Casino public relations (PR) and marketing demand exceptional precision and expertise. The stakes are high, competition is relentless, and public perception can shift in an instant. A well-executed PR strategy drives customer engagement and protects brand reputation.
In the modern era, email marketing has emerged as a powerful yet underused tool in casino PR.
This report explores how casinos can leverage their owned email lists as a PR channel – backed by real performance data, strategic insights, and actionable tips for marketing directors and communications executives.
What is Casino Public Relations?
In the casino industry, public relations encompasses managing the casino’s reputation, communicating key messages to the public and stakeholders, and handling crises or controversies. It’s not just about press releases and media coverage – it’s about building a brand that customers trust and engaging with audiences in meaningful ways. Casino PR professionals work to highlight positive stories (e.g. community involvement, big winners, new amenities) while mitigating negative press. They maintain relationships with media outlets, influencers, and the community to ensure balanced coverage and goodwill. Given that reputation is everything in the casino industry, even a single negative news cycle can erode customer trust and impact revenue.
Traditionally, casino PR relied on earned media (news articles, press conferences) and owned media like the casino’s website or on-property messaging.
However, digital channels have expanded PR’s toolkit. Social media, SEO-driven content, and direct communication channels are now indispensable for controlling the narrative.
Email marketing stands out as one of the most effective owned media tools for customer engagement and retention – yet it’s often overlooked purely as a marketing channel rather than a PR asset.
In the next sections, we’ll see why that mindset should change.
The Power of Owned Email Lists in Casino PR
Owned email lists (i.e. the database of guest and player email addresses who have opted in) are a goldmine for casino PR strategy. Email is a direct line to your audience – unlike press coverage or social media, which are subject to algorithms and public commentary, email allows you to deliver a controlled message straight to your patrons’ inboxes.
For casino marketing executives and COOs, this means the ability to communicate quickly, precisely, and personally when it matters most.
Consider a few scenarios
A casino needs to address a regulatory change that affects players’ comp point redemption. Instead of relying on a press release to reach everyone, the casino can email all loyalty members with a clear explanation, thereby reinforcing transparency and trust. Or imagine a negative news story circulating – a proactive email from the GM addressing the issue can reach players directly, showing accountability before rumors spread. In positive times, email can spotlight the casino’s community charity efforts or responsible gaming initiatives, bolstering the brand’s image. All of these are PR functions executed through an owned channel.
Why is email so powerful for PR?
First, it’s permission-based – your subscribers want to hear from you. They are likely your loyalty club members or recent guests, meaning they have a relationship with your brand. According to industry analysis, over 73% of millennials prefer to receive communications from businesses via email. Underscoring email’s continued relevance even for younger demographics.
Second, email is highly targeted. You can segment the list by player tier, location, or interests to tailor PR messages.
For example, local community news can go to regional patrons, while a VIP policy update email goes only to high-tier players. This segmentation ensures the content is relevant – which in turn boosts engagement (segmented campaigns can generate a 760% increase in revenue, per Campaign Monitor, thanks to targeting).
Finally, email provides measurability and control. You can instantly gauge engagement (opens, clicks) and gather feedback or questions via replies, something traditional PR channels can’t do as easily. In a crisis, seeing an email open rate spike to 60-70% within hours can reassure you that your message is getting through. If click-through on a “Learn More” link to a detailed statement is high, you know stakeholders are seeking information. This data-driven feedback loop allows casino PR teams to adjust messaging or follow up as needed – a truly agile strategy.
In essence, your owned email list is a PR broadcast system you control completely. No journalist or social media noise stands between you and your guests. Next, let’s explore how different types of casino emails – regulatory vs. promotional – play distinct roles in PR and how they perform.
Regulatory vs Promotional Casino Emails: Performance and Purpose
Not all emails are created equal. In casino communications, we can broadly categorize emails into regulatory (or operational) emails and promotional (marketing) emails.
Understanding the difference is crucial for a successful email-based PR strategy, as these email types serve different purposes and yield different engagement levels.
Regulatory Emails
These include legally or operationally required communications. Examples are updates to terms and conditions, changes in gaming regulations affecting players, data privacy policy updates, notices about self-exclusion programs or responsible gaming updates, and important property announcements (e.g. health and safety protocols).
Regulatory emails often carry a serious tone and are purely informational – their goal is to inform and assure, not to sell. From a PR perspective, regulatory emails are about transparency and compliance.
Sending them promptly and clearly helps demonstrate that your casino is proactive and trustworthy.
However, because they’re not always “exciting,” engagement can vary. Open rates for such transactional/operational emails tend to be very high – in general, transactional emails (like account updates) average an 80–85% open.
In the casino context, a critical announcement (e.g. “Important Update to Your Loyalty Benefits”) may see open rates far above normal marketing emails.
Players might not click much (since these emails often aren’t driving to a website), but high open rates signal your message was received. For instance, when a major Las Vegas casino emailed guests about new ID verification rules, it reportedly achieved an open rate north of 60% on that mandatory notice (hypothetical example).
The PR win: even if the content isn’t fun, you’ve shown responsibility by communicating changes directly.
Promotional Emails
These are the bread and butter of casino marketing – offers, events, and campaigns designed to drive visitation and revenue. Examples include monthly newsletters, special offers for free play, show announcements, dining promotions, birthday rewards, and so on. Their purpose is to engage and excite the player. From a PR lens, promotional emails contribute to public relations by fostering a positive relationship and loyalty. They remind players of the value and entertainment your casino provides. Promotional emails generally have lower open rates than must-read regulatory messages, but they still perform strongly in the gaming industry.
What does “good” look like?
A good open rate for casino promotional emails is about 20%–28% in 2025, which is on par or slightly above many industries. Industry benchmarks show gambling/casino emails often range ~15%–25% open rate on average.
Why the Contrast Matters
Knowing the typical performance of regulatory vs. promotional emails helps set expectations and goals. Regulatory emails might not drive clicks or revenue directly, but they are critical for compliance and trust-building. Treat them as a PR opportunity: the tone should be clear, responsible, and caring about the guest’s well-being or rights. On the other hand, promotional emails are your relationship nurturers – they keep excitement alive. From a PR standpoint, they should still carry elements of brand voice and values. For example, a promotion email can include a note like, “We appreciate you as a valued member of our community,” turning a sales push into a relationship message.
It’s also worth noting compliance: regulatory emails may be exempt from typical marketing opt-out rules (for instance, you must send certain notices regardless of unsubscribe status, depending on jurisdiction). Promotional emails, conversely, must follow CAN-SPAM/GDPR and allow easy opt-outs. Ensure your systems categorize and send these emails appropriately – a casino-optimized email platform (with features to manage compliance segments) can be invaluable. You don’t want to accidentally omit a patron from a regulatory send due to an “unsubscribed” flag if it’s legally required to reach them.
Casino Email Performance Benchmarks (Open Rates & CTRs)
Let’s delve into some data benchmarks for email marketing in the casino industry, to give context and goals for your PR-related campaigns. Having concrete numbers in mind helps you evaluate if your communications are effective and where there’s room to improve.
Open Rates
Across industries, a “good” email open rate is often cited around 17–28%. Casinos tend to perform in the higher end of that range. As mentioned, 20–28% is a healthy open rate for casino marketing emails in 2025. Some sources even report an average open rate of ~21% for gambling/iGaming emails. However, engaged casino audiences can far exceed this – with targeted campaigns hitting 30%+ opens. In our experience, highly segmented emails (for example, a VIP-only event invite) or urgent announcements can see opens well above 40-50%. Operational emails (jackpot winner announcements, account alerts) can approach the 80%+ open territory (similar to transactional emails). One industry newsletter targeting gambling professionals boasts a 32% weekly open rate, illustrating the interest level in relevant content.
Click-Through Rates (CTR)
CTR measures how many recipients clicked a link in the email. Casino promotional emails often see CTRs in the 3%–7% range, which is strong by industry standards (general email CTR averages ~2.5%).For broader newsletters with multiple content sections, CTR might be lower (2–3%) as clicks spread across different links; whereas a focused call-to-action (like “Book now for New Year’s Eve gala”) can drive higher single-link CTR.
CTOR (Click-to-Open Rate)
CTOR (Click-to-Open Rate) is another metric – it tells you of those who opened, what percentage clicked. This often ranges from 10–30% for casinos. A high CTOR means your email content or offer resonated well with those who opened it.
Conversion Rates & Revenue
Beyond clicks, casinos ultimately care about conversions – e.g. did the email drive a booking, a trip, or on-property spend? Conversion rates from email can vary widely (0.5% up to 5% of recipients taking the desired action). In casinos, ROI might manifest as hundreds of thousands in incremental gaming revenue from a single campaign (for example, a successful reactivation email that brings back high-value dormant players). Tracking on-property impact (like play or revenue lift from those who received a certain email vs those who didn’t) is essential for true PR impact assessment. If a reputation-building email about new safety measures leads to more visits because patrons feel safer, that’s a quantifiable PR success.
Benchmarks by Email Type
As discussed, transactional/regulatory emails enjoy the highest engagement (often 4x the open rate of promos). Newsletter updates might have moderate opens (15–25%) and a handful of clicks per subscriber. Event or offer blasts can spike CTRs especially if urgency or exclusivity is conveyed (e.g. “48-hour exclusive pre-sale”). One pro tip: welcome emails (the first email after sign-up) have extremely high engagement – often over 50% open and north of 20% CTR. So if part of your PR strategy is to communicate brand values, make sure your welcome series to new club members includes a PR angle (such as a note from the GM about commitment to responsible gaming and service excellence).
Mobile vs Desktop
Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile devices, so ensure your PR emails are mobile-friendly. A cluttered or hard-to-read email on a phone might as well not be read at all. This is a usability benchmark rather than a metric, but worth mentioning: test your templates on mobile previews to maintain engagement rates.
Takeaway: Use these benchmarks as a guide, not a limitation. If your casino’s promotional emails are only getting a 15% open rate, that’s below the industry norm – time to optimize subject lines or send times. If your click rate is 1% but you see others getting 5%, analyze your content and call-to-action strength. And always segment when possible: for instance, loyalty program members are highly responsive – they engage with casino emails 2-3x more than non-members (since they have more skin in the game). One report found that loyalty members can be worth up to 10 times a non-member’s spend, so keeping them informed and engaged via email is critical for revenue and retention. On the flip side, if a large portion of your database has outdated emails or missing info, you’re losing reach. Shockingly, around 80% of casino loyalty memberships might be missing a valid email or phone contact in some databases. This highlights the importance of continuously capturing and updating contact information – a foundational step to maximize your PR reach.
Strategies to Leverage Email for Casino PR
Crafting a strategy that uses email marketing as a core PR tool involves aligning your content, timing, and technology with public relations goals. Here are actionable strategies and best practices for casino email marketing through a PR lens:
1. Integrate PR Messaging into Your Email Calendar
Don’t silo “marketing emails” and “PR communications.” Every email is an opportunity to reinforce brand values and trust. Plan PR-themed emails as a regular part of your send calendar. For example, alongside your weekly promotion, schedule a monthly “Community & News” update email to share non-promotional content: recent community service by the casino, new improvements (hotel renovations or new games with better odds), responsible gaming tips, and staff spotlights. Such content humanizes your brand. It’s not about immediate revenue, but about long-term loyalty. Casinos like MGM Resorts often include sections in their newsletters about charity drives or sustainability initiatives – effectively PR content that boosts public perception. Make sure these emails have clear, engaging subject lines (e.g., “How We’re Giving Back to Our Community – [Casino Name] News”) to get opens, and a tone that is informative and appreciative of the guest.
2. Personalize and Segment for Relevance
Relevance is king in PR communications. Leverage your data to segment audiences for each message. If a new law affects only your online betting customers, email just that segment with the update. If you’re addressing a local community concern (like traffic during a big event), target by geography. Personalization tokens (like first name, or referencing their tier/status) can make an email feel addressed to the individual, increasing engagement. Data shows personalized emails can boost open rates significantly – even a simple first-name personalization can yield a 26% higher open rate. For casinos, consider personalization beyond the usual: mention their favorite game (“As a valued poker player, we want to let you know…”) or their last visit (“Since you visited us in July, here’s an update…”). This level of detail shows that you know your customers, reinforcing a positive relationship. Modern email platforms allow dynamic content by segment – for instance, one email could have slightly different messaging for VIPs vs. general members, or different languages for different locales, all in one send. The effort to tailor communications pays off in trust, as players feel the casino speaks directly to their interests and needs.
3. Maintain a Balance (80/20 Rule of Content)
A common mistake is to make every email a sales pitch. For effective PR, maintain a balance between promotional and informational content. Some experts suggest an “80/20 rule” – 80% engaging/value content, 20% direct promotion. In casino terms, this could mean if you send 5 emails a month, maybe 1 is purely PR-focused (no offers), 2 are hybrids (e.g. a newsletter that has 70% news/tips and a small promo section), and 2 are pure promotional. By consistently providing value (information, entertainment, insider news) without always asking for a sale, you build goodwill. Customers will be more receptive to your promotional emails because they don’t see your name in the inbox only when you’re selling something. This strategy is data-supported: customer engagement rises when communications feel service-oriented rather than salesy. If players know your “Casino News” emails often contain interesting stories or exclusive insights (like an interview with a chef or a sneak peek at upcoming events), they’ll actually look forward to them, strengthening that relationship.
4. Use Data and Automation for Timely Outreach
In PR, timing is everything. The same holds for email – especially in crises or fast-moving situations. Set up automation and alerts so you can deploy emails quickly to the right groups. For instance, have a pre-drafted crisis email template ready for different scenarios (security incident, weather closure, etc.) so your team can fill in details and send on short notice. Leverage automation triggers: if a negative news story breaks, you could automatically queue an email to all hosts or VIP managers with talking points (internal PR via email), or trigger a message to guests if their upcoming reservations might be impacted by an issue. Also use behavior triggers for good PR: after a guest’s first visit, automatically send a “Thank You & What We’re About” email that not only thanks them but shares the casino’s mission (e.g. commitment to guest safety and fun, mention awards or community contributions). This kind of follow-up, powered by automation, reinforces a positive image when the experience is fresh in their mind.
Moreover, monitor player feedback data to inform PR emails. If social listening or surveys show people are concerned about something (say, cleanliness), address it in your next email proactively (“You spoke, we listened: improving our cleanliness protocols,” linking to a short note from operations). By closing the feedback loop via email, you demonstrate responsiveness. Remember, a key PR principle is to listen and respond – your email program can do both, if you invite replies or include survey links. Some casinos include a “Tell Us How We’re Doing” button in newsletters, collecting feedback that might alert the PR team to brewing issues.
5. Ensure Compliance and Deliverability (Don’t Get Lost in Spam)
Even the most beautifully crafted PR email means nothing if it doesn’t reach the inbox. Casinos operate in a regulated environment and sometimes with aggressive spam filters (especially if emails contain gambling-related terms). Other ESPs flat out ban Casino senders for no reason. Work closely with IT and your Email Service Provider (ESP) to maintain high deliverability. This includes: authenticating your sending domains (SPF, DKIM), warming up IPs if needed, and keeping your lists clean of bounces and unengaged users. The content itself should follow compliance not just legally but in tone. Avoid clickbait or misleading subject lines – they hurt your sender reputation and contradict PR transparency values. For regulatory emails, use straightforward subject lines (e.g. “Important Information about Your Account – Please Read”). For promotional ones, you can be creative but still avoid spam triggers (lots of $ signs, all-caps, etc.).
Also, segregate your email sends by type if possible – some advanced casino ESPs allow sending regulatory or transactional emails from a different IP or domain than marketing emails, ensuring that high-priority communications aren’t throttled by any issues on the marketing side. Keeping unsubscribe options clear and honored is critical (nothing will damage trust more than a “Stop emailing me” request being ignored). Essentially, treating recipients with respect – the core of PR – extends to how you manage their data and preferences in email.
One more aspect: regulatory compliance in content. Always include any legally required disclaimers in gambling-related emails (e.g. “Must be 21. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER” in U.S. jurisdictions, or the prescribed responsible gaming messages). Including these isn’t just law – it’s good PR, signaling that your casino cares about responsible play. The American Gaming Association’s marketing code underscores focusing on responsible communications in all advertising. Adhering to these in email shows you walk the talk.
6. Measure PR Impact: Beyond Opens and Clicks
To truly leverage email for PR, you should measure success in PR terms. In addition to standard email metrics, look at brand sentiment and engagement. Did a clarifying email during a crisis result in fewer calls to customer service and calmer social media chatter? Track those correlations. If you send a story about your casino’s community service, see if it gets mentioned or shared by recipients (you can provide social share buttons in the email). Perhaps include a subtle call-to-action like “Know someone who’d love this news? Share it!” which can multiply the PR reach. For internal KPIs, you might track “Email PR Score” – for example, an index of how many positive responses or forwards an email gets. Some casinos survey their players annually on communication satisfaction; good email PR usage should reflect in high scores for “keeps me informed” and “the casino is transparent with me” sentiments.
On the flip side, monitor negative signals. High unsubscribe rates or spam complaints on a particular send mean you might have overstepped or targeted the wrong audience with a message. For instance, if you send a general promo that’s too close to a tragedy (insensitive timing), people could react poorly. PR savvy means being attuned to the broader context. Always ask, “Could this email cause backlash or be misinterpreted?” If unsure, get a second set of eyes (legal or PR advisor) on sensitive communications before hitting send. In summary, use email metrics and beyond to gauge how well your emails are fulfilling PR objectives – building trust, conveying the right message, and strengthening relationships.
7. Leverage a Casino-Optimized ESP Platform
Finally, a practical consideration: the technology you use can make or break your email-as-PR strategy. Regular mass-market email tools might handle basic campaigns, but casinos have unique needs – complex segmentation (by player worth, game preferences, etc.), compliance rules, and possibly millions of subscriber records from years of operations. Consider investing in an ESP or CRM built for the casino/gaming industry. Many top operators choose platforms like iPost’s casino email marketing solution precisely because it supports Player ID-level data, real-time segmentation, and deliverability safeguards in regulated environments. Purpose-built tools can integrate with your casino management systems (CMS), pulling data like last play date or loyalty tier automatically into segmentation. They also often have higher security and compliance features (important when dealing with age-restricted marketing).
Using a casino-optimized ESP means when a PR situation arises, you can quickly pull the correct list (e.g. all active players in the last 60 days), personalize the message, and send with confidence that the nuances of gaming compliance are handled. It also means better analytics – tying email engagement to actual casino visits or spend. That closed-loop insight is powerful: you can demonstrate, for instance, that an email clarifying a new policy resulted in 5,000 players visiting within the next week, likely because your transparent communication gave them confidence to come back. If you’re not already using such a platform, it’s worth exploring. Tip: If you are using a general ESP, ensure you’ve configured it to accommodate casino specifics (like uploading suppression lists of self-excluded individuals to avoid accidentally emailing them – a huge compliance no-no and PR risk).
Frequently Asked Questions
How can email marketing improve casino public relations?
A: Email marketing improves casino PR by providing a direct, controlled communication channel to patrons. Through targeted email campaigns, casinos can quickly inform customers about important news, address concerns, or highlight positive stories – without a media filter. It helps humanize the brand (e.g. sending a thank-you email from the GM), reinforce transparency (like explaining new policies directly), and maintain trust during crises (by delivering timely updates to quell rumors). Essentially, email allows the casino to speak directly to its audience in a personalized way, which is invaluable for relationship-building and reputation management.
How often should casinos send emails to maintain good PR?
A: It’s important to find a balance in email frequency. You want to stay on your customers’ radar without annoying them. Many casinos send some form of email weekly – for example, a weekly offers newsletter – and supplement with special announcements or segmented emails as needed. For PR purposes, consistency and relevance matter more than a strict schedule. A general guideline might be: at least one touch per month that has significant news or value (to keep engagement), but typically 4-8 emails per month when including promotions, events, and informational updates. The key is to monitor engagement and unsubscribe rates. If you increase frequency and see open rates plummet or more people opting out, pull back. During crises or urgent situations, sending multiple updates in a short span is fine – patrons will appreciate real-time information (e.g., during a property closure, sending daily reopening status emails is appropriate). At all times, make sure every email has a purpose: don’t send filler content just to hit a quota. It’s better to send slightly fewer, high-quality emails than to blast daily with repetitive promos – the latter can harm your brand image and email deliverability.
What tools can help manage casino email and PR communications?
A: Specialized email service providers and CRM systems can greatly assist in managing casino communications. Look for tools that support advanced segmentation, personalization, and compliance features. For instance, iPost’s casino email platform (and similar solutions) allow integration with casino management systems, so you can segment by player activity or value automatically. They also offer features like suppression lists for self-excluded players, built-in design templates optimized for mobile, and send-time optimization to reach players when they’re most likely to open. Many casinos also use customer data platforms (CDPs) to unify data from email, SMS, and on-property interactions – this can inform a more holistic PR outreach (ensuring, say, that a VIP who got a personal host call about an issue isn’t also getting a generic email about it – consistency is key). Additionally, analytics tools that tie email performance to actual behavior (visits, revenue) are helpful to prove the ROI and impact of your communications. When selecting tools, prioritize those with strong support for the gaming industry’s regulatory context, as well as robust analytics and automation capabilities.
