Slot Machines Get a Video Game Makeover

So here's the deal: those classic one-armed bandits in casinos are raking in major cash. Over in the States and across Europe, slot machines are the real MVPs, bringing in something like two-thirds of a casino's income. That's wild, right? But there's this snag – the younger folks aren't really digging the slots. We're talking about a massive chunk of money, over $40 billion in 2017 in the U.S. alone. When you hit up Vegas, the average Joe hitting the slots is about 58, way older than the overall average casino-goer who's 36. Casino bigwigs are sweating over this and are dead set on keeping that money rolling in. They're eyeing those video games the younger crowd can't get enough of and thinking, ""Why not make slots more like that?"" I mean, no young gun wants to look like a noob at the tables with some snooty dealer judging them , right?

But here's the catch: the gambling honchos usually want slot machines to give everyone the same shot at winning. They're scared that if you mix in skill, players might get suckered into thinking they've got the game on lock. That could lead to more addiction issues. Take Japan's Pachinko – it's everywhere, and folks play for prizes, not cash. That’s been going strong without much fuss. Yet, seeing their cash flow at risk, some places are changing their tune. Nevada, always ahead of the curve, said ""Yeah, let's do this"" in 2016 and let skill factor into the slots. New Jersey, where you've got Atlantic City, jumped on board later that year hop over to this web-site.

Mixing up slots and video games is tricky business, though. On one side, you've got luck-based slots where the house always ends up winning, right? But they've gotta let players win just enough to keep them hooked. Then you throw in skill, and suddenly it's a whole new ball game. The brainiacs creating these machines have to juggle a zillion things to make the math work out. Mike Tomasello, this hotshot at American Gaming and Electronics in New Jersey, says these new-age slots need way more fine-tuning than the old-school ones gothamist.

Then you've got the law stepping in, setting minimum odds for players. They call it ""return to player,"" and it's usually pegged at about 75% of what's been bet over time. Trying to fit all this together with the skill element is like walking through a patent minefield, according to Georg Washington, the head honcho at Synergy Blue, which is all in on these hybrid machines.

But hey, if you nail it, you're golden. Eric Meyerhofer, the big boss at Gamblit Gaming, can barely contain his glee. He's got these hybrid machines that the younger players can't get enough of – we're talking 15-20 years younger than your typical slot fan. His machines are such a hit, cocktail waitresses can't even get a moment from these engrossed players. And Pascal Camia, who's running the show at Monaco's casinos, says their skill slots are making bank just like the traditional ones. There's this game, Fruttis, that's blowing up in Finland – think Candy Crush but with cash. And Synergy Blue? They had this Safari Match game that outperformed regular slots at one point over in California . Though, the hype might be dying down a bit now.

Thing is, these skill-based slots need you to focus, so you're not slamming the bet button every few seconds like in the old days. Casinos are seeing stable money coming in, which means players are either dropping more cash per bet or just sticking around longer. Whichever way, the casinos aren't complaining.

But not everyone's sold on this. Sina Hentunen from Veikkaus thinks some players might just want to zone out with traditional slots instead of breaking a mental sweat. But guys like Meyerhofer and Washington? They're ready to bet big on their brainy slots.