Games & Technology: G2E

In this continuation of an article from last month’s issue, the editors of Casino Journal shine some light on non-slot products that stood out on the G2E showfloor

As the calendar turns towards 2018, events that took place this past year in the gaming industry begin to slowly fade into that past.

Not that this makes them any less important, especially when it comes to new product and technology introductions that were showcased at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), considering it often takes the passage of time to determine if these items will be adopted by gaming operators and ultimately considered successful.

For the editors of Casino Journal, highlighting some of the non-slot products that appear to have the legs needed for noteworthy futures began last month when in the first part of this article we reported on some of the game/casino management system, marketing analytics and table game new products and news that emanated from G2E 2017. In this continuance of that feature, we note the new devices and advancements we saw in online gaming, hardware and security/surveillance.

WIDER WEB

As online gaming continues to grow across the U.S. and especially around the world, gaming suppliers have responded by introducing not only new games, but improved platforms and analytic capabilities, all of which were on display at various G2E booths. International Game Technology PLC (IGT) continued to push forward in the interactive game space, and displayed a portfolio of products anchored by its PlaySpot mobile gaming solution. PlaySpot is an award-winning system that can be deployed to put engaging casino experiences such as live table betting, casino games, virtual sports and more on players’ mobile devices. Attendees interested in seeing PlaySpot in action could do so through MGM Resorts website, where the playMGM mobile sports betting app is powered by the IGT technology.

IGT also displayed new content for its Remote Game Server (IGT rgs) and online content portfolio. These online offerings included new casual games, top-tier licensed games such as BAYWATCH Slots and “Proven Performer” titles such as Ocean Magic and Icy Wilds slots.

Scientific Games, through its SG Interactive division, showcased online products designed to empower mobile player engagement with personalized offers, consumer-favorite social casino games and portrait mode RGS content. Visitors to the SG Interactive portion of the Scientific Games booth were offered live demonstrations of the enhanced SG Universe, a comprehensive, proprietary product suite featuring the Mobile Concierge platform, Play4Fun Network social casino and Core Systems Integration technology. This next generation of SG Universe includes an intuitive interface and exciting, never before seen customization options, according to company press materials.

Scientific Games also highlighted its proven Remote Game Server (RGS) game library with high-performing recent launches, new portrait mode content and highly popular titles such as Fu Dao Le, MONOPOLY Bring the House Down, Zeus God of Thunder and THE WIZARD OF OZ ROAD TO EMERALD CITY.

AGS used G2E as a backdrop to showcase Social WLC, its recently launched white-label social casino solution that can extend a property’s brand, offer more engagement and drive more visits and revenue to the facility. AGS has focused on offering customers this turn-key, customized social casino solution that’s based on proven, player-favorite, land-based content, including the newest additions Golden Wins, Jade Wins, and Shadow Fox Dreamcatcher. (For the latest on Social WLC, see story on page 9).

Smaller game suppliers that focus on the online space also displayed new devices and technology at G2E. For example, Spin Games showed both its own and its partners’ games on its Spin Games Remote Gaming Server (ROC), which supports proven land-based products from leading U.S. land-based suppliers including slots, video poker, keno, bingo as well as virtual sports. Including new genres debuting at G2E, Spin displayed over 140 HTML5 games.

Spin Games also showcased its recently released ROC3 platform that combines the playability features of top-tier slot games with the dynamic mediums of the iGaming space.  According to press materials, ROC3 features industry-benchmark download speeds, coupled with enhanced graphics capabilities, a customizable button deck, and 3D graphics capabilities.

Traffgen and The Printer Inc (TPI) launched the TPI Social Gaming Platform (SGP) at G2E 2017. Traffgen partnered with TPI to embed its marketing and player management technology into the TPI mobile app developed by TPI to deliver a dynamic, unified social gaming experience in a single app, according to company literature. The SGP is an engagement engine providing a personalized, highly curated interaction with players. The engine offers a range of tools that enable the casino to proactively manage the player experience of promotions and remote gaming as they become more engaged with the casino brand. The game events and player data are recorded in TG’s Hub marketing platform to generate the widest and deeply configurable KPI’s in real-time. The SGP is built to provide data-driven insights into the powerful extension to the casino brand available today.

HARDER THEY COME

In the gaming industry, there is always demand for hardware components that allow gaming devices and systems to work more economically and efficiently. For this reason, hardware providers of all types and sizes of traditionally flocked to G2E to display their latest wares. This year was no different, with companies such as Advantech-Innocore, a leader in embedded computing products for the gaming industry, showcasing its “gamer-changing” solutions, including LCD monitors, advanced storage systems, high-performance graphics cards and a revolutionary new gaming platform. This lineup of products included:

• The DPX-S445, Advantech-Innocore’s groundbreaking motherboard for the gaming industry. It featured the very latest Intel top-end embedded platform, giving customers field-proven reliability with the peace of mind of massive scalability and future upgradeability.
• With screen sizes available from 7 inches to 55 inches and beyond, new LCD monitors from Advantech-Innocore offered high-visibility, touchscreen, sunlight view ability and ruggedization. Curved screen models were also be on display, featuring concave and convex curved LCDs and even S-shaped curve screens.
• For customers needing more screens or high performance discrete graphics card performance, Advantech-Innocore graphics cards only use the latest AMD and Nvidia GPUs. Featuring 4GB or 8GB of onboard memory, and the latest Polaris GPU architecture from AMD, customers can experience a 3D performance with extended availability needed for gaming.
• Displayed in multiple formats, the incomparable reliability of Advantech’s powerful, secure storage solution includes power fail detection and protection, as well as flush manager and voltage stabilization. It has been approved by the most demanding ODMs in gaming and lottery.

EFCO, a world-class supplier of industrial PC, gaming and EMS solutions, unveiled its newest high-performance full HD gaming logic box, the EGL-7090 series, at G2E. Powered by 6th Generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors, the EFCO EGL-7090 offers scalable computing power and features an integrated HD GPU embedded PCI Express 16X graphics card that provides high-resolution 4K multimedia and 3D graphics performance, according to press materials. This feature-rich gaming logic box series is designed to help speed the development of a new generation of spectacular gaming with three and up to nine screens. Offering a greatly enhanced player experience, multi-screen electronic slot machines are seen as one of the key strategic solutions to help casinos realize increased revenue goals.

On the display hardware front, CastNET—the digital signage and IPTV solution developed by Alpha Video & Audio—was once again at G2E and highlighted the latest and greatest in IPTV and wayfinding solutions, among other technologies. The company demoed its TouchView solution; a high resolution, interactive game and property wayfinding solution that helps casino guests find their way to exciting games and venues using casino maps with animated walking paths that zoom and scroll. CastNET also displayed the GameView solution that uses iPads and cost-effective tablets to show game and dealer names along with min/max bets, dynamic casino promotions and floor-wide jackpot celebrations with eye-catching animations and audio playback.

JCM America also made a substantial splash in the display space at G2E with its array of digital displays from PixelPro Technologies. With completely configurable PixelPro Max displays, operators can deliver their message their way anywhere across the property—casino floor, bars, entertainment venues, sportsbook, bingo hall, convention area and more, according to press materials. PixelPro displays are lightweight, have low-energy usage, no noise and ultimate flexibility. PixelPro FLEX empowers operators to unleash video creativity because each panel can flex convex or concave by 30 degrees for incredible displays anywhere you can imagine them. PixelPro Cubes have a flexible modular design that allow operators to configure video cubes into interesting 3-D shapes.

To help promote this product, JCM Global partnered with Spawn Point to host a two-day, live eSports tournament during G2E that was played on PixelPRO digital displays. With HD and UHD frameless LED screens with industry-leading color contrasts, PixelPro displays are the perfect format for the intensely visual medium of eSports, because they allow for spectacular images and video on a curved or flat wall, according to a press release announcing the event.

SAFETY NET

The gaming industry is always on the lookout for products and technologies that make all aspects of the gaming enterprise more secure, and G2E 2017 was a good place to scope out some of the latest advancements in the fields of security and surveillance. For example, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) showcased products and services that ensure valuable assets are protected in real time. On the casino floor, products by GLI-subsidiary Kobetron—including IRIS Enterprise, IRIS Online, Kobetron Handheld Equipment and Verify+ by Kobetron—streamline processes while also tracking and certifying every asset on the casino floor, all in real time. Behind the scenes, professional services from Bulletproof monitor, detect and instantly react to cyberattacks.

Looking beyond cybersecurity, with new technologies, the benefits of checking IDs has grown far beyond just age verification. At G2E, IDScan.net displayed its VeriScan Online solution, which allows casinos to not only validate a person’s ID in less than one second, but also enhance security, automate data capture, streamline visitor management and optimize operational efficiency. According to company press materials, some of the largest casinos in the nation use IDScan.net’s internally hosted ID scanning platform, VeriScan Online, to quickly and easily capture and verify an individual’s information. Now, IDScan.net is offering watchlist screening as an add-on to VeriScan Online to provide an extra layer of security to casinos. These regulatory lists include OFAC, as well as internal lists such as “self-exclusion,” along with many others. This add-on will help identify a lot more unwanted visitors; allowing casino operators to more easily ensure safety and compliance.

Veridocs also made new in the patron identity space at G2E by announcing it has bolstered its ID Authentication system in partnership with Gemalto and its innovative Live Face Identification System (LFIS) for a more proactive security system along with a more accurate authentication and verification process. With LFIS, Veridocs adds a live video-based facial recognition system that automatically recognizes multiple faces simultaneously from live footage or imported footage, and allows for identification of individuals from faces in a crowd.

In the physical security products space, Morse Watchmans came to G2E with the newly released Version 2 of its industry-leading KeyWatcher Touch key control and asset management solution. Hands-on demonstrations showcased new features that improve security for casinos, including support for Morse Watchmans’ new RFID-enabled AssetWatcher secure physical storage solution; additional enterprise application functionality; and a new easier and faster database design.

In the physical security products space, Morse Watchmans came to G2E with the newly released Version 2 of its industry-leading KeyWatcher Touch key control and asset management solution. Hands-on demonstrations showcased new features that improve security for casinos, including support for Morse Watchmans’ new RFID-enabled AssetWatcher secure physical storage solution; additional enterprise application functionality; and a new easier and faster database design.