Getting back to normal and progressing are opponents pitted against each other
as the pandemic makes guesswork out of any best-laid plans. While things seemed
to have been put on hold for months, especially in the sporting world, technology
and the means to adapt safely in a changing environment have forged ahead
without pause.
Online gambling has surged and casinos are replete with products borne out
of a need to keep consumers safe and businesses humming along. But it’s not
just the physical things that we should focus on. It’s the refusal to be beaten by
circumstance. In this issue of Gaming America, we feature how two major new
landmarks on the Las Vegas skyline are making a statement in terms of property
scale and a determination to honor a deadline. To as much fanfare as was possible,
the Circa had its soft launch in late October, and Resorts World is on track to open
in the summer next year.
Las Vegas has always been synonymous with regeneration, and as we learn in a
feature by Oliver Lovat, who leads the Denstone Group, starting on page 28, crises,
especially in the 1980s, have always befallen the city, whether they’re economic,
natural disasters or regulatory. The resilience to come back stronger, spurred on
by the demand to do so from fans all over the world, has always been a source of
inspiration, no matter the test.
So in 2020 when the pandemic brought on a whole new complexity to recovery,
the city is doubling down on succeeding again, if history is any guide. “The key lesson
of the 1980s is that even in the face of great uncertainty, if we have an understanding
of our customers and have the ability to meet their needs, then there is a path for
business success,” Lovat says. Plain and simple even if the hard work it requires isn’t.
As he adds, the first steps were reactionary, dealing with a highly fluid situation, so
the coming months will be telling when the front-foot response turns more proactive,
focused and, naturally, highly competitive.
After all, what would Las Vegas be without those trying to outdo their professional
opponents, and do whatever it takes not to be outdone.
