Konami Holdings Corp introduced a new way of delivering casino-issued slot credit

COVID-19 has hit the land-based casino industry all over the world very hard. Visitors in Macau are down to 2,000 daily from the previous numbers of more than 100,000 per day. Casinos in many countries are still closed and those that open have to deal with social distancing and extra sanitary measures while visitor numbers are still very low. Most bars in Las Vegas had to shut down again last week after COVID-19 cases started increasing again after lockdown measures had been eased.

But, these difficult times also bring opportunities. Cashless technology for casino operations has been in the spotlight recently. The American Gaming Association, a casino industry trade body, said in June that its recent research indicated nearly six out of 10 casino visitors interviewed have expressed interest in using digital or contactless payment in their everyday lives due to the pandemic.

Japanese gaming and entertainment conglomerate Konami Holdings Corp is one of the first companies to jump at this opportunity and introduced a new, cashless, way for delivering casino-issued slot credit – also known as a ‘slot marker’ – to players in Las Vegas. The company uses its Synkros casino management system to provide a “Marker Trax” product at a venue close to the Las Vegas Strip, in the Nevada casino hub. Guests using the Marker Trax product can apply for slot credit, get approved, and begin using such credit in under five minutes, all electronically.

Rather than receiving physical cash for a casino marker, Konami says guests that have opted for a PIN-protected Synkros cashless wagering account, can use their Marker Trax slot credit line to play electronically on any slot machine on the property, according to the release.

Thomas Jingoli, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Konami Gaming said: “Synkros has long supported cashless wagering and now we’re thrilled to work with Ellis Island Casino to take the technology even further through Marker Trax’s increased access to convenient slot credit.”

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