As a general rule, if a casino game works in one location, it often works in others. The elements that get players excited in one part of the U.S. usually will get players excited in others. That’s why there are certain games that are nearly impossible to avoid when visiting a casino.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t regional favorites as well. Sometimes certain games, whether it’s because of regulations or just a fervent fan base in a certain place, will see outsized play in one market but almost nowhere else.
Today we focus on examples of those, and most players have seen and heard of them, even if they haven’t been in a location to play them.
Oklahoma’s Red Screens
Red screens are machines that can randomly trigger a red screen after a winning spin, which can award one or more bonus spins that award additional prices. Each bonus spin awards at least as much as the previous spin, but often more. Get enough red screens in succession and the prizes can get pretty substantial.
These are Bingo Machines, which means they’re only found on tribal casino properties that offer Class II gaming. Oklahoma was a big home of that type of game, so they’ve long been connected there, but red screens have appeared outside of Oklahoma.
Near the Flip The Switch headquarters in Palm Springs, Calif., one of our local casinos has had a handful of red screen machines of different sorts for awhile now. But many themes have come and go pretty quickly.
Washington State’s Triple Fortune Dragon
Another one that comes up a lot is the Triple Fortune Dragon series. The original slot appeared in a lot of locations, but it really took off in Washington State, where unique rules with how machines can work there have led certain state-specific champions to thrive there.
IGT has treated the series with a lot of love and respect, continuing to release new versions for the massive fan base in Washington State. Some versions have been made available in other markets, but Washington State is really where it thrives.
Takeaway
Casinos may feel somewhat same-y when it comes to selection, but oftentimes there’s a few heroes that a specific casino sees success with. Others we’ve seen include Bombay, King of Africa and Mystical Unicorn – all very popular in specific areas with a fan base that encourages the casino to keep them on the floors.
Does your local casino have a slot machine, bingo machine, historic horse racing machine, etc. that is constantly killing it? Share in the comments!
Does this explain why my local MGM Racino (Empire City Yonkers NY) with a bingo infrastructure on their machines, does not offer certain games, such as the Lightning/Dragon games, Top Dollar, etc., because it is the manufacturer who doesn’t make them with a bingo infrastructure vs. a decision made by the property?
Hey Ellen! Empire City is actually even a bit more challenging, as they don’t use bingo for their infrastructure (as that is only for tribal gaming), but instead something that approximates a digital scratcher or pull tab (given the lottery’s involvement). So its system is used by less casinos, and has more limitations, making many games like Lightning/Dragon Link more difficult to replicate. We have a Rudie that plays there and Resorts World in Queens (which for now uses the same system), and playing Fire Link got three identical bonuses in one night, showing some of the challenges of that sort of system and the limitations around it. But yes, that explains why you haven’t seen those games make the leap so far – not to say they won’t find a way, but for now it hasn’t been translated into that type of system.
Thank you for the response! Your explanation is understandable and appreciated!