G2E 2016
cent; we expanded our manufacturing facility and R&D by 100 per cent last year, and we had to expand the booth because we have so much new product! This is what follows the expansion of our facility. “We launched Concerto last year, but now we
Cosmopolitan, MGM, Bellagio, New York, New York, you see the Cammegh product out there – our market share is very large now. It’s had an impact not just on the operators here, but it’s filtered out to overseas markets that come to this show. They recognise that MGM, Cosmopolitan and Las Vegas Sands are committing to our product, it does a lot of the selling for us. It has been very satisfying for us. “We have a hundred wheels and displays here
in Las Vegas with companies that really do due diligence before they invest; we have been given a resounding endorsement by a lot of knowledgeable operators.” It’s not just in the US where business is booming, either – Andrew told us they had just completed a new deal to replace the roulette wheels across the entire Holland Casinos estate.
Konami A noticeably greater product range on
Konami’s stand was, explained VP of Marketing Matt Reback, due to the company’s massive expansion of its Las Vegas facility, which has basically doubled in size. Matt told CI: “We have expanded the size of our booth by about 30 per
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY American Gaming Association (AGA)
GEOFF FREEMAN:
President/CEO Geoff Freeman opened his G2E media session with good news. The Presidential Debate Commission, co-founded and still co- chaired by former AGA CEO/President Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., selected Las Vegas as the final debate city in late October. Freeman believes that choosing Nevada, considered an electoral “battleground” state, confirms the gaming industry’s important economic and charitable contributions. This past year, the AGA has worked to educate potential elected politicians and voters about gaming through its
www.gettingtoknowgaming.org initiative. Sports betting has been a major AGA focus
this year and Freeman supports federal legalization that would offer states the authority
have a Concerto collection: Upright, Slant, Multigame selection, Crescent 43” curve, and a Stack, a 43” flatscreen. That’s five products in less than a year since the launch of the upright.” Impressive as this is, it was Konami’s skill gaming offering that knocked us for six. Frogger is one of videogaming’s oldest titles, but it has endured for a reason – it’s incredibly easy to pick up, but retains a challenge as the
about skill, while the second part, a wheel spin, is all about luck. It’s a canny combination and beautifully presented. The standout for us though, Beat Square.
Based on Jubeat, an extremely popular game concept by Konami, it’s a lot like a musical Whack-A-Mole, or like Dance Dance Revolution – a note pops up on a button pad and you have to hit that note with perfect timing; early or late and you get lower scores. It has variable paytables based on performance – for every single note you get a variable payback. The response to this at G2E was quite amazing, and whenever we saw the machines they were not just in play, they were surrounded. Matt explained to us why Konami might have an edge with skill gaming. He said: “With Konami’s digital heritage in video games and amusements, we are unique – nobody else can tap into what we can. This [Beat Square] is a game we borrowed from the amusement market, where it has been very popular, and we took the play mechanics and gamified it. There is a true connection between your skill and the return, but you can never be an advantage player because there is an RTP (return-to- player) and the game will deliver that. This isn’t just a slot game with a skills bonus –
player progresses. That’s the sign of a really well-designed game: simplicity in its gameplay doesn’t mean it’s easy to complete though. Frogger: Get Hoppin’ has no reels at all; the player uses their own skill to navigate across a busy road, and an equally busy river, collecting stars along the way. The stars are significant, as the more you collect, the better your odds on the next part of the game. The first part is all
to opt in or out. He cited philosophical differences between today’s politicians and those from the early 1990s when Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). The law barred sports betting anywhere but
Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. It provided a one-year window for New Jersey to write their own legislation, but internal state politics prevented passage. The combination of widespread popularity of gaming and sports has spurred greater public acceptance. Freeman says “fear versus facts” impedes progress towards a national solution.
Economist Dr. David Forrest and Chartered
Accountant Rick Parry-both from England- have long focused on sports economics and promoting sports integrity in the U.K. They questioned why the U.S. refuses to address illegal gambling as a real issue.
we have taken the reels out of play completely.” Score Gaming
With a growing reputation – not to mention
a growing base of installations – in table gaming, it was a pleasure to see Score Gaming at G2E and it seems the show’s many visitors agreed. COO Bobby Jones told CI, “The first day here was very busy, we have had great foot traffic; the difference this year to previous years
Their research, called “The Key to Sports
Integrity in the United States: Legalized, Regulated Sports Betting” confirms PASPA’s failure to stop American illegal sports betting’s annual growth. Current estimates total $150 billion being unlawfully wagered each year via office pools, bookmakers and illegal offshore gaming sites. Forrest and Parry contend that illegal
sports betting, not legal wagering, endangers sports integrity. Great Britain has maintained a legal program since 1961, allowing sports gamblers to bet on almost anything. Their report recommends a solid regulatory and legislative framework. stating “a strong, legalized sports betting market in the United States ...will stifle black market opportunities.” The Asian market-with China and India as
the largest gambling countries-lacks accountability. Excluding the Chinese Sports Lottery, all sports betting is illegal.
38 SEPTEMBER 2016
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