It’s man against machine, but does man really have a chance?
Many years ago casino executives were surprised to discover that the money they were making at the table games was beginning to decline, and the profits generated by the slot machines was growing. After all, slot machines were really just a few toys they kept around to entertain the wives of the high rollers while their husbands were busy at the tables. It didn’t make any sense that slot machines should be supplanting table game revenue.
But the casino executives just weren’t paying attention. With computers becoming a vital part of every day life, young people developing an attraction to video games, and instant gratification turning the modern world upside down, it was only natural that slot machines would begin to become the casinos main profit center.
By the mid-1980s, slot machines had matched table games in popularity, and by the time the decade turned, the so-called “one-armed bandits” had clearly become the casino’s favorite game. Today, more than two-thirds of casino revenue in the United States is derived from the slot machine.
Those same casino executives didn’t try to change the trend, however. They were delighted that slot machines were exhibiting such popularity. After all, the money derived from slot machines is guaranteed, while table game revenues are subject to the ebb and flow of Lady Luck. Sure, casinos have the advantage at the table games, but because the games themselves are volatile, the money won or lost on a monthly basis can vary widely. So slot machines became their cushion, with table games making up the difference between a great month or simply a good month.
The casinos can count on slot machine revenues because the machines are simply computers. The profit can be programmed into the machines by the use of a random number generator that determines just how much of the money played in that particular ligaz888 machine will be returned as winnings.
So why should casino customers play the slot machines, since the casino is guaranteed to win? The same random number generator that provides the casino with its guaranteed profit, also gives the player the opportunity to win.
Why the casino’s most exciting game just looks complicated
Blackjack players approach their game with the studiousness of a professor. Roulette players are like cartologists, mapping their way around the multi-numbered layout. Baccarat players are serious gamblers, with their emotions riding the game’s twists and turns. And slot players stare at their machines with a mind-numbing expression, only breaking their motion to quickly celebrate a win.
But over in the corner, you hear some yelling and rooting. You see a crowd of people gathered around what appears to be a pit, but is actually a craps game. Craps, or dice, is easily the casino’s most exciting game. When the dice are falling the right way, there are few other experiences that rival the camaraderie that the players feel at that table. As the shooter rolls number after number (but no seven, please), craps can be exhilarating, and more importantly, profitable.
But craps can also be the most frustrating of all casino games. Because to play craps successfully, you have to understand how to place and decipher a variety of bets, it’s important to stay alert and positive. But that is rarely possible when ever other role is a “Seven out!”
