It feels as though I’ve been writing about casinos making room for more Electronic Table Games (ETGs) a lot lately. While it’s not exactly new, the casino floors are finally starting to look like the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) conference floor from five years ago.
I enjoy the option to play blackjack and other games against a machine or a person. That said, I usually play with people because I frequently play blackjack games with friends.
Traditional dealer games feel more social to me than a machine. In fact, I usually prefer playing machine games when alone. While I’m social with people I know, I’m pretty quiet among strangers so the table games are less appealing.
Small and large-scale ETGs are hitting casino floors at a rate we can only hope to keep up with. Last week Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas installed a Pulse Arena from Interblock. In Atlantic City, Borgata added its first stadium gaming installation.
Planet Hollywood
Last week we mentioned that Caesars was installing ETGs in all of its Las Vegas casinos. Over the years Caesars Entertainment has used Planet Hollywood as testing grounds for new casino games. Now Caesars is installing a massive stadium gaming party pit unlike any other installation in Las Vegas.
Last week Caesars added a Pulse Arena to its gaming floor. The Linq installed a version of this last year and it’s seemingly been popular since day one but the Planet Hollywood version is slightly different.
The Planet Hollywood version of Pulse Arena is the whole package. Players can enjoy blackjack, roulette, and other games like they can at The Linq. The major differences are the location – right in the middle of the casino – and a stage for gogo dancers.
The location seems a bit odd but it’s the right installation at the right casino. Planet Hollywood has always been a bit of a party casino. The new Pulse Arena installation fits the party atmosphere guests already feel in the casino. It will be interesting to see how popular it becomes.
Borgata
Borgata is one of the most luxurious casino resorts in Atlantic City. While table limits are often higher than some casinos on the boardwalk the property isn’t only for high rollers. Its new Stadium Gaming installation should offer lower limits for a younger, less affluent guest.
Interblock Stadium is an interactive, dealer-assisted electronic gaming environment where guests can play blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat from an individual player station. This is more of a traditional stadium gaming installation than Pulse Arena at Planet Hollywood.
“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to elevate the guest experience when visiting and playing at Borgata. The launch of the Interblock Stadium offers a fun and unique gaming option that blends social interaction, in a high-energy environment, with a luxury electronic table game product that appeals to all player levels. The stadium is attention-grabbing with a contagious vibe and situated in the center of our casino floor – extending the action to both players and resort spectators alike,” said James Bruno, vice president of casino operations at Borgata.
The electronic table games area is located right in the center of Borgata. The stadium has 24 player stations with three live dealer stations. There’s a huge 22-foot video wall displaying a 24/7 feed of games in action.
