“CPI's goal is to continually expand the value operators receive from automated payment systems”

Please provide an overview of your company and its bill validation product lines.

CPI was formed with Crane Company in December 2013 when Crane acquired MEI and merged it with the Payment Solutions division of their Payment & Merchandising Technologies business segment. As a result, we offer the largest portfolio of payment systems in the gaming industry—with coin and note products spanning hoppers, acceptors and recyclers.

One of the greatest advantages OEMs and operators have in choosing from the CPI product portfolio is the flexibility and convenience they have in choosing a solution that will best meet their unique needs. We offer several note acceptors to the gaming industry, including SC Advance, CashCode one and Ardac Elite. Each one originates from a different brand—MEI, CashCode and Money Controls, respectively—and has a unique set of features, advantages and benefits.

From a support perspective, CPI is a global company. With offices on six continents and a broad network of distributors, we offer the critical scale and local market expertise to provide best-in-class support wherever our customers, and their games, are located. Our team of cash management experts accompanies the CPI product portfolio, ensuring our technology is implemented properly—in a way that delivers the most value to our customers.

What percentage of your business is in the gaming industry? What other industries do you service? Are there potential synergies between these industries and gaming?

Our business is strategically organized by industry into five channels—which, in addition to gaming, include financial services, retail, transport and vending. This gives us the focus and customer intimacy in each of these areas to understand our customers’ needs (both expressed and latent) and adapt to fulfill their requirements.

Naturally, there are synergies between our channels. With our experience in vending, for instance, CPI is already an expert in cashless technology – so we’re ready for a greater transition to cashless, should it occur, in gaming. But, again, we don’t anticipate responsible gaming initiatives will see the use of cash displaced in the gaming industry anytime soon.

What is your best-selling bill validator product? What sets it apart from the competition?

SC Advance has been installed in more than one million games worldwide. It is very much a global product, whereas Ardac Elite and CashCode one have gained regional traction through the loyalty of certain customers.

What are some of the latest technologies you have integrated into your bill validation products/systems?

CPI has focused its technology development in two areas: 1) evolving from a component supplier to a cash management systems expert and 2) expanding its portfolio of note recycling products.

EASITRAX Soft Count is the base, within the gaming industry, for the expansion into cash management. It has revolutionized the processes that govern cash drops. But the application of the data collected within the process could have much more applicability. CPI is focusing resources to expand this into further maintenance and operational functionality.

The introduction of SCR, a two-denomination recycler, leverages the popularity, and reliability, of the proven SC platform to increase functionality in a manner that increases uptime and security for non-TITO markets. CPI continues to look to leverage is experience in recycling to expand the value it can add to customers.

What enhancements/technologies are you looking to integrate into your bill acceptor product/system?

Our goal is to continually expand the value operators can receive from automated payment systems. The SC product line is still growing with new modular expansions – and we’re even exporting SC Advance technology into other products, like our new SCR note recycler for non-TITO applications.