Upgrades to simple gaming computers to convert them into full-fledged casino terminals

In order to achieve the best possible gaming experience for clients, operators will attempt to recreate the atmosphere of a real live casino as much as possible, and while for some people a computer, monitor and mouse may be enough, others will go much further in order to appease their customers and bring in more profits. By using a little creativity and craftwork, a cabinet can easily be built around a pc to "cover" its true interior and present players with a high quality looking solution, instead of a bare bones computer and mouse. There are also button interfaces, lights, graphics, sounds, and all kinds of embellishments that can be added to a cabinet in order to provide that true 1st class gaming experience players are looking for. The operator must also know what kind of cabinet he would like, either a stand up cabinet, or a simple counter top machine which will be less bulky, some other examples which can be found at custom cabinet maker King Cabinet. Instead of paying thousands if not tens of thousands, an operator can plan what type of cabinet he wants, customize it himself, and have it built for a fraction of the price that a new official cabinet would cost. A great marketplace to browse through used and new equipment specifically for arming a cabinet can be found at HERE.

Cabinets vs. Kiosks

In the gaming world, cabinets are usually known as big, bulky, heavy boxes that are usually placed in rows on the floor and are not very movable due to their weight. Kiosks, on the other hand, are generally small to medium sized devices and can usually fit comfortably in a countertop. Kiosks for the most part are made up of an all-in-one pc and then fitted into a small kiosk-type setup. The operator can customize the look and feel of the kiosk very easily, as opposed to the cabinet where some more time and funds may have to be invested in order to have some features changed or updated.

Bill Acceptors

These devices usually come in the shape of a small box, and are used by customers to deposit funds into their gaming accounts. Bill acceptors are a staple in most gaming cabinets in casinos around the world, such as slot machines.

Players simply fit their paper currency into the bill acceptor's slot, and the device communicates with the cabinet to credit the player accordingly. This process is of great advantage to both players and operators, since no time is wasted in procuring funds to the gaming machine, that way players can spend their money immediately without having to wait for a cashier. And due to the fact plenty of acceptors can simply be connected to a pc via usb cables, it is not something really technical the operator may have to worry about.

Some of the most widely used brands of bill acceptors are: JCM, ICT, ITL and MEI, although there are several companies worldwide entering into this market.

In our experience, ITL validators, which you can check at http://www.innovative-technology.co.uk produce some of the best validators on the market, while still being very competitively priced. One of their most used acceptors is the BV9 Bill Acceptor, which is widely used in all of Latin America with great success.

There are a wide range of bill acceptors, both low and high priced. What should be of importance to the operator is it the validator meets his specific needs for his operation. Also of importance to operators, is what kinds of protocols should be included in the validator in order to communicate with the gaming software being used. Some examples of these protocols are CCTALK, SSP and MDB/ICP.

Another advantage of these devices is the fact they come in a big price range, so quality bill acceptors can be found for perhaps as little as $60, while some of the better models could cost up to $300 or even more. The great advantage of this segment is there is a big market of pre-owned devices, such as the site Alibaba and the very popular Ebay, both of which offer a huge selection of both new and used bill acceptors.

Coin Acceptors

These devices are very similar to the previously explained Bill acceptors, although instead of bills or paper currency, they work specifically with coins. They are mostly seen in casinos in their slot machines, although their uses vary wildly. These acceptors are especially useful in areas where coins are widely used, although the devices will be superfluous in countries that don't make use of coins, since the device will have no use.

Printers

They are used mostly by players to redeem their winnings once they have finished playing. In most cases, a button is displayed somewhere on the screen or on the cabinet itself. When the player pushes or activates this button, a ticket will be printed. This ticket can then be redeemed by the player to acquire his funds.

The printers found inside of cabinets are usually thermal printers. Since these printers have no ink cartridges or moving parts, they are ideally small and fit perfectly inside most cabinets. Most of these printers are not expensive, (in the $100 to $300 range) although special thermal paper must be bought in order to print using these devices.

One of the best and most consistent printers we've discovered is the Custom EO 3.0 Printer, which can print, validate, acknowledge tickets and along with its patented anti-jamming system is one of the most easy to use thermal printers on the market today.

Locks

In order to safeguard a cabinet's internal components and cash (if using a bill or coin acceptor) it is a good idea for the operator to install cabinet-specific locks. This way, no one will be able to tamper with the machine or engage in any type of fraudulent behavior.

Locks are usually very inexpensive and come in a variety of models, and usually consist of the lock itself and a set of keys in order for management to access the cabinets. One of the best and biggest cabinet lock providers are MEI LOCKS, a company that also happened to exhibit their products in one of the biggest gaming shows around the world, G2E Asia.

Buttons

If an operator wants to provide the closest experience to being in a casino but his players are using a keyboard or mouse as inputs, a simple solution is to install a button panel. This panel contains a set number of buttons that can be assigned to the commands within the game, once again making the players feel as if they are using a real slot machine. The top button makers at the moment, are Gamesman, based in the UK. Their buttons are of the highest quality. Button panels can come in many shapes and sizes, and some panels even have animations within their buttons, something that never ceases to impress players.

Sounds

Sounds are known to stimulate and give jolts of dopamine to active players. Even on losing spins, most games will give happy sounds that are known to reduce the awareness of the player on lost spins such as these. While not many operators will go the way of WMS and install Bose speakers in their cabinets, it is a good investment to get decent sounding quality out of the machine you are operating in order to maximize player satisfaction, and thus, retention.

Motherboard

We've gone over some of the most relevant components that make up a gaming machine, however, sometimes integrating all these components to work together is a bit more complicated than it may seem. Enter motherboards. These boards, made by manufacturers such as Aewin Technologies have the capabilities to integrate external button panels, bill and coin acceptors, printers, speakers, and other devices usually through a simple cable connection, giving operators the opportunity to skip potential hassles and technical limitations that installing all these components separately could bring on.

Seating

In the casino world, one of the prime commandments is to minimize distractions as much as possible for players in order to get them to stay playing in the establishment as long as possible to maximize profit. This often includes no clocks on the walls, no windows, and other types of amenities designed to keep players playing. Sometimes though, the simplest thing could be overlooked: Seating. While some people won't mind sitting in a rigid plastic chair, the vast majority of players will get up at the first sign of being uncomfortable, what's more, they may even choose not to sit down unless they deem it accommodating. And remember, some players spend hours playing at the slot machines. So if you really want to provide a first-class gaming experience, pony up some funds for good quality seating, it is well worth it. There are several types of seats, and you may want to do your research before purchasing. Some great examples of seating made specifically for the gaming industry can be found at Gasser Chair.

Tweet

back

eGameProvider Team