Penn Entertainment is seeking a Nevada license to provide it with greater flexibility to research, develop, and deploy in-house technology at the M Resort in Henderson.
The M Resort has launched a new cashless wagering system, but its current licensing doesn’t allow the customization of reports. Instead, it has to outsource them to a third-party vendor. The M Resort plans to expand the use of its in-house technology, including some changes to its promotion system, said Kelci Binau, Nevada gaming counsel for Penn.
Christopher Soriano, chief compliance officer at the company, said Penn has been developing a lot of its own technology, including the cashless wagering system that brings together components from several different manufacturers and distributors into an integrated system. Not having the ability to generate its own reports added friction to the process.
“We’re in the process now of expanding the system to include table games and we would have to go through this same process of having the manufacturer assume responsibility for modifications to the table games reporting to allow those columns to be added to the report,” Soriano said.
Beyond cashless gaming, Soriano said they don’t have any highly pressing matters to seek modifications, but it’s a good time to be proactive.
Gaming Control Board Chair Mike Dreitzer said the Board wants to invite technology to come to Nevada, so any ability to provide more flexibility to operators to create technology and provide better experiences for guests is important.
“As the company is trying to deliver the best technology we can to our guests, having a partnership with the (Board’s) Technology Division is very valuable to us,” Soriano said.
Dreitzer said Penn as an operator with locations in multiple states should consider Nevada first and suggested regulators will work with them to bring newer and emerging technologies to the marketplace.
Soriano said their cashless wagering system is operating in 10 of Penn’s jurisdictions. Penn works with Everi and customers can fund a wallet at the cage via credit card, bank account, and other methods. It can also be used for food and beverage and hotel. It’s based on Penn’s mobile loyalty app and a customer can sit down at a slot machine and with their mobile app, card into that slot machine using Bluetooth technology, then fund the machine from their digital wallet.
Soriano said they can do know-your-customer tracking and Everi does the same before the account is opened.
“This is the topic of conversation in the industry,” Soriano said. “The fact that you have additional security around the payment systems helps from a compliance perspective in terms of identifying what’s going on with funding.”
Penn officials said they continue to see growth in adoption in the technology.
“At first, we thought, build it and they will come. But you need to encourage them and teach them about it,” said Brian Wasilefski, vice president of marketing. “Once we started educating, customers love it. It’s what they are used to when they go to Starbucks or retail. They’re used to paying with their phone.”
Penn is developing a promotional engine with the use of kiosks and the mobile app, so guests don’t have to stand in line to enroll in promotions.
Wasilefski said it’s rare today for one company to provide a solution. The concept of integrating multiple solutions to provide an overall solution works best.
The Nevada Gaming Commission will consider the request on Dec. 18.
Last week, the M Resort opened a new hotel tower to double the room capacity and add ballroom space. The goal is to attract more convention business it can’t accommodate now.