GCA cashes in on Venetian deal

Rumors that Global Cash Access (GCA), the heavyweight of the casino financial-intermediary industry, might strike its first deal with the Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS) on Macau soil have been put to bed with the announcement of a successful agreement between the two companies yesterday (July 25).

The three-year deal to provide services for credit card cash advances and debit card withdrawals is a coup for GCA, which has three-quarters of the market back in the United States, yet has never been able to crack The Venetian.

GCA's QuikCash kiosks will be placed inside the casino, and the company will also add its 3-in-1 ATM functionality to automated slot redemption kiosks. The Venetian Macao will also make use of GCA’s Central Credit, a database of guest credit history and transaction data.

Kirk Sanford, CEO of GCA said of the deal: "We're delighted to help the Venetian Macao give its customers convenient access to cash - and help the casino itself operate more effectively and profitably. Because The Venetian Macao is using many integrated GCA services, it will be able to focus on the patron experience and leave details related to cash access to us."

Upon completion, the Venetian Macao will have an estimated 7,000 slot machines and 850 gaming tables across its gaming floor. It will be the world's largest.