Tribal member wins national casino marketing award

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

When Tribal member Rich Colton graduated from Pacific University in the late 1990s, he envisioned himself working for a Portland-area advertising agency.

As many young college graduates soon discover, getting into a specific field can often feel insurmountable unless you know certain people.

At the time, Spirit Mountain Casino had only been open a few years, but as a marketing student, Colton recalled that their ad campaigns were “truly memorable.”

“That caught my attention, so I decided to apply and learn more about the casino,” he said. “I applied for a players club rep position and enrolled in dealer school. Both looked fun, but dealer school was pure magic for me. The first time I watched our instructor, Tom, deal a hand of blackjack, I was completely hooked. Camille (Mercier), HR director at the time, believed this would be a great way for me to get my foot in the door and learn about the casino — and she was absolutely right. It turned out to be an amazing experience.”

Nearly three decades later, as marketing director at Three Rivers Casino Resort in Florence, Colton has had experiences which include helping to launch the original casino in 2004, as well as a 93-room hotel and a second gaming facility in Coos Bay in 2015. He leads, “an incredible team that I’ve spent years developing. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else… it’s just too much fun.”

Recently, Colton and his marketing team were honored at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas with a national outstanding achievement award for casino promotion.

Presented by the Casino Direct Marketing Association, the inaugural Theo Awards spotlighted the year’s “most effective, innovative and results-driven marketing across the gaming industry,” according to an article in Indian Gaming Magazine.

“Winners were announced at G2E’s Networking Lounge, celebrating strategic and imaginative campaigns that elevate brand engagement and customer loyalty,” the article stated.

Colton and his marketing team won the award for “The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party,” promotional campaign at Three Rivers.   

“We transformed our event center into a Disneyland-themed experience — immersive, fun and unforgettable,” he said. “Being recognized on an international stage was an incredible honor. … I was very surprised when we won the award at G2E. While I’m usually comfortable speaking in front of our staff and in public, I’ll admit the nerves were definitely there — I was on pins and needles. When the announcement was made, I was truly delighted and excited to share the news with our marketing team, the casino and the Tribe.”

Colton said his favorite aspect of working in marketing is collaborating with others on ideas, projects, promotions and VIP events.

“Every day brings something new: A fresh challenge or a new opportunity and that constant energy is what makes the work so exciting,” he said. “The most challenging part is getting my brain to slow down when I’m not in the building or on the casino floor. I’m always thinking about new ideas and ways to make things better for our team members and our guests.”

He recommended that fellow Grand Ronde Tribal members who are interested in gaming and unsure of how to get their foot in the door attend the dealer school that Spirit Mountain Casino still offers.

“It’s such a fun job to have, the money is great and you don’t take any stress home,” Colton said. “It will absolutely be my part-time retirement job when I get there. This role can lead you anywhere you want to go. Tribal gaming is almost everywhere and dealer school is a great way to get your foot in the door and truly learn casino operations. Along the way, you may discover an interest in another department and that’s great, from there the opportunities are endless.”