Although casinos may project an image of luxury and excess, many operators have recently prioritized diversity and inclusion initiatives as a growing priority – this helps better meet customer demands as diverse teams better comprehend individual customer requirements.
Companies are setting goals and programs for gender, ethnicity and LGBT representation in management positions. Many are also partnering with historically black colleges and universities while creating employee resource groups with robust employee representation.
Diversity in the Workforce
Diversity is essential to providing exceptional customer service in the gaming industry, from recruiting talent and conducting training programs that develop skillsets necessary for creating exceptional experiences for customers from diverse backgrounds to recruiting employees with diverse talent that possess these traits.
The American Gaming Association reports that 61% of casino employees are ethnic or racial minorities, far surpassing both hospitality employees as a whole and the U.S. workforce overall. Furthermore, this percentage has increased significantly over time: minority representation among casino operator management increased 20% during this decade alone! Furthermore, 43% of first and mid-level managers and 45% of professionals in gaming are minorities–this exceeds national diversity benchmarks by 10-12 points!
The AGA report further acknowledges the challenges posed by gender diversity for the industry, with women accounting for a lower proportion of senior management positions than men. To combat this, many casinos are undertaking initiatives to increase female management presence at their facilities as well as working collaboratively with nearby minority- and women-owned businesses as part of diversity outreach efforts.
Diversity in the Supplier Base
Gaming may be dominated by men, yet women’s representation in managerial positions has slowly been increasing. One example of this can be seen with The Last Part of Us II which features female characters from its post-apocalyptic setting in America and features numerous female protagonists.
Casinos are taking steps to diversify their workforce as well as supplier diversity by forging partnerships with minority-owned businesses and hosting supplier fairs, and often setting annual supplier diversity goals which are measured as a percentage of procurement expenditures.
These initiatives hold great potential to benefit both the gaming industry and its customers. By hiring more diverse employees, casinos can create more inclusive customer experiences while developing games with wider appeal; ultimately leading to higher profitability. Furthermore, by working with diverse supplier bases they can support economic development of underrepresented communities.
Diversity in the Customer Base
Diversity of customers is crucial to the casino industry. Employees with diverse clienteles may be better at spotting trends among them and creating gaming products that appeal to a broad spectrum of individuals. Furthermore, diverse employees may be more sensitive and aware of cultural variations that affect customer behavior, essential in providing exceptional customer service.
Gaming companies have recently made efforts to increase diversity within their customer bases, including partnerships with historically black colleges and universities as well as creating employee resource groups to provide networking and educational opportunities for casino professionals.
Casino industry diversity efforts have seen steady progress, yet more work needs to be done. Blackhurst takes an unfavorable view of some DEI initiatives that appear more as PR tools than real progress; she would prefer gaming companies set goals for board and executive diversity and implement programs supporting women and minorities throughout their organizations.
Diversity in the Marketing Strategy
Casino industry companies have recognized the value of diversity and inclusion and taken steps to promote equal opportunities for all people in society. Some casinos have established mentorship programs specifically targeting female employees while others provide unconscious bias training for employees who might experience discrimination; these efforts are making a difference by creating more inclusive workplace environments for everyone involved.
Women-led advocacy groups are taking an active part in addressing this issue by offering networking and mentoring opportunities, while at the same time speaking up for them in terms of making sure their voices are heard within the gambling industry.
These efforts are certainly making strides forward, but the gaming industry still faces many hurdles to achieving its diversity goals. For example, its first and mid-level management positions boast a high proportion of women and minorities; however, at higher levels their numbers tend to decline dramatically.
