Accel Entertainment Illinois Gaming Blog

How to Change Slot Machine Operators When You Already Have Video Gaming

Written by Emily O'Malley | Oct 3, 2018 9:36:06 PM

If your business currently has gaming and you’re looking to make the switch to a new Terminal Operator, the options and steps might seem overwhelming. Where to begin? Is your search kept confidential? When making any big decision (buying a house, changing jobs, etc.), it’s important to weigh your options and figure out what you’re looking for in a slot machine operator. We’ll outline questions you should be asking during your search and what to expect once you’ve made your decision.

To Switch or Not to Switch

Chances are, if you’ve landed on this article, you might have already started to consider switching over your business to another Terminal Operator (companies that provide and maintain your slot machines). There are a multitude of reasons you may consider the big switch, including service issues, inconsistent payments, or lack of account management. Whatever the case, you should put together a list of grievances or concerns. Questions we’ve heard from current customers who have switched to Accel include:

  • How often do your account reps visit locations?
  • How often do collectors and service technicians visit locations?
  • When I call after “business hours,” how quickly is my issue handled? (Luckily for Accel customers, our call center is open 24 hours a day.)
  • Do you provide marketing for my slots?
Considerations in Researching other Operators  

Online searches will be helpful in finding other potential Terminal Operators, as well as asking fellow business owners with video gaming who they use. Once you decide to talk with another company, you’ll need your list of questions and/or concerns, and you’ll also want to have your IGB license number and liquor license information handy. If you need help finding your IGB license number, check out the IGB website and if you need more information on your Illinois state liquor license, check out https://ilcc.illinois.gov/resources/liquor-license-lookup.html. Most importantly, you’ll need to have a copy of your contract with your current Operator to determine when it is up for renewal.

Once the Switch Has Been Made

You really shouldn’t have to worry about much. For example, when customers switch to Accel, we do all the heavy lifting (pun intended) when it comes to bringing in your new machines. Avoiding downtime of your games is our number one priority. Accel also has a due diligence team that ensures your licensing is up-to-date, your paperwork is all set, and coordinates your appointments. Samantha, one of our Business Development Operations Coordinators says, “Downtime is usually one of the main concerns with businesses considering switching their Terminal Operator, which is understandable. Any downtime results in loss of revenue. That’s true not only for the location but for the new Terminal Operator as well! Our team focuses on making sure the amount of time a location is down during a transition is close to nothing. It’s important that businesses have that discussion and their new Terminal Operator understands the expectation.”

If you’re considering making the switch, we’d love to talk to you about the pros of working with Accel, and how our transitioned accounts have made an average of $3,300 more per month* since switching to Accel.

*Based on an average increase of $3,300/month, first quarter 2018 gaming revenue.