3-D Slot Machines Coming This Year

Are you tired of watching cherries pop up on your slot machine pay line? The new generation of slot machines, scheduled to debut this year, could have images of band members scheduled to perform in your favorite gambling city. If the band members' faces line up, the printer might spit out front row tickets. But wait, what if Grandma has never heard of Grand Funk Railroad, let alone know what the band members look like? Or, if NASCAR is coming to town for the weekend, you could see cars on the screen instead of fruit - all in 3-D images. Don't worry about having to wear those awkward 3-D glasses. New, affordable LCD technology has made it possible to house two or more LCDs in one physical unit to create the deceptive depth.

When the high tech slots are in play, programmers and casino managers will be able to change every aspect of the play including the cost of the spin, the type of payout, and the images that line up on the screen. If the penny slots start emptying out at 9 p.m., operators can flip the cost to $1 and offer a progressive jackpot to attract the late night high rollers. The "Monopoly Super Money Grab" slot is set to debut next month. It's hybrid design features a mechanical wheel behind the video display that activates when certain hits on the payline are struck. The traditional slots have a finite number of winning combinations, but adding a video layer allows programmers to exponentially expand the number of combinations of winning hits.

Not everyone is reeling with jackpot excitement. Digital slots using wireless networking, are vulnerable to hacking, bugs, and malfunctions. For decades, manufacturers have been dealing with hackers who have found bugs allowing them to regularly win on video machines. Regulators at the Nevada Gaming Board are considering this as they prepare for the new generation of slots by doubling the number of experts in computer science, electronic security, and wireless networking in 2007. One 71-year old slot player in California longs for the old days where she can just pull the lever and get a big tub of coins when she hits the jackpot.