Te Balkan markets are more attractive in terms of expansion and development, with greater
Reports
BULGARIA - SOFIA GAMING MARKET
in a neutral space, to discuss in a public forum the needs of all the interested parties and reach consensus has been massively influential in the stabilisation of the market.
“Te Balkan markets are more attractive in terms of expansion and development, with greater competition in every sector of the gaming industry,” says Casino Technology Vice President, Rossi McKee. “Te region is becoming much more interesting for the international gaming companies who are opening regional offices to service this market. Bulgaria itself is becoming a gaming hub, with fair, robust and stable legislation, excellent infrastructure and high speed internet at affordable prices; we are seeing IT centres opening across the country with online gaming companies establishing branch offices in Sofia to add support and marketing services.”
All this attention means that competition in the region is rampant. New products in online, sports-betting, slots and table games, are driving the market forward and creating an increasingly sophisticated player-base, which in turn is driving replacement cycles. “If you’re a manufacturer serving the 25,000 install base of gaming machines, you must be a ‘global’ supplier of games and machines,” underlines
competition in every sector of the gaming industry. Te region is becoming much more interesting for the international gaming companies who are opening regional offices to service this market
Mr. Borissov. “Te market demands the very best products available anywhere, with refurbished machines heading to secondary markets as part of the accelerating replacement cycle. Tis means that the market is very advanced, with rental and lease the overwhelming majority of machine deals due to the speed of the changeover process.”
Size of screen is something that really matters to local players. In the last three to four years the marketplace has seen screen sizes shift from a standard 20-22ins, to 24ins. and now 27ins. is already a minimum size for a gaming monitor. “I think the only constraints in terms of physical size will be determined by the space allocated by the casino,” says Mr. Borissov. “Manufacturers will continue to add larger and larger screens, but the operators will put a cap on the eventual size due to the limits of floor space and dimensions floor to ceiling. Te market is also quite price sensitive, so we’re not looking to build the space shuttle, as no one will pay for it.”
Since a conversation about gaming is not complete these days without mentioning ‘millennials,’ it appears that Bulgaria, despite its appetite for contemporary machines, is not immune to the diminishing number of slot hall
players as a younger generation seeks its gaming pleasures online. “Online is more appealing to this younger generation of players,” agrees Mr. Borissov. “Tey experience the world through their mobile devices – ‘on-the-go’ – not in land- based locations. In the near future, Casino Technology will be producing more and more content for these players. Every generation wants to find a different experience from the previous generation and we are going to target content in this direction.”
CASINO TECHNOLOGY HEAD OFFICES Every slot we saw in the gaming halls of Sofia
was a multi-games machine featuring a huge monitor, with games launched the moment a player’s finger touched the screen. “Players want the very latest gaming experience, and touchscreens and large 4K monitors deliver the kind of play they want,” says Casino Technology’s Executive Director, Ivan Tsankarsy. “And just as they’re expecting a new mobile phone every one to two years, they don’t just want new games, but to experience those games on new delivery platforms.”
“Eastern European and South American markets are driven by multi-games,” adds Mr. Borissov. “I believe this is related to the culture just as much as it is about space-saving in locations. As
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