Casino patrons can have it their way when it comes to pretty much everything these days, so why not at the kiosk on your casino floor? That’s what Global Cash Access (GCA) was thinking when it developed QuikTicket, which allows players the choice of either receiving cash or a slot ticket during an ATM transaction.
According to GCA Executive Vice President of Business Development Scott Dowty: “There is nothing like QuikTicket. It is really an extension of what customers and patrons already know and do when they walk up to a full-service kiosk and are about to do a cash access transaction.”
As Dowty points out, since most people going to an ATM in a casino are looking to play, QuikTicket streamlines the process for them.
Choosing a ticket instead of cash at the ATM may also get a player some perks. Operators have the ability to incentify the use of tickets by, for example, offering players bonus points if they choose a ticket.
Although QuikTicket is a new product, Dowty does not think it will take players long to learn how to use it. ATMs with QuikTicket will run quick messaging on their screens with real-time prompts. “Like with any new product, we expect a learning curve with both the consumer adopting the ticket versus cash option and the casino’s better understanding the value of the ticket versus cash and how to incentify the patron to choose the ticket,” he said.
Scott Betts, president and chief executive officer of GCA, added, “Today’s consumer is accustomed to cashless transactions, as evidenced by the increasing use of debit and credit cards in all areas, and we believe this technology represents the next step in the evolution of cashless gaming.”
GCA is looking forward to field testing its new QuikTicket product in Nevada and California, after receiving unanimous approval to do so from the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). “We are very pleased with the decision and look forward to QuikTicket’s beta-testing in Nevada,” Betts noted of the approval.
GCA believes this technology provides increased security for both the casino patron and the gaming operator. Casino players may feel more comfortable with a ticket in their hand or pocket than with cold hard cash. If a player does choose to receive a slot ticket, the ticket can be used directly in an electronic gaming device or redeemed for cash.
“QuikTicket will provide a convenient, efficient and safe option for patrons to fund their gaming activities, while providing casinos additional options for limiting their vulnerability to theft and reducing cash handling costs on the casino floor,” Betts said. The more tickets that are used and dispensed means the less cash at full-service kiosks and gaming machines.
Dowty also pointed out that QuikTicket presents casinos with the opportunity to drive incremental revenue. “Generally speaking, that ticket has a much better chance of finding its way into a gaming device where tickets are enabled than that hundred dollar bill would have had,” he said.
QuikTicket is also included in GCA’s Self Transaction Exclusion Program (STeP), a key element of GCA’s responsible gaming program that allows patrons to exclude themselves from access to their own funds using GCA’s QuikCash Plus platform anywhere in the world.
Most importantly, Dowty said, is that this product is one step closer to an entirely cashless transaction. “It simply makes sense to offer the casino patron an option for a ticket when they are planning to play a gaming device then simply dispensing cash,” he explained. “The cash will eventually translate into a ticket and the ticket back to cash when the patron cashes out. The casino realizes significant operational efficiencies, and QuikTicket really does represent a win-win for all.”
Upon the successful completion of the field trial, the NGCB will issue an associated equipment approval for the product, allowing installation and full commercialization of QuikTicket in Nevada. GCA intends to seek approval of QuikTicket in additional gaming jurisdictions as well. QuikTicket will also be available as an upgrade to Western Money Systems’ full-service kiosks. “We believe the casinos that already have ATMs will look for that upgrade and the casinos that don’t offer ATMs today will see QuikTicket as a reason to add not only QuikTicket, but the whole ATM platform,” Dowty said.
GCA, in cooperation with Bally Technologies Inc., has also developed a product that takes cashless transactions to the next level. Power Cash allows casino patrons to play without ever touching cash. “It’s important to note that Power Cash was the first of its kind in gaming,” Dowty said. “It’s still pretty cutting edge, and we’re looking at ways to streamline the process and improve the patron’s experience.”
With Power Cash, a player would go to a casino cage and transfer funds from a debit or credit card to an “e-wallet” or wagering account. The account is loaded at the booth and linked to the patron’s player account. The player can then download the funds on to a slot machine by using a pin number and accessing the machine’s Power Bank. Then the money is put on the machine for play credits. When the player wants to cash out, they can choose a ticket or put the money back into their wagering account. “That’s really as close as we’ve got to using financial instruments in a gaming device,” Dowty said.