Money Controls displays full range at IMA

From coin acceptance, coin payout and bill acceptance to payment integration, Money Controls has it covered, with the most comprehensive portfolio of payment products for the amusement industry. And all of these products will be on display at next month’s IMA show in Düsseldorf.
Money Controls has an enviable reputation in the amusement sector, gained by working closely with machine manufacturers for over forty years. This collaboration, coupled with Money Controls’ application engineering expertise, ensures that they deliver cost-effective, reliable products that perfectly meet the needs of each individual OEM.

The world-proven SR3 and SR5i coin acceptors will be on the Money Controls stand (No. 8a/G12).
These incorporate a host of innovations that guarantee security and trouble-free operation, such as full remote download capability and an encrypted communication protocol that takes security to new levels.
The long-serving Universal Hopper, renowned throughout the industry for its unbeatable reliability, will be displayed alongside the versatile Compact Hopper. With a wide range of bowls, the Compact Hopper offers a large capacity within a small footprint and can be fitted in many applications, including retrofit.

Ardac Elite, Money Controls’ latest bill acceptor, will be on show, together with the well-established Lumina and Lumina Rotor acceptors. Incorporating state-of-the-art image capture and data processing techniques, Ardac Elite delivers the highest first-time acceptance of both new and street-grade bills; this has resulted in increased cashbox take for all of the many operators around the world who have retrofitted Ardac Elite.

Completing the line-up will be PayLink, the USB integration module that dramatically reduces the time-to-market for PC-based machines. Supporting both Windows and Linux operating systems, PayLink simplifies the creation of software for PC-based gaming machines by integrating a variety of payment peripherals into new machine platforms.
Heino Schlichting, General Manager of Money Controls GmbH, is leading the company’s presence at IMA and is looking forward to meeting existing customers, as well as welcoming new visitors to the stand: “With such a comprehensive portfolio on display, we are sure to have something to interest you, whether it’s a single product or a complete payment solution.”

The size and scale of the 2008 International Casino Exhibition will outstrip all previous shows by some considerable measure, offering visitors a wider selection of new products and ideas than ever before, as the London Show continues to break all records.

Opening its Earls Court doors to the international industry on 22/23/24 January, ICE – together with its remote gaming ICEi contingent – will feature at least 266 exhibiting companies over 16,000 square metres (172,160sq.ft) of floor space.

“These figures represent just the confirmed list of exhibitors at the start of December, and the final tallies could well be higher,” explained Clarion Gaming sales manager, Emma Green. “Put into context, the final numbers for the 2007 show were 209 exhibitors and just over 14,000sqm, so visitors can expect to see around 27 per cent more in January, in terms of different suppliers, and an additional 15 per cent of products and systems.”

Bi-fold growth
Expansion has been achieved across two fronts: firstly, no fewer than 79 companies are scheduled to exhibit on the ICE floor for the first time, bringing with them a plethora of new products, services, systems and ideas not previously seen at the London Show; secondly, of the 187 returning exhibitors, just over half (99) have opted to increase their floor space – allowing further opportunities to showcase new formulae from proven and successful brands.

Big brands
There’s no denying the quality of the ICE offering, with every major global supplier of slots, table games, systems and ancillary products vying for custom. Going on the size of their pitch alone, this year’s ‘big league’ comprises a top ten of Novomatic-Austrian Gaming Industries, IGT-Europe, WMS Gaming, TCS John Huxley, Atronic International, Aristocrat Technologies Europe, Fair Play, Informatica Franco, Amatic Industries/Genesis Games and Apex Gaming Technology. Also demanding high levels of attention with stands in excess of 150sqm (1,614sq.ft.) are Tranchant Gaming Technology, Gold Club, Alfastreet-Pockaj, Progressive Gaming International, Elektroncek, Gaming Partners International, Unidesa Gaming & Systems, Abbiati Casino Equipment, Bally Technologies, Ainsworth Game Technology, Konami Gaming and Carat Technology. These are joined by a further 19 companies with 100sqm-plus (1,076sq.ft) displays.

Kiron Interactive, the thoroughbred South African specialist software developers, have added their name to the growing list of exhibitors debuting at the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2008, the London show which takes place at Earls Court between January 22nd-24th.

Kiron Interactive, which has traditionally focused on the development and design of innovative, skill-based, interactive games in the virtual sports arena, will be exhibiting at ICE 2008 to launch new virtual sports products targeting the retail betting industry. In so doing, the company will benefit directly from operators visiting the co-located ICEi remote gaming show.

Business Development Director Steven Spartinos described ICE 2008 as ‘an ideal launch platform considering the extensive and growing audience visiting the show’.

He explained: “Our focus has been on developing software for the interactive skill-based gaming industry with a primary focus on virtual horse racing. We have deployed our software on our proprietary websites as well as offering it to online partners on a white label basis. Developing virtual sports content for the betting industry is an extension of this business and one which we look forward to showcasing at ICE 2008.”

Spartinos concluded: “We are hoping ICE 2008 creates additional awareness for our products in the industry as well as allowing us to network with potential clients.”

Exciting developments on display at ICE

“The Ardac Elite bill and ticket acceptor has proven itself in the field; it’s now time to make more of its unique capabilities” — that was the message from Tony Morrison, Money Controls’ European Sales Director, ahead of ICE2008.
“Over the last year we’ve put a lot of effort into ensuring that Ardac Elite delivered on its promise,” Tony continued. “In tests with the leading OEMs and field trials in casinos around the world, we have proven that Ardac Elite is leading the way in bill acceptance: first-time acceptance of street-grade bills and barcode tickets consistently exceeds 97%, much to the delight of casino operators and their customers.”
The casino trials are particularly pleasing for the company, as every trial has resulted in a retrofit program in other slots on the casino floor. Slot managers were delighted with the increase in cashbox take, but they also took other factors into account, such as the ease of retrofitting, the improved customer experience and the fact that the units on trial never needed cleaning.
“The trials are continuing,” said Tony Morrison “but we’re now focusing on making the most of Ardac Elite’s unique image capture and data processing capabilities: helping staff on the casino floor and improving back-office management.”
Visitors to Money Controls’ stand, No 4145, will be able to see the first exciting development in this next chapter of the Ardac Elite story: a full-colour image of the last note inserted displayed on a PDA.
Money Controls believes this will prove invaluable in resolving customer disputes. Casino staff simply connect a PDA to the USB socket on the front of an Ardac Elite and the note image appears on the screen.
Four-way barcode reading, a new optional feature for Ardac Elite, will also be demonstrated at ICE. This option, developed to enhance player satisfaction, means that, whichever way a barcode ticket is inserted, Ardac Elite will read it.
Tony Morrison issued an invitation to all visitors to ICE: “Please drop by our stand and see more of these exciting developments and find out why Ardac Elite is leading the way.”

In a recent top-101 survey of the Latvian economy magazine “Kapitāls” published October 2007 Alfor SIA, a subsidiary of the Novomatic Holding Austria, ranged at number 15 of the most valuable Latvian companies. Moreover, with an annual growth rate of 252 percent Alfor SIA emerges as the most dynamic company of the Latvian economy.

In the top ranking of the established Latvian trade journal Alfor SIA is in the exclusive company of banks, telecommunications companies, energy suppliers and logistics companies. The ranking is based on business data derived from the fiscal year beginning with January 1st, 2006 and ending with January 1st, 2007. In this period of time Alfor SIA was able to raise its business value by 252 percent, a figure that manifestly signifies the economic success of the company in the growing Latvian gaming market as the most dynamic company.

With about 1,000 staff and 135 electronic casinos Alfor reached a turnover of 42 Million Latvian Lats (€ 60 Million) in 2006. The company’s new regional headquarters near the Riga Airport were built with an investment of 3.5 Million Latvian Lats (€ 5 Million) and offer amongst others highly modern offices for 100 staff.

DI Ryszard Presch, Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Novomatic, is proud of the success in Latvia: “This business ranking confirms our strategic investments in the Baltic states and especially in Latvia. It is great to see our subsidiary rise from rank 18 last year to 15 in this year’s economic survey. We are above all proud of the achieved annual enterprise value growth of 252 percent which designates Alfor the most dynamic Latvian company. I extend my congratu¬lations to the Latvian Alfor team and say thank you for the great job they have done.”

Novomatic gaming equipment are absolute top-export products to Latvia and head the foreign trade statistics. According to Novomatic CEO Franz Wohlfahrt the exports of the subsidiary Austrian Gaming Industries GmbH (AGI) in 2006 to Latvia alone exceeded € 20 Millions.

Constant investments are proof of a long-term commitment and further expansion plans in the region: in Latvia € 39 Million have been invested up to mid 2007, in Estonia (with 100 staff) € 7 Million and in Lithuania (with 25 staff) € 8 Million. By July the group has employed more than 1,000 staff. Today the Novomatic group operates a total number of 5,100 gaming machines in the three Baltic states.