Insight
US NIGA 2017
National Indian Gaming show proves major hit in San Diego
Setting new records and creating a celebratory climate of Indian Gaming culture with just a touch of classic rock, NIGA returned to San Diego and was a massive hit: sending a clear message best described in the slogan that, as a parody of the recent US Presidential election campaign, rebounded on stickers, on T-shirts and in speeches throughout the show: ‘Let’s make America Indian Again’
Dominating the show’s main aisle the ‘big gun’ brands of the gaming industry, IGT, the multi-brand Scientific Games, Ainsworth Game Technology, Konami Gaming, Aristocrat and Novomatic Americas, all reported high foot traffic volumes and keen interest in their product displays.
P40 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
247.COM
With 375 companies exhibiting on some 75,000 net square feet of floor space at the San Diego Convention Center and a massive 7,000 plus visitor pre-registration, the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) annual tradeshow and convention could be counted as a great success. Organised on behalf of NIGA by Urban Exhibitions the show was, as ever, a trade event like no other. While there are numerous other Indian Gaming shows throughout each year (Oklahoma and Arizona being just two examples) only NIGA itself manages to combine a business-to-business event and conference with what is part pageantry, part cultural celebration, part heritage and with an overriding focus on education.
What about the classic rock element? Tat was provided by Gene Simmons, co-founder and bass player of the legendary band KISS (the capital spelling is obligatory!) who attended the NIGA ribbon cutting ceremony to promote the Rock and Brews nationwide chain of restaurants.
At the heart of this, an undoubted success, is NIGA Chairman Ernest J. Stevens, Jr. who, as the most effective and eloquent advocate of the wealth and job creation provided by the
phenomenon that is Indian Gaming, oversees the NIGA show with a combination of humility and an iron fist.
During this year’s NIGA event Chairman Stevens was, unsurprisingly, once again re-elected for a further two year term and used his acceptance speech to confirm that NIGA will move in 2018 from California to the spiritual home of all gaming, Las Vegas. Te show will take place from April 17th -20th in the North Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Centre: a venue unused by gaming industry events since G2E moved into the Sands Convention Center in 2011.
Dominating the show’s main aisle the ‘big gun’ brands of the gaming industry, IGT, the multi- brand Scientific Games, Ainsworth Game Technology, Konami Gaming, Aristocrat and Novomatic Americas, all reported high foot traffic volumes and keen interest in their product displays.
IGT showcased some of its new premium game titles, including the Sphinx 4D in the Crystal Curve True 4D cabinet; a game that the company describes as a multi-sensory gaming sensation and which allows players to touch and manipulate 3D objects that emerge from the screen. Harking back to yesteryear was the Double Diamond housed in the Mega Tower, IGT’s new, large format, mechanical reel cabinet. In common with many other exhibitors IGT also presented a wide range of Class II titles on a range of hardware solution options.
Ainsworth Game Technology launched a raft of new game titles at NIGA, many of them being
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