Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | December 2013 18 IN FOCUS business, whatever market you are in. In some casinos you can actually see the wear patterns in the carpet where customers have cut corners to make a more direct beeline to the tables and slot machines.” • Convenience —Chinese gamblers insist on having vital services at hand so they can remain longer at the machines or tables. For example, Mr Wu described having to build special, extra-wide high- tech slot bases for the VIP gaming salons at Sands Macao so the premium players would have space to place bags, recharge phones, and store valuable items while playing. “They would charge their cell phones while playing the slot,”Mr Wu said. “These are all elements of convenience that kept them in the salon and at the machine so they could gamble more.” • Luxury —The premium mass-market player may come to gamble and be all business when doing so, but they also seek status at gaming resorts, and the trappings of luxury are very important to them. “The premium mass-market player likes to stay four-star, eat five-star and aspires to be six-star,” Mr Wu said. “That is key to a product offering. They may be too busy gambling to enjoy the luxury, but it important to them that it is available to family and friends.” • Entertainment —The Chinese premium customer wants a facility to offer a whole host of entertainment options; not for themselves, but for the family and guests that may be staying W hen thinking about casino efficiency, one naturally thinks of energy. It’s undoubtedly one of the most crucial aspects to creating a truly efficient casino resort, but it takes more than just that for a property to be considered truly efficient. Having had the unique experience of working on the practice and operational sideof facilitydesign, I knowfirst-hand that agreat design team excels in delivering unmatched patron, operator and employee experiences in the most economical fashion, and ultimately, a great casino resort facility is one that provides efficiencies in all three areas. Understanding and meeting the needs and expectations of the patron is the most significant measure of a casino’s success. The experience should be seamlessly memorable and the highest priority for all members of the development and design team. One way to achieve this is to ensure patrons can efficiently maneuver from each space within the venue without having to back- track or walk long distances. The layout of a casino resort’s front-of- Models of Efficiency Architects and designers need to consider maximizing productivity across the entire casino resort enterprise By Kris Irwin , JCJ Architecture