The casino technology set to come to Las Vegas
For many decades, Las Vegas has been at the forefront of casino gaming technology. Although the likes of Macau have rivalled ‘Sin City’ in recent years in terms of casino revenues, this neon-lit corner of the Nevada desert remains the go-to place for westerners to game.
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Of course, for that to remain the same in the next decades the city must look to innovate and keep ahead of the tech curve. During the end of last year, Las Vegas hosted the Global Gaming Expo, which provided a glimpse of the technological advances casino gamers can expect.
We’ve outlined a few of the main talking points that look likely to be coming to Nevada’s casino floors in the coming months.
Touch-screen sportsbook terminals
Improving the ease with which sports fans can place wagers in-play and pre-game has long been a major issue for casino sportsbooks. When you consider how large some of Las Vegas’ sportsbooks are, it’s easy to see why technology should be used to improve the efficiency of placing bets and receiving winnings.
For instance, the Westgate SuperBook is the largest sportsbook in the world, according to Vegas Betting, and there are plenty of other vast and illustrious locations to watch and bet on live sport on the Strip. Instead of queueing to wager at the front desk of a sportsbook, the future could be touch-screen if IGT have their way.
In a small tribal casino located in the heart of Mississippi, IGT has seen its 27” touchscreen sports betting terminals trialled at the Pearl River casino. Each terminal will have partitions for bettor privacy, while bettors can watch live broadcasts of games, place wagers and build parlays at the touch of a button. These machines are thought to be heading their way to Las Vegas in 2020.
Themed cabinet slot machines
The immersive qualities of video slot games looks set to be stepped up a notch if December’s Global Gaming Expo is anything to go by. Slot developers are expected to go a step beyond high-definition visuals and audio to create engaging slot environments by designing themed slot cabinets for their games.
Konami, one of the leading video gaming publishers on the planet, showcased a themed slot cabinet based on its hugely popular Silent Hill horror franchise. The cabinet, buttons and the border of the Silent Hill gaming screen fit the branding of the franchise brilliantly, helping you to feel part of the on-screen action.
Aside from Silent Hill, the Global Gaming Expo demonstrated a clear appetite for the immersive Star Trek: The Next Generation slot, inspired by the Starship Enterprise.
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4D slot screens
IGT have also been at the forefront of developing slot machines with 4D slot screens. For instance, its Wheel of Fortune slot game now incorporates 4D technology, whereby items from the wheel virtually fly at you from the screen.
IGT has also recently published another 4D slot titled Carnival of Wonders. The slot provides an additional physical element, whereby players must hit a lever with a mallet to try and score highly in the ‘strength tester’ bonus round.
Personalization via facial recognition
Casinos in Las Vegas will also be working hard to provide a fully personalized gaming experience in the months ahead. The use of facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence will provide loyal, regular customers with familiarity, as the machines greet them and tailor their experience to their previous gaming history.
Facial recognition could be a game-changer for slot machines in thwarting fraudsters and those players previously banned from playing at resorts. It could also be used to monitor player habits and pinpoint ‘problem gamblers’ to improve the morality of the industry for good.
About the Author
Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.
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