Electronic Table Games Thriving Amid Pandemic

In the last couple of months, several land-based casinos across the US opened their doors once again to reactivate the industry. However, people are still afraid of the virus and are looking for ways to stay entertained without exposing themselves at too much risk. 

According to a manufacturer’s report, the demand for electronic table games has spiked from March to July. It seems people are trying to find social distancing friendly solutions to gamble, whether on the casino floor or from the comfort of their home. 

Electronic Table Games Making a Comeback

Electronic table games have been in production for about two decades. While they were not as prevalent before the pandemic, they are certainly making a comeback. Before COVID-19 caught us unprepared, there were only a few ETGs across US land-based casinos. As David Horn, the General Manager at Palace Station, said:

Of the six [of Station properties], only Palace had an existing ETG product. We had tried it before at Red Rock, but it was not very successful. Local blackjack and roulette players are very fickle. People are worried now [about COVID-19] and wearing masks and gloves, that’s part of the process. We thought that might push some people to ETGs.

David Horn

Horn continued explaining that they had to try out some new things to bring back players, many of whom were concerned about the highly contagious virus.

Increase in Demand

Why are electronic tables growing in popularity? The CEO of Scientific Games, one of the leading manufacturers of these games, Rob Bone, explained:

You can’t run an efficient, profitable table game with the labor that’s needed to do that, especially with the extra labor related to cleaning and wiping areas down. ETGs, have become a huge solution to this problem.

Rob Bone

Bone further added that the primary demand was for “dealer assist” electronic tables. These are games where players are at their own gaming stations, but they have a live dealer at their disposal to serve them.

One dealer can deal up to 250 individual terminals, all of them socially distanced. Players can bet at their own pace and price point. It’s about giving an authentic experience while also allowing them not to have to worry about the player to their left or their right.

Rob Bone

The reason why casinos are investing in them so much is apparent. Players are socially-distanced, and they have a live dealer to attend to their needs. Operators are seeing the benefits ETGs can offer and are testing the grounds. The question is, can ETGs replace live dealer tables at land-based casinos?

Potential to Attract Millenials

When operators introduce new games, they are concerned about attracting the three main types of players: slot fans, table game players, and new casino members. According to their reports, all three categories are playing ETGs.

However, there’s a demographic that they are always chasing, and seems impossible to please, millennials. This group tends to steer away from classic casino games and gravitate towards more skill-based casino games. So the question is, is there a potential to attract millennials with electronic table games? As Station’s Horn pointed out:

We kind of thought that younger demographic would gravitate to these games quickly. Millennials are more adept at them because they’ve lived their entire lives on an electronic device. That said, what we’ve seen is that the demographic is across the board, from seniors to whoever.

David Horn

Play Live Dealer Games From Home

While ETGs prove to be quite attractive to all kinds of players, the game’s social element is missing. This is where live casinos come into play. Live dealer games have proven so far that they can re-create the land-based casino atmosphere while never leaving your home.

You can play classics like live roulette and blackjack from the comfort and safety of your home and still get a better experience than with electronic table games. Why?

With the latest technologies, HD streaming, and chats, live dealer games recreate the heat and thrill of land-based casinos near perfection. When you play at live casinos, you interact with the dealer and other players at the table in real-time without being physically present and exposing yourself to COVID-19.