Casino City Press Business Profile - Rymax Marketing Services

The gaming industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, but one constant that remains is the importance of player loyalty programs.

That said, it’s no surprise that Rymax Marketing Services, a leading supplier of loyalty solutions, has made its mark in the gaming world business over the last two decades, with 25% of its overall business coming from casino clients as it delivers programs to more than 50 million players.

“We’re in every vertical you could imagine, but what’s great about the gaming industry is that player loyalty is one of the top marketing initiatives for the casinos; it's built into their DNA,” said Rymax Senior Vice President of Sales Paul Gordon. “They're always looking for ways to either initiate or increase traffic, and that’s what we do best, so that's what really makes it a fun industry for us to be involved with.”

Casino City sat down with Gordon, who has been with the New Jersey-based company for 15 years and is a regular attendee of most all major gaming conferences across North America and beyond, to discuss the ever-evolving business and what he thinks lies ahead for both Rymax and the industry as a whole.

Please give us a brief explanation of what Rymax does.
Rymax is the premier marketing company for loyalty and recognition programs that range from consumer to employee programs. We are proud to be a woman-owned company with over 25 years of experience in all business verticals.

How has Rymax managed to survive over the years working in an industry that has seen drastic ups and downs and technological advancements?
We not only have survived in our industry, but also we actually have flourished and grown. Our unique business model is steeped in exclusivity with manufacturers and an emphasis on delivering the latest and greatest products and brands.

Our ability to understand what motivates a positive action is based on our diverse client portfolio. And as technology shifts, we have invested in the resources that make us leaders.

What have been some of things you have done to help fend off increased competition over the years?
Competition is subjective. There are many providers of products, but very few have the infrastructure that Rymax has. We are very unique in that we buy the products, warehouse and ship them, and have our own customer service, merchandising and marketing teams in-house. We do not outsource anything, which makes the total experience in a loyalty and rewards program effective and seamless.

Our online platform is state of the art and very user friendly for casino players and casino employees. We are able to differentiate the sites by client and provide analysis in redemption trends by brand, price point and demographics.

How did COVID-19 affect your company and what did you do to adapt and prosper in the face of a global pandemic? Are things finally back to "normal" for your company and the casino/gaming industry?
When the world stood still for several months, we never closed our warehouse, because of employee and consumer redemption programs, and did not lay off any employees.

The heart and soul of a company is critical as you weather times like these. We had supply chain issues that needed to be overcome by focusing on core brands and suppliers, and going narrow and deep on specific SKUs. That, along with very transparent conversations, helped us have a very good 2020 and growth in 2021 and 2022. We also successfully moved more programs online versus onsite to give the casino players motivation to continue to play and eventually increase their visits to the casino.

What's next for the casino industry and Rymax in 2023?
The casino industry continues to expand, and online gaming is growing state by state. We are very bullish on this industry as it creates jobs, revitalizes communities, and contributes to the infrastructure via taxes.

Casinos are so much more than gambling as they become destinations for dining, entertainment and social gatherings. We see the positive impact growing and are proud to be an integral partner. Rymax will continue to increase our brand portfolio with top name brands and will be the consultative partner, which offers unique marketing programs, with our casino clients.