GameCo Confident That Skill-Based Machines Will Gain Prominence In Casinos

GameCo, one of the leading skill-based slot machine manufacturers partnered with Caesars Entertainment and introduced 21 skill-based games across selective casino properties in Atlantic City.

The decision to introduce skill-based gaming was done with the objective of reaching the millennial generation who had shown a tendency to avoid traditional slot machines and card tables as they wanted a more engaging gaming experience that would force them to think and use their skills.

Casino operators have realized that the millennials who are between the ages of 20 and 40, have a lot of money to spend but are only willing to spend when they find something of interest. Casino operators wanted to experiment with skill-based games as they are similar to slot machines but different due to the fact that there is a skilled component introduced to these games.

Caesars tried it out but found that the experiment did not pay off well as there was a weak response from its customers.

GameCo

Caesars and GameCo introduced these skill-based machines in December 2016 and after a 6 month trial period, mutually agreed to pull the machines from the gaming floor as they were unable to generate sufficient revenue to cover the costs and licensing fees for these skill-based machines.

However the lack of success at Caesars properties could be due to a number of reasons such as failing to properly market these skill-based machines and also in differentiating between traditional slot machines and skill-based machines as they look similar in many ways and players can often overlook these skill machines.

Blaine Graboyes, who is the co-founder and CEO of GameCo believes that the demand for skill-based games is already very strong in the market and is positive that in the next 5 years, skill-based machines will account for over 5 percent of all gaming machines across casino floors. This would require over 50,000 skill based machines to be built and deployed across casino floors by 2022.

Gaming analyst Robert Ambrose is also very optimistic about skill-based games stating that casino operators must adopt a long term view when it comes to adopting skill-based machines and stressed on the fact that they cannot rely on the traditional marketing method of just placing these skill-based machines on the casino floor and hoping players will use them.

Ambrose wants casino operators to adopt innovative social media marketing campaigns to reach out to millennials via social media platforms as that will help promote skill-based machines and bring in the millennials.