Small Pokies Company gains fame for making Giant Slot Machine

In terms of pokies manufacturers, American Gaming Systems (AGS) is a relatively small competitor. Growth takes time, and being only a decade old, the company has been focusing more on innovation and exceptionality.

AGS hit the nail on the head with the release of a massive slot machine called Colossal Diamonds – so massive it requires bench seating – that is finally gaining the recognition it deserves with new installments across US casinos.

The enormous slot machine, which is a staggering 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide (over 2.4 meters each way), was first launched in 2014. It made its debut at two mid-sized casinos in South Florida that year, Calder Race Course Casino in Miami Gardens, and Hialeah Park Casino in Hialeah, FL.

It didn’t take long for casino goers to take notice of the new slot machine. After all, it took up the space of about 3 normal slots standing side-by side. ‘Big Red’ – as the slot managers came to call it, due to its uncanny resemblance to a farmyard barn – became more of a social attraction. Players don’t just sit in a chair, but rather a full-length bench, giving their friends a comfortable place to sit and take part in the amazing experience.

Colossal Diamonds isn’t a graphical overload of video slot cinematics, as you might expect. Oh, no. It is merely a classic 3-reel, single-line machine with a simplistic set of icons that include traditional 7’s, Bars and Cherries. As such, each individual reel is provided it’s very own 42” display monitor.

“We consider it a social game, and people line up behind it to watch,” remarked AGS’s Andrew Burke, Vice President of Slot Products. “It’s like a carnival attraction.”

Huge Slot Machine = Big Risk for AGS

Founded in 2005, the Las Vegas-based slots manufacturer was clearly taking a huge risk by developing such a large slot machine. Casinos generally prefer to pack as many pokies into a single space as possible. Big Red not only takes up the place of three machines, it only accommodates one actual player at a time, and by AGS’s own admission, it also draws the attention of other casino patrons who stand by watching, instead of sitting at another machine, filtering coin after coin into their own device.

But apparently that’s not the way casino operators are looking at it.

Last year, having experience such a fond reception by Calder and Hialeah Casino goers, AGS filled orders to install Colossal Diamonds at several other South Florida locations, including Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Isle Casino in Pompano Beach, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

The giant slot machine has become so famous since its initial debut that it’s making its way across even more US casinos this year. It’s popped up at places like Prairie Meadows Casino in Iowa, Coushatta Casino in Louisiana, and Kinocti Vista Casino in California. According to reports, AGS has already signed contracts to install Big Red in the gambling mecca of the west – Las Vegas, Nevada.

“A quiet classic, this larger-than-life game takes the space of three standard cabinets, but performs on par with about six of them,” reads the description of the giant slot machine on the PlayAGS website. “Housed in our Big Red cabinet, the simple, classic game play and high denom configuration has been proving a hit for players and casinos where ever it has been placed.”

Colossal Diamonds features 3 reels on a single payline, with optional denominations of $1, $2 or $5. The minimum bet is 5 credits, max 15 credits, with a top single-spin payout of $6,000. Its low volatility means it pays out low amounts often, which reduces the risk and adds more excitement to the game.