No one can deny that online gaming has revived the Atlantic City casino industry. However, the online casino product in New Jersey has left some players unfulfilled, since there's no way to duplicate many of their favorite games online.
For instance, mechanical reel-spinners. Reels can be duplicated in video on a PC, smartphone or tablet; that authentic, physical reel-spinning vibe cannot. Even in the case of video slots, the fact that some major manufacturers—notably Aristocrat—have not yet successfully moved their games online has kept may fans of their games away from the internet casinos.
Last week, Hard Rock Atlantic City unveiled an attraction meant to address those concerns, and, in general, to inject some innovation into an iGaming genre which, other than initiating streaming of live table games, has seen few technological breakthroughs since it was launched in New Jersey two years ago.
They call the new attraction 'Live Slots,' and last week, the curtain rose on a curious room containing 12 physical slot machines, with a rig of cameras and microphones in front to record every play. They have been active for two months while the system was being tested, the room cordoned off by a wooden wall, curious passersby glimpsing them through carnival-style peepholes.
The 60-year-old woman from Fort Lauderdale, playing a $1 slot machine at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood, parlayed her $5 bet into a jackpot worth nearly $4 million early. Hard Rock tells Action News an additional jackpot of $90,000 was won by a Mays Landing resident playing Blazing 7s on Monday. And on Sunday, two people won big on slot machine jackpots, one for. Atlantic City's Hard Rock casino unveiled slot machines Monday that exist inside the casino, but which are entirely activated and played by gamblers over the internet.
No one can deny that online gaming has revived the Atlantic City casino industry. However, the online casino product in New Jersey has left some players unfulfilled, since there's no way to duplicate many of their favorite games online.
For instance, mechanical reel-spinners. Reels can be duplicated in video on a PC, smartphone or tablet; that authentic, physical reel-spinning vibe cannot. Even in the case of video slots, the fact that some major manufacturers—notably Aristocrat—have not yet successfully moved their games online has kept may fans of their games away from the internet casinos.
Last week, Hard Rock Atlantic City unveiled an attraction meant to address those concerns, and, in general, to inject some innovation into an iGaming genre which, other than initiating streaming of live table games, has seen few technological breakthroughs since it was launched in New Jersey two years ago.
They call the new attraction 'Live Slots,' and last week, the curtain rose on a curious room containing 12 physical slot machines, with a rig of cameras and microphones in front to record every play. They have been active for two months while the system was being tested, the room cordoned off by a wooden wall, curious passersby glimpsing them through carnival-style peepholes.
The 60-year-old woman from Fort Lauderdale, playing a $1 slot machine at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood, parlayed her $5 bet into a jackpot worth nearly $4 million early. Hard Rock tells Action News an additional jackpot of $90,000 was won by a Mays Landing resident playing Blazing 7s on Monday. And on Sunday, two people won big on slot machine jackpots, one for. Atlantic City's Hard Rock casino unveiled slot machines Monday that exist inside the casino, but which are entirely activated and played by gamblers over the internet.
Partnering with the software firm Softweave, Ltd., Hard Rock has set up those physical slots to be operated remotely on a smartphone, tablet or PC. From their couch or armchair, players can touch a spin button on their mobile device to operate the physical slot machines, buying credits, spinning reels and cashing out as if in an actual casino—except the winnings go into the player's online casino account.
Hard Rock Slot Machines Online
The specific games are what is unavailable online—mechanical reel-spinners from IGT and some of the most popular video slots from Aristocrat. More games and more variety will be added in the coming months.
'We are excited to introduce an entirely new way to play floor favorites without being there,' said Kresimir Spajic, the senior vice president of online gaming and sports betting for Hard Rock International, who has been guiding the Live Slots project for the operator. 'With Live Slots, you can control real, physical slot machines located at Hard Rock Atlantic City from anywhere in New Jersey using your PC, Mac, tablet or mobile device. It is a first-of-its-kind experience unavailable anywhere else on the planet.'
Hard Rock Casino Ac Slot Machines Machine
The first six Live Slots games are now available to play at the operator's online gaming site hardrockcasino.com. Mechanical reel-spinners include IGT's Triple Red Hot 7s, Hotter Than Blazes and 3X4X5X Double Times Pay. Video slots include Aristocrat's mega-hits Buffalo, Wild Lepre'coins and Bonanza Megaways.
The introduction of Live Slots is the result of intensive testing and ongoing development, Spajic told GGB News after the launch event.
'For two months, we've been doing behind-the-scenes testing,' he explained, noting that the system has been up and running for 100 Hard Rock player's club members for two months, during which time the system has been perfected.
'We've had multiple iterations and improvements on the product, and our first results were really amazing,' Spajic said. 'We are launching it first to our whole database, and then after two or three weeks—after we do another survey and another focus group to see if there are any further improvements needed—we are planning a huge (marketing) campaign in the state of New Jersey.'
He noted that the Hard Rock team has been working closely with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement as the Live Slots system has been developed, singling out DGE Executive Director David Rebuck and Maryann Spiniello Sheehan of the attorney general's office as 'extremely supportive' of the effort, 'because they also want innovation.'
'Without the DGE, we certainly wouldn't be here today,' commented Hard Rock Atlantic City President Joe Lupo at the media launch. 'These slots have been behind this window for the last couple of months because we wanted to do a lot of testing to make sure we were ready. Today is a culmination of not only years, but a lot of months working with the DGE, and as of today, we're going to really start ramping this up. As we see more demand, we'll add more supply as well.'
'Players will be able to enjoy slot machines from our partners IGT and Aristocrat, from the comfort of their own home,' noted Lee Terfloth, vice president of online gaming product for Hard Rock Atlantic City. 'Slot players will bet and spin Live Slots at hardrockcasino.com, using cutting-edge technology developed by our partners at Softweave, Ltd. This software has been designed exclusively for players to play and win at the most popular land-based slots which are not available in the online world today.
'On hardrockcasino.com, customers will see a row of real slot machines, exactly the same as they would see here at Hard Rock Atlantic City. This true-life experience means that customers can find their lucky machine and win big.'
'Our vision is to become the world's leading picks-and-clicks gaming company,' said Spajic. 'We want to create a unified experience for our customers across all our properties, meaning brick-and-mortar and online. Our mission is to provide world-class entertainment, authentic experiences and trusted service for all.'
'Live Slots is going to bring new audiences to the online casino by extending the real floor machine experience directly to the Hard Rock (online casino),' commented Roy Greenbaum, co-founder and CEO of Softweave, Ltd. 'Our cutting-edge technology will enable hardrockcasino.com to extend the real gaming experience from the casino floor directly to the players' fingertips.'
Greenbaum added that Softweave and Hard Rock are working to bring new features to the Live Slots setup, to go with an expected progression of new games to be added to the Live Slots room.
'We are talking about bringing the interaction of the player to the next level, recreating a full and seamless experience for the player, with elements the new machines are bringing,' Greenbaum said. 'The wider screens, the touch screen, more gamification elements. There are many, many more things to come, all accessible to the player through his mobile, tablet or computer.'
Spajic recalled that when Greenbaum first approached him with the idea for Live Slots, he thought the software developer was 'not completely normal,' but soon realized that the concept would inject needed innovation into the iGaming space. 'I realized that this industry is lacking innovation,' he said. 'If you look especially on the digital side, since live dealer, there hasn't been a big innovation in the industry. We embraced this as a groundbreaking innovation. We really feel this is the next big thing after live dealer, and we believe this will create some differentiation for the industry in general, for New Jersey, and for Hard Rock Atlantic City.'
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The coronavirus could be a literal game changer once America's casinos reopen.
Many decisions remain to be made. But prepare to have your temperature scanned at the door. Maybe a half or third of slot machines will work. Every other table could be closed, and there could even be plexiglass barriers between dealers and customers or separating slot machines.
Dealers and servers and customers — including those who smoke — all could be required to wear masks in many places.
Workers may be standing by to wipe down slot machines, kiosks and even elevator buttons as soon as someone is done touching them. One Las Vegas casino plans to hand out plastic sticks for pressing the buttons.
Such safety measures being considered in casinos across the country, even though a wide-scale reopening of the industry could still be weeks away, if not longer.
'It's important to focus on safety; it truly is,' Jim Allen, president of the worldwide Hard Rock casino and hotel chain, said. 'But I sincerely feel there are those who do not have a clue as to the economic challenge this is creating. The ripple effect of the trillions of dollars in debt we've just put on the United States by printing money is something that we all need to be very focused on.'
Hard Rock may require 10 to 15 feet between guests. 'Every employee and guest should be wearing a mask,' Allen said.
While masks have been widely adopted during the pandemic, the practice poses unique issues in a casino.
For instance, how will casino surveillance staff identify people barred from a casino through a government exclusion list, or those who have placed themselves on a self-exclusion list because of a gambling problem?
If slot machines are arranged to keep gamblers apart, what about a couple that arrives together and wants to sit next to each other while they play?
And how can chips, which are handled and swapped back and forth with each game, be sanitized quickly enough? Even money itself is often filthy.
Several casino executives in Atlantic City and Las Vegas acknowledged those are among the issues they are grappling with, and they note that state officials could still change the specifics of their plans before any reopening.
Casinos in the Chinese enclave of Macau have reopened, adopting many of the measures U.S. casinos are considering. Business has been slow to return.
New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement, which must give the all-clear before Atlantic City's nine casinos can reopen, would say only that it 'has engaged with the casino industry to develop plans for the safe reopening of Atlantic City's retail casino operations when authorized by the governor.'
In outlining a plan Monday to reopen the state, Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, gave no indication when casinos might reopen.
Wynn Resorts, which has casinos in Las Vegas and Massachusetts, proposed a May 15 phased reopening, then moved it back to Memorial Day weekend.
Employees would scan each guest upon arrival; anyone with a temperature over 100.4 degrees would be turned back and referred to medical care.
At check-in, each guest would get an amenity bag including a pointer for touching elevator buttons, a bottle of hand sanitizer and a COVID-19 information card. A spray bottle of disinfectant and towels intended for cleaning will be in each guest room.
Every other slot machine would be turned off to create space between gamblers, and table games would have a maximum of three chairs.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. has installed plexiglass barriers at its front desk and is hiring companies to deep-clean. Sands, which donated 2 million protective masks to first responders, has begun building a supply for its own employees and guests, spokesman Ron Reese said.
Matt Maddox, Wynn's CEO, wrote a guest column for the Nevada Independent in which he said the company is losing $3 million a day while shut down.
'Our economy is in a free-fall,' he wrote. 'Nevada will likely be one of the hardest-hit states in the nation and suffer very high unemployment. The only way to cross this river is one stone at a time, and we need to put our feet in the water before it is too late.'
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