Public Gaming Magazine July/August 2020

IGT Leads the Charge in Helping Casinos Redefine Safety and Convenience Post-reopening, cashless and mobile systems technology can advance the player experience F rom bet buttons to door handles to dollar bills, casinos are inherently tactile envi- ronments. As U.S. casinos emerge from a two-and- a-half-month pandemic- induced shutdown, social distancing and sanitization continue to be their top priorities. It’s a high-stakes chal- lenge in an industry built around attract- ing large volumes of visitors. Operators need as much help as possible to comply with new safety standards, re- cover from the shutdown, and stand apart from their competitors. e good news? Technological advances already exist to help properties meet stringent new health and safety requirements, while simultane- ously improving casino liquidity, e cien- cies, and player engagement. “It’s essential for casinos to create an atmosphere where players feel con dent that they can enjoy themselves without worrying about their personal safety,” said Ryan Reddy, IGT Vice President, Global Systems and Payments Products. “Since well before the pandemic, IGT’s systems portfolio included cashless and contactless solutions to foster a modern and more convenient play experi- ence. ose innovations are now vital to helping our casino customers meet and exceed their commitment to player and employee safety.” Once considered a way to reach tech-savvy players, the cashless and mobile o erings in IGT’s systems portfo- lio help to reduce the amount of contact and cash handling players experience at slot ma- chines and other gam- ing devices. In addition, IGT o ers technology that enhances social distancing protocols by minimizing the number of people gath- ering in line-ups, while also giving casinos the option of facilitating timely, frequent machine sanitization. CARDLESS AND CASHLESS, SIMPLE AND SAFE Millions of consumers are accustomed to making everyday purchases, payments, and other transactions securely on their mobile phones. As regulatory approvals for cashless gaming continue to expand across the globe., casinos in those jurisdictions can create the same type of mobile experi- ences for their players, o ering e ortless access to their Player’s Club, game credits, and electronic funds for slot play. Where players would typically insert their physical Player’s Club loyalty card into a slot machine to accrue points and redeem o ers, IGT’s Cardless Connect module eliminates the need for a membership card by making the smartphone a loyalty card. Players simply tap their phone to any Cardless Connect-enabled gaming machine to card in. ey can then transfer game credits between the slot machine to their phone with just a few taps, and apply those credits at the next game. When the player leaves the slot machine, the app automatically cards them out. For casinos using Ticket-In, Ticket-Out (TITO) tech- nology, which replaces cash with paper vouchers, the electronic transfer of game credits can signi cantly reduce the need to print and handle paper tickets. IGT’s Resort Wallet solution provides players with a secure digital wallet, o er- ing a convenient cashless solution at the slot machine. With Resort Wallet, opera- tors have the exibility of o ering carded cashless play, or mobile cashless play via Cardless Connect, or both. Players can use their Player’s Club card, or a casino-branded Cardless Connect- enabled app, to load cash into a secure digital wallet from either the casino cash desk or any slot machine, and access those funds from any slot machine with a tap of their phone. ey can then seamlessly transfer funds to and from their wallet, as well as to and from their favorite enabled slot machines. IGT’s Resort Wallet gives players e ortless access to funds for slots and table games fun, and the ability to use it for sports betting, retail, and food and beverages will 38 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2020 IGT’s Resort Wallet™ with IGTPay cashless solution transforms the player’s smartphone into a mobile digital wallet, enabling players to effortlessly make cashless transactions on gaming devices and minimize cash handling for a safer, more convenient gaming experience.