Harrah's setting off on 'Star Trek' slot voyage

The announcement earlier this month that Harrah's Entertainment and WMS Gaming had entered into an agreement to bring the new "Star Trek" video gaming experience to the casino giant's properties nationwide comes as exciting news for Chicago area slot enthusiasts.

It means guests at both Horseshoe Casino Hammond and Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel will have the opportunity in the near future to boldly go where no slot players have gone before.

WMS is using the iconic themes from "Star Trek" as the launch pad for Adaptive Gaming, an exclusive technology that allows players to save their progress and pick up where they left off on their next casino visit.

The power of customizing "Star Trek" with Total Rewards, the system-wide Harrah's players-club program, will enhance the appeal of the game, according to Tim Stanley, chief information officer and senior vice president of innovation, gaming and technology for Harrah's Entertainment.

"By using Total Rewards to enable their personalized Star Trek account and 'avatar,' they can transport their previous play status from non-Harrah's-based 'Star Trek' games, earn 'bonus' achievement medals for their Harrah's play, and get access to new games, unique communications and special promotions and offers as part of our innovative introduction of this new capability," Stanley said.

"Star Trek" slots are scheduled to be introduced at Harrah's-owned casinos in Las Vegas this month, followed by market-by-market implementation across the country.

Elevating slot play to an experience that creates a story line to which players can return is revolutionary. In essence, the dynamic combines gambling with the entertainment of conventional in-home video gaming.

Through the server-enabled, networked gaming platform capabilities of Adaptive Gaming, players can resume play on another machine at another casino, even in another state, by entering a PIN. A ticket with a code is printed, which then can be inserted in another unit's currency acceptor for the next playing session.

The episodic story line of "Star Trek" is the perfect theme for the technology. Players earn medals during the different bonus rounds they encounter. The medals enable players, once they reach certain thresholds, to unlock future episodes.

The games feature WMS Gaming's patented Sensory Immersion experience, a blend of real-time 3D graphics and the Bose 3Space audio system. WMS rolled out "Star Trek" with three fully developed episodes of the show incorporated into the play components.

John Brokopp is a local free-lance writer.

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Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee is hosting its 15th annual Miracle on Canal Street awards ceremony at 7 tonight in the Nest of Life Bingo Hall. Since its inception in 1994, Miracle on Canal Street has raised more than $7 million for children's charities in the Milwaukee area. Money for the program is raised through special Miracle bingo games as well as a number of unique events and promotions. In 2007, more than $1 million was raised through the program, with upwards of $50,000 going to each of the participating charities.