The Royal Caribbean Group, which is the parent company of the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises companies, has been tinkering with the idea of merging its operations under the same loyalty program.

Blue Chip Club Earning Period Extended, But Why?

As things stand, Royal Caribbean Cruises allows customers to participate in its signature Club Royale rewards program but hop over to Celebrity Cruises and you will be rolled into Blue Chip Club.

This means opportunity lost for consumers who have been otherwise very happy with the experience they receive on both cruises, including onboard casinos featuring slot and table games, as well as smoke-free areas.

The extension of the Blue Chip Club program could signal an early decision by the parent group to heed the call of its customers and indeed advance with a decision to merge the two loyalty programs, or at least connect them so consumers can benefit freely jumping from one cruise to the next.

Royal Caribbean has already announced that it will be extending and developing its casinos, seeing them as an important part of the overall experience, and a good hook to attract new customers, reactivate dormant ones, and generally continue to be a good entertainment option.

Some of the major updates have been an expansion of the existing square footage of gaming floors, but also the addition of progressive jackpots which have become a hit with players who seem to be tempted by the prospect of escaping on a cruise where they can try their hand at a progressive jackpot.

The Time for a Loyalty Program Merge May Finally Be Here

It’s not just that though as rewards programs have become very important in light of this heightened interest in the group’s cruises, and merging the two would be a smart business decision, even if on the face of it, the two brands want to maintain their relevant autonomy and independence.

Their internal competition is not likely to hurt either party, though, as consumers would just be able to use their loyalty points freely, nurturing even stronger brand loyalty, and driving attention to the growing segment of on-site casino gaming.

Although speculation at the present moment, expanding the Blue Chip Club earning period could be a way to carry over the points into a merged program moving forward, which would boost brand loyalty

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According to a report on CTV National News, the owners of the Great Blue Heron Casino, the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation (MSIFN), north of Toronto, believe they got a raw deal from the government with the launch of iGaming in Ontario and new land-based operations in the area. The Great Blue Heron Casino is situated in Port Perry and it opened in 1997.

Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto opened recently and the billion-dollar property along with new venues in Ajax and Pickering, not to mention the advent of commercial “free-market” online casino gaming in the Ontarian province, have the First Nations operator more than a little nervous about the future of its operations that provide much-needed revenues for the tribe. Their Chief, Kelly LaRocca. States it a bit more boldly and believes the government has broken promises and shorted the community on agreed-upon operating terms.

Owned Operated and Managed by Three Different Entities

The MSIFN owns the casino which is managed by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and operated by Great Canadian Entertainment. An agreement by all three parties entered into in 2016, and spelling out the MSIFN’s expectations does not rhyme with the reality on the ground today, according to the Chief.

“I’ve had major concerns around each casino opening and expansion,” LaRocca said. “It’s an existential threat for our economic driver and the community here. The community feels they were misled by the government.”

One bone of contention seems to be live entertainment that Great Canadian has booked at all properties in the area, except presumably Great Blue Heron, with Live Nation even though there is a new entertainment center slated for the older casino. Chief LaRocca said nobody has informed her of an opening date for the 500-seat venue, but other reports indicate an opening in the fall of this year.

The Chief said, “I’m not seeing a guarantee that the list of entertainers will be shared amongst the [Great Canadian Entertainment]

.”

The casino has seen other recent capital improvements including an expanded gaming area with new slot machines and table games as well as a 100-key hotel that opened a free short years ago.

However, the Chief must look out for the welfare of the Nation that relies on revenue from the property it owns – in fact, it’s so important that all of the parties will be involved in a mediation that will take place to see if all the terms of the 2016 agreement are being met. The mediation could also result in more gaming seats being opened at Great Blue Heron to help it meet the targets promised. The casino transitoined from a “charity casino” to a commercial casino in 2016 with the agreement.

According to the Chief, the casino is“the economic foundation and lifeblood of <the>community. It has brought us clean drinking water, enhanced health-care services and education,” she said.

No Delusions about Mediation

LaRocca explained that the community has clarity in their expectations of what mediation can bring,

“You know, if parties come willingly to the table and open to all matters of possibility, then a mediation works well. If parties come to the table closed and with preconceived notions of how things ought to go, with no room for movement, then really, it’s not meaningful open discussion. So we’re just trying to be cautious with what our expectations are and willing to go the distance should we need to go to mediation.”

The Chief says the Pickering casino violates a proximity agreement in the 2016 document and says they were not consulted on that before the Pickering venue was approved and opened.

“We’d like the agreements that we entered into in 2016 to be honored. What that means is to have a protected territory that is honored by the OLG.

“The way they handled Pickering and Ajax… we will be looking for them to acknowledge it and for some kind of compensation for that.”

She’s also concerned about the effect of iGaming on the market, fearing the opportunity for people to simply go online to play casino games is costing them money.

“We’re interested in discussing iGaming and the rollout of that and the impact on gaming in our community, in our facility, and on other land-based facilities,” LaRocca said.

“I’d be mighty upset at the onset of iGaming, especially after having poured in hundreds of millions of dollars into various land-based gaming facilities, only to turn around and have their market share scuttled. But I suspect that the service providers have been compensated for that.”

The 2016 agreements states in part: “The Province and the First Nation intend that the Great Blue Heron continue to operate and be commercially viable.”

However, the Chief sees the proliferation of newer and bigger casinos as an existential threat to the Great Blue Heron.

“The Ford government have broken their word to our community. It’s hurting a lot of Indigenous people and we are going to have to take issue and fight against the cannibalization of gaming.”

Source: Facing commercial competition, Great Blue Heron tribal casino owners look for better deal with Ontario government, CDC Gaming Reports, July 5, 2023

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