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G a m i n g N e w s T h u r s d a y, A p r i l 2 , 2 0 1 5 1 0 SPRING INTO CHUMASH LIFE In 2014, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians launched "Chumash Life," a television series comprised of compelling mini documentaries that provide viewers with a glimpse into the issues the tribe faces on a regular basis, as well as programs the tribe implements to benefit tribal members and the community at large. The tribe recently released the Spring 2015 edition of Chumash Life, the fifth episode since the series first launched. "We're getting great feedback on the videos and feel that it's been an excellent communication tool to help educate the public about our tribe," said Vincent Armenta, Tribal Chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The quarterly program features topics of interest to tribal members and the general public and highlights the joys and complexities of Chumash life. The four documentaries in the current episode are: Sovereignty Defined Sovereignty is a term that confuses some people and leaves others puzzled by its application. This segment attempts to demystify the term and demonstrate the importance of tribal sovereignty to Native American tribes. Featured in the segment is an interview with Mark Trahant, an independent print and broadcast journalist who has covered a wide range of topics impor- tant to Indian Country. The segment also includes interviews with tribal leaders to get their perspective on the topic of tribal sovereignty. 50 Years of Chumash Pow Wow The year of 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians' involvement in hosting inter-tribal pow wows. "Chumash Life" celebrates this mile- stone anniversary by interviewing tribal members who have danced in pow wows for decades. The segment also takes a closer look at the majestic tradition of dance presen- tations and how the Santa Ynez Chumash first became involved. Coming Soon: Camp 4 Trust Land The Pacific Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs recently issued a "Notice of Decision" on the tribe's Camp 4 land, placing the tribe one step closer to getting the land placed into federal trust. This segment provides an update on the tribe's jour- ney to get the land into trust, a journey that has involved two distinct paths. Once the land is in trust, the tribe can move forward with its plans to build homes on Camp 4 for tribal members and their families. A Traveling Training Trailer In a recurring segment featuring the Santa Ynez Chumash Indians Foundation, "A Traveling Training Trailer" details the Foundation's matching grant to help the Lompoc Fire Department secure a state-of-the-art safety and emergency preparedness training trailer. Past editions and the Spring 2015 edi- tion of Chumash Life can be viewed on the Chumash-branded YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/ chumashlife, on Santa Barbara Cox Cable's Video-On-Demand Channel 1892 and on a special channel on tele- visions in the rooms of Chumash- owned hotels. SMOKEFREE CASINOS AND REGIONAL GAMING COMPETITION Many factors affect regional gaming competition – from uneven economic recovery and market saturation to growing competition from other forms of gambling. Other key regional vari- ables can include driving distance, price of gas and weather. Don't get casino managers started on the grow- ing importance of non-gaming revenue streams and the preferences of the "Millennial" generation. What hasn't proven to be major factor for regional competition? Smokefree indoor air. Twenty states now require smoke- free indoor air inside all commercial casinos, including Ohio, Maryland, New York, Colorado, and soon in Massachusetts. There are now more than 500 smokefree casinos and other gambling venues in the U.S., including a growing number of sovereign tribal facilities. This year marks the 25 year anniversary of smokefree airplanes in the U.S. – for the health of flight atten- dants to breathe smokefree air in their job. What some people (and the tobacco industry) back then consid- ered to be "impossible" is now taken for granted. That earlier debate of flight attendant health and public support of smokefree skies mirrors what some are still saying about casino workers and customers today. "Secondhand smoke is more than a nuisance. It's a serious health hazard," said Cynthia Hallett, Executive Director of American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. "The good news is that with a smokefree indoor air policy, gaming job cre- ation doesn't have to come at the expense of injur- ing and sickening the very workers those jobs are supposed to be helping." Eighty-two percent of the U.S. population are nonsmokers, including the overwhelming majority of Millennials. Studies indicate that four out of five casino goers are nonsmok- ers. For more information, visit booth #336 or www.smokefreecasinos.org. customer engagement last year than any other year since casinos starting using gift cards for promotional programs. "Our clients in the gaming industry love gift cards for their loyalty programs and employee rewards," said Gilbert. "Gift cards have universal appeal and they're easier for a casino to manage than merchandise rewards." RPG Card Services offers more than 100 gift card brands to the gaming indus- try for customer promotions or employ- ee reward programs, ranging from fuel gift cards like Shell Oil to department store gift cards like Macy's. Casino marketing managers have increasingly used gift cards for tradition- al – and some non-traditional – promo- tions. Some of the more traditional uses include offering a fuel gift card as a stay and play incentive or an upscale retailer gift card to reward high-roller loyalty. RPG Card Services (Cont'd. from p. 1) "We've seen growth in the use of fuel and quick-serve restaurant gift cards to attract customers and increase loyalty club sign-ups," added Gilbert. One of RPG's casino customers offered a national pet supply store gift card to members who stay at the RV park on the resort's grounds. From practical to aspirational, gift cards appeal to all demographic groups and fit any casino marketing budget. RPG Card Services has been provid- ing gift cards and prepaid cards to the gaming industry for almost 10 years. It works with more than100 gift card retail- ers in the fuel, restaurant, electronics, home improvement, general merchan- dise, entertainment and pharmacy indus- tries, as well as prepaid Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards. Visit RPG Card Services at booth #840, or call 888.743.5504. consumers without alienating existing casino guests. The size, impact and immediacy that consumers under age 35 will have on businesses of all types is enormous. Millennials are driving fundamental, permanent changes in branding, media and entertainment. Already encompass- ing more Americans than any other gen- eration, Gen Y today represents more than $1.3 trillion in annual consumer spending, a number set to skyrocket over the next decade. Understanding what makes Gen Y different – particularly their perceptions of self and what they value – will undoubtedly inspire offerings that leverage innovations in technology, communication and connectivity. For the gaming industry to become a viable entertainment consideration for millen- nials, fundamental changes to both con- tent and physical environments must be prioritized. Casinos of all types should study younger perspective consumers and contemplate how they can potentially get them to spend money on property via a layout that addresses what they are looking for in a gaming experience. Established properties may want to approach this shift in phases, whereby particular sections are redesigned to be more millennial friendly. Because the marketplace shift toward Gen Y con- sumers becoming the dominant con- YWS (Cont'd. from p. 1) sumer group has already begun, it is very important for casino operators to make plans now to engage them. – Excerpt is from YWS's white paper, Is Your Casino Optimized for Millennials? For a copy, email info@ywsinternational.com. YWS Design & Architecture is an inter- national design firm specializing in leisure environments in gaming, hospi- tality, retail, dining and entertainment. Its ability to combine owner vision with market-driven design helps the compa- ny deliver world-class properties and turn-key leisure design solutions. YWS is leading the leisure design industry, grounding every project in consumer and market insights, brand development and visioning, enabling it to design iconic environments that delight con- sumers and bring client visions to life. A few of its leisure destinations include: Crown Towers Perth, Hakkasan, MGM Macau, Paramount Boao Resort, Caliente Gaming, Cocopah, Tai Chi Lake Wyndham, Kansas Star, Treasure Island, Diamond Jo Dubuque, Diamond Jo Worth, Planet Hollywood Pedestrian Realm and Sandia Resort & Casino. Founded in 2001, YWS is head- quartered in Las Vegas and has a pres- ence in Tulsa, its Native American serv- ices hub, and internationally in Singapore and Macau. Visit YWS in booth #1547.