Breathing
New Life into Table Games
by
Roy Brennan
In
the past 15 years or so, much has been written about the slow
demise of table games and the rise of slot machines. In a recent
article in “Gaming Today” mention was made of Pit
Operations not being able to cover their expenses, slot machines
having less overhead, and horrors of horrors! - World War II generation
of table games players fading away and being replaced by a new
generation of gamblers attracted to flashy electronic slot machines!
Such existing dogma among some
Casino Managers has, unfortunately, led to a precipitous and unwarranted
decline in Table Games revenue throughout the industry. Many Managers
have exacerbated the situation by cutting back spreads which in
turn has run off more customers which again has further cut back
spreads, creating a never ending downward spiral. In light of
continued population growth and the increased spread of legalized
casinos in the United States, it is hard to conceive that all
table games players have just gone away for no reason at all or,
because it is no longer fun or has less perceived value than other
means of gaming.
Fortunately, there are still many
Managers out there who realize that Table Games revenue is far
from dead and in fact can give slots a run for their money. Many
think that Table Games can be viewed as a reborn growth segment
of the industry, not a shrinking one!
Let’s
look at some of the ways innovative Managers keep their Table
Games department vitalized:
1. The Dealers- Without a doubt, the Dealers
are the number one reason for the success or doom of the department.
Hiring Dealers who fit into your company’s culture and follow
through with the message will have a powerful impact on your revenues.
The number one comment received from Table Games Players is always
how great or how unfriendly or dour the Dealers are. Which one
do you want? Hiring Dealers who have a great personality and are
friendly throughout every shift is the key. Encourage fun interactions
and do not let them get into such bad habits as frowning, looking
away, folding their arms or any other bad body language. Require
Dealers to acknowledge Guests upon arriving and thank them when
they leave. Remember that Dealers have more interactions with
your Guests than almost any other employee. Keeping Dealers informed
of all the Marketing plans will help them sell the property better
than any Host you may have. Let the Staff know about every promotion
and amenity your Casino offers. It is important to require all
the Dealers to be able deal more than one game. Encourage them
to become proficient in as many games as possible. This will relieve
boredom as well as increase the flexibility of management as well
as save on labor costs.
2. Box and Floorpeople- They are just as important
as the Dealers and again can make or break your department. As
with the Dealers, hire based on personality as well as competencies.
Realize the most technically proficient Supervisor is of no use
if they can not pleasantly interact with the Guests and Staff.
Encourage a “Win/Win” philosophy and reinforce why
we do that. Again, folded arms and bad body language have no place
in the pit. Train them to make educated comp decisions and give
them the authority to do so. This will cut down on wait times
for Guests and relieve some of the burden on the Casino Hosts.
Encourage Supervisors to greet Guests by name and to “cut
in” to unknown Guests to build the database.
3.
Pit Bosses and Managers- All the lip service
in the world will be of no use if the Managers don’t walk
the walk and practice what they preach. Make your Managers help
out the Supervisors when it is busy and show them that they care.
If Mangers do not show the staff they are sincere, no one will
buy in to any of the mandates. Make it a must to know who your
staff is, what games they deal, and a little bit about them. The
employees are also your Guests and love to be acknowledged and
thanked for their efforts. Seek out and listen to their ideas
and suggestions. Many of the best ideas in gaming have come from
the front line employees. Encourage your staff to further their
education of the industry through many of the great programs available
such as the CMA accreditation, University degrees, as well as
continuing education courses. Be a mentor and share your knowledge
with your future managers.
Now that we have the staff on
board, let’s examine some issues that are of daily urgency
in any casino:
Table
Minimums- I have yet to figure out how overpriced dead
games make money in a casino, yet I continuously see it happening
in almost every jurisdiction. Do not let snobbishness rule your
minimums. Constantly adjust for changing seasonality and remember
that the law of “supply and demand” will never fail
you. Hold your Supervisors accountable for the table limits. Remember
that most players have a certain psychology and want to play on
a lower limit table even if they are betting more than the minimum.
Other factors include reluctance to play on an empty table. Use
the lower limits to “shill” those games!
Proper
Spread- Unfortunately, many “cost conscious”
executives have wasted more revenue opportunities by keeping payroll
tight and games closed even though crowds are wanting to play
and seats are hard to come by. Managing by line item paradigms
must change if a Casino ever wants to increase the bottom line.
Keeping it “tight” will surely cause the Players to
go elsewhere and it will always be “tight” in your
pit! Do not forget to adjust for holidays and special events.
Recently, a major casino in Las Vegas held a big name concert
on a Sunday night. They spent a lot of money acquiring the headliner
as well as all of the marketing costs that were necessary. Unfortunately,
they failed to adjust for the larger crowds and many people who
wanted to spend money could not find a table to play on. Instead,
they sat down on the closed tables and drank and chatted with
friends! In that one night, most likely more revenue opportunity
was lost that could not be overcome by all the benefits “saved”
from the payroll costs of keeping that pit closed for months.
Variety of Games- It never hurts to look at new games and give
the promising ones a try. Remember the rule of simplicity: If
it takes you a while to understand it, when will the customers
figure out?
Proper
Tracking of Guests- The industry has done a fantastic
job educating our Players and making them join the “Club”
in order to earn all sorts of perks. The downside is that Table
Games ratings are still an art and not a science. Probably the
number one gripe with Players is that their ratings are inaccurate
or they did not get rated at all. During the busy times, ratings
tend to get lost or not get input into the computer system. Remember
that your marketing department has spent millions building the
program and encourage them the Guests to use it. Make sure your
Table Games Department is fulfilling their end of the deal by
rating as accurately as possible. Be flexible if a Guest claims
to have played longer then what is stated in the system. A good
rule is to give the benefit of the doubt the first time. In case
of recurring ratings complaints, placing notes in a Player’s
account will let others judge if the Player is legitimate or not.
However, experience shows that most Guests are fairly honest about
the length of play and average bet. (They do seem to stretch the
truth about their losses though!)
Intangibles-
There are lots of small details that separate the great casinos
from the good ones. Make it part of your culture and teach your
staff that everyone is responsible for cleanliness, marketing,
and Guest Services. Your employees will take more pride in a clean
casino than in a dirty one. Encourage them pick up empty bottles
or paper on the floor. Keep them informed of all the events planned.
Constantly reinforce to them that the Guest signs their paycheck.
Keep a regularly serviced maintenance schedule to change layouts,
fix furniture, and replace any broken items. Ensure that lighting,
temperature, and the casino environment are constantly comfortable
and conducive to gaming. This is a constant battle, but this is
what champions are made of.
These
are just a few things that can help revitalize a lagging Table
Games operation. Prudent Managers must capitalize on the demographic
facts of their market segment and also look to increase market
share by giving Players what they want. By striving for excellence
and embracing the paradigm of growth in Table Games, Managers
in Pit Operations will increase their contribution to the bottom
line.
Roy Brennan is a Casino Shift Manager at the Palms Casino Resort
in Las Vegas. He has taught Casino Operations seminars and classes
at UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno. He can be reached
at royb@lvcm.com
