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As you may have heard Las Vegas recently made positive gambling revenue for the first time since 2007. So recession is over right? We're guessing we're not even close.
People are still broke, but the ones that may have bailed Vegas out of its slump are the high rollers.
The high-stakes version of the game that Bond built accounted for almost 20 percent of the Strip's gaming revenue in November. The Strip made $92.7 million worth of baccarat money, that's a 136 percent increase!
Customers wagered $690 million in the same month, about an 84 percent increase from the year before. The Strip may have a renewed craze on its hands.
Baccarat has been around way before Bond was drinking dry martinis so you may be confused as to why the game has suddenly become a mainstream hit.
It could be because Vegas has been putting in some extra effort to get high rollers at their tables. In order to get the big spenders, many Strip casinos have been giving customers free flights, complimentary suites, meals, gifts and other perks. And let's not forget that the house only has a two percent edge on the game. Any longtime gamer would enjoy those odds.
Plus, baccarat is huge in Asian countries like China, and there are rumors that Vegas big wigs are going all the way to the East to find the veteran, big-spending players they want.
"We have (marketing) people focused on those parts of the world that have not suffered the crisis that we have [in the United States]," Joel Simkins, a gaming stock analyst said.
Who can blame them? Vegas gets an influx of Chinese vacationers that is close to 300,000 per year, but because Chinese travelers need travel visas from the government in order to visit, the likelihood of them being wealthy is great.
So the more money Vegas needs expect them to push even harder to the East to get the clients they need to play what has become the game of the rich and famous.
You can play baccarat online at Bodog Casino or Chinese players can head to Bodog Asia at bodog88.com.
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