Thanks for that clarification, Bill. I decided to do a little
digging on the internet. A Google search under "Class II Gaming" led
me to the website of Multimedia Games, Inc., where I found the
following:
Class II Games and Systems
The Company provides the Class II Native American gaming market with
linked, interactive electronic games and related online systems and
player stations. These games, systems and EPS include flexible gaming
platforms that enable Multimedia Games to operate and regularly
launch new game engines; flexible game engines that enable the
Company to display the same underlying bingo game in a variety of
ways; high-speed, interactive Class II bingo games designed and
developed by Multimedia Games that are intended to provide its end
users with an entertaining gaming experience; EPS that are linked via
Betnet, thereby enabling the Company to rapidly communicate its games
to end users, broaden end user participation in the same game
throughout the country and monitor the performance of its network in
real time, and information services that allow its customers to
monitor their gaming activities and to improve service to its end
users.
Multimedia Games' offering of high-speed, interactive Class II bingo
games consists of its Legacy platform of games, which includes
MegaMania, Flash 21 Bingo, Big Cash Bingo and People's Choice, and
the Company's New Generation platform of games, which is comprised of
MegaNanza, Reel Time Bingo and their related family of games.
Multimedia Games offers MegaBingo as part of its Class II product
offering, although its contribution to revenues has significantly
decreased as customers have migrated to the high-speed, interactive
market, which produces significantly greater revenue per square foot
of gaming hall floor space than MegaBingo and other forms of paper
bingo.
Class III Games and Systems
The Company sells or leases linked Class III video lottery systems to
Native American customers in the state of Washington and receives
back-office fees based on a share of the hold per day generated by
the player stations. Class III video lottery gaming in the state of
Washington is allowed pursuant to a compact between the state and
certain Native American tribes in that state. The compacts contain
the specifications for permissible video lottery systems including
only those video lottery terminals within the same gaming facility
may be linked with one another and the system must be cashless.
Multimedia Games' Class III systems in the state of Washington are
comprised of all the software and hardware necessary for operation
and are designed to be readily adaptable to the video lottery
requirements of jurisdictions outside that state. The Company's
hardware includes multiple servers that generate sets of electronic
lottery tickets and distribute them on demand to end users sitting at
terminals networked throughout a casino. As with its Class II gaming
systems, Multimedia Games' Class III back-office system allows it to
maintain details of ticket manufacture, distribution and sales, end
user information and the ability to monitor game system operation and
generate system reports.
(End of excerpt from Multimedia Games website)
Their site goes on to say that they are also the company providing
New York State with its VLT system.
So, according to the Multimedia site, Class II games are indeed bingo
games in various disguises, but Multimedia also makes Class III VLTs,
which, while run by a central server, would not be controlled by a
bingo game. So....the NEW question is.....for Class III VLTs, does
the central server use a random shuffle? Or is the server programmed
to produce certain winning hands with certain frequencies? Or can it
be one way in some states, and the other way in other states?
Regards,
Perry
It is not an analogy, it is a fact. Class 2 machines are linked to
a
central server that is running many, many bingo games rapidly. Most
(all?)
class 2 machines actually have a very small display that shows the
bingo
card. If your card is a winner, the machine translates the win into
a
display on the machine, i.e. 3 7's, a flush, etc. That's why in
Washington
State what you discard appears to have no effect on the outcome of
the
game. The hand displayed (or the extra indicator as has been
described)
will adjust the result to match the bingo game. So in a Class 2 VP
machine,
the pay table has no effect on return, it is the bingo game behind
the
scenes that determines outcome. This phenomenon is not as obvious
on Class
2 machines that model slots.
Class 2 games are Bingo, punchboards, and I think there is another.
Casino
table games, video poker, slots are not permitted.
However, this all has nothing to do with whether the machine is a
VLT or a
stand-alone. Washington State's VLT's are Class 2 machines, I
believe
Delaware's VLT's are Class 3. Can anyone confirm this?
Hope this clears it up.
>Bill....I do not understand your bingo analogy. Bingo truly is a
>random game, as each numbered ball has an equal probability of
being
>drawn. If the central VLT server is programmed to spit out the
>various winning combinations with predetermined frequencies, as in
>class 2 machines, that is very different from bingo. It is, as
Harry
>said, more like a lottery scratch-off ticket. Or have I misread
your
>meaning?
>
>Regards,
>Perry
>
>
> > With all respect to Harry, I believe the information previously
>given is
> > incorrect. The important factor is not whether the machines in a
>given
> > state are VLT's or stand-alones, the important factor is whether
>the casino
> > is permitted Class 3 machines or is restricted to Class 2.
Class 2
>machines
> > are actually bingo machines. When you spin the reels or draw a
>video poker
> > hand you are actually playing bingo. If your card wins winning
>symbols or a
> > winning hand displays on your machine. It is random in the sense
>that bingo
> > is random.
> >
> > If you are playing a Class 3 machine, whether VLT or stand-alone
>the RNG
> > program works exactly the same. The only difference is that
with a
>VLT the
> > RNG is running on a central server. However, this makes no
>difference to
> > the randomness. If you are playing an IGT, Bally, Sigma, etc.
Class
>3 video
> > poker machine the pay table will accurately show the potential
>return.
> >
> > I will be researching this further in the next few weeks and
will
>post if I
> > find I'm incorrect in any respect.
> >
> > >Harry,
> > >Thanks for the information. That's the first clear concise
>explanation I've
> > >read differentiating RNG and VLT VP.
> > >Now for a few more questions.
> > >When playing, is there anyway to determine whether you're
playing
>a VLT game
> > >without throwing away winning hands?
> > >Is there a comprehensive list available of Casinos / Racinos
that
>are VLT?
> > >If one gambling location in a state has VLT, will they all be
VLT
>or can they
> > >vary? For example, I understand that slots have been added to
>several other
> > >race tracks in NYS. Is it correct to assume they are all VLT?
> > >Thanks
> > >Joel
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >In a message dated 9/26/2004 11:41:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> > >pelotari1672@y... writes:
> > >
> > > > VLT vp machines, by definition, don't function off an RNG.
> > > > Instead, a
> > > > >central server pre-determines a win/lose result for each
play,
>and
> > > > the
> > > > >amount of the win if appropriate. It can be thought of as
the
> > > > >equivalent of a video scratch card. Whatever win comes
up, the
> > > > >machine deals a hand that produces a result paying that
win.
> > > >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
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-- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, Bill Coleman <vphobby@c...> wrote:
At 06:12 PM 09/26/2004, you wrote:
>--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, Bill Coleman <vphobby@c...> wrote:
> > At 09:32 AM 09/26/2004, you wrote:
>
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