Nevada casino operators will now be able to offer skill-based, arcade-style slot machines thanks to a new bill passed by Governor Brian Sandoval.
Considering new generations are brought up playing interactive games, the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers has requested that state policymakers pass Bill 9. The bill would allow the Nevada Gaming Commission to cultivate new regulations for game developers in order to advance how slots games are viewed and played today.
Marcus Prater, AGEM executive director, called approving the bill a “monumental moment” in the trade’s “overall evolution”. He realizes that the change will not come overnight and slots makers will still have to reinvent how these games are used, but this new bill will give AGEM the prospect to “capitalize on radical new gaming concepts and technologies.”
In an effort to bring a younger audience on the slots machines floor, a committee study revealed how technology is influencing and changing the gaming scene. Casino operators also have to be up to date with the latest tech if they want to continue offering this type of gambling, thus, the approval of this bill is definitely a step forward.
The idea behind the skill-based slots machines is that a player would be able to increase the payback rate from 88% to 98% if he or she would prove skillful at a videogame-style bonus round. The Governor stated that game developers will now manage to “meet the challenges prompted by a younger, more technologically engaged visitor demographic.” He continued asserting that due to this bill Nevada will continue being “the global epicenter for gaming innovation and development.”
Geoff Freeman, CEO of the American Gaming Association, commends the bill and hopes that other states will follow in Nevada’s footsteps.