What distinguishes Encore from a casino in Las Vegas, or anywhere else? What three adjectives would you use to describe your audience? Literally, if I find it appealing, then it’s probably appealing to our market, and I’ve never had that freedom to exercise my own opinions over certain decisions. Now, finally, at the tender age of 54, in Boston, Massachusetts, I get to think like me. I used to joke, when I lived in Atlantic City, that I had to think like my grandmother, and then when I lived in Michigan, I had to think like my mother.

In terms of product development, slot machines are one of the most expensive things we buy. What’s the biggest line item in a casino’s budget? I do think it’s something more casino executives should do, because it really helps you understand the customer experience, what’s new and exciting. My favorite thing to play is the penny slots, but obviously I can’t play here. A lot of casino executives don’t, which I find fascinating.

I love to gamble, and it’s quite uncommon in my business.

She sat down with us in one of the private gaming suites to talk about good-luck charms, tough customers, and why the casino industry is still the best game in town.Ībsolutely. Now, as the president of Encore, the longtime gaming exec oversees all aspects of the casino, including finances, marketing, sales, and a staff of about 3,000 employees. Holaday, who’s lived in so many different places that she sighs when asked where she’s originally from, has held positions at Harrah’s Entertainment and Mandalay Resort Group. It was the glass ceiling shattering when Jenny Holaday became the first female head of a casino in Massachusetts. That smashing sound you heard coming from the Encore Boston Harbor last month wasn’t one of the Murano glass chandeliers falling on the floor.

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