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Nobody thinks of million as a small amount, chump change, “peanuts,” or just walking-around money. But when it comes to renovating casino properties, million is often considered a small amount.
   
Yet, a small amount may be all that a property can manage in the current economy, and if that’s the case, where should the money be spent? Where will it make the biggest impact?
   
We asked that question of a number of leading design and engineering firms that have done a significant amount of work in the casino industry. Their answers have a general consensus, but some of the responses may surprise you.

The Gaming Floor

Several of our respondents pointed to the gaming floor as a good place to make a big impact with a small budget. Tom Hoskens is a principal of Cuningham Group Architecture, which designed the $44.5 million renovation of the Palace Casino Resort in Biloxi. Hoskens points out, “Even on a small budget, one opportunity for change that does not necessarily involve a large investment of capital is changing the layout of the gaming floor, and the path by which guests experience the gaming environment.
   
“A different layout will change focal points and add pathways and corridors, thereby encouraging guests to explore and criss-cross the floor to reach certain amenities. While carpet and ceiling treatments need to change to work with the new flow, the impact is substantial, and for less money than what it would take to add floor space.”
   
Dike Bacon of the Hnedak Bobo Group puts it rather succinctly when he states, “Make your revenue-generators visible.” Hnedak Bobo Group recently applied this principle to the Sycuan Casino, near San Diego, California, in a $27 million renovation.
   
Brian Fagerstrom of WorthGroup Architects cites the example of his firm’s addition and renovation of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, Oklahoma, as part of the Cherokee Nation. Changes on the gaming floor included the games themselves.
   
“Another important trend in the U.S. is the dynamic transformation occurring on the gaming floor with the influx of interactive gaming as the future of i-gaming is on the horizon,” Fagerstrom says. “This is interesting from the design perspective as there is a need for maximum flexibility and adaptability with changing amenities and new technologies. Perhaps most appealing in these trends is that their implementation can be accomplished in many properties for relatively reasonable capital investment.”
   
A note of caution is in order at this point. Many properties have been renovated over the years—sometimes because a concept fails and is replaced with another, and sometimes because an ownership change brings about a new change in focus or direction. This sort of change over time can result in a disjointed environment.
   
Bacon describes the Sycuan Casino as “suffering from repetitive addition syndrome that resulted in the casino feeling very piecemeal and closed off from one area to the next.”
   
Ken Kulas of Cleo Design adds, “Over time, many casinos will modify in reaction to specific guest services, changes in technology, or personal taste of the current operator. A property can lose the original focus and build upon designs that are slightly skewed from a brand direction and end up with a disjointed comprehensive interior that can confuse a guest.”
   
According to Kulas, a solution that Cleo Design has used in several properties—including the Las Vegas Hilton, the Golden Nugget Casino Las Vegas, and the Stratosphere Casino in Las Vegas—utilizes the concept that “surface changes rather than construction can make a huge impact to a renovation, yet are much more friendly to an owner’s budget. Décor—being the most recognizable difference when renovating a casino—can be as easy to understand as its brand.”

Make Every Part Contribute

Many renovations are initiated when an amenity, for whatever reason, doesn’t attract customers. A certain ethnic food, for example, may not find many fans in one part of the country.
   
Mike Stewart of YWS International gives us an overview: “Typically opportunities exist in unused, non-revenue- generating space or space that can be adapted for another use once its primary use is closed, such as a race and sports book. After analyzing the competition, the facility infrastructure and the customer needs, we can typically develop new concepts, including new F&B venues, potential brand partnerships, or retail/entertainment amenities, which can become new revenue opportunities for the owner.
   
“One project we recently completed was the buffet remodel at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not only did this project completely change the look and feel of the buffet but it also incorporated unused space to increase seating capacity by approximately 20 percent.”
   
SOSH Architects had a similar experience with the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. According to Tom O’Connor, “SOSH started with a successful $25 million interior renovation which translated into an extensive $11 million Boardwalk improvement renovation. SOSH was able to introduce a number of retail and F&B venues with access directly off the Boardwalk to ‘activate and celebrate the public access.’”
   
Another danger with amenities is the underperforming one—one that may do well at certain times but is relatively dead at other times. David Nejelski of Thalden Boyd Emery points out, “During off-peak times, center bars create a ‘dead zone,’ an area that does not contribute to a guest’s experience or the property’s revenue. An isolated venue as well can be empty for a majority of hours in a day—or even days.”
   
Nejelski cites, as an example of successful renovation, the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California, where a new River Bar made an impact even during off hours: “The alignment of the bar with the new ceiling element is all that is needed to create a space. It has the added advantage of never feeling empty, as people are always walking past. Bei
ng completely open, many of those people stop to get a drink. After opening, beverage revenues property-wide increased by nearly 20 percent.”

A Strategic Balance of the Amenity Mix

Amenities—bars, restaurants, spas, pools, retail and entertainment venues—are an important part of the appeal of going to a casino. Guests will go to a casino more readily if there is more to do than just visit the gaming floor, and more attention is being focused on having the right mix of amenities in the right location than ever before.
   
“We are seeing considerable strategic thought go into the selection of amenity mix at properties that are finely tuned to customer appeal,” Fagerstrom explains. “Abundant attention over the past year has infused the amenity mix with highly popular retail brand names—whether a famous chef, the hottest reality show, or most popular country singer.”
   
Hoskens of Cuningham Group echoes this view when he explains how changes in the amenity mix helped rejuvenate Palace Casino.
    
“The dramatic renovation and changing the mix of amenities allowed Palace to evolve to a more upscale market,” Hoskens says. “In doing so, it appeals to those seeking a destination and entertainment experience, not just a place to gamble. Palace capitalized on the trend of giving guests more reasons to stay longer, spend more and return again.”
   
Illuminating Concepts is a lighting and media design firm that has done a great deal of work in casinos. Michael Shulman of Illuminating Concepts explains his firm’s philosophy towards the gaming environment:
    
“There are many ‘features’ that we design and collaborate on for all of our projects,” explains Shulman. “We remain consistent that the entertainment strategy is not to create or deliver one feature but instead many elements, features and experiences to create a ‘must feel’ environment. We do utilize lighting and media to heighten the visitor expectation and try to instill a sense of personal belonging and interest into the space.”
   
Another element in creating the right mix of amenities is to go after the non-gaming guest. The Sycuan Casino saw a potential market in non-gaming customers and asked Hnedak Bobo Group to help exploit the opportunity.
    
“Many of our clients are focusing on non-gaming customers as an untapped potential revenue-generator,” Bacon says. “The Sycuan Tribe is a primary sponsor of area professional sports teams, the MLB Padres and NFL Chargers, so their new 6,500-square-foot, blue-and-gold-themed food and beverage venue was a natural fit as a sports bar that targets a younger demographic. It’s quickly become one of the hottest bars in San Diego County.”
   
The non-gaming customer is also drawn by nightclubs, specifically designed to attract younger customers.
   
“We are celebrating a new demographic, the Generation M, the Net Generation, those who have spent their entire lives with the World Wide Web,” Michael Mangini of SOSH Architects explains. “We are designing nightclubs that enliven and energize through the use of communications and media technologies—an immersive club experience. Casino properties are looking to capitalize on the extremely prosperous business of a nightclub while singularly identifying and branding their property as the ‘place to be.’”

Improving the Experience

Few gaming equipment, gaming floors, and a great amenity mix can still fall short if your guest has an unpleasant experience in the visit. With smoking being banned in more and more locations, people do not have the experience typical only a few years ago, of coming home reeking of cigarette smoke.
   
Most casinos still permit smoking, and most guests tolerate it—but the less smoke they experience the more they enjoy their stay. Greg Peterson is a mechanical engineer with AE Associates, a mechanical, plumbing and electrical engineering firm that has worked on several casino renovations.
   
“By far, the biggest reason we come across to improve a casino’s MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) system is that it does not adequately remove cigarette smoke,” says Peterson.
    
Bacon makes a similar observation: “Give customers what they want. Many of Sycuan’s customer’s requested a non-smoking casino environment. Leveraging this kind of feedback, Sycuan built a 400-slot, 10-table boutique casino within a casino dedicated solely to the non-smoking gaming customer. Often, an attainable increase in returns can be found by raising the perceived level of quality of the facility by just enhancing the gaming experience itself.”
   
Peterson points out that one of the best times to upgrade the mechanical systems is when an overall renovation is taking place. Of a current project on the boards Peterson explains, “During conceptual design, ownership quickly realized the renovation was not addressing all of their customers’ needs, as the No. 1 guest complaint is cigarette smoke. As part of the renovation project, we are improving the HVAC system’s ability to remove cigarette smoke. When the renovation project is done, not only will the casino have a new, fresh look, but the air will be a lot fresher too.”
   
Of course, the environment in a casino is more than just the quality of the air. One simple addition to the gaming environment that provides energy and excitement has been used successfully by Cleo Design.
   
“A current trend for the gaming area to add energy and excitement for relative low cost is the use of the video monitor,” Kulas says. “Placed in highly visible public areas, a variety of content including promotions, directional information, sports and music entertainment can add that layer to help animate and update a vibe.”
   
Turns out that you can do a lot of things with “only” $50 million! Alter the gaming floor, improve the amenity mix, make better use of available space and venues, and clear the air are only a few items that a property can do to improve its
appearance and attract more guests. But don’t neglect other areas, such as the guest room experience, and the valuable use of pools—all day long and into the evening.
   
There are many options open to a property, and some will make more sense based upon local conditions than will others—but there are also a number of solid design professionals to help you reach your goals.

So one would argue that technology has changed the nature of the slot machines that cover casino floors. However, despite all the changes in the way slots look and are played, the basic design of a casino has changed little over the decades.
   
Until very recently, that is. The advent of multi-game and multi-denomination slot machines has lowered the number of physical machines needed to satisfy play requirements—the newest casinos and re-designed floors have wider aisles and a more comfortable environment for slot players than the factory-floor setups typical of casinos designed more than a decade ago.
   
Electronic table games are another development creating new types of spaces in casinos. The new Revel in Atlantic City has a “digital pit” comprised completely of multi-player electronic table games; other casinos are making way for the electronic table games as well, devoting less space to the live versions.
   
Even with these changes, the basic design of the casino floor remains relatively unchanged. However, the casino industry’s premiere architects agree that as technology marches on, the new generation of players and operators may require that the look of a casino be different.
   
“The casino floor 10 or 20 years from now will certainly look different than it does now,” says Brad Schulz, vice president of Bergman Walls and Associates. Schulz, who has been designing casinos and resorts for 30 years, says the nature of slot play will probably dictate a significant change in casino design in the coming decades.
   
“If we were to jump ahead 20 years, I think you’re going to see a definite change in the casino floor layout, especially when it comes to slot machines,” Schulz says. “You’re probably not going to see the endless banks, rows and rows of machines, that we see today. A definite generational change that’s happening is that the younger people today are much more accustomed to their hand-held devices. They are much more accustomed to mobile technology than the older generation.”
   
The new Hard Rock casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, contains what may be a harbinger of how casino design could change with technology—a mezzanine section with e-games surrounding a “media bar,” a casual seating area with graphic and interactive displays, all centered around social media.
    
Spaces designed like this may become commonplace in the coming decades, predicts Schulz. “As (today’s young players) get older and start gaming more, they’re going to want the immediacy and intimacy of doing it on their own device,” he says. “The technology is already there, but certainly, 10 or 20 years from now it will be something we take for granted.”
   
Schulz says one way this type of gaming will affect design is with more intimate gaming areas. “The casino of the future is going to have more of a lounge feel,” he says. “It’s going to have people being able to play their games on their hand-held devices in much more intimate settings. They will literally be able to gamble anywhere on the property. You’ll still have slot machines, but the atmosphere of rows and rows of slot machines is going to go away.”
   
Longtime casino architect Paul Steelman, founder of Steelman Partners and 2010 recipient of the Sarno Award for lifetime achievement, points to Wynn properties like Encore in Las Vegas and Wynn Macau, and former Wynn properties like the Mirage, to demonstrate how these intimate spaces are likely to be accomplished—“structures within structures.”
   
Casinos will be “designed smaller” in the future, he says, or, “if big is required, it will be designed to look small and personal.”
    

The Social Aspect

While there may be more subdivisions of casino space in the future, none of the gaming will be done in isolation, notes architect Brad Friedmutter, another Sarno Award recipient who has long been known for casino projects.
   
Friedmutter says social interaction is important to the younger generation of gamblers, even if hand-held devices are in play. “The nature of people is the same as always,” he says. “Formerly, if someone hit a jackpot on a slot machine, there were bells and whistles. It was loud, and you would hear the coins coming down. What that did was attract attention. Here’s a winner—and everyone sees and hears that, and comes running over to see who won. Everybody likes to see a winner.
   
“Tomorrow, or 10 years from now on hand-held devices, people are going to tweet that a jackpot was hit, or the casino will send the message, including where it was hit. The delivery of the message is going to be different, but the (social) nature of people is always there.
   
“People want to be around the winners, and where the good luck is, and where the action is. The energy. It’s the (message) delivery system that technology is going to advance, but there are still segments of people who want to be together.”
   
Albie Colotto, director of design for the Friedmutter Group, adds that the social aspect is perhaps more important to the younger generation of gamblers than to today’s majority of players weaned on huge slot floors where everyone minded their own business. The X and Y generations and beyond, who spend a lot of time in nightclubs, need a “see-and-be-seen” atmosphere, Colotto says.
   
“The X and Y generations are the same gamer, going to nightclubs and similar kinds of entertainment venues,” says Colotto. “You’ll still find those kinds of entertainment venues to be very open. Even in clubs, when they try to close them off too much, you don’t get that social interaction people still want when they’re doing entertaining kinds of things—of which gaming is definitely a strong part.”
   
Friedmutter cites the newest electronic hybrid table games—systems linking one live wheel or table to hundreds of individual, slot-like wagering terminals—as examples of what combines the solitary and social aspects of the casino experience that are important to younger players. “What they’ve done through technology is to g
ive what counts as two or three games the ability to have perhaps 150 people playing,” he says.
    
Adds Colotto, “What we’re starting to see even on the slot machines is that the younger generation, even when they’re gaming at home, like the social aspect. The younger generation wants to be on games together. In China, you’ll see one dealer but 200 people playing at a time. That will change design, in that more people will be playing a game at one time.”
    
Friedmutter sees the social aspect of gaming extending to future hand-held play as well. “People say that communicating on hand-held devices means less face-to-face interaction, and yet, on the game side, people play against each other around the world,” he says. “They might not see each other face-to-face, but they’re used to playing against each other. So there is, on the one hand, isolation, yet at the same time there is interaction.”
    
He says this will translate into a casino design that allows social interaction along with game play. “The whole notion of coming to a casino, in addition to the gaming aspect, was always the social aspect,” says Friedmutter. “Coming to the casino, hanging out at the bar, having dinner, going to a show—a whole nighttime experience.”
   
He says future design will reflect this basic fact, but Friedmutter is not ready to say the current casino model is going away. “I don’t have a crystal ball, and as they say, everything old is new again. I don’t think there’s a straight line of technological progress. It’s an evolutionary process. Things are going to develop in technology and in the social interaction of people that might be hard to trend.”
   
Schulz also is hesitant to predict the demise of the current casino model, but says a change is definitely in store. “There are so many things that happen in a casino today, with the more traditional lights and sounds that have always been there,” he says. “You’re going to have to keep those for a number of years. However, the more comfortable people become with their hand-held devices, the more the game itself may be changing.
   
“Until the older generation is gone, there will be those who feel more comfortable sitting in front of a slot machine. But certainly, 20 years from now, the majority of players are going to want to play on their individual hand-held devices, or devices issued to them by the casinos, instead of these floor-mounted machines.”
   
He stresses that the table game element of casinos, unlike the slots, is likely to remain relatively the same as it is now. “Most people who play table games like the atmosphere that surrounds the tables themselves,” Schulz says. “A craps table is fun because of the atmosphere—the excitement of the game, the crowd. I think you’re going to see table tames around for a long time. But slot machines are headed for much more intimate lounge areas; it won’t even necessarily feel like you’re in the casino itself.”
   
Like Friedmutter, Schulz stresses that his predictions assume an evolutionary process that may or may not happen within the next few years. However, he notes that a basic principle of casino floor design is adaptability.
   
“As architects, what we try to do is create spaces that will lend themselves to flexibility,” Schulz says. “We minimize the amount of things that are intrusive into the space—columns, structural braces—which, as things progress, would make it difficult to renovate a space. We try to leave the gaming area as open as possible, to allow for as much flexibility as possible—in the physical layout, in how the electronics work.”
   
That includes going wireless, which Schulz sees as a probable trend. “As we see wireless progressing, 20 years down the road, even the hard connections may be going. The technology will be there to make everything wireless if the gaming companies choose to do that. How that changes in the next 20 years is anybody’s guess. It could fundamentally change how we look at casinos altogether. That’s the part nobody knows for sure—how far this could go.”
   
Steelman stresses that that regardless of whether or not casinos go wireless, or how many lounge-style areas may evolve in the modern casino, or whether or not the rows and rows of slot machines will remain a staple of the casino floor, the focus of the casino space will remain the same—gambling. “There may be lots of new ideas and attractions, but casinos will always be focused on gambling,” Steelman says. “Throughout the history of casino design, when unusual entertainment attractions were placed on a casino floor, they did not work. I can cite 10 examples of Disney-like attractions that have come and gone on casino floors.”
   
As far as the gambling, Friedmutter adds that casino floors will adapt to a mixture of the old and the new. Referring to Aristocrat’s new slot based on the 1978 Superman movie, he says, “Interestingly, here is modern technology, and here they are talking about Superman! I think there will always be this mix of the old and the new in the future. People try things, and some of them stick. And as they mature, people naturally evolve with it.”