I recently visited the new Palms Casino in Las Vegas and was interested to note that all of their slot machines print tickets when you cash out. With rare exceptions, coins aren't dropped at all. And conveniently, you can insert the printed ticket into the bill acceptor of another slot machine - good as cash.

On first blush, I liked the process. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting forever for a hopper fill. But the casino just didn't feel the same without the sound of coins falling into the trays.

Now I'm wondering - is this a real improvement in slot technology? Is it the wave of the future? Or is it just another opportunity to replace employees with equipment and improve the bottom line?

Anybody care to share their thoughts on the pros and cons of this issue?