Prairie Band Casino & Resort

Chris Garrow

Chris Garrow has been in the gaming industry for 29 years, gaining experience across both corporate and tribal venues. As Director of Gaming Operations at Prairie Band Casino & Resort, he oversees enhancing revenue and profit for slot operations, table games, sports betting, and bingo. Before his tenure at Prairie Band, he was the Director of Gaming Operations at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Welch, Minnesota, where he introduced social gaming. His comprehensive career path includes roles at Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and Ho-Chunk Gaming in Black River Falls and Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Chris advocates a progressive and proactive approach to gaming, viewing challenges as opportunities to innovate and maintain a keen eye on fiscal performance.

In this article, Chris Garrow gives an overview of the most common gaming devices in the U.S. and Canada. Discussing the differences in the most beloved games, he emphasizes the role of compliance in keeping this diversity intact.   

The favorites in the game-verse

In the U.S., there are different types of gambling devices, most commonly known as slot machines. The differences between the most common types of gaming devices are Class II, Class III, video lottery terminals (VLT) and historical horse racing (HHR). Most gaming devices gamblers play on are Class III, and the average user will not notice the difference between them. Many themes are available across all gaming devices.

“All legal forms of gambling are highly regulated to ensure fairness to the player. Each jurisdiction regulates gaming differently,”

Class III gaming devices use a random number generator (RNG) to determine whether or not a player wins or loses each time they wager and start a game. The RNG is constantly running regardless of whether someone plays a gaming device. The RNG contains almost infinite numbers, but some jurisdictions may impose limits. The RNG is stored on a chip located within the logic compartment of a gaming device. These chips are sealed with tamper-proof tape to the logic board.

With the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) came Class II gaming devices. Class II gaming devices differ from Class III machines that use a random number generator (RNG). It is based on bingo where players purchase a card, and the system evaluates wins and losses.

Digitalizing Randomness

Technology now allows for matchups via a wide-area ball call, connecting players across multiple properties. This setup significantly enhances player interaction and efficiency. Machines initially featured a large, visible bingo card with drawn numbers on the interface. However, jurisdictions have adapted, with some allowing players to hide these cards to streamline gameplay. Upon activation with the “play” or “daub” button, numbers are drawn from a server, and reels spin simultaneously. The system daubs the numbers almost instantly. The slot-style presentation then visually represents the outcome on the bingo card. If the displayed reel pattern aligns with a winning bingo pattern, the machine credits the win, blending traditional bingo elements with the dynamic appeal of slot machines. Class II gaming devices are only available to Tribal casinos.

VLT is a lottery-based system that uses virtual lotto balls, scratch-offs, and pull tabs and is connected to a centralized server like Class II gaming devices. When a wager is placed on a VLT gaming device, the information is sent to the server, determining whether the wager wins or loses. VLTs started in Canada and have grown in popularity in the US. Many VLT operators are charitable organizations.

HHR gaming devices, are based on historical horse races. Also similar to Class II gaming devices, they are connected to a server. Another game mechanic with HHR gaming devices is a small display showing the horse race you are wagering on. When a wager is placed, it goes into a pool of players like pari-mutuel wagers at a horse racing track. Depending on how your horse or horses place for that particular race you play determines whether a wager wins or loses. Players may let the gaming device automatically choose their horse or horses, or they can choose them independently.

Maintaining Compliance

All legal forms of gambling are highly regulated to ensure fairness to the player. Each jurisdiction regulates gaming differently. Tribal gaming, for example, is the most regulated. When tribes negotiate compacts with the state or states they operate in, they must have a tribal gaming regulatory authority (TGRA). The TGRA is the first level of regulation within their casino that must follow the rules or standards established by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). Each state with tribal gaming has a regulatory body that enforces the tribal-state gaming compacts. States with commercial gaming are only regulated by the state’s governing body.