In this interview with CalvinAyre.com’s Rebecca Liggero, Stephen Warner of Automated Cashless Systems explains why their product can help casinos identify potential gambling problems.
Contrary to the belief of the society, gambling operators try to find ways in order for players to enjoy a good game and at the same time promote responsible gambling. They try to develop products that could help deter potential gambling issues.
In California and New Mexico, there are casinos that uses technologies that helps prevent players to gamble beyond their means. One of those technologies is Automated Cashless Systems (ACS).
Stephen Warner, chief operating officer of ACS, said their product helps casinos identify potential gambling problems and at the same time protect players from gambling excessively. Their product, according to warner, is payment processing method that doesn’t allow patrons to go in any type of overdrive protection.
He explained that the casino dealer will hand over their handheld device to the patron before proceeding to making a deal. At the conclusion of that hand and if the transaction of the patron request is approved, Warren said the dealer will hand a voucher which will be exchanged for chips.
“An example would be, I want 300 dollars but I only have 200 in my checking account. If you go to Walmart, it will allow you to buy groceries if you have an overdrive protection. Our system won’t allow that to happen,” Warner told CalvinAyre.com. “Secondly, if the customers doesn’t have the funds available in their checking account. They have to push back off the game, now they have to make a conscious decision: do I want to do cash advance against my credit card or do I have to do this.”
Aside from promoting responsible gambling, Warner said that ACS provides customers another touch point within the casino that they can get their fund but allows the convenience of them not having to get up from their seats to look for an ATM.
“It is a solution that allows you the patron to do what we do outside the four walls of casino every day. We used our debit cards for numerous purchase whether it is groceries, cars, clothing, just about anything, so what we did is we only come up with a solution. We brought that same mechanism into the gaming floor,” he said. “Probably, more importantly, it is very secure. It’s only a pin debit transaction. It’s not a credit card where we incur any debt to the customers. If they don’t have money that happens to be attached to that card’s account, then it will not let it go through. So, we won’t allow any debt to occur.
Warner said they are now operating and licensed in California and New Mexico while they are have received an approval from New Jersey for product trial.
“We are working with a very, very strong company back there, a couple actually and we are excited about that. We did a very, very under the radar, test the system. No one has done this before, for almost 13 months at a very small casino to test out all the aspects: the accounting, the reconciliation, the compliance, the customer acceptance, and just more importantly, the employee acceptance,” he said.
heir product can help casinos identify potential gambling problems.
