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For many Native American tribal organizations, gaming is big business. In 2007, 425 tribal casinos in 28 states took in nearly $26 billion in revenue. But while gaming remains at the core of casino profitability, trends show a significant rise in non-gaming amenities and activities as potent customer attractors.
Entry into gaming design for tribal organizations has traditionally included bingo halls and stand-alone, day-trip casinos. But today, many tribes are opting to build gaming establishments linked to destination resort, hospitality, entertainment and retail venues. By widening their gaming customer base to include a broader audience, Tribes are taking the next step up the value chain and helping to ensure long-term profitability.
The ongoing challenge for firms that design, remodel and create identities for casinos-- from concept to completion-- is two-fold: To deliver environments that keep customers gaming more hours, more often, and to create innovative, theme-driven amenities and venues that appeal to non-gamers.
Less is more in strictly gaming environments
Successful casino design creates an environment that attracts players and encourages them to remain longer at gaming, to return frequently, and to spread the word to other potential customers. That can mean less eye-catching decor, less dramatic lighting, less wide open space and less activity that detracts from gaming.
Many designers of successful casinos hold that gaming venues should be intimate and comfortable, with low visual impact spaces that encourage players to focus on gaming activity for extended periods of time. For design professionals that could mean concepts that:
• Allow gaming equipment, activity and excitement to be the casino’s focus, capturing the attention of customers and encouraging them to play
• Use canopies, signage and other architectural features to create intimate “player worlds” away from other areas and activity
• Favor subdued decor, to avoid distracting players from gaming activity and encourage longer playing time.
Non-gamers respond to theme-driven decor, and amenities
While casino gaming continues to be profitable, even in today’s soft economy, many tribal organizations are looking to non-gaming activities and amenities to boost revenue.
Tribal casino, hospitality, entertainment, and retail venues seek to take non-gamers beyond goods and services to memorable experiences that engage them on a personal level. Casino design elements that harness the customer-pleasing power of the Experience Economy include:
• A compelling casino theme that creates a seamless experience environment
• A comprehensive package of theme-related signage, decor, detail, architectural features, interior and exterior facades, and more
• Casino design elements that may help build positive awareness of and appreciation for Native American culture and heritage
Updating with an eye to seamless customer and revenue flow
For gaming establishments, time is money. While the need to enlarge, renovate or add new features to existing structures and amenities is crucial to attracting and retaining customers, significant down time for construction and installations is hard on the bottom line. Casino design solutions that minimize construction/ installation time and space include: