Embracing eSports Isn’t Such a Bad Idea for Casinos

The IS-7 thunders over the rubble of a ruined cottage just as a T110E5 comes crashing through the trees. They simultaneously fire on the Spahpanzer Ru 251, which is rocked by explosions but manages to hang on. As the attackers reload, the Ru 251 wheels backward, searching for cover. But an SU-152 is waiting to deliver the kill shot. In a fiery blast, the Ru 251 ceases to exist.

That’s a lot of twisted metal carnage, but Angela Abshier, director of resort marketing at Downtown Grand, isn’t frantic about the destruction. She’s not even worried about turning around the Fremont Room for the wedding scheduled later that week. All of this destruction is virtual, part of a paroxysm of digital combat that will culminate in crowning a new champion of Wargaming.net League North America, or WGLNA.

Cyprus-based Wargaming offers four main games: World of Tanks, World of Warships, World of Warplanes and Master of Orion. The mayhem at Downtown Grand is confined to World of Tanks, a massive multiplayer online game that, as the name suggests, pits teams of tankers against each other. Players select which one of more than 350 historical tanks they will use, then square off. The game is free to play, but players can buy add-ons to augment their experience.

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Downtown Grand CEO is gone after 8 months

Downtown Grand CEO Jim Simms is gone after less than a year on the job, the casino announced today.

Simms was named to the position last June, replacing Seth Schorr, who became the Grand’s chairman. The resort said in a statement today that Simms was leaving because he had “completed his one-year plan ahead of schedule.”

Simms came to the Grand in part to expand its gaming operations, the statement said, while furthering the “full casino resort experience” and building on success of the existing room and restaurant offerings. The Grand introduced a new tiered rewards program during his tenure, as well as changes to the casino floor and a competitive video games lounge.

The Grand introduced a new tiered rewards program during his tenure, as well as changes to the casino floor and a competitive video games lounge. The resort also has plans to feature skill-based games on its casino floor.

Simms said in an interview with VEGAS INC last year that the Grand wanted to compete for core casino customers while also being a technological leader.

“We’re looking at building a model here that is going be a little more technology-savvy, maybe more cutting-edge than some of our competition,” he said at the time.

Schorr said in an interview that Simms was hired on a one-year contract, and that he had a “very specific mission” that included helping to right-size some expenses and improving the resort’s finances.

“We thought that would take the course of a year or so, and it ended a little earlier than we expected. We’re not replacing him, so it’s not a termination,” Schorr said. “He helped us rebuild our team, and we’ve got great things going on.”

Before coming to the Grand, Simms was president and general manager of Miami Valley Gaming in Ohio. He held various other hospitality and gaming positions prior to that, including at businesses in West Virginia, Chicago and Las Vegas.

Schorr said that the decision not to bring in a replacement for Simms would not hinder the resort’s progress.

“My daily responsibility, in terms of the oversight and strategic direction, actually never changed,” Schorr said of his transition to chairman last year. “My direction has always been one from a strategic position, and I am still there. From that sense, there aren’t any changes in leadership.”

Location poses a challenge to the fledgling Grand, which opened in 2013 as a renovation of the former Lady Luck casino. Unlike some of the other resorts in downtown Las Vegas, the Grand’s situation at Third Street and Ogden Avenue is a bit more removed from the heavy foot traffic on the Fremont Street Experience.

But the Grand’s statement emphasized its “strong operating performance” last year, noting in today’s statement that it reported an average 90 percent hotel room occupancy, “steady growth” on the gaming side and “continued popularity” in the main restaurant and bar offerings on its property.

Schorr said in the statement that the Grand was prepared for another strong year of “elevating the casual sophisticated resort experience in Downtown Las Vegas.”

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Downtown Grand to host an eSports team and players of the first-person shooter game

Amid the slot machines and blackjack tables at Downtown Grand, a group of video gamers represents the property’s latest attempt to be on the forefront of a sport you’ve probably never heard of.

In November, the property announced it’s hosting the LA Renegades, an Australian eSports team and players of the first-person shooter game “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” for a two-month residency.

The group of five plays in a private practice room to train for eSports league competitions and hosts meet-and-greets and exhibition tournament events. Downtown Grand’s Commissary Market and Café has been converted into an eSports viewing room.

eSports, established in Asia, is a term for professional video game competitions, which includes everything from first-person shooters to high-level team strategy games.

Since expanding into the United States and western Europe, more than 47 million people have watched or participated in eSports, according to an April 2014 report by Newzoo.

“It’s a very serious sport, and the players train for eight hours a day to hone in on their skills,” Downtown Grand Chairman Seth Schorr said. “We wanted to create a professional training facility that they can use as a home base as they travel throughout the world to play in eSports tournaments.”

According to Schorr, the Renegades residency came about after meeting the team’s owner.

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DOWNTOWN GRAND WANTS TO BE A VIDEO-GAMER DESTINATION

Here was the bulk of my knowledge about video-game tournaments before Saturday: 1. If you were in a Tecmo Bowl tournament, you weren’t allowed to play as the Raiders, because Bo Jackson was unstoppable. 2. The character Jimmy Woods was likely somewhere on the autism spectrum but was able to express his genius by dominatingSuper Mario Bros. 3 in the film The Wizard.

I learned a lot about the world of eSports at Downtown Grand this past weekend when the hotel hosted the official viewing party for Intel Extreme Masters, a major event featuring the world?s best players of the games Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends. I spent a portion of my time watching a CS:GO matchup between the Brazilian team Luminosity and the European team NaVi. Frank Villarreal, one of the owners of the Enemy (NME) eSports team and still in his early 20s, was my guide, explaining the action as it happened.

CS:GO is a first-person shooter game in which you stalk your opponents through different settings. The first team to win 16 rounds wins the match, but teams switch sides after 15 rounds – like halftime – because the first position is advantageous.

While all involved at the Grand admitted they were hoping for a larger crowd on Saturday, the weekend was only a signal of things to come, according to chairman Seth Schorr. “It’s our desire at Downtown Grand to become the premiere video game and eSports destination, which is really something that doesn’t exist today, a 365-days-a-year destination for video-game enthusiasts.” That’s why eSports team the LA Renegades currently has a residency at the Grand, complete with a private practice room.

Schorr’s plans also include teaming up with Turner Broadcasting’s new eSports league and a concept to remake one of the property’s restaurants into an eSports bar and lounge. Whether or not those elements can capture the crowd addicted to watching people play video games on sites like twitch.tv remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: If Jimmy Woods were playing as Bo Jackson, there’d be no doubt as to the identity of the best CS:GO player in the world.

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As gamblers shun stingier slots, casinos shake things up

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Move aside one-armed bandits. The casino floor is making room for game zones with oversized popping dice, digital spinning Big Six wheels and virtual roulette, with an eye on adding arcade-style video games in the not-so-distant future.

As gamblers appear to be shunning stingier slot machines that don’t offer as many payouts, game-makers and casinos are keen on coming up with the next big thing to keep people playing.
The changing casino floor will be on display this week at the industry’s premier trade show, the Global Gaming Expo on the Las Vegas Strip, and in properties across Sin City in the coming months.

GameCo, Inc. To Bring World’s First Skill-Based Video Game Gambling Machines To Casino Floors

GameCo, Inc., a pioneering new company poised to unite skill-based video games with real-money casino floor gaming, has created the world’s first video game gambling machines (VGM™) in an effort to bring a new generation of gamers to land-based casinos.

Similar to electronic poker or blackjack but featuring popular video games, GameCo’s proprietary arcade-style cabinets utilize a patent-pending system that balances player skill with proprietary game design to deliver single player games, while maintaining the same house return to players as traditional slot machines.

“Attracting millennials to the casino floor is the most critical issue facing gaming destinations today and GameCo is delivering the solution casinos need to engage this key audience,” remarked Blaine Graboyes, GameCo co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO). “Our skill-based VGMs are the natural evolution of the slot machine. We have created a truly state-of-the-art experience that speaks directly to the nearly 93 million adult Americans that play video games.”

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What are Some of the Misconceptions that Non-Nevadans Have About People Who Live in Nevada?

“That we’re always playing blackjack in our free time. In reality, Nevada is blessed with tremendous outdoor activities, the year-round weather to enjoy them, and plenty of opportunities for cultural learning beyond the casino doors.” Rory T. Kay | Attorney, McDonald Carano Wilson, LLP (Hails from: Lincoln, NE) “It’s not just misconceptions as much as it is people thinking…

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What’s Up Downtown – May 2015

The 4th Annual Sundown Downtown event is Friday, June 5 from 6 to 10 p.m. The theme: is A Night at the Museum, Under the Stars.

The annual event is a grown-ups only (21+) outdoor soiree filled with small bites, refreshments, and entertainment donated by Downtown Las Vegas businesses. Proceeds from the event assist in furthering the mission of the Las Vegas Natural History Museum: to inspire, through educational exhibits and programs, a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world, the sciences, and ourselves.

Single Ticket: $55
Couple Ticket: $100
6-Pack of Tickets: $275
12-Pack of Tickets: $525

Call the Las Vegas Natural History Museum at (702) 384-3466 ext. 223 for corporate packages and museum member discounts.

Tickets available here

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Downtown Grand Ups Its Game With eSports

Competitive video gaming finds its home at the hotel-casino through weekly contests.

Every year, millions of gamers tune into Twitch, a popular live-streaming video platform, to watch eSports. These video game tournaments, which pit professional teams against one another for bountiful prizes, have become so marketable, even ESPN has taken notice.

But as the emerging sport grows internationally, Downtown Grand is working to foster the community within our state lines. Ever heard of an eContest?

“They’re not traditional eSports tournaments, which are generally team-based,” explains Seth Schorr, chairman of Downtown Grand “… We’re trying to create a platform and an environment for the casual competitive person.”

That’s not to say you won’t see competitive scrimmages of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the famed-first-person shooter that amassed over 27 million Twitch viewers for its 2015 ESL One Cologne tournament, according toIGN. Schorr says solo play is simply the focus right now.

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