Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Slot machine biz needs rebirth in Nevada, regulator says

Slot Machines

Leila Navidi

The slot machines inside the Bally Technologies showroom at their headquarters in Las Vegas Monday, May 9, 2011

A top gaming regulator is on board with ushering in video game technology to revitalize the moribund slot machine business in Nevada.

A.G. Burnett, chairman of the state Gaming Control Board, is backing a bill in the state Senate to permit these games of skill in state casinos.

He said Tuesday that new and refreshing ideas in gaming devices are needed to draw tourists to Las Vegas, as long as such games are properly regulated.

The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony Tuesday in support of Senate Bill 9, which directs the state Gaming Commission to adopt regulations to permit this advanced technology.

There was no opposition to the bill, and the committee could vote to recommend its passage by the end of the week.

Attorney Dan Reaser, representing the gaming industry, said there are “robust” regulations in which the board and commission are capable of overseeing this proposed development.

According to figures released by the gaming board, slot machine winnings decreased by 0.10 percent in the last year in the 316 businesses that have slots.

Video games of skill are more attractive to young people. The commission, in setting the regulation, can set the limits on payouts. And permitting these games would open a whole new world for the industry, bill supporters said.

“Statistics show that slot gaming needs to be revitalized,” Burnett told the committee.

Figures for 2014 showed that only four of the 10 slot denomination machines showed an increase in win. They were the penny machines, Megabucks, the $25 units and the multidenomination machines.

The bill is the outgrowth of an interim study to bring new technology to the gaming industry.

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