At Global Gaming Expo 2011, the American Gaming Association launched Global Gaming Women, a new development program created “to nurture emerging female leaders in the international gaming industry.”
According to the AGA’s press release, “the (GGW) initiative will be an ongoing effort by the AGA to foster stronger relationships between top female executives and promising managers. GGW will create an opportunity for women in the industry to learn from each other, share ideas, discuss best practices and take advantage of mentorship opportunities in the industry.”
On a parallel track, the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming (SITG) at San Diego State University (SDSU), through its four-year degree program in tribal casino operations management, has a history of supporting female students who are interested in pursuing careers in the gaming industry, especially those who want to pursue a career in tribal government gaming. As the first-of-its-kind program in the United States, the tribal gaming degree at SDSU considers tribal priorities in its philosophy of utilizing casino operations as a form of governmental economic development and social recovery.
The AGA and SITG’s focus on women in gaming reflects a growing trend within the gaming industry and highlights ways that the industry welcomes (and needs) women, and also affirms that gaming appeals to women as both a career pathway and, increasingly, as a form of entertainment.
It is well-known that female-male college enrollment rates crossed over in the early 1990s, when the proportion of young women enrolled in college exceeded that of young men for the first time. The gap has widened since then. For some majors, including the hospitality and tourism management degree program at SDSU, the ratio is 82 percent women and 18 percent men. Tribal casino operations management degree students at SDSU are more evenly distributed, with a current ratio of 70 percent women and 30 percent men.
Gaming Welcomes Women
here are various organizational, cultural and historical explanations for this growing trend of attracting more women to the gaming industry as both employees and players. First, the gaming industry has committed to diversity. According to the 2008 Gaming Diversity Snapshot, casinos employ more women (50.7 percent) than men (49.3 percent).
PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that women hold as many professional positions in gaming as in any other national industry and, importantly, women hold fewer service jobs in casino gaming than in other industries. Tribal government gaming has embraced women in its top professional positions, including the appointment of Tracie Stevens, Tulalip Tribes of Washington, as chairwoman of the National Indian Gaming Commission in 2010.
As a privilege industry that relies upon public support and a demonstration of community benefits, the casino gaming industry is wise to welcome women into leadership positions. Some industry insiders seek women in leadership to improve casino gaming’s outdated image as an “old boy’s club” or a business run by the mafia.
The very nature of the gaming product also encourages hiring more women. As casino gaming becomes more popular with diverse customers, including increased participation by women, it makes sense to diversify casino employment and management to reflect these changing demographics. In an industry where service and special treatment are both a value and a minimum standard, recruiting women makes good political sense and results in good business.
Gaming Appeals to Women
omen leaders in the casino gaming industry, both commercial and tribal, have discovered myriad pathways to executive positions. Some women have come into leadership through the legal profession, others through journalism, hospitality or government. Whatever the pathway, there are many reasons a career in the gaming industry may appeal to women. One feature of the casino industry that appeals to many women is the flexibility of casino jobs, both the hours of operation and the ability to move between these jobs.
Many casino shifts provide a flexible work schedule to accommodate family obligations or other commitments. The nature of casino work, which provides the ability to move up the job ladder through “learning by doing,” is also appealing to many women, especially those who are new to the casino industry or moving from other careers. Given the diversity of jobs within a casino environment, whether in casino operations, marketing or back-of-the-house positions, teamwork is strongly valued in the gaming industry and is often appealing to women who may value working with others.
Finally, the service industry in general relies upon a high degree of intuition and creativity among its ranks. Many women have honed these skills in non-work environments and feel comfortable in an environment where these skills are necessary and valued.
To highlight the role of women in tribal government gaming, SITG will host a Global Gaming Women panel at the National Indian Gaming Association trade show on April 4. At this event, women leaders in the tribal government gaming industry will discuss trends and topics related to the growth and direction of tribal gaming in the United States, including the wide range of opportunities for women in tribal gaming. Participants who have played a role in supporting the pipeline of tribal gaming graduates from SDSU will discuss the role of leadership and mentorship in their own casino career paths.
Katherine Spilde M.B.A., Ph.D., is chair of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming based at San Diego State University, and associate professor in the SDSU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. For more information, contact Katherine Spilde at kspilde@mail.sdsu.edu.
