The importance of comfortable and attractive chairs to a casino cannot be understated
By William Sokolic
Gasser Chair ’ s Alto Series
Until the 1980s , your favorite slot machine in your favorite casino lacked a place to park your caboose . You wanted to drop coins into the slot , you stood . And you stood some more . You got tired , you went to the coffee shop for a respite .
“ But as slots came to dominate casino revenues , casinos began to cater more to slot players ,” says Professor David G . Schwartz , associate vice provost , Office of Faculty Affairs at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas , and an expert in gambling history . “ Rather than being a quick diversion , slots became something patrons would play for hours . Chairs became important for the overall gaming experience , because anything that enhances comfort is going to lead to a longer gambling session .”
Remember that word : comfort . It ’ s a key factor when it comes to casino chairs . Or any chairs , for that matter , whether in a restaurant , a lounge or a meeting room , but especially on the casino floor . Especially in front of a slot machine .
“ What many people may not realize is every player ’ s first interaction with the game is the chair . Not a player card , not the button panel , not the bill validator . It ’ s the chair ,” says Joshua Corrick , chief commercial officer at Gary Platt Manufacturing , one of the leading providers of casino seating for more than 20 years . They create chairs for slots , table games , poker , bar-top and bingo , among other areas .
Gary Platt and other specialized manufacturers design chairs to not only sweep players off their feet , but to make where they sit good for the body . Ergonomics , they call it .
Ergonomic features are paramount as the casino player cannot be compared to any other user of a chair or work station . The configuration of the playing station therefore has to be addressed accordingly , says Luigi Iulita , owner of StylGame , another chair manufacturer .
“ We have found in casino after casino , in country after country , the more we focus on player comfort , the more we are able to directly impact increased time on a device , helping to drive revenue in both the slot and table games areas ,” Corrick says .
A number of factors come into focus when it comes to posture and positioning , says Kevin Buck , communications manager for Gasser Chair .
“ You have to consider seat height , back angle , seat angle , foam density and how all of these properties interact with each other ,” he says . “ You have to also make sure the player can easily interact with the machine . You do not want the customer to have to lean over to reach for the machine , so having the seat height just right is crucial . This is why having a gas cylinder , or a player-adjustable seat height is very common on the slot stools .”
44 CASINO STYLE 2019