Morongo Casino and Resort will become the first tribal operator to go cashless in California, falling in line with a burgeoning industry trend.
Morongo Embraces Innovation and Goes Cashless
As of next year, Morongo Casino and Resort slot players will have gambling markers thanks to a new cashless wagering system supplied Marker Trax, a patented developer of such solutions. Initially, the product will be introduced only to top creditworthy slot players. This way, Morongo will be able to monitor and trace transactions.
The casino doesn’t have a mobile wallet system in place and offers line of credit instead By introducing the new wager markers to a select audience for a pilot test,Morongo will have enough time to observe, analyze and test the program.
Located just a few hours away from Los Angeles, near Palm Springs, Morongo Casino and Resort is run by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. This will be the first tribal casino in California to go cashless and offer wagering markers to its customers.
“We think our industry is close to going completely cashless in the next five years. This is a huge step in making that happen,” stated Richard St. Jean, Chief Executive at Morongo.
Hit by the Pandemic, Morongo Ready to Bounce Back
The Morongo casino already suffered from the pandemic. The property was closed for two months as part of a mandatory lockdown and has had to stick to strict health and safety protocols issued by state and federal authorities.
According to Jean, this cashless system is a way to cater to growing demand for safer payment systems that allow consumers to return safely to the casino floor. It is thought to give a better gaming experience overall and improve safety at a time when most people are trying to avoid touching physical money.
Digital payments are already embraced by other tribal casinos like San Manuel in Southern California and Hard Rock in Florida, but going cashless would be a first for the state. Regulators in other states such as Pennsylvania and Nevada have also pushed and approved digital payments.
Marker Trax is specializing in this type of cashless gaming transaction and looking to empower the experience for a number of companies out there. Thanks to Trax’s bespoke solution, consumer has a safe and easy access to deposits and withdrawals. It eliminates the multiple steps of the current marker process. “The system provides a more efficient gaming experience for players”, said Marker Trax CEO Charlie Skinner commenting on the partnership.
Consumers Will Appreciate Ease of Use
Once consumers are approved for credit, they will be able to hit any of Morongo’s slot machines. The system will allow the property to access and pull the data for analytical purposes and track individual spenders.
When a player has wrapped up their session, a withdrawal from a cashless wagering account is requested through a centralized system and carried out by the casino. The technology has already been deployed for a pilot test at Las Vegas at the Island Casino.
The Morongo Casino Management System (CMS) is currently provided by Konami Gaming which will work together with Marker Trax to integrate these new technological changes and explore the new opportunities.
The American Gaming Association has anticipated this change to digital payment solutions since 2019, and has called repeatedly for its adoption throughout 2020.
In October, Resorts World Cocktail Casino introduced cashless system by IGT. In Australia, Crown Resorts opted for cashless payments as a response to the pandemic. The industry is looking to introduce to customers a more modernized gaming experience.