Pedal ‘n Play Slot Machines let you Burn Calories While You Gamble
What’s next? Spinning Classes at your Casino
Now you can burn calories as you gamble thanks to Fitness Gaming Corp president Kathy Harris’s brainchild, Pedal ‘n Play slot machines.
Kathy Harris was on an exercise machine in the Tropicana Casino Resort's spa one day when she thought, "They should have slots attached to a bike." So Harris founded Fitness Gaming Corp.
The machines, which debuted last week at Tropicana Casino Resort, combine traditional 25-cent slot machines with stationary exercise bicycles, creating a bizarre hybrid that's a sure bet for fitness-crazed gamblers and athletes seeking indoor action.
You can only pedal if you're playing the slot machine, and a monitor keeps track of the calories you've burned and the time you've spent pedaling. The handlebars are equipped with buttons that let gamblers control the amount bet and spin the wheels without ever touching the slot machine part of the apparatus. There are even cup holders to keep your quarters.
Harris also developed a companion machine called the Money Mill, which is a slot machine equipped with a treadmill.
To date, the Pedal 'n' Play machines have been used only on cruise ships. The 10 installed at Tropicana are the first ones at any land-based United States casino.
George Mancuso, vice president of slot operations for Tropicana is hoping to give patrons more than the average casino. He says, “It's a form of exercise and gaming all in one. We’re hoping some people will walk away [from playing the machine] a little more satisfied.” Tropicana also plans to install new signs and may staff the area with an employee who will serve as personal trainer/slot attendant, he continued. This may also be to prevent unfit people from overexerting themselves.” There are some concerns, but the company (Fitness Gaming) has insurance as well as we do,” Mancuso said. “Hopefully, people will use good common sense and get a reasonable amount of exercise.”
Harris says of her invention, “You're killing two birds with one stone. Even if you lose at gambling, you walk away a winner.”
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