Nevada’s new gambling bill recently caught the attention of Konami, as it will allow for “skill based” slot machines to be placed within the state’s casinos.

Many gamers in the US may only know Konami as the creators and publishers of several classic arcade games, and a handful of gaming’s most iconic sagas; Konami is the publisher behind such franchises as Castlevania, Metal Gear [Solid], Frogger, and Contra. However the Japanese gaming giant also dabbles in other industries, including health and wellness devices and casino games.

This weekend, Senate Bill 9 was passed in Nevada, which will allow casinos to house machines that include “true skill-based” and “hybrid” gaming elements. According to the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), this new bill marks the first time that machines can be installed with such features here in the US. With the help of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC), the state hopes to bring a younger audience to arcades:

“The Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission will now lead the process of writing and promulgating the rules and regulations that will guide this innovative new direction that AGEM believes will inject new life into the slot machine segment of the gaming industry and attract younger players that are accustomed to the arcade experience and different forms of non-gambling games in their daily lives.”

AGEM President Thomas Jingoli offered his thanks towards the NGCB, stating that Nevada will be “the first in the world to offer the full extent of this innovative new form of gaming”; Jingoli is also the CCO (Chief Compliance Officer) of Konami Gaming, the US branch of Konami’s slot machine and gambling division.

Traditional slot machines require the player to either match three of- or land on a predetermined set- of icons across three wheels; with the new bill in place, developers can now add “bonus rounds” and additional modes to their machines. These enhanced machines are wildly popular in Japan, and typically have cinematics or additional playable genres that are unlocked as the player keeps winning. A number of Japanese slot and pachinko machines are based on popular gaming franchises, with Guilty Gear being one of the more recent installments. 2013’s Guilty Gear Vastedge XT is a pachinko/slot machine hybrid, equipped with a visual-novel/fighting game set between the events of Overture and Xrd:

With Konami seemingly pulling away from console gaming in order to focus on the mobile market, its possible that the corporation may shift into casino gaming on a larger scale than just Japan; Konami’s slot machine, pachinko and “pachislot” hybrid games include Mah-Jong Fight Club, Sengoku Collection 2, Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera, Senritsu no Stratus, Magical Halloween 4 and CR Pachinko Magical Halloween.

Konami’s E3 2011 digital presentation concluded with a stinger for a new Contra game; the teaser only showed the iconic “flaming C”; a new Contra game was released in Japan as the 2013 pachislot machine, Contra 3D.

Sources: Market Wired, Konami Gaming, Konami
Image courtesy of Konami