THE AGENDA
BY ROGER GROS , PUBLISHER
Safe & Secure
When I first met Willy Allison , he seemed to me to be this Australian cowboy singing the praises of security and surveillance in casinos , something few of us in the industry think about or consider a key lynchpin of their operation . But Willy surely had the experience , working for some of the largest and best operators in the business .
So when I attended the World Game Protection Conference that Willy and his wife Jo organized , I was blown away . I ’ ve been producing and attending gaming conferences since 1985 , so I know a little bit about this world . But at the WGPC I learned more in three days than I had in three years of the regular gaming gatherings .
The content was different — but like others in the gaming industry , I hadn ’ t really thought about the difficult job it is for anyone in the security and surveillance departments . As Willy pointed out when I first met him , the S & S departments don ’ t generate revenue , so they are usually the last area to which executives dedicate capital . Like umpires and referees , it ’ s always the best when you never hear from S & S . But when you do , it ’ d better be that they ’ ve solved a problem rather than made it explode because they didn ’ t have enough capital to uncover the problem before it was too late .
That was the inspiration for our annual Security & Surveillance section , which is included in this month ’ s issue . Once again , we include topics that you may not have thought about but are deeply important to the success of your gaming enterprise .
As you might expect , some of the content at a conference dedicated to S & S is way down in the weeds , but sometimes that ’ s where you find the golden nuggets . So it ’ s not only the content that sets the WGPC apart , it ’ s how they present it . Willy and Jo try to change things up every year , and that ’ s why the S & S professionals come back again and again . There really is nothing like it .
And of course , this year there ’ s lots to talk about . Cybersecurity is at the top of the list because of the data breach that reportedly cost
MGM Resorts more than $ 100 million . I ’ m sure they ’ ll talk about Caesars Entertainment paying some sort of ransom so that the cyberhackers would go easy on them .
Table game protection is always an interesting topic . Whether it ’ s advantage players at blackjack or craps or some of the more exotic games , it ’ s educational and entertaining to see how people will try to scam casinos . But as Willy notes in his feature article in our S & S section this month , the internal threat to table games is much greater than the wise guys .
Another aspect of WGPC that I enjoy is when they bring in non-gaming people . Last year , the former mobster Michael Franzese told some harrowing stories about his life in the Mafia . This year , WGPC is presenting Hasard Lee , a former U . S . combat fighter pilot , who will explain how to make split-second decisions whether you ’ re flying at Mach 2 or sitting behind your desk worrying about a problem that needs an immediate solution .
The WGPC , as you might imagine , is a “ must attend ” for S & S professionals . Not only will you be educated and entertained , but you will also network with other executives in your field to make contacts that will last a lifetime .
But why not send your VP of marketing , your director of retail or anyone else in your organization that might benefit from learning how S & S operates and why they are important to their specific departments ? It ’ s an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the industry that they may not have considered . And the information they bring back will surely benefit your entire company .
Many casinos have experienced some of the most horrific events in recent years from active shooters to casino robberies and domestic violence that spills into the workplace . Cyberattacks , as we mentioned , are increasing and getting more costly every year . Your slots and table games are targets for increasingly sophisticated scammers . So how can you not afford to invest in your S & S departments ? And it all starts at the World Game Protection Conference , February 27-29 at the Tropicana Las Vegas .
Vol . 23 • No . 2 • FEBRUARY 2024
Roger Gros , Publisher | rgros @ ggbmagazine . com twitter : @ GlobalGamingBiz
Frank Legato , Editor | flegato @ ggbmagazine . com twitter : @ FranklySpeakn
Jess Marquez , Managing Editor jmarquez @ ggbmagazine . com
John Reger , Associate Editor jreger @ ggbmagazine . com
Monica Cooley , Art Director mcooley @ ggbmagazine . com
Terri Brady , Sales & Marketing Director tbrady @ ggbmagazine . com
Becky Kingman-Gros , Associate Publisher & COO bkingros @ ggbmagazine . com
Lisa Johnson , Communications Advisor lisa @ lisajohnsoncommunications . com twitter : @ LisaJohnsonPR
Columnists Frank Fantini | Bill Miller
Contributing Editors Carly Albright | Willy Allison Dave Bontempo twitter : @ bontempomedia | Alan Campbell Earle G . Hall | Richard Schuetz | Alan W . Zajic _______________
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Rino Armeni , President , Armeni Enterprises
• Mark A . Birtha , Senior Vice President & General Manager , Hard Rock International
• Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs , President , Lifescapes International
• Nicholas Casiello Jr ., Shareholder , Fox Rothschild
• Jeffrey Compton , Publisher , CDC E-Reports twitter : @ CDCNewswire
• Dean Macomber , President , Macomber International , Inc .
• Stephen Martino , Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer , MGM Resorts International , twitter : @ stephenmartino
• Jim Rafferty , President , Rafferty & Associates
• Rob Russell , Senior Gaming Analyst , Regulatory Management Counselors PC
• Michael Soll , President , The Innovation Group
• Katherine Spilde , Executive Director , Sycuan Gaming Institute , San Diego State University , twitter : @ kspilde
• Ernie Stevens , Jr ., Chairman , National Indian Gaming Association twitter : @ NIGA1985
• Roy Student , President , Applied Management Strategies
• David D . Waddell , Partner Regulatory Management Counselors PC
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4 Global Gaming Business FEBRUARY 2024