Center for Gaming Research
August 2017 Update
|
|
A new podcast, paper, and new reports.
|
New UNLV Gaming Podcast Released
"Comparing the Professionalization of Pro Gamblers and Pro Video Game Players"
In this July 14, 2017 Colloquium Talk, Johnson dicusses the commonalities and differences in the practives and lives of professional gamblers and professional video game players.
|
3 Nevada Footprint Reports Updated
Now with data through June 30, 2017:
A breakdown of total licenses and numbers of games, tables, and slots from 1963 to the present--restricted and non-restricted locations.
A breakdown of total licenses and numbers of games, tables, and slots from 1963 to the present--restricted and non-restricted locations.
|
|
New Occasional Paper Posted
ABSTRACT: This paper explores the lives and practices of professional gamblers and professional video game players. Although both sets of individuals earn their incomes through games and other broadly "playful" practices, the work identifies four significant differences in their careers and what the "everyday" of these individuals looks like. Firstly, in terms of the nature of "skill" required to progress in these careers, and how these players reflect on and understand their own skill; secondly, the role of money and "money management" in their lives, and the different rhythms of financial gain, and potentially loss; thirdly, the observation that whereas almost all professional video game players pursue a single game to a high level, professional gamblers generally pursue many games, a reflection of the different economic superstructures surrounding the two practices; and fourthly, differences in working hours and freedom, where professional gamblers live a life of flexibility and variation, whilst those of eSports players are regimented and highly structured. It shows that although both are professional game-players, there is wide divergence in this experiences, caused by the entanglement of external factors such as skill, luck, risk, legality, and technology, in this practices. The paper concludes by recommending future research into these elements and how they intersect with gameplay, in order to future understand the lives of these most skilled game-playing individuals.
View the paper
here (pdf)
|
|
Eadington Fellowship Application Cycle Has Closed
The Center for Gaming Research has received a deep pool of applications for the 2017-8
Eadington Fellow
s
h
ips.The Selection Committee is currently
In the 201
7-18 academic year, the Center will award two types of Eadingto
n fellowships:
 |
|
- Four-week Resident Fellowships offer a $3,000 stipend. This award is intended for graduate students conducting dissertation research, junior faculty, particularly those turning dissertations into books, and senior faculty pursuing new research opportunities. Resident Eadington Fellows will complete a month-long residency at Special Collections at the University Libraries, deliver a public talk (which is recorded as part of the Center's podcast series), and contribute a brief paper to the Center's Occasional Paper Series. It is expected that the research they conduct will be incorporated into their dissertation, a book, or another major research project. Residencies for these fellowships can be scheduled to conclude any time before September 1, 2018-this includes the summer.
- Two-week Visiting Fellowships offer a $1,500 stipend. This award is intended for senior faculty or junior faculty who do not have the time to commit to a month-long residency. Visiting Eadington Fellows will spend a minimum of two weeks in residency doing research at Special Collections, deliver a public talk (which is recorded as part of the Center's podcast series), and contribute a brief paper to our Occasional Paper Series. It is expected that their research will be incorporated into an article, book chapter, or other research project. These residencies must be completed by June 30, 2018.
All Eadington fellows will complete a residency at Special Collections; deliver a public talk (which is recorded as part of the Center's podcast series); and contribute a brief paper to the Center's Occasional Paper Series.
|
| Eadington Fellow in Residence
Kelli Wood is in the midst of her
four-week residency in Special Collections.
Wo
od i
s a
n Assistant Professor in the Dept. of the History of Art at the University of Michigan and a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Michigan Society of Fellows. In addition to her work on early modern art, her interests include game studies and its history in visual and material culture, including video games.
Wood's research is utilizing primary printed sources from the sixteenth century and secondary sources relating to the historiography of playing cards as material objects. This work will found the basis for her talk, "A History of Play in Print: Paper Games from Cards to Candyland," a transhistorical look at the evolution from Renaissance cards to modern board games and what they tell us about how we play with storytelling, imagination, and chance.
|
|
New Esports Webpage Launched
In June, the Center launched its new Esports research portal:
The
page is designed to assist research into the phenomenon of competitive video gaming, or esports. It is intended to provide researchers at all levels with some secondary sources (research and analysis) about the topic, as well as primary sources for new original research.
|
|
Updated Reports--Monthly
National
Monthly combined win totals for (nearly) every U.S. commercial casino and racino
Nevada
Revenue trends for Statewide, Las Vegas Strip, Downtown Las Vegas, Boulder Strip, and Washoe County for the month for the past ten years
Rolling summary for the past half-year
Annual hold percentage averages, with monthly maximum and minimums, 2004-17
Annual and Monthly Hold Percentages, 2004-2017
An Analysis of Monthly Statewide Results
New Jersey
Monthly and Year-to-Date Revenue Results
Other States
Table and Slot Machine Operating Statistics
Gross Terminal Revenue, Number of Machines, and Win/Unit/Day
Monthly Handle, Win, Promotional and Other Totals
Units, Credits In, Promotional Credits, Net Revenues, and Other Metrics
Revenues, Year/Year Change, and Market Share by Casino
Slot, Table, and Total Revenues by Month, 2012-present
|
|
Latest Book: Tales from the Pit
Dealing in a casino presents challenges and rewards not seen in many workplaces. With hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake every minute, casinos are high-stress workplaces. Managing a casino workforce brings stresses of its own. Drawn from these interviews and edited by CGR Director David G. Schwartz,
Tales from the Pit
provides an overview of how the interviewees felt about a variety of topics, ranging from their experiences breaking in as new dealers to their transitions to management and the changes the industry has seen over their careers. The current and former managers speak candidly about the owners, bosses, dealers, and players who made each day challenging.
Tales from the Pit: Casino Table Games Managers in Their Own Words
edited by David G. Schwartz
Paperback
List Price: $23.00
Our Price: $18.00
Buy Now
|
| Sharing Expertise with the Media
Last month, Center Director David G. Schwartz spoke with approximately 11 print, online, radio, and television media contacts about a range of topics.
|
Get Involved
We are always seeking donations of materials that document the history of gambling and Southern Nevada. If you would like to discuss donating company or personal papers, photographs, or documents, please call or email
Dr. Schwartz
If you would like to donate money to support new book acquisitions or the
Eadington Fellowship
program, please visit
this page
and specify "Eadington Fellows" as the designation.
|
|
About the Center for Gaming Research
Located within Special Collections at UNLV's state-of-the-art Lied Library, the Center for Gaming Research is committed to providing support for scholarly inquiry into all aspects of gaming. Through its website,
http://gaming.unlv.edu, the Center offers several unique research tools and information sources.
About the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution of 29,700 students and 3,300 faculty and staff. Founded in 1957, the university offers more than 220 undergraduate, masters and doctoral degree programs. UNLV is located on a 332-acre campus in dynamic Southern Nevada and is classified in the category of Research Universities (high research activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
|
|
