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RED HOT NEWS

UK

PRE-registration is now open on for the London Preview event, scheduled for October 11-12, Novotel London West will host the annual exhibitions, which will showcase the Latest casino games from manufacturers and distributors, displaying advanced technology and showing the leading developments.  This year’s show will be of special interest and importance to visitors due to the changes taking place in the European coin-op industry.

BAHRAIN

PHOTO Me International, which has invested heavily in buying up the principal UK kiddie rides manufacturers, has received an approach from a Bahraini investment company.  The approach is understood to have come from Arcapita several weeks ago.  JP Morgan Cazenove, Photo-Me’s advisor and corporate broker, is understood to be evaluating the discussions and possibly sound out other interest from private-equity companies. 

ITALY

BETTING AWPs… the pinball.  Not as crazy as it sounds … the fact that the pinball game does not need to pay high taxes in Italy means that the net return to operators is higher.  Gary Stern, who makes the only traditional pinball game in the business, has found Italy as a prime new market with his best sales there for years.  “Operators are using them because of the uncertainty over AWP’s and the high taxation,” he said.

GERMANY

FOOTBALL stars from Germany, Spain and England at their hotels in Germany for the World Cup are playing on Gauselmann Group’s Star Kick game.  The ultimate in table soccer, which sells for around € 20,000, is reported to be the top online poker game in a selection of recreation devices supplied to the teams.  A tournament for the public held in all the World Cup cities culminated on June 4 at the new Berlin main station.

BELGIAN MANUFACTUTRERS ON A ROLL

SINCE its initial introduction at the London Show in January, The Magic Sage by Belgian pusher/novelties manufacturer VdW has been considerably improved.  The company has added a number of new features to the game, which is a reaction tester with a prize, and it has been on extended site-testing with UK distributor SB Machines.  The poker player is faced by a row of four LED numbers.  As numbers flash on a matching set of combination figures the player has to stop them on a match.  Two successes give a prize from the automatic dispenser while an exact match of all four numbers give a top prize.  The cabinet is an instant-vend upright configuration or is available as a multiple unit for larger locations and will offer prizes from a redemption counter.
      Also in Belgium, a new rotary game, Knock it Off, has been developed for the International Market by crane specialist Elaut.  The rotary who has been in the industry for any length of time; basically the player times a revolving disc carrying prizes so that he activates a lever to push off a prize.  Now Elaut has updated the idea so that it will fall within its intelligrab family of products, which will enhance both accuracy and efficiency.  The operator uses round jars on the play deck, which comes with the game and adjusts the settings of the machines by using the Intel programmer just as he would on the Elaut EX1 and GIGA cranes.

Photo Play makes impact in South Africa

A PROMOTION  with SAB Miller in the Northern Region of South Africa  commenced June 5 and will run for six weeks in selected sites using Photo Play terminals.  Patrons are awarded a free token on purchase of a Miller Genuine Draft beer and with this are able to play the Fun Towers poker game, with prizes to be won for those with the highest score.  The pre-requisite of having the player log in creates an instant database for site operators and gives an immediate gratification to the Miller drinker at the terminal. 
South African firm Uniroute’s Peter Pletts told InterGame: “This accurate source of information for the brand manager with full demographics of the consumer is extremely valuable information to be used as a business tool  in marketing strategies.  It’s a win-win situation for everyone concerned.”  Pub customers get free games and stand a chance of winning prizes.  The site owner increases sales, which enhances  his core business. 
The brewer gains information on his consumers, creates brand awareness and encourages new con

sumers to switch brands.  The route operator sites his equipment at the best sites and teaches new players the advantages of playing on this terminal.

New chief executive officer for Bally-Wulff

MAJOR German AWP manufacturer Bally-Wulff has a new  CEO in Axel Herr.  He joins from THQ Entertainment and Nintendo of Europe.  Aged 44, he has over 20 years of sales, marketing, distribution and development management with major entertainment and computer companies.   At THQ he was responsible for turning  around the company’s German, Swiss and Austrian business in the past two years.  Prior to THQ he had five years at Nintendo, launching three new market-redefining games platforms, the Game Cube, the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance ♠.

Before his stint at Nintendo,he was vice-president at Konami of Europe between 1995 and 1999 and has also held senior positions at Sega, Dell Computer, Maynard Electronics and ESCOM.  On a less happy note, Bally-Wulff has had to cancel its World Cup finals Party at the company’s headquarters in Berlin, citing legal difficulties, problems with safety regulations and license agreements as the reasons.

*  UK  :  INSPIRED  Gaming Group, the new name of  Britain’s biggest operator.  Leisure Link, has acquired Red Vision, a computer generated imagery and visual effects products company.  Red Vision is IGG’s partner in virtual sports content.
      IGG  paid £ 3.3m plus incentives which could eventually total £ 16.7m in the transaction.  The deal was completed following IGG’s admission and first day of trading on the AIM on June 2.  Now IGG will be able to extend the range of its virtual sports products into other broadcast media.  Red Vision provides virtual horse racing and football games and is licensed by IGG to retail and online gaming operators and digital TV broadcasters.

US – CRANE Merchandising Systems of St Louis, Missouri, is to acquire the assets of Automatic Products International of Minnesota.  Although both companies are primarily in the vending business, there are considerable cross-over with the amusement and gaming industry.  In January CMS bought CashCode, the Canadian banknote validator company and owns National Rejectors.