Server-based gaming is revolutionising slot floors all over the world and has captured the imagination of the big slot manufacturers. Simon Binns takes a closer look...
It’s rare that one trend stands out so predominantly at G2E Las Vegas, such is the size of the show. Likewise, ICE in London, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. However, most visitors to both shows came back talking about server-based gaming.
Here was a technology that could revolutionise the slot machine, separating content from terminal like nothing before it, and offering operators and players more flexibility than ever.
No longer do either have to rely on a singular device with one game at its disposal, as games are downloaded on demand.
“Slot managers and directors are experts at creating a gaming experience for players and tuning that experience based on a variety of factors,” said Jeff Allen, director of business development for Bally Technologies. “In our opinion, one of the most predominant limiting factors for these managers and directors in making floor changes has been the time and effort required to implement those changes in real-time.
“A server-supported gaming system directly addresses this limitation by providing the tools that a slot manager or director needs to optimise their floor in real-time. In the future, the server-supported gaming system can be expanded to respond to preset events to provide even more compelling gaming for players.”
Along with Bally, some of the world’s largest slot manufacturers have embraced SBG. IGT believes that SBG offers the opportunity to ‘dynamically change’ game themes and content and allows operators to customise their slot floors based on the ever-changing needs of customers.
“As new games and themes become available they can be introduced within minutes,” said the US slot giant’s Karen Thompson, “whereas before it may have taken days or weeks based on labour and other factors. Game conversions have, up to this point, been very labour intensive, so there are instant and obvious labour savings, as well as the profitability of the game.
“But, we believe this is only the tip of the iceberg. The real power of the system will be realised when the focus of the technology is turned toward the actual player. The ability to deliver a unique gaming experience for the player, beyond anything they have ever experienced, will be key. Features like customisable tournaments-on-demand based on player worth and individual playing habits will be available. Unique special offers can be delivered to players during the game instead of forcing them to leave the game.
“A much higher level of immediate, intimate customer communication and service will be possible. For the operator, it comes down to better yield management of their floor in providing the right products to the right people, as quickly as possible,” said WMS Gaming’s vice president of marketing, Rob Bone. “Limited downtime and less lost revenue opportunities in the form of having the “latest and greatest” products as soon as possible.
“For the player, it comes down to gaming experiences that have never been offered. SBG through networked technology allows for our designers to have limitless opportunities in creating experiences that can be customised to players’ individual gaming habits. Our Adaptive Gaming products utilise our WAGE-NET (Wide Area Game Enhanced Network) technology to provide a whole new level of entertainment and engagement.”
The two broad types of functionality used in WAGE-NET are remote configuration and asset download. Remote configuration refers the ability to dynamically change the denomination, line count, or theoretical hold percentage of the game, based on the regulatory approved idle time between changes that is mandated.
“These changes are easily transmitted and do not require a substantial transfer timeframe given the assets are related to basic game configurations,” said Bone. “Asset download is the ability to completely change one game to another along with all the art assets and animations involved. This is much more complex and would require a longer download timeframe.”
Apex’s Johannes Weissengruber believes that other key advantages of SBG are the way in which players actually play games and the improved options for slot managers when it comes to tracking game data.
“Bet steps are not limited,” he said. “For example, a player can bet up to CZK1000 in the Czech Republic, where we have many VLTs sited, so it is worth more in international sales.
“Back-end management is also made easier. Not only for us to collate the necessary information, but also for governments to access the information that they need regarding licensing issues. Statistics can be pulled from the server easily and from an operations point of view, it is easier to see which games are performing and which are not, and which may need changing.”
Outside of the traditional slot manufacturers, other gaming companies are embracing SBG. Playtech subsidiary Videobet has approached SBG from a background in online gaming, and the company’s gaming system, already installed throughout Europe and South America, has proven to be a source of success in a wide variety of sectors.
Videobet’s range of downloadable content is supported by multiple RNG and system configurations and the company has developed live game video broadcasting and a real-time back office allowing full control over each terminal.
Videobet’s advanced downloadable content is only one of the many advantages that server based gaming offers, says Shmuel Weiss, chief executive of Videobet. “SBG provides operators with endless opportunities to extract enhanced revenues from their players.
"Some of its more obvious advantages include centralised reporting and accounting of the entire operation for optimised revenue; automatic downloading of fresh content, for optimising a machine’s games life cycle; a dynamic games menu letting operators change the games on offer to suit specific demographics eliminates the need for players to switch terminals for new games; connections to global gaming networks like bingo, pool betting, live games, online progressive jackpots and more; and marketing adverts tailored directly to specific players via advanced promotional tools and player tracking system.”
Videobet’s Cross Platform network also allows operators to offer players continued play on their favourite games at home, on their mobile phones or at Videobet terminals, all through the same account.
Of course, the large US operators have shown interest in SBG for their Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos, but eastern Europe is also proving to be a successful market.
Apex has a selection of around 200 games available on the company’s VLT terminals, which are all ‘performing well,’ according to Weissengruber.
”We plan to roll them out all across eastern Europe,” he said. “We have just obtained a Slovakian licence and we have other potential markets in mind – although we are obviously keeping those to ourselves at the moment. We think that SBG is the future of the company.”
Many of the casino operators that WMS works with are in a ‘wait and see’ mode to understand the pricing and overall benefits to their casino floor, according to Bone. “There are field trials underway to prove out the technology from a technical standpoint, but there are only a few casinos that have fully embraced a commercial version of SBG.”
Bone speculates that the full commercial demand for SBG technology will not kick in for 18 months, however, many if not all customers are definitely taking steps with new purchases, through newer cabinets designs and scalable processor boards, that would allow for the technology to find its way onto their floors at a later date.
But with all new technologies, definition is key, and SBG is no exception. It is often talked about, but has many different strains. Downloadable games, VLTs - is there a true SBG? Is one more pure than the other?
IGT’s Thompson claims that when people hear the term SBG, the association tends to be with ‘the downloading of game content to machines and then having the ability to dynamically reconfigure the different parameters within that game.’
“Within this definition, there are two types of technology - thin client and thick client,” she said. Thick client means that the game outcome and most of the ‘intelligence’ of the game resides within the actual box or slot machine on the floor.
“The RNG and specific game binaries are downloaded to the game from the server, and once that task is completed, the game is fully functional as a standalone game. The server connection to that game is not critical once this task is accomplished.
“With thin client, the game outcome and most of the intelligence is housed at the server. The game becomes a vehicle by which a wager can be made and a display of game outcome.
“Certainly the technology exists to operate a hybrid of the two within a single server system but typically operators would choose to stay within one or the other. I would say that, at this point, thick client tends to be the dominant version.”
“Bally’s product is server-supported gaming as defined by the Nevada regulations,” said Allen. “There are various implementations of server connected gaming including server-based and server-supported. SBG is generally defined as gaming machines connected to a server whereby the gaming outcomes are generated by the server. In this implementation, the server is required for the gaming to occur.
“Alternatively, server-supported gaming is generally defined as gaming machines connected to a server for content download and configuration. Here, the server is not required for gaming to occur; the server provides a service of content download and remote configuration.
A hybrid model is dependent on technology as well as regulations of the various jurisdictions, but it is technically feasible.”
The issue of individual jurisdictions is one that Weissengruber has experience of, although he believes that there is a need for some form of standardisation.
“The definition between server-based gaming and downloadable gaming depends largely on the market you are operating in,” he said. “In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, we are defined as operating SBG. In the Czech market, we operate many VLTs, which should be treated as SBG, not as something separate. But whichever market we are in, SBG needs approval by law before we can switch it on.”
Emerging governing standards for server-supported gaming are being fostered by GSA and their G2S and S2S protocols. “These standards provide a means of communication and messaging related to many areas including download of content and option configuration,” said Allen. “Most of the equipment manufacturers and game providers are members of various GSA committees and have adopted these standards.”
On the regulatory side, a set of governing regulations has been developed or is in the process of being developed by most jurisdictions including Nevada and New Jersey. Each regulated jurisdiction is expected to have specific regulations, or possibly even adopt a GLI regulatory standard. Major suppliers and operators in the gaming industry have each been giving input regarding the development of an ‘open protocol’ or standard, through the Gaming Standards Association.
“The GSA is taking the lead with its Regulatory Advisory Committee in streamlining the protocol standards and overall parameters of SBG regulations so that all manufacturers are developing to the same specifications,” said Bone.
Open standards relative to the protocols used in game and system communications is a ‘critical factor’ in widespread implementation of SBG, according to Thompson. “For the past few years, a significant effort has been underway to bring various machine and system vendors together to develop a standard,” she said.
“Each jurisdiction has defined their own set of requirements,” claimed Weiss. “The Videobet platform is very flexible and suits any type of regulations demanded by the various jurisdictions, however.”
Videobet has already installed terminals in land-based operations throughout the UK and South America, some of which are already undergoing enlargements, and is currently in a process of initial installations in various European markets such as the Czech Republic, Romania and the Ukraine and is in advanced discussions with operators in Asia.
The real advantage with SBG, perhaps, is the flexibility that Weiss talks about. The market is effectively universal where slot machines currently exist. And major manufacturers have been in close contact with regulators to ensure that SBG makes a smooth transition into the market.
Bally is currently targeting the Class III gaming markets with its server-supported product, focused on compliance with the Nevada and GLI standards. However, the company has been offering forms of server-based gaming for years in Washington through its central determination gaming system and in various Class II markets.
IGT, meanwhile, believes that it may still be a number of years before SBG systems penetrate meaningful markets, as manufacturers carry out tests in various jurisdictions and regulators define SBG rules and regulations.
However, as with any new technology, especially one that relies on an open protocol, issues of security arise. However, the industry has acted quickly to ensure that high levels of protection are introduced to protect servers.
Bally has over 365,000 games under system control worldwide. High availability servers and technology have been designed and deployed to provide maximum uptime for the operator. In the event that a server breaks down, the redundant aspects of the server system design will allow the gaming operation to continue. Bally uses load balancing, SAN clusters and other technologies to provide redundant operation.
However, in the event that the server set is completely unavailable, the server-supported gaming system is not required for gaming. Its function is to provide content download and remote configuration; all gaming activity continues to reside solely on the gaming machine.
Videobet’s system is based on full redundancy and backup server architecture. If the main server breaks down, a secondary server eliminates any down time the system might have experienced.
Videobet also offers an advanced hybrid feature that eliminates the terminals dependency on continuous server connection. If the connection fails, the terminal automatically switches to a standalone configuration, where the game logic is generated locally and the data is stored in the terminal. Once the internet connection returns the offline data is synchronised and the configuration returns to full server-based.
“The server is highly protected through multi-layer hardware and software protection for security against malicious intrusions and feature real time alert mechanisms,” said Weiss.
“It depends upon the type of system in use,” said Thompson, on the issue of a breakdown. “On a very high or simple level, thick client systems and/or games are somewhat unaffected. Once the download or reconfiguration occurs, the game remains operational regardless of its connectivity back to the server.
“Other real time features such as on-demand tournaments or communicating with the customer would be affected, but the playability of the games remains intact. On thin client systems, the opposite would be true. The outcome of the game is constantly being communicated to the machine on the floor and if connectivity is lost so would the ability to display this outcome.”
“The SB server is protected in many ways concerning physical, data storage, and data transmission security. Great care was taken in selecting its individual components. The physical enclosure was chosen because of its superior ability to protect it from the elements, abuse, and forcible intrusion. The network was constructed to secure data transmission through the best encryption protocols and completely stop unwanted network intrusion by using the best hardware. The core system itself was designed to have multiple security layers to guarantee a solid foundation that can adapt even to the most stringent internal controls.
“It can also be easily adapted to work in conjunction with other approved third party packages to further enhance security needs that might be unique to some individual customers.”
The servers that provide Bally’s slot accounting and player management are similar to the server-supported gaming servers. “In many SBG regulations, it is dictated that the servers are to be housed in secure server rooms with video surveillance and are accessible to only an authorised group of individuals,” said Allen. “At the server level, there are software access authentication protocols implemented per specific user allowing only authorised interaction. Many of the same internal controls employed by the slot accounting systems will be applied to the server-supported gaming servers.”
Apex writes its own software in-house to ensure high levels of security and builds plenty of tools into it to make sure it is consistently better than it needs to be.
WMS Gaming digitally signs and encrypts all software submitted and approved for WAGE-NET, which ensures that all WMS software self-checks in order to operate. As for the casinos, all WMS servers are required to be housed in secure, restricted locations with 24-hour video surveillance. In addition, the current regulations will mandate that a separate log server, that tracks all transactions on the central server, be located in a separate and secure location on property as well.
“Basically, there are steps that both manufacturers and casino operators will have to take in order to provide for a fully protected server based environment,” said Bone.
So in the midst of all this technology, is the traditional cabinet a thing of the past? Perhaps not, Weisengruber argues.
“Downloadable gaming is nice, but it is just as important that the machines they are housed in are in good condition,” he said. “The cabinets must be just as good as the games within them.”
