The 2017 version of Global Gaming Expo, G2E ended on October 5, 2017. By all accounts it was a success, even in the face of the carnage at the Route 91 Harvest concert. In that attack 58 people were killed and hundreds more were wounded while attending the concert in Las Vegas. However the show did go on, as life must always do in the face of tragedy.
G2E functions as the premier gathering place for the gaming industry. It is a venue for networking, exchanging information and an opportunity to see the latest industry products on parade. Traditionally, G2E has offered a glimpse of what to expect on the casino floors in the following year. The slot machines that will capture the majority of the sales in the coming year are there to be seen and evaluated for the first time. But there is much more than slot machines to see on the exhibition floor. Every major vendor of casino related products and services is there vying for attention. Additionally, there are seminars where the most important issues of the day are discussed. When it is over, attendees leave Las Vegas exhausted, but with the feeling they have a better grasp of gaming industry issues and products. They are ready to go home and get to work bringing the ideas and products to their casinos.
This year was no exception; those who attended G2E 2017 were on the leading edge of the discussions on enhanced security, esports, skill-based slot machines and much more. They were also on the leading edge of another trend that is affecting the industry. Although most might not have noticed the paradigm switch, media coverage is changing. Print journalism is abandoning gaming coverage and internet sources are stepping in to fill the gap.
In the years that I have been following the annual show one of the most significant changes that I have seen is in media coverage. A few years ago, newspapers from Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Biloxi, Miami, Detroit, New Orleans, Hartford, Chicago, Reno and of course Las Vegas had reporters on the scene. They reported on the major trends and products from the exhibition, adding any local color they could find. In fifteen years of doing the Adams Daily Report, I have relied on those papers for the articles on G2E. On any given day, I could depend on at least five well-written, in-depth stories from G2E. However, by G2E 2017, the situation had become very different. The Las Vegas Review-Journal and Sun were the only newspapers covering the event. The other newspapers that formerly sent reporters have discontinued gaming as a separate beat. They no longer have reporters dedicated to the industry and certainly no budget for G2E.
This year, the electronic media was there instead and CDC Gaming Reports had the highest profile at the show. CDC had ten people working the floor, writing articles and taking pictures. At the end of each day, CDC published electronically its “From the Floor – G2E 2017.” From the Floor had ten to twelve articles and commentary summarizing the seminars and describing the products on display. The CDC coverage included Buddy Frank on slot machines. Buddy was doubly qualified to be there; he is both a former slot director and a reporter. As a slot director, Buddy has purchased hundreds of slot machines; each year he attended G2E looking for the best games to put on his casino floor and because of that experience, Buddy knows slot machines. His insights into the slots at G2E 2017 would be valuable to anyone trying to make sense of the dazzling displays. But Buddy was not alone in making a real contribution to understanding the dynamics of G2E, each member of the CDC team added important perspectives. In the interest of full disclosure, I have been associated with CDC and Jeffrey Compton for 15 years. CDC distributes my Adams Daily Report; in fact the report was originally Jeff’s idea.
Fifteen years ago, print media was still viable and in most gaming jurisdictions it covered gaming extensively. The reporters were experienced journalists and knew the casino industry in their area well. However, over the years all of those reporters moved on either to other beats or to other careers as newspapers downsized and relied more heavily on wire service stories. Media covering gaming distributed via the internet has moved into provide the kind of coverage that print media once did. CDC has become a leader in gaming coverage, distributing three separate news reports every week day and additional reports on the weekend. Still, it was a big step moving to full coverage of G2E with original content. My congratulations to all for a job very well done.
