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

COMMENT

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What we really need from our regulators and from government is help. ...

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Jukebox charts re pub favourites, ne Not surprisingly, Ed Sheeran is the top jukebox artist of 2014, according to Soundnet’s latest charts.

S

oundnet has released its charts revealing the mostplayed artists, tracks and genres, on digital jukeboxes this year.

Once again, there is an eclectic mix of old and new in the charts, reflecting the varied tastes of the pub-going public.

While chart hits still dominate with Ed Sheeran not surprisingly hitting the top spot in mostplayed artists - Oasis is at number two for the second year running.

Happy from Pharrell Williams is the most played track on Soundnet-powered jukeboxes in pubs this year. The feel-good song received 130,242 plays, while the rest of Pharrell’s many releases together got less than 11,000 plays. Could this be the Minion effect?

Old favourite The Gambler from Kenny Rogers comes in at number 39 on the most played track charts. Once again, this is

the highest-ranking oldie track on our charts. Meanwhile, a plethora of brand new artists arrived on the scene this year to make a big impression - for example George Ezra, Kiesza, Sam Smith and Mr Probz.

Swedish sensation Avicii – which was number one most played artist in 2013 has slipped to number 7 this year.

As for the X Factor effect, Ella Henderson is the only alumni to make it onto the chart. Her debut Ghost makes it into most played tracks at number 7. However, following the recent X Factor final it will be interesting to see if winner Ben Haenow or runner-up Fleur East join Ella on next year’s charts.

Soundnet customers will not receive their next update until after Christmas but if anyone wants to get Ben’s X Factor winning single before that time following its release straight after the final, this can be arranged.

Scotland weighs in on CATEGORY B2

With the FOBT debate continuing to rage, Scottish politicians ha ollowing the wave of local council activism sparked by FNewham Council’s plan for a reduction in FOBT stakes, members of Scotland’s major political parties have joined the cry for greater oversight on the future of the divisive games.

In Scotland, members of both SNP and Labour have issued calls for the introduction of greater gambling powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.These reflect suggestions made in the Smith Commission, a report enacted in the wake of the Scot-

tish referendum, which has recommended areas of legislation over which the Scottish Parliament could exercise greater control.

Vocal anti-FOBT campaigner and Glasgow MSP for the Scottish National Party, John Mason, was quick to comment: “The Smith Commission proposes some control of bookmakers and gambling coming to Scotland. I would welcome that,but would hope we do not have to wait until 2020 to make changes.”

Mason was speaking directly in

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INDUSTRY

AMUSEMENTS

The curse of the Kursaal?

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Is this the year of the jukebox?

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December 19 - January 1, 2015 • No. 2399/2400 • www.coinslot.co.uk

ts reveal 2014 s, new and old

Trade associations lay down 2015 battle plans TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

“Once again, our charts show subtle differences to the Official Charts Company and Spotify charts which reflect the unique

tastes of our jukebox clientele,” said Soundnet’s Toby Hoyte. “The pub environment attracts a crosssection of age groups who are out to have a good time and clearly the jukebox is an important aspect of that.”

Soundnet has had an exclusive UK jukebox agreement with the Official Charts Company to supply its digital jukeboxes with the Official Singles Chart, since 2006. In 2013 Soundnet doubled the presence of The Official Singles Chart within its estate to 12,500 jukeboxes, covering 65 percent of the UK market. This agreement was extended still further in 2014.

in on FOBTs

sh politicians have joined the campaign for greater regulation. the wake of a study conducted by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, which highlighted the spread of gambling businesses among areas with higher or lower average incomes.

CityTreasurer from the Labourcontrolled Glasgow council,Paul Rooney, made his own public statement:“We have been lobbying for changes to planning regulations to allow councils to rule on any new or relocated betting shops and the Scottish Government has finally started to take that possibility seriously,”he said.

“The Smith Commission gives us an opportunity to look at how we might do that and we shouldn’t waste any time.”

However,the Scottish Government issued a more temperate response, emphasising the need to wait for the full outcome of Westminster’s deliberations.“The Smith Commission has recommended the devolution of powers to prevent the proliferation of Fixed-Odds BettingTerminals and we will wait to see the detailed proposals from them on this,”said a spokeswoman.

Both BACTA and BALPPA are well prepared for the year ahead, with a salvo of strategies ready to be deployed. With overlap and co-operation also on the cards, could 2015 be an election year to savour for leisure and amusement?

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ith an eventful 2014 drawing to a close, the focus for the industry’s major trade associations is firmly on the future.

For both BACTA and BALPPA,2015 is a year of opportunity, with a battle plan built around key issues ready to be unleashed as the calendar creeps into January.

For leisure and amusement group BALPPA,their interest in collaborative projects may well increase during 2015.“We will be aiming to work closely with other associations,”said chief executive Paul Kelly,“which will gives us a more unified and louder voice when we start lobbying government after the election.”

They may well find themselves joining forces with BACTA on the issue of a tourism VAT cut. Both associations list dropping tourism VAT from 20 percent to 5 percent as a major focus of their next twelve months.“The seaside sector is part of the British landscape,”said BACTA CEO John White. “It, and inland tourist destinations,need to be nurtured and husbanded,and to do that it needs to satisfy its increasingly sophisticated market.”He further pledged to work with the tourism sector on the issue, opening to door for BALPPA to make good on their promise of interassociation cooperation.

Also on the tourism front, BALPPA has committed to combatting the deregulation of school holidays.“This is a real threat to the traditional summer holiday,” said Kelly,“with the current proposals allowing for the summer holiday being cut down to just four weeks.”

BACTA, meanwhile, plans to continue its dialogue with the DCMS regarding what it terms as “commercial discrimination” in the battle for fairness on the high street. Wrapped up in this quest may well be the association’s parallel mission to redress the narra-

tive around the gaming and amusement industry in Britain.

“We are a legitimate leisure business sector that provides fun to millions,” saysWhite.“We employ tens of thousands and generate huge tax revenues to pay for schools and hospitals.We are full of bright innovative individuals, particularly at the manufacturing end,that create British success stories.”

On an operational front,BACTA wants to help with staff training to ensure that customers who enter the many gaming and amusement venues across the UK are greeted with a safe and socially responsi-

ble environment.

This plan also forms part of the association’s commitment to“give more fun to the player.”Along with a focus on innovation in machine development that requires action at a basic level. “We need to develop and innovate our machines to keep the customers happy, but many opportunities to do this have been taken away,” explains White. In response, BACTA has announced the creation of a new Technical Committee, who will continue to tackle these issues throughout the coming year.

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Commission stats illustrate a mixed year for bingo sector

IOA invest in new Central Office ADMINISTRATION

he IOA Group, the UK’s largest independent Tmachine operator, has

BINGO

The latest published Gambling Commission Industry Statistics show that the bingo sector has undergone further shrinkage in terms of employees in the last six months reporting period, but that numbers of Cat B3 and Cat C machines in UK bingo halls have seen an increase. hile there are less people employed in UK land-based bingo than in previous years,there are certain signs showing that some machine-based elements of the sector are thriving.

The Commission explained:“As of 30 September 2014, 212 operators held non-remote bingo licences. Although only a single licence type, the bingo industry is made up of various types of businesses including large bingo clubs, holiday parks, working men’s clubs and smaller high street venues. In this

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publication these venues are only included where they held a premises licence up until 31 March 2012 and more recently where it is indicated as active on their regulatory returns.”

Bingo employee numbers have decreased by 17 per cent between March 2010 and March 2014.

Meanwhile, the make-up of gaming machines in bingo clubs has changed in recent years.The introduction and widespread use of electronic bingo terminals (EBTs) by a number of providers accounts for much of the increase in cat-

egory C and category D machines since April 2010March 2011. Originally introduced to the market as category D machines, the evidence suggests that a number of the handheld bingo terminals now operate with category C content.

In the periodApril 2013– March 2014, the number of gaming machines in bingo licensed premises accounted for 29 per cent (12 per cent in April 2009March 2010) of the total number of machines across all gambling sectors.

Gaming machine GGY in bingo licensed premises

accounted for 12 per cent (11 per cent in April 2009March 2010) of gaming machine GGY across all sectors.

The overall increases in GGY for category B3 and C machines is in part due to a number of operators putting in place better systems to record GGY by category of machine, having previously recorded this detail as a total of GGY for all machines on site, and captured as aggregated categories.

The overall turnover figures for bingo have decreased by 14 per cent

between the reporting periods. Main stage bingo saw turnover decline by £104m (15 per cent), mechanised bingo turnover has declined £49m (9 per cent) and prize bingo turnover has declined by £37.3m (71 per cent) between the reporting periods.

The overall GGY figures for bingo have decreased by 8 per cent between the reporting periods. Mechanised bingo GGY increased by £19.29m, main stage bingo and prize bingo GGY have declined by £30m and £21m respectively across the same reporting periods.

BFG closes 2014 on a high Playnation signs Betdigital content agreement

positive marker for what we want to achieve come the new year.”

DOND Double Up’s headline feaell-Fruit Games is enjoying a pair of early Christmas presents this ture is the volume of 50p and £1 week, as the company’s latest Cat C ‘extras’ included in the package, as Deal or No Deal machines are well as enhanced top game entry and granted full retailer approval. Both holdovers. DOND The Next Level, DOND Double Up and DOND Next meanwhile, incorporates the TV Level have been taken on board by Show’s famous black phone, which the major pub retailers, adding to contestants use to negotiate with the mysterious Banker.The the huge stable of popuNext Level players will lar Bell-Fruit titles find that the Banker already on-site around interrupts play to the country. award wins in the base “This has been a great game, activate new year for Bell-Fruit levels in the top game Games,” said sales and or, fittingly, increase marketing director, John the offer in the Deal or McLoughlin, “and to No Deal feature. finish with a double full These latest DOND set of approvals is testagames appear ahead ment to all the hard of the recently work put in by announced DOND absolutely everyone Box 23, which is set here.What a fantastic for release in early way in which to close 2015. out 2014 and set out a

MANUFACTURERS

CONTENT

B

amily entertainment and server-based games provider FPlaynation has signed a fouryear contract with digital systems and content specialist Betdigital, which will integrate Betdigital’s Cat B3 and Cat C games content within the proffered Playnation games portfolio.

The deal serves to strengthen the breadth of Playnation’s customer offering, which currently operates over 20,000 individual amusement machines across 1,700 UK destinations.

Commentary from both parties seems to hint towards prospects of a long-term business relationship between the companies.

“We’re looking forward to building a strong relationship with Betdigital,” remarked Playnation sales director Ryan Collinge. “We are really excited

to be able to offer its top performing content, to our customers.”

Heath Samples, chief executive at Betdigital and indeed no stranger to the coin-op sector, echoed Collinge’s sentiments.

“Playnation’s commitment and success to the market is well established,” he said. “With this partnership we expect to see that success go from strength to strength.”

opened a new Central Office situated in the Worcestershire town of Stourport-onSevern. The office, which opened at the beginning of December, will serve as the nerve centre of the IOA’s nationwide operations team and will be headed by the organisation's experienced national account manager Nik Novak.

Explaining the role of the new IOA resource,Nik Novak said: “The team at Central Office will effectively serve as the IOA’s 21st depot.The Central Office focus is on the management activity of all IOA customer accounts, the co-ordination of operations, reporting, analysis and the broader distribution of business information crucial to the effective operation and management of machines for our national customer base.

This is an important additional resource for the IOA and by extension IOA customers. The Central Office will play a key role moving forwards as we respond to the opportunities and challenges that will exist in 2015.

The move was managed seamlessly with no interruption of the high level of service expected by our customers. Central Office will continue to work extremely closely with the IOA’s Head Office which remains in Aylesford, Kent.”

He added:“I am pleased to confirm the IOA continues to be the top supplier on a number of NationalAccounts measured across a full range of key performance indicators and against intense industry competition, an achievement, which once again demonstrates that local knowledge combined with a national reach is a winning combination. The IOA is results driven and consistently provides strong financial performance rewards for the customer base.”

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INDUSTRY AMUSEMENTS LEISURE B2B

COMMENT NEWSWEEK REGULATION BACTA’s Division 3 takes a frosty view on regulation and government.

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Pubco hands out advice regarding HMRC paybacks SINGLE SITE

For some reason, the courts simply cannot make their minds up when it comes to tax and gaming machines. Rulings, appeals and further appeals have left the pub business - and the small proprietor in particular - in a state of constant threat. And so it remains for the small pub licensee where the taxman has come knocking. Pub operator Punch, however, has decided to act and make funds available to ease the pressure on tenants.

Taverns has reiterated its position regardPingunch the “several hundred million pounds” collectively owed by pub operators in “overpaid” tax rebates, following more letters sent by HM Revenue & Customs to tenants.

Earlier this year, HMRC said it would be pursuing pub operators after a Court of Appeal decision reversed a High Court ruling from 2009 that led to hundreds of pub operators receiving tax rebates on overpaid VAT on gaming machine takings.

Punch has told tenants to inform the company when it receives a demand of payment from HMRC, promis-

ing that it will pay back its 50 per cent share of the rebate as well as the interest on both shares, which is charged at 3 per cent annually for the past two years.

It said the tenants will then need to arrange payments for the full amount with HMRC. In a post on its Buying Club Website last week, the pubco said despite “prolonged discussions”, HMRC will not deal with it directly as the matter relates to individual pubs.

It added:“If you receive a letter from HMRC, please forward a copy of the letter to your credit assistant who will process our share of the credits onto your trade account and write to you

with the necessary documentation.”

Chris Lindesay, licensee of the Sun Inn in Dunsfold, Surrey and founder of the Punch Tenant Network, is concerned how licensees and ex-licensees will be able to afford to pay back the money, adding that 80 per cent of Punch tenants earn less than £15,000 per year.

He told pub trade press: “We do not have machines so thank heaven are unaffected, but I know very few tenants who would have had the resources to put the amount on one side for two years pending HMRC’s appeal.”

However, licensees may be repaid the refunds once more as casino operator Rank Group is appealing the most recent verdict, with a court hearing set for April. Earlier this year, HMRC said it would be able to reach an alternative “mutually agreeable payment schedule” for those licensees in financial difficulty, although this would include additional interest charges.

New venue found for Oswestry’s historic funfair SHOWMEN

eader of Shropshire Council Keith Barrow has helped showman Allan LStokes find a new venue for a 100year-old funfair in Oswestry.The funfair has previously been held on land near Shrewsbury Road but this will soon be swallowed up by the new multi-million pound Smithfield Leisure Complex.

Cllr Barrow (pictured) has confirmed that the funfair will in future be held on the town’s Oswald Road coach and car park. He told local press: “The funfair has been in Oswestry for as long as I can remember. I used to go when it was held on the old rec. It would have been such a shame to see it go, so I’m delighted

we’ve helped.”

Stokes said he was extremely pleased that Cllr Barrow had found a new site for the fair and thanked local paper ‘The Advertizer’ for its article which prompted the search for a new location.

He said: “I’m pleased they have found us somewhere to go,anywhere

is better than nowhere. I’m very pleased as it’s a major tradition that we don’t want to lose.We put on a fair at Christmas Live in Oswestry on Friday night and we had so many people coming up to us and to say they would be very sad to lose the fair.

It’s nice to know people care so we’ll do our best to keep it going.”

However, Stokes said although he is delighted a new site has been found for the fair,he and his family still don’t have anywhere to live.

He added:“The fair is important to us, but the main priority now is finding somewhere to live.”

Cllr Barrow said he is determined to find somewhere for Stokes to live and has instructed his officers to make it a top priority.

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Project hand game management opportunity to operators

Fair City continue down the well trodden path

COMPENDIUM ANALOGUE

Design & Technology has announced Ptheroject launch of Active Game

Fair City Amusements remains focused on lo-tech, analogue AWP machines. As the genre continues to hold the majority of its operational output, director Brian Campbell explained why reel still steals the show in Scotland. eadquartered in Perth, Fair City Amusements supplies and operates around 800 pub sites. Currently celebrating its 50th operational year,and enjoying its status as one of the leading sector operators in Scotland, its AWP product portfolio serves as a good litmus test as to the preferences of the average UK

H

machine player.

And it’s here that something telling is revealed.

Across the entirety of its AWP range, director Brian Campbell estimates that only four per cent are digital, hi-tech units.

“We do site all the new stuff, but find it very hard to keep them at one specific site,” he commented.

“Whilst hi-tech AWPs often

do increase the house income, they simply don’t perform as well as analogue machines.”

That’s not to say that Campbell is closed minded when it comes to digital AWP.“We do find locations where they excel,” he said.

“But often they’ve moved through nine or ten sites beforehand where they just haven’t taken enough

money.”What makes these digital-friendly locales different to others?“That’s the frustrating thing,” Campbell replied.“It’s often nigh on impossible to tell: if there was a secret formula for success it’d make distribution a lot easier.”

Campbell noted that elsewhere in the world,particularly in the United States, acceptance of the

digital AWP experience has been near total.An underlying mistrust of the technology may well account for the discrepancy.

“I think here in the UK, the player trusts the spinning reels,” he told us.“For some reason, there’s less trust in the video aspect it’s very much a case of what they know is what they play.”

Lee charts Coin-op has turned a corner in 2014 fresh waters CASH HANDLING MANAGEMENT

lex Lee, editor of Coinslot for the past A two years, has stepped down from the post in order to pursue interests outside of the industry.

A member of the weekly paper’s editorial team for the best part of eight years, Alex Lee has applied his journalistic skills to GB Media’s entire publications portfolio over his term.

Setting up a new enterprise in the memorabilia and antiques sector, Lee will also be fusing his expertise in music, collectibles and live entertainment, operating a store in central Manchester to launch his new venture.

An exciting step into fresh waters, Alex Lee commented: “There comes a time when you have to make a decision whether to try the things you always wanted to do. I’ve got this opportunity and if I hadn’t taken it, I would always be asking myself the ‘what if’ question.”

Paul Curley, senior business development manager at Innovative Technology, is brimming with positivity about the future of both his firm and the wider coinop industry in 2015 and beyond.

twelve months hugely signifTicanthehaveforpastbeen Innovative Technology with record sales and expansion. The company’s Paul Curley explained:“It is safe to say that the UK coin-op industry has turned a corner; the general sense of optimism is a positive one. We as a business are seeing significant signs of positivity from the coin-op sector, a sense that was reflected in the recent Autumn CoinOp show.”

2014 began in style for Innovative Technology winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise:International Trade and being named the 13th fastest growing private company in Great Britain by the Sunday Times Profit Track 100.Domestically,the company has grown by 71 per cent in terms of staff numbers and globally by 125 per cent.

Curley told Coinslot: “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do and is reflected in our product range.We see 2015 contin-

uing on the upward trajectory with the sector continuing to recover not just domestically but across the Euro Zone and further afield. We have launched two new companies, InnoPrint developing coupon and ticketing products to complement our core validator range and Image Capture whose focus is facial recognition technology.”

The business development director revealed the importance his firm places on exhibiting at trade events.He revealed:“Whilst every event we attend worldwide is of value, it is without doubt ICE that carries the most global attraction to our business. The world-wide audience that is now attracted to the show, offers a fantastic opportunity to meet, discuss and present our portfolio of products to a global audience.”

Innovative’s core products continue to be successful in the UK and Europe as operators and manufacturers evaluate

their cash handling peripherals. Curley pointed out: “The NV9 USB (recently updated to the NV9 USB+) remains one of our most popular products and can be seen within machines across the UK.” Overall, 2014 has been another successful year for Innovative, with continued growth, in terms of expansion and sales.In the UK the firm has doubled the size of its head office, moving into a new 36,000sq.ft facility on its own Innovative Business Park. Curley concluded: “We have opened a new satellite office in Milton Keynes to help service our growing number of clients in the south of the country. Globally we have opened three new offices this year extending Innovative’s locations across five continents. 2014 has been a great success entering new markets in new territories achieving phenomenal growth. Predicted growth for next year is set to rise again with a number of exciting new product launches planned.”

Management an initiative which enables AGC and Bingo Club operators to fine tune the gaming offering to suit the specific needs of their venues.

Operating on Project’s successful Fortune Hunter 500 eight game compendium, Active Game Management delivers the functionality to select the mix of games, the price of play operators want to offer on each game and to select which two games they wish to give enhanced visibility to on the menu.

Project managing director Tony Boulton believes the opportunity to provide greater autonomy to operators is an important feature of contemporary retailing. He explained: “Delivering choice is the central plank of our business philosophy. Every site or venue will have its individual requirements and nuances and the people best placed to make those assessments are the operators. Active Game Management provides the freedom and the authority to choose the optimum price of play for each game within the compendium, to select the mix of games and which two products to promote. Within the utility menu operators can view which games are the most popular to assist in deciding the optimum game mix for a specific location. If operators decide to sign up for our Mi Games initiative online they will have six new games per year downloaded to their terminal which can be configured to their site requirements.”

Active Game Management has been launched on Project’s Fortune Hunter 500, B3 eight game compendium.

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Christmas: Santa, snow, stockings and surveillance SECURITY

With modern surveillance equipment and a mindful eye, operators are becoming better at tackling machinetampering and onsite criminality. But that doesn’t stop Christmas being a time for heightened awareness, as BACTA’s Phil Silver told Coinslot.

or most, Christmas is a time for family,fun and good cheer. But it’s also a time when collectively as a country, our desire for cash increases exponentially.

It follows that alongside the tinsel and baubles, operators should approach the festive season with a certain degree of caution.

“When the desire for handson cash increased, so too do security risks,”notes Phil Silver, senior compliance officer at BACTA. “Christmas and New Year are one of those times when people want cash for a variety of reasons:within them, there’s a small proportion which may well break the law to get their hands on it.”

There’s nothing new about crime prevention within a cash-centric industry, as Silver attests:“By their very nature, adult gaming machines will always be a target for those seeking illegal means to cash.”

Then again,there are certain seasonal-specific challenges to overcome. “With a potential increase in cash handling throughout the Christmas hol-

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PHIL SILVER, SENIOR COMPLIANCE OFFICER, BACTA

idays, this time of year represents a good opportunity for businesses to fine-tune their security procedures and carry those improvements with them in the future,”says Silver.

Of course,any discussion of onsite security would be incomplete without the mention of technology.“It amazes me how sophisticated surveillance equipment has become over the course of my career,” comments Silver. “And then you have machine manufacturers who have stepped up to the plate and developed inbuilt design features make physical interference much more difficult.”

Industry-wide,Silver notes a further reason to be optimistic:

hand-in-hand with technological development has come positive attitudinal change.“I think operators have a more observant outlook nowadays as opposed to the years of yore when I first started,” he argues.

The underlying forces behind this pertain to more than just concerns of security.“There’s far greater pressure to enforce age restrictions within the adult gaming environment, for example,”Silver adds,“and then you’ve even got customer care issues that you can resolve and improve upon through appropriate surveillance measures.”

Thus,two separate elements combined have, in the long term, created a potent security tonic.“As a consequence of this increase in both vigilance and technological improvement, we’ve seen a concurrent decrease in physical, onpremises crime in the past two decades,”Silver says.

How best, then, to tackle Christmas criminality? Silver’s counsel is concise.“Be vigilant,” he says.“That applies all year round, but particularly at this time of year.”

EAG promises to deliver ‘even more’ ‘Weather bomb’ causes temporary promenade closure COASTAL RESORTS

part of Blackpool Promenade was closed after a wooden A walkway on some scaffolding came loose as powerful winds battered the Fylde coast last week.

Fire crews from Forest Gate were called to Bank Hey Street by staff at Blackpool Tower after reports the scaffolding footboards had come loose. The Promenade was closed around The Tower as

firefighters ensured the scene was safe. No-one was injured in the incident.

A spokesman for Forest Gate fire station said: “It was some of the scaffolding on the front of the circus building. Some of the footboards that are used to walk on had come loose and come down from the top to the floor.”

The Promenade stayed closed overnight, before scaffolding engineers were able to inspect the structure the next day.

EVENTS

ext month’s EAG International will deliver even more, say the organisers, not least N because it will take place alongside the brand new Visitor Attraction Expo, presented by BALPPA, and the associated programme of seminars and master classes.

With its sixth edition taking place 13-15 January 2015, EAG is now firmly established as one of the main gathering points for the UK and European coin-op industry, and visitors will also have full access to VAE bringing direct access to a number of first time exhibitors.

The switch to the earlier New Year time slot, which guarantees EAG’s place at ExCel, does come with some adjustments necessary for visitors and exhibitors alike, with EAG pressing home the importance of pre-registration ahead of Christmas, as well as the need to book hotel accommodation earlier.

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Challenges must be turned into opportunities JUKEBOX

Jukebox manufacturer Sound Leisure’s managing director Chris Black reflects on a challenging but successful 2014 for his firm and shares his hopes for further industry uplift in 2015.

Vhub has been the star performer this year, outselling all other jukeboxes. It has really “become the industry standard. The reason why has to be the intuitive interface that the customers really like to use. We improved that with the Gen 2 software update at the beginning of the year and we introduced the Twitter and Flickr feeds, the DanceMe feature and a host of other exciting developments including, of course, the soundjack app which enables customers to choose and pay for music over their smart phones. Customers who tested the product found that it outperformed others in the cashbox and the orders haven’t stopped all year.

EAG remains the most important industry event for us, however, we were also very happy with the introduction of the new ACOS show as well. I hope that we will continue to see an uplift in the industry after what has been a difficult few years.

Overall, both the VHub and Classics have been good for us, The Classics are becoming renowned throughout the world for quality and features which is very gratifying. We have recently achieved factory accreditation to sell our Classic range in the US and Canada which is also fantastic.

We have had so many fantastic deals this year it is hard to put a name against the best one.

Obviously receiving the large orders from both Gamestec and Sceptre gave us a fantastic boost and the positive energy to set the year off, however, some of the deals for 10 and 20 machines have given us a real buzz too, it is great being involved with operators of all sizes and helping them through the choice of machines available and plan their strategy.

We have begun to work alongside BACTA in relation to PPL licensing and have held positive meetings with both bodies.

To sum up, 2014 has been a fantastic year for Sound Leisure. The industry still has a lot of issues, but it always has had and always will, it’s part of the business we are in, it just depends whether you look at it as an opportunity or not.

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Operator concerned for future of Southend’s Kursaal AMUSEMENT PARKS

One of Southend’s biggest attractions is yet again facing an uncertain future, with resort stakeholders seemingly powerless to prevent its decline. The Kursaal, it seems, is cursed. outhend amusements operator has expressed his fears for the resort’s former indoor amusement park the Kursaal.

Martin Richardson, owner of the Happidrome family entertainment centre, told local press he wanted to open an arcade in the attraction but had been unable to talk to anyone about the proposal.

The Kursaal has been a major attraction since it opened at the resort in 1901, but is once again falling into disrepair and neglect despite a multi-million pound revamp.

It reopened in 1998 with some initial success with a bowling alley, bar, McDonald’s and function rooms and later a Tesco Express, but now lies half empty and is in need of refurbishment.

Richardson said: “The Kursaal was a world class amusement park. I’ve been trying to lease the unit next to Tesco where the old bar was for four years, but you can’t get hold of anyone.

S

“I’ve been trying to get an amusement arcade in there because I think the Kursaal should be a fun, family centre.

“The McDonald’s closed years ago and no one’s taken that over. It all seems weird.

“People come to Southend to visit the iconic

building. It’s as much a part of Southend as the pier, the Golden Mile or the lights.”

Following the closure of the bar and the McDonald’s some years ago, more recently the operator of the Kursaal’s function room left and none of the other empty shops have been filled.

Southend Council still owns the freehold, having sold the lease to the Rowallan Group for £650,000 plus a £100 annual rent in April 1998.

Southend councillor Graham Longley, who opened the newly refurbished Kursaal back in 1998, said he wanted to see it refurbished with new activities.

Asked if the council had got good value from the site after selling it for such a nominal sum, Longley said:“The council continues to get good value from the Kursaal as a wellknown building in the town - as well known as the pier.They are the icons of the town.

Addressing the concerns of resort stakeholders such as Martin Richardson, he commented: “It’s disappointing to see the state it’s in now and the council would be keen to help.

“It’s disappointing to hear prospective leaseholders for the units are not able get hold of the owners.”

Amusement complex application lodged for Barry Island Pleasure Park AMUSEMENT PARKS

planning application for an indoor amuseA ments complex at Barry Island Pleasure Park has been submitted to the Vale of Glamorgan council.

The move comes after amusements industry veteran Henry Danter was revealed as the operator behind the bid to run the park, following the successful conclusion of a deal to revive its fortunes.

Confirming an agreement with the Vale of Glamorgan council over a £20m-plus redevelopment of the derelict site, Danter said it would be “better than it has ever been”.

Danter, who operates the Treasure Island fairground in Stourport, has more than 50 years in the industry.

He told local press: “Barry Island has a special place in my heart. I came here as child with my family and so being

Saltburn Pier arcade almost ready to reopen PIERS

months after storms left holes in its the amusement arcade on Salt1burn2floor, Pier is almost ready to reopen.

Owner Grant Seldon told local newspaper the Gazette that it had looked like a “bomb had gone off” after water surged up through the floor and flooded the building last December.

Now, after spending “a substantial amount of money” to repair the arcade, Saltburn Entertainments is on course to be operational by the end of January or beginning of February next year.

Seldon commented: “When it happened, I was absolutely devastated but there was never a time I thought we wouldn’t reopen.

“And in the long run, it could even

work to our benefit because the building was on a bit of a downturn anyway.

“It will look similar to before, but with

involved in this redevelopment is like coming home for me.

“I want Barry island to be the best is has ever been, better even than the days when I came here with my mother.

“We want to get on with it as quickly as possible.We want the place to look good again.”

The amusement complex, which will include gaming machines, will enable Barry Island Pleasure Park to be a year-round attraction and play an important part in the longterm success of the resort.

The £20m-plus redevelopment will also see Danter bring in traditional fairground rides from his Stourport base alongside the introduction of a host of new ones.

It is hoped the rides will be on site in time for Easter next year, with the amusement complex opening shortly afterwards.

new fittings and equipment and a bit more space when we start off. I can’t wait.”

Seldon revealed that the repairs hadn’t been able to progress until the local council had completed underpinning and strengthening work in July.

With the arcade out of action, he focused on his other business, Seldon’s Leisure World in Sunderland.

Over the past four months Seldon has made up for lost time, completing the laying of a new floor, the fitting of new electrics, plasterboarding and installing a new ceiling.

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BBPA chairman calls for constructive dialogue LEGISLATION

onstructive dialogue is needed to promote conC fidence in pubs legislation, according to BBPA chairman Jonathan Neame.

At the joint BBPA/AllParty Parliamentary Beer Group reception in Parliament last week, Neame told MPs that the pub industry recognises that Clause 42 in the Small Business Bill (MRO) is here to stay, and called on Parliament to work with the industry to maximise business confidence in the new legislation.

Neame stated: “We warmly welcome the tide of (government) initiatives this year, with a further duty cut which secured vital jobs mainly in pubs, new investment and the lowest increases in beer prices for hard working pub-goers for well over a decade, extended small business rate relief, a full review of business rates, cuts to NI, changes to packaging waste, support for exporters and promotion of pubs and beer through the GREAT campaign. Can I thank all those who have worked hard to effect these changes, in particular your chairman Andrew Griffiths MP. “The BBPA has consistently argued during this time that the tied business model has stood the test of time, was evolving fast and would continue to evolve; that there were many and varied reasons, such as lifestyle changes, that had caused the challenge to licensees and pub owners in recent years; and that statu-

tory intervention was inappropriate for fear of the unintended consequences.

“But we recognise that this House has now supported an alternative thesis and has voted for radical change. The BBPA is not seeking to overturn the MRO and realise that this will now become law. However, we do have a few pleas: “One, the Bill, as drafted, is not perfect and we would like to see some relatively minor amendments. Pub owners are not the most loved beasts in the jungle, but the fact is that they do invest in the region of £200m in to the tenanted pub sector every year is surely to be welcomed and encouraged.

“I call on everyone to work constructively together to make amendments to give them more confidence to do so, without changing the substance of the MRO. “Two, please do not tamper with the 500 pub limit, as this will cause huge uncertainty and potential damage to the family brewers.

“Three, if the duty and other tax cuts have stimulated confidence, then the New Clause 2 has reduced it. Thus we will redouble our call to the Chancellor to give us a hat trick of duty cuts in the next budget and hope for your support!

“Four, there is a recognition that tied pub partnership can – and in our opinion does - work for mutual benefit of pub owner, licensee and consumer. But the gauntlet has been thrown down to ‘prove it!’”

“5. What the campaigners have achieved is remarkable and unexpected. But, for all the apparent polarisation of this debate, this industry is unique in that the needs of brewer, pub owner, licensee and consumer are aligned and necessitate a close working relationship.”

Video game exhibition opens in Edinburgh EXHIBITION

he Game Masters exhibition, which is being shown in Europe for the first time, explores the development and design of video games from early arcade machines right through to current favourites like Minecraft and Angry Birds.

It boasts over 100 playable games, including original arcade versions of hits such as Donkey Kong and Outrun.

Famous home console and handheld games are also featured such as UK creations Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto.

Former DMA (the Dundee-based development studio behind the two above titles) employee and founder of the Scottish Games Network Brian Baglow told local press: “I’m delighted the museum is holding a dedicated games exhibition. It really shows that games have real cultural and historical value. Dundee has played a key role in Scotland’s success in the games sector, so it’s nice to see it receiving the recognition it deserves.

“The games sector is really bad at capturing and archiving the process of designing a game. If it achieves anything I hope the exhibition shows everyone that game design is a craft and an art that they can engage with and try for themselves. If I could do it, it can’t be that hard.”

Game Masters is being staged in Europe for the first time after being created by the Australian

T

Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne two years ago.

Sarah Rothwell, assistant design curator at the museum, said:“Game Masters will give gamers and non-gamers alike a fascinat-

ing insight into the industry’s big names,who people might not necessarily have heard of before, and what inspired them to create these amazing worlds.

“Gaming is definitely an art form now. If you look

back at photography 100 years ago it wasn’t considered an art form, but now it’s very much of the fine art world.”

Entrance to the exhibition costs £10 for adults and £6.50 for children over five.

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B 2 B

15 This week’s machine charts

16 B2B listings and industry marketplace

20 Classified sales, job and business opps

Essential Guide to...

Social Media

The theory

The practice

The uptake

By consumers sharing opinions and experiences on a particular location, service or brand, electronic word of mouth (or eWoM) is created. With other users viewing this sentiment as having originated from a trusted (non-bias) third-party source, “earned” media (as opposed to paid media) is generated.

Most social media marketing strategy advocates a balance of product and service related promotions with posts relating to other things the business’ followers may be invested in. The Facebook page of Qatar Airways has garnered over 8m Likes: its posted content tempers press on new deals and aircraft refits with snippets on Qatari culture along with news on the sporting teams and events the company sponsors.

A 2014 survey by Deloitte found that 73 per cent of UK respondents owned at least one social networking account, 66 per cent of which considered themselves ‘active users’. Whilst most Facebook users continue to utilise the site primarily as a means of entertainment, 36 per cent of active social media users claim that they use the platform as a means to discovering new content.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Keeping the ‘social’ in social media Skipping the hard-sell in FEC social media efforts can attract customers, whilst a cohesive customer service strategy can keep them coming back. Scott Brown of We Do Digital will take the stand at EAG to tell you why.

DECEMBER 19 - JANUARY 1, 2015

EAG Preview 3 weeks away

aking pride of place within the EAG seminar schedule next month are a series of lectures from Scott Brown, director of business development at specialist US amusements marketing firm We Do Digital. Billed to discuss the respective roles of social media and customer service as they pertain to the FEC and amusement sectors, Brown is adamant that twenty-first century businesses across the board are dealing with a clientele markedly different to that of its forbears.

“People no longer want to be ‘sold’ in fact they often resent it,” he told us, “but they do want to do business with companies that they feel connected with.”

It’s this line of thinking which informs his advocated social media strategy.

“I often tell clients not to use social media to push your special deals, discounts, hours or pricing - as traditional advertising can do that,” he explained.“When it comes to social media, customers often connect with their favourite FEC because they associate it with fun and special times with family - it’s

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that which social media should embrace.”

Indeed, for Scott, the net result of a wellmanaged social media presence differs widely from the rewards of standardised marketing efforts.“Social media creates an opportunity to connect with current and potential customers in a way that traditional advertising never could,” he said.

“Ultimately you want your brand to be top of mind when someone thinks of a ‘fun place to go with my kids’, not ‘who has a coupon this week’.”

As for maintaining customer satisfaction once they’re through the door, Scott identifies what he believes is a common and recurring challenge.“I’ve found one of the biggest problems starts at the very top:with untrained managers encouraging their team to deliver ‘exceptional service’ without clearly defining what that actually constitutes,” he remarked. “When you pair often untrained (though well-intentioned) managers with a very young and inexperienced workforce, it can be very difficult to get everyone on the same page.”

But then - how to effectively respond?

Training, says Scott - but that’s by no means a catch all solution: clear-mindedness as to business goals within higher echelons is what ultimately delivers.“A business needs to have strong leadership, a clearly defined goal, as well as good, ongoing training and recognition programs,” he claimed.“Exceptional service requires the entire team working together towards a common goal: not always easy to accomplish, but the results are worth the effort.”

SCOTT BROWN, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WE DO DIGITAL Coinslot DECEMBER 19 - JANUARY 1, 2015

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Analysis

B 2 B NOVOMATIC LEADS, OTHERS FOLLOW

CATEGORYC (£1/£100 Max.)

CATEGORYB3 (£2/£500 Max.)

FILMCHARTS

Single site

AGCs

UK Box Office Chart

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

This Last Week Week Name

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3 1 2 4 5 6 7 -

DOND Double Up BFG DOND Next Level BFG DOND Winfall BFG DOND Box 23 BFG Hot Shots REF DOND Powerplay BFG DOND Midas Touch BFG Maid of Money REF DOND Best Offer BFG Lets Get Kraken BPG

Taken from a representative number of sites around the UK Supplied by national operator

5 1 3 2 4 7 6 10 9

Mega Bars Big Hit Project Slotto 500 Astra Wish Upon A Slot Blueprint Triple 8 Barcrest Magic Lotto Ultra Novomatics King of Slots Blueprint Triple 7 Barcrest A Bet Astra Lady Luck Reflex TS22 Project

FEC - family

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Encore T7 (GP3) SG Gaming Encore T7 (GP2) SG Gaming Bullion Bars Streak Astra X3000 Multigame Amatic Magic Games 100 Ultra Novomatic Magic Games 3 Novomatic Triple 7 (GP3) SG Gaming Triple 7 (GP2) SG Gaming Bullion Bars Arena Astra Find the Lady Ultimate Project

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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Members clubs

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

This Last Week Week Name / Manufacturer

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 Win Wall Astra Bar X 7’s 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

www.soundnet.net

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Highest Earning Tracks on Sound Leisure jukeboxes This Last Week Week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 9 10 6

Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran Fairytale Of New York Pogues Real Love Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne All About That Bass Meghan Trainor All I Want For Christmas Is You Mariah Carey Wrapped Up Olly Murs feat. Travie McCoy Blame It On Me George Ezra Budapest George Ezra Outside Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding Blame Calvin Harris feat. John Newman

Albums

Based on data from four sites Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

FEC - adult 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

UK Jukebox Chart http://www.sound net.net/

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 Clockwork Orange Empire

CATEGORYB4 (£2/£4000 Max)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Paddington The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 The Imitation Game Horrible Bosses 2 Interstellar Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?

Frozen Hockney Mr Turner The Drop

MUSICCHARTS

AGCs 2 1 6 5 3 7 -

PADDINGTON

1 2 3 4 5 7

Based on data supplied by a representative number of UK sites Supplied by RLMS Sales

CATEGORYD (10p/£5 Max.)

15

This Last Week Week

SAM SMITH: IN THE LONELY HOUR

Jackpot 100 Barcrest Fiddle a Fortune Reflex Street Casino 2014 Storm Flamin’ 400 Reflex DOND Live BFG

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2 4 6 5 7 1 3 8 10 13

X Ed Sheeran In The Lonely Hour Sam Smith Never Been Better Olly Murs Four One Direction Wanted on Voyage George Ezra III Take That Rock or Bust AC/DC The Endless River Pink Floyd 1989 Taylor Swift Christmas Michael Buble

Downloads This Last Week Week

Based on data from representative sites.

Supplied by sector professional

OLIVER HELDENS FT KSTEWAR: LAST ALL NIGHT (KOALA)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 1 20 18 12 -

Uptown Funk Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran These Days Take That Blank Space Taylor Swift Last All Night (Koala) Oliver Heldens ft Kstewart Night Changes One Direction Drown Bring Me The Horizon Fairytale Of New York Pogues ft Kirsty Maccoll All About That Bass Maghan Trainor Boss Fifth Harmony Coinslot DECEMBER 19 - JANUARY 1, 2015

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Kenyan FEC goes cashless An amusement arcade in the Kenyan capital Nairobi has claimed that since employing a cashless debit card system in October, revenues have increased as much as 60 per cent. A spokesperson for Mega Properties added: “we need not go through hundreds of sales files to get my figures right: it’s always just few click away.”

This was a fantastic initiati be involved in. We were ab fully qualified and highly sk of staff that were also fami our busines training hav on site at As

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JNC to exhibit the largest range of new products ever at EAG 2015 Ramping up the technological prowess of the FEC environment, Bristol-based amusements distributors JNC Sales will be bringing a host of the latest in amusement innovations to EAG 2015. aving already showcased the Go Go Pony kiddie ride both at EAS in Amsterdam and ACOS in London, JNC Sales will be taking things up a notch at EAG 2015, as they present the product for the first time as a four player game: operable either as a single ride or as a linkable multiplayer in race mode.

2014 saw the addition of Wahlap to the growing number of manufacturers JNC distributes for. As consequence their EAG stand will feature the latest Twin Driving Game: Overtake - where drivers go head to

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head in a desperate battle for racing victory amid chaotic random track events including earthquakes and crashing planes.

Meanwhile, Wahlap’s Monster Eye will also be showcasing: the enclosed five-dimensional cinematic family game includes a brand new motion sensor feature enabling players to use their body to play interact with the game in addition to the fixed guns.

New offerings from Tecway will include miniature versions of their successful Kiddie Submarine and Kiddie Jet Ski: providing a economic alternative to those

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resettable memory drop targets. As Stern’s first all-LED Pro model, explosions and phaser flashers can be rendered in exquisite detail on the playfield, captivating players and onlookers alike.

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Pop-up arcade in Motor City A vintage arcade collector has established a monthly ‘pop-up’ arcade in a disused school building in Detroit, Michigan. Don Behm, 40, attracted more than a hundred gaming enthusiasts to the recent third iteration of Offworld Arcade Classics, and caught the eye of local rag The Detroit News. “I just have a love for these old games,� he told the paper. “They hold a certain history to them.�

B2B Juke Box Specialists

SOUNDNET pressed for space or cash. Also new for Tecway’s 2015 range is the Kiddie Fireman, currently performing redoubtably on test. JNC continue to work on developing these products to maximise their potential: the Kiddie Wonderland Express Train now comes with imitation smoke to increase the attraction of this ride. Finally, with Tecway’s Powerstorm simulator proving a big hit at EAG last year and with repeat orders throughout 2014, this machine will be returning to EAG as a proven frontline machine.

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Kirby grips the jukebox sector by the horns B2B Novelty

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Alex Kirby, NSM’s sales manager, strongly believes that on the back of a strong 12 months, 2015 can prove to be the year of the jukebox.

OINSLOT: Industry-wise, what do you believe was the biggest event of the year?

ALEX KIRBY:The most import event for us this year was the EAG show in Excel, London, which gets us in front of international and UK-based customers which sets us up for the year ahead.

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CS: Which of NSM’s products achieved the most success in 2014?

AK: We have had a good year with all products, however, the BGM (Background Music System) which we launched in May has been a huge success.

We have had great interest from all kinds of different markets. This is due to the product being so affordable and user friendly.This product is right for anybody no matter what industry, or what location where music is required to set the right ambience.

CS: What trends do you believe will permeate coin-op in 2015?

AK: After every operator investing heavily into the £100 jackpot AWP’s this year, I can see 2015 being a big year for jukeboxes. I am expecting a good year for sales with customers benefiting from our fantastic rental and part exchange deals. We will part exchange any used digital jukebox against new, no matter what the brand or condition as long as it is complete. 2015 will be the year of the jukebox.

CS: What were the highlights of the past year for you?

AK:The highlight of the year was also my best deal in 2014 when we finally got Town and County on board after 10 years of visits, demonstrations, phone calls etc.That day when I took their very first order for 10 jukeboxes was one of my happiest days at NSM Music.

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ank Job: Loadsa Loot from GSquared has hit the ground running with a promising set of early test figures.

The game is the latest in an iconic line of ‘Bank Job’ titles from software developer Betcom Games.

“We are delighted to be able to bring the next in the iconic line of Bank Job branded machines to the market,” remarked G-Squared director Andrew Powell. “Loadsa Loot is our third collaboration with Betcom, with both previous games gaining full retailer approvals.’

The promising test performance has already led to a number of early pre-orders for the machine.

Bank Job Loadsa Loot is available for order directly from G-Squared games or through its distributors PW Sales and AMG

MEDIA COINSLOT EASES INTO EDITORIAL TRANSITION oinslot International will be entering the new year with a fresh perspective C on the editorial front.

The departure of Alex Lee on to new horizons outside of the industry has now realised the succession plan underway at the paper during the past 4 months in which a young and dynamic team of journalists has been developed to take on the new challenges.

“Alex has been working with the new team and has spent much of his last few months gearing them towards taking over his role,” explained Ken Scott, managing editor of the GB Media publications division. “That transition was very important: we were all determined to see fresh blood

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Products

19

B 2 B

Fortune awaits

Humanity needs you

Just a wish away

Still performing strongly in the B3 category is Project’s Fortune Hunter £500, available through RLMS Sales. The game is housed in the TS22 cabinet, with a new look menu, entirely new Games and offers ticketin-ticket-out provision.

On the coat-tails of the $2.6bn movie franchise comes Sega’s newest action adventure game, Transformers Deluxe. Boasting a 42 inch LCD screen, the two player video arcade game has users team up with characters Optimus Prime, Bumblebee or Sideswipe to defend human civilisation across North America, Africa and Europe.

Expanding its presence in online AGC content, the newest title from Blueprint Gaming is Wish Upon a Jackpot. A tongue-incheek tribute to the cadre of fairytale lore, the five reel, 20 pay-line slot game features reel icons such as castles, Puss in Boots, Cinderella’s glass slipper and the golden harp.

CS: How would you sum up 2014 for your business?

AK: Hard, trying but hugely successful.The industry is constantly changing and we have to adapt to it, for those that will adapt there is still a good return for their investment, however you still need to invest to make that return.The break in tie is great news for pubs - hopefully this should boost the market place and help create a level playing field for all pubs, clubs and operators. I think 2015 will be the start of good things.

in the system, with all those new perspectives that come with it.

And I think they’ve done an excellent job in developing a better formula.”

Taking over the senior editorial role at JOSEPH EWENS Coinslot will be Joseph Ewens, now a year into his term at the paper. Working with him as a contributing editor will be Chris Webster. They will be supported by a news team of journalists operating out of the Brighton office.

CHRIS WEBSTER Scott confirmed: “The transition will unfold over the coming weeks and months: more questions, more insight, more challenging perspectives. Every now and again, there’s a moment, a window for change and this seems like our’s. There’s no fanfare, no flag-waving, that’s simply not Coinslot’s style; but over time, this shift in emphasis will become apparent and a welcome new direction.”

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2399-2400-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 16/12/2014 10:07 Page 1

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Coinslot December 19 - January 1, 2014

Comment And now, the end is near

“

Green shoots of recovery in 2015

alex lee comment he end of the year is nigh and so is the end of my mini-run as editor of Coinslot. I’ve learned a lot of things in my stint on the industry weekly,namely never misspell someone’s name, never get a person’s position wrong (I’m still uncertain as to whether MD trumps CEO) and, last but not least, never start a sentence with “The demise of…” especially if you drop the wrong company name in by mistake.

All joking aside, I’ve largely enjoyed my (almost) two years as editor of Coinslot despite inadvertently upsetting a small few industry veterans along the above lines.

What we can all be certain of is that Coinslot will continue to go from strength to strength in my absence and that with the backing of GB Media it is in very good hands. If one was to include my early days elsewhere at a certain international coin-op monthly I’ve actually been active in the coin-op sector for approximately a decade and while in some respects the last 10 years seem like 10 minutes, in others it they seem more like 10 decades!

I’m genuinely delighted to see that, on the evidence of this year’s

T

major trade shows and some of the big news stories coming out of UK coin-op this year, there is evidence of those long overdue green shoots of recovery. I’m also sure that, in the fullness of time, a new wave of quality people will rise to the top of the industry and bring with them a new wave of energy, innovative ideas, and, ultimately, fantastic new products.

It would take way too long to mention all the protagonists in the UK coin-op sector that I variously admire, respect and wish well for the future, but I’m certain they know who they are.

So, while I wouldn’t exactly say I’m riding off into the sunset (I live in Manchester and I’m allergic to horses) I’m taking on a new challenge of setting up my own antiques business, built on the solid and weighty bedrock of second hand vinyl records. Some would call it a mid-life crisis, I’d respond to that by saying that happened the moment I joined Coinslot just over eight years ago!

Have a great Christmas and New Year anyhow - I honestly and sincerely hope that your business succeeds in 2015 and beyond.

It’s all about the money

Coin change const death of the father of

alex lee media watch £1 coin planned release in 2017 may cost TtheheforUK’s12-sided vending operators far more than the Royal Mint has projected, according to the Vending Times.

Converting estimated 1.2m vending machines, parking meters, laundry and other coin-operated equipment to accept the new £1 coin could cost more than £200m, according to industry experts interviewed by the Daily Mail.

Earlier this year, the Royal Mint estimated that the cost of converting these machines would be around £20m.

Jonathan Hilder, chief executive of the Automatic Vending Association, which represents vending in the UK and Ireland, told the Daily Mail that it will cost the industry alone about £72.8m to adapt the country’s estimated 450,000 coffee, snack and drink machines. AVA wants the Treasury of England to help pay for modifications.

BACTA, which represents the amusement industry, said that it will cost £100m to adapt 350,000 gaming machines.

The new coin, unveiled in March, is said to be the most secure in the world. It will be made from two types of metal, like the current £2 coin. It will also feature embedded luminescent particles that are visible under a particular light, making counterfeits easier to spot.

Elsewhere, Gala Bingo has teamed up with the Royal Voluntary Service in an attempt to raise both funds and the profile of the charity, founded in 1938, which is one of the UK’s premier organisations dedicated to helping the elderly, according to the East Lothian Courier.

This month sees the launch of a bold attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the biggest ever bingo card. The deal with Gala aims to raise money towards Christmas

lunch clubs for elderly people.

The RVS aims to offer day to day companionship and support to elderly people through its nationwide pool of 35,000 volunteers. It also creates media campaigns and events designed to highlight the sort of issues many elderly people face.

Gala and the RVS hope to raise more than £5,000 from this single event, with Gala pledging to donate a percentage towards the lunch clubs from the gaming money Gala Bingo members will be using.

Meanwhile those who take part are in with a chance to compete for one of the 10 sets of tickets available for a VIP festive party in London during December.

Some famous faces are backing the effort too - namely ex-Strictly star James Jordan (who will be there attempting to break the record for the largest bingo card), along with

of y

2399-2400-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 16/12/2014 11:48 Page 2

Coinslot December 19 - January 1, 2014

“Things are still tough but there’s a sense that the worst is now over.

Confidence is very important in our business. I think 2014 will go down as one of the best as far as hot products are concerned.”

23

8 Email: je@gbmedia.eu

TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

PHIL SETTER, WHITEHOUSE LEISURE

“ ”

quote unquote “Three German design students have invented a way to pass the time while waiting for a streetlight to change. Their solution was to install small video game units featuring Pong on the corners to allow pedestrians to test their skills at the classic game against players on the opposite street corner.”

HANK SCHLESINGER, VENDING TIMES

“Leaders of AAMA, AMOA and the NBVA bulk vending organisation travelled to the nation’s capitol in September to hold approximately 50 meetings with federal lawmakers. Topping their agenda, concern over the possibility that Congress will change the way quarters are produced thus placing an economic burden on industry and consumers.”

STEVE WHITE, REPLAY MAGAZINE

“A Dublin-based amusement arcade operator, a Co Sligo farmer and a Dublin company director topped the latest list of tax defaulters. The 107-strong list, published by the Revenue Commissioners, made settlements totalling €19.64m. The largest settlement was made by fair and amusement arcade operators Groundview Limited, of 15 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2, which used to operate Dawson’s amusement arcade on the Bray seafront before it was demolished.”

EOIN BURKE-KENNEDY, THE IRISH TIMES

change consternation, more charity efforts on behalf of a leading bingo operator and the of the father of video gaming have all featured in recent industry-related news.

Charlie King of The Only Way is Essex - while Gala TV will host the events.

Gala’s Interactive director of gaming, Alison Digges, said: “Bingo is all about sociability as our busy chat rooms will testify!

Many of our players are older or have older people in their lives.

We want to create awareness that older people can often be lonely and on their own but that needn’t be the case. By supporting the campaign we are doing our bit to ensure that loneliness is eliminated this Christmas.”

The centrepiece of the initiative centres on Gala trying to stage a real game of bingo using the world’s biggest bingo card.

And finally, Ralph Baer, credited as the father of the video game industry, has died.

According to The Guardian, in the days when most people were content to relax in front of the family television set, Ralph

Frost takes a bite at the Commission and the government

Baer, who has died aged 92, had a revolutionary idea.

As an electronics engineer, he realised that people could control what was on the screen, even if it was little more than a white dot. The direct result was the first home video games console, the Magnavox Odyssey, which sold more than 330,000 units between 1972 and 1974. It also started an industry in which consoles sell tens of millions of units and blockbuster games can earn more than Hollywood movies.

Baer had his eureka moment in 1966 while waiting outside a bus station in Manhattan, New York, and wrote a four-page outline about the “game box” and some possible games. At the time, however, he was chief engineer running eight equipment design departments for Sanders Associates, a large military contractor that was later merged into Lockheed Martin Aerospace and is now

part of BAE. His bosses were not interested at first but eventually Sanders gave Baer a $2,500 budget and two coworkers, Bill Harrison and Bill Rusch, to develop the idea as a side-project.

The team built six prototypes before coming up with what Baer called the Brown Box, because it was covered in a stick-on wood-effect plastic veneer. “Then we went on a two-year trek to find somebody who would take a licence and actually produce something,” Baer told David Friedman in a video interview for PBS. “That turned out to be Magnavox.”

Jason Frost, vice president of BACTA and chairman of Division 3, spoke eloquently about the current political issues the coin-op industry is facing at the recent annual convention.

jason frost politics has been a difficult year for BACTA both internally Tandhis externally. We have had to grapple with the commercial pressure brought about by a raft of impacts on our various sectors, not least the recession, and in my own sector the commercial pressure caused by unfairness on the High Street and the disparity, in fact I shall call it discrimination, caused by a law which allows one type of gaming machine in one age controlled adult environment on the High Street, and not in another age controlled adult environment on the High Street.

That is simply not fair, just, logical nor morally right. Given the impact on our members’ businesses it is right that BACTA continues to highlight this anomaly and we will continue to do so.

Our stakeholders also have to understand that we are businesses just like any other.

Faced with commercial pressure or competitive disadvantage we look to compete in different ways. Our industry has a good track record of innovation and that is happening now as members think: “How can I compete?”

Many have decided to seek to get a betting licence so they too can provide B2 machines for their customers. I know this may be seen as unwelcome by some but I have to ask what else can these businesses do when they see customers leaving their premises on a daily basis? They have to respond to save their business and those who rely on those businesses, and any other

industry would be compelled to do the same.

Charles Darwin said:“It is not the largest or the strongest of the species that survive, it’s the one most able to adapt.”

What we really need from our regulators and from government is help. Our business, across all sectors, is a legitimate part of the commercial landscape and we create jobs. We have high tech manufacturers exporting goods across the world, creative and innovative electronic and software engineers, bright business people that have built great businesses and we are an essential part of both the tourism and the High Street economies.We bring fun to people’s lives.

We will do what we can within our own power but we do need help.Don’t load us with more cost through unnecessary regulation, help the tourist industry through cutting the VAT rate and let us unleash the innovative power of our manufacturers by allowing features that were taken away under the 2005 Act and which frankly offer no concern to anyone.

These are the tools we need to compete in the business we know and love.And that is true across our entire membership form the AGC to the FEC to the single site operator, manufacturer and distributor.

But given this help we have every reason to be positive about the future.The economy has picked up although we remain fully aware of the continuing challenges ahead.

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Coinslot December 19 - January 1, 2015

Newsweek EXHIBITORS FIRM UP FOR ENADA SPRING he 27th edition of Italy’s Enada Spring international amusement and gaming exhibition is set to take place at the Rimini Expo Centre from March 18-20, with organisers confident of topping last year’s attendance figure of over 25,000 visitors. With a show floor expected to cover more than 40,000 square metres and with support from the SAPAR and Euromat trade associations, Enada Spring will provide those in attendance with the ability to

T

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

New year, new toys next big thing in arcade merchandise.

The 2014 edition attracted more than 280 exhibitors, with this upcoming show expected to be just as popular. Visitors to the show floor can expect to find displays from the largest multinational manufacturers to the smallest independent artisans and entrepreneurs.

The fair has its roots in Brighton, occupying hotel rooms across the seafront for its debut appearance in 1954. During that year, Sooty hand puppets and wordy board game Scrabble were the event’s first big hits.

he new year brings with it a new explosion of toys and games, as the annual Toy Fair returns to London for its 60th anniversary.

Toy makers and merchandise experts from around the world are preparing for a delayed Christmas present, as they look forward to next year’s annual Toy Fair. Held between 20-22 January, 2015 at London’s Kensington Olympia, the 2015 edition of the most popular trade event for toy manufacturers is the perfect opportunity for the amusement industry to get a leg up on the

T

check out the latest products, services and technologies in the European gaming and amusement sectors. Over 400 exhibitors have already confirmed stands at the trade show, which is due to run alongside a full programme of meetings and debates aiming to draw the best and brightest from the global

gaming and amusement sectors to the northern Adriatic seaside resort.

MACAO GAMING SHOW SET FOR 2015 RETURN resh off the back of its successful second edition, The Macao Gaming Show (MGS) has confirmed its

F

dates for next year: the event will return to the Venetian Macao between 17-19 November 2015. With solid backing from the Chinese government, and all the key players from the major regional trade body MGEMA, MGS has gained impressive credentials over the past two years. With a broadening of its appeal to

bring in service and leisure sectors, plus an online dimension, the show is likely to lure a strong British

contingent over the coming months. The UK already serves as one of the top five key visitors to the show.

EDITORIAL Edition Editor: Joseph Ewens Email: je@gbmedia.eu Tel: 01273 699 900 Contributing Editor: Chris Webster Contributors: Steve Turner Editorial Director: 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 JANUARY 2015 13-15 EAG International Expo ExCeL London ExhibitionCentre, London UK www.eagexpo.com 13-15 Visitor Attractions Expo (VAE) ExCeL London Exhibition Centre, London UK www.attractionsexpo.co.uk

20-22 The Toy Fair 2014 Grand Hall Olympia London UK www.btha.co.uk/toy-fair

FEBRUARY 2015 1-5 Spring Fair NEC Birmingham UK www.springfair.com

2-4 ICE Conferences ExCel London UK www.icetotallygaming.com/conferences

3-5 ICE Totally Gaming ExCel London UK www.icetotallygaming.com 11-15 IAAPI Amusement Expo Bombay Exhibition Centre Mumbai India www.iaapi.org

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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