What Do Casino VIP Players Actually Want? After 30+ Years Hosting Them, Here's What I've Learned

What Do Casino VIP Players Actually Want? After 30+ Years Hosting Them, Here's What I've Learned

Ask most people working in the casino industry what a VIP player actually wants, and you'll probably get a fairly predictable answer: bigger bonuses, better cashback, faster withdrawals, exclusive promotions, gifts, events, higher limits and, of course, some form of special treatment.

And they're not wrong, because all of those things matter.

If somebody is recognised as a high-value player and contributes significantly more than the average customer, there's naturally an expectation that their experience should be different from that of a regular player.

However, after more than 30 years in the casino industry and more than 20 years dealing with online high-value players, I've learned that we sometimes make the mistake of believing that the offer is the relationship.

It isn't.

The biggest bonus doesn't necessarily create the most loyal player, because another casino can offer a bigger bonus tomorrow, increase the cashback percentage or send an attractive promotion.

What is considerably harder to replace is a genuine relationship with somebody the player knows and trusts.

So, after all these years working with VIP players, what do I believe they actually want?

What Is Most Important to a Casino VIP Player?

There isn't one answer because there isn't one type of VIP player.

I've dealt with players who want regular communication with their Host and others who hardly want to hear from you. Some love events and meeting other players, while others prefer complete privacy. Some want cashback, some prefer cash bonuses, some appreciate gifts and experiences, while others simply want to know that when they make a withdrawal, their money will arrive quickly and without unnecessary complications.

The job of a good VIP Host isn't to decide what a VIP player should want.

It's to learn what that particular player wants.

That's where the relationship starts.

Do VIP Players Want Bigger Bonuses?

Of course bonuses matter, particularly when you're dealing with high-value players, but I don't believe the size of the bonus alone determines the quality of the VIP relationship.

A good offer can attract somebody's attention and a strong cashback programme can certainly be valuable, but almost every commercial benefit can eventually be copied by another operator.

If you're giving a player 15% cashback, somebody else can offer 20%.

If you're offering a €500 bonus, somebody else can offer €750.

You can't keep building loyalty simply by increasing the number.

Over time, there needs to be something more.

Bonuses can help create value, but the relationship creates the connection.

How Important Are Withdrawals to Casino VIP Players?

In my experience, withdrawals are one of the most important parts of the entire VIP experience, because nothing destroys a player's confidence in a casino faster than having difficulty accessing their own money.

You can give somebody excellent cashback, fantastic bonuses, gifts and a dedicated Host, but if every withdrawal becomes a battle, eventually none of the other benefits are going to matter.

Where the required KYC is already in place and there are no legitimate issues preventing payment, a VIP player should reasonably expect the withdrawal process to be efficient.

If there is a problem, the Host shouldn't simply disappear and tell the player to contact customer support.

Stay involved.

Find out what's happening.

Speak to Payments, Compliance or whoever needs to be involved internally, and then go back to the player with an honest answer.

You might not always be able to solve the problem immediately, but you can make sure the player knows that somebody is taking ownership of it.

Sometimes simply knowing “Jörn is looking into it” makes a massive difference to the player's experience.

Should a VIP Host Always Be Honest With a Player?

Absolutely.

Be honest, never lie and always be transparent.

If you don't know the answer to something, don't invent one because you think that's what the player wants to hear. Tell them you don't know, find out and then come back to them.

If there's a problem with a withdrawal, explain what you know.

If a decision has changed, explain why.

If something has gone wrong, own it.

Over the years I've had plenty of uncomfortable conversations with VIP players, and that's part of the job, because you're not going to be able to give every player exactly what they want every single time.

What I have found, however, is that most players will accept an answer they don't necessarily like if they believe you're being straight with them.

VIP players aren't stupid.

They know when they're being given the runaround and they very quickly recognise when somebody is making excuses or avoiding the real question.

Once a player stops believing what their Host tells them, you've got a much bigger problem than a declined bonus.

Trust can take years to build and seconds to destroy.

Do VIP Players Expect Their Host to Always Say Yes?

This is probably one area where my personal approach is slightly different from what you might find in a traditional VIP Host training manual, because wherever possible, my instinct has always been to try and say YES to the player first.

I've always worked on the principle that the player is right, particularly when you're dealing with a long-standing client and you understand their history and value to the business.

That doesn't mean giving somebody everything they ask for indefinitely, and it certainly doesn't mean ignoring responsible gambling, compliance requirements or other legitimate restrictions.

What it means is that, where I have the flexibility, I would rather try to accommodate the player this time and then explain honestly why I might not be able to do exactly the same thing next time.

For example, a player might ask me for a €500 bonus when, based on their recent activity, the business would normally only approve €250.

My first reaction isn't necessarily to go back and simply say:

“No, you can only have €250.”

If I have the ability and the internal relationships, I'll try to get the €500 approved this time.

Then I'll explain:

“I've managed to get this done for you today, but just so you know, based on your recent play I probably won't be able to get the same amount approved next time.”

That's a completely different conversation.

The player has received what they wanted and knows their Host has gone into bat for them, but I've also managed their expectations for the future.

There are no false promises and hopefully no surprise when the same request is made again.

This is also why I believe a great VIP Host needs relationships on both sides.

You obviously need a strong relationship with your player, but you also need strong relationships with the people operating the casino and, importantly, access to people within the business who can actually make decisions.

A Host needs to know who they can speak to when an exception needs approving, when a withdrawal needs attention, when there's a problem with an account or when a sensible commercial decision needs to be made quickly.

There will obviously be occasions when the answer genuinely has to be no, particularly where responsible gambling, compliance or regulatory requirements are involved, and those aren't areas where a Host should be looking for exceptions.

But in ordinary commercial situations, my philosophy has generally been:

Try to say YES today. Explain honestly what you may have to say NO to tomorrow.

How you communicate the answer is often as important as the answer itself.

Do Small Gestures Matter to Casino VIP Players?

Absolutely, and I actually think this is one of the areas we've lost slightly as the online casino industry has become more automated and data driven.

Remember birthdays.

Remember Christmas and Easter.

Remember anniversaries and other important occasions.

If a player tells you they're going away on holiday, remember where they're going and ask them about it afterwards.

If you know they're passionate about golf, football, travel or something else, remember it.

Send a personal message.

Occasionally send a small gift.

It doesn't need to cost thousands of euros because sometimes a carefully chosen gift or even a personal note can mean far more than another €500 automatically appearing in a casino account.

Why?

Because the €500 says:

“You played.”

The personal gesture says:

“I remembered you.”

That's the difference between reward and recognition.

Should You Remember VIP Players When They're Not Gambling?

Definitely.

This is another area where I think CRM-driven VIP management can sometimes get things completely wrong.

Some VIP players gamble every week, while others might play heavily for a period and then not gamble for several weeks or even months.

The fact that somebody hasn't deposited recently shouldn't automatically mean the relationship disappears.

Stay in touch occasionally.

Ask how they're doing.

If you know something has been happening in their life, follow up.

And every now and again, where appropriate, surprise them.

Perhaps there's a small cash bonus waiting in their account with a simple message saying:

“I know you haven't played for a while, but I thought you might enjoy this whenever you feel like having a game.”

No pressure.

No deposit requirement attached to the conversation.

No message saying, “Deposit €500 this weekend and I'll give you…”

Just a small reminder that you haven't forgotten them simply because they haven't been gambling.

Of course, any incentive needs to be appropriate and consistent with responsible gambling requirements, but the underlying principle remains important:

A relationship shouldn't only exist while somebody is depositing.

How Often Should a VIP Host Contact a Player?

There's no correct number.

Some players love talking to their Host and might happily exchange messages several times a week, while others might find that incredibly irritating and only want to hear from you when there's something genuinely relevant.

That's why I've never been a great believer in measuring the quality of a VIP relationship simply by contact volume.

Making five calls doesn't automatically mean you've provided better service than somebody who made one meaningful call.

The important thing is understanding the individual.

My rule is very simple:

Not every contact needs an offer, but every contact needs a reason.

Don't contact somebody simply because a CRM system says they haven't received a call this week.

Have something worthwhile to say.

Should VIP Hosts Meet Their Players in Person?

I strongly believe they should, where it's appropriate and practical, particularly when dealing with important long-term clients.

Online VIP Hosting has become incredibly data driven and today we have dashboards, CRM systems, segmentation, player scoring, automated triggers and endless reports telling us virtually everything about how somebody gambles.

What those systems can't tell you is everything about the person.

I've spent many years travelling to meet VIP players and some of the strongest relationships I've built started because we stopped communicating through a computer screen and actually sat down together.

If you have an important long-term client, try to visit them at least once a year.

Go to their city.

Take them for lunch or dinner.

Spend a few hours together.

And don't spend the entire meal talking about the casino.

Talk about life.

Learn about the person.

Yes, flights cost money, hotels cost money, dinner costs money and your time costs money, but casinos expect high-value players to invest considerable amounts with them.

Why shouldn't we invest something back into the client?

What Kind of Events Do Casino VIP Players Appreciate?

Events don't always have to be massive.

A small weekend away at a casino resort can be fantastic.

Bring a few players together, have dinner, play some golf, enjoy the casino and give people the opportunity to spend time with their Host and perhaps meet other players they've heard about over the years.

Then, perhaps once a year, organise something on a larger scale.

It could be a cruise, Las Vegas, a major sporting event or another destination that gives people a genuine experience to look forward to.

I've always believed the objective shouldn't simply be about how much money you spend on the player.

It's about creating memories.

Ten years later, somebody probably won't remember whether they received 15% or 20% cashback on a particular weekend.

They might remember Las Vegas.

They might remember the cruise.

They'll remember the fantastic dinner.

They'll remember the people they met.

And they'll probably remember the Host who made the effort to be there with them.

Should Every VIP Conversation Be About Gambling?

Absolutely not.

A VIP relationship should never simply become:

“How much can we get this player to deposit this weekend?”

Sometimes a player doesn't want to gamble.

Respect that.

Sometimes they don't want another promotion.

Respect that too.

Sometimes they simply want to have a conversation with somebody they've known for years.

And there will also be occasions where responsible gambling considerations mean that encouraging further play or offering another incentive would be completely inappropriate.

A genuine relationship needs boundaries.

If every friendly conversation eventually becomes another attempt to generate a deposit, the player will eventually realise what's happening.

At that point you're not really building a relationship anymore.

You're selling.

There's a big difference.

What's the Difference Between VIP Recognition and VIP Reward?

For me, this is one of the most important distinctions in VIP management.

Reward normally responds to activity, while recognition shows that you actually know the person.

A player deposits and receives cashback.

That's reward.

A player reaches a certain level and receives a bonus.

That's reward.

But remembering how somebody likes to communicate, knowing their birthday, understanding what type of rewards they prefer, remembering that they love golf, knowing they don't play every weekend and recognising when they don't want to be contacted is something completely different.

That's recognition.

Over time, a great VIP Host should understand far more than simply how much somebody deposits.

Do they prefer WhatsApp, telephone or email?

Do they like regular communication or very little?

Would they prefer cashback to free spins?

Do they appreciate gifts?

Do they enjoy events?

Do they want to meet other players?

When is the right time to contact them?

And perhaps most importantly:

When should you leave them alone?

That's when you stop managing an account and start understanding a person.

What Makes a Great Casino VIP Host?

After all these years, I don't think the answer is particularly complicated.

A great VIP Host should be honest, reliable, responsive, knowledgeable and capable of building genuine relationships with people.

Keep your promises.

Tell the truth.

Follow up when you say you're going to follow up.

Remember the small things.

Understand what matters to your player.

Take ownership when something goes wrong.

Build strong relationships internally so you know who can help when something needs resolving.

Know when to push for your player and when you can't.

Respect responsible gambling boundaries.

And never forget that behind the player ID, deposit history, NGR figure and CRM segment is an actual human being.

So, What Do Casino VIP Players Actually Want?

After more than 30 years in the casino industry and more than 20 years dealing with online high-value players, I don't believe there's one benefit, bonus or VIP programme that answers that question for everyone.

Every player is different.

Some want cashback.

Some want bonuses.

Some want gifts.

Some want fantastic events and experiences.

Some want regular conversations with their Host.

Others barely want to hear from them.

But I believe the strongest VIP relationships eventually come back to the same fundamentals.

Players want value, fair treatment, reliable withdrawals, honesty, transparency, recognition and somebody who takes ownership when something goes wrong.

They want to feel remembered even when they're not gambling.

They want to know that the relationship isn't only important when they're depositing.

They want to feel that occasionally the casino is prepared to invest something back into them.

And above everything else, they want somebody representing the casino whom they can genuinely trust.

Bonuses can be copied.

Cashback can be matched.

Promotions can be beaten.

Another online casino is always one click away.

A genuine relationship is much harder to replace.

And after all these years working with high-value casino players, perhaps the most important question I would ask any VIP operation is very simple:

If the bonuses stopped tomorrow, would your VIP player still answer their Host's call?