Will there be a day when there will be no live dealers left in the casinos and all that will be left will be large electronic machines? The New Jersey Casino Control Commission say no, but is approving for use electronic poker and roulette tables. Following approval t test, Atlantic City Casinos may move ahead with plans to test the electronic gaming tables. This is a controversial initiative, which may cut down drastically on the number of live dealers in the casinos.
However, the question must be asked, is this such a good thing? On one hand, a computer doing the job of humans is the age old dilemma. Electronic gaming tables need not be paid, they don’t need breaks, holidays, benefits or anything else. They just work. In addition, it has been shown that many people feel somewhat intimidated by the live dealers and the feeling that “everyone knows more than me.”
Many people come to the casinos and feel real intimidation and fear at the sight of the lights, the sounds, the dealers and throngs. Many of these people opt for playing in the online casinos, since their shyness makes it almost impossible to play in real casinos. However, after all, casinos are supposed to cater to everyone. Not everyone who comes in to the casino for the first time is always a pro. For those people for whom their visit to the casino is their first, then these electronic games are the answer.
However, there are downsides to the question as well. Electronic games are to a certain degree, impersonal. Most people would rather have a real person in front of them. The human touch is so important, even to the casino owners. Playing in front of no one but yourself is apt to be tiring, and even in electronic games like poker, where you do play against the machine, also lacks that personal feel of the cards in your hand. Gamblers are apt to be a superstitious lot, and the new games may mar their senses.
"I think it adds a new element to the Atlantic City market," Casino Control Commission Chair Linda M. Kassekert told reporters, "and [it] is particularly important because Pennsylvania and Delaware have them." She was referring to the growing competition from neighboring states' slot parlors, which have already incorporated electronic blackjack, poker and baccarat tables into their offerings.
"We're approving them because I think they're a very important product for Atlantic City," Kassekert added.
Commission spokesmen revealed that the intention is not to completely replace live dealers in Atlantic City, but is rather an attempt to retrieve slot players from the neighboring states and acquire those players who find electronic table games less intimidating than playing with live dealers
The versions used in New Jersey will be slightly different than those on offer in the slot parlors also. Electronic poker tables will look like real poker tables, with seats for all of the players, but with individual screens where they will read their cards. Roulette tables will still have a live dealer and wheel, but bets and payouts will be made electronically.
So far, none of the casinos have stepped forward to start the testing procedures, and there is no timetable envisaged.
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