Ask any casino executive why gamblers choose their place rather than a competitor’s, and they’ll tell you the same thing: customer service.
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But slot-playing customers are seeing a decline in what should be the most basic of services: cashing in. New automatic machines are invading South Florida slot floors, but instead of spitting out the full amount of a winning ticket, they yield only the bills – meaning the players then have to head to a live cashier to pick up the coins. And that transaction could be happening 100,000 times daily in South Florida.
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One area that Hard Rock could use improving is the cashier area. Put on or two lines dedicated to credit cards and keep the other windows clear, it’s always a 10 minute wait. As far as the ticket machines, it takes the machine about an extra 30 seconds to print the change ticket. I think…
KCK33317
AT 6:29 PM NOVEMBER 25, 2014
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«I just think it’s so deplorable,» said Todd Frost, of Coconut Creek. «It’s like they didn’t give a rat’s butt about the smaller customers.»
NRT Corp., the Toronto company that makes the redemption machines, is making the machines that offer the option of eliminating coin payouts. Casino executives say they break too much because dirty coins often clog it. NRT representative declined comment.
Todd Myers of Miami, said «People aren’t going to to cash out for less than a dollar, and who ends up with it? It should be required that the extra money be donated somewhere.
«I’m really annoyed.»
When told the casino executives fear the machines jam, Myers adds, «I’ve never had one jam.»
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek generated the most complaints, because, as often is the case, they have the most up-to-date technology. Their machines went in this summer. Seminole Classic representatives in Hollywood say they are about to add them.
When asked, Seminole Hard Rock officials replied that slot players can either: 1) Hold their ticket with the remaining change until their next visit and add it to other tickets collectively; 2.): Place it back into the machine and play, or 3.) Go to the cage and redeem for their change.
None of the eight horse tracks, dog tracks and jai-alai frontons with slots has changed out machines. Yet.
«I’d like to tell you that the Seminoles are screwing everybody, but in this case, I can’t,» said one pari-mutuel slot manager, who asked not to be named. «They’re just doing what’s going to happen everywhere.»
There are more than 7,600 slot machines at South Florida pari-mutuels and another 5,500 at the three Seminole casinos here. Presuming each machine generates enough play so that 10 players visit daily – that’s a reasonable average – that means a potential 131,000 redemption tickets daily are issued, less the high-rollers who have special cards that store their winnings.
«Most people just eat the cash,» said the slot executive, noting that Las Vegas casinos, who have the newer machines, are reporting about $5,000 to $6,000 a month in unclaimed tickets.
Florida law dictates that pari-mutuel slot tickets uncashed after 30 days are void, and the casino keeps the money as slot revenue (so they must pay the usual 35 percent slot tax to the state). The Seminoles pay no tax, so unclaimed cash is theirs, free and clear.