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.

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.