Know any casinos using this?

I assume this sharing of financial transaction information by the ATM network and the casinos is legal?

LAS VEGAS--Press Release 07/26 (BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 2002--Global Cash Access (GCA), the leading supplier of cash access and customer relationship marketing technologies to the gaming industry, will soon launch ResLink (patent pending), a caller identification service that distinguishes known gaming patrons before a reservation center agent answers the phone. The service assists the reservation center in assessing the value of the caller to increase the gaming value of hotel guests.

ResLink helps agents instantly identify higher value gaming patrons who have no preexisting relationship with the casino. ResLink links GCA's massive database of six million gaming patrons, the largest in the industry, to a casino's reservation call center telephone system. As patrons call the casino's reservation center, the caller ID is electronically matched to the GCA marketing database. If a match is found, GCA sends a predetermined guest profile to the reservation agent's desktop.

ResLink uses multiple components of cash access activity over a rolling 12-month period to measure customer value. Each property will be able to weigh the components and apply seasonal, peak and off-peak profiling, according to the property's objectives.

Only the weighted score and customer's name will be displayed for the agent. Properties can then decide what to offer the caller based on the profile score. For example, low profiles may receive value added components that are low risk, such as free buffets or show tickets, while high profiles can be offered complimentary rooms or food and beverage credits.

When GCA analyzed a sampling of its database against a casino's own player database, it found a high correlation between the amount of cash advance and the theoretical trip worth to the property. The correlation was virtually 100 percent.

Several major gaming operators have said ResLink has real merits and is expected to produce positive results.

"We see ResLink as a service that provides growth opportunities for our casino's customer database," said Rom Hendler, director of revenue management at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino. "The linking and cross-referencing to GCA's massive database will assist us in assessing our gaming customer profiles."

"Prior to joining GCA, I was on the other side as a casino operator, and now that I'm able to see both sides, it's been quite amazing for me to see the amount of new opportunities that have emerged," said Tom Sears, executive vice president of GCA. "ResLink is a simple concept, but one that makes a lot of sense for a casino looking to yield manage the value of their hotel guests. It's an efficient and seamless marketing tool and a good example of the value of doing business with an innovative company like GCA."

Go to casino A. Set aside a $100 for ATM transaction fees. Start hitting the ATM machine hard. Leave and deposit the money you have withdrawn, back into your account if you have to. Keep witdrawing huge amounts of cash from the ATM until you have used up your $100 "seed money" in transaction fees.

Call casino B who uses this system. Demand the high roller suite and $10,000 shopping spree for the girl friend before you will step foot on the property. Using the rating 'system' they will comply. Once you arrive at the property, ask "Where are the $2 tables, and the penny slots?"

I think is a limit on the ATM that you can withdraw in 24 hours.
Bank of America for example has on my checking account a limit of $700/day max on ATM, $1,000/day using Visa Check Card and unlimited $$ if you write a check within your balance.

How can you get around this?

Puiu

Two problems with this approach as you have outlined it (though the concept is valid):

GCA charges exorbitant fees for their transactions.

There is almost no way for a visitor to re-deposit the cash while in Las Vegas (you can only withdraw cash from ATMs that are not owned by your home bank).

"GCA charges exorbitant fees for their transactions."

I always thought you had to have "BIG SUCKER" or "BORN LOSER" tattooed on your forehead before using a GCA cash machine.

I can see why the casinos would be interested in who (and how often) a person willingly allows himself to get ripped off by these machines.

I think such greed shown by GCA and the casinos paying for this information, would make them ideal candidates for my "advantage play".
It is hard to pull stuff like this on honest legitimate enterprises, but you can take greedy pigs to the cleaners every time.

<<"I assume this sharing of financial transaction information by the ATM network and the casinos is legal?">>

If it is, it's only because there's no specific law against it -- yet. Somewhere along the line, GCA would be selling very specific banking information: the names of individuals, the number of ATM transactions they've made and amounts involved. Since there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in banking transactions, there is a lot of pressure to make selling this data to third parties illegal, or at least require opt-in consent. Personally, this is not information I would want anyone to have, let alone a casino.

Logistically, however, there are greater problems. For this to work as described, several large databases have to be tied together, especially if the would-be guest has no previous relationship with the casino property. If, as GCA proposes, the key link in Caller ID, that means somewhere along the line the would-be guest's ATM data must be linked to his/her phone number, which may not be available from the GCA transaction data. (Then it assumes the guest is calling from that specific number, not an office or cell phone.) Then this would all have to port to the casino's call center system. Aside from the legal issues that could torpedo this, from an IT point of view it sounds expensive and cumbersome and might yield only limited benefits.

What would be far easier, and less intrusive, would be tying the casinos Players Club database to its reservation center. Then caller ID can match incoming numbers against a high-roller database and expedite them. Once routed to a reservation clerk, the caller's playing history and comp status would pop up on her screen. This system is fairly easy to build. I wouldn't be surprised if some properties have done so already.

ATM machine? Spell it out - automated teller machine machine. Saying that is just like saying IRA account - individual retirement account account. Very redundant.

Puiu is finally right - there is a daily limit on how much you can withdraw - usually $500.00

And don't forget the fees on both ends of the transaction.

We are talking about GCA cash machines. The machines that take any type of card from anywhere and give you a ticket to take to the casino cage. I think you are talking about the ATM at the corner market where you buy your 40 ounce that has the daily limit on it.

You can call several strip properties hotel reservation systems from your home, and they will call you by name before you have identified yourself. Caller ID from the phone, and a quick name search on the casino database.

I suspect GCA has access to the phone number you gave the bank when you opened your account. They certainly have your name, so merging this with the casino's player database and matching with the name from the Caller ID wouldn't be hard.

Is it legal? I guess if no one knows what is going on behind the scenes, it is. Does the public care, or will they think it is another helpful technology tool?

You need to withdraw p r o g r e s s i v e l y more money each time. (Progressions will always beat any casino's countermeasures - or so I've heard.) Start with a small withdrawl - say $1. Then double it. Then, assuming nothing bad has happened, keep doubling the amount. Pretty soon you'll be withdrawing close to infinity dollars.

I've done this over 1,600 times and I've never lost money on it.

Since your original post said nothing about GCA, I assumed (wrongly)that you were referring to the standard cash machine.

From what you posted, using a GCA sounds the same as taking a cash advance on your credit card and the daily ATM limit and fees would not apply. Is that correct?

As far as going to a casino, I've been to Las Vegas three times and Laughlin once so far this year. I never, ever, visit the machines for more $$$ than what I brought with me.

There appear to be two different types of machines to get cash at a casino. One is the ATM which will dispense the money right at the machine. The other is a machine which gives a receipt and you must go to the cage to get the cash.

This latter machine appears to have an expensive fee structure. I think the ATM machine can also be fee expensive if the casino decides to tack an additional fee on it. You will see the Indian casinos do this.

American Express (Optima) has a cash advance program in which you can get get cash at one time up to your limit. Some limits exceed $10,000.

Visa and Mastercard seem to have daily limits lower.

If you are a regular visitor to the casinos and use these cards I would suggest you discuss this with your credit card carrier so they understand you will accessing cash daily. They have have a concern about credit card theft.

These transactions are quite expensive and obviously cut into your "ev." However, they are valuable for tax audits.

Regards, Jimmy B

automated teller machine machine
individual retirement account account

Reminds me of when I ran a production line making computer monitors for NEC. One thing I could never teach the girls on the line was not to say "LED Light" which translated to Light Emitting Diode Light.

I believe that 800 numbers can automatically acceess caller ID, even without the caller's consent. The phone companies claim this is reasonable because the owner of the 800 number is paying for the call, and the caller's number will eventially show up on their phone bill anyway.

If you call someone on an 800 number, you should assume that they know the number you are calling from, and that they can learn your name (or the name the phone is registered to) with a phone number/name database. If you want to avoid this, you can call the casino's regular (non 800/888) number (sometimes hard to find), and make sure caller ID is blocked on your phone. Or call from a phone not registered in your name (i.e. a pay phone).

A television beggar had an 800 number you could call to send him money. Somebody came up with a great idea. They programmed their computer to call his 800 number EVERY 30 seconds 24/7. RING! "Old Time Gospel Hour", CLICK! It look the beggar 9 months to figure it out. A pay phone in someone elses name was great. Now the beggar has a regular toll number. Since the 800 number owner pays the bill the beggar finally had to give to someone else; the phone company.

a diode light? Is it anything like a Coors Light?

ST

"say "LED Light" which translated to Light Emitting Diode Light."

A diode is an electronic component which will allow electric current to flow in one direction through it, but not the other.

A few decades ago, a vacuum tube was usually used to make a diode. Now, it is most commonly two pieces of semi-conductive material fused together to form a PN (positive/negative) junction.

An LED is a Light Emitting Diode. When it is forward biased with current flowing through it, it gives off light using very little electrical current and generating almost no heat. Examples are the pilot lights on your computer, monitor, and the numeric displays on your calculator. Adding the word light to the acronym, LED is redundant.

A Michelob Light is a light beer. A Coors Light is a light beer light. Thank you for another example of a redundant term.
:-)

Of course the clergy believe in charity,
All beggars think that others should give.

Robert Greene Ingersoll