8/4/2019 Table Games Department Article Winter 2010

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CAPITALMarc \'Ueiswasser

What's In aTitle?TABLE GAMES

& SALARY I NDEXAt one point in time inthe casino industry tablegames generated morcrevenue than slotmachines. As rhe slottechnology got more creative, and with more varicry, they slowly cook overtable games and never

looked back as rhe overall leader in revenuegeneration. Pop Quiz: \Vhat year did thisoccur? Answer: According to FrankStreshlc)'. Senior Analyst with the NevadaGaming Control Board, it happened 1983.That is when slor revenue hi t 51 % and beattable games revenue for che first time.

Here are some intcrcsring statistics fromthe Nevada State Gaming Control Board,July 2009: In Nevad:l there were 165 casinoschat had a total of 5,594 table games, exclusive of Poker. Th e average daily win of eachtable game was $1,623. During this sameperiod there were 321 casinos (nearly doublethat of table games) that had a tocal of169,454 slot machines. The aver-age dailywin of each slot machine was $110. Eachtable game made 14.8 times as much per dayas cach slot machine, but there were 30.3 slotmachines to every 1 table game . Just somefacts to kick around.

So just what does the person overseeing allof these table games, and their revenue, do ona daily basis? To get some insight into thetable games deparcment I went to CJGraham, Vice President of CasinoOperations, Thunder Valley Resorc inLincoln, California. CJ has also worked forthe MGM Grand, Harrah's and \'(Iynn LasVegas, and prior to his current position hewas the Vice Presidem of table Games at thePalm's Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

GAMING e LEISURE

G&L: Tell us about rhe Thunder ValleyResort and the amenities.CG: Thunder Valley Resort is owned andoperated by the United Auburn IndianCommunity. \'(Ie o(fer an exciting gaming,entertainment and dining experience in acomfortable and beautiful setting . ThunderValley has over 85,000 square feet of gamingfloor complete with all of }'our (avorite tablegames. The large casino layour allows ourguests the opportunity to move freely aboutthe gaming floor's 98 table games and 2AOOslot machines. \'(Ie have (our amazing restaurants including award-winning AustinsSteak house, Koi Palace, Thunder Cafe andThe Feasr Around The World Buffer. Wealso have a food court featuring five otherdining options.

WINTER 2010

Construction is currently underway on ourexpansion that will feature a 400-room hotel,a 10,000 square foor spa, a 3,800 parkingspace garage and additional slots and tablegames. The expansion is expected to be compleccd in summer 2010 and we hope to be a4 Diamond Resort.G&L: Tell us abollt your direct reports andtheir titles, and how many total employeesyou have under YOll.CG: I have about 600 Team Members in mydivision including the Director of tableGames, Casino Shift Managers, Pi tManagers, Supervisors and Dealers. Ou rTeam Members' commitment to showing ourguests the highest level of customer servicemake us a successful operation to both work(or, and to visit.G&L: Describe a typical day in yollC workschedule.CG: Every day is a moving targec and comeswith exciting operational challenges. I spenda great deal of rime out on our gaming floorwith our Team Members. I also reviewreports and make complicated budget decisions. The job is demanding, and I enjoy itthat way! It is extremely r ewarding to he able[0 see the hard work I and others put in toachieve positive results for Thunder Valley.G&L: \'(Ihat arc some o( yollC top priorities as{he Vice President?CG: \'{Iith the current economic climate as itis I need to consistently review our operatingstandards co make sure we are running atoptimum efficiency, hath fiscally and opcm-

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8/4/2019 Table Games Department Article Winter 2010

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donalty. I constantl}' strive co ensureThunder Valley is the premier gaming andcmcccainmenr destination in NorthernCalifornia.G&L: \Vhar arc some of the biggest chal-lenges you sec in your department?CG: I think navigating rhe cucrem economicwaters is a challenge for any business. \Vlcconstandy review our operation co ensure ourguests nre receiving the experience theydeserve while making certain our businesspractices are fiscally sound. Also, encourag-ing our Team Members, who are really thenext generation of gaming executives, toexcel in leadership and creativity. There arcso many regulations and requirements withina casino operation that it is sometimes easyto confine yourself to doing on ly whacis expected. I t is great to have Team }..{cmberswho will go beyond wh(\( is required,and that has helped make Thunder Valleyso successful.G&L: Has the slowdown in the economynoticeably affected your dcparcmem?CG: The economic landscape affects all busi-nesses to some degree, and we are no different.

However, we do have a g rea t reputation withthe guests and our community. They know weofTer them a first class experience and they arevery loyal in returning to our Resort.G&L: \X'hat do you see in the fucuce for TableGames?CG: Table games will always be profitable inthe casino industry. Table game players liketo interact with each other and this is wherethe social networking takes place. Ou r part-ners in the slot divisions have some g reatproducts that attract a different group thatenjoy the challenges that a slot machine

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offe rs. However, table games will always be"live" gaming and the future is bright withRFID chips and the [racking componentsthat come with it. \'qith innovative progres-sive jackpots and the Cllstomer service thatcomes with table games, they will alwayshave a strong presence on the casino floors inthe future.Marc lfleh-wasser is Managing Member ofC a s i I l O R e c l ' l l i l e l ' , ( o m ~ an E:I.'e&lIti,'eRecI'lIiting fil'1II for the gaming & hospitality indmlry. He (flll be reached at 702-798-0 1 8 0 ~ l J I a r c @ C a s i l l o R e c l ' l I i t e J ~ ( o m or1l'WW,CftsiuoReel'1I i ter.(om.

"I read G&L because it is one of the few publications that I find to be a beneficial use of mytime. G&L has proven to be a publication that can provide me with useful information and ideasthat I can and have used in my otganization. It covers systems and technology issues that arecurrent, and the content encompasses all facets of a gaming and hospitality environment. G&Lis an effective tool, a great source of information and an effective lise of my time. I recommendit to anyone working in the gaming or leisure environment."

Michael Day, CIO, Cannery Casino ResortsSUBSCRIBE FREE AND YO U COULD WIN $10001 SE E WEBSITE FOR DETA ILS .