The Age of Social Media

Once not much more than a way to keep tabs on old classmates, social media has evolved into a critical marketing tool for any business, not the least of which is the modern casino. From slot and hospitality influencers to instant promotion on TikTok and elsewhere, social media in gaming has come of age.

By Jess Marquez

Features

14 Feeding Free Play

Free play, a true low-cost promotional tool, is now a vital part of the marketing mix, particularly for local and regional casinos.

By Frank Legato

32

Valuing Retail Sportsbooks

Traditional low margins of retail sportsbooks do not diminish the value of creating an in-person experience around the wagering.

By Bill Sokolic

Surveillance and Security SPOTLIGHT

Our annual World Game Protection report examines the evolving discipline of securing the games.

22 Vigilance in the Pit

Surveillance officials have new table game scams to watch out for, but age-old cheating methods like dice-sliding and marking cards still survive.

By Bill Zender

26 Scamming the ETG

Electronic table games have become the latest cheating target, made easier by fewer eyes on the games than with traditional tables.

By Willy Allison

30 The Gun Issue

44 Payment Evolution

The growth of online gaming and sportsbooks has fed an ongoing evolution in payments technology.

By Dave Bontempo

The prevalence of firearms in the modern U.S. will require casinos to exercise additional safeguards to protect customers.

By Al Zajic

BY ROGER GROS, PUBLISHER