G2E: AGS propels player experience with introduction of next generation of Bonus Spin and STAX Progressive

Friday, October 11, 2019 7:00 PM
  • Buck Wargo, CDC Gaming

AGS plans to roll out a number of new table-game products at the Global Gaming Expo this week in Las Vegas.

With a library of more than 50 proprietary table games and table-game side bets, AGS has more than 3,700 table game products installed around the world. The company’s product line includes card shufflers, table signage, the fastest-growing table progressives in the industry, premium poker titles, blackjack side bets, and variations of baccarat and roulette, said John Hemberger, AGS’ senior vice president of table products.

“This year’s G2E will certainly be the most robust product lineup that we have had in our table products business,” Hemberger said. “We are going to showcase the full depth of our product line and introduce a lot of new content that is really going to excite operators.”

Hemberger said that content includes enhancements to the second generation of the Bonus Spin progressive, Bonus Spin Xtreme. It can link all table games within a casino and offer a single shared progressive jackpot — a feat he said has never been accomplished with any casino product and can help push the table-game industry forward.

“What makes Bonus Spin Xtreme a game-changer is its ability to provide one unique progressive jackpot winner for community-style table games like roulette, baccarat, and craps, while enabling all participating players to be rewarded with a community prize,” Hemberger said. “That helps players encourage other players to make a bet, because they can win off each other’s hand. When you have so many games linked, you have the opportunity to have life-changing jackpots that can exceed $1 million.”

It also allows for optional casino-configurable non-cash prizes such as cars, boats, hotel stays, dinners, spa packages, and concert tickets.

AGS is also taking its must-hit-by jackpot feature from its STAX Progressive table game and incorporating that into Bonus Spin Xtreme.

“We’re the first supplier to introduce the must-hit feature in table games, and the popularity has been overwhelming,” Hemberger said. “Players love the feature. It’s driving increased participation on our progressive platform. We started to go into properties with this must-hit feature and our multi-level progressives, and what excites us the most was how many winners we are creating on a daily basis and how many players are (winning while) playing these progressives. The number is growing and growing, and that’s exciting. It helps drive the power of these progressives when spread across casino floors.”

AGS will also unveil the next generation of its STAX Progressive 2.0 platform, with new graphics and OWAP functionality – the ability for casino properties owned by the same company within state lines to link their jackpots.

“It’s very exciting for our existing customers to be able to do that in jurisdictions like Nevada, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Oklahoma,” Hemberger said. “There are a lot of states now where linking properties within a state line is a nice upgrade. And, with new seasonal themed backgrounds that can easily be changed by casino personnel, STAX Progressive becomes more than just a table progressive. It becomes a powerful merchandising and attraction tool to transform play and power revenue in your casino pit.”

AGS now offers an optional feature for STAX called Golden Seat, which randomly selects a player at the table who has wagered the progressive side bet and delivers a customizable, casino-configurable reward. This second-way-to-win prize encourages players to wager the progressive bet, Hemberger said.

Some of the other products introduced at G2E will be Jackpot Hold’Em, a poker variant that’s player vs. dealer in a fast-paced single-deck game in which the player and dealer will make their best five-card hand out of seven cards.

3 Card Blitz is a flush-based game in which the player takes on the dealer for the highest point total. The player and dealer receive seven cards and vie for the highest-scoring hand using up to three suited cards from the seven cards dealt.

Straight to the Flush has the player compete against the dealer for the longest flush or straight. To get in on the action, the player must make the straight-to-the-flush wager.

Mahjong Poker Face Up is a new player-vs.-dealer poker variant in which the dealer sets their hands face up. The player arranges their seven dealt cards into a three-card high and two-card low hand. There are optional side wagers that allow for big wins on premium hands.

“We’ve had a real commitment on the development side to premium games,” Hemberger said. “It’s an area that can grow and that we are concentrating on. It will be well-represented in our G2E floor mix.”

Some casinos are devoting percentages of their pits to introducing new games and letting players determine which really work, Hemberger said.

“Players enjoy the volatility those games offer when you can make a small bet and win high odds,” Hemberger said. “If you look at the slot floor, for many years there’s such variety and turnover and convergence of games. Table games are starting to ramp up that same philosophy, where there’s a hunger for new content.”

AGS will introduce a single-deck packet shuffler, called Pax S, that’s designed for specialty games. It features a proprietary image recognition system that is smart enough to work with nearly any deck of cards used on the casino floor.

“Pax S will be used on poker derivatives and make the games more efficient,” Hemberger said. “It keeps the players in action much more frequently than if you were hand-dealing those games.”

Some of AGS’ other introductions at G2E will be baccarat side bets, which have been a growing trend that add volatility.

The ACOT Chip Tray and no-peek device, which offer enhanced security for blackjack tables, will be displayed at G2E for the first time.