Australian Casinos 2000 and Beyond

Introduction | Why Gaming Has Expanded so Rapidly | So, who is the current market for all these games of chance and why do they play? | What then does all this mean for the casino of the year 2000 and beyond? | Can this current formula survive the future in Australia? | What though of the internal product of the casino? | What other things will change? | Why is this? | Will this be allowed to continue till the eventual extinction of table games? Is a casino still a casino if it doesn’t offer table games? | Conclusion |

With gaming machines we have already seen cashless systems, tokenisation and bill acceptors. Eftpos and smart cards will certainly be trialed. Payment by coin will become a thing of the past, however, I would imagine that the sound of coins hitting the tray would be simulated or other aural experiences included.

We already have gaming machines with touch screens, buttons and handles all on the one unit. Machines with remote control units built into the armrest of the lounge style chair which is integrated with the machine may be tried. Joysticks and trackball controls may also become a feature of some of the equipment in an attempt to lure the Nintendo generation to trial new games of chance.

As computing power increases and componentry size decreases we will see Virtual Reality based and “Kray” style super computer driven games.

Games like Sega’s “Royal Ascot” where horses race around a track surrounded by 12 or more betting stations and Sega’s “Golden Night 21” with a holographic Blackjack dealer and 5 betting stations will not only be enhanced but will become central features of the successful casino gaming machine operation.

Thus we will see “experiential” gaming machines with integrated componentry and ancillary features focussed on delivering comfort, service and an escape from reality all hooked up with an adrenaline high that will be difficult or impossible for smaller competitors or other media to match.

Traditional table games will also be transformed. Table games such as Blackjack, Roulette, Craps and Baccarat have not gained anywhere near the broad popularity of gaming machines and in some areas have gone into decline.