By Bill Sokolic
Playing the Hits
The latest in table game variation and innovation
By Bill Sokolic
Galaxy Gaming 3 Dice Baccarat
One of the highlights of the Global Table Game Conference held in April at the Sahara in Las Vegas was the Best New Table Games competition .
Galaxy Gaming took third-place honors for “ 3 Dice Baccarat .” The selection says something about the state of table games in 2023 : it ’ s not a new game , but one that speaks to the popularity of a variation to an existing , established game , the kind table game fans like ; it also involves dice instead of cards , a reflection of the poor shape of the card manufacturing industry .
Variations of baccarat , blackjack and roulette continue to thrive in the table game market . “ Look for this trend to continue ,” says Paul Omohundro , senior vice president of product for Galaxy Gaming .
Electronic table game players are often loyal to established games , making it difficult for new games to enjoy significant success and widespread player adoption , says Luigi Cacciapuoti , vice president , specialty products and electronic table games for IGT .
“ Typically , ‘ enriching ’ player-favorite games such as blackjack and roulette is a more successful approach than introducing an entirely new concept ,” he says . “ Our customers are definitely seeking the evolution of established games rather than creating new , unproven games from the ground up .”
For IGT , its two primary areas of focus are improving the player experience though hardware and software and “ rebalancing ” the high-return-to- player / low volatility of many traditional games by offering a diverse menu of side bets , Cacciapuoti says .
“ At the table , we are seeing more and more players engaging with side bets on games like blackjack and embracing other variations of their favorite games ,” says Conrad Walsh , director of global product marketing for Light & Wonder .
This trend comes at a great time , Walsh says . “ It is unlikely that anyone creates another universally popular game like blackjack , but we have had a fair amount of success with creating side bets and variations that amount to a blackjack-plus experience .”
Served on the Side
The most popular side bet in baccarat today is the Dragon Bonus . ( Galaxy Gaming ’ s version is called Golden Talons ). This wager is based on the spread between the winning and losing banker hand and player hand . A spread of four or more points wins the side bet . The larger the spread , the more the win , Omohundro says .
With 3 Dice Baccarat , one set of three dice is used for the player and one set for the banker . Each hand is scored by adding together the three dice and using the last digit of the sum , resulting in totals of 0-9 . The hands are compared and the highest total wins .
14 Global Gaming Business JUNE 2023