The Nevada Gaming Control Board has recommended that Gamblit Gaming, a subsidiary of Hard 8 Games, be issued a manufacturing license for what one board member called “game-changing” products that combine video games and slots.
After a 90-minute hearing, the board recommended that Gamblit be issued three separate manufacturing licenses. During the hearing, the manufacturer showed board members a slot machine that incorporates a Scrabble-type word game similar to those appearing on social gaming websites such as “Words With Friends.”
Gamblit CEO Eric Meyerhofer told board members the game is designed to bring social gamers to the casino floor by offering a product with which they are already familiar. The company is currently working to secure license agreements with the social game producers.
“The bottom line is, this is what needs to happen in the state of Nevada,” Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett said in recommending the approval.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Meyerhofer the game is designed for the 21-to-45-year-old demographic who visit casinos but do not play slot machines. “The younger markets are from the digital age, and most are interested in the entertainment experience,” he said. “We’ll put the wagering experience in the entertainment product. It will open up new markets.”
The company’s licenses are subject to final approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which is expected by the end of June.
