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Editorial

Coin conundrum far from over

By Marian Green

If only slot operators could know for sure. Do players prefer tickets? Are the sounds of coins clinking into the machine tray truly an important part of the gaming experience? Do clean hands really outweigh the sensory experience of raking in a pile of quarters or dollar tokens? Will an EFT transaction someday become the norm, just as most people now forgo the trip inside a service station to pay for gas in favor of a cashless transaction at the pump? Will the time come when players will simply swipe their credit card right at the machine?

Just what do customers want? We know what they don't want. They don't want long waits for hand pays and hopper fills. Which means they will consider alternatives that improve customer service.

And, more important, players want choices. They don't want a payment method shoved down their throats. The gas station, for example, still lets customers pay the cashier. But most customers choose to process their transaction at the pump - via gas card, credit card, debit card, cash or, in the case of one company, a fast pass and be on their way.

International Game Technology's EZ Pay ticket-in, ticket-out is making inroads in giving players choices. Its initial installations have been well-received by players, and the product got a major boost when Park Place Entertainment committed to buying 15,000 EZ Pay-equipped machines.

But it's not the only game in town, as Barona, Turning Stone, Mohegan Sun and other casinos that have gone down different paths can attest. Others have yet to decide what represents a significant expense, preferring to watch and wait a while before leaping in.

Perhaps with good reason, as two recent developments indicate.
Isle of Capri Casinos is betting that start-up company Ardent Gaming's electronic key fob-like device will become the latest cutting-edge trend in casino cash alternatives. Called Easy Money, it allows a player to buy value stored on a central computer and use the device at slot machines and table games, as well as in restaurants and shops. Isle of Capri is a partner in the venture, which will pursue licensing first in Mississippi.

Then there's Innovative Gaming Corp. of America, which announced in August that it holds patents to allow use of charge cards on slot machines. IGCA cites potential benefits of eliminating the player's need to carry cash; minimizing slot operations headaches; alleviating problem gambling by letting players set fund limits; and detecting underage gamblers.

The coinless/cashless evolution is in its first innings. And it may very well be headed for extra innings.

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