“It was impossible to miss a very real sense of optimism during G2E in Las Vegas”

What is your overall take on this year's G2E?
From Novomatic’s point of view – and I think that you would also find it is a view shared by the majority of exhibitors – this year’s G2E was an excellent event. There was a very positive general feeling, from both exhibitors and visitors, that gave all three days of the show a very real sense of optimism and excitement. The global gaming industry – and remember that G2E is one of the world’s great ‘showcase’ events – may not yet be back to absolute full health after the difficult years of the financial crisis but all the signs were present in Las Vegas that a return to better times is imminent. 

What was the highlight for Novomatic? 
As ever for Novomatic there were many highlights! Our new Dominator cabinet received rave reviews from everyone that saw it and, in celebrating its US premiere, featured a wide range of single games and multi-game mixes based on the server-based ready platform NOVO LINE Interactive as well as a selection of Octavian single games. The machines were connected to the AMAZELAND Community Jackpot as well as the mystery progressive Magic Joker Jackpot.

Also attracting a lot of positive attention was the Novomatic Remote Play system that makes it possible for guests to play their favourite machines whilst they are away from the gaming floor, in a bar, a restaurant or in a VIP lounge area, by the use of secure tablet devices.

How’s the company in the US Market?
Novomatic’s progress in the domestic US market is accelerating on several key fronts. Licensing and the necessary product approvals are going very well and that has served to heighten the anticipation of key operators to acquire the products; particularly our new Dominator cabinet, our Reel Tournament system and the variety of Jackpot solutions that we are bringing to market. We have also made a key appointment in the position of VP of Sales, North America and we will be announcing the specifics of that within the next few days.

With our headquarters now established in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and acting not just as a focal point for the US market itself, but also as a central hub for our hugely successful business and many subsidiary companies throughout Latin America, we have already achieved our initial objectives and are now ready to move on to the next phase.

Given your talks at the show with colleagues and operators, what do you feel the future holds for the industry next year?
It was impossible to miss a very real sense of optimism during G2E in Las Vegas. The financial situation has improved considerably and the analysts tell us that the improvement will continue into 2014 and beyond. Specifically in the gaming industry, expansion continues in Latin America and in Asia and, as these are both key markets for Novomatic, we are confident about the coming year,; particularly as many of these markets are no longer simply ’emerging‘ but are maturing and becoming ever more sophisticated. Novomatic holds a high reputation for innovation, for quality and for exceptional technical service and support. You can be sure that we will be looking to uphold and build upon our reputation and bringing to new markets what we do best: the ultimate in gaming entertainment.