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Cashless evolution: account-based wagering systems provide more portability, security to slot players on increasingly cash-free gaming floors.

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Slot players who once had to lug containers of coins around the gaming floor have seen their burden--even when winning megajackpots--reduced to less than an ounce, thanks to some of the latest technology available to casinos.

Account-based wagering systems represent a further evolution in the trend toward cashless gaming begun a decade ago with the introduction of ticket in/ ticket out (TITO) technology.

The newest systems do to tickets what tickets did to tokens, as the cash remains on the card or the system itself. This makes it easier for patrons to move from machine to machine at will without the intermediary step of cashing in those slot tickets, or even having to feed those tickets into specially equipped machines. And some such systems make it easier for casinos to track player activity and monitor floor activity for accounting purposes.

One of the most mature of these products in operation is the Account-Based Wagering (ABW) solution that WMS Gaming has licensed and plans to commercialize as one of the four foundational technologies comprising its WAGE-NET (Wide Area Game Enhanced Network) solution.

"From a capabilities standpoint, our ABW system is extremely secure and transparent," said Rob Bone, WMS vice president of marketing.

Unlike comparable systems, no money is kept on a smart card. Players are required to sign up for a card that is tied to a personal account, into which players load...

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