A Machine for Online Slots – Good or Bad Idea?
You know, when I was little, I actually had my very own slot machine! No joke, I swear on my life, it’s true! Now, don’t freak out, of course it wasn’t a real slot machine, it was just a toy that my grandmother bought me, like this one, but with “A Bug’s Life” characters and not Pokémon on the symbols (which is highly ironic because “A Bug’s Life” was made by Pixar, who are now owned by Disney, the most anti-gambling company in the world). Man, I loved this thing! It didn’t disperse any coins, it essentially acted as a glorified piggy bank, but it was so much fun to play! I’d spin those reels over and over again, trying to get that winning combination of symbols. When my slot machine finally jammed and wouldn’t spin anymore, I swear I was just completely devastated.
Now, of course, there is a reason why I’m telling you this little anecdote from my childhood, just hang in there for a little bit longer, okay? Later on, as I grew older, naturally I transitioned into physical slots, which were also extremely fun, but the added downside was that I could only play them while I was in a casino. The alternative is, of course, online slots, but… Let’s just say they’re not exactly a match for the spectacle of physical slots. I mean, sure, you can play them on your phone or tablet, which is pretty convenient, but there’s just an entirely different experience having a machine in front of you, a lever to pull, the blinking lights on a large, smooth HD screen… So that got me thinking. What if someone invented a device that would accurately recreate the slot experience at home? Think a more grown-up version of my childhood toy, just connected to the Internet and playing real slots, for real money.
Of course, at first glance this sounds like a terrible idea, but hear me out. We’re living in the age of technology, where people spend money on all kinds of stupid stuff. Apple are releasing a new iPhone every year, and without fail, people storm the shops and replace their phones every single time. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo release gaming consoles every few years, and once again they sell out at launch! Hell, Sony just announced their plans to make you buy a SECOND PlayStation 4 console, and people are eating it up! But videogame consoles and phones aren’t the only gadgets that lots of people buy. VR headsets, the latest trend, can cost between $400 and $1000, and yet pre-orders for every single one of the three major VR units dried up before launch!
Of course, there’s plenty of drawbacks and setbacks, too. One of them would, of course, be the price. I can’t imagine a proper slot machine designed for home use to sell for under $300, and even that’s generous. Another big point is that a lot of people may argue that while this is fun to have, you don’t technically NEED it to play slots at home. And yes, that may be true, but I’d counter-argue that there are plenty of people who purchase and build classic arcade cabinets even though it’s much more convenient to play those games on PC through emulation. Ultimately, while I don’t see a home slot machine with a “smart” interface being a gigantic success, I think it could easily sell a few hundred thousand units in markets like Spain and the UK where online gambling is prevalent. What do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts by clicking the “Contact” button at the top!