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 2016 Preview - 5 - Novomatic

There's a very good chance you may not be familiar with Novomatic, a betting firm out of Austria founded by Johann Graf. The company is one of Europe's largest gaming firms, with distribution in more than 80 countries and a strong on-line gaming presence. Novomatic was established in 1980, and since 2012 the newcomer to the gaming group has had a base in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, 20 miles from downtown Chicago. The company is said to be purchasing a majority stake in Ainsworth. Their US development team has been working hard to create entertaining games with an American focus, and  G2E will give the fledgling company the chance to show how they have evolved. We'll be seeing a lot more of this company in the years to come.

Novomatic

Booth 1259

The big hook to draw visitors into the company's booth this year will be The World Championship of Slots. This is not your grandmother's slot tournament. It's not Everi's tournament either. Novomatic has hired an Emmy award winning producer and director to produce hour long episodes of the World Championship of Slots Experience (WCOS) for the Game Show Network.  There will be 16 episodes in all. Each will be shot in a host casino (including G2E?) where there will be qualifying tournaments for gamers wanting to get on the show. I haven't read dates and locations anywhere yet (I'll let you know if I find out anything), but press releases say that the opportunity to gamble and be seen on TV will give players a unique reason to visit their preferred entertainment destination. There will be a grand finale, but I've yet to learn when or where it will be held and what prizes will be awarded. It could be that a preliminary competition will be held at G2E...unless the size of the crowd is prohibitive. It would certainly draw attention to Booth 1259, wouldn't it?

According to Global Gaming Business Magazine, there is an element of skill and strategy involved, a built in "gamble" feature which allows players to raise their stakes for a chance at the winning jackpot. Even if they are far behind other players. If there's a big enough jackpot at the end, a player can "bet up" to try to unseat the leader. We might want to visit Novomatic's Booth to learn more about how this will work. GGB Magazine says the competition gives the casinos a new way to market, and a new entertainment experience for the players.  Casino operators can select titles from a WCOS portfolio and can customize a tournament by picking base games from among their top performers on the floor.  And it's all done on live TV.

WCOS is not the only thing Novomatic is bringing to G2E. Players are "Very Important People" to the company, and one way they are showing this is with the VIP Lounge.  The VIP Lounge is designed to envelop the player in a plush, lounge-style seating environment, ergonomically designed for comfort.  The Lounge is adjustable for optimal reach and leg room and for the perfect viewing angle vis a vis the two 32-inch HD LED screens.  "You don't have to lean up; the buttons are in the chair. You can lean back, have a drink, almost like being at home in your favorite gamer chair." And its coming to North America with new gaming content.

Two of their new games were unveiled at the ICE show in London earlier this year: Full Moon and Eclipse. Two other games in the series to be presented later are Break of Dawn and Midnight Heat. Full Moon is a five reel 50 line medium-high volatility game (infrequent hits but big pays) with a top prize of 250x bet. A wild wolf substitutes for all symbols except the moon scatter symbol that can trigger up to 20 free games.  Eclipse is a six reel, 50 line game set for high volatility with payouts 1000x the bet and a single line. The moon substitutes for all symbols with 3 or more scattering and triggering 10 free games. There is a randomly chosen special expanding symbols that grows horizontally to adjacent reels and pays both left to right and right to left.

There are 20 new game titles in all. They include Black Jaguar, Dancing Dragon, Orca, Asian Fortunes, Pure Jewels Extreme, and JackPOP.  The design team is excited about the new series called Four Seasons. Each is a 5 reel, 40 line title themed around a beguiling Queen for each season. Each offers a distinct play experience, so whether you're a serious gambler or a more casual player seeking entertainment and time on device there's a season and a lady for you.  Winter is a low-volatility game  where the Winter Queen, the Polar Bear, Husky, and the Ice Bird may appear in blocks on reels 1-3, 2-4, and 3-5 (big symbols).  Summer features the highest volatility of the set with special stacked symbols that appear during the bonus and before each game. If the symbol covers two non-adjacent reels it expands horizontally to cover all the positions in between. No details were given about the other two seasons which have not been shown yet.

In the international section of the booth, the GAMINATOR Scorpion will make its first appearance at G2E. What's the gaminator? -- a fancy aesthetically designed cabinet with advanced technology.  Attending G2E will be company representatives from the company's Latin American subsidiaries including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru as well as from Europe and Asia.  The booth will also be set up to allow Greentube and Bluebat to showcase their latest online, mobile and social innovations. Novomatic Lottery and Novomatic Sports Betting Solutions will also be demonstrating at G2E.

Sounds like there'll be something for everyone at Booth 1259 this year. Take a look and see for yourself at G2E.

G2E 2016 - Preview - 4 - Inspired Virtual Sports

Here's a Bonus Post for you Sports Fans.  You are invited to meet Shaquille O'Neal at G2e Tuesday  September 27 at the Inspired Virtual Sports Booth between 2 and 4 pm.

Inspired Virtual Sports
Booth 4130

IVS is introducing Virtual Basketball at G2E, and you have your chance to both see the game and meet the star at the company's Booth 4130 Tuesday, Sept 27.

I'm sure most slot players like sports  games and maybe even sports betting. They are interested in the players (past and present) and the games they play.  I found this news release in my mail box this morning and thought those of you interested in sports might want to know. 

Here's what the company had to say:

"Inspired's Virtual Sports are now live in Nevada, and to celebrate, we'll be welcoming legendary basketball player Shaquille O'Neal to the G2E stand as we unveil all-new Virtual Basketball. Shaq will be at the booth on Sept 27th from 2-4 pm, so drop by for a photo and check out our exclusive behind the scenes footage of the making of Rush Basketball. 

Last year you met Mike Tyson on the Inspired stand, and now is your chance to preview Inspired’s full suite of Tyson Knock Out Games on our special Tyson Eclipse Cabinet. See if you have what it takes to beat the champ by playing our all new Mike Tyson Rush Boxing, Mike Tyson Roulette, Mike Tyson Blackjack and Mike Tyson Slots. Inspired’s lottery games are live worldwide and are available to play online, on mobile, and in retail.

If I learn more, I'll pass it on. In the meantime, I'll be letting you know what Novomatic has in store.

G2E 2016 Preview - 3 - Aruze

We players are seeing Aruze slots more and more often in the casinos where we play. And according to recent news releases, we'll soon be seeing them on Carnival cruise ships as well. This month three Carnival liners --  Carnival Pride, Carnival Fantasy, and Ruby Princess --  will set sail with two of Aruze's newest Cube-x Vertical games Tower Stack Lion and Tower Stack Dragon aboard.  But you don't need to sign up for a Carnival Cruise to view these Aruze games - all you need to do is visit booth 2659 at G2E.

Aruze Gaming America

Booth 2659

I recognize Aruze games on the casino floor by their bright lights and tinny carnival sounds. They are also the games that shout out information such as the number of spins you have remaining when you are in the bonuses.  Hopefully the company will tone down those distinguishing features somewhat. 

Last year Aruze broadened its slot portfolio with the Cube-x cabinet, a millennial-friendly slot format designed to appeal to the younger demographic. The games had an ultra-fast processor driving intensified lighting, high def LCD touch-screen monitors and button panels, and custom LCD toppers. This year the company is doubling down in a new premium cabinet, the Cube - x Vertical. The cabinets will contain a pair of games: Tower Stack Lion and Tower Stack Dragon. I don't know, but I suspect these games are upgrades of current games Ultra Stack Lion and Ultra Stack Dragon.

Here is a picture of the new Vertical Tower Stack Dragon. 

Both games use the extra-long top monitor to display three individual four-by-five reel sets, stacked vertically. The player can activate all three of the 50-line frames for 150 pay lines on each spin. Betting the Plus Factor adds a selectable play area and turns all symbols on the 5th reel wild.

Five games in the Tower Stack Feature series will be shown at G2E:  Lion, Dragon, Panda, Rose, and Bison.  Half a dozen titles will be displayed in the Cube-x Ultimate cabinet, the company's first stepper cabinet incorporating a mechanical bonus wheel. These six are titles in the 999.9 Gold Wheel Series - Super Vault, Diamond Desire, Money Rush, Royal Crown, Gold Legend, and Bags of Cash.  They are all equipped with roulette-style reels and feature four levels of progressives won through the wheel-spin bonus.

You can get a feel for these games here.

Aruze has 15 titles on the Cube-x Innovator, a stepper platform that features Radiant Reels. Titles include Infinite 7 Diamond, Beautiful Dancing Dragon Spirit, Gold on Gold, and the Burning Hot Jackpot Series: Apex Tiger, Howling Wolf, Aztec Sol and the Great Inca.  There are also two red dice games: Red Dice Wild, and Red Dice Wild Deluxe.

Their core video series of 23 title will also be on display at G2E. Highlights include several Asian-themed games such as Fu Jin and Raijn. You can wager more for more paying symbols with a feature boost ante bet in the Coat of Arms Series: Griffin, Pegasus, and Guardian.  A group of four "Extreme" games (Extreme Dragon, Phoenix, Kylin, or Tortoise) include progressives won through a picking bonus. There is also a five-game Happy Festival Chinese Gods series.

Lastly, the number of e-games such as craps, baccarat, and roulette electronic tables will be increasing. If you like table games, you may want to look for Big Wheel Premium which is essentially an automated  Big Wheel Six linked to five electronic wagering stations.  The e-tables will contribute to a total of 180 games at the Aruze Gaming America's booth.  Stop and take a look at booth 2659 September 27 and 28 at this year's G2E.

Stay tuned. There's more in store. 

G2E 2016 Preview - 2 AGS

Yesterday we looked at Ainsworth Game Technology and some of what we can expect to see on the Global Gaming Expo floor the last week of this month.  Today we want to take a look at another popular game manufacturer whose name you might not know - AGS, American Gaming Systems. You might not recognize the new name, but, especially if you play in Native American casinos, you will certainly be familiar with its popular Cadillac Jack games.  AGS acquired Cadillac Jack as part of it acquisition of rival Canadian company Amaya Gaming for $382 million dollars a year ago this summer. Their goal was to broaden the company's market in both Class II and Class III machines, and the company has been making great strides in this endeavor in the past two years. Information in this preview comes from Frank Legato's articles on the web.

American Gaming System - AGS

Booth 1253

I have never paid much attention to the cabinet slot games are housed in - except of course for the huge displays three screens tall - but slot manufacturers do, and they use G2E to show off the improvements in these cases as well as their games. After AGS acquired Cadillac Jack - a Class II company with some Class III hits - they began work on the new platform which they named the Icon cabinet, a dual -monitor format with state of the art lighting and sound.  They launched the new cabinet last year at G2E 2015, and titles began appearing in our casinos in May of this year. At G2E 2016 this year, AGS will display 36 titles on Icon, part of a launch of 40- 45 new titles.  A second cabinet, called Orion, will make its debut at G2E this year and will house another 10-12 new titles. It will feature a 42-inch flat screen, a high def monitor, providing a continuous screen for expanding reels, bonus features, and other interactive features on a touch sensitive surface. It has been compared to a billboard with LED lighting.

The Orion will be launched with games that have proven to be winners for the company - games like FireWolf II. The original FireWolf series was a hit for the former Cadillac Jack company. It is a PowerXStream game with a 3-4-4-4-3 setup with 576 ways to win and lines that pay both left to right and right to left.  A clone of FireWolf called River Dragons adds interactive animated features like fish that react at the touch of the screen.  The new version will be called Gold Dragon Red Dragon Extreme Jackpots.  Other games include Fire Bull, Fu Panda, and Wolf Queen.  Shadow Sirens is another new game featuring Streaming Stacks. Great Gorilla is another game with the Streaming Stacks feature. You can find thumb shoots of AGS's games at playags on the internet.

Kevin Reilly, the director of slot products, says AGS is aiming for medium-to-high volatility. They want a variety with core high volatility games (gamblers' games) and some entertainment games as well. They say they are still going after the high-limit player, and will be showing 3 or 4 specific high limit games at G2E.  Most of AGS's licensed brand games are about to expire, and the company is debating the future of this type game. Current titles include it Pays to Know Series - Family Feud, Are you Smarter than a 6th Grader, Ripley's. These are not games that get a lot of play in the casinos I visit. 

The company will also be displaying its table games at G2E- with an array of blackjack side bets, progressives, original poker derivative games, and Des, the company's first card shuffler.

If you would like a sample of the demos YouTube videographers will showing us next month, here's a sample of an AGS/Cadillac Jack video filmed by Random$$slots at last year's Global Gaming Expo 2015.

This game is in casinos today, but the video demonstrates not only the game but also gives you a feel for AGS's approach to gaming.  There are several videos of the FireWolf games you can watch on YouTube also.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of these previews in another day or two.

G2E 2016 Preview - 1 Ainsworth

Slot players and game lovers of all kinds will be heading to Las Vegas the last week of this month September 26 - 29 for this year's Global Gaming Expo (G2E) at the Sands Convention Center.  There will be seminars to attend, industry leaders to network with, fellow slot lovers and manufacturers to talk with about your favorite games.  But the best part of all for most of us is the opportunity to walk the floor and see first hand the new games that have recently made their way into casinos and the even newer ones that we'll be seeing in the months to come. The seminars are pricey, but there are YouTubers like Random$$slots who will be filming the talks and showing them in installments to the rest of us on their YouTube Channels. The games are free to see starting Sept 27 for most viewers who have some connection to the industry, slot fanatics, the blog writers, the YouTube videographers and video creators, the casino workers, and the managers whose job it is to predict which of the  many games and displays and cabinets will attract players of all ages to stay and play.  I've been reading articles on the internet by Frank Legato about what we can expect to see when we go this year, and I'll share as much as I've learned with you before I go.  Because many of the games we were shown last G2E have not made it to the many of the casinos where we play, there is some history and information in the 2015 G2E Previews posted in September 2015 that might be of interest too. We'll start with a popular manufacturer relatively new to the North American market - Ainsworth.

Ainsworth

G2E Booth # 2059

Ainsworth is an Australian company founded in 1995 by Len Ainsworth who also founded Aristocrat Technologies two years earlier. When you fly into Las Vegas from the west, you've probably seen the sprawling industrial complex with an enormous stylized A emblazoned on the roof. That A is the logo of Ainsworth Game Technology, a company that has made tremendous inroads into the American gaming market over the past two years. Ainsworth has been in the North American market in some form since 2008, but in the two years since breaking ground on its new Vegas facility the company has gained market share of upwards of 5%, and the number is still growing.  You can view the facility on YouTube. Video creators Alberts Slot Channel, Shinobi Slots, Beam Me Up Slotty, and Slot Lover (and maybe others I'm unaware of) were invited to visit the new facility this summer, and there are YouTube films they posted in late July and August of the building and the new slots they viewed and commented on.  Links to these films showing the facility and new games filled by these video creators will be at the end of the write-up.

With the construction of the new Las Vegas facility, has come marked improvement of Research and Development, including the company's first US based game design studio.  Early this year the company closed on a $38 million acquisition of South Carolina-based Nova Technologies. One of the benefits of the acquisition of Nova has been an instant presence and strong growth in the Class II (Bingo slots) market especially in Oklahoma and California. At the time of the acquisition Nova had an installed base of 1,425 units in 11 states.  Many people can not tell the difference between Class II and Class III slots. That is intentional. Nova's team has technically developed Class III games for more than a decade. At Nova, the Class II games are actually developed first as Class III according to the design staff. According to the company, 12 Nova Class II titles will be added each year to the 30 now available. They also say that two new Class III titles are being made available in the Class II library each month.

So, what can we expect to see at Ainsworth's booth at G2E this year?  Frank Legato says there will be more than 120 games on display at Ainsworth's booth (#2059).  Those games will include between 60 and 70 new titles and they will be shown in all the company's various cabinets. The new A600 cabinet is being launched with six dedicated themes and more than 50 legacy titles, an enormous library right from the start. (The old A560 cabinet will be serving as a workhorse for the entirely new Class II products.)  

The new A600 cabinet will debut at G2E with "Cash Odyssey" -- a series of three games based on literary classics -- Gulliver's Travels, Huckelberry Finn, and Robinson Crusoe. Part 3 of Slot Lover's Ainsworth demo includes these games if you'd like to preview them yourself. Sources say these Cash Odyssey series games feature base games on two separate reel sets, on each of the cabinets dual 24-inch monitor. Each monitor has a Blue Zone and a Red Zone on which a credit prize is awarded every time a Cash Odyssey symbol lands. 

Other new games include two series of multiple-progressive video slots under the themes Quackpot and Thunder Hits.  Albert (affectionately called Mr. Ainsworth by his friends) of Albert's Slot Channel has filmed Quackpot and Thunder Wilds to show us.  His films also include Fortune Fox and Action Dragons.  The new legacy cabinet will include Dragon Lines, Mustang Money, Roaming Reels, Twice the Money, Glitter Diamonds, and Dolphin.  Take a look at the films shown by the YouTubers who were invited to visit the company and see what is new-to-you there.

Press releases say by the end of the year, the company will release win-at-any-bet progressive games. And in the first quarter of 2017 the "hit before" progressives. This type game is very difficult to do with bingo-math (Class II) but Ainsworth plans to be the first to do it in Class II.

What about licensed slots? There will be the usual releases - The Three Amigos, King Kong, Showgirls, and The Sound of Music -- by no means their best offerings according to many players -- but there will also be new licensed brands that are being kept secret until show time.  The company realizes this is not their strong suit but they say they will make an effort over the next 12 months to do more with licensed slots. 

What does the future hold in store for Ainsworth? Well, one thing we should see is its expansion into other markets. There is a pending purchase after regulatory approval of the majority of Ainsworth shares by Austria's Novomatic Group. The process will take about 12 months and should benefit both companies. It will open new markets in Europe for Ainsworth where Novomatic dominates. Novomatic has committed to placing 2,000 Ainsworth games in casinos the Austrian company owns and operates.

It's nice to read about all these coming releases, but nothing compares with seeing it all for yourself. It's not too late to plan a trip to Las Vegas to enjoy the excitement first hand.   If you can't attend, take a look at Albert, Slot Lover, Shinobi, and BMUS' films and then watch the demos filmed by various YouTube channels at G2E. You'll be surprised at how many there will be.  In the meantime, I'll try to find another slot manufacturer to spotlight in the next day of two.

Here are Slot Lover's three demo films:

Here are some demos Albert filmed at Ainsworth:

           

Shinobi and Beam Me Up Slotty, if you have others not shown here, send them to me and I'll add them to the ones I have.

Gamblit Gaming to test skill bases gaming at Harrahs SoCal Resort

Skill based gaming is the wave of the future and Gamblit Gaming hopes to convince young gamers to trade their mobile phones for games of skill at their parents' casinos. The article that follows is taken from the web, but the news involves Harrah's Resort Southern California (formerly called Harrah's Rincon) in northern San Diego County. The new skill-based games will appear in the casino before the end of the year, and if they prove popular, you may see them in Vegas before long. Why San Diego instead of Las Vegas? Proximity to the manufacturer's venue.  Gamblit Gaming is a California company located in Glendale, California,  which is a suburb of Los Angeles, not too far from Burbank -- just a short 60 or so mile drive from Harrah's San Diego.  Gamblit showcased some of these games at G2E last October, and we can expect to see them at Harrah's soon after G2E this month. We'll keep our eyes open.

The article that follows is from CDS Gaming Report, taken from Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg.

"Caesars Entertainment Corp., trying to convince young people that slot machines can be cool, is rolling out a new generation of devices in its casinos that look like the mobile games people play on their phones.

The largest owner of casinos in the U.S. is trying to buck a trend that’s seen slot-machine betting fall to $291 billion in 2014 from a peak of $355 billion in 2007, according to the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers. While the slow-growing economy is often cited for the drop, casino operators also say millennials don’t play the slots like their parents and grandparents.

The new machines pay out based on a customer’s skill as well as luck, a change that required tweaks to casino regulations. The games, developed by Gamblit Gaming, challenge players to find words hidden on a board or match flavors of smoothies in a virtual juice bar. In Grab Poker, four people stand around a flat, waist-high screen and press buttons to see who’ll snag the card that pops up in the middle. The player with the best poker hand at the end wins.

The games are designed to lure younger patrons, who prefer to gamble interactively and tend to spend more on booze and food. Caesars plans to put six new devices, enough for 25 players, in its Harrah’s resort near San Diego this year and as many as 36, with room for 125 players, in its Las Vegas properties in 2017.

“Typically slot machines are a very solitary experience,” said Eric Meyerhofer, chief executive officer of by Glendale, California-based Gamblit. “Our games are designed to be played in groups with friends.”

Small Wins

Yet unlike typical slots, which are based solely on chance, casinos are challenged to make sure that the new skill-based machines aren’t so easily conquered, leading pinball wizards to break the bank.

Gamblit’s games are designed to create a series of small wins rather than one big jackpot, and over time the payouts should average that of traditional slot machines, Meyerhofer said. A.G. Burnett, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said he expects some manufacturers to make their games progressively harder as the players score higher, a big change from the static play of a game like blackjack.

Casino regulators in Nevada and New Jersey have been reworking their regulations over the past two years to allow for skill-based games. Major slot machines manufacturers such as Scientific Games Corp. and International Game Technology Plc have been developing their own versions of interactive devices. IGT has a machine based on the Atari video game Centipede in use at MGM Resorts International’s Bellagio casino in Las Vegas.

Party Atmosphere

Other casinos are looking for ways to attract millennials. Wynn Resorts Ltd. redesigned the Player’s Club at its Encore resort in Las Vegas last year to add a DJ booth, lounge seating with flat-screen video slot machines and a white-lacquer billiards table from Steve Wynn’s Manhattan penthouse to create a more party-like atmosphere. Las Vegas Sands Corp. in July installed “stadium-style” seats at its casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There, players bet based on cards dealt by live dealers at the center of a circular floor, an arrangement some people find less intimating than joining a table of strangers.

“It gives them a bit of time to learn these games without feeling they’re making a mistake and doing something wrong,” said Mark Juliano, president of the Sands Bethlehem.

For Las Vegas-based Caesars, which has been struggling under the debt load taken on during a 2008 leveraged buyout, the app-like games represent a way to compete against simple, addictive games like Candy Crush that have proliferated on mobile phones.

The rollout is part of a larger strategy by Chief Executive Officer Mark Frissora to introduce more technology to the business.

“Our world has shifted,” said Melissa Price, Caesars’ senior vice president of gaming. 'There are a lot of entertainment opportunities that don’t always exist at the casino.'”