Big Gaming declares war on employees

The NRA’s position exposes Big Gaming’s high-minded prating about Coronavirus safety as just so much mouthwash. It wants lawsuits limited to “solely … those bad actors that fail to take necessary steps to protect their employees and customers” … unless they belong to the NRA. Amnesty to be granted to members who are “working responsibly and in good faith.” And who’s the arbiter? Isn’t that why we have the courts? Seconded Battle Born Progress Executive Director Annette Magnus, “It is a liability issue, so what you do is you go above and beyond to make sure you’re covering yourself.” Vegas Chamber CEO Mary Beth Sewald made a predictable argument, “We’re not trying to protect any bad actors, but if you look across the country, lawsuits are already ramping up.” Yes, and so is Covid. Coincidence? We think not.

Miller, for his part, showed his true priorities by calling for “full deduction for business meals.” By golly, we’ve got to save the three-martini lunch! Our republic hangs in the balance! As for corporate amnesty, “We heard across all gaming segments that this relief measure is critical for our industry to reopen and stay open.” Presumably “all gaming segments” does not include workers, who don’t pay AGA dues. “The AGA will continue to fight to ensure this is a core element of any deal that emerges.” To give him his props, Miller wants bigger employee-retention and PPE tax credits. Less realistically, he also seeks “Provisions targeted at restarting the travel and tourism industry such as incentives for conventions and business travel, spending on meals and entertainment, and other measures to get Americans traveling again.” If he’d been following the news, organizations like his own Global Gaming Expo and the Consumer Electronics Show aren’t biting the dust for lack of tax credits but absence of safety. All the business incentives in the world won’t conjure up a vaccine, which is what the gaming industry needs more than anything Congress can provide.

International Game Technology is one of the businesses feeling the Covid bite right now. In the second quarter, gaming and interactive revenue fell from $274 million to $96 million. Lottery sales held steadier, 12% down to $273 million. International revenue tumbled from $229 million to $84 million while the Italy segment slipped from $422 million to $184 million. IGT eked out a gross profit of $10 million in sales and registered a gross profit from services. Yes, it’s a good thing slot machines and support systems don’t last forever. Expansion units actually went up, from 438 to 1,382 but the replacement cycle was a comparative bust, down from 4,223 to 1,344. North America revenue per slot slipped from $15,662 to $14,674.

Jottings: M Resort just pink-slipped 352 employees, another sign that recovery is far from just around the corner. General Manager Hussain Mahrous stated the terminations were “the unfortunate result of COVID-19-related business circumstances that were sudden, dramatic, and beyond our control” … Another delay for the reopening of The Mirage: It’s now August 27 … Not-so-good news from Caesars Rewards. It’s advertising rooms “as low as $10” a night to members.