Coinslot 2393 digital

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November 7 – November 13, 2014 • No. 2393 • www.coinslot.co.uk

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COINSLOT

Industry news Seaside amusements Leisure B2B Listings Latest machine charts Classified ads and opps Comment & Analysis Newsweek

COMMENT

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The direct approach is the answer. MPs hold open surgery sessions, so go and put a human face on your issue... 8

Gambling Tax Reform: new ru OPERATORS An online registration service is now live for gambling operators who need to register for Remote Gaming Duty, General Betting Duty or Pool Betting Duty because of changes to the remote gambling rules from December 1, 2014. The three duties will move from being based on a ‘place of supply’ to a ‘place of consumption’, so a gambling operator based outside the UK offering remote gambling services to a UK customer will be liable for the duties. This includes gambling offered over the internet. The HMRC guidelines, published here https://www.gov.uk/gambling-tax-reform-new-rules-from1-december-2014, state: “If you’re a gambling operator you should make sure that everyone in your organisation who needs to know about the changes is kept informed. You’ll also need to review your in-house systems and procedures accordingly.”

The new rules will affect: The remote gambling industry who offer remote betting and gaming to UK consumers from outside the UK; UK land-based betting business such as high street betting shops; Land based gaming sector businesses such as casinos and bingo halls will not be affected by these new rules unless they offer remote betting or gaming; Premises-based betting and the treatment of spread betting will be unaffected except for some administrative changes. Operators can use the Gambling Tax Service (GTS) online registration system to register for General Betting Duty, Pool Betting Duty and Remote Gaming Duty gambling taxes. Gambling activities are currently taxed on a ‘place of supply’ basis. This means that if operators are supplying gambling from the UK, they pay tax on all your gross gambling profits. Operators sup-

UK’s bingo halls have a posit BINGO

ccording to a new report,The Fall & Rise of Bingo, commisA sioned by bingo comparison site Twolittlefleas.co.uk,bingo - in all its forms - is staging something of a revival. Written by high street and digital marketing expert Graham Soult, the study draws from historical research, interviews with key industry players and a series of case studies - featuring venues across the UK - to chart bingo’s changing fortunes. “After years of relative decline, industry experts agree that the recent cut in bingo duty has given the future of the traditional bingo hall a big boost,” Soult stated. The first bingo club opened in the UK on 3 January 1961. However, after the National Lottery began in 1994, the number of bingo clubs fell 21 per cent between 1995 and 2000, while the smoke ban proved a further threat to traditional bingo halls.

In the last decade alone, the number of bingo clubs in Britain has dropped from nearly 600 to fewer than 400 today. Even in 2011, however, 3m customers made 49m visits to UK bingo clubs - demonstrating bingo’s importance to local economies and to people’s social lives. A further reason for bingo halls struggling was that until July this year, their profits were taxed at 20 per cent, compared to 15 per cent for bookmakers and fixed-odds betting, and just 12 per cent on the price of a lottery ticket.This made it harder for bingo halls to invest in the facilities and prizes that would help them compete. In March, Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Budget that taxes on bingo halls would be halved from 20 per cent to 10 per cent,“to protect jobs and protect communities” even exceeding the cut to 15 per

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INDUSTRY

INDUSTRY

Can Greene King call for a full house?

All the fun of the fair except in Haverfordwest

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8 November 7 - November 13, 2014 • No. 2393 • www.coinslot.co.uk

new rules from December 1

Gambling Act 2014 whirrs into motion LEGISLATION

The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 became law on November 1 and the Gambling Commission has made major efforts to inform those concerned of the implications of what is effectively the first significant update of the Gambling Act 2005.

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plying UK customers from outside the UK pay no UK gambling taxes. From 1 December 2014 HMRC is changing how these duties are taxed from ‘place of supply’ to ‘place of consumption’. This means that operators will become liable to one or more of the taxes (GBD, PBD or RGD), if you offer remote gambling to a person who usually lives in the UK. This applies no matter where in the

world they are based. If an operator supplies remote gambling to UK customers from outside the UK he will become liable to a UK gambling tax for the first time and GBD, PBD or RGD will become payable. UK based operators who supply remote gambling to customers who do not usually live in the UK will no longer be liable to GBD, PBD or RGD on those transactions.

a positive multichannel future

cent that Boost Bingo had been campaigning for. “The bingo industry experts who we spoke to were clear that it’s now up to club operators to keep delivering an improved bingo club experience - by investing in premises,increasing prizes, and continuing to innovate,” Soult said. “What’s particularly fascinating is how this is linked to the transformation of the online space, as more players switch to handheld touch-screen devices

like tablets due to the growth of mobile technology.” He added: “It was actually quite notable how many echoes bingo has of the similar challenges I’m seeing all the time in retail – namely the growth of a ‘multichannel’customer experience, and the need for physical venues, whether bingo clubs or shops,to find a new purpose that addresses consumers’ changing habits and offers something that is both enhanced by,and can’t be fully replicated, online.”

licences. References in footnotes to sections are to sections of the GamblingAct 2005. It is particularly focused on the questions that arise regarding the use of self-service betting terminals and other intermediate arrangements in providing gambling facilities at high street venues. In summary, the Commission’s view is that: •An operator which is a party to its customers’betting contracts needs a general betting standard operating licence. • An operator providing facilities for gambling from key equipment in Great Britain or to consumers in Britain which facilitates its customers betting with a third party, either directly or through another betting intermediary, needs a betting intermediary licence. • In either case,those licences will need to be remote licences if the customer bets using any form of remote communication or if the operator’s

activity is carried on by means of remote communication, whether or not the customer is on the operator’s premises. • In circumstances where the transaction is conducted from an operator’s premises, a betting premises licence will be needed and cannot be obtained without a betting operating licence which can either be remote or non-remote. • Gaming machines can only be provided on licensed betting premises where the operator holds a nonremote general betting (standard) licence and is providing non-remote betting facilities as its primary gambling activity. • Where an operator lays off or hedges its betting liabilities by use of a remote platform (whether betting operator or exchange) and does not already hold a remote betting licence, the necessary remote general betting (standard) (remote platform) licence is available with its non-remote licence at no additional cost.

R E TA I L E R A P P R O V E D

ovember 1 saw the implementation of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014.This latest piece of UK-based gambling legislation requires that only gambling operators licensed by the Gambling Commission are permitted to advertise to consumers in Great Britain or provide them with remote gambling facilities.This simplifies the position for carriers of advertising. Carriers of gambling advertising will need to ensure they only permit gambling operators licensed by the Commission to advertise in Great Britain. Licensed operators who offer online gambling are required to display a link (on all web pages that are used to access gambling) to their licensed status with the Commission so consumers can quickly verify that the operator has a licence.Consumers and carriers of advertising can also check whether operators have a licence by accessing the Commission’s register of licensed operators. It is a requirement of the Commission’s Licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) that gambling operators wishing to advertise must comply with the advertising codes of practice which apply to the form and media in which they advertise their gambling facilities or services. The Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) write and maintain the UK Advertising Codes which are administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). As a guide to operators, the Commission has updated its advice note for remote,non-remote and betting intermediaries. The advice note explains the approach adopted by the Gambling Commission when deciding what operating licence(s) an operator needs to authorise its provision of facilities for betting and in determining whether the operator is complying with the requirements of those

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Coinslot November 7 - November 13, 2014

Industry

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Haverfordwest Fair at risk after 900 years of showtime

Small fire raises alarm at Southend Pier

Email: al@sjc.co.uk

PIERS

SHOWMEN

mergency services were called to attend a fire that broke out at the Eshore-end of Southend Pier’s walkway

The Welsh town of Haverfordwest could lose its 900-year-old fair, according to traders and ride operators, with the Showmen’s Guild claiming that moving it to a smaller site further out of town has cost its members money.

averfordwest’s annual October fair moved from its usual St Thomas Green site to Scotchwell car park this year, and the move could prove to be a disaster for the highly popular event. The Showmen’s Guild believes the switch should have been temporary until a new venue was found and that the move has put a 900-year tradition in jeopardy. Pembrokeshire council said following a consultation it has

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now decided to make the move permanent. Stephanie Jenkins, south Wales secretary for the Showmen’s Guild, told the BBC: “Scotchwell could only ever be a stop-gap - it’s too small, too far off the beaten track. It’s such a shame. Some of our members’ grandparents were coming each year to Haverfordwest and the rides and entertainments have been passed down the family. But if they can’t make ends meet at Scotchwell

then nostalgia alone isn’t going to pay their bills.” She added:“There used to be three fairs a year at Haverfordwest.We’ve already lost two,and unless we can find a more suitable site then the October fair will go as well.” The StThomas Green site was cleared to make way for a leisure centre and the Showmen’s Guild believes there are two venues within the town which would be more suitable. Pembrokeshire council,how-

ever, said the decision stands. A council spokesman said: “It has been decided the fair will remain at Scotchwell car park. This follows a public consultation by the council in conjunction with the Showmen’s Guild - looking at other possible locations. The consultation showed there was more support for Scotchwell, while there was generally a negative reaction to the fair moving to Castle Lake and Rifleman’s Field.”

last Tuesday. Four fire engines were sent to the scene as part of a pre-determined response for any fire reported at the pier. The alarm was raised shortly before 5pm, but fortunately the blaze turned out to be relatively minor. Fire crews used backpacks containing water to extinguish the fire before it became more serious and were able to leave within half and hour. This latest incident served as a timely reminder of how vulnerable the nation’s piers remain, coming just three months after the devastating blaze that destroyed Eastbourne Pier’s amusement arcade. It also follows the news that Southend Pier could be opened for longer after achieving its best visitor numbers since it was severely damaged by a fire in 2005. This year approximately 294,000 people have visited the Grade II-listed structure, the longest pleasure pier in the world.

Bob Rudd boosts estate with Mitchells and Harnser on board OPERATORS

ingle site operator Bob Rudd is going from Sstrength to strength. Mitchells of Lancaster and Harnser Inns have signed a deal for their entire estate to be operated by the company - as well as Mitchell & Butler offering extra business. Harnser Inns Limited, created in 2013, currently has a mixture of 26 tied

and free trade pubs that operate nationally. Richard Gundry, MD, has assigned its estate of 97 machines over to Bob

Rudd to increase cash in box across the board. Like Bob Rudd, Mitchells of Lancaster are also a family owned com-

pany with traditions and core values for service and quality. Bob Rudd will use their own family culture to deliver the product and service that has grown their reputation over the last 25 years. Nick Rudd, MD of the company, recently appointed his sister Charlotte to be HR manager. Charlotte Rudd has experience in the HR sector and has completed a

formal degree in the area. She told Coinslot: “I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to work in the family business. I have grown up in the industry and have seen how hard the whole family has worked to get to where we are now. It’s an exciting time at Bob Rudd and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.” Adding another family

member to the business, states Rudd, reinforces the values this organisation was built on by their father Bob Rudd in 1989. The company recently hosted a 25th celebration for all of its employees, which was held near its head office in Newcastle. The night was a brilliant success and saw staff take part in “Bob Rudd’s Got Talent” as well as the “Bobscars” award ceremony.

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INDUSTRY

AMUSEMENTS LEISURE B2B COMMENT NEWSWEEK REGENERATION Scarborough could be in line for a major new amusements addition to its seafront. But can the regeneration plans deliver? 10

Greene King appeal may open door to wider pub bingo provision BINGO

As Greene King appeals against the decision of the Gambling Commission to refuse its application for a bingo license, Coinslot spoke to Nick Arron, partner at licensing practice Poppleston Allen, to establish what might be at stake.

About The Interviewee: Nick Arron is the lead partner in the betting & gaming team at Poppleston Allen, representing clients from both the landed and online gambling sectors. Having provided services to major coin-op stakeholders such as Astra Games, Bell-Fruit Games, Namco and Crown Leisure, Arron is also a retained advisor at the Bingo Association.

S: What informed the Gambling Commission’s refusal of the Greene King bingo licence? NA:Whilst the Gambling Commission opined that Greene King were fit and proper to provide facilities for bingo (citing required competency, integrity and compliance regimes), they expressed concern for the potential harm to the licensee objectives pertaining to the protection of children and vulnerable people from harm and exploitation by gambling. Effectively,what they’ve said is:‘we don’t think pubs are the environment for bingo.’

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CS: What justification underlies the Gambling Commission’s line of thought? NA:A number of things. Firstly, they consider bingo to be‘hard-gambling’:in that there is no limit to the stake or prize.With linked bingo you can certainly have substantial prizes, potentially in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.The Commission had concerns of permitting so called ‘hard-gambling’ within pub environments. It wasn’t the family element that was key - a lot of bingo halls aren’t adultonly. Rather, it was the presence of alcohol on site which was the greatest concern. In their eyes,the primary purpose of a pub is the consumption of alcohol,not gaming.And there’s a huge gaming machine element to this case as well. Under a bingo premises licence, there’s no limit to the number of Category C and D machines,and 20 per cent of on-site machines can be B3 £500 jackpots.InAGCs,you get those kind of numbers, but there’s no provision to sell alcohol.It’s that combination that the Gambling Commission is concerned about. CS: But isn’t the pub sector moving away from wet-led sales? NA:Absolutely - and on the day of the appeal hearing earlier this month, the Commission and Greene King did exchange figures to this end.I’m not so sure that the Commission will be much persuaded with this argument,however. Greene King’s figures showed that across their site portfolio, their food/drink split is weighted more heavily to the former

than the latter. But the Gambling Commission countered that this statistic applied across the entire Greene King group, rather than just their pub operations - which is the intended market for the company’s bingo licence.The Commission’s figures showed an 80 per cent wet sales majority for Greene King’s pub-specific operations. CS: What is the current legal precedent regarding pubs and bingo provision? NA: Under the Gambling Act 2005, pubs are permitted to provide bingo under the category of ‘Exempt Gaming’.This permits pub licensees to offer equal chance gaming like bingo within specific limits.These limits are quite severe: aggregate stake and prize amounts cannot exceed £2000 in any seven day period.An exception to this rule can be made once per year, but essentially, exempt gaming is designed as low stake and prize ancillary gaming activity.Importantly - pubs are forbidden from making any money from the act of gaming itself.The license that GK are aiming for is the same license that Mecca and Gala would have - which obviously allows profit to be made. CS: What are the wider implications of Greene King successfully obtaining a bingo license? NA:What I suspect is that all the other pub groups are watching this case very carefully. There are so many suburban pubs which have free space which could be ideal for this kind of activity.The Gambling Commission is concerned about a ‘flood-gates’ scenario they put forward figures suggesting that as many as 60,000 pubs could be effected. I don’t think that’s likely: I think you might see a few hundred sites spring up,at absolute best. Even then, it would take years to get to even that scale. Don’t forget: bingo is expensive to set up, and requires large enough premises, as well as a business plan which actively involves bingo. Food-led premises are unlikely to want bingo because it doesn’t fit in with their brand objectives.

Playnation grows its management team APPOINTMENTS

ollowing on from its acquisition of FunFHouse Leisure and a number of substantial new contracts, FEC operator Playnation has appointed two key personnel to its customer account management team. Stuart Green joins Playnation as director of national accounts,

responsible for managing and strengthening Playnation’s key client relationships with major partners. Green brings a wealth of experience from the gaming and leisure sector, recently as gaming opera-

tions director at Inspired Gaming, and has previously account managed a number of the leading UK operators within the sector. Andrew Bullock joins as account manager from SG Gaming, assuming responsibility for key clients including Talarius, Welcome Break and Moto Hospitality. Mark Chapman, chief

operating officer at Playnation, commented: “We’ve seen a rapid period of growth over the last six months through new business and a very successful acquisition. Stuart and Andy are a perfect complement our business and will strengthen the team as we continue to deliver great service, innovation and high product standards to our customers.”

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Scientific Games reports third quarter 2014 results FINANCIALS

The Scientific Games Corporation has reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2014, with its president and CEO confident of improving operating results because of ‘solid progress’.

hird quarter revenue for Scientific Games increased to $415.6m from $234.4m in the prior-year quarter, primarily reflecting the contribution of WMS operations and a 9 per cent increase in total lottery revenue.Attributable EBITDA increased $38.3m from the prior-year quarter to $128.2m.The company incurred a net loss of $69.8m,or $0.82 per share. “During the quarter,the company generated $126m of cash flow from operations,which after $62m of capital expenditures resulted in $65m of free cash flow,” said Gavin Isaacs, president and CEO (pictured). “While our operating results still require further improvement to achieve the level of performance we expect, we believe we are making solid progress in utilisation of working capital, implementation of WMSrelated integration initiatives, strengthening the organisationwide focus on disciplined cost management and directing capital allocation only toward our highestreturn opportunities.” For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, revenue increased $531.6m from the prior-year period

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to $1,220.6m, primarily reflecting the contribution from WMS’ operations. Attributable EBITDA increased to $383.1m from $252.0m. The net loss increased to $187.2m from $26.7m, primarily reflecting an operating loss of $16.3m, which includes $13.0m of transaction-related costs and legal contingencies, and $12.4m of employee termination and restructuring expense, compared to operating income of $49.2m in the prior-year period. “In addition to the progress being made with the WMS integration, we are focused on the potential to meaningfully increase free cash flow following the Bally acquisition, which we continue to anticipate closing this quarter, and deploying our free cash flow to reduce net debt,” continued Isaacs. “Reflecting the superb efforts of our integration teams, our plans are now expected to yield greater expected financial savings than originally anticipated.As a result, we are increasing our estimate of annual cost synergies anticipated to be realised from the pending Bally transaction by the end of 2016 from

Soundnet gears up for festive season

$220m to $235m. In addition, we now expect to realise an additional $15m in annual cost synergies from the WMS acquisition, bringing the total to $115m in annual cost savings by the end of 2015, of which slightly more than half has been achieved to date.We expect to incur an additional $3m of costs to achieve the additional $15m of expected WMS cost synergies and an additional $4m of costs to achieve the incremental $15m of anticipated cost synergies from the pending Bally acquisition. “With contributions from WMS, the exciting launch of the Monopoly Millionaires’ Club lottery game on October 19, 2014, and increased projections for cost synergies expected to increase free cash flow, we remain confident the combination of Scientific Games and Bally will deliver significant strategic and financial benefits as we bring together two organisations with similar cultures: a customer-first approach and deep-rooted passion for the development of great gaming entertainment. The collaborative and productive integration planning by our teams has reinforced this belief,”concluded Isaacs.

BACTA unveils convention speeches schedule EVENTS

Flickr feeds as well as the incredible soundjack app that allows cusn the run-up to Christmas, tomers to choose and pay music provider Soundnet for music from their believes that as the pubs fill up smart phones.” during the festive season, jukeMIM has proven creboxes will get played more than dentials in the UK retail ever. sector with thousands As such, sites are likely to be sold over the years - the examining the possibility of a latest model from Sound jukebox upgrade to capitalise Leisure also features on the festive opportunity. soundjack. Which is where Soundnet’s “Both these (VHub latest marketing campaign is and Milestones in Music) being targeted at. jukeboxes are available now By taking advantage of from Soundnet in a no-fuss easy to Soundnet’s rental offer, cusarrange rental deal - where after three tomers could take delivery of a brand new VHub Gen 2 or Milestones in years the jukes are yours,” added SoundMusic with no capital outlay in time for the net’s James Luck. He concluded:“There is currently a twoparty season. Soundnet’s Toby Hoyte stated: “The week waiting list but we urge customers VHub is now the UK’s most popular digi- to get their orders in as soon as possible in tal jukebox, with incredible income capa- order to ensure delivery in plenty of time bilities. It is future-proof, with Twitter and to make the most of the Christmas season.” JUKEBOXES

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body BACTA has announced the schedule for the forthcoming annual convention on ThursTdayrade 27 November 2014 taking place at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster. The morning session’s agenda kicks off at 10:30am with an opening address from BACTA’s vice president Jason Frost. Taking up the mantle at 10:35am will be chief executive John White who will provide the assembled members and guests with a welcome address. Following on from White at 11:05am will be the first of a series of big hitters at the industry convention with Philip Graf, the Gambling Commission’s chairman, taking the stage. Lucy Cronin, a partner in public policy at international business consultancy firm Instinctif takes the podium at 11:35am. Phil Silver, BACTA’s head of compliance, meanwhile, talks about the latest compliance literature at 12:15. Silver makes way for an informal panel session featuring the Gambling Commission, the DCMS, the Responsible Gambling Trust at 12:50 and a closing address will be provided by BACTA president Steve Hawkins at 1pm, followed by lunch in the Mountbatten Lounge on the 5th floor of the conference centre.

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National Video Game Arcade to open in Nottingham EXHIBITIONS

ext year will see the opening of the National N Videogame Arcade in Nottingham, the new permanent home to over 12,000 pieces from the National Videogame Archive - a collection of hardware, software and all manner of other gaming paraphernalia established by the Science Museum and NottinghamTrent University in 2007. Spread over five floors, the museum is being set up to“promote the cultural, economic, educational and social benefits of gaming” by GameCity, an organisation that runs an annual festival and other events that celebrate video games. When it opens in March 2015, it won’t simply be another glass-walled storeroom. Temporary exhibitions will complement permanent galleries, and one floor will be devoted to an interactive space that teaches visitors about the game creation process. Best of all, visitors will actually be able to play some of the greatest games ever made, instead of just reading about their history and impact. The project will cost £2.5m and will supposedly be British gaming’s answer to the BFI and the National Gallery. Heading up the development is Iain Simons, who is festival director of GameCity, a week-long Nottinghamshire gaming festival which has been taking place annual since 2005. Speaking to Vice Magazine, Simons stated:“[The NVA] will be pushing in the same area as the festival, but with a sense of community as you can return to it more then once a year.”

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Lobbying: take the ‘direct approach’ LOBBYING

Letters and emails aside, the key to successful dialogue with local MPs lies in good old-fashioned face-to-face discussion, argues Michael Thomas of Thomas’ Entertainments.

ew have worked as long in the coin-op industry as Michael Thomas. The director of Thomas’ Entertainments served his apprenticeship under his father in the company’s initial sites in Leicester. At 80 years old, and having known no other line of work,Thomas can boast more than sixty years in arcade management. While his niece now looks after the Leicester business,Thomas oversees the operation of two FECs and three AGC’s in Hunstanton, on the Norfolk coast. The challenges his business faces from betting shops and book-makers are familiar: “How the betting companies have secured the B2 category I just don’t know,” he claimed. “We spend a good deal of time and

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NSM turn heads with licence-free music deal JUKEBOX

ollowing on from attendance at the ProfesFsional Beauty North

money on ensuring tight security - no under 18’s get into our AGC’s, but in the betting shops and bookies, with next to no security, they’re allowed to provide these enormous stake units.” It’s in legislation, of course, that the solution lies. And Thomas is by no means dismissive of the power of lobbying: he has in the past,and continues to maintain a strong relationship with his local MP. Thomas recalls an obstacle he faced several decades ago,when arcade operators were seeking a reduction of tax on old penny machines. “The MP at the time, Derek Page, he knew that we weren’t political supporters of his - that we hadn’t voted for him, but when my daughter and I went along

BACTA Bikers UK tour of duty concludes FUND-RAISING

he charitable bike ride which has taken a number of BACTA Tmembers around the UK to raise money for Rays of Sunshine is over. BACTA Bikers chairman Andy Murden told Coinslot: “It has proved more difficult than we'd expected mainly due to getting sufficient riders on any given day to join the runs due to work commitments. The main core of riders have all put in their time wherever possible and we have welcomed the help of some new recruits who have been keen to join our forces. We have been to all parts of the UK including Scotland, North East, North West, East Coast, Wales, Midlands and the South collecting pledges from wherever they were made.”

Murden commented that the bikers were received like royalty wherever they visited, with all appreciating the time and effort put in by our troops. He added: “Good weather in September at the start was a blessing, bad weather in October caused a few drenchings, but we smiled and whistled through it all! Thanks to our friends across this caring industry we have achieved a fantastic total of over £13,000 so far with pledges made by operators, manufacturers, arcades, the bingo sector and retailers. All the money raised will go to pay for motorized wheelchairs for disabled youngsters.” The BACTA Bikers’ charity runs over the years have accumulated in excess of £150,000 for charitable causes.

to a surgery of his to explain the issues we were facing, he actually dictated a letter in front of us to the responsible minister.” Thomas claimed the experience reinforced his understanding of democracy in action. “It was as well-worded a letter as I could have possibly drafted myself,” he remarked. Months later, the legislation overhaul he’d sought was put into place. “I’m not saying it singlehandedly swung the decision, but it certainly helped,” added Thomas. Fast-forward to the present, and Thomas’ current Member of Parliament, Henry Bellingham, continues to lend his business a sympathetic ear. “He’s always been very supportive,” said Thomas. “He’s always been ready to help

and give us access to ministers - and showed a willingness to understand some of the business challenges we face.” How does Thomas sustain his continued relationship with his parliamentary representative? “Personal contact is the answer,”he responded.“You can write to them, but their mail boxes and email accounts are constantly bombarded.” Instead, Thomas opts for the old fashioned approach:“Go to them in person,”he advised. “The direct approach is the answer. MPs hold open surgery sessions, so go and put a human face on your issue.” Mind you,a helping hand doesn’t hurt either.“I tend to take my daughter,” concluded Thomas. “She’s better looking than me.”

Gala calls time on East Ham venue BINGO

t’s not a story the industry wants to hear, but time will finally be Icalled on over two decades of bingo in Barking. On 13 November, twenty three years of operation at Gala Bingo, on East Ham’s Barking Road draws to a close. “We do not take these decisions lightly,”a spokesperson for Gala told the Newham Recorder. But, it’s not the end for players in the area - Gala does have other venues for customers to migrate over to. “Customers will be able to use our nearby centres at Stratford and Dagenham.”‘ Gala opened on the site back in in 1991, but by then it already had a rich backstory of its own.Originally opened as the Granda Theatre in 1936, the venue played host to the top comedians of the day, and later

attracted capacity crowds throughout the 1960’s with gargantuan music acts like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The intermediary period between then and Gala’s acquisition saw its operation as the Granada Bingo Club. Whilst official confirmation of the site’s future use is still pending, it is understood that the venue has been sold for upcoming use as a reception hall for wedding receptions.

exhibition in Manchester, NSM Music have secured an agreement with a licence-free music supplier to offer an affordable background music package to operators wishing to avoid the pitfalls of artist royalty fees. “A major aspect of the experience we took away from the Professional Beauty show was how much demand there is for licence-free music in the beauty trade,” stated NSM sales manager Alex Kirby. The company’s Icon: Background Music System avoids the requirement of a costly largescreen jukebox unit, with users interfacing through an 8 or 10 inch touchscreen tablet device. For Kirby, Icon’s hardwarelight appeal, combined with its new licence-free library option, makes it a strong choice. Kirby hints at fresh developments on the horizon: “Icon is evolving and so is the interest,” he remarked. “We have a number of new features coming soon which will lend it even greater interest to a number of different markets.” For now, however, Kirby believes that NSM have come across a genuine market opportunity for licence free provision within the beauty sector: “It’s an opportunity we look to build upon: we’ve signed up to exhibit at the Professional Beauty Show taking place at the ExCel centre London in Febuary 2015.”

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Market research firm heralds new horizon for ‘smart-wear’ game technology TECHNOLOGY

Recent years have seen gaming employ increasing use of device-enabled wearable technology. In their latest report, digital market research firm Mind Commerce LLC look ahead at what lies around the corner for gaming stakeholders.

ust two decades ago, the useful implantation of wearable technology seemed fanciful: a fringe concept deemed too distant and too expensive to be of any practical worth. Now, rapid technological development within the fields of GPS and motionsensor detection have seen wearable, high-tech devices already successfully enter the gaming market. Actors wearing motion-capture (‘mo-cap’) suits allow game developers to borrow the physical movements and interactions of real individuals and bestow them upon three-dimensional models in-game. The data input of

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Microsoft’s Kinect sensor which, even unaided, captures Xbox console users’ specific movements in real time - can be added to through the use of additional wearable components: the Xbox 360 shipped a heart-rate band alongside one of its leading fitness titles in 2012.Widescale uptake of virtuality headsets may not be far off: Oculus VR, a Californian start-up firm headed by 22 year-old Palmer Luckey, is close to a consumer-wide release of its Oculus Rift headset.Virtual Reality headpieces are nothing new: the term was coined in the 1980’s, and early attempts

from both Sega and Nintendo proved ultim a t e l y i m p ra c t i c a l . But with Oculus, gaming may well have obtained its first convincing and affordable headmounted display. Social media giant Facebook certainly seems to think so:they obtained Oculus VR earlier this year for the princely sum of $2bn (£1.3bn). To aid gaming stakeholders’ understanding of the implications of this developing field of technology, digital market research specialist Mind Commerce

2014’ contemplates the hardware compatibility of integrating ‘smart-clothing’ (sensor-enabled vests, sleeves and gloves) alongside the continued development of wireless gaming. It also conA DEVELOPER VERSION OF siders consumer spending OCULUS VR’S OCULUS RIFT habits and predicted levels HEADSET of disposable income trends. Available for paid access LLC has published a 24 page research document, which, through ResearchAndMarit claims “assesses the cur- kets.com, each purchase of rent state and future outlook the report also offers a oneof wearable technology in on-one meeting with an expert analyst who will link gaming.” Anticipating the aggres- the document’s key findings sive expansion of the broad- with the customer’s own band industry, ‘Wearable areas of business interest Technology in Gaming and development.

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Coinslot November 7 - November 13, 2014

Amusements

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Flamingo Land looks to bring major amusement attraction to Scarborough REGENERATION

Yorkshire’s biggest visitor attraction is looking to bring its success story to Scarborough and give the resort a boost in the process. he operator of Yorkshire’s Flamingo Land theme park has been revealed as the bidder behind plans for a major new amusement attraction in Scarborough. The proposed development, which would be built on the site of the resort’s Futurist theatre, would be called Flamingo Land Coast and include a rollercoaster, botanical gardens and a cave-themed attraction. The theatre was mothballed in January by Scarborough Borough Council, which declared it beyond the point of refurbishment and said it could no longer afford to subsidise it. Flamingo Land has partnered with Leeds-based property and construction company, GMI Estates, to take the project forward. Councillor Derek Bastiman, cabinet member for strategic planning and regeneration, said the plans were ‘very exciting’

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for the resort. He commented: “The prominence of the proposed development site on Scarborough’s south bay seafront is an ideal match for such a popular and highly successful family entertainment brand and we are very confident that, in Flamingo Land, we have a partner with the ability to deliver and drive up public confidence in the project. “It is important to stress, however, that the plans are very much in their infancy and there are many, many months of negotiations and formal processes to go through before construction can be guaranteed. “What we do already have, though, is a very strong commitment and dedication from Flamingo Land’s team to work in partnership with us and GMI to progress this important project for the borough.” The details of Flamingo Land’s plans for the Futur-

he government has given Margate’s Dreamland Theritage amusement park a £1.89m grant to bring its Grade II-listed art deco cinema building back into use. The cash,awarded as part of the Coastal Communities Fund,will be used to restore the front of the street-facing building, ahead of Dreamland’s re-opening next year. The money will also enable the conversion of the cinema’s former café into a restaurant, which

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Police searching for Newquay arcade raider CRIME

evon and Cornwall Police has launched a D hunt for an armed robber who struck a Newquay amusement arcade last month. Firearms officers were called to the resort after the robber entered the Jackpot Amusements FEC just before 11.30am on Saturday October 25. Armed with what police described as a handgun, the man made off with over £300 in cash and later made his getaway in a ist site were unveiled in September, which set out the development as a premium visitor attraction. Key features were identified as a high octane, adrenaline-fuelled rollercoaster, an iconic 55-metre iconic lighthouse structure and ‘Space Shot Tower’, which propels visitors into the sky, glassroofed botanical gardens, an elevated sea view bar,

restaurant and function space, a walk through aviary and a new town square for Scarborough. Speaking to The Scarborough News, Flamingo Land owner Gordon Gibb said: “We have been talking with the council for a number of years to see if there were any areas of major development to help them with. “We were presented with the opportunity of

developing plans for the Futurist and seeing what the council thinks about it. We looked at the particular challenges of the site and what could be possible. “We will hopefully provide an attraction that competing seaside resorts don’t have.” Flamingo Land is the largest visitor attraction in silver Peugeot 307 estate Yorkshire, attracting more car that was missing its than 1.5m visitors annually. front bumper. The man is described as being around 5ft 4in to 5ft 6in tall, of standard build, with a black hat on with a black scarf wrapped round his face. He wore a dark, long-sleeved top, darkcoloured trousers and black gloves. tunities that create local A spokesman for Devon jobs, boost the local econ- and Cornwall Police said omy and attract visitors to CCTV footage which capthe area.” tured the incident was curCouncillor Iris Johnston, rently being scrutinised. Thanet District Council He added: “We would leader, said:“Officers have like to hear from any witworked extremely hard for nesses to the robbery or years to secure this funding anyone else who may be and I am delighted that our able to give the police application has been suc- information about this cessful. incident.” “This significant grant will Witnesses are being enable the council to prime asked to contact the the cinema area ready for police on 101, quoting external investment and crime reference number ensure that the frontage of CR/117384/14, or call the site is restored to its Crimestoppers anonyformer glory.” mously on 0800 555111.

Government grant to aid Dreamland cinema restoration AMUSMENT PARKS

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essentials like washrooms, staff training facilities and a kitchen area in the restaurant. Once reopened, Dreamland is expected to create 171 jobs. Coastal communities minister Penny Mordaunt said:“Revitalising our seaside towns to be vibrant economies year-round is part of the government’s long-term economic plan. “The project to restore will form a centrepiece of feel of the site, it is hoped the derelict art deco the regenerated amuse- the building’s refurbish- cinema site and build a new ment will restore its 1930’s restaurant in Margate will ment park. To reinforce the heritage façade, as well as bring bring new business oppor-

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2393-p13-Leisure_Coinslot NEW 04/11/2014 14:00 Page 1

Leisure

14 B2B listings and industry marketplace

Penrose calls for change in direction for tourism body TOURISM

John Penrose, the former Minister for Tourism and Heritage, believes that VisitEngland should become independent from VisitBritain and ultimately move away from government funding.

Conservative MP John Penrose has called for VisitEngland to become a separate entity.His recommendation came during a Triennial Review of tourism quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, for which the government is currently accepting submissions. John Penrose, Conservative MP and former Minister for Tourism and Heritage, made the proposals which are in line with the tourism policy launched during his time as minister and maintained by both his successors.They point to the fact that Visit England is the only national tourist board that is still legally a part of VisitBritain, whereas Visit Scotland,Visit Wales and Discover Northern Ireland are all independent. He told hospitality press:“VisitEngland and VisitBritain are vital cogs in tourism’s wheel. Without their work, our visitor economy wouldn’t have been nearly so successful, and the Olympic tourism legacy would have been a lot smaller. But the world moves on, so they need to deal with new challenges. “VisitEngland should be fully independent, so it can match Visit Scotland, Visit Wales or Discover Northern Ireland at last.And both VisitBritain and VisitEngland should ramp up their partnership marketing still further, so they steadily grow out of their dependence on government cash and eventually become industrywide marketing coordinators instead of public sector quangos,” stated Penrose. VisitEngland said it appreciated his support. Penrose explained that legally

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separating the two entities would not pose any technical difficulties, as VisitEngland has been demerged from VisitBritain on an operational level for five years and is now “ready to stand on its own feet”. According to the MP, VisitEngland should spend more time helping local tourism boards across the country to market their individual areas better, while continuing to work in partnership with VisitBritain and tourism companies. Ultimately, Penrose believes VisitEngland and VisitBritain should become independent industry-wide trade bodies coordinating tourism marketing campaigns. He added that VisitBritain and VisitEngland currently achieve a 1:1 match between public and private matched marketing funds, but that the best-in-class performance from tourism boards in other countries is higher, with some of them delivering ratios of 1:3 or more. “Given the continued pressure on public spending, improving this leverage ratio to match the level of 1:3 or more over the course of the next Comprehensive Spending Review period should be a priority. That said, delivering this amount of improved leverage won’t be easy, and will take time. “VisitBritain and VisitEngland will have to build on the commercial marketing relationships they have developed over the last few years.They must build and retain credibility as desirable and competent marketing partners if they’re going to attract a larger share of the marketing budgets of highly-commercial tourism sector companies,” concluded Penrose.

ATMIA launches competition for “Cash Always Works” stories COMPETITION

ash machine trade union ATMIA has announced a C campaign to attract real-life stories from its members of situations when they needed cash, as part of its planning for production of a new video about the role of cash in the world. “Why do most people carry cash even in this day of ApplePay, NFC, mobile wallets and ubiquitous plastic?” asked Tom Harper, president of ATMIA and NetWorld Alliance. “Probably because they never know when they’re going to need it! Technology fails all too often, but cash

always works.” Globally, cash is still used for 85 per cent of all retail payment transactions. In addition to this popularity and ubiquity, there are countless occasions when the power is down or an emergency has happened and cash is the only payment method that works. “It’s a universal truth that cash is the only payment which always works at all times everywhere on earth,” explained Mike Lee, CEO of ATMIA (pictured). “That’s not surprising as cash is the most successful form of money of all time.” ATMIA is now inviting its

members to tell their cash stories, in one or two paragraphs, so that the association can collect authentic material for the production of its third cash video, following its earlier “Cash Lives” and “Cash Connects” social media videos. The best cash stories will be featured in the Cash Always Works video and will be showcased at ATMIA’s 16th annual US conference and expo to take place at Caesars Palace City, Las Vegas, on February 17-19, 2015. “The only criterion for a submission is that you tell us a true story about cash,” added Lee added.

18 This week’s machine charts

19 Classified sales, job and business opps

NOVEMBER 7 - NOVEMBER 14, 2014

Catgory C Machines Two Weeks Time

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Listings UNIS anticipate success for Safari Ranger at IAAPA The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo 2014 in Orlando later this month will see Universal Space launch its latest redemption game, Safari Ranger. Using the mechanised reel principal seen in the company’ Pirate Hook unit, Universal Space has stated the Safari Ranger has been “showing incredible promise”.

We are operating socially responsible, safe, adult gaming, but being crucified on the altar of hypocrisy by what is a legal absurdity. PRAESEPE CEO NICK HARDING ON THE INEQUALITY OF SITING B2 MACHINES

Internet Archive offers video arcade classics Non-profit digital archivists The Internet Archive have now provided access to over 900 classic arcade games, available free-of-charge through a regular internet browser. Featuring a wealth of coin-op titles from the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, the Internet Arcade launched this week, and was masterminded by programmer Jason Scott. Scott outlined what he viewed was the significance of the new archive to cnet.com: “My hope is that a handful of people will begin plotting out ways to use this stuff in research, in writing, and remixing these old games into understanding their contexts.”

PUBS

COIN HANDLING

Cummins Allison: iFX i400 leading gaming sales Provider of coin and currency handlingequipment, Cummins Allison has championed its iFX i400 sorter to US gaming operators, whilst maintaining a sharp focus on upcoming UK challenges.

hen it comes to finance management hardware, Cummins Allison has about as rich a heritage as you could ask for. Founded in 1887 by BF Cummins in Mount Prospect, Illinois, the company pioneered the manufacture of perforators facilitating cheque and bond cancellation. From 19th century origins, the company has always been focused on the automation and increased efficiency of currency proALISON’S cessing. Whilst its reach is now CUMMINS JETSCAN IFX I400 truly international, with offices throughout Europe, the company remains the sole American-owned and operated currencyhandling firm. After a century’s worth of growth across the gaming, amusement and other external sectors (as a leading provider to financial, retail, vending and government environments), the company boasts a robust business structure. “Having a presence in different markets allows us to continue to grow even when some industry sectors are shrinking,” claimed a spokesperson for the company. Whilst its customer-base is diverse, the firm has been enjoying particular success within the US gaming industry of late: 2014 sales were buoyed with enthusiastic domestic uptake of its iFX i400 note sorter. The company attributes the i400’s

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Coinslot NOVEMBER 7 - NOVEMBER 13, 2014

speed and accuracy to its success: “Available in a 3, 5 7 or 9 pocket configuration, the i400 saves significant time and money on existing counting processes,” they added. The company retains its corporate headquarters in the place of its birth, on the outskirts of Chicago. But this doesn’t dilute awareness of local issues within its regional and international markets. “In the UK, the forthcoming polymer notes and the new £1 coin are probably some of the greatest challenges that the coin-op sector is going to face over the next few years as far as currency handling is concerned,” the spokesperson noted. But a solution could well be at hand - the company isn’t afraid of drawing on its size and position to network with the right players: “We continue working closely with the Bank of England, the Royal Mint and their clients to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.” In terms of future developments, Cummins Allison plans to update and expand its established line of Jetsort and Jetscan coin-sorters, developed with a range of industry sectors in mind. The company line states that it will stay front-fronted regarding technological innovation: “We look to provide new cash processing solutions as the need requires.”

GREENE KING EXPAND FURTHER WITH SPIRIT ACQUISITION reene King and Spirit have announced a finalised agreement in G which the former will acquire the latter for the sum of £773.6m. The deal will see Spirit shareholders own 28.9 per cent of the newly formed group, which will now present the industry with a 3,127 strong pub portfolio.

VAST MAJORITY OF BAR-STAFF PAID BELOW LIVING WAGE STANDARD new report by KPMG has shown that 90 per cent of bar staff are paid under A The Living Wage’s advocated hourly rate. The voluntary rate was raised by 20p last week to £7.85 an hour, and by 35p to £9.15 an hour in London. KPMG found that the average wage for bar staff nationwide was £6.57, up just 0.3 per cent on last year. “Although there are almost 1,000 organisations pledged to pay a Living Wage, far too many UK employees are stuck in the spiral of low pay,” claimed Mike Kelly, head of Living Wage at KPMG.

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Tel: 0844 800 88 25 oy Fair 2015 is now sold out. Taking place on 20-22 January 2015 at Olympia in London, the annual event always illustrates the prevailing plush, toy and gift trends which later emerge behind FEC redemption counters and in arcade prize vendors and cranes. More than 260 exhibiting companies will fill the venue in January, encompassing the entire upper and lower sections of the Grand and West halls at Olympia. Companies exhibiting include Hasbro, Lego, Character Options, Vivid, VTech, Leapfrog and many more big industry names as well as hundreds of smaller and start-up companies. The sold out event will play host to two different sets of awards. The first, Toy Fair’s Best New Toys, will be unveiled on the gallery level at Olympia on the opening morning of the show. Selected by an independent panel of retailers, the Toy Fair Best New Toys are the toys launching at Toy Fair that are tipped to be the hottest products hitting the shelves throughout 2015. The second awards ceremony is the 2014 Toy Industry Awards. Taking place on the evening of 20th January at the London Science Museum, the Toy Industry Awards take a retrospective look back over the past year and celebrate the best toy products and toy retailers of 2014. Shortlisted retailers and manufacturers will be announced in December. Tickets are now available for the Toy Industry Awards event and the price has been held at the 2014 price of £75 plus VAT. To register for a free pass to Toy Fair simply visit www.toyfair.co.uk.

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Listings CAT C BLUEPRINT CONTINUE CAT C EXPANSION WITH SUPERHEROES on the market is Blueprint Gaming’s latest reel-based Cat C Ftitle,resh Superheroes. Sporting artwork inspired from super-human characters of comic book lore, Superheroes debuted at the Autumn Coin-op Show, and is fully retailer approved. Housed in Blueprint’s brand new Sunlight Analogue Reel Cabinet, Superheroes represents continued the company’s continued commitment to the Cat C market. As with all of Blueprint’s reelbased Cat C technology, Superheroes is exclusively available through PW Sales.

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Kraken, are seeking to recruit graphic artists and software engineers to join its games development team. The Stourbridge-based Gauselmann Group subsidiary company is also encouraging applications from senior software engineers.

APPOINTMENTS

Reflex expand aftersales service team ewham-based suppliers Reflex Gaming has welcomed Steve Wroe to the position of customer support technician. In his new role, Wroe will report to the company’s technical aftersales support manager, Colin Wagner. “The addition of Steve to the team adds strength to our aftersales department,” remarked Reflex managing director, Quentin Stott. “Due to the massive expansion that Reflex has undergone in the last couple of years, we now have a large number of products in operation and we are keen to ensure that our customers have the best possible support for them.” Wroe has already achieved recognition

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within the industry: having joined Reflex from SWD Games, he has also served as a technical aftersales manager with both Blueprint and Mazooma Games. Wroe also has experience of games operation, having begun his career with an 8 year stint working for Stretton Leisure. “It’s great to be joining Reflex Gaming at such an exciting time,” Wroe commented. “The company has product for almost every category of machine and is one of the leading suppliers to the retail sector. I will have an opportunity to deal with customers large and small and look forward to ensuring they receive a great aftersales service.”

LMS Sales are continuing to R offer parent Astra Games’ Slotto £500 for the B3 market. Released in May, Slotto £500 comes pre-set with twenty-two different games, and an exotic Hawaiian theme. Housed in Astra’s widely lauded FV762 cabinet which boasts dual 22 inch screens, Slotto £500 offers some of the firm’s most popular titles in a singular unit, offering a fine solution to AGC’s limited by restrictive maximum machine count allocation.

RECRUITMENT BETCOM EXPAND DEVELOPMENT TEAM Games, designers of recent titles Superheroes and Let’s Get Betcom Coinslot NOVEMBER 7 - NOVEMBER 13, 2014

JNC SEEK WORKSHOP ENGINEER ristol-based new and used amusements distributors JNC Export B Sales are actively seeking a new workshop/PC engineer to join their growing workshop team. Duties will revolve centrally around the repair and refurbishment of machines. Amusements experience is desirable but not essential for the role.

APPOINTMENTS PARTS & PERIPHERALS

2015 to mark 60th anniversary of Suzo-Happ he year 2015 will be a very special one for the Suzo-Happ Group as it will mark 60 years in business. Suzo-Happ is the industry’s largest global supplier of spare parts and components. Increasingly, Suzo-Happ solutions are being demanded in more markets - with strong demand in particular from the vending and industrial markets. The amusement and gaming markets - the origins for Suzo-Happ - remain the greatest segments for Suzo-Happ. “The European side of the business Suzo International - was founded back in 1955,” explained Harald Wagemaker, executive VP sales & marketing of gaming and Casino EMEA. “We are so proud to be celebrating our 60th anniversary next year. Apropos celebrating - our first opportunity will be at the ICE casino show in February.” Celebrating the past and looking to the future will be the company’s focus for 2015. Factoring in its recent acquisitions, Suzo-Happ can rightly claim to be the

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largest supplier of spare parts and components for the gaming and amusement market around the world. “This number one position is our goal for the vending and industrial markets as well. The acquisition of Comestero and having the Currenza vending products on board for EMEA sales are just two examples of the strategy we are implementing for growth here. We are expanding in our initial gaming and amusement market as well and will be presenting complete, new solutions at the ICE. Watch this space more information will follow,” concluded Wagemaker.

INNOVATIVE APPOINTS NEW GRADUATE ENGINEER ames Beswick, recent graduate in Mecatronics from University of LanJcaster, has been appointed to the position of graduate support engineer at Innovative Technology Ltd. “James has joined ITL at an exciting time following a period of unparalleled growth,” claimed customer support manager Andy Bassam. “By appointing a recent graduate we can provide a real opportunity for James to gain on the job training and industry

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New attractions expo to broaden international appeal of EAG A stated goal of EAG 2015 is to build upon the event’s growing international following. The new Visitor Attraction Expo may well do just that. AG 2015 will return to London’s ExCel Centre with a twist: the addition of the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions’ (BALPPA) Visitor Attraction Expo (VAE). The two events will run in conjunction with one another from the 13 January to 15 January, with a single entry pass for both trade shows. EAG international chairman Martin Burlin explained the rationale behind the dual event. “The Visitor Attraction Expo will give the leisure park, piers, zoos and static attractions sector an annual event which it can call its own, right here in the UK,� he stated. “We are experiencing increased crossover between the amusements and attractions sectors, so this move reflects what’s happening out there in the market.� Burlin seems optimistic regarding both exhibitor and visitor uptake at VAE. “I understand that there is strong interest from potential exhibitors,� he explained, adding: “EAG International’s 5,000 plus visitors will help in delivering a robust start for this exciting new event.� BALPPA chief executive Paul Kelly has gone on record to state his optimism

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regarding the timing of the bespoke attractions event. “With the Visitor Attraction Expo we finally have an event which the UK industry can call its own,� he claimed. “The timing is perfect for reviewing the previous year’s trading and considering purchases and investment for the approaching season.� The addition of VAE may well aid in driving interest and numbers to EAG, which this year itself enjoyed record attendance. Event organiser Karen Cooke explained: “The Visitor Attraction Expo certainly broadens the appeal of both exhibitions, which is something we’ll be utilising in wider marketing efforts, both at home and abroad.� Whilst a UK show, EAG 2014 attracted visitors from 63 different countries, an international reach which the organisers are actively looking to expand upon next January. “We always aim for increased international attendance year on year,� stated Cooke. “That’s something we’ve achieved successfully for the past five years. We invest a great deal of effort in marketing EAG internationally.�

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3 1 2 7 5 9 -

Find the Lady Ultimate Project Encore T7 (GP3) SG Gaming Magic Games 3 (s/d) Novomatic X3000 Multigame Amatic Magic Games 100 Ultra Novomatic Encore T7 (GP1) SG Gaming Triple 7 (GP3) SG Gaming Triple 7 (GP1) SG Gaming Digislots Reflex Hot Spot Deluxe Astra

Based on data from a minimum of 10 locations. Supplied by Praesepe

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Bullion Bars (3 Player) Astra Party Time Classic (3 Player) Astra Party Games (4 Player) Astra Monopoly (4 Player) Mazooma Adders And Ladders (4 Player) Vivid Rainbow Riches (3 Player) Empire Goldrush Stampede (4 Player) Barcrest Party Time Arena (4 Player) Astra Party Time (3 Player) Astra Golden Games (3 Player) Mazooma

Based on data from four sites Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

sega.prize@sega.co.uk

CATEGORYB4 (£2/£4000 Max)

B2B Skill Ball Deluxe

FEC - adult

Members clubs

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2 1 3 4 5 6 8 9 -

Rainbow Riches Party Barcrest Magic Games U/R Novomatic Free Play 70 Project Pure Gold Project Find The Lady 70 Project Party Time Arena (4 Player) Astra DOND Its Your Show Bellfruit Sevens Up Electrocoin Party Games (4 Player) Astra DOND Cops and Robbers Bellfruit

Taken from a representative number of sites around the UK Supplied by Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

Coinslot NOVEMBER 7 - NOVEMBER 13, 2014

1 2 3 4 5

2 1 4 5

Best of British Reflex Flamin’ 400 Reflex Jackpot 100 Barcrest DOND Live BFG Street Casino 2014 Storm

Based on data from representative sites. Supplied by sector professional

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Fury Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Gone Girl The Book of Life The Maze Runner Annabelle Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Happy New Year Love, Rosie The Babadook

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Highest Earning Tracks on Sound Leisure jukeboxes This Last Week Week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2 1 3 6 7 5 4 8 10 -

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1989 Taylor Swift X Ed Sheeran In The Lonely Hour Sam Smith I Forget Where We Were Ben Howard Wanted on Voyage George Ezra Four Symbols Led Zeppelin Melody Road Neil Diamond Aquostic-Stripped Bare Status Quo Nostalgia Annie Lennox Chapter One Ella Henderson

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 4 5 3 6 8 2 11

Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran All About That Bass Meghan Trainor Shake It Off Taylor Swift Wicked Games Parra For Cuva ft Anna Naklab Bang Bang Jessie J/Grande/MinaJ Don’t Tell ‘Em Jeremih ft YG Bump & Grind 2014 Waze & Odyssey vs R Kelly Steal My Girl One Direction Tina Fuse Odg ft Angel Changing Sigma ft Paloma Faith

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2393-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 04/11/2014 16:56 Page 1

22

Coinslot November 7 - November 13, 2014

Comment Warning I’m about to use the ‘C’ word

“

“Ho ho ho! Merry Cashbox!” alex lee comment t only seems five minutes since I wrote a comment headed ‘Time to reflect on the summer season’ (it is in fact three weeks). Fast forward to a couple of days ago and I received my first press release of the year featuring the word ‘Christmas’. While the curmudgeon in me would readily state that Christmas these days is nothing more than an exercise in corporate greed, shame-faced marketing and underhand over-pricing, the reality of the situation is that even in coin-op land we have to maximise the opportunities which present themselves in the lead up to the day when Mr Morrisson, Dr Tesco, Prof Sainsbury et al bask in their swimming pools full of shekels. Obviously, the approach taken to the run-up to Yuletide is fundamentally different, depending on which branch of coin-op your vested interests lie. For many coastal arcade owners, the pre-Christmas period affords them a chance to reflect on, certainly this year, a long, warm summer and autumn and a holiday season that featured just the one Bank Holiday wash-out. I’m sure the Autumn Coin-op Show, which by most accounts

I

was a roaring success, will have given them food for thought ahead of the busy buying season in January and ideas as to how to spruce up the contents of their arcade floor. For manufacturers, meanwhile, the run up to Christmas is effectively business as usual but with a little well-deserved break in December to recharge their batteries ahead of the New Year. Content providers, meanwhile, will be debating among themselves just how much of a cashbox boost throwing out a few Christmasthemed games over the next six or eight weeks will make.Answers to that particular condundrum on a Christmas card please.The ways in which to point festive pub-goers to the many and varied single site coinop pleasures should be, as always, high on the agenda for suppliers, distributors and operators alike. All of which brings me nicely to our up-coming feature, which is all about our much-loved Category ‘C’.Apologies for the rather tenuous link, but I’m sure that it will be every bit as informative as our previous features and if nothing else showcase all that is good in UK-based coin-op manufacturing and content provision.

Not all shows are a roaring su

FOBTs come under all the boxes for all co watering $80 per ven

alex lee media watch ealers are using fixed-odds betting machines, located in D bookies across the country, as a means to launder their cash, according to Celebstoner.com. A dealer makes, say, £1,000 from selling drugs, then flitters between the betting shops, depositing £200 in the fixedodds machines in each, losing a little of their money, then cashing out the bulk of their initial funds. If stopped by the police in the street and asked why an unemployed individual was carrying around enormous rolls of cash, the dealer show the officer the printed winnings ticket, thus escaping the clutches of the law. FOBTs provide a huge income to bookies from legitimate activity, and any move to close them down would likely invoke the ire of the gambling businesses. The issue, however, is that these machines, and the industry itself, are very lightly regulated, despite the fact that mainstream bookmakers such as Coral are well aware that their terminals

are highly susceptible to being used in such a manner. There are rules that stipulate if a bookmaker is aware of such activities and fails to notify the police, they can have their licenses revoked and perhaps end up in jail. Second, customers and their activities can be logged, securely, by the bookies themselves. If anything suspicious appears in the records, the police can be informed and an arrest made. In this age of surveillance, however, many would hate this infringement of their privacy, and a loss of customers would likely result. Perhaps the best way to deal with the issue of laundering would be a shift in the industry towards online gaming. If players were indulging in their passion on sites such as Jackpot City, then anonymously walking into a shop would be a thing of the past. Stringent user profiles, the need to supply banking information and algorithms that could detect when laundering

activities were being carried out could all make the already secure online gambling systems even more secure. Meanwhile, The Leisure Industry Week show held at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, last month left visitors and exhibitors somewhat underwhelmed, according to Intergame.com. The coin-op and amusement arcade sector has diminished still further this year and comprised just a handful of companies, including Bandai Namco, Embed, World of Rides, All Things Nice Vending and SAM Leisure. Bandai Namco showed its Animal Kaiser collectable card game at the leisure show. Embed displayed its cashless card system with redemption and stock management capabilities. World of Rides had a wide selection of battery-operated rides and SAM Leisure showed its range of pool and football tables along with a new lightstopping redemption game, also

2393-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 04/11/2014 16:57 Page 2

Coinslot November 7 - November 13, 2014 23

“Bookmakers have made another stab at protecting punters from the potential dangers of betting machines. But critics say it is a halfhearted attempt that proves they are not serious about tackling problem gambling.”

8

TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

Email: al@sjc.co.uk

ROGER BLITZ, LEISURE INDUSTRY CORRESPONDENT, BLOOMBERG

“ ”

quote unquote “Table game maker Valley Dynamo of Richland Hills, Texas, has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Rowe Changer, which produces bill changing equipment. Valley Dynamo will acquire those assets from Megatouch LLC.” STAFF WRITER, REPLAY MAGAZINE

“While there is no official definition of a FEC, it usually consists of three or more activities, such as an arcade with a redemption centre, miniature golf, bumper cars, bumper boats, laser tag, snack bar or full restaurant, batting cages, modular play structures, inflatables, party/meeting rooms for birthdays or corporate events and outdoor rides.”

“Pubs across Scotland are currently under threat from big tied pub companies who are strangling the life out of the Scottish pub trade by charging sky-high rents and exorbitant beer prices.” COLIN VALENTINE, CAMRA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

s come under the media microscope again, a certain trade show didn’t quite tick boxes for all concerned and a Canadian tattoo parlour is charging an eyeng $80 per vend.

token that buys a turn of the crank at an LYPC machine filled with original designs in 2ins capsules. After that, the customer decides whether they want to go under the needle for a permanent version. The tattoo illustrations in Okey Doke’s capsules include retro-looking standards like hearts, daggers and flowers, along with some edgier ones not unlike the temporary varieties sold by bulk vending operators. Okey Doke’s Eric Newstead said the machine was placed during the summer and it has become a popular promotion for the shop. “Our five artists drew things they thought would be fun to tattoo and put them in the

The GREAT campaign, spearheaded by tourism body VisitBritain, has achieved at least £1.8bn extra inbound spend in the scheme’s penultimate year.

christopher rodrigues politics

BONNIE THEARD, PLAYMETER

ng success

in table format. Innovative Leisure also continues to support the LIW show with a stand outside, as well as a large space inside which also housed the BALPPA lounge. “We are still keen to support this show and continue to consider it to be an important domestic exhibition for us,” said the company’s managing director Phil Pickersgill. However, other exhibitors were not as enthusiastic. “This show is getting smaller and smaller every year,” said one. “It is quite expensive to exhibit here and yet we have not even been visited by the show’s organiser since we set up. The coin-op section is diminishing but so are the other sections. We are definitely looking around for alternatives.” And finally, new and regular customers of Toronto’s Okey Doke Tattoo Shop can allow a bulk vending machine to choose a tattoo design for them, according to the Vending Times. The price is $80 for a

VisitBritain campaign brings in £1.8bn extra spend

mix,” he told Vending Times. “If you came in with those kinds of designs, they would be $100 or more. So far we’ve had between 30 and 40 people vend tattoos, and nobody has backed out of the machine’s selection.” The majority of people willing to let the universe choose their new tattoos are established Okey Doke patrons, not those walking through the door for their first inking. “After hearing about the machine, a lot of our regulars came in right away because they got excited about the idea,” Newstead said. “They heard about it through the grapevine. And that’s good, because we did it for fun. We didn’t do it to get extra clientele.”

n 2013/2014, after three years of its post-Olympic GREAT camIpaign, VisitBritain marketing activity has already generated £1.8bn of its four-year £2bn additional visitor spend target. The tourism agency has also attained £43m of its four-year £50m partnership funding target, putting it well on track to hit its goal by the end of the 2014/15 financial year. In 2011,the government setVisitBritain the target of delivering a £100m marketing campaign over four years, with £50m of that budget generated from partnership funding.The objectives of the ‘You’re Invited’ campaign were to attract four million additional visitors, additional tourist spending of £2bn and the creation of 50,000 new jobs. VisitBritain can now demonstrate how it is reaching these stretching targets. Tourism is Britain’s fifth largest export industry and spend by international visitors is forecast to grow by over 6 per cent a year across the rest of this decade. The first seven months of 2014 became the strongest seven months in history for inbound tourism, with 19.8m visits to Britain from January to July - an increase of 7 per cent compared to the same period of 2013. In the whole of 2013, Britain welcomed a record 32.8m inbound visits and tourism revenues grew by 13 per cent, with international visitors spending more money than ever across Britain, contributing £24bn to the UK economy. The GREAT campaign is spreading the economic benefits of tourism across the country with the value of inbound tourism to Scotland and various regions of England growing by 20 per cent and 15 cent respectively. VisitBritain continues to work closely with the travel trade to

make sure more of Britain features in operators’ itineraries. In February 2015 VisitBritain will launch ExploreGB, the world’s largest and most influential B2B tourism event, bringing leading travel companies from across the world into the UK. VisitBritain has been allocated £17m for the GREAT image campaign in 2014/15.The agency will be launching a new three-year £3m Countryside is GREAT campaign to showcase the British regions, tourism ensuring the economic benefits of the growth in international are shared across Britain. In terms of its market focus for 2014/2015,VisitBritain will work on growing visits and spend from fast-growing emerging markets such as China, India and the Gulf states just as much as boosting visits from mature markets like the US and France. Later this year, VisitBritain will announce details of its largest ever consumer marketing campaign in China worth £1.6m. Delivering a record year for inbound tourism is a tribute to the industry, our commercial partners and the National Boards who have supported our activity.VisitBritain is proud to have played its part, particularly in its delivery of the GREAT campaign and bringing in private sector funding to maximise government’s investment in tourism - Britain’s fifth largest export industry. Every action we take is inspired by a simple motivation: to add value to the inbound tourism industry and drive economic growth across Britain’s nations and regions.The last year has seen this happen and we want to continue that story of success and growth to achieve our ambition of 40m inbound visitors by 2020.

2393-p24-newsweek_Coinslot NEW 04/11/2014 16:58 Page 1

24

Coinslot November 7 - November 13, 2014

Newsweek BAPTO WEEKEND APPROACHES he British Association of Pool Table Operators (BAPTO) are to hold their 38th Annual Amateur Blackball Pool Challenge weekend tournament at the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool, from 14 16 November. With over £11,000 in cash prizes available, the weekend is open to all non-professional players, singles and teams alike. All participators are guaranteed at least 36 frames of pool. Formerly hosted at Lyons

T

8 Email: je@gbmedia.eu TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

EVA to hold AGM alongside open industry conference he European Vending Association (EVA) will hold its 20th AGM meeting in Brussels this coming December, alongside an open event entitled“Maximising your Success in the Next 20 Years”. Established in 1994,the EVA is a non-profit organisation representing the interests of the vending industry throughout Europe,as well as external and affiliated stakeholders. With vending

T

Robin Hood Holiday Park, the event has moved to the Norbreck Castle so that play can continue throughout a singular room. The Norbreck has previously hosted the Golden 8 Ball weekend event.

GRAND PIER LOOKS SKYWARD t’s a busy time at Weston’s Grand Pier: following on from the success of its Halloween Ghouls Ball, next

I

Saturday 15 November will see the pier become the perfect vantage point for a spectacular fireworks display. Fireworks at Sea is a ticket-only event. Ticket purchase includes free rides for the duration of the

machines proliferate in leisure locations throughout the continent, the organisation estimates that more than 10,000 companies fall under the umbrella of its activities. Its December conference will feature key industry speakers address a wide range of applicable issues: including ongoing and future consumption trends, the developing role of EU fiscal regulation on the industry, technological

innovations, and the use of intelligent brand promotion. Represented on the speaker programme is Dr Steffen Schwartz of the Coffee Consulate and a delegated speaker from the Starbucks corporation. Maximising your Success in the Next 20 Years will take place at the Hotel Le Plaza in Brussels on 11 December.A cocktail and dinner reception will follow nearby at the Belgian Comics museum.

evening, with upgrades available to include a hot

meal at the pier’s Boardwalk Restaurant.

EDITORIAL Editor: Alex Lee Email: al@sjc.co.uk Tel: 07772 280 299 Assistant Editor: Joseph Ewens Email: je@gbmedia.eu Tel: 01273 699 900 Contributors: Chris Webster, Steve Turner Managing Editor: Ken Scott Email: ks@sjc.co.uk Tel: 01273 699 900 ADVERTISING SALES Kathryn Norris Email: knorris@gbmedia.eu Tel: 01204 396 397 Fax: 01204 392 748 SUBSCRIPTIONS Sarah Haworth Tel: 01204 396 397 DIGITAL VERSION Marc Lawton Email: mlawton@gbmedia.eu Tel: 01204 396 397 PRODUCTION Designer: Gina Lloyd Email: gl@sjc.co.uk Ad Production & Pre-Press: Dave Roderick Email: gdk@sjc.co.uk PUBLISHER Director: John Sullivan GB Media Corporation Ltd, Bolton Technology Exchange, 33 Queensbrook, Bolton, BL1 4AY

Tel: 01204 396 397 Fax: 01204 392 748 Email: jsullivan@gbmedia.eu OFFICES Editorial and Production: 3rd Floor, 20 New Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1UF (UK) Tel: 01273 699 900 Advertising and Subscriptions: Coinslot International, Bolton Technology Exchange, 33 Queensbrook, Bolton BL1 4AY Tel: 01204 396 397 Fax: 01204 392 748

Calendar NOVEMBER 2014 7 BALPPA HR Seminar Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool UK www.balppa.org

11-13 SAGSE Latin America Costa Salguero Convention Centre Buenos Aires Argentina www.monografie.com

14-16 BAPTO National Finals Norbreck Castle Hotel Blackpool UK www.bapto.org.uk

17-21 IAAPA Attractions Expo 2014 Orange County Convention Centre Orlando Florida US www.iaapa.org 18-20 Macao Gaming Show (MGS)Venetian Macao, Macao www.macaogamingshow.com

27 BACTA Convention & AGM QEII Conference Centre London UK www.bacta.org.uk

DECEMBER 2014 4-6 Amusement, Attraction & Park Industry Exhibition (ATRAX) Istanbul Expo Centre Istanbul Turkey www.atraxexpo.com

JANUARY 2015 13-15 EAG International Expo ExCeL London ExhibitionCentre, London UK www.eagexpo.com 13-15 Visitor Attractions Expo (VAE) ExCeL London ExhibitionCentre, London UK www.attractionsexpo.co.uk

Opinions expressed in this publication should not be regarded as the official view of GB Media Corporation Ltd, except where stated. Views, opinions and recommendations contained in this publication are put forward for consideration only. No action should be taken in reliance upon any such views, opinions or recommendations. Neither GB Media Corporation Ltd nor contributors accept any responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person howsoever caused or arising as a result of or in consequence of action taken or refrained from in realiance on the contents of this publication.

Notes for contributors: Coinslot welcomes the submission of articles for consideration by the editor with a view to publication. Submission of an article will be held to imply that the article contains original unpublished work which GB Media Corporation Ltd may lawfully publish. All submissions are made at the owner’s risk. © GB Media Corporation Ltd, 2014 All rights strictly reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission given, full acknowledgement of author, publisher and source must be given.

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