The Right Way to Run Ticket Cranes
Sorry, Beyonce, but “If You Like it, You Should Put Reporting on it”
by Nick DiMatteo, Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Games like Smart Industries’ Ticket Ring that dispense ticket prizes dominate FECs’ top-ten reporting. Walking into almost any modern arcade, you’ll see smiling guests walking around with ticket rings, triangles or diamonds hooked on their arms, replacing the old school visual of kids running around with arms filled with paper tickets.
These games are fun, visual and undeniably marketable. If you don’t already have one (or more) of these games, you might want to call your distributor after reading this article.
The games are simple to play, have a clear visual payoff for guests and create built-in social media moments. When a kid leaves the game with an object on their arm, it practically invites a selfie. For operators, it feels like a no-brainer addition to the game mix, but before you jump in and declare these the ultimate win, there is more to the story.
Set it and Forget it? Not Exactly
The first step is identifying the right game for your location and dropping it in a high-traffic spot. These games create excitement and quick wins, but they have a wrinkle that could catch an operator by surprise. Unless it uses RFID, they do not automatically report their payouts to your card system. That means that while you can see swipe counts and revenue, you have little to no immediate visibility as to how much you are paying out.
Think about it this way: Imagine you run a restaurant where pizza is your top-ten seller, but you have no idea what it costs to make one. Wild, right? Or picture an FEC where you haven’t calculated the labor and maintenance costs. You would never run a business that way.
Here are a few quick notes on how these games work (again, we’re talking about games that dispense the prize, not the RFID type). To understand the reporting gap, let’s break it down step by step:
1. Shapes or rings are loaded into the crane instead of plush or balls. Each shape has a clearly labeled point/ticket value.
2. Guests play to win their chosen shape, enjoying an instant, visible prize. The crane does not send the payout from the item won to your card system.
3. Guests bring the item to a centralized location like the redemption counter.
4. An employee scans the item to credit the points or tickets to their player card. Pro Tip: For tracking purposes, providing the guest just a “Comp” for these tickets is not ideal.
Only after step four can you see the true payout, and it may be an oversight if you only look at the standard reporting.
Many operators across the U.S. are thrilled with these games. The revenue is real, and the guest excitement is undeniable. However, the blind spot in reporting means some locations leave efficiency and profit (analysis) on the table. If your revenue reports show the game earnings in the top ten, yet you have no trackable payout history, you are running with one eye closed.
That is why it is worth getting with your card system provider to ensure you capture as much data as possible. If you need assistance, here are the goods to get you there. (Full disclosure: At Pinnacle, Intercard is our preferred card system.)
Intercard – Ticket Transfer Report: For information on reporting, contact Jason Mitchell at 314-936-9087 or [email protected]
Sacoa – Game Meter Report, used through Redemption 2 – contact customer support by emailing [email protected] or calling 214-256-3965
Amusement Connect – Redemption Reports – Contact customer support at 833-727-2233 ext. 2 or [email protected]. This information is also available as a PDF in the help section.
Embed – Prize Payout Report – For further details or clarification on these reports, you can contact Live Chat Support, email Embed at [email protected] or call 469-521-8000.
Semnox – Detailed Redemption Current Report – For assistance, contact Kevin Kochman at 940-945-7188 or [email protected].
When you combine the guest appeal of these games with a clear plan for tracking payouts, you get the best of both worlds. You can enjoy the revenue pop while protecting your margin. Without that awareness, you are flying blind and could make costly payout adjustments to other games.
If you aim to grow excitement and profitability, put a ring on it … but put a reporting plan on it, too!
Nick DiMatteo is the Vice President of Operations and Business Development at Pinnacle Entertainment Group. He brings over 25 years of experience in food and beverage, arcade, route and inline entertainment, with a background in multi-unit operations and national-level strategy. Today, he works with entertainment providers to improve performance through operations, P&L and team development. Based in Texas, Nick is also an active mentor and the proud father of five. Visit www.grouppinnacle.com for more information or contact Nick by emailing [email protected].