Manitoba betting on electronic table games once government-run casinos reopen

A new way of playing blackjack, roulette and other table games is in the cards at Manitoba's government-run casinos.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries is betting on itsnew "stadium gaming" experience, once pandemic restrictions ease. Adealer willleadthe game from adistance,whileplayers sit at their owninteractive video display, properly distanced from others.

Thenew gambling approach, which is already operating in many other provinces, will become a permanent fixture at Winnipeg casinos. They've been shut downsinceOctober, owing to the pandemic.

"This pivot in operations will allow us to call back tablegameemployees when the casinos reopen," a Liquor and Lotteries spokesperson said by email.

This changewill shrink the number of casino employeesatClub Regent Casino, McPhillips Station Casino andShark Club Gaming Centre in Winnipeg.

Liquor and Lotteries wouldn't confirm the number of affected employees, but Unifor, the union representingcasino floor employees, said 150 people were offered a voluntary severancepackage earlier this year and 124 members accepted the buyout. The other employees have beenreassigned into other positions based on seniority and, to the knowledge of Unifor national representative Len Olafson,two people were laid off.

Casino floor staff takevoluntary buyouts

Liquor and Lotteries madebuyout packages"over and above" what the collective agreement permitted, Olafsonsaid. Theseverance packages were mostlyoffered to table dealers, he added.

"If people had the option, they did not have to take it. Many people opted not to for the simple reason that they've been there for so long. They have a pension there, they want to retire."

He adds Liquor and Lotteries intended to shift to more electronic gaming before the pandemic hit. It's unfortunate, he said, that jobs are being lost.

"It's technological and as times change, unfortunately, machines do a lot of the things that people do," he said.

Stadium gaming has been embraced by casinos across North America over the last three to fouryears, said Paul Burns, president and CEO of theCanadian Gaming Association, a national trade association.

"It's a player experience that'svastly different," he said. "It does break down some of the intimidation of the table games."

Since it occupiesmoreof the casino floor, it tends to bring people into the social atmospherein a way that a table game, where players sit shoulder-to-shoulder,does not, Burns said.

"The table dealer acts as a bit a host, and sometimes I've seen it done where they're mic'd and they can talk to everybody."

He believes the pandemic has sped up the implementation of stadium games because live table versions are ill-advised while close, prolonged contact is discouraged.

"You've seen it insome of the regional markets in the United States for these, they've brought back more of their electronic table games and other tablegames have come on later as capacityrestrictions have been reduced," he said.

"I thinkyou're going to see some of that same experience here in Canada as casinos begin to reopen when it's safe."

Fewer table games, but still around

Liquor and Lotteries will maintain some table games on casinofloors, but a spokesperson said they are unlikely to operatefor the foreseeable future due to the current complexities of offering these games safely. Table games were shut down whencasinos partially reopened last July for three months.

Burns believes there's a place for live table games, as well as their electronic brethren.

"it's providing more variety, more options and choice in the environment," he said.

Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton saidhe supports the arrivalof stadium gaming, which he described in a statementas a "logical shift in the global gaming industry" that's more efficient and adheres to public health guidance during the pandemic.

The province hasn't teased a reopening date for casinos. In fact, health officials have said they will likely tighten restrictions as the pandemic's third wave hits.