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The
casino games manager runs the casino. Every aspect
of the operation is under his control in one way
or another.
At one time, when casinos games weren't owned by
public corporations, but were rather free-wheeling
affairs, the casino games manager's power was awesome.
In those days, which lasted into the 1960s, the
people running the big hotel-casinos in Nevada didn't
really care that much about hotel, restaurant, or
entertainment operations except as they affected
the casino. At that time, all these operations were
heavy money losers, but it didn't really matter,
because the casino raked in the cash and made so
much money that the losses became insignificant.
Then the economy changed; inflation increased and
executives who ran these hotel-casinos became aware
of the mounting costs. Every aspect of the operation
today is expected to pull its own weight, except
for the entertainment section. It still is a big
loss leader, because the few performers who can
attract enough customers to fill the showrooms draw
tremendous salaries and other fringe benefits.
Perhaps the biggest star of them all, in Vegas terms,
was the late Elvis Presley, who was a bargain to
the Las Vegas Hilton no matter how many hundreds
of thousands of dollars a week they paid him. For
two months of every year Elvis was king of Vegas,
and his show filled the giant showroom of the Hilton
for every performance.
Frank Sinatra is another great star, not because
he fills showrooms, but because he brings in the
premium players from all over the world to the casinos
he works in. |
