Mad slot skillz; Tribes at war with one another

Skill-based slot games are a long way from deployment but that didn’t discourage The Motley Fool‘s Jeff Hwang from scouting the Global Gaming Expo show floor in search of entertaining product. The games he saw the greatest potential in were Gamblit Gaming‘s Scientific GamesGrab Poker (despite some concerns about the potential for collusion), International Game Technology‘s Texas Tea Pinball, Scientific GamesSpace Invaders and NanoTech Gaming‘s Vegas Pinball 2047. Everything else he lumped in the “needs work” category.

He wrote that “most of what was shown are clones of popular non-gambling games with wagering technology slapped on, and not necessarily in a way that makes sense … the most aggressive innovations are coming from smaller upstarts like Gamblit Gaming, NanoTech Gaming, and G2 Game Design, while the larger companies (IGT and Scientfic Games) brought low-risk, no-brainer games that aren’t a huge leap from the products they already offer.” He added that one supplier “intimated” that he had field trials in place for next spring. That’s sooner than we expected but more power to him, whoever he is.

* Casino revenue in Pennsylvania peaked in 2012 and the state is staring at a $2 billion budget deficit. It is hoped that this will nudge the Keystone State into legalizing online gambling, although whether Gov. Tom Wolf (D) or the GOP majority in the House will go along.

* In an incident of tribe-on-tribe violence, a one-person nonprofit, acting as a stalking horse for California tribal interests is stalling recognition of Virginia‘s Pamunkey Tribe, which has been waiting 35 years for federal recognition and now will have to wait longer. Obstructionist Cheryl Schmit told the Washington Post, “she worries that it sets a precedent that makes it too easy for tribes to meet the requirements.” MGM Resorts International has been a Schmit ally in the past but is staying out of the current confrontation.

Federal recognition would qualify the tribe for a casino, although the Pamunkey have promised not to pursue one. (Virginia already recognizes the tribe.) In addition to the Pamunkey, 356 other tribes are currently pursuing federally recognized status.

* Similarly, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is incurring distant opposition for its plan to convert the ex-Great Lakes Downs racetrack into a second tribal casino, outside Muskegon. The tribe has plenty of local support but the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is taking umbrage: “The Congress made clear in 1994 upon passage of Little River’s recognition act that the proper territory for it to obtain trust lands is limited to Manistee and Mason counties. There were arguments made at that time for extending the territory to Muskegon, which Congress flatly rejected.”

Business has been tapering off at the Little River Band’s Manistee casino, so it’s looking to try and cut into the Gun Lake Casino & Resort‘s market, in the Grand Rapids. The tribe once had a village on the north side of present-day Muskegon and the area is home to the largest cluster of Little River Band members. Tribal leader Larry Romanelli took the new opposition in stride, saying, “Saginaw Chips are known for opposing other casinos on a regular basis … We must be making some headway.”

This entry was posted in California, Economy, G2E, IGT, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Scientific Games, Technology, Tribal. Bookmark the permalink.