Baccarat overtakes blackjack as leading casino moneymaker.
Increasing Margins
Blackjack has long been the king of table games, and it is the game most associated with casinos. Nevertheless, our perception is not necessarily the reality. It became undeniable at the close of 2012 when baccarat earned a higher share in Las Vegas at 37.9 percent than blackjack at 28.3 percent. That was not eking out a marginal win but rather a drop of the mic that caused the entire industry to take notice. Any remaining doubt was eliminated in 2013 with an even greater margin: 46.8 percent to 24.6 percent.
Baccarat a Powerhouse Online Too
Perhaps this changing of the guard was not a surprise to those being objective about online profits. After all, baccarat has been outperforming blackjack online for at least a decade, maybe two. Many industry insiders wanted to dismiss those numbers as not indicative as a trend in Las Vegas and casino cities around the world. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that online trends are indicative and often serve as a forecast. It really is no surprise that Las Vegas casinos are adding gaming features and promotional structures favored online at such a fast rate.
Why Did Baccarat Surpass Blackjack?
There is no definitive reason why baccarat has become more popular than blackjack. Baccarat is a very simple game and accessible to the novice, but so is blackjack, perhaps to a slightly lesser degree. The big advantage blackjack has is a smaller house edge. The standard house edge for blackjack is .5. With baccarat, the edge is at least one and can be as high as 2.4. Baccarat is more of a social game, but that does not explain its success online where it is generally played alone.