They are experimenting with stocking blackjack tables with money chips embedded with digital tags that can automatically measure how much a gambler has wagered and on what kinds of hands.Ĭasinos also are testing wireless devices that would allow people to play games like Keno and eventually blackjack while sitting in public areas, like the swimming pool.īut these advances are raising some eyebrows. More generally, casino operators have sought in recent years to use technology to offer new games and make a science of their business. Gamblers now insert debit slips that track how much money they have, making the coins people once collected in buckets a distant memory.Ĭoming soon are high-definition screens that will enhance the animation to keep gamblers engaged and draw bigger crowds, and even better speakers to project crisp sound right at players. The rest are computer-generated facsimiles that allow gamblers to play numerous animated reels at once, and induce them with the promise of bonus rounds.
Slot machines, once highly mechanized, are now highly computerized only about half the machines have actual spinning cylinders. The development of networked slots underscores the growing convergence of gambling and technology. Beltram insists he does not plan to capriciously change the odds, which he said would be bad for repeat business and could run afoul of regulators. Some critics wonder whether centrally controlled slots are not a few steps away from the distant, but instant and unchecked control enjoyed by Internet casino operators. That could mean testing consumer confidence as well. If regulators approve, casino operators will be able to centrally adjust the slots to cater to different crowds - older players and regulars during the day and younger tourists and people with bigger budgets at night. The concept is being tested for the next few months under the gaze of state gambling regulators.
"With the technology, it takes 20 seconds."
Beltram, the 28-year-old executive director for slots at Treasure Island, which is owned by the MGM Mirage.
"Now, I just come to my office, and select the program," said Mr. The alteration usually took a day and could cost thousands of dollars, from ordering parts to modifying the machine. In the past, changing out a slot machine was a complicated operation and entailed opening it, replacing the computer chip inside, then changing the glass display that markets the game's theme.
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