Page 6 - August 2009 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
PIlaying Together Adds to Slot Play Fun
n the past, playing slot machines has always been a solitary endeavor. It has been player versus machine, and other than occasionally making conversation with the player seated next to you, there was not a lot of social interaction. Some players prefer this solitude of slot
play, but others miss the camaraderie that can be found at the gaming tables.
e reason that many players avoid table games is because they feel that the games are complicated to learn and they do not want to become embarrassed if they make a mistake. So they settle for the simplicity of slot machines and the lonely existence of the slot player. For these players, the newest technology in slot machines brings a welcome change with the introduction
derby with a single player winning the bonus event. IGT o ers players the chance to compete against each other in the Wheel of Fortune® Super SpinTM game. ese are just a few of the new community games you can nd on the casino oor.
of community slot games.
Wide Area Progressive slots such as Megabucks®, Wheel of Fortune® and others have been on casino oors for several years. ese progressive slots, located at di erent casinos across the country, are linked together to create
of money won by an individual player is based on the amount bet per spin. IGT’s eBay® slot machine is a perfect example of a shared jackpot community slot
Some of the community
slot games consist of a bank
of machines that contain
the same game. Each player
plays on his or her own machine, but at random times there is a bonus event in which all players take part.
machine. WMS Gaming
has produced community games based on their popular Monopoly® Big EventTM and Press Your Luck® games with more on the way. Many players like the shared jackpots
a single large jackpot that is eventually won by a single player. e technology of linking slot machines together has made it possible to design games that can link players together so they can share in a communal playing experience. Several of these games are on the casino oors around the country and there are two di erent types of games being o ered.
Shared Jackpots
e event is usually shown on a large separate screen connected to the bank of slots. All players taking part in the bonus event share in the jackpot. e amount
“I think that community slot games are going to continue grow in popularity
Shared Fun
I like to play table games, but many of my friends who join me at the casino are slot players. Because of this, we usually separate from each other as soon as we arrive and don’t get a lot of time to socialize with each other. We recently started playing a few of these new community slot games and we’ve had a lot of fun being able to play together as a group.
I think that community slot games are going to continue grow in popularity in the future. We are social creatures and most of us enjoy the company of others who share our interests. Playing together adds to the excitement of the game and makes our casino playing experience even more entertaining.
If you visit the casino with friends, you should de nitely try some of these new community slot games that will allow you to play together. If you play by yourself, you may even meet some new friends.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes.. Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. Burton is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps: www.thecrapsclub.com..
in the future. We are social because when one player
creatures and most of us enjoy the company of others
who share our interests. have always been like community games because
Playing together adds to the
everyone playing con-
tributes to the jackpot. excitement of the game and However; they are not
makes our casino playing experience even more
entertaining.”
wins, everybody wins.
Single Winners
Progressive slot machines
hit often, and there is not much interaction between players because they are competing with each other for the big jackpot. Several of the leading slot makers
have introduced slot games in which players compete against each other for the top jackpot within a bank of machines on the casino oor
WMS Gaming has created their Reel’em In!® Compete to Win!TM game into a community shing
Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
August 2009
About Gambling with Bill Burton