Casino Journal's: top 20 most innovative Gaming Technology Products of 2008.(FOCUS ON)

Exciting slot play innovations, networked gaming management tools, table game technologies, mobile marketing offers and sleek new cabinets and platforms were among the products rising above the rest to make the list of Casino Journal's Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Technology Products of 2008.

The winning entries were varied, but all are designed to do at least one of the following in a new or innovative way--enrich the player experience, achieve greater efficiencies or cost savings, drive incremental revenue, bring in new players or enhance marketing.

Judges for this contest faced no easy task. In this year's contest, highlighting the best gaming technologies from 2008, they reviewed 83 entries from gaming equipment and systems manufacturers. They pored over marketing and technical materials, graded products in a series of categories and wrote detailed comments for each entry.

The winners of the platinum, gold and silver awards for Casino Journal's Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Technology Products will be revealed at the seventh annual Gaming Technology Summit, slated for May 19-21 at Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas. In addition, summit attendees will vote for the inaugural "Attendee Choice Award" winner from among the products on the Top 20 list. An awards ceremony will take place during a May 21 luncheon, and the top three winners as well as the "Attendee Choice Award" winner will be featured in the July issue of Casino Journal.

Before launching into the Top 20 winners, we want to mention several entries that narrowly missed making the list. They are WMS Gaming for its Lucky Penny slot; Synectic Systems for its Synergy video management software; Casino Data Imaging for i-Guide; 3M Touch Systems for its Command Touch Sensor Strips; Radical Blue Gaming for its RadBlue's Protocol Analyzer; and Gaming Support for BonusBox. Each of these products fell short by five points or less, indicating how close the contest was this year.

Continue on for the descriptions of this year's exciting group of Top 20 winners and read what the judges had to say about each.

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Rio Text Offers

--ACUITY MOBILE

Rio Text Offers powered by Acuity Mobile is a comprehensive mobile marketing program that encompasses all three facets of the mobile space: SMS, mobile Web and a downloadable application. Through this channel, marketers at Las Vegas' Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino can reach guests individually for promotions and more. Additionally, guests using the downloadable application or mobile Web site can receive their Harrah's Total Rewards point balances and current tier levels in real time.

This program is one of the first to include a mobile application that allows guests to view their rewards balances at any time or place from the convenience of their mobile phone. The application is connected to Harrah's Total Rewards data base, and the dynamic information is pulled specifically for each user based upon their Total Rewards number and birth date, which are required upon opt-in. Targeted text messages also are sent out by guest arrival and departure dates. If no date is given the guest is automatically opted out of the program after a set amount of time. To redeem offers, guests display their messages at the Total Rewards desk.

"All casino resort operators should be actively exploring this space," one judge said. "Most individuals almost always have their phone on or near them, which makes mobile marketing one of the most effective forms of communication."

"It is a great example of technology as an enabling tool, coupled with an excellent marketing strategy," remarked another judge.

iVIEW Display Manager

--BALLY TECHNOLOGIES

Bally's iVIEW Display Manager empowers casino operators to deliver content to players at the gaming machine in new ways. With iVIEW Display Manager, marketing messages are not limited to just the iVIEW SmartScreen display. This intelligent controller allows casinos to present messages on the main game screen, the top game display, even the overhead display, with picture-in-picture capability.

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With iVIEW Display Manager, gaming operators can present systems content on the displays of most manufacturers' gaming machines through the iVIEW processor rather than the game processor, which would require separate regulatory approvals and complex development and integration efforts. It is technologically innovative because it enables game and systems content on the same display--without interrupting game play. And it allows operators to choose where on the game they want to present systems content--they are not limited to the player-interface device.

Judges said they would deploy the Display Manager if their property either had or planned to get the Bally Technologies slot system. One called it a "home run". Another said, "I would recommend the product. It …