Casino 2001 A Retro Look

Roger Melling looks back to issue 1 of Casino World,, to se if some of the predictions made then were correct.

In the first issue of Casino World March 1994, I asked the question ‘Casino 2001 what will it be like?’ And on our introductory cover I asked ‘What does the future hold for gaming.’ Well here I am still asking the second question in our issue 50 and maybe I will still be asking this question in issue 100! I stated that casinos and the games available would change in coming years and particularly in the areas of automation and new high technology, and I gave a few examples that were evident then in 1994. Some of the predictions involved the areas of robotics, holograms, fibre optics, microchips and video. In all these areas there have been great strides made;

Robotics and shuffling machines and automated table games. Plus roulette wheels that auto spin the ball in a random manner.

Holograms – now an almost common addition to casino chip security and to tamper proof seals for decks of cards

Fibre optics – used extensively for CCTV, progressive games and security and surveillance areas and better signage

Microchips – used everywhere in smaller sized security and accounting systems

Video – every mainstream slot manufacturer has followed the lead by Aristocrat in Australia and Atronic in Europe and have developed advanced video technology in slot machines



I mentioned the growth of new games, this has happened and some of the new games are now common in many successful casinos, many of these games are variations of ethnic games.



I talked about new gaming laws covering most areas of gambling. Regrettably this is now likely to occur only in Britain in the next few years. Europe and the rest of the world are still controlling gambling piecemeal. At present, change in this area is remote, with the exception of Internet gambling which is receiving mixed attitudes around the world, mostly through fear from land-based operators and fear from governments over possible lost tax opportunities.



I mentioned the possible growth of hybrid games, this has become a potent reality with a wide variety of automated roulette games available with links to real-time games. For instance both Crown Games in Australia and Novomatic in Austria have developed successful products. In terms of slot machines hybrid games refers to the traditional reel or video slots, with an added play or bonus game feature often borrowed from European manufacturers. These were developed to cater for increasingly sophisticated demand and to ensure longer play duration thus generating increase revenues.



Back then in 1994 operators were commenting to me that if they had the option they would install slot only casinos, because the results were so impressive. However, while many operators still feel the same, there is a growing realisation that players or customers like to see a good mix of both table and slot games, the growth in the hybrid market is evidence of this ‘best of both worlds’ technology.



I mentioned the possibility of an increase in the use of smart cards for use in different casino areas. There has been growth in the use of smart card technology to increase the introduction of cashless gambling and for other areas like security.



I also talked about the loss of fun in gaming areas and the need for customers to enjoy a fun and fantasy experience. Following the example of some of the innovative operators like Steve Wynn in Las Vegas, fantasy theming is now commonplace in almost every jurisdiction.

The ‘Wild East’ image of the Russian casino scene has been swept away, with some of the most luxurious high roller casino areas anywhere in the world. However, there are still some countries where taxation levels are abnormally high and this leads to a total stagnation in growth and unfulfilled demand.



I predicted growth in the area of travel gambling, both the explosive growth of the casino cruise ships worldwide, and also the start of in-flight gaming. This has occurred on an enormous scale in the cruise ship market with some ocean casinos being larger than many smaller land based operations. The growth of long distance air travel, notwithstanding the post September 11 downturn in air traffic, has seen the need to occupy passengers and in-flight games for fun and gambling for profit have both become more available.



For the near future, I predict a greater synergy between the larger gaming and hospitality corporations offering a wider variety of products for fun and profit. A major growth area is likely to be the growth of in –hotel room TV’s used as remote gambling terminals, and the growth of cable TV supported home gaming products. There have been some wild predictions concerning the growth value of on-line gambling, I do not doubt that there will be significant growth in this sector, but all responsible people want to see good regulation and while the Australians led the way there has been some re-thinking probably fuelled by fears from vested interests.

In spite of all the new technology I think that there will always be a place for the traditional ambience which revolves around table games in pleasant surroundings, efficiently managed.
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