Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | May 2009 34 Slots Market I t’s been a Holy Grail of sorts for casino operators—the ability to reach out to your players while they’re sitting in front of a slot machine. The immediacy of such real-time offers can go a long way toward engendering loyalty, increasing play and return visits, and boosting revenues throughout the property. Many slot developers andmanufacturers have developed, or are developing, tools that allow for just that kind of interaction. Rich Schneider, executive vice president of product strategy for IGT, recalled the strategy of Acres Gaming (later acquired by IGT), and its Acres Bonusing. “If you look at what we were trying to do there was we were really trying to give the operator the tools to differentiate their gaming experience from that of their competitors,” he said. “What ended up being a real ceiling was the inability to really communicate with the player in a truly effective manner.” The small NextGen screens, and similar products from other manufacturers, are still strong tools for casinos to use, “but they’re [located] kind of away from the focal point of the player,” he said. Schneider maintains much more power lies in communicating with players right on the gaming machine screen through IGT’s Service Window technology. Other ways that casinos communicate directly with players is through casino hosts, who are very effective, but are limited, and direct mail, which is expensive and slow, and Web-based initiatives. “Fundamentally, the real problem is they’re all kinds of latent forms of communication that happen only after that consumer leaves the property,” he said. Some detractors have questioned the wisdom of interrupting the gaming experience with such offers, but Schneider said IGT’s Service Window isn’t disruptive. Communications via the Service Window technology would occur at “certain key moments,” such as when a player is buying in, cashing out, or enjoying a big win, Schneider said. “You can reach out to the customer in a cost effective manner to provide direct communication that is not only real time and immediate but based on immediate experiences,” he said. For instance, Schneider said, a casino, through player tracking, can help leave a player who has just completed a big losing session with a more satisfying experience by offering a promotion to return with a free play coupon or dinner at one of its restaurants. Or, he said, the Service Window could be used for community bonusing events, or just to highlight a regular promotion. “If you’re an operator and you’re trying to compete and you can only reach out to your players every two weeks, if you can offer those same promotions on an hourly basis directly, I just have to believe that there’s true benefit and value there.” Instead of being annoyed, players will be receptive, Schneider said, adding he can’t envision players complaining, that “I wish you’d quit bothering me with all those winning awards.” Among the other upsides for such interaction, he said, are the increased recognition that players receive and the added excitement to the casino experience. Development of new applications will come over time, he said. “We’re just going to have to learn about what works and what doesn’t work in that space,” he said. Schneider wouldn’t give specifics or timeframes, but he said Service Window applications should find their way onto machinesatMGMMirage’sCityCenterproject, which will open with server-based gaming by the end of 2009, and at other casino properties that have been experimenting with IGT’server-based products. “They’vebeenprettysavvyatrecognizing new technology and being the first to buy in and then enjoying the benefits of being an early adopter. It’s certainly our hope that the cycle will repeat itself,” he said of MGM Mirage. “We’re working with them on a host of customer service and bonusing related applications.” Another important point, Schneider said, is that IGT has been careful to architect the product so that it doesn’t create issues with regulators and yet can be changed frequently and easily. Another company that is making inroads in this arena is Las Vegas Gaming Inc., which has an agreement with IGT to develop applications for the Service Window. LVGI last fall developed the first third-party application for the Service Window. At theGlobal GamingExpo inNovember, LVGI showcased an application, using IGT’s sbX Media Manager interface to deliver service through IGT’s award-winning Service Window. Las Vegas Gaming President and CEO Jon Berkley said his company was able to completely integrate its application within a few short weeks of receiving IGT’s sbX Media Manager interface specifications. Commenting on its agreement to develop applications for IGT, Berkley said LVGI looks forward to working with IGT to Marketing at the Slot Machine Manufacturers, casinos see benefits of reaching out to customers while they’re playing their favorite slots