October 2014
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Editorial: Editor in Chief: Glyn Thomas Mob: +380 952 705 596 glyn@ace123.com Associate Editor North America David Mckee dmckee@ace123.com Special Assignment Correspondent: Jack Bulavsky jackbulavsky@yahoo.com N Europe - Damien Connelly dconnelly@ace123.com UK - Alan Campbell alancampbellcasinolife@gmail.com Latin America & Asia Correspondent: Janice Chaka Janice@ace123.com International Casino & Gaming Correspondent: JJ Woods jjsilks@eircom.net Online Gaming Editor: Sam Miranda sam@ace123.com
Production: Designer: Stewart Hyde design@ace123.com www.totaldesignworks.com Subscriptions: Helen Holmes subs@ace123.com Web & IT: Sudip Banjeree sb@ace123.com
Editor’s page Welcome to Casino Life.
It’s that time again and G2E is here again. This will be my 14th year (I missed one through falling through my loft floor) and probably of all of them it’s the one that I anticipate the most. The industry, after a period of doldrums, has snapped back. True, some have fallen by the wayside but those that pushed ahead with R&D, diversification (looking at new geographical areas, core business or new platforms and services) and strategic takeover plans are now sitting pretty. I’m looking forward, like many of the operators we know, to having our heads spun by new games – and new innovations. Someone who is at the tiller of such global navigation is Sabby Gill at IGT. We’re pleased to interview him ahead of the show and I like his statement that they have 4,000+ employees and no part of the market is more popular or successful – different markets – different players and a workforce making success happen on different platforms throughout the world. Another example of this is the MEI merge with CPS and the subsequent launch of a bigger better company - CPI – Crane Payment Innovations. We’re again pleased to be able to discuss their plans ahead of the show and the wide range of portfolio they are able to offer globally to meet every payment system requirement. Good to also hear of their partnership with Transact. Operator interviews are our core business and we are pleased this month to feature both Armin Karu – a regular stalwart of the magazine – and Mark Abba of Hard Rock Ohio. Different gaming environments but a common theme prevails. Penultimately, hats off to CHIPS – the Gaming Industry charity that raised a phenomenal amount a few weeks ago at their annual golf event. My business partner would prefer his score was not revealed – but we are pleased to be associated with the event each year. And finally, we are pleased that the magazine – and its promotion of the Drexel university gaming course has meant we have had our logo neatly added to their list of partners. So, see you in Las Vegas – please get in touch with us if you’d like to meet up at our booth. glyn@ace123.com
Journal Manager: Chris Sanson csanson@ace123.com Publisher: Peter White Tel: +44 (0) 1892 740869 Mob: +44 (0) 7973 273714 pwhite@ace123.com
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Glyn Thomas Editor in Chief
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Contents Page 3 Guest Editor Comment
Paul Sculpher Leading UK Gaming Industry Consultant
Page 4 Progressive Entertainment
Glyn Thomas interviews Armin Karu Chairman of the board at Olympic Entertainment Group
Page 10 A Wide Prospective
Mark Birtha brings tribal, Las Vegas and Macao expertise to bear on Hard Rock Rocksino, interview by David McKee
Page 16 Who Pays the Bills By Victor H Royer President of Gaming Services & Research Page 20 A Winning Play Glyn Thomas talks to Robert Dijkstra, Managing Director, Ainsworth UK Ltd ahead of G2E Page 23 Global Research Helps Develop IGT Games Sabby Gill, Senior Vice President of International Sales for IGT, speaks with Jack Bulavsky. Page 28 Better Together Alan Campbell Interview’s Eric Fisher President, Gaming – CPI ahead of G2e LV 2014 Page 32 Gamblit Gaming Bridging the gap between games and gambling interview by Peter White Page 35 Preview of Gaming Technology 2014 The Forum To Address Technology Impact On Casino Operations Page 37 CHIPS at Wentworth The British Gaming Golf Championships for and on behalf of CHIPS Charity, Linda Lindsey co- founder of the CHIPS Charity Page 39 Slot Summit Glyn Thomas asks the questions to a very busy Lucien Wijsman ahead of both Slot Summit Paris and Bogota. Page 43 Spotlight on G2e 2014 Chris Sanson provides further news ahead of this year’s G2e Show, that features his interview with Interblock CEO USA Tom O’Brien Editorial Policy: The views and opinions expressed in casino life remain principally the views of contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or publishers. The publishers wish to avoid inaccuracies and, whilst every precaution has been taken to ensure that information contained in this publication is accurate, no liability is accepted by the editor or publishers for errors or omissions, however caused. Unless otherwise stated, articles appearing in this publication remain the copyright of the publishers and may not be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written consent. Printed in the UK by MPC Ltd.
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Guest Editor Missed opportunity
Paul Sculpher Given that it took 37 years for the UK casino gaming law to get the most recent major piece of primary legislation, one could be forgiven for thinking that operators might have expected a little progress in terms of new casino locations. However, the reality is that out of the 16 new licences, it’s a tale of what might have been, both in terms of the holy grail of regeneration and even in terms of direct benefits to local council areas. From originally widespread interest from the biggest operators in the world, the UK casino industry has ended up with around half of those original 16 new licences likely to operate in the foreseeable future. Several of the 16 new casino licence areas haven’t even bothered to commence the competition process. Torbay, Dumfries/Galloway, East Lindsey and Swansea haven’t, to date, done anything with the opportunity to offer a new licence. Middlesbrough, Scarborough and Hull ran their competitions, but ended up with one applicant – and without a live competition, the opportunity to generate cash and other benefits for the local council are very limited. Great Yarmouth ran the competition, announced a winner, but a deafening silence followed. In all four of these cases, there is no sign yet of spades in the ground on site, nor any public announcement of an operator being involved. Newham and Milton Keynes are open, creating jobs and cash for the local councils. Bath and Leeds are on the way courtesy of new guys GGV, and Solihull is well on the way to opening next year. Luton and Wolverhampton recently announced their competition winners, and Southampton have multiple applicants for what should be a hotly contested affair (with corresponding benefits for the local council). It’s been a huge amount of work to get to where we are – 2 casinos operating and a few more on the way – and it seems the lawyers and consultants have done better out of it than anyone (not that I, for one, am complaining having worked for 5 councils and 4 applicants). Perhaps if the process were ever to be revived, a dose of commercial reality would help to ensure that the value to local people and regenerative benefits were maximised. Paul Sculpher provides consultancy for existing & proposed casino projects both in the UK and overseas, based on 17 years working in betting & gaming in a variety of roles, working for both independent and PLC employers. www.paulsculpher.com
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Progressive Entertainment
Glyn Thomas interviews Armin Karu Chairman of the board at Olympic Entertainment Group 5 casino life october 2014.indd 7
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Can you provide our readers an insight into Olympic Entertainment Group, what is behind the success of this operation that manages to operate so effectively in a highly competitive climate amongst economies in varying stages of recovery? There is no simple recipe for success. For Olympic Entertainment Group the three main building blocks are team commitment, constant innovation and maximum cost-efficiency. Passion for service excellence and strive for the highest customer satisfaction has definitely given us an edge. “Smile à la Olympic”, we call it. The macro economic conditions over the last 7 years have been challenging, and with so much competition in acquiring and retaining customer leisure spend; what makes OEG stand out and how have the company’s Gaming Operations weathered the tough operating climate? I agree that the economic crisis had a major impact on the global economy and this time it affected the gaming sector quite badly, too. Over a short period of time, we were forced to make several difficult decisions, close tens of casinos in different markets and make an in-depth analysis of all of our processes. I said already back then that the crisis poses a moment of truth – the weak will disappear, but the strong ones will emerge even stronger. Our decisions have proven to be right, OEG earned its largest-ever profit in 2013.
How was 2013 & how is 2014 treating Olympic Entertainment Group? Thank you for asking, Olympic Entertainment Group is doing very well. In January 2013, we received the Best Land-based Casino Operator of the Year Award at the Totally Gaming Awards and since then our business has been growing even further. We also celebrated our 20th anniversary. With our very strong market position we are actively looking for interesting challenges by expanding into new markets. Last year we launched a new online gaming brand OlyBet.com, which in addition to online casino games offers also sports betting. Do you and your team plan to visit G2E Las Vegas this year? Yes, we will definitely be there. The Olympic team has been attending G2E for years, and I myself have given several presentations there. It is definitely one of the top annual events of the casino business, and participation is a must. In recent years we have also visited the G2E in Macau. When you aim to keep up with the gaming sector’s development or even stay a little ahead, international cooperation and exchange of information are crucial. The comment published on the Olympic Entertainment Group website, ‘I am convinced that only the fastest, the most flexible and at the same time the bravest can survive the rapid changes seen
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in the global gambling industry during the last two years’. Is investment in providing the latest slots and table games part of that ethos, or do some slot games never seem to lose their appeal? We are accustomed to operating in very competitive markets. Innovation, ie new games and new gaming technology, has always been our clear competitive strength. It is how we became the leader in the Baltic marketplace ten years ago and we are confident that relentless innovation is the key to success. The life cycle and popularity of games varies in different markets. However, one game that has remained very popular everywhere over the years is IGT’s Game King. Funnily providing an Egypt-themed game has always been a safe bet – dragons and kangaroos simply cannot compete with sphinxes and pyramids.
Do you track how many of your land based customers also actively play at www.olybet.com/ en/Index.bet Yes, of course. We have always said that they are actually very different segments. At the same time, there is certain overlap and I believe that it will grow over the years. More and more online gamers will be looking for a live experience and long-term customers of regular casinos will test online gaming. I believe that thanks to land-based casinos, our customers respect and trust our online brand. We have also found synergy between the two segments in poker and in sports betting. As part of launching OlyBet.com, we opened a chain of OlyBet sports bars in Estonia and Latvia, showing sports events from large screens and offering live betting.
Technology plays such an important part in our lives and it has certainly affected our leisure time, how has it affected the offering within your casinos? As I have already mentioned, new technologies have been the basis for Olympic Casino’s success. Over the years, we have constantly developed our loyalty program and offered many modern additional winning opportunities as new technology has provided new possibilities. We were also the first ones in Europe to adopt cash-free EZ Pay system. The world is rapidly changing – Olympic is riding along and has no intention to fall off the train at the next stop.
If there was one single fundamental change you could make (theoretically) to the laws governing Gaming in the in Countries you operate in, what would it be? As a businessman, I should start by saying that taxes should always be lower. But seriously speaking, the biggest challenge would be the harmonisation of gaming rules in the whole European Union. After all, we have free movement of goods and services, and also the gaming sector could become a single market operating under the same regulations. This problem is especially acute in online gaming, but also land-based operations would benefit from it.
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Reasonable rules are always better than lack of rules, and harmonised rules would make the life of all stakeholders easier, while doing away with the political turbulence that is characteristic to some countries. Over the last few years, there has been a significant change in how your operations have been branded, marketed and operated. Can you summarise what your customers (new and existing) can expect when they visit one of your venues? One of the keywords in our flagship casinos is versatility. We have always favoured the Las Vegastype approach where gaming tables and slots are located next to each other in the same area. Today, we have added a sports bar, live sports betting and a poker room to the mix, plus in bigger casinos, a separate stage and room for live performances. Instead of building luxury megacasinos, we want to offer a wide range of services in a compact and modern environment. Could you provide an insight into the organisations approach to its Privilege and rewards program? In 1990s many competitors were offering additional bonuses to customers to limit their losses, but we chose a different route. Olympic’s principle has been that our bonus program is based on the handle and this has stayed the same for more than twenty
years. However, we have added various options to win attractive additional prizes on the basis of virtual tickets that customers earn based on their handle etc. What are the main initiatives taken that are amongst the most effective at retaining existing members as well as attracting new to Olympic Entertainment Groups Casinos? To attract new customers one needs to offer a wide range of entertainment. Once the customer has had the first positive experience and found something they like, customer service becomes key. Nowadays, a person’s leisure time is very limited and a valuable resource. It means that when customers trust us to take care of their leisure time for the second or third time, it’s already a major recognition. We must be ready to offer activities that give customers enjoyment and make them come back for more. Looking beyond 2015, what markets and/or projects would Olympic Entertainment Group like to become involved in? As we are listed on the Tallinn and Warsaw Stock Exchanges, I cannot go into detail about our specific development plans today. But as I have said before, Olympic will continue to seek exciting challenges and I’m confident that we have something to talk about next year, too.
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A wide prospective Mark Birtha brings tribal, Las Vegas and Macao expertise to bear on Hard Rock Rocksino. Interview by David McKee
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H
ard Rock Rocksino General Manager Mark Birtha has learned the casino business from the ground up. He started in the industry in June 1994 with then-Mirage Resorts, as an assistant director of beverage. Shortly after opening Bellagio (as beverage director), he left for Las Vegas Sands to become catering and conference manager. He also became the first Venetian executive to be fasttracked through a year-long Executive Development Program. Subsequently promoted to corporate development manager, Birtha was involved with Sands’ bold expansion into China, helping incept Sands Cotai, Venetian Macao and the Cotai Strip – now all among the top performers in Macao. Before leaving Sands in 2004, Birtha had risen to executive director of casino marketing administration. A two-year stint with Edge Group’s abortive W Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Residences followed, with Birtha serving as vice president of development, operations and administration. W evaporated with the rest of the Las Vegas condo bubble but Birtha quickly found his footing as vice president of development and project manager for Marriott International. His brief at Marriott included oversight of all Marriott brands in the Vegas market. He also wound up working on another doomed project, the $3.1 billion JW Marriott Las Vegas Hotel Convention Casino. Birtha, however, landed on his feet yet again, becoming president of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s Sol Casinos. There he oversaw the $120 million expansion of the tribe’s Casino del Sol and well as operation of the Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater. After two years with the Pascau Yaquis, Birtha returned to Vegas as vice president and general manager of Station Casinos’ Fiesta Henderson. His role here entailed involvement in every face of casino operations – and it wasn’t unknown for him to greet hotel guests or moonlight as a chef in one of Fiesta Henderson’s restaurants. Never one to let grass grow beneath his feet, Birtha turned up earlier this year as general manager of Hard Rock International’s Hard Rock Rocksino, a casino and harness-racing course, near Cleveland. The property has been a success right out of the gate, perhaps in no small part due to Birtha’s
precepts, which remain consistent from one posting to another. How do you get “on the level” with employees and guests? The reality is that there is nothing more important in our business than ensuring we understand the needs, wants and expectations of our two most critical constituents—our employees and our guests. This cannot be achieved by “managing by spreadsheet”; instead, an engaged operator strives to preserve open and constant lines of communications with each by being on the casino floor, in the back of house, at daily team member “huddles” and at every point of contact with the guest. I often find myself speaking with regulars dining in our restaurants, and of course walking the gaming floor and building personal interactions, while monitoring service levels that guarantee a high-quality experience. Relationships with guests and team members are personal, and sharing stories and showing respect is critical to building long-term, valuable ties. Are customers’ expectations of a casino changing, whether in terms of gaming product, F&B, entertainment or other amenities? The only constant in our industry is change, and we are on the fringe of many in the years to come. We are a discretionary entertainment purchase; thus, guests have the ability to choose from similar options in the gaming space, other options in the non-gaming entertainment space, or a completely different offering altogether. In order to be competitive, we need to focus on delivering the highest level of guest service and product constantly. Operators have to be connected to guests to know what they want today, while at the same time “peering around the corner” to have an idea of what will be compelling and in demand tomorrow. The most intriguing aspect of our future business lies in the technology space. Guests today are becoming far more sophisticated with their personal technology and in many cases their “bandwidth” far exceeds what is even offered on our properties. They travel with their technology and it has become
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The best way to actually do this is to spend time regularly walking the casino floors of your competitors to know what they are doing. Throw some money into the machines to understand pay tables and point programs and to also get on the mailing list. Watching their guests struggle with a kiosk, wait in an inordinately long players’ club line or leave a restaurant without a smile on their face is telling; watching their guests playing on the newest games that you don’t have, redeeming points and marketing offers in droves, laughing and enjoying interactions with employees, and waiting to get a seat at a game or a parking space in a full lot or garage is even more telling and should raise a red flag.
of the business than interaction with our guests. And this means our external guests as well as our internal guests (team members). With regards to our customers, the focus should clearly be on spending as much time as possible personally communicating with them. This is achieved from simply walking the casino floor, to table touching in the restaurants, personally checking guests in at the front desk, and walking a guest to their requested destination (instead of just pointing them in the appropriate direction). On a busy weekend, I will plan time to stand at the various entrances and welcome guests entering the building, and thank the ones who are heading out for the night. We are in the customer service business and more importantly, the hospitality and entertainment-experience industry. The only way to know what the customer wants is to communicate with them. This of course can be done via the phone or e-mail but nothing is more effective than making the time to personally speak with them about their needs, wants and expectations. I often will bring a VIP guest up to the executive offices and sit one-on-one to answer their questions and to show how appreciated they are and how valuable their loyalty is. The feedback is not always pretty, but it is always important. These guests spend more time on our gaming floor than we do, know how the service is and the quality of our products, understand the value they are getting from our marketing programs, and can also tell me what the competition is doing.
Are you able to have much guest interaction and how do you benefit from it? There is nothing more important to the success
High-limit rooms in locals casino seems like a contradiction in terms. How well do these rooms pay their own way?
completely ingrained in their day to day lives. Therefore, operators and developers in our space need to focus on how to provide platforms that allow guests to just “plug in” when they arrive and at the same time offer technology amenities that allow them to enhance their stay in every revenue area while on property. Allowing a guest to do whatever, whenever is something our industry will need to quickly understand in order for us to keep current with the rest of the world. How do you keep tabs on what the competition is doing? It is clearly important to know what is happening on your own campus, but equally valuable to know what the competition is doing as well. Machiavelli in the The Prince said it best: “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”
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At first glance it might seem a bit contradictory but there is a robust high limit business in the locals markets around the country. The most obvious factor to remember is that high-limit and VIP are relative to the demographic that you are serving. Once you clearly define who your guests are you can focus on ensuring you have the right amenities and products available in your program to cater to your guests. Having a high limit room is something that can be a clear differentiator in the locals market, a competitive advantage, and even a tool to attract a new level of clientele to your business. You’ve mentioned being deeply influenced by your exposure to Native American culture. In what way did it affect you? I am glad you asked this question. I had the great opportunity to work with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in southern Arizona where I oversaw operations for two casinos and developed a $130 million resort hotel. When I arrived there I had the intent to bring my Las Vegas experience to market and “revolutionize” how things were being done in that region. “Raising the bar” and leaving my mark was my objective and I was confident that I would change them going forward. The great irony was that after two years of construction and pre-opening operations which culminated in the
creation of a beautiful four-star, four-diamond, world-class hotel resort, I realized that they had actually changed me significantly more and the experience has left a lasting impression on who I am as an operator and developer. I say that because I learned a great deal about their culture, their history, their way of life and most importantly the struggles they have gone through and the great pride they had in this enterprise. The Native American gaming space is uniquely different from the commercial gaming space. These casino hotels oftentimes are literally their “homes,” and there is an honor and pride shown to property guests which is a reflection of their culture and hospitality. They share their life experiences with their guests and long-term relationships are built on more than just comps and marketing spend. The successes of these enterprises directly impact the survival and welfare of the tribes and their respective reservations. That is a significant responsibility to carry in your hands as you make decisions regarding how they spend their money and what is critical to their success. I had the opportunity to engage the reservation and create initiatives like building a new school playground or cleaning and gardening homes and roadways that directly impacted lives. That is why this experience left me far more enriched than when I arrived.
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Who Pays the Bills?
R
by: Victor H. Royer
ecent consolidation among gaming equipment manufacturers may be the sign of the times, and may – or may not – prove to be the road to a profitable future. The most recent example of such a huge and momentous move, with great International implications, came with GTECH’s acquisition of IGT. While this deal will certainly make stock brokers and bankers rich in several countries, what will happen to the products? Being based in Europe will have its challenges. The American market is so very much different from all other markets, that using European thinking may not produce the kind of results, or recapture the greater portion of the market-share, as initial analysis may have indicated at the time of this merger. Naturally, the future will clarify this, and then we’ll all know. In the meantime, however, I see very clearly that GTECH, and IGT, are both missing the larger
picture, and aren’t paying attention to the goose that lays the golden eggs – namely, the casino slot player. For 15 years I was a research consultant to IGT, providing cutting-edge and immediate data and information directly from the casino floor – from players actually playing slots with their own money and in the actual casino environment, and not just some structured and compensated focus group. The trouble with such old-style focus-group methods is that, these days, most players (consumers) are wise to the deal, and will take whatever they can get, and then render whatever opinion they think the people who are asking the questions want to hear. As it exists, the sad fact is that such means of gaining data, and information, results in polluted information, most of which is entirely useless for the purposes for which it was intended. So, my company developed a new method, by which we obtain such information in an
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entirely uninfluenced and unvarnished way. This, then, provided the real facts and the real truth. While IGT was receiving this data, they prospered. As did others, who also used our services at the time. After my illness in 2008, I stepped away from this work, because it was very hard and time consuming, and, unfortunately, my physical limitations made it hard to do, supervise, and implement. As the years passed, I saw many of the recommendations that we forecast years earlier being implemented by our clients, and others as well, as the industry grew, and technology made such advances possible. Then, with the challenges of the recession, I also saw great companies struggle, like what happened with IGT. The effects of the recession notwithstanding, there were signs of uncertainty among management at the time, in 2008, 2009 and 2010, that seemed like they could have been corrected, had those in power at the time been able to see them. Or, at least accept the advice being offered by analysts, and others like myself, who saw these effects from the outside, and were, therefore, not clouded in our view by internal strife and politics. And this is not specifically intended as a focus on IGT. These were situations affecting the entire industry, manufacturers and operators alike. The only reason I am mentioning IGT in this article is because of the recent deal with GTECH, which sparked the purpose of this article. And, of course, also the fact that I had such a long-standing relationship with that company, whose products I liked and helped to make a success. Over the years, I have written hundreds of confidential industry reports and analyses for all of the major manufacturers, and most of the operators as well. These, along with my more than 4,000 publicinformation articles, and 40 books, have provided me with an overview that points the way to a simple oversight being committed by most gaming equipment manufacturers today. And that is the loss of focus. Specifically among slot manufacturers, the loss of focus on who actually pays the bills. And by that I mean who creates the profitability for the manufacturer to continue being a successful and viable company. It is the same issue as that which has faced operators of casinos for the same period of time, and also apparently misplaced by them as well. Not so long ago, a couple of years, I spoke with the Vice President of one of the major slot manufacturers, and I asked him that same, simple question: Who pays the bills? His answer was: The customers pay the bills. The customers make sales possible, make the company profitable, and make it a success. That’s certainly true, and was not a major revelation to either of us. But then I asked him this: Who are your customers? To this he replied: The casinos, and casino operators. It was with this answer that I suddenly realized why all of the major slot manufacturers started to have so many problems with
sales and profitability. They simply lost sight of who is their customer. You see, the customer in this case is not the casino operator. The customer is, and has always been, the slot player. And that’s the problem with the “gaming” industry today. Everyone, it seems, has forgotten that the money in this business is not made by marketing to each other, business-to-business, but instead marketing, and selling, to the actual players. And it’s not a “gaming” business, either. We are in the “Gambling” business, and the slots we make are supposed to be real gambling machines intended for adults, and adult use. That’s how the money is made. And this is also why – even if run badly – a casino can make 20% to 40% steady profitability, as long as they don’t lose locus on who actually pays the bills. The casino gambler, and, specifically, the casino slot player. First, last, and foremost. And the same applies to the manufacturers. It’s not the casino operator who is your customer – it’s the slot players who go to that casino. They are the ones who will pull money out of their pockets, and stick it into the machine. Without that simple act, neither you, nor the casino, will ever make any money. And it doesn’t matter how “good” the game. It is this simple equation which has been lost. And not just ideologically, but also historically. Las Vegas was not built on “gaming entertainment.” It was built on gambling. Period. And built on gambling machines – slots – designed to fulfill a time-honored and millenniaold human need: Risk versus Reward. And that, too, has been all but lost in the overall understanding of the kind of business in which the casinos, and manufacturers, are actually in. As long as the focus among manufacturers remains to market to the casino operators, instead of to the players who will play their games, there will continue to be an ever-increasing attrition of slot players interested in playing those slots. And, as long as casino operators continue to spend millions of everything other than the casino, the same profitability attrition will continue to infect then as well. Caesars is drowning in $30 Billion in debt, but they are still building attractions that do nothing to drive players to the casino. And manufacturers of slots continue to build “entertainment”, instead of gambling machines. If someone wants to ride a Ferris wheel, or go for a stroll in the park, or sit in sidewalk Cafes, they don’t have to come to Las Vegas. These kinds of attractions can be found anywhere, in any city. Likewise, if someone wants to play kiddie games, or “entertainment” games, they can do that at home on their Xbox, or any other console, or on the Internet. Neither of these business models does anything to drive casino players to the casinos, or slot players to slots. About two months ago – quite some time after the social media gaming idea began to take hold among
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slot manufacturers – I sat in the office of a senior executive at one of these companies, one which had recently made a significant investment in online social gaming. This was one of those thirdparty acquisitions to gain entry into the online gaming market, as well as social media and social media gaming. It was explained to me at the time that tens of thousands of social media players were attracted to the site that this new association had built, to feature that company’s games and products, and that, therefore, all the gamers on that social media gaming site were now exposed to that company’s products and games. So far, so good. Especially good because in many markets outside of the United States, where Internet Gambling is legal, such access makes it possible for this manufacturer to make money from online slots and games they own, or have licensed. And also good because of emerging access to online gaming in US States that are, or soon will, allow it. But that company was, and still is, in financial difficulties. Why? Maybe the answer to my next question will provide the answer. You see, I asked that executive this question: How many of these tens of thousands of social media players on your web site actually translate into real-money casino slot players? The answer was: We don’t know. Well, that was a surprise. Especially since I did know. The real answer was: Zero. Nothing. None. Why? Because that manufacturer did not understand that social media players aren’t the same as casino slot players. Social media players play for entertainment. Casino slot players play for gambling. Period. Simple. Casino slot players are gamblers. They want the risk versus reward. They aren’t in the casino for “entertainment”, and they sure aren’t there for “socializing.” People who come to the casino to “socialize” don’t gamble. They aren’t your profit. They are a cost to you. It’s only those people who come to the casino to gamble that pay your bills, and make you your profits. It’s a well-known fact that 80% of all profits for a casino operator, and slot manufacturer, come from only 20% of all casino visitors. And who are these golden Gods? Well, gamblers. Slot player, primarily. But what is your company doing for them? Answer: Nothing. Casino operators are no longer marketing to gamblers. They have all forgotten how. And manufacturers never even understood – not until very recently – that their focus over decades has been in the wrong place. Instead of marketing to the casino operators – who now demand more and more games for less and less floor space and less and less time for trials – slot makers should now, and always, be marketing to the people themselves – the players – who will then pull money out of their pockets, wallets and purses, and put it into these slots. And this does not mean that all things Facebook are the answer. The answer is, and has always been, simple: Give them good food, a nice room they can afford, and a good gamble, and you’ll have them for life. That’s Lester “Benny” Binion. And not just him, but all of the “old” time owners and operators.
You see, these people were all gamblers. Or, they grew up in the gambling business. They weren’t Lawyers, Bankers, or MBA’s, or came from some other business. They were in the gambling business, and they knew it. It’s that simple formula, and that simple understanding of “who is your customer” that has been lost by both the casino operators, and the slot manufacturers. And that’s why it is now necessary for slot makers to merge into ever more complicated global empires, whose tentacles stretch into many markets. While this allows for the spreading of liabilities, where underperforming segments are bailed out by others which make money, the complexities and complications inherent in such globalization are in themselves an attrition to the key markets where most of the money is actually made. But that won’t last long, and after a few years this house of misunderstood cards will again come crashing down, and there will again be more and more mergers, acquisitions, breakups, and consolidation. And more and more debt, and eventually a breakup of the companies which will be bailed out by more bankers and lawyers and accountants – and, in all of this, the slot players, and casino customers, will again be ignored. Until, that is, the entire industry collapses, and only then will it suddenly dawn on everyone that they missed the point in the first place. So, instead of waiting for this train to derail – which it invariably will if continued on the current course – why not do the simple thing? Forget the diversification. Forget the overindulgence in social gaming. Forget the Shopping Malls, the Ferris Wheels, and Sidewalk Cafes, and Parks, the Sports Arenas, and endless stacks of Celebrity Chefs, the “entertainment” and so on. Go back to the simple basics. Give them a good gamble, and they are yours for life. And now is the time. If you don’t teach the current generation the excitement of gambling, they won’t understand it by the time they are retired and have the money to spend. And so they won’t come to your casino, or play your slots. By doing what you are doing now, casino operators and slot manufacturers alike, you are killing your own business. And you’re doing it because of a flawed business model. It doesn’t matter how many reports you have, with nice pie charts and graphs and loads of data and meaningless statistics. None of that makes a hoot of difference. The only thing that matters are butts in seats, and money in the slots. And that’s it. And that’s how you will avoid business attrition, business debt, and the need to sell yourselves to someone else. Victor H Royer is President of Gaming Services & Research. He is a 32 year veteran of Las Vegas gaming, a 25 year consultant to the gaming industry, and author of 40 books on casino games and gaming. In addition he has researched and authored more than 300 industry reports on the subject of player preferences, marketing, player development and customer relations, and published over 4,000 articles on casino games and the casino industry. He can be reached at: DrVHR@aol.com
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Visit us at G2E Booth 4230
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A Winning Play Glyn Thomas talks to Robert Dijkstra, Managing Director, Ainsworth UK Ltd ahead of G2E
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Yes, as well as the premiere we have an accompanying packed range of game brands including: the standout performer - Rumble Rumble™, Whopper Reels™, Bonus Bonanza™, Rampaging Rhino™, Frontier™, 5 Star Jackpots™, Order of the Dragons™, Fire Wizard™, Ice Wizard™ and many more due for release FY2014-2015. At G2E 2014, visitors will also be able to take a first glance at Ainsworth’s high profile licensed products Showgirls™ and Sound of Music™. Other new games Ainsworth will be debuting at G2E take full advantage of the company’s newest cabinet styles - namely the supersized A560® Wideboy™. The super-sized A560® Wideboy™ brings features alive with the new 32” landscape mode LCD top box and exciting LED lighting! One of the new titles is The Magnificent 7 Reloaded™, a sequel based on the legendary classic film and top performing licensed slot The Magnificent 7™. Also to be released on the super-sized A560® Wideboy™ is Reels of Wheels Horsepower™ which incorporates the Mustang Money™ red hot feature game with the unique multiwheel “Reels of Wheels” concept.
So, what is the mainstay of Ainsworths offering this year in Vegas? The key attraction on the Ainsworth stand this year will be the debut of the all new A560®SL – a “one screen wonder” especially designed and custom built for a unique, highly entertaining game range. Featuring a striking 32” High Definition display, 19” LCD Topper option for Jackpot promotion, unique attract lighting package stylized to the game, premium surround sound technology, sky high stacks and breath-taking animations, the new A560®SL will provide more than a new attraction on the gaming floor. You say it’s tailored for a specific new gaming range – can you elaborate?
What Jackpot games are you showing this year? We’ll be showcasing a range of new Asian themed link progressives that include: Lucky Treasure™, Treasure Storm® & Oriental Fortune™. Illuminated in the amazing Super A560® cabinet, Treasure Storm® is packed with three levels of progressives, two standalone progressives and amazing free game features. With superior maths models to choose from: 888 Blue Dragon™, 888 Red Dragon™ and 888 Yellow Dragon™, Treasure Storm® is certain to become a player favourite as a 40 & 50 Line product targeting penny play. It’s also available in the A560® Dual Screen with a signage option. Do you have any other launches? Also making their debut are our latest Multi game entertainer packages: Montana Multi Win 2™, Multi Win 10™, Multi Win 11™ and Multi Win Ultimate Choice™. We will also have a new line up of themes for our core GamePlus™ library: Quad Shot®, Double Shot®, Triple Shot™, Play 100Lines/50Lines™, Wheel Winner™ and High Denom plus our latest Mystery products: Golden Goose Mystery™ and Crazy Ways™ Legends Mystery.
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Ainsworth Expands with new appointments The European casino market is a great business to be in. It may be changing and demanding, yet for the right companies there are opportunities to be taken. Even taking into account changing demographics and the increase in mobile and online gaming, land-based casino gaming remains a popular free time activity for millions of people. Our company stands out for its increasing popularity – Ainsworth. Its games and cabinets have captured the hearts of many players in Europe and the demand for Ainsworth gaming solutions continues to grow. Increasing demand has the natural positive effect on team numbers. Thus, the Ainsworth team is proud to welcome two further new staff: Mr. Ben Challenor and Mr. Stephen Miller. Ben Challenor is well known and respected in the gaming industry thanks to his time spent at Clarion, supporting the ICE team in London. His proactive approach, visiting exhibitors around Europe to understand their needs further helped improve the exhibition quality. After having spent almost four years at Clarion, Mr. Challenor explained his move to Ainsworth, “I am incredibly excited about joining such a globally recognised brand and one that is so well known across the gaming industry. There are excellent opportunities for us to grow even further within Europe”. Stephen Miller has a proven track record as an entrepreneur, a person who places customers first. After playing a key role in the family company for
almost twenty years, Mr. Miller entered the gaming industry in 1997. He has amassed experience for a UK gaming machine operator, spent three years as a slot manager for a cruise line company and spent twelve years based in the Netherlands for a major slot machine company. The mix of technical, product and sales experience makes him the ideal person to embody the position of Product Manager at Ainsworth UK. Mr. Miller himself comments, “I had been noticing at the gaming shows the forward development of the Ainsworth games and cabinets and I have been very impressed. There is one important thing with being a Product Manager, love and believe in your product. This is not difficult to accomplish working for Ainsworth as we have a great product that can compete in a very challenging market”. Mr. Robert Dijkstra, Managing Director of Ainsworth (UK) Ltd, himself comments, “It is key for our customers that they have highly professional service and support at Ainsworth. Thus, I am very pleased to have gained two such strong personalities for our team who are dedicated and proactive and bring with them a wealth of knowledge, each in their own field. I am proud to say that the fact that we have such strong products and are continually focusing on developing ever better gaming solutions results that we can attract top people to our company – all for the benefit of our customers. Ben and Stephen both have excellent credentials and are very excited about growing our business.”
Be prepared for the Lunar Invasion “Lunar Poker is bigger and better and coming soon to a casino near you.” www.lunarpoker.com
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Global Research Helps Develop IGT Games Sabby Gill, Senior Vice President of International Sales at IGT, is based in the UK but is always travelling. Nevertheless he found time between journeys to talk to Jack Bulavsky, Special Assignment Correspondent for Casino Life
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abby Gill joined IGT in August 2011 as the Regional Vice President, EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa). In September 2012, he took on the additional responsibility of managing sales for South Latin America and the Caribbean (SOLAC) and subsequently was asked to take on the role of Senior Vice President (SVP) International Sales in September 2013. Gill is responsible for providing overall sales leadership with the sole objective of exceeding overall International revenue targets and executing effectively against the growth strategies and focus target markets. Gill joined IGT from HP where he held the role of VP, EMEA and General Manager, Partner and MidSize Enterprise Business. Prior to that he had senior executive sales roles at CA, Oracle & PeopleSoft and spent over 26 years within the IT industry.
surprises regarding how content developed for one region is embraced in others. We have a popular game that was designed for Mexico that is one of our top sellers in Germany. That’s a nice reflection on how the world is becoming a smaller, more connected place.
Your title is SVP International Sales. Define international. I focus primarily on the regions outside of the U.S, Mexico and Canada. I had great preparation for my current role as I previously managed sales in the regions of EMEA and SOLAC, so I have empathy for the day-today situations that the leaders there are experiencing.
What regions have the most potential for growth as gaming continues to grow and how will you capture that market? Asia certainly holds a lot of promise with new casino openings and also the promise of Japan, which has had a great head start to slot play with its rich legacy of Pachinko. We’re securing sales of both machines and systems so I think we are well-positioned there. We conduct extensive research in all of our international markets, continually striving to find the precise winning formula of math and art that will ensure game success in a particular region.
How successful is IGT in Europe and elsewhere? IGT enjoys worldwide leadership so it’s exciting for me to drive different measurements of success in different regions. We have expanded our sales coverage within Europe adding a significant number of sales and support personnel including the recent appointment of a new Regional Vice President for EMEA. You don’t make these sorts of continuous commitments if there is no opportunity. We are excited about the prospects we see especially within the systems business with recent wins at DLV and Cloud installations in Barriere, France. Do games created in the U.S. carry over to international sales? IGT games do have universal global appeal, yet we also recognize the importance of creating content specifically for certain playing styles in different regions. Some markets prefer more of a “gambling” experience while others are more attuned to an “entertainment” style of play. When we were at G2E Asia earlier this year, we introduced new culturally-enriched content for the Macau market that was designed in our Asia-based studios with the math and art that resonates with players in the region. With IGT’s seven studios around the world, we’re uniquely capable of developing content in the regions where we distribute and that helps us develop the right formula. I have had some pleasant
What new games are popular in the international market? Games such as Lucky Dragon and Gold and Dragon, the high-volatility progressives that we have introduced in Macau, have that right blend of math and art that speaks to the player in the region who prefers the concept of gambling over entertainment. In Latin America we have introduced El Gran Festival and Legend of Gaucho, themes that resonate with the cultural experiences that players in the region love. That translates nicely to the slot play experience.
What games do Europeans like to play? Do they play differently than anyone else? There are different demographics in every market where we operate as we previously touched upon and it is our job to match the right demographic to the right content. Different strategies are adopted; the most successful is working with the casino operators and using their experience and knowledge of their players and their markets in developing content that resonates with their players. It sounds simple, but too many times you see U.S. driven content deployed within international jurisdictions and expect the same great results that they had elsewhere. Players are different in many ways: culturally, their propensity to gamble, entertainment vs. gambler-style play, and preference for high or low volatility. Can you describe some market-specific games and why they are successful in the international market? There are far too many to choose from, but I must say the most exciting for me recently have been our Winners Choice. It uses a diverse selection of proven
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By Asia
for the world
MGS is back and even better!
Now’s the time to book your attendance at MGS 2014 18th – 20th November - the only show to earn the title ‘by Asia, for the World’.
Come and see the entire gaming industry Gaming Equipment & Accessories. Gaming Promoters & VIP Clubs. Casino Fixtures & Fittings. Promotional Services & Memorabilia. Food & Beverage. Entertainment & Performance.
Feature rich
Visit the highly acclaimed Slot Experience Center. Gain invaluable knowledge at the Macao Gaming Summit.
The best networking in Asia
Invaluable business networking opportunities. Get to know potential business partners in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.
And we will even help pay your way!
The Macao SAR Government is once again offering attractive subsidies to qualified buyers from air fares to hotel accommodation, making MGS the key annual meeting hub for casino procurement teams.
Venetian Macao
18-20 November 2014
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performers to allow customizable player choice for four games of action. The average bet per unit is substantially increased due to the MultiPLAY action on every spin. It contains two-level mystery progressives and random bonus feature allowing for initiation of free games on any of the available themes. This game has been great for the international demographic where it appeals to Progressive Players, fans of IGT Classics, and players who enjoy a diversity of play styles on one unit. My favorite configuration is with Treasures of Troy, Siberian Storm, Wolf Run and Cleopatra. What are your most successful markets? Some little known facts about IGT: We hold over 5,000 patents worldwide and hold over 350 Gaming Licenses worldwide; have 5.9 million monthly active players at Double Down Casino; and have 4,500 employees worldwide with 65 offices across six continents. So when asked the question about what are your most successful markets, it is important to understand the breadth and depth of IGT as every market we come across can leverage from existing content, systems, services and offerings that are more than likely previously architected. All markets are successful in some way. We operate and supply, for example, in markets with growth such as Macau, the Philippines and other Asia Pacific markets. With the promise that Japan holds, I’m working to make sure that IGT secures business in new casino openings and continues a growth path there with our introduction of new culturally enriched content. Then if I look at a market such as Argentina, we have more demand than we have supply due to the restrictive importation environment. So from a global perspective, there is always opportunity to find new ways to advance our business and distance IGT’s global leadership from our competitors. Are you able to apply research you get from one country to another?
We recognize that some markets, such as Asia, prefer more of a gambling experience. We also know that the overall entertainment experience is important in the U.S. We implement the findings from our extensive global research into our game creation and development in all of our seven global studios. When you attend G2E in Las Vegas, what do your hear or see that you can take home with you to make your products more alluring? Given its size and widespread industry participation, G2E provides a great showcase for innovation. It’s a good opportunity for us to assess how IGT can continue to lead and innovate in areas we are pioneering and also areas where our competitors are focused. Our product development roadmap for the next 12-18 months is already in place when we get to G2E so it’s always good from a comparative standpoint to see what other companies think are important game elements and features. How big an industry is gaming equipment manufacturing in Europe? Gaming equipment manufacturing is certainly well-established in Europe across a spectrum of products from slot machines, VLTs, table games and more. We’re pleased to see that IGT slot machines, manufactured in the U.S., have performed well and are widely represented across our product lines in Europe. What is your opinion of the challenges and opportunities for IGT within the international market? While there are certainly more competitors in the slot machine industry than there were several years ago, IGT has maintained its global leadership based on the scope of our best-in-class product portfolio, global footprint, strong relationships, and reputation for great service. Given the increased competition, we must work harder than ever before to continue to grow our market leadership. However, we see numerous opportunities to build on our positive momentum to secure new business for our games and systems businesses.
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Better together Alan Campbell Interviews Eric Fisher, President of Gaming at CPI, ahead of G2e
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orn out of the December merger of Crane Payment Solutions and MEI, Crane Payment Innovations (CPI) serves customers in over 100 countries with a range of money handling and unattended payment solutions aimed at the gaming, financial services, retail, transportation and vending markets. Headquartered in Pennsylvania and encompassing the NRI, CashCode, Money Controls, Telequip, MEI and Conlux brands, the firm’s portfolio includes cash management software applications, coin hoppers and dispensers alongside bill and coin validators and recyclers offering the highest levels of security in addition to fast acceptance rates and low maintenance and labour costs. In advance of G2E 2014, Alan Campbell sat down with Eric Fisher, President of Gaming for CPI, to get the latest from the now-larger company. How have things progressed at CPI following the merger? The evolution of CPI has so far been very positive but integration is not an overnight process and nor should it be. While the two former sides of our business have come together in many ways, our goal remains to ensure the smoothest possible transition for our customers. This means taking time to listen to them and using their feedback to inform our decisions so, ultimately, we can continue funnelling the most value into their individual operations. Currently, we are assessing the capabilities of our distributors to determine the best network for serving our diverse customer base. Are you now looking at expanding into any other areas of cash handling? Pooling the strengths and resources of MEI and Crane Payment Solutions has grown our capacity as a solutions provider and we now have the breadth of scale to explore new markets and business opportunities. As an example, our new financial services channel was born out of the merger and enables us to further expand into financial services applications such as ATMs, bill pay kiosks and cash deposit kiosks. We’ve already achieved significant year-over-year growth within this space. In addition, the gaming and retail channels, which
were previously linked due to the fact that they utilised similar payment systems, have recently been separated and each is now structured with dedicated leadership, customer service, sales and technical support teams. From a business model perspective, this means we can sharpen our focus and define best practices for aligning ourselves strategically within each of these dynamic industries. What sorts of customer feedback have you received post-merger? The feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive for several reasons. First, the marriage of MEI and Crane Payment Solutions makes it easier for our customers to do business with us as they can now obtain complete cash management solutions from a single supplier. As a global company with offices on six continents, we now offer the critical scale and local market expertise to provide best-in-class support wherever our customers and their products are located. Our customers also benefit from our larger engineering team. The word ‘innovation’ is part of the CPI name for good reason. We leverage a rich history of innovation, patent generation and the development of breakthrough solutions that provide meaningful benefits to our customers. This history is our springboard into the future. We’re now also aggressively adding more recycling products to our portfolio and our goal is to set a new standard by making the job of managing and handling cash easier for our customers while also driving down operating costs to increase bottom lines. CPI now has one of the most extensive product portfolios in the industry and offers everything from coin changers and hoppers to bill acceptors and cash recyclers. Which of these are you most proud? The MEI SC portfolio remains one of our top contributions to the gaming industry and its enduring success is a reflection of our commitment to continuous improvement. Central to the SC portfolio are the SC Series note acceptors including the SC Advance, which has achieved a global installed base of nearly one million units due to its versatility to fit diverse markets,
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See Ainsworth’s big lineup of new and innovative products at the 2014 G2E, stand #1864. 30 September - 2 October. Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas For more information, contact your Ainsworth Representative Tel: 702-778-9000
www.ainsworth.com.au
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applications and needs. We’ve also developed a number of modular expansions for the SC Series note acceptors including the EasiTrax Soft Count. This is an integrated hardware/ software system that drives cash management efficiencies from the slot floor to the back room and it has been installed in nearly 150,000 games worldwide and represents one of CPI’s most comprehensive cash management solutions. There is also our new SCR note recycler, which represents the latest addition to the SC portfolio and is scheduled to launch within the German AWP market later this year. It combines the performance and reliability of SC Advance technology with the benefits of note recycling as part of a total cash management solution. In the AWP market where many machines can only be played with cash, SCR will raise expectations by making transactions faster, easier and more secure and ultimately lead to greater operator profitability. Can we expect to see CPI increase its products and services innovation and development activities in the near future? Absolutely. CPI is committed to continuous improvement and we’re willing to make the investment in research and development to back this up. Our experience, dedicated customer focus and breadth of expertise will continue to expand the value operators receive from our solutions. We are in a very unique position to redefine expectations associated with payment systems and we already have a number of new development projects underway throughout the business including multiple nextgeneration coin recyclers and further enhancements to the SC portfolio. We eagerly look forward to these products earning the same reputation for performance and reliability associated with our other products and we also look forward to working with customers to select the right products for individual needs. Will G2E 2014 represent the first time CPI has exhibited
as ‘one’ company? CPI began exhibiting as one company earlier this year beginning with May’s National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) trade show in San Diego, California. We had previously displayed our logo on separate Crane Payment Solutions and MEI booths. Our booths are now designed to reflect the impressive breadth of our product portfolio and, depending on the region, visitors can expect to see a mix of offerings across coins and notes from hoppers to acceptors and recyclers. G2E 2014 will be no different and our booth will feature the CashCode one and CashCode one 3000 note acceptors alongside the Money Controls Ardac Elite note acceptor and Universal Hopper and several MEI products including SC Advance, EasiTrax Web and the new SCR note recycler. What would represent a successful G2E 2014 for CPI? As one of the largest trade shows in gaming and with operators expected to attend from all corners of the industry, G2E 2014 will provide an ideal platform from which to show how our robust product portfolio can serve such a diverse marketplace while supporting the needs of operators on an individual basis. We also intend to highlight our recent partnership with TITO printer manufacturer TransAct. CPI and TransAct are both aligned to deliver products that exceed customer expectations by enhancing operational efficiencies to provide an unequalled payback. The ability to make a deal to simultaneously purchase note acceptors and printers is convenient for operators, who also benefit from our commitment as individual companies to innovate and continuously improve our products. We fully expect to meet our objectives for G2E 2014 and invite attendees to connect with us and evaluate our products at booth 4747.
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Gamblit Gaming
Bridging the gap between games and gambling Eric Meyerhofer, CEO Gamblit Gaming chats to Peter White For those of our readers not familiar with this company please could we commence this interview with an introduction to Gamblit Gaming? EJM: Gamblit Gaming offers products which converge entertainment games (i.e. video games)
with a wagering system to provide a revolutionary new gaming product to address the younger legal wagering age demographic now frequenting casinos. Gamblit supplies and operates both online and land based forms of the product.
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Gamblit takes the approach of putting a “shot of fun” into entertainment games, rather than constructing a pure wagering game that’s been artfully skinned. This fundamental difference has implications all the way from the game through the back end system. As a result of this approach, Gamblit’s products address a different market than what is currently addressed by electronic gambling games today. Through the outsourcing and the provisions provided by Gamblit Gaming to game developers can that achieve reductions in the development costs involved in game development.
player’s experience.
Can you explain the Gamblit GDK, and the key benefits it provides organisations when installed into their existing games. EJM: Gamblit’s GDK allows game studios and publishers to connect their games to the Gamblit Engine which enables real money and virtual currency wagering in games. Connection of the game to the Gamblit Engine powers the game in a way that preserves the game’s natural play, while adding the excitement of wagering into the mix.
Gaming on Mobile and Tablet is continuing to grow, with the future looking like these devices becoming significant in globally appeal and popularity, how can the expertise at Gamblit Gaming assist the game developers with optimising there content and game performance on these devices? EJM: Mobile and Tablets are newer developments for the mature gaming industry, so efforts must be made to migrate products developed for the PC to mobile. In the case of Gamblit, the company and product was built around mobile from the outset, and indeed most of the employees of the company have extensive background in mobile and the games industry to a greater degree than PC, where the shift from PC to mobile occurred a number of years ago. So esstentially, its just a matter of timing. Gamblit’s expertise, based on its people, has been oriented to mobile for a far longer period of time. Its also interesting to note that we have a relatively young crew, so they are building products for people of their same generation. They have an natural understanding of what works and what doesn’t based on their own play experience.
As accessibility of this kind of technology develops can you assure the market that the provisions Gamblit provides will be scalable? EJM: Most certainly. Gamblit first and foremost is about designing an infrastructure which allows a game to “socket in” to a regulated wagering system. We don’t feel that the limitation will be the number of the games which can be connected, but rather making sure that the games offered are appealing and have been gamblified well. This requires careful study and a strong understanding of the games market. What are you finding as regards feedback from operators? EJM: Incredibly positive. Operators have been struggling with trying to migrate their product offerings to be more appealing to the younger demographic of players. As it stands today, interest in traditional wagering games falls off rather rapidly for younger players, and that is the case even up through people in their 40’s. The exception here being poker, which is a great interactive skill/ wagering game attracting that demographic, but not everyone likes poker. Casual and entertainment games are far more popular by numbers. Over the years you and your team must have accumulated a great deal of hands on experience in gaming and how best to optimise the gaming
What has been the reception like for Gambit Gaming so far at the exhibitions & conferences you have exhibited at this year. EJM: Just as in the case with Operators, the supply side of the industry has also been enthusiastic about the product as they have been listening to Operators and looking at the data of where the market is headed. In a number of cases, organic efforts have been taking place seeking to develop new products, so partnerships with such companies are also a good fit for Gamblit.
Could you provide our readers with the details on the next events where those wishing to see the Gambit Gaming system in operation? EJM: In terms of major shows, we will be exhibiting at both G2E Las Vegs and the upcoming ICE show in London. Attendees will be able to experience the Gamblit product and systems there. And finally what are the company’s main goals for 2014 into 2015? EJM: We are planning an operational launch of online operations in the UK, first for virtual currency in 2014, and as a Remote Operator for real money gaming in 2015. We also have a number of other goals, but these are our primary focus at this point.
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Preview of Gaming Technology 2014
The Forum To Address Technology Impact On Casino Operations
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he 12th annual Gaming Technology Forum, a conference and trade show, will be held November 3-5, 2014, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas. The conference presents 27 workshops and educational sessions that address technology in the gaming industry and its impact on casino resort operations. Gaming Technology Forum is the must-attend conference for exploring technology opportunities in the gaming industry, and industry leaders will be on hand to answer your most challenging questions. Choose from one of three specialized tracks (Technology, Strategy or iGaming) or mix and match sessions to best suit your needs. The keynotes this year are not to be missed as they will examine some of the most pressing issues on the minds of operators in all markets and will be presented by the following leaders in our industry: • Geoff Freeman, CEO, American Gaming Association • Bob Boughner, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Boyd Gaming Corp. • Curtis Levinson, US Cybersecurity Advisor to NATO The agenda kicks off with a Technology Bootcamp. The refresher course will give you the technology basics to prepare for the in-depth discussions scheduled for the following days. Here is just a sample of the additional topics that will be discussed at this year’s conference • Mobile Technology & Apps in the Casino Resort • Data Privacy & Legal Exposures • iGaming Technology: Models and Options • The Convergence Cycle: iGaming to B&M and Back to iGaming • From IT Specialist to CIO – Landing Your Next Big Job • Revenue Management – Casino and Non-Casino Unique to the Gaming Technology Forum is a focus on career path development. “The career path for IT executives has changed dramatically in just the last few years,” said Saverio Scheri, president and CEO of WhiteSand Gaming. “We’re using the conference to bring together IT recruiters, candidates, and employers for networking and educational panels. We have added a number of conference sessions focused on IT careers and we’ll have local and national recruiters participating on panels, exhibiting on the trade floor and meeting candidates and employers during our Industry Networking Night
event. Landing that next big job is a difficult task and we want to help prepare both candidates and employers.” IT Recruiters Technology recruiting firms are invited to participate in “Recruiters Row” on the exhibit floor, along with the Industry Networking Night, a mixer on the exhibit floor where recruiters, candidates, and companies in need of IT talent get to meet and make connections. IT recruiting firms receive a 20% discount off the exhibit booth price. Trade Show The trade show floor is dedicated to innovative technology used in the gaming industry including online gaming, business intelligence, casino management, player tracking, hotel revenue management, F&B systems, marketing and promotions, mobile technology, apps development, cybersecurity, and casino accounting. There are still booths in good locations available and some sponsorship opportunities. For more information, please contact Ellen Eccles at 609-579-5230 or Jason Rosenberg at jrosenberg@whitesandgaming.com or visit the website at www.gamingtechnologyforum.com Don’t forget! This year, the registration fee for casino employees will be waived! That’s right, casino presidents, GM’s, CIO’s, CTO’s, CFO’s, IT leaders, marketing executives can all attend for free but space is limited and will end soon. Click here to reserve your spot. About WhiteSand WhiteSand Gaming LLC is a leading global gamingservices firm. The company provides casino and resort management, as well as consulting services, to a substantial and diversified client base, including gaming corporations, regulatory agencies, tribal governments, lotteries, racetracks and resort hotels. WhiteSand’s team consists of experienced professionals who possess executive-level operational experience with some of the world’s top gaming companies, and extensive consulting experience as practice leaders for several of the Big Four consulting firms. Founded in 2001, the firm is headquartered in Las Vegas, maintains an office in Atlantic City, and recently opened international offices in London and Macau. For more information, visit www. whitesandgaming.com.
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CHIPS at Wentworth The British Gaming Golf Championship, for and on behalf of CHIPS Charity, is organized by the charity’s co-founder, Linda Lindsey. We spoke to her after a busy day at Wentworth
W
e were delighted with the turnout for the 13th British Gaming Golf Championship this year. We had 104 players which is the maximum that the Edinburgh course at Wentworth can take for a ‘shotgun’ start. We book all their buggies from one year to the next and could do with a few more if Wentworth could supply them. Although it is too early to have the final figures,through the generosity of all the players, almost entirely from the Casino and Gaming Industry, we expect to have raised approximately £140K. The goodwill of all the players even extended to the winning team, runners up team and the third place team returning their team competition winning cheques. The two youngsters Harry and Sam who received their specially made powered wheelchairs during pre dinner drinks, represented both ends of the age
limits for CHIPS Charity. Harry is 3 and Sam is 17. It is always a very emotional interlude when the chairs are presented and especially so this year as Sam said a personal ‘thank you’ to everyone. These chairs give the youngsters their independence and mobility, sometimes for the first time in their lives! A huge thank you must go to Nick Harding and everyone from Praesepe who, through their fund raising month raised £110K, which will provide 18 more youngsters with their new powered wheelchairs, these presentations will be all across the UK. CHIPS Charity is very grateful to IGT for designing and manufacturing the new collection boxes,which we hope will be placed in every casino throughout the UK. These boxes will take cash or gaming chips and could help to raise more funds to provide more desperately needy youngsters with their powered wheelchairs and thereby their mobility. Anyone
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wishing to have one or more of these collection boxes should contact the committee. CHIPS Charity will always try to locate the recipients close to where the funds have been raised. The 13th British Gaming Golf Championship was won this year by the team from the Broadway Casino in Birmingham with the team from IGT as runners up. The individual prize was won by Steve Ambrose from Praesepe. The after dinner entertainment was provided by comedian Ian Irving with 3 Playboy Bunnies helping to extract raffle and auction donations from the diners. The CHIPS Charity committee really appreciate the support of the industry for this annual tournament and we sincerely hope that they will all return in September 2015. CHIPS Charity committee work for free, no expenses are deducted, every penny raised is used
to provide wonderful youngsters with their powered wheelchairs. It is incredibly rewarding meeting the amazing recipients and their families as I travel around the country delivering these wheelchairs, delivering freedom, independence and mobility. The British Gaming Golf Championship and CHIPS Charity evolved from the John Huxley tournament when my husband, Jeffrey and I owned the company, the tournament brought the industry together and over the years has raised in excess of ÂŁ1.4million and provided almost 500 powered wheelchairs. Long may this continue! 13th British Gaming Golf Championship and CHIPS Charity would like to thank all our sponsors from in and out of the industry for their wonderful continued support, we sincerely hope this will continue so that we can create many more happy youngsters and change the lives of them and their families.
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Slot Summit
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The popular Slot Summit conferences return after the Summer holidays with a new owner & a familiar face. Glyn Thomas interviews Lucien Wijsman
n September 2014, Clarion Events, whose Totally Gaming brands include ICE, ICE Conferences, GiGse and EiG, announced that it had acquired a majority interest in the Slot Academy and Slot Summit events created and run by respected industry personality Lucien Wijsman. With Lucien retaining a significant shareholding in the ‘Slot’ business as well as an executive position on the board, we spoke to him about how he saw the opportunities to develop the brands moving forward as well as what’s in store for delegates attending Slot Summit, France Lille, 25-27 November and Slot Summit Latin America & Caribbean, 10th/11th/12th December, Hilton Hotel, Bogota, Colombia www. slotsummit.com
What were the qualities of this event that attracted the interest of Clarion Gaming? Obviously it’s difficult for me to comment on what Clarion saw in terms of the synergies and opportunities, but from the outset of our discussions, which began a year ago and continued through ICE 2014, it was obvious there was a clear fit between my vision and that of Clarion’s. I have been a great admirer of what Clarion has brought to the industry both in terms of launching new brands, nurturing existing brands and in the case of ICE relaunching a brand and turning it into what it is today, the world’s biggest and most favourite gaming event. Both the Slot Academy and the Slot Summit are very personal to me and I feel totally comfortable that
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we share the same vision and confident that our agreement will enable us to take the two brands to the next level. The event has a new website, what will it help deliver? I think it is very important to make the distinction between the Slot Academy and the Slot Summit and the new web site helps to explain the points of difference. The Academy is a school with one teacher – me. It sets out to equip people with the necessary tools to increase their revenues from electronic casino gaming. The Slot Summits feature a multitude of speakers and covers a range of topics and issues relevant to gaming. Networking is a very important part of each Summit, as is the opportunity to meet with peers in a relaxed and ‘non-selling’ environment. Whilst there is a significant cross over audience between the two it is important to make the distinction which our new web site helps us to achieve. I think the new site looks more professional as you would expect from the team at Clarion and the functionality in terms of online registration and online booking is a big advance. When is the next Slot Summit and what’s new? The next Slot Summit is in Lille, France and it takes place across 25th/26th/27th November. Starting in 2014, we are going to run just one summit in Europe, which means that we will have a wider audience with gaming professionals coming from UK and Ireland, France, the German speaking countries, Scandinavia, Italy and Spain – amongst others. To cater for this more cosmopolitan audience we will be providing simultaneous translations in French, English, Italian and German as a minimum, with the scope to increase the number if there is the demand. There will be 15 presenters all of whom are specialists in their fields and it will be much bigger in scale based on the access we have to Clarion’s network of influencers. However, apart from these issues of scale the basic model will not change. Essentially, the Summits will remain an excellent opportunity for mid and senior management to spend quality time with their peers in a quality environment. The Summit model has successfully delivered really valuable opportunities to network and to learn and those unique characteristics will remain. Can you provide an insight into the Conference programme? We will have a sharp focus on bingo which is becoming increasingly important particularly in France. I’m not disclosing any names but your readers can be assured that the speakers will be
leaders in their field. The feedback to our themed sessions was so positive that we are extending them in 2014. One of the topics is Multi-Media Management and there will be short presentations to show case the latest products and technology available. Drawing some inspiration from outside the gaming space we will also have the Marketing Manager from Chanel France to explain how this famous brand uses monitors to communicate with its customers. There will be a session on Scent Marketing featuring a senior executive from leading US company ScentAir which will examine how this marketing tool is being adapted for use in smoking rooms and how it impacts bottom line revenues. Aleksey Belinskiy, lead architect at Steelman Partners will be sharing his insight on how interior architecture is being deployed to dovetail with different casino player profiles. We have worked hard to bring some fascinating topics to the Summit all of which have a very real impact on casino profitability. Is the entertainment programme an important part of the proposition as it has been in the past? Absolutely! I believe that networking is as important as generating gaming knowledge. There will be dinners on both the Tuesday and Wednesday and the overall experience will be as memorable as they have been in previous years! Following the European Slot Summit you have the Colombia Slot Summit – can you provide our readers with more details? It’s official title is Slot Summit Latin America & Caribbean and it takes place across 10th/11th/12th December at the Hilton Hotel in Bogota. This is a really excellent venue which is close to the ‘go to’ entertainment district in Bogota. The hot topic is Server Based Gaming and the changes in regulations which have taken place in that part of the world. We will be announcing more details closer to the time but I think the content will be compelling particularly for the target Latin American audience. Have you any regrets about no longer being solely in charge? Not at all! This is a fantastic opportunity for me to grow my baby. I couldn’t think of any other company that I would be comfortable doing this with. Clarion share the same principles, the same outlook, the same philosophy and the same hunger that was responsible for me starting this journey 10 years ago and which still drives me to this day. The team at Clarion have the expertise and skill set to do the things that I’m weakest on allowing me to focus on content – it’s a dream for me.
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SPOTLIGHT – G2e LV Aristocrat Moves to the Next Level at G2E 2014 with Strong Portfolio of Systems, Games
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AS VEGAS (September 11, 2014) – In booth #1141 at G2E 2014, Aristocrat will be taking its content-led strategy to the next level, with ground-breaking innovation across its entire portfolio. “This is one of the most exciting times in Aristocrat’s 61-year history. A series of targeted acquisitions, investments in cutting-edge hardware, technology and high-profile licenses, plus market-leading creative talent will all come together at G2E 2014. We are confident that our portfolio positions customers to take their success to the next level across multiple channels, and we can’t wait to show it off at G2E,” said Aristocrat’s Chief Product Officer, Rich Schneider. Aristocrat’s Oasis 360™ CMS product is already North America’s most widely used casino system. At G2E, the business will showcase new developments that offer even more choice, performance and flexibility to Oasis customers. For example, the new Oasis HALO™ suite extends casino’s marketing reach with the industry’s most advanced loyalty-building software, and the new Oasis ONELINK™ technology enhances Aristocrat’s system bonusing and will take media management to the next level. These products are available to every casino across North America, both Oasis 360 customers and those who use other systems. Aristocrat will also feature two new bonusing engines: the award-winning Episodic BonusingTM and Elimination BonusingTM. Episodic
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SPOTLIGHT – G2e LV
BonusingTM was named one of the year’s top new slot floor technologies in CEM’s 2014 Slot Floor Technology Awards. Elimination BonusingTM is a floor-wide, system initiated bonusing program played on the Oasis nCompass™ media window. In addition to groundbreaking new systems technologies, Aristocrat will present nearly 200 new games, along with several innovative new cabinets. At G2E 2014, the company’s investments in cutting-edge hardware and technology will combine with proven content to take the game and the player to a whole new level. Aristocrat’s licensed titles and core game segments – E*SERIES™, J* SERIES™, and C* SERIES™ – will present a diversified games portfolio that is stronger than ever and will deliver excitement and performance across a diverse player base. The company’s Gaming Operations division is well known for delivering proven performance. The legendary Buffalo Stampede™ was named one of the industry’s most profitable new games in Goldman Sachs’ 2014 Slot Manager Survey. The Walking Dead™ Slot Game and Batman™ Classic TV Series powered by Wonder Wheels™ also topped industry surveys, and were named among the most anticipated game releases of the year by slot managers. Aristocrat is building on this reputation for performance with a depth and diversity of product offerings and new hardware unlike anything customers have seen before. At G2E the company will premiere new titles including Ted
and Superman™ The Movie, which pave the future roadmap for the new Wonder Wheels™ product line. The latest in the successful Superman™ franchise, Superman™ Man of Steel™, will also be unveiled at the show, and the Buffalo™ franchise will expand with a highly anticipated new Buffalo title. In addition to these appealing licensed themes, Aristocrat will showcase some of its best Hyperlink™ content including Cashman Fever II™, Good Fortune™ and Pixie Wishes™, which combine the best E*SERIES games with the proven success of Hyperlink jackpots. Aristocrat’s Gaming Sales division has demonstrated commitment to meeting the diverse needs of operators with its C*SERIES, E*SERIES and J*SERIES games. The C*SERIES maintains the company’s commitment to classic Aristocrat style content that players love, and is rolling out the fun with new game families Mega Line Power and Extra Bonus Wilds. The E*SERIES is designed by industryleading talent and was named one of the most anticipated releases in the 2014 Goldman Sachs Slot Manager Survey. At G2E Aristocrat will deliver with new titles The Romance of Rain and Fire™ and Mythos™. Finally, the J*SERIES features diversified product lines specifically created to thrill jackpot chasing players. Aristocrat’s portfolio is growing with Cash Explosion™ and Wonder 4™ Jackpots, leveraging the incredible popularity of the Wonder 4™ series. One of Aristocrat’s most popular games is better than ever in Wicked Winnings Legends™, with the classic game and an enhanced deluxe version – all in the same cabinet. With a content-led strategy approaching full momentum, smart acquisitions, full systems solutions, new cabinets and the best portfolio of new game titles in the market, let Aristocrat take your business to the Next Level at G2E 2014.
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SPOTLIGHT – G2e LV
Interblock
Tom O’Brien, CEO Interblock USA interview by Chris Sanson, Editor in Chief Casino Life Earlier this year Interblock launched the G5 Diamond Series, can you explain to our readers about these new EGM’s as well as the reaction by Casino operators when they see them in operation on your booth at exhibitions. • Interblock’s G5 product line shows significant improvements of our successful G4 products. The G5 PlayStation is built to accommodate a large touch sensitive LCD together with separate button deck LCD display. The PlayStations have better security, illuminated armrests, faster and more powerful embedded graphical engines, an HQ sound system, a unified power system and easier access for maintenance purposes. New titles were released this year
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along with the G5 PlayStation; Big 3 Six, Pop’ n Poker and many more to come. The casino operators have been happy with their performance so far and we only expect the success to increase as time passes. The G5 range currently has Roulette Dice & Bubble could you provide us details of each? • Bubble is a fully automated gaming device where balls are blown through as exhaust tube and shuffled through the air. As gravity does its work and a ball eventually passes through one of the 52 holes/pockets in the gaming place, this triggers an event. On this event, the next in line number is taken from a pool of pre-generated numbers, which corresponds to the game result values. Currently, the Bubble Generator is used on a product called Pop’n Poker that combines the excitement of Keno with the game of Poker. It consists of 52 marked balls, each one representing a unique playing card in a standard 52-card deck. • The new G5 card generator product line includes Baccarat, Blackjack and multi-hand blackjack as well as multiple side bets.
range, where these new editions an in-house development or driven by the market requesting for these versions? • The Interblock G5 StarBar is a beautiful product solution designed for installation into a bar top counter. It is the first of its kind; there is no competitor product in the market like it. The StarBar can be connected to all Interblock Mechanical Generators, the Interblock Hologram Gaming Lounge and the Interblock Live Tables. The G5 StarBar can also be a stand-alone gaming device with a built in generator. The player controls the game through a touch sensitive display and that display shows each player’s actions and the state of the game (placing of bets, winning number, progress of the game cycle, “Call attendant” messages and similar information). Players at the individual G5 StarBar may increment their
The G5 Star Bar and Play station EGM’s are a very attractive addition to the
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A
ACTION! Discover Clarion Events
Totally Gaming
ExCeL, London
3rd - 5th February 2015
icetotallygaming.com
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SPOTLIGHT – G2e LV Blackjack, Baccarat, Sic Bo, Pop’N Poker, Keno and Craps. All standard table game rules apply. Interblock side bets will also be available in the future.
credit by either bills or tickets and receive payouts in form of tickets or hand-pay, when printing the ticket is not available. The G5 StarBar is built to accommodate large touch sensitive LCD display together with a separate button deck LCD display. • This product gives players different game options while sitting in the bar environment. They can play their favorite traditional table game while sitting next to their friends that may be playing the same or different table game than them. The G5 StarBar product takes up less floor space, allowing the casino operator to place more products on their floors. A wide range of Interblock games will be available on the G5 StarBar. Those games include Interblock Roulette (Single Zero and Double Zero), Multi-Hand
How has 2014 been for Interblock USA, so far this year? • 2014 has been another successful year for The Interblock Team. The United States has broken records in revenue and is installing the new G5 product line all over and we expect 2015 to be even better then 2014. Are there any other new games and EGM’s on show this year at your booth for G2e Las Vegas this year and for those wishing to organise a tour of your booth how can they get in contact with Interblock USA ahead of this year’s Show? • At last year’s G2E we introduced so many new products we decided to focus on the core of what has made our company successful to date and we are still getting the majority of the products in the Casinos as we speak. We will show products that you may have seen in the past but with major improvements. We are putting a strong focus on continued customer relations and service this year.
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SPOTLIGHT – G2e LV
IGT’s S3000 Cabinet
Inspired by history. Driven by innovation. Committed to the future.
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aming pioneers at IGT are at it again. This year, G2E show-goers will be dazzled by the latest hardware innovation from “Out of the Blue,” IGT’s all new S3000™ Cabinet. This forsale, attention-grabbing cabinet is like none the industry has seen before. Building upon the legendary and time-tested success of the S2000 cabinet, S3000 is a dynamic evolution of the spinning reel experience. “The S3000 is a huge leap forward in cabinet design and performance and one that will be welcomed by operators and players alike,” said Joe Sigrist, IGT VP of Game Development and Global Product Management. “We coupled our vast understanding of spinning reel player preference with our rich game library and cutting-edge innovation - the result is electrifying.” From classic three-reel, to firstto-market five-reel multiline games, S3000 provides attractive play options for all player types. Building upon IGT’s core game leadership, S3000 is backed by an extensive pipeline of new and classic themes and is poised to meet the demands of any player type. Familiar fan-favorite games such as Double Diamond,
Double Gold, Wild Cherry, Super X Pay and more have been reinvigorated for a player experience on S3000 that is more captivating than ever. User-friendly, configurable minimum and maximum bet options, multi-denomination capabilities, new “Bet Up” and “Bet Down” buttons and easy theme conversions allow operators to appeal to a diverse player base with minimal resources. A simple five-button player panel is complemented by a state-of-the-art touch screen display, making a truly wellrounded evolution of a classic core centerpiece. The S3000 is impossible to miss on a casino floor. Not only does the cabinet boast a dynamic design, its adjustable sound and lighting package and capabilities demand attention. Banked machines can be synched up to deliver an attentiongrabbing light and music show that will demand attention on any casino floor. “S3000 will be impossible to miss in the IGT booth,” added Sigrist. “It’s flashy, fun and exactly what spinning reel players have been waiting for.” To learn more about IGT and the Company’s G2E product portfolio visit igt.com or join at the conversation via @IGTNews and #igtblue.
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SPOTLIGHT – G2e LV
AMATIC Industries exhibiting at G2E Turbo Card Roulette and Performer C22 to be on display The team at Austria’s AMATIC Industries sends out a warm welcome to visitors to the forthcoming G2E Las Vegas that will take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center between 30th September and 2nd October. Visitors to booth number 4016 will see solutions for table games and Multi Game slot machines. The ‘Turbo Card Roulette’ – a joint invention between INAG and AMATIC Industries – will take centre stage. The TCR is patented to INAG and has passed all necessary GLI testing. This cardbased roulette offers unique advantages over conventional roulette. It requires minimal training for operators and surveillance – it is designed to allow no operator errors and no casino bleed. There is no decrease in decisions per hour as more players join the game. It is fully expandable as AMATIC Industries have transformed the TCR into
an electronic version providing the necessary software and hardware (including touchscreen monitors). The TCR is already approved in several US states. Multi Game has been the focus of AMATIC Industries from its company incorporation. This wealth of knowledge has seen AMATIC Industries firmly establish itself in the global gaming market. The stylish Performer C22 upright cabinet will be on display at the G2E Las Vegas. “It will be great to see our customers again in Las Vegas. We are convinced that the Turbo Card Roulette is a perfect solution for gaming in the USA and we see real opportunities in many other countries as well. Concerning Multi Game, we invite visitors to see the magical combination of great games in a stylish and secure cabinet. We welcome guests to our booth 4016!”, noted Mr. Thomas Engstberger, Sales Manager at AMATIC Industries.
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75034-1
arena berlin 21 – 23 / 10 / 2014
eigexpo.com
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Must-See TV Becomes
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9.30. 14
IGT G2E
© 2014 IGT. All rights reserved. ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (S14) All other trademarks are owned and/or registered by IGT and/or its licensors in the U.S. and/or other countries.
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