The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated changes at brick-and-mortar casinos across the country. Masks are almost always required of patrons, and most gaming establishments have implemented other safety measures, including mandatory temperature checks for patrons upon entrance and plexiglass dividers at gaming tables.
But what Steve Neely didn’t expect was the ready acceptance of safety procedures at Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, California, where he is the general manager.
“I think what surprised me more than anything was how quickly our guests adapted to the changes we implemented,” Neely said Tuesday during the panel discussion “Meeting Guests 2020 Expectations with Technology” at the TribalNet Conference and Trade Show. “Obviously, we have detractors who don’t want to swim upstream to a degree, but the guests have been very positive in their acceptance.”
Neely, Virgil DeBrosse, the IT senior account manager for Chickasaw Nation, and Patrick Tinklenberg, vice president of IT at Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon, California, spoke about challenges to the gaming industry caused by the pandemic. In addition to requiring masks and temperature checks, their gaming establishments have removed chairs at slot machines to provide adequate social distancing, added filters or purifiers to HVAC systems and UV cleaning technology, and designated employees whose sole job is to clean vacated gaming seats. Floor areas that hosted buffets are being filled with slot machines and some hotels rooms aren’t cleaned until guests check out.
An increased reliance on contactless technology, including keyless entry to hotel rooms and increased use of digital wallets, is becoming increasingly popular. DeBrosse says guests increasingly demand to know if contactless measures are in use.
“I don’t think we as an industry have figured it all out yet,” DeBrosse said. “I think we’re all on our way. Some solutions out there interest me, though others are fly-by-night trying to capitalize on the pandemic. But our guests are expecting us to protect them, just as much as they expect us to compensate them with complimentaries if they play well or with incentive cash or promotional credits.”
DeBrosse thinks the use digital wallets to pay for casino games and services might be one of the most important trends that emerges post-COVID-19. Because other digital-wallet services, including Apple Pay and Starbucks cards, have become increasingly popular, DeBrosse thinks guests are more comfortable using this technology.
“We fast-tracked our keyless entry for hotel rooms,” Neely added. “We were concerned about how some of our guests would react to that, but with the pandemic, it’s actually an opportunity for adoption rates to increase at a greater speed than they would have in the past. I also think digital wallets are a great development. I look forward to what that can do for us long-term.”
Tinklenberg said Sycuan has acquired walk-through scanners for both guests and employees. Employees also must fill out a digital card that states they don’t have COVID-19 exposure or symptoms. The card is scanned as the employee enters the workplace, and records are kept for two weeks to track any health issues that may occur.
Another new trend relies on a technology that has been around for almost 30 years. QR codes, the matrix bar codes that were invented in Japan in the 1990s and became popular in the U.S. in the early 2010s, have become useful again at some gaming establishments.
“The one thing that’s been surprising the most is the resurgence of the QR code,” Tinklenberg said. “Now we have it all over the casino, rather than have to print things out. We use it to deliver information to guests, whether it’s a menu for a restaurant or information about a promotion or the location of a giveaway.”
