Gaming and Casino Operations Management Commons^™

The Internet Gaming Industry For Newbies, Cory Nebel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States internet gaming industry is one which, while many people are aware of its existence, very few fully understand. There remains a tremendous amount of confusion amongst the American public regarding whether or not gambling online in the U.S. is a legal activity. While most would claim to have heard reports that U.S. internet gambling is against the law, just as many people are able to quickly reference both friends and family who regularly gamble online. Through the use of secondary research, this paper will explore a wide range of pre-existing literature on both the internet gaming industry …

The Effect Of Casino Tax Policy On Short-Run Gaming Development, Kahlil Philander

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the effect of casino tax rate structure on investment by casino operators. Using a panel data set consisting of all states with legal commercial casino gambling from 1998 to 2009, a fixed-effect model with two-stage least squares is estimated to examine the effect of gambling taxes on firms' short-run behavior. The study finds that maximum casino tax rates decrease casino employment, with an estimated average elasticity of -0.5. This result is noted to be robust to several different model specifications and data subsets. No robust relationship is found between maximum tax rates and casino wages. No significant …

Maintaining The Profitability Of Gaming’S Premium Players, Maxwell J.H. Olson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: This paper does not seek to condemn the use of incentives for high-end casino players. Rather, it is intended to illuminate common policies and practices that might require more measurement and consideration prior to being distributed. This paper also explores and examines existing literature and findings regarding the profitability of high-end casino players and offers guidelines for evaluating profitability.

Statement of Objective: This paper targets existing policies and practices in the contemporary Las Vegas casino gaming business, separately examining the profitability of each incentive program or common practice. As a consolidated examination of such practices, this paper can serve …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Examining The Value Of Word Of Mouth As A Marketing Tool For Poker Book, Jeffery J. Hwang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the spring of 2003, the poker world saw the launch of the World Poker Tour; that same May, an amateur poker player and online qualifier named Chris Moneymaker won the Main Event of the World Series of Poker and the $2.5 million first prize, demonstrating that virtually anyone can win at poker. The result of these two events was a “poker boom” that, by September 2005, had the two largest poker book publishers on the planet reporting ten-fold increases in sales. And yet, outside of their own company websites, most of the largest poker book publishers on the planet …

Exploring How Employee Empowerment Impacts On Hotel Front Desk Operations, Janggon Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Statement of Objective:

This paper will not try to solve a specific problem, but will serve to provide a more exploratory look at how employee empowerment impacts on front desk operations. First, this paper will examine the existing empowerment practices used in hotels and how it works in the real business world. Secondly, the paper will discuss the impacts of empowerment in terms of increased productivity, employee retention (satisfaction), and service recovery.

Justification:

Examples of empowering employees can easily be viewed at hotel front desks in the hospitality industry since the front desk is the first and last contact of …

Casino Loyalty Programs Within The Las Vegas Locals’ Market, Charles Andrew Baynes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the current loyalty programs offered within the Las Vegas locals’ gaming market, with the intent that the information provided may be used to shed light on other locals’ markets throughout the country. As the national market for gaming has become saturated with new options, competition in new locals’ markets has increased. With Las Vegas having the most established and historic locals’ gaming market, the differences in loyalty programs highlighted will serve as a resource for not only those companies operating within the Las Vegas market, but also for those who …

Exploring The Feasibility Of Converting The Mardi Gras Hotel And Casino Into A Casino Boutique Hotel, Patrick Brennan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction:

The topic of my Professional Paper will be the feasibility study of renovating the Mardi Gras Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Currently the Mardi Gras is operating as a Best Western and is looking to expand into the boutique hotel market. With the maturation of the Las Vegas hotel market, it is vital to think forward in new methods of design and marketing to attract the next generation of convention attendees and visiting tourist.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of converting the Mardi Gras hotel and casino into a destination casino …

Identify Key Business Strategies To Target The Mass Market In Macau, Chia-Li Chen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Statement of Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to examine Macau’s present gaming environment and identify factors that will contribute to the success of a mass gaming market in Macau. The study intends to provide economic justification and tourism policy considerations which support the growth of Macau’s mass gaming market by taking advantage of the booming Chinese economy and the fast growing popularity of gaming in China. In addition, this study will examine literature supporting Macau’s transformation from a simpler gamblers’ destination into a Las Vegas style international gaming, entertainment, and tourism destination, as well as arguments for sustaining …

The Gaming Industry Developing Concept In Taiwan-From The U.S. Experience, Jean Ling Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the recent success experience of gaming-related investments made in Macau and Singapore, it also can be a good inspiration of developing the gaming industry in Taiwan. As the passing of the new legislation from the Taiwanese government, Taiwan could be the next potential country to join the Asian casino gaming market. The purpose of this study is to determine the appropriate direction of developing the casino gaming industry in Taiwan, according to the successful experience from U.S. The findings indicated that the six factors of developing gaming business in Taiwan are geography environment, accessibility, human resource, tourism resource, tourist …

Online Gaming: Prohibition Vs. Regulation, Andrew Montgomery

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since online gaming began in 1995, the industry has been unsettled. Despite online gaming being viewed as illegal by the United States government, revenues generated from players in the U.S. grew consistently and rapidly from 1995 to 2006. U.S. lawmakers believed they clarified the legality issue by passing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006 (UIGEA); however, this legislation did little to discourage people in the U.S. from engaging in online gambling. U.S. lawmakers have long debated prohibition vs. regulation of the industry. Given the apparent ineffectiveness of online gaming prohibition via UIGEA, lawmakers favoring legalization and regulation of …

Taxing Matters: How The Us Tax Code Affects Gamblers, Todd Haushalter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been said that the only sure things in life are death and taxes, and while this is most certainly true of the former, the later will require mastery of the tax code and ensuing cases before you will have a complete picture. The tax code, which started out as a 400 page document is now some 3,387 pages long with a voluminous amount of tax court cases to interpret the code, and many issuances by the Internal Revenue Service to provide further clarification of the code. Somewhere intertwined in the tax code and the ensuing court cases is …