Casino raffling off rare 'Sons of Anarchy' motorcycle

Spirit Mountain Casino is one of only two casinos in the United States that will be giving away a limited edition “Sons of Anarchy” tribute motorcycle this summer.

One of the motorcycles will be given away on the West Coast in Grand Ronde and the other will be given away on the East Coast. These are the only two motorcycles of their kind ever made and each is valued at $21,995.

The matte black custom roadster with engraved “Sons of Anarchy” logos designed into it and a custom Redwoods Original leather seat is currently on display next to the entrance of the casino’s Mountain View Sports Bar. When “Sons of Anarchy” slot machines arrive, they will become part of a large display near the north entrance across from the sports bar.   

Interim Gaming Director Mike Colton said the casino found out about the opportunity to host the “Sons of Anarchy” slot machines and give away the Bartels’ custom-designed promotional motorcycle while attending last year’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, Nev.

G2E is a private, annual gaming conference and trade show in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. The conference is traditionally where the slot machine industry unveils its new games and products every year to casino operators. The conference features more than 480 individual vendor exhibitor sites and attracts crowds of almost 17,000 people.

“They (Aristocrat Technologies) are doing a promotion for their new games that are coming out,” said Colton. “This is huge for us.”

Spirit Mountain will be the first casino in the country to host “Sons of Anarchy” multi-site progressive slot machines. Players will have a chance to win a more than $500,000 progressive jackpot playing the machines.

Colton, who is an avid fan of the show, said there were two custom “Sons of Anarchy” motorcycles on display at G2E and that Spirit Mountain secured the opportunity by meeting an entry deadline. He said the odds of getting the cycle were long.

“We were fortunate enough to be one of the sites selected for this promotion,” said Colton. “ ‘Sons of Anarchy’ has a cult following and the show is flat-out addictive. The show is widely popular with everybody, not just bikers, but just everybody.”

Colton said that popularity creates a following. The more of a following, the more revenue it translates into for the game.

“The show and the characters are so recognizable that it will get people to play the game,” said Colton.

Casino guests can earn entries in the motorcycle drawing by playing any slot machine, table game or keno and bingo in the casino, but guests earn double entries between now and the giveaway when they play “Sons of Anarchy” slot machines.

The “Anarchy” slot machines feature high-definition graphics, 3-D panoramic adjustable sound and an advanced ergonomic design. The show’s production team filmed scenes especially created for the slot machine action sequences. Game designers added content from the show to the slots.  

“It’s huge and it’s flattering,” Marketing Director Shawna Ridgebear said. “To be one of only two casinos in the country and the only West Coast property to be giving away one of these motorcycles is exciting. When you see the bike you will understand my excitement. This is an impressive machine.”

Ridgebear said the casino is doing a marketing campaign revolving around the “Sons of Anarchy” promotion and that outdoor billboards have already generated a response.

“We are already getting calls asking for details, asking when the giveaway is,” said Ridgebear.

Colton said the promotion, which started on Monday, June 1, will culminate in the motorcycle being given away at the casino’s “Rally in the Valley” event on Saturday, Aug. 22, during an 8 p.m. drawing.

“Rally in the Valley” features live music, food, vendors and motorcycles. Admission is free and runs from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. in the casino’s parking lot.

“The giveaway will be at the conclusion of a very exciting weekend with the ‘Rally in the Valley’ and the bike giveaway will be the grand finale,” said Ridgebear.

“Sons of Anarchy” aired on the FX network from September 2008 through December 2014. It is the story of the Teller-Morrow motorcycle gang family of Charming, Calif., and turned out to be one of the highest viewed shows on television for seven seasons. Characters, like gang leader Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) and his interesting mother, the most cold-hearted woman in the history of television, Gemma Teller-Morrow (Katey Sagal), kept viewers watching with record ratings.

“The FX series was a record breaker for the network,” said Ridgebear, who is fan of the Golden Globe-winning show. “It had such a huge, very loyal following behind the series. We had a party just to watch the series finale.”

Ridgebear said she thinks now is the perfect time for Aristocrat to release its “Sons of Anarchy” slot machines.

“It (the release) caused such a buzz in the gaming community at G2E because it had such a great demographic following,” said Ridgebear. “But for us to be putting a large bank of the games out on the floor and then to pair it with the motorcycle that will be right next to it, well that’s just a really unique opportunity for us.”