Exhibition G2E LAS VEGAS 2013
business. Aside from Group CEO, Marco Sala, the role of everyone else in the busi- ness has fundamentally altered. Essentially, Mr. Bugno is describing the business as operating a matrix in which each employee is no longer separated along product lines.
"We believe we are now best positioned to go to the market with the right answers," says Mr. Bugno. "We don't have an interac- tive division, or a systems division. We have a gaming organisation that provides all these products, organised at the global level. Past divisions no longer exist. We are making sure that people recognise the clear responsibilities while understanding the lack of division. Whereas before we operated in a defined gaming space, it's now a much broader message."
Walking the floor at G2E it's obvious that the changes Mr. Bugno is describing have affected every exhibitor. Exhibition stands are obviously sub-divided into traditional and interactive divisions, reflecting both the need to embrace new sectors, and yet at the same time underlining the awkward adolescent relationships still being forged between the two. At present, traditional land-based brands feel the need to broad- cast their interactive credentials, whereas discussions with individual companies reveal much closer synergies than the sig- nage would suggest.
"We have repositioned our business to reflect the way that our customers are operating their businesses," says Mr. Bugno. "We offer one integrated solution, with every GTECH product available from one source. At this show we are not a series of different booths split by product category and brand. Customers visit exhi- bitions to talk about products, not about the business supplying them. Our ability to bring product to market is what's impor- tant.
“As such we are leveraging the organisa- tion to take a broader portfolio of product to market, offering interactive, lottery, machines, online, mobile, systems, etc. under one umbrella. It's an aggregation that enables us to streamline product development and innovation. We are no longer a company of divergent teams developing solutions for different sectors. Now there is one team working upon scaleable platforms with their focus on innovation and best product delivery, which is exactly what our customers want."
EXTENDING YOUR ADVANTAGE
MEI Group’s EASITRAX Web makes it easier than ever to keep cash under contrel, wherever and whenever you need
Cash management solutions were the focus of MEI Group's G2E 2013 presentation in Las Vegas, with the combination of the SC Advance note acceptor and EASITRAX Soft Count product extension taking pride of place on the stand.
Speaking to MEI Group Marketing Coordinator, Dennis Kinsey, he explained that it's become increasingly unusual to see a casino open without an asset management system that ties slot per- formance to the soft count room. It certainly explains the success of EASITRAX, which since launch five years ago is now installed in over 100,000 games worldwide.
At the show in Vegas MEI announced the launch of a new software extension, EASITRAX Web, that allows operators additional flexibility when accessing and evaluating performance data.
"EASITRAX Web makes it easier to import data from the SC note acceptor and convert it into reports from anywhere in the world," explained Mr. Kinsey. "The data can be used to assist the
drop process, facilitate asset evaluations and drive preventive maintenance programs. The hardware/software solution can also be easily retrofitted to new applications and be applied to existing EASITRAX customers."
Properties that have integrated EASITRAX, and those which plan to do so in the future, will have a choice whether to use the standard software package or the Web version. MEI will continue to updater both versions, which are offered at the same price.
"The feedback customers have provided about EASITRAX Soft Count has exceeded our expecta- tions," said MEI Senior Vice President-Americas, Eric Fisher. "Having a field base of more than 100,000 games using EASITRAX not only rein- forces the value of the solution, but it also drives us to continuously look for ways to make it bet- ter."
"Listening to our customers and developing prod- ucts that meet the needs of a global business environment is core to our strategy," said Mr. Fisher. "Whether you operate with EASITRAX today, or you’re looking to improve internal processes, EASITRAX Web can bring newfound efficiencies to your operation."
BLENDING THE OLD AND THE NEW
The latest J3 chips and plaques from Gaming Partners International blend tacile elegance with hi-tech performance
Modern casino gaming is a blending together of both the traditional and the technological. Most of the G2E Las Vegas exhibition was dominated by new hi-tech devices that attempted to create bleeding-edge experiences for the player using tablet devices, 3D touch screens, multi-touch plat- forms and curved OLED screens and buttons. However, there's a tactile experience that's been available to casino players for hundreds of years that is also enjoying a hi-tech make-over; the not so humble ‘chip.’
Gaming Partners International showed its new range of J3 chips and plaques at the G2E show with a range of designs and security features that gives each one a jewel-like quality. The J3 range is simi- lar in overall shape to a regular B&G chip or plaque, but they're 100 per cent jeton material. "The differ- ence with J3 is that the edges are flattened," explains GPI's Maricela Maciel. "This allows the J3 chips to be stacked and shuffled while being both very secure and very good-looking." Such is the intricacy of the design and high difficul-
ty in creating the J3 range that it's extremely diffi- cult to attempt to counterfeit them, and that's before GPI adds EM protection and RFID security features. "The J3 premium plaques are the pinnacle of plaque design and play into the desire of players to be treated as an extra-special guest and for oper- ators to provide a competitor-beating experience for their players," said Ms. Maciel. “The J3 range gives operators the ability to differentiate them- selves from the competition and provide the highest security product for their location. There's nothing like the J3 on the market at present and though it has been a challenge to produce this range from a technical production standpoint, going beyond the limits of what's out there today is both exciting and what our customers expect from GPI."
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