Our plan this year is to focus on the US, Asia and Africa

¿What are you introducing at this ICE edition?

We have a lot of new products at ICE 2018. We are introducing three highlight slot machines for international casino markets, PANTHERA™, PANTHERA™ Curve and V.I.P. Lounge™ Curve. The PANTHERA™ features two 27” screens, an intuitive 15.6” TouchDeck as well as an independent 24” multi-purpose topper. The cabinet was presented at ICE 2018 with the brand new NOVO LINE™ Interactive Edition X games mix that features a new selection of first-rate NOVOMATIC content.

The PANTHERA™ Curve is similar in terms of design but features a single 43″ curve screen, complemented by surrounding LED lighting, as well as the TouchDeck and optional topper. We are showing the Enchanted Fortunes Linked Jackpot™ connected to the PANTHERA Curve™ for the first time at ICE, presenting six jackpot titles: Asian Fortunes™, Book of Ra™, Mystic Fortunes, Pyramid Fortunes™, Vampire Fortunes™, Goddess Rising™ and Treasure of Tut™.

The third highlight cabinet we are unveiling is the V.I.P. Lounge™ Curve – we’ve taken the V.I.P. Lounge™ and replaced the two screens with a 4K-ready 43’’ curve screen, and upgraded the TouchDeck from a 12.4’’ to a 15.6’’ player interface.

For the local UK market, there’s a selection of new content, including a range of games based on the Batman, Austin Powers and Sherlock Holmes licenses. For Germany, we are showcasing two new cabinets, the upright NOVO OPTIMUS and slant-top CROWN MASTER, both geared towards TR 5.0 technology. We are also presenting the full line-up of Ainsworth cabinets with highlight titles such as PAC-MAN™ DYNAMIC EDITION, as well as linked progressive solutions.

Other highlights include the launch of new titles for international casino markets, such as Viking & Dragon™, the 4K version of Great American Wilds™ and the international and omni-channel launch of From Dusk Till Dawn™, which is making a big impression on the show floor, being presented on the NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. III as well as desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

On the interactive side, we are showing the Greentube Pro social gaming solution and announced a deal with Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, a great development for the product. The globally renowned DJ Hardwell is heading up a new game and was present on the stand, and another slot launch is a fun title by Greentube UK called Crazy Birds. So there’s a wide selection across the 25 subsidiaries represented on the NOVOMATIC stand.

How do you see the current edition of the show?

Very good. It has been extremely busy and we’ve had lots of meetings, and lots of customers and visitors, from both Europe and the rest of the world. We picked up two awards on the first two days of the show, being named “Casino Supplier of the Year” at the Global Gaming Awards and “European Casino Operator of the Year” at the British Casino Awards, so there is a main focus on Europe but we do also have an international team on hand for our international customers.

How do you see the European market and what is the position of the company?

Very strong. Europe is the home market for NOVOMATIC and we are traditionally very strong here. We have different subsidiaries throughout the countries and invest heavily in R&D in order to create relevant content for those individual markets. The UK, Spain, Italy, for example, are very strong markets for us. Germany is also very important and we are adapting our machines in order to cater to the new technical requirements. Eastern Europe and the Balkans countries are also very important for us. Essentially wherever there’s a regulated market in Europe, NOVOMATIC has a strong presence, both land-based and online. Online there are also regulatory changes that have created opportunities and we are starting to offer more content to operators on the continent.

We are the market leader in many countries and can contribute some of this success to the fact that NOVOMATIC is an operator as well as a supplier, meaning that we can test products in our own operations, so we can really get them right before offering them to the market. You just have to look at the slot floors throughout Europe to see how dominant NOVOMATIC is.

The advances in technology have created a new kind of player: the Millenial. What does the company do to attract them?

In the last 12 to 18 months, the buzzword “millennial” has seemed to subside. However, we still recognize the significance of this demographic and at the show we have a brand new slot game that’s exactly catering to that market. Hardwell, a new title by StakeLogic and available on the Greentube platform, features a contemporary DJ who produces music with technology and really taps into this market. Another area of focus in the interactive space is Greentube Pro, which offers casinos an innovative way of bringing their latest slot content to players in the social environment. New games, with licensed titles and a host of different types of math and bonus features, are also aimed at catering to the “millennial” demographic.

How do you see the future of the industry globally?

Global trends in the industry are going towards progressive jackpot content – and linked progressive jackpot technology is really taking its place on casino floors throughout the world. I think that’s a big area of focus for global suppliers at the moment. Another key area is omni-channel that gives the player the option to play games land-based and online seamlessly, with huge advantages to the operator such as cross-promotion. At the show, Greentube is presenting the omni-channel solution Plurius, which is showing a mystery linked jackpot and expanded portfolio of content. I think the industry will continue going in this direction. Players are more demanding, they want quick access to their favourite content, and I think it will demand more marketing efforts across the omni-channel spectrum.

What are the company plans for this year?

As well as continuing to build and innovate in Europe and Latin America, our plan this year is to focus on the US, Asia and Africa too, however, having completed the acquisition of a 52% stake of Ainsworth in January, our core focus will be to drive NOVOMATIC into the US in 2018.

In what other shows will you be present this year?

Wherever there’s a regulated market there is an opportunity and wherever there is an opportunity, there is NOVOMATIC. We have a presence at the majority of the international gaming shows throughout the year.NIGA in Las Vegas is coming up and that’s very important for us, due to our focus in the US. Also this year, as we continue to develop in Latin America, other trade shows of importance will be FADJA, Peru Gaming Show and SAGSE Buenos Aires.

What is your opinion of the gambling industry?

I love the business – I remember my first week in the industry was G2E Asia 2009 – I saw the lights of Sands Macao from the boat across from Hong Kong and was hooked. Since I joined NOVOMATIC two years ago, I can really understand how being an operator has influence into the products we produce, so we are really able to understand player wants and needs first-hand, and bring this knowledge back into our innovation. The gaming industry is fast moving, driven by both the suppliers as well as players. It is extremely international and extremely regulatory – the NOVOMATIC Group has locations in 50 countries and we supply to more than 75 countries around the world.