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UNLV’s PGA Golf Management University Program partners with Las Vegas-based AI technology company Evenplay to study the effects of rewards on skill level
There’s a timeless adage from NBA great Allen Iverson: “Practice?!” But now, almost ironically, AI (that is, Artificial Intelligence) will be helping us replicate big-time pressure in that very scenario.
Evenplay, an AI technology company based out of Las Vegas, has created a patented golf simulator application that creates challenges for all skill levels, with the intention of improving play performance through the use of cash rewards.
“What we have is a machine-learning algorithm that takes all of your shot data and says, ‘What are you going to do next from 175 yards?,’ and creates targets personalized for your skill level with money on the line,” said Sameer Gupta, co-founder of Evenplay. “If you practice with pressure, you’re probably going to get better faster.”
UNLV has partnered with Evenplay, taking on the task of studying the impact of rewards on skill level, and how well this experience translates the gains from practice into practical use on the real course.
“It sounded like a good opportunity to build a relationship and a bridge with this company,” said Chris Cain, director of the PGA Golf Management University Program within UNLV’s Harrah College of Hospitality. “And to see if we can continue to advance off-course golf, improve diversity in the consumer base, and think a little bit differently and daring, which is what UNLV’s all about.”
Upping the Ante on Research
The ability to create a feedback loop – one where you practice in the same conditions as when something’s on the line – is the goal: replicating the jitters that come from staring down a big putt, and then training yourself to handle the pressure before you step onto the course.
Evenplay does this by paying out money depending on the shot, using rewards as a way to create real stress in a controlled setting.
“What we have is a turn-key stress generator,” said Gupta. “Our model projects a thousand shots from every distance, with a target drawn where about half of your shots should be capable of landing. We’ve taken a skill-based activity and are able to predict what you will do next.”
The study at UNLV uses a more controlled version of the wagers. Randomly selected participants will receive various payouts such as lesson or UNLV Gift certificates based on their group assignments and the level of contributions to the study.
“This is a skill-based gaming application that allows someone to make a bet and have fun doing it,” said Cain. “What we’re doing at UNLV is seeing if the variable payouts influence program retention – do they play longer or more often? Does this also influence skill improvement? Wouldn’t it be cool to have some sort of technology in place that actually uses gaming as a way to positively influence skill improvement?”
The study is made possible through UNLV’s Sports Innovation Institute (SII), and the College of Hospitality’s Center for Golf Management, in collaboration with the university’s International Gaming Institute. The SII acts as a hub for all of the faculty who do research in sports, enabling them to work together to find solutions to problems and advance the commercialization of products fitting that criteria.
“With Evenplay’s expertise, as well as the Sports Innovation and the International Gaming institutes, that trifecta makes for a pretty special partnership here in Las Vegas,” Cain said. “There are thousands of data points in every swing that UNLV is looking forward to analyzing to see if this really changes the way we practice.”
Growing the Game
It’s no secret that the game of golf is expensive and often exclusive. The National Golf Foundation estimates the cost of a full round at a public course in the U.S. was $43 in 2023. That’s just getting on the course. When you add hundreds and thousands of dollars into equipment costs, training, and lessons, the financial barrier to entry becomes quite imposing.
“There are about 120 million people interested in the game and only 45 million participating,” said Cain. “Technology’s going to help close that gap, and being able to take lessons without being on the golf course will be part of the future, making it more inclusive, accessible, and affordable.”
Improving the accessibility of the game is one of the desired outcomes for the research, potentially showing a greater translation of the skills developed in a simulator using Evenplay to the course itself.
“It’s winter right now – nobody’s taking swings on green golf courses in Chicago,” said Gupta. “All of those players are using simulators indoors. We’re growing the amount of people who can engage with golf by changing how often people can meaningfully play the sport at all times of the year.”
Changing the game doesn’t end with golf. The patent for Evenplay features a baseball player swinging a bat, and the plan is to roll into bowling next. Its partnership and ongoing study with UNLV is only expediting the interest in this potential shakeup to the practice session.
“The ability of UNLV to effectively structure a relationship with the PGA is very impressive and unique in the market,” said Gupta. “And bringing that knowledge to a private company like ours is essential to our growth.”
The results of Evenplay’s efficacy in providing measurable improvement to player skill will be shared as the study concludes later this year.
Latest News
Seed Wealth and unleash Power with FBM®’s Xing Fú Fortune™ Money Trees multi-game in Mexico!
Xing Fú Fortune™ Money Trees is now available with a multi-game configuration! Power and Wealth are the two themes of this product joining FBM®’s slot games portfolio. Mexican players can now enjoy seven exciting gaming dynamics with varying bet levels and experience the thrills of a common bonus based on the Prosperity, Strength, and Fortune money trees, along with four jackpots to conquer.
The impressive performance of the Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees slot game in its early months captured the attention and curiosity of Mexican slot enthusiasts, leaving them eager for more. Responding to market demand, FBM developed an extension of this product featuring a multi-game configuration. Players can now experience the mechanics of the Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees game through two distinct themes: Wealth, with bets of 58 credits, and Power, with game rounds of 88 credits.
This step allows FBM to cover a wider audience of players, offering them the chance to live the unique gaming experience delivered by Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees with different bet levels. The Wealth and Power themes keep the feature set and unpredictability behind the high levels of player engagement and retention registered by the single-game version, adding new graphic elements and betting options to the casino operators’ customers.
Three Money Trees are the foundation for this entertaining FBM slot game
The Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees Power and Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees Wealth share a link bonus with three accumulators, which can start with a blue, red, or green coin obtained on any game round.
The Prosperity, Fortune and Strength money trees can unlock the bonus independently or in combination, offering up to seven distinct game experiences. Now let’s recap the rewarding effect of each one of these features:
- Prosperity – the coins of Prosperity are blue, and attribute a random prize for players to collect when they appear on the reels.
- Strength – the red coins symbolize Strength, and they multiply the values of all coins available on the reels to get a numeric prize value then.
- Fortune – the Fortune coins are green, and have the collector effect. When they appear on the reels, they accumulate the value of all the other coins.
The link bonus is also the game mode that allows players to conquer four jackpots: Mini, Minor, Major or Grand.
A disruptive FBM slot game is now available in two configurations
Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees transports players into a universe inspired by Oriental culture and becomes available for casino operators to install and players to enjoy in both single-game and multi-game configurations.
Bonsais, dragons, frogs, carps, ema plaques, fans, white tigers, lanterns, lotus flowers, turtles and phoenixes are some of the typical symbols representing the Asian culture showcased in the Wealth and Power versions of the product. The carefully crafted sounds and graphics blend smoothly with these visual elements, creating an immersive and authentic connection between the player, the slot game and the Asian roots.
Available for the Galaxy II and Auria casino cabinets, Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees ensure a friendly integration on different casino floor layouts in both product configurations.
Following the positive debut of the single-game version, FBM offers the Mexican casino operators a renewed version of the Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees product with additional options for their players. This launch reaffirms the brand’s commitment to the continuous reinvention and evolution of the Mexican gaming industry.
For more details about Xing-Fú Fortune Money Trees Power and Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees Wealth, check the landing page with all details about this product configuration »
Gambling in the USA
Georgia Lottery Takes Retail Experience to Next Level with Scientific Games’ SCiQ Technology
SCiQ Ecosystem Modernizes Lottery Scratch Game Sales, Simplifies Retail Operations
The Georgia Lottery Corporation is taking a major step forward in transforming the way players experience instant scratch games at retail with the launch of Scientific Games’ award-winning SCiQ retail ecosystem at 1,500 locations statewide. The breakthrough retail technology modernizes how scratch games are sold and managed, bringing greater operational efficiency to retailers and a convenient, streamlined purchasing experience for players.
The innovative retail technology rollout is the latest milestone in a long-standing partnership between the Georgia Lottery and metro Atlanta-based Scientific Games, a collaboration that began at the Lottery’s inception in 1993. Through the long-standing partnership, Scientific Games has worked with the Lottery to launch its first scratch game, first second-chance promotion and is soon to launch its first loyalty program.
“Retail environments are evolving, and the Georgia Lottery is proud to lead with smart technology solutions that align with how today’s consumers want to shop,” said Gretchen Corbin, President and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. “SCiQ brings a modern retail presence to our instant games, helps our retailers operate more efficiently and ultimately supports our mission to maximize revenues for the HOPE Scholarship and Georgia Pre-K program.”
A Gold Winner in the 2025 American Business Awards for Operations Management Solution and Bronze Winner in the 2025 International Business Awards for Achievement in Product Innovation, SCiQ is being deployed across the diverse mix of Georgia Lottery retailers, including both major chain and independent stores. Each will benefit from:
- Real-time inventory tracking proven to reduce out-of-stocks and drive increased product sales
- Advanced sales analytics to help optimize sales performance and strategic planning
- Easy-to-use reporting tools that reduce operational time and provide management insights
- Dynamic digital menu boards that elevate the product’s in-store presence and promotion while providing players with real-time updated information
- Game dispensing bins that secure products, reduce theft and provide ticket-by-ticket operational tracking
“We are especially proud to bring the benefits of SCiQ to our home state,” said John Schulz, President of the Americas for Scientific Games. “The Georgia Lottery has always been a forward-thinking partner, and this retail modernization initiative is another move to ensure future growth for its instant game business to sustain future funding for Georgia’s students.”
A leading innovator in the industry, the Georgia Lottery ranked No. 2 in the world for scratch game per capita sales (La Fleur’s 2025 World Almanac). It has been a participant in the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership program since the Lottery’s inception, benefiting from instant game design and production, portfolio management and game planning services, data analytics, advanced logistics, licensed brand services and retail sales and marketing support. Used by more than 20 lotteries, including five of the top six performing instant game lotteries worldwide, the SGEP program drove 31% better performance for U.S. partners in fiscal year 2023-24.
As the world’s largest lottery games company and the fastest-growing lottery systems provider in North America, Scientific Games currently serves more than 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the world.
SCiQ® is a registered trademark of Scientific Games. ©2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Gambling in the USA
$50 MILLION GUARANTEED IN ACR POKER’S BIGGEST-EVER TOURNAMENT SERIES: THE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL, LAUNCHING THIS WEEKEND
- $4.25 million guaranteed in Monster Main Events across three tourneys, plus
- $2.8 million guaranteed in Multi-Flight Events
Fresh off the massive Dual Venom tournaments with over $10 million in prize pools, ACR Poker announces the return of its flagship Online Super Series (OSS) XL. From this Sunday through Tuesday, September 30th, players of all bankrolls can jump into supersized poker action and compete for a staggering $50 million in guaranteed prize pools.
Headlining the OSS XL schedule are three monster Main Events. Starting Sunday, September 21st, players can take their shot at the $2 million guaranteed ($2,650 buy-in), the $1.5 million guaranteed ($1,050 buy-in), and the $750,000 guaranteed ($215 buy-in) Main Events.
Adding to the excitement is the high-energy Survivor Flips tourney ($130 buy-in), offering a $150,000 guarantee. Phase 1 and Steps Flips run from Wednesday, September 17th to Sunday, September 21st at 3pm ET. Phase 2 is a regular tournament on September 21st at 3:05pm ET where all players start in the money.
“After heated back-to-back Venom tourneys, the OSS XL feels like the perfect follow-up,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “This series offers every type of player a mix of incredible value with a lot of variety. From Main Events to Survivor Flips and Mystery Bounties, plus big guarantees on top, it’s the kind of schedule that gets the whole community fired up, and I can’t wait to dive in.”
In addition, the jam-packed schedule features plenty of multi-flight action. The $630 buy-in Multi-Flight tournament boasts a $1.5 million guarantee, with Day 1’s starting on Sunday, September 7th and Day 2 on Monday, September 29th.
There are also four Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight events, including two $500,000 guaranteed $109 buy-in events, with Day 1’s starting on September 7th and September 21st. Players can jump into the $200,000 guaranteed ($33 buy-in) and $100,000 guaranteed ($5.50 buy-in) events, with the final flight and Day 2 on September 28th.
To add further sweat, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest returns with $65,000 in cash and tourney tickets across three tiers. The High Stakes ($104.50 buy-ins and above) will award a $15,000 top prize, while the Mid Stakes ($16.50 to $88 buy-ins) and Low Stakes (under $15 buy-ins) will award $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.
For further details on the OSS XL, read the ACR Poker blog or visit ACRPoker.eu.
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