“The global gaming industry continues to be dynamic and ever-changing”

What new items were presented by IGT at the recent ICE show? How was the public feedback?
IGT’s ICE stand was full of industry-leading innovations across every category. One of our standout products for the show was our new CrystalDual Cabinet. ICE was the global debut for this cabinet and the feedback was resoundingly positive. Our customers were impressed with the hardware’s impeccably clear visual display, its rich game pipeline and its unique serviceability features. Our customers were also very pleased with the variety of games on that cabinet including the re-release of Party Time Video Slots, one of IGT’s most-loved Multi Level Progressives. Our new spinning-reel S3000 cabinet made its international debut at the show and, as expected, it garnered a wealth of attention. The S3000 is performing extremely well in the US and after ICE, we expect similar interest and success in other stepper-heavy markets such as France and South Africa and with traditional video slots enthusiasts who are willing to diversify their player experiences.

What are your thoughts about how ICE panned out in 2015?
ICE attracts IGT customers from every part of the globe. The show presents the ideal opportunity to synch  with our customers, share our latest innovations and gain insights into how we can better serve them and meet the demands of their businesses.

What are the brand’s goals and expectations for 2015? How is the firm planning to achieve them?
In 2015 IGT will continue the company’s mission of leading and transforming gaming entertainment. We have a vast portfolio of new games, hardware and systems technologies that we are eager to get out into the field and you’ll continue to see IGT gain momentum in cross-platform content creation and deployment. We expect to close our merger agreement with GTECH in the first half of calendar year 2015 and together with GTECH we’ll create the industry’s leading end-to-end gaming company.

What are IGT's future plans and strategies to promote consolidation and expansion of games and systems in global markets?
We believe consolidation will keep the industry healthy in the short term and in our case, combine best-in-class capabilities to drive industry growth and innovation in the long term. The merger will enable the combined company to shape the future of gaming, deliver the innovation needed to meet player needs, provide an integrated portfolio and deliver best-in-class platforms and content.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the gaming industry today? What changes would you implement to make this industry more efficient?
The global gaming industry continues to be dynamic and ever-changing. While some jurisdictions enjoy continued growth and new markets open up, others face revenue or regulatory challenges - it’s this constant change that pushes us as a supplier to continue to innovate in ways that matter to our customers. Further, we’re in an increasingly more digital/mobile era and IGT’s content strategy has quickly become more valuable than ever. For example, last year we brought Wheel of Fortune games to social gaming via DoubleDown Casino and will very soon to the online and mobile RMG environments. At ICE we celebrated the triple-channel launch of Prowling Panther. IGT’s ability to deploy quality content across multiple platforms serves us very well in the rapidly evolving global gaming marketplace.

Online gaming was another highlight at ICE. What are your expectations at IGT and for the sector in general in 2015?
Online gaming continues to be an important area of focus for IGT’s business. At ICE we showcased a variety of exciting new themes including licensed titles Wheel of Fortune, Sherlock Holmes and Family Guy and new MegaJackpots titles Siberian Storm and Cleopatra. These are all titles that we offer in the land-based environment and we expect superior performance from these games in the interactive realm as well. In 2015 our Interactive team will remain focused on working with our customers to cultivate a truly seamless land-mobile-desktop player experience.