Kirk Sanford News

When it comes to servicing the gaming industry it seems that cooperation, at least in this instance, can be more profitable than competition, or so believe the companies of USA Processing, First Data Corp. and BankAmerica Corp.’s Merchant Services Inc. who sought government regulatory approval for their joint venture in the transaction processing marketplace.

“There was a lot of synergy,”

says Kirk Sanford, the spokesman for USA Processing of Sunnyvale, California.

“Our working together was something actually suggested by our customers.”

Cooperation did not come as a huge surprise since the paths of these companies often crossed while supplying service and products to the gaming industry. USA Processing spokesman Kirk Sanford would not disclose the role his company would play in this new joint venture, but he did explain that USA processing is an independent payment company working with the gaming, banking and retailing industries.

You might think the phrase “responsible gambling” is an oxymoron, but at casinos in Detroit they are about to enter into the second phase of a two phase program to promote just that: Responsible Gambling.

Kirk Sanford of Global Cash Access in partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling is making a huge effort to educate and counsel the public so that an enjoyable hobby or pastime does not turn into an addictive problem.

Accounting for approximately 95% of all cash access machines at casinos, all GCA machines will have Point-of-Decision messages printed on sticker and receipts, and 60% of the machines will also have telephone handsets which connect to a 24-hour “help-line” service center. Using the code word ‘think’ will signal to the service representative to automatically connect the customer to the National Council on Problem Gambling Hotline.

In addition, the program to promote responsible gambling also allows customers to exempt their credit cards so that if a request is made by the customer to withdraw more than a set amount of money, the withdrawal will be denied.

To learn more about this service you can see our page “Casino Cash Machines Offer Exclusion.”

Can gambling guarantee you millions of dollars? Kirk Sanford, CEO of Global Cash Access, has proven that it does! Sanford’s company upgraded cash access systems at over one thousand casinos in 1999 in a $5 million project. In an article that appeared in Business Solutions in May 1999, Jim Roddy covered the various aspects of Global Cash Access’ technological advances and the business models it had successfully implemented. The article included  an interview with Sanford. Read about it here.

First Data Corp., Bank America Corp.’s BA Merchant Services Inc. and USA Processing individually provide credit card, debit card, automated teller machine (ATM), check cashing, and Western Union (WU) money transfer services across a total of 1,200 gambling properties in the U.S. Now, they are seeking regulatory approval for a new joint venture in these spheres that are traditionally their fields of competition. Under the joint venture, these various financial services  would join the 1,200 casinos across the U.S. under the one joint company. Read more on this venture here.