Is Craps Dying?

Photo Courtesy (Nevada Casino History)

Ever wonder if the game of craps is dying? Well, my email friend Emma postulated a surprising number of reasons the game is losing players, not the least of which is that older players are literally dying off.

I'm not trying to be crass, but the truth is that many of the most ardent players of the last fifty years are no longer with us.

Most of them learned to shoot craps in the military. WWII was the greatest hotbed of craps and poker training ever, and then along came the internet and youngsters learned mostly poker and slots.

However, there are new players for the game of craps and that's because some casinos let their dealers teach the game - without saying what my bosses used to yell - "Get a roll in."

Craps can be intimidating, but the game is actually easier to learn and be proficient at than blackjack.

Aside from the sheer excitement of the game of craps, the player who stays with the pass line and takes odds, and doesn't spend too many chips on the prop bets, can get odds as good as a beginning blackjack player gets at 21.

When players are smart, they make craps less attractive to casinos because the table takes a crew of four dealers, takes up as much room as two blackjack games, and often won't generate as much play as just a single 21 table.

However, a craps table that does get some action will usually win a higher percentage of the money dropped than a 21 table.

Even though the game of craps has a small 1.4 percent house edge on the pass line bet, the game's overall hold is considerably higher, more like 23%. This is partially because there are more bets that have higher house edges, but also because there are simply more places to bet on every roll if you want to - and players like action.

A blackjack table with similar play is likely to hold only 13%. So, at least for the present time, you don't have to worry about the game of craps going the way of Chuck-a-luck. Enjoy.