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IGT: THE INTERVIEW


simply walk up to a machine, tap their phone and play. All of the data resides on a central server which belongs to the casino operator, and it is all protected.


CI: Does the back office need to be running an IGT CMS for this to run or does it fit with other supplier products? SM: The first version released works with IGT


Advantage, our own CMS; but as with many of our solutions it was designed to be system agnostic so it could be used with other systems. We’ve seen a significant amount of interest in the app from our own systems customers and those who have other systems as well.


CI: What has been the main driver in this


product’s evolution – is it the rise and ubiquity of the smartphone, is it the mobile wallet side of it? Why has it become what it is now? SM: Our vision is to enhance the player experience


by making access to loyalty benefits and more much easier. If you look at the history of IGT systems—if you look at TITO—it simplified the gaming experience for operator and players. The ubiquity of the smartphone means that we now have a new channel to connect to the player for faster and easier access to the gaming experience. If you want to sign up for the loyalty program before you visit the casino, you can do it online from home, download the mobile app, come to the casino and play. The digital wallet aspect takes it even further because it means you do not have to go through the exercise of putting bills into the validator on the slot machine. The idea is, the more we automate the process and make it easier for players, the more they can enjoy playing. It’s obviously something that appeals to people from a younger generation, who are used to this kind of transaction in the retail, banking and many other environments.


CI: People now understand the wallet concept and the two-way functionality of applications more now than ever before… SM: Exactly; the timing is ideal for Cardless Connect. Today, transactions on mobile devices are so common that you don’t have to sell people the idea or convince them of security; it’s a secure wallet that the operator is maintaining for them. This aligns with other successful retail models where nothing resides on the device and the retailer holds the consumer account on a secure platform. We leveraged proven technologies, and took a step further by having our technology tested by an independent third-party lab to ensure security. As we go to field trials and initial deployment, we are putting a lot of effort into end- user adoption. We’re helping casino partners understand the importance of offering incentives to drive player adaption of the casino app in general. Once you try the app with Cardless Connect, you realise you can do everything without carrying a card in your wallet while knowing that your money is safe in a central wallet protected by the operator. The benefits are clear to the operator when it comes to


marketing, and the intimacy that connects them to the player. They can communicate with players even after they leave the property with offers and more to influence the frequency and length of their visits by enhancing the entertainment proposition.


CI: Is it on trial already? SM: Yes. We have a large number of operators


globally from Australia, to Malaysia, South Africa, the US and Europe that are interested in Cardless Connect. We already have approval in California and are about to go into field trials in Las Vegas. It is installed in a number of labs and we expect the first operators to implement it in some capacity this year.


CI: Where casinos have been sitting on mountains of data for years and not necessarily had the skills or the software within to do anything with it, now they have ample software to disseminate this data and use it to deliver – via products like Cardless Connect – truly tailored and efficient marketing. This is very exciting. SM: That’s exactly what it is – everybody focussed


on traditional analytics and optimization of back-end services to optimise the operation and provide unbeatable service. Mobile casino management systems bringing business intelligence into the hand of the person standing in front of the customer are very powerful tools. The land-based casino now has tools similar to an online casino – identifying where players come from, what their interests are even outside of gaming – enabling that personalized experience that players have increasingly come to expect, conveniently integrated with the device that players utilize for entertainment and ecommerce.


SEPTEMBER 2016 79


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