coinslot digital 2413

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March 27 – April 2, 2015 • No. 2413 • www.coinslot.co.uk

INDUSTRY

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Industry news 4Seaside amusements 10Category B3 report 14Latest machine charts 24B2B Listings 26Classified ads and opps 28Comment & Analysis 30Newsweek 32

COINSLOT

The issue that we haveis that we do haveplayers who would liketo play at higher stakesand they don’tunderstand (and neitherdo I) why it is possibleto play with higherstakes on one side ofthe high street and noton the other...

For the British Association ofLeisure Parks, Piers and

Attractions (BALPPA), Budget2015 proved something of amixed bag.

“BALPPA was heartened bybusiness-friendly measuresannounced in George Osborne’sbudget, including cutting Corpo-ration Tax and abolishingemployers’ National InsuranceContributions (NICs) for under21s,” surmised the association’schief executive officer Paul Kelly.“We were disappointed, how-ever, that cutting VAT on tourismhas again been overlooked.”

BALPPA is a supporter of theCut Tourism VAT campaign,which seeks a reduction in VATfrom 20 to 5 per cent on servicefees for UK tourist attractions,accommodation and restaurants.Such a move would, the organi-sation argues, create an addi-tional 80,000 new jobs, as well as

drive an additional £4bn inannual tourism revenue.

“We hope that in 2016, theChancellor, whoever he or shemay be, will look again at thispolicy which could then begindelivering a return on invest-ment within the next Parlia-ment,” Kelly added.

When it comes to manufactur-ing, the “business-friendly” meas-ures to which Kelly alludes holdsome specific sway.

“The Annual InvestmentAllowance was previously set at£500,000 until 31 December2015 when it falls back to£25,000,” explained QuentinStott,owner and director ofgaming manufacturer ReflexGames. “It was good news thatthis was not adjusted, and thatthe chancellor conceded that areturn to the old rate ‘would notbe remotely acceptable’.”

There is one major potentialsticking point - as Stott notes:

Budget 2015 - the inBUDGET 2015

The chancellor hasspoken, and shown someappreciation for the plightof pubs and of smallbusiness. But has hemissed a trick throughoversight of the potentialof the UK touristindustry?

INDUSTRY BODIES

Nick Harding was full of praisefor last week’s Budget.

Speaking in his capacity aschairman of the Gambling Busi-ness Group - whose membersaccount for close to 70 per centof Gross Gaming Yield in the UK- he described the new eco-nomic measures as “good forboth business and for the manon the street - capitalising onstronger growth, the fastest

growing economy in the devel-oped world and lower inflation.”

Hailing wider businessadvantages - such as the 20 percent rate of corporation tax andthe exemption of NI contribu-tions for employees under theage of 21 - Harding also zeroedin on specific benefits to UKgambling providers.

“From an industry perspec-tive, no increase in gamblingtaxes is clearly very helpful -and will in turn help drive

Gambling Business Group claim B

2413-p02-inside flap_Coinslot NEW 24/03/2015 14:39 Page 1

ESSENTIAL GUIDE

Park Resorts keep focus oncutting edge amusements

LEISURE

B3 pushing hard for fairer gaming

March 27 - April 2, 2015 • No. 2413 • www.coinslot.co.uk7

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ast week saw GeorgeOsborne unveil Budget2015, for what he claimed

was “a Britain that is growing, cre-ating jobs and paying its way.”

The data accompanying thechancellor’s opening statementcertainly seemed to portray aBritish economy on-the-mend. In2014, UK GDP grew by 2.6 percent - faster than any otheradvanced economy. UK unem-ployment is at a record low, stand-ing at just 5.3 per cent. Accordingto the Office for Budget Respon-sibility’s statistics, living standardsare higher now than they were in2010: with the average household£900 better off in terms of annualincome.

Unsurprisingly, few policychanges intersected with gamingand amusement provision. The de-escalation of beer-duty continued,with a penny slashed from theprice of a pint for the third con-secutive year. The move was cele-brated by pub lobbyists and - if itaids the plight of the UK pub - maywell prove something of a hand-hold for AWP providers.

Of welcome news to employ-ers was the abolishment ofNational Insurance Contributionsfor workers under the age of 21,amounting to an annual saving of£332 per employee.

Regarding business rates - areview of the current system waspledged, as was an increase in thelevel of small-business rate relief. Asimplification of tax-return proce-dure - abolishing the lengthy paperrequirement - will also be wel-

comed by small business owners. A lowering of VAT for domestic

tourism and hospitality providerswas conspicuously absent,although the chancellor did dis-close that talks were underwaywith Transport for the North toimprove new road networks andmore efficient rail links. Similarinter-city infrastructural improve-ments were promised for theSouth West, which may well be ofbenefit to the level of day-trippertourist footfall within both regions.

Finally, for manufacturers, thetemporary extension of AnnualInvestment Allowance (as stipu-lated in the Finance Bill 2014) heldfirm - thus the financial incentiveto invest in new plant or machin-

ery continues, albeit until the endof the current year.

Whilst policies of direct benefitto the coin-op industry were scanton the ground, from the industryperspective the key message wasthat people are once again startingto have change in their pockets.

“Clearly, a stronger economybrings its own benefits to oursector - in that people have moredisposable income,” said SimonStorer, BACTA’s head of communi-cations. “There’s nothing specificto us in there, but we’re a smallindustry comparatively - so that’snot unusual. In that respect it’smuch more important that wepush for specific policies post-election.”

Budget steers wide berthfrom key industry issuesFINANCE

For coin-op, the latestBudget introduced nomake or break policies.But with economic growthapace and unemploymentat a record low, Budget2015 highlighted a UKpopulace that increasinglyhas money to spend.

12

L

and assumes the Tories win theelection.”

The penny off beer-dutyseemed to provide more stablegrounds for industry celebration.“We are pleased that the govern-ment listened to the calls of thepub sector and made its third cutin beer duty in this year’s Budget,”remarked Toby Hoyte, marketingmanager at jukebox contentdeveloper Soundnet. “We hopethat this measure will ease thepressure on this sector and slowdown any further closures, aswell as protecting jobs.”

Gamestec commercial direc-tor Peter Davies also voiced hissupport. “The British pub is at thevery heartland of Gamestec’sbusiness, and so any Budgetmeasures that ease the commer-cial burdens on the sector aregoing to be well received,” hecommented. “That little bit extrawill give our customers moreconfidence and flexibility withtheir discretionary spend which,

in turn, should result in higherwet sales and, crucially forGamestec, increased machineincome.”

Finally, the concept of the ‘bal-anced recovery’ proved some-thing of a key underlying themeduring the chancellor’s addressto parliament. “Britain’s manu-facturing output has grown morethan four and a half times fasterthan it did in the entire decadebefore the crisis,” he stated. “Andover the last year, the North grewfaster than the South.”

Fine words indeed - but is this‘balance’ borne out on theground?

“A re-balancing of regionaleconomical disparity is wel-come news,” BALPPA’s Paul Kellyresponded. “But we wouldencourage George Osborne torecognise that any goal to createa balanced recovery could beaided by investing and support-ing the tourism economy. We aredriving UK growth - predicted togrow 3.8% annually to 2025 - andwe operate across the length andbreadth of the country, includingbeing key to unlocking prosper-ity in many deprived areas.”

For Kelly, there are politicalinroads to be made for those will-ing and able to recognise thepotential of the UK tourist trade.

“Osborne made few mentionsof tourism in his budget yester-day,” he concluded. “We wouldencourage all parties to look atthe opportunities.”

the industry responds

growth and investment in theUK gaming entertainmentsector.” He said. “Overall, the‘Man on the Clapham Omnibus’must be pleased, and thebudget as a whole sends outvery positive messages topeople about the UK economyand will further raise optimismabout the future.”

For Harding, this optimismplays its own crucial role forstakeholders in the gamblingsector.

“As an industry which is rightat the end of the discretionaryspend curve, optimism andconfidence is what we want -and I have no doubt that thisbudget will help drive our busi-nesses forwards in thecoming year,” he stated. “I alsothought this was GeorgeOsborne’s best performance atthe Despatch Box: the odds onhim succeeding DavidCameron must have shortenedconsiderably.”

p claim Budget ‘good for business’

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4 Coinslot March 27 - April 2, 2015

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VIDEO

‘WORLD FIRST’ VIDEOGAME ARCHIVE DUE FORPUBLIC OPENING

The National VideogameArchive (NVA) is due to open itsdoors in Nottingham at the endof the month. Following gov-ernment investment of £2.5m,the NVA is billed to be “theworld’s first cultural centre forgaming”. Its five storeys ofexhibition space will docu-ment the entire history of videogame development, from earli-est inception in the 1950’s,through to arcade classics andtoday’s modern console titles.“A new generation is growingup with games that shape theirfundamental conceptions ofsocial interaction, creativityand learning,” claimed thecentre’s co-director JonathanSmith. “At this incredibly excit-

ing time, the NVA invites every-one to share in the discovery ofnew ways for people to playtogether.” The NVA opens onMarch 28.

This week saw the introductionof the first ever polymer note

to go into circulation in GreatBritain.

The Clydesdale Bank - one ofthree issuing banks in Scotland -will produce two million £5 poly-mer notes, a full year ahead of theBank of England’s planned intro-duction of plastic banknotes intogeneral circulation.

Unveiled last year in com-memoration of the 125thanniversary of the Forth Bridge,the note depicts the bridge itselfon one face, and Sir William Arrol- whose company constructed it- on the other.

Composition aside, the plasticnotes also differ from their cotton-paper counterparts with respectto their size: the new note isslightly smaller, though the bankClydesdale claims it will still fit incash machines.

Whilst plastic notes can bringto bear a host of new security fea-tures - it is their extended lifespanwhich seems to serve as their

most attractive asset: plastic cur-rency is said to last 2.5 timeslonger than paper equivalents. Tothis end, over 20 countries world-wide have already adopted poly-mer notes.

Rob Clarke, sales executive forcurrency-sorting equipmentspecialist Cummins Allison, high-lights a potential spanner-in-the-works when it comes tolarge-scale processing of plastic

banknotes. “Some of the issues with plas-

tic notes is if [the banks] decideto feature a clear window on thenote,” he explains. “This makes itquite difficult to validate thenotes, because a sorting machinehas to avoid looking at this area ofthe note, which appears black.”

Other territories of the UKhave experimented with plasticcurrency in the past. The Isle of

Man issued polymer notesbetween 1983 and 1988, whenproblems with the printingprocess saw circulation halted.Northern Ireland’s NorthernBank issued its own plastic £5note in 1999, commemoratingthe upcoming turn of the mil-lennium.

When it comes to the upcom-ing wide-scale introduction ofpolymer notes due for next year,Clarke seems confident that hiscompany’s machines will be upto task.

“We’ve certainly had experi-ence with other countriesaround the world that use plasticnotes, and have had no real issueswith them,” he tells us. “Webelieve that when the Bank ofEngland introduces their ownpolymer notes in June 2016, oursorters will be able to acceptthem. Obviously until we havethe note itself we don’t know forsure - but past experience inother markets seems to suggestthat this should be the case.”

Scotland introduces Britain’s first plastic note CURRENCY

Clydesdale Bank havebecome the first issuingauthority to circulateplastic banknotes onGreat British soil. Designpermitting - this may wellequate to the first-stepstowards a more secure,more durable form ofBritish currency. And quiteprobably the need formajor revisions andupgrades to the UK’scurrency handlingcapacity.

eorge Osborne hasruled out a reduc-tion in VAT on

amusement attractions,accommodation andrestaurants from 20 to fiveper cent if he remains chan-cellor after May’s generalelection.

Speaking to an audienceat Sky News’ ‘Ask the Chan-cellors’ forum on Monday,Osborne described themeasure as a “short-termfix” and said it would costbillions of pounds to intro-duce.

The news will come as a

severe disappointment tothe Cut Tourism VAT cam-paign, led by BourneLeisure, Merlin Entertain-ments, the British Hospital-ity Association and BALPPA.

Its message was articu-lated at Monday’s event bya hotel operator fromDevon, who asked Osborneif there was any hope thathe would follow the exam-ple set by 25 out of 27 Euro-pean countries.

The operator com-mented: “From Greece toGermany, from Spain toSweden, they’ve cut the rateof VAT as the quickest wayto stimulate the economyand to drive exports.

“Tourism is our fifthbiggest export - we’ve justtalked about the tradedeficit and we’ve just talkedabout the EU - and that’s oneEU measure that stands outthat we are not followingwhile everybody else is.”

Responding, Osborne

said the measure wouldcost “many billions ofpounds” and hadn’t pro-vided much of a boost totourism in “quite a lot ofcountries” that had madethe VAT reduction.

Instead, he said themoney would be betterspent on promotingtourism abroad and oninfrastructure projects inspecific regions.

Addressing the Devonhotel operator, Osbornepointed to investment hehas made in improvingtransport in the South West,including the A303 roadand rail links.

He explained: “I thinkthat is a better long-terminvestment for the SouthWest, for the tourist indus-try in the South West, and itshows as a country that youare thinking for the long-term.

“I have never said toanyone there are short-term

fixes for Britain. Announc-ing improvements to theA303 isn’t going to be readyfor the general election, butI do know that when thatroad is complete it willmake a massive differenceto businesses in the SouthWest, and I could say thesame about projects acrossthe UK.”

According to a 2011

report by Deloitte, the gov-ernment would lose up to£1.2bn in foregone VAT perannum.

But the Cut Tourism VAThas produced its own fiscalanalysis showing that theTreasury would recoup thatinvestment within threeyears and, over a ten-yearperiod, go on to make a netgain of £2.6bn.

Osborne rejects tourism VATcut if Tories win electionTOURISM

The chancellor hasconfirmed he will goagainst the wishes ofthe tourism industryand ruled against itsappeal for areduction in VAT.

G

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INDUSTRY AMUSEMENTS LEISURE B2B COMMENT NEWSWEEK

REPORT Category B3 machinesstill make their mark, but whatcould they achieve if there was aprize parity? 15

SEASIDE RESORTS

Operators in Brightonhave expressed dismay

at council plans to scraphalf of the city’s parking

meters as part of a seriesof cost-cutting measures.

Brighton and Hove CityCouncil (BHC) first intro-duced online and mobileparking payments in 2013,

and until now the city haskept its traditional coin-fed meters.

But council plans tomove towards an entirelycashless payment systemcould see roadside metersdisappear completely.

Anne Martin, the gen-eral manager at BrightonPier, argued that a lack offlexible parking optionscould outweigh themoney-saving benefits if itimpacts local tourism andbusiness.

“I think the parking situ-ation in Brighton certainlyhad a major effect on thelocal leisure economywhen prices increaseddramatically a couple ofyears ago,” she said.“There needs to be a real-

istic balance between theneed to collect revenue forthe local council needsand the need to makeBrighton an attractive des-tination for visitors.”

Half of meters will havedisappeared by June thisyear, and cash parkingpayments may have van-ished from the streets ofBrighton and Hove as earlyas 2017.

Martin said: “The pay-by-phone system that iscurrently rolling out isthought by some to be astealth tax as there is a15p service charge - andnot everyone necessarilyhas a phone or likes topay by phone. Completelycashless would not begood news.”

he company han-dling the £4.5m saleof Llandudno Pier

has said it has receivedstrong interest from partieslooking at buying the 695-metre leisure attraction.

Richard Baldwin, direc-tor of global real estateagent Bilfinger GVA, saidthat even though the pierhad only been on themarket for a fortnight, hehad handled severalenquiries from major play-ers in the leisure sector.

Llandudno Pier is one ofthree piers being sold byCuerden Leisure, alongwith Blackpool Central Pierand Blackpool South Pier,for a collective price tag of£12.6m.

Baldwin told Wales’ DailyPost: “It is early days, weonly started to market thepiers last week, but theinterest already has been

very positive.“We have had expres-

sions of interest from anumber of other leisureoperators form the NorthWales and wider NorthWest area, some of thepeople we may haveexpected to come forward.We have also had interestfrom other parties.”

The next step in the salesprocess will be a set dead-line for informal tenders tobe lodged for the Grade II-listed pier.

Once all parties haveentered a bid, a shortlist willbe drawn up and furthernegotiations conducted toselect the final buyer.

Baldwin said Llandudnorepresented especiallygood value: “This is a suc-cessful trading pier andthere is no reason why itwill not remain a success-ful and profitable pier inthe future.

“There has been stronginterest in all three piersbut particularly stronginterest for Llandudno.Part of the reason is that itis unopposed, in that thereis nothing similar in thevicinity.

“The pier has also alwaystraded well and there are avariety of attractions on thefacility from amusementarcades, concessions, a bar,

cafe. The pier has alwaysbeen very popular and hasbeen profitable.”

All three piers featureamusement arcades andrides and generate a collec-tive income of around£1.6m a year for Cuerdenthrough annual concessionagreements.

St John Stott, director atCuerden Leisure, said thegroup was selling the piersas it was “restructuring itsassets”.

He said: “These assets arejewels in the crown of theUK’s coastline and we aredelighted to offer them tothe market either as sepa-rate lots or collectively.”

Major players in theleisure sector arealready lining up tobid for one of Wales’top seasideamusementattractions.

Buyers expressing stronginterest in Llandudno PierPIERS

Brighton operatorsconcerned by removalof parking meters

T


ARCADE

‘PAC-MAN’S ABAD GUY?’

Pac-Man, DonkeyKong and a host ofother classicarcade heroes aredue for a spell onthe silver-screen.In Columbia Pic-tures’ ‘Pixels’,aliens miscon-strue the purposeof a peaceful probe despatched by NASA in1982. Interpreting included samples of con-temporary video games as a declaration ofwar - they attack the earth, using Pac-Man

and his fellow arcade brethren as a means towreak havoc. Due for release this comingsummer, the movie stars Adam Sandler, PeterDinklage and Josh Gad.

MACHINESVINTAGE GAMES GO UNDER THE HAMMER

Arcade games from Clacton Pier sparked afierce bidding war between enthusiasts afterthey were put up for auction, with some lotsfetching ten times their original price estimate.Auctioneer Michael Bowles at Reeman Dansie,Colchester, said it was the first time in twodecades that so many arcade games had beenup for auction. “The highlight was the billiardsmachine which made £4,500,” he told the DailyGazette. “I think it went to a buyer in the US.”

fter the third sub-sequent cut inbeer duty, pub

owners could haveanother opportunity toreduce costs with theprospect of a licence-freekiosk.

At the start of the year,Storm Games launchedits first unlicensed prod-uct, allowing individualoperators to decide whenand if to pay for certainadditional games.

“One thing operatorstend to struggle with issupplying new kiosks intothe pub sector and actu-ally making any moneydoing that,” said managing

director Richard Sheldon.“We’ve released a productcalled Street Casino 2015,and we’ve done that as acompletely licence-freeproduct.”

Since the product offi-cially launched on Janu-ary 1st, there has been asignificant take-up fromoperators around the UK,driving the company tostep up its manufacturingrate in order to cope withdemand.

“We’re trying to keepthe costs low for the pubsector, so we’ve releasedStreet Casino with 16games on initially andwe’ll release new, fairlylow-cost games forpeople to buy as well,”Sheldon added. “It hasbeen massively success-ful for us - we’re buildingthem as fast as we can.”

Although severallicensed products are stillon offer from the com-pany, Sheldon believesthat his team have foundan innovative way tomake gaming machinesaffordable to independ-ent site owners.

“We just took the viewthat we should offer twoproducts: one productthat’s fully licensed, andone that is completelyunlicensed as an alterna-tive,” said Sheldon. “Thefeedback we’ve had from

our customers is thatthey prefer that becauseon some of their sitesthey don’t need to updatethat machine for morethan 12 months and somejust like to buy the gamesas and when we releasethem.”

The sixteen-gamemachine starts with justnine of the total offeringdisplayed on the menu,with seven games in thebackground for opera-tors to release when theyneed to. “This meansthey’ve effectively got alltheir updates for the yearalready included in thepackage,” said Sheldon.

The licence-free pack-age is part of a series ofStorm Games offeringsspecifically tailored tothe needs of pubs andworking men’s clubs; sec-tors often in need ofreduced operationalcosts.

Sheldon explained:“We’re probably mostsuccessful in the clubsector because we do twosets of distinct products.We do the B3A lotteryproduct, a VAT-free prod-uct for the privatemember’s clubs. Then forother clubs we do the£400-jackpot B4 product,and two other products:the licensed and the unli-censed one.”

Can new games packagego down a Storm?

PUB & CLUB SECTOR

Storm Games has reportedunprecedented success at the start of theyear after releasing a licence-free product toreduce running costs for operators.

A Holiday park operatorButlin’s has started the

process for a significantrebranding which isexpected to extend to thecompany’s current entertain-ment offering.

The historical UK holidayresort provider will be usingexternal expertise to refreshboth its marketing materialsand onsite design.

Part of the Butlin’s brief is

to ‘rekindle the love holiday-makers have for the brandand for the British seaside ingeneral.’

Just how radical thisexercise in rebranding andredesign will be is unclear,and Butlin’s itself is yet tocomment with the mainsignals of intent emanatingfrom an appointed agencyrather than the leisuregiant itself.

However, the hopes aresomewhat high with the mar-keting firm remarking: “Weare ready and very muchlooking forward to helpingButlin’s as they move to thenext stage of their brandjourney, one that will drive anengaging customer experi-ence and help reinvent theBritish seaside break.”

Butlin’s toundergobrandingmake-over

MARKETING


S: How does Cashinoensure all of its playersmeet the legal requisite

age? Byron Evans: Cashino operates aThink 25 Policy and insists thatevery member of staff challengesanyone who might reasonably bethought to be Under 25, to provetheir age. Most young people areused to being asked their age,whether it be in pubs, clubs or eventhe supermarket. If you cannotdemonstrate there and then thatyou are Over 18 we politely ask youto leave and return with the rele-vant ID.

CS: The Gambling Commissionhas stated that the numbers ofunderage gamblers is ‘static’. Asan operator, do you agree withthis statement? BE: This is a comment from the IpsoMori survey and neglects to saythat the number of underage gam-

blers has dropped for the previousthree years. That said, one underage gambler is one too many andresponsible AGC operators mustdo all that they can to keep thosethat are under 18 out of licensedgaming premises.

CS: How important is staff trainingin tackling underage gambling? BE: Staff training is crucial in keep-ing our social responsibility andcompliance message at the fore-front of how our staff behave andact with customers. No newmember of staff is allowed to beon the shop floor until they havecompleted a full inductionprocess, which includes specificexamples designed to recogniseand challenge those that may beunder age. This training is rein-forced every six months.

CS: Does Cashino have meas-ures in place to identify problem

gamblers? BE: Our staff are trained to recog-nise players who appear to behaving issues with machine play.When this occurs then players arecounselled as appropriate andmeasures such as Self Exclusionand/or contact with Gamcare arediscussed.

CS: When compared to betting-shop, do you think AGC’s providemore of an ‘amusement/gaming’service than a ‘hard’ gamblingexperience? Do you think govern-ment bodies understand this dis-tinction? BE: Given that the highest stake inan AGC is £2, and many players playat 10p, then clearly it is not a hardgaming environment. The issuethat we have is that we do haveplayers who would like to play athigher stakes and they don’t under-stand (and neither do I) why it ispossible to play with higher stakes

on one side of the high street andnot on the other, particularly giventhat all licensed gaming premises(on the high street) are Age Con-trolled Environments and all seekto uphold the three main tenets ofthe 2005 Gambling Act. I have yetto receive a proper explanation forthis imbalance, which baffles me.

Safe gaming is serious business at Cashino AGC

Praesepe’scommercial director,Byron Evans,explains howCashino takes greatpains to ensure thatunderage andproblem gamblingare kept to anabsolute minimum,despite the AGCsector’s ‘imbalanced’position vis-a-vis highstreet gaming.

C


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SCOTLAND’S ‘LUCKIESTGAMBLER’ BAGS DOUBLEJACKPOT PRIZE

Friday 13th is thought to beunlucky by some. But for JeanMurdoch, a 73-year-old retirednurse, her trip to the MeccaBingo hall in Ayr was about toprove anything but. Murdochcalled ‘house’ after just 40numbers. Initially thinkingshe’d won the local £100prize, she was amazed to dis-cover that as she also had a“lucky-star”, she’d also wonthe National Bingo Gameprize - netting her a stagger-ing £221,000. To top it all off -as she waited to hear theexact size of her bingo haul,Murdoch inserted £1 into aB3 machine…and won a£300 jackpot. “When I waseventually told I’d won thejackpot, I was a wee bitshocked, to say the least,”she remarked. “It didn’t sinkin and it still hasn’t. It musthave been my lucky day.”

Sound Leisure has completed thefirst of its 2015 training courses,

part a yearly programme operated bythe jukebox manufacturer in an effortto develop the skills of its customers.

The opening course covered sitemanagement and the Leeds-basedcompany reported that it was“received extremely well” by all atten-dees. Due to increasing demand,Sound Leisure has added additionaldates to the original schedule.

Three more courses are now

planned for April covering preparingand installing a digital jukebox andadvanced technical support. BothSound Leisure and Soundnet wererepresented at the course, to meetwith customers and answer anyqueries.

“This is not just a PR exercise,”said Sound Leisure managing direc-tor Chris Black. “A lot of work hadgone into setting these courses upand both Sound Leisure and Sound-net’s commitment to them was evi-

dent in the amount of our person-nel that we had involved. We knowfrom previous years just how valu-able these courses are for our cus-tomers and for ourselves.”

The course was led by AlastairTevendale, Sound Leisure’s techni-cal sales manager, along withAndrew Webb, Tony Silkstone andNigel French. James Luck and TobyHoyte were present from Soundnet.Chris Black welcomed everyone toLeeds at the start of the day and con-ducted a factory tour following thecourse.

“There was a real buzz in thetraining room this morning,” saidBlack. “It was extremely apparentthat everyone who attended thecourse was keen to learn and alsoshare their experiences of installa-tions on site. We could not havewished for a more positive day andare looking forward to welcomingthe next group to Leeds in April.”

Sound Leisure trainingexpands by popular demand JUKEBOX

lex Fleetwood hasspent the entirety ofhis adult life bring-

ing video-game innovationto the public sphere.

Now an independentgames consultant, in hisformer guise as director ofHide & Seek Games he spe-cialised in the design ofgames integrated withinreal-word environments, orin his own words, “explor-ing where virtual gamingmeets physical, real worldgaming in different ways.”

As a child himself of thevideo-arcade zenith of the1970’s and 80’s, how doeshe rate the current state ofthe video-arcade title?

“The arcade sectorhasn’t kept pace withtrends in gameplay, neitherin terms of technology norin terms of the style of

games,” he responds.“We’ve been through thewaves of casual games,social games, multi-playercompetitive games - we’vehad all these exciting com-mercial trends which havewashed through consoleand PC gaming, but none ofthat has reached the arcadeat all.”

Does this indicate aninevitable demise for thevideo-centric arcade?

“The principles of whatan arcade is meant to be allhold true - it’s just that youneed completely newmachines and technologyin there,” Fleetwood replies.

This may well entailshaking up the tried andtested product offerings.

“You’ve got brilliantdesigners like Josh DeBo-nis with Killer Queen and

Doug Wilson - who hasmade a game called JohanSebastian Joust, which usesPlaystation Move con-trollers but is essentially anarcade game,” Fleetwoodcontinues. “These thingscould - if anyone was look-ing for them - translate toarcade experiences, butthat hasn’t really hap-pened.”

What’s more, the costsassociated with game andcabinet developmentexperimentation havenever been less prohibi-tive.

“One thing which is veryexciting is that the costs ofprototyping and manufac-turing new kinds of hard-ware have come downdramatically in the past fiveyears,” Fleetwood explains.“It’s been a consequence of

the smart-phone war thatthere are ever greater num-bers of cheap sensors,cheap processors, verylow-power units that canincreasingly drive moreand more sophisticatedkinds of hardware.”

Don’t be misled - Fleet-wood’s criticism stemsfrom a genuine apprecia-tion for the FEC’s contribu-tion to UK heritage. “I thinkit’s quite an important cul-ture that we haven’t takenvery good care of,” he tellsus. “If you look at Margate,you’ve got a Turner artgallery on one end, andDreamland at the otherend. Those are both equallyimportant cultural spaces -but you’ll find that it’sDreamland that holds thelion’s share of the memo-ries for the people there.”

Video: amarket ripe for innovation VIDEO

With research anddevelopment evercheaper and videogames more popularthan ever, for gamesdesigner AlexFleetwood,changes within thetraditional videoarcade offering are asrequired as they areincreasingly easy toimplement.

LEGISLATION

One common line of argu-ment emerged from

industry professionals asthey outlined their views onthe state of the Category B3sector in this week’sCoinslot report.

“It is vital that we seektechnical changes to thiscategory - so that we have acompelling commercialoffer,” claimed Tony Boulton,managing director ofmachine manufacturer Proj-ect Design and Technology.

The same sentiment wasechoed from the distributioncamp. “The industry shouldalways take every opportu-nity presented to review thestakes and prizes on all thecategories of products inoperation to ensure weremain competitive com-pared to other products avail-

able to players in the market,”sales director Tony Glanvilleof RLMS sales told us.

But perhaps the mostvehement call for stake andprize parity came fromwithin the operator quarter.“We are not asking for the£100 per spin every 20 sec-onds that’s available toLBO’s,” argued Talariuschief operating officer PeterHarvey, “but we do wantparity across the gamblingsector so that customerscan choose where they goand play gaming machines.”

Across the full spectrumof the industry, the call for arebalancing of stake andprize limits seems to befound. With a business con-sensus clearly established -perhaps this momentumcan yield tangible results inthe run up to the next trien-nial review?

Industry united: stake/prizeimbalance must be rectified

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Amusements TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE


Cuerden welcomesEastbourne award

The under-20s Englandrugby team chilled outin two of Brighton’sbiggest arcadesahead of a matchagainst France at the Amexstadium. The team were shownaround Brighton Pier by teammateJames Chisholm, a back-row playerfrom nearby Haywards Heath.

National youth rugbyteam enjoy Brighton pier

Dreamland Margate is holding arecruitment day ahead of its muchanticipated summer opening. Thefully revamped heritage amusement

park will conduct in-terviews for posi-tions across itsevents, marketing,operations and retail

departments on April 1-2.

Dreamland seeks newrecruits

A significant step has been reachedin the restoration of Portsmouth’sSouth Parade Pier, which hadbeen declared unsafe.200 square metresof concrete waspoured onto eachside of the pier’srear decking to re-inforce its rigidity.

Portsmouth pier deckreinforced

Eastbourne Pier owner CuerdenLeisure has welcomed its joint-third place in the Pierof the Year 2015awards. The firm’s IanGardner told localpress: “It is particularlypleasing to see Eastbourne Pierrecognised after such a difficultsummer following the terrible fire.”

CRIME

Amusement operators in South Devonshould be on high alert after police

asked for help identifying two suspectswanted in connection with a theft at a Ply-mouth arcade.

The duo were seen entering the Winnersamusement arcade in Plymouth’s KeyhamRoad on February 14, shortly after 8.40pm.

While one of the men engaged in conver-sation with a member of the arcade’s staff,the other was caught on camera approach-ing a number of machines.

Later analysis of CCTV footage showedthe second man making use of a metal roddevice, which he forced into the amuse-ment machines.

After the pair left staff discovered morethan £500 wasmissing from themachines.

Devon andCornwall Policehas issuedimages capturedby CCTV in thehope that thepublic can assistit with itsinquiries.

Anyone whorecognises theman is advised tocall police on 101, or call Crimestoppersanonymously on 0800 555111, quotingcrime reference number CR/010735/15.

Police ask for help in Plymoutharcade theft

romer Pier has battledthe adversity of beingbadly hit by 2013’s

winter storms to be voted Pierof the Year 2015.

The National Piers Societyput Cromer, which previouslywon the award in 2000, aheadof Worthing in second place,with Eastbourne and Llan-dudno tying for third.

Cromer Pier owners NorthNorfolk District Council said itwas a “fantastic reward” and theywere “hugely proud of the pier”.

Council leader Tom Fitz-Patrick commented: “This is a

fantastic reward for the signifi-cant investment in repairs andrefurbishment that has enabledus to return Cromer’s iconiclandmark to its former glory”.

“We are looking to have itremaining present, iconic andwinning awards for another 100years. After the surge there wasa lot of interest in the way thepier had survived the battering.We got to work, and got it backinto operation.”

The council had spent £1.3mrefurbishing the legs and themajority of the decking, beforethe storm surge that struck

large parts of the UK coastlinein December 2013.

The pier sustained severedamage during the storms, forc-ing the cancellation of nearlytwo weeks’ performances at itsPavilion Theatre.

The theatre’s box office andrestaurant were destroyed bythe powerful winds and waves,but repairs today repairs ofboth - thought to cost in theregion of £500,000 - are almostcomplete.

It still hosts the UK’s last sur-viving End Of The Pier show,which runs twice daily for 13

weeks in the summer and 4weeks at Christmas.

In February 2013, Cromergained national coverage whenit was used as the location forthe climactic scene of the AlanPartridge Alpha Papa film.

It will also feature in the forth-coming BBC drama series Part-ners in Crime, starring DavidWalliams and Jessica Raine.

Making the award, NationalPiers Society president GavinHenderson said: “There’s nobusiness like show business,and Cromer Pier proves it. Con-gratulations to all concerned.”

Cromer voted Pier of the YearBritain’s piers still havepulling power, and nonemore than Cromerwhich has lifted the pierof the year award. FromAbba tribute shows toTchaikovsky ballets -and a vast array of topamusements - Cromer’s495 foot pier has defiedall the elements to staveoff the challenge ofWorthing, Eastbourneand Llandudno to topthe bill.

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PIERS

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Politics11Coinslot March 27 - April 2, 2015

TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE


ast week saw BACTA’sNational Council meet-ing in London, and with

it, the election of Jason Frost,managing director of PhoenixGaming in Cornwall, to theposition of BACTA president.

Frost takes up his post withimmediate effect, succeedingSteve Hawkins, who stepsdown following completion ofhis two-year term.

In an acceptance statement,Frost welcomed his appoint-ment, and highlighted themajor areas of focus for thecoming year.

“This is a very interestingtime.There is no doubt that theindustry has been under con-

siderable pressure for anumber of years and compa-nies from across the sector arefinding trading conditionsextremely taxing. There are sev-eral major issues on the hori-zon, such as the introductionof the new £1 coin as well asthe continuing disparitycaused by FOBTs, which needto be addressed.”

In what may prove to be achange of tack for the trade-body, Frost stressed that histime in office would see him“promote the many positivesthat we all know are key partof our great tradition.”

“For too long we have beenreactive and not proactive,” he

argued. “Over the next twoyears I hope that with the sup-port of the industry and theteam at BACTA I can reallymake a difference and positionthe industry in a far strongerplace to face the many chal-lenges that inevitably lieahead.”

Serving alongside Frost willbe Gabino Stergides of Electro-coin, who is newly elected asBACTA vice president.

Frost election signalsthaw in BACTA’spolitical propositionTRADE ASSOCIATION

The election of JasonFrost as BACTAnational president will, he proposes, usher in amore ‘proactive’approach to marketchallenges. From adistinctly icy posture inits public affairs for thebest part of a decade,the trade association islooking to raise thetemperature with a morepositive perspective.

REPONSIBLE GAMBLING

Responsible gambling charity GamCarehas announced that Sir Ian Presser, the

former chairman and chief executive ofBass Plc is to become the organisation’snew chairman. The appointment followsthe death in January of GamCare’s previ-ous chairman and long time servant,Anthony Jennens.

“I am delighted to be joining GamCareas Chairman,” said Presser. “I have beentremendously impressed by the skill anddedication of the GamCare staff and I lookforward to working with them to make areal difference to the lives of problemgamblers and their families.”

Sir Ian was knighted in 1995, following along career in the brewing and hospitalityindustry. He is currently active on anumber of boards and is the chairman ofthe Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes,chairman of BP Pension Trustees Ltd andchairman of Aviva Staff Pension Fund.

GamCareappoints newchairman

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12 Coinslot March 27- April 2, 2015

Leisure TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE


The rise of thoseseeking ‘Bleisure’

The UK tourism in-dustry sustains ahuge number of jobs.According to figuresproduced by VisitBritain, the number of those em-ployed in the accommodation,restaurant and attractions sector isin excess of 1.7m, or approximately6 per cent of the UK workforce.

Tourism: paychequegenerator

Beer remains incredi-bly popular withinUK pubs. Despitean ever increasing

number of spiritsand wine available,

statistics from the BBPA show thatbeer was the selected tipple ofchoice in 7 out of every 10 saletransactions of alcoholic beverages.

Britain still loves thegood stuff

Universal Studios Japan (USJ)intend to construct a new theme-parkon the island of Okinawa, at thesouthernmost extreme of the country.USJ president Glenn Gumpel hasclaimed the new attraction will drawon the distinctive cultureof Okinawa itself - asopposed to Hollywoodtiles - for inspiration.

USJ sets sights onOkinawa

Be warned, leisure providers: anew word has entered the corpo-rate lexicon. ‘Bleisure’ refers towhat some claim is thegrowing trend of busi-ness travellers addingextra-time to theirscheduled trip to takeoff and enjoy the sites -both at home and abroad.

ast week saw Park Resorts -the UK’s largest holiday parkoperator - announce that

they had renewed a four-year con-tract with Playnation, amounting tofull amusement and gaming provi-sion across 48 holiday destinations.

It was a choice no doubt cele-brated at the machine supplier’sheadquarters - but what were themajor factors underlying ParkResort’s decision to drive itsamusements offering forward?

“Playnation understands whatour guests wish to experiencetoday,” responds Alan Castledine,commercial director of ParkResorts, whose objective remainsfirmly set on delivering “new

trends to ensure there is continu-ally something new to delightguests to keep them coming backfor more,” .

Of course, it should be notedthat in terms of role, amusementforms merely part of the holidayfirm’s wider entertainment offer-ing: inclusive of live shows, watersports, bars, restaurants and shops.Nevertheless, Castledine claimsthat “amusement machines are animportant and growing part of ourbusiness, and a key aspect of theoffer on all our holiday parks.”Importantly - this business focusseems to be rooted in customeruptake.

“Amusement arcades have

played a significant role in the tra-ditional seaside holiday of Britishfamilies since Victorian days,” saysCastledine. “Today, they bring withthem that feeling of tradition albeitin a modern setting and with themost up to date games, and remainjust as popular as ever.”

Such a statement must come asmusic to the ears of the machinesindustry as a whole: as the senti-ment suggests that amusement isnot just relevant, but still central tothe UK coastal holiday.

That said - falling back upontried-and-tested technology andplay experiences risks isolating themodern audience.

“Innovation in a competitive

market is important to keep attrac-tions appealing and exciting forfamilies, which is where aug-mented reality comes into moderngaming,” Castledine argues. “Inter-active elements really bring gamesto life for both children and adults,ensuring that they have the bestexperience possible.”

To this end - it seems that ParkResorts has set its stall out: todeliver ‘leading edge of familyentertainment provision’. And forCastledine the key is to keep “itsfinger on the pulse of modernarcades, which ensures the offer toour guests is continually evolvingand remains amongst the best inthe market.”

Park Resorts aim tokeep “finger on thepulse” of modernamusementsHOLIDAY PARKS

‘Innovation’ is a term oft bandied about. But for AlanCastledine of Park Resorts, no apter term applies tohis company’s determination to deliver alluringamusements to its visitors.

TOURISM

The Wemyss Bay HolidayPark celebrated Scot-

tish Tourism Week earlierthis month by welcominglocal MP Iain McKenziealongside Greenock andInverclyde MSP DuncanMcNeil.

The pair were shownaround by general man-ager Andrew McWilliamand declared that they hadbeen impressed with thefacilities.

“It was great to see thesubstantial investment inthe park by the Parkdeangroup,” said McKenzie. “

Tourism has a part to playin continued businessdevelopment in Inver-clyde and Wemyss Bay Hol-iday Park is a shiningexample of the tourismindustry playing its part tothe full.”

The park, which featuresa well stocked amusement

arcade and outdoor adven-ture playground, alongsidemany other attractions,employs up to 75 membersof staff alongside threeapprentices during itspeak season and was hailedas a ‘beautiful location’ byMcNeil, who is deputy con-vener of the Scottish Parlia-

ment’s cross-party groupon tourism.

“As well as being a keyemployer in the commu-nity, it also plays an impor-tant role in attractingvisitors to the area [and]helping the local economyand the tourism industry,”said McNeil.

Wemyss Bay wins respect of local politicos

TOURISM

Holiday hotspots aroundthe country held a

series of promotions andsocial media sessions tocelebrate tourism andshowcase the range ofcareers in the industry.

The week-long event,organised by DCMS andthe Tourism Industry Coun-cil, kicked off with a Twitterchat for young peopleinterested in breaking intotourism and hospitality.Throughout the week, localbusinesses and attractionsput on novel activities withdiscounts and specialoffers to draw attention tothe importance of tourism.

The president of theChamber of Commerceeven joined the localMayor and Mayoress ofWeston in helping out atPuxton Adventure Park inHewish for a day as part ofthe festivities.

Resorts cometogether tocelebrateEnglishTourism Week

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BusinessVisitEngland hasspeculated that newlocal enterprisezones and devolutiondeals could mean a cash injectionfor tourism. “We will be campaigningto make the case to these new fundholders that tourism is a highly effec-tive area for investment to create re-gional economic growth,” said chiefexecutive James Berresford.

Devolved funds couldlead to leisure support

The VisitEngland chief executive re-sponded positively to the introductionof Apprenticeship Vouchers inthe 2015 budget. James Berreford

said the vouchers and aneventual NI cut for ap-

prentices’ employerscould stimulate the sec-tor to take on new ap-prentices and support

recent industry growth.

Apprentice boon offersgood news for tourism

Tourism executives welcomed a£600m investment into rolling outhigh-speed broadband and bet-ter mobile phone signal countrywide,saying it would attract more visitors torural locations. James Berresford,CEO of VisitEngland, said:“Digital infrastructure isarguably just as impor-tant as transport infra-structure for tourism.”

Broadband expansion toboost rural business

ast Wednesday saw theannouncement ofBudget 2015, and with it,

the stipulation of a furtherpenny off the standing rate ofbeer duty - the third such con-secutive reduction.

Of further benefit to the pubindustry was a 2 per cent reduc-tion in duty charged on cider andspirits, as well as a freezing ofduty on wine.

Chancellor George Osborneclaimed the 2014 duty-cut had

helped to create 16,000 jobswithin the UK brewing industry.

Retraction in the beer dutyrate - observed from 2013onwards - stands in marked con-trast to the ‘beer duty escalator’,which between 2008 and 2012saw an overall increase of 42 percent in tax levelled on beer.According to the British Beer &Pub Association (BBPA), thisperiod accounted for the clo-sure of 7,000 pubs - at the costof 58,000 jobs.

It’s of no real surprise, there-fore, that the latest round of eco-nomic measures were praisedacross the breadth of the UK pubindustry.

“A third cut in beer tax is ahuge vote of confidence in theimportance of pubs and brew-ing,” claimed Tim Page, chiefexecutive of the Campaign forReal Ale. “It will help ensure thesector returns to long-termgrowth after many years of pub

closures and falling beer sales,and throws a lifeline to strug-gling community pubs acrossthe country.”

Brigid Simmonds, chief exec-utive of the British Beer & PubAssociation, echoed these sen-timents.

“The Chancellor really is a ‘HatTrick Hero’,” she remarked. “Histhird, successive beer tax cutshows he has listened to con-sumers, publicans and brewers.”

This year’s tax cut is expectedto put an extra £180m into the

pockets of pub-goers, at a timewhen demand for beer withinUK pubs is rising.

But as Simmonds publiclyacknowledged - “there is morework to be done”.

One of the areas for improve-ment to which she alludes is thewide disparity in taxation ratesbetween the UK and other EUmember states. Whilst the UKcontributes 39 per cent of EUbeer duty, British drinkersaccount for only 12 per cent ofconsumption.

Pub industry hails tax cutOsborne: ‘Hat Trick Hero’PUBS

With Budget 2015’spenny reduction ofbeer duty - the thirdof its kind in as manyyears - GeorgeOsborne is fastbecoming the darling ofthe troubled UK pubindustry.

The ‘tails’ face of the new£1 coin - due for introduc-

tion in 2017 - will feature thedesign of a West Midlandsschoolboy.

15-year-old David Pearcehad entered a competitionalongside 6,000 other appli-cants, which aimed to pro-duce a coin-face that bestsymbolised Britain. “It tookme a few hours,” Pearce toldBBC Radio 5 Live. “I wanted

to research things that go oncoins and I went down thefloral route. I wanted aflower to represent each ofthe four countries - so Ichose the rose, this-tle, leek andshamrock: then Iwanted some-thing that unitedthem alltogether, so Iturned to the

crown.” The chancellorGeorge Osbourne broke thenews to the boy over thephone. “He said, ‘I’ve gotgood news for you,’”

Pearce recounted.“‘Your design has

won the competi-tion - it’ll go on thenew one-poundcoin, and they’re

going to produce1.4bn of them.’”

Schoolboy’s design wins new £1 ‘tails’ competition

The shape of the old three-penny piece, the new 12-sided£1 coin will come intocirculation in 2017. A counterto 45m forgeries on the marketcurrently, the new coin will bebi-metallic, 2 colours, highlysecure - and designed by a15-year old schoolboy.

CURRENCY

The Essential Guide toSpares & ComponentsNext Week

MARCH 27 - APRIL 2, 2015

24This week’smachines

charts

26B2B Listings

and Marketplace

28Classified

sales,businessopps and

jobs

32Diary

highlights and industry calendar

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Coinslot MARCH 27 - APRIL 2, 2015

15

B2B

Essential Guide to... Category B3

t’s an old tune well sung, but anydiscussion of B3 machines - par-ticularly when faced with an

upcoming general election - must addressthe current state of high-street disparity.

“It’s frustrating to not be able to offerthe same products that other high streetgaming premises can,” chimes in Talariuschief operating officer Peter Harvey. “Itgoes without saying that we find it veryimportant that whoever forms the nextgovernment in May addresses this.”

For Harvey, the rebalancing requiredisn’t so much that AGC’s should beallowed to offer exorbitant FOBT-level£100-per-spin stakes on their top-tiermachines, but that a logical correctivemiddle-ground between both LBO andAGC sectors should be striven for.

“We want parity across the gamblingsector so that customers can choosewhere they go and play gamingmachines,” he states. “Our views wouldbe that government should significantlyreduce the level of stakes in LBOs and, asa consequence, allow other sectors tomove up to the same level.”

In finding this equilibrium, Harveythrows his weight behind the idea of asignificant increase in B3 jackpot at thenext triennial review - as long as stake ver-satility is preserved.

“Many operators across the gamingindustry are calling for maximum stakes

to be increased from £2 to £10, and forjackpots to be raised to £1,000,” heexplains. “Such a move would allow cus-tomers to experience a much bettergame, but it is vitally important that thestake is variable to allow the customerchoice to play at the level they can afford.”

Indeed, an increase in both stake andprize for B3 machines forms one prongof what Harvey sees as two-tieredapproach to “keeping the sector current.”The other - perhaps unsurprisingly - iswhat he views as the inevitable ascen-dency of server-based gaming.

“The machines we are offer are basedon customer demand, rather than allow-ing technological developments ‘wag-ging the dog’, so to speak,” he comments.“In the long-term, however, all machineswill most likely be server-based, becausethey give the ability to have total visibil-ity on performance, to link to one pay-out system (whether that be TITO or acard based system), and they makesimple digital marketing opportunitiesand tournaments.”

All for the good of business - but Harveyalso foresees positive implications withinthe area of social responsibility.

“Crucially, server-based gamingallows visibility of customer play,” henotes. “This enables the easy identifica-tion of vulnerable problem gamblers,allowing staff to intervene.”

OPENING REMARKS

Levelling theplaying-field

Whilst server-basedgaming goes some wayto keep the B3 titlecurrent, a rise in stakesand prizes is a must ifthe machines are to staycompetitive long-term,argues Peter Harveyof Talarius.

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2413-p15-24-Essential_Coinslot NEW 24/03/2015 15:09 Page 1


16

B2B

Essential Guide to ... Category B3Market PerspectivesSUPPLIER PERSPECTIVE

Coinslot: What are the features of a B3machine which make them attractive toplayers? And which areas of the B3 design

are most ripe for improvement?Tony Glanville: Hats off to the games design teamsfor their use of graphics and sound and incredibleattention to detail that really make for fun andentertaining games for the player.

Within the B3 classification, the use of PC basedtechnology has afforded the ability to be able tooffer a range of game styles through compendi-ums and at varying levels of price of play. This hasbeen key to the success of product in this sector.

Menus do vary, but to remain attractive to play-ers, they should include traditional multi line slotstyle games, casino style games such as rouletteand poker and offerings that include pot features.

Within those genres, players also demonstrateparticular tastes for types of secondary gameswhether they be Free Play or feature orientatedstyles. We also see player loyalty within B3 to cer-tain brands of games, most notably Astra’s ReelKing, Project’s Mega Bars and Novomatic’s MagicLotto. Players ultimately know what to expect fromthese styles and have an affinity to them thatencourages return visits and repeat play.

CS: Do you think that B3s are in need of any par-ticular attention during the next triennial review?TG: The industry should always take every oppor-tunity presented to review the stakes and prizeson all the categories of products in operation toensure we remain competitive compared to otherproducts available to players in the market.

We need to be able to offer an attractive andexciting product proposition to the player thatencourages return visits.

But while stakes and prizes are a very importantfactor of the products we offer, we must not over-look other elements within the games that mightbe able to be improved through other means suchas technical standards.

CS: What developments in the B3 marketplacewould you like to see during 2015?TG: We know of exciting developments on our sup-pliers’ drawing boards and we are looking forwardto taking them to market. From a distribution pointof view the top priority is to have access to that‘must have’ game - one that drives market demandand therefore sales, so it is a win win for all stakeholders in the supply chain.

CS: Coming out of EAG, have any of the B3machines you offer proven particularly popular?Why do you think this is?TG: We have two products that have been particu-larly popular and for contrasting reasons. AstraGames’ Slotto 500 has proved to be the B3 of 2014

and has held that position into 2015. Its resound-ing success is due to the fact that it represents thebest commercial proposition on the market. Itdelivers 22 games covering a range of styles, as wellas the ability to manage the menu screens allow-ing for as many or as few games to be available tothe player as the operator sees fit.

MCU technology enables the machine to beupdated with further games, while the NV11 recy-cler facilitates the ability to pay players out innotes resulting in less refills and less down timecreated by refloating coin hoppers.

The other model that we have seen great suc-cess with is Fortune Hunter from Project. This wasreleased at EAG after comprehensive testingwhich demonstrated that the diverse eight-gamecompendium format really is a hit with players.During testing, all of the featured games on For-tune Hunter attracted healthy levels of play culmi-nating in very strong cash box performanceswhich, in turn, encouraged operators to purchasethose test models and place further orders. Otherfeatures that made it a winner for operators includethe Active Game Management, which allows themto control the prices of play offered on particulargames as well as select the two ‘signature games’that are displayed in the centre of the menu screen.

Operators have also warmly welcomed theoption to fit TiTo technology, either at the point ofpurchase or retrospectively. Customers want toensure that their investments in equipment arefuture proofed and Project, as always, was in tunewith the market. They designed Fortune Hunterwith built-in adaptability to the constantly chang-ing market and technological demands.

Finding the rightbalanceRLMS sales director Tony Glanville believes that innovative graphics combinedwith reliable gameplay is one of the keys to continuing the success of B3.

For Blueprint Gaming’s operations director Andy Hall, B3 businesscould hardly be better. “Over the last two months, our latest games have proven to be really

popular - the uptake has been phenomenal,” he tells us. “We have seenan upsurge of play on our newest games which are giving the oldfavourites a run for their money.”

Whilst keeping its cards close to its chest - the company seems con-fident that this raft of new releases will continue well into the comingyear - on both B3 and beyond.

“Every development on all sectors in 2015 will be exciting, especiallyfrom the Blueprint perspective,” says Hall. “We have got some greatproduct coming through which will be of interest to all sectors, sowatch this space.”

With the clout of German gaming giant the Gauselmann Groupbehind it, Blueprint is well placed to adopt and produce the latestserver-based games. But Hall argues that operator preference dictatesthe scale of this kind of provision.

“There is a definite place for both lo and hi-tech games to co-exist, ifthe customer wants them,” he explains. “At Blueprint, we have stand-alone products which have been successful in the market and still areand sit side by side with our newest games being developed for the dig-ital platform. All our B3 games, along with the development of our Cat Cgames sit as standalone or as a SBG system - it’s the operators choice,and we can cater for what they feel benefits their venue.”

Are there any design specifics Hall can point to which mark out theB3 game destined for success?

“It’s the overall feel for the player which makes a good game soattractive,” he replies. “At Blueprint, we involve the player with ourunique style of games and build the anticipation for a big win. Return toplayer is also key, and this is looking to be true in the digital Cat C pubsector - we’ve seen as much with our King of Games compendium.”

Cabinet design also plays a significant function. “It’s also down to ergonomics,” Hall posits. “Our cabinets are

designed and manufactured by our parent company Gauselmann, whohave years of experience of giving a comfortable feel to the player. Thishas been brought into our next cabinet, the Aurora with two HDscreens, and our TITO ready design, all encompassed with vibrant con-trollable LED lighting.”

Taken together, these bells and whistles create a unique experiencefor the player.

“It makes it feel special,” says Hall.

MANUFACTURING PERSPECTIVE

Creating something‘special’The ‘magic formula’ of a good B3 title? Unique design,both in terms of game-play and cabinet, respondsBlueprint’s Andy Hall.

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18

B2B

Essential Guide to ... Category B3Market PerspectivesGAME DEVELOPER PERSPECTIVE

Do you think server-based B3 systems will eventually replacestand-alone lo-tec cabinets, or is there still a place for both

to co-exist?SB: This is about evolution. During this transition window bothgenres will co-exist. But ultimately, technology will dictate theoutcome. Expediency will play its own hand, with cabinets beingbuilt to last in excess of five years, it’s far more effective to down-load software than manhandling machines.

CS: Coming out of EAG, have any of the B3 machines you offerproven particularly popular?SB: We have enjoyed considerable success with the Amatic Indus-tries’ GMBH product range, not only as a consequence of EAG butalso of ICE. The reasoning behind this is simple: they’re high qual-ity games, with a wide range of B3 product to suit all tastes - notjust with respect to content, but also hardware, cabinets etc.

CS: Do you think that B3s are in need of any particular attentionduring the next triennial review?SB: As long as the B3A marches in step with the B3, that’s fine.What is a paradox is the fact that a 16 year old can buy as manyscratch cards as desired from a corner shop, but yet can’t play B3A.

CS: What developments in the B3marketplace would you like tosee during 2015?SB: If one studies ROI on B3product, then the category isvery successful. Low inflationmeans £2.00 is still worth£2.00, as is £500.00. If it ain’tbroke…however, one couldargue a stake review for a morelevel playing field with B2 maybe beneficial, but then thatwould also mean areview of the B2 stake

CS: What are the fea-tures of a B3 machinewhich make themattractive to players? As above, the categoryis successful, so obvi-ously the players feelthat they are gettingentertainment valuefor the time they buyon a machine.

DISTRIBUTOR PERSPECTIVE

The B3 playexperience:money well spent

Overall, director of Genesis Games SteveBierrum is content with the current form standingof B3. To what does he attribute the machines’success? Simple: players think them a worthwhilespend of both time and money.

oming out of EAG, have any of the B3machines you offer proven particularlypopular? Why do you think this is?

Fortune Hunter, which is an eight game com-pendium, is proving a great success, with anumber of industry observers referring to it asthe ‘stand out’ B3 of the show. It was a long time inR&D and the developmental objective was tocreate a compendium which generated consis-tently high levels of play appeal across all of thegames. I’m pleased to confirm that the data showsthat the top four games, half of the compendiumoffering, account for 63% of play with the differ-ential between game number 1 and the 8th gamein the compendium representing a multiple of3.75, a figure which is much lower than the indus-try standard. The mix of games on Fortune Hunteris such that there is something for everyone andas a consequence we are seeing solid play acrossthe board. Fortune Hunter is also garnering appealon a number of other fronts with operatorsattracted by the inclusion of the industry stan-dard TiTo protocol as well asour Mi Games Online ini-tiative, which pro-vides access to afurther six newgames every 12months for a chargeof just ￡35/week.Operators withexisting CasinoKings also receive afree Fortune Hunter500 upgrade whenthey complete aMi Gamescontract

which is also proving popular.

What developments in the B3 marketplacewould you like to see during 2015?In order to keep B3 players engaged with the prod-uct, it’s imperative that we are able to keep thestake and prize on these games competitive, notjust within the AGC/Bingo environment, but alsoin relation to online, which is a central feature ofthe modern gaming landscape and will continueto be so. Dialogue is essential, and we need,through the offices of BACTA and the GamblingBusiness Group, to continue to discuss this withour regulators and explain the importance weattach to it. There’s a new team in place at DCMSand obviously we will have a new administrationafter May 7th. With these developments in mind,we need to be on the front foot.

Whilst on the subject of the election, how impor-tant is it for the continued success of B3machines that the incoming government levelsthe playing field between B3 and B2? I think the issue is much broader than the B3/B2dynamic - as important as that undoubtedly is. Ibelieve that we need the incoming governmentto recognise that the 2005 Act is simply no longerfit for purpose and that a review is essential inorder to prevent further job losses and the clo-sure of more AGCs and Bingo Clubs in this coun-try. This is a technology driven industry whichmoves at break neck speed. Since the Act, theworld of gaming has moved on and left the legis-lation in its wake. This needs to be addressed andaddressed quickly.

What changes to the B3 offering would make thegenre more attractive to players? It is vital that we seek technical changes to thiscategory so that we have a compelling commer-cial offer. Whilst it would require a change to pri-mary legislation, one development that I wouldlike to see is the introduction of in-venue pro-gressives, with machines linked-up to a ￡500jackpot. You would have a winner every day, itwould be exciting to play, it’s a realistic andresponsible prize and it would add some the-atre to the game playing experience. It wouldadd another dimension to communitygaming within a social and responsible envi-ronment.

Project: progressivelinked jackpotscould change theB3 landscape The gaming industry has moved on, and it’s high time primary legislationmoves on with it, argues Tony Boulton, managing director of ProjectDesign and Technology.

C



20

B2B

Essential Guide to ... Category B3Market Analysis

s managing director of Gala Bingo, one of the UK’s biggestbingo operators, Simon Wykes knows just how integralCategory B3 is to the sector’s gaming offering.

Since replacing Section 16, Wykes has seen Gala customers’enjoyment of Category B3 game play and playability increase,further enhanced by the higher stake and prize levels it canoffer them.

Of course, those stake and prize levels haven’t changed fromthe current £2/£500 ratio for some time now, and Wykes believesthey need to move with the times.

He told Coinslot: “The stakes and prize limits do reduce contentsupply as an increasingly consolidating supplier base has todevelop games that are only for the UK market, which effectivelyrestricts choice for the customer.

“Suppliers want to develop omni-channel content to reducethe risk of their development costs but the restrictions in land-based businesses make this impossible.”

If charities and legislators are concerned about the impact onplayer protection, Wykes pointed to the positive effect thatserver-based gaming - an innovation already readily embraced bythe bingo sector –- can have.

He explained: “The new technology server-based gamingmachines will also enable operators to implement more sophisti-cated harm minimisation strategies.

“This should mean that blunt player protection measures suchas restricted stakes and prizes become less necessary in the future.”

As well as offering his customers greater safety, Wykes saidserver-based gaming enabled Gala to meet their demand for moreengaging Category B3 content.

As there are restrictions on supply in the UK, it allows Gala todeliver multiple content on a single machine, he commented.

The other major innovation that Wykes sees as havingenhanced Category B3 product is ticket-in, ticket-out functional-ity - so much so he described it as “non-negotiable” when it comesto purchasing decisions.

“It must be years since we bought a Category B3 machinewithout TITO capability and I think it’s inconceivable that wewould do so again,” he added.

“I do wonder whether TITO is now yesterday’s news; how-ever, I do expect payment options to move forward again in thenear future.”

OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE

Category B3legislation must movewith the times

With the new technology thatCategory B3 manufacturershave embraced, Gala Bingomanaging director SimonWykes believes there is roomfor manoeuvre regardingstakes and prizes.

As with all tech-based industries, innovation is essential - notleast for B3 developers engaged in an on-going battle to wrestle

business back from the B2 market. And for design and developmentcompany 24 Seven, the key is in the regulatory landscape.

“We want to be allowed to offer additional machine features, butthis is not possible under the current technical standards,” com-mented managing director Simon McCarthy. “Even though thesefeatures are still in operators’ premises as legacy machines, pro-duced prior to Gambling Act 2005 came into force.”

The priority for 24 Seven is to maximise both entertainmentvalue and time on machines; an objective that could be achievedby re-introducing sought-after features that were disallowed inthe 2005 Act.

“These features remain popular, but unfortunately we currentlyhave to work with what is allowed within the current stake and prizeregime,” said McCarthy. “We feel that our hands are tied behind ourbacks when trying to be innovative in delivering games that allow theindustry to provide the customer with the entertainment they want.”

Whilst the current £2 stake/£500 jackpot format has been wellreceived by players and operators, McCarthy believes there is alsoscope to expand the offering further.

“The £2 stake/£500 Jackpot is attractive, but we should still pushfor at least a statutory minimum increase via the ‘triennial review’process,” he said.

With technology moving forward at a rapid pace and productssuch as server-based gaming becoming increasingly popular, theB3 market is a market in transition. For development companiessuch as 24 Seven, this means catering to existing demand whilekeeping one eye fixed firmly on the future.

“We recognise that there are operational benefits to sever-basedgaming, and that is where the strategic alliance between 24 Sevenand E-Gaming comes into force,” commented McCarthy. “But westill believe that the market will invest in stand-alone, highly enter-taining product and this is what we can offerthrough Vegas 24/7.”

As the passionate B2 and B3 debaterages on and speculation continuesover who will hold the reins in West-minster, the company hopes there maybe a solution on the horizon.

“We are looking for parity at the endof the day in the marketplace - a con-clusion to the current debate,” saidMcCarthy. “This will allow our cus-tomers to concentrate on doing whatthey do best: operating entertaining prod-ucts and engaging with the customerbase.”

According to 24 Seven’s Simon McCarthy, the industry shouldbe able to get the best out of its B3 machines - but current legislation is standing in the wayof innovation.

DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE

24 Seven call for aneven playing fieldbetween B2 and B3The battle for the heart and soul of Category Bmachines rages on: B3 must have a sense of parity,argues Simon McCarthy of 24 Seven. Without it,innovation and creativity are ‘tied behind our backs’.Change in legislation in needed.

A



B2B

21

LMS’ Chris Widdowson has highlightedwhat he described as the ‘bomb prooftechnology’ and the breadth of

the compendium appeal, as the key factorsbehind the success of Project’s FortuneHunter 500, B3.

Widdowson, who is key account managerat RLMS, told Coinslot: “Project has succeededin delivering an eight game compendiumwhich genuinely appeals across the commu-nity of players typically found in an AGC or aBingo Club. This means that each of the eightgames has achieved traction and engagementwith key sectors of the player base. For exam-ple, Mega Bars Big Hit, which is the second

most played game in the compendium,appeals predominately to a group which canbe characterised as ‘lady shoppers’, whereasMagic Poker, the most played game, has a maledominated audience. However, all eight aresimple, easy to play games and consequently,have a solid and loyal customer base.”

Chris Widdowson also reserved praise forthe quality of Project’s robust technology. Hestated: “The feedback has been very positive.Operators, quite rightly, expect the gamingproducts they are investing in to be reliableand Fortune Hunter 500 has succeeded in reg-istering machine uptime figures which areamongst the very best in the industry.”

PROJECT DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Technology and gameappeal drive Fortune Huntersuccess, argue RLMS

Considerable investment in R&Dhas translated into a high level ofappeal for every game inProject’s Fortune Huntercompendium.

Products

R



22

B2B

Essential Guide to ... Category B3Products

4 Seven Gaming has something forevery B3 operator - available in anumber of finance options to suit

different budgets. The company has now concluded its

successful site testing on its B3 product:Vegas 24/7, due to go into production nextmonth. Some reworking has been carriedout as a result of the initial site trial and thishas added enhancements to the machineas well as adjusting the profile to bettersuit the needs of arcade and bingo in theUK.

Vegas 24/7 is the first B3 product from24 Seven Gaming. It’s a standalone gameon a rebuild Barcrest Rio cabinet, which isretrofitted with Quixant QXI 200 PC tech-nology. It has an attractive Las Vegas theme,with highly unique and entertaining fea-tures.

“Our intention from the outset was toproduce a highly entertaining and interac-tive game format,” says 24 Seven managingdirector Simon McCarthy. “We believe wehave achieved this, while offering some-thing unique to the player. As it is also very

competitively priced, it offers a nicheopportunity for those looking for some-thing different.”

In addition, and to complement its B3product range, 24 Seven are also offeringan additional Multi Lotto B3 selection fromE Gaming. The Multi Lotto product is dis-tributed by 24 Seven in the UK and is cur-rently on site trial. “We are very excitedabout the long-term opportunity for thisproduct in the UK market, as the responseto it has been extremely positive,” addsMcCarthy. “We are now looking to includeadditional game content and E-Gaming hasa very strong game content portfolio forus to utilise.”

The E-Gaming product has alreadyproved itself on site in thousands of Euro-pean sites. “This can be part-way explainedby the security of the cabinet and the relia-bility of the hardware,” McCarthy explains.“It is available to operators under a numberof options including outright purchase,rent, profit share or a fixed daily fee. Wehave really thought outside-the-box inorder to be competitive.”

National distribution firm RLMS Sales has hit a richvein of form with the current Category B3 model

from London-based manufacturer Project. The boldly-titled Fortune Hunter is a stunning com-

pendium comprising a range of compelling game titlesthat are ideally suited to the FEC and bingo sectors ofthe market.

Presented within the classic lines of the TS22 cabi-net and using Innocore technology, Fortune Hunteroffers all the thrills of a £500 top payout on 25p/50p/£1and £2 stake.

It comes with eight titles on board including 50 XCash; Golden Crowns; Cash Landings; Magic Poker;Football 500 and the iconic titles Mega Bars; MegaBars Big Hit; and Mega Bars Hi Roller.

The product is future-proofed and can beupgraded with further game releases as they come tomarket.

And in keeping with the current trend towards cash-less methods of machine play, Fortune Hunter is alsoavailable with a TiTo option.

Underlining the game’s credentials, RLMS salesdirector Tony Glanville noted: “Project has really deliv-ered the goods with this latest B3 model.

“It has all the bases covered from the high qualitycabinet right through to the operator-friendly featuressuch as TiTo compatibility.

“And, crucially, it comes with a suite of games fromone of the most innovative producers in the sector thatplayers really will want to return to time and again.”

2

24 SEVEN GAMING

Introducing:Vegas 24/7Fresh to the B3 market, Simon McCarthy of 24 Seven Gaming hasdebuted with all guns blazing - with the company’s own Vegas 24/7machine, complimented by an exciting new range of E Gaming MultiLotto products.

RLMS SALES

Fortune favoursRLMS SalesRLMS Sales has found a future-proofed players hit in theshape of Project’s Fortune Hunter compendium of games.

GENESIS GAMES

Performanceyou can rely onLed by the aptly-named Performer,Genesis Gameshas scored muchsuccess with AmaticIndustries’ provenrange of CategoryB3 cabinets andgames.



B2B

23

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Blueprint Gaming’s B3 games have consistently been in the top ten of the Coinslotcharts for more than six months. The secret to this success is that the top-earning

games from online and LBOs are filtered down to become B3 content in AGC andbingo halls.

“This is what sets Blueprint’s B3 product apart from its competitors,” explains AndyHall, Blueprint gaming operations director. “We are constantly refining the offering -ensuring that only those games with the strongest player pedigree are selected.”

Currently, Blueprint has a complete portfolio which includes 22 games and 2 cabinets- the Vision Slant Top and the Vision Casino. Its latest B3 titles for 2015 are Thai Princess

and Fortunes of Sparta, with upcoming titles Indian Dream, Kingdom ofWealth and Fortunes of the Gods due to be released shortly.

Blueprint Gaming offers a mixture of game styles on B3 includingthree and five-reel games with both 10 and 20 win lines.

“We are always looking for innovative ideas to drive the cash-box,” says Simon Barff, managing director of Blueprint’s machinesdivision.

“We are finding that the random nature of the B3 games appearsto be the winning formula, much in the same way as we are seeing

with our Category C compendiums - where despite ahigh return to player, cashbox is increasing, proving

that we are in fact growing the player base.”“What’s even more reassuring is that we areseeing a good stake on our B3 games - at around£1.55 on average,” adds Barff. “This is due toour games design team making the gamesattractive to play at the higher stake, by put-

ting in added bonuses to enhance the play-ers’ experience.”

BLUEPRINT GAMING

B3 innovation drivesBlueprint successInnovation of game design and a constantly evolving cadre of B3content keeps Blueprint titles popular with players and operatorsalike, argues Andy Hall and Simon Barff.

Genesis Games, UK and Eire distributorfor Amatic Industries, is currently

enjoying a successful sales campaignwith the Amatic Category B3 range ofgames.

The Cat B3 offering from GenesisGames now comes not only with the 15-game compendium, but also with threedifferent cabinet options.

First, there is the X3000 19-inch twinscreen cabinet. Utilising high qualityperipherals, high grade, casino-style cabi-net design and various payout and cashhandling options, the game has enjoyedconsiderable success over the last fewyears.

The main sales thrust is now featured onthe 22-inch Performer cabinet. Againequipped with all the features of its 19-inchpartner, the Performer also utilises high def-inition monitors and enhanced sound fea-tures, which add to the players’ enjoyment.

Released last year, the twin screen sitdown is now leading the way in terms oftaking performance to new levels ofplayer satisfaction.

With 24/7 trading profiles increasinglybecoming the norm in the AGC sector,catering for the needs of players’ comfortand relaxation is paramount.

Encompassing all the above men-tioned features, and with furtherenhanced ergonomics, the 22-inch sitdown is now a market leader in all sensesof the word.

One of the chief benefits of the AmaticIndustries range is reliability, essential inthe ever increasing 24/7 nature of trad-ing in the UK market.

With the broad product base, in termsof cabinet styles and game compendiumsthe Amatic Industries range of B3 prod-uct offered by Genesis Games is provinghugely successful in the UK market.



24

B2B

Essential Guide to ...Category B3Products

ith Astra’s Slotto 500 Deluxe, due to debut at the Northern Showcase in May,the company haven’t shied away from shaking B3 up a bit: both in terms ofpricing and game design.

Astra Games is looking to shake things up in the B3sector of the market with a new release that willmake its official industry debut at the forthcom-ing Northern Showcase at The Pines Hotel inChorley on May 6 and 7. The aim, says sales andmarketing director Alan Rogers, is to present apremium style Category B3 offering to cus-tomers at a price point that will make the indus-try sit up and take notice.

Titled Slotto 500 Deluxe, this latest prospectfrom Astra comprises an 18-strong suite of topclass games, four of which are ‘duplicate pot’games designed to enhance player appeal. Thepackage comes stylishly housed in the iconicand widely lauded FV600 cabinet. Taken in theround, it elevates the B3 compendium genre toa new, higher level with eye-catching looks andunrivalled playability, but without the costlyprice hike normally associated with a premiumquality product.

Rogers commented: “The B3 market is con-stantly evolving and here at Astra we recognisethe need to keep pace with the ever-changingdemands of what is becoming a very discern-ing player base. Slotto 500 Deluxe ticks all theright boxes - to begin with it has that all-impor-tant walk-up factor thanks to its ‘casino pedi-gree’ cabinet. And, vitally, it comes loaded witha fine choice of games that players will enjoytime and again.”

He added: “But we also acknowledge that budg-ets remain tight and, consequently, operators areforced to think very prudently about how theyinvest in taking their businesses forward. HenceSlotto 500 Deluxe has been priced to give thema premium style product that looks and performsbrilliantly, but won’t break the bank in theprocess. We’ll be announcing the price prior tothe Northern Showcase - watch this space!”

Echoing Rogers’ view was games design direc-tor Andy Dinning. He commented: “The Cate-gory B3 segment is crying out for somethingnew and different, whether that involves thestyle of games on offer or the pricing strategy.With Slotto 500 Deluxe Astra has managed tofulfil both those criteria. As a compendium itexudes real quality, style and playability. And onthe subject of cost to the operator, there’s simplynothing that comes close at this ultra-competi-tive price point.”

ASTRA GAMES

The price is rightfor Astra’s latestdeluxe B3“The Category B3 segment is crying out for something new anddifferent,” say Astra Games. So, plans are afoot to unveil ananswer this call at the upcoming Northern Showcase.

W

Analysis

CATEGORYB3 (£2/£500 Max.)

CATEGORYD (10p/£5 Max.)

CATEGORYB4 (£2/£4000 Max)

AGCsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Fortune Hunter Project2 2 Triple 8 Barcrest3 3 Slotto 500 Astra4 4 Wish Upon a Slot Blueprint5 5 Magic Lotto Ultra Novomatics6 6 Mega Bars Big Hit Project7 7 Triple 7 Barcrest8 8 Abet Astra9 9 King of Slots Blueprint10 10 King Pots Astra

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

Members clubsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Hot Shots Reflex2 2 Fiddle a Fortune Reflex3 3 DOND Box 23 BFG4 4 Street Casino 2015 Storm5 5 Jackpot 100 Barcrest

Based on data from representative sites. Supplied by sector professional

FEC - familyThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 House Of Fortune (3 Player) Astra2 2 Bullion Bars (3 Player) Astra3 3 Party Games (4 Player) Astra4 4 DOND Plasma (3 Player) Bellfruit5 5 Adders And Ladders(4 Player) Vivid6 6 Rainbow Riches (3 Player) Empire7 7 Goldrush Stampede (4 Player) Barcrest8 8 Party Time Arena (4 Player) Astra9 9 Party Time (3 Player) Astra10 10 Golden Games (3 Player) Mazooma

Based on data from four sites Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

FEC - adultThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Magic Games U/R Novomatic2 2 Pure Gold Astra3 3 Free Play 70 Project4 4 Rainbow Riches Party Barcrest5 5 Find The Lady 70 Project6 6 Party Time Arena (4 Player) Astra7 7 Win Wall Astra8 8 Bar X Diamond 7’s Electrocoin9 9 Party Games (4 Player) Astra10 10 Party Time (3 Player) Astra

Taken from a representative number of sites around the UKSupplied by Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

CATEGORYC (£1/£100 Max.)

AGCsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Magic Games 100 Ultra Novomatic2 5 Magic Games 3 Novomatic3 3 Encore T7 (GP2) SG Gaming4 2 Encore T7 (GP3) SG Gaming5 6 Encore T7 (GP1) SG Gaming6 4 Find the Lady Ultimate Project7 7 Triple 7 (GP2) SG Gaming8 - Mega Jackpots Project9 - Bullion Bars 3 Player £100 Astra10 - Bar X 7even Electrocoin

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

Single siteThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Queen We Are The Champions BFG2 - VIP DOND BFG3 2 Alice Royal Riches ELC4 3 Jiggin Jackpots QPS5 4 DOND Next Level BFG6 5 DOND Winfall BFG7 6 DOND Box 23 BFG8 7 DOND Hyper BFG9 10 Trebble Top REF10 9 DOND Double Up BFG

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


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UK Box Office ChartThis LastWeek Week Name

1 1 The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel2 - Run All Night3 2 Focus4 - Suite Francaise5 3 Fifty Shades of Grey6 4 Chappie7 8 Still Alice8 5 Big Hero 69 7 Kingsman: The Secret Service10 6 Shaun the Sheep Movie

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UK Jukebox ChartHighest Earning Tracks on Sound Leisure jukeboxesThis LastWeek Week

1 1 FourFiveSeconds Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney2 2 Love Me Like You Do Ellie Goulding3 3 Uptown Funk Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars4 4 Take Me To Church Hozier5 5 Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran6 8 King Years & Years7 6 Wish You Were Mine Philip George8 7 Gravity DJ Fresh feat. Ella Eyre9 - Ayo Chris Brown X Tyga10 10 Hold Back The River James Bay

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AlbumsThis Last

Week Week

1 - To Pimp a Butterfly Kendrick Lamar2 1 In The Lonely Hour Sam Smith3 - Tracker Mark Knopfler4 3 X Ed Sheeran5 - Duets - Re-Working The Catalogue Van Morrison 6 4 Chasing Yesterday Noel Gallagher’s High Flying7 2 Rebel Heart Madonna8 5 Wanted on Voyage George Ezra9 8 1989 Taylor Swift10 - Froot Marina & The Diamonds

DownloadsThis Last

Week Week

1 1 Lay Me Down Sam Smith ft John Legend2 3 King Years & Years 3 9 Hold Back The River James Bay4 2 GDFR Flo Rida ft Sage The Gemini 5 - So Freakin’ Tight Tough Love6 7 Take Me To Church Hozier7 6 FourFive Seconds Rihanna/Kanye West/McCartney8 5 Love Me Like You Do Ellie Goulding9 10 Uptown Funk Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars 10 8 Earned It Weeknd

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andai Namco is to ramp up itsyoung stewardship of the amuse-ment machines in Tenpin bowling

sites across the country. Since announc-ing the deal in July, Namco hasexpanded the services it provides to theoperator’s bowling sites, including a fullchangeover of redemption tickets com-pleted this March.

The expanded relationship got off to arapid fire start in October, 2014, as 2,700machines were moved in just 10 days, asBandai Namco distributed new games toTenpin sites around the country.

“We have seen excellent service andmachine quality from the team at BandaiNamco,” said Graham Blackwell, com-mercial director at Tenpin. “Over 75 per-cent of our equipment is now brand newand downtime has been reduced by 50percent. We carried out full after sitetraining and this has resulted in a reduc-

tion in call outs. Site management havenow taken ownership of their machinearcades.”

In the months since the project kickedoff, further sites have come underBandai Namco’s purview. These includeDoncaster, which underwent the suc-cessful installation of machines at thebeginning of December, which the oper-ator reports is showing already showingan upturn in the cashbox. In February, aredemption offering was also installedinto Tenpin’s Colchester, Stafford, Exeterand Leamington Spa sites.

Heading into the Easter period,Bandai Namco will continue to monitorincome by category and by site to con-tinually identify machine moves orreplacements in an effort to optimiseperformance. “We have held 121 meet-ings at all levels with the Tenpin teamand provided the best dedicated engi-

Wracking upTenpin successBandai Namco has made good on its promise of seriousinvestment into its contract to manage arcades in Tenpin bowlingcentres, with new redemption material rolling out this month.

BINGO WEXEL ADDS NEWFEATURES TO BLISSOFTWARE

Bingo software developer Wexel hasupdated its ground-breaking Blis inter-

face to allow players to continue theirgame uninterrupted when they need topurchase more cardsor tickets and keeptrack of their gamefrom different perspec-tives.

The Grid Viewscreen lets playersswitch easily betweenthe standard strip andthe page view at theclick of a button.

Numbers aremarked off on-screen when the number istapped and previously missed numberswill be updated when tapping the currentnumber keeping players up to speed withthe game.

REDEMPTIONBRING THE LIGHT

Boasting multi-coloured, synchronisedLED lighting, the three-player alley

roller ICE Ball FX was launched at Novem-ber’s IIAPA showin Florida, and isdistributedwithin the UKby SegaAmuse-ments.

A re-release of ICEBall - theworld’s best-selling rollermachine - the FX ver-sion has been completely redesigned,and includes more than 50 individualimprovements.

Billed by its US manufacturer ICE as“the best alley roller offered in the world”,ICE Ball FX brings a great game experi-ence, as well as an unparalleled lightshow, to any FEC environment.

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2413-p26-27-Listings_Coinslot NEW 24/03/2015 16:52 Page 1

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8TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE


neers to ensure the best possible start tothis contract,” says Chris Bell, generalmanager of Bandai Namco Services (pic-tured). “We are really pleased to see thatthe hard work from both teams has led toreduced downtime and call outs result-ing in excellent financial growth forTenpin.”

In the run-up to the holiday, the com-pany will also be focussed on bulking upits support for the arcade merchandiseside of Tenpin’s redemption facility. Bothtickets and branded prizes from theBandai Namco stable have being rolledout across the estate throughout March.

PRIZEA RESIN-ATINGSUCCESS

Brand new from Whitehouse Leisureis a limited edition range of resin

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KIDDY RIDESMENAGERIE ONWHEELS

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Comment

Three nationalswhat may havewith her first cla

media watchjoseph ewens

Osborne’s Budget ge

ABudget is all in the eye of thebeholder, or so it would

appear, after George and co.’snumber-crunching efforts weresimultaneous condemned andpraised in the national press lastweek.

Perhaps this isn’t all that sur-prising, as half of us don’t reallyhave a clue about the ins andouts of national economicsanyway - let alone agree on itsprinciples. There’s a lot of talkabout inflation, GDP and directand indirect taxes, but whateveryone wants to know is:how’s it going to affect me?

For The Observer, the answerwas pretty straightforward. Ifyou’re among the poorest andmost vulnerable in society - orindeed anything but the super-rich - things are only going toget worse.

“Nestled underneath the fig-

ures and projections lay a mani-festo: a manifesto for a moredivided and less humane Britain,”the paper declared in an emotiveeditorial comment.

Attacking claims from Osbornethat living standards have risen inthe past five years, The Observercited recent figures for averagehousehold incomes from an inde-pendent think-tank that foundthem to be - excluding tradeunion and university payments -at their lowest since pre-2010.

A study by the same organisa-tion, Resolution Foundation, alsofound that hourly wages for 22-29year olds had nose-dived down to1998 levels.

On the bright side, TheObserver pointed out, it hasn’tbeen so bad for everyone. Luck-ily for corporate moguls, FTSE100 chief executives have seentheir pay rise by a quarter in the

udgetary concession on beer dutycan only be welcome news to apub industry which has been

somewhat beleaguered over the courseof the past decade. Irrespective of challenges posed by thesmoking ban, or the treasury, or the eco-nomic privation of its customer-base, thefate of the British pub is seemingly secure.It will endure, as it has endured since pre-classical times, because on a very simplelevel - Britons just like to drink: not athome, on a couch in front of the TV, but incompany, out and about, in their local.But can the same longevity be claimed forthe pub fruit-machine? The UK AWP market was undoubtedlyhurt by pub closures, but it has a windowof opportunity to be a comeback-kid.If we are determined to expand and revi-talise the AWP offering and secure itsplace in pubs for the next half a century, itmight be worth taking time out to re-appraise its position and tackle somequestions such as: are the pub-machinegames of today fun? are we - as the desig-nation suggests - providing top class

amusement to the player; have we nailedthe products that make pub play worth-while?. There are those who think the AWPsdemise was already on the cards; andthere are others who concede thatchange is an absolute must if the AWP isto continue capturing the imagination ofthe great British pub clientele. So, is it too bold to suggest that if it’samusement we’re aiming to provide - let’sprovide it. Let loose the software engi-neers and game designers - create gamesthat 21st century people will be willing topart money for. And if that’s not realistic or viable, at thevery least let’s explore fresh and outsideof the box alternatives that might keepcoin-op at the heart of the pub.There is a great opportunity to re-estab-lish the gaming offering to one of our tra-ditional outlets, albeit one that is rapidlychanging. We just have to make sure wechange with it and keep innovation at theforefront of our thinking.Weirdly enough, this is a real chance forgrowth - we just have to make it happen.


Pub AWP: Time to adapt?Budget 2015, and the pub industry gets a break once again. Beer sales may rise,

and landlords may breathe sighs of relief, but - as Chris Webster argues - tax concessions will come as an opportunity missed for AWP providers if

meaningful design changes are not embraced.

B

Failure to report in

Business rates were firmly in the industry crosshairs before the latest budgetannouncement, but in its wake we’re left with something worse - less than

nothing - argues Joseph Ewens.

f there was one clear message thatemerged from conversations withthe coin-op industry in the run up

to George Osborne’s fifth budget, it wasthe need for urgent action on businessrates.Staying afloat on the high street hasbecome a constant battle and if AGCs andtheir ilk are to remain afloat, leading indus-try figures were clear that business ratesneeded to be brought back in line withreality.In the end, all we got was a flimsy reportnot worth the paper it will never beprinted on. A report that might just turnout to be a classic piece of political misdi-rection. It’s findings will not be known for

a full 12 months, at which point the make-up of the government will be entirely dif-ferent. A new coalition, or maybe even anew majority party, will be in charge andpossess little impetus to stick to any prom-ises made before the general election. In what may be the most damning facet ofthis escapade, the job of launching thereport was given to Liberal DemocratDanny Alexander. The chances of the LibDems being kingmakers again is minimal,so really, what risk do the Conservativestake if the report is quietly mothballed?It’s just one more hit for the Liberals’ tat-tered reputation and another stakethrough the heart of high street busi-nesses.

I

Is it just the onecase for theamusementsindustry sir? Norabbits, no hats?

2413-p30-31-Comment_Coinslot NEW 24/03/2015 17:41 Page 1

31Coinslot March 27 - April 2, 2015

Three nationals scrutinise the finer details of the Budget, and one contemplateswhat may have been left out it. Coinslot despatched its very own Imogen Goodman,with her first class degree at Cambridge University in hand, to read the papers.

The BingoAssociation chiefexecutive explains howthis vibrant sector canmake the most of thetechnology at itsfingertips. “politicsmiles baron

quote unquote

”et gets the once-over



last decade! We know who’ll be getting the first

round in, then.Meanwhile, the ever-pragmatic Inde-

pendent voiced the question on every-body’s lips: just where is the moneygoing to come from?

Not for public services - but for cuts.According to the director of the Insti-tute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), Paul John-son, Osborne only gave details on apretty meagre £2bn worth of the £12bncuts planned by the Tories. So justwhat will be slashed to scrape togetherthe other £10bn?

Unfortunately, The Independent - andthe rest of us - may be waiting for ananswer for some time. David Gauke,one of the ministers working underOsborne in the Treasury, told the BBCthe Tories would provide more informa-tion “after the election”.

That’s alright then - as long as weknow what we’re letting ourselves in for.

In The Telegraph, Allister Heath’s

analysis took a very different tack, as helauded the Chancellor not so much forhis fiscal skills but for being a damngood politician.

“Was it a principled, small-c conser-vative, pro-market statement of intent?Of course not,” argued Heath. “Butwould Labour have been worse for themiddle and aspiring classes, for busi-ness, for competitiveness and forinvestors? Of course it would, andthat’s all that Mr Osborne was trying toachieve.”

In fact, Heath’s only major criticismsounded like an Ed Miliband catch-phrase turned back on itself. Namely,that the Chancellor hadn’t cut spend-ing hard enough, nor fast enough.

“The Tories should have beenmaking the case for much smaller gov-ernment for the past decade; it is toolate now,” he wailed.

Now, Heath - it’s not over until it’sover.

Let’s just wait for May, shall we?

B3 Gaming Machines are anessential part of the success of

any modern day licensed bingovenue.

At the end of 2013, bingo clubshad an average of approximately12 B3 machines per venue, whichrepresents approximately 25 per-cent of the overall average machineestimate, the remainder beinglargely Category C machines. Thesemachines (B3s) deliver on averagejust under half of all machineincome in bingo clubs.

Provisional results for 2014 sug-gest that that the number of B3machines had grown slightly, as hadincome, with all machine-gener-ated income as a proportion of thebingo club sales mix also increas-ing slightly.

Whilst these machines repre-sent an increasing part of the bingoclub offer, it has to be rememberedthat machine play is primarilyfocused on intervals, when the corebingo product is not available. Thismeans that any bingo club machineestate needs to be able to cope withshort bursts of high-volume cus-tomer demand.

With regard to stakes and prizes,regulators have made it clear thatany changes to limits will need tobe made with the appropriate tech-nology and data collection capabil-ities to better enable theidentification and management ofharm and problem gambling.

This relationship between tech-nology and harm preventionwould lead to the logical conclu-sion that the more advanced theavailable evidence is, the more ableoperators are to identify harm, andthe less relevant the stakes andprizes limits become.

Server Based Games (SBG) offer

more exciting and varied machinecontent. With SBG, it is easier tokeep content fresh and to switchin and out of different games - some-thing that is widely recognised byoperators.

Ticket In Ticket Out (TiTO) inbingo absolutely improves the cus-tomer experience and for the oper-ator, in terms of efficiency, it makesa material improvement. Many cus-tomers still prefer to use cash andsome are suspicious of the technol-ogy, but as the bingo marketevolves and customer profileschange, acceptance will grow -although it will, of course, be grad-ual, as was the case with handheldtablets.

However, TiTO does allow forbetter SR controls and anti money-laundering procedures. For thesereasons TiTO and the move to cash-less transactions will continue tobe the overall direction of travel forbingo clubs in the future.

Playing bingo remains the keyand primary reason to visit alicensed bingo premise, however,all machines including B3s shouldbe seen as one of the many prod-ucts offered as part of the bingoexperience. On average fewer than20 percent of customers playmachines in the retail environmentcompared to 100 percent playingthe game of bingo.

If the bingo industry innovates,invests and grows in the light of theduty change, and attendance con-tinues to stabilise and even grow,then B3 machines as part of themachines mix will continue tocomplement the club experienceand underpin this great social andcommunity-based activity, assistingin providing future returns that willin turn stimulate further growth.

B3 innovationscan work forbingo clubs

“We are pleased that the govern-ment listened to the calls of the pubsector and made its third cut in beerduty in this year’s Budget.”

SOUNDNET’S TOBY HOYTE ON THECHANCELLOR’S DECISION TO CUT BEERDUTY AGAIN

“We were disappointed, however,that cutting VAT on tourism hasagain been overlooked.”

BALPPA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PAULKELLY RESPONDS TO THE DECISIONAGAINST CUTTING VAT FOR TOURISTBUSINESSES

“Why it is possible to play withhigher stakes on one side of the highstreet and not on the other, particu-larly given that all licensed gamingpremises (on the high street) are AgeControlled Environments and allseek to uphold the three main tenetsof the 2005 Gambling Act. I have yetto receive a proper explanation forthis imbalance, which baffles me.”

PRAESEPE’S COMMERCIAL DIRECTORBYRON EVANS

“The principles of what an arcade is

meant to be all hold true - it’s justthat you need completely newmachines and technology in there.”

GAMES DESIGNER ALEXFLEETWOOD

“For too long we have been reactiveand not proactive.”

BACTA’S NEWLY ELECTED NATIONALPRESIDENT JASON FROST SIGNALLING ACHANGE IN DIRECTION

“The Chancellor really is a ‘Hat TrickHero’,” she remarked. “His third,successive beer tax cut shows hehas listened to consumers, publi-cans and brewers.”

BRIGID SIMMONDS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFTHE BRITISH BEER & PUB ASSOCIATION

“The stakes and prize limits doreduce content supply as anincreasingly consolidating supplierbase has to develop games that areonly for the UK market, which effec-tively restricts choice for the cus-tomer.”

SIMON WYKES OF GALA BINGO ON THEDILEMMA FOR THE UK’S CAT B3MANUFACTURERS

2413-p30-31-Comment_Coinslot NEW 24/03/2015 17:41 Page 2


UK EXHIBITORS PREPAREFOR DESERT DEALING

aking place betweenApril 14 and 16 at theDubai World Trade

Centre, the Dubai Entertain-ment & Leisure Show (DEAL)2015 is open to all those keento enter the burgeoningamusement market in theMiddle East. Billed as thelargest trade event of its kindin the region, and now in its21st year, the show willdeliver a showcase to thewares of more than 200 com-panies from all over theworld, including UKexhibitors Innovative Tech-nology, Whitehouse LeisureSwan Events and HB

Leisure. In 2014, over 5,000visitors attended DEAL, whoover a three-day periodspent in excess of £184m.

US COIN-OP INDUSTRYGATHERS IN VEGAS

his week sees theAmerican Amuse-ment Machine Asso-

ciation’s (AAMA)AmusementExpo takeplace at theLas VegasConventionCentre, LasVegas, Nevada. In addition to thetrade-show featuring a hostof leading US suppliers and

manufacturers,the event willalso include aday of educa-tional work-shops, with

guest speakersdiscussing sales-

manship, redemp-tion operation and cashlesspayment.

BINGO ASSOCIATIONREVS UP FORAGM

he BingoAssocia-tion will soon be

holding its Annual GeneralMeeting to set out its priori-ties for the coming year and

take stock of last year’sprogress. A date has beenset for 29th April. Venue to beconfirmed.

Calendar



APRIL 2015

8-9 FEEL Expo

Corferias, Bogota, Colombia

www.feelexpo.com

14-16 DEAL2015 Dubai World

Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE

www.dealmiddleeastshow.com

14-16DEAL 2015

Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE

www.dealmiddleeastshow.com

20-21Tech15

ExCeL London Exhibition Centre, Lon-

don, UK www.techx15.com

29Bingo Association AGM, TBC

www.bingo-association.co.uk

29-30Marketing Week Live

Olympia Central, London, UK

www.marketingweeklive.co.uk

MAY 2015

6-7 Northern Showcase 2015

The Pines Hotel, Preston Road, Clay-

ton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancs, PR6

7ED www.crowndirect.co.uk

EDITORIALEdition Editor:Joseph Ewens Email: [email protected]: 01273 699 900Contributing Editor:Chris WebsterContributors:Imogen Goodman, Nick Norton Editorial Director:Ken Scott Email: [email protected]: 01273 699 900ADVERTISING SALESKathryn NorrisEmail: [email protected]: 01257 277400Fax: 01257 271329SUBSCRIPTIONSAnn SullivanTel: 01257 277400DIGITAL VERSIONMarc LawtonEmail: [email protected]: 01257 277400PRODUCTIONDesigner: Gina LloydEmail: [email protected] Production &Pre-Press:Dave RoderickEmail: [email protected]: John SullivanGB Media Corporation LtdOak House,1st Floor, Suite 4, High Street, Chorley, PR7 1DW

Tel: 01257 277400Fax: 01257 271329 Email: [email protected] and Production:3rd Floor, 20 New Road,Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1UF Tel: 01273 699 900Advertising andSubscriptions:Coinslot International, Oak House, 1st Floor, Suite 4, High Street, Chorley, PR7 1DWTel: 01257 277400Fax: 01257 271329

Opinions expressed in this publication shouldnot be regarded as the official view of GBMedia Corporation Ltd, except where stated.Views, opinions and recommendationscontained in this publication are put forwardfor consideration only. No action should betaken in reliance upon any such views,opinions or recommendations. Neither GBMedia Corporation Ltd nor contributorsaccept any responsibil ity for any lossoccasioned to any person howsoever causedor arising as a result of or in consequence ofaction taken or refrained from in realiance onthe contents of this publication.

Notes for contributors: Coinslotwelcomes the submission of articles forconsideration by the editor with a view topublication. Submission of an article wil l 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, 2015All 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 acknowledge-ment of author, publisher and source mustbe given.

BALPPA promises summer conference of Titanic proportion embership of theBritish Associa-tion of Leisure

Parks, Piers and Attrac-tions (BALPPA) won’t bea prerequisite for attend-ing the organisation’ssummer conference inJune: family and friendswill be welcomed too.The event - which willrun from June 2 to 4 outof the Hilton Tem-plepatrick Hotel, Golf

and Country Club out-side Belfast - will offerconference-goers a dayof golf on the 18-holecourse of the nearby Cas-tle Upton Estate, and willinclude visits to a wholehost of local attractions:including Bushmills Dis-tillery, the Giant’s Cause-way, and a stop atmember-attractionBarry’s Amusements.

Meanwhile, the body’s

traditional Gala Dinnerwill take place at Titanic,Belfast - the world’slargest Titanic-themedattraction. After touringthe six f loors of the exhi-bition, diners will maketheir way to the TitanicSuite, where they willenjoy a three-coursemeal amid surroundingsmodelled on thedoomed ship’s opulentinteriors.

MT

Newsweek

TT

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