Rio Las Vegas Opens Aristocrat Dragon Lair In Former Poker Room

Dragon Lair is devoted to the Dragon Link and Phoenix Link game families, which both build on Aristocrat's Lightning Link title. Rio says the room sits where its poker room used to be and gives guests a single place to find both collections.

Dragon Link uses the Hold & Spin feature and adds an Orb trigger symbol across every title in the family, so the bonus is easy to recognise whichever game a player picks. Phoenix Link adds its own twists, including scaling Grand and Major jackpots and a Free Games round that can award Wild Multipliers or Twin Spins.

Rio describes the machines as multi-denomination, so players can choose their stake level at the cabinet. As with all gambling in Nevada, guests must be 21 or older.

Rod Turlan, president and general manager of Rio Hotel & Casino, said the room pairs strong game content with a distinct environment, and described it as part of a continuing collaboration with Aristocrat Gaming aimed at giving guests new reasons to visit.

Kurt Gissane, Aristocrat's chief commercial officer for the Americas, said the room was designed specifically for the supplier's loyal players and combines Rio's vision with the breadth of Aristocrat's game portfolio.

Lightning Link is the base game both families build on, and Aristocrat has also taken it online, as covered in our report on Lightning Link launching across North America.

Rio's own slots page says the property offers more than 800 new slot machines, and a high-limit lounge with more than 80 machines using SELFPAY, which lets players process jackpots at the machine without waiting for paperwork.

Dedicated rooms like Dragon Lair give a supplier's best-known games their own space on the casino floor. The announcement does not mention new promotions or loyalty benefits tied to the room.

Rio's own slots page says the Dragon Link Lair is a custom-designed space featuring every Dragon Link title under one roof, and gives Autumn Moon, with its Grand Jackpot, Panda Magic and Golden Century as examples of the games on offer.

The page places the room in the heart of the action, directly between the William Hill Sportsbook and the Canteen Food Hall, so guests can follow their bets and grab food without leaving the area.

Elsewhere on the floor, Rio promotes Huff N' Even More Puff, an extension of the Huff N' Puff series that adds a Super Wheel, and the Railroad Riches series with its Hold & Spin bonus. 

The casino also runs the Rio Rewards loyalty club, which it says pays more for every dollar of activity than anywhere else in Las Vegas.