Las Vegas is a nexus for poker, bringing tens of thousands of players out to the Nevada desert every year. The WSOP in summer and the WPT World Championship in the winter are two major highlights of the poker calendar. Tournaments and cash games feel like they’re constantly in play. Yet between the peaks of the year, when foreign and out-of-state visitors have left, we wonder how poker rooms keep their local players happy and catered to.
To help us better understand the local Vegas poker scene, we spoke with Mark Selby and Jason Sanborn, who run the Green Valley Ranch (GVR) and South Point Hotel and Casino poker rooms, respectively, as well as Sean McCormack, Executive Director Poker Strategy & Development for MGM Resorts International. Specifically, we asked them how they keep their local Vegas-based customers happy and engaged, and most importantly, coming back.
South Point Hotel and Casino: Listening to the Players
I spoke with Jason Sanborn, Poker Room Manager at the South Point Hotel and Casino, about how he maintains the friendly and welcoming environment for Vegas local players.
“I think the most important thing you can do during the ‘between seasons’ is not forget about them during the ‘main seasons,’” said Sanborn. “When the big tournaments are running and people flock to Vegas from all over the country, many rooms forget that they have local players that keep their rooms running all year long.”
He stressed that “the local player has to feel important especially while you are experiencing a boon of out-of-town traffic.” He added “if you don’t care about them when it is super busy, they will know you don’t really care about them unless you have no other options.”
And Sanborn also believes in listening to his players, but knowing how to differentiate regular issues from “this could change where I play” issues. Being consistently available is important.
Sanborn believes word of mouth is paramount for attracting players. “People will try out all of the rooms in town eventually,” he said. “They will come back to the room that sees them and makes them feel welcome.”
Green Valley Ranch: Fully Revamped for the Locals
Mark Selby has worked in multiple poker rooms including Westgate, Riviera, Resorts World and the Wynn, prior to becoming Poker Room Manager at Green Valley Ranch.
“I love being here,” Selby, originally from London, said about Vegas. “It’s a great place to be.” Selby started coming to Vegas on vacation from London with family and friends when he was young. With those fond memories entrenched, he ultimately moved to Vegas after meeting his future wife, a Vegas local.
The poker room at GVR had been closed down for five years due to Covid and just reopened in December of last year.
“Green Valley Ranch… is so very similar to my time at Westgate where everybody seems so friendly,” Selby told me. “Everybody pulls together, everybody’s friendly with each other.” He mentions that the goal is to have the same experience at all four Station poker rooms: Boulder, Santa Fe, Red Rock and GVR.
Recently, one of their promotions has been paying $1000 per half hour for the highest hand across the four Station poker rooms, with a minimum of AAA22.
“Inside Station casinos, we aim to be a very fun, friendly, comfortable place,” Selby said. “We want to be familiar for you, so you can come back here and feel comfortable.” GVR’s poker room holds onto that familiarity and continuity with daily $99 tournaments at noon.
When I asked how he gains feedback from his customers, he tells me that he’s always available for people to reach out. And as the majority of his player base are locals and regular players, they also make the effort to check in with them as well.
Sean McCormack Weighs In
Sean McCormack‘s remit includes the supervision of poker rooms at all MGM Resorts International properties nationwide, including the Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, and Mandalay Bay poker rooms in Las Vegas. He agrees that locals are a big part of their business.
“The big tournament series get a lot of attention, but our business is built 365 days a year,” he told me. “In between those events, it really comes down to having the right games, the right promotions, and giving players a reason to keep choosing our rooms.”
Big thanks to @ThePokerBoss for spoiling our $4/8 mix players with some sweet @BellagioPoker swag!
🧢🧢🧢🧢🧢
There’s nothing like a Mixed Game Festival 🥳 https://t.co/rOyvUWiQY9
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) October 9, 2026
McCormack is very active on social media and in person, gauging what poker players want and need in their local poker rooms.
“Our teams talk to these players every day, and I hear from them directly too, especially though social media,” he said. “Honestly, a lot of it is just being in the room and listening. Poker players are not shy about telling you what they think, which is actually a good thing.” McCormack knows that he’s not going to make everyone happy, but that you “should always know what your players are asking for.”
Bottom Line
As a poker player, for me it comes down to being seen. When you walk into a poker room and room staff recognize you, check in on you and make you feel welcome, it stops feeling like somewhere you’re visiting and starts feeling like somewhere you belong.
It’s clear from having spoken with Jason, Mark, and Sean, that those responsible for running Las Vegas’ poker rooms understand this, too, and aim to have their respective staffs put a focus on hospitality… not just for out-of-towners.
