Statistics are a matter of fact but they can also sometimes conceal a greater truth. Statistically, this year’s edition of the International Gaming Expo (IGE) showed a factual decline in numbers of both exhibitors and visitors, yet the truth was that this was a critically successful event. Particularly so for Novomatic who, in setting another new record as IGE’s biggest single exhibitor, enjoyed an exhibition that set the seal on a mood of accelerating recovery for the entire international gaming industry.

Novomatic is no stranger to setting records in London. This year the Austrian gaming giant expanded its booth space once again; taking up a vast swathe of Earls Court II and presenting a larger than ever before range of product innovations. In a parallel with last year’s G2E in Las Vegas, numbers were down but visitor quality was up. The London event also mirrored its American counterpart by becoming more international, as judged, for example, by the increased presence of attendees from South and Central America, Asia and a large representation of industry luminaries from South Africa.

Novomatic’s larger than ever stand made possible the integration of Astra Games Limited (the UK subsidiary of Austrian Gaming Industries GmbH) and their seamlessly integrated product presentation, designed to stimulate and energize both what has been in recent times a depressed home UK market plus the company’s selected international export territories gave the whole Novomatic booth a whole new look and expanded dimension.

Astra used the traditional Novomatic pre-IGE press conference to announce the very recent acquisition of a majority shareholding in top internet facilitation company Greentube I.E.S. GmbH. This acquisition effectively doubles the commercial size of Astra and assists Novomatic in the development of a critically important third business segement, linking i-gaming together with the Group’s dually important core business areas of game production and operations.

As expected, AGI came to London with a host of new product releases. In cabinets, with the brand new Novostar® SL Novomatic presents every gaming floor’s shining star. Available in three different modular versions the Novostar® SL caters to the entire range of modern gaming applications: Novostar® SL1 with one monitor for multiplayer installations and Novostar® SL2 with two monitors as well as Novostar® SL3, featuring three monitors, for classic video slot gaming. The triple monitor version offers an additional thrill for jackpot installations with the Powerlink™ display presenting up to four jackpot levels directly on the machine.

Technology leadership made tangible

The Novomatic world of games in London encompassed all areas of slot gaming: traditional slots, gripping jackpot installations, Indigo® VLT, the new server based video lottery solution as well as Crown Technologies money changers. It was thus clear to see that the Novomatic booth maintains tradition by taking centre stage at the major European gaming event and unofficial New Year’s opening of the European gaming industry.

New games – new thrills

The ever growing choice of multi-games for the highly popular Super-V+ Gaminator® range provides operators all over the world with an enormous variety of game mixes for their diverse regulatory requirements, local preferences and special target groups. At IGE Novomatic launched a generation of brand new Coolfire™ II game releases ranging from 10 lines to 20 lines and even 40 lines.

Coolfire™ I+

With the new Ultimate™ 10 Novomatic presented a highly competitive multi-game offering for the new platform Coolfire™ I+. The Ultimate™ 10A multi-game mix is the first of a whole range of upcoming mixes that transfers popular Coolfire™ II gaming content to the international bestselling Gaminator® cabinet – the Winner – for state-of-the art gaming content and a new entertainment experience for guests.

The Coolfire™ I+ platform has been especially developed to perfectly optimize the capacities and performance of the internationally popular Gaminator® cabinet. A grand selection of internationally successful AGI gaming classics as well as new games will be available on Coolfire™ I+ offering enhanced graphics and improved usability for guests through features such as Multi-Denomination and multi-language options.

Multiplayers to excite and enthral

Regular IGE visitors were already familiar with the comprehensive Novomatic multiplayer installations that traditionally cover large areas of the booth space. For 2010 Novomatic presented a large array of possible multiplayer settings featuring the Novo-Bar™ cabinet as well as the new Novostar® SL1 machine. In one huge electronic live game installation based on Indigo® NUII, Novo TouchBet® Live-Roulette, Novo TouchBet® Live-Black Jack, Novo Multi-Roulette™ as well as Novo Flying Baccarat™ and the brand new Novo Flying 3-Card Poker™ are all accessible in one multiplayer multi-game installation on a total of 32 individual player terminals.

The server based Indigo® Novo Unity™ II platform adds new dimensions of functionality, flexibility and future proofing to every casino floor. In addition to the well-known benefits of Novomatic electronic live games, such as high usability, low maintenance, increased game frequency, dramatic reduction in operating errors and player disputes as well as variable stakes without additional operating costs, this platform also offers numerous advantages through its innovative server architecture:

• Multi-game functionality
• Sophisticated 3D animated game layouts
• Flexible Novomatic electronic live-game casino floor management
• Unlimited number of connected terminals possible
• Online monitoring in real-time
• User friendly configuration and maintenance
• Future-proof electronic live game infrastructure

Taking pride of place in London was the beautiful Novo TX-01 10-player live gaming table featuring both Novo Texas Hold’em Poker™ and the Roulette game Novo Wheel of Cash™. Live at IGE the Novomatic show team demonstrated the easy switch from Poker to Roulette and back again, just as casino guests desire, thus clearly proving the unique flexibility of this marvellous handcrafted table.

Novomatic booth at the IGE 2010

In dispelling the understandable pre-show uncertainty IGE ultimately provided an outstanding stage on which the world gaming industry could preview the casinos of tomorrow, today.

Reflecting on the event, Jens Halle, Managing Director, AGI said: „Once again, IGE was Novomatic’s most important show of the year and it did not disappoint. Visitor numbers may perhaps have decreased to some degree but the internationalisation of the show was clearly increased; leading to significant interest and actual business from key markets such as Asia and South America plus a very impressive delegation of key industry figures from South Africa. Novomatic made, as always, a significant investment in IGE and we can judge that investment to have been worthwhile. I would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to all the visitors that came to see us in London. It was, as always, a pleasure to meet with you and we sincerely hope that the product concepts that we displayed have helped to move forward with confidence as our industry regains its strength and dynamism after the recent difficult times.“