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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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Grannie's Slot Machines Get Hip

Casinos make play for the young and active

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(Newser) – After years of catering to the little old lady crowd, slot machine manufacturers are reaching out to the video game generation with a line of skill-based games, the New York Times reports. “We need to appeal to new buckets of players, or we’ll die,” said one slot exec. New machines will sport joysticks, multiplayer modes, and advanced graphics.

Skill will still only get you so far. Casinos love slots because they’re fixed, guaranteed to keep 5-10% of the money they take in. But young gamblers, craving skill and human interaction, flock to less-profitable table games. Getting the message, slots have added interactivity, competition, and hand-eye coordination. “We’re talking about a different vernacular, a whole different machine,” an exec said.

Slot machines are the main cash cows for casinos.
Slot machines are the main cash cows for casinos.   (Getty Images)
Inside New York New York, a Statue of Liberty flies high as the slot machines blink and beckon.
Inside New York New York, a Statue of Liberty flies high as the slot machines blink and beckon.   (KRT Photos)
This file photo shows a traditional slot machine at South Dakota's Pine Ridge Casino.
This file photo shows a traditional slot machine at South Dakota's Pine Ridge Casino.   (Magnum Photos)
A young woman uses a traditional slot machine in this file photo.
A young woman uses a traditional slot machine in this file photo.   (Magnum Photos)
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