Business Commons^™

The Las Vegas Loyalty Battle Is Over. What’S Next?, Oliver Lovat

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

The strategic mission by Las Vegas casino operators to capture customer loyalty over the past decade has been a success. In 2021, 57% of visitors were generally loyal to a particular resort, compared to 32% in 2011. Only 7% of visitors were not a member of any rewards program in 2021, compared to 16% in 2011.

This has consequences for new market entrants who face a greater challenge to capture customers in a more mature, consolodated and strategic business environment.

Moreover, the drivers of loyalty remain different within the various customer segments, with the new generation of visitors responding less …

Premier: The Magazine Of The Unlv Harrah Hotel College, Angela Ramsey, Caitlyn Lopez

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

What a privilege it has been to serve as dean of the Harrah College of Hospitality over the past ten years!

Strengthening The Southern Nevada Workforce Pipeline, Katie M. Gilbertson

Policy Briefs and Reports

This report analyzes the Southern Nevada employment ecosystem by utilizing occupational clusters recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The first section examines occupations in the tourism industry using three occupational clusters: hospitality and leisure; arts, audio/video technology and communications; and the transportation, distribution, and logistics. Next, this report utilizes the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance’s 2022 Workforce Blueprint to identify the top 15 in-demand occupations for Southern Nevada and occupational clusters. A case study of the MGM College Opportunity Program (COP) is presented to demonstrate an existing workforce training program that promotes upward mobility of leisure and hospitality employees …

Strengthening The Southern Nevada Workforce Pipeline, Katie M. Gilbertson

Student Research

Workforce development has been a keystone in the discussion of economic diversification of Las Vegas for decades. The leisure and hospitality industry is the lifeline for the Southern Nevada economy due to the reliance on tourism as the city’s main economic driver. The leisure and hospitality industry requires physical labor and more face-to-face customer interaction than other employment sectors. Thus, these jobs often do not require high educational attainment, but rather sharp soft skills like effective listening, nonverbal communication, and negotiation strategies. While these are valuable traits, the lack of educational attainment within the leisure and hospitality workforce suppresses employees’ …

Premier: The Magazine Of The Unlv Harrah College Of Hospitality, Matt Jacob, Angela Ramsey, Caitlyn Lopez, Stowe Shoemaker, Maggie Hausbeck, Alexandra Liebman

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

Of the countless hospitality programs around the world, why does the Harrah College of Hospitality consistently rank at the top? I believe the college's excellence stems from our ability to leverage our strengths with those of our partners to do great things. It's that simple.

This approach has certainly been in play as we've navigated the difficulties of the past two years. We've worked with our friends in industry and academia to bolster our internship and mentorship programs, research, and interdisciplinary projects, all with the intent of expanding the knowledge base of the hospitality discipline and building a pipeline of …

Explaining The Economic Impact Of Covid-19: Core Industries And The Hispanic Workforce, Aaron Klein, Ember Smith

Policy Briefs and Reports

As the United States prepares for a COVID-19 recovery, policymakers need to understand why some cities and communities were more vulnerable to the pandemic’s economic consequences than others. In this paper, we consider the association between a city’s core industry, its economic susceptibility to the pandemic, and the recession’s racially disparate impact across six select metropolitan areas. We find that areas with economies that rely on the movement of people—like Las Vegas with tourism—faced substantially higher unemployment at the end of 2020 than cities with core industries based on the movement of information. Further, we find the hardest-hit areas have …

After Howard, Before The Mirage: The Early Corporate Era Of Nevada Casinos And The Shifting Visual Landscape Of Las Vegas, David Schwartz

Executive Vice President & Provost Faculty Publications

Las Vegas casino history is often divided into the “classic” or “Rat Pack” era and the “corporate” or “megaresort era.” Classic Vegas starts in the early 1950s as the burgeoning gaming industry established itself on the Strip and can be said to end in 1967, when Howard Hughes’ purchase of five casinos signaled the start of a new regime. The megaresort era started in 1989 with the opening of The Mirage, and the time between Hughes’ arrival and Steve Wynn’s game-changer is typically brushed over as a mere precursor to the massive changes of the 1990s.

Sin City: How To Shut Down A City That Never Closes, David Schwartz

Executive Vice President & Provost Faculty Publications

The casino closures that swept through the United States were entirely unprecedented. Never before had an entire hospitality industry been shut down overnight. While we don’t know when Americans will be free to gamble in casinos once more—or, indeed, what casino operations will look like when casinos reopen—the simple fact that casinos are closed gives us plenty to think about.

Premier: The Magazine Of The Unlv Harrah College Of Hospitality, Matt Jacob

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Premier: The Magazine Of The Unlv Harrah College Of Hospitality, Tony Allen, Matt Jacob, Nicole Schultz, Cate Weeks

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Strip. Las Vegas And The Architecture Of The American Dream., Marta Soligo

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Book Review: The Strip. Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream

Ninth Island, Las Vegas: Hawaiian Gaming Tourism And The California Hotel, Cynthia Van Gilder, Dana Herrera

Occasional Papers

Many people do not realize that Las Vegas, Nevada is home to a unique niche tourism: it is overwhelmingly the vacation destination of choice for residents of the state of Hawai’i, even affectionately termed the “Ninth Island.” Many credit the strong Hawaiian interest in Las Vegas to the fact that there is no legal gaming in the state of Hawai’i, however, data indicates that it is not just the opportunity to gamble that bring Hawaiian tourists here, but also the specifc amenities and experience offered at one particular hotel and casino, The California Hotel. Nicknamed “The Cal,” this establishment is …

Premier: The Magazine Of The Unlv Harrah College Of Hospitality, Matt Jacob, Jason Scavone, Shekinah L. Hoffman, Stowe Shoemaker, Maggie Hausbeck, Alexandra Liebman

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Foreign Exchange Rate Effect On International Gaming Demand: An Examination From An Upscale Las Vegas Casino, Myongjee Yoo, Ashok K. Singh, Kasra Ghaharian

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Las Vegas has developed into one of the world’s top tourist destinations, and the international market has become a vital stream of the city’s revenue. The objective of this study was to understand the foreign exchange rate as a determinant for international gaming demand in the Las Vegas gaming industry. This study applied the econometric modeling method of panel data analysis to secondary data originated from a Las Vegas Strip casino property. This study attempted to validate the foreign exchange effect through empirical investigation. Results of this study showed that foreign exchange rate has an impact on international gaming demand.

Forgotten Femmes, Forgotten War: The Kim Sisters’ Disappearance From American Screen And Scene, Danielle Seid

Occasional Papers

This paper explores the performance history of the Korean girl group The Kim Sisters, once highly visible racial icons, within the social and cultural context of 1960s Cold War America and popular entertainment culture. The Kim Sisters’ disappearance from American screen and scene raises questions about public memory of the Korean War, the status of Asian American performers in popular entertainment industries, and shifting attitudes about race, gender, and sexuality in the 1960s. Focusing in particular on the production and reception of their feminine beauty on stage and television, this paper highlights the Kims’ early years in the newly-formed Republic …

Premier, Joyce Gorsuch, Alexandra Liebman, Maggie Hausbeck, Bobbie Barnes, Kyle Helms

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Premier, Stowe Shoemaker, Joyce Gorsuch

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Becoming Respectable: A History Of Early Social Responsibility In The Las Vegas Casino Industry, Jessalynn R. Strauss

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Today’s gaming corporations actively engage with their communities by supporting nonprofit organizations and adopting environmentally friendly practices among other socially responsible actions. This research considers precursors to modern corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the gaming industry by examining the philanthropic activities of the casino owners in Las Vegas in the early days of its development. This historical look at early philanthropy in the gaming industry provides a contextual background for considering contemporary corporate social responsibility. While the gaming industry has clearly come a long way from its early ties to organized crime, an understanding of this context helps further discussion …

Premier, Gina Agrellas, Jordan Cloward, Bobby Cordell, Kyle Helms, Francis Mccabe

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Premier, Stowe Shoemaker, Francis Mccabe, Angela Ramsy

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Digging Deeper: Art Museums In Las Vegas?, Kathryn A. Braun-Latour, Flavia Hendler, Rom Hendler

Kathryn A. LaTour

[Excerpt] Las Vegas has been called the “city of reinvention” (Douglass and Raento 2003). Part of its more recent reinvention efforts has included the opening of five fine-art venues. However, one of the art museums––the Las Vegas Guggenheim––was shut down in its first year due to low attendance; another, the Bellagio Fine Art Gallery, has seen attendance dwindle (Schemeligian 2004). The question addressed here is whether the museums are bringing the intended intangible benefits to the host resort, or whether the sales and attendance figures represent overall disinterest. More broadly one considers the potential “fit” between sin-city and the high-art …

E-Premier, Stowe Shoemaker, Katherine Jackson, Jeremy Aguero, Ericka Aviles, Christopher P. Cain

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

Cracking The Cultural Code Of Gambling, Kathryn A. Latour, Franck Sarrazit, Rom Hendler, Michael S. Latour

Kathryn A. LaTour

International expansion by Las Vegas casino operators has so far been uneven, notably in Macao. Information on different cultures’ understandings of gambling, which is scant, could be instrumental in supporting international expansion. Instead of using the common-macro level cultural comparison survey-based method, this research uses early childhood memory elicitation to focus on how individuals in three countries were initially exposed to gambling in their own families as children. This method is used to uncover the cultural code of gambling in the United States, the People’s Republic of China, and France. The analysis indicates that each culture has its own code …

Premier, Don Snyder, Bo Bernhard, Robyn Campbell-Ouchida, Anthony Gatling, Elizabeth Dhanis, Gael Hancock, Taylor Madden, Afsha Bawany

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

E-Premier, Donald D. Snyder, Bo Bernhard, Ericka Aviles, Chris Smith

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.

A Market Analysis Of The Family Market In Las Vegas, Lawrence Dandurand

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

The family market in Las Vegas is controversial. However, it already exists. It represents 8 percent of the total Las Vegas visitor market. Empirical data, based on a random sample of2,400 visitors to Las Vegas, are analyzed to provide information relevant to business strategy and public policy development. Research findings indicate significant differences between the family market and other markets.

Research Note: Forecasting Macau's Gaming Revenue And Its Seasonality, Ipkin Anthony Wong

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

The gaming literature has identified a number of factors that have driven the growth of Macau's casino industry. At the same time, however, questions remain as to future prospects for the growth of the enclave's gaming revenue- and specifically, whether this type of growth can be sustained. A forecast of Macau gaming revenue and an examination of its seasonality can assist scholars and practitioners alike in developing a better understanding of seasonal variation (a significant consideration in the volatile world of gaming) and the future outlook of the world gambling capital. The objective of this article is to investigate these …

Las Vegas Locals As Gamblers And Hosts To Visiting Friends And Family: Characteristics And Gaming Behavior, Rachel S. Shinnar, Cheri A. Young, David L. Corsun

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Local gamblers are an important market segment for casino marketers providing a reliable source of revenue during slow periods. This paper presents selected gaming behavior of local residents in the Las Vegas area, linking socio-demographic characteristics with gaming behavior. In addition, this article examines the relationships of Las Vegas area locals and their visiting friends and family members in two aspects. First, we identified the influence local residents have on visiting friends and family in terms of recommendations made regarding gambling in general and specific gaming locations. Second, this article describes how visiting friends and family influence local residents in …

“Don’T Blow A Bunch Of Cash On Vegas:” An Event Study Analysis Of President Obama’S Public Statements On Las Vegas, Paul Gift, Michael J. Gift

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

In February of 2009 and 2010, President Obama made what some in the media and gaming industries construed as negative public statements regarding trips to Las Vegas. Some claimed these statements could easily be interpreted as a suggestion that companies and individuals avoid casino areas, thus doing additional harm to their surrounding economies during already tough times. In this paper, we use event study methodology to examine stock market reactions of U.S. casino-related businesses to the president’s statements. We find that President Obama’s statements were followed by significant negative abnormal returns in the segment of companies targeted more towards conventions, …

Premier, Bo Bernhard, Afsha Bawany, Bobbie Barnes, Elle House, John Fitts, Elijah Tredup, Gael Hancock

Premier: The Magazine of the UNLV Harrah Hotel College

No abstract provided.