Casino Enterprise Management

From the first multi-game, multi-denom, Double Standalone Progressive™ jackpot to the first product able to incorporate distributed surveillance and biometric recognition to an innovative slot cabinet that’s future ready, the 10 winning products of the 2009 CEM Slot Floor Technology Awards are a testament to the commitment their developers have to providing operators and players the most progressive gaming products in the industry today. And it is our belief that such dedication should be honored.

While CEM may not be the only gaming industry organization to honor product advancements for the casino floor, our awards are decidedly different. For starters, we focus on those products specifically designed for use on today’s evolving slot floors—hence the name CEM Slot Floor Technology Awards. We’re also different in that our team of industry-expert judges is made up of slot directors from around the county. We figure these products were designed for the slot floor, so why not let slot floor directors judge them accordingly. And judge them they did, which is no small feat, especially when you consider the difficult job of rating these products based solely on marketing material and perhaps a quick demo they saw at the latest tradeshow.

Of the many new and exciting products submitted for this year’s awards, our judges had mixed opinions on each, ranging from comments like “ho hum” and “what were they thinking” to “a must-have technology for major resort properties” and “a fantastic leap forward.” There is no doubt that each product submitted has the potential to bring more efficiency, greater innovation and larger profits for all slot operators who choose to employ them on their floors, however only 10 of our nominations passed the true test in the eyes of our judges.

Those select judges were: Buddy Frank, vice president of slot operations at Pechanga Resort & Casino; Chuck Hickey, vice president of slot operations at Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino; Ralph Margolis, director of slot operations at Mystic Lake Casino & Resort; Ryan Tors, director of slot operations at the Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno; Paul Tjoumakaris, corporate vice president of gaming operations for the Seminole Hard Rock; and Philip Trofibio, vice president of slot operations at MotorCity Casino. Each nomination was judged on a scale of one to 10 (10 being the highest) for innovation, performance, ease of use, benefits, efficiency, capabilities, advancement, profitability and convenience.

A sincere thank you goes out to all the manufacturers who submitted their products for this year’s awards. We appreciate your hard work and effort to develop solutions that continue to benefit the industry and help take our industry to the next level. We look forward to seeing where your R&D efforts will take you next year, as we cycle through another stirring year in this exciting industry.

In no particular order, here are the 10 most innovative new slot floor products, as selected by our judges.

Aristocrat Technologies—Jackpot Royale™
The first multi-game, multi-demon Double Standalone ProgressiveTM jackpot, Aristocrat’s Jackpot Royale™ is set to create new standards in the slot world, and it plans on delivering those standards in some really new and exciting ways. First, the number of lines automatically changes depending on the denomination players choose. For example, if players choose a 5-cent denomination, the max lines available in the game is 25 lines. If they choose a 10-cent denomination, they receive 10 lines, and if they choose a 25-cent denomination, they have a 5-line bet. “Multi-game with a shared progressive is interesting, but the variable lines based on differing denominations sets these games apart,” said judge Buddy Frank, vice president of slot operations for Pechanga Resort & Casino.

Powered by Aristocrat’s award-winning GEN7™ platform and housed in Aristocrat’s award-winning VIRIDIAN™ cabinet or Crown Slant™ cabinet, Jackpot Royale is prepared to give players the royal treatment. Featuring dual Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors and a regal court of base games including Golden Shield™ and Jaguar King™, each game allows players to win free games, two standalone progressive jackpots and a monetary bonus prize. Incorporating separate pay tables, high frequency and high volatility, Golden Shield offers 20 free games with any three, four or five Shield symbol; Jaguar King has 15 free games that can be won with any three, four or five Statue symbol. 

Jackpot Royale also features two symbol-driven standalone progressive jackpots. The progressives are won when Jackpot Royale Aces are spun on any played payline. With five Jackpot Royale Aces, the Major jackpot is won; with four Jackpot Royale Aces, the Minor jackpot is won; and with three Jackpot Royale Aces, a fixed $20 prize is awarded. All jackpots can be won on both base games during normal game play and the free games feature. 

Golden Shield and Jaguar King are offered in five paytable variations ranging from 88 percent to 94 percent. This new, innovative game play provides flexibility, volatility and high frequency—which Aristocrat and the judges have found many players are looking for.

MEI—EASITRAX Soft Count
The only peripheral manufacturer to receive one of our awards this year is MEI, with its integrated software/hardware soft count solution, EASITRAX. Placing information collected in the CASHFLOW SC bill validator into a database that can be networked to multiple locations, EASITRAX allows operators to access the information to analyze slot floor performance.

Using RFID technology, EASITRAX connects slot machine asset numbers and bill validator operational information to a specific cashbox. Now operators can access the collected data faster than ever before and allow them to base decisions on several instant reports programmed within the accompanying software. Some of the types of data EASITRAX collects are: the acceptance rate of what is in the cashbox; currency reports that document how many bills are in each cashbox and the percentage of collected denominations over a period of time; the drop status of the daily collection of the money and cashboxes; jams reports, if they occur; potential problems; rejection types; and version reports.

Showcasing even more flexibility, the EASITRAX Soft Count system can be retrofitted to the CASHFLOW SC bill validator. The system has also been configured to be compatible with sorter/counter equipment produced by Cummins, G&D, Glory and Toshiba—further illustrating the ease in which it can be incorporated into an existing operation. EASITRAX can be implemented with minimal capital (using existing components reduces system costs) and with the hardware each operation has specified for its particular needs. “[EASITRAX] can really benefit the efficiency of operations,” said Frank.

WMS—Reel ‘em In!® Compete to Win!™
WMS hit a home run with the newest version of its Reel ‘em In!® slot line, the Reel ‘em In!® Compete to Win!™ community gaming product. But, it’s not the community gaming aspect that swayed our judges; it is the unique way WMS brought together its innovative Adaptive Gaming® and Community Gaming® categories together for the first time.

Reel ‘em In! Compete to Win! takes advantage of one of the key drivers for players and gaming—recognition—by combining a competitive event and overhead leader boards to both excite and publicly recognize players’ bonus accomplishments. Reel ‘Em In! Compete to Win! also brings community bonus excitement to a whole new level by utilizing two high-definition 52-inch monitors to immerse players in a massive, real-time, 3-D undersea world.

The highlight of the concept behind the game occurs during one of the three competitive communal bonus rounds. Players have the option of selecting one of four fishermen characters to compete for them in bonus rounds in hopes of catching the biggest fish and the greatest number of credits. When the communal bonus round hits, all eligible players root for their character as the community bonuses take place on the two overhead high-definition monitors; whether they’re racing boats, going for the big catch or the most fish, each bonus captivates players’ senses through its visually stimulating graphics and high-definition sound.

Adding to the excitement, Reel ‘em In! Compete to Win! uses WMS’ innovative Adaptive Gaming technology and its Wide-Area Network to enable players to create unique, personalized logins and pass codes that track their bonus accomplishments and carry with them into any casino they choose to cast their reel.

Players can view their personal statistics on their base game through their personal Trophy Room, where players track all the fish they’ve ever caught, which fisherman character earned them their top 10 bonus winnings, and which fisherman they used in the last 10 bonus rounds they’ve completed. Using these unique login names, players can opt in to have their accomplishments displayed on leader boards worldwide.

“This is one of the most innovative products of 2008 and 2009,” said Frank. “By combining its Community Gaming strength with Adaptive Gaming, WMS has created a product that returns value to the customer even after he has left the game—a truly entertaining product combining multiple technologies for strong player appeal.”

WMS—BLUEBIRD®2
The only slot machine cabinet to take home a CEM Slot Floor Technology Award this year is the incredibly sophisticated BLUEBIRD®2 from those incredible innovators at WMS. Equipping casinos with critical products that take full advantage of the best of gaming today, while being prepared for the emerging innovations of tomorrow, WMS has been hammering out new products for the slot floor with gusto—and BLUEBIRD2 is no exception.

BLUEBIRD2 is a fully configurable platform, building off the popular ergonomically advanced BLUEBIRD®, which provides a revolutionary experience through both hardware and content. And with the power of the state-of-the-art CPU-NXT®2 platform, BLUEBIRD2 continues to provide casinos the EDGE that only WMS can provide. Loaded with features that make it the industry’s most innovative cabinet—from quality and ergonomics to usability and supportability—BLUEBIRD2 features 10 times the throughput of the average desktop PC; dual 22-inch widescreen high-definition displays for a killer visual experience; a dynamic and fully programmable button panel that customizes the gaming experience; a completely digital platform that allows for remote configuration and download; a next generation BOSE® audio system that provides crystal clear treble and deep rumbling bass; a slim 21 ½-inch profile for a smaller footprint; and excellent speed and ease of serviceability.

As judge Ralph Margolis, director of slot operations at Mystic Lake Casino, notes: “[WMS’ BLUEBIRD2 is] the most intelligently designed game box to date. WMS did their homework—the LED buttons with a chasing light ring are a hit with gamers.” And of course, WMS wouldn’t think of making a cabinet that wasn’t G2S compliant, so you can be assured the BLUEBIRD2 is totally future ready. In fact, Tjoumakaris noted, “The new WMS BLUEBIRD2 cabinet, with its dynamic options, is well positioned to accommodate the flexibility needed for the future, as well as the more complex requirements of server-based systems and other customized medium technologies.”

Bally Technologies—Bally Biometric Recognition
Another first to market product, Bally Technologies impressed the judges with one of the first products in our industry to incorporate distributed surveillance and biometric recognition to solve real business problems at the point of play through its groundbreaking Bally Biometric Recognition product. “I believe the technology could be very innovative and useful,” said judge Chuck Hickey, vice president of slot operations for Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino.

Invisible to the user, Bally Biometric Recognition uses a miniaturized camera installed in the casino’s gaming machines networked to a database. Each time a person activates a machine, a camera captures the patron’s biometric identity and compares it first to a database of undesirable patrons and then to the databases of previous patrons. If there is a match, various automated and manual processes can be initiated to direct surveillance personnel and notify management.

Developed to provide a solution for identifying casino patrons, Bally Biometric Recognition works in many ways to benefit both casino players and operators. For starters, the product can identify those patrons sitting at a machine who have been involuntarily or voluntarily excluded from the casino. In fact, all players have to do is enroll in self-exclusion at the casino, stand in front of a private kiosk equipped with a camera, and then choose the six-month or year-long option for self-exclusion. After enrollment, if the player attempts to play a slot machine, the game locks up or the display will read “Please call attendant,” making it virtually impossible for them to play.

But the innovation doesn’t stop there. For those uncarded players, Bally Biometric Recognition can track players’ every move. The system captures the player’s image and stores it along with their game play to join both carded and uncarded play together for a total view of the customer’s worth. This gives operators an unprecedented new way to learn about players, track players and reward them in uniquely personal ways.

The product can also be used for other internal security processes. Used to validate employee identity before allowing entry to a gaming device allows management to always know who opened a gaming machine without having to insert a card.

Although some of our judges were skeptical about how uncarded players would react to being identified, they all could agree that the concept behind Bally’s Biometric Recognition product is highly innovative. “If this product delivers on its promise of facial recognition, it represents a true breakthrough in player communication and interface,” Frank said.

Bally Technologies—Download Configuration Manager
Collecting two awards this year, Bally Technologies showed its dedication to innovation with its Download Configuration Manager, providing casinos with tremendous abilities to dynamically optimize their casino floors with its command and control component that delivers dynamic gaming floor control from a central location.
Based on GSA’s G2S and S2S protocols, Download Configuration Manager provides a platform to unify previously separately controlled devices under one managed application with easy-to-use wizards. This allows operators to create dynamic gaming floor configuration to maximize the player’s experience and casino revenue at the same time. “The ability to track ‘non-enrolled’ players could be huge for analysis and productivity of the floor,” Frank said.

The peripheral firmware download in Bally’s Download Configuration Manager is managed by a separate Bally CPU rather than a single CPU architecture, allowing operators to manage content from one centrally integrated application and then view, validate and distribute that content to any floor device. Before, this kind of work involved multiple steps using multiple applications and it often involved technicians completing individual software downloads or firmware updates at each gaming machine, a labor and time-intensive task of the casino floor. 

“Although its applications at this time is limited, Bally’s DCM configuration shows that it is well structured with its (G2S) open protocols to provide a standard platform that consolidates and controls content from various devices under one dynamic central control manager,” said judge Paul Tjoumakaris, corporate director of gaming operations for the Seminole Hard Rock. “It is a must-have technology that needs to be explored by any operator that wants to be ahead of the curve in server-based gaming.”  

IGT—REELdepth™
One of the most praise worthy products according to our judges was the incredibly unique and highly flexible REELdepth™ solution from IGT. Using the same technology that produces multi-layer maps of war zones, IGT has licensed the Multi Layer Display™ (MLD) technology for use in its gaming machines. The MLD technology ingeniously layers two LCDs to create the visual effect of true depth without having to wear 3-D glasses. Pioneered by PureDepth™ Inc., MLD was selected by the Society for Information Display as one of the most innovative technical developments of 2008. PureDepth technology is backed by 51 approved patents and more than 80 pending patents.

If you haven’t had a chance to see how IGT’s REELdepth works in its machine, you better make sure you get a chance, and soon, because it’s likely that your competitors have and they plan to install a couple of banks of IGT’s games using the technology. One of the most exciting ways IGT uses this technology is to allow players to switch between spinning reel game play to video slots to video poker, all on one gaming machine. Now operators can let players dictate what kind of game they want to play from their seat—saving money and time for the operators who no longer have to budget to change glass, change reel strips or physically relocate and remove machines on the floor. Plus, REELdepth creates the illusion that players are playing spinning reel machines, as they mimic the look and vibration of their mechanical counterparts. For operators investing in networked-based gaming, REELdepth games are already sb™-compatible, allowing operators to reconfigure and download new game themes from the desktop.

“The flexibility I get from this platform is revolutionary,” said judge Philip Trofibio, vice president of slot operations for MotorCity Casino. “The ability for my guests to play either a stepper or video theme on one platform is a fantastic leap forward. Secondarily, and perhaps more importantly, my guests are choosing to play on the platform and are comfortable with the technology.”

IGT—AVP® Dynamic Game Menu
Another judge favorite is IGT’s AVP® Dynamic Game Menu, which just happens to complement the company’s REELdepth products in some big ways. With its incredible litheness, IGT’s AVP Dynamic Game Menu is the only 3-D solution that combines flexibility, a vast game library and server-based network compatibility.

The AVP Dynamic Game Menu not only allows operators to switch between 3-, 4- and 5-reel video slot configurations or even video poker, but its dynamic menu buttons and digital glass significantly speeds up conversions and more importantly allow operators to retain the game software investment on the previous game as both the existing game and the new game are available for play. “Giving players the option to play video or simulated stepper games is something we have been looking for,” said Hickey. “… this promises to give a great deal of flexibility to the player and to the operator.”

“The AVP, with its dynamic option design and the MLD REELdepth technologies, has solved some of the operators concerns committing capital slot dollars for the longer term to win over the hardcore traditional reel players and manage their floors with a full-blown server-based system across the whole spectrum of their slot products,” said Tjoumakaris.

IGT—MultiPlay
Slot operators have been waiting a long time for a slot product that allows their players to play multiple games at once all on the same machine, and IGT delivered on that wish with its MultiPlay line of video slots. Just like single-hand poker changed for the better when IGT introduced the multi-hand poker concept, IGT’s MultiPlay Video Slot gives players the choice of playing their favorite game up to four times, simultaneously, with different outcomes on the same machine. “An intriguing idea that has been very successful in the video poker game, and I believe its niche will have its own success with the video slot player as well,” said Tjoumakaris. “Any multi-game concept within the same box will not only provide high utilization of game play with IGT’S vast title library, but it will also optimize casino space as well.”

Each game spins independently, enabling a clear understanding of each game’s outcome, and all have exceptionally high base game hit frequencies. MultiPlay also allows players the opportunity to hit four progressives sequentially or even hit four bonuses on one spin. The MultiPlay button panel is player-friendly, making wagering easy-to-understand and offers Easy Bet wagering, which is a tool enabling mandatory four-game play to drive coin-in. MultiPlay games also complement new widescreen models, the G20 Upright and the G22 Slant.

“I thought this could really take off from the first time I saw it,” said judge Ryan Tors, director of slot operations for the Peppermill Casino Hotel in Reno. “It’s simple and takes advantage of the wide screen.”

IGT—sbX™ Media Manager
The only marketing tool that made the top 10 this year, IGT’s sbX™ Media Manager had the judges excited about the promotional opportunities this product presents. IGT’s sbX Media Manager promises to deliver an innovative application that allows operators to securely load, preview, approve, store and schedule all content that can be delivered in the Service Window, digital top glass or other server-based enabled media display devices. An effective way to communicate with players while they are playing, Media Manager gives operators the ability to deliver targeted content and to differentiate a casino with branded messaging based on tier, session play, season and much more.

Built on the Gaming Standards Association’s G2S open protocols, operators can easily add and deliver player-focused applications and services using a “plug-and-play” open protocol interface. Content can even be delivered from a third-party vendor or created by the casino securely through the network. “With its sbX Media Manager using the G2S open protocol, IGT has provided a solution to manage server-based delivery very effectively,” said Tjoumakaris. “The emphasis is not only in the delivery of slot content in a seamless fashion, but also a seamless deployment of applications and services with its Service Window as well.”

Operators can also cross-promote other property features and amenities using Media Manager as well as track content changes and additions by any user on a secured server. In addition, Media Manager allows operators to prioritize content based on their preferences and target specific devices for multiple applications. Plus, with no additional network infrastructure required, operators can take advantage of the benefits without causing additional strain to their budgets.

“Server-based gaming promises a lot,” said Hickey, “but to deliver any content to games requires a workhorse system that allows an operator to quickly react to market trends, develop media content or promotional material and deliver it quickly and easily to the floor—to various types of equipment. This is a big task. If sbX Media Manager delivers on this promise, it will give us a powerful marketing tool.”