12th June 2021
Game Payment Technology (GPT) – the joint venture formed by bacta and Polar Moment to provide an easy-to-use alternative to cash payments for amusements and fruit machines – continues to make rapid progress.
Use of the Game Payment app on fruit machines has been doubling, week on week, since pubs and arcades opened on the 17th of May. Tim Stratton, a GPT director, commented “We’re very pleased with how quickly the value of cashless play is increasing. We’re already well above the levels achieved before lockdown started in November. We had hoped to see the cashless use of machines climb to an average of £20 per week in the first year. But the most successful machines are already taking over £150 per week and the average is £60. The average player using the app is playing more than £50 per week through fruit machines.”
The main reasons for the popularity of the Game Payment app are its ease of use and its robustness. Player registration is quick and easy: players use the app to take a selfie for age verification and then provide details of their address and debit card. The process is simple; the GPT team has received only a handful of support queries.
Jason Jarrett, Managing Director of Automatic Machine Services Ltd., commented “Since 17th May when most of our customers re-opened, we have seen significantly higher levels of income from equipment fitted with the Game Payment app. This technology is proving its worth and these early results give us every confidence to continue to roll-out this simple but effective alternative payment method, to as many machines as possible, to maximise revenues for all our customers.”
GPT has already developed both hardware and software-based plug-ins that will support a huge range of different types of amusement machines: with and without prizes, analogue and digital, internet-capable and without their own communications capabilities. They have also developed support for the Gambling Business Group EFT protocol and are ready to test this against the implementations developed by some of the leading manufacturers. This is expected to be formally released next month.
Another innovation that GPT will soon be offering its customers is affordability checking. This will be used to protect players who wish to increase their spending limit. The service is provided through a partnership with GBG Plc, the leaders in identity verification for gaming. “GPT have been leaders in moving the amusement and gaming industry forward with cashless payment options and are leading the way once more by offering affordability checks for their land-based gaming customers. Protecting players is of upmost importance and we are proud to be supporting GPT with our affordability solution.” says Rebekah Jackson, GBG Business Development Director.
These are just the latest new features introduced by GPT, building on the earlier release of the software plug-in for digital machines and support for the range of machines found in family entertainment centres. There are several more updates coming before the end of the year. Follow @gamepaymenttech for all the latest news or email info@gamepayment.technology for more information.
