The opening of Resorts World Las Vegas in June last year -the first ground-up resort development on the Strip in more than a decade- felt like big news, even within an industry accustomed to enormous projects. The $4.3 billion complex, owned by Genting, was designed to be more than just another venue in the gambling mecca: one of the biggest projects ever in Vegas, the casino resort is also proof of how much gaming and hospitality technology has advanced in the last few years.
For the property, which features 3,500 rooms and 117,000 square feet of gaming space, Resorts World partnered with some of the most innovative partners in the industry in an effort “to redefine the hospitality standard in Las Vegas,” as stated in an early press release. To that aim, the casino features cashless gaming throughout the property -a trend set to gain momentum this year-; intelligent gaming tech, including a “smart table” system; and much more.
In an exclusive interview with Yogonet -which follows a prior one held earlier this month with RWLV President Scott Sibella-, Rick Hutchins, Resorts World Las Vegas Senior Vice President of Casino Operations, discusses the early adoption of cashless solutions, plus further plans to extend this solution in the future.
Hutchins also reflects on gaming technology, and how it allows for an improved customer experience at the casino, plus how it enables a better understanding of guest preferences. Moreover, the executive discusses Resorts World Las Vegas’ sports betting offering at a time in which the sports wagering craze is taking over the US.
Resorts World Las Vegas was quick to adapt cashless wagering, a technology expected to further expand into new venues across the US this year. What has customer reception been like so far and what new developments does RWLV plan to deploy for cashless gaming in the future?
Thus far, we are seeing very favorable acceptance of cashless wagering. Because we developed our mobile app to function as our loyalty (players) card, guests are able to view their rewards, points and cashless wagering balances in one place. Furthermore, they can use it to play slots and table games, which is an industry first.
Looking forward, we have plans to expand the convenience of the cashless wallet to encompass a complete integrated resort wallet as well as provide more marketing conveniences. We will continue to innovate in this area.
Along with cashless wagering, Resorts World Las Vegas also features other latest technologies in gaming, such as a “smart table” system that tracks guests’ activity and seamless integration. What opportunities has this opened up for the venue?
Our Smart Table helps us in a number of ways. First, because the technology allows us to track all bets at the table, we are able to rate all customers that are part of our Genting Rewards program.
Most other operators are unable to do this due to the manual tracking processes they use. This technology allows our team members to focus more on the guest experience, our rewards program and the resort amenities.
In addition to its Smart Table system, which tracks user behavior – do other technologies also allow, for instance, in the case of slots, the casino to obtain real-time behavior data? How does RWLV leverage these assets?
Our casino system, anchored by Konami Gaming‘s SYNKROS platform, was designed and built to allow us to track all loyalty behaviors throughout the resort. Guests can play, earn and be rewarded for all casino activity, enjoy our numerous restaurants and other non-gaming amenities and receive recognition and rewards for these experiences as well.
As we continue to garner visits from our loyalty members, we will be able to understand more about their preferences and be able to provide more relevant offers and communication, focusing on delivering real-time through the Resorts World App.
Resorts World Las Vegas partnered upon launch with IGT PlaySports for retail and state-wide sports mobile betting. Sports wagering experienced record figures in the US in 2021: how does Resorts World’s product stand out amid the growing competition?
Our vision was to create an experience that is untraditional in the Las Vegas market. We want our customers to enjoy sports along with live entertainment in one place, which is known as Dawg House.
This integrated sports bar and sportsbook creates excitement throughout all seasons. The IGT PlaySports product allows us to fully manage our guest experience as well as provide the high-stakes action many sports bettors are seeking.
