Creative voice: years of technology innovation and pushing the gaming industry envelope earn John Acres Casino Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award accolades.(People)(Cover story)

For John Acres, innovation comes naturally. During his 25-plus years of inventing, refining and enhancing products and technologies for the gaming industry, he has experienced both supreme failure and sublime success. But while few can remember Acres' failures, his successes have played a dramatic role in the creation of today's modern-day casino floor.

Acres was an early pioneer of industry revelations like progressive jackpots and bonusing. And he is largely viewed as the father of player tracking systems and technologies in the industry. He has either helped to found or played a significant leadership role in some pretty noteworthy gaming companies: Electronic Display Technology (EDT); Mikohn Gaming; Acres Gaming; and today, a new venture that combines Acres' latest company--Acres Concepts--with Rich Fiore & Associates (RFA) to create Acres-Fiore.

Throughout the years, Acres' central strategy has been to provide products and technology innovations that are player-centric and improve the patron experience. It's an end-goal he said the entire gaming industry should embrace if it wants to enjoy continued success.

"Gambling is really not about gambling. It's about making the player feel special," Acres said. "Part of the way they feel special is by the wins and losses they experience on the game. But another part is the relationship they enjoy or regret with the casino in which they're gambling. We've always seen in the high rollers how important it is to treat people with extra respect, to make them like they're one in a million and exceptionally important. That's where things like private jets and things like that come into play. When we come down to slot machines, there's not the money to provide those kinds of amenities to players, so we need a lower-cost way to help people feel special."

That's where technological innovations like progressives (offering players a chance for life-changing payouts and building excitement in casinos); bonusing (giving the player numerous chances to win more or increase their play without spending more); and player tracking systems that help the gaming properties really learn about the players' personalities and desires, and be able to cater specifically to them, have all proven more than their weight in gold.

And Acres' long-running role in this player-centric innovation approach has earned him the Casino Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Casino Marketing Conference July 17-19 in Las Vegas, which is co-produced by Raving Consulting and Ascend Media. Dennis Conrad, president and chief strategist for Raving, said the award is long overdue.

"Bonusing, player tracking, new slot concepts--John has been a pioneer in all of this, and truth be told, received too little credit for it," Conrad said. "Acres is one of the true gaming innovators in our business, …