Commercial opportunities for utilisation of jackpot-enabling technology, not only in slot machines but also table games, are on the rise in Asia, says the Paltronics group, a specialist in the field.
Jackpot controller systems for casino slots have long been “very strong in the U.S.,” in terms of their appeal for casino managements, as well as present generally in the hardware of the slot machine makers. But in Macau and other Asian jurisdictions with player preferences for live-dealer table games, they haven’t until now “been a focus” in terms of driving overall operator business, notes Terri Cooper (pictured), managing director of Paltronics Australasia Pty Ltd, the parent business.
“For the main [slot] manufacturers, our [jackpot controller] product goes inside their slot machines … We like to say that our product is already in every property in the world,” she stated in an interview with GGRAsia.
As Asian markets recover from pandemic-related restrictions, and as the appeal of electronic gaming grows in the region, then in terms of optimising use of Paltronics technology, there’s “an opportunity actually to use something that already existed,” said Ms Cooper.
“We need to get out there and remind them [operators] that a lot of that exists in the system they have,” she added.
The marriage of a slot machine jackpot moment with the media displayed on the machine “is a bit of an art,” noted the executive.
It involves “creating the event that you want, the experience that you want with your customer and your venue,” she stated.
The executive counsels there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to consumer preferences for jackpots and also the award of in-game bonuses – another activity managed by Paltronics technology.
“What the Australian [slot] player has been accustomed to is the mystery progressive” jackpot, Ms Cooper stated. “The U.S. player doesn’t really play with a ‘mystery’… the U.S. [slot] product… has more of the bonusing and that is sometimes market funded,” she added, referring to the collective effect of player activity.
Mystery Baccarat Jackpot
The Paltronics group is doing region-specific distribution of a jackpot product for table games from a firm called Gaming Entertainment Systems. Its “Mystery Baccarat Jackpot” draws on consumer familiarity with mystery jackpots on slot machines.
The product was on display at the Paltronics stand at Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023 Special Edition: Singapore, held last week at the Marina Bay Sands casino resort.
Simon Witty, owner and chief executive of Gaming Entertainment Systems, explained the product to GGRAsia, clarifying that the jackpot sits on top of the basic baccarat game, does not affect the house edge on baccarat, and is not related in any way to some of the proposition-bet products for baccarat available in the market.
An important part of Mystery Baccarat Jackpot’s offer to casino operators, is that “we can link every single table in a property,” said Mr Witty.
“The casino funds the participation in the jackpots,” he stated. It takes “marketing dollars” that would already be committed by the house to operations on the floor, and “puts them toward the jackpot, but only for people playing the game”.
“If you had a casino of say 100 baccarat tables, you could have a mystery jackpot probably hitting several times per day,” he added. “What we’re trying to do… is increase the hand participation rate.”
According to Mr Witty, a blackjack player “will play every hand [round] sequentially,” while baccarat players typically “jump in and play some hands, then they stop”.
“So, if you put that mystery jackpot on top of the game, and they decide not to bet, they are losing that chance of the jackpot,” he said, adding: “We link the [jackpot] contribution rate, to the table minimum.”
Because the jackpot is spread among all the tables, there is an incentive for players to go to a quieter table, to have a higher chance of winning a share in the jackpot. Casino operators “love that load balancing” effect, in terms of spreading play across the floor, stated Mr Witty.
