Casino Enterprise Management

Like a gold medalist setting new records at the Olympics, CityCenter has raised the bar for the greening of the hospitality and gaming industry with its six LEED Gold certifications. Las Vegas’ newest and largest hospitality project ranks among the world’s—that’s right, world’s—largest environmentally sustainable developments.

Sustainability is not a new idea. In fact it is one of the oldest of mankind. Green architecture—sustainable buildings—does not suggest that we go backward to a simpler lifestyle, but move forward to a smarter paradigm based on the knowledge and technology of today and the yet undiscovered advances we can encourage and anticipate in the future.

These feature articles discussed the importance of the casino industry going green and what architects and construction firms are doing that’s environmentally responsible and sustainable. But gaming manufacturers are going green, too. CEM asked some of gaming’s major manufacturers to weigh in and share their sustainability plans and goals.

If test labs are the gateway to gaming for equipment manufacturers, then the quality of service and measurable results that those labs provide is critical to both the integrity and the performance of the industry. There is no doubt that regulatory authorities and patrons depend on the accuracy, quality and integrity of those labs. But how are “accuracy,” “quality” and “integrity” defined? How are they measured?

We are all well aware of the economic woes that this country faced in 2009, but here’s a quick refresher for those of you who may have been hiding in your corner office with your eyes squeezed shut and your fingers in your ears for the past 12-plus months. One of the biggest revelations was that, contrary to the common wisdom, gaming is not recession-proof.

It doesn’t take an Einstein to recognize that these are strange times in gaming. And it doesn’t take an Einstein to realize why: increased competition, overleveraged properties, tight consumer spending and, um, the Great Recession. With declining revenues for the first time ever and even stagnant business considered a blessing, the casino industry in the United States is facing, if not a crisis, at least a wake-up call.

Being a member of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) sure has its advantages. From a united voice to an inside scoop, the advantages of AGEM membership are far from few and far between. Learn the latest from within the association’s ranks in these company profiles and G2E previews.

This third and final 2009 installment of CEM’s Networked Gaming Guide addresses one of the most important issues to consider before taking the plunge into server-based gaming: What’s in it for the players? How will networked gaming affect the player’s experience? And how do we get players to “buy-in” to the new capabilities of the networked floor? Read on as industry professionals weigh in on these questions and more.

The economy has allegedly taken its first steps on the road to recovery, but with capital markets still tighter than Spandex and consumers’ wallets all but sealed shut, now’s not the time to trust your bottom line to automatically return to where it was two years ago. It might, however, be time to trust an outside resource to help rev up revenue, pull in new players or plan your next strategic step.

Once the sun sets near the equator, sun-bathed tourists often begin to flock to one of the many land-based or cruise ship casinos found throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America. Find out what's new in some of these regions' top gaming locales.