Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/484384
G a m i n g N e w s 2 9 W e d n e s d a y, A p r i l 1 , 2 0 1 5 growth, diversity and cultural awareness. It's incredible to look back at what start- ed with a small number of modest, understated facilities has now grown into over 900 properties across the United States. Within those locations, there is an amazing range and diversity – every- thing from small modular buildings to large Vegas-like destination resorts. The breadth and dimension of what can be found across the country is truly stagger- ing. But it's not just the range and scope of the growth that's exciting. What began as a vehicle for economic self- determination and sovereignty has creat- ed unique opportunities to express and make strong statements regarding the heritage, culture and iconography of Native American tribes. As a result, more people are now exposed to the influence, culture and values of these communities than ever before. The growth of this industry has made the his- torical and contemporary account of Native Americans part of the evolving conversation across the nation. It has influenced legislation and social trends, along with the development of commu- nities and the built environment. GN: When you look at design, do you see any existing or evolving themes that will play out over the next three to five years? KE: I think we're going to see changes JCJ Architecture (Cont'd. from p. 1) that speak not only to the historical and contemporary narrative of Native Americans but also to the changing social and entertainment expectations of the gaming patron. Today's tribal culture goes well beyond making statements about the past – it is a living, breathing entity that is increasingly recognized as being made up of individuals working with the structure of their societies. An example is a trend toward more complex, individualized expressions in the works of many contemporary Native American artists. These artists seek to express their perspective about the world around them, and are increasingly blending statements about materials, societal perceptions, personal experiences, technology and the changing values into their work. These trends align with the changing expecta- tions and demographics underway in the gaming market where an emphasis on social experiences, technology and options are demanded. Gaming facilities will continue to explore Native American themes, but in broader terms where they are more experiential, social and immer- sive, continuing to reflect the unique her- itage and culture of tribal nations, while evolving to do so in more distinctive and individualized ways – weaving the past, present and future together into the fabric of design. Visit JCJ Architecture at booth #1644. For more information, go to www.jcj.com, call 877.389.9395 or email info@jcj.com. Bang ® , the latest out-of-revenue game for the award-winning TournEvent ® sys- tem. Platinum MPX will make another appearance at NIGA this year with two themes guaranteed to leave a lasting impression with players: Dracula™ and Haunted House ® After Dark. The 40- inch monitor, custom surround sound with integrated sound chair, and Earthquake Shakers™ will bring these thrilling themes to life! They say everything's bigger in Texas, and Multimedia is proving that adage true with its latest premium cabi- net The Texan HDX, an oversized cabi- net that can showcase any of Multimedia's standard video themes. Being seen on the big screen at NIGA will be Warrior Legacy™, the latest high denom video thriller from Multimedia. Standing at nearly eight feet tall, with monitors measuring 42 inches, this giant of a cabinet will have players thinking bigger really is better. The Apex V Topper will have its first-ever showing at NIGA this year, showcased on a bank of new themes such as Artemis™, Wild Things™, and Full Service™. This new topper will attract players to the games, as the animations move from screen to screen via the unique dual 15-inch video screen setup. The High Rise Games ® series will continue to stand tall this year with Multimedia Games (Cont'd. from p. 1) four new themes: Queen of Diamonds™, Pirates Skull & Bones™, The Money Man Big Cash Spin™ and Smokin' Hot Diamonds™. Players will be living like kings and queens with Queen of Diamonds, a 9-Reel, 32-Line theme featuring the never-before-seen Jackpot Jump™, where progressive prizes "jump" by one or two tiers, if the Jackpot Jump card or Queen of Diamonds is uncovered. Back and better than ever is the award-winning TournEvent slot tourna- ment system, complete with a wireless tablet option, the latest out-of-revenue game and new signage. Cash Boom Bang with 4 Reel Frenzy™ will take slot tournaments to the next level, as tournament screens explode into 4 sets of reels once a bomb appears. Making a cameo as well will be the latest sign option for TournEvent, consisting of a rotating 55-inch monitor, lighted accent dividers and the ability to be featured on new bank configurations. GCA's cash access solutions, the CXC Lite, CXC 4.0, and JackpotXchange kiosks will be show- cased, as well as the XView reporting tool, Cash Club, the cage cash access solution, NEWave's anti-money laun- dering software and Everi's product suite for real money online gaming. Stop by booth #1121 to see how you can create a seamless and entertaining experience for players on your casino floor. Band of Chumash Indians. "While trying to address the concerns of the community, the tribe ended up with a hotel much smaller than the market dictated." The tribe's other properties in the nearby town of Solvang – Hotel Corque and the Hadsten House – are both highly- rated hotels with beautiful accommoda- tions, but guests have expressed their desire to stay at the tribe's Chumash Casino Resort while gaming. "We listened to our guests and are adding more rooms to our hotel," said Chairman Armenta. "In addition, we will also widen the gaming floor, revamp our food and beverage area to provide more options for our guests and construct a new parking garage." The tribe awarded contracts to Tutor Perini Building Corp., Delawie and Summit Project Management for the casi- no expansion project. When all the dust settles in mid-2016, guests will see signif- icant changes to the Chumash Casino Resort – changes reflected on the gaming floor, food and beverage area and the hotel. The big news for the Chumash Casino Resort Hotel is a 12-story hotel tower that will add 200-plus more rooms. The gaming floor will be larger in order to accommodate all of the gaming activities on the main gaming floor and provide guests with more elbow room. In addi- Chumash (Cont'd. from p. 1) tion, the high limit room will be com- pletely reconfigured. In the food and bev- erage area, the casino's fine dining venue, The Willows, will have a new entry, a great lounge space and a small reception space for private parties. The Creekside Buffet and Chumash Café will also have significant changes and a food and bever- age venue will be available in the new 20,000 square-foot pool deck area. "In addition to creating a safe envi- ronment for our guests during our con- struction period, we also want to ensure that we keep our guests informed as we move forward with our casino expansion project," said Bill Peters, General Manager of the Chumash Casino Resort. "Through various forms of media, includ- ing videos, printed material and a web- site, we will update our guests regularly on our progress." Videos detailing the Chumash Casino Resort expansion project are available in the Resort's hotel rooms, on the casino website at www.chumashcasi- no.com and at various locations on prop- erty. It's an exciting time for the tribe, the Chumash Casino Resort and guests. When all is said and done, the Chumash Casino Resort will rise to a new level – one that will provide guests with an unprecedented experience. For more information, visit www .chumashcasino.com. that had a summary and detailed reporting capabilities. They envisioned a system for improving customer serv- ice by allowing their Slot Floor Operations team to be see events such as jackpots, machine tilts and change lights in real time so they could send staff more expeditiously to the guest and resolve wait time issues and mini- mize guest recovery issues. GN: How many casinos currently use the Slot Floor Monitor System? JE: We have more than 80 locations using the various modules of the Slot Floor Monitor System (SFMS). Almost half of them are tribal casinos such as Sycuan, Barona, Pechanga, Choctaw Durant, Chickasaw - Winstar, Fourwinds, Firekeeper's, and Mohegan Sun Pocono - to name a few. GN: How has the SFMS evolved over the 10 years of so many locations using it? JE: When we first introduced it to the casino that wanted it, it was a much smaller feature set, mostly focused on displaying real time events and provid- ing archived reporting on slot related events. Today, it has expanded through our introduction of additional modules to include Employee Management, Premium Player, Patron Service requests of all types – F&B, Valet, Player Card, Security, Casino Floor Managers, etc – and all this has been available on a wireless platform for the last 10 years as well. GN: What is the most interesting aspect of your relationship with the CIS Technology (Cont'd. from p. 1) large number of casinos using the SFMS? JE: We are told time and again that our approach to collaborating with each location makes us different. Some com- panies may say they partner with their customer base, but don't prove it every day. We do not do Ivory Tower software development. We feel the teams using our software every hour of every day know better what they need than we do. Since our inception in 1988, CIS has lis- tened to and then worked very hard to create a solution that is installable, sup- portable and maintainable for each and every casino. Our trial offer of the SFMS has allowed us to earn every location's trust through proving the value of the SFMS before they enter into a relationship with us. GN: What is CIS Technology most proud of in terms of achievements regarding the SFMS? JE: We are very proud of our 86-0 record in trials of the SFMS nationwide. We are honored that we have retained our customers for so many years. Most software has a limited life from a user's perspective – usually five years or so. More than half our locations have been with us seven to nine years plus. We feel that speaks to the relationship we have with them and how we have developed the SFMS' enhancements to remain rel- evant in their daily needs for an applica- tion that manages their relationship with customers, staff and department heads across the industry. Visit CIS Technology at booth #1812. For more information, go to www .cistechnology.com, call 775.747.6001 or email fmsales@cisnv.com.