Once upon a time in a neon-lit kingdom called Las Vegas, two groups of gamblers gathered at the palace gates.

 On the left stood the Table Players, drawn to the cheers, the clatter of cheques, and the magnetic personalities of dealers who could turn even a losing hand into a great story. 

On the right stood the Terminal Tappers, hunched over glowing machines called ETGs, pushing buttons in eerie silence, waiting for animations of dice or a wheel to tell them their fate.

At first, some casino bosses thought: “Why pay for humans when I can plug in a screen? People love technology!” And so they swapped a few dealers for digital screens, expecting a revolution.

But here’s what happened…

At live games, people laughed, made friends, rooted for strangers, and high-fived over hot rolls. The dealer became part host, part teacher, part cheerleader. The whole table came alive like a stage show.

At ETGs, players sat like people at a bus stop—quiet, anonymous, disconnected. No banter, no camaraderie, no stories. Push button, lose money, repeat.

High-limit and premium players—the ones who really bankroll the kingdom—never left the tables. Why? Because no one wants to bet $10,000 into a touchscreen like they’re ordering a pizza.

A boss once joked, “ETG players are retail players.” It stuck. They’re quick in, quick out, like buying socks at a department store. But table players? They’re like regulars at the neighborhood tavern. They come for the conversation as much as the drinks.

And so, time after time, whenever casinos tried to replace tables with ETGs, the players revolted with their feet. The terminals hummed quietly in the corner, while the laughter and cheers carried from across the street where tables still lived. 

The moral of our story? 

ETGs are not the enemy of table games—they’re simply not in the same league. They’re the karaoke machine at the bar, while the live dealer is Sinatra on stage. Both can exist, but one of them will always be remembered as the show.

And so the neon kingdom learned:

Screens can take your bet, but only people can create the magic.

David’s Take

There are quite a few examples now of casinos who went the path of ETG’s, only to realize the error of their ways and return to Live Tables. 

There are scenarios where ETG’s work, of that there is no doubt, just not that the same level or return that a Live Table Game offers. They simply do not attract the same customer. 

ETG’s do not even compete with regular slots since they promote a different type of engagement. ETG’s players are more thoughtful and deliberate about how they interact with the machine, since it's supposed to be RNG (random number generation). They do not simply push a button and hope for the biggest fattest return. Instead they will typically bet strategically with the hope of small returns based on opportunistic outcomes that are far from true with regular slots.  

ETG’s are best used as a single entry (where no table games exist) or as an extension of an existing pit, allowing for a wider range of price points and potentially a lower barrier to entry for newer players or those who may be priced out of live play. 

I have watched, examined and provided feedback on ETG’s over the last 8 years or so and have found that as much as we WANT them to convert the next generation of players, this simply does not happen since actual table game play is not just about the rules, but also about etiquette, communication and social engagement that is its own barriers. 

What I have found is a downward conversion, where ETG’s provide a means for existing table game users to interact more comfortably with their own levels of risk, strategies and price points. 

If I am getting crushed on a craps table, I can take my last $100 to an ETG and try to grind out some small wins. Or maybe I am working on a new strategy and I am not prepared to try it at higher minimums. Or I simply do not want to pay the minimum $66 inside at the live table and the nearby bubble craps machine that lets me bet $6 inside!

I always get deep in the weeds with people who “feel” that ETG’s are so much cheaper and more efficient than having a live dealer. This may be true, but the real story is the OPPORTUNITY that is missed. Table Games deliver real profits and attract a premium player that ETG’s simply do not touch. 

More Food for Thought

• In 2022, across 25 reporting states, table game revenue increased by 13.9% to $10 billion
  
  
• ETG win per unit is 20–40% lower than comparable live tables (based on regional gaming reports).
  
  
• Player surveys show that 65–75% of frequent table game players “prefer human dealers over machines” for serious play.
  
  
• Las Vegas visitation data: High-limit and premium table players contribute more than double the average gaming spend compared to slot/ETG players.

Retail Player vs. Premium Table Player