History and Why So Long

This past two weeks, there have been several notable accomplishments in the world of sports. The Florida Marlins hired Kim Ng as the first woman to become an MLB general manager. She has been in the conversation for GM jobs for more than a decade. She has interviewed for more than 6 teams since 2015.Ng was an assistant GM with the New York Yankees during a 4 year period. Under that tenure, the Yankees won 3 World Series and 4 AL pennants.

Last night. the NFL set history by having an all Black officiating crew during the Monday Night Football game between the Buccaneers and the Rams. Referee Jerome Boger led the crew, which also included umpire Barry Anderson, down judge  Julian Mapp, line judge Carl Johnson, side judge Dale Shaw, field judge Anthony Jeffries and back judge Greg Steed. The 1st Black official in any major sport was Burl Toler ,hired by the NFL in 1965.

                                                Now the Question. Why so long?

MLB was started in 1869 and is 151 years old. NFL hired it's 1st official of color 55 years ago. So it took collectively 206 years to find a qualify woman and 6 African Americans to run a baseball organization and officiate a professional football game. Studies have shown that the most successful organizations are the ones that embrace and advocate diversity. While accepting change is a not easy it is a necessity. Too often the same people get another chance after failing while another group gets overlooked and told you just missed the cut.

"It's easy to stay sleep but it is hard to be awoke." A quote from Sade Mims.  This statement challenges decision makers to accept the responsibility to make opportunities equal to all qualified applicants. 

                                                              What's the solution?

A resume that is gender and color free. No mention on the application of sexual orientation or ethnic origin. If these characteristics are removed, the decision makers are now looking at the educational history and the professional accomplishments of the job seekers. HR fact checks the applicant and ask them to submit to an assessment test. Then you get the best candidates going before a panel that will make the final decision. If someone is close but does not get the position, tell them what they can do to put them over the top when they apply again. The progressively thinking companies have manager training courses. They are able to institute a pipeline that levels the playing field for women and minorities.  A management team should be reflective of their clientele. If a business caters to 40% women patrons, the managerial and corporate team should have a representation that is fairly indicative of that clientele. These practices work in corporate America and Professional Sports.  You just have to be awoke to use them. 

The historical events of the past 2 weeks should not take another 206 years to happen again. 😎

                              Follow me for more insights on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Mid Season MVP: Wilson or Mahomes

Russell Wilson is having a phenomenal year. He leads the NFL in touchdowns and his team is 6 -1. He has  thrown for 2151 yards. He has never won the MVP award. 

Patrick Mahomes is also playing excellent, He has thrown for 2315 yards & 21 TDs. His team is 6 -1.  He won MVP in 2018.

Let's look at their stats  Mahomes is on the top line

CMP	ATT	CMP%	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	LNG	RTG
190	284	66.9	2,315	8.2	21	1	54	115.0

183

256

71.5

2,151

8.4

26

6

62

120.7

These two Super Bowl Champions have two of the top teams in football. They are being challenged by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 I will initiate a Twitter poll that you can participate in. Pick the MVP by clicking here. Select the best team by clicking here.

                                                        Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

GQ, BOYDS and Me

 

Last week, I was able to have one of the best moments in my life. I was asked to interview for a segment of the Conde Nast and GQ installment, "The Breakdown”. The episode was focusing on Pit Managers.  I was pleasantly surprised when contacted. The surprise did not stem from the being asked questions about gaming and casino operations. I have always been a fan of GQ and patronized the magazine for information and visual inspirations for what to wear.  

My business attire comes from Boyds of Philadelphia. The store is one of the best men stores on the East Coast and has been mentioned several times in GQ.

Some of the questions posed to me by the producers were about my background and some of the places that I have worked. The questions about the relationship between the dealers and the players is what I want to share with you. The dealer is really hoping that the player does well so he will receive a tip or gratuity. The players have the impression that the dealers are their adversaries. The dealer makes most of his money from tips, so it is important to build a synergy with the player.

The best and most popular games are Blackjack and Baccarat.  The odds are player friendly and the availability of a game is generally high. While Covid 19 has changed the amount of people allowed to play at one time, the public demand has not diminished.  The producers seemed pleased with my responses. They laughed when I told them I subscribe to the magazine. That 35 minutes was my WOW moment. It was done on Zoom. I dressed up as if I were going to work. They noticed!

I felt like I has received an Academy Award nomination. 

                                 And the winner is

Just to be considered means all the social media posts, the articles and the blog post are being noticed by people and organizations that I have the utmost respect for. Keep watching and get ready for my next big move. Look for me at the G2E.

Follow me for more insights on LinkedIn,Twitter Facebook and Instagram.

Gaming Forecast for the remainder of 2020

I decided to assess what I see for 3 gaming regions. The regions are Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Everything that I hypothesis is based on COVID 19 levels. The CDC has projected a rise in cases this fall. The cold and flu season is approaching and will impact the public willingness to convene in crowded venues.

I will focus on the major cities in each of the regions. Las Vegas will still be slow to move toward recovery. Airline flights are still under capacity with extremely limited international passengers. All major convention business has been scrapped for this year.  There is talk of some concerts being scheduled in show rooms. Usher is planning a residency performance in 2021 at Caesars Palace. There are tremendous deals on room rates during the week that may tempt you to fly out for a three day - two-night getaway.

Atlantic City is still one of the top ten trip destinations in the United States according to Trip Adviser.  The casinos just received a boost with the return of dine in restaurant service. Casino restaurants, like every other restaurant, must observe the many restrictions put into place including 25% percent capacity, tables spaced 6 feet apart, patrons required to wear masks while not eating or drinking. This will entice visitors to come to the shore during the months of September thru November. The price of gas is relatively low and will motivate patrons to take a drive to America’s greatest playground. I would strongly suggest having a reservation if you are dining. Atlantic City is allowing the resumption of smoking on the casino floor. This is not in the best interest of the employees and patrons at the casinos. It allows the shore to offer something that will bring in additional revenue. The risk does not appear to be worth it. 

 

 

Philly has also extended the amenities to include food. This is consistent with the casinos that are operating outside of Philadelphia County. 24-hour gaming is going to return on September 18.  The casinos have beefed up their efforts to keep the facilities clean and have maintain temperature check policy that protects the guests and the employees. An increase of deep cleaning and disinfecting the front and back of house areas is already underway. When the capacity levels are increased to accommodate more guests, the challenge the casinos will face will be staffing. If the capacity level were increased to 40-50% by October 31, that would be a treat. Lastly, Poker should be revisited and opened with a limitation on the amount of people allowed at a table. Other modifications should include no smoking, changing cards frequently and online reservations during peak times of play.

My view is this week's Monday Motivation of optimism. The gaming industry will return to profitable levels in convenience and urban markets quicker than the resort areas. All operators must find ways to create the environment that places safety first while providing an exceptional entertainment experience. The opinions expressed are my own. The creativity I shared is to inform you of what can be accomplished during difficult circumstances.

Follow me for more insights on LinkedIn,Twitter Facebook and Instagram.

The Twitter Expansion of GTLivechat and GTLHottopics

Robert M.Mims

I want to share some exciting news about my plan to expand my engagement on Twitter. At the start of the NBA shutdown due to COVID 19, I started a doing a twitter chat 3 nights a week. The conversations included sports, sports business and sports betting. It was expanded to include music from contemporary artists and delve into their music catalogues. The audience grew exponentially over the 4 months and expanded to cover both the east and west coast.  The chat achieved approximately 30,000 impressions during the ESPYS on June 21st.

Since sports have returned the format has changed. The conversation or threads can't last as long in the evening because the games are rightfully taking center stage. A mid day version of the chat was added to engage the audience longer. This addition captured positive results. With the NFL coming in two weeks, it makes sense to expand the coverage, Start on September 1st, the chat will be on 4 nights. Those nights will be Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. A mid day version will happen on each of the aforementioned days of the week with Wednesday included at noon. 

The night chats will start at 7:30 prior to an NFL game. The conversation before any other game(NBA,MLB,NHL,WNBA or Tennis) will start 30 minutes before the contest.  There will still be polls that will gauge your opinions, questions that pertain to your sports betting selections and data that will help you make an informed decisions. We also highlight our followers by sharing their tweets and applaud their creativity when they include a GIF. On Thursday, there is a women in media segment that spotlights the achievements of  female athletes, reporters and business executives. On Fridays, we will still do Shout Outs and #FF. If you follow we follow back. 

Nkeshi Free 

The chat are cohosted by Nkeshi Free. She adds the creative side to the collaboration and is knowledgeable in all sports. Her twitter handle is @KeshisCuties. My twitter handle is @GamingguyM.

Tuesday is the #GTLHottopics day. All other days we use the #GTLivechat.

You can get updated information at smartresponsiblegaming.com

What's Next?

 

I am starting to look at universities and colleges this fall. Hold up. I am not thinking about taking a course or getting my Masters. I plan to offer my presentations virtually. I have visited several schools in this immediate region. They include Saint Joseph University, Temple University, Drexel University, Penn State, Delaware State University and Stockton University. Since the COVID pandemic makes going to the schools a risky venture even for a gaming professional like myself, I decided to use technology and make things easier. 

I am looking at schools not only in the mid Atlantic region but any state that is considering  adding  sports wagering to it's gaming statues. This includes Virginia, Washington DC, Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida and Georgia. The states of Illinois, Indiana and Colorado have recently legalized sports betting so I would anticipate ther would be some interest there as well.

So many educators will be curious why sports betting is a topic that their student would want to learn about. I will share two reasons. One is it is a revenue generator that is part of every professional sports pre game telecast.  Second are the business partnerships that are associated with sports wagering include the professional sports leagues, casinos, hotels and major restaurant chains. Each of these organizations will be employers for many of your students that are majoring in Hospitality, Tourism, Marketing, Business Management and Graphic Design. 

I have found that the interest in the gaming industry has never been higher. Within the past 3 years the taboo of "What is the line and did they cover ",has disappeared. The average age and demographic of a sports bettor is between 23 -34 and predominately male. In an American Gaming  Association survey found that 45% of the core bettors are in this group. The technological evolution and the use of mobile devices lend to the expansion of gaming and the opportunities to be a part of it. 

If you think your students would like to learn about how gaming and sports betting in particular is changing how we view a professional games and interact with each other then we should have a conversation.

Managing a Casino floor during Covid-19

Here is a glimpse of what the  responsibilities are now during a pandemic. This is a dramatic change from March 12th. The parameters are in place to insure a safe gaming environment.

The protocols for wearing a mask, sanitizing your hands and temperature checks before entering the

venue are adhered to. There is an occasional  reminder to be given regarding the mask covering the 

nose but the guests and employees are compliant when ask to do so.

The challenges that present themselves are in the areas of social distancing. The players that come

with a group or companion still stay together in close alignment while near the games or slot machines. While they are doing what  seems natural, they are not exercising social distancing. This requires that 

the management team must politely request that some degree of separation must be maintain, especially around the table games. This provides a level of comfort for the staff that is dealing to the patrons.

The limitation on occupancy makes scheduling games and deploying staff a creative process. You are now going with the demand for play as oppose to offering a full compliment of all the games. If three  people are requesting a baccarat game and one person is requesting Three Card Poker, I can tell you without hesitation the game I am opening first. Certain slot machines are not operable to make social distancing a mandate.

There is more area to cover during the work day because the gaming floor is more spread out. Pre Covid configurations were based on games being adjacent to each other. Plexiglass shields and visors are available at each game. This is for the safety of the employees and guests. 

How should you manage a casino floor during a pandemic?  You should follow all of the things I mentioned above. In addition, look to be innovative in how you connect with your guest. Use social media to let them know that you appreciate their business and that you want them to know that. Maintain a staffing level that allows for flexibility and gives you the ability to react to the unforeseen.

                   

                  Follow me for more insights on LinkedIn,Twitter Facebook and Instagram.

                  Here is my latest sports betting  & sports business article in Bettors Insider.