Course Catalog:
Gaming Sessions for Custom Programs
Slot Operations and Management
IGIGAM0914
Player Clubs and Trends in Player
Tracking
Get the latest information on how casinos are using player cards, how points are awarded and how they may be redeemed, how technology is being used to improve service and decrease costs, the great cash back debate, communication of slot club rules and benefits, trends in third party comp benefits, promotion ideas and other marketing trends.
IGIGAM0947
The Effect of Bingo on Slot
Business Volume
Many repeater market casino operators offer bingo games at a loss or marginal profit level under the assumption that bingo drives slot play, but are you sure bingo is the best use of your scarce casino floor space? This research session examines this theory in a pragmatic and revealing way, with some surprising results.
IGIGAM0948
Slot Performance-Potential
Modeling
This session is a must for casino executives wishing to make better decisions with regard to future game purchases, machine move decisions, and slot floor design. Attendees will understand what is critical to a game's success on the slot floor, and why one slot machine outperforms another. With the goal of offering a customized and objective performance benchmark for each game on the floor, a variety of game locations and specific game characteristics are examined in order to deduce their effects on how much coin-in per day each game should produce.
IGIGAM0952
A Deeper Look at the Slot Player
Experience
This session looks at the results of three studies that dispel some existing management paradigms. The pay tables or math of the games can greatly influence the player's experience and ultimately his or her satisfaction. In this session, the relationship between par and play time (a.k.a. time on device) will be explored. Also, the relationship between play time and the following variables will also be explored: hit frequency, pay table volatility, and the coefficient of variation of the pay table. The latter variable is simply a measure that jointly considers a game's par and volatility. The results of this research are controversial and insightful. Casino executives are afforded key information regarding the positioning of their slot product.
IGIHOS0956
How to Align Your Company
Strategies and People
This session will explore the nine strategic components of a business to achieve long-term profitability and growth. It will help you define what business you are in, who your customers and competitors are, how best to position your products and services in the market, how to increase revenue and control costs, and how to ensure consistent quality and service from every employee within your company. You will also learn how to hold people accountable for delivering on the "implied promises" each and every time a customer patronizes your business.
IGIGAM0966
Basic Slot Math
How do slot machines produce a profit, or, for that matter, how do all casino games produce a profit? This insightful session will answer these questions and more. It will also review an actual par sheet and cover the idea of managing time on device and the machine-move decision-making process. This lecture is a must for casino marketers and managers, as the profit production process of games affects many operating and marketing decisions.
IGIGAM0968
Progressive Slot Machines
The intricacies of progressive games and the management and accounting issues that surround them are examined in this informative session. Participants will learn about the different types and configurations of progressive games, how progressive meters grow, alternative uses for long-standing progressive jackpots, how progressive jackpots affect the house advantage, how hidden meters work, Mystery and Jumbo Jackpot mechanics, and issues unique to video reels. The session concludes with a discussion regarding the ability of progressive games to increase win, including results from actual studies.
IGIGAM0974
US Slot Industry Trends
The marketing and management benefits of server-based slots are covered in this session, along with a basic description of the various forms of this technology. Citing the results of a survey of industry professionals responding to questions relating to trends on their gaming floors, the discussion includes thoughts on positioning strategy with regard to house advantage and game variance, and popular games and equipment-based features.
IGIGAM0980
Design of Session II and Session
III Slot Games
This session will begin with an introduction to the mathematics of casino games, and examine the definitions of Expected Value (EV) and House Advantage and Variance (HAV) of a game. A few examples of Session III slot game analysis will also be presented. Following a brief discussion of the session of a game, the mathematics involved in developing Session II and Session III slot games will be outlined.
IGIGAM1003
Slot Operations Layout and
Product Mix
Learn how to develop a successful slot floor layout, slot product mix and product portfolio. This segment will also cover denomination issues, multi-games, ticketing, managing participation products, game mix percentaging, slot merchandizing and promotions, signage and progressives, bonusing and time-based tournaments, and customer retention through value-added events.
IGIGAM1004
Performance Analysis
Analyzing the performance of games is critical to maximizing the results of the slot department. This segment will cover the knowledge cycle (data to intelligence), data collection sources, key ratios and formulae, developing key performance indicators, managing by metrics, software tools for management, Monte Carlo simulations for decisionmaking, decision tree analysis and queuing analysis.
IGIGAM1005
What Casino Management
Should Know About Video Poker
In most modern casinos there are several dozen types of video poker --- like Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, Jokers Wild, Super Aces Bonus, etc. They come as single line games, Triple Play up through Hundred Play, and with and without progressives. This segment will explain the differences between these games in an easy-to-understand manner. It won't turn you into a competent player, but it will turn you into a casino manager who understands the differences between these games.
IGIGAM1006
Player Club Tiers: How Many
Should You Have?
It's a trick question; some casinos should have none! There is no universal answer to this question, but in this session we will help you decide how to think about the right answer for you. Whether you are thinking about having "stealth" tiers, or three or more public tiers, we will discuss the importance of building your tiered card around your player database, population, marketing strategy, and facility structure. We'll even talk about some of the best, and worst, conceived tier structures to help you copy the leaders and avoid the mistakes of the laggers.
IGIGAM1007
Best Practices in Database
Marketing to Slot Patrons
Why do casinos send so much direct mail to slot customers? Why does it work so well? This session will explore the reasons why database marketing is uniquely suited to address the marketing needs of the gaming industry, explore best practices in designing and implementing a database program including targeting and segmentation approaches, developing successful offers, setting up a campaign, designing and producing a mail package, and tracking and interpreting results.
IGIGAM1008
Casino Promotions: It's All About
Generating Incremental Profits
Gaming promotions offer every property, large and small, the chance to increase excitement and provide customers with a value-added experience for the gaming dollar. In this session, we will talk about how to design the optimal promotional strategy from start to finish including laying out a quarterly calendar, developing a wide variety of promotional concepts, and the importance of developing pro-forma statements to ensure incremental profitability. We'll discuss the importance of flawless execution, and new technologies that can help ensure this. Then, we'll debate the importance of post-analysis and learning, to help get the process going all over again.
IGIGAM1009
Customer Service Leadership
This session will cover what makes people perform and apply these concepts to a practical process that will help you develop outstanding customer service. Some of the topics covered are developing behavioral customer service standards for your department, developing a process for measuring compliance with the standards, giving effective feedback, and developing a recognition program.
IGIGAM1010
Analyzing Your Competitors'
Player Reward Program
Learn why, when, and how to perform a competitive analysis of your competitors' player reward systems.
IGIGAM1011
Slot Protection from an
Enterprise Management
Perspective
The session will focus on the current trends in the protection of slot play with a look at recent scams and investigations, and a discussion of the resources necessary to properly manage the Ticket In-Ticket Out (TITO) experience. How have the security and surveillance functions changed (or have they?) with the migration from the traditional machines to TITO? Determining what the threats really are and the way you choose to deal with them today will impact the future. We will explore some of available counter measures to ethically address scams, employee theft and cheating, and provide an overview of successful loss prevention and protection techniques from an enterprisewide management perspective.
IGIGAM1012
The Casino of Tomorrow
This will be a round table discussion and interactive session that will help operational leaders understand and create their vision of what elements are important in the slot and table floor of the future. Discussion topics will range from networked (server-based) gaming to the newest ideas in marketing, customer reinvestment, and loyalty programs on the gaming floor.
IGIGAM1013
Game Purchasing
This session covers methods operators can use to evaluate trial games and to set standards for purchase. We will discuss how to structure trial parameters to ensure clinically relevant results. Also, we will look beyond the base game price negotiation to gain additional products and services.
IGIGAM1014
The Evolution of Slot Analytics:
Preparing for Tomorrow's
Technology
Our industry is at the beginning of an evolutionary process that will require real time analytics and the ability to predict opportunities that will not be realized unless strategic processes are developed and in place to execute when these opportunities present themselves. In this session, we will look at the past, present and the future of Slot Analytics and how technology will dictate a new way of managing the day to day responsibilities of a slot floor.
IGIGAM1015
Cutting Edge Issues in Casino
Marketing
It used to be that marketing in this business just required a key: unlock the doors, watch the money come rolling in. But with the number of casinos up throughout the world and the U.S. in the midst of recession, times are tough for casino marketers. In this session, we will talk about how smart operators are responding to shrinking wallets and increased competition and discuss new tools and technologies, Free Play (it isn't free!), electronic promotions, automatic table tracking, and server-based gaming, how they are changing and will change, and how we think about, and do, casino marketing.
