Page 19 - July 2002 • Southern California Gaming Guide

...Continued from Page 9
this challenge, IGT created a new slot machine that gave control of the game to a microprocessor, which used a random number generator to secure the outcome on the slot machine’s computer. Computer enhancements led to the introduction of multi-level progressives, linked con- gurations and audit trail functions.
It wasn’t long before the rst video slots. If computer monitors could animate the cards in a Video Poker game, why not have them animate the reels of a slot machine?
Now, multi-line video slots, still one the hottest slot prod- ucts, have animated graphics, lights, sounds, music, and sometimes celebrity voice-overs. Most games now even fea- ture touch-sensitive screens! All this would be unimaginable without microprocessor technology.
Of course, ashy animations and
huge jackpots aside, at the end of
the day, you still had to gather up
your coins and cash them in. As slot
machines grew in popularity, casinos
began looking at ways to “package”
the machines so they could provide
customers with unique, and above all,
more convenient experiences, even
though gamers could play the same
slot at a neighboring casino. They
tried manning banks and carousels
of slots with casino personnel who
dispensed coin for bills (remember
when slot machines would only accept
coins?). In the early 1990s manned
banks and carousels gave way to bill
acceptors, omitting the need for rolls
of coin. But casino service issues con-
tinued to motivate new technological advancements. The introduction of the multi-coin video games created chal- lenges for casino management because of the time it took to ll coin hoppers and hand pay winners. Slot technology was ready for another evolutionary jump.
The High-Tech San Diego Casino
Barona Casino has always been at the cutting edge of casino technology. Even before the passing of Propo- sition 1A in 2000 (which allowed Vegas-style slots in California), many of Barona’s slot machines employed ticket-out technology. The machines would print a dollar-sized, bar-coded ticket which was much lighter to carry and easier to cash out than buckets of coins. How- ever, the tickets could only be cashed out—they could not be inserted into another machine and used as currency.
When Vegas-style slot machines were delivered to San Diego County casinos two years ago, Barona Casino was the rst casino in the world to introduce a fully-integrated coinless, ticket-in/ticket-out technology on its casino
oor. It was particularly signi cant then, because no one manufacturer had a single product to make this happen. Barona accelerated the technology by encouraging several competing manufacturers (IGT, Bally and Sierra Design Group) to develop a slot technology solution together that was compatible with most U.S. slot manufacturers’ machines.
Clever engineering wizards added another high-tech innovation—wireless ticket validation. Instead of taking your ticket to the casino cages, a roving casino attendant armed with a Palm Pilot, scans your bar-coded ticket (which veri es the amount and the machine it was issued at through a central server) and pays you right on the spot! This is not only convenient for players, but also cost
about with those nasty coins in Vegas, while you all in California are way ahead of the curve.”
Linda V. of Lakeside says she plays at Barona, Viejas and Sycuan casinos, and is hooked on the coinless machines. “Now, I won’t play a machine unless it dis- penses tickets. Sometimes I put a $100 in the machine and if I get nothing for ten spins, I cash out. I didn’t do that before. It was too much trouble to collect all the coins, stand in line and start all over again. So I get to play my hunches better this way.
Jerry M. says he plays at Barona, Sycuan and Pala. “I gravitate towards the machines that give tickets. I play video poker quarters and when it’s not too busy, I like to change machines. It’s a lot easier to do that now with the tickets. And they’re the right size to t in my wallet.”
And to further the cashless craze, Barona Casino has something new to talk about. For its high roller players, Barona has electronic fund transfer (EFT) on its slot and
video poker machines in its High Limit area. Having EFT means you can walk into Barona Casino without cash (cash, not funds!) and play without ever touching any money! How does it work? Players set up an electronic fund transfer from their bank to a special player card that is set with the player’s ngerprint to insure that the person who is cashing out is the owner of the card. The High Limit slots are programmed to recognize the players’ casino ID via a special touch screen on the slot. According to some industry pundits, EFT is the next evolution after the ticket-in/ticket-out revolution.
And what about “smart cards”? Smart cards have a microprocessor chip embedded that can actually store data. Bar-coded tickets and magnetic-striped cards let you read what’s stored on a central data base. Smart cards interface with, but don’t need to access the
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Barona Casino was the rst to incorporate Palm Pilots with Ticket-in/Ticket Out Coinless Slots.
saving for casino operations. Employees handle less coin and eliminate its bundling, transport and tracking.
In late 2000 IGT developed the EZ PayTM system, its own ticket-in/ticket-out technology that gives gamers a printed voucher as a payout, as well as the ability to re-insert that voucher in any slot machine on the casino oor that is on the system. With the wireless bar code scanner perk, casinos have begun to realize the wide- scale bene ts both to their operations and customer experience.
The Cashless Craze
EZ PayTM and other cashless systems are being adopted in major Vegas casinos, and Reno and Atlantic City gaming is following. Vegas casinos are embracing coin- less technology, though their tendency now is to have a higher percentage of coin-in machines.
In Europe and Australia coinless gaming is old hat. “Been there, done that—a while ago” is what my Aussie
gaming friends say. “Can’t believe they’re still muckin’
central database to work. All pertinent information is stored on the chip on the card, enabling winnings to be validated and paid even if there is a problem with the central computer. Smart cards can be appealing to casinos because they can interface and link to with many different parts of the casino: Payouts, shopping, restaurants, player’s clubs and they can provide an enormous marketing component.
What’s the High Tech Future for Gaming?
LED panels instead of CRT monitors? Download-able video slots? Point-of-sale redemtion kiosks? Comp- ing at the slot machine? Ergonomic chairs? Massage therapists on call for head, neck and shoulder massages? When I asked San Diego casino managers what they see in the future for gaming, most agreed (and want) wire- less slots. But be assured, whatever innovation comes along, San Diego and Southern California gamers will probably have the rst crack at it!
THE SAN DIEGO GAMING GUIDE