Yahtzee slot sees success during roll-out

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2000 | 11:58 a.m.

Mikohn Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas announced today that it has signed contracts to install 650 of its new "Yahtzee"-themed slot machines, far more than expected.

The slot was introduced late last year. To date, more than 300 Yahtzee machines are now installed, and the company has regulatory approval for the game in Nevada, Arizona, Connecticut, New Mexico and North Dakota. Indian casinos in Louisiana and Michigan are also authorized to use the game.

"Demand for both our spinning reel and video Yahtzee slots is clearly well ahead of our expectations," said David Thompson, Mikohn chairman and chief executive. "By all current indications, the Yahtzee slot series should be an increasingly important contributor to Mikohn's recurring revenues ... we are accelerating our production schedule to accommodate the demand."

The nickel-denomination video version of Yahtzee was recently approved by Nevada, and is performing strongly, the company said. Mikohn is currently seeking New Jersey approval of the video game, and has signed a contract to place 100 machines in Atlantic City once this approval is received.