The IGI in 2014 A Global Intellectual Capital

Transcription

1 The IGI in 2014 A Global Intellectal Capital

2 Front cover image by David Strod Illstration, created to commemorate the IGI s 2014 TEDxUNLV talk Why Las Vegas Is Smart (page 9). 2

3 UNLV is working with my Office of Economic Development to establish UNLV as the global intellectal hb for gaming, hospitality, and entertainment. NEVADA GOVERNOR BRIAN SANDOVAL, STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS innovation UNLV is the best place in the world to stdy the worldwide gaming indstry, and in 2014, the UNLV International Gaming Institte (IGI), hosed within the Harrah Hotel College, had another historic year in helping realize Nevada Governor Sandoval s bold vision of creating a global intellectal hb. The mission of the IGI is to provide world-class edcational programs and ctting-edge research insights to global gaming leaders in the pblic, private, and non-profit sectors. research 3

4 Dr. Kahlil Philander discsses his research findings. Arond the World in 365 Days The positive reception of the IGI s work was reflected in invitations to deliver more than 50 major presentations in 2014 to academic, government, and indstry adiences across the globe. Here are a few highlights: We opened the year in Janary in Vancover, British Colmbia, where Dr. Kahlil Philander presented research he condcted on the new casino project on the site of the Winter Olympics. In a Eropean nation we are nable to disclose, the IGI team traveled to present research on integrated resort development directly to a Prime Minister. 4 In Hainan, China, we traveled to the Hawaii of China, to explore possible edcational and research sites for or hotel college s UNLV Asia efforts. In Edmonton, Alberta, Dr. Bo Bernhard served as a keynote speaker at an international research conference, alongside legendary baseball player (and gambler) Pete Rose. In Maca, we worked alongside or longtime partner, Dr. Davis Fong of the University of Maca, to deliver a property ambassador certification program for every employee at Las Vegas Sands properties throghot Asia. In Singapore, IGI researchers contined to work with government and indstry leaders to craft their evolving responsible gambling strategy. In Helsinki, Finland, we closed or sister conference (The Eropean Association for the Stdy of Gambling s biennial conference) with a keynote on the research controversies that remain in the field of gambling stdies. Swinging back stateside to New York, Dr. Kahlil Philander developed a new methodology for projecting problem gambling rates when new casinos open, in a process that informed 2014 casino legalization debates in that state. In San Francisco, we spoke at the Global Interactive Gaming Smmit and Expo (the world s largest internet gaming event) on the complex intersections of gaming reglation, Silicon Valley, and technology. And finally, Bo Bernhard moderated two CEO panels at this year s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, asking qestions of indstry leaders at the world s largest indstry gathering.

5 National Diet Bilding, Tokyo, Japan. Advising Two New Jrisdictions Japan and Massachsetts 2014 was the year of two new jrisdictions in gaming: Japan (where the legalization debates intensified in an effort to provide torism and hospitality infrastrctre ahead of the 2020 Olympics) and Massachsetts (which awarded licenses after a lengthy and contentios bidding process). Both jrisdictions called pon the IGI s expertise to help gide them throgh challenging and niqe gambling landscapes. In two visits to Tokyo, Japan, IGI researchers presented smmaries of the casino legalization research they have developed in other jrisdictions to representatives of the Japanese Diet (the parliamentary body of Japan) and several other key stakeholders. Back home, we also hosted dozens of Diet (parliament) representatives and government officials in several edcational programs cstom-tailored to the qestions that the nation is asking of gaming. These isses inclded qestions abot economic and social impacts, job creation, bsiness cannibalization, and crime. In the U.S. state that mattered the most in gaming this year (Massachsetts, where MGM and Wynn were awarded the two hotel-casino licenses), both of the winning bids relied heavily on IGI research that provided a scientific fondation for sond policy decision-making. In addition, the IGI provided research-based testimony in mltiple arbitration hearings, where local commnities were able to ask abot the impacts that they might anticipate. 5advising

6 Exective Development Program Those who have been arond the global gaming indstry for a while hold or one-of-a-kind Exective Development Program (EDP) in the highest esteem. Fonded in 1990 by the late Bill Eadington and co-prodced today with the University of Nevada, Reno, EDP is the premier leadership development academy for government and indstry leaders in gaming. Once again, this year s faclty linep featred stars at every trn, inclding: Gavin Isaacs, CEO of Scientific Games, who delivered a poignant and retrospective What I ve Learned in Gaming Keynote. Arte Nathan, UNLV faclty and longtime head of Hman Resorces for Steve Wynn, shared his secrets on hiring the right people. Alex Genov, Ph.D., Research Director at Zappos.com, who told s how Zappos researches the cstomer experience to deliver cstomer service. Salim Neino, CEO of Kryptos Logic, a leading cybersecrity firm, who spoke on hacker activities that target hospitality and gaming firms today (and tomorrow). Professors Ichiro Tanioka and Tor Mihara of Osaka University of Commerce flew all the way to Tahoe to tell s What Japan Wants from Integrated Resorts. Alan Feldman, Senior Vice President of MGM Resorts and longtime voice of the indstry, highlighted some of his most memorable experiences in his special presentation The Press Conference Is in One Hor: Commnications Crises in Gaming. Roger Snow, table game design gr, delivered his incomparable lectre on What Makes a Game Great. Pal Steelman, President of Steelman Partners, talked abot design, and how to incorporate it into everyday operations. 6

7 Want to bring the EDP experience to yor own backyard (or do it in ors?) Call s! Or participants were extremely pleased with the program s vale, and the impact of the learning and development opportnities at this event! This is trly the type of program we have been looking to extend to or high potential poplation at IGT to help broaden their bsiness acmen and professional networks. JENNIFER LOLLI, MANAGER OF TALENT DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY The best exective corse I have ever seen, and one that will stay in memory for a long time! EDDY DAY, GENERAL MANAGER, ONTARIO LOTTERY & GAMING CORPORATION Thank yo for an amazing 10 days! This program is totally awesome: the speakers were incredible and the team project was difficlt bt fn and I now have new friends from all over the gaming world. ERIC SHOEMAKER, DIRECTOR OF FOOD & BEVERAGE, leadership HARD ROCK CASINOS 7

8 research The IGI seeks to prodce research that matters, in the applied fields of gaming and gambling (the stdy of the indstry and the behavior, respectively). UNLV s leaders have set the niversity on an ambitios path to Tier One, a designation reserved for the nation s best pblic research niversities. In 2014, the IGI contribted to this important initiative by focsing on several Tier One metrics. RESEARCH FUNDING: The IGI s programs generated $1.5 million in research-oriented fnding over the past year; spporting UNLV s ambitios $60 million annal target to achieve Tier One stats. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT: Prior to or IGI Center for Gaming Innovation s (CGI) fonding, the niversity s collective patent prodction fell in the low single digits each year. In 2013, CGI innovators alone prodced 12 patent applications, and 2014 s inventors created 21 more. PH.D. STUDENT SUPPORT: The IGI is prod and committed to spporting Ph.D. stdents throgh research a key Tier One metric. In 2014, five Ph.D. stdents were flly fnded by the IGI and not jst in or hospitality Ph.D. program, bt also in diverse fields like sociology and compter science. CLINICAL HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH: The IGI was awarded the State of Nevada s largest Department of Health and Hman Services research grant in The project is entitled The Nevada Problem Gambling Project, and it tracks the state s problem gamblers from intake interviews on their first day throgh post-treatment follow-p interviews for months after they complete their programs. 8

9 Bo Bernhard delivers his TEDxUNLV talk Why Las Vegas Is Smart. GLOBALLY IMPACTFUL RESEARCH: The IGI s Gaming Research and Review Jornal leads the way with impactfl, peer-reviewed research on the global gaming indstry. In 2014, or jornal pblished articles from scholars stdying Maca s VIP rooms, the gaming potential in Hainan (China), the impact of Pennsylvania on Atlantic City, the economic impact of U.S. tribal gaming, the policy promises of Canadian tribal gaming, New York s gaming license bidding process, early Swedish gambling, Finnish gambling cltre, gravity modeling for market research worldwide, and the U.S. Government s take on casinos and money landering. Meanwhile, Harrah Hotel College faclty pblished a nmber of stdies. Seyhms Balogl, Ssan Zhong, and Sarah Tanford pblished a peer-reviewed stdy entitled Casino Loyalty: The Inflence of Loyalty Programs, Switching Costs, and Trst; gradate stdent Kristen Malek contined to pblish on the impact of conventions on gaming in Las Vegas, wondering whether the two were Friends, Enemies, or Strangers; Toni Repetti athored three papers on casino acconting and gaming volmes; and Tony Lcas pblished the first casino management case stdy textbook with longtime IGI faclty Jim Kilby. In April of 2014, IGI Exective Director Bo Bernhard delivered a TEDxUNLV talk entitled Why Las Vegas Is Smart, intentionally critiqing the poplar notion that the city lacks intellectal acmen. The reslt was embraced by global indstry leaders like Wolfgang Pck and local observers like the Las Vegas Review Jornal, which featred the talk in a headline story. research 9

10 Indstry jdges try ot new game ideas at the stdent showcase. The Ftre of Gaming UNLV Stdents Innovate December 2014 saw the IGI s Center for Gaming Innovation complete the second annal gaming innovation class with a showcase of the top stdent ideas in front of an esteemed panel of indstry jdges. This class offers a niqe learning environment where stdents from both the camps and the commnity work to develop game ideas in a classroom setting led by Dr. Mark Yoseloff, former CEO of ShffleMaster. Indstry leaders work alongside and mentor the stdents - helping them to patent and commercialize those ideas that have potential. 10 This second class generated 21 new patentable ideas, bilding on the first class that led to 12 patents and the sale of three games. UNLV Harrah Hotel College stdent Hien Ngyen sold her Domino Dragon video wagering game to Konami Gaming, Inc. for an ftre ndisclosed amont dring 2014.

11 ftre UNLV Hotel College stdent-inventor Hien Ngyen with Thomas Jingoli, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of Konami Gaming, Inc., and Exective Director for the Center for Gaming Innovation, Dr. Mark Yoseloff (left) after signing docments to develop her first game. These innovations were covered by media sch as CBS Morning News and cover stories in both of the major indstry trade magazines, Global Gaming Bsiness and Casino Enterprise Management. CBS This Morning s Gayle King coldn t help bt exclaim I love smart kids! when they featred this story in May Given the importance of reinventing Las Vegas, innovators like Hien will play a key role in the ftre economic sccess of the state. I am so excited to be able to sell my invention and can t wait ntil others are playing my game. I never thoght this wold be a possibility for me and I m so thankfl for the spport of Dr. Yoseloff and UNLV. HIEN NGUYEN, GAMING INNOVATION STUDENT The Gaming Innovation Program is a shining example of what is possible, and hopeflly, what is to come. Empowering stdents at all levels to develop ideas that leverage not only their abilities bt also their commnity s core competencies shold be at the center of or policy and bdgeting decisions. What s Next? JEREMY AGUERO, FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, APPLIED ANALYSIS Stay tned in 2015: We have more innovations planned to strengthen or role as a global intellectal capital of gaming with the Nevada Governor s Office of Economic Development. If yo wold like to learn more abot any of or programs, please contact s. 11

12 International Gaming Institte University of Nevada, Las Vegas 4505 S. Maryland Parkway Box Las Vegas, NV Tel: (+1) Fax: (+1)