Remote device allows casino patrons to gamble while roaming the casino

David Strow

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1999 | 10:58 a.m.

Anchor Gaming Inc. has licensed a new gaming device that company officials hope will open slot machine action to more areas of hotel-casinos than ever before.

Under a new agreement, Anchor received exclusive rights to market and sell Pegasus, a remote gaming device, in the United States and Canada. The Pegasus product is owned by Online Gaming Systems of Boca Raton, Fla.

The Pegasus product can be electronically connected through a network to a slot machine located in a separate location. Once plugging into a port, the slot player then "plays" the machine through the electronic device, with outcomes still being decided by the slot machine's mechanism. The device is roughly the size of a laptop computer.

Since the machine the device is connected to is in another location, a player would have to first purchase credits for the machine from an attendant, such as a change person or a bartender. The attendant would then place the credits on the machine electronically.

"The slot machine itself is still in a secured area," said Mick Roemer, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Anchor. "It can reduce substantially the size of the slot machine itself. It's much easier to place this on top of a bar, in a race and sports book, or in a bingo hall. Its attractiveness is its versatility and size.

"It's still too early to anticipate what the potential is, but it certainly opens some doors."

The Anchor deal is the first signed for Pegasus by Online Gaming Systems, which acquired the product in April.

"Nevada will be the first jurisdiction," said Richard Iamunno, president and chief executive of Online Gaming. "It's the largest application, it's close to home and everyone knows the market."

Although it will only be used with slot machines and video poker machines in its first run, the intent is to branch into other areas, such as sports betting or keno, Iamunno said.

The product could theoretically be used anywhere on a casino's property, including hotel rooms or poolsides, but Anchor doesn't intend to market the product for those uses, because of the difficulties in preventing underage players from using the devices.

Since the machine isn't actually a gaming device in itself, Anchor says it doesn't have to seek regulatory approval from the state of Nevada. It plans to begin testing the product in casinos within 90 days.

"We have several customers coming to us wanting to put this out," Roemer said. "There's already demand for trying it."

Anchor intends to incorporate its own machines to use the Pegasus product, but says it will also market the device to other slot manufacturers as well.

"We're certainly looking at that right now," Roemer said.