EDITOR ’ S LETTER
A GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS PUBLICATION 2024
Roger Gros , Publisher | rgros @ ggbmagazine . com X : @ GlobalGamingBiz
By Popular Demand
Marjorie Preston , Editor
In the 21st century , the pace of change has quickened almost beyond recognition , or our ability to keep up . So , where and how does change really originate ?
In his 2015 book The Evolution of Everything : How New Ideas Emerge , author Matt Ridley refuted the belief that change comes from the top down , as dictated by Big Government , Big Business , Big Tech , Big Brother , and various other “ bigs .”
According to Ridley , revolutionary change actually comes from the bottom up , as everyday people demonstrate with their time , money and attention what they ’ re willing to invest in . His thesis : the view from the top is really informed by the wants and needs of the masses at the bottom — meaning you and me and millions of other consumers of goods and services .
It ’ s a recurring theme in this edition of Casino Style , starting with the cover story , on page 16 . Roger Gros writes about two new resorts that opened in Las Vegas last year — the long-awaited Fontainebleau on the Strip , and Station Casinos ’ Durango in the valley — as well as two other properties that have undergone major remodels , the Rio and the Sahara . All these changes were motivated by consumer demand and the determination of operators to serve the customer niche , as they define it .
On page 22 , Frank Legato explains how slot floors — still the bread and butter of casino revenue — first changed in response to Covid- 19 safety protocols , and ended up creating a new and better player experience .
On page 26 , we look at a growing trend away from vast nightclubs and million-dollar DJs to more intimate , personal and social spaces — a phenomenon driven by people ’ s desire for entertainment that is democratic , affordable and inclusive .
Turn to page 30 for a look at casino F & B as embodied by food halls . Jess Marquez asks industry experts how these marketplaces improved on both casino buffets and food courts , and revitalized the fast-casual dining scene for patrons on the move .
For an example of the inevitability of change , see page 34 for our bittersweet farewell to the Mirage . When it opened in November 1989 , Steve Wynn ’ s Mirage was the most expensive resort in the world , at $ 630 million . News accounts called it a “ Fantasy Island ” come to life , a “ South Seas dream ” with 3,000 hotel rooms , cascading waterfalls , a tiger habitat , and the property ’ s signature feature : a volcano that spewed lava every quarter-hour . The Mirage kicked off the mega-resort era and set a new standard for Strip entertainment and hospitality . But all things must pass , and the Mirage will soon close , to be rebranded as a Hard Rock property .
This issue of Casino Style is all about change , and the bottom-up demand that informs it . It also asks : What ’ s your change management strategy ?
Marjorie Preston , Editor mpreston @ ggbmagazine . com
Jess Marquez , Managing Editor jmarquez @ ggbmagazine . com
Monica Cooley , Art Director mcooley @ ggbmagazine . com
Terri Brady , Sales & Marketing Director tbrady @ ggbmagazine . com
Beck Kingman-Gros , Associate Publisher & COO bkingros @ ggbmagazine . com
Lisa Johnson , Communications Advisor lisa @ lisajohnsoncommunications . com X : @ LisaJohnsonPR
Columnist Carl Long
Contributing Editors Frank Legato | Patrick Roberts | Cole Rush _____________
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Rino Armeni , President , Armeni Enterprises
• Dike Bacon , Principal / Partner , HBG Design
• Lauren Bates , President , Global Gaming Women
• Mark A . Birtha , Senior Vice President & General Manager , Hard Rock International
• Brendan Bussmann , Principal , BGlobal Advisors
• Alex Dixon , CEO , DRA / Q Casino
• Daron Dorsey , Executive Director , Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers
• Sally Gainsbury , Director at Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic & Professor of Psychology , University of Sydney
• Stephen Martino , Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer , MGM Resorts International
• Bill Miller , President and CEO , American Gaming Association
• Walt Power , CEO , Grand Ho Tram
• Rob Russell , Senior Gaming Analyst , Regulatory Management Counselors PC
• James Siva , Chairman , California Nations Indian Gaming Association / Vice Chairman , Morongo Band of Mission Indians
• Michael Soll , President , The Innovation Group
• Kresimir Spajic , Chief Executive Officer , Betfred Sportsbook
• Katherine Spilde , Executive Director , Sycuan Gaming Institute , San Diego State University —————— GGB Magazine 1000 Nevada Way • Suite 204 • Boulder City , NV 89005 702-248-1565 • 702-248-1567 ( fax ) www . ggbmagazine . com
The views and opinions expressed by the writers and columnists of GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor .
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4 CASINO STYLE 2024