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This paper investigates relationships among casino revenue, crime rates, and the number of visitors in Las Vegas, Nevada. Numerous studies have attempted to assess the impact of casino activities on crime rates but have provided inconclusive results. Some studies have found that casino activities increase crime rates, while others find no significant relationship between casino gambling and crime rates. But all studies that have found casinos increase crime rates do not adjust the crime rate for the number of visitors to the area. The impact of casino activities on crime rates disappears, however, when crime rates are adjusted for visitors. This study revisits the question with consideration for the potential endogeneity among variables. This paper addresses endogeneity concerns by estimating the impact of casino activities on crime using a system of equations to represent casino activities, adjusted crime rates, and visitors. Three stage least squares is used to estimate the system. Results show that the impact of casino activities on crime rates persists even after crime rates are adjusted for the visitors. Efforts to reduce crime can be effective in boosting the Las Vegas regional economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the spaces of globalization by the globalized businesses of gambling, entertainment, and resort operations. In particular, it re-examines how the real estate development, finance, and entertainment industries have allied in the early twenty-first century in two unusual spatial settings: a newly returned territory to the People's Republic of China (PRC), or the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), and Clark County, Nevada in the United States of America (USA) with the city of Las Vegas at its core. Neither of these sites is known for its cosmopolitan sophistication, but socio-economic networks of the global gaming, resort, shopping, and entertainment industries are using the theme park motifs rooted in huge new casino properties to generate a simulated cosmopolitan allure, which could be characterized as 'casinopolitanism'. This paper analyzes how the fantasy destination spaces built by gaming corporations unfold as packaged globalist cultural revolutions and casinopolitan modes of life in the otherwise (un)(under)valorized spaces of Macau and Nevada. Este estudio explora los espacios de la globalizacion, mediante los negocios globalizados del juego, entretenimiento y operaciones de centros vacacionales. En particular, reexamina como el desarrollo de los bienes raices, las finanzas y las industrias de entretenimiento se han aliado a principios del siglo veintiuno en dos entornos espaciales: un nuevo territorio recientemente devuelto a la Republica Popular de la China (RPC), o la Region Administrativa Especial de Macao (SAR) y el Condado de Clark, Nevada en los Estados Unidos de America (E.E.U.U.) con la ciudad de Las Vegas en su centro. Ninguno de estos sitios se conoce por su sofisticacion cosmopolita, mas por sus redes socio-economicas del juego global, centros vacacionales, comercio e industrias de entretenimiento, que estan usando los motivos de los parques tematicos arraigados en nuevas propiedades inmensas de casinos, para generar una atraccion cosmopolita simulada, que podria caracterizarse como 'casinopolitanismo'. Este articulo analiza como los espacios del destino de la fantasia construidos por las corporaciones del juego, se presentan como revoluciones culturales globalistas empaquetadas y modos de vida casinopolitas en otros espacios (des)(sub) valorizados de Macao y Nevada. [image omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major reasons for the reluctance to legalize many of the popular forms of gambling is the belief that these forms are particularly difficult to control honestly. It is generally believed that organized crime has been able to undermine regulatory mechanisms. This paper reports on the difficulties and successes of the Nevada Gambling Control Board's efforts to deal with a sophisticated and complex form of gambling organization and compares and contrasts that regulation with the regulation of casino gambling in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February of 2009 and 2010, President Obama made what some in the media and gaming industries construed as negative public statements regarding trips to Las Vegas. Some claimed these statements could easily be interpreted as a suggestion that companies and individuals avoid casino areas, thus doing additional harm to their surrounding economies during already tough times. In this paper, we use event study methodology to examine stock market reactions ofU.S. casino-related businesses to the president's statements. We find that President Obama's statements were followed by significant negative abnormal returns in the segment of companies targeted more towards conventions, trade shows, and tourism, and by significant positive abnormal returns for companies with more of a local/regional focus. Our findings suggest that the president's statements did not adversely affect all casino-related businesses, but they also were not benign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting the job satisfaction of casino hotel chefs, and whether chefs' background characteristics are associated with their overall and specific facets of job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 152 surveys were analyzed using a randomly selected sample of 25 major casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada. The sample selection represented chefs working in various types of foodservice operations within the hotel segments. Findings - Overall, the casino hotel chefs were satisfied with their jobs (M = 3.9). Among intrinsic factors, the chefs were most satisfied with the "work itself" and least satisfied with "growth and recognition" they received. Among extrinsic factors, they were most satisfied with "supervision" and least satisfied with "company policy" pertaining to sick leave and paid vacation. Highest job satisfaction levels were found among chefs who worked in the fine dining kitchens and supervised between 21 and 30 employees. Practical implications - Results reinforce the value of recognition at work and creation of specialized incentive programs. In order to be most effective, these programs should be tailored to chefs working in different kitchen types and with various levels of management and supervisory responsibilities. Originality/value - Job satisfaction of casino hotel chefs has been minimally studied, yet they have significant roles in successful hotel operations. This study is unique in directing attention to the "back of the house leaders" - hotel chefs, in a top tier gaming and tourism city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the percentage of gamblers who smoke while gambling at three of Nevada's major gambling destinations, Las Vegas, Reno/Sparks and Lake Tahoe. Methods: Teams of two people counted the number of smokers and total number of gamblers at various Nevada casinos. The total number of gamblers observed smoking was then multiplied by three to determine the total number of smokers. This methodology for determining the number of smokers in a room was established by Repace and Lowry in 1980. Results: We observed a total of 14 052 gamblers at the three sites, of which a total of 947 were smoking. We estimated the percentage of smokers at three gaming tourist centres in Nevada (Las Vegas, Reno/Sparks and Lake Tahoe). The percentage of smokers at Las Vegas (20.3% (95% CI 0.9)) and Reno/ Sparks (21.5% (95% CI 1.2%)) did not significantly differ from the US population percentage of smokers (20.9% (95% CI 0.6%)) (p>0.05). However, at Lake Tahoe the percentage of smokers (16.4% (95% CI 1.8%)) was significantly lower than the published US population smoker percentage (p<0.0001). Mean percentage of smokers by location did not significantly differ (p = 0.43) Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the percentage of gamblers who smoke was less than or not different from the overall US percentage of a population who smoke. These findings provide additional evidence to refute the exemption to smoking bans for casinos based upon the supposition that a greater percentage of casino customers are smokers than the general population and therefore a smoking ban for casinos may result in an economic hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the production of hyperreality and kitsch in the latest generation of hotel-casino developments in Las Vegas. In these environments, visual imagery is manipulated for the creation of spectacle and a sense of alienation from time and reality. This suspension of real time and space is aimed at both facilitating the production of a simulated environment as "natural" and producing ideal sites for pleasure and consumption. Building upon the concepts of hyperreality and kitsch, this study proposes the framework of hyperkitsch to understand Las Vegas's contribution to contemporary urbanization. Through four case studies, this paper suggests that the iconographies of hyperkitsch allow visitors to enact fantasy lives that ease the estrangement that is the result of conflicted urban identities and impoverished citizenship in today's alienating cities. The first two are Rome and New York at Caesar's Palace and the New York-New York Hotel/Casinos respectively, which established the newprototype of the hotel-casino complex. The latter two case studies are the urban microcosms of the Venetian and Aladdin, which among the newer hotels feature the perfected "naturalized" cityscape ever more prominently. Breaking ranks with popular dismissive critiques of the Las Vegas prototype, this study argues that if hyperkitsch is here to stay, we need to explore its pedagogical, liberating, and redemptive potential. A t a time when meaningful urban citizenship struggles to find footing in a culture increasingly defined by spectacle, hedonism, and consumerism, the hope for this study is to suggest a way out of the impasse imposed by the crises of social urban identity formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local gamblers are an important market segment for casino marketers providing a reliable source of revenue during slow periods. This paper presents selected gaming behavior of local residents in the Las Vegas area, linking socio-demographic characteristics with gaming behavior. In addition, this article examines the relationships of Las Vegas area locals and their visiting friends and family members in two aspects. First, we identified the influence local residents have on visiting friends and family in terms of recommendations made regarding gambling in general and specific gaming locations. Second, this article describes how visiting friends and family influence local residents in terms of gaming behavior and additional spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On November 27, 2001, the Supreme Court ruled in Chickasaw v. United States that Native American gaming (NAG) firms are subject to federal excise and occupational taxes. Prior to the decision, these firms had been exempt from all federal taxation. We hypothesize that Chickasaw improves the competitive position of publicly traded gaming firms and their suppliers by leveling the playing field for publicly traded firms. Consistent with this argument, we find that the stock prices of publicly traded gaming firms and their suppliers reacted positively to the announcement of the Chickasaw Supreme Court and Tenth Circuit decisions. We also hypothesize that Nevada casinos are relatively insulated from competition because they offer a unique experience that is not easily replicated by NAG firms. Consistent with this argument, we find smaller stock price reactions for firms with Nevada operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short photographic essay is a reflection on the practice of cultural geography in places that are in the process of becoming historically significant. My focus is on a visit I made to the Neon Boneyard in Las Vegas in 2004, where I photographed signs collected from demolished casinos, bars and hotels as part of a research project on waste, decay and cultural memory in Nevada. While I initially explored the site to glean memory-work for my doctoral thesis on high-level nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain, in another life before graduate school, I worked as a cultural heritage consultant in Australia. In making active connections between signs and meanings in-the-present, I wondered if sites such as the Neon Boneyard offer a different approach to practicing heritage in places. The text that accompanies the photographs is a reflection on the relationship between public art, junk and the practices of urban heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Utilizing police calls for service data this study examines the relationship between different crime hotspots across a gaming jurisdiction (Reno, Nevada). Conventional wisdom suggests that casinos play a role in the creation, maintenance, and nature of crime hotspots; however, prior analyses of this relationship have been inconsistent. This study looks at the city's various crime hotspots and compares them according to crime type and spatial-temporal characteristics to shed light on the impact of gaming on the city's overall crime problem. Implications for law enforcement agencies are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the relationship between the U.S. stock market and gaming revenues of the top two U.S. gaming destinations, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The results show that stock market movement did affect casino gaming revenues in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but in opposite directions, during the period January 1990-December 1999. While the positive correlation between the stock market and Las Vegas gaming revenue was likely due to a wealth effect, the negative association between the stock market and Atlantic City gaming revenue could result from a substitution effect. The findings of the study suggest that stock market movement may help gaming destinations better forecast gaming demand, hence, making their marketing and promotion more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the newest customer segments to be identified by casino marketers is the "locals" market, or local resident gambler market. This study addresses the relative lack of empirical data on the "locals" market segment. The purposes of the study are to identify important reasons for visiting a particular casino; to identify which casinos respondents visit most often and why; to gain an understanding of such behavioral variables as gambling budget, time spent gambling, and favorite game; and to determine perceptions of different casinos in the Las Vegas area. The results may not generalize across all casino markets but they do provide insight into gamblers' activities and behavior patterns. A telephone survey administered to residents of the Las Vegas metropolitan area yielded a sample of 637 participants who gamble for a least 15 minutes once every 2 months in a legalized gambling establishment. A customer satisfaction index based on casino performance on importance variables is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This ethnography of blackjack dealing at a corporate casino in Nevada reveals that dealers, to make tips, regularly violate the house's directives for regulating their interactive labor. Although the emergent sociology of service work has highlighted novel dilemmas of autonomy (workers must be free to provide "authentic" emotional labor) and interests (workers may team up with clients) for management, it too narrowly focuses on the service labor process and, thus cannot fully account for the genesis and functions of the casiono's system of labor control. This regime is analyzed as a "hegemonic" regime. This entails, first specifying the structural changes in the American gambling industry that have led to the contemporary competitive casino's tipped labor system; and second, elucidating the functions for management of ceding to workers a degree of freedom: lower labor costs and customized service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the impact of the Atlantic City casino gaming activity on Nevada's gross taxable gaming revenues. Use of dynamic unobserved components time series models; Augmentation of stochastic trend model; Presentation of evidence that intergenerational events may affect state economies.