Slot manufacturer WMS Gaming announced that its participation units in the field—games leased on revenue-sharing arrangements—has passed the milestone of 10,000.
According to the company, average daily revenue per participation gaming machine has increased by over 20 percent, from an average of $58.55 in September 2006 to $70.37 in the March 2009 quarter.
The announcement is evidence that WMS is bucking what has been a trend in casinos of declining revenue-sharing installations. WMS officials say it is because of the new game styles that have been released on participation units, such as the “Sensory Immersion” game style reflected by the slot “The Wizard of Oz” and the “Adaptive Gaming” series, launched with “Star Trek.”
“The combination of unique technologies for the slot floor, industry-leading creative game content and our intellectual property has resulted in the development of the industry’s most successful and exciting portfolio of participation gaming machines,” said Brian R. Gamache, chairman and chief executive officer of WMS Industries Inc. “WMS’ ongoing success in growing our participation installed base and the revenue generated from these games is a direct result of our company-wide commitment to our long-term technology development plan, and the excellent execution we have achieved as a result of this focus.
“Importantly, we continue to advance our market position by readying for commercialization new products enabled with the second and third generations of our foundational technologies that provide a broader array of unique and differentiated entertainment experiences for players.”
Also at WMS, the company announced that it has extended its long-term license agreement with Hasbro, Inc. and Hasbro International, Inc. through 2016. The ongoing agreement grants WMS exclusive worldwide rights to develop and produce slot machines and other gaming machines featuring the Monopoly brand.
In addition, WMS and Hasbro have expanded the scope of their relationship, with WMS securing exclusive worldwide rights to develop and produce gaming machines based on such classic Hasbro board game brands as Battleship and Clue (or Cluedo, as it is better known in international markets), among others.
WMS had not previously produced slots based on those other board games because the license previously was held by the former Mikohn Gaming, which released Battleship and Clue video slots early this decade. That license has since expired, and Mikohn Gaming no longer exists.
