Latest / The Ric and Dan Show / "I'm fortunate that I've had failures to learn from": Marc Guastella of Hollywood Casino Bangor

Transcript

"I'm fortunate that I've had failures to learn from": Marc Guastella of Hollywood Casino Bangor · The Ric and Dan Show

• 0:01
  (Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) He's Rick Tyler, and he's Dan Cashman, and I'm Mark Wastella, vice president and general
• 0:06
  manager at Hollywood Casino Bangor, and I'm on the Rick and Dan Show.
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  In Maine, we often hear, you can't get there from here.
• 0:13
  These are the stories of the risk takers, the trailblazers, those who turn obstacles
• 0:17
  into opportunities every day and found their way to get there from here.
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  And today, they're on the Rick and Dan Show.
• 0:26
  How did Ocean's Eleven get away with it?
• 0:28
  I don't know.
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  Dan was going to be the little guy in the box that gets in, but there are so many famous
• 0:35
  movies about casinos.
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  You must look at them and you go, that's not real.
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  That's not right.
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  That's not how they end, yelling at the TV, I imagine.
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  Agreed.
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  Yes.
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  Yes.
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  Particularly about Ocean's Eleven, I'm inflicted, unfortunately, with looking at the logistics
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  of those movies, so need to look past that to enjoy it.
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  It's tough to suspend disbelief and enjoy an ocean picture about a casino.
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  That is true.
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  Even though I've watched all of them, they are quite entertaining.
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  Yes.
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  Do you have a favorite casino movie or scene from television, anything in pop culture that
• 1:04
  sticks out?
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  I think the movie Casino is phenomenal.
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  Why?
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  Well, I think going back in the day where that was set, I think that one really paints,
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  of all the people I've asked, that has almost the most true depiction of casinos back in
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  those days in Las Vegas, before casinos were regulated the way they are now.
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  So I love it.
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  And just the whole movie is just awesome.
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  Were you working in the industry when you saw the movie, or were you outside the industry,
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  saw the movie, and did that play any role in bringing you into the industry?
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  I first saw Ocean's Eleven, I grew up in South Africa, so I saw it there, and I'd never
• 1:39
  even been to the United States.
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  And I remember seeing that movie being, wow, that is really cool.
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  And I saw the Bellagio, and I'm like, wow, if I ever have a chance to see that in my lifetime.
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  And I ended up working there.
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  So it came full circle.
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  Dreams come true.
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  They do.
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  Yes.
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  Just not from you and me, Dan.
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  No.
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  No.
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  I mean, my nightmares come true.
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  I was going to say, sometimes the bad ones come true too, so.
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  I saw the movie Seven.
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  I'm hoping that one doesn't come true.
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  No.
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  Great movie as well, by the way, but a little bit different.
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  How did you get in this business?
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  Again, born and raised in South Africa, went through schooling there.
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  And I originally started in hospitality, not in casinos.
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  So my first role was in restaurants.
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  My career has been an interesting journey, because I was really finding my way.
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  And I started out washing dishes, actually, was my first job within this industry.
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  That was back in 99.
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  Had the opportunity to grow within the industry.
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  And I'm actually now furthering my studies.
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  I'm in the process now of getting my degree, actually, at Huston University, which I'm
• 2:40
  really excited about.
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  Go Eagles.
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  Yes, indeed.
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  But yeah, it's a little bit backwards for me.
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  But no, got in the industry, worked my way through food and beverage, and always been
• 2:51
  connected to casinos.
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  Moved to Las Vegas in 2005, in food and beverage, and then just got hooked on the whole vibe
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  of casinos.
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  Moved around the country a lot, and led me to where I am today.
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  What is it that excited you about it, or still excites you about it?
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  It is the dynamic nature of the business.
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  And just having been in many different jurisdictions.
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  I've been, when I came to the States, I was in Chicago.
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  I'm trying to remember my life story here.
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  Yeah, I was in Chicago first, then moved to Las Vegas, then I was in Toledo, Ohio, a little
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  bit different there, Detroit, Michigan, back to Vegas, then Pennsylvania, now in Maine.
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  So I think it's the excitement, Dan.
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  I think it's the people I get to work with, what I can learn from people, and really
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  the impact that I can have on a business in a positive way.
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  But it's really the excitement and the everyday is different platform that we operate in.
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  It takes a special person to work in hospitality.
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  You really want to serve.
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  I can imagine it takes an extra special person to manage hospitality, because you have to
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  manage those who love to serve.
• 4:00
  That's right.
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  You mentioned the word serve, and I think it's servant leadership.
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  One of the things that I've always lived by, and I was very fortunate to have some great
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  leaders early in my career.
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  My role, particularly as the GM of the property, I'm there for the team.
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  I want them to know that I'm there to support them, I'm there to learn from them.
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  It doesn't matter what position you hold.
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  You could be in the business for 30 years or your first year.
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  The person who's been there 30 years can still learn from the person who's been there from
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  one year.
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  It's a mindset that you take into it.
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  My belief is always servant leadership.
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  Be there for your team and be available for them to grow their careers as well.
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  I think in your case, in Hollywood Casino's case, it's more than just hospitality, though.
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  You're also working in entertainment.
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  That's correct.
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  Sometimes, I would imagine, it's got to be difficult to be around everybody being entertained
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  while you're working to make sure they're entertained.
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  That's right.
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  It's all about the attitude you bring, Dan, to your point.
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  It's going in, sometimes days you've got your calendars packed, and you try to pencil in
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  when to go to the bathroom some days, to be quite frank.
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  But at the end of the day, yes, we're in the entertainment business.
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  I always make it a focus, and I'm so proud of the team at Hollywood Bangor particularly
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  because this team just follows this every day in such a great way, and that is bringing
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  a positive attitude, smiling, greeting your team, going onto the floor and talking to
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  people and making them excited to be there.
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  Because at the end of the day, to your point, if we're an entertainment business and the
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  team isn't excited to be there, then we've lost the game.
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  It's that collaborative effort.
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  Where I'm so proud of is when guests come to the building and they give us commentary
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  about how engaging our team was, that the team was actually part of their experience.
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  That's what always makes me so happy, because that keeps people coming to the casino.
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  Can you teach that?
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  You know what?
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  A lot of it is inherent.
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  People know when we hire people, we look for that.
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  We look for the intent behind coming in and having a great time.
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  I think there's ways that we can give feedback and give guidance to certain people, particularly
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  if they want to grow their career.
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  And again, that's the culture we have, is if there's opportunity, how can people
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  improve?
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  But to your point, it's more inherent.
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  People that come in and truly want to connect with customers, because it's not easy.
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  You know, coming to work, you're dealing with a lot of people.
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  Maybe it hasn't been the best morning before you come to work.
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  Coming into the building, it's the show that we are delivering for our guests every day.
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  Ted Lasso.
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  Have you seen the show?
• 6:21
  Definitely.
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  I need to finish season four now, right?
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  This summer.
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  We're waiting on season four.
• 6:26
  Yeah.
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  Oh, yes.
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  I need to finish season three.
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  So I, since this podcast started, started watching it because Rick gave me.
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  You have?
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  I didn't.
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  This is the best day ever.
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  It's phenomenal.
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  I loved it.
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  You haven't seen it, Rick?
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  No, I haven't.
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  Oh, you have.
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  I've been begging him to watch it.
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  You haven't seen it?
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  It's because I've had so many people tell me to watch it, but it was because of the man
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  to my right, Rick Tyler, telling me I need to watch it.
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  It was the last one that stuck with me.
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  And Rick, you asked if you can teach it and you said it's inherent.
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  I feel like that is the Ted Lasso way.
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  Yes.
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  And I feel like it's funny because when I started watching it, like somewhere in season
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  one, I thought this guy reminds me so much of Mark because always positive, an accent
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  that isn't from here, nobody quite knows where the accent's from, but always, always positive.
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  Maybe you could work a few more puns into your day, but otherwise that attitude, it
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  just, it is infectious and you've had it since day one here.
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  And I feel like, have you seen the overall attitude around the building change through
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  your positive way of dealing with it?
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  I think, I hope it has.
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  I've seen some positivity and again, I, you know, I always go back to say it's, I cannot
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  do it by myself.
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  You know, it's, it's a team effort and again, I'm very blessed to have a team that follows
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  a very similar mindset to what I do.
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  But for me personally, yes, it's, I do see it, you know, and if you're walking down a
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  hallway and you see a team member and you, you know their name and you greet them and
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  you ask them how their day's going, you see them light up and it actually happened this
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  morning a couple of times.
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  And for me, particularly when it's very easy to get stuck in the grind of the day when
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  it's back to back meetings.
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  For me, it just makes me happy knowing that I've made a positive influence on somebody
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  today that I might not think about it, but they go home and go, wow, you know, the GM
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  of the property greeted me, treated me with respect, showed a genuine interest of in what
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  I do that makes a difference.
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  And I think that gives me the motivation every day to get up and do what I do because it's
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  very fulfilling.
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  Who was it that said that the sweetest sound is to hear your own name?
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  Yes.
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  And then you tie to that a measure of positivity and it does buoy people.
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  Yes.
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  Unless people are using my name telling me about issues, but that's a whole different
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  story.
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  We're in Hollywood Casino, uh, 20 years, right?
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  Yeah.
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  Okay.
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  Is that 20 years from the former Red Lion to where it is now?
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  Well, we, the property was built 2008.
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  So July of this year will be 18 years, which is incredible that the building has been there.
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  And then 2005 was, um, the start of gaming in Maine.
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  So I'm going to call it 20 years when Hollywood, I'll just call it Hollywood, first open.
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  Of course it like, it had that new car smell, you know, everyone came in and it's, and
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  it's fantastic.
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  It's maintained an excitement and an attraction.
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  But what we hear is don't let your headphones break as we tell you this and let your head
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  swell.
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  Okay.
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  But since you've been, if I'm wrong, Danny, he'll tell me, I think, I think I know where
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  you're going.
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  And I think you're right.
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  This is what we're told.
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  Since you've been here, the word is a Renaissance.
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  I don't know if you've heard it, we've heard it.
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  Have you heard it?
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  How did it happen?
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  Great question.
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  I think, um, I haven't heard Renaissance applied to it yet, but I'm very flattered.
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  I think really the approach that we've taken and that I've taken is how can we expand the
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  business?
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  You know, little things here and there.
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  And again, it starts with the team, making sure that we're guiding the team and they're
• 9:45
  pervading great service.
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  But overarchingly, my approach has been let the team be creative.
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  Give them a voice.
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  Make sure that, you know, if someone's working in gaming, they're the expert.
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  Let's listen to them.
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  How can we improve the experience?
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  And that's what we've done.
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  You know, we've reinstituted entertainment.
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  We've got ticketed events.
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  We've got non-ticketed events.
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  Our casino floor, and a shout out to Chris Kirk, if you're listening.
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  He's our director of ops.
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  Him and his entire team have just been rock stars.
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  Completely transforming it.
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  New slot product, new areas of the casino, games that we've never had before that are
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  only found in markets such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and bigger markets that we are bringing
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  to Bangor.
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  And, you know, when we see it and guests, the feedback we get from guests and the performance
• 10:28
  that these changes are delivering are quite exceptional.
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  And just overall, it's just reinforcing that we are passionate about being in the community,
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  partnering with our community leaders, and doing everything we can to be a good partner.
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  And that's my focus.
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  And I will continue to do that.
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  I'm proud of what we've accomplished.
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  I still think there's a lot of upside and more things we can do.
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  But again, I'm just thrilled to be in this community and have the chance to work in Bangor.
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  It's awesome.
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  I like that you have tried new things.
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  And if they don't work, then it's fine.
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  But you're trying the new things.
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  You have a monthly comedy night now in the Lancaster room called the High Stakes House
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  of Comedy.
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  That's great.
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  And that seems to be working very well.
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  Very well.
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  You have a new eatery, Zombie Dogs.
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  I guess it's not new anymore.
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  But it's about a year old.
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  About a year old.
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  That's working very well.
• 11:13
  It is.
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  New games on the gaming floor.
• 11:15
  I saw something called Stadium Blackjack.
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  Yes.
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  And that didn't work.
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  Yep.
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  I liked it.
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  But every time I played it, I was the only person sitting there.
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  So I recognized that its days were numbered.
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  But you tried it.
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  We did.
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  And I like that you're trying.
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  And you're also listening to what people in Bangor, not just the team members, but also
• 11:32
  the customers are telling you to feed what you do next.
• 11:35
  That's a great point, Dan.
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  And, you know, it's very easy sometimes when you're looking at a casino to bring it to
• 11:41
  a market that, oh, we'll just do it like it's done in Las Vegas, or we'll just do it like
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  it's done in Atlantic City or somewhere else.
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  There's always nuance.
• 11:48
  And yes, you know, we look at things internally as to how to better the business.
• 11:52
  But our guest feedback is critical.
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  And we've done a lot of things based on that.
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  And trying to tailor the experience to what our clientele want to see.
• 12:02
  And again, we're not there yet.
• 12:03
  You know, things we're considering in the casino is how are we going to further our
• 12:07
  food and beverage options?
• 12:09
  How are we going to create additional experiences using other areas of the casino that have
• 12:13
  been untapped for several years?
• 12:15
  All of those things are in the works.
• 12:16
  And can't disclose too much now, but I can say in the relatively near future, there's
• 12:21
  going to be even more things happening at the casino that should attract more people.
• 12:26
  That said, how heavy a lift was it to nuance Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway to be
• 12:31
  what Maine needs and not what Vegas or Atlantic City needs?
• 12:37
  I think the great question.
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  I think the way I can explain it is the personalized service.
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  And again, I've spent a combined 10 years of my career in Las Vegas in various casinos
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  and various capacities.
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  And it's quite something.
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  But I think that one of the stark differences to that question is when somebody comes in
• 12:55
  here, the team knows your name.
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  There's so many people that come back because of the service, where in a lot of bigger markets,
• 13:04
  the personalization is maybe not where it should be.
• 13:07
  And you can understand it.
• 13:08
  You know, you're dealing with places where they're dealing with significantly more volume.
• 13:12
  So bringing that to Maine is you still have the excitement of a casino.
• 13:15
  You have that excitement of close your eyes for a minute, you could be in Las Vegas.
• 13:19
  But it has that personalized touch and that culture of connection that I found so attractive
• 13:25
  here in Bangor.
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  And I think that it really starts with that.
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  Because if we have that rapport with our guests, then we can solicit the feedback and then
• 13:32
  we can better understand what the guest wants to see.
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  Did you have this plan in mind before you came to Bangor?
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  When you were hired, did you did you say to yourself, here's what we're going to do?
• 13:41
  Or did it sort of develop as you set foot on the property?
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  It develops.
• 13:46
  You know, the way I've always conducted myself, every market you work in is nuanced.
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  You know, as I mentioned about the casino itself, but also how you address it.
• 13:53
  My approach is always, let me understand the market first.
• 13:56
  An interesting fact, I accepted this job in Hollywood Bangor before I'd ever been to Maine.
• 14:01
  So the first time, my wife always wanted to come to Maine on vacation and we never did.
• 14:08
  She actually came here before I did.
• 14:10
  She came here with a friend a few years ago.
• 14:11
  And I remember I was driving up here and right when I crossed the Kittery Bridge, I was like,
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  well, here we go.
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  First time in Maine.
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  And I'm going to go get my license up at the casino.
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  So a leap of faith for sure.
• 14:21
  And I don't regret it in any way, shape or form.
• 14:23
  But yeah, I think you have to understand where you work.
• 14:26
  You have to understand the people, you have to understand the need and what, like I said,
• 14:29
  I'm the servant leader of the property, so I'm there for them.
• 14:33
  And obviously there's lines and accountability and structure that needs to be built.
• 14:38
  But it's also how can I best serve the community in which I operate?
• 14:42
  I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but I always promote, you have to understand the
• 14:47
  business before coming in with a preconceived notion.
• 14:50
  You need to truly understand it.
• 14:51
  I've learned from a lot of failures in my life, and I'm fortunate that I've had failures
• 14:55
  to learn from.
• 14:57
  But sometimes I've gone into things a little bit rushed, and I have a preconceived notion,
• 15:02
  and it doesn't turn out to work as I intended.
• 15:05
  There should have been more time to analyze and integrate myself.
• 15:09
  So when coming here knowing that a lot of the leaders on property had a lot of tenure
• 15:13
  that was so vested in the property, I wanted to understand them out of respect for them
• 15:18
  so that I can serve them best.
• 15:19
  Where did you learn that?
• 15:21
  A lot of it is inherent within me, but also having very good leaders.
• 15:27
  In my life, and I'm sure anyone in my role, they can say they've had good ones and bad
• 15:32
  ones.
• 15:33
  I always believe you can learn from both what to do and what not to do.
• 15:36
  And I've done that, and I've taken that approach.
• 15:39
  If I'm on a meeting, and one thing I can say about Penn Entertainment, our broader company
• 15:43
  which we're affiliated with, there's incredible talent.
• 15:46
  And when I'm on GM calls, or calls with peers, or whoever it is, I always try to learn from
• 15:51
  people.
• 15:52
  And honestly, I've just been given good guidance.
• 15:54
  People have shown me the way, and I've seen people demonstrate the right way to do things,
• 15:59
  and I try to emulate that.
• 16:00
  Is that where the positivity comes from too, or have you always been this positive?
• 16:04
  If you can dig into the Wayback Machine, I'd love to hear if this is how you started out
• 16:08
  as a kid.
• 16:10
  Yeah, it depends.
• 16:11
  I think for me, I'm positive because I believe you've got to get up and go do something you
• 16:16
  really want to do.
• 16:17
  So I think just generally a good disposition in regards to positivity, I believe no matter
• 16:22
  what's happening, it is going to be there whether you're positive about it or negative
• 16:26
  about it.
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  Rather, approach it in a way that is collaborative and positive.
• 16:30
  And I always stuck to that.
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  So what's the point of going through the day miserable?
• 16:34
  I don't want to be a part of that.
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  And I don't want anybody to see that in me either.
• 16:38
  Life's too short for that.
• 16:39
  Does your spouse bring that out of you?
• 16:40
  Oh, she does.
• 16:41
  Yes.
• 16:41
  My wife has been an incredible support through my career.
• 16:44
  You know, a lot of moves, as I referenced, all over this country, but she's been an anchor
• 16:49
  and somebody who's really supported me, which I'm very blessed for.
• 16:51
  My follow up to that is, do you see that positivity in your kiddos?
• 16:57
  Sometimes.
• 16:58
  You know, a couple of teenage kids.
• 17:00
  That was a long pregnant pause there.
• 17:02
  No, listen, my kids are incredible.
• 17:04
  My daughter's a sophomore at Hamilton Academy.
• 17:05
  My son is a freshman at UMaine.
• 17:07
  Incredible kids.
• 17:08
  But you know, they've got very strong personalities, but overall very positive kids, very driven,
• 17:14
  very goal oriented.
• 17:15
  Couldn't be a prouder dad.
• 17:16
  What was life like for you in South Africa?
• 17:18
  It was, it was good.
• 17:19
  I grew up, so I was born in Johannesburg and I grew up in Cape Town in the Southwest of
• 17:25
  the country.
• 17:25
  It was great.
• 17:26
  You know, I grew up there that my schooling, I finished high school there was, um, I went
• 17:31
  to a, an all boys high school.
• 17:32
  It's more traditional from an Anglican back, like English schooling background, 150 year
• 17:37
  old school uniforms, very formal.
• 17:39
  In that respect, I think a lot of the structure determination goal oriented came from that.
• 17:46
  I was very fortunate with my schooling in South Africa, but typically like a lot of
• 17:50
  South Africans in my generation as graduating, I graduated high school in 1997, a lot of
• 17:56
  us left the country and went to different countries were very ambitious.
• 18:00
  I would say that.
• 18:02
  Um, and I grew up in a very ambitious environment, both in my schooling and my family life.
• 18:07
  So that gave me the ability to, to move.
• 18:09
  But South Africa is a wonderful country.
• 18:11
  It's, it's incredible.
• 18:12
  I'm actually going there in a few weeks again to visit some family there, but it's great.
• 18:17
  And you know, I've traveled the world, but again, you know, my roots are there.
• 18:21
  From a US perspective, I've been in the United States now for 22 years, I don't know where
• 18:26
  the time's gone, but, um, and I became a US citizen in 2015.
• 18:30
  It's great to have, you know, my roots, but also just incredible to have the chance to,
• 18:34
  to work in the US.
• 18:35
  What sorts of things did you do in school?
• 18:37
  Did you, were you an athlete?
• 18:39
  Did you do music?
• 18:40
  What, what kind of kept you busy?
• 18:41
  It's funny when I started, my original career thought was to become an airline pilot.
• 18:47
  Yeah, that was my initial, like I'm, I am a, I love aviation.
• 18:50
  It's a passion of mine before I leave this earth, I want to fly a plane.
• 18:54
  That's my goal.
• 18:55
  So I actually started in hospitality to save money for a license.
• 18:59
  That's why I left Cape town in 2000 and I went to London to earn money.
• 19:02
  But eventually my career just took a different trajectory.
• 19:05
  But as far as the original question, yes, very sports oriented.
• 19:08
  I played rugby in high school, track and field, uh, various different things.
• 19:13
  Always very, very active, like the outdoors, like being physically active.
• 19:17
  Um, so yeah, sports is always been something I've been passionate about.
• 19:21
  On your 20th high school reunion, maybe you can be the person that puts the push pin and
• 19:25
  I traveled the farthest away from some, uh,
• 19:30
  I do have a couple of high school friends that live in Hawaii.
• 19:34
  So they have me beat just slightly, but I can, you know, interesting fact is that Maine
• 19:39
  is the closest state to Africa in the U S and I always thought it was Florida.
• 19:43
  Who knew?
• 19:44
  I didn't know that.
• 19:45
  I got that from the kids.
• 19:46
  Huh?
• 19:46
  Yeah.
• 19:46
  My son told me that.
• 19:48
  Geography, come home from geography.
• 19:49
  Guess what we learned today.
• 19:51
  But no, very, you know, and, and growing up, I think I'm very blessed at my upbringing
• 19:56
  it, I think it set the foundation of self motivation, self discipline, and, and really
• 20:03
  saying that, look, we're all the masters of our destiny and we have the opportunity to
• 20:08
  make our lives how we want it to make it.
• 20:11
  And I think that's something that I learned early and I'm very fortunate and I continue
• 20:14
  to practice that today.
• 20:15
  I can count on my high school shop teachers right hand.
• 20:19
  It was a planer accident.
• 20:21
  Mr. Morris would say, well, I'm a planer boys.
• 20:23
  The number of times that I have run into you at the casino.
• 20:28
  I don't think I've ever seen you in a suit and tie at the casino.
• 20:32
  And I wonder, is it because when you were in school, you had to wear a uniform all the
• 20:35
  time.
• 20:35
  So now that you're out in the real world, I said, no more of that.
• 20:38
  Or is it a matter of you're almost more approachable like this?
• 20:45
  So great point.
• 20:46
  And I had to adapt to that.
• 20:48
  So my upbringing, you know, when I started in this business working in boutique hotels,
• 20:52
  it was very strict suit and tie.
• 20:54
  Most of my career I've come to work in a suit and tie.
• 20:56
  I would have a 10 to 12 suit rotation, my ties, my shirts, everything else in working
• 21:00
  in Las Vegas, which I worked up in the most recent time was up to 2019.
• 21:04
  Also suit and tie.
• 21:05
  But changing from those markets, when I went to Pennsylvania and the regional market,
• 21:11
  it's more approachable to your point, Rick, when you're not dressed in a suit and tie.
• 21:14
  It's more old school with casinos.
• 21:16
  It gives us a pressure of a divide between the executive team and everyone else.
• 21:22
  And that's never an approach.
• 21:24
  You know, the goal I want to be is look, look professional and always set that tone.
• 21:28
  But there needs to be a platform where we're all one team.
• 21:31
  No one's sitting in an ivory tower.
• 21:32
  We're all one team.
• 21:33
  Anyone can approach me.
• 21:34
  And that's really the Penn way in that respect is that we don't want to feel unapproachable.
• 21:40
  Now there are sometimes big nights, things like that, where now it's like, well, I like
• 21:44
  putting on a suit.
• 21:45
  Whereas before, it's like, well, I like putting on a sweatshirt.
• 21:47
  But things have just changed.
• 21:50
  But it's been quite successful.
• 21:52
  It's funny.
• 21:52
  I walked the floor with a suit because I had a gaming meeting a few months ago.
• 21:56
  And then the rumor was I was interfering for a job.
• 21:58
  I was like, well, what job might that be?
• 22:01
  Because I don't know what you mean.
• 22:02
  So it's funny hearing the rumors when you do change your typical kind of attire.
• 22:08
  You've talked about your upbringing a couple of times.
• 22:10
  Do you think your folks see themselves in you, or do you see them in you?
• 22:15
  Yeah, I think, you know, on my father's side, he was very hardworking, particularly.
• 22:19
  I think there was definitely some just, again, inherent work ethic that was built into me.
• 22:24
  So yes, I think there's a lot of pride seen on that side too.
• 22:27
  It's very great.
• 22:28
  It's great to hear that.
• 22:29
  But again, yes, I think a lot of good practice was demonstrated earlier on in my life from
• 22:35
  a work perspective.
• 22:36
  And I followed that.
• 22:37
  I wonder if, other than hearing people come up and ask, is the buffet ever coming back?
• 22:43
  What is one of the biggest challenges that you face, I don't know, on a daily basis or
• 22:49
  a weekly basis at Hollywood Casino, Hotel, and Raceway?
• 22:51
  I think it's many things.
• 22:54
  I think it's, you know, when you're dealing with many people, there's always going to
• 22:58
  be things that maybe don't go 100% to plan, whether it's the team, whether it's our guests,
• 23:03
  et cetera.
• 23:04
  But, you know, what people ask for, I think it's, you know, similar to what we're saying,
• 23:09
  you know, is this coming?
• 23:10
  You know, why don't we have this game?
• 23:11
  Can we bring the buffet back?
• 23:13
  Things like that.
• 23:13
  And, you know, it's, again, you know, one of the things we cannot give everything everybody
• 23:18
  wants, but we try to do it within reason.
• 23:21
  But I think from a challenge perspective, I think sometimes it's the perception of the
• 23:24
  casino that house lots of paint out or promos and things like that.
• 23:28
  It's like, it's all random.
• 23:30
  It's all random.
• 23:31
  There's no, you know, this is how things are programmed and we're very regulated.
• 23:35
  So I think that's a lot of the questions that we get.
• 23:37
  And yes, you're right.
• 23:38
  The buffet is one we get.
• 23:40
  But again, it's one of those things.
• 23:42
  It's the buffet piece.
• 23:45
  That's not just Hollywood Bangor.
• 23:46
  It's a really a trajectory change across the industry.
• 23:50
  However, with that being said, you know, we're in the process now of looking at developing
• 23:54
  other options for food and beverage that can really enhance the experience.
• 23:58
  Other buffet options?
• 23:59
  Not a buffet option.
• 24:01
  No.
• 24:02
  Just asking what everyone's thinking.
• 24:03
  I'm sorry.
• 24:04
  That's all.
• 24:05
  Just asking.
• 24:06
  It's funny what, you know, just on an industry point with that, you know, what, what has
• 24:10
  changed significantly, and this is not only in the regional markets, but also in Las Vegas
• 24:13
  where if you think of old school Las Vegas, the buffet was really an epicenter.
• 24:18
  It was like the cheap buffet, go in, have your food, go gamble.
• 24:20
  Epic buffet.
• 24:21
  Epic buffet.
• 24:22
  There you go.
• 24:23
  Yes.
• 24:23
  I might've heard of that before.
• 24:26
  But, you know, it's changed.
• 24:27
  Now the industry's moved to the direction of more food courts, quick service.
• 24:32
  A lot of, you know, chefs and food and beverage leaders now have moved from your more fine
• 24:37
  dining restaurants to quick service restaurants.
• 24:39
  You know, you take, you know, various chefs who have done that.
• 24:42
  They still have their restaurant, but they haven't a spinoff from a high end quick serve.
• 24:46
  And that's really taken off very well.
• 24:48
  From a Penn Entertainment perspective, we have adopted that at a lot of properties, moving
• 24:52
  away from buffets and adding more quick serve options.
• 24:55
  And that's what our intention is as well at Hollywood.
• 24:57
  We don't have a solidified plan yet, but over the next couple of years, those are some of
• 25:01
  the enhancements we're looking at.
• 25:03
  Do you have whales?
• 25:05
  We, we, yes.
• 25:08
  There are?
• 25:08
  Because my dad, here we are, I don't know, 8, 10, 12 minutes out of town.
• 25:14
  They'd rather stay at the casino or the hotel and they'd rather play.
• 25:18
  And I always joked, have fun spending my inheritance.
• 25:21
  But my dad always came home and he always, and he's one of these people, more money in
• 25:27
  his pocket than when he left.
• 25:28
  My mom would lose it all.
• 25:29
  And I was joked, dad, you're a whale.
• 25:33
  I know in Vegas there are whales and in Jersey.
• 25:37
  Does Bangor have whales?
• 25:38
  Yeah.
• 25:38
  I mean, we have, we have guests at various different levels of play for sure.
• 25:43
  And I think it's, depending on your market, I think the, the, the, you know, the propensity
• 25:47
  to have bigger spenders in the casinos is more, but you know, every casino has that.
• 25:51
  We have, you know, we like to call our, our VIP segment.
• 25:54
  So we have our pin play, which is our, our different cards and owners, which is the top.
• 25:59
  Those are our top players.
• 26:00
  And, you know, for those who get to that level, obviously based on their play, that's where
• 26:05
  we truly enhance those experiences.
• 26:08
  And tying into that point, there's some exciting projects that we have actually this year that
• 26:13
  we will be announcing shortly, which will highlight some enhancements for that VIP segment,
• 26:18
  which is really, really cool.
• 26:19
  I love that.
• 26:20
  Yeah.
• 26:21
  I mentioned your accent.
• 26:22
  Yes.
• 26:22
  Can you do a main accent?
• 26:25
  The car park?
• 26:26
  You're saying Bangor correctly.
• 26:28
  The Bangor, yes.
• 26:29
  So there's that.
• 26:30
  Well, here's the funny part.
• 26:32
  Like, and I, what's so strange is when I was living in Vegas and when I started, you know,
• 26:37
  when I started in the U.S., people would always ask if I was from New England and I'd never
• 26:42
  been.
• 26:43
  Really?
• 26:43
  I got it all the time.
• 26:44
  And I was like, why?
• 26:45
  And I think maybe it's certain words that I say, or maybe I've trained myself to change
• 26:50
  from that.
• 26:51
  Do you say pisser often in Vegas?
• 26:52
  I say pisser, but I used to say wicked a lot.
• 26:55
  When I lived in the UK, everything was wicked this, wicked that.
• 26:58
  So I'm like, oh, I feel kind of at home, but it's, um, you know, when I hear people say
• 27:04
  car park, I get very excited because that's how I would say it when I grew up is a car
• 27:09
  park.
• 27:09
  So there's some similarities, but I find the accent quite something.
• 27:14
  I love going to places and hearing different accents and hearing our people talk and the
• 27:18
  nuances.
• 27:19
  I love travel.
• 27:20
  So that's one of the things I find really cool.
• 27:23
  What are the most popular games in Hollywood?
• 27:25
  We have a lot of themes and to give a shameless plug, but we do have a section of the casino.
• 27:29
  It's a light and wonder lounge.
• 27:31
  It's in one of the corners of the casino.
• 27:32
  It's brand new.
• 27:33
  That is all the absolute top themes.
• 27:36
  Huff and puff is one of them.
• 27:37
  There's other ones that we do and that, that area is packed.
• 27:40
  So from a slots perspective, we have the latest and the greatest come on down.
• 27:44
  From a table games perspective, blackjack is always the best game.
• 27:48
  That's your favorite, isn't it?
• 27:49
  It is.
• 27:49
  That's awesome.
• 27:51
  I mean, easy to play.
• 27:52
  The dealers are great.
• 27:53
  You know, and the wonderful thing coming into the casino is the dealer's there for you to
• 27:56
  help you with the game to kind of give you pointers, things like that.
• 27:59
  So that's very popular.
• 28:00
  And one of the other games that has just taken off is craps.
• 28:04
  So I know Dan, you brought up earlier about having electronic games.
• 28:07
  We had that for craps.
• 28:08
  Now we have a live craps table.
• 28:10
  Which I love.
• 28:10
  Another example of something that, you know, you listened and you brought it back.
• 28:14
  It's a communal experience.
• 28:15
  Very communal.
• 28:16
  And people love it.
• 28:17
  And our intention is to expand that as well.
• 28:19
  You know, we're in the process of training more dealers because we actually have a dealer
• 28:22
  school on property.
• 28:23
  So again, anyone who wants to be a dealer, come on down.
• 28:26
  We've got a great team to teach you that trade.
• 28:28
  More plugs here than Best Buy.
• 28:31
  But yeah, so those are some of the best games.
• 28:33
  And again, to your point, going back to what is the guest asking for?
• 28:37
  We had a lot of commentary a year ago about a lot of the games on our floor were dated.
• 28:43
  They were older themes.
• 28:44
  Why can't we get this, that and the other?
• 28:46
  And we feel that over the last year we've really delivered on that.
• 28:49
  And for all of those listening, if it's been a couple of years since you've been at the
• 28:52
  casino and really wanted to see modern product, come on down because we now have it.
• 28:56
  Where's roulette in all of that?
• 28:57
  Roulette's very popular too.
• 28:59
  We've changed the layout on the floor that our roulette is now next to craps.
• 29:03
  And the reason for that, those two games do very well together.
• 29:07
  To your point, they're very communal.
• 29:08
  People like gathering around.
• 29:10
  Very different to blackjack in that respect.
• 29:12
  But roulette does well.
• 29:13
  The game, you come in, you don't have to think too much.
• 29:16
  You pick your favorite number and watch that ball spin.
• 29:18
  So it's exciting.
• 29:19
  If I can put it in a plug.
• 29:20
  Not only are you the general manager at Hollywood Casino on Raceway, but you also,
• 29:24
  you're involved in the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce and you are a podcast host for
• 29:29
  Hollywood Light Slots Action, a Hollywood Casino Bangor podcast.
• 29:33
  Yes. So again, yeah.
• 29:34
  Community involvement.
• 29:35
  As you mentioned, the chamber working with Deb Newman, who's amazing over there.
• 29:40
  I also have the honor to serve on the board of the YMCA with Diane Dickerson and her team.
• 29:46
  How much arm twisting was there?
• 29:47
  A little bit.
• 29:49
  Diane's very convincing.
• 29:51
  She's been on our show.
• 29:51
  She is.
• 29:52
  I love her.
• 29:53
  She is amazing.
• 29:54
  The work she's done and already seeing the construction in the new Y space.
• 29:58
  I mean, it's going to eat.