Royalties for Casino Sidebets/Games

How do Royalties for casino sidebets and games work? What would stop me from stealing the Lucky Ladies sidebet idea in my casino and changing the largest hand from QhQh to JsJs with dealer BJ and calling it "20Jack Black" or something like that?

Or another example: making a three card banker seven a push and charging no commission on my baccarat tables but not calling it "EZ baccarat" or using any of their insignia?

How are these ideas protected?

You can do whatever you want - just don't get caught.

The original inventor is protected because he patented his idea. If he or his lawyer is smart, they will write it in a manner that covers a similar idea.

Once you get caught, the patent holder will threaten and/or sue you.

On line casinos do this all the time. Even when their competition is paying a royalty. Just no honor
among thieves anymore.

There is a difference between "patent" and "trademark" and what you can use.

Lets say Coca-Cola got a patent when they invented the stuff. (I doubt it would be patentable, but lets pretend for easy example.) That was 1886 or so. By 1960 the patent would have expired.

From 1886-1906 nobody else could make "the real thing."

Suppose today I figured out how to dupliate Coca-Cola exactly. What would I have? I can't call it "Coca-Cola." I can't use the script or the bottle shape as those are trademarked. I can put out a cola product and I can hope people try it. But without their marketing my product is just a knockoff. People will look for what they like.

Patents expire, trademarks stay in effect until they are abandoned.

So lets take the "Lucky Ladies" side bet. The big casinos have put years into promoting it. Say the patent expires tomorrow. They may say to the owner, "Been nice, now the game is public domain. We are going to keep using it." The now-former owner can say, "Good for you, be sure to take all of your 'Lucky Ladies' signage down. Be sure to never call it that, even just your dealer. And if a player asks if you have the 'Lucky Ladies' side bet you had better say, 'No, we offer something similar but it is not Lucky Ladies.' Oh, and I have lots of friends who *WILL* ask if you offer the Lucky Ladies bet, is even one dealer says 'Yes' expect to hear form my lawyer."

IOW, there is some value to the name "Lucky Ladies" and players will look for it. Even after it is public domain for the concept expect casinos to still pay to use it, though not quite as much.