How to Avoid Disclaimer Disasters

Cash In! is a series of concise communiqués that offer our perspective on topics that challenge marketing professionals in the gaming industry.

Today's the big day! You've just kicked off your latest casino promotion, and everyone's excited and filled with anticipation. The direct mail piece has been mailed, and all the POS materials are up and looking great. Then - all of a sudden - the phone rings. The first call is from the front desk, followed by one of the hosts and then finally a call comes in from the players' club desk. Everyone is panicked; there's a BIG problem with the promotion. Now you start to panic - and wonder, "why didn't anyone catch THAT in the disclaimer?"

When you think about it, it's really quite simple. We aren't always looking at the promotion from the players' standpoint, or better yet - from the perspective of the employees who actually have to deal with the irate or confused players. And you know which players I'm talking about - the ones that always complain promotion after promotion. If there's a glitch in the system, they're going to find it!

Well, here's a simple suggestion that will save you a lot of time, headaches and money, not to mention a few comps along the way. Have your employees proof and approve disclaimers on all of your materials. You know - that fine print at the bottom that spells out every situation that might expose you to some sort of liability. You'll be amazed at what they'll catch. Better yet, because you brought them into the process early on, the front-line employees will know what to look for when some players try to cheat the system. (Notice that I said "when" and not "if"?)

So, now the question pops up - who should write the disclaimers? The answer is simple: the marketing team writes them and a disclaimer team approves them. Just assemble a select group of employees to sign off on all disclaimers for your promotions. It may sound like a lot of work, but it really isn't. The hard part is determining who should be on the team. Our suggestion is to have one volunteer from the following departments: players' club, host, hotel reservations or front desk, F&B, accounting, sales and marketing. A quick meeting to approve the disclaimer - and revise it if necessary - is best. If that simply isn't possible, then email approvals will work as long as everyone responds in a timely manner. Just find what works best for your team and your casino.

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