Interviewed by David Schwartz. Bill Zender grew up in Las Vegas and got a degree in hotel management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He went to dealing school and went to work at various casinos as a dealer and later as a pit boss. Bill also worked in enforcement for the Gaming Control Board and has written books on casinos games and on how casino managers can deter cheating. Subjects: El Cortez; Western; Maxim; Bally's; Desert Inn; Aladdin; Artichoke Joe's (CA)

Interviewed by David Schwartz. Russell Terbeek born in Cleveland in 1956. He was going to be a sound tech or a lighting tech for bands after college, but his contact person for that industry disappeared. His uncle was a bell captain at Circus Circus, so he told Russell about their dealer program, and Russell came to Las Vegas to be in it. Russell worked for Circus Circus in various properties in Las Vegas and Laughlin for fifteen years. After he went to the Edgewater in Laughlin, he became back-up shift boss. At the Rio he was the table games division training manager. Russell also worked at the Treasure Island, Harrah's, and the Sahara. He helped open New York-New York in 1997. At one point he moved in with a woman who lived in Rancho Cucamonga, so he helped open the Pala Casino and worked as shift manager there and as table games manager at the Soboba Casino. Russell also worked at Harrah's Kansas City and Harrah's North Kansas City. At the time of the interview, he worked at Arizona Charlie's Boulder Casino. Subjects: Circus Circus, Edgewater, Colorado Belle, Golden Nugget Laughlin, Rio, Treasure Island, Pala, Soboba, Morgono, M, Arizona Charlies

Interviewed by David Schwartz. Howard Dreitzer grew up in Miami. He came to Las Vegas in 1974 and went to dealer school on the GI Bill. Howard starting in gaming dealing craps at the Nevada Club and worked at several casinos downtown. Then he became a box and floor man at the Flamingo Hilton. Howard moved to Atlantic City and was a pit boss and later a shift manager at several casinos there. Then he worked at the Harrahs New Orleans Casino & Hotel until it went bankrupt. Howard was hired by the Hilton and worked at the Jupiter Casino and other properties in Australia, then was hired by Seminole Gaming in Florida to set up table games at various properties. Subjects: Nevada Club, California Club, Mint, Flamingo, Frontier, Sands AC, Golden Nugget AC, Golden Nugget LV, Trump Plaza, Showboat AC, Harrah's New Orleans, Conrad Jupiters, Seminole Gaming

Interviewed by David Schwartz. Chris Tonemah came to Las Vegas with her husband. Her marriage didn't work out, so she went to dealer school and got a job as a dice shill and a dealer at the Four Queens before women were really accepted in those jobs. She worked at the MGM Grand and talks about the fire in 1980. Chris also worked at Caesars Palace, the Venetian, and the Palazzo. Subjects: Four Queens, MGM, Caesars Palace, Venetian/Palazzo

Interviewed by David Schwartz. Gary Sanoff grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He went to college to study to be a teacher, but never finished. Gary went on the road with his band, but decided to do something else. His parents had moved to Las Vegas, and his father was a dealer. In 1979 he moved to Las Vegas and went to dealer school to be a craps dealer. Gary started at the Nevada Hotel and worked there for two weeks, then he worked at the El Cortez, then went to the Union Plaza where he was a box man and then a floor man. He moved to the Desert Inn and was a dealer and then a floor man there. Next he moved to the Bellagio, was a pit manager, assistant shift manager, shift manager, Interim Vice President of Table Games, and was director at the time of the interview. Nevada, El Cortez, Union Plaza, Desert Inn, Bellagio

David Rohn was born in Durango, Colorado and grew up in Champaign, Illinois. He attended Parkland College, the University of Illinois and Wichita State University before starting in the arcade industry in 1980 with the Lemans Family Fun Centers. Rohn entered the gaming industry by assisting with the preopening of the Colorado Grande and eventually became a slot manager at that property. He later moved to Johnny Nolon’s Casino to become assistant general manager. Rohn resumed his slot career at Konocti Vista Casino in California for a short period of time before going to the Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino as a slot floor worker. Rohn currently holds the position of director of slot operations at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, Oregon. The interview with Rohn begins with his discussion of his work in arcades and his eventual work in slots along with those duties at the various properties. Rohn describes what he believes makes a good slot manager, specifically when considering customers and employees. He then provides his philosophy on what he believes customers are looking for in casinos, and he describes his approach to laying out a slot floor. Rohn discusses his relationship and interaction with vendors for getting slot machines to the floor, and he also mentions how the slot department works with other areas of the casino. He goes on to discuss how slot operations have changed over time, particularly through ticket-in ticket-out and the use of free play. He then provides his outlook on what the future of the slot industry will look like, specifically in skill-based gaming and downloadable games. The interview concludes with Rohn’s discussion of his personal gambling as it relates to being a good slot manager, and he provides advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.

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.