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A Conversation with Rajeev Rai, Chief Information Officer at Wynn Resorts

· Gaming,Gambling,Wynn Resorts,Casinos,Data

A Conversation with Rajeev Rai, Chief Information Officer at Wynn Resorts

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Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) operates six resorts and casinos in Las Vegas, Everett, MA, and Macau grossing over $6.7B in fiscal year 2018. Wynn manages luxury properties in the three municipalities, providing gaming, resort, and hotel services in each. In the increasingly competitive gaming and resort industry, Wynn is investing heavily in technological capabilities to mitigate financial frictions and enhance the consumer experience.

We spoke to Rajeev Rai, Chief Information Officer at Wynn Resorts North America, to discuss the role of artificial intelligence and broad technological advancement across the Wynn enterprise. Mr. Rai has significant information technology experience, previously serving as Chief Technology Officer at Neiman Marcus and Senior Director of Digital Commerce at Best Buy. Mr. Rai maintains a robust track record of delivering innovative solutions to digital business needs. Mr. Rai graduated with a Master of Management Studies in Information Systems from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India.

Mr. Rai emphasized the role of technology in identifying continuously evolving consumer preferences at Wynn resorts, enhancing consumer experiences or removing friction at all points of engagement be it online, on the phone, across the resort activities like shows, dining, gaming and their room. Particularly in the resort experience, Mr. Rai affirmed the need for advanced data analysis mechanisms to develop deep consumer insights and make relevant special resort offers/events. Mr. Rai noted concrete technological implementation across Wynn resorts, suggesting that digital check in and out, digital key will augment consumer ease and promote the broader resort experience at Wynn properties. While evolving resort technologies continue to enhance consumer experiences, more traditional data analysis in gaming remains critical to Wynn success.

Mr. Rai emphasized the importance of developing data-driven insights of player trends, gaming and hotel preferences. Loyalty programs and associated technologies promote relevant game offerings and contextual offers for the players. Mr. Rai noted the strong incentive to maintain consumer loyalty at Wynn helps increase # of trips or spend per trip. Artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities in the future can assist Wynn operators in offering individualized and personalized gaming opportunities to players. Furthermore, these systems incorporate auxiliary insights to player and consumers. These insights will promote Wynn’s movement of technology beyond gaming and into resort and hotel consumer preferences.

Concerning the future of artificial intelligence and technology investment in the gaming and resort industry, Mr. Rai noted that resort operators will likely continue to build out data analysis capabilities for total enterprise benefits. Mr. Rai reiterated that predictive artificial intelligence and technology will continue to enhance consumer experiences and facilitate consumer loyalty.

Written by Aaron Rennert & Edited by Alexander Fleiss

Sources:

2. Rai, Rajeev (2019, August 29) Telephone Interview