CHICAGO, IL and LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - November 2, 2010) - "This could change the way casino operators serve their customers." That is how the first meeting between the Gaming Standards Association (GSA) and Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) opened, when the two organizations hosted a landmark meeting at the Excalibur Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas on the topic of casino customer information integration. The event attracted close to 50 professionals from across the industry, including representatives from operators and suppliers.
"Customer information integration is the next big thing that is going to happen in our industry," said GSA's Protocol Director Ethan Tower. "As the economic recovery continues, our customers will be asking more of us, and this is how we will deliver on our promises. I challenge everyone here to stay engaged in the evolution."
The meeting marked the beginning of a coordinated standards development effort, in which GSA and HTNG started discussions on how to integrate customer information across a variety of hotel and gaming systems. The objective is to enable existing systems to communicate in order to provide a seamless and fully integrated profile of each customer from across the entire operation based on frequency and time of visits, guest preferences, and spending and gambling patterns. Systems within the project scope include Property Management, Point-of-Sale, Player Tracking, Spa, Concierge, Show Ticketing, and other activities systems.
The effort will build upon and expand successful past efforts by GSA and HTNG in their respective arenas.
"We look forward to working with HTNG on developing a standard that will allow casinos to create a 'total customer view' that will enable them to provide an even higher level of service to their guests. The next few months will be very exciting indeed," said GSA President Peter DeRaedt.
About Gaming Standards Association
The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) is an international trade association that creates benefits for gaming manufacturers, suppliers, operators and regulators. We facilitate the identification, definition, development, promotion, and implementation of open standards to enable innovation, education, and communication for the benefit of the entire industry. Established in 1998, GSA's members represent a wide cross section of the global gaming industry. Follow GSA on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
GSA's Game to System (G2S) Protocol has been named "Best Productivity-Enhancement Technology" by Global Gaming Business Magazine; one of Casino Journal magazine's "Top 3 Most Innovative Products"; and one of Casino Enterprise Management's "Top 10 Slot Floor Technologies."
Platinum members include AMX; Aristocrat Technologies Inc.; Bally Technologies, Inc. (BYI); International Game Technology (IGT); Konami Gaming Inc.; MEI; Seminole Tribe of Florida; SPIELO (an affiliate of GTECH LTO.MI); Techlink Entertainment International Ltd. and WMS Gaming Inc. (WMS). Other members include: 3M Touch Systems (MMM); Ainsworth Game Technology, Ltd.; Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission; American Gaming Systems; Ameristar Casinos, Inc.; Aruze Gaming America, Inc.; Atlantic Lottery Corporation; Atronic Americas LLC; Austrian Gaming Industries GmbH; BMM Compliance; BCLC; Cadillac Jack; CashCode Company Inc.; Codere, S.A.; The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas; De Vocht Expert Services; DigiTech Systems Co., Ltd.; DR Gaming Technology Europe nv; European Casino Association; FutureLogic, Inc; GameTech International; Gaming Laboratories International, LLC; Gaming Technologies Association; GGS-US LTD; Grand Vision Gaming, LLC; Harrah's Entertainment; HERMES SoftLab; International Games System Co., Ltd; Intralot S.A. (INLr.AT); Isle of Capri Casinos; Loto-Quebec; Macao Polytechnic Institute; Manitoba Lotteries Corp.; Money Controls; MotorCity Casino; Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL); Nanoptix, Inc.; NCR Corporation (NCR); New Wave Automation; Nick Farley & Associates; NRT Technology Corporation; Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation; Oregon Lottery; QALab; Penn National Gaming, Inc.; Scientific Games (SGMS); Shuffle Master, Inc.(SHFL); SIQ; Technical Systems Testing; Transact Technologies (TACT); UNLV International Gaming Institute; Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.; WCLC Sask VLT Division; Western Money Systems. For more information, visit www.gamingstandards.com.
About Hotel Technology Next Generation
The premier technology solutions association in the hospitality industry, HTNG is a self-funded, non-profit organization with members from hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, and other industry members including consultants, media, and academic experts. HTNG's members participate in focused workgroups to bring to market open solution sets addressing specific business problems. HTNG fosters the selection and adoption of existing open standards. Where necessary, it also develops new open standards to meet the needs of the global hospitality industry.
Membership in HTNG is open to hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, consultants, academics, press and others. Currently more than 400 corporate and individual members from across this spectrum, including most of the world's leading hotel companies and technology vendors, are active HTNG participants. HTNG's Board of Directors alone represents more than 2.3 million guest rooms. Workgroup proceedings, drafts, and specifications are published for all HTNG members as soon as they are created, encouraging rapid and broad adoption. Specifications are released to the public domain as they are ratified by the workgroup. For more information, visit www.htng.org.
Contact Information:
Contacts:
Michelle Olesiejuk
GSA
+1 510 492 4060
www.gamingstandards.com
Brian Larson
HTNG
+1 847 303 5560
www.htng.org