Examining the relationship between poker and the gaming volumes of Las Vegas hotel casinos

This study tests a long held anecdotal claim that a poker room draws people into the casino that might otherwise be absent. Using daily data from two major hotel casinos located on the Las Vegas Strip, this study examines the effect of poker on the business volumes of table and slot games. The time series regression analysis produce mixed findings that the significant effect of poker on gaming volumes only appears in a gaming-centric property but not in the other property offering diverse non-gaming attractions besides gaming. The findings of this study call for casino management's careful evaluation of poker's attractiveness as a draw. This study also provides guidelines for evaluating poker's contribution to the slot/table game department's operating profit.