ATLANTA — On a muggy weekday evening in Atlanta, adults lined a red carpet outside a hidden speakeasy as rain clung to the pavement. The prize for their patience? A chance to head inside to play UNO against each other during a pop-up event.
As the skies cleared, the crowd funneled downstairs into a basement where the DJ’s beat grew louder as rows of tables filled with players shuffling and slamming cards.
Some people practiced hands on the floor outside the temporary tournament room as the DJ begged players who’d already played to give newcomers a turn — though no one moved. The energy of the pop-up tournament made one thing clear: This is how younger generations enjoy playing card games.
So what does that mean for traditional casinos?
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Casinos at a crossroads
Casinos have been around for centuries, from Venice in the 1600s to Nevada legalizing gambling during the Great Depression. Today, gambling is legal in all but four states. Yet even Las Vegas — the mecca of American gaming — is seeing cracks in its armor.
Tourism on the Strip is down 11% compared to last year, while suburban “locals casinos” are thriving. Industry consultant Andrew Klebanow told Straight Arrow News the shift comes down to convenience.
“I’m not going to spend $40 on parking and $28 on a martini,” he said. “I go to local casinos.”
Reinventing the floor
To keep younger visitors engaged, some casinos are shaking things up. Golden Gate Casino in Las Vegas announced plans this August to scrap traditional table games and live dealers entirely, swapping them for electronic options.
Casino floor designs are also evolving, with circular layouts, bigger machines, and more lighting to create a high-energy environment.
“You’re trying to communicate a sense of winning, a sense of energy and excitement,” Klebanow told SAN.
Sports gambling changing the landscape
Younger people aren’t necessarily skipping gambling altogether. Rather, they’re choosing different ways to play. Sports betting, especially online, is exploding as more states legalize it. Daily fantasy apps like DraftKings and PrizePicks have filled gaps in places where sports wagering is still banned.
“Sports wagering is one of the greatest entries into casinos right now,” Klebanow said. “Where once it was seen as a pariah, now it’s the sports industry’s best friend.”
A 2025 study by Sacred Heart University found that 52.8% of respondents support the legalization of sports gambling nationwide.
While 32.3% had a somewhat positive perception of sports gambling, the study found younger respondents were more likely to know someone negatively impacted by sports gambling. However, 38.9% of respondents reported feeling somewhat concerned about potential corruption in sports because of gambling.
“This poll reflects a national tension in regard to comfort and acceptance of sports betting,”SHU’s director of the sports communication & media bachelor’s and master’s programs said in a statement.
The bigger gamble
When speaking with younger attendees at an UNO pop-up in Atlanta, many told us they’d be more interested in casinos if they included non-traditional games, like UNO or Bingo.
But casinos look for options with “high turnover” and “lots of bets per hour,” according to Klebanow. That means while UNO might draw a crowd at a pop-up, it’s unlikely to take over the casino floor.
For now, casinos are trying to balance tradition with innovation. Social card games and pop-ups grab attention, but sports betting and electronic gaming may hold the real key to their future.
Not everyone will be sold — especially younger Americans who say they don’t yet have the time or money for casino trips. And experts warn that while gambling can be entertaining, it comes with risks: the National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 5–8 million Americans are considered to have mild or moderate gambling problems.
