..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..R.J. Matson
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Michael Wilmington

The Las Vegas Convention Center may not have been the last place on Earth one would expect to find Clint Eastwood on a pleasant Tuesday afternoon in October, but most knowledgeable fans probably would have launched their search in Carmel, Beverly Hills or a jazz club in New Orleans, instead. Yet, there he was last Tuesday, cutting a giant ribbon to open the annual Global Gaming Expo and testing the flashy new slot machine that carried his rugged visage, circa 1964.

Huh? Dirty Harry, his own bad self, cutting ribbons at conventions?

It would be a huge underestimation of the power of the Eastwood brand to think he was hired merely to make the day of the flock of early-bird attendees, who swarmed around the entrance to the G2E’s exhibition floor last week. A trim and extremely fit-looking Eastwood agreed to attend the exhibition to promote A Fistful of Dollars, the new slot machine from WMS Gaming that carries his rugged visage, circa 1964. Moments after the completion of opening ceremonies, Eastwood and his entourage ambled over to the WMS booth, where, for an hour, he would pose for photographers in front of the slot machine, shake hands with potential customers and sign the occasional autograph.

Nothing could be less surprising than finding a celebrity pitching products at a convention in Las Vegas. Usually, though, the stars are limited to pro athletes with too much time on their hands, C-list actors with nothing but time and former astronauts.

The presence of a star of Eastwood’s stature signified something much more significant. It effectively put the stamp of approval on an industry some in Washington would love to legislate out of existence, and validated a marketing strategy that marries the constantly expanding casino industry with the mainstream worlds of big-time sports and show business.

This is hardly a new or unremarked-upon phenomenon, though. The mugs of such overexposed bozos as Regis Philbin, Robin Leach, Alex Trebeck, Vanna White and Pat Sajak, Dick Clark and Kenny Rogers have been plastered on slot machines for years, as have those of dozens of familiar cartoon characters and icons from popular board games. The estates of such dead celebrities as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Mantle, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz also have managed to the extend their loved one’s brand from beyond the grave.

(The only possible explanation for the absence of a Larry King Live machine is that no manufacturer has yet agreed to guarantee jackpots for the CNN host’s legion of goldbricking friends and family members. King did, however, agree to moderate the convention’s state-of-the-industry gathering on Wednesday, just as he’s done for hundreds of other industry and trade organizations with more cash than imagination.)

Clint Eastwood doesn’t agree to attend the opening of every envelope in Hollywood, New York or Las Vegas. Thus, his name carries considerable cachet among manufacturers, casino executives and punters.

The licensing business, as it pertains to gaming, anyway, has even come a long way from the 2003 G2E, when Hollywood jumped whole hog into the brand-extension game with slots endorsed by Elizabeth Taylor, Drew Carey, Jeff Foxworthy and Rodney Dangerfield. Movie studios also gave their blessing to games based on Men in Black, Star Wars, Terminator, Chicago, Wayne's World, Animal House, Austin Powers and Young Frankenstein.

Then, there were machines themed to such classic TV shows as Saturday Night Live, M*A*S*H, That Girl, I Spy, Twilight Zone, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Honeymooners, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, Laverne & Shirley and Bewitched. Comic strips were represented by Felix the Cat, the Amazing Spider-Man, Blondie, Garfield and Li'l Abner.

It all began around 10 years ago, with the introduction of modern computer-chip technology. Suddenly, one-arm bandits were given the ammunition to compete with Nintendo for the eyes, ears and quarters of casino customers.

Game designers no longer were limited to three spinning reels of cherries, bells and oranges. Special bonus rounds, along with special audio and visual effects, helped raise the ante for everyone involved. The first to arrive were games based on Wheel of Fortune, Elvis and Jeopardy!, with Monopoly coming along about four years later.

Overnight, casinos even began sounding different. Instead of bells and alarms, the soundtrack was more of an electronic gurgle and hum, with occasional bursts, “This is Jeopardy!,” “Wheel … of … fortune” and snippets of pop songs.

A generation of American adults raised in front of television sets ate it up. To combat against mass outbreaks of over-familiarization and computer-induced ADD, however, manufacturers soon realized they would have to keep coming up with elaborate new ways to keep the excitement level up. Chip technology freed them to upgrade basic platforms almost at will, and re-dress slot machines as arcade games.

Instead of one version of Wheel of Fortune, there now are many available to casino owners, and each edition has its own fans. At this year’s G2E, WMS introduced the 14th generation of its interactive Monopoly game, and IGT brought out a Wheel of Fortune machine that is as big as merry-go-round and encourages group participation.

Among the upcoming titles promoted at G2E were Back to the Future, Pele’s Legendary Goals, Chippendales, To Tell the Truth, Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends, Felix the Cat, The Blues Brothers, Gilligan’s Island, Laverne & Shirley, Star Wars, Popeye, Hee Haw, Ed McMahon’s Star Magic, Peter Jacobsen Challenge Keno (the first game endorsed by a professional golfer), Dragnet, The Munsters and Bewitched.

There are different economic at play here, but the owners of important intellectual property usually can demand percentages of play, as well as license fees. Instead of selling slot machines outright to casinos, manufacturers now are able to lease games to them with pay-or-play deals that involve specific daily payments, whether anyone plays the games or not. The interest carrying the least amount of risk -- considering the onus of gambling virtually is non-existent, anymore -- are the stars. It’s found money, so why not pick it up?

This isn’t merely a case of bandwagon-jumping, it’s a marriage of economic convenience between the entertainment and gaming industries. If early manifestations of Elvis, Monopoly and Jeopardy! hadn’t proven lucrative for both families, no one in the entertainment industry would have touched the slot-machine business with a 10-foot pole. And, the casino industry would have just as quickly have fallen back on its time-tested Red, White & Blue and Double Diamond machines.

Amazingly, though, Eastwood’s appearance probably wasn’t the highlight of the convention for most attendees. On the Richter scale of excitement, Pamela Anderson’s visit to Bally’s -- to promote the latest in the Playboy line of slot machines -- probably registered several notches higher, at least with the mostly male crowd.

Almost simultaneously, across the exhibition floor from Bally‘s, other fans flocked to see inventor and TV pitchman Ron Popeil at the IGT booth. Although he lacks the sexual charisma of Clint and Pam, Popeil enjoys a following that would be considered cult-like, if it weren’t so large. His “But Wait, There’s More” slot machine -- with a bonus element that resembles his Showtime Rotisserie Oven -- could very well outperform all of the new machines, combined.

Next year, who would be surprised to find a slot machine endorsed by Bob Dylan? Imagine hearing, “Your money doesn’t talk, it swears,” every time a jackpot is hit.

- by Gary Dretzka

October 11, 2004