TransAct Technologies continues its drive to add value for customers with the Epicentral™ Print System
TransAct Technologies has been one of the leaders in developing casino equipment in a modular way. That means adding functions and technology to complement keystone products.
For casino operators it offers the potential not only for continuity of supply, but also the chance to have a direct input on the development of the supplier’s products. For the supplier, it offers the possibility of creating ever better products and an ever more sustainable business.
TransAct had the regional launch of its Epicentral™ Print System at G2E Asia. Epicentral continues the modularity drive of the company because it works in conjunction with TransAct’s Epic 950® ticket printer—a product that has already been a major success in multiple markets across the world including Macau. Epicentral allows casino operators to create promotional coupons and marketing messages and print them in real time at the slot machine, the electronic table game—or even at the live table in properties where ticket-in-ticket out technology is available on live games. The system also works with the casino operator’s own database, rather than trying to create a new database from scratch.
Inside Asian Gaming caught up with Andrew Hanley, TransAct’s Vice President-International Sales, at G2E Asia last month for an insight into how the company’s business is developing in the key and growing markets of the Asia Pacific region.
IAG: Can you give us an update in terms of market penetration for TransAct in Macau?
Andrew Hanley: We have been very successful over the last three to four years. A number of properties have specified the Epic 950 printer, not just in Macau, but throughout Asia. The most recent casino to choose the Epic 950 is the Galaxy Macau. The new Galaxy property is 100% TransAct, with the Epic 950 specified in all the machines. They’ve opened with 1,100 machines, so it’s been really positive for TransAct. The market is really taking to the product.
Why do you think Galaxy chose the Epic 950 for the whole floor at Galaxy Macau?
I think it’s the quality and the reliability of the product. By choosing the Epic 950 they also get access to our new technology—Epicentral—for promotional printing. They’re looking at the future benefits of having the Epic 950. They don’t have to upgrade their printer hardware to run promotional printing. With Epicentral coming on stream now in Asia, it’s an added advantage to have the Epic 950 in all their slot machines.
Epicentral was launched last November at G2E in Las Vegas. What is the schedule for its release in Asia?
The G2E Asia show in Macau is the first time that we’ve shown the Epicentral Print System in the region. We’ve had a few customers throughout the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, that we have shown the product to on a personal level. But this is the first time we’ve actually done the official launch where customers can come onto our stand and sit down and see how it actually works. We hope to see over the next six to 12 months that we’ll begin rolling it out in Asia. We’ve already got a lot of interest and a lot of customers that really want to implement this product.
For anyone unable to get over to G2E Asia this time, what are the main points regarding Epicentral you’d like to share with our readers?
Epicentral is the only product on the market that can truly give a casino the opportunity or ability to print promotional couponing or couponing tickets. You can reward a first-time player or someone that comes into your property five or ten times a month.
It truly gives the operator the ability to reward players on a real-time, lifetime basis. Someone can sit down at a slot machine and within five minutes, they can have a personalised coupon print out at the slot machine they are playing. It’s something that in my experience all casinos want—in South America, in Europe or in Asia Pacific. There is no other product that can do what we’re doing.
How do you work with the industry to help them get the most out of a system like Epicentral?
We sit down with the property from the beginning—with their loyalty programme, their marketing departments, their slot teams, and even table teams. In Asia, there’s been a lot of interest from casinos from the table operations side. We’ll sit down with them at the beginning and understand what they are trying to get out of Epicentral—what they’re trying to do in regards to rewarding the customers or the patrons. Then, together with our team—and the casino team—we go in and start implementing the product from there.
With the quality and the reliability of the Epic 950 and now with the new technology of Epicentral, it’s just a matter of us getting out there and letting everyone see the Epicentral Print System and what it can actually do, and get it implemented from there.
