Work Begins on Draft of Regulations for Vegas Skill-Based Slots

26th June 2015 10:23 AM

Nevada regulators this week began the task of drafting rules to govern the new skill-based slots games that will soon be hitting Las Vegas. Senate Bill 9 was passed earlier this year by Gov. Brian Sandoval, which paved the way for the introduction of “innovative, alternative and advanced technology” in slots offered by casinos in the city.

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The addition of a new wave of slots, featuring elements that will make them play like arcade games to some extent, is expected to have a huge effect on the industry and is designed to appeal to younger players. However, the introduction of such a major change means that the rules will need to be very carefully crafted by the state’s Gaming Control Board, which held its first meeting to begin that process on Wednesday.

A.G. Burnett, who chairs the board, called the new regulations “the most important” he had ever worked on, admitting that “everyone here knows that we need a complete reinvigoration of slot games.” However, the board was also told that the new games should complement traditional slots, not completely replace them. Regulators were also warned that one of their hardest tasks will be to determine a fair balance between the skill and chance elements within the hybrid games.

The bill was supported by the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, which sees the changes as necessary for securing the future of casino games, but some software producers have expressed concern about the length of time taken to decide on the regulations. Gamblit Gaming CEO, Eric Mayerhofer, stated “If the process we end up with is too slow to move, you’ll aim at a target, and by the time it’s on the floor, it’s too late.”

Once the Gaming Control Board has decided on its guidelines, they will have to be ratified by the Nevada Gaming Commission before the first of the new generation of games can appear on the Strip. New Jersey introduced rules allowing skill-based wagering in February this year, but it is thought that many other states are waiting to see what happens in Nevada before making their minds up on the issue.

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