Gaming and Casino Operations Management Commons^™

Factors Influencing Service Robot Adoption: A Comparative Analysis Of Hotel-Specific Service Robot Acceptance Models, Ying Dong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The market for service robots is expected to expand significantly owing to the increasing relevance of service automation under the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the growing managerial interest in robotic applications in the hotel industry, current robotic research has been mostly conceptual with limited robot data on hand. In light of this issue, this paper will conduct a comparative analysis of hotel-specific service robot acceptance models between the Service Robot Acceptance Model (sRAM) and the Service Robot Integration Willingness (SRIW) framework. By identifying key elements of each service robot acceptance model, this paper puts an emphasis on investigating …

Data Analytics In Hotel And Integrated Resort Brands: An Evaluation Of Past Literature And Proposed Research For The Future, Luke Andrew Walocko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Data analytics in hotel and integrated resort brands is a growing strategy implemented to support business decisions designed to generate revenue or save costs. This study utilizes a literature review of data analytics related publications to provide recommendations on future research topics to improve the quality of literature related to data analytics in hotel and integrated resort brands. The study is not limited to hospitality specific research and uses research from all industries to identify gaps in publications for hospitality scholars to explore. Three proposed research questions for future exploration were composed based on the comparison of literature written for …

Utilizing Gamification To Enhance Customer Engagement And Loytalty In The Hospitality Industry, Xiaoting He

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gamification involves the engagement of game elements and designs in non-game contexts. There is a need to increase the effectiveness of the conventional loyalty program, and implementing gamification has become a popular concept. Gamified hotel loyalty programs differentiate hotels from their rivals by increasing customer engagement and, ultimately, customer loyalty. Despite prior research on the effectiveness and functions of gamification, under what conditions gamification can enhance enagement lacks further investigation. This study draws on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to develop a framework linking gamification elements with users' psychological needs, where customer engagement is enhanced when the game elements successfully satisfy …

Do Simulcasting And Off-Track Betting Benefit Or Harm Kentucky On-Track Betting?, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Online Gambling Legalization, William M. Schmidt

Student Publications

The tradition of gambling has been around for thousands of years, but has undergone a recent evolution into what it is perceived as today. This has turned it into an industry of its own, which will only continue to grow with the ongoing legalization of online gambling. Past trends in these legislations would project further economic growth tied to the gambling industry. However, the mental health implications that have been seen to stem from the practice of gambling are as present as ever. This problem associated with the industry will also be expected to climb as gambling becomes both more …

The House Edge And Play Time: Do Industry Heuristics Fairly Describe This Relationship?, Anthony F. Lucas, A.K. Singh

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Based on modified versions of licensed pay tables from reel slot machines, simulations of play failed to indicate a statistically significant difference in the spins per losing player (SPLP), despite a marked difference in the pars (i.e., 7.9% vs. 12.9%). To reflect a volume of play consistent with frequent gambling, the simulations included results from 1-4 visits per week, for the equivalent of one year. Additionally, this level of play was repeated for 100 “years,” within multiple scenarios of buy-in amounts and stoppage-of-play criteria. Still, most outcomes indicated a negligible decline in SPLP, in spite of the 63%-increase in the …

Historical Horse Racing Trends Over The Last Five Years: How Much Does Each Machine Earn?, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Did Covid Benefit Or Harm Horse Racing Wagering? A Comparison Of Trends, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Different media accounts during the recent Covid-19 pandemic have mentioned an upswing in horse racing gambling thanks to a decline in other forms of wagering at casinos and with sports gambling. This paper examines gambling trends across the US before and during the pandemic for these forms in gambling as well as lotteries. Horse racing wagering did see an increase, but not as dramatically as one would expect.

Sports Gaming, Casinos, And Horse Racing In New Jersey: The Record Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

New Jersey was the first state to legalize sports gaming outside of Nevada after a landmark US Supreme Court decision in May 2018 struck down a federal law banning sports gambling in all other states and the District of Columbia (Liptak and Draper 2018). Some race tracks such as Monmouth Park race track began offering sports gambling as a way to bring back fans to parimutuel wagering which had been and still is in decline for several decades at tracks throughout the nation (Associated Press 2019). This brief paper examines trends in New Jersey on how sports gambling has grown …

Increasing Investment In Stem Education For Females: Policy Considerations, Becky Harris, Andrea Dassopoulos, Daniel Sahl, Anna Starostina

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

During this difficult economic time, as policy makers decide how to use their limited resources to help prepare the rising generation for the demands of an ever-changing workforce, aligning K-12 educational priorities with higher education and economic development can help maximize public dollar investments in STEM education, particularly when females are given access to STEM and STEM-related education and programs. Smart public policy initiatives can help increase the representation of women in the technology, research and development, and innovation departments.

The purpose of this article is to provide policy recommendations that could help increase gender diversity and participation in STEM …

Gambling Researchers’ Use And Views Of Open Science Principles And Practices: A Brief Report, Debi A. Laplante, Eric R. Louderback, Brett Abarbanel

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

Scientists across disciplines have begun to implement ‘open science’ principles and practices, which are designed to enhance the quality, transparency, and replicability of scientific research. Yet, studies examining the use of open science practices in social science fields such as psychology and economics show that awareness and use of such practices often is low. In gambling studies research, no studies to date have empirically investigated knowledge of and use of open science practices. In the present study, we collected survey data about awareness and use of open science practices from 86 gambling studies research stakeholders who had attended a major …

Crisis Management Practices In The Hospitality And Gambling Industry During Covid-19, Kasra Ghaharian, Brett Abarbanel, Marta Soligo, Bo Bernhard

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine crisis management practices among gambling-related hospitality business stakeholders (GBSs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to a sample of GBSs resulting in 64 completed surveys. The survey explored the COVID-19 crisis using a three-phase framework: preparedness (prior experience and response plans), response (level of importance and use of crisis practices) and future (confidence in recovery, beliefs about consumer behavior and new strategies). Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to investigate the influence of preparedness variables on crisis management capabilities. Importance-Performance Analysis was used to …

What Happens Here? Educating Las Vegas’S Guests During Covid-19, Marta Soligo

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

When, in 2003, the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority (LVCVA) launched the tag line “What happens here, stays here,” it reinforced the idea, already supported by the media, that in Sin City everything is allowed. Looking at the COVID-19 crisis, one might wonder how, after being seen for years as a place without restrictions, Las Vegas could convince its tourists to respect some rigid safety guidelines. This paper tries to answer that question starting from the framework of the host-guest relationship, which is widely used in anthropology and sociology of tourism. On the one hand, I state that short-time …

Covid-19 And Its Implications For Women In Gaming: Move Towards Regulation, Policies, And Culture Changes In The United States, Shekinah Hoffman, Itzel Alanis

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

COVID-19 exposes structural inequalities within American society which can no longer be ignored. Here, we highlight the structural inequalities women and women of color face that are glaringly apparent or exacerbated in the pandemic. Inequalities that play a role in the unemployment, insufficient workplace protection, and increased work-life demands of women and women of color in the gaming industry. Instead of returning to “normal” business post-pandemic, we urge gaming leaders to reflect on these inequities within their workplaces. We offer that guaranteed paid leave and permanent flexible work arrangements could improve the life of gaming women employees and their families.

Derby City Gaming Expansion: Its Impact On The Louisville Metro Area, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Picks On Clicks With An Rg Schtick: Building Long Term Sustainability In Esports Betting Growth, Brett Abarbanel

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

During the COVID-19 pandemic, esports and its associated betting markets grew – and in some cases, continue to grow – exponentially as consumer entertainment filled the gap left by a sport shut down around the world. What does this mean for gambling-focused organizations seeking to enter the esports and gaming space? What lessons from gambling should gaming and esports organizations be aware of as they embark on the hunt for gambling-related partners? What potential consumer impacts exist as brands, both endemic and non-endemic to esports and gaming, peddle their gambling wares?

The Relationship Between In-Play Betting And Gambling Problems In An Australian Context Of Prohibited Online In-Play Betting, Sally Melissa Gainsbury, Brett Abarbanel, Alex Blaszczynski

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

Internationally, Internet gambling is increasingly permitted under regulated licensing conditions; however, the specific products that are legal varies between jurisdictions. Online sports and race wagering are now legal in many jurisdictions, but in-play betting (also referred to as "live action" or "in-the-run" betting) is often restricted. In-play betting enables bets to be placed on an event after it has commenced. Prohibitionist policies often cite the potential for this type of betting to increase risk of gambling problems. This study aimed to identify which online bettors are most likely to engage in in-play betting, and to investigate the relationship between in-play …

Sweden’S Casino Cosmopol Stayed Open During The Pandemic: What Can We Learn?, Kasra Ghaharian, Bo Bernhard

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated countless research questions for academics in every conceivable field. Chief among those are the biomedical questions, particularly those related to diagnosis, prevention and treatment (National Institutes of Health, 2020), as this public health crisis relentlessly spreads across the globe. Meanwhile, virtually every other research field finds itself exploring the intersections of those biomedical questions with more specific queries on a range of everyday impacts. Sweden’s approach to COVID-19 has captured the imaginations of critical thinkers worldwide. Sweden has resisted the tendency of governments to shut down society, instead electing for a more sustainable approach. Our …

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 Research

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.

Twin River Worldwide Stepping It Up.”, David Schwartz

Executive Vice President & Provost Faculty Research

Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc. (TRWH) announced that it was acquiring three casino resorts from Eldorado Resorts Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Corp. The two gaming companies are in the process of consummating a merger.