Gaming in 2025

My G2E question for 2015 is "What will Gaming look like in 2025?"  In the words of the late Yogi Berra, "The future ain't what it use to be." I asked several top gaming executives and decided to weigh in myself. My vision is at the end of the post. Share your comments if you choose as you share this post with your friends.

                                                                  Ladies first.

“Gaming in 2025 will likely be an enhanced, high-tech hybrid of what we see today.  The bricks-and-mortar casinos will continue evolving to stay on trend with design and architecture, while the games themselves will seamlessly blend on-property experience with on-demand, online options.   The hybrid model will require even more strategic marketing and operational creativity — yet another reason gaming is such a fast-paced and dynamic industry.  That’s why we love it.” 

                                        Wendy Hamilton - General Manager of SugarHouse Casino



 

“Ten years from now, regional casinos will be part of the entertainment infrastructure of every major metropolitan area. There will likely be robust online complements to nearly every casino brand and even more sophisticated technology driving the overall business forward.  That will create steady opportunities to reach new people and continue growing the industry.”

“We can be certain that gaming in 2025 will include online slots and table games as standard fare for all casinos. We also anticipate that sports betting will become a more common and integrated part of the overall gaming picture. Those changes will introduce a younger demographic to the industry overall, whose increasing importance will reshape all operations.”

 

 

Greg Carlin - CEO of Rush Street Gaming

“Ten years from now, regional casinos will be part of the entertainment infrastructure of every major metropolitan area. There will likely be robust online complements to nearly every casino brand and even more sophisticated technology driving the overall business forward.  That will create steady opportunities to reach new people and continue growing the industry.”

                          Craig Clark - General Manager of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

 

"That’s an exciting opportunity! Ten years from now I think you’ll continue to see casinos and integrated casino resorts providing great entertainment to players. Casinos are not going away, and they are going to offer more entertainment than ever. The games and experiences will continue to evolve, bringing in interactivity, skill, social and new gesture technology. We have an advanced development team working on a lot of exciting concepts right now. I think you’ll see regulators working in closer partnership with operators and suppliers to bring new technology to market more quickly."

 "If I had a crystal ball, I would say that you’ll see online gaming integrated more closely with bricks-and-mortar casinos; mobile payments will be commonplace; multi-platform content and interstate casino progressives will be prevalent; and the effects of player and technology convergence will be quite evident. The year 2025 will be here before you know, and we have innovation teams across the globe already working on inventions for the next decade and beyond."

                       "And Greg Carlin is hailed as the new Steve Wynn!!!"

 

                                                  Gavin Issacs - CEO of Scientific Games

 

I think Gaming in 2025 is going to be a lot different then what I see now. The patrons will be much younger.They will come in groups and have night for socialization that will include dining, shows and gambling. In that order. Our floor will be reconfigured with more stadium style play.

Mobile device will be the method of choice for all players under 30. Our player then is between 15 and 20 now. They will be a section where you can play on your phone. In this area, players can also play games against each other.The casino floor will consist of the sophisticated and affluent player in secluded areas. That should constitute about 30% of our business. The rest will be the young millennial that wants nightlife in a safe environment. More emphasis on security and responsible gaming.

Gaming will have more transactions that are cashless. The amount of  Table games will increase along with skill base games.Games will have more interactive components than ever. They will be sports and fantasy betting kiosks. Television will have in game wagering for all players that have rooms reserved with a credit card. And when the players come in for nightlife, they'll dress like they are vying for the cover of GQ and Vogue on New Years Eve.        

                                                        Here's a glimpse!



Robert Mims aka The Gaming Guy

 

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G2E Interview with Greg Carlin - CEO of Rush Street Gaming

Chicago native Greg Carlin graduated from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1988. While attending Penn, he occasionally visited nearby Atlantic City, where he developed a lifelong interest in the casino industry.
As an investment banker, first at Lazard Freres and then at Bankers Trust Company, Mr. Carlin spent the early 1990s laying the foundation for a successful finance career. In 1995, he joined LAMB Partners, a diversified private investment firm led by Neil Bluhm.
In 1996, LAMB Partners teamed up with Hyatt Gaming, Inc. and formed Falls Management Company (FMC) to pursue an RFP to develop and operate a new integrated resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. FMC was selected to develop and manage The Fallsview Casino Resort, which opened in 2004 and is currently the highest grossing casino in Canada. Mr. Carlin serves on both the board of directors and executive committee of FMC.
Soon thereafter, Mr. Carlin cofounded Rush Street Gaming, LLC, where he currently serves as CEO. Rush Street Gaming owns and operates two Rivers Casino properties in Des Plaines, Ill., and in Pittsburgh; plus SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. A fourth Rush Street property, Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg, Miss., was sold to Churchill Downs in December 2012.

I was able to catch Greg for a series of questions prior to his G2E2015 appearance on the C-Suite Perspectives; CEO roundtable panel.

 

1). What are the challenges for the gaming industry?

 

“The proliferation of regional casinos has made over-saturation in certain markets one of the industry’s biggest challenges. However, there are still jurisdictions that are underserved.  Therefore, as an industry, operators will need to be more thoughtful about their capital allocation decisions relating to increases in supply.”

 

2). Generation Y or Millennials are not fascinated by our current offering as their parents were.

How can the gaming industry generate interest from this group?

 

“Attracting the next-generation gaming customer will hinge on technology, access and product.  They’re used to online, on-demand and entirely mobile solutions for most things, including, and especially, entertainment.  That means that the gaming industry needs to move our products online, on-demand and to mobile, as well as provide a more personalized experience at the casino.  There are also some interesting new casino gaming environments that are targeting millennials including Le Zone at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Quebec and Lavo Casino at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.”

 

3). Rush Street Gaming has evolved in 7 years from a new player in the gaming industry to a leader in several major markets. What was the vision that led to this?

 

“Our vision then and now was to create destination-style casinos for regional markets with a strong emphasis on contemporary architectural design and elevated customer experiences. Rush Street Gaming also prides itself on being a great place to work, a proud community partner and a strong economic engine.”

 

4). Rush Street Gaming has recently announced that they will open a new property in Schenectady, New York. What sold you on this area?

 

“When we first considered Schenectady, we immediately saw the potential for success in this underserved gaming market.  We also like the location at Mohawk Harbor, since we’ve had great success in other markets developing waterfront venues.  But, truly, it was the people of Schenectady that sold us. They’re extremely welcoming, very hard-working and so dedicated to this project.  We just felt an immediate kinship and connection with the community.”

 

5). What are your thoughts about I Gaming?

 

“It’s the future of our industry.  And it’s here.”

 

6). Three beautiful properties in Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Share one

highlight or feature about each of them?

 

 

“It’s difficult to choose only one for each. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines is the first casino in the world to earn LEED Gold Certification, and we are very proud of that.  I personally love the riverfront amphitheater at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, and the event center we’ve designed for SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia will be among the most sought-after venues in Philly when it’s completed later this year.”  

Greg is participating in the AGA roundtable at the G2E with Gavin Issacs and Mark Frissora on Wednesday, September 30, between 9:00 and 10:00 PDT.
 

        You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook
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