The aesthetic aspect of seating is of course important – and how the seats look will have a major influence on purchasing, it’s only human nature. But the comfort aspect of the seating is actually of greater import, because that’s what will ultimately affect your profits. Getting the seating in a venue right can make a big impact on your bottom line – if a player is comfortable at a slot, they’ll stay and play longer which equals healthier profits and player satisfaction. Uncomfortable, and if you’re lucky they’ll move to another part of the casino. If you’re unlucky, they’ll leave altogether. How much influence can a GM have over the seating in their venue? That depends, of course, on the organisation, but a good GM will be looking at how and why players move and time on device to assess whether the seating has an adverse effect on their overall experience. Jimmy Howard has been with Genting as a General Manager for over ten years, with a successful stint as GM for Sun International in South Africa before that. Jimmy shared his experiences in selecting seating as a GM with Casino International, explaining: “[It] varies from company to company and development to development. Genting has a centralised purchasing system where they take the responsibility for seating and seating requirements, and the designers would be involved in the aesthetics. The GMs would partake just in case of any operational issues in terms of perhaps sizes, giving a professional view on the functionality and to make sure they are what we believe the customers want from a use perspective as well as citing in with the decor.” Jimmy’s previous experience in Africa was slightly different, with more input into the selection process and trialling different seating to assess impact. He said: “We would have a look at seating of different types, heights, widths, and we would place trial products in different locations around the casino just to see if there was any negative either subliminal or very open and aware comment from the public.” What this means is, other aspects of the customer’s visit may be impinging on their assessment so their view of the seating experience is biased. Perhaps they had a losing streak, or poor service – and they may not realise this is why they moved on. Jimmy added: “There is a trick in there and you have to be careful, as people may or may not know why they might or might not like a chair and you have to box clever to monitor if there is an adverse reaction in terms of time in play – particularly on the slot machines, less so on the table games – because there, you can monitor before and after a trial period just to make sure the customers are happy with what the product is.” Combined with player tracking software, time on device is far easier to monitor and so an adverse reaction to seating should in theory be easier to assess and resolve more quickly. With carded play, within the casino’s CMS the algorithm that works out comp levels will be measuring time in play for carded guests, so the information is readily available to the operator. So what should an operator look for in seating? Jimmy elaborated: “The obvious one is that the aesthetics are not the key component. There have been too many occasions where people have created what are perceived to be beautiful casinos from the architectural perspective, but from an operational functionality level it doesn’t mean that that is what you need. It might look fantastic, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to do the job for you. So from an operational perspective, we would look past the aesthetics and make sure the customers feel comfortable on that seat. You might ask a customer that’s been in a seat for 20 minutes, do you like that seat? They say yes, it’s very comfortable – but five minutes later they have moved and they may not even be aware of why they are moving, they just go to another machine. It might be that the support or cushioning is incorrect on the seat, the height is wrong, it could be any of those factors and from an operational perspective that should be our focus, not the aesthetics.” More than just gaming Of course, many venues offer more than just gaming, and a good seating supplier will be able to both supply for all of those needs and still tie it all together aesthetically. The Hippodrome Casino, in London’s Leicester Square, has gaming, plus an outdoor bar and seating area, several dining choices and a 300-seat cabaret theatre; spokesman Ian Haworth told CI: “The brief for our seating suppliers – PST – was to make our customers as comfortable as possible, and to help make their stay as prolonged as possible. Because of the unique design of our main atrium and other key gaming areas in the Hippodrome, comfort had to be combined with style and design, with focus on the theme of the various areas throughout the building. We have several unique areas within the casino but everything ties together beautifully aesthetically. Every seating design is quite different in each area, but all with that focus on comfort and dwell time. “In some areas, they have to be strong enough for the customer to even stand on – in our cabaret theatre, the entertainment is so good there has to be a certain sturdiness, especially when you have an act like Prince performing.”
Prestige Seating The Oxford chair is our best-selling world chair. It gives the customer a maximum level of comfort for a minimum amount of floor taken up within the casino. This is accomplished by a moulded seat foam, coupled with a spring steel shaped back. It can be used on both live gaming and slot applications. The Encore chair is an all-time PST favourite that delivers comfort and opulence to the players. PST has a number of variants in seat shape for this product. It can also be manufactured with or without arms. The Cambridge chair is favoured by live gaming operators as they can readily fit seven of these chairs around a card table. This ergonomically designed chair is also used in slot operations where space is at a premium. It is also one of PST’s least expensive chairs. This chair is one of PST’s top five best-sellers. The Oxford, Encore and Cambridge chair can be manufactured with a faux leather, real leather or designer fabric cover of your choice. The frames for each of these chairs can be finished in chromium plated, brass plated or epoxy powder coated to your exact specification. A log is sometimes embodied at the rear of the chairs in order to display brand awareness within the casino. All PST chairs can be manufactured with a memory return swivel, gas spring or the infamous self-levelling, self-return gas spring. All PST chairs can be specially manufactured with a short lead time as they are in control in house of all the main manufacturing processes with the chair.
Gary Platt Gary Platt is set to debut the next generation of performance seating. Known for consistently delivering superior Casino Seating over the last 40 years, Gary Platt Manufacturing is introducing their new, X2-Tended Series. X2 Series continues the tradition of unsurpassed comfort by enhancing the performance of some of their very successful Classic designs, and adding an entirely new line – The LIDO X2. With the additional ergonomic sculpting and plush toppers, the X2-Tended Play series creates more comfort, and player involvement, which translates into longer play-time. Every Gary Platt chair is hand-crafted to enhance the casinos interior themes, and engineered for durability, and unsurpassed comfort. The X2 series is truly the next generation of quality casino seating. LIDO X2 Is the NEW addition to the Gary Platt product lineup. With new style and comfort, the LIDO is built with the same rugged standards of performance Gary Platt is known for. The LIDO pictured left is Low back on a Round Ring base. GX2 is a new addition to the very successful Gazelle Series. With newly added ergonomic contours and plush topping, the GX2 offers a similar look with added comfort. Shown is a GX2 on a Rectangular Ring base with a custom Handle option. SX2 is taking the simple and classic design and giving it a new ergonomic contour and comfort BX2 Expanded from the original Barona Series, the BX2 offers the added comfort and look that will keep the users playing longer.
Patir The Art of Casino Chair Design The seating specialist Patir Design has been active in the gaming market for almost 25 years, delivering premium quality seating solutions for arcades and casinos. The secret of the company’s success has always been a proprietary design and highest quality. Patir Casino Seating is a long term leading European designer and manufacturer of casino seating. The Munich/Germany based company was founded in 1991 and has since influenced the casino seating industry with own knowledge and innovations and gained extensive experience and a specific know how of the particular needs and requirements of seating furniture for the gaming and hospitality industry. Today, Patir has grown to be one of the best known names in the industry, supplying major operators as well as machine manufacturers throughout the world. The company philosophy has focused on ultimate chair quality and comfort from day one. The unique Patir design and this attention to detail and quality also in technics have seen Patir grow to become an industry stalwart for casino chairs. Excellent Craftsmanship Player seating is subject to wear and tear. Therefore it must be manufactured according to the highest quality standards and the fabrics used need to be exceptionally robust. Patir chairs are built to last. That is because Patir manufactures all products in its own production site and the materials used are sourced from the finest suppliers. All Patir chairs are quality approved by the highest German testing institute, the TÜV Rheinland. Design & Comfort Part of the Patir business philosophy has always been to strictly create original and own chair design – the company strives to set highlights with its innovative style and design. At the same time the guest as well as the operator expects highly comfortable chairs. The comfort has a direct influence on the length of stay at the machine. Not least due to its excellent reputation Patir has become one of the industry’s trendsetters for casino seating. Customizing Thanks to in-house production Patir is able to manufacture individual seating solutions custom-tailored to the client’s needs. Patir meets all customer requests in terms of designs as well as technical features. Sustainability It is not uncommon for gaming machines to be in constant use throughout the day and night at popular casinos and arcades. This means that chairs ultimately suffer from wear and tear – even the highest quality ones. Operators not only appreciate the availability of every spare part for at least 15 years, but also the simplicity in replacing them. Thanks to Patir’s Easy Change System and extraordinary fast delivery times every part of the chair can be replaced in just a few simple steps and very quickly. Innovation Even though Patir has managed to become the supplier for many major players in the international casino and entertainment industry not least thanks to the company’s permanent technical and design innovations which have revolutionised seating habits in casinos worldwide… The company does not rest on its laurels – it continually pushes for further product development and optimization through initiatives with major players in the industry.
Seating Solutions Seating Solutions is the leading designer, manufacturer and installer of permanent and portable spectator seating systems. What sets them apart from the rest? They can provide casinos the unique opportunity of customizing their own seating systems to rent. Recently, Winstar Casino, Mohegan Sun and MGM Grand have all used one of Seating Solution’s 12 patented seating systems and added custom modules to make their event unique all while staying within budget. Seating Solutions’ Ultimate Floor Track and VIPortable Suites have recently been in high demand in the casino industry. Seating Solutions created the Ultimate Floor Track to replace folding chairs for events. The Ultimate Floor Track Seating is an extremely comfortable automatic tip up seating system that quickly locks into a patented low profile track. This system increases capacity, comfort and safety for indoor and outdoor events. For those casinos looking for more luxury seating, Seating Solutions has created the Bravo chair. The Bravo Grid follows the same basic principles of the floor track system: added safety, comfort and seat count while also providing an ease of cleaning and maintenance. What the Bravo Grid adds is a sleekness and high end luxury feel, perfect for casino’s “high roller” guests. Seating Solutions has created the VIPortable Suites for casinos who want to provide their guests with high end luxury suites but upfront cost, lack of real estate and no proven business model are holding them back. Recently, Seating Solutions rented MGM eight of their fully customizable VIPortable Suite Systems. The rental structure allowed MGM to provide the V.I.P. suite concept to their guests at the event lot. However, they did not have to worry about committing the money, time and space to develop and build the V.I.P suites. With over 25 years of experience in the seating industry Seating Solutions knows their client’s needs. Their design team is always creating new seating systems that will revolutionize events. In the time it takes for a client to think of something, Seating Solutions has already created it. More information on all of their spectacular seating innovations can be found at www.seatingsolutions.com.
Stylgame StylGame is an Italian company founded in 2001, specialising in the project design and manufacturing of seating and ergonomic systems specific to the Casino and Gaming environment. In 2008, StylGame initiated an innovative ergonomic research, scientifically validated by the University of Udine. It was the first study to be conducted specifically with regards to the issues linked to the use of Slot Machines by players. Player behavior has been monitored through 6,600 hours ofstudy, 3,000 pictures, 500 videos, 50 medical tests: the research often showed incorrect seating positions maintained for a prolonged period of time. The reason we rationalised was that they weren’t offered the correct ergonomic configuration between machine and seat, which may lead to physical discomfort. StylGame, with its Royal Stool line of products, has progressively solved all issues highlighted by the research, obtaining as a result, the integrated ergonomic system “Play in Comfort Top”. This is a revolutionary patented system that significantly contributes in increasing time on device and coin-in for Slots, considerably improving comfort for the player and allowing them to fully enjoy their playing experience. “Play in Comfort Top” consists of a slot base for Slot Machines, combined with a chair from the Royal Stool line of products according to the ideal ergonomic configuration elaborated by StylGame. The slot base can be fixed height or adjustable, and its particular feature is the large ergonomic leg space. The chairs from the Royal Stool line are all customizable, thanks to interchangeable seats and frames and the high number of possible combinations, finishes of materials, upholsteries, colors and accessories. Research is a continuous evolving process, with regards to the products employed in manufacturing, including filling and upholstery materials. Biometric tests were conducted on different foam densities and thicknesses of injected foam: StylGame can now offer a new, revolutionary material, Comfort Plus as an option for its seat padding. Used for padding it can guarantee a superior level of comfort compared to all other padding materials employed up until now in seating. Currently, several Casinos throughout the globe have chosen to install the “Play in Comfort Top” system after a trial period, obtaining amazing results.
Gasser The Player’s Choice Series When it comes to gaming, players don’t have the choice of which cards are dealt or how the reels line up. But when it comes to the seating, Gasser offers a wide variety of models and options turning your possibilities into realities. Our Player’s ChoiceT Series is designed for maximum comfort and durability while offering signature craftsmanship, cutting edge technology and contemporary styling… no matter what your game of choice is. The Quantum Series A meticulously crafted chair that combines modern design, comfort and performance at a surprising value. Featuring an ergonomically molded seat, a compound curve back with lumbar, a solid extruded aluminum base with mega glides for steady seating, along with a self-return swivel and round footrest with an eco-friendly powder coat finish. The Quantum Series offers the superior quality and durability that are expected in any of Gasser’s chairs. Options allow for adding Gasser’s Quick Change Seat (created by Gasser in the 1980’s), seat heights from poker to table games and a narrower width when increasing your chair count at gaming tables. The Coltrane Series Get caught in the groove and leave the world behind. Lose yourself in the melodic riff of life happening all around you. Sit back as the Coltrane gaming stool sets the stage with its headliner style and impressive chops that have the crowd insisting on encore after encore. With impressively light-weight, engineered flex-back for a performance in comfort and 100 per cent manufactured in the U.S.A., singing the blues are for the competitors.
