What Would I Build Today If I Could Start From Scratch?
A question was put to me a few years ago that I have found myself returning to from time to time. If somebody handed you the money, the licences and a suitable location tomorrow, what kind of casino would you build? At first glance it sounds like a simple question. Most people in this industry […]
5 Ownership Models that Change Everything
Over the course of a thirty-year career in this industry I have worked for a large listed corporation with properties across three continents, a smaller regional operator running a handful of properties in markets that most of the industry had not yet noticed, and a family-owned single property where the owner’s opinion of a particular […]
The Reinvestment Trap
There is a particular kind of meeting that most senior casino people have sat through more times than they would like to admit. An offer is on the table for a player everyone in the room knows well enough. His host speaks warmly about him, as hosts do. His theoretical, if anyone ran it honestly […]
A DAY IN A LIFE
Creating a compelling customer experience with an omnichannel strategy “I read the news today, oh boy…” and once again the industry is talking about omnichannel strategies for land-based and online casinos as a way to improve the player experience. The basic idea is straightforward enough. Players no longer think in channels the way operators do. […]
International VIP Play: A Business Few Casinos Really Understand
Bombay’s retrenchment in Tallinn has value for one reason only: it exposes a mistake the industry keeps making. The public facts are serious enough. The group is cutting more than half its staff, and management has admitted that daily table games and parts of the gaming operation were not economically justified. Once a casino starts […]
When a Casino Moves from Good to Excellent
Most casinos that have been operating for a few years settle into a rhythm that feels solid. The numbers are respectable, the staff know what they are doing, the regulators are satisfied, and ownership is not calling every week. From the outside there is little to criticize. The building runs, the payroll is paid, the […]