Grand Vision Gaming schedules shows statewide
By Cole Boehler
Anecdotal reports from around Montana indicate sales of new video gambling equipment may be slowing along with the slowing economy.
Even some long-awaited machine game upgrades seem to be slow in making their debut.
The current lackluster sales could be due to economic conditions or due to savvy or cautious operators who are slow to the pull the trigger on purchases of expensive new machines when they understand a brand new game, fresh from top to bottom and inside out, is in the offing.
Grand Vision Gaming, Montana's newest gaming machine manufacturing enterprise that was featured in the December Montana Tavern Times, has announced it will be showing the new machine—not just game concepts but the actual machine in full box livery—around the state beginning Monday, April 13 in Kalispell at the Outlaw Inn.
That show will be followed by one in Missoula April 15 at the Hilton and another April 16 at Butte's Best Western Plaza Inn. On April 20, the GVG crew will be out on the road again, this time in Helena at Jorgenson's.
That stop will be followed by a Great Falls show April 22 at the Heritage Inn and finally the troupe winds up back home in Billings at the Hilton Garden Inn April 28. (See the Grand Vision Gaming ad in this edition.)
Grand Vision Gaming was launched last fall by Tim Carson, formerly president of Summit Gaming and now president of route vendor Amusement Services, Steve Arntzen of route vendor Century Gaming, Grant Lincoln of Century and United Coin in Nevada, Heidi Schmalz of Century and Merle Frank, former operations manager at Summit.
On March 9, this writer was shown nearly finished game prototypes in the development labs at GVG headquarters on Enterprise Ave. in Billings.
While not an avid machine player, I was nevertheless fairly awed by what I was shown by Carson and his team of engineers.
The dual screens are brilliant, the animations sophisticated and humorous—even cute—the game play dynamics are seamless and swift and the innovative features are prolific. Oh, and the slant-top cabinet is amazing.
It is likely the shows will draw substantial crowds of operators holding back on new equipment investments.
If they like what they see, Grand Vision will surely move some product.
In the unlikely event that licensees are unimpressed, there are five other brands of top quality video gaming machines to choose from in Montana that also deserve consideration.