CasinoFest3: GSA Certification GSA Certification: How does it benefit Operators? Russ Ristine – Radical Blue Gaming

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification What is GSA? GSA is an international trade association GSA’s members include gaming manufacturers, suppliers, operators, and regulators Since 1998, GSA has been promoting and facilitating the development of open standards that benefit the entire gaming industry

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Benefits of GSA Create Standard Protocols (GDS, G2S, and S2S) –Protocol experts from member companies –All agree this is the way it must be Encourage adoption –Create a stable protocol –Training (UNLV – IGI) –Celebrate implementations –Provide publicity

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification GSA’s Platinum Members

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Goal of a Standard Protocol Move all players from proprietary solutions to standard communications Vendors spend less time maintaining protocols Single Protocol – Much easier to test Operator doesn’t have to wait for their version to get modified Fearless Installs!

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Agenda  Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs) What about Systems? GSA’s Certification Program Making Certification Effective

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Current EGM World Every EGM has a version of SAS for every SMIB Every SMIB has a version of SAS for every EGM System to SMIB – homogenized, but proprietary All are typically developed in a vacuum New versions are developed to solve problems when teams finally connect in the field

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Why is SAS Hard? 19,200K polled protocol with odd start bit Polling requires responses at inconvenient times Responses must meet strict timing requirements Multiple interpretations of the SAS protocol make interoperability testing a requirement SAS Certification testing started in 2005, 16 years after protocol came out!

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification SAS Certification GSA Creates a SAS working group Operators then ask for certification to reduce problems in the field Most existing applications failed certification Certification only tests EGMs… EGMs are now more conscious about doing their implementation correctly

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification SAS Problems Fade Away Why is G2S better? G2S is made to be easily extended to accommodate new features and functions G2S is event driven – the EGM (or system) acknowledges immediately, and then replies as soon as it is able G2S uses proven Internet technology such as TCP/IP and Web Services, and is designed for reliability in a high traffic network

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Reference Implementation RadBlue’s G2S Scope for EGM manufacturers RadBlue’s EGM Simulator for System developers Everyone is looking for faults in our products New versions go to everyone All of this is happening NOW Even though the path is mapped out, it’s hard to get everyone to follow it…

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Agenda Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs)  What about Systems? GSA’s Certification Program Making Certification Effective

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification What about Systems? Every System vendor has their own suite of protocols for connecting to peripherals Every peripheral has a suite of protocols for connecting to different systems Everything eventually works together but it’s hard to make changes –New vendor –New feature

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification GSA’s S2S Protocol With GSA’s S2S protocol, there’s now one “standard” System to System protocol Provides a standardized way for communications to occur S2S can be easily extended to accommodate new features and functions S2S uses proven Internet technology such as TCP/IP and Web Services, and is designed for reliability in a high traffic network

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification However… Even with S2S we have differing implementations Seminoles are sort of doing S2S Choctaws – S2S 1.10 with non-std transport + extra classes Chickasaws – S2S 1.2 (Yeah!) but developing in a vacuum (uh-oh!) Why is this occurring?

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Solutions Eliminating non-standard implementations Doing it right must become the only way Standard reference implementations for S2S Certification program is needed Achieving certification must have value Operators MUST insist on certification

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Agenda Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs) What about Systems?  GSA’s Certification Program Making Certification Effective

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification GSA Certification – Planned from the Start The GSA Certification program is designed to minimize interoperability problems With Certification testing, there is only one correct interpretation of the protocol Protocol schemas and web services rules can easily test messages Feedback loop from Operators ensures the Certification program remains viable (and relevant)

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification GSA Certification GSA compliance – testing by 3rd party lab to ensure that the protocol implementation is correct GSA Compliance testing is NOT Regulatory Approval Protocol certification streamlines the regulatory process –Reduces the quantity and variety of tests that must be performed

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification GSA Certification All parties benefit through –Improved speed to market for products –Products work together when they show up on your floor –Plug and Play (easier installs, reduced service calls) If both devices are certified, they should work together the first time they are connected (like your PC and printer)

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Certification Program Goal = Correct and consistent implementation of GSA’s standards Formal process for the testing and certification of –Gaming Products –Testing Agencies Products passing certification will be published in the Certification Register on GSA’s web site

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Reference Implementations Simulators and test tools are available to provide a reference version of the protocol Developers can use a simulator to ensure their EGM or system will talk to a correctly implemented system (or EGM) Test tools are also available so that new code can be exercised with thousands of transaction over days Developers can pre-test with certification tools

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Testing Centers Interoperability Centers will be available for manufacturers (Interop event in Q4) Testing Authority will certify Test Agencies Test Suites are commercially available to anyone Like UL testing, GSA testing can be done by any certified Test Agency –Test Labs –Casinos –Manufacturers

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Challenge Tests GSA will employ challenge tests to spot check testing agencies to ensure they are testing effectively If a certified product fails a challenge test, the testing agency is notified to review their process. If situation doesn’t improve, test agency can lose certification Goal – ensure process is of high quality

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Agenda Looking at Slot Machines (EGMs) What about Systems? GSA’s Certification Program  Making Certification Work

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Why Bother? Left to their own devices, most folks will take the easiest path to a solution Operators must strongly indicate they prefer less chaos on their floors Developers will realize that doing it right (vs. fast) is actually more efficient

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification What is GSA doing? Publishing protocols Cajoling Slowing the rate of change Focus on backwards compatibility Working with members to finalize the process Interoperability event (Sept / Oct) Interoperability Demonstration at G2E

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification What can operators do? Stay involved in what GSA is doing Become an intelligent consumer Ask vendors about GSA protocol progress Look for the Inter-op Demo at G2E Insist on certified products (major change is coming quickly – minimize your pain)

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Certification – A Graphical Example Teams that plan for Certification Teams that do things the old way Your Casino

CasinoFest3: GSA Certification Questions?