Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | November 2012 30 Gaming Support T hink about this not-so-uncommon dilemma. A bank of slot machines on a casino floor is significantly underperforming similar slots. What’s a casino to do? It could buy some new games, but at prices often running in the US$15,000 to $20,000 neighborhood that’s not always an option. A casino can lease newgames, but that requires paying fees or sharing revenue, which is not always desirable either, and not a legal option in every market (Macau, for instance). That’s where Gaming Support believes its BonusBox can serve casinos well. For a price tag closer to $3,000, this sleek, cylindrical device mounts next to a slot machine, displaying an alluring prize that can be won simply by playing the game. “Instead of trying to replace the game, it’s a lot cheaper to put something like this on and try to get a little bit more life out of your game,” says Don Baugh, chief executive of Gaming Support USA, which showcased the innovative new offering at last month’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. With BonusBox added adjacent to a game and connected to a slot system, “You still have your normal pays and everything, but in addition you have this additional prize to play for,” Mr Baugh explains. “So, as you’re playing, it keeps giving you some indication that your play is having some effect, and eventually we have a winner. A voice announces, ‘We have a winner!’ and there are fireworks sound effects. It goes through a little celebration—and it actually opens up to allow the person to grab the money or prize.” At G2E, Gaming Support didn’t have to send interested customers far to see BonusBox in action—15 of themare installed at The Palazzo, which is directly connected to the Sands Expo and Convention Center, where the show was held. Other US installations include Red Rock Hotel Casino Spa in Las Vegas, The Cannery in North Las Vegas and the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana. It’s catching on globally too. In Gaming Support’s home country of the Netherlands, Holland Casinos is a customer. And the word is spreading to Asia, where installations have beencompletedat Singapore’s ResortsWorld Sentosa and at City of Dreams in Macau. “The best part about it is it’s actually doing what we tell [casinos] it’s going to do,” says Mr Baugh. “It lifts their win on the game by 25% or more. At some locations, we’ve actually doubled their win.” Gaming Support encourages the use of cash prizes because of their universal appeal (and, of course, because the winnings are often reinvested in the machine). But popular prizes also include iPods, restaurant coupons and tickets to shows and sporting events. “It definitely attracts customers and drives them to the game,” Mr Baugh says. He notes that players appreciate that it’s Eyes on the Prizes Transforming a slot machine into a cornucopia of extra wins—that’s what Gaming Support’s new BonusBox does, adding a fresh dimension to the player experience and delivering more to the casino’s bottom line