Page 13 - December 2015 • Southern California Gaming Guide

VBMW 320i Winner at Valley View Casino & Hotel
alley View Casino & Hotel recently named Sylvia G. the winner of a new BMW 320i! In partnership with BMW of Escondido, Valley View Casino o ered Players Club members the chance to win a brand new BMW or $25,000, plus
an additional $30,000 in cash and prizes were given away on Friday, October 30th. Many guests visited the night of the giveaway, excited to submit entries they collected over the prior weeks in hopes of taking home the new luxury car or cash. e BMW giveaway was the nale of a month-long promotion that also awarded cash, free slot
play, hotel stays and more. Following the evening of exclusive drawings and giveaways, Sylvia was awarded the keys to the new BMW. Valley View Casino & Hotel o ers chances to win a new car or cash every month and all guests are eligible! is month, check out the Mercedes CLA250 giveaway. See the Players Club for details.
Barona Resort & Casino Wins San Diego 2015 Top Workplaces Award
arona Resort & Casino was awarded the 2015 Top Workplaces honor by e One of the results of this philosophy is that over half
San Diego Union-Tribune. e Union-Tribune partnered with Philadelphia-based
WorkplaceDynamics, LLC, a leading research rm that specializes in employee surveys. The Top Workplaces Award is based on the results of WorkplaceDynamics’ employee feedback survey that was conducted earlier this year with 68 companies throughout San Diego County and completed by 1,500 Barona sta members.
of Barona’s 3,000 sta members have worked at the casino for more than 10 years and more than 150 have been with Barona for 20 years or more. at level of employee retention is a model not only for the casino industry, but for all businesses.
“ e Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest. And oftentimes, people assume it’s all about fancy perks and bene ts,” says Doug Cla ey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. “But to be a Top Workplace, organizations must meet our strict standards for organizational health. And who better to ask about work life than the people who live the culture every day: the employees. Time and time again, our research has proven that what’s most important to them is a strong belief in where the organization is headed, how it’s going to get there, and the feeling that everyone is in it together.” Cla ey adds, “Without this sense of connection, an organization doesn’t have a shot at being named a Top Workplace.”
“Good jobs are our focus at Barona and we have made a commitment to invest in our people above all else,” said Rick Salinas, General Manager of Barona Resort & Casino. “Barona’s nearly 3,000 sta is our most important asset and we also consider them our friends. ey do the day-to-day work at Barona and care for hundreds of thousands of our precious players.”
A desire to grow and care for the investment in its sta is one of the secrets of Barona’s success. Almost everything Barona does is counterintuitive to most businesses, including its sta size and its con dence in the sta to run operations, make friends with hundreds of thousands of casino players and care for each other.
With $150 million in payroll, Barona has hundreds more sta when compared to casinos of the same size anywhere, including locally and Las Vegas. e larger sta creates an environment that allows time to build friendships among fellow employees as well as guests.
is combination is a magic formula of operational excellence where both sta and players are happy and having fun.
Joe McKeehen is 2015 World Series of Poker Champion
oe McKeehen, 24, from North Wales, Pennsylvania, became poker’s world champion on November 10th, capturing his very rst World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet and the top prize of $7,683,346 in gaming’s
richest and most prestigious event. He topped a eld of 6,420 players to earn his rst career rst-place prize. McKeehen used his chip advantage throughout, constantly putting pressure on his opponents. With the victory, despite his young age, McKeehen has now won nearly $11 million playing poker for a living.
e WSOP Main Event nal table results include 2nd place: Josh Beckley, $4,470,896; 3rd place: Neil Blumen eld, $3,398,298; 4th place: Max Steinberg, $2,615,361; 5th place: Ofer Zvi Stern, $1,911,423; 6th place: Tom Cannuli, $1,426,283; 7th place: Pierre Neuville, $1,203,293; 8th place: Federico Butteroni, $1,097,056; and 9th place: Patrick Chan, $1,001,020.
...Gaming News Continues on page 14
DECEMBER 2015 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE PAGE 13
December 2015 Gaming News