Earlier this month I was in Las Vegas presenting my Advanced Advantage Play seminar with Bill Zender. The day before the seminar, I walked into severalcasinos on the Las Vegas strip. What immediately got my attention was a visually apparent increase in the number of table games. During the seminar, I asked the group if my observations had any merit. Several participantsconfirmed that there was an increase in the number of table games at their property. Time for a survey!
I decided to look into this observation by going to the monthly gaming revenue reports published by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB):
http://gaming.nv.gov/index.aspx?page=149
Here are a few comments about my methodology:
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I compiled the numbers for the last decade (2006-2015), both for Clark County and for Nevada overall.
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My survey numbers considered only the year over year totals for each year, ending May 31. I did not consider month over month results.
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I did not countcraps, roulette, keno or bingo.
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I counted baccarat and mini-baccarat under the same category (BAC).
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I counted Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker under the same category (PGP).
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For the first six years, Caribbean Stud was listed separately in the reports. I countedCSin the Other category for those years.
In what follows:
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BJ = blackjack
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3CP = Three Card Poker
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BAC = baccarat and mini-baccarat
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LIR = Let it Ride
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PGP = Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker
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Other = all other table games (excluding craps and roulette)
Nevada Overall
Here are the survey results for Nevada overall (data taken from page 4 of the NGCB reports):
In particular, note that:
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The total number of table games in 2015 was 4157, which is the most number of tables since 2011 (4194).
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From 2014 to 2015, the number of tables per casino increased by 2.59%. This is the largest increase recorded. Coming in second was 2008 at 0.57%.
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The table game that showed the greatest increase was baccarat. It increased from 292 tables in 2006 (6.45% of all tables) to 472 tables in 2015 (11.35% of all tables).
There are many other interesting points I could make with these numbers (look at the changes in blackjack and baccarat, for example). You can do that.
Clark County
Here are the survey results forClark County, which includes the Las Vegas Strip (data taken from page 9of the NGCB reports):
In particular, note that:
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The total number of table games in 2015 was 3394, which is the most number of tables since 2011 (3408).
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From 2014 to 2015, the number of tables per casino increased by 3.16%. This is the largest increase recorded. Coming in second was 2008 at 2.58%.
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The table game that showed the greatest increase was baccarat. It increased from 272 tables in 2006 (7.77% of all tables) to 447tables in 2015 (13.17% of all tables).
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The number of tables per casino (19.51) in 2015 is the highest value for this number recorded in the last decade.
Las Vegas Strip
Finally, here are the survey results for the Las Vegas Strip by itself(data taken from page 15of the NGCB reports):
In particular, note that:
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The total number of table games in 2015 was 2284which is thehighest number in the last ten years.
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The year over year increase intotal table games rose from 2199 in 2014 to 2284 in 2015, an increase of 85 tables, or about 14 new "pits."
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From 2014 to 2015, the number of tables per casino increased by 3.87%.
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The table game that showed the greatest increase was baccarat. It increased from 247tables in 2006 (11.16% of all tables) to 410 tables in 2015 (17.95% of all tables).
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The number of tables per casinois up over 2 tables per casino from the previous year.
I previously surveyedthe period 1990 to 2012 in this post.
The decade-long trend of increasing square footage allocated to slots at the expense of tables games reversed itself over the last 12 months. I have read that as older players age-out of casinos, fewer younger players are becomingslot players. The recent change in Nevada statutes that now permits skill-based slots (see this article) is an effort to acquire newslot players. Until slot designs catch up with the games enjoyed by the i-generation, table games should continue to expand on the casino floor.
