Last week Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem officials opened the nation’s largest live electronic table games “stadium” and the reaction has been everything they’ve hoped for. Sands have succeeded in attracting the type of players they wanted which is young, tech savvy and diverse players that love video slots.
“According to analysts, Sands has put itself at the head of what just might be the next craze in casino gambling.”
Hybrid table games are a combination of the ease and fast-paced feel that slot machines provide with the ideal of a live dealer on hand. They’ve been quite common in the table games heavy casinos of Macau and Singapore but their appearance in the US is quite recent.
Sands Casino planning
Sands Casino spent $5 million to remove their underperforming juice bar, Infusion, and replaced it with a stadium-style setup of 150 seats which easily makes it the largest in the country. The CEO, Mark Juliano, said they hired 40 new workers to run it so that the player experience is smooth and worry free.
The CEO continued to say that they decided to go big or go home. Something this big is bound to create an alluring energy that will attract players towards it. In order to work out any bugs the new technology might bring, Sands have decided to hold back on marketing their latest project until after their grand opening later this month.
How hybrid tables work
The terminals of the stadium are quite similar to slot machines and each player gets their own. There will be no chips or cards dealt to players but a live dealer will be placed in the middle of the stadium. He will deal a hand that can be seen on video at each machine which adds some speed to traditional table games.
There will be no stopping to cash in or leave the table, everything is done electronically so all you have to do is hit a button and grab your money voucher. As each player is unaffected by other players there are no worries of anyone being intimidated by superstitious or more experienced players. This allows players of all ranks to enjoy their favourite game at their own pace.
You can start with a minimum bet of $5. Tables with a minimum of $10 can go up to $20 – $25 on peak days. The stadium terminals can be enjoyed in several languages that include English, Mandarin and Spanish. Once you’ve selected your language of choice you’ll be taken through a step by step tutorial.
This a brand new way of casino gaming and if it succeeds, there’s no doubt that Sands Casino will quickly increase their player rate along with their revenue.