Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
April 3rd, 2002

Annual Meeting

Gold:
Bally Gaming, CashCode, JCM American, Konami Gaming,
MARS Electronics, MIS-Group, Money Controls, Shuffle Master Gaming,
Slot-Tickets
Silver:
Atronic Americas, Austrian Gaming Industries, Boyd Gaming, Cirsa
Interactive, Coin Mechanisms, Global Payment Technology, Gold Club,
Mikohn Gaming, Namitech, Park Place Entertainment, Sierra Design
Group, Sigma Game, Spielo Manufacturing, Unidesa
Affiliates:
Casino Management Association, European Gaming Organisation,
Friedberg & Associates, HITIS, University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)
Annual Meeting

Chair
Vice Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Gregg Solomon
Rich Schneider
Bruce Rowe
Marc Comella
Robert Del Rossi
Pamela Hugill
Ali Saffari
Thomas Nugent
Steve Sutherland
Fred Lychock
Scott Kreeger
Rob Siemasko
Annual Meeting
Mandalay Resort Group
Acres Gaming
Harrah’s Entertainment
Bally Gaming & Systems
Aristocrat Technologies
CashCode
IGT
JCM American
Konami Gaming
Shuffle Master Gaming
Station Casinos
WMS Gaming

Secretariat
Executive Director PJ Stegen
Dir. of Technology
Standards Rex Carlson
Project Manager Sandy Bishop
Workgroup Chairs
BOB
SAS
S2S
USB
GSA
GSA
GSA
Tim Britt
Mansour Esmaili
Konami
Aristocrat Technologies
John Chamberlain IGT
Larry Hollibaugh
Steve Kastner
Scott Stewart
IGT
Acres Gaming
Aristocrat Technologies
Annual Meeting

• Welcome & Introductions (9:30-9:45)
• Roll Call, Approval of Minutes (9:45-10:00)
• Treasurer’s Report and Approval of 2002 Budget (10:00-10:10)
• 2001 in Review – Vision, Mission & Accomplishments (10:10-10:35)
• 2001 in Review – Recognition of Ass’n Leaders (10:35-10:45)
• 2002 Technology Goals (10:45-11:15)
• GSA Opportunities Today & Inevitabilities (11:15-11:25)
• Future Technology Realities (11:25-11:40)
• Industry Implications (11:40 – 11:50)
• Obligations to our Members (11:50-11:55)
• Questions and Answers/Closing Remarks (11:55-12:00)
Annual Meeting

PJ Stegen
Executive Director
Gaming Standards Association

Vision: To be the leading standards forum that creates value by facilitating innovation and efficiencies for the gaming community
Mission: GSA is an international trade association representing gaming manufacturers, suppliers, operators and regulators. We facilitate the identification, definition, development, promotion, and implementation of open standards to enable innovation, education, and communication for the benefit of the entire industry.
Annual Meeting

• IGT/SAS agreement naming GSA for SAS change management
• Specification change management process developed
• Functionality matrix completed comparing SDS, GamPro A,
GDAP and SAS protocols
• Awarded Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Products for GamPro-A by the American Gaming Summit
• Strategic alliance with GLI
• Survey of GSA members re: future technology completed
• Created operator statements of direction and points of convergence
• SVC – Bally developed GAT protocol using GSA SVC, currently used by New Jersey Regulators to test authentication
• SC Link Patron Interface protocol drafted
Annual Meeting

• GamPro A version 2.01 standard & toolkit developed
– Implemented by:
• Aristocrat
• Acres
• Konami
• Mandalay Resort Group
• B Link RS232 Standard for Bill Acceptors adopted
– Created by:
• CashCode
• Global Payment Technologies
• JCM American
• Mars Electronics
• Migration from link committees to workgroups
– Dissolved A, B & C Link committees
– Created SAS, Best of Breed (BOB), System to System (S2S) and USB workgroups
Annual Meeting

• 2001 strategic plan in place
• New members:
– Boyd Gaming
– Gold Club
– MIS-Group
– Namitech
• Member development plan completed and member recruiting package revised
• 168 members participated in GSA workgroups, committees and forums
• UNLV regulators survey completed
• NJ regulatory forum hosted to provide joint industry comments on proposed NJ regulations
Annual Meeting

• At 2001 Strategic Planning Session, formation of Regulatory
Advisory Council (RAC) recommended
• RAC Kick Off Meeting to be held at NAGRA on April 22, 2002
• Charter:
– Institute an open forum comprised of regulators and GSA members to review current and future technology that affects regulators, manufacturers and operators
• Goals:
– Provide regulatory opinions to GSA on the implications of both current & future technologies in the gaming industry
– Provide a vehicle for GSA and its members to solicit the regulatory community for its opinions on technical proposals
– Provide a single point of contact for the industry that provides regulators the ability to request resonse on regulatory proposals related to technology
Annual Meeting

• 2002 Proposed Activities:
– Provide a list of current problematic issues facing the regulators that could be improved through standardization
– Provide a list of business and technology inevitabilities that regulators, manufacturers and operators will have to face together in the future
– Serve as a checkpoint and source of input for GSA workgroups and forums to ensure alignment with regulatory needs
Annual Meeting

• GSA rebranded the association
• Revised strategic marketing plan to reposition GSA’s key messaging to:
– GSA membership is made up of key industry players including manufacturers, operators and regulators, who are the voice of the industry for technology and regulatory issues
– GSA technology supports SAS and A-Link (we are a multi- protocol provider)
– GSA t echnology will be the “Best of Breed” standard protocol in the gaming industry
– GSA supports interoperability through its “GSAWorks” testing and logo certification program, the definitive resource for gaming regulators and laboratories
Annual Meeting

• Raised industry awareness through:
– GSA quarterly newsletter published
– Trade shows & events:
• ICE
• Southern Gaming
• Global Gaming Expo
• World Gaming Congress & Expo
– Issued 7 press releases and articles in industry publications
– Speakers bureau participation at:
• Southern Gaming
• EGO Estoril Conference
• Global Gaming Expo
• Slot Managers Institute
• John Marshall Law Institute
Annual Meeting

• Redesigned GSA’s web site and created a new document download center
• Shortened new member application process
• Tied GSA’s reporting and budgeting processes to strategic plan format
• Distributed executive leadership responsibilities to even workload and assure succession planning, through creation of
Board Vice Chair position
• Created Executive Committee to handle administrative issues
• Increased fiscal reserves by $40,616
• Created a project specific funding model for future technology development based on business justified requirements
Annual Meeting

PJ Stegen
Executive Director
Gaming Standards Association

Marc Comella
Peter DeRaedt
Pamela Hugill
2001 Board Of Directors:
Tom Oliveri
Bruce Rowe
Ali Saffari
Scott Kreeger
Fred Lychock
Steve Sutherland
2001 Committee Chairs
John Chamberlain
Rich Schneider
Gregg Solomon
Jim Morrow
Luke Duyndam
Larry Hollibaugh
Carolan Pepin
Marlon Silver
Marketing & Speakers Bureau
Jenny Holaday
Annual Meeting
Tom Mitchell

Rex Carlson
Director of Technology Standards
Gaming Standards Association

• September 2001 – IGT endorses future development of
SAS as a GSA specification by entering into a binding agreement with GSA
• GSA SAS version 6.00 (derived from IGT SAS version
5.10) estimated to be released July 2002
• Benefits of this agreement for GSA are:
– Solves today’s game to system standardization problems
– Widely implemented feature rich protocol
– Time tested
Annual Meeting

• GSA SAS Workgroup Charter
– Ensure input to protocol development by workgroup members
– Ensure that implementation of the protocol can be consistently achieved between manufacturers
– Provide for the ability to have consistent third party certification of protocol implementations
– Provide and support test and development tools for achieving consistent implementation; including both simulators and implementation guides
– Outline and correct ambiguities within the protocol documentation, while maintaining backwards compatibility
Annual Meeting

• GSA SAS Workgroup Accomplishments to date:
– Defined charter, goals and timeline
– Clarified ambiguities in protocol
– Identified missing functions in SAS 5.10
– Preliminary GSA SAS version 6.00 draft protocol in progress
– Established polling/grouping command buckets
– Performed initial review of test and development tools including:
• SAS host simulator toolkit
• Acres SAS protocol test tools
– Reviewed cancelled credit regulations to assure protocol met requirements
Annual Meeting

– Standardize interface between gaming host systems in the casino
– Standardize interface between gaming and non-gaming host systems to provide a hospitality/gaming industry solution
– Develop Patron Interface Standard (Est. release date Sept.
2002)
– 2002 systems for standardization and promoters:
• Player Management/Table Rating – Acres, Mikohn
• Player Management/Slot Rating – Bally, Konami
• Slot Accounting – Aristocrat Technologies
• Data Hygiene/Data Warehouse – Harrah’s, Konami, Mandalay
– Above specifications to be issued July 2002
Annual Meeting

– Define the use of USB for internal communication between the processing unit of an electronic gaming device and its peripheral equipment (bill validators, ticket printers, card readers, and other human interface devices)
– Adopt common command sets required by peripherals
– Create a USB interface standard and develop test tools
– First issue of standard and tools scheduled August 2002
Annual Meeting

• BOB (Best of Breed) Workgroup
– BOB is the next generation protocol for communication between gaming devices and management systems
– Workgroup will focus on using computer industry standards such as
XML and TCP/IP to leverage proven technologies which are supported by significant development resources
– The protocol will be easily extensible with new features
– Initially, the group will focus on the high level architecture and functional design including definition of standard message schemas
– First PC to PC demonstration scheduled September 2002
– Ultimately a full specification, implementation guidelines and a test tool suite will be released.
– Floor transition issues will be addressed.
Annual Meeting

• BOB will:
– Be the basis for a complete connectivity standard within the casino environment
– Support advanced features such as authentication, remote game configuration, software downloads, peripheral control and browser-based games
– Support other (non-EGD) network enabled devices in the casino
– Drive efforts to win regulatory “buy-in” for the introduction of new technology based features on the casino floor
– Obsolete proprietary game to system protocols
Annual Meeting

• Physical Standards Workgroup (Proposed Activities)
– Define physical characteristics of future technologies to provide for:
• Compatibility
• Ease of installation
• Ergonomic consistency
– Examples:
• Slot base mounting and aperture
• Player tracking wedges
• Peripheral envelopment dimensions
• Under cabinet height for slant tops
– Estimated Workgroup Formation Date: Summer 2002
Annual Meeting

• The GLI Lab became operational Q1 2002
• Centralized testing facilities now provide a simulated casino environment to address product integration issues
• Assists the regulatory approval process
• GSA developing Certification Testing Logo Program
Annual Meeting

• Acres Gaming: Patron Interface protocol and SAS
Testing Tools (in process)
• Aristocrat Technologies: ASP5000 protocol
• Bally Gaming: SDT and GAT protocols (in process)
• CashCode: Serial BACC protocol
• GPT: Serial BACC protocol
• IGT: SAS protocol and testing tools (in process)
Annual Meeting

Gregg Solomon
Chairman of the Board, Gaming Standards Association
Senior VP Operations, Mandalay Resort Group

• Bridge the gap between existing protocols and games, systems and peripherals
– Assure games and systems provides all information available to the operator
– Identify the difference between required and optional features in existing protocols
• Secure commitment from GSA members to implement standards
Annual Meeting

• Floor will mimic technology products found outside our industry
• Customers will become more comfortable with new ways to play games
• Proprietary hardware and software will become the exception, not the rule
• Third party developers will take an increasingly larger role in providing content
• Security issues will increase and become more complex
• Useful life of products will be harder to predict
Annual Meeting

FROM
•Proprietary machine design
•Many hardware platforms
•Many proprietary operating systems
•Bundled hardware & software
•Few content providers
•No backward compatibility
TO
•PC-like slot machines
•Fewer hardware platforms
•Fewer standard operating systems
•Unbundled hardware & software
•Many content providers
Game library to choose from
•Backward compatibility
Annual Meeting

FROM
•Slot machines are single purpose
•Game centric
•Network as requirement
•Numerous proprietary communication protocols
•Multiple wire network connections
TO
•Slot machines will become multi-function
- Kiosks/browser enabled/ video concierge
•Network centric
•Network as the enabler
•Computer industry standard communication protocols
•Single wire/wireless network connections
Annual Meeting

FROM
•Machine software personality manually installed, causing misconfiguration of games
•Physical distribution of game content
•Static game licenses
•Game centric physically secure environment
TO
•Machine hardware and software personality broadcast to the system automatically
•Centralized distribution of game content via intranet
•Dynamic seat licensing
•Client/server based gaming with wide area network security requiring:
–Encryption
–Authentication
Annual Meeting

FROM
•Static game content
•Non-standard peripherals
•Non-standard physical configurations
•Limited monetary transactions
TO
•Dynamic game content
•Standard peripheral command sets and protocols, allowing for interchangeability
•Uniform physical standards for base requirements, installation and ergonomics
•Cash, coin, TITO, EFT, B2B and smart card transactions
Annual Meeting

FROM
•Bill validators accept
•Simple methods of employee and player identification
•Difficult to interface disparate systems
•Transaction content not fully available
TO
•Bill validators recycle
•Biometrics
- Employee/Player Identification
- Authorization of Jackpots/Fills
- Player identity tracking for Title 31 and Reg. 6 requirements
•Standards allow for simple
“plug and play” addition of various systems
•All transaction information made available to operators and regulators
Annual Meeting

• More game content choices
• Better multi-media presentation by network enabled games, signage and auxiliary display devices
• More informational functions at game enhance patron convenience
• Improved bonus and promotional schemes
• Simplified transactions with various funds transfer options
Annual Meeting

• New installs will work the first time at a customer site
(less finger pointing when problems occur)
• Will grow the market - we can spend less time on the mundane and more time on innovation
• Can concentrate on added value
• Defined specifications and verification services mean faster time to market and lower development cost
• Roll out of enhancements are planned versus incompatible chaos
• Faster approval cycle
• Reduced cost to integrate systems
Annual Meeting

• Better tools increase bottom line
• Flexible “plug and play” components with wider choice of vendors and products
• Smoother installations resulting in fewer operational disruptions and reduced service costs
• More creative game content
• More advanced technology available
• Easier to create customized features
Annual Meeting

• Common features across all jurisdictions
• Simplification of testing and approval
• Built in compliance increases security
• Fewer resources required to verify compliance
• Focus approval resources towards games
• Simpler training for field regulators – fewer protocols
• System activities easier to regulate
• Access to a vendor-neutral technology forum
• Improvement in regulatory capability via new technology will prevent scandals and enhance public trust
Annual Meeting

• Run GSA like a business
• Produce success stories
• Keep our promises
• Provide leadership and direction
Annual Meeting

Gregg Solomon
Chairman of the Board, Gaming Standards Association
Senior VP Operations, Mandalay Resort Group