Opinion: Reinventing the wheel

The land-based casino sector is often viewed as the staid older brother of the innovative online industry. But when it comes to table games there is much that online providers can learn from what has been happening in the live sector.

Recent reports from the US show renewed interest in and increased revenues from the table game sector. This is due in large part to a focus on providing greater stimulation from side bets and incremental game features that meet the needs of a new generation of players.

Successful products like Buster Blackjack and Double Ball Roulette, for example, offer players a payout of 2000/1 and 1,200/1 respectively for a single bet, while games such as Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker offer life-changing progressive jackpots. There have also been innovations around gameplay with the likes of High Hand Blackjack introducing a multi-player competitive element to the old casino favourite.

While online suppliers and operators have spent millions turning slots into immersive 3D gaming experiences, the grand old games of Blackjack and Roulette have been left untouched for far too long. And it’s high time we changed that.

Players have been crying out for more than just another generic roulette or blackjack table. Operators and suppliers need to invest in new formats, features, and gameplay to appeal to the new breed of online casino customer. Many of them have been raised on console, mobile, and social gaming and demand slick, satisfying game play on the device of their choosing. And it’s hard to argue that this is what they get from most of today’s online table game offerings.

Keeping it real

A recent change to the gaming regulations in Nevada to allow skill-based slots caused a huge amount of excitement Stateside. This demonstrates that the new generation of players want a more interactive, skill-based gaming experience that couples greater stimulation with that big money win thrill of a slot game. The irony is that this experience already exists in the form of modern table game variants.

Table Games with a clean, modern look that have tantalising pays and gameplay features that enhance the experience can act as a powerful acquisition and retention tool. Operators will begin to see the benefit from these games as they reactivate customers turned off by an endless supply of generically-themed slot games and standard table games.

The huge growth in popularity of online Live Dealer has demonstrated that there is a vast pool of dedicated table game players out there. Their love for table games is as strong as ever, but they now want the experience to be dynamic, slick, and entertaining.

Aspirational and stimulating table games provide an engaging experience that taps into the key motivators for mobile gaming – speed, entertainment, and big wins. These are games that have already proven their worth in bricks-and-mortar casinos across the world. The opportunity is now there for the online sector to capitalise on the re-awakening of a too-long dormant sector that accounts for 40% of online casino revenues.