Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | May 2009 would do and somewhere below what five table game seats would do—but with no labour, card expense or errors.” For Table Master’s Asian rollout, ShuffleMaster is adapting the product. “You can’t just take a product from the US, where it works phenomenally well as blackjack, and bring it to Asia where baccarat rules. We are going to introduce it in Asia with simpler games and much cleaner visuals,” he promises. Mr Haushalter concedes, however, that it is difficult to separate Asian gamblers from their cards. “Asian players like to hold and feel the cards; that’s not going to change.” Despite this challenge, ShuffleMaster is optimistic about Table Master’s prospects in Asia. “Within Macau, a major casino like MGM Grand might take it on because it’s fun and offers a lower price point. But for markets like Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia, where many venues are limited to slots only, it is incredibly appropriate.” While Table Master offers a way for operators to reduce expenses and achieve efficiencies, Mr Haushalter says it was created during robust economic times. The cost-saving aspect was a secondary consideration in its development that has now come to the fore. “If we maintain these best practices, eventually the industry will emerge stronger and more profitable than ever,” he predicts. 38 ShuffleMaster If the average bet is US$25, those mistakes add up to US$11,400 per table per year. In a high-limit pit where the average bet is US$100-$200, those 456 mistakes per year add up to US$45,000-$90,000 per table. With 10 tables in a pit, that quickly amounts to US$450,000-plus in errors. And payout mistakes are just one example of dealer error. By eliminating the risk of mistakes, i-Table reduces the need for supervision. Where one supervisor used to watch two or three games, they can now watch 10, Mr Haushalter points out. “If a casino’s desire is to cut its expenses, i-Table is a product that is going to help them do that.” ShuffleMaster will also roll out Table Master at G2E Asia, a multi-player electronic table game, classified as an electronic gaming machine that was designed to look and feel like a table. Table Master was originally rolled out in North American markets such as Delaware and Pennsylvania that offer slot machines, but not table games. The product has since expanded its reach into traditional casinos as a lower stakes alternative to live tables. Table Master’s broadest application is in slot halls, although it is also being used in casinos as a destination game in slots sections, near tables. “Table Master offers a much lower entry point than the average table game and is a less intimidating way for new players to learn.” Major Las Vegas casinos Caesars Palace, Treasure Island and others, have added Table Master to their mix. Those casinos are using the product to close down pits, claims Mr Haushalter, who summarises its appeal thus: “Table Master is open 24 hours, always shows up for work, never makes a payout mistake, and does not require supervision.” Reliability is one selling point, but so is performance, he says: “It has the potential to perform above what five slot machines i-Table Table Master