This is a rare example of a strong game for the traditional single-line reel-spinning market—a segment that has been overlooked by many slot-makers.

Tower Of Power is the latest game in Bally’s “Quarter Million$” wide-area progressive series—which, as the name states, features a progressive jackpot resetting at $250,000.

The progressive is won through a unique combination of a bonus video monitor in the top box and a mechanical, ladder-style bonus apparatus on top of the machine.

The primary game is a three-reel stepper in either the standard S9000 or the wide-body “CineReels” cabinet, in quarter or dollar denomination. It is a modification of the classic Blazing 7s pay schedule, using basic bar and “7” symbols exclusively. A “Wild Bar” symbol substitutes for any other bar symbol.

Three Tower Of Power symbols trigger the main progressive bonus. A giant single bonus reel appears on the top-box LCD video screen, and spins to reveal the number of spaces the player advances up the bonus ladder, which ascends from 20 credits eight rungs to 10,000 coins, and one more space to the progressive jackpot.

The player continues to spin the big reel to advance up the ladder until the video reel spins to “Collect.” The bonus feature occurs more frequently on the program designed for Nevada—every 66 spins on average, as opposed to every 86 spins on the model designed for the GLI jurisdictions. The average award is 84-86 credits.

Manufacturer: Bally Technologies

Platform: Alpha Elite

Format: Three-reel, single-line stepper

Denomination: .25, 1.00

Max Bet: 3

Top Award: Progressive; $250,000 reset

Hit Frequency: 27.80%

Theoretical Hold: 12%—16.87%

By Frank Legato

Frank Legato is editor of Casino Connection and also editor of Global Gaming Business magazine. He has been writing on gaming topics since 1984, when he launched and served as editor of Casino Gaming magazine. Legato, a nationally recognized expert on slot machines, has served as editor and reporter for a variety of gaming publications, including Public Gaming, IGWB, Casino Journal, Casino Player, Strictly Slots and Atlantic City Insider. He has an B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in communications from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. He is the author of the recently published book on gaming, How To Win Millions Playing Slot Machines... Or Lose Trying.