A slot machine manufacturer wants to put competitive Pac-Man into a casino near you. No, it won’t be a one-armed bandit eating nickels in a smoke-filled corner. Pac-Man Battle Casino is a multiplayer machine and comes complete with the blessing of Bandai Namco. A demo unit will be playable next week at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas next week.
Developer and manufacturer Gamblit Gaming bills itself as “the leading publisher for real-money and skill-based gaming for land based casinos.” Battle Casino was developed in partnership with Bandai Namco, and seems to be loosely based on Pac-Man Battle Royale, a four-player version of the classic arcade game released in 2011.
Two-to-four players place a wager before the game starts, and the winner gets a spin on a prize wheel. Payouts are based on luck, not the amount wagered. The platform will be the Gamblit Model G, which was custom-made for the millennial scene. The touchscreen device includes amenities like purse hooks, cup holders and a USB charging port.
Casinos the world over are having trouble attracting younger clientele, and video games seem to be a natural fit. Gamblit seems fixated on solving the problem. Its marketing materials claim its machines “lower the average consumer age down by 20 years in most jurisdictions.” One of its more popular devices allows people to gamble with the Doodle Jump franchise.
Pac-Man Battle Casino will be available in 2018, as will gambling machines based on mobile classic Cut the Rope and the newly released Road Redemption, the spiritual successor to Road Rage.