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Harrah’s boss says gaming industry gets a bad rap
Gary Loveman, president, CEO and chairman of Harrah’s Entertainment, talks about bad press received by the gaming industry during the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) at the Las Vegas Convention Center Wednesday, November 17, 2010. Loveman’s keynote was titled “The Stockholm Syndrome: Why Addressing the Misinformation that Plagues Gaming is our Top Priority.”
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010 | 8:31 p.m.
Sun Coverage
Harrah’s Entertainment Chief Executive and President Gary Loveman said a major roadblock in the path of the growth of casino companies is misinformation about the industry.
Rather than talk about the industry’s recovery, Loveman used his afternoon keynote address at the Global Gaming Expo Wednesday to campaign against the misconceptions that surround the casino industry. He made no mention of the Las Vegas-based operator’s progress or future plans during his address.
“The vast majority of people cannot conveniently access our services, and that is a big problem. People who want to use our services have to get on an airplane, make an international trip or drive hours for something that we could provide,” Loveman said.
“It should offend us every day that adults can’t entertain themselves in the way that they want to when they have access to so many other things.”
While products like fast food and liquor that are viewed as unhealthy are available almost everywhere in the U.S., casino companies only operate in 13 states, Loveman pointed out.
When businesses like McDonald’s want to expand to other markets, they don’t need the approval of politicians. Casino companies do, Loveman said.
Politicians often limit the growth of gaming because of the misconceptions that casino companies prey on the poor, breed crime, foster addiction and contribute to cultural deterioration.
Loveman said he hears the same argument over and over when it comes gambling: It is inherently nefarious and criminal. Hollywood has perpetuated those stereotypes with movies like “Casino,” Loveman said.
Loveman said he’s “worked in this job 13 years and I’ve never lived a day like ‘Casino,’” but the images still have a profound effect on the image of the industry.
Noting some of the positives casinos bring to the areas in which they operate, Loveman said Tunica, Miss., has seen a 800 percent increase in employment since Harrah’s opened a casino in the area in 1996.
The Harrah’s casino in Chester, Pa., has contributed to the $500 million that casinos have generated for the state.
Loveman said casino companies have contributed to their own obstacles. When an operator is trying to enter a new market, competing casino companies will often fund advertisements preaching the same misconceptions that the industry is trying to combat. Loveman used the example of the “Against Slots in the Mall” campaign that ran this fall in Hanover, Md.
To combat the stigma, Loveman urged gaming professionals put the interest of the industry first, not just the interests of their own company.
Discussion: 9 comments so far…
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How does it feel to brow beat your employees into voting for Harry?
Ain't America great.......
It is a industry that is based on addiction, what rap did you think you would get???
I never liked this guy. He is in charge of the company that ruined the Strip. I liked the old Holiday Casino with the Mississippi boat style casino and the great games. Today, they turned this place into a circus with loud music and ridiculous vending stores around it. It also attracts these guys handing out fliers for "entertainers" and this mix gives me a really bad taste of Las Vegas Boulevard, whenever I am forced to walk from Flamingo to the Venetian.... :(
From Switzerland
Gaming does little to contribute to the community. Look at Las Vegas, it is suffering because there is a lack of non gaming related business. We finish in the bottom when it comes to quality of life issues ( education, health care, stress etc) Casinos dont pay there fair share in taxes either.
Yeah Boss, clicking a mouse or pushing a cell-phone button from virtually anywhere in the world nowadays is really a gaming inconvenience when compared to the bag-n-body strip-search stigma reserved for commuting world gaming terrorists.
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Perhpas Mr Loveman is looking for excuses as to why Harrahs cannot service its debt. Debt that was brought onto themselves because of their quest to own the Strip with their WalMart approach to gaming. Harrahs has compromised the integrity of the Strip formally for players and guests with a little class, and now we see jeans, flip flops and scum from the South shoving porn in our faces.
Loveman is the father of 6:5 blackjack, isn't he? Bleccch. Harrahs treats customers like morons.
you dilute your product, nickel and dime the customer at every turn, and make it impossible to enjoy yourself on the casino floor. i have no sympathy for any casino owner in vegas.
The first time I saw his commerical I thought I was watching a skit from Sat. Night Live.
Does he mean a bad rap like the negative publicity surrounding the Watanabe matter, or the stories about all the construction that took place without building permits?
are you kidding me....casinos are seedy and edgy...they do bring in crime and drugs.. thats why people like them... why do you think i read the Sun its like a crime novel... san diego news is boring and we are on the mexcian border..
"prey on the poor, breed crime, foster addiction and contribute to cultural deterioration"
How is it possible that Mr. Loveman can say with a straight face that statement is a misconception?
In my opinion, it's all true in varying degrees of course, but true nevertheless.
Wow! Perhaps you should all try visiting Reno! And try a smaller locals place - real people serving real people so they feel they have been taken care of. I think the entire Las Vegas setting lends to the plastic atmosphere.
Looking at Loveman, one "misconception" can be verified - Las Vegas is one of America's fattest cities.
And I agree with denro. Maybe instead of being on the defensive, people like Loveman should be taking a serious look at how and where they do business.
Loveman said he hears the same argument over and over when it comes gambling: It is inherently nefarious and criminal.
Umm, the chance that a patron has of winning any more, it is nefarious and criminal.
Is this a joke? A casino guy claiming the high moral ground.
I know two children who are NOT going to college because their father gambled away their college funds at sports books.
This family of of 4 live in a weekly studio...likely forever.
Of course, it's THEIR fault, not the casino exec (who is JUST DOING HIS JOB), right?
Hey, the father WAS warned...'When the fun stops...'
Fabulous Las Vegas...but not so fabulous for the children with mere remnants of any real future.
Maybe he should start with some imaging at his own casinos. Wouldn't that help reinforce the industry? When's the last time this guy took a stroll in front of Harrah's and had those clowns shouting and shoving fliers in his face? When is the last time he walked through his tired, stinky casino? When I am cutting through Harrah's from the monorail, I just keep on movin'. It's a sad, worn casino. Why doesn't he start there?
Mr. Loveman's talk is clearly not concerned with the future of Las Vegas, but the future of Harrah's Corporation. Harrah's would love to have gambling outlets in every state AND on EVERY COMPUTER SCREEN.
Like him or not, Mr. Loveman's vision focuses on what's best for his shareholders, and that's what he gets paid for.
His view that the casino industry should be united in promoting their product is simply good public relations and marketing. Again, this is what he gets paid for.
IMO, the age of regulating human behavior by legislation is on the way out. For Americans to be truly free, we should have the right to choose behaviors that may be self-destructive. Making things illegal doesn't eliminate the behavior, it merely drives it underground where free-market criminals conduct the business, and reap huge, illegal rewards.
Harrah's wants arena's for free. They are going back to being a public company. So now they will have even more excuse to lay off more people. They only care about accounting and numbers, not people and lives. It's a sad shame that they bought out some of the other companies. Those other companies such as Caesar's entertainment didn't just ruin properties and worry about profits. Can we please stop allowing these casino companies to use their power and force their employees to vote people into office for the casinos benefit.
The man runs the corporation through intimidation. They put so much pressure on the employees and wait until they make one error and they get rid of them. Terrible corporation to work for.
Slum gab -- recently an elderly gamer ran-up an impressive win in a high-roller slot area which alerted the attention of casino management, who immediately had the area's machine's "adjusted" -- upon return the high-roller lost back an even more impressive amount -- a carnival game of bait-n-switch -- there's all kinds of tricks in catching fish, commission approved.
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Dood looks like a pedophile. Sandieval will take good care of him so will, whoresford, oceguera and the rest of your legislature.
"The vast majority of people cannot conveniently access our services, and that is a big problem. People who want to use our services have to get on an airplane, make an international trip or drive hours for something that we could provide," Loveman said.
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I don't think this is true anymore. There are casinos in many, many states - certainly all over the West and Midwest.
oh, cry me a river, the big greedy mega millionaire gaming execs and their daily struggles. whatever.
Someone needs to place a mirror in Mr. Loveman's face. When poor ole Gary and his investor buddies took Harrahs private, he pocketed $93 million dollars and stayed on as CEO.
Then Gary took away the 401k match, Quarterly profit sharing, and reduced many workers workweeks to 32 hrs and forced them to use their Paid Time off to get a 40 hr check all while providing one of the most ridiculously expensive health insurance plans in our courty.
Oh yeah, now Harrahs will be outsourcing all housekeeping services to a 3rd party so they dont have to pay any benefits whatsoever.
If gaming is getting a bad rap its because of people like you Gary.
5th most listened to talk radio personality is "Dave Ramsey" who says gambling is "stupid." Something to think about when it comes to where you spend your ads dollars, casino execs.
Wow, incredible negativity in these comments, you guys! I work at Harrah's, but don't really toe the party line. I do have to say, gaming does take a lot of crap, and I think we take for granted how much fun these companies provide. Aren't most of you folks in Vegas? Would Vegas exist without gaming? And I can't believe nobody blasted the person who made a crack about Gary Loveman's build. That's infantile, and just because he's a public figure doesn't mean it's open season. He's a real person, and he helps keep thousands of people gainfully employed. I've found him to be nothing but generous and affable. And if you made a weight crack like that in front of me, you'd be typing future comments with your elbows.
What a work of art. Out of touch work of art. The movie casino is about an era in Las Vegas. He really should get a book and read up on this little town he commutes to.
Casinos get a bad rap from CEO's who make millions while racking up huge debt they never intent to pay off, laying off local workers and forget to follow the safety rule when remodeling the hotels.
In other words, he is the one who creates the bad images...
Gary needs to get out of gaming, he has no clue about what a casino customer wants and needs are and how to market a guest. I have said this before but until he leaves Vegas will not come back. Lets all pray at night until the day we see he is out of our biz!!! Help!!!!!!!