J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Among Indian Gaming Casinos in California, Barona Resort & Casino and Red Hawk Casino Rank Highest in Customer Satisfaction
Having the Right Games Available at the Right Time is Critical to Gaming Customer Satisfaction
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 24 June 2009 —Barona Resort & Casino ranks highest for a second consecutive year in gaming customer satisfaction among casinos in Southern California, while Red Hawk Casino ranks highest in Northern California, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Indian Gaming Casino Satisfaction StudySM released today.
The study measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance in five key measures (listed in order of importance): gaming; facility; cage cashier/ticket redemption machine; arriving/parking; and beverage service.
“The highest-ranking Indian gaming casinos combine Las-Vegas-style excitement with the convenience of being local,” said Michael Drago, director of the global hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “In the current economic climate, where ‘staycations’ are increasingly popular, Indian gaming casinos are a particularly satisfying entertainment option.”
Northern California Region Rankings
Red Hawk Casino (located in Placerville, Calif.) ranks highest in the Northern California region with a score of 769 on a 1,000-point scale and performs particularly well in all five measures driving satisfaction. Following in the regional rankings are Chukchansi Gold Resort Casino (744), located in Coarsegold, and Black Oak Casino (736), located in Tuolumne.
Southern California Region Rankings
Barona Resort & Casino (located in Lakeside) ranks highest in the Southern California region for a second consecutive year with a score of 787. Barona Resort & Casino performs particularly well in three of five factors: gaming; facility; and arriving/parking. Following in the rankings are Valley View Casino (764), located in Valley Center, and Viejas Casino (760), located in Alpine. Valley View Casino performs particularly well in the beverage service measure, while Viejas Casino performs particularly well in the cage cashier/ticket redemption measure.
Additional Northern and Southern California Casino Findings
Overall, the gaming experience makes a substantial contribution to satisfaction. Within this measure, slot and other machine games are approximately three times as important as table games.
“Although other aspects of the casino experience are important, customer satisfaction with gaming continues to grow in importance and is the key differentiator in this highly competitive market,” said Drago.
The study finds that satisfaction with the gaming measure declines considerably—by more than 40 points—when customers are unable to play the games they want, when they want, and at their preferred denomination.
“Regardless of the type of game a player is seeking, the availability of that specific game at the desired denomination is paramount to the player’s experience,” said Drago. “When players are denied the opportunity to wager, they keep the money in their pocket—which represents lost potential revenue for the casino.”
The 2009 Indian Gaming Casino Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction of gaming players of Indian casinos in Northern California, Southern California. To be included in the study, casinos in the Southern California region must have a minimum of 1,000 slot machines, while casinos in Northern California must have a minimum of 800 slot machines. The study is based on a total of more than 1,250 responses from gaming players who visited an Indian casino in Northern California and more than 2,000 responses from gaming players who visited an Indian Casino in Southern California between December 2008 and May 2009. The study was fielded in May 2009. The study was also conducted in Southern Arizona.
For more information, read an article or view Northern California, Southern California or Southern Arizona Indian gaming casino ratings at JDPower.com.
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About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
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Syvetril Perryman; Westlake Village, Calif.; (805) 418-8103; media.relations@jdpa.com
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