Strip ready: Skill-based Synergy Blue slots headed to The Linq

November 21, 2019 1:00 PM
  • Buck Wargo, CDC Gaming Reports
November 21, 2019 1:00 PM
  • Buck Wargo, CDC Gaming Reports

Synergy Blue announced Thursday it will install its slot machines on the Las Vegas Strip for the first time after reaching an agreement with Caesars Entertainment.

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A date for the test launch of the arcade-style, skill-influenced games at The Linq is still being determined.

The Las Vegas-based game developer, which was licensed by Nevada gaming regulators earlier this year, will place its games on test trial basis this month at Red Rock Resort and the Palms through an agreement with Station Casinos.

Synergy Blue has its games at the Augustine Casino in Southern California’s Coachella Valley.

The Linq sits at center-Strip across from Caesars Palace and serves as a new-technology testing ground for Caesars. Several skill-based slot machine providers have their games in the Strip casino. The developers hope the pooling of the games complement each other and build interest in that segment.

“We strive to exceed expectations and provide today’s casino guests with new, entertaining, technology-driven experiences,” said Paul Breci, regional vice president of gaming at Caesars Entertainment. “Caesars has been looking for companies like Synergy Blue who are creating new and different gaming experiences for our guests and we’re excited to offer their games at The Linq.”

The agreement places multiple Synergy Blue gaming cabinets on the floor of The Linq, including both single-title and multi-game configurations.

“We’re very excited about working with Caesars and expanding our local Las Vegas presence,” said Georg Washington, CEO of Synergy Blue. “Their dedication to providing unique guest experiences fully aligns with our goals, and we believe our games will fit perfectly into the tech-forward atmosphere they’ve created at The Linq.”

Field trials are required under Nevada gaming rules, which give the Nevada Gaming Commission information on their performance. The commission can then allow the games to be released market wide.

Washington said having its games in casinos frequented by both locals and tourists will give his company data from different demographics.

“We’ll learn so much from the trials,” added Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, a consultant for Synergy Blue. “You get customer acceptance or rejection, but the most important thing you get is data. We’re also get much more data because we have many more titles.”

Last month at the Global Gaming Expo, Synergy Blue unveiled four new arcade-style games that increased its total library to 23 games. Washington said the industry has made strides in its second and third generation of games for player enjoyment and for generating additional revenue.

“I’m going to be looking to see how it’s going,” Washington said of the trials. “Three out of 10 (traditional) slots are successful. One of our titles may hit and another not so good, but that can depend on the player, location and time of day.”

Bushnell said within 10 years he wouldn’t be surprised if 25 percent of casino’s machine revenue comes from skill-based games, a segment in its infancy.

“There’s going to be a demographic shift with people aging out and people who age in who have a different ethos of what they look for entertainment,” Bushnell said. “There are 100 games in a casino that are virtually never played. We just want to replace them, and that void will build up with revenue.”

Earlier this month, Synergy Blue announced a deal with Dynamic Gaming Solutions, a gaming distributor in Oklahoma, to put its games in tribal casinos in the first quarter of 2020.