Gamblers at Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Casino can try their luck at 12 new Star Trek-theme interactive video slots. Winners can advance through three different game levels. In bonus rounds, figures of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock blast targets with phasers for extra game credits. The machines are connected to a central server, so players can log in from a Star Trek slot anywhere and pick up the game from where they left off.
Pat Fowler, executive director of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, wasn't aware of the new slots. But "it sounds like that type of game would be attractive to a younger population'' more vulnerable to gambling problems, she said.