On July 14, media outlets reported the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas had thrown a wild card into Sin City with a suite dedicated to the game of UNO. Articles further stated that according to Mattel, which owns the brand, “More UNO clubs are expected to open in casinos, taverns, and social clubs later this year.” At the time of the writing, journalists were unable to determine if gambling would be allowed on the game.
The initial reporting generated a slew of copycat stories that rewrote and embellished on the original story. The following day other media outlets, including USA Today, published clarifications. The Palms and Mattel were holding an event featuring the game, but entrance would be limited and there would be no gambling. Duh! Gambling is legal in Nevada, but only on games previously approved by the state gaming regulatory agency. The rule applies to every state with legalized gambling. Popup games happen only in backrooms, back alleys, and the sewers of New York in Guys and Dolls. Well, they might happen, but they’re not publicized — except privately to the likes of Big Jule from Chicago.
In a world of livestreaming news, almost any story can go viral and dominate the news for a minute or two or even an hour or two. A day or two later, the story will have fallen into the dustbin of history, leaving barely a trace. UNO had a slightly longer shelf life. The story held its own for several days, popping up in Google “gambling and casino” searches all week. It had several things going for it. UNO is a well-known and popular family card game with a huge fan base. In 2024, CNN estimated that a set of UNO was sold every second in 2023. CNN called UNO the “top-selling game in the world.” That is just what casinos need as the current casino games are aging.
Finding new casino games that will attract new and younger customers to casinos is imperative, but very challenging. To that end, slot machine manufacturers are constantly experimenting with themes, graphics, mathematics, genres, and titles. From celebrities like Dolly Parton, Elvis, Elizabeth Taylor, and even Cleopatra, television shows and board games have also been explored. There are problems with each of those, namely a legitimate connection to the original and relevance. There is no real connection between a slot machine and Elizabeth Taylor, regardless of the graphics and videos playing on a screen. At the end of the day, a slot machine is a slot machine.
It is also difficult to give players on a slot machine called Monopoly or Scrabble the same sensations they get playing board games. Putting other cards, dice, or board games onto a table game presents another challenge. Casinos games have a common denominator; they pay out less than the true odds. The difference is the vigorish, the house advantage; it is the cash flow the keeps a casino flowing. It is not easy to find that right combination: an appealing game where gamblers think it is possible to win, but one that still delivers a profit to the house over time.
The current casino table games are for the most part from the mid-twentieth century, the games soldiers played on the boats going to and from war and later in the alleys, sewers, and backrooms of post-war America. The generations that grew up playing those games have pretty much signed off. To attract new generations, casinos need new games; younger players do not relate to craps, roulette, or blackjack the way their parents and grandparents did.
Recently, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved a five-card pai gow poker game after the standard field trial. It is not a new game, just a variation. This variety has a theoretical hold of 33 percent, not the kind of margin that attracts savvy gamblers. That 33 percent is too high a price; it is attractive for the game designer and a casino operator, not a gambler. The current side bets are in the same category — good for the house, not so great or attractive for a gambler. Those bets are not universally popular, but they get enough play to increase the overall table-game hold.
Which brings us back to UNO. It might be just what the casino industry needs, a game that has deep cultural roots and is known and loved by a wide segment of the population. UNO has a readymade set of would-be players eager to play against their friends and family and show off their skills. Monopoly, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit might work also. as would dozens of other games. An ideal price or house hold would be low, allowing players to experience frequent wins. Gamblers need to see an opportunity to win; the greater the opportunity, the greater the appeal of the game.
Do you remember the scene in Guys and Dolls with the crap game in the sewer? The gamblers were eager for a game. But when Big Jule was losing and forced them to play with his dice with spots that only he could see, no one wanted a piece of that action. A game everyone knows, understands, and likes combined with a fair price is what casinos need to build a younger customer base of table-game players.
