As the glorious thematic casinos of yesteryear continue to bow under the pressure generated by a new breed of cool, sophisticated multi-purpose venues, it seems a line has finally been drawn under a tradition that started in Las Vegas more than 40 years ago. Yet although it is clear that there are profound superficial differences between the family-orientated Circus Circus, which first opened its doors in 1968, and the sleek US$2.7bn Wynn resort, do any fundamental aspects of their design remain the same?
Ideas surrounding contemporary casino design are complex and multi-faceted, and many architects have different ideas as to what they believe are the most important key elements to a successful project. As such, in an attempt to ascertain whether casino design can be reduced to a base, universal level, we must first take a closer look at the extensive changes that have been made over recent years.
Referring back to the Circus Circus/Wynn resort comparison, one of the most significant differences in terms of the design of these two casinos is wrapped around the idea of theming (or perceived lack thereof). In the 60s, Sarno himself used to dress up as a ringmaster at his famed Las Vegas venue, and to this day, the casino, which has the world’s largest permanent big top, features free daily circus acts. A little further down the Strip, however, the dark, curved outer shell of the five-star Wynn resort dominates the skyline. Here, all ideas of traditional theming are replaced with a more refined splendour. Here, the somewhat gaudy big top of Circus Circus is replaced with sleek, curiosity-inciting glass lines. And here, the clown in a toy car has been replaced by a Ferrari-Maserati dealership.
"Gone are the days of stage sets and thematic design," said Brian Davis, who is a principal for JCJ Architecture and director of the firm’s hospitality practice. "I see a more sophisticated design that is more reflective of the region, and not trying to create Paris in the middle of a desert." Terry Dougall, founder of Dougall Design Associates, which has been involved in major casino projects around the world in its 20-year history, agrees: "Clearly we’ve moved away from theming."
"As time moves on the basic ideas of the past are fading," added Ken Ranucci, founder and CEO of Florida-based Creative Nightclubs, which specialises in interior lighting systems, water walls and liquid tiles for bars and tabletops. "Casinos were founded on fantasy and dreams. For the past 20 years, the major focus has been ‘bigger is better’. The word ‘luxury’ is constantly being redefined."
However, although superficial design differences between a casino built in the 1960s and one that opened its doors in 2005 initially seem profound, Dougall noted that "contemporary urban design is still ‘theming,’ so we are still designing themed casinos, as far as I’m concerned."
Reducing this issue down further, Davis stressed the importance of location in terms of casino design, and how different thematic elements come into play in different regions due to the fact that they will need to fulfil a different purpose. "You need to remember there are two clients. The first one is the operator - the one that pays the designer’s bills. The second are the patrons, and this group is most important. A key component is being able to fulfil the desire of the patron. The most important element of design is recognising the expectation of patrons."
JCJ recently experienced its 70th anniversary. The company’s diverse portfolio of projects includes the Seneca Niagara Spa Hotel and Casino, Niagara Falls, New York, and the huge Foxwoods Resort Casino expansion. "Take Las Vegas or Atlantic City, for example," Davis continued. "People have, more often than not, travelled a long distance to get there, so they expect an experience that is fantastic and exotic - complete escapism. It’s a place they may only go once or twice in their lifetimes."
The JCJ principal went on to state that the more regional casino properties, such as those within a British city, would need to fulfil different criteria. "It can obviously still be exotic, but it is more about striking the balance between convenience, familiarity and entertainment. It needs to be a place you could go for a date or to see a show."
Paul Heretakis, vice president of Westar Architectural Group, a full service architectural firm with past projects including Trump Plaza, Atlantic City and The Venetian poker room, Las Vegas, takes a similar, operator-focused stance: "At the core of casino design is the fact that we are creating entertainment architecture. It is there to create a fantasy, and the fantasy is defined by the owners and what their goals are. The challenge to designers is bringing that fantasy to life. Once you reach your gaming destination all of your emotional expectations should come true. Good casino design provides the energy and atmosphere that creates that emotional connection."
Davis drew attention to the fact that technology has changed dramatically over recent years, as has the sophistication of casino guests. "40 years ago you could just build a slot parlour and people would come," he said. "Now, increased competition and the general growth of the casino industry has changed expectations and the level of customer sophistication." It is, however, not just the consumers that are becoming more sophisticated. Operators, too, have greatly developed their outlook, and the psychology of casino design is changing to reflect this. Indeed, as consumers become more discerning and sophisticated, the psychology of casino design is changing to reflect this.
Damien Connolly, marketing manager for Netherlands-based Gaming Support, noted the many parallels between the gaming industry and other industries: "The more forward-thinking operators are considering ‘what is my customer’s lifetime value?’ This is similar to the banking industry - getting rid of less desirable customers. The gaming industry is segmenting its customer base under lifetime value criteria. We are experiencing a shift away from the hardcore, and this will be fundamentally expressed in the design of the casino."
Connolly draws strong parallels between the retail and gaming industries, especially in terms of their design. "We have very high footfall and a strong focus on customer loyalty to the brand. Supermarket designs have changed over the years," he said. "They have brought the height of the shelves down, especially in the smaller format, convenience venues. The reason being is that they want you to see quickly what’s in the shop."
This open format concept is being mirrored in contemporary casino design, with the sweeping move towards slant-top machines perhaps being the most obvious example. JCJ’s Davis develops on this point, stating that it is easier to get a comfortable atmosphere in table game locations: "We have also seen over the past year and a half a surge in cashless machines. This has actually lowered the base height by eight inches or so. This may like a small change, but it actually makes a big difference."
Connolly added: "People like watching people win. In fact, people like watching people watching people win. There is big psychology in there. Now, within a cashless environment, you do not have the sound of coins, but through the use of digital signage and special effects you can indicate a win much more powerfully. This suits an open environment. This goes back to giving the customer more control."
It is clear that casino design is very much moving away from trying to confuse and ‘lock’ people in to the venue. "Comfort and a sense of orientation are the most important elements in casino design," said Dougall. "These ideas both have subchapters, but these are the main two points, as far as I’m concerned. We look at casino design as retail. The goal is to make customers comfortable as soon as they walk in, and to keep them entertained and fascinated."
Customer orientation becomes even more important when we take into account the vast amount of floor space taken up by contemporary casino resorts. The use of new technologies - digital signage products and maps integrated into games, for example - can help customers find specific games or areas, and this in turn helps them to feel more in control. "The old style was to confuse them and make them less comfortable in order to ‘grind’ people," said Connolly. "Yet this new approach is a win-win situation because the customer finds their machine quicker and this means more revenue for the operator."
Ranucci of Creative Nightclubs also drew attention to the potential possibilities of new technologies and materials when it comes to successful casino design, and how products enable operators to communicate immediately and effectively with their customers. "We are currently working on a new slot machine chair concept," he said. "The illuminated stool is controlled via DMX and can give motion with RGB colour palette capabilities. The LED control can also trigger flashes when a jackpot is hit. This is just one of the many new and exciting applications we are working on."
Creative Nightclub’s core business is within nightclubs, but the company recently moved into the casino sector. And while Ranucci extolled the virtues of new materials and technologies, he said that designers should ensure they retain an air of subtlety.
"With the birth of LED lighting controlled via DMX, casino design has a whole new way to provide unique experiences on the exterior and more importantly on the interior of casino," he said. "The mistake to avoid is blowing this technology up and overdoing it. The key is to mix this technology with the correct materials so the effect is successful. Anyone with a big budget can wash a 50x100ft front facade with LED lights. That is not using the technology to its full potential. Subtle messages placed correctly with a purpose is the way to go," he said.
"The general idea is to use new materials that interact with the customer in an exciting way. We have a new liquid floor tile called Live Ocean, and this can cover a floor area of any size. As players step up, they are surprised to see they are walking right on the ocean. This is not some lame 2D effect, this is really live liquid that moves around their feet. As they approach the slot chair they are amazed to see the bases are shaped like crystal ice with glowing RGB colour fades. As the customer plays in this unique environment the experience is taken to a new level. When a jackpot is hit, the ocean makes a tidal wave effect and the winning chair explodes with RGB fireworks."
Westar’s Heretakis drew attention to the non-gaming elements that are playing an ever-increasing role in casino design briefs. "The full integration of casino gaming and associated amenities is one of the most significant things to have happened to the industry in recent years," he said. "In the past, the casino revenue was the engine that drove the resorts. Today the retail, restaurants, nightclubs and shows are such big names that they can draw people to a property. Some companies will make more off those ‘retail dollar’ amenities than they do off gaming.
"With the spread of gaming throughout the country and the world, gaming is not enough to keep people occupied for multiple days. The current resorts are very large and spread out but the amenities are very open to the casino floors. In the future, with rising land costs, the resort sites will shrink. Therefore, the experiences will go to multiple levels and the lines between amenities and gaming will blur even further over multiple floors and experiences. Each amenity will provide multiple experiences on multiple floors that can directly relate to a certain level of casino customer."
What of geographical differences? Do casino design briefs differ across geographical regions? Indeed, will US or western European casino design models work well in the long term in Asia? Connolly noted: "In Macau, you are not going to be able to use the exact same model, but instead adopt ‘glocalisation’, whereby you act globally at a strategic level, but tactically you must localise. Companies in other sectors have known this for decades. Take the Star Wars franchise, for example. The Chinese know the brand but are not emotionally attached to it. However, using someone like Jackie Chan they definitely would. This is just on a game level, but can be applied on many levels, including retail, restaurant, entertainment."
Dougall added: "Currently, the ratio of slot machines to table gaming in Macau is way out of kilter compared to Las Vegas. However, in 1968 there were virtually no slots in Las Vegas casinos. A history of Las Vegas is taking place in Asia. Everything that happened will be repeated, but at a much, much quicker pace. It is a fallacy is that customers from different parts of the world are considerably different. Once you peel back the minor differences and idiosyncracies, we are all the same. Comfort is as important to all people."
"I think there are key design themes and elements that will get the same reaction worldwide," said Ranucci. "The challenge is not to regionalise a casino design concept. Use material palettes that reflect timeless elements - earth, water, fire, ice, and so on. These elements are so versatile they can be designed in thousands of different applications."
Only when we begin to consider casinos as connected implicitly to society and all the trends and intricacies it contains, does it become clear that it is only natural to see change take place. Fashions come, but they soon become cliché and vanish. Finally, after a period of time at the back of society’s mind, they become retro - and therefore popular - once more. Many of the architects and designers we spoke to agreed that this is the case with casino design, and that it is likely that we may one day see a return to more traditional themes. Ultimately, the ever-changing thematic elements of casino design actually signify a universal process. The continual change represents a constant.
"Many people try to reinvent the casino model overnight," said Heretakis. "This attitude creates a casino that is too unfamiliar to the average casino customer that has certain expectations. It is a slow and steady change that revolves around generational interests, economical changes and fades in ‘retail’ amenities. It constantly evolves, which is why many casinos remodel on five to 10-year programmes. The younger generation of gamblers spend cash more freely on nightclub experiences, while many of them don’t gamble. We still want their money; we just have to go after it with different experiences. So today most casinos will add nightclub spaces to their resorts. In the past you would never spend money to attract non-gamers. This is just a small example of how the industry constantly evolves to meet the demand of the current times."
