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Click to expand Image Matt pittman Hot enough for you. Legendary is using its physical cashier-less format to serve New York City customers.

The Big Apple is big enough for a physical casino, but too spread out for a cashier-less or customer-service format. That’s why, in 2018, the Empire State will have two unique ‘Ladies and Gentles’ property formats that offer slick casino games with no human cashiers. I’ll speak for myself on that, as a gambler.

The first one is legendary. It is a New York City version of the classic ‘no-human-contact’ models that are found at many of the world’s mega-casinos, and it’s an experiment to see if the NYC market will accept them. I’ve heard there are some cities in the US where “one-on-one” social casinos with no cashier or other human employees are widely viewed as hostile to local business and government. Legends has at least 20 slots, several dozen table games, and a live poker room, all non-dealer games. It’s just a ‘no-formality’ casino, very much like other big-city, non-dealer casinos like the Atlantic City casinos. The slots games include progressive jackpots.

The second format, called ‘hot enough for you’, is popular in Europe and Asia. The idea is that people don’t need human to see action at their cashier-less casinos because they know they can win, and then play more, because they know the machines are fair.

It’s hard to say if this is what will win in New York City, but casinos and regulators are testing it with video–slot formats, to see how it’s received. Gamblers who don’t like the idea of playing at a casino where the games are rigged will likely learn to love the ‘hot enough’ format.

Finally, and maybe most importantly: legendary will have a full-service casino bar where people can gamble, drink and dine in a comfortable setting without the money spilling all over the table. Some casinos are seriously starting to consider new profit models that include luxury restaurants and bars, and the legendary one will be no exception. Many of the industry’s best restaurants and cocktail bars will be on-site.