The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday approved a license for skill-based game maker Synergy Blue to distribute its games in the state.
Synergy Blue is majority owned by the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians. Its first iteration of skill-based games was introduced about a year ago on the floor of the Augustine Casino in the Coachella Valley in California.
“I think it’s incredible for a tribe to have a company like this grow and get licensed,” said tribal chairperson Amanda Vance. “I believe we were the first (tribal enterprise) to get licensed in Nevada. It’s amazing… We’re going to run with it and make incredible games. Synergy Blue will be known worldwide.”
The Augustine tribe originated in the 1980s in the Coachella Valley. It’s one of the smallest tribes in the U.S. today, with 12 members – seven adults and five children.
More members are on the way through pregnancy, Vance told the commission.
During the meeting, Synergy Blue CEO Georg Washington described skill-based games as a “patent minefield.”
“Everybody is trying to find their way,” he said.
Besides placement at Augustine, Synergy Blue is currently conducting European trials. It also has relationships with manufacturers Aristocrat and IGT, Washington said.
“The landscape right now is a daunting one,” Washington said of the gaming floor. “Customers want new experiences. Casinos have to (put) something new on the floor while not jeopardizing their bread and butter.”
The games will be placed in Nevada casinos for trials in the coming months.
Synergy has developed social and arcade-style games with gambling mechanics that can be adjusted to support both chance-based and skill-based games. They can switch depending on the jurisdiction.
Synergy Blue’s current roster has 19 titles, include Zombie$, Safari Match, Lucky Karts and Candy Ca$h.
Commission Chairman Tony Alamo said that the Nevada Legislature approved skill-based games four years ago.
“We expected to see an explosion on the casino floors,” he said, “but we haven’t.”
Washington cited the high barrier of entry in the gambling industry and comparatively few skill-based manufacturers at the moment. It takes time, he said, especially for startups pursuing that avenue.
A recent survey of slot directors conducted by Synergy showed that 67 percent said skill-based games would attract a different generation. 70 percent said they plan to adopt skill-based games in the future.
Alamo said he wasn’t sure.
“I have seen so many of these studies,” Alamo said. “People who play slots and poker will continue doing that… I don’t know if you can train the generation behind us to be gamblers. Time will tell.”
Commission member John Moran took exception to one of Synergy’s zombie-themed titles, saying he doesn’t like any games where players are rewarding for shooting people.
“I don’t like that they hang the success of a game on killing people,” Moran said. “That troubles me as a parent and community member. There was a pretty horrific event here (on Oct. 1).”
Washington said it’s up to casino operators to determine what kinds of games to feature in their establishments. The most successful game in the world right now, Fortnite, is a melee-style shooting survival game, he said.
“I understand the concern, but this is one game of 19,” Washington said. “That game was (developed) when the zombie craze was around. The follow up title is more of a Western-style shooting gallery game.”
Saying he respects the views of his colleagues, Alamo said he enjoyed playing first-person shooters. He said his concern is with Grand Theft Auto and games of that type, which are known not only for violence but for adult themes, as well.
But, he said, “I think good taste will prevail, and the marketplace will show the way.”
Synergy Blue will be basing its operations in Las Vegas and has a lease for warehouse space and will be adding an office in the Summerlin area. The office will have about 30 employees based in Las Vegas doing development. It currently has an office now in Palm Desert.
“The majority of people will be moving from California into Nevada,” Washington said. “Ten of them already live in Vegas.”
