Axcess Partnering With Casino Technology Provider

Under the Axcess system, the company attaches its active tag—which transmits at 315 MHz using Axcess' proprietary air-interface protocol—to each slot-machine key. The tag does not constantly transmit its signal. Rather, it remains dormant until reaching a 126 KHz activation field generated by the Axcess activator device. Several such devices are installed near doorways leading out of the casino or at specific zones within the building, as required by rules set up by management. Once the tags wake up and receive the activator's signal—which includes an ID representing the activator's location in the facility—the tag transmits this location along with its unique ID to Axcess receivers. These devices are also installed near doorways, designed to trigger alerts to casino staff whenever it senses a tag. Security personnel can then respond to the alert by looking for casino staff near the exits.

"Axcess is very proactive in the casino market, has an excellent training program and is open to developing new types of applications," says Olson. Many users of RFID technology seek an open, standards-based approach so they can source tags and readers from multiple vendors. Olson says Axcess' use of a proprietary RFID protocol is one thing that made it attractive to Genesis. "We want an application that we can have [total] control over," she says. "To us, it's better to have a proprietary application because then a tag that can't be read by a standard reader."

According to Stark, Genesis personnel have gone through Axcess' training program and know how to use and deploy the key-tracking application. Olson says Genesis has integrated the RFID application into its existing key-tracking systems, and is in discussions with a number of casinos about adding RFID tags and readers to their key-tracking systems, as well.

The agreement between the companies stipulates that Genesis may also provide other Axcess systems to its casino customers, such as productivity-tracking solutions in which personnel are issued RFID-enabled badges that the system reads as they move about their work area. Axcess software can also analyze tag reads to determine workers' movements in relation to their tasks. This could be applied to a wide variety of apps, from ensuring that cocktail waitresses are servicing an entire assigned casino section, to making sure members of the bell staff are always at the ready to assist customers.

"There are a lot of different applications for RFID in the casino industry," says Olson, "and we're excited to brainstorm about how this technology can be used with our existing customer base."