One of the lasting changes caused by the pandemic is the accelerated adoption of digital, contactless, and mobile payments technology. While there’s no sign that the United States wants to follow Sweden’s example and move towards an entirely cash-free society, a growing number of consumers now view digital payments as the norm, and casinos have started to react to that demand.

The technology existed prior to the hygiene concerns about cash handling brought on by the pandemic. It’s just that the gaming industry has been slow to adopt it.

As Eric Schippers, SVP public affairs for Penn National Gaming, recently told Play Pennsylvania, “The gaming industry is far behind other businesses, such as Starbucks, in this regard and the younger demographic has come to expect the ability to use their phone for their loyalty programs and to purchase goods and services.”

His comments came as he detailed the company’s investment in what he refers to as the 3Cs—a new generation of cashless, cardless, and contactless technology—for its casinos. Penn National believes that the technology will improve efficiency and deliver better experiences in line with other industries frequented by younger demographics.

This is not the only casino operator to have reached the conclusion—whether prompted by the pandemic or simply by a desire to deliver improved customer experiences—that it’s time to investigate the benefits of digital payments in gaming.

Tom Jingoli, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Konami Gaming, believes the momentum towards the modernization of payments technology in casinos is becoming unstoppable.

“Throughout our industry, and across many industries right now, there is increasing demand for it [digital payments],” said Jingoli.

Implementing such systems in a casino resort is arguably a more complex task than the one facing retail businesses. A mobile app used for payments needs to work with the casino management system, the games themselves, and the operator’s loyalty program, as well as meeting requirements for anti-money laundering (AML), know your customer (KYC), and responsible gambling compliance.

A number of major industry suppliers had anticipated the demand for change and were already working on next generation payments systems well before the pandemic struck. The results of that work are now available and beginning to roll out.

Konami’s SYNKROS casino management system has supported digital payments for a number of years, and the company has built on its early offerings to create a variety of cashless solutions to suit different types of casinos and different jurisdictional requirements. Among them is SYNKROS Money Klip, which allows players to simply load funds to their loyalty account at the cage or TITO kiosk for easy, fast, and secure digital transactions directly at the gaming machine. “Players can even spend their digital funds at non-gaming outlets like property restaurants and bars through interfaced point-of-sale systems,” said Jingoli. “These cashless features provide players a seamless way to play, without having to handle physical cash or tickets.”

Konami also offers the SYNKROS SynkConnect player mobile app, which provides casinos with an alternative to physical player tracking cards. “It is a completely contactless solution—supporting authentication via QR code or near field communication (NFC)—so there is no physical card needed. SynkConnect also supports cashless wagering, digital comp vouchers, and more,” said Jingoli.

One other wagering option that Konami has seen increased demand for—from both players and operators—is the Marker Trax digital payments casino slot markers. “Marker Trax works with SYNKROS to seamlessly issue, record, manage, and track cashless credit lines for optimal collections and AML compliance,” Jingoli explained. “This allows players to apply, get approved, and begin using their slot credit in under five minutes, all through a secure mobile app and PIN-protected SYNKROS cashless wagering account.”

JCM Global has also updated an established system to enable operators to offer a contactless payment solution for players who want a mobile transaction option, with the launch of the iTITO module of its FUZION technology.

FUZION uses TITO and NFC—two technologies that regulators, operators, players, banks and fintech companies are comfortable with. This allows gaming regulators to view the solution as a familiar, secure option.

Using their own mobile device, players can virtualize a TITO ticket and securely transfer those funds from their mobile wallet to any EGM, table game, or kiosk. It’s all powered by JCM’s NFC Mobile I/O technology. Once installed on EGMs with JCM’s iVIZION bill validator, GEN5 printer, and FUZION system, NFC Mobile I/O allows players to create a secure mobile connection for financial transactions. The flexible device gives operators multiple options to use it with their own applications or any approved third-party applications.

Aristocrat Gaming is another major supplier that has responded to player demand for cashless gaming and has invested heavily in expanding digital and mobile strategies that assist in transforming the casino floor to be a more robust guest experience, while also supporting responsible gaming initiatives.

At the heart of this is its new cashless Resort Wallet solution, which builds on Aristocrat Gaming’s long-established Personal Banker (PBT) digital method for managing slot play and extends PBT mobile management using a third-party funding source to draw down additional funds. The digital wallet allows guests to play or cash out on slot titles, eliminating the need to handle cash at slot machines or redeem tickets.

Boyd Gaming properties across the country are already using Aristocrat’s Resort Wallet feature, with plans to integrate the digital wallet into Boyd Gaming’s B Connected Mobile app.

Similarly, Everi’s CashClub Wallet mobile app, which enables cashless and contactless electronic game play, has been implemented at Seminole Gaming properties in Florida and at Winstar World Casino and Resort in Oklahoma.

The CashClub app allows patrons to deposit funds into their digital wallet via a bank card, or directly from their checking account, at their convenience while they are on site or away from the casino. They can then access the funds for use directly at the game and move funds back to their wallet for future use or to return to their bank account via electronic transfer at the conclusion of play.

Everi’s Wallet also enables contactless payments at food, beverage, and retail outlets within a resort, and works seamlessly with the operator’s loyalty program. This mobile-first digital payments approach is much more convenient for patrons as it eliminates lines at ATMs and kiosks and can help to reduce costs for operators when implemented effectively.

The options for introducing digital payment systems to the casino floor do not end there. IGT recently completed the final stage of Nevada regulatory approval for the Resort Wallet carded cashless module of the IGT ADVANTAGE casino management system, while Scientific Games’ Unified Wallet technology allows players to instantly access funds to play their favorite slots and tables through an app on their personal mobile device.