The COVID-19 outbreak and the ensuing travel restrictions and economic dislocations have created crises in gaming jurisdictions globally.In the past,Las Vegas has been a center for innovation in gaming.During the current crisis,it makes sense to explore how Las Vegas casino resorts managed past disasters and how they are attempting to overcome the current one.

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Design thinking refers to the process of innovation that uses the sensitivity and empathy of designers to combine technology, market and emotion for product/service innovation. The mental model and research methods proposed by design thinking provide new ways of thinking and operating tools for the development of Macao gaming and tourism industry. Based on the different dimensional approaches to design, this paper proposes seven innovative strategies for Macao’s gaming and tourism industry, including re-thinking Macao’s tourists/gamblers, redefining Macao’s economic diversification requirements, and creating reasons for nongamblers to travel to Macao. This research has important implications for Macao’s gaming and tourism industry in shattering the present limitations and developing new markets.

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Everyone may have an experience of being immersed in an activity without being aware of the things around them. In the era of the experience economy, it is increasingly important to have a better understanding of the flow experience theory. Focused on the flow experience theory proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, this paper reviewed the psychological mechanism, the prerequisites, the dimensional model, the measurement and the application of the theory. The flow experience theory has already been applied in many fields. However, such issues as the role of flow experience in addiction, factors to inhibitory control and the relationship between such experience and mental fatigue are worth further study.

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The causes of gambling addiction are very complicated. It is generally believed that both genetic and environmental factors are in play, and studies have shown that genetics is more influential than the environment. Following this, are the biological characteristics brought by inheritance the susceptible basis for the gambling disorder? Is there anyone who likes (tends to seek) gambling and gets addicted due to their born defects? This study reviewed the findings of biological mechanisms related to gambling addiction on the neurotransmitter system, neuroendocrine system, genes, structural brain abnormality and brain dysfunction in certain areas. Such findings show that the biological performance of gambling disorder may be ascribed to some genetic defects, other addiction problems and mental illness, or the result of neurological adaptation caused by behavioural addiction. Therefore, an improved scientific understanding of gambling addiction would help manage gambling behaviours, and further research on biological mechanisms would be an important means of improving the therapeutic effect of future gambling interventions.

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The evolution of gaming promoters as junket operators reflects their business situation and regulatory system in different periods, particularly after Macao’[KG-*3]s gaming liberalization in 2001 with their incorporation into the regulatory regime by the Macao SAR Government for the stable development of the junket business. This study reviews the historical development and legal instruments associated with the junket business, with a view to revealing its evolution and characteristics. Some of the existing regulatory issues are highlighted in this paper along with the possible direction for future regulation, including the licensing of gaming promoters, the legality of VIP rooms, and the oversight of collaborators.

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It is widely believed that employees with higher occupational commitment are more reliant on their work and committed to it, so they can generally perform better at their jobs, are more confident in their competitiveness in the workplace, and have greater sense of job security. Although employees' occupational commitment and job security have been the focus of the industry and the society at large, surprisingly little research has been done to explore the relationship between the two. This article examined this relationship, and explored the role of organizational commitment on the relationship. Based on the survey of 1,241 casino employees in Macao, the findings supported that occupational commitment was positively related to job security, and organizational commitment had a partial mediating effect. It was found that enhancing employees' occupational commitment and organizational commitment could promote their job security, and this study helped provide a new perspective for the HR department in improving employees' sense of job security.

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Based on the cognitive and behavioural theory, this study discussed how to realize the healthy development mode of “more people with reduced purchases” of China’s sports lotteries in order to achieve the dual objectives of sales volume maximization with its social responsibility. By analyzing the data of 1,093 Chinese lottery customers in six cities, this research categorized the customers into two groups: high value group and low value group. The findings showed that the overall situation of the high value group was good, but the resources (time, money, etc.) were significantly higher than those of the low value group. Although they hoped to enjoy the entertainment, they had difficulties to control their own betting behaviour and showed some symptoms of problem gambling. The low value group was mainly young women with high educational background. Their consumption amount and time were random, influenced by certain technical factors, and showed the unhealthy trend of chasing losses. Based on the above, the authors suggested: establishment of the real-name registration system based on the internet technology; speedy construction of the problem gambling prevention system; attracting more new lottery customers and optimizing the customer structure by applying experience marketing and customer relationship management.

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Tourism research has experienced many perspective changes, from economic to social cultural, and then to experiential perspectives. This change reflects the process of tourism research focus from external economic effects to tourists’ internal needs. To further refine and deepen the experiential perspective, the author, based on the observation and contemplation of objective facts and social phenomena, suggested reexamining the tourism ontology. An in depth analysis of tourist motivation and the supply and demand of the industry indicated its ontological attribute of crossing different perspectives. Compared with the impossible physical penetration and strolling at home, tourism has become an alternative way of time travel because of its immersive and multisensory experience. It has certain theoretical and practical value to suggest the perspective of time travel, which can provide guidance and lessons for enterprises in market positioning, promotion and scenic area planning.

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Twenty years after Macao’ s handover to China, Macao’ s economy has reached its historical peak. To further diversify its economic development, Macao needs new tourism hotspots. With the all-for-one tourism perspective, this article systematically sorted out Macao’ s cultural and tourism resources primarily based on Xu’ s cultural tourism categories, and introduced Macao’ s unique cultural tourism resources to make these resources better fit in the original categories. Such adjustment to apply Xu’ s categories has filled a research gap. Furthermore,a SWOT analysis was conducted for the future development of Macao’[KG-*4]s cultural tourism with the following suggestions: Utilizing the opportunity to build the Greater Bay Area tour with multi-stops; upgrading internal infrastructure and strengthening government supervision and coordination; leverage cultural advantages with complementary resources; creating new cultural hotspots and introducing smart tourism appeal; coordinating the development of different resources and balancing the tourist flow distribution.

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Macao’s economic development is extremely dependent on its gaming industry, which has triggered the rapid development of the tourism industry. In recent years, Macao’s tourist model has primarily focused on gaming or its surrounding industries, so to speak. To ensure the sustainable development of the society, Macao needs to promote the diversification of its industry so as to achieve Macao’s position to be the world centre of tourism and leisure according to the national development plan. This article explored how Macao could use its diverse, accommodating and open socioculture to develop other tourism models like industrial, food, and religious tourism, apart from the gambling tourism. It also explored the background, feasibility and policy recommendations of such models.

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