For the VLT trade goes both ways, and it is Spielo – a subsidiary of Italy’s Lottomatica – that is selling 5500 of its ProdiGi Vu VLT terminals to Société des Loteries Vidéo du Québec (SLVQ). Owned by the province’s lottery operator Loto-Québec, it has Canada’s largest VLT network (pictured).

These, the third generation of Spielo VLTs in Québec, are said to be the first distributed VLT units in North America based on the Game to System (G2S) standard.

They will be installed in 2013, under a contract that runs to 2016. And Spielo has also won the contract to provide a system for monitoring the SLVQ VLT network, using its G2S-based Intelligen product.

Exporting in a more familiar direction is Aristocrat Lotteries, the division of Aristocrat Leisure that specialises in server-based gaming. It is extending its arrangement with Italian VLT operator Cogetech to encompass a further 750 of its TruServ terminals, taking to 3000 the total that Aristocrat is providing to Cogetech’s IZIPlay outlets.

“We are proud that with our support, Cogetech is the first concessionaire in this market to have nine games approved and live. Furthermore, we are delighted with the launch of our latest title for Italian players, 5 Dragons, one of the most successful slot games globally,” said Aristocrat Lotteries Italy manager Bostjan Torkar.

“Of the major slot providers in the U.S. casino market we are the only one at this point to successfully take our system through the stringent Italian testing and certification process, and we’re generating significant play on our games in this important market already,” added Aristocrat’s managing director for emerging businesses & strategy, Sam Nickless.

Another major exporter of VLT products to Italy, Inspired Gaming Group, has also secured a contract to supply content to the Multix VLT system run by Norsk Tipping, the not-for-profit Norwegian operator.

Starting in September, Inspired’s slots, fixed-odds games and other content will be rolled out to at least 3000 terminals, a number which the firm expects to grow over the four-year life of the revenue-sharing deal. Two other companies are also providing Norsk Tipping with VLT content.

According to Inspired, its success in the tendering process highlights “a trend of how boutique game developers with customisable and bespoke content offerings are outperforming the traditional big slots companies”.

And with its partner Merkur Gaming it has also received Italian regulatory approval for a third VLT cabinet, the Slant Top Evolution with 26-inch top screen and 22-inch touchscreen. It will be rolled out soon to Sisal gaming venues.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the regulatory future of VLTs in Illinois remains uncertain. See our Stateside columnist’s report on p15 for details.

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