Who We Are
Lawrence Shen, CFA is the Founder & Principal of Advantage Partners Consulting. Lawrence has been a PhD researcher, a formidable poker and blackjack player, and an executive in the gaming industry. Before founding APC, Lawrence was the Senior Manager of Strategic Finance & Business Analysis at the largest gaming operator in the world.
Lawrence has been deeply involved in the gaming and hospitality industry for a decade through many roles. His firsthand experience on the gaming floor, in hotel management, and with various important financial analytics and market research projects formed a valuable repertoire to help clients reach their goals.
Besides APC, Lawrence also founded Panda Gaming Labs, the inventor and owner of the patented novel table game of Lucky 8's Hold'em. The game is highly reviewed by reputable casino experts, including the Wizard of Odds, and is being installed across the US.
Lawrence is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), math and programming enthusiast, and avid traveler (43 states, 50+ National Parks, and 450+ casinos). Lawrence speaks four languages and lives in Las Vegas with his wife and two kids.
About APC
What We Have Accomplished
- Spearheaded multiple development projects and license biddings in North America, Asia, and Europe with demand sizing, build optimization, site selection, and financial forecasts, including Caesars Entertainment's successful pursuit of the first gaming license in the state of Virginia
- Developed 35+ state-of-the-art gravity models to assist acquisition and divestiture of regional casinos, and provided competitive impacts forecast to operators due to new supply or legislative changes. Clients include chain casino operators, VLT route operators, Native American tribes, racetracks, hotel developers, and prestigious private equity funds
- Consulted 10+ casino and racetrack operators in negotiations with regulators on legislative changes, license extensions, and integrated casino resort biddings. Past projects include cost-benefit analysis of riverboat to land conversions, and proposing mitigating measures to Indiana Gaming Control Board in response to new openings
- Conducted deep-dive research projects requiring advanced analytical skills, including optimizing shuttle bus routes and schedules, identifying the most valuable patrons for junket programs, quantifying the revenue lift with different designs of reward clubs
