Student From UNLV Gaming Innovation Program Sells Idea to Industry Leader KONAMI
Las Vegas, NV — May 23, 2014
The
first
casino
game
patented
by
a
student-inventor
as
part
of
an
innovative
new
UNLV
gaming
course
was
sold
this
week
to
industry
leader
Konami
Gaming,
Inc.
UNLV
Harrah
Hotel
College
student
Hien
Nguyen
developed
the
game
last
fall
during
the
first
semester
of
the
Dr.
Mark
Yoseloff
Gaming
Innovation
Program.
Nguyen’s
creation
is
Domino
Dragon,
a
Chinese
domino
video
wagering
game
that
includes
a
new
method
for
determining
slot
machine
winning
outcomes
using
elements
of
Pai
Gow
tiles.
“KONAMI
CORPORATION
has
a
long-standing
philanthropic
relationship
with
UNLV,
and
it
is
exciting
to
witness
the
university
encouraging
its
students
to
hone
their
talents
and
market
their
ideas
to
the
gaming
industry,”said
Tom
Jingoli,
chief
compliance
officer
and
senior
vice
president
at
Konami
Gaming,
Inc. “In
this
case,
KONAMI's
interests
were
purely
commercial
and
we
are
optimistic
about
the
financial
partnership
we
have
forged
around
this
innovative
gaming
concept.”
Yoseloff,
a
gaming
innovator
and
former
CEO
of
SHFL
Entertainment,
INC.,
teaches
the
course
each
year
and
connects
students
with
established
gaming
leaders
who
serve
as
guest
lecturers
and
mentors.
Classes
focus
on
gaming
commercialization
concepts
and
technology,
the
patent
process
and
successful
business
strategies.
Eleven
more
games
developed
by
students
are
currently
in
the
patent
process
and
could
be
sold
to
gaming
companies.
“The
sale
of
Hien's
game
concept
is
testament
to
the
quality
of
ideas
being
produced
by
our
students,”said
Yoseloff,
who
himself
has
more
than
100
issued
gaming
patents. “That this sale
took
place
less
than
nine
months
from
the
commencement
of
the
Gaming
Innovation
Program
is
truly
gratifying.”
Nguyen
is
an
undergraduate
who
will
return
to
campus
in
the
fall
to
work
on
developing
more
games.
Her
game
also
won
first
place
and
a
prize
of
$3,500
in
the
course’s
gaming
innovation
competition,
judged
by
industry
executives
and
hotel
college
faculty.
“I
am
so
excited
to
be
able
to
sell
my
invention
and
can’t
wait
until
others
are
playing
my
game,”Nguyen
said.“I
never
thought
this
would
be
a
possibility
for
me
and
I’m
so
thankful
for
the
support
of
Dr.
Yoseloff
and
UNLV.”
The
successful
course,
which
was
open
to
20
UNLV
students
last
fall,
will
expand
to
include
community
members
in
fall
2014
as
part
of
a
proposed
new
Center
for
Gaming
Innovation.
The
center
is
supported
by
The
Knowledge
Fund,
created
by
the
Nevada
Legislature
in
2011
and
funded
in
2013.
The
Knowledge
Fund
promotes
research
in
areas
Nevada
has
targeted
for
economic
growth
including
technology
outreach
programs.
As
many
as
20
community
members
who
want
to
get
gaming
ideas
off
the
ground
will
now
be
able
to
take
the
course
and
learn
the
ins
and
outs
of
gaming
innovation.
Commercially
viable
ideas
will
be
vetted
and
guided
through
the
commercialization
and
legal
processes.
The
Yoseloff
Family
Charitable
Foundation
initially
provided
$250,000
in
2013
to
launch
the
course
and
to
assist
students
with
the
patent
process.
The
John
Kish
Foundation
provided
cash
prizes
for
the
winning
projects
from
the
classroom
competition.
Other
student
inventions
from
the
gaming
innovation
course
in
the
patent
process
include:
- 888
Baccarat:
Invented
by
UNLV
Hotel
College
graduate
He
Lin,
who
won
second
place
and
$2,000
in
the
gaming
innovation
competition.
The
game
is
a
new,
noncommission
baccarat
taking
into
account
elements
of
Chinese
culture.
- Delayed
Wager
Increase
in
Video
Gaming:
Created
by
UNLV
employee
Gael
Hancock
and
David
Downes,
a
UNLV
graduate
of
the
Master
in
Hospitality
Administration
program.
This
is
a
feature
applicable
to
any
reel
slot
machine,
which
permits
the
player
to
change
his
or
her
wager
after
two
or
more
of
the
reels
have
stopped
spinning.
-
Color
War:
Created
by
UNLV
Hotel
College
student
Young
Gi
Lee,
this
is
a
new,
easy-to-play
specialty
table
game
based
on
the
color
(red
or
black)
of
the
cards
dealt
to
the
player.
- Flip
Card
Blackjack:
Created
by
UNLV
Hotel
College
Student
Aron
Kock,
this
is
a
game
in
which
a
card
is
dealt
face
down
under
the
side
the
wager
when
the
player
receives
a
blackjack.
The
winning
odds
for
the
side
bet
are
determined
by
the
value
of
that
card.
About Konami Gaming, Inc.
Konami Gaming, Inc. is a Las Vegas-based subsidiary of KONAMI CORPORATION (NYSE: KNM). The company is a leading designer and manufacturer of slot machines and casino management systems for the global gaming market. For more information about Konami Gaming, Inc. or the SYNKROS gaming enterprise management system, please visit www.konamigaming.com.
About UNLV
UNLV
is
a
doctoral-degree-granting
institution
of
28,000
students
and
3,300
faculty
and
staff.
Founded
in
1957,
the
university
offers
more
than
220
undergraduate,
master’s
and
doctoral
degree
programs.
UNLV
is
located
on
a
332-‐acre
campus
in
dynamic
Southern
Nevada
and
is
classified
in
the
category
of
Research
Universities
(high
research
activity)
by
the
Carnegie
Foundation
for
the
Advancement
of
Teaching.