PlayOn is a new technology that is set to help gamblers keep up with the game at the tables. This technology will allow gamblers to easily reload their chip stacks at the table maintaining the momentum during the game.
However, there a number of controversies that was stirred following the announcement of the technology. PlayOn which will be launched in Las Vegas, has both fans and serious critics like any other innovation.
The technology will undergo testing at the Red Rock Resort and Casino after which it will be rolled out in the Palms Casino Resort.
According to CalvinAyre.com, PlayOn is said to be a quicker way to fill’er up chip stacks while at the table without leaving the table.
Trips to the ATM or the cashier’s cage will soon become a thing of the past when the technology is adopted.
Among the greatest critics of this innovation is Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
According to a statement he issued to Casino.org, new gambling technologies always come with cost and benefits. He added that although PlayOn is set to increase the players’ time and money spent at the table, it will definitely have negative impacts on individuals with gambling problems.
PlayOn is an innovation of Automated Cashless Systems. The company which is based in Reno, Nevada, began testing on the system on March.
The creators of the system ensured that players’ will not have unlimited access to money which is contrary to the critics’ beliefs.
On their part, they have disallowed credit card transactions on the system so players have to use debit cards only. In addition, withdrawals observe daily cash limits thus protecting individuals from overspending at the table. These mitigation measures by the system creators counter the critics surrounding it such as the reservations that Whyte addressed.
According to James P. Whelan, who is the University of Memphis’ Institute of Gambling Education and Research co-director, the misgivings by critics are a result of inadequate research. Whelan believes that the negative reactions have been overstated owing to this underresearching.
In his opinion, the gaming industry should study on an innovation before its implementation. He argued that people had previously worried about the harms of cashless play, but they never came to fruition.
Richard McGowan, a professor from Boston College, also backs up PlayOn. According to him, the technology will in fact help gamblers reconsider their position and stop trying when they are losing. He explains that the break the system creates will allow ample time for gamblers to rethink placing another bet.
McGowan added that the machine will help a player realize that they are on the losing end and placing another wager will not go well for them. This is through the requirement that a player has to pause and change the screen in the event of a constant loss.
The little break provided between changing screens is what McGowan asserts to be the life changer which evokes the gambler’s decision making at the table.
