CR59-p36&37-Cash Install:SJC-Casino Review 19/8/07 11:36 Page 1
casinoreview
Future is bright for cashless
With the ease and convenience
Erik de Kat of Hess is looking with great interest at cashless
users want, and economics that
developments in the casino industry. His firm’s product, the
operators need, Atronic believes
Scorpion, is a kiosk for the most used transactions - cards or Players’
Chip Cash is a ‘unique system
ticket. De Kat told Casino Review: “Our expectations for a
needs met
solution’ that makes it possible
cashless future are clear. Within a couple of years the majority of
to realise considerable cost
casinos worldwide will operate cashless and time will tell whether
savings and improve player
the trend leans towards cards or tickets.”
convenience combined with a
host of new gaming options.
CASHLESSINSTALLATIONS
Europe slow to
where privacy is a very impor-
Europe: where
Marco Herrera
tant issue in some markets. Card-
believes cashless
based systems can be made
see advantages of
is catching on
anonymous, of course, but the
slowly maximum benefit is derived only
when able to use them in con-
cashless gaming
junction with player tracking,
which is a very, very long way off,
especially in France.
People say that TITO is an
interim solution, and perhaps so it
While TITO is well established in many worldwide jurisdictions and is. The question you have to ask,
card-based systems are becoming more common, several European
however, is how long that interim
countries are lagging behind, says Marco Herrera, vice president
lasts. It could be a very long time, in
which case, operators should have
and managing director of Bally Tech’s MCC division in Nice. no hesitation in installing a ticket-
based system. In many ways, the
futureperfect to be able to make an announce- taking coins and/or cash out of Strengths Opportunities European market is a long way
BALLY TECH ment about our first installation of the system - we have now been Economics 1: taking cash Education: Europe can behind the US, where TITO has
eTICKET in France very shortly. invited by our biggest customer in out of casinos will allow oper- learn from the cashless taken over and is very well estab-
“There are some interesting things One of the issues is human France, Lucien Barrière, to team ators to reduce labour costs experience in the US lished. But it also means that
happening in the European resources: cashless and coinless up with them in talks with the reg- Economics 2: operational Tracking: cashless can Europe can learn from the US. I’ve
market with respect to coinless systems mean that you do not need ulator. This will be a big change for costs associated with a lot provide critical information seen a lot of changes in Las Vegas
and cashless systems, including to employ so many people. There them, too. They are used to a of coinage can be slashed for business development over the last 25 or 30 years, includ-
the card-based system installed in is a small casino I know of in south- mechanical audit trail, right down Audit: an electronic system Marketing: operators can ing the move to TITO. When it came
Grand Casino Brussels and other ern Europe with a few hundred to reading the counters on the simplifies the reconciliation target their messages very in, people were worried that the
solutions that are making their machines and almost as many machines and we are asking them and audit processes accurately with cashless lack of coin noise would be a big
way into Central and Eastern employees and with a TITO system, to move to an electronic system. systems issue. In the end it just wasn’t.
Europe. Different countries are for example, a lot less needs to be In Eastern Europe, where they Weaknesses It could be five or ten years
moving at different speeds, done and this can bring an opera- have come out of political turmoil Approvals: some jurisdic- Threats before fully cashless systems are
though: in France, the idea is just tor’s overheads down by a huge and have fewer entrenched tions are sluggish in approv- Resistance: regulators generally accepted in casinos in
about getting through but amount. But this is a controversial systems, they are more willing to ing cashless systems and/or unions could scupper Europe. Or it could be a lot less:
mention cashless and people’s hair issue - in Germany, France or Italy use more advanced technology. Controversy: unions in modernisation one area where Europe leads the
starts to rise, particularly among for example, talk of job reductions Operators need to be con- particular dislike any system Delay: some parts of the US is in smartcards. There are a
the regulators. Ticket-in/ticket-out does not go down well either with vinced too, of course. In our expe- that will do away with jobs continent could get left behind lot of cards with chips in that
is okay because it leaves a very the unions or with governments rience in South America, while Interim: TITO might only Players: operators need people already use over here. But
clear, paper-based audit trail. We and the regulators. new casinos are all for new tech- be stopgap - but the gap to be convinced of player I think the issues of privacy and
have been working hard to get Things are changing. Opera- nology, their customers may not could be a long one acceptance responsible gaming will slow
approvals in France and we hope tors can see the huge benefits be. That applies in Europe, too, down their introduction here.”
Down with coins! Long live smartcards!
Analysis
With smartcards of
many different varieties
The creation of a
ticket-in/ticket-out is only an There are two types of card, Player acceptance has becoming an ever more
brand new casino
interim solution. Most casinos those with the player’s name been high on the machines: common part of life,
that have it are still accepting on and those without and “It’s very easy to use. We persuading people to
allowed Isle of Capri coins and coins are the people can choose which one have had more than 20,000 use one in a casino
to do away with
problem. So we opted for a they want to use. We will very people visit since we environment is not as
coins and all their
system based on a smart card, soon be able to offer players opened a month ago and hard as some
Atronic Systems’s ChipCash. PIN numbers, which will not very few have come and traditionalists might
problems altogether. Security was our biggest be compulsory but they will asked about how to use it. think. It does not seem
And the ChipCash
concern and there are very increase security by an even They can see just by watch- to be enough of an issue
smartcard payment
high levels of encryption now greater amount.” ing what others do.” to stop people coming
available. We then realised it All the slot machines and Use of the cards at the to play and certainly
system that has could be used for a lot of other TouchBet Roulette terminals tables has been somewhat does not outweigh the
replaced them has
things, specifically for cus- in the casino can also accept lower but Crawford imag- benefits that the cards
plenty of other
tomer registration and as a notes but all value is added ines they will pick up there can bring to the
loyalty card. We have two back on to the card. Players too over time. At the moment operator’s business
benefits too. purses on each chip - there must use a card in order to the poker tables are not planning and customer
are several available - one that cash out. equipped for the smartcard. relationship
casestudy least of it: there are always prob- holds the actual cash value A world first, ChipCash is “We will take a view on management.
ISLE CASINO lems associated with a large and another that records pro- also available to use on the whether to install it in the Additionally, the costs
amount of coins, such as having motional points, which tables: players can buy chips future,” said Crawford. associated with
When Greg Crawford was to count, wrap and pack them players can swap for mer- or wheelchecks using their He concluded: “The smart- introducing and
brought on board to oversee and maintain the machines that chandise or a meal.” cards, which they hand over card has exceeded all our maintaining such a
electronic gaming for the new do it. You also have to maintain He continued: “This means to the dealer, who deducts expectations. We did get system are relatively
Isle Casino in Coventry in the hoppers in the slots them- we can run very accurate the requested amount. At the some resistance from estab- light compared with the
UK, he was clear about one selves, keep the coin conduits reports on usage patterns - moment, players then have lished casino staff who material costs of
thing. He did not want to have clear. To me the solution is clear. number and length of visits, to take value chips to the thought it too radical, partic- continuing to handle
to deal with coins. Get rid of the coins.” types of games played et cage in order to reload the ularly for live gaming. But coins, maintaining all the
“They’re a nightmare,” he With the chance to design cetera. We don’t do this at the card or cash out. they have now been won machinery they have to
said. “When I worked in my a casino from scratch, Greg player level but it gives us “There are some practical over. And players seem to like pass through, repairing
previous job, we were getting and his colleagues took the extremely valuable informa- reasons for this but it’s mainly the discretion the cards the damage they cause
carpets destroyed by heavy immediate decision to go tion that we can then use to to retain a sense of enjoyment afford, besides, they are and employing the staff
trolleys, damage to walls, doors cashless - or coinless at the tailor our offer to the needs of when visiting the cage,” said easier to keep safe than large to deal with them.
and floors. And that was the very least. “I believe that the majority of customers. Crawford. amounts of cash.”
36 September 2007 cashlessinstallations
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