Gaming and Casino Operations Management Commons^™

Pyramids To Players Clubs: The Battle For Competitive Advantage In Las Vegas, Oliver Lovat

Occasional Papers

The evolution of the Las Vegas casinos from owner operator to the institutionally financed and corporately managed casino-resort has been the predominant feature of the evolution of the US Gaming market in the past 30 years. This paper examines the strategic frameworks used by Las Vegas casino resorts and identifies the drivers for competitive advantage moving forward.

From The Last Frontier To The New Cosmopolitan A History Of Casino Public Relations In Las Vegas, Jessalynn Strauss

Occasional Papers

This research chronicles the history of public relations by the gaming industry in Las Vegas. Reflecting larger trends in the field, public relations efforts by the casinos and hotels in this popular tourist destination have used a variety of communication tactics over time to promote themselves to potential Las Vegas tourists. Based on archival materials from over 30 casinos and gaming corporations, this paper identifies four ways in which public relations is practiced in the gaming industry and four macro-level trends in the evolution of casino public relations in Las Vegas.

The Fiscal Forensics Of The Las Vegas Strip Lessons From The Financial Crisis, Dean M. Macomber

Occasional Papers

Hitting with the force of a 100-year storm, the first two years of the financial crisis caused a $5.2 billion swing from profitability to loss for the top 22 performing Las Vegas Strip properties between peak fiscal year 2007 and 2009. By fiscal year 2011 visitor count had almost climbed back to peak levels but the aggregate loss is still stubbornly high at $ -1.6 billion. Other signs of recovery trickle in but are sporadic and volatile. This article is an attempt to disaggregate the variance and look at where Las Vegas has been, where it is now and how …

Effects Of Service Level With Low Unemployment Rate In Macau, Hou Ian Chui

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Justification and Objectives: With this background in mind, there is an important question that has not been answered in the context of Macau’s hospitality industry: Does the workforce display what Gu and Siu (2009) called “mediocre interpersonal skills” (p. 561) because of innate shortcomings in the workforce, or because of voluntary behavior on the part of the workforce? The proposed paper will use Osterman’s (1994) theoretical framework of employment incentives and with reference to the research being conducted by Venetian Macau.

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this study is to quantitatively measure the links between the variables of employee service …

The Legalization Of Casino Gambling In Mainland China, Xi Liu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The study of growth in the international casino gaming is currently fascinating. Local residents do not view casino operations negatively anymore. The great success of the regulation of the gaming industry and the resulting highly profitable returns in areas such as Las Vegas has encouraged jurisdictions to introduce gaming into their local economies. Various studies have been done to assess the potential reasons behind the introduction of the gaming industry into regions that have previously banned it; however, only a handful of research has been done regarding the potential gaming industry in mainland China. Given the huge success observed in …

Halos, Alibis And Community Development: A Cross National Comparison Of How Governments Spend Revenue From Gambling, Lynn Gidluck

Occasional Papers

This paper provides a cross-national comparison of how governments around the world distribute revenues from state-directed gambling and how these choices have been justified by proponents and vilified by critics. Case studies where governments have popularized gambling expansion by “earmarking” revenues for particular good causes and where the state has collaborated with the voluntary sector to deliver programs from this revenue stream are examined. Lessons learned from challenges of various approaches are considered.

Financial Stability And Casino Debt, David G. Schwartz, Eugene M. Christiansen

Library Faculty Research

Casino operators have always borrowed money to construct and improve their resorts. Beginning in 1999, however, the Las Vegas-based companies that dominate gambling in Nevada and many other jurisdictions began taking on unprecedented levels of debt. This debt load escalated from 2005 to 2009, and, though it has since leveled off, it has left casino operators more highly leveraged than ever before. Companies with such high levels of debt have consequently high interest payments, which leads to less money available for capital investment; it also makes them susceptible to default, should revenues weaken (as casino revenues did from 2008 onward). …

Frameworks Of Casino Resorts Supply Chain, Lu-Mo Tsai

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the key stakeholders and critical entities that compose the casino resorts supply chain in gaming service area so that it can be applied to improve operational functions.

Objective: This paper is organized into four sections. The first section contains the well-know frameworks of SCM in manufacturing and service industry, and includes the characteristics of gaming industry. The second section explores the gaming industry context pertaining to supply chain management. Basic framework of casino resorts supply chain is developed in the third section, including key shareholders and critical entities that to compose …

Training Program For New Chinese Casino Players, Yanlei Xu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas offers unique experience to visitors through nonstop entertainment. New data collected primarily from office of travel and tourism industries (OTTI), international tourism administration under U.S.Department of Commerce (OTTI, 2011) suggested the international visitors now contributes more to Las Vegas’s bottom than ever before. Based on a report from Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority (LVCVA, 2011), visitation from China increased by 38% in 2010, and OTTI data projected Chinese visitors to the US would increase by 219 % by 2015. With the new loosen policy on foreign tourist Visas, more foreign tourists would boost the whole tourism industry …

Computerizing Chance: The Digitization Of The Slot Machine (1960-1985), Cristina Turdean

Occasional Papers

The digital slot machine entered the gambling floor in the mid-1970s and, within a decade, it became gamblers’ favorite and the main contributor to casinos’ gross revenue. This paper traces the main developments of this transition, particularly the role of the inventors, entrepreneurs, and the business context that made it possible. Decisively shaped by the culture of the casino floor and advancements in computer technology, the emergence of the microprocessor slot machine involved the gradual replacement of mechanical parts with digital components and created new opportunities for casino managers.

Containment And Virtualization Slot Technology And The Remaking Of The Casino Industry, Kah-Wee Lee

Occasional Papers

This paper examines how the casino industry was transformed by slot technology between 1950 and 1990. The criminalization of slot machines in the 1950s led to their massive evacuation into Las Vegas casinos. In this concentrated environment, slot machines revealed to casino operators an automated surveillance technology that could disassemble the player into streams of virtual data, not through any overt means, but through the very activity of play itself. Slot managers and gaming technologists found themselves empowered professionally as they experimented with ways to transform data into profits. From the 1970s to the 90s, this technological development effectively linked …

Souls/Soles Of Signs Tell Totems And The Sphinx Wager, Darryl A. Smith M.Div., Ph.D.

Occasional Papers

This paper develops a philosophy of play through an analysis of the foot wager of the Sphinx. Applying a construction of the cosmology of Plato along with a Socratic etymology of her riddle’s answer, it provides a reading of Sphingian contestation consistent with contemporary practices of deception found in modern games like poker. I argue that such deception is constitutive of the excessive illumination of signaling tells in games and that such excess, in turn, is indicative in allied political contexts of a covetous and acquisitive obsession with light. This theory makes use also of Ralph Ellison’s refiguring of Oedipal …

Examining Revenue Management Practices In Las Vegas Casino Resorts, Arun Tanpanuwat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The overall goal of this study was to examine Revenue Management (RM) practices in Las Vegas casino resorts. A great deal of research has been done on RM in the hospitality industry. The academic research has examined RM in hospitality in general, but not specifically in casino resorts, which gain their revenue from both rooms and resort amenities. Moreover, the academic literature often show high-level mathematic-based solutions or statistical applications, but not necessarily pragmatic techniques for practitioners. This qualitative study investigates the extent to which the essential fundamentals of any RM system are implemented successfully by casino RM professionals and …

The Long-Term Impact Of A Loyalty Program: An Evaluation From A Las Vegas Casino Hotel, Myongjee Yoo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Loyalty programs are popular marketing strategies intended to attract, maintain, and enhance customer relationships. Despite the widespread usage of loyalty programs across various businesses, its effectiveness has not been well validated. Few empirical studies attempted to evaluate the value of loyalty programs but the findings have been conflicting with each other. Given the competitive climate of such a highly saturated competitive market of the hospitality industry, it is meaningful for hospitality marketers to evaluate the effectiveness of loyalty programs to increase customer retention and profitability. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a hospitality …

Betting On The U.S. Market A Discussion Of The Legality Of Sports Gaming Businesses, Glenn Light, Karl Rutledge, Quinton Singleton

Occasional Papers

Over time, the US sports gaming industry has progressed dramatically beyond what the US anti-gaming law drafters envisioned. The result is a system of mostly antiquated laws controlling modern industry causing confusion across the board. This discussion, therefore, intends to shed light on the US sports gaming legal framework, including analysis of the preeminent US laws that regulate the sports gaming industry and a brief review of various sports gaming businesses that fall within the US legal rubric.

Nevada Gaming Licensing Qualifications, Standards, And Procedures, Robert D. Faiss, Gregory R. Gemignani

Occasional Papers

The process of acquiring a Nevada gaming license is long and consists of several procedures. Although the process is time-consuming, it is far from Byzantine or obscure; each step, as defined by statute and precedent, flows logically from the one before. This paper provides an overview of licensing process in Nevada, with additional information on the reasoning behind several of the procedures involved.

A Transition Of Leadership: Can The Young Generation Of Macau Catch Up, Kin Man Yolanda Lao

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the attitude and motivation levels of young professionals in the gaming industry in Macau. To give a more holistic view with justification on the problem, this paper is orientated with a literature review in the areas of leadership and management styles in Western and Asian cultures, and with a case application of Wynn Macau as a life example. The discussion of this paper is supported by interviews with senior executives, and a summary of human resources strategies in terms of recruitment, training, and motivation both on a department level and on …

Leveraging Slot Gaming Technology To Gain A Competitive Advantage, Philip Zarlengo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The slot gaming industry is being revolutionized by a recent explosion of new technologies that offer a wealth of management opportunities for casinos and offer a more interactive gameplay experience for players. These new technologies increase the excitement of gameplay while extending time on device (TOD) and revenue for the casinos. This preliminary business proposal informs casino managers on the latest in slot technologies and provides a guideline for their successful implementation.

Targeting A Niche Market In Las Vegas Gaming Industry, Sookyung Yeo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the most profitable Chinese group in the Las Vegas gaming market in order to develop a customized marketing strategy for the group.

Total Rewards Compensation: A Viable Solution, Patrick Wesley Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Total rewards customer loyalty programs represent a viable solution for domestic gaming operators in today’s current economic environment. Total rewards customer loyalty programs provide domestic gaming operators with an unparalleled tool in understanding, identifying, and realizing their customer’s desires. The design of total rewards customer loyalty programs provides domestic gaming operators with the ability to remain fluid and allows quick adaptation to ever changing market conditions. Research suggests that total rewards customer loyalty programs provide domestic gaming operators with a viable financial solution that provides equitable value to customers alike. This paper will analyze the structure of customer loyalty programs …

Labor Shortage And The Development Of Gaming Industry In Macau, Liz Chiu Nga Ming

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the labor shortage in Macau directly affects the growth and development of the gaming industry. As Macau is currently facing similar situations like PRC China, the blooming economy became the main cause for companies to use lucrative salaries to attract quality employees from different sources, including school dropouts as well as current employees from other organizations. In the long run, this could cause a negative impact to the industry as the companies might be forced to promote immature and inexperienced employees to senior positions in order to fill the …

Chinese Culture And Casino Customer Service, Qing Han

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the tightened competitive conditions in the gaming industry, it is essential for casino management to focus on customer service. Chinese customers are very important for the Las Vegas gaming market. Even though the games offered by the casinos are the core value that Chinese customers seek when visiting a casino, a warm, comfortable and intimate service will enhance their gaming experience as well. Understanding important Chinese culture factors such as superstitions, gaming characteristics and communication styles can help casino employees enhance the quality of the service they are able to offer to Chinese customers, thereby increasing satisfaction and retention.

Identifying New Pari-Mutuel Igaming Offerings In The United States, David W. Downes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to develop a competitive landscape of current offerings in the online fantasy sports and online pari-mutuel wagering market in the US and to determine potential differentiated pari-mutuel sports iGaming offerings based on that landscape.

The Future Development For Slots In Macau To The Mainland China Market, Sok In Leong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

There are lots of optimistic comments to slots industry in Macau. The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight overview and examine the future development of Macau slot market to Mainland China player.

Literature Review On Turnover - To Better Understand The Situation In Macau, Ut Lon Im

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Macau is enjoying the prosperity brought by the increase of gaming operations. However, this rapid development imposed a great challenge in Human Resources Management. The hospitality industry is experiencing a high turnover rate, which affects the service quality and long-term sustainability. Major causes of turnover were reviewed from Western based and Asian based literature. Local studies were also included to provide a better picture of the turnover causes in Macau. Some recommendations were made to help retaining talented employees.

Adjusting Payroll With Changes In Business Volumes: An Examination Of Nevada Gaming Properties, Toni A. Repetti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation analyzes expense preference behavior by managers of Nevada casinos. Annual aggregate data is obtained from the Nevada Gaming Control Board from 1990 to 2010. Using ordinary least squares regression, three models are run to account for various payroll related expenses. The dependent variable in the first model is number of employees. The second model uses salaries and wages as the dependent variable and the third model uses total payroll. All models include predictor variables of total revenue as an indication of size, a dummy variable for market concentration and a dummy variable for recessionary periods.

The finding show …

An Exploratory Study Of Casino Customer Loyalty Programs, Cristina R. Crofts

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study summarizes academic theories and industry applications related to customer loyalty programs, drawing on literature pertaining to reciprocity and resource theory, attitudinal loyalty, tiered loyalty programs, and reward type and timing. Specifically, this study attempts to understand aspects that have been proven successful in order to design more effective customer loyalty programs. This literature synthesis provides important professional implications for casino executives in effectively designing customer loyalty programs.

Preventing Workplace Injuries Commonly Sustained By Hotel Guestroom Attendants, Jennifer Daros

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction:

Hotels are generally organized into various departments. These provide specialized services to guests. Almost every hotel in the world has (in one form or another) a housekeeping department. Guestroom attendants (GRAs) are a primary component of any housekeeping department. GRAs (also known as maids, housekeepers, or room/suite service attendants) are employed by hotels to clean guestrooms, change bed linens, restock supplies, and provide turn down services when requested (see Appendix A). Those employed as GRAs frequently suffer injuries at work that can be costly to employers. This paper reviews some of the more common causes of GRA workplace injuries …

Jackpot! A Legal History Of Indian Gaming In California, Aaron Peardon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Indian Gaming has transformed the economic, political, and sociological landscape of California. The growth of Indian casinos has had a profound impact on both Indian and non-Indian communities alike. California tribes took the lead in legalizing Indian Gaming throughout the nation. The efforts of California tribes in the legislative and political process have enabled many tribal groups to rise out of poverty and to gain prosperity that would otherwise be impossible to achieve. They have also brought increased revenue to local communities and have provided thousands of jobs to all Californians.

This thesis discusses the historical relationships between Native American …

Where Locals Play: Neighborhood Casino Landscapes In Las Vegas, Rex J. Rowley Ph.D.

Occasional Papers

Neighborhood casinos—gaming properties that target a primarily local market—are an influential feature on the Las Vegas cultural landscape. Such institutions reveal a number of geographical patterns that have important implications in gaming and place studies. The distinguishing characteristics of neighborhood casinos underscore the importance of proximity to a market, a focus that is evident in their advertising strategies. Additionally, the prominence of such casino-resorts within their respective neighborhoods makes them important symbols and indicators of the character of the surrounding community. These unique institutions teach lessons that can potentially be extrapolated to other gaming markets around the country.