This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2010 issue of World Gaming magazine.
World Gaming magazine’s The Tiger decided to drop in at the Sands Casino to check out the Sands e-Lounge and see what all the fuss was about. Could it possibly be true? Could The Tiger find all his favourite electronic games under one roof?
E-gaming stands for electronic gaming and for many it is the way of the future. It’s fast, it’s efficient and it’s safe. Some gamblers will never be sold on this new form, preferring the traditional methods where there are live dealers and cards. Others, like World Gaming‘s The Tiger, love the fast-paced gaming experience this new medium provides. Slot machines have obviously been the innovators when it comes to e-gaming but as you will see technology is shaping the way some of us play traditional table games as well.
If you wander the floors of Macau casinos you will see slot machines and a scattering of other electronic table games. The problem in the past was that players found it hard to locate their favourite machines as there wasn’t a venue that catered for these players directly. Now players can find all of their favourite e-gaming games in one place and that is the new Sands e-Lounge at the Sands Casino.
The e-Lounge is the brainchild of Sands General Manager Mr Pete Wu. Mr Wu felt that lovers of fast-paced new technology wanted a one-stop gaming room where they could play both slots and electronic table games. He figured that the marketplace needed an area that was dedicated to this growing group of players who until now had been somewhat neglected.
The e-Lounge offers a huge range of slots including progressive jackpot machines that offer players the opportunity to turn a small investment into a life-changing windfall. There is a great selection of limits and bigger and smaller slot players will be able to find what they want at the e-Lounge.
The room also offers electronic baccarat, roulette, video poker and sic bo which gives players a huge range of options. These games are exactly the same as the traditional versions you have come to know and love, although they are run electronically instead of by casino staff. The best thing is that the limits are low so everyone can play. They are also very fast as you can put notes directly into the machine. This means that you don’t have to wait for dealers to change notes or shuffle and you get a lot more action every hour. They are also perfectly safe to play as they are not open to human error. For many players this offers them the best of both worlds as they get to play the games they love in an environment that suits.
Players can also have a free cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit and play this fast-paced style of gaming in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Mr Dominic Laubach who is in charge of the day-to-day running of the room is thrilled by the overwhelming success of the new venture.
“Players just love coming in here and playing. The room is always well supported and it offers our players who sign up to the Cotai Rewards Club all the privileges that the Sands has become famous for. Members can earn points when they play and can redeem those points for a huge range of benefits including free food and hotel rooms”, Mr Laubach said.
The room is only going to get bigger and better and there is talk that electronic blackjack and poker will be coming shortly to the e-Lounge. Monday and Thursday are excellent days to visit the e-Lounge as you can enjoy the current promotion ‘e-Lounge Surprises’ which sees lucky players walk away with HK$500 free play surprises all day long.
You will find the e-Lounge on the second floor of the Sands Casino in Macau.