'Pac Man' for cash? States weigh rules for new kind of slots

At least, that's the pitch gambling regulators across the country are hearing as they consider whether to allow casinos to offer slot machines that mimic video and arcade games in an effort to attract younger gamblers.

Marcus Prater, executive director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, a Nevada-based industry trade group, says so-called "skill-based" slot machines are meant to appeal to millennials who tend to skip over traditional machines because they see them as old-fashioned.

Some manufacturers have unveiled machines giving gamblers the option of playing classic video games like "Space Invaders" and "Pac Man" as a sort of bonus round to earn more betting credits in between typical slot machine play.

Keith Whyte, executive director of the D.C.-based National Council on Problem Gambling, is also concerned treating and preventing gambling addiction will become more challenging, a problem he suggests states will need to address if they permit the new games.

Todd Grossman, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's deputy general counsel, said the proposed regulations are broadly written so as not to create an "artificial barrier" to gambling manufacturers trying to test out new concepts.

David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, says the evolution of slot machines is necessary as the amount casinos collect from them has generally not kept up pace with table games.