NEWS
Chips that count chips: more RFID on the way
Tiny tags help casinos keep track of currency
Keeping track of your chips may get a little easier thanks to a high-tech tie-up between two big casino suppliers. Gaming Partners International (GPI), which makes chips and equipment
for table games, has done a deal with International Game Technology (IGT) which will enable GPI to offer more systems using radio-frequency identification (RFID). Previously, the two firms offered slightly different RFID technologies; now,
with GPI gaining the rights to use IGT’s chip-inventory system, it hopes to become a one-stop shop. “This will allow our customers to better secure their currency, authenticate
chips, and gather other data at the table and cage, while linking with a casino’s back-end system,” said GPI President and CEO Greg Gronau. RFID, which employs tiny radio transmitters concealed within each chip, is
gaining favour in many casinos as a way to automatically – and accurately – monitor the location and movement of chips, just as it’s used in other sectors to follow the passage of goods through a warehouse, for example, or parts through a factory. Techno-overkill for tracking something as humble as a chip? Not when you
consider the numbers involved. GPI recently shipped about 70,000 RFID- equipped chips and plaques to Gran Casino Costa Brava in Spain, and a similar quantity to Viage in Brussels; that’s a lot to count manually.
Emerging markets spur mobile gambling growth
New lottery will make China third-biggest
It’s crept into every other corner of our lives, so why shouldn’t the mobile phone be the next big platform for gaming? That’s exactly what analysts at Juniper Research expect to happen, but
perhaps surprisingly they foresee much of the growth in mobile gaming coming not from Europe or North America, but from emerging markets – or perhaps not so surprisingly, given the transformational impact of cellphones in countries where few have PCs or land lines. Until now, most mobile gaming revenue has come from Britain’s casino
and betting services and from the Japan Racing Association’s Ipat system. But Juniper believes the new mobile lottery from Vodone in China will shoot straight into third place, while other casino, lottery and betting firms in the emerging economies will help propel global annual spend to more than $48bn by 2015. Of course, more positive regulatory attitudes in Europe will help too –
Spain, for example, is putting the framework in place for mobile gaming, as we report elsewhere in this issue’s news pages – as will the enthusiasm of US lottery operators for mobile. Said Juniper’s Windsor Holden, who anticipates launches there next year: “State lottery providers are anxious to explore new distribution channels, with lottery sales from traditional outlets in decline.” But new doesn’t have to mean glitzy, Juniper’s observations suggest. The
firm said that consumers have generally shunned complex multiplayer gaming on their mobile handsets, preferring simpler services. And although Apple now allows gambling applications for the iPhone to be sold through its App Store, most service providers are opting for a more universally- accessible browser-based approach.
4 OCTOBER 2010 INBRIEF
SBC Innocore Gaming will use the G2E exhibition in November to launch new single-board computers in its DPX-S range. Features include built-in 3D acceleration and support for multiple monitors, as well as regulatory approval in major markets.
CHAIR OF FORTUNE The new Wheel of Fortune game from Magic Dreams employs 3D display technology, comes with a mechanical top box and can be shipped with a chair.
NOTE MACHINE The NV11 note validator and float payout unit from Automated Transactions can store 330 notes and be used for issuing change or prizes.
DEQ DEALS DEQ, the table game supplier, finished 111 new installations in North America during the third quarter – double its recent quarterly average. Its G3 has been fitted to 36 table games in the US and Canada, while 71 EZ Baccarat units were installed.
MILESTONEMEI has produced its millionth Cashflow SC bill acceptor at its factory in Querétaro, Mexico. The product was introduced in 2002.
FRENCH POKER Prima Networks and 888 Holdings have gone live with their French online Poker network, for which regulatory approval was recently granted. The first licensee to join the network is La Société Française de Jeux sur Internet (SFJI), operating under the 200% Poker brand and using Spiral Solutions technology.
MINI-GAMES Jadestone is to provide its new RNG suite of mini-games to Bwin. Four of the titles were trialled on Bwin’s Website this summer. They fit within a 220x270-pixel portion of the screen, and are designed to fill idle moments while the player is waiting for activity elsewhere.
PRESSURE GROUP Ladbrokes and Bet365 have both become supporters of Right2bet, the campaigning organisatin that advocates consumer choice in betting across Europe. Others include Betfair and Victor Chandler.
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