At G2E 2015, the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) held a seminar on the “Casino Floor of the Future.” It was a very popular session because, in fact, no one knows exactly what the gaming floor is going to look like, and the vision has changed markedly within the past decade.
   
No longer do you see an ocean of slot machines with little islands of table games. Today’s casino floor is less orderly, more meandering. Banks of like slot machines are arranged in such a manner to welcome players. And table games are sometimes grouped together under unique architectural features, or with a theme like a Party Pit.
   
But competition has also shrunk the casino floor. In Atlantic City, which has seen half its revenue disappear, four of 12 casinos have closed and the remaining casinos have downsized their casino floors. At the Tropicana, former casino floor space has been transformed into restaurants, bars or nightclubs. At Resorts, a food court is now the connection between the hotel rooms and the casino floor.
   
So, speculation on what a casino will look like 10 years from now is only that—speculation.
   
But consider these elements. Players are getting more comfortable using their personal devices, like smartphones or tablets, to play games. What if a casino/manufacturer can design a smartphone game that can be played for real money on the casino floor?
   
Skill games are the big buzz word these days, but what shape will they take? Most likely, it will be competition between players, like an auto racing game. First one to the finish line wins the lion’s share of the money bet.
   
And how about attracting more millennials to the casino by combining what they like most right now—day and nightclubs—with gambling?
   
And how about those high-tech touchscreen tabletops? Can you imagine them as the ultimate in social networking inside a casino?
   
Want to watch a football game in a casino? Why not add the “in-running” element to the betting options on your mobile app?
   
Got a group coming with a specific theme or ethnicity? Let’s design a carousel/pit so that you recognize the group and its leaders.
   
Clearly, the casino floor of the future will hold some new and exciting surprises. As designers and operators, it’s time to shape that future in a way that pleases the guests—and the bottom lines.