Transcript No Slide Title

Introducing S2S:
GSA’s System to System Protocol
Russ Ristine, VP, Radical Blue Gaming
What is GSA?
The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) is an
international trade association that benefits gaming
manufacturers, suppliers, operators, and regulators.
GSA facilitates the identification, definition,
development, promotion, and implementation of open
standards to enable innovation, education, and
communication for the benefit of the entire industry.
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System to System (S2S) Protocol
S2S
Coin
Acceptor
GDS
G2S
Voucher Manager
Kiosks
S2S
Coin
Hopper
Point of
Sale
Player Tracking
Note
Acceptor
Game
Control
S2S
Coin/Bill
Counters
Slot Accounting
Printer
S2S
Touch
Screen
Progressive
S2S
Class II
Servers
EGM
Host Systems and other S2S devices
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Current Challenges
 Changing a system related device is a major
architecture project
 Does current vendor support the new POS system
 How long will it take to get a new interface built?
 What if I don’t like the new product, how do I go back to
the old one?
 Consider a kiosk replacement (ticketing, marketing)
 Alternately, a new POS system (Casino System,
accounting system, hotel system)
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Current Challenges
 How easy is it to get information moved into your inhouse systems for analysis?
 What if you could go to a gaming show, see a
product, and have it in your casino the following
week?
 Wouldn’t it be nice to have the diagnostic info
captured by each note acceptors available at your
desk?
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
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Benefits of S2S
 Standardizes communication between servers
 A new vendor only has to write one interface to get into
the market, vs. 4 to 6 that they have to do now
 Casinos benefit from new innovations
 Vendors Benefit from reduced complexity
 (More time for new features)
 Supports “plug and play” for systems and peripheral
devices
 Try out a new product
 If you don’t like it, return it!
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Benefits of S2S
 S2S is developed with GDS and G2S, so back end
servers can interact with note acceptors
 Innovation – Note Acceptor Vendors can now do
something completely different
• Retrieve diagnostic information
• Distribute new software electronically
 Standardization promotes portability, interoperability
and reusability
 Vendors can write one interface and use it everywhere
 Reduces testing (and problems in the field)
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
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The Seminole Story
GSA Moving at the Speed of Business
Seminole Tribe - 2002
LABTRONIX
CORY
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
MULTIMEDIA
ROCKET
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S2S and Class II
In a Class II environment, each manufacturer has
their own server for central determination and other
game functions
The Problem: Four game manufacturers means
 Four separate accounting reports,
 Four player tracking feeds, and
 Three voucher systems
• Vouchers are only redeemable on same manufacturer’s games
• What about the cashier booth? (four redemption terminals…)
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Seminole Tribe - Vision
System X
Vendor A
Vendor B
Vendor B
Vendor A
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Vendor C
Vendor C
Vendor D
Vendor D
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Seminole Tribe - Today
Accounting
Player tracking
Vouchers
System X
GSA S2S
Game Servers
System A
System B
Vendor A
System C
Vendor B
Vendor A
Vendor B
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Vendor C
Vendor C
System D
Vendor D
Vendor D
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S2S and Class II - the solution
EGMs still talk proprietary protocol to their host
servers to minimize scope of change
Each host server now talks S2S to a central
consolidation server, which provides
 One accounting report
 All vouchers are processed through a central database
 All systems communicate using common protocols
 Happier casino management!
Since the switch to S2S, they’re ready for the future
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Future Solution with G2S
 EGMs talk to host server for game outcome
(proprietary or G2S)
 EGMs talk directly to central server for accounting
and vouchers (G2S)
 EGMs talk directly to player tracking system for
player activity (G2S)
S2S or G2S doesn’t matter as long as the pain is gone
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
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G2S Solution
Central Accounting
Vendor A
Vouchers
Vendor B
Central Determination Player Tracking
Vendor B
Vendor A
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Vendor C
Vendor C
Vendor D
Vendor D
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S2S: Digging a Little Deeper
General S2S Classes
 Communications
 Web services & SSL
 Messages to start and maintain a conversation
 Configuration - Share configuration information
 Patron Class
 Move Patron information between hosts
 Register Client - Used to communicate info on
devices other than EGMs
 Info Update - Communicate information changes,
other than for EGMs (employee, tables, kiosks, etc.)
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S2S Classes for Table Games
 Open / Close - Table Chip Inventory transactions
 Fill / Credit - Move chips to/from gaming tables
 Marker - Patron Credit and Front Money messages
 Player Rating - Rating transactions for table games
 Jackpot - communicate jackpot info between
systems
 Comp Class - process player complimentaries
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S2S Classes for EGM activity
 EGM Registration - share slot info between systems
 Events - notify central systems when events occur
 Accounting Meters - centralize accounting
 Vouchers - all systems use a central voucher system
 WAT - messages to process Wagering Account
Transfers between systems
 Player - move slot player messages between
systems
 Handpay class - Attendant paid wins, etc.
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S2S Update
 S2S Version 1.2 – recently released
 Incorporates all changes requested by existing
systems
 Currently servers are using S2S 1.1.5, 1.1.10, with
extensions; 1.2 brings everyone together
 New ATM kiosk apps are implementing S2S as a
single communication method
 S2S 1.2 simulators and development tools are
available
 Four S2S 1.2 Central System Vendors by Q1 2007
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GSA Certification
GSA Certification
 GSA compliance – independent testing by 3rd party
lab using GSA certified tools and pre-defined test
scripts
 GSA Compliance testing is NOT Regulatory
Approval
 All parties benefit through
 Improved speed to market for products
 Products work together when they show up on your floor
 Plug and Play (easier installs, reduced service calls)
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GSA Certification
 Protocol certification streamlines the regulatory
process
 Reduces the quantity and variety of tests that must be
performed
 If both devices are certified, they should work
together the first time they are connected (like your
PC and printer)
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GSA’s New Certification Program
 Goal = Correct and consistent implementation of
GSA’s standards
 Formal process for the testing and certification of
 Gaming Products
 Testing Agencies
 Test Suites
 Products passing certification will be published in
the Certification Register on GSA’s web site
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Testing Centers
 Interoperability Centers will be available for
manufacturers
 Test Authority (Open Group) will certify Test Suites
and Testing Agencies
 Test Suites will be commercially available to anyone
 Like UL testing, GSA testing can be done in any
certified Test Agency
 Test Labs
 Casinos
 Manufacturers
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
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S2S Certification
 S2S testing will be part of the GSA certification suite
 GSA Standards provide a secure, reliable, and
documented way for systems to communicate with
each other
 Certified Test Labs ensure that the protocols have
been properly implemented
 Goal
 Certified Systems
 Certified Kiosks
 Certified System Peripherals
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
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Plug and Play Goal for Systems
Quick recap:
 Systems move from proprietary solutions to
standard communications
 Vendors spend less time maintaining protocols
 Single Protocol – Much easier to test
 Operator doesn’t have to wait for their version to get
modified
 Easy to try a new peripheral (kiosk, currency
counter, POS system)
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Additional Benefits of a Standard
 With a single standard, third party tools become
viable
 Test Suites - Ensure the protocol has been properly
implemented
 Latency Testers - Automatically check response time
every X minutes, send an e-mail if there’s a problem
 Regression Testers - retest everything every time
there’s a build
 Available to Manufacturers, Test Labs, or Operators
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When can I get S2S?
 S2S release 1.2 has been completed
 Simulators are available (and are being used by
several development teams)
 Certification planning and definition are in progress
 Encourage your vendors to move to S2S to give
everyone more flexibility in the future
 Exciting times are ahead!
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
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The Ending Note
 For on-going questions or inquires on protocols,
please contact
[email protected]
 This presentation is available on GSA’s Website:
www.gamingstandards.com
[Now is the perfect time for questions or comments]
2006 - The Year of Implementation and Value Creation!
CasinoFest 2 San Diego 2006