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CASINO MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS


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.


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


THINK CONTENT, NOT PLATFORM 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.


32 NOVEMBER 2011


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