Silicon wins slot machine approval

Friday, March 21, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The Nevada Gaming Commission struggled to understand computer technology Silicon Gaming used for its Odyssey slot machine before voting Thursday to approve the high-powered machine.

Silicon Gaming chief executive Donald Massaro said most of the major casinos in Las Vegas and Reno already have agreed to try Odyssey. The new gaming device went through field trials at Bally's prior to the commission's decision.

Steve Weiss, chairman of Las Vegas-based Casino Data Systems, however, argued the Odyssey system failed to satisfy state requirements for safeguards against illegal tampering.

But Mark Robinson, director of the Nevada Gaming Control Board slot-testing lab, said Odyssey provided better protection against tampering than conventional slot machines.

The device lets gamblers choose between as many as six different games and incorporates full-motion video of a fictional character named Professor Jack Pots and three-dimensional technology. The games included a video three-reel slot game called Fort Knox, keno and a video poker game on an 1800s-style riverboat with an invisible dealer.

Gamblers can make bets by touching the screen, hitting buttons or pulling an old-fashioned lever.