Analysis
same way that a chipper can be installed, or the unit can be free-standing with a bracket to link it to the table. In terms of cost, Mr. Beddoe estimates that in most instances the unit will pay for itself in nine months in terms of labour-savings alone. As regards to the elimination or forgeries, real-time reporting and theft prevention, then the speed of return could be as little as three months.
“The only way to defraud the system is at the stage at which the machine takes the money, whereby the croupier issues the player with more chips than the value of the cash to be counted,” explains Mr. Beddoe. “However, one of the latest features added to the i-depsys system is a CCTV overlay, which as the cash is counted at the table can burn the amount of the transaction into the CCTV footage. Operators can then data-mine to see exactly how much cash has been handled at the table.”
In the UK at present, the average difference between the operators’ actual and estimated drop is currently between 1-3 per cent, but can be as high as 10 per cent. However, in high volume locations that figure can tip towards 30 per cent, and in locations taking £1m over 1.75 days in cash, that discrepancy could be more than £1m per week. “When our first units went on site, operators were clicking against it for test purposes,” explains Mr. Beddoe. “Against the existing system in the first two hours the difference between the actual and estimated count was £540. What our machine counts is the actual physical drop that’s secure in the pouch. There’s no estimation involved in this figure. We also have ability to handle multiple currencies, 17 to date, with further currencies due to be added to the system shortly.”
Understandably, i-depsys has created a great deal of interest with UK operators having trialled the product to date. The ability to process cash at the table securely and accept 10 notes in less than a second has shown that it in
“Operators have to be clever about handling their
existingmoney estate. Capital
expenditure is tight, but in terms of
reducing costs and
producing real-time cash reporting,
there’s an argument that you need this systemmore than ever in difficult
trading conditions.” AndrewBeddoe, i-depsys.
pro-actively manage their money quickly.”
Concurrent with development of the casino product, i-depsys is currently working in the retail sector, with Volumatic having created a simplified version for retailers to handle cash in store. A recent deal that saw the installation of 3,500 devices to a high street UK retailer has reduced cash handling costs by 75 per cent. Volumatic units are currently installed in the major supermarket chains including: Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Boots, Somerfield, Co-op, Wilkinsons etc., and is accepted by all banks and cash-in-transit companies in the UK. “Volumatic has established an extensive distribution network for TruPouch with around 60,000 TruPouches passing through the retail environment every month,” describes Mr. Beddoe. “We have developed the system in conjunction with them, whereby we focus wholly on the gaming side and Volumatic concentrates on retail. It’s been a great fit.”
no way impedes the game. With an infrastructure in place in the UK and Europe to accept TruPouch by both cash-in-transit companies and the banks, the progress of i-depsys as a ‘must-have’ product, even in the depths of a recession, is progressing rapidly.
“Operators have to be clever about handling their existing money estate,” states Mr. Beddoe. “Capital expenditure is tight, but in terms of reducing costs and producing real-time cash reporting, there’s an argument that you need this system more than ever in difficult trading conditions. Speeding the process of cash to bank means that operators are earning interest more quickly - they don’t have to buy cash in - and they can do a money search on the system, which will tell them exactly what’s in all the pouches on all the tables, enabling them to
great economies of scale to casino operators. Coin handling has often been service intensive. The desire to pay out coins in a comfortable way led to coins being projected upwards on a long neck (picture a giraffe) on slant tops. A great solution, but it’s also service intensive as coins can easily get dirty and bent ones become fast in the machine. Cashless resolves these problems and significant cost savings have been the result. Note readers remain the norm on casino slots, with game play via TITO (notes or ticket) and/or card.
NECESSITYOFCOIN/NOTECOUNTINGANDSORTING Two of the main challenges facing the market today are personnel and money management costs. Over the years stakes and prizes have risen in many jurisdictions – in effect ensuring that
i-depsys is rolling out across the UK, but already Mr. Beddoe and his team have their sights set on broadening the reach of the product. Having created a solution for table gaming, the next sector for i-depsys will be slots. “The TruPouch has the same footprint as a secure stacker unit and we currently have working prototypes within slots that eliminate the double counting of cash and the security risks of cash handling on the slot floor,” states Mr. Beddoe. “Gaming machines take an awful lot of notes with cash exposed at the point of transit and count. By securing the cash in the machine in a TruPouch the cash is secure at all stages of the process and you have also removed the need to count it - again. At present, the validator counts the cash once it’s been deposited in the machine, and then the operator counts it again once it’s been transported from the slot. The operator is counting cash that has already been counted by the bill validator. We remove the requirement to count that money a second time.”
more money is circulating in the gaming machines at any one time. Money brought into the machines has often been sorted. The challenge is to bring the money in the cashbox back into circulation. This can be seen on different levels. The number of machines linked either due to operator and/or legislative demand is rising and will surely continue to rise as governments can legislate to be able to track online in real-time cash in machine cashboxes.
Companies specialising in allowing operators to monitor their cashflow are also on the rise. The idea is to keep the capital, laying idle in the machine, to an absolute minimum. Operators are starting to professionally manage the flow of money in their arcade. The machine and systems in the arcade should be chosen
G3 I OCTOBER 2010 I PAGE 53
not only to facilitate play, but also to achieve efficiency in money management. Keep the monies in flow within the arcade and siphon off the excess.
Cash and tickets still need to counted and sorted. The demand for such products has grown strongly over recent years and professional companies that originate from the banking sector offer operators a wealth of solutions.
HAND-IN-HANDWITHMONEYCHANGING It is only natural that the demand for money changing has kept pace with validation advances. Money changing machines come (almost) in all shapes and sizes and price categories. The interesting fact in Italy is that note readers are prohibited on standard AWPs and this saw the demand for compact change
CASH HANDLING
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68