Baccarat On The Rise

Did you know that Baccarat is now the biggest table game in Las Vegas? According a recent Associated Press article Baccarat brought in around $1.27 billion in revenue to Nevada gaming in 2011. Baccarat’s big moment may be coming as a big surprise to most people but it’s right in line with industry trends that could have a big impact on affiliates.
Baccarat Mania
If you’ve never played, or even seen Baccarat in a casino, you’re not alone.  Most baccarat action in places like the Venetian and the Belaggio is happening off the main floor in posh baccarat salons. These posh places are the kinds of rooms where James Bond would feel right at home.
Behind grand doors, a primarily Asian whales are dropping a couple hundred thousand dollars a hand on a game that’s been called a slightly more sophisticated coin flip. But these big time players are the leading edge of a market force affiliates can’t afford to ignore; the Asian-Pacific market
Asian Boom
If baccarat is big in Vegas, it’s absolutely huge in most parts of Asia. Worldwide, the Caesars Entertainment Group made $6.6 billion in revenue on the game in just the first nine months of 2011. The Las Vegas Sands group, which has a heavy presence in Macau, pulled in more like $6.85 billion from the game.
So why is baccarat taking off in such a big way lately? A lot of it has to do with the forces of globalization that are reshaping the Asian Pacific Rim. Gambling has always been a popular past time in that part of the world, but a flood of cash from manufacturing and technology fortunes has created a new breed of millionaires and billionaires. These whales are spending huge amounts in  Macau and Singapore casinos without a care.
No Online Boom
While Asian prosperity has fueled a huge boom in land based casinos, online gaming has lagged behind. Vast swaths of virtual market space in places like China remain untapped due to severe government restrictions on Internet use.  The Chinese government has been particularly hostile to foreign gaming companies as they try to protect their own gaming interests. Even gambling friendly spots like Macau aren’t particularly keen on online gambling.
Affiliates who want to get a piece of the Asia-fueled baccarat boom need to be thinking strategically like. Now is the time to start integrating baccarat content, bonuses and flash games on to your sites to help attract Asian players. Most affiliate friendly sites like Everest Affiliates and bet365 offer some form of baccarat, so start promoting them.
The Asian gaming market has almost unlimited potential and the eye popping revenue from baccarat represents just a small fraction of the bigger picture.
Watch for plenty more coverage of the emerging Asian igaming market right here at CAP in the months ahead.