Inside Asian Gaming

August 2016 inside asian gaming 33 world as it is not just size of data that matters, it is also diversity of sources. A Big Data survey by NewVenture partners concluded, “The most important goal and potential reward of Big Data initiatives is the ability to analyze diverse data sources and new data types, not managing very large data sets.” This survey has serious implications for the casino industry. Consider the diversity of traditional data sources in the casino industry today, with systems like slot and table player tracking, slot and table accounting, cage accounting, bingo-poker- sports, hotel, food and beverage, employee tracking, valet, spa and many others. New sources abound such as social media, VIP player communications and preferences, and many others as the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more and more relevant to our business. To say “we don’t have Big Data” just because your data volumes are below some threshold like 10 terabytes doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s not the size of the data that matters, it is the diversity. The key is having a strategy for dealing with and taking advantage of the strong diversity in available data. A NEW THING The current big shift in the world is the movement to the Internet of Things. Quite simply, the IoT is connecting all manner of devices to the internet. For example, Google Nest is a smoke and carbon dioxide detector designed to replace the simple but annoying when- Features “A vast crew is required to operate a gaming property and this staff sets the tone for how the facility interacts with its customers … in the Smart Casino, all staff members are continuously connected, streaming data and communications to enable the facility to act in a coordinated and consistent way.” the-batteries-run-out lifesaving device. But the Nest is not so simple; it is a fully-connected product that links to other devices in the house, such as the air conditioning controller, and it is fully manageable through your smart phone.