Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine crisis management practices among gambling-related hospitality business stakeholders (GBSs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was administered to a sample of GBSs resulting in 64 completed surveys. The survey explored the COVID-19 crisis using a three-phase framework: preparedness (prior experience and response plans), response (level of importance and use of crisis practices) and future (confidence in recovery, beliefs about consumer behavior and new strategies). Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to investigate the influence of preparedness variables on crisis management capabilities. Importance-Performance Analysis was used to evaluate GBSs' crisis management capabilities and identify where performance might be improved. Factor analyses were employed to explore groupings of response practices as well as future strategies.FindingsPrior experience had a significant impact on GBSs' crisis management. IPA indicated gaps between the importance GBSs assign to response practices and their corresponding level of use, specifically for those related to marketing and government. Factor analysis revealed response practices did not group according to the questionnaire's four themes, instead, three themes of marketing, efficiency and expenses were revealed. Prevention and hygiene emerged as dominant themes with respect to future strategies.Originality/valueThis is a timely study that investigates crisis management among GBSs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides important methodological contributions as well as valuable practical considerations for gambling-related hospitality businesses.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging industries around the world
In Macau, famed for its numerous casino resorts and the world’s largest gambling market, authorities in February 2020 ordered casinos to close for a 15-day period to curb the spread of the virus (Shriber, 2020) and gross gaming revenue (GGR) for that period dropped 87.8% YoY (Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, 2020)
An email invitation with link to the Qualtrics-hosted survey was sent to a list of approximately 200 faculty members and alumni of the Executive Development Program (EDP), who participated in the program between 2013 and 2019
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging industries around the world. Perhaps one of the more vulnerable subsectors has been gambling-related hospitality businesses, such as casino resorts These businesses often rely on tourism and international air travel and many of resorts’ verticals, such as casinos, are synonymous with gatherings of large groups of people in close proximity (Shivdas, 2020). These features, within which this industry thrives, abet the spread of the virus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020a, b). In Las Vegas, for example, casino resorts reopened for customers on June 4, 2020, albeit with hefty preventative practices in place, including enhanced hygiene, limited seating capacity, personal protective equipment, and increased use of technology-based services (Okada, 2020). The path to recovery remains uncertain for these casino resort businesses as operators wrestle with the impending crisis
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