Skill-based gambling device maker GameCo has won certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), paving the way for a wider rollout of GameCo products in casinos across the United States and beyond.
On Tuesday, GameCo proudly announced that GLI had certified the company’s Video Game Gambling Machines (VGM) under GLI-11, the global gold standard for casino gambling device respectability. GameCo CEO Blaine Graboyes called GLI’s stamp of approval “a huge milestone for GameCo, and for all skill-based gambling products.”
GameCo’s VGM feature 30-90-second video games adapted from top developers, with patented math models to tailor game play to match player skill levels. Last November, GameCo launched America’s first casino-based VGM in Caesars Entertainment’s Atlantic City properties after winning approval from state gaming regulators.
GameCo says it expects similar regulatory approval will be granted in Connecticut soon, and the company hopes to launch nearly 20 gaming positions in the state this month. By next year, GameCo hopes to be operational in most major US gambling jurisdictions.
Last month, GameCo launched a new VGM title, Pharaoh’s Secret, at the Caesars casinos as well as AC’s Tropicana venue. The Egyptian-themed Match-3 style game, which was developed in conjunction with Pirates Gold Studios, will be followed this month by Nothin’ But Net, a basketball-themed VGM developed in conjunction with Free Range Games.
GameCo says it’s planning to release 10 or more new VGM titles in 2017, including titles licensed from Paramount Pictures such as Ferris Bueller, as well as StudioCanal’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
CALLING GEORGE COSTANZA: KONAMI LAUNCH FROGGER IN VEGAS
GameCo may have been the first skill-based device maker to make it to market, but it’s far from alone. Last month saw Japanese device maker Konami Holdings Corp launch its new Frogger: Get Hoppin’ product in the LEVEL UP lounge at MGM Resorts’ MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas.
Based on Konami’s popular 1980s arcade title, Frogger: Get Hoppin’ incorporates both skill-based elements and random slots play on the same device. To promote the game’s release, MGM held a free-play Frogger tournament that attracted 230 players over two days. While attendance may have been underwhelming, MGM Grand President Scott Sibella called the game “the future of casino gaming.”
Nevada regulators approved skill-based casino devices in 2015 as a way to attract more millennials, who enjoy Vegas nightspots but who have shown little interest in traditional gambling products. Developer Gamblit Gaming has struck deals to launch a variety of its products on Vegas casino floors in the near future.
