Recently, Caesars Entertainment announced that its rollout for their skill based video gambling machines for all of their properties in Atlantic City are finished and that these machines are running at Bally’s Wild Wild West, Harrah’s Resort, and Caesars. The creator of these skill based games, GameCo, was the first provider to gain approval from a state regulator located in the United States.
The chief executive officer and co-founder of GameCo, Blaine Graboyes, expressed that he grew up playing video games at an arcade located on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. He also expressed that he feels very honored to launch the first ever skill based video game products in Atlantic City. The goal for the company is to give gamers a VIP experience and Gaboyes thinks that the casino is the perfect destination for that type of experience to occur at. He envisions a revitalized and bright future as the young generation finds their way there.
The casino industry in Atlantic City has seen a major decrease throughout the last decade due to the rise in competition in casinos located at different states and because the millennials want more of a range of casino games provided. GameCo and Caesars have been working together to form a new set of casino games that will be a mix of skills, player involvement, and entertainment.
Why Did They Decide to Collaborate?
They decided to collaborate with one another to bring out the best in gambling, video games, and escorts in order to give players a unique experience. Danger Arena is a flagship game at the VGMs. In the game, the skill of a player determines the final payout. Caesars will have these VGMs positioned at high traffic and prominent locations at all three of their casinos. Bally’s Wild Wild West and Caesars will have two triple-unit carousels and Harrah’s will have three triple unit carousels.
The VGM units developed by GameCo is a video game that has an arcade style and it has a controller. They have been designed to have single player games that will last on average somewhere between 45 to 90 seconds. However, the payout percentages will be determined by the skill level of the player. Also these machines will contain similar casino economics that have already been programmed in slot machines. GameCo and Caesars will be keeping a close eye on the machines to see how well they perfom and if they are a hit among the patrons.
What are Future Plans for GameCo?
GameCo is planning to develop a lot of new games in different genres such as adventure, racing, fighting, action, and sports in the near future. They are also planning to gain regulatory approval and enter a new set of gaming jurisdictions within these upcoming six months.
How Will This Move Impact the Casino Industry as a Whole?
This move will have a huge impact on the casino industry as a whole. In recent years, the gaming industry has changed in so many ways and the millennials are used to playing games that are popular within the gaming industry today. There have already been other developers in the gaming industry who have been looking to have their own skill based games at land-based casinos. They are just waiting to get approved from state regulators. This type of move shows that there is a new era of the casino industry coming in. The new era is expected to bring in a lot of millennials since the games are going to be geared towards them. Expect to see a lot of skill based slots on main casino floors at some point in the near future. The casino industry realizes that they need the millennials to become more interested in their games in order to be able to keep going as an industry. Anytime a business does not adapt to what society needs and wants, they do not survive and the casino industry definitely realizes this.
Studies have shown that millennials are not as interested in slots as much as the previous generations are. This has caused the casino industry to have a decrease in support in these past few recent years. Many other developers for slot machines will eventually follow suit in making their games involve some sort of skill. Games involving some sort of skill is what the millennials are used to playing. Many millennials grew up playing these type of skills along with playing ones at different arcades. A lot of young people do not want to play games that are all the way based on luck. Young people are really going to play a huge role in where the casino industry will be at in the future.