Two major new electronic dealer-less poker rooms are about to test the viability concept in the U.S. market. The delay in gaming commission approval has made the introduction of electronic tables to some jurisdictions a much anticipated happening. Now both Atlantic City and Las Vegas will take the plunge with an entire poker room going electric.
In Las Vegas, the Excalibur Casino poker room will close next week and re-open a few days later, completely converted to electronic tables. In Atlantic City, the new poker room at Trump Plaza has been electronic from day one. The reaction to both announcements has been very different. The new East Tower poker room at Trump does not replace an existing room, nor lay-off a group of already working dealers. In addition, the small number of poker rooms in Atlantic City means more tables, of any kind, would be welcomed to meet the poker demand.
The Excalibur, on the other hand, has been a well known and successful room on the Las Vegas Strip for many years. The early talk about the "conversion" to electric has been very negative. Dealers and floor staff are losing their jobs, players used to the action are not easily persuaded of the wisdom of going electric. But Las Vegas has over 50 live poker rooms and the "test" of electronic was going to happen somewhere. MGM decided the Excalibur would be that test.
Three MGM properties (Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur) are side by side at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip; they all have poker rooms, they are all connected with indoor walkways to avoid the summer desert heat. It makes sense that one of those rooms would be selected to go electric. The management of MGM and Excalibur are not using words like "experiment" or "test" or "trial balloon" but everyone believes the first electric room is exactly that. Will poker players with dozens of options, decided to play in an all electric room? We will soon find out. I will be at the Grand Opening of the Electric Excalibur Poker Room and will keep you up to date with the acceptance of the new room by Las Vegas poker players.
