Nevada Gaming Commission recommends approval of five-card Pai Gow for casino floors

Nevada gaming regulators have recommended approval of several new table game variants in Las Vegas, including a streamlined version of Pai Gow poker, as casinos look to attract players with offerings that blend familiarity and innovation.

The five-card Pai Gow, developed by Casino Gaming Development, has been recommended for approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission following a successful field test at Harrah’s Las Vegas. The game modifies the traditional seven-card version to speed up play and reduce the chance of errors.

“It speeds up the game. You have more hands per hour. You minimize dealer and player error,” Casino Gaming Development chairman Angel Espino told the Nevada Gaming Control Board earlier this month, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Lucas Botsis, casino manager at Harrah’s, said the test period showed promise. “It is a new game, so it can be hard to draw players in. But with this (game) being a variant of an already established game, that definitely helped pique interest,” he said. The game has a reported hold percentage of around 33 percent.

Dustin Brown, vice president of gaming at Harrah’s, The Linq, and Flamingo - properties operated by Caesars Entertainment - said the game would remain on the floor at Harrah’s. “(Espino) has been a great partner to the operations here in Las Vegas, and so I’m interested in any product that he creates or puts out,” Brown told regulators, adding that a progressive bet may be added to the game next.

Other new gaming options recently approved or undergoing testing include the “Hard All Day” side bet on craps at Paris Las Vegas and a revival of the Big Six Mega Money Wheel at MGM Grand.

The “Hard All Day” bet allows players to wager that hard 4, 6, 8, and 10 will be rolled before a 7. The wager, available on the casino’s craps “no more” table, pays 165 to 1.

Meanwhile, MGM Resorts International is field testing the Big Six Mega Money Wheel, a modernized version of a vintage carnival-inspired game. Developed by TCS John Huxley, the LED-illuminated wheel features 52 or 54 pins and is expected to be tested for up to 180 days.

Las Vegas casinos are increasingly experimenting with new twists on established games in a bid to stand out in a competitive market and appeal to both seasoned players and a new generation of gamblers.