Buddy Frank grew up in Reno, Nevada and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno. Frank worked in television news before getting into the gaming industry as a public relations manager at Fitzgeralds Reno in 1986 where he would also later become director of marketing and director of slot operations. Frank then moved to the Eldorado Hotel & Casino in 1995 where he became the director of slot operations as well; he would later join the Atlantis Casino Resort in 1998 to become executive director of slot operations. He joined Stateline & Silver Smith Casino Resort in 2000 as executive director of gaming development and eventually went to Viejas Casino in 2002 as vice president of slot operations. Frank joined Pechanga Resort & Casino in 2007 as vice president of slot operations and retired from that position in late 2015. Frank currently serves as a consultant on slot operations. The interview with Buddy Frank begins with a discussion on the progression of his career in slot operations, including the positions he held in both Nevada and California casino properties. Frank discusses topics regarding the utilization of free play as a marketing strategy and the use of Ethernet technology in slot machines. He then describes his philosophy on how to lay out a slot floor with an emphasis on local players before providing an anecdote related to the importance of infrastructure in casinos. Frank then gives his perspective on what makes both a good and bad slot manager, and he later provides input on what customers are looking for in slot play. The interview then moves into how much slots have changed since his start in the business and later transitions into a discussion on millennials, skill-based gaming, and the future of slot machines. The interview concludes with Frank’s advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.

Zach Mossman graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and started in the gaming industry in the marketing department at the Treasure Island. From there, Mossman assisted in the opening of the ARIA in 2009 as a slot analyst before going to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in 2010 to become a slot performance manager and eventually director of slot operations. He would eventually work for International Game Technology (IGT) before going to the Baha Mar in the Bahamas to become director of slot operations. Mossman currently works for Scientific Games as director of product management, overseeing the game theme content, schedule, and production for the company’s slot platforms and product. The interview with Zach Mossman begins with his discussion of his career progression through several Strip properties and companies in both the operational and manufacturing side of the slot industry. Mossman then explains what drew him to slot operations and goes on to describe the process of dealing with slot vendors. He then provides his philosophy on which qualities make both good and bad slot managers, particularly when dealing with employee teams and casino guests. The interview then shifts to a discussion on what guests want when playing slots and a following discussion on the importance of time on device. Mossman also describes how the slot department works with other casino departments and then explains how both free play and ticket-in, ticket-out have changed slot machines over time. He later provides his views on what the future of the slot industry will look like and then describes his personal extent of gambling. The interview concludes with his advice to young people who want to go into slot operations as a career.

Saul Wesley grew up in Las Vegas and attended the Las Vegas Business College before getting into the gaming industry in an accounting role at the original MGM Grand, even after it became Bally’s. Wesley later worked in slot operations as both a manager and director at the Monte Carlo and is currently vice president of slot operations at Luxor Hotel & Casino. The interview with Wesley begins with a discussion of his background and the distinction between the roles of a director and of a vice president in slot management. He also describes how the slot department works with other departments in the casino, and he mentions specific mentors who have helped him in his career. The interview transitions to a discussion on what makes both a good and bad slot manager, particularly in the context of proper leadership with employees. Wesley then provides his perspectives on what customers are looking for in slots and what makes a good and appealing slot floor. He later describes the process of dealing with vendors and discusses how both free play and ticket-in, ticket-out have changed the slot industry. The interview then shifts to a Wesley’s views on how slot management has changed over the years and how the slot industry, mainly in the sense of technology, will likely continue to change. Wesley also briefly mentions his personal extent of gambling and finalizes the interview with his advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.

Jay Duarte started in the gaming industry at Casino Data Systems and eventually assisted in the opening of Green Valley Ranch Resort where he eventually went to become a slot technician. Duarte then moved to Thunder Valley Resort as a slot technical manager and held the same role at Green Valley Ranch thereafter. In 2003, Duarte became an assistant technical compliance director with Konami Gaming and then returned to Station Casinos to help open Red Rock Resort in 2005. Duarte then moved to Santa Fe Station in 2007 as slot technical manager, slot operations manager, and eventually director of slot operations. He left there to go to Boulder Station to become director of slot operations in 2008 before returning to Thunder Valley in 2009 to enter the role of interim slot director and later vice president of slot operations. Duarte is currently the assistant general manager at Thunder Valley Resort. The interview with Duarte begins with his description of the various positions and roles he has held in the gaming industry. Duarte then explains how the slot department works with other casino departments and later describes the qualities that make both good and bad slot managers. The interview transitions to a discussion on what customers want in casinos, how slot managers interact with slot vendors, and how slot operations has changed since his start in the business. Duarte also talks about how free play and TITO have changed slots, and he describes his personal preferences of gambling. The interview concludes with Duarte’s advice to young people who want to go into slot operations.

Roger Pettersson graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1996 with a degree in hotel administration and thereafter started in the gaming industry as a pit clerk at The Mirage. He went through the slot Management Associate Program which led him to becoming a supervisor at that property and later an assistant shift manager at Bellagio. After becoming a shift manager at that property, Pettersson went to Boulder Station in 2000 to become a slot operations manager and eventually director of slot operations in 2004. He then became the slot director at Red Rock Resort before working with a slot vendor for several months. Pettersson returned to Station Casinos to become the corporate director of gaming and was later promoted to his current position of vice president of slot operations. The interview with Pettersson begins with a description of his background and his experience in the various positions he has held. He then describes what he believes makes a good slot manager and conversely what makes a bad one. Pettersson later explains what he believes customers are looking for in slots before providing his perspective on what he believes makes a good slot floor. He then describes the process of the dealing with vendors and how the slot industry has changed over the years, particularly with the use of free play. Pettersson then describes how he believes slot machines will continue to change and what the future of the industry holds. The interview concludes with Pettersson’s description of his personal gambling preferences and his advice to young people who want to go into the field of slot operations.

Enjoying the lush desert landscaping of his back yard Pat Shalmy looks back in wonder at his longevity in Clark County. The man who always knew when it was time to move on somehow decided to stay put after he arrived in Southern Nevada in 1979 to "start something brand new" as Clark County’s first comprehensive planning director. In 1984, he became Clark County manager and served until 1997, when he left to become president & CEO of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. In 2001 he joined the Board of Las Vegas Monorail Company and affiliated with the law firm of Kummer, Kaempfer, Bonner and Renshaw as director of government and community relations. He shortly "moved on" in May 2002 to become president of Nevada Power Company, where he remained until his 2008 retirement. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Las Vegas Monorail Company. While his extensive Nevada portfolio reflects his educational background—a bachelor’s degree in Urban Geography from the University of Arkansas and a master’s of science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Arizona—it nonetheless belies his upbringing as the son of a Syrian immigrant in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His Southern accent seems to thicken as he spins stories of his parents, his brother, his friends, and the multiethnic but racially segregated town of his youth. In this interview, Shalmy discusses his youth and early career prior to arriving in Clark County. He explains how comprehensive planning benefits Clark County and why the Clark County Board of Commissioners is so powerful. He emphasizes the importance of government and private industry working cooperatively, especially in times of rapid urban growth. He compares his role as county manager during the building frenzy of the late eighties and early nineties with the responsibilities he shouldered as president of Nevada Power in the boom that preceded the recession of 2009: in both periods he oversaw delivery to a rapidly expanding customer base and had to ensure consistent service and efficient delivery at a stable price. And through it all, he credits Robert "Bob" Broadbent for his wisdom in visualizing a regional and comprehensive planning framework that could drive Clark County growth.

Gus Mancuso (Ronald Bernard Mancuso), a talented impresario, was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania in 1933. Gus grew up in Hastings, Pennsylvania as the youngest of nine children. His father, an immigrant from Italy, Joseph Mancuso, owned multiple businesses and his mother, Josephine Ceranni toiled as a stay at home mother. Despite his father’s businesses, the family struggled financially. By the eighth grade Gus moved to Rochester, New York, where his mother joined him, after his parents separated. As a youngster Gus Mancuso learned to play the trumpet by ear. By age 11 he was encouraged to learn to play the drums so he could help earn money for the family. After two weeks of training, Gus Mancuso was earning $5 dollars as the replacement for his older brother Joe in musical performances in places like Moose Hall and the Elks Club in Pennsylvania. His performances were so legendary that an article was written about Gus entitled the “Eighth Grade Drummer”. He continued to demonstrate tremendous musical versatility even after moving from Hastings to Rochester where he received first chair trombone honors after impressing his high school band teacher. After graduating high school, in 1951, Gus went on the road with the Don Manning Trio. Shortly thereafter, a bass player position opened in his brother’s group the Ray Brand Trio. Despite the fact that Gus did not know how to play bass, when he received the offer to become a member of Joe’s band, he went on to learn yet another instrument and joined the Ray Brand Trio. However, while with his brother’s group, Gus was drafted into the army. He packed his trumpet, and despite initially receiving flack for playing in the latrine, the lieutenant exempted Gus from duty so he could perform in the morning and at night for his fellow troops. Shortly thereafter, Gus served in the army band as a piano player. His instrumental capabilities and proficiency helped pave the way for more opportunities. After the army he moved to Nevada and played trombone with Tony Pastor in Reno. He found his way to Las Vegas in 1955 when he opened at the New Frontier on Halloween night. Gus went on to open at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, playing bass, with Sarah Vaughn. They went on to tour Europe together. He also played bass for Billy Eckstine and Les Brown as well as worked in the music department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Gus Mancuso met Lauri Perri, a singer and his first wife, while playing for the Mary Kaye Trio in Lake Tahoe. They were married at the Little Church of the West in 1960. However, Gus is now married to Maggie Peterson an actress who worked on the Andy Griffith Show. He lives in Las Vegas and currently works three nights a week playing piano at the Bootlegger owned by his first wife and getting the job from his son Ronald.