Konami Builds Out Its Own Class II Slot Portfolio
Konami Gaming has become a new player in the Class II slot machine market, moving from licensing Class II content through a third party to building its own in-house library.
The supplier, known for casino slot titles including All Aboard, Dragon's Law and Unwooly Riches, now has a Class II footprint across three US states.
How The Move Came Together
The expansion followed Konami's acquisition of ISDgames, which brought a working Class II system and its popular Shockwave title into the fold.
"So Konami acquired ISD, completing due diligence and improvements to the system, while building our own library to be able to properly deploy the product into different Class II markets," Konami Gaming Vice President of North American Game Sales Deron Hunsberger told CDC Gaming.
"It took a bit of time to make sure that the product was sound, the system was sound, and that we had a sufficient library to be able to launch and be successful."
Where Konami Is Deploying Class II
Konami's Class II titles are now live with partners in Washington and Texas, and at the Miccosukee Casino & Resort in Florida, which had already used ISD's games before the acquisition.
Class II machines, which are tied to a bingo-style or lottery-style outcome rather than a traditional slot reel, are the only option in some tribal markets that do not permit Class III gaming, including Texas.
Hunsberger said Konami is in active talks to enter Alabama and is weighing further opportunities in Washington.
He described tribal customers as central to the push. "Konami has always held great value with tribal customers, and so it was very important for us to go into Class II to continue to support the tribal gaming community," he said.
"We're really excited about being in that market. We've just scratched the surface, and I think we're going to do quite well."
Konami plans to showcase its expanded Class II line-up, alongside its Class III games, at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo.
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Class II Versus Class III
Class II games are tied to a bingo-style or lottery-style outcome rather than a spinning-reel random number generator, which is what defines Class III slot machines.
Some tribal jurisdictions, including Texas, do not permit Class III gaming at all, which is part of why Hunsberger sees an opening for Konami in markets where it previously had no footprint.
Konami's Class II push follows an earlier debut of the acquired ISDgames library under the Konami name at Tulalip Resort Casino and Quil Ceda Creek Casino in Washington State, according to Indian Gaming, marking the first time either property had offered Konami-branded titles.
