IGT to Develop Dilbert Gaming Machine

West Virginia Approves Paper Tickets for Slots - CHARLESTON, WV – Gamblers at West Virginia's racetracks soon will be able to switch from slot machine to slot machine simply by inserting a piece of paper instead of lugging coins around. The Lottery Commission approved the use of `ticket-in, ticket-out' slot machines Tuesday. Racetrack operators had requested the new technology. The new machines feature paper tickets with a bar code that allow gamblers to receive credits on one machine by inserting winning tickets from a different machine. Each track will decide how many machines will be coin-drop, "ticket-in, ticket-out" and traditional paper ticket. Traditional paper tickets must be cashed in to receive winnings.

Pala Casino Opens Expansion - PALA INDIAN RESERVATION, CA - Pala Casino makes the leap from gambling hall to gambling resort on Aug. 19th when it opens a 500-room hotel, a conference center and a health spa offering mud baths and massages. The $105 million project is intended to keep the Fallbrook-area casino competitive in the San Diego region's rapidly growing market.

"Located on state Route 76 six miles east of Interstate 15, Pala's 10-story hotel has 425 guest rooms and 82 suites, with rates ranging from $99 to $310 per night. The hotel also has 10,000 square feet of meeting rooms for conferences of up to 300 people.

"But the project's most distinctive addition,"Jerry Turk, Pala Casino managing partner, says, "is the Pala Spa, a $4 million shrine to body pampering." Along with exercise, sauna and steam rooms, it will offer nine types of massage, six types of body wraps or scrubs and a wide array of treatments for face, skin, nails and hair.

Slot Tournaments Keep Gamblers Reeling With Anticipation - While poker tournaments are getting all the TV coverage, slot tournaments remain incredibly popular in casinos across the United States. "The primary draw (for gamblers) is the chance to win a lot for a little. The chances of bringing down a jackpot could be thousands-to-one, at least, as opposed to tournaments, where it could be one out of a hundred," explains Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and an avid tournament player. "They're not profit-makers for the casino, but they are a tremendous marketing draw. The casino gets good players on property." The weekly Slingo Slot Tournament at Bally's in Atlantic City draws about 600 eager competitors. During the five-minute competitions, players whack the buttons and spin the reels as fast as they can in an effort to achieve the top score and $2,500 prize. "It's all fixed," says tournament player Melvin Gonzalez. "It's the human against the microchip. You can have brains and it doesn't matter." Yet Gonzalez continues to participate, week after week.