Careers in the gaming industry: when success is not a gamble!

Well, it seems there's no biz as the gaming biz! Thanks to the spread of casinos all around US and the rising popularity of poker, more and more students are asking for casino-related courses, while current casino professionals take seminars to integrate experience and accademical formation.

Here you find some very interesting articles on this topic.

*** FIRST ARTICLE ***
Tulane University makes three top appointments, welcoming Alan L. Silver






Abstract from Mississippi Gaming News
BILOXI — University College at Tulane University, the Biloxi campus of one of the nation’s top universities, announced three key appointments. Alan L. Silver has been named the director of Tulane’s casino resort management program, the first such program in Mississippi. John Olson, a computer science faculty member and key administrator at Tulane’s Edgewater Mall facility, has been named assistant dean of University College and director of the Mississippi Coast campus. Tom Brosig, a longtime leader in the gaming industry, has been named a Faculty Fellow of University College at Tulane.

Silver, a marketer and educator with extensive experience in the casino and resort management industries, was introduced at a news conference in Biloxi by Richard Marksbury, dean of University College at Tulane University.

"I’m excited that our new program —and the Mississippi Coast campus in general — will benefit from Alan’s experience and enthusiasm," said Marksbury. "He brings a wealth of new ideas and approaches — and his vast professional network — to the Casino Resort Management program as we take the lead in providing leadership training for the number one industry in the region."

"Education is vital to succeeding and advancing in the casino industry," said Silver during his introductory news conference. "We want our best talent to be able to stay in-state and move into leadership positions, rather than importing talent from other states."

Silver noted he hopes to have online versions corresponding to classroom casino/resort management courses available within a year. "The casino business is 24/7/365," he said. "It’s difficult to break loose at set times to be in a specific place. When we’re online, we can extend our management education to people in the industry in all parts of the state and region."

He also hopes to focus on attracting international students, offering internships with leading casino/resort management companies, and building a gaming library with the most up-to-date information on the industry.

After 14 years of marketing and advertising experience in other fields, Silver first entered the gaming industry in 1995 with his appointment as director of marketing for Sigma Game in Las Vegas. He also held the position of director of marketing for Aristocrat in Reno and Casino Data Systems in Las Vegas, and as director of corporate marketing and strategic development for Leisure Time Casinos and Resorts.

Silver served as vice president of marketing for three tribal casinos and hotels before starting a consulting business that works with many casino operations. As the president of A.L. Silver & Associates Advertising and Marketing, a successful casino consulting and marketing communications firm, he has extensive experience in strategic consulting and market research in international gaming arenas, including Russia.

Silver currently teaches casino marketing and hospitality marketing as an adjunct professor in the Department of Hotel Management and the Department of Tourism & Convention Administration at the top-rated William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He has also taught at the Community College of Southern Nevada and Antelope Valley College, where his courses have included Introduction to Marketing and Introduction to .S. History.

Silver has a master’s of business administration degree with a major in marketing management from the University of Southern California, and a master’s degree in history from California State University in Sacramento and has taught U.S. history at the college level. He is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA), Casino Management Association (CMA), and Phi Alpha Theta honor society.

Olsen, the new assistant dean as of Aug. 2, succeeds Lou Campomenosi, who will become a member of the faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi while he continues to teach political science as an adjunct faculty member at University College.

"We are fortunate to have had John with us in Mississippi from the very beginning," said Marksbury. "It was a little over two years ago that we conducted a search for a full-time faculty member to teach computer classes at our yet-to-be-built campus in Mississippi. John emerged as the best of the applicants.

*** SECOND ARTICLE ***
University College looks to hit jackpot
By Emily Hohenwarter
September 24, 2004
Verbatim from http://www.thehullabaloo.com

University College is offering courses in casino resort management this semester as it looks to fill the void of qualified managers in the region's burgeoning casino industry. This program is the first of its kind offered on the Gulf Coast and one of the few such programs in the country.

Courses are currently offered at University College's satellite campus in Biloxi, Miss. at Edgewater Mall, where students can earn an associate's degree, a minor or a post-baccalaureate certificate in the field. Next semester some basic courses will be offered at the Uptown campus as well.

Heading up the program for University College is Alan Silver, a veteran of the casino industry. Silver has taught and supervised casino management in the past and was selected for the job from a large applicant pool.

"I'm excited that our new program and the Mississippi Coast campus in general will benefit from Alan's experience and enthusiasm," Richard Marksbury, dean of University College, said.

Silver said he was "tickled pink" to be in charge of the department and looks forward to a productive term.

The prominence of the casino industry in New Orleans, Biloxi and Mississippi as a whole - where it's the number one service industry - made the creation of such a curriculum necessary. For those that complete it, opportunities for jobs and promotions are almost guaranteed.

Marksbury lauded the new casino resort management program as "providing leadership and training for the number one industry in the region" and said that Tulane University would "take the lead" in educating those interested in the field. Silver said that such a program would "give people the tools needed to succeed, and to move up in the ranks."

Silver also noted that a school offering degrees in the casino industry, like Tulane's University College, will serve the needs of the community as a whole by providing residents with the skills needed to get better jobs.

"This program is for everyone. Those that are already in the business can use University College classes to help advance in the field, and those searching for a career can get a degree from an excellent school and be competitive for the best and most needed casino jobs, the middle to upper level management positions," Silver said.

An associate's degree in casino resort management can be obtained in two years, with eight courses taken focusing intently on the field. A minor requires a simultaneous major and six courses, and a post-baccalaureate certificate calls for one year or eight courses. Courses run the gamut from "Casino Resort Marketing" to "Gaming and Society" to "Cash Management and Cage Operations."

Harrah's casino recently endowed Tulane's University College with $250,000 for use towards scholarships for minority students interested in pursuing degrees in casino management. Individual scholarships are in amounts of $1,500 and allotted for use in the casino resort management program only. Currently, applications are being accepted for the spring semester and can be downloaded on the University College Web site: www.uc.tulane.edu.


*** THIRD ARTICLE ***
Higher ed caters to casino careers
Verbatim from http://www.statenews.com, by Jaclyn Roeschke

Students hoping to make a living while listening to the cha-ching of slot machines and the sounds of cards being shuffled now have a variety of educational options that would train them for a job in the casino industry.
Because of an increased interest in gaming and casinos, officials at about seven universities nationwide say they are adding a host of casino classes and degrees to their course options in order to prepare students for a career near the craps table.

Although MSU has only two of these classes and do not plan to add anymore, university officials say their gaming-bound grads are as prepared as any other.

"A lot of courses at MSU are related to casinos," said Sherri Henry, coordinator of Academic Students Services in the School of Hospitality Business. "Casinos themselves are multi-faceted and are not just about gambling. Our management-based courses will prepare students for lodging, resort-management and many other aspects of casinos."

The MSU classes - Introduction to the Casino Industry and Casino Operations and Management - are more focused on mathematics, hospitality techniques and management strategies, she said.

About 300 students are enrolled in the classes, which are offered sporadically during certain semesters.

Other universities offer courses about gambling laws, facial recognition for casino security and operating on sovereign American Indian ground, but Henry said MSU prepares students more for managing casinos than being involved in gambling.

"There isn't any one degree here that would get a student into the casino industry," Henry said. "What we try to do is give students a well-rounded experience and different tools to market themselves. We offer a different type of opportunity and we are proud of that."

Nationwide, 18- to 24-year-olds are becoming more interested and involved in casinos and gambling, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Because of the popularity of television broadcasts like the "World Series of Poker," gambling is becoming glamorized and more students want their share of the pot, he said.

In many states, the rise of casino popularity has helped to lift a struggling economy.

Nationwide, 443 commercial casinos brought in about $27 billion in gross revenue and employed more than 350,000 workers in 2003.

In order to build up the economy, states need people to work in the casino industry, said Alan Silver, director of the Casino Resort Management program at Tulane University.

"A lot of governments are realizing they don't need to tax citizens to get money - just look toward casinos," Silver said. "You look at Mississippi, and it was an area that was depressed before the advent of 12 casinos on the Gulf Coast. Gaming has brought a lot of jobs and opportunity to the area."

About 450 students are enrolled in Tulane's casino courses, which include classes on casino psychology, casino impact on society, and casino marketing and security.

"In order to get into higher-level positions, experience alone is not going to do it," Silver said.

And San Diego State University officials have added a professional certificate in casino gaming.

Adding the classes was a must, said Khadija Basir, coordinator for the college of extended studies certificate program at San Diego State University.

"People are really interested in casinos because we are right on top of them," said Basir, adding that casinos employ about 25,000 in the city.

In Michigan, the three commercial Detroit casinos employed 8,087 people in 2003, while paying $250.2 million in taxes.

Revenues at all Michigan casinos continue to increase, said Eric Bush, spokesman for the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

The 17 tribal casinos in the Great Lakes state made about $871 million in 2003, and the Detroit-based casinos pulled in about $1.13 billion.

"There is a market here for gaming," Bush said. "We are a state that a lot people visit for vacations and tourism. The Detroit casinos draw people from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Canada."

But in order to get a job in those state casinos, some Michigan casino officials said experience could help more than classes.

"If a student is serious about a career in this industry, you want to do anything you can to make yourself well-rounded," said Joseph Sowmick, spokesman for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort. "While that could include declaring a minor in the discipline, I can't stress enough the importance of internships."

While Henry says there is no discussion at MSU about expanding the university's casino classes into a minor or degree program, some students say the popularity of the poker tables and casino life would make courses on the subject appealing.

"I'd definitely take some of the classes if more were offered," chemical engineering sophomore Curt Saxton said. "It's exciting playing or being involved in the games, and I think especially psychological classes about gaming would be something neat that a lot of students would take."

Health Benefits of Online Casinos

A recent study done at Yale University in the US indicates that people 65 and older that participate in online casino gambling for recreational purposes actually appear to be healthier than people their same age who don't. This may just be one more point of advantage for the online casinos.

A fascinating study has been done by the Yale University on the subject of gambling and its effects on those who participate. In reference to both land based and online casino gambling, the study has found, through a number of recent interviews, that older people who gamble for recreational purposes, appear to be healthier than those who do not gamble at all. The study was done among people aged 65 or over. The survey concludes in the end that the people in this age category who gamble simply appear to be in better health than those who do not.

Rani Desai, an epidemiologist at Yale, has affirmed that more studies will need to be done on the topic, but that initial results of the test are showing that gambling as a hobby can have a positive effect on the older segments of the population. The final conclusion is that the benefits may exist in the social aspects associated with gambling. Occasional visits to online casinos and land based casinos in order to play a few hands of poker games or a visit to the local bingo hall are all positive activities for older people.

Desai explained, 'There's this whole concept of healthy aging -- that folks who continue to remain engaged in activity, especially in the community and in social activities, stay healthier longer, so I think this is a reflection of that."

The results of this study have been somewhat surprising to the researchers, who initially believed that they would find the exact opposite findings from such a study and that the actual results were unexpected. The aspect of gambling which occupies the mind, keeping it active, can also be an important factor to the end results, an aspect of gambling which could prove very important to older people. Therefore, the conclusion is that partaking in occasional, recreational gambling, be it social based or even at an online casino, would also have a beneficial affect for the 65 plus age group. Yale's university intends to research this study further to see what other interesting facts may stem from this conclusion.

New Jersey Online Wager Approved

NEW JERSEY – As reported by the Thoroughbred Times: "Online wagering in New Jersey is likely to begin next month following the state racing commission's approval of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority's account wagering application at its agenda meeting on Thursday at Monmouth Park.

"The final obstacle to the beginning of off-track betting in New Jersey comes from state Attorney General Peter Harvey, who reserves the right to override the commission's approval. Harvey can either approve or disapprove or take no action within that time frame, according to Michael Vukcevich, deputy director of the commission.

"…The computer wagering system is expected to be functional by mid-October. Telephone account wagering is seen to be up and running in November. New Jersey bettors will initially be able to watch races via streaming video on an Internet site…"

Scotland = Slotland?

Packer to chip in £300m for casino roll-out

RUPERT STEINER


MEDIA tycoon Kerry Packer, Australia’s richest man, is planning to open a series of casinos in Scotland as part of a £300m assault on the British gaming market.

Packer is in talks over a site in Aberdeen and is also assessing locations in Glasgow and Edinburgh. He is planning five casinos under the brand name Aspers with joint venture partner Damian Aspinall, aimed at cashing in on changes to Britain’s antiquated gaming laws, which are about to be relaxed.

The two entrepreneurs have also had discussions about listing Aspers on the stock market, although no decision has yet been taken.

In Aberdeen, Aspers has secured an option agreement through its agent Donaldson on an 85,000sq ft site in the InnsLink Leisure Park.

Last week the casino operator announced plans to build a £50m leisure complex at Brierley Hill in the West Midlands. It already has plans for two small casino complexes in Newcastle upon Tyne and Swansea, costing about £12m each.

News of the additional £300m investment will put Packer and Aspinall in the big league. They are jostling with some of the world’s largest casino players to grab a major piece of the action in what is one of the few remaining markets left to be deregulated.

But while experts predict Britain is on the cusp of creating its own Las Vegas-style gaming Meccas, the new Gaming Bill has yet to be published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

On Wednesday Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, said: "We urgently need a Gambling Bill because new gambling technology is making a mockery of our outdated laws. I’m confident we will be able to introduce a bill to Parliament soon."

But operators such as Packer, who already owns Melbourne’s Crown and Perth’s Burswood casinos in Australia, cannot afford to allow competitors to take a lead in the emerging market. Many, along with him, are already committing funds and breaking ground.

Packer is renowned for his love of casinos, and has spent most of his life putting his cash on the house rather than in it. In 1999 he reportedly lost £11m on a single visit to Crockfords - an upmarket London casino.

He owns Australia’s Nine Television network and has had a long association with Aspinall and his late father John, who started Aspinall’s Casino in London’s Mayfair in 1962.

Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH), Packer’s private family investment vehicle, has a stake in Aspinall’s as well as Aspers.

Aspinall, 44, is a colourful figure on the London scene. He was close to the billionaire, Sir James Goldsmith, and keeps a framed photograph of Goldsmith’s daughter, Jemima Khan, in his office.

He has been linked to various supermodels, including Naomi Campbell, and television presenter Donna Air.

Aspinall is a keen conservationist and owns two zoos established by his father. He has some experience of mass-market casinos, having owned one in Australia and another in New Zealand - both of which he has now sold.

Andrew MacDonald, director of gaming at CPH, says he is keen to do business in Scotland and anywhere the authorities welcome a high quality urban casino development.

"We are looking at a number of opportunities at the moment which are at different stages," he said. "There are discussions in Glasgow and Edinburgh. While we are involved with about 12 potential projects we expect to pursue five. We have an option in Aberdeen which will remain good for the next few months."

Packer and Aspinall are joining the casino elite, who are piling into the British market. Kerzner International has been negotiating to open a complex at the Millennium Dome.

MGM Mirage, one of the largest US operators, is planning to invest about £1bn in five regional casinos.

Harrah’s Entertainment, another huge US operator, has formed a joint venture with Gala, the UK gaming company, and is planning to build eight giant casinos, investing £600m. Rank, and South Africa’s Sun International, are also making plans.

They all want to take advantage of the outdated laws and irrational rules that were created decades ago.

At the moment casinos are allowed just 10 slot machines with a maximum prize of £2,000, but gamblers are not allowed to come in off the street and play for this bounty.

The law says they need to have a 24-hour cooling off period - and only then when they return, after having registered their name and address, can they play. Casinos also have advertising restrictions and are only permitted in 53 areas of the country.

Gambling in casinos has not exactly taken off. Only 2% of the population visit a casino each year. Operators believe that figure could increase tenfold.

If the law changes, Goldman Sachs estimates that £6bn of investment could flow into UK casino development within the next five years.

The international gambling industry has hired an army of lobbyists to stack the odds in its favour. Operators are betting on being allowed up to 1,250 slot machines for ‘regional casinos’ with a gambling floor area of at least 1,000sq metres and 40 gambling tables.

So-called ‘large casinos’ are likely to be restricted to 150 machines and prizes will be capped. It is unclear what smaller casinos will be allowed to offer.

Abolishing the rule requiring gamblers to join a casino 24 hours prior to placing bets should bring in new customers. Relaxed restrictions on alcohol and live entertainment may also be delivered.

The physical restrictions on casinos has meant online gambling has been popular in Britain. The high street bookies have used the internet to expand into online casino gaming.

Ladbrokes now runs the most popular online poker site in Europe. The site is growing by 20% per month and draws around 6,000 players daily.

The National Lottery has changed attitudes to gambling, propelling it into the mainstream as entertainment rather than a bad habit.

Verbatim from www.scotsman.com

Experts: Online Gambling Regulation to Boost Economy

CHICAGO, Illinois – 24 September 2004 -- Yesterday in Chicago, a panel of experts met to discuss Internet gambling and outline ways to regulate this increasingly popular form of entertainment. Hosted by BETonSPORTS plc, operator of the world's largest online wagering service, the summit was part of a national public policy initiative called "Proposition 1: To Regulate or Prohibit Online Gambling." Intended to initiate local dialogue on the issue of online gambling and create a structure for lawmakers to regulate the industry, yesterday's summit was the third in a series of meetings to be held across the U.S. this month.

Yesterday's discussion brought together experts in law, industry and media to discuss the issue's local, national and global significance. The state of Illinois is unique in its gambling policy -- it is one of only five states to specifically prohibit Internet gambling, yet Illinois does permit a limited number of riverboat casinos. In the face of two bills in Congress, one of which calls for the prohibition of online gambling, and an investigation into the industry by the Department of Justice, the panel examined the issues surrounding regulation versus prohibition of the online gaming industry.

The panel's consensus was that regulation would boost the economy by providing tax revenues and adding jobs. It would also force transparency that would legitimize the industry and enable consumer protections, such as enforcing age requirements and providing assistance to problem gamblers. The U.K. has successfully used this model since 1963.

Panel member Lawrence G. Walters, first amendment attorney and partner with the national law firm of Weston, Garrou & DeWitt ( http://www.GameAttorneys.com ), has represented clients involved with all aspects of the online gambling industry and has developed an international reputation on Internet law issues.

"Prohibiting online gambling is not a reasonable solution for the mere reason that the technology isn't going anywhere," said Walters. "With the rapid rise of Internet activity nationwide, the government will eventually have to face the fact that prohibiting this form of entertainment will only have negative effects and will encourage the behavior they are trying to curtail."

David Carruthers, CEO of BETonSPORTS plc, stated, "Millions of consumers in the U.S. gamble online, and we want to set the stage for hosting a safe Internet site with sensible regulation benefiting not only the consumer but the government. Online gambling allows the government the opportunity to capitalize on revenues upwards of $100 billion, which is the amount Americans bet on sports every year on the street and on college campuses."

Kevin Smith, staff writer for Interactive Gaming News, added, "There is a need to introduce new legislation to ensure responsible practices on the part of the industry and online gamblers. It's doubtful that current bills to regulate online gambling will pass."

The Summit tour will conclude in Los Angeles on September 24. Also part of the initiative is a series of college campus debates and an advertising campaign.

Verbatim from www.casinocitytimes.com