Las Vegas-based GameCo OK’d to roll out new skill-based casino games

Las Vegas-based GameCo LLC will begin distributing skill-based video-game gambling devices in Nevada once casinos reopen.

The company said Tuesday that its six-month trial featuring two games, “Nothin’ but Net 2” and “All-Star Hoops,” played at The Linq Hotel, the MGM Grand and Park MGM in Las Vegas and the Atlantis in Reno had succeeded.

The Nevada Gaming Commission gave unanimous approval to the new platform last week.

GameCo had previously offered the games in 20 locations at tribal casinos in California, Oklahoma and Connecticut and at commercial properties in Mississippi. Approval in Nevada enables the company to market and distribute in North America’s largest casino market, Las Vegas.

“We are thrilled to complete our field trial, and this is a major milestone for a startup in such a highly regulated industry,” said Blaine Graboyes, co-founder and CEO of GameCo. “We appreciate the support of our trial partners and the Nevada Gaming Control Board.”

“Nothin’ but Net 2” and “All-Star Hoops” are basketball games in which a player shoots baskets on a video screen and is rewarded for the number of successful attempts in a certain time frame. Games can be played by single players or in multiplayer gambling formats. The house always maintains a percentage edge on games.

With the field trial completed, GameCo is planning to bring new games to casinos in Nevada, including the company’s upcoming “Sweet Spot Golf” and “Destination Tiki, a Match 3 Slots Game.” Additional upcoming VGM titles include “Steve Aoki’s Neon Dream Rhythm Runner” and “Star Trek: Voyager.” GameCo also plans to release a first-of-its-kind multiplayer arena, which would bring a new social experience to the casino floor with machines allowing people to play head to head or in esports-style tournaments.

Graboyes said the field trial supported the company’s belief that new and different games resonate with a younger millennial casino audience and can be monetized. He said more than 80 percent of GameCo’s coin-in spending came from millennial and Generation X players, compared with about 20 percent for traditional slot machines.

The company also determined that GameCo realized 12 percent or more uncarded play than other skill games or slot machines, pointing to a new player and new money.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.