We live, as the Chinese curse has it, in interesting times – and those of us in the eurozone particularly so. But our sector will, I think, both win and lose from the European crisis. It will gain (at least in the long term) from this turmoil because governments will have no option but to allow more gaming in order to raise revenue and reduce debt. Greece is of course next with VLTs, and we can expect to see other liberalisations along the Mediterranean.

There’s one thing that an economic slowdown doesn’t seem to slow down, and that’s regulatory change. Across the world we see the gaming and amusements sectors continuing to adapt to new rules, often brought about by new technologies such as e-gaming and VLTs; and despite a few territories, notably Russia, heading in the direction of prohibition, the general trend is toward liberalisation.

Welcome back to Euroslot after the summer hiatus. We’ve been away from the printing presses for a couple of months, but we’ve still been busy – producing this year’s instalment of the Euroslot World Market Report, now available for you at euroslot-online.com.

It’s confirmed once again by stories in our news section this month that licensed properties, from Al Murray to Shaun the Sheep, are potent ways to drive players to a game. Of course, the gameplay still has to deliver if they’re going to stick with it, but licences do help a product stick out from the crowd – and in a prominent, highly visible position they should even help with acquiring new customers.

Problem gambling may be more readily associated with the casino or bookmaking sectors than with amusements, but it can occur anywhere that there’s an opportunity to stake money in the hopes of a win.

It deserves attention from all of us, not only because it’s the responsible thing to do but because it’s one of the main motives behind the regulation of gambling, and one of the main misgivings of those opposed to gaming’s growth. Reaching out with assistance for problem gamblers therefore doesn’t only help them, their families and their communities: it is, in the long run, beneficial to the entire gaming sector too.

Chances are that, especially at a time when consumers’ discretionary budgets are tight, you’re fighting for their attention and their cash with a whole range of rival suitors: not just other companies offering gaming and amusements, but the cinema, the mall, the sports centre, the Wii, the laptop, the mobile. And that makes it all the more important to gain a competitive edge.

To draw many detailed conclusions from the Gambling Commission’s third British Gambling Prevalence Survey might be dangerous without a degree in statistics – particularly where the detailed analyses of problem gambling are concerned. But one thing is very clear: the UK is a nation that likes to take a punt.

Too many governments are struggling to update their gaming regulations in piecemeal fashion, to reflect the growth – and cross-border nature – of online gambling and the ever-widening overlaps between different gaming categories.

Are you doing well despite the downturn, or struggling to stay afloat? Is the amusements industry your life and love, or just a stepping stone on the way to better things? Are you happy you made a career in this business, or do you so never want to see a Category C machine again?

Those of you who read our sister title Casino International – where, incidentally, I first became seriously involved in the gaming sector – will also know its sage and cheery-visaged editor, Jon Bruford.

The eye-watering amount paid for the Slots.com domain name, reported in our news pages this month, is another indication of the serious business to be done in providing online fun. But the amusements industry faces some special challenges in exploiting the Internet.

Spending may be a dirty word in Westminster right now, but across Britain’s leisure industry it seems the big players are recognising that regardless of the dreaded downturn, you still need to invest to gain an edge on the competition.

This issue alone, our news pages report on a new pub system developed by Gamestec and Astra; a big win for Sceptre Leisure; Praesepe’s creation of a high-street bingo concept; and Project’s pledge to protect its R&D budget.

Showtime is upon us once again. Fingers crossed we won’t be trudging through snow to get to see the exhibitions this year. It has certainly been a cold and uncertain start to the new decade but as Tony Blair and his crew infamously once said “Things can only get better.”

A happy new year to all our readers and welcome to a new decade! I can look back on ten years writing about the industry and wonder at how things have changed. I vividly remember the launch of a revolutionary new pinball machine, called Pinball 2000, which unfortunately failed to set the industry alight and marked the end of Bally’s involvement in the sector.

We would like to extend our best wishes and condolences to the family of Joaquín Franco Muñoz, co-founder of one of the largest global gaming companies, who died in Madrid last month, aged just 70.

We had the first UK show following a difficult summer last month. Preview was down in size but up in visitor numbers and sales were made. Check out the comments from the exhibitors in our show report and you will find that they were optimistic almost to a man and woman.

Although it is, unfortunately, many years since I left full-time education, I still regard this time of year with a sort of "back to school" mentality. The summer holidays are over and thoughts turn to the shows, deadlines and meeting up with colleagues and customers. It has been a difficult year for most, but I feel we can congratulate ourselves on getting through it and look ahead with renewed confidence and optimism.

Music is the subject of our main feature this month. This is one sector that has been transformed in recent years. At the heart of the old jukebox was a reliable CD changer mechanism. At the heart of today's jukebox is a computer. In some ways, this means that almost anyone can produce a jukebox. But now that the focus is off simply playing the music, a whole host of new possibilities has opened up to the industry.

This month we focus on coin-op tournaments. These have been running for around a decade and, in some sectors, have matured into a global phenomenon. But the pitfalls awaiting the unwary tournament organiser are manifold. We spoke to some of the more successful tournament operators about what they find most challenging about organising tournaments - what the legal implications are - and how they get their message across to the players.

June and the weather in the UK is wonderful. It is hard not to feel more optimistic when the sun is shining. The UK industry is gearing up to the season of Open Days, starting with Park Avenue in London - where John Stergides and his team unfailingly order in sunshine to accompany the Greek barbecue and beer. This year, however, there is even more excitement than usual surrounding the event, as companies take the chance to show the new £70 jackpot machines for the first time.

Sad news this month as we lost two industry stalwarts, Martin Dempsey and Clive Birdsall. For me, Martin Dempsey was one of those characters who was "always there". At any trade show or gathering, he would be present, usually with the ever-capable Susan at his side. He was never too busy to have a quick chat, or to help out with some information on the Irish market. He really worked hard to promote coin-op in a positive way, representing the Irish trade association at Euromat meetings, setting up the Mary Openshaw prize and organising one of the most popular coin-op shows in the calendar. Martin was never the type to draw attention to himself and would probably have been surprised to know how much he will be missed.