G2E showcases ‘Squid Game’ and Whitney Houston themed slots

Gaming industry members from across the globe are hitting the Las Vegas Strip this week to show off their newest products and innovations at the Global Gaming Expo.

From manufacturers to casino operators, 25,000 industry professionals are at The Venetian Expo through Thursday to find the newest toys for the casino floor.

‘Squid Game’ hits the reels

Manufacturer Light and Wonder drew crowds with its new game featuring the Netflix hit “Squid Game,” a South Korean drama about deadly versions of schoolyard games played for money. A 75-inch screen displays the reels as they move through different games portrayed on the show: Red Light, Green Light; Tug of War and The Glass Tile. The game is expected to be available in the first or second quarter of 2024.

Whitney Houston slots

IGT, the gaming equipment and systems developer behind the “Wheel of Fortune” slot games, showed off its skill in intellectual property-based games by unveiling a Grammy Award-winning Whitney Houston-themed slot machine. The game was introduced on new hardware with a 55-inch screen and features Houston’s greatest hits.

“We’re research based and content driven,” said Phil O’Shaughnessy, vice president of global communications. “We did extensive research to note that the demographic for Whitney is really, really tied to the demographic for the slot player.”

The game will be available in casinos beginning in the second quarter of 2024.

The ‘smart pit’

Electronic table games manufacturer Interblock unveiled its innovations in a hybrid gaming experience with the new “smart pit.” Seen as a way to integrate into a casino’s live pit areas, the product has similar technology to stadium setups. The electronic table games have a player sit in front of a screen and bet on any of the live games in the pit, like roulette, craps, baccarat and blackjack. Dealers are still used to lead the games – and can be tipped in-game – but Interblock says the chipless technology ensures accurate payout and efficiency.

Light-up table games

Gaming manufacturer TCS John Huxley was showing off table games with on-table animations, lights that direct players to the point and can advertise for the casino. The new product line comes in several games, including craps, roulette and blackjack.

Instead of projections on the table, the animations are shown on a backlit screen that’s integrated with the roulette wheel or a control used by the dealer. The table also integrates taller screens that can show where the roulette wheel is spinning and other animations to capture players looking across the casino floor.

Vice President of Sales in the Americas Alex Dungan said the games are already on the market and are installed or rolling out now in some Las Vegas casinos.

“It skews towards younger players also because as they’re learning the game, it’s visually indicating how the game is played and it makes it easier for them to understand,” Dungan said.

Coin-pushing slot game

Aries Technology is further expanding its arcade-style coin pusher slot games with new titles operating on the same mechanics. As players bet, the game spits out RFID-enabled special tokens in the coin-pusher hardware. Players control a joystick to shoot out coins and attempt to push the special chips off the playfield’s edge to get free play, rewards or other prizes.

Two versions are already on the market outside of Nevada and a third version is expected in the next few weeks, said David Schultz, senior vice president of game development.

“Every year we talk about what we can do to bring something with mechanical skill to the players,” Schultz said. “It’s been tried but this is very different. There’s such a visceral connection between being able to fire the tokens, knocking your prizes off and collecting them.”

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.