Skill game developers ink land casino deals

The popularity of skill games for reward appears to be growing, with recent reports of land casinos trialling this different style of gambling, which is reportedly favoured by the younger demographics.

Two deals signed recently went to up-and-coming developers and equipment suppliers Gamblit and GameCo.

GameCo signed a partnership agreement with Bandai Namco Entertainment through which the two companies will together develop casino skill games using GameCo’s action-filled combat game Soulcalibur II. The products from the partnership will be packaged in real-money video gambling machines for land casino distribution later this year.

GameCo is concurrently developing a video gaming machine with a Star Trek themed skill game, and has negotiated deals for several other major movie titles such as Mission Impossible and Terminator.

However, the company has enjoyed mixed success in recent installations; 21 of its machines were withdrawn from Caesars Entertainment properties in Atlantic City on grounds that the revenue generation was unsatisfactory, but GameCo machines remain at the Tropicana.

The Gamblit deal makes available skill gaming interactive tables to tribal casino customers at the Downstream Casino Resort in Oklahoma. Games featured on the tables include Gamblit Poker and Cannonbeard’s Treasure, and the deal was brokered through supplier Integrity Gaming Inc , with which Gamblit has an exclusive deal for tribal operations in Texas and Oklahoma.

Gamblit’s Oklahoma deal augments similar agreements the company has with land operators in Southern California and Nevada.