SUPPLIER SPECIAL REPORT

AGE 2018

AGE revamps seminars, adds new features

Industry leaders from across the globe are flocking to Sydney, Australia for the 29th edition of the Australasian Gaming Expo.

The three-day exhibition is a ‘must-attend’ for buyers and sellers in the hotels, clubs and casinos sector, with technological innovation, international networking opportunities and education seminars on offer.

Since moving back to the newly renovated International Convention Centre (ICC), the expo has seen a dramatic increase in visitors and exhibitors. Last year, exhibitors welcomed over 6,000 attendees across the 19,000 m2 of exhibition space.

Key exhibitors include Ainsworth Game Technology, Aristocrat Technologies, Aruze Australia, Atlas Gaming, IGT, Independent Gaming, Interblock Asia Pacific, Konami Australia, Maxgaming, Paltronics Australasia, Scientific Games, Tabcorp, Utopia Gaming Systems and Wymac Gaming.

The organizers are touting some very exciting new additions to the expo this year, including a Networking Zone, a new First Timers Program, and a revamped AGE Seminar program, produced by Asia Gaming Brief.

The Networking Zone will be the heartbeat for the event where business networking and meetings take place, with suites also available for private bookings.

“We’re making it easier than ever to make valuable business connections, with a range of networking opportunities and a dedicated Networking Lounge to bring together the whole gaming and hospitality community,” said Ross Ferrar, CEO of Gaming Technologies Association.

A First Timers Program will welcome newcomers to the event, with easily identifiable lanyards, a guided show floor highlights tour and an exclusive networking event to help guests visiting for the first time get the most out of the show.

“It’s valuable opportunities like these that help our attendees do a lot of their business for the year at the Expo,” said Ferrar.

The exhibition will also provide visitors with an expanded emphasis on education and professional development. This year, the AGE has partnered with Asia Gaming Brief to produce its successful seminar program, which first made its debut in 2017.

The seminars will include three full days of sessions covering issues in technology, gaming, hospitality, marketing, media, events, and F&B and much more.

“We’ll be introducing new educational sessions to the event, with almost three full days of seminars on offer. That’s a whole extra day more than last year, with almost double the content,” Ferrar adds.

Among the famed speakers includes Justin Baird, who is a leading innovationist and technology futurist with expertise in digital, media and marketing futures.

The program also dives into the “Gaming Product of Tomorrow”, discussing disruptive technology in the gaming product space, such as virtual reality, skillgames, AR-technology and will ask the regulators how they are responding.

The AGE Seminar also features a half-day IMGL Masterclass™, covering international and domestic legal trends of relevance to the Australian gambling industry, including operators, regulators, venues and other stakeholders.

For those in the hospitality sector, the seminars will also cover topics related to food & beverage, events, esports and much more.

Australasian Gaming Expo is the world’s third largest hospitality and gaming tradeshow and the biggest event of its type in Australia.

What’s inside

ARISTOCRAT

Aristocrat is thrilled to welcome its customers to AGE to once again demonstrate “it’s all about what’s inside.”

This year, Aristocrat has creatively aligned its stand design with its content strategy. The content strategy focuses on four unique player experiences including brands, on trend, innovation and next gen content.

As pioneers of the Hold ‘n’ Spin game mechanic, Aristocrat is committed to supporting and innovating in this space to address this significant segment. After the successful launch of Dragon Link, Aristocrat will be rolling out brand extensions of the product to support the growing linked progressive category.

You can expect to see the latest iterations of both Lightning Link and Dragon Link in their unique themed areas on the stand.

‘On trend’ content is an experience that innovates on what’s popular right now.

Building on the popular Hold ‘n’ Spin mechanic, the company will bring Welcome to Fantastic Jackpots which addresses the growing linked progressive segment.

Debuting at AGE is Cash Boost, the company’s latest innovation that aims to boost the potential of your gaming floor. Cash Boost features an innovative free games feature incorporating a ladder style mechanic. This package includes player selectable multi denominations of 1c, 2c, 5c and 10c and will launch with two standalone progressive titles, Mystical Light and Mystical Jungle.

Our next gen content strives to create new product segments through new and alternate player experiences.

Aristocrat facilitates a culture of innovation and welcomes our top industry talent to create next gen content through our Think Bigger initiative; Aristocrat’s innovation accelerator.

This initiative is dedicated to challenging our people to think outside the box and let their imagination run wild in creating revolutionary ideas that will change the gaming industry.

Join Aristocrat at AGE 2018, and find them on stand 100.

Cube X Plus

ARUZE

Aruze will be showcasing the Cube X Plus cabinet at AGE this year, featuring dual 23” monitors, LCD button panel, fast processor, superior sound and ergonomic design, along with a suite of game titles we’re sure will excite.

Aruze continues to develop a strong business and more importantly a robust roadmap of products that supports its customers.

The original series’ “Jungle Cash” and “Cash Locomotive” are still venue favorites.

Aruze’s latest titles include the first “True Multi Denominational” game titles.

Being launched at the AGE is the “Blissful Paradise” series available as Standalone progressive, and Link progressive. These are “True Multi Denominational” game titles, where players will experience a variety of gameplay and surprising riches.

Regarding ETGs, “Express Roulette” is being launched, allowing operators to select the number of stations, enabling them to be suitable for any size venue, and any size floor space.

Aruze looks forward to meeting you at stand 990.

EVO cabinet line

AINSWORTH

Ainsworth Game Technology will be presenting their comprehensive lineup of themes for their full line of innovative cabinets, including the EVO and A640.

On the EVO cabinet line, Ainsworth will showcase Golden Link, their latest Multi- Denom Multi- Game Link Progressive that will stand out on gaming floors with one Link Progressive, three levels of Bonus Prizes, unique game experiences and world-class graphics.

Another highlight on Ainsworth’s stand is Crazy Jackpots. Crazy Jackpots is a Multi- Denom Link Progressive that incorporates a one level Link Progressive, one level Standalone Progressive and three bonus levels. Launching with four entertaining titles, Desert Sun, Persian Empire, Midnight Money and Wild Nights, Crazy Jackpots will attract a diverse range of players.

In addition, Ainsworth will present Triple Challenge on the A640 cabinet. Triple Challenge offers players a unique and exciting feature experience with a one level ‘Sic Bo’ Progressive, three levels of Bonus Prizes and multiplying dice features.

Ainsworth invites attendees to learn more about their rock-solid line-up of thrilling themes, see them on stand 900.

BMM Testlabs to Bring Quality Services to AGE 2018

BMM

BMM Testlabs, the world’s leading gaming testing laboratory and technical consultancy, is pleased to bring our quality services to the Australian Gaming Expo at the new ICC Sydney in Darling Harbour NSW.

EVP and General Manager Australia Asia-Pacific and Africa, Kirk White commented; “AGE provides us with a fantastic opportunity to discuss our testing services with existing and new customers. It also gives us the opportunity to highlight how BMM has set new standards for quality in testing, improved project completion times and cost effective services.”

White concluded, “BMM continues to evolve our capabilities as gaming technologies are becoming more complex. As an ISTQB Platinum Partner, BMM engineers around the world are qualified to the highest standards, enabling us to fully align our testing capabilities to meet the needs of modern-day gaming technologies.”

“We have built a strong reputation as the best test lab in Australasia and we look forward to providing our expertise to visitors at AGE this year.”

BMM provides comprehensive services to the industry including:

• Testing & Certification

• iGaming

• Gaming Host Monitoring and Jackpot System Testing

• Lottery Product Testing Services

• Gaming Machine Testing Services

• Mathematical Testing services: RNG & RTP etc.

• Manufacturer Product Testing Services

• Operator Inspection, Audit and Performance Verification Services

• Regulatory Services

• Training & Education programs

For more information, please visit BMM during AGE 2018 at stand 346.

Industry-leading ETGs

INTERBLOCK

Interblock will exhibit a wide range of its industry-leading ETGs at the Australasian Gaming Expo.

On display will be ETGs including Diamond Stadium, StarBar, Diamond Video Blackjack, MiniStar Roulette, Keno and Bingo Diamond Station

The Diamond Stadium at AGE will demonstrate an entertaining video experience for blackjack, roulette, and baccarat and its ability to connect to external automated and video generators. With compelling audio and visual effects, side bets and themed virtual dealers that interact directly with players, the Diamond product line gives ultimate flexibility to operators and provides an enhanced gaming experience. Any desired number of play stations can be connected to a single unit.

The multi-game StarBar is a play station designed for the bar top. StarBar allows players to interact with up to four games simultaneously. A variety of different games are available at the player’s fingertips including, craps, multi-hand blackjack, roulette, video poker and more.

Diamond Video Blackjack will feature an enhanced Virtual Dealer with fast-deal graphics that have reduced waiting time for participating players resulting in more hands per hour. Each play station offers 27-inch high definition screens that allow players to play up to three industry-leading side bets at a time.

The MiniStar Roulette delivers more than 120 results per hour and provides most of the features offered on Interblock’s Diamond Roulette product line but in a smaller footprint. MiniStar Roulette is available with six, eight or ten seats in a single or double zero roulette wheel.

The Diamond Station also allows operators to offer keno and bingo in a fastpaced, standalone format. It has the same footprint as a traditional poker machine, fitting perfectly into smaller venues, and game cycles can be as fast as a standard spin cycles on poker machines.

See Interblock at stand 451.

Play among the stars

IGT

IGT will present a range of performance-driven, market-attuned innovations in its booth at AGE under the theme “Play Among the Stars.”

The three-day event will present a platform for IGT to reveal new products within its revitalized Crystal hardware family, and to demonstrate the company’s progress in delivering regionally attuned games and solutions.

IGT’s “star studded” AGE portfolio will be anchored in the CrystalDual-i 27 cabinet, and will be complemented by exciting themes such as the Star Stax and Wheel Shot, games, and the internationally celebrated Fortune Gong multi-level progressive. The company will also spotlight its Multistar games and gaming management systems within the company’s lively AGE stand.

“A focal point of IGT’s AGE stand will be the Crystal cabinet series which has now evolved to include the CrystalCurve-i, the CrystalSlant and the evolution of our most successful hardware in the region, the CrystalDual-i cabinet,” said Andrew Hely, IGT managing director of Asia Pacific. “Over the last 12 months IGT has made measurable progress in localizing our content and services to maximize opportunities in Australia and New Zealand with solutions that can drive growth for our customers.”

Building on the success of IGT’s CrystalCurve-i games such as Fortune Fury and Wild Fury, IGT will introduce the Star Stax game – an innovative game that includes a unique bonus feature that is triggered when the game’s star symbols align in gameplay.

Another IGT “star on the rise” game is the Wheel Shot game with its Wild Gold and Hero of Greece base games. Housed on a variety of Crystal series cabinets, Wheel Shot features an interactive bonus where players spin in-game wheels to collect rewards and earn an opportunity to the title’s coveted jackpot wheel.

IGT will also showcase the Fortune Gong game, with base game titles Dragon Dynasty, Guardians Treasure, and Phoenix Rising. These new showcase games will progressively be compatible with the entire range of Crystal cabinets. Fortune Gong can be configured as a linked progressive game, or a standalone game.

IGT’s player-favorite, Multistar games will be another must-see within IGT’s stand. Featuring a range of multi-game, multidenomination options to choose from, IGT will launch Multistar Big 3 – reprising the game of Bingo - and Multistar Hot Dollars game packs.

Meet the team at IGT at stand 590.

Security and customer connections

JCM

JCM Global has been helping Australian operators increase security and customer connections for decades, and now JCM will showcase its latest solutions at AGE 2018.

“Our Australia-based team is keenly focused on the unique needs of Australian operators. We are excited to showcase our solutions at AGE because they exploit JCM’s global technological expertise while also giving Australian operators the flexibility to tailor our solutions to their needs,” said JCM Australasia general manager Ian Payne.

JCM’s secure solutions start with its awardwinning UBA and iVIZION bill validators. Operators throughout Australia rely on the UBA, which is updated and accepts the new Australian currency. iVIZION is trusted by operators worldwide because of its powerful CIS technology, which scans more than 9.5 million data points of every note, twice that of the nearest competitor. Its powerful combination of optical and mechanical sensors and mechanical antifishing technology offers supreme protection.

Rounding out JCM’s bill validation solutions is the TBV bulk note feeder, which gives operators the added convenience of accepting multiple notes and currencies simultaneously.

Player convenience increases with JCM’s GEN2U and GEN5, which are fast, flexible, and powerful with more memory and faster print speeds.

When coupled with iVIZION and GEN5, JCM’s FUZION technology gives operators the potential to offer a wide range of convenience options to their customers, including real-time currency exchange with exchange rates, along with a wealth of other functionality.

The ICB Intelligent Cash Box system is globally proven to decrease errors and increase drop accuracy, saving operators time and money, while also increasing compliance.

Last, JCM will showcase its BlueWave DX firmware upload tool that allows users to quickly update bill validator firmware with less downtime.

Visit JCM on stand 372 at AGE.

First class player experience

KONAMI

Konami will release a record mix of original progressives and base game themes to market at AGE 2018. Top developments, from the Concerto and Concerto Stack to next-generation windowing systems technology, will be featured at Konami’s stand.

AGE 2018 marks a milestone for Konami standalone progressives, which all have unique math and mechanics. On debut is All Aboard, which consists of a hold-and-spin feature that invites players to win all credit and bonus prizes displayed on the board up to nine times! Another one of Konami’s top symbol-driven standalone progressives on display is Thunder Arrow, featuring a hold-and-spin feature, three unique base games, multi-denomination options, and multiple mega jackpot opportunities.

Other standalone progressives on show at the AGE will include the exciting Pick n Spin and Cash Galaxy series.

This year’s AGE event will also host the premiere of Konami’s 43-inch Concerto Stack machine. The portrait orientated cabinet makes each win a big celebration. Spinball will be the first portraitorientated game series to be launched with the Concerto Stack; however, this machine will also be compatible with the latest Concerto games, such as All Aboard and other new titles.

As in past years, guests will have the opportunity to explore Konami’s award-winning SYNKROS casino management system across the booth in a comprehensive demo environment. Leading advancements in True-Time Windowing – including web services, service requests, portrait-screen compatibility and more – will be among the latest features. Business intelligence solutions will also be on display through SYNKROS Dashboards, an intuitive dashboard interface built to provide accurate and actionable data points that drive both daily operations and long-term strategies.

‘This year’s AGE will showcase some of our latest products such as ‘All Aboard’, which has recently been approved for NSW and Thunder Arrow Link, which is proving to be a top performer in QLD and NSW. Further to this, Konami is committed to ensure we make products that meet and exceed market requirements and I am excited to be on board to work with the team to deliver these objectives.’ says David Punter, national sales manager at Konami Australia.

Guests are encouraged to visit Konami at stand number 390 to explore these and other important Konami releases.

Innovative portfolio showcased

QUIXANT

The Australasian Gaming expo will see Quixant showcase its innovative portfolio, including the QXi-400, QX-60, and an extraordinary generation of Quixant processing and graphical tech.

Australia is a core market for the UKheadquartered company, making the AGE an ideal platform to promote their fundamental differentiators in the region.

The QXi-400 is a new two-screen controller offering unprecedented performance in its tier, which will be shown alongside the QX-60, featuring an optional high-power discrete graphics card and long-term Windows 7 support.

Fully complimenting this diverse suite of control boards, a pioneering selection of monitors and button decks including a variety of “floating” options and the contemporary, customizable 13.3” Playdeck will also be present.

In addition, the new, extraordinary generation of Quixant processing and graphical technology, driven by AMD Ryzen Embedded APUs, will make its regional debut.

Harnessed within the QMax-2 and QXi-7000 products, the long-time gaming industry objective of multi-screen, intensive 4K graphics and ultra-fast processing has now been truly realized.

“We’re very excited about AGE. It’s a crucial event for us due to the fact that we have a very strong presence in the market, and as such it provides excellent opportunities for discussions with our existing customers, not to mention those experiencing the benefits of Quixant for the first time”, comments John Malin, group sales director.

“There will be a multitude of new platform and display solutions on show, however equally as important a focus will be education; our Gaming Ecosystem is sure to be a primary topic of discussion, being the unique bedrock upon which our customers can facilitate development resource optimization and quick time-to-market.”

Quixant can be found at stand 377 at the show.

Happy Chance

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

Scientific Games will present its leading digital gaming and sports products alongside its revolutionary gaming and lottery products this year at AGE 2018.

This lineup is the most comprehensive offering available from a gaming supplier combining a range of category leading brands alongside exciting new innovations. There will be three products that deserve special mention and warrant a visit to their stand:

HAPPY CHANCE: Headlining new games for the DUALOS cabinet and designed uniquely for Australian players, Happy Chance is an exciting new two level Standalone Progressive series that has been created by the same team that brought the phenomenally successful 88 Fortunes, Duo Fu Duo Cai and most recently Jin Ji Bao Xi games to the world. Happy Chance launches with two game titles: HAPPY CHANCE CAT and HAPPY CHANCE PIG combining an exotic Asian-style theme with exciting features and gameplay.

CASH CONNECTION: Following the highly successful Locked & Loaded series, SG Gaming Australia has been concentrating on bolstering its multi-denomination standalone progressive game line up. Recently debuting games from the Cash Connection series are proving to be a hit with players. Launched with two games Sweet Tweet and Wild Country, Cash Connection offers the popular ‘Dropand-Lock’ free game feature concept and is part of the expanding multi-denominational game library.

Offering game play from 1c to $1, the local game design team behind this exciting series has focused on ensuring that these new games can bring a thrilling entertainment experience to gaming rooms with the chance for big rewards that are available for players.

VEGAS STAR: With a fresh logo to herald a new era, Vegas Star has been at the forefront of electronic terminal gaming for over a decade. Vegas Star has enabled club and casino operators to maximise their floor performance and profitability locally and around the globe. The new Quartz terminal is a major development to the product line, with a key feature bringing all the big screen action right onto the player terminal.

Visit Scientific Games at AGE on stand 190.

Aura on display

SPINTEC

Spintec and its Australian distribution partner – Independent Gaming, are bringing their amphitheater gaming solution Aura to the Australasian Gaming Expo this year.

After an extraordinary success at G2E Asia in May this year Spintec will showcase its innovative portfolio for amphitheater set-ups, featuring an ergonomic design for the best comfort of the player and virtually endless customization options.

Aura is known for its comfort, dedicated space for personal belongings and drinks, wide screen and intuitive user interface, luxurious softness of natural materials, while operators appreciate Aura’s customization options, modularity, compatibility and stability.

Aura offers a right dosage of comfort and fun, which guarantees longer gaming sessions, says Spintec.

“We are confident that our Aura amphitheater solution will have a great success on the Australian market. We are now finalizing the certification process and we plan to start selling our gaming solutions to the Australian market in the coming months,” says Primož Krševan, Spintec’s regional sales manager.

Spintec looks forward to welcoming everyone at stand 750.

Focus on innovation

SUZOHAPP

At this year’s AGE, SUZOHAPP is excited to introduce new innovations for the Australian market.

The Nanoptix advanced printing solutions will be presented for the very first time, including the PayCheck NextGen, the PayCheck Terminal and the PayCheck 4. The brand new 27” Touchscreen Kiosk will be also in the spotlight. This solution offers an optional LED display and is fitted with a Nanoptix HSVL Advance Thermal Printer.

Further innovations include the DPS (Dynamic Panel System) featuring PKT technology which takes touch button technology to the next level, and the CashComplete SDS-35, the Smart Deposit System that secures cash and prevents shrinkage and counterfeits. A special focus will be also put on the range of VisionPro LCD slot machine screens which are available for most EGM models and in a range of sizes.

Visitors looking for the latest technology in coin and banknote counting/sorting will enjoy seeing the SCAN COIN desktop solutions, including the SC-8220, the DTC-2, SC-303 and the SC-360. Comestero Easy Pro and Twin Jolly Pro, the best-selling change machines, will be also taking center stage at AGE.

SUZOHAPP is a global provider of high quality products for cash handling technology and, at AGE, manufacturers will learn more about the features and benefits of a rich selection of components. For coin-in, show attendees will see the Comestero RM5 electronic coin mechanism that offers excellent coin discrimination and market-leading anti-fraud technology. For coin-out, they will appreciate the advantages of a variety of hoppers. For banknote validation and recycling, the MFL banknote reader and the Bill-to-Bill 300 recycler will be highlighted.

“The AGE is a perfect networking event, giving us the chance to show our innovative approach to the industry,” explained Mr. Peter Noye, vice president commercial & strategy at SUZOHAPP APA. “Come visit us and discover how our solutions can support and improve your business.”

Visit SUZOHAPP at stand 470 at AGE 2018.

Partnering for e-sports success

ULTRAPLAY

Advanced betting solutions provider UltraPlay has been offering innovative concepts from sports, e-sports and in-play betting to white label, online casino and blockchain solutions since 2010.

As an e-sports betting pioneer, the company offers an unrivaled platform and data to the iGaming brands. UltraPlay’s award-winning e-sports betting solution ODDS.GG comes with 25 game titles, 3000+ events per month, 1500+ live events a month and 200+ markets growing exponentially with the new titles added, such as King of Glory, Gwent, NBA 2K League.

E-sports was again a hot topic at iGB Live, in Amsterdam, where UltraPlay’s team presented an exclusive e-sports betting data accumulated from the company’s broad client network (2017 to June 2018). Average bet, net profit per player, bets per player, turnover per player were among the key statistics discussed with the exhibition delegates. Among the conclusions were that e-sports betting will continue to grow and go to the top tier of gambling verticals. To benefit from e-sports, brands need to understand the specifics of this offering. E-sports should be separated from any other sport. Brands have to tailor their offering to catch the attention of e-sports’ fans and treat them as a main target for that product.

Knowledge and experience in e-sports betting is crucial for the online operators to start gaining profits out of it, and that needs to be done with a company that specializes in e-sports betting rather than an in-house trading team to do it. Choosing the right partner to enter the e-sports betting vertical is key to success for any betting website willing to attract the target audience of millennials who go into e-sports as fans, enthusiasts and bettors.