The First Impression Is Important in the Casino Business

In the casino business is no second chance for a first impression”, says the former Governor of Nevada, Bob Miller. It is exactly this first impression that counts at the new Ritz entertainment complex in Plovdiv, consisting of a modern casino and a bingo hall in one complex: attractive design, excellent service, and incredible atmosphere. The complex captures the eye with its size, covering an area of 35 acres. Quite impressive too is the level of investment: 10 million Euros. The ambition of the two owners Georgi Toshev and Blagovest Stoykov is to turn Plovdiv into an entertainment center in the Balkans, similar to Las Vegas.

Entering Casino Ritz we realize it really keeps the original atmosphere known from the movies about Las Vegas: a sumptuous, spacious, bright and noisy place, full of excited cries of players in pursuit of good luck, with an unusual ambience like in a fairy tale that takes us, before we know it, to a different world of fun and amusement.

We are met by a smiling receptionist who offers to register us as guests of the casino while the security officers respectfully check our identity papers. Our very first steps sink into a soft carpet instil a feeling of comfort, luxury and cosiness. The casino lobby is well lit by a unique chandelier consisting of 40 000 crystals of different sizes that took 5 days to assemble. Just as unique is the grand piano with the merriment gathering around it, with its integrated slot machines and a charming singer welcoming us with a smile.The overall atmosphere is further enhanced by pleasant music contributing to the cheerful mood. The attractive interior feels completed with the unique, painted glass pictures in the casino.

We then pass rows of brightly lit slot machines, catching our eyes like magnets with their flashing lights and variety of games. This is the slot section hosting some 120 slot machines made by such leading manufacturers as IGT, Aristocrat, WMS, and Casino Technology - an exceptional selection of innovative and attractive games. Always available are slot attendants in beautiful uniforms, all ready to serve the clients and meet their demands.

Working in a casino is fun, it is like a game itself. This is very different from being a shop assistant, for example. There is something going on all the time in the casino. The thrill is enormous – both for us who work here, and for the clients. You can feel this thrill everywhere the moment you step in, Dimitar Moukhovski, Slot Manager at Casino Ritz tells us. The combined wealth of colours, music and sound of coins trigger our curiosity. The variety of games offers good chances to both players who come mostly for more fun and to have good time and to those seeking the thrill and burst of adrenalin. Besides explosive wins, there are also large numbers of extra free games and attractive winning combinations on the slot games much loved by experienced players. The entire multi-game series is intended for the players enjoying gaming variety as it offers a much wider choice and an opportunity to try their luck in a series of hit games without ever leaving their seats.

Exquisite marble steps lead to the second floor – the kingdom of live games. 14 tables are situated there, offering the most popular and up to date – games, including Black Jack, Roulette, Caribbean poker, three-card poker, Texas Hold’em Poker. Every day, there is a tournament program for Texas Hold’em Poker, and in the evenings cash games are organized too. The Ritz Casino is currently the only one in the country with live Texas Hold’em Poker tables and the customer interest in them is really huge. Next to the casino area, there is a bingo hall with 180 seats. As we tour the casino, where everything is placed in precise order, from the smallest detail of the interior to the overall organization of work and service, we realize that while this first impression of uniqueness may be attributed to the good concept design, it is actually due first and foremost to the influence of good management.

Good management is reflected in the quality of services and indeed in the overall casino atmosphere here. It is most important for the client to be happy. As you enter the casino, you should feel special and enjoy a special attitude too. There is staff in the casino whose sole responsibility is to take care of the comfort of the clients. For example, if you are a client and the battery of your cell phone is low, you will immediately be offered a charger. If you ask for chewing gum, tickets for a concert, booking for a dance club, or anything else, the staff will provide it, Dimitar added.

An essential part of the management of a casino is the selection of good staff. However, that is not so easy because there is no educational establishment to train such staff. That is why every casino must rely on its own resources in the selection and training of its staff. The casino employees are selected through a competition with a priority given to applicants having a university education and foreign language ability. The pre-selected applicants are enrolled in a training course, pass an exam and only then start work. The new graduates begin as junior dealers; this is the first step in the strict hierarchy of the business. Once they accumulate experience and professional skills, how fast they will ascend the ladder depends only on their professional abilities. They can go through the levels of dealer, then inspector and pit boss to the level of casino manager with a say in the overall policy of the casino. That is also the way travelled by Dimitar. He began his career in the casino business 5 or 6 years ago as a security guard. “I was attracted by the fact that this sphere is different,” Dimitar shares. The casino business in Bulgaria is relatively new; casinos have existed only for some 18 years. I stayed in this profession because I saw that the gaming industry would have a bright future. Over the years, this activity has changed a lot, its focus has shifted, and today we are definitely perceived as part of the entertainment business, he adds.

What is typical of the management of a slot floor is that the manager should be directly involved in the entire working process; he/she should feel the pulse of the activity, be in symbiosis with the activity and the staff, and have understanding of the game as a whole. There are no set limits for us, we enjoy freedom of creativity and activity, Dimitar shares. He does not consider himself a gambler, he hasn’t even played the lotary, but he has always been ready to take a risk, provided the risk is well calculated. According to him, it is very challenging to manage a casino; the manager should have a wide range of qualities and capabilities; he should be familiar with both the games and the market situation. “The decisive factors are many and there are always many rules, combinations and variations, he argues. Above all, a manager should be honest, a natural leader and capable of making good decisions quickly.

The major difference between different casinos, apart from size and service levels, is the quantity and quality of the extra bonus games, jackpots, tournaments and attractions. You need to know who to target so as to make a proper assessment of what exactly attracts clients, what to offer them and how to keep them coming back, Dimitar says, The gaming business in Bulgaria is different in that our society is not fully open yet to the idea of amusement other than gaming in a casino. However, that stereotype is gradually being overcome. People now tend to perceive gambling differently – they accept it as entertainment and a special kind of experience. And maybe even as an unusual present to be remembered, like a birthday present. Not long ago, two young ladies organized a visit to the casino as a present to a friend of theirs.

Most regular visitors to the casino know the rules of the game. Friendly staff members will explain to those who come for the first time how to play a game. Usually, the people who visit the casino for the second, third or fourth time is curious about all the games. Few players would play poker only, Dimitar says. According to him, fun and having a good time is what keeps the clients on the floor. He observes that while years ago mostly men could be seen in the casinos, today female clients are also well represented there. The clients leave happy with their experience only if they have come with the intention of having fun, he concludes.

For his success in the business, he relies on the maxim “The best winner is the one who manages to cast a spell on the client from the very first time”. The first impression is crucial in the casino business.