Winning Culture
AGS continues its rise in the slot market, building a strong “bench” to foster continued growth
IN THIS ISSUE: AUGUST 2019
WINNING CULTURE AGS continues its rise in the slot market, building a strong “bench” to foster continued growthWHAT’S NEW IN RESTAURANTS? Emerging dining trends that can drive bottom line results for casino resort owner operatorsGAMBLING IN THE MUSLIM WORLD Why the Middle East and North Africa are often gaming-friendlyELDORADO, CAESARS AGREE TO $17.3 BILLION MERGER The long-awaited merger between Caesars and Eldorado is a cash and stock mega-deal
that will create the largest casino operator in the world, but for Eldorado it also carries a ton of debtAPPLE UPSETS THE IGAMING CART Is it a consumer-protection measure or a monopolistic power play? Here’s how the technology giant is big-footing gaming operators.GOOD BUSINESS TREATMENT Tribes step up problem gambling efforts
Features More
What’s New in Restaurants?
Emerging dining trends that can drive bottom line results for casino resort owner operators
Gambling in the Muslim World
Why the Middle East and North Africa are often gaming-friendly
Eldorado, Caesars Agree to $17.3 Billion Merger
The long-awaited merger between Caesars and Eldorado is a cash and stock mega-deal
that will create the largest casino operator in the world, but for Eldorado it also carries a ton of debt
Apple Upsets the iGaming Cart
Is it a consumer-protection measure or a monopolistic power play? Here’s how the technology giant is big-footing gaming operators.
The Agenda
Bless Me, Father…
Gambling and religion? How the world's great Faiths have reconciled with the temptation of test your luck.
PODCASTS
COLUMNS
AGA
A Banner Year for Commercial Gaming
State-of-the-State Report shows record high revenues for U.S. gaming industry
Fantini's Finance
David Buys Goliath
The Eldorado-Caesars deal creates the world’s largest gaming company, but is it just the first shoe to drop?
Frankly Speaking
Pigeons, Raptors and Sportsbooks
Bird battles at a historic hotel? I’ll bet on the raptors. And I’ll lay odds.
Making My Point
Throwing the Counterpunch
Sometimes the truth hurts
FEATURES
Winning Culture
AGS continues its rise in the slot market, building a strong “bench” to foster continued growth
The New Roaring Twenties
The NFL season stretching into 2020 has unleashed soaring expectations among sports-betting operators, vendors, bettors and regulators
Good Business Treatment
Tribes step up problem gambling efforts
Apple Upsets the iGaming Cart
Is it a consumer-protection measure or a monopolistic power play? Here’s how the technology giant is big-footing gaming operators.
Eldorado, Caesars Agree to $17.3 Billion Merger
The long-awaited merger between Caesars and Eldorado is a cash and stock mega-deal
that will create the largest casino operator in the world, but for Eldorado it also carries a ton of debt
Gambling in the Muslim World
Why the Middle East and North Africa are often gaming-friendly
DEPARTMENTS
5 Questions More
Mike Donovan
Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President, Ocean Casino Resort
Casino Communications More
Winnie Wong
Chief Responsible Gaming Officer/ Vice President of Special Gaming Projects, Sands China Ltd.
New Game Review More
FarmVille
Aristocrat Technologies
Fireworks Festival
Incredible Technologies
Fortune Charm
International Game Technology
Thunder Cash
Novomatic Americas
Cutting Edge More
Mobile Ordering, Any Device
PRODUCT: rGuest Buy OnDemand • MANUFACTURER: Agilysys
Smart Shoe
PRODUCT: BEE-TEK Shoe • MANUFACTURER: United States Playing Card Company
Emerging Leaders More
Money Management
Adam Fong, Vice President, Product Management Team, FinTech Division of Everi Holdings, Inc.
Investment Advice
Kyle Bender, Managing Director, Gaming, J.P. Morgan
Teaching Tables
Sydney Hatcher, Director of Table Games, Golden Nugget Casino Hotel Biloxi
July 22-24: Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) 2019 Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Produced by the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. For more information, visit OIGA.com.
July 22-25, 2019: Management of Slot Operations, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/SlotOps19
July 23-25, 2019: Casino Marketing & Technology Conference, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV. Produced by Casino Journal. For more information visit www.casinojournal.com/casino-marketing-conference.
August 12-14: GRWA (Gaming, Racing, Wagering Australia), L’Aqua, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney, Australia. Produced by Beacon Events. For more information, visit GamingDownUnder.com.
August 13-15: Australasian Gaming Expo, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia. Produced by the Gaming Technologies Association. For more information, visit AustGamingExpo.com.
September 4-5: Casino Esports Conference, Luxor Casino, Las Vegas. Produced by ICE. For more information, visit https://www.casinoesportconf.com
September 5-6: Scandinavian Gaming Show, Stockholm, Sweden. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit eventus-international.com.
September 9-10, 2019: Strategic Perspectives in the Gaming Industry, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/StrategicPerspectives2019
September 11-12, 2019: Casino Marketing Strategies, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/CasinoMarketing19
September 17-20. 2019: Betting on Football 2019, Olympia, London. Produced by SBC Events. For inquiries contact marketing@sbcgaming.com. More info visit: sbcevents.com/betting-on-football-2019/
September 17-20, 2019: CasinoBeats Summit 2019, Olympia, London. Produced by SBC Events. For inquiries contact marketing@sbcgaming.com. More info on: https://sbcevents.com/casino-beats-summit-2019/
September 18, 2019: UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series: Retail and Food & Beverage—A Menu of Options, Stan Fulton Building, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Produced by GGB magazine & UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. For more information, visit UNLVGHES.com.
September 18, 2019: SBC Sponsorship Forum, HiltonOlympia, London. Produced by SBC Events. For more info visit: https://sbcevents.com/
September 23-25, 2019: Gaming, Entertainment & Tourism Summit (GETS), Bhairahawa, Nepal. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit EventusInternational.com.
September 23-24, 2019: Artificial Intelligence in Gaming Summit, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit www.eventus-international.com/ai-in-gaming.
October 2-3: ICE Africa, Sandton Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Produced by Clarion Gaming. For more information, visit ICEAfrica.za.com.
October 14-18: Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2019, Sands Expo Center, Las Vegas. Produced by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions. For more information, visit GlobalGamingExpo.com.
October 28-31, 2019: Advanced Management of Slot Operations, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/AdvancedSlots19
October 30, 2019: UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series: Customer Service & HR: The People Factor, Stan Fulton Building, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Produced by GGB magazine & UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. For more information, visit UNLVGHES.com.
December 9-12, 2019: Certificate in Gaming Leadership, Oklahoma State University, 294 Business Building, Stillwater, OK. Produced by OSU Center for Executive & Professional Development, Hard Rock Casino Tulsa, and Gaming Management, University of Nevada, Reno. For more information, visit https://business.okstate.edu/cepd.
January 14-15, 2020: FSGA Winter Conference. Linq Hotel, Las Vegas. Produced by the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association. For more information, visit www.thefsga.org.
July 22-25, 2019: Management of Slot Operations, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/SlotOps19
July 23-25, 2019: Casino Marketing & Technology Conference, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV. Produced by Casino Journal. For more information visit www.casinojournal.com/casino-marketing-conference.
August 12-14: GRWA (Gaming, Racing, Wagering Australia), L’Aqua, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney, Australia. Produced by Beacon Events. For more information, visit GamingDownUnder.com.
August 13-15: Australasian Gaming Expo, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia. Produced by the Gaming Technologies Association. For more information, visit AustGamingExpo.com.
September 4-5: Casino Esports Conference, Luxor Casino, Las Vegas. Produced by ICE. For more information, visit https://www.casinoesportconf.com
September 5-6: Scandinavian Gaming Show, Stockholm, Sweden. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit eventus-international.com.
September 9-10, 2019: Strategic Perspectives in the Gaming Industry, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/StrategicPerspectives2019
September 11-12, 2019: Casino Marketing Strategies, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/CasinoMarketing19
September 17-20. 2019: Betting on Football 2019, Olympia, London. Produced by SBC Events. For inquiries contact marketing@sbcgaming.com. More info visit: sbcevents.com/betting-on-football-2019/
September 17-20, 2019: CasinoBeats Summit 2019, Olympia, London. Produced by SBC Events. For inquiries contact marketing@sbcgaming.com. More info on: https://sbcevents.com/casino-beats-summit-2019/
September 18, 2019: UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series: Retail and Food & Beverage—A Menu of Options, Stan Fulton Building, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Produced by GGB magazine & UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. For more information, visit UNLVGHES.com.
September 18, 2019: SBC Sponsorship Forum, HiltonOlympia, London. Produced by SBC Events. For more info visit: https://sbcevents.com/
September 23-25, 2019: Gaming, Entertainment & Tourism Summit (GETS), Bhairahawa, Nepal. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit EventusInternational.com.
September 23-24, 2019: Artificial Intelligence in Gaming Summit, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit www.eventus-international.com/ai-in-gaming.
October 2-3: ICE Africa, Sandton Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Produced by Clarion Gaming. For more information, visit ICEAfrica.za.com.
October 14-18: Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2019, Sands Expo Center, Las Vegas. Produced by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions. For more information, visit GlobalGamingExpo.com.
October 28-31, 2019: Advanced Management of Slot Operations, University of Nevada Reno’s Gaming Management Program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/AdvancedSlots19
October 30, 2019: UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series: Customer Service & HR: The People Factor, Stan Fulton Building, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Produced by GGB magazine & UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. For more information, visit UNLVGHES.com.
December 9-12, 2019: Certificate in Gaming Leadership, Oklahoma State University, 294 Business Building, Stillwater, OK. Produced by OSU Center for Executive & Professional Development, Hard Rock Casino Tulsa, and Gaming Management, University of Nevada, Reno. For more information, visit https://business.okstate.edu/cepd.
January 14-15, 2020: FSGA Winter Conference. Linq Hotel, Las Vegas. Produced by the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association. For more information, visit www.thefsga.org.
