Will Games Like Marble Run Change Casino Floors Forever?

The full-sized version of Marble Run will be one of the largest games on the casino floor. (Image: Courtesy of Interblock)

Casino floors are always changing and next year guests could see big changes. Interblock is looking to shake things up with its new “Amuse” line of games, including marble racing.

Last week, we examined how different slot machine configurations impact guests and casino revenue. This week, we’ll examine how a new series of Electronic Table Games (ETGs) could change the casino floor.

During the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) last week, Interblock’s CEO John Connelly presented "The Evolution of Casinos: Merging Digital and Physical Gaming for Enhanced Engagement" to casino executives. The TLDR version of his presentation was that guests and their preferences are changing and casinos have to follow suit to generate revenue. His presentation felt like it was partially a sales pitch for ETGs combined with the reality of competition for entertainment dollars. 

The topic isn't new, casinos always have to reinvent themselves and during G2E, we learnt that the average casino guest's age fell from 50 in 2019 to 42 in 2023.

The Amuse line of casino games is taking these concepts to a new level. This category of games is designed to attract a new type of player to casinos by combining amusement games with casino games that operate with a Random Number Generator (RNG) like slot machines.

Interblock’s amusement-style segment has four games, including Marble Run. This game is akin to those marble races we all watched online during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now you can gamble on marble races.

Marble Run debuted at G2E and representatives say we should start appearing in casinos sometime during the first half of 2025. 

Introducing Marble Run

Every year, gaming manufacturers use G2E as the launching pad for new games. Attendees always have new games they absolutely must see as soon as the expo hall opens its doors. That was Marble Run for me this year.

"Marble Run, a gravity-driven betting experience where players wager on racing marbles, delivering high-energy thrills and unique gameplay." This one sentence sounded like there wouldn’t be a more unique game at the expo and I needed to see it. My instincts were right. There’s nothing in casinos like Marble Run.

Unlike many companies at G2E, Interblock didn’t allow any photos or videos of games at their booth. I even took a picture of the sign saying not to take pictures so I could document this moment. Marble Run comes in two sizes. The standalone game will fit in just about any casino, but the game on display at G2E was a part of a large Stadium Gaming installation.

The game itself is pretty simple, machine gathers the marbles and places them in a hopper at the top of the racetrack. Once the marbles are released, the rest is up to gravity. Players watch the marbles twist and turn down the track and the first marble to cross the finish line is the winner. Like all games that operate with an RNG, casinos have a built-in house edge. 

The Marble Run house edge is 8.5% according to the Interblock rep I spoke with at G2E. Betting on the game is simple—players wager on which marble will win the race.

There’s more than one wagering option available at each betting station as players can also wager on the first two finishers. Unlike casino horse racing games, players don’t have to choose which marble will come in first and second, the wager is just for the top two finishers.

Games like Marble Run will appeal to certain casino guests looking to play different games than on their usual visit. I watched a few and was fascinated because I’d never seen a casino game like it. Will this always be the case after playing a few times, who knows? I can’t wait to find out.

More “Amuse” Games

The “Amuse” division of Interblock has new twists on traditional games along with unique games. Marble Run is just one of a handful of these games introduced by Interblock during G2E. While that game stood out to me, there were a handful of other intriguing games.

• Dragon Roulette is a large roulette ETG, similar in size to Shoot To Win Craps, but with much more to offer. It includes a bonus stage with multiple balls, prize multipliers, and more, making the gameplay far more engaging than traditional roulette.
• Freefall Roulette is a single-player game with a pinball-like mechanism that lets players influence the ball's path as it bounces down a Plinko-style board—definitely a unique spin on roulette.
• Lucky Roulette, another single-player ETG, stands out with 3D visual effects and lucky number multipliers for bigger payouts.
• Marble Maze was a real showstopper. In this game, ping pong-sized marbles are dropped into a spinning wheel with pegs, and the last colored marble to reach the bottom wins. It’s an unconventional game, and it will be interesting to see how it fits into a casino environment.

ETGs have found a home in just about every casino. Some casinos have been switching from live dealer pits to ETGs since 2022. This continues as Silver Sevens in Las Vegas and Buffalo Bills in Primm, NV, have switched to all ETG pits.