Time flies and, for some, there has hardly been enough time to adapt the products to the multiple legislative changes that have been introduced since the last Madrid fair. At that time, the machines being exhibited by most of the manufacturers were more the product of a desire for change than of reality, since almost all the Spanish regions with sufficient autonomy to legislate had not yet considered, and far less approved, the new regulations that, subsequently, allowed operation within the B-type segment of machines fitted with a video monitor instead of the traditional reels.

Certainly, those machine models that could be seen at the fair in 2005 included many of the modifications which, much later, saw the light of day in the regulations issued by the autonomous regions, but even last year this was a mere exercise of the imagination. Nevertheless, throughout the period that has elapsed, the legislators have been passing new regulations and, little by little, the market has seen that some of the models which last year represented the future are now the starting point for new methods of gaming. The application of the emergent technologies has had a remarkable influence in this regard and they have been taking up positions in the various sectors of the gaming market, extending into all the far corners; that is to say, from machines that are purely for amusement, or those designed specifically for casinos, to the most popular models in the bars, not forgetting the transformation of the multi-game electronic terminals in bingo halls.

However, possibly the outstanding phenomenon has been the change of strategy by professionals in the sector faced with the wild expansion of online games. That it is difficult to restrain is obvious. So, little by little and without waiting for this activity to be controlled through the appropriate regulations, some have begun to take decisions that will allow them to participate in a market that, very few doubt, represents the way forward for the gaming market based on the personalisation of the actions to the proposals, and the consequent immediacy of the response – the impulse and its reward.

According to Manuel Ortega, organiser of Fer- Interazar, “We have been forced by the high demand for space to extend the exhibition area of the fair and to rework the distribution of the exhibitors in order to make room for the new online gaming designs which, following the creation of the corresponding trade association, have shown an enormous interest in participating for the first time at events such as this. A new stage has finally been reached in Spain, and the fair will be both co-protagonist and the main witness of a reality that is already unquestionable.”

From another point of view, the intense legislative and manufacturing activity that has been taking place during the last year has, as a consequence, seen an evolution, at the same time as a specialisation, of the various sub-sectors that participate in the gaming market. The approval of new terminals for bingo halls, known as B4, making it possible to access new and alternative ways of gaming, and the interconnection of the bingo halls so that it is possible to offer larger prizes, seems to have moved them out of the stagnation which bingo halls were suffering, thus to a great extent putting a halt to their disappearance.

In this respect, companies such as FB Metronia and Mc Bingos will be present after an intensely busy year in which both firms have been able to install their systems, designed especially to work with the B4 multi-game terminals, in several Spanish regions. The opening of new casinos throughout the year has also had a significant impact on the market and we will be able to observe the consequences at the fair. There are several manufacturers which, in addition to the most well known – such as R. Franco and Unidesa Gaming from the Cirsa Group – are developing models that, although initially only supplying the local market, almost immediately started to compete internationally. Nevertheless, the main market continues to be in the popular B-type machines that we can see in all the Spanish bars. The necessary approval of all products in each of the autonomous regions in which they are marketed forces, yet at the same time facilitates, so the transformation of the market is not traumatic and takes place in a manner that is in step with the promulgation of the corresponding regional legislation – which means that between the end of the development of a product and its being marketed, more than a year can elapse.

Among the most important companies that we should mention, apart from the two Spanish giants, are Gigames, whose games platform is revolutionising the market; and Sleic, which, having just extended its manufacturing plant, has considerably expanded its investment in R&D. The introduction of foreign firms into the Spanish market is proving a healthy experience. Companies such as MGA, Comatel, Sente and Costa Cálida have distribution agreements with the leading brands of the moment. However, every year the direct participation of foreign firms is increasing. In the words of Blanca Plaza, director of the event: “The increase in the number of foreign exhibitors at the 2006 fair is very significant. More and more of them are those which, after exhibiting through a Spanish firm the first time, return the following year to exhibit directly. The Spanish market is very receptive to good designs, and competition is forcing everything to evolve. Without a doubt, this is turning Fer-Interazar into a great opportunity for those wishing to expand internationally.”

Another sector that has also witnessed favourable activity throughout the period between the fairs is the amusement arcades. Different products from those installed in bars have been found for amusement arcades, such as multi-player roulettes. Therefore, there are several manufacturers that have produced new lines of machines to cater for the demand created by the new regulations.

Of course, this type of machine will also be seen at the fair, as well as products that are merely for amusement, such as Photo Play, and the redemption machines and video games that, along with the traditional kiddie rides, have been participating ever since the first Fer-Interazar fair 26 years ago. Similarly, the ancillary industry, which supplies the components necessary for production, will be widely represented.

Juan Manuel Ortega told us: “Despite clashing with two other very important events (Las Vegas and Moscow), bookings are up on last year, demonstrating, on the one hand, the importance of the Spanish industry in an international context and, on the other hand, the stable evolution of the Spanish market as it becomes ever more competitive and open to new applications.” He concluded by saying: “This year, the fair will be more representative than ever.”

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