Coinslot 2324 digital

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July 12 – July 18, 2013 • No. 2324 • www.coinslot.co.uk

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Industry news 4Seaside amusements 10Guide to Cranes 13Latest machine charts 22B2B Listings 24For sale, wanted + opps 27Comment and opinion 30Newsweek & Diary 32

Yields Disparity: Is betting stealing

INDUSTRYCOINSLOT

There’ssomethingaboutLondon: EAGstarts itscountdown

The IOA, the UK’s largestindependent machine oper-

ator, has put together what it isdescribing as a ‘footprintguide’ in preparation for theintroduction of the anticipatedTriennial Review of stakes andprizes.

Martin Cookson, nationalsales executive at the IOA,said: “I don’t think any otheroperator has the same depth ofexperience as the IOA in imple-menting the outcome of Trien-nial Reviews, and our footprintguide draws on that uniqueexperience. We are in constantdialogue with our customers,listening to their needs andunderstanding their require-ments and we will have in placea detailed and tailored solutionfor every customer once theintroduction date is

announced.”The consultative process is

not just restricted to the IOA’scustomers, as Cooksonexplained: “We have beenworking closely with the com-munity of games designers inorder to help them bring aproperly focused player-cen-tric approach to the opportu-nity that we all hope is going tomaterialise. The feedback thatwe are getting from the marketis to keep the changes simpleto understand and to offer reg-ular wins with a mix of smalland large prizes.

“Regular wins createextended dwell time which hasa positive impact on footfalland by extension a pub’sbottom line profits. The gamesdesigners should be able todeliver great dynamics with the

IOA confirms ‘fooin Triennial plannTRIENNIAL REVIEW

UK GAMBLING INDUSRY:MARKET SIZE

During the period October2011 to September 2012,the British gamblingindustry, as regulated bythe Gambling Commission,generated a grossgambling yield of £6.2bn.The non-remote bettingsector represents thelargest market within theindustry with a 50 per centshare, followed by thecasino sector (15 per cent)and the British regulatedremote sector (13 per cent).Growth was seen across allsectors between April2011-March 2012 andOctober 2011-September2012 with the exception ofarcades, which reported areduction in GGY.

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stealing the gambling limelight?

ESSENTIAL GUIDE

A vintage ideaAMUSEMENTS

Cranes: lifting arcades higher13

July 12 - July 18, 2013 • No. 2324 • www.coinslot.co.uk

10

£100 jackpot which will givepubs a really important oppor-tunity to grow the player base.”

Whilst Cookson was clearthat the £100 jackpot repre-

sents positive news for pubgaming, he also thinks thesector has fallen too far behindother forms of gaming on thehigh street. He said: “Ofcourse, the triennial is to bewelcomed, but we shouldn’tforget that we haven’t had areview for six years now.

“Other areas of the highstreet - most notably the book-ies but to a lesser extent thecountry’s adult gaming centresand bingo clubs - can all offermore attractive gaming propo-sitions. Pubs play an importantrole in the community and Ibelieve that they should beafforded the same opportuni-ties to generate revenue fromgaming as any other businesson the high street, whichmeans being given parity ofpay-out.”

‘footprint guide’lanning

s reported in Coinslot lastweek, the latest figures pub-lished by the Gambling

Commission show that the Britishgambling industry generated a grossgambling yield (GGY) of £6.3bn inthe period running from October2011 to September 2012, represent-ing a rise of £300m over the April2011 to March 2012 period.

Yet, while the GGY figures pub-lished by the Commission are aninteresting indicator of trends,BACTA chief executive LeslieMacLeod-Miller argues that it mustbe noted that the Commission hasnot contacted the industry toeither “sense check” them or “pro-vide them with their perspectiveon what the figures mean” and howthey reflect challenges for eachsector”.

“It is notable that the arcadesector is down and it is hardly sur-prising to see that B2 revenues andremote sectors are increasing,”MacLeod-Miller said this week. “Itis pointless to make broad obser-vations regarding the UK gamblingindustry as a whole when there areso many anomalies and artificialbarriers contained within the 2005Act to entrepreneurs maximisingopportunities.

“UK gambling regulation hasbeen trapped in a no-man’s land ofinconsistency and bureaucracysince its inception. It is difficult tothink of a piece of legislation wherethe ‘wash-up’ process in which itwas created more accuratelydescribes the features which char-acterise the regime. It is difficult tocelebrate the Commission’s GGYfigures when the paradigm thatinformed the underlying shape ofregulation is so far away from therequirements of modern gamblingbusiness structures.”

The BACTA chief executive wenton to state that: “It remains regret-table that the level of ministerial

engagement with the gamblingsector is now so infrequent that theability to make the case for changeto bring us into the 20th and 21stcenturies appears to be almost non-existent”.

MacLeod-Miller noted that theCommission continues to analysewhat is driving B2 machines andthe impact of B3 games on rev-enue. “I understand the Associa-tion of British Bookmakers (ABB)is continuing these discussionswith the Commission. The media

coverage of B2 machines indicatesthat they continue to be played ingreater numbers. However, theeffect upon the rest of the indus-try and what is says about futuretrends remains in doubt.

“It is certainly common groundthat there is an uneven playing fieldand that all adult premises should beentitled to offer the same games tocustomers provided they can beoperated responsibly.”

MacLeod Miller added: “BACTAhas a clear position that is shared bythe ABB, which is that of parity. It isagreed that if machines can beresponsibly offered then theyshould be made available in all adultpremises. We continue to make thecase for parity with the departmentbased upon principles of better reg-ulation and fair competition. Weawait the announcement from theMinister regarding the triennial andnext steps and look forward to work-ing together with our colleaguesfrom other sectors to take thesechanges forward.”

Celebrate withthe Lions!Jabro Gamesoffer code 4116

BACTA continues drive for betterregulation and fair competitionINDUSTRY REPORTS

Despite the fact that the Gambling Commission’s latest statistics indicate an overallrise in GGY, it is difficult to celebrate the figures, argues BACTA chief executive,Leslie MacLeod-Miller, especially as the framework of regulation is so far awayfrom the requirements of modern gambling business structures.

A

‘ALL ADULT PREMISES SHOULD BEENTITLED TO OFFER THE SAMEGAMES TO CUSTOMERS’

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4 Coinslot July 12 - July 18, 2013

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reparations arewell underway forEAG International

2013, and the show organ-isers have reported a grow-ing confidence in the UKamusements and gamingindustry.

Martin Burlin, chairmanof organiser EAG Ltd, said:“There seems to be more tofeel positive about this year.We are past the MGDhurdle, the new technicalstandards are bedding inand then there is theprospect of a triennialreview. Companies defi-nitely seem more willing toplan ahead and commit tothe future.”

According to the organ-isers of EAG, stand sales areahead of this time last yearwith a broader section ofcompanies from acrossthe amusement andleisure sectors exhibitingat EAG International 2014.

The annual amusementshowcase retains its tradi-tional timeslot of the thirdweek in January, and willstay at London’s ExCeLExhibition Centre,although in 2014 it willshare the venue withanother event, BETT the

learning technologyshow.

EAG event directorKaren Cooke views thisnew development as posi-tive, claiming improvedservices and a much live-lier feel to the ExCeLvenue when more than

one show is active.“Both visitors and

exhibitors will notice thedifference,” Cooke said,“There is more of a buzzabout the halls and espe-cially the central boule-vard where all therestaurants and outlets

will be open, offering amuch better choice offood and drink.”

However, Cooke drewattention to the increaseddemand for hotel roomsand has urged EAG atten-dees to plan ahead. “Youshould definitely act nowto reserve your accommo-dation and also considerstaying away from themain campus hotels,” shesaid. “We have reap-pointed Event Express asour hotel agent and theyare currently finalising adetailed list of availablehotels and room rates. Fullinformation will be avail-able via the EAG websitevery soon.”

Now in its fifth year, EAGInternational is firmlyestablished as the firstmust-attend exhibition ofthe year, which attractsmore than 150 exhibitingcompanies and some5,000 attendees frommore than 65 countries.

‘Growing confidence’ahead of EAG 2014 EVENTS

Anumber of the AMG team havebeen attending various trade

shows scouring the world for newproduct lately, improving their inter-national contacts and creating manyall-important introductions. AMG isvery well-known domestically, cur-rently being one of the UK industry’slargest privately owned companies;now, it seems, it’s time to extend thathigh profile overseas.

The company’s Terry Farrexplained: “Part of my remit has beento raise AMG’s profile overseas andwe’ve already proved to be an idealpartner to represent overseas firmswho want a presence in the UK withgood distribution lines.”

It’s a well known fact that playersthrive on winning win prizes and themore creative the prizes, the betterthe opportunity for the operator,which is one of the reasons whyAMG has started supplying swagprizes. Farr added: “We have a veryopen mind about swag. We’re notlooking to become a one-stop shop

or anything like that, but whenopportunities arise for us to pur-chase quality merchandise whichwe believe we can shift in large vol-umes and that we can supply ourcustomers giving them exceptionalvalue for money we will do so.”

The expertise that all the AMGdirectors and staff have gained fromyears working in the amusement fieldat all levels and in diverse roles hasgiven them a competitive advantage.Farr reinforced this angle: “Whenyou’ve worked as a site finder,machine deliverer, serviceman, oper-ator, van driver and so on in days goneby it stands you in good stead for thevarious challenges of today’s busi-ness and gives you an empathy withyour customers and colleagues. It’s ahealthy situation to be in.”

In the last four years, AMG haswidened its product portfolio to pro-vide arcades with a diverse range ofproduct to the point that it is now inthe privileged position of selling somevery good distribution lines.

Farr claimed: “Each year, AMG sellsvery high volumes of equipment. Theactual number of machines AMG sellshas pleasantly surprised me. Whenthe products are right, our ability toshift them in large volumes says it all.”

The AMG man believes that it’s agreat advantage for a distributor tohave an arcade operation - or two!Farr stated: “It gives us the opportu-nity to gain access to vital feedbackearly on in a product’s life cycle. Wecan also influence the final stages ofnew products coming through.We’ve done that with Balloon Buster.Alex Auckland and Mark Sowrayhave been to the LAI factory inJakarta lately and have already beenlooking at products for next yearwhich is very exciting.”

As Farr stressed, the firm’s long-term aims are all about widening itscustomer base and increasing itslines of supply by embracing newtechnology. And it was difficult toargue with his conclusion: “We’realways looking ahead.”

AMG looks to raise world profileIn seeking out newdistribution linesfrom overseas,Ripon-based AMGLeisure is activelysetting out to raiseits statusinternationally.

DRANSFIELDS ACQUIRESWEST COUNTRYAUTOMATICS

Family owned UK operatorDransfields has completedits acquisition of West Coun-try Automatics. “We can con-firm that all staff havetransferred over to us fromWCA and the process hasgone very smoothly,” saidmanaging director,Chris Haley (pic-tured). “Thisconsolidatesour position asthe leadingoperator inthe SouthWest.”

FORMER RAFFLESAMUSEMENT ARCADE TOBECOME SHOP

The former Raffles amuse-ment arcade in Gloucester isset to become a shop. Plan-ning permission has beengranted to change the use ofthe old St Aldate Streetarcade so it can be used as ashop. The Bridal Shop, inNorthgate Street, was sup-posed to be moving into thelarge former Raffles back inNovember 2011, but themove never materialised andit has remained vacant. How-ever, now the change of usehas been approved by plan-ners at the council, pavingthe way for a new shop.

ARCADIANS SET FORSEVEN DAYS OF SUN?

Temperatures close to 30degrees this week could helpbring in as much as £1.5bn intourism trade. Most of thespend will be at the UK’s sea-side resorts where the likesof Bournemouth and Black-pool are enjoying hotterspells than Barbados. Over250,000 people werereported to have hit bothBlackpool andBournemouth’s beaches ear-lier thisweek, andBrightonlured insome200,000visitors onthe day.According to forecasters,this is the longest heat wavesince July 2006 and they esti-mate it could last at leastanother 10 days.

P

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5Coinslot July 12 - July 18, 2013

he renaissance ofAstra Games’ uni-versally popular

Party Time continues at arapid pace with thelaunch of a new, lowercost Category D version ofthe multiplayer.

According to the firm’ssales and marketing direc-tor, Alan Rogers, buyers ofthis latest incarnation ofthe model can expectsome real ‘old school’charm thanks to reels posi-tioned on both top andbottom of the game and ahealthy quotient of ‘bling’to help boost the cashbox.

Rogers commented:“We’ve been workingtremendously hard withsome of the best and mostknowledgeable coastaloperators to produce a

game that we believeshould be high on theshopping list of every sea-side arcade. To qualify that,early results in this sectorare already indicating thatit has emerged as the estab-lished class leader.”

Rogers was keen to addthat the lower purchaseprice of the Cat D versionshould not lead buyers toexpect any compromise inquality. “Our objective is tooffer a great player experi-ence that is beautifullypackaged, and at a pricepoint that is sensitive tothe highly specific needsof the coastal sector,” hesaid. “In essence, the briefwas to deliver a desirable,compelling product at arealistic price.”

Rogers confirmed that

orders for Party Time arecurrently being taken as adirect result of consis-tently strong perform-ances on both themulti-stake Cat C and thesingle stake Cat D (10p/£8is also a free option).

Commenting on thesuccess of latest incarna-tion of Party Time, whichfirst hit the headlines a full15 years ago, Astra’s designdirector, Andy Dinning,said: “Once the profile forthe game had been createdand the stats approved, theacid test was to see if theearly momentum and earn-ing power it had achievedcould be sustained andincreased.

“It’s not unusual for agame like Party Time to bean instant hit with players.

After all, who could miss itwith its high impact graph-ics, specially moulded bal-loons, twin screens,blown reels and LED light-ing? But there has to bemore to a game than aes-

thetics - it has to have theplayability to maintain andgrow the cashbox. Ourdesign briefs are nevereasy, but this one hasproved to be among thetoughest challenges so far.”

T

INDUSTRY AMUSEMENTS LEISURE B2B COMMENT NEWSWEEK

REPORT The essential guide to theUK’s cranes sector and the productsleading the way. 12

Development on the next full(v7.0) software Paragon

release is almost code completeand will soon be ready for thetwo-month quality assuranceprocess, according to GamesWarehouse.

New features include a ‘FindGames’ button that simplifiesselection by showing the playera screen of small thumbnailicons of the full game portfolio.In addition, operators will beable to self-select Promo GameRotation and choose weekly, fort-nightly or monthly rotation ofthe attract screens.

“In terms of games, v7.0 will

include an exciting updateof Match of the Day and twogames based on the bril-liant and current televi-sion game shows TheChase and Pointless and,for the Cat C Casino Zone,the eagerly awaited ver-sion of the previous SWPclassic, Texas Hold’em,”Games Warehouse said.

In other news, the devel-oper will host a warehousesale at its Nottingham stor-age facility on Wednesday,July 17. Numerous specialdeals will be available foroperators between 9:00amand 5:00pm.

Party TimeCat Dshinesbrightly atthe coastCATEGORY D GAMING

Astra Games has launched a Category Dversion of its ever-popular Party Timemultiplayer.

PARTY TIME CAT D ROLLSOFF THE PRODUCTION

LINE AT ASTRA’SBRIDGEND FACTORY

New Paragon developments

SWP

Simworx managing direc-tor Terry Monkton has

been named the chairmanof the trade associatesgroup within the BritishAssociation of LeisureParks, Piers and Attractions(BALPPA).

Monkton takes over theposition from OmniTicketNetwork’s UK operationsdirector, John Davies,having spent two years asvice chair-man. He willremain inthe role fortwo years,supportedby newlyappointedvice chairman Phil Pickers-gill, managing director ofInnovative Leisure.

MonktonassumesBALPPA role

2324-p04-05-industry:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 15:48 Page 2


Industry INDUSTRY AMUSEMENTS LEISURE B2B COMMENT NEWSWEEK

EVENT Europe gets ready for its biggestpinball festival as preparations getunderway for August’s pinball party. 32

elebrating its fifthyear of trading in2013, DP Leisure

has moved into newly cre-ated offices and workshopsin its hometown of MiltonKeynes.

Founded in 2008 byDuncan Phillips, DP Leisureis the operating companybehind the popular 360Play children’s entertain-ment centre brand, whilealso within the group is thestrategic leisure consul-tancy DP Associates.

The company has grownimpressively since itsinception and now oper-ates three 360 Play sites - in

Milton Keynes, Stevenageand Leicester, with more inthe pipeline - as well asemploying over 142 staffcompany-wide.

The new DP Housepremises have been createdfrom an empty office andworkshop building, andfrom here the company willprovide central support tothe group and its venues asexpansion continues.

The new interior hasbeen designed and built inhouse by DP Leisure’s ownstaff and now features areception area, main board-room and separate meetingroom, a design studio, a

large open plan office areawith adjacent office andother facilities.

The rear half of the build-ing houses the company’sworkshops, in which muchof the content of the 360Play venues is manufac-tured, along with storageareas and an outdoor area.In total, the new premisescover 5,000sq.ft.

DP Leisure managingdirector Duncan Phillipssaid: “We have grownsteadily during the past fiveyears and have been lookingfor larger offices and work-shops for some time. Fromwhat was literally a shell of

a building we have createda carefully designed,modern office space withexcellent facilities, includ-ing those in the workshop,and we are justly proud ofwhat we have achieved.

“At the same time, wehave also marked our fifthyear in business havingopened our first 360 Playsite in our home city ofMilton Keynes five yearsago, so it is a double cele-bration. I am very happywith our progress andgrowth to date and look for-ward to continuing thecompany’s development inthe future.”

Gala Coral Group isspreading some much

needed summer sunshineand bringing the bingobuzz back to Britain as itlaunches two big moneyonline promotions whichcombine to offer £2m inguaranteed prizes.

Last weekGalaBingo.com, the onlinedivision of Gala Coral Group,debuted its peak time televi-sion campaign to mark thelaunch of its £1m BingoGuaranteed Giveaway, inwhich players have 1,000chances to win £1,000 cashthroughout July via a seriesof standard 90 ball gamesand Roll On games.

With £30,000 being woneach day and a potential£3,000 per game, the offeris a unique triple chancegame with £1,000 for each

one line, two line and fullhouse prizes. There will begames on the hour, everyhour between 1pm and10pm Monday to Thursday,and 12pm until 11pmFriday to Sunday.

In conjunction with thispromotion, the gaming siteis also continuing its £1mMegaJackpots Prize Draw,which will run throughoutJuly and August. In this, play-ers have the chance toshare in £1m worth ofprizes, ranging from £100to £1,000, with one lucky

winner scooping £100,000at the end of August.

Alison Digges, director ofGalaBingo.com, said: “As asite committed to produc-ing the most number of win-ners daily, we are alwayslooking for new ways tohelp more players experi-ence a win. We are reallyexcited about our £2mbingo and slots guaranteedgiveaway and our MegaJack-pots Prize Draw - and we’rehoping they spread somemuch needed summer sun-shine to our players.”

In last week’s issue ofCoinslot, we incorrectly

stated that Mr RodneyKemp was a partner atSands Amusements andLas Vegas Amusements inHemsby. Mr Kemp is, ofcourse a partner of SandsAmusements in Californianear Great Yarmouth, andLas Vegas AmusementsHemsby. Dunwell andNorma Parnham are thesole owners of SandsAmusements in Hemsby,and are in no way con-nected with either LasVegas AmusementsHemsby or Sands Amuse-ments in California.Coinslot is happy to setthe record straight.

Currently celebrating its50th year in the UK

coin-op industry, Bell-FruitGames (BFG) has beentaking stock of the manu-facturing landscape, witha specific focus on the sig-nificant contribution thecompany makes to thehealth and vitality of theCategory C AWP sector.

Bell-Fruit said it remainscommitted to deliveringconsistently strong, brandnew product to the market-place. According to salesand marketing directorJohn McLoughlin, when itcomes to Cat C, you “reallydo get what you pay for,”particularly in the case ofBFG which has vastexpertise of producinghigh-earning, top qualitylicensed titles.

McLoughlin added: “Wehave always been insistenton the highest levels ofquality in our products.That’s evidenced by theamount of investment thatgoes into developing newgames and cabinet styles.While we strive to keepprices as low as possible,all this innovation placeshuge demands onresource. Hence ourGolden Anniversaryslogan, ‘Invested in Inno-vation’.”

He added: “Anotherexample of the ‘qualityversus cost’ dilemma canbe seen in our licensedgames. It’s no secret thatwe have the strongestlicences available, yet thiscan be a double-edgedsword. They deliver bril-

liant cashbox returns forthe retailer, but there is asignificant cost levied bythe licence holder.”

One of Bell-Fruit’s corestrengths is its consistentoutput of desirable newgames. McLoughlinexplained: “We are com-mitted to launching 20brand new models everyyear. By doing so, we canensure that retailers andoperators have constantaccess to great gameswhich, in turn, enablesthem to keep their opera-tions invigorated andfresh. Furthermore, ourmachines are switchableto Cat D - that’s somethingthat not all manufacturerscan offer.

“A fact that’s often over-looked is that during thatprocess a number ofgames that are testeddon’t always live up to ourexpectations. Bell-Fruit isprepared to meet the costof those failed testmachines. We don’tcharge for our testmachines and I don’t thinkthere’s currently any othermanufacturer that offersthat level of service.”

With 50 years’ tradingunder its belt and parentcompany Novomaticadding valuable support,the firm is predicting aconfident outlook withregard to its Cat C lineage.“We are in this for the long-haul,” McLoughlin said.“And that is reflected inthe quality of the gameswe build and their sus-tained earning power.”

BINGO

Gala gives bingo fansa reason to celebrate

Retraction

CATEGORY C GAMING

When it comes to Category C products,operators get what they pay for, accordingto Bell-Fruit sales and marketing director,John McLouglin.

DP Leisure celebrates five years of trading

OPERATIONS

360 Play operatorDP Leisure has cutthe ribbon on its newMilton Keynes facilityas the companytoasts five years oftrading.

C

BFG remains insistenton the highest levels of quality

2324-p06-Industry:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 13:22 Page 1

As the redemption sector continues on itsgrowth course, operators have been steadily

integrating ticketed pushers into their estate. Andas players realise the overwhelming advantagesbrought about with the combination of coins andtickets, manufacturers have been placing moreand more focus on creating the most innovativepushers to date.

Discussing the growing popularity of redemp-tion ticket pushers, Tom Clarke of JNC Salesoffered his view: “Kids in particular enjoy the thrillof winning streams of tickets and then being ableto redeem them for a prize they can take away. Itmeans that they can spend a reasonable amountof money and not go away empty handed.”

The shift to redemption in pushers marksanother step in the UK amusements industry’sadoption of retail models. And, indeed, many arguethat this is particularly important in times of eco-nomic uncertainty, as cash-strapped consumers

demand increased value for money.Redemption pushers have added a dimension

to the game playing experience without makingthe machines any more complicated to under-stand. If anything, as the argument of messrsClarke et al suggest, the redemption offer hasmade the experience even more family-friendlyand added to the overall customer satisfaction.

raesepe, which oper-ates the Cashinobrand, the UK’s largest

chain of adult gaming centres,has recognised the hugedepth of talent that existswithin its ranks, courtesy ofits annual Cashino Awards.

The best and brightestmembers of the Cashino teambattled it out for a total of fourcoveted titles covering man-ager of the year, area managerof the year, employee of theyear and venue of the year.

Julie Rathbone, who headsup the team at Hounslow, wonthe prestigious manager ofthe year award, seeing offcompetition from across thecountry. According to Prae-sepe, Rathbone excelled in anumber of areas - not least hersuccess in building income by

close to 300 per cent, record-ing some of the lowest excep-tions in the company anddelivering consistently highlevels of customer service.

The title of Cashinoemployee of the year went toWilfrido Narvaez, whose skillsin looking after the diversecustomer base at London’sCrystal Rooms - including thesuccession of industry VIPswho visit the iconic LeicesterSquare venue - meant that hewas the clear winner.

Teamwork was at the heartof Plymouth’s success in beingnamed venue of the year. Prae-sepe said the entire teamworked tirelessly to make thesuccessful transition to 24-hour trading and increaseincome by 10 per cent in theprocess. The venue also

enhanced the work of centralmarketing, supplementingnational campaigns with theirown localised initiatives,which proved extremely pop-ular with customers.

An ability to solve seem-ingly intractable problems, ahugely positive outlook and acommitment to bring out thevery best in her team, werejust three of the reasonsbehind Gill Clulows’ achieve-ment in being named areamanager of the year. Gill wasthe first Area Manager to getall of her venues opening 24-hours and also took full con-trol of Bingo Express,launching new venues,arranging installations andstaging promotions through-out the year. Runner-up in thecategory was Graham

Waddington, who recordedsome of the best mysteryshopper scores and excep-tion levels in the country.

Heralding the awards,Stephen Lawrence, chiefoperating officer for AGCs atPraesepe, said: “A large part ofwhy Cashino is the gamingdestination of choice on thehigh street, is down to the wel-come our customers’ receivewhen they walk through ourdoors. These well earnedawards reflect the skill anddedication of our staff indelivering such a consistentlypositive experience to cus-tomers the length andbreadth of the country.”

Praesepe will be announc-ing the winners of its BeaconBingo Club awards later inthe year.

Pushers: the road to redemptionREDEMPTION

While traditionalcoin in, coin outpushers continueto dominate thesector in the UK,redemptionticket pushershave been rapidlygrowing inpopularity overrecent years.

Praesepe’s got talent!

ADULT GAMING CENTRES

Adult gaming centreoperator Praesepehas announced thewinners of its annualCashino Awards.

CASHINO PLYMOUTH WAS NAMED VENUE OF THE YEAR

P

Andy Hall and Tony Glanville from RLMS Saleshave been pedalling away for the last eight

months in a bid to raise funds for the BACTAnominated charity, Rays of Sunshine.

“It was at the BACTA convention last yearafter watching a film on the tremendous workthat Rays of Sunshine carried out makingwishes come true for children who have termi-nal or serious illness - and seeing the joy onthe children’s face when their wish came truewhether it was meeting their idols JLS or OneDirection or being a fireman or meeting aDisney Princess - that Andy and I decided wewanted to do something to help,” Glanvilletold Coinslot.

Explaining the challenge, Hall said: “Wedecided to take on the challenge of riding 100miles in one day in the inaugural Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 on Sunday August 4, whichis celebrating the cycling legacy created by theLondon 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“It is the cycling equivalent of the LondonMarathon and will start in the shadow of theOlympic village and finishes 100 miles later inthe Mall. En route we will take in views ofLondon’s iconic land marks before venturingout into Surrey and the ultimate challenge BoxHill sixty miles into the ride.

Glanville added: “We have been in trainingnow for eight months, and when we first startedwe couldn’t make it up the slightest hill withoutgetting off for a breather. It was that bad duringour first session Andy fell off his bike and disap-peared through a roadside hedge!

“To build our stamina we have also beenattending twice weekly spin sessions in thegym to complement our many, many hours ofroad work. We have worked up to a distance of82 miles in one stretch and are saving the 100-mile carrot for the big day. We are now fourweeks away from the big event and we are likefinely tuned race engines!”

Hall said: “All the hard work will be wellworth it when we cross the finishing line on theMall, knowing we have contributed to a greatcharity and with the help of all the generoussponsorship and donations we will make a dif-ference to children who have not been blessedwith good health.

Industry members interested in sponsoringTony and Andy have been asked to contact theRLMS head office.

RLMS pairriding for Raysof Sunshine

CHARITY

2324-p08-Industry:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 10:44 Page 1

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Amusements TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE


Pub chain hopes toattract seaside tourists

With the schoolsummer holi-days justaround the cor-ner, Butlins isoffering families a free place for thefirst child, plus a saving of up to anextra £80 off, when they book astay at one of the company’s re-sorts by July 9.

Summer offer fromButlins

A businessman isintending give theSouthern Pavilionon Worthing Pier a

1930s Art Deco refurbishment.The new “multi-purpose venue”would cost up to £130,000, whilethe borough council is giving£90,000 for improvements to the ex-terior of the Grade II listed building.

Worthing Pier venue setfor refurb

Coin-op has helped inspire a bookentitled ‘Don’t Need the Sunshine- a journey in search of the Britishseaside’, which saw author JohnOsborne tour the British coast to an-swer questions like “is it possible to

walk away with aprofit on the 2parcade ma-chines?”

Pushers inspire Britishseaside book

Wetherspoons has submittedplans for a futuristic two-storeypub and restaurant in Ilfracombe.The firm says the iconic curveddesign could trigger fur-ther development onthe sea and that it willbring more tourists tothe area, therefore en-hancing the sustainabil-ity of the seaside town.

hen the news brokelast week that Liver-pool was going to be

home to the classics, it wasn’tan amusement arcade thatimmediately sprung to mind.However, amusementmachine collector Bob Han-dley has set up a museum ofold fashion arcade machinesat the Bluecoat Chambers incentral Liverpool. Thebuilder-turned-showman’snew venture - the Museum ofAmusements at the Bluecoat- is a pleasure palace of vin-tage arcade machines thatare all about skill rather thangain, aimed to bring out the

child in everyone who popsan old penny in a slot.

Handley has been collect-ing what he calls our “forgot-ten history” for a quarter of acentury, sourcing machinesfrom all over the countryevery time he had a bit ofmoney. Talking about themachines he has collected,Handley said they documentthe decline of seaside resortsall across Britain.

The first machine heowned himself was a one-armed bandit given to him bya friend, but he says he wasnever really interested in thegambling aspect of the fair-

ground arcade. That initialdonation 25 years ago, how-ever, was just the start. Fromthere an old jukebox camealong, and then the first ofdozens of Allwin machines,the wooden-framed pennyslot machines many peoplewill remember playing fromthe 1920s onwards.

He now has almost 200machines in containers anda lock-up and 40 at the Blue-coat, where every machineallows the player to do some-thing different - from win-ning sweets to playing on afootball game.

Handley mainly sources

the machines from seasideresorts, with a great deal fromthe East coast and some thathe has bought on websites.Mablethorpe has proved aparticularly happy huntingground for Handley whomanaged to find a collectionof machines from the 1930sfrom a former showman. Thesmall seaside resort on theLincolnshire coast has longbeen known for its traditionalseaside amusement arcades.

The earliest piece of end-of-the-pier history the 50-year-old owns dates from1895 and is a very rare castiron strength tester machine,

which he discovered in agarden 10 miles from his cur-rent home in Cheshire. Mostof the machines, from Whatthe Butler Saw to tell yourfortune, The Big Wheel andthe Lucky Twelve, are Britishmade, although one cornerhouses an American ChesterPollard Football Machinecirca1922. Everything is anold penny, with each 10 goescosting a pound, and the bigold coins kept in a big

bucket in Handley’s fair-ground booth.

Building an arcade hasbeen an ambition of Hand-ley’s for around 20 years. Hisambition is to run a success-ful vintage arcade and makesure the machines he hascollected are enjoyed by asmany people as possible.“I’m hoping this at the Blue-coat is just a start,” said Han-dley. “This is our history, it’sgot to be seen.”

A new Pleasurama sitedevelopment task and

finish group is being set upas a priority project forRamsgate following ameeting held on May 29 atwhich councillors agreed toexplore other options forthe site in seaside resort.

The site, now RoyalSands, has been describedas one of the most impor-tant regeneration projects in

east Kent but has beenderelict for 10 years. After ameeting in January, SFPVentures UK had been givenuntil the middle of May toprove it could finance theproject to satisfy ThanetDistrict Council, but failed todo so. As the four-monthperiod passed without thecriteria being met, the coun-cil has agreed to a review ofthe options for the site,

which include continuingdiscussions with the currentdeveloper or consideringalternative options.

Cabinet member for

operational services, coun-cillor Alan Poole, said: “Dis-cussions are still underwaywith the developer, and willcontinue with the aim of

resolving the current situa-tion to develop the site asagreed, but we have to berealistic. We’ve waited aconsiderable amount oftime for the developer tomeet their obligations, andwhile we acknowledge thechallenging economic cli-mate, there has to be a conclusion.

“Cabinet has agreed to areview of the situation to

progress the regenerationof this prime site quickly andefficiently, however, there isno doubt that this willinvolve some detailed andchallenging discussions.”

A public meeting wasdue to take place on July 8as protestors are demand-ing action on the develop-ment now that the council'sdeadline had passed with-out progress.

Liverpool goes vintage asamusement arcadefocuses on the classicsAMUSEMENT ARCADE

After collecting vintage arcade machines for almost 25 years, a former builder has opened anew, old-fashioned amusement arcade in Liverpool’s Bluecoat Chambers.

Cabinet endorses Pleasurama task and finish groupRAMSGATE

W

2324-p10-Amusements:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 10:34 Page 1

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Leisure

The essentialguide tocranes P12

22This week’s

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24B2B listingsand industrymarketplace

26Latest

products andservices

27Classified

sales, job andbusiness

opps

TOURISM

The Tourism Alliance has wel-comed the government’s

recent announcement thattourism funding for VisitEng-land is not to be cut further andVisitBritain is to be reduced byjust five per cent.

Tourism Alliance chairman,Michael Hirst OBE (pictured),stated: “The industry congratu-lates Maria Miller and HughRobertson on supportingtourism in their negotiationswith the Treasury.

“This announcement recog-nises that the UK tourismindustry is at the forefront of theUK’s economy recovery. It hasgenerated a third of all new jobsthat have been created in theUK over the last three years.”

Revenue generated by thetourism rose by 6.9 per cent(£9bn) to £134bn in 2012 and iscurrently growing at 11 percent, meaning that tourism isone of the only industries in theUK where revenue and employ-ment are now higher than theywere before the recessionstarted.

Hirst said: “The UK tourismindustry is a world leader that isbuilding on the hugely success-ful hosting of the 2012 Olympicsto boost both domestic andinbound tourism revenue. Wesee this acknowledgement ofthe sector by the governmentas a key step toward maintain-ing essential international anddomestic marketing andresearch.”

The Tourism Alliance is thevoice of the UK tourism indus-try. The group was establishedin 2001 with the support of theSecretary of State for Culture,Media and Sport and com-prises almost 50 Tourism Indus-try Associations that togetherrepresent 200,000 businessesof all sizes throughout the UK.

number of pub,restaurant and foodservice companies

have launched Tax ParityDay, with the intention tolobby the government toreduce VAT in the hospital-ity sector from 20 per centto 5 per cent. The VAT ClubJB, headed by veteran VATcampaigner Jacques Borel,is organising a Tax ParityDay across the UK on 25September. The action isthe biggest ever piece ofconsumer-facing cam-paigning ever organised bythe industry. The campaignis calling on tens of thou-sands of fellow publicans,restaurateurs and foodser-vice operators to reducetheir prices by 7.5 per centfor one day only, in order tohighlight the benefits of aVAT reduction to 5 per cent.

It is backing the cam-paign with 250,000posters, which will be dis-tributed to venues in orderto highlight the nationalday of action to their cus-tomers. It is being backedby members of The VATClub JB. These include puboperators JD Wether-spoon, Brains, Heineken,Shepherd Neame andPunch Taverns, family

brewers including Fuller’s,Charles Wells and StAustell, restaurant groupPizza Hut, hotel operatorMandarin Oriental, sand-wich chain Subway andmotorway services opera-tor Roadchef. JacquesBorel has campaignedeffectively for the level ofVAT in the hospitalitysector to be reduced in alarge number of Europeancountries.

He said: “Our aim is tosecure a more equal taxtreatment for food soldthrough pubs, restaurantsand food service opera-tors, compared to super-markets, which benefitfrom a zero VAT rate. We arecalling on supporters ofthe campaign to reducetheir prices by 7.5 per centfor one day. This is theamount by which webelieve that prices wouldfall if VAT were cut to 5 percent, on the assumptionthat 60 per cent of anyreduction would bepassed onto the customerin lower prices. So, forexample, the total price ofa meal and drinks for afamily of four would bereduced from £60 to£54.60 on Tax Parity Day.”

Borel argues that a 7.5per cent reduction on theday will lead to increasedturnover of between 10and 12 per cent for opera-tors taking part, as theywill attract more cus-tomers to their outlets. InFrance, a similar campaignsaw sales increase by 8 percent on the day of action.He added: “Our argumentis clear - a reduction in thelevel of VAT on a long-termbasis will generate growthand create jobs in theimportant leisure and hos-pitality sector.”

JD Wetherspoon chair-man Tim Martin con-cluded: “Wetherspoonwholeheartedly supportsJacques’ initiative for TaxParity Day. We’re aiming tomake it our busiest day ofthe entire year. Creatingtax parity between pubs,restaurants and supermar-kets will fulfil many gov-ernment objectives. It willcreate more jobs and it willraise the amount of taxesthe government receive,since pubs and restaurantspay more taxes and createmore jobs than supermar-kets. It’s a win-win situa-tion for the government,voters and our industry.”

Pub sectoroperatorslaunch TaxParity DayVAT

Forty high profilepub, restaurant andfood servicecompanies areaiming to reduce thelevel of VAT in thehospitality sectorfrom 20 per cent to 5per cent by launchinga national day ofaction.

JULY 12 - JULY 18, 2013

A

Tourismfunding to bemaintained


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Optimum payout levels

While cranes are perhaps most tra-ditionally associated with seasideand inland amusements venues,they are also enjoying increased in-stallations in new types of venues,including pubs,family-friendlyrestaurants, shop-ping malls and in-dependent retailoutlets.

Wide-ranginginstallations

Respected Europeancrane manufacturer Elaut last yearwon an award for its efforts in thesector. The company received theBest Exhibition gold medal for itsstand at RAAPA in Moscow. “Visitorsto the show were enthusiasticabout... the colour cranes with LEDsand the first IntraXion system were agreat draw to the stand,” said thecompany’s Helga Verstraeten.

Elaut grabsindustry award

Essential Guide to...

Operators strive to ensure theircranes maintain an optimum payoutlevel. While a degree of skill shouldalways be encouraged, cranes settoo weak - with smallpercentage payouts- will soon start togather dust, as dis-appointed visitorslook elsewhere for atake-home prize.

Cranes

Cranes are the ideal showcase fortopical and up-to-date merchandise,according to James Anderson ofNamco Prize Europe. “Cranes and

prize vending machinesoffer the unique ability tochange their offering tothe player simply by theoperator changing the

stock and someartwork,” Ander-son said.

The ideal showcase

Coinslot JULY 12 - JULY 18, 2013

B2B

13

KEYNOTE

In the US, cranes and merchandisedispensing games (instant redemp-tion) are very strong. For the past

five years that category has continuallyincreased each year as a percentage of totalgame revenues at family entertainment cen-tres at the expense of redemption and videogame revenues.

However, during that same time periodlaws have popped up in 21 of the 50 statescurrently with prize per play limits rang-ing from 75 cents to $35. The intent of theselaws was to be an easy fix to get rid ofsweepstakes, internet gaming cafes, andvideo slot gaming parlours, but some tradi-tional redemption and instant win amuse-ment games are caught up in the widesweeping net.

Having the prizes that the players wantis the most important factor in cranes’ last-ing popularity. In addition, crane manufac-turers have done an excellent job of makingthe crane cabinets attractive and appealingthrough lighting and colours and have keptthe purchase costs very reasonable soreplacement has not been an issue.

Crane operators over the years havelearned how to percentage the prize winsto be in the average 30 point range so theaverage player can win a prize with a per-ceived value of nearly his/her cost to playseveral tries.

We use a lot of cranes made by Coast toCoast because of the low purchase price andthe high quality. We have very few mainte-nance problems and their cranes earn as well

as other much more expensive models. Elautmakes the longest lasting and best-lookingcranes. We have many of their Mega modelcranes and they are still earning so well thatwe didn’t purchase a lot of their Giga models.Their latest model cranes are the mostmodern looking and are very strong earners.Our Benchmark cranes are also good earn-ers and still going strong after many years.We are using every model of Betson BigChoice cranes for the past 30 years and stilloperating some of the original triple cranes.

In terms of machine location, we like toposition a few cranes at the main entranceto the FEC so these machines are the firstthat the customer sees on the way in andthe last they see on the way out. Cranes arealso mixed in with our redemption games

so the customers have an opportunity toplay them while they are in the main gamearea, which is where they will spend themajority of their time.

Placing different shapes of bundles ofredemption tickets inside of the cranes hasalso increased their revenues significantly.This practice has helped create redemptionplayers from crane players and vice versa.When a customer plays a crane at theentrance to the FEC and wins some tickets,their next step is to go to the redemptionprize centre and see what they can redeemtheir tickets for. In a large majority of thecases they will want to try to win more tick-ets for the prize they really want and thenstart playing different redemption gamesthat attract them.

Searching for thewinning formula

Having the prizes that the playerswant is the most important factorin the lasting popularity of cranes,according to Frank Seninsky,president and CEO of USconsultancy, AmusementEntertainment Management.

“

2324-p12-22-Essential:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 14:48 Page 1


14

B2B

Essential Guide to ... CranesSector Overview

PRODUCT TRENDS

law cranes, grabbers and teddy pick-ers. No matter what they’re referredto as, cranes have been a solid staple

in the British amusements industry fordecades. The sheer simplicity of these trans-parent treasure chests has a fundamentalallure for all guests at an amusement venue- no matter how young or old.

Due to the fact that cranes are so wellloved by a wide demographic, themachines are often clearly sited right at theentrance to a venue, whether this is acoastal FEC or inland bowling alley. Theyare magnets for passing visitors, who willoften try their luck in obtaining a mementowith their remaining change.

The longstanding appeal of cranes hasresulted in machines being installed in anever-increasing range of venues. They cannow be found in FECs, bowling centres,shopping malls, family-focused restaurantsand even industry trade shows as a meansof distributing promotional and marketingmaterial.

The cranes genre faces growing compe-tition from the prize redemption sector,and it is important for operators to ensurethe prizes contained within their cranesare not the same as those at the redemp-tion counter. This will ensure they remainas attractive as possible, with minimal rev-enues being cannibalised through redemp-tion tickets.

From an operator’s perspective, one ofthe main advantages of crane vendors liesin their outstanding longevity and the factthat the prizes themselves can be changedin line with shifting consumer preferencesand trends.

The leading operators strive to ensuretheir cranes maintain an optimum payoutlevel. While a degree of skill should always

be encouraged, cranes set too weak - withsmall percentage payouts - will soon startto gather dust, as disappointed visitors lookelsewhere for a take-home prize.

Licensing remains a key issue in the UKamusements industry, and this is certainlypertinent for cranes. Many operators haveindicated that well-timed licensed productcan have a major impact on crane takings.Despite this, however, it is also agreed thatthere is still more than enough room forgeneric products such as watches, jew-

ellery, electronic equipment and plush - aslong as the quality is high.

Of course, the success of any crane isdown to the equipment itself and the prizesit houses. A dull, worn out crane will strug-gle to attract the crowds regardless of itsprizes. Likewise, people won’t part withtheir money even on the latest high-endpiece if they are not suitably attracted to itsmerchandise. This is a balancing act thatoperators continually face. But when itworks, the results can be phenomenal.

SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT ANALYSIS CRANES AND PRIZES

Eyes on the prizeCranes remain the idealproducts to entice customers intoamusement venues andentertaining guests - and foronce, you’re never too young, or,indeed, old to enjoy.

STRENGTHS

• Cranes offer robustrevenue returnsand are enjoyed bya wide demo-graphic

• Top quality prizesare an ideal way toentice guests intoan amusementvenue

• Technologicaladvances meansoperators canadjust payoutlevels quickly andeasily

WEAKNESSES

• Licensed merchan-dise comes in at apremium pricepoint

• Medium levels ofmachine attentionrequired for therestocking andrepositioning ofprizes

• Growth in prizeredemption sectormay result in lessattention beingpaid to cranes

OPPORTUNITIES

• Relaxation of stakeand prize levels hasenabled a widearray of merchan-dise to come to thefore

• Versatility meanscranes are in agrowing range ofvenues, includingFECs, shoppingmalls, pubs, super-markets

• Prize-every-timecranes can removestigma that gifts aretoo difficult to obtain

THREATS

• Misconception thatprize cranes maynot pay out regu-larly

• Potential threat ofvandalism andpetty theft ascranes are tradi-tionally placed atfront of premises

• Increased competi-tion for leisurespend from otherequipment

C

According to Frank Seninsky,licensed plush prizes are still

popular when the prize is tied to arecently released movie. How-ever, hard goods also remainpopular, especially the latestelectronic gadgets.

• STAR WARS ANGRY BIRDSPLUSH AND ANGRY BIRDS NOV-ELTY ITEMS

• ONE DIRECTION PLUSH ANDNOVELTIES

• IPHONE 4 AND 5 CASES• IPHONE ACCESSORIES -

CHARGERS, TEXTING GLOVES,STYLUS PENS

• ELECTRONICS FOR KEYMASTER, ROAD TRIP ANDBARBER CUT - TABLETS, NET-BOOKS, E-READERS

• MOUSTACHES, JEWELLERYAND NOVELTIES

• INFLATABLE BALLS• UMBO CONFECTIONERY

Hotitemsfor2013



16

B2B

Essential Guide to ... CranesMarket Analysis

SUPPLIERSSUPPLIER PERSPECTIVE

With the growth in redemption inthe last few years, investment incranes has definitely slowed. That’s

simply because 10 years ago when a familywalked into an FEC, the only place theycould only really win any merchandise wasfrom a crane. Now they can win ticketsfrom a variety of games, and then use thosetickets to claim not just a plush teddy bearbut a multitude of other prizes. The FECoperator is retailing more gifts than ever,and because the appeal of this is bigger forplayers, the crane sector has struggled.

However, over the last two years thistrend has started to reverse. We sold morecranes in 2013 than we did in 2012, and wesold more cranes in 2012 than we did in2011. In my opinion this is purely andsimply down to the new product we havein Elaut’s E-Claw. I don’t think there is any-body who would argue that Elaut is a lead-ing manufacturer in the crane sector. Itsproducts may be premium in price, butthey are also premium in their perform-ance and their reliability.

It has taken a season to get the E-Clawbedded in and to get people used to thetechnology, as there is a definite science toits operation, with different claws for dif-

ferent sizes and weights of merchandise,but the visual impact is there for all to seewhen it lights up. When you link severaltogether you can strobe the lights up anddown and make them dance.

We have had customers who have con-verted all the cranes on their locations toE-Claw. At Namco Funscape in Man-chester’s Trafford Centre there is aline of eight to ten E-Claws, andwhen the light show gets goingthe presentation is spectacular.

A two-player crane hasbecome the standard model inrecent years, but we are startingto see more sales of single-playercranes with the E-Claw Cosmicand the E-Claw one-player. Ithink this is a result of adifficult marketwhere incomesare down andoperators haves t r u g g l e d ,whether that’swith spendper head orthe awfulweather we

had over the summer of 2012. Where oper-ators haven’t had the money to spend,some of them have bought the E-ClawCosmic from us, because they can put it atthe front of their premises where it willlight up and form the centerpiece of their

crane offering.At the same time, you haveto focus on merchandise. A

crane is only as good themerchandise that opera-tors put in it. We have seensome phenomenalresults so far this yearwith the Minions charac-ters from the film Despi-

cable Me 2. Some of theincome we have seen from

that has been amazing, quitefrankly, both at our ownoperation and for our cus-

tomers. When you com-bine strong

merchandise andstrong presenta-

tion from thecrane, it reallyis a win-winfor all.”

E-Claw leads the revivalof the crane sectorOver the past two years Crown Direct’s Dean Harding has seen an upturn in the sale of cranes, thanksto the arrival of Elaut’s eye-catching E-Claw

“Cranes are more relevant than everin the modern arcade, but operators

need to keep them up-to-date, as theyare only as interesting to the player asthe products they are stocked with.

From traditional plush prizes, whichremain as popular as ever, to the latestelectronic goods, it is essential thatoperators choose high quality prod-ucts, which are of retail quality andhave a genuine perceived value to theplayer, so that they will come backrepeatedly.

Bandai Namco has been responsi-ble for developing the crane-stylegenre with its market-leading prod-ucts Barber-Cut, Dunk Tank Prize andmost recently Drop the Hook. In eachcase, the gameplay has been devel-oped to make the genre more interest-ing to players.

In Drop the Hook, however, BandaiNamco has also offered a new dimen-sion to the operator, as the machinecan accommodate prizes up to 2.5ft insize and up to 10kg in weight. No otherprize vending machine on the marketcan take prizes of this size and weight.It opens up great new opportunities tothe operators. For example, they canvend large 5kg jars of jellybeans, orgiant plush, which is extremely attrac-tive to the player.”

QualityprizesencouragerepeatedplaysFrom traditional plush prizes,which remain as popular asever, to the latest electronicgoods, it is essential thatoperators choose high qualityproducts, according to BandaiNamco commercial director,John Brennan.

“

According to Stephen Beverley, plushbuyer for PMS International Group,

cranes remain a highly relevant sectorwithin the UK amusements and leisureindustry.

“Cranes are still a big draw and an

important part of any amusement opera-tors income,” he said. “The range of prod-uct on offer has never been better and thesame can be said of the quality.”

Beverley added: “The eClaw from Elautis a fantastic product and the industry stan-

dard is generally high, the bar is beingraised with innovative developmentsevery year.”

Looking ahead, Beverley said themarket will still be unpredictable, and shift-ing weather patterns have had the effectof shortening the season. “Consumers willstill be careful what they spend so webelieve operators will continue to adopt acautious approach,” he said.

“There appears to be a renewedappetite for product based aroundmovie releases and evergreen licenseswill always be a safe bet however welldesigned and good quality generic prod-uct can still perform up there with thelatest licenses. I think PMS will be in avery position next year with some excit-ing new developments.”

PLUSH PERSPECTIVE

‘The range of product has never been better’



18

B2B

Essential Guide to ... CranesMarket Perspetives

INSTALLATIONSNATIONAL AMUSEMENT OPERATORS

oinslot: How would you assess the cur-rent state of the cranes and prizessector in the modern day amusements

environment?Sharon King: These types of games are a crucialpart of our operation and appeal to customers ofall ages. The majority of operators on the coast useamusement quality plush, which is great for the‘day-tripper’ customer. Namco prides itself onoffering gift quality plush that has a greater per-ceived value to the customer. Whilst this has agreater cost burden, the benefits can be massive.All of our sites are inland and our customer mixcan vary from site to site, however, in the main ourmore traditional bowling centres have a greaterpercentage of local resident customers comparedwith a far more transient crowd who visit a typi-cally tourist operation such as County Hall on theSouth Bank. We therefore need to ensure the prod-uct mix is diverse and appeals to a wide audience.

CS: To what would you attribute cranes’ long-lasting popularity?SK: A crane is only as good as the product displayedwithin it is and, indeed, how it is displayed. It isimperative that stock is refreshed regularly andremains current. The quality of plush is a key factor- hence why licensed product works so well forNamco. Popular apps and recent cinema releasescan hugely impact on the popularity of plush. Therelease of Despicable Me 2 and the plush associ-ated with it is a great example of how income canbe generated successfully by running our cranesto support the film release. We regularly work intandem with such releases and use supportingpoint of sale to highlight our offer. Our cranesbecome much more akin to a retail sale display, asopposed to just another crane or grabber, makingit far more attractive on the eye and much morelikely to encourage passing custom.

CS: In your opinion, which manufacturers arecurrently developing the best cranes on themarket, and why do you think this is? SK: We currently have a mix of the eClaw 900 byElaut and Maxx Grabs from Instance Automatics.Both operate extremely well for us, but again themain draw is the plush housed within the cranes.The tease and operation of the claws is also vitalto ensuring repeat play and customer satisfaction.Crane manufacturers have certainly upped theirgame in recent years, with older bland cabinetsbeing replaced with more colourful options withgood attract modes and pay-out routines. Thisadded with a gift quality plush line equals a suc-cessful crane operation.

CS: Where is the best place to situate a crane or

bank of cranes in an indoor FEC?SK: Whilst we don’t have an across-the-boardpolicy due to the diverse nature of our sites, wehave found the best place to operate cranes tendsto be in banks near the entrance. This is most defi-nitely the case in our larger mall-based sites, as itenables us to target the opportunist cus-tomers/shoppers with a few spare coins in theirpockets and purses. By gaining this passingincome it also gives us an opportunity to show-case what we have on offer to those who did notintend on visiting our destination. It would behoped that this in some cases could lead to rec-ommendations and ultimately future visits as adestination for the whole family.

CS: Which prizes are currently hot favourites?SK: Hot favourites at the moment are the Despica-ble Me 2 Minions - which has had an unbelievableresponse since the film release - and the Star WarsAngry Birds, both from Whitehouse Leisure. Wemainly only use generic products during thewinter months when new stock lines are limitedas our customers prefer the licensed products.

CS: Could you offer any predictions for thecranes sector over the coming years?SK: I firmly believe the crane sector will remainan integral part of any FEC location, as thereremains a great demand for gift quality prizes. Cus-tomers to this day still enjoy the theatre and buzzof winning a physical prize - something that is veryhard to mirror in the home environment. Ofcourse, operators must remain current, so there isa heavy reliance on the quality of merchandiseavailable from our suppliers, not to mention theexpertise of the company buyer to ensure theright mix of products are available and that the‘must-have’ items take the fore!

When Elaut’s eClaw launched a few years ago it immediatelybecame one of the most impressive models on the market

with its dazzling multi-coloured light show, courtesy of the LEDlighting its design incorporates.

Of course, fancy lights are all very well, but as with every-thing in the coin-op business, the real proof of the puddingalways comes when you open the cashbox to see what isinside.

With the help of Crown Direct and Deith Leisure, in the lastyears two operators have switched their entire crane offeringover to the eClaw, and have been mightily impressed with theresults when it comes to collection time.

Having first investigated Elaut’s new crane in 2011, DerekPetrie, director of Carefree Amusements in Brean, Somerset,was initially put off after hearing negative reports from fellowoperators.

However, after visiting Crown and Deith’s stand at EAG 2012,he found so much potential he swiftly placed an order: “When Isaw the eClaw at the show I tried and tested them out, theyseemed to work and I thought we could work with them, so Icommitted right there and took eight.”

“I just thought they looked so good together that if I wasgoing to change my cranes, I should change them all. Therewas no point in changing four and only having half a show, so Iwent ahead and invested our budget last year on cranes.”

Placing all eight units outside at the front of his arcade,Petrie said the impact was immediate. Providing an eye-catch-ing attract feature, he has found his crane takings haveincreased by around 20 per cent.

“They have made a hell of a difference,” he explained. “Theylook very pretty when they all change colour at the same timeand at night this creates a really good light show. I’m told thereisn’t a bigger line-up of eClaws anywhere else in the country.”

The other big bonus that Petrie has found since thechangeover has been the ease with which he can set the eClawup - a great help for any operator. These days a foul hook -where the claw grabs something it shouldn’t and gives a toyaway - have become extremely rare.

In terms of the plush merchandise, he uses almost licensedplush almost exclusively, having observed that people aremore willing to play for merchandise they recognise fromfilms and television.

Switch to eClawprovides properprofit boost

With the help of Crown Direct and DeithLeisure, one UK operator has boosted their craneoffering by switching entirely to Elaut’s eClaw.

‘We need to ensure theproduct mix is diverse’Although gift quality plush carries a greater cost burden, the benefits tooperators can be huge, according to Sharon King, merchandise manager forNamco Operations Europe.

C



B2B

19

PRIZE SUPPLIERS

“I think both cranes and prizes are moreimportant to the industry now than

they have ever been. Hard-pressed con-sumers are increasingly looking for goodvalue for money regardless of whetherthat’s in a retail environment or amuse-ments/leisure.

The high street is full of special offersacross a vast array of different products -clothes, food, etc - and the amusementindustry is equally exposed to thatdemand for great products at an afford-able price.

We have seen a large increase indemand for prize products, particularlylicensed products over recent years, andwe see that trend continuing. Despite theeconomy, there are plenty of people outthere with money to spend, they are justmore careful than perhaps they havebeen in the past.

A well-presented crane is just as capa-ble of generating decent revenues as it’sever been, but consumers have muchhigher expectations than they’ve had inthe past. Treat your cranes like a shopwindow and people will play - it’s assimple as that.

The success of cranes lies within theopportunity to have a bit of fun and at thesame time have a good chance of winningsomething that has a much higher per-

ceived value than the cost of the play.That’s why it’s so incredibly important tohave the cranes looking their absolutebest. A tired looking crane that’s had noTLC has little chance of attracting playersbut invest in the right equipment and dis-play - not forgetting the rights toys ofcourse and that cash box can still be fullin a very short space of time.

The novelty factor of the cranes passeda long time ago, so you must give the con-sumers what they’re looking for. Again, thehigh street knows how hard it is to partthe consumer with his cash and theamusement industry is no different.

The trend for licensed products isshowing no signs of slowing, and thisyear it has certainly increased in my view.Hot film and App related products stilllead the way and the star of 2013 is look-ing likely to be Despicable Me 2. Demandhas been absolutely incredible and we’vebeen shipping goods by airfreight for thispast month.

This will continue long into 2014 asthe industry prepares for the dedicatedMinions film. Disney’s Monsters Univer-sity, releasing this month and Planesreleasing in August are also set to be inhuge demand and Angry Birds are stillflying high with new styles keeping themomentum going.”

‘Treat your craneslike a shop window’Phil Setter, managing partner of Whitehouse Leisure Group,discusses the growing importance of cranes and prizes in today’samusements environment.



20

B2B

Essential Guide to ... CranesProductsCROWN LEISURE

To build upon the successful acquisition of theDisney licence in 2012, Whitehouse Leisure has

launched an extensive new range of retail qualityproducts which are a must-have for any suc-cessful crane operation. These include varia-tions of ‘evergreens’ such as Winnie the Poohand Friends Fluffy characters, MinnieMouse Treats, the Muppets including newcharacters Waldorf and Statler, EeyoreTender Little Moments, plus MonstersInc. and Planes to coincide with new film

releases in July and August.This will add to an already impressive line up of

top draw licensed products such as DespicableMe 2, which is set to become a leading lightof 2013; the very latest Angry Bird offeringin the guise of Star Wars characters; theever-popular Family Guy characters; Tedfrom the much applauded hit comedy film;and the return of the unforgettable Mr

Blobby, who is celebrating his 20thanniversary.

WHITEHOUSE LEISURE

A prize fit for a crane

hile operator investment has mainly been - and still is - predomi-nantly in double player position cranes, over the last two seasons CrownDirect and Deith Leisure have seen demand growing for single player machines.

“We know that we have the best cranes on the market with the Elaut eClaw,” said DavidHurst of Crown Direct. “But like everything in life you get what you pay for, and eClaws areamongst the most expensive in the marketplace.

“Where operators have been struggling during these difficult trading times we haveseen a big uptake in the eClaw Cosmic and eClaw 900 one player cranes. They look like amillion dollars, but come at an affordable price. So where operators have wanted to make abig impression in their FEC locations, they have been buying either of these two cranesand placing them at the front of the arcades, and coupling it with the best prize merchan-dise.”

The eClaw Cosmic allows for larger prizes, with its larger claw and grab strength. Thesingle range of cranes is complemented by the standard 900 two-player crane.

“This still remains our biggest seller but, the mix between singles and doubles hasshifted,” said Hurst. “The largest uplift in income you can get from eClaw is when you con-vert your whole arcade to eClaws. The way the lighting links across all the play positionsand changes in sync has a fantastic effect on location.

“This becomes a big investment for the operator, but with the asset life of an Elaut craneand special finance packages available from Crown, more and more operators are makingthis commitment,” Hurst said.

Demandgrowing for single playermachinesWhere operators have been struggling duringthe economic downturn, Crown Leisurehas seen an uptake in single player cranesfrom Elaut.

W

Whitehouse Leisure has added several new and exciting designs for 2013.

Essex based prize supplier PMS International is anticipat-ing a busy summer season, with the arrival of several new

licensed product ranges for the crane and prize market.The global smash hit smartphone app, Talking Friends,

has now exceeded one billion downloads. In addi-tion to the main Tom and Ben characters, PMS nowhas three new characters available: Gina Giraffe,Angela and Ginger. Available in several sizes with andwithout sound chips, the new characters add variety andcollectability to what is already a very popular range.

Continuing with the theme of characters from blockbuster apps,PMS has announced the imminent arrival of its new collection ofCut the Rope plush featuring the adorable Om Nom character. Cutthe Rope has exceeded 300m downloads and won a BAFTA awardfor its innovative and addictive gameplay. UK figures are particu-larly impressive, with over 20m downloads.

“It seems the app is just the beginning for the cute candy munch-ing protagonist as a huge merchandising programme gets under-way and the game is being adapted for TV in various guises includinga game show and a series of animated shorts,” said the company’sSteven Beverley. “PMS is offering several sizes of classic Om Nomand a brand new assortment of dressed Om Nom.

“Raa Raa the Noisy Lion plush arrived at the end of June andearly feedback is very good,” Beverley added. “Raa Raa is one of topthe performing programmes on the BBC’s leading preschool chan-nel Cbeebies and there seems to be a big demand for merchandise.

“PMS has gift quality crane plush in stock now featuring the fivemain characters from the show, and this will be followed up laterthis month with mini-cushions and plush clip-ons, which makeexcellent prizes for prize every time machines, pushers or lowticket value redemption.”

PMS INTERNATIONAL GROUP

Success for PMSthe tip of the iceWith plenty of new licences scheduled to arrivethroughout the summer and new deals already in placefor 2014, PMS is very positive about the future of itscrane and prize offering.



B2B

21

PMS is juste iceberg

AMG LEISURE

As everybody is aware, cranes havebeen a mainstay of the arcade for

many years but now the prize vendingsector has grown substantially in impor-tance and profile during more recentyears in most arcades, according toTerry Farr of AMG Leisure.

“Clearly one of the reasons behindthis are the need to keep on improvingthe out-of-home experience that thearcade offers its clients,” Farr told B2B.“The UK arcade customer clearly hasbecome more discerning and expects tocome to the arcade to enjoy the gamesand environment that they cannot haveat home.

“In my opinion the other major factorsthat come to play is that we as an indus-try are managing to supply great prizes

that don’t exceed the £50 threshold limitbut have a much higher perceived valueto our player plus a few manufacturershave made their machine tantalising andfun. Unfortunately, some of the periph-eral equipment of this nature has some-thing of a wallpaper feel about and reallydoes miss the mark.”

Farr added: “It’s no coincidence thatthe newest, most modern cranes - thatare different to the products that havebeen around for years - are really takinggood money, while the older, tiredcranes with a poor swag offering aredoing poorly.

“We at AMG have majored on thecrane range from LAI. The company hasnow produced three excellent craneproducts. Stack ‘n’ Grab was the first,

followed closely by Catch ‘n’ Grab. Bothof these games utilise a LED panel with adifferent game for each that acts as thepercentage control, instead of the grab.

“The crane unit then acts as a venderfor the prize, making a two-stage gamefor the player. New this year was ToyZone crane, a traditional premiumdesigned processed crane, making useof the same recognisable cabinet designas both Stack and Catch ‘n’ Grab. Allthree games can also be operated on winevery time, making them very flexible forall operations throughout the year.

“At our recent Open Day, AMGshowed all three games together, withan optional top sign that links any threeunits together, making a very impressiveand eye catching line-up,” Farr said.

Grab it while it’s hotAMG Leisure is keeping today’s discerning consumer satisfiedwith its full range of quality amusement cranes.



Analysis

CATEGORYB3 (£1/£500 Max.)

CATEGORYD (10p/£5 Max.)

CATEGORYB4 (£1/£250 Max)

AGCsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 King of Slots Blueprint2 2 TS22 Casino King Project3 3 Luck Lady's Charm Astra4 4 Triple 8 Barcrest5 5 Mega Bars Big Hit Project6 6 Rainbow King's 2 Astra7 7 Triple 7 Barcrest8 8 Lady Luck Reflex9 9 Abet Astra10 10 Magic Lotto Novomatics

Based on data supplied by a representative number of UK sitesSupplied by RLMS Sales

Members clubsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Alice Through the Looking Glass Reflex2 2 Street Casino Storm3 3 Paymaker Reflex4 4 Fireball Storm5 5 Magic 6 JPM

Based on data from representative sites. Supplied by sector professional

FEC - familyThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Party Games (4 Player) Astra2 2 Rainbow Riches (3 Player) Empire3 3 Party Time (3 Player) Astra4 7 Craic in Fun (3 Player) Barcrest5 5 Adders And Ladders (4 Player) Vivid6 6 Gold Rush Stampede (4 Player) Barcrest7 - DOND (3 Player) Bellfruit8 8 Party Time Arena (4 Player) Astra9 - Party Time Classic (3 Player) Astra10 10 Chase The Ace Project

Based on data from four sites Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

FEC - adultThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Free Play 70 Project2 6 Rainbow Riches Party Barcrest3 2 Magic Games U/R Novomatic4 8 Hot Spots Astra5 5 Pure Gold Astra6 6 Rainbow Riches Party Barcrest7 7 Clockwork Oranges Empire8 3 Win Wall Astra9 9 Party Time Arena (4 Player) Astra10 10 Party Games (4 Player) Astra

Based on data from four sites Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

NAMCO EUROPE

rop the Hook is a simple and absorbing game from Namco Europewhere the player must release the plunger onto one of six shapesin order to drop the hook of a corresponding prize.

Using the familiar two button controls, players manoeuvre a plungerover six different prize targets. Each prize target is uniquely shaped tomatch the colour and shape of the intended prize section.

Players who want to try to win a prize located in the red heart section,for example, will aim for the heart shaped prize target. If successful, theplunger will pass through the hole and activate the prize switch. The hookholding the prize will drop and release the prize into the prize bin. Dropthe Hook also features a ‘winner every time’ ball dispenser.

Drop the Hook is unique in that it will accept larger prizes up to a diam-eter of 2.5ft and a weight of 10kg. “This offers a great opportunity forarcade operators to load these machines with new and exciting prizessuch as giant plush or super-sized confectionary,” said Bandai Namco com-mercial director, John Brennan. “We have been experi-menting with some different typesof prizes and thereaction has beenincredible. Opera-tors have anopportunity to beable to offer some-thing completelynew to the player.”

Namco PrizeEurope offers awide range ofexciting prizessuitable for Dropthe Hook, includ-ing supersizedc o n fe c t i o n a r y,such as giant DairyMilk bars andbuckets of JellyBeans from theJelly Bean Factory.Also available is themarke t - l e ad ingNam-Gear range ofelectronics, includ-ing a dual-SIMsmart phone, tabletcomputer and HDvideo recorder.Plush rangesinclude varioussizes of Timmy Time,Shaun the Sheep and Pac-Man char-acters, plus Namco’s own Purcats range.

PrizedropNamco’s Drop the Hook gives operators the opportunityto offer something completely new to players.

22

B2B

Essential Guide to ... Cranes

Products

D

CATEGORYC (£1/£70 Max.)

Single siteThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 DOND Bankers Offer BFG2 2 Monster Money QPS4 - DOND Double Chance BFG4 - Snow White & the Seven Tenners REF5 3 DOND Golden Game BFG6 5 Alice Through the Looking Glass REF7 4 DOND Triple BFG8 6 Karate Quid QPS9 7 Monopoly Millionaires Row BFG10 9 DOND Take a Chance BFG

Taken from a representative number of sites around the UKSupplied by national operator

AGCsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Magic Games 3 (s/d) Novomatic2 8 Party Time Platinum Astra3 - Encore T7 (GP2) SG Gaming4 2 Magic Game 3 Novomatic5 - Encore T7 (GP3) SG Gaming6 - Triple 7 (GP3) SG Gaming7 5 Triple 7 (GP2) SG Gaming8 - DOND: Banker rings twice BFG9 - Mega Jackpots Project10 - Bullion Bars Arena Astra

Based on data from a minimum of 10 locations. Supplied by Praesepe


JNCSALES

Vast ranges of AWPs, SWPs,Drivers, Simulators, Sit-downs and

amusement equipment

“Let’s talk about it”

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MARKETPLACE

CALL NOW - 01843 866464 Harry Levy Amusement Contractor Ltd

Tel: +44 (0)1843 866464 | Fax: +44 (0)1843 860144Email: [email protected] | Web: www.harry-levy-amusement.com

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Use as often as you wishGreat Value for Money

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FILMCHARTS

AlbumsThis Last

WeekWeek Name

1 16 Babel Mumford & Sons2 4 To Be Loved Michael Buble3 1 Long Way Down Tom Odell4 5 Jake Bugg Jake Bugg5 2 Time Rod Stewart6 - The Weight Of Your Love Editors7 3 All The Little Lights Passenger8 8 Right Place Right Time Olly Murs9 11 Home Rudimental10 9 Unorthodox Jukebox Bruno Mars

DownloadsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 - Love Me Again John Newman 2 1 I Love It Icona Pop ft Charli XCX 3 2 Blurred Lines Naughty Boy ft Sam Smith4 3 Bang Bang Will I Am5 5 La La La Naughty Boy ft Sam Smith6 6 Let Her Go Passenger7 - Lighters (The One) Gabz 8 7 The Other Side Jason Derulo9 16 Lost & Not Found Chase & Sttus ft Louis Mttrs 10 8 Get Lucky Daft Punk ft Pharrell Williams

JOHN NEWMAN: LOVEME AGAIN

UK Box Office ChartThis LastWeek Week Name

1 - Despicable Me 2 2 1 Man of Steel 3 2 World War Z4 - This Is The End5 - Hummingbird 6 4 Behind the Candelabra 7 3 After Earth8 5 The Hangover Part III9 8 Before Midnight 10 7 Epic

DESPICABLE ME 2

EDITORS: THE WEIGHTOF YOUR LOVE

MUSICCHARTS

UK Jukebox ChartHighest Earning Tracks on Sound Leisure jukeboxesThis LastWeek Week Name

1 1 Blurred Lines Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell2 2 La La La Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith3 3 Get Lucky Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams4 4 Let Her Go Passenger5 5 Dear Darlin Olly Murs6 6 Waiting All Night Rudimental feat. Ella Eyre7 - I Love It Icona Pop8 7 Play Hard David Guetta feat. Ne-Yo & Akon9 8 Wild Jessie J feat. Big Sean & Dizz! ee Rascal10 - Bang Bang Will.I.Am

Based on data supplied by Soundnet

http://www.soundnet.net/

www.soundnet.net

)

flex


B2B

23


24

B2B

PUSHERS

Enhanced inspiration for ICE Although remaining reeconomic outlook andconfidence, our recent

demonstratesmeet challenand we are cour future prYOUNG’S CHAIRMAN NICK BRYAOPERATOR’S FIRST QUARTER SA

Listings


B2B Change Machines

MARKETPLACE

Amusement and Gaming Equipment Finance with Rates

from 3.1%

Immediate Funds Available 98% Acceptance Rate

Tel: 0844 800 88 [email protected]

B2B Finance

B2B Gaming Machines

Tel: 020 8391 7700 Fax: 020 8391 7760 Email: [email protected] www.suzohapp.co.uk

“Great range of Change Machines available”

www.amgleisure.co.uk

B2B Gaming Machines

www.rlms-sales.com [email protected]

Next week’s feature is

ATM & Change MachinesTo advertise, please call Kathryn on

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B2B Juke Box Specialists

[email protected]

isit any seaside resort inBritain and you would behard pressed to find an

amusement arcade that doesn’tfeature a Harry Levy pusheramongst its equipment offer-ing.

There is a good reason forthis: with its long-standingcoin-op heritage, the com-pany has a well-earnedreputation for durability,reliability and, most impor-tantly, consistently highcashbox income.

These virtues are encapsulatedin Levy’s latest pusher, High Wire.Available in six and twelve-playermodels, it scored instant success at itslaunch last year and is seeing anothergood run on sales as the summerseason approaches in 2013.

The follow-up to prior hitIt’s A Cracker, High Wire isimmediately distinguishableby its unique top sign, whichfeatures a fully mechanicalmovie clown on a unicycle,balancing up and down a highwire. Combined with new art-work and an entertaining circustheme, it is safe to say that High Wire willdraw an audience wherever it is placed.

The six-player model is coin-in/coin-out with low, fast feed coin entries foreasy play, but it also has the option ofticket payout.

Harry Levy’s Richard Walters explainedthat the latter was becoming increasinglypopular: “The majority of the pushers thatwe export to America have always beenticket payout, given long term popularity

of redemption over there. But of thepast three or four years thisoption has grown more preva-

lent on our UK models too,as the demand for redemp-

tion has grown steadily inthis country.

“High Wire has beenvery successful inarcades and holiday

parks right round thecoast, and there is now

one in at all Butlins sites in thecountry - Bognor Regis, Mine-

head and Skegness - which is proof ofits outstanding popularity.”

For sites where floor space mightbe at a premium, Levy has Helter

Skelter, a 12-player round pusher that,ingeniously, has the same overall foot-print as other six and eight-player

pushers. As with High Wire’smechanical clown, it fea-tures a great attract fea-ture in the model helterskelter top sign that standstall for all to see at itscentre.

Walters said that in timesof austerity, the pusher’s

greatest strength is its low priceper play: “People tend to think of a 2ppiece as a token with little value. If they gointo an amusement arcade and get £1 in2p’s, whatever they win they won’t thenask to change back into 10p or 20p pieces.

“Instead, they usually play until theyhave got rid of them. Players don’t mindparting with their 2p’s, but when they areall collected in a pusher, at the end of theday the all count towards an operator’sprofit margin.”

High Wire and Helter Skeltercontinue Levy’s pusher heritage

Harry Levy has two new pushers that showcase its expertise withone of the amusement sectors most loved product categories.

V

A campaign group of senior consultantswith multi-level marketing experience hasbeen brought together to contribute to thecampaign for ICE Totally Gaming 2014.

The Star Chamber, whichalso includes Julian Graves(pictured) and Kate Cham-bers from Clarion, will workalongside the event organ-iser’s in-house marketingteam.

2324-p24-45-Listings:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 16:12 Page 1

25

B2B

MARKETPLACE

B2B Spares

B2B Soft Toys & Redemption

B2B Pool Tables & Accessories

www.cromptons-spares.co.uk

For Spares, Refurbishments,

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call Matt or Terri on 01843 593335

For FREE technical support call

Steve or Hugh on: 01843 593353

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For a quote call Chris Jones +44 (0)1273 699900

gaming | betting | gambling

S&Jcommunications

Get great PR from theindustry experts

B2B Juke Box Specialists

SOUNDNETTHE NO.1 MUSIC SERVICE YOU CAN DEPEND ONMAKE THE MOST OF YOUR JUKEBOXES CALL US NOW ON020 7644 8888www.soundnet.net

B2B Skill Ball Deluxe

Your one-stop shop 4 [email protected] 0113 271 3708maining realistic about the

tlook and consumer ur recent performanceonstrates our ability tot challenges that emergewe are confident aboutfuture prospects.CHAIRMAN NICK BRYAN COMMENTS ON THE BREWER AND PUBR’S FIRST QUARTER SALES RISE

Jukebox group Rock-Ola has announcedthat The Games RoomCompany is now its ex-clusive distributor forthe UK. The GamesRoom Company isowned by Alexander Walder-Smithand was founded by his father, Regi-nald, in 1962.

New UK distributor forRock-Ola


FINANCEBANK CHARGES AREHURTING SMES

Research carried out by the Forum ofPrivate Business suggests that

high bank charges are hurting smallbusinesses already struggling with cashflow issues.

The study also saw an increase in firmsreporting banks asking forharmful levels of collateralin return for finance. Themain financial concern forSMEs however, remainsthe rising cost of doingbusiness, which was citedby 42 per cent of respon-

dents. This was, however, significantlylower compared to last year's results,which saw the figure at 54 per cent.

DEVELOPMENTNEW SOFTWARELAUNCH FROMENTNET

Entnet is about to launch new softwarefor its Category C compendium termi-

nal, which features the lowest cost oper-ating system currently available on theUK market.

Operators can choose from either acredit or a day-based rate for the system,which can be housed on converted

Games Warehouse,Games Media orFatSpanner cabinets.The games menu willinclude: two CategoryC roulette games, oneCategory C pokergames, one CategoryC bingo game, one CatC reel game, plus clas-sic SWP content.

PHOTOBOOTHSFINANCE OFFER ONDIGITAL CENTREPHOTOBOOTHS

Digital Centre is offer-ing zero per cent

financing for 12 monthlypayments on all its pho-tobooths, with a mini-mum purchase of oneunit. The zero per cent isfor approved companieswith more than two years inbusiness. Approved “new”companies (less than two years in busi-ness) will have a 1.99 per cent interest.The offer, which is available throughoutthe month of July, 2013, requires twoadvance payments at signing, with thenext payment due after 60 days.

OPERATIONSSG COMPLETESROLLOUT OFTERMINALS TO CORAL

SG Gaming has completed the roll outof its Infinity2 gaming terminals to the

Coral bookmaker estate across the UK,following a successful initial trial. Morethan 1,700 Coral shops have been fittedwith the cutting-edge terminals, contain-ing the latest industry technology includ-ing high-definition screens and aninteractive video button panel - the first tobe introduced to UK betting shops. SGGaming and Coral have been workingtogether for over 15 years, and the Infin-ity2 roll outfollowedtherenewal oftheir part-nershipcontract in2012.

2324-p24-45-Listings:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 16:12 Page 2


26

B2B

MORE ON THE MENUBOB THE LANDLORDJABRO GAMES

Jabro Games’ Jackpot70 Pub andJackpot250 Club products now have

even more on the menu following theintroduction of Bob the Landlord. Accord-ing to Jabro, the pub-themed game isproving popular with players and isquickly becoming the number one gameon the Jackpot70 and Jackpot250 plat-forms. The company’s Tony Brookes said:“With such a wide range of games on themenu, operators are now finding theseproducts will perform in many morevenues with the consideration that thereare no additional dongle fees to pay.”Jabro offers Jackpot70 and Jackpot250in different dual screen cabinet styles withthe option of upgrading to NV11 noterecycler for note payout.

RACING MEERKATMEERKAT RACINGMIKE ANSELL

Industry innovators Mike Ansell andAndy Bowers have created a loving

restoration of the iconic Donkey DerbyCategory D novelty game. Meerkat Racingis currently on test at selected coastaloperations and is reportedly showing“phenomenal” results. The machine,which is available as 10p/£5 or ticketredemption, includes bespoke meerkatracing characters, bold colours and newLED lighting.

Pure Madness fromEmpire Games

Turning space into profit

Pure Madness is a singleplayer Category C multigame and is the first fromEmpire Games toinclude a new technicalstandard feature. Theretro style game has beenenhanced both visuallyand with a new feature toimprove play.

ProductsStickers and noveltytattoos can helpamusement operatorsin any location turndead space into profit.Supplied in boxes of300 and costing just£27.99, all NoveltyWorld stickers andtattoos can vend in anymachine on the market. For Sale

For Sale

Business Opportunities Wanted

For Recruitment

please see Page 28

ClassifiedTo advertise: Contact Kathryn Norris on 01204 396 397

WANTEDVIDEO

EQUIPMENTDRIVERS, GUN

games etcYear 2000 onwardsTel: 07813 834331

Email: [email protected]

WANTEDCMS CHAMELEON

Any jackpotAny condition

Good prices paidTelephone

07973 188493

gaming...and so much more!

New & Used Machine Prices

All prices subject to VAT and Carriage

T8 VEGAS PARTY £7,995KING OF SLOTS SLANT £7,795CASINO KING TS22 £7,495KING OF SLOTS VISION £6,995BIG PARTY 500 A-SERVE £6,995CASINO KING SLANT £6,495BIG HIT MEGA BAR SLANT £3,995JACKPOT KING £2,495JACKPOT 500 £995GIANT JACKPOTS £995

Cat B3 £2 Stake

RAINBOW RACING £19,995CONNECT 4 £11,795SPIN OUT £9,995RAINBOW SHOOT TO WIN £8,995HARPOON LAGOON £7,995TEMPLE RUN £6,995ROLLER COASTER ROLL £6,995DOODLE JUMP £6,495MONSTER DROP SINGLE £6,495X-TERMINATOR 3 PLY £5,995MILK JUG TOSS £5,995KLOBBER THE ROBBER £2,995DOLPHIN SHOW £1,995

RedemptionKEY MASTER £3,495BARBER CUT LITE £1,495

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RAINBOW PARTY T7 3 PLY £14,495BULLION BARS 3 PLY COM £9,995CRAIC IN FUN 3 PLY £8,495BANK RAID 3 PLY £7,495

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ROCK N REELS TICKET £18,495RAINBOW PARTY TICKET £17,245ROCKIN N ROLLIN COIN £15,995SHOOT TO WIN £8,995BIG PRIZE WINNER £6,995

Pushers

E CLAW 900 TWIN £8,995E CLAW COSMIC £4,995

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2324-p26-products:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 15:23 Page 1

27

B2B


FOR FULL STOCK LIST OF VIDEO, REDEMPTION, PUSHERS, DANCE MACHINES, KIDDIE RIDES,BASKETBALL, BOXERS, CRANES, PINTABLES AND ALL FRUITS, PLEASE CONTACT 01179 382552

SUMMER

SALE

GALACTIX .......................... WAS £ 3995 ...NOW £3495SMASH FUN (NEW) ............ WAS £ 3295 ...NOW £24952PLY CYBER TICKETS ........ WAS £ 2795 ...NOW £2495PHANTOM WH EEL .............. WAS £ 2495 ...NOW £2195DISCO WINNER .................. WAS £ 2495 ...NOW £21952PLY HUMMER SPACE ADVENTURE .. WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £1795KING OF THE HAMMER ...... WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £1795WATERPARK SPLASH ........ WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £1795WHEEL EM IN EXTREME..... WAS £1995 .. NOW £1795FAMILY BOWL 2 ................ WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £1795DOG PO UNDER ................... WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £1795TYPHOON DREAM .............. WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £1795JUMBO JACKPOT .............. WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £16952PLY HOUSE OF FUN 10P ... WAS £ 1995 ... NOW £1695WONDERWHEEL ................. WAS £ 1795 ... NOW £1595PONG PONG (NEW) ............ WAS £ 1895 ... NOW £1495WONDERLAND ................... WAS £ 1795 ... NOW £1495JUMPING JACKPOT ........... WAS £ 1695 ... NOW £1495SIMPSONS KOOKY CARNIVAL .. WAS £ 1595 ... NOW £1395JUMPING FANTASY (NON TICKET) ..... WAS £ 1495 ... NOW £1295SMACK N ALIEN ................ WAS £ 1495 ... NOW £1295DRAGSTER C ORVETTE ........ WAS £ 1495 ... NOW £1295CLAIM JUMPER ................. WAS £ 1495 ... NOW £1195NAMCO GATOR PANIC ....... WAS £ 1295 ... NOW £1095SILVER FALLS WATERPARK ...WAS £ 995 ..... NOW £895

DANCE STAGE FUSION .................. £2295

DDR SUPERNOVA .......................... £1995

DANCE STAGE EUROMIX 1 ............ £1995

DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION ......... £1495

PUMP IT UP STD ........................... £1395

DAWPOL 6PLY BOXER NEW .......... £1995DAWPOL BOXER DLX NEW ............ £1795DAWPOL BOXER STD NEW ............ £1595DAWPOL BOXER DLX EX DEMO ..... £1495DAWPOL BOXER STD EX DEMO ..... £1495DRAGON PUNCH ........................... £1195DAWPOL BOXER USED .................. £1195PRO BOXER .................................... £950MEGA BOXE .................................... £950

NEW

JNC SALES UNIT 1, CCT BUILDINGS, GREENSPLOTT ROAD,

CHITTENING TRADING ESTATE, AVONMOUTH, BRISTOL. BS11 0YB

TEL: 0117 9382552AFTERSALES TEL: 0117 9382225

NEW TELEPHONE NUMBER - 01132 040885

Tim Stanhope,Keith Parker or John HoodTel: 01132 040885Fax: 01132 560180John mobile: 07766 247876Email: [email protected] 59/62L, Springfield Commercial Centre,Bagley Lane, Farsley,LEEDS LS28 5LY

Leeds Leisure LtdSTAR WARS

DEATH STAR ASSAULTDOND

MAKE OR BREAK

SUPERBIKES TWIN

£4,995

£795 £645

CLUB MACHINESMULTI LOTTO (NEW) £2,495CRAZY GEMS B3A (NEW) £1,895SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN TENORS £1,795COPS PLATINUM £545CLUB SPINNER £225FIGHT NIGHT £225SUITS YOU SIR £225JUGGLING JACKPOTS £225FORTUNE & GLORY £195CLUEDO £175

CASINO LOW TECHFULL MONTY £495CASINO DOND (video) £395FANTASTIC 5 (Video) £295CLASSIC RED BAR £295CASINO WHEEL OR WEALTH £295CASINO RED HOT X £275X FACTOR £250CASINO BAR X £250

VIDEOSSUPERBIKES TWIN £4,995R TUNED TWIN £4,495TIME CRISIS 3 DELUXE £1,895TIME CRISIS 3 STANDARD £1,595CHASE HQ 2 SSD £1,295BATTLEGEAR 4 SSD £995

CHANGE MACHINESTHOMAS 3004 (Ardac Elite) £1,995THOMAS 3004 (Taiko) £1,795

SWPsPARAGON 2 £495PARAGON 1 £350

£70 AWPsAL MURRAY BEAUTIFUL BRITISH GAME £1,495CROWN JEWELS £945STAR WARS DEATH STAR £795RAINBOW RICHES ON THE FIDDLE £695DEVIL OF A DEAL £645DOND MAKE OR BREAK £645DOND PLAY IT AGAIN £595MEGA DOND £595RAINBOW RICHES MURPHY’S MILLIONS £495

AIR HOCKEY / NOVELTYAIRBOY XTREME MINI £1,595WINNING STREAK TICKET £1,495PLATINUM HEIGHTS TICKET £1,495CRAZY SQUASH WALL HOCKEY - NEW £1,395KICK IT KICKER (JAKAR) £895

B3PARTY SLOTS £495RAINBOW RICHES £450CASH AHOY £395SPECTRUM £250VIVA LAS VEGAS £250WINNING WAY £250RIO GRAND £150

28

B2B


Recruitment

Full Time TechnicianRequired to work at

WARWICKS AMUSEMENTS in Blackpool.Must have good understanding of the machineand be able to resolve any problems that arise.

Must have a clean drivers licence.Honest and Reliable

Refs. RequiredPlease send your C.V. and references

Excellent rates of payF.A.O. Carl Green

Warwicks Amusements106 Church St., Blackpool, FY1 1JA or

[email protected] 291391

Apply in the strictest confidence to Stefan Harrison: [email protected]

Salary: £20k - £25k+ profit share designed to motivate!

We are looking for an enthusiastic manager who can develop this independent bingo business.

A hands-on approach is required and strong promotional and people skills will be rewarded.

Bingo club experience essentialand may suit a support managerlooking for the next challenge.

Bingo ClubManagerWokingham,Berkshire

Bingo ClubManagerWokingham,BerkshireSalary: £20k - £25k+ profit share designed to motivate!

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on 01204 396 397

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Call LeedsLeisure on

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PLEASE CALL MIKE 07802 873165 OR GAVIN 07956 549389

Video Games

Fast & Furious Twin .................£2295

Ferrari 355 Twin .......................£2295

Manx TT Twin (x2) ..............£1195 each

Sega Rally 2 Twin.....................£1895

Final Furlong 2 Twin ................£1195

Let’s Go Jungle DLX .................£2995

Ocean Hunter DLX......................£995

Time Crisis 3 DLX Twin ............£1895

Time Crisis 2 Twin ......................£750

Alpine Racer 2 DLX ....................£750

Kick It Pro DLX ...........................£750

Virtua Striker Twin Seat Naomi Megalo DLX ..£150

Virtua Striker 3 U/R Naomi.........£150

Virtua Tennis U/R Naomi ............£150

Fatal Judgement Silent Scope U/R .£100

Tekken 3 U/R .............................£100

Gauntlet Legends U/R ..................£75

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MiscShocker (Electric Chair) .............£995Van Gogh Studio ........................£750Neoprint Photo Sticker Machine....£100Security Cabinets (x3) ..........£250 each

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Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA No 44948. Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

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01204 396 397

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Comment

Paddy Power shows its more conciliatoamusement arcade, and there’s no leMedia Watch trawls the broader leisure n

“

media watchalex lee

Bookies go on the charm offensiv

commentjames walker

o, how many of ourseaside arcadians aregoing to get the

chance to cash in on the esti-mated £1.5bn bonanzaexpected from this month’ssummer heatwave?

All of you I hope; but, real-istically, less of you, I wouldexpect.

Not that you don’tdeserve it - my god, if everthere was an industry thatmerited some kind of sup-port, it’s the British amuse-ment business. Kickedaround by the governingauthorities like a beach ballfor the best part of 10 years,and treated like the leisurepariah by subsequent gov-ernments that simplyhaven’t got the balls to sup-port the industry withactions as well as words - let’sjust say, it’s not the sunniestpicture postcard to send toyour family and friends.

But, that’s a battle theindustry is fighting hard - andin fairness to some of thoseon the opposing side, it’s onethat is gaining favour, slowlybut surely.

The issue at hand - hereand now - though, is the roleof the local council. Is it help-ing its local businesses to sur-vive and thrive?

Speaking from the resortof Brighton, there’s so muchto slap the local council inthe face with that youwonder how on earth somepeople got elected in thefirst place. Reduced parkingspaces, extortionate carparking fees, battles withrefuse collectors, 20mphspeed limits across the road

network, poorly-plannedbike lanes, local rate hikes -sometimes it’s difficult to seewhether your council wantsyou to succeed or not.

Of course they do: weknow that. But do they actu-ally understand how to helpyou succeed? In Brighton’scase, its failings are based onextreme naivity, which initself is totally unacceptable,especially as businesses losemoney on the back of thatpoor judgement. Fortu-nately, there is so much goodabout the city - but it’s mostlyall offered and delivered bythe people and businesses ofBrighton & Hove who workvery hard to counter thosegaping and embarrassingerrors made by the council.

All of which makes youthink: exactly how manyother seaside resorts face thesame problems? Brightoncan’t be an unusual case,although for the sake ofBritain’s seaside industry, wehope it is. If local councils inseaside resorts can’t providethe support system thatmakes their tourist businessviable and proposperous,then what kind of touristresort will it become?

So the real question is:with the weather makingBritain’s seaside resorts amust-go place this summer,how many councils are bothcapable and active in help-ing their arcadians ensurethat these one day tripsbecome multi-day trips allthrough the year?

Hands-up all those thatthink they get the best dealfrom their local councils.

Can localcouncils takethe heat?

The war of words - and deeds -surrounding the proliferation

of LBOs was the focus in thismonth’s edition of Betting Busi-ness Interactive. Reporting onPaddy Power’s appeal againstNewham Council’s rejection of alicence application, the maga-zine indicated that the overturn-ing of the decision could havepotential wide-ranging conse-quences.

It reported: “In a landmarkcase at Thames MagistratesCourt, judge Paul Goldspringdismissed the argument thatbetting would not be a primaryactivity for the shop, suggestingthat it was actually an area forthe Gambling Commission tolook at rather than the licensingauthority, and concluded thatthere was not enough evidenceof criminal activity around bet-ting shops in the area to refusethe application on the grounds ofpreventing crime and disorder.

Now with a licence approval inhand, Paddy Power is looking to

build bridges with the counciland the local community and hasdonated all costs awarded toPaddy Power to charities work-ing across Newham. It added:“We want to fund initiatives thatsupport the local community,particularly around up-skilling,getting people into - and backinto - work and social enterprise.We would like to set up a meet-ing to discuss this with NewhamCouncil and the local MP,Stephen Timms to enable us toput the money to work as soonas possible.”

Timms actually spoke upagainst the bookmaker’s appli-cation, although the Judgedescribed his evidence as lack-ing empirical data and ‘of verylittle help’.

The Association of BritishBookmakers (ABB) also wel-comed the very clear judgement,saying it was based on ‘empiricalevidence and common sense’. Itwas pleased that primary activitywas deemed outside the remit of

a local authority and found nolink between betting shops andcrime. It said: “The judgementparticularly notes that a group ofpeople standing outside a bet-ting shop does not amount todisorder or crime, and that inci-dents of three robberies over thecourse of a year or more doesnot prove the link either. Bettingshops are highly regulated andsocially responsible businessesthat have been trading on thehigh street, investing in towncentres and creating jobs forover fifty years.”

That said, the ruling hasgained widespread attention inthe media with the perspectivethat councils are powerless toprevent the opening of bettingshops rather than the reality thatsome councils are oversteppingthe mark because they don’tknow how to use their planningpowers properly. NewhamCouncil in particular hasreceived sympathy as it hasmore than 80 betting shops in

S

Bathe and Display: Visitors mustnot exceed their time limit

enjoying Brighton’s beaches

2324-p30-31-Comment:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 17:04 Page 1

31Coinslot July 12 - July 18, 2013

more conciliatory side in Newham, an armed gang take off with cash from a Leighnd there’s no let up in the rising cost of red tape and compliance for small businesses -oader leisure network for what’s making the headlines..

With the cash versus cashlessdebate continuing to rumble along,law firm Kingsley Napley’s SimonHalberstam gives his assessment ofthe world’s newest coinage - thevirtual currency Bitcoin. “ politicssimon halberstam

quote unquote

”fensive in Newham

TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE


the borough. Its executives arealso frustrated at not beingable to work to the current leg-islation how they would likeand have called on a change tothe law to give them moreleeway.”

Crime, however, was evidentin the north west where theLeigh Journal reported on anattack made on an anmuse-ment arcade in the town.

“The men entered NobleAmusement Arcade in Brad-shawgate on Thursday at10.40am through the backentrance on Gas Street and twooffenders approached the staff,making threats.

The staff gave the criminalscash and the trio then fled.They got into a small dark bluecar parked up at the back of thearcade and drove towardsChapel Street. No staff wereinjured but were shaken up.

The offenders wore bala-clavas and dark clothing. DetCons Lynsey Watson said: “The

staff were understandablyextremely afraid to be con-fronted by a gang of maskedmen carrying weapons.

“Thankfully they were notinjured but clearly they had noidea what was going tohappen and genuinely fearedfor their lives.

“We need to trace thesedangerous offenders as soonas possible so I would appealto anyone who has informationabout this robbery to comeforward.”

Crime of a different kind -and that’s a sarcastic commentfor any of you that may be inneed of the new sarcasm iden-tification programme that wasput on offer to the market thisweek. Sarcasm or not, forthose that may view soaringcompliance costs as a crimeagainst business develop-ment, the Morning Advertiser’sreport on the cost of compli-ance rising 8.5% rise for smallfirms may have hit a chord. “A

study conducted by the Forumof Private Business reflectedthat the total cost of compli-ance was at more than £18.2bnthis year, compared to £16.8bnin 2011, despite governmentpromises to reduce the amountof time and money businessesspend on compliance.

The research also demon-strated that small firms arepaying 11% more to externalproviders of payroll and taxsupport..this was most likelydown to the introduction of RealTime Information, a new HerMajesty’s Revenue & Customs(HMRC) payroll process intro-duced in April, which all firmswith employees have to use.

Heatwave set to continueLast weekend’s fine weather across many parts of the UK heralded the start of a prolongedperiod of very warm weather which could last until mid July. According to the Met Office, Britain islikely to enjoy the longest spell of warm and settled summer weather since July 2006, wheretemperatures were above 28 degrees Celsius in many areas for a fortnight.

Bitcoin (BTC) is the world’s newestcurrency. It is a digital, decen-

tralised currency based on opensource. It is international and not con-trolled by any central bank. Virtual cur-rencies are traditionally controlled bythe organisation behind them suchas Second Life, and have been limitedto a particular virtual environment.Enter Bitcoin, a potentially universallyacceptable virtual form of payment.

There are three main ways to getBitcoins - buy them in exchange for‘real’ money, accept them as paymentfor goods and/or services or ‘mine’them. Mining involves solving com-plex algorithms to unlock a “new”block of Bitcoin. Think of it as an oxy-moronic, skill based lottery in whichthere are regular draws, in which theticket holders are whizz kids behindhigh spec computers and in whichthe prize is an amount of virtual cash.

“Bitconians” cite its benefits as theabsence of bank charges, middlemen,Forex conversions and territorialfrontiers. Fans feel it will help easeonline commerce across borders andeventually replace credit cards. As Bit-coin will be limited in supply, there isno risk of quantitative easing devalu-ing your digital cash. Nor is there therisk of your bank taking a percentageof your savings, as we saw threatenedin Cyprus earlier this year. Bitcoincould strengthen international trade,as there are no currency barriers andtransactions can be arranged andprocessed quickly.

For now, there are reasons why Iam not a fan. The lack of central bankor government control has its advan-tages but it is also one of Bitcoin’sweaknesses. We have a relativelyrobust system in place to preventfraud and money laundering in thewestern world. The Money Launder-ing Regulations 2007, the Proceedsof Crime Act 2002 and Terrorism Act2000 place an obligation on busi-nesses to maintain appropriate pro-cedures to prevent them from beingused for money laundering by crimi-

nals or terrorists. Bitcoin circum-vents these safeguards as you can gen-erate a different ‘address’ for eachBitcoin transaction you make andstay anonymous.

As the currency is not backed by acentral bank, there is no guarantor ifyour Bitcoin wallet is hacked. If youronline bank account is hacked, yourbank will generally compensate youfor your loss. If your online Bitcoinwallet is hacked, or indeed you acci-dentally delete your wallet, you areup the creek.

One BTC1 is currently worthUS$101.79 or £64.93 on Mt. Gox, ‘theworld’s most established Bitcoinexchange’. The value rocketed duringthe Cyprus saga earlier this year butdropped to circa BTC1 = US$76when Mt. Gox suffered a cyber-attackin April. Established currencies donot fluctuate to this degree. Arguably,Bitcoin enthusiasts themselves areeroding trust in the currency bybuilding and using high spec com-puters designed to mine Bitcoinmaking it almost impossible foranyone else to do so. This seemsintrinsically unfair.

Although you can buy many thingsusing Bitcoin via the internet, youcannot use it in your local supermar-ket or pub. Unless Bitcoin is widelyaccepted both online and offline, itwill not mount a serious challenge totraditional currencies or threatensafe havens such as gold.

For now, I am going to suggest thatBitcoin is more fad than future. Itstarted out as an ‘I owe you’ betweenhackers, and was not envisaged as a global currency. Having said that, I may be completely wrong. It was reported recently that peoplein the UK are relying more and moreon electronic payment methodssuch as contactless cards, leavingcash in the past. Arpanet wasintended to be an internal militarynetwork and became the internet,in which case Bitcoin may be thenext global revolution.

Digital currency isjust a fad - or is it?“The Gambling Commission is willing to stop adult

gaming centres having betting licenses if they aren’tdoing enough betting business, but it won’t take thesame action against betting shops, where betting nowaccounts for less than 20% of shop turnover. The Gam-bling Commission refused to support the Newham Coun-cil and is failing to uphold the licensing objectives of the2005 Gambling Act, so is clearly unfit for purpose.”

DEREK WEBB, FOUNDER OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR FAIRER GAMBLING

“We are aware that the Commission has already providedits advice to the Department and therefore I am uncertainto what extent these figures will impact the triennial. Theindustry had already provided the Commission and theDepartment with figures reflecting the current state ofeach sector. Importantly the current figures will notimpact the effect of MGD and therefore are of limited usein projecting the results of further change. There hasbeen much publicity regarding the need to view the cur-rent triennial discussions as benchmarking for futurechanges and work will need to be done in co-operationwith the Commission, industry and the Department toagree the right metrics to inform future stake and prizechanges.”

LESLIE MACLEOD-MILLER, BACTA CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ON WHETHERRECENT GAMBLING COMMISSION STATISTICS REINFORCE THE IDEA OFA MORE FAVOURABLE TRIENNIAL REVIEW

2324-p30-31-Comment:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 17:05 Page 2


WORLD GES OPENFORUM

ow in its seventhyear, the WorldGaming Executive

Summit will be taking placein Barcelona, Spain on July9-11. The event allows theindustry’s elite, from onlineand land-based to shareideas and debate strategiesin an open forum. Thisyear’s summit will show-case perspectives from out-side the industry inviting

visionaries in technologyand media such as KevinSlavin and David Rowan tobring unique perspectivesto the market’s challengesand opportunities.

ITSF WORLD TOURegistration is nowopen for the upcom-ing World Champi-

onship Series (WCS)Garlando Austria, which is

taking place from July 12-14,2013 in Salzburg. The mainpartners associated with theevent are the Garlando tablemanufacturer, the Eurosport 2TV Channel and the Kozoom

production company. Thereare five WCS events in theannual ITSF Tour, one on eachITSF official table - Fireball,Leonhart, Roberto Sport, Gar-lando, Bonzini.

Calendar

Newsweek TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE


INTERNATIONAL EVENTSJULY 201323-25SALEX 2013 Transamerica

Expo Center Sao Paulo Brazil

www.salex.com.br

INTERNATIONAL EVENTSAUGUST 2013

13-15Australasian Gaming

Expo (AGE) Sydney Convention Cen-

tre Sydney Australia

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UK EVENTSSEPTEMBER 2013

1-4Autumn Fair International

NEC Birmingham UK

www.autumnfair.com

18BACTA Division 2 & 4 Meeting

Hippodrome Casino London UK

www.bacta.org.uk

19BACTA Division 1 & 3 Meeting

Hippodrome Casino London UK

www.bacta.org.uk

20-22BAPTO National Finals

Lyons Robin Hood Holiday Park Rhyl UK

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EDITORIALEditor: Alex LeeEmail: [email protected] Tel: 01204 396 397Assistant Editor:James Walker Email: [email protected]: 01204 396 397Managing Editor:Ken Scott Email: [email protected]: 01273 699 900ADVERTISING SALESKathryn NorrisEmail: [email protected]: 01204 396 397Fax: 01204 392 748SUBSCRIPTIONSSarah HaworthTel: 01204 396 397DIGITAL VERSIONMarc LawtonEmail:[email protected]: 01204 396 397PRODUCTIONDesigner: Gina LloydEmail: [email protected] Production &Pre-Press:Dave RoderickEmail: [email protected]: John SullivanGB Media Corporation Ltd,Bolton Technology Exchange,33 Queensbrook,BoltonBL1 4AY

Tel: 01204 396 397Fax: 01204 392 748 Email:[email protected] and Production: 3rd Floor, 20 New Road,Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1UF (UK)Tel: 01273 699 900Advertising andSubscriptions:Coinslot International, BoltonTechnology Exchange,33Queensbrook,Bolton BL1 4AY Tel: 01204 396 397Fax: 01204 392 748

Opinions expressed in this publicationshould not be regarded as the official viewof GB Media Corporation Ltd, exceptwhere stated. Views, opinions and recom-mendations contained in this publicationare put forward for consideration only. Noaction should be taken in reliance uponany such views, opinions or recommen-dations. Neither GB Media CorporationLtd nor contributors accept any responsi-bility for any loss occasioned to anyperson howsoever caused or arising as aresult of or in consequence of actiontaken or refrained from in realiance on thecontents of this publication.

Notes for contributors: Coinslotwelcomes the submission of articles forconsideration by the editor with a view topublication. Submission of an article will beheld to imply that the article containsoriginal unpublished work which GB MediaCorporation Ltd may lawfully publish. Allsubmissions are made at the owner’s risk.© GB Media Corporation Ltd, 2013All rights strictly reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in anyform or by any means without the priorwritten permission given, full acknowl-edgement of author, publisher and sourcemust be given.

UK pinball event returns

R

N he UK Pinball Party is backfor a fourth year, attract-ing global visitors with

the biggest variety of pinballmachines ever seen.Europe’sbiggest pinball festival andthe UK’s premier pinballevent will be held betweenAugust 9-11.

2013 will see a host of newpinball manufacturers offer-ing a range of games not seensince the 1990s. The event willhave more than 110 pinballmachines on offer, with thebiggest variety ever seen - from1950s electromechanicals, up tothe latest and most modern, solidstate pinball machines. Members

from the UK Pinball Group willbring along machines from theirown collections so visitors canplay games they might not other-

wise get to play. There will also bepinball machines for sale, as wellas new and used pinball parts tobuy, raffles, arcade video games to

play and buy. This year’s guest of honour is

pinball design legend from the US,George Gomez - designer of leg-endary games Monster Bash,Revenge From Mars, Lord Of TheRings and most recently, TheAvengers. Over the years, the UK’sshowcase event grew from being ashow with mainly national appealto one that now has people travel-ling from all around the world toattend. It has become one of thetop events on the global pinballcalendar.

This year’s ‘Party’ will be onceagain take place at the Puma Dav-entry Court Hotel in North-hamptonshire.

T

2324-p32-newsweek:Coinslot NEW 9/7/13 10:29 Page 1

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