Phil Villarreal Arizona Daily Star
Casino del Sol is offering players a way to try their luck at slot machines without leaving their desks. In a partnership with a game developer, the Tucson-area casino has embedded the popular social game “DoubleDown Casino” into its website.
Social-gaming experts call the game an enjoyable time waster at best, and at worst a potential money-sucking addiction.
“DoubleDown Casino” doesn’t let players gamble online. The game hands out free virtual currency each day, and if players run out of funds, one way they can get more is to buy them with real money. They can’t swap virtual credits back in for cash.
The casino shares revenue from the game with slot machine distributor and game owner International Game Technology. An IGT representative said the partnership is the first of its kind in the country with a land-based casino, and that others are soon to follow.
Games such as this could spell trouble for the easily addicted, said Ken McAllister, a University of Arizona professor who co-directs the video-game-focused Learning Games Initiative.
“When susceptible people get easy access to the object of their addictive personality, then there could be trouble – especially if they haven’t received help for their addiction that could help them weather temptation,”
McAllister said by email.
“To me, that’s one of the most powerful elements of online and mobile gambling. They offer instant gratification, wherever you are, with something approaching anonymity. To borrow a phrase: On the Internet, no one can see you losing your house.”
Potential players should familiarize themselves with the game’s rules before parting with their cash, said Nick LaFleur, a spokesman for the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona.
“Consumers should be fully aware that they’re not gambling for real money, and that they can’t cash in their virtual chips,” LaFleur said by email.
“In essence, they’re paying to play a gambling simulation video game. As far as putting an app like that on a browser, it would have the same pitfalls that would affect any sort of online or smartphone app – namely that hackers can always hack into your account and steal financial information.”
The gaming app makes the website more engaging, say spokespeople from the casino, who defend its presence on the website.
“We are continuously updating our offerings to reflect the evolving preferences of our guests,” Roy Corby, chief operating officer of Sol Casinos, said in a statement.
Kevin Sandler, an Arizona State University English assistant professor who focuses on contemporary media business, said the app is harmless.
“Is it really gambling, since you can’t win any money?” Sandler said. “I don’t believe it’s going to attract gamblers. It’s kind of a vehicle to attract leisure-game players, who maybe go to it for 10 minutes.”
The game is so repetitive that it’s difficult to envision many players getting hooked enough to spend significant money, Sandler said.
“The incentive is just wasting time,” Sandler said. “It has to be less risky and less dangerous (than gambling), since you can’t win money. … It seems like people are going to play that game for 10 minutes at a time, just like watching a short film at a bus stop, and just get bored after 20 or 30 minutes.”
In an interview, Sol Casinos’ Corby predicted the game will improve the site’s traffic. “I do think we’ll see not only more hits on the website and a longer time spent on the site. We’re excited. I think this really enhances our brand.”
Online
“DoubleDown Casino” on Casino del Sol’s website: casinodelsol.com/gaming
