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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here. Slowly but steadily, it penetrates every sphere of our lives. Cars, homes, and electronics, AI takes different forms and shapes, but its presence is becoming more evident.

Despite whispers in the casino industry that AI will replace human dealers, a more likely scenario may be that gambling establishments will innovate themselves to answer the ever-growing need for more commercially-viable and customer-friendly entertainment. 

But is that a trend or is it what the future holds for the casino industry?

The live dealer

The role of a croupier plays an integral part in the entire casino experience. The dealer’s role is to provide a smooth gambling experience, assist when needed, and keep an eye out for swindlers.

The live dealer is usually the first person many casino-goers see, and often they associate a particular casino establishment with their interactions with that person. The live dealers are more than just staff. 

They are people you can (most of the time) rely on for helping advice or even have a bit of a laugh. The croupiers can significantly enhance the experience casino patrons get from playing a particulate game and thus improve the establishment’s overall image and reputation. 

Automation in the casino

As much as we’re used to seeing people behind the casino tables, more and more gambling venues are choosing to install electronic games and electronic dealers.

Often such games would be an electronic version of casino staples such as roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, and craps. Many first-time casino visitors go for these as they are easy to operate and exclude the human element, believing they will have higher chances of winning against the house.

Humble beginnings

Electronic games and robotic dealers might be a surprise for most casino visitors, but not for those working in the industry. The process has been slow, but continuous. 

It all started with casino owners wanting to simplify bartenders’ and waiters’ lives by introducing self-service bar towers. From there computers find their place in the casino monitoring and player evaluation systems.

Replacing the human element

One of the biggest worries many in the casino industry have is that AI will completely replace humans, rendering face-to-face interactions completely obsolete.

The casino experience has always revolved around people. Attractive men and women inviting guests to try their luck, smiling hostesses serving refreshing drinks, and patrons looking for ways to beat the house.

This is part of the allure drawing crowds every year.

Casinos too have benefited from the human side of things. Professional casino dealers with a deep understanding of human behavior and mathematics were making sure that “the house always wins”. In a way, each casino is defined by the people who run it while perpetuating an enticing feeling of luck and winning.

Imagine all of that is removed and replaced by robotic dealers and electronic games. Would patrons still get the same feel and charm from the casinos?

Many industry insiders are skeptical because live dealers are the people who set and control the expectation of casino patrons.

The human element is the reason for many casino players to play particular casino games and spend more money even when luck is not on their side. It’s hard to say if machines could replicate that and persuade people to play and bet more. 

The way forward

Even if one doesn’t want to admit it, Artificial Intelligence and automation are already part of the casino environment. We have already seen the integration of AI in surveillance systems and predictive technologies.

Several years ago, a prototype robot dealer was introduced in Macau. A Hong-Kong based robotics company is working on an interactive robot capable of holding conversations with players in several languages and imitating facial expressions.

It is clear that AI has yet to play an even bigger role in casino management and security, and even how casino games are played. The bigger question arising from all these technological advancements is how the ordinary casino player would feel about all that. 

Many people enjoy human interactions with live dealers. If all of this is replaced by automatons, would visitors still experience the same joy and excitement, or would that be lost to them? 

At this point, it’s hard to tell if a robot could generate and maintain the same level of interest as a live dealer. But the technology is already here. It is a matter of time before it gets adopted in more casinos.

Robot dealers and electronic games

A human-less casino experience might sound like a novelty, but it is slowly beginning to take hold in the minds of casino owners and operators. As technologies become more advance, we are beginning to see more AI-powered casino solutions worldwide. 

The idea of a robot dealer replacing its human counterpart is not new. First discussed at the Global Gaming Expo Asia 2017 alongside other technological advancements, the notion of having mechanized robot arm dealing cards has since nestled in the minds of casino owners, who have experimented with similar technologies to a various degree.

Robot dealers are only one direction where AI has been implemented. Artificial Intelligence has been quite prevalent in automated casino games. 

One of the first AI-powered casino games is “The Ritz Club: A Night at the Casino”. Entirely AI-driven, it allows players to make money bets in real-time. This casino game offered players blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, and each of them was controlled by chatbots. 

Over the years we have seen more and more electronic table games making their way to casinos around the world. Many of these have lower stakes than their human-controlled counterparts.

• Examples of electronic casino games include:
• Blackjack
• Baccarat
• Roulette (both European and American)
• Sic Bo
• Poker (including Texas Hold ‘Em, Mississippi Stud)

AI-powered casino services

Artificial Intelligence has many practical uses within the iGaming industry. We have already highlighted some of them. Depending on what a casino’s needs might be, their ability to integrate AI as part of their IT infrastructure, and the resources they possess, there are several key areas where Artificial Intelligence could be implemented.

Some of these include the following.

Online gambling

When it comes to online gambling, AI could be used to host various online games, run a predictability algorithm, detect discrepancies and security vulnerabilities, and as bots. Bots are becoming more prevalent in online gaming. They are software programs able to mimic online human behavior. They are used as virtual blackjack, slots, roulette, and other online games. 

Automated casino machines

Automated casino equipment is becoming more visible these days. A common example would be poker machines or auto roulette. These types of electronic casino games use an AI instead of a live dealer or Random Number Generator (RNG). Upon placing a bet, the machine spins the wheel automatically, and a live feed shows how the player’s progression and winnings.

Sports betting

Artificial Intelligence could find a second home in sports betting where its potential could truly shine. AI could easily gather and crunch real-time and historical data into digestible and user-friendly analysis thanks to powerful AI tools able to run simultaneously a large number of predictive and analytical algorithms. 

Pros and Cons of automated table games

Automated table games and Artificial Intelligence possess a number of advantages that are difficult to overlook. At the same time, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of the human element within the casino environment. 

Despite AI’s rising popularity and certain aspects of it already being adopted in casinos across the world, casino owners and operators are still hesitant to let go of their human staff.

Let’s examine the reasons for that.

Pros

Automated games are generally played faster as there’s no live dealer involved, and all transactions happen instantly. Automated play also guarantees fast payouts and eliminates human error in gambling. This results in a much safer gambling experience.

The advancement of AI technology made it possible for casino operators to identify unhealthy behavioral patterns amongst their player base before they become an issue. This helps casinos introduce responsible gaming to a larger, more diverse audience.

Frauds are practically non-existent as improper payouts are not possible. Instead of a dealer taking the cash, it is done via a bill validator. 

Cons

Missing the human element. People are social creatures and they value human-to-human interactions. Those interactions are part of the overall casino experience, and eliminating them will undoubtedly decrease patrons’ joy from participating in the various forms of gambling.

The casino industry is highly unionized. As such, it will be difficult for casino owners to replace their human dealers with automated ones overnight.

AI casino technology is relatively new, and there are no strict regulations. This opens the doors for potential exploitations of player gambling habits via predictive data used as a manipulation tool.

Conclusion

Many casino owners are still on the fence about automated table games. Despite their reservations, gambling establishments installing such machines are steadily growing. 

It is hard to say if automated casino games replace human dealers. Maybe one day casinos will become fully automated, completely eliminating the human factor. But until then people will continue to enjoy the real gaming experience offered by tech-forward providers like Euro Games Technology.