Kristina Mehaffey calls herself a database nerd who processes all their collected game data. John Mehaffey is a former professional poker player who says he has benefited from a near-photographic memory. John and Kristina Mehaffey, owners of gambling-news and data company Vegas Advantage, have been cataloging these changes since 2011, walking miles-long routes through casinos to record the number of blackjack and roulette tables set outside of VIP areas.Īccording to the Mehaffeys’ data, more than two-thirds of blackjack tables on the Strip currently offer 6:5 payouts, as opposed to 3:2. Now, many blackjack tables on the Strip pay out at 6:5, which means that same $10 yields only $12. That means a gambler wins $15 for every $10 bet. Gambling companies such as MGM Resorts and Caesars, the two biggest operators on the Strip, have reduced how much they will pay for winning hands at blackjack at many of their tables, data show.īlackjack, a fast-paced card game, historically paid out a ratio of 3:2 when a player hit 21 on the first two cards. In 2022 the number of visitors to Las Vegas fell short of 2019 levels, but touristslast year still spent money at record-setting levels, according to tourism officials. Las Vegas Strip casinos took in nearly $8.3 billion in gambling revenue last year, a record that exceeded prepandemic revenue by more than 25%, according to state regulators. Prices for everything from hotel rooms to concerts to restaurants have surged in recent years. In addition to smaller winnings, visitors are also paying more to visit Las Vegas. I see no reason that that needs to stop or would stop.' “You’re bringing in higher value customers, and we’re already full,' Caesars Entertainment Chief Executive Tom Reeg said on a call with Wall Street analysts this month.

These changes are part of a broader effort by companies to make Las Vegas more of an upscale destination. Some Las Vegas casinos cut back the number of blackjack tables with dealers,raised minimum bets during busy times and lifted their advantage over players in some games-doubling-down on a prepandemic practice of making subtle changes that favor the house, according to industry executives, researchers and gamblers. And it is taking more cash to play at many game tables.īlackjack players lost nearly $1 billion to casinos on the Strip last year, the second-highest loss on record, after 2007, according to data from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Bets on some roulette wheels are riskier. Payouts are lower for winning blackjack hands.

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