Friday, June 04, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Gaming board backs Garfield slots

Garfield

CARSON CITY -- Nevada gaming regulators determined Thursday that Garfield, the fat, lazy comic-strip cat, appeals primarily to adults and is a suitable character for slot machines.

Gaming Control Board members Dennis Neilander and Scott Scherer acknowledged that millions of children probably will watch "Garfield: The Movie," which premieres June 11. Already, the movie is being advertised on children's television shows, and a marketing tie-in with Wendy's will put Garfield toys in the hamburger restaurant's children's meals.

"Unfortunately, the marketing to young children is picking up significantly," Scherer said.

"The movie causes me some concern," added Neilander, the board chairman. "Garfield could become a children's icon."

A hearing officer for the control board had recommended the rejection of Garfield-themed slots. State regulations approved in 2000 prohibit gaming device themes "primarily intended or marketed for use" by minors.

The amendments were approved in response to criticism that slot manufacturers were designing machines intended to attract minors to gamble. Such machines included those based on the Betty Boop and Pink Panther cartoons and on the television shows "The Munsters" and "The Addams Family."

However, the amendments included an exception allowing themes that are more than 21 years old for their nostalgic appeal. Garfield's three-panel newspaper comic strip turns 26 on June 19.

The control board voted Thursday to allow Mikohn Gaming Corp. to make Garfield slots, but members decided the machines can be placed only in casinos, not in convenience stores, grocery stores or even bars.

The Nevada Gaming Commission could accept or overturn the control board's vote during its June 17 meeting in Carson City.

The vice president of the National Council on Compulsive Gambling said the control board's decision was not a good one. Durand Jacobs said gaming regulators increasingly are allowing gaming devices that appeal to children.

"This has been the trend for some time," Durand Jacobs said from California in a telephone interview. "It keeps moving toward kids."

But Jacobs added that he doubts the Garfield machines will have much effect or cause many problems.

The control board's position also did not rest well with some people interviewed in a Carson City park.

"It's like with cigarette ads on TV," Sharon Taylor said of the now-forbidden promotions as she played with her 3-year-old grandson. "Kids thought smoking was neat. Now it is too late for a lot of them. Gambling is not a good thing."

Young father John Mills said people are "getting worked up over nothing," as he strolled through the park with his two daughters.

"Children still can't play," Mills said. "It's the parents who play, and the parents should control their children if they are with them in a casino."

Las Vegas lawyer Jeff Silver, representing Mikohn, argued that Garfield was geared toward adults. He pointed out that reruns of the Garfield television cartoon, which originally aired from 1988 to 1995, are shown only on the Disney Channel at 3 a.m., when children cannot watch.

Silver said he "tried out" Garfield comics on his 7-year-old daughter, but she didn't find the strip funny.

The movie will attract lots of children, but they might be dragged to theaters by their parents, Silver said.

He compared the movie with "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," a 1988 movie that combined live action with animation but had adult themes. "Garfield: The Movie" has live actors interacting with a computer-animated cat.

In addition, Silver said a survey of 113 children in malls in Henderson and Reno found that only one named Garfield as his favorite cartoon character. But Garfield was the second-favorite cartoon character for 127 adults surveyed in the same poll, according to Silver.

Mikohn representatives said Garfield slot machines already are in casinos in Louisiana and soon will be available in California. They declined to release photos of the machine until the Gaming Commission acts in two weeks.