“ETGs should no longer be directly compared with the slot business”

Why is the G2E Las Vegas a good fit for your company?

G2E is one of the largest tradeshows in the world, and is one of the most important events for us, bringing the most influential people in the industry to one venue. This is a time for us to showcase our innovation, which has been focused exclusively on the Electronic Table Game (ETG) Segment for more than 25 years. This experience, boosted by the expertise of several industry veterans who have recently joined our team, will provide the foundation needed to meet our customers' changing needs.

What can visitors expect to see from you this year?

This year, Interblock will be showcasing data-driven innovation through a blend of its core Electronic Table Games products and more than twelve new products, features, side bets, and progressives through different sections of our booth 1239. I truly believe these set us apart from the competition.

Prior to and during the Show, we will also be announcing several new deals related to Interblock's unique Stadium design – the PULSE ARENA. Some of the largest casino groups in the world will be deploying this product over the next four months.

We will also be launching several new ETG concepts never before seen by the industry. We have expanded our product offerings which will sustain large areas of a casino floor and provide a dedicated ETG environment for a new type of player.

One new product launching at the show is the TRIO.

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This visually impactful ETG island is made up of three 5-seater automated ETG products. It can transform any footprint, large or small, by combining and connecting popular games into one unit, and offers two exciting progressives

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Our newest Craps game, called Pick 2 Win Craps, is a game changer for Interblock. This product allows players to pick two of the three dice and gives them the ability to shoot the dice as in traditional live Craps, with all-new side bets and features.

The all-new Diamond Dual Roulette with simultaneous multi-play and multi-game functionality will be on display. This product with real wheels and balls allows players to play two different colored Roulette games at the same time.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the highlights of our both is the revolutionary PULSE ARENA, which was launched at G2E last year and was in our booth at ICE earlier this year. The PULSE ARENA continues to receive incredible attention and will be a part of our booth again this year.

Guests will also see Interblock’s Stadium configurations. Interblock is the only company that offers four Stadium Dealer Assist generators that allow six different game forms: Roulette, Craps and Sic-Bo, Single-Hand Cards (Baccarat and Blackjack) and Multi-Hand Cards (Blackjack).

What will be the highlights of the 2016 G2E Vegas and why?

As a manufacturer solely focused on one segment of the gaming industry, our objective for this year’s G2E is to share data-driven information that indicates ETGs should no longer, be directly compared with the slot business. ETGs' growing incremental revenue is driving new types of players onto the casino floor at rates exceeding other product categories, while attracting existing players to stay longer and play more often.

We hope to share our research and experience, which indicates ETGs need to be evaluated in a category of their own and no longer compared with the house average of slots. This transition is has already been accepted and implemented by some of the largest casino operators in the world – a shift that we expect to grow as more operators begin to evaluate the data behind ETGs.

What are operators most concerned about these days?

I truly believe that the biggest concern for operators and suppliers alike is the continuous urgency to find innovative applications and products that can help transform the casino floor, and suppliers have spent hundreds of millions in R&D trying to keep the casino floors relevant as we see our new and existing players evolve.

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The industry has yet to find the complete solution, but you can definitely feel the momentum from all sides to put more capital to work in areas designed to bring new forms of revenue to the casino floor

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We are now seeing data across multiple jurisdictions and demographics that confirm Electronic Table Games are filling a portion of this demand that casino operators are seeking.

For this reason, I strongly feel that Electronic Table Games will receive more attention than ever during this G2E.

The gambling industry in the U.S. is going through a period of transition shaped by a range of factors, some of which have their roots within the country, while others are related to the natural affairs of the international scenario. How would you describe the current state of gambling? What does the future have in store for the sector?

We believe that we will continue to see a consolidation within the industry, and those with the foresight to invest in areas that attract the next generation of players will ultimately survive.

This is often a challenging situation, due to the economic pressures placed on companies that are public or have significant assets dedicated to a downward trending segment. Taking the first step is the most difficult, but taking no step at all could spell the beginning of the end.

For this reason, we are investing more than ever into our R&D Division, expanding our portfolio of new and innovative products to better position our company for the future.

In a recent interview granted to Yogonet, a Pennsylvania official who's pushing to legalize online gambling in the Keystone State, said: “Sometime in the future, I see the U.S. being similar to Europe”. In your opinion, why is it taking so long for the U.S. to allow for gambling expansion in all its forms?

There are several questions related to on-line gaming, which need to be addressed before there can be much momentum in the US:

How do we regulate this form of gaming?

How do we tax this segment?

How will the existing license holders within a territory be “positively” affected?

These and related issues are complex in nature, and need to be evaluated carefully.

Considering that non-gaming has, over the last years, become an effective revenue driver for casinos, what are the main challenges facing the industry?

We are seeing a tremendous amount of the casino operators’ available capital being spent on non-traditional gaming areas within the casino. Shops, shows, night clubs, restaurants and other areas have been contributing significant incremental growth to the casinos over the past decade.

The casino sector collectively is supporting the need to invest greater amounts of money to drive new players to the casino floor- this trend seems to be growing.

Casino suppliers must evolve and innovate to find new products and experiences that drive the growth onto the casino floor.

Interblock is committed to driving the ETG gaming segment forward with new, innovative offerings and ideas to support casino operators’ objectives.