WHAT IS BEHIND THE GREAT RECESSION IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA? THE GREAT RECESSION OF LAS VEGAS HAS OPENED A CAN WORMS FOR THE UNOFFICIAL CAPITAL OF LAS VEGAS. LAS VEGAS IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF A TRILLION DOLLAR WORLD WIDE EMPIRE. (2011-2020)
WHAT ARE THE THREE KEY FACTS THAT HAVE EMERGED FROM THE GREAT RECESSION OF LAS VEGAS?
1. LAS VEGAS NON-GAMING REVENUE IS GREATER THAN THE GAMING REVENUE FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS. THIS MEANS THAT GAMING REVENUE HAS STAGNATED AND GONE SIDEWAYS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN ARIZONA THERE ARE 23 CASINOS AND LARGE THEMED HOTELS. THIS LEVEL OF COMPETITION IS CALLED IMPERFECT COMPETION VS. THE MONOPOLY COMPETITION THAT RULED LAS VEGAS AS AN EXPORTER OF GAMBLING ORGANIZATIONS.
LAS VEGAS IS FACING COMPETITION IN MANY STATES AND THIS HAS BROKEN THE MONOPOLY PRICING POWER OF THE HOTELS AND CASINOS OF NEVADA. THIS MEANS THE NEW LAS VEGAS, NEVADA HAS TO COMPETE ON A IMPERFECT ECONOMIC STRUCTURE WHERE NON-PRICING FACTORS DRIVE THE GAMBLING MARKET.
THIS IS WHY ENTERTAINMENT, GOURMET CHEFS, THEME RIDES, SPECIAL HOLLYWOOD SHOWS, SPAS, CITY CENTER ARE THE NON-PRICING GOALS OF THE CASINO BUSINESS. THE ONLY OPTIONS FOR THE STRIP IS CONSOLIDATION AND ACQUISITION OF OTHER CASINOS. THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE HAVE REPLACED THE TRADITIONAL INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP AND WOW FACTOR OF SAM BOYD.
2. THE SECOND FACTOR IS THAT THE FASTING GROWING DEMAND SECTOR IS COMING FROM INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS. THE INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS WANT THE LAS VEGAS EXPERIENCE AND THEY NEED THE EXPERIENCE OF THE AUTHENTIC GAMBLING EXPERIENCE. THE INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS ARE THREE TIERS OF CUSTOMERS: HIGH INCOME, THE RISING UPPER CLASS, AND WILD MONEY FROM NEW BUSINESS SUPERSTARS OF THE THIRD WORLD. THE JUNKET BUSINESS IS ALIVE AND WELL IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.
THIS IS THE HIGH END OF THE MARKET. THE LOW END AND MIDDLE END ARE NOT GROWING AND STEVE WYNN HAS REALIZED THAT THE ECONOMICS OF SCALE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS BEEN PUSHED OUT OF THE MARKET. THE MARKET IS BEING EATEN UP BY TOO MANY LAS VEGAS STRIP COMPETITORS AND THE DOWNTOWN AREA. IMPERFECT COMPETITION MEANS THAT YOU CANNOT RAISE HOTEL ROOM PRICES AND OTHER SERVICES BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH COMPETITION.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BUS FULL OF CUSTOMERS THAT WANTED THE $20.00 WORTH OF QUARTERS? WHAT IS THE 21 ST CENTURY MASS MARKETING TO THE DOMESTIC AUDIENCE? WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS ... STAYS IN VEGAS? REALLY, THIS WILL NOT MOVE MA AND PA KETTLE OR THE SUBURBANITES WHO NEED TO FINANCE THEIR KIDS EDUCATION? DOES STEVE WYNN BELIEVE THAT LAUGHLIN MODEL IS THE FUTURE OF GAMBLING? DOES INDIAN GAMING MEET STEVE WYNN STANDARDS? WHO IS FOOLING WHO? HOW CAN THE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION MASS MARKETING CAMPAIGN MEET STEVE WYNN'S STANDARDS?
THE NICHE MARKETS OF HAWAIIANS, LGBT, ASIANS, AND X GENERATION MARKETING ARE GROWING TOO SLOW FOR STEVE WYNN. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH PROFIT IN THESE MARKETS. THEY WILL BE A SOURCE OF FUTURE GROWTH BUT NOT AT MASS MARKETING LEVEL OF THE 1990'S. DOES STEVE WYNN WANT TO BUY BACK IS OLD FAVORITES OF BELLAGIO OR MIRAGE? NO! THE MARKET IS NOT GROWING AND WYNN PALACE IS $ 9 BILLION EXPANSION AND ESCAPE FROM DECLINING DEMOGRAPHICS. DEMOGRAPHICS CREATES MARKETS AND MILLIONS!
3. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION FOR NEW GAMBLING INTELLIGENSIA? THE NEW GAMBLING MANTRA IS CHINA. THE CHINESE BANKING SYSTEM HAS DEPOSITS OF 105 TRILLION YUAN THAT NEEDS TO BE SPENT ON GAMBLING. REMEMBER GAMBLING IS AN INVESTMENT IN CHINA! THE MONOPOLY STRUCTURE REMINDS STEVE WYNN OF THE OLD DAYS OF MONOPOLY PRICING STRUCTURE AND CONTROL OF PROFITS. THE CHINESE OFFICIALS ARE EVEN LIMITING THE NUMBER OF TABLES AT MACCAU CASINOS.
THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF 1.1 BILLION CHINESE IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE AMERICAN DEMOGRAPHICS OF 320 MILLION. THE CHINESE WANT THE BIG TIME CASINOS OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. STEVE WYNN, VENETIAN, AND MGM HAVE EMBRACED THE NEW GAMBLING MANTRA OF SUCCESS. LET'S BE CHINESE FOR GAMBLING SAKE. STEVE WYNN HAS FOUND THE SECRET OF THE HOLY GRAIL OF BUILDING GAMBLING CASINOS? THE SECRET IS THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE THAT INSULATES YOU FROM THE BUSINESS CYCLE. THE GREAT JUNK BOND GURU MILIKEN HAS TAUGHT THAT USING BOND DEBT STRUCTURE WITH WELL DIVERSIFIED MATURITY STRUCTURE AND CASH RESERVES WITH COMPLETE PLAN BEFORE BUILDING IS THE KEY TO CASINO SUCCESS.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO LAS VEGAS, NEVADA? THE MARKET WILL EXPERIENCE AN INCREDIBLE RENAISSANCE AFTER THE DEFLATION ECONOMICS IS REPLACED BY INFLATIONARY ECONOMICS COMING SOON! THE CITY CENTER WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME THE NEW FLAGSHIP OF THE LUXE MOVEMENT OF THE GROWING WEALTHY ELITE OF AMERICA.