Inside Asian Gaming

March 2013 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 39 Tech Talk and counting chips is time-consuming. With virtual chips, games played per hour increases by about 30%while also increasing game security and accuracy. Problems and cheating [such as short-stacking in roulette] are also eliminated.” The system currently is available for blackjack and roulette. FutureLogic has opened an entirely new front in the war against down time with its TableXchange system, which transforms ticket-in/ticket-out into a common currency for tables and slots. Developed in conjunction with ATM giant Global Cash Access , TableXchange is mounted on the table. Players can walk straight up to a game with a TITO ticket in hand and start playing. No need to stop at the cage or a kiosk. The player hands their TITO voucher to the dealer. TableXchange scans and displays the voucher value on an LCD touchscreen, allowing the player, dealer and surveillance to confirm the cash amount. The player then receives chips and a voucher for any cash balance. To cash out, the dealer simply collects and enters the value of the player’s chips on the numeric keypad, and the device prints a voucher for the player and a receipt for the drop box. Hands per hour are increased, the volume of chips leaving the table is dramatically decreased, and therefore the number of chip fills and the time it takes to complete them. TableXchange also incorporates a mag- stripe reader to record and update loyalty cards, enabling players to receive points or other rewards for their play. It also prints promotional coupons and audit reports on demand. FutureLogic has been tweaking the system based on suggestions from casinos and players—“enhancements that ensure its compatibility with ticket generation systems and gaming regulations around the world,” says John Edmunds, vice president of Global Product Management. “Additional features include the issuance of change tickets for players bringing TITO tickets from slot machines to play on table games with minimum stakes, and receipt tickets and audit tickets to ensure all table transactions can be netted out accurately and efficiently at the end of each shift.” Table Trac , meanwhile, has brought its own innovative thinking to the currency issue with a system called TiTa, a micro- ticket redemption and issuing device aimed at reliably and securely boosting revenues and reducing costs. TiTa accomplishes this through a smartphone or tablet PC in the system’s core, which is linked to a camera that scans bar codes. The system is connected to a printer that issues tickets on cash-out which can then be inserted into a slot machine and played same as cash. Optimal Management Table Trac offers some inspired solutions in the area of systems as well, like the new TTrac2 Pit System, which helps supervisors track the action at floor level. It integrates seamlessly with the company’s CasinoTrac casino management system to processes table play information, markers, front money and chips via a user-friendly touchscreen interface. It automatically processes fill and credit requests, automates player-tracking and brings a new accuracy to calculating comps by providing management in the pit with information in real time. It even adds value to the player’s experience with unique reward and bonusing features like Hot Seats and iProgressive. Tangam Systems’ Table Yield Management is changing the way casinos typically use data. It automatically analyzes head counts and other key metrics to help management align game mix, spread and pricingwith demand at specific time periods, providing management with real-time alerts to prompt them when exactly to open or close games and adjust bet minimums as action fluctuates during the day. “This eliminates having dealers sitting idle at tables at times, or not having enough tables open when players demand it at other times,” says George McDonough, customer relations director at Tangam. “Likewise, TYM enables pit bosses to plan to have the optimum number of [tables] open as patrons require and bet limits priced to the crowd throughout the day.” Casinos usingTYM report profit increases from 7 to 10%, he says. Genesis Gaming offers a similar solution for poker in the form of Bravo Poker, an end- to-end solution that incorporates on-table tracking to accurately monitor and analyze play across an entire room. “Poker roomsupervisors canmonitor and manage most poker room functions, such as player tracking, lobby tracking, game setup and maintenance and waiting list functions,” explains Randy Knust, president of Genesis Gaming. “It also compiles room statistics, player history and measures dealer speed, kiosk utilization, promotion tracking and complete tournament management.” Reprinted with permission from Casino Journal . Table Trac’s TTrac2 Pit helps supervisors track the action at floor level. Screenshot of Tangam Systems’Table Yield Management in action. TableXchange products from FutureLogic and Global Cash Access