“The new system processes more quickly than the old system,” Kirk Sanford of Global Cash Access said. “When something is more user-friendly, people will use it more often.” Sanford said a major selling point is the touch screen. “It’s easy to use and can change graphics to market to a particular customer. For example, if someone is using a credit card, the screen will display higher pre-selected dollar amounts than if that person were using a bank debit card.”
Sanford added that the system’s smart card (cards with a microchip instead of a magnetic stripe) readiness also helps increase business at the casinos. “International customers are carrying smart cards more often,” said Sanford. “Being smart-card ready is beneficial for today and for the future.”
Sanford sees cashless gaming around the corner. “There’s a shift in the industry,” he said. “People are carrying less cash and more plastic cards to casinos. Why bring cash when they can get funds so easily from these machines? Soon there will be technology that allows customers to insert their debit card instead of cash into individual slot machines. The bill acceptors will be replaced by debit card acceptors.”