Introducing Class II Digital Game Wagering
As the gaming industry matures and experiences market saturation, Tribal operators are constantly on the lookout to diversify and expand opportunities to increase revenue. Class II gaming provides that option, but, wait for it, we’re not talking about adding additional games to the floor. We’re talking about digital game wagering.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act clearly supports the use of new technologies to advance the sale of Class II gaming. These days, advancements in both retail and consumer technologies bring innovative real money gaming to Class II gaming operators. A prime example is Playport’s smart phone platform for Class II digital games.
Bring on the Smartphone (or Not-So-Smart Phone)
Playport’s key innovation is on-property sale and cashing of live draw bingo games using casino guest’s smartphones. While this form of bingo game play is assisted by phone-displayed electronic aids to play bingo, Playport is not Internet wagering.
What combinations of technologies make Playport a regulatory compliant, profitable means of selling Class II games?
The most obvious is smartphone technology. Even older, low-tech smartphones deliver a high-functioning consumer technology, and the vast majority of casino guests use this technology every day.
Click-to-Brick Technology
Less obvious is the combination of smartphone and retail technology called “click-to-brick,” which allows consumers to use their phones to enhance their shopping experience at brick-and-mortar retailers. McDonald’s uses click-to-brick to sell burgers, Best Buy uses click-to-brick to sell electronics, and Walmart uses click-to-brick to sell almost anything.
By using these same click-to-brick technologies, casino operators may now sell real money digital games while avoiding the poor user experience caused by complex Internet gaming account setup and while also avoiding the uncertain legal risk of differing interpretations of the federal Wire Act.
How do smartphone click operations and casino brick operations work to bring digital game wagering to smartphones? It all starts with the account setup experience. By eliminating age control, financial account setup, and geofencing from the account process, casino guests quickly and easily get to the fun parts of Playport’s digital game experience, shopping for their games.
The Legal Stuff That Makes It Work
Like Class II electronic gaming machine (EGM) options, Playport offers players different electronic aids to playing Bingo. Unlike EGM options, these electronic aids are not limited by cost and floor space because they are offered through the player’s phone. Consequently, there are no limits to game themes, play styles, pay tables, or denominations. Players can always shop to find the games that give them the best chance to try their luck.
When players have found their games, the purchase process is quick and easy. All data necessary to securely and accurately process the purchase is encoded into a high storage “game order” barcode. The player simply follows instructions on their smartphone to find where they can purchase their games. Purchase processes, like using prizes won to buy more games, make the process even more convenient.
Since each game purchased results in issuing the player a single bingo card that is quickly determined through live drawing to be a winner or loser, the player can use their smartphone-enabled electronic aid to bingo play to reveal the outcome of each card purchase whenever and wherever they wish.
And since the electronic aid is merely a graphic method to replace each bingo card outcome, the game graphics are quickly and easily refreshed to ensure that the Playport game portfolio changes to match changing player likes and dislikes.
Utilizing the App to Drive Business
Since the Playport app function can integrate into existing casino apps, the adoption and use of Playport will benefit from existing app traffic. As a standalone app, the Playport app function is easily found in the Apple or Google app stores, and common app download marketing and promotion programs, such as direct links from casino websites or in casino emails, will speed up adoption and use. Regardless of app function integrated into existing casino apps or app function delivered by a standalone. Playport’s app technology supports the full use of each casino’s brand elements, which includes game graphics customized for casino-branded game play.
Once the app is in players’ hands, ongoing app usage can be promoted by using any marketing and promotion tactic available to casinos. Common tactics include one-on-one promotion of app usage by casino service teams, promotion of app usage as part of regular casino marketing communications, targeted “in-app” push notifications to communicate player profile-triggered communications about an individual player’s favorite games, or broad push notification, email, text message, or social media communications about casino-branded games that build on common marketing opportunities like seasonal games (Halloween Cash, Major League Moolah), casino product games (Buffet Bucks, Tee Off to Win), or event games (Concert Cash, MMA Money). The combination of Playport’s fast refresh game platform and casino marketers’ imagination supports gamification tactics to promote any special marketing program with real money games.
Visit www.playport.com to learn more, or download a demo version of Playport to your phone from the Apple or Google app stores by using the keyword search “playport.”
