SCORE GAMING Inventing I
nventing table games is hard – there are many more misses than hits, even if you have the creativity to originate a game in the first place. It’s certainly not a guaranteed track to success, as Dr Sparago
told Casino International: “The gaming industry, and creating games, is one of the most exciting things there is – and it’s also one of the most heart breaking. You put your heart out there and you want people to like it, and usually, they don’t! Perseverance, humility and the willingness to learn are the key lessons in this. Some people think you invent a casino game and you’re a millionaire, but the truth is that it’s a long slow process with wins and losses, and you have to be in it for the long run.”
Dr Sparago explained how he comes up with his ideas, and what his ‘day job’ means for game design.
Casino International: How did Score Gaming originate? Dr Merrill Sparago: I was
always a player, I started playing after college, plus I was always a math guy. I eventually got bored with Blackjack, so I came up with a side bet. I told my friends, why couldn’t we bet that if the dealer has an 11, they’re going to get a ten, as they always seem to draw a ten, get a 21 and wipe out the table? They got sick of me asking that, so they said, why don’t you do something about it? So I showed up at G2E in 2007, I had applied for a patent for my game, I showed a few people the game, met some people… Then I founded the company and started creating more of my own games. Each game I have created has been a great learning opportunity to see what people like and don’t like, and it has all spiralled from there.
CI: You’re also a practising psychiatrist… DMS: Yes, I went to medical school before all of this gaming work. I went to school in Maryland and we used to visit Atlantic City all the time. I did my residency at UCLA, and in my ‘other life’ I work in women’s mental health, helping pregnant and post-partum women suffering with depression. That’s my day job.
CI: Does your day job influence your game
design work? DMS: I have an understanding of the
psychology of gaming, I think there are two big influences. One is the idea of understanding
26 FEBRUARY 2017
the game
The man behind Score Gaming is Dr Merrill Sparago, a practising psychiatrist who also invents table games. Dr Sparago talked to Casino International about just where his inspiration comes from…
principles of perceived value, intermittent reinforcement and things that make gaming exciting; the other part of it is the idea of responsible gaming. At the end of the day, gaming should be entertaining, it shouldn’t be something that people abuse or become addicted to. It’s the same as prescribing something in my office that has the potential for abuse; I don’t not prescribe them, I just try to make sure they are being used appropriately otherwise it spoils it for everyone. As I create things, including this company, I think about my colleagues at UCLA in gambling addiction research, and at some point, hopefully being able to contribute to those programs to make sure the integrity of gaming remains intact. Understanding player behaviour, and making sure that behaviour doesn’t get out of control.
CI: What’s the process of originating a game for you? DMS: I’m like a kid with a parent, asking ‘why
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