Table Gaming – a Move into the Future
A speech prepared for the Casinos and Gaming Conference, on the Development of Table Gaming Technology to prevent continuing deterioration of facility market share.
By Andrew MacDonald
Casino Manager, Conrad Jupiters, 1997
What is happening to Casino Table Games? | Will this be allowed to continue till the eventual extinction of table games? Is a Casino still a Casino if is doesn’t offer table games? | Well you don’t have to be too bright obviously to use such an arbitrary system to your advantage. The more you bring the more you get and you don’t have to play any differently. | For high rollers on table games the same is true, although we certainly don’t advertise it as “Cash Back” for this group. | With a broad based accurate table rating system offering real benefits to customers the same could occur with table game players. | That may also be extended to ensure all systems within the facility may be interfaced to enhance service delivery to our customers. The future might be something like this… | A list of the issues which might be looked at include the following | Service delivery is obviously critical in today’s market place but knowing what to deliver and implementing change quickly to meet new needs is even more important. |
The once dominant aspect of a Casinos product line-up is losing market share to Gaming Machines and valuable casino real estate is being turned over from Pits of Table Games to rows and rows of Pokies.
Why is this?
Several factors exist. Firstly, the games initially appear complex and are intimidating to learn, as the skilled staff and “knowledgeable” players go about their business. Secondly, the atmosphere around a table is often tense and uninviting. Thirdly, entry level, low limit table games are often crowded and uncomfortable. Fourthly, the stakes are often relatively high and it is unlikely that a person wanting to trial the product will get perceived value out of a $20 or $50 purchase of $5 chips as this only gives them 4 or 10 units with which to play and these may quickly be exhausted. Fifth, social changes have occurred which no longer see families sitting around playing cards or Monopoly at night to while away the time. And lastly, Casino Managers have sought to maximise profit from their operations which has led to more machines and less, labour intensive and thus more costly to operate, table games. A combination of all the above factors has resulted in a decline in participation on table games. In many U.S. Casinos the ratio of machines to table games is in the order of 40 to 1 or more. In Australia, at the moment, the ratio is more like 10 to 1.
