The gaming industry’s slot-machine sector is finally recovering after years of recession. Flat results are giving way to new unit sales across the sector, as casinos seek to replace their old machines (the replacement cycle got a boost as Canadian provinces went through their periodic renewal cycle) and as, in general, capital budgets began to free up to allow slot executives to bring new innovations to bear.
The slot manufacturers have helped their own cause by producing innovation after innovation, with new play methods, networked systems and high-profile brands that have set new house averages and brought immediate ROI.
The Global Gaming Expo, at the Sands Expo Center the first week of October, is where all that innovation will be on display. Once again, the world’s slot manufacturers will descend on Las Vegas to set new records in displaying the latest in slot machine technology. Even through the worst of the recession, the research and development efforts of the slot-makers have never faltered. This year, like all before it, will display a remarkable showcase of the innovations yielded by all that R&D.
As we have for each of the 10 years this magazine has been published, we visited every slot manufacturer for exclusive information on the games to be launched at the G2E show. Much of the information on the following pages appears for the first time in print here.
And, from established North American slot leaders like IGT, Bally, WMS, Aristocrat, Aruze and Spielo to European and Australasian powerhouses like Novomatic, Casino Technology, Inspired Gaming and Ainsworth, the products to be displayed at G2E represent the next generation of the slot sector. Surging companies like Multimedia Games, AC Slots and Cadillac Jack each will have new innovations on display, as will newcomers to the casino market like Incredible Technologies, known for amusement arcade games until now.
What you will find on the following pages will run the gamut from high-profile branded licenses to new play mechanics on video/reel hybrids to immersive games with everything from high-powered speakers to motion chairs. The slot-makers also will demonstrate new technologies designed to take the slot games to new venues such as online casinos, mobile devices and new, networked casino setups.
The slot manufacturers are ready for a new surge in sales as new casinos appear in Ohio, Maryland and elsewhere in North America—not to mention new VLT venues in Europe and new expansion in Southeast Asia.
As always, the slot-makers are ready for every market. So sit back and view what each slot manufacturer (presented in alphabetical order) has to offer the industry in the “new model year” of 2012/2013.
