"The future of engagement in casinos is using technology to make every interaction meaningful"

At G2E Las Vegas 2025, Acres Manufacturing once again positioned itself as a frontrunner in casino technology, showcasing innovations aimed at transforming how players interact with gaming machines. With new tools that streamline cashless play and redefine bonusing, the company continues to challenge long-standing operational models in favor of player-centric convenience and engagement.

In conversation with Yogonet, Acres Manufacturing's Noah Acres discussed the company’s major takeaways from the expo, the enthusiastic reception of its Scan-N-Pay technology, and how new approaches to cashless systems and bonusing are reshaping the value casinos can deliver to players.

What’s the show been like for you? Did it live up to your expectations?

Yeah, it’s been a great show. It’s been really busy. A lot of interest in what we offer, seeing people we meet every year... There was a lot of enthusiasm for the products we showed, especially Scan-N-Pay. People are really excited about it because it lets players fund the game instantly, without signing up for anything.

What are some of your takeaways? What kind of conversations did you have at the show, and what are attendees most interested in exploring?

Casinos we’re talking to are most interested in providing new conveniences for players. There’s been a lot of chatter in the industry about the value proposition for players — you know, players being charged resort fees, service fees, and other add-ons.

The question now is: how can we give players something of real value? That’s what we’re focused on this year. We showed bonusing tools that give players more value, and easier, cheaper ways for them to fund their game.

Let’s talk about bonusing. What’s new this year? What are some of the highlights?

Bonusing is really interesting because players typically choose slot machines for three reasons: the theme, the bonus, and the chance to win big. But casinos usually only replace about 10 to 20 percent of their slot machines each year, at around $20,000 to $25,000 per machine. They can’t afford to replace an entire floor.

We’ve come up with a solution that allows casinos to attach new bonusing technology to the remaining 80% of their games. It lets them create new gameplay experiences without replacing the existing hardware, preserving capital while driving new engagement.

Was cashless gaming also part of the conversation at the show?

Yeah, cashless has been a big focus. The data shows that cashless players spend about 38% more per visit, but the challenge has always been onboarding — getting people to sign up. That signup process creates friction, and a lot of people just don’t do it.

We’ve solved that by creating a system that lets players fund their play without signing up for anything. We’ve taken all the steps out of cashless to make it as easy and fast as possible.

What’s next in terms of the rollout of these technologies, both for the coming months and into next year?

We’re rolling out Scan-N-Pay Cashless very heavily in 2026. Early that year, we’ll start going live with multiple properties. We call our technology the Universal Payment Adapter because it fits any slot machine, in any jurisdiction, and with any CMS.

Beyond payments, what’s next for player engagement? You’ve often talked about how casinos can learn from other consumer industries in how they approach their customers.

Exactly. A lot of casinos want players to download an app or provide personal information, but they’re not always giving players a good reason to do it. What’s in it for them?

We’re focused on giving operators tools to target players in the moment — to serve custom, personalized offers that are unique to that player and relevant to what they’re doing right then. That’s the future of engagement: using technology to make every interaction meaningful.