Inside Asian Gaming

March 2009 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 35 BMM Compliance purposes other than compliance. An example is that if an operator wants to do some in-house assurance testing on products it is interested in using on the casino floor, it can actually ‘outsource’ that testing to BMM Compliance. The potential benefits of such a strategy include increased quality of the in-house tests; a reduction in the time needed to bring the product to market; and a reduction in overall testing costs. BMM stresses that such outsourcing does not create a conflict of interest or compromise the final compliance process, because of its contractual commitment to probity and to the highest technical standards. That compact is with the regulator as well as the industry. Outstanding offer BMM says its ability to work with its customers in providing these additional services, distinguishes it from other test labs. “We try to differentiate ourselves in the market with the services we provide,” says Peter Turner, Managing Director, Australia Asia Pacific for BMM Compliance. BMM adds that a number of what it describes as significant emerging gaming machine manufacturers in Asia are already taking advantage of BMM’s full range of services. These include: BMM Delta Report If you have a gaming product that you want certified in a regulated market, BMM can perform an initial ‘gap review’ followed by a Delta Report. The term ‘gap’ refers to the difference between one jurisdiction’s requirements and another. For example, in the case where a product has already been certified or cleared for use in Jurisdiction A, there may still be some issues to clarify in Jurisdiction B. That difference is the ‘gap’. On the basis of that gap review, BMM provides a Delta Report, so named from the ancient Greek letter ‘Δ’ which in modern maths and physics is used to denote change or difference. The Delta Report outlines the potential issues that would need to be addressed for the product, system or component to become certified under one or more of the gaming standards used around the world. BMM System Interoperability Testing This can be done on-site or in BMM’s test labs. A considerable amount of interoperability testing may be required in those cases where discrete technologies and systems are required to interact on the casino floor or back of house. This testing requires detailed knowledge of both the gaming machines and the systems, says BMM. The company stresses it has this necessary know-how, ensuring operators are not left with poorly performing equipment or systems. A key element in achieving this outcome is that interoperabilitytestingisfairandtransparent, ensuring the different participants are clear about their responsibilities, adds BMM. This avoids the sort of circular situation where a gaming machine manufacturer ends up blaming a systems provider, and the systems provider in turn points a finger at the manufacturer. In such a pass-the- parcel situation, the regulator and operator can easily end up losing confidence in the suppliers and therefore in the integrity of the technical structure they have created in that jurisdiction. BMM General Testing Services BMM’s general testing services include coverage of: slot machines and games; electronic table games; slot management systems (SMS); casino management systems (CMS); jackpot systems; wagering systems, lottery and keno systems, and loyalty systems. BMM says it can perform full pre- compliance, assurance and user acceptance testing services on any commercial product. These services can cover the full testing phase or be a supplement to the operator’s in-house testing team. The company says many of its customers have benefited greatly from these services in cases where they have previously incurred high in-house testing costs. BMM’s general testing services canbe combinedwithBMM’s compliance testing services to provide an especially robust analysis of the quality and suitability of gaming machines and systems. BMM Compliance Testing and Certification Services BMM says it offers this service under licence to the various regulated gaming jurisdictions around the world. These certifications are required for gaming machines or systems to be accepted by the various regulators for commercial sale in the various jurisdictions. BMM Advice Services BMM says it utilises its wide experience in different markets to offer advice services as a distinctproducttoregulators,manufacturers, suppliers and operators. These services relate to jurisdictional standards and testing processes, methodologies and metrics. Overview Gaming compliance covers a huge range of topics. BMM says the common factor is that effective compliance and testing is integral to the success of the industry at every stage of market maturity and within every function. In that sense compliance and testing can be viewed not as costs but as opportunities to support consumers, build margins for operators, maintain and enhance gaming’s contribution to society through taxation and ultimately to maintain confidence in the system. Without that confidence it’s hard, if not impossible, for the gaming industry to function and ultimately to prosper for the benefit of all.