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How does Smart Casino work? |
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As a universal game technology, SmartCasino provides the users with two forms of playing games::
Traditional - in game saloons, clubs, pubs, etc.
Virtual - form any place (at home, for instance) with a Personal Computer which has an access to the Internet.
Before the first, traditional or virtual game in SmartCasino, a user should obtain a user's card form a casino/saloon equipped with SmartTerminals or through the Internet shop at: smartcasino.pl. User's cards are provided with a score credit necessary to start a game and with a PIN code, which identifies the owner of the card and prevents from a not entitled use of the card.
In order to start a traditional game in SmartCasino saloons / casinos, it is enough to take a vacant station, insert a card in the card reader built in a terminal and enter a proper PIN code. While playing, the score credit on the card is automatically increased / decreased according to the game results. The value of the credit is perfectly secured thanks to security works built in the user's card. At any time a player may stop the game or change to another without loosing the score credit obtained and current level of the game (in case of multilevel games). When the score credit reaches the minimal value, a user may acquire a new credit without leaving the terminal (in case of terminals equipped with a banknote machine). When the game is finished, the obtained score credit may be changed into winnings at a cash desk of a saloon / casino or used during next games as, for instance, at home.
For an individual use, apart form the user's cards, one needs also a Smart Home Terminal user's kit which includes a Play@home program that installs SmartCasino games, as well as a chip cards reader necessary to read and write information in a card. One may purchase a user's kit, like the card, in casinos, saloons or via the Internet on the web site: smartcasino.pl.
After having installed Play@home program on any computer connected to the Internet, a virtual game is played in the same way as in a saloon. The Internet connection is necessary for authorisation. And for security, logical works of the games and those identifying user's card are placed on an Internet server and the drawing results are sent in a coded form to a SmartCasino customer. After entering valid PIN code, a user may play without time limits. In case the score credit is used up, one may obtain a new credit at the web site: smartcasino.pl without stopping the game. Whereas, the score credit won may be changed for money in any SmartCasino casino / saloon or 'materialised' at any time in form of a transfer to the user's account made at the web site at: smartcasino.pl.
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Benefits |
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Operator's benefits
SmartCasino is a new technology of games, thanks to which gambling based business will develop in new directions, not used so far. Replacing a traditional game machine - prone to mechanical and electrical damage, with a generally available computer - SmartCasino, makes it possible to offer gambles everywhere:
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in places where computer terminal and access to the Internet are available,,
- and in places where the Internet is not available - at a free-standing machine or machines (terminals) connected, as a network, to a joint local server - thanks to the possibility to move points on a chip card.
With the use of the newest hardware and software technologies supported with a professional design of games, Smart Casino ensures fundamental benefits for operators and games providers:
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Multiple reduction of a game cost - a classical traditional automatic machine with one game is replaced by a computer terminal with many games;
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Flexibility of managing the games profitability - through updating parameters of games server (possibility of remote control of SmartTerminals connected to the net in casinos);
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Possibility of immediate introduction of new games without the necessity to change the terminal - new games are installed as additional programs on the already existing terminals (possibility of remote updating via the net / Internet);
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Broadening the sources of income - through the services connected with servicing user's card as, for instance, purchase of a credit via the Internet;
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Minimization of servicing activities resulting from vulnerability of mechanical parts of gambling machines. A computer system being the basic element of the machines offers great reliability and, in case of any failures, a repair is reduced to quick and easy replacement of an impaired element.
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Possibility of additional usage of the potential of free-standing game machines. For instance, during a temporary system inactivity (there are no players) the system may display advertising graphics and animations;
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Adjusting to new legal regulations concerning gambling machines. In any case, SmartTerminals do not pay out in cash; the only way of paying out the winnings, or the redundant surplus of points, is to report with a user's card in a point specified for this purpose;
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Possibility of expansion to foreign markets - universality of Smart Casino games allows for an easy elaboration of multilingual customer applications.
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Smart Casino components |
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Smart Casino is a universal game technology created according to an innovative connection of hardware and software components. A complete SmartCasino set includes:
Games terminal
User's card
Games server
Set (Kit) for individual usage via the Internet
Application of payment servicing
Games Terminal (SmartTerminal)
Appropriate for saloons - it is a stationary machine with a housing in a form of a typical saloon machine with a screen (17") placed in its main part and lit control keys. Inside the housing there is an integrated computer system equipped with all the components necessary for working of an independent system. Speakers are at the rear (or the sides) of the housing. The terminal is equipped with two chip cards readers: an internal one, in which a SAM (Security Application Module) card necessary for working of the system can be found, and an external one which is used for data reading / writing in the user's card and realization of users (players) authorization. Initialisation of the terminal is carried out with an additional chip card, i.e. a starting card.
Optionally, a terminal may be equipped with a device accepting banknotes, which changes the sum inserted into a proper amount of points on the user's card. Generally used banknote machines allow to program many banknotes, as well as banknotes of different currencies, which jointly with the machine allow for the use of currency calculations and paying into a card a proper amount of points independently from a nominal and currency.
User's card
The only way to play games in SmartCasino is to have an individual, secured with PIN code, user's card. Purchasing of such a card enables the user immediately to play the games. The cards may be sold at different prices conditioned by the initial amount of points that are found in them. Together with a card, a customer receives a PIN code, specific for a given copy, which may be later modified with the use of any games machine or through the Internet, in case one has a set for an individual use.
An individual use kit (Smart Home Terminal)
An individual set allows for playing games with the use of a PC which is connected to the Internet. It is composed of a chip cards reader connected to the PC, a user's card containing a defined amount of points and software, a games customer application operating in MS-Windows systems.
The games customer application communicates with a games server with the use of a safe SSL protocol. The server carries out an authorisation of the card in the player's reader and if it does not find any problems, it lets the user play, providing the user enters a proper PIN of the card and the card contains a minimal score credit.
For beginners, a demo mode has been predicted, which consists in a game without server participation. In this case, application of the games customer does not require connection to the Internet nor it requires identification with the use of a user's card. It makes it possible to create a demo distribution of the application presenting the sole idea and the rules of a game without the necessity for a player to cover any expenses (purchase of a card, the risk of a loss).
An individual games server
An individual games server is an application operating under control of the operational system Linux, for managing and authorisation of games carried out with the use of sets for individual usage (games customer applications). A games server is responsible for security and integrity of works of logical games which are completely invisible for the user. The games server can be also used as a server for a network of machines in a saloon.
Application of payment servicing
It serves for realisation of payments / pays of points to a user's card. The application is attended by properly trained personnel. It operates in MS-Windows environment. Personnel, to be able to use the system, have to pass a correct authorisation which consists in possessing a suitable authorization card, giving a user's identifier and a suitable password.
An individual set of off-line games
In the future, SmartCasino technology will be broadened with a module making it possible to play any portable device able to read chip cards (a mobile phone or PDA - personal digital assistant). A player will be the able to play his favourite game, for example, at an airport while waiting for his plane.
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System security |
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Reliability and security of SmartCasino technology have been guaranteed through the application of customer-server type architecture and multi-level mechanisms of security and authorisation. Each SmartCasino component has specific physical and / or logical safety devices. All the transactions between particular elements are also perfectly secured through the usage of advanced cryptographic algorithms and safe communication protocols.
SmartCasino terminals
SmartCasino terminals which are to be used in saloons contain both an application of games customer and an application of games server (many terminals can be connected to a joint free-standing server or to a server found in one of the machines). Physical access to the built-in computer system is secured with a few high quality mechanical locks, which makes an access for a third party impossible. In an extreme case of a break-in to the inside of the system, its fully functional start will not be possible because of the requirement to have a 'starting card', which is to initialise a 'SAM (Secure Application Module) card', which, in turn, takes part in the carried out transactions. The starting card is necessary only during starting the system.
Games customer application
A games customer application is responsible only for an interaction with a user, presenting him an actual game picture on a screen and it receives his commands concerning the game played. Because of the fact that the whole game logic is realized on a remote, well secured Internet server, there are no practical possibilities of interference into the course of the game (especially into the drawing results). Any attempt to 'break', modify or cheat it is, form the beginning a failure. Security and integrity of the data transferred between the customer's application and games server have been achieved with the use of SSL protocol (version 2 and 3), which is distinguished by coding data with 128-bit symmetrical key and 1024-bit asymmetrical key.
User's card
A user's card, a an element most prone to the attempts of cheating, has been made on the basis of the newest generation chip cards - a cryptographic Java card. Security of the data kept in the card (score credit) and transactions carried out with it is ensured through the use of DES and 3DES algorithms for coding and signing all the data coming in or out of the card.
Additionally, the user's card has an implemented mechanism which precludes unauthorised access do the functions changing state of score credit and secures it against specific operations enabling its change by the system. In case when a transaction with a 'wallet' has been a success, the card is blocked. Its usage is not possible until it is unblocked by a SAM card, which has blocked it before. A card blocked by, for instance, an Internet server can not be used in a free-standing machine, and vice versa, until it is unblocked (after getting again into contact with a server or inserting the card into the machine which has blocked it).
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