A few years ago, skill based slot machines entered brick-and-mortar casinos. The goal is to attract millennials, who don’t play regular slot machines as much as older generations.
Skill based slots sound like a great idea. They provide the opportunity to influence results with skill, rather than just pure randomness.
However, they have yet to really take off. I’m going to cover more on these games along with why they’re struggling.
What Are Skill Based Slot Machines?
Most slots feature purely random results. You spin the reels and let the random number generator (RNG) do the rest.
A skill based slot, in contrast, offers some degree of skill. The bonus round provides a chance to control your fate.
For example, you might shoot at bad buys in a cops-and-robbers games. Or, you may control a race car in an F1-themed slot.
Skill based slot machines still feature random results during the main game. However, the difference is that their bonus has some degree of skill.
How Are These Games Faring on Casino Floors?
Casinos don’t expect people to immediately drop traditional slots in favor of a new breed. But they may have been hoping for a better start than what’s happened so far.
Skill based slots haven’t drawn a lot of gamblers. In fact, they’re somewhat stuck in the mud right now.
These games are at least featured in casinos throughout Las Vegas and Atlantic City. They just haven’t managed to draw much of a crowd.
Part of the problem is that most gamblers don’t realize these slots are skill based. They merely see a typical game when walking by.
Do Skill Based Slot Machines Have a Future?
Skill slots likely have some sort of future in gaming. But the extent of their success is unknown.
These games could just become a fun alternative to regular slot machines. Or, they could eventually become highly popular among millennials.
Only time will tell how skill based slots are received. For the time being, though, they’re just novelties.