Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas recently opened for the first time since closing in 2020. The property just off the Vegas Strip is now owned and operated by the San Manuel Band Of Mission Indians (San Manuel).
The casino floor at Palms looks very similar to when it closed its doors two years ago. The previous owners, Station Casinos, finished a $690 million renovation a few months before the casino closed.
San Manuel didn’t have to do much work on the property to get it ready for guests. Since there were few changes for guests, the property feels familiar.
The first thing I noticed walking into Palms was the smell. It was either the same scent or one very similar to what was used prior to closing. The one difference when visiting the casino on opening night was the lack of smoke from the past two years that wasn’t covering the soothing scent.
Walking into the casino looks almost exactly the same as the last visit prior to closing. Table games surround Uknown Bar and Lounge. You may know this bar by the giant three-piece shark hanging above.
Bonus Spin Blackjack And More
While the casino floor at Palms looks similar to 2020, the games are a bit different. All traditional blackjack games pay 3:2 when a player is dealt a natural blackjack.
Bonus Bet Blackjack is the only blackjack game that pays 6:5 at Palms. Due to different rules, casinos usually pay 6:5 when a player receives a natural blackjack when playing this game.
The big difference at the tables is that there are 39 table games that have Bonus Spin Xtreme from gaming manufacturer, AGS.
24 blackjack games, including those in the high limit room, have Bonus Spin Xtreme. High-limit blackjack games don’t usually offer progressive side bets. This is also available at 12 baccarat tables and 3 roulette tables.
Ronald LaDuca, AGS’ Vice President of Sales for Table Products, says:
“This cutting-edge install is a major success for AGS. Our deal with the Palms marks our largest Bonus Spin Xtreme installation to date.”
Paul Garcia, Director of Tables Games at the Palms Las Vegas, says:
“By linking nearly 40 tables on Palms’ floor to a fast-growing single jackpot pool, Bonus Spin Xtreme elevates the player experience by creating more ways to win and have fun at the table.”
Bonus Spin Xtreme is different from most side bets. The progressive jackpots come from wagers placed at all games offering this side bet.
When playing Bonus Spin Xtreme at Palms, players will be able to win progressive jackpots that include money from those participating in the baccarat and roulette side bets.
This feature should increase the prize pool quicker than if it only included side bets placed at the 24 blackjack games.
Bonus Spin Xtreme
We looked at two different versions of Bonus Spin a couple of years ago. Here’s a more recent demo from the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) last year.
In addition to building progressive jackpots from multiple types of table games, Bonus Spin Xtreme awards more than one player when activated. While all participants at the table will win a jackpot, a single player will win a larger prize.
After Bonus Spin Xtreme is activated the dealer will finish dealing the game and then spin a video wheel. The main reel spin will be for a prize that all players participating in the side bet will receive.
A second outer wheel spin will select one player to win a different and larger prize for themselves. This is the spin where a player can win one of the three progressive jackpots.
The player in the position that’s selected by the wheel will literally spin the wheel themselves. This player will simply his the digital betting circle where they place the Bonus Spin Xtreme wager.
This activates an outer reel that has larger prizes including three progressive jackpots. There’s one feature with Bonus Spin Xtreme not found with most blackjack progressive jackpots.
The lowest progressive is a “must hit by” jackpot. The maximum amount a player can win from this jackpot is listed on the display.
A winner must be paid on or before the progressive jackpot reaches that amount. For example, if the “must hit by” is $500, a player can win that jackpot anytime up to and including when it hits $500.
The closer the total gets to that jackpot means that it’s more likely to hit. Bonus hunters can keep an eye on this total while walking through the casino and play the game if they feel as though it will hit soon.
The house edge on blackjack side bets is often somewhat large. Keep that in mind when considering playing Bonus Spin Xtreme at Palms or any other casino.
