Great idea, little hope; Another Palms flop

I grew up playing Atari and Nintendo, and I want to believe my Geoff-Freemanskill in these games has some effect on the outcome.” So says American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman, lending his support to a new line of skill-based slot games. Combining aspects of the pinball machine and the joystick-controlled video game, International Game Technology has rolled out an adaptation of Atari‘s Centipede. The Associated PressHannah Dreier reports that it “converts points earned shooting digital insects directly into money. If two gamblers sit down at an identical machine, the better shot will walk away with more cash.”

Bally Technologies has two games of the same ilk and other slot developers are hopping onto the bandwagon. However, all of them are likely to encounter fierce and frosty resistance from the casino industry. The latter would prefer that slot winnings be a function of pure luck. After all, if you bring skill into the mix of factors governing slot win, what’s that going to do to the hold percentage?

Seal-of-ConnecticutThere’s growing pressure in Connecticut to broaden gambling to include VLTs at parimutuels. Tribal casinos Foxwoods Resort (which just started in on a $115 million shopping mall) and Mohegan Sun might be displeased, but their own weakening slot revenues are to blame. Lawmakers want to make up the shortfall somehow and simulcast wagering on horse races appears to be the ticketShoreline Star Greyhound Park in Bridgeport, the New Haven Teletheater and the Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks would be designated for VLTs. The fly in the ointment is that the move would require renegotiation of the Mohegans and Mashantucket Pequots‘ compacts with the state. And then, so to speak, all bets are off.

palms-picVegas Chatter had this story earlier in the week but it took the MSM until yesterday to report that Heraea has been booted from the Palms. It’s ironic, given that Heraea had hosted a big media event last Sunday, just 48 hours before the axe fell. It’s yet another failure for One Group and may have Palms’ private-equity owners wondering if they should have just left Garduno’s in place. Epic blunder, guys.

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