Question of the Day - 04 April 2007

Interesting question. Our first stop was to search through the QoD research files for a document we came across a couple of years back while investigating a query about table layouts: the 2003 annual report of what was originally Paul-Son Gaming and had recently become a part of Gaming Partners International. GPI, one of the major suppliers of casino gaming equipment globally, acquired Paul-Son, a local playing card, die, chip, and gaming-table manufacturer.

We recalled that the report had detailed the longevity of each product, since this impacted sales rates, and sure enough we found the following information in the report:

• "A deck of cards typically sells to casinos within a price range of approximately $0.80 and $1.40 [no doubt these prices are a little out of date by now] and, based on casino industry practices, is generally replaced every eight hours or less."
• "Generally, a stick of dice (two and one-half pair) does not remain in play for more than eight hours in a busy casino."
• "In order to maintain their appearance, the table layouts are replaced by casinos on a regular basis, which is generally within 60 to 150 days."

So there's the lowdown from a casino supplier. We then decided to check with some casino floors to see if these figures were still accurate. Here's what we were told.

• Bally's generally changes decks of cards once per shift (i.e., every eight hours, as suggested by Paul-Son's figures), although in games where they're handled more by the players, like poker and pai gow poker, this increases to once every four hours.
• Bellagio changes cards on the main casino floor at least once every shift, but more frequently if any card in a deck in play is seen to be bent or marked. In the poker room, we were informed it could be anything from every two hours to two days, depending on how much and how carefully they're being handled by the players.

  As far as dice are concerned, again once a shift is the norm. Table layouts last between two weeks and a month, on average, and are then generally handed over to casino employees, if not disposed of, since Gaming Control regulations regarding gaming equipment crossing state lines complicate any sale to the general public. Dice and cards are cancelled at the end of their lifespan and rendered unusable in the casino -- for example, cards typically have their corners cut off -- and are then often found for sale in the casino gift shop. This holds true not only for Bellagio, but for pretty much every casino here, to our knowledge, so that answers one of your other questions.

• At Binions we were told that the poker room changes the cards when they have a problem [i.e., bent, marked, soiled by a spilled drink etc.] or if a player requests it. For tournaments, they try to change the deck at every new level. Table layouts are changed as needed. The 21 pit changes a single deck every two hours and a shoe every eight hours. The dice pit changes the dice every shift.
• The poker room at Fitzgeralds changes the cards once a week and the dice pit changes dice every eight hours. They change table layouts only as needed. As far as blackjack's concerned, cards are changed every 24 hours in the 8-deck shoes, while 6-deck shoes are replaced every six hours.

That was the easy part. Now to your question about how many decks the casinos keep on hand at any time. Armed with the information about how often decks get changed, we paid a visit to the Web site of the Nevada State Gaming Control Board and looked up a monthly report they produce called the Non-Restricted Count Report, which details every casino and how many gaming devices they have, broken down by game.

We figured we'd use Bellagio as the example for which we'd calculate the answer to your question, for no reason other than that they'd been helpful and seemed to be a representative property for the Strip.