It seems the US economy has officially caught up to Atlantic City and Vegas blackjack. In Vegas, blackjack revenues have slid down by 20% and the segment of casino revenues brought in by blackjack has declined over the past year as well. In Atlantic City, the $2 tables have returned to the casino floors, a sight that would have been out of place in the heyday of casino opulence.
Part of this drop of blackjack revenue is to be attributed to casino reactions to the economic crisis. The restrictions and rule adaptations that were meant to generate more income for casinos seem to have backfired. Especially changes such as the loathsome 6-5 payout have been instrumental in temporarily causing high-end players to try their hand at baccarat instead. Lowering minimum stakes does, however, seem to make the game more attractive to a substantial amount of players, it’ll be interesting to see how Atlantic City blackjack fares in 2010.
