Question of the Day - 12 February 2025

We agree and surprisingly, we've never been asked this question before. 

The introduction of video poker machines into casino bartops dates back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first commercially successful video poker machine was created by Si Redd, the founder of SIRCOMA (Si Redd’s Coin Machines), which later became part of International Game Technology (IGT). While video poker itself was introduced in the mid-1970s, the concept of integrating these machines into bartops emerged a few years later, as casinos sought innovative ways to keep players engaged in more casual settings.

As video games became popular in the early ‘80s, Redd recognized their potential for the gaming industry. He developed video poker machines that flush-mounted directly into casino bars, which he recognized as wasted space; many in the industry consider it his biggest innovation.

The earliest bartop video poker, at least according to our recollections, appeared downtown. This placement strategy aligned perfectly with casinos’ broader philosophy of maximizing "dwell time" — keeping players engaged as long as possible, even outside the traditional gaming floor. Drinking and gambling go hand in hand, as we saw in a recent QoD, and the idea that players could drink while sitting right at the bar and being served by bartenders, rather than waiting for cocktail waitresses to come around, caught on quickly, expanded to non-casino bars, and today is a staple of slot and video poker gambling.