As hardware-based slot machines transition to the new standard of electronic game machines (EGMs), system upgrades provide opportunities for huge increases in profitability and customization. Electronic game machines (EGMs) refer to any electronic betting game, such as video slot machines. Factoring into this profitability is the Game to System (G2S) communication protocols, developed by the Gaming Standards Association (GSA). To maintain a given casino’s infrastructure and to keep payout percentages from being manipulated by users, it is vital that Game to System protocols are protected.
G2S protocols provide casinos the flexibility to cater environments to individual patrons, increasing both interactivity and overall profitability. In the United States, the Nevada Gaming Commission stipulates that a machine must be idle for four minutes before any change can be made to the game regarding the game itself, denominations, or payout percentages. These factors can be controlled securely, in real time, with relatively zero downtime through object signing and mutual authentication. Futurex offers this technology in a cryptographic environment, ensuring the validity of casino winnings and compliance with regulatory requirements. This protects both the slot machine manufacturer and the casino from outside threats.
Object Signing
Object signing using a certificate authority ensures both sending and receiving devices are authorized and have permission to share the files and configuration parameters which define electronic game machines.
It ensures the authorized transmission of data between two endpoints, in this case, the central server (where game files are stored) and the physical EGM on the casino floor. Information would only be shared only when the devices are mutually authenticated under a common certificate tree. An outside source, attempting to import and load games or configuration parameters into an EGM would be denied.
Closed-Loop Cards
Object signing can also be applied to prepaid payment cards. Many casinos deploy cards to identify users and accept payments. Using object signing, each card requires a unique cryptographic signature to be loaded on it to prevent clear data from being divulged. With a signature on a closed-loop card, cashiers are able to authenticate the integrity of game payouts.
Authenticating Payouts
Object signing allows payment slips to be validated as authentic. By including a cryptographic signature onto the payment slip from the moment it is generated by a EGM, an employee of the casino can decrypt the signature using an HSM and verify if the checksum matches that of the EGM. If not, the casino has evidence that the payment slip was fabricated or otherwise tampered with.
