CR59-p45-Cash Politics:SJC-Casino Review 19/8/07 11:29 Page 1
casinoreview
What is a TITO system?
Automated Currency print marketing promo
Slot machines are equipped with a ticket printer and interfaced
Instruments’ new Gen II vouchers and schedule
with a ticketing system. The ticketing system includes a centralised
Automated Ticket promotional videos.
Redemption kiosk has
ticket validation component. TITO slot machines dispense
Multiple
ticket redemption and
individually identifiable payout tickets (slot machine tickets or functions
ATM functions with
tickets). Customers can redeem slot tickets by inserting the ticket
players’ club capabilities,
into another TITO slot machine, cashing in the ticket at a cage
the ability to read, write
window, and/or any other method as approved by the casino. and dispense cards,
CASHLESSPOLITICS
TITO/Smart Card debate
should be settled by the player
The TITO versus Smart Card debate is one
machines will be phased out ment, a higher barrier to start additional mechanical devices Chip Cash smart card cashless
which has raged in casino boardrooms
in 2008 so the whole floor playing on slot machines and such as the printer for TITO. function. GGR has increased
across the globe, but as far as Casinos
will be cashless with TITO. the dependency on the slot Our hardware was also 100 by 15 per cent since its intro-
“We’re very satisfied with on-line system. per cent compatible meaning duction and we feel that it
Austria International is concerned it is a the TITO functionality from Once this was all taken into that the cost of installation for offers much better service to
discussion best concluded at a local level.
Bally,” Aumüller added. “Previ- consideration, the Luzern the Smart card solution was our customers. The system has
Phil Martin reports on how CAI has
ously we were experiencing team began accessing the pros 140,000 Swiss Francs com- reduced costs for exercises
many errors on the slot and cons of each system. “After pared to 1.2m for the TITO.” such as coin counting and has
introduced two cashless solutions at
machines like coin jams and doing a lot of extensive Bliem also cites advantages increased our efficiency, for
different operations in Switzerland. time consuming coin related research we opted for a Smart in player tracking and loyalty example at the cage. There is
tasks like hopper fills or Card solution, ChipCash from programs with the Smart Card. no downtime due to coin
ataleoftwosystems Casino Bern, explained. “TITO hopper scaling. These have all Atronic Systems,” explained “The mystery jackpot for card errors and we have been able
TITO V SMART CARD based cashless is for us a step been eliminated. The customer Bliem. “The main reasons were players over all our machines to optimise our staff alloca-
between card based cashless acceptance of the introduc- the cost of instalment and the guarantees high usage and tion. Our customers like the
With consumer habits varying and traditional coin based slot tion of the tickets is very high.” future efficiency of the system acceptance,” he added. system, they have clean hands
on gaming floors across the machines. We decided to go But just up the road at the for staff and processes. Smart “We are now 100 per cent when they play now,” he said
globe it should come as no to TITO to have a smoother picturesque lakeside casino in cards offered no down time coinless and very satisfied with a smile. “There is nothing
surprise that pleasing the end move for our customers to Luzern, an altogether different due to paper errors and no with the performance of our I would change.”
user has been central to the change from coins to a cash- decision was made.
decision making process less system,” he added. “Cur- International trends in
taken by casino buyers when rently, our customers are payment methods in general
it comes to the crunch over more used to having paper in and in the gaming industry in
cashless. their hands like a banknote particular were pushing
Exactly just how local that than a smart card.” Luzern’s chief executive
decision can be made has been A trial period pitching both officer Wolfgang Bliem closer
illustrated perfectly by Casinos styles of systems head to head to cashless. The Luzern team
Austria International where in was launched in Bern with cus- had orchestrated customer
one jurisdiction, namely tomer feedback pivotal to the surveys regarding coinless and
Switzerland, its local manage- final decision. Four machines, management had received
ment teams have opted for two two on card based cashless positive cashless feedback
competing systems. In and two on TITO, locked horns from other operators, such as
summer 2006 Grand Casino with players getting hands on Holland Casinos, Casino
Bern in central Switzerland experience to decide which Velden in Austria, Casino St.
installed a Ticket In Ticket Out they were more comfortable Moritz in Switzerland.
system, which was the first in with. “It was essential for us to The advantages for the
Europe from Bally Technolo- find out our customers needs casino were numerous: more
gies, whereas just a hop, skip and preferences,” Aumüller playing time, less tilts on slot
and a jump to the north east in explained. “The customers, machines and coin related
Luzern, the Grand Casino especially our frequent ones, equipment, no hopper fills,
Luzern opted for a Smart Card were asked to compare both lower maintenance costs and
system from Atronic. systems and provide some ergonomic improvements.
“We think it is important to feedback with inquiry forms. ” All this meant slot atten-
make the decision regarding Currently, Grand Casino dants would have consider-
which cashless system should Bern has 229 of 256 slots ably more time for guest
be installed locally by the man- operating in the cashless relations and hospitality
agement, because different mode with the TITO func- aspects, allowing them to
regions clearly have different tionality. By the end of 2007 it build up a better knowledge
customers with different will have only 10 machines of player behaviour and
needs,” Christian Aumüller, left without the cashless func- player segments. The only bar-
gaming manager at Grand tionality but even those 10 riers were the high invest-
Which systems are you? Luzern trials its Smart card solution
September 2007 cashlesspolitics 45
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