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Changing consumer habits bring new challenges for leading gaming industry suppliers

By Tom Nightingale

For gaming industry suppliers in North America, like so many companies in so many industries, the situation has arguably never been quite the same as it is in 2020. Though the path charted by gaming this year hasn’t been entirely similar in every province, the general tests have been the same: COVID-19 struck in March, emergency declarations across the province led to land-based games largely being shut down in the spring, before an electronics-led relaunch over the summer.

In some provinces, like Alberta, land-based games have been able to reopen in casinos – albeit with capacity restrictions and enhanced safety measures in place – in recent weeks. Meanwhile, in other regions like Ontario’s infection hotspots of Toronto, Peel Region, and Ottawa, things have been rolled back, heavier restrictions have returned, and casinos have been one of numerous casualties, forced shut again.

One thing that is a commonality, though, across Canada, North America, and the world, is that the ballgame has changed. Suppliers have not only had to pivot their services and offerings to consumers and operators, but they’ve also noticed changing demands and usage as the pandemic has altered the landscape.

Canadian Gaming Business recently spoke to gaming supplier giants JCM Global, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), and International Game Technology (IGT) about how they’ve been coping with the evolving challenges of this unprecedented year.

An increasingly cashless world

One thing that all three industry giants agree upon is that a leading trend right now is the transition towards cashless and contactless payments and gaming. While land-based gaming was out of the question in some places for a while and many operators faced a rush to get their electronic offerings up to speed, the demand and desire for gaming never went away. But now, there’s understandably a new concern from both operators and the general public about exposure.

Luckily, suppliers came prepared.

Virtual currency and contactless payments may be a hot topic right now, but they are nothing new, says JCM’s SVP of Sales, Marketing & Operations, Dave Kubajak. He notes JCM has been offering cashless technologies for nearly 10 years and has nearly a decade of R&D and advanced research in the field. In particular, its iTITO module in the FUZION system uses ticket-in, ticket-out (TITO) software as a base and also employs near-field communication (NFC), the type of which is often utilized on cell phones. These are technologies that gaming regulators, banks, and FinTech companies worldwide are comfortable with, notes Kubajak, which gives security and comfort on the operational side.

GLI has also been proactive on the cashless side, explains Salim Adatia, GLI’s VP of Client Services – North America. Adatia describes how GLI has helped, as part of the Canadian Gaming Association’s Regulatory Innovation Committee, develop a Cashless Wagering Standard. That standard, published in June, aims to ensure fairness, security, and properly regulated implementation of cashless wagering. Adatia notes that GLI will carry that work with it in Canada and globally and update its “GLI-16 Cashless Systems in Casinos” offerings in response to the increasing demand for touchless solutions.

Meanwhile, IGT also already offers its own cashless solution, the Resort Wallet. David Flinn, IGT’s VP for South America & Canada, notes that product provides three distinct options for cashless gaming, Carded Cashless, Cardless Cashless, and IGTPay, which utilize existing casino player cards, cell phones, or external funding, respectively, as solutions.

As Kubajak puts it, virtual payments, mobile wallets, and similar offerings really come down simply to giving consumers additional options and convenience. Things are different now, and continuing along the same lines as in the pre-COVID-19 world has become virtually impossible.

 

Pivoting has never been more important

Cashless technology is just one facet of the solutions that are taking on increasing importance.

Adatia acknowledges companies have seen a spike in digital gaming and sports betting activity as the demand for gaming remained high while traditional options were closed off during the pandemic, and suppliers pivoted to respond to that by offering previously-unavailable online or mobile product options.

Another new focus has been in cybersecurity as the vast increase in working and gaming from home saw a dramatic uptick in phishing attempts which may not have got past standard gatekeepers installed on companies’ office networks. GLI has also knuckled down when it comes to automation and increasing efficiency. One example has been the company’s Remote Test Bed technology, recently named as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Technology Products Awards for 2020.

 

Similarly, IGT is offering new streamlined assistance on casino floors, with a renewed emphasis in the industry now being placed on cleaning and disinfecting. Its Mobile Responder system provides alerts to casino floor staff for quicker and more efficient assistance to players, and also sends service calls indicating when a player leaves an electronic machine and it needs to be sanitized.

Overall, though, Kubajak says the golden rule for gaming industry suppliers in times like these is to be reachable, available, and able to offer support assisting their customers with the challenges they have around their reopening process. After all, as the industry has reiterated from corner to corner in recent months, we’re all in this together as the gaming landscape shifts, perhaps permanently.

 

How Alberta’s Pure Canadian Gaming has weathered the COVID-19 storm

One thing’s for sure: For casino operators, 2020 has been a year like no other.

Closures, pivots, challenges, lessons. With the inexorable onset of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting Canada in full force from March, the Canadian gaming industry was far from alone in grounding to an effective standstill in spring. Some provinces, though, weathered the storm more readily than others.

In Alberta, leading operator Pure Canadian Gaming was able to reopen for electronic gaming in June and for table gaming – to a limited extent, at least – last month. The health and safety requirements have been well-documented: masks, sanitizer, barrier, and the rest of it.

But what’s the new normal as far as gameplay goes? Canadian Gaming Business spoke with Vince Pao, Pure’s Executive Director of Marketing, about the rollercoaster ride.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What did reopening look like for Pure?

Vince Pao: We reopened slots on June 15 and table games/poker on September 5 and it’s definitely been difficult trying to navigate this new landscape. Our industry’s been flipped upside with many jurisdictions just reopening or still not open. Here in Alberta it’s been good, we were fortunate to have a low number of active COVID-19 cases which allowed us to reopen over a couple of stages. This staged approach allowed us to put our new standards to test, adjust them as needed, and implement additional measures to keep our guests and employees safe and healthy. We haven’t had any issues – knock on wood – outbreaks or anything like that that might derail our progress. We’ve seen people becoming more comfortable with the situation as time progresses.
Where some competitors chose to immediately reopen at full 100%
machine utilization, Pure took a more measured approach, increasing machine availability from 35% to 50% up to our current 80% to ensure adequate physical distancing and safety. It would’ve been an easy approach to just open the floodgates and turn on all of our machines, but we tested a few different versions of barriers between machines to address the issue of safety on a more long-term perspective. We’re super proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, it was a lot of work behind the scenes while we were closed. We needed to keep busy and anticipate and plan moving forward.

What has reduced capacity translated to in terms of staffing?

Our HR team was instrumental through closure, keeping in touch with all of our employees, updating our workplace pages, ensuring there was open communication with all of the teams. We were planning for reopening basically from the day that we closed, so teams were aware. With the reduced capacity, we’re able to schedule well, creatively to maintain shifts separate from each other so if there is any contamination, our teams are well separated, we have contact tracing in place. We’ve made it as safe as possible for our teams and our teams feel safe so they’re happy to return. It was difficult to see some resignations but some people just didn’t want to come back, which is understandable in this environment. What we found was the best thing for us was just to remain available. To be left in the dark in a situation where there’s so many questions would be so difficult for a lot of people.

 

What about gameplay? What’s the “new business normal” for Pure casinos’ players?

For a start, all self-serve stations have been removed from the floor, which has had the benefit of increasing our guest interactions. We’ve limited entrances to the casinos and are closely monitoring traffic levels on property. We’re also implementing paperless promotional draws and offers in favor of digital options to reduce touchpoints and reviewing new entertainment options that can better suit our new environment.

We definitely saw an increase in electronic table gameplay. When we first reopened, we didn’t have the extensive selection of Electronic Table Games (ETGs) that some of our competitors had. AGLC supported the opening of several replay arenas across the province – basically the stadium-style gaming with the live dealers at the front, playing to maybe 15 or 20 terminals. Through the summer, AGLC was able to secure additional electronic product and added in several replay arenas and additional ETGs. We got a roulette ETG that came in at Calgary and Edmonton during that period. So yes, we did see an increase in ETG play, people were looking to get some table games in and it was the only option. There’s definitely some residual on that with the properties that did have the full replay arenas. I’m not sure how well that’s translated over recent weeks now that table games are open. But of course with only three seats per table on blackjack, four seats on baccarat, it’s limited so when it’s busy in the evenings we do see some spillover onto ETGs where you see those seats get full again.

And from an operator’s standpoint, what trends are Pure noticing in this shifted landscape?

What we’ve observed is the market has really, really changed. We’re not seeing a whole lot of convenience traffic anymore. It’s destination traffic – people are coming specifically to game. A lot of businesses still aren’t open – retail isn’t open late anymore, a lot of restaurants are closing early, there’s some with last seating at like 7 or 7:30. So it’s hurt nighttime traffic, of course, and daytime traffic went down too with the older demographic not keen to come in. Also, people don’t really have a reason to go out after work now. They’re working from home or they go home after work and there’s no reason for them to leave. So we know that people are coming specifically for gaming entertainment – not to just meet friends and gather but to play. In fact, we’ve seen cash play and utilization go up. We’re not at last year’s volumes, of course, but things are starting to look better. When we first reopened, traffic was very slow and cash played was very low, but we think we’ve built some consumer confidence in them seeing that there’s been no issues with other operators or at any of our properties.

 

So what’s next? Do you stick at your 80% capacity or do you twist and aim to return to the pre-COVID-19 100%?

That’s a great question because you have to balance that level of safety and operational efficiency. Our key focus has been on safety and health of our teams and patrons from the start, which is why we took the graduated approach. Of course, slot optimization is always key for us. The 80% of average machines that we have on right now we have optimized to the most-utilized machines, analysing WPU and daily performance, so we feel we’ve got a strong mix open. The seats or machines we don’t have on right now are the low performers. Right now, we feel our facilities are safe and we’re happy with the performance of our 80%. We don’t want to push the envelope too much in terms of creating an unsafe environment. Better safe than sorry, and it’s a delicate balance. We of course would love to see the additional revenue potentially generated from that extra 20% but the risks at this point far outweigh that opportunity.

A final silver lining for us has been that the shutdown has allowed us to expedite the opening of our new Casino Edmonton. We had started renovations well prior to lockdown and when we were closed through spring we had the opportunity to actually open up all of the construction floodgates and really just go into full renovation mode near the start of June. Then, when we were given notice a couple of weeks after making that decision that we could reopen slots, we were in full renovation. So the silver lining was that we were able to push the construction schedule up by a couple of months and complete it. As you can imagine, it was a bit of a learning curve when we first opened in August. But for Edmonton to be able to open pretty much full speed was great. It was a big accomplishment for us, with one of the oldest facilities in the province, to give it a big facelift.

Electronic gaming and the quest for personal space in Alberta’s casinos

Relaunching the Canadian gaming industry has been a tough challenge in recent months during COVID-19. One province that has been ahead of the curve has been Alberta, which allowed casinos to reopen their doors for electronic gaming back in June and has begun reintroducing table games in recent weeks starting in early September. It’s not exactly business as usual – while there are no set capacity limits, social distancing remains key and the likes of Plexiglass and hand sanitizer have become vital staples of operations – but it’s a return to a form of normality.

With casinos beginning to open up in other provinces like Ontario and New Brunswick this week, Canadian Gaming Business recently spoke to Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC) about some of the casino trends the agency has noticed before and during the pandemic

Adapting to a world without tables

Casinos in Alberta were able to reopen for electronic gaming on June 12 under specific guidelines published by Alberta Health. Among those rules were that electronic devices must be at least two metres apart unless an adequate barrier could be provided. That, though, offered some leeway. As AGLC senior director of gaming Steve Lautischer told CGB, “we allowed [casinos] to open up within two metres and as they placed barriers, we were able to open more units.” He noted that some regulatory reviews were required to ensure the barriers didn’t obstruct surveillance or other equipment. Once those were satisfied, more devices could be enabled.

AGLC also worked with operators to help on the supply side as, with table gaming shut, getting hold of enough electronic tables was vitally important for casinos. “Many of them had electronic tables already, maybe in a limited form, but we worked hard to make sure that we positioned them to meet that market demand,” says Lautischer. “We made sure they had access to electronic roulette tables, electronic baccarat and so forth.” Electronic roulette is particularly popular in Alberta, he adds, so that a major focus. “A lot of the expected high-value devices were the ones that were sought after by Albertans.”

A boost for electronic gaming

That work paid dividends. With traditional table gaming still closed over the summer months, AGLC saw more play on electronic tables than ever before, says Lautischer. While that has predictably and understandably diminished slightly since traditional gaming was given license to reopen in early September, electronic play is still at a higher level then pre-COVID 19, and Lautischer expects it will be a trend that sticks around. 

“Because customers only had electronic tables to play, they started to latch on to them, get comfortable with them and their interfaces,” he says. “Even though traditional tables are now available, I think we’ve built a following with the electronic business now. We’ll probably end up with a better electronic table business than we had before COVID-19. So that’s one very obvious example of a trend that’s a little different as a result of COVID-19.”

Electronic gaming machines had been rising in popularity over the last few years even before the landscape shifted so dramatically with the onset of the pandemic in Canada. Lautischer notes that younger players often tend to favour the newer forms of gaming and he wouldn’t be surprised to see vendors and operators place more focus on them moving forward. Those games aren’t likely to gain too much ground on traditional slots and tables, but the AGLC expects a somewhat crowded marketplace, at least temporarily. 

The quest for personal space

The AGLC notes that another trend that was coming into focus before COVID-19 – somewhat ironically, Lautischer acknowledges – is customers’ quest for personal space. 

Players like to have space when they gamble, particularly on electronic machines, and one thing that has meant is a reduction in popularity of the typical slot machine model of a bank of four backed onto another bank of four. Lautischer notes the middle units were becoming increasingly ignored by players due to the lack of elbow room compared with the end machines. COVID-19, of course, has brought this more sharply into focus.

“We’ve been trying to create different types of shapes to these banks – football shapes, etc – always allowing for a greater distance between players. When we did that, we found that those banks of devices were more popular and more profitable because people would be more comfortable in all positions.”

With the health considerations of a pandemic and the increased use of barriers and personal space from a health perspective, the AGLC expects to see “a real optimization” in the long-term when it comes to the shapes and sizes of casino floors. “Even after COVID, I think it’s going to forever change how we look at banking and creating a casino floor in the future,” predicts Lautischer, although he notes it’s far from the easiest thing to adapt. 

Going hand-in-hand with that idea of redesigning things, says Lautischer, is an in-depth look at the number of machines on the floor. Do casinos really need to pack in as many slot machines as were present pre-COVID, given the quest for personal space? He thinks not, and in that sense, that chapter of the playbook could be rewritten. “I think you’re going to see a bit of a shrinking in the number of units out there overall at a global level.”

“In Alberta we’re always introducing new platforms and new concepts and we haven’t necessarily seen a change in that. I hear from vendors that they’re concentrating on different types of technology, maybe designing future slot machines that may have barriers quasi built into them so you can space yourself. But unfortunately, in our industry, we’re not that quick. It takes time to create to create the pivots when it comes to the actual machines. Most of the development cycles, for a new cabinet or new platform, re at least one- to two-year efforts to get something new. But there’s chatter about it and it mostly focuses on physical space.”

Moving forward, the AGLC reiterates that everything must be done on a safety-first basis in the current climate. Lautischer notes that Alberta has been successful due in no small part to the fact that both the province and the AGLC have been very cautious and careful to follow health advice. “You need to be nimble in terms of how you reopen, how you approach your floor, what you’re making available to the public, to respect the rules and keep people safe with social distancing and cleanliness. Take it one day at a time, don’t try to boil the ocean on day one. That’s the best thing you can do for the health of your casino floor in the long run.”

Carol Holmes, Owner, cGaming Compliance Consulting

Sometimes, life is all about timing. 

For Carol Holmes, a 36-year veteran of the bingo industry, that’s certainly been true in 2020. Holmes started her own charitable gaming compliance consulting company last winter after years in a similar role for OLG but external circumstances mean that things have not started off as she was anticipating.

“cGaming is totally different to any other gaming industry,” Holmes recently told Canadian Gaming Business. One way in which it is similar, though, is that the effects of COVID-19 have been felt just as keenly in charitable gaming centres as in casinos, even though the crowds are generally much smaller. “You’re not going to get 500, 600, 1000 people through,” noted Holmes.

Due to the hordes who enjoy casino gaming, when assessing the impact of the pandemic on the gaming industry, it’s large-scale land-based venues that likely comes to mind for most. cGaming, though, rallied together with the casino industry to devise joint standards for opening facilities back up to the public.

Growing pains

In recent months, Holmes has been focusing her efforts on ensuring that cGaming locations have been meeting the various health and safety requirements laid out in 2020, what may be dubbed the year of the virus.

Holmes works with eight cGaming sites in Ontario and one non-cGaming site, and she explained that things changed drastically once the virus hit. She spent time attending the closed sites during the early months to help some of them implement their specific individual health and safety plans, in accordance with the joint overarching guidelines developed by the Canadian Gaming Association, the Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario, and provincial operators. She added that even with sites shut, the regulatory and admin work didn’t vanish. She reduced all of her contract fees and took on the extra health and safety work at no extra cost.

In the early stages of the changed landscape, there were natural frustrations from customers that gaming was subject to so many regulations and new measures. In reality, though, that’s a particular strength of the gaming industry in times like these – it’s governed by stringent regulatory controls and health and safety standards that make it the most highly regulated industry in the hospitality sector. In that way, Holmes acknowledged, it’s unique. “It’s a very different experience, so we have to stop comparing ourselves to others. This is what we have to do.” 

While opinion has come around, it’s been far from easy, as her clients and their contractors have had to do a huge amount of unexpected work under drastic financial constraints to meet requirements. “They essentially had no income for four months,” she noted.

Necessary changes

During the transition towards welcoming customers back, there have of course been limitations. It’s impossible to avoid in 2020.

“Sites can’t open up with the bingo session play, they can only open up with upright cabinet games and even then, only some of the games because of the social distancing requirements,” explained Holmes. While they could move ahead with play-on-demand games, a component of their electronic bingo stations, as a form of “overflow”, they were unable to run bingo sessions or bingo gameplay. “That makes it difficult because some sites have more success with bingo play games than upright cabinet games,” explained Holmes. “But, having said that, it’s better than nothing at all.” 

In particular, she emphasized, the public’s frustrations of limited capacity and functionality were put into perspective by what was happening south of the border in the U.S. There, an early reopening of the economy in some states was subsequently met with spiking COVID-19 cases. For onlooking Canadians, the importance of patience and caution has been apparent. 

Where do we go from here?

Moving forward, with sites reopening, Holmes hopes to add more locations to her company’s arsenal after plans fell by the wayside once COVID-19 hit, and she’s also brought another industry veteran on board to help her meet her goals and to ensure she is providing clients with a robust compliance program, as is required by the AGCO Registrar’s Standards.

As for what she hopes for the future of the industry itself? “I would hope that by summer 2021, we would be back to where we were at this point last year – everything was open and operating, no restrictions.” She acknowledged that some of the health and safety requirements may well remain in place, whether it be physical distancing or the increased hygiene and cleaning measures.

“For the most part,” Holmes concluded, “I think the sites would deal with a longer-term requirement for those things as long as they are able to reopen to the full extent.”

It’s fair to say that in terms of planning for the future, in a year like 2020, all bets are off.

Betting on the Future

When Billy MacLellan and Richard Cone founded Bet Rite in 2009 as a way to leverage their collective experience in the gaming industry – they had already garnered much success with their respective businesses, Macklyn Casino Services and Progressive Gaming Consulting – the pair had no idea that just over a decade later the world would be shunning previously sought-after social experiences like those found in casinos.

COVID-19, of course, had hit. Mirroring the shift in other industries around the world, the company’s vendors scrambled to update their product lines to reflect the growing needs of the gaming industry, first as it prepared to shut down in early 2020 and then some months later as its members looked toward reopening. MacLellan and the Bet Rite team (Cone had since stepped back from his responsibilities at the organization and is currently enjoying retirement) took a proactive approach and worked with their suppliers to brainstorm ways to stay active as the world shrieked to a standstill. 

Gauging the industry’s temperature

One such innovation was a recently launched body temperature kiosk which Bet Rite developed with one of their Hong Kong partners that specializes in touchscreens. Their main concern was making the product easy to set up and use right out of the box, and after going back and forth with the supplier for about a month, Bet Rite had an innovation that they were confident would help gaming facilities as they reopen their doors – with the potential to expand into other sectors, too. 

The benefits of the technology are twofold, explains MacLellan. “A lot of our [casino operator] customers are considering having their staff use it, to get their temperatures checked before starting their workday, which is important in keeping not only staff safe and healthy but also the [casino’s] customers,” he says. “On the other side, [casino guests] want to make sure they are coming into a facility that has stepped up and are doing the right things to make it safe for them to gamble on their property.” The tablets include facial recognition technology for staffing purposes and data is stored locally or in a network for a standard 60 days, though the length of time can be adjusted depending on needs and storage space.

The company has so far shipped 10 units to Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Canada, where they will be used to monitor the body temperature of staff and guests entering and leaving the facility, and they are also working with a manufacturing company to get 25 pieces of the technology into its plant to monitor the health of employees. Bet Rite has also approached partners in the apartment and building ownership sectors to see if there is a fit – and MacLellan is, no pun intended, betting there is.

Staying in the game

Though MacLellan admits COVID-19 has thrown the industry for a loop, he feels Bet Rite is in a good position, having established long-term relationships with many of its suppliers and customers. One silver lining is that several of Bet Rite’s products are perfectly transferable and, in fact, beneficial to gaming operators looking to reopen safely and quickly as restrictions are lifted. For instance, the tap technology utilized by Crane Payment Innovations (CPI) follows the cashless and contactless payment trend, Transact’s Clean2Play provides a ticket that alerts guests the machine they are about to use has been recently cleaned, and Bet Rite’s slot bank lifter helps staff reorganize floor plans to account for social distancing. Pristine-Screen, another Bet Rite product taken on by Fallsview Casino, is a sanitizer spray for electronic table games that provides a protective, germ-killing barrier that lasts five to seven days. This service can even be completed by Bet Rite representatives, so as to not burden casino staff on the floor. 

But some companies have had to pivot to stay relevant. Bet Rite’s sign manufacturing partners have adjusted their current offerings to be applicable in a post-COVID world, introducing plexi-protective panels that can be added between slot machines, cash machines, and kiosks, and endcaps that can be modified to house personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and gloves, as well as hand sanitizers and wipes. By providing a level of flexibility and the ability to retrofit certain solutions, Bet Rite offers casino operators peace of mind that their initial post-COVID-19 investment can be reused in a different capacity when things eventually return to “normal.”

MacLellan understands it’s a tricky situation to be in for any business, especially not knowing what – or if – any specific measures will be required in a casino’s jurisdiction. “If it’s mandated they will spend the money – if they have to, they will – but if it’s not mandated they have to be careful,” he notes. “There has been zero revenue coming into casinos and they are losing millions of dollars. They want to make sure they reopen and that they have everything in place, but again, this isn’t a time for overspending.” For Bet Rite, working within a customer’s budget is therefore more important now than ever. 

The future is now

No matter how the rest of 2020 plays out, MacLellan is cautiously optimistic. “I think you only get one good shot at this,” he says of the reopening process. “If you open up and it’s too soon and things blow up, it’s going to look really bad.” By listening to its customers and staying ahead of change by being adaptable, Bet Rite will ride out the storm and emerge on the other side successful, along with their trusted partners and clients.   

For more information on Bet Rite’s product line, visit their website or write [email protected]. 

BC updates Community Gaming Grants program

British Columbia is making changes to its Community Gaming Grants (CGG) program with the intent to help nonprofit organizations facing hardships in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic adapt and continue providing vital services.

“The pandemic has highlighted the critical role that not-for-profit organizations play in supporting people in communities across B.C. and now more than ever, we all need to work together to ensure they can meet the increased need for services people are relying on,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, in a statement from the province. “The changes we’ve made to the Community Gaming Grants program will help organizations during these unprecedented times, so that British Columbians can continue to receive the services that improve their quality of life, support local needs and keep our communities strong.”

Applications for the human and social services sector are opening mid-June 2020, nearly two months ahead of schedule. Organizations in this sector include food banks, shelters, domestic violence supports, hospice, and counselling services, among others.

Other changes to the CGG program include:

  • flexibility in requirements;
  • the ability to include new programs in an application to respond to COVID-19 specific needs; and
  • guidance on how to apply for grants given current uncertainty about whether programs such as annual fairs may be postponed or cancelled.

The capital projects portion of the CGG program, a total of $5 million in funding, is also being adjusted to address some of the current financial challenges of organizations. Funding for 2020-21 will prioritize capital project applications that are facing increased demand for services due to the pandemic, as well as organizations that need to make modifications to their facilities to support physical distancing.

The province will also give priority to new applicants and increase the amount it covers from 50 to 80 per cent of the total cost of eligible capital projects directly related to COVID-19, up to a maximum of $250,000.

The no-touch magic touch

Can you explain the thought process that went into developing your new contactless gaming solutions? 

Many of our innovative solutions, including our Unified Wallet cashless solution, were in development long before we could foresee what impact COVID-19 would have on our industry. However, many of our contactless solutions, like Dynamic Social Distancing and Automated Game Sanitization module, were developed specifically to assist operators address the “new normal.” We’re always working to anticipate the needs of our partners, and now we’re helping them reimagine play for their guests that is both fun and safe. 

Scientific Games’ suite of contactless solutions will benefit casino operators around the globe, helping our partners maintain a safe, yet fun casino experience for their players.

Can you speak to the low maintenance costs? Do you feel this will be an attractive feature for casinos?

Unified Wallet provides a cashless gaming experience, giving players the power to instantly access funds to play their favourite slots and tables through an app on their personal mobile device. This is not only convenient for guests but cost effective and efficient for casino operators – eliminating lines at ATMs, kiosks, and casino cages and reducing machine maintenance costs including bill validators, ticket printers, and ticket redemption kiosks.

Can you explain how the Automated Game Sanitization Solution works? 

Automated Game Sanitization was developed with both team members and guests in mind. This solution eliminates the manual task of searching for games that need to be sanitized on the casino floor by quickly identifying machines that require sanitization after active play. Operators also have the option to schedule sanitization at regular intervals. 

Break down the three features included in the Social Distancing Module for our readers: Dynamic Distancing, EGM Scheduler, and Resort and Game Reserve?

Dynamic Distancing ensures social distancing amongst slot players, disabling all games within close proximity once a player cards in. 

Through the EGM Scheduler, operators are able to quickly upload a list of games that should remain enabled on the casino floor and can even do so remotely through the use of the Control EGM feature. 

Players can access Resort Reserve and Game Reserve to reserve their favourite game during their visit, providing an easy way for guests to reserve their preferred experience while staying safe. 

Have any casinos have taken on these solutions or expressed interest? 

We currently have cashless customers in the southeast and northeast parts of the U.S. and also South Africa. Turning Stone Resorts has recently signed up to use the Sanitization Module for all three of their resorts.

Bet Rite releases body temperature kiosk for gaming market

Bet Rite Inc. has introduced a new product for the Canadian gaming market that allows for a contactless check of body temperature.

The Canadian owned and operated company has shifted its focus to solutions that will allows its customers to plan for the safe reopening of their facilities. Its most recent release, the Body Temperature Kiosk, provides gaming facility operators with an innovation that will help to bolster confidence in the health and safety of their properties.

The kiosk reads and instantly displays temperature, with confirmation of a pass or fail on its 8-inch tablet-style display. The temperature thresholds are configurable and the readings are accurate to within +/- 0.2°. In addition, its face recognition software can also be used to check for the use of face masks as people enter the facility.

For additional information, contact Bet Rite at [email protected].

Future-proofing the gambling industry

You’ve likely heard the expression before, ‘future-proofing’ — but what does it mean and how does it apply to the gambling industry? Wikipedia defines the term as “the process of anticipating the future and developing methods of minimizing the effects of shocks and stresses of future events.”

Hundreds of industry-leading researchers, policy makers and representatives from around the world are gathering in Vancouver, B.C., at the New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference from March 10-12, to discuss and collaborate around how to effectively future-proof the gambling industry.

Delegates and speakers will be discussing their insights and knowledge around these questions:

  • Imagine we had the opportunity to build the gambling industry today, knowing what we do about the potential for harm – how would we do it?
  • What safeguards would we put in place?
  • How would we design our products and environments?
  • What would we stop doing, continue doing and what would we want to learn more about in order to start doing? How would we ensure our industry grows in a socially responsible manner?

All of the conference sessions address one of three key topics: promoting safer play, developing a culture that prioritizes the wellbeing of our consumers and reducing harms associated with gambling products. Spearheading these discussions are an impressive lineup of international speakers including: Tim Miller, Executive Director at the UK Gambling Commission and Misha Glouberman, Faculty Director at the Ivey Academy at Western University’s Ivey Business School.

Another important first this year, the conference findings will be synthesized into a summary paper, with a research agenda, to help breakdown the key issues and define implementable solutions for the industry.

Through inspiring keynotes, expert speakers, case studies, and conversations, we’re working together to find solutions to the known gaps in responsible gambling and player health across our industry. It’s an exciting opportunity for the industry to level-set the future of gambling, based on what we know is working, and what’s not, in B.C., across Canada and around the world.

Winter 2019