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Table Games Could Table Games Be Replaced by Machines?

Discussion in 'Table Games' started by marksind, May 16, 2020.

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  1. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

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    Anyone else think one of the effects of the pandemic may be an acceleration of the replacement of table games with machines? It's been happening slowly in recent years already.

    When we were in Reno over Super Bowl weekend staying at the Silver Legacy I was surprised to see a whole corner of the casino devoted to them. They had roulette set up like a classroom, with a bunch of individual stations and a big screen at the front. Bubble craps and automated blackjack could easily be reconfigured the same way, or any other table game for that matter. Much easier to eliminate cards, chips, dice, and sitting closely with others than to set up all sorts of cleaning and safety measures. Just wipe off a station between users.

    I'd hate to see it go that way since I like the social aspect of table games, but it's hard to make a sanitary case against it.
     
  2. Hogman

    Hogman VIP Whale

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    As a craps player, I would stop gambling if that happens.
     
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  3. BlueBellThunder

    BlueBellThunder VIP Whale

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    Personally I don’t see that happening. I could see more machines like bubble craps, but not entirely replace. Maybe the younger generation gets used to the machines, and as the older generations move on they will slowly replace tables. But I just don’t see it. The only thing I see is more people trying the machines. Personally I don’t care for bubble craps. I tried it once, and it’s not the same experience. I’m 51, I guess I’m stuck in my ways.
     
  4. Bobby B

    Bobby B High-Roller

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    I think it could be the end of DD games as we currently know them. I would think they'll go to all shoe games so players don't touch the cards.
     
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  5. redfury

    redfury Low-Roller

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    I liked the stadium blackjack at Treasure Island. I’d be happy seeing more of those. Not because of social distancing, but because I enjoyed it
     
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  6. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I have changed the title of this thread to "COULD" instead of "WILL", because all of this is speculation and probably against the current guidelines for the board. I guess we have to have something to talk about, so as long as we all agree everything here is opinion and speculation, we can proceed accordingly. ;)
     
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  7. FullPay

    FullPay When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro

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    Every attempt to automate a Craps game has included physical dice. I’d settle for a betting station in lieu of chips, but somehow dice have to fly.
     
  8. Wallew

    Wallew VIP Whale

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    I could see more stadium seating blackjack and roulette. Please no more airball roulette machines with the crazy bounces.

    Bubble craps is good for newbies. I could also see more of them popping up.


    The one major issue that needs to be addressed with table games and also poker is the chips. I think that most on this board would agree that casino chips are about the dirtiest item in a casino.
     
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  9. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

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    Sonya,

    No need to post this, and I'm fine with your change. But "could they" and "will they" are different questions. Without a doubt, they could. No question about that. It's just a matter of taking out tables and putting in machines. The question is "will they?" And that too is speculation, not opinion. It's sort of like the difference between when you'd ask a parent "can I" vs. "may I." My smart*ss mother or father would say "you certainly can, but you may not." They acknowledged I was capable of it, but forbid me to do it.
     
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  10. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Most casino plans include some sort of policy for sanitizing them regularly with UV light.

    Yes, they are. But as far as I know, no VMBer is a world renowned psychic who can see the future, so who knows? I can say "Nobody knows the future" and close the thread for speculation, or we can talk about how they could and whether or not that would be a good business decision for them. :)
     
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  11. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    The same conversation is had in many different areas where automation is being attempted... driverless cars, self checkouts, hotel check-in kiosks.

    For all intents and purposes, whether you're talking about a vehicle, a grocery checkout, a hotel front desk, or a gaming table, the technology already exists to substantially replace the functionality of a human being in each of these contexts. Moreover, the cost savings of automation often offsets any losses that stand to be realized (e.g., occasional theft from self checkouts). So they definitely could be replaced by machines.

    I just think it becomes a question of how many customers they would lose as a result... and more significantly, how many important customers they would lose as a result.

    Post-pandemic, the hard costs of running a table game will be higher with the need to sanitize chips, cards, and dice. This will undoubtedly hurt the majority of red chip tables. Of course, as you go up the ladder into higher-minimum tables, those hard costs become easier to absorb.

    Thus, it's unfortunate to say that I believe lower-limit tables could well be replaced by machines in practice. Higher-limit tables will never be replaced IMO, given how profitable they can be. No whale betting thousands of dollars a play will want to do it on a machine. To a casino, it will matter far more if a whale says "give me real tables or I'm not playing" than if a low-roller says the same thing.
     
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  12. JaDubya

    JaDubya High Roller? Nah...just a Roller

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    It would be sad if table games were replaced with machines. I’m primarily a slot player but when the machines are running cold, I’ll sit down for black jack or roulette. I enjoy the social aspect of those games. I like to bet for the dealers and talk sh*t to them when they mess up my double down hands. We both have fun with that.
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2020
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  13. FullPay

    FullPay When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro

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    My brother and I were at the San Remo in January 2002. All of the casinos were open, but the customers weren’t there. They were happy to run a five dollar craps table at 10pm in a darkened casino with five players because they weren’t sure if it would ever come back. Freely speculating, they know it will come back so they will only open with profitable gaming, probably black chip tables.
     
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  14. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    It would be interesting to see how tables are re-opened in a "locals" market as opposed to in a tourist market.

    Since most of the strip is owned by CET/MGM and a large percentage of the visitor volume consists of casual gamblers/tourists, it might be easier for them to get away with offering $25+ minimums on machines and $100+ minimums on real tables.

    Whereas at a "regulars" joint say somewhere in the midwest, they'd be more likely to see a sharp decline in visitors IMO if they did the same thing there.
     
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  15. woodsie

    woodsie VIP Whale

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    They can try, but not with my money. I can play computer games at home. I don't need a casino for that. I need the tangible experience of game pieces, chips, felt and other people.

    As far as the speculative part of this thread goes, I think they have and will continue to take cracks at automated table games with or without COVID. There is a reason why that trend has failed to catch fire despite no real technical impediment. Table games are an experience and that experience is diminished when you take away certain key elements like dice, cards, chips and player camaraderie.

    The idea that people are going to continuously want more and more technology in their lives is flawed. People want more and more convenience, and it just so happens to be the case that sometimes technology fills that requirement. People don't play table games as a matter of convenience, they play them as a matter of entertainment. People aren't going to want to play electronic table games anymore so than they are going to want to watch a virtual reality video of a hike instead of going on the actual hike.

    Some people will play those games, but in my experience it's not the table games folks who make the transition but rather the slots players or new gamblers who are otherwise intimidated by tables and find those electronic games accessible. I've heard from more people who got started on electronic games and transition to real tables than I have vice versa.
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2020
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  16. woodsie

    woodsie VIP Whale

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    The most practical solution is washing your hands when you talk from a table or as you leave a casino floor and don't touch your face in the meantime. I've always been hip to that my entire life as a germaphobe but I expect more people will be going forward.

    I guess if they wanted to wash them on a regular interval they could always put one of these in the back of the house and run them by the thousands at at time:

    (Industrial Parts Washer)
    csm_170505_Kachel_EcoCore_01_025a67a67d.jpg

    They'd come out sparkly every time.
     
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  17. Calder

    Calder VIP Whale

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    I just remember to keep them out of my mouth. More seriously, don't touch your face; it's not like cheques and chips have ever been hygenic.

    Over the years I assume they've given rides to H1N1, the SARS coronavirus, hepatitus, cholera, and typhoid. The world is full of bugs.

    I'd guess that should a vaccine be developed the masks, plexiglass, and sidewalk paint every six feet will disappear.
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2020
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  18. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    OK, somebody has to do it:
    41s2kx.jpg
     
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  19. jon_vegas

    jon_vegas VIP Whale

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    During my last trip at The Linq, which seemed ages ago, they already had virtual Bacc, Roulette, Craps and BJ. They had several rows of machines lined up facing huge screens with the different games.
     
  20. jrinct1

    jrinct1 VIP Whale

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    I as well don't think that will happen . I think they could reduce tables on the floor possibly but not totally remove the games of craps BJ roulette cetera. . I also agree with some of the posters that maybe the minimums on the tables could conceivably go up
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 17, 2020
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