For this month’s edition of Industry Insiders, we spoke with G2E 2021 keynote presenter Jyoti Chopra, Chief People, Inclusion, and Sustainability Officer at MGM Resorts International, to discuss how her company is championing diversity and inclusion, what MGM is doing to adapt to changing trends in gaming, and what she’s most looking forward to at G2E 2021.

You are a big champion for diversity and inclusion in the gaming industry. We’re excited to have you participate in a keynote at G2E 2021 to discuss this important issue with other industry leaders. What do you hope attendees will take away from this keynote session?
Companies are increasingly embracing their responsibility to build more diverse and inclusive workplaces and are creating executive leadership roles and organizational structures with the power and influence to make that happen. At MGM Resorts, we’ve elevated our social impact and sustainability work—aligning it with our Human Resources vertical as well as within the broader corporate strategy. Diversity and Inclusion now reports directly to our CEO. As a result, values like diversity, equity, and inclusion become more than just departmental talking points or one-off initiatives. They are corporate business goals, on level with those of a more financial or operational nature, and they have bearing on nearly every decision that gets made. Our view is that human and social capital is as important as financial capital.

MGM Resorts International has committed to social impact and sustainability goals aligned with the UN Sustainability Goals. Can you tell us more about that and the progress you’ve made towards them?
Our social impact and sustainability strategies are informed and inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goals themselves cover a wide variety of areas including hunger, climate change, and responsible consumption, but the two SDGs with the greatest relevance for Diversity and Inclusion are (5) Gender Equality and (10) Reduced Inequality.

Unfortunately, last year, COVID-related business shutdowns resulted in reductions to our workforce and management ranks. To drive future performance toward our long-range diversity goals, we launched a number of programs in 2020 including data-driven diversity dashboards for properties and business units and a new Accelerated Leadership Program, which includes diverse talent. As a result of these and other strategies, we believe we are still on target to achieve our 2025 D&I goals.

Increased diversity and inclusion have been major initiatives for most companies over the past few years and certainly recently. How has that affected current company culture?
MGM Resorts is committed to taking strong and principled stands on issues of equality and aims to better unify our world. When racial injustices came to the forefront of 2020, it accelerated conversations on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We knew it was important to speak out against the injustices that were occurring in our country, many of which were targeted against members of the Black and Asian communities. We took the approach of demonstrating empathy, creating a safe space for dialogue, and making the commitment to take action.

It was in this spirit that MGM launched its Courageous Conversations cohort program—a series of open forums whereby leadership meets with groups of diverse employees to discuss where and how MGM can improve inclusion of diverse populations within leadership and across the workforce. Each cohort brought concerns to the table, such as the need for improved mentorship and better strategies for diverse hiring practices. Action plans to address these concerns were then developed and are now being implemented company-wide.

This past year has pushed the gaming industry to explore new ways to do business. How has your company adapted and what trends are you seeing during this transformation?
Over the course of the last year and a half we have reimagined several aspects of the guest experience through technology to transition previous processes into contactless options for guests. We are putting the arrival experience into the hands of the customers, enabling them to complete the check-in process themselves, from beginning to end. Guests no longer need to wait in line, if they so choose. This has obvious health-related benefits, but more broadly speaking, provides customers with preference-based choices.

Another impact of the pandemic relates to the acceleration of online gaming. While our resorts were closed or at reduced capacity, sports betting and iGaming via the BetMGM mobile app never stopped. BetMGM began 2020 in just three markets and ended the year in ten. Net revenues associated with BetMGM operations were $163 million in the first quarter 2021. These are remarkable results, considering the $178 million of net revenues from operations it delivered in all of 2020.

G2E is where the global gaming industry comes together. What are you seeking out at this year’s event?
After going all virtual at last year’s event, I’m looking forward to meeting in person and exploring some of the remarkable exhibits that will be on the floor this year. As MGM’s Chief People, Inclusion, and Sustainability Officer, who also oversees Human Resources, I’m hoping to catch some educational sessions regarding talent acquisition and management in the gaming industry as well as Bill Lerner’s presentation on the “Gaming Industry’s Path Forward”.