Baccarat remains top casino table game in Indiana
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Baccarat was the most popular table game at Indiana casinos during the 2023 state budget year — displacing the long-running favorite, blackjack, for a second consecutive year.
The Indiana Gaming Commission's (IGC) recently released annual report shows $673.2 million was wagered on baccarat in Hoosier State casinos between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, compared to $653 million in blackjack bets placed during the same period.
Data show both baccarat (3.7%) and blackjack (5.2%) play were down last year compared to 2022. But 2023 baccarat play still was an incredible 55.7% higher than the $432.3 million wagered on the game at Indiana casinos in 2021, and 47.8% greater than the $455.4 million of pre-pandemic baccarat bets in 2019.
The growth largely was due to interest in baccarat among guests at the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, which opened May 14, 2021, adjacent to Interstate 80/94 at Burr Street, as a replacement for the former Majestic Star Casinos on Lake Michigan in Gary.
According to the Indiana Gaming Commission, a total of $323 million — or nearly half the statewide baccarat drop — was wagered at Hard Rock's 22 baccarat tables during the 2023 state budget year.
Matt Schuffert, president of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, said attracting players who enjoy the simplicity of baccarat and its luck factor has been a top priority.
"We attribute our success to several factors, including the authenticity of our YouYu noodle bar, having the highest limits in the market, and a team of marketing strategists that know this market very well," Schuffert said.
"The Hard Rock brand definitely resonates with this customer. Also, having a brand new casino in a market that has been open for over 25 years certainly helps."
IGC data show the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond ($126.2 million) and Ameristar Casino in East Chicago ($102.8 million) similarly saw significant baccarat play last year, as well as more bets on baccarat than at their blackjack tables.
Indeed, after adding in the $19,447 wagered on baccarat at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Northwest Indiana's four casinos were responsible for 82% of the total money bet on baccarat last year in the Hoosier State, records show.
Baccarat is popular because, among other reasons, it offers players the best chance to hang on to more of their money than any other table game.
Every casino game is designed to favor the house. But Indiana baccarat players, on average, got back 81.4% of their wagers last year, compared to a 78.8% return to player for blackjack, 76.8% for craps, 73.8% for roulette and 73% for house-banked poker games.
In fact, even though more money last year was wagered at Indiana's 84 baccarat tables than the 274 blackjack tables, blackjack produced for the casinos $138.3 million in "win," or revenue after paying successful bettors, versus $125.5 million in baccarat win, according to the IGC.
Records show Indiana slot machines had a 90.2% return to player last year, while the Hoosier Lottery paid back just 65.6% of its revenue as player prizes.
Baccarat is a relatively simple game. At its most basic level, a baccarat player bets on whether the "banker" or the "player" will have a hand that draws closest to nine.
Unlike blackjack, where players try to beat the dealer by getting their cards near 21 without going over, each baccarat player uses the same set of cards, and the decision of whether the baccarat dealer draws additional cards on behalf of either the "banker" or the "player" automatically is determined by the rules of the game.
Advanced baccarat players also can take advantage of a seemingly unlimited number of side bets with huge potential payoffs depending on the size of the wager and the unlikelihood of the outcome.
