Instead of hanging around freezing all weekend, we decided on Sunday to make a small road trip (little over an hour away) to the Tulalip Casino.

The casino is located about 30 minutes north of Seattle right off I-5 and unlike some other indian casinos in the state, you do need to be 21. Can’t miss it if you are going south or north on I-5, it’s one of the bigger casinos in the area.

Like most people visiting casinos, we gambled lost donated to their cause. They use one of those ticket based systems where you have to go stand in line to have the bar code scanned and paid. These ticket systems are replacing the casinos of old and it’s kind of sad not hearing the rattling of coins as people win. Yeah, the money trays are dirty — especially when smokers use them as ashtrays — but there is something nostalgic about cashing in buckets of coins.

So I’m standing in line waiting with ticket in hand behind one of the Tulalip Casino employees and what do I see her holding? A Tablet PC with the Tablet Input Panel (TIP) on screen. It looked like she was carrying the smaller slate Motion Computing LS800 but it was shielded by a protective leather case of some kind and I couldn’t see the model. I didn’t ask her what they were using these tablets for but my assumption is that was how they were keeping in communication inside the casino. Now can you see them lugging around a convertible or traditional laptop throughout their shift? Not me.

I still believe the most practical tablet for mobile business use — those walking around a lot and needing to compute for their job — is the slate. I know the tablet bashers will point out that this is just some overly expensive niche device, but those of us who fit this niche don’t care. We just want tools that do the job and the slate fits nicely. I’m looking forward to them getting even more powerful, lighter and Vista certified, and then we’ll really see the niche expand. Just think, cocktail trays weigh more than some tablets and people spend all shift carrying those around.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that casinos are using Tablets. Sure, it’s only hollywood, but I spotted slate tablets on the TV show Las Vegas. Casinos are forward thinking and technonuts, so we should expect to see them with all the cool gadgetry.

I wish I had brought my camera inside the casino, but they probably wouldn’t have let me take a picture, so the picture from outside above will have to suffice. Most casinos prohibit the use of cameras inside, I’m guessing because they are worried about cheaters.

Any readers know for sure what they might be using Tablet PCs for specifically in the casino?

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