In keeping with the more sophisticated gamblers, Las Vegas has introduced casino party pits. In essence, these are mini casinos built within the main casino and include their own dealers, music and even dancing entertainers. Unsurprisingly, the main aim of these is to keep gamblers playing for as long as possible.
Mini Casinos
AUNLV gaming professor and consultant, Jeff Voyles, who specializes in creating casino games, explained that these miniature casinos give people the feeling that they are having fun and not just gambling.
“People want to spend $1 to get a $1.50 back in entertainment value. The consumer’s behavior has changed forever,” Voyles said. “Casinos are saying, ‘We are going to give you some free entertainment while you play,’ just like the old lounge acts.”
The Flamingo has already taken the concept on. They will be installing a party pit at ‘Parrot Head’s’ Paradise in October which will be called Margaritaville Casino. This will be in partnership with Jimmy Buffett’s national restaurant and bar chain.
Buffett’s chilled and tropical vibe will be reflected in the decor of the mini casino. In addition, as well as gambling tables and slot machines, there will be Buffett music and a ‘Five O’Clock Somewhere’ bar serving margaritas in the middle.
In total, this mini casino will cost around $10 million. It will be built where Steakhouse 46 used to stand and will connect Las Vegas Boulevard with the Margaritaville Restaurant and Bar.
“This is a great opportunity to create a Margaritaville Casino that is tied into the restaurant and retail area and help bridge those two pieces together,” Regional President of Caesars Entertainment, Rick Mazer, explained. “The restaurant sits on the corner and the Flamingo sits as a separate entity. The crossover wasn’t as great as I would like. Bringing the two brands together just made sense.”
Mazer hopes that this venture will appeal to a wide array of ages, from 20 year olds, who will know Buffet’s songs spanning the last ten years, to the Baby Boomers, who make up the artist’s main fans.
Previous Attempts
Party pits have previously been tried by Caesars Entertainment. They introduced the Pussycat Dolls area at Caesars Palace which incorporated attractive female dealers and dancers in go-go cages and also casino tables in Toby Keith’s restaurant based at Harrah’s. However, the Margaritaville Casino is to be a much larger investment.
Caesars currently has casino pits in other establishments, including celebrity impersonator dealers, known as ‘dealertainers’ which can be found at Imperial Palace.
Hard Rock contains Off the Strip with its loud music and constant party atmosphere. The Hell’s Belles pit is known for its lingerie clad pole dancers and female dealers in similar outfits.
Future Hopes
The Vice President of casino operations for Warner Gaming, Sal Semola, explained that the added entertainment provides an intriguing ambiance to gambling as opposed to being distracting for the players.
“You watch those pits when they are open, and it’s amazing how many people are in the pits,” Semola said. “And they’re not necessarily paying attention to the dancers.”