Caesars Entertainment and Gaming Realms have expanded their partnership by introducing a new bespoke product, Caesars Blackjack X-Change. The exclusive blackjack title is mechanically identical to Gaming Realms’ popular Blackjack X-Change but with a visual upgrade to include Caesars branding.
The new game is now available at Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in New Jersey, Michigan, and Ontario. A Pennsylvania roll-out is likely coming soon, but regulatory approval sometimes takes longer in that state.
This is the second bespoke game to come out of Caesars’ relationship with Gaming Realms, following the introduction of Caesars Palace Slingo last year.
Matt Sunderland, Senior Vice President and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital, said:
Our partnership with Gaming Realms has continued to deliver innovative concepts and new titles for our players. This exclusive title is a fun spin on the classic live casino game beloved by many players that offers a fresh and engaging experience.
Gareth Scott, Chief Commercial Officer at Gaming Realms, also praised the partnership, noting that players have responded well to the company’s diverse offerings and called Caesars Blackjack X-Change a “natural progression” in the partnership.
While the branded Caesars Blackjack X-Change is exclusive, the standard version is available at many US real-money online casinos.
What is Blackjack X-Change?
Gaming Realms’ Blackjack X-Change is a unique take on blackjack. The base game follows the standard rules, but players can sell favorable cards from their hand or pay to swap unfavorable ones in the hope of improving. It’s an interesting mechanic that gives players more control over their blackjack experience.
After the initial deal, a “Buy” or “Sell” option with a price appears above the cards, allowing the player to trade them. The trade’s cost can be positive or negative and varies based on the value of the player’s hand and the dealer’s upcard. For instance, a player with two face cards (for a total of 20) could take some immediate profit by selling one in return for a random card. Conversely, a player with a Ten and a Four could pay to exchange the Four, which is safer than hitting.
While the unique X-Change feature aims to be fun, it has a lower return-to-player (RTP) than the theoretical maximum for the base game. That’s typical of side bets and other novel mechanics. With perfect play, this blackjack rules set can return up to 99.68%, while trades are calibrated to be worth 97.5%. Technically, that means trading is never “correct.” However, that assumes the player can execute perfect blackjack strategy. In practice, you might well be better off exchanging a tricky card than proceeding in a situation where you’re unsure of the right move.
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Caesars Bespoke Games Strategy Continues
Caesars-branded games have become a staple of Caesars Palace Online Casino and now have their own category in the casino lobby. With the newest addition, the “Caesars Palace Games” category features four blackjack games, three first-person options, and one live dealer blackjack game. There are also several slots, one LuckyTap game by Design Works Gaming and the aforementioned Caesars Palace Slingo.
With Caesars Blackjack X-Change, the casino has added 13 bespoke games in just over a year. The first game, Caesars Cleopatra, came out at the end of August 2023, shortly after Caesars launched its standalone casino product, Caesars Palace. This week, it also launched a second standalone brand in Michigan, Horseshoe Online Casino.
Before Caesars Palace, the operator was only offering about 250 games in some states. Expanding the catalog with bespoke games has paid dividends.
Data from Michigan, which reports revenue by operator, tends to support that. In July 2023, the month before it introduced that first bespoke Cleopatra slot, it had a 4.5% market share, ranking sixth out of 15 operators. The latest data from August 2024 shows that Caesars has a 6.4% market share and has moved up to fifth.
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