Casino seating is a huge investment and it is essential that you avoid the common pitfalls and ‘get it right’!
If you do not find the answer to your question, contact us for assistance.
The most common FAQ’s are detailed below.
Gaming stools used in outdoor or alfresco gaming areas may be open to the elements, including direct sunlight (UV radiation), rain and dust, and these stools should be designed to withstand such environmental conditions. As an example, most nylon 5-star stool bases are not UV protected, so extended use in direct sunlight may cause the nylon to become brittle and lead to an unexpected failure. As the 5-star base supports the entire stool, the sudden failure of this component can result in injury to anyone that may be sitting on the stool at the time. In the case of swivel mechanisms used in alfresco areas, an important consideration is the possibility of dust and/or humidity, either of which can cause premature degradation of the swivel’s bearing surface leading to poor performance of the swivel action.
Karo offers a variety of gaming stools suitable for outdoor use. Our unique nylon disc base is UV protected and being nylon, won’t damage the tiled or timber floors commonly used in alfresco gaming areas. Our polished aluminium 5-star base and 4-legged gaming stools are frequently used in both indoor and outdoor gaming areas, while our black nylon 5-star base stools offer a cost effective solution for both indoor and outdoor areas. However, these black nylon 5-star base stools are not UV protected and are therefore not suitable for use in those outdoor gaming areas that are exposed to continuous direct sunlight.
The foam seat is the ‘heart and soul’ of any gaming stool and it is essential that this component is manufactured from durable and resilient polyurethane foam to not only increase player comfort, but also to prevent early degradation and ‘foam collapse’. During their useable life, most pokie stools will undergo some form of re-upholstery, and superior seat foam will permit this process to be repeated a few times until the foam degrades to the point where its replacement is unavoidable.
Karo is one of the few manufacturers of gaming stools and office chairs that produces its own polyurethane (PU) injection moulded foam. This places Karo in the unique position of not only offering customised foam products, but allows us to produce resilient PU foam that is ideally suited to the demanding environment found in the gaming rooms of clubs, pubs, hotels and casinos.
Furthermore, Karo’s unique Quick-Release seat option allows the venue operator to rapidly exchange an unusable seat cushion, thereby minimising stool downtime.
The choice of a gaming stool with a 4-legged, disc or 5-star base is a matter of personal preference.
Disc base stools are traditionally heavy as the base is frequently manufactured from cast aluminium or pressed steel. The ‘flatness’ of the base is preferred by some venue operators as the risk of ‘tripping’ over the stool base is perceived to be less when compared to a 5-star or 4-legged base stool.
In the 5-star base category, there are by and large 3 options, i.e. steel, aluminium or nylon. Steel 5-star bases are usually welded and powdercoated which makes them susceptible to weld breakage and rust as the powdercoating is worn off the metal surface. Aluminium and nylon 5-star bases are respectively die-cast or injection moulded and require no further surface coating which makes them more durable in the harsh Australian environment. It should be noted that both aluminium and nylon bases can easily be recycled.
Karo manufactures a broad range of 4-legged, disc and 5-star base gaming stools. Due to the total interchangeability of all our stool components (seats, backrests and bases), we can combine these components in any configuration to create a casino seat that is ideally suited to your venue. Our 4-legged stools are available with an elliptical steel leg that is powdercoated in black, silver or gold. Our disc base is manufactured from glass-reinforced nylon which is not only cheaper and lighter than the older cast or pressed steel bases, but it is also scratch resistant, will not rust and being UV protected, is suitable for alfresco gaming areas exposed to direct sunlight. For quality and durability reasons, we only offer 5-star bases that are die-cast or injection moulded from aluminium or nylon and we do not offer a welded steel 5-star base. In both cases, we use a 640mm diameter base for greater gaming stool stability and safety.
With all these options, which base is the best?
Recently there has been a tendency in Australia to use lower machine bases which naturally impacts the height of the matching gaming stools. Although a gas height adjustment on the gaming stools can negate the impact of a lower machine base, many gaming stools are of the ‘fixed’ height variety. This means that any change in the height of the pokie stool requires a change in the centre-column length to either lower or raise the height of the stool. Commonly, the centre-column assembly is a welded construction that is difficult to modify, so the widespread technique is to replace the entire centre-column and base assembly when the stool height is no longer ergonomically correct and results in continuing player discomfort.
Karo’s unique tapered column construction allows the centre-column assembly to be exchanged on-site with a minimum amount of cost and effort, even after the gaming stools have been used for a number of years. While this feature is not possible with a 4-legged base, all Karo 4-legged stools are custom-manufactured in a variety of heights to suit your gaming environment.
Many gaming stools are of the ‘fixed’ height variety. This means that any change in the height of the stool requires a change in the centre-column length to either lower or raise the height of the stool. Commonly, the centre-column assembly is a welded construction that is difficult to modify, so the widespread technique is to replace the entire centre-column and base assembly when the stool height is no longer ergonomically correct and results in continuing player discomfort.
Karo’s unique tapered column construction allows the casino chair’s centre-column assembly to be exchanged on-site with a minimum amount of cost and effort, even after the stools have been used for a number of years. Note that this feature is not possible with a 4-legged base as all Karo 4-legged stools are custom-manufactured in a variety of heights to suit your gaming environment.
The highly demanding Australian gaming environment requires a robust and durable swivel mechanism for your pokie stools to ensure trouble-free stool rotation. There are two basic types, i.e.
360 degree rotation swivel plate and 180 degree swivel-return plate with ‘spring-back’ feature.
In Australia the most popular swivel plate is the standard 360 degree swivel that will allow the gaming stool seat to rotate freely about its axis, while the 180 degree swivel-return has a ‘swing-back’ feature that will return the seat to a neutral position. While numerous types of swivel mechanism are available, the regular “TV swivel” with less than 20 ball bearings should be avoided as they generally are unable to withstand the rigors of the modern gaming room. Better quality swivel plates will typically have 50 or more ball bearings.
360 degree rotation swivel mechanism with gas height adjustment.
This full-rotation swivel plate incorporates a gas height adjuster to allow the user to set the gaming stool to their preferred height. Usually gas height adjusters will allow for 120mm of height adjustment.
Karo offers a variety of gaming stool swivel mechanisms, i.e. fixed-height 360 degree swivel or 180 degree swivel-return, both of which are imported from North America and have a 52 ball bearing race. Alternatively, we also offer a gas height swivel mechanism that allows for a full 360 degree rotation and 80-140mm seat height adjustment.
A gas height adjustment mechanism allows the user to set the gaming stool at their preferred height, which in addition to the 360 degree rotation and “shock absorbing” capacity of a gas column, improves the overall ergonomics and comfort of the stool.
Karo offers a gas height swivel mechanism on all our Disc and 5-Star Base gaming stools that allows for a full 360 degree rotation and 140mm seat height adjustment.
Suppliers offer various warranties on the pokie stool construction, typically starting from a minimum of 12 months. In most cases, the warranty on the swivel mechanism and upholstery fabric is covered by their respective manufacturers.
Karo now offers a 7-year warranty on all our casino seating and gaming stools, with the exception of the swivel mechanism and upholstery covering that carries the respective manufacturer’s warranty. Contact us for more details.
Gaming stools in Australia are sold either by manufacturers or suppliers/importers. Whether or not the venue operator purchases their pokie stools direct from the manufacturer is a matter of personal preference that may include other factors such as design, price, and delivery. In many cases, venue operators believe that by purchasing their stools directly from the manufacturer they will have greater control over the design and/or configuration of the stools, coupled with a clearly defined line of recourse should there be any problems with their purchase.
Karo has been manufacturing office chairs and gaming stools since 1986 and we sell our stools directly to all clubs, pubs, hotels and casinos in Australia. There is no middle-man, our factory sells directly to you.
This may be an important issue for some gaming room operators considering the significant investment usually associated with any gaming stool purchase. A manufacturer or supplier that has been in business for a longer period of time is typically judged to be more stable and offer better product continuity than a ‘younger’ counterpart. This is more important for those venues that would like to maintain continuity in their gaming areas over a prolonged period of time.
Karo has been manufacturing office chairs and gaming stools since May 1986 and has a proven track record in both the Australian and international markets.
Some suppliers prefer to show freight charges separately when quoting on their products. At Karo however, we like to keep pricing simple by ensuring our quoted prices are always “to your door”, i.e. inclusive of all freight charges.
Gaming stools are a big investment and as a buyer, it is something that’s important to get right. The standard answer to the question “what do gaming stools cost?”, is ….“well it depends”. This is of course not a proper answer…..you need a dollar amount. To give you a better indication of what “it depends” means, here are the 4 important factors that influence the cost of gaming stools. Read more…..