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February 27 – March 5, 2015 • No. 2409 • www.coinslot.co.uk

INDUSTRY

8

Industry news 4Seaside amusements 10Irish Gaming Show 13B2B Listings 17Latest machine charts 18Classified ads and opps 20Comment & Analysis 22Newsweek 24

COINSLOT

“Manufacturers havedone their best to try tokeep the product fresh,but it’s a struggle. Thesegames [SWPs] need tobe presented in adifferent way: in a styleand size that would fit inwith contemporarysurroundings.”

It’s all change in Cleethorpes.As discussions in parliament

rage over how to pump a newlease of life into sleepy seasidetowns across the country, thenorthern resort has been find-ing the cash for its own localprojects, including a full refur-bishment of the pier.

Martin Vickers, ConservativeMP for Cleethorpes, has beenone of the driving forces behindthe new developments. Threeweeks ago, he assisted in secur-ing a £1m government grant torestore one of the most run-down areas within the town, andhe has recently called on minis-ters for a debate on the coastalcommunities fund.

“I’m one of the ambassadorsfor the town - I talk it up as oftenas I can,” said Vickers. “I’ve lostcount of the times I’ve said in par-liament that Cleethorpes is thepremier resort of the east coast -and if there are private investorsbidding for a grant, then I’mhappy to support them.”

Some of these privateinvestors have recently takenover ownership of Cleethorpespier and are working to restoreit to its former glory, completewith a high-end conference andwedding reception venue.

Vickers commented: “The endof the pier shows stoppedaround 25 years ago, and sincethen there have been a series ofnightclubs - some more upmar-ket than others. But it’s an iconicstructure; piers are synonymouswith seaside resorts and it’s greatto see it being refurbished andbought back into a more tradi-tional use.”

This re-branding of the pierfrom a nightlife hotspot to a well-heeled establishment is just oneof the ways in which Cleethor-pes - and indeed the northeast asa whole - is attempting toupgrade its image.

At the beginning of February,the Prime Minister set out a long-term economic plan for York-

New investment hchanging times foREGENERATION

After a successful bid fora £1m regenerationproject in hisconstituency, CleethorpesMP Martin Vickerstalks exclusively toCoinslot about why 21stcentury branding is socrucial to the future of ourcoastal towns andresorts.

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POLITICS

Will 2015 deliver luckto the Irish?

ESSENTIAL GUIDE

Is gaming policy inScotland’s hands?

February 27- March 5, 2015 • No. 2409 • www.coinslot.co.uk8

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ustralian-based TattsGroup, the parent com-pany of operator Talarius,

has released half year results forits UK subsidiary, revealing asharp rise in profits. The operatorof AGC brands such as Quicksil-ver and Winners enjoyed rev-enue growth of 12.3 percentduring the first half of the 2015financial year.

Talarius currently ranks as thelargest operator of adult gamingcentres in the UK, with over 900staff in 168 venues across thecountry. During the six monthsto 31 December, 2015 Talariustook the equivalent ofAUD59.3m (£29.9m) in revenue,compared with AUD52.8m(£26.6m) during same period ayear previous. This growthresulted in earnings before inter-est and taxes souring by over 50percent, from AUD1.9m(£958,000) to AUD3m (£1.5m).

“We are delighted to reportanother six months of excellentoperational progress, continuedrevenue growth and increasedprofits,” commented PeterHarvey, chief operating officer atTalarius. “We have furthercemented our position as anindustry leader and continue toexecute our long term strategy tomodernise our venues andrefresh our machine estate.”

These strong results weredriven by an uptick in like-for-likesales across Talarius’ core adultgaming centre business, whichhas drawn benefit from signifi-cant investment during the past24 months. This strategy for longterm growth saw profitablevenues singled out for extensiverefurbishment, alongside a wide-scale refreshment of the com-pany’s machine estate and arenewed focus on staff training.

The company has highlighted

its renovation project at theQuicksilver venue in ClaphamJunction. The AGC, which willform a template for the rest ofTalarius’ estate, saw an expansionin floor space that enable themachines on site to increase

from 40 to over 90. The numberof staff employed at the arcadealso doubled, resulting anincrease in both visitation andprofitability.

These staff all passed througha new training regime, whichTalarius also credits as a majorfactor in the company’s half yearsuccess. The new schemesinclude a programs designed intandem with People 1st, the skillsand development charity, to bol-ster the skills of venue managers.

“It is particularly pleasing to seethe benefits of our enhanced stafftraining programme which weimplemented after identifyingpotential to unlock greater effi-ciencies and improve the opera-tional management across ourvenues,” noted Harvey. “As a resultof these improvements, we enterthe second half with a strongfoundation in place and increas-ing confidence of delivering con-tinued year-on-year growth inrevenue and profits for full year.”

Talarius refurbs lead todouble-digit growthAGC

A calculation investment programme at the UK’s largest AGC operator Talarius appears to be paying dividends, as its Australian owners reveal stronghalf year growth.

A

shire and Northern Lincolnshire,including plans to increase thesize of the counties’ economy byan extra £13bn in real terms by2030 and get 100,000 morepeople into work.

However, Vickers believes thatcommunity investments such asBourne Leisure’s Thorpe Parkresort, is a testament to the effec-tiveness of private business cap-ital in local regeneration.

“The south-end was quite rundown when Bourne took it overand they’ve completely trans-formed the area,” said Vickers. “Aswell as caravans, they’ve alsodeveloped facilities for the resi-dents, such as retail, the club-house and the arcades.”

In spite of this private invest-ment from major companies likeBourne, Vickers admits thatmany coastal communities willalso need public funds to createa more attractive offering forpotential visitors.

He said: “It’s up to individualcompanies and operators tokeep up with the market, but ifthey need a little help in orderto do that - usually in terms ofregenerating part of townwhere the buildings look rathersad - then I’m anxious to ensurethat government cash comes

my way.”As debate continues after the

recent parliamentary report onCoastal Communities, localtourist boards have also beentaking the battle for the industryinto their own hands.

“Branding is a factor - there’sno doubt about that. Individualresorts choose a segment of themarket they want to focus on,”commented Vickers. “Cleethor-pes has always been targetedtowards families with youngerchildren, and our extensiveleisure offerings have been ourunique selling point.”

Alongside well-establishednames such as Bourne Leisureand Taylor Made Fun, Cleethor-pes boasts a close-knit amuse-ments sector including PleasureIsland and the golden mile offamily entertainment centresjust north of Thorpe Park. How-ever, the MP hopes the newinvestment and plans for the pierwill bring further success to thetown.

Vickers said: “You know,money is being pumped in - butit is a competitive business.Towns and investors have tobid for the money. Luckily,Cleethorpes has been quitesuccessful in that.”

ent heraldses for Cleethorpes

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4 Coinslot February 27 - March 5, 2015

Industry TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

Email: je@gbmedia.eu8

he rules surround-ing operatorrequirements for

underage gambling on thehigh street have been sin-gled out for double stan-dards by Doncaster’s PhilipHayes, director of JackpotAmusements. Hayes hasexpressed his concernsover the lack of regulationbeyond the walls oflicensed gaming operators,following a visit to his localsupermarket.

While shopping at thenational supermarket

chain, Hayes spottedadverts for childrens’ col-lectable football cards dis-played directly below alarge panel of adverts for lot-tery scratchcards. The AGCoperator was then treatedto a display of the effective-ness of this promotionalmaterial as a mother with ayoung son were seen to pur-chase both scratchcardsand collectable cardsrespectively.

Concerned with the sim-ilarity between the twoproducts, and their proxim-ity, Hayes raised the issuewith the store manager. Hewas informed that both theNational Lottery and theGambling Commission hadvisited the site andexpressed no discontentwith the shop’s setup.

Hayes left the site con-cerned for both the risks ofunderage gambling and the

prospect of what couldhappen if a tabloid newspa-per became aware of thestory. Finding a few monthslater that the situationremained unchanged hecontacted the GamblingCommission in early Janu-ary, who referred his issueto the Advertising StandardsAgency, from whom he isstill awaiting a response.

“I sometime’s wonderwhy there is such a lack of

fairness levied against ourindustry,” said Hayes.“AGC’s are quite rightlyconstantly checked forunderage gamblers and arenot allowed to advertise insuch a away that they couldattract under 18’s to enterthe age controlled envi-ronment. Yet it wouldseem that the outlets thatsell lottery products do nothave the same restrictionson advertising.”

Hayes is also concernedthat the lack of regulatoryoversight for the sale ofscratchcards on the highstreet also places youngpeople at risk: “They bla-tantly sell children’s prod-ucts which are very similarin style to scratch cardsalongside them. The per-sons in authority both sell-ing them and overseeingthe sale of them do notseem to have the trainingthat staff/managers ofAGC’s need to have.”

Arcade owner raises a point of high street hypocrisyADVERTISING STANDARDS

The experiences ofan AGC operator atthe coal face suggestthat underagegambling controlsmay not be appliedevenly across thehigh street.

JUKEBOX

UPTOWN UP TOP

Soundnet’s weekly jukeboxchart has revealed that MarkRonson’s Uptown Funk hasbeen the most played trackacross UK digital jukeboxesfor nine straight weeks. Thesong, which features singerBruno Mars, has been the toptune of every chart since itlaunched, with the exceptionof its very first appearance 10weeks ago, when it placedthird behind the Pogueschristmas classic, Fairytale ofNew York. Uptown Funk’s suc-cess on Sound Leisure’s juke-boxes should come as nosurprise, as the song reignedsupreme at the top of the Offi-cial UK Singles Chart forseven straight weeks. Thisfact, through a partnershipwith Gamestec, will have been

broadcast loud and clear tocustomers throughout theoperator’s venues. However,although it has now slipped tothird place in the sales charts itcontinues to prove a favouritein pubs and bars of all stripesup and down the country.

OPERATOR

SCEPTRE STRIPPINGSTARTS

The Sceptre Leisure Solutionsdemise reached a definitive,and probably unsatisfactory,stage last week when admin-istrators Duff & Phelps con-firmed the machine operator’sdeparture from the gamingstage. All creditors have beencontacted by the administra-tor detailing the full commer-cial decline of Sceptre and abreakdown of a debt hole inthe region of £6m.

A RESPONSE FROM THEGAMBLING COMMISSION

“Unlike AGCs, children andyoung people under theage of 18 are not prohibitedby law from entering super-markets. The main busi-ness of an AGC is to makeharder machine gamblingproducts available in anadult environment.“While it is true thatNational Lottery scratch-cards are available insupermarkets, they aresubject to strict controlsand must not be designedto appeal to children. Weensure that the NationalLottery operator has astrategy for the preventionof underage play, whichincludes an extensive pro-gramme of test purchasing,retailer education and agame-design protocol to limit the appeal of gamesto people under the age of 16.”

AMUSEMENT PARKS

Asmall but significantchance that Barry

Island Pleasure Park couldreopen as an amusementattraction in time forEaster has emerged.

A planning row betweensite owner Barry IslandProperty Company andVale Council had threat-ened to stop showmanHenry Danter’s ambition ofbringing in new rides andattractions and buildingnew amusement arcades.

But talks that took place

last week ended with allthree parties hopeful thatDanter could access thesite on March 13, subjectto BIPC residential andcommercial planningapplication beingapproved by the council.

Danter told the Barry &District News thatalthough progress hadbeen made, he and hisfamily faced a race againsttime to get the amusementpark up and running by hisoriginal target of Easter.

He commented: “I thinkwe are getting there. They

told me I’m going there onMarch 13. I could be therestraight away, but as longas they clear it, if they get the planning we cango on.”

Danter said he hopedthat BIPC would give himaccess sooner, given thatthe first ride arrived in theUK on Tuesday after afour-day journey fromPrague.

The industry veteranstressed he wanted toinstall a top quality attrac-tion that would restore theamusement park’s former

glory, but said he wasunsure if this would beachievable in such a lim-ited time.

A spokesperson forBIPC said it and Danterwere keen to move for-ward with the applicationand it would do everythingpossible to prepare thesite, which currentlystands derelict.

He said: “Barry IslandProperty Company contin-ues to be positive. MrDanter and BIPC are defi-nitely working together tomake this happen.”

Barry IslandPleasurePark talks‘positive’

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2409-p04-05-industry_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 17:54 Page 1

INDUSTRY AMUSEMENTS LEISURE B2B COMMENT NEWSWEEK

EXHIBITION The Irish GamingShow prepares to take centre stage.13

he ResponsibleGaming Trust(RGT) has pub-

lished the latest portion ofits detailed research intoFOBTs. In a report releasedthis month, the spatial dataconsultancy Geofutureswere commissioned to col-lect information on whereLBOs featuring gamingmachines are typicallylocated.

“This research providesmuch-needed baselineinformation about thelocation of LBOs and thecommunities in which reg-ular players live,”explained Mark Thurstain-Goodwin, managing direc-tor of Geofutures. “Our aimwas to document the rela-tionship between areacharacteristics and LBOs,though not to look for spe-cific evidence why thesepatterns occur - they arelikely to be driven by arange of factors. We believeour analysis provides a fac-tual and helpful basis forfuture, more in-depthresearch to understandspecific local factors.”

Using a large data setgathered from five majorhigh street betting shopoperators, the studyreveals that around half ofFOBTs are situated in towncentres, with the other halfin peripheral and off-centre locations. It alsodemonstrated that areasclose to LBOs tended toexperience higher levelsof crime, poverty andunemployment.

However, the Trust hasbeen unwilling to high-light any link between

FOBTs and these negativesocial effects. “This studyconfirms that bettingshops with gamingmachines tend to belocated in higher densityurban areas and reveals acorrelation between closeproximity to those shopsand rates of crime and dep-rivation, numbers ofethnic minorities andnumbers of economicallyinactive people,” con-firmed RGT chief execu-tive Marc Etches.“However, the researchersuncovered no evidence ofa causal link and it is clearthat there is a need tounderstand local and his-torical factors. I am confi-dent that this researchusefully adds to the knowl-edge base of the gamblingindustry and policymak-

ers at local and nationallevels and we will con-tinue to work with Geofu-tures to encourage furtherexploration to improveunderstanding of the localand historical factorswhen assessing machinelocation.”

The number of LBOs fea-turing gaming machines isslowly dropping, thereport reveals. There wereapproximately 9,350 bet-ting shops with gamingmachines in November2014, down from a peak ofaround 9,700 in December2013. Looking ahead tofuture research, the RGThas called for a study ofhow FOBT usage patternschange over time and todevelop a more detailedunderstanding on theeffects of local economies.

FOBT geographyunder RGT spotlightCATEGORY B2

New research fromthe ResponsibleGambling Trustreveals facts aboutthe locations in whichFOBTs are typicallyfound, but keeps thefinger of blame firmlysheathed.

High-street bookmak-ers Ladbrokes is to

announce the imminentclosure of up to 60 of itsshops, just weeks beforea hike in B2 machinegame duty (MGD) takeshold.

The closures will beconfirmed in a companytrading update thisweek: the third suchreduction in its retailestate in the last 12months, with a sum totalof 150 closures.

The beginning of 2012saw two years of expan-sion for the company,with the opening of 200new stores across thecountry.

But mounting chal-lenges from tax and reg-ulatory bodies have put ahalt to this expansion. Asof March, Ladbrokes’ netshop count will stand at2,150 sites.

Set forth in last year’sBudget, plans toincrease B2 MGD willtake hold on March 1:rising from a Tier 1 rateof 20 per cent to a spe-cial rate of 25 per cent.

Ladbrokesscales backahead ofMGD bite

Despite years ofnegative press andPR campaigns, it’sactually rising taxesthat have put paid torampant FOBTexpansion, at least inthe Ladbrokesoperation.

“Bookmakers welcome today’s ground-breaking report,which we have supported through the provision of a hugeamount of data to ensure it is as comprehensive and accu-rate as possible.This research clearly demonstrates the fact that gamblingrelated harm is a very complex issue, which cannot be tack-led by looking at one product or any single measure in isola-tion. It is imperative that any improvements to existingcontrols properly reflect these findings.The industry is committed to reducing gambling relatedharm and, we have already taken action on matters includingopening hours, advertising, self-exclusion and tools to helpcustomers to stay within their own limits.Some of our members are already using gaming machinecustomer data to identify potential problems and, therebybetter targeting customer interventions. We will now use thisevidence to help determine how the industry can further helpthose customers who may be at risk.

OPERATIONS

TASSOCIATION OF BRITISH BOOKMAKERSCOMMENT ON LATEST RESEARCH

2409-p04-05-industry_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 15:49 Page 2

TITO

Novomatic UK’s AGC divi-sion, Luxury Leisure,

has entered into a partner-ship with JCM Global, andits recently acquiredFuturelogic group, that willsee it joining the growingwave of operators adop-tion wholesale TiTo sys-tems. Luxury Leisureoperates over 100 venuesacross the country, 82 ofwhich are high street AGCs.

The operator is the first

of the high street arcades totake up JCM’s Ticket2Goservice as its ticket systemof choice. The product

enables networked Ticket-in/Ticket-out functionalitythat is targeted specificallyat AWPs, enabling any

machines created after2007 to be incorporatedinto the programme.

“We have had the pleas-ure of working closely withLuxury Leisure during theinstallation of Ticket2Go andwe are thrilled that the prod-uct meets their expectationsand look forward to our con-tinued partnership,” saidRob Wheeler, director ofproduct management forFutureLogic. “WithTicket2Go, UK-based opera-tors can now implement

TiTo within their gamingvenues and enhance theplayer experience leading toincreased customer satisfac-tion and retention, as well asoptimise their existing oper-ation and achieve a reduc-tion in operating costs.”

This deal relies on therecent creation of new TiToprotocol standards for theUK, which has made possi-ble its wide-scale adoptionacross the sector. While take-up of ticket-based arcadeson the UK high street has

progressed tentatively todate, cash handling expertsat EAG were predicting thatit would need only a hand-ful of major operators totake the plunge for theentire sector to embracethis new way of paying formachine play. LuxuryLeisure’s announcementcomes in the wake of a simi-lar pronouncement fromPraesepe one week previ-ous, confirming that it willonly be siting TiTo compati-ble machines in future.

Luxury Leisure joins early TiTo rush

he February halfterm provides oper-ators with a litmus

test for the season to come,giving them the first oppor-tunity to road test newmachines acquired at thewinter shows from ACOSto ICE. Those new prod-ucts, now carefully sited,will come under realscrutiny for the first timeand cash box figures andvisitor reactions collatedduring this period will pro-vide a powerful dressrehearsal for the vital holi-day rush to come.

“It’s good practice forEaster, which isn’t far away,”confirmed Anne Martin,managing director ofBrighton Pier. 2015’s firsthalf term has gone well forthe storied establishment,helped as ever by a lack ofwet weather. “We havebeen lucky with theweather on the wholeduring this half term, so wehave been very busy,” saidMartin. “We are very luckyto have a strong core team

who work with us all yearround and as we have notyet recruited our seasonalstaff they put in a lot ofeffort to meet our cus-tomers expectations.”

This week-long schoolbreak provides not only atest of a machine’s financialperformance, but also howwell it stands up to contin-ued usage. Busy venuessuch as Brighton Pier’sPalace of Fun take advan-tage of this busy period toensure that their machinesare up to standard ahead ofa more concerted stresstest. “We have an all yearround machine mainte-nance programme, so weare ready for this busyperiod and it also serves as

a check for us in case wehave extra servicingrequired pre-Easter,”explained Martin.

From a sector perspec-tive, it’s clear that redemp-tion continues to be themarquee offering.“Redemption piecesbeing ultra family friendlyare performing well andwe expect the trend tocontinue this year,” saidMartin. She believes thatit’s this consistent appealto the family contingentthat has established theseticket-spouting machinesas the undisputed kings ofthe amusements market-place. “Redemptionequals fun and, mostimportantly, family inter-

active fun,” she said.It’s not an entirely rosy

picture, however, as Martinremains concerned thatthe slow pace of themachines and prizes sectoris hamstringing its poten-tial. “In all areas of redemp-tion we need to see a fasterinterpretation of popularthemes,” she counselled. “Itcan’t take a year plus to seeMinion pushers and whereis Frozen in all this? Thedanger is that the longerthe delay, the more irrele-vant [they become].”

Redemption pushersremain “enormously pop-ular,” but the focus, shecontests, must be fixed ona continued influx of con-temporary themes with-

out which there could bea danger of them becom-ing tired and less enticingto the vital family market.Having said that, videoredemption has emergedto provide a unique way totie in popular modernbrands to the arcade expe-rience. “Video redemptionis an interesting develop-ment,” noted Martin, “andthe enhancement of theplaying experience andthe transfer of familiarapps make it current andrelevant.”

Prizes are anotherregion in which constantinnovation reaps a benefit.“We offer a variety of prizesfrom sweets to drone cam-eras and we very muchlisten to what customersare asking for,” she said.“Although it sounds obvi-ous, the more relevant theproducts are to the cus-tomers’ leisure experi-ences, the better.”

Ultimately, says Martin,to preserve the popularityof redemption through thishalf term and on throughthe summer break, no onecan afford to take their footoff the accelerator: “I firmlybelieve that the popularityof redemption willincrease and will increasein a direct ratio to invest-ment in product.”

Hoping for redemptionfrom half-term exams FEC

Brighton Pier’sAnne Martin delvesinto preparations forEaster and discussesthe future of the vitalredemption sector.

IMAGE BY BETTY LONGBOTTOM

BINGO

RANK PICKS BEDE FORMULTI MILLION SOFT-WARE DEAL

The Rank Group has agreed adeal with software developersBede Gaming to supply newgames and back-of-housesoftware to the nationwidebingo operators. The Newcas-tle-based company has inkeda multi-million pound deal todevelop programs that willfacilitate play registration,deposits, withdrawals andreporting of game play.These creations will be used inboth Grosvenor Casinos andMecca Bingo locations, with anumber of Bede’s game toalso form part of the agree-ment. Both new and alreadyexisting games will be madeavailable to Rank, includingthose sourced from third-party developers.As a result of the deal Bede’sturnover is expected toincrease by £4.5m. The com-pany is also planning a moveto a new headquarters as itlooks to acquire up to 75 morestaff to cover the new con-tract. “For a company that isless than three years old tohave won a deal of this size isa testament to the enormoushard work of everyone whoworks for Bede and their skillin creating one of the bestgaming platforms in theworld,” said managing direc-tor, Dan Smyth.

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n 1985, Britain was firstintroduced to the pubquiz machine.

Exempt as they were fromAMLD, these games wouldprove immensely popular in thedecades that followed: provid-ing an alternative social experi-ence to pub-goers, and someadditional tax-free revenue fortheir operators.

Then came the financialcrisis, and widespread pub clo-sures. If that wasn’t bad enough,quiz machines and their SWPbrethren took an additional kickin the ribs, in the form of qualifi-cation for 2013’s Type 1 MGD.

But for Bill Epsley, commer-cial manager at Young & Co.’sBrewery, the key “sell” of thesegames still endures.

“Playing gaming machines isoften a solitary pastime,whereas quiz machines tend tobe more socially inclusive, withpeople often playing in groups -adding an element of competi-tion among players,” he tells us.What’s more, in their currentrespective forms, Epsleybelieves that quiz machines areperhaps better tailored to themodernising British pub than

their AWP equivalents. “You arefar more likely to see femalesplaying quiz machines thangaming machines,” says Epsley.“A quiz game sits far better in thenewer, food-led style of opera-tion than a gaming machine,purely because it can be moreinclusive.”

Youngs currently operatesjust 31 SWP machines across its220 managed and tenantedestates. If the quiz game trulycaters to a universal audience,why isn’t this uptake higher?

“I think it’s fair to say thereturns on quiz machines arenowhere near what they oncewere,” Epsley responds. “We’veseen a general decline in players,a loss of traditional ‘habitat’ aspubs close or re-position them-selves as food-operations, and ofcourse, the damaging affects ofMGD. All this leads to a viciouscircle of less income, meaningless investment, meaning lessplayers - providing less income.”

That said, the past decade haswitnessed some notable pro-gression. Modern technology

has seen the digital SWP com-pendium elbow aside its single-standing ancestor. Epsley notesthe particular popularity of fran-chised titles: “The most appeal-ing games have been thosethemed around popular quizand game shows from televi-sion,” he explains. “In the earlydays that was Blockbusters, thenit was Who Wants To Be a Mil-lionaire, now it’s the WeakestLink and Deal Or No Deal.People recognise these games,they know the format and feelcomfortable playing them.”

What next for the quizmachine? As an operator in themidst of a transitioning industry,Epsley identifies problems notso much with the substance ofthe games, but rather with theirstyle and presentation.

“Manufacturers have donetheir best to try to keep theproduct fresh, but it’s a strug-gle,” he says. “These gamesneed to be presented in a dif-ferent way: in a style and sizethat would fit in with contem-porary surroundings.”

“I well recall the first quiz machines appearingaround 30-years ago. I was an engineer at BellFruit at the time and I remember the earlyimported Trivia games (as they were thenknown) being a non-pay-out bar-top machinewhich posed general knowledge questions tothe players. At that time the popularity of the“space-invader” type video game of the early1980’s was on the wane, and so this new prod-uct was pretty much an instant success andsoon evolved into a pay-out machine of the full-size we know today. Back then, offering all cashprizes in excess of those that could be won onthe AWPs of the day was, as you might imagine,somewhat controversial with the regulator (thenthe Gaming Board of Great Britain): as there wasno specific category for these machines.Indeed, there was concern that prize levelsmight rocket. Fortunately, a sensible agreementwas reached with the industry and the gamingboard - these were clearly games of skill (henceSWP) rather than games of chance which wouldhave deemed them to be gaming machines.The popularity of the product prompted anumber of manufactures to produce SWPs,including most of the AWP manufactures of thetime, and we saw some really great gamesalong the way: often themed on popular quizshow formats - Blockbusters, Give us a Break,Crystal Maze and Who Wants to be a Millionaireto name but a few. Today, we see SWP’s offer multiple gamechoices to players: some well-known andothers more obscure.”

From then,to nowPERSPECTIVE

The not-soweakestlink PUB SECTOR

The humble quiz-machine is wellsuited to the food-ledpub setting, arguesBill Epsley of Youngs& Co.’s Brewery. Butmanufacturers needto work on productsize and aesthetic tobetter cater to thismodernisedenvironment.

Bill Epsley explores thetribulations and changing face of thepub quiz machine.

BINGO

Gala Coral’s property sub-sidiary has completed the

sale of a further five of its prem-ises, leaving one remainingproperty in its ownership as thebusiness heads toward liquida-tion.

Propco Three Limited firstannounced that it would be sell-ing its properties in December2014. So far, development com-pany M&G Investments hasbought fifty-two venues for atotal consideration of £173.4m,and a further five have been soldto Gala Retail for £1.1m.

Gala Retail’s five new proper-

ties will continue tooperate as bingoclubs, but will nolonger pay rentto Propco. Galahopes that thisd e ve l o p m e n twill assist theclubs - which hadpreviously beenrunning at a deficitafter rent - in making a profit.

Money generated from thesale of Propco’s venues will beused to cover the company’scosts and any outstanding debtsas it goes into liquidation.

The finances of Gala’s operat-ing company, Opco, have been

ring-fenced, meaningthat Opco will not be

obliged to coverany money thatmay still be owedafter the dissolu-tion of Propco.

Gala alsoannounced last

August that it was con-sidering selling Gala

Retail, but despite press spec-ulation, has denied that discus-sions are taking place withOpCapita.

A spokesperson for Gala said:“The process is ongoing and dia-logue is taking place with anumber of interested parties.”

Gala pushes forward with liquidationof property subsidiary Propco

CHARITY

The industry has rallied in sup-port of coin-op veteran Dave

Columbine, following news thathe is suffering from a serious ill-ness. To aid with the substantialcosts his treatment requires,James Miller of Funstation andGary Newman of JNC Sales haveset up a donations page wherefriends of DaveColumbine cansupport him andhis family.

“At EAG,many peoplewanted to knowwhat they could do

to help Dave, because they wereso shocked at the news of his ill-ness. We wanted to organise anevent ideally, but because ofDave’s treatment this was notpossible. The fundraising pageallows people to help the familyand leave a message of supportfor Dave,” said Newman.

“We are overwhelmed by thedonations and sentiments thathave come in already. It proveswhat we have always said that

this industry is unique in caringfor its own,” adds James.

To donate go to:www.gofundme.com/dave-

columbine

I

Industry raises fundsfor Columbine

IMAGE BY NORMAN LEFTLY

2409-p06-08-industry_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 16:14 Page 2

8

espite failure to secure inde-pendence last September,the Scottish National Party

(SNP) is more popular than ever.By whatever yardstick you

measure it, the SNP seem due forsweeping gains in May’s generalelection. As media outlets havealready widely reported, whilst a45 per cent “yes” vote provedinsufficient to gain independence,the same result within the settingof a general election will be morethan enough to secure a crushingvictory.

And indeed, the latest poll frompolitical research firm TNS Globalsuggests that this year Nichola Stur-geon’s party could double theamount of votes it secured in 2010,whilst a recent YouGov survey pre-dicted 24 new SNP seats in West-minster come May.

But what does that mean forScottish operators?

The first thing to note is theirreluctance to comment. Readinto this what you will - but oneline of argument goes that theyhave plenty to say, but feel afraidto say it.

There may be some sound logicto this - if the SNP are indeed ontrack to effectively dominate Scot-tish politics, it’s a brave small-busi-ness owner who speaks out againstthem. Nevertheless, when it comesto the issue of gambling, the SNPtake a hardline. The 2004 UK Gam-bling Bill was loudly opposed bythe party: its MSP and cabinet sec-retary for justice Kenny MacAskillclaimed at the time: “This Westmin-ster legislation loads the diceagainst Scotland, threatening toturn large swathes of our country

into little more than Las Vegas stylecasino strips.” For MacAskill, gam-bling seemed lumped in with othersocial ills. “With all Scotland’s exist-ing social problems, from knifecrime to alcoholism, this is the lastthing we need,” he claimed.

It was in a similar light that gam-bling seemed to be cast in theparty’s proposals for increaseddevolution, submitted in Octoberof last year - which looked toachieve “full responsibility for thelaw on firearms, proceeds ofcrime, road traffic offences, gam-bling and drugs.”

Of course, as long as the regula-tion of Scottish gambling providersstays within the hands of Westmin-ster’s Gambling Commission, theSNP’s take on the issue will remainsomewhat of a moot point. But itshould be noted that when it

comes to matters of social respon-sibility, the Scottish Governmenttends to err on the side of conser-vatism. It was the first UK regionto implement a smoking ban. It’sdrink-drive limit is lower than any-where else in the country - and isenforced draconically. As of nextmonth, smoking electronic ciga-rettes will now be banned acrossthe grounds of Scottish hospitals.

Thus, the potential electorallandslide for the SNP presents Scot-tish operators with a double-edgedsword: on the one hand - a loudervoice for Scottish concerns in West-minster, on the other - a govern-ment who appears to cast them asa matter for social concern.

Does the SNP hold the keyto the UK’s new parliament? GENERAL ELECTION

The ScottishNational Party aretipped to makesweeping gains inMay’s generalelection. But withtheir track-recordsuggesting poorregard for gamingproviders, the party’sbolstered presence inWestminster maymuddy the waters forScottishamusementsoperators.

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Ireland’s Minister for Justice has declined an invitation to openthe Irish Gaming Show due to prior commitments, but othergovernment representatives are understood to be attending.

Minister for Justice sends apologies to Irish Show organisers

9Coinslot February 27 - March 5, 2015

D

Politics

2409-p09-Politics_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 16:43 Page 1

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Devon beach UK’s best

A large Victorian carousel that wasonce Walton Pier’s top ride hasfailed to sell at auction. Thecarousel, which had latterly been thecentrepiece at Great Yarmouth’s

Yesterday’sWorld attrac-tion, had beenexpected tofetch£100,000.

Carousel fails to sell

Police are seeking a manwho may able to help withenquiries into an incident ofcriminal damage, after thewindow of Empire

Amusements in Mablethorpe wassmashed at around 11:30pm onJanuary 31. Anyone with informationcan call 101, quoting incident refer-ence number 412.

Police seekarcade vandal

Plans for a newsea defence andwidening of theseafront promenadeat Skegness havegone on public view. Construction ofthe new wall begins this month, butwill pause during Easter and Maybank holidays, as well as from Juneto September, to avoid disruption.

Flood defense planspublished

Woolacombe Beach in Devonhas been named as the UK’sbest beach in TripAdvisor’s Trav-ellers’ Choice Beaches Awards.Dorset’s Weymouth Beach wassecond,while Wales’Rhossili Baytook thirdplace.

he team behind the regenera-tion of Margate’s Dreamlandheritage amusement park have

revealed that it will feature a familyentertainment centre amongst itsattractions.

Although they could not provideany more details about the FEC whencontacted by Coinslot, they did saythey are currently looking to find amanager for it.

The vintage-themed amusementpark is scheduled to open its doors atan unspecified summer, and all ele-ments within it - including the new FEC- will be operated by Margate-basedSands Heritage Ltd.

The Sands board can point to a trackrecord of sector specific success, boast-ing members who have been involvedwith visitor attractions such as ZSLLondon Zoo, Kidzania and the newLondon Paramount Entertainmentresort currently being planned in Kent.

In addition to the FEC, other attrac-tions at Dreamland will include therestored Grade II-listed Scenic Railway,which is Britain’s oldest roller-coaster,described by project director EddieKemsley as forming the amusementpark’s centrepiece.

It will also feature 15 rides dating

back to the 1920s, many of which arethe last remaining examples of theirkind in the world, such as the 1950sHurricane Jets, Double Deckers andthe much-loved Caterpillar.

Speaking to Kent News, Kemsleysaid: “Every bit of Dreamland will becreative and different - there won’tbe anything that’s ordinary. For exam-ple, you might sit on a bench that’s anold up-cycled dodgem car, and all ourfood retailers will work out of vintagevehicles.

“We’ll have a retail area and cater-

ing, as well as traditional side-showssuch as ‘hook a duck’ games with atwist.

“Work is currently being done on abig splash-pad feature, with big driersin case you do decide to get wet. Ontop of that, we’ll have traditional trav-elling shows, like high divers whodive into tiny pools, for example.

“No other place in the world isdoing what we’re going to do. It’s acomplete reinvention of seaside fun.Fun, food, dance and thrills – that’swhat we’re going to deliver.”

AMUSEMENT PARKS

Blackpool PleasureBeach has boosted its

green credentials after itagreed a three-year wasteand recycling contract witha Lancashire-based wastemanagement company.

Under the terms of theagreement the amuse-ment park will implementits first food waste collec-tion service.

Pleasure Beach offi-cials have worked withNeales Waste Manage-ment to develop a solutionthat ensures all foodwaste produced is baggedat source and transportedto an anaerobic digestionfacility, where it will beused to create sustainableelectricity and fertiliser.

The park’s generalwaste is sent to Neales’new plant in Chorley, Lan-

cashire, where recyclablematerial is recovered andthe remaining material it isshredded and turned intofuel for cement kilns.

A spokesperson forBlackpool Pleasure Beachcommented: “We take ourcommitment to the envi-ronment very seriouslyand we feel this partner-ship will cement our com-mitment to greenpolicies.”

Hugh Stewart, a direc-tor at Neales, said: “Black-pool Pleasure Beach is atruly iconic site. We aredelighted to be able toprovide a service that willensure that none of thewaste produced by themillions of visitors a yearwill go to landfill and justas importantly will have noimpact on the fun that theywill have whilst they arethere.”

Dreamland Margateto feature FECAMUSEMENT PARKS

The all-new Dreamland amusement park is to feature an FEC, and its operators arenow looking for a manager to run it.

BlackpoolPleasure Beachembraces zerowaste futureT

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Business11Coinslot February 27 - March 5, 2015

Challenge to UK workrate

The OECD has claimed thatBritain must fix its productivityproblem if it is to securefurther economic growth.

Hills bid for 888 rejected

A takeover bid by William Hill forrival 888 Holdings has been rejected,despite disruptive new tax-measuresand an over-the-odds valuation.

CURRENCY

The Bank of England hasannounced plans to

issue £10, £20 and £30notes featuring the signa-ture of the current chiefcashier, Victoria Cleland.Overall, the design of thenotes remains the sameand is not expected tohave any effect on cashhandling technology.

The switch comesalmost a year after Cle-land was appointed direc-tor for banknotes andchief cashier of the Bankof England. Notes cur-rently in circulationinclude the signatures ofher predecessor ChrisSalmon, as well as formerchiefs Andrew Bailey and

Merlyn Lowther.From 3 March, 2015 all

notes new £10, £20 and£30 notes will feature Cle-land’s mark and will bedispensed from someATMs and branch coun-ters shortly thereafter.The £5 note will not see asimilar update until thesecond half of 2016, whenit undergoes a fullredesign as the UK’s firstpolymer note.

Bank of England toupdate pound notes

former nightclub inthe Essex town ofDovercourt is to

reopen as a town centreamusement arcade thisMarch. The south-east sea-side town, located close toClacton-on-Sea and Felixs-towe, will see the newvenue open on the site of theformer Basement nightclubin Kingsway, Dovercourt.

Owner Mike Gibbonswas granted permission toconvert the location into afamily entertainment centrelast August and has spent theintervening months reno-

vating the site and installingmachines.

The arcade’s first visitorswill be able to make use of£250,000 worth of arcadeequipment on the groundfloor of the property. Gib-bons has also promised thatthe site will include chil-dren’s rides, slot machinesan a two-lane 40ft bowlingalley. Gibbons currentlyruns a bingo hall located onthe same site as his soon tobe opened FEC.

“It will be a really goodold fashioned seaside townfamily entertainment

centre,” Gibbons told thelocal press when his planswere announced. He alsorevealed that he is place anemphasis on redemptionmachines and prize shop.

• Historic bingo hall setablaze in mystery fire: Aformer bingo hall erupted inflames in Cardiff on Mondayafternoon, concluding thefinal chapter of its 100-year-old history. The building,which had opened in 1913as Splott Cinema, became a bingo hall in the 1960suntil it eventually closeddown in 2009.

New arcade toopen on siteof EssexnightclubFEC

A former nightspotwill shortly reopen asa fully stockedredemption arcade,accompanied by slotmachines andbowling alley. Thesmall seaside spot ofDovercourt has anew entertainmentoption on its roster.

A

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12 Coinslot February 27 - March, 2015

LeisureParkdean has an-nounced that salesat West Bay HolidayPark have risen by 45% sinceBroadchurch returned to ITV earlierthis year. The show, which is set inDorset’s West Bay, may also havecontributed to a tourism spike of148% in the county from this timelast year.

TV show puts the windin Parkdean’sholiday sales

Park Holidays is adding new lux-ury developments to nine leisureparks across Devon, Sussex, Suf-folk and Kent. The company will beinvesting in 2015 caravan models

on renovatedplots, withwork due tobe completedby Easter thisyear.

Nine Park Holidayssites set for an upgrade It’s a trendy pub-restaurant in fash-

ionable east London. But now, thehumble game of bingo has made itsway onto the menu at ETM’s TheWell in Clerkenwell. Back by populardemand, the pub’s management isreintroducing Brunch Bingo as a reg-ular Saturday feature -with players payingjust £2 to play thenumber-game whilsttucking into theirhearty morning meal.

Bingo for brekkie

LEGISLATION

Apoll conducted by British think-tankthe Institute of Economic Affairs has

found that majority of those questionedagreed with the prospect of private smok-ing rooms in UK pubs.

The results, derived from a survey of4,135 adults, showed that 51 per cent ofrespondents were in concurrence with theidea, whilst 35 per cent were opposed.

Meanwhile, over two-thirdsof participants expressed theiraffirmation with the senti-ment that ‘individuals shouldbe responsible for their ownlifestyle choices and the gov-ernment should not interfere.’

Introduced in 2007, the smokingban applies to all pubs, restaurants andworkplaces, and was heralded by thensecretary of state for health Patricia

Hewitt as “a huge step forwardfor public health”.

But the ban has also beenwidely considered to havebeen a contributing factor in

the decline of the UK pub indus-try. A 2012 survey conducted by

the Publican’s Morning Advertiserfound 70 per cent of its readership desiredthe amendment of current legislation toallow for smoking room designation.

Pub smoking rooms receive public sway

research documentcommissioned by theCampaign for Real Ale

(CAMRA) has suggested thatover 1,000 pubs may well havebeen saved from closure by thegovernment’s 2013 and 2014penny reductions on beer duty.

The report, conducted bythe Centre for Economics andBusiness Research (CEBR),analysed data from HMRC, theOffice of National Statistics andthe British Beer and Pub Asso-ciation to project industryimplications had the beer dutyescalator continued over thecourse of both years.

CEBR argues that normalised

duty rises would have added anadditional 16 pence onto thenational average pint retailprice (currently standing at£3.04), in turn incurring theloss of 595m pints.

The research claims that thisextra sales revenue saved 1,047pubs from insolvency, and ledto the creation of 26,000 addi-tional jobs across the pub,restaurant and brewing sectors.

CEBR concludes that a freez-ing of beer duty throughout thecourse of the next parliamen-tary term would lead to the cre-ation of 89,000 jobs by 2020.

CAMRA chief executive TimPage has pointed to the results

as proof of the economicalbenefit the duty reductionshave brought the wider UKeconomy.

“It is fantastic to see that thebeer duty cuts have had a realimpact on beer drinkers andpub goers across the country,beyond keeping the lid on theprice of a pint and keepingpubs open,” he stated. “Reduc-tions in beer tax have helpedkeep pubs open, created newjobs and kept increases in thecost of beer at a historic low.”

The organisation is now call-ing for an unprecedented thirdconsecutive duty reduction inMarch’s 2015 Budget.

CAMRA points toindustrybenefit ofbeer-duty cutsMARKET RESEARCH

Citing vital industrybenefit and theprospect ofthousands of newjobs, the Campaignfor Real Ale arecalling on theChancellor to sustaina third round ofannual beer dutycuts in Budget 2015.

Coinslot’s EssentialGuide to PlushThree Weeks

FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2015

17B2B Listings

and Marketplace

18This week’smachines

charts

20Classified

sales,businessopps and

jobs

24Diary

highlights and industry calendar

A

2409-p12-Leisure_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 13:29 Page 1

Coinslot FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2015

13

B2B

Essential Guide to...

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fter six years of contraction in themarket, the Irish economy couldfinally be on the road to recovery,

and the accompanying wave of optimismacross the industry is palpable. This opti-mism, combined with further reassurancethat any forthcoming legislation will rein-force rather than hinder the industry, maybe the reason the Irish Gaming Show stallssold out quicker than ever this year.

“Since the whole industry has been toldthat prohibition is not on the agenda, every-body is confident that their business issecure, so that’s given them the confidenceto invest,” said show organiser John Purcell.“Gaming in Ireland is six and a half billioneuros worth of industry and we’re seeingsubstantial growth, particularly in bingo.”

Despite filling up the show’s usual space,organisers have rejected calls to move to abigger venue, reiterating their desire for itto remain a small and social business event.

Purcell said: “We’re probably thestrongest and longest regional show on thecalendar in terms of serving a market,because people know that they’re going tomeet everyone they want to meet in oneplace over two days, done and dusted.There’s no big showmanship attached to it.You’re there to talk turkey - simple as.”

The show’s mixed focus on casinos andamusements reflects the current state ofthe Irish market, where operators tend tobe all-rounders with both an adult andfamily offering within the one site.

“We’ve always been renowned in Irelandfor our hospitality, but we’ve expanded itto the point where a lot of us in the gamingindustry realise that we’re also in the leisureand hospitality industry,” commented Pur-cell. “Our show is certainly an all-rounder,and that’s purely to service the market.”

Those on the ground in Ireland knowthat it is a market in transition, with a chang-ing shift toward a slicker, more corporate

business culture and the government grad-ually moving toward a more formal regula-tory environment.

“There’s a professionalism coming to theIrish market that has traditionally beenfamily businesses or single-site operators,”said Purcell. “Now we’re finding that peopleare more in tune with what’s expectedbecause the Irish consumer is a lot morewell-travelled and expecting the same high-end professionalism they see in mainlandEurope and the US.”

In addition to these cultural develop-ments, regulatory changes are set to takeplace on a national level, replacing someout-dating gaming laws from the 1950s. Ire-land has recently established a National Lot-tery regulatory board for the first time inits history, and this could soon develop sur-reptitiously into the Office of Gamblingand National Lottery Control.

However, Purcell feels that a movetoward formalised compliance rules willbenefit the global perception of the coun-try that has endured an unfortunate repu-tation as a ‘grey’ zone.

“A lot of Nevada-licensed companieswould not supply Irish companies untilrecently, but we’ve recently discovered thatNevada-licensed entities have actuallybeen to Ireland or are currently in Irelandand have staff here,” Purcell said. “They’redoing their initial explorations so thatwhen they are given the nod to do so, theyare ready to capitalise on what is already abuoyant and growing market.”

For now, however, the focus is on settingthe pace for a busy year of trading at theIrish Gaming Show in March.

“We shouldn’t even call it a show; it’sbasically a gathering, but it would be a bittoo twee to call it a gathering,” said Purcell.“It’s kept social so that it’s an informal busi-ness environment. People like to do dealsat the Irish Show.”

No showmanship,no supersizestands, just goodold-fashionedbusiness The Irish Gaming Show 2015 sold out its stalls by September lastyear, reflecting a fresh sense of hope in the industry and a slowlyimproving economy. Organiser John Purcell explains whyoperators are right to be optimistic.

EXHIBITORS

A

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14

B2B

Essential Guide to ... Irish Gaming Show 2015

Market Perspectives

t the time of the 2016 Gaming Show, there could well be anew party in power in Ireland, but - contrary to the hopes ofmany in the industry - there is unlikely to be a newly drafted

gambling bill. According to Gaming and Leisure Association in Ireland (GLAI),

talks to replace out of date legislation have broken down as the gov-ernment put gaming reform in the country on the backburner.

Director David Hickson said: “To say we’re ‘in discussions’ wouldbe optimistic. The government has effectively indicated that they’retoo busy for this and that they’ll deal with it in their own good time.”

The Gambling Control Bill - the piece of legislation set to replacean arcane set of gaming laws dating back to 1956 - was the subjectof a heated debate in the Senate last week as Senators from all par-ties called on ministers to push the bill forward, with little success.

“There seems to be a sense of arrogance in the government saying

they’ll focus on it after the election, like they assume they’ll be stay-ing in office,” said Hickson. “I’d say that’s an unsafe assumptionbecause the Irish electorate are fuming.”

GLAI has been working toward the publication of the GamblingControl Bill for nine years and has stepped up its drive for legal sta-bility since recession hit in 2008. As the economy shows signs ofpicking up momentum, however, lack of regulation still stands inthe way of operators making the necessary investments.

“What we’re looking for is legal clarity so we can invest in ourbusinesses and give an offering that’s comparable to what you couldfind in other regulated jurisdictions,” explained Hickson. “There area couple of larger suppliers who can’t operate in the Irish marketbecause their licensing in their home jurisdictions prevents themfrom operating in grey areas.”

In Hickson’s view, the strength of the bookmaking lobby in theRepublic of Ireland has stood in the way of regulatory progress, asevidenced by the recent move to extend betting shop openinghours by transferring a clause from the Betting Amendment Billinto the most recent Finance Bill.

“The bookies wouldn’t necessarily be in favour of new regula-tion; they like the status quo,” commented Hickson. “But it just feelsso irresponsible. Like, why would you give them extra hours with-out getting something in return, like consumer protection?”

After six years of contraction in the market, however, Hicksondoes see opportunities for growth as the economy edges towardrecovery.

“No matter what the politicians might be saying, the averageperson on the street is not feeling any benefit in their pockets yet,”he said. “ We’d hope that the domestic market improves and thatbusinesses can get back to a stable trading scenario.”

GLAI: The Irishelectorate are fumingAfter nine years of workingon the forthcomingGambling Control Bill,gaming legislation in Irelandlooks set to be pushedback even further to 2017.The GLAI’s DavidHickson explains what’snext for one of the gamingindustry’s ‘grey areas’. Coinslot: What are your priorities for

the Irish Gaming Show?Roger Bourke: Our main objective forthe show is to expand into new marketsof the gaming industry. Up to now, wewere very established in thearcade/casino market. We recentlyexpanded into the bingo and card clubmarket with great success and we wouldhope to build on this at the show.

CS: What is the outlook for the amuse-ments industry in Ireland? RB: Our perception of the amusementsindustry in Ireland is that it got hit badlyin the recession, but not as much as thehospitality industry (which we havedealt with over the last 22 years) whichgot almost completely wiped out. Thego ahead operators started to fight backto get trade with promotions, loyalty sys-tems, etc, using systems such as ours todo it.

CS: With the new Gambling Control Acton the horizon, how can the industrymake the most of this transitional timeto its advantage?RB: Many in the trade are running scaredof the forthcoming Gambling ControlAct as many are unlicensed (not bychoice, I must point out) and a few donot have any planning permission. Theindustry needs to group together andnot to stand still, as online gaming iseroding the market every day. As Win-ston Churchill said: “When in hell, yougot to keep going.” We feel that the loy-alty/SMS text voucher systems we haveto offer can help operators to stay in thegame successfully, if used properly.

CS: Are there any products you’re par-ticularly excited to be showcasing? RB: We have recently upgraded our Loy-alty System with many features, such asthe Raffle Ticket module and also highend reporting, which we will be show-casing at the show. Now you can also useany card, such as your Tesco Clubcard,as your loyalty or membership card.

Ireland’samusementindustry is backwith a vengeance

Ahead of the Irish GamingShow, Abbeycrest Traders’managing director RogerBourke outlines the bestways to stay ahead ofcompetitors when the goinggets tough.

Coinslot: What are JNC’s main expecta-tions and objectives for the show in Ire-

land?Gary Newman: The main aim is to show ourIrish customers, and prospective Irish cus-tomers, how far JNC has come with the fullrange of new products as well as theimproved quality of the used products.From stools to brand new Harry Levy push-ers, we stock the whole selection. Follow-ing a successful show in Ireland last year,we are looking to increase JNC’s presencein Ireland. Unfortunately, we can only show

a small proportion ofour products but wehope this will give agood indication ofthe quality JNC willprovide.

CS: What are yourperceptions of theamusements indus-try in Ireland as itstands?

GN: We feel that the whole of Ireland is agrowing force and a growth market and thatis why we have continued with our pres-ence at the Irish show. Year on year we aredoing more business in Ireland and we feelthat we have the right product mix toincrease the number of Irish customers thatwe deal with on a regular basis.

CS: Do you see any advantages/ disadvan-tages to the show’s joint focus on casinosand other types of gaming?GN: I can only see that it is an advantage for

the show to have a joint focus as it will attracta wide range of customers through the door.Although customers may visit the show pre-dominantly for the casino side, there aremany businesses which have cross-oversinto different areas of amusements, and thiscould easily lead on to extra customer rela-tionships being forged.

CS: Are there any products you’re particu-larly excited to be showcasing?GN: The Go Go Pony kiddie ride has been agreat success at all the shows that we haveexhibited it at and is continuing to havegreat take figures to back up the excite-ment surrounding this ride. The AmericanRoadtrip - a single player pusher, whichaccepts 20 cent coins and pays out tickets- will be shown for the first time at the IrishShow. We will also be exhibiting the ever-popular Galaxy Garrison small newwhacker, which has been the biggest sellerover the last few years. In terms of usedequipment, we will be showing House OfThe Dead 4 and Crank It.

THE SUPPLIER

MARKET ANALYSIS

TRADE ASSOCIATION

JNC sets its sights on a growing Irish presence

With a hand picked selection ofthe company’s best new andused products to take to Ireland,JNC sales director GaryNewman is positive that thecompany is set to increase itsbusiness in what it sees as agrowth market.

A

2409-p13-16-essential_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 15:24 Page 2

Coinslot FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2015

16

B2B

Essential Guide to ... Irish Gaming Show 2015

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Impromptu discussions at the IrishGaming Show created a new opportunity

for Abbeycrest to expand into the rapidly-growing bingo sector.

Abbeycrest traders, the Limerick com-pany which manufactures specialist soft-ware systems for the gaming industry, haverecently broken into the bingo market, bothin ireland and northern ireland.

The company, whose products include:SMS text voucher systems; loyalty sys-tems; raffle ticket systems; SMS textingsystems; membership/ID systems, haveover 200 systems installed in arcades,casinos, private members (card) clubs andbowling alleys as well as the hospitality andretail sectors.

This move into the bingo market is thelatest push from the company to expandtheir target market. They have recentlycompleted projects for two groups ofbingo operators in Northern Ireland andhave just finished installing a system into anew bingo operation in Kerry.

Roger Bourke, Abbeycrest Traders MD,

stated: “We broke into the bingo marketpurely by chance, with first contacts fromthe two bingo groups from the northcoming at the Amex show in Dublin. Wevisited them and listened to what theyneeded and tweaked our existing softwareto suit them. We are extremely adaptable to

putting new ideas into our software with-out undue delay, and all our systems canintergrate with each other, combining intoone super system.”

Abbeycrest Traders will be demon-strating all their systems at the IrishGaming Show.

ABBEYCREST TRADERS

Abbeycrest sets its sightson the bingo market

ignificant interest was shown inthis machine due to the bright andattractive lighting, the durable

steering mechanism and the fact that it isvery appealing to both boys and girls. Thetakings figures have further justified theexcitement surrounding this machine. Itis a kiddie ride, at a good value price, thatis perfectly suited to amusement arcades,soft-play areas and single site operations.

As the growth of soft play areas contin-ues, the new Galaxy Garrison smallwhacker leads the way. It is a machine thatattracts younger children, it has the optionto pay out tickets, and due to its size canbe slotted in to any site.

At only £1,995 it allows a quick pay back

to be achieved. It is a reli-able machine that JNChas been selling largequantities of the last few years.

As the proportion of newmachines distributed by JNC increases,the quality of the used machines contin-ues to improve alongside it. With experi-enced technical staff, together with a veryefficient aftersales department, they areable to provide support for all machinesthat you buy from JNC.

From the company’s large workshopand warehouse facility in Bristol, togetherwith seven amusement sites across thesouth west of England and Wales, JNCholds a massive amount of machines in

s t o c kthat are

ready for quickdelivery.

Gary Newman, sales director at JNC,said: “Visitors at the Irish Gaming Showare very welcome to view the stock thatwe have in our warehouse, and I’m surethey will be able to pick themselves up abargain.”

JNC SALES

A great mix of new and oldmachines by JNC With a large number of new products and a great range of usedproducts, JNC is gearing up for a very promising Irish GamingShow. The new Go Go Pony kiddie ride has been the ride thathas created the single biggest attraction.

S

2409-p13-16-essential_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 15:23 Page 3

CATEGORY B3

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17

B2B

Coinslot FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2015

CASH VALIDATIONINNOVATIVE TO MAKEAMEX DEBUT

Innovative Technology are to exhibit atthe Irish Gaming Show for the first time.

“In recent years we have not exhibited atAMEX, but we feel that this year is a per-fect opportunity to showcase our newproduct releases as well as our subsidiary,InnoPrint’s ticketing products.”

The company’s newly released SMARTCoin System will make an appearance, aswill a new TiTo focussed line-up. “Theannouncement of our subsidiary com-pany, InnoPrint, has come at a great timeas TiTo is becoming more prominent in themarket. We have received profound inter-est in InnoPrint’s product range at the exhi-bitions we have already attended this year.As a group, we can now offer a full range ofcoin, note and ticket validation products,catering to our widest markets yet.

CABINETA BREATHTAKINGAURORA

With successful outings atEAG and ICE in the bag,

Blueprint Gaming has posi-tioned itself as a company onthe forefront of the transitionfrom mechanical to digital.Not least with the Aurora - anew high definition TiTo readycabinet - on the way for theB3 sector, the firm is set tomake a big impact across allsectors in 2015.

COMPONENTSSIGNS OFSUCCESS

Brightening any and allAGC locations is illu-

miSign, the new signagebrand from AstraGames. Prided by thecompany as being bothcost effective and visuallyarresting, illumiSign prod-

RLMS Sales has teamedup with Project todeliver a new Category

B3 game package whichincludes free offers for a weeklyoutlay of £35. Under the termsof the deal, customers who takeout a Mi Games online contractthrough RLMS will receive a freeFortune Hunter upgrade fortheir TS22 Casino Kingmachines, which also includes aglass set and new suite of eightgames. As an added incentive,those who opt to take advantagefor the deal will receive six newgames per year for two years.

Tony Glanville, sales directorat RLMS, believes that the dealrepresents sound value formoney for operators who arelooking to broaden their offer toplayers. “We’re confident that the

Fortune Hunter upgrade will adda cutting edge for operatorsseeking to offer more playerchoice in their venues,” henoted. “They will be getting afantastic range of compellinggame titles and a stunningupgrade for what is effectivelya very reasonable weeklyinvestment.”

The choice of FortuneHunter for RLMS’s new offeris no coincidence, as per-formance figures show thatthe title is being warmlyreceived by the market-place. “We’ve been hearing

some very positive feedbackabout this product,” saidGlanville, “which is why we’redelighted to able to sell it toour customers at such agreat price point.”

ucts have been designed with operatorsfirst and foremost in mind. The latest illu-miEOB (end-of-bank) vertical unit shipscomplete with a 32 inch-video display,maximising signage customisation andversatility.

VIDEOREDEMPTION

ALL IN A FLAP

It’s been downloaded over50m times, and now Crown

Direct are allowing operators tooffer players Flappy Bird withinan arcade setting. The redemp-tion machine from Bay TekGames has users press a sin-gular red button to steer theiravian friend through a maze ofMario-style piping, with theaction animated in beautifuldetail on a 42 inch monitor.

AIR HOCKEY AN INNER LIGHT

Topping the air hockey range at SAMLeisure is the company’s latest Yukon

Titan table. Utilising SAM’s bespoke‘methacrylate’ design, the Yukon Titan isilluminated from within the table itself -highlighting integralscorers and the dec-oration of the play-field itself.Meanwhile, aftereach point score thetable’s curve-sculpted toprail shoots the puck back atthe opposite goal, keeping players in apermanent state of anticipation.

CATEGORY CTIME FOR A SHOW ATREFLEX

2015 brings with it a host of new devel-opments, among them

the latest machine fromReflex Gaming. Show-time is a new £100 Cat Cgame built into the Atomcabinet, which featuresglitzy gameshow stylegraphics. The new title waslaunched in January andarrives ready and approvedfor venues eager to sitemulti-stake Cat Cmachines.

RLMS to offer FortuneHunter upgrade

O

2409-p17-Listings_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 17:11 Page 2

Coinslot FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2015

18

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AGCsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 2 Fortune Hunter Project2 6 Triple 8 Barcrest3 1 Wish Upon a Slot Blueprint4 5 Magic Lotto Ultra Novomatics5 3 Slotto 500 Astra6 4 King of Slots Blueprint7 7 Mega Bars Big Hit Project8 8 Triple 7 Barcrest9 9 Rainbow Riches Community Cash Barcrest10 10 Lady Luck Reflex

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

Members clubsThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

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Based on data from representative sites. Supplied by sector professional

FEC - familyThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Bullion Bars (3 Player) Astra2 2 Party Time Classic (3 Player) Astra3 3 Party Games (4 Player) Astra4 4 DOND (4 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 - Clockwork Orange Empire

Based on data from four sites Amusement Equipment Co Ltd

FEC - adultThis LastWeek Week Name / Manufacturer

1 1 Magic Games U/R Novomatic2 - 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 - Sevens Up Electrocoin9 9 Party Games (4 Player) Astra10 10 DOND Cops and Robbers Bellfruit

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 2 Find The Lady Ultimate Project3 3 Triple 7 (GP1) SG Gaming4 4 Magic Games 3 Novomatic5 5 Triple 7 (GP2) SG Gaming6 6 Random Gold Concept Games7 7 Triple 7 (GP3) SG Gaming8 8 X3000 Multi Game Amatic9 9 Encore T7 (GP1) SG Gaming10 10 Bullion Bars 3 Player Astra

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 2 DOND Next Level BFG3 3 DOND Winfall BFG4 4 DOND Double Up BFG5 5 DOND Box 23 BFG6 7 DOND Powerplay BFG7 6 Worminator QPS8 10 DOND Hyper BFG9 - DOND The Big One BFG10 9 DOND Midas Touch BFG

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

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21

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22 Coinslot February 27 - March 5, 2015

Comment

media watchjoseph ewens

Making your own en

Having your own private pubat your home might be

some people’s idea of adream, notes the North DevonJournal, as it reports on acouple who have made it areality by creating a privatebar complete with a 1960s fruitmachine, table top DonkeyKong game and a collection of2,000 glasses.

Simon and Donna Randall,of Deptford Villas in Stick-lepath, have created RandallsTavern in an extension of theirhouse, complete with pub quizmachines, an air hockey table,table football, bar billiards,table skittles, Connect Fourand two jukeboxes.

The extension itself hasbeen 15 years in the making,and the couple put the finish-ing touches to the bar just intime for Christmas. “Wealways wanted a bar,” saidSimon. “We have always col-lected glasses because whensomeone has a drink we wantto give them the right glass,and that just escalated.

“I have tried to create a bar Iwould want to go into and thekind of bar that you don’t seeanymore. If I went out for a

drink this is the kind of place Iwould want to go to.”

Many of the items in it havebeen collected over a numberof years, with some havingeven been rescued from skips.Simon said some of his oldestgames were his one armbandit machines which datedback to the 1950s/60s. Theyare also proud owners of afruit machine dating back tothe 1960s, which Simon saysis the only one of its kind hehas seen.

The bar itself was salvagedfrom the Tiverton Inn in SouthMolton and comes completewith optics and a real alepump.

“The sad thing is whendevelopers take over a pub alot of the stuff goes in a tip,”said Simon. “Some of thesethings need to be looked afterand I’m surprised there isn’t abrewery museum some-where.”

Elsewhere, tourism is thetalk of the town, as the York-shire Post’s op-ed from theTourism Alliance’s KurtJansen reveals.

Though still very fragile, theUK economy is starting to

obody who’s serious about the businessof coin-op wants to see underage gam-bling, so it’s no surprise when con-

cerned operators who see the risks of childrengambling outside their own tightly controlledenvironment raise the alarm bells. The issue highlighted this week from our side ofthe gambling fence is: are supermarkets andother shops that sell scratch-cards held to thesame high ‘safety’ standard as AGCs?When an operator posed this very question tothe Gambling Commission, their response wasthat they have taken steps to ensure that the

cards themselves are not enticing to youngsters.But we all know from being children that play-ing scratchcards is, in fact, good fun. There areeven guides online teaching parents how tomake fake scratchcards for their kids. If it’s acceptable to have this flexibility when itcomes to scratch-cards, shouldn’t we at leastensure that they are not mixed in with all-entic-ing football stickers and other collectablegames on supermarket shelves?A point which raises a simple question: is thereone set of rules for the gaming industry andanother for the rest?

Email: je@gbmedia.eu

Keeping underage protectionsconsistent

While underage gambling continues to be a constant concern for the coin-op industry, the ques-tion is: are other sectors going far enough? Joseph Ewens takes a view.

N

Speaking up, togetherCommunication has never been easier; amusement provision has never faced stiffer competition.

Which explains why ‘no comment’ is as puzzling as it is harmful, argues Chris Webster.

t’s always strange when we contact an oper-ator for an interview and they come backwith a response that they don’t want public-

ity or to talk to the media.If we were the Daily Mail, we’d actually tend toagree with them. But when it’s Coinslot - or, indeed,any of our equally supportive colleagues from theamusements and gaming media - it’s simply bizarre.

We experienced this earlier in the week whenwe picked up on a series of tweets singing thepraises of an arcade in the capital. The tweets werefrom some twenty-something friends who reallyenjoyed their time out. In fact, so much so that theywent out of their way to tell the world.

So, a good story about fun and entertainment;fresh ideas on social media marketing; a young and

vibrant new target market and bringing new audi-ences in to the arcade.

A good news story for the operator and theindustry as a whole. You’d think. But no, ‘we don’ttalk to the media’.

At a time when the industry wants and needs toget its message out, this kind of story is the one weall want to hear.

But, no, ‘we don’t talk to the media’.Which makes you think: if you can’t talk to

Coinslot about the positive things that are happen-ing; there’s plenty of other newspapers out therewho won’t even bother to talk to you about all thebad things they want to associate with the industry.

In the current climate, saying nothing could befar more dangerous to the industry than you think.

I

Taxing issuesWhilst the lobbying campaign against FOBTs goes on and on, is it more likely that the business

model will deliver the ultmate solution, asks Ken Scott.

he debate on FOBTs will undoubtedly rageon and on, but it’s interesting to note a realshift in dynamic, which could be read

between the lines of a performance statementfrom one of betting’s big players last week.

Whilst all focus honed in on the ResponsibleGambling Trust’s latest research findings on themachines and bookies themselves - which disap-pointingly for the anti-lobby returned little evi-dence to support the current trend of argumentcriticising the siting of FOBTs - it was perhaps aLadbrokes statement that provided a more realisticindicator of how a seismic sea-change on the issuemight be effected.

Despite all efforts and energy, is it more likelythat the economics of FOBTs will ultimately deter-mine their future, rather than the intense andsocially minded lobbying campaigns?

Sixty Ladbrokes operations closed in the weeksleading up to last April’s 5 percent tax hike in B2machines becoming effective, 150 in total closingin the 12 months prior.

It’s an interesting reality, if indeed it is the reality,that money - or lack of - could ultimately determinethe future of FOBTs. Raising tax on the machinesmight well deliver the hardest punch of all.

After all, that’s what was done to the tobaccoindustry, and no-one smokes anymore, do they!

T

2409-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 24/02/2015 18:00 Page 1

23Coinslot February 27 - March 5, 2015

A build-your-own pub and a call to arms for UK tourismlead the charge this week.

The new geographical reportinto areas that feature highconcentrations of FOBTs hasbeen released with someintriguing findings.“ politicsresponsible gambling trust

quote unquote

”wn entertainment

TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

Email: je@gbmedia.eu8

show real signs of growthfor the first time in over sixyears, notes Jansen. Thisis undoubtedly goodnews, but it begs thequestion, “Where did thisgrowth come from?”Jansen argues that even iftourism didn’t single-handedly pull the UK outof recession, it has playeda very important anddemonstrable role in therecovery.

Since 2010, the UK’sdomestic tourism indus-try has grown by 27 percent (generating £60.8bnto £77.2bn) in what wasknown as the “Staycationeffect” of people swap-ping overseas holidays fordomestic holidays. Inaddition, the inboundtourism industry hasgrown by 18 per cent overthe same period to now beworth £21bn per annum tothe UK economy. In total,the UK tourism industry isgenerating £19.5bn moretoday than it was in 2010.

This has had a consid-erable impact on employ-ment. Recent work by

Deloitte has found that itonly takes an increase of£54,000 in tourism rev-enue to create a new job.So the £19.5bn in addi-tional tourism revenuegenerated approximately360,000 new jobs between2010 and 2013.

With the likely scenarioof a significant decreasein public spending ontourism marketing, thetourism industry has twomain priorities for theincoming government.

The first is to increasethe international competi-tiveness of the UK tourismindustry by removing bar-riers to growth. Thisranges from cutting VATand APD rates to bringthem into line with otherEuropean destinations(VAT on accommodationin the UK is twice theEuropean average whilethe level of APD visitorspay to come to the UK ishigher than any othercountry in the world),through to reducing thevast amount of red tapethat still hampers busi-

nesses and properlyrolling-out rural broad-band and high-speedbroadband programmesso that businesses cansuccessfully competeonline.

The key message togovernment from thetourism industry is thatover the recession it hasproven its ability to delivergrowth and employment.Given the right businessenvironment, it will con-tinue to do so.

This research provides a contextual studydescribing the characteristics of loca-

tions associated with gambling machineplay. We have worked with the outputs ofstudies from NatCen Social Research andFeaturespace Ltd to contextualise machineplay by geography in Great Britain.

This project was partly exploratory innature, investigating the dimensions of newindustry data available, and how it may beused and limited for analysis. The data usedwas large in volume and multidimensional,detailing machine sessions from five majorhigh street betting shop operators.

This analysis presents some key geo-graphic patterns that emerge relating to dif-fering location characteristics of machinesand players, and relationships between thetwo, and may identify trends on which todevelop further research.

Close investigation revealed the data wasnot suitable to identify problem gamblingtrends specifically. This study notes a seriesof area comparisons, but cannot presumecausation of any measured indicator on theoccurrence of gambling prevalence orproblem gambling.

KEY FINDINGS • The spatial patterns of machine locations • LBOs with machines were growing innumber across the country from August 2012until July 2014 when they saw a notabledecline, possibly influenced by increased tax-ation on gambling machine takingsannounced in the 2014 Budget. • The spatial occurrence of LBOs withmachines is not the result of a simple functionof the location of either resident populationdensity or economic centres. • At the national scale we find them situatedin urban rather than rural areas, but mappingsub- city and neighbourhood level settlementpatterns reveals significant variation andnon-uniform patterns. Rates of LBOs withmachines within town centres also vary. • The spread of LBOs by operators is notgeographically uniform, with a strong pres-ence of independent operators in the NorthWest. • This initial analysis starts to reveal theunderlying complexity of the distribution ofLBOs and the need to understand local fac-

tors when assessing this distribution. What are places with LBOs like? • Around half of betting shops with machinesexist in town centre and major retail coreareas, and half in peripheral and off-centrelocations in England and Wales. • Areas close to betting shops tendtowards higher levels of crime events, andresident deprivation, unemployment, andethnic diversity. • LBOs do not exclusively serve the resi-dent populations of proximate areas. Sta-tistics about the resident population are aproxy for place typologies, where data ondaytime and night time transient popula-tions is unavailable. • Nevertheless, nationally around 8% of loy-alty card players sampled live within 400m ofan LBO where they have played a machine.23% live within 1km, and 46% live within 3km. • There are significant local variations, andnot all places exhibit these characteristics. Who uses LBOs and where? • Players overall tend to live in neighbour-hoods with higher levels of resident unem-ployment, multiple deprivation and economicinactivity, and which are more ethnicallydiverse than the national average. • Global patterns can be reliably identified.Within them, we find considerable local varia-tion, and not all player neighbourhoodsexhibit these characteristics. • There is a variation in the average distancesloyalty card players travel to LBOs overall,which is in part a function of the geographicsphere of influence and accessibility of cen-tres. 400m is the modal distance players liveto LBOs they use for machine play. • A small number of players regularlygamble and/or gamble many sessions,although this does not necessarily equate toproblem gambling. These regular playerstend on average to live closer to the LBOs inwhich they are gambling. • This analysis reflects the wider researchbody conclusion that gambling patterns arevaried and help to form the complex matrix ofinteracting variables which contributes to theonset of problem gambling and potentiallyharm at the individual level. Examining localvariation and capturing the context of placeshould be a key element of further analysis todetermine these detailed circumstances.

RGT release latestB2 findings

On page six of Coinslot 2408it was mistakenly stated thatan Ipsos Mori Omnibusstudy was published in 2011.It was published in 2014.

The Gambling Commis-sion has asked us to clarifythat local licensing authori-ties are responsible forimposing the new under-age control proceduresdetailed on page six ofissue 2408, but have con-firmed that they wereinvolved in the develop-ment of the conditions.

CORRECTION

Is the SNP important? Yes, I’ve actuallyspoken to them, as I’ve spoken to the otherparties. On the back of a conversation I hadwith them only last week, I am putting tothem a suggestion that they include some-thing in their manifesto.

All political parties are making noises thatthey want something done about FOBTs. TheSmith commission report will devolvepowers to Scotland that enables the Scottishgovernment to have control of future B2sites, but as it stands at the moment, it wouldhave to be primary legislation from Westmin-ster that changes the stake.

So whatever the make-up of the new par-liament we will move first of all on getting areview, because whoever’s in government,they won’t make a change without empiricalevidence.

BACTA’S HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS SIMONSTORER ON THE ROLE THE SNP COULD PLAY INTHE NEW PARLIAMENT

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24 Coinslot February 27 - Mach 5, 2015

BALPPA’S PEOPLE SKILLS

musements tradebody BALPPA con-tinues its mission to

educate theparks and ridesindustry with the latest in aseries of HR seminars. Onthe 12 May, 2015 at the WestMidlands Safari Park inBewdley, Worcestershire,the association will host aseries of seminars centredaround the administrationand motivation of staff.Speakers lined up for theevent include CliveStephens, CEO of The Viewfrom the Shard, who willopen the event with a discus-

sion of long term HR strat-egy. Insight from the worldsof law and executive coach-ing will bolster the middlesection of the day, beforeSAFE’s Rosie Carter closesthe event with an update onthe steps businesses musttake to check the criminalrecords of their staff.

A DECADE OF LONDONTRENDS

rends, Technology &Design in Leisure &Entertainment -

known more commonly asTiLE - will be making a land-mark 10th appearance in theBritish capital this March, as

it once again seeks to attractand educate professionalsfrom the leisure and amuse-ments industries. TiLEzoneLondon will be held on 25March at the London Trans-port Museum, where dele-gates will gain access to aprogramme of seminarspeakers. Topics range from

the exotic - under-standing culturaldevelopments inthe Middle East -to prosaic - howto best utilisecustomer feed-back. A number ofsessions at the Lon-don event’s tenth outing will

focus on socialmedia, includingthe openingaddress fromDuncan Camp-bell, new busi-

ness strategydirector at Merlin

Entertainments Devel-opments.

Calendar

TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

Email: je@gbmedia.eu8

MARCH 20153-4 Irish Gaming Show Moran RedCow Conference Centre, Dublin, Ire-land www.irishgaming.ie3-5Vending/Pay Expo 2015International Exhibition Center, Kiev,Ukraine www.vendingexpo.kiev.ua6-7RAAPA Expo 2015 Pavilion 75,VTTs, Moscow, Russiawww.raapa.ru10-12Digital Signage ExpoLas Vegas Convention Center, LasVegas, USA www.digitalsignage-expo.net18-20China Attractions ExpoChina National Convention Centre,Beijing, China18-19 FADJA Peru Westin LimaHotel & Convention Centre Lima Peruwww.fadja.com.pe18-20Enada Spring Rimini FieraRimini Italy www.enadaprimavera.it24-26Amusement Expo 2015Las Vegas Convention Centre, LasVegas, USA25TiLEzone LondonLondon Transport Museum, London,UK www.tileweb.orgTBC FER Interazar 2015 MadridSpain www.ferinterazar.com

APRIL 2015

14-16 DEAL2015 Dubai WorldTrade Centre, Dubai, UAEwww.dealmiddleeastshow.com

EDITORIALEdition Editor:Joseph Ewens Email: je@gbmedia.euTel: 01273 699 900Contributing Editor:Chris WebsterContributors:Imogen Goodman, Nick Norton Editorial Director:Ken Scott Email: ks@sjc.co.ukTel: 01273 699 900ADVERTISING SALESKathryn NorrisEmail: knorris@gbmedia.euTel: 01257 277400Fax: 01257 271329SUBSCRIPTIONSAnn SullivanTel: 01257 277400DIGITAL VERSIONMarc LawtonEmail: mlawton@gbmedia.euTel: 01257 277400PRODUCTIONDesigner: Gina LloydEmail: gl@sjc.co.ukAd Production &Pre-Press:Dave RoderickEmail: gdk@sjc.co.ukPUBLISHERDirector: John SullivanGB Media Corporation LtdOak House,1st Floor, Suite 4, High Street, Chorley, PR7 1DW

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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.

IATA holds its Annual General Meeting hile the last few details ofthe Irish Gaming Showwere being finalised in

Dublin, the Irish AmusementsTrades Association spent the startof the year involved in prepara-tions for its Annual General Meet-ing, which was held on Tuesday24 February.

After being founded in 1979 asa fledgling group of tradeactivists, IATA has been responsi-ble for some successful legislativeoverhauls, including a coup tooverturn a particularly damaging

article of the Finance Act in 2001. Having outlined the industry’s

requirements for the forthcom-ing Gambling Control Bill in areport made to the present gov-ernment, it is expected that IATAwill be stepping up its campaignto ensure that the amusementssector’s interests are met over thecoming months.

So far, IATA has specificallyrequested that any legislation isenacted on a national rather thana local level and that stakes andpayouts are kept fair across the

board. Equally, the associationdemanded that betting and gam-ing be kept completely separate,calling for gaming to be removedfrom bookmakers’ shops.

In an interview last October,general secretary John Rochestated: “It is abundantly clear toany casual observer that ourindustry has the potential to cre-ate thousands of fulltime perma-nent jobs and make a muchgreater contribution to theeconomy if new legislation isintroduced.”

WA

Newsweek

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