‘Budweiser’ slot machines face regulatory scrutiny

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

Shuffle Master Inc. of Las Vegas announced today it has signed a licensing deal with St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Inc. to produce slot machines based on Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser beer.

The slots will incorporate the Budweiser logo and promotional images, Las Vegas-based Shuffle Master said. The company said it will work closely with Anheuser-Busch on the development of the slots, but did not indicate in its announcement when or where it planned to introduce Budweiser-themed machines.

If introduced in Nevada, two issues would have to be addressed -- the use of an alcoholic beverage as a theme for a slot, and the use of advertising as the central focus of a slot machine, said Dennis Neilander, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Both would be new issues for Nevada, he said.

"The board has historically been pretty cautious about this (advertising and slot machines)," Neilander said. "If you allow that kind of combination of advertising and theming, how far does it go?"

As far as the use of an alcoholic beverage as a theme, "it would depend on the way it was portrayed, and the location," Neilander said. "Obviously, the product discussed here is an adult product."

State gaming regulations state that a theme has to be in good taste, and cannot "reflect negatively on the state."

Shuffle Master is a manufacturer of slot machines and other gaming equipment. The company currently markets slots based on such themes as "The Three Stooges," "Let's Make a Deal," "Press Your Luck" and "The Honeymooners."

Shuffle Master stock rose $1.72 to $17.84 on the Bud slot news this morning, a one-day move of more than 10 percent.