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The casino industry is in the middle of a fundamental identity shift. What was once a business built almost entirely around the gaming floor is now an integrated hospitality operation — and food and beverage is at the center of that transformation.

The numbers tell the story clearly: 45% of casino players now spend more than a quarter of their time on non-gaming activities, up from just 20% in 2024. Even more telling, 67% of players say non-gaming offerings directly impact their decision to return. For casino operators, F&B is no longer a loss-leader amenity — it's a revenue driver that demands the same operational rigor and technology investment as the gaming floor itself.

The F&B Revenue Opportunity Casinos Are Leaving on the Table

Food and beverage already represents approximately 22% of a casino's total annual revenue. Yet despite that significant share, the category remains chronically underinvested in technology compared to gaming operations.

Consider the demand signal: 66% of casino visitors want increased investment in food and beverage offerings. Among affluent players — the segment every casino wants to attract and retain — that number climbs to 68%. Restaurants and bars rank as the top non-gaming priority for 38% of visitors, ahead of live entertainment and hotel stays.

Despite this clear demand, more than half of casino operators allocate less than 10% of their marketing budget toward promoting non-gaming offerings. The gap between what guests want and what operators are investing in represents a significant revenue opportunity — one that modern F&B technology is uniquely positioned to capture.

Labor Pressures Are Forcing the Issue

Casino F&B operations face labor challenges that are more acute than almost any other hospitality segment. The 24/7 operating model requires staffing across all dayparts, including overnight shifts that are notoriously difficult to fill. Post-pandemic workforce shortages have compounded the problem, with more than 50% of hospitality properties reporting they remain understaffed.

The wage pressure is equally intense. In 2024, the Culinary Workers Union secured a landmark 32% wage increase for casino and hospitality employees, pushing average hourly rates near $35. Rising housing costs in casino-heavy markets like Las Vegas have further destabilized attendance and retention.

For casino F&B directors managing dozens of outlets across a single property — from high-end steakhouses to 24-hour cafes to employee cafeterias — the staffing math simply doesn't work at legacy service models. Something has to change.

Self-Service Kiosks: The Throughput and Revenue Multiplier

Self-service kiosks are emerging as the highest-impact technology investment for casino F&B operations. The broader self-service kiosk market has grown to $14.52 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $25.64 billion by 2030 — a 12.06% CAGR that reflects surging demand across hospitality and foodservice.

The operational case is compelling across multiple dimensions:

Higher check averages. Self-ordering kiosks consistently deliver a 20–30% increase in average ticket size through systematic upselling and combo suggestions on every transaction — no training required, no shift fatigue.
Faster throughput. Kiosks reduce total wait times by up to 40%, which is critical in casino environments where guests are choosing between spending time at the table or standing in a food line.
Labor optimization. Operators deploying kiosks see a 30% reduction in front-of-house labor costs, allowing staff to be redeployed to higher-value guest interactions and food preparation.
Consistent guest experience. Unlike counter staff who vary in speed and accuracy across shifts, kiosks deliver the same quality ordering experience at 2 PM and 2 AM.

Consumer appetite confirms the direction: 61% of restaurant guests say they want to see more kiosks in the places they eat. In casino food courts, grab-and-go outlets, and high-volume casual concepts, kiosks aren't a convenience play — they're a capacity multiplier.

Why Casinos Need Both Cash and Card at the Kiosk

One of the unique dynamics of casino F&B technology is the payment mix. While 87% of high-value casino customers express interest in cashless payment options — and casinos that have enabled cashless see a 20% uplift in spend per player — cash remains deeply embedded in casino culture.

Many casino employees, guests, and especially gaming-floor visitors carry cash as their primary payment method. Roughly 50 U.S. casinos have implemented some form of cashless technology, but the transition is gradual and cash coexistence is the reality for the foreseeable future.

This means F&B kiosk deployments in casino environments must support both modalities. A kiosk-only-card strategy will alienate a significant portion of both guests and staff. The operators getting this right are deploying mixed fleets — credit card kiosks alongside cash-accepting units — to meet every user where they are.

Employee Dining: The Hidden Optimization Opportunity

One of the most overlooked areas for casino F&B technology is employee dining. Large casino resorts operate cafeterias that serve thousands of team members daily across multiple shifts. These are high-volume, time-constrained environments — employees on a 30-minute break don't have time to wait in long cafeteria lines.

XPRPOS has deployed self-service kiosks at Turning Stone Resort Casino's employee cafeteria with exactly this challenge in mind. The deployment features a mix of credit card and cash-accepting kiosks, reflecting the reality that casino employees — like casino guests — have diverse payment preferences. Some prefer the speed of a card tap, while others rely on cash.

Self-service kiosks in employee dining deliver benefits beyond speed. They enable accurate meal tracking for payroll deductions, reduce the administrative burden on cafeteria staff, and provide data on dining patterns that help operators optimize menu offerings and prep schedules. For a 24/7 operation where employee satisfaction directly impacts guest experience, removing friction from shift-break dining is a high-ROI investment.

Ready to Modernize Your Casino F&B Operations?

XPRPOS delivers enterprise self-service kiosk and digital ordering solutions built for the complexity of casino and integrated resort environments — from guest-facing food courts to employee dining, with full support for mixed cash and card payment deployments.