Casino Design – The Last Frontier
Much has been written lately regarding the surge in non-gaming revenues and the emerging focus on the redesign of food and beverage, retail, and entertainment venues in today’s hotel casino property. The rise of celebrity chefs, retail flagships, Cirque du Soleil masterpieces, dream Spa getaways, and iconic hotel exteriors and interiors have contributed favorably to the appeal and demand of the overall gaming hospitality experience. But with the need to continually raise the bar in terms of design, amenities, and services offered in competing properties and jurisdictions, and with the emphasis of late centered on these complimentary products, the question must be asked…”What about the Casino Gaming Floor?”
The casino floor itself often acts as the hub of all activity in these mega-resort and regional destinations. And even though gaming revenue is continuing to represent less and less of the overall property top line, it is still by far one of the most critical components programmed into the master recipe. So why have we not seem more change in the way the gaming floor looks, where it is located, and the types of products it offers. Why does the floor look very similar in Las Vegas as it does in Atlantic City, Macau, California and countless other jurisdictions? Is there even a need to discuss the tried and true philosophy of casino design at all?
In this piece we indulge ourselves a bit by looking inward and speaking with design experts about their thoughts on the magic formula for gaming floors and where they anticipate it headed in the future. Yes, there is change on the horizon.
Trends and Challenges
Three very prominent influences are affecting the casino experience today and are laying the foundation for an entirely new gaming experience in the future. The first change has had a profound impact on current design and will continue to be implemented in properties around the world in the future—the “importing of non-gaming outlets”. We are beginning to see a common integration of dining, retail, clubs, and entertainment seamlessly interwoven into the casino space. Whether it is hip and energetic dining spaces spilling out into the casino, center bar lounges perched up above the table game pits, high end retail stores adjacent to VIP gaming, and entertainment offerings “theming” casino landscapes, non-gaming venues are no longer separated. There is a powerful synergy in putting products with common customers together to create critical mass and heighten the experience and amenities available to distinct customer segments. The energy of the casino floor blends nicely with the excitement of the nightclub, and customers frequenting each often spend time back and forth enjoying them mutually.
The opposing trend to “importing” is the concept of “exporting the casino experience” into non-gaming venues. Pool landscaping includes a lush oasis of lagoons, palm trees, lounge chairs, and now more and more you see table games offered as both a customer service amenity and a strong revenue generator. Premium salons are being built on and off casino spaces that provide walk up bars, live music, dining and a number of high limit tables and slots. The club experience has been heightened exponentially with the infusion of table games to blend the high energy dance beat with the equally compelling gaming action. You don’t need to leave the nightclub; instead, you have gaming in an entirely new environment. The Palms’ Hotel Casino executed this vision with their Playboy Club. This world renowned entertainment brand captured the lifestyle and exclusivity elements nightclubs are famous for and incorporated the casino as a further extension of the experience—beautiful bunnies dealing cards to hard core and novice players alike enjoying cocktails and the “scenery”. All in a restricted access, admission charging gaming club venue, a first in Las Vegas that is not a designated VIP private gaming room.
Finally, the last overwhelming trend that continues to redefine the casino experience is the advent of new technology. Ticket In Ticket Out, Server based gaming, large communal slot carousels, electronic table games, and mobile gaming devices (PDA’s) are all being introduced to the casino landscape. The positive effect on operations, customer service, payroll, and the all important financials are indisputable—and further solidify the value in continuing to invest in multiple technological innovations and advancements. These changes have another cause and affect to the casino floor: Less space is consumed with the deletion of change booths and service carousels, aisles may get a bit tighter without change carts or added floor personnel behind machines, larger spaces are carved out for circular interactive slot stations, less games may be needed due to possible increased PDA usage, and games and related signage and overall aesthetics can change instantaneously from a server room located off the casino floor. Just the tip of the iceberg of things to think about for the future.
Expert Opinion
In order to truly gauge where the casino of the future is headed, it is always important to look back at the evolution of the casino property and the influences that have changed the gaming experience over time. One needs to look no further than the experts in the gaming design world.
Nory Hazaveh is a Partner with SOSH Architects, a firm focused on design solutions which reflect the evolving mix of activities for the ultimate patron experience. He has worked extensively on projects throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, for customers such as Harrahs’/Caesars, Trump Entertainment, Isle of Capri, Hilton, Sands and Aztar. Hazaveh takes an historical approach to how casino design has been influenced. “When gaming halls were more concentrated on table games and slot machines, the patrons were identified with the type of games and where they preferred to play on the floor. As the patron’s sophistication increased, so did the gaming floors. Initially this evolution was influenced by activities within the floor such as lounges and the cabaret style shows. With concentration on an active floor and “maze” like circulation they intentionally extended the time one might spend on the casino floor. This period was short lasted as hotel rooms and amenities such as spas and other leisure factors were added in to form the mega-casino, especially Las Vegas style destination resorts.
This new customer experience led the designers and developers to think of additional leisure activities to incorporate into the gaming venue. The retail element is one of the oldest forms of human and product interface in an exhibition fashion, such as a bazaar, and it became an addition to the gaming floor. Parallel with the development of retail, the restaurant and food and beverage venues joined the evolution. To continue to increase the diversity of gaming resorts, live entertainment has reached a new level of performance. As theatres became less profitable to operate individually in the cities, they have shown great strength and success within mega casino resorts projects. This cultural evolution has given us, the designers, a palette of opportunities to create fascinating spaces to be occupied, used and enjoyed by a variety of people whose orientation may not be solely gaming but rather leisure and entertainment. It seems we have pushed and removed the gaming hall perimeter walls to replace it with leisure and entertainment design products to seamlessly interact with other venues such as hotels, restaurants, entertainment, retail and at times even museums.”
So this leads us to the present and to the question of what does the casino gaming floor look like tomorrow. And who better to ask than one of the most innovative and sought after hotel casino designers in the business today, internationally renowned Paul Steelman, Principal of Steelman Partners LLP. Having designed some of the most unique and successful properties in Las Vegas and the domestic United States, as well as Macau and Asia, Europe and South America, Steelman works closely with casino developers and operators to create a unique gaming and entertainment destination that exceeds customer expectations. The Sands Macau, a Las Vegas Sands owned property and the first “Western” developed and operated entrant into this unique marketplace, challenged Steelman to not only design something iconic and representative of Las Vegas, but also create a property that carefully respected Asian cultural principals and delivered an extraordinary customer experience specifically catered to Asian guests. And these guests enjoy the casino environment more than any other marketplace throughout the world, so a differentiated and compelling casino design was necessary.
Steelman envisions many changes which will impact the way casinos are designed in the future. The first is the influence of natural lighting creating a daytime and evening atmosphere and an ever-changing environment during different periods of the day. One of the more challenging directions he sees casino floor-plans headed is the multi-level casino, especially given escalating land prices resulting in reduced floorplates and denser vertical designs. “Our goal is to move people up and through and around the property, which requires us to focus on unique design decisions to transgress people floor to floor. Angular slices cut through the building will make higher floors as valuable financially as lower levels.” Many properties are so immense in size which makes designing multiple levels challenging; Making upper floors more visible and inviting is a critical design element. Steelman definitely sees the “base building blocks continuing to be knitted together. Retail and food and beverage tenants and operators have realized there is a significant volume of people in the casinos, sometimes in excess of 40,000 per day. Why would they want to be separated from the casino floor and that customer?”
Paul Heretakis, Principal and Architect with Westar Architecture and Interior Design, has completed casino design and remodeling projects for world renowned gaming properties including the Venetian, Bellagio, Beau Rivage, Harrah’s Atlantic City, and Trump Hotel and Casino Atlantic City. Heretakis agrees with Steelman in that casino design will become more 3-Dimensional in the future. Mezzanine gaming spaces, food and beverage venues intertwined in the casino space, and design elements and venues will create visual height changes. The Generation X and Y customer will find this design much more appealing, as “the blurred lines of functionality create a more voyeuristic aspect in the gaming experience. Multiple F&B experiences on different levels, attractive people in the casino, each watching the other on different levels, will create a visual and seamless integration of gaming and non-gaming in the same space.”
Contrary to many opinions, Steelman sees the casino actually getting larger in overall square feet. The increased demand from both baby boomers and the younger generation of gaming enthusiasts will drive the need to alter the design and purpose of the casino. “There will be more organizing points in the casino—lobbies, bars, public spaces. Drama will be created in many smaller gaming spaces, and interconnecting them will make the casino proper bigger.” Steelman is already seeing resurgence in table games play, specifically high limit gaming, and this trend requires more programming space. “Increased gambling will be critical to offset rising land and building costs.”
Heretakis believes that casinos will always focus on their core customer but will design amenities and “districts” to offer different experiences to different guest segments. “Districts within the casino will be created to provide gaming experiences for multiple demographics. Amenities such as retail, food and beverage, and entertainment will have to cater to each. This includes sensitivity to gender related design. Females may prefer specific games in a district with a softer look and maybe a retail component. Males might want a poker area that is quite masculine in design and offers bar or club amenities. Either way, the guest does not need to leave their area in order to enjoy a non-gaming product—a space that is moving in the direction of a Starbucks-like lifestyle experience. It is your place.” Steelman also foresees the advent of buildings within buildings, and something he has coined as “fashion architecture.” “Fashion will be translated into buildings that become independent structures, thrust into the middle of the casino. A Hermes retail and casino building environment catering to the ultimate consumers.”
Brad Friedmutter, Principal of the creative and visionary Friedmutter Design Group, has designed casino spaces and non-gaming amenities for developers and operators in various markets: Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch Hotel Casino for Stations, the Cosmopolitan for Bruce Eichner’s 3700 Associates all in Las Vegas, Cache Creek, Thunder Valley Casino, and Pala Casino Spa Resort in California, and Horseshoe Casino Bossier, Louisiana and Horseshoe Casino Tunica, Mississippi. Friedmutter understands the challenge that many developers and operators face when designing their property. Las Vegas has close to 40 million visitors annually and almost 2 million residents and is a 24 hour, 7 day a week city. Top it off with an underlying theme of “anything goes” and the naughtiness associated, coupled with the customer anticipation of winning and repeatedly asking “Do you feel lucky?’, incorporated into an environment that must be safe, secure, and clean at all times. A design task unlike any other type of project. He believes that most casinos have been designed for the baby boomer population, and he anticipates some of the greatest challenges and opportunities coming from reconfiguring design to meet the needs and expectations of a new and powerful gaming segment: Generation X & Y.
“We may see video game room spaces like arcades with new types of slot products catering to the X & Y generations—high energy, fast paced, communal and competitive, visible yet secluded, integrated into the casino floor plan. A faster paced experience with immediate gratification is the challenge. Design elements will look to fuse social status with casino games and entertainment experiences. We may see separate specific zones or pods that cater to targeted demographics with customized amenities and services to meet their respective needs, yet still allows for cross over.” It is already common to see retail and food and beverage amenities connected to gaming floor spaces, and typically slot denominations or table games limits reflect the type of customer that frequents the associated non-gaming venue. Food court areas may be adjacent to lower denomination slot machines and the finishes in that area may also be differentiated. Friedmutter also sees more “atmospheric changes” coming in the casino landscape. “Gaming is a sensory experience—the more senses touched, the more exciting the experience. Different music soundtrack elements will be incorporated, smell aromatics are being used more and more, seeing areas busy or not busy invokes different perceptions. Raised platform areas with different games and décor create varied energy levels all visible from the lower level. Peripheral casino spaces will have retail, restaurants or clubs directly above them allowing visibility into both environments. Atmospheric changes throughout the day is a new design frontier.”
There is no doubt that technology will have a profound impact on future casino design. Heretakis sees gaming being intertwined with other entertainment options, courtesy of the newest technology. “I would not be surprised to see music kiosks, video and retail integrated into the games and casino floor. An iPod port into tables or slots. Gaming is a social experience, and entertainment can be especially targeted to the younger generation.” Steelman also sees technology having a direct impact on the aesthetics of the casino floor. Innovations such as customer text messaging will require fewer traditional methods of advertising and promotion, such as sign holders and message boards. Less signage and intrusive distractions results in longer play and increased revenues. Friedmutter agreed, and believes text messaging and email will create an interesting dynamic that has yet to be seen. The younger generation is into “communal technology’, like My Space. These community interactions will be offered on the casino floor with communal slot carousels, competitive video-like slot games, and wireless gaming. And of course other design features and services will follow in the future.
Customer Experience—The Heart of Casino Design
The programming and design of the casino proper has not changed as dramatically as the rest of the non-gaming landscape. Only now are we beginning to see the changes come. It is starting with the infusion of gaming into Salon Prive’s where enclosed rooms house higher end table games, chic bars, pulsating music, and well-attired servers creating a truly differentiated casino experience. From a design perspective it is important to have these spaces seamlessly blend together so that they have shared energy and traffic and easy access and use. Spaces should feed each other—restaurants bleed out into the casino space, table games are incorporated into Clubs and Lounges, and entertainment venues and retail spaces create anchors to drive people through the casino and other programmed areas.
So the casino design reinvention is happening—this is just the beginning.
At the end of the day, casino design reflects the need and demands of one audience—the customer. Heretakis summed this up eloquently: “I know the operators know how to manage their casinos. So for me it is about the customer experience. What are you trying to create? Who is your target market? What amenities are needed and how do you group elements together to cater to that customer segment.” Whether it is the high end, the middle class mass market, or the budget conscious, and no matter whether your customer is of the younger generation of gaming enthusiasts or the older and more seasoned gamer, your casino design will offer elements that cater to these specific genres and their respective expectations. The debate will continue on whether gaming is a shared or intimate experience. Should non-gaming elements continue to be interspersed into the casino floor, or should gaming be infused into entertainment and hotel venues to offer a wider menu of choices. Either way, the newest technologies, changing customer segments, and the ever evolving casino landscape will require both flexible and innovative design for years to come.
The goal will be to effectively understand your customer, give them a casino product that fits their needs, and still not ignore the other customer segments that want a casino experience slightly different than your target audience. It is impossible to be everything for everyone, but with today’s’ architects, technology gurus, AV wizards, and casino experts spending time together it is reasonable that the tried and true standards and requirements of casino design will be taken to the next level. Nobody can clearly foresee what the future casino will look like. One thing is for sure, as the demands, dynamics and demographics of the casino’s customer continue to change, so too will the casino’s design.
Mark Birtha
Vice President Development Las Vegas
Project Manager
Marriott International Lodging Development
Mark Birtha has been in the Las Vegas gaming market for over 13 years and is currently Vice President Development Las Vegas for Marriott International Lodging Development. Birtha is also Project Manager for the 3,000 room Marriott Las Vegas Hotel Casino Convention Center property currently in development. Prior to joining Marriott, Birtha was VP Development and Operations for the Edge Group’s W Las Vegas Hotel Casino and Residences. His responsibilities included overseeing planning for the casino, food and beverage, retail, spa, convention and entertainment, in addition to overseeing business and strategic planning, administration, and operating areas including HR, IT, Residential Operations, and Hotel Sales. Prior to joining Edge, he was an executive with the Venetian for 6 years where he managed casino marketing and served in management positions including corporate development/Macau and conference management. He opened the Bellagio Hotel in 1998 as Director of Beverage and started his career at the Mirage in food and beverage operations. He can be reached at 702-496-1116, mark.birtha@marriott.com or at markbirtha@msn.com.
