According to the information provided by the organisers of FER INTERAZAR, this year there were 17,950 trade visitors. It is worth mentioning that there were 160 exhibitors at the show; 24 of whom were from abroad; there were 248 indirect exhibitors, 538 companies were represented, 331 of which were foreign companies, and there were 13 specialist press stands; overall there were 16,200 m2of exhibition space, 9,987 net, 5,000 m2 for supporting services; 235 m2 for institutional participation; 3,750 foreign visitors; 1,350 professional passes; 2,590 machines and other items on display and 54 participating countries.

In the past, companies such as CIRSA, Sente and R. Franco stole the show with their new products and the size of their stands. At this year's event it would be difficult to judge for certain. The emergence of new electronic machines for bingo and the entry of on-line betting companies into the Spanish market have changed the face of the exhibition. At present, bingo, gaming and amusement machines seem to have an equal share. A fact that should be highlighted is that each year more leading international companies such as Novamatic, and at this year's show Aristocrat, have taken the decision to present their products directly in Spain. To do so, their stands competed directly with those of the local leaders both in size and products. This year, and confirming the trend of previous exhibitions, multiplayer machines have been the most numerous. Electronic poker tables today offer what had previously been offered by the roulettes. A renewal of the catalogue of games available for the arcades and gaming halls brings added attractions for the regular clients. Nearly all the exhibitors offered a version of these machines. Possibly the most spectacular, being the only electromechanical machine capable of handling real letters, could be seen on the Aristocrat stand - a Black Jack table with a truly impressive internal mechanism. In parallel, Sleic, a pioneer in this area, organized a Texas Hold'em poker competition on its stand to demonstrate the potential of its models.

As regards suppliers of new games for bingo halls, this year following a number of years absence, saw the return of the first Spanish manufacturer in this sector, the Vaprel company, which introduced a powerful gaming computer, through which you can follow the progress of the game on-line, receive SMS messages on your mobile or control the game in a fully automated way. FB Metronia showed, to which we have become accustomed over the last three years, its best line of special machines for bingo halls that makes it an indisputable leader. Zitro for its part exhibited a modern line of cabinets for electronic bingo that incorporate a new technological platform for its games.

Since they opened their doors for betting, Victoria from the Codere Group and Sportium from the Cirsa Group were exhibiting at the fair in Madrid and each had its own stand. On the Sportium® stand were experts to show visitors how to complete a ticket, which you do when you place a bet and how to quantify the winnings in terms of the amounts placed. For its part, Victoria organised several activities in an educational way to introduce players to the world of betting. The Comatel company gave a news conference to present "Vaamos apuestas deportivas" the name under which Depor Apuesta Madrid S.A., a company formed by an Italian business group and the Comatel Group, will operate. This company will operate in the betting sector in Madrid, the only autonomous region apart from the Basque Country that has regulated this sector. The English company A Bet Technology was also present at Fer Interazar.

All of the above does not mean that this fair did not also include the developments in the traditional "B" type machine segment (AWP's). Once again this year B type machines were indisputable players. The presentation of the latest models from Videmur, "Colorado and Captain Morgan" did not disappoint an audience that praised its many technological benefits: 17'' TFT screens, easily upgradeable software and unbeatable graphics. "Chicago", from the manufacturer Bally Wullf and distributed in Spain by Carfama and Costa Cálida, was the focus of everyone's eyes. Its original design inspired by the world of gangsters in the 20's - and its simple and entertaining game ensure high performance and optimal profitability. SERVIMATIC presented "The Oasis of the Nile", an innovative game in which you access attractive prize lines that combine the games on the lower reels to win prizes and bonuses on the central winning line. This new arcade machine is manufactured by Red Gaming. After four years of experimentation Extreme Games presented "Cash Road," a model whose main feature is its ease of use, with more than 15 different types of result and the visual attraction that comes from the use of the video screen above the conventional reel. UNIDESA offered its guests "Monstermania", a reel model that it has been selling, with excellent results since its launch together with "The Pearl of the Caribbean" of which more than 20,000 units have been sold already. As regards the latter it has been necessary to extend the large family of "The Pearl of the Caribbean", with the reel and mini video versions, two designs that reflect the essentials of "The Pearl" adapting to each type of player and the size of the hotel or bar where it is installed. Unidesa completed its product line with the presentation of "Uni-Roulette" an electronic roulette with ten positions.

Among the distributors and importers, including more than 300 foreign firms, MGA is always a point of reference that serves to demonstrate the configuration of this type of space where we can see many models belonging to various firms of international standing. With a stand covering more than 370 mÇ, the MGA company offered two distinct areas. In the first, a warm zone, evoking a mini casino in which the gaming products were highlighted. In the second were the products for amusement arcades. In the first area were new products such as POKER 100, in its Texa Hold'em version; SPORT BET SINGLE and SPORT BET MULTIPLE, with a touch screen where the bets can be placed and a large format screen where the players can follow the outcome of their bets on three possible games and PRIVATE ISLAND, a small island with eight interconnected machines with Jackpot.

Developments in the amusement area included, among others, SUPER TRIVIA SINGLE, a question and answer game where the player tests his knowledge, wit and speed of reaction; RAMBO DLX AND STD, based on the films starring Sylvester Stallone; BIG BASS, the player can win up to 1,000 tickets if he plays a perfect game; DEAL OR NO DEAL, an exciting and well-known television game with boxes that make the player feel part of the show and SEGA RALLY 3, possibly the best car simulator ever produced.

The supporting industry was also prominent. Tecnausa presented its latest innovative product at Fer Interazar: a connection for Roulette to the GRAN BOLSA and Intersalón GRAN BOLSA prizes - a system capable of connecting any manufacturer's wheel. This connection is achieved in the most dynamic and visually appealing way through a bright and innovative device capable of changing colour in order to announce the carousels and prizes to those playing at each roulette position. The IPS company also exhibited new products. The new IPS-BT is a device that performs the electronic capture of data via Bluetooth ®. Undoubtedly the most interesting was Top Box Video - a latest generation video platform, which is notable for its imposing appearance, for the high-definition widescreen display and for being customisable to satisfy the customer requirements. When it comes to the means of payment, in addition to the Azkoyen developments there were secure terminals from the AMYC company that are consolidated as the new "cashless" trend.

A show full of new products which, in this case, may serve to bring a breath of fresh air into a sector that has suffered difficulties as a result of the lack of legislation for the on-line market and the present lack of flexibility in adapting the gaming industry to the real needs of the market - in this case, compounded by having over ten different sets of rules.

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