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Video Slots and the Future of the Slot Machine Game Industry
The evolution of the slot market from computerised slot machines to video slot machines and the growing popularity of internet based betting houses and mobile betting open a world of possibilities for game designers to create new kinds of game routines. In this new environment the possibility of improved, even unlimited, player interaction occurs. Game developers must grasp the transformation and develop innovative games that generate the most of it. Appealing game ideas are required which will catch the curiosity of the gamblers by providing them new and thrilling possibilities, yet not too new and distinct that the gamblers are alienated. Succeeding in gaining player attention and interest is important because of the size of the industry. In the Uk, as an example, betting makes a significant contribution to the economy with an estimated expenditure of 8,875 million pounds (0.8 per cent of Great britain Gdp (Gambling Act, 2005)), of which ã1.74 billion is made in costumer losses playing slot machines (Gaming Board, ‘05).
Slot machine game require a corresponding mathematical model to make sure the casino game is profitable and to correctly calculate the minimum casino edge. In those games that the gambler has an input, the gambler’s optimal method must be calculated in order to calculate the minimum house edge. Probability, Operational Research techniques and Stochastic Processes are used to build these models. Very good programming skills are also required. If video slot machines slots are to allow games to be more interactive these games could turn out to be much more sophisticated and, consequently, much more hard to model. This is a technical work that only properly trained pros can perform.