Aaron Rosenthal grew up in Las Vegas and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in finance. He started in the gaming industry at The Mirage in 1997 by going through the Management Associate Program and working as a slot operations analyst. He then moved to the Beau Rivage in 2000 into the role of database marketing manager and eventually into the position of director of slot marketing. In 2002, he became director of loyalty programs on the corporate side of MGM Mirage before going to Treasure Island as vice president of slot operations and marketing in 2003 and eventually back to The Mirage into that same role in 2005. Rosenthal eventually joined Penn National Gaming where he held the positions of vice president of marketing at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in 2009 and assistant general manager of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in 2011. He returned to Las Vegas to become vice president and general manager of Cannery Casino Resorts in 2013 and traveled to Missouri to hold that same position at the Argosy Casino & Hotel in 2014. Rosenthal is currently the vice president and general manager of Tropicana Las Vegas. The interview with Rosenthal begins with his discussion of his start in the slot industry and the various slot operations and marketing roles he held with MGM Mirage/MGM Resorts. This discussion also involves his experiences in dealing with slot vendors and his philosophy on laying out a slot floor. Rosenthal also describes his experiences and duties as assistant general manager and general manager at various properties. He provides his opinion on what makes both good and bad slot managers, his perspective on what he believes customers are looking for in playing slots, how slot management has changed over time, and what the future of slots will hold. The interview concludes with Rosenthal’s discussion on his personal gambling preferences as well as his advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.

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.

Jacob David "Jay" Bingham carries the Lincoln County town of Alamo, Nevada, in his heart. The former North Las Vegas City Councilman (1981-84) and Clark County Commissioner (1984-96) presided over fifteen years of Southern Nevada’s explosive urban growth, but he learned about small-town values when he got out of line at Rancho High School with some friends and was sent to live with an uncle in Alamo for his sophomore year. What began as a short-term placement blossomed into a life-long attachment to a rural Nevada place where no gap separated generations; where people looked out for one another; where small classes allowed teachers to accommodate his Attention Deficit Disorder and let him learn at his own pace; where he acquired rodeo skills and became a cowboy, and where he met his wife. But it was in urban Clark County where Bingham spiritually reconnected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and crafted successful careers in politics and construction that significantly and mutually contributed to the way Southern Nevada looks and the way it works. In this interview, he discusses Alamo, his faith, his learning disability, Southern Nevada’s political landscape, his learning curves at the North Las Vegas City Council and the Clark County Commission, comprehensive planning, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and his construction and development business. He recalls heated competition between political kingmakers Kent Oram and Big Jim Joyce; telling Pat Mulroy she was not "tough enough," and the corruption that seemed to define Southern Nevada politics before, during, and after his terms in office.

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.

"There's nothing really authentic here. I'm kind of tired of the buffet already." In the early 1990s, Henry Hwang, recent emigrant from Taiwan, listened as his Los Angeles neighbors returned from gambling trips to Las Vegas and complained that they could find no good Chinese restaurants in the Entertainment Capital of the World. They continued to visit Las Vegas, but after two or three days they grew tired of buffet dining and searched in vain for a place to enjoy a good Chinese meal. Having been a businessman in Taiwan, Hwang recognized an opportunity. He envisioned creating a space in Las Vegas that would serve tourists and the local Asian population alike. It would have not only good Chinese restaurants, but it would also have top-brand Asian supermarkets. With his wife and two partners, Hwang set about to realize his vision. In this interview, Henry and his daughter, Sharon Hwang, talk about their lives in Taiwan and beginning anew in Las Vegas. They talk about Henry’s search for the right parcel in a good location and about working with the architect to create a center true to Tang dynasty architecture and symbolism. They also share the story of the Journey to the West as the cultural strength of the center and have held annual Chinese New Year celebrations to teach Chinese culture for 23 years. The elements of location, architecture, and culture combined to grow Chinatown Mall beyond Henry’s original idea and inspired other Asian businesses to locate nearby. West Spring Mountain Road became a bustling pan-Asian district that caters to many local and tourist communities as well as to Las Vegas’s hospitality industry. In 1996 Clark County officially designated the area as Chinatown District, and in 1999, Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn officially named as Chinatown the three-mile stretch of Spring Mountain Road from Las Vegas Boulevard to Rainbow Boulevard. Henry also shares his reasons for leaving Taiwan and pursuing life in Las Vegas. He, his wife, and one of the original partners still own Chinatown Mall, but Henry has ceded its operation to Sharon, who oversees and nurtures the Mall’s cultural and financial pillars equally. Sharon talks about the difficulty of entering Durango High School as a new immigrant and her wonderment at the give-and-take of classroom discussions. A member of Durango’s first graduating class, she recalls her time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where she earned her B.A. degree in business administration in 1999. Sharon is proud of her father and mentor—his innovative thinking, business vision, and strong work ethic—and she is delighted to call Las Vegas home.

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.

Renee Diamond is an activist who has worked for a variety of social and political causes, including early childhood education, welfare rights, fair housing, and the Equal Rights Amendment.