Smaller crowds, Vanna White, cashless gaming, new cabinets, sports wagering and everyone signing a deal with Sightline. Those were the major headlines at G2E. But what about the smaller, and occasionally ‘finer,’ points?
Here are a few bullets (highs and lows) that caught my attention in Las Vegas at G2E 2021, in no particular order:
Meter Image Capturing – This slick app allows operators to quickly record the current state of their progressive meters using a mobile phone camera. It was developed by Patrick and Joe Schmit and recently acquired by Everi. No more notepad scribbling at the end of graveyard and (best of all) zero errors. It produces great reports and does all the math. It’s a product that was long overdue.
No Show Guide – While their mobile app was better than ever, it was a shame that G2E didn’t produce a hard copy of the vendor guide. That annual publication was one of the best bookshelf references when you wanted to look up names, addresses and phone numbers for that company you couldn’t recall.
Narrow Reels At Scientific Games – In case you don’t know the history, about a decade ago MultiMedia (now Everi) released a new spinning reel game called Double Jackpot Gems on a cabinet called the “Skyline.” Interestingly, it was almost an exact copy of an “old school” Bally S6000, just scaled down about 5% with an added top box. About the same time, everyone else launched beautiful new mechanicals that were bolder, bigger (wider reels), brighter and full of video bells and whistles. Fast forward about 10 years, and Everi completely dominates high denomination mechanical reels. They did it with just minor variations of that original MGAM cabinet. All the others? They had some success in low denominations, but all struck out with profitable high-limit players. At G2E 2021, Bally (now Scientific Games) finally reacted. They launched a “Landmark 7000” mechanical that looks a lot like their original S6000. They call it a “nostalgic design.” I call it a potential hit and better late than never. IGT also eliminated more of the frills on some of their reel spinners, but not as much as on the Landmark.
Vaccine Status Program – I was anticipating a nightmare of long lines and wasted time meeting the strict COVID guidelines required at G2E. Organizers sent out advanced notices that were as long as an Apple iTunes agreement. However, in a pleasant surprise, the process was quick and painless. Lines were short and moved quickly. Once checked, they branded you with a wrist band, and you were good to go for the week. Nice job, G2E!
No Carpet on the Pathways – This was a small point, but in the past, the pathways between booths were carpeted. Not this year. There was never much padding on those runway carpets, but every little bit helped the feet.
Soap on the Sleeve –The radar-controlled soap and water dispensers are wonderful in the Expo bathrooms. While other casinos ration soap like it was toilet paper last March, the units at the Sands dispense a near-perfect dollop of foam. However, more often than not, it lands on your long-sleeve shirt when you try to rinse. You would have thought I’d remembered that from two years ago … but No.
Phone Battery Rental – A few years back, several vendors showed cabinets where you could deposit your phone in a locked “charging” cubby. Later, you could return and retrieve your fully-powered phone. It was a decent idea, but many folks were hesitant to part with their phone … ever. Lyte offered a better solution. Insert your credit card, and a fully-charged battery – with cord adapters for all brands – pops out of their dispenser. You keep your phone and let the rented battery charge it. Once complete, you return the battery. Good idea. (Note: Remember, they have your CC#, to cover batteries that walk away.)
Goodbye Marcus – Marcus Prater is retiring after doing a great job heading the AGEM (Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers) for over 10 years. His successor, Daron Dorsey, will take over in March of next year. Good luck, Daron – and we will miss you, Marcus.
ETGs – Electronic Table Games have arrived. In case you have any doubt, the convincer for me was when downtown’s legendary El Cortez Hotel & Casino installed a full-blown Interblock ETG Stadium. That’s not to say that Kenny Epstein’s historic casino on Fremont Street lives in the past, because they’ve done over $50M in upgrades to their casino floor and the hotel rooms lately. But for them to install a full “stadium” ahead of others, it’s a sign from above (or maybe from the ghosts of previous owners Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and Jackie Gaughan): ETGs have arrived, baby!!!
IGT’s Diamond RS – IGT introduced “transmissive reels” a few years ago. A better name for those would have been “cloudy reels.” The overlayed LED video screen tended to make the spinners look milky or dirty. This year, they introduced a Double Top Dollar game at the show. This former “shared revenue” game is now “for sale” (i.e. no fees). When IGT’s Anthony Baerlocher (VP of Mechanical Reels) showed me the game, I was amazed that this Top Dollar (and all the Diamond RS cabinets) had transmissive screens. They were completely invisible, at least until the displays turn on. They could be a game changer, adding real flexibility for designers and nice surprises for players. Great improvement, Anthony! (Note: The “RS” is for Reel Spinning).
Mystery Booth – Booth 3917 looked like it was closed, with black curtains on all four sides and no doors. The attached paper sign said, “VCR Repair”. But there was always a crowd going in and out of the curtains of the small 10’x10’ space. If you got to peek inside, you would have seen HOF video poker designer Ernie Moody and his right-hand man Mike Fields entertaining customers. When not fixing old tape players, they run VideoPoker.com. Fields noted that they usually have a large open booth, but said, “This idea attracted more attention than we’ve had at any previous show.”
Ultimate X Gold – Speaking of Ernie Moody, he released this game about a year ago for IGT. While walking the floor with video poker guru Bob Dancer, he told me this game had caught his attention and had him puzzled. That’s very rare for Dancer. He said it would take a super-computer to calculate how to achieve perfect play on this theme. “The math is so complex. It offers thousands of possible good ways to play.” What caught my attention was that there were always “multipliers” showing on some part of the paytable, something rare to find on a standard Ultimate X.
Square Signs – The JCM booth was an attention getter. In the world of curved LED screens on every slot machine and sign, they had a booth full of “square” signs. The signs didn’t directly relate to their products, but it was refreshing to see a cube for a change, instead of nothing but curves.
The Food Court – The G2E 2021 Food Court was the largest ever. Not the best, but the largest. Gone were the glory days when F&B vendors displayed their wares and fed the masses with free samples of everything. Of course, it was large because the vendor booth count was low due to COVID travel restrictions. But it was nice that the organizers used much of that unclaimed space to add more tables and chairs.
Aristocrat’s Party – AGS hosted a customer party at the Dallas Cowboys practice facility in Frisco, TX a few years ago. But at G2E 2021, Aristocrat upped the ante by hosting their customers at the new Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders (ex-home of Jon Gruden). There were a few casino executives walking gingerly the following day, nursing torn hamstrings and tender groins from trying to kick field goals. Reportedly, no one came close to breaking Justin Tucker’s new record of 66-yards. Aristocrat’s super salesman Keith Blake said, “Our customers loved seeing the stadium, being on the field and getting to visit the locker rooms. It was the best event ever.”
Seminole Hard Rock’s Dan Ingster enjoying a ‘selfie’ at the Aristocrat party at Allegiant Stadium
Products Worth Noting:
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- The Kitty series from Sci Games on the Kascata. Hopefully, this attempt at making a persistence bonus on a video slot machine will (forgive the pun) stick around.
- Aruze’s Roll To Win video craps game. No dealer skill required.
- Gaming Analytics.AI – provides solutions to complicated issues just by typing simple questions.
- The Cashman Link game from Aristocrat.
- Overhead roulette displays from Casino Digital Signs.
- Two opposing Aristocrat “Double Arc” cabinets topped by a curved ceiling sign– “Gaming in a tube!”
- The Willy Wonka game on Sci Games’ new Mural cabinet utilized the extremely tall pallet better than most (nice design, Michael Tucker).
- Quick Custom Intelligence – Andrew Cardno’s and Ralph Thomas’ latest analytical software product – their “Host” module is especially noteworthy.
- Aruze’s Go-Go Claw game; Incredible Technology’s (IT) Prism VXP game featuring a video “coin pusher;” and Everi’s Cashnado that mimics a cash blower booth with players grabbing (video) bills– the old ideas keep coming back again and again.
- ACS PlayOn was acquired by Sci Games. It’s the best and least complicated cashless system for table games.
- The Acres Foundation product was not at the show, but they dominated the signage at the Expo???
Quotes Overheard:
- “I like that it was relaxed and less frenzied than in the past.”
- “Volumes were down, but the customers that mattered were here.”
- “Scientific Games is picking up some great game designers.”
- “Badge registration was the smoothest ever.”
- “I’m amazed at how many people have changed jobs since we were here two years ago.”
- “Hector Fernandez is going to be great at Aristocrat.”
- “Jamie O’Dell is going to be great at Scientific Games.”
- “Good luck trying to get into the Interblock booth without an invite.”
- “I loved seeing everyone in person again.”
- “It looks like 25% of the normal crowd stayed home.”
- “I was expecting a 60% to 70% decline, so I was pleased with the turnout.”
- “I didn’t recognize half my customers with their masks on.”
- “Can you believe how many people left on Thursday?”
- “Are your feet as sore as mine?”
(Those last two quotes have been heard every year since this show was called the World Gaming Congress)
Only in Nevada – The drive home from Las Vegas to Reno on Highway 95 has always been relaxing for me. It reminds me that I no longer must endure the stop-and-go nightmares on I-15 in southern California or the Beltway in D.C. But, this year, there was a traffic jam near Beatty when some radical Democrats blocked the roadway protesting climate change and the statewide drought.
Photo by Buddy Frank just before the wild burro tried to eat his cell phone
