Slot manufacturer American Gaming Systems, which has spent the past few years in an effort to expand its business in the U.S. Class III slot market, is entering the table game business. The company announced that it will purchase Casino War Blackjack and its suite of table games, notably War Blackjack.
“We couldn’t be more confident in the quality of War Blackjack to kick off our inauguration into the table games business,” said David Lopez, chief executive officer of AGS.
“Blackjack is the most popular table game in North America, and War is a fun, widely recognized game that is easy to learn. War Blackjack elevates the traditional blackjack experience by empowering the player to engage in an optional game of War prior to the blackjack game. If the player chooses, he can take his winnings from the War pre-game and increase his current blackjack wager. This creates a one-of-a-kind blackjack experience that is both exciting and suspenseful.”
Awarded “Best New Table Game of 2013” at the Ravings Consulting Table Game Conference last fall, War Blackjack is a proprietary blackjack variation that adds a dynamic twist to the game. With placements in over 40 casinos across seven jurisdictions since its official launch in December 2013, the game has consistently gained momentum in successive casino placements.
“The dynamics of the table game business are changing,” said Lopez. “Customers desire and deserve greater focus, more attentiveness, and a true strategic partner relationship from suppliers. We believe the AGS value proposition perfectly aligns with what customers are looking for. We are nimble, we are dedicated, and our team’s expertise and passion for table games is unmatched.
“We’re ready to redefine the industry’s expectations of game quality and the caliber of the sales relationship in the pit and, with War Blackjack, we’re confident that we have picked the perfect game to help accomplish this. We look forward to leveraging our existing channels, resources and relationships to introduce this burgeoning table game to a much larger audience.”
The acquisition is part of a major change in AGS’ product lineup, which started with the acquisition of Colossal Games and the revamping of the company’s slot development and management team under new CEO Lopez. Former CEO Robert Miodunski retired early in the year, and the company parted ways with Sales VP Paul Lofgren and Slot Development VP Olaf Vancura.
Colossal Gaming, which was founded by former Casino Data Systems founder and CEO Steve Weiss, specializes in giant novelty slot machines and quirky, unusual standard slots. Weiss now runs Colossal as a division of AGS.
