East Coast Gaming Congress - Day Two Recap

Day Two of The East Coast Gaming Congress was insightful because the panels were tackling issues that had the old guard vs. 21st Century thinking. I shuttled between Gender Equality in the Gaming Industry and Atlantic City.. And North Jersey?  They were in adjacent areas so I was able to cover both.

Virginia McDowell

The Gender Equality Panel consisted of Jan Jones Blackhurst,Vice President of  Government Relations at Caesars Entertainment, James Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International and Jane Bokunewicz,Assistant Professor of Tourism Management from Stockton University.  The moderator was the esteemed Virginia McDowell, President  and Board Chair of Global Gaming Women. This session should have been held by itself.  The turnout was light but the message was powerful. Women are underrepresented in management positions and are paid substantially less than their male counterparts. But the message and the numbers do not resonate unless they are heard by everyone. Most of the attendees were women and minorities. The data supports that companies that are diverse do better than one's that are not. Companies that have women in position of leadership are making more money than those where only men are present.

 

The Atlantic City ...And North Jersey panel had the most fireworks. The groups were divided by the trio that wanted a gaming expansion into North Jersey and one that was opposed. The Atlantic City group wants to maintain the momentum that they have by citing the increases in hotel occupancy and revenue over this time two years ago. They feel that casinos in North Jersey would derail that growth.

The North Jersey supporters of Jeff Gural and Paul Fireman, the two primary investors of the proposed Meadowlands and Jersey City project respectively, think that they are going after a market that Atlantic City does not have presently. No happy medium was reached.

 

The Casino Floor of Tomorrow gave a glimpse at what everyone thought the future gaming floor would look like. The consensus of this panel was that while we can't forget about our present customers, we must allocate a percentage of our space that will engage a younger crowd.

Geoff Freeman

Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, American Gaming Association, requested that the gaming industry do 3 things. The industry should expose the problems, see the opportunities and unify the stakeholders. This includes Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Sports.

Part Two of the Day 2 recap will be on my Facebook and Twitter  mediums.


                    Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates.
                                      
                      You can download my app. Check out thegamingguym.com/
 

G2E Women in Global Gaming: Interview with Wendy Hamilton - General Manager of SugarHouse Casino

Any conversation about the top Women in Global Gaming has to include Wendy Hamilton.
                                                       

 

Ms.Hamilton serves as the General Manager of SugarHouse HSP Gaming, L.P. (Alternate name, SugarHouse Casino). Prior to SugarHouse, Ms. Hamilton served as General Manager of Philadelphia Park Casino (now Parx Casino) in .Bensalem, PA where she was integral in planning the operational elements of the casino's grand opening and subsequent operations. She served with Harrah's Entertainment, starting as a Hotel Guest Service Representative and Assistant General Manager ... at Caesars Atlantic City. Outside of the casino, Hamilton serves on the board of the Police Athletic League and is an executive committee member for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

I was able to connect with Wendy as SugarHouse was celebrating it's fifth year anniversary. It's only fitting that 5 questions be appropriate  Here's Wendy!

1). 5 years of being one of the top places to work in Philadelphia. This is based on a poll by the Philadelphia Business Journal. What do you attribute this success to?

“We’re honored that our Team Members have voted SugarHouse Casino  a ‘Best Places to Work’ award in Philly each year since opening in 2010.  Creating and maintaining a great workplace has always been a top priority for us.  We want our Team Members to know that they are appreciated each and every day, because they truly are.  We celebrate their success often and provide recognition and rewards to acknowledge their many contributions." 

"It all starts with hiring the best people.”

 

                                                    

2). SugarHouse Casino is about to expand.  The first 5 years have featured a pattern of incremental growth.  What are the challenges in an expansion that will increase the amount of employees by 40%?

“The biggest challenge is that our market is increasingly saturated and highly competitive.  Our strategy is to expand our amenities and enhance guests’ experiences without generating excess gaming supply.  That’s why we’re introducing new restaurants like Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House, creating event space catered by the famous Gibsons Restaurant Group, adding a permanent poker room and building a seven-story parking garage.”

3). The association with the local professional sports teams, the Mummers Day Parade and Poker Night in America have provided  dividends to SugarHouse.   Do you see a transition from a regional casino to one with a national profile?

“It’s true that SugarHouse has earned national recognition, but our focus remains on Philadelphia and its surrounding geographic areas.  We are Philly’s casino, and we will continue concentrating on our hometown.”

4). Online Gaming is part of the conversation in Pennsylvania, New York and California.  Would it be on your wish list going forward?

“SugarHouse welcomes the additional opportunities that online gaming represents, and we hope that Pennsylvania will approve online gaming in the near future.”

 

Wendy at the opening of SugarHouse Casino

 

5). What are the 3 most rewarding things that you have experienced in the 1^st five years of your tenure at SugarHouse?

“Job creation, community support and economic impact.  Providing more than one thousand high-quality jobs for people who ‘bring it’ every single day is both an honor and a privilege.  Supporting Fishtown and our surrounding neighborhoods and being able to give back to the community we call home is huge.  And contributing to the economic vitality of Philadelphia and the commonwealth is enormously gratifying for us.”

 

If you liked this interview, you may enjoy reading my post featuring Greg Carlin; CEO of Rush Street Gaming. Rush Street Gaming includes SugarHouse Casino, Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.

 

              You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook
                                      at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym
                      Instagram photos and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym
                            

http://www.thegamingguym.com