TrueAim, IGT’s real-time adaptable AI solution that was introduced at G2E, has the power to maximize marketing ROI, casino revenue, player experience, and operator efficiency in multiple use cases.
Jacob Lanning, IGT Head of Systems Commercial Strategy & Operations
When paired with the IGT ADVANTAGE X and IntelligenEVO systems solutions, TrueAim “has a deep understanding of all the data that is inside the gaming systems, which enables operators to do things on a revolutionary new scale,” according to Jacob Lanning, IGT Head of Systems Commercial Strategy & Operations.
“TrueAim makes it possible for casino operators to hyper-personalize in a way that was never before possible,” he continued. “Operators have the ability to actually build-out and craft offers and incentives that are tailored to a single player and go through all the configurations in the system that are necessary in order to deploy that into production.”
The new IGT enterprise, fueled by the company’s recent merger with Everi and the addition of Everi’s FinTech capabilities, is uniquely positioned to drive incremental operator value to new heights by leveling up player engagement and gaming floor performance, benefits which Lanning perceives as crucial to unlocking new opportunities.
“An example of what we showed at G2E with TrueAim was what can be done with IGT’s Random Riches Bonus, which gamifies the player’s overarching gaming experience and gives them an extra bonus while they are playing,” he said.
“We are very excited about being able to use AI in this manner, to drive optionality for the casino operator and at the same time a new and better player experience.”
Lanning shared that one of the key components of the data that feeds into TrueAim is the loyalty data of the casino itself.
“When a guest registers for a property’s loyalty program and then uses their card at slot machines, table games, restaurants, and other amenities that are available, the data gets centralized into our ADVANTAGE platform, and with our latest version, ADVANTAGE X, all of that data is now available to TrueAim,” he revealed,
Preferences, based upon data that the operator has collected, as well as passions, things that the player shows through behavior what they are interested in, can be leveraged through the AI layer to begin to configure offers back to that player that makes the most sense for them based on those criteria.”
Such as the ability to identify guests who like free slot play or match credits, and which games they like to play, or guests who prefer to combine dining with their gaming experiences. Player patterns can be profiled as well, including the days of the week and time of day they prefer, and how long and how much do they normally play.
“All of this can be fed into the AI platform and leveraged by many different applications to improve the player experience from all levels,” Lanning observed. “Whether a casual, everyday player, or a VIP, TrueAim can manage the data from all sets of players.”
Lanning reasons that casinos invest in personnel to make great decisions for their players based upon the analytics that they can study to craft and create the best experiences possible.
“At the end of the day, however, there is only so much that humans can do on their own,” he explained. “By introducing this technology, we are enabling them to craft memorable experiences regardless of the overall value of the player to the casino using the same number of resources.
“I think that sort of force multiplication impact will create amazing things for players and many efficiencies for operators to drive great experiences moving forward.”
The future is limitless for use cases. Lanning said that four were shown at G2E, including two that are deep on the way of productizing. Two others are proof of concept for which the IGT team is evaluating feedback. Random Riches with TrueAim is almost ready to launch. Another use case is the creation of an AI agent inside of the IGT.com platform.
Lanning elaborated, stating that “it is powered by TrueAim and has all the repository of all the documentation of how our systems operate and any challenges that people might have faced, or any sort of workarounds, especially in the IT department, that are required in order to effectively manage our system.
“They are able to go inside and engage with the AI agent. If they cannot find the answer to a question through that engagement, it will automatically create a support ticket with our call center so that we can engage the next level of resources to help resolve whatever issue they might be facing.”
Uses being explored to improve property-player interactions is generative AI to have a casino host interact with a player at the slot machine to communicate a new bonus that may have been released, or perhaps on a mobile app.
“We are also looking at AI agents that we may deploy on the front end of our application to better engage the front-line employee,” Lanning said. “IT, marketing, operations, the players. There are a number of applications that we are going to find that are really going to change the way that people come to think about casino systems and the value that they create for casinos.”
Lanning shared that the way the IGT Team is looking at AI is how to use tools and technologies, not replace people. Rather, it can amplify what employees have the ability to accomplish.
“The use cases that we are focused on solving by training TrueAim is really in and around how we can make it easier, better, and faster for the casino operator to do things that perhaps they have been prevented from doing simply because of the scale it would take.”
Hyper-personalization is something that casinos have talked about for so long, according to Lanning. How to really focus on what the player wants and to deliver what they want. The reality, Lanning believes, is that humans cannot do it alone. Hyper-personalization can only be achieved through technology.
“That is exactly where we are focused with our energy and efforts,” he maintains. “How can we scale what the casino operators are doing in a much better way to create value for all constituents? This is precisely why we are focused on AI delivering that scale.”
Lanning stresses the importance of this, noting that there is a general fear of the unknown, and the fact that with new technology people are afraid of what they do not understand.
“There is a lot of ‘noise’ in the marketplace about how AI is going to change the framework,” he said. “Ultimately, we focus on the use cases that provide positive outcomes for everyone involved. This is where we invest our time, our money, and our energy. Our goal is to create the best environment possible.”
