internationalcasinoreview
2012 Report
Interactivity inter alia at Shuffle Master
As usual there was a huge amount of activity on the Shuffle Master stand with a range of enhancements to the core utility product range and the popular i-Table games. Now, however, casinos and players will be able to access Shuffle Master content online.
gettingiton SHUFFLE MASTER
Shuffle Master’s theme at ICE 2012 was the assertion that it “Delivers More”. It pre- sented a huge range of prod- ucts from its core shuffler and utility product range through to its speciality table games and content for its interactive technology. Headlining the stand was
Shuffle Interactive, which is designed to leverage Shuffle Master’s content across mul- tiple online and mobile devices. “It offers superior quality,
security and accessibility as standard on all Shuffle Master online and mobile games,” said John Strickland, director of marketing. “The Shuffle Interactive platform seamlessly integrates into any online casino or third- party platform and can deliver content through nearly any device including PC, Mac, Betting Terminals, iOS and Android. The service will be launched in the
coming months with Ulti- mate Texas Hold’em and Three Card Poker, which casinos can either offer free- to-play or for wagers, where permitted.” Shuffle Interactive,
which uses the same random number generator as Shuffle Master’s shuf- flers, will be the basis for developing further online applications and in-prop- erty mobile apps and can be adapted to suit operators’ branding requirements. Also on display for the
first time in Europe was the company’s progressive version of Four Card Poker. The progressive allows players to place an optional jackpot wager to have the chance at winning fixed prizes or a continuously incrementing jackpot. Shuffle Master’s card shuf- flers are, of course, their most famous products and have seen immense success through increasing table game productivity, prof- itability and security. The
new MD3 shuffler demon- strates the advanced capa- bilities of the latest shuffling technology. Using proven optical card-reading tech- nology, the MD3 scans and verifies pre-shuffled black- jack and baccarat decks at the table. Featuring an inno- vative platform and gripper system, the MD3 counts and shuffles up to eight decks of cards quickly and quietly, with significantly reduced wear and tear, making cards last longer. The MD3 also features an optional on- board ticket printer that produces a receipt of the deck verification results right at the table.
The other utility prod- ucts highlighted at the show included the Easy Chipper D with improved chip han- dling, better safety features and fewer moving parts for quick and accurate chip sorting. Also on the stand was i-Verify, an LCD touch- screen display that is embedded into a felt table, providing increased secu-
rity and reducing the amount of dealer training for “house way” games like Fortune Pai Gow Poker and Fortune San Lo Poker. When used in conjunction with an i-Deal shuffler, the i-Verify tells the dealer exactly how to set his or her hand, according to the prescribed house procedure. The company also
brought i-Table games to the show featuring richer, more intuitive graphic interfaces and new content. “The i-Table game’s auto- mated betting and wager resolution process dramat- ically increases game secu- rity, accuracy and speed, resulting in more rounds per hour while eliminating errors, a key advantage on specialty table games that have complex paytables with high odds and com- plicated payouts,” said Strickland. i-Table Roulette features
a roulette table with a live wheel, ball and dealer, and has an identical footprint to
a traditional table. The i- Table Roulette provides all the added functionality and benefits of electronic wagering.
“I think this could take
the roulette business by storm,” said Strickland. “Because spins per hour are significantly increased and errors virtually eliminated, productivity is dramatically increased, all the while enhancing the player’s experience with the dealer able to interact with the customer.” Other i-Table games on
display were Bad Beat Bonus for i-Table Ultimate Texas Hold’em, the first side bet for the i-Table Ultimate Texas Hold’em, which allows the player to be paid odds if either the player or the dealer loses with three- of-a-kind or better. There was also the new King’s Bounty side bet for i-Table Blackjack, which allows players to get paid odds for any total of 20 on their first two cards.
Stunning slant top from Amatic
curveup AMATIC INDUSTRIES
The Performer upright cabinet from Austria’s Amatic Industries, which was launched last year, is a good looking machine. Its slant top sister is a stunner. The Performer Slant Top has an
elegant, svelte shape with two wide- screen 26-inch monitors offering crystal clear images. When a third 26-inch screen is added as a top box it rises to a flowing crescent offer- ing an immersive visual experience for the player and lovely addition to the gaming floor for the operator. Of course, what goes in the cabinet is more important: new
46 March 2012 •ICEreport
games on offer from Amatic include Aztec’s Secret, Billy’s Game, Eye of Ra, Grand X and Tweety Birds all with clear and enjoyable animations and bonuses including free spins. The Grand Jeu electronic roulette
range from Amatic is one of its core products. At the show the company launched a new addition to its dual- wheel Roulette Grand Jeu Double with overhead signage feature large screens on two sides so that players can see all the action taking place. Amatic’s Evolution range of multi-
Thomas Engstberger (left) with director Leopold Öller showing the Performer SL slant top
player roulette allows operators to link the terminals to other slot games, offering players a huge choice of games wherever they want to sit.
“This is a feature that can now be
found more and more in the indus- try,” said company director Leopold Öller. “It proves that Amatic Indus- tries is bringing great innovations to the gaming floor.” Evolution fits happily within the Amatic’s range of server-based products. “The company has many years of experience in this growing market,” said Öller. “For example, the MLT - Multi Lottery Terminal - perfectly combines security, trans- parency, simplicity and flexibility. It is a customer-friendly platform that caters for increased customer acceptance and a wide-ranging jackpot system complements the system.”
Lizz Matheson and William Scigliano show the new Shuffle Interactive system
CTC
meeting the
holdingpoker CTC HOLDINGS
“We had a very good show, especially the second day,” said Edvins Lobinsh of gaming equipment manufac- turer CTC Holdings. “We’ve had a lot of very interesting meetings with existing and new customers, particularly from Africa, which is now our second biggest market after Europe.”
CTC Holdings of Latvia prides itself on offering the best quality for the best price: that has proved to be an appealing balance espe- cially in the recent difficult times.
Among the many products on the stand was CTC’s tour- nament poker table, 50 of which it recently supplied to the Casino Mazagan in Morocco.
“Operators need these tables but as they are not used all the time, they don’t want to pay a lot for them,” said Lobinsh. “It’s a casino quality table but it has removable legs to allow for easy storage. It has a felt top and a customisable layout.” Lobinsh continued: “We have also made improve- ments to our roulette wheel technology originally because of requirements for the German market, but it will now apply to wheels we sell everywhere. The German regulations require a minimum period of 15 minutes for the wheel to go from 25rpm to stop. We have modified the mechanism to exceed this requirement.”
market’s needs
Edvins Lobinsh with the new long-rotation roulette wheel and the Trident table
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