IAG finds out a little more about Lance Gautreaux following his recent appointment as Chief Casino Officer at Manila’s Newport World Resorts.
Ben Blaschke (BB): Thanks for chatting with us , Lance. You’ve had an extensive career in the US and across Asia. How did you get into the industry in the first place?
Lance Gautreaux (LG): I guess I was like many people where it was just by accident. I was super young in college and it was a side job and a way to make money for college. I had a friend who was working at a truck stop casino in Louisiana where they have small poker machines. I started as a change attendant there while I was in school and I never left. I left the truck stop but I didn’t leave the industry, and that was 26 years ago.
BB: Was that because you enjoyed the job? Was it something that appealed to you straight away?
LG: You know, I was in school for drafting and design technology, but I was really young at that point and hadn’t decided what I wanted to do. When I got acclimated to the casino business, it was really intriguing to me, just the entertainment factor, the multi-faceted business experience that operates through the properties and the leadership experience that really enticed me. I went to another property in Louisiana, Baton Rouge, which was a riverboat, so while I was there I quickly went up the ranks and just loved it. I really developed a passion for gaming and I haven’t left.
BB: How would you describe the experience of learning the ropes in Louisiana, and how do you think that prepared you for moving on to bigger and better things?
LG: One anchor for me, even in high school where I was working in fast food, was this passion for leadership that I’ve developed, and I transitioned into gaming and developed a passion for that too. The difference in Louisiana is that it’s really a locals market. Riverboat casinos, small land-based casinos: most of the foot traffic is local, and so the contrast for that versus a destination market is really understanding how to drive locals. Through my career and through time I transitioned into more destination-style markets and across international markets.
BB: You eventually joined Las Vegas Sands and ended up at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. How and why did you make that move?
LG: I was in Mississippi at the time, and I was working for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians – a very large resort called Pearl River Resort in Mississippi – and I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman called Ken Davie who worked there for a period of time. When Ken left, he joined Marina Bay Sands in Asia, and they were looking for a slots director. So, he reached out and asked if I was interested in moving to Singapore.
Being American, I said, “Sure … but where’s Singapore?” After a bit of research, I realized this was an iconic milestone in the gaming industry and I was delighted to be a part of something that large and that grand. So, I made the move. I had never been to Asia before then.
BB: Did you have certain preconceived notions of what Singapore would be like, and did it meet your expectations?
LG: Through the research I did on Las Vegas Sands prior to accepting, I was intrigued by Mr Sheldon Adelson and his ability to create these destination integrated resorts. That was the original appeal. Beyond that, researching Marina Bay Sands and the iconic structure it was envisioned to be, that was very attractive. I researched a lot about Singapore, found it to be an international destination, very forward thinking in terms of technology, and so the ease of living in a place that was so far away from where I’m from was much less difficult than I ever imagined. It felt like home. It was very multicultural, which is what I love about Asia: that you get to experience so many different cultures in one place. That also goes for places like Macau – a melting pot of different cultures and foods and experiences.
BB: No doubt you wasted no time traveling around Asia and experiencing many different countries. Was there anything that really made you think how different this part of the world is to anywhere else?
LG: I think the hospitality, particularly in the Philippines. There is just a general kindness to the folks here, and there is this close-knit community where everyone is just so willing to help each other. That’s not something I would have expected. Thailand is another one that stands out with that really high community service culture. That’s one of the things that made me really excited about coming [to Newport World Resorts] in particular– is expanding and building upon that really unique service culture and how to draw tourists here because of that. And that’s besides the beautiful architecture, the mountains and the beaches. Everything is very nearby.
BB: Have you taken advantage of that proximity?
LG: One of my passions is the beach – the culture of sand and water, relaxing on the beach and enjoying that. I have some condominiums in Florida, and fitness has been another deep passion of mine for the past 20 years. That’s why you see a gym listed on my LinkedIn profile as well. I don’t have as much time as I used to have to focus on fitness but it’s still a passion.
BB: So how did the move to the Philippines and to Newport World Resorts come about?
LG: You know, it’s interesting – the Philippines is one of the only major markets that I hadn’t worked in, and when I was connected to the folks here, what was very exciting about it was really the vision of the future and what this property can be. Regardless of what it already is today, there are big plans around what it can be. The level of investment into enhancing the service culture as a differentiator is extremely appealing. Those things are what were attractive to me and have been attractive to me in the past through Sands. There is a strong strategic vision.
BB: Your background includes a lot of time in slots in particular, and the Philippines is largely a slots-driven market. Is that exciting for you?
LG: Of course. I love slots but I also love table games and marketing, so it’s a tri-pronged ecosystem where all of those segments have to be properly attuned to maximize profitability. I do have a long history in slots so my original focus and experience was around how to build that business, but since then I have transitioned into table games as well as marketing. Now I have an aptitude for all of it. Slots is obviously a big part of the market here, and the innovation that is coming through for slot products and things like that is exciting for the future. We hope to continue to engage our customers in a manner that ensures they are entertained.
BB: What’s your philosophy on running a casino floor and maximizing efficiency?
LG: I think we anchor in a couple of things at first, which is property aesthetic as well as service excellence as that key differentiator. Getting service right is a tough job, and so every day we are evaluating that to see how we can get better because that’s how we set ourselves apart from others. It’s a balance of gut and analytics in the context of efficiencies. We also have to operationalize all of these analytical ideas that we have, so that brings the practicality that’s needed – getting enthused and facilitating the empowerment of team members which translates into that ingrained service culture where folks can make decisions, and processes and procedures don’t get in the way. Then on the technology side is where I think we have the most opportunity to get staff focused on service culture, because technology can look after those processes and procedures. That’s where our focus is – on maximizing efficiency while also enhancing every touch point in the property.
BB: What do you think you bring to Newport World Resorts?
LG: I’ve got about 26 years and that’s created a deep but broad set of experiences. I counted the other day just out of curiosity and it’s been 13 properties that I’ve been involved in during my career – most of that because of the size of Sands and the length of time I spent there working in every single one of those properties. But in leisure and hospitality there has to be this elevated level of service and luxury, and so I have an eye for that because of my experience. That, doubled with the technical expertise as well as the leadership style that I have which is very inclusive and collaborative across the property – I really focus on that alignment towards a common goal. Those are the things I think I bring here.
BB: How have you found the move to Manila?
LG: It was a transition from Las Vegas to Manila. I haven’t lived in the Philippines but I was in Southeast Asia for so many years that it felt like coming home. When I arrived, I realized how much opportunity I see in not only the country’s economic growth but also the personal wealth. Everything is coming together here in terms of investment and infrastructure. I found it very easy to move here actually. Traffic is about the only thing that keeps me sitting and not able to plan very well, but other than that the transition has been easy. I’ve found the food to be fantastic. The last time I was here was in 2017 and the way the culinary industry has elevated itself in that time is absolutely amazing. That really stood out for me being from Louisiana where food is key.
