Table games started appearing in European casinos during the 1990s, when Interblock founder Joc Pececnik was credited with inventing an electronic roulette game.
The technology was slow to gain favor with casino patrons until 2020, when the world faced a major health crisis. That’s when electronic table games started to become a staple on casino floors.
“I know COVID really played significantly into the explosion of ETGs into the casino space,” says Robyn Brewington, Light & Wonder Executive Director, Tables Commercial Strategy & Execution. “When the doors reopened after … you saw an awful lot of ETGs. I think a lot of it obviously had to do with all the processes that we were following at that point. So, there was really a significant amount of market penetration and saturation.”
ETGs have become an important feature of any gaming floor. Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps are popular options for players who would rather not sit at a table game with other patrons.
“ETGs are less intimidating,” says Advantage Partners Consulting Managing Director Lawrence Shen, CFA. “They offer lower table limits, an assortment of side bets, and usually ample seating. New and younger players can be attracted to it because they won’t be rushed or judged for their plays or speed like they might be on regular live table games.”
Brewington thinks ETGs appeal to casual players who seek the kind of experience generated at slot machines.
“They’re also significantly less intimidating,” Brewington says. “And when you sit down at a traditional table, they’re more forgiving if you make some not-so-great decisions while you’re playing. You kind of cut your teeth, if you will, on how to really equip yourself over and start playing the traditional table games by practicing on the ETGs.”
Luigi Cacciapuoti, IGT’s Vice President of Specialty Products and ETG, notes that the Slovenian invention of ETGs took off because they offered games that were extremely popular in Europe. The European-based ETGs also became popular because of regulatory issues and because the labor market was a bit more expensive.
Cacciapuoti agrees that COVID spurred expansion on gaming floors and made up for a lack of dealers. “When the labor market normalized,” he says, they remained on casino floors “because they were somehow a different type of experience and complementing as well.”
He agrees that for an inexperienced player, ETGs can provide a relatively easy way to learn a game. But there’s also an appeal for experienced players.
If a player decides to play red (in roulette), for instance, the pace of the game is much quicker because the dealer doesn’t have to account for multiple players.
“ETGs be way, way faster,” Cacciapuoti says, adding that players are not usually limited in bet size. “We have now the fastest ETG, the fastest rate in the market, we can complete a full round … in less than 50 seconds.”
According to a CDC Gaming story in 2024, the ETG market size is estimated to grow at a compounded annual rate of slightly more than 7% over the next four-to-seven years.
Brewington thinks there will be more ETGs on casino floors in the future due to one simple fact: Operators view them as cost-efficient.
“It’s very difficult to find dealers these days to bring in talent, keep them engaged and excited to be on the floor,” Brewington say. ETGs really help out with that workforce challenge that a lot of the properties are facing right now. You can have a dealer where they’re doing two different games at once. So, it really allows that property to streamline their operations.”
Plus, for players unfamiliar with a game, ETGs are an entry point for new players.
“ETGs expand the player pool outside just traditional table games players,” Shen says. “ETGs can capture less experienced and younger players who don’t want to be rushed or judged, as well as some players who just want to try their luck while having a beer, watching a game, or just chilling in a casino. ETG does function as an incubator for future traditional live table game players, but many ETG players will stay just as ETG players.”
