The first installation of i-Depsys, which is basically an intelligent drop box, has taken place at Genting UK's Circus Casino in Star City Birmingham.
Developed by Intelligent Deposit Systems, the product was launched at this year’s London show after four years on the drawing board. For use at live gaming tables, the unit does away with the need for a count. The croupier or dealer puts bundles of notes - of differing denominations and in any order – into the unit and that is the last time the cash is touched until it is in the bank.
i-Depsys can count up to 1,500 banknotes per minute and the value is shown immediately on a customer-facing screen, a dealer-side LED and another screen facing the surveillance system and the pit boss. The note bundle is then stored at the top of the unit where it can be retrieved by the dealer in the case of a dispute. If there is no dispute, the dealer presses a button and the bundle is stored in a tamper-proof pouch for transportation to the bank.
Bypassing the need for a count means huge savings in terms of staff time and the system also speeds up game play. It also vastly reduces opportunities for theft, as well as detecting forgeries. IDS CEO Andrew Beddoe told InterGaming that operators could confidently expect a return on investment in around nine months.
