The Nevada Gaming Commission last week approved skill-based slot game manufacturer Synergy Blue for licensing to sell its games in the state.
Synergy Blue, majority-owned by the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, has had games on the floor in its Augustine Casino in California for nearly a year. The Augustine tribe, based in the Coachella Valley, is one of the smallest tribes in the U.S. today, with 12 members (seven adults and five children).
“I think it’s incredible for a tribe to have a company like this grow and get licensed,” said tribal chairperson Amanda Vance, according to CDC Gaming Reports. “I believe we were the first (tribal enterprise) to get licensed in Nevada. It’s amazing… We’re going to run with it and make incredible games. Synergy Blue will be known worldwide.”
During the commission’s meeting prior to licensing, Synergy Blue CEO Georg Washington described skill-based games as a “patent minefield.”
“The landscape right now is a daunting one,” Washington said of the gaming floor. “Customers want new experiences. Casinos have to put something new on the floor while not jeopardizing their bread and butter.”
The games will be placed in Nevada casinos for trials in the coming months.
“Nevada is a great market for us,” Washington told CDC Gaming Reports. “There’s a lot of transient players. We’re super excited about getting licensed in the state. It’s a sea change for us. We’re going to make a big push into Vegas over the coming months.
“Nevada is one of the gold standards of gaming,” Washington said. “We went through the gauntlet. We still have to send the games through trials, but the rest of the jurisdictions become easier because they know (how thoroughly the games are tested) when it comes to a Nevada license. We’re lining up license applications in several other jurisdictions at the same time.”
