My latest Las Vegas Business Press article is available, in which I talk about perceptions and reality, particularly as they relate to Nevada table games hold:
The table-game numbers present an even greater challenge to the idea that managers are putting the screws to players. True, in the past few years there’s been a regrettable spread of bad plays like 6-5 blackjack (this can’t disappear soon enough, if only because its negative perceptions far outstrip any incremental revenue gains it generates). But — surprise! — the average table hold has declined significantly over two decades.
via Las Vegas Business Press :: David G. Schwartz : Numbers show casinos aren’t being tight-fisted.
There’s more to the column than that–I just thought I’d share the kernel of it. On one hand, plenty of people complain about casinos becoming less player-friendly, but it’s clear that players have been winning more at table games than they were in the past.
I’ve guessed before that maybe people who have a lucky run aren’t pressing their bets because of the recession, but this trend goes back even further. I’d be interested in hearing what casino ops folks think about it, because this is definitely changing how casinos run.