Casino Enterprise Management

2011 proved to be yet another good year for slot floor innovation, as showcased in Casino Enterprise Management’s fifth annual Slot Floor Technology Awards. The winning products definitely stand out from the crowd.

When we announced the awards, nominations flooded in, with products ranging from slot cabinets and platforms to ticket printers, bill validators, tournament management systems, air diffusers and more. Each product nominated was deserving of recognition, but there to decide the very best 10 was our panel of judges, made up of various slot floor and gaming executives from commercial and tribal gaming properties throughout the United States. The 2011 Slot Floor Technology Award judges were: Robert Allen, corporate VP of casino operations, Pinnacle Entertainment; Buddy Frank, VP of slot operations, Pechanga Resort & Casino; Chuck Hickey, VP of slot operations, Barona Resort & Casino; Charlie Lombardo, gaming consultant; Stephanie Maddocks, founder and president, Power Strategies; Frank Neborsky, VP of slot operations, Mohegan Sun; and Robert Sobczyk, VP of casino operations, Ameristar Casinos.

The rules were that each company could submit up to five new slot floor products that had been introduced to the market between March 2010 and March 2011 in one of the following ways: new product introduced at an industry trade show, new product in beta testing and any new for-sale product.

Each product was evaluated for relevant criteria like innovation, efficiency, usefulness and benefits. Based on the judges’ evaluations, the top 10 products with the highest combined scores won. It was extremely close.

But since our esteemed panel of judges is made up of slot floor operators and experts who use and apply gaming technologies nearly every day, the companies from the top 10 winning products can truly take pride in knowing that their innovations are appreciated by the people to whom it matters most. And of course, CEM applauds the commitment to the advancement of the industry from each and every nominating company.

With that, we present to you, the winners of the 2011 CEM Slot Floor Technology Awards, in order from 1 to 10. On the following pages, read about each product to find out why it is so deserving, and what our judges had to say about them.

Listen to this special awards podcast to learn even more about some of the winners and to hear straight from our judges why they were wowed by them.

WMS Gaming—Player’s Life® Web Services
Easily grabbing the top spot in this year’s awards is Player’s Life® Web Services from WMS Gaming. You’ve likely heard about WMS’ Adaptive Gaming® platform by now, and Player’s Life Web Services takes that to a new level.

Judge Buddy Frank, VP of slot operations at Pechanga Resort & Casino, commented: “There’s little doubt that gaming is drifting toward online experiences and social networking extensions. Player’s Life is the first product that demonstrates what’s possible in the future.”

Yes, Player’s Life Web Services is a new and innovative way to entertain players beyond just the in-casino experience. For the first time, they have the ability to influence their own game experiences, while also encouraging repeat visits.

Player’s Life Web Services is a suite of applications that can be used with WMS’ content and system applications to create integrated online and offline player experiences. Players can access these tools at their leisure anywhere, whether in the casino, at home or on the road. When they’re at home playing, they can unlock new features and earn additional status within the game at the casino. It all enhances their gaming experience, especially when they return to the casino.

The Adaptive Gaming platform uses a unique login that allows players to save their progress through the game and return to it later in a return visit to the casino, unlocking new levels and bonuses as they continue. It tracks progress and creates a sense of competition through social forums that brings players back to the floor. WMS’ Lord of the Rings™ game is a perfect example of this.

The real power of Player’s Life Web Services, according to the company’s nomination materials, is the extensive marketing support being built into enabled games that operators can utilize as they see fit to drive visits to their properties and support the performance of product on their casino floor. They can deliver personalized messages using the service window at the machine and add incentives through their player rewards program. And, operators get valuable information about their most loyal customers and the ability to evaluate the product, giving insight to the impact of their marketing efforts on their entire enterprise.

Judge Robert Allen, corporate VP of casino operations for Pinnacle Entertainment, stated: “It’s a pivotal application of technologies. Casual web game play enables game state on the casino floor! WMS is the gaming industry leader without question.”

For more information on WMS or Player’s Life Web Services, visit www.wms.com or www.playerslife.com.

Bally Technologies—iDeck™
In the No. 2 spot is Bally Technologies’ iDeck™, an interactive touchscreen button deck for use on slot machines, and in fact the industry’s only touchscreen button deck. As if that didn’t make it noteworthy enough, this innovative product features three levels of interaction, including downloadable deck configurations, interactive bonus games and events, layer customization and virtual, multi-touch games. It can be synchronized with game play, is fully downloadable and even supports server-based content.

The iDeck opens up a whole new world for everyone. For players, it’s a new dimension in multi-touch skill-based bonus games as the level of immersion increases. For operators, its limitless versatility and interactivity make it an invaluable part of the networked floor.

What the company cites as most exciting about this product is the game-synchronized content and multi-touch technology that enables players to spin the wheel, move objects, enjoy virtual shooting experiences and interact with the game in unprecedented ways. Another key differentiator is its unique secondary and independent U-Spin™ and U-Win™ bonuses.

The iDeck significantly improves operating efficiencies for casinos. When new game content is installed on a slot cabinet, the deck interface and button configuration instantly change to match the new game theme. No more reconfiguration!

Robert Allen, corporate VP of casino operations for Pinnacle Entertainment, calls iDeck “a fantastic solution that will finally address reliability problems with digital buttons.” He says, “This approach will actually enhance the gaming experience.”

For the players, iDeck is customizable. They can personalize button layouts and visual themes to their preferences, and it can work for left- or right-handed players. And the iDeck’s durable spill-proof and leak-proof surface can handle the vigorous demands of even the busiest environments. Judge Buddy Frank, VP of slot operations at Pechanga Resort & Casino, comments: “Flexibility in button panels is improving every day, and this innovation is perhaps the best. The real plus is that it’s practically indestructible.”

As judge Chuck Hickey, VP of slot operations at Barona Resort & Casino, says, this “could be a game-changer for Bally.” But it’s already an eye-grabber.

For more information on Bally Technologies or the iDeck, visit www.ballytech.com.

Bally Technologies—Code Red™
With a number of cutting-edge technologies, including a fully integrated digital topper, the iDeck™ touchscreen button deck, a custom four-speaker 24-bit sound package, LED cabinet lighting, touchscreen reel glass and more, it’s easy to see why Bally’s Code Red™ slid into third place in this year’s Slot Floor Technology Awards.

The most notable feature of Code Red is its curved LCD to display video reels, which are virtually indistinguishable from mechanical reels. This emulation of spinning reels adds excitement to the game play through a new free- games play mechanic that shows the player the different bonuses they can win above each reel during free games.

Code Red, which is presented on Bally’s ALPHA 2™ Pro Series™ V22/22 Upright Curve cabinet, looks and feels like a traditional spinning-reel slot, but is a video slot machine and therefore can be placed in video-only gaming jurisdictions.
The touchscreen display over the curved LCD enables Bally’s award-winning U-Spin™ play mechanic, allowing players to touch and spin a virtual wheel as if it were a physical wheel.

“Fantastic presentation. Inventive solution,” one judge said about Code Red. “The perfect video palette for game designers looking to capture the hearts of stepper players.”

The Code Red free games feature highlights Bally’s new free-game play mechanic. When the player is in the free games feature and Code Red symbols appear, they receive a variety of awards. Awards include bonus credits, locked wild symbols or a locked wild reel. This feature adds excitement and anticipation that other free-games features do not offer.

Another unique feature of Code Red is its “wildfire” stacked wilds play mechanic that triggers a “wildfire bonus” and awards up to three additional wilds.

This is Bally’s first game to fully integrate the interactive iDeck touchscreen button deck and the ALPHA Pro Topper, a 15-inch LCD digital video display.

Overall, Bally’s Code Red is remarkable and unrivaled in the industry, and as one judge said, “It looks great and opens the door to more ‘reel game’ innovation.”

For more information on Bally Technologies or Code Red, visit www.ballytech.com.

WMS—Mega Multiplier® Super Shot™
Representing WMS’ second win, Mega Multiplier® takes full advantage of WMS’ industry-leading CPU-NXT®2 operating system and provides players with a highly entertaining bonus experience available on slot floors.

Mega Multiplier, WMS’ newest Portal Application family, debuted at G2E in November 2010 with its first bonus game theme, Super Shot™. This application features a real-time physics engine to deliver, for the first time on the slot floor, graphics that offer real-world movement and lifelike effects typically associated with console- and PC-based video games. In addition to the Super Shot bonus game theme, Mega Multiplier is also launching with four individually themed skins that can be swapped out of any electronic gaming machine that is connected to the Mega Multiplier Central Game Controller. As a result, Mega Multiplier provides operators with an unmatched level of flexibility and increased opportunities for enhanced player entertainment.

Mega Multiplier is taking customization to another level, offering four skins that will enable operators to more closely align the game with their own floor signage and branding.

WMS’ Portal Application families, the first of which are hitting casino floors, are designed to deliver new dynamic player entertainment experiences while providing operators with new and enhanced revenue generation and business efficiency opportunities. These new applications offer operators the ability to generate higher coin-in and create a multitude of new gaming experiences for players, by offering them the chance to mix and match these value-added features with the existing video and mechanical reel games already on their slot floor.

The features provided by Mega Multiplier further WMS’ mission to deliver products to operators that offer hundreds of unique, highly differentiated game experiences from a single gaming cabinet, offering customers a fully flexible slot floor of the future.

During base game play in a Mega Multiplier-enabled game, players are randomly awarded credits that they can store and use to trigger the portal game. When the player decides to trigger the Super Shot portal game, they launch a pinball into the top screen for a chance to multiply their stored credits up to 100 times.

Many of our judges liked its ability to custom skins. One commented, “High technology, fantastic execution, terrific presentation, wonderful flexibility with multiple base game options.”

Offered on the company’s new BLUEBIRD xD™ gaming cabinet as well as the fully networked gaming-enabled BLUEBIRD2 cabinet, Mega Multiplier takes full advantage of the unique capabilities brought by WMS’ leading cabinet products. Combining the comfort and sightlines of a slant-top cabinet with the convenience and footprint of an upright gaming machine, BLUEBIRD xD features an ease of play and the advanced technology that brings Mega Multiplier to life.

For more information on WMS or Mega Multiplier Super Shot, visit www.wms.com.

BIS²—slotViz
BIS²’s slotViz brings a solution to the multi-game analytical challenge facing casino operators today.

Operators of multi-game and multi-denom slot machines can be challenged with generating data, not to mention using it appropriately and effectively to make better decisions on the floor. With BIS2’s slotViz, slot floor managers are able to easily answer questions such as “Which themes do my patrons like to play on my floor, where and when?” and “Which themes perform better together?”

SlotViz combines gaming industry knowledge, data know-how, hyper-advanced data visualization techniques and state-of-the-art software.

SlotViz has two key aspects. First, the product provides an ability to formally capture “embellishment” data relating to multi-game slot machines. This includes themes, max bets and paylines. The second aspect is that slotViz enables slot floor managers to quickly view and analyze the lowest level of data they require. These levels include data by slot location, data by theme and data by customer.

Using the slot floor map, the user can select a particular multi-game bank and analyze it using a performance heatmap, data grid, OLAP charts, tree map or clusters. These user-friendly and interactive methods of reading data are advanced and inventive.

Many of our judges had great things to say about slotViz. Some of their comments included: “Excellent analysis tool.”  “If you really care about slot performance, this tool is one of the best.”  “This product quickly and effectively conveys a clear conceptual image of relational performance of slot products. Terrific execution.”

SlotViz incorporates the most advanced, state-of-the-art technology, utilizing Web 2.0 software and providing flexible, information-rich, high-resolution super graphics. It utilizes proven cutting-edge techniques in advanced data visualization and the latest methods in visually-centric analysis and combines easy-to-understand visualizations with the underlying data.

SlotViz also allows users to exploit gaming industry knowledge and gaming metrics, and leverages a deep knowledge of gaming data and data handling techniques.

This product, when utilized by slot floor managers, is an effective tool to analyze and inspect slot floor data to make better decisions on the floor. Who doesn’t want that?!
For more information on BIS2 or slotViz, visit www.bis2.net.

Multimedia Games—TournEvent® 3.0
Last year, Multimedia Games’ TournEvent won a CEM Slot Floor Technology Award, and this year it’s back, winning spot No. 6 for its newest iteration, TournEvent 3.0. This brings a variety of new features and upgrades from its previous version.

TournEvent 3.0 goes beyond just automating the classic slot tournament. New hardware, easy-to-manage user interfaces and exciting games and features bring it all to a new level. These new enhancements lead up to an even more interactive way for players to experience tournaments. New features include interactive bonus features as well as the addition of a player dashboard that shows players their real-time position, time left in tournament and current point total located right on the main screen. Picture-in-picture live streaming video on each player’s game screen allows them to see themselves and other participants in tournament play. The new and innovative Pop-N-Win™ feature lets players pop on-screen balloons for the chance to earn additional bonus credits in tournament play. This new interactive element truly enhances the player experience, making it much more than simply repeatedly hitting a button.

Another new feature in 3.0 is an automated programmed emcee, The Money Man®. He pops in and out of displays on the overhead sign to announce lead changes and encourage players to play faster during tournament play, as well as assists in counting down the start and end of each tournament round. This also helps draw in tournament spectators.

A plus for operators: TournEvent has the ability to seamlessly switch from in-revenue gaming to out-of-revenue tournaments with just the click of a mouse, bringing you the best in ease and efficiency.

Operators can often run into hassles with slot tournaments such as changing EPROMS, running timers, managing player entries, and the use of valuable floor space. But this tournament system makes it worry-free. Judge Charlie Lombardo, a top gaming consultant, testifies, “It’s a great way of adding excitement to the casino floor and for the player. Better utilization of equipment for both machines and signage.” And Robert Allen, corporate VP of casino operations for Pinnacle Entertainment, states:  “Without question, the best slot tournament package yet produced. The live video feed, combined with heightened interactivity, makes this the choice.”

For more information on Multimedia Games or TournEvent 3.0, visit www.multimediagames.com.

WMS—Attack From Mars™ / Revenge From Mars™
Clocking the third win for WMS is a game that’s out of this world. Attack From Mars™/Revenge From Mars™ is the center of WMS’ latest Sensory Immersion platform. These two distinct game themes make up a single multi-game cabinet, and the innovation continues as it uses the new Player’s Life® Web Services technologies as well. It’s a full-scale invasion for your slot floor—but in a very good way.

Attack from Mars/Revenge from Mars engages all the senses, allowing players to become a part of the game. The next-generation graphics created by the CPU-NXT®2 game engine make for an attractive, 3-D visual experience. The innovative surround-sound gaming chair features the BOSE 3Space audio system and provides an immersive and powerful seat-shaking audio experience, widely recognized as the best in the industry.

In these games, players can choose between defending Earth as human characters or destroying Earth as Martian characters. As players continue through the game, whether being sinister or good, they progress through four comical, fun bonus levels while the two base themes each feature two exciting wild bonuses.

In the There Goes the Universe bonus, players will try to save Earth’s precious landmarks as they select from several Martian ships for credit awards, encountering the Tractor Beam feature or a Mother Ship. In the Duck It’s Chicken bonus, players are given an unlimited number of free spins with winning spins extending the bonus while awarding one of four different features.

In Revenge from Mars, players instead will encounter the Mars Kneads Women and Abducting Makes Me Hungry bonuses. The former allows players to recruit Earthwomen to their cause as they pick to complete sets of women types for credit rewards until they reveal the Sergeant that ends the bonus round. The latter allows players to take a break from the invasion as they select from 10 stores to reveal a credit award until both Martian ships abort the mission.

“A truly fun slot game with a wonderful sense of humor,” commented judge Robert Allen, corporate VP of casino operations at Pinnacle Entertainment. “Innovation and fun—WMS has done a fantastic job with these games!”

Integrating Player’s Life Web Services here takes the excitement of the gaming experience outside the casino’s four walls, allowing players to track their bonus accomplishments wherever they are with their unique login, not to mention all the other great features it brings.

As judge Buddy Frank stated, “With humor, role-playing, Martians and Earthwomen in one game, what’s not to like?”

For more information on WMS or Attack from Mars/Revenge from Mars, visit www.wms.com.

Acres 4.0—A4 Platform
“This could be the future of gaming.” “Will reshape casino entertainment.” These powerful statements came from two of our judges regarding Acres 4.0’s revolutionary A4 platform. This product began making a splash in the industry last year when it was launched at Colusa Casino Resort.

Essentially, the A4 platform is gaming via small electronic devices such as an iPad™ that casinos can house, let players check out and play right there. The convenience to the player is that rather than having to sit and play on a stool, they can sit comfortably on a couch, lounge chair or wherever the casino designates. And the benefits to the casino include much more.

The system consists of player tracking, cashless wagering and bonusing, and the game outcomes and wager amounts are all held within a central server in the casino’s back-of-house area. The low-cost interface terminals instantly gather player identity and wager information and send it to the server, where the game outcome is determined and instantly returned to the player terminal for display.

These devices are cost-friendly in an era of ever-escalating equipment prices. They also can be built into traditional cabinets or operated in portable, wireless configurations, allowing the ultimate in player freedom.

Judge Stephanie Maddocks, founder and president of Power Strategies, comments, “The A4 Platform is an innovative use of new mobile technologies and certainly helps jurisdictions with space and equipment restraints.”

A4 is multi-game powered. The operator can load all game titles to the server, and for the player, it only takes 1 to 2 seconds to switch from one game type to another.
While A4 is very new, it is already GLI approved as Class III gaming. The company says that Class II functionality will follow later this year.

The product’s nomination materials state, “We’re excited to pioneer groundbreaking technology that will help the casino industry reach new levels of player satisfaction and profitability.” No doubt, Acres 4.0 is on the right path here.

Our judges seem to agree. Buddy Frank, VP of slot operations at Pechanga Resort & Casino, simply states, “I can’t wait.”

Judge Robert Allen, corporate VP of casino operations for Pinnacle Entertainment, calls A4 a “wonderful application of technologies.” He adds, “It could serve as a catalyst to usher in Internet gaming.”

For more information on this company and its winning product, visit www.acres4.com.

Aristocrat Technologies—Mega Pay™
Mega Pay™ is Aristocrat’s all-new game category, designed to give players additional opportunities to win by playing up to four sets of reels in the bonus feature as well as having additional wilds.

Players receive the extra sets of reels as a bonus, rather than purchasing them like in a regular game.

“The most effective utilization of multiple reel sets yet devised,” said one of our judges. “This game shows that Aristocrat truly understands the gambler.”

When a player gets into the bonus, they start by playing two sets of reels. As they collect symbols during the free games, they can receive additional sets of reels. When players collect nine symbols, they receive the third set of reels and the fifth reel becomes wild. When players collect 14 symbols, they receive a fourth set of reels, and the fourth and fifth reels become wild.  When players collect 30 symbols, the third, fourth and fifth reels become wild.

Mega Pay was launched on the More Chilli™ and More Hearts™ games. These add more fun and flavor to multi-line games. The More Chilli or More Hearts features can either be triggered at random or with three or more scatters. During the bonus feature, two sets of reels appear and 15 free games begin. Players are then on a quest to gather Chillis or Hearts symbols, respectively.

Expanding the multi-game experience of their Mega Pay cousins, Multi Mega Pay games Fortune Fantasy™ and Gazellions™ add extra Reel Power™ punch, allowing players to pay for two, three or four base games played concurrently. Each reel set carries its own free game meter, while any super free game features won bring ultimate manifold rewards as free games are unleashed across all open reel sets.

Other judge comments about Aristocrat’s Mega Pay included, “Nice twist on bonus play, could make for some very nice bonus pays,” and “An interesting twist on bonusing to allow more reels instead of spins or wilds.”

For more information on Aristocrat Technologies or Mega Pay, visit www. aristocrat-inc.com.

Multimedia Games—Side Action™ Series Video Slots
“Multi-games aren’t new. Dual displays aren’t new. But combining the two is. Video poker and a reel slot at the same time could be big,” said one of our judges about Multimedia Games’ Side Action™ Series.

Side Action Series allows players to play a game on the side at the same time as the base game, allowing for even more winnings.

The exciting part of this innovation is that a player can play two or more games that are completely different at the same time and over the same period of time, all with one button push, but resulting in different outcomes for each game.

High-flying Texas Tornado® with Side Action Poker and the scorching hot Blazin’ Bucks™ with Side Action Dice currently feature this unique and dynamic addition to traditional slot play.

Unlike other multi-game video slots that allow players to play multi-game spinning reel games at the same time, Side Action video slots allow players to play two different types of games at the same time to increase the player experience with variety and an increased chance to double their odds of winning. Side Action allows operators to give players a level of entertainment and variety beyond traditional video slots.

The player gets more variety of games and a higher frequency of wins, while the casino gets a larger wager per play. In addition, outcomes are not dependent on each other, so players actually get an opportunity to double their odds of winning.

Since both games are able to reveal outcomes at the exact same time, players can enjoy the one-of-a-kind experience without having to experience delays waiting for the other game to finish. In Texas Tornado with Side Action Poker, five cards are dealt in the same amount of time it takes the reels to the left to spin. By the time the reels finish spinning, the cards have been dealt and the player is immediately awarded credits for the outcome of each game.

Side Action Series offers players an experience unlike any other, in an effective and well-thought out manner. As one judge said, “Terrific application of the concept, wonderful execution.”

For more information on Multimedia Games or Side Action Series, visit www.multimediagames.com.