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"Downloading ***** v.03" displayed after switching from .25c to .50c denom

Last weekend, I was playing a THREE-PLAY/FIVE-PLAY IGT machine multi-
denom (from an Indian casino). I was doing very well playing the FIVE-
PLAY .25c for about an hour then I decided to switch to the .50c
playing the same 9/5 Super Double.
Played for about 1 minute then all of a sudden the screen that displays
your name, points earned, etc. started to change and the message (sorry
I could not remember it completely) like "Downloading or uploading so-
so v.03" showed up without anybody from the casino touching the machine
I was playing on. What does this mean?

I've never seen this before but, it got me a little concerned (it
doesn't seem normal) so I went ahead and played a different machine.

Appreciate any input you have!

Thanks.
gilbert

Hi Gilbert,

The newest technology in gaming is Server-based gaming. Unlike earlier machines where the games were loaded onto a chip and only those games were available on that cabinet we are moving to server-based games where different games can be loaded onto the machine without any changes.

Regulations are still being worked out and some systems are being tested in certain markets. You are apparently playing in one of those markets.

A few things are being worked out. Casinos certainly won't buy 5 or 6 expensive server systems so manufacturers will have to get together. As usual, what may end up happening is everyone other than IGT partners and IGT tries to go it alone.

Currently, IGT's system is the least player-friendly. They are actually bragging that operators can permit different paytables to different customers. They are the only ones I've seen to even suggest this although I'll find out a lot more next week at G2E, the big trade show.

Most operators want to be able to inexpensively remove under-performing games and replace them with new ones. Others want to use the slot floor like the pit, where higher-denom games are offered weekends and evenings. However, so far nothing will prohibit offering the same games with lower returns during busy periods (the biggest myth in gaming is about to become possible, if not real).

I'll post more when I know more. It's still a year or two away, probably more.

B

···

At 09:39 AM 11/6/2007, you wrote:

Last weekend, I was playing a THREE-PLAY/FIVE-PLAY IGT machine multi-
denom (from an Indian casino). I was doing very well playing the FIVE-
PLAY .25c for about an hour then I decided to switch to the .50c
playing the same 9/5 Super Double.
Played for about 1 minute then all of a sudden the screen that displays
your name, points earned, etc. started to change and the message (sorry
I could not remember it completely) like "Downloading or uploading so-
so v.03" showed up without anybody from the casino touching the machine
I was playing on. What does this mean?

I've never seen this before but, it got me a little concerned (it
doesn't seem normal) so I went ahead and played a different machine.

Appreciate any input you have!

Thanks.
gilbert

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all of a sudden the screen that displays your name, points earned, etc.
started to change and the message (sorry I could not remember it
completely) like "Downloading or uploading so so v.03" showed up

I have seen this before - in particular at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi,
and probably at other locations as well. I suppose it has something to
do with the central computer system distributing some sort of
programming logic to the casino's slot card readers. Sometimes I've
noticed that certain slot card readers seem to get stuck in
the "downloading" mode, well after all of the surrounding terminals
have returned to normal. My biggest concern is that I have zero
confidence that my points are being recorded while this message is
being displayed, and I won't play such a machine until the reader gets
finished "downloading". This can be a problem when the casino has only
one or two "playable" machines, and the only one of these available
gets stuck "downloading version x.03".

EE

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "gilbert_616" <gilbert_616@...> wrote:

I had a similar, but slightly different experience in Reno.

During one playing session, the card counter on my machine started
to flash a message which stated, "You are not being tracked for
points". This alarmed me so I accessed my current point total at
that time, and wrote down the number. I then called over a slot
person who assured me that this was a casino-wide problem, that they
were aware of it, were correcting it, and that my earned points
WERE actually being registered. Against my better judgement, I
continued to play during the 45 minutes that the message continued
to flash. This was my first mistake

When the flashing ceased, I once again looked at my point summary
and saw that I had about 30 points LESS then I had previously
recorded before the additional play! I decided to visit with a
boothling at the Club booth to discuss this happening. This was my
second mistake. After giving me a big smile, she said in her most
assuring manner that "she was sure that I had received all my points.

I then requested to see a Club supervisor. Ding, Ding, Ding!
Mistake # three.

After much hemming and hawing and some innovative double talk, the
Boothling Supervisor told me that there was nothing to be done about
the lost points as there was no way to tell how many, if any had
been lost. So sorry.

I then went to see my host who offered to page a Slot Manager.
Right! Mistake # four. The slot manager looked at my account in
the computer, and pronounced that my point total "appeared to be
correct".

There was no explanation of how he came to that determination. At
this point I decided to let the matter drop. I don't mind beating a
dead horse, but I really have zero expectation of seeing the animal
gallop ever again.

I did politely inquire of my host how my point total could GO DOWN
after 45 minutes of additional play. I received a 40 yard stare, a
conciliatory pat on the back, and the sage advice that "I was
earning points at such fast rate that it really wasn't a big deal"!

I suppose that a case could be made that letting this matter drop
was mistake # five. However, since I was on a full comp, and
planned another stay at this casino in the near future, I decided
not to "sweat the small stuff".

~Babe~

···

===============================================
--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "eecounter" <eecounter@...> wrote:

.........I suppose it has something to do with the central computer
system distributing some sort of programming logic to the casino's
slot card readers.........

.........My biggest concern is that I have zero confidence that my
points are being recorded while this message is being displayed, and
I won't play such a machine until the reader gets
finished "downloading".

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "gilbert_616" <gilbert_616@> wrote:

.....all of a sudden the screen that displays your name, points
earned, etc. started to change and the message (sorry I could not
remember it completely) like "Downloading or uploading so so v.03"
showed up