Understanding the Buying Process for Casino Chairs
Details are the lifeblood of a successful casino. From the tint in lighting to the placement of machines on the game floor, every aspect of the “adult playground” experience is carefully considered and planned from conception through execution. These thorough considerations are what most jaded players have come to expect from their respective casinos; an atmosphere of sophistication and forethought is the norm in most premium casinos today.
One might ask: With all of the components that need to be managed to create the “integrated resort/casino” package, why should time be put into the buying process for casino chairs? In response, we bring your attention to one thing: Casino chairs are the thing that your players will be in physical contact with The Most while gaming. If your goal is create an experience, why would you completely neglect one of the most important of the 5 senses – touch? You will spend years planning the look of a property, you will find great chefs to create it’s taste, you will regulate and enhance it’s sound through music, so why wouldn’t you spend time on your casino’s feel?
Here we will layout some of the most important considerations when choosing your floor’s “feel”, helping you to better round out your property and exponentially increase your player’s overall enjoyment:
Rebuild, Expansion, Remodel, OR New Build? – To begin, we ask…What type of casino chair purchase is this?
- If your casino chairs are currently failing, but you don’t want to invest the time or money into designing totally new chairs, you might just want a rebuild of the chairs already on your floor.
- If you are growing your property, you want to simply add to the chairs you already have in an expansion.
- When the time comes that you would like to renovate with new interior design and seating styles, you want a remodel.
- If the property is completely new, your chairs would be a new build.
- The type of casino chair supplier you choose will be very dependent on how this is answered.
Where are the Chairs Marked For..? – Slots, Blackjack, Poker, Bar, Sports Book, Roulette, Bingo, etc. Each area has different features and characteristics that determine how their average respective chairs should be created:
- Slot Chairs are usually between 20″ – 27″ in seat height on a 4-Leg, Pedestal, or Sled Bases. Slot Chairs can usually have slightly wider seat than average and come with a self-return swivel and back handles for ease movement.
- Blackjack Chairs are 27″ in seat height on a 4-Leg Base and a slimmer than average seat, so more chairs can be fit to a table. They usually, also, have handles for pulling out from under the table.
- Poker Chairs are 19″ in seat height on 4-Leg Poker Bases, which don’t have footrests do to the low position of the chair. Poker Dealer Chairs are on 5-Prong Bases with Wheels and are adjustable in height.
- Barstools are 31″ in seat height on 4-Leg Bases.
- Sports Book Chairs and Bingo are 19″ in seat height on 4-Leg Poker Bases and usually have wider seats and arms.
- Roulette Chairs are 25″ in seat height and have average size seats and possible arms, due to the fact that less people sit to a table.
Which Areas will Make/are Making the Most Profit? – High Limit Seating vs. Penny Slot Seating
- Return on Investment for casino chairs is usually one of the first priorities. Keeping this in mind, all areas that are being placed with chairs should be ranked by profitability. If an area is targeted for lower cost games, the cost of the chair for that area should be corresponding lower. This principle would be the same for the higher value areas, as higher cost chair will be more comfortable to high limit players and incentivize them to play for longer amounts of time. This ranking will help you decide how to allocate resources when purchasing.
How Much Durability is Needed and What is the Replacement/Repair Plan? – How much wear will the casino chairs accumulate and what are the ways of managing that wear?
- The casino floor is a, somewhat, chaotic place and damage to the upholstery and finishes of the chair is to be expected. However, minimization of this damage can be created through planning and preparation. As we all know, the slot and table games chairs on the main floor will undergo a lot of abuse from high traffic and cigarette smoke/burns to improper cleaning products and rough treatment. In this case, choosing a more durable foam, upholstery, and chair style is the money-saving option. A more durable chair choice will not completely stop the need for wear management though, so time should be put toward planning reupholstery/replacements schedules.
What Should the Chairs Look Like? – Should they blend into the background, enhance/compliment the interior design, or stand out?
- The answer to this question is relative to the type of casino chair purchase as well as the strategic/branding goals of the property. If the chairs are made to blend into the gaming floor, classic styles and fabrics should be chosen. It the chairs are meant to compliment a design, classic styles can still be chosen as can more modern styles based on the design in question. In the case of the model, the chairs stand out as a feature of the design, no matter the color or grade of the upholstery, classic styles will probably fail to amaze. A more modern style would be recommended for this, such as the Lido, the Monaco, or the Vue.
There are far more things to consider when purchasing your casino chairs, but the majority of attention and time should go to the main factors discussed above. Through reflection and deliberation on these issues, your casino chair purchasing process will go smoothly and your floor’s “feel” will be assured.
