The week is just a couple of days old, and already there has been a couple of big announcements regarding cashless gaming.
On Monday, Boyd Gaming announced the creation of “BoydPay,” a digital wallet developed with Aristocrat Technologies. Then on Tuesday, Global Payments Gaming Solutions and International Game Technology announced an extension of their current cashless gaming initiative.
Payment modernization has long been an issue the gaming industry has promoted. As American Gaming Association President and CEO Bill Miller noted at the 2019 Global Gaming Expo, the cash-only system casinos have used for years no longer meshes with customers used to using mobile devices to pay for most products and services.
The issue gained even greater relevance in the past year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Casino operators sought ways to reduce physical interactions between patrons and staff, such as exchanging chips for cash.
Boyd Seeks Aggressive Cashless Gaming Rollout
Boyd’s announcement is an extension of a cashless gaming pilot project the gaming company launched with Aristocrat in October at the Blue Chip Casino Resort Spa in Michigan City, Ind.
According to a joint release, the digital solution is now available at Blue Chip and Belterra Park racino in Cincinnati. It’s also going through a trial run at the Aliante Casino Hotel and Spa in North Las Vegas.
Patrons can currently BoydPay link their B Connected loyalty card to fund play or cash out at certain slot machines.
Eventually, Boyd wants to use its digital wallet to connect to its B Connected mobile app. That plan relies on receiving the OK from regulators. If that happens, patrons would not only fund gaming sessions but could also pay for other items on their phones. That includes meals, show tickets, and hotel rooms.
Boyd Senior Vice President and CIO Blake Rampmaier said the development of BoydPay is about enhancing their guests’ experiences.
By going cashless, our customers will be able to avoid the wait times and inconveniences associated with using cash and focus on enjoying their visit to our properties,” he said.
Boyd said it expects to roll out this service to all 28 of its properties by the summer. That is contingent on getting gaming authority approval in the 10 states where the company’s resorts are located.
IGT, Global Payments Announce Extension
According to an IGT release, the British-based gaming company’s subsidiary extended its agreement with Global Payments gaming division for at least five years.
The relationship began with IGT using Global Payments for its iLottery product in 2016. It’s since expanded into other aspects of IGT’s operations, including IGT’s Resort Wallet. Resort Wallet allows a player to use their mobile device or their loyalty rewards card to fund their gaming session.
The partnership allows users of IGTPay to register with Global Payments’ VIP Preferred service. That then enables users to move money in one step between their bank and gaming accounts. The service eliminates the need for entering banking information for each transaction.
“Players are more likely to embrace cashless technology when the experience is simple, convenient, and offers a wide range of funding sources, including direct, secure access to their bank accounts,” said Ryan Reddy, IGT vice president of VLT, systems, and payments products.
Global Payments Gaming Solutions President Christopher Justice said more than 3.5 million people use VIP Preferred to fund their accounts.
“For IGT, giving its customers and their players access to our VIP Preferred network provides players with a seamless and frictionless way to access cash for gaming,” he said.
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