LAS VEGAS — Seven EDITH cashless gaming kiosks have been installed at Casino Pauma, a Native American gaming establishment in Pauma Valley, Calif. The kiosks, developed by Innovative Funds Transfer (IFT) LLC and created by California-based Infonox, are part of a joint venture formed by Global Cash Access (GCA) and International Game Technology (IGT).
EDITH, which stands for Electronic Debit Interactive Terminal Housing, received Phase I certification in June from Gaming Laboratories International Inc., an independent lab that tests and certifies gaming equipment and systems against specific technical standards for jurisdictions. EDITH will now be field inspected at Casino Pauma for its final certification.
"We have a strong relationship with GCA, which has always been at the forefront of providing innovative cash access products, so we're very excited to be the first to offer this cashless gaming technology to our customers," said Javier Saenz, chief executive of Casino Pauma. "EDITH will provide added convenience to our slot patrons, and we'll benefit from reduced cash handling."
The EDITH kiosk occupies less than one square foot of space and is placed at the end of a row of slot machines. Patrons swipe their debit card, enter their PIN and request an amount. Upon approval of the transaction, a bar-coded slot voucher is dispensed from EDITH's voucher printer. An optional receipt is also provided upon the patron's request. The bar-coded slot voucher may then be inserted into a TITO-enabled slot machine or redeemed at a cashier station.
"We think EDITH will help transform the way cash is accessed on the gaming floor, and we're thrilled that Casino Pauma and its forward-thinking management have agreed to be the pioneers for EDITH's beta test," said Tom Sears, executive vice president of card services and cashless gaming for GCA. In recent years, ticket-in, ticket-out (TITO) systems have gained popularity among gaming establishment patrons, who appear to prefer the convenience of slot vouchers over coin or waiting for cash payouts at the game. This increase in slot voucher volume has resulted in a significant decrease in cash handling costs for gaming establishments. IFT believes that EDITH will decrease cash handling costs even further for gaming establishments.
