Some of the Sacoa/Mochkovsky family gather for a photo celebrating day of Dezerland Park in Orlando, Florida (see the story in the July 2021 issue of RePlay). From left to right are: Ezequiel, Maria, Victoria, Sebastian, Gisela and Pol Mochkovsky.

30 Years!

Longtime FEC Operator Sacoa Celebrates Three Decades in Cashless

Sacoa has been an FEC operator for more than 60 years and they’re soon celebrating 30 years in cashless technology. The Sacoa Cashless System was developed in-house in the early ’90s to optimize the company’s own operation. It was during that time when the first Sacoa Entertainment arcade opened with their computerized magnetic debit card system, replacing traditional tokens.

By 1994, after the success in its own locations, the company expanded this division, turning the system into a leading worldwide supplier of revenue management systems for the amusement, entertainment and leisure industries with more than 1,900 installations in over 70 countries.

It’s that knowledge of the FEC industry that keeps the Argentina-based family business thriving today, says its leaders.

“Everything that Sacoa launches to the market is tested in our own FECs, which can now be internationally found,” said CEO of Sacoa USA Sebastian Mochkovsky.

“Our innovations are fed by our own needs and those of other operators who we sell our technology to, allowing for direct feedback. In addition, all of our products are designed to be simple and user-friendly for the best experience. We work with custom software alternatives, too – a unique reason why so many clients choose and recommend us.”

One such operator is Ben Kreins, director of operations at Victory Lanes in Mooresville, North Carolina, who said, “Sacoa has made our life so much easier. We took over the arcade and had no idea how to set anything up. They came in and had everything operational within no time. They also took the time to make sure we understood how everything worked and gave us lots of tips for making things easier for the guest. We definitely couldn’t have done it without them.”

Another, John Russo, owner of Florida’s Saturn 5 arcades, said, “I’ve enjoyed a positive relationship with Sebastian and his outstanding team at Sacoa for over 11 years now. They are always staying one to two steps ahead of the rest of the industry. We have multiple centers and after trying another system, came running back to Sacoa.”

Sacoa got into cashless systems because they saw the benefits firsthand two decades ago and continue to tout their own technology today. Sebastian Mochkovsky said it’s the “best decision for an operator to make.”

He said going cashless allows operators to “increase their revenue by an average of 30% compared to token or cash play and offer a wider range of marketing strategies.” By choosing Sacoa, he said, operators also gain the support of fellow FEC owners and operators (those at Sacoa) who’ve used their own technology since the ’90s.

“It has been shown that the level of control and security that a cashless system brings to an FEC is immediately reflected by increased revenue,” added Jorge Mochkovsky, President of Sacoa. “The transactions become more secure, faster and end with a superior user experience. For these and several other reasons, most operators have migrated to a cashless system.”

Just because they were an early adopter of the technology doesn’t mean they’ve stopped innovating. In fact, not even Covid-19 stopped them. Sacoa says its online platforms such as the Party and Event Booking Module, Sales Module and Customer Registration Module (CRM), were an important part of helping businesses reopen during the pandemic.

The platforms offer operators an opportunity to simplify basic scheduling needs and be in closer virtual contact with their guests. The company said they have received a lot of positive feedback on these programs from operators and believe that they can help anyone better manage their business’ organization.

The Sacoa mobile app and the K4 self-kiosk were also in high demand throughout the last 18 months. These solutions promote cashless transactions and reduce lines in conjunction with the Sacoa Pay functionality over the Spark RFID readers.

“During the pandemic, we also conducted webinars to refresh and reinforce all the features and benefits of the Sacoa Cashless System so each operator could improve their operation for reopening,” added Pol Mochkovsky, CEO of Sacoa International.

Since the very beginning, Sacoa and the Mochkovsky family are proud of how they have continued to work hard on upcoming releases, upgrades and the addition of new features to their software and hardware. In the coming months, they say they’ll be presenting important news related to payment management “to continue with the revolutionary and positive acceptance within our industry.”

Stay tuned at www.sacoacard.com.