A running theme at this year's Global Gaming Expo (G2E) was the future of technology as it relates to the gaming entertainment industry. During last week's show, more than 26,000 industry professionals from across the globe gathered at the Las Vegas Convention Center to share best practices and view more than 150 new and exciting products.
The future of technology played a significant role in the G2E keynote panel which took place last Wednesday.
The discussion entitled "State of the Industry: The Next Generation of Global Gaming", was moderated by Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., president of the American Gaming Association (AGA), and included panelists Peter Dean, CBE chairman of the British Gambling Commission; Terry Lanni, chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage; T.J. Matthews, CEO of International Game Technology; Paul Oneile, CEO of Aristocrat Technologies; and Mark Yoseloff, chairman , president and CEO of Shuffle Master, Inc.
During the session, the panelists were in agreement that technology is definitely changing the way in which gaming companies conduct business, as well as the way customers enjoy gaming entertainment. Their emphasis was that new technologies will not be adopted or become widespread unless they offer an "improved entertainment experience for the customer."
According to a press release issued by G2E, preliminary survey results support the fact that new technological advances will play important roles in the future successes of the gaming industry.
The 2006 G2E Future Watch Series, an annual research survey conducted in conjunction with G2E, looks at the present and future role of technology throughout the industry. The Future Watch series involves in-depth surveys of 16 leading casino industry executives and analysts, and covers a range of technological innovations. To supplement the initial findings, the same survey was also conducted on-site during last week's conference in order to obtain feedback from actual show attendees.
Fahrenkopf was quoted in the press release as saying that technology has been, and will continue to be at the "heart of many changes in every aspect of the industry".
"This year's Future Watch survey confirms that technological innovations and advances will continue to change how casinos operate - both in how we interact with customers and in our back-of-the-house operations - in real and lasting ways."
According to the survey, 94 percent of the executives said that the way casino operators make use of technology is very critical to their success.
Overall, the survey shows that the majority of the industry has a positive outlook on the future of gaming technology. Approximately 76 percent of casino executives believe that between 20 and 60 percent of the gaming floor will consist of server-based or downloadable gaming machines within the next five years, and 51 percent believe wireless, hand-held games will also be available in the near future.