Microsoft Sufrace is not a new technology. It has been around for two years now, but it has yet to see widespread adoption. It’s ‘killer app’, may, however, have been found.
Casino operator Harrah’s Entertainment is trialling the table-top computer technology at its casinos. Microsoft Surface is being used to make tabletop screens which respond to hand gestures, and to physical objects placed on the screen.
Harrah’s were impressed with the potential of the technology, and developed casino applications for it. The Surface was put to work at PURE nightclub in Caesar’s Palace during a celebrity poker event last year, and following a successful trial there were machines installed at the iBar lounge in the Rio Hotel and Casino.
The machines were called ‘Flirt’ and ‘Mixologist’. Flirt allows customers to send messages to each other across the table. Mixologist allows guests to create and order custom cocktails.
The Surface pilot in iBar is believed to have been responsible for a 15 percent rise in drink sales. However Harrahs say that the pilot was not without some issues. The Surface technology is still ‘extremely immature’, and there were occasions when the software stopped working. There are no fault monitoring features at the moment, so the casino relied on patrons informing staff when the tables stopped working. These issues are not uncommon with new technologies. As the product matures, we may see it in many more casinos.
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