MARKETING REPORT ON SIMULATION

Marketing report on Simulation

Marketing report on Simulation

Introduction

The gaming industry is expanding at a rapid pace and thus, gambling opportunities are expanding (Lee et al., 2006). Recently, casino gaming has transformed into a mainstream activity, and many see it as fundamentally similar to many other recreational options (Cook, 1992). For example, all but two states in the USA (Hawaii and Utah) have legalized some form of commercial gambling. Internationally, Las Vegas-type casinos have expanded to Asian cities such as Macao and Singapore. The US casino industry received 56.2 million casino visitors. Also, US commercial casinos employed 366,197 people, paid wages of $13.3 billion, contributed $5.20 billion in direct gaming taxes, and earned $33.42 billion in growing gaming revenue.

Numerous researchers have conducted gaming-related research in the area of casinos, horseracing, lotteries, and internet gaming. Areas of focus for gaming research include laws and regulations, operation management, human resources, technology, the economic impact, the social-psychological impact, and tourism management. Also, the scope of research covers both the micro-and macro-levels of gaming-related activities. At the micro-level, casino operation and other types of individual managerial strategies were discussed. At the macro-level, the social and economic impacts of gaming on society in both national and international markets were studied.

Among the limited number of publications in the area of gaming research, the Gaming Research & Review Journal (GRRJ) is one of the most practical gaming research journals for both practitioners and academics. This journal was established in 1994 by the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and is available biannually. Because the gaming industry has developed at such a fast pace, there have been numerous changes in the research focus over time. Thus, it is worthwhile to summarize the trends in research in order to better understand the scope of gaming research. Specifically, the main purposes of this study are to overview and summarize all articles published in the UNLV GRRJ from 1994 to 2008, in order to understand the trends in gaming research, and then to identify research gaps to suggest future research topics.

With an estimated $60 billion spent annually in the United States on gambling in 1997 (National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission, 1999), and an estimated $90 billion spent in 2001, the potential for gaming revenues encourages keen interest in this pervasive industry. Charitable gaming is expanding, and joins such gaming activities as casinos, state lotteries, pari-mutuel wagering, riverboat gambling, and gaming devices. Gambling, once thought to be a shady and corrupt business, has become more widely accepted as a legitimate industry, and is now often called “gaming”.

Trends of the Gaming Industry Starting from 2006-2007

Gaming companies are relentlessly expanding into existing markets, moving into new ones, and continually searching for new outlets to attract gamers. Rob Powers, vice president of communications for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), note that, “The great irony is that Iowa now has gambling and Las Vegas is a family-friendly destination” (Bay, ...