Vegas Push For Millennials: Games Of Skill On The Rise

Casinos are faced with a bit of a dilemma: while tourism in Vegas is up, the visitors are getting younger and they are gambling less. While the 73 percent of visitors in 2015 who said they gambled was up two percent from the year before, it was down from 77 percent in 2011 and 87 percent in 2006.

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The trends were part of the impetus for a bill passed in 2015 by the state legislature allowing for a new type of casino game - one that brings in elements of skills and is intended to recreate the feel of video games so popular among millennials on their phones and at home.

"I never had interest in slot machines," Darion Lowenstein, the chief marketing officer for Gamblit Gaming, told the Associated Press. In March, Gamblit struck a partnership with Caesars to put two of their games in Planet Hollywood.

"I grew up with video games," Lowenstein said. "I remember playing Super Nintendo. The thought of just sitting there hitting one button has always been boring to me."

Gamblit's two games - Gamblit Poker and Cannonbeard's Treasure - are both aimed at video game-playing millennials, focusing on testing speed and skill as opposed to just pushing a button, according to Caesars.

"We're making tremendous progress in our efforts to reach a new generation of gamers who seek integrated skill-based gaming and Caesars is proud to be the first in Las Vegas to provide this innovative experience to our customers," said Caesars President and CEO Mark Frissora.

The games were also designed with an eye toward millennials - they each have a USB charging port, cup holders, and 42" touch screen.

Unlike traditional slots, which have fixed payouts, the new games can reward players with higher payouts based on performance.

The push to allow the new type of game was embraced by the gaming industry - the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, which was behind the bill, called it a "new era of gaming entertainment."

"The slot floor will not transform overnight, but this will allow our industry to capitalize on radical new gaming concepts and technologies and give AGEM members the ability to unleash a new level of creativity for their casino customers," said the association executive director, Marcus Prater.

David Schwartz, from the UNLV Center for Gambling Research, told the Associated Press that the new style of game solves an age-old problem with traditional slots.

"The benefit of a slot machine is you're really good at the first time you play it," he said. "The problem is that you never get better.

"So, that is why some people are saying you need to add these skill elements to games."

Caesars said that the new games at Planet Hollywood are there on a trial basis while they await final approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Once they get that approval, they plan to add them to their other Nevada properties including Caesars Palace and Harrah's Lake Tahoe with an eye toward eventually having 200 terminals across their properties in the United States.

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Photo: Caesars Entertainment