By the time a new banknote lands in circulation, the heavy lifting has already been done; by central banks, note designers, manufacturers and the security ecosystem that underpins cash. For casino operators, the critical work starts later: ensuring every point where cash meets technology can recognise, authenticate and accept the new note without friction, downtime or fraud exposure.
In a recent operator update, Crane Payment Innovations’ (CPI) Patrick Richards (Senior Strategic Marketing Manager) and Mark Greenawalt (VP of Gaming Sales) outlined what to expect from the forthcoming redesign of the US$10 bill – and, more importantly, what casinos should be doing now to avoid disruption later this year.
“This change is going to impact upon every cash handling environment from the casino floor to the soft count room,” Richards said, framing the coming redesign not as cosmetic change, but as a broad infrastructure event.
Why the US$10, and why now?
The $10 is expected to be the first note introduced under the US government’s ‘Catalyst Series,’ a phased redesign programme that will introduce a new denomination every two years across roughly eight years. The logic of starting with the $10 is practical: it’s widely circulated enough to be meaningful, but not typically the backbone of high-value transactions. This makes it an ideal proving ground for new security features, before higher-impact denominations arrive later in the cycle.
The refresh is also not positioned as a response to a sudden counterfeit wave. It’s a planned modernisation programme aimed at staying ahead of evolving fraud tactics, while maintaining trust in the US dollar globally.
What will change: think security update, not artwork refresh
CPI’s core message was that the new $10 should be treated like a security patch for currency, with both human and machine readiness required.
Richards highlighted three categories of changes operators should expect:
- Tactile features (new for US notes): For the first time, US banknotes are expected to include raised, tactile features designed to improve accessibility for visually impaired users. This is a fundamental physical change that affects handling and recognition.
- Visible security features: Richards pointed to common international examples (holograms, colour-changing elements, windows and other overt features) as indicators of the types of additions that may appear, even if final specifics weren’t yet public.
- Invisible security features: This is where casinos feel the most operational impact. Features such as magnetic properties, UV and infrared elements are primarily validated by bill acceptors and note-handling systems, and that means firmware/software readiness becomes non-negotiable.
The risk window, Richards warned, is early circulation – when staff are learning, devices may not be updated, and counterfeiters look for weaknesses created by change.
The three operator risks: fraud, guest friction, and downtime
Mark Greenawalt distilled down the casino exposure into three buckets:
- Counterfeit risk: especially during transition. New-note periods are attractive to bad actors because uncertainty creates openings.
- Customer experience risk: disputes at the cage, awkward interactions on the floor, or a guest being made to feel their cash is ‘suspect’ can do lasting brand damage.
- Operational downtime: rejected notes, disabled devices, and reactive maintenance create friction in the very places casinos rely on speed and continuity.
The last point matters because cash doesn’t only enter the building at a single point. It touches a complex network: slots, tables, kiosks, ATMs, retail and F&B, cage, count room, and back-office processes. Greenawalt noted that while $10 notes may represent a small share of casino floor acceptances (he cited less than five per cent), the broader point is readiness for the Catalyst Series, not just one denomination.
A casino cash-readiness plan in seven steps
CPI’s recommended approach will feel familiar to any operator who’s managed major systems upgrades: inventory, prioritise, sequence, train, execute. Greenawalt laid out a practical path:
1) Centralise information
Use a single internal hub for the project: timelines, device status, training resources, owner assignments, vendor contacts.
2) Identify stakeholders early
This is not just a slots project. Bring in slots ops, cage, count, IT, finance, security/compliance, procurement, facilities and retail leadership – then assign ownership by area.
3) Follow the money (audit the cash path)
Map every point where cash is accepted, validated, transported, counted, reconciled, or redeemed. Include guest-facing and non-guest-facing touchpoints.
4) Audit every cash-handling device
The essential question is capability: can each device be updated to recognise and authenticate the new notes? Greenawalt warned that legacy equipment may not have the sensor hardware needed for the Catalyst Series requirements, making some devices effectively obsolete.
He gave an example: CPI’s legacy SC Cashflow bill validator (launched around 25 years ago and end-of-lifed years ago) may still exist on some floors, and would require replacement (e.g., with SC Advance) to accept the new $10 and subsequent redesigned notes.
5) Build training into the plan (and refresh it continuously)
Richards emphasised training as a first-line defence, and not a one-time event. With turnover, new-hire onboarding needs to include updated currency recognition annually as additional denominations roll out.
6) Create a schedule and budget – then sequence upgrades
Casinos don’t need to update everything at once. Instead, Greenawalt recommended grouping devices into logical categories and ranking them by business impact:
- revenue criticality
- guest-facing risk (public rejection vs. back-office friction)
- counterfeit exposure
- compliance sensitivity
- operational throughput and peak traffic
From there, build phased execution that fits normal operations and planned maintenance windows, with buffers for testing and training.
7) Execute with discipline
Avoid ‘hero mode.’ Poor scheduling creates missed dates, uneven readiness, and reactive firefighting – the exact conditions counterfeiters exploit.
What happens if you do nothing?
A direct question during the session was blunt: what if we don’t change the firmware?
The most obvious risk is rejection of legitimate new notes at enabled touchpoints. If an operator chooses to delay updates in non-guest-facing areas, that becomes a conscious risk decision, but customer-facing failures should be treated as brand and revenue risk. If some touchpoints won’t be enabled immediately, he suggested using clear signage to avoid confusing guests and staff.
Updates, services, and multi-vendor support
CPI positioned its support around three needs: education, planning and execution.
From a practical operator standpoint, the most relevant capability is delivery at scale: firmware/software updates, device replacements where necessary, and field execution across thousands of devices, potentially in mixed environments. CPI highlighted a large field service footprint and multiple service models (service agreements, dispatch/on-demand, depot repair, and DIY/enterprise licensing approaches), with the expectation that many casinos will use a blend.
Operator takeaway: treat it as a programme, not an event
The real challenge for casinos isn’t the $10 note by itself, it’s the move to an eight-year, rolling redesign cadence. That requires a repeatable internal muscle:
- accurate device inventory
- upgrade sequencing playbooks
- training refresh cycles
- vendor coordination and testing windows
- budget planning that anticipates periodic change
For casino operators, that means readiness work starts now, before the first guest ever tries to feed a redesigned $10 into a validator on a Saturday night.
To learn more about the changes and how they’ll affect your business visit:
The post Catalyst Series: The new US$10 bill is coming – casinos should prepare now appeared first on G3 Newswire.
By the time a new banknote lands in circulation, the heavy lifting has already been done; by central banks, note designers, manufacturers and the security ecosystem that underpins cash. For casino operators, the critical work starts later: ensuring every point where cash meets technology can recognise, authenticate and accept the new note without friction, downtime…
The post Catalyst Series: The new US$10 bill is coming – casinos should prepare now appeared first on G3 Newswire.