Theming
in General and a Casino’s Success
In my experience, extensive theming of hotel casinos, by use of specific motifs, has been in recent vogue. Traditionally, casinos generally looked much the same, although some have used interior themes for a number of years.
As is obvious, the most important attraction of any hotel casino is the gaming. People go to casinos to gamble. Any Casinos’ Number One attraction is the gambling -- that is the product offered.
From my extensive experience in marketing and in operations, the most important factor in a casino’s ultimate success is the way patrons are treated and the organization and control of a casino.
Theming is not critical, nor even necessary to the success, but may contribute to it. When theming is used it must be consistent so as not to distract from the main purpose of the casino; namely, gambling. Theming contributes to the atmosphere, makes the patrons feel comfortable and permits them to concentrate on gaming. To do otherwise would serve no purpose from the casino’s perspective. Theming done well can also help to organize the casino if carried through uniforms, restaurant names, etc. Organization is aided by encouraging departments to use the theme in their planning. Advertising becomes more consistent and rooms and colors become coordinated. It does thus add to the overall atmosphere and provides consistency to the design of the establishment.
The ambience of comfort, which results from well-done theming, is not necessarily readily identifiable to the patrons who are focused on gambling. It merely provides a good feeling about the place. However, inconsistent theming can cause patrons to be uncomfortable and can have a negative effect on the gambling. In 1979 Caesar’s World leased the Park Tahoe and renamed it Caesar’s Tahoe. They spent a considerable amount of money on Roman statues and Roman uniforms but decorated the casino and restaurants in an upscale contemporary style. They tried to bring a portion of their successful Las Vegas theme to Tahoe. The design image created was confusing and resulted in patrons being distracted and literally making fun of the decor. In 1984 Caesar’s removed the statues, uniforms and redecorated. Their operation at Tahoe then became profitable.
The primary identifier of any casino/hotel is its name. The name is what is typically advertised, and that is what casino patrons are most likely to remember as the source of origin of the services of any hotel/casino facility.
Moreover, what attracts people to a facility initially is generally not the theme, but is the reputation of the establishment. It is true that the theme may help first-time patrons visit a particular locale and may even help identify a casino in the minds of a few, but this is not the primary attractor or identifier for most patrons. Further, what brings people back to an establishment is generally not the theme, but the services provided; basically, how they were treated and their perception of value received at the facility. From 1959 to 1961 I worked for Harrah’s at both Lake Tahoe and Reno. The theme of Harrah’s was cleanliness, service and quality. I once commented to Bill Harrah that I thought his success was because his casinos had clean rest rooms. The Laughlin Visitor Profile Study after listing the primary reasons for selecting a casino notes A MARKETING NICHE MAY EXIST FOR HARRAH’S/HOLIDAY’S STRONG AREAS (CLEANLINESS, STAFF FRIENDLINESS, ETC.).
A good theme does not ensure success. For example, the Circus Circus was not a success until it changed hands in the late 1970’s. The Paddle Wheel hotel/casino in Las Vegas changed its interior to be much like the now successful Circus Circus casino in Las Vegas. It provided the midway games, a pizzeria with live entertainment, etc. But this effort failed. It did not satisfy its patrons with what they wanted. Old Las Vegas is a highly themed casino and theme park. It is situated between two successful casino operations, Sam’s Town and the Railroad Pass hotel casino on the Boulder highway. In spite of it being highly themed as the Old Las Vegas fort, it closed within one year of opening after considerable regional advertising. Thus, a theme does not necessarily portend success.
Further, a theme is not required for success. In Laughlin, Nevada, the original and most successful casino historically is the Riverside. This is generally the first place that most patrons visit in Laughlin, and it is due in large part to its word-of-mouth reputation. However, this facility is not themed extensively in any way except for somewhat of a western motif that is also used by the Edgewater, Pioneer Club, Nevada Club, and Sam’s Town Goldriver in Laughlin.
The first four casinos built in Atlantic City were not themed and were similar in decor. The newest, the Showboat, is heavily themed from the exterior to the interiors and is similar to the Colorado Belle in Laughlin. The Showboat in Atlantic City is performing poorly while the Colorado Belle in Laughlin is exceeding its company’s financial projections. The same company does not own these casinos.
In the late 1980’s and 1990’s Las Vegas splurged with new hotel casinos designed with extravagant exterior and interior themes. The Mirage built a volcano, the Excalibur looked somewhat like an English castle, the Luxor was designed as a pyramid, MGM was supposed to look like Oz, Treasure Island had the galleons engaged in combat using live actors, New York New York detailed Manhattans famous sky line, the Ballagio was understated elegance, the Venetian created a canal with singing gondoliers and finally the Aladdin was completed.
The advance publicity for most of these mega resorts created a “must see” excitement for the Las Vegas tourist. Everyone seemed inclined to pay a visit. There is, however, a limit to the excitement of a man-made volcano or a Sphinx displayed with a laser light on water mist. The MGM quickly changed its Oz theme and became successful while the Aladdin filed for bankruptcy.
In my experience in Nevada, railroad themes or railroad motifs in various degrees have been around for years. In both southern and northern Nevada the importance of the railroad to the history of the area is well known. Since the 1950’s I remember the Nugget casino first in Carson City and later in Sparks having a turn-of-the-century railroad motif. I specifically recall the Roundhouse Restaurant at these facilities, which is extensively decorated with railroad memorabilia.
Moreover, the use of themes in Nevada does not require uniqueness for success. Many of the same themes are used by various establishments with varying degrees of success, which is again attributed to the way the establishment treats customers and is organized. Western and riverboat themes are particularly popular. In smaller communities in Nevada such as Fallon and Yerington, all of the casinos are decorated with a western theme. However, some consistently outperform the others. The theme seems to play a minor role in the overall business scheme.
This difference in authenticity is further emphasized by my own personal experience when I visited the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in 1986. My first visit was prompted by curiosity to analyze its success. Palace Station had been the bankrupt Bingo Palace. It was now successful and its success was being touted because of it heavy railroad theming. I did notice the railroad theme of the interiors featuring railroad cars. I did not notice that the exterior was meant to replicate a railroad station. My analysis of its success compared to its predecessor was because of the addition and integration of the parking garage. It was also my impression that its patrons were locals and were probably living in the numerous apartments on the West side of Las Vegas and were now frequenting the Palace Station because of its convenient parking. On two subsequent occasions I visited the property with clients to point out the value of covered parking to draw locals and how cleverly it had been integrated into the casino.
Theming contributes to the atmosphere of a casino, makes the patrons feel comfortable and permits them to concentrate on gaming. Theming done well can also help organize the casino if carried through uniforms, restaurant names and gives the advertising department a consistent direction. However, a theme does not necessarily portend success and if overdone can create a distraction.