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GSA Certification How does it benefit Operators?
Russ Ristine Radical Blue Gaming
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What is GSA?

• GSA is an international trade association
• GSAs members include gaming manufacturers,
  suppliers, operators, and regulators
• Since 1998, GSA has been promoting and
  facilitating the development of open standards
  that benefit the entire gaming industry

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Benefits of GSA

• Create Standard Protocols (GDS, G2S, and S2S)
• Protocol experts from member companies
• All agree this is the way it must be
• Encourage adoption
• Create a stable protocol
• Training (UNLV IGI)
• Celebrate implementations
• Provide publicity

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GSAs Platinum Members
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Goal of a Standard Protocol

• Move all players from proprietary solutions to
  standard communications
• Vendors spend less time maintaining protocols
• Single Protocol Much easier to test
• Operator doesnt have to wait for their version
  to get modified
• Fearless Installs!

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What are these Protocols?

• G2S - Game to System Protocol
• Used to connect Gaming Devices to back of house
  systems
• SAS Replacement
• S2S - System to System Protocol
• Used to connect servers to other servers
• In the field, used for Class II, Kiosks, etc.
• One independent standard communication method

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Intro to the Protocols

• GDS Gaming Device Standard
• Internal to EGM
• USB protocol which connects peripherals (note
  acceptor, card reader, printer, etc.) to the main
  computer board in the EGM
• SAS Slot Accounting System
• This protocol is the most widely used in the
  industry
• Created nearly 20 years ago evolved to become
  most common protocol

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GSAs 3 Protocols
S2S
Voucher Manager
Kiosks
G2S
GDS
CoinAcceptor
S2S
Player Tracking
CoinHopper
Point ofSale
GameControl
S2S
NoteAcceptor
Advanced Slot Accounting
Coin/BillCounters
Printer
S2S
TouchScreen
Class IIServers
Progressive
S2S
EGM
Host Systems and other S2S devices
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Agenda

• Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs)
• What about Systems?
• GSAs Certification Program
• Making Certification Effective

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Current EGM World

• Every EGM has a version of SAS for every SMIB
• Every SMIB has a version of SAS for every EGM
• System to SMIB homogenized, but proprietary
• All are typically developed in a vacuum
• New versions are developed to solve problems when
  teams finally connect in the field

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Slot Floor Network - Today
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Why is SAS Difficult?

• 19,200K polled protocol with odd start bit
• Polling requires responses at inconvenient times
• Responses must meet strict timing requirements
• Multiple interpretations of the SAS protocol make
  interoperability testing a requirement
• SAS Certification testing started in 2005, 16
  years after protocol came out!

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SAS Certification

• GSA Creates a SAS working group
• Operators then ask for certification to reduce
  problems in the field
• Most existing applications failed certification
• Certification only tests EGMs
• EGMs are now more conscious about doing their
  implementation correctly

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SAS Problems Fade Away

• Why is G2S better?
• G2S is made to be easily extended to accommodate
  new features and functions
• G2S is event driven the EGM (or system)
  acknowledges immediately, and then replies as
  soon as it is able
• G2S uses proven Internet technology such as
  TCP/IP and Web Services, and is designed for
  reliability in a high traffic network

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More Benefits of G2S

• G2S is made up of classes
• The classes separate the protocol into smaller
  parts with each performing a specific function
• The name of the class is typically the function
  it provides
• Classes can represent
• physical devices (money acceptors, printers etc.)
• business needs (such as vouchers or handpay)
• Or protocol function (Communications,
  configuration)

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More Benefits of G2S

• Every Class has an owner
• Owner - the computer/Server that owns and is
  responsible for managing the class
• But any server can be a guest (read only access)
• subscribe to meters and events
• request status, logs and profile information

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Agenda

• Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs)
• What about Systems?
• GSAs Certification Program
• Making Certification Effective

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What about Systems?

• Every System vendor has their own suite of
  protocols for connecting to peripherals
• Every peripheral (like a kiosk) has a suite of
  protocols for connecting to different systems
• Everything eventually works together but its
  hard to make changes
• New vendor
• New feature

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GSAs S2S Protocol

• With GSAs S2S protocol, theres now one
  standard System to System protocol
• Provides a standardized way for communications to
  occur
• S2S can be easily extended to accommodate new
  features and functions
• S2S uses proven Internet technology such as
  TCP/IP and Web Services, and is designed for
  reliability in a high traffic network

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However

• Even with S2S we have differing implementations
• Seminoles are using a variant of S2S 1.1.5
• Choctaws S2S 1.10 with non-std transport
  extra classes
• Chickasaws S2S 1.2 (Yeah!) but developing in a
  vacuum (uh-oh!)
• Why is this occurring?

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Solutions

• Eliminating non-standard implementations
• Doing it right must become the only way
• Standard reference implementations for S2S
• Certification program is needed
• Achieving certification must have value
• Operators MUST insist on certification

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Agenda

• Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs)
• What about Systems?
• GSAs Certification Program
• Making Certification Effective

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GSA Certification Planned from the Start

• The GSA Certification program is designed to
  minimize interoperability problems
• The goal is to achieve one correct interpretation
  of the protocol
• Protocol schemas and web services rules can be
  used to test messages
• Feedback loop from Operators ensures the
  Certification program remains viable (and
  relevant)

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GSA Certification

• GSA compliance testing by 3rd party lab to
  ensure that the protocol implementation is
  correct
• GSA Compliance testing is NOT Regulatory Approval
• Protocol certification streamlines the regulatory
  process
• Reduces the quantity and variety of tests that
  must be performed

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GSA Certification

• 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)
• If both devices are certified, they should work
  together the first time they are connected (like
  your PC and printer)

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Certification Program

• Goal Correct and consistent implementation of
  GSAs standards
• Formal process for the testing and certification
  of Gaming Products
• ISO 17025 Accreditation for Testing Agencies
• Products passing certification will be published
  in the Certification Register on GSAs web site

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Reference Implementations

• Simulators and test tools are available to
  provide a reference version of the protocol
• Developers can use a simulator to ensure their
  EGM or system will talk to a correctly
  implemented system (or EGM)
• Test tools are also available so that new code
  can be exercised with thousands of transaction
  over days
• Developers can pre-test with certification tools

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Challenge Tests

• GSA will employ challenge tests to spot check
  testing agencies to ensure they are testing
  effectively
• If a certified product fails a challenge test,
  the testing agency is notified to review their
  process.
• If situation doesnt improve, test agency can
  lose certification
• Goal ensure process is of high quality

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Agenda

• Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs)
• What about Systems?
• GSAs Certification Program
• Making Certification Work

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Why Bother?

• Left to their own devices, most folks will take
  the easiest path to a solution
• Operators must strongly indicate they prefer less
  chaos on their floors
• Developers will realize that doing it right (vs.
  fast) is actually more efficient

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What is GSA doing?

• Publishing protocols
• Cajoling
• Slowing the rate of change
• Focus on backwards compatibility
• Working with members to finalize the process
• Interoperability Demonstration at G2E

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Education

• GSA Donated funds to UNLV Foundation to establish
  a GSA Certified Engineering Program
• International Gaming Institute School of
  Informatics at the UNLV
• Two GSA Affiliate Professors of Gaming Technology
   
• Initial Course Focus G2S Developers
• Covering XML Web services G2S Messaging
  classes
• Transport and Security
• Configuration Player Management
• Two classes have graduated so far

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Standard Simulators

• G2S Scope (Host) for EGM manufacturers
• EGM Simulator for System developers
• Everyone is looking for faults in the products
• New versions go to everyone
• All of this is happening NOW
• Even though the path is mapped out, its hard to
  get everyone to follow it

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G2E 2007 Interop Demo
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What can YOU do?

• Stay involved in what GSA is doing
• Become an intelligent consumer
• Ask vendors about GSA protocol progress
• Look for the Inter-op Demo at G2E
• Insist on GSA certifications - - not negotiable,
  no variations from the standard
• Consider setting up your own testing facility

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Recap - G2S Certification

• The G2S Certification program is designed to
  minimize interoperability problems
• With Certification testing, there is only one
  correct interpretation of the protocol for all
  EGMs and Systems
• Operator involvement will ensure that the
  Certification program is effective

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Questions?
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