Harry Reid Airport Slots Upgrading Light & Wonder System

Posted on: February 13, 2024, 12:16h. 

Last updated on: February 13, 2024, 12:01h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The slot machine operations at Harry Reid International Airport are being upgraded with a new management system.

Harry Reid airport slots Las Vegas
Slot machines inside Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The airport slot license holder is bringing aboard Light & Wonder to manage the slot operations. (Image: Clark County Department of Aviation)

Light & Wonder, a leading developer of gaming machines and casino gaming services, announced Monday that it’s been selected as the next management firm for the more than 1,100 slot machines across the airport’s terminals.

Michael Gaughan holds the airport slot machine concession. Light & Wonder says its operational technology will soon replace the airport’s existing management platform.

Choosing Light & Wonder as our systems provider was a decision rooted in their next-level customer support,” explained Patricia Ross, general manager of Michael Gaughan Airport Slot Concession, Inc. “Their commitment to excellence extends beyond leading-edge technology and supports our goal of delivering an exceptional player experience.”

Light & Wonder’s managed services for the Las Vegas airport slot machines will additionally include 24/7 IT support.

“Light & Wonder is committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions that redefine the gaming experience,” said Jon Wolfe, president of Global Systems and Service at Light & Wonder. “Our systems solution is designed to elevate casino hospitality and improve customer service to deliver an unparalleled level of player satisfaction.”

Gaughan owns and operates the South Point Hotel & Casino south of the Las Vegas Strip. In December, it expanded its gaming footprint into Colorado with the acquisition of the gaming operations at Johnny Nolon’s and Colorado Grande in Cripple Creek.

Airport Gaming Monopoly

Harry Reid International is one of only two airports in the U.S. featuring slot machines, with the other being Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Gaughan has held the slot license for the Las Vegas aviation facility for nearly four decades.

In November 2022, the Gaughan slot company announced that the airport slots had moved past the $1 billion mark in all-time gross revenue. The approximately 1,100 slots have won around $40 million annually in recent years, the company disclosed.

Under part of its licensing agreement with the airport, Gaughan directs 86.5% of the slot win to Clark County, which owns the facility.

Harry Reid International, the nation’s seventh-busiest airport, served a record 57.6 million people last year. For many travelers, the airport terminals are their first exposure to the ringing sounds of Las Vegas slots. The airport slots have a reputation for not paying out, a reputation that remains up for debate.

Predictive Maintenance

One reason Michael Gaughan’s Airport Slot Concession, Inc. went with Light & Wonder is that the company recently developed technology that can predict when a slot machine might malfunction or need maintenance. Light & Wonder worked on the project with the Amazon ML Solutions Lab, a division of Amazon Web Services.

Light & Wonder’s slot management platform gathers and disseminates near-real-time machine health data and communicates that information to a centralized management system. The program is designed to reduce offline times because of malfunctions or other tech problems.

Light & Wonder announced the innovative product last June.