Laughlin Entertainer: Cover Stories

You sit down at the “table” and place your bet. The dealer looks blankly ahead-just a bit off center, not really looking you in the eye. You take a card. So does the dealer. You lose. You get up without saying a thing to the dealer. Are you rude?

Nope. The dealer can't see you anyway. Her image-complete with revealing cleavage-is on a flat screen TV.

Welcome to casino floors, 2008.

The “new look” is the result of many popular table games making the electronic leap from the poker rooms and pit areas to the slot area of casino floors. These “virtual” games from Shuffle Master Inc. are eliminating that invisible barrier of intimidation to what may become the next big thing in the gaming industry (too early to tell). Thus, you can find electronic versions of such table games as Let It Ride, Texas Hold ‘em, and Three Card Poker at many Laughlin properties.

While this brave new world of computer games may be a bit “cold” for many traditional gamblers, there is one new game out there that combines a bit of the efficiency of the new with the human touch of the old.

The game is Rapid Roulette and currently can only be found in Laughlin at the Aquarius Casino Resort. The game combines the latest interactive technology through betting screens with the camaraderie of traditional table games by employing live dealers to run the show. And they have a user-friendly learning curve.

“The electronic version is much more comfortable to players than the traditional roulette wheel,” explains Jim Tuthill, Aquarius vice president of casino operations. “There's no reaching over one another when playing and placing bets and it eliminates the problem of someone moving a player's chips by mistake. The comfort aspect and very few mistakes has slot players interfacing with table games and table games players interfacing with slot machines. We're seeing players migrating between slot machines and table games.”

Younger players can easily make the transition to electronic table games due to their lifestyles based on the world of technology-but that doesn't mean older players are left out in the cold.

“I'm 60, and representative of the baby boomer demographic,” explains Tuthill. “I can tell you, the technology of this game is easy to embrace.”

Besides, as Tuthill points out, live table games aren't exactly easy to grasp for first time players.

“When a player sits down with a group on a live table game and asks a lot of questions, it can slow the dealer down as they explain the different aspects of the game,” explains Tuthill. This, in turn, slows down the other players, turning the interaction into a negative. The new players feel intimidated and rushed.

“Rapid Roulette eliminates the intimidation and the confusion. It gives players the opportunity to understand the game. They have time to digest the rules and map out their strategy”

And once underway and understood, the new betting features can actually make for more human interaction than live table games.

“One of our regular slot players said he especially likes a betting feature of Rapid Roulette which allows you to re-bet the same numbers as last turn by simply hitting a button,” explains Tuthill. “This makes it easy to place the same bet, giving him time to chat with dealers and other players. Conversely, dealers have more time to interact with players because they're not focused on payouts and buy-ins. We're actually seeing a higher level of interactiveness with dealers and players. This game transcends live roulette and takes it to a whole new level of experience.”

According to Tuthill, this interaction between player and dealer is a necessary component for the game's success.

“Getting rid of dealers was never the point of this game,” states Tuthill. “Actually, there are more dealers and more interaction with customers. With people who love table games there is no way you can be devoid of human contact-you can't replace the human element.”

Rapid Roulette won't eliminate the gaming chip, either.

“Chips are still used for the payout,” explains Tuthill. “They are still a key component of playing table games and it's part of the fun of a payout. And we also still have the traditional roulette wheel.”

One benefit to both the casino and the player with Rapid Roulette, as opposed to traditional roulette, is the tracking ability of play. Members of the A.C.E. Reward Club of the Aquarius can use their cards while playing the game to note the time spent playing and the average betting amount.

While the game is still new, the reviews have been positive thus far.

“The game has been very well received and accepted,” Tuthill states. “It's exciting that our property is adding new games while other properties are removing them. We are aggressive, dedicated to our desire to make this property a real destination for the gamer. We're letting our customers know we're vital and alive and that we are taking an aggressive approach in a down market.”

According to Tuthill, the aggression isn't without first checking in with the boss-the customers.

“ We talk to our customers, have dinner with them, have events with them-we talk to them on the floor. They're the ones who tell us how to proceed, what makes them comfortable. We listen to their comments and turn those comments into reality,” explains Tuthill.

Tuthill said giving technology like this a try isn't an easy decision.

“We didn't negotiate for an exclusive on Rapid Roulette,” Tuthill said. “We invite other properties to try it on their own. Putting it on the floor is a risk. It takes up a good deal of real estate. But we want to be a property committed to providing the highest level of service with the newest products on the market available in the world.”