The company credited with the idea of putting chairs at slot machines is set to unveil its newest model for player comfort at this week’s Global Gaming Expo.
Gasser Chair Co. of Youngstown, Ohio, which specializes in seating for gaming and hospitality venues, will debut its Agora model lounge chair, designed specifically for the growing number of sportsbooks in the United States and elsewhere.
The lounge chair, customizable because of its modular design, is built to pamper fans and withstand whatever they can dish out while celebrating or complaining about big plays. Standard features include:
- An upholstered ergonomic backrest with Gasser’s patented Flex Back technology
- High-density foam cushioning 6 inches thick
- A dual-diameter cup holder for virtually any size container
- Upholstered arm pads that can be changed in seconds in case of spills or damage
Options include a tilting seat and back, integrated USB charging ports and power outlets, an integrated Qi wireless charging pad, and an integrated iPad stand that might allow casinos to offer food and drink menus, a game broadcast, mobile betting or other items the casino wants within easy reach of its customers.
“We put a lot of research into this specific product,” said Shawn Danks, Gasser’s business development manager. “Gasser has been supplying the gaming industry with seating for a long time. The sports betting arena, although it’s new for many of our customers, is not new to us.”
For example, the tilting option allows expanded flexibility for both the back and seat portions of the chair. Danks said increased comfort is the most obvious benefit, but the flexibility of both segments also makes it easier for customers to watch TV screens mounted high above the floor.
“We’ve heard from lot of operators that their guests end up slouched down in (existing) chairs, and it doesn’t look comfortable.”
Operators are designing sports betting areas as a social space, “a place to hang out and watch the game with friends,” Danks said.
Beyond that, he said, “we also recognize that finding ways to integrate new technology into our product is very important – the iPad stand, the wireless charging… We’re confident that, before you know it, those are just going to be expected features in a lot of the furniture.”
Gasser, founded in 1946, has been supplying gaming companies with chairs for decades.
In the 1960s, when the family-run business was focused on aluminum tables and chairs for restaurants, co-founder George Gasser made a business trip to Reno, Nev. Slot players at the time typically had to stand before the machines, but Gasser noticed that those who borrowed chairs from a nearby bar stayed longer. He took his findings to casino mogul Bill Harrah, and the company soon had a new market.
Gasser’s casino offerings now include chairs specially designed for slots, table games, poker tables, bingo halls, keno lounges, and sportsbooks.
Since a May 2018 Supreme Court decision allowing legal sports betting outside Nevada, 10 other states have approved it, and more expansion seems virtually guaranteed.
Danks said the growth of legal sports betting could open other opportunities for Gasser. The number of chairs needed for a sportsbook usually is small compared to other areas of the casino floor, but it gives Gasser the chance to offer seating for slots, table games, conference centers or almost any other casino venue.
“We’re one of the few companies in the gaming chair arena that also caters to the hospitality side,” Danks said. “We not only provide chairs for your casino floor, but if you have an on-site hotel or banquet facility, we can provide chairs for those as well. We can provide chairs for the hotel rooms, lobby seating… We want to be that one-stop shop. If you need chairs, we want to help.”
Gasser will have two booths when the G2E trade show opens Oct. 14 at the Sands Expo Hall in Las Vegas. The main booth will be 3016; booth 3216, directly right across the aisle, will be dedicated to the Agora model and Gasser’s other sportsbook furnishings.
