Casino Enterprise Management

Leaning against the cool dark purple metal railing that encircles the Rio’s Voodoo Lounge, Brett Ewing faces into the wind and squints in the sunlight. From 51 stories up, the Las Vegas Strip ripples along the panoramic skyline, giving way to the burnt Sierras surrounding the city. There is a modest pride in his smile as he begins to talk about his life.

Laid back and unassuming, you might never guess Jamie Odell holds the reigns at one of gaming’s most progressive companies, Aristocrat Leisure Limited. Until he starts talking about that company in a rich Australian accent, at which point his passion for and commitment to it are nothing short of obvious. He may be one of the most modest and easygoing executives to ever lead Aristocrat.

From Macau to Moscow, Randy Hedrick has literally sped through the world of gaming. He’s witnessed the inner workings of Russia’s most notorious casinos, played pokies with the locals in Australia, sat down with the whales in Macau, sojourned with Die Deutsche, and pulled up a seat next to tourists in Sin City. Throughout his 25-plus years in gaming, Hedrick has almost seen it all—until recently.

The global economy has been in freefall for more than a year, as we all know too well in the gaming industry. Some say the decline has been long in the works citing various reasons, financial, political and otherwise. Regardless of why we’re in this mess, what really matters is righting our course. Looking ahead, it’s not a stretch to say we face a changed business landscape.

I met with Savage during the National Indian Gaming Association’s annual tradeshow and conference this past April in Phoenix to learn more about his transition from the large, publicly traded company 3M to the relatively smaller environment at Bally, how his true passion in life—extreme skiing—has helped shape many of his unique insights about gaming, and what he hopes our industry can accomplish in the near future.

A casino man born and bred, Rich Schneider knows it takes a well-thought-out game plan to make it in the fast-paced world of casino gaming. Whether he was dealing craps to make ends meet during college or perfecting a new bonusing technology at Acres Gaming, Schneider always had a strategic vision in place to help guide him to the next stage of his career.

Your heart races, thud-thud thud-thud. You can feel salty-sweet sweat dripping from your forehead onto your stiff denim jeans. You coach yourself not to flinch as you steal another peek at your cards. Finally, as you go all-in, the real rush takes hold. You know that brimming pot is yours. This is your day. Your royal flush has come.

In 1981, Australian folk musician John Williamson wrote an award-winning song titled “True Blue.” The song describes the Aussie ideals of “a fair go f­­­­­­or all, mateship ... and solving problems.” This song seems quite fitting for native Australian Kent Young, who until recently was probably best known as the smiling and youthful face of Aristocrat.

Paul Tjoumakaris is a hard-working man. So hard-working, in fact, that with almost 30 years of gaming industry experience, he’s not unlike a modern day Hephaestus. Tjoumakaris may not have crafted Zeus’ thunderbolts, but his perseverance, technological savvy and incredible work ethic warrant comparison to the works of the Greek deity of technology and artisans. As senior vice president of gaming operations for Seminole Gaming, he’s tackling new challenges that are proving to be equally monumental.

The allure and excitement of gaming certainly never gets old — just ask Len Ainsworth. At 84, he is the most-seasoned executive in the business, and shows no signs of quitting quite yet. In this up-close and personal interview, the living legend shares why he left Aristocrat, how he started Ainsworth, and what has been the secret to his success.