The Future of Slots is in Baronas
Barona Casino opened in 2000 and is one of California's largest with 115,000 square feet of gaming space. Barona casino's $150 million expansion project also included an 18-hole championship golf course that opened in 2000
Barona Casino plans to head into the future of Las Vegas-style slot machines voucher only operation with no coins needed. The machines are the most advanced in the market and Barona casino was one of the first casinos to install them.
Barona in California was incredible experience for the casino industry. The vouch-in, voucher-out technology is very 21st century. It represented of what slot machines gaming should be, according Bob Bittman, the former vice president of product development and a board member of International Gaming Technology.
Before 2000, the casino was owned and operated by the Barona Band of Mission Indians that made up 10 of the leading slot machine and gaming systems manufacturers. They sensed an increasing demand for computerized machines that eased the unnecessary burdens of customers and increased the level of entertainment. Moreover, their goal at that time was to develop slot machines that are far more advanced in Las Vegas and in Atlantic City.
It was revolutionary. These kinds of slots has never been seen before prior to the operation of Barona. Casinos everywhere watched Barona casino developed and released this voucher technology. In the very near future, these slots will eventually phase out those traditional one-armed bandits.
The vouchers operated like dollar bills and got rid of the need for players to carry a lot of coins while in the casino. These vouchers became very compatible with the current multiple slot machine manufacturers.
To operate the machine, people would simply insert a voucher or paper money onto the slot. To cash out, then, the slot machine prints a voucher that can be used to other machines within the casino or be converted to cash.
The new voucher technology development was the result of hundreds of inputs from customers and gamblers. The result was a kind of slot machine that became a hit and was far more popular than the slots operated by heavy clanking coins.
In addition to the casino in California, Barona built a new $3.5 million establishment that would house the new machines that costs more than $30 million overall. However, coin-operated slot machines were still available particularly those who are used to that kind of technology. Barona casino still takes into account their old-time patrons who particularly want the old stuff to remain as long as possible.