NO CASINO EVER.

The most commonly cited example of this myth is the Thunderbird Casino, which was located across the Las Vegas Strip from El Rancho Vegas.

It did go bust on Sept. 2, 1948, when its owners (LA building developer Marion Hicks and Nevada Lt. Gov. Clifford Jones) didn��t have sufficient cash on hand to cover a winning streak of $145,000 on the craps tables.

That certainly made for, by far, the worst opening night in casino history.

However, just because a casino goes bust doesn��t mean it must close. And that��s because a casino is still usually a profitable business — especially a brand new one — even if its current owners can��t sufficiently bankroll its losses.

“What many people don��t understand about randomness is that it includes both hot and cold streaks,” Anthony Lucas, a professor of casino management at UNLV, told Casino.org.

“In the short term, players can appear to play both lucky and unlucky. But if they continue to play, the casino’s long-term advantage will eventually be realized.

��There will always be big winners and big losers. But the long-term net effect will favor the house.”

Only Meyer Lansky’s cash wasn’t a loan. The New York crime boss offered an investment in the Thunderbird. And, in exchange, he took majority ownership, leaving Hicks and Jones with just 20% between them.

Casinos can and do close for good, like businesses in every other field, but not just because one or more people happen to win big one night.

The Bird Cage

Another Las Vegas casino commonly reported to have permanently shut its doors due to a run of bad luck was the Bird Cage, which opened at 100 E. Fremont St. downtown on Jan. 1, 1958.

According to the Twitter/X account @HistoryNevada, it was ��forced to close�� after about a year ��when it was unable to pay its jackpot winners.��

Again, not the case.

The Bird Cage closed, on April 30, 1959, because it never found financial success. After failing to convince the Gaming Commission to allow the casino to install more Keno machines to attract new customers, co-owner Maurice Fortney told the Reno Evening Gazette that a lack of business didn’t warrant keeping it open.

Any casino that goes out of business does so due to a series of bad decisions and/or unfavorable market conditions,�� Lucas said.

This can be difficult to wrap the brain around. After all, the very phrase ��break the bank�� was coined to describe what happened in 1881, when English roulette player Joseph Jagger won $350K at the Casino de Monte-Carlo — more than it had on hand — because of a series of improbable wins.

But while Jagger indeed broke that casino’s bank, it was not because of random good luck. He happened to be a genius who discovered that some roulette wheels of the day featured slight imperfections that favored some numbers more than others.

The Casino de Monte-Carlo didn��t close after its bank was broken, either. It��s still open to this day.

Wynn Wins Shuttered Desert Inn

According to Kerry Packer’s Wikipedia page, the late Australian media tycoon closed down the Desert Inn “by winning 52 million dollars in one day and insisting they pay him in cash.” Wikipedia cites as a source an interview with former PGA golf pro John Daly on the Full Send YouTube podcast.

Once again, not true.

In 1998, when Starwood Hotels purchased ITT Sheraton, Desert Inn’s owner since 1993, its first order of business was putting the casino resort up for sale. The Desert Inn had been bleeding money for years due to a series of unfortunate business decisions, not because any one gambler won too much.

Steve Wynn bought the Desert Inn for $270 million in April 2000 just to shutter it four months later, but only because he had already planned to build the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas with a portion of the $4.4 billion he had just made from selling The Mirage and Treasure Island to the company that became MGM Resorts.

Other accounts of Packer’s big Desert Inn win state only that it closed down the casino “that night,” which is entirely possible.

Why Can��t it Happen Today?

Modern measures are in place to isolate casinos from the effects of catastrophic gambling losses, and none of those measures wears a suit and fedora. They include:

• Maximum Bet Limits:
  These make breaking the bank unlikely or impossible.
• Backing Winners Off:
  Though a casino must by law pay winners every single cent they��ve won, they have the right to call it quits on anyone at any particular time. In 1997, Australian media magnate Kerry Packer won somewhere between $20M-$40M at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, most of it while playing blackjack.Casino executives backed him off the game, fearing he was more capitalized than they were. ��You want as many players as possible to bet as much as they can,�� Lucas said. ��But you don’t want a couple of players to bet way more than everyone else. These outliers can wreck the casino’s revenues and/or earnings, as their outcomes define the casino’s performance.��
• Other Reserves:
  It has often happened that the players win all the money a casino has on hand. In this unlikely scenario, the casino covers its loss with reserve cash stored elsewhere, or outside lenders who would quickly fork up the cash, knowing they’ll be paid back since the casino would quickly return to making money again.
• Insurance:
  Because there is still some astonishingly small chance that a catastrophic gambling loss can occur, almost all casinos carry insurance against it.

By the way, Lansky and his associates skimmed so much of the Thunderbird��s take that it didn��t make a profit or pay a dividend until the mobsters were forced out in 1956. But even then, the Thunderbird continued operating.

It became the Silverbird in the late ��70s, then El Rancho (not the original) in the ��80s before closing in 1992 — due to a lack of business, again, not to a catastrophic gambling loss.

And the plot of land where the Thunderbird once sat now hosts a new casino resort whose financial future is, not too dissimilarly, the subject of rampant speculation.

Its occupant is the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Look for ��Vegas Myths Busted�� every Monday on?Casino.org.?Click here?to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email [email protected].

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One important thing to know about real showgirls is that they’re elite athletes trained in classical dance who perform nightly in Las Vegas Strip musical productions.

Another important thing to know about real showgirls is that they no longer exist. They haven��t since 2016, which is when the last Vegas showgirl show, ��Jubilee!�� at Bally��s, closed after 35 years.

All the showgirls you currently see along the sidewalks of the Las Vegas Strip are either paid models or street performers posing for photos in exchange for tips.

The notion that there’s still full-time employment for women who high-hoof in glamourous outfits and heavy headdresses is a myth. It’s a myth whose persistence is understandable. Last August, when the City of Las Vegas saw fit to replace the two 25-foot showgirl signs that welcomed visitors downtown, what did it replace them with? Two 50-foot showgirl signs.

How the Showgirl Went Extinct

From the ��50s through the ��80s, nearly every major casino had a showgirl show. The Tropicana had ��Folies Berg��re.�� Bally’s had “Jubilee!” The Stardust had ��Lido de Paris.�� The Desert Inn had ��Pzazz!�� The Dunes had ��Casino de Paris.�� The MGM Grand had ��Hallelujah Hollywood.�� Most of these featured a topless element, but that was never the main attraction.

Their inspiration was from the Parisian cabaret shows,�� Diane Palm, a former ��Jubilee!�� dancer, dance captain, and company manager told Casino.org. ��The showgirl shows were artistically beautiful and imparted a taste of opulence, imagination, and spectacle. Like the big MGM Hollywood musicals, they were big, splashy extravaganzas with lots and lots of performers singing and dancing. In addition to showgirls, they had female and male dancers, singers, lead performers, specialty acts, and live orchestras or bands.”

Some internet experts blame the demise of the showgirl on woke culture and its opposition to oppressive female stereotypes. Others say it’s because the era of the big Hollywood musicals went the way of the dodo (to quote a once-popular phrase that��s gone that same way).

While there’s some truth to both ideas, what rendered the showgirl extinct was the corporatization of the Las Vegas Strip. Once the power shifted from occasionally mafia-backed millionaire casino owners to shareholder-beholden corporate executives, the countdown to the final curtain began.

��We had a cast of 128 performers when we opened ��Jubilee!���� Palm recalled. ��Pete Menefee designed 20 dresses just for our Titanic sequence, and those 20 dresses cost $250K. We had jewelry that was imported from Europe that was designed and made in Paris, and by master jewelers. We had feathers sourced from all over the world. Money was no object,�� she said.

When Money Became an Object

Until the early ��80s, hotel owners never required showgirl shows to recoup their spending on them. They were considered loss leaders, their true purpose being to draw gamblers into casinos and keep them there. Back then, gambling still accounted for about 75% of an average casino��s revenue. That��s why so many members of every showgirl show audience were comped �C as they were for drinks, meals, and hotel rooms.

Today, that revenue stream has flipped, with nongambling sources accounting for 75%. Instead of paying to stage their shows, corporate owners in the ��80s decided to make independent producers pay them to rent their showrooms.

Once many Vegas shows became ��four-walled�� �C forced to pay entirely for themselves with their box-office sales �C not a single producer volunteered to stage a showgirl show. Instead, they brought in essentially what Vegas remains known for today: superstar music residencies, traveling companies from Broadway-proven productions, and the strange wonder of Cirque du Soleil.

Last Showgirl Bastions?

It can be argued that showgirls are still healthily dancing on the Strip in ��Vegas The Show�� at the 423-seat Saxe Theatre in the Miracle Mile shopping mall. But that production merely uses a smattering of showgirls in a smattering of its songs to demonstrate showgirls in their historical Vegas context, much like museums of natural history do with other extinct animals.

According to Palm, though, those are weak arguments.

��You can dress up as showgirls, but that��s not the same as performing in the production shows that were such a rich part of Las Vegas�� cultural history.

��That tradition is over,�� she said.

Look for ��Vegas Myths Busted�� every Monday on?Casino.org. Visit VegasMythsBusted.com?to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email [email protected].

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A surprising number of alternative facts about the world’s gambling capital continue to resonate across pop culture, with little relevance to reality. The Hoover Dam holds one of the biggest.

Construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s was dangerous work; as such, there were many fatalities. But no bodies lie inside the mammoth structure��s 4.4 million cubic feet of concrete, despite what your cousin Josh whispered to you when you toured the facility.

While Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1936, setting the stage for Las Vegas�� eventual transformation from a small town to a big city, about 100 unfortunate construction workers did lose their lives. One was even buried alive in the Hoover Dam concrete, according to former Nevada state archivist Guy Rocha. But his remains didn’t remain there.

The Hoover Damned

On Nov. 11, 1933, the wall of a form collapsed, sending hundreds of tons of wet concrete tumbling down the face of the dam and onto poor W.A. Jameson. When Jameson��s fellow construction workers toiled for 16 hours to exhume him, it wasn��t only to comfort his bereaved family and friends.

Secondly, organic material (like a human body) would cause significant issues for the structural integrity of the concrete. As a body broke down, it would create an air pocket inside the concrete. Over time, this would create an unacceptable structural defect that could break up or damage the dam’s integrity, according to Rocha.

Dam Sparks Imagination, Confusion

The myth of Hoover Dam’s entombed owes to how large the structure has loomed over Las Vegas for nearly 100 years.

Hoover Dam was such a massive engineering project that shaped the region so much, it has sparked a lot of people��s imaginations for a long time,�� said David Schwartz, Las Vegas historian and UNLV professor.

People may also have confused Hoover Dam with Montana’s Fort Peck Dam. In bad news for anyone trying to get some sleep in the vicinity of that Missouri River structure, the bodies of six of eight workers killed by a catastrophic slide there on Sept. 22, 1938, were permanently entombed inside.

Fort Peck is an earthen dam, so decomposing bodies aren��t considered structural defects, Rocha explained, since the loose earth slowly collapses around them.

Unlike the Hoover Dam, nearby Lake Mead does hold a few morbid secrets. Two bodies were found on its exposed bottom in May, with one suspected to be a mob hit.

Look for ��Vegas Myths Busted�� every Monday on?Casino.org. Visit VegasMythsBusted.com?to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email [email protected].

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This is already our second Howard Hughes myth, and there are still a bunch left to bust. Supposedly, the world-famous aviator and movie tycoon began his famous buying spree of Las Vegas casino hotels, partially freeing the Strip from the shackles of mafia ownership and paving the way for the age of corporate ownership, all thanks to the giant shoe atop the Silver Slipper.

The 12-foot tall, 17-foot wide, rotating high heel was designed by Jack Larsen Sr., a former Disney animator who worked for the YESCO sign company, where he also created the pop-art lamp for Aladdin. Patterned after one of his wife’s pumps, Larsen’s Silver Slipper sign boasted 900 incandescent lightbulbs on the shoe and 80 on the bow. It was installed in late 1954 or early 1955 and was deployed until the resort closed in November 1988.

According to the story, the shoe, located directly across the Strip from the Desert Inn, which Hughes had taken up since arriving in Las Vegas the day before Thanksgiving in 1966, was too bright for Hughes to sleep at night.

The Silver Slipper refused Hughes’ requests to dim the shoe, the story goes, so he bought the casino hotel and dimmed it himself. This gave the eccentric billionaire a taste for acquiring Vegas hotels, and he bought a bunch more.

This myth has appeared in books including “The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream” (2022) and “When the Mob Ran Vegas: Stories of Money, Mayhem and Murder” (2005) and in publications as legitimate as the Los Angeles Times.

As is often the case with urban myths, it also comes in other variations. The one featured on the current version of the Silver Slipper��s Wikipedia entry has Hughes believing that the slipper’s toe ��could contain a photographer taking pictures of him.�� After several attempts at requesting that the slipper be turned off, according to the entry, ��Hughes purchased the casino, turned off the lights, and had the rotating system dismantled.��

Both of those stories are complete nonsense — complete nonsense,” Paul Winn, Hughes’ director of corporate records from 1957 through Hughes’ death in 1976, told Casino.org.?“I don’t know where they come up with this stuff.”

Of course, as is usual with Hughes, the truth was as strange as the fiction. We��ll get to that later.

Four Main Problems With This Story

According to Winn and all other accounts of Hughes�� time in his Desert Inn penthouse suite, he kept the drapes drawn 24/7.

1. No casino sign��s light or photographer��s lens could possibly have penetrated them. Hughes, no doubt deeply in the grips of mental illness by that point, demanded closed curtains (and windows) to protect him from pollution, sunlight, germs, prying eyes, and nuclear fallout from the regular underground explosions at the nearby Nevada Test Site. According to Winn, Hughes tried getting President Lyndon Johnson to stop those tests, but even he wasn��t powerful enough.
2. The dates are wrong. Hughes�� buying spree began in March 1967. He didn��t purchase the Silver Slipper until April 30, 1968.
3. The Frontier’s sign was bigger and brighter than the Silver Slipper’s, so it would have annoyed Hughes more.
4. We know where the myth came from — an erroneous Las Vegas Review-Journal report that was later retracted.

Gossip and Rumors

Well, it was sort of retracted.

On April 21, 1967, R-J gossip columnist Earl Wilson wrote: ��Associates say (Hughes) had them request the Silver Slipper to dim its lights. They refused. His emissaries say he has instructed them to negotiate for the purchase of the Slipper so it will no longer interfere with his sleep.��

Almost a full year later, while Hughes’ Silver Slipper purchase was closing, Wilson published what journalists refer to as a ��non-correction correction,�� in which he discredited his previous false claim without actually admitting that he was its origin. (There was no internet back then to catch him.)

He��s not closing it down, and he��s not turning out the lights,�� Wilson wrote of Hughes�� imminent Silver Slipper takeover on April 17, 1968. ��They might even burn brighter than ever.��

Wilson��s follow-up proved too veiled a reference for most readers to even connect it to his original report, which is the one they continued to remember.

What Really Happened

The Desert Inn rented its entire top floor and the floor below it to Hughes and his associates for 10 days. Check-out time came and went, and Hughes didn��t budge. DI co-owners Moe Dalitz and Ruby Kolod freaked. They had already promised the suites to high rollers for New Year��s Eve.

��Hughes never intended to buy a hotel — he just wanted a place to sleep,�� Maheu told PBS in 2005.

As mentioned earlier, the truth is usually as strange as the fiction with Hughes.

On March 27, 1967, Hughes and Dalitz agreed on a price: $13.2 million, far more than the DI was worth. Hughes then purchased the Sands for $14.6 million, the Frontier for $23 million, the El Rancho Vegas for $7.5 million, the Castaways for $3 million, the unfinished Landmark for $17 million, and the Silver Slipper for $5.4 million.

“He bought the Silver slipper because it was available, no other reason,” Winn told Casino.org.?“I know. My name was on the gaming license because I was a corporate officer.”

Asked if he knew why the slipper sign eventually stopped rotating, Winn replied: “My guess would be that the rotating mechanism broke, and probably nobody bothered to fix it.”

Recent History

The Silver Slipper was sold in 1988 to hotelier Margaret Elardi for $70 million. She demolished it and turned it into a parking lot for the Frontier, which she also owned. Fortunately, the slipper and its sign were salvaged and retired to YESCO��s boneyard, which later became the Neon Museum��s collection.

Yet another variation on the myth had Hughes ordering concrete poured into the rotation mechanism to jam it. According to the Neon Museum, no concrete was found in the mechanism when they acquired the sign.

In 2009, the museum restored the sign and installed it, along with other vintage Vegas neon signs, in a median along Las Vegas Boulevard North, where it still shines today.

Look for a new ��Vegas Myths Busted�� every Monday on Casino.org. Visit VegasMythsBusted.com to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email [email protected].

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That��s because it operated for a total of 13 days.

Las Vegas Park opened with giant aspirations on Sept. 4, 1953 for a 67-day inaugural meet. Its failure to meet those aspirations, or even to complete that schedule, is legendary.

It Seemed Like a Good Bet

Las Vegas�� birth as an entertainment and gambling mecca dovetailed perfectly with the ��50s boom in Thoroughbred racing. In fact, Las Vegas Park even made history as America��s first racino. (The Las Vegas Gaming Commission permitted 165 slots at the racetrack.)

It was gorgeous for its day, too. The clubhouse and grandstand were painted pink to replicate Argentina��s Hipodromo Rosado. Virtually no expense was spared in its $4.5 million budget (more than $40 million today).

And its schedule fit neatly in-between the end of the Del Mar race meeting and the start of the Hollywood Park meeting.

This track seemed like a sure bet to host one of the premier Kentucky Derby prep races.

So how did something so perfect stumble out of the gate?

Major Blinders

Before the track ever opened, it already had a backstory tainted by corruption, embezzlement, and major blinders.

That backstory began with Joseph M. Smoot — a New York racing promoter who had an early hand in the success of the Santa Anita and Hialeah racetracks, and figured that meant he could do anything.

In 1948, Smoot purchased 750 acres of vacant land just east of the Strip from the Leigh Hunt estate at $750 per acre, and began constructing his dream a year later.

But a little more than a year after that, Smoot woke up in a nightmare. He was charged with three counts of embezzling $24K from the Las Vegas Thoroughbred Racing Association, over which he presided. During a hearing, a federal court judge? reportedly asked Smoot to produce receipts or canceled checks for $500K that reportedly went missing without a trace.

Smoot responded: ��You ever try to pay a politician with a check?��

Smoot remained under indictment until he died of natural causes in 1955, penniless, in a free room at the Grand Hotel.

Second Race

By 1953, Las Vegas Park was bought out of its first bankruptcy and completed by the Las Vegas Jockey Club, a new corporation headed by investors including Lou Smith and Al Luke. Counting on a ton of big-name horses, and their big-spending Southern California owners, the partners promised to award $1.9 million — the richest prize ever offered by a first-year track.

To take their bets, they opened the very first $500 betting window at a horse track.

When Las Vegas Park finally opened that Sept. 4, some of the horses came. (Among the 75 that ran was 15-time stakes winner Blue Reading.) But the big spenders were mostly AWOL. A devastatingly low take of $252,683 fell nearly $150K short of the $400K daily requirement for the racetrack to meet expenses.

And the local population couldn��t even fill the seats left by absentee tourists. Clark County had only 50,000 residents back then, compared to nearly 3.3 million today. In all, 8,200 paying customers occupied a space designed to hold 20,000.

Malfunctioning ticket booths, only one entrance that worked, and a major malfunction of the infield tote board didn��t help matters. After its third day open, the track closed for two weeks while a replacement board was installed, erasing what little momentum and word-of-mouth opening day generated.

After Las Vegas Park reopened, it didn��t log a single break-even day. When 4,000 customers wagered a total of $100K on Oct. 10, veteran racing journalist Pete Bonamy called it ��one of the poorest showings by a racing crowd ever recorded.��

Las Vegas Park closed on Oct. 19, 1953, after racing only 13 programs.

��Racing needs population,�� columnist Leon Rasmussen wrote in Thoroughbred Record magazine at the time, ��and although Las Vegas does not hew to convention in very many ways, it is still not quite fabulous enough to sustain a track as pretentious as this one hoped to be.��

Beating a Dead Horse Track

Its stables were vacated in October 1953, though the complex was revived for another short but failed horseracing run the next year. The daily attendance recorded by the Las Vegas Turf Club in December 1954 was even more dismal than its predecessor — at times as low as 400. That experiment lasted seven weeks.

By January 1955, an oil magnate bought the racetrack out of its second bankruptcy for $2.65 million. But Joe W. Brown didn��t intend to build a third failed horseracing track. His thing was purchasing properties to hold onto for others. Two years earlier, he purchased the Horseshoe Club from his old Texas buddy, Benny Binion, so he could run it while Binion served four years in Leavenworth Penitentiary for tax evasion.

And Brown purchased Las Vegas Park for a similar reason. He was holding onto it while the City of Las Vegas and Clark County got its ducks in a row. Civic leaders wanted a portion of the land to build what eventually became the Las Vegas Convention Center, but didn��t have the funding at the time.

By January 1956, that deal was complete and the first convention center — a 6,300-capacity, silver-domed rotunda with an adjoining 90,000 square-foot exhibition hall — opened following Brown��s death three years later. On Aug. 20, 1964, it hosted the only Beatles concert staged in Las Vegas.

Vroom For Rent

While it awaited demolition, the renamed and still mostly intact Las Vegas Park Speedway was repurposed for auto racing. It hosted three major races: the AAA Champ Car event in 1954, the NASCAR Grand National Championship in 1955, and a United States Auto Club Grand Prix in 1959.

It also achieved cinematic immortality by serving as the setting for a racecar scene in the 1964 Elvis Presley movie, “Viva Las Vegas.”

In 1965, Brown��s estate sold most of the remaining property to National Equities Inc., which later used it to construct the Las Vegas Country Club along Joe. W. Brown Drive. Another 20 acres were sold to Clark County to expand the Convention Center.

Las Vegas Park was finally demolished in 1966. A year later, National Equities sold 65 of its former acres to Caesars Palace landlord Kirk Kerkorian to build the International Hotel — which meant that Las Vegas Park would enter history for a more unexpected reason…

Both Elvis and the Beatles would one day perform where it once stood.

��Lost Vegas�� is an occasional?Casino.org?series featuring remembrances of Las Vegas�� lesser-known history.?Click here to read other entries in the series. Think you know a good Vegas story lost to history? Email [email protected].

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Five red roulette numbers hitting in a row doesn��t mean a black one is more likely on the sixth spin. Even if you recognize the truth of this statement, whenever that sixth spin lands on black, it can still be difficult to resist learning incorrectly from the experience.

Some gambling hopefuls sometimes use this system to predict the next big win.?But according to Anthony Lucas, a professor of casino management at UNLV and former gaming industry operations analyst, this is just another common myth. And the reason comes down to a simple math class lesson.

A common misunderstanding is that long-term averages within a random process must immediately correct in the short term,” Lucas told Casino.org. “It’s the way our brains are wired.”

Essentially, the odds of landing on red don’t increase even if you’ve landed on black 10x before. Each time you spin, the odds reset. So your chance of landing on red during the first spin or the 20th spin is the same.

Brain Chemistry

Our brains evolved to see patterns in the world around us. Detecting patterns helps us humans make predictions and informed decisions. Pattern prediction was essential for early man. Just imagine hearing a loud noise in a bush. Your ancient ancestors might have assumed the noise was from a predator, based on previous encounters.

Casinos know that many people believe this myth. Casinos often use electronic outcome boards that show a player’s previous spins compared to the next players, further capitalizing on this pattern recognition mindset.

Winning streaks do happen, however. As Lucas explained, “Streaks are a normal occurrence within any random process.��

These Colors Don’t Run

Ray, my childhood friend, once believed he had a system for winning at roulette. He would take me along as he checked out every roulette table in whatever Las Vegas casino he was staying in. Whenever Ray found one with four or five consecutive red or black spins, he would always bet on the other color to come up next.

Ray��s system seemed to work. He��d walk away from every two-hour session I witnessed about $500 up.

��See, I told you,�� Ray would boast, questioning my logic for not betting along with him.

According to Lucas, this is similar to the slot-machine jackpot myth we busted two weeks ago. Both involve sampling with replacement.

What the typical gambler does not seem to understand, or want to understand, is that the outcomes from independent and identically distributed variables often feature large runs of single colors or even numbers,�� Lucas told Casino.org. ��This is normal, and there is no immediate self-correction required.��

These short-term imbalances always dissipate over the long term, Lucas explained. In roulette, the red and black numbers will come up equally on average. But in the short term, anything can happen, and that’s the only term in which gamblers are able to play.

It’s a Shame About Ray

Walking in late on one of his gambling sessions, I noticed Ray, red-faced, pacing the casino floor like a caged animal. He was obviously down a lot of money. How much, he wouldn��t admit to me until years later.

��Don��t worry, I��ll get it back,�� he told me. This is when I learned that doubling down after every loss was part of Ray��s system. This is known as a Martingale betting system, Lucas explained, and no, it doesn��t work, either.

��Your friend is lucky,” Lucas said, “in the sense that things could have gone much worse for him.”

Look for ��Vegas Myths Busted�� every Monday on Casino.org.?Click here?to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email?[email protected].

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Bring More Cash than You Think You’ll Need

And then bring more than that. Las Vegas is one of the last places on Earth that isn��t cashless. Gambling will require actual greenbacks, not virtual ones. And the ATMs in Strip casinos now almost universally charge a $10 ��convenience fee�� per transaction. If you still find yourself strapped, here��s a map of actual bank ATM locations on the Strip and downtown.

Don’t Drive in the Summer

You��ll need to buy a sunshade immediately — rental cars don��t include them — or find yourself constantly in search of covered parking. Ignore this warning and your car��s interior will melt. This is not an exaggeration. Some car interiors, especially if the seats and dash are black, can reach 150 degrees in direct Vegas summer sun. This will easily melt water bottles, Chapstick tubes, and even dashboard plastic. It will certainly explode all unopened soda cans you made the mistake of leaving in the trunk. Oh, by “summer,” in Vegas, this means May through October.

Bring a Jacket in the Summer

That has to be a typo. We mean the winter, right? No. Properly conditioning the air inside a huge casino, where the doors are constantly opening and closing, isn’t a science. Temperatures can dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. And, especially after acclimating to an hour of walking the Strip in 114 degrees, even 70 degrees can feel like 60.

Don’t Try Hailing a Cab on the Strip

It��s dangerous and will never work. The taxi and rideshare lines at the resorts can��t be avoided because it is 100% illegal for either to stop in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard to pick you up or drop you off.

Make Dinner Reservations

That gastropub you discovered in the Arts District on your last trip that was empty? A social media influencer discovered it after you, and now there��s a line around the block.

Cups and Cans Only on the Strip

Yes, you��re allowed to legally drink on the Las Vegas Strip, but only if the alcohol is contained in plastic, paper, or aluminum. If you buy your booze from a curbside bar, no problem, they know. But if you purchase it from a package store or supermarket, or brought it from home, don��t use the glass that housekeeping left in your bathroom. And definitely do not drink it from bottle it came in. Either is a misdemeanor carrying a $250 fine and/or 30 days in jail. Good news, though: public intoxication isn’t a crime in Las Vegas.

Don’t Smoke the Weed You Purchased Legally

Though the cops won��t break down your hotel door, the hotel will add a fee of $250 or more for deodorizing your room. Oh, and don��t smoke in public because that��s illegal and could get you cited. The only legally sanctioned place to smoke in Las Vegas is inside a private residence, or at one of the hundreds of cannabis lounges that still have yet to open due to regulatory delays.

We probably should have headlined this section: “Don’t Purchase Weed Legally.”

Don’t Buy Illegal Drugs

White powder in a bag can be anything, and even dried magic mushrooms can be laced with fentanyl. It��s not a smart idea to ask your hotel��s concierge for a hookup, either. Even if they seem really cool, they won��t want to risk their hospitality career for the $20 you might throw them after you score. In fact, they could even alert security about your request, though that’s unlikely.

This is not to imply that illegal drugs can��t be obtained safely in Las Vegas (i.e., without a night in the hospital or Clark County Detention Center, or both) but it��s never a sure bet, and much less of one if you��re not a celebrity. Sorry, we didn’t make the rules, we just report them.

Carry an External Phone Battery and Working Cord

The 1950s was a great time to visit Las Vegas, but that wasn’t because everyone was completely unreachable for hours at a time. In Vegas, you can never predict how long you will be separated from your room and its sweet, sweet electricity. Even if you��re certain you��re only taking a quick trip to play 6:5 blackjack at the Mirage, you will either hit a lucky streak or run into your childhood friend Bob, who you didn��t even know was in town and who will convince you to watch him play roulette until 1 a.m. because he has ��a system.�� Only later will you discover that your friends snagged an extra Adele ticket and were trying to reach you all night. By the way …

Never Play 6:5 Blackjack

Regular blackjack pays 3:2. If you bet $10 and draw a blackjack, that��s $15 in your pocket. At a 6:5 table, a $10 blackjack win only pays $12. This simple change in rules increases the house��s 1.5% edge up to another 1.77%. Over enough time, no gambling ever pays off. However, 6:5 will get you to that point much faster. Speaking of which ��

Activate Your Scam Radar

This is the longest entry, because it describes the biggest subset of people and situations to watch out for.

Anyone standing around in a costume on the Strip offering to pose for a photo with you expects a $10 or $20 tip and will get ugly with you if you think $1 or $2 will suffice. Ditto the ��official photographer�� at the ��Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas�� sign. The sign has no official photographer. Instead, hand your phone to the tourists waiting behind you in line. And yes, there will be a line.

Also, avoid any tents promising ��free show tickets.�� These are timeshare salespeople. In exchange for your ��free�� tickets, you will be forced to sit in a presentation room for hours. Here, experts in manipulation will use deception and pressure, for as long as it takes, to close a deal that is 100% in their best financial interest and 0% in yours.

And while you��re riding in those taxis that you ended up waiting in a resort line for instead of hailing, never take the drivers up on their unsolicited activity recommendations, especially for a strip club. Cabbies earn kickbacks by delivering passengers to certain destinations and they��re usually not the kinds of destinations that generate word of mouth based on their quality and/or value.

Finally, avoid anyone offering to give or sell you a VIP pass to a trendy nightclub. These passes are not VIP. They��re not even P. Plus, after you take one, you will be pressured for a tip. As a matter of fact …

Avoid the Trendy Nightclubs

Whether you��re in town to just have fun or to hook up, waiting in line for an hour or more — longer if there are no females in your party — can kill the night before it begins. Anyway, the down-to-earth people with normal self-esteem who you want to meet are having a perfectly great time at the casino bar with their other friends from Iowa. And they would love to meet you, too. Just make sure to ��

Avoid Extremely Attractive Ladies Drinking by Themselves at Casino Bars Who Seem Like They Want to Meet You Too Much

If you��re wondering whether she��s an illegal sex worker, then, to paraphrase Vital Vegas?blogger Scott Roeben, she��s an illegal sex worker. Whatever you do, don��t invite her to your hotel room. She could get you in a vulnerable position and attempt to steal your expensive watch, jewelry, and all that cash you brought to avoid the $10 ATM fees. It��s called trick-rolling and it��s close to a perfect crime because, in order to successfully prosecute her, you will need to reveal what transpired to a jury, which will generate a news story that also reveals what transpired to your significant other and to any HR hiring reps who Google your name in the future.

Despite the hooker billboard trucks on the Las Vegas Strip, and the cards handed out featuring scantily clad women and a phone number, prostitution isn’t legal anywhere in Clark County. The closest place that allows it is a 90-minute drive away, and only then in a licensed brothel.

The post Casino.org’s Insider Tips For Las Vegas Visitors appeared first on Casino.org.

Last week, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) board of directors approved spending $1.4M to study whether or not the intake��s opening needs to be lowered

��We are not relocating the intake,�� SNWA spokesperson Corey Enus told Casino.org. ��We are evaluating if the intake opening needs to be lowered in its current location, so we can continue drawing water from well below the surface.��

It’s About Water Quality, not Quantity

Intake No. 3 currently sits more than 20 feet below Lake Mead��s dead-pool elevation of 895 feet above sea level, the depth at which Colorado River water can no longer flow through Hoover Dam downstream to Arizona, California, or Mexico, and hydroelectric power can no longer be generated.

��We are confident that we can continue accessing our water supply even if Lake Mead falls to a dead-pool elevation,�� Enus clarified. ��However, we need to better understand what the water quality implications may be of drawing water closer to the lake��s surface, where the water is warmer and may have more silt suspended within it.��

Lake Mead is now only 28% full, its surface only about 150 feet above dead pool. Its level has fallen around 170 feet since drought first struck the American Southwest more than 22 years ago. And, despite recent rains in the region, the rate of decline continues to accelerate.

According to the latest US Bureau of Reclamation projections, Lake Mead is expected to drop another 30 feet in the next two years.

Now What?

Several options are on the table, according to the SNWA, from shortening the third-intake straw and lowering where its top sits to building settling basins such as those used along the Mississippi River to remove sediment.

We want to evaluate feasible options now, so we can make proactive, informed decisions and ensure that our community��s water supply remains high quality,�� Enus said.

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. is expected to start the feasibility study this month. It should take eight months to complete.

The post Lake Mead��s Deepest Water Intake Opening May No Longer be Deep Enough to Serve Las Vegas appeared first on Casino.org.

Over the last few weeks, Steve Brubaker played 50 same-game parlays featured on the front page of FanDuel��s wagering app. Of those 50 $1 wagers, he won just once and lost more than $37. After that, he played 50 $1 lottery scratch-off tickets. He won eight times on those, including a $300 winner, but the other seven were worth $22.

Brubaker told Casino.org he decided to check out what FanDuel was doing after reading comments from the operator regarding the revenue it makes off its front page. He figured they likely weren��t good bets, but even he thought he��d do better than his 1-for-50 run.

With a couple of exceptions, Brubaker��s wagers came from the top offering on a home page section. Others were parlays FanDuel promoted on a rotating series of banners on the top of its home screen.

He posted his results on Twitter daily and tagged FanDuel in his tweets, but he said he never heard from them once. Among the primary concerns he raised during his nearly two-month experiment was FanDuel offering premade parlays and not resetting the counter showing the number of people who played the wager as odds or legs changed.

Day 48 @FDSportsbook pregame SGP test. FAILED. 1 for 48!!!! See you tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/P4ngvU7G5M

— Steve Brubaker (@SteveBrubaker) March 11, 2023

How FanDuel Promotes Parlays

There��s no debate that FanDuel and other operators promote parlays, same-game or otherwise, including placing them in high-profile spots on their apps.

All operators have seen growth in that segment of the sports betting market. During a presentation to investors last November, FanDuel noted that more than 60% of the bets made on its platform are parlays. Thanks in part to more player production markets being offered, FanDuel bettors are playing parlays with more legs.

In response to Brubaker��s work, a FanDuel representative told Casino.org that the section where Brubaker selected most of his wagers highlights popular same-game parlays made by bettors. In other words, they weren’t created by anyone employed by the sportsbook.

There are also a couple of contingencies. FanDuel shows parlays with odds no higher than 20-1, and once another parlay receives a higher number of wagers, that will become the top parlay listed at the top of the section. The trading team may remove the bet from the front page if the liability exceeds the threshold. An individual could still place that wager by going to the specific game and creating it themselves.

Brubaker provided a list of his bets and the odds he received. On six of them, his odds were above 20-1, ranging from +2017 to +2454. The parlays Brubaker placed from January 20 through March 13 had average odds of +1087, meaning a $1 winning bet would have netted him $10.87.

Those odds have an implied probability of 8.4%, or more than four times Brubaker��s win rate.

While the FanDuel rep didn’t know the exact odds of Brubaker��s bets, they said he may have just encountered a run of bad luck during the time he placed his bets.

FanDuel does create some same-game and other parlay wagers. Those are typically given a title or are based on a theme. The representative said top trading executives urge their content teams to create wagers they would bet on a high-profile game.

FanDuel traders cannot make bets through the company��s platform.

Brubaker Wants Changes

Brubaker told Casino.org that he has no problem with bettors choosing their parlay selections. Still, if FanDuel promotes some premade wagers, regardless of how they were created, the counter showing the number of people who have placed that wager creates an inducement to make that bet.

He also wants to see the odds posted for each leg of the parlay. He said that would show bettors if a particular selection within the wager has substantially higher odds than the other legs.

Odds are irrelevant if the SGPs are made or selected to lose,�� he told Casino.org.

He also wants regulators to study data and see if parlays promoted on the front page have a significantly different win rate than those created by bettors.

Brubaker ended his experiment this past week and now focuses on his day job. He noted that his work on this experiment was more time-consuming than some may realize, but still, he prides himself on exposing what he thinks are bad practices in the industry.

��I��m always going to look for something that doesn��t feel right,�� he said.

The post FanDuel Responds to Same-Game Parlay Betting Project, Says Most Wagers Were Created by Bettors appeared first on Casino.org.

RickGolfs became a Cosmo VIP via a large win on a $5 slot machine, which led to a larger win on $25 slot machines and gold status �C all in the same night, according to the thread.

��With gold status, my rooms were now free, as well as much of my food and beverage,�� RickGolfs tweeted. ��I was now hooked.��

By the end of 2016, RickGolfs reported, he bet $66,188 and was up $2,190.62.?��This is crazy lucky, do not try this at home!!�� he tweeted.

By 2018, RickGolfs claimed, he upped his game to platinum status. ��I felt like a king,�� he tweeted. ��A limo would pick me up. I checked in at the VIP lounge. I was now getting 900 sq foot suites with giant balconies overlooking the Bellagio fountains.��

But his luck had already turned. The close of that year brought a net gambling loss of $14,308 dollars.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

When RickGolfs performed a cost-benefit analysis of his entire slot ��career,�� he found he had lost $34,847 sliding more than $811K into one-armed bandits.

��Not great, right?�� he tweeted. ��The question is, do the comps cancel out the losses? Did I do well enough that essentially gambling was free entertainment?��

��Now, is this a win?�� RickGolfs tweeted. ��Not really, bottom line, I still spent the money. BUT, I was going to Vegas regardless, so those free rooms and benefits really did matter.��

Should You Follow His Lead?

RickGolfs claims to advise against high rolling as a business model.

“Should you do it?” he tweeted. ��No, lol. I got insanely lucky. But if you do gamble, get a players card. You never know.��

Though this information seems intriguing, it must be taken with a grain of salt until the claims, and identity, of RickGolfs can be verified. Casino.org messaged the Twitter user seeking comment. We also reached out to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas PR team, asking if RickGolfs is a real person whose identity they��re aware of.

At the time this was posted, neither request received a response.

The post Las Vegas Alleged VIP Breaks Down True Cost of Being a High Roller appeared first on Casino.org.

The UK’s regulated gambling industry is one of the strongest in Europe. It’s also one of the most responsible, with a problem gambling rate lower than 0.5%, according to the UKGC’s own studies.

That rate has dropped over time, as gaming operators proactively implemented policies to reduce gambling addiction risks without the need for far-reaching regulatory controls. However, if the UKGC and the government clamp down like they want to, EY believes the regulated industry could be in a lot of trouble.

Affordability Checks Not Welcome

The UKGC wants a “single view” for the gaming industry, whereby all operators would have access to certain consumer data to control spending. The government, which has promised a more relaxed approach, believes that affordability checks would help control spending as well.

Affordability checks, in theory, would ensure gamblers and bettors can afford what they spend. EY’s survey believes it could do more harm than good.

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) commissioned the accounting giant to conduct the review. What it found was as much as 70% of bettors have no plans to share data with the government. In other words, that entire sector could switch to unregulated, black-market gambling and sports betting.

This industry is serious about safer gambling, and it’s encouraging that the rates of problem gambling among UK adults remain low by international standards at 0.3%. But without Government clarity on affordability checks, our members are concerned they are driving frustrated customers to the unsafe, unregulated black market,” said BGC CEO Michael Dugher.

The loss would impact private companies and employment, as well as the UK government. The revenue contribution the gaming industry gives to the country is around $8.7 billion annually, according to EY.

As much as the UKGC harps about responsible gambling and the rules, it recently broke them. The UKGC showed its own ad on social media in support of responsible gambling, but used underage children as young as nine or 10. It isn��t clear if the regulator plans on fining itself for the violation.

More Changes Coming

Perhaps cooler heads will prevail when the new gambling laws arrive. Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, Michelle Donelan, recently said the government will take a “common sense” approach with its gambling reform.

The government has already delayed the presentation of its white paper on gambling reform a number of times. It’s well over a year late, although Donelan said it was coming “in the next few weeks.”

That was several weeks ago and there’s still a chance that it will appear before the end of the year. However, it’s more likely that a 2023 presentation of the UK’s new gambling laws is coming first. Hopefully, the government will have read the EY report.

The post UK’s Gambling Reform Could Cause Serious Damage, Asserts New Report appeared first on Casino.org.

Would Zeldin want to repeal the law that opened up legalized sports gambling in January, bringing in more than $500 million of tax revenues in 2022 thus far? Would he want higher or lower taxes on the nine sportsbooks operating in New York? Would he support a casino in Manhattan, where local community opposition has more or less wiped out the possibility of a casino in Times Square?

These are all unknowns as Election Day approaches in the Empire State, with one poll showing a dead heat between Zeldin and Hochul. Discussing some of those unknowns was the topic of the day Thursday, as Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow (D) sat with Casino.org for a two-hour interview to discuss legalized gaming issues.

Insane plan for a Times Square casino shows how crooked the whole ��gaming in NYC�� game is https://t.co/6uUnCfOQe7 pic.twitter.com/eb20nN3kY3

— NY Post Opinion (@NYPostOpinion) October 29, 2022

Pretlow, cochair of the state Racing and Wagering commission, said a Zeldin victory would bring a change in dynamics to the state capitol of Albany. That would inject several unknowns into the state’s legalized gambling infrastructure.

“The people who run the gaming commission, he could change them,” Pretlow explained. “I have listened to him and looked at the issues that he is campaigning on, and gambling is not one of them. He might be anti-gambling. But Andrew Cuomo was anti-gambling, too, until one day he wasn’t.”

Pretlow, a Democrat from Mount Vernon in suburban Westchester County, said any gambling law changes that would be made under a Zeldin Administration would come through the state’s budgeting process. That’s where the legislature is effectively a rubber stamp for whatever the governor wants to prioritize.

Negotiating changes to budget proposals was always a possibility historically.?As a result, New York’s current sports gambling law could be amended. And the current law under which several companies are applying for three downstate casino licenses, which would allow for fully-operational casinos by the end of 2023, could be impacted, too.

Pretlow said community opposition in most of Manhattan is so strong that he could envision only one casino proposal possibly getting approved — at the Hudson Yards development on the West Side of midtown Manhattan.

“That is the only thing with legs, and I don’t think that will fly either for the same reason,” Pretlow said.

He said the Times Square proposal involving the real estate company S.L. Green along with Caesars was “basically dead” because of community board opposition. Caesars recently replaced Hard Rock as the gaming entity in that proposal. State law requires environmental impact studies along with community support, and the latter is never going to happen because of local politics in midtown Manhattan, Pretlow said.

We polled our readers on if there should be a casino in Times Square or not, and the results are in! https://t.co/OpW8VBDAXv

— Actor Hub (@ActorHub) October 27, 2022

Proposals to put a third casino in the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Putnam Counties are all unviable for a variety of reasons. There is a possibility that the state will issue two licenses by the end of 2023 and hold off on issuing a third. But that would require a bipartisan agreement, and those are hard to come by at both the local and national level.

One other New York City possibility is an effort by Mets owner Steve Cohen to build a casino in the parking areas near Citi Field in Queens, Pretlow said. But that would be opposed by Genting, which pays Nassau County (the Western of two counties that make up Long Island) $25 million as part of an earlier deal to keep that county casino-free. “and I do not know if that would fly with the locals in Willets Point,” Pretlow said.

Another idea being floated is for the third casino to be located near Coney Island in Brooklyn, site of the famous Nathan’s hot dog eating content every July 4.

Pretend I��m a Tourist: An unexpected prize on the death-defying Coney Island Cyclone https://t.co/6Yu4mcqIkE

— A Great Big City (@agreatbigcity) November 2, 2022

Currently, it is widely believed that MGM will get a full casino license for Empire City Casino, also known as Yonkers Raceway, and a second will go to Malaysia-based Genting Inc. to turn Aqueduct Racetrack (not operating as a so-called “racino” under the authority of the state lottery commission) would get the second.

“There are no destination casinos in the world other than the ones in Monaco, Macau, and Las Vegas. Every other casino is a casino of convenience,” Pretlow said.

One recent poll showed the race between Hochul and Zeldin to be a dead heat, and there is a possibility that New York will have its first Republican governor since George Pataki from 1995-2006. Hochul has strong support in Western New York, where she is an avid supporter of the Buffalo Bills, while Zeldin has been trying to make inroads in New York City and its surrounding suburbs, which historically have leaned heavily toward the Democratic Party.

Election Day is next Tuesday, and sports telecasts in New York have been jam-packed with political advertisements and sportsbook advertisements. A huge unknown, according to Pretlow, is the impact that a Zeldin election would have on the functionality of the legislature as it relates to sports gambling and the state wagering commission, which he cochairs along with State Sen. Joseph Addabbo from Queens.

A Republican administration would bring along Republican appointees to the administrative section of the commission, changing its operating dynamics and leaving New York gamblers at risk of having the sports gambling rules they have gotten used to since January (outlined in our New York sports wagering hub) amended.

“I have no idea what his attitude toward gambling, and the some members of the gaming commission would be replaced by people who have the same thinking as him,” Pretlow said, adding that he would expect that Rob Williams, who he described as “an apolitical Republican,” would be retained in his current role.

The Super Bowl was a bonanza for the gambling business thanks to new customers from New York, which recently legalized sports betting. But now comes the hard part for companies like DraftKings and FanDuel. https://t.co/XNAmVvHsc3

— CNN (@CNN) February 19, 2022

If a new governor tried to force changes in the sports gambling law through the budgetary process, the only way the state legislature would be able to push back would be through rejecting the budget in its entirely.

“We can only say no to the whole budget, and then the state stops,” Pretlow said, adding that he would seek a meeting with Zeldin if he is elected governor in order to get an understanding of where he stands on issues related to gambling.

New York is averaging about $300 million per week in sports bets. But New Yorkers are unable to bet on some of the most popular markets, including futures betting on individual awards, such as the Heisman Trophy, the Cy Young Award, or NBA/NFL Most Valuable Player.

That has produced an infrastructure in which many New Yorkers maintain accounts in multiple states and cross state lines in order to make wagers only available in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Zeldin’s Web site does not address sports gambling, but calls for increasing the power input and participation of rank and file legislators.

If some of those legislators want to repeal legalized sports gambling, that could be on the table. Could this issue get even more complicated than it already is? Well, sports gambling is not as big of a ballot measure as it is in California. But there will be sports gambling implications no matter whether Hochul or Zeldin emerges as the winner.

The key to keeping everything copacetic is flexibility,” Pretlow said.

Must all three casino licenses be issued at the same time? Or is there a better way?

“It is like the sports gambling issue, in that all of the sportsbooks were supposed to have equal footing and come online at the same time, but that was not how it worked out. Bally’s took several months before they went live,” Pretlow said.

The post NY Sports Gambling Law Changes Possible, But Times Square Casino Unlikely appeared first on Casino.org.

And that��s not just on the sports betting side of things. The cofounder of the microbetting startup believes everything about the sports betting experience needs to be reexamined, as he mentioned in the first part of our conversation at Resorts World Las Vegas earlier this month.

Part two of our conversation focuses on what Levy thinks of the current sports betting industry environment and where the industry will be a year from now.

If you missed part one, you can find that here.

Casino.org edited Levy��s responses for length.

When we come back to the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) next year, what do you see the US sports betting industry looking like by then?

Joey Levy: ��Knock on wood, if we’re successful, you’re going to have people asking a lot more of these questions like, does what you see on Bet MGM or Caesars Sportsbook, is this what the ultimate product experience should look and feel like?

People are going to be asking questions because I think we’re going to gain a lot of traction, hopefully, with this new reimagined experience, and I think it’ll be generally good for the industry. There are other companies in the industry that are doing new, different things, too. It’s not just us. I think what Mojo launched with the sports stock market is super interesting. You have emerging fantasy companies, like Underdog and PrizePicks, that are doing some interesting things. So, generally, it’s good for the consumer and good for the industry if there are a variety of different game types, product innovation, and so I think you’ll see more of that.

��You’re also going to see a lot more questions and interest in how you pursue not just brand awareness. FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, MGM have done a really good job with brand awareness. Everybody knows those brands, right? They advertise like car insurance companies, except I don’t think they’re as funny as GEICO. They have brand awareness. But you have an industry where the house will always win. It’s inherently hard to establish brand affinity with the consumer when really what you’re asking them to do over the long run is to lose money on your site.

��How do you sustainably develop a relationship and develop a community with an audience? It’s really two things. One is build a product experience that actually enhances their consumption of sports, so that it’s for entertainment value. It’s not for winning money. Then two, build a cool media company or content. Everything Betr does from a distribution standpoint is all original content. You’re never going to see us just flood linear television with generic ads like these car insurance companies or sports betting operators that advertise like them. Distribution needs to be rethought, driven by creators to have more credibility and a better relationship with consumers.��

The younger generations of sports fans consume content way differently than their parents, especially through social media. I know that��s where Betr is going��

JL: ��It’s not just a younger demographic. Millennials and the generation above them, everybody’s on social media, and now everybody’s consuming content differently. When Jake released his video announcing Betr, everybody across all spectrums saw that video. They found a way to get that. That’s what we’re all on now.��

You alluded to this earlier. I think DraftKings and FanDuel, in many ways, were disruptors in the industry after PASPA. Do you see them now as moving out of that disruptor mode and being legacy companies?

JL: ��Yes, and I say that because I think they’re going to be successful. But again, I don’t think they or anybody else is from a product standpoint. From a distribution standpoint, the only one that I think has done an interesting, potentially good job is Barstool Sports. But on the product side, nobody has built something that the mass-market consumer can just pick up and intuitively interact with. This is like a foreign language to somebody who’s never bet on sports before.

��And I don’t think that they have the right incentives in place to go out and fundamentally change the look and feel of their consumer experiences because all they got to do is launch in more states as they open up. Their brands are already synonymous with legacy sports betting, which is what I think this will be called 10 years from now.

With Betr, I don’t know what Betr is yet. We’re a microbetting app today. I don’t know what we’ll be tomorrow or in the future. But everything we’re doing is for the mass-market casual fan to enhance their consumption of sports.

��We’re not looking for those whale betters. My point is, I don’t even know if we’re going to cannibalize their businesses or take over what they’re doing. They’re going after a smaller subset of consumer that is validated to spend a lot of money betting on sports, and they’re going to make a lot of money doing that. But we’re going after that incremental audience. We’re trying to go from the 3 million monthly active users in the industry today to the delta of 147 million gambling-age sports fans who aren’t engaged with betting on sports today because the product experiences just aren’t very good or intuitive for that.��

More from Levy coming on Wednesday.

The post Betr’s Joey Levy on Building Sustainable Relationships with Sports Bettors appeared first on Casino.org.

Macau has plans to become an international destination, requiring casino operators to invest in community projects that will diversify the region. Gambling, however, continues to be a big component of its attractiveness.

Davis Fong Ka Chio, director of the University of Macau’s Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming, has a plan to boost the gaming market. Fong told Radio Macau on Wednesday that offering exclusive gaming zones inside casinos could go a long way to help the gaming market thrive.

I think Macau’s existing gaming facilities can attract foreign visitors, but the gaming elements can be improved in the future. Different ways of playing can be added to the gaming facilities, or a dedicated gaming area for foreign visitors to give them a sense of privilege,” said Fong.

Joining Fong in the conversation was Song Wai Kit, president of the Macau Responsible Gaming Association. He believes there’s another way to boost international traffic, and it should already be in place.

Appealing to a Global Audience

There are a few initial steps that Macau show implement, according to Fong. First and foremost, to attract foreign gamblers, casino employees must speak foreign languages. Of course, this is true of any tourist destination. But Macau, according to Song, may be missing the mark. He emphasized that workforces should strengthen their “multilingual skills,” while the casinos should offer “services that cater to visitors of different nationalities.”

Although opulence abounds in Macau, there is an overwhelmingly common theme on the gaming floors. This might turn off some would-be foreign travelers. That isn’t to say that Macau needs anything like Vegas Vic, but diversity is the key to Macau’s future.

Genting Move Still Shocks

There are six gaming concessions in Macau, with six well-entrenched operators tightly holding on to their licenses. Each has submitted applications to receive new concessions at the end of this year, with none expecting to exit.

Genting Malaysia is trying to tip the scales and push out one of the concessionaires. Most analysts believe it won’t be able to do so but think it could ultimately become a partner of an incumbent.

Genting has been the underdog on several occasions �CResorts World Sentosa in Singapore and Yokohama, Japan, are two good examples. Therefore, the Maybank analyst warns operators to “underestimate [Genting] at your own peril.”

The post Macau’s Casinos Need Segregated Gaming Areas to Boost Foreign Traffic, Expert Suggests appeared first on Casino.org.

Slot machines are common in Australia. They can be found in casinos, bars, restaurants, and other gathering places throughout the country. Australia’s ABC News reports over 40K slots in Queensland alone. New South Wales reportedly has around 95K, and Victoria has another 28,800.

Previous studies have asserted that 18% of the world’s slots are in the country, even though it only represents 0.3% of the global population.

Livingstone asserts that requiring preset loss limits at the slots in bars and restaurants will protect consumers and reduce gambling harm. The associate professor at Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine is trying to convince the province of Queensland to raise the bar and institute a mandatory loss-limit requirement.

Using Established Loss Limits

For the program to work, gamblers would have to establish how much they would be willing to lose each time they played a machine. Livingstone asserts that this would be easy to implement and a conclusive way to reduce gambling harm.

Preset loss limits are already becoming a reality in Queensland, according to the Office of Liquor and Gaming (OLGR). The initiative is currently just a voluntary program at certain gaming properties. Under Livingstone’s proposal, this voluntary program would become a mandatory requirement. This would also allow the state to learn, in real-time, how much gamblers and spending and losing.

Livingstone: ‘Not Enough Focus on Gambling Harm’

Livingstone says the government is currently not doing enough to address potential gambling harm. He emphasizes that there are efforts to introduce more stringent controls in online gambling, but not for the land-based alternative. He accuses regulators across Australia of having “largely failed” when targeting responsible gambling about slots.

Livingstone adds that “almost every survey globally” indicates that slot machines represent the most harmful form of gambling.

Despite being home to the majority of the world’s slot machines, gambling addiction in Australia is extremely low. Most studies say it affects only around 1% of the population.

The figure is about the same in the US, where slot machines, on average, account for around 70% of a casino’s revenue. Moreover, Aussies can plunk money on a slot virtually anywhere, while US gamblers have more limited access.

The post Australian Gambling Researcher Lobbies for Mandatory Preset Loss Limits appeared first on Casino.org.

The wastewater includes water flowing from casinos and hotels on the Strip and other regional locations. It may come from toilets, sinks, or showers. It is unknown if the detected virus in the wastewater came from locals, workers, or tourists.

People infected with monkeypox excrete the DNA from the virus through things like saliva, feces and urine. This can then enter wastewater through drains, sinks and toilets.

As of Aug. 1, there had been 23 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox in Clark County, according to the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD).?

Vaccinations for the disease are available, but they’re in limited supply.?Some 400 people in the region so far received the monkeypox vaccine in the past week, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, citing data from SNHD officials. The vaccine, known as Jynneos, is given to those most at risk for getting the virus.

“We are providing information to the public about the symptoms of monkeypox and steps they can take to protect themselves and others,�� Stephanie Bethel, a spokesperson for the SNHD, said. ��We are also offering appointments to those who are most at risk and will expand availability of the vaccine when more resources become available.��

Infection Rate Discrepancies

But the wastewater detection of the virus is not necessarily a cause for concern.

It is not unexpected that diseases circulating in the community, including monkeypox, are detected in wastewater,” Bethel told Casino.org.

The virus is likely inactive when it enters the wastewater, Edwin Oh, a professor at the UNLV Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, confirmed to Casino.org.?But the infection rate may be higher than the current numbers show.

The viral levels are currently low from our readings, suggesting that high transmission is not occurring in Las Vegas,�� Oh added. ��Because infected individuals (who may be asymptomatic or symptomatic) will shed the virus, the actual number of infected people may be higher than the reported numbers.��

Oh notes that there have only been 14 infected individuals in the entire state of Nevada, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The local data has yet to reach the CDC.

Monkeypox Transmission, Symptoms

Monkeypox typically comes from skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. Monkeypox can be transmitted through sexual contact, too. It can be painful and occasionally is fatal.

Often, it begins with a flu-like illness, then a rash appears. Among its symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes, and chills, the SNHD said. The rash looks like a pimple- or fluid-filled blisters on the hands, feet, chest, face, genitals, or inside the body, including the mouth, vagina, or anus, the health district added.

It often takes about seven to 14 days after exposure to develop monkeypox. Monkeypox typically lasts for two to four weeks.

Public health officials are monitoring the virus locally and nationally.

The current numbers in the US have been growing at a high rate over the last two months,�� Oh said. ��Our goal is to be vigilant and track this virus before it leads to an explosion in infections.��

Oh firmly advises anyone with symptoms needs to contact a health professional.

San Francisco, New York City Cases

Last week, San Francisco announced a public health emergency because of the increasing number of cases of monkeypox. On Saturday, New York City also announced a public health emergency because of the virus.

As in Nevada, New York CDC data lags behind data released by local health departments. The CDC reports New York State has 1,390 cases. California has 827 cases. Nationally, there are 5,811 monkeypox cases, the CDC reported.

Monkeypox was seen in Africa for decades. Since May, close to 24,000 monkeypox cases have been found in some 80 countries.

In total, monkeypox has led to 75 deaths in Nigeria, Congo, and elsewhere in Africa, as well as in Brazil, India, and Spain. The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a global health emergency.

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After a few false starts over the past few months, Singapore appears to be getting back on track. It’s beginning to welcome back its much-needed tourism industry, which will begin to restore the economy.

Marina Bay Sands (MBS), a Las Vegas Sands (LVS) property, has been waiting for this moment and will attempt to make the most of it as it starts to see more traffic. However, recovering from the fallout of the global COVID-19 pandemic won’t be easy.

Vitaly Umansky, an analyst with the Sanford C. Bernstein brokerage, believes MBS will need the next two years to bounce back.

MBS Has a Bright Future

Singapore previously thought it would begin to ease international travel restrictions in September of last year. That failed after COVID-19 reappeared. That was a blow to MBS, as well as Resorts World Sentosa. It forced them to alter their expansion plans as revenue became just a fraction of what it was previously.

In March of last year, air traffic dropped to around 18% of where it was before COVID-19. By the end of this year, it will reach 50% of the pre-pandemic level and continue to rise next year.

As a result, MBS will benefit as well. Its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) should reach $1.7 billion by 2024. It could then increase to $1.9 billion within the following 12 months.

The upgrades coming to the property will assist MBS in securing greater growth. LVS is spending $1 billion on new amenities and options. These are in addition to the $3.31-billion package the company agreed to include in order to retain its exclusivity in the region.

That’s a lot of money LVS has committed to the future of MBS. Umansky believes it will pay off but will only offer a “low double-digit percentage return” in the immediate future.

Singapore Economy Looks for Stability

Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) reports that the country’s economy grew 3.4% in the first quarter of the year, compared to a year earlier. This is slightly lower than what economists had expected, according to Reuters. They previously forecast a year-on-year improvement of 3.8%.

It’s also less than the growth in the fourth quarter of last year. At that time, with more COVID-19 restrictions in place, the economy added 6.1%.

However, generally speaking, the outlook is favorable. One analyst, economist Alex Holmes with research firm Capital Economics, predicts overall growth of 4% for this year.

The reaction to the return of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix could serve as a positive indicator of Singapore’s economic growth this year. The race is returning after a two-year break, and within six hours of tickets going on sale yesterday, all grandstand and hospitality packages sold out.

The event, which will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, will significantly boost the economy. Attendance was 268,000 in 2019, and based on the preliminary results of the ticket sales, will be greater this year.

The post Marina Bay Sands May Need Two More Years to Recover, Asserts Analyst appeared first on Casino.org.

Cyprus figured out long ago that, for some reason, it was particularly interesting to Russians. It may have been because of the warm Mediterranean weather, the beaches, or the popular domestic wine, zivania. Regardless of the reason, the relationship between the two countries grew until Cyprus became a target for Russian investors, the mega-wealthy, and more.

The sentiment, to some degree, has changed since Russia decided to invade Ukraine. As Politico points out, Cyprus is distancing itself from its former commercial ally. As a result, the Cypriot hospitality scene, including its casinos, face potentially difficult times ahead.

Sour Grapes For Russians in Cyprus

Hundreds of thousands of Russian tourists flock to Cyprus annually, except during times of global pandemics. In 2020, according to Politico, Russia accounted for $100 billion in investments in the country. That was around one-quarter of all the money funneled into Cyprus that year.

The Cypriot economy is disproportionately affected compared to other countries due to the structure of the Cypriot economy and its reliance on Russian tourists,” Cypriot Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said in comments to Politico.

Russian tourism, combined with Ukrainian visitors, was to bring about 25% of the total tourism to Cyprus this year. However, for obvious reasons, that will no longer happen.

If the Ukraine invasion lasts for less than a month, Cypriot Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides believes the country could rebound without too much of an issue. However, if it lasts longer, which is looking more likely every day, it will have lasting economic difficulties.

Tourism is a huge part of the Cypriot economy, delivering 80% of the country’s revenue. Losing the Russian channel will impact all levels of tourism and spending.

Cyprus Shuts Off Russia

Cyprus is a European Union (EU) nation. As such, it found itself in a difficult spot �C back a major revenue source, or back its union partners. It opted for the latter, but not without hesitation.

The country initially resisted calls to close its airways to Russian planes. The government also wanted to continue to allow Russian access to SWIFT, the global payments gateway. It relented, however, and has signed off on both.

Cyprus was also the last country in the EU to offer financial support to Ukraine, according to Politico. In addition, it is one of only six EU nations, along with Austria, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden, that is not part of NATO.

Going forward, the banking industry in Cyprus will be altered. Several banks hold assets for Russian individuals now on EU sanction lists. Real estate projects, some of which received backing from Russian investors, will sit idle.

RCB is now a purely Cypriot bank. However, that doesn’t mean RCB bank won’t find a way to get its hands on those assets.

Limassol, Famagusta Come to a Halt

City of Dreams (CoD) Mediterranean is on track to open later this year. The Melco Resorts and Entertainment property is supposed to be the largest casino resort in all of Europe. There’s no doubt that its location in Limassol hoped to capitalize on the big-spending Russians that frequent the area.

That will likely now change, as will the success of Melco’s other satellite casinos the company owns. It is behind gaming venues in Larnaca, Paphos, and Famagusta. But they were all meant as an enticement to attract attention to CoD Mediterranean.

It’s too early to say how much trouble Russia’s invasion will cause Melco and the local gaming scene. However, there is a silver lining. As companies flee Russia in protest of the massacre and fear-mongering, some are open to setting up shop in the country.

There is still some reluctance, though. Panicos Demetriades, a former central banker in Cyprus, told Politico, “Cyprus is a small country and is known for its past relationship with Russia and the oligarchs. Thus, it is very difficult to support itself and could become a victim of sanctions. Because of old sins, Cyprus is [on] the gray list, and others are always suspicious.”

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There are plenty of reasons why introducing regulations to the gaming industry is a good idea. They can protect both operators and end-users and increase transparency and fairness.

Regulations also make sure governments get their piece of the action. However, too much regulation can have the opposite effect. A new report produced by the UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) supports this, and warns that the UK is on a path of self-destruction if it tries to over-regulate its gaming market.

Offshore Gaming a Standard Feature in Europe

The BGC commissioned PWC to investigate the state of black-market gambling in Europe ahead of the UK’s upcoming regulatory reform. It won’t come as a surprise to most that many countries where gambling oppression is on the rise are seeing an increase in offshore activity.

In a press release, the BGC highlighted several European countries and the issues they face with the use of illegal gambling sites. For example, Norway, one of the most restrictive and monopolistic markets, sees about 66% of its online money staked head offshore.

France isn’t too far behind. It loses around 57% of all money staked to illegal operators. France has a legal iGaming market, thanks to a 2009 law change. However, it doesn’t have any iGaming operators with a license in the country.

As the growth of these sites has rocketed, black market sites’ revenues in Norway have more than tripled since 2010 and French black market revenues have almost doubled since 2015,” said a new BGC report on black-market gambling in Europe.

While self-exclusion is a great idea on paper, it doesn’t always work in the real world. Sweden, like many countries, offers self-exclusion. But this hasn’t stopped 38% of consumers from simply switching to offshore options.

Italy and Spain haven’t escaped offshore betting’s reach, either. As they have continued to introduce new controls and restrictions, black-market gambling has increased 23% and 20%, respectively.

UK Gaming On a Collision Course with the Black Market

If the UK isn’t careful, it’s going to end up where these other countries have. The PWC report indicates that the number of British gamblers heading to offshore sites has gone from 220,000 two years ago to 460,000 now. The amount of money they stake in offshore sites is “in the billions of pounds.”

Should the UKGC, as well as UK lawmakers, continue to clamp down on the gambling industry, it could do more harm than good. The BGC points out that as many as 120,000 jobs are at stake. In addition, the government could lose the ��4.5 billion (US$6.12 billion) it earns through tax revenue each year.

The BGC, which represents a number of gaming operators, isn’t calling for a ban on the creation of regulations. Instead, it’s calling for a commonsense approach to how they’re created. The Council hopes the powers-that-be can find the necessary balance that provides the necessary oversight, while still giving consumers the ability to rightfully choose how and when they seek out their preferred form of entertainment.

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The sports betting operator received the license through its partnership with the Ak-Chin Indian Community. It is the 11th operator to establish a presence in the Grand Canyon State.

As a streaming platform, fuboTV is best known for being marketed as a sports-focused service. About a year ago, the company began making acquisitions to enter the US sports betting market. Those purchases include online sportsbook Vigtory.

��Fubo Sportsbook is a major pillar of fuboTV��s mission to integrate interactivity into our live TV streaming platform and define a new category of interactive sports and entertainment television,�� said David Gandler, co-founder and CEO of fuboTV, in a statement. ��I��m very proud of how quickly the Fubo Gaming team has brought Fubo Sportsbook to market: from our announcement to expand into online sports wagering to the launch of Fubo Sportsbook in Arizona, our second state, all in the same year.��??

Fubo debuted in Iowa last month, where it operates through an agreement with the Casino Queen in Marquette. Other market access agreements give Fubo Sportsbook rights to licenses in Indiana, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Gaming Industry Veteran Leads Fubo Sportsbook

Earlier this month, Fubo Gaming President Scott Butera talked with?Casino.org about the sports betting landscape and where his company fits in that. Butera has extensive experience in gaming and sports. He served as the president and COO of Trump Entertainment, the COO of The Cosmopolitan, the president and CEO of Tropicana Entertainment, and Foxwoods Resorts Casino.

After a three-year stint as the commissioner of the Arena Football League, Butera returned to the gaming world. In 2018, he became president of interactive gaming for MGM Resorts International and helped set up BetMGM. He left there in 2020 to become co-CEO of Vigtory. He transitioned into his current role after fuboTV bought the sportsbook.

Butera told?Casino.org?that he��s leveraged what he��s learned from his time leading casino companies to help grow one of the newest sportsbooks in the US. Casinos work hard to learn their customers�� habits and tastes and cater to those.

Getting to Know the Fubo Customer

There��s a similar concept in mind for fuboTV and its more than 1 million subscribers. Butera said those individuals watch about 130 hours of television programming each month. That gives the company some great insights into their audience to try to convert them from viewers to bettors.

We��re able to learn a lot about the likes and dislikes of what we call ��sports-minded�� people,�� he said. ��We have a feel for that. So we can create truly, uniquely tailored offerings and experiences to that customer to create what��s hopefully a unique and personalized experience and something that you��ll like a lot more than something that might be a little bit more generic.��

Subscriber habits and data will also help Fubo Gaming when it launches iGaming, which will roll out in Pennsylvania.

Butera said if a user watches Wheel of Fortune regularly, that individual would likely receive information about Wheel of Fortune slots available in the Fubo virtual casino.

��The biggest thing for us is this whole true integration, and the ability to synchronize, and the knowledge that we can generate from the hours that people view us, and the fact that we��re able to create these really unique live-type offerings that I think will really be attractive as a product,�� he said.

Engaging Through Technology

Fubo is looking at other ways to leverage technology to attract users to its streaming service and sports betting app.

One of the features Fubo Sportsbook has touted with its mobile app is ��Watching Now,�� which leverages the subscriber��s viewing patterns, and offers them real-time betting options based on what they��re watching.

For example, if they��re watching an NFL game on a local channel through fuboTV, then the app will give them up-to-date odds on the game. If they switch over to a basketball game on ESPN, the app will then flip to show odds for that game on the user��s phone.

A criticism of watching sports through streaming services has been the latency �C or lag time �C between what��s happening in the game and when the viewer actually gets to see it. In some cases, the delay can be as much as a minute, depending on the service provider. It��s an issue that arises when the topic of in-game betting gets discussed.

��What we��re doing is we��re creating betting options that aren��t necessarily play-to-play, but might be they��ll either bet on a drive or if there��s a timeout, bet on something after that,�� Butera told?Casino.org. ��We��re not holding back lines or doing anything like that. We��re keeping it live to the extent that we can, but factoring in things that won��t happen in the next 60 seconds so that we can allow people to make safe bets.

��Now, that��s not necessarily the problem for us because absolutely that whole kind of engagement is important. But there are other ways, other products that we can do that will keep people engaged and viewing longer. When we think about product, part of our mission is to get this streaming customer to be wagering and interacting, but also to get them to stay on the tube longer�� So, really, we��re looking at what products can people engage over the course of a game, over the course of a match, as opposed to necessarily having the bet on the next pitch.��

The post As Fubo Launches in Arizona, Butera Says New Sportsbook Can Create Unique Offerings appeared first on Casino.org.

It��s a fact not lost on him.

We need to open up sports gambling in Texas,�� McIngvale told Casino.org. ��It’d be a huge industry and puts some more money into the state coffers and prevents people like me having to fly to Colorado to bet.��

Two weeks ago, a Texas legislative committee received testimony on proposed constitutional amendments that would legalize sports betting and casino gaming in the country��s second-most populous state. Las Vegas Sands has reportedly invested millions in a campaign to promote expanded gaming in the Lone Star State.

However, the measures face opposition. Earlier this year, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said there are not enough votes in the state Senate for it to pass.

The day before Mattress Mack made his $2.4 million bet on Essential Quality in the Kentucky Derby, he sat down with Casino.org to talk about the future of horse racing and share his thoughts on the proliferation of sports betting across the country.

Mattress Mack: Bettor and Believer

In addition to being a high-profile gambler, McIngvale is also a person who actively professes his faith. His Twitter account features as many, if not more, tweets citing Bible verses than sports betting content.

He��s also opened up his Gallery Furniture stores in Houston as temporary shelters during times of crisis. He did so most recently during the February winter storm that shut down much of the state for days. And for the Kentucky Derby, he partnered with Churchill Downs to bring about 300 representatives of the state��s foster care system to watch the race as their guests.

It’s an issue close to him. His daughter and her husband formally adopted their son two years ago after serving as foster parents.

��I have seen firsthand the importance of foster care, and Brodie has been a true joy in my life,�� McIngvale said in a statement from Churchill Downs.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

— @MattressMack (@MattressMack) May 1, 2021

Those two sides to Mattress Mack are noteworthy, especially when many who oppose expanded gaming cite religious or moral arguments.

While Texas does not offer much in the form of legal gaming, it does have a state lottery, which first sold tickets nearly 30 years ago. McIngvale called the lottery the ��worst gamble in history,�� and said that many who have opposed efforts to expand gaming in Texas have not said much about the lottery.

Country Faces “Bigger Issues than Gambling”

McIngvale added that he believes the country has ��bigger moral issues�� it must address.

��One of the big moral issues we need to focus on is, “We don’t have enough young people in the country,�� he said just days after the US Census Bureau announced that the country��s population grew at its slowest rate since the 1930s. ��There’s more people in the country right now over 80-years old than there are 2-years old, and that’s a problem for the future of the country. We need to focus on bigger issues than gambling.��

He went on to call gambling a ��harmless attraction,�� though he noted that it can be addictive, as much so as drinking alcohol, sex, and other activities.

��With control, I think gambling is something that’s a good hobby for people,�� he added. ��It’s certainly a stress reliever for me.

��My wife asks me all the time, ��Do I have a gambling problem?�� No, I have a promoting problem,'” he quipped. “Because every gamble I do is tied to Gallery Furniture and promotes the business. And seeing success being measured by results, I haven’t done too bad.��

In February, Mattress Mack bet nearly $3.5 million on Tampa Bay to win the Super Bowl. He ended up netting more than $2.7 million after the Buccaneers won. Those proceeds offset the refunds customers received as a result of a Gallery Furniture promotion tied to the big game.

Besides his sports bets, the only other bets he says he makes are on his stable of horses.?However, he added that he doesn��t bet a lot on them unless they��re longshots.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Mattress Mack Pushes for Texas Sports Betting, Calls It a “Stress Reliever” appeared first on Casino.org.

Currently, only Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey participate in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association. That allows sites, such as WSOP.com, to operate in those states to have players play against each other. That connectivity allowed the World Series of Poker to hold the first two days of its COVID-forced hybrid-format Main Event in both New Jersey and Nevada last month.

Before then, the 1961 law had been accepted as having a narrow application for using communications devices to transmit sports betting information across state lines. Trump��s Department of Justice sought to expand the scope of the law to apply to other forms of gaming. However, that led to the successful lawsuit filed by the New Hampshire Lottery Corp.

As President Biden was sworn into office on the day of the First Circuit Court of Appeals decision, it seems unlikely that an appeal to the Supreme Court will take place, as the new president was cool to the idea of an expanded Wire Act scope.

The More States the Merrier for Online Poker

Sherman, who serves as a senior vice president for 888 and head of its US division, noted that online poker in New Jersey generated about $38 million in revenue for licensees. In neighboring Pennsylvania, where, for now, players can only compete against others in the state, poker sites made $36 million.

Combined, New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware have a population of slightly less than 13 million. That��s roughly the same size as Pennsylvania. Add in Michigan��s 10 million residents, and Sherman said the pool of players becomes quite sizeable.

And while the expansion of gaming may have a cannibalizing effect to some extent as other states approve sports betting and consider iGaming, Sherman said that won��t happen with online poker.

With poker, it’s a net positive for everybody because it continues to grow,�� Sherman told Casino.org. ��If you have those (five) states, it could be well north of $200-$250 million in the short term.”

“And if you’re looking at the 2025 joint projections that we’ve seen from Morgan Stanley and other reputable analysts and banks, you��re talking about the gaming market being worth anywhere between $10 to $12 billion in 2025. Then I would argue that poker out of that should be well-positioned for about a 10 percent share,” he continued.

With the favorable Wire Act ruling, Sherman hopes it will lead to more progress on the iGaming front. It may lead to West Virginia, another state with iGaming, to become part of the multi-state network. Elsewhere, nine operators in Michigan launched their casino apps this past weekend, and other states — like Indiana — have filed bills to allow online poker and casino gaming.

��With more liquidity and more states, we can offer an amazing customer experience across the nation,�� he said. ��We��re very excited about this. I mean, it��s been something we��ve been waiting for for a very long time.��

888, Caesars Extend WSOP.com Agreement

While 888 operates its own online gaming websites, it also serves as a back-end provider platform provider as well.

The day before the Wire Act ruling, 888 and Caesars Interactive Entertainment announced a multi-year extension of their business-to-business partnership. The deal means 888 will continue to provide the platform for Caesars�� WSOP.com poker room.

With the extension in place, Caesars is looking to expand its online iGaming and poker network into other states.

��We added a portrait mode, which was important for players, because we realized that they wanted to be able to play with just one hand,�� he said.

The new platform also includes responsible gaming enhancements to ensure players are playing within their means.

Sherman noted 888 officially launched in Europe in November and said players liked using the new platform.

The post 888’s Sherman Says US Online Poker May Benefit in Latest Wire Act Ruling appeared first on Casino.org.

Southern Nevada casinos are staying abreast of any risks via the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center (SNCTC),? Tommy J. Burns, a Nevada-based casino security consultant, told Casino.org last year. Gaming property security experts are in regular contact with the SNCTC and plans are developed as needed.

But an industry expert believes it’s unlikely that any extraordinary measures will be required.

The major casinos already have enhanced security against terrorist and other threats and work closely with the Gaming Control Board and the Metropolitan Police to monitor potential threats,” said Anthony Cabot, Distinguished Fellow of Gaming Law at UNLV’s Boyd School of Law, to Casino.org on Monday. “Unless there is a planned major demonstration in Las Vegas, the security precautions already in place should more than suffice.”

Last year, Metro Capt. Chris Tomaino, who heads-up the CNCTC, said concerns about violence related to the election have been monitored by authorities since May, according to KSNV, a local TV station. ��As long as … we don’t have rioting and violence, and damage to people or property, then the police basically stand back and keep an eye on things, and that’s really our role,�� Tomaino was quoted by the TV station in October.

Carson City Protests Remain Peaceful

On Sunday, peaceful protests supporting Trump took place in Carson City and at several other state capitals nationwide. Just a small number of protestors showed up at the Carson City event near the state Capitol building.

Some were armed and many held picket signs, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. Open carry of firearms is legal in Nevada.

Many motorists also drove by and held pro-Trump signs related to the presidential election results. It was unclear if protestors were affiliated with a specific political movement.

Last week, the Nevada National Guard was called out by Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) to protect the state capitol. The move comes following the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol while members of Congress certified November’s election results.

Opposition Under Watch

This past Sunday, Ohio and Michigan were among the states that saw a slightly larger number of protestors at rallies taking place at their state capitols. Some protestors wore attire that is connected with the right-wing Boogaloo movement, USA Today?reported.

The Boogaloo movement gained national attention in May after three Las Vegas men were arrested for an alleged plot which planned to throw a Molotov cocktail at police officers assigned to The Strip.

Jason M. Blazakis, director of Middlebury College��s Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, recently told Casino.org that he was not surprised the arrests took place and the cases are heading to trial.?The threat of violence continues this week, he said.

The threats in the lead-up to the inauguration are serious,�� Blazakis said. ��The events of Jan. 6 have emboldened radical right-wing groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and the mishmash of white supremacist groups who oppose President-elect Biden.��

Given the risk, a spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League��s (ADL) Center on Extremism agreed that government officials must be prepared. The ADL also highlighted risk from the Boogaloo movement.

The ADL spokesman explained the movement believes “that a future civil war is coming to America.�� It largely draws its ranks from anti-government extremists and they predict the “boogaloo will break out when the American people rise up against a tyrannical government to reclaim the rights that they believe have been infringed upon,�� the spokesman adds.

The movement is seen as anti-government, anti-authority, anti-police, and pro-gun, the ADL explained. “As such, it��s not surprising that the three men arrested were talking about targeting police officers with their Molotov cocktails prior to their arrest,�� the ADL spokesman confirmed.

He said in response to the “events of 1/6, some boogalooers in private chats bemoaned that it was not boogalooers who were storming the Capitol.” In October, suspected members of the Battle Born Patriots, a suspected paramilitary group, were seen at a pro-Trump rally in Carson City, California’s CapRadio further reported.

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Rough Restart

Gaming properties that have reopened after weeks of hiatus in jurisdictions like Macau show mostly less than desirable outcomes. For the last four weeks, Inside Asian Gaming has been carrying out spot-checks on the number of customers in various Macau casinos.

All counts were conducted on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons. Just to underscore the contrast, Sands China Limited’s casinos, pre-COVID-19, attracted around 200,000 visitors per day.

Much of this extreme visitor drop is due to tight border restrictions in place in Macau since late March. And the prospects in Las Vegas or Singapore will likely be similarly challenging.

Physical barriers such as cross-border travel restrictions (be they interstate or international), much more limited transportation options (in particular, via airlines, but also for ferries in Macau and buses) and quarantine requirements for customers traveling to or from casino destinations��already are, and will continue to—make it extremely difficult for customers to visit their favorite gambling destinations as easily as they once could.

Looking at it?from a financial viewpoint, it almost makes little sense for casinos to reopen at all unless all these entry barriers are substantially dismantled.

Not That Simple

Just removing the structural barriers that hinder access to a gaming destination does not guarantee that casino customers will start lining up at the door. The post-pandemic gambling mindset needs to be understood.

Resort operators should recognize three distinct phases customers will go through as casinos reopen. Long-term post-pandemic patronage will depend on how gaming executives respond to both customer and employee mindsets at each phase.

Paying Attention Pays Off

Phase One: Scouting

Casino operators should not assume that players loyal to their brands prior to the pandemic will automatically return.

Rob Goldstein, CEO of Las Vegas Sands, said in his call to investors, ��We hear anecdotally that people are really frustrated and want to go back to gambling in casinos.��

In an earnings call on April 29, Wynn CEO Matt Maddox noted, ��As an opening gets closer, there will be pent-up demand in the leisure segment.��

But while some people who can get to casinos will certainly visit, it’s erroneous to assume that their brand preferences would not have changed during the lockdown period.

During what I term the “scouting” phase, casinos need to be observant and responsive to the few customers they will attract, and respond appropriately to rapidly changing player wants and attitudes.

��Return to player�� needs to be considerably increased to lay the foundations of a reinvigorated loyalty program. New operating models will need to be introduced and refined as operators continue to relearn about their customer base.

And of course, in the wake of the pandemic, gaming customers will need constant and tangible evidence that their safety is being appropriately safeguarded.

Getting to Know You — Again

Phase II: Refamiliarizing

After a few weeks of the first phase—and provided there are no significant COVID-19 flare-ups—the hope is that customers, as well as employees, will start to settle into behavioral patterns that will stick beyond the crisis period.

At this stage, casino operators will have to aggressively reposition and promote their existing offerings. Future-looking operating norms will have to be set in motion based on customer and employee feedback.

During the “refamiliarizing” phase, casino executives will have to rely on their employees as the eyes and ears for customer responsiveness. Their assessment of what��s working and what needs to change should be taken as valuable pieces of advice for consideration.

Evening the Keels

Phase III: Stabilizing

In this phase, gamblers are starting to settle into a new casino, dining, and entertainment reality.

Understandable anxiety��so rampant during the scouting phase��should have diminished, as new, accepted attitudinal and behavioral patterns begin to take root.

At this stage, operators will begin to realize that their customer mix may have changed. With the knowledge, new segmentation models will have to be developed in order to craft effective marketing strategies. Voice of Customer (VoC) should form the bedrock of every marketing initiative and substantial resources should be allocated to understanding key customer groups.

Along with this, casinos will begin to have a better idea of their post-pandemic revenue mix. What proportion of total revenues come from gambling?

In Las Vegas—where two-thirds of operator revenues come from non-gaming attractions—how should integrated resorts prioritize their offerings under the new normal? With nightclubs and shows shuttered for the foreseeable future, will Las Vegas casinos be able to break even from just gaming and restaurants?

Unfazed by Phases

Obviously, how long each phase lasts will vary from one area to another, and sometimes from casino to casino. The way mainland Chinese patrons interact with the gaming industry in Macau will normalize in a different way and rate than how gamblers will come back to casinos in Las Vegas.

Every property will have to make its own unique plans for navigating the three phases. Customer research prior to reopening might provide valuable insights to that end.

Universal Changes

Drastic changes in the way employee and customer relationships are handled will be the unifying theme as the industry comes back from the COVID-19 shutdown. If they change nothing, they will likely see drastic drops in customer numbers from per-pandemic quarters, and are rife to lose good employees to serve the few customers they do have.

Industry observers agree that casinos will need 50 to 60 percent occupancy just to break even when they reopen. Not many gaming operators will be able to achieve this kind of customer patronage within a reasonable time frame, unless appropriate strategies and processes are implemented at each phase of the customer journey.

If Macau’s post-pandemic experience to date is anything to go by, reopening casinos in Vegas and elsewhere will be an uphill and financially draining exercise. Casinos will do well to realize that the few patrons they attract in the early phases of reopening are worth their weight in gold.

Sudhir H. Kal��, Ph.D., is a casino scholar with decades of research experience in the gaming industry. Kal�� has written over 100 articles on patron behavior and casino marketing. His company, GamePlan Consultants, is currently assisting casinos all over the world with their reopenings post COVID-19. You can reach him at [email protected].

The post Can Casinos Come Back from COVID-19? With Careful Planning: Maybe, Says Expert appeared first on Casino.org.

Should casino workers — those on the frontlines of the gaming industry who witness firsthand how players both win and lose massive amounts of money — be allowed to gamble themselves in their off-work hours? And what about in their own venues?

Especially in the wake of COVID-19‘s devastating global impact on the gaming industry, will operators need to rethink this bent? Our expert explains his unorthodox view, which is based on his own extensive industry research that bore out surprising results.

Several operators in the Asia-Pacific arena ban casino employees from gambling in their own casinos. The intent is to prevent any potential for — or appearance of — fraud among casino staff.

Stay Away or Else

Some jurisdictions, including Singapore and Macau, have banned casino employees from even entering casinos and from gambling during their non-working hours entirely. In Singapore, no licensed casino employee can gamble in either of the city��s two integrated resorts, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. [Editor’s Note: According to Marina Bay Sands’ website, as of now, the casino resort ” … will limit public access to the casino from 23:59 hours on 26 March 2020. Other operations … have been suspended temporarily, [including] Avenue, Sands Theatre, MARQUEE, Spectra and the bars within the restaurants …” Resorts World Sentosa has a similar COVID-19 policy in place]

Macau put a ban on gambling among casino employees through a legislative order that came into effect back in December 2018. The legislation covers all workers in the sector and provides for administrative sanctions ranging from one thousand to ten thousand patacas [approximately US$125 to $1250].

Some 54,000 Macau residents who also happen to be casino employees are impacted by this legislation. According to Macau Business, Lionel Leong — former Secretary for Economy and Finance — has pointed out that croupiers and workers in the [gaming] sector constitute ��the highest percentage�� among individuals affected by gambling addiction disorder in recent years.

The honorable secretary provided no data to back his comments, however, and his logic was probably influenced by the oft-cited argument that increased exposure translates into heightened risk of problem and pathological gambling. Since casino employees are more exposed to gambling product than any other group, the reasoning goes, they are most likely to develop problems and should therefore be protected.

Exposure Hypothesis

This ��exposure hypothesis�� has been the cornerstone of arguments made by gambling opponents all over the world. Increased access and exposure to gambling will lead to increased gambling participation and higher incidences of problem and pathological gambling is the theory.

The etiology of gambling also involves another hypothesis to explain participation and addiction.

Termed the ��adaptation hypothesis,�� it accepts the possibility that increased exposure can lead to increased participation and addiction, but suggests that greater prevalence may be only transient as individuals and societies will adapt to the risks present in the new environment and eventually there will be a levelling-off or reversal of any initial impact.

This adaptation might only take years, rather than decades. In essence, the adaptation hypothesis suggests that with continued exposure, people develop immunity to the lure of gambling and are therefore at a lesser risk of becoming problem gamblers.

Minimal Research

There isn��t much scientific research when it comes to studies investigating gambling among casino employees. To fill this void, two of my colleagues — Zhonglu Zeng and David Forrest — and I decided to examine the gambling behaviors of Macau casino employees compared to the general population of Macau who were not gaming workers.

The study was recently published in the Journal of Gambling Studies, the top research journal for studies on responsible gambling. Fortunately, we collected all data just before the Macau government��s ban on gambling for casino employees came into effect in 2018.

We looked at frequency, average duration of each gambling session, and the maximum bet size for casino employees, as well as for more regular Joe gamblers. Each of these variables is a surrogate for problem gambling. Each group was asked to state how often they gambled, for how long each time, and the maximum they would bet currently (within the past twelve months) and compared to the time they first started gambling.

If the exposure hypothesis were right, there should be a marked increase in people��s gambling frequency, duration of play, and average bet size among both casino employees and non-employees — as access to casino gambling has increased significantly in Macau over the last fifteen years.

Also, since those who work in gaming experience greater exposure to casino gambling than those who do not, casino employees would be expected to gamble more often, for longer duration each visit, and to place higher bets compared to civilian gamblers.

However, our findings did not support this argument.

Surprising Results

The results of our study instead suggest that indicators of heavy gambling involvement among casino employees were no higher than among other residents of Macau.

In terms of gambling frequency, casino employees actually played less often than the general adult population in China’s gaming mecca.

And support for the adaptation hypothesis when it comes to casino gambling is not unique to Macau, either. According to Marina Bay Sands CEO George Tanasijevich, since the Singaporean integrated resorts first opened, not only has the proportion of the population that��s eligible to gamble decreased, but the rate of problem gambling has also declined [from 2.6 percent in 2011 to 0.9 percent in 2017].

In Australia, the average amount a gambler loses on pokies (aka slot machines) has declined almost every year since 2004. This decline has been accompanied by a general drop in problem gambling prevalence in states such as Queensland which, over this same period, actually witnessed an increase in gambling access (See Figure 1).

Exposing the Problem

Evidence continues to mount that when it comes to the link between access and problem gambling, addiction rates actually drop with increased exposure to the gambling product. My study — co-authored with two eminent researchers in the field of responsible gambling — indicates that casino employees are actually at lesser risk of becoming problem gamblers than the general population.

If that’s the case, why ban casino employees from gambling in their own gaming venues?

I would argue that occasional casino gambling among employees would make them more empathetic to their customers. Otherwise, employees have no basis to empathize with losing (or winning) customers if they have never been in these situations themselves.

At a time when casinos in Macau — and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region — may be really struggling to get customers through their doors in the wake of COVID-19’s devastation on so many fronts, Macau��s casino employee base of 54,000 locals, if allowed to gamble, could help alleviate casinos�� woes, however slightly.

Perhaps more importantly, once the coronavirus threat has dissipated and business starts to slowly return to a more regular rhythm, the increased empathy employees would generate toward customers could go a long way in establishing a rapport and reestablishing all-important customer loyalty.

Of course, given the conflicting arguments on the link between access and addiction, each gaming jurisdiction should carry out its own research to ascertain what the facts are and create their own policies to best reflect those realities.

SudhirH. Kal��, Ph.D., is a renowned gaming scholar who has studied gambling from all perspectives. He has published more than one hundred articles on casino gambling in research journals as well as trade publications. Sudhir��s firm��GamePlan Consultants��has advised gaming clients on five continents. You can write to Sudhir at [email protected]

The post Banning Macau Casino Employees from Gambling: Wise or Misguided Policy? appeared first on Casino.org.

Elizabeth Thielen��s calendar was jam-packed with speaking engagements to discuss the topic at conferences and other events. Crowd restrictions put in place by governments to control the spread of COVID-19 eliminated those by the second week of this month, Thielen, Senior Director of Substance Abuse Treatment Services at Nicasa Behavioral Health Services in Illinois, told Casino.org.

Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is now hosting daily phone-in sessions for those whose in-person meetings have been cancelled, Keith Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, told Casino.org.

What��s happening right now can perhaps best be described as a perfect storm for those with gambling issues.

Those not in treatment and seeking a fix are may find it hard to find right now. The American Gaming Association (AGA) noted Thursday that 95 percent of the commercial casinos in the country and more than three-quarters of the tribal venues have closed. The cancellations and suspensions in the sports world have left sportsbooks, both the licensed ones and the unregulated offshore ones, scrambling to find markets to offer their customers.

Meanwhile, those in treatment may face challenges in accessing their support system, whether it��s an in-person GA meeting or meeting with a counselor at an outpatient clinic.

And there are those who now find themselves staying at home because of a job loss or being told to telecommute or self-isolate. They may now be looking for an outlet to channel the stress they��re enduring.

��When you’re playing to run away from something, it’s a bigger risk factor then when you’re playing for something,�� Whyte said.

Those are just some of the problem gaming scenarios being played out across the country and in other parts of the world right now. The consequences for all those scenarios can be dire.

Forced Withdrawal May Cause Problems

Just as someone who is alcohol-dependent may suffer from delirium tremens if their access to alcohol is cut off abruptly, those with problem gaming issues may face similar problems.

��It isn’t a physiological withdrawal, though some people can actually�� become restless or irritable,�� said Thielen, a certified problem and compulsive gambling counselor. ��They may even be shaky, sweaty because anxiety causes those symptoms.��

Sports bettors, she said, typically are action-focused and get an adrenaline rush from gambling. They may not exhibit physical symptoms of withdrawal, but they can show mood swings as a result.

That’s a big concern, because gambling-disordered people have an extremely high rate of suicide, more so than other addictive disorders,�� Thielen told Casino.org. ��When you think about somebody like a sports bettor, and let’s say a poker player, a blackjack player who is abruptly ceasing, and they were somebody who played frequently and intensely, that can lead to a really huge dramatic shift in their mood, which could actually be potentially life-threatening for them if their mood plummets to that degree.��

Even those who still have an outlet to gamble during the coronavirus pandemic face challenges as well, Whyte said.

With the NCAA Tournament canceled and most major professional sports around the world suspended because of the virus, sportsbooks have reached out to state regulators, asking them to approve new markets, including table tennis and darts. Some are pushing for chess. Offshore outlets are touting opportunities to bet on the weather or financial markets.

��The longer this stretches, there’s a danger people are going to start betting sports, or betting on stuff that they have no idea about or information about, just because they want to get action down,�� Whyte told Casino.org. ��There’s always that risk. Boredom, loneliness, and isolation are risk factors for gaming problems. So you can even have a guy that’s a stone cold, great pro player, who if he’s bored, lonely, and isolated, what was previously recreational may now turn into problematic betting.��

COVID-19 May Create New Problem Gamblers

Not only has COVID-19 created a lot of social anxiety in the country, it��s also created a tremendous amount of economic uncertainty. Stock markets have plummeted. Unemployment will likely skyrocket as companies in gaming, manufacturing, and retail businesses furlough or lay off workers.

With gambling, the solution can be found in the next bet, and therein lies the problem.

While the economy may cause some to look to gambling as an outlet, relying on it to solve financial distress is not a healthy strategy, Thielen told Casino.org.

That’s one of the things that we are concerned about,�� she said. ��We always want to increase public awareness of problem gambling, but we (also) want to raise awareness about responsible gambling. Because you could have people who have the ability to do that, but don’t know how. So they gamble in an unhealthy way because they don’t know what’s the right way to do it.��

��COVID-19 is affecting our ability to reach out to the people who don’t have a problem, but who could develop one if they don’t know how to do it right. And they don’t know the risks involved.��

Resources Still Available

Both Whyte and Thielen stressed there are resources available now for those who want help dealing with their gambling issue during the coronavirus pandemic.

The NCPG web site offers a list of resources for those seeking help. That includes a toll-free hotline and an online chat room.

GamTalk offers online support, including a live chatroom, as well as a place to read and post stories about recovery efforts.

Nicasa Behavioral Health Services offers free counseling for gamblers, including by phone or video, and those who receive services there can receive a free one-year subscription to Gamban. While the Illinois-based center can help anyone in the country, because of limited resources, they do look to connect people to local resources when available.

The most important thing for people to realize, Thielen told Casino.org, is there��s always hope.

��No matter how bad it’s gotten, you can stop it right now,�� she said. ��You can get help right now, and it can get better. It’s a matter of not continuing to chase those losses and dig that hole deeper. But no matter how deep that hole got, you stop digging and we can slowly fill it in. You’re not alone because there’s tons of people out there dealing with this and helping each other to deal with it.��

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Since we spoke to McCartney late last week, a new case of COVID-19 has been uncovered. A 26-year-old female Korean national —? a non-resident worker in Macau — had traveled to Porto, Portugal with her boyfriend at the end of January. On March 13, they arrived in Hong Kong after a stopover in Dubai, and from there returned to Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on March 14. Later that day, she developed a cough, followed by a fever, and headed to an acute care hospital in Macau. She was diagnosed with coronavirus and moved to an isolation ward. She is not considered to be critical and her boyfriend appears, so far, to be unaffected, but is being watched.

This latest case reminds us that COVID-19 is not a simple problem to solve.

Casino.org: As COVID-19 continues to spread globally �C particularly across the US and Europe �C how do you envision this impacting Macau and other Asia-Pacific region casinos, especially in light of Trump’s 30-day flight ban to most non-US destinations, including China?

Professor McCartney: Flights cancelled into China won��t impact Macau, for the simple fact that Macau attracts less than two percent internationally from outside China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and a few other Asian locations. Of the total 39 million visitors to Macau in 2019, 28 million visitors (that’s 72 percent) were from China and 7.4 million (19 percent) were from Hong Kong.

Half of the visitors here simply walk over the border from Guangdong, the province next to us: it’s the wealthiest province in China. Once the green light is given by the Chinese and Macau authorities that will permit tourist travel from there, this will be a significant aid to Macau��s recovery. And I speculate this will happen even before the area is declared virus-free (there are still several cases of COVID-19 in Guangdong province as well as in Hong Kong, but those from Hong Kong can access Macau via the Hong Kong-Macao-Zhuhai bridge).

But this will be Macau’s discussion with China’s Beijing leaders — one on permitting Guangdong arrivals and the other on issuing visas so tourism can recommence. With increasing high-speed rail links to Guangdong from all over China, Macau’s comeback won��t be based on international visitation.

I’ve said previously that casino recovery will ramp up between Easter and start of summer this year. VIP and premium mass make up the bulk of Macau��s gaming revenues, so this is the sector I look to as part of my recovery analysis.

Casino.org:?There is always a dual impact when any kind of so-called pandemic is announced: the real threat to the populace and the perceived one. What kind of information is the Macau gaming industry getting out to potential visitors to assure them that the risk is low if they return to gamble at area casinos?

Prof. McCartney: There are multiple government and casino venue posters throughout Cotai Strip properties alerting to COVID-19 and the importance of washing your hands and wearing masks. Properties have released images of extensive cleaning in progress, too. All casino customers and casino staff are wearing face masks.

The Cotai Strip properties produced their own videos in Chinese, some feature staff singing meaningful songs, reaching out to both the communities in Macau and China at large. The West may not see much of this, as its only on Chinese social media platforms (not Facebook, Instagram, Youtube or Twitter �C all blocked in China).

Jackie Chan is the first celebrity singing:

There��s a saying in Chinese and frequently used during this time in relation to the COVID-19:? “���������^ȥ���ڴ���ů���_�ٳ���”. Translation: “The severe winter will pass. Expect spring flowers to appear again.”

It��s not an issue of the properties being safe. It��s essentially the issue of Macau granting access and China issuing those visas to permit travel here.

Casino.org:?You being British — with two decades in China — you understand both the Eastern and Western mentalities when it comes to health concerns. Do you think there��s anything that Asia-Pacific casino operators may be missing in terms of how they understand Western fears of entering casinos vs. those of potential Chinese mainland gamblers?

Prof. McCartney: Macau��s integrated resorts are truly luxurious, with vast open spaces. There is a constant capital reinvestment (CAPEX), so the resorts never look rundown, and they’re some of the largest casinos in the world.

Morpheus — one of the hotels at City of Dreams — cost USD$1.1 billion, while Sands China��s Londoner refit of Sands Cotai Central is ongoing at a reported cost of $2.2 billion. In Singapore, you have the iconic Marina Bay Sands and the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort.

Las Vegas came to Macau through Sands, Wynn and MGM Resorts. Genting — Asia��s first integrated resort — will now open in Las Vegas. I believe this past decade and the spectacular properties that have emerged in Asia — and continue to do so — have dispelled any issues involving potential Westerner perceptions of entering casinos in Asia.

Casino.org:?How much coordination is happening between the Cotai Strip casinos in terms of sanitation protocols and information dissemination?

Prof. McCartney: Before this most recent new case, the previous 10 had already recovered.

The sanitation protocols are mainly a top-down approach, with instructions coming from the Macau government whether to close (and reopen) casinos, bars, cinemas, nightclubs, karaoke clubs, gyms and public parks. All have since reopened with health protocols in place — nearly half of Macau��s casino tables are open now.

Schools and universities have remained closed since the Chinese New Year [January 25], with e-learning in full force — although it’s possible that schools might reopen by the end of April.

This top-down approach to enforcement has always been the case here: Macau��s tourism, gaming, fire, public works, and health authorities have firm control over multiple casino and hospitality protocols, from being permitted to open a casino, number of casino tables, opening a hotel or restaurant, or the more recent casino smoking laws.

Casino.org: A year from now, what do you foresee in terms of Macau��s gaming industry��s recovery from this pandemic, financially and in so far as how it��s prepared to deal with the unexpected?

Prof. McCartney: Gaming revenues will not rise above the 2017-2019 revenues of around $30 billion, in my opinion. And that’s even with a pent-up demand from gamblers unable to visit Macau these past weeks. The Cotai Strip has consolidated at the moment. Players — particularly premium mass and junket VIP — know their casino of choice with repeat visits. Even with new expansions on the Cotai, this won��t move the revenue dial much as 2020-2021 will be in recovery to cover lost ground.

Casino.org: Let��s say a few months from now, all flights are back on to China. As a Westerner, what can I expect to find in a Macau casino that will make me glad I travelled so far to gamble?

Prof. McCartney: Macau��s integrated resorts represent some of the world��s leading hotel brands, restaurants, and pool areas — so it should be easy enough for a Westerner to feel at home.

All casino signage is bilingual, so there is really is no functional reason for a Westerner not to have a great gambling experience. As the resorts are geared towards casino dominance, the rewards programs are generous. There will be fewer Western-style events — things like bands and bars — and less active nightlife than one finds in Las Vegas. But there is certainly ample fine food, beverage and leisure activities.

Casino.org: Now let��s look at it the other way. How do you think players in China — especially high-rollers — will feel about coming to Las Vegas once regular flights resume? What will be their primary concerns and what can US casinos do to alleviate those? Of course, right now, we have some Strip casinos shut down completely, and others partially, so this would be after these properties return to normal gaming and resort operations.

Prof. McCartney: There are a few factors at play here.? One is that COVID-19 has been attached to Wuhan specifically and to China generally, attached to negative sentiment which has played out in the media.

This factor, along with the way that Chinese gamblers perceive how Las Vegas is dealing or has dealt with COVID-19, will be important, as safety always rates highly on Chinese overseas travel. Players will compare measures taken in Las Vegas to those expedited in China.

So, a focus from Vegas — and more generally all US casinos — should be on strengthening this relationship given what��s happened.? Chinese gamblers will also look at the politics between the US and Chinese governments which may have an impact as well.

Casino.org: Globally, gaming operators always have many unknowns to deal with and have to be prepared for everything from terrorism to health concerns. Do you think Macau’s casinos are sufficiently prepped for all these possible situations?

Prof. McCartney: A few points here. One — that be it casinos, hotels, shopping malls, or event venues — these can be easier targets for terrorism as well as health pandemics, because generally, the global hospitality industry doesn��t want to alienate customers with too many obvious measures.

Macau casinos have state-of-the-art eye-in-the-sky surveillance and security teams, many of whom are in uniform, giving casino patrons and hotel guests a sense of security.

Macau has no other major markets to turn to — and this won��t change in the foreseeable future. The gaming enclave has become increasingly reliant on China, and, in fact, future growth — in my opinion — will continue in China with the expansion of second and third-tier cities there.

Casino.org: Have you yourself been to Las Vegas? If so, how do you think Macau compares to Vegas in terms of not just gaming, but night life and overall attractiveness to tourists?

Prof. McCartney: Yes. I��ve been to Vegas. A few things were immediate to me. These were designed for Western audiences, based on the [relatively high] number of slot machines and very few tables [compared to Chinese casino standards].

In Vegas, you also see waitresses carrying bottles of beer around the casino floor — that’s compared to Macau where you’d have to ask for one, and ony Chinese tea caddies are openly available. Also, wedding chapels are so popular in Vegas, whereas Macua doesn’t even have such chapels in their IRs. Finally, Vegas looks a lot to non-gaming means to generate revenues — even charging amenities to guestrooms. This is not the case for Macau, which has over 90 percent of its revenues from gaming.

Sure, in Vegas there are Chinese restaurants, chefs, staff, hosting teams, events and promotions which emerged over the years seeing the premium mass and VIP visitation and revenue impact of the Chinese players. It��s all about catering for your market.

Macau��s Cotai Strip has designed itself to cater for to Chinese audiences, be it events, entertainment, dining options, or hotel amenities. It works. Macau doesn��t have all the conventions, events, and entertainment of Las Vegas. A large part of Macau��s non-gaming is ��comp�� — due to the revenue created from gaming. This revenue model doesn��t relate to that of Vegas, with a third of revenues created from gaming.

Casino.org:?Vegas has built a reputation globally as a great culinary epicenter. Does Macau have a similar reputation in China? What kind of cuisines are most popular with casino visitors there?

Prof. McCartney: Similar to the Michelin guide, the recent Meituan Dianping ��Black Pearl Restaurant Guide�� is establishing itself as the standard of culinary excellence in Chinese cuisine. It awards 1 to 3 diamond ratings depending, and includes everything from family-style restaurants to unforgettable memorable dining.

Sands Macau hosted the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide awards in 2019. Food is so central to the Chinese way of life and is a key focus on integrated resort design in Macau. It also plays a central part of resort marketing messaging, as well as events and imagery. It��s not by chance you will see multiple restaurants or celebrity chefs from various parts of China — highlighting regional cuisine from the north and south.

There are over 50 ethnic cultures in China, so great variance in food types, cooking styles and presentation are prevalent. I myself love Cantonese-style eateries, which are popular in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong, such as ��yum cha�� (literally meaning to ��drink tea��).

Other popular cuisines are Sichuan, Chui Chow, and — depending on the season — dishes such as ‘hot pot’? during the winter. There have also been increasing innovations in Chinese fusion cuisine, and its presentation and ingredients, which are becoming part of the Macau resort offering.

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The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has spurred serious revenue downturn in Asia��s gaming sector. In response, casino stocks in Macau and the Asia-Pacific region took a brutal beating all week.

Although Macau’s casinos reopened after a two-week government mandated closure, restrictions on travel to the area still remain in full force. And other countries in the region are also exercising their right to prohibit Chinese tourists from entering their borders.

Clearly, it will take more than just a single quarter for China-facing casinos in Asia to get back on their feet, and the long-term outlook for the Chinese economy is far from encouraging.

Gaming operators will have to zero in on enhanced ways to draw in and keep players coming back, using specific and very targeted methods to do so.

Going to the Head of the CLASS

In the hospitality industry — which of course includes casinos and integrated resorts — how customers experience their stay and play often hinges on the engagement levels and behavior of employees, which in turn is a critical component of players’ experiences.

The CLASS framework is an acronym for five key components casinos may be able to implement to rev up customers’ excitement about returning to and playing in Macau’s gaming venues. It’s particularly relevant in Asian gaming markets, where several jurisdictions could be vying for the same customer.

Culture should be employee-centric, as well as customer-centric. Gaming operators could borrow from the playbooks of other industries — such as Zappos, Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car — which have demonstrated strong bottom lines by looking out for their employees internally and extending that to ensuring that guests have a much better time.

Building Loyalty

Most casino loyalty programs are built on the ��earn-and-burn�� concept — where gamblers get rewarded after a certain amount of money has been played. But in the wake of the coronavirus casino shutdowns and the need to do everything possible to spur play and keep customers in their seats, there will have to be a shift in business-as-usual if gaming operators hope to have good earnings reports at the end of 2020.

By offering something unique that competitors don’t, and by responding to their interests and what brings them back, gaming operators can create longer-term brand loyalty from their players, which is paramount to the recovery process.

Give ‘Em What They Want

The player is always right, to paraphrase the old marketing adage. Anything gaming operators can do to get inside their customers’ minds will benefit casinos in the long run. Recent advances in analytics have made gathering and applying such customer data much simpler. More Macau casinos will need to ramp up (or create) their own Voice of the Customer (VoC) program, in which players can give direct and immediate feedback when it comes to how they feel about any particular casino.

Without understanding the various VoC segments from an integrated resort��s gaming — as well as non-gaming — offerings, operators could miss out on key opportunities to expand their player base and ensure repeat business.

Player analytics need to be supplemented with controlled experimentation, of course. Experiments help operators identify which promotions work best and for which customer segments.

Don’t Curb Your Appeal

Key to pulling players back in will be making sure any given casino’s servicescape is top-notch and designed with player demographics in mind.

Servicescape refers to an integrated resort��s exterior — from landscape and the casino’s exterior design all the way down to signage, parking, and of course, the surrounding environment. It also encompasses the playing floor’s interior design and decor, slot equipment, casino signage and the overall layout.

Also important to players are things like?air quality, the casino’s temperature, and lighting. Macau’s gaming operators shouldn’t underestimate the impact of the physical environment when it comes to influencing behaviors and creating an overall environment that speaks to customers, which is particularly important for integrated resorts (IR).

How long Macau casino customers stay in a particular gaming area, their spend and level of enjoyment, for instance, are determined by several factors such as room temperature, ambient smells, music, d��cor, and lighting.

For up-and-coming projects — such as integrated casino resorts to which $65 billion have already been committed and that are slated to open between now and 2025 — there’s a need to place particular emphasis on the servicescape to ensure that the ambience of the property is consistent with the conscious as well as unconscious desires of the customer segments they seek to serve.

Service with a Smile

Another key to recovering casino customer loyalty will be doing what’s known as “service blueprinting” — which allows suits to see the gaming floor from their players’ perspectives.

By identifying and mapping out all the major touchpoints experienced by a customer from the first point of contact with the gaming operator all the way through to exiting the resort premises, Macau management will be able to get a better look at what their players truly want.

For each touchpoint, five corresponding components are identified: the customer��s expected behavior, physical evidence taken in by the customer at that touchpoint, the contact employee��s behavior visible to the customer (frontstage behavior), the contact employee��s behavior that the customer does not get to see (backstage behavior), and the support systems and staff required for the customer experience to proceed as planned. (Figure 2 above depicts a condensed service blueprint).

Combined together, the components of CLASS could help to differentiate the Asian gaming enclave’s integrated resorts. This framework is a powerful guide with which casino businesses in the highly competitive Asian markets can re-establish a stronger customer franchise, enhance guest experiences, and critically shore up their bottom line.

Sudhir H. Kal��, Ph.D., is a gaming scholar and leading casino consultant based in Gold Coast, Australia. His firm, GamePlan Consultants, has advised clients on five continents on corporate culture, CRM, servicescape, and service blueprinting. Sudhir has published more than 100 articles on the marketing and management of casinos. You can reach him at: [email protected].

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Macau’s gaming industry may be back in business, but it’s business isn’t fully back — and won’t be for quite some time. The devastating toll the coronavirus has taken on the Asian gaming enclave will continue to be felt, even as new health protocols are put in place and wary gamblers slowly return to play.

Cautious Reentry

Only 30 percent of gaming tables were operational once more as of Friday — with some health and safety restrictions — while some casinos chose to stay closed entirely. Those will have a 30-day grace period to reopen.

But there isn��t the customer base yet to fill the table seats of those venues that are once again up and running. That will be some weeks away and contingent on the advice of medical professionals and the policy direction of area governments to reopen air, land and sea routes to Macau.

It was only a few weeks ago — and within a matter of days of the coronavirus impact — that the world��s largest gaming economy experienced a fairly comprehensive shutdown across the hospitality and gaming sector. It had added impact due to when it hit: just as the region’s gaming operators were ramping up their marketing campaigns leading into the normally busy and lucrative Chinese New Year period. All planned celebrations were cancelled, and marketing and event investments were lost.

Macau��s casino industry has shown resilience in the past and it would likely be realistic to predict some time around Easter (which falls on April 12 this year) and a further ramp up towards summer as the period of recovery for the gaming enclave.

That’s assuming no new cases of coronavirus surface in Macau once the immediate crisis has passed, of course.

Expect Slow Casino Recovery

There’s now a pressing urgency to return to normal, but there’s no question that the outbreak of the coronavirus will continue to affect Chinese visitation to Macau. Despite the casino reopenings, customers returning to stay and play in Macau will take a little longer.

Most reports compare coronavirus to SARS. In fact, people reference back to SARS in 2003, further reinforcing fear and anxiety over the present-day virus. But back then, neither social media nor the Cotai Strip existed, and Chinese visitor and casino revenue volumes were a fraction of what they are today.

Even the steady six million annual Hong Kong visitations were significantly curtailed with the temporary closure of the Hong Kong ferry terminal by the authorities, which remains closed. Hong Kong visitors do travel to Macau, but must take the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

Look Beyond Gaming, Widen Markets for Recovery

Some 90 percent of all revenue from Macau��s integrated resorts is generated from gaming, a percentage that’s increased each year since casino liberalization. There’s been a constant narrative since early 2000 surrounding the need to diversify into non-gaming areas. But a substantial portion of non-gaming —? such as accommodations and food — are comped to the casino��s premium mass or junket VIP players.

While Macau has impressive visitation figures, it has a relatively low penetration rate within China��s first, second and third-tier cities (especially when reflecting on the increasing numbers of outbound Chinese globally).

In 2018, mainland Chinese visitation was 71 percent (25.3 million, with 13.3 million staying overnight) of total tourism to the city. And many of those were multiple repeat customers. Compare that to almost 20 years prior, in 1999 — the year of Macau��s handover — when of the seven million visitations to Macau, only 1.6 million (23 percent) were from the mainland, which was still a three-fold increase from 1997.

Operational Costs

The economic impact from the coronavirus has been heavily reported in the media, with Macau��s financially depleted casino industry covering daily operational costs — including staff salaries (albeit with cost-cutting measures in place, including the revenue losses from the closure of some hotels, as others slipped below 10 percent occupancy).

Only a minimal operations and facilities workforce remained behind to service the few floors of hotel or restaurant outlets that remained open.

One in 14 people working in the gaming epicenter are dealers (around 26,000), an occupation allowed exclusively for Macau residents. Beyond the economics, there were social issues of well-being to the community, as people were essentially being confined to their homes.

Relationship-Building with Loyal Players

Events and entertainment entice and attract repeat net worth players from China. Immediate casino recovery in 2020 from the economic impact of the coronavirus will likely see a greater reinforcement on loyalty databases and host team connections to casino players, essentially sidelining any spotlight to an actionable diversification policy.

Looking back, there’s been no safety net for Macau��s casino industry should something happen to mainland Chinese visitation. Some visa restriction policies in Chinese outbound in early 2000 had only minor bearing on GGR and quickly passed without too much impact on month-on-month GGR increases.

GGR peaked at US$44.6 billion in 2013–a dramatic climb, considering only 14 years earlier, in 1999, it had been less than $2billion.

The significant 34 percent drop from $43.4 billion GGR in 2014 to $28.5 billion in 2015 (due to the corruption crackdown in China) was a very clear indication that if something happened to Macau��s key source market, the city would feel the impact like a punch.

At the time–in 2014–nobody believed that there could be an ongoing reversal of Macau casinos’ upward trends, with most believing that the setback would turn around within a few months.

It didn��t. In fact, it would take two years and two months before an upward trend was recorded for GGR once more.

Additionally, the mass transit system of high-speed trains, highways and airlines that now networks throughout China and funnels down towards Guangdong and Macau were also only ideas or emerging construction projects in 2003. This perspective is important when putting analysis around the present situation.

With greater collaboration between the city��s tourism marketing authorities, casino concessions and other major tourism agencies for a clear destination message to take to market, particularly in China, an expedited recovery is more likely.

A recent Reuters article on the coronavirus threat to the global economy mentioned that while infectious diseases are inevitable and happening with increasing frequency, risk assessment, mitigation and remedy should be part of government standards and policy making. As Macau now focuses on recovery, there is a need to forward-think scenarios, as well as greater public and private sector collaboration. If not right now, it should certainly become part of the later recovery thought process.

Meanwhile, Macau will slowly continue to get back on its feet. An unnamed industry executive told Reuters last week:

It is wise to open a little bit, even if business is slow. The government wants us to open because it signals a sign of stability for Macau.��

Glenn McCartney MBE has authored numerous articles for academic journals and is often quoted in mainstream media. Professor McCartney has also written two best-selling textbooks on tourism and events management in Asia, published by McGraw-Hill. He can be reached at: [email protected]

The post Most Macau Casinos Reopened, But Expect Lengthy Recovery After Coronavirus Shutdown, Says Expert appeared first on Casino.org.

As the mainland China coronavirus death toll continues to skyrocket past the 1,000-victims mark this week, Macau’s casinos have taken drastic measures to contain the spread of the potentially deadly illness.

And there is no question that both fear and genuine concern for its ramifications will impact gaming operators in the region. But taking a look back over the past two decades, we can see that issues of concern are far greater–and potentially have more long-term threatening consquences–for the casino industry than even the coronavirus.

Crunch Time for Macau

In 2001, the Special Administrative Region of Macau decided to open its casino industry to foreign competition. Sands Macau–which opened its doors on May 18, 2004–was the first foreign-owned gaming property in Macau.

Since then, the industry has–for the most part–thrived beyond expectations. Macau’s casino industry grew from US$2.77 billion in revenues in 2002 to over $45 billion in 2013.

But in 2015, revenues fell precipitously to under $29 billion, a fall from which the industry is still reeling.

Total gaming revenues in Macau for 2019 were $36.5 billion. And looking at the current market environment, the next few years could be the worst period yet to come.

Fighting for Customers

Including rising competition from jurisdictions such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines–which are hungry for customers and will offer them far more by way of comps than their Macau counterparts– an additional $65 billion will be invested in new Asia-Pacific gaming facilities over the next five years.

Compared to Macau, the newer Asian jurisdictions have a relatively diverse customer base. With eight out of 10 in Macau coming from mainland China, the current devastating coronavirus outbreak could prove to be a knock-out blow for the region’s gaming industry.

Considering this, going forward, what options should Macau casino operators consider for the short and the long-term?

Liquidity and Customer Crisis

The crisis for customers has been brewing in Macau for quite some time.

First, there was the crackdown on the use of UnionPay point-of-sale terminals in June 2018. Shortly thereafter, visa controls were tightened through November and December 2019 in the lead-up to Chinese President Xi Jinping��s visit as part of the Macau SAR��s 20th anniversary celebrations. The subsequent slowdown in visitation contributed to a 13.7 percent year-on-year decline in GGR in December.

Also in 2018, the brokerage firm Sanford C. Bernstein warned that Macau��s VIP model could face structural headwinds in the latter part of 2018E from instituted cooling measures on Chinese real estate, a credit tightening in the country, increasing regulatory controls in Macau and continued Chinese government focus on capital outflows from its citizens.

Finally, it was the coronavirus that resulted in tough measures prohibiting Chinese residents from visiting Macau. The Chinese government first suspended all in-bound package tours to Macau followed by curbs on individual travel across the China-Macau border.

An optimistic assumption would be that outbreak of the coronavirus subsides in four to six weeks and the constraints on travel to Macau are lifted. While this scenario would alleviate casino operators�� short-term problems, key fiscal and economic issues in the mainland that will adversely impact Macau��s casino industry still remain.

The short-to-medium-term economic outlook for China looks decidedly unpromising. A 2017 study by Harvard University��s Center for International Development has projected a dramatic fall in China��s economic growth to 4.41 percent in the coming years through to 2025 (from over six percent in the last few years).

Less-developed countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Uganda, Kenya, and Mexico are expected to perform much better than the world��s second-largest economy. Tighter currency regulations combined with a weaker economic forecast calls into question the previously undisputed attractiveness of mainland China as a long-term casino market.

More Analysis Needed

Casino operators in Macau need to be mindful of the headwinds impacting their business in the years to come. First, they need to devise strategies to ensure they do not lose out to some of the newer gaming jurisdictions in the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. Second, they need to embark on a long-term strategy of market diversification so that–over a period of time–their reliance on the mainland Chinese customer is reduced.

Market Segmentation

For over fifteen years since opening up of the casino industry, the six major operators have worked on the ��build it and they will come�� premise. As a result, the number of gaming tables went from 339 in 2002 to 6588 in 2018, an almost twenty-fold increase.

Casino executives reasoned that less than five percent of mainland Chinese who could visit Macau have already been, meaning future revenue growth prospects are virtually unlimited. However, as witnessed in 2015, revenues are seldom determined solely by the number of potential customers.

With added gaming capacity already committed to the region, the casino scene in Asia will quickly shift from a sellers market to a buyers market. Smart marketing strategies guided by astute market segmentation will be needed to attract and retain the right customers.

The ��one size fits all�� model that worked in Macau for over fifteen years will now have to be substituted by marketing strategies built on careful segmentation and targeting.

Geographic Diversification

Macau has relied on mainland China as its source of customers for far too long. As the coronavirus strikingly reminds us, overreliance on a single market is very dangerous. With the slowdown in the Chinese economy, its VIP market–which heavily depends on credit availability in the country–will continue to weaken.

While the mass market would still be promising, additional competition from other Asian jurisdictions will make it increasingly difficult for operators in Macau to attract and retain these customers.

Macau casino operators need to be farsighted and start thinking of how best to attract customers from further afield. India, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are some of the promising markets that could be tapped over the long-term. These countries have sizable populations, and three of the four have a large number of ethnic Chinese, known to exhibit a penchant for gambling.

Already, the Galaxy Entertainment Group has targeted India as a market to use their facilities for weddings. A similarly focused strategy is needed to attract Indian gamers.

Before It’s Too Late

Recent events and current projections suggest that operators in Macau need to up their game if they are to continue to succeed. A slowing Chinese economy and the onset of overcapacity are serious challenges that the management of Macau integrated resorts must contend with.

Macau casino operators would do well to heed Union Gaming analyst Grant Govertsen��s warning when he wrote:

For too long Asia has been an unbelievably forgiving place to be a casino operator, thanks primarily to China��s rise �� There will [soon] be a notable and growing divergence in operator performance in virtually every market in Asia with market share gains captured by the most capable.��

Sudhir H. Kale, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of GamePlan Consultants. A gaming scholar and researcher, he has advised casino companies on five continents on matters relating to customer experience, marketing strategy, and service blueprinting. Sudhir has published more than 100 articles on the marketing and management of casinos. You can reach him at: [email protected]

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