Game shows, old sitcoms debuted at World Gaming Expo

Lisa Snedeker

Friday, Oct. 20, 2000 | 9:10 a.m.

Alex Trebek and Regis Philbin have more in common than being hosts of two of television's most popular game shows.

The TV game show hosts now can be found on the casino floor, beckoning gamblers to try their luck at winning their fortune - if not their million - on new nickel slot machines bearing their images.

The slots are among several technologically advanced machines being debuted at the 14th annual World Gaming Congress and Expo this week in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The three-day event, which is closed to the public, kicked off Wednesday and continues through Friday. An estimated 28,000 people are expected to preview the newest industry products on display by some 700 exhibitors.

Philbin wasn't on hand to sell the "Regis Cash Club" machine, but Trebek showed off his electronic counterpart.

"It's kind of strange seeing (and hearing) yourself replicated on so many machines in a row," Trebek said of the interactive game that features a virtual likeness of the game show host and his distinctive voice.

Unlike popular 25-cent, three-reel Jeopardy! game, the new progressive video Double Jeopardy nickel machine is interactive and provides players with several bonus rounds including the chance to earn a "Daily Double" bonus.

Advances in game development, such as the emergence of video-based games, has introduced a new element of excitement to the slot floor, said Jason Ader, Bear Stearns gaming, lodging and leisure analyst.

Industry analysts say coinless, cashless, video-enhanced slot machines will be the future trend.

"The gaming equipment segment of the industry has entered a very progressive stage of its cycle and these new machines not only provide cost-saving synergies for operators, but also enhance player convenience and entertainment," Ader said.

Industry leader International Game Technology's other slot machines based on game shows include "Wheel of Fortune," "Family Feud" and the "$1,000,000 Pyramid."

For those more interested in '70s sitcoms, there is "The Addams Family," the "Beverly Hillbillies," "I Dream of Jeanie," and "Bewitched."

"We've had great success in combining recognizable themes with slot games," said Ed Rogich, IGT's marketing vice president. "What grew out of the 'Wheel of Fortune' success led to the recipe for new games using nostalgic themes that ties into the demographic that we're looking to entertain."

Other themes include movies such as "Austin Powers," actors like Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart; WCW stars including Sid Vicious and even foodstuffs like "Tabasco."

The new slot themes are necessary if gambling is to compete with the other entertainment distractions this 24-hour party town has to offer, Rogich said.

"In the old days, people came to Las Vegas to gamble," he said. "Now they come for all the other things like restaurants and shopping. There needs to be something recognizable to attract the younger demographic."

The new interactive machines are geared toward the younger, more computer literate type of player, Rogich said.

"It's really fun," he said. "The entertainment is the bonuses. Before you had a single-screen bonus. Now there are two or three with most of our games. The technology is allowing us to do even more."

The anticipation of the bonus rounds also means more money is often spent, according to Sheryl Grahn, a member of the Rincon Indian Reservation tribal council. Grahn said she attended the expo to shop for slot machines for the tribe's new casino in San Diego County, Calif.

Grahn said the machines fit every budget.

Gamblers can drop in one nickel or as many as 45, Rogich said.

Critics, however, accuse the slotmakers of misleading gamblers by making the maximum bet on a nickel slot machine 45 coins or $2.25. On some machines, a player must bet the maximum to win the jackpot.

"This is just an industry sleight of hand to the degree that it's really getting to the point of false advertising," said Bill Thompson, a gaming industry consultant and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "It's sucking people in."

"Whether these machines are technically honest or not, that kind of stuff ruins Las Vegas," he said.

The gaming industry exists because there is a general feeling that it is honest and the games have integrity, Thompson said.

Ader predicts there will be a transition on the slot floor to a coinless and, perhaps over time, cashless state. However, he adds the transformation will be evolutionary.

As part of the Expo, IGT is also previewing its version of ticket printers combined with traditional coin hopper pay.

The "EZ Pay Ticket System," which recently received the Nevada Gaming Control Board approval, allows the machine to pay part of the payout in coins and the balance in the form of a ticket, Rogich said.

"It reduces the down time on machines," he said.

Thompson is not against paper payouts as long as it doesn't make it more difficult for gamblers to cash in their winnings.

Video poker fans will soon be able to find machines that play up to 100 hands at a time, Rogich said.

"The new technology is taking us to new platforms."