Jeffrey Compton, CDC Gaming, and the Adams Daily Report

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 8:12 PM
  • Commercial Casinos
  • Ken Adams, CDC Gaming

Sometime in 2002, I received a phone call from Jeffrey Compton. I was in Cripple Creek, Colorado, at Johnny Nolon’s Casino. Jeff wanted to talk about a daily online newsletter. He’d seen a copy of my “Adams Report: A Review of Current Gaming Literature,” a monthly publication, and wanted to create a report that could be distributed to his clients. Coincidentally, that was the genesis of the Adams Report. I had a major slot manufacturer as a client. The contract called for me to track the gaming industry and report on developments that might affect the client.

Compton was also a gaming consultant. His practice was based on casino marketing and slot clubs. In 1995, Jeff wrote the first book on slot clubs and instantly became the industry’s leading expert. He had other qualifications: He was an MBA from Babson College and a graduate of Bill Eadington’s executive-development program for casinos executives; he also had experience as an accountant and as the chief executive of the family business. He parlayed his education and experience into a gaming-consulting career. The newsletter idea came from something his father said about staying in front of your customers, so they don’t forget you.

Jeff’s father and my contract started Jeffrey Compton and me on the road to the Adams Daily. My Adams Report was an ink-and-paper-based publication. Every month, I read as many of the gaming publications and newspapers that covered gaming as I could. But it was not the copy-and-paste world of today; I had to summarize the articles that I felt were relevant to my client and later to my subscribers, then type my comments onto a sheet of paper. It was a laborious process and not a terribly successful venture. I had fewer than 50 subscribers; each year one or two dropped off and no new ones signed up. It was the end of an era and I was definitely on the tail end of it.

Jeffrey wanted something a little different from my publication. He wanted a digital periodical that could be sent out easily and cheaply every day. To do that, I needed to switch gears and begin reading more online news. It certainly widened my horizons and it was easier, the copy-paste affair. Jeff didn’t know how his clients would receive it or if a daily online gaming publication would generate new business. We started with a test run on April 5, 2002. It had about 1,400 words, 10 stories or so. Most of the articles came from Las Vegas and Atlantic City; those cities had newspapers that covered the gaming industry. It also included company press releases and an Associated Press story. It was not very sophisticated.

On the May 1, 2002, the Daily was launched. We published it five days a week and have continued to do so since. Jeffrey quickly saw the potential and began selling subscriptions to casinos and gaming corporations that were not his clients. His MBA had taught him to see opportunity and take advantage of it. I don’t have the numbers, but within a couple of months, the Adams Daily had more subscribers than the Adams Report ever had. The success of the Adams Daily and the other publications that CDC Gaming now produces is due to Jeff’s marketing skills.

For me, the process and product are the keys. I delve into the detail, focus on the narrative, and keep my nose to the grindstone. In doing so, I ignore the business side of things, and thus the lack of success of my previous report. Jeffrey focused on the business and left the report up to me; even after 23 years, he has never told me which stories to use or criticized my choices.

In time, we began adding some opinion pieces to the menu. At first, it was a monthly analysis, which in time morphed into a quarterly. Instead of a monthly opinion piece, I started writing a weekly column and a monthly gaming revenue review. Jeff was always improving the business by adding products. His business skills come in large part from his father, William Compton. William lived to be nearly 100. Though he’s been gone for 10 years, Jeff still quotes him daily. He was as important as Babson in Jeff’s education. A one-two punch. The combination has served CDC well for over 20 years.

At one point, Jeff felt the CDC reports were threatened by another gaming daily. He did what he has done during other crises. First, he cut expenses, including our personal income from the business. But then Jeff focused on growing the business. He added new e-letters, early-morning and afternoon reports.  Both allowed CDC to increase the subscriber base and advertising revenue.

Jeffrey just turned 70. He is semi-retired from CDC, having turned CDC and its future over to Cory Roberts. CDC itself has merged with Inside Asian Gaming to become a new larger company with new potential. I am older than Jeff, but not quite ready to retire. I like having the opportunity to become a recognized expert in the field and to express my opinions through the outlets that CDC provides. From other businesses and partnerships, I have made more money than I make with CDC and I have had more authority and responsibility. But I have never had more opportunity to be myself. And that is due to Jeffrey Compton and his skills. Thank you, Jeff.