Teamwork Leads To Success For The New Sky Ute Casino Resort

April 2009
Crown Casino Seating: 40
Years Of Design Expertise And
Manufacturing Excellence
David Vs. Goliath: CADDO
Solutions Beats The Giants
With Superior Service, Products
Infloor and Modular Wiring
Systems By Wiremold Are
Durable, Flexible
Crown Casino Seating LLC, is one of
the world’s leading casino chair manufacturers. Located in Middlesex, N.J.,
the company has more than four
decades of manufacturing experience
in the casino and hospitality industries.
Crown Casino Seating products
come with new state-of-the-art
designs, as well as a 10-year warranty. Continued on Page 34
CADDO Solutions, a small Nativeowned business, has been competing
against the giants in the office products industry—and winning!
“During these tough economic
times, the big guys are trying to figure
out ways to cut costs,” says Dee St.
Cyr, Winnebago Tribe, CADDO’s
Director of Business Development, Continued on Page 34
Today’s casinos are a whole
different game. In addition to
the power, data and security
demands of the traditional
casino floor, many facilities
also incorporate hotels, convention centers or arenas.
Electrical and communication systems in contemporary
Tulalip Resort Casino: A
Testament To The Hard Work
Of The Tulalip Tribes
Discover A Bright Future
With Brilliant Concepts
LED Lighting Solutions
Sysco Awards $40,000 To
American Indian College
Fund For Scholarships
Great success stories often arise
from humble beginnings. Such is
the case with the Tulalip Tribes,
which recently opened Tulalip
Resort Casino—the most distinctive meeting, gaming, entertainment and shopping destination in Washington State.
“We are all extremely proud of this beautiful new
Brilliant Concepts, a division of Energy Efficient
Group, is an all-LED lighting company based in Billings, Mont. At the 2008 NIGA
show, its display of LED Palm Trees drew quite a crowd,
but what left the lasting impression was the LED Neon
Flex—an all-LED flexible alternative to glass tube neon.
Not only does it look great, but it is easy to install, requires
a minimum amount of maintenance, Continued on Page 34
Sysco Corporation awarded the American Indian College
Fund (the Fund) $40,000 for 40 scholarships totaling
$1,000 each, to benefit American Indian students. The
scholarship winners will be announced this spring.
“Sysco is pleased to partner with the American
Indian College Fund in the critically important area of
education. Over the past several years, Sysco has proudly committed both in-kind resources and financial support
Continued on Page 28
Continued on Page 28
Continued on Page 30
Across 25 Years, Sycuan Has
Grown, Prospered & Made
Customers For Life
FreeAxez: The Wire Management Smokin Joes Introduces
No Limit Filtered Cigars
Solution With Performance,
To Raves Here At NIGA
Flexibility And Style
Daniel J. Tucker, Chairman of the
Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay
Nation, talks about their economic
development during the past 25 years.
John E. Miller, Vice President,
FreeAxez, provides details on the
conpany’s unique product.
FL: Tell us a little about your casino.
FL: Tell our readers a little about
FreeAxez.
DJT: We are the longest tenured
casino in California. In November, Continued on Page 24
JM: It is an all steel, low profile,
quick-connect access flooring system. Continued on Page 26
Count Me In Unveils
bioTimeCenter For Fool-Proof
Fingerprint Keypad Entry
Smokin Joes, the first federally licensed cigarette manufacturer, launches a new line of filtered cigars under the
name of No Limit. The addition of the No Limit line adds
to the strength of Smokin Joes product lines in the filtered
cigar category with the addition of three more SKUs.
Smokin Joes brands has promised strong future growth
especially in light of the tight economic times. Most
Smokin Joes products offer a drastic savings compared to
Continued on Page 28
Count Me In, LLC, a leader in affordable fingerprintbased business applications and developer of the awardwinning line of Timecard Monitor employee time- and
labor-tracking solutions, unveils bioTimeCenter, an
enhanced data collection terminal that integrates the
fool-proof reliability of fingerprint biometrics with the
versatility of 16-button keypad entry.
bioTimeCenter enables businesses to capture,
Teamwork Leads To
Success For The New
Sky Ute Casino Resort And
The Southern Ute Indian
Tribe In Ignacio, Colo.
Continued on Page 24
Continued on Page 34
4
April 2009
First Look
RIESTER: 20 Years & Counting Of
‘Brand Activism’ To Help Native
American Communities Thrive
Tim Riester, President and CEO of
RIESTER, explains the importance
of social marketing for Native
American communities.
FL: What is your main line of business?
TR: RIESTER specializes in developing
social marketing campaigns to educate
the public, motivate their behavior
change and create more positive social
norms. Using a system RIESTER calls
Brand ActivismTM, the firm turns
consumers into lifelong believers of its
clients’ causes and engages their support
and involvement to advocate for positive
societal change. RIESTER’s unique marketing approach has assisted Native
American communities in passing
statewide ballot initiatives, and increased
visitation, player loyalty and involvement with Indian Gaming casinos and
resort hotels. With offices in Phoenix,
Los Angeles and Salt Lake City,
RIESTER is among the largest marketing
firms in the West. The company offers
clients a complete
range of services
including research,
brand
planning,
media planning and
buying, broadcast and
print ad creation, public relations, government relations and interactive.
AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED
WITH ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION
Lee M. Oser
CEO and Editor-in-Chief
Steve Cox
Kim Forrester
Kate Seymour
Associate Publishers
Lorrie Baumann
Business Affairs Manager
FL: Describe to our readers your current
marketing strategy.
TR: Since its founding 20 years ago, the
success of RIESTER’s Brand Activism
has been demonstrated in work on behalf
Continued on Page 30
Nate Searing
Senior Associate Editor
Jenna Crisostomo
Jennifer Tramm
Karrie Welborn
Associate Editors
Valerie Wilson
Art Director
Yasmine Brown
IMS Increases Cash On The
Casino Floor & Overall
Profitability For Its Customers
International Merchant Services, Inc.
(IMS) has been working in credit card
processing, check verification, check
guarantee and ATM processing and
deployment for nearly two decades. In
the late ‘80s, the company was primarily
in check verification, check guarantee
and credit card processing and equipment
sales. In 1992, its focus switched to the
cashless ATM, or scrip as it was often
called, until 1994 when the ATM become
the main line of business. Today, it
continues to have scrip, credit/debit card
processing, ATM and equipment maintenance to which IMS has added cash
advance and redemption equipment.
“Our focus has always been to keep
everything simple and straight forward,”
the company states. “That is not to say
that we have not been on the cutting edge
of technology, but our primary focus has
been to make it simple for the customer.
Our focus has thus been on high transaction-approval rates, great service, great
reporting and providing the most cash to
the floor as possible with the lowest possible cost to the card holder, thus spurring
usage and a greater return to the casino.”
In 2008, IMS solidified partnerships
with the Royal Bank of Scotland in the
credit card area, U.S. Bank to increase
cash availability and G&D for redemption, on-floor advertising and bank
automation equipment. These partnerships allow IMS to continue providing
Continued on Page 32
Graphic Designer
Andrew Oseman
Senior Account Manager
Jeff Barkhurst
Bill Morris
Jason Rhude
Jeff Rosano
Account Managers
Enrico Cecchi
European Sales
First Look is published by
Oser Communications Group ©2009.
All rights reserved.
Executive and editorial offices at:
1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715
520-721-1300/Fax: 520-721-6300
www.oser.com
www.firstlookpublishing.com
European offices located at
Lungarno Benvenuto
Cellini, 11, 50125 Florence, Italy.
8
April 2009
First Look
Indian Country Interior
Solutions Offers Professionalism
& Style On Every Project
Profitable Golf Facilities,
Native North Americans
And The Environment
Courtesy of ICIS, Inc.
Native North Americans have always had
a deep respect for Mother Earth and an
understanding of how to use her gifts
wisely. Today that philosophy is called
“sustainable environmentalism.” The
most common definition is: “Meeting the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.”
The very best environmental golf
courses are specifically planned, built
and maintained to be sustainable. This
requires a detailed study of the possible
ICIS, Inc. (dba Indian Country Interior
Solutions) is a Native American-owned,
women-owned company that does more
than just sell furniture.
As the name implies, we offer interior solutions to projects, whether it be a
casino, hotel, administration building,
school, library or hospital. This includes
design, product specification and procurement, as well as project management. We do it all, and we do it with style
and professionalism.
Our experienced staff cares about
each and every project, making sure it is
completed on schedule and within budget. Janie Millican, President of ICIS, Inc.
has been in the business for more than 20
years and is involved in every aspect of
the company. She is a member of the
Muscogee Creek Nation and divides her
time between Oregon and Oklahoma.
Having been President of the Oregon
Continued on Page 34
golf course site to
understand and
document all of its
resources and its
microclimate, and
only then can the
golf course be
planned to protect
the most sensitive areas, avoid areas of
high value and minimally impact all
other areas.
Once a routing plan is developed
that represents the best compromise of
these considerations, then comes the testing of soil and water quality to select the
best adapted grasses and landscapes, the
best root zone modification materials and
the best technology to save labor, energy,
water and maintenance. Intelligently
applying this concept to golf courses can
make them not only healthier environments that use less water, fertilizer, pesticides and fossil fuels, but can also make
them more profitable and entertaining.
Many golf courses, especially older
ones, were designed and built without
this attention to the environment or without the benefit of new technology.
Sometimes these courses can be easily
retrofitted, while other courses may
require some reconstruction. Hurdzan/
Fry takes the same deliberate approach
to studying and developing improvement
plans as it does for new ones, just as it
did for the Marriott Corporations’ golf
course at Camelback in Scottsdale (plan
set available in booth 739).
No golf course design firm is better
equipped to apply this method than
Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Course
Design. The company’s staff was educated in ecotoxicological, environmental
and turfgrass studies, to include two
Ph.D.s and several Master’s degrees, as
well as having designed more than 350
golf courses over a 50 year span. “We
modestly claim to be the environmental
leaders in golf and we can back up our
claims,” the company states.
Looking at the bigger picture, perhaps the most overlooked and underutilized profit center in golf is the golf
learning center or golf academy. Golf is a
healthful, outdoor, family oriented, nondiscriminating game that can also open
doors to opportunity. Golf is a great product, but it can be hard to sell because it is
not easy to learn, golf courses can be
intimidating to beginners and people
falsely believe it must be expensive.
None of those things about golf have to
be true if one has access to a proper golf
learning center.
A learning center is not just a driving
range and practice green, but rather it
includes an instructional classroom with
video equipment, golf learning aids, a
professionally developed and administered teaching curriculum, a short game
center and even practice holes where
beginners can learn the etiquette, rules,
customs and expectations for playing on
a course. This is like a “bunny slope” for
golf. Guests often visit a golf academy
Continued on Page 34
10
April 2009
First Look
Fort McDowell Casino Celebrates
A 25-Year Winning Streak
Fort McDowell Casino, celebrating 25
years of gaming excellence in the
Phoenix area, is the ultimate destination
for real Las Vegas-style gaming in the
desert Southwest. The 150,000-squarefoot facility is open 24 hours a day, seven
days a week and features slot machines,
poker, bingo, keno, five restaurants and
lounges and entertainment from some of
the nation’s finest performers.
Dubbed “The Fort,” it offers 866
gaming machines, including 158 video
poker machines. The Card Room, voted
“Best Place to Go All In” by The Arizona
Republic is open 24 hours a day, seven
days a week and provides 27 poker
tables and 20 blackjack tables. Poker
options include Texas Hold’em and
Omaha Hold’em. Poker tournaments are
hosted daily.
Patrons who join Fort McDowell’s
Fortune Club earn $10 in Crown Credits
and can earn tickets for events, receive
discounts on meals, gift shop discounts
and other incentives, based on the
amount of their play. Patrons 55 or older
are encouraged to join Club 55+ to get
special discounts on food throughout the
casino. Club members who visit regularly may be eligible for Gold, Platinum or
Elite memberships, which earn special
VIP packages.
An award-winning 1,275-seat bingo
hall features live bingo seven days a week in
smoking and non-smoking environments.
The keno lounge offers keno every
three-to-five minutes and also offers the
rapid-pace excitement of speed keno.
The Fort’s five restaurants offer an
amazing variety of dining opportunities from quick snacks to full-course
dining excellence. A New York Deli
provides a genuine deli experience
right in the heart of the desert.
Cottonwood Café is designed for casual dining in a peaceful and comfortable
environment. Ba’ja Grille features a
Be Environmentally Minded:
Pechanga Is Working Today
For A Greener Tomorrow
Courtesy of Pechanga
Pechanga has always been mindful of our
environment. As good citizens, we all
want to do our part to protect our fragile
environment. Clean air and clean water
are important to us. Many businesses are
committed to reducing pollution and
contamination of our resources through
the recycling of used materials, safe handling of hazardous wastes and application of best management practices.
Pechanga has taken a more aggressive approach to preserving our
resources. Pechanga invested in an alternative
energy
creation
system:
Pechanga’s Cogeneration (CoGen) plant,
which relies on a turbine that generates
electricity using natural gas, a clean
source of power. It runs continuously,
producing power 24 hours a day, seven
traditional diner menu with a Native
American flair. The Red Rock Buffet
menu includes all-you-can-eat crab
legs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Noodles Sushiya offers traditional
soup favorites in a hearty Chinese and
Vietnamese-inspired noodles menu
with a traditional sit-down sushi bar.
All five restaurants provide terrific
food at terrific prices just a few steps
from all the casino action.
Lucky 7 Saloon features amazing
drink specials, sporting events and its
famous “free and fabulous” live
entertainment every Friday, Saturday
and Sunday.
For 25 years, Fort McDowell Casino
has been—and will continue to be—
legendary for setting the standard for
excellence in gaming, dining, entertainment and event service in the Valley of
the Sun and the desert Southwest.
days a week. And unlike traditional energy creation systems, the CoGen plant
produces energy more efficiently. Instead
of releasing the heat created as a natural
byproduct of the process into the environment, the CoGen system recycles that
heat and uses it to power Pechanga
Resort and Casino’s kitchens, domestic
hot water heating, comfort heating and
air conditioning.
The CoGen system has the capacity
to produce up to 4 megawatts of power.
When the turbine is operating with
Continued on Page 32
14
April 2009
First Look
JE Dunn: A Leader In The Field
Of Native American Gaming
Construction Nationwide
JE Dunn Construction has been building
quality facilities since 1921 and is a
Native American gaming construction
leader. Its team members boast substantial gaming experience with proven performance records in new construction,
additions and renovations for casino,
hotel, office buildings and healthcare
facility projects.
The company has 28 projects completed or in progress for 19 different
Native American clients. It is a NIGA
associate member, as well as one of the
nation’s top 10 general builders, according to Engineering News-Record. With
22
offices
nationwide—including
Portland, Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix
and Denver—JE Dunn has more than
3,600 employees nationwide.
JE Dunn services and specialties include:
• In-house Precon and MEP Specialists.
• Quality Assurance.
• Building Information Modeling (BIM).
• Life Cycle Analysis.
• Complete Scheduling.
• Systems Evaluation.
• Effective Cost Control.
• Sustainability.
• Building Commissioning.
• Value Engineering Studies.
• Cost Estimating.
Managers Find Value In Online
Master’s Of Hospitality
Administration Program
Hospitality professionals are busy people.
This is a fast-paced, time-intensive industry that requires quick decisions, smiling
faces and the ability to jump in and fill in
for someone else if the need arises.
The Master’s of Hospitality
Administration (MHA) degree program
at the William F. Harrah Hotel College,
University of Nevada Las Vegas, was
developed specifically for those working
in the industry—people whose time is
not always their own. The 30-credit program is offered totally online in five
eight-week
sessions
per
year.
Applications are accepted year-round for
admittance into the upcoming session.
Accredited
• LEED®
Professionals.
overlapping design, permitting and construction. Our in-depth
So, how can clients gain
knowledge in areas like
from JE Dunn expertise?
security and durable
“We are different, with
finishes also help speed
the depth of our in-house
the process along.”
preconstruction group,
Your casino project
MEP
and
BIM
will benefit your commuSpecialists, JE Dunn has
nity. “We understand
the ability to work with
TERO requirements and
each individual design
we always promote the
discipline to develop
hiring of local labor, venearly and accurate pricdors and suppliers.”
ing, enabling our clients
When you’re ready
to establish early GMPs
to grow, JE Dunn will be
Photo by Matt Todd
for reliable budget planning
ready, too. Frequently, the
and project financing,” the
casinos it builds are so
company states.
successful that, within a short time, it is
Your casino will be built in the shortback on site to expand the facility.
est time possible. “We can fast-track
The following is a representative
projects by using technology like
Building
Information
Modeling,
Continued on Page 32
Students have complete control over
when they take classes, how many classes they take and when they access class
information on the computer and study.
Admission to the program requires
an undergraduate degree from a four-year
institution and three years of management experience in the hospitality industry. However, the program does not
require the GRE or GMAT for admittance. Prospective students must submit
two letters of recommendation, a resume
and a 500-word personal statement as
part of the application process.
The same faculty members that
teach on campus also teach classes in the
MHA program. The class materials mix
theory and practicality—providing value
for seasoned professionals.
“The MHA program allowed me to
learn specialized skill sets that directly
relate to my career,” says Jeff Yedlin,
Director of Beverage, Luxor Hotel and
Casino. “Assignments were based on realtime projects to allow me to directly apply
classroom information to projects at work.”
Currently, the MHA program has
more than 75 students from throughout
Continued on Page 28
18
April 2009
First Look
PENTA Building Group Delivers An
Experienced Team & Unparalleled
Design/Build Services
At the PENTA Building Group, an
experienced team led by the owners
and senior management is committed
to a shared responsibility of value, reliability, integrity, quality and results.
PENTA prides itself on providing a
personalized approach to all general
contracting services.
PENTA is headquartered in Las
Vegas, with offices in Palm Desert,
Calif., and Reno, Nev. From its inception
in 2000, PENTA has strived to gather the
best team in the business, providing the
foundation for well-managed expansion.
As a testament to the leadership and
dedication of the founding principals, the
PENTA team has reached revenue levels
in excess of $600 million per year and
has quickly established itself as one of
the leading private commercial general
contractors in the nation. Recently,
PENTA was ranked among the top 400
general contracting firms nationally by
Engineering News Record, currently
103rd in the nation (2008).
The success and experience of
PENTA spans a wide variety of market
segments, including hotel casino resorts,
convention and meeting facilities, restaurants, retail, office buildings, parking
Need Help With Your New
Commercial Kitchen? Seek
Out Theodore Barber & Co.
Theodore “Ted” Barber, President,
Theodore Barber & Company, Inc., introduces the firm and its consulting services.
FL: Tell our readers a little about
your company. What’s your main line
of business?
TB: Theodore Barber & Company, Inc.
is a full-service food and beverage design
consulting firm specializing in the design
of commercial kitchens, laundries, warehouses and solid waste solutions for the
hospitality, gaming, healthcare, business,
corrections and education fields. We have
extensive experience in bringing creative, high quality designs and documents to our clients.
structures and tenant improvements.
PENTA’s projects range in size
from $200,000 to in excess of $300
million. Some of its more notable
recent large projects include World
Market Center Building C and Aliante
Station Casino—both located in Las
Vegas. In addition to doing the “ground
up” construction of new projects, it has
extensive experience and capabilities
in small renovations, remodels and tenant improvement build-outs, as well as
expansions—small and large—of existing facilities. A significant, continuous
portion of its backlog consists of these
FL: What would you
say makes your
company unique?
TB: The diversity of
our staff, in terms of
foodservice related
experience, is our
greatest
strength.
Our combined years of experience in
operations management, culinary arts,
equipment specialties, custom fabrication, design, construction and procurement allows us to provide each of our
clients with a thorough and comprehensive design package that addresses the
types of projects.
PENTA can provide services on a
Construction Manager at Risk basis, with
preconstruction services (budgeting,
scheduling, constructability review, etc.)
commencing early in the design phase;
under a traditional general contractor
arrangement; or on a design-build basis.
The PENTA Building Group has
played a role in the growth and development of the Coachella Valley in
California since 2002. With its ongoing presence over the last seven years,
PENTA officially opened its most
recent office in Palm Desert, in 2008,
where it now has a staff in excess of 20
full-time professional employees.
PENTA Palm Desert is proud to have
been a part of some of the most exciting
and challenging projects in the Coachella
Continued on Page 32
need of all key stakeholders.
FL: Describe to our readers your current
marketing strategy.
TB: We have always believed that
building solid relationships with our
clients—one client at a time—is the
best form of marketing. For us, that
means not only delivering a great set of
design documents, but working as an
integral member of the client’s design
and construction team up to and beyond
opening day. We are very fortunate to
Continued on Page 28
20
April 2009
First Look
Société Des Bingos Du Québec
Introduces State-Of-The-Art
Linked Bingo Mundo System
The Société des bingos du Québec, a subsidiary of Loto-Quebec, has become a
world leader in linked bingo systems.
The Société is not only an innovator, but
an operator conducting Bingo Mundo
games in more than 100 halls in the
province of Quebec in Canada. This double duty experience has resulted in 10
years of success! More than $178 million
dollars in prizes have been awarded to
happy players and more than $100 million dollars to participating nonprofit organizations.
The Bingo Mundo Team can help to
simplify your business operations, reduce
your expenses and maximize your earnings
Swinerton Builders Enhances
Its Reputation For Trustworthy,
Quality Service
Jeff Hoopes, President of Swinerton
Incorporated, talks about the company
and its services.
FL: Tell our readers a little about
Swinerton Builders.
JH: Swinerton Builders, established in
1888, provides a range of general construction services and is a subsidiary
company of Swinerton Incorporated.
Swinerton Builders is currently one of
the top five largest gaming and hospitality builders in the U.S. What is unique
about this combination of skills is that we
have seen our client base expanding from
gaming facilities into entertainment/hospitality resorts and thus have
been able to provide the skilled construction services necessary in order to make
our Native American clients successful.
FL: So how did Swinerton Builders
get involved in the Native American
gaming industry?
JH: Back in the late ‘80s, we began
working with the Rumsey Band of
Wintun Indians, located in Brooks,
Calif., on their Cache Creek Indian Bingo
by saving both time and money.
The Bingo Mundo Linked Bingo
System, for both paper and electronics,
was launched worldwide in November
2008 at the G2E convention. It has
already been called the most flexible,
reliable and secure real-time bingo program now available. Software that allows
games to be conducted simultaneously
within a single hall or within many halls
with no geographical limitations.
Combine this with options to increase
progressive jackpots. The result: larger
prizes, greater publicity, increased attendance and bottom line profitability.
Bingo Mundo has been designed to
be played anywhere in the world. Your
choice of 75- or 90-ball games, free
games, odd/even games and much more.
Bingo Mundo offers totally integrated bingo back office services including:
accounting, bingo paper inventory management, financial reporting, banking
and electronic funds transfer (EFT).
The Bingo Mundo broadcasts in the
halls offer a professional interface. It
allows hall management to offer videos
during bingo broadcasts, run ads before
and after bingo games and integrate new
images and videos into each broadcast.
facility, which was a
very small facility at
the time. We became
a trusted advisor to
the tribe and built a
small gaming facility
into a large gaming
facility. We completed the more than
$200 million Cache Creek Casino
Resort; an absolutely spectacular resort
facility, complete with a championship
18-hole golf course. From this initial
gaming enterprise, we were able to move
forward and provided management services for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal
Nation at Foxwood Resort Casino. We
have recently completed or are currently
under construction on the San Pasqual
Valley View Casino, the Pala Casino, the
Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians’
Riverock Casino and the Concow Maidu
Feather Falls Casino. Plus, there are several more similar projects throughout the
western United States.
FL: To what do you attribute your company’s continued success in the Native
American gaming market?
JH: Our success can be attributed to our
dedication and commitment to our
clients. A prime example is the Cache
Creek project, where we’ve been working as a trusted advisor to the tribe for
more than 15 years. Our estimating services and cost control measures are
unmatched. We provide credible estimates in a timely manner that holds up
throughout the life of the project. What I
mean by that is that our initial estimates
are good enough to bank on, and we are
Continued on Page 28
First Look
April 2009
EU Concludes Investigation of
U.S. Internet Gambling Laws
The EU Trade Commission has concluded
its sweeping investigation into U.S. Internet
gambling laws. EU Trade Commissioner
Catherine Ashton said: “It is for the U.S. to
decide how best to regulate Internet gambling in its market, but this must be done in
a way that fully respects WTO obligations.
I am hopeful that we can find a swift, negotiated solution to this issue.”
The report released to Member States
is the result of a formal examination procedure initiated on March 11, 2008, following a complaint lodged by the Remote
Gambling Association (RGA). The report
concludes that U.S. laws deny access and
discriminate against foreign suppliers of
gambling and betting services inconsistently with U.S. WTO obligations.
European companies are still now
subject to legal proceedings by U.S.
authorities based on their past activities
on the U.S. online gambling and betting
market. The proceedings are continuing
despite the withdrawal of European companies from the U.S. market in 2006 following changes in the U.S. regulatory
framework. The report comes to the conclusion that these proceedings are legally
not justified and discriminatory.
This investigation takes account of the
fact that the EU and the U.S. agreed in
December 2007 on a compensation package
in exchange of the loss of trade opportunities as a result of the U.S. intention to withdraw its WTO commitments on gambling
and betting services. Once this withdrawal
occurs, the U.S. would no longer be obliged
to guarantee future access to its gambling
and betting market, but this does not mean
that it could disregard its obligations in
respect of past trade.
For more information, visit
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/200
9/march/tradoc_142695.pdf
Hybrid Technology—
Removable LED Pixels With
Performance Enhancement
Optec’s full color and monochrome (single color) displays feature the innovative
hybrid technology that boasts superior
contrast and brightness enhancement.
Both display series provide the lowest
LED pixel service/maintenance costs.
21
Perini: At The Forefront
Of Diversity And Atop
Green Building Projects
Perini Building Company is a leading
builder of Native American hospitality
and gaming projects. The company offers
expertise in building quality, on-time, onbudget projects throughout the United
States and is committed to a strong client
relationship. Major Native American
projects built by Perini include Mohegan
Sun Expansion, Conn.; Morongo Casino,
Resort and Spa, Calif.; MGM Grand at
Foxwoods, Conn.; Pala Casino Resort
and Spa, Calif.; San Manuel Indian
Bingo & Casino, Calif.; Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa and
Hollywood, Fla.; Pechanga Resort &
Casino, Calif.; and Thunder Valley
Casino, Calif. Professional services
offered include construction management, general contracting, preconstruction, post construction and design/build.
Each pixel unit has its own circuit
board inside with five gold-plated connection point pins, and is hot swappable to facilitate pixel replacement.
Optec’s advance and high-performance
displays last longer compared to lower
cost, direct-soldered PC board-type
modules. It is the ideal choice to outshine other casinos’ displays, and compete for customers’ attention.
In addition to Perini’s construction
expertise, attributes that have led to the
company’s success are based on Perini’s
philosophy of Building Relationships on
Trust. Perini derives more than 75 percent of its business from repeat clients.
As a leader in the construction
industry, Perini is also at the forefront of
implementing diversity initiatives to help
foster economic opportunities for minorities, women and disadvantaged-owned
businesses on its projects. Perini has one
Continued on Page 30
Optec Displays Inc. is an industry
leader in outdoor message centers. With
specifications and exclusive product
advantages, its displays are at the cutting
edge of hardware, software and video
display systems. A well-known dominant
player in the commercial signage market,
Optec is now growing in the electronic
billboard and sports arenas as well as
Continued on Page 28
24
April 2009
First Look
Sycuan Band (Con’t. from p. 1)
we celebrated our 25th anniversary. It all
started with a bingo hall and evolved
into one of the most profitable and
vibrant facilities of its kind. The casino’s
success has allowed us to diversify. We
have the Sycuan Tribal Development
Corporation, which develops hotels and
commercial ventures. We’ve also
become boxing promoters through
Sycuan Ringside Promotions. And we’re
on the cutting edge—owning a mutual
fund on Wall Street.
FL: What makes your company unique?
DJT: From the very beginning, our
Tribal elders decided to focus on customer service. Give people what they
want before they even ask for it, do it
with a smile and you have a customer for
life. That’s our motto in everything we
do. We haven’t always had the best
amenities or the biggest casino around,
Count Me In, LLC (Con’t. from p. 1)
track and differentiate key workforce
variables, such as tips, assigned for
functions, projects and worksite locations. It provides users of Count Me
In’s Labor Time Management Module
with more of a confident and functional method for capturing the real-time
labor activity of employees.
Upgraded from a USB to Ethernet
connection, the now IP-based plug-and-play
but no one can match our ability to give
our customers what they deserve.
FL: What was the most significant
event or series of events affecting your
company in the past year?
DJT: Like just about everyone, the
economy really put the squeeze on our
operation. When people are losing
unit provides more consistency in communication and the ability to interface with
any PC running on the existing network.
Better still, with no extension issues,
location is no longer restricted. Its newlydesigned case is a durable nylon construction that features easy-to-install mounting,
a tamper resistant lock and an LCD panel
with up to four lines of messaging displayed for enhanced communication and
an overall better user experience.
Unlike the majority of its competitors
their homes and
their jobs, there’s
not a lot of discretionary
income.
That by far was the
biggest obstacle in
2008. I’m proud to
say we saw it coming and prepared
well for it. We started cutting back on
unnecessary spending and looked for
other ways to diminish costs while
avoiding lay offs. Over the years, we
invested heavily in training our workforce
to be multi-faceted. This kept our labor
force in check, so when the tough times
arrived, we didn’t have to lay anyone off.
FL: Describe Sycuan Band’s current
marketing strategy.
DJT: Just recently, we decided to launch
in the biometric business software solutions arena, the unit is manufactured in the
U.S. by U.S.-based companies. Another
key point of differentiation is Count Me
In’s proprietary fingerprint technology
that enables bioTimeCenter to achieve
1:N pattern resolution, authenticating
identities, rather than the less secure
industry standard of 1:1 verification.
About Count Me In, LLC
Count Me In, LLC is the developer of the
a new marketing and advertising campaign. We remodeled our Web site and
created more promotions. We’re billing
ourselves as ‘San Diego’s Daycation
Getaway.’ Sycuan is the place for a
quick getaway for fun, excitement and
great entertainment value. We’re also
spending a lot of time and resources
reaching out to our Spanish speaking
players. So far, it seems to be working:
We’ve strung together a couple of really
solid months.
FL: What do you anticipate to be your
greatest challenge in the year ahead?
DJT: The economy is still the biggest
question mark, but I believe the gaming industry will be among the first to
rebound as the economy shapes up
again. If people start to feel confident
about their situations, they’ll start
seeking normalcy and a little fun—
something, as an industry, we’re very
good at providing.
award-winning Timecard Monitor and its
line of innovative fingerprint-based software. It has been empowering management with creative workforce solutions
since 2001, and its industry-leading
applications enable businesses to realize
greater profitability and competitive
advantage through increased workforce
productivity and cost reductions.
For more information about Count
Me In, LLC, call 888-4-TIMECLOCK
or visit www.countmeinllc.com.
26
April 2009
First Look
Pivot3 Announces Partnership
With Lamar Associates
Pivot3, Inc, the market leader in HighDefinition StorageTM, today announced
an alliance with Lamar Associates, a
Washington, D.C.-based security consulting firm, to identify, pursue and secure
Indian gaming video surveillance storage
FreeAxez (Con’t. from p. 1)
channels are available every 15 inches
in both directions. As gaming equipment and surveillance systems are
upgraded, simply remove the floor tile
and lift the channel plates; new wires
are installed in seconds instead of hours
of cutting new concrete pathways!
FreeAxez delivers high capacity, organized wire management.
It provides a cost-effective and very
flexible wire management system for
casino floors and gaming facilities.
The modular quick-connect FreeAxez
platform accommodates the hundreds
of wires and cables needed for slot
machines, poker rooms, electronic
table games, ATMs, surveillance
equipment, electronic displays, etc.
Cable channels are accessed in seconds
instead of hours to add or change
cabling and equipment. No more
headaches with power poles or
concrete trenches!
FL: How does FreeAxez compare to traditional cable systems like concrete
trenches and deck systems?
JM: Historically, casinos have relied on
covered trenches in concrete to run their
wires. Trenches are fixed in place and
do not adapt well for changes or adding
machines into new areas of the gaming
floor. FreeAxez can be an improved
solution for flexibility and efficiency. In
the FreeAxez casino flooring system,
FL: What distinguishes FreeAxez from
other access floors?
JM: Traditional raised floors have
heavy 2x2’ panels that screw into four
posts at the corners. The posts [sometimes called pedestals] are glued to the
concrete. These systems require special
tooling and are difficult to work when
changes are needed to wires and cables
around. FreeAxez is a strong all steel
low-profile access flooring system that
snaps together quickly without any
glues screws or fasteners. No tools are
required, so cables can be added or
changes can be made in a fraction of the
time! New machines are installed and
wired quickly. FreeAxez can also save a
lot of time in machine maintenance.
opportunities in the United States.
“As a 100 percent American Indianowned firm, Lamar Associates has a long
history of advising Indian nations across
the country about security and technology. This alliance both broadcasts our
value to the Indian community and
speeds the inflow of information to
Pivot3 as we look for ways to better
address the needs of the dynamic Indian
gaming market,” says Lee Caswell, cofounder and Chief Marketing Officer of
Pivot3. “We have already implemented a
number of initiatives to communicate
FL: Is FreeAxez used in construction of
new casinos?
not affiliated with Milliken, these tiles
are constructed of the same 80 percent
wool fabric that has been a staple of casino carpeting, providing a broadloom look
with both aesthetics and flexibility!
JM: Yes, for new construction,
FreeAxez has been installed to provide
clients with unmatched versatility for the
long term. The design generally incorporates a walk-off from concrete floors at
restaurants and restrooms onto
FreeAxez. In gaming floor areas where
you need wire management and access,
FreeAxez provides flexibility from day
one. It can also be used in the retrofit of
existing gaming facilities, where the
steel casino flooring system has enabled
many of our clients to achieve same day
renovation results. FreeAxez is installed
quietly and rapidly—without noise,
fumes, dust or debris. FreeAxez will not
cause disruption to the casino operation;
your facility can remain open for business while FreeAxez is installed!
FL: What floor covering is installed on
top of the FreeAxez steel floor?
JM: Many of our casino clients install
decorative 3x3’ Milliken wool carpet
tiles on top of FreeAxez. While we are
Continued on Page 30
FL: Where else is FreeAxez used?
JM: It’s installed in casinos, Class A
office space, conference rooms, surveillance rooms,
training rooms,
libraries, trading floors, court rooms,
museums, retail, emergency operations, hospitals, computer rooms and
financial buildings.
FL: Where can conference attendees
see FreeAxez?
JM: It has a display at the NIGA show in
booth 613. Come walk on our floor! We
will show how easy it is to work with.
FreeAxez is the perfect wire management solution for any casino facility. Join
the growing list of Native American
casino clients that have installed
FreeAxez in their gaming operations and
are realizing the flexibility and cost
saving benefits every day!
28
April 2009
Wiremold (Con’t. from p. 1)
gaming facilities require a much higher
level of sophistication and integration.
Wiremold/Legrand offers Walkerflex®
Modular Wiring and Walker® infloor
wire and cable management systems—
smart, durable, flexible and attractive
ways to deliver electrical wiring and data
cabling in all casino venues.
Walker infloor systems are the
cost-effective and flexible solution for
Tulalip Resort Casino (Con’t. from p. 1)
resort,” says Kenneth Kettler, President
and COO, Tulalip Resort Casino. “It is a
true testament to the hard work and dedication of the Tulalip Tribes.”
Creating self-sufficiency within the
community has been vital to the economic growth of the Tulalip Tribes and their
ability to maintain their status as a sovereign entity. As recently as 25 years ago,
tribal economic resources were minimal.
Progress was made with the opening of
Tulalip Bingo in 1983 and again with the
opening of the Tulalip Casino in 1992.
The addition of Tulalip Resort Casino
has produced an immediate impact by
Smokin Joes (Con’t. from p. 1)
its national brand counterparts.
No Limit comes in the 100’s style
and the three most popular flavors—
menthol, cherry and full. The attractive
packaging and slogan, “No Limit, for
those who go all in,” will cater to regular
smokers and impulse purchasers alike.
Available in packs of 20, and 10 packs to
a carton, No Limit will help drive sales in
your OTP categories.
UNLV (Con’t. from p. 14)
the United States and two foreign countries, and more than 55 graduates. The
program provides a common background
Theodore Barber & Co. Inc. (Con’t. from p. 18)
have many long-standing clients that
continue to support us because they
recognize the value that we bring to
their projects.
FL: What do you anticipate to be your
greatest challenge in the year ahead?
TB: In these tough economic times, it is
more important than ever to deliver
Swinerton Builders (Con’t. from p. 20)
able to deliver the projects within those
estimated costs. We maintain a very
detailed cost control and reporting system that shows our clients where their
monies are being spent and that they are
being spent wisely. Our scheduling
Optec Displays (Con’t. from p. 21)
highly customized casino applications
and content creation and management.
In the highly technical field of visual advertising, innovation is critical.
First Look
any wiring and communication needs
now and in the future. Consider what
will happen if there is a move or
change to the layout on a gaming floor.
Walker infloor systems, such as
Walkerduct ®
infloor
duct
and
Walkercell® cellular duct, are the costeffective solution to these types of
changes. Their ability to deliver power
and communications to any floor plan
eliminates costly renovations and
rewiring. Flush activations are
available for single, double and triple
duct runs, so there is no need for separate fittings for each duct. Heavy duty
junction boxes are perfect for casino
applications, where the duct system is
subjected to heavy loads. Installing a
Walker infloor system ensures a building’s preparation for any changes the
future may hold.
The Walkerflex Modular Wiring
System offers improved flexibility and
easier installation. Faster and more
efficient
than
hand-wiring,
the
Walkerflex system consists of stranded
MC cables, redesigned cable connectors,
large-capacity distribution boxes and
home-run cables. Distribution boxes
have been redesigned to offer a smaller
footprint and larger capacity, and feature
tamper-proof cover screws. The
Walkerflex Access Floor Wiring System
is designed to meet the needs of a wide
variety of raised floor installations in
amusement and other facilities.
creating 450 new jobs, and it allows Quil
Ceda Village to attract more than six million visitors each year and create more
than 3,000 jobs in the surrounding entertainment and shopping complex.
The developments at Tulalip Resort
Casino have brought the guest experience to new levels as well. Everything
that can be found on the Las Vegas strip
can be found here, including 192,000
square feet of exciting gaming action,
first-rate entertainment, fine dining, luxurious guest rooms and suites and spa
rejuvenation.
The gaming floor features a spacious,
non-smoking poker room, 2,000 state-ofthe-art slot and video poker machines, 52
table games including blackjack, craps,
roulette and Spanish 21, and minimums
as high as $500. In addition, with the
Rewards Club at Tulalip Resort Casino,
players can redeem points for cash back
bonuses, dining, entertainment and merchandise. Membership is free and players
earn a point for every dollar they play.
Guests of Tulalip Resort Casino have
no shortage of dining and entertainment
options. Canoes Cabaret showcases some
of the best talent in the Pacific Northwest
nightly, a 3,000-seat amphitheater features top-tier musical artists and the
mpulse lounge provides a chic nightclub
atmosphere, complete with private booths
and a heated outdoor patio. Five distinct
restaurants are highlighted by James
Beard House invitee Chef Dean
Shinagawa’s Tulalip Bay, and the new
BlackFish Wild Salmon Grill and Bar,
featuring the finest Pacific Northwest cuisine prepared using traditional Tulalip
Tribal techniques. The 14,000-squarefoot T Spa pampers guests with services
inspired by native treatments.
Many qualities factor into the emergence of Tulalip Resort Casino as a
premier resort destination. From the spacious casino and the elegant dining experience, to the luxurious accommodations
and the tranquil spa, Tulalip Resort
Casino offers a world-class experience
for everyone.
Smokin Joes also has many full lines
of filtered cigars and cigarettes to choose
from. Some of the most profitable lines
are Exact, Lewiston, Market, Smokin
Joes and the more popular than ever
Smokin Joes Natural line. All of these
products are designed with profit in
mind, as well as quality to keep your customer asking for a Smokin Joe product.
The focus of Smokin Joes has always
been to produce a high quality, low priced
tobacco product line. All of the Smokin
Joes products use premium quality tobaccos grown here in the United States. All
production is done at its Lewiston facility
to ensure only the highest quality control
standards and fastest customer ship times.
In business since 1994, Smokin Joes
has seen its market share increase steadily over those 15 years. A pioneer among
Native tobacco manufacturers, Smokin
Joes has always been in the forefront of
tobacco innovation. The unique offering
of high quality and low price has driven
sales of Smokin Joes products in recent
times. The current economic climate
makes Smokin Joes products one of the
best values on the market. Be sure and
inquire about all of Smokin Joes lines at
www.sjbrands.com.
For more information on how to
increase your tobacco category sales or to
get the high margin Smokin Joes products
into your stores, contact Smokin Joes at
800-274-8010, email [email protected]
or visit www.sjbrands.com.
for these 130 managers and networking is
an important benefit.
“Being in this program has brought me
more than I expected,” says Monica Colvin,
Director of Revenue Management at the
Marriott’s Grand Chateau in Las Vegas. “I
have met people in the industry that I would
never have known otherwise. The program
is extraordinary and having the education
from UNLV is an added bonus.”
For more information, stop by booth
337. If you can’t drop by, visit www
.hotel.unlv.edu/departExecMHA.html,
call Gael Hancock at 702-895-5430 or
send an email to [email protected].
cost-effective solutions to our clients.
With increasing costs and reduced available capital, we continue to focus on
delivering design solutions that provide
the greatest value in terms of life cycle
cost. For example, energy- and waterefficient designs, built-in flexibility and
multi-tasking equipment are just a few of
the areas where we can bring tangible,
measurable benefits to our clients.
from the competition?
Theodore Barber & Company, Inc.
TB: Well I will leave that to others to
decide, but I do believe that the loyalty of
our clients speaks to the culture of our
organization. When you approach each
project as a partner with a stake in the
outcome—exceeding our client’s expectations and preserving our close
relationship—this attitude shows in
everything you do. This sense of ownership is fundamental to our vision at
FL: To what do you attribute your
company’s success?
system is very unique; we are able to
schedule the project so you can obtain the
earliest access to the gaming facilities to
generate the maximum revenue. We
provide the maximum opportunity for
tribal involvement on the construction
project through subcontracting, materials
supply and direct labor hire. And by
understanding the state sales tax exemption program, we are able to work with
our clients to figure out the best contracting method to eliminate any kind of state
sales tax requirements.
FL: Do you have any final thoughts for
our readers?
JH: I’d like to take this opportunity to
thank our clients. We really enjoy working within the Native American gaming
industry. Every job has been fun and
rewarding. We’ve made great friends
with whom we socialize, and together
we just have a great time. Thank you
very much.
Optec leads the way with a passion for
continual advancements that give you a
better product. Optec has always been
the pioneer in LED display technology.
In 1990, Optec created the world’s first
RGB LED display immediately after
Cree invented the first blue LED in the
world. In 1995 Optec created the first
Square Pixel Cluster and in 2001,
invented
the
advanced
Hybrid
Detachable LED Pixel. Today, Optec
distributes more than 10,000 LED
displays a year around the world.
For more information, write to the
company directly at 530 S. 6th Avenue,
City of Industry, CA, 91746, call 800-8761668, email [email protected] or
visit www.optecdisplays.com.
FL: What distinguishes your services
TB: Our strong customer service ethic is a
tribute to the culture that is supported by
each of our team members. We continuously strive for excellence in each initiative undertaken by our staff. Our culture is
‘team think’ and integrity to build our
brand. The rest will take care of itself.
30
April 2009
RIESTER (Con’t. from p. 4)
of some of the most recognized consumer
brands, making it one of the West’s most
successful advertising and public relations firms. RIESTER’s highly successful campaigns include: California Governor
Schwarzenegger’s statewide sustainability
campaign; youth tobacco prevention and
adult tobacco cessation campaigns for
Arizona, Colorado and Louisiana, elements
of which have been licensed to 38 states
through the National Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; Arizona’s campaigns for primary, secondary and postsecondary education; Utah’s and Arizona’s
methamphetamine
abuse
treatment
Sysco Corporation (Con’t. from p. 1)
to American Indian initiatives in general, and specifically to the American
Indian College Fund,” says Al Gaylor,
Vice President of Industry Relations
and Diversity at Sysco. “We look forward to assisting students who attend
tribal colleges, and also aiding the
American Indian College Fund in
achieving its mission of offering students access to knowledge, skills and
Perini (Con’t. from p. 21)
of the largest diversity development
departments in the construction industry.
Perini is also committed to ecofriendly construction and is building one
of the most ambitious energy sustainable
Pivot3 (Con’t. from p. 26)
with Indian gaming enterprises, including our new associate member status with
the National Indian Gaming Association
(NIGA).”
“At Lamar Associates, we are constantly on the lookout for innovative
technology that will assist tribal communities protect their assets, especially in
these difficult economic times,” says
Walter Lamar, Principal of Lamar
First Look
and prevention campaigns; animal
adoption campaigns for Los Angeles,
New York City and Phoenix; Arizona’s
litter prevention and clean air campaigns; and Arizona’s ‘Indian Gaming.
It’s Working’ campaign.
RIESTER personnel experienced as
elected and appointed public officials,
lobbyists and political campaign strategists provides RIESTER the sensitivity
and relationships that only come from
extensive experience in the public
policy arena.
FL: What makes your company unique?
TR: Additional unique qualifications of
RIESTER are its in-house multicultural
and public affairs capabilities. With
Latino marketing experts embedded in
RIESTER’s strategic, creative, media
and public relations department,
RIESTER develops culturally holistic
and relevant campaigns. Having
FL: What was the most significant event
or series of events affecting your company in the past year?
TR: Last month, RIESTER celebrated its
20th anniversary by launching the
RIESTER Conservation Foundation.
Focused on protecting and preserving
the environment, the RIESTER
Conservation Foundation currently funds
a pilot study of the Playa Corozalito sea
turtles nesting at Corozalito Beach in
Northwest Costa Rica. Additionally,
current projects include the reforestation
of native cacao trees in Chocola,
Guatemala; the restoration of six acres
of coastal sage scrub at the Southern
California Audubon Society Starr Ranch
for the nesting Coastal Cactus Wren and
indigenous California Gnatcatcher; and
the funding of an irrigation system at the
Appleton-Whittel Research Ranch of
the National Audubon Society to
restore the sacaton grasslands. Please
visit www.riesterfoundation.com for
more information.
cultural values which enhance their
communities and country as a whole.”
The grant will support qualified
American Indian students by providing
financial resources to encourage them
to complete a college degree. With an
education, students can build a better
life for themselves, their families and
make valuable contributions to their
communities and nation.
“The
generosity
of
Sysco
Corporation will enable 40 American
Indian college students to pursue their
dreams and help them make an impact in
their communities,” said Richard B.
Williams, President and CEO of the
American Indian College Fund. “By
helping the American Indian College
Fund to educate the mind and spirit,
Sysco is making a difference in Native
communities and our nation.”
About Sysco Corporation
Sysco is the global leader in selling,
marketing and distributing food and food
service supply products to restaurants,
healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers
who prepare meals away from home. Its
family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and
hospitality industries. For fiscal year
2008, the company generated more than
$37 billion in sales. For more information
about Sysco, visit the company’s Web site
at www.sysco.com.
projects in the United States—
CityCenter in Las Vegas. CityCenter is
pursuing Silver Certification in
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED®) with the United States
Green Building Council. To achieve its
goals, the project has taken an innovative
approach to site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental air quality.
When certification is complete,
CityCenter will be the largest LEED
project in the country.
Perini Building Company is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Perini Corporation
and trades on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE: PCR). The company
was started 115 years ago and is now one
of the largest general contractors in the
country. For more information on Perini,
visit www.perini.com.
Associates. “We have been impressed
with both the tremendous economic benefits of Pivot3 video surveillance platforms, as well as the steadfast support
that Pivot3 commits to make their installations successful. Both the Pivot3 product and strategy are beneficial to the
Indian gaming market.”
This announcement comes on the heels
of a number of successful Indian gaming
wins for Pivot3, including the Chumash
Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif., the Creek
(Muscogee) Tribe in Okla., and the Chinook
Winds Casino in Lincoln City, Ore.
bandwidth for video applications, large
scaling of capacity, and an intuitive interface for ease of use. The Pivot3 core
product lines are High-Definition
Storage®, a clustered iSCSI SAN, and
Serverless Computing®, the industry’s
first combined NVR/SAN product,
which consolidates NVR servers into the
High-Definition Storage IP SAN platform for real savings of cost, power and
cooling. To learn more about Pivot3, visit
www.pivot3.com.
About Pivot3
Pivot3 is the fastest-growing surveillance
storage company, with its award-winning
products widely deployed in the
gaming, homeland security, public safety,
education and transportation markets.
The
company’s
innovative
and
patent-pending RAIGE® architecture
offers advanced availability, massive
CASINO SHOWCASE
32
April 2009
IMS (Con’t. from p. 4)
best-in-class products and services while
maintaining its focus on service, reporting and the best transaction approval
rates in the nation.
“In our experience, a gaming property
should see 70 percent or more of their cash
to the floor coming from ATM transactions, with the remaining volume made up
of cash from PIN Debit, then from cashing
Pechanga (Con’t. from p. 10)
PRC’s standby generators, Pechanga
can essentially operate in island mode,
which means we can produce 100 percent of the power to meet the resort’s
needs during the evenings and all day
during the winter months. The system
also allows Pechanga to reduce its
emissions output—a significant environmental benefit that is so far unrivaled in the community.
JE Dunn (Con’t. from p. 14)
list of clients: Stillaguamish Tribe of
Indians, Ak-Chin Indian Community,
Bear River Band of Rohnerville
Rancheria,
Gila
River
Indian
Community, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate,
PENTA (Con’t. from p. 18)
Valley, including The Spa Resort Casino
in downtown Palm Springs, Desert Water
First Look
checks and lastly from cash advance via
credit and debit cards,” the company says.
Many companies and casinos focus on the
cash advance, which is the most profitable.
It is also the most expensive for the card
holders and thus brings in the least amount
of cash to the floor (funds customers spend
in the casino).
By focusing on providing cash in the
least expensive/most popular method to
card holders, IMS is able to provide a
significant increase of cash to the floor.
That, of course, requires adjustments in
equipment types, how that equipment is
allocated and where you locate that
equipment for the highest usage by the
card holder.
During the last five years, the way
that card holders have accessed their
funds has been moving toward debit.
Check usage is being reduced, with most
of that usage moving to debit. In
addition, cash advance volume has
remained flat or has been reduced as
patrons have increasingly sought to
reduce their amount of outstanding credit.
By keeping its focus simple and providing what the card holders want in a
fast and reliable mechanism, IMS is able
to significantly increase cash to the casino floor and the overall profitability of its
customers while keeping their customers,
the card holders, happy.
The Pechanga Resort and Casino has
established a dedicated group of team
members called the “Green Team.” Since
the summer of 2008, the team has undertaken several responsibilities to identify
waste management, pollution prevention
and conservation measures to be taken at
Pechanga. The team has installed recycling containers across the property and
ensures large cardboard bins, plastic and
other items are recycled. The team develops alternatives to minimize waste or
redirect operating processes that result in
economic and environmental savings.
Pechanga also has an Ambient Air
Quality
Monitoring
Station
(PAAQMS). The PAAQMS collects
data for ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides
(NOx), particulate matter less than 2.5
micrometers in diameter (PM 2.5) and
meteorological data. The PAAQMS
provides data used to help determine
the quality of air on a daily and hourly
basis for the tribe. This data is also used
to provide the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency with evidence that
the quality of air at Pechanga does not
exceed national standards set for criteria pollutants, such as ozone, nitrogen
oxides and particulate matter.
Creating a healthier, safer and environmentally conscious work environment is a way of life at Pechanga, for our
tribal members, our guests and our team
members. Pechanga is working today for
a greener tomorrow.
Kalispel Tribe of Indians, Fort Sill
Apache Tribe, Port Gamble Band of
S’Klallam Indiana, Cow Creek Band
of Umpqua Indians, Confederated
Tribes of the Grand Ronde,
Confederated Tribes of the Coos,
Lower
Umpqua
and
Siuslaw,
Middletown Rancheria of Pomo
Indians, Spokane Tribe of Indians,
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs,
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation, Pueblo of
Laguna, Puyallup Tribe, Kickapoo
Traditional Tribe of Texas and
Resighini Rancheria.
The project featured in the photo
is the Angel of the Winds Casino
Expansion completed in January 2009
and is located in Arlington, Wash. JE
Dunn also built the original casino,
which was completed in October 2004.
Agency, Agua
Caliente
Casino
Renovation, Tribal Administration Plaza,
the Gaming Commission Renovation and
Agua Caliente Casino Headliner Room.
PENTA is privately held and possesses an impressive financial statement,
bonding capacity and a commendable
safety record.
For more information about The
PENTA Building Group and the services
it offers, call 760-776-6111 or visit
www.pentabldggroup.com.
34
April 2009
First Look
The brand new Sky Ute Casino Resort,
a business entity of the Southern Ute
Indian Tribe located on the reservation
in Ignacio, Colo., opened its doors on
Nov. 18, 2008. The grand opening culminated several years of research,
study and development, as well as a
combination of teamwork and dedication by both the Southern Ute Indian
Tribe and the Casino Executive Team.
Additionally, all employees of the
original Sky Ute Casino were involved
in the planning process through a
series of focus groups, questionnaires,
surveys, employee meetings and informal question and answer sessions.
Knowing that the front line staff has
the most contact with the customers,
the executive team found it imperative
to include them in the design process
to ensure that customer needs, requests
and expectations were included in the
final design plans.
The new site includes a 45,000square-foot casino hosting more than
550 TITO slot machines, six blackjack
tables, six poker tables located in a luxurious private poker room, the Seven
Rivers Bingo Hall, a 140-room luxury
hotel, a 24-lane AMF bowling center,
multiple restaurants, a 24-site full hookup RV park and administrative offices.
Built within the casino and hotel is
an 18,000-square-foot grand ballroom
designed to host conferences as
well as a variety of live sporting and
entertainment events, banquets, weddings and receptions. The ballroom can
accommodate up to 1,800 seated people. The grand ballroom has also been
designed to “break up” into four individual rooms to accommodate events
and conferences of any size. Also available are three separate state-of-the-art
meeting rooms designed for a variety
of events. The new Sky Ute Casino
Resort and the Southern Ute Indian
Tribe look forward to hosting a variety
of functions and serving the needs of
the community in the most elegant and
modern facility located within the Four
Corners region.
The Casino Resort and Conference
Center is built in conjunction with a
140-room hotel; including an indoor
lazy river pool, several retail spaces and
a small fitness center. In addition, there
are four restaurants and a coffee bistro
serving a variety of cuisines, as well as
a lounge providing live music and
entertainment several nights a week.
The new project is the largest
hotel/casino in the Four Corners
region. By making the hotel/casino a
destination resort, both gaming enthusiasts and families have been amazed
at the plethora of entertainment
options
available
to
them.
Additionally, by incorporating numerous cultural aspects of the Southern
Ute Indian Tribe throughout the complex via the museum, vast artwork and
more, visitors are exposed to the rich
history of the Four Corners and the
Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
CADDO (Con’t. from p. 1)
success is President and CEO Don Kelin.
A member of the Caddo Nation of
Oklahoma, he started the company in
1990 and has built it to one of the largest
100 percent American Indian-owned
office products companies in the nation.
Price, service and technology are at the
forefront of CADDO’s success. Offering
prices that compete against the giants, providing exceptional customer service (they
still answer their phones with a live voice)
and with the development of its premier,
cutting-edge e-Procurement system,
CADDOCentral+, its technology platform
is one of the best in the industries.
“We do everything the big guys do
with one exception,” Kelin says. “We do
it better—because we have to.” Kelin
states that smaller companies, in particular Native-owned companies, are held to
a higher standard. The perception is that
small companies can’t compete, can’t
deliver and can’t provide the quality of
service customers require. But, CADDO
defies that perception every day! “Buy
Indian” is not only the smart thing to
do—it’s the right thing to do.
CADDO Solutions offers more than
just office products, it offers a total procurement solution that even the
“Goliaths” in the industry can’t do!
To find out more about CADDO
Solutions, visit www.caddosolutions.com.
This program is focused mainly on the
small window or interior signs used in
many franchise operations, but also in
any business that has a need for quality image projection. The Brilliant
Concepts team can develop a sign utilizing your already-established logo or
artwork, or you can utilize its talented
artistic staff to develop a custom sign
tailored to your needs. Either way, it
will be illuminated by energy-efficient,
bright LED lighting.
Another new emerging product line
for Brilliant Concepts is in LED commercial lighting. From overhead room
lighting to traditional bulb replacement,
from parking lot illumination to street
lights, Brilliant Concepts has analyzed
the needs of today’s commercial consumer and then searched the market for
the quality products that it is willing to
build its reputation on. It’s an unending
task that speaks to Brilliant Concepts’
dedication and commitment to quality.
The rapid growth of Brilliant
Concepts has led to the opening of a
second warehouse and the development
of a new distribution center in the
summer of 2008. With the approach of
mid-year 2009, expansion plans for a
new office complex are already on the
drawing board.
Products whose quality is only surpassed by the service of the company that
stands behind them—that is the goal of
Brilliant Concepts and the Energy
Efficient Group. They can be reached at
1804 Monad Road, Billings, MT, 59102,
or by calling 406-656-7700
combined to create visual appeal.
Crown Casino Seating also produces 99 percent of all the material
that goes into its products—from the
foam padding and plastic injection
molding parts to all of the aluminum
extrusions. All of the work is done on
the premises, enabling Crown to get
your orders built correctly and
shipped quickly.
“We are proud to introduce our
new Table Gaming Line, with our new
ultra-modern, high-strength aluminum
extruded base designs,” the company
states. “Our lead Chair Designer,
Vittorio Infanti, is a world renowned
designer and pioneer in the seating
industry with more than 40 years of
casino chair seating experience.”
Infanti has designed and invented
some of the most advanced seating in
the casino industry.
Crown Casino Seating LLC is the
only chair manufacturer with its own
aluminum extrusion plant in the world.
For
more
information,
visit
www.crowncasinoseating.com.
time to her business and to become more
involved in Indian Country. Millican
represents a blend of hard work, determination
and
professionalism—
qualities that are reflected in every
project ICIS, Inc. has managed.
For more information, write to
Indian Country Interior Solutions at 4107
S.E. International Way, Suite 705,
Milwaukie,
OR,
97222,
call
503-212-2690, fax 503-212-2009, check
out the company Web site at
www.icis.us.com or visit National Indian
Gaming Association Trade Show and
Convention booth 930.
for school children or senior citizens can
be scheduled, as well as friendly community competitions.
“We at Hurdzan/Fry Environmental
Golf Design hope you enjoy the show
and you learn many new ways to be successful in the game industry. We strongly
encourage you stop by our booth 739 and
speak with Jason Straka, as he will gladly explain our methods of improving golf
course sustainability, detail the importance and profitability of a learning center and answer any questions you may
have about how Hurdzan/Fry can benefit
your golf course.”
Teamwork Leads To Success For
The New Sky Ute Casino Resort
And The Southern Ute Indian
Tribe In Ignacio, Colo.
“and their customers aren’t waiting
around until they do.”
Customers are taking a second look
at smaller companies because of the
value proposition they offer—speed,
quality and competitive pricing—and
CADDO Solutions is fast becoming the
1-Solution™ customers are looking for.
The driving force behind CADDO’s
Brilliant Concepts (Con’t. from p. 1)
and most importantly, is very energy efficient. But the brilliance of its LED lighting
doesn’t stop there.
In the past year, Brilliant Concepts
has aggressively approached the LED
market in several key areas. One of
those is with LED Reader Boards. It
now carries a variety of the programmable signs in sizes to match virtually
any need. In addition, the company
added a custom sign program last year.
Crown Casino Seating (Con’t. from p. 1)
The company delivers the latest, most
innovative and comfortable seating
money can buy. The quality is magnificent and a wide range of options is
available to customize your seating
needs. The latest, most up-to-date fabrics, textures and colors can all be
ICIS, Inc. (Con’t. from p. 8)
Native
American
Chamber
of
Commerce for the last 10 years, she just
recently stepped down to devote more
Hurdzan/Fry (Con’t. from p. 8)
for a three- to five-day school that is a
half-day for golf and a half-day for other
fun things, like gaming. Having lessons
Center: Matt Olin, COO-GM
Left to Right: Ben Fernandez, Executive Director of
Marketing/Sales, Madilenia Chavarillo, Executive Director of
Slots, Mikki Roubideaux-Chief Executive Officer, Travis
Garlick-Executive Director of Operations