Casino Life Issue 162 Volume 19

The magazine for the owners and management of international casinos

ALICE SILBERLING AND MICHAEL SILBERLING

Volume 19: Issue 162

METROPOLITAN SO VERY MAYFAIR

Editor’s Note

CASINO The magazine for the owners and management of international casinos

Published by Outsource Digital Media Ltd

Publisher: Peter White Tel: +44 (0) 1892 740869 Mob: +44 (0) 7973 273714 peter@outsourcedigitalmedia.com

Editorial:

Editor in Chief : David McKee dmckee6@comcast.net Editor EMEA: Damien Connelly damien@outsourcedigitalmedia.com Associate Editor Asia: Bill Healey bill@outsourcedigitalmedia.com Victor H. Royer International Features Editor victor@outsourcedigitalmedia.com Associate Editor EMEA: Andrew Behan a.behan@librasgroup.com Las Vegas Correspondent: Ryan Slattery RyanSlats@gmail.com International Correspondent: Lyudmyla Kyrychenko lyudmyla.kyrychenko@outsource digitalmedia.com

Production: Designer: Stewart Hyde stewart@de5ign.co.uk www.de5ign.co.uk Accounts: Helen Holmes accounts@outsourcedigitalmedia.com IT Director: Pasha Kuzminskiy pasha@outsourcedigitalmedia.com Volume 19: Issue 162

Welcome... $

10 billion a year. Really. That’s how much the late Sheldon “Tex” Adelson claimed could be made by casinos in the Lone Star State. Mind you, Las Vegas does roughly $12 billion a year … but with scores of casinos, in concentrations that would boggle the mind anywhere but in Sin City. Then again, if Texans were that underserved for gambling, why are we not seeing bigger numbers out of runaway-player markets like Oklahoma’s tribal casinos or Shreveport and Lake Charles, Louisiana?

There’s money to be made in Texas, albeit perhaps not in the amounts imagined by Adelson’s ghost – nor by dispersing megaresorts randomly across the vast state. Perhaps Texas politicians should put all their chips on one or two cities, starting with Dallas, and expand later, much as Atlantic City seeded the East Coast for casinos.

Dr. Miriam Adelson is currently trying her deceased husband’s Stetson on for size and likes the fit. Last session, she bombarded the Texas Legislature with no fewer than 69 lobbyists, an overkill move that didn’t help the cause. Nor did her slavish devotion to the Republican Party, which rewarded her campaign donations by giving her the back of the hand and vowing not to pass any gaming legislation that had bipartisan support.

As long as ideological purity is the shibboleth of legalized gambling in Texas, it will never happen. All-powerful, anti-gaming Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will see to that. The Adelsons have been doing the same thing over and over again in the Lone Star State, expecting a different result. Meanwhile, Texas-born Tilman Fertitta has been leading from the rear, probably reluctant to strongly advocate casinos for fear of what they’ll do to his power base in Lake Charles.

Dr. Adelson, to her credit, has decided to put her money where her mouth is. No longer practicing carpetbagger capitalism, she and her family are purchasing a majority share of the Dallas Mavericks of National Basketball Association, a move that will inject $2 billion into Texas.

Instead of being an outsider looking to cash in on Texans, now she’ll be an inside investor looking to expand outward, in large part by advocating for a new, arena-based, casino-resort complex in Dallas.

It’s a game changer. Whether it softens conservative opposition to gaming remains very much to be seen. But Dr. Adelson, the leading advocate of casinos in Texas, had to change the discussion somehow and now has now done so. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until 2025 to see if what Molly Ivins called “the Lege” is suddenly more tractable.

It’s an infinitely better move on behalf of gambling than Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s despicable attempt to bring cockfighting back to his (neighboring) state. There’s gambling, there’s pure evil and there’s Stitt, who doesn’t know the difference.

DMcKee David McKee Editor 3

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Contents 3 Editors Note

By David McKee 6 No Jacket Required Ambassador of a port city, Casino Kiel celebrates 25 years of entertainment. An interview with Tilo Schwonbeck, Director, Casino Kiel 14 New Wine for Old Bottles Station Casinos dramatically revamps two of its signature properties. By Ryan Slattery

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22 So Very Mayfair London’s newest casino celebrates its first anniversary in style. By David McKee 26 To Tip or Not to Tip the Dealer Breaking down a basic question of casino etiquette. By Al O’Grady 28 Spinout Formula One leaves a mixed impression in Las Vegas. By David McKee 32 From Zero to 80,000 An interview with Jurgen De Munck, CEO of DR Gaming Technology. By Victor H. Royer 38 From Racing to Roulette MGM Resorts International unveils big plans for Empire City. By David McKee 42 Building a Legacy Fontainebleau Rewards helps kick off Las Vegas’ newest resort. By David McKee 45 Pitch Like Steve Jobs The importance of storytelling to building a business. By Raymond Chan

Editorial Policy: The views and opinions expressed in Casino Life remain principally the views of contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or publishers.

The publishers wish to avoid inaccuracies and, whilst every precaution has been taken to ensure that information contained in this publication is accurate, no liability is accepted by the editor or publishers for errors or omissions, however caused.

Unless otherwise stated, articles appearing in this publication remain the copyright of the publishers and may not be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written consent.

Printed in the UK by Severn Print.

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Party

ICE London Late Night Party 2024 The ICE London Late Night Party at the Exclusive Park Lane Casino is the most sort after networking event during the staging of the biggest Gaming Industry Exhibition.

The date for ICE London Late Night Party is the evening of the 7th February, from 10,30pm to 12,30am (this event is invite-only) at the prestigious Park Lane Casino.

Expect to network and have fun with senior operator executives, leading suppliers, top affiliates, and industry stakeholders. The evening will offer you a mix of food drinks in an unrivalled venue that provides one of the most exclusive views of London.

The ICE London Late Night Party was one of the hottest industry networking events in 2023, and here is what you can expect in 2024: • Iconic Exclusive Venue • Complimentary beers, wine and drinks all evening • Food & snacks will be served all evening • Tours of the Casino encompassing one of the most exclusive views of London • Networking with key industry stakeholders

To book a package call or email Peter White +44 (0) 1892 740869 peter@outsourcedigitalmedia.com

Feature: Casino Kiel

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www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Casino Kiel

No Jacket Required Ambassador of a port city, Casino Kiel celebrates 25 years of entertainment. An interview with Tilo Schwonbeck, Director, Casino Kiel

Volume 19: Issue 162

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Feature: Casino Kiel

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oyagers to Kiel, Germany, can find a welcome at the city’s eponymous casino. Opened in 1998, it offers a modest but widely varied repertory of gambling, as well as other amenities. The dress code is described as “upscale leisure,” not requiring that players wear jackets, let alone ties. (However, the casino will lend you such attire if you feel the need for it.) The casino’s lounge is another heavy draw, especially for those who want to eschew gambling but still have a glass of wine or other libation in an elegant setting.

Unlike many Anglophilic casinos, that in Kiel is not given to round-the-clock play. Casino Kiel shuts down in the wee hours of the morning and does not open until 10 a.m. on weekdays—much later on 8

Sundays. Its oversight is the province of Director Tilo Schwonbeck, a man who has worked his way up from being a croupier to the head of one of Germany’s leading casinos. He spoke with Casino Life Publisher Peter White last month. The interview has been edited for clarity.

Can we begin with an outline of the history of Kiel Casino? When did it open and how has it evolved over the decades to the present day?

With the reorganization of gambling in 1998, stateowned casinos were opened to protect players.

The state of Schlewig-Holstein wanted to manage gambling on its own and decided to have its own casino in the state capital. Casino Kiel was opened on October 2, 1998. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Casino Kiel

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At Casino Kiel we offer 68 slot machines and 11 stations of multiplayer roulette, split between smoking and nonsmoking areas in the slot machine hall. There is a large selection of different manufacturers: Novomatic, Merkur, Aristocrat, plus two jackpot systems."

Kiel Casino recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. As a guest, I found it an enjoyable evening that involved a flying buffet, live music from Kiel singer Yonatan Pandelaki and extra games with lots of prizes.

Kiel is a busy port with both tourist and cargo shipping, with the casino’s location ideally located.

Volume 19: Issue 162

How does the casino cater for cruise-liner passengers and other tourists?

This answer may surprise you. One might assume that as a casino we benefit from the many cruise tourists.

However, it is not the tourists who visit us. It is the people who work in the port or on the ships. They come by after the party, relax at our bar or play.

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REGISTER HERE: icegaming.com

Feature: Casino Kiel

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Left to right: Peter White, Publisher, Casino LIfe and Jasmin Pierstorff, Marketing Manager, Spielbank SH GmbH

I started at Casino Kiel in 2002. At first I worked as a croupier. I really enjoyed being close to the guests.

Nevertheless, at some point I wanted to make a change. I have been director of Casino Kiel since 2021. My main tasks include the back office, as well as contact with employees and guests."

How many slot machines does the casino provide?

Can you tell us about the variety of machines offered at the casino as well as multiplayer roulette?

At Casino Kiel we offer 68 slot machines and 11 stations of multiplayer roulette, split between smoking and non-smoking areas in the slot machine hall.

There is a large selection of different manufacturers: Novomatic, Merkur, Aristocrat, plus two jackpot systems. We also have four American roulette tables, two blackjack tables and five poker tables for tournaments on site.

Volume 19: Issue 162

What types of table games are most popular?

American roulette, blackjack, cash games and tournaments in the Texas Hold ‘Em version. Everything is very popular.

Please tell our readers a bit more about yourself and your role.

I started at Casino Kiel in 2002. At first I worked as a croupier. I really enjoyed being close to the guests.

Nevertheless, at some point I wanted to make a change. I have been director of Casino Kiel since 2021. My main tasks include the back office, as well 11

Feature: Casino Kiel

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It is important to us as a casino to get into the middle of society and survive there. Being anchored in the middle of society is fundamental for us as a down-to-earth casino. This connection to society becomes clear through our activities in local sports, whether it’s football, handball or soon American football."

as contact with employees and guests. Ultimately, it's about me, like all my colleagues, making sure that everything in the casino runs smoothly and that everyone feels comfortable.

How has 2023 been and what is the outlook for the remainder of the year looking?

It looks like it will be the best year on record. Of course we are very happy about that!

The light level of the ambient lighting in the casino is subtle yet creates very effective environment for those in groups or visiting on their own.

We concentrate on the games with the light. The 12

lighting concept contributes to a calm atmosphere and thus enables concentration on the game.

Kiel Casino provides visitors an impressive bar area and entertainment, along with good quality food and high quality customer service. The casino is also involved with its local community with sponsorships of local football team Holstein Kiel.

It is important to us as a casino to get into the middle of society and survive there. Being anchored in the middle of society is fundamental for us as a downto-earth casino. This connection to society becomes clear through our activities in local sports, whether it’s football, handball or soon American football. We www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Casino Kiel

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I enjoy working with my team. I enjoy working with this excellent team. This is fun for me and drives me."

value the local appeal. Apart from this commitment, it is always important to us that the customer, our guest, feels comfortable in the casino, even when not playing. This is not the only reason why we attach

Does the casino provide patrons poker tournaments?

Yes. Fördedeepstack took place in November.

Tickets for the tournament sold out immediately. We

What aspects of your role do you find most satisfying?

I enjoy working with my team. I enjoy working with this excellent team. This is fun for me and drives me.

Does the casino have a players’ club? Please tell our readers how you have it structured to help and benefit your casino players.

We don't want to advantage anyone or disadvantage anyone. With us, every guest is a guest of honor! We don’t want VIPs, no elite.

great importance to the training of our employees and continually develop them further.

In your career, what would you consider to be the highlights up to now?

The 25th anniversary celebrations were definitely a highlight and very special.

What kind of acts perform at Kiel Casino? Are the performers local or national or even international?

We love working with local artists and also give talented young ones a chance if they inspire us. That just suits us and our credo: The main thing is good entertainment.

Volume 19: Issue 162

offer such poker tournaments four to five times a year.

Finally, when you are not at work – how do you relax?

By playing football and watching Holstein Kiel.

Peter White would like to especially thank Jasmin Pierstorff, along with management and staff for the generosity of hospitality provided to him during his visit to the very enjoyable Casino Kiel.

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Feature: Station Casinos

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www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Station Casinos

New Wine for Old Bottles Station Casinos dramatically revamps two of its signature properties. By Ryan Slattery

Volume 19: Issue 162

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Feature: Station Casinos

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t’s turning out to be a big year for Station Casinos. The Las Vegas-based casino giant has been busy not only building a brand-new casino-resort, Durango, but also renovating its other properties all across the Las Vegas valley.

Station Casinos, a company that heavily caters to a local clientele, is refreshing two of its older properties—Santa Fe Station in Northwest Las Vegas and Sunset Station in Henderson. A propertywide reinvestment at Santa Fe ups the ante on the gambling side with a new poker room and high-limit slots space, while adding famed country bar Stoney’s North Forty, and eateries Stallone’s Italian Eatery and Nielsen’s Frozen Custard. Sunset Station will see a complete transformation of the property’s STN 16

Sportsbook, plus a remodel of the casino floor and relocation of the high-limit slots room.

It’s welcome news for Station’s loyal customers who frequent the resorts. “Station Casinos is dedicated to not only developing new places for future growth but also to continuing to invest in the properties that we currently have to make sure they remain best in class,” explained Brent Arena, vice president and general manager of Santa Fe Station. “It was simply time to do that at Santa Fe and we’re so excited about it.”

Sunset Station Vice President and General Manager Jordan Seager echoed Arena’s sentiments.

“We are thrilled to bring our guests an all-new gaming and sports betting offering in the coming months at Sunset Station. For more than 25 years, www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Station Casinos

Sunset Station continues to raise the bar for our Henderson neighbors.”

The moves are not entirely unexpected. Station Casinos is constantly looking to enhance the guest experience at all of its properties. Food and beverage offerings, slot games and attractions are continuously refreshed. Whether that means constructing the brand-new Durango Casino & Resort in southwest Las Vegas (it opened on December 5), adding a new Tesla Supercharger network site at Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa & Casino in Henderson or enhancing its dining offerings at Red Rock Resort & Casino with outlets like Lotus of Siam, Kallisto Oyster Bar, Leoncito, and Federal Donuts & Chicken (opening in early 2024). It’s Station’s way to reward customers and keep options fresh.

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Growth spurs change

The biggest changes are coming to Santa Fe Station where guests can expect “a whole new level of excitement and entertainment in the northwest,” according to Arena. The timing, he says, couldn’t be better.

“The area is growing,” Arena says. “The explosive growth that’s been happening out here the last several years makes this even more exciting that we will be able to introduce more guests to the property. There are a lot of new rooftops and lots of new homeowners coming into the area, and we wanted to just be able to grow along with that, and add some newer amenities.”

He continues, “We’ve seen a very positive response from our guests. It starts when we first put the walls up to begin to the construction. That generates a lot 17

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Feature: Station Casinos

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We are thrilled to bring our guests an all-new gaming and sports betting offering in the coming months at Sunset Station. For more than 25 years, Sunset Station continues to raise the bar for our Henderson neighbors.”

of curiosity and once we unveil these new amenities, it goes to another level.”

Popular country bar Stoney’s North Forty, which is known for its line dancing and two-stepping, opened in October and is already a hit. The massive, 13,000-square-foot space has a stage for live performances, a mechanical bull, VIP booths and pool tables. There is also a 2,300-square-foot outdoor pergola area with a fireplace and dedicated space to play beer pong.

The poker room and high-limit slots area are also open and the changes couldn’t be more extreme, according to Arena. “I mean, there is really no comparison,” he admits. “The beauty of the highlimit room is that we have over 70 games in there, a great selection of mechanical reels, video slots and video poker games. There is also a great bar with a bunch of new craft cocktails going on. It’s just a really amazing setup, nice and comfortable. We did increase Volume 19: Issue 162

the square footage of [the high-limit room] a little bit so there’s good spacing between the games, and we have restrooms dedicated just to the high-limit area.”

In all, Arena says the new, 4,500-square-foot high-limit room has 18 more games than the previous space and the bar features nine bar-top video gaming machines.

The poker room, which opened in September, also underwent a complete overhaul. Fourteen new poker tables were purchased and brought in to the 2,450-square-foot space. Nine high-definition TVs plus USB chargers at every table give players the comforts for which they were asking. “We saw just how important that business was to us so we wanted to create a new room. And again, we’ve done just that,” Arena says.

But Santa Fe executives didn’t stop there. They brought in Stallone’s Italian Eatery and local favorite Nielsen’s Frozen Custard. It’s just the second 19

Feature: Station Casinos

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The explosive growth that’s been happening out here the last several years makes this even more exciting that we will be able to introduce more guests to the property. There are a lot of new rooftops and lots of new homeowners coming into the area, and we wanted to just be able to grow along with that, and add some newer amenities.”

Stallone’s location in Las Vegas and fit a void as Santa Fe Station didn’t have a pizza place to call its own.

The restaurant, located near the race and sports book, is famous for its meatballs, specialty pizzas, baked rigatoni, and for having a cannoli bar. Arena says, “It’s not only pizza. They serve Italian sandwiches and have a bunch of different pastries. It’s been a really fun spot and they fit in well with everything we’re doing.”

The cherry on top of all the Santa Fe renovations is naturally Nielsen’s Frozen Custard, a longtime company partner. Owned by husband-and-wife team Howard and Amanda Zayon, Nielsen’s has been serving its sweet, creamy custard treats to the Las 20

Vegas valley for over 20 years. “A legendary spot,” as Arena points out. “We’re delighted they’re with us.”

For Arena just seeing the smiling faces of guests and hearing them praise the changes as each of the new enhancements were unveiled has made this year fulfilling. “I mean, it feels great,” he says. “It’s great to see our guests come in and enjoy what we built.

It’s good to know that the company’s dedicated to help us continue to grow the property and move the property along. We’re looking forward to the future and continuing to enhance the property. We have so many repeat guests here and they’re happy to see that we’re investing back in the property.” www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Station Casinos

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It’s great to see our guests come in and enjoy what we built.

It’s good to know that the company’s dedicated to help us continue to grow the property and move the property along.

We’re looking forward to the future and continuing to enhance the property. We have so many repeat guests here and they’re happy to see that we’re investing back in the property.”

A bit less Gaudi

Meanwhile, Antonio Gaudi-inspired Sunset Station is in the midst of its own remodel—mostly to the gambling sector. Sunset officials recently announced that they will completely transform the property’s STN Sportsbook with a remodel of the casino floor.

Relocation of the high-limit slots room also in the works.

The race and sports book will feature a new bar, a 150-foot video wall for game-day viewing, comfortable, lounge-style seating, and betting kiosks to make wagering easy and to lessen wait times.

During construction, guests can find a temporary race and sports book located next to the Rewards Center offering counter wagering, with STN Sports betting Volume 19: Issue 162

kiosks scattered throughout the casino. Club Madrid is being utilized as an alternative viewing destination for college and pro football games until the new sports book is ready.

While Sunset Station sports book is being completed, the existing high-limit-slots room is acting as a sports betting destination with the relocated high-limit room moving into the former keno area. In addition, Sunset’s casino floor will undergo a phasedin refresh with updated carpeting, improved lighting and modernized restrooms.

Stations is always reinventing itself, and the remodels and additions happening at all of its properties prove why the company is a leader among the gaming industry in Las Vegas.

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IMAGES: Liam Gillan

Feature: Metropolitan Mayfair 1st Anniversary

So Very Mayfair London’s newest casino celebrates its first anniversary in style. By David McKee

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www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Metropolitan Mayfair 1st Anniversary

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s ex-Pussycat Doll vocalist Kimberly Wyatt spun platter, Metropolitan Mayfair Casino marked the first anniversary of its total reinvention. Guests for the event included “Made in Chelsea” reality stars Verity Bowditch and Harvey Armstrong. Partygoers imbibed various libations which included the “Crystal Cocktail,” whose recipe incorporated edible glitter along with champagne.

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The former Playboy Club, now helmed by CEO Michael Silberling, had been thoroughly reimagined and redesigned by Las Vegas veteran architect Paul Steelman. The celebrity-studded party kicked off a week of anniversary celebrations, including high-value tournaments and prize drawings.

“Silver Point Capital invested in us, knowing full well that they wanted to grow,” Silberling told Casino Life Publisher Peter White. “We have more refurbishments 23

Feature: Metropolitan Mayfair 1st Anniversary

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www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Metropolitan Mayfair 1st Anniversary

planned for the very near future. We’ve rolled out a new loyalty program. We have a new app. We have a new and strengthened management team. We’ve been busy in the last two years.”

One of the next things up for Metropolitan Mayfair is live streaming of casino games, part of a wide range of new initiatives from Silberling. “We’re one of the largest purchasers of duck in the UK,” he added in jest, emphasizing Metropolitan’s broad-based F&B initiatives as well, for those who want to have a flutter in person.

“There will be unifying elements around national promotions, loyalty programs, food promotions, while trying to continue a local flavor for the local market where we operate,” he continued.

Taking a wider view, the CEO outlined some of his hopes for the future, which include cashless gambling.

“I’m sanguine about some of these initiatives that will be economically beneficial to the UK government, in terms of creating an environment where we can have more capital investment, more taxes generated for the government, more employment, we can be of greater appeal to tourists—I hope on both sides of the aisle we can get these through.”

In the meantime, “let the games be offered,” Silberling concluded, “and let playing commence.”

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Feature: To Tip or Not to Tip the Dealer

To Tip or Not to Tip the Dealer

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Breaking down a basic question of casino etiquette. By Al O’Grady

et’s assume for a second that you are having a winning session at the tables.

Do you tip the dealer? If so, how much?

If not, why not? This is a very contentious issue and everyone has his or her own opinion. As a blackjack dealer, I certainly have a bias what I would like to see players do—but I would like to add some perspective for non-tippers that they may not have considered before.

You may have had a losing session where absolutely nothing was going your way. Murphy’s Law was written for days like these. A 10 was nowhere to be seen on all of your double downs; all of your 20s fell short to a dealer who drew to a 21; the dealer would never bust on a 4, 5 or 6. It was a neverending feeling that the Blackjack Gods were taking their vengeance out on you for reasons unknown. You feel that a kick in the teeth would be preferable to what you are currently experiencing. When you go through days like those, no dealer at any casino would be expecting a tip.

However, even if it seemed like the world was coming to an end, you knew that the dealer was professional, friendly and sympathetic. All things considered, if you felt obligated to throw a chip or two the dealer’s way, then on behalf of all dealers I sincerely thank you.

No excuses

But let’s also assume that the situation has reversed.

You can do absolutely no wrong. This game is easy.

You are getting 10s on all of your double downs. You are getting 20s constantly and the dealer is busting continuously on his 4, 5 or 6. You are making a nice profit. You are about to quit your day job and have visions of independent wealth. At a $25 table, it is not uncommon for players to come away with $500, $1,000, $2,000 or more. So how much gratitude should you send the dealer’s way? If you tip, thank you. If not, let’s talk.

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Al O’Grady

The first question is why not? Non-tipping players will have a plethora of excuses: Why should I? I earned it. I won it. It’s mine; the dealer had nothing to do with it. The dealer is trying to make my money, why should I reward him? Why should I subsidize the casino for underpaying its employees? Where do these dealers get their sense of entitlement? I have heard it all before.

Let’s break these excuses down one at a time.

Why should I tip? I earned it. The dealer had nothing to do with it. Let me give you some tough love. You are right. The dealer had nothing to do with it. Guess what? Neither did you. That’s right, you had nothing to do with it either. You probably implemented basic strategy. Did you invent basic strategy on your own?

Are you paying royalties to those that came up with basic strategy? You might have purchased a book www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: To Tip or Not to Tip the Dealer on blackjack but basic strategy is also free on the Internet. Who are you paying for that information?

Your winning session was a result of someone else’s efforts for creating basic strategy of which you took advantage. Basic strategy is nothing more than percentage plays in given situations and the cards came out in a random way that benefited you. If you are not playing basic strategy but your own strategy that you created, and you won, I won’t say that you were lucky. But I will say that you were not playing the percentages and the variance pendulum was swinging in your favor. The “I earned it” argument can only be used by card counters. Those players are using their mathematical and observational powers to pick their spots and bet higher in favorable situations.

The dealer is trying to take my money, why should I reward him? Again, I have a news flash for you. The dealer is not trying to take your money. The casino is, but the dealer is not. If anything, a dealer wants to see you win. That way he can get a tip. The dealer is not forcing you to sit down at the table. You chose to play.

Do you have free will or not? The dealer is not trying to take your money, you are trying to take his.

Why should I subsidize the casino for not paying its employees? Casinos definitely underpay their workers and it is a fair point. But let me ask you this: If you go to a Vegas hotel, do you tip the waitress, the bell hop or the valet guy? You are subsidizing the casino for underpaying those employees, yet you will not tip the dealer. This argument is a double standard at best, hypocritical at worst.

Where do the dealers get this sense of entitlement?

This can be a fair point; however, it is very much dealer-specific. If the dealer is unprofessional, constantly making mistakes and simply does not care, I would not tip him, and you should not either. But the road to fairness is paved both ways. If the dealer is professional, if he does care and it has been a positive experience for all, and you have been winning, a tip is certainly in order.

Making friends and influencing dealers Do you still need convincing? As a dealer, I always tell my players that I cannot be bought but I can be rented. By tipping the dealer along the way you are creating an ally. You have a partner in crime.

The dealer is actually rooting for you to win and will actually help you, too. Let’s assume for a second that you had a momentary lapse in judgment and made Volume 19: Issue 162

a basic strategic mistake by asking for a card when you should have stayed. It is highly likely that the dealer will second-guess your action for you so that the correct play is made for your hand in that given situation. If you are winning and not tipping, the dealer will not point out your mistake in your moment of weakness and will be more than happy to teach you a lesson.

Secondly, what if there is an issue where the pit boss needs to be called to the table to settle a discrepancy. If you are tipping, the dealer will state your case to the pit boss to give you the benefit of the

doubt. If you are not tipping, the scales of justice will not be leaning your way.

Lastly, why would you want to make enemies?

Dealers talk amongst themselves and you will get a negative reputation faster than a speeding bullet. You will be viewed as a cheapskate, a lowlife, a scumbag and every other unpleasant label you can imagine. The game can be hard enough as it is. Why make it harder for yourself?

If you tip, thank you. How much is appropriate?

Believe it or not, it does not take much to satisfy us Two percent of your winnings is fine, but if the spirit moves you to spread more of the love, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Good luck at the tables.

Al O’Grady has been a blackjack dealer for over seven years. He is a freelance writer with an Economics degree and is currently pursuing a degree in Mathematics.

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IMAGES: MGM Rewards

Feature: Las Vegas Grand Prix Review Bellagio Fountain Club with F1 Track

Spinout Formula One leaves a mixed impression in Las Vegas. By David McKee

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va Longoria drinking champagne from a leather shoe. Brad Pitt. A class-action lawsuit. Record F1 wagering amounts.

A predictable winner. Celeb sightings.

Canceled Strip shows. Boffo hotel revenues. Vacant restaurants. Kate Beckinsale. A middle-of-the-night race, for the sake of European TV.

Those and more were some of the contradictory metrics of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, held last month with a 10 p.m. start time and 1 a.m. checkered flag.

The full financial picture won’t be available for some time, perhaps not until the Formula One infrastructure disappears in January, eight weeks after the race.

Gambling revenues from November, which encompassed Formula One weekend, won’t be released until year’s end and further financial color will have to await fourth-quarter earnings reports next year, when hotel and food-and-beverage data is unpacked.

Proclamations of victory

Some victory celebrations happened before the race, as when the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority took a celebratory lap, proclaiming success in 2023 and touting the 2024 Grand Prix—at reduced prices. Whether Las Vegas residents, discomfited by 28

Eva Longoria

this year’s event, share that enthusiasm remains to be seen. Barring some unforeseen change of plans, they’ll have to endure traffic delays and race-related displacements every year through 2032.

Also quick to celebrate victory were online sports www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Las Vegas Grand Prix Review betting providers. BetMGM announced that the Grand Prix was the most bet-upon F1 event in the OSB giant’s history. “The sports book took three times the number of bets on the race than any previous contest,” said Trading Manager Seamus McGee. The largest wager was on near-inevitable winner Max Verstappen, for $200,000. Odds weren’t particularly long unless one was wagering for alsorans Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton.

Similarly, the even-larger DraftKings said the race was its biggest event ever … for Formula One, that is, beating the record held by 2021’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Luckily for OSB providers, wagering on Formula One is on the rise, with six of the top 10 betting events happening just this year. DraftKings’ accomplishment was deemed doubly impressive because it has no retail presence in Las Vegas, where much of the action was expected to be laid.

One casino company didn’t wait for 4Q23 earnings reports in order to get the good news out. MGM Resorts International CFO Jonathan Halyard said the company booked a record amount of November hotel revenue. (Much of this was due to record-high rates in a traditionally slow period of the year.)

“The race met every one of our expectations,” Halkyard told the Bank of America Leveraged Finance Conference. “It was the highest grossing weekend for us in hotel revenue in the company’s history. The second highest was [Consumer Electronics Show] in 2019. When you think about other events that have

Valterri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at the Alfa Romeo Livery Reveal

happened in Las Vegas over the years and the scale of our company, it’s quite something to have a record weekend on what otherwise is the slowest weekend of the year.”

While Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts remained mostly quiet, Halkyard said gambling business, and food and beverage reached the bar for the event. He also promised reduced-but-recurring “friction” from the race in years to come.

Lower prices, dark shows

Halkyard’s bravado aside, there were some indicators that Formula One weekend hadn’t been the all-time bonanza initially expected by Wall Street. Caesars quietly trotted out rates for 2024 hotel rooms and they were significantly lower, sometimes as much as 62 percent down, although still $1,300 a night or more.

The casino empire had been publicly embarrassed by a last-minute collapse in Formula One rates this year.

Volume 19: Issue 162

Nico Hulkenberg at the Haas Driver Meet and Greet

Other anecdotal metrics included empty restaurants and lounges during the weekend, as well as Cirque du Soleil scrubbing performances of big-ticket shows O, KA and Mad Apple. Locals and low-rollers were so annoyed by the barriers erected to keep them from seeing the race that they tore at 29

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Feature: Las Vegas Grand Prix Review

Mark Wahlberg at Bellagio Fountain Club

Celebrity Chefs At Bellagio Fountain Club

least one of them down in frustration. A nighttime practice run for the actual event was canceled after nine minutes, due to a loose manhole cover along the race course, leading to disgruntled ticket holders and an immediate class-action lawsuit.

Some visitors left happy, however, like Luke Umana. He told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that F1 “lived up to the hype.” “It was a great vibe and the turnout was awesome,” added Lupe Ramos.

A swarm of 9,800 outbound fans translated into 73-minute flight delays at Harry Reid International Airport.

Whether the turnout was up to snuff remains to be

Volume 19: Issue 162

Kate Beckinsale IMAGE: Ryan Nixon

seen. Applied Analysis principal Jeremy Aguero had to defend his prediction of $1.3 billion in economic impact after encountering pushback from Plaza Hotel CEO Jonathan Jossel on the latter’s podcast. Nevada Gaming Control Board analyst Michael Lawton had already started walking back some of the numbers prior to the race.

“There’s some uncertainty on what this event is going to deliver. Maybe the original projections — the $1.3 billion economic impact and 100,000 spectators — were a little too aggressive,” Lawton told the 2023 Gaming Law Conference. “I think it’s going to be big, but I’m not sure how big. I’m expecting a big number.

An all-time record? We’ll see.”

Already Lawton was turning the page to the 2024 Super Bowl, saying, “People don’t realize it’s not a one-time event. The NFL is putting Vegas on a rotation of every six or seven years. Those February gaming numbers will be really strong.”

Floyd Mayweather at the T-Mobile Arena 31

Feature: DR Gaming Technology

DRGT™ at Global Gaming Expo 2023

From Zero to 80,000

E

An interview with Jurgen De Munck, CEO of DR Gaming Technology. By Victor H. Royer

stablished in 2003 by Jurgen De Munck and Chief Technology Officer Michiel van Dam, DR Gaming Technology is now the world’s fastest-growing, independent, gaming-systems supplier. Their state-of-the-art systems are developed using the latest technology, resulting in the unique ability to operate without a permanent server connection, and in so doing, greatly simplifying system installation and implementation.

This ensures customers’ total management control over their entire operation. DRGT’s modular, flexible and cost-effective system, and jackpot solutions operate in over 70 different countries and are installed on more than 80,000 gaming devices. This demonstrated success is among the most powerful functionalities in the gaming industry and in the world.

In addition to its headquarters in Belgium, DRGT also has offices in Austria, Malta, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and South Africa.

32

Jurgen, please tell our readers a little more about yourself – and DR Gaming Technology – and your role with the company.

Well, Victor, based on your overview you’ll see that we celebrated our 20th birthday this year, something I’m rather proud of. I guess you could even say a proud father of it.

This company is really my and Michiel’s baby – we started out as two-man show without even proper office space and now operate across the globe. I am humbled and proud all at the same time. That said, and I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but we really couldn’t have done it alone. Granted there was a lot of hard work, but we couldn’t do it all ourselves. As such, I need to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues as well as our partners, all of whom have contributed to creating the healthy and sustainable technology company we are. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: DR Gaming Technology Despite our initial idea and the fact that we were able to establish DRGT at a time when technology was at a point that we could leverage it to its full potential, I am also a firm believer in being at the right place at the right time, and then taking action. When an opportunity presents itself, you have to take that leap of faith – not blindly, but you have to take it, believe, and then execute.

Why did you establish this company? What was the need that you saw back in 2003 that motivated you to create DRGT? My initial introduction into the gaming sector was as a doorman at Casino Knokke. At the time I was a bit of a techie and didn’t realize how fortuitous that was going to be. Nonetheless, after completing my studies I starting supplying IT system solutions and services to a number of verticals, including gaming as of the early 90s, ultimately “falling in love with gaming,” as one does, and focusing 100 percent on casinos as of 2003.

I’ve mentioned before that, despite our casinomanagement-systems idea, and the fact that we were able to establish DRGT when technology was at a point that we could leverage it to its full potential, I remain steadfast in my belief of capitalizing on being at the right place at the right time. When an opportunity presents itself, and one did to Michiel and I, you have to take that leap of faith, and we did.

Please tell us how the DRGT systems work, how they benefit your clients and what is unique about this technology – and especially how it works without a permanent server connection Notwithstanding our actual management-system technology, as well as our cashless, jackpot and loyalty solutions, I am of the view that our patented drSMIB is a key driver of the faith more and more operators are putting into our solution: not only from a pricing point of view, referencing the permanent server connection you mention above, but also — and maybe even more importantly — security and uptime.

Each drSMIB, on which all system or jackpot edits and updates are undertaken, and data collected, automatically synchronizes with all other drSMIBs in the network as soon as any changes are made. In so doing, it ensures unparalleled data redundancy, real-time data and reporting, and provides the transactional security to which I referred.

Volume 19: Issue 162

Jurgen De Munck, DR Gaming Technology CEO

That said, who better to get the final answer to your question from than one of our operator partners?

As such I’d like to quote Casino Locarno’s former IT manager, Davide Bogo: “high availability, independent of a central DB, fast modifications and relevant updates, as well as DRGT’s compatibility with many machines, even old ones,” have ensured a healthy

and respected relationship since our installation 10 years ago. "There was a big vision by developing the system and the SMIB, this small web server with all its possibilities and features. The vision of this and having the right people makes it strong!”

What do you consider to be the specific highlights for DRGT at the recent Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas? And now heading into ICE? What is your perspective on the show and what innovations did DRGT present?

As you know G2E, whilst very much the Global Gaming Expo as it is named, is a key showpiece for particularly our North American, Latin American and Caribbean partners, and potential partners. That said, alongside ICE London (soon to be Barcelona), it is one of our two key showings each year. I am also of the view that these two events remain the two most important, land-based exhibitions on the planet.

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Feature: DR Gaming Technology

DRGT’s new player app at G2E Las Vegas 2023

To me there were three key “innovations” as you call them that garnered the most interest at the Venetian Expo in October. First, our new Android and iOS player ppp. Then there is our new, web-based, Next Gen software suite. Thirdly, there was the initial demonstration of our direct, casino-managementsystem (CMS) integration into hospitality-systemsservice provider unTill®'s food and beverage point of sale (POS) solution.

Can you expand a little on what these innovations do?

The drApp allows players to connect to their EGM via an ever-changing QR code presented by our drScreenUltra player interface, or a static code on the EGM itself, and also offers top-up functionality directly via a player’s bank card. This was a big hit on its own, and leveraged specific Mexican legislation which allows players the ability to top-up their casino wallets directly from their personal bank account.

Our app was also quite a discussion point for the marketers at the show, who immediately caught on to the communication opportunities it presented to them.

The fact that direct-push notifications could be sent to individual players, clusters of players or an entire database got them really excited. As we all know, that little, round, red dot with a number in it showing unread messages on the home page of your phone is a great engagement initiator.

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Then with respect to our new, web-based reporting suite: The look of it alone, when we were doing demos, ended up drawing additional walk-in attention. What we now have, thanks to our developers in Graz, is something really quite special. Granted, we have always enjoyed considerable custom based on our initial reporting software, but this is next level. The functionality, ease of use, and interoperability between player and operations reporting is quite phenomenal, and the speed unprecedented.

Add to that the mobility and interoperability across any Android, iOS or Windows-based device, and it really is quite special. There are also some very nifty extras like being able to switch to either a light or dark mode. Within a report on games you can simply type a player’s name in the search bar and move directly to player data without having to change applications or search within a menu for the player-data tab. The graph options and pre-populated historical reference periods were also winners.

Then lastly, with regards to our unTill® POS integration, most operators running their establishment with a CMS and/or CRM solution now have some form of POS integration. In most cases, players need to redeem their loyalty points at some sort of kiosk or the cash desk and then take that voucher to a bar or restaurant to redeem those points with regard to their purchase or outstanding bill. It’s a rather tedious, clumsy and insecure process, and one that is also open to abuse. What we have now been able to do is

not only do away with the player inconvenience but also now afford operators the ability to better manage inventory, track players’ preferred meals and drinks, and reconcile loyalty points, and their associated POS sales, all in one place.

Whom do you consider to be competitors of DRGT, and how are your products and services different?

You know Victor, there are formidable competitors in all of the regions in which we operate, and in most regions there is a local system that’s strong at the time of our market entry. What has happened in the majority of what must now be 65 or 70 countries in which we operate, is that we make a difference with one initial operator/partner. Once we have managed to secure and execute that, the subsequent endorsements have been what has driven our market share. I realize that might come across as perhaps arrogant, but it’s the truth.

There is no better marketing than third-party affirmation. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: DR Gaming Technology

DRGT’s new, web-based reporting at G2E Las Vegas 2023

Then, in addition to actual functionality and the economics referred to earlier, I maintain that casino operators, and their players (like any other normal consumers) are becoming more and more demanding of tailored solutions, and of ease of use.

They are less and less tolerant of extended timelines or service intervals. To that end, we use our best endeavors to develop and install relevant solutions in order to provide operators with the most up-to-date technology and, in so doing, empowering them to not only service their players better, but engage with

all-around entertainment offering, too. Some operators have as much as 70 percent of their casino operating with a jackpot in some form or another. Post-COVID, the ability to upgrade or update one’s offering without having to incur the capital expenditure associated with acquiring new EGMs became even more relevant.

With our jackpot technology able to sit on top of an existing, alternate manufacturer’s game and cabinet, we are an extremely viable solution. In fact, our biggest single jackpot customer has our product installed on over 5,000 devices across approximately

And how do you see the future for DRGT in the current and future gaming market?

We’ve spoken extensively about some of our new stuff, but our core cashless-management solution and jackpot technology still garner the bulk of interest from prospective casino partners, and from existing ones that are expanding. It’s a scenario that bodes well for us in the foreseeable future.

Pre-2020, many operators relied on jackpots to not only rejuvenate their gaming floors but to drive their

You mentioned the pandemic. Have there been any operational or business-perspective changes or any significant shifts in operations for DRGT postCovid?

I mentioned cashless just now, and advancements in communication and mobile demands aside, it has without a doubt been the single most talkedabout and adopted tech post-lockdown. Operators’ willingness to adopt the technology and players’ demand for it remains high, as regulators move faster too in order to accommodate market demands. The efficiencies the technology provides with respect to not only day-to-day operational cost savings, but also ad-hoc and routine maintenance costs are self-evident. Add to that the business intelligence garnered as a result thereof, and how beneficial this

them at a time and a place, and with an offer that is relevant. A case in point was our installation at Grand Casino Basel, where our team completed the entire changeover in a single day during normal operating hours. Similarly in South Africa, we completed a cashless migration across three venues comprising 80, 140 and 220 EGMs, each roughly 200 kilometers apart, in just four days, including travel time.

Volume 19: Issue 162

100 venues. We believe we are capitalizing on this opportunity, as best we can.

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Feature: DR Gaming Technology

unTill® POS systems and DRGT’s CMS integration

is in informing management decisions and driving strategy, and operators have every reason to continue to pursue the implementation of the solution.

The aforementioned BI data it provides drove many operational decisions during and post-pandemic, as operational efficiencies became ever more integral, not only with respect to growth, but in many cases sustainability. We are all being forced to box a lot smarter,’ and the BI cashless gaming provides allows us all to do that from an extremely informed position.

Please tell us about your APEX Gaming partnership and how that has evolved in the past couple of years.

Despite the fact that we have been friends for some time, I simply love working with Johannes and his team. Strong words, but they’re true. We just seem to operate on the same wavelength and, in most instances, see the same opportunities; the initial jackpot solutions (off of the very tech I referred to in my previous answer), we worked on together was exactly one of those. Our relationship has now expanded quite significantly, with us representing Apex in a number of territories. In fact we’ve almost reached a total APEX revenue-share installed base in Mexico of 1,500 EGMs. It is something Johannes and I are very proud of. Despite the fact that APEX and DRGT continue to operate independently, we remain at all times collaborative, with joint success that is without a doubt greater than the sum of its relevant DRGT and APEX parts.

In one you your earlier interviews, you said that “The Player First” is your company’s mantra. What does this mean to DRGT, APEX and your clients?

36

“The Player First’” is our design mantra but should be that of all gaming sector suppliers and operators.

It’s not rocket science. Without players, operators wouldn’t operate, and product and service suppliers like us would have no one to supply. To suitably deliver on this mantra though, we need to not only provide operators with cutting edge technology that is robust and user-friendly, and player solutions that are reliable, but we also need to ensure that we are available to support those products; and do so with the genuine intent to serve, and commitment to do so to the best of our ability.

As product and service providers we kind of start and finish the experience loop, with operators filling the rest of it. What I mean is we develop and sell a piece of tech or a solution. Operators then package and present that tech or solution — which may be a game, a new cabinet, a jackpot, a mobile app, cashless functionality or whatever — to their players.

Then, irrespective of how well the player is serviced and entertained by our product or service, if it doesn’t do the trick or is not supported well, it’s dead in the water. As such, we need to deliver fast, simple and smooth installations, and an always-available team of support staff, as well as product specialists committed to delivering the best player experience possible.

What is DRGT’s focus on cashless gaming and how do your company’s products benefit casino operators – and players – with this technology?

Cashless gaming has been at our core since inception and our view remains that both TITO and player cards will become a technology of the past, in that order, over the next five or so years. In addition to the momentum gained during and after the pandemic, as referred to earlier, TITO operating and physical costs are also becoming more prohibitive. The move to RFID cards, and ultimately cardless gaming, makes both practical and commercial sense.

Cashless solutions through electronic fund transfers, via either a player card or an app like ours, are without a doubt the future. They are safer, simpler, and easier-to manage solutions for players and operators alike; not to mention the associated data gathering benefits. One of the significant product benefits of specifically our cashless tech, is that we can provide it for basically any slot machine – as long as it uses a legal protocol, such as SAS, ASP, NSW, GRIPS or even BACTA. www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: DR Gaming Technology

The drScreenUltra with direct bank to EGM cashless top-up functionality

That said, we remain in a transitional period and, as a result, our solutions need to meet the specific requirements and needs of today, whilst preparing to at least meet but hopefully drive the needs of tomorrow. To that end, our solutions offer TITO, carded play and NFC technology via either a card or our player app, with further options for players to top-up their account via a unique QR code which they can scan with their smart phone from our drScreenUltra. It then takes them to a selected, secure, pay gate like PayPal, where the payment is effected and then verified using their own personal banking app. Or it takes them directly to their personal bank account, as legislated in Mexico and showcased at G2E, where they can top-up directly to their EGM via our drApp. Are there any other items, or news that you’d like

to share with our readers about DRGT? We’ve just secured a supplier license in France, so we’re keenly pursuing opportunities there and look forward to making similar inroads as we have done elsewhere in Europe, where we are the market leader by some margin in our home country of Belgium, as well as in Switzerland. We enjoy a strong presence in the likes of Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia and Ukraine.

Add to the above the fact that a number of existing French operators are already our partners in these other countries, and that our sister company Infiniti has operated Casino Dinant on the French border since 2014 — and as such has garnered considerable French experience with respect to not only operational requirements, but player wants and needs too – and I believe we’ll really be hitting the ground running. We’ve grown our global installed base by Volume 19: Issue 162

APEX EGMs and the drApp on display at DRGT’s booth at G2E Las Vegas 2023

around 15 percent since the beginning of last year and look forward to France adding some significant numbers as well in the not-too-distant future.

Finally, in your career in gaming and with DRGT, what would you consider to be the highlights?

I mentioned at the outset how proud, and I guess lucky I and Michiel feel, to have been able to secure the colleagues we have, and grown from a business of just two in one little room in Belgium in 2003, to one of over 200 with numerous offices across the globe in 2023. Having now grown organically and responsibly into over 70 countries, we remain financially sound. As such we will all continue to work hard at growing this business, relevantly expanding our product and technology offering, in so doing securing our — and our casino partners’ — ongoing sustainability. We continue to lay the foundations and build the relationships for what I firmly believe is an awesome future, one that I trust will ensure we maintain our status as a formidable global competitor in the casino product-and-technology space.

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Feature: MGM Empire City

From Racing to Roulette MGM Resorts International unveils big plans for Empire City. By David McKee

I

n a bold bid to capture one of New York City’s three forthcoming casino licenses, MGM Resorts International revealed its concept for the transformation of Empire

City Yonkers racino on Nov. 30. The revamped casinoresort will be called, if a license is granted, MGM Empire City.

It’s much more than a change of name. It’s a bid to reshape Empire City into an entertainment destination, not just a place to watch the ponies and have a flutter. The casino floor will be completely redone and expanded, while a 5,000-seat concert hall will be added. Also on the drawing boards are restaurants and bars, an up-to-date BetMGM sports book, stateof-the-art convention and meeting spaces, plus the touches that only celebrity chefs can provide.

VLTs out, VIPs in

Out will go the video lottery terminals that currently stud the Empire City Yonkers casino floor. In will come table games, cutting-edge slot machines and highlimit gambling for VIPs. With a casino license, MGM will be able to augment the casino with a high-tech 38

sports book crowned by a 112-foot, wraparound LED screen. Stadium seating, F&B service, high-roller seating and betting kiosks will further augment the sporting experience.

Already Empire City boasts MGM’s largest domestic casino floor: 160,000 square feet, one of the most capacious in the U.S. Players and employees have racked up over 17 years of experience there since it opened for business in October 2006 with electronic table games and VLTs. The gambling experience is augmented by Yonkers Raceway, one of the country’s premier harness-racing tracks. The 125-year-old oval will remain open and operational after the racino becomes a megaresort.

MGM says the planned concert venue will be a first for the area, capable of the best in acoustical presentation and unparalleled sight lines. The company’s goal is to present A-list performers and events, providing an economic boost to the surrounding region. The hope is to bring new performers to the area, and unite both residents and tourists.

F&B offerings will be distinguished by “new www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: MGM Empire City destination dining experiences.” These include a modern steakhouse, a casual, quick-serve Italian American experience, and an Asian noodle bar and eatery. Sadly for some, existing food outlets Big Kitchen food court and The Pub sports bar will go away, but new, high-end eateries will arise in their place.

MGM’s master plan also includes what will be a very welcome amenity: a new parking garage. This will be intended to make the arrival experience significantly better, as well as to provide more direct, more convenient access to the gaming floor.

A regional game-changer

Reflecting on all the planned upgrades, MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle said, “MGM Resorts has a long and proud history of delivering worldclass entertainment and gaming experiences, and we couldn't be more excited to build on that track record at MGM Empire City. A full-scale casino and entertainment destination will provide unparalleled experiences, create thousands of jobs, boost the state's economy, and be a game-changer for the entire region.”

Hornbuckle’s enthusiasm was seconded by Empire City General Manager Ed Domingo, who said, “As MGM Resorts prepares to enter its sixth year at the helm of this iconic property, we are excited to be able to combine the knowledge we have developed of the New York market with our expertise as a global entertainment brand, to bring the next chapter of New York's entertainment landscape to the incredible community we are part of.”

Empire City is already a significant economic engine for the great Yonkers area, north of New York City proper. It spends scores of millions of dollars locally on goods and services, not to mention the taxes it pays to New York State. And the latter will be looking for a major taxpaying partner when it chooses the winning casino bids.

That tradition would be extended at an MGM Empire City, which would hire in the thousands, not counting the indirect job growth that would be spurred by having a megaresort in the area. As it is, MGM is the number-one taxpayer in Yonkers, a status that will be further reinforced by the hoped-for upgrade.

MGM estimates that the Empire City license alone, if granted, will generate $1 billion in regional economic activity.

Volume 19: Issue 162

39

Feature: MGM Empire City

Good games, good jobs

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is a fan. He lauded MGM’s new plans, saying, “This is a momentous opportunity for the City of Yonkers, and I'm excited for the future, knowing the development of MGM Empire City will create thousands of good-paying union jobs, and the economic growth that will ensure our city continues to flourish and prosper. Already drawing millions of guests annually, this development

plan will solidify Empire City's status as a premier entertainment destination.”

Spano continued, “Generations of Yonkers residents have worked at, enjoyed and supported this historic property for 125 years, and I am excited about the significant impacts this project will have for residents now and for the next 125 years.” Those “significant impacts” are intended to include a deterrence of New York dollars from flowing to megaresorts in Connecticut at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, to say nothing of the casinos in Atlantic City.

Looking back, Domingo said, “When MGM Resorts acquired Empire City Casino in 2019, we knew we were becoming stewards of a historic institution that has served generations of New Yorkers as a gathering place for entertainment, a source of jobs for the community and a driver of economic development.”

It is a legacy MGM hopes to continue far into the future.

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Feature: Fontainebleau

Building a Legacy Fontainebleau Rewards helps kick off Las Vegas’ newest resort. By David McKee

A

s it ramped up to its Dec. 13 grand opening, highlighted by a Justin Timberlake performance, Fontainebleau revealed something else up its sleeve: Las Vegas’ newest casino-loyalty program. Owners Fontainebleau Development rolled out Fontainebleau

Rewards, a tiered, all-inclusive loyalty incentive that was designed to invite players into the inner circle of resort customers. It gives them opportunities to earn exclusive benefits and to gain “a passport to limitless luxury” on every stay.

It’s not a casino-only incentive program. No, Fontainebleau Rewards gives points for spending on retail, room nights, dining, bar-hopping, lounge entertainment, day life, nightlife, visits to the Lapis Spa & Wellness center, and to the gym.

“The Fontainebleau legacy is built on creating a personalized experience for every guest, and Fontainebleau Rewards takes that legacy to new heights,” explained resort President Mark Tricano.

“Our loyalty program is focused on simplicity, transparency, and convenience, seamlessly integrating both gaming and non-gaming rewards. This empowers our members to effortlessly shape their unique journey through Fontainebleau Las Vegas.”

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Members of Fontainebleau Rewards gain access to best-available room rates, special invitations and member-only offers. Comped rooms, free dining and slot-play credits are just some of the awards that can be racked up. Players can earn Bleau Points at the tables and slot machines, and then redeem them

across select shopping venues, restaurants, Lapis Spa, nightlife abodes, for hotel rooms and other points of purchase, and with ease.

Slot players can not only earn Bleau Points but also Play Points that can be redeemed at certain machines in the casino, which boasts thousands of gaming positions.

The more points one earns, the more one’s tier status grows, unlocking ever-more-munificent Fontainebleau Rewards benefits. These include free self-parking (a rarity in contemporary Vegas) and free valet parking (Fridays and Saturdays excluded). This is followed by escalated Play Point bonuses and tier achievement dining credits at every elevated tier, and waiving of the resort fee for the top tiers.

For a full list of benefits, an enrollment form, terms and conditions, surf to fontainebleaulasvegas.com/ rewards. Alert would-be guests who enrolled before Fontainebleau flung open its doors were eligible for a www.casinolifemagazine.com

Feature: Fontainebleau

BLEAU TIER 0 – 7,499 Tier Credits

SILVER TIER 7,500 – 39,999 Tier Credits

limited-time incentive. They also became entitled to

pre-notification concerning new rewards.

Rewards tiers are Bleau (pronounced “Blue”), Silver, Gold and Royal. One can achieve the Bleau tier with no credits whatsoever. To become a Silver member requires 7,500 credits, while 40,000 gets you Gold Status. Ninety-thousand credits or more makes you Royal. Credits are earned January through December and must be redeemed by Dec. 31 of each year.

Incentives are accrued in the following ways: Tier Credits are earned via three points for every dollar of rated play at slots, video poker machines and table games, or five for every dollar spent in the hotel. Bleau Points are achieved the same way but without the table-game provision. Play Points rack up two per dollar of slot and video poker play.

In the words of Vital Vegas author Scott Roeben, “Fontainebleau has restored our faith in Las Vegas. It’s over-the-top, luxurious and simply spectacular. Simply put, Fontainebleau is to The Strip as Circa is to Volume 19: Issue 162

GOLD TIER 40,000 – 89,999 Tier Credits

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ABOUT FONTAINEBLEAU LAS VEGAS Fontainebleau Las Vegas is a 67-story, vertically integrated luxury resort opening December 13, 2023. Rooted in the 70-year history of the iconic Fontainebleau brand, Fontainebleau Las Vegas brings a legacy of timeless elegance and unparalleled service to the Strip. The resort’s thoughtful design allows guests to move effortlessly among 3,644 luxury hotel rooms and suites, 550,000 square feet of customizable meeting and convention space, 150,000 square feet of gaming space, a collection of world-class restaurants and shops, exquisite pools, vibrant nightlife, and vitality-enhancing spa and wellness offerings. Located at 2777 S. Las Vegas Blvd., adjacent to the acclaimed Las Vegas Convention Center expansion, Fontainebleau Las Vegas is created by Fontainebleau Development in partnership with Koch Real Estate Investments. downtown.”

That’s quite an accolade. May the odds be ever in your favor, players.

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Feature: Raymond Chan

Pitch Like Steve Jobs The importance of storytelling to building a business. By Raymond Chan

S

torytelling is an ancient art form, a powerful tool that has been setting visions, shaping values and dictating the agendas of societies for centuries.

In the modern world this timeless skill transcends its narrative roots, becoming a critical element in business, education and leadership. While Steve Jobs himself harnessed this power to revolutionize the way we interact with technology, the essence of storytelling remains universal – whether it’s a brand crafting its identity, a fundraising effort for startups or a leader rallying a team towards a common goal. We are going to explore the transformative power of storytelling across various domains, providing insight into how stories can captivate, convince and convert audiences of any kind.

Setting the Stage for Maximum Impact A storyteller speaks their first word to establish a frame for their audience – a lens through which the forthcoming narrative will be viewed. This framing is crucial, as it lays the groundwork for the message you intend to deliver. It's about setting the context,

defining the boundaries of the conversation and planting the seeds of expectation.

Establishing a clear frame at the outset of your story is not merely a structural choice; it is a strategic one.

By defining the frame, you ensure that your audience doesn't spend precious time guessing the intent or context of your narrative, potentially leading to misconceptions or disengagement.

Drawing the Battle Lines by Defining the Enemy In any compelling story, the protagonist's journey is often defined by the obstacles they face, and this is where defining the enemy becomes pivotal.

This 'enemy' can be a literal antagonist or an abstract concept, but its role is the same: to give the audience a clear understanding of what the hero is up against. Jobs was a maestro of this technique.

In the narrative of the first iPhone, he positioned the Volume 19: Issue 162

“

Raymond Chan

The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” – Steve Jobs physical keyboard as the enemy – a design barrier that constrained the user experience. He then methodically debunked alternative solutions, such as the stylus, to finally reveal the hero of his story: the human finger.

This approach not only clarified the problem but also heightened the impact of the solution.

Jobs' knack for identifying an enemy didn't stop at product design; it extended to his marketing strategies. The iconic 1984 Super Bowl commercial for the Macintosh computer encapsulated this perfectly.

Here, the enemy was the conformity and banality of the existing computing world. The Macintosh was positioned as the slingshot in the hands of David, ready to topple Goliath and free the masses from a 45

Feature: Raymond Chan monochromatic future. This narrative was powerful – it wasn't just selling a computer; it was inviting

consumers to join a revolution.

The same storytelling principle is wielded with great effect by Disney, where every fairy tale is a canvas for conflict between good and evil, heroes and villains.

This framework is not by chance but by design. It taps into the universal human experience, where challenges are faced, adversaries are conquered and, through that journey, heroes are made. By clearly defining the enemy, storytellers create a sense of urgency and a rallying point that can unite an audience, crystallize a message and make the triumphs of the protagonist all the more resonant.

Connecting with Audiences Beyond the Data

In the realm of storytelling, impact often comes not from the recitation of data but from relatable comparisons that bring the story to life. Jobs was a virtuoso in transforming numbers and specifications into vivid, tangible experiences. When unveiling the MacBook Air, he opted not to dwell on the exact thickness of the device. Instead, he dramatized its unprecedented slimness by sliding it out of an interoffice envelope, creating an image that spoke louder than dimensions ever could.

This method of meaningful comparison became a signature move for Jobs. It wasn't about providing the audience with technical specs; it was about showing

them what those specs meant in a context they could instantly understand and appreciate. When he introduced the Apple computer with its capability to fit a 3.5-inch floppy disk into a shirt pocket, he wasn't just highlighting the storage medium's size; he was inviting the audience to imagine the new world of portability and convenience.

Similarly, the introduction of the iPod wasn't led by its gigabytes of storage; it was the promise of 1,000 songs in one's pocket that captivated the audience's imagination. This approach made the technology relatable and the benefits tangible, ensuring that Jobs's messages weren't just heard but remembered. It's a testament to the power of storytelling that prioritizes relatability over raw data.

By painting pictures with real-world analogues rather than numbers a story can resonate on a more personal level, leaving a lasting impression that sets a product – and its creator – apart from the rest.

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ABOUT RAYMOND CHAN Raymond is a software engineer by profession with a track record in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship. He co-founded two prosperous startups, TGG Interactive and Global Gaming Group in Asia, where he served as director and CEO to lead the customer intelligence and electronic gaming businesses from 2007 to 2018. Earlier in his career, Raymond was a founding member of the business intelligence team at E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley and played a pivotal role in designing the TiVo customer intelligence system in Silicon Valley.

Speaking to the Heart

In conclusion, the principles of storytelling, as exemplified by Steve Jobs, transcend mere presentation; they are about creating moments that fuse products with the human experience. Jobs understood that to pitch effectively, one must appeal

not to the analytical brain with facts and figures, but to the heart with narratives that evoke emotion and imagination. His presentations were less about the 'what,’ and more about the 'why' and the 'how.’ He didn't just introduce a new device; he introduced a new way of life that the device enabled.

This art of storytelling – of constructing a tale that is compelling, relatable, and memorable – is not exclusive to the realm of technology or to the genius of Jobs. It is a powerful tool in the arsenal of any person or organization looking to make a lasting impact. Whether you're an entrepreneur, an educator or a leader, the ability to craft and convey your story with clarity and conviction can be transformative. It is through stories that we can inspire change, drive innovation and lead movements. As Jobs showcased, when you master the art of storytelling you don't just communicate; you resonate. You don't just convince; you move people. www.casinolifemagazine.com

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