The Future of Slots as We Know Them

Written by Haylie | Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

Technology has really influenced the advancement of online gaming over the past few years. We’ve seen the introduction of mobile casinos that are accessible via cell phone, progressive software like that used by PKR Poker and PKR Casino, and just the innovation of online slot machines has far surpassed the slot and video poker machines at land-based casinos. With the recession looming overhead and threatening the offline casino industry, resorts and casinos will have to work fast and hard to keep up with the progression that online casino slots have already undergone.

Chief Financial Officer of Harrah’s Entertainment, Jonathan Halkyard, believes that the one way to get business up on the floors of live casinos is to think beyond the aggrandizement that has driven cities like Las Vegas in the past. Up until now the theme has been to outdo anything that has ever been done before, but that’s not really an option at this point. Casinos are trying to save money, not spend money, and frankly there’s not much more that can be done, especially in a town like Las Vegas that is already busting at the seams with resorts and casinos that take up hundreds of acres each.

For instance, Halkyard comments, “Here’s an idea: How about innovation? I mean if you look at the slot machine, it’s basically the same as it was 75 years ago.” Yes, elaborate and exaggerated structures have been built to include lion habitats and 11-acre beaches, but what has been done to enhance the offline slot machine? These machines have not been constantly re-invented as have the online versions. Granted, it is more difficult to replace hundreds of thousands of heavy machinery than it is to re-code a website, but there must be some evolution process initiated, or the 75-year old design will inevitably kill live slot play. Halkyard adds, “There has been a shocking lack of innovation around our core product in this industry when compared to virtually any other consumer entertainment product over decades.”

If nothing else, the land-based casinos could open online casinos under their names and incorporate computers into their casinos that would access only their online casinos and provide players with the types of games they are accustomed to playing online (i.e. with complicated storylines and intricate bonus games). Whatever the solution may be, it is obvious that the online casino is becoming, if not already, a separate entity and activity than a land-based casino. The payouts are better, the convenience of online gambling is no match for the offline casinos, and the competition is painfully stiff. The bottom line is that the online gambling is not suffering and knows no recession as of yet, so they must be doing something right.

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