Casino COVER - Welcome to neilmead

CASINO MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
32 NOVEMBER 2011
appealing messages without the time and cost of
printing and postage.”
Meanwhile, back on the floor
With all this activity in integrating management
systems for land-based and virtual casinos, it would
be easy to imagine that suppliers have abandoned the
gaming floor as a dull relic of the past, and that all
attention is being devoted to the e-future. Not so: as
long as land-based gaming continues to represent the
enormous revenue streams and investment levels that
it does today, there is never-ending scope to fine-tune
casino management to retain customers more
effectively and wring out every last cent from physical
installations.
Aristocrat Technologies, for instance, has certainly
not been ignoring land-based needs even as it makes
strides in cross-channel integration. It recently
launched three new modules for its Oasis 360 casino
management system, which is – like its nLive – to be
used at Maryland Live! for management of 4750
devices on the gaming floor. The Maryland site joins
some 260 other North American casinos in deploying
Oasis 360.
THINK CONTENT, NOT PLATFORM
Any slot from any
manufacturer can be
retrofitted to show
bonusing, promotions and
even advertising
Perhaps the most interesting of the new modules,
and certainly one suited to the economically shaky
times, is nCompass. Responding to the reality that
many casinos cannot currently afford to replace their
slots as frequently as they’d like, nCompass adds
multimedia messaging functionality to legacy
machines. In essence, any slot from any manufacturer
can be retrofitted to show bonusing, promotions and
even advertising controlled by a casino management
system, as long as the older slot has a touchscreen.
The multimedia display is powered by a separate
central processing unit (CPU), so it doesn’t make
unfeasible demands on the processing power of the
gaming device itself.
“Aristocrat is sensitive to the needs of our
There’s little doubt that a land-based casino’s communications with its customers is increasingly going to
involve mobile devices. But what are the practical first steps? Casino International spoke to Richard Yim,
Vice President of Systems Products at International Game Technology (IGT).
CI: What advantages do you see in integrating casino management systems with mobile devices like
smartphones and tablets?
RY: Mobile devices have permeated almost every aspect of our lives. As players start using their mobile
devices more, it is imperative that casinos begin to leverage these devices as a medium for direct
interaction to deliver timely, personalised information to their customers. The search for better methods of
communicating with patrons has been the driver of innovation in the industry for years. A great example is
IGT’s sbX Service Window functionality, which allows casino operators to communicate directly with
players right at the slot machine. Communication brought directly to the patron, as opposed to using
archaic methods, is not only more efficient and timely; it is also of a higher quality.
CI: And what are the challenges, whether technical, regulatory, or cultural?
RY: The real challenge with going mobile with player communication is figuring out what casino
operators want to say, or offer, to their players. Casino systems are becoming more intelligent with their
methods of on-premises bonusing and rewards. For example, IGT sbX customers can access a host of
bonusing applications that can be customised for the property. Tying the on-premise methodology to the
mobile medium will be the first step.
CI: In implementation terms, do you have any strong preference for one mobile platform (iPhone or
Android, for example) over others?
RY: For IGT, ubiquitous content is key. We do not want to segment the experience based on platform.
CI: Do you see security vulnerabilities as a significant issue, whether on particular platforms or across
mobile devices as a whole?
RY: Security of information is always of utmost concern. The ability to check point balances, or view and
accept offers, is available today on the Web for many properties, and the first step is to extend those
abilities to mobile devices with the appropriate level of security. If and when deposit account balances or
anything surrounding real money becomes a reality, security will shift to be an even more critical concern.