How To Casino Game Repair

As a field service tech with Bally Technologies, Paul Helt tin can usually be plant in one of two places: on the flooring of a major casino on the Vegas Strip, servicing or repairing thousands of slot machines — or behind the wheel of his Chevy van (yes, information technology'southward white), en route to the next casino to do the same matter. Here's a detailed look at one of the unsung heroes of field service (not to mention the gambling industry), and what it takes to get the job washed.

The Service Tech

A Michigan native, Helt became intrigued by the promise of the Vegas Strip during the 1980s recession. For the final 15 years, he's been repairing slots, from the erstwhile-time lever and reel machines to today's generation of electronic touch-screen games. But when he isn't repairing slot machines, the final affair Helt wants to exercise is gamble. "Information technology's irksome," he said with a laugh. "The states guys are effectually these machines all day long. The terminal thing nosotros want to do at the terminate of the twenty-four hour period is exist around them more than."

Instead, he takes his 3 grandsons on local adventures in his free fourth dimension. From Blood-red Rock to Lake Mead, the lure of Las Vegas extends far across the sparkle of the Strip. "It's just a fun metropolis," Helt said. "People are different out here. At that place'due south e'er something heady going on."

The Task

Not only does the job entail installing new slots in casinos around the world, it requires constant maintenance of existing machines. Helt covers anywhere from 200 to 500 miles on an average day, patrolling the Strip and far-flung areas of the desert such every bit Rockland and Mesquite, making about a dozen stops and servicing as many machines. Casino managers phone call Bally's central dispatch middle when a machine goes down and dispatch locates the nearest tech in the field. When Helt goes on a service call, the commencement thing he does is locate the house tech manager who ushers him to the broken car.

Helt's duties include:

• Fixing cleaved reels on old-fashioned mechanical slots
• Repairing monitors on modern machines if they go dark
• Making courtesy stops to check in on existing customers
• Beating the clock: Helt gets each machine back in working order inside 30 minutes of inflow

Well-nigh of Helt's time is spent fixing older machines. Newer games possess engineering similar to an iPod Touch, with all electronic components that are less likely to pause than the reel slots.

The Preparation

Helt has a background in electronics and mechanics. Earlier focusing on slot machines, he worked as a cabinetmaker and mechanical draftsman. Monthly grooming sessions on Bally's latest technology keep techs upward to appointment. "Everything's changing so fast," Helt said. "Every month, I demand to brush upwards on something new."

The Tools

• A few screwdrivers of varying size
• "The suitcase," a pack of equipment that acts as the brains of any slot car
• A rugged handheld Motorola computer that relays dispatch information, logs worker activity and keeps track of inventory

The Van

• 2011 Chevrolet Express

Source: https://fsd.servicemax.com/2011/04/13/how-to-service-a-slot-machine/

Posted by: brandtroat1936.blogspot.com

Share this post