New technology expected for slots

UNITED STATES – As reported by Bloomberg: " In the casino of the future, slot machines might recognize gamblers by name, take their drink orders and sell them tickets to a show.

"Behind the scenes, the slots would be linked to a central server computer that would allow operators to instantly adjust the odds or the minimum bet from, say, a nickel to a quarter.

"Manufacturers tout the new technology, aimed for delivery in 2009, as the biggest innovation since the lever that gave one- armed bandits their name. Yet casino operators and players aren't so sure. They say the devices may not pay for themselves, and they're wary of a technology geared so much to the individual player that it might scare off customers.

"As much as $10 billion -- the cost of replacing all 800,000 U.S. slot machines -- may be at stake. Casinos will benefit, the makers say, because gamblers will play longer and spend more.

"…Slots are crucial to the casino industry. They generate more than three-quarters of the $55 billion in U.S. annual gambling revenue. That's one reason casino operators are cautious.

"…Gamblers already are suspicious of the house's ability to tinker with the odds, says Susan Fisher, slot manager at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, Oregon, which has 1,250 slot machines.

"…Slot-machine manufacturers say these concerns are overblown. Brian Gamache, chief executive officer of Waukegan, Illinois- based WMS Industries Inc., says he heard the same worries when the industry switched four years ago to cashless slot machines that used pre-paid tickets.

"…One of the biggest advantages to server-based slots is the ability to make gamblers feel welcome in the same way high- rollers are greeted by casino hosts, Gamache says…"