In 2023, Everi introduced an emerging product, Vi, at the Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow and Convention to gauge customer interest. The on-premise mobile gaming solution has gained so much interest, that they focused heavily on it at this year’s show at the San Diego Convention Center.
“This is a brand-new vertical,” says Richard Sagman, Everi’s senior vice-president of product management. “There is today no casino in the country that has Class II slots on their mobile phone. We and other suppliers are going to open this market this year, and it’s a huge undertaking.”
Sagman calls Vi an “integrated solution” that is a complete gaming ecosystem. Through player’s own mobile phone, patrons can connect to not only games, but loyalty programs, to digital wallets (notably Everi’s CashClub wallet) and all other aspects of a casino’s offerings.
“This is really a true omnichannel solution to bring all of these things together,” Sagman says.
Let’s say a patron is traveling to a casino destination. At an airport they can sign up for the casino’s loyalty program and digital wallet, register for a hotel room, and then walk into the casino and start gambling immediately. They can (hopefully!) report a taxable jackpot and then go celebrate with a fine meal – all through Everi’s BeOn Mobile app and the Vi gaming solution.
“The fact that it’s all connected, just makes the player’s life easier and the operator’s life easier,” Sagman says, “to manage all these different systems for the player. It feels like one experience.”
Since Vi was introduced two years ago, there have been dozens of games approved and added to the platform. The offerings include Everi’s Digital games and will include third-party content when other suppliers launch Class II mobile games. The idea is to make Vi a way not just to increase revenue, but to entice people to visit casinos.
“We want people playing at the casino,” Sagman says. “When they leave a casino, if you give them a promotion to come back again and complete that cycle, to keep players playing on the (casino) floor, interacting with the brand, (they will) come back to you again next week rather than your competitor.”
Vi is especially designed both for large tribal enterprise customers and smaller operators. Sagman says the platform is designed to help them access the digital aspect of gaming.
“Digital is a world of its own,” he says. “So, as states open up for igaming products, teams can learn how to operate these systems, how to market them and get player data to see what players are actually doing, and have a database of players that have money in the digital wallet and are ready to play when they come into the casino.
“I think for tribes this is really an opportunity, where some of the time they worried that they were missing out on the opportunities that other states are pushing towards. The tribes can actually say, hey Class II is something we are allowed to do and we want our resorts to be able to offer other ways for you to play.”
More people are comfortable paying for products or services, and doing their banking, on their mobile devices. Vi is emerging just as the gaming industry seems to be embracing digital
“There are so many different places you can walk into today and use your phone (to pay for products and services),” Sagman says. “It’s become normal … People just don’t walk around with a lot of cash these days.
“And I think the demographics are changing. It’s no longer just an early adopter thing for 20-year-olds. I think people of all ages are using their phones. It’s not just that core demographic of slot players, there is now a good mix of male and female players, 25-45, who are playing and betting on their phones. They’re on Facebook and they’re playing digital games and have gotten used to using their phones for entertainment.
“Why not extend that?”
