Longtime casino manager Buddy Frank stood in Ainsworth’s Las Vegas showroom recently looking at the Gambler’s Gold MultiGame, reflecting on his experiences with Keno games over his life and career in the industry.
“I grew up going with my mom to restaurants where I would mark with the little crayon,” he said. “The appeal of Keno in those days before the lottery and before MegaBucks was you had these big hits by playing a relatively little amount, so it was a lot of fun.”
The same Keno premise holds true in Ainsworth’s Gambler’s Gold MutltiGame package.
Players can play small bets and get big wins.
Gambler’s Gold gives Keno players the chance to win big jackpots by offering varying volatility levels through the kind of bonusing traditionally seen in slots.
“Gambler’s Gold is truly a unique offering designed to appeal to repeat local players who want the chance to win significant awards while keeping their wager at a comfortable level,” said Ainsworth Vice President of Product Marketing & Global Communications Mike Trask. “The Keno games utilize pieces of what players traditionally expect to find in a video slot – Free Games, respins, multipliers and other kinds of bonuses.”
The current Gambler’s Gold package includes five Keno titles: Squish Keno, Disco Keno, Hold Yer Hits, Outback Keno and a classic version. It also includes a series of video poker games and three-reel games. Future development plans include additional entertaining Keno offerings, a Four-Card Keno and potentially bringing popular Ainsworth slot brands like QuickSpin the MutliGame.
Keno players have flocked to non-traditional games in many markets. In the Las Vegas locals’ market, bonusing style keno continues to grow, particularly in small properties and bars.
And the style of the games in the Ainsworth package is proven elsewhere in the county.
The current package is based on the top performing Montana Gold MultiGame that’s exclusively utilized by Golden Entertainment in the competitive Montana Video Lottery Terminal market. It’s also a strong performer in the South Dakota and Louisiana markets.
Ainsworth entered the Keno business when it officially acquired MTD Gaming Inc. in early March 2020. Today that tremendous content has become available for Class III casino operators.
The Gambler’s Gold product was showcased at G2E and can already be found on several casino floors in Southern and Northern California. A field trial is scheduled for Nevada in 2022 and the product will soon launch in several additional North American Class III markets.
“We feel like Keno is an area where in many markets it has been ignored a little bit,” said Ainsworth Director of Game Development Dustin Fasbender. “We have spent a lot of time developing Keno games that have some fun and exciting features.”
On the Ainsworth floor, Frank continued checking out the games.
“Nice,” he said. “I’m glad to see someone putting some new innovation in Keno.”
