Focus G2E ASIA 2012
ALL OR NOTHING
Market acceptance of multi-player gaming is expanding just as Interblock finds the sweet-spot between design and performance
Electronic Table Games enjoy something of an 'all or nothing' relationship with international gaming markets. There are markets around the world that are 'fit to bursting' with multi-players, while others remain virgin territories. Rather than universal acceptance, there appears to be a tipping point at which ETGs are suddenly accepted by a market in vast numbers, having initially resisted the charms of these diverse gaming products. In Asia, the market is now tipping, with Asian player acceptance at an all-time high. Players have become comfortable with the type of hybrid gaming experience offered by ETGs and with the private gaming space they offer, so that operators are seeking to meet this accelerating demand.
“We can see the change across all the markets we serve,” underlined Interblock's Tom O'Brien at G2E Asia. “We could see the changeover at ICE and this has followed through to G2E Asia. The acceptance of ETGs across all markets is accelerating, especially in the US. We now have 3,000 playstations in the US alone. There’s been a real shift in the acceptance of this product. Concerns about floorspace and unions have given way to a real understanding of the benefits ETGs bring to operations, the increase in spins per hour, the operation of games 24/7. We're are seeing operators removing slots to place multi-players on their floors, something that's unprecedented in the US market until now. At the same time players understand where ETGs fit into their environment,
between live gaming and slots."
Specific placement in the US has changed the acceptance of ETGs. Siting multi- players in larger locations where the recurring revenue model ensures the best returns for both the operator and Interblock has changed the fortunes of multi-players in this once difficult to crack market. “We’ve had a steep learning curve when it came to the successful selling of this type of product in the US,” admitted Mr. O’Brien. “ETGs are successful in high traffic areas, close to live tables offering the same games and matching the bets of those games. This has driven player acceptance and as the volume of play has dramatically increased, operators can see the benefits in terms of labour costs and the operation of our games 24/7. Multi-player options in the past have presented multi-players with the need to have a dealer operating the live wheel. The key advantage with the Organic Pulse is that operators can switch between dealer assisted and fully automated at any time, so this machine never stops taking money.”
The latest generation of multi-players from Interblock are also performing at higher levels thanks to the inclusion of multi-game and multi-denomination. Adding extra games has seen yields rise spectacularly at locations such as Gentings Racetrack Casino in New York where clever marketing of the product has allayed fears that ETGs cannibalise live table play. Instead, incomes have grown across the board with the latest
"ETGs are successful in high
traffic areas, close to live tables
offering the same games and
matching the bets of those games. This has driven
player acceptance and as the volume of play has
dramatically increased,
operators can see the benefits in
terms of labour costs and the
operation of our
games 24/7. Multi- player options in the past have
presented multi- players with the need to have a dealer operating the live wheel. The key advantage with
the Organic Pulse is that operators can switch between
dealer assisted and fully automated at any time, so this machine never stops taking money."
TOM O’BRIEN, VP of Sales, Interblock.
Interblock products adding to the player spend per location. “In the past, ETGs were compared directly against earnings from slot machines,” described Mr. O’Brien. “But we don’t create a slots environment with ETGs. We are adding to the percentage hold on games, we deliver more games per hour, we are adding 4-6 per cent on the handle with quick and simple to understand side bets. Furthermore, operators are not looking to replace our product after 90 days, which is the current replacement cycle for slots in the US. ETGs are a different proposition to slots and it’s something that's taken a while to understand in the US, but results from major operators have built a momentum this product needed to push past the tipping point. We have close to 35,000 play stations around the world to date and we still see enormous potential for growth and expansion. It's a very exciting time for us.”
The latest product from Interblock that has only just been installed as Maryland Live! opened its doors last month is a new bar-top product. A terminal product linked to the automated or dealer-assisted game on the casino floor, the bar product is aimed at replacing video poker bar-tops with the offer of blackjack, baccarat or roulette games. Screens behind the bar display the games in action with results delivered live from the main floor. “We’re really excited about the bar-top product and the opening of a new 24 hour call centre in the US. We have installed a one- way communication interface into all our games, enabling us to resolve any issue as it arises,” stated Mr. O'Brien. “We are able to diagnose and fix problems before the operator is even aware of them. It's all part of us doing a better job for our customers.”
July 2012 PAGE 45
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