Global Gaming Business April 2022

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GGB Global Gaming Business Magazine

LiGht & WonDER’s WiLson sAFER GAMinG F2P in tRiBAL CAsinos DAtA DELivERY sYstEMs

April 2022 • vol. 21 • no. 4 • $10

The First Skill Game video poker still going strong for the intelligent player

Digital Diagnosis Effective casino marketing for the 21st century

Counting on Cashless Intellectual property and player acceptance visit GGB in Booth 1305 Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers

at IndIan GamInG 2022

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CONTENTS

Vol. 21 • No. 4

april

Global Gaming Business Magazine

COLUMNS

24 COVER STORY The Original Skill Game Video poker has survived and thrived over more than four decades because of a dedicated community of players who know how to scout out the best paytables and use strategy to improve their results. Supplier and operations officials who have witnessed the evolution of video poker firsthand comment on the phenomenon.

Cover photo of the IGT video poker games at the

By Frank Legato

10 AGA Hit the Jackpot Alex Costello

12 Fantini’s Finance Roller Coaster Ride Frank Fantini

40 Making My Point Hitting Fast Forward Roger Snow

MegaBar inside Circa in Downtown Las Vegas

DEPARTMENTS FEATURES 18 Planning Digital Marketing Casino marketers have had to adapt to the evolution of messaging in the interactive world, and learn how to take the best advantage of social media outlets.

By Julia Carcamo

32 Going Cashless Consumers have long been accustomed to cashless transactions in their everyday lives. Gaming stakeholders are eager to bring more efficient cashless payments to casinos.

36 Staying Safe Whether called responsible gaming in the U.S. or safer gaming elsewhere in the world, preventing, recognizing and treating problem gambling has become a necessity for the industry.

By Bill Sokolic

42 Free-to-Play in Indian Country

4

The Agenda

6

By the Numbers

8

5 Questions

14 AGEM 52 Emerging Leaders

The evolution of marketing in the casino industry has included tribal casinos, which are beginning to embrace free-to-play sites as an extension of the casino experience.

With Entain’s Grainne Hurst and Foxwoods Resort’s David Garcia

By Brendan D. Bussmann

56 New Game Review

54 Frankly Speaking

60 Cutting Edge 62 Goods & Services

By Marjorie Preston

65 People 66 Casino Communications

46 Improving Hospitality Whether through funding apps, data software or loyalty programs, data is readily available to customize the hospitality experience for patrons.

With Derek Stevens, Owner & CEO, Circa Resort & Casino

By Dave Bontempo

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

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THE AGENDA

Meet & Greet

Vol. 21 • No. 4 • APRIL 2022 Roger Gros, Publisher | rgros@ggbmagazine.com twitter: @GlobalGamingBiz Frank Legato, Editor | flegato@ggbmagazine.com twitter: @FranklySpeakn

By Roger Gros, Publisher

omehow I have always thought that the “live” events in the casino industry were the most important element of communication throughout our craft. I can remember the first World Gaming Congress that I attended at Showboat in Atlantic City back in the mid-’80s, followed a few years later by the International Gaming Business Exposition at the Tropicana in Las Vegas.

Being relatively new to the industry, it was exciting to meet the executives who ran both the casino operating companies and the suppliers.

Having a heart-to-heart with people like Si Redd, who invented video poker, or Bob Stupak, the crazy man who ran Vegas World and dreamt up the Stratosphere, was something special for a former dealer.

We enjoyed those events so much that we started our own, the Southern Gaming Summit, the first conference and trade show that capitalized on regional gaming. When we partnered with what is now the Mississippi Gaming Association, we landed in Biloxi every spring for 15 years.

We later partnered with a Nevada law firm, investment bank Bear Stearns and the American Gaming Association to launch the American Gaming Summit, which was something of a gathering of all the gaming leaders held on the Las Vegas Strip—kind of a “Davos” for the gaming industry. While AGS only lasted a few years, it was very inspirational.

That’s why I’m so pleased to see meetings and conventions for the gaming industry returning.

The International Casino Exposition (ICE) will return in London in early April, followed a week later by Indian Gaming 2022, commonly referred to as NIGA, in Anaheim, California. While the full slate of gaming trade shows and conventions won’t be back completely for another year—May’s G2E Asia in Macau has been delayed until late August—it’s a sign that things are getting back to “normal” and we’re able to move forward.

When the Global Gaming Expo was launched in 2001, I was honored to join it as a conference consultant, helping to determine what issues should be discussed, how to raise the educational programs in the industry and what keynote speakers would be most attractive to attendees.

S

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

Of course, the conflict between G2E and the World Gaming Congress, the two major trade shows in the business, was interesting.

WGC was owned by International Gaming & Wagering Business (IGWB) magazine, and when G2E was announced, IGWB bought Casino Journal, the only other competing trade magazine in the gaming business in those days, which employed me. I decided to separate since I was not enamored with the executives who ran IGWB at the time, and because the entire reason for the purchase was to deny G2E any gaming publication with which to promote the show.

Frank Fahrenkopf, the president of the American Gaming Association at the time, asked me to launch a competing magazine, and Global Gaming Business was born. We became an integral part of the marketing of G2E and it only took one year for the WGC to close its doors.

So the return of ICE, NIGA and G2E later this year is an important step. And there’s no shortage of topics we need to address. The lingering effects of the pandemic, the growth of private equity in gaming, chaotic Asian Pacific markets, rapidly evolving technology, the explosive growth of cashless transactions, and the evolution of sports betting in the U.S. are just a few of the issues we’ll need to address during these upcoming conferences.

And if you thought the world stopped when it came to new games and hardware, you’d be sadly mistaken. The slot manufacturers are lining up a parade of innovative products, unique games with unusual game play, and seamless integration with the players, their money and their rewards. The new trade show floors are going to be bursting with creativity.

But most of all, I want to utilize those always-great networking events to shake some hands and give some hugs to people I’ve missed so much over the last two years. This pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but I think coming out of it, we all recognize what we had because its absence was so striking. So I hope to see you either at ICE or NIGA this month, but for sure at G2E in Las Vegas in October. Time to take the masks off!

Marjorie Preston, Managing Editor mpreston@ggbmagazine.com Monica Cooley, Art Director mcooley@ggbmagazine.com Terri Brady, Sales & Marketing Director tbrady@ggbmagazine.com Becky Kingman-Gros, Chief Operating Officer bkingros@ggbmagazine.com Lisa Johnson, Communications Advisor lisa@lisajohnsoncommunications.com twitter: @LisaJohnsonPR Columnists Alex Costello | Frank Fantini | Roger Snow Contributing Editors Dave Bontempo twitter: @bontempomedia Brendan D. Bussmann | Julia Carcamo Bill Sokolic | Alex Goldstein __________________

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Rino Armeni, President, Armeni Enterprises

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Mark A. Birtha, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Hard Rock International

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Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, President, Lifescapes International

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Nicholas Casiello Jr., Shareholder, Fox Rothschild

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Jeffrey Compton, Publisher, CDC E-Reports twitter: @CDCNewswire

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Dean Macomber, President, Macomber International, Inc.

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Stephen Martino, Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts International, twitter: @stephenmartino

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Jim Rafferty, President, Rafferty & Associates

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Thomas Reilly, Vice President Systems Sales, Scientific Games

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Michael Soll, President, The Innovation Group

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Katherine Spilde, Executive Director, Sycuan Gaming Institute, San Diego State University, twitter: @kspilde

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Ernie Stevens, Jr., Chairman, National Indian Gaming Association twitter: @NIGA1985

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Roy Student, President, Applied Management Strategies

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David D. Waddell, Partner Regulatory Management Counselors PC Casino Connection International LLC. 1000 Nevada Way • Suite 204 • Boulder City, NV 89005 702-248-1565 • 702-248-1567 (fax) www.ggbmagazine.com The views and opinions expressed by the writers and columnists of GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor.

Copyright 2022 Global Gaming Business LLC. Boulder City, NV 89005 GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS is published monthly by Casino Connection International, LLC. Printed in Nevada, USA. Postmaster: Send Change of Address forms to: 1000 Nevada Way, Suite 204, Boulder City, NV 89005 Official Publication

GGB

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BY THE

NUMBERS

BRazilian BOunCe l

ike Japan, it appears that the general public in Brazil isn’t all-in on the legalization of gaming. While there has been discussion about the subject for years, it’s only beginning to get traction. The Brazil Chamber of Deputies passed a bill legalizing dozens of casinos in the nation, along with sports betting and other kinds of wagering.

The bill is now being considered by the Senate, but President Jair Bolsonaro said he will veto the bill if it passes. In a poll conducted by PoderData, the general public supports gaming by 43 percent (blue) with 48 percent opposing (orange), with 9 percent undecided. When it comes to religions, Catholics opposed gaming by 48 percent, but evangelicals reach 54 percent opposition. Ironically, supporters of Bolsonaro support gaming by a 57 percent-to-37 percent margin.

PoderData conducted the poll with 3,000 respondents over 16 years of age across the country, from February 27 to March 1. The margin of error for the poll was 2 percentage points.

Online Outline nline gaming is in its infancy in the U.S.

O

Legal in just five states—New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Michigan—its success has several other jurisdictions interested. The Eilers-Fantini Online Gaming Performance Report released in February evaluates the performance of online games from a variety of suppliers as reported by the operators in those five states. The report only tracks reported games and the authors warn that it is not necessarily a snapshot of the entire market. When viewed by theoretical win by supplier, Evolution leads, generating an estimated 25.4 percent, followed by IGT at 17.8 percent and SG (now Light & Wonder) at 13.7 percent. Entain follows closely behind at 13 percent while Everi rounds out the top 5 at 7.4 percent. Looking at the number of total games tracked, Evolution also leads the segment at 22.9 percent, followed by SG at 20.1 percent and IGT at 13.5 percent. At least 25 unique suppliers are tracked in the data that make the report minimums.

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

Online Casino Supplier Revenue & Mix

H AV E

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B L A S T

W I T H

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NUTSHELL

“They

5

Questions Matt Wilson CEO, Gaming, Light & Wonder

M

att Wilson was appointed the CEO of the gaming division of Scientific Games in 2020, right before the pandemic. He explains how the name change from Scientific Games to Light & Wonder Inc. was accomplished and why. He talks about the structure of the company and how it is now laserfocused on creating great games. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros just days after the name change was announced at the Light & Wonder headquarters in Las Vegas. A full video and audio version of the interview is available as a GGB Podcast at GGBMagazine.com.

GGB: The new name is almost a direct opposite of the previous name. How did that happen?

Matt Wilson: Well, it was almost our intention to do that. We’re saying we’re out of the laboratory and

1 2 3 4 5

into a world where we create great games. There was nothing really scientific about the way we created games. Game designers have these brilliant ideas. They’re creative, and there’s no science involved.

What was the driving force behind the rebranding?

So much has changed here in the last two years. I started in March 2020, walked straight into the pandemic, and it’s been a roller coaster ever since for everyone, for every part of the industry, for every supplier and operator. Probably the biggest thing was we had a new chairman and a new vice chair come in at the middle of last year, Jamie O’Dell and Toni Korsanos. And they initiated a strategic review of the business. One of the big challenges that we had was that we came together through acquisition, and with that came a heavy debt burden.

Said It”

“Thailand has the X Factor. It may even be the No. 1 market when it finally comes up, because Macau is not going on the right trajectory right now, as we all know. In Japan, God knows when it’s going to start.”

—Daniel Cheng, former Hard Rock International executive, on the potential gold mine that is gaming in Thailand as the government begins to consider it

CALENDAR April 5: Prague Gaming Summit, Vienna House Andel’s, Prague. Produced by Hipther. For more information, visit hipther.com/events/ PragueGamingSummit.

April 12-14: ICE London, ExCeL Centre, London. Produced by Clarion Gaming. For more information, visit ICELondon.uk.com.

April 13-14: iGB Affiliate London, ExCeL Centre, London. Produced by Clarion Gaming. For more information, visit london.igbaffiliate.com.

What did you find?

We looked at all the assets in the portfolio. We had a very diverse portfolio across all the gaming segments. The strategy was wherever a player wanted to place a bet, we wanted to be there to facilitate that, whether that was a scratch lottery ticket or a sports wager or a slot machine or a table game product—we wanted to run the full gamut.

But we made the bold decision to divest lottery and sports, and we thought that those two businesses would be very good as stand-alone organizations. The core competency of the lottery business is building scratch lottery tickets, and distributing those into retail locations all around the world. That couldn’t be more different from building a Willy Wonka slot machine with animations and sounds and graphics. So we sold the business, and with that went the brand, because the brand had a whole lot of equity with those lottery customers. That left us in a position where we had to rebrand out of necessity.

Did you have a list of names that you were considering?

The last thing we wanted to do was have a bunch of executives in a board room coming up with names that they thought were cool to rename the company. So we went through a stakeholder-led process. We did a lot of surveys and engagement with employees. It’s largely an employee-facing brand. That was the primary focus for us, but we also interviewed customers, and asked them what’s important to them.

And obviously, great games are important to them.

Then we engaged a company called Lexicon. Their whole business is built around naming companies. They came up with 2,700 names, and we started to whittle them down. Obviously, one of the key things is trademarking. We came up with a lot of great names that ultimately couldn’t be trademarked, so it’s a small universe of names that are applicable. We just narrowed them down through natural selection and we ended up with Light & Wonder, which I think everyone will warm to over time.

With sports betting and lottery gone, how does it change the corporate structure?

The things that are left in the portfolio now are businesses that actually really fit together and belong together, and in a very competitive world, that’s what you need. You need a flywheel where all these businesses actually fit together, belong together and can add to each other. So what’s left is the landbased gaming business, which I run. Then we have the social casino business, SciPlay, that’s all about building great games, deploying them in a social format. And then you have the iGaming business, which is all about slot games for real money.

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

April 19-22: Indian Gaming 2022, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California.

Produced by the National Indian Gaming Association and Clarion Gaming. For more information, visit IndianGaming.org/events.

May 3-6: Southern Gaming Summit, Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi. Produced by the Mississippi Gaming Association. For more information, visit SGSummit.com.

May 24-26: CasinoBeats Summit 2022, InterContinental Hotel, St. Julian’s, Malta. Produced

by SBC. For more information, visit SBCEvents.com/casinobeats-summit.

June 5-8: SiGMA Americas, Toronto, Ontario.

Produced by SiGMA. For more information, visit SiGMA.world/Americas.

June 7-9: Canadian Gaming Summit, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Produced by the Canadian Gaming Association. For more information, visit CanadianGamingSummit.com.

June 20-22: NW Indian Gaming Conference & Expo 2022, Little Creek Casino Resort, Kamilche, Washington. Produced by the Northwest Indian Gaming Association. For more information, visit WashingtonIndianGaming.org.

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AMERICAN GAMING ASSOCIATION

Hit the Jackpot The time has come to raise the IRS reporting limit on slot wins

W

hile inflation has nearly quintupled consumer prices in the last 45 years, at least one thing has remained the same: the $1,200 federal slot tax reporting threshold.

The stagnate threshold combined with the growth in casino jackpots means the customer experience is regularly interrupted and casinos are burdened by operating inefficiencies. Not to mention gaming is the only industry where you have to take a revenue-generating asset out of production in order to comply with tax reporting obligations. Increasing the slot tax threshold would also slow the flood of new W-2G tax forms that inundate an already understaffed and overwhelmed Internal Revenue Service.

Adjusting the slot tax threshold to track for inflation should be obvious. It’s a win for our customers and our industry while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.

That is why we are glad to partner on new bipartisan legislation, the Shifting Limits On Thresholds (SLOT) Act, introduced by Congressional Gaming Caucus Co-Chairs Reps.

Dina Titus (D-NV) and Guy Reschenthaler (RPA) to correct this long-overdue oversight. If passed, the bill would finally give operators and the IRS relief by changing the threshold to $5,000 and providing a mechanism for future increases based on inflation.

This welcome legislation builds off years of work by the AGA, with multiple administrations, to resolve this issue.

In 2019, the AGA penned a letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury requesting an update to the threshold. This was followed by 17 bipartisan members of the Congressional Gaming Caucus sending a similar letter to Treasury.

These tactics resulted in a major breakthrough in December 2020, when Congress enacted legislation directing Treasury to report to them on the possibility of changing the threshold through

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

By Alex Costello

regulation.

Unfortunately, Treasury has not yet issued this report despite additional inquiries from the AGA, the National Indian Gaming Association and several members of Congress—including Titus and Reschenthaler.

While we still believe Treasury has the power to raise the threshold through regulation, we are optimistic that this new legislation—whether passed as a stand-alone bill or as part of a broader legislative package—will provide a permanent solution to the problem.

“

Adjusting the slot tax threshold to track for inflation should be obvious. It’s a win for our customers and our industry while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.

”

Congress may not see eye-to-eye on many issues in today’s political climate, but updating this antiquated regulation is common sense. And today’s soaring inflation makes the issue all the more urgent. As Titus recently said, “If we wait any longer, because of inflation, we might have to raise the threshold to $6,000.”

Gaming is still working toward a full recovery from the pandemic and the AGA will continue to fight for sensible regulatory changes and a favorable policy environment to help get us there faster.

Alex Costello is senior director of government relations for the American Gaming Association.

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FANTINI’S FINANCE

Roller Coaster Ride What to do when faced with erratic markets and a major war

T

he stock market has been a wild ride for months now, led by the crash of the socalled meme stocks with DraftKings being the most notable such name in gaming.

Much of the market’s volatility has resulted from manic-depressive reactions to every tidbit of news and speculation about inflation and its old friend in angst, the future of interest rates.

Now, we have a major land war in Europe with dangerous saber rattling by the Russians about possible escalation into a nuclear conflagration.

So, what’s an investor to do?

For traders and short-term investors, there is plenty to do, from trying to capitalize on soaring oil and commodity prices to rushing in search of inflation hedges to buying wartime stocks like arms manufacturers to sticking one’s head under the pillow and hoping all the crises go away, as the Covid pandemic appears—cross our fingers—to be doing.

But for long-term fundamental investors, the plan is much simpler: proceed as always finding and buying good companies at good values.

There are two likely results from the Russian invasion of Ukraine: 1) civilization will be destroyed by nuclear holocaust, or, 2) this, too, shall pass.

In case of the former, deciding what to do is moot. In case of the latter, it’s a pretty safe bet that society will continue on, though perhaps in a new Cold War environment that would favor defense industry stocks for a considerable time.

So, let’s assume that the Ukraine crisis passes, leaving behind a reasonably familiar and normal world.

For the near future, there will surely be disruptions. Those will include already recognized problems: high energy costs, the worsening of supply chain disruptions, and perhaps an economic war resulting in higher prices and greater shortages of commodities beyond oil and of food. Remember, Russia is the source of a large number of raw materials used by American industry as well as gas and oil for Europe, and it and Ukraine are major wheat exporters.

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

By Frank Fantini

derlying U.S. economy appears to be strong, and people are increasingly in a mood to let loose and spend on entertainment. And that means spending on casino entertainment, whether on the gaming floor or in restaurants and showrooms.

Almost all of the recent data points to such free spending, and that data includes gaming revenues.

From our perspective, the best places in which to invest continue to be the domestic casino industry.

It is not out of the “range of possibility

that Macau gaming will shrink over time.

”

Gaming technology and equipment manufacturers are likely to benefit from growing casino spending, including companies like Everi, whose fintech services ride the wave of higher gaming revenues.

Likewise, technological change such as going cashless is an incentive for casinos to buy new games and systems.

However, the manufacturers will still have supply chain issues to navigate.

There is growing confidence that Macau casino operators can look forward to a prosperous future as new gaming concession rules are likely to avoid draconian restrictions, and Covid will go away.

However, optimism should be tempered with the understanding that the Chinese Communist Party is anti-gaming and, over time, will limit the industry. The days of looking at the vast mainland China population and extrapolating nearly endless growth from that are over.

Indeed, it is not out of the range of possibility that Macau gaming will shrink over time.

American casino operators are positioned to enjoy the new Roaring Twenties that can be expected from a strong economy combined with

pent-up demand from consumers eager to escape the Covid era and whatever economic difficulties result from the Russia-Ukraine war.

And the best positioned casino companies are those that cater to local players. They aren’t subject to the risks of travel restrictions, weakened convention business, absence of international visitors and consumers cutting back vacation budgets if a recession does come.

One risk many regional casino companies do face is new competition. However, there are companies that have growth opportunities, as well.

As examples: Churchill Downs is building a historical horse racing machine empire in Kentucky.

Red Rock Resorts and Golden Entertainment enjoy southern Nevada’s population boom. Century Casinos’ acquisitiveness should be rewarded with economies of scale. Full House Resorts has enough growth projects to increase profits several fold.

Monarch Casino is generating so much cash from its Black Hawk, Colorado expansion that it soon will be debt-free.

The big regional casino companies have another advantage—large numbers of proven customers in their databases who reside near major league sports cities, thus providing a great opportunity to capitalize on the spread of legal sports betting, and at reasonable marketing costs. Companies that fit this profile include Caesars, Penn National and Boyd.

Finally, discussion of the attractiveness of regional gaming as investments in this uncertain time must include the gaming REITs, VICI Properties and Gaming & Leisure Properties.

They own appreciating real estate, have tenants that have proven to be rock solid, can in many cases raise rents with inflation, enjoy geographic diversification and pay hefty dividends.

So, the glamour may be in the multibillion-dollar resorts of the Las Vegas Strip and Macau, but the safest investments in turbulent times may be the companies that operate closest to their customers.

Frank Fantini is principal at Fantini Advisors, investors and consultants with a focus on gaming.

Eclipse Gaming makes an impact in tribal gaming with its IMPACT™ family of slot cabinets, engaging content, and a commitment to going beyond the game in the communities where our customers and employees live and work. We’re here for you; friendly, flexible, and focused on helping your business succeed.

Visit us at NIGA in Booth No. 1456 or contact your Eclipse Representative today. ©2022 Eclipse Gaming Systems. All Rights Reserved.

EclipseGamingSystems.com

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AGEMupdate AGEM Member Profiles Silver Member Profile Global Payments Gaming Solutions www.globalpaymentsgaming.com

Global Payments Gaming Solutions, a division of Global Payments, provides a complete suite of payment solutions that enables safe, secure and trusted cash access at the cage, on the casino floor, or online.

Bronze Member Profile Alfastreet www.alfastreet.si

With its head office and production facilities based in Slovenia, Alfastreet is a global market leader for multi-player electronic gaming products. Established 25 years ago, the company focuses on simple and straightforward design, efficient software packages and impeccable after-sales relationships.

AGEM March Meeting Recap • The March monthly meeting saw new AGEM Executive Director Daron Dorsey introduce himself in person and via Zoom to the members. He told members he was looking forward to serving AGEM and was excited to be taking the organization forward in its next chapter. He also thanked Marcus Prater for his leadership and for the smooth transition he has recently provided and will continue to do in the next few months. Dorsey and President David Lucchese noted that the format of the monthly gathering will be adjusted slightly going forward.

While industry-related matters and relevant topics will continue to be open for broad, general discussion among the group, the only difference will be that each monthly meeting will not also serve as formal Board of Directors (BOD) meeting. The more formal BOD/Voting Member meetings will now instead take place three to five times per year and conform with AGEM’s corporate governance requirements. Ultimately, this plan and adjusted format are both aimed at making AGEM’s monthly gathering process more efficient and beneficial for all involved.

• AGEM’s petition pushing for the approval of gaming technology in the cloud was heard at the February Nevada Gaming Control Board meeting. The petition was well received and recommended for formal adoption by the Nevada Gaming Commission subject to minor revisions discussed and agreed to by GCB staff at the February meeting. These technical advancement adjustments aim to be beneficial for the overall industry, and AGEM is proud to have been able to help in facilitating the proposed changes.

• Art Paikowsky, the new president of the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG), was present with Connie Jones, AGEM’s executive director of responsible gaming, and gave a brief in-person presentation about the ICRG during the meeting. After having joined the ICRG on October 1, 2021, he explained his learning curve after having never previously worked in the gaming industry, but commented about his excitement and enthusiasm to bring his extensive fundraising experiences in other industries to the ICRG. Paikowsky noted the great amount of research and education opportunities in gaming as the industry is growing exponentially in new spaces such as sports betting and online gaming. Paikowsky also stated the ICRG’s goal of continued engagement with the industry and its recent decision to amend its bylaws to add AGEM’s Executive Director Daron Dorsey, and the American Gaming Association President and CEO Bill Miller, to its board of directors.

Forthcoming Events • AGEM will have a small stand at the ICE London 2022 show being held April 12-14. Tracy Cohen, AGEM’s director of Europe, will represent AGEM at the show and be available on stand N1-240 to meet with existing members, potential new ones and industry colleagues.

• AGEM will once again be a co-title sponsor of the 23rd AGA/AGEM Golf Classic Presented by JCM Global on May 11. The event provides important fundraising for the ICRG which has so far raised over $2 million for this very worthy cause. This year’s event will feature a high-profile operator representative as a keynote speaker and will also see more operators taking part in the tournament.

AGEMindex Associate Member Profile Al in Motion www.alinmotion.com

Al in Motion is a business development company, offering administrative, promotional and IT solutions for the betting and entertainment industry.

They operate with a local presence in U.K., U.S., Germany, Romania and Bulgaria markets.

AGEM is an international trade association representing manufacturers of electronic gaming devices, systems, lotteries and components for the gaming industry. The association works to further the interests of gaming equipment manufacturers throughout the world.

Through political action, trade show partnerships, information dissemination and good corporate citizenship, the members of AGEM work together to create benefits for every company within the organization. Together, AGEM and its member organizations have assisted regulatory commissions and participated in the legislative process to solve problems and create a positive business environment.

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

In February 2022, the AGEM Index improved by 27.08 points to 952.95, marking a 2.9 percent increase from January. Compared to one year ago, the index added 201.16 points for an annual growth rate of 26.8 percent. During the latest reporting period, nine of the AGEM Index companies reported stock price increases, with three posting a decline. As a result, eight companies posted positive contributions to the index, while one posted no change and the remaining three companies had negative contributions. The top contributor to the monthly index was International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT), whose 14.4 percent increase in stock price led to a 17.29point gain for the index. Scientific Games Corporation (Nasdaq: SGMS) reported a 10.51-point contribution to the index as a result of a 9.1 percent increase in overall stock price. The largest negative contribution to the index was sourced to Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL), whose 7.6 percent drop in stock price resulted in a 17.49point decrease in the AGEM Index. In the latest reporting period, all three major U.S. stock indices declined once again. The S&P 500 declined 3.1 percent, while the NASDAQ fell by 3.4 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced the largest dip among major U.S. stock indices with a 3.6 percent decline in February 2022.

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Digital Dynamics:

Marketing in Today’s World Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat… What’s the best way to get your message out in an increasingly interactive world?

By Julia Carcamo

T

here was a time when the digital world was strictly one for innovators and the younger segments of our population, but the world has changed after the shock of a pandemic and subsequent buffet of closures, mandates and restrictions.

Baby boomers cut the cord and discovered the ease of buying online. Something as routine as shopping for groceries became immensely convenient as providers such as Instacart and Uber Eats offered to do the shopping for you and deliver contactless and within hours to your front door.

Moreover, they took to their Facebook profiles to stay connected and discovered a world of entertainment on TikTok. I remember when casinos started using social media to advertise their offerings, but my journey to digital apostle started before then, as we worked to create one of the first casino websites for Harrah’s New Orleans.

Times Sure Have Changed Our way of communicating digitally has gone from brochure-style websites to search engine marketing in the early years of this century. In the decade that followed, social platforms began capturing the attention of adults. So, we needed to be there. Today, our communications are shorter and to the point, as guests have shared cellphone numbers to receive the latest offers and news straight to their phones.

With each year that passes, we discover new channels and new ways to maximize the utilization of our digital footprint. Today, we are hearing rumblings of operators shifting from heavy reliance on the U.S. Postal Service to more timely digital distribution of offers.

When I was working with a regional operator, that sort of heresy would have been shut down in a second, and the notion of believing social media was a viable communication channel was laughed at. Sure, Las Vegas successfully wrapped its arms around social media, but they had shows, restaurants, nightclubs, and hotel rooms to sell. Many regional operators were hesitant to dive into the social media pool.

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While most marketers have been using digital marketing tools for years, their importance in connecting with new and existing customers grew faster than many were prepared for. Additionally, traditional media has evolved to allow casino marketers to pinpoint the delivery of their messages, often down to the address level. All these changes continue to move quickly without the sign of ever slowing down.

Search Engine Marketing Archie appeared online in the latter part of 1990 as the first tool that attempted to organize online content. As the number of websites continued to expand through the 1990s, other search engines became available.

Today, Google and Bing account for nearly 100 percent of online searches.

It was no surprise when search engine providers developed a business model to finance their work: pay per click. Search engine optimization consultants followed suit by expanding their capabilities to assist clients with the advertising opportunities offered by search engines.

However, being “found” online is a marriage of many elements.

Matthew Capala, founder and CEO of Alphametic, will tell you the real jackpot of customers is online. Getting found involves understanding the language your target audience is using (to look for answers to their questions) and building a website that is full of usable content (that answers those questions).

“The first thing you want to do is evaluate the content on your site and develop a strategy that answers all your future customer’s questions to establish trust and confidence,” says Capala. “The gamer wants to see your gaming floor. The entertainment seeker wants to see your upcoming events. The business executive wants to see your facilities to host a corporate retreat or a conference, etc.”

Search engine marketing is not just for destination markets or resorts.

We increased Monday-Thursday hotel bookings in a tiny, regional market with easy tweaks to content and a solid keyword pay-per-click strategy.

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Emails and SMS

Now we understand the social game as one of engagement instead of collecting likes and followers. We must be more thoughtful in what we post. We must create content that will make our followers comment and share with their networks.

Some people reading this column have never known a time when they did not use email. Some remember using it for the first time.

Like most casino operators in the year 2000, Harrah’s struggled to find its footing in the burgeoning internet economy. We were forbidden from launching online casinos. After buying a small stake in iwin.com, Harrah’s accelerated its strategy of using the web to find customers and started the often-painful process of collecting email addresses. In retrospect, we can see this effort might have been ahead of its time.

However, they were not alone in understanding the need to have this additional point of contact with customers. Fast forward 20 years and one pandemic, and we saw the value of knowing more than a guest’s mailing address.

As we started to reopen our shuttered doors in 2020, guests needed to know the safety precautions we implemented, and if anything had reopened, changed, or closed. There is no slight to USPS, but any of these could change more than once between the time we release a file to the printer and the time it arrives in the mailbox.

Email and SMS became a lifeline. Then, intelligent marketers wondered, “What if I send an offer this way?” And they did. Moreover, in some cases, redemption rates went up. We were able to drive visits within a tight window.

No one on the floor on Tuesday? Let’s send a bonus offer to see if we can get some visits by the end of the gaming day.

The value in electronic direct marketing is not lost on marketers (or finance directors). In some cases, core mailer redemptions have dropped while electronic direct marketing has increased, along with profitability. Why? Some customers just realized they preferred getting their offers this way, and in most cases, the expansion of sports betting has brought new, younger customers through the doors.

The point is, if you are still struggling with email and SMS, it is time to find the solutions you need as consumer desire for one-to-one communications continues to increase.

Social Media It is hard for me to trace when we “knew” social media would be a viable channel for casino marketers. I do, however, remember sitting in a conference room as my boss rolled his eyes at the mention of social media.

I knew there was potential, but it was hard for many Luddites to grasp that initially.

And yet, it was the chief information officer at the (then) Isle of Capri Casinos that stood before a room of marketers and declared millennials were bringing boomers into this digital age. 2020 saw boomers shoving the generations that followed them out of their way as they claimed their stake in the landscape of social media.

“We need to throw out the idea that social media—in whatever form it

comes—is only for the young,” says Shank Marketing principal Justin Shank.

“You just have to look at the numbers to show you the casino audience is there.

“It can vary by channel and region, but everyone is on social media today.

Period. Of course, there will be outliers—people who don’t have smartphones, etc.—but the argument is moot today. I mean, really, we’re past that.”

It is a fascinating study for me to look at the evolution of our use of social media in casino marketing. In the beginning, many saw it as another promotional channel, posting our giveaways and specials. I think those may have been the days when people also said, “social media is free.”

That line always made me laugh, because even if all we were doing was copying existing information and pasting, someone had to do it. Something had to be resized. Someone had to respond to comments.

Then Facebook (or is it Meta) changed the game on us like a dealer changing decks in the middle of a great hand. Now we had to pay to play or work a lot harder to get the same reach we were getting yesterday “for free.”

Now we understand the social game as one of engagement instead of collecting likes and followers. We must be more thoughtful in what we post. We must create content that will make our followers comment and share with their networks.

“It’s all about the emotional stuff,” agrees Shank. “It’s about the way that you can connect. It’s not a billboard. It’s not an advertising channel. You can use it that way, but the whole point of advertising on any social network should still be to engage with them.”

It is also of interesting to note that Twitter has quietly held a position for years as the go-to social platform for poker players and sports fans (who are now visiting our new sportsbooks across the country).

The number of social platforms a casino marketer should work with varies by the customer base, but, as savvy marketers, they should be experienced as consumers in all the platforms to understand the trends and opportunities. Just look at the growth of casino social influencers as a great example.

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

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Social networks have grown because humans desire connection. From the early days of chat rooms and message boards to today’s Facebook groups, social media has always been ideal for creating community.

Hidden Treasure of Community Social networks have grown because humans desire connection. From the early days of chat rooms and message boards to today’s Facebook groups, social media has always been ideal for creating community.

Before the pandemic, I experimented with creating a community of casino marketers that could serve as a place to share or bounce ideas off each other. It was small until 2020, when everyone looked to connect somehow. The community grew to even include casino marketers outside of the U.S. Years ago, a casino operator created a closed community for top-tier customers to chat and share. Today, more casinos are using these access-only communities to build their business.

The ability to create a community with customers and extend their connection to your brand is practically limitless.

The Transformation of Traditional Media According to eMarketer, advertisers are projected to spend over $19 billion in connected television advertising. That is up from the $6.42 billion spent prepandemic in 2019.

As more and more casino customers cut their cable cords, streaming continues its upward trajectory in viewers and ad dollars. Connected TV or “overthe-top” media (OTT) seems to be the answer to the question GMs have asked me for years, “How do I know my advertising spend is worth it?”

OTT encompasses all video content streamed via the internet—think about your cable provider’s on-demand content or a streaming platform you pay for separately. It is not an exaggeration to say this new way of watching television has reshaped the advertising that supports it.

When you watch a program on your favorite broadcast or cable network, you may be served multiple ads, all within a single break in the program. You might refill a beverage. You might channel surf for a bit. If you have recorded the program, the chances are high that you will fast-forward through the entire break. With OTT, the breaks can be much shorter than standard programming. That’s the benefit to the viewer. More importantly for marketers, viewers cannot skip your message.

You can target a viewer no matter what they are watching or the platform they are watching. More importantly, you know exactly who saw your ad, and with tracking, you can even understand what actions they may have taken (like going to your website). For the advertiser, you are no longer “wasting” your message on a general audience.

Audio targeting through podcasts and streaming is also growing into maturity, and will soon occupy a spot on our media buys.

Friction Free Several digital advances have reduced friction in the guest experience. As a brand marketer, I cannot deny the impact of brand experience on the longevity and success of the brand itself.

As these same customers have changed how they get and retain information, they have also experienced what it is like to get a product, service or experience with the least friction.

When they start getting products shipped straight to their door in two days or less, when they can get a ride to a location and pay for it without having to 20

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dig around for a credit card or cash, or when they can find several programs by simply telling Alexa what they’re in the mood for, they become less accepting of their pre-Covid casino experiences, particularly lines and paper.

On-property digital processes have made the experience exponentially better and much more like those adopted in the past two years.

Cashless technologies certainly took the spotlight during the 2021 Global Gaming Expo. While many may be looking at this innovation as a clean, safe way to rid ourselves of handling money that (let’s be honest) can be pretty filthy, GHI Solutions President Claudia Winkler reminds us the purpose is “to create a faster, easier way to get the money into the customer’s hands.”

Self-service kiosks are not new to the casino industry. We have had them on the floors to handle transactions such as TITO exchange and checking customer accounts. Still, there is no denying the pandemic focused our efforts to make them more useful (and often with reduced downtime). Guests can now have a self-service menu with a choice of promotional, check-in, food, and more. Additionally, many operators have installed kiosks to assist team members in navigating their employment.

Operators such as Caesars have adopted virtual concierge technologies that will let you order room service to be delivered to the pool or let you check out of the hotel without having to stand in a line again. Hilton Hotel’s app will allow you to check-in, choose your room and use your phone as your room key.

Many casinos are beginning to look at their sometimes-abandoned mobile apps with fresh eyes as new technology can allow them to send targeted messages and create geofences, often making the app a kiosk in the palm of the customer’s hand. Customers now understand how useful an app can be to see their points, comps and offers on-demand and take advantage of the full spread of offers.

The Challenge of Technological Advances However, like most great advances, some prices must be paid. While many of these changes can reduce costs on one budget line, we still need humans to drive these efforts. Often our team member skill set can still be playing catch-up.

Partnering with providers and resources can mean increased or new expenses. So, we must move forward with partners in a way that will help our business and skills grow to take full advantage. Placing digital media is not as simple as buying a billboard we know will have a lot of traffic. Expanding our social media footprint means we must be prepared for quick responses almost 24 hours a day. Self-service technology can have a learning curve that some guests might not be ready for. So, we must be prepared with a backup plan to service those guests.

Yes, there is much to consider, but as we continue to expand our gaming offerings, digital tools and communications move further and further to the forefront. The possibilities are only limited by the imaginations of anyone looking to improve a process or connection.

Julia Carcamo is the chief brand strategist at J Carcamo & Associates consultancy.

She has held leadership positions at the property and corporate levels at medium to large casino companies. You can contact her at Julia@jcarcamoassociates.com.

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The Intelligent Game Video poker, the original skill game, has maintained its popularity for more than four decades By Frank Legato

O

ver the past few years, several slot suppliers have attempted to create a new niche in the market for “skill-based” or “skill-influenced” games. In the regulated market, these new types of slot machines offer players the ability to improve their chances by employing an element of skill, distinguishing them from the pure-chance nature of the traditional slot machine.

Skill on the slot floor, though, is nothing new. It has been available for more than four decades, in the form of video poker. As a game combining chance and skill, poker in machine form is older than the slot machine itself, having been seen in mechanical flip-card machines in late-19th century saloons. The version of machine poker for the modern casino, though, dates to the late 1970s, when Si Redd, an inventor and former pinball machine salesman working for Bally Manufacturing, developed a viable video version of the game.

Famously rejected by Bally for development and sale of the new game, Redd created his own company, originally called A-1 Supply, then Sircoma, and ultimately, incorporated in 1981 as International Game Technology.

By the time Redd incorporated IGT, his video poker was a hot new offering on casino floors. It was unique in that a strategy could be learned that would improve the player’s long-term return, known as return to player or RTP in the trade. Also, with a little research, players could tell by simply looking at the paytable whether or not they were sitting down at a high-return version of the game. Both factors were unique to the slot floor.

“Video poker in the Sircoma days was Jacks or Better,” notes Mike Fields, executive vice president of Action Gaming, a longtime partner of IGT in the 24

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production of new video poker variations.

“People liked video poker because it is the only game where you could actually influence the outcome of your gamble. It’s also the only game where you can see the price of the game, because the paytable is publicly shown. So as gaming markets matured and people test-played lots of different games, video poker has always grown in size and stature.”

Video poker also developed a devoted following very early on—a subculture, in fact, of devotees who have swapped information on where to find the highest-paying video poker.

IGT began renewing the video poker genre very early on, and in fact, has been reinventing the game consistently for the past four decades. These days, the company offers variations of the game numbering in the hundreds. But the evolution of video poker actually began not long after IGT was formed.

Bonus Poker to Multi-Hand IGT’s first changes to video poker came during the watch of Bob Bittman, who joined the company in the mid-1980s after a career as a slot operations executive in Lake Tahoe. “Back then, it was a simple paytable,” recalls Bittman, who retired from IGT as executive vice president of product strategy in 2010.

Bittman notes that when he arrived at IGT, there was only simple draw poker, with paytables adjusted according to the RTP policy prevalent in the markets where the games were sold. The first change to this formula came with a custom game Bittman’s team designed for Binion’s Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas. “It was called Aces & Faces,” he recalls. “Four Aces

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At the World Gaming Congress in 1997, Triple Play had moved from Moody’s modest 10-by-10-foot booth to a prime location in IGT’s booth. It was the start of a partnership that has lasted to this day.

The partners increased the number of hands— Five Play Poker, Ten Play Poker, all the way up to Hundred Play Poker. Eventually, the multi-hand format revitalized the video poker genre with a wealth of games in which a bonus is added to the basic video poker game.

was the top hand, and four face cards paid a 25-coin bonus.”

The new game was an unqualified success for Binion’s. Bittman’s team looked at the success of the Binion’s exclusive game and began to develop the video poker variants that are still the basis of the game’s variety to this day— Bonus Poker, Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus, Deuces Wild and the rest, most employing bonus payments for four-of-a-kind hands.

“Once we saw the success of the Binion’s custom game, we dove right into it,” Bittman says. “We did all these different permutations, and all those became the video poker standard. Multi-game machines came next, so you were able to offer players those variations on the same machine; people could choose their paytables.

“Then came Ernie.”

That would be Ernie Moody, a former Denver stockbroker who became part owner of the Gilpin casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, after which he began to attend gaming trade shows. A natural inventor, Moody began dabbling in development of new table games. He eventually would turn to the slot floor, and in particular, video poker, to become the main product of his new company, Action Gaming.

“For table games it’s much more difficult to get any traction with the casinos,” Moody says. “It’s a very difficult environment, and I tried for a few years to gain some traction. And then it came to my attention that there were about 150,000 video poker machines in the country at that time. I started thinking if I could come up with a new kind of video poker and just get a dollar or $2 per machine, and get 10 percent of the market, that would be a really good deal.”

Moody invented several video poker variations, but the one that showed the most promise was a concept that was both simple and ingenious—Triple Play Poker. Three face-down video poker hands would appear on the screen, and the bottom hand would be revealed on the deal. The player would pick the hold cards, which would appear on all three hands. The draw would then be conducted from a different deck for each of the three hands.

Triple Play Poker was one of several poker variations Moody had developed by 1996, but he knew the way to ultimately get them to market was through IGT, by then the undisputed king of the genre.

“I spent the better part of 1996 developing new kinds of video poker machines, and then took my ideas to IGT and met with Bob Bittman,” Moody says.

Actually, Moody made his initial appeal to Bittman at a Colorado golf tournament held for his casino’s customers, which Bittman attended. “I actually rigged the Colorado golf tournament so I got to play with Bob Bittman,” he says. “So I got to set up a meeting to show him my games.”

“I was a big video poker player back then, so I said, sure, I’ll take a look at your games,” recalls Bittman. “So, he came to Reno.”

Bittman says he was intrigued by Triple Play Poker in particular. “I looked at the game and said, who did the math on this? And it was a reputable (mathematician). I said, there’s no way this doesn’t pay back to the player more than 100 percent. He said, ‘No, we did the math. The base paytable that you use doesn’t change the math at all. It’s exactly the same.’

“I couldn’t get my mind around that, so of course, we had all these mathematicians, Ph.Ds. We sent it up to them. When we ran all the simulations and checked all the math, it was like Ernie said. So we said, my God, this is a firecracker. It ups the bet. It’s a whole new dimension for the game, and the most beautiful thing about it is the base game stays the same, so people are familiar with it.”

The first games went into Sunset Station in Las Vegas. “Verne Holmes was an executive at Station Casinos, and he became a really good friend and supporter of my mine,” Moody says. “When Triple Play came out, I recall he ordered 30 games for Station Casinos. And so that gave me a marquee client, which is really important when you’re trying to sell games.”

It wasn’t long before it was obvious the casino would need more.

“Triple Play hit the streets, and there were players lining up, fighting with each other to play the games at Sunset Station,” says Fields. “It was not uncommon for arguments and fights to break out when they first came out, because there weren’t enough games for people to play.”

Bittman took note immediately. Initially, Moody charged $5 per day per machine as a royalty, a fee he negotiated directly with the casino. By 1997, he was overwhelmed handling orders via a fax machine at his home. “It was such a big hit that we were now comfortable doing the administration of that billing and accounting,” Bittman says. “So we made a new deal with him.”

Under the new arrangement, IGT would handle administration and collection of the daily fee—$15 per machine, of which Moody got the lion’s share—and Triple Play Poker was off and running.

At the World Gaming Congress in 1997, Triple Play had moved from Moody’s modest 10-by-10-foot booth to a prime location in IGT’s booth. It was the start of a partnership that has lasted to this day. The partners inAPRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

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“To me, offering 7/5 poker is like having a produce department in a grocery store only offering rotting fruit. If you’re going to offer poker, you should have a good paytable.”

—Buddy Frank, longtime slot executive and consultant

creased the number of hands—Five Play Poker, Ten Play Poker, all the way up to Hundred Play Poker. Eventually, the multi-hand format revitalized the video poker genre with a wealth of games in which a bonus is added to the basic video poker game.

“We’ve had an extremely longstanding relationship with Action Gaming, going on multiple decades now,” says Darnell Johnson, senior director of product management, video poker for IGT. “And the relationship has been very, very good. We collaborate very well. That relationship’s definitely changed and evolved over the years, but it’s only gotten better.”

Video Poker Culture What’s also gotten better over the years is the culture surrounding video poker and its enthusiasts. There are no more dedicated players in the industry, and the fact of a common goal—achieving an advantage over the casino—has fostered communication, swapping of data on where to find the best games, and a wealth of available education on the strategies that will yield the highest return on each game.

Action Gaming’s Fields has been in the thick of the video poker culture for two decades. As Triple Play Poker and its derivatives took off, Fields joined IGT to form and run the portion of the supplier’s business dedicated to the video poker product. In 2005, he went to work for Moody, who had just acquired what has been the quintessential internet site for video poker enthusiasts, videopoker.com.

“We created videopoker.com to build a community where people could get online and talk among themselves, and could learn the ins and outs of video poker,” Fields says. “We could teach them to play video poker so they’d be more confident with their gambling dollars, and they would seek out our games.”

Videopoker.com is not only a free tool to learn video poker strategies and identify top paytables, but a forum to showcase new games before they are released. “Whatever game’s coming out from IGT, we put it out about a month or two ahead of IGT’s brick-and-mortar release so people can see it and play it online,” he says, “and then hopefully go and seek it out at the casinos. We also own videokeno.com, and we’ve got some keno games out there as well.”

All this has led to a group of customers who are among the most savvy in the casino, as far as seeking out the highest-returning paytables— known in the video poker community as “fullpay” video poker—and using strategy to gain an edge. Early on, shorthand developed in the com-

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munity: Everyone knew, for instance, that a “9/6” Jacks or Better game, distinguished by single-coin payout of 9 for the full house and 6 for the flush, is the full-pay version, returning 99.54 percent with perfect strategy.

The high returns also have led to reluctance among many slot operators to offer those full-pay schedules. There are casinos that don’t even offer video poker because of the low hold. There are many others who offer the lowestreturning versions—a 7/5 Jacks or Better, a 6/5 Bonus Poker, etc.

Tourist markets like the Las Vegas Strip typically offer the lowest returns on video poker. Other markets, like Atlantic City, offer mid-level returns but make up for it with a lot of variety.

“Currently, Bally’s Atlantic City does not offer any ‘full-pay’ poker titles, but we do offer 130 poker machines, with 25 percent of those being leased Action Gaming titles,” says Frank Policastro, executive director of operations for Bally’s Atlantic City.

“In the Atlantic City market, we have seasoned players as well as firsttimers trying their hand at our poker product. Based on that and not having full-pay deployed on our gaming floor, it intends to even out at the end, and we see holds that are closer to what the game is set at.”

Other operators are insistent on offering the highest returns, or close to it, in their video poker product, considering that volume, player loyalty and the abundance of unskilled players trying their hands even out the low hold on the best pay schedules.

“Video poker players tend to play four or five times a week,” notes Fields. “So the volume is higher in many cases than slots. That’s why with the lower RTPs, they can make as much money as they do.”

Buddy Frank, who ran slots at Reno’s Atlantis and was the longtime vice president of slot operations at California’s Pechanga Resort, is one of the operators who was dedicated to offering high returns in video poker.

“I was a little different than most of my colleagues,” Frank says. “I always wanted to offer the loosest video poker that was available. In California, you could never go above 100 percent like in Nevada, but you could offer loose poker.

“To me, offering 7/5 poker is like having a produce department in a grocery store only offering rotting fruit. If you’re going to offer poker, you should have a good paytable. If you really believe that argument about (low hold on) video poker, then you ought to strip out all your 21 games and all your craps tables.

Because they don’t hold much better. But operators don’t, because it’s a product your guests want.”

Frank notes that although a game has a 99.54 percent optimal return, not a lot of actual players are achieving that. “That’s the hold percentage if (video

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poker pro) Bob Dancer played your game,” he says. “He would play at 99.54 percent. I would bet you and I are not at his level.” He says fairly skilled, frequent video poker players are more likely “to play that game at 98 percent or 97.54 percent. The average player who doesn’t play poker is going to play that game at 95 percent or even 94 percent. So there is a balance.”

Frank adds that in the current environment, where operators are tightening up their offerings by removing underperforming games from the floor, offering high returns in video poker makes sense. “If you don’t have any of that product, you won’t have that customer,” he says. “A lot of people mistakenly think I’m going to get rid of my 2 percent pokers because the hold’s so low, and put in a higher-holding video slot. They’re not the same customer. You just won’t have that customer.

“If a player comes through and can’t find the games he wants to play, he leaves. Don’t just evaluate a good or bad game on the win per day. You also want to look at the handle-pulls. And that’s where video poker always does really, really well. It’s just a popular game. If you take your pokers off the floor, you’ll simply lose that customer.”

And Frank notes that having that customers is a great benefit to the casino.

“Video poker players are a little different; they’re there for time on device and entertainment,” he says. “And they’re an important part of the mix in the casino.

They shill the casino with activity. They provide tips for your cocktail staff and

your restaurants... It’s a revenue stream you wouldn’t get any other way.”

Frank estimates that overall hold on video poker where the best paytables are available varies a little with the market. “If I was at a house where they had a lot of pros, like the Atlantis in Reno, my hold would be about 2 percent better than optimal,” he says. “But at a place like Pechanga where there weren’t a lot of video poker pros, I’d hold 3-4 percent better than optimal.”

The lower hold compared to slots, he says, is more than compensated by the frequency of play. “(Important) evaluators of guest strength are recency and frequency. You’re not going to find anyone with a better recency and frequency than a video poker player.”

He says the proviso to offering high returns in video poker is to balance out the comps. “The pros calculate in those comp balances. You can’t have a half-percent poker and give 4 percent comp rewards. I always balanced it out.”

Some operators in the top local casinos offer the highest returns and the same comps as the slot floor. Cliff Paige, slot director at the South Point in Las Vegas, is one of those. “I’ve seen more and more where it’s costing you more to earn a point on video poker than it is on a video reel machine,” Paige says. “We don’t do that here. We just believe everybody deserves the same.”

The South Point offers some of the highest returns in video poker to be found anywhere. Like Frank, Paige says the majority of semi-skilled and novice players more than outweigh the few advantage players. “There are a lot of people

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“Every one of our games goes through some level of research, whether it be customer feedback or intensive play methodologies.”

—Darnell Johnson, Director of Product Management, IGT

who just can’t grasp optimal play, and that’s really the majority of the public,” he says. “So you still end up with a decent hold, even on a 99 percent game. It’s still a very profitable game.”

Paige adds that offering variety in video poker also is important. “There are well over 800 video poker games at South Point,” he says. “And that’s boxes. There’s just a huge variety. And some are more volatile than others; that certainly accounts for the hold too.”

Variety also means a good inventory of progressive video poker machines.

While paytables are normally adjusted slightly downward, the chance at a progressive jackpot keeps the overall return high.

Nowhere will you find a better lineup of progressive video poker than at the Downtown Las Vegas properties owned by Derek Stevens. Expansive video poker bars at the Golden Gate, the D (the “Longbar”) and the new Circa (the “Mega Bar” and “Overhang Bar”) are all linked to one progressive jackpot.

“On our video poker link, we have upwards of 100 machines so far,” Stevens says. “So, our progressives can motor along pretty quickly.”

A $5 link seeded at $20,000 recently hit at the Circa at a record level close to $33,000. Stevens says that level of prize draws incredible volume of play.

“There were groups of players who came in, 10 people to a team, and they made the determination they weren’t leaving until they hit it,” he says. “And they got it.”

At Stevens’ properties, video poker is all about the experience. “We try to blend very good paytables with a great consumer experience,” he says. “We’re pretty liberal on the free drink component, and pretty great as far as the interaction with bartenders and the backdrop.”

Reinventing Video Poker IGT, meanwhile, continues to reinvent the game of video poker, with a parade of new titles both from its internal team and from the partnership with Action Gaming.

“It has a lot to do with the really talented folks we have working on our video poker team, on both products and content across the board,” says Ryan Reddy, senior vice president, global payment systems, VLT and poker for IGT. “But the big thing is that we have stayed true to our roots—what’s made us 28

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

successful. We’ve stayed and we’ve built on that, and we continue to innovate.”

That parade of new titles consists of inventive new games that each add a bonus—multipliers, extra hands, wild cards—to the basic video poker game.

What distinguishes these bonuses is that nothing is taken from the basic paytables. In the past, many specialty video poker games flopped, because savvy players noticed that the bonus was paid for by reducing the basic paytables. Not so with the IGT titles. The bonus features are funded through an extra per-hand wager ranging from a single credit to five credits.

It’s like a side bet on a table game, but unlike tables, these side bets do not increase the house advantage.

“That’s the transparency that IGT video poker has always had,” says Brad Fredella, senior product manager, video poker content for IGT. “Transparency is the ability to look at a paytable and very easily math it out. You can put it into an app or you can look it up online easily, and you can tell exactly what the RTP is. So when we bonus a poker game, we’re always very cognizant to make sure that we maintain those base video poker paytables for for the first five-coin bet, and then any amount that you have to bet over that for the bonus.

“One of the worst things you can do in game design is reduce the payback to the player as the bet level increases,” Fredella says. “So we make very sure not to do something like that.”

“We make sure we remain very faithful and true to our core players, and continue to give them a wide variety of offerings,” Reddy says. “When it comes to to poker players, they are very unique, in regards to their expectations and their behaviors. They are very loyal players. We want to make sure that we continue to give them that same experience that they are used to, but also provide more volatility at times, as well as more interaction at times to continue to pique their interest and grow that audience at the same time.”

Some of the most famous specialty games are Super Times Pay, and the family of titles under the Ultimate X brand. Ultimate X, which adds random multipliers to various hands and, in the latest versions, to several hands, is the video poker variation of which Moody says he is most proud.

The three most recent additions to IGT’s specialty poker lineup are Lucky Suit Poker, out in casinos currently, and two others expected in the coming months, Bonus Wild Poker and Poppin’ Multipliers.

Lucky Suit Poker offers a simple proposition: For a five-credit side bet per hand, the player selects a “lucky suit” at the start of play. If the first card dealt is in the lucky suit, a random multiplier up to 12X is applied to all wins on that hand.

In Bonus Wild Poker, also with a five-credit side bet, on random hands, a wild card will be added. The inclusion of wild cards means there is an extra winning hand—five of a kind. This returns more than the royal flush—4,700 credits at max bet.

Poppin’ Multipliers, slated for summer release, utilizes a three-credit side

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bet. On the deal, a random multiplier of up to 10X can be won, applied to all hands in play. If no multiplier appears on the deal, random multipliers can appear on the draw for any of the hands in play.

While these games will be offered in upright versions, a lineup of multi-hand specialty games is available on IGT’s hottest new hardware, the PeakBarTop, a bartop unit completely redesigned to offer the best viewing angles and a host of new operator and player features. “The response to the PeakBarTop has been really positive across the board,” says Reddy. “It’s performed very well. Demand is extremely high, and we attribute it to the diversity of content that’s available.

It’s attracting new players, and the more experienced players are still enjoying their favorite games.”

The next hot format for IGT in video poker is one that is destined to keep the genre going as new, younger players enter the casino demographic. The CrystalFlex cabinet and PeakBarTop with sports betting, both expected to go live later this year, will add another dimension to video poker—the ability to bet on sports and view games while continuing a favorite video poker game.

“We see this as a huge opportunity to bring in incremental players,” says Reddy. “Sports betting is really taking off, especially in the U.S., and now we’re providing an opportunity for the sports betting player to sit down and bet on sports on that specific gaming machine, either at the bar with the PeakBarTop or with the CrystalFlex upright.

“From our perspective, that is a major potential lever for us to bring in incremental players, because we’re taking advantage of the enormous new opportunity in sports.”

There have been a few attempts, but no other supplier has come close to cracking the market for video poker that IGT has dominated for more than four decades. IGT’s Johnson says to expect the parade of new titles to continue.

“Every one of our games goes through some level of research, whether it be customer feedback or intensive play methodologies,” Johnson says. “And, these games, thankfully, continue to have affinity to our core base. But they also have affinity to an expanding base outside of that. So it really helps us continue to evolve.”

The inclusion not only of sports betting, but IGT video poker titles on various for-money online sites, is adding new players.

“We’re optimistic about the long-term health of video poker,” says Reddy.

“We see it as a really a great business to be in, and it’s a really attractive product for players.

“Players really enjoy the blend of skill and chance that they get with video poker. And, in terms of long-term health, iGaming will provide some synergy, and introduce new players to video poker. We have great people working on the product, and wa have a great process, built on focus groups and research, and building off of what has made us successful, but also focusing on innovation going forward.”

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

29

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Cashless Is

King

Gaming came late to cashless payments, but is full-speed ahead now, in part due to the pandemic. Here’s where things stand in 2022. By Marjorie Preston

I

n almost every business and industry, cashless payments are the norm. For consumers, cashless is fast and easy. For businesses, it reduces the need to handle and replenish cash and also limits theft.

While cashless has been around for some adults’ lifetimes—Paypal was founded in 2000, Google Wallet in 2013, Apple Pay in 2014—gaming was a late adopter, held up by cautious states, regulators and banks. Boyd Gaming didn’t introduce cashless gaming until late 2020, in a pilot program at the Blue Chip Casino in Indiana. Penn National didn’t join in until a year later, introducing its mywallet at the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio. Nevada commissioners didn’t approve cashless gaming and digital payments at casinos until 2020; only in January did they agree that customers could register cashless wagering accounts remotely.

When Resorts World Las Vegas opened last June, it set a new, high bar for mobile technology. Visitors there can pay for everything—gambling, entertainment, lodging, the works—through its branded app, developed with Sightline Payments. At the time, Sightline co-founder Omer Sattar said, “We finally believe we’re on the cusp of deploying modern payment technologies across casinos, not just in Nevada but throughout the country.”

Catching Up with Consumers In an overwhelmingly digital world, “it’s more important than ever to bring gaming operations in line with the needs of today’s consumers,” says Craig Lisbon, CEO of Las Vegas-based fintech company Flexia Payments.

The Flexia system “bridges open- and closed-loop systems” with an app that loads from the user’s bank account, moves funds in real time, displays account balances and accepts casino promotions.

Lisbon calls the process “simple and seamless, from player onboarding to funding through cash-out, and provides benefits beyond the core function of moving money between wallet and wagering accounts.”

The customizable platform provides seamless connectivity with financial networks and creates a digital trail that reduces the risk of money laundering and tax evasion.

The same digital profile “allows operators to better understand their players’ behaviors, spending habits and interests, on and off their properties,” so marketers can push “tailored in-app promotions.”

Payment apps must be quick, trouble-free—in the parlance, frictionless.

As gaming opens up to cashless, the race will be to the swift.

32

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When Resorts World Las Vegas opened on the Strip in June 2021, it set a new, high bar for mobile-driven technology across the multibillion-dollar property

“If one operator is giving me a convenient, intuitive, frictionless guest experience and the other isn’t, that has an impact,” says Victor Newsom, senior vice president of payment solutions for Everi Holdings. “It might not affect my loyalty behavior, but then again, it might. In competitive markets, you definitely want to be on the front end of that.”

Everi’s cashless solutions can be customized, says Newsom. “We have 700 different land-based casinos and they’re all highly configurable; you can deploy on your own mobile app or ask us to build one. All our wallet services are available without any specific hardware requirements; it’s all software-driven. We don’t ask you to change your business to support our product—our product supports your business.”

For example, in December Everi introduced its CashClub Wallet at the WinStar Casino in Oklahoma and also at casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida (under the WildCard Wallet brand).

Beyond ease of use, the goal of cashless is to “reduce overhead, provide better reporting and data, and simplify reconciliation of all of these things,” Newsom says.

Some banks still decline to process digital transactions related to gambling, “but the good news is it’s fewer and fewer banks,” says Leighton Webb, PayNearMe’s vice president of iGaming and sports betting. “The number of tender types that support gaming as a category continues to grow and improve from an acceptance rate standpoint.”

The PayNearMe platform facilitates cash, debit, credit and ACH payments, and neutralizes the obstacles thrown up by some financial institutions.

Say a gambler tries to link to a Bank of America debit card. PayNearMe knows BOA won’t process that transaction. “So we can quickly redirect you and suggest a payment type we know is going to be successful,” says Webb.

The solution takes what could be a bottleneck and turns it into an opportunity for engagement. “If people get declined and don’t know why, they drop

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Earle Hall AXES Information Management System (AIMS)

“Cashless payments reduce overhead, provide better reporting and data, and simplify reconciliation of all of these things.”

—Victor Newsom, Senior Vice President of Payment Solutions, Everi Holdings

Wake Up & Smell the Coffee

T

off,” says Webb. “This solves the problem, and enables the operator to send out a message: ‘Hey, here’s a bonus for you to make a deposit.’ The payment experience is more than just processing the transaction. It’s a way to offer service.”

Playing It Safe Some consumers aren’t convinced that security is airtight in the mobile payment space. Everyone is aware of credit card breaches like the 2019 cyberattack that hijacked the personal information of some 100 million Capital One card users.

Chris Justice, president of Global Payments Gaming Solutions, says his company’s VIP Mobility app “addresses many of the perceived weaknesses of cashless gaming to create a safe experience for patrons.”

The app lets players load money from a number of sources, then buy chips or slot credit by scanning a QR code with a mobile device. VIP Mobility offers “hardened bank-grade security to casinos’ complex gaming environments to provide patrons with a secure payment experience from funding through cash-out,” Justice says. Its VIP Shield feature enhances compliance by replacing manual processes with electronic reporting.

The app also heightens loyalty. In October, the company joined with Engaged Nation to lead its “digital nurturing strategy for patrons.”

Engaged Nation (with the clever tag: “Recruit & Retain vs. Catch & Release”) will design, build and manage electronic messaging, taking a digital approach to improving the UX for VIP Preferred members.

“Operators can create a branded website that offers patrons daily chances to win entries in cash drawings and enter contests through our Member Rewards Center,” Justice notes. “The program has revolutionized the industry by creating a way for casino operators to build patron loyalty in ways that are not possible with traditional methods of gaming.”

In response to concerns about problem gambling, VIP Mobility “provides additional layers of consumer protection … and the latest advancements in responsible gaming, including configurable spending limits, pre-set cooling-off periods and self-exclusion options.”

In some cases, convenience—the frictionless quality of these transactions—increases utilization. “It’s human nature,” says Everi’s Newsom, “but for most people, the question is, ‘How do I stick to a budget?’ We

he gold standard in payment apps may be the one created by Starbucks. The coffee chain got it right with an app that’s simple, smart and sticky.

When customers transfer funds to a Starbucks account, the money goes from an open-loop to a closed-loop system. “That might seem like nothing, but it’s everything—it’s the whole thing our industry doesn’t get,” says Earle Hall, whose cloud-based AXES Information Management System (AIMS) performs marketing, security and reporting functions for gaming operations.

In this case, funds are reserved for a cup of Joe, maybe a cruller, and don’t funnel back to a third-party holder. To keep patrons engaged and caffeinated, Starbucks issues rewards points (stars, naturally). Accumulate enough stars, and you may get a free drink. The app also serves up enticing offers: to collect more stars, try the Iced Pistachio Latte.

“It’s the perfect example,” says Hall, vice chairman of the International Gaming Standards Association. “You transfer money from the open-loop system and put it on deposit with Starbucks. That’s why Starbucks is becoming as profitable as any casino on the Strip.”

Ticket-in-ticket-out (TITO), an early cashless innovation from the 1990s, was a “half-step,” Hall says. “TITO got rid of the coin hoppers and all the operational inefficiencies, but it didn’t create a defense against money laundering. It actually may have accelerated it, because instead of coming in with 600 pounds of quarters, all you’ve got to do now is come in with 600 $20 bills, accumulate 10 or 15 TITO tickets, and cash them out. You’re still anonymous.

“In 2022, we’re still doing ‘theoretical’ responsible gaming. And the only time you close the barn door is when the horse has been stolen.”

In the race to cashless, open-loop providers “are trying to grab all the markets,” touting systems that do little more than transfer cash, Hall says. Closedloop systems, on the other hand, can “personalize marketing programs to each individual and reward them for their loyalty, quantitatively track and detect addictive gambling, and detect money laundering, so we can turn the gaming industry into the most safe, fun, legitimate entertainment industry on the planet.”

provide platforms for information-sharing, giving you easy access to all your transactions. More importantly, we’re providing controls that enable you to enjoy this activity safely.

“The operators love it because it’s not a restriction of their revenue potential.

The regulators love it because you’re putting both information and control tools in the hands of their constituents, the consumers.”

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

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The Bucks Stop Here Ryan Reddy

Cashing Out

Vice President, Global Payment Systems, VLT and Poker, IGT

More and more, cash is giving way to cashless, and cashless to contactless. According to a 2019 report from the Federal Reserve Bank, “Given the fixed costs associated with accepting cash, it may be simpler and even more cost-effective for some businesses to not accept cash at all.” UK Finance reports that in 2020, cash payments dropped 35 percent, with 13.7 million Brits leading a “cashless life,” almost double the 7.4 million in 2019.

Countries including Sweden and India are already moving toward cash-free economies, and in 2021, Bloomberg reported on China’s plan for digital-only currency. “Citizens have gotten used to the idea Big Brother is listening in on phone calls, watching them on camera and monitoring social media,” the report stated. “Now, the state will be inside their wallets, too.”

For people everywhere, digital surveillance may be the price we pay for increased convenience and choice. And for now, we can continue to use cash.

“It’s a mistake to think about it in terms of one or the other,” says PayNearMe’s Leighton Webb.

“Cash and cashless aren’t mutually exclusive. They actually go hand in hand to offer maximum choice.

Work still needs to be done, but we’ve made great strides as an industry bringing that together, bridging the online and offline worlds.”

Lisbon adds, “Properties that embrace and implement a cashless environment will gain a competitive advantage.”

Newsom says his philosophy is “No customer segment left behind.”

“Across our customer base, 40 percent of a customer’s journey may still involve cash. So of the $40 billionish that went to the floor last year, let’s say 65 percent was cash from an ATM. That $28 billion may shrink as we go more digital, but a lot of people just like having some dollars in their pocket.

The winning platforms don’t restrict choice.”

We’ll give the last word to the policymakers.

Earlier this year, when the Nevada Gaming Commission voted to let people remotely create and fund cashless wagering accounts, Commissioner Ogonna Brown said she was less concerned about convenience than “safeguards and protections.”

Commissioner Ben Kieckhefer could have been speaking for the industry when he called the change “very consumer-facing” and a way to bring gaming into the 21st century.

In-person registrations “may not feel like a burden, but I think to consumers it can,” he said. “And that’s more time they have to spend not having fun.”

GGB: For casino patrons, the advantages of cashless are plain: no need to lug money around or stop playing to tap the ATM. But there may be disadvantages: less privacy, more exposure to fraud, more temptation to overspend. How do you boost the benefits while managing the drawbacks?

Reddy: In addition to added choice and convenience, IGT’s Resort Wallet and IGTPay afford players a range of security and safety-enhancing features. By eliminating the need to carry cash, players could be less susceptible to theft or robbery. Funds are held in a PIN-protected digital account, eliminating the possibility of losing winnings on account of a misplaced or damaged TITO ticket.

A player’s virtual wallet sits within a PIN-protected account on a smartphone mobile app, which has proven, embedded controls including face and fingerprint biometrics and multiple password controls. And patrons can’t create an account without meeting rigid verification of identification requirements.

IGT’s cashless solutions include embedded responsible gaming controls like daily deposit limits, maximum limits for their Resort Wallet balance and a module that alerts players based upon individual budgeting thresholds.

Do you customize these solutions?

Yes, IGT’s cashless solution is scalable and customizable to meet our customers’ unique goals and regulatory considerations. It can be deployed as “carded cashless,” “cardless cashless,” or “cardless with external funding.” Each option enhances players’ flexibility and convenience, reduces reliance on cash handling and provides added security. We also customize the payment offerings based on operator preferences. This commitment to flexibility has inspired some of our strategic partnerships with companies such as Sightline Payments and Marker Trax. Our goal is to maintain the most convenient cashless payment system possible for the operator and player.

Can you share the advantage of carded cashless/cardless cashless for players? Which seems to be the preferred solution?

As an industry, we’re in the early stages of player adoption, but operators are moving towards offering cardless cashless or both methods. With the proliferation of digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc., we believe cardless transactions will become dominant over time.

Are we moving toward a totally cashless/cardless society?

We encourage operators to introduce cashless as a complementary option to their players. I don’t believe cash is going away any time soon. But over time, I believe the value and convenience of cashless will make it the preferred option for players.

What innovations are on the horizon?

We’re focusing on the user experience related to deposits, withdrawals and extending liquidity, making meaningful progress toward integrating Resort Wallet and IGTPay with other point-ofsale systems so patrons can move more freely through a resort with the option for cashless transactions. We’ll soon go live with a new funding method powered by Marker Trax that will allow slot players to access a personal line of credit in addition to the other funding methods that are currently available.

34

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

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A Rose by Any Other Name…

Call it responsible gaming or safer gaming, but don’t forget your goal of keeping gambling fun and healthy

BY BILL SOKOLIC

T

im set aside $50 each week on an online casino, mostly playing roulette and blackjack. He won some; he lost some. Once he reached two hours of play or lost his $50, he quit until next week. It was a modest but healthy approach to gambling.

But on a Wednesday in March, Tim lost $50 and deposited $100 more, then another $100, losing $250 during almost three hours of play. Still somewhat modest, but the change set off alarms for the operator about whether the healthy approach is breaking down. Did he come into a windfall from his dearly departed aunt, or did he lose his job and is drowning his blues in blackjack?

Tim’s tale paints a picture of how gambling should work, where the potential to go from contented and healthy gambler to problem gambler can be stymied by a system smart enough to step up early in the game.

One of the latest buzz phrases in this end of the betting world is safer gambling, which speaks to a variety of efforts to ward off gambling harm or addiction. It’s about knowing the rules of the game. About setting limits. About working with casinos and sportsbooks—land-based or online—to keep harm at bay.

“Safer gambling is at the heart of everything we do as a business,” says Grainne Hurst, director corporate affairs, Entain PLC, who oversees safer gambling strategy in regions not part of the Americas.

Some would call that responsible gambling. The goals are pretty much the same, but the definition of each is nuanced, says Alan M. Feldman, distinguished fellow, responsible gaming, at the International Gaming Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“When talking to consumers, the difference between safer gambling and responsible gambling may be subtle. But in a public health context it’s quite substantive,” he says.

Responsible gambling is defined as being a shared responsibility among a wide variety of stakeholders with the individual like Tim at the center, Feldman says. That does not place the responsibility only on the 36

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

individual, but the individual must be in control when it comes to decisions. “You cannot impose something on the individual he won’t accept or do. Individual choice is the fundamental part of treatment protocols,” Feldman says.

“Safer gambling places the individual alongside all other stakeholders equally.”

The challenge of that is that the individuals still must be in control of their own decisions about gambling.

Nuanced Approach “What concerns some is the potential to substitute safer gambling for responsible gambling, thus breaking with years of service,” says Keith S. Whyte, executive director, National Council on Problem Gambling. “Responsible gambling has taken 50 years to evolve. The vast majority of operators accept it as part of doing business.”

Martin Lycka prefers the phrase sustainable gambling.

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“We want a healthy person who can afford this activity.

It’s what any business wants.”

—Alan M. Feldman, Distinguished Fellow, Responsible Gaming, UNLV International Gaming Institute

“In a sustainable marketplace we have happy customers and healthy customers. Prevention and education keep them healthy and happy,” says Lycka, Entain senior vice president for American regulatory affairs and responsible gambling.

But despite good intentions—whether responsible, safer or sustainable— sometimes gamblers become a problem to themselves.

“As an operator, we work with a variety of organizations to ensure we can provide the best support. We apply a combined approach of tailored messaging and personalized interactions. As a result, 91 percent of those customers who set limits decreased their risk level while continuing to play—showing its effectiveness,” Hurst says.

Sustainable gambling looks toward divergence from the norm, Lycka says: from two hours of play to four hours; from $150 a month to $600. Databased affordability checks give operators even more leverage to steer towards responsible gambling.

Spotting signs of risk. Interacting. Intervening.

“Should an individual make us aware of any problems they are having with gambling, or should we identify any issues, we will take a number of actions to mitigate further harm and ensure that individual receives the support they need,” Hurst says.

Last year, Entain rolled out the Advanced Responsibility and Care program (ARC).

ARC is a pioneering approach to customer protection, limiting exposure to risk at an individual level. The program relies on behavioral indicators, data science and analytics to assess risk in betting and gambling. ARC works behind the scenes to intervene before a problem develops, she says.

To develop ARC, Entain relied on insight from Harvard Medical School Faculty, Division on Addiction, and Dr. Mark Griffiths, a distinguished professor of behavioral addiction and psychology, as well as insight from individuals.

Making a Commitment Entain is not alone in dealing with risk.

Most major gaming companies have a director of responsible gambling, who trains employees and uses data to collect markers of harm as well, Whyte says. These demonstrate responsible gambling performance, but also mitigate the rate of problems.

It doesn’t always work out the way it should.

“We know that risk for gambling problems increased by 50 percent between 2018 and 2021, during the pandemic and the expansion of sports betting and online gambling,” Whyte says. “It’s not possible to untangle how much each of those three things affected the increase. Risk is trending upwards, and it will create challenges.”

This is a national public health issue, Whyte says. Yet too many states have no funding for responsible gambling.

“We said 1 percent of gaming revenue would net a good baseline. The money is there. It’s a matter of will in public policy,” he says.

In the U.K., affordability checks have gained some momentum in making gambling more responsible, though even there it has its detractors. Affordability checks require patrons to prove they have the wherewithal to gamble and how much of that wherewithal they can afford.

“The U.S. won’t look to affordability checks,” Whyte says. “We’re on the free market system. Checking for credit worthiness is voluntary, as in extending credit for high-limit players.”

Affordability checks can be intrusive and a bit offensive, Feldman says.

He prefers patterns, or what Lycka calls divergence.

If a bettor rarely shows up to place a bet midweek and only bets on big games like playoffs, and then bets on several regular season games on a Wednesday, that should be a flag, Feldman says.

“Someone should check on me,” he explains. “Make a note, put it in the file. If I bet $50 a week and it becomes $200 a week, make another call. Online companies can look at that.”

“Our goal with the (ARC) app is simple: to educate users on safe gambling habits and provide the necessary tools and resources to allow users to access help and support instantly.”

—Martin Lycka, Senior Vice President, American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, Entain Plc

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

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“We know that risk for gambling problems increased by 50 percent between 2018 and 2021, during the pandemic and the expansion of sports betting and online gambling.”

—Keith S. Whyte, Executive Director, National Council on Problem Gambling

Online operators run something akin to an affordability check on players to see if they have the financial capability to play at a certain level. As a person gambles, online operators are gathering information on customer behavior, on sources of funds to assess their risk.

“If you identify the principles behind affordability checks, you see they are sensible. The customer is obliged only to reveal what is necessary,” Lycka says. “You try to achieve sustainable gambling with happy and healthy customers. The onus is shared between operator and individual.”

The individual makes informed decisions on the website when engaged. But operators see the data on the website and detect potential problems and advise about available tools, he says.

The online screen can show more than wins and losses and time spent.

It’s reasonable to follow the advice of operators offered on the screen. If ignored, more drastic measures can be taken, Lycka says.

38

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

Making a Difference In early March, Entain Foundation U.S., the nonprofit dedicated to responsible gambling, launched the second edition of Gamble Responsibly America. Funded by Entain’s gaming group, the edition features a mobile app offering practical tools, assistance, and advice to anyone facing potential issues with problem gambling. The information comes in English, Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin.

The improvements to the app focus on two areas: greater educational information about problem gambling, and more tools for users to access help and support. Discussions revolve around disordered gambling, behavioral markers of concern, establishing limits, frequently asked questions, and informative videos about responsible gambling, the website says.

The app also provides self-assessment tools, including a daily gam-

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bling diary, and includes a live chat feature and links to support services and organizations like Kindbridge.

Kindbridge provides access to online professional mental health counselors and specialized support services. Last year, Kindbridge and the Entain Foundation U.S. partnered with Game Quitters on the Mind Your Game campaign related to potential gambling harms associated with esports.

The app also links to My Wager Score, a platform designed to protect sports bettors’ financial health and minimize the risk of harmful play using real-time affordability data on how much you can afford. It was developed by former NBA player Charles Oakley and his business partner.

“Our goal with the app is simple: to educate users on safe gambling habits and provide the necessary tools and resources to allow users to access help and support instantly,” Lycka says.

Regardless of what you call it, gambling as a practice should be as safe as possible. Gamblers should be of a certain age, and able to afford what they

are doing. Operators should have responsibility to ensure the process is safe from harm.

But it’s not so cut and dried, Feldman says. The biggest challenge is that addiction is a hidden disorder. You can’t see it in their behavior, you can’t smell it on their breath.

“People are incredibly skilled in hiding it,” Feldman says.

Casinos do not want gambling addicts or problem gamblers in their building. If there were some means to more accurately identify them, they would kick them out. They are not good customers.

“We want a healthy person who can afford this activity,” Feldman says. “It’s what any business wants.”

Any experienced gambler knows good bets and bad bets and can distinguish one being safer than another.

“The biggest advice is to set a budget and time limit and stick to both,” Feldman says.

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MAKING MY POINT

Hitting Fast Forward How to move your career ahead when you’re stuck in the doldrums

By Roger Snow

S

ay you’re driving from Boston to New York. Or Miami to Key West, or Las Vegas to Phoenix, or one side of Los Angeles to another. We’re talking what, four or five hours behind the wheel?

But every so often you come across a shortcut that cuts short your trip by a third, or a quarter, or an eighth, or a… well, you get the idea.

And boy oh boy, how do we love these?

Let us count the Waze.

There’s just something uniquely satisfying

And once you sit down with forks up, try to do about 25 percent of the talking. Ask and listen. Listen and respond and ask again. Befriend that big shot. The idea is to engage with someone that—assuming he or she doesn’t think you’re a total schmoe—can be a mentor or a sponsor or at least a North Star in your career odyssey. Most folks successful in their career had somebody along the way that took a shine to them, and it can start in a way as routine as this.

Many a professional trajectory has been “ flattened into a beeline by unsolicited initiative. ” about shrinking the time it’s supposed to take to do something. Driving in that carpool lane while everyone else is stymied in road-rage hell.

Tivo’ing past all those TV commercials.

Reading the cliff notes to a Tolstoy novel or a Shakespeare play. Fast-forwarding your career.

Setting a podcast to play at 1.5-times speed.

Whoa, wait a minute. What was the secondto-last one?

Fast. Forwarding. Your. Career.

Yeah, that’s it. Let’s talk about that. What are some shortcuts that make the road to the top—or at least closer to the top—a little easier (and faster) to navigate?

Here are three to start… and start right away.

Meet ‘N Eat Invite a senior leader to lunch.

This is easy, peasy, mac and cheesy. (Tip: don’t order that, unless of course it’s at one of those swanky steakhouses, or unless the executive in question is a 10-year-old kid.) All you’ve got to do is send a brief, politely worded email to one of the bosses, preferably one that at least knows who you are, and say you have questions about the company’s vision, or you have an idea you want to discuss, or you want to better understand an industry trend.

Or whatever.

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APRIL 2022

Take a Chance Many a professional trajectory has been flattened into a beeline by unsolicited initiative.

The old nobody-asked-but-here’s-an-idea-thatwill-help-the-company gambit. It’s a low-risk maneuver with huge upside.

And for the most part, nobody does it anymore. It’s a lost art, like table manners or the sacrifice bunt.

Or back-to-back similes.

Although, and his name will remain anonymous, there is in fact a superstar executive in the online gaming industry that talked—more like wrote—his way into a job at a major land-based casino operator by sending its legendary CEO a letter—more like manifesto—describing myriad ways to increase revenue and decrease costs.

Said legend was impressed. Said legend set up a meeting. And said legend, after some vetting disguised as chatting, offered the man a job. Which he took and executed successfully for years before catapulting into something bigger and better.

True story, every word of it. Well, except for the catapult.

He took a plane.

Keep these four principles in mind when pitching ideas on spec: 1) Aim high; send it to

the CEO or the C of something; 2) Put it in writing; 3) Focus on ways to save money or make money; that’s it; and, 4) Ask for a meeting to explain further.

That, unless your missive is massively misguided, should get you a call-back if not a face-toface. From there, it’s up to you to seal the deal.

Speak Up No matter how far down the food chain you find yourself, you usually get the chance to be in the room or the Zoom with the movers-cum-shakers of the organization.

Take advantage of those opportunities even if they don’t seem like opportunities. It’s all about getting noticed. Now of course, this could backfire like an old jalopy with bad ignition timing, but at least you’re in action, as the gamblers call it. Pose a question, even one you already know the answer to. Ask the highest-ranking person to clarify a point. Say something. Say anything.

And if by some miracle the Big Cheese in the room asks your opinion on something, there are a gazillion possible responses but only two good ones: What a phenomenal idea, and I would love to be part of it!

Or . . .

What a horrible idea, and we should shoot it twice just to make sure it’s dead.

It might surprise you, but being right or wrong in this instance hardly matters at all. And how can you tell, anyway? Whatever you’re debating is probably speculative; time hasn’t told you the outcome yet. Your response needs to relay the message of conviction. Passion. Confidence.

That’s what leaders want to see in their team, because they know, from their own experiences, it is a crucial element to becoming one of them.

Let them see a little of themselves in you, and they will help you along the way.

Roger Snow is a senior vice president with Scientific Games. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Scientific Games Corporation or its affiliates.

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F2P Driving It Back Home

PLAY FREE

Using free-to-play in tribal casinos to increase loyalty and revenue

By Brendan D. Bussmann

A

s the gaming industry has continued to evolve, technology has been a center point of those conversations. Over the last several years, the focus has been on a number of issues including but not limited to the expansion of sports betting, cashless wagering, and iGaming. With these three forms of gaming, it typically has required some level of legislative change in addition to the regulatory structures that are subsequently developed. One that has not required this, though, is free-to-play gaming (F2P).

This is a form of entertainment that several have adopted over the years as an extension of the experience, but not all have harnessed its ability to generate additional revenue.

In some cases, some members of the industry have stated that these expansion opportunities with the exception of F2P may hurt the brick-andmortar facilities that exist today, driving customers away in the postpandemic world back to their homes and not into facilities for the full entertainment experience. Those assumptions have not been founded to date as land-based revenue continues to exceed expectations.

In fact, land-based gaming has rebounded in a very positive way since the Great Shutdown, and these additional advancements in technology have in some cases helped accelerate those efforts.

Simply put, free-to-play gaming can be an extension of the gaming floor and the experience in every jurisdiction today. While some operators have been embracing this technology platform for some time, some have not looked at it as an engagement and integrated tool into the overall customer experience—both gaming and non-gaming.

Others have been able to flourish with this tool to not only drive further engagement in the product, whether that be slots, tables, sports betting or iGaming, but also to attract a customer through social engagement and keep them loyal to their brand. This has in turn allowed them to further engage in both gaming and non-gaming amenities.

Leading by Example One of the best examples of this can been seen through the engagement platform that is current used today and developed by Wind Creek Hospitality.

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The app includes both F2P games and a way to engage with each of their facilities. Wind Creek has used the app as a driver into their facilities for several years, and it also interfaces with their loyalty program across all facilities.

It offers a comprehensive approach to the entire guest experience.

This allows the player to not only stay within their ecosystem within the app but also within their network of properties, which span everything from their home properties in Alabama to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to those in Aruba, Curacao and elsewhere.

Wind Creek takes that philosophy of why pay when you can play for free to heart. Their social interaction in the apps has a direct relationship to the gaming experience within their brick-and-mortar facilities. On its second version of the platform, it allows guests to stay engaged in the experience while they are away from the facilities in a social atmosphere.

Not only does it allow the patron to engage in gamification but allows access to promos, the Wind Creek Store, tournaments and auctions. This keeps the player within the ecosystem and may offer similar effects to that of online gaming, but actually keeps it social and brings them back into the property. As it looks to work on its third iteration, it will take the product on the road by white-labeling it to allow tribal operations to benefit from their experience.

The Wallet Allocation Rule Measuring loyalty and satisfaction is nothing new to the gaming industry. One of the benchmarks that Wind Creek Hospitality has added to its set of industry tools is the Wallet Allocation Rule. Under this rule, it is more than about the customer’s affinity to the brand or operator but about what share of the wallet that may be available to the operator based on the discretionary dollars in a player’s wallet. Wind Creek has determined that this is a better score for measurement in looking at their marketing and retention efforts with a customer than the traditional methods used today.

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Wind Creek is utilizing free-to-play at all of its casinos, including Alabama casinos and its commercial casino in Bethlehem, Pennsyvlania

A Proven Pathway for Gamers The Wallet Allocation Rule has been published in the Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review and used by other industries. It applies a rigorous test that measures customer loyalty to the share of their wallet. This provides insight into the customer’s current wallet allocation, the money available to be earned by them, and their preferences on what it would take to earn more of the share of the wallet. This has provided longterm sustainability for growth with the customer across multiple industries.

This is an added component to the theoretical win of the gamer that most in the industry use as a baseline to see what revenue may be achievable.

The theoretical number continues to be used as the benchmark for a player’s worth. The wallet allocation rule takes that another step beyond traditional casino marketing practices by also understanding what portion of the wallet may also be available as part of the overall gaming spend. It provides further insight into the player besides their play on the floor of the casino.

One of the keys is understanding disposal income versus those items that are fixed within the wallet and not up for allocation. This includes what is available for entertainment versus those things that are not available to spend within the wallet. Data is a driver in everything that is done today. It is one that this industry is built upon, and gaining more perspective into the wallet only helps drive that data analysis and the relationship of what is available to the operator. It provides greater insight but also responsibility in understanding the customer.

As Wind Creek tries to capture more of its fair share of the gamer’s wallet, it must look at the metrics of each individual to understand how they socially interact within the ecosystem through free-to-play gaming. This is not to allow play over and above what the individual desires, as it focuses on responsible play. This is taking a step further to understand what the player does in a social aspect, when they are away from the casino floor.

In evaluating the social play of customers, the player typically is online for around 44 minutes per session. While the games and the frequency in which they visit the app may vary, the player spends on average less time than they would on a normal brick-and-mortar gaming experience. Wind Creek also looks at a host of other metrics including if seasonality is an issue, the engagement on the app as it relates to their brick-and-mortar play before and after their initial engagement, their subsequent play after the initial engagement and a host of other metrics.

As highlighted above, Wind Creek is a firm believer in the Wallet Allocation Rule. Based on these metrics, they were able to understand how to direct players back to the facility, increasing their share of the wallet by as much of 10 times their previous play within the facility. This is all driven through the rewards program, driving customers back into the facility for gaming and non-gaming amenities. This is as opposed to letting them choose other forms of entertainment with their disposable income dollars.

The greatest success has been players within two to three hours of a Wind Creek facility. This is focused on local play and not on someone that is coming from outside of the region as a tourist. This engagement plays

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

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The Wallet Allocation Rule has been published in the Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review and used by other industries. It applies a rigorous test that measures customer loyalty to the share of their wallet. This provides insight into the customer’s current wallet allocation, the money available to be earned by them, and their preferences on what it would take to earn more of the share of the wallet.

The lessons on free-to-play are very clear. This can serve as a driver for casino gaming and even other forms of gaming, including sports betting and iGaming.

Ultimately, it is driving customers back into the brick-and-mortar experience if done properly.

well for tribal gaming, as the majority of those customers are within that two-to-three-hour range.

Some may ask how this may work within a jurisdiction that already has iGaming and sports betting, not just brick-and-mortar gaming. Wind Creek’s facility in Bethlehem provides such an example, as Pennsylvania has allowed iGaming and sports betting over the last several years.

It also provides a good regional example as it sits within an hour-and-a-half drive of midtown Manhattan and crosses into other states. The range of increase in brick-and-mortar play after social engagement was similar to those of other Wind Creek facilities, if not exceeding them. It continues to show the opportunity for facilities across the country to grow their gaming and non-gaming revenue from the local market.

Understanding the player is not done in a single snapshot; it is one that requires continual monitoring and looking at reinvestment into the player.

This requires that the tool must continually be monitored to tie back into the brick-and-mortar experience. In the end, it generates more revenue for the facility, both gaming and non-gaming. Ultimately, it creates more loyalty from the consumer and keeps them engaged.

The Next Chapter The lessons on free-to-play are very clear. This can serve as a driver for casino gaming and even other forms of gaming, including sports betting and iGaming. Ultimately, it is driving customers back into the brick-andmortar experience if done properly.

It does not have to be one or the other as some believe has been the case, as some have been fearful of the effects of using technology outside of 44

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

the casino floor as a driver for overall engagement.

Wind Creek has proven this philosophy, and is an example for others in the industry to follow.

Tribal nations have always relied on other tribal nations to lead the way on strong solutions from within the gaming industry. Tribes are a trust source of knowledge and have created a collaborative relationship to help these enterprises grow. Wind Creek has a proven track record on free-to-play not only for tribal entities but also commercial gaming. As Wind Creek continues to develop this tool, it is one that should be used in other markets.

The gaming industry is coming off a great 2021. However, wallets are becoming tighter as disposable income becomes less with the current economic constraints. It is important that the industry look at how it can continue its current growth trajectory. It must look at various ways to transition those disposable entertainment dollars back into the brick-and-mortar facilities as those dollars become more competitive.

Free-to-play has proven to be a good source to drive additional gaming and non-gaming revenue into facilities. Driving additional dollars into the facility has always been the key to growth as well as attracting new customers to the gaming experiences. Operators can take these lessons to continue to grow their own enterprises, understand the player in a better way, and engage with them for future loyalty.

Brendan D. Bussmann has over two decades of experience in the gaming, hospitality and sports sectors. He currently advises public and private companies, tribal nations, sports organizations, financial institutions, associations and government agencies around the globe.

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Building Value Through Data New technologies in funding gaming and gathering data are generating information that helps casinos better serve customers By Dave Bontempo

F

irst came safety on the gaming floor.

And then came the emphasis on contactless transaction points, from restaurants and spas to lounges and hotel rooms. The online gaming world spiked the dynamic, as customers became comfortable with automated gambling, room and show reservations. These are permanent relics of a rapidly decreasing pandemic.

Covid may have morphed into the rearview mirror, but the hyper-competitive market shaped by its footprint remains.

Hotel and hospitality software becomes more vital in the age of combined hotel-casino operations. An operator’s credo: be safe, friendly and efficient, but also be fast.

Companies enhancing and delivering one-stop-shop products have a tremendous opportunity in this sector.

Mobile Money One company poised to embrace this type of reality is Global Payments Gaming Solutions. It has been a leader in the gaming industry for the past 20 years. “Throughout the past year, mobile funding has been pivotal in the hotel and hospitality software realm,” says Christopher Justice, president of Global Payments Gaming Solutions.

“As patrons are increasingly preferring mobile funding in every aspect of

“Unlike other cashless solutions, VIP Mobility does not require extra technology certifications on the floor, creating a seamless transition to cashless gaming for casino operators.”

—Christopher Justice, President, Global Payments Gaming Solutions

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

their daily lives, industry experts expect to see more developments in the ways that these solutions can power funding beyond the gaming floor,” he adds.

VIP Mobility remains one of the company’s star players in this sector.

Global Payments is enhancing the VIP Mobility app to create a complete resort experience for patrons by providing them a single-source solution for the entire casino property, including restaurant, hotel and casino transactions, according to Justice. By implementing Global Payments’ solutions, operators will have a bird’s-eye view of where guests are spending their time, enabling them to create an enhanced gaming experience, he says.

Operators grasping customer preferences can tailor specific offers to them.

Global Payments provides hardware, software and strategic expertise to casino operators, empowering them to deliver an enhanced experience to patrons, Justice adds.

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Casino operators look to their suppliers more than ever for insights and solutions to help them navigate the dynamic gaming industry landscape, Justice says. The pandemic created the need for cashless, contactless gaming options to meet the evolving needs of patrons.

“Throughout the past year, we’ve continued to see interest in VIP Mobility and VIP Financial Center,” Justice says. “VIP Mobility is the industry’s first mobile solution enabling true cashless gaming and VIP Financial Center is our full-service solution that provides convenient self-service TITO ticket redemption, bill breaking, e-check, ATM and cash advance capabilities to casino guests. With Global Payments’ suite of solutions, casinos can meet the needs of all players, regardless of their preferred method of funding.”

Traditional forms of wagering leave casino operators and their patrons with an inconvenient and insecure experience, he asserts. But Global Payments delivers a suite of payment solutions with hardened bank-grade security for casinos’ complex gaming environments, creating a seamless and secure gaming experience.

More than 400 North American land-based, mobile and online gaming locations rely on Global Payments Gaming Solutions for simple, safe and responsible play, according to Justice. And the company’s star player in this space is VIP Mobility.

The product is the culmination of efforts since 2018 to leverage mobile technology to transform the gaming experience for patrons and operators. VIP Mobility officially launched in 2020 as the industry’s first mobile solution enabling true cashless, contactless gaming.

Throughout the past year, Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, California and Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw, Oklahoma successfully implemented VIP Mobility into their operations. As patrons continue to use VIP Mobility, their level of trust in the app, as well as transaction volumes, continue to grow.

“It is the industry’s first mobile solution enabling true cashless gaming from funding through cash-out,” Justice says. “VIP Mobility was designed to solve several problems for patrons and operators alike. For patrons, a common pain point is waiting in line at the ATM or cage to fund their play.

“By harnessing the flexibility and ease of Global Payments’ groundbreaking VIP Preferred account network, plus functions like Check and Choice 4 deferred settlement, patrons can directly transfer funds from their VIP Preferred balance to their favorite casino game with the touch of a screen. The solution’s intuitive user interface takes the legwork out of the funding process, ensuring that playing is never interrupted.”

VIP Mobility also empowers operators to tap the flexibility needed to overcome the limited capabilities of legacy technology to establish a true, consumer-centric approach to gaming on the casino floor. Traditionally, maintaining and updating the gaming environment has been an expensive and cumbersome process for casinos, but VIP Mobility combats this by leveraging casinos’ existing infrastructure to create a simple and affordable solution.

“Unlike other cashless solutions, VIP Mobility does not require extra technology certifications on the floor, creating a seamless transition to cashless 48

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

In 2019, Cendyn had acquired Rainmaker, whose revenue management system (RMS) had been prominently used in the gaming industry for nearly 20 years. Today, that RMS is called Guestrev and provides revenue managers a complete picture of their revenue opportunities to make data-informed decisions.

gaming for casino operators,” he says. “As the only omnichannel funding solution in the market, VIP Mobility connects brick-and-mortar and online gaming environments to deliver a frictionless user experience. Once registered, VIP Preferred members can game at casinos throughout the country or switch to online experiences without having to inconveniently re-register their account.”

To increase the usage of VIP Preferred’s products and services, including VIP Mobility, Global Payments released an enhanced version of its Partner Assist Program with Engaged Nation. The Partner Assist Program provides direct marketing assistance to help clients create greater value and bottom-line return for operators, including a customized, branded website that offers patrons daily chances to win entries in cash drawings.

While VIP Mobility enables quick funds access, Justice touts the company’s responsible-gaming practices, which gained additional focus during Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

“Global Payments has made strides in developing solutions that embrace the latest advancements in responsible gaming,” Justice says. “VIP Mobility provides patrons with an enhanced gaming experience while also delivering more effective consumer protection for responsible gaming. The solution incorporates the latest responsible gaming measures, including configurable spending limits, ‘pre-set cooling-off’ periods, self-exclusion and more.”

The Power of More Cendyn also is in an excellent position for this space.

The recently announced merger between the cloud-based software and eCommerce giant with Pegasus, a leading provider of revenue and distribution solutions, strengthens its overall presence.

The deal continued a company pattern of timely moves.

In 2019, Cendyn had acquired Rainmaker, whose revenue management system (RMS) had been prominently used in the gaming industry for nearly 20 years. Today, that RMS is called Guestrev and provides revenue managers a complete picture of their revenue opportunities to make data-informed de-

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“Imagine a world where you can see and respond to every interaction your players want to in an appropriate and targeted way across the entire resort— that is QCI loyalty. What is more exciting is that our technology innovation is fast, modern, and low risk to deploy.”

—Andrew Cardno, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Quick Custom Intelligence

cisions. Three years later, Cendyn has again enhanced its industry reach.

“The recent merger between Cendyn and Pegasus truly establishes the company as a full-service technology provider for the gaming industry,” says Kevin Duncan, senior director of strategic product initiatives for Cendyn.

“One of the big opportunities we have now is developing a direct integration between our RMS and our CRS products to create a complete revenue solution for hotels and casinos. This is the goal for how all global chains try to operate in that they move all rate decisioning ‘above property’ and not just rely the age-old integration with the PMS. This is really valuable for groups of hotels and brands that want to streamline and optimize brand promotions and pricing.”

The Cendyn and Pegasus merger will unite Cendyn’s customer data platform, Starling, and Pegasus’ CRS, to give hoteliers and casinos an unparalleled system of record for guest profiles and rates.

Leveraging the alignment of these key data points will enable brands to personalize and optimize the guest experience, drive direct bookings, enhance brand loyalty, and boost profitability.

The combination yields an array of innovation.

“Cendyn is the first technology platform to connect an industry-leading central reservations system (CRS) with an industry-leading RMS,” Duncan says. “Bringing these two platforms together gives hoteliers access to unite, transform, control and distribute data from the master guest profile in real time. In addition to this, the Cendyn Hospitality Cloud combines the booking engine, RMS and online loyalty portals on our website CMS, providing casinos with the ability to share personalized offers and pricing with every guest.”

A major component in this lineup is the Cendyn Hospitality Cloud (CHC), a vertically integrated, cloud-based platform that empowers revenue, ecommerce, distribution, marketing and sales teams.

Within the CHC, casinos will have to ability to unite, transform, control and distribute data in real time. This data-first approach puts Cendyn customers at the forefront of digital transformation, positioning them to drive guest loyalty and profitable revenue growth across their business, Duncan asserts.

This application will enable hoteliers to personalize their website using cleansed, de-duped, first-party data. Instead of one-size-fits-all content, the website application will serve tailored messaging to personalize every interaction a customer makes on an operator’s site.

“We are very excited about the evolution of the Cendyn Hospitality Cloud launch,” Duncan says. “The platform offers a unified view of every guest, and a system of record for rates and reservations. By combining these critical data elements in one platform, teams across the business can act on their data to automate, personalize and transform the experience for every guest at every step in their journey.”

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The Value of a Nerd What’s a data nerd?

Possibly the fuel to drive an efficient gaming car. That’s one interpretation of the nerd role espoused by Andrew Cardno, who runs Quick Custom Intelligence along with fellow gaming veteran Dr. Ralph Thomas.

“If you are not comfortable with working with a group of data nerds, you should not talk with us,” Cardno laughs. “We are dedicated to having fun and doing creative things that drive value and enable our customers to execute on their brand promise.

“The industry is growing and diversifying rapidly, and in today’s volatile world we strive to be your business partner that can help untangle this complex data sewerage problem. Here at QCI we are proud of our products, and even more proud of the QCI culture and team members that deliver it.”

Against that backdrop comes one of the company’s newest innovations.

“We are very excited to bring a new way of doing loyalty to the market,” Cardno says. “QCI Loyalty has an innovative patented way of enabling every touch point in the resort to interact in a special way for each customer and to tie this with player loyalty.

“We have one location where around 1,000 sites have integrated loyalty without a player card or any loyalty device in the machine. This innovation extends to specialized restaurant food service, table games ratings and the tracking of unrated players. Imagine a world where you can see and respond to every interaction your players want to in an appropriate and targeted way across the entire resort—that is QCI loyalty. What is more exciting is that our technology innovation is fast, modern, and low risk to deploy.”

QCI delivers flexibly of action and insight, with unique patented algorithms that are delivered in a modern interface, providing a unified ability to act across the business. The QCI platform is a powerful solution based in a reality that can only be born from experience.

Throughout the industry, the battle to annex and retain customers regains full speed. Suppliers who can make operators go faster will flourish.

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EMERGING LEADERS

Caring for Compliance Grainne Hurst Director Corporate Affairs, Entain PLC rainne Hurst majored in modern and contemporary history as an undergrad at Queen Mary University of London. She had yet to decide on a career path, so she majored in what most interested her.

“I hoped it would provide me with good transferable skills for the world of work,” Hurst says.

During her undergraduate days, Hurst chose all war-related courses, so it made sense to specialize in war studies for her master’s program at King’s College in London.

Upon graduation, Hurst applied for political research positions, only to be told she lacked enough experience. The best way to earn experience was through an internship. She landed one in the office of MP Philip Davies.

“I was lucky enough to be in an office with a boss who recognized my hard work, and when the opportunity became available for a full-time role I was interviewed and offered the job,” she explains.

While with Davies’ office, Hurst drafted speeches, monitored the media and produced briefings, at times related to gambling. “I definitely gained a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.”

But after Davies, Hurst worked for the U.K. supermarket chain Asda, and also for the U.K. government.

“Both of these roles were fast-paced, juggling a variety of issues and managing numerous external stakeholders, as well as working on a team to tackle some complex issues—good grounding for working in the betting and gaming industry.”

That role began with Ladbrokes.

“I loved the presence and heritage connected to the Ladbrokes brand and could see there were a number of political and public policy headwinds in the not-too-distant future for the business, which I was keen to get involved with,” she says.

The company became part of Entain in 2018.

Hurst oversees the corporation’s international regulatory affairs, except for those in the Americas. Her umbrella also includes political lobbying and safer

Problem-Solving to Success

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David Garcia Executive Director, Analytics & Optimization, Foxwoods Resort Casino gambling strategy.

The Hurst team covers a lot of ground on a daily basis to ensure the business is meeting regulatory requirements, operating to the highest standard for player protection and influencing public policy decisions.

Covid-19 took an unusual twist for Hurst.

“I returned to work from my second maternity leave to the new office in the corner of my bedroom,” she laughs.

Despite such an inconvenience—note the sarcasm—Hurst recruited and retained an excellent team.

“We have lots to be proud of during a difficult time, including the creation of our Advanced Responsibility and Care player protection system, winning the SBC Responsible Gaming Operator of the Year in 2021 and launching our first inaugural Entain Sustain event, highlighting our credentials in the areas of safer gambling and sustainability,” she says.

Hurst makes no bones about her future.

“I would like my boss’ job at Entain, overseeing both regulatory affairs and compliance for Entain across the globe.”

She has two pieces of advice for those who might want to follow in her footsteps.

“It is crucially important to build your network, both internally and externally so you can grow your knowledge and skills as well as having key experts you can draw on for advice and support,” she says. “Also, never forget the importance of going the extra mile and working hard—even at the things you don’t like or enjoy.”

—Bill Sokolic

avid Garcia, executive director of analytics and optimization at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, has faced many challenges during his 17-year career in gaming. Garcia, who originally wanted to become an engineer, has taken the “problem solver” mentality of an engineer and applied it to create a successful career in the gaming industry, paving his own path and earning the trust of his executives along the way.

Originally from Los Angeles, Garcia moved to Texas, zeroing in on the sole goal of playing college basketball until a car accident in his senior year stirred him to re-evaluate his future. He realized he had two choices: to continue pursuing college basketball with no certainty on where that would lead him, or to focus on his education and post-education career. Garcia decided on the latter, graduating as valedictorian of his high school and attending Vanderbilt University, where he would major in mathematics and computer science with the goal of pursuing an engineering career. Though he ultimately did not end up as an engineer, the lessons he learned in school have carried him far in the gaming industry.

Engineers are natural problem solvers. They approach every project as a new problem that needs an innovative solution instead of looking in a book for answers. Garcia carried this approach with him throughout his career while recognizing that, although he was an analytical person, he needed to learn the operations to solve the problems. He accomplished this by working for several operators in various corporate and property roles, and he gained exposure to over 40

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casino operations. He states that through this experience, “you quickly realize that the operations are similar with only minor differences, and that you can apply the best practices you have learned across all of them.”

A turning point in his career came after the merger of Ameristar and Pinnacle, when he was promoted to a president’s associate. In that role, he realized that he enjoyed partaking in the company’s strategy that would bring large organizational changes. Later, after his first stint with Foxwoods, he moved back to Las Vegas to work for MGM as the executive director of revenue optimization before his promotion to executive director of operational analytics and enterprise reporting, a new position within the company.

Garcia was given a big team and big responsibilities, including taking lead of a highly visible variable labor initiative, resulting in double the initial labor savings target. In this role, he was able to utilize his problem-solving abilities to effectively create positive change for the organization.

His next step transpired when Foxwoods recruited him back to be part of the executive committee, where he became “a part of change that helps drive us,” as he puts it. Coming out of the Covid-19 shutdown, Garcia has played a pivotal role in driving the “transformational change that led to the highest profitability Foxwoods has seen in years,” he says, through his own financial models

and dashboards built on the property’s business intelligence program. Through his efforts, the property can now confidently predict how the casino is going to perform on any given day, aiding various departments and staffing levels based on the projections.

Besides taking pride in solving problems for the company, Garcia enjoys mentoring and developing the people on his team and those who are younger than him.

As he puts it, “I want them to learn but also to not make all of the hard mistakes I did along the way if I can prevent it.”

He advises others seeking advancement to learn as much of the operation as they can.

“Most people become experts in one area and move up,” he says. “I’m a firm believer in learning as much as possible about every operation.”

Garcia believes that once they learn the operation, they need to believe in themselves and take on the hardest areas that need help.

“Once you establish yourself as someone who can drive change to areas that are in need, you will keep getting more and more opportunities for growth,” advises Garcia, a mentality that he has lived out with great success.

—Alex Goldstein is an analyst with The Innovation Group.

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FRANKLY SPEAKING

by Frank Legato

Vegas Weddings and Name Changes

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just got back from my daughter’s wedding celebration in Philadelphia. We stayed at what they call a mid-level hotel in the center of the city.

The stay reminded me of what great value is still available in casino hotels. In Center City Philadelphia, for just under $200 a night, you got no room service, no housekeeping services, no ice—seriously, one of the ice machines was broken, and my nephew couldn’t get the front desk to identify one that was working. In an example of stellar service, the front desk sent an ice bucket to his room.

It was empty. No ice for you!

In the morning, we checked out and called for the bell services to collect our luggage and the stuff we brought back from the reception. It was a lot. I was told there were no carts available. Apparently, there was a volleyball tournament that weekend, and the teams were passing the carts among each other.

No carts for you!

(Thanks in print here to bellman Weldon, who managed to swipe a cart from a volleyball mom to get us on our way.)

Don’t get me wrong—the hotel was very nice, it was convenient in the center of the city, and the shuttle service to and from the ceremony was spot on. Still, I can’t help comparing the experience in between to the level of hospitality service where I normally stay, at casino hotels across the country. With few exceptions, casino hotels bend over backwards to please their guests and meet all their service needs. And as far as weddings, well, Las Vegas is the wedding capital of the world.

In fact, the Waldorf-Astoria Las Vegas just announced a bargain package deal—a four-day, three-night “luxury wedding experience” including private use of the hotel, celebrity wedding planners, private flights and more.

Celebrity wedding planners? I wonder if they can get Clapton to plan your wedding. Or Paul McCartney. (You’ll probably have to settle for a Kardashian.)

The bargain-basement price of all this? Just $5 million.

OK, I’ll admit that’s a bit beyond my budget, but Vegas offers a wealth of other options for your nuptials. Like the Graceland Chapel.

My lovely bride and I renewed our vows there in 2010, in honor of our 25th wedding anniversary. (Yes, I’m that old.) That’s where Elvis actually serves as the officiant. Well, at least an Elvis impersonator dressed up in his best jumpsuit, there to serenade you as you celebrate your union. As proven by framed photos at the venue, it’s where Jon Bon Jovi

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got married.

As I recall, we opted for the “Love Me Tender Package,” which covered the ceremony, complete with vows including corny Elvis references—“I promise I won’t be cruel; I’ll get you all shook up”—and capped off with three songs, sung live by the ersatz King of Rock and Roll. If memory serves, it was $350.

You’ll no doubt have to adjust that for inflation, and I’m sure you may want to spend a bit more, but that price leaves a lot of funding for craps and video poker, if that’s your thing.

(It’s certainly mine.)

Moving on, by now, everyone’s heard that the company once known as Scientific Games Corporation is now known as Light & Wonder Inc. It’s the latest in a parade of name changes for the company that started out way-back-when as Bally Manufacturing. It was Bally Gaming, then Bally Technologies, then Scientific Games after it merged with the lottery supply giant. In our “Five Questions” feature this month, the company’s gaming CEO, Matt Wilson, notes that the name change was necessary because the supplier has sold its lottery division, which has been known as Scientific Games since its founding in 1973.

SG employed a company called Lexicon, which, apparently, makes a business of naming companies. After whittling down a list of 2,700 names, they came up with Light & Wonder.

Well, OK. While I am curious about the other 2,699 suggested names that were dumped, we’ll deal with it. It’s just going to take a while getting used to typing it. Light & Wonder. Light & Wonder.

What I wonder (sorry) is if this will lead to a gaming supplier name trend. Five years from now, maybe I’m writing this paragraph: Light & Wonder Inc. has edged out its closest competitor, Pretty Flowers & Baby Bunnies PLC, in the red-hot slot market. A new competitive push by rivals Polka Dots & Moonbeams Inc. and Puppies & Sunshine Leisure Limited could change the gaming supplier landscape.

Maybe we can change our name. Global Gaming Happiness, from Grinning Unicorn Publishing LLC. Hey, that’s not bad.

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NEW GAME REVIEW

by Frank Legato

88 Fortunes Money Coins Light & Wonder Inc.

T

his new version of LnW’s popular 88 Fortunes Manufacturer: Light & Wonder, Inc. franchise is featured on the new Kascada Dual Platform: Kascada Dual Screen Screen cabinet. This version of the game inFormat: Five-reel, 243-ways-to-win video slot cludes the familiar “Fu Babies” in a progressive bonus Denomination: .01, .02, .05 event, and a wheel bonus utilizing an oversized wheel on Max Bet: 588, 1,000 the top 27-inch monitor.

Top Award: Progressive; reset at 1 million The base game is a five-reel, 243-ways-to-win video times denomination slot. If a winning combination includes a cash symbol, Hit Frequency: 27.54% the value displayed is awarded in addition to the normal Theoretical Hold: 6.85%-14.4% pay. In the Money Coins feature, cash symbols can display values ranging from 100 to 10,000 credits in the primary game, and from 100 to 100,000 credits in the free spin/wheel bonus. bies symbol corresponding to one Three or more scattered bonus and wheel symbols containing at least one of four progressive jackwheel symbol on consecutive reels awards a random number of two to five pots, resetting at 1,000 wheel spins. A wheel spin may award one to four free games, coin upgrades to credits times the denomthe Money Coins feature, or a credit prize ranging from 88 to 5,888 credits. ination (Mini), 2,500 After the wheel spins, 10 free games are awarded, includcredits times the denominaing any Money Coins upgrades or extra free spins awarded tion (Minor), 80,000 credits times by the wheel. Three or more scattered bonus symthe denomination (Major), or 1 milbols trigger an additional 10 free games. lion times the denomination (Grand).

One or more wild symbols triggers the progresThe player picks until three matching Fu Babies sive Fu Babies Bonus. The screen reveals a pick field are revealed, awarding the corresponding prize. including 12 icons. Each pick will reveal a Fu Ba-

Captain Riches AGS

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his new video slot is part of the AGS “Ultimate Choice Jackpots” game family, presented on the Orion Curve cabinet. It features a three-level mystery progressive jackpot and a unique coin collection feature that results in wild reels.

The base game is a 50-line video slot played out on a 3-5-5-5-3 reel array—three symbols on each of the outer reels and five symbols on the three inside reels. The bonus features and the progressive feature all center around a coin symbol.

Above each of the three inside reels are three circles. Each time a coin symbol lands, it fills one of the circles and remains above the reel. Collecting three coin symbols turns that entire reel wild for three spins. During those three spins, only one coin symbol triggers 56

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

Manufacturer: AGS Platform: Orion Curve Format: Five-reel, 243-ways-to-win video slot Denomination: .01, .02, .03, .05, .10 Max Bet: 750 Top Award: Progressive; $8,000 reset Hit Frequency: 33.17% Theoretical Hold: 3.93%-15%

the feature, transforming that reel wild for three spins. Thus, it’s possible to have multiple reels wild during the feature, for potentially huge wins.

Landing one coin on any given spin can randomly trigger a progressive bonus. Ten treasure chests appear above the reels and shuffle around before revealing either a credit prize or one of three progressives—a Minor jackpot resetting at $100, a Major resetting at $500, or the Grand, resetting at $8,000. The reel array disappears to reveal three coins, giving the player a pick that can add multipliers of up to 5X to the prize.

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Nominations Are Now Open!

Are there special individuals in your organization under the age of 40 who have contributed above and beyond your expectations? Have you noticed a young person in the public or private sector who embodies leadership roles? Or do you believe that your abilities set you apart from your peers?

Emerging Leaders of Gaming (ELG) is now accepting nominations for its annual recognition program. ELG was created to support young executives on the path to leadership through education, networking and other career development opportunities. As part of this prestigious program, members of the industry are annually invited to nominate themselves or a colleague for the ELG 40 Under 40, honoring 40 rising stars of gaming under age 40.

Deadline for nominations is August 15, 2022.

The ELG 40 Under 40 is presented by:

To nominate yourself or someone else visit: www.ggbmagazine.com/40-Under-40

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Gold Hills Everi Holdings

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his is a new Old West/Gold Rushthemed game series on Everi’s Empire Flex curved cabinet. The inaugural titles are Gold Hills Lucky Mule and Gold Hills Prospector Pete.

The base game is a five-reel, 1,024-ways-towin video slot (scatter format on a four-row array).

There are two bonus events. The main event is the “Lock and Respins” hold-and-re-spin feature.

Three Bonus Dynamite symbols trigger five free spins. Cash-on-reels symbols lock in place for respins. If a gold nugget lands on a re-spin, an additional spin is awarded.

In addition to cash-on-reels symbols, icons can appear corresponding to one of five jackpots—static awards of $100 (Mini) and $300 (Minor); and progressives resetting at $350 (Major), $1,500 (Grand) and $5,000 (Ultra). During feature spins, a “Wild

Manufacturer: Everi Holdings Platform: Empire Flex Format: Five-reel, 1,024-ways-to-win video slot Denomination: .01 through 25.00 (.01, .02, .05, .10 multi-denom) Max Bet: 500 Top Award: Progressive; $5,000 reset Hit Frequency: Approximately 22% Theoretical Hold: 3%-15%

Plunger” on the fifth reel awards adjacent-reel Gold Nugget prizes. The fifth reel also can display a 2X or 3X multiplier, which is applied to all non-progressive bonus awards.

There also is a unique timed bonus called “Gold Run.” Credit awards appear over all five reels. A timer sets at 2 minutes, and the player spins—a gold cart on any reel awards the credit amount displayed over the reel. The player continues to spin and collect awards until the timer runs out.

House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn Sega Sammy Creation

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his is one of two games in Sega Sammy Creation’s Winning Cash series. (The other title is Three Eyed God.) It is on the Genesis Crest cabinet, which features a 49-inch ultra-high-definition 4K portrait monitor. In this series, the large monitor is used for an expanding-reels feature.

House of the Dead features reel symbols depicting zombies, skeletons and other horror movie-style icons. The base game is a five-reel,

30-line video slot. The base reel array has three rows. When an arrow appears on the reels bearing the number 1, 2 or 3, the reels expand the corresponding number of rows for the following spin. If an arrow appears on the subsequent spin, the reels expand again, up to a total of nine rows.

The primary game also includes an “Increasing Wilds” feature.

When a special scatter symbol appears, all symbols on that reel are transformed into wild symbols. This also applies when the reels are expanded, which can result in big wins.

Three or more scatter symbols trigger eight free games. When the reels expand during the free games, they remain at their expanded height for the remainder of the feature.

The Winning Cash feature, present on both games in the seManufacturer: Sega Sammy Creation ries, is a picking bonus that can lead to one of four jackpots—staPlatform: Genesis Crest tic prizes of $10 (Mini) or $50 (Minor), and progressives resetting Format: Five-reel, 30-line video slot at $1,000 (Major) and $10,000 (Grand). Three “Cash” symbols Denomination: .01 through 10.00 trigger a screen of 22 icons. The player picks to reveal credit Max Bet: 600 amounts and/or jackpot symbols until revealing “Collect.” The Top Award: Progressive; $10,000 reset player then receives the accumulated credits, and can win more Hit Frequency: Approximately 30% than one jackpot.

Theoretical Hold: 6.42%-13.87%

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

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CUTTING EDGE

by Frank Legato

Tailor-Made Sportsbooks PRODUCT: GAN Sports MANUFACTURER: GAN

AN Sports features an award-winning, tailormade user experience to maximize player engagement and conversion. The supplier’s modern sportsbook platform is built for speed and flexibility with dynamic event creation, including odds boosts, hot events, and exclusive wagers.

GAN Sports offers a fully customized user interface with regional/local content management and seamless loyalty integration between retail and mobile platforms.

Finally, it offers efficient and advanced operational realtime reporting tools.

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Risk Management and Trading GAN Sports offers a fully or partially managed trading solution: GAN’s team of 70-plus traders takes care of executing sportsbook strategy end to end. The GAN platform allows for localized pricing, enabling either trading team (in-house or GAN) to

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

manage risk at the property level. In addition, GAN can provide the customer’s team with the full suite of trading and risk management tools.

Modern-Day Retail Sportsbook Solution GAN’s fully scalable retail offering meets any property’s strategic needs. Its kiosk-first approach and on-premise mobile wagering platform allows operators to launch and operate a sportsbook on property without the need for additional staff or overhead.

Real-Time Flexibility and Results GAN Sports offers the ability to configure a sportsbook to best suit the operator’s in-market demographics and player base, including: • Integrated free-to-play • Localized odds compiling for each market • Dynamic marketing promotions for any cohort of player • On-demand event creation and trading Unique Features and Continuous Innovation • Responsive marketing features leveraging CRM promotions and player journeys • Transparency features driving product trust • A variety of engagement and user acquisition features For more information, visit GAN.com.

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GOODS&SERVICES ARISTOCRAT LAUNCHES BIG FISH GRAND

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ristocrat Gaming has introduced a new video slot game called Big Fish Grand, which features a simple game mechanic and a frequent progressive jackpot.

Big Fish Grand combines simple game play, vivid graphics and a catchy soundtrack for a unique player experience. The game’s Catch & Win play mechanic is a twist on the classic spinning-reel games: Players win what they catch in their fishing box.

A single spin can result in a substantial prize, and the game’s medium volatility will appeal to entertainment players. Core gamblers will embrace the Heads or Tails Gamble feature to control their choice of volatility for a more tailored volatile playing experience.

Players can choose from penny, 2 cent and 5 cent denominations. Big Fish Grand offers a rapid-hit $20,000 fast-cash multi-site progressive.

Big Fish Grand appears on Aristocrat’s large Neptune Double cabinet, so the characters and sound get the high-tech treatment, making for a fun fishing trip.

EVERI WILL DEFEND PATENTS IN SIGHTLINE CASE

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veri Payments Inc., which has vowed to defend its patents against a lawsuit filed in September

by Sightline Payments over cashless payment technology, has officially filed a countermeasure in the case. The countersuit seeks to have the Sightline patents declared invalid.

Everi has filed a petition for inter partes review (IPR) with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trade-

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Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

mark Office. IPR is a proceeding before the PTAB where a petitioner challenges the validity of a U.S. patent by filing a petition with the PTAB against a patent owner. The timing of the IPR process is defined by statute.

“Our petition seeks invalidation of certain claims of U.S. Patent 8,708,809 (the ‘809 Patent’) owned by Sightline Partners, LLC,” said Everi in a statement. “In September 2021 Sightline filed a lawsuit against Everi asserting that Everi was infringing the 809 Patent.”

Sightline filed the lawsuit in the United States

District Court for the Western District of Texas, despite the fact that both Everi and Sightline are headquartered in Las Vegas, and the alleged infringing product is not made, used, offered for sale, or sold in the state of Texas.

“Everi believes this action is without merit and Everi will be vigorously defending the same,” Everi’s statement said. “In addition to the present petition to invalidate the 809 Patent, Everi is reviewing potential petitions for IPRs to be filed against other Sightline patents asserted in the lawsuit.”

Trade Shows Are Back!

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his month, two major trade shows and conferences are returning after a couple of years of disruption due to the pandemic.

On April 12-14, ICE returns at the ExCeL Centre in London. ICE Vox, the accompanying conference, will start a day earlier on April 11. The events were postponed from early February as concerns were raised about Covid impacts, but the change of date did little to ease that concern. Many major gaming vendors decided to wait until 2023, but the show goes on. In fact, it’s going to be even stronger, if pre-registration numbers are accurate.

Even with some defectors, there still will be over 450 suppliers exhibiting at ICE, with more than 160 expert speakers and at least 50 networking events.

Stuart Hunter, managing director for organizer Clarion Gaming, says the changes have been well publicized but it hasn’t prevented attendees from registering, pointing out that registrations are up 26 percent over 2020 as of mid March.

“Industry professionals registering now know about our temporary April dates and are aware that the show floor will look and feel different compared to previous years,” he says. “Other metrics confirm that the audience will comprise a higher proportion of senior C-Level executives as well as those industry professionals that are part of the decision-making and purchasing process. I should add that the overwhelming majority of ICE attendees register in the last 30 days prior to the event.

“Despite the difficulties facing the industry and the unavoidable problems concerning our enforced temporary dates, ICE London 2022 will be the biggest gathering of the international industry since the last edition of ICE two years ago. We are in close contact with our community of exhibitors and visitors, and to a person they are looking forward to being able to reconnect with their customers and suppliers in a live environment… Data from the

broader events industry confirm that nearly seven out of 10 buyers (69 percent) will recommend brands that they have engaged with at live events, and there’s no doubt that the return of in-person represents a major opportunity for businesses to bounce back post-Covid.”

ICE will return to its normal dates of early February in 2023.

Five days after ICE ends, an event co-produced

by Clarion and the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), Indian Gaming 2022, will kick off in Anaheim, California, April 19-22, the first visit to that city by the trade show. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the show is the largest gathering of tribal leaders and casino executives in the country.

The Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention is both the meeting place where the community gathers to learn, network and exchange industry-specific ideas and a cultural celebration of success, strength and self-reliance.

Two golf tournaments start the events on Tuesday, April 19, ending that day with the Chairman’s Welcome Reception at the House of Blues. The education sessions launch on Wednesday, with NIGA membership meetings and regional caucuses being held as well.

The trade show opens at 10 a.m. on Thursday and caps off with the show floor reception at the end of the day. The trade show continues on Friday right up to the final keynote address that closes the show at 3 p.m.

Indian Gaming 2023 is tentatively scheduled for March 27-30 at the San Diego Convention Center in California.

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ARUZE, GALAXY LAUNCH BONUS CRAPS GAME ON RTW

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ast month, Galaxy Gaming and Aruze Gaming America announced that the popular craps side wager Bonus Craps is now available on the groundbreaking semi-autonomous craps game, Roll to Win Craps.

Galaxy Gaming’s Bonus Craps bets consist of a set of three independent proposition wagers: All Small, All Tall and Make ’em All, that seamlessly integrate with Aruze Gaming’s Roll to Win Craps. Utilizing the same footprint as a traditional craps table, Roll to Win Craps allows players to shoot real dice across a 12-foot LED playing field screen, with bright LED panels displaying amazing graphics and eye-catching animations.

“Our priority is making sure we continue to thrill players with our content, however they may play,” said Todd Cravens, president and CEO of Galaxy Gaming. “Partnering with Aruze to add Bonus Craps to the popular Roll to Win Craps product is a perfect example of this.”

“Today, drawing in new players and keeping them engaged requires a portfolio of games that offer new experiences, and the combination of Bonus Craps with Roll to Win Craps does just that,” added Rob Ziems, president of Aruze Gaming. “We are excited to provide our customers and their players this enticing craps combination.”

Each person playing can see what the others are doing within the game, including their current credit count. The premise is to fire upon the invading creatures, including the Fantastic Beasts, and capture them. Each shot taken counts for game credits. When a player has killed the target, he or she receives credits. Guests can also earn additional weaponry within the game that aids them in capturing their targets.

A promotional launch continued through March 13. More than 200 guests who played Ocean Phoenix during the period were qualified to win up to $1,000 in EasyPlay.

CASINÒ DI CAMPIONE REOPENS WITH NOVOMATIC PRODUCTS

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n January 26, the newly reopened Casinò Campione welcomed returning guests with a state-of-the-art Novomatic gaming offering integrated in its gaming floors. The sophisticated choice of leading best sellers and top-performing gaming technology solutions will help the casino to successfully master its recovery.

Located in the Italian exclave of Campione d’Italia in Switzerland, Casinò Campione is one of just four Italian casinos, and ranks among the largest in Europe. It was originally opened in 1917, and in 2007 moved to the iconic futuristic building complex on the shores of Lake Lugano.

Novomatic gaming equipment has always proven popular with the casino’s guests.

GAMING ARTS’ OCEAN PHOENIX MAKES U.S. DEBUT AT PECHANGA

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n early February, guests at Pechanga Resort Casino became the first in the United States to experience Ocean Phoenix, a new game from Gaming Arts.

Officials from Pechanga, Gaming Arts and the game’s creators, Jumbo Technology Co., Ltd., celebrated the release on February 4 inside the resort in Temecula, California.

A 7.5-foot gaming console features spaces for six players. During game play, all players participate in the same game and can see the 66-inch screen in the center of the gaming area. Each player works independently to capture the game’s “Four Beasts”— the Mighty Phoenix, the Elegant Mermaid, the Ancient Crocodile and the Flawless Octopus.

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

63

Strength in Numbers

More than 160 member companies from 22 countries Nearly $21 billion in direct revenue • 61,700 employees 13 publicly traded companies • ONE POWERFUL VOICE Address worldwide industry expansion, regulatory and legislative issues • Discounts on major trade show booth space Promote responsible gaming initiatives • Updates from influential global industry leaders Advertising discounts in leading industry publications • Educational partnerships benefiting students and members Visibility in AGEM’s print advertisements • Exposure for publicly traded companies in the monthly AGEM Index Join AGEM today and work together with the world’s leading gaming suppliers.

Daron Dorsey, Executive Director +1 702 277 3641 • Daron.Dorsey@AGEM.org Tracy Cohen, Director of Europe + 44 (0) 7970 833 543 • Tracy.Cohen@AGEM.org Connie Jones, Director of Responsible Gaming +1 702 528 4374 • Connie.Jones@AGEM.org Design & photo-illustration by Jeff Farrell.com • AGEM and charter ESP member since 2007.

AGEM.org

©2022 Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). Membership list current as of March 2022.

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PEOPLE ARISTOCRAT CREATES iGAMING DIVISION, SHUFFLES MANAGEMENT

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ustralia’s Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. announced the creation of a new division dedicated to realmoney online gaming, and a shuffling of top manageHector Fernandez ment in its gaming division, at the company’s annual general meeting.

Aristocrat, while operating a social/casual gaming division for years, has been alone among the top slot suppliers in delaying the creation of a digital division. Announcement of the new division’s creation follows the failure of Aristocrat’s bid to take over London-based iGaming giant Playtech, PLC. The new Aristocrat iGaming division will join Aristocrat Gaming, which supplies slots to gaming floors, and Pixel United, the company’s social gaming division, in three units making up Aristocrat Leisure. Heading it will be Mitchell Bowen, who has been CEO of Aristocrat Gaming over the past three years.

Hector Fernandez, the company’s president, Americas for the past two years, will become the new CEO of Aristocrat Gaming. In addition, the former general manager of the company, Tom O’Brien, will become the Americas and EMEA president.

tober 2015.

A graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Kreeger’s first job in the gaming industry was with Station Casinos in 2000. Since then, Kreeger was the president and COO of Revel Resort and Casino in Atlantic City from 2013 to 2014 and worked for the SLS Las Vegas Resort and Casino and Galaxy Entertainment Group in Macau.

DORSEY TAKES REINS AT AGEM

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n March 1, Daron Dorsey officially took over as executive director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, replacing Marcus Prater, who retired after 14 years in the post.

Daron Dorsey Dorsey was formerly senior vice president, general counsel and group compliance officer for Ainsworth Game Technology. He also served as general counsel for William Hill US. He has been general counsel for AGEM since 2016. He succeeds Marcus Prater, who led AGEM for 14 years prior to his retirement.

In a farewell email, Prater welcomed Dorsey and thanked AGEM members. “I would also like to thank AGEM’s first president, the late Bob McMonigle, as well as all of the officers and member companies and the presidents under which I’ve served,” Prater said. “I’d also like to thank Director of Europe Tracy Cohen and Director of Responsible Gaming Connie Jones, for all of their contributions to AGEM’s success.”

RED ROCK APPOINTS KREEGER AS PRESIDENT

EVANGELISTA NAMED PRESIDENT OF HARD ROCK BRISTOL

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ed Rock Resorts announced last month that Scott Kreeger has been named the company’s new president. Kreeger had been the Las Vegas-based company’s senior vice president Scott Kreeger of development since September 2021.

“Scott is the right leader for Red Rock Resorts,” said Red Rock Resorts Chairman and CEO Frank Fertitta III in a statement. “Scott’s long history with the company, his knowledge of all aspects of our business and his proven leadership set the company up for continued and accelerated future growth.”

Kreeger succeeds Richard Haskins, who died in July 2020 after a watercraft accident while vacationing in Michigan. Haskins had been with Red Rock Resorts for 25 years and was president of the corporation and the operating company since Oc-

he Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol, Virginia, has announced the appointment of industry veteran Allie Evangelista as the property’s new president.

The resort is set to open in Allie Evangelista the second quarter of 2022 and will include 30,000 square feet of casino space including 900 slots, 20 table games and a sportsbook.

Evangelista will report directly to Hard Rock International CEO Jon Lucas, who said her life and career has embodied the American success story.

Evangelista began her career in 2006, working as an assistant slot operations manager in Missouri. She later worked in Iowa, Maryland and Missouri, taking on a number of leadership positions at several casinos.

Mostly recently, Evangelista was vice president and general manager of the Hollywood Casino in Perryville, Maryland.

FULL HOUSE RESORTS NAMES FERRUCCI AS COO

F

ull House Resorts is planning a temporary casino in Waukegan, Illinois, having been found “preliminarily suitable” by the state gaming board in December. As part of the plan, the company has named John Ferrucci as senJohn Ferrucci ior vice president and chief operating officer to oversee its “Temporary at American Place.”

Ferrucci will continue serving as general manager of the Silver Slipper Casino in Mississippi and overseeing operations at other Full House venues, according to the company.

Plans for American Place include a “20-guest room mansion” and a casino with more than 1,600 slot machines, 100 table games and a retail sportsbook along with fine dining options.

Full House will purchase 10 acres of property adjoining the 30 acres it will lease from Waukegan for the permanent casino. For the temporary venue, Full House will purchase a Sprung tent structure that has an area of more than one football field and will feature approximately 1,000 slots and 50 table games along with three dining options and a bar.

GGB

April 2022 Index of Advertisers

Acres Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 AGEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 American Gaming Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Aristocrat Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Aristocrat Technologies/Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Aruze Gaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Avantage Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22, 23 Axes.ai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Casino Player Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Eclipse Gaming Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Emerging Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Everi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Fantini Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Flexia Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Fox Rothschild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Gaming Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 GAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Global Gaming Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 iGaming Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 IGT Global Solutions Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 17 Incredible Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 J Carcamo & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Kambi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30, 31 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention . . . . . . .55 Novomatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Reed Expo(RX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 TransAct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Soft Construct Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Vaask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 VizExplorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Zitro International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

APRIL 2022 www.ggbmagazine.com

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CASINO COMMUNICATIONS

Q

&A Derek Stevens Owner & CEO, Circa Resort & Casino

D

erek Stevens arrived in Las Vegas in 2006 when he and his brother purchased the Golden Gate casino at the entrance to Fremont Street. A few years later, they added the former Fitzgerald’s casino, now known as the D casino hotel. And just last year, Stevens opened the crown jewel of his properties, the first brand new casino on Fremont Street in more than 50 years, the Circa Resort Casino.

Circa features the world’s largest sportsbook and a pool experience unlike anything in the world.

GGB Publisher Roger Gros sat down with Stevens at his offices in Circa in February.

GGB: How has Circa performed since you opened in the midst of the pandemic? Has it hit your benchmarks?

Derek Stevens: Everything has played out pretty

well overall. This was a five-year project, and when the pandemic hit in March of 2020, we knew we were going to be opening in 2020. So we couldn’t halt a project when you’re 85 percent of the way done. In retrospect, I feel very fortunate that we didn’t halt. We were never really going to, but those questions came up from lawyers and other bankers and folks like that. We really never considered it. But in retrospect, if we would have held off, what a calamity that would have been for a lot of different reasons.

First, the last eight months of the build we had to procure quite a bit of material. We would have had to let our staff go, and if you don’t have a crew, you can’t just snap your fingers and round up the team again. Then we would have had massive, massive supply chain issues. If we had shut down, the actual cost of the project would have probably increased a couple hundred million dollars, and the big thing is, we probably couldn’t get it done in three years.

Operationally, we did just fine. And we had a big, big step that happened in September last year, and we were able to refinance our original construction loan, and turn it into a normal conform66

Global Gaming Business APRIL 2022

ing bank loan. That’s a real big step for an organization like ours because we effectively reduced our interest rate by 8 percent. Everybody understands what it’s like to refi your mortgage at a lower rate.

Your sportsbook was the talk of the town when you first opened, along with the pools. What kind of reaction did you get from your customers when they first showed up, and has it continued to really do well?

Everything we designed here is (because) we really wanted to create those “wow” moments. And the world’s largest sportsbook is one of them. When you come out of the door at Legacy Club on the roof, that’s another “wow” moment. And then when you walk into Stadium Swim, you get that “wow” moment. That’s how we designed them, and they’re working out as they were designed. So, it’s been great.

Circa Sports also runs the sportsbooks at Joe DeSimone’s Pass casino in Henderson and the Tuscany. Has that been working out for you?

Yes, at the Pass it gives some customers the flexibility, if you happen to live in that area, to pop in.

Our location at Tuscany has been really just outstanding, to go along with our three here Downtown. We’re looking forward to adding another location here shortly.

How is Circa Sports performing in states where you’re operating it?

Right now, we’re in Colorado and Iowa, and we’ll soon be in several other states. It’s going great there and we expect to become a respected brand in the sports betting world very quickly.

In terms of the hotel, is your occupancy rate what you projected?

Yes, since the day we opened. I mean our ADR is a little higher than what we thought we would be able to get, and the occupancy has been great. The bookings have been solid, and I’m back to the old

days, where I can’t wait to go to my casino host meeting tomorrow. That’s full of arguments, because we don’t have enough suites.

It’s been kind of a chilly winter here in Vegas this year. Has the pool concept worked as you thought it would when you first started?

When it’s cold and windy in Vegas—which doesn’t happen all that often—it can get pretty chilly. But when it’s cold and windy, and you’re in the water, you hold your beer at your neck level; it’s beautiful.

Let’s say there’s a big hockey game, or a basketball game on, and there’s a lot of people at the pool.

With the dark sky in Vegas, and that big 143-foot screen, and you’re hanging around with some friends, it’s pretty cool to be out in a body of water in Vegas watching a great game.

What’s next for you? Are you happy Downtown?

Are you interested in ever looking at the Strip or beyond?

When I first bought the first property on this square block where Circa is now, the Las Vegas Club, that was August of 2015. It took five years trying to get this up and going. And remember, I’m really not a developer. I’m an operator. And I’m proud to say I’m an operator. So after five years on the development side I’m just enjoying operating this property.

We just finished our first year. So, I’ve only gotten one lap under my belt here. One Super Bowl, one March Madness. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to say, “OK, we’ve done this once.

Now make it better.” We’re all about continuous improvement, and I’m going to enjoy operating here.

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