Gaming Standards Association
An Introduction
Agenda
 Global Trends
 What is GSA?
 Why Standards?
 What are Gaming Standards?
 GSA’s three standards: BOB, S2S & GDS
 GSA Certification
 Q&A
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Global Trends
 Gaming Transformation from Standalone to Distribution
Channel Methodology
 Remote Configuration (supported by current technology)
• Initial game setup
 Download will drive new floor network technology
• Payload: code (game or peripheral - firmware/OS), Wave file, Templates…
• Game themes
 Server based gaming
 Linking of players to enhance community experience
 Operators
 Streamline Operation
 Increase Interoperability
 Have Exit Strategy
 Manufacturers
 Network Centric vs Game Centric - Applications
 Avoid duplication of efforts on non-core technology
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
What is GSA?
What is GSA - Our Mission
GSA is an international trade association representing
gaming manufacturers, suppliers, operators.
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.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Gaming Standards Association - GSA
 International trade association representing gaming
manufacturers, suppliers, operators
 Incorporated in 1998 as a non-profit association in CA
 Currently 68+ global members
 Received member commitment: $5.9M in cash and an
estimated $30M in additional resources
 Developed 3 core communication protocol standards
 Reduced all standards to practice
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Our Platinum Members
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
2005 Board Of Directors
Chair
Vice Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Lyle Bell
Mark Lipparelli
John Boushy
Fred Lychock
Jeanne Marie Wilkins
Bob DelRossie
Joe Bailo
Derrik Khoo
Steve Sutherland
Brendan O’Connor
Ron Harris
Jon Berkley
Moti Vyas
Rob Siemasko
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Bally Gaming and Systems
Harrah’s Entertainment
R. Franco USA
Argosy Gaming
Aristocrat Technologies
Atronic Americas
eGenting
Konami Gaming
Multimedia Games
Rocket Gaming
TransAct Technologies
Viejos Gaming
WMS Gaming
Organization
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Membership Growth
80
76
70
68
Members
60
Platinum
59
Gold
50
Silver
40
38
37
35
Others
30
20
10
Total
22
8
0
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Year
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
2003
2004
2005
Membership Composition
Affiliates
6%
Advisors
11%
Operators/Hotel
17%
OEM
18%
Manufacturers
48%
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Global Membership
Australasia
11%
Europe
20%
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Japan
9%
N. America
60%
Association Milestones
1998 - Gaming Manufacturers Association (GAMMA) formed
2001 - Operators invited to join the organization
2001 - GAMMA becomes the Gaming Standards Association (GSA)
2002 - Regulatory Advisory Committee to include regulators
2004 - Formal standards are released for GDS, BOB, and S2S
2004 - BOB and GDS simulators are developed (alpha test)
2005 - Formal implementation training program for developers
2005 - First S2S installations operational in Alabama and Florida
2005 - GSA announces its BOB V1.1 and S2S V1.1 standards
2005 - GSA releases GDS toolkit
2005 – GSA releases BOB Host and EGM Simulators
2005 - GSA opens its standards to the world
2005 – GSA and IGT join forces
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Why Standards?
Dataflow without Standards
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Dataflow with Standards
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
What are our Standards?
Gaming Standards Drive Business Value
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Enable Communication on Three Levels
S2S
Coin
Acceptor
GDS
BOB
Kiosks
S2S
Coin
Hopper
Note
Acceptor
Voucher Manager
Player Tracking
S2S
Game
Control
Printer
Slot Accounting
Progressive
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Coin/Bill
Counters
S2S
Touch
Screen
Game & Peripherals
Point of
Sale
Game to Systems
Class II
Servers
System to System
Why Were They Developed?
 To provide a standardized method for communication
 To address the problem of having >30 different “languages”
on the gaming floor
 To enable operators to have valuable business information
about patron activity
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
How Were They Developed?
 Developed by members of Gaming Standards Association
(GSA):




Operators
Game and Peripheral Manufacturers
System and Lottery Suppliers
Regulators
 Cross-pollination of ideas
 Much richer protocols than can be developed by any one
company alone
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Result = Improved Efficiency
 Better interoperability between different manufacturers’
equipment
 All 3 protocols (GDS, BOB, S2S) work together by design
 More & better choices
 Buying decisions can be based on quality, options and costeffectiveness, rather than adhering to a proprietary solution
 Reduce operational costs
 Simpler, repeatable solutions
 Deploy new technologies quickly
 Maximize utilization of staff resources
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Value Proposition
Visibility
 Standards enable data communication on three levels – GDS, BOB,
S2S and provide 360 degree visibility of patron behaviors, playing habit,
game preferences, dining, hospitality, entertainment activities…
Portability
 More choices, simpler repeatable solutions, higher quality, Exit option
Investment Protection
 Open standards are more robust
 Ensures smooth migration path to achieve new functionality
Increased ROI
 Increase revenues by 360 degree visibility on customer data
 Decrease costs by using more effective and efficient tools to manage,
analyze and evaluate productivity and profitability of operations
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
GSA’s Three Standards
Three Complementary Standards
 GDS – EGM to peripheral devices.
 BOB – EGM to back-end systems.
 S2S – System to system and system to non-EGM
devices, e.g. kiosks.
 All three standards are designed to work together as
a total solution.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Gaming Device Standard (GDS) Protocol
Coin
Acceptor
GDS
Coin
Hopper
Note
Acceptor
Game
Control
Printer
Touch
Screen
EGM to Peripherals protocol
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Benefits of GDS
 Standardized communications between EGM and its
peripheral devices.
 Plug and Play USB communication.
 Peripherals from different vendors can be easily swapped.
 Peripheral device provides detailed information to EGM –
vendor, product, serial number, etc.
 Coupled with BOB, peripheral device information is sent to
the host systems.
 Device commands (and code) can be sent from host systems
through the EGM to the peripheral device.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
GDS Workgroup Update
 First device protocols are complete

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Note Acceptor
Coin Acceptor
Coin Hopper
Touch Screen
 Development suite is complete
 What’s next?
 Note Acceptor code download
 Printer interface and template download
 Standard physical connectors
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Best of Breed (BOB) Protocol
BOB
Vouchers
Coin
Acceptor
Player Tracking
Coin
Hopper
Note
Acceptor
Game
Control
Printer
Slot Accounting
Progressives
Touch
Screen
Wagering
Accounts
EGM
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
BOB Host Systems
What Is BOB?
 Communications between EGMs and back-end servers.
 Designed for the networked casino floor environment.
 Based on current, proven technology standards
XML, SOAP, Web Services, etc.
 Consists of three independent components:
 BOB Message Standards
 BOB Transport Standards
 BOB Configuration Standards
 Expandable from low-speed (EGM to SMIB over a serial link)
to very high-speed communications (EGM to back-end
servers over Ethernet).
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
High-level BOB Network Features
 High-speed communications between EGMs and back-end
systems (TCP/IP).
 Standard network equipment and protocols can be used to
link EGMs to back-end systems.
 EGMs can communicate with multiple back-end systems.
 Different systems can manage different applications.
 One Host can manage vouchers while another manages player
tracking.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Here is what is on the gaming floor today...
[Looks like hex to me…]
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
A BOB Meter Request
Host Request
<getMeters>
<getPerfMeters
meterName="coinIn"
themeId = “sum”
paytableId=”sum”
denomId=“all”
/>
</getMeters>
EGM Response
<meterInfo metertype =“onDemand”>
<perfMeter
Metername="coinIn"
denomid=”5”
meterValue=“50015”/>
<perfMeter
Metername="coinIn"
denomid=”25”
meterValue=“1003525”/>
<perfMeter
Metername="coinIn"
denomid=”100”
meterValue=“2504100” />
</meterinfo>
[A little easier to understand]
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
BOB Update
Core Classes
1) Devices
2) Communications
3) Meters
4) Cabinet
5) Processor
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Additional Classes
1) Coin Acceptor
2) Note Acceptor & Dispenser
3) Coin Hopper
4) Printer
5) Handpay
6) Progressive
7) Bonus
8) Player
9) Voucher
10) Wagering Account Transfer
11) Game Authentication
BOB – Current Activities
 Remote Configuration (member comments)
 Game and Peripheral Download (member comments)
 Central Determination (member comments)
 EGM Virtual Machine (in development – multi-company
effort)
 New classes – smart cards, tournaments, additional GDS
devices.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
System to System (S2S) Protocol
S2S
Voucher Manager
Coin
Acceptor
Kiosks
S2S
Coin
Hopper
Point of
Sale
Player Tracking
Note
Acceptor
Game
Control
S2S
Coin/Bill
Counters
Slot Accounting
Printer
S2S
Touch
Screen
Progressive
S2S
Class II
Servers
EGM
Host Systems and other S2S devices
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Benefits of S2S
 Standardizes communications amongst servers and devices
other than EGMs.
 S2S complements GDS and BOB – a consistent set of data
is communicated at all levels.
 Supports “plug and play” for systems and other devices.
 Interfacing - all components speak the same language.
 Integrating - custom solutions are developed for each new
conversation.
 Standardization promotes portability, interoperability and
reusability.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
S2S Update
S2S Message Classes:
1) Player Registration
2) Player Rating
3) Table Games Accounting
4) Complimentaries
5) EGM Registration
6) EGM Accounting Meters
7) EGM Events
8) Vouchers
9) Wagering Account Transfers
10) Jackpots And Handpays
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
S2S and Class II
In a Class II environment, each manufacturer provides their
own server for central determination and other game functions.
The Problem: three game manufacturers means
 Three separate accounting reports,
 Three player tracking feeds, and
 Three voucher systems.
• vouchers are only redeemable on the same manufacturer’s games.
• vouchers are only redeemable at the same manufacturer’s cashiering
station.
Class II presents many of the same challenges that will be
encountered with server-based gaming.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Class II Before S2S
LABTRONIX
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
CORY
MULTIMEDIA
ROCKET
The Vision
System X
Vendor A
Vendor B
Vendor A
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Vendor B
Vendor C
Vendor C
Vendor D
Vendor D
The S2S Solution
Each host server now talks S2S to a central consolidation
server, which provides
 Consolidated accounting,
 Central management of all vouchers,
 Central player tracking and reporting,
 And, happier players and casino management!
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Class II Today
Accounting
Player tracking
TITO
System X
GSA S2S
Game Servers
System A
System B
Vendor A
System C
Vendor B
Vendor A
Vendor B
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Vendor C
Vendor C
System D
Vendor D
Vendor D
GSA Certification
Regulator Benefits
GSA Certification
 GSA Compliance testing is NOT Regulatory Approval
 Independent testing by 3rd party lab using GSA tools and predefined test scripts
 All parties benefit through
 Improved speed to market for products
 Products work together when they show up on your floor
 Plug and Play (easier installs, reduced service calls)
 Protocol certification streamlines the Regulatory process
 Reduces the quantity and variety of tests that must be performed
 If both devices are certified, they should work together the
first time they are connected (like USB device)
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
GSA SAS 6.01 Compliance


Current SAS implementations are all different
Interoperability Requirements Specification (Operator’s
Checklist)
Section 1: Minimum Required Accounting and Security
Section 2: Advanced Accounting
Section 3: Ticketing
Section 4: Real Time Events
Section 5: Progressives
Section 6: System Bonusing
Section 7: Cashless
Section 8: Tournament
Section 9: Authentication
Section 10: Miscellaneous and Legacy Support
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Benefits for Regulators
 Independently monitor EGM’s (not going through other
systems) – review machine behavior
 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
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
GSA Standards / Tools for Regulators
 GSA Standards are available for free
 GSA Tools / development suites are available for free from
RAC committee
 Please contact sec@gamingstandards.com or visit our web
site www.gamingstandards.com
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Key Features of GSA Standards
 Offer 360º visibility of data communication
 Support all existing features operators are used to today
 Designed to meet the needs of casino, lottery and centraldetermination (class II) applications
 Offer advanced features
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
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Remote floor configuration
Video Lottery Extensions
Central program authentication
Detailed diagnostic data
 Support server based gaming
 Dynamic game configuration
 Peripheral and game code downloading
 Program authentication
 Extensible
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Companies supporting GSA Standards
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Aristocrat
Asahi Seiko
Atronic Gaming
Bally Gaming & Systems
CashCode
Coin Mechanisms, Inc.
Cirsa
Harrahs Entertainment
IGT
JCM
Konami Gaming
Mars Electronics
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
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MGM
MoneyControls
Multimedia Games
NRT
Nova Gaming
Progressive Gaming
Revive Partners
R Franco
Rocket Gaming
Seminole Tribe
WMS Gaming
Q&A
See You All At G2E
What About My Existing
Machines?
Operators Using GSA Standards
 Seminole Tribe Florida
 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Hollywood
 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – Tampa
 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – Coconut Creek
 Poarch Creek Band of Alabama
 Riverside Entertainment Center – Wetumpka
 Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma
 Multi property linking
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
Migration Challenges
 The industry also needs an open protocol for older games.
 Some existing games can’t handle XML and/or Ethernet.
 Serial is not as fast as Ethernet.
 Goal - use existing SMIBs to implement BOB now.
 Need a protocol that works on an embedded processor.
 Retain the BOB data model, if possible.
 Continue to use open standards.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
The sBOB Solution Set
 Continues to use the BOB data model.
 Only changes the transport method.
 WBXML - encodes XML into binary representation.
 PPP - Standard for TCP/IP communications over Serial.
 Can be implemented now on traditional EGMs.
2005 - The Year of Implementation!
sBOB - BOB over a serial link
2005 - The Year of Implementation!