Gary Platt makes seats for gamblers – no surprise, they’re getting wider

Gary Platt makes seats for gamblers – no surprise, they’re getting wider

Article brief provided by Reno Gazette Journal
  • Amy Alonzo, Reno Gazette Journal
July 15, 2022 6:42 PM
  • Amy Alonzo, Reno Gazette Journal

Inside casinos, it wasn’t always easy to pull up a chair for your derriere.

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The first slot machines were introduced to gaming halls in the 1890s, roughly 30 years after the Nevada Legislature legalized gambling. But look at any old photos of gambling halls and casinos, and one thing is conspicuously absent – seating.

The idea of gamblers standing for hours in front of slot machines is hard to fathom, but for decades, gamblers rarely had a place to rest their rumps. A few stools might be on hand, but comfort was not the focus.

This went on until 1959, when Gary Platt walked into a Las Vegas casino to play blackjack.

The furniture salesman perched on a rickety and uncomfortable stool. Looking around, he saw people standing at the slots. He knew he could make it better.

And he did.