UNO reverse: How an Atlanta pop-up explains casinos' generational shift

you've heard of game night at home, but what if game night came with a DJ, cocktails, and a packed

crowd? Uno pop-ups have been rolling through cities across the country this summer, starting

in Las Vegas, and even here at the Speakeasy in Atlanta. And while a lot of people thought the

classic card game was hitting casino floors? That's not quite the case, but it did spark a

conversation. If this is how younger generations want to play, what does that mean for traditional

casinos? They apologized for the confusion and said, we hate to be the bearers of bad news

but the casino floor isn't ready for us yet. And that may be true. Gambling has existed in nearly

every civilization from ancient China and Rome to Egypt and Persia. The first ever official

public gambling house is believed to have opened in 1638 in Venice. In 1931, Nevada legalized

gambling to help the economy during the Great Depression. And throughout the rest of the

1900s, casinos went from taboo to mainstream. Gambling is now legal in all but four states Georgia South Carolina Hawaii and Utah But now even Vegas the original capital of American gambling is experiencing a rough patch

Tourism is down 11% compared to last year, as S.A.N. reporters found

And Vegas strip casinos are reportedly struggling too, while local casinos in the suburbs of Vegas are hitting a 49-year high

The reason could be rooted in convenience. I'm not going to endure the traffic. I'm not going to do the tourists. I'm not going to spend $40 on a parking ticket. I'm not going to spend $28 on a martini. Just not. I go to what we call local casinos here in Las Vegas

Andrew Klebenau is a principal at Klebenau Consulting, which provides market research, property ysis, educational seminars, and consulting services to the casino industry

To stay relevant, some properties are making big changes. Golden Gate Casino got rid of traditional table games entirely, replacing them with electronic options

While games like blackjack and roulette can be dated back to the 17th century, ancient gambling games included placing bets on animal fights and chariot races

There were also ancient dice games, where dice were reportedly made of knuckle bones from sheep and goats

What we currently know as the game of craps evolved from a medieval dice game called hazard

There's been a lot of speculation that younger generations aren't gambling as much

but Mattel's Uno pop-up drew a big crowd in Atlanta. So we wanted to see what younger attendees had to say I do like the classics like blackjack and whatnot but it does get old after a while I would say So something new would be cool

Jordan is one of a small number of young Americans who visit casinos

I don't care what generation you come from or are in. When you are young, you lack two things, time and money

But one thing younger people are gravitating towards is sports betting. Clubhouse says with more states legalizing online wagering, it will continue to have an impact on the industry

If you don't believe me, just go down to the local Kmart, to JCPenney, or Bosigoma Bookstore, and ask the GM if online has affected their businesses

There are several states where sports betting is not legal. However, daily fantasy sports apps like PrizePix or DraftKings Fantasy operate under a different classification and are considered games of skill

In all but two of the 11 states where sports betting is illegal, you can actually use those daily fantasy apps

Klebenau says sports wagering isn't just a trend, but a getaway. I think one of the greatest entries into entres into casinos right now is sports wagering

where was sports betting was seen as a pariah to the sports industry. Now it's their best friend

As people get more comfortable making wagers on games, they may start applying that confidence to

other forms of gambling for example casinos And while social games like Uno are bringing in big crowds at pop like this they not necessarily what casinos are looking to invest in They looking for games that have high turnover high activity lots of best per hour

Today's casinos look a lot different than they did a decade ago. We are continuing to evolve our approach to casino floor design and how they're laid out

We have to be very flexible when we design a casino floor

Club and now says designers are moving away from long rows of slot machines and instead opting for circular carousels, larger slot machines and more lighting to build a space that feels lively and luxurious

You're trying to communicate a sense of winning, sense of energy and excitement

I've never really felt the draw to casinos. I live in one of the four states that don't allow them

And even when I've traveled to places I do, I've been to a casino three times maybe and didn't feel the need to go back

Andrew says it's not unusual because for a lot of younger people, it's not that they don't like gambling

They're just not there yet. Start by going to casinos. Get in your car, go down to Tampa and go to the Hardest

You know, get in your car and go down to Biloxi. Just take a drive and just walk into these palaces of entertainment

They're just fascinating environments. But gambling isn't for everyone. The National Council on Problem Gambling says roughly 5 million Americans meet the definition of compulsive gambling

With Straight Arrow News, I'm Kennedy Felter. Download our app or visit san.com for more