Downtown Grand introduced a new game last weekend dubbed Street Dice, a craps-style game played on a custom-designed table outside the casino on Third Street. Created by CEO Seth Schorr, the game was inspired by back-alley dice games popularized during the Mob’s reign.
But how exactly does a table game go from bright idea to casino-floor reality?
The process starts by submitting an application to the Gaming Control Board, which requires a multitude of information, including the table layout, game instructions, pay table and samples of any new or modified gaming accessories. A mathematical certification from a Nevada Independent Test Laboratory, a filing receipt from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and a letter from a gaming operation above a certain size agreeing to display and monitor the game during a trial period are also mandatory.
Once the Board’s Enforcement Division looks over the application, it moves on to analysis and verification. If a game makes it past this point, it goes to trial—which is what Street Dice is in right now—for a period of 45 to 180 days. Not every game requires a trial period, though; for example, adding a side wager to a previously approved game such as blackjack would not require a new trial, according to the Gaming Control Board’s Kristi Marusich.
During the trial, Gaming Control Board agents observe the play to look for vulnerabilities to cheating, while the casino simultaneously sends statistical data about the game’s play to the Board. A Request for Final Approval is then sent to the board and the Nevada Gaming Commission, and Street Dice/Fortune Insurance/Dealer Bonus pai gow remains at a casino near you.
Want to be part of the process? Head Downtown and play a round of Schorr’s new craps-like game—it’ll be there on Fridays and Saturdays until August 10, and possibly much longer.
