This Week in Gambling: Las Vegas is ditching live dealers

Several Las Vegas resorts are getting rid of live dealers for blackjack, craps, roulette, and other casino table games. Instead, they are bringing in automated games without a dealer at all. What will this mean for players and their gaming experience?

The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino is removing all of its live table games and replacing them with electronic versions. The change is expected to be completed by the end of August 2025 and represents a major shift for one of downtown Las Vegas’s most historic gambling halls. Management has said that current dealers will be offered positions at other properties owned by the same parent company.

The move follows a trend that has been spreading across Las Vegas in recent years. The Tuscany Suites and Casino eliminated its live table games in 2021, citing declining interest from players. Other properties off the Strip have since followed, replacing traditional dealers with electronic terminals that allow players to participate in blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps without staff at the tables.

The removal of live blackjack, roulette wheels, and craps tables marks a cultural shift in how casinos are choosing to engage players. In their place will be no dealer gaming stations, operated entirely through electronic systems. Casinos point to rising labor costs and changing player habits as key reasons for the transition. Electronic table games reduce overhead, offer consistent results, and move at a faster pace than live games. The changes show how casinos are redefining the meaning of casino games in Las Vegas.