was interesting is that operators lauded their machines mix as a reason for their location’s success. Operators that have tried to develop a ‘one manufacturer’ only policy have struggled or failed – especially in Sofia. Customers in Bulgaria demand variety and while Casino Technology and EGT dominate the floors, banks of slots from international gaming manufacturers also featured in every gaming hall we visited. One of the big surprises was that multi-player roulettes have been falling in popularity in the gaming halls in Bulgaria according to operators, a statistic borne out anecdotally during our visit, with machines sitting idle while players chased bonuses and jackpots constantly updated on big screen monitors.
Te catalyst for the development of the Bulgarian market was the Gaming Act, which is described by operators as contemporary, well balanced and flexible – with the industry and government working together to build a strong business community and protect the player. Built into the Bulgaria Gaming Act is a provision, a special tax, paid by operators to fund research and prevention of problem gambling. It’s a fixed amount paid annually, with land-based slot operators paying 5,000BGN per location, with 50,000BGN for online operators.
In addition to the millions collected from this tax, the government also instigated a tender in 2016 for software suppliers to create programmes designed to monitor and prevent gambling addiction within their CMS systems. Te Bulgarian Trade Association, BTAGI, also provides a number of initiatives to combat problem gambling, including workshops held in different towns and cities throughout the year.
CHANGE AT A COMPANY LEVEL Te Bulgarian market as a whole hasn’t so much
country’s banking sector, the benefits of fair, robust and measured legislation is paying dividends at both ends of the spectrum.
AN ACT OF DEFIANCE When the Gaming Act came into force in
Bulgaria, gaming halls in cities had to operate a minimum of 50 machines per location, which saw the closure of hundreds of smaller halls and a massive consolidation of the business (50 slots per location in cities with over 500,000 inhabitant, 30 slots for cities with 50,000- 500,000 inhabitants and 15 units for towns and villages with less than 50,000 people). Each location had to dedicate 2sq.m. for the siting of each machine, with floor space becoming a determining factor in whether a location was able to continue operation. New halls sprang up in much larger locations, away from schools, hospitals and government facilities as dictated in the law, with the exception of those conjoined with five-star hotels.
Te result of this rout of small operations is that the market has significantly matured, with
gaming halls not only scaling in size, but installing the very latest gaming equipment and systems. Players are now some of the most demanding in the European marketplace and operators have had to keep pace with this shift in sophistication and desire to play the very latest innovations.
Te gaming halls in Bulgaria have most obviously benefitted from the development of modern gaming machines, with ‘traditional’ devices being removed from locations across the country, refurbished and re-sited in new markets such as Africa. Te scale of this refresh of machines in the gaming halls we visited in Sofia was astonishing. ‘Big monitor’ machines dominate the market with each casino operator singing the praises of the new devices and already planning additional installations.
Te majority of machines across the locations came from EGT and Casino Technology, with APEX, Aristocrat, Novomatic, Scientific Games, Merkur Gaming and IGT etc. all represented, though with a smaller number of units. What
grown, as it has been completely refreshed. Legislation has weeded out the weak and the illegitimate, promoting a sector that now thrives on new technology. “If you look at other markets around the world, you’ll see machines almost a decade old still occupying space on the casino floors,” Casino Technology Founder, President and CEO, Milo Borissov. “While the market in Bulgaria supports around 25,000 machines, the majority of this number is three to five years old, with the replacement cycle now much shorter than five years.”
Te dominant forces in the Bulgarian slots sector are EGT and Casino Technology, though in the last two years international manufacturers have gained a footprint in the market. Casino management systems are used throughout the country, both in the live table and electronic casino halls, with IGT and Casino Technology systems commonplace. Te gaming show, BEGE, has also come of age. Launched 10 years ago, the Bulgarian Entertainment Gaming Expo was initially (and we’re being kind) an amateur affair. However, in the last three years the show has matured and now reflects the marketplace in terms of professionalism, commercial activity and investment.
Te BEGE gaming show and conference has also played a major part in the renaissance of the Bulgarian gaming market. Te ability of the industry to meet with regulators and legislators
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