Oklahoma’s WinStar World Casino Resort will be the first property to utilize Everi Holdings’ digital wallet platform, which allows customers to fund electronic gaming play throughout the casino and pay for non-gaming amenities, including retail, food and beverage, and golf.
Las Vegas-based Everi said Wednesday that launching the digital wallet at a property such as WinStar World gives the gaming equipment provider an enormous stage to gain data on the product’s usage.
WinStar World, which is operated by the Chickasaw Nation, is located an hour north of Dallas. The casino, one of the largest in the world, has 8,500 slot machines, 100 table games, and multiple restaurants and bars. The tribe also operates an adjacent championship golf course.
The mobile application allows WinStar patrons to deposit funds into their digital wallet at their convenience – while they are on-site or away from the resort, via a bank card, or directly from their checking account.
The funds can then be accessed for use directly at the game, enabling the casino to offer a fully touchless solution. At the conclusion of play, customers can move funds back into their digital wallet, which can hold the funds for future use or electronically send the funds back into the customer’s bank account.
Everi Executive Vice President Darren Simmons said the mobile wallet “provides gaming patrons with the same ability, comfort, and convenience to load, retrieve and unload funds that they experience with other non-gaming digital wallet applications.”
Since 2019, the American Gaming Association has advocated for the industry to adopt cashless or digital payment solutions to help modernize the industry. In the past year, spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic, several changes have already taken place.
Regulators in Nevada and Pennsylvania have approved new rules to permit digital payments in their casinos, and New Jersey, Indiana, and Iowa are expected to follow suit. Tribal casinos, such as Seminole Hard Rock in Florida and Southern California’s San Manuel, are already using digital payment technologies.
Southern California’s Morongo Casino and Resort will introduce a new cashless wagering product early next year that will provide slot players with gambling markers. The platform, which runs through Morongo’s casino management system, is not a mobile wallet, since the funds rely on credit provided by the property.
“Creating a digital, cashless customer experience has been a focus of ours for some time and throughout our review of various solutions, it was clear Everi’s wallet met all of our goals,” said WinStar World General Manager Jack Parkinson. “(The) wallet will give our patrons a safe, secure and convenient way to game with us which further enhances their gaming experience.”
Everi first introduced cashless technology in 2017 through a ticket product. Everi said the mobile wallet allows customers to move funds in and out of the casino or online across sports betting or social casinos, and manage their spending limits, helping to support responsible gaming.
“We are delighted to have such a great partner in WinStar World Casino and Resort to support the first launch,” Simmons said.
Shares of Everi, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, closed at $11.40 Wednesday, up 44 cents, or 4.01%.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
