“Bally is committed to serving the needs of the European market and operators”

How would you define your experience of ICE 2014?
This was our first show since Bally and SHFL entertainment became one company in November. It was a great feeling to finally be together and showcase the fact we are now a true end-to-end gaming technology innovator with the industry’s most diversified product suite.  The record-setting attendance at ICE really brought great energy to the tradeshow floor. 

You exhibited SHFL's products for the first time – how did the public react?
Our customer partners were excited to see many of the SHFL products. Proprietary table games like Double Draw Poker and One for the Money drew a lot of attention from table game operators. From the Utilities segment, popular products like the ChipStar roulette chip sorter; the i-Score double-sided display; the MD3 blackjack and baccarat card shuffler; and the DeckMate 2 poker room card shuffler with Shuffle Flex were prominently displayed drew plenty of interest.

What SHFL's product caused the biggest stir? Why?
I have already mentioned a few. Additionally, i-Table games are attractive to casinos because the games’ automated betting and wager- resolution process dramatically increases game security, accuracy and speed, resulting in more rounds per hour while eliminating errors, a key advantage on specialty table games that have complex paytables with high odds and complicated payouts. Another interesting offering is our e-Table SHFL FUSION Hybrid. It gives players the ability to switch between baccarat, roulette, and sic bo from the same terminal with the convenient touch of a button.

How was the show for Bally Interactive? What is the market like for this division in Europe?
We already have a good footprint in Europe. Many of our top performing games are now available on many of the major online gaming sites. We expect that to continue to grow. At the show we talked with many potential partners about Bally’s iGaming and mobile solutions. 

What kind of innovations can we expect from you going forward?
Bally has won more than 80 awards for innovation in the past four years. We will continue to aim to set the bar. Expect a lot of fun stuff. In the games segment, we are especially excited about introducing dozens of unique game titles, including world-class licensed branded games TITANIC, The Magic of David Copperfield, Grease Pink Ladies, and ZZ Top Live from Texas, along with an array of cutting-edge systems technologies and industry-leading table products.

One especially exciting Systems offering coming soon is Take ‘n Play. It  allows the same slot machine game to be played in more than one location by streaming the game content directly from the slot machine to a tablet. This product provides casinos with an easy, convenient solution for players who get up and leave their machine to smoke, use the restroom, or have to leave when their friend or partner is ready to move on. 

What are your plans for the coming months?
We still have a lot of work to do in integrating Bally and SHFL. It’s an exciting time to be part of the company. Bally is committed to serving the needs of the European market and operators. With that I’m looking forward to seeing many of them in person in the next few months. We are offering the most complete and dynamic range of products available in the gaming industry, so there is plenty to talk about!.