Will casinos have to adapt to computerization?
Will casinos have to adapt to computerization?
The current economic situation of French land-based casinos is not the most favorable. Gambling establishments in France are still experiencing declining activity. Competition from online games, the crisis, identity checks as well as the smoking ban are the main reasons that are undermining growth. To attract new customers in order to improve turnover, brick and mortar casinos are increasingly turning to computerized machines. It should be noted that these new facilities meet the expectations of players in search of novelty. They also attract new customers allowing casinos to cope as well as to do little to a gloomy economic situation.
Casinos are modernizing
Traditional slot machines are gradually being replaced by computerized one-armed bandits. Land-based casinos are renewing their stock of slot machines in order to meet the expectations of players. Marc Zenou, CEO of the Partouche casino located on rue Saint-Jean in Le Touquet, has also said that efforts are currently being made to switch from electromechanics to the computer. The casino’s slot machines are currently 70% computerized. The Partouche de Berck gaming establishment is also innovating to attract new customers, but also to compete with the Fort-Mahon casino, as Sandrine Baudrin, general manager, underlined. The gaming complex has replaced its poker table with a computerized device.
Land-based casinos are also adapting to computerization in order to slow down the decline in income caused by identity checks (applied in 2007), the smoking ban (in 2008) and the crisis immediately after which greatly reduced the purchasing power of players. In recent years, declining turnover has prompted establishments to invest in more modern facilities to attract customers. These computerized machines allow minimal bets of a euro cent and the use of a magnetic card.
Not only are land-based casinos investing in digital, but they are also making improvements to better serve customers. The Barrière du Touquet casino, for example, has allocated a budget for 150 computerized machines. Three of them “the Bejeweled” are unpublished in France. What is more, the establishment has transformed the Brasserie le Wish into a Café Barrière with four giant screens for the live transcription of matches. The catering activity also enabled the establishment to rake in 11 million euros in 2014. The restaurant in fact welcomed around 160,000 visitors during the last financial year. In addition, it has served no less than 130,000 place settings from November to today.
Traditional one-armed bandits remain attractive, however. A certain category of clientele is attached to it. That’s why Beck’s casino offers three slot machines that work with 20-cent coins. They are there to satisfy the curiosity of tourists and the expectations of fans of traditional slot machines.