As casino operators continue to develop ways to attract the younger generation of gamblers, a prominent gaming resort architecture firm has released a study that says the physical layout of casino floors also must change to attract millennials and Generation Y.
The report, by Las Vegas-based YWS Design and Architecture, says neither millennials—those born between 1980 and 2000—nor Gen Y, born in the late 1970s, are drawn by the current typical layout of a casino floor.
“Millennials are not ethically opposed to the concept of gambling, but they also are not enthusiastic about most current casino games and are turned off by the layout of the traditional gaming floor,” the report, authored by YWS Market Research Director Roberto Coppola, said.
“Gen Y is not looking to ‘get lost’ within a gaming environment: their objective is to seek out a specific type of experience which has already been vetted and validated via social proof within their online network of friends, family and trustworthy strangers. Environments that are confusing, difficult to navigate and/or create barriers to transparency and convenience are typically avoided by this consumer group.”
The report suggests experimenting with “zones, lounges and other quarantined areas that can be redesigned to better attract millennials.” It also suggests that these zones offer both social interaction and games of skill.
“The opportunity to ‘win’ things that can be shared among friends such as a restaurant credit, spa treatment or bottle service at the property’s nightclub may be more of a motivator for millennials, as might a game that siphoned off some of its profits toward a noble cause,” said the report.
“There is less resistance to table games such as blackjack or poker among millennials, especially males. Perhaps this is because of a more inherently social experience and the feeling that skill is involved in the game itself. Also, table games continue to be romanticized by Hollywood, which keeps them more current in the mindset of younger consumer.”
