A key topic in 2015 has been how the slots industry will be handled moving forward. Current slot machines just aren’t reaching younger generations the way that operators would hope for, and some work must be done to appeal to young players.
In order to help solve this problem, the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) really pushed to get skill-based slots onto Nevada casino floors. This prompted state legislature to pass Senate Bill 9, which allows for “innovative, alternative and advanced technology” in casinos.
The quick interpretation of this is that the Nevada Gaming Control Board likes the idea of skill-based slots and other new-age games. So we can certainly expect a major revolution in Nevada casinos moving forward. But just what will this movement look like?
Well if you click on the picture at the top, you can see AGEM’s futuristic casino layout, which includes everything from dancing slots to group play games. Judging from the picture, which also appears in Vegas Inc., casinos will be more vibrant places that provide a wide variety of options.
The only problem is that we’ll be waiting a while because the regulatory framework isn’t even finished. Senate Bill 9 only provides the Gaming Control Board with a loose structure of what’s to be expected moving forward. Just to give you an example, here’s one excerpt from the Vegas Inc. article:
“For instance, some proposed language suggests that games with elements of skill can’t change the rules without first notifying players. Jim Barbee, the board’s technology chief, said the idea is not to allow skill-based slots to adapt to how well players perform without telling them. He used the example of a player trying to hit successive bullseyes on a target: Under this rule, the game could not keep making the bullseye smaller after a player hits one — unless the game disclosed that upfront.”
Until issues like this are worked out, it’s hard to set a timetable for the Vegas slots revolution. But one thing’s for sure: casinos will definitely be offering skill-based slots in the near future because they need to if they’re to capture the younger generation.