INSIGHT ICE LONDON PREVIEW LIGHT & WONDER
What impact has the new Kascasda cabinet, portrait, slant and dual screen, had on the EMEA market since launch?
Te introduction of the Kascada range of products has been a game changer. In all my years in this business I have never seen such an impact and this has driven a fantastic ship share this year when combined with some of the great content we have produced. What is more, the recently launched Cosmic cabinet has had an even bigger impact, which I expect will drive 2024.
Jon Lancaster VP of Sales EMEA Light & Wonder
Jon, what were the standouts for you in 2023? How would you summarise the year for Light & Wonder EMEA?
For me this year has been about our product performance across all lines of business. LnW has been committed to delivering the best performing and most innovative content that the market has to offer and this has been reflected in the dominant ship share that we have achieved. We have introduced some exciting new concepts into the electronic and live table games space and that innovation is driving growth. Our slot machine business continues to be powered by top performing content, which has sat at the top of the pile for close to a decade now following the launch of 88 Fortunes all those years ago.
We hear lots about the sensational growth of LnW in N. America - is the EMEA keeping pace?
LnW has always enjoyed a strong market share in our core EMEA markets and that has continued. We are, however, always looking to grow further and we are indeed expanding our presence into markets where traditionally we have been less strong.
What are the key drivers of growth in EMEA - across both slots and table gaming products?
Te EMEA slots market is relatively mature and so the key to growth is to ensure we have a robust library of top performing cabinets and games that are optimised for all the markets we serve. Tat enables us to continue to increment our ship share. Key for growth for us is to look at markets where we currently don’t play and to that end we are developing market specific slot products to allow us to enter and grow our share in those markets.
Te tables business has suffered post Covid. Operators are struggling to staff their tables and are operating with fewer tables. Despite that we continue to grow our tables business through innovative add-on products such as side bets and progressives. Tis is allowing operators to generate more income from the same tables and with fewer resources. Additionally, our market leading utility products are supporting table operations with enhanced speed of play and security features. We have added innovative functionalities to our electronic table products, which allow tables players to play their favourite table games electronically and when tables are closed.
What can you reveal about Light & Wonder’s plans for the ICE show next month?
It’s all about the GAMES! You can expect to see a strong line-up of great games and brands on great cabinets. However, it’s not only about the games. People will see innovation in our systems business, particularly in the area of player loyalty. We are truly an end-to-end omni-channel provider and customers will be able to see how we are bridging the worlds of land-based, online and social. Tere will also be a surprise or two!
Do you have any products that you’re especially excited to share with your customers in London?
It’s the year of the dragon and we will be launching what we expect to be one of our strongest performers to date, namely ‘Dragon Train.’ I’m also excited about Squid Game that will be debuted in EMEA. Tis game is truly innovative and, of course, is supported by one of the strongest brands around.
I’m excited about Engage, which is our systems player loyalty product. What’s neat about this product is that it is CMS agnostic, meaning it can sit on top of any base system. It’s extremely flexible and can be tailored to the needs of any operator
How do you feel about ICE leaving London and heading to your hometown in 2025?
It marks the end of an era for the show to be leaving London and that makes me sad after having clocked up so many memories. Customers have always enjoyed visiting London for reasons outside of the show. However, Barcelona is a great city too and people will for sure enjoy a different experience in the sunshine in January! Te venue is fantastic and the city is pulling out all the stops to welcome ICE and its visitors and so, whilst this is the end of an era, we will make it a success!
Finally Jon, how do you see the year ahead for LnW EMEA? What are the milestones you’re looking to hit in 2024
2024 is going to be another big year as we challenge ourselves to grow in existing markets and enter new ones. We are determined to be the number one cross-platform provider and we are on course to achieve that. We have some big product launches ahead, some market entries and some major projects to execute.
We have a fantastic team of talented people in the region and I’m convinced that this year we will take LnW to another level.
WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P27
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