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Missouri Casino Opts for Tokens

ST. LOUIS, Missouri – As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "That sound you don't hear when boarding the Casino Queen is that of tokens clanking from slot machines.

"The boat - like most of its competitors in Illinois and Missouri - is following an industry trend and phasing out tokens in favor of tickets.

"Doing so keeps machines in play longer. There is no down time that comes with refilling the machines with tokens, and the new technology cuts labor costs for casinos.

"… But to romanticize the gaming days of yore, sound cards have been installed in the machines to mimic coins falling into the tray.

"… The lighter payoff - by weight anyway - is also reducing the number of work-related injuries, casino operators say, because employees no longer have to lug bags of tokens around.

"…The Missouri Gaming Commission approved the switch in April 2002, two years earlier than Illinois. Ameristar Casino St. Charles has been using the ticket system for two years; Harrah's St. Louis Casino in Maryland Heights began installing the new machines in April 2003. By Labor Day, none of the 2,700 machines at Harrah's will be traditional token slots…"

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