Crown Resorts founder James Packer has entered into a partnership with Melbourne-based Wymac, a supplier of pokies to the Australia market, to develop a new suite of skill-based gaming machines, with payouts based on a player’s ability as well as chance.
The 50/50 joint venture has filed the first applications in Australia to roll out the skill-based pokies, aimed at attracting young gamblers, according to a report on Yogonet.com. According to the report the Victorian gambling regulator is working with the partnership toward a trial of the skill-based games at Crown’s flagship Melbourne casinos, while New South Wales authorities want more research into possible problem-gambling risks associated by the new skill-based games.
“We need to better understand issues such as risks around illusion of control and game returns for players with varying skills before any decisions are made on skills-based electronic gaming machine applications,” a spokesman for the NSW Liquor & Gaming Commission told the news site.
