Boyd Casinos Roll Out TITO Voucher Tech at Table Games
Boyd Gaming casinos in Las Vegas have implemented a system that lets players use TITO (ticket-in, ticket-out) vouchers to buy in at table games. Cash is always an option, of course, it’s Vegas.
Players can also get TITO vouchers when they “color up” (cash out) at a table, allowing them to easily move to slots or other tables, saving them a trip to the cashier cage.
A similar system has been in place at Resorts World since the resort opened.
Boyd has been quietly installing its system since July of 2022, but only recently completed the process at its Las Vegas casinos. Boyd is now bringing the system to its locations outside Las Vegas. Boyd operates 28 casinos across the country.
The pilot TITO option at Boyd’s table games happened at the Orleans in July 2022.
Other casinos in the Boyd family followed: Gold Coast and Aliante (Nov. 2022), Fremont and Main Street Station (Dec. 2022), California (Jan. 2023), March (2023), Suncoast (May 2023) and Sam’s Town (June 2023).
As mentioned, being able to get chips with a ticket makes moving from a slot machine to a table, and vice versa, seamless.
Using TITO vouchers means no waiting in line when you’re ready to leave the casino, as you can get redeem your ticket for cash at a kiosk on your way out.
Why anyone voluntary leave a casino? Some people are just weird.
In theory, the TITO system at tables increases accuracy and avoids time taken up by counting out cash, disrupting play. When a player buys in, the dealer has to count out the bills on the table (in view of surveillance cameras) and the pit boss has to verify the amount, it’s a whole thing.
It’s safe to assume there are other reasons casinos like the TITO voucher system at table games. One springs to mind: If you get chips when you color up, you can’t spontaneously put them into a slot machine on your way to the cage.
TITO vouchers aren’t perfect, of course, they can be stolen, counterfeited (see our $44 million ticket, above), are sometimes used by unscrupulous employees to collude with accomplices to defraud the casino (by re-issuing unclaimed tickets, for example) and can be used to launder money.
Boyd hasn’t made a big deal out of this new functionality, but we love the idea and are likely to use it often, as we bop between tables and machines frequently.
In a smaller casino, it’s not a big deal to go to the cage to trade chips for cash, but in the bigger casinos, it can feel like hiking the Appalachian Trail.
In somewhat related news, casinos are now more frequently giving guests the ability to get TITO vouchers from ATM machines, rather than cash. The benefits to the player feel questionable in this scenario, but are obvious for casinos. If you get a TITO voucher, you’re less likely to spend your money on something unrelated to gambling.
New to us: ATMs @RedRockCasino give you the option to get a TITO voucher you can put directly into a slot machine. pic.twitter.com/vC53750N0Q
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) December 13, 2021
In other kiosk-related news, most casinos are still not giving change when tickets are redeemed. We’re not a fan of this practice, although we understand the benefits to casinos. Mainly, coins are a pain in the ass. Which is also why you see so few coin-operated slot machines.
Some kiosks offer guests the opportunity to donate their change to charity, others provide TITO vouchers for the change (which can be combined with others to get paper currency), still others provide receipts that require a trip to the cage.
It’s annoying, as this shady practice started during the pandemic, when a supposed “coin shortage” gave casinos cover to get rid of something that costs them money (ditto buffets).
Just donate the change to charity or take the ticket and try this Hail Mary slot hack. Results vary.
Looping back to what this story is actually about, props to Boyd Gaming for implementing TITO technology at its table games. Boyd tends to not be the leader when it comes to tech, but it understands what makes customers happy, and this is an example of that.
Old-school casino folks tend to roll their eyes at the sight of new technology, but they get onboard when they get past the learning curve and hear positive feedback from guests.
Remember when ATMs at table games caused a minor brouhaha a few years ago?
TITO vouchers revolutionized casinos, and we’re now seeing the next big leap, to cashless. Just a couple of years ago, cashless gambling seemed like crazy talk.
“Cashless” doesn’t mean casinos won’t take cash (they always will), it means they’re removing the “friction” points between our wallets and gambling.
Or purses!
We’re going to get canceled eventually, but today is not that day.
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