AB UK articles from October 2003

AB UK archives from October 2003

From the editor.(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... WELL the show season has begun again, after what we can truly describe as a long hot summer this year. For us that means the Preview 2004 in London. The show looks to be bigger and better than ever this year and, from those I have spoken...

Maygay ready for casino slot market--with more to come?(News)
October 1, 2003... MAYGAY Machines has achieved a first for a UK manufacturer, developing three full casino spec, random, multi-line video slots intended for use in the UK market. While the games have already been installed in Gala's Hilton casino on the...

'Not-random' sign for AWPs?(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... THE Gaming Board for Great Britain and BACTA are stepping up talks regarding the possibility of placing signs on AWPs notifying players of whether or not a game is random. While the organisations stress such plans have been in the...

Bell-fruit games will have a demonstration of the latest De-reg software on AWP.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * BELL-FRUIT Games will have a demonstration of the latest De-reg software on AWP, club and casino products on its stand at the London Preview show. Machines featured will include the latest hit AWP Snakes & Ladders.

Digital juke box licensing remains a problem area in Europe for some manufacturers, ditributors and operators.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * DIGITAL juke box licensing remains a problem area in Europe for some manufacturers, distributors and operators. The licensing of music downloaded into the boxes is a "grey area" and in some places, the UK for example, a European licence may...

BACTA is seeking to clarify uncertainly over whether certain games contained on video SWP machines are "games of skill".(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * BACTA is seeking to clarify uncertainty over whether certain games contained on video and SWP machines are "games of skill." During a video sub-committee meeting held recently, it was decided that a list should be compiled by BACTA of games...

Global VR president Milind Bharvirkar flew into London last week briefly for talks with Maygay over its golf game.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * GLOBAL VR president Milind Bharvirkar flew into London last week briefly for talks with Maygay over its golf game. Although the company is still locked in legal wrangles with Incredible Technologies over alleged copyright infringement, it...

Aussies take a piece of the UK's net kiosk pie.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... AUSTRALIAN Internet kiosk development and management group PIENetworks has acquired UK net terminal business Public Internet Services Limited (formerly PubNet), following the latter's move into administration. The purchase, for 38,000...

MUCE fights for fairer licences.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... THE European Parliament will this month hear proposals that could pave the way for less draconian music copyright tariffs, in a move that will please juke box operators. Austrian MEP Mercedes Echerer, who has been working in conjunction...

One of the largest of suppliers payout machines in Ireland currently is Spanish manufacturer R. Franco, which is making an major impact with its slots-style machines.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * ONE of the largest suppliers of payout machines in Ireland currently is Spanish manufacturer R. Franco, which is making an major impact with its slots-style machines. The company is also about to make new machines for the market in Northern...

Electrocoin and BFG were the only two British exhibitors at the explonia show in Warsaw, Poland which was lightly attended.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * ELECTROCOIN and BFG were the only two British exhibitors at the Expolonia show in Warsaw, Poland, which was lightly attended. Electrocoin however reported good sales. The Slovakia Show, due to be held in Bratislava on September 24 and 25,...

Taking part in its first London Preview this year is Sammy Europe.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * TAKING part in its first London Preview this year is Sammy Europe. A range of novelty and vending machines will be on the company's booth at the Novotel, said the company's Martin Riley. Sammy Europe also took a stand at the ECTS consumer...

UK-based gaming specialist Project Coin has made history by becoming first manufacturer to site video AWP product in Lithuania.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * UK-based gaming machine specialist Project Coin has made history by becoming the first manufacturer to site video AWP product in Lithuania. The company's Joker Poker, which has proved highly successful in the UK, passed the stringent...

New Namco sales chief as video shows strength.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NAMCO Europe has appointed John McKenzie into the new position of sale as and commercial director. McKenzie, who has been with Namco and Brent Sales since 1991,partially replaces Gary Newman who headed sales at Namco and Brent until...

Picture here is the winner of the Mitchells and Butlers Golden Tee Golf Classic at The Toby Carvery and Innkeepers Lodge, Borehamwood.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Picture here is the winner of the Mitchells and Butlers Golden Tee Golf Classic at The Toby Carvey and Innkeepers Lodge, Borehamwood. Phil Marsh from Westcliff on Sea won the 750 [pounds sterling] first prize which was presented by Dawn...

Sattori appoints head of football for Ball Master.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SATTORI Systems Limited, manufacturer of the soccer skills test game The Ball Master, has appointed ex-Shoot editor and football consultant Dave Smith as its new head of football. Smith will be responsible for promoting The Ball Master...

Bingo body warns tax issue could prove costly.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The National Bingo Game Association of has fired a warning to government that failure to maintain the amusement machine tax status quo could result in a renewed bout of pressure on the bingo VAT issue. As ministers study I he possibility...

Gamestream fails to stay afloat.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... ONE of the boldest experiments in the UK AWP business for some time, sadly closed its doors at the beginning of September. Jack Jones, as the major creditor, put his Gamestream Ltd. into voluntary liquidation. The Bridgend-based company...

FOBTs boost bookies' profits as battle looms.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... FIXED Odds Betting Terminals were the main drivers of William Hill's profits in the first half of the year, according to the company's six-monthly report. The bookmaker has 2,525 FOBTs in its betting shops--an increase of nearly 800 in...

Laurel Pub Company and Spirit Group are thought to be the frontrunners in the race to buy Scottish and Newcastle's pub estate business.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * LAUREL Pub Company and Spirit Group are thought to be the frontrunners in the race to buy Scottish and Newcastle's pub estate business, following completion of second-round offers last month. Final bidding deadlines were thought to fall at...

John Stergides of Electrocoin was one of three international partners honoured by Incredible Technologies.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * JOHN Stergides of Electrocoin was one of three international partners honoured by Incredible Technologies during the AMOA trade show in Las Vegas. IT, maker of the tournament golf game, inducted Stergides into its "Golden Tee Society" of...

Operators and manufacturers alike have worried that the video AWP will not be accepted by players in the UK.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * OPERATORS and manufacturers alike have worried that the video AWP? will not be accepted by players in the UK. However, the word reaching ab:UK is that the Videostar game from Barcrest is doing at least as well as standard three-reel product...

City analysts believe that Mitchells and Butlers could become the next target of a take-over now it has pulled out of the running for the 2.3bn [pounds sterling] Scottish and Newscastle pubs estate.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * CITY analysts believe that Mitchells and Butlers could become the next target of a take-over now it has pulled out of the running for the 2.3bn [pounds sterling] Scottish and Newcastle pubs estate. The most likely predator would be the...

Brunswick Billiards has announced that Jay Scanland has been named president of its Valley-Dynamo.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * BRUNSWICK Billiards has announced that Jay Scanland has been named President of its Valley-Dynamo division, reporting to John Stransky, President of Brunswick Billiards. Scanland succeeds Bill Rickett who is retiring as President of...

Rowe International Inc. has filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code.(Internaional News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * ROWE International Inc. has filed a voluntary petition for reorganisation under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in order to facilitate the sale of its operations. In its filings in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of...

Swedes receive backing in battle for private ops.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... THE Swedish industry's case against Gaming Board proposals to ban privately-operated gaming machines has gained endorsement from Sweden's Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce, of Kommerskollegium, last month challenged the Gaming...

Lifeline for Bally Wulff's PayBox.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... GERMAN AWP manufacturer Bally Wulff's ambitions mobile machine payment initiative, PayBox is back on track, following the intervention of Dutch telecom group Moxmo. Moxmo has purchased the PayBox assets of Bally Wulff's original partner...

Taiwanese operators to get Taipei licence offer.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... IT looks likely that further amusement operating licences will be issued in Taipei City after a break of several years. It is unknown exactly how many licences will be on offer, but early estimates suggest that there will be at least seven...

Hungarian show hit by tax hike fears yet again.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... EXHIBITORS at the recent Gamexpo show in Budapest complained of sluggish sales as talk of tax hikes saw operator confidence take a bashing. In what is becoming a depressingly familiar story for the Gamexpo exhibition, the opening day...

New specs to end Spain's woes?(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... As the Spanish industry continues to endure one of its worst slumps ever, trade body Facomare is requesting a "crisis package" in the shape of' new AWP specifications. Proposals, which will be presented to Spain's 17 "autonomous" regions...

Video manufacturers combine on new system.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... JAPAN-based video and pachinko manufacturer Sammy Corp. announced at the JAMMA Show in Tokyo that it will join forces with two of the biggest names in video to produce games on its Atomiswave platform. SNK Playmore, the firm which...

The national commission on gambling in Bulgaria has announced that it is has reached the final stage of drafting changes in the Gambling Act.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * THE national commission on gambling in Bulgaria has announced that it has reached the final stage of drafting changes in the Gambling Act which are aimed against illegal gambling and designed to align the national legislation to EU...

Spanish distributor the Comatel Group has appointed Antonio Duran Pizarro as its new sale director.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * SPANISH distributor the Comatel Group has appointed Antonio Duran Pizarro as its new sales director. Furry-three year-old Duran took responsibility in his new position on September 1. He has extensive experience in the amusement industry,...

Spanish giant R. Franco will unveil a brand new stand at this year's FER Interazar in Mandrid at beginning of this month.(International News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * SPANISH giant R. Franco will unveil a brand new stand at this year's FER Interazar in Madrid at the beginning of this month. It will also launch Franco Bingo, a brand new company of the group linked to the business area of the new...

TCS John Huxley has appointed Roger Hawkins as commercial sales director for the UK.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * TCS John Huxley has appointed Roger Hawkins as commercial sales director for the UK. His role will involve work with the principal casino operators in the UK to closely manage the relationships and sales processes. As a part of this, a...

Two of the UK's most important operators, Gala and Grosvenor, have purchased.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * TWO of the UK's most important operators, Gala and Grosvenor, have purchased CARD's innovative one2six shuffling machine. "We are proud to announce that we have set foot in the UK casino business," said CARD Managing Director Ernst...

There are rumblings that Stanley Leisure is for sale, but enquires to the company.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * THERE are rumblings that Stanley Leisure is for sale, but enquires to the company from ab: UK lead to denials of the rumour.

Service Gaming finding its feet after buy-out.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... AT last month's G2E In Las Vegas, Glasgow-based Service (formerly Sega) Gaming Europe was attending its first exhibition since brothers John and Carlton Murphy bought the company from Japanese giant Sega "Things have gone well since the...

Isle of Man looking for return.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... ONLINE casinos may return to the Isle of Man, the independent island between the British and Irish mainlands, Five island-based casinos were set up there but subsequently closed down, citing the island's regulatory standards as the cause....

Rank sheds some light.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... RANK has set out its stall for the so called "gambling sheds" in the UK, announcing that five of its premier bingo clubs are to he remodelled as bingo and casino clubs with betting shops. The plan will go into effect as part of a package...

Kings Solomon's online bingo game has now swung into action in the UK.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * KING Solomon's online bingo game has now swung into action in the UK and within four weeks the site had over 6,000 players and paid out over 250,000 [pounds sterling] in prizes. The King Solomon's Group reports that the game's that...

Poker payout tops 5m [pounds sterling].(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... THE total paid out by Grosvenor Casinos in progressive casino stud poker jackpot prizes has topped 5m [pounds sterling] in its First year. This new side bet, which was introduced late last year, is operated under Grosvenor's own brand...

Pentranic sets sights on US.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... UK-based monitor manufacturer Pentranic is making serious moves on the UK and recently exhibited at the G2E show in Las Vegas. Also, the company has just appointed a vice-president of gaming in the States, John Dugas, and is looking to...

MEI taking ticketing global.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... PAYMENT systems manufacturer MEI is taking ticket-in, ticket-out systems to the rest of the world in association with FutureLogic, a leading manufacturer of thermal printers for that purpose. Following success with the system in the US,...

Progressive Poker is attracting women, particularly single young professionals, Stanley Casinos.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * PROGRESSIVE Poker is attracting women, particularly single young professionals, Stanley Casinos. Progressive winners have included a housewife and mother of two from Manchester who won 552,664 [pounds sterling] and a female publican...

Kimble of Ireland reported an excellent reaction at last month's G2E in Las Vegas.(Casino News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * KIMBLE of Ireland reported an excellent reaction at last month's G2E in Las Vegas to its new Speed PCB that brings a new dimension to game design. The board simply plugs into a PC In begin the game writing process. Also it uses 32MB of...

Road trip.(Spares)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... * Road trip MEI is holding a season of road shows to promote its new Coin acceptor the MEI Cashflow 9500 Series. The road-shows are being supported by MEI's distributors Eurocoin and Brent, and its approved service centre Micro Electronic...

Testing Testing.(Spares)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... HEBER Limited has doubled its automated test capability by adding a new Hewlett Packard Series 3 Test System to its test facility. The move is the first stage of a significant investment into the company's test and quality procedures, with a...

Tough touch.(Spares)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... TOUCH International, the global supplier of touch-input products to the gaming and amusement market set up by ex-Microtouch boss Bob Senior, has announced its new TougherTouch Capacitive sensor line. Based upon TI's recently launched and...

New course for techies.(Spares)
October 1, 2003... A NEW course at Blackpool and Fylde College is to train slot machine technicians on a one or two year HNC/HND course. The first year's intake is expected to comprise of 40 students. The course is recognised and certified by the examining...

Brent recognised for sales skills.(Spares)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... BRENT Electronic has been recognised by the speaker manufacturer Acoustic Solutions for its strong sales performance. Since its appointment two years ago as the firm's exclusive UK distributor, Brent has exceeded sales targets by 200 per...

Starpoint appoints new staff for European sales.(Spares)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... STARPOINT has announced a number of changes to its European sales team. Lizanne Jakobs has joined the firm as the new European sales manager, taking on the responsibility for continental Europe and South America markets. She joins...

Club golden grid, QPS.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... QPS has announced the Launch of Club Golden Grid, the club rebuild version of its biggest ever selling AWP. Built in the Bell-Fruit Group's Eclipse Cabinet, and using Scorpion 4 Technology, the machine has the benefit of fully switchable...

Fast track, Sam Leisure.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NEW features for Sam Leisure's air hockey table include anodised metalwork in shiny metallic colours. There are also additional safety measures that may be added such as an optional safety screen across the middle of the table. For sites...

Outrun 2, Sega Amusements Europe.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... THE latest video release from Sega is a sequel to its classic 80s driving game OutRun. The new version of the game offers top of the range graphics and fast, furious game action. Players can choose from eight different sleek Ferrari models to...

Pie Factory 2, Vivid Gaming.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... PIE Factory 2 is Vivid Gaming's new AWP which launches a new style of game play for the Burton-based design house, using the popular Pie Factory theme. According to the company Pie Factory 2 is in essence a three quarter-tech AWP,...

Big Buck Hunter 2 - Sportsman's Paradise, incredible technologies.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... INCREDIBLE Technologies has released Big Buck Hunter 2 - Sportsman's Paradise as a kit. Operators can order the BBH2 kit directly from distributors and it contains everything needed to install the game into an existing mid-resolution cabinet....

LCD touchmonitor, ELO touchsystems.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... ELO'S 15ins. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) touchmonitor includes a three-stripe, ergonomically-placed magnetic stripe reader (MSR). The MSR is incorporated into the monitor housing and designed to flow with the elegant styling of the monitor....

Super Streak Classic, Barcrest.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... BARCREST Games has extended its Classic product range with a newly enhanced single player Super Streak. This addition to the range offers an updated and flexible game with all stake and prize options available. Super Streak Classic is...

Naughty Crane, Instance Leisure.(New Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... INSTANCE Leisure Machines has unveiled the "adult" Naughty Crane for nightclubs and other adult locations. The crane is stocked with adult toys and boasts attractive artwork and sounds. The machine is switchable between standard percentage...

Deith of the salesmen: one of the brightest names in the cut-throat distribution section is also one of the youngest, but that said, it carries one of the oldest and best-respected names in the industry. Rowan McIntyre looks at the rise and rise of the Deith Group.(Company Focus)
October 1, 2003... THE role of the distributor has been challenged in recent years. There are those who have suggested that such a middle-man is no longer required in the modern coin-op business, claiming that, as the industry consolidates, direct sales from...

Bitter pills: with the recent demise of an AWP manufacturer that claimed only to be providing the operators with what they were asking for, regular columnist David Snook asks if the industry lacks the courage to deal with the contracting player base ...(Snookered)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... FAILURE comes hard for Jack Jones. After all, he's not exactly used to it. The JPM and Astra co-founder has pulled the plug on his AWP manufacturing company, Gamestream, and taken some bitter memories off to Marbella for a month. Just...

Juke box jury.(Sales Pitch)
October 1, 2003... We at ab:UK know how hard it is to make sure you Get to, and get around, all the trade shows. But never fear, Sales Pitch brings the industry's top salesmen to your desk and gives you a choice of the hottest products from a different sector...

Future perfect? With much written and said about the new Gaming Act over the last few months, on October 7 the industry will have its first chance to hear the latest developments straight from the horse's mouth. David Snook previews the conference that boasts the biggest ever line-up of top industry speakers.(Conference)
October 1, 2003... ARGUABLY the most imposing line-up of speakers from Government and business in the history of the UK gaming industry is set to debate the Future of British Gambling at a conference on October 7. From a Government minister to the most...

Preview 2004: www.preview-uk.com.
October 1, 2003... Company Name Stand No ACL Cam Com L3 Amutec L12 Astra Games 3 Bell Fruit Games 8 Brent Electronic ...

Picking favourites?(Interview)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2003... With the crunch-time for British casinos fast-approaching, there is every prospect of a split within the ranks of would-be contenders over who-gets-what. Resort casinos in Blackpool have long been the target of Marc Etches of Leisure Parcs...

Industry in chapter 11: the AMOA has boosted its attendance in recent years by linking up with first FunExpo and now the G2E casino show. David Snook visited Las Vegas to report on what he sees as the slow decline of the US amusement industry.(Showpiece)
October 1, 2003... THE lines separating the casino industry from the amusement industry have become so blurred that it is now no longer possible to write about the AMOA show in Las Vegas without equally referring to the giant G2E casino event next door. ...

Terminal decline: as Internet use became more mainstream, it was never in doubt that coin-op web browsing terminals would make their way into public places. But changed conditions mean cyber kiosks are becoming defunct almost as fast as they surfaced.(Feature)
October 1, 2003... THE Internet kiosk path is littered with the corpses of failed ventures. Former Chief Executive of Mirror Group Newspapers David Montgomery's pub Internet venture, Yava--so sexy, so exciting when it first materialised--now defunct. Photo-Me?...

Globetrotter.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... GLOBETROTTER enjoyed a very sedate and highly educational night out in Tokyo with Sega Amusement Europe and friends. Here we see from the left Prakash Vivekanand of Amusement Services International in Dubai; Paul Williams and Roger...

Show diary.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2003... October 1-3: FER-INTERAZAR 2003, IFEMA, JUAN CARLOS I EXHIBITION CENTRE, MADRID, SPAIN. Contact: Blanca Plaza Labrador, Grupo Interazar De Inversiones, Santa Engracia 113, 4 Dreha, Madrid, 2801 O, Spain. Tel: +34 91 445 3702 Fax:...