COULD 'GUARANTEED PLAY' APPEAL ONLINE?

14 December 2007

Would you like the assurance of a guaranteed minimum number of hands or "spins" for your deposit?


Land casino slot developers have apparently encountered some resistance to a new concept that on the face of it might appeal to slot players - a guaranteed minimum number of hands or "spins" for each deposit.

In an interesting article on the concept this week, the Las Vegas Sun reported that gamblers are apparently wary of the new feature, initially hailed as a revolution in the casino industry so promising as to seduce gamblers who normally would walk right by slot machines.

The Sun explains that the idea is to furnish players with a minimum number of hands or "spins" for their money. The lure for the gambler is that the guaranteed number of spins might be more than he would have had by playing the traditional way until his money ran out.

But not all gamblers liked the idea, introduced on a limited basis at Station Casinos in the Las Vegas area this year. 'Guaranteed Play' claims to offer video poker players the same odds as many regular, pay-per-hand games. But players can expect to often get more hands for their money, and thus more time, on a Guaranteed Play machine.

A poker machine, for example, promises quarter players 75 hands for $20 and dollar players 200 hands for $40.

Many players who prefer to while away time at the machines have gravitated toward "penny" slots, which extend gambling time by allowing wagers in smaller increments. Guaranteed Play is a more radical step in that direction - drawing out play by promising a minimum number of spins for the initial bet.

The LV Sun spoke to several players to gauge reaction to the idea, and one said he quickly soured on Guaranteed Play because it requires gamblers to play through their hands before cashing out any positive balances. Also discouraging for gamblers: The credit meter starts with a zero balance and heads into negative numbers as losses grow, as opposed to credit meters on traditional slots, which begin with the positive balance of the gambler's deposit and remain in positive territory until, at worst, zero credits remain.

Either way, the same amount of money would have been lost, but one appears more painful to watch than the other.

The Station group has been gathering feedback on the machines from gamblers in focus groups and on the floor in a patient break-in for an industry where conventional slots normally have to prove their value within months or risk being pulled from the casino.

Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, says the guarantee feature isn't for math experts who seek the highest possible return for each hand. But "there's a million positives" for casual players who want more gambling time for their money, he said.

"The public is afraid of it" but was also apprehensive of ticket machines before those overtook coin-operated slots after a few years, Curtis said.

Some players have risen above their initial scepticism of Guaranteed Play and aren't troubled by the credit meter because they know they are probably going to lose their bet anyway, Jay Fennel, director of corporate slot operations at Station Casinos told The Sun.

"Players come here knowing they're going to spend that $20 and that's in their wallet," Fennel said. "They want more time at the machine."

Station executives are bullish as they discuss future applications for the technology. Eventually, they say, the concept will spread to spinning reel slots and even table games as a way to package gambling offerings like any other amenity, such as a meal, a show or a hotel room.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Fennel said. "Gamblers are finicky, superstitious and very resistant to change. We are just trying to get people to try it."

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa