Chicago native Greg Carlin graduated from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1988. While attending Penn, he occasionally visited nearby Atlantic City, where he developed a lifelong interest in the casino industry.
As an investment banker, first at Lazard Freres and then at Bankers Trust Company, Mr. Carlin spent the early 1990s laying the foundation for a successful finance career. In 1995, he joined LAMB Partners, a diversified private investment firm led by Neil Bluhm.
In 1996, LAMB Partners teamed up with Hyatt Gaming, Inc. and formed Falls Management Company (FMC) to pursue an RFP to develop and operate a new integrated resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. FMC was selected to develop and manage The Fallsview Casino Resort, which opened in 2004 and is currently the highest grossing casino in Canada. Mr. Carlin serves on both the board of directors and executive committee of FMC.
Soon thereafter, Mr. Carlin cofounded Rush Street Gaming, LLC, where he currently serves as CEO. Rush Street Gaming owns and operates two Rivers Casino properties in Des Plaines, Ill., and in Pittsburgh; plus SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. A fourth Rush Street property, Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg, Miss., was sold to Churchill Downs in December 2012.
I was able to catch Greg for a series of questions prior to his G2E2015 appearance on the C-Suite Perspectives; CEO roundtable panel.
1). What are
the challenges for the gaming industry?
“The
proliferation of regional casinos has made over-saturation in certain markets
one of the industry’s biggest challenges. However, there are still
jurisdictions that are underserved. Therefore, as an industry,
operators will need to be more thoughtful about their capital allocation
decisions relating to increases in supply.”
2).
Generation Y or Millennials are not fascinated by our current offering as their
parents were.
How can
the gaming industry generate interest from this group?
“Attracting
the next-generation gaming customer will hinge on technology, access and
product. They’re used to online, on-demand and entirely mobile solutions
for most things, including, and especially, entertainment. That
means that the gaming industry needs to move our products online,
on-demand and to mobile, as well as provide a more personalized
experience at the casino. There are also some interesting
new casino gaming environments that are targeting millennials including Le Zone
at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Quebec and Lavo Casino at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.”
3). Rush
Street Gaming has evolved in 7 years from a new player in the gaming
industry to a leader in several major markets. What was the vision that led to
this?
“Our
vision then and now was to create destination-style casinos for regional
markets with a strong emphasis on contemporary architectural design and
elevated customer experiences. Rush Street Gaming also prides itself on being a
great place to work, a proud community partner and a strong economic engine.”
4). Rush
Street Gaming has recently announced that they will open a new property
in Schenectady, New York. What sold you on this
area?
“When we
first considered Schenectady, we immediately saw the potential for success in
this underserved gaming market. We also like the location at
Mohawk Harbor, since we’ve had great success in other markets developing
waterfront venues. But, truly, it was the people of Schenectady that sold
us. They’re extremely welcoming, very hard-working and so dedicated to this
project. We just felt an immediate kinship and connection with
the community.”
5). What are
your thoughts about I Gaming?
“It’s the
future of our industry. And it’s here.”
6). Three
beautiful properties in Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Share one
highlight or feature about each
of them?
“It’s
difficult to choose only one for each. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines is the
first casino in the world to earn LEED Gold Certification, and we are
very proud of that. I personally love the riverfront amphitheater at
Rivers Casino in
Pittsburgh, and the event center we’ve designed for
SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia will be among the most
sought-after venues in Philly when it’s completed later this year.”
Greg is participating in the AGA roundtable at the G2E with Gavin Issacs and Mark Frissora on Wednesday, September 30, between 9:00 and 10:00 PDT.
You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook
Greg is participating in the AGA roundtable at the G2E with Gavin Issacs and Mark Frissora on Wednesday, September 30, between 9:00 and 10:00 PDT.
at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym
Instagram photos and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym
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