Exclusive interview with Wally Sa'd, General Manager, Wells-Gardner Technologies, Inc.

“We need new markets to open up”

2016-08-12
Reading time 1:33 min
Ahead of his upcoming participation in the 2016 G2E Las Vegas, Wells-Gardner's General Manager spoke with Yogonet about the current state of gambling. This year, the global manufacturer of video display solutions, will be exhibiting at booth 3420.

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

At this year's G2E there will be new games releases, but nothing exciting in terms of new technology.

Wells-Gardner will be showcasing out new technology from UHD monitors, and a variety of touch solutions


What are operators most concerned about these days?

Some of the new machines are too expensive, and the revenue from them doesn’t justify the high cost.

The sector has gone through a major consolidation process in the last 18 months, which in my opinion means shrinking markets

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?

The sector has gone through a major consolidation process in the last 18 months, which in my opinion means shrinking markets and a reduction in consolidated sales. The gaming market is saturated with machines, whereas what is needed is for new markets such as Brazil, Italy and Greece to open up.

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?

Gaming lobbyists are pushing hard against it becase they acknowledge this will lead to a drastic drop in sales for gaming manufacturers, hence losing market share and jobs.

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

The main challenge is for gaming manufacturers to start creating content that attracts the younger generation (more social media related) and making their games more acceptable to meet the continous demand for innovation.

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