Hold onto your seat, I have a confession to make: I left a casino early and with money in my pocket. I know, it is both perplexing and concerning. I can normally spend hours, if not the entire day, in a casino, pressing the buttons, soaking in the energetic environment, and often taking more than one walk of shame to the ATM to extend the fun just a little longer.
My original idea for this piece was to share how amazing this casino was. It was my first time visiting the location, though I have been to other properties they own within the same brand (hint), and I had visions of grandeur as I explored their Louisiana property. I was hoping to show off big wins, impressive decor, and a lively environment that made me want to stick around.
Instead, I was met with a dark and dim gaming floor, complete with no memorable wins, and an overall underwhelming environment that was not conducive to the ideas I had in mind.
When thinking about how I could turn that lackluster visit into something to talk about with you, our Flip The Switch readers, it occurred to me- Instead of wracking my brain trying to think of a handful of things to celebrate from the visit, I can give an experience play by play and offer up my own operator’s perspective (and as one who is a regular player too) on how to potentially improve people’s visits in the future.
Before we dive into it, let’s paint the scene. It’s late August in one of the most humid spots in the continental United States. The sun is blazing and all you can think about is 1) air conditioning and 2) getting some cold water. I was with my friend who also has a less than impressive heat tolerance and both of us were ready to ditch the outdoor shopping for a cool indoor environment and the chance to “win it big.” We jumped in an Uber and headed to the nearby casino. Because this isn’t my typical “gambling is awesome!” article, I am going to omit the casino’s name from this play report. While there are areas that can be improved based on our experience, I typically will give a spot another chance before officially declaring the property as unworthy of future visits.
Once we arrived at the not-named Louisiana casino, we knew we needed to get some player cards, in my case a reprint, before we started to try out our luck. We were looking all around at the “wayfinders,” the term for those signs that hang from the ceiling pointing which direction to go, but they were not helpful. Instead of finding the full service desk, we kept finding those reprint kiosks. After a surprising amount of time, we found the desk with no lines, no waiting on this particular Monday morning.
My Suggestion: Add more wayfinders! All main guest entrances to the property should have wayfinders with clear and concise directions. Make it so it is incredibly easy to find the Player’s Club. If the property wants people to join their loyalty and rewards program, it needs to be easier than breathing.
With our cards in hand, we got situated and hit the floor! The game assortment seemed fair, a mix of older and newer titles, although there were not enough Dragon Links- but, are there ever? Something I did notice was the arrangement of the slot floor. My friend and I wanted to play side by side like a traditional row setup. Most of the games on this casino’s floor were situated in a mini-pod formation. If I was solo gaming, I would have loved this because of the extra space and clear separation from nosey neighbors.
However, on this visit, I was with my friend, who is a gambling novice. As always, I love showing people how to play the games and navigate things like loading in the TITO or making sure their card is showing green instead of red. This pod formation prohibited me from seeing her screen, and each time she had a question, I had to get up to help.
My Suggestion: Implement a little bit of everything! The four, or even six, pod cluster prohibits side by side play while also potentially overwhelming players with tons of pod choices. Give players the chance to choose how they want to play.
I had to get some playing in before quenching my literal thirst, but after a few spins here and there we knew we needed to find some water. What we thought would be a quick visit to a nearby coffee shop outlet turned into 15 minutes waiting in line while actively trying not to get cut by a team member.
I understand team members deserve beverages too (believe me, I’ve been there), but when a line is already established, it is a bad look to try and circumvent that especially while wearing your uniform and holding a personal bag.
After successfully defending our place in line and making it to the front, we placed our order and were met with an unexpected horror- after all that time waiting, they were out of water! We understand things happen so we went with our second choice, a nice cold Gatorade or Poweraid (because we were really trying just to stay hydrated in that Louisiana heat) and were told in a not so friendly way that they didn’t have either of those.
We were told we could remove ourselves from the line to go look at what they had to offer around the corner but we were over it at that point. Feeling dejected, we continued the hunt for another bar or outlet to try and get water.
My Suggestion: Move the drink choices to next to the register so they are visible to guests when placing their orders. If guests cannot see what is currently stocked, they cannot make informed decisions. Additionally, this casino could install drink stations. Having easy access to non-alcoholic beverages would have taken out this guest experience pain point and given us more time to actually gamble.
With that being said, the drink situation on the gaming floor was advertised as more bleak than it actually was. There were standees, the large 2x6ft signs made out of a thick foam core, located throughout the gaming floor, that warned about slow beverage service while also thanking guests for their patience. I am assuming those are needed when the casino is crowded, but on a slow Monday morning, it just felt negative for no apparent reason.
My Suggestion: Only have these signs out when there is a clear issue with beverage service on the floor. There was not a reason to call attention to this while I was visiting. After we got our waters and settled back in to play, I was able to get a soda within ten minutes, and maybe it is because I tipped, but the cocktail waitress came back with great regularity. In my opinion, the signs were not needed on a Monday morning.
In conclusion, the more casinos that I visit around the country, the deeper appreciation I have for the often smaller, more fun properties that don’t take themselves too seriously. When I visit a casino, I want there to be life, things to look at and keep me engaged. Casinos that take risks and prioritize the guest experience, drink stations included, will get my patronage time and time again.
