Game show "slots" (and others) coming to PA

[Michael Brandenburg]

It's been over a week since Dave Mackey announced on this board the new "Dating Game" slot machine, and now, in my morning Cincinnati Enquirer, I see that Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is expected to sign into law today (7-5-2004) legislation that will authorize up to 61,000 slot machines in the state to help reduce local property taxes there.

No doubt there will be a lot of game show-related slots among them, but (moral questions aside), I'd rather play computer-simulated versions of such machines on my home PC, rather than pump my hard-earned money into real slot machines.  (I have a Kentucky "property tax" bill on my car due later this month, in fact.)  But, so far as I know, the only "game show" home computer SM-simulation around is the one in the "Reel Deal Casino/Shuffle Master Edition" program.  (It's a Press Your Luck machine that is derived from the original CBS run of the show.)

How about some others?  Where are the home computer versions of Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Price is Right, and other "slots"?


Michael Brandenburg
(No, I don't think we can count the "slots" in the Monopoly Casino home computer program, even though Monopoly was a game show back in 1990.)

[Vgmastr]

Hard Rock Casino

Just click "Free Play" and you can play as long as you want for fake money.

[Jumpondees]

[quote name=\'Michael Brandenburg\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 08:44 AM\'] It's been over a week since Dave Mackey announced on this board the new "Dating Game" slot machine, and now, in my morning Cincinnati Enquirer, I see that Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is expected to sign into law today (7-5-2004) legislation that will authorize up to 61,000 slot machines in the state to help reduce local property taxes there.

No doubt there will be a lot of game show-related slots among them, but (moral questions aside), I'd rather play computer-simulated versions of such machines on my home PC, rather than pump my hard-earned money into real slot machines.  (I have a Kentucky "property tax" bill on my car due later this month, in fact.)  But, so far as I know, the only "game show" home computer SM-simulation around is the one in the "Reel Deal Casino/Shuffle Master Edition" program.  (It's a Press Your Luck machine that is derived from the original CBS run of the show.)

How about some others?  Where are the home computer versions of Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Price is Right, and other "slots"?


Michael Brandenburg
(No, I don't think we can count the "slots" in the Monopoly Casino home computer program, even though Monopoly was a game show back in 1990.) [/quote]
 Well...Property taxes are the main reason, but an underlying reason is so that the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL can build a new arena to replace the very old Mellon (Civic) arena.

The State of Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh both have denied the Pens the necessary state funding needed time and again, especially after building two new stadiums over the past five years for both the Steelers and the Pirates.  Now, with slot machine revenue, the Pens can now possibly bank on a new building.  

The current suggestion (Made by a local sports reporter), has Pens owner Mario Lemieux applying for a slots license, and using the profits from slots to build the arena with no state-subsidized funds.

But enough about that...I'm just excited that I'll be able to play Wheel of Fortune machines without having to go to Niagara Falls.....I did pretty good on them north of the border...I can still see the same luck coming to me here...

I also did pretty good on the Dick Clark Pyramid video slots...but I just couldn't squeeze any money out of the TPIR video slots nor the $OTC slots to save my life.

I of course would rather sit at home and play my PC based slot games, since there is no risk involved, but every now and again (When my personal budget allows) I like to take a trip to Wheeling, WV to drop a couple $ in some live machines.

Now about home versions of the other GS type machines...I don't see a PC game manufacturer putting out a particular show-based machine on it's own disc...the only way I could see those games come to the PC is if a software company licensed those games from the machine's manufacturer.  There is however an underlying problem to doing that...In putting out say a "compilation" of all the GS slot machines on PC...The software company would have to pay royalties to several different companies (Fremantle for TPIR and $OTC, Sony for Wheel, J!, Pyramid, not to mention royalties to the machine's manufacturer for allowing the game engines from the machines to be used in a home-based format).

I can also agree we cannot count the "Monopoly Casino" slots in this discussion...None of those slots used on both the original edition and the Vegas Edition, come nowhere close to being anything like the short lived ABC show.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Vgmastr\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 09:29 AM\'] Hard Rock Casino

Just click "Free Play" and you can play as long as you want for fake money. [/quote]
 Just played the Game-show themed slots there.

Are these "Hard Rock Video Slots"  internet-only variations of their respective slots?  The TPIR & WoF slots at the websites are different than the ones I've seen at the casinos.


Another Q about the PA slots...

Will these slots be located at actual racetracks only?  I know that there is an OTB parlor in Erie (1 hour from me!), and am wondering if that would be a slot palace as well?

BTW, according to what I heard on the news today, Pennsylvania will be bringing in 61,000+ slots -- making it the state with the *most* slots outside of Nevada.


Note to Ohio Governor Taft.   "Get your head out of your @$$ and legalize gambling in Ohio". -- Every state/province surrounding Ohio (sans Kentucky) will now have casino gambling of one form of another.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 06:36 AM\'] Note to Ohio Governor Taft.   "Get your head out of your @$$ and legalize gambling in Ohio". -- Every state/province surrounding Ohio (sans Kentucky) will now have casino gambling of one form of another. [/quote]
 Well, he needs to find a way to pay off those damn bell statues....

Regarding Pennsylvania, however: Why bother with a new arena, until the impending lockout is through?  [On a second though: Why bother with the NHL at all?]

And, I saw at the Hard Rock Casino that you could "real play"....if that interests anyone.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 08:40 AM\'] Regarding Pennsylvania, however: Why bother with a new arena, until the impending lockout is through?  [On a second though: Why bother with the NHL at all?]
 [/quote]
 Because the NHL isn't going to fold, and Paul Allen has been knocking at Mario's door to move the Penguins to Portland for a couple years now. If they don't get something in place, and soon, the Rose Garden will have new tenants.

[Jumpondees]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 06:36 AM\'] [

Another Q about the PA slots...

Will these slots be located at actual racetracks only?  I know that there is an OTB parlor in Erie (1 hour from me!), and am wondering if that would be a slot palace as well?

BTW, according to what I heard on the news today, Pennsylvania will be bringing in 61,000+ slots -- making it the state with the *most* slots outside of Nevada.


 [/quote]
 There are going to be slots at racetracks/resorts like Wheeling Island in WV and stand-alone (Non Racetrack) parlors.

It's already been announced that Pittsburgh will have at least one guaranteed license for a slots operation and Philly will have at least two...

I would suppose Erie would get a place, but I don't know if they would put it in a OTB site (I'm assuming you have a Ladbroke/Meadows OTB in Erie), unless they are willing to undergo a major expansion.  It is my guess that the state will grant a license to someone in each major geographical portion of the state (Erie, Pittsburgh, Philly, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Harrisburg, and Possibly one in Breezewood -- 22 miles from the MD line off of I-70)

It is true about the 61,000 slots, PA will have the most slots of any state outside of Nevada.

[Jumpondees]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 10:42 AM\']
Because the NHL isn't going to fold, and Paul Allen has been knocking at Mario's door to move the Penguins to Portland for a couple years now. If they don't get something in place, and soon, the Rose Garden will have new tenants. [/quote]
 It's already a known fact that if the Pens leave Pittsburgh, it will not be by Mario's hands....He's already said that if it comes to it, he will sell the team and let the new owners move it out of town....Mario wants to keep the team here, but he's already said that if it's no longer financially viable to him to keep the Pens, he will sell and that he's already gotten unsolicited offers for the team.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Jumpondees\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 02:00 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 10:42 AM\']
Because the NHL isn't going to fold, and Paul Allen has been knocking at Mario's door to move the Penguins to Portland for a couple years now. If they don't get something in place, and soon, the Rose Garden will have new tenants. [/quote]
It's already a known fact that if the Pens leave Pittsburgh, it will not be by Mario's hands....He's already said that if it comes to it, he will sell the team and let the new owners move it out of town....Mario wants to keep the team here, but he's already said that if it's no longer financially viable to him to keep the Pens, he will sell and that he's already gotten unsolicited offers for the team.[/quote]
Which is exactly what I'm saying...Allen wants to own an NHL team and play them in the Rose Garden in Portland.

[Jumpondees]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 04:02 PM\'] Which is exactly what I'm saying...Allen wants to own an NHL team and play them in the Rose Garden in Portland. [/quote]
Oh is that the name of the guy!!!  I thought he was a mayor or something....Not that I care....I hate the Pens anyway...I just live here...I'm a loud and proud supporter of the Washington Capitals...and it wouldn't be the same unless we were beating the Pens or getting beat by the Pens

[Michael Brandenburg]

In response to the following comment from "Jumpondees" in this thread:

…the only way I could see those [game show-based "slot machines"] come to the PC is if a software company licensed those games from the machine's manufacturer.

That's exactly what Phantom EFX, Inc. (the manufacturer of the Reel Deal Casino/Shuffle Master Edition program) did: The "Shuffle Master" in the program's title refers to the name of a company that makes gaming equipment for casinos (including automatic card shuffling machines) -- and among their products is the Press Your Luck slot machine that you find in some casinos!


Michael Brandenburg
(and I see from the GameSpot website that this is supposed to be a very good program, rating a 9.8 out of a possible 10!)