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MGM Considers Replacing Workers With Robots In Its Las Vegas Strip Properties (vegasslotsonline.com)
MGM, one of the largest global casino companies in the world, is considering replacing some workers with robots. The company's 2020 plan calls for reducing its workforce by about 2,100 people to save roughly $300 million in the coming years. Vegas Slots Online reports: Among those who could be replaced are cashiers and bartenders. Automatic technology that can make drinks would replace the bartenders and monetary transactions could be done through standard payment technology. There would also be mobile payment processors going around the floor with the wait staff, eliminating the need for cashiers. There is no indication as to how many such jobs would be replaced at the MGM properties. The unions and workers will not be happy with this news. Jobs will be lost and it may also violate the labor agreement that MGM struck with the unions last summer. The Las Vegas Culinary Union (LVCU), which represents bartenders, kitchen staff, and wait staff, reached a five-year deal in June 2018 with the MGM. The agreement guarantees that MGM will not implement any technology that would have a negative impact on employment. However, the news that the MGM is considering replacing some workers with robots could mean that the company is not willing to fulfill this agreement. MGM CEO Jim Murren unveiled the new "MGM 2020" plan earlier this year, describing it as a "company-wide, business-optimization initiative aimed to leverage a more centralized organization to maximize profitability and, through key investments in technology, lay the groundwork for the company's digital transformation to drive revenue growth."
That's what you all think.
If they want to replace the taxpaying workers with robots, then municipalities should tax each robot at a rate commensurate with the wages they would have lost from employees living in the area.
There's nothing wrong with replacing people with robots?
But there is most *definitely* something wrong with doing so when it screws everyone but the elite few at the top.
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MGM Considers Replacing Workers With Robots In Its Las Vegas Strip Properties
So Futurama was right: the future will contain robot strip clubs.
The casino industry works on tips. No one is going to tip a robot waitress or robot dealer. Their non tip wages are probably the same as the maintenance cost of the robots.
**Life is too short to be serious**
The age of no-skill labor is over.
company-wide, business-optimization initiative aimed to leverage a more centralized organization to maximize profitability and, through key investments in technology, lay the groundwork for the company's digital transformation to drive revenue growth
That is the most buzzword-filled bullshit I have seen in a long time.
In other words, "fuck our employees, we executives need more money".
That's sort of the problem. 2100 jobs isn't much in the vast scheme of things. But every company on earth bigger than a mom & pop is trying to figure out how to do this. And it's not just automation. It's stuff like better tech (portable payment devices that are cheap enough and reliable enough so you can have the girls handling out drinks replace your cashiers).
It'll be the death of a thousand cuts. Eventually the job losses will put downward pressure on wages, then on sales, and then more layoffs and it'll spiral down. It's a classic race to the bottom. The only thing that can stop it is human reason and action from outside the system.
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I was on a cruise recently that had a robot bar - it was pretty well designed, as you used a tablet o order whatever kind of drink you wanted out of the different bottles of spirits and non-alcoholic drinks it had... it was pretty well designed, and built to be "showy" if you will as it prepared drinks. It was one of the more interesting things on the ship...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
"company-wide, business-optimization initiative aimed to leverage a more centralized organization to maximize profitability and, through key investments in technology, lay the groundwork for the company's digital transformation to drive revenue growth."
Can't they start by replacing the MBAs with robots?
I dunno, I remember the days when slot machines took coins and had big levers. Watching those mechanical things go round and round, suspense builds. Sometimes you hit a good combination and hear the clattering of coins dumping into bin. Nowadays slot machines are like video games, some people love it but I find it boring. It's just a flat screen, hell I can get that anyplace else so why go to Las Vegas (or Reno or whereever).
Besides having someone pretty to serve drinks is much nicer than dealing with a "vending machine" https://www.reviewjournal.com/...
mfwright@batnet.com
For about 2-3 months after a go-live, I can see the place tank.
No people to interact with... I can see it as a bust...
Casinos could have replaced the chips and paper currency handlers with machines decades ago. The food could have been manufactured off site, just like the fast food companies do. However, that is not glamorous. Humans have intelligence, can look sexy, remember patrons, and do custom favors. I think taking away the service humans ruins the luxury, and glamour of the casino.
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I think I'd replace my wait staff if they were costing me an average of $142,000 a year too.
Nobody cares what the fuck a nazi propaganda twat finds interesting you douchey milliennial Colorado incel nazis.
The thing about the robot bar was, you could save a custom drink mix and come back to it later. It was also pretty fast at mixing the drinks, and since you could adjust the amount of different parts of your drink you could get it just the strength you liked after a try or two.
So it wasn't just about the show, the actual quality of the resulting mix was nice, especially in that once you hit on a mix you liked you got the same thing every time, and the robot didn't look at you funny for wanting a lot of lime slices added.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
If Jim Murren is let go and replaced by a robot, that's another $14 million each year which can be saved, and that's in salary alone. Add in all the other perks he gets and that number could be near $20 million.
In one fell swoop, and additional 6.66% could be saved of the total amount. And it could be done immediately.
$300 million is the price to pay 2100 persons? At $11904 average per month, some of them must be very well paid.
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A good bartender can't be replaced with some shitty robot full of peristaltic pumps and plastic tubing.
Don't forgot the robot customers who want them.
Among those who could be replaced are cashiers and bartenders ...
I think they'll find that replacing buxom barmaids and bartenders with bulging biceps with robots will be detrimental to their bottom line.
It'll be the death of a thousand cuts. Eventually the job losses will...
The thing about the slippery slope is that it can become less slippery at any time. For example, casino customers might find that they prefer getting their drinks from friendly humans instead of robo-bartenders. With foot traffic going to competing casinos, suddenly MGM's cost savings are negated by lower revenue.
People still sit down at poker tables with human dealers. Video poker has been around for a while now. What the customers pay for, the casinos will provide.
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"The MGM workers were replaced by robots
And then they died on the cross!...."
Given how poor service often is at bars and in the casino, this might actually be an upgrade. I don't expect a robot to be polite, but I hate it when the bartender or waitress is rude or complacent to the guests.
all the stupid people with no work....what are they gonna do..........