MAY 2024Media & Entertainment8THE EVOLUTION OF SLOT SYSTEMS AND GAMING TECHNOLOGYIN MY OPINIONChris Garrow, Gaming Operations Director, Prairie Band Casino & ResortByhen I started my career in gaming in 1994, slot machines were still very basic. Every game was your typical "one-armed bandit". From that time, technology advanced rapidly to where the industry is now. When bill acceptors were added to the sides of slot machines in the later part of the 1990s, it was considered to be a game changer at the time. We no longer had to insert coins to play if we didn't want to, rather insert a bill and press the "play" button. Before bill acceptors, we all had dirty fingers from inserting the coins. Moving into the early 2000s, we started to see slot machines come out with large progressive jackpots or what we call wide area progressives. Those games were linked to other casinos throughout the country with jackpots going to the millions of dollars-considered to this day to be life-changing jackpots. They are a staple in markets that allow those types of games. At the same time, penny games started gaining traction and ticket-in ticket-out (TITO) was introduced and both have been huge game changers in the industry. At first, everyone joked that penny games were a waste of floor space and some operators initially refused to place them. Fast forward to today, and every operator has well over 50% floor share being either penny or penny based multi-denomination games. TITO was accepted quickly due to the overall cost savings that accompanied the removal of coin (mechanical parts in the machines, coin drop and count, etc).I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the importance of player development and marketing. With the technological advances with slot systems throughout the years, we are able to leverage granular gaming metrics to know exactly what patrons' play habits are, number of days played, gaming and promotional preferences. This information can then be utilized for direct marketing efforts based on the expected value of the player and to create VIP programs. Both gaming and marketing are very important pieces to any successful casino and they must work closely together.In table games, one of the biggest technological advancements came with adding shuffler machines. By adding shufflers, the hands per hour on an eight-deck shoe increased by a minimum of 15%. There have also been added technologies in the bingo area including video flashboards and handheld electronic devices that tell you when to yell BINGO!WChris Garrow
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