Slots "Themed" slot machines disappearing at Caesar properties?

Our local Harrah’s and Horseshoe in Council Bluffs have removed all from the casino floor! Wheel of Fortune, Tarzan, Game of Thrones and others. Is this a Caesars move or ElDorado move? Avoiding the royalties they pay to the manufactures and licensing agreements. Miss some of them already.

 

I have noticed the same thing, in Biloxi and Vegas, Mlife properties. I don't know why but your suggestion that it's a reluctance to pay the royalties makes sense.

 

BINGO.

Lots of machines to play. Why pay those royalties.... and give the customer a lower return?

 

I noticed the same thing at Wynn/Encore a few weeks ago. They have never had a great slot line up but I noticed many of the themed games that were there have bee removed. They have a few, but not nearly as many as they had in years past.

 

Due to the significant reduction in visitors, it's understandable that operators are looking everywhere to reduce fixed costs. Nowadays, machines are leased and not purchased like years ago and the most popular themed ones are the most expensive.

Wonder if some of the old, retired, owned machines will return? I'd love to see MGM bring back the Lion Share machine!

 

Plants and Zombies!
Atlantica!

 

Hmmmm... I was at Bellagio, Aria, Park and Cosmo 2 weeks ago. I've always been aware of a little bit of up and down cycling of the themed machines. Didn't seem to be a major change. I wonder if Covid has inhibited the ability of IGT, Aristocrat, etc from promoting, releasing new machines.

I saw plenty of Game of Thrones, Billions, WOZ variations, LOTR, Jas Bond, Mad Max, Wonka, Little Shop of Horrors, Tarzan, etc etc etc....

I did notice that the nearest CA tribal was like Konami City when I visited in Sept.

 

We were at harrah's in August and I don't think I saw a single Wonka machine.

 

My local NA casino has done this as well. Someone asked them on their Facebook and they said they gave back machines that the lease was up on while they were shut down. They didnt say, but they must not have gotten any new leased games because nothing replaced the ones that have disappeared.

 

Weird. My local N.A. casino GAINED some themed slots just a month ago (little shop of horrors, willie nelson, TPIR, etc...)

 

That seems to be ignorant (from viewing only superficially) of the leasing company If everything was shut down how would you expect someone to continue the lease without income. EVERYTHING was shut down.
So you start getting inventory back and you are going to do WHAT with it?
Not sure how maintaining a business relationship plays into it but doesn’t seem to be the best approach in the long term.

 

This was a Caesars move a few years ago before the Eldorado merger. It's not the license/theme but mostly the big progressives that Caesars (and others) doesn't want to deal with, because in the end they cost more than a game they buy straight-up.

They don't pay additional royalties (the manufacturer takes care of that), but they pay a percentage of all the money that runs through the game (even if there's a net loss on the game). So it ends up costing much more than a for-sale game, not to mention the extra accounting they have to track.

For example -- and these are all close but hypothetical numbers -- I could buy a Wheel of Fortune standalone for $16k, which could make its money back in 2 months. Assuming 90% return, that machine would've had $160k in bets over those 2 months.

Or I could lease a Wheel of Fortune progressive and pay 3% of that $80k/month ($2400). If I keep it on the floor over 7 months, I'm now losing money when I could've purchased another game upfront.

There are some versions of those games that have a static jackpot or a local progressive (casino-only), but for my money, if I win the top jackpot, I want it to be a $500k+ progressive than the $10,000 max.

During COVId, with casinos having little money to spend on new games to attract more players (or just players in general), I'd think they would allow more of the leased products again, but who knows. Casinos aren't the smartest when it comes to what appeals to players.

--max

 

Exactly the type of thing CET does, hoping to save money and hoping nobody will notice.

They always save money, but some people notice. If you don’t notice the plastic cups or the missing toiletries, you might notice the missing slot machines. It’s like death by a thousand cuts with them, until suddenly you don’t have a decent experience anymore.

 

When we were at Beau Rivage last week, I noticed many of the older machines were gone. There were certain penny machines (with $5 bets) that I would play often that have been around for maybe 10 years... nowhere around.

Lots more new video machines. I wonder if maintenance is part of the changes?

 

When they reopened, Paris had two Tarzan machines and two Walking Dead2. I believe they were the same ones that had been along the wall by the Sports Book before the shutdown. They had probably moved them to space machines out. When we went back last month all four were gone.

 

I don’t play a ton of slots, but I have played more than I usually do my last few trips. My wife and I both agreed the CET properties are severely slacking when it comes to games we want to play.

MLife and Cosmo are in a different class.