Inside Asian Gaming

technology for the sake of technology.” California players, said Bally’s Prater, are receptive to new technology, making it pos- sible for Bally to have a big splash with its five-reel stepper slots as well as the new sev- en-reel wide-screen video games. “California is one of the most progres- sive markets in the country and popularity trends can start there and move across the country,” Prater said. “Bally has done a good job of advancing the popularity of high-coin five-reel steppers in California and now with new seven-reel video slots. As a general rule on video, the more lines the better. Players have a tendency to cover all lines when play- ing, even if they are not betting max. “Another evolving wagering option taking off in California is the ‘set wagering’ game,”Prater added.“What this means is that the player will no longer be concerned with the number of lines or coins per line. Instead, a simple button panel consisting of fixed amounts, 30-60-90-120-150 for example, will simplify the choices for the player.” Even Prater seems taken aback at the suc- cess of Bally’s five-reel steppers in the Califor- nia market. “[We’ve] sold hundreds of these slots in [Northern California] over the past two years or so and have yet to do a single game title conversion, which is remarkable,” he said. “This clearly speaks to the quality of the math models incorporated into the game, as well as the game’s overall player appeal.” Meanwhile, in Southern California, low- denomination video slots continue to rule the roost, according to Aristocrat’s Johnson. “Any of our library of video slots, 9- 20- 50- 100- line and ‘Reel Power’ games with free spins and win multipliers, seem to set the performance barometer,”he said.“Penny and nickel video are now the major denomina- tion on the floor with some floors up to 38 percent penny. “The video-to-stepper ratio was 60 per- cent/40 percent video in 2001. Today, most floors are 70 percent/30 percent on average, with more than five floors in Southern Cali- fornia that are 80 percent/20 percent.” No doubt other opportunities will pres- ent themselves as regulatory questions are answered and the market continues to grow. “The market,” said Meister, “is nowhere near its saturation point.” By John Grochowski.Reprintedwith permission from International Gaming & Wagering Busi- ness magazine John Grochowski is an Illinois-based reporter and freelance writer. The Monopoly Big Event bonus slot from WMS Gaming AV. DA PRAIA GRANDE, NO. 874, FLOOR GF, FLAT K, CENTRO COM. “IAT TENG HOU”, MACAU. TEL: 853 - 2871 1826 WWW.ESCADA.COM 38