For some time now, casino operators in Las Vegas have been trying to figure out a way to make gambling more appealing to millennials. Traditional slot games and even table games are not as popular today as they once were with the younger 20 to 30 something crowd. A new option has now been released by MGM Resorts that will hopefully appeal to the millennial crowd as it involves smartphones and online gambling.
Mobile tournaments can now be played via smartphone devices while visiting the properties owned by MGM, be it relaxing in the swimming pool or having a drink at the bar. MGM Resorts announced yesterday that they have launched a new gaming platform via mobile that offers online tournament gaming on a Wi-Fi system that is connected to nine properties owned by the company.
Interactive Gaming Development at MGM Resorts Executive Director, Lovell Walker, commented on the new gaming option, stating that the mobile platform will lay the foundation for what MGM will be doing in the future. MGM feels that mobile is going to be a major part of gaming in the future. According to MGM Resorts, the new gaming option marks ‘the first digital and interactive tournament to be offered by a regulated casino in the United States’.
With the mobile gambling option, MGM is hoping to bring in a younger crowd of customers; millennials who seem to be attached to the Internet and their mobile devices. This group of individuals are playing the slot games and table games less than older generations.
The new gaming platform for mobile devices is titled easyPlay Mobile Tournaments. Guests of MGM properties who are 21 or older will be able to use the product at the following casinos:
- ARIA Resort & Casino
- Bellagio
- MGM Grand
- Mandalay Bay
- The Mirage
- Monte Carlo
- Luxor
- New York-New York
- Excalibur
Just last month, MGM hosted a beta testing phase where the mobile product was tested. The first tournament took place during this testing phase. Players who access easyPlay now will be able to compete against others in several tournament games via a mobile device. Game play can take place anywhere from the hotel room to the lobby. Players will have the opportunity to win thousands in cash prizes as well as additional prizes offered during scheduled tournaments. Games included in the tournament offerings are bingo, video poker, slots and more.