For Jeffrey Brodsky, a longtime Port Washington resident and seasoned real estate professional, the idea for his backyard game phenomenon, SlotShot, didn’t come from a corporate strategy session or a product pitch meeting. It came from a dream.
“I actually dreamt about the game, twice,” Brodsky said. “And after the second time, I decided to build it.”
That spontaneous decision launched what would become a year-long journey from imagination to innovation. Using a cardboard box and a bit of duct tape, Brodsky built the first prototype of SlotShot, a game he describes as a cross between cornhole and KanJam, but with more variety, strategy, and staying power.
“I’m not a builder,” he said. “But I’ve always been creative. Growing up, I was always making up little games with my brothers and sisters.”
That spirit of creativity led him to bring his early prototype into his Port Washington real estate office to show a colleague. The reaction surprised him.
“As people came in to talk about real estate, they saw this thing on the floor,” Brodsky said. “They’d ask what it was, try it, and then they didn’t want to stop playing.”
Encouraged by the reaction, Brodsky built a sturdier wooden version, enlisting the help of his daughters, Kayla and Ashley, to refine the design. As excitement grew, he knew he needed help to bring the game to market. He partnered with Solomon Tibebu, who became SlotShot’s Product Design and Development Director, to finalize the game’s shape, portability, and durability.
SlotShot made its first public appearance at the Tri-State Camp Conference in March 2024. “We had no idea how it would go,” Brodsky said. “But the response was incredible. We sold over 100 units that weekend alone.”
That success confirmed what Brodsky suspected: people of all ages found the game fun, challenging, and addictive. SlotShot, now a registered trademark with patents pending, is built in the U.S. using high-quality materials. Unlike cheaper games that fall apart after a season, Brodsky and his team set out to build something that would last.
“We saw that a lot of backyard games on the market were poorly made,” he said. “So we wanted to do something different, something built to last, something you’d be proud to bring out at a party.”
SlotShot consists of a two-piece board setup and soft rubber discs. Players aim to land their discs in different slots for various point values, one, three, or five, or make the perfect upper-slot shot for an instant win. The game has drawn comparisons to cornhole and KanJam but adds layers of complexity and strategy.
“What makes it special is how many ways you can score,” Brodsky said. “You can go for steady points, or try for a risky instant win. There’s always a choice to make.”
The game has quickly built momentum through social media marketing and appearances at events like the Hofstra lacrosse quarterfinals, where the team set up in Tailgate Alley and later inside the stadium’s fun zone. Most recently, SlotShot was featured at the Port Washington Port Promenade, with more pop-up events planned for summer and fall.
Beyond fun, Brodsky said he’s also proud of the way SlotShot engages players across generations. “We’ve had kids as young as five and adults in their 80s playing, and loving it,” he said. “It’s great for families, college students, beach trips, camping, you name it.”
He added that the game has shown promise as a therapeutic tool, too. “We’ve seen that it helps with hand-eye coordination and motor skills. For kids with disabilities, it’s been amazing to watch how they take to it.”
SlotShot is now sold through the company’s website and at select trade shows. Brodsky’s business, BEV Capital LLC, is still family-owned and based in Port Washington, where his father started the company more than three decades ago. What began as a creative side project during a rainy afternoon is now a growing brand with national ambitions.
“It started out as just an idea, but it’s become something really special,” Brodsky said. “When you build something from scratch, test it, and see people genuinely enjoy it, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
SlotShot continues to grow with grassroots momentum, and Brodsky hopes its hometown success story will inspire others to follow their creative instincts.
“Sometimes a simple idea, if you follow through with it, can turn into something bigger than you imagined,” he said. “You just have to take that first shot.”
For more information visit the website, www.playslotshot.com.
