Transforming a slot machine into a cornucopia of extra wins—that’s what Gaming Support’s new BonusBox does, adding a fresh dimension to the player experience and delivering more to the casino’s bottom line
Think about this not-so-uncommon dilemma. A bank of slot machines on a casino floor is significantly underperforming similar slots. What’s a casino to do? It could buy some new games, but at prices often running in the US$15,000 to $20,000 neighborhood that’s not always an option. A casino can lease new games, but that requires paying fees or sharing revenue, which is not always desirable either, and not a legal option in every market (Macau, for instance).
That’s where Gaming Support believes its BonusBox can serve casinos well. For a price tag closer to $3,000, this sleek, cylindrical device mounts next to a slot machine, displaying an alluring prize that can be won simply by playing the game.
“Instead of trying to replace the game, it’s a lot cheaper to put something like this on and try to get a little bit more life out of your game,” says Don Baugh, chief executive of Gaming Support USA, which showcased the innovative new offering at last month’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.
With BonusBox added adjacent to a game and connected to a slot system, “You still have your normal pays and everything, but in addition you have this additional prize to play for,” Mr Baugh explains. “So, as you’re playing, it keeps giving you some indication that your play is having some effect, and eventually we have a winner. A voice announces, ‘We have a winner!’ and there are fireworks sound effects. It goes through a little celebration—and it actually opens up to allow the person to grab the money or prize.”
At G2E, Gaming Support didn’t have to send interested customers far to see BonusBox in action—15 of them are installed at The Palazzo, which is directly connected to the Sands Expo and Convention Center, where the show was held.
Other US installations include Red Rock Hotel Casino Spa in Las Vegas, The Cannery in North Las Vegas and the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana.
It’s catching on globally too. In Gaming Support’s home country of the Netherlands, Holland Casinos is a customer. And the word is spreading to Asia, where installations have been completed at Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa and at City of Dreams in Macau.
“The best part about it is it’s actually doing what we tell [casinos] it’s going to do,” says Mr Baugh. “It lifts their win on the game by 25% or more. At some locations, we’ve actually doubled their win.”
Gaming Support encourages the use of cash prizes because of their universal appeal (and, of course, because the winnings are often reinvested in the machine). But popular prizes also include iPods, restaurant coupons and tickets to shows and sporting events.
“It definitely attracts customers and drives them to the game,” Mr Baugh says. He notes that players appreciate that it’s a physical prize they’re winning, and that they’re receiving it immediately. “People really like it,” he says. “The banks I’ve seen in operation tend to be full.”
The key, he says, is to place it on the right games. “We don’t envision it going on every slot machine. We figure a bank here, a bank there. If it’s already a really good earning game, you wouldn’t necessarily put it on that one. If it’s a middle-of-the-road game, there’s always room to bring it up.”
BonusBox offers customizable lighting and sound options and the ability to place “wallpaper” inserts that brand the device to the casino. It’s built for security and equipped with an alarm to prevent tampering. When a prize is won it can be configured to open up automatically to let the player retrieve it or to have an employee award it. After the prize is given out it’s a simple process to reload the box with a new prize.
Gaming Support also exhibited a range of digital signage and media solutions at the show, all based on standard broadcast technologies and supporting every major gaming industry protocol. The highlight was the company’s new Agility technology, which combines the look of traditional signage with the efficiency of the latest industrial plastics and microelectronics, resulting in a slim, lightweight sign that saves energy, is economical to operate and easier and less expensive to install than heavy metal signs that often require mechanical lifts.
The company also showed a number of enhancements to its popular Gaming Support Media System digital signage platform. Two new products have been added: Gaming Support Media System Lite, which offers bank-level promotions; and Gaming Support Media System XL, which enables enterprise-wide broadcast management.
Photo courtesy of Eric Record
Inside Asian Gaming Editor James Rutherford (right) presents Gaming Support USA CEO Don Baugh the IAG2012 Supplier Award for “Best Electronic Signage” at last month’s G2E in Las Vegas.
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