A player’s recent visit to Reno, NV, and then to Las Vegas, raised some questions about the availability of new slots:
Recently I was in Reno and noticed a lot of new games there. We then headed to Vegas and noticed that they did not have as many new games. Is there a reason why Reno has so many new games?
Karen G.
We’re going to try not to paint with too broad a brush, as there’s a variety of ways slot makers market and launch their slots, and then there’s the casino owners. Las Vegas as a market is also enormous, and so there isn’t a one size fits all answer, but we’ll cover a few broad categories here.
Slot Rotation Aggressiveness
The last few years have been pretty transformative to the industry, in terms of everything from floor layouts to the mix of games on the floor. Casinos realized players like more space, so long rows of slots are on the outs now. Also, those machines that sat in one spot for years, rarely played, could be replaced by less new machines that generate a lot more play.
So, the investment cycle on the slot floor has increased, but casinos will tend to have their own pace. And, it’s probably the case that smaller and more locals-focused casinos are going to be in at least some cases more aggressively updating their game mix to keep players coming in, whereas Vegas, while still caring about metrics, has to some degree a built in audience, so they can afford to be a bit slower and more deliberate about what they put on the floor.
Reno vs. Las Vegas as a Market
Reno isn’t as busy a market as Las Vegas. That can actually be helpful because regional and local casino markets can provide early indications of how a slot’s doing. Being first to have a slot can be a marketing advantage, and so we wouldn’t be surprised to see that aspect on display in Reno.
By comparison, strip casinos, which are high volume and tourist heavy, might wait to see what games are performing first, taking a less risky path that can also be savvy because by waiting for games to be popular elsewhere, those players will then come to Vegas and see those same popular games waiting for them on their visit.
But the strip isn’t the only place to launch new games, and oftentimes isn’t where that happens.
Location for Launches Matters
Oftentimes launches in Las Vegas happen at smaller or less corporate casino locations, or a local’s casino off the main tourist areas. Downtown Grand has been the launch for a few key games in recent years, for instance. The Plaza was the launch casino for both of Brian Christopher’s slot machines.
There’s a few reasons for this – doing ribbon cuttings and such are easier at these casinos vs. a corporate strip property, and they may be more willing to take a chance on a new game before it’s fully proven itself, relying on the “new game” marketing element to gather attention.
So games may start out at locals and properties with more local ownership or management, with the chains following behind after that.
Slot Maker Office Locations
Sometimes launches happen in certain markets because teams are based there. IGT has a Reno office, for instance, which would make launches there pretty convenient since they have a strong team presence there.
Certainly all the makers have some sort of presence in or around Las Vegas, but they may have teams elsewhere, like Reno, that can justify doing rollouts closer to there to see how things are doing as a game takes off.
Testing Happens More Broadly
We previously shared how IGT handles testing games through test banks, and they have banks all over the country. But their test banks are more likely to be outside the main tourist areas of Las Vegas, for instance, while that’s not as much a concern in Reno, where the setup is different.
So that can mean the test games are more visible too, not just new games launching in casinos.
Some Other Factor Not Relevant in This Case
Finally, some games don’t roll out in Las Vegas because they’re not approved to be released in Nevada yet (or at all). That’s not the case with Reno vs. Vegas, of course, but that can also lead certain games to never make it to the strip or downtown.
Smaller game makers may not have relationships with some of the big corporate entities, so that can also make strip access more limited until they have an established track record. The maker of the Grumpy Cat slot has visibly advertised its availability at Four Queens, but it hasn’t popped up on the strip, at least that we’ve found.
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