As I prepare for the G2E next week, I plan to share some interviews with gaming executives from around the United States. I choose Bennie Mancino to start things off. He is a renowned gaming professional with more than 30 years in the business. He is innovative and has worked at several properties around the country in executive level positions. He is the new Table Games Director at Rivers Casino Philadelphia. I was able to get an hour of his time for Q&A.
Tell me your first impressions of the city and the Rivers Philadelphia Casino?
Robert, before my career plans, the only time I spent in Philadelphia was at PHL. Coming and exploring this great city before accepting a position with Rivers, I was pleasantly surprised. This city has so much history and culture, with beautiful homes and buildings frozen in time with fantastic architecture and craftsmanship. The food is terrific as a foodie could have a different and unforgettable culinary experience 365 days of the year without eating at the same place twice. If you're into sports and physical fitness, you came to the right place as well. Rivers has an authentic casino feel and is in Fishtown, where the area has come to life with entertainment and modern residential offerings. With GM Justin Moore at the helm, I knew I had to be part of this team.
You acknowledged in a prior conversation about the competition in the area from Live Casino and Parx Casino, that it is time to play ball. Without giving your game plan, expand on how you want to enhance what you have presented at Rivers?
The local casinos here didn't have to offer much more than casino gaming to attract enough customers to produce a good ROI in a city of six million. The addition of Live! and the resurrection of two significant resort properties in A.C. changes the game for all. Sports betting and iGaming have also added to the urgency to change strategy to create a synergy with these additional platforms. In all departments, you will see aggressive action, not only in table games, to provide the best guest casino experience in Philadelphia. So, the short answer Robert, in table games, we'll prove the guest comes first. Do that, and the rest is easy.
You are well known in the gaming community. Tell the readers about your YouTube videos and LinkedIn posts.
A few years ago, I was encouraged by someone I mentored to share knowledge and information on Table Games through social media. I had been a lurker on LinkedIn for some time, never proactively posting. Then I got all worked up about something I witnessed and wrote an article on the Silent Killers of Table Games Revenues. The response to that article was overwhelming; after that came speaking engagements and industry magazine interviews. Always wanting to pay it forward, I created my YouTube channel B in the Know. Here I try to bring knowledge by interviewing some of the key players and experts in casino gaming.
The G2E is approaching in 2 weeks. It is the largest Gaming Conference in the world. Are you attending and what are you expecting after a two-year break from face-to-face interactions?
I am attending and very excited to get back to a live convention experience. I attended the National Indian Gaming Association's convention earlier in the year as a panel speaker. The feel in Vegas is still quite different as a mask mandate still exists. G2E, besides being the top industry trade show, is also a gathering of friends with parties and events galore. I'll have to provide more after my return.
Tell the gaming professional reading this interview one book that would be beneficial in his or her career?
It's hard to narrow it down to one, but if you're in table games and don't read my good friend Bill Zender's books Casinoology 1&2, you're doing your career a disservice.
The Best Restaurant in Las Vegas that you would recommend to someone attending G2E for the 1st time is ______.
I'm a big fan of Andiamo's Italian Steakhouse at the D Las Vegas; however, there are many hidden gems like LeThai and the Bootlegger.
Philly is a big sports town. Rivers Casino Philadelphia has a beautiful sportsbook. Are you excited about the many possibilities that can result from that combination?
We have a definite ace in the hole when it comes to our sportsbook and sports betting through BET RIVERS! The experience at the sportsbook and every square foot of the Rivers property will evolve and change over the coming months, much to our customer's delight! I'm hoping your readers will stop by soon for a look!