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December 15, 2006 |
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| South Africa gamblers embrace video | |||
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One would expect, as in many smaller
gaming markets, that South Africa would be the final resting place
of dated gaming product and technology that has seen better days. In
fact, the country’s gaming industry is one the world’s most
innovative and technologically up-to-date. As a case in point, Sun
International’s Carnival City Casino was among the first in the
world to open with a totally cashless smartcard system, when most
operators were loathe to move away from the familiar clatter of
coins or tokens.
A vast number of slot and table manufacturers’ newest equipment readily finds a home in the country’s modern casinos with local slots and table representatives regularly scouring major gaming shows to see which new innovations would suit the country’s market. Recognizing South Africa as a vibrant and modern market, a number of large multi-nationals such as Williams (WMS), International Game Technology (IGT), Aristocrat and Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) have set up office here to service an industry that prides itself on offering the latest in gaming products. Talking to the South Africans whose job it is to keep an eye on the casino floor and spot what will be the next trend in gaming, one soon discovers that the opinions on what will do well are almost as varied as their personalities. But one thing is certain, the talking point over the past few years has been the move towards video from a market that has traditionally only known stepper slots. Part of the reason for this stepper reliance the country’s gambling past… or lack of it. Before gambling was legalized in South Africa, Sun International ran a number of casinos outside the country’s borders and players would make the trek to these establishments to gamble on casino floors that mainly offered Universal three-reel stepper slots. As Sun International’s old casinos were the training ground for many of the slots managers working today at South Africa’s new operations, a number still regard the older machines fondly and are unwilling to leave them out of a floor mix, mainly because they have been tried and tested and still appeal to an older audience. It takes a brave slot manager to leave steppers off his floor completely. Having said that, South African operations are not totally conservative, and video product with its multi-line and multi-denomination variations has gained a firm foothold in the industry, accounting for as much as 70 percent of the casino floor in some properties. The added attractions of linked progressives and low-denomination play have seen video’s popularity grow tremendously over the past few years. This has created a shift towards more entertainment-oriented gaming, according to some operators. “A huge portion of our players are looking at gaming more as entertainment and less of a gamble,” said Paul Lingeri, slot manager at Emerald Casino in Vanderbijlpark. “So we are following the global trend of the low-denomination /tokenized video game experience. At the moment WMS and their Bluebird series of videos tend to be very popular. WMS’ multi-denomination option combined with a high-frequency bonus feature on most of their new games and a light-hearted feel to their games seem to hit the spot down here.” “Aristocrat’s Zorro and Corrida del Torres games also tend to be popular,” Lingeri added. “All these games are of a 5 cent or 10 cent a credit denomination and a player has the option of playing up to 600 credits per spin, so if they play maximum bet it can turn into an expensive game. However, they get a lot of credits for their money, creating the perception that they are getting value for money.” —By Roy Bannister |
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