The new law saw the end of the so-called fun-games in the market, and there was a damaging gap between their removal from the market on January 1, 2006 and the arrival of the first new-law AWPs for sale in the early summer. In fact, figures released by the German trade associations last year claim that operators’ turnover shrank by around seven per cent in 2006. With an exhibition floor of approximately 18,700 square meters IMA 2008 was larger than it has been in recent years. There were160 exhibitors from 41 countries spread over halls 8a and 8b at the exhibition centre in Düsseldorf. Yet, despite the easier transport links to Düsseldorf from other international airports, there appeared to be fewer overseas visitors to the show this year than when it had taken place in Nüremberg. The main news of the show this year is an amendment that will be introduced new machine specifications from July this year. The government has asked the industry to limit the number of points shown on the win meter to a cash value of Euro 1,000 – at the moment it can climb to six times that amount. Any machines already on site to the existing specifications can remain so legally until 2011. The industry has agreed to abide by these changes, partly because to refuse would be foolhardy and could usher in more damaging new legislation, and partly because it gives a nice little selling window until July this year, for operators to invest in the old-style machines. In the press conference on the first morning of the show, Paul Gauselmann, Chairman of the VDAI trade body, and CEO of one of the largest gaming companies in Germany, blamed the casino sector for the new amendment. He claimed that they used the argument of player protection to lobby ministers to change AWPs, when in fact they were simply concerned about competition to their own slot machines. “We are able to live with the new rules. We can also live with the restriction that wins in the form of points or special games must not exceed a potential cash value of EUR 1,000.00, because the players are usually rather more interested in the entertainment than in the actual wins. Only true gamblers will be disappointed,” he told the press. With 175,000 new machines bought since March 2006, the industry is in forgiving mood. None more so than Löwen – part of the Novomatic group of companies – which will have sold around 50,000 of its Novo Line machines into the German market by March 2008. These are multigame video AWPs, which caused a sensation last year when the company revealed they would only be available to rent and not to buy. Luckily, they have been far and away the most popular machines in the market and operators were therefore forced to comply. The pill was made sweeter by four new game updates in the last 12 months, which were at no extra cost to the 200 euros rental. This year, Löwen showed the successor Novo Star in a de luxe cabinet. “We kept our promise to the operators and they have accepted the rental system,” said Löwen’s Christopher Röricht. “Ninety per cent of them were leasing games in any case.” Löwen had a huge stand at the IMA show with a space theme playing homage no doubt to the Novo Star machine. We were reliably informed that the Löwen stand was exactly the same size as the Gauselmann stand in the other hall – down to the last inch! This kind of posturing is nothing new in the German market, where clearly size does matter. The other behemoth stand belonged to Bally Wulff, which was in ebullient mood due to the news that it had attracted a new Swiss investor. Bally Wulff Managing Director Axel Herr has enjoyed shaking up the somewhat stuffy German market since he joined the company 18 months ago. His ‘modern’ habits of addressing his staff using their first names and eschewing the chauffer-driven Mercedes and BMWs in favour of his own Smart car has met with admiration and consternation in equal measure – much to his delight. Bally Wulff has been busy overhauling its software and hardware platforms and merging its technologies using an open Linux platform in recent months. This will allow games to be adapted to different legislation or stakes and prizes at the touch of a button. Herr is now looking forward to announcing some exciting third-party development partnerships in game design. This was also a concept announced by Funworld at the show. Norbert Langer told Euroslot that the company has invited some of the most talented designers of popular internet-based games to submit their games for use on the Photo Play terminals. In addition, the company has opened a new division called fun/select, which will distribute the LAI stacker game everywhere in Europe except the UK. The other product available through fun/select is a money changer wall-mounted unit called Music Changer. When a note is inserted, change is released bar one 20 cent coin. The player can then press one button to reclaim the coin, or another to have a spin of the lights on the front of the unit with the possibility of winning up to 20 times the original coin – or alternatively the light will stop on a music note and the stake will be lost in a burst of music. Fun/select is just one of the divisions that Funworld is promoting currently. The others include TouchToy – products for kids, and BET-solutions, which makes betting terminals. Photo Play is just another division, with Funworld keen to bring the Funworld name and brand into greater prominence. Amusements in general are not thriving in the same way as the gambling market. Gauselmann remains the only major company to deal in video, with distribution deals in place with Sega, Namco, Konami, Global VR and Stern – but just for the domestic market. The group manufactures its own kiddie rides, hockey table and children’s touchscreen units which it does sell throughout Europe, however. TAB Austria products could be found on several stands. The company was represented on the Bally Wulff and the Norditalia stand and the Max Fire jukebox appeared on a couple of sub-distributor’s stands as well. It appears to be the only digital jukebox to be selling significantly in Germany, although the NSM Icon could be seen on the Neox stand at the show. Companies such as Merit were no longer at the IMA, which is significant. The German market has become increasingly controlled by just a handful of giants. Foreigners can only get a look in through distribution partnerships. One of the most enduring is that of JVH and Bally Wulff. Last year, the Dutch company showed its first machine for the German market, Gold Casino: Five Lines, however, this did not reach homologation until November 2007. The company now has a second video-based product called Nevada Casino, with double screen – this should be homologated in the next couple of months. Next year’s IMA may not be so upbeat. With operators having been persuaded to buy before July, there may not be as much budget again in January. However, the show will remain strong if only from the posturing of its largest exhibitors, who want to be seen to be as powerful as ever. Certainly exhibitors seemed to be happy, except for the addition of a fourth day this year again, which was widely criticised as being unnecessary. Apart from that it makes life particularly difficult for those who have to move stands and equipment to London for the ATEI. But that was the only moan, as Petra, Stephanie and the team created a near perfect show, with efficient registration, in a near perfect location.

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