Pact signed with slot maker

Thursday, March 1, 2001 | 11:15 a.m.

Shuffle Master Inc. of Las Vegas announced Wednesday it signed an agreement to distribute slot products owned by Recreativos Franco, an international slot manufacturer and distributor based in Spain.

Under the agreement, Shuffle Master said it will adapt games from the Madrid company's library to run on its slot machine system, then distribute these games in certain North American markets, including Nevada.

The games are mechanical reel games featuring the "innovative use of bonus features," Shuffle Master said. Shuffle Master submitted its slot machine system to the Nevada Gaming Control Board in December; the company said it will begin selling slots based on the Franco games within 90 days of receiving approval for its system from the control board.

"Starting from scratch, it would have taken us years to develop such an extensive library of proven concepts," said Mark Yoseloff, president of Shuffle Master. "This arrangement should significantly expand and enhance the product offering we present to casinos."

In addition to manufacturing slots, Franco also operates casinos, bingo halls and an international slot route with more than 50,000 machines. The company also has hotel and real estate holdings, and does business in 20 countries.

Shuffle Master is a Las Vegas-based distributor of gaming equipment, including slot machines, proprietary table games and card shufflers.