The Downfall of Traditional Casino Chairs – Casinopedia
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If you’re wondering how much influence chair design has on playing time and engagement, the answer is quite a lot – that’s according to the experts on such matters.
Those experts include Skip Davis, president of Gary Platt Manufacturing. The Reno-based firm specializes in creating innovative gaming chairs for land-based casinos in particular.
In their quest to keep gamblers seated, placated and merrily pushing buttons, casinos can be very accommodating.
From comps to technology that enables players to order refreshments and top up their account without leaving the game, almost every aspect of the casino experience has been agonized over by operators.
One crucial component of casino games which has historically been overlooked, however, is seating.
Despite being largely responsible for the comfort or discomfort a player experiences while spinning slot machines, the ergonomics of chair design are something which has traditionally been given scant consideration.
Given that Nevada has over 166,000 slot and video poker machines alone and that competition among casinos is fierce, it’s surprising that enterprising operators haven’t gone out of their way to fit La-Z-Boy chairs that offer the last word in luxury and comfort, in the process luring Nevadan gamblers in their droves.
With slots and video poker players gambling away $2 billion at Nevada casinos in the first quarter of 2017 alone, the money’s certainly there with which to upgrade seating arrangements. Given that the first casinos to install premium seating would likely see a rapid return on investment from the upswell in new players and increase in playing time, it’s odd that no operator has been bold enough to seize the initiative.
The secrets of casino chair design
“If you look at a typical slot chair, what you’re trying to do is to get people to stay for extended periods of time to play,” said Skip Davis.
“You want to design it right and make sure it fits the game properly, in terms of height and access to the button panel. And, more importantly, you make it so comfortable that the chair doesn’t give you any reason to get up and leave the game.”
Chair designers naturally pay more attention to the sort of finer details that most mere mortals wouldn’t spot. According to Skip Davis, it’s the sort of foam used in the chair which dictates its comfort, with both the density and elasticity playing pivotal roles in determining how the comfort of a particular chair is perceived.
The days of the traditional chair could be numbered
The shape of the chair and the amount of lumbar support are also important factors in eliminating discomfort and incentivizing players to remain in sit and rolling reels for hours at a time.
As casino gaming evolves, the days of the traditional chair could be numbered. While comfort will always be a key factor, interactive gaming machines are now incorporating additional features such as speakers, shakers and subwoofers.
With casino chairs starting to resemble video game chairs, coupled with the rise in skill-based casino games, the line separating gambling and gaming is starting to become increasingly blurred.
