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033 Rainbow King Flap Ad_test 02/02/2015 08:24 Page 1 February 6 – February 12, 2015 • No. 2406 • www.coinslot.co.uk

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COINSLOT

Industry news Seaside amusements First Day at ICE B2B Listings Latest machine charts Classified ads and opps Comment & Analysis Newsweek

BUSINESS

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“...it’s almost like survival of the fittest...For the ones [WMCs) that have got an ageing membership, it’s a slow decline and death by a thousand cuts.”

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In flux: ICE, pub and modernisati PUBS

CS: How important to the pub sector are gaming-gambling The face of the British machine revenues? pub is changing. Coinslot BE: If we go back 20 years or so, the sheer earning power of AWP spoke to Bill Epsley, pretty much guaranteed it a space commercial manager at in the majority of pubs. But the Young’s pub company world has changed, and we’ve all seen customer habits and expecand brewery, about the application of this week’s tations change with it, resulting in numerous pub closures and a ICE: Totally Gaming to major shift towards food. So pub stakeholders, and whilst machine numbers and the future of adult gaming income is not what it once was, for certain sectors of the pub within the pub industry. industry machine income will still be an important revenue stream: particularly those still S: What do pub-stakeholdoperating wet-led establishers gain in visiting ICE? BE: I think it presents an oppor- ments, and not forgetting the tunity to see what innovations many tenants who are still very and/or developments that may much reliant on it. be coming up, as well as offering a platform for the exchange of CS: Have there been any noticeideas and views with other sec- able recent changes in what tors of the industry. Most manu- pub-gamers look for? facturers and suppliers to the BE: I think pub-gamers look for industry have had a really tough entertainment in the machines time over recent years having they play, but above all they need had to deal with the recession as to deliver value for money to the well as changing customer player. Unfortunately, the types of habits,but have always remained machines available that are suitupbeat and optimistic.It’s always able for a pub environment have good to be able to have the been dwindling over the years opportunity to take a look at and with the current state of the what they have been working SWP market, seem destined to on. dwindle further.

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GamCare chair Jennen G

amCare chairman Anthony Jennens, a longstanding champion of responsible gambling and ten-year head of the charity’s board, has passed away. His death comes weeks after he was selected for an OBE in the 2015 New Years Honours List for his for charitable services to the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction.

“We are all deeply saddened that Anthony is no

longer with us,” said the charity’s chief executive Dirk Hansen. “In his memory we will continue to advance the cause he held dear, and to ensure that his unstinting work lives on” Jennens had been a member of the GamCare board since 1997, mere months after the organisation came into existence. During 2015 he had hoped to see the charity focus on education and youth programs.

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INDUSTRY

AMUSEMENTS

The money begins to flow for coastal UK

EAG holds its own 8

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12 February 6 - February 12, 2015 • No. 2406 • www.coinslot.co.uk

pubs, machines isation

Mecca profits sore as Rank steers defiant course for growth BINGO

The halving of bingo duty benefited Rank Group’s Mecca Bingo brand no end. Its latest financials show a 65 per cent gain in bingo profit, and the company is enjoying further growth across the length and breadth of its business.

CS: How have gaming machines adapted to the changing face of the UK pub sector?

BE: Pubs are vastly different to what they were 20 or 30 years ago. Most customers’ primary reason to visit a pub nowadays is to eat, with drinking now becoming largely ancillary to that. Hence we’ve seen the interior designs of pubs evolve to reflect this change and to create an ambience that will be both female and family friendly.The outward appearance of gaming machines - and indeed,machines in general - offered to pubs have barely changed from what they were 30 years ago,and often just

don’t look right in the modern contemporary environments that many of today’s pub operators seek to create.

CS: How can machine providers make their offerings better suited to the modern pub?

BE: I think the future challenge for machine manufacturers has to be to evolve machines into something that will be less intrusive in look and size that can perhaps fit in with the modern pub environment.Whist not wishing to be too pessimistic, I fear that if this cannot be achieved then the numbers of machines in pubs will continue to decline.

ennens passed away “Anthony’s single purpose in life was his work. His work for us and his work for others,” explained the GamCare’s president, Lord Sharman of Redlynch. “He was a tireless champion for the causes of education, treatment and prevention for those with gambling addiction. I know his loss will be keenly felt by myself, the GamCare trustees and everyone who worked with him over the years.”

he latest financial results from the Rank Group Plc have shown a remarkable latter half of 2014: with group profits (before deductions) up 25 per cent year-on-year,and growth across all of its brands period on period.

The six months up to December 31 saw the company, which operates both Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casino,amass £361.7m: a gain of 3 per cent on 2013, with group operating profit swelling to £40.8m.

The strong posting has resulted in an increase of a 34 per cent gain in earnings-per-share.

Legislative change served in Mecca’s favour. The halving of bingo duty from July onwards freed up £5.6m for the operator, allowing Rank to reduce player participation charges whilst also increasing venue maintenance spending on the Mecca estate by 42 per cent.These funds were also directed towards refurbishment, market research, as well as new prizes and product.

Of additional benefit was the group’s signing of an agreement that will see Bede Gaming become the company’s new digital platform provider, which it hopes will provide“greater control,flexibility and speed in integrating third party and retail content and functionality.”

The digital gaming sector has been one of increasing focus for Rank,and one in which it has growing influence.“We have continued our focus on improving our digital

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business,” stated the company’s chief executive Henry Birch.“This strategy has resulted in a 16 per cent increase in digital revenues and 75 per cent increase in operating profit.”

Steady expansion of the Grosvenor Casino business saw the refurbishment and reopening of its Bournemouth venue and the open-

ing of a new site in Southend.Whilst Grosvenor eclipsed Mecca in terms of profit (£31m compared with £22.9m, respectively), the casino chain’s like-for-like earnings of 10 per cent were put into touch by Mecca’s own staggering growth rate of 65 per cent. Accordingly, Rank plans to open three new Mecca sites in the coming months - although the company will simultaneously be closing two loss-making venues.

“Rank remains in a strong financial position,possesses market-leading brands and has a clear strategy for long term growth,”Birch added.

“As a result, the Board continues to look to the future with confidence.”

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Visitation steady, but EAG continues to impress TRADE SHOW

It was the slightest of drops in the number of visitors passing onto the show floor at EAG this year, yet nowhere near enough to stop exhibitors rallying to report a show that was as strong as ever.

a confident statement, the organisers of EAG announced a fall in attendance at this year’s show. Confident not just because the decline was the barest of trickles, but more a result of the feedback from the industry that indicated exhibitors are still content with the quality of visitor.

“In comparison with last year the overall number of visitors dropped slightly, by 180 over the three days, but there has been nothing but praise for the calibre of visitor,” confirmed EAG chairman Martin Burlin. He also revealed that while international visitation has not increased, there is some suggestion that the global reach of EAG is increasing.“Overseas visitors remained constant at around 25 percent, but there is evidence that these are travelling from further afield,” he said, “with Africa, Russia and North America featuring well.”

The Visitor Attraction Expo enjoyed its debut appearance in the same hall,

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but organisers BALPPA are looking to 2016.“BALPPA are already focusing on next year’s VAE, with a number of exhibitors keen to build on this year’s success,”said chief executive Paul Kelly.“More seminars covering more industry topics are planned and a greater variety of exhibitors, as VAE becomes the key national exhibition in the attractions calendar.”

Many EAG visitors had

and Minions ranges has been fantastic.”

Some exhibitors,however, did have constructive criticism to offer. Astra’s Alan Rogers echoed sentiments heard on a number of stands around the show that questioned the new earlier timeslot for this year’s expo.“The ambience of EAG has clearly improved and the Astra team came away from the show with a feel-good factor that has not been so prevalent in recent years,” he said. “It’s important, however, to balance out those positives with one minor criticism regarding the timing of the show. I think we’re not alone in expressing the opinion that it came just a touch too close to the Christmas break.”

For her part, organiser Karen Cooke has pledged to respond constructively.“We now have much work to do, listening to industry groups, exhibitors, and visitors to good shows, with old major retailer,”he added.

Whitehouse Leisure also gather feedback about the favourites continuing to impress alongside new prod- saw increased investment in format and organisation of ucts showcased for the first the show paying off, with its both shows,” she said.“EAG time. “Our newly-released sprawling three-stand dis- International andVAE are put HD video jukebox was play capturing the attention on by their respective indusextremely well received, as of visitors walking the floor. try sectors for the benefit of was the soundjack phone “A great deal of hard work is those within the sectors and app,” explained Sound paying off with good busi- that’s why these views are so Leisure’s Chris Black. “The ness being written at the important,”. The timing of new novelty vending show,” said the company’s next year’s show, however, is machine,LittleTed,is also off business development exec- not set to change, with the to a good start with confir- utive, Ian Whittingham.“The date already locked in for 12mation of a roll-out from a response to our new Frozen 14 January, 2016.

Operators in Northern Ireland face their own challenges s debates about coastal communities in England rage A on and MPs battle for support for the seaside, Ireland-based parks and attractions are dealing with their own struggles. For the owner of Barry’s Amusements, a traditional Northern Irish park in its 89th year, the new season presents unique challenges.

Operators in Ireland rely on many of the same campaigning bodies as mainland operators Barry’s is a proud BALPPA member - but often face slightly different issues as a result of localisation and devolution.

“Associations like BALPPA and BACTA are great, although some campaigns don’t necessarily impact on Northern Ireland,” said Katrina Trufelli, granddaughter of the park’s founders and current owner of

In the midst of make-orbreak parliamentary discussions about seaside resorts, the owner of Barry’s Amusements in Northern Ireland explains why up and running coastal businesses should be given as much support as start-ups. the site. “I’ve heard about the school holiday deregulation in England but I haven’t heard about it over here. We have two full months’ vacation in July and August, and I definitely wouldn’t want that to change.”

Despite being the largest theme park in Northern Ireland,

size is still an issue for Barry’s, particularly when finding new kiddie rides to replace older ones.

Trufelli explained: “You’re trying to change rides on a fairly regular basis so you’re always trying to find something that fits in the smaller area. You also don’t want the height restriction to be too high, because a lot of young kids come here and they get very disappointed if they can’t access some of the rides.”

In spite of the longer holidays, seaside attractions such as Barry’s are also beholden to the volatile seasonal weather in the north of Ireland.

“We run a small, traditional park; based by the sea in a lovely location, but we are heavily affected by the elements,” Trufelli said. “We’re half indoors, half outdoors, but we notice

than when the weather is warmer we get better business and the atmosphere is better.”

Barry’s customer base is divided between local families and holidaymakers, and Trufelli feels that the park plays a significant part in encouraging tourism to the small resort town of Portrush in Country Antrim.

“I definitely feel that holiday parks and arcades need to be supported as attractions that bring in visitors to the area, but there seem to be very few grants in Northern Ireland for these attractions,” she said. “There are some resources for businesses that are just starting, but there doesn’t seem to be anything for companies that are up and running. That should be addressed.

Whether you’re starting, or whether you’re in business, you need support and help.”

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INDUSTRY AMUSEMENTS LEISURE

B2B COMMENT NEWSWEEK OVERVIEW An early glance at this week’s ICE Totally Gaming expo. 14

Bunn fights back as arcades show significant growth

Mi Games online hits the ground running SERVER BASED GAMING

an upbeat EAG for the industry, ProFject'sollowing Mi Games online ini-

HOLIDAY PARKS

caravan park operator has reported a 20% increase in entertainment centre sales after signing a deal with Playnation to supply machines to its arcades last year.

Bunn Leisure, which owns four holiday parks across West Sussex, commissioned 300 machines for its on-site FECs including the world’s first high definition B3 Storm terminal. Since then, the park owner has recorded its arcade revenues as rising by a fifth year on year.

John Bunn, owner of Bunn Leisure, said:“We are thrilled with these latest sales figures and it is clear that the mix of the right products, team and delivery, along with promotional and marketing activity, has had a direct impact on the growth of our arcade business.”

A

Last year’s growth has heralded an optimistic outlook for the company, and Bunn expects his four parks - Green Lawns;West Sands; White Horse and Warner Farm - to continue to perform well in 2015.

“We worked alongside the team at Bunn Leisure to ensure we understood the demands of the customer base within each park location,” commented Ryan Collinge, sales director at Playnation. “This enabled us to tailor our machines to the consumer and boost

tiative - which allows operators to receive six new games a year for the equivalent of £35/week - is playing a key part in keeping the gaming side of the business moving.

Tony Boulton, managing director of Project, believes that the success being enjoyed by Mi the overall experience for Games is based on delivfamilies visiting the parks.” ering on both variety and The deal with Bunn on value. He explained: Leisure consolidated Play- "Choice and value for nation’s presence as one of money are essentially the the UK’s largest over cornerstones of modern 17,000 amusement high street retailing and Mi machines across almost Games online encapsu1,500 sites, including sev- lates both of these tenets. eral leading leisure opera- We can't get away from tors such as Haven, Park the fact that the industry Resorts and Parkdean. has changed significantly, “We’re really pleased as has the consumer with Bunn Leisure’s suc- market, and the need to cess so far, and the deal ties provide operators with a in well with our key focus cost-effective way of in the family entertainment refreshing their gaming sector,” said Collinge. floors has never been more pressing.

"Operators taking advantage of a two year Mi Games live contract are able to download six new games per year on to their Fortune Hunter 500 B3 compendium for an annual fee of less than the cost of 2 new games. Those with an existing Casino King receive a free upgrade to Fortune Hunter 500 when they take out the Mi Games contract. Our R&D team has worked extremely hard to develop gaming solutions for current market dynamics and area of continued invest- Mi Games online is certainly gaining some tracment.

“Our grandfather Joe Hill tion with operators.” spent time in Morecambe, and used to run a scrap business here,”Richard went on.

“We’re hoping to make further investments in the area and are looking for hotels, holiday parks and other businesses to invest in.”

Hill brothers acquire Morecambe holiday park HOLIDAY PARKS

hey’re a triumvirate of brothers with a family Tlegacy within UK holiday parks going back more than fifty-years.

And January saw Tom, William and Richard Hill add one more property to their growing portfolio the Riverside Caravan Park at Snatchems near Morecambe - for the princely sum of £1.75m.

“It’s business as usual there,” Richard told local rage the Lancaster Guardian.“It’s a mixture of static and touring pitches, with amazing views of Lancaster and the river Lune:

we’ll be renovating it, replacing pitches, updating the on-site facilities and repositioning the pitches to make the best of the views.”

The brothers now own over 20 similar properties throughout the UK and even as far as Canada - but for now, the north-west of England will be the focus

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Video arcades - the once and future king?

VIDEO

Whilst the arcade grapples with tough competition as the site of the must-have innovation, leading game designer (and arcade enthusiast) Alex Fleetwood foresees a market opening for those willing to re-think video novelty within the public sphere.

ounder of New York and London-based game studio Hide & Seek, independent games consultant and project manager Alex Fleetwood spent much of his childhood in his local arcades.

“I grew up in Suffolk by the coast, so we’d go to the arcade in Great Yarmouth quite a lot,” he says.“Those experiences are very dear to my heart: novelty, surprise and delight used to be the kind of currency of those kinds of spaces you’d go in there going to see something you hadn’t seen before.”

We all know what hap-

F

pened next. “Suddenly, hardware was small enough to have it at home and it became a more personal experience,” he continues. “There was much more commercial potential in that and so the bulk of game company investment and development went into those platforms.”

But this hasn’t stopped Fleetwood from dedicating the bulk of his career to interfacing the increasingly private video-gaming experience within the public setting.

“Hide and Seek made games which explored where virtual gaming meets

physical, real world gaming,” he explains. One particular example underlines the novelty of the company’s offering: “We did a show in Paris where a series of installation-games gave players the impression that the building housing a series of our installation games was sentient and had moods, which could be altered dependent on the games users chose to interface with.”

Fleetwood’s work seems to perfectly embody that elusive ‘something different’ factor arcade operators so often seem to yearn for in their venues.But iron-

Toe to TITO COMPONENTS

The merger of JCM Global and FutureLogic creates a team wellplaced for future expansion. It’s newest target? Step up, UK coin-op.

ically, it was in arcades that he originally looked for childhood inspiration.

“In my childhood, the arcade was the place you went to go and play the latest thing - it was the only place you could get it,” he recalls. “There was this incredibly exciting innovation that people went to go and partake in in public: there’s something great about that - but it’s something that we’ve lost, and I think it would be exciting to rediscover somehow.”

Don’t be fooled - Fleetwood isn’t of the opinion that the arcade is a lost cause. On the contrary nothing could be further from the truth.

“I think if you were looking at the industry from a business perspective,you’d think that it’s a market ripe for disruption,” he tells us.

“To my mind, there’s some kind of an opportunity for a new company to come along and try and reclaim some of the things the arcade used to stand for.”

n the world of casino big business, the last few Iyears have featured wide-

Indeed, whilst the alliance between both companies remains relatively recent, FutureLogic’s new parent has wasted no time in maximising the utility of its new partner’s printing clout.

“JCM through FutureLogic has been a key participant on the Gambling Business Group’s Machines Sub Group Technical Standards committee,” says Zadeh.

“Over the past 12 months, we have worked with the principle game manufacturers to define a set of new open TITO standards that have recently been rolled out to several AGC Operators.”

And make no mistake this expansion of the JCM/FutureLogic printing foothold within the UK coin-op sector is set to continue.

“We’ve been having incredible success in the UK with our TITO Ticket2Go product, specifically in the low payout market,” declares Payam Zadeh, general manager EMEA for JCM Global. “In the coming year, we anticipate an accelerated rollout of Ticket2Go across AGC and bingo operations in the UK.”

spread consolidation. MEI and Crane. IGT and GTech.

WMS, Bally Technologies and Scientific Games. All of them recognised brands in their own right, now merged with former competitors by process of acquisition.

But in terms of application to the coin-op sector, perhaps the most significant of these recent developments has been the purchase of printing component specialist FutureLogic by cash-handling behemoth JCM Global.

“Future Logic is the de facto leader in the thermal printing business which drives TITO products, whilst JCM are the market leaders in bill and ticket validators,” surmised FutureLogic’s director of project management Rob Wheeler at this year’s EAG. “Bringing the two together creates a natural synergy and allows both to be better fit for business going forwards.”

And TITO is the key term here: with the financial clout of JCM behind it, FutureLogic has been able to step up its hold on the UK TITO market.

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Blueprint aims to drive forward digital in the UK DIGITAL

Not surprisingly, when it comes to driving innovation in gaming, you’ll need a blueprint. Step forward Blueprint Gaming who have a clear view on the way forward.

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aming machine and digital content developer Blueprint is aiming to aid the transition from reel-based to digital gaming across Britain.

The company’s entire range of gaming solutions was showcased at EAG in January, with transformations of reel-based games into digital formats at the heart of its display.

“We are constantly looking how we can bring added value and more entertainment fun to players and operators alike,” commented operations director Andy Hall.

The move to digital from its traditional reel-based pub and arcade offerings has been at a steady pace in Britain, matching similar developments across Europe.

As a subsidiary of Germany-based Gauselmann, the company is hoping that

it will have the momentum to bring international ideas to a local market.

“We are proud to be at the forefront of the move to digital content in the UK,” said Hall.“Naturally having complete solutions with the cabinets from the Gauselmann Group ideally positions us for further growth in the UK.” Each of the products across Blueprint’s range of digital gaming machines including the Genie for the Cat C sector and Vision Slant Top for the Cat B3 sector - has been designed to compliment the gaming range and smooth the transition to digital.

The company has already reported good sales on several of its digital products, such as Luck O’ the Irish which spans across online, AGC and pub sectors and Genie Jackpots. It is also hoping to make fur-

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CHARITY BINGO HALL BOOSTS MORALE FOR DISADVANTAGED KIDS Disabled children have been treated to a set of brand new toys and clothes by staff at a South Yorkshire bingo hall.

The haul of gifts from Mecca Doncaster, including cuddly toys, backpacks, lunch boxes and toiletries, was presented to a local charity over the festive period along with a donation of £800. Staff and customers at the East Laith Gate bingo venue donated the children’s presents to HCPT Group 101 as part of its festive toy appeal. The charity raises funds each year to take children with special needs on holiday to Lourdes in France. Margaret Hall, from HCPT Group 101, told The Star: “We are incredibly grateful to Mecca Doncaster’s members and employees for the generous donation – it’s certainly put a smile on everyone’s face.

We’re looking forward to surprising the children with the goodies.”

ther progress with its community gaming innovations on products such as Golden Goose and Wish Upon a Bonus, where all active players can cash in on the success of winners.

Taekwondo champion gives personal thanks to AGC sponsors SPONSORSHIP

n Olympic gold medallist took time out from A training to meet staff and customers at Cashino, the AGC that is sponsoring her in the run-up to Rio. Jade Jones, 21, was met with crowds of locals on her visit to the Chester branch of the AGC chain.

After thanking the team at Cashino, she signed autographs and took pictures with young fans and visitors outside the centre.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cashino Chester and I feel so humbled that so many people have turned up to show their support,” the martial

back another gold medal for everyone who has supported me, especially Cashino and all its venues.”

Cashino, a Praesepe chain with 155 centres across the UK, continues to support Jones in her quest for another gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

“Jade is a tremendous talent and a pleasure to meet, everyone at Cashino is delighted to be sponsoring her,” Cashino area manager Gill Clulow told the Chester Chronical. “We arts champion com- and it is this support that will be cheering her on at mented. “The fans have makes these visits an the next Olympics and we given me some amazing absolute pleasure. I’ll cer- are confident she will do words of encouragement tainly try my best to bring us all proud once again.”

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Amusements Ringing endorsement

Last-chance saloon

Rumour-mill awhirl

Shares in Merlin Entertainments have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the thirteen ratings firms that currently cover the stock, Stock Ratings News reports. Whilst four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating to the company.

Campaigners hoping to prevent Colwyn Bay’s pier from demolition have been granted one last chance to save it by the local council. The bulldozers will wait until the result of a £9.6m Heritage Lottery Fund redevelopment bid is decided.

Councillors claim the dilapidated pier is an eye-sore for the local seafront.

Unconfirmed reports suggest plans may be underway to construct the world’s largest ever amusement park in Alabama. A press release claiming to be affiliated with DreamVision entertainment corporation quoted an investment tag of $3.5bn, a floorspace of 1,400 acres and an employee base of 20,000.

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Whitehouse exhibit at Spring Fair Whitehouse Leisure has brought its full range of plush and redemption products to Birmingham for the annual Spring Fair. In addition to plush, the company will showcase the gift products in its range, such as jewellery and accessories, to fit in with the gift and home focus of the show.

Government releases £36m to set coastal resorts on road to revival INVESTMENT

With less than 100 days until what is likely to be a closely run general election, the government has announced its highest injection of cash into coastal resorts yet.

lackpool’s iconic illuminations are one of many seaside attractions across England set to benefit from a record £36m government investment designed to boost growth in coastal areas.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said the money - from the Coastal Communities Fund - will support projects that create nearly 3,000 jobs and almost 1,500 apprenticeships and training places.

With the general election looming, it is the biggest round of cash provided by the fund for schemes that are also attracting £36m in addi-

B

tional financing.

Coastal communities minister Penny Mordaunt said: “Backing our coastal towns so they can rise up and drive forward their local economies is a key part of our long-term economic plan to secure a brighter future for Britain.

“This money will help create jobs, boost skills and open up new business opportunities, benefiting hardworking people in coastal communities across the country.

“These fantastic projects demonstrate the creativity, enterprise and passion needed to help seaside towns become year round destinations that people are

proud to live and work in.

Blackpool’s world famous illuminations are to receive nearly £2m to help create new light shows that will become a major tourist attraction and create and support nearly 550 new jobs.

Other projects benefiting include £500,000 for Hastings Borough Council to improve the seafront and visitor attractions and amenities in Hastings, including bikes to hire, improved signage, information walks and trails and landscaping.

North Tyneside Council will receive £2m to help with the regeneration of Whitley Bay, including the

final restoration of the Grade II-listed Spanish City Dome, bringing the building into use for commercial and leisure based businesses.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council receives £650,000 to provide business advice, training and job networking opportunities and support jobs.

Scarborough’s historic market will get £2.7m to refurbish the market and create space for 30 new businesses creating more than 80 jobs and apprenticeships Thanet District Council is to get £247,000 to develop tourism along Thanet’s coast in Margate

by supporting events and promoting heritage.

Eastbourne Borough Council receives £1.8m to regenerate the Devonshire Ward in Eastbourne by developing new leisure and business facilities, improving the public realm and promoting local artists and providing training.

DCLG said the announcement brings the total of the Coastal Communities Fund spending to £116m.

The money is funding 211 projects across the UK, which the department said would create almost 12,400 jobs and provide over 6,000 training places and apprenticeships.

2406-p08-Amusements_Coinslot NEW 03/02/2015 11:12 Page 2

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Ramsgate amusement arcade plans approved FEC

hanet District Council has approved plans to convert Ta seafront family entertainment centre into an amusement arcade,laser quest centre and tapas bar.

The revamped Ramsgate Boulevard Family Amusements, owned by Jimmy G’s Amusements, will also retain the single use retail unit at its northern end.

In a design and access statement prepared on Jimmy G’s Amusements’ behalf, the firm said the repurposing of the

building, which only requires minimal structural changes, would help stimulate activity along the seafront throughout the day and into the evening.

It said:“Due to ongoing redevelopment works at this end of the seafront, the current amusement centre has lacked trade and therefore the business has in the main closed.

“The property has been vacant for some period of time, although it has opened on periodic occasions to allow for some trade within the summer seasons (a maximum of six weeks in 2013 and 2014).

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Dreamland to lose manager ahead of summer opening AMUSEMENT PARKS

team behind Margate’s Dreamland amusement park is to lose TJanheheritage Leandro, its “The lack of progress on the neighbouring development site and also the vacant casino opposite has had serious detrimental effects on this property, and it is therefore in need of much-needed updating.”

With the addition of the tapas and wine bar, the amusement arcade is set to be reduced in size, from 600 to 347 square metres.

When it is reopened it thought it would likely create at least three full-time jobs.

The basement, currently a children’s play area, would be converted into the laser quest

centre and operated by Jimmy G’s Amusements.

Creating up to four full-time jobs, planning officers for the council indicated it would be allowed to open until 8pm every day.

The tapas and wine bar will open until midnight Sunday to Thursday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.

It is anticipated that the new development will create 10 new jobs, with at least eight of these being full-time positions – much needed employment opportunities in this area of Ramsgate.

audience development manager, ahead of its proposed opening in the summer Leandro will leave the Dreamland Trust in March, bringing to an end a five year stint in which she was part of a team that helped turn the park’s fortunes from perilous to prosperous.

In a letter to colleagues, the creative consultant, who has worked for Butlins and the BBC, said: “My time working on the Dreamland Margate restoration project concludes end of March 2015. This coincides with the final delivery of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s pre-opening learning and engagement programme.”

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Members save Blackpool WMC

Video game deals hit record high

Spaced-out couple break into theme park

Foreign tourism due to rise in 2015

A working men’s club has been rescued by members after closing due to financial troubles last year.

Blackpool’s Brunswick Club was bought by a team of regulars and has now reopened its doors as a social club and entertainment venue.

Acquisitions and initial public offerings in the global video game industry soared to a record-breaking $24bn last year, according to a recent survey by Digi-Capital. Tim Merel, founder of the advisory firm, suggested that deal making could have surged as companies hunt for new bestsellers to combat slower growth.

South Carolina police heard how extra-terrestrial influences were at play after arresting a couple that broke into a closed theme park near the SC border. The woman, who had left an eight-month-old baby in her truck during the incident, said that aliens and God had led her to site.

Leisure visits to Britain from abroad will rise by 2.5% in 2015, according to a trends forecast by national tourism agency VisitBritain. The figures suggest that the rise in visitor numbers will lead to 4.5% increase in value, with an estimated 35.1m visits generating visitor spending of £22.2bn.

Wetherspoon to the rescue? t was once a proud testament to the bustling goldenage of the British seaside holiday.

But for seven years, the Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate has stood unloved and unoccupied, emblematic of a wider decline in Britain’s coastal resorts.

But salvation may well be close at hand - as pub chain JD Wetherspoon has submitted a planning application to the local council which would see it turn the heritage property into one of the largest premises in its estate.

“The company still requires planning and licensing permission,” explained Wetherspoon spokesperson Eddie Ger-

I

PUBS

Fire and dereliction have left what was once one of south-east England’s most iconic seaside attractions in a pitiful state. But a planning application submitted by JD Wetherspoon might see the Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate restored to its former glory.

shon,“but it’s a superb site, and the intention would be to dedicate £2.8m in a restoration effort.”

Originally opened in 1903, the 20,000 squarefoot pavilion once boasted a concert hall, assembly rooms and sun deck, and thrived during the first half of the last century. In 1969 the property became a beach-side casino, and later, a night-club. Declining fortunes led to the venue’s permanent closure in 2008,and insult was added to injury three years later when the building was gutted by fire: leading the Victorian Society to add it to its top ten endangered list of Victorian and Edwardian buildings.

“It has its own unique design - there’s nothing

quite like it,” the society’s director Chris Costelloe told the Guardian. “It is integral to Ramsgate and the life of the town - it ought to be the centre of activity.”

The Wetherspoon application details a 7,000 square foot floor-plan, leaving the remainder of the site open to other potential tenants.The pub itself would be set over two floors, with a large outdoor seating area providing sea views on the first floor.

For Gershon, the application represents both a sign of Wetherspoon’s continued commitment to Britain’s coastal towns, as well as a potential boon to local amusement providers.

“Wetherspoon has a

number of pubs in seaside towns, as they always provide a good mix of locals, day-trippers and holidaymakers,” he commented.

“These seaside pubs are busy throughout the year not just in the high season and that’s good news for the coastal amusement sector too: because it means that Wetherspoon brings people into town even during quieter tourism periods.”

Whilst the extent of structural repair will be costly, Gershon insists that the appeal of old pavilion would be worth the investment.

“The Victoria Pavilion is a unique site in Ramsgate and Wetherspoon is always keen to have the best sites in each respective town.”

Going hand-in-hand: the online/offline conundrum BUSINESS

s a multi-billion dollar business, it’s fair to say A that product development and market trends within the casino industry can often serve as a precursor to follow-on patterns within the coin-op sector.

And in this regard, according to one of the UK casino - and coin-op industry’s most prominent operators, it’s been expansion into the remote and online sectors which has been the marked

development of recent years.

“When we opened online two years ago, we were toying with a mobileenabled website,” Simon Thomas, chief executive of London’s Hippodrome, told the European Casino Association. “Now it’s all mobile: people consume on tablets and phones, the impact that has had in just a few years has been breathtaking.”

That’s not to say that

coin-op stakeholders haven’t dipped their own toes in the water with remote provision: the launch of a multitude of online content from Reflex Gaming characterised the greater part of 2014, whilst ACOS saw the debut of Electrocoin’s Bar X Tablet solution. Meanwhile, last year also saw Mecca Bingo invest in a new iPad application of its own, as well as direct £600,000 towards the acquisition of

over a thousand new handheld gaming units for distribution across its estate.

Whilst skeptics might view the platform through the prism of competitiveness - in Thomas’ experience, it has merely directed an increasing number of customers through his doors.

“People still want the glitz, the glamour and spectacle of an offline final, and that real world

experience,” he remarked.

“Online is training people: [they’re] learning how to

play in their home environment, and then they want to try the real thing.”

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Coinslot February 6 - February 12, 2015

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UK manufacturing on the up

Cleethorpes Pier reopens as conference venue

Teens rob arcade at knifepoint

Heavyweights confirmed for ICE

British manufacturing is exhibiting steady growth, partly due to lower oil prices and cheaper exports, a study has found.

The figures from Markit and CIPS suggest that manufacturing output is rising by about 0.2% a quarter, providing a boost to the UK economy in the first three months of 2015.

Cleethorpes Pier has been rebranded as a high-end conference location and wedding venue after an extensive restoration project. The pier will be reopened in Spring 2015 after several months of refurbishment, with a large 500-capacity events hall forming the centre of the new site.

Three teenage robbers carried out a series of knifepoint raids on amusement arcades. A video released on Court News UK showed Ashley Samuel, 18, Yahya Ahmed, 19, and Mohamed Sayid, 19, raiding arcades in Bethnal Green and Ilford. The men were sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison.

ICE organisers have revealed that 1,582 exhibitor vehicles have been processed for the show, with the unloading procedure involving 6,000 individual lifts capable of holding around 4,500 tons of goods. This is equivalent to a Type 23 Royal Navy Frigate or 360 London Double Decker 'Routemaster' buses.

Battle of the Working Men’s Clubs is a ‘survival of the fittest’ WORKING MEN’S CLUBS

Amid headlines of doom and gloom for working men’s clubs, Chris Haley, BACTA division two chairman and Dransfields managing director, explains how WMCs can weather the storms with their memberships in tact.

he announcement that Wolstanton Working Men’s Club was planning to drop the ‘men’s’ from its name did not come entirely out of the blue. For those involved in this sector, the name change was part of a countrywide push to re-brand this important - but ailing - part of the industry.

For Chris Haley, chairman of BACTA’s division two and head of machine suppliers Dransfields, the problem is two-fold. On the one hand, tradition is at the heart of what makes WMCs special. On the other, there’s a need to make clubs more welcoming to a modern demographic.

“It’s hard,” says Haley. “These clubs have got to have new blood and fresh faces on the committee so they’re getting new ideas coming in - but obviously they’ve got to take account of the people with years of experience, too.”

For clubs who may be struggling to pull in this ‘new blood’, Haley recommends a similar rebranding tactic to Wolstanton.

“They did use to be ‘working men’s clubs’ through and through, but they absolutely welcome women now and it’s not like it used to be,” he explains.“I think many clubs may be better changing their

T

Ticking all the boxes JUKEBOXES

Sound Leisure, EAG reprean opportunity to Fbreakorsented new ground.

names to social club or recreational club in order to be more welcoming.”

Shaking off a bygone veneer and extending the olive branch to anyone excluded fromWMCs in the past could be the best way to pull in a fresh set of members.

Haley commented:“It’s an interesting one with these clubs, because it’s almost like survival of the fittest. The ones that are invested in the fabric of the club and make it feel welcoming are still thriving and they’re doing okay.For the ones that have got an ageing membership,it’s a slow decline and death by a thousand cuts.”

Of course, the issues are also financial ones; if clubs don’t have the money to invest in modernising their décor and atmosphere, it’s much more difficult to remain appealing. For club owners tackling this kind of catch-22, there could be safety in numbers.

“I wholeheartedly recommend that they join one of the club organisations such as Working Men’s Club & Institute Union (CIU), because they can get good advice from the branch sectors and the network,” says Haley.“It gives them a voice in parliament, a voice that they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Other institutions, such as the

Association of Conservative Clubs, offer a more specific service, but the CIU acts as a generic organisation, welcoming all. Branches of the CIU will even come out to a club to offer advice, Haley adds.

Haley is fast approaching the end of his two-year term as chairman of BACTA’s second division, but he plans to remain active in in the association, continuing his role as treasurer and helping lobby the government for the MGD campaign.

He acknowledges that BACTA also has a role to play in helping clubs weather the changes in taxation and other legislation.

“Over the years in my division, we’ve always tried to provide assistance to clubs on taxation matters,” he said.“And we ensure that with anything affecting clubs such as stakes and prizes legislation or the introduction of MGD, we insist that they have a voice.”

This sort of assistance is essential to ensure that WMCs can adapt to new challenges and continue to offer the same close-knit communal centre within a neighbourhood.

“They do sterling work, the amount they raise for charity is excellent,” says Haley.“And that’s what WMCs should be: a convivial space, run by volunteers, existing at the heart of the community.”

“The VHub range continues to be our best-selling digital jukebox product,” remarked managing director Chris Black. “But we pushed the envelope still further at EAG with the latest HD model, which received a great deal of interest and good feedback at the show.”

Stand visitors were also treated to Sound Leisure’s range of classic jukeboxes, which had also taken pride of place at the Classic Car Show held at ExCeL the previous week.

“We’ve taken some good orders over the two shows for the Classic range, so we are very pleased,” said Black.

Sound Leisure also drew attention with Happy Little Ted a prize vending machine featuring a toy on a swing playing a catchy tune.

“We had a lot of interest in Happy Little Ted from European operators,” Black commented.

“From the UK we had companies who operate in pubs, FECs and shopping centres along with a confirmed rollout to one of the leading brewers.”

Politics ICE confirms list of policy makers

Pubs closing at a rate of 29 per week

Twenty seven key industry representatives and influencers will be in attendance at ICE this year, consolidating the event’s reputation as a hub of debate and policy making. National and international bodies include the American Gaming Association, Bingo Association, Gambling Business Group and the World Lottery Association.

CAMRA’s Pub Tracker revealed pub closures still running high at 29 per week, with two per week being transformed into supermarkets. However, the group hopes that a new clause to the Infrastructure Bill - introducing a planning permission requirement to demolish or convert a pub will help arrest the current trend.

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Bingo Association set out new code of conduct BINGO

he BingoAssociation (BA),the trade body representing 98 per cent of UK licensed retail bingo clubs, has launched its new Bingo Industry Code of Conduct for Responsible Gambling.

The new standards,outlined in a document entitled Getting it Right, includes commitment to a national self-exclusion scheme, participation in annual age verification tests, adherence to anti-money laundering measures, and additional staff training on their responsibility towards problem gamblers.The BA also stipulates a cash donation to a gambling harm prevention charity.

“Bingo holds a unique position in Great Britain’s gambling sector as a highly sociable leisure activity at the heart of many communities across the country,”explained the BA’s chief executive Miles Baron.“The new code provides operators with very clear guidance, with access to additional support through the Association.”

T

In a nod to increasing media and legislative focus on social responsibility on the part of gambling and gaming providers, the twelve point code is now mandatory for all of the organisation’s members.

“Whilst the club-based bingo industry has a very low occurrence of problem gambling and operators take their responsibilities very seriously,“ continued Baron,“we wish to ensure that we are doing all that we can to help those that may be vulnerable.”

Bookmaker’s host responsible gambling initiative even days of activism surrounding problem Sgambling have taken place as part of GambleAware Week, a project organised by the UK’s major bookmaking chains.

Pop up drop-in centres and a leafletting campaign were among the initiatives initiated during the week, just days after the official launch of a pioneering advertising campaign by the Senet Group - an inde-

pendent body composed of William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Paddy Power

which aims to promote responsible gambling standards.

“GambleAware Week marks the latest step in the industry’s approach to responsible gambling,” said Paul Darling QC, the chairman of the Association of British Bookmakers.

“We are absolutely committed to addressing public concern and doing everything we can to better protect our customers.”

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15 B2B Listings and Marketplace

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Essential Guide to...

The First Day at ICE 2015 EVENT ORGANISER

This week’s machines charts

19 Classified sales, business opps and jobs

24 Diary highlights and industry calendar

CROWDS GATHER AT THE OPENING OF ICE'S 21ST EDITION

FEBRUARY 6 - FEBRUARY 12, 2015

ICE is still cool ICE Totally Gaming 2015 has roared into life, as visitors thread their way through sprawling hallways packed with slick iGaming suits and glitzy casino lights. Yet from hall to hall, the latest coin-op products are mixing with everything from Brazilian playing card manufactures to Austrian online moguls.

Both sides of the expansive ExCeL Centre have been packed to the gills with stands, while charity cheerleaders and live racing camels thread their way through the crowds to liven up the pro-

I

Coinslot Report Redemption Two Weeks Time Coinslot FEBRUARY 6 - FEBRUARY 12, 2015

ceedings. It’s a show that in many ways apes appearance of the casino industry it showcases. Glitzy to a fault and attracting visitors from all walks of life.

ICE is ultimately a show of substance and the volume of products on show can be a little dizzying. The Novomatic stand, which bears more resemblance to a small village that a trade show booth, plays host to the latest from Gamestec, Astra and Bell-Fruit, while the likes of Electrocoin and Sound Leisure are also to be found on the floor.

Parts purveyors Suzo-Happ are big

players in many gaming and amusements markets, so it’s no surprise to see them setting up a bumper display. As have cash handlers JCM, GeWeTe and CPI, whose product offering has a similar crosssector appeal. ICE has grown into a truly global show and representatives from China to Las Vegas are here in force.

And not just from the casino industry.

The equivalents of UK’s coin-op luminaries from around the world are present, providing those coin-op exports in attendance with a unique chance to share ideas and establish international connections.

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Listings

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Toy Family

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Leeds Leisure gets Reflexive

Aquatic arcade machine Harpoon Lagoon tops Crown’s list of star buys this week. The four-player centrepiece sees players use buttons and joysticks to skewer the predatory sharks as they invade the brightly lit on-screen fish tank, complete with fun explosion sound effects.

Two recently launched Reflex Cat Cs have joined the current roster of gaming machines on offer from supplier Leeds Leisure.

Showtime and Treble Top, two multi-stake £100 jackpot AWPs, were launched in January 2015 and December 2014 respectively featuring a host of special features.

RECRUITMENT

REDEMPTION

Lucky Ladders is just the ticket It was a big EAG for RLMS Sales, with the company’s bolstered redemption offering attracting plenty of attention. Including Empire’s latest, Lucky Ladders.

LMS Sales used last month’s EAG International Expo as a high-profile launch pad for a number of nongaming products, including an exciting new brace from Empire Games. Leading the charge was the Bridgend-based manufacturer’s Lucky Ladders, a three-player offering with ticket redemption payout that drew admiring comments and steady orders throughout the three-day show.

Lucky Ladders is presented on 10p play with the facility for 500/800 ticket payout. As its title suggests, the game is based on the hugely successful Adders & Ladders concept. It is housed in the aptly named WOW cabinet complete with infill panels and top box.

RLMS Sales managing director Phil Boulton commented: “Ticket redemption has and continues to command a very strong presence in UK amusement centres, which is why we chose to dedicate a whole section of our stand at EAG to the genre. In Lucky Ladders, Empire has built on an instantly recognisable theme with a redemption style

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The business is currently expanding its operations from small beginnings and is encouraging interested applicants to follow the instructions in this week’s Coinslot classifieds section.

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Boulton also confirmed that the first wave of Lucky Ladders ordered at EAG will be ready for delivery to customers in March.

lished AGC in the Southampton area.

The ACG and bingo venue is in Havant town centre and comes with a full repertoire of machines marked for sale as part of the business venture.

GAMING SERVICE STAFF SOUGHT IN DEVON amar Industries, a Tleading supplier of gaming and amusements machines in South Devon and Cornwall, is currently seeking two new team members at its Ivybridge depot. The vacancies are for a Service Team Leader and a Service Engineer. Both roles require technical knowledge.

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The message from Soundnet and Sound Leisure’s shared stand at this year’s EAG was all about getting their customers online.

L

customers can use soundjack.”

There are more Milestones in Music digital jukeboxes in the UK market than any other brand - currently over 5,000 on site.

While many do have an online connection, others still rely on updates via disk.

“We want to encourage operators to move their jukeboxes online, not only to access soundjack, but also to benefit from automatic music updates, OpWeb – the remote management system and Quick Support, which allows Sound Leisure engineers to run diagnostics and repairs where possible, remotely,” said Soundnet’s Toby Hoyte.

“Another advantage of soundjack on the Milestones in Music jukebox is that it allows those using the app to choose from the full library of five million tracks rather than the 30,000 that are held locally on the hard drive,” he added.

The soundjack enabled background music system was also shown for the first time at EAG this year. Operators simply purchase a tablet from Soundnet at a cost of £200 and then sign up to a music contract starting from £35 a month in order to receive updates of fully profiled music tracks. The soundjack app allows customers within the venue to choose the background music from their phone or even - on certain contracts - to pay for them as well.

“We received a lot of interest from operators in this system during the show. They liked the tablet interface, which is convenient and space efficient. They also appreciated that it had soundjack, which makes it unique in the market. We envisage this product will take operators into new sectors, such as retail, gyms and hairdressing salons,” said James Luck.

CABINETS

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

85m euros-equivalent of existing debt held between both companies. A bank meeting with Barclays, who is leading the deal, and investors is due to take place on the 4 February.

ast year Soundnet unveiled its innovative soundjack app, which allows users to choose and pay for music using their smart phone. At this year’s EAG, Soundnet announced that it will now be available on the Milestones in Music jukebox platform, as well as unveiling a new background music tablet system which is also soundjack enabled.

“It will take a couple of years before soundjack is fully embedded to the extent that we see in the US with our parent company TouchTunes’ app,” said Soundnet’s James Luck. “Over Christmas, figures from the US showed that nearly 20 percent of all jukebox revenue was generated through the app. If it works over there, it will work over here and one of the most important challenges to overcome will be ensuring that jukeboxes are connected online, so that

QUEEN’S THE BELL OF THE BALL ell Fruit will be reawakening rock legends of the past at ICE with two B of its Queen-themed Cat C cabinets: We are the Champions and Queen Rhapsody. The two machines came after the company reached an agreement with the iconic rock band, allowing theme to develop the initial ‘We are the Champions’ game and subsequently the Queen Rhapsody product.

Bell Fruit has now announced that it will be launching a new Queen-themed game in 2015, which again incorporates some of the band’s greatest hits into the gaming experience.

SUZO-HAPP MOVES ON SCAN COIN TAKEOVER

REFURBISHMENT

has strengthened its Sbiduzo-Happ to acquire

PUSHING FOR A SALE

Swedish cash handling equipment supplier Scan Coin after drumming up 185m euros of leveraged loans and refinancing its existing debt. It is hoped that the acquisition of Scan Coin will allow US-headquartered Suzo-Happ to cement its presence in Europe with an additional change machine and cash handling facility. The full financing will consist of a 165 million euro loan and a 20m euro, five-year revolving credit facility. Banking sources told Reuters that the loans would be used to support the acquisition of Scan Coin and refinance

Made Fun, the owner of five arcades in the Lincolnshire area, is sellTingaylor a selection of second-hand pushers and cranes. The range of pushers includes Harry Levy classics such as Route 66 and the 12-player Super Sonic, in addition to Crompton hexagonal pushers Love Machine and Disco Fever. The arcade owner, who has sites in Bridlington, Cleethorpes and Withernsea, also has three cranes for sale from Showman and Instance Automatic respectively. From Instance Automatic, the single player Maxx Grab and Sweet Factory are up for grabs, whilst two-player Magnet Crane is the offering from Showman.

2406-p15-17-Listings_Coinslot NEW 03/02/2015 14:50 Page 3

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Transact’s Epic 880 ticket printer is designed to suit all needs, with adaptations for AWP and SWP machines. The compact device is currently distributed by Suzo-Happ, capturing attention with 8MB of onboard RAM and a variable-length ticket presenter.

Crane Payments Interactive and subsidiary MEI have produced the SC Advance, a note acceptor that adapts the latest technology and customer feedback to build on the groups existing expertise. It features enhanced recognition technology and faster note-to-note speed.

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additions to the server-based gaming sectors. Some the division’s latest work is currently on show at the ICE Totally Gaming Expo. Chief among these is Jackpot Bingo, a new interactive game with a unique ‘Choose Your Own Jackpot’ second-chance experience. Beach Bonus was also on show, a new SkillWith-Reveal game that is targeted at the Lottery sector. SG’s server-based portfolio has recently been bolstered by the seamless integration of games from WMS Interactive and Bally Technologies, which were acquired by parent company Scientific Games during the past 18 months.

Coinslot FEBRUARY 6 - FEBRUARY 12, 2015

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20

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TELEPHONE - 01132 040885

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We are currently recruiting for the above positions that will be based at our Ivybridge depot.

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SALES MANAGER Sales Manager required to co-ordinate the Sales Team of JNC Sales based in Avonmouth, Bristol. Following several years of continued growth in New and Used products, both in the UK and export markets, the successful applicant will be required to continue this expansion and organise the team to maximise the sales levels. Sales experience in the amusement machine industry essential. Very competitive remuneration package available with bonus, which will depend upon experience.

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Coinslot FEBRUARY 6 - FEBRUARY 12, 2015

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2406-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 03/02/2015 15:42 Page 1

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Coinslot February 6 - February 12, 2015

Comment Email: je@gbmedia.eu

Steady as she goes EAG was in robust mood as it unveiled its initial figures last week. And why not the show has held its own on the stats front, and more importantly has captured the heart and minds of the exhibitors. he landscape of British gaming and gambling exhibitions is pretty buoyant at the moment. ICE this week had its usual gravitational pull from all over the world, preceded a few weeks earlier by coin-op’s flag bearer EAG. Both very different shows, but each delivering exactly what they say on the tin, as evidenced particularly by the post show statement from EAG. We’ve already said it, but there was a sense of confidence in the EAG despatch this week. First, they confronted the negatives head on: attendance figures very marginally down, a few complaints about the new timing, and little progress on the international visitation front. Each of

T

which will undoubtedly be resolved next year when VAE gets fully up and running, and BACTA’s new management add their sense of direction to the marketing drive.

And let’s be honest, 150 or so people down is barely a blip on the radar. So, it’s pretty easy to see where the confidence comes from.

More importantly, though is the sense of respect for the show amongst the exhbitors. It’s what they need, what they want and an almost must-have according to the comments from the show floor.

And that’s worth its weight in gold.

Next step, maximising this goodwill and moving the show on to the next level.

The industry that keeps on giving There’s an easy way to combat negative press: keep doing what you’re doing. ell… it looks like us coinoppers are a generous bunch. In the past few weeks alone, we’ve heard about Cashino supporting a young Olympian in the run-up to Rio; a bingo hall donating almost £1,000 to a children’s charity, and we’ve also been told about the stellar fundraising done

by WMCs for their members across the board.And we haven’t even touched on BACTA’s major charity work up and down the country.

January tends to be a frugal month,

W

which made it even more exciting to see so much giving in the community.

It’s good to see businesses bringing people together, and shouting about these events is a great way to distinguish the amusements focus of FECs and AGCs from the FOBTs that have attracted such negative press recently.

The irony is, this is an industry built on charitable work - and as such a major contributor to the local community.

Is any politician listening out there?

A taxing comparison Bingo calls a fuller house thanks to new tax laws. t seems that the reduction in bingo duty is finally starting to hit home, with the news that the Rank Group’s Mecca Bingo subsidiary has been raising the profits over the past six months.It’s been close to a year since duty was cut from 20 to 10 percent in the last budget and has proved a perfect example of how tax cuts can foster UK gaming.

These surging bingo performances may give hope to manufacturers of Cat C Lite games, which also benefit from a lower tax bracket, but have so far failed

I

to truly take flight. Speaking to manufacturers at EAG, new machines are still being produced and there is quiet confidence that its modest 5 percent MGD may yet foster the kind of positive growth bingo operators have laid claim to in recent months.

All of which should kick start the industry’s dialogue with prospective parliamentary candidates: back the coinop business with friendlier legislation and boost business, employment and investment.

Ice celebrates

21st anniversary

“ ”

Leaks, blocks, and jackpots

Online g week, as t pond, a p

joseph ewens media watch nline gambling continues to present an alterO native to land-based

under so-called adult content and listed alongside violent content, racially charged content and gaming, but access to pornography. these sites from UK is TalkTalk and Sky are likely to become more rolling out Internet filters, complex as internet service providers (ISPs) roll out which once in place will required Sky customers to plans proposed by the contact the customer supPrime Minister in 2013.

PokerNews reports that port team and ask for adult content to be allowed the changes are thanks to through the company’s upcoming Internet filters Broadband Shield, while designed to protect users from adult material. In July TalkTalk customers will need to do the same thing 2013, David Cameron to bypass the HomeSafe revealed plans to force filter. new Internet connections Neither British Telecom to actively choose to view (BT) or Virgin Media plan to adult-themed content. introduce mandatory filInternet users wanting ters, instead opting to access to such material would have to contact their allow customers to switch ISP directly and ask for the on filters if they so wish.

While protecting children content block to be from some of the lesser removed.

So what do pornography savoury sites on the Internet, there are legitimate and poker have in common? Not very much in non-threatening sites that are being blocked by the reality, but these 'porn filnew filters. ters' will see online gamPam Cowburn of the bling sites blocked by ISPs in the UK because they fall Open Rights Group, claims

that research in 2013 found that fifty-four registered charities had been blocked by one or more filters, while many websites that have Sussex or Essex in them were being blocked due to the word “sex”.

Although Sky and Virgin's filters do not block gambling, both TalkTalk and BT's do. It is a complete U-turn from January 2014 when ISPs rejected proposals from the UK Gambling Commission to insert warning pages on unlicensed gambling websites.

Elsewhere, iGamingBusiness reports that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the UK Parliament, has expressed his concerns over the levels of gambling advertising in the country in a leaked letter to Culture Secretary Sajid Javid.

Alexander used the letter to highlight the impact such material could have on children and

2406-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 03/02/2015 15:42 Page 2

Coinslot February 6 - February 12, 2015 23

8 Email: je@gbmedia.eu

TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

“ ”

quote unquote

I think the future challenge for machine manufacturers has to be to evolve machines into something that will be less intrusive in look and size that can perhaps fit in with the modern pub environment.

BILL EPSLEY, YOUNGS

“We now have much work to do, listening to industry groups, exhibitors, and visitors to gather feedback about the format and organisation of both shows.”

KAREN COOKE, EAG

“To my mind, there’s some kind of an opportunity for a new company to come along and try and reclaim some of the things the arcade used to stand for.”

ALEX FLEETWOOD, HIDE AND SEEK

Coastal communities minister Penny Mordaunt said: “Backing our coastal towns so they can rise up and drive forward their local economies is a key part of our long-term economic plan to secure a brighter future for Britain.This money will help create jobs, boost skills and open up new business opportunities.”

PENNY MORDAUNT, COASTAL COMMUNITIES MINISTER

“These seaside pubs are busy throughout the year - not just in the high season - and that’s good news for the coastal amusement sector too: because it means that Wetherspoon brings people into town even during quieter tourism periods.”

EDDIE GERSHON ON BEHALF OF JD WETHERSPOON

pots

EAG, Scotland, government departments and tourism - it’s a busy schedule for the welcomingly open and direct new look BACTA.

john white politics was my first industry Show since ATEI in 2000 so it was a Tgreathis opportunity to compare and

Online gambling and television advertising have taken a few hits this week, as the government throws its weight around. Meanwhile, across the pond, a popstar reveals that some families really do get all the luck.

called for the national Gambling Commission to undertake a review of such advertisements in the UK. “I am writing because I am growing increasingly concerned by the prevalence of betting advertising during televised sporting events that are watched by children,” Alexander said in the letter.

“It has now become almost impossible to watch any kind of sports event without being bombarded by highly solicitous advertising.”

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury also blamed the increase in gambling advertisements on the previous Labour Government, which in 2007 lifted restrictions on betting companies and allowed them to advertise on television before the watershed.

“But even then no one could have envisaged the

Conveying the message: Britain needs coin-op

explosion of aggressive advertising that has become a feature of a modern day weekend afternoon or how smartphone technology has made online betting so much more accessible,” Alexander added.

“Gambling companies should have the right to advertise their products on TV, but only after the 9pm watershed. Many parents enjoy sitting down with their children to watch a big sporting event I suspect very few now consider what is advertised during the breaks acceptable.”

Finally, global singing superstar Jennifer Lopez has revealed that her mother once won over one million dollars on coin-op machines in the United States. The celebrity is worth over $300m, reports the Daily Mail, but Jennifer Lopez isn’t the only millionaire in the family.

While appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, The Boy Next Door star revealed her mother Guadalupe Rodríguez won $2.4m while playing the slot machines at The Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “This was like 10 years ago,” the 45-year old performer said. “My mother’s a huge gambler.”

The American Idol judge was not with Guadalupe at the time, but was notified of the news by her mother “screaming” down the phone.

Jennifer said: “I just get a call and she’s like really calm, which is not my mom. She’s like, ‘Jennifer?’ I’m like, ‘Ma?’. I knew something had happened. I said, “Ma, what’s wrong?” and she said, ‘I won $2.4 million. She started screaming at the top of her lungs. Crazy.

And I was like, ‘What?’ On the slots of all things.”

contrast the EAG with my memories of what seems a lifetime ago.

Those comparisons were very favourable. I very much liked the feel of the Show. There was a good buzz and some interesting new product on display and the new Visitor Attraction show also added value.

It was also great to see a number of members I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting on my travels. I was particularly delighted to have been invited to attend the Veteran’s lunch last Thursday where we had the opportunity to remember Eddie Moss as well as chat about the old days. Plenty of the veterans there were still very much involved in the business. I hope this becomes an annual event.

We also took the opportunity of the show to host a VIP networking lunch on Wednesday for politicians, regulators, sister trade bodies, charities and other stakeholders. It was the first time this had been run at EAG as far as I am aware and it went very well.We were able to get points we wanted to get across about the Show and the industry in a comfortable and informal setting.

There was some fascinating innovation on show. This is one of the key messages we are trying to get across to stakeholders, particular our political ones. There are great British businesses in our industry innovating and creating new and exciting products that provide jobs for thousands. Their customers in

the AGC’s, FECs pubs and clubs up and down the country need support to help our manufacturing sector as well as supporting the jobs and services they provide themselves.

The big news on Thursday was the announcement of the Smith Commission proposals for further devolution to Scotland. You will recall that the Commission had agreed that Scotland should have the power to prevent the proliferation of FOBTs (as they call it). This has been translated into a policy proposal that says Scottish local authorities (should Holyrood agree that) will be able to limit the number of FOBTs on new premises applications (ie not existing ones).

I suspect that as the Smith proposals move to consultation that this will be the subject of some debate.

We are working with the Scottish Region to input to the process. My thanks again go to Scottish Regional Chairman, Bill Black, who is co-ordinating some excellent representation to MSPs. As you know we had a meeting with our Minister, Helen Grant, just before Christmas to get across the importance of our sector to the British economy and culture and to explain why we need help and what we need from her. We are awaiting a response to our follow up letter, but Simon and I will be meeting her Civil Servant team onThursday next week.That will be right after a meeting with the new Treasury team where we will begin our discussions on MGD reductions in advance of our budget submissions.

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Coinslot February 6 - February 12, 2015

Newsweek NFAN PREPARES FOR 2015 CONFERENCE anufacturers, distributors and operators alike are looking to Milton Keynes for the National Farm Attractions Network’s (NFAN) 2015 conference. Marking the calendar highlight for the trade association, February 11 and 12 will see a series of industry speakers address farm attraction stakeholders at the MK Dons Stadium, including BALPPA chief executive Paul Kelly.

M

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

Dublin readies for IGS as to the bill’s potential business ramifications.

“New legislation for casinos, arcades, bingo, betting, online gaming and much more make this year’s show one of the most compelling in our history,”states the IGS promotion.“[The show] is a must visit for anyone involved in or exploring the Irish casino, gaming and amusement market.”

Whilst Irish gaming and gambling machines have suffered from a lack of legislative reform, in 2013 the

egislative change forms the backdrop to the 36th annual Irish Gaming, Amusement and Casino Show, taking place at the Moran Red Cow Conference Centre and Hotel in Dublin on March 3 and 4.

The country’s Gambling Control Bill is due to come into force in the coming months the first major alteration to the country’s gambling legislation in more than sixty years. As such, primary amongst the show organisers’2015 objectives will be informing visitors

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The conference takes place as part of the wider NFAN Trade Exhibition, which will see Durham-based kiddy ride providers World of Rides, amongst others, display thier latests wares.

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DUBAI: AN EXAMPLE IN SERVICE he International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions has selected the booming

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country’s net machine taking still exceeded £377m, equating to 10 per cent of the republic’s betting revenue.

The show will also have an additional focus on the growing integration of hospitality in gaming.

“The changing face of the Irish gaming industry has meant hospitality plays a very large part in customer offerings,” the organisers explained.“As such the hospitality industry now has as much an appeal to the gaming industry,and vice versa.”

Worlds of Adventure and Wild Wadi Waterpark, with a focus on what the organisers claim is ‘a deep-seeded culture of service.’ The IAAPA Leadership Conference takes place from March 10 to 12.

economy of Dubai as the backdrop for its upcoming Leadership Conference.

The three-day event will include tours of some of the world’s most impressive amusement attractions such as Ferrari World, IMG

Calendar 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

MARCH 2015 18-19 FADJA Peru Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Centre Lima Peru www.fadja.com.pe

18-20 Enada Spring Rimini Fiera Rimini Italy www.enadaprimavera.it TBC FER Interazar 2015 Madrid Spain www.ferinterazar.com TBC Irish Gaming Show Moran Red Cow Conference Centre & Hotel Dublin Ireland www.irishgaming.ie

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