I turned 72 years old this year. Next year will mark my 50th year in the gambling business.
I realize that makes me one of the old guys and I could regale you with stories from the casino business of the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. Seeing Sinatra at Caesars Palace. Playing slot machines with hoppers (look it up) that spit out actual coins. Eating breakfasts for less than a buck and shrimp cocktails for 50 cents. Playing Chuck A Luck (again, look it up).
I’ve worked in casinos that allowed their employees to drink and gamble on their breaks at work (and gave them advances on their next paycheck to do so). I worked for a Las Vegas casino run by the mob and watched a skimming operation on our crap table. My wife, Becky, who had never paid off a blackjack bet for more than $50, dealt to Crazy Louie betting $10,000 a hand on five hands on her first night dealing at the Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. We’ve had $1,000 tip nights and we’ve had dealers and supervisors skim our tips.
Yes, it’s been quite a ride in this crazy business and yes, I’ve thought about writing a book. I’ve never wanted to be “that guy,” you know, the one railing away about the good old days and how great things were and how everything has gone to hell in the new days of the gambling business. I believe both the old and the new eras of gaming have their pluses and minuses and I’m not sure if the old days were better or worse than the new days. But I know what I like and don’t like about each gambling era.
Such as:
Better in the old days
Worse in the old days
Better in the new days
Worse in the new days
And then of course there are:
Things that are about the same in both eras
So there you have it, my take on the best and the worst of the old and new eras of the gambling business. Don’t believe the old timers who say the industry has gone to hell and don’t believe the young executives who say the old timers are dinosaurs, out of touch in the modern era.
There’s a lot of wisdom (and plenty of stupidity) in both eras. But one thing is certain. Whether it’s in 1974 or 2024, if you find out what your casino customers want, then GIVE IT TO THEM, your success will span generations.
Earlier posts by Dennis
“I Noticed You Delivering Great Customer Service”
The composite picture of a great casino executive
How to squeeze more money out of your customers
Why I’ve eaten at Kwok’s Asian Bistro 50-plus times
Stop Doing the Stupid Stuff!
Crap dealers: How to save your jobs and become the best tipped employees in the casino
The Costco Casino
Ten little-known, little-appreciated, and little-used ways for a casino to make more money
Reno is coming back
Emerald Island: A casino that gets it
Thank you, Richard Schuetz, Again
The all-time top-10 types of casino promotions
Imagining a discussion today with John Romero
A holiday weekend in Las Vegas
It’s okay, they won’t know or care!
Crazy ideas I fell for
The Blonde Elvis
How to stop gambling from being banned
What about these Electronic Crap Games?
Some overdue recognition
My top 10 casino pet peeves
Service you can trust. Really.
I Need Help!
Top 10 things casino players hate
Making lemons out of lemonade
David Kranes: The most unappreciated man in gaming
Two Dinosaurs Walk into a Bar
The magic of Barona
My Top 10 big-picture casino-industry trends
I am your customer
The Rad Bar — If I owned a video poker bar
Stop eroding player value
What? You’re still alive?
