The full answer
The short answer is simple: because people keep playing them. Every square foot of a casino floor is high-priced real estate, and we measure its value by “win per square foot.” If a game with a terrible house edge—like 6:5 Blackjack or Triple Zero Roulette—is consistently full of players, there is zero incentive for us to replace it with a “fairer” version. Casinos are in the business of selling entertainment, and as long as the demand exists despite the high cost of the “ticket,” the game stays.
Why this question comes up
Players often notice that some games are mathematically much worse than others. They see a 6:5 Blackjack table right next to a 3:2 table and wonder why anyone would play the 6:5 version. The common misconception is that casinos are trying to “trick” people. While we certainly don’t go out of our way to highlight the bad odds, we keep them there because many casual players prioritize the “vibe” or lower table minimums over the mathematical return to player (RTP).
The operator’s side of it
From the floor manager’s desk, it’s all about yield management. If I have a 3:2 Blackjack table with a $25 minimum and a 6:5 table with a $10 minimum, the 6:5 table will often be busier. The increased house edge on the 6:5 game (about 1.4% higher than 3:2) compensates for the lower betting volume. We look at the “Hold” percentage. If a “bad” game holds 20% of the drop and a “good” game only holds 12%, and both have similar traffic, the bad game is the winner for the house every time.
What to do with this information
Vote with your feet. If you see a game that is clearly worse for the player—like a slot machine with a high “Must Hit By” jackpot or a table with restrictive rules—don’t sit down. The only way casinos change their floor layout is if a game stops making money. Check the rules on the placard before you put your money in the rack. If the math is bad, the entertainment is too expensive.
In Detail
Why do casinos keep bad games on the floor? is where the chips tell one version, the player tells another, and the system reports quietly keep score. This one matters because a why-question exposes motive, not just mechanics.
This subject sits inside casino operations, risk control, reinvestment, staffing, procedures, and why the house cares about tiny details. The quick answer above gives the direction, but the deeper truth is that casinos do not manage games one dramatic moment at a time. They manage averages, exposure, speed, procedures, and player behavior. A player may remember the one shocking result. The casino remembers the repeat pattern.
The math that matters: On the operator side, the core formula is usually theoretical loss: $$Theo=Average\ Bet\times Decisions\ Per\ Hour\times Hours\ Played\times House\ Edge$$. From there, comps, limits, attention, and risk decisions become business math, not personal judgment. That formula does not predict the next hand, spin, roll, or bonus. It explains the price of repeating the action. That difference is huge. Players want certainty now. Casinos are happy with advantage over time.
What the veteran sees: A casino floor is not run by vibes. It is run by procedure, surveillance, ratings, bankroll exposure, game speed, staffing cost, and customer value. Players see one moment; management sees a pattern. On the floor, management is always balancing customer comfort against game protection. Too strict and the room feels hostile; too loose and errors, scams, and revenue leaks appear. The useful habit is to ask what the casino measures. Once you know the measurement, the decision stops looking mysterious.
Where players get fooled: The mistake is usually not ignorance alone. It is confidence at the wrong moment. A player hears a simple rule, sees one result that seems to confirm it, and then starts betting as if the casino forgot how its own game works. That is how small misunderstandings become expensive habits.
The practical takeaway: Do not take every operational decision personally. Many rules that feel cold to the player are there because the casino has seen the expensive version already. Use the answer to slow the game down in your head. Ask what is being measured, what is being paid, what is being hidden by excitement, and how many times you are about to repeat the same decision. That is the unsexy truth: the casino does not need magic. It needs volume, rules, and patience.