March 2020
⇲ CDC FOCUS
by Buddy Frank

"The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep.” – Edgar Watson Howe

Last year, Scientific American published an article by Columbia Business School researcher Michael Slepian called “Why the Secrets You Keep Are Hurting You.” In that work, their research found that that 97 percent of people have at least one secret at any given moment and that people have, on average, 13 secrets. Want to know a fourteenth? Few industries keep as many secrets as gaming, and those secrets are causing more harm that you might imagine.

Why do we do it? Maybe it’s rooted in our organized crime genealogy. After all, letting the Feds know how much we were skimming probably wouldn't have been prudent. Or maybe it’s from our carnival background, where we bragged about “97% paybacks!” instead of proclaiming “Lose 3% of your money!”

Whatever it was, the time for secrets is over. Or it should be.

The second annual Eilers & Krejcic Gaming Slot Awards honor the best in the business.

by Frank Legato

On February 27, the slot sector gathered at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for the second annual Eliers & Krejcic Gaming Slot Awards. The EKG Slot Awards are compiled using a formula consisting of game performance data combined with a survey of qualified slot managers in the land-based categories. EKG is one of the most respected sources of information on the monthly performance of slots for all the major manufacturers.

Awards were given in 24 different categories, and Triple Play Poker inventor Ernie Moody was the second member inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame.

by Buddy Frank

When Eldorado Resorts and VICI announced in January that they’d sold Harrah’s Reno to a non-casino developer, it marked the end of an era in American gaming. The Reno property was once the flagship holding of William F. Harrah, perhaps the most influential figure in modern gaming.

Several authors seem to agree on that status, as no other gaming industry executive is the subject of more books or articles than Bill Harrah. He is either the main subject, or a major influence on the subjects of, at least eight or nine volumes.

What follows is a look at some of the best.

ReelHot February 2020 Update
Top-performing game title per Supplier (trailing 3 months).

Click here or the chart below to see the full ReelHot index.
Upcoming Industry Events of Interest
Tropicana Las Vegas - 03/23/2020 - 03/26/2020
The WGPC is an annual conference that connects casino surveillance, asset protection professionals and regulators from around the world. The event examines current and emerging threats to casino entertainment complexes and explores opportunities and practices to combat those threats.
Intercontinental Malta - 03/24/2020 - 03/26/2020
CasinoBeats Malta brings vital industry insight, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities directly to one of online gaming’s spiritual homelands.
Goa, India - 03/25/2020 - 03/27/2020
Following the ground-breaking SPiCE 2019, attended to capacity and supported to so well by the gaming fraternity in India and the world over, the summit succeeded in bring-ing together key stakeholders instrumental to the future of betting and gambling in India. With an agenda designed to illuminate the status quo – and consider the case for legali-sation and regulation, and exploring commercial opportunities, responsible gambling and consumer protection and legislation and regulation as a vehicle to ensure betting integrity – this event allowed for frank discussion and debate on the future of betting, gaming and gambling in India.
New Orleans, LA - 05/13/2020 - 05/14/2020
Now in its 2nd year, ICE North America combines sports betting, casino, tribal and affiliate gaming industries, and seeks to uncover the next generation of technology and market trends. Covering the full breadth of US Gaming, ICE North America 2020 will include new content around hospitality, eSports and property development.
Wyndham Garden Berlin Mitte, Berlin - 05/05/2020 - 05/06/2020
Through attending iGG2020, you will get up to speed with the current gaming status in Germany while learning about new developments in preparation. Attendees will find themselves positioned to enter a new market and discover future opportunities from market-ready experts. Acquire a thorough knowledge of the regulatory framework in Germany and surrounding region. Join us at iGG2020 and gain valuable business contacts through formal and informal networking events.
This report is edited by Buddy Frank , Frank Legato , and Justin Martin