G2E 2016 Preview - 6 - IGT

Anyone who has been attending G2E these past 5 years knows where to find the booth for slot manufacturer International Game Technology and what it looks like.  This year, however will be different. IGT's booth will be different and will be in a different location. Shaped like an L it will occupy a prominent corner of the Sands Expo Center. The display will look different because the company is different. IGT's merger with slot and lottery giant GTECH which included the former Spielo International Games has resulted in a a more diversified supplier, one ready to recapture market share.  IGT says they will be showing new premium cabinets, never-before-seen licensed brands, and updates of existing ones. Working around the clock, the company is on a mission to bring IGT back to the top position it once enjoyed.

International Game Technology

Booth 3659

The company says it will be bringing 400 different products to G2E, marking the best in the company's history. The company is not making life easy for the videographers who film slot games and post them on YouTube. Heading the list of new cabinets is CrystalCurveUltra, featuring huge monitors in a unique configuration. The main screen is a 32 inch monitor situated horizontally rather than the usual vertical style, topped by a super-size curved vertical monitor, a full 50 inch screen.The company will launch new titles for the CrystalCurveUltra -- there will be a new version of the popular Ellen franchise and a game based on the Goonies, the 1985 adventure comedy film, IGT will return to the stepper slots, a staple of IGT for many years,  Modernized versions of old games like Top Dollar will be shown alongside new titles starring Marilyn Monroe: "How to Marry a Millionaire" is one and "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds" is the other.  There will also be a new version of the Mega Bucks wide area progressive. The large format mega tower Crystal Wheel + Stepper cabinet will also house Wheel of Fortune Gold Spin and  Double Diamonds Deluxe.

This year marks the debut of Wheel of Fortune in 1996. To celebrate its 20th anniversary of the game that ushered in the era of themed games, IGT is releasing a a complete lineup of new entries in the Wheel franchise. Besides Wheel of Fortune Gold Spins, you might look for Wheel of Fortune New Orleans.  Gold Spins uses a three-reel base game in 25 or 50 cent denominations. It offers incentives for raising the bet beyond 3 credits. Betting 5 credits or 10 credits per spin increases the frequency of the signature wheel spin up to an average of a wheel bonus every 36 spins.  There is also a wide-area progressive jackpot - a bonus spin on a video wheel with a jackpot slice.  To celebrate the brand's 20th anniversary, there will be a booth visit from TV co-host Vanna White.  I have not yet seen the specifics of date and time.

Double Diamond is also celebrating an anniversary this year -- its 25th -- and the new Double Diamond Deluxe will be a new version of the classic three reel game including a nudge feature to increase the overall hit fequency.

Other titles to look for will include a new game based on Sherlock Holmes, Baywatch, and Treasures of Olympus based on the Spielo game Icarus. IGT hopes the new Betty White game proves to be as popular as the actress. The new ZUMA 3D will be joined by Jurassic World 3D.  The true 3D technology, developed by the legacy GTECH team produces a glasses-free 3D effect unmatched by any other slot maker since its introduction with Sphinx 3D three years ago. Another feature to look for when you visit IGT is the ZUMA 3D "Dynamic Attract" sequence that actually beckons passing players inviting them to play.

At G2E IGT will have a special section of games now ready for placement after successful field trials.  Among the core offerings are Valley of Gold which includes a "must-hit-by" progressive that features a mystery reset, not always starting over at the minimum level. Also Ocean Magic with the Bubble Boost feature activated with an ante wager. And Keystone Kops an entertainment slot built around silent film slapstick police. There is also be a new type of cascading reels game with symbols on the second and fourth reels cascading and disappearing when stacked called Kayo Dragon.

Last year at G2E the company showed TMZ Video Slots with the photo booth feature letting players include their image in the game. The feature is starting to appear in casinos and has been well-received by players.

There is much, much more to talk about but you will have to visit the IGT booth and see it for yourself.  The last thing I will mention is not a game. It is their new Cordless Connect technology.  Already being implemented in Vegas, Detroit, and Australian casinos, cordless connect replaces the mag-strip loyalty card with a smartphone app that permits loading credits on a machine to earning loyalty points to be handled via smartphone.  The other new bit of mobile technology is called On Premises which allows players to take slot games and other features with them to any approved location within a casino property - and beyond, in approved jurisdictions.  I'm not sure I want to think too much about the implications of that bit of technology.

More previews will be coming soon - but there's not enough time before I leave for Vegas to cover it all. You'll want to see everything for yourself anyway.

UPDATE:  I was watching today's subscriber videos a few minutes ago on YouTube and ran across a game by TheBigPayback that you may want to take a look at .  https://youtu.be/yW3ZmSLgr3A

I have read that IGT is going back to their roots with stepper games. The most popular of their old games according to Frank Legato was Top Dollar, a game that IGT fortuitously held onto when it sold Barcrest. My source says a modernized version of the legendary game will be launched on a new cabinet at G2E.  I wish I knew if the new game is the one TheBigPayback was playing today.  Guess we'll know soon.

G2E 2015: Aristocrat Highlights

I am excited to see all the new games from G2E showing up on YouTube this week. I can hardly wait until they show up in our casinos as well. I shared some of the Scientific Games films made by  Random $$ Slots, Brent’s Lucky (& Gay) Slot Channel, and Dianaevoni here a few days ago. Today I’m going to give you a taste of what Aristocrat has in store for us in the near future. But first I want to give you some links to some great slot channels where you can find these games for yourself as they are posted onYouTube. New games are being added daily, so you’ll want to check back often. 

If you’ve been following these filmers, you know they have different styles of presenting their films. Some film without speaking at all, but give you a lot of information in the printed narrative to explain what is going on. Some chat about the games as they play, sharing what’s going on with their friends. Most watch their language so as not to offend their viewers, but a few - and you know who I mean - frequently drop the f-bomb and other expletives which not everyone finds entertaining. I’ve included them for those who enjoy that humor. If you have films of G2E, and you are not on this list, I’m sorry. I did the best I could. If I didn’t know about your videos so I could include you, send me a message with your information, and I will edit the list. Here are the good ones I know about. Click on the filmer's name to go to his play list.

Dianaevoni

Brent’s Lucky (& Gay) slot channel

Random $$ Slots

Shamus of Slots

CT Slotters

SDGuy1234

There are a few things to look for as you watch the games. Here’s the most exciting special feature I know about. SDGuy has a role in the new Walking Dead slot! He’s one of the pick-em characters for the bonus. The film below is the one from Shamus, but you can also hear Brent point out SDGuy’s role in the game in his video too.

Brent has a lot of games to show you, but I’ve chosen to include his Elvira because he seems to enjoy pointing out certain aspects of her anatomy so much.

Game of Thrones is one of my favorite TV shows and series of fantasy novels.  You can watch it as filmed by one of my favorite videographers: Random $$ Slots, who I suspect has never seen the show at all.

The final film is by CT Slotters. This is the first of their films I have ever watched, and I’ve chosen Miss Kitty Gold for their initial view. They have other good films on their link that you can watch also. I received a recommendation from a viewer a few hours ago that Dianaevoni's Miss Kitty film is also fun to watch.

I can’t show it all. There are Aristocrat games that aren’t on the list, but you can find and watch at the six sites I gave you earlier…Downton Abbey, Ted,  A Christmas Story to name a few. Don’t forget to check back with the gamers above as they add more videos for you to watch. Enjoy!


UPDATE: Saturday night, October 10. Miss Kitty Gold.  I'm not a slot fanatic, but I like to read slot fanatic threads now and then. Tonight I was browsing on their site and found a thread started by LVLADYGAMBLER called Miss Kitty...the sequel?? Let me quote it to you. "Hello my Slot Fanatics friends, We are tossing around some game ideas over here for making new versions of classic Aristocrat titles. Miss Kitty came up. Because I love her, I thought I would pose a couple of questions and get some additional slot player feedback. If you play Miss Kitty, what do you like about the game? What would you like to see in a Miss Kitty II game? Thanks."  She signed her post Veronica, Aristocrat Marketing Department & mini-slot fanatic.

Veronica got a lot of replies to her question. The one I found particularly interesting was posted 6/10/2014, 12:10 AM and was written by slot fanatic and YouTuber DProxima. I'm sure all of you have enjoyed his posts. Here's what he told the lady from Aristocrat over a year ago.

"I love the sticky wilds, but would love a game where if another lands on an already stuck wild, it multiplies the wild - essentially adding a multiplier. This can repeat too ideally with no end. Of course your spins are limited but perhaps when a multiplier is given, it adds an additional spin too. Yes, more volatility, but that's why I enjoy many of your games."

Sounds familiar, doesn't it. Sounds like Miss Kitty Gold, doesn't it?I wonder if DProxima remembers giving Aristocrat the idea for the new Miss Kitty Gold slot? Someone really should ask him.

G2E 2015: Scientific Games Highlights

If any of you reading this have ever been to G2E in Las Vegas, you know there is so much going on that there’s no way to take it all in and remember it all. When you get back home and look at what you filmed and what other YouTubers have shared of their experiences on their films, you realize there is so much, much more that you could have done and seen - and you wish you could go back and do it all over again.  At least that’s the way I feel. 

Well, I don’t film videos, but I’ve watched a lot of great games and demos by other players on line, and today I want to direct you to some of the best that have already been put up on YouTube to entertain the rest of us. The list will not be complete because as the videographers edit the films they shot at G2E, they add more to their play lists. You will need to bookmark those sites and return every few days to see what’s new to have the total experience. I will also comment on others in the next few days.

If you haven’t watched other players’ games before, you’ll find that the YouTubers generally fall into one of two categories: the ones who film to educate and the ones who film to entertain. Sometimes they manage to do both. If I want to be educated, to learn about different slots and how to play them, the two filmers I turn to are Random$$Slots and ShinobiYT, two of my very favorite YouTubers with very different personalities and very different ways of explaining slots. Shinobi explains what is happening and what to look for in your game as if talking with a friend about the game. He didn’t make it to G2E this year so I won't be showing any of his films.

Random explains not only what is happening, but he frequently explains why it is happening. No matter how much you think you know, you will learn something more if you study his explanations. Random$$Slots is posting his G2E videos at digdia.

Random$$Slots does not talk to you about the slots you are watching as you are viewing them, but he gives you a lot of information anyway. He always films the pay tables, and his comment pages will often have long paragraphs of explanation about the games. He will add editorial comments to the films sometimes and and will point out features to watch for to increase your understanding. He also answers questions posed by his viewers on his comment page. 

If you were a student of game theory, you would want him for your professor. He will give you more than just game play. If you are interested in things like the keynote address at G2E or the other conference discussions on topics such as skill based games that you were not able to attend, you can view his films of them from his site at digdia.com. Random’s slot play films will include a lot of information shared by the manufacturer’s reps he films. You watch Random$$Slots games if you want to be educated while having fun.

If you want to be entertained when you watch the new slot games and demos, there are a number of good sources. I am not able to name them all - there are too many — but I’ll talk about a few who have filmed some excellent video at G2E this year.  If you want to watch someone who can get you excited about a new game, you probably want to watch Brent’s Lucky (& Gay) Slot Channel.  

Brent and Random both have films of the new Cher Live slot machine. The approach to filming this new game illustrates the differences in personality of the two filmers. 

You can watch Random’s game HERE. In his film the company rep explains and illustrates the various features of the game, and you finish with a good idea of what to look for when you play.

Brent, like most slot players doesn’t worry about all that. He jumps right into the game and plays for fun without worrying about the optimal way to play, and he and his viewers all have a great time. You can watch his game HERE.  And that’s the beauty of watching YouTube videos - whatever your style, there’s a filmer out there that will show you what you want to see.

The Cher video is a new one by Scientific Games, which also owns WMS and Bally. Other Scientific Games you might want to look for include the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Margaritaville, and Caddyshack.

One final video from Scientific Games (formerly Bally) that I want to show you before we move on to other companys’ new games is the new Bart Simpson game. Everybody who is a YouTube viewer or a slot fanatic knows and loves Dianaevoni. Diana is friendly and enthusiastic and is always a lot of fun. She has recorded a demo of the Simpson’s game that you can watch. The game has not been released yet, but you can bet Diana will be one of the first to play it when it is.  Be sure and watch how Bart’s hand interacts with the player's during the bonus.

G2E 2015: Everi and the TournEvent of Champions

One week after an exhausting day viewing exhibits at the my first ever visit to Global Gaming Expo, I’m ready to share my thoughts and highlights of this exciting event. There are many videos already posted by YouTubers that you will want to see - none of which I filmed - and I will give you links to films by talented videographers such as Shamus of Slots and Random$$Slots which will show you what you can expect to see in the casinos in the coming year. But first, a little recap of this year’s TournEvent of Champions.

The slot tournament was sponsored by Everi, a company that used to be known as Multimedia. The competition was the culmination of a year-long contest that started last April that included 250,000 entrants in 99 preliminary competitions throughout the country. You may have seen the big bus at your favorite local casino this summer. 182 finalists were invited to Vegas to compete for a share of 1.4 million on September 30 this year.

After six rounds of thrilling competition at the Wynn Las Vegas’s XS Nightclub, Everi crowned its victor, Rita Kellerman, and presented her with the $1 million first place prize and champton’s ring. Kellerman represented the Ho-Chunk Gaming-Wisconsin Dells casino and survived two days of loud and intense competition to emerge the winner. “I can’t believe I won,” she said. This is the biggest thing that ever happened to me, except for getting married of course.”

Because my Vegas visit was so short, I didn’t get to see the tournament action leading to the TournEvent of Champions, but I did get to view part of the Charity Competition played at the Everi Booth on the exhibitor floor of the convention center September 29. Everi kicked off the championship with its second annual TournEvent of Charities featuring a mix of celebrities such as Carrot Top and local and industry media members squaring off on behalf of their favorite charities. In the end, Steve Burke, publisher of Indian Gaming Magazine, the source for much of the information in my previous series earlier claimed victory and the $10,000 winner’s check for NIGA Spirit of Sovereignty.  The remaining charities were winners in their own right, sharing in the $40,000 total contribution made by Everi.

Everi’s charity of choice, Save a Warrior, also benefited, receiving a $40,000 check from the company. Save a Warrior benefits returning veterans and active-duty military personnel struggling with PTSD as a result of their service.

Plans are already underway for the 2016 event, and Everi expects the party to be even bigger. The $1 million prize will be back in play, and the 5 year annversary event is slated to coincide once again with the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. 

Everi featured 140 games at G2E this year, including 70 new titles at its booth according to press releases. If you visit digdia.com you can watch two of them Gargoyle and Journey to the Center of the Earth which have already been posted by Random$$Slots. More are on the way.

G2E Priview: Part 10 - Bingo: Ortiz and Video King

G2E Preview : Part 10: Bingo

The final entries to this 10 part series on G2E and what to look for on the exhibition floor involve two separate companies, not related to each other, but both leaders in the modernization and resurgence of traditional  bingo: Ortiz and Video King. The new games have been called Bingo on Steroids. 

Ortiz Gaming

www.ortizgaming.com

G2E Booth #3267 & #3867

Video King
www.videokingnetwork.com
G2E Booth #3030

First lets look at Ortiz This year Ortiz has doubled it’s booth space to make room for all their new offerings: new slot and keno games, bingo games now in new land-based and interactive gaming modules, new hardware, game features, and cabinets.

Ortiz has unleashed bingo by expanding electronic games and Class II machines to multiple options available from their interactive division, Ortiz Interactive. They will be unveiling new takes on games - from online to server based to electronic bingo - and everything in between. Their number one game in America, Six Bingo, will be featured across multiple platforms at the show. The game features rich graphics, engaging sound, and exciting bonuses. It is the best of both worlds, melding iconic bingo with the technology of gaming, making it an experience for players.

The second company generating excitement with the bingo crowd, is Video King. Two products to look for are Champ-e, the company’s new Android gaming tablet, and Charge-e, a patent pending wireless charging rack with possible applications beyond the gaming floor. The tablet features a sleeker WiFi design, brighter 1280 x 800 pixel screen, greater processing power, and a 10 plus hour run time. Bingo Boom, a unique Social Bingo game network allows Bingo halls to deliver a wide range of games to players on their computers, tablets, mobile phones, and Facebook.

According to CEO Tim Stuart of Video King, his company has created a range of in-house games that can be adapted to third-party platforms and can also port third-party games to its own devices. Each game is electronic but they are traditional Class II titles as opposed to those offered on terminal devices by Ortiz and Zitro, games he describes kiddingly as “Class 2.9” as the results are mapped much more closely to casino-style slots. “Our games aren’t part of the casino floor,” says Mr. Stuart. “We’re firmly in the bingo room which is actually becoming a major part of many casinos in the US.”

One final thought from Mr. Stuart. If you haven’t visited a bingo parlor in a while you may not recognize how the game has changed. “We’re witnessing a grass-fire genesis of bingo in big cities that have embraced game show-like experiences, black-light, DJs, cosmic bingo in enormous rooms where players dance between game.” he says.

“It’s fun, its crazy. We’re seeing the evolution of what’s being termed bingo-tainment where machines and tablets deliver bingo to charitable gaming markets, for cruise ships, the military, casino regulated jurisdictions and Indian gaming markets.”

Bingo is not your grandma’s game anymore!

G2E Preview -Part 9: Bluberi Gaming Technologies

Even though Bluberi Gaming is one of the smaller companies on the market, the technology used for its games is fully sophisticated and their development team is young and energetic. The company slogan is “the best kept secret in gaming. “ You might want to visit their booth at G2E and see if you agree.

Bluberi

bluberi.com

G2E Booth #3450

Bluberi Gaming Technologies is a Canadian company from Montreal founded in 1994 that develops its own casino games and slot machines. 

Their games are divided into three categories: Premium, Deluxe, & Classic. The games in the Premium category are the most entertaining ones, featuring 3D graphics and animations with cartoon-like scenes. Some are progressive jackpot slots with different jackpot tiers. One very popular game is Timber Jack, where you play with a lumberjack of that name. There are Youtube videos of the game that you can watch. Here is one by RandomLiving you might enjoy.

Other popular video titles are Burglin’Bob, Cherries Gone Wild, Conga Party, Honey Buziness, and Jumpin’ Rabbit.

Bluberi is predominantly marketed to Class II and Class III land-based Native American casinos across the United States, Canada, and Latin America. They recently entered into an agreement with Microgaming to distribute some of its slots online via the microgaming platform under the BBI interactive label. 

There are 21 games promoted on bluberi.com under new games. Two games have been given special write-ups, so perhaps they will be the ones the company brings to G2E. I don’t know.

The first is Lihwa’s Fortune. The second is Lucky 5 Jackpot. In Lihwa’s Fortune you enter the world of the beautiful Chinese princess who will entertain you with free spins, jackpots, and special wilds. The company news release says the 5 reel, 40 line game is available in Class II or Class III or Pull-tabs. Bonuses on reels 1 and 5  guarantee you win 1 of 9 jackpots.

The second featured game is Lucky 5 Jackpot. Reach the treasures of this medieval kingdom. Get the horse, the queen, the king - whichever, you win. You can win up to 25 free spins on the 5 reel, 30 line game. Five of a kind gives you one of 10 Jackpots. The jackpot amounts are a little strange. The screen shot showed jackpots ranging from $5.06 cents to $600.02 for a minimum bet of 90 cents. No explanation was given.

Finally, as you might expect from a company that makes Class II slots, there are four different 30-ball bingo games like Doublin’ Bingo, Honey Buziness Bingo, Touch the Gold Bingo and Turkey in the Straw Bingo. The company also has three different types of progressive jackpot games: LAP (Local Progressives), WAP (Wide Area Progressives) and WAM (Mystery Jackpots)..

Bluberi is a company we’ll be seeing more of in the future. You can see it at G2E September 29 - 30.

G2E Update to Part 4, Everi - TournEvent for Charities

In an earlier G2E update Part 4, attendees were invited to visit Everi (formerly Multimedia) Booth # 1116  at  2:30 pm on Tuesday, September 29 for the 2015 Tournament of Charities.  Local celebrities will be competing there for a $40,000 prize which will be donated to the players' charities of choice. Today a list of competing players and their charities was sent to convention attendees. They include the following:

• Terry Fator, Entertainer at the Mirage - playing for the Arthritis Foundation.
• Jaymes Vaughan, celebrity interviewer and former Amazing Race contestant - playing for Give Kids the World.
• Rick Moonen, seafood chef and finalist on Top Chief Masters - playing on behalf of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health,
• Carrot Top, standup comedian - playing on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House.
• DJ Ashba, musician - playing for the Anti-Bullying Campaign.
• Ricardo Laguna, BMX Pro and MTV reality star - paying for Jump For Joy
• Robin Leach, entertainment reporter and former TV host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous - playing on behalf of Keep Memory Alive.
• JC Fernandaz, KMXB radio, 2014 defending champion - representing Shine Family Foundation.

If this sounds like fun, don't forget to stop by Everi at Booth #1116 at 2:15, Tuesday, September 29 and cheer your favorite celebrity player on to victory at this year's TourEvent of Charities. 

G2E Preview - 8: Incredible Technologies (IT)

Incredible Technologies (IT) is a a Chicago based developer of Class III slot machines licensed in 17 US states, Asia, and Latin America. The company has been working with GameAccount, an award winning developer of internet gaming software and online gaming content, since 2013 to bring both simulated gaming and regulated internet gaming in New Jersey & Europe to life. You can read about their successful launch this August of Medusa: The Quest or Perseus. And you can look for the game at the IT Booth at the Global Gaming Expo, G2E,  being held in Las Vegas the week of September 29. The information in this preview was all taken from IT’s website.

Incredible Technologies

gaming.itsgames.com

Booth #4460 

Medusa: The Quest of Perseus is the seventh game theme delivered by GameAccount for IT.  Within 72 hours of launch, it attracted 95% more spins than IT’s prior theme Robin Hood: Riches of Sherwood Forest and over 500% more bets than the average of the six IT games launched prior to Medusa. IT now ranks among the most played manufacturers on the simulated gaming virtual slot floor, and their growing popularity online has supported IT’s land based gaming machines sales in casinos.

I have not bothered to rewrite the press release for Medusa. The description of the game and screen print below both come from IT’s web site.

“Try and stop the great and powerful Medusa! Medusa: The Quest of Perseus™ pits Medusa against an army of brave warriors as they fight for their lives. This 40-line slot places the heroic Perseus front and center as he battles the dreaded Medusa with a Free Spin Battle™ and Stacked Perseus symbols that will have players cheering in their seats.

The Free Spin Battle™ begins when two Medusa symbols land in the 3rd and 5th reels. Players then spin for an extra bonus award to further protect themselves for the bonus battle, which range from extra free spins, to instant credits, a locked 2X wild, to a full reel of locked wilds. Upon each spin, Soldier symbols are threatened by Medusa’s lethal gaze and any Soldier who holds up their shield long enough for Medusa to see her reflection will turn the symbol into a locked wild symbol for each remaining spin during the bonus round.”

Medusa and simulated internet gaming is not the only thing IT brings to G2E this year.  The company is capitalizing on its momentum by expanding its Infinity product line into premium segments. The first, Infinity Skybox, heightens the stunning Infinity U23 cabinet with the addition of an integrated 55” vertical monitor. The Infinity Skybox will be shown at G2E with its flagship launch title Crazy Money Deluxe. More about Crazy Money later. The second, Infinity Link, is a bank-wide linked area progressive . Exclusive debut titles for Infinity Link are yet to be announced and will be officially unveiled at G2E 2015, so all I can show you are popular titles already released.

IT says it will showcase dozens of new games featuring the E-play, V-Pro, and I-series of games. Only proven, top performing titles will be shown. Beyond the 17 states the company is currently selling, IT will also be showcasing products for its newest expanding markets including New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina and Ohio, as well as international presence in Macau, the Philippines, and Peru.

In this preview, we’ll highlight four games IT will be promoting this year. The first is Money Rain. This title is a Scatter Ways game featuring over 25,000 ways to win. The game takes the theme of money and flips it on its head. The innovative reel mechanic showcases the colorful money symbols folded in half and flipping - similar to what you see on a digital clock. Players hope to land 4 or more yellow transforming symbols during the main game to unlock the Money Reel, a smaller 6th reel on the right side of the screen. Once unlocked, the money reels spin to decide which symbol will replace the mystery symbols. Players also hope it will land on a high paying one.

Okay, we know about the money - what about the rain? Three or more rain cloud/scatters triggers a free spin bonus where the money reel is active. The important difference is that it only includes the top four replacement symbols, increasing the chance of a big win. You have the opportunity for downpours of thunderous wins with this feature. Money Rain also has a Good, Better, or Best feature where players are encouraged to increase their bet level to increase the number of free spins awarded.

IT’s site says Crazy Money Deluxe will be featured on Infinity Skybox at G2E. I can’t find this game - just Crazy Money, Crazy Money High Def, and Crazy Money II - so I think it may actually be a new release at G2E.  They say Crazy Money Deluxe features all the gameplay players have come to love, with the addition of a massive bonus wheel and linkable four level progressive jackpot display.

The third game highlighted by Incredible Technologies is Big Prize Bubblegum.  With 1,024 ways to win, IT takes players back in time to enjoy the sugar sweet childhood favorites in its gumball machines. Whenever a penny, nickel, or dime coin lands on the screen, free spins are awarded based on the coin’s denomination. Capsules holding toys like yo-yos, spinning tops, and robots are unlocked and award instant credit amounts when they land during all free spins. Up to 100 spins can be re-triggered.  When a special Bonus Toy Capsule holding a 3D puzzle appears during the free spins, the Pick Until You Pop Bonus Game is triggered. Players pick from 30 capsules to reveal instant credit amounts and multipliers. The bubble bursts once the toothache symbol is found, but players can get back into the game with the Sweet Saver.  It reminds me of Jackpot Party by WMS with its Party Saver feature.

There’s a promo film for the fourth and last featured game from IT at the end of this preview, Hauntsworth's House. In this 40-line spooky slot, old Mr. Hauntsworth’s manor is being haunted by green and red flying ghosts who constantly float in the top box of the game. Sometimes they fly across the reels while they are spinning. Green ghosts upgrade symbols to Wilds. Red ghosts turn them into Flying Jackpot Scatters for scary big rewards. When three mysterious door knocker scatters land, players journey through the Hall of Treasures. Floating ghosts are selected to reveal either credit amounts or a key which continues the passage down the ominous hallway. If the key is selected in all three rooms, players choose between two glowing golden chests for a chance to win the ultimate reward. 

This looks like a fun game, and I’m looking for the chance to play it myself. Maybe we’ll be able to at G2E.  I hope so.


October 12 Update: This game was at G2E and is one of the ones you can link to from Random$$Slots G2E videos at this site:  http://www.digdia.com/slots/index_g2e_15.shtml   I was very impressed by IT. Incredible Technologies is one of the best companies I visited my first and only trip to G2E; their owners are very friendly and their designers are very creative. I expect good things from this company in the years to come.

G2E Preview - Part 7: Konami

When I first started playing slots, I didn’t pay any attention at all to who produced the game I was playing. I had my favorites, but I didn’t know who made any of them. Over the past year, however, I have become more aware of game manufacturers, and have found many of the games I enjoyed playing then and many of the games I enjoy playing now all come from the same company, the one you either love or hate -  Konami.

Konami Gaming

gaming.konami.com

G2E Booth #1154

Konami was founded in Japan in 1969. It began its business life as a company that rented and repaired jukeboxes. In 1973, the company began making arcade machines, also called amusement machines. It was not until 1978 that they released their first product, expanding to the US within a year. Possibly the best known title of this early era was Frogger, a game we all played, first in arcades and later on home gaming machines. This year at G2E, Konami Gaming will preview their historic favorite at the company’s 11,000 square ft Exhibit Booth #1154 on its tall-top Podium Monument Cabinet. Don’t miss it.

Frogger has remained a favorite of game players for over 30 years. Players can now experience their favorite frogger features with a real money casino spin. The primary game consists of modernized character art paired with Konami’s proven video slot features and innovative math. But the game’s mystery Frogger Bonus allows players to relive the classic road and river crossing course in retro-pixelated glory. Arcade animated tractors push away the reel strips, and players are awarded three “lives” as they watch the frog hop its way to increasing bonus awards across the lower screen and up into the cabinet’s upper top box.  This game can’t help but be a nostalgic favorite of forty-something gamers.

Last year Dungeons and Dragons made its debut with two video slots titled Fortunes of the Forgotten Realms and Dwellers of the Dungeon Keep. This year they are following up with two new titles: Enchanted Riches and Conquests and Treasures. The new games include dungeon maze adventures and monster battle bonuses.  

Company descriptions of the new D&D games report that players get to increase their chance for a higher progressive jackpot prize by rolling a 20-sided die and battling unique monsters from random difficulty levels. They can navigate a darkened dungeon cavern encountering monsters, traps, and credit prize treasurers. The company describes the artwork and animation as unique and memorable. Regardless of your familiarity with D&D, these games will grab you and envelop you in the rhythm of the adventure.

In 2000 Konami was licensed to sell casino games in Nevada, the first step to getting into the casino gaming market. In 2004 they were granted licenses for manufacture and sales of casino machines in a number of other states and Canadian provinces. Since 2005 they have been generating new titles and new technology like no other company in the industry. Their goal is to be at the top of the pack in technology while still delivering on all other levels as the small fish in the big pond.

Konami’s award-winning SYNKROS Casino Management System will be on display as a live environment for G2E guests to test and explore the latest tools and features. One of the latest releases is the industry’s first player-on-demand multi-game tournament. The casinos can either run synchronized slot tournaments or player on-demand tournaments, with entries that players can redeem from any enabled slot machine at their convenience.

Here's a final fact for those of you in Southern California who gamble at Barona, the resort recently voted our area’s favorite casino. The June 12 news release from Konami reports that Barona Resort and Casino has selected SYNKROS  to manage its floor containing 2,000 slots and 90 gaming tables. CEO and Executive Vice president Steve Southerland at Konami also tells us that Barona was Konami’s first customer in North America. No wonder we have so many Konami machines in our California Native American casinos. No wonder we like their games so much. 

Life is all about fun and games according to Konami literature. Have some FUN viewing the new GAMES at G2E next week. Maybe I’ll meet you there.

G2E Preview - Part 6: Scientific Games (Bally, WMS)

When we talk about Scientific Games in this preview, you need to know we are also talking about Bally, WMS, Shuffle Master, Barcrest and Williams Gaming. Within the last 13 months, Scientific Games bought WMS for $1.5 billion and Bally Technologies for $5.1 billion.  So for the first time at G2E, ALL of these brands will be together in the same booth at the Sands Convention Center for this year’s Global Gaming Expo. The 26,000 square-foot, multi-level exhibit will feature products from the company’s gaming, lottery, and interactive divisions. You won’t want to miss it. Or maybe I should say, with an exhibit that big, how could you miss it!

Scientific Games

www.scientificgames.com

G2E Booth #1126

I know next-to-nothing about the gaming cabinets that house the slot games we play, but press releases are touting the new SG TwinStar Cabinet debuting the new Arg05 state-of-the-art platform. It will combine the best technology from both Bally and WMS they say, and it will support gaming content from both companies. New games have been developed for the TwinStar. Titles include Quick Shot, Steam Dream, and Hot Blooded. Some old favorites like Gold Fish, Quick Hit, Kronos, and Zeus will also be found in the new cabinet.

Last year at G2E, Scientific Games announced its partnership with Playboy and Pitbull. This year you gentlemen can enjoy a little eye-candy with the new Playboy Don’t Stop the Party! a progressive video slot featuring Playboy Playmates. If you prefer, you can enjoy Pitbull with three hit songs and a five level progressive jackpot, including a life-changing progressive on the Bally Cash Connection link.

If you like three-reel slots, tune in to the music of Jimmy Buffet and Margaritaville. The slot will include six bonuses and plenty of music, along with show concert clips, crowd shots, and plenty of the fun associated with Margaritaville. If your musical tastes run more to Cher, Scientific Games has you covered there too. Cher will be entertaining you with five hits, as the Concert Wheel awards credits and free games bonuses: Believe, Turn Back Time, It’s in His Kiss, All or Nothing, and Strong Enough.

Here’s a new theme for you Tim Curry fans who used to act out character roles in the midnight showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show when you were coming of age. The cult classic is now a slot with five Time Warp game-based features and a wheel that awards credits, jackpots, or free spin bonuses. The game also includes many of the songs from the movie to keep you singing along.

Warner Brother’s classic comedy Caddyshack will also be debuting at G2E featuring clips from the movie starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and Bill Murray for your gaming entertainment.

Additionally, Scientific Games will debut five follow-up titles for its hit licensed game library: Michael Jackson Icon, Wizard of Oz Not in Kansas Anymore, Elvis Lives, Friends I’ll Be There for You, and Titanic Heart of the Ocean.  

Scientific Games currently leads the industry in mobile and web solutions for lotteries. In addition they  provide 2000 Electronic Game Machines to the Oregon Lottery. They are now the world’s largest installation of Wide Area Progressives systems to table games within a single operator. Their breakthrough lottery retail technology will be on display at G2E with the PlayCentral HD, an interactive self-service kiosk for lottery instant and draw games, and high frequency draw games where allowed by law. The LCD touchscreen offers features like debit and credit card payments and ticket validation.

A bit of trivia while we’re talking about Wide Area Progressives: Bally’s Titanic made the news this July when Thomas Babcock, a 59 year old gamer from Ohio, won the WAP on his 3rd or 4th spin at the Sky City Casino Hotel in New Mexico. It was the largest jackpot ever hit on a Bally machine: $3,755,501.19.

Here’s something else new for Lottery play from Scientific Games. The company is combining its LinkedPlay holographic instant game concept with three WMS slot brands to create all new instant games. Players scratch off the play areas of Jackpot Party, Gold Fish, and Zeus Instant games to reveal familiar symbols from these popular games. The company is the first to use holographic  play symbols under an instant game scratch-off coating they say. 

Like the other exhibitors at G2E, Scientific Games has products for casino management as well as casino play. Bally Systems adds cutting edge solutions to SG’s lineup. They’ll be demonstrating BetVIEW, a secondary wagering application, BallyVIP, Bally Servico, Business Intelligence, Bally CoolSign, and Business Intelligence - all of more interest to management than gamers. They will also be featuring Tournaments Express, a stand-alone tournament system designed to offer slot tournaments on more than 100 different cabinets from various manufacturers. It quickly converts stand-alone games to tournament games and back.

SG will also be introducing 12 proprietary table games and several Shuffle Master progressive table games incorporating new software. The company’s Shuffle Master will feature the Safe-Bacc, a machine that combines a a shuffler and card-reading shoe into one device to increase game speed and improve security on baccarat tables. There are several other machines on display which will  improve action on the tables.

Scientific Games continues to provide innovative electronic table games (ETS). Heading the ETS segment this year will be a new game: Tablemaster Fustion - Playboy Bonus Blackjack. This one-of-a-kind blackjack game features the first ever licensed brand ETS product that incorporates a community “slot-like” bonus round and highlights the beauty of four Playboy Playmate dealers. More eye candy for you guys.

The most interesting mechanical device I read about was the one I found on Bally Technologies’ web site   https://www.ballytech.com/games/Take-'n-Play  It’s called the Take and Play.  The Take and Play is a mobile game system that allows players to leave the machine they’re playing and take their game with them through use of a hand-held tablet. The game still takes place on the original machine, but it is unavailable to other players. The player with the tablet can take his favorite game anywhere playing privately at any location the casino approves.

I first wondered why anyone would want to leave his game to play in another area of the casino. But then I had second thoughts. I can actually think of a lot of uses for the Take-’n-Play. I’ve known many Konami players who complain when they win the bonuses with “hundreds and hundreds” of spins. With a Take ’n Spin, these players could take their tablets with them for a restroom break, or they could get a drink without worrying about leaving their games unattended and their credits unguarded. Heck, if you had a room at the casino and that was one of their approved areas, you might even be able to get in a 15 minute cat nap while your hundreds and hundreds of spins were being played out.  I don’t know about you, but I’ll be looking for the Take ’n Play when I visit G2E next week.

Remember Scientific Games, Booth 1126, is also Bally and WMS. Take a look.

G2E Preview - Part 5: IGT

This July the Italian gaming equipment company, GTECH, acquired London based IGT for $6.4 billion. Retaining the familiar name IGT, the new company, now officially called International Game Technology PLC after the merger, is sure to draw a large crowd at G2E this month. Look for them at Booth #2139 at the Sands Convention Center. Here’s some of what you can expect to see there.

IGT

igt.com

G2E Booth #2139

When they think of IGT, most people think of Wheel of Fortune. IGT launched the popular Wheel of Fortune slots in 1996. It is said to be the most successful slot of all time, making 1,000 millionaires and paying out over $3 billion in jackpots throughout its history. There are more than 200 variations of the game in more than 200 countries.

This August 30, a new millionaire was crowned at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, known only at James M. The anonymous winner’s game, Wheel of Fortune Double Diamond, paid him $1,271,032. No wonder everybody wants to take a chance on the big wheel! The game that James M. won his million dollar prize on combined the popular Wheel with IGT’s long lasting signature game Double Diamonds. Double Diamonds was introduced by IGT in 1989, and it is the favorite of older gamers everywhere.

This year IGT’s will showcase its newest 3D combination of both of its winning concepts in  Wheel of Fortune Double Diamonds 3D.  No 3-D glasses are needed to play this game. The company is expanding its 3D series with two new titles: Wheel of Fortune Gold Spins Double Diamonds, and Wheel of Fortune New Orleans with Mardi Gras inspired game play.

Here’s something IGT has for you younger viewers. The company is continuing its tradition of bringing pop culture’s most touted licensed brands to the casino and convention floor. They are partnering with the number one brand in entertainment news to create TMZ Video Slots. I have to confess I didn’t know what TMZ was, but I’ve looked it up, and you can even watch it on YouTube if you like. TMZ has been a popular source of celebrity news for a decade. IGT claims this interactive theme will introduce never-before-seen gaming technology, putting players in the middle of one of TV’s most famous newsrooms and on tour to several hot Hollywood celebrity hangouts. 

IGT will also introduce Netflix’s most watched series with House of Cards Power and Money Video Slots and House of Cards Welcome to Washington . There are also some new Orange is the New Black and Avatar games to look for at G2E.  Ellen DeGeneres will have a new game too, Have a Little Fun. I hope you do,

Another cornerstone of IGT Success is Video Poker. I have a lengthy post you can link to published on May 19 titled Mega Progressive Video Poker if you are interested in the history of Video Poker and Bally’s big mistake giving away the game. At G2E you’ll want to see Ultimate X Poker Tournament Game in IGT’s dedicated in-booth tournament arena. The company will lead dynamic demonstrations  of its products under IGT’s premium tournament technology line, TournXtreme. If Video Poker is your game, be sure to stop by Booth #2139 and check it out.

Class II games and live and electronic table games (ETGs) from LT Game, a subsidiary of Paradise Entertainment, will also all have dedicated areas in IGT’s booth.

Desktop and mobile gaming are not being neglected by IGT. In addition to the new online poker, casino, sports betting, and bingo platforms, the company will demonstrate OnPremise, an integrated mobile technology solution that enables players to wager via a single mobile app anytime within set boundaries. Their Play-for-Fun solution allows players to play with virtual currency, positioning them for the expansion of the Real Money Gaming segment. IGT will be spotlighting its Double Down Casino. The future isn’t just coming. It’s here.

Still to come are Konami, Scientific Games, and Video King. Stay tuned for more G2E Previews.

G2E Preview - Part 4: Everi

If you don’t keep up on the business side of gambling, the mergers and acquisitions and the like, you might think the fourth manufacturer highlighted on these G2E write-ups, Everi, was a new company. And you’d be partly right. Everi, Inc debuted on the world’s stage by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on August 24, 2015. But while new in name, Everi blends two well-known companies that have been a part of the casino industry for decades — Global Cash Access Inc (GCA) and Multimedia Gaming (MGAM). This year’s G2E 2015 will be Everi’s launch party, and you’re all invited if you’ve signed up for G2E.

Everi

everi.com

G2E Booth #1116

The blending of these two companies, Multimedia and Global Cash Access, seems a strange marriage at first. One is a gaming business and the other is a payments business. As a gambler, you are undoubtedly more familiar with Multimedia. You might not know anything about GCA, so let’s talk a little first about what GCA brings to the union. 

This business part of Everi consists of three parts: payments processing, kiosks, and compliance. The first two ensure easy access to funds, the ability to redeem TITO tickets, a simplified way to break bills. A new term you might hear in connection with the new company is Everi Wallet which is a payment and monetization solution for real online gaming. 

The third part of what GCA provides is more interesting to me because of my tax background. You will have to bear with me…it’s my blog and tax talk is my thing.

Everi is offering the casinos a system called Compliance Manager to ease the reporting requirements imposed on them by the government, particularly reporting required by Title 31.  If you don’t know about Title 31, go back and read my earlier BANK SECRECY ACT blog entry. It’s the section of the Code dealing with money laundering and various reporting requirements usually for cash transactions over $10,000.

Part of the Compliance Manager program is a feature called Title 31 Manager that completes, files, and archives all required forms while tracking cash and check transactions at slots and 3rd party check cashing suppliers. It also consolidates all audits and creates CTRs (currency transaction reports), SARs (suspicious activity reports), W-9s and W-8 forms for electronic filing.The W-9 form is the one you fill out when you get your hand pay to provide your Social Security Number for the W2G form. The W-8 Form is one filed by foreign gamblers to claim exemption from withholding on their winnings or a reduced withholding rate due to treaty status. I won’t repeat what I’ve written before about these forms because you can read my earlier posts if you are interested. Suffice to say Everi is attempting to provide the help the casinos need to file all the forms the government requires.

Besides the Title 31 manager, Compliance Manager also contains a Tax Form Validator which completes, files, and archives W2G’s (for hand pays greater than $1200), 1099-Misc Forms (for prizes and for comps with over $600 value), and 1042-S (for covered expatriates subject to special tax rules.)

Compliance Manager also has a Patron Authenticator function which validates patron address and tax information against US Post Office and IRS databases. This is to reduce the problems caused by winners providing wrong or stolen information for the forms. It also checks various watch lists. You might want to review another earlier post about SELF BANNING from casinos and how these lists are checked before jackpots are payed out. There are other features: which are not as interesting to me: Form Creator, a Chip Log function, and Jackpot X-change Tax Form software.

I’ll bet you didn’t know all this goes on in your local casino, did you?

Now let’s look at the other half of Everi, the slot games you’re all anxious to learn about.  Unfortunately, I have not seen any news releases about new games being unveiled by Everi at G2E. I can list some popular Multimedia titles you have probably played and enjoyed recently, and I can give you a link to Everi where you can see these games and learn more about specific ones - but I don’t know what the next new game will be.

Here are some of my favorite Multimedia — I mean Everi — games. Anthony and Cleopatra, Artemis, Bonnie & Clyde, Carnival in Rio, Ghost in the Machine, Wild Pixies, Wild Tornado, Yard Birds. You’ve probably played a lot of Everi games. This list barely scratches the surface. You’ll find more on the Everi web site. What you’ll notice about them all is the imaginative concepts behind the games and the dynamic artwork. The artists and engineers at Everi’s creative center in Austin, TX, are dedicated to producing unique experiences based on original ideas. These games are usually a lot of fun.

Multimedia primarily produces Class III Vegas style games, but they have branched out and are now developing Class II games for the growing market. You can usually identify a Class II game by the bingo card somewhere on the screen. Multimedia - I mean Everi - has  designed its new Class II slots so the bingo card does not appear until money is fed into the machine. Random $$ Slots has just posted a new Class II game you can link to called Silver Fox. Pay close attention to the video and the explanation he provides. A new feature of the game is the option to play the game in slot mode or bingo mode. If you don’t know what bingo has to do with slots, read the earlier material about Tribal Gaming and Class II Slots.

Here’s your link to Silver Fox:

You probably know about the TournEvent that Multimedia sponsored this year, You may have even seen the big bus at your local casino during the qualifying events.  The million dollar prize will be paid out in 20 annual installments to one of the lucky 200 contestants. It will happen September 30 at XL Night Club. .

Everi (Multimedia) is also hosting the second annual TournEvent of Charities on September 29 during G2E. The event features 24 celebrities who play a TournEvent competition on behalf of their selected charity. Everi will be donating $40,000 total to the celebrity’s charities and another $40,000 to Save a Warrior, the company’s official charity. To watch, come to booth #1116. At 2:30 the celebrities will be introduced, play begins at 3:00, and winners will be announced between 3:30 and 4:30.

More to come of G2E fun in a few days.

G2E Preview - Part 3: Aristocrat/VGT

I live in Southern California, where real buffalo still roam on the grounds of some of the reservations where our NA casinos are located. And every year in SoCal, between April 1 and May 15, readers of the SoCal Gaming Guide cast their ballots for the 2015 Reader’s Choice of the best NA casino and best slots to play there. Barona, naturally, was voted everyone’s favorite casino. 

And, this year, the overwhelming favorite for the best slot company, taking first place in eleven of fifteen categories, was Aristocrat. The company’s Buffalo Stampede topped the competition for the best video slot, the best bonus round, the luckiest slot, the best slot graphics, and the best penny slot. Another Aristocrat title was a big winner. The Walking Dead was named to the list of top three in the categories of Best Video Slot, Best Progressive Slot, Best Video Bonus Round, and Best Slot Graphics. Aristocrat’s CanCan de Paris and Mr. Cashman were also winners in the Best Penny Slots and Best Classic Slots, respectively.  A great win for the Aussies

Aristocrat will be sharing a booth this year at G2E with Video Gaming Technologies which it acquired in October, 2014. In our third installment of G2E, let’s take a look at what these two companies will be showcasing for us if we attend G2E in Las Vegas at the end of the month. 

Aristocrat/VGT

aristocrat-us.com

G2E Booth #1141

If any slot manufacturer could be said to be trying to have something for everyone, it is Aristocrat. The Australian company, whose history we covered in part 2 along with Ainsworth, offers games for every type of player. Players who prefer more of an entertainment experience. Players who love the thrill of frequent jackpots. People who love progressives - yes, IGT has some competition! Players who want an immersive experience with their favorite movie or TV characters. Players who love the old core games and Mr. Cashman’s surprise appearances. Aristocrat has something for them all according to their press releases.

Many of the games highlighted in recent press releases are games we have already seen on our casino floors this summer. Some of them are games I wrote about last fall. At G2E this year Aristocrat is showcasing its new gaming hardware. They’ll present the ginormous Behemoth cabinet housing Buffalo Stampede. And they’ll show us their Arc Double Cabinet housing entertainment themes such as Britney Spears and the Big Bang Theory. You can already enjoy these games in many casinos and on YouTube videos. These recent releases will soon be followed by other games based on licensed brands. They include Buffalo Grand, the latest version of the Buffalo game, HBO’s Game of Thrones, and the holiday favorite A Christmas Story.

One new Aristocrat offering that you may find interesting is Lightning Link or Lightning Cash. These are Aristocrat’s very first Linked and Stand-alone Progressive games to feature selectable multi-denominations. Players select either 1 cent or 2 cents for a 50 line game (500 credit max bet), or 5 cents or 10 cents for a 25-line game (250 credits max bet). The progressive jackpot is the same whichever denomination you choose, but the bonuses are proportional to the denomination. There are four fun titles to choose from: Happy Lantern, High Stakes, Magic Pearl, and Sahara Gold.  News releases say the games are designed for players who enjoy frequent jackpots, and a medium-high volatility range.

Other items to look for are Cashman Fever II and Cashman Takes Flight, 5 level progressives based on Buffalo and Five Dragons. Superman the Movie, Sons of Anarchy, and Can-Can Paris have already made it to the casinos. Ted, based on Seth McFarland’s raunchy 2012 comedy about a living adult teddy bear might show his face any time.

A lot of what Aristocrat brings to G2E this year is for the casinos, not their players, and is called Oasis 360 system. This is a system to keep casino operators connected to their customers on property and off. It allows casinos to track customer behavior when they patronize affiliates and strategic partners, empowering them with crucial data to meaningfully reward customers. 

I’m not sure I like this. I don’t like being tracked. I hope it doesn’t mean any more than modifying the Total Rewards system to allow tracking Caesar’s play at Harrah’s would. Those of you attending G2E should try to find out more for me. 

The system’s ONE LINK technology works on any suppliers system. It allows operators to centrally configure, manage, and display table signage. It provides flexible slot bouncing including mystery bonuses, magic-hour bonuses, and Hot Hand Bonus Poker. I don’t know what any of that is - and it probably doesn’t mean anything to most of us players -  but the casino operators will probably think it’s great.

HALO is another offering for the casinos that will let them manage their customer loyalty programs. They will be able to easily manage tier promotion and demotion, and it will allow staff to take the player’s club to the casino floor to reprint cards, issue comps, add comps, enroll new players and more.

Aristocrat will also be showing their new beverage ordering system, Drinks on Tap. This system will allow players to order and pay for drinks from their electronic gaming machines (EGM) and will let you even add a tip.

MOBILE CONCIERGE is Aristocrats fancy name for its new mobile app which appears to me to be just another way to send the promotional material they now send us through the US Postal Service mail or our computer’s email to our phones as well.  As I said, a lot of what Aristocrat is showing off this year is for the casino, not for the player.

The big news for Aristocrat this past year was its acquisition of VGT, Video Gaming Technologies. VGT was founded in 1991 and was acquired October 20, 2014 by Aristocrat for $1.3 billion. VGT is headquartered in Franklin, TN, and its game design studio is in Reno, NV. It has won awards as the #1 provider of Class II gaming machines in the US, and is the #2 lessor of gaming machines to Native American tribes.

Before acquiring VGT, Aristocrat had no Class II presence, so acquiring the company with its market-leading footprint in Oklahoma made a lot of sense. There are opportunities for Aristocrat to take VGT’s mechanical reel expertise and apply that in a Class III market. There is an opportunity for VGT to take some Aristocrat content and place it into the Oklahoma market. 

The companies are very complementary, very synergistic. VGT leads in Class II gaming. Aristocrat wasn’t in Class II at all. VGT leads the stepper segment of the market. VGT has had a challenging time developing successful video product. VGT has wanted to do a wide-area progressive (WAP) for some time, but the technology was beyond them. Aristocrat happened to have a WAP which they quickly put together. A win-win for both companies. VGT recently premiered its wide area progressive, Easy Money Jackpot, which includes Mr. Money Bags, Hot Red Ruby, and Lucky Ducky titles. They have big hopes for the progressive market.

Some of the innovations new to the US were tested in Australia earlier. The Lightning Link stand-alone progressive jackpot game was big in the Australian market about three years ago for example. The company has great hopes for that game’s success. One of the keys to the progressive game's success is its ability to effectively merchandize and attract play, according to developers. “You’re taking some of the big pays out of the pay table and you’re displaying them in a progressive jackpot so players can see where the money’s at. These certain jackpots will get high and players will start playing them.” 

Like the lottery, I guess, when the jackpot gets high and people who normally don’t buy a ticket, decide to take a chance.  Does that increase MY chances of winning? What do you think?

Stay turned. In a few more days, we’ll look at what we can expect from another one of the companies that we count on to entertain us. I wonder which it will be.