Baccarat's appeal trickles down to masses
Posted on December 09, 2012 at 23:44 PM EST
Baccarat's appeal trickles down to masses [...] don't tell that to Dallas Teerlink, director of table games at the Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus, Minn. After he introduced the card game to his Midwest customers two years ago, it turned into a surprise hit at the casino 30 miles northeast of Minneapolis, in part due to side bets that can pay as much as 40 to 1. [...] with China's slowing economy pinching the purse strings of mainland gamblers, casino operators are seeking growth by taking baccarat from private salons onto the main gambling floors catering to the masses. "High rollers get all the attention, but there is an enormous amount of play that is outside that category," says Robin Powell, a consultant who helped develop a more accessible version of the game called EZ Baccarat, which is played at Running Aces. International Game Technology, the largest maker of slot machines, is even pitching Golden Baccarat, an electronic version for customers who may be intimidated playing at tables with others.