Super Bowl Jackpots, Aristocrat Gaming’s first slot machine developed under an agreement with the National Football League, allows slot fans to choose their team and spin for field goals or touchdowns in a drive for a potential $1 million payout.
The first images of the game, released today, show a striking three-machine configuration, with each topped by the NFL logo superimposed over a packed stadium. The machine’s large curved screen displays several team logos and challenges players to “pick your team.” Blue LED strips that can deliver celebratory messages during the game line the sides of the screen.
“Super Bowl Jackpots is a game about energy,” Jon Hanlin, Aristocrat’s senior vice president of commercial strategy for the Americas, Europe, Mideast and Africa, told CDC Gaming. “It creates fun on the slot floor. It’s a spectacle in a game.”
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This machine, which kicks off a series of NFL-themed titles in a variety of play options, is also the debut for Aristocrat’s King Max cabinet. Hanlin said the King Max “fits perfectly” with the NFL line, but will also be used for other premium games.
Click to view full size (courtesy Aristocrat)
The King Max features LEDs, typically used for signs, bordering the screen. Hanlin said this is the first time for LEDs to be integrated into the slot machine in this way. A big win or touchdown triggers an LED display, creating what he called “a next level of entertainment.”
The cabinet boasts a 63.5-inch curved monitor with ultrahigh definition display and a new design for the virtual button deck.
While not revealing specifics of game play, he called it “action-oriented” and structured around such football elements as scoring touchdowns, kicking field goals, and playing four periods. It includes audio of six licensed fan-favorite stadium anthems played during key moments.
Future titles might include defensive plays or beat-the-clock situations.
“There are a number of different ideas, Hanlin said. “Being able to explore all that the NFL has to offer from gameplay is exciting to us.”
Other NFL slot titles scheduled for release in coming months include Overtime Cash, Super Bowl Link, NFL Kickoff, Winning Drive, and Rings of Victory.
Hanlin said Aristocrat’s “full intention” is to start installing Super Bowl Jackpots to coincide with this year’s NFL season. The season opener will be Sept. 7, with the Detroit Lions playing the Kansas City Chiefs.
Aristocrat and the NFL announced the slot licensing agreement in November 2021. The deal, the first of its kind for the league, is “multiyear,” but Hanlin declined to be more specific. He added that Aristocrat also has a licensing agreement with the NFL Players Association. He said Super Bowl Jackpot and most subsequent NFL titles will include highlight videos from actual games.
“We’ve designed our portfolio of NFL games with purpose,” Hanlin said. “They’ll cover a host of player types,” including stepper and video games, different volatilities and mechanics for each title, and Class II and Class III machines. “We’re looking to hit all quadrants of what types of slot players come to a casino and make sure they all have an experience on the NFL brand.”
He expects the NFL series to become “another integral part” of Aristocrat’s slot portfolio. “We’re not looking to replace or supplement or change any of our other big portfolios. Obviously, it’ll come down to slot players to determine what they want and need out of this NFL brand. But we’re committed to having games that really speak to NFL fans who choose to play slot machines and hopefully some who don’t currently play.”
Slot games aren’t the only NFL offerings Aristocrat plans. In March, the company announced a partnership with Inspired Entertainment to develop a way for football fans to bet on quick-paced simulated games between NFL teams. Bettors will choose their teams and pick many of the wagering options offered for real games, including mone-line bets, over/under total scores, and total touchdowns.
Hanlin said operators ranked Super Bowl Jackpots as the most anticipated title in an Eilers & Krejcik survey. He’s also eager for the rollout. “We’ve built up the energy,” he said, “and now it’s time to get it out there.”
