Hospitality Administration and Management Commons^™

Online Reviews And Travel Magazine Awards: Their Influence On Willingness‑To‑Pay, Amanda Belarmino, Tevfik Demirciftci, Liheng Zhang

Hospitality Faculty Research

When guests book a hotel room, user-generated content (UGC) has a significant impact on willingness-to-pay. Prior to advent of the internet, however, guidebooks and travel magazines were resources for guest information. The current study conducted a choice-based conjoint analysis survey of 803 US travelers to examine the current impact of travel magazines on hotel guests’ willingness-to-pay. The participants were given a scenario in which they choose a hotel for beach vacation with the variables of pool, location, star rating, number of online reviews, and inclusion in a “best of” list. This study found that while the number of online reviews …

The Recursive Relationship Between Abusive Supervision And Service Performance, Cass Shum

Hospitality Faculty Research

Purpose – Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, this study investigates the recursive relationship between abusive supervision and service performance and the moderating role of coworker support in this recursive relationship. Design/methodology/approach – This study tests the model using moderated cross-lagged analysis with a three-wave longitudinal data from 146 hospitality employees who were working and studying in hospitality. Findings – Results support the recursive relationship: abusive supervision impairs service performance and employees with low service performance provoke abusive supervision. Coworker support mitigates the lagged effect between abusive supervision and service performance and that between service performance and abusive supervision. …

Theme And Authenticity: Experiencing Heritage At The Venetian, Marta Soligo, Brett Abarbanel

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

Purpose This article analyzes the concepts of experience economy and promotion of authenticity at The Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas by exploring the resort's tangible and intangible heritage use in design and marketing strategies. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study conducts a content analysis of marketing material, historical documents, and site observations. Findings Visitors' active involvement, combined with The Venetian's use of tangible and intangible heritage, is used in creating an authentic themed experience. In addition, our study suggests that authenticity constitutes a key concept for today's hospitality industry. Research limitations/implications This study centers on a single case study, and …

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 …

Why Won’T She Break Rules To Promote Service? Effects Of Gender, Gender Identification, And Honesty, Cass Shum, Ankita Gosh, Jaimi Garlington

Hospitality Faculty Research

This paper investigates the reason and the condition under which gender is related to employee’s prosocial rule-breaking to promote service (PSBS) in two studies. Unlike typical rule-breaking, PSBS aims to improve guest service. Drawing on social identity theory and gender research, we suggest that female hospitality employees engage in fewer PSBS than their male counterparts. We further propose the moderating role of gender identification and the mediating role of honesty. Study 1 sampled 324 hospitality workers through Qualtrics and showed that female employees engage in fewer PSBS. However, the effect of gender on PSBS was weaker when gender identification was …

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.

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

Executive Vice President & Provost Faculty Research

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.

Where Women Stand In Tribal Vs. Non-Tribal Gaming Leadership, Toni Repetti, Shekinah L. Hoffman

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Tribal casinos operate for the economic development and self-sufficiency of their members so additional profit generated directly benefits their communities. Gender diversity has been shown to increase firm performance across different types of business so if tribal casinos have gender diversity in management they may be able to increase their profits. This study evaluates casino management positions in 405 tribal and 567 non-tribal casinos in the United States. Results indicate that women in tribal gaming only make up 37.8% of all management positions and while they represent about half of managers, the percentage decreases as the position increases. When compared …

What Predicts Esports Betting? A Study On Consumption Of Video Games, Esports, Gambling And Demographic Factors, Joseph Macey, Brett Abarnabel, Juho Hamari

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

The parallel media related to sports, gaming and gambling are expanding, exemplified by the emergence of esports and game-related gambling (e.g. loot boxes, esports betting). The increasing convergence of these phenomena means it is essential to understand how they interact. Given the expanding consumer base of esports, it is important to know how individuals’ backgrounds and consumption of game media may lead to esports betting. This study employs survey data (N = 1368) to investigate how demographics, alongside consumption of video games, esports and gambling can predict esports betting activity. Results reveal that both spectating esports and participation in general …

Why Change In The Gaming Industry Should Never Surprise Anyone, David Schwartz

Executive Vice President & Provost Faculty Research

There has been a great deal of change in the news lately for the gaming world. After more than a decade as head of MGM Resorts, Jim Murren is stepping down. The Chinese coronavirus outbreak has sent Macau gaming revenues into a tailspin. On a happier note, a big brand name is returning to a Las Vegas casino, with the announcement that Hilton will be operating three hotels as part of the Genting Group’s Resorts World development. Change is in the air. But that’s nothing new, and nothing the industry shouldn’t be expecting.

When Do Abusive Leaders Experience Guilt?, Cass Shum, Anthony Gatling, Min-Hsuan Tu

Hospitality Faculty Research

Purpose: Drawing from the appraisal theory, this paper aims to examine the conditions under which abusive leaders experience guilt and suggests that guilt motivates leaders to help followers. Design/methodology/approach: A scenario study with a sample of 285 hospitality supervisors was used to test the theoretical model. Path analyses were conducted to test the three-way-moderated mediation model. Findings: Results show a three-way interaction among enacted abuse, managerial abuse and agreeableness on the guilt: leaders are more likely to experience guilt over their enacted abusive supervision when they do not perceive their direct manager as abusive and when they are agreeable. Moreover, …

Regulated Sports Betting: A Nevada Perspective, Becky Harris

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

This article discusses the impact Nevada has had on legal regulated sports betting for the past seventy years. First, an overview and history of Nevada's sport betting regulatory framework will be presented; and, second, lessons learned and issues to consider for states wishing to embark on legalized regulated sports betting such as, integrity, why states and not the federal government should regulate sports betting, how tax rates and fees impact the legal and illegal markets, why technology is critical component of legal sports wagering, why multiple avenues for consumer protection are essential, and finally how cooperation among all stakeholders is …

An Assessment Of Generation Z’S Preferences For Guest-Facing Hotel Technologies, Jennifer Jaimes, Mehmet Erdem, Chih Chien Chen, Bill Doyle

Hospitality Faculty Research

Generation Z, also commonly described as Digital Natives, is a notable emerging market for hoteliers. Given the ever-evolving nature of the consumers, existing marketing strategies may not always be effective for incoming generational cohorts. This exploratory study submits that examining Generation Z members’ perceptions on guest-facing hotel technologies could yield useful information for new marketing strategies. The findings establish that guest-facing technologies is an important consideration for the members of Generation Z when selecting a hotel accommodation and they are willing to pay more for a hotel property that offers them. However, the level of perceived importance of such technologies …

Value Relevance Of Financial And Non-Financial Information: Evidence From The Gaming Industry, Lisa Goh, Kevin Ck Lam, Hong Weng Lawrence Lei

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Using financial and non-financial data from casino gaming firms listed in the United States from 1999–2017, we explore two research questions: (1) Is financial information value relevant to financial markets in the casino gaming industry? (2) Does non-financial information have incremental explanatory power over financial information? In general, we find that accounting numbers can explain a firm’s market value and stock returns in the casino gaming industry, except for accounting accruals, which may behave differently compared to other industries. We also find that non-financial information, such as the number of table games, number of slot machines, and their relative proportion, …

Nipped In The Budd? Assessing The Wisdom Of The Gambling Review Body’S Recommendations In Relation To Problem Gambling, Daniel Waugh, Tom Grant

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

The convening of the Gambling Review Body (the ‘Review Body’), between 2000 and 2001 was the most recent attempt by the British Government to consider fully policy objectives for the operation of its licensed gambling market. It followed in a tradition of comprehensive Government-sponsored reviews of gambling (carried out in the twentieth century by Royal Commissions) approximately every 20 to 25 years. The publication of its report in 2001 had a strong influence on the drafting of the Gambling Act 2005 (the ‘2005 Act’), Britain’s principal piece of gambling legislation.

In 2019, Britain’s gambling laws are under review once more. …

Incubating Innovation: How Hospitality Librarians Support Entrepreneurship, Lateka J. Grays, Robert Rippee

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Reinventing The Wheel: Comparing Family Friendly Vegas And Adult Friendly Vegas Revenue Growth, James Vaughn

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

The one constant for Las Vegas is change, always looking for the Next Big Thing™. In the 1990s, Las Vegas engaged in a grand experiment: roller coasters, amusement parks, family pools and shows. In the 2000s, Las Vegas reinvented itself back to its roots: condo not amusement parks, sensual not swashbuckling shows, topless European ultra-pools not kiddie pools. While the house always wins, did the casinos of the 1990s or 2000s beat the ultimate house, going beyond nominal revenue growth into the jackpot of real revenue growth?

Gamesense Interactions: Improving Guest Experience With Responsible Gaming, Richard Taylor

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

How do conversations about responsible gambling impact the employee and guest experience?

With the implementation of GameSense and its strong ties to our loyalty marketing program, M life Rewards, MGM Resorts endeavors to answer that very question. Through focus groups research, interaction surveys, and on the ground conversations with casino employees, we are learning a lot about our innovative approach to responsible gambling.

During this lightning talk, Director of Responsible Gaming, Richard Taylor, will provide a typical GameSense interaction, and a very brief summary about GameSense and why it's critically important to make RG a focal point of guest experience.

Female Leadership In Gaming: Where Are They & Where Are They Missing?, Toni Repetti, Shekinah Hoffman

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Women account for over half the gaming workforce, but there is still a gap in leadership. Men continue to dominate casino executive and board positions and this is not representative of the front-line workforce. This presentation uses a database of 10, 950 management positions in 972 United States casinos to evaluate the facts, not perceptions. The database consists of 567 commercial and 405 Native American casinos, which are evaluated separately and in combination. Results show women hold 35.5% of manager and above positions when evaluated overall, but there is a significant difference when evaluated by type of operations. Commercial casinos …

A New Pedagogy For Enhancing Innovation In The Hospitality Classroom, Robert Rippee

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

A new pedagogy on the instruction of innovation in higher education was developed using a grounded-theory approach. Multi-disciplinary students were guided through a systematic process in interdisciplinary learning, problem-based learning and experiential learning along a journey to create innovative solutions to address friction points in the hospitality industry. The proposed pedagogy integrates the innovation process and the business model canvas methodology as the standard business model in today’s startups.

Sports Betting And Indian Gaming: Overcoming Barriers To Market Entry And Integration Of Sports Books Into Tribal Casinos, Steve Light

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract

Even before the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision In Murphy v. NCAA (2018) permitting states to legalize sports wagering, the biggest brand-names in gaming worldwide were positioning themselves to capitalize on the fan base for America’s most recognizable sports leagues.

Sports wagering already is up and running in five states; analysts predict that more than half the states will legalize it within five years. Many will be among the 29 states that currently have casinos owned and operated by American Indian tribes in this $32.4 billion market segment.

There is no firm sense and little data pointing to …

Current Problem Gambling Countermeasures And Responsible Gaming Dissemination Issues In Japan, Naoyuki Nishimura Phd Md

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Activities such as pachinko, pachi-slot and public sports race betting make up Japan’s unique gambling culture. When the “the Gambling Addiction Countermeasures Act” and “the Integrated Resort (IR) Development Act” were passed by the Japanese Diet in July 2018, gambling in Japan has begun the move to a new stage. In preparation of IR developments, there will be measures enacted at the national government level on problem gambling from existing activities, and discussions have started on how to prevent the negative influence created from casinos in the IRs. The problem gaming countermeasures which just started in Japan face many issues …

Expert Commentary On Sports Betting Post-Paspa, Becky Harris

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

Becky Harris, appointed by former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (2011-2019), served as the first female Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board from January 2018 to January 2019. Harris was the first Chair to propose regulations addressing workplace sexual harassment. Prior to serving as Chair, Harris served in the Nevada Legislature for the 2015 and 2017 legislative sessions.

Why Do Employees Break Rules? Understanding Organizational Rule-Breaking Behaviors In Hospitality, Ankita Ghosh, Cass Shum

Hospitality Faculty Research

This study explores employees’ organizational rule-breaking behaviors in the hospitality industry. Unlike the majority of hospitality literature which suggest rule-breakers are deviant, a growing stream of management research suggested that intentions behind rule-breaking behaviors among organizational employees include self-interest, to increase work efficiency, to help a subordinate or a coworker, and to provide good customer service. Our study extends the research on rule-breaking not only by studying the intentions of hospitality employee rule-breaking behaviors, but also by exploring the types of rules broken and the possible consequences of such behaviors. Eighty hospitality workers studying at a public university in the …

From Casino Wars To Casino Capitalism: Sovereignty And Gaming In Macau, Tim Simpson

Occasional Papers

In 1999, after nearly half a millennia of administration, Portugal returned the citystate of Macau to the People’s Republic of China, and it was designated a Special Administrative Region under the PRC’s “one country, two systems” regime. Less than a decade after the handover Macau was transformed into the world’s most lucrative site of casino gaming, and today the city is visited by more than 35 million annual tourists, the majority of whom are from mainland China. Macau’s remarkable economic expansion may be in part attributed to the city’s ambiguous sovereignty, an endemic characteristic which dates to the city’s founding …

Determinants Of Customer Satisfaction At The San Francisco International Airport, Ashok K. Singh, Myongjee Yoo, Rohan Dalpatadu

Hospitality Faculty Research

This study attempts to determine the overall satisfaction factors from airline passengers at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), using the classification method of random forest. The analysis is based on the 2014 annual survey conducted by SFO that collects data on passenger demographics and satisfaction with airport facilities and services. Results of this study indicate that some service attributes are more important than others for passengers’ overall satisfaction at SFO. Study results are expected to provide practical insights to the airport industry. This study, in addition, introduces the machine learning method of random forest to tourism research.

Prosocial Rule-Breaking To Help Coworker: Nature, Causes, And Effect On Service Performance, Cass Shum, Ankita Ghosh, Anthony R. Gatling

Hospitality Faculty Research

We examine the nature, antecedents, and service performance consequence of employees’ prosocial rule-breaking behaviors with a motive to help coworkers (PSBC) in two studies. Using a qualitative exploratory study with a sample of 80 hospitality workers, we showed the prevalence of PSBC in the hospitality industry, which includes four unique forms. Next, we examined the causes and effect of PSBC by drawing on the social cognitive theory. We proposed that coworkers PSBC and employees’ moral courage interactively predict employee PSBC, which has a negative effect on service performance. We tested the hypotheses using a time-lagged survey study with a sample …

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.