MAINE Division of Purchases
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STATE OF MAINE
Department of Public Safety
Gambling Control Board
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RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
|RFP Coordinator |All communication regarding this RFP must be made through the RFP Coordinator identified below. |
| |Name: Milton Champion Title: Executive Director |
| |Contact Information: Milton.f.champion@ |
|Bidders Conference |Date: September 13, 2018 Time: 9:00 am, local time |
| |Location: 45 Commerce Drive, Suite 3, Augusta, Maine |
|Submitted Questions Due |All questions must be received to the RFP Coordinator identified above by: |
| |Date: September 19, 2018, no later than 4:00 p.m., local time |
|Proposal Submission |Proposals must be received by the Division of Procurement Services by: |
| |Submission Deadline: October 25, 2018, no later than 4:00 p.m., local time |
| |Proposals must be submitted electronically to the following address: |
| |Electronic (email) Submission Address: Proposals@ |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PUBLIC NOTICE
RFP DEFINITIONS/ACRONYMS
PART I INTRODUCTION
A. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
B. GENERAL PROVISIONS
C. ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT BIDS
D. CONTRACT TERMS
E. NUMBER OF AWARDS
F. OTHER GAMING DEVICES
G. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS AND
LICENSING OF THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER
PART II SCOPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
A. DEMONSTRABILITY OF PROPOSED SYSTEMS
B. Specified, Invited and Offered Options
C. Mandatory and Desirable
D. SPECIFICATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
PART III KEY RFP EVENTS
A. BIDDER’S CONFERENCE
B. QUESTIONS
C. AMENDMENTS
D. SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL
PART IV PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
A. PROPOSAL FORMAT
B. PROPOSAL CONTENTS
C. PROPOSAL DEPOSIT
D. PROPOSAL BID BOND
E. LITIGATION BOND
PART V PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION
A. EVALUATION PROCESS – GENERAL INFORMATION
B. SCORING WEIGHTS AND PROCESS
C. SELECTION AND AWARD
D. APPEAL OF CONTRACT AWARDS
PART VI CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS
A. CONTRACT DOCUMENT
B. STANDARD STATE AGREEMENT PROVISIONS
PART VII RFP APPENDICES AND RELATED DOCUMENTS
APPENDIX A – PROPOSAL COVER PAGE
APPENDIX B – DEBARMENT, PERFORMANCE AND NON-COLLUSION CERTIFICATION
APPENDIX C – QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE FORM
APPENDIX D – COST PROPOSAL FORM
APPENDIX E – SUBMITTED QUESTIONS FORM
APPENDIX F – PROPOSAL DEPOSIT REFUND FORM
PUBLIC NOTICE
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State of Maine
Department of Public Safety
RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
The State of Maine is seeking proposals for continued monitoring of slot machines offered for play at Licensed Facilities in the state.
A copy of the RFP, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to this RFP, can be obtained at the following website:
A Bidders Conference will be held on September 13, 2018 at 9:00 am at the following location: 45 Commerce Drive, Suite 3, Augusta, Maine.
Proposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services, located at the Burton M. Cross Office Building, 111 Sewall Street - 4th Floor, Augusta, Maine, 40330. Proposals must be received no later than 4:00 pm, local time, on October 25, 2018, when they will be opened. Proposals not received at the Division of Procurement Services’ by the aforementioned deadline will not be considered for contract award.
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RFP DEFINITIONS/ACRONYMS
The following terms and acronyms shall have the meaning indicated below as referenced in this RFP. In the event of a conflict between a statutory definition and this RFP, the statutory definition shall control.
1. Associated equipment: Any component part used, or intended for use, in a slot machine or table game.
2. Background investigation: The security, fitness and background checks conducted of a bidder in order to evaluate qualification and suitability for licensing. Evaluative criteria include, but are not limited to, moral character, criminal history, compliance with tax and regulatory obligations and general fiscal responsibility.
3. Bidder: A technology provider or vendor that indicates an interest in or has responded to the RFP. A successful bidder is a bidder that is awarded a contract and will operate the CSMS.
4. Board: The Gambling Control Board of the State of Maine established under 8 MRSA 31, Section 1002.
5. Brand: Slot machines from a single manufacturer.
6. Business organization: Partnership, incorporated or unincorporated association, firm, corporation, limited liability company, trust or other form of business or legal entity other than a financial institution regulated by a state or federal agency that is not exercising control over a licensee.
7. Central Site Monitoring System or CSMS: The system provided by the successful bidder that will centrally, at a minimum, monitor in real time all aspects of slot machine operations, will authenticate the electronic signatures of all Board approved slot machines connected thereto and will generate reports as required by the Board to oversee operations for compliance and revenue reporting purposes.
8. Casino: A facility licensed in accordance with 8 MRSA 31 where gambling activities occur, including, but not limited to, the operation of slot machines and table games.
9. Casino Operator: A person who is licensed under 8 MRSA Chapter 31 to operate a casino.
10. Department: Department of Public Safety of the State of Maine
11. Director: The Executive Director of the Board.
12. Gambling facility: A race track, off-track betting facility, high stakes beano or beano facility, game of chance facility, slot machine facility or casino.
13. Gambling services: Any goods or services provided to an operator licensed under 8 MRSA 31 or at a gambling facility that are used directly in connection with the operation of a slot machine or table game, including, but not limited to, maintenance, security services or junket services, and excluding slot machine or table game distribution by a slot machine distributor or table game distributor.
14. Gaming employee: Any person connected directly with a gambling facility, including cashiers, change personnel, counting room personnel, hosts, persons who extend credit or offer complimentary services, machine mechanics, security personnel, supervisors, or managers. The term also includes employees of a slot machine distributor, table games distributor and gambling services vendor whose duties are directly involved with repair or distribution of slot machines, gaming devices or table games.
15. Gross slot machine income: The total value of money, tokens, credits, or similar objects or things of value used to play a slot machine before payback is distributed to a player.
16. Intermediate distribution frame or IDF: IDF means an intermediate distribution frame which is a cable rack that interconnects and manages internal telecommunications between a main distribution frame and a workstation device.
17. Immediate family: Spouse, parents, and children.
18. Key executive employee: An executive of a licensee having power to exercise significant influence over decisions concerning the operation or distribution of slot machines, table games or gambling services.
19. Licensed facility: A facility operated by the holder of a casino operator license or slot machine operator license issued pursuant to 8 MRSA 31.
20. Main distribution frame or MDF: MDF means a cable rack that interconnects and manages private or public telecommunications between itself and any number of intermediate distribution frames.
21. Net slot machine income: The total amount of money, tokens, credits or similar objects or things of value used to play a slot machine minus money, credits or prizes paid out to winners and amounts paid pursuant to 8 MRSA 31, Section 1036, Subsection 1.
22. Owner: A person who owns or controls, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of a business organization.
23. Payback percentage: The percentage of the total value of money or tokens, credits or similar objects or things of value used to play a slot machine that is returned to players of that slot machine as winnings, prizes, or credits.
24. Player: An individual who plays a slot machine or table game authorized by the Board in a Licensed Facility.
25. Progressive slot machine: In accordance with 8 MRSA 31, Section 1004, a slot machine or series of slot machines, in which the payback amount to an individual player increases as that player continues to play the slot machine or slot machines.
26. RFP: Request for Proposals
27. Slot machine: Any mechanical, electrical, or electronic device, contrivance, or machine or other device, contrivance or machine that is available to play upon insertion of money or a token, credit or similar object or thing of value, the play of which by the element of chance may deliver or entitle the person playing the device, contrivance, or machine to receive cash, tokens or credits to be exchanged for cash, merchandise, or anything of value, whether the payoff is made automatically from the device, contrivance, or machine or in any other manner, and includes progressive electronic gaming devices with a payoff that increases as the electronic gaming device is played.
28. Slot machine distributor: A person licensed pursuant to 8 MRSA 31 to distribute slot machines and associated equipment for use in the State.
29. Slot machine facility: A facility, not including a casino, at which a slot machine operator operates slot machines.
30. Slot machine operator: A person, not including a casino operator, licensed pursuant to 8 MRSA Chapter 31 to operate slot machines and associated equipment in the State.
31. State: State of Maine
32. Ticket: The receipt or voucher issued from a slot machine for payment by the slot machine operator.
33. Wide area progressive game: A game that runs on multiple slot machine terminals in more than one Licensed Facility within the State and/or in appropriately licensed facilities in other jurisdictions. It may involve more than one brand of slot machine and more than one play theme.
STATE OF MAINE - Department of Public Safety
Gambling Control Board
RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
PART I INTRODUCTION
A. Purpose and Background
The Maine Gambling Control Board (Board), established as part of the Department of Public Safety (Department) by 2003 Public Laws, Chapter 687, is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to invite technology providers and vendors to submit proposals for the installation and operation of a Central Site Monitoring System (CSMS) for slot machine operations conducted under the authority of the State. The CSMS will be used by the Board to ensure proper accounting, security and integrity. The procurement of a CSMS and related services under this RFP does not incorporate within it the acquisition of slot machines, associated equipment or gambling services unrelated to the CSMS or gaming operations, which are acquired separately.
The Department seeks to enter into a contract with a qualified technology provider or vendor pursuant to which that person will design, develop, provide, implement, operate, staff and maintain a CSMS for the State of Maine, the primary purpose of which will be to centrally monitor, authenticate the electronic signatures of, and report with regard to slot machine operations in Licensed Facilities to include various reporting and control mechanisms in support of (i) financial accounting, (ii) system management, and (iii) security and integrity. The proposed CSMS must be compliant with 8 MRSA 31, Section 1004. Specifications regarding these CSMS aspects are presented in Part II of this RFP.
General goals and needs of the Board as reflected in the CSMS RFP include: verifying the accuracy of accounting and reporting; ensuring the ability to use diverse and competitive types and brands of slot machines; ensuring the ability to incorporate new slot machines or other forms of electronic gaming device if desired and approved by the Board; ensuring the ability to monitor transactions and all aspects of player tracking at each Licensed Facility; ensuring the security and integrity of slot machine operations; ensuring the use of gaming industry accepted open software and communication protocols; and minimizing operating costs.
The Board has the following formal objectives for issuing this RFP and entering into a contract for the installation and operation of a CSMS:
1. To qualify technology providers and vendors of CSMS products and services to supply the necessary equipment, software, services and data communications;
2. To contract with the bidder whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the State taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP;
3. To install a CSMS that will be able to meet the needs of the State for the next five years (the initial contract period) or longer (with extensions);
4. To obtain a CSMS that is operationally sound, provides the highest level of integrity and security, and that minimizes risk for the State;
5. To obtain a CSMS that is sufficiently flexible to meet evolving requirements and operate in the best interests of the State;
6. To help maximize gross and net slot machine income for the State of Maine; and
7. To justify continued operation of a CSMS on the basis of demonstrable advantages over more traditional regulatory oversight methods employed by States like Nevada and New Jersey which do not utilize a CSMS.
B. General Provisions
1. From the time this RFP is issued until award notification is made, all contact with the State regarding this RFP must be made through the aforementioned RFP Coordinator. No other person/ State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding this RFP. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the bidding process, at the State’s discretion.
2. Issuance of this RFP does not commit the Board to issue an award or to pay expenses incurred by a bidder in the preparation of a response to this RFP. This includes attendance at personal interviews or other meetings and software or system demonstrations, where applicable.
3. All proposals should adhere to the instructions and format requirements outlined in this RFP and all written supplements and amendments (such as the Summary of Questions and Answers), issued by the Department. Proposals are to follow the format and respond to all questions and instructions specified below in the “Proposal Submission Requirements” section of this RFP.
4. Bidders shall take careful note that in evaluating a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, the Department will consider materials provided in the proposal, information obtained through interviews/presentations (if any), and internal Departmental information of previous contract history with the bidder (if any). The Department also reserves the right to consider other reliable references and publicly available information in evaluating a bidder’s experience and capabilities.
5. The proposal shall be signed by a person authorized to legally bind the bidder and shall contain a statement that the proposal and the pricing contained therein will remain valid and binding for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening.
6. The RFP and the selected bidder’s proposal, including all appendices or attachments, shall be the basis for the final contract, as determined by the Board.
7. Following announcement of an award decision, all submissions in response to this RFP will be considered public records available for public inspection pursuant to the State of Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) (1 M.R.S. §§ 401 et seq.) .
8. The Department, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to recognize and waive minor informalities and irregularities found in proposals received in response to this RFP.
9. The State of Maine Division of Procurement Services reserves the right to authorize other Departments to use the contract(s) resulting from this RFP, if it is deemed to be beneficial for the State to do so.
10. All applicable laws, whether or not herein contained, shall be included by this reference. It shall be the bidder’s responsibility to determine the applicability and requirements of any such laws and to abide by them.
11. Nothing in this RFP, or any contract resulting from this RFP, shall preclude the Board from leasing, purchasing, or authorizing lease or purchase of other games, services or related equipment for use in slot machine operations.
C. Eligibility to Submit Bids
In order to carry out the contract, the successful bidder must be licensed in accordance with 8 MRSA 31, Section 1015: , and meet the qualifications of Section 1016:.
The successful bidder for the CSMS shall not also be a casino operator as defined by 8 MRSA Chapter 31: . This ensures that no conflicts of interest, and a separation of duties, apply relative to the CSMS and the gambling services for which the CSMS acts as a control element.
D. Contract Term
The Department is seeking a cost-efficient proposal(s) to provide services, as defined in this RFP, for the anticipated contract period defined in the table below. Please note that the dates below are estimated and may be adjusted, as necessary, in order to comply with all procedural requirements associated with this RFP and the contracting process. The actual contract start date will be established by a completed and approved contract.
Contract Renewal: Following the initial term of the contract, the Department may opt to renew the contract for the first renewal for two years and the second renewal for one year, as shown in the table below, and subject to continued availability of funding and satisfactory performance.
The term of the anticipated contract, resulting from this RFP, is defined as follows:
|Period |Start Date |End Date |
|Initial Period of Performance |January 1, 2019 |June 30, 2021 |
|Renewal Period #1 |July 1, 2021 |June 30, 2023 |
|Renewal Period #2 |July 1, 2023 |June 30, 2024 |
E. Number of Awards
The Board anticipates making one award as a result of this RFP process.
F. Other Gaming Devices
For purposes of this RFP only, a reference in this RFP to monitoring by the CSMS of a slot machine includes a server based or server supported slot machine and may be construed to include the monitoring of any other form of electronic gaming device, for example, a skill based game, where said device has been certified as compliant for Maine by an independent testing laboratory, registered with the Board under 8 MRSA 31, Section 1020 and approved by the Board.
G. Background Investigations and Licensing of the Successful Bidder
The Department, as directed by the Board, will initiate background investigations into the backgrounds of any officers, principals, investors, owners, subcontractors, employees, or any other associates of the bidders it deems appropriate. Such background investigations may include fingerprint information and appropriate waivers so that the Department may obtain criminal history records, with all investigation expenses to be paid by the bidder.
By submission of a proposal, a bidder consents to such investigations, and to cooperate and fund such investigations. The Board may reject a proposal or terminate a contract based upon adverse results from these background investigations.
In order to carry out the contract the successful bidder must be licensed in accordance with 8 MRSA Chapter 31, Section 1015, and meet the qualifications of Section 1016. The background investigations will support this licensing process.
For the successful bidder, if there is a change of ownership of greater than a ten percent (10%) share during the contract term, then the successful bidder is required to notify the Board, and background investigations shall be completed. As well, changes in officers, principals, key staff or employees may prompt additional background investigations.
PART II SCOPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
A. Demonstrability of Proposed Systems
The Department requires that all equipment and software proposed by a bidder, at a minimum, be capable of a demonstration that indicates the bidder's ability to meet the Board's requirements for a CSMS. While functions and features demonstrated, or benchmarked for the proposal effort need not already have been implemented under the exact specifications of this RFP, basic capabilities of a CSMS are expected to be demonstrable.
The demonstration(s) may consist of a CSMS simulation at the Department offices in Augusta, Maine or at the bidder's facilities, or may consist of observing operations at another location, as approved by the Board. The Board’s Evaluation Committee is limited to travel in North America for any such demonstrations.
It is not required that every software and hardware item in the proposed configuration already be operational in some customer setting; however, the Board does not intend to accept proposed configuration items that are at the specifications or prototype stage only. Products bid must have been satisfactorily tested and be in production or ready for production and delivery to customers.
Products that are not demonstrable may subject the bidder's proposal to rejection.
B. Specified, Invited and Offered Options
Specified Options identified in this RFP are those that the bidder must provide a response to, but that the Board is not obligated to acquire as a result of an award. Failure to submit a response for a Specified Option may subject the proposal to rejection.
Invited Options identified in this RFP are those that the bidder may provide a response to, but a response is not mandatory. The Board is not obligated to acquire Invited Options as a result of an award. The inclusion of Invited Options in a proposal may indicate the corporate capability of a bidder in the proposal evaluation.
Offered Options are not identified in this RFP but may be identified by the bidder and included in the proposal. The Board is not obligated to acquire Offered Options as a result of an award and makes no commitment to a quantity or timing for acquisition of Offered Options. Evaluation of the proposal may or may not be favorably influenced by the inclusion of Offered Options.
Options may or may not be accompanied by additional costs, but if so, the bidder must separately itemize such costs in its Cost Proposal and must identify in its Technical Proposal whether the option will have a separate cost impact beyond baseline costs. See this RFP, Part IV, Section B, Subsections III and II, respectively.
C. Mandatory and Desirable
All specifications of the proposal shall be considered mandatory unless specifically associated with language that indicates the item is not mandatory. Certain items, that is, a feature or capability of the system, may be noted as Desirable. These items are not mandatory but failure to respond positively in a proposal will result in a lesser score than for an equal proposal that does respond favorably.
D. Specifications to be Addressed in the Technical Proposal
This section provides specific instructions relative to the technical portion of a bidder’s Response to the RFP, to be referred to herein as its “Technical Proposal”. Submission of a Technical Proposal that adheres in its organization and numbering to that in this Part II, Section D, Specifications to be Addressed in the Technical Proposal (“Specifications”) of the RFP is required as it will facilitate the accurate mapping by the Evaluation Committee of a bidder’s Response to the RFP and assist in ensuring a fair and uniform review process.
• Proprietary or Confidential Information. The Technical Proposal shall clearly identify any information that is claimed to be proprietary or confidential throughout the text and shall in addition incorporate at the beginning of the Technical Proposal a summary of the responsive sections claimed to be proprietary or confidential. If applicable, corresponding references should be included in the bidder’s Cost Proposal.
• Executive Summary. The Technical Proposal shall include an Executive Summary. This Summary shall identify with specificity any exceptions or deviations from the terms, conditions and requirements enumerated in this Specifications section of the RFP. If there are no exceptions or deviations, the bidder shall so state.
1. General Overview
Prior legislation enabled the State of Maine to authorize the operation of 3,000 slot machines located at two Licensed Facilities in the City of Bangor and Town of Oxford. The legislation, as amended, prescribes casino gaming to include slot machine gaming and includes the opportunity for progressive jackpots within a Licensed Facility and on a wide-area basis. During the contract lifetime both the number of Licensed Facilities and the number of approved slot machines and gaming devices may evolve.
The system specifications enumerated in this Specifications section are minimum technical standards that must be met. For purposes of this RFP, the ability to communicate with, authenticate the electronic signature of, and report with regard to a slot machine shall include a server based or server supported slot machine. As a result, the ability to enroll a server based or server supported slot machine shall be construed as a Specified Option that is Mandatory for purposes of this RFP.
The Specifications are not, however, intended to limit the use of state of the art gaming devices or central system technology for monitoring slot machine operations. In the context of this RFP, the Board is also interested in finding out as much as possible about each bidder’s available features and/or capabilities, whether or not available through the central system it currently utilizes or included in the Specifications section of this RFP. To that end, the bidder is invited to include in its Technical Proposal a comprehensive understanding of whether, and to what extent, the proposed CSMS has the ability to:
a. Communicate with, and to monitor, authenticate the electronic signature of, and report with regard to any other form of electronic gaming device to include a skill based game;
b. Communicate with, and to monitor, authenticate the electronic signature of, and report with regard to an electronic gaming device ancillary to a table game;
c. Communicate with, and to monitor, authenticate the electronic signature of, and report with regard to any other recent or future innovations in gaming, including internet/online gaming, mobile gaming and esports (meaning competitive video gaming); and
d. Aggregate transactions on a per player basis for purposes of monitoring compliance with currency transaction and suspicious activity reporting requirements.
Subsections 1(a) through (d) shall be construed as Invited Options that are Desirable for purposes of this RFP.
For purposes of the Technical Proposal, new technology, for example with regard to progressive slot machines, server based or supported slot machines or skill based games, should be addressed whether or not that technology is offered by a slot machine distributor currently licensed in Maine or authorized in Maine.
2. General Hardware and System Specifications
a. Overall Architecture for Initial Phase
Any CSMS proposed in response to this RFP shall include, but not be limited to, the software and hardware comprising:
i. A primary production system located in accordance with this RFP;
ii. A secondary “hot” back-up system located in accordance with this RFP;
iii. An Operations Center/test environment for use by the Board located in accordance with this RFP, equipped with an exact replica of the primary production system for use by the Department and other authorized persons;
iv. A segregated online/near-line data back-up capability at a designated offsite location;
v. Management terminals and connectivity for two (2) Licensed Facilities and the Operations Center as specified in this RFP; and
vi. A secure wide area communication network that will connect all slot machines and their controllers operated therein to the primary production system and secondary hot back-secondary system as described more fully in this RFP.
b. System Schematics, Diagrams and Descriptions
The Technical Proposal shall include system schematics and block diagrams, along with a general overview statement with regard to the proposed CSMS. This overview statement shall describe in detail:
i. The CSMS configuration and redundancy;
ii. The operating system the CSMS runs on and provide an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing that platform;
iii. The open communications protocols that the CSMS supports to include a list of jurisdictions currently authorizing use of these protocols and types and brands of slot machines supported by these protocols;
iv. How the CSMS is connected to each individual slot machine and the various scenarios under which slot machines can and will be disabled and the exact methods to be employed to disable a slot machine;
v. How progressive and participation games are handled by the CSMS, to include meter management and reporting;
vi. Overall asset tracking and management capabilities to include what information regarding each asset can be tracked by the CSMS with specific reference to the ability to capture service history, costs, depreciation, hardware inventory and location; and
vii. Available accounting and performance reports that are standard for the CSMS.
c. Operating Costs
Both the Technical Proposal, and its corresponding Cost Proposal, must contemplate the successful bidder bearing all costs associated with, and sole responsibility for:
i. Design, development, provision, implementation, operation, staffing and maintenance of the CSMS.
ii. All primary and back-up CSMS components to include, but not be limited to, secure communication lines, system components and peripheral equipment including slot machine controllers, all relevant environmental controls and equipment other than those environmental controls contractually allocated to the Board or a Licensed Facility, servers, front end communications processor(s), printers and drives;
iii. All equipment and communications lines necessary to securely connect the CSMS to each Licensed Facility, the primary production CSMS, the secondary CSMS, the Operations Center and the segregated data back-up location;
iv. All equipment and communication lines at each Licensed Facility and at the Operations Center necessary to effect secure communications with the primary production and secondary CSMS, the segregated data back-up location; each slot floor and each slot machine controller operated thereon;
v. An exact replica of the primary production CSMS to include all equipment, peripherals and communication capabilities necessary to facilitate a secure test environment for acceptance testing of the CSMS and interoperability testing by the Board, by and through the successful bidder, between the CSMS and slot machines including controllers and emulation equipment;
vi. All cabling infrastructure, to include installation, termination and testing, within each Licensed Facility:
I. From the CSMS IDF to the point of entry into the Licensed Facility.
II. From the CSMS IDF to each bank of slot machines;
III. From each slot machine controller to each slot machine;
IV. From the CSMS IDF to designated back offices (i.e. accounting) in each Licensed Facility for purposes of invoicing and designated Board offices in each Licensed Facility for purposes of audit and compliance testing;
V. From each Licensed Facility to the primary and secondary CSMS, as well as the Operations Center and segregated back-up location;
vii. Resolving any telecommunication network problems and/or repairs that involve wiring or devices used to connect slot machines or other gaming devices to the CSMS;
viii. The maintenance of on line or near line data back up in a secure location remote from both the primary production and secondary sites sufficient to support the full CSMS without loss or corruption of data; and
ix. Any other costs or equipment consistent with the successful bidder bearing all costs associated with, and sole responsibility for, the CSMS contemplated by this RFP.
d. Scope of The Initial Phase
The Technical Proposal shall address the scope of the initial phase of the CSMS installation that is to include, at a minimum:
i. The ability to accommodate two (2) Licensed Facilities with at least 3,000 slot machines;
ii. The ability to expeditiously scale out the CSMS to accommodate additional Licensed Facilities or the need for additional system capacity;
iii. The ability to accommodate, at no additional cost to the Board, an expansion in the number of slot machines to be connected to the CSMS;
iv. The ability to expeditiously enroll in the CSMS, at any time during the pendency of the contract and at no additional cost to the Board, any type or brand of slot machine or electronic gaming device that is certified by an independent testing laboratory authorized to perform testing and certification of slot machines for Maine as compliant with Board approved technical standards; and
v. A commitment on the part of the successful bidder that where a slot machine or gaming device is certified by an independent testing laboratory as compliant with Maine’s technical standards, but cannot be enrolled in the CSMS because the CSMS cannot communicate with or otherwise monitor, authenticate and/or report with regard to that slot machine or gaming device, that the successful bidder shall immediately notify both the Director and the slot machine distributor in writing that the slot machine or gaming device cannot be successfully enrolled in the CSMS. Concurrent with that notice, the successful bidder shall undertake, at its own expense, a modification of the then existing version of the CSMS to facilitate the enrollment of the certified slot machine or gaming device. Unless otherwise consented to in writing by the Board, such modification shall be complete within ninety (90) days of the date of the successful bidder’s notice to the Director that the slot machine or gaming device could not be enrolled in the CSMS.
e. Infrastructure and Data Security
No cloud storage of data shall be permitted unless expressly authorized in writing by the Board. Accordingly, any cloud storage proposed must be identified with specificity in the Technical Proposal and a concise justification for it advanced therein by the bidder.
As the CSMS will store, process and transmit data it is expected that this data will be secured in a manner that is consistent with best practices for protecting infrastructure and data, for example NIST SP 800-53, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 or Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard v 3.2 (collective a “Standard”). A bidder’s Technical Proposal shall address development, submission for Board approval and implementation of a comprehensive infrastructure and data security plan covering all data states – at rest, in use and in motion. The Technical Proposal should generally outline the infrastructure and security plan and should further establish the Standard the bidder has elected to most closely emulate and how and why the proposed security plan is substantially consistent with the core elements of that Standard. At a minimum, the Technical Proposal shall address:
i. Business Impact Analysis;
ii. Risks, Threat and Vulnerability Analysis;
iii. Security Strategy;
iv. Personnel Security Practices;
v. Physical Security (see Section D(2)(j));
vi. Data Security;
vii. Telecommunications (VPN, WAN, LAN) Operational and Physical Security;
viii. Telecommunications (VPN, WAN, LAN) Access Security;
ix. Protection of Software and Material covered by copywrite;
x. Plan Evaluation;
xi. Security/Awareness Training; and
xii. Plan Maintenance Responsibility.
The Board shall require the successful bidder to seek formal Board approval for a detailed infrastructure and data security plan consistent with this subsection no less than ninety (90) days prior to the commencement of CSMS operations and, once approved by the Board, shall require the plan to be reviewed and resubmitted annually for Board approval.
f. Location and Configuration of the Primary Central Site Monitoring System
The primary production CSMS shall be located within Maine with the exception that it may not be located at a Licensed Facility. The Board can make available space for computer equipment and operations in facilities operated by the Department. Other possibilities include, but are not limited to, another State-controlled facility, a leased third-party facility, or an existing data center of the successful bidder. The primary production site shall be:
i. Compliant with all State and local building codes, laws, and rules and the successful bidder shall obtain all proper permits and inspections;
ii. Located in a secure area with controlled access, no visible identifiers and under video surveillance at all times with live feed to the Director as approved by the Board;
iii. Staffed by the successful bidder on a 24 x 7 basis, every day of the year;
iv. Be available remotely;
v. Be equipped with the ability to capture and record all logins and to maintain such login information in a manner that makes it immediately accessible to the Board; and
vi. Be covered by a disaster recovery plan, designed and implemented by the successful bidder in a manner consistent with gaming best practices and this RFP and subject to a routine test schedule, both of which are satisfactory to the Board.
The location, design, layout, staffing and security of the primary production site shall require the pre-approval of the Board. Accordingly, the Technical Proposal shall provide a comprehensive description of the proposed location, its site layout and design, staffing, and the physical security of the location where the current CSMS is located or provide details with regard to a proposed new facility. With the authorization of the Board, potential bidders may tour its existing CSMS locations.
g. Location and Configuration of the Secondary Site
The loss of communications between slot machines and the CSMS implies the potential loss of financial data, security, and operational integrity oversight by the Board. Under the loss of the CSMS, slot machines including progressive games may have to cease playing, resulting in significant revenue loss for both the Licensed Facility and the State of Maine as well as player dissatisfaction. These are unacceptable consequences. Accordingly, an extended outage of the CSMS is associated with liquidated damages and bidders are required to provide fault tolerance for the CSMS by allowing for a failover to a secondary site.
The secondary CSMS site shall, at a minimum:
i. Be a fully redundant “hot” back-up secondary site, meaning for the purposes of this RFP that the back up is an operating system which receives a mirror image of all transactions on a real-time basis from the primary production system and is capable of automatically taking over processing in the event of a failure at the primary production site with minimal disruption in service and no loss or corruption of data;
ii. Be configured with two computers – a master system and a duplex system with no shared peripherals and shall employ the latest storage technologies to protect key data and ensure the availability of the most recent transactions and historical data;
iii. Have the same transaction processing capacity, system architecture, environmental controls and security features as the primary production site with no single point of failure and be routed to each Licensed Facility and the Operations Center so as to facilitate the availability at the secondary site of the same capabilities available at the primary production site;
iv. Be available remotely;
v. Be staffed by the successful bidder on a 24 x 7 basis, every day of the year;
vi. Be located within the State of Maine, no less than twenty-five (25) miles from the primary production site or a distance that reasonably minimizes the impact of hurricane, flood or local communications failures, whichever is greater;
vii. Be configured with a wide area network that has a routing mechanism independent of the primary production site so that the back up site can be reached without the primary production site;
viii. Be equipped with the ability to capture and record all logins and to maintain such login information in a manner that makes it immediately accessible to the Board;
ix. Be covered by a disaster recovery plan, designed and implemented by the successful bidder in a manner consistent with gaming best practices and this RFP and subject to a routine test schedule, both of which are satisfactory to the Board.
x. Be compliant with all State and local building codes, laws, and rules and the successful bidder shall obtain all proper permits and inspections; and
xi. Be located in a secure area with controlled access, no visible identifiers and shall be under video surveillance at all times.
The Board reserves the right to negotiate the recommended backup plan with the successful bidder.
The location, design, layout, staffing and security of the secondary site shall require the pre-approval of the Board. Accordingly, the Technical Proposal shall provide a comprehensive description of all requirements identified herein and acknowledge compliance with same. In addition, the Technical Proposal shall address with specificity:
i. The proposed location of the proposed back up secondary system.
ii. The fault tolerance built into the system with regard to communications between (1) the slot machines and controllers at each Licensed Facility and the CSMS and (2) between the CSMS and each management terminal required pursuant to the RFP.
iii. The failover and fallback procedures to be followed in the event of a failure or disaster, the transfer of control to the secondary site and recovery by the primary production site.
iv. The Recovery Time Objectives contemplated, meaning that the Technical Proposal shall specify the maximum tolerable length of time (measured in minutes/hours/ days) that the primary CSMS could be down after a failure or disaster.
v. The Recovery Point Objectives contemplated, meaning that the Technical Proposal shall specify the back-up intervals and, as a corollary, the maximum tolerable length of time (measured in hours/minutes) for which data might be lost following a failure or disaster.
h. Location and Configuration of the Board’s Operations Center
It is intended that the Operations Center serve as a dedicated interoperability and testing laboratory. The Operations Center shall be:
i. Separately located within the Department’s offices at 45 Commerce Drive, Suite 3, Augusta, Maine and available to Board personnel at all times;
ii. Equipped with an exact replica of the computer systems and software comprising the primary production system and have all the same combinations of equipment, environmental controls, and system capabilities including all communication channels to allow any testing of the CSMS and related hardware and software;
iii. Equipped as required to serve the intended purpose in a comfortable, user friendly environment to include hardware and software, controllers or their functional equivalent and emulation equipment provided by each approved manufacturer;
iv. Equipped with electrical and network connections sufficient to support all equipment to be tested;
v. Compliant with all State and local building codes, laws, and rules and the successful bidder shall obtain all proper permits and inspections; and
vi. Located in a secure area with controlled access, no visible identifiers and shall be under video surveillance at all times with live feed to the Director as approved by the Board;
The location, design, layout, staffing and security of the Operations Center shall require the pre-approval of the Board. Accordingly, the Technical Proposal shall provide a comprehensive description of all requirements identified herein.
i. Segregated On Line or Near Line Data Back-Up
The Technical Proposal shall contemplate the maintenance of on line or near line data back up in a secure location remote from both the primary production and secondary sites sufficient to support the full CSMS without loss or corruption of data. A bidder’s Technical Proposal shall incorporate only system to system data transportation via a secure and reliable method which requires all data, at rest, in use or in motion, to be encrypted utilizing SSL, TLS or other widely accepted encryption mechanism satisfactory to the Board. Proprietary encryption may not be utilized. Data storage protocols shall provide for a complete audit trail with regard to the generation, transportation, retention and destruction of back up data, which information shall be immediately available to the Board or Director upon demand.
The location and specifications for this segregated data back-up shall require the pre-approval of the Board. Accordingly, the Technical Proposal shall provide a comprehensive description of all requirements identified herein.
j. Physical Security
The Technical Proposal must demonstrate that the bidder intends to exercise best efforts to minimize the risk of data compromise due to physical break-in or unauthorized access to equipment and data. The bidder shall detail in its Technical Proposal the protective measures to be implemented with regard to all computing resources whether residing at the primary production site, the back-up secondary site, the Board’s Operations Center, within a Licensed Facility or in the segregated secure location utilized for data back-up (collectively “CSMS Locations”). The physical security protocols to be employed with regard to each CSMS Location shall include, at a minimum:
i. The imposition of twenty-four (24) hours per day access restrictions which limit access on an authorized person, as well as a restricted area, basis pursuant to an access control matrix documenting name and access level for the personnel of the successful bidder, Board and Department personnel and other Board authorized persons. This matrix must be approved in writing by the Board prior to the commencement of CSMS operations, prior to any modification referenced in Subsection (viii) below, and reauthorized on a monthly basis thereafter. The access protocols shall require that the successful bidder routinely review the Board authorized access control matrix and provide the Board, at least once per month, with a current access control matrix for its reauthorization.
ii. Incorporation of structural and design features that assist in the control of access such as the placement of windows and duct work and the avoidance of false ceilings;
iii. Control of the entrance to each computer room and IDF by card reader/proximity smart card or other form of electronic lock satisfactory to the Board with access history data maintained for a minimum of forth-five (45) days.
iv. Continuous coverage of the entrance to each computer room and IDF by fixed surveillance cameras that, at the option of the surveillance plan designer, may be supplemented by PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras. All cameras in the surveillance plan, whether fixed or PTZ, shall be supplied and monitored by the successful bidder and shall generate 30 FPS time/date recordings which are maintained by the successful bidder for a minimum of forth-five (45) days or such extended period as shall be specified by the Board.
v. Documentation of access to each computer room and IDF in an access log that it is maintained electronically, and equipped with change track software, or in a tamper proof copybook satisfactory to the Board. Access by persons not covered by the Board approved access control matrix referenced in Subsection (i) above shall be limited to persons who have made a formal request to the Board for authorization to enter a specific CSMS Location and been granted same in writing. Persons not cited in the access control matrix that are granted access by the Board shall be escorted at all times by a representative of the successful bidder while in a CSMS Location;
vi. Monitoring of entry and access control points to CSMS Locations sited within a Licensed Facility by the respective Security Departments of each Licensed Facility;
vii. Equipping all doors and windows, if any, with self-closing and self-locking mechanisms;
viii. Obligating the successful bidder to provide the Board with notice and to obtain the Board’s authorization prior to the addition of personnel with access privileges, a change of assignment precipitating a change in the person’s access privileges, or the termination of personnel authorized access and to coordinate with the Board the required change in the access control matrix;
ix. Installation of, monitoring and maintenance by, the successful bidder of physical intrusion detection devices at all entrances/exits to CSMS Locations which shall be operational on a 24x7 basis, every day of the year. The successful bidder shall notify the Board immediately in writing of any unauthorized access or intrusion; and
x. Acknowledgement by the successful bidder that authorized personnel or agents of the Board may, at any time, inspect all CSMS Locations to, among other purposes, assess the security and operational compliance maintained by the successful bidder and may interview the successful bidder’s personnel or subcontractors in conjunction with any review, audit or investigation deemed necessary by the Board.
k. Environmental Controls and Supplemental Power Supply
The Technical Proposal must demonstrate the bidder’s intent to adhere to state of the art environmental standards for data centers and to maintain same in good working order at no additional cost to the Board. Accordingly, the primary production system, secondary system, the Board’s Operation’s Center and segregated back-up location shall be housed in facilities:
i. Constructed and/or equipped with comprehensive fire detection, suppression and automatic fire extinguishing systems;
ii. Constructed and/or equipped with the ability to monitor and optimally regulate temperature and humidity;
iii. Constructed and/or equipped with the ability to monitor and optimally regulate static electricity;
iv. Subject to comprehensive physical security and surveillance monitoring plans.
v. Compliant with all State and Local building codes, laws and rules applicable to computer facilities/data processing centers. The successful bidder shall obtain and provide the Board with evidence of the issuance of all required permits.
vi. Constructed in compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Publication No. 75, Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment 2017 Edition.
vii. Constructed and/or equipped with fire detection, fire suppression and automatic fire extinguishing systems of sufficient capacity to protect the computer and telecommunications equipment housed therein. Fire suppression shall be via a FM-200 or equivalent fixed nozzle distribution network, designed and installed in accordance with both NFPA Standard 2001, Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems 2015 Edition, as amended or supplemented and any applicable State Fire Marshall standards.
viii. Constructed and/or equipped with failure detection sensors or mechanisms related to smoke, air conditioning, temperature, moisture and humidity with auto alert capabilities associated with each.
ix. Constructed and/or equipped with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with, at a minimum, 150% of the capacity necessary to sustain all hardware, environmental controls, equipment, communications and lighting required to conduct full capacity operations for an extended period of time. The Technical Proposal must specify the contemplated run time for each location, meaning the number of minutes that the proposed UPS will be able to provide power from the battery, for a specified load level, measured in volt-amps (VA).
l. Management Terminals
The successful bidder must supply at a minimum at least nine (9) management terminals that access the CSMS over secured data communications paths: one (1) management terminal in the state office at the Licensed Facility in Oxford, one (1) management terminal in the state office at the Licensed Facility in Bangor, one (1) management terminal at the Board’s Operations Center, one (1) management terminal located in the Executive Director’s office, One (1) in the main office area of the Gambling Control Unit within the Department, two (2) management terminals at the primary product site and two (2) management terminals at the secondary site. All user interfaces must allow the Board and Gambling Control Unit personnel to receive displays, messages, notifications, alarms, reports, and files indicating proceeds, important conditions and exceptions, jackpot pool contributions, and major wins as assigned by the Executive Director. For purposes of its Technical Proposal, the bidder must provide detailed specifications for these management terminals and enumerate the subject matter of the specific displays, messages, notifications, alarms, reports, and files that will be available to the Board and Gambling Control Unit.
m. CSMS to Interface with Operator’s CMS
The CSMS shall be designed to operate in parallel with a separate casino management system and related peripherals/modules provided at a Licensed Facility by its Casino Operator. These peripherals may include, but are not limited to, slot accounting, cashless wagering, player tracking, promotions, marketing, loyalty and casino floor management programs. The interface of the CSMS with these systems at a Licensed Facility may not, however, exclude or modify the operation of the CSMS, or provide filtered meter or operational data to the CSMS. Regardless of the capacity or capabilities of an Operator’s system(s), the Technical Proposal must establish that the CSMS incorporates transaction recording and accounting capacity in all areas covered by this RFP including, but not limited to, Part II, Section D(2)(w), Collection of Accounting Information from Slot Machines.
n. Slot Machine Controllers
The CSMS shall interface with slot machines through slot machine controller units or through such other methods as approved by the Board. Any slot machine controllers or functionally equivalent components shall reside in a secured location at each Licensed Facility subject to written internal controls covering the security of, and access to, each controller or functionally equivalent component which are developed by the successful bidder and jointly implemented by the successful bidder and the Licensed Facility. These internal controls shall be detailed in the Technical Proposal and approved by the Board prior to the commencement of CSMS operations.
The successful bidder must provide for the wiring and communications protocols that will allow this interface, providing both wide area communications and communications local to each Licensed Facility. The successful bidder must conduct such coordination and agreements with slot manufacturers, distributors, and operators as will enable this interface. While the Licensed Facilities are responsible for acquiring slot machines, associated equipment and related gambling services, the Board will approve for enrollment in the CSMS only those slot machines and gaming devices that have been registered with the Board, approved by the Board and successfully interoperability tested by the Board with the CSMS.
The Technical Proposal submitted in response to the RFP shall describe with specificity how the bidder will accommodate an expansion in the number of slot machines or controller units enrolled in the CSMS and/or the addition of additional Licensed Facilities.
At the end of the contract established as a result of this RFP, the installed wiring/cabling and Licensed Facility equipment and its software provided by the successful bidder shall become the property of the Board and/or its designee(s). If needed, an assignable perpetual license to use the equipment, software, and the proposed communications protocol must be granted at no additional cost for the Board’s continued use.
At the conclusion of its current contract, certain equipment and software installed by the current CSMS vendor shall become the property of the Board and/or its designee(s). This equipment and software is enumerated in Exhibit 1 of this RFP and may be available for use by the successful bidder on this RFP. Where necessary, the Board shall make available at no cost to the successful bidder a license to utilize any hold over equipment or software provided that the bidder’s Technical Proposal establishes, to the satisfaction of the Board, that any hold over wiring/cabling, racks, UPS capability or other equipment which the bidder contemplates retaining is sufficiently current and suitable for use with a state of the art CSMS.
o. Operating Hours
The Technical Proposal must establish that the proposed CSMS:
i. Is capable of ensuring that slot machine play occurs only at scheduled times. Play must be supportable on a 24 x 7 basis, every day of the year; and
ii. Allows the database to be backed up and end-of-day reporting to be generated without shutting down the CSMS or slot operations or impacting the accessibility of the database.
p. New and Unused Equipment
The Technical Proposal must certify that all proposed components including, but not limited to, processing hardware, software, networking connections, and diagnostic equipment are new, unused and, where appropriate, properly registered with the manufacturer. The versions of all equipment and components proposed must be of current manufacture and fully supported by the manufacturer.
q. Certification of the CSMS; Acceptance Testing; Interoperability Testing; Modifications
A bidder’s Technical Proposal shall acknowledge that the following testing and certification requirements shall apply to the CSMS as well as the prototype of any slot machine or other form of gaming device approved by the Board for enrollment in the CSMS. The bidder shall further acknowledge the obligation of a successful bidder to allocate sufficient and qualified staff to participate with Board staff or its designee in timely conducted acceptance testing as well as in interoperability testing on behalf of the Board.
i. Certification Testing. The Board shall require that the CSMS be tested and certified by an independent testing laboratory authorized to perform testing and certification of slot machines for Maine (GLI and BMM). At a minimum, the certification issued to the Board shall establish that the CSMS complies with 8 MRSA 31, including, but not limited to, Sections 1004 and 1020, the Specifications enumerated in Part II, Section D of this RFP, the terms and conditions of the awarded Proposal and with all applicable GLI Technical Standards including, but not limited to, the relevant provisions of GLI 13, On-line Monitoring and Control Systems v. 2.1 and GLI 21, Client-Server Systems v 2.2. A successful bidder must cooperate in timely submission of its CSMS for testing. Failure of a successful bidder to have its CSMS timely certified as compliant as specified herein may result in the successful bidder paying liquidated damages or forfeiting up to the full amount of the performance bond. All costs of testing and certification, including but not limited to, any third-party expenses or travel expenses of the Board associated with testing and certification, shall be borne by the successful bidder.
ii. Acceptance Testing. Once the CSMS is certified as compliant by an independent testing laboratory in accordance with this Subsection, and an exact replica of the primary production CSMS is available in a secure test environment in the Board’s Operations Center, the Board and/or its designee shall conduct a series of acceptance tests to evaluate the CSMS’s ability to meet the needs of the Board and to comply with both the Specifications enumerated in Part II, Section D of this RFP and the terms and conditions of the awarded Proposal. The cooperation of a successful bidder in acceptance testing is required, and the successful bidder shall allocate to this task such sufficient and qualified staff as is necessary to assist the Board or its designee in the completion of such testing. Failure of a successful bidder to timely pass these acceptance tests may result in the successful bidder paying liquidated damages or forfeiting up to the full amount of the performance bond. The scope of acceptance testing, including the test script(s) and test environment, shall be developed jointly by the Board and the successful bidder and shall include, at a minimum, testing of slot accounting and transaction recording functionalities, electronic signature verification, enabling/disabling of slot machines, floor shutoff and event notification. The Board, in the exercise of its sole discretion, shall determine the final scope of any acceptance testing and shall be the final arbiter as to whether the test results are construed as a “pass”. All costs of acceptance testing, including but not limited to, any third-party expenses or travel expenses of the Board associated with acceptance testing, shall be borne by the successful bidder.
iii. Interoperability Testing. As a condition precedent to Board approval and enrollment in the CSMS, a slot machine distributor shall submit a prototype of a slot machine, slot controller, progressive controller or other gaming device to the Board for interoperability testing. The successful bidder shall perform interoperability testing on behalf of the Board in the Operations Center and shall allocate to this task such sufficient and qualified staff as is necessary to expeditiously complete such testing. The Operations Center shall be fully equipped to perform interoperability testing in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. All costs of interoperability testing, including but not limited to, any third-party expenses or travel expenses of the Board associated with interoperability testing, shall be borne by the slot machine distributor.
The Board will approve delivery of slot machines, other gaming devices and/or software for acceptance testing and interoperability testing from submissions by licensed slot machine distributors and/or manufacturers on the Universal Shipping Application and Record, Forms 2200 and 2201, as amended or supplemented.
iv. Modifications to the CSMS. A successful bidder shall not modify any component of the CSMS without the prior written approval of the Board including a modification correcting a condition for which liquidated damages were imposed or a modification to facilitate enrollment in the CSMS in accordance with Part II, Section D (2)(d)(v), Scope of The Initial Phase. A condition precedent to the Board’s approval shall be issuance to the Board of a certification report by an independent testing laboratory authorized to perform testing and certification of slot machines in Maine establishing that the CSMS, as modified, continues to comply with 8 MRSA 31, including but not limited to Sections 1004 and 1020, the Specifications enumerated in Part II, Section D of this RFP, the terms and conditions of the awarded Proposal and with all applicable GLI Technical Standards including, but not limited to, the relevant provisions of GLI 13, On-line Monitoring and Control Systems v. 2.1 and GLI 21, Client-Server Systems v 2.2. Installation of a certified and Board approved modification to the CSMS shall be subject to the successful conclusion of such acceptance testing as the Board shall, in its sole discretion, deem appropriate.
v. Modifications to Slot Machines. Modifications to slot machines shall be processed in accordance with 16-633 C.M.R. ch. 19, §1 with the addition of the interoperability testing required in connection with the CSMS.
r. Communications with the CSMS and Network
The successful bidder’s system must tie together the participating devices and systems with communications circuits and associated services. The RFP permits certain freedoms for the use of specific communications media, bandwidths, and protocols, thus a variety of solutions may be offered.
The Technical Proposal submitted by the bidder shall document the approaches and methods to be employed in satisfaction of the following requirements relative to communications with the CSMS and/or the Network.
i. Slot, Controller, and Display Communications. The successful bidder’s CSMS shall operate using real-time communications. Slot machines at the Licensed Facilities are expected to communicate with the CSMS through a local slot controller or functionally equivalent software. Signs for the banks of progressive terminals must also be updated based on real-time messages relayed over data communications from the CSMS. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall describe the communications approach, including all node devices, circuits, protocols, security and internal control procedures related to access;
ii. Board Management Terminals. The CSMS must communicate with the management terminals required for the Board and gambling Control Unit use pursuant to this RFP. The management terminals shall be provided by the successful bidder to the Board. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall describe the communications approach, including all node devices, circuits, protocols, security and internal control procedures related to access;
iii. Licensed Facility Management Terminals. The CSMS must communicate with the management terminals required at each Licensed Facility. The management terminals shall be provided by the successful bidder. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall describe the communications approach, including all node devices, circuits, protocols, security and internal control procedures related to access;
iv. Primary and Backup Site Communications. The primary, secondary, Board’s Operations Center and the off site segregated backup CSMS sites must maintain connectivity for time synchronization and control purposes with synchronization tied to a well documented NTP server. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall describe with specificity how this will be achieved;
v. Access Restrictions. There shall be no capacity to dial into, have access over the public Internet to, or otherwise have access or control of, any device in the network without the Board’s approval. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall describe in detail the remote access protocols it would propose adhering to in the context of a request to the Board for such access;
vi. Encryption. All communications to and from the CSMS that run external to a security-controlled environment must be encrypted for security coverage from point of transmission to point of receipt. SSL, TLS or other widely accepted encryption mechanism satisfactory to the Board are acceptable, proprietary encryption may not be utilized. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall describe in detail its proposed encryption methods which are subject to review and approval by the Board; and
vii. Network Testing and Monitoring. The successful bidder must provide for a separate, industry standard network monitoring system for nodes on the network participating in the CSMS. All testing or monitoring equipment must be state-of-the-art and suitable for use in a business environment. All testing shall be conducted at the sole expense of the successful bidder. The network monitoring system shall be accessible to the Board in real time and shall provide a single screen graphical display of the status of all WAN and LAN equipment on the network. Communications test and monitor capability must be available at both the primary and secondary sites. Visual, audible, e-mail and SMS alerts must be incorporated to provide a warning as to problems or compromises and the system must be able to determine whether a failure has occurred at a primary or secondary site, within the WAN or at a Licensed Facility down to the slot machine level. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall describe in detail its proposed network monitoring system, including escalation procedures and acknowledge that the equipment and protocols are subject to Board review and approval prior to installation.
s. Fault Tolerance for Communications with the CSMS
The loss of communications between slot machines and controllers and the CSMS jeopardizes regulatory oversight of slot machines. Progressive play may have to cease, causing revenue reduction and player dissatisfaction. Thus, it is required that the bidder’s Technical Proposal demonstrates fault tolerance features for communications from the controllers at the Licensed Facilities to the CSMS. Similarly, communications from the CSMS to the management terminals must be fault tolerant.
The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall detail how the bidder would handle any communications failure that would isolate the CSMS from other elements of the system. In specific, the Technical Proposal shall address:
i. The alarms and monitoring devices that are to be in place to automatically alert the successful bidder and the Board in the event the CSMS goes down. The Technical Proposal shall describe in detail the detection methods to be employed and the notice and escalation procedures to be applied when alerting the Board;
ii. How, at the direction of the Board, the CSMS shall be able to immediately cease or commence slot machine activity by disabling or enabling an individual slot machine, groups of slot machines on a per controller basis or all slot machines on a casino floor. In specific, the bidder shall describe in detail execution of both shutdown and start up commands via the system and manually. The CSMS shall have the ability to disable and enable slot machines on both a Licensed Facility and system wide basis with a single command for each type;
iii. The CSMS’s ability to automatically resume processing as soon as communication between the CSMS and a slot machine is restored without any loss of data;
iv. The CSMS’s ability to provide a warning on a per slot machine basis when polled meters are outside of expected parameters. In specific, the Technical Proposal shall detail how threshold settings are established, are modified and are configured;
v. Provision of a single point of entry for all management functions from a secure browser on the Board’s WAN and VPN;
vi. The CSMS’s ability to accept and process adjustments to include specification of the dollar amount, explanation for the adjustment, authorization protocols (supervisor required) and documentation as to the persons initiating ad confirming the adjustment. The CSMS shall be designed with a single screen for meter adjustments that allows all adjustments to meters to be made on a single screen;
vii. The ability of the CSMS to allow slot machines to continue to operate after a loss of communication via collection and storage of data by slot controllers. The period of coverage is to be specified but shall not be less than seventy-two (72) hours, and the failover and failback processes detailed. Prior Board authorization shall be required; and
viii. The CSMS’s response time to requests for reauthorization during a power up or power recovery, which should not exceed five (5) minutes; and
ix. The manual intervention process to be employed by the successful bidder where a slot machine does not respond or fails to communicate accurately with the CSMS, including communications and coordination with the Board and the Licensed Facility.
Inaccessibility of the Central Site Monitoring System due to communication outages is associated with liquidated damages.
t. Standard Communications Protocols
This RFP mandates the use of communications protocols that are widely-used in the gaming industry and openly available, for example, SAS or GSA industry standard protocols G2S and S2S. The use of proprietary communication protocols are prohibited as it is the desire of the Board that the protocols not be restrictive or limiting of any brand or type of slot machine or electronic gaming device that is, or can reasonably be expected to be, certified as compliant with Maine’s technical standards by an independent testing laboratory authorized to perform testing and certification of slot machines for Maine. The bidder’s Technical Proposal shall detail all communication protocols that their system supports and provide a list of manufactures and game types currently utilizing the protocols.
The successful bidder shall assist the Board in providing slot machine manufacturers and distributors with the CSMS protocol documentation necessary to enable the respective manufacturer's slot machines and gaming devices to communicate with the CSMS. The protocol for the management terminals must also be standard in the gaming industry and openly available. A low-level protocol may be encapsulated in another standard protocol for transport.
u. Software Control Features
The software used in the CSMS must be designed and operated to provide a secure environment. In its Technical Proposal, the bidder shall detail its software’s specific approach to each of the following requirements.
i. Event Recording. All game processing activities, including play, winning events, other play-related transactions, other system commands, error conditions and operating system messages shall be recorded immediately so that these data are available to update the jackpot amounts and maintain records of play. Events to be logged include the use of the management terminals and access to any external VPN.
ii. Unique Addresses. It shall not be possible to access and duplicate system communication addresses such that an unknown and/or unauthorized device could assume the identity of an approved device or system.
iii. Access to Data. Access to data and programs must be highly restricted so that they are not accessible to unauthorized personnel. The CSMS must utilize an access control system, consistent with Part II, D(2)(j)(i) and (viii), that:
• Prohibits shared user accounts;
• Has the ability to assign users to groups and to assign privileges by group;
• After three (3) unsuccessful log-on attempts will lock out the user and require a reset of a password;
• Mandates a complex password that expires at forth-five (45) day intervals;
• Requires, in the event of an administrator’s reset of a user’s password, that the user be obligated to change that password upon the next login;
• Enables the successful bidder’s administrator to deactivate/archive users from the system;
• Captures, at a minimum, the user ID, user name, sign-on date/time, IP address and an indicator as to whether the login was successful or unsuccessful;
• Logs and reports all changes to the CSMS by all users logged on to the CSMS including administrators;
• Maintains all security log files directly accessible by the Board on an ad hoc basis for at least one (1) year; and
• Reports all unauthorized attempts immediately to the Board via e-mail and SMS to the Executive Director.
iv. Anyone who requires access on behalf of the successful bidder in order to perform their duties shall be licensed in the State of Maine as an employee of a gambling services vendor under 8 MRSA 31, Section 1015.
v. Bidders shall identify their procedures for review and changes to documentation, procedures, programs, specifications, and program source and object code. Strong configuration management controls are required. In specific, the Technical Proposal shall detail how the bidder will notice and initiate the modification approval process referenced in Part II, Section 2(D) (q) of this RFP.
vi. Only independent test laboratory certified, Board registered and Board approved slot machines may be enrolled in the CSMS and allowed to operate. To that end, the CSMS shall initiate a signature validation process as a core element of the device enrollment process. Where a registered and Board approved slot machine fails a signature validation test, it shall not be possible to enable that slot machine into normal operating mode. The CSMS shall document the signature verification process and shall ensure that the CSMS has the ability to generate a report that identifies validated and failed enrollment attempts. A copy of this report shall be submitted on a daily basis to the Board.
The source for the electronic signature(s) to be tested is the certification report issued with regard to the slot machine or gaming device by the independent testing laboratory. The bidder shall include in its Technical Proposal a comprehensive treatment of its software signature check process, including disabling and return to service. The Technical Proposal shall also address the signature check reference storage methodology to be employed and the security of electronic signature information to include password protected access and file encryption.
The bidder shall also include in its Technical Proposal a comprehensive treatment of the methodology to be employed to disable a slot machine whose logic board has been accessed without the appropriate authorizations to include recordkeeping and reporting with regard to access and return to service via the CSMS.
v. Management Terminal Reporting
i. All access to the CSMS through its management terminals must be read only and, on that basis, unable to make any modifications to the CSMS.
ii. The Technical Proposal must establish that any reports generated through these terminals possess the following characteristics:
• All data must be exportable/extractable, with or without headings, in CSV format to tools such as Excel or Access;
• All reports must be printable in PDF format;
• To ensure optimal use of the CSMS as a compliance tool, an application data model, such as a relational database containing data elements and relationships, shall be maintained by the successful bidder. DATABASE INFORMATION SHALL INCLUDE ALL INFORMATION COLLECTED BY THE CSMS. Using the relational database architecture, users shall be able to efficiently develop, modify, save and schedule ad hoc reports. All information retrieved from the relational database architecture for the purposes of generating user-developed reports shall be capable of being indexed and sorted;
• Data items shall be made current in real time or as close thereafter to real time as is possible;
• Two types of reporting tools shall be available through the CSMS: Available reports and ad hoc reports. Available reports shall consist of required reports, as specified in this RFP or thereafter by the Board, that are regularly scheduled and formatted as per Board directive and ad hoc reports are those responsive to unique queries;
• Chronological reports shall be available through the CSMS with regard to any and all regulated transactions at a Licensed Facility by date, time, transaction type, Licensed Facility designation, transaction number and any other sort option reasonably specified by the Board;
• Transaction history shall be available and retained for a period of five (5) years unless an alternative longer retention period is specified by the Board;
• Status and performance reports shall be available through the CSMS with regard to the status of a slot machine including games in progress and must include transaction data such as coin in/coin out, cash in/ticket out, ticket in/ticket out, credits played/credits won and idle minutes per day/week;
• Income/financial summary reports by day, week, month and on-demand shall be available through the CSMS that are consistent with 16-633 C.M.R. ch 7, §§1 through 4, inclusive of the ability to segregate cashable credits and non-cashable credits and to process non-cashable Promotional Credits in accordance with 8 MRSA 31, §1001 (36-A);
• System audit reports, error and alert reports shall be available through the CSMS in standard form and on demand; and
• Reports that compare a period within a year to the same period of the past year shall be available. Sufficient data must be resident on the database to accommodate a Licensed Facility’s need to report on a calendar year basis for Board, State and taxation purposes.
iii. The Technical Proposal shall acknowledge that a successful bidder shall be obligated to import all data from any prior CSMS operated by the Board to the new CSMS necessary to facilitate comparison of data and the preparation of reports over a minimum of a five (5) year period as specified in the RFP.
iv. The Technical Proposal shall acknowledge that a successful bidder must equip the CSMS, at its own expense, with third party report writer software substantially similar to Crystal Reports in order to allow the Board to independently, expeditiously and economically prepare customized, complex reports on an ad hoc basis. The Technical Proposal shall outline the report writer software that the bidder proposes making available to the Board.
v. The Technical Proposal shall establish that the CSMS generates reports that are substantially similar to the following reports. Because the Board shall not accept responsible for resolving discrepancies between actual moneys collected at each Licensed Facility and the results reported by the CSMS, the accuracy and reliability of these records is of paramount importance. The bidder shall include in its Technical Proposal sample reports, including ad hoc reports, that are consistent with these standard reports, highlighting all deviations from, addition to and/or omission from, the information referenced herein for inclusion in these standard reports.
• Licensed Facility Report – This report is to be generated collectively for the State, and for each Licensed Facility, and is to include Facility License Number, Facility Name, Facility Address, slot machines by serial number and Board location/asset number, credits played, credits won by players.
• Asset Tracking Report – This report is to be generated for each Licensed Facility and is to serve as an asset management tool by capturing for each slot machine:
Manufacturer Identifiers
Serial Number
Order, Shipment, Delivery Date
Lab Certification Data – certification letter date; software version(s) certified etc.
Board Registration Data – consistent with 8 MRSA 31, Section 1020
Current Location (floor, warehouse, shipped)
Installation/CSMS Enrollment Data
Modification History
Ticket Printer Manufacturer and Model Number
Bill Acceptor Manufacturer and Model Number
Service History
• Slot Machine Transaction Report(s) – A report or collection of reports is to be generated for each Licensed Facility and is to capture for each slot machine located therein its manufacturer/distributor, serial number and, for each specified period, is to capture gross slot machine income, net slot machine income, gross wagers, payouts to players, progressive jackpot contribution, if any, win frequency, payback percentage, games played, games won, coin in/coin out, cash in/ticket out, ticket in/ticket out, credits played/credits won and idle minutes per day/week;
• Financial Summary Report by Manufacturer/Distributor – This report is to be generated for each manufacturer/distributor at each Licensed Facility and is to capture for each specified period gross slot machine income, net slot machine income, gross wagers, payouts to players, progressive jackpot contribution, if any, win frequency, payback percentage, games played and games won.
• Games Preference Reports – This report is to be generated for each Licensed Facility and is to capture game play statistics by manufacturer/distributor, game type or such other parameters as may be specified.
• Hourly Games Played Report – This report is to be generated for each Licensed Facility and is to track hourly game play data to include all slot machines actively reporting during the period, cash in, cash out, and average cash played amount per slot machine.
• Cashable/Non-cashable Credits Report – This report is to be generated for each Licensed Facility and is to track information for purposes of the reporting required pursuant to 16-633 C.M.R. ch 7, §§1 through 4 and shall include the ability to segregate cashable credits and non-cashable credits and to process non-cashable Promotional Credits in accordance with 8 MRSA 31, §1001 (36-A).
• Progressive Slot Machine Report – This report is to be generated collectively for all progressive slot machines at each Licensed Facility and is to capture a breakdown of stand alone, linked within a Licensed Facility and wide area progressive meters and jackpots. It shall have the capability to record reinvestment escrows and payment values. See Part II, Section D(2)(z) for additional reporting requirements related to progressives.
• Daily Gross Slot Machine Income Report - This report is to be generated for each Licensed Facility as per 16-633 C. M. R ch 7, §§ 1 through 4. This report is relied upon by the Licensed Facility for purposes of its weekly deposit to the State.
• Weekly Gross Slot Machine Income Report – This report is to be generated for each Licensed Facility for invoicing purposes as per 16-633 C. M. R ch 7, §§ 1 through 4. This report is relied upon by each Licensed Facility for purposes of its weekly deposit to the State.
• Payback Percentage Report - This report is to be generated for each slot machine at each Licensed Facility and is to capture, on at least a daily basis, the actual payback percentage calculation based upon cents won divided by cents wagered. It should be identified whether this report can also include a comparison of the actual payback percentage with the corresponding theoretical payback percentage for the slot machine.
• Software Utility Check – This report is to be generated for each slot machine at each Licensed Facility and is to capture game validation status at startup, during normal operations and upon the shutdown of a slot machine.
• Signature Validation – This report is to be generated for each slot machine at each Licensed Facility and is to capture, on at least a daily basis, validated slot machines and slot machines that failed a signature verification test.
• Non-Reporting Slot Machines. This report is to be generated for each slot machine, at each Licensed Facility, that (1) fails to communicate with the CSMS or that (2) communicates with no data reported. Data is to include, at a minimum, last poll date, manufacturer/distributor, serial number, reason for error and poll address.
• Hotline Reporting – Detailed reporting, at a minimum on a weekly basis, with regard to service requests, dispatches and resolutions.
• Security/User Access Report - Detailed reporting, at a minimum on a bi-weekly basis, with regard to all user access events at all levels including, but not limited to, applications, data and system level access. The Technical Proposal shall specify all user access events subject to capture.
• Security Violations Report - Detailed report, to be issued to the Board per event and summarized bi-weekly, documenting all alerts and violations of the CSMS security protocols for both external events (management terminal) and internal events.
• Security Update Report – Detailed report, to be issued to the Board per event and summarized bi-weekly, documenting all changes (additions, deletions, modifications) to the CSMS access protocols including the addition or deletion of users, modifications in authorization levels, application and data access changes and CSMS configuration changes.
• CSMS Failover Testing – Detailed report, to be issued to the Board within five (5) days of failover testing by the successful bidder, which failover testing shall occur and be reported to the Board at least twice a year. Any failover testing conducted shall be reported to the Board whether or not the testing exceeds the twice per year minimum.
• Meter Comparison Report - This report is to be generated for each slot machine at each Licensed Facility and is to capture, on at least a daily basis, a side-by-side-by-side comparison by slot machine between CSMS meter reads, the operator’s meter reads, and the actual cash count for each slot machine.
w. Collection of Accounting Information from Slot Machines
The CSMS shall monitor the operation of each slot machine and shall keep accurate transaction records, maintaining a total of no less than fourteen digits in length for each type of data required. The Technical Proposal must establish that the CSMS generates reports for each slot machine that draw upon the following information, at a minimum:
• Number of cents inserted or the cents equivalent if a bill acceptor or ticket reader is being used;
• Number of cents wagered;
• Number of cents won;
• Number of cents paid out by a printed ticket;
• Number of cents accepted via a bill or printed ticket or other instrument of value (i.e. coupon);
• Number of cents paid out via a hand paid jackpot or canceled credit;
• Number of cents paid out in the form of jackpots;
• Number of cents transferred to the slot machine electronically through a system, debit card, gift card or smart card;
• Number of cents transferred from the slot machine electronically through a system, debit card, gift card or smart card;
• Number of cents on a credit meter;
• Number of times the logic area was accessed;
• Number of times the cash door was accessed;
• Number of credits wagered in the current game;
• Number of credits won in the last complete game;
• Number of cumulative credits representing money inserted by a player and credits for games won but not collected;
• Number of games played by game and by slot machine;
• Number of games won;
• Each person who accessed the logic area and the date and time it was accessed;
• Each person who accessed the cash door and the date and time it was accessed;
• The number of all promotional credits (Cashable and non-cashable) received at the game;
• The value of all promotional credits (Cashable and non-cashable) received at the game;
• The number of all promotional credits (Cashable and non-cashable) sent from the game; and
• The value of all promotional credits (Cashable and non-cashable) sent from the game.
Any values available for reports captured by the proposed CSMS which are not listed should be enumerated in the Technical Proposal.
x. Additional Accounting and Financial Reporting Requirements.
The Technical Proposal shall establish that the CSMS:
i. Receives all meter-reading data in real time in an on-line, automated fashion.
ii. Does not allow manual reading of meter values to be substituted for automated requirements.
iii. Acquires and reports using the full set of actual meters and does not employ an external or CSMS meter incremental process.
iv. Is able to process all slot machine meter sizes and record lengths with scalability for future growth or enhancement.
v. Provides a breakout of promotional credits by Licensed Facility, which shall include both cashable and non-cashable promotional credits.
vi. Is capable of calculating actual payback percentage in accordance with 8 MRSA 31, Section 1001.
vii. Is configured to encompass an enterprise database solution, running a commonly used database product (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database Server). In specific, the Technical Proposal should identify the mechanism to be used to export and/or transfer files for processing by other software products.
y. Electronic Funds Transfers.
It is an Invited Option that is Desirable for the purposes of this RFP that the CSMS advanced by the bidder provide a mechanism for implementing a daily electronic funds transfer between the Licensed Facility Operator and the State of Maine in order to facilitate the expeditious remittance of the slot machine related tax payments contemplated by 16-633 C.M.R. ch 7, §§1 through 4. Files and reports should be available by slot machine, slot machine controller, Licensed Facility and on a State-wide basis. The Technical Proposal shall include detailed procedures with regard to an electronic funds transfer capability and, in specific, should provide that the following functions are supported.
i. Net Revenue Summary. The CSMS shall provides a Gross and Net Income Summary to facilitate daily electronic funds transfer (EFT) sweeps. The report must, at a minimum, contain the number of slot machines reporting, the cash-in/cash-out and credits-played/credits won; net revenues and net balances. These reports must show the information by individual slot machine as well as by venue and total system.
ii. EFT Media Preparation. The CSMS shall have the ability to download the information necessary to facilitate the EFT daily sweep of Licensed Facility gross and net income.
iii. General Ledger. The CSMS creates a data file of general ledger journal entries to record all slot activities on a daily basis and on a multiple day basis.
iv. Prize Validation. For voucher-type prize payouts (ticket out) the CSMS must allow the payment of prizes and ensure that a single prize cannot be paid more than once. The slot operator will be responsible to ensure that a ticket presented for payout is legitimate and presented by a person authorized to play. A ticket must be redeemed at the venue where it was generated, within one (1) year from issuance.
z. Progressive Game Support
Progressive games have the potential to generate large jackpots that are appealing for players. Bidders must detail in their Technical Proposal how they would support progressive games as required by PL 2003 Chapter 687. In specific, the Technical Proposal must:
i. Establish that the CSMS can monitor progressive jackpot games, including linked games at a single location, wide-area progressive games shared by two or more Maine Licensed Facilities and multi-statewide-area progressive games.
ii. Describe the secure method of communication it will employ with a progressive game.
iii. Establish that the CSMS can obtain meter data for progressive slot machines and make it available in a timely manner.
iv. Displays depicting jackpot amounts and wins must be available for players and updated in a timely manner.
v. Progressive games must be supported by a rigorous method that provides the payoff amounts for progressive winners.
vi. Establish that the CSMS is capable of producing reports that clearly demonstrate the method used to arrive at the progressive jackpot amount. This includes the documentation of credits contributed from the beginning of the polling cycle (including those from the time period immediately following the previous jackpot) and all credits contributed up to and including the polling cycle that includes the jackpot signal. Credits contributed to the system after the jackpot win occurs, in real-time but during the same polling cycle, shall be considered to have been contributed to the progressive jackpot amount prior to the win.
vii. Establish that the CSMS is capable of producing fiscal reports that monitor t and verify the economic activity of the game(s), indicating the amount of and basis for, the current jackpot amount (the amount currently in play). Such reports shall include but not be limited to:
• An aggregate report to show only the balancing of the progressive link with regard to Licensed Facility wide totals; and
• A detailed report in a format that indicates for each slot machine, summarized by location, the cash-in/cash out and credits-played/credits-won totals, as such terms are commonly understood in the industry.
viii. Detail how the CSMS shall ensure that it enrolls only progressive controllers linking one or more progressive slot machines that are certified by a licensed independent testing laboratory and approved by the Board.
ix. Establish that each controller shall be equipped with a manual progressive entry authorization log or electronic access control system under continued surveillance camera coverage, and that the log shall be completed by any person gaining entrance to the controller or their access electronically memorialized. The log shall capture such information as the Board deems appropriate to provide an audit trail of any employee who gains access to the progressive controller. To that end, the Technical Proposal shall enumerate which access control method shall apply and the data to be captured.
x. Establish that the progressive or its controller shall maintain the following information in nonvolatile memory, available to the Board or the Licensed Facility upon demand:
• Number of progressive jackpots won on each progressive meter if the progressive display has more than one winning amount;
• Cumulative amounts paid on each progressive meter if the progressive display has more than one winning amount;
• Maximum amount of the progressive payout for each meter displayed;
• Minimum amount or reset amount of the progressive payout for each meter displayed; and
• Rate of progression for each meter.
aa. Operations Support Staffing and Services
The successful bidder is required, at its expense, to service the Board’s CSMS with operations and support staff as identified herein. The Technical Proposal to the RFP shall:
i. Document the organizational structure and the staffing with which CSMS operations will be implemented and run;
ii. Designate a project manager by name to coordinate installation and implementation of the CSMS at each Licensed Facility and in the Board’s Operations Center. Unless waived by the Board, the project manager shall be a certified Project Management Professional and have a minimum of five (5) years experience in LAN/WAN infrastructure and or data center build out at the project management level;
iii. Identify by name and depict on an organization chart, all management, supervisory, and line employees who will be active in the installation and initial implementation. Further, the bidders shall indicate what specific contract function(s) each will perform and for how long;
iv. Identify by name and depict on an organization chart, all management, supervisory, and line employees who are expected to be active in the ongoing operation of the CSMS. Further, the bidders shall indicate what specific contract function(s) each will perform and for how long;
v. Identify by name and depict on an organization chart, all subcontractors who are expected to be active in installation, initial implementation (for example trainers, acceptance testers) and/or ongoing operation of the CSMS. Further, the bidders shall indicate what specific contract function(s) each will perform and for how long. Where the bidder anticipates a subcontractor to be a material part of the installation, initial implementation and/or ongoing operational support efforts, that subcontractor shall be identified as a major subcontractor;
vi. Acknowledge that use of all subcontractors, regardless of designation as major or otherwise, shall require the prior authorization of the Board;
vii. Acknowledge that all employees and subcontractors involved in the installation, implementation and continued operation of the CSMS shall first become licensed in the State of Maine as a Gaming Employee or Key Executive Employee of a Licensed gaming services vendor; and
viii. Include resumes for all identified management, supervisory, line employees and subcontractors to be involved in installation, initial implementation and/or ongoing operation of the CSMS. Said resumes must include for each such person:
• Full name
• Five-year employment history
• A specific description of all gaming experience
• Specific indication of what role the individual will have in this project
• Any additional helpful information to indicate the individual's ability to successfully perform the work required under this RFP
ix. Resumes must provide sufficient information about the identified personnel to provide the Board with a convincing indication that proposed personnel can perform the work specified in this RFP. The Board may request detailed information for a security review of individual staff following submission of the proposal.
bb. Training Programs
The successful bidder shall provide training to both the Board and the Licensed Facilities in the capabilities, use, and operation of the CSMS. Training shall be delivered for the start-up effort, and periodically at the discretion of the Board, as changes are made, or occur, in the system or environment. Successful bidders must provide the materials, equipment, and personnel for this training effort at their own expense. The Board’s good faith estimate of class size for this training is fifteen (15).
At a minimum, the Technical Proposal shall include:
i. A detailed description of the proposed initial training program for the Board and the staff at each Licensed Facility. The program description must include proposed training materials, operations manuals, facilities, staff qualifications, session information (including length and class size), and schedule; and
ii. A description of what staff training will typically be offered concurrent with modifications to the CSMS.
cc. CSMS Maintenance Program
The successful bidder shall arrange for and fully support system maintenance and provide spare parts and technical services to maintain any systems or products supplied for the CSMS. The successful bidder must arrange for an adequate number of trained service technicians with appropriate test and repair equipment.
At a minimum, the Technical Proposal shall include representations with regard to the following:
i. Maintenance Facilities. The bidder shall indicate the location of any maintenance centers and/or depots proposed.
ii. Maintenance Program. The bidder shall describe the maintenance plan, procedures, personnel levels and capabilities for the maintenance of the CSMS. A successful bidder shall provide a single contact for their field service personnel when maintenance support is needed. Coordination with slot machine manufacturers, distributors, and operators is obligatory.
iii. Failure Response Requirements. The bidder shall acknowledge that a successful bidder shall be responsible to determine that all equipment is operable and shall take positive action when a malfunction is indicated to ensure that the affected system is returned to an operational state within the required time. It shall further acknowledge that the right to make the determination as to whether equipment is or was operable and whether the successful bidder responded within the time period specified is reserved for the Board.
iv. Parts Supply. The bidder shall acknowledge that a successful bidder shall maintain an adequate supply of parts to sustain the service of systems that it has supplied and is required to maintain. It shall further acknowledge that to avoid liquidated damages the successful bidder may need critical spare parts on-site at each Licensed Facility.
v. Trouble Tracking and Reporting System. The bidder shall acknowledge that a successful bidder shall staff, maintain and manage on a 24 x 7 basis, a telephone “hotline” active and available on every day of the year as well as a maintenance database and reporting system that fulfills the criteria enumerated below. In specific, the Technical Proposal shall address details with regard to:
• Tracking and recordation of all problems reported, whether or not actual problems were found.
• The availability of reporting in real time. The real time retrieval shall not be limited to inquiries for the current day, but must include up to twelve months of activity by date.
• The availability of reporting which includes, but is not limited to:
o By Licensed Facility for a given period;
o By part or component; and
o By a customized attribute as defined by the Board.
• The availability of data that includes, but is not be limited to:
o Component, sub-component, part identifiers;
o Time and date of the original call/contact reporting the problem;
o The identification of the Licensed Facility/Operations Center and the person making the call/contact on its behalf;
o Nature of problem reported;
o Date and time of dispatch, if required;
o Field service person identifier;
o Date and time of problem resolution;
o Elapsed time from original notification to completed repair/resolution (down time);
o A summary of the manner in which the problem was resolved; and
o Whether or not the elapsed time associated with the service call/problem resolution exceeded the agreed to response times.
vi. Trouble Tracking and Reporting System Record Availability. All records associated with field services and technical support shall be immediately available to the Board upon demand.
dd. Service Response Times
At a minimum, the Technical Proposal shall acknowledge a commitment to the service response times specified below.
i. Software Support. The successful bidder must provide software support (such as telephone response and trouble-shooting) at any hour of any day. If the CSMS is not operated from the bidder’s major facility, the bidder’s Response to the RFP shall describe in detail the remote access protocols it would propose adhering to in the event of the need for remote access by the vendor support team. Software support shall be rendered within a maximum period of four (4) hours from the time of the original call/contact on a 24 x 7 basis, every day of the year;
ii. CSMS Maintenance. The successful bidder or the hardware supplier chosen by the successful bidder must arrive at a Licensed Facility or the Board’s Operations Center and provide hardware maintenance or repair defective or poorly performing equipment within a maximum period of four (4) hours from the time of the original call/contact on a 24 x 7 basis, every day of the year;
iii. Telecommunications. The successful bidder shall resolve all telecommunications issues within a maximum period of two (2) hours from the time of the original call/contact on a 24 x 7 basis, every day of the year unless the communications issue can be documented by the successful bidder as one involving contributory fault by a telecommunications carrier; and
iv. Installation/Facility Opening. The successful bidder shall provide a maintenance technician on site at each Licensed Facility for a least one (1) week following installation, major upgrade or commencement of operations at a new Licensed Facility.
ee. Bidder’s Corporate Capability
Bidders are required to demonstrate, by and through their Technical Proposal to the RFP, their corporate experience, technical capability, and financial means to support this contract. They are further obligated to commit to very specific requirements surrounding accounting records and financial, technical and compliance audits. This include:
i. Capability to Provide Systems, Equipment, Platforms, Communications. The capacity to provide the infrastructure for the CSMS is critical to the project. The bidder shall describe its capability, capacity, sources, and plans for providing the facilities, systems, networks, etc. proposed to meet the requirements of the RFP.
ii. Application Software Development and Support Capabilities. The capacity to provide application software and systems support is critical to the project. Bidders shall describe their capability, capacity and plans for developing and maintaining software proposed to meet the requirements of the RFP. Configuration management tools and procedures shall be described.
iii. Research and Development Program. Bidders shall describe their capability, capacity and plans for maintaining a research and development effort in the areas of technology affecting management of slot machines, slot accounting, server based and progressive games.
iv. Accounting Records. Successful bidders are required to maintain books, records and all other evidence pertaining to the contract in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and such other procedures specified by the Board. These records shall be available to the Board, and its internal or external auditors (and other designees) at all times during the contract period and any extension thereof, and for three (3) full years from the expiration date and/or final payment on the contract or extension thereof, whichever is later.
v. Audit Requirements. The successful bidder must meet specific auditing obligations:
• The successful bidder is required to have a complete financial audit conducted annually and to provide a copy of its Audited Financial Statements and any corresponding management letter to the Board within sixty (60) days of completion. The Board shall have the right to review any other reports generated as a result of the annual audit.
• In addition to the annual audit, periodic internal control audits of a successful bidder's CSMS operations may be required by the Board, to be conducted by an independent certified public accounting firm. These audits shall be conducted pursuant to Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS-70: Reports on the Processing of Transactions by Service Organizations), as issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), as amended or supplemented. The Board shall, in the exercise of its sole discretion, determine the need for such an audit and arrange for, and pay 50% of the cost of, such an audit. The Board reserves the right to specify the type of report, the control objectives to be examined, and the period to be covered by any report applicable to any audit it initiates pursuant to this provision.
• Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall require an internal control audit to be conducted within 90 days of installation of a successful bidder’s system, the type of report and the control objectives to be determined by the Board, with the cost of the audit to be at the successful bidder’s sole expense.
• The successful bidder is required to provide to the Board with copies of its 10K, 10Q and 8K filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) within thirty (30) days of filing with the SEC.
• The successful bidder shall be required to contract, on an annual basis and at its own expense, with an independent firm, satisfactory to the Board, for the conduct of an annual network security assessment to ensure that all components such as firewalls, routers, and switches adequately protect the CSMS from unauthorized access and malicious attack. As an element of its Technical Proposal, the bidder shall specify the certifications and standards that will be followed for this annual assessment i.e. ISO 27002.
The Technical Proposal must include the bidder’s acknowledgement that it will expeditiously implement any recommendation by its auditors contained in any audit or management report required hereunder in which the Board indicates its concurrence.
ff. Bonds and Insurance
The successful bidder shall purchase adequate insurance for the performance of the contract (i.e., to protect both the successful bidder and to indemnify the Board). The purchase or non-purchase of such insurance or the involvement of the successful bidder in any legal or equitable defense of any action brought against the successful bidder based upon work performed pursuant to the contract will not waive any defense which the Board or the State and its agencies and their respective officers, employees, agents and Board consultants might otherwise have against such claims.
All required bonds and insurance must be issued by companies which are at least ‘A’ rated by A.M. Best & Co., are duly licensed, admitted, and authorized to do business in the State of Maine and are acceptable to the Board.
The Technical Proposal submitted by the bidder shall acknowledge the bidder’s obligation to supply the following bonds and insurance
i. Insurance. The successful bidder shall purchase and maintain insurance for claims set forth below which may arise out of or result from the successful bidder's operations under the contract, whether such operations be by the successful bidder or by any subcontractor, individual, or firm directly or indirectly employed by any of them, or for whose acts any of them may be liable:
• Claims under workers' compensation, disability benefit and other similar employee benefit acts per statute in each state in which the successful bidder does business.
• Claims for damages because of bodily injury, occupational sickness or disease, or death of the successful bidder’s employees.
• Claims for damages because of bodily injury, sickness or disease, or death of any person other than successful bidder’s employees.
• Claims for damages because of injury to or destruction of tangible property, including loss of use resulting therefrom.
• Liability insurance coverage with limits of not less than $2,000,000 for injury to any one person, $4,000,000 for any one occurrence of personal injury and $2,000,000 for any one occurrence of property damage.
• Property insurance on all buildings, furniture, fixtures, computer and communications equipment provided by the successful bidder and used in supporting the CSMS and the functions related thereto. The insurance shall be in an amount equal to or greater than the actual replacement cost thereof. Coverage shall insure personal property including contents, equipment, and mobile items against fire, theft, collision, and flood. The Board and the State will not be responsible for insuring any equipment or facilities included in or associated with the contract.
• Automotive liability insurance covering drivers and vehicles employed in connection with the operation of the contract with limits of not less than $1,000,000 for personal injury to each person and $250,000 for property damage.
• Errors and omissions insurance with limits of not less than $10,000,000 per claim that will indemnify the Board and the State of Maine, on behalf of the successful bidder.
A statement of self-insurance to cover the above requirements shall be considered non-responsive.
Errors and omissions insurance must continue until one year past the term of the contract. All other insurances covered by this section must be effective when performance commences under the contract and continue through the life of the contract and any authorized extensions. The successful bidder must submit copies of each required insurance contract or certificates attesting to such insurance coverage, and any renewals thereof, to the Board. The Board must receive thirty (30) days advance written notice of cancellation, termination, or failure to renew any policy.
ii. Performance Bond. Upon notification of receiving the award, the
successful bidder will be required to obtain a performance bond in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the first year of the contract. The performance bond may be paid to the Board if the bidder defaults in the performance of the contract or has occasioned uncompensated liquidated damages.
The amount of the performance bond for the second and subsequent years of CSMS operation shall be the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and the total of all liquidated damages assessed to the successful bidder during the preceding twelve (12) months of operation under the contract.
The performance bond will be assessed for the amount of all liquidated damage payments due the Board which have not been received within thirty (30) calendar days after written notice of their being incurred has been given to the successful bidder.
A performance bond may be in the form of a policy or certificate issued by a reputable surety company. A certified check or cashier's check made payable to the Board may be accepted in lieu of the surety company issued policy/certificate. An irrevocable Letter of Credit may be acceptable in lieu of the Performance Bond.
The performance bond shall be conditioned on the faithful compliance and performance by the successful bidder of each and every term and condition of the contract and the proposal, plans and specifications thereof. Each term and condition shall be met at the time and in the manner prescribed by the contract and specifications. The performance bond shall also contain the successful bidder’s guarantee to indemnify and hold harmless the Board from all costs, damages and expenses due to the successful bidder’s failure to comply and perform the work and complete the contract in accordance with the terms of the contract.
iii. Fidelity Bond. Prior to contract execution, the successful bidder will be required to obtain a Fidelity Bond in the amount of five million dollars ($5,000,000) covering any loss to the Board due to any fraudulent or dishonest act on the part of the successful bidder’s officers, employees, agents or subcontractors.
PART III KEY RFP EVENTS
Bidders Conference
The Department will sponsor a Bidders’ Conference concerning this RFP beginning at the date, time and location shown on the RFP cover page. The purpose of the Bidders’ Conference is to answer and/or field questions, clarify for potential Bidders any aspect of the RFP requirements that may be necessary and provide supplemental information to assist potential Bidders in submitting responses to the RFP. Although attendance at the Bidders’ Conference is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged that interested Bidders attend.
Questions
1. General Instructions
a. It is the responsibility of all Bidders and other interested parties to examine the entire RFP and to seek clarification, in writing, if they do not understand any information or instructions.
b. Bidders and other interested parties should use Appendix F – Submitted Questions Form – for submission of questions.
c. The Submitted Questions Form must be submitted by e-mail and received by the RFP Coordinator, identified on the cover page of this RFP, as soon as possible but no later than the date and time specified on the RFP cover page.
d. Submitted Questions must include the RFP Number and Title in the subject line of the e-mail. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete/on time e-mail transmission and receipt.
2. Question & Answer Summary: Responses to all questions will be compiled in writing and posted on the following website no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the proposal due date: . It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to this website to obtain a copy of the Question & Answer Summary. Only those answers issued in writing on this website will be considered binding.
Amendments
All amendments released in regard to this RFP will also be posted on the following website: . It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to this website to obtain amendments. Only those amendments posted on this website are considered binding.
Submitting the Proposal
1. Proposals Due: Proposals must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. local time, on the date listed on the cover page of this RFP, at which point they will be opened. Proposals received after the 4:00 p.m. deadline will be rejected without exception.
2. Single Submission: A Bidder may submit a single proposal only. Multiple proposals from a single bidder will not be considered and such a bidder will be subject to disqualification.
3. Delivery Instructions: Email proposal submissions are to be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services, via email, to the email address provided on the RFP Cover Page.
a. Only proposals received by email will be considered. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete e-mail transmission and receipt.
b. Bidders are to insert the following into the subject line of their email submission:
“RFP# 201803055 Proposal Submission”
c. Bidder’s proposals are to be broken down into multiple files, with each file named as it is titled in bold below, and include:
- File #1: PDF format preferred
Completed - Proposal Cover Page (Appendix A)
Debarment, Performance and Non-Collusion Certification (Appendix B)
Proposal Deposit Refund Form (Appendix E)
- File #2: PDF format preferred
Organization Qualifications and Experience (and all related/required attachments stated in PART IV, B., Section I.)
- File #3: PDF format preferred
Proposed Services (and all related/required attachments stated in PART IV, B., Section II.)
- File #4: Excel format preferred
Cost Proposal (Appendix C and all related/required attachments stated in PART IV, B., Section III.)
- File #5: PDF format preferred
Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration (Appendix D)
PART IV PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
This section contains instructions for Bidders to use in preparing their proposals. The Bidder’s proposal must follow the outline used below, including the numbering and section and sub-section headings as they appear here. Failure to use the outline specified in this section, or to respond to all questions and instructions throughout this document, may result in the proposal being disqualified as non-responsive or receiving a reduced score. The Department, and its evaluation team for this RFP, has sole discretion to determine whether a variance from the RFP specifications should result in either disqualification or reduction in scoring of a proposal. Rephrasing of the content provided in this RFP will, at best, be considered minimally responsive. The Department seeks detailed yet succinct responses that demonstrate the Bidder’s experience and ability to perform the requirements specified throughout this document.
Proposal Format
1. All pages of a Bidder’s proposal should be numbered consecutively beginning with number 1 on the first page of the narrative (this does not include the cover page or table of contents pages) through to the end, including all forms and attachments. For clarity, the Bidder’s name should appear on every page, including Attachments. Each Attachment must reference the section or subsection number to which it corresponds.
2. The Bidder is asked to be brief and concise in responding to the RFP questions and instructions.
3. The Bidder may not provide additional attachments beyond those specified in the RFP for the purpose of extending their response. Additional materials not requested will not be considered part of the proposal and will not be evaluated.
4. Include any forms provided in the submission package or reproduce those forms as closely as possible. All information should be presented in the same order and format as described in the RFP.
5. It is the responsibility of the Bidder to provide all information requested in the RFP package at the time of submission. Failure to provide information requested in this RFP may, at the discretion of the Department’s evaluation review team, result in a lower rating for the incomplete sections and may result in the proposal being disqualified for consideration.
6. The Bidder should complete and submit the “Proposal Cover Page” provided in Appendix A of this RFP and provide it with the Bidder’s proposal. The cover page must be the first page of the proposal package. It is important that the cover page show the specific information requested, including Bidder address(es) and other details listed. The proposal cover page shall be dated and signed by a person authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the Bidder.
7. The Bidder should complete and submit the “Debarment, Performance and Non-Collusion Certification Form” provided in Appendix B of this RFP. Failure to provide this certification may result in the disqualification of the Bidder’s proposal, at the discretion of the Department.
Proposal Contents
Section I Organization Qualifications and Experience
1. Corporate Background Review
The bidders must formally provide the following information:
a. Name and address of the business entity making the proposal
b. Type of business entity (e.g., corporation, partnership, etc.)
c. Place of incorporation, if applicable
d. Name and location of major offices (including corporate headquarters), plants, and other facilities that relate to performance under the terms of this RFP
e. Name, address, and function of any and all subcontractors, associated companies, or consultants to be involved in any phase of this project
f. Bidder's Federal Employer Identification Number
g. The successful bidder and all employees associated with the operation of the CSMS shall be licensed in the State of Maine as a gambling services vendor and gaming employees or key executive employees, respectively.
2. Gambling Control Systems Experience
It is required as a minimum that the bidder be currently supplying a CSMS-type of system, slot accounting system or player tracking system to another gaming customer.
The bidder shall describe, in detail, the current and historical experience it has in operating slot machine accounting, player tracking, or CSMS; that is, descriptions and references for all engagements of comparable complexity and sensitivity that have been conducted by the bidder over the past five years.
Each experience statement shall include the following details:
a. Name of gaming enterprise and size of contract
b. Description of systems/products ordered and delivered to the customer
c. Term of the contract including effective dates
d. Reason for contract termination/expiration, if contract is no longer in effect
e. Types of services directly provided by the bidder under the contract
The descriptions must include names, titles, addresses and telephone numbers that may be contacted to verify qualifying experience.
3. Required Attachments Related to Qualifications
a. Attach documentation of any applicable licensure requirements or any specific credentials required to provide the requested services.
b. Attach a certificate of insurance on a standard Acord form (or the equivalent) evidencing the Bidder’s general liability, professional liability and any other relevant liability insurance policies that might be associated with this contract.
4. Financial Viability and Fiscal Responsibility
In order to ensure the bidder's financial ability to perform under the contract, the Board requires the following financial information:
a. Audited Financial Statements. Audited financial statements for the bidder for the last three years. If the bidder is a subsidiary of another corporation, the financial statements of the bidder, as well as the consolidated financial statements of the parent company, shall be submitted. If the bidder is a parent corporation, parent only financial statements, if available, and statements for the operating division that will perform these services shall be submitted. These statements shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and must have been audited by a certified public accountant licensed to do business in the state in which the bidder's principal place of business is located.
b. SEC Reports. Reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to include 10K reports for the last three fiscal years (most recent and two prior fiscal years) and 10Q and 8K reports for the current fiscal year.
c. Parent Corporation Commitment. If the bidder is a subsidiary and will rely on the financial resources of the parent to perform this contract, the parent must certify, in writing, the availability of its resources to the bidder.
d. Financing. The bidder must provide a letter of commitment from a creditor, if borrowing will provide any or all of the capital necessary for the bidder to perform any work under any contract resulting from this RFP.
5. Bidder Contract Performance Experience
The successful bidder must become licensed under 8 MRSA Chapter 31, Section 1015, and thus comply with Section 1016 regarding qualifications and suitability for licensing. These criteria include moral character, avoidance of criminal convictions, currency on tax obligations, and general fiscal responsibility.
For the proposal, the bidder shall state whether any of the following have occurred:
a. Default. During the last five years, the bidder has had a contract terminated for default or cause. If so, the bidder shall submit full details including the other party's name, address, telephone number and the reason for the termination.
b. Liquidated Damages. During the last two years, the bidder has been assessed penalties totaling in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) inclusive of liquidated damages under any of their contracts. If so, indicate the customer, the reason for the penalty, and the penalty amount.
c. Suspension. During the last two years, the bidder, a subsidiary or intermediate company, parent company or holding company was the subject of any order, judgment or decree of any federal, state or tribal authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting the right of the bidder to engage in any business, practice or activity or, if trading in the stock of the company, has ever been suspended with dates and explanations.
6. Litigation
Each bidder must include in its proposal a complete disclosure of any pending, material civil or criminal litigation or investigation involving the company. Material litigation shall be determined in accordance with GAAP. This is a continuing disclosure requirement; any material litigation or investigation commencing after submission of a proposal or during the term of a contract must be disclosed in a timely manner in a written statement to the Board. If an award has been made and is now under appeal, state the amount of the award, if known. Failure to notify the Board of an investigation may result in rejection of the bidder's proposal or termination of the contract.
7. Certification of No-Conflict of Interest
The bidder must provide a letter of certification with the proposal stating that if the bidder is awarded and negotiates a contract for the CSMS and its operation, then the bidder shall be excluded from operating slot machines for the State of Maine as approved under 8 MRSA Chapter 31. This limitation does not exclude the bidder from any slot-related business activities in other jurisdictions.
However, if a bidder conducts any slot-related business activities in any jurisdiction, then the bidder shall submit a detailed written description of any and all slot-related business activities conducted directly by the bidder or its affiliate. The bidder shall also submit a written description of measures it will employ to prevent any perceived or actual conflict of interest in the delivery of the CSMS operation. These obligations shall remain for the life of the contract.
8. Corporate Quality Program
Bidders are to provide their corporate philosophy on providing quality products and services to its customers. As part of this disclosure, the bidder may include items such as the customer complaint resolution process, results of surveys conducted for customer satisfaction levels against pre-established performance measures, any vendor or customer partnering activities, and any continuous quality improvement programs instituted.
Section II Proposed Services – Technical Proposal
1. Services to be Provided
This Section is the core element of the Technical Proposal and is designed to be responsive to Part II, Sections D (1) and D (2)(a) through (ff). It defines what the Bidder will offer. Give particular attention to describing the methods and resources you will use and how you will accomplish the tasks involved. Also, describe how you will ensure expectations are met and/or desired outcomes achieved. If subcontractors are involved, clearly identify the work each will perform.
2. Implementation - Work Plan
The bidder shall be responsible for various types of implementations under the contract. These include such possibilities as: initial installation; change to a new standard protocol for communicating with the CSMS; Board approval of a new form of gaming device and its enrollment in the CSMS; growth due to expansion at a Licensed Facility or the addition of a new Licensed Facility(s). The bidder’s proposal must outline a basic project plan and provide an estimated timeline for each scenario identified other than the initial installation which is addressed below.
The bidder’s proposal must include a detailed project plan for initial installation of the CSMS for the two current Licensed Facilities, Board Operations Center, Department offices and segregated back-up location. The project plan for the initial installation must address the following:
a. Schedule and Tasks. This includes one or more charts (Work Breakdown Structure, Gantt, PERT, or similar) identifying the major tasks and milestones to be accomplished for any construction, equipment delivery, software programming, installation, and testing.
b. Responsibilities. Assignments for the successful bidder’s staff, for the Board, and for the Licensed Facilities during the implementation or transition.
c. Interim Operations. Any interim configurations, facilities, staffing, or business procedures for the CSMS must be discussed.
d. Project Management Tools and Processes. The bidder must propose a project team structure and process, and tools that facilitate oversight and management of the implementation or transition. Regular reporting, walkthroughs, and project status meetings are required. The Board must be provided licensed copies of any project management software and access to project status data to enable the Board to monitor and maintain project management schedules and progress.
Section III Cost Proposal
1. General Instructions
a. The Bidder must submit a cost proposal that covers the entire period of the initial contract and all renewals. Please use the expected “Initial Period of Performance” dates stated in PART I, D.
b. The cost proposal shall include the costs necessary for the Bidder to fully comply with the contract terms and conditions and RFP requirements.
c. No costs related to the preparation of the proposal for this RFP or to the negotiation of the contract with the Department may be included in the proposal. Only costs to be incurred after the contract effective date that are specifically related to the implementation or operation of contracted services may be included.
2. Cost Proposal Form Instructions
The Bidder should fill out Appendix C (Cost Proposal Form), following the instructions detailed here and in the form. Failure to provide the requested information, and to follow the required cost proposal format provided, may result in the exclusion of the proposal from consideration, at the discretion of the Department.
Section IV Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration
Using Appendix E (Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration Form), the Bidder (Bidder identified on the “Proposal Cover Page” of proposal submission - Appendix A) is required to describe the Bidder’s investment in the State of Maine. Consideration of this information in making contract award decisions is required in accordance with Executive Order 2017-003, which states “Evaluators of competitive bids for goods and services shall give consideration to the investment in the State by business enterprises as a best-value criterion.” The State reserves the right to verify this information at any time during the evaluation process or after.
Proposal Deposit
1. Submission
Each Bidder must submit a Proposal Deposit in the amount of $ 10,000 to be eligible to have the proposal considered for the award of the contract. The Proposal Deposit must be submitted to the Division of Procurement Services as described below.
The Proposal Deposit will be returned in full to all non-appealing bidders. Any bidder who submits an appeal and does not prevail, will be returned the Proposal Deposit less expenses incurred in processing the appeal, at the conclusion of the appeal process. Any bidder who submits an appeal, and prevails, will be returned the Proposal Deposit in full at the conclusion of the appeal process.
To ensure Proposal Deposit refunds are sent to the correct location, the Bidder is to complete Appendix E (Proposal Deposit Refund Form) and include that form in the electronic proposal submission.
The State of Maine will accept the following methods of Proposal Deposit payment: ACH-Debit, Credit/Debit Card and by check.
- ACH-Debit or Credit / Debit Card. To submit a Proposal Deposit via ACH-Debit or Credit/Debit Card, Bidders are to go to . Bidders are to select the Department Name “Division of Procurement Services” and then select the Product “Proposal Deposit”. When completing information in the Select Products stage, Bidders are to include “RFP 201803055” in the ‘Reference’ field. When completing information in the Customer Information stage, Bidders are to include the Bidder’s name in the ‘Company Name’ field. If a Bidder’s bank account maintains a debit block, please call 207-624-7340 for instructions.
- Check. To submit a Proposal Deposit by check, the check is to be made out to “Treasurer of the State of Maine” with the RFP# included on the memo line of the check. Bidders choosing this payment method must mail the check and a copy of a completed Appendix E (Proposal Deposit Refund Form) to the Division of Procurement Services. Proposal Deposit checks must be received by the Division of Procurement Services on or before the Proposal Submission Deadline on the cover page of this RFP and are to be mailed to the following address:
State of Maine
DAFS/Division of Procurement Services
Attn: Special Project/RFP Unit (RFP# 201803055)
9 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0009
1. Refunds
The process to refund Proposal Deposits, for those Bidders who do not request an appeal hearing, will be initiated at the conclusion of the appeal request period (See PART V, D – Appeal of Contract Awards). Proposal Deposits submitted via Credit/Debit Card will be refunded less any transaction fees assessed to the State of Maine in processing the Proposal Deposit payment.
A. Proposal Bid Bond
Each bidder must submit a proposal bond in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to guarantee for one year after submission of the proposal the availability of the goods and services at the price(s) quoted in the proposal. The bond will be forfeited to the Board at the Board’s discretion if the bidder's proposal is withdrawn or the bidder refuses or fails to be bound by any provision of the proposal. The bond must be issued by a company that is at least ‘A’ rated by A.M. Best & Co., is duly licensed, admitted, and authorized to do business in the State of Maine, and is acceptable to the Board. A Letter of Credit will not be acceptable.
B. Litigation Bond
Each bidder must submit with the proposal a litigation bond in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). The bond must be issued by a company that is at least ‘A’ rated by A.M. Best & Co., is duly licensed, admitted, and authorized to do business in the State of Maine, and is acceptable to the Board. A Letter of Credit will not be acceptable.
A claim upon the bond may be made by the Board if the following three conditions are all met:
1. The bidder sues the Board or any of their officers, employees, agents, independent contractors or consultants with regard to any matter relating to the award of contracts pursuant to this RFP.
2. The Board (and/or officers, employees, agents, independent contractors or consultants) is the prevailing party in such suit.
3. The court determines that such suit or any portion thereof was frivolous, was commenced in bad faith, or was not based upon reasonable grounds.
The purpose of the bond is to discourage unwarranted litigation by permitting the Board to recover damages, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from such litigation. The litigation bond shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years from the date of proposal submission.
After a contract is signed with a successful bidder, a litigation bond may be released with the approval of the Board, if a bidder completes a covenant not to sue.
PART V PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION
Evaluation of the submitted proposals shall be accomplished as follows:
Evaluation Process - General Information
1. An evaluation team, comprised of qualified reviewers, will judge the merits of the proposals received in accordance with the criteria defined in the RFP, and in accordance with the most advantageous financial and economic impact considerations (where applicable) for the State.
2. Officials responsible for making decisions on the selection of a contractor shall ensure that the selection process accords equal opportunity and appropriate consideration to all who are capable of meeting the specifications. The goals of the evaluation process are to ensure fairness and objectivity in review of the proposals and to ensure that the contract is awarded to the Bidder whose proposal provides the best value to the State of Maine.
3. The Department reserves the right to communicate and/or schedule interviews with Bidders if needed to obtain clarification of information contained in the proposals received, and the Department may revise the scores assigned in the initial evaluation to reflect those communications and/or interviews. Interviews are not required and changes to proposals will not be permitted during any interview process. Therefore, Bidders should submit proposals that present their rates and other requested information as clearly and completely as possible.
4. Prior to completion of the evaluation process, each bidder may be required to demonstrate its proposed system and explain how it applies to the specifications described in this RFP. It is expected that these demonstrations would occur at the Board offices, at bidder manufacturing or development facilities, or some other appropriate site, as approved by the Board. The Evaluation Committee is limited to North America for any travel regarding site visits and demonstrations. The Board will pay for any travel costs associated with travel by its Evaluation Committee. Vendors must pay for any travel costs associated with their own travel.
5. If a bidder who has submitted a proposal in response to this RFP experiences a substantial change in financial condition prior to the award of a contract pursuant to this RFP, or if a successful bidder experiences a substantial change in financial condition during the term of a contract with the Board, then the Board must be notified in writing at the time the change occurs or is identified. A "substantial change" in financial condition is defined as (i) a reduction in net profit and/or stockholder equity in any SEC filing (10-K or 10-Q) of twenty-five percent (25%) or more when compared to the immediately prior similar SEC filing; or (ii) audited financial statements that contain a qualified opinion from the auditor. Failure to notify the Board of such a change may result in the rejection of bidder's proposal or termination of the contract.
Scoring Weights and Process
1. Scoring Weights: The score will be based on a 100-point scale and will measure the degree to which each proposal meets the following criteria.
Section I. Organization Qualifications and Experience (25 points)
Includes all elements addressed above in Part IV, B, Section I.
Section II. Proposed Services – Technical Proposal (40 points)
Includes all elements addressed above in Part IV, B, Section II.
Section III. Cost Proposal (25 points)
Includes all elements addressed above in Part IV, B, Section III.
Section IV. Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration (10 points)
Includes all elements addressed above in PART IV, B, Section IV.
2. Scoring Process: The review team will use a consensus approach to evaluate and score Sections I & II above. Members of the review team will not score those sections individually but, instead, will arrive at a consensus as to assignment of points for each of those sections. Sections III & IV, the Cost Proposal and Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration sections, will be scored as described below.
3. Scoring the Cost Proposal: The total cost proposed for conducting all the functions specified in this RFP will be assigned a score according to a mathematical formula. The lowest bid will be awarded 25 points. Proposals with higher bids values will be awarded proportionately fewer points calculated in comparison with the lowest bid.
The scoring formula is:
(Lowest submitted CSMS Baseline Pricing (Fixed Monthly Fee) / CSMS Baseline Pricing (Fixed Monthly Fee) of proposal being scored) x 25 = pro-rated score
No Best and Final Offers: The State of Maine will not seek a best and final offer (BAFO) from any Bidder in this procurement process. All Bidders are expected to provide their best value pricing with the submission of their proposal.
4. Scoring the Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration: The Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration for this RFP will be scored based on the information provided by Bidders in Appendix D (Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration Form) compared to the point allocations below:
|Maine Business Analysis |Points |
|Average Percentage of Maine Business Impact - 1 to 74% | 2 points |
|Average Percentage of Maine Business Impact - 75 to 100% | 4 points |
|Maine Economic Impact |Points |
|Sum of Maine Economic Analysis - $1 to $1,000,000 | 2 points |
|Sum of Maine Economic Analysis - $1,000,001 to $10,000,000 |4 points |
|Sum of Maine Economic Analysis - over $10,000,000 |6 points |
5. Negotiations: The Department reserves the right to negotiate with the successful Bidder to finalize a contract at the same rate or cost of service as presented in the selected proposal. Such negotiations may not significantly vary the content, nature or requirements of the proposal or the Department’s Request for Proposals to an extent that may affect the price of goods or services requested. The Department reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with a selected respondent who submits a proposed contract significantly different from the proposal they submitted in response to the advertised RFP. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked Bidder, the Department may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Bidder, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized. Alternatively, the Department may cancel the RFP, at its sole discretion.
Selection and Award
2. The final decision regarding the award of the contract will be made by representatives of the Department subject to approval by the State Procurement Review Committee.
3. Notification of contractor selection or non-selection will be made in writing by the Department.
4. Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the State of Maine to award a contract, to pay costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this request, or to pay costs incurred in procuring or contracting for services, supplies, physical space, personnel or any other costs
5. Financial and business stability and wherewithal to perform and support the Board with a CSMS are required. If, at any time prior to the signing of a written agreement, the Board reasonably determines that a bidder does not possess adequate financial ability, fiscal responsibility or organizational stability to carry out the obligations of the contract, that bidder may be disqualified from further consideration.
6. The Department reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or to make multiple awards.
Appeal of Contract Awards
Any person aggrieved by the award decision that results from this RFP may appeal the decision to the Director of the Bureau of General Services in the manner prescribed in 5 MRSA § 1825-E and 18-554 Code of Maine Rules, Chapter 120 (found here: ). The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, 9 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0009 within 15 calendar days of receipt of notification of contract award.
PART VI CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS
Contract Document
1. The successful Bidder will be required to execute a contract in the form of a State of Maine Agreement to Purchase Services (BP54). A list of applicable Riders is as follows:
Rider A: Specification of Work to be Performed
Rider B: Method of Payment and Other Provisions
Rider C: Exceptions to Rider B
Rider D: (Optional; for use by Department)
Rider E: (Optional; for use by Department)
Rider G: Identification of Country in Which Contracted Work Will Be Performed
The complete set of standard BP54 contract documents may be found on the Division of Procurement Services’ website at the following link:
Other forms and contract documents commonly used by the State can be found on the Division of Purchases website at the following link:
2. Allocation of funds is final upon successful negotiation and execution of the contract, subject to the review and approval of the State Procurement Review Committee. Contracts are not considered fully executed and valid until approved by the State Procurement Review Committee and funds are encumbered. No contract will be approved based on an RFP which has an effective date less than fourteen (14) calendar days after award notification to Bidders. (Referenced in the regulations of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Chapter 110, § 3(B)(i):
This provision means that a contract cannot be effective until at least 14 days after award notification.
3. The State recognizes that the actual contract effective date depends upon completion of the RFP process, date of formal award notification, length of contract negotiation, and preparation and approval by the State Procurement Review Committee. Any appeals to the Department’s award decision(s) may further postpone the actual contract effective date, depending upon the outcome. The contract effective date listed in this RFP may need to be adjusted, if necessary, to comply with mandated requirements.
6. In providing services and performing under the contract, the successful Bidder(s) shall act as an independent contractor and not as an agent of the State of Maine.
Standard State Agreement Provisions
1. Agreement Administration
a. Following the award, an Agreement Administrator from the Department will be appointed to assist with the development and administration of the contract and to act as administrator during the entire contract period. Department staff will be available after the award to consult with the successful Bidder in the finalization of the contract.
b. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked Bidder, the Department may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Bidder, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized. Alternatively, the Department may cancel the RFP, at its sole discretion.
2. Payments and Other Provisions
The State anticipates paying the Contractor on the basis of net 30 payment terms, upon the receipt of an accurate and acceptable invoice. An invoice will be considered accurate and acceptable if it contains a reference to the State of Maine contract number, contains correct pricing information relative to the contract, and provides any required supporting documents, as applicable, and any other specific and agreed-upon requirements listed within the contract that results from this RFP.
PART VII LIST OF RFP APPENDICES AND RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. Appendix A – Proposal Cover Page
2. Appendix B – Debarment, Performance and Non-Collusion Certification
3. Appendix C – Cost Proposal Form
4. Appendix D – Maine Business and Economic Impact Consideration Form
5. Appendix E– Proposal Deposit Refund Form
6. Appendix F – Submitted Question Form
APPENDIX A
State of Maine
Department of Public Safety
PROPOSAL COVER PAGE
RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
|Bidder’s Organization Name: | |
|Chief Executive - Name/Title: | |
|Tel: | |E-mail: | |
|Headquarters Street Address: | |
|Headquarters City/State/Zip: | |
|(Provide information requested below if different from above) |
|Lead Point of Contact for Proposal - Name/Title: | |
|Tel: | |E-mail: | |
|Headquarters Street Address: | |
|Headquarters City/State/Zip: | |
• This proposal and the pricing structure contained herein will remain firm for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening.
• No personnel currently employed by the Department or any other State agency participated, either directly or indirectly, in any activities relating to the preparation of the Bidder’s proposal.
• No attempt has been made, or will be made, by the Bidder to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal.
• The above-named organization is the legal entity entering into the resulting agreement with the Department should they be awarded the contract.
• The undersigned is authorized to enter contractual obligations on behalf of the above-named organization.
To the best of my knowledge, all information provided in the enclosed proposal, both programmatic and financial, is complete and accurate at the time of submission.
|Name (Print): |Title: |
| | |
|Authorized Signature: |Date: |
| | |
APPENDIX B
State of Maine
Department of Public Safety
DEBARMENT, PERFORMANCE and NON-COLLUSION CERTIFICATION
RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
|Bidder’s Organization Name: | |
By signing this document, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the aforementioned organization, its principals and any subcontractors named in this proposal:
a. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, and declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from bidding or working on contracts issued by any governmental agency.
b. Have not within three years of submitting the proposal for this contract been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for:
i. Fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a federal, state or local government transaction or contract.
ii. Violating Federal or State antitrust statutes or committing embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;
iii. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State, Tribal or Local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (b) of this certification; and
iv. Have not within a three (3) year period preceding this proposal had one or more federal, state or local government transactions terminated for cause or default.
c. Have not entered into a prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a response for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and this proposal is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. The above-mentioned entities understand and agree that collusive bidding is a violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards.
Failure to provide this certification may result in the disqualification of the Bidder’s proposal, at the discretion of the Department.
|Name (Print): |Title: |
| | |
|Authorized Signature: |Date: |
| | |
APPENDIX C
State of Maine
Department of Public Safety
COST PROPOSAL FORM
RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
|Bidder’s Organization Name: | |
|CSMS Baseline Pricing (Fixed Monthly Fee): |$ |
Any bid which exceeds the amount shown as follows may be ruled “nonresponsive”. Pricing may not exceed the allocation set in PL 2003, Chapter 687, Subchapter 3 § 1036 1. Distribution for administrative expenses of board.
CSMS Baseline Pricing (Required)
Bidders shall show a firm fixed monthly flat fee in the space provided above. This monthly fee applies to the five (5) year period detailed in PART I, D. of this RFP. Price includes all equipment, software, materials and operational services, including installation and maintenance.
Board-Specified Options (Not Applicable--No Specified Options Identified at this Time)
Bidders quoting costs for specified options under this entry shall show a firm fixed monthly flat fee. This monthly fee applies to the five (5) year base period of the contract and any extensions. Price includes all equipment, software, materials, and operational services, including installation and maintenance.
Board-Invited Options (Bidders Invited but Not Required to Submit) (None Identified at this Time)
Bidders quoting costs for Invited Options under this entry shall show a firm fixed monthly flat fee. This monthly fee applies to the five (5) year base period of the contract and any extensions. Price includes all equipment, software, materials, and operational services, including installation and maintenance.
Offered Options (Bidders Not Required to Submit)
Bidders quoting any options under this entry shall quote on sheets attached hereto the price for bidder-offered optional items. The form of pricing is determined by the bidder. This rate applies only to the five (5) year base period of the contract—some other period would be negotiated. Price includes all equipment, software, materials and services, including installation and maintenance.
Optional Proposal for Compensation (Bidders Not Required to Submit)
Bidders may suggest an optional manner of baseline compensation for the CSMS for consideration by the Board. Quotes offered under this option must be inclusive of all equipment, software, materials and services including installation and maintenance. Optional compensation quotes shall not be submitted in lieu of, but in addition to, the firm fixed monthly flat fee quote from I above.
APPENDIX D
State of Maine
Department of Public Safety
MAINE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC IMPACT CONSIDERATION FORM
RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
|Bidder’s Organization Name: | |
Instructions
Each Bidder is to complete the table in the excel spreadsheet below to quantify the Bidder’s investment in the State of Maine. Consideration of this information in making contract award decisions is required in accordance with Executive Order 2017-003, which states “Evaluators of competitive bids for goods and services shall give consideration to the investment in the State by business enterprises as a best-value criterion.
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APPENDIX E
State of Maine
Department of Public Safety
PROPOSAL DEPOSIT REFUND FORM
RFP# 201803055
Provide and Maintain Central Site Monitoring System
Instructions
Bidders must identify the chosen method of payment for the proposal deposit as well as an address the proposal deposit refund is to be sent to. Bidders are to check the appropriate box below to indicate the payment method and complete the subsequent section for a proposal deposit refund address.
For Bidders who submit proposal deposits by check, a copy of this completed form must be included with the proposal deposit check that is mailed to the Division of Procurement Services (See PART IV, C. of this RFP for mailing instructions). The RFP number must be written on the memo line of the submitted proposal deposit check.
Payment by:
ACH-Debit Credit/Debit Card Check
|Bidder’s Organization Name: | |
|Attention to: | |
|Mailing Address (Street or P.O. Box): | |
|City: | |
|RFP Section & Page Number |Question |
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* If a question is not related to any section of the RFP, state “N/A” under “RFP Section & Page Number”.
** Add additional rows, if necessary.
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