Can Dice and Ball Games Challenge Traditional Table Games?
George | September 28, 2018
In a move to ensure more gambling profits stay in the state, Oklahoma lawmakers have allowed traditional dice and ball games back into casinos. These games were made illegal in 2004. Since the new law came into place earlier this year, casinos across Oklahoma have been expanding their offerings to include Roulette and Craps. Customers are happy with the results.
Mickey Ward, Senior Director of Corporate Gaming for the Cherokee Nation, says: “We put a lot of teasers out there to get the public excited. The biggest thing is that it now allows us to offer the products they are used to seeing in the traditional commercial gaming market. Also, dollars that we would normally see leave Oklahoma can now stay within the state.”
The new law has spread across casinos like wildfire. However, will dice and ball games become more popular than the traditional table games?
Introduction of dice and ball games
Before the change, residents had to use Oklahoma’s own versions of the games, known as “Bonus Craps” and “Bonus Roulette”. These versions used electronic cards instead of dice and balls, while a video was shown. If people wanted to play traditional versions of the games, they had to leave the state. So, the quick growth of these games since their re-introduction in Oklahoma is no surprise.
The Cherokee Nation chain was the first to provide customers with ball and dice games. These games expanded overnight to the Hard Rock Casino, West Siloam Springs Cherokee Casino, and the Roland Cherokee Casino. This move was in the hope that players who usually go to Las Vegas would now play closer to home.
The Cherokee Secretary of State, said:
It’s tough to compete, but that’s a good thing. It shows that our tribes, all the tribes in the state, are operating at really at a very high level. It keeps us good. I think competition is good.
Chuck Hoskin Jr
Martin Madewell, Senior Marketing Director for Hard Rock Tulsa, added: “We’re going to have some special classes and special events. Mainly, our staff is very much encouraging anyone to walk up to the table and bet.”
What customers think
Choctaw Casino was also quick to respond, explaining that many of their high-betting players had been asking when the law change would take place. Sara Adams, Marketing Manager, explained, with many customers agreeing:
I think it is important as customers want to feel partly in control of the dice.
Sara Adams
Guy Jones, a long-term customer at Choctaw Casino, threw the first set of dice on the new Craps table. He said: “I wasn’t even playing it with the cards. I did a couple of years ago, but a lot of people have been waiting for the real dice. It’s just traditional with a ball. A little spin with the cards on Roulette was okay, but Craps isn’t Craps without the dice.”
David Konvos added that he had been waiting for the games for a long time: “It’s fun; it’s a team game, everybody’s in it, and it also has some of the best odds in the casino. So, playing this game, you at least feel like every roll, there’s a statistical chance that you can come out ahead.”
Will it challenge traditional tables?
Although dice and ball games are currently popular, the question remains: will they stay ahead? Online gambling providers discovered Blackjack is the public’s favorite game alongside solitaire, indicating that card games are the most popular.
The research also showed that the largest number of people know how to play Blackjack, with 75% of those asked being familiar with it. Blackjack was followed far behind by other casino games, such as poker, which only 25% of people know how to play.
This preference may be influenced by betting odds. When comparing the house edge of various casino games, the following games have the best odds:
- Blackjack
- Baccarat
- Craps
- Roulette
However, Newzoo’s social casino consumer insights from 2017 show a different trend. According to their data, poker is the most popular table game (20%), followed closely by Blackjack (18%). In comparison, Baccarat received only 1%, and Roulette 2% of the votes. This suggests that, overall, the USA is not as keen on dice and ball games.
According to Jack Jill, one of the interviewed casino players:
Poker is the most popular card game in the world and as such, it is the card game that is most played on the net. It is also the star of the casino as it attracts the most users.
Jack Jill
Ivana Stefanoska, a Blackjack fan, adds, “My favorite is Blackjack as it has the best odds of winning, with a house edge of just 1% in most casinos.”
Only time will tell whether dice and ball games will challenge the traditional table games. However, the odds show it’s unlikely to be in their favor.
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