Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | April 2008 12 RFID agement and player activity to be processed quickly and just as im- portantly, comprehensibly. The demand for such technology is being stimulated by developments in computer management systems and by competition between operators seeking to maximise their profits and demanding ever more efficient use of their gaming facilities. “The first and obvious benefit of RFID is that it adds an unparal- leled new level of security to gaming chips. But RFID chips as data carriers with the appropriate readers or data collectors and comput- er systems open a totally new and very large spectrum of benefits. On one side of the spectrum is the security of the chip tracking, what we call Casino Currency Control™; on the other side of the spectrum is player tracking and table management,” explains Mr Leparoux. “High frequency RFID chips and other associated products mean casinos now have the necessary tools to manage their tables as ef- ficiently as their slots.” Partnership To take advantage of this development, GPI has developed a stra- tegic relationshipwithProgressiveGaming International Corporation, the proprietary owner of 13.56 MHz PJM RFID technology as applied to the gaming industry. Progressive Gaming’s Phase Jitter Modula- tion system,developed under licence from the Australian technology company Magellan, allows RFID to read almost instantaneously large quantities of casino chips with RFID stored either horizontally in chip trays or vertically in play during live games. “In January 2006, Progressive Gaming gave GPI the right to buy the Magel- lan 13.56 RFID tags to make casino gaming chips, exclusive for the US market and non-exclusive for the rest of the world,” says Mr Leparoux. Encouraged by the level of interest shown by the gaming industry, GPI developed efficient ways to embed the 13.56 RFID tags in all of its well known andwidely accepted B&G, Paulson and Bud Jones casino chips and B&G jetons and plaques. Demand Since then, GPI has supplied this high frequency RFID system to major Macau casinos including StarWorld, Wynn Macau and Crown Macau, as well as several US casinos, such as the soon-to-open MGM Grand at Foxwoods. “GPI recognizes that establishing strong partnerships is crucial,” says Mr Charlier. “We continue to enhance our strategic alliance with Progressive Gaming and indirectly with International Game Technol- ogy in order to accelerate the acceptance of casino chips with Pro- gressive Gaming /Magellan High Frequency RFID.” IGT is a partner with Progressive Gaming and ShuffleMaster Inc in the development of Table iD™, an automated system combining table management software, RFID chip tracking, bonus management and image-based card recognition. New products Mr Leparoux says GPI is also working on creating a line of high frequency RFID readers similar to its low frequency RFID readers. “Casinos interested in table management applications have the possibility to first start with chip tracking hardware and applications totally compatible with Progressive Gaming’s systems,”he adds. “Asia should be a good market for us again this year. In Macau the sector is certainly very competitive, but we also see huge growth potential in Korea, Cambodia, The Philippines and the new market coming on stream soon in Singapore,” says Mr Leparoux. Anti-fraud “GPI is more than ever positioning itself as the world leading provider of RFID chips. Despite the de- velopment of RFID, a casino chip still needs to be so- phisticated enough to deter counterfeiters and address each casino’s operational needs. In that respect, there is still a need for traditional security features such as high security holograms, see-through inserts, UV inks and pigments and laser pigments, that only a specialised, reputable manufacturer such as GPI can provide,”he explains. “Electronic gaming is getting more and more popular.But for live games in land casinos, the ability of players to handle chips at the table is a very important part of the experience. “I think chips will be around as long as live games are around.”