focusing exclusively on weekends risks missing opportunities on softer days of the week. Older demographics, for example, may avoid weekends, making mid-week shows a better fit.
Final Considerations
Casinos must be prepared and aggressive, focusing on quality rather than quantity. Competition for discretionary spending is intense across all markets. Creative entertainment programs that capture curiosity and interest provide the best path to success. Once a casino establishes a reputation for delivering excellent entertainment experiences, word spreads quickly, strengthening both brand and customer loyalty.
Kell Houston is owner of Houston Productions. He can be reached by calling (206) 402-4680 or email [email protected].
