Grubby at PokerWorks

If I were running an online casino or poker room and I saw hundreds of thousands of my U.S. players unable to deposit and withdraw, not to mention hundreds of thousands more potential customers wanting to play, here’s what I would do.

I would create my own branded Visa debit card and mail it for free to all of my active or recently active U.S. players containing a preloaded $10 as a welcome back bonus.

Players would receive an email announcing the arrival of their card, along with a confirmation number to activate the card online or by phone. The card would then be automatically tied in to their online casino account and contain a PIN number.

They would be welcome to play with this money, earning a certain amount of points before being able to cash out.

Similar to PayPal, a player’s online casino account would have instant access to the balance on the card. Players wouldn’t need to deposit or withdraw from the casino — money to the balance of the card would always be readily available. From the casino’s side, this would encourage players to play with as much as is available. From the player’s side, it would be a convenience.

Circumventing U.S. banks, players would be able to add funds to the card by mailing money orders, depositing cash at ATMs, or depositing cash at special kiosks.

Players could use this card as a debit card anywhere Visa is accepted, and for a 1 percent fee they could withdraw cash at any ATM. Or they could withdraw for free at the special kiosks.

Now let’s say that I also owned a land-based casino, whether a Harrah’s, an MGM Grand, or an Ameristar (you know, the kind of real casino that’s willing to spend a few million bucks upfront, unlike their online counterparts who seem to be satisfied simply waiting and watching their numbers fall while catering to more and more Eastern Europeans).

And let’s say that those special kiosks are the land-based casinos themselves.

Those debit cards would double as player’s cards at the casino and could be swiped at a slot machine or at a table game. The machine or dealer would ask how much I’d like to play with, I’d punch in my PIN, and I’d play with just that amount.

I could insert bills into a slot machine, transfer it to the card, then go home and login to the online casino and instantly play with those funds.

Or I could just go to the casino cage and exchange cash for credit on the card. And vice versa.

Comps could also instantly be placed on the card. I could collect buffets, free rooms, spa and nightclub passes, etc.

Harrah’s has over 40 million Total Rewards members, there’s a Harrah’s in driving distance of most U.S. states, and even if there isn’t one nearby, players could hop a plane to Vegas or Atlantic City to top off their card. They’d be able to stay for free at the casino, having earned enough points playing off the card online.

At great cost, the majority of slot machines have switched to ticket-in, ticket-out devices to eliminate the need for coin hoppers. But because I’m thinking ahead at the potential profit of just a portion of the $6+ billion online gaming industry, I wouldn’t balk at the cost and outfit all my machines with another reader, which wouldn’t take more space because it would substitute for the current player’s card reader that most casinos use.

As an added benefit, those cards could also be swiped through wireless handheld gaming devices that are expected to soon flood nongaming areas of casinos such as nightclubs, restaurants, and the pool.

In December, Las Vegas Sands announced they and Cantor Gaming will be developing an online casino, ostensibly marketed to the U.K.

The Sands owns The Venetian in Las Vegas.

The Venetian and Cantor are already partnered to develop wireless handheld devices for trial use at The Venetian.

Are they thinking what I’m thinking?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 6th, 2007 at 12:03 am and is filed under Uncategorized.