Trends and technology change fast, and the gaming floor must keep up. With networked gaming, server-supported and server-based gaming, hybrid technology, G2S standards and more, what are the best ways to make the most out of that technology? Systems can provide casinos the opportunity to change games in seconds. And the difference between a perfectly balanced floor and one that's just OK can be tens of thousands—or maybe even millions—of dollars. That's why it's essential for slot managers and key personnel to not only understand, but firmly grasp and apply the principles of slot math, games mix, floor layout and denomination, technology and IT. This practical approach to slot floor success tackles all the topics you need to know.
Block Schedule (.pdf)
Block Schedule (.docx)
DAY 1 - Tuesday, May 17
Game Selection Criteria
10:30 a.m. - noon
How does a slot director determine the appropriate mix of machines for the casino floor when preparing for the opening of a new casino and during subsequent years of operations? Variables such as denominations, manufacturers, cabinet styles, models and others play an important role in making good analytical decisions supporting maximizing revenue from the slot gaming floor. This seminar session steps through the process of ensuring a competitive blend of gaming devices are selected and refreshed on a periodic basis.
Presenter: Rich Lehman, Owner, Centric Vision Technologies
Three Big Analytical Questions
1 - 2:30 p.m.
There are many common casino floor questions that can be addressed with analytics. This session will address three of them, including: the amount of incremental money a new gaming device delivers, measuring the effect of free play and deciphering a dynamic gaming floor. This session explores methods of measurement and how best to apply customer-based analysis.
Presenter: Andrew Cardno, Chief Technology Officer, BIS²
Design/Build Your Own G2S Application
3 - 3:50 p.m.
By now, you've probably visited one of the many networked gaming floors that are springing up across the globe, or you may even have one of your own. What you probably don't realize is that in this new world, if the EGMs are speaking G2S, multiple applications can interact with each EGM, giving you the opportunity to design or build your own custom application. In this session, we will discuss how G2S works and how you can take advantage of opportunities presented by this new world.
Presenter: Russ Ristine, President, Radical Blue Gaming
Managing the Systems Selection Process
4 - 5:30 p.m.
Getting ready to implement or upgrade your technology? Your success depends on your process. What are your expectations? What is your roadmap for getting there? How will you manage it? What resources do you have to draw from? How will you keep the project on track all while you operate a casino? How will you coordinate the project with all the players involved? What's going to facilitate good communication among all involved? What is the right system for your operation? This session will provide you with answers you're looking for and get you moving in the right direction. You will be provided with examples of what could go wrong and what you must do to get things back on track.
Presenters: Stephanie Maddocks, President, Power Strategies
Steve Walther, Vice President of Marketing, Aruze Gaming
DAY 2 - Wednesday, May 18
Slot Budgeting and Business Planning
10:30 a.m. - noon
Budgeting and planning for a department in a state of perpetual change is a challenge that can easily be performed with some basic strategies in the design of the department and with monthly analytical reviews to ensure success. Building a business plan ensures that every aspect of the department is carefully evaluated and understood. This session discusses several key elements when preparing the development of a slot and casino business plan.
Presenter: Rich Lehman, Owner, Centric Vision Technologies
Advanced Analytics: A Case Study on Silverton Casino
1 - 2:30 p.m.
The Penny Alley mini casino was created at the Silverton Casino with nearly zero capital investment. This session follows the mini casino's timeline, looking at the original analytical techniques that were applied to lead to its design, how different customer groups reacted to Penny Alley, how customer behavioral groupings were built, then how these groups could have been targeted separately in marketing efforts.
Presenter: Andrew Cardno, Chief Technology Officer, BIS²
Slot Revenue Optimization
3 - 3:50 p.m.
As a slot operator, do you ever feel overwhelmed by the volume of information you must process in order to make your slot floor both fun for your customers and profitable for your owners? Slot operators will not want to miss this fun and informative class related to the optimization of slot utilization, slot revenue and market share capture. This session will offer suggestions on how to effectively lay out your floor to maximize your product selection. It will include advice on how to utilize anchor games to set pricing for sections of your floor and optimize your slot offerings through the effective use of wide area progressives and participation products.
Presenter: Kevin Parker, Partner, Lynx Gaming Solutions
CMS—Building Excitement, Rewarding Loyalty, Driving Revenue and Operating Efficiently
4 - 5:30 p.m.
Today's casino management systems address every operational facet of your gaming enterprise. These sophisticated and powerful tools can do it all. Casino management systems of today handle your slots, table games, target marketing, bonusing, patron tracking, analytics, TITO and cage requirements. Some systems also address regulatory compliance. They have been built from the ground up, but determining which system is right for your operation can be a difficult challenge. In the first part of this session, you will hear overviews from several major slot manufacturers. The second half of this session will be a moderated panel where systems providers will respond to key questions posed by the moderator and audience.
Moderator: Stephanie Maddocks, President, Power Strategies
Panelists: Chad Hoehne, Founder and CEO, TableTrac
Bruce Rowe, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Bally Technologies Inc.
Gene Estep, CEO, EC Development
Phil O'Toole, Senior Product Manager Systems, Konami Gaming
Rich LeBaron, Manager of Strategic Products-Systems, Aristocrat Technologies
DAY 3 - Thursday, May 19
Open Protocols, Open Networks, Server-Based Gaming and Your Casino
10:30 a.m. - noon
Don't even think about missing this roundtable. It's definitely going to be the place where the rubber will meet the road. Engineering representatives from top game manufacturers will speak on the supplier's perspective. There will also be operators from the Oklahoma market. They will represent the real people on the floor at the casino level who are faced with implementation and operation of this new technology. The Gaming Standards Association, the standards body who will ensure the openness of the network, will speak to the necessity of open protocols and networks for it to work efficiently and effectively. It sounds complicated, but the open network is transforming the gaming industry via the new technologies it delivers. Whether it's server-based gaming, remote floor configuration, business intelligence, direct and tailored marketing campaigns, customer loyalty programs or any number of new products that have become available, the open network is your stepping stone to our future.
Moderator: Rich Lehman, Owner, Centric Vision Technologies
Panelists: Bruce Rowe, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Bally Technologies Inc.
Peter DeRaedt, President, Gaming Standards Association
Jason Lowry, Senior Director of Casino Operations, Hard Rock Tulsa
Chris Rowe, Associate Director, Networked Gaming, Aristocrat Technologies
Multi-Game Analysis
1 - 2:30 p.m.
Multi-game machines have been around for years, but only recently have we had the ability to look into the data. This session will show how data has been applied to discover some very interesting characteristics of multi-game machines and the analytic limitations involved with relying on system vendor data. Multi-game analysis has been successful when applied in a live casino environment, and this session will cover the analytical techniques and scientific process that were used to measure the impacts.
Presenter: Andrew Cardno, Chief Technology Officer, BIS²
Optimizing Operational Costs and Compact Renegotiation with Class II
3 - 3:50 p.m.
What is the makeup of the gaming machines on your floor? Is your operation fully optimized? In today's Native American gaming market, there are many costs associated with Class III games that need to be considered. Most operators factor compact fees in to their decisions, but what about licensing fees, regulatory costs and distribution to specific special funds? This presentation will outline the advantages of utilizing Class II on your floor and how a blend of Class II and Class III can save money for your operation now and position you for future compact renegotiations.
Presenter: Kevin Parker, Partner, Lynx Gaming Solutions
The Class II Revolution
4 - 5:30 p.m.
This lively and thought-provoking panel of industry leaders will provide operators and regulators insightful perspective on the rapid technology advances in Class II gaming. The presentation will provide important insight on how embracing this technology on your floor can work to your advantage. It will include the industry's latest and greatest innovations and a glimpse of where Class II technology will be headed in the future.
Moderator: Kevin Parker, Partner, Lynx Gaming Solutions
Panelists: Mauro Franic, VP of Product Management and Marketing, Cadillac Jack
Christina Abate, Product Manager-Systems Division, Bally Technologies
Russell Witt, Director of Gaming Compliance, Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.
Ken Lynchard, Vice President of Sales, Multimedia Games
Rob Siemasko, VP of Product Management, WMS
Gaming