ICEi comes of age

2006 is poised to become a watershed year for the organisers of ICEi, the i-gaming sector of the annual International Casino Exhibition (ICE), which takes place at Earls Court 2, London across 24-26 January.

„Future Game“ – as it was then dubbed – launched in 2001 from humble beginnings with 17 exhibitors occupying 304sqm of floor space. Steady growth and a transition through the rebranded „i-Gaming Zone“ has followed and when the doors next open visitors will be positively spoilt for choice with no fewer than 37 i-gaming sector suppliers packing the ICEi dedicated area, plus five more spilling out onto the main floor of ICE.

Over 1,000 square metres of the latest products, systems and services on offer from leading specialists drawn from 12 different countries is the mouth-watering prospect that awaits ICEi attendees. And the scope of exhibits will prove equally appealing.

By far the largest field of offerings at ICEi, new game software will come in the widest number of varieties imaginable comprising 16 companies offering casino table games including roulette, craps, poker and a whole host of other card games. Slot-based games will be available from at least 13 exhibitors, whilst nine will demonstrate number-based games such as bingo, lottery and keno. A minimum of six ICEi exponents will bring sport-based software, covering a range of disciplines from horse racing to event betting and sports books to pools, and a further five companies will present fun and soft games.

In terms of platform content, solutions on offer will be closely split between Internet-specific (16 exhibitors) and software designed for other media (13 exhibitors), encompassing mobile/PDA, iTV, FOBT, AWP, iVT, VLT and telebetting.

A wide selection of general business systems will be on display with 18 different companies showcasing e-commerce, back office, payment processing, security systems, statistical tools and techniques to maximise search engine hits, e-aggregation and affiliation – to name but a few.

Platform provision and hosting facilities will be in plentiful supply via 12 different ICEi exhibitors.

Amongst the more specialist areas of i-gaming, the latest application hardware from five manufacturers will be unveiled on the show floor; VLTs, iVTs, FOBTs all featuring prominently amongst them.

Consultancy services, covering licensing and regulatory procedures, b2b publications, conferences and industry development matters, will be available on five stands to guide seasoned professionals and „newbies“ alike through the i-gaming world.

Betting exchanges and live casino streaming (four exhibitors each) round off the ICEi 2006 product portfolio.