6/09/2005
Agassi To Have Own Line Of Nevada Slot Machines
Posted: Tuesday June 7, 2005 3:02PM; Updated: Tuesday June 7, 2005 4:45PM
At age 35, Andre Agassi is nearing the end of his career: He hasn't won a major tournament in more than two years.
Bob Martin/SI
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Andre Agassi once dominated the tennis court. Now he's hoping to stand out on the casino floor.
Agassi's name and image are emblazoned on slot machines rolled Tuesday out at the MGM Grand hotel-casino, and later to be installed at casinos across Nevada.
"I was a little hesitant, being a professional athlete, about the association with gaming and wagering," Agassi told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "But my connection to this city is so clear and I'm so tied in with the city, that I found myself in a unique situation.
"Seeing myself on a slot machine seemed like a perfect fit for a boy from Las Vegas." The Agassi slot machine is a penny-based game with a tennis theme and graphics to complement bonuses and progressive jackpots.
But it also has a twist: a percentage of proceeds and licensing fees will be funneled to Agassi's Las Vegas-based charitable foundation, which has raised more than $50 million through its annual "Grand Slam for Children" events.
"I think people will be glad to know that if they're losing money playing the game, at least a portion will go toward helping to make a difference in the community," Agassi said. "My goal in establishing the relationship was to make sure some of the money makes it to kids here."
Aristocrat Technologies, a subsidiary of Australia-based Aristocrat Leisure Ltd., spent more than a year developing the game.
Agassi, 35, has won 59 singles tennis titles since turning pro in 1986. He lost in the first round of the French Open last month. He and his wife, former women's tennis star Steffi Graf, have two children and live in Las Vegas.
At age 35, Andre Agassi is nearing the end of his career: He hasn't won a major tournament in more than two years.
Bob Martin/SI
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Andre Agassi once dominated the tennis court. Now he's hoping to stand out on the casino floor.
Agassi's name and image are emblazoned on slot machines rolled Tuesday out at the MGM Grand hotel-casino, and later to be installed at casinos across Nevada.
"I was a little hesitant, being a professional athlete, about the association with gaming and wagering," Agassi told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "But my connection to this city is so clear and I'm so tied in with the city, that I found myself in a unique situation.
"Seeing myself on a slot machine seemed like a perfect fit for a boy from Las Vegas." The Agassi slot machine is a penny-based game with a tennis theme and graphics to complement bonuses and progressive jackpots.
But it also has a twist: a percentage of proceeds and licensing fees will be funneled to Agassi's Las Vegas-based charitable foundation, which has raised more than $50 million through its annual "Grand Slam for Children" events.
"I think people will be glad to know that if they're losing money playing the game, at least a portion will go toward helping to make a difference in the community," Agassi said. "My goal in establishing the relationship was to make sure some of the money makes it to kids here."
Aristocrat Technologies, a subsidiary of Australia-based Aristocrat Leisure Ltd., spent more than a year developing the game.
Agassi, 35, has won 59 singles tennis titles since turning pro in 1986. He lost in the first round of the French Open last month. He and his wife, former women's tennis star Steffi Graf, have two children and live in Las Vegas.
