The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be difficult for the casino industry, and Gaming & Entertainment Touch Technology has invested in people and technology to help the slot machine industry recover.
GETT, a Las Vegas-based gaming parts company, has launched a series of free tech training classes for their many customers around the globe.
This training has helped many of GETT’s customers find and train new staff for the critical roles many casinos have had trouble filling in the slot tech industry, according to GETT CEO Trent Looney.
GETT has a YouTube presence in a series of informative videos called “GETT Educated.” This library of information helps casinos find and train the talent they need to keep their games running, Looney said.
“We teach the next generation of slot machine technicians,” Looney said. “Post COVID, 55 percent of our customers changed out technicians. They brought in a new generation that didn’t have any training. There are no formal training schools for slot techs, and we’re hoping to make a difference in bringing standardization and candidates that will be the future of casinos.”
The slot machine is different because the parts are made “to take a licking and keep on ticking,” Looney said. Prior to the pandemic, a lot of the machines had never been turned off, some of them for two to three decades, he explained.
“Imagine having a computer at home you are playing with and working with for 20 years and what would it look like,” Looney said.
The commercial aspect of casino parts can only be compared to healthcare and the military, he said.
“If you’re in a hospital, the machines have to keep you alive so they have to work all day. It’s the same thing in the military. They take a lot of dirt and grime and have bullets flying at them. Those are the only things that are similar in the world of electronics for casino parts.
GETT carries parts for gaming devices for video lottery, video poker, and slot machines. A lot of their parts have dual uses. For example, a bill validator or a touchscreen monitor is in a kiosk, ATM or in other devices like a wayfinder.
The most expensive part of the game and of that is the touch system – not just the glass – but the circuit board known as a controller, Looney said. There are about eight million casino machines with touch monitors around the world.
“The controller and glass are the most expensive part, and customers tend to break those the most,” Looney said. “That happens when you mix alcohol and stress. People can get angry and take a punch at the screen or scratch it.”
Slot machines are a major part of casino revenue, especially for properties outside of Nevada where there are fewer amenities at properties.
“There’s not as much to do and a focus on entertainment as there is in Nevada,” Looney said. “As one of the top providers for parts, we have to keep those machines up and running.”
