Whitney Houston Slots Premiere at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel

Posted on: June 10, 2024, 03:10h. 

Last updated on: June 11, 2024, 09:25h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

A new slot game from IGT with a theme based on the iconic pop superstar Whitney Houston has been unveiled at the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel in California.

Whitney Houston Slots IGT Yaamava' Resort
The Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel had the honor of being the first casino in the United States to offer Whitney Houston slots. The gaming cabinets come from IGT and will soon arrive at additional casinos across the U.S. (Image: Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel)

Last October, London-based IGT announced a collaboration with the Estate of Whitney E. Houston and Primary Wave Music, the latter of which owns the music publishing rights to the singer’s catalog. Developed as a wide-area progressive (WAP), the slot, officially titled Whitney Houston Slots, made its debut Monday at the tribal casino. The Highland, Calif., resort is in San Bernardino County, about an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles where the singer tragically died in 2012.

Standing over 11 feet tall with high-definition screens, Whitney Houston Slots incorporates some of the singer’s biggest hits, including “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “How Will I Know.”

The tribal casino is owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. One of the most financially prosperous tribal businesses in the United States, the casino is among the largest in the Native American gaming industry with more than 7,000 slots, 150 live dealer table games, five high-limit gaming rooms, and a 17-story hotel with 432 guestrooms.

Slot Promotions

To commemorate the Whitney Houston Slots taking the stage at Yaamava’, the tribe brought in a collection of Houston memorabilia to the casino floor.

An all-80s playlist is also being played through June 14 featuring Houston songs and other classics from the decade. The first 200 guests to play the slots were given four free max-bet spins.

IGT’s Whitney Houston Slots combines the super-star power of one of the most celebrated music artists of all time with player-favorite game mechanics and stunning new hardware to create an entertainment destination that can truly differentiate Yaamava’s gaming floor,” said Nick Khin, chief operating officer of IGT.

The Grammy Museum lent the Houston memorabilia to the tribal casino. The items include a dress Houston wore during her 1990 tour of Japan and a beaded dress she wore during a performance at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards.

Whitney Houston Slots IGT Yaamava' Resort
(Image: Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel)

Whitney Remains Popular 

Whitney Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Houston was found unconscious submerged in a bathtub inside Suite 434, and pronounced dead at 3:55 pm PST. Houston was in town for the Grammy Awards.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office concluded that Houston died by drowning and the effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use. The coroner said Houston had cocaine in her system and the levels suggest she had used the illegal drug shortly before her death.

A slew of other drugs were found in her body, including Benadryl, Xanax, marijuana, and Flexeril. The manner of death was ruled an “accident.”

Houston’s estate reported total earnings of approximately $30 million last year, most of which came from the biographical musical drama, “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” The estate also made money from its ongoing partnership with MAC Cosmetics and the MAC X Whitney Houston makeup collection.

Houston ranked seventh last year on the earnings list of dead celebrities. Michael Jackson again led the way with income upwards of $115 million. Elvis was second at $100 million, and Ray Manzarek of the Doors was third at $45 million.