Casino Managers Research Articles

A comparative study for determinants of gaming performance in Macao and Las Vegas

This paper studies gaming efficiency with data envelopment analyses (DEA) and its determinants with seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR). We show that gaming efficiency is higher in Macao than in Las Vegas and can be improved in both places. We find that Macao casino performance hinges on China's economic growth and visitor arrivals as well as VIP service and promotional marketing while non-gaming business and slot gaming are contributors to Las Vegas tourism efficiency. We also indicate that the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2014 China anti-corruption movement are hugely disruptive to gaming efficiency both in Macao and Las Vegas. Those results provide policy makers and casino managers with useful implications for efficiency enhancement in gaming-led tourism and hospitality.

일본 복합리조트 카지노 개장에 대한 대응전략 요인 도출과 우선순위 분석: AHP 적용

This study examined the importance and priority for opening of Japanese integrated resorts (IR) using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. To this end this study derived 7 factors of high level and 27 attributes of low level and then conducted an AHP survey of 23 experts in the field of casino managers and academia. The results of AHP indicate that deregulation and institutional improvement was evaluated as the most important factor among others of high level, followed by perception of casinos and their improvement, improvement of casino policy, IR development, strengthening marketing activity, casino management strategy, and expanding casino research. Considering global index based on high and low levels development of IR with unique Korean style appeared to be the most important attribute, followed by deregulation of foreign-only casinos, deregulation of domestic casino, activating junket promoters, long-term master plan of casinos, legislating independent casino law, and so on. The findings of this study provide casino policy-makers and managers with practical implications in coping with opening of the Japanese IR.

카지노 관리자의 진정성 리더십이 딜러의 자기효능감 및 이직의도에 미치는 영향 : 공기업을 중심으로

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationships of casino managers` authentic leadership, employees` self-efficacy and turnover intention in the domestic casino industry. We utilized SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 20.0 for analyses of frequency, reliability, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation, path analysis to examine the responses of 281 casino dealers in the Korean Public Enterprises. The following is a summary of our findings. First, among casino managers’ authentic leadership factors, we found that relational transparency had a positive influence on certainty of self-efficacy. Second, all three sub factors of authentic leadership including self-awareness, relational transparency, and balanced information process didn’t significantly influence turnover intention. Third, among self-efficacy, self-confidence significantly influenced turnover intention negatively, and task challenges significantly influenced turnover intention positively. Implications of these results and direction for future research are discussed.

Performance drivers in the casino industry of South Korea

The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between the performance drivers and financial performance of the South Korean casino industry. Data were collected from all 17 casinos in South Korea throughout 2015 and evaluated with path analysis using AMOS. Results revealed significant relationships among visitor type (domestic vs. foreign), total number of visitors, and casino revenue. Moreover, the total number of visitors affected the table games and revenues of casinos. Among implications for the casino industry, casino managers can use the findings to prioritise performance drivers to increase revenues.

Uncovering the service profit chain in the casino industry

PurposeThis paper, from a marketing and management perspective, aims to review the relevant literature germane to casino studies. The review discusses the major findings from previous studies, provides a critique and identifies research gaps for future studies. In particular, the research foci presented in this paper rest on the service profit chain (SPC) model. The review involves studies relating to the constructs of the chain model and comprises sections that are categorized based on the internal link between management and employees, interaction between casino service employees and customers and profitability link.Design/methodology/approachThe approach used in the current study involves a systematic review of the relevant academic literature with a focus on SPC studies in the casino industry, along with critical evaluation and analysis to identify research gaps. Google Scholar, EBSCOHost, Science Direct, Emerald and other academic databases were used to search relevant studies relating to casino and gambling research streams.FindingsThe review identifies several research gaps on the basis of the SPC link. Specifically, internal service quality needs more attention from both the practice and research points of view. Casino employee research should be extended to include personal traits and characteristics that may contribute to employee performance and loyalty. In the interaction between casino service providers and gamblers, more studies should be undertaken on the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing initiatives and promotions. Externally, the paper points out that more appropriate measurement of customer loyalty and casino profitability should be explored.Research limitations/implicationsThis review provides references to focusing on key competitive advantages and presents guidelines on improving business growth and profitability for casino managers. The paper also identifies research areas that future studies should attend to.Originality/valueThe paper is the first thorough literature review of gaming research on marketing and management with a focus on the SPC model. This review represents a new era of gaming research, extending the problem gambling research focus into a broader scope embracing other disciplines.

Investigating casino event management integration: The case of East and South Asia casinos

The aim of this study is to investigate the gap of event management in East and South Asia’s casinos throughout the information provided by casinos on their websites. Main objective is to identify the differences and similarities of event holding in East and South Asia’s casinos and suggest future directions for casino managers and event organizers. Four research questions were developed to provide ourselves a goal, as well as to further our understanding of our investigation. There are two steps to structure our study. First is to evaluate the performance of 138 casino’s websites, which were obtained from worldcasinodirectory. com by using a website evaluation tool that we have constructed. In the second step, we conduct a content analysis for the website so we can identify what kind of events are organized in the area on our samples. The data of the content analysis provides a comparison of events in our sampling, such as the event’s size, type, and frequency of holding an event. We believe that our research would contribute to event organizers and large scale corporations to give them an insight on the overall efficiency of websites, as well as the frequency of events around East and South Asian casinos.

Typology of Gaming Tourists Based on the Perception of Destination Image

This study investigated the perception of gaming tourists toward Macau and developed a typology of gaming tourists. The 1,497 responses from tourists in Macau were collected through convenience sampling method. The dimensions of multi-culture, convenience, economy, gaming, and unsafety, were subsequently extracted as the factors of perception of gaming tourists in Macau. Cluster analysis was performed using the delineated factors (perception of tourists on Macau). Four heterogonous groups were generated, namely, gaming lovers (n=467, 31.2%), exotic lovers (n=509, 34.0%), reasonable budget seekers (n=269, 18.0%), and convenience seekers (n=252, 16.8%). Further analysis was performed to investigate any difference in gaming behavior and tourist activities. The findings are expected to contribute to the efforts of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in establishing effective business strategies, provide a profile of gaming tourists in certain market segments, and assist DMOs and casino managers in establishing more effective marketing strategies for target markets.

The Utilisation of Music by Casino Managers: An Interview Study.

Music is ubiquitous in retail and commercial environments, with some managers believing that music can enhance the customer experience, increase footfall and sales and improve consumer satisfaction. Casino gambling is popular in the United Kingdom and anecdotal evidence suggests that music is often present. However, little is known about the rationale for music use from the perspective of casino managers. In this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with five casino managers to establish their motivations for utilising music, the factors informing their choice of music and the extent to which music is used with the intention of influencing gambling behaviour. Results showed that casino managers utilised two types of music-recorded background music, often sourced via external music supply companies and live music. Live music was often situated away from the gaming floor and used primarily to accompany participation in non-gambling activities. Recorded background music was not used with the direct aim of influencing customers' gambling behaviour, but to create the right atmosphere for gambling and to promote certain moods within the casinos. To achieve these aims casino managers manipulated the tempo, volume and genre of the recorded background music. Casino managers also reported that some gamblers listen to music via portable music players, possibly with the intention of customising their gambling experience. This study is unique as it has provided a first-hand account of casino managers' implicit theories with regards to why they utilise music and the roles which music is considered to fulfil in casinos.

Exploring Casino Special Events: An Empirical Analysis for Determining Which Themed Celebrations and Tournaments Have An Indirect Effect on Increasing Slot Volumes

This empirical study sheds light on the indirect effects of slot-player special events on casino revenues. Slot departments provide the largest gaming percentage profit for U.S. casinos, almost twice that of table-game departments, making it crucial to cultivate robust slot operations. Casino special events, which include culture-, recreation-, and sports-themed experiences as well as slot tournaments, are experiential marketing techniques used to sustain slot-player relationships and/or increase casino gaming volumes. This exploratory study uses multiple regression analysis to identify which special events, including the corresponding complimentary rooms, have significant indirect effects on slot machine wagers, providing a model for casino managers to predict their special events’ indirect effects on slot revenues.

Conflict between affective versus continuance commitment among casino dealers

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the extent of the reported low affective commitment compared to continuance commitment of Chinese casino dealers, to discern if there is a significant difference between the two types of commitment, and to identify factors that could explain the difference between them.Design/methodology/approach– Questionnaire data were obtained from 247 Chinese casino dealers working for the three major casino groups in Macau. Correlations and regressions were used to analyze the data.Findings– Dealers’ affective commitment was significantly lower than their continuance commitment, suggesting dealers do not like their jobs but do not leave them, which indicates they have cognitive dissonance about their jobs. Organizational socialization, organizational support, and supervisor integrity were positively correlated with affective commitment; while value of money, pay satisfaction, and neuroticism, were positively correlated with continuance commitment. Organizational support was the strongest predictor of affective commitment, while the value they place on money was the strongest predictor of continuance commitment.Practical implications– Casino managers could improve dealers’ affective commitment by facilitating their organizational socialization, especially training and rewards for their work, providing greater organizational support, and fair and supportive treatment from their supervisors.Originality/value– This is the first study to provide evidence of the difference between affective and continuance commitment in Chinese society, and identifies factors that influence each type of commitment, and may help resolve the employees’ dilemma about their jobs, which is an important concern for Chinese managers.

Investigating tourists’ casino retention: cross-cultural comparison with Chinese and Westerners

Abstract Gaining an understanding of cross-cultural nuances is critical for casino managers who work with international tourists. Market strategies can be wildly divergent based upon the service and quality perceptions that different consumers generate based upon the cultural lens in which they experience the casino’s offering. This study had two main purposes: 1) to develop and test an integrated tourist behavior model which include a range of interrelationships, including tourist push and pull motivations, perceived core and peripheral service quality, and casino retention, of Chinese and Western tourists in Macau; and 2) to investigate the moderating effect of cultural background on the hypothesized relationships in the structural model. The results identified significant interrelationships—among push and pull motivations, and perceived core and peripheral service quality—that played concurrent positive roles in determining retention. In addition, the moderating effects of cultural background on the hy...

Is the gaming industry still recession-proof?

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine how the recent recession affected Iowa's gaming industry by analyzing gaming volumes before and through the recession. Design/methodology/approach – This study used autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) with intervention analysis to examine Iowa statewide aggregated monthly slot coin-in, table drop, and admission from December 2001 through June 2012. Findings – The results of analyses show that: slot coin-in was not affected by the recession; table drop was slightly affected, but started to recover in late 2010; and monthly admission was not affected by the recession, and showed a significant increase after the recession. The results also indicate that the decrease in table drop in Iowa casinos represented only a very small amount of state gaming revenue in 2008. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that Iowa's gaming volume was not significantly affected by the recent recession. In other words, Iowa's gaming industry is still recession-proof. Practical implications – Current economic conditions suggest that the threat of a double-dip recession is quite real. The findings of this study are expected to help casino managers in Iowa understand how non-destination casinos behaved differently through the recession and strategically plan for a possible future economic downturn. In fact, the significant increase of monthly admission during the last recession implies that the Iowa gaming industry has actually benefited from the recession by accommodating more patrons. Therefore, to capitalize on the next recession, Iowa's casino operators should consider reducing the number of table games and increasing the number of slot machines to accommodate more slot players and reduce operating costs. Originality/value – Most existing gaming-related research focuses on gaming destinations such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. No known study on gaming volume in non-destination gaming markets has been identified. By examining Iowa's gaming volume through the recession, this study provides initial empirical evidence of the impact of recession on non-destination gaming markets.

GAMBLING ON GAMBLING: FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF RAISING BET LIMITS AND TABLE DIFFERENTIALS

The house advantage for Baccarat is known, hence the theoretical win can be determined. What is impractical to theoretically determine is the frequency and financial implications of extreme events, for example, prolonged winning streaks coupled with various betting patterns. The simulation herein provides such granularity. We explore the effect of following the ‘hot hand’, that is, rapidly escalating bets when players are on a winning streak. To minimize their exposure, casino management sets a table bet maximum as well as a table differential. These figures can and do serve as a means to differentiate one casino from another. As the allowable bet maximum increases so does the total amount bet, which increases the theoretical winnings, thus suggesting that a high bet limit and differential is beneficial for the house. However, the greater are these amounts, the greater the number of shoes that end with players losing relative to a constant betting scenario (the number of times a player wins at all can drop from ~47% of the time to less than a quarter); but there will, on occasion, be more extreme payouts to players. This simulation is therefore intended to help casino managers set betting limits that maximize total winnings while bearing in mind both the likelihood and magnitude of negative outcomes to the casino.

Estimating the Impact of Las Vegas Poker Rooms on Slot and Table Game Business Volumes

The casino industry’s trade literature is replete with claims that live poker rooms drive other casino business volumes, but the only evidence supporting those claims is anecdotal. Claims of this kind arise because poker’s revenue contributions are often lower than those of other games, despite poker’s current popularity. Still, many operators offer poker rooms because they accept this contribution concept as a basic truth. Using an established theoretical model, this study estimates the effects of poker rooms on slot and table game performance at three different Las Vegas resorts. Although the results were mixed, they raise a serious question about whether the idea of poker as a demand generator is accurate. In only one of the three resorts did the analysis find a significant and positive relationship between poker room business volume and slot and table game play. While these overall results cannot be directly generalized, and casinos may have their own reasons for offering poker rooms, casino managers should reexamine whether their poker rooms represent the highest and best use of casino floor space.

The impact of CSR on casino employees’ organizational trust, job satisfaction, and customer orientation: An empirical examination of responsible gambling strategies

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a critical philosophy and a strategy that affects both internal (i.e., employee) and external (i.e., customer) attitudes. The importance of CSR extends to the casino industry, especially when it pertains to compulsory and supplementary responsible gambling (RG) strategies. To this end, this study surveys casino employees in South Korea to examine the impact of CSR on casino employees’ organizational trust, job satisfaction, and customer orientation. Results indicate that legal CSR and supplementary RG have a positive effect on organizational trust, whereas compulsory RG strategies have a negative effect on organizational trust. Also, it appears that organizational trust positively influences job satisfaction, which in turn has a positive effect on customer orientation. In building off of these findings, this study provides practical implications for casino managers when implementing CSR and RG strategies.

Casino Service Quality, Tiered Customer Segments, and Casino Player Retention

Building and maintaining service quality is one means of retaining casino customers, and thus establishing competitive advantage. Conducted in Asia, the current study investigated the relationship between casino service quality, player segments, and customer retention using tiered segmentation. The research involved the conduct of 40 in-depth interviews with gamblers from different segments. The results provide insights into how the various tiers of casino player perceive the key dimensions of service quality and how such perceptions affect future purchase intentions. A number of significant implications are identified for casino managers.

The Correlations of Work Conditions with Unhealthy Lifestyles and Occupational Health Problems of Casino Croupiers in Macau

The Macau economy and employment of residents rely heavily on the gaming industry. It is important that the working conditions in casinos are not harmful to the health of the casino employees. This study examines the correlations between work conditions, unhealthy lifestyles and occupational health problems amongst casino croupiers in Macau. Its findings will provide casino managers and policy makers with evidence and awareness of the workplace health risks for the casino workers. The data were gathered by a questionnaire survey of 1,042 croupiers, which represents roughly 5 % of the croupier population in Macau. Work conditions were measured by worker satisfaction towards the biological, chemical and physical elements in their work environments. Unhealthy lifestyles were measured by practices of excessive drinking, smoking, electronic game playing and addictive substance use as well as gambling. Occupational health problems were measured by experiences of work related illnesses or symptoms. Results showed that high percentages of respondents were dissatisfied with the work conditions. On average each croupier experienced 10 work related health problems in the past 7 days. Over 5 % of the respondents drank more than three glasses of alcohol a day, 24 % smoked cigarettes, 12 % took addictive substances, 14 % gambled in the past 7 days. The analysis showed that dissatisfaction with work conditions did not correlate with unhealthy lifestyles but were strongly and significantly correlated with stress-related occupational health problems (R = 0.377-0.479, P < 0.001) and other occupational health problems (R = 0.348-0.461, P < 0.001). Casino workers in Macau experience a variety of problems associated with their work conditions that can be hazardous to their health. The working conditions in casinos need to be regularly monitored and improvements such as occupational health training and enhanced health related policies can be introduced.

A Comparative Study of Domestic Casino Managers on Job Stress

A Comparative Study of Domestic Casino Managers on Job Stress

Estimating the Impact of Free-Play Coupon Value on Players’ Slot Gaming Volumes

This study reports the results of a field experiment that assessed the relationship between free-play coupon value and a player’s slot gaming volume. Selected players in the customer database of a Las Vegas hotel casino received either a $50 or a $100 free-play incentive. Results indicated little effect of coupon value on a player’s slot volume. Indeed, the analysis found that complimentary rooms had a greater effect on coin-in, and complimentary food and beverage had the greatest effect of all. These findings imply that offering a relatively high incentive may not necessarily be more effective than providing a comparable lower incentive value in increasing a player’s slot gaming volume. Instead, casino managers should consider the overall profit picture from a given incentive and assess whether particular players are more responsive to complimentary amenities, such as room, food and beverage.

The Role of Responsible Gambling Strategy in Forming Behavioral Intention

By examining the perception of a responsible gambling strategy, this study developed an extended model of goal-directed behavior (EMGB) with respect to the behavioral intentions of casino visitors. The results of the EMGB, which uses structural equation modeling, indicate that desire had the strongest relationship with casino visitors’ intention to gamble, followed by positive anticipated emotion, perceived behavioral control, perceptions of a responsible gambling strategy, negative anticipated emotion, and attitude. The perception of a responsible gambling strategy was also a significant predictor of both desire and behavioral intention, as casino visitors had positive perceptions of casinos that implemented responsible gambling strategies. Casino managers should consider a responsible gambling strategy as an important long-term business activity to increase casino visitor’s intention to gamble.