gaming:
‘Bonus Boxes’ with prizes for players in test phase at Red Rock
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Courtesy of Gaming Support
Gaming Support’s “Bonus Box” prize cylinder attaches to existing slot machines.
Wednesday
16 November 2011
2 a.m.
Real paper money is a rare thing in casinos these days. But a new slot machine accessory being tested at Red Rock puts cash back on the gaming floor.
“Bonus Box” is a large plastic and metal cylinder that attaches to slot machines to hold bonus prizes for players. At Red Rock, each houses $500 in cash. Operators can also stuff the tubes with prizes or vouchers.
The cylinders are attached to a bank of 10 Red Rock slot machines. They were installed about six weeks ago and are expected to remain into December. Station Casinos is conducting a field trial of the machine for Netherlands-based manufacturer Gaming Support.
Red Rock “is the only place in Nevada where people can play it now,” Station Casinos spokeswoman Lori Nelson said.
The tubes open and offer their prizes randomly as part of a mystery bonus that’s different from the host machine’s bonuses. Bonus Boxes can be affixed to any slot machine manufactured by any company. Their audio, lighting and backgrounds can be customized.
As resorts move almost exclusively to ticket-in, ticket-out systems, the Bonus Boxes return tangible prizes to the casino mix. Another opportunity to win keeps gamblers playing longer, and placing desirable prizes at eye level “converts more voyeurs into players,” Gaming Support executives say. A large Scandinavian casino that installed Bonus Boxes on its floor reported a 300 percent increase in slot machine revenue after the machines went up.
The trial run in Nevada also appears to be successful.
“It has been very well received on the floor,” Nelson said. “People are intrigued by the tubes.”
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Man this is pure genuis! People won't even realize they paid 300 dollars for a 75.00 best buy giift card, and i'm not being sarcastic.
Another scam by Station Casinos. Remember 'Guaranteed play' slots? That lasted a few months and the gaming public never bought into that either.
I played these "great invention", the guaranteed play machines at Station Casinos, but only for once. It was at Boulder Station. I think I put in 100 dollars and it gave me quite a play. However, in the end my money was gone and I felt like an idiot for playing such a game. Would never recommend it to anybody else.
There are far better videopoker games, for some reason I haven't figured out, however, I couldn't find not one single progressive machine at any Station property I visited. The "best" was a high joker wild progressive but I think the reason nobody ways playing the game was because the machine in general has a terrible paytable. Just like the double double progressive at the El Cortez Bar near by the lobby. It's a 4-5-6 dd bonus progressive, but what good is a 2500 dollar jackpot when you don't get anything serious for your full-houses?
From Switzerland