WITH LIMITED NUMBERS IN THE GAMING ROOM, WHICH ONES DO I SWITCH OFF?

In the new post – COVID-19 gaming realm there will be some alterations to how we have traditionally set up a gaming floor. While this will be different for every club based largely on size, and social distancing rules, here are a few things to consider

1. Switch off or storage?

The gaming floor will look cleaner and neater if you remove every second machine (based on social distancing rules of 1.5m apart). This will mean you have a hole in the bench where the machine has been removed so you need to work out what to cover the hole with that looks neat and tidy – a sign, pot plant or a lucky statue/charm or a combination of all is an option.

If you choose to remove machines into storage you need to complete a Quickchange and have a licenced storage space for them. Of you don’t have space onsite discuss your options with your service provider.

If you choose to leave machines on the gaming floor and just switch them off, ensure that they are polished totally and wiped down (carefully). Without the lights on every spec of dust will show. You don’t want machines in a venue that is supposed to be “COVID clean” looking dusty.

2. Game Performance or Game Variety?

So, what do you leave switched on?

The obvious answer now is that you must chase performance after several months with no gaming income. As a start you could leave on the top ranked games in your club/hotel. This will ensure that essentially all your newer machines and the most popular ones are running. However, when we return there will be some issues to consider:

Many of our top tier players are business owners and may not have as much disposable income to play with
Many of our regular players will have moved away from the habit of coming to the club regularly and playing machines
Many of our players are in older age brackets and will be nervous coming to the venue due to health concerns
Our gaming data is several months old and may no longer be relevant
Some clubs, due to size, may prioritise space in the gaming area based on tier levels so game preferences will be different
You will need to ensure there is some solid game variety is available with possibly a changed group of gamers, and changed time/play habits based on a different wallet

This may mean that different games pop up to the top of the rankings. Keep an eye on what is working well as data starts to come through when we reopen and be prepared to change games quickly based on the new data. If you leave mostly newer machines on the gaming floor you will be able to easily convert or replace games quickly.

By Justine Channing – Cream Gaming & Strategy Specialist

justine@creamgaming.com.au

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