GSA’s System to System Protocol:
Making your system connections better!
Russ Ristine – Radical Blue Gaming
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
What is GSA?
• GSA is an international trade association
• GSA’s members include gaming manufacturers,
suppliers, operators, and regulators
• Since 1998, GSA has been promoting and
facilitating the development of open standards
that benefit the entire gaming industry
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Agenda
 So, what is S2S?
• Case Study – Player Tracking
• Case Study – Vouchers
• Case Study – Class II
• Benefits of S2S
• Next Steps…
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
System to System (S2S)
S2S
Point of Sale
System
Progressive
System
Hotel
System
Bonus
System
Player
Tracking
System
Cashless
Wagering
System
EGM Configuration
Application
Accounting
System
G2S
Ethernet
G2S
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
What is S2S?
• Operators asked GSA to take on the
standardization of inter-system messages
• S2S is that standardization, using Internet
technologies (TCP/IP, XML, Ethernet, SOAP, SSL)
• Created by system developers and operators
• S2S messages considered systems built (or
used) by all participants
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
What’s the benefit?
• As each function is implemented by system
vendors, it becomes “open”
• Over time, S2S will reduce the protocol count
needed by systems and peripherals
• G2S Certification will ensure that protocol
implementation are done correctly
• In time, operators will be able to add any
system to their network, and it can effortlessly
interact with other systems
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Agenda
• So, what is S2S?
 Case Study – Player Tracking
• Case Study – Vouchers
• Case Study – Class II
• Benefits of S2S
• Next Steps…
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Player Tracking Link
• This link is used between a slot floor system and
the casino’s Player Tracking system
• Typically pretty robust, passes lots of
transactions
• Usually pretty difficult to extend
– Both systems have to be upgraded
– Would be nice if this was a superset of all
manufacturer’s ideas…
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
S2S player Class
• Actually there are three – patron, playerRating,
player
• Player class focuses on slot player ratings
• Via XML and namespaces, new tags can be
easily added
• Class was developed by a group of system
protocol experts so it’s pretty complete
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Some Player Class Features
• Countdowns and Point awards
– Can specify target, increment, award, direction, and
basis
– Player Specific and Time based overrides
– Includes carryover and lots of display options
Base
Target
Basis
Increment
Direction
Point to Award
Player
Override
80
coinIn
40
coinIn
80
coinIn
100
100
50
Down
Down
Down
1
1
1
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Player Commands
Client Initiated Commands
Central Initiated Commands
• getPlayerConfig
• setDeviceState
• getBaseCountdown
• setPlayerConfig
• playerCardIn
• setPlayerCountdown
• playerCardOut
• setPlayerMessage
• playerInfo
Client Initiated Events
• getPlayerLog
• hotPlayerDetected
• abandonedCard
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
playerCardOut
• Sent on Card removal and optionally on Interval (timed
or gameChange)
• Meters can be delta (since cardIn) or actual meters
• transactionId set on card in, included on all commands
clientId
cardId
themeId
startDateTime coinIn
ProgWin
paytableId
denomId
endDateTime
finalRating?
coinOut
Jackpot
ProgHandpay
gamesPlayed
bonusWin
gamesWon
BonusHand
transactionId
weightedTheo pointAward
carryOver
Actual/delta
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Agenda
• So, what is S2S?
• Case Study – Player Tracking
 Case Study – Vouchers
• Case Study – Class II
• Benefits of S2S
• Next Steps…
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Voucher commands
• Remember EZPay?
• S2S voucher class has all commands needed to
add / redeem vouchers in a central database
• S2S accountingMeter class conveys all meter
information on vouchers (and lots more)
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Voucher Commands
Client Initiated Commands
• getVoucherConfig / voucherConfig
• getValidationIds / validationIdList
• issueVoucher/ ackVoucher
• redeemVoucher / authorizeVoucher
• commitVoucher / ackVoucher
Central Initiated Commands
• setDeviceState / voucherStatusInfo
• setVoucherConfig / voucherConfig
• getVoucherStatus / voucherStatusInfo
• getvoucherLog / voucherLogList
• setLockOut / voucherStatusInfo
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Voucher Events
• Vouchers Disabled
• Vouchers Enabled
• Voucher Configuration Changed
• EGM Locked / Unlocked
• Voucher Issued
• Voucher Issue Command Acknowledged
• Voucher Authorized
• Voucher Redeemed
• Voucher Rejected
• Voucher Commit Command Acknowledged
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
S2S Voucher Fun Facts
• S2S Voucher Class is designed with off-line
validation in mind
• Support for Cashable, Promo, and nonCash
funds
• Can require player card to redeem a voucher
• Central can specify cage and EGM expire values
• voucherConfig – Central indicates voucher titles,
casino name and address info, offlineOK, etc.
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Agenda
• So, what is S2S?
• Case Study – Player Tracking
• Case Study – Vouchers
 Case Study – Class II
• Benefits of S2S
• Next Steps…
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
S2S and Class II
In the Class II world, each manufacturer has their
own server for central determination, etc.
The Problem: Four game manufacturers means
– Four separate accounting reports,
– Four player tracking feeds, and
– Four voucher systems
• Vouchers are only redeemable on same manufacturer’s games
• What about the cashier booth? (four redemption terminals…)
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Class II Dilemma
LABTRONIX
CORY
MULTIMEDIA
ROCKET
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Class II Solution
Accounting
Player tracking
Vouchers
System X
GSA S2S
Game Servers
System A
System B
Vendor A
System C
Vendor B
Vendor A
Vendor B
Vendor C
Vendor C
System D
Vendor D
Vendor D
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
New Server Terms
Edge Server(s)
Central Server(s)
Kiosks
EGMs or
VLTs
EGMs or
VLTs
Direct interface to
gaming floor devices;
acts as a bridge to
Central server(s)
Central consolidated
databases for vouchers,
player, and/or
accounting data
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Meter Commands
Central Initiated Commands / Response
• getSupportedMeters / supportedMeters
• setMeterSub / meterSubList
• getMeterSub / meterSubList
• clearMeterSub / meterSubList
• getMeters / meterInfo
Edge Server Initiated Commands
• meterInfo
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Meter Details
• Meters subscriptions can specify onCoinDrop,
onEOD, onNoteDrop, onPeriodic
• For EOD - specify exactly when to send
• Periodic – schedule – Base + Interval
• Can specify the meters you want with each
subscription
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Meter Details
• Performance Meters (by theme, paytable, and
denomination)
• Transfer Meters
– Voucher, WAT, Bonus, Progressive
• Note Meters (by currency and denomination)
• Cabinet Meters (credit meters, coinFlow, games
played, door counts, etc.)
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Agenda
• So, what is S2S?
• Case Study – Player Tracking
• Case Study – Vouchers
• Case Study – Class II
 Benefits of S2S
• Next Steps…
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Benefits of S2S
• Supports “plug and play” for systems and
peripheral devices
– Try out a new product
– If you don’t like it, return it!
• Standardization promotes portability,
interoperability and reusability
– Vendors can write one interface and use it
everywhere
– Reduces testing (and problems in the field)
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Benefits of S2S
• S2S standardizes communication between
servers
– A new vendor only has to write one interface
to get into the market, vs. 4 to 6 that they
have to do now
– Casinos benefit from new innovations
– Vendors Benefit from reduced complexity
(More time for new features)
• IFT Example
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Plug and Play Benefit for
System Providers
• Systems move from proprietary solutions to
standard communications
• Vendors spend less time maintaining protocols
• Easier to test a single protocol
• Operator doesn’t have to wait for their version to
get modified
• Easy to try a new peripheral (kiosk, currency
counter, POS system)
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Agenda
• So, what is S2S?
• Case Study – Player Tracking
• Case Study – Vouchers
• Case Study – Class II
• Benefits of S2S
 Next Steps…
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Things to think about
• Changing a system related device is a major
architecture project
– Does my current vendor support the new
system
– How long will it take to get a new interface
built?
– What if I don’t like the new product, how do I
go back to the old one?
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Things to think about
• How easy is it to get information moved into
your in-house systems for analysis?
• What if you could go to a gaming show, see a
product, and have it in your casino the following
week?
• Wouldn’t it be nice to have the information
captured by each system available to all other
systems in a consistent manner?
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
The Casino Network
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
The Casino Network + S2S
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
S2S Update
• S2S Version 1.2 errata 1 – recently released
• Incorporates all changes requested by existing
systems
• Currently servers are using S2S 1.1.5, 1.1.10,
with extensions; 1.2 brings everyone together
• S2S 1.2 simulators, test tools are available
• GSA’s S2S Certification is being defined
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol
Questions?
Encourage your vendors to make the move to S2S
WWW.GAMINGSTANDARDS.COM
CasinoFest3: GSA's S2S Protocol