Caesars Entertainment and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) have partnered to create a new technology hub titled, Black Fire Innovation. The new hub will consist of 43,000 square feet in space, set to focus on gaming and hospitality concept creation and testing. The hub will be home to mock hotel rooms, along with a sportsbook and casino floor, virtual reality facilities and esports arena.
Opening This Year:
Black Fire Innovation is scheduled to open by the end of this year, bringing together the academic leaders of UNLV with Caesars Entertainment, both working together to advance current trends in gaming technology as well as hospitality to push the industry to the next level.
The educational hub is located within a research building at the University’s Harry Reid Research & Technology Pa 7BALL CX rk in the southwestern region of Las Vegas. The space will be multi-purpose, allowing UNLV, Caesars and their partners to develop as well as test new concepts for the industry. The various spaces including the mock hotel rooms, casino floor and sportsbook will create life-like areas that will present a better area for testing.
According to a recent press release…
Marta Meana, the President of UNLV, commented on the new collaboration by stating: “This collaboration with Caesars Entertainment will strengthen UNLV’s role as a research and innovation leader and further elevate Las Vegas as the global intellectual capital for gaming and hospitality. Collaborations like Black Fire Innovation also give our students unparalleled access to experts at the forefront of the industry. It’s an experience unique to Las Vegas that we’re proud to offer at UNLV.”
Black Fire Innovation will focus research efforts on emerging technologies which could include virtual reality, artificial intelligence and blockchain. Areas such as fine arts, architecture and psychology will be considered.
According to Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of Caesars, Les Ottolenghi, the company intends to accelerate innovation in a way that is ‘truly unprecedented’ in the gaming and hospitality sectors. The best researchers and industry experts will have a unique collaborative environment with the new facility.
