1. Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

2. NNUAL
THE 3rd A
// And the winners are…
For this year’s Sherpie Awards, we sent out a call for nominees so that marketers like you could tell
us which casinos have raised the bar in social media. For the third year running, our SocialSherpa™
team has partnered with Global Gaming Business magazine to narrow down the very best social media
marketing from over a hundred casinos across the country across ten prestigious categories.
Without further ado, we present to you the winners of the 2012 Sherpie Awards. Congratulations to
everyone mentioned in the following pages – you’ve truly embraced social media as an ever-changing
platform and created integrated strategies to adapt to these social shifts. Keep up the excellent work.
2013 is going to be an even bigger year for social media – and we’re always here to help. If you
think your social efforts could use a boost, feel free to drop us a line: rleeds@masterminds1.com
For the sake of full disclosure and fairness, we did not include any of our own clients as nominees.
P R E S E N T E D B Y
&
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

3. BEST OF 2012
Best App / Interactive Game:
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino – What’s Your VIP?
In March, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino launched a month-long celebration entitled
“National VIP Month,” which gave guests of the resort an opportunity to live like Vegas
VIPs throughout the month with surprise rewards. To go along with this campaign,
Monte Carlo created an interactive Facebook application in which fans could upload
and customize a photo with a VIP phrase and an eclectic selection of props, and then
submit it for the opportunity to join Monte Carlo as an official VIP. This not only engaged
Monte Carlo’s Facebook community in a fun way, it also reinforced their “We’re all VIPs”
brand and helped to spread word about the culminating VIP Pool Party at the end of the
month. The user-friendly app still lives on their Facebook page, offering fans a continual
interactive and unique experience.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

4. BEST OF 2012
Best Facebook Promotion:
Foxwoods Resort Casino - “Anything But Ordinary”
Foxwoods Resort Casino turned 20 this past February, creating an ideal opportunity
for them to reinvigorate their brand and show off the extraordinary experiences their
customers could have at the casino. To support their fully integrated “Anything But
Ordinary” campaign, Foxwoods developed a Facebook sweepstakes to activate
their largest social audience. The promotion used gaming-inspired messaging and
encouraged fans to discover their inner King, Queen, Jack, Ace or Joker. The twist?
Fans could enter to win one of five different packages, each of which corresponded with
a different card. Each package promised luxury hotel stays, gift cards, entertainment
tickets and exclusive dining experiences, but was crafted to suit different tastes. This
impressive and in-depth promotion was leveraged to a viral level, reaching over 10,000
unique entries, a 46 percent growth in Facebook fans and nearly 143 million Facebook
impressions.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

5. BEST OF 2012
Best Use of Social for Public Relations:
Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Boonville – Farmer’s Pick Buffet
Beginning last October, Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Boonville successfully produced an
integrated campaign to promote the grand opening of their Farmer’s Pick Buffet, a farm-
to-fork style restaurant. From recipe and food blogger contests to well-received YouTube
time-lapse construction videos, Isle of Capri’s customers were kept engaged and excited
from start to finish. The casino featured chef how-to videos on their Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube accounts. They also highlighted local vendors and corresponding blog
posts each month, all of which generated significant buzz about the buffet. The buffet’s
Twitter campaign reached nearly 3,000 accounts and made almost 5,000 impressions,
and engagement on their Facebook page increased 59 percent. Traffic to the buffet
section on their website also increased by 64 percent. This all translated into notable
results upon the buffet’s opening, with a nine percent increase in covers at the restaurant
and a 16 percent increase in revenue.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

6. BEST OF 2012
Best Use of Video:
Pechanga Resort & Casino
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a video must be worth much more. Pechanga
Resort & Casino’s overall use of video has continually broken through casino promotional
clutter and delivered a human experience that their customers have grown to love and
trust. Ryan, Pechanga’s humorous, personable community manager, often appears in
the videos and shows viewers that the casino isn’t just a faceless corporation, but a fun,
welcoming atmosphere. From slot debuts to celebrity interviews and event coverage,
Pechanga’s collection of videos is as entertaining as it is engaging. Not to mention, the
production quality of their videos is tremendous. With over 100 uploads, 200 subscribers
and 650,000 video views, along with frequent shares to their other social networks,
Pechanga knows that producing memorable, sticky content is the fuel of social media.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

7. BEST OF 2012
Best Use of Twitter:
River City Casino
River City Casino embraces Twitter for what it is truly meant to be: a two-way
conversation and a customer service channel. As opposed to tweeting an endless
stream of promotional content, River City uses a strategic blend of humor, wit and
personality to bring a human element to their tweets. The casino frequently mentions,
replies to and retweets their tight-knit community of 1,200+ followers, which shows
how much they value the opinions of their brand advocates. They also engage this
audience by running hashtag contests, asking interesting questions, tweeting photos
of mouth-watering cuisine and posting teasers about their new hotel. River City has
truly added a personal touch to their social endeavors that makes followers feel
appreciated and understood.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

8. BEST OF 2012
Best Use of Instagram:
Revel Resorts, Atlantic City – Revel Nightlife
In the last year, photo sharing has become a very popular and engaging method of
social sharing. Instagram, which acquires a new user every second, represents a great
opportunity for casinos to participate in this thriving community, and many are already
jumping on board. Revel Nightlife, which opened early this year, is an early adopter of
the network, but they’re already seeing much success. With almost 3,000 followers and
over 100 “Likes” on any given upload, Revel Nightlife manages to effectively appeal to
a younger demographic by posting appealing photos of their nightlife, concerts and
entertainers, or just light-hearted quotes. And Instagram users are interacting – their
#revel hashtag currently houses over 20,000 photos.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

9. BEST OF 2012
Best Use of Pinterest:
Barona Resort & Casino
Casinos are beginning to jump on the Pinterest bandwagon, the fastest-growing
social media network ever. Barona Casino in San Diego, California, is at the top of our
leader“board” for being one of the first casinos to take advantage of the increasingly
popular network. Not only do they use Pinterest to show off their beautiful property and
the depth and breadth of amenities, they also use it to show what’s happening in the
surrounding area and to give their followers fun casino-themed party ideas. The variety
of their boards – which visualize their delectable cuisine, weddings, golf and the like –
give users all the more reason to consider Barona as their next escape. With over 100
followers and almost 400 pins, Barona has shown that Pinterest is another way to target
their older, primarily female demographic.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

10. BEST OF 2012
Best Online-Meets-Offline Promotion:
Pechanga Resort & Casino – Grease Slot Machine World Debut
Grease is the word—and Pechanga Resort & Casino knew it best. As the first casino
in the world to debut the movie-themed slot machine, Pechanga used both traditional
and new media to transport fans from their living rooms to the casino floor. With a
wildly successful YouTube teaser video that reached over 14,000 views without any
paid advertising, and a Facebook promotion unlocking Grease-related social deals
just for their fans, Pechanga made certain to excite their customers to be first to play
the new slot. To level up their social interaction, Pechanga also planned a launch party
exclusively for Facebook fans and special invitees. At the event, models dressed as
Grease characters to snap photos and give away Grease-themed prizes. As a result of
the integrated media mix, Pechanga saw an increase in hotel occupancy days prior to
the slot’s official launch, and reach on their Facebook page grew to 2.4 million.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

11. BEST OF 2012
Best Multi-Property Branding Initiative:
Boyd Gaming – B Connected Social
Boyd Gaming and their nationwide network of casino entertainment properties
implemented an innovative customer loyalty program entitled BConnected Social.
BConnected rewards players for actively engaging in social activities that directly
benefit the corporation, such as booking a room online versus calling in to make a
reservation. With over 600,000 registered users, customers can earn Social Points
simply by using the BConnected online and mobile platforms, sharing offers and events
on their favorite social networks or checking in to any Boyd Gaming casino using
Facebook Places or Foursquare. Along the way, users can unlock badges for various
achievements, which can also be shared.
After accumulating enough points, players can use them to enter giveaways, win trips,
slot dollars, gift cards and more. What’s more, they can keep track of their points and
prize eligibility and leaderboard ranking on a personalized online dashboard. Since the
program’s launch in April, Boyd Gaming has collectively received an 83 percent increase
in “Likes,” 70 percent increase in engagement and 93 percent increase in overall
impressions on Facebook. Not to mention, the website saw the highest traffic in its
history, with over 700,000 visits in the beginning month alone.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

12. BEST OF 2012
Best in Show:
Caesars Entertainment - Total Rewards
Caesars Entertainment really gets the power of social media. In preparation for the
launch of Escape to Total Rewards, their biggest-ever company promotion, they planned
an integrated 90-day plan, in which they relied heavily on social media as a central hub
to expand the reach and awareness of their efforts. Kicked off with simultaneous concert
events all across the country featuring chart-topping artists, the campaign encouraged
their customers to escape from the mundane and create their own totally rewarding
experiences.
In addition to a tremendous amount of traditional support, Caesars strategized their
approach across Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, video livestreams and online games
to spread the word. They also generated buzz via influencer and blogger outreach, and
they garnered endorsements from several influential celebrities on their
social networks.
Their Picture Your Escape Facebook Photo Contest was another way they engaged
consumers by showing the breadth of Caesars’ properties. The promotion asked fans to
upload a photo, which was placed into an outlandish photomontage that documented
their “escape.” The contest received over 1,800 entries.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

13. BEST OF 2012
Caesars also awarded more than 90,000 prizes worth more than $2 million through the
Escape to Total Rewards interactive online game. Users could log in to the game every
day using their Total Rewards card, giving them access to reward points for a variety of
offerings such as hotel accommodations, dining, entertainment, retail and spa amenities.
They could also earn additional entries by visiting each Caesars property Facebook
page and finding a new fan-gated secret code each day. Reaching more than 23 million
plays, this added a layer of social gamification that kept customers engaged throughout
the entirety of the campaign.
As a result of this campaign, Total Rewards membership increased 20 percent.
Collectively, Caesars’ Facebook fan base increased by 93 percent. The @Total_Rewards
Twitter handle received a 101 percent increase in followers, with the #PlotYourEscape
hashtag reaching over 70 million impressions. Event livestreams accumulated over
150,000 views. Most importantly, though, Caesars strengthened their relationship with
customers by showing they cared what their players wanted at a time when casino-
goers were seeking more from loyalty programs.
Overall, Caesars Entertainment built an extremely successful integrated social media
campaign surrounding their Total Rewards program, and deserves our “Best In Show”
Sherpie of the year.
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012

14. BEST OF 2012
// Honorable Mentions
Let’s face it, there are a lot of casinos out there – most of whom are active on social
platforms, and doing a nice job at it so far. We haven’t forgotten about you. Here’s a
list of some rising stars that almost made the Sherpie cut.
Mardi Gras Casino Hallendale Beach, FL
Casino Rama Resort Orillia, ON
Belterra Casino Resort Florence, IN
We’re looking forward to seeing bigger and better things come from these properties
and other casinos in the months to come. And as always, if you’d like some help,
drop us a line.
// Don’t Forget
Sign up for our Casino Buzz Report to see
how other casinos are using social media.
masterminds1.com/casino-buzz
Social Sherpa™ —A division of Masterminds masterminds1.com/socialsherpa © MASTERMINDS 2012