The kiosk advantage
The kiosk advantage
Money-handling kiosks are providing additional ways to put gaming cash in the hands of players in less time
By James J. Hodl
In our ever-evolving self-service society, kiosks now provide casino-resort patrons with more control over their activities while virtually eliminating the long lines at cashier cages. But kiosks are also increasingly providing benefits for casinos, ranging from helping run promotional events to assisting the move toward a cashless gaming environment.
"Kiosks are currently becoming more plentiful on gaming floors because they fulfill the most basic need of casino patrons: to provide easy access to money," said Mark Sutherlin, director of sales with Sparks, Nev.-based Western Money Systems.
"Judicious placement of kiosks around the gaming floor enables patrons to quickly replenish their cash supply so they can continue playing without having to abandon a favorite slot machine to visit a cashier station. And because manufacturers are continually redesigning cash-vending kiosks to provide a higher level of service, the acquisition of more gaming cash can now take only seconds," he added.
To properly serve current patron needs for cash access, Sutherlin recommends that casinos have one kiosk for every 100 slot machines. However, some casinos that have increased the ratio-such as the Temecula, Calif.-located Pechanga Resort & Casino, which has one kiosk for every 50 slots-and have seen increases in play that have raised revenues, he said.
Consumer confidence
The evolution of kiosks has closely followed the consumer acceptance of alternate payment systems.
"The original casino kiosks were essentially converted ATMs," said Ron Hicks, vice president of sales at Automated Currency Instruments (ACI) in Las Vegas. "In addition to the usual ATM functions of providing cash from card holder's bank accounts, these casino-designed kiosks also converted banknotes to coins, counted and converted coins back to banknotes, and converted slot tickets to cash."
Not only does this speed transactions for patrons, but it also reduces labor costs by minimizing the need for cashiers working cages or personnel prowling the gaming floor converting banknotes to coins, he said.
But newer kiosks provide additional functions, he noted. ACI's Gen 2 kiosks, introduced last year, also break large banknotes into smaller denominations, provide cash from credit and debit cards (and newer check cards), and provide cash advances. Gen 2 also works with a casino's player card to enable holders to check their player points, and to print vouchers and coupons accrued through play. The coin counting and dispensing function, however, is gone.
Gen 2 also reflects another trend in kiosks: larger capacity. The bill validator in Gen 2 has a 4,000 banknote capacity, made possible not only by increasing the number of bills held in each cash cassette (from 275 to 800 notes), but also increasing the number of internal cassettes from four (in the earlier ATR kiosk) to six, Hicks said. The result is less downtime for cash drops and refills, which keeps the cash flowing to needy players.
ACI is also bringing to market a separate players club kiosk that performs only the player card-related tasks of the Gen 2 and doesn't dispense cash.
"One thing casinos don't want to do is move the lines from the cashier stations to the money-transferring kiosks," Sutherlin said. "To provide speedier completion of player cash transactions, Western Money Systems has introduced the CX2 All-in-One Xchange multi-function kiosk that enables two different cash transactions by two different players to be completed simultaneously. This is because it's a two-sided unit."
A typical CX2 provides ATM functionality on one side and ticket redemption and banknote breaking on the other, Sutherlin explained. But these kiosks can be customized to casino needs, including the provision of player reward services.
Each CX2 has six banknote drawers that enable players to get their cash in any denomination they want. Typical kiosks will dispense only $100 and $20 banknotes, requiring patrons to take these bills elsewhere to break them into lower denominations. But according to Sutherlin, people who want all $5 or $10 bills can request it without further bill breaking, as this kiosk dispenses bills from the same drawers on both sides. As each drawer has a 3,000 banknote capacity, drawers do not have to be refilled as often as smaller kiosks, or be subject to emergency refills on busy Saturday nights, he added.
CX2 is intended for installation in heavy traffic areas, requiring a 32-inch by 38-inch footprint.
Cashless currency
By being able to process transactions involving credit, debit and cash cards, the newer kiosks are moving players toward the goal of some casinos to create a cashless gaming environment. The result will be greater productivity in money-handling and accounting tasks for casinos, said Tom Sears, executive vice president of Global Cash Access (GCA) in Las Vegas.
"Cash is inconvenient. There is really no incentive to carry it any more," he explained. Cash is bulky and needs constant counting and processing. Doing away with it on the gaming floor in favor of an electronic-based transfer system will greatly reduce the need for employees to perform those tasks. Not carrying cash also benefits patrons, as it makes them a less inviting target for robbers, he added.
To move the era of cashless gaming closer, GCA has developed the EDITH (Electronic Debit Interaction Terminal Housing) kiosk, which is currently in pilot testing at several casinos nationwide. This compact kiosk, when placed at the end of a row of slot machines, enables players to quickly purchase slot-or ticket-in/ticket-out-vouchers with their debit card. The kiosk is easy to use, as players simply insert and remove their debit card, enter their PIN and request the amount. Upon approval of the transaction, EDITH's printer dispenses a bar-coded slot voucher that can be inserted into any TITO-enabled slot machine on the gaming floor or redeemed at a cashier station. EDITH also prints a receipt of the transaction on request.
"We see EDITH as a stepping stone product that will get gamers more comfortable with cashless gaming," Sears said.
Not all kiosks are for patron use. The jackpotXchange offered by Western Money Systems allows casino employees to process jackpots through a casino's slot accounting system and to then dispense the proper amount in cash or printed jackpot slips (along with W2G tax forms). By putting a large sum of cash in a pouch for immediate presentation, players' abilities to personally handle it makes them truly feel like winners, which creates player loyalty and good word-of-mouth for the casino.
Use of the system is limited to those employees who insert employee cards along with a special password. And two employees can process a jackpot award at the same time, Sutherlin said.
Although jackpotXchange has a factory-set limit on payouts to a maximum $9,999, casinos can adjust the maximum to any lower figure. Most casinos set their top cash limit at $3,000 to $5,000, preferring all higher jackpots be paid by check, said Mike Aughney, Western Money Systems' service manager.
An upgraded version of this system, called the employeeXchange, is currently in testing and is expected to be marketed later this year. The updated system enables casinos to limit access not only to designated employees, but also to the designated
employees' shifts. Instant password-protected access through the Internet enables casinos to alter employee-access schedules as required. An optional biometric fingerprint verification system is available for further assurance that only authorized personnel access the system to secure jackpot payouts.
Promotional possibilities
Besides putting the green stuff or its TITO stand-in in players' hands, kiosks are also available to help casinos promote additional play and reward those who play longer.
The Kiosk Management System (KMS) from Fargo, N.D.-based DataCom Inc. has the ability to integrate casino promotions through the player tracking system, said Timothy J. Pudwill, DataCom CEO and president.
"KMS is a complete, self-contained promotional center where all daily and weekly promotional offers can be automated and redeemed," Pudwill explained. All patrons need to do to participate is to swipe a player card.
Through KMS, patrons can earn points for the amount of cash wagered over a specified period, which can be redeemed for cash, rooms at the adjoining hotel, dinners or other incentives. Players can also participate in promotional events determined by the outcome of professional or college sporting events by swiping their player card and entering their picks. Players can check back at intervals at the kiosk to see how they are doing and confirm the number of people playing that day, which determines the size of the prize.
The software-based KMS provides numerous options for participating in slots tournaments. When a tournament is declared, players can enter by swiping their player card and choosing which division to play in (penny, quarter slots, etc.), Pudwill noted. Then during the time of the tournament, participants can play any machine on the gaming floor in their division and even move to different machines, as their card will identify them to the central computer. Players in each division posting the highest winnings during the tournament period will receive additional winnings, which the kiosks will print up as vouchers for redeeming at the cashier station.
The system also has kiosk-based bonus promotions to increase their rewards. These include "Calico Jack's Royal Fortune," where players winning random drawings while playing can play a bonus round by selection from four on-screen treasure chests for a chance to double the reward. "Win Wheel" enables players to increase their earned bonus points by up to 10 times by spinning an on-screen wheel. These features can be triggered by casinos to promote additional play during off-peak hours, Pudwill said.
KMS also includes management programs that casinos can use to analyze the success of promotions, evaluate individual players and plan future marketing promotions.
In the future, GCA's Sears sees casino kiosks offering additional cash services with greater security to gamers.
GCA already offers the Automated Cashier Machine (ACM) that provides complete ATM, debit and credit card cash advances, Western Union money transfers (a GCA exclusive) and QuikCredit services without assistance from cage employees. Players also can use ACMs to redeem and receive coupons. To assure full security of all transactions, ACM has a built-in biometric facial recognition system.
GCA has also introduced Arriva, the first credit card that specifically meets the needs of casinos and their patrons. In addition to usual credit card features, Arriva offers better rates and terms on cash advances, and a loyalty program tied to the issuing casino. Benefits to casinos (it is being offered at Harrah's casinos) include providing patrons with a new source of credit at no risk to the casino, Sears said.
Money-handling kiosks are providing additional ways to put gaming cash in the hands of players in less time
By James J. Hodl
In our ever-evolving self-service society, kiosks now provide casino-resort patrons with more control over their activities while virtually eliminating the long lines at cashier cages. But kiosks are also increasingly providing benefits for casinos, ranging from helping run promotional events to assisting the move toward a cashless gaming environment.
"Kiosks are currently becoming more plentiful on gaming floors because they fulfill the most basic need of casino patrons: to provide easy access to money," said Mark Sutherlin, director of sales with Sparks, Nev.-based Western Money Systems.
"Judicious placement of kiosks around the gaming floor enables patrons to quickly replenish their cash supply so they can continue playing without having to abandon a favorite slot machine to visit a cashier station. And because manufacturers are continually redesigning cash-vending kiosks to provide a higher level of service, the acquisition of more gaming cash can now take only seconds," he added.
To properly serve current patron needs for cash access, Sutherlin recommends that casinos have one kiosk for every 100 slot machines. However, some casinos that have increased the ratio-such as the Temecula, Calif.-located Pechanga Resort & Casino, which has one kiosk for every 50 slots-and have seen increases in play that have raised revenues, he said.
Consumer confidence
The evolution of kiosks has closely followed the consumer acceptance of alternate payment systems.
"The original casino kiosks were essentially converted ATMs," said Ron Hicks, vice president of sales at Automated Currency Instruments (ACI) in Las Vegas. "In addition to the usual ATM functions of providing cash from card holder's bank accounts, these casino-designed kiosks also converted banknotes to coins, counted and converted coins back to banknotes, and converted slot tickets to cash."
Not only does this speed transactions for patrons, but it also reduces labor costs by minimizing the need for cashiers working cages or personnel prowling the gaming floor converting banknotes to coins, he said.
But newer kiosks provide additional functions, he noted. ACI's Gen 2 kiosks, introduced last year, also break large banknotes into smaller denominations, provide cash from credit and debit cards (and newer check cards), and provide cash advances. Gen 2 also works with a casino's player card to enable holders to check their player points, and to print vouchers and coupons accrued through play. The coin counting and dispensing function, however, is gone.
Gen 2 also reflects another trend in kiosks: larger capacity. The bill validator in Gen 2 has a 4,000 banknote capacity, made possible not only by increasing the number of bills held in each cash cassette (from 275 to 800 notes), but also increasing the number of internal cassettes from four (in the earlier ATR kiosk) to six, Hicks said. The result is less downtime for cash drops and refills, which keeps the cash flowing to needy players.
ACI is also bringing to market a separate players club kiosk that performs only the player card-related tasks of the Gen 2 and doesn't dispense cash.
"One thing casinos don't want to do is move the lines from the cashier stations to the money-transferring kiosks," Sutherlin said. "To provide speedier completion of player cash transactions, Western Money Systems has introduced the CX2 All-in-One Xchange multi-function kiosk that enables two different cash transactions by two different players to be completed simultaneously. This is because it's a two-sided unit."
A typical CX2 provides ATM functionality on one side and ticket redemption and banknote breaking on the other, Sutherlin explained. But these kiosks can be customized to casino needs, including the provision of player reward services.
Each CX2 has six banknote drawers that enable players to get their cash in any denomination they want. Typical kiosks will dispense only $100 and $20 banknotes, requiring patrons to take these bills elsewhere to break them into lower denominations. But according to Sutherlin, people who want all $5 or $10 bills can request it without further bill breaking, as this kiosk dispenses bills from the same drawers on both sides. As each drawer has a 3,000 banknote capacity, drawers do not have to be refilled as often as smaller kiosks, or be subject to emergency refills on busy Saturday nights, he added.
CX2 is intended for installation in heavy traffic areas, requiring a 32-inch by 38-inch footprint.
Cashless currency
By being able to process transactions involving credit, debit and cash cards, the newer kiosks are moving players toward the goal of some casinos to create a cashless gaming environment. The result will be greater productivity in money-handling and accounting tasks for casinos, said Tom Sears, executive vice president of Global Cash Access (GCA) in Las Vegas.
"Cash is inconvenient. There is really no incentive to carry it any more," he explained. Cash is bulky and needs constant counting and processing. Doing away with it on the gaming floor in favor of an electronic-based transfer system will greatly reduce the need for employees to perform those tasks. Not carrying cash also benefits patrons, as it makes them a less inviting target for robbers, he added.
To move the era of cashless gaming closer, GCA has developed the EDITH (Electronic Debit Interaction Terminal Housing) kiosk, which is currently in pilot testing at several casinos nationwide. This compact kiosk, when placed at the end of a row of slot machines, enables players to quickly purchase slot-or ticket-in/ticket-out-vouchers with their debit card. The kiosk is easy to use, as players simply insert and remove their debit card, enter their PIN and request the amount. Upon approval of the transaction, EDITH's printer dispenses a bar-coded slot voucher that can be inserted into any TITO-enabled slot machine on the gaming floor or redeemed at a cashier station. EDITH also prints a receipt of the transaction on request.
"We see EDITH as a stepping stone product that will get gamers more comfortable with cashless gaming," Sears said.
Not all kiosks are for patron use. The jackpotXchange offered by Western Money Systems allows casino employees to process jackpots through a casino's slot accounting system and to then dispense the proper amount in cash or printed jackpot slips (along with W2G tax forms). By putting a large sum of cash in a pouch for immediate presentation, players' abilities to personally handle it makes them truly feel like winners, which creates player loyalty and good word-of-mouth for the casino.
Use of the system is limited to those employees who insert employee cards along with a special password. And two employees can process a jackpot award at the same time, Sutherlin said.
Although jackpotXchange has a factory-set limit on payouts to a maximum $9,999, casinos can adjust the maximum to any lower figure. Most casinos set their top cash limit at $3,000 to $5,000, preferring all higher jackpots be paid by check, said Mike Aughney, Western Money Systems' service manager.
An upgraded version of this system, called the employeeXchange, is currently in testing and is expected to be marketed later this year. The updated system enables casinos to limit access not only to designated employees, but also to the designated
employees' shifts. Instant password-protected access through the Internet enables casinos to alter employee-access schedules as required. An optional biometric fingerprint verification system is available for further assurance that only authorized personnel access the system to secure jackpot payouts.
Promotional possibilities
Besides putting the green stuff or its TITO stand-in in players' hands, kiosks are also available to help casinos promote additional play and reward those who play longer.
The Kiosk Management System (KMS) from Fargo, N.D.-based DataCom Inc. has the ability to integrate casino promotions through the player tracking system, said Timothy J. Pudwill, DataCom CEO and president.
"KMS is a complete, self-contained promotional center where all daily and weekly promotional offers can be automated and redeemed," Pudwill explained. All patrons need to do to participate is to swipe a player card.
Through KMS, patrons can earn points for the amount of cash wagered over a specified period, which can be redeemed for cash, rooms at the adjoining hotel, dinners or other incentives. Players can also participate in promotional events determined by the outcome of professional or college sporting events by swiping their player card and entering their picks. Players can check back at intervals at the kiosk to see how they are doing and confirm the number of people playing that day, which determines the size of the prize.
The software-based KMS provides numerous options for participating in slots tournaments. When a tournament is declared, players can enter by swiping their player card and choosing which division to play in (penny, quarter slots, etc.), Pudwill noted. Then during the time of the tournament, participants can play any machine on the gaming floor in their division and even move to different machines, as their card will identify them to the central computer. Players in each division posting the highest winnings during the tournament period will receive additional winnings, which the kiosks will print up as vouchers for redeeming at the cashier station.
The system also has kiosk-based bonus promotions to increase their rewards. These include "Calico Jack's Royal Fortune," where players winning random drawings while playing can play a bonus round by selection from four on-screen treasure chests for a chance to double the reward. "Win Wheel" enables players to increase their earned bonus points by up to 10 times by spinning an on-screen wheel. These features can be triggered by casinos to promote additional play during off-peak hours, Pudwill said.
KMS also includes management programs that casinos can use to analyze the success of promotions, evaluate individual players and plan future marketing promotions.
In the future, GCA's Sears sees casino kiosks offering additional cash services with greater security to gamers.
GCA already offers the Automated Cashier Machine (ACM) that provides complete ATM, debit and credit card cash advances, Western Union money transfers (a GCA exclusive) and QuikCredit services without assistance from cage employees. Players also can use ACMs to redeem and receive coupons. To assure full security of all transactions, ACM has a built-in biometric facial recognition system.
GCA has also introduced Arriva, the first credit card that specifically meets the needs of casinos and their patrons. In addition to usual credit card features, Arriva offers better rates and terms on cash advances, and a loyalty program tied to the issuing casino. Benefits to casinos (it is being offered at Harrah's casinos) include providing patrons with a new source of credit at no risk to the casino, Sears said.
