WEST CHESTER, Pa., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- MEI announced today that MEI CASHFLOW(TM) SC66 bill acceptors have been implemented in IGT, Bally and AC Coin & Slot games for the opening of MGM MIRAGE and Boyd Gaming Corporation's new property, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. Borgata is the first New Jersey casino to fully integrate MEI CASHFLOW SC66 across the game floor.


"As the first casino opening in Atlantic City in 13 years, we've chosen innovative technology, such as MEI bill acceptors, that reflect our approach to the gaming environment and provide a quality experience for our patrons," says Paul Tjoumakaris, vice president of slot operations for Borgata. "We did not want to open a state-of-art, $1.1 billion casino with old technology and then have to retrofit in six months. MEI has developed a future-proof product solution that has the potential to keep enhancing our cash flow even after our grand opening."


MEI CASHFLOW SC66 has been field-tested in new gaming machines at numerous properties, including the Mirage in Las Vegas, Tropicana in Atlantic City and Sterling Cruise Lines in Cocoa Beach, Florida. And, it has been submitted to all US IGT Netplex jurisdictions with the exception of Mississippi.


Some of the future-ready attributes that make the MEI CASHFLOW SC66 unique are 14 pending patents, covering 30 unique design features. All aspects of the product are designed to mitigate fraud and maximize performance and reliability. Features include new sensors, advanced digital processing technology, complex algorithms, innovative design engineering and an illuminating light bar with six wavelengths of light to cover the majority of the bill surface. In tests, the durable welded plastic cash-box withstood repeated six-foot drops onto concrete. Ease-of-use features include the industry's first dispute resolution window in the cash-box, allowing floor personnel to view the denomination of the last bill stacked without opening or removing the cash-box.


"We find MEI to have the most sophisticated optical recognition system of any in use today," says Mac Seelig, founder and president of the New Jersey- based AC Coin & Slot. "Our objective is to offer casino operators the most convenient, yet most up-to-date technology in the bill acceptor market, and we found that in the MEI product line. Through our relationship with MEI, we can provide our customers with a better alternative that benefits high-end properties such as Borgata, here in Atlantic City."


"MEI CASHFLOW SC66 has a superior ability to securely accept bills in all conditions and ultimate acceptance rates," says Neil Young, MEI Marketing Manager. "And, we deliver on our promise to casinos to reduce the total cost of ownership with easy-to-use equipment. These benefits combine to exceed patron expectations for fast, honest and reliable transactions and translate into favorable financial results."


MEI CASHFLOW SC66 has a unique recognition and processing system that provides higher overall acceptance rates from all bills, plus bar code vends. The multi-wavelength bill recognition incorporates an illuminating "light bar" source and lensed receivers, so MEI CASHFLOW SC66 scans 300% more bill surface than traditional bill acceptors and uses six wavelengths of light to scan each bill. The data flows into a 100 MHz Digital Signal Processor (DSP), using advanced recognition algorithms. As a result, security and bills-per-minute acceptance is increased. The DSP also processes the output of a custom bar- code sensor for the highest ticket acceptance rates.


The new bill transport system completes transactions of currency in all conditions and decreases the risk of jams. The design also features a smooth, short and tall bill path that is sealed against fluid and dust. The continuous gear-drive system has 16 rollers between the acceptor and cash-box. The new one-hand, ergonomic cash-box is constructed of durable, high-impact engineering plastic with a welded design and curved surface to protect internal mechanisms, drive gears and secure cash. This prevents system damage and reduces jam rate resulting from damage during transport and cash-box handling.


"Traffic light" LEDs allow for front-line floor support diagnostics. The acceptor opens easily and has a USB port on the front, providing a convenient interface for support tools. The acceptor module is common, regardless of the gaming manufacturer. Inexpensive interface cards slide-mounted in the unit chassis provide custom electronic interfaces for current machines, while maintaining flexibility for the future.


MEI is meeting changing currency demands through 100 percent optical technology. The research and development behind MEI's optics-based products anticipated the changes from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), and is providing MEI customers with future-ready technology to perform reliable transactions immediately upon issue of the new $20 note due this fall.


About MEI


Today, MEI electronic payment systems are relied upon for more than 1 billion transactions per week in 90 countries. MEI payment systems' technology is considered the most reliable choice in hundreds of real-world applications and has earned the best performance rating in the market. MEI is one of the world's leading manufacturers of electronic bill acceptors, coin mechanisms and other electronic payment systems. The company developed the world's first electronic coin validator in the late 1960s and, today, has the largest, worldwide installed base of unattended payment mechanisms. For more information on MEI and its products, visit www.meiglobal.com, or call 800-345-8215.


Source: MEI