Board backs Blueberry Beacon slot cabinet after lab review, Louisiana field trial

The Nevada Gaming Control Board voted Dec. 4 to recommend approval of a new gaming device, the Blueberry Beacon cabinet, following presentations from the company and review by the Nevada Gaming Lab.

Blueberry Gaming representative (Mr. Cohen) told the board the Beacon cabinet has been in the field since March 2024 and that the company made engineering improvements (including reinforced electrostatic discharge testing). Cohen said the company ran a 90‑day field trial in Louisiana and that over 4,000 units of related hardware are already deployed in other jurisdictions. "The device is very reliable," he told the board, adding that operators and technicians have given positive feedback and that Blueberry consistently hears it has "among the best uptime of our devices on casino floors."

Cohen described the initial Nevada rollout plan: entry with two titles (Devil's Lock and Shark's Lock) and plans to place several hundred units in Nevada over the next three to four months, contingent on commission approval. He also said Blueberry is actively recruiting a compliance officer and expected to onboard that person in the February–March timeframe.

Board action: a member moved to recommend approval of the device; the motion passed on recorded ayes by the board.

What this means: a recommendation from the board moves the device to the Nevada Gaming Commission for final approval; the company's field results and Nevada lab review were the basis for a field‑trial bypass request and the staff recommendation.

At the meeting: enforcement and lab staff, board members and company representatives discussed the performance data, lab testing and compliance staffing plans.

Next steps: the recommended approval will be presented to the Nevada Gaming Commission for final action.