Coinless Slot Machines
As a youth when I pestered my mother about the same subject she would look at me and tell me that I sounded like a broken record. If you told that to a kid today they would give you a funny look and ask what a record was. In a few years the same may be said for Slot Machines.
The term slot machine will soon be as archaic as the record. The industry refers to the new slot machines as an Electronic Gaming Device (EGD) or a Video Gaming Device (VGD). All new machines are equipped with a bill receptor to accept paper money. The next wave of technology will feature a coinless system that pays out in vouchers instead of coins
I just returned from the World Gaming Expo and most of the newer machines I saw had the option to go to a voucher pay out instead of coins. The latest advance in machine technology is the multi-denomination machine, which can take two or three different denominations of coin. It is not practical for a machine to have two or three hoppers to handle each different coin. The casinos are also starting to favor the coinless technology for single denomination machines.
More casinos are starting to place these machines on the floor. The new Suncoast Casino in Las Vegas opened with about 90 percent of their machines using the voucher system. I started to notice more of them around town during my last trip to Las Vegas. The casinos are in favor of the coinless system for several reasons. Besides being able to offer the multi-denomination machines, the casinos will also be able to cut labor cost.
If there were no coins involved, the casinos would be able to cut out the change people. They would not need the army of employees who empty the machines each night after most of us have crept to bed. There would be no need for the "hard count" room where all the coins must be sorted and counted. They also would be able to cut back on the number of slot attendants whose primary function is taking care of hopper fills and coin jams.
How many times have you had to wait for a hopper fill when you were cashing out? This is aggravating to the player but is also costly to the casino because that machine is out of service while you are waiting for the fill. An idle machine does not generate any revenue for the house.
I played a multi-denomination machine at The Reserve Casino that paid in vouchers. It was my first experience with them and I do have mixed emotions about the voucher system. My main complaint is the inconvenience when switching machines. If you want to switch machines you have to take your voucher over to the cashier and convert it back to money to put in the next machine. This issue is being addressed and you will soon be able to place a voucher from one machine directly into another. The casinos also favor the coinless system because it gets you the player to risk more money.
When you hand feed coins into a machine you are playing slower. This means you are risking less money against the house edge. When you put a bill in you just start playing credits which can be played at a very fast rate. The other psychological factor is to get you to play off your money if you only have a dollar or two left in credits. When you cash out coins you can slip them in your pocket and walk away. If you are paid with a voucher you must take it to the cage and convert it back to money. You will be more inclined to play off the credits instead of cashing them out.
How do you feel about a coinless system for slot machines? Join the discussion and vote in the poll.
Discuss it in the Forum.
or
Vote in the Poll.
Until next time, remember:
"Luck comes and goes...Knowledge stays forever."