By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
What are your responsibilities at the company?
My main responsibility is managing the Eilers-Fantini Game Performance Database (GPD), which is on track to surveying 500,000 slots monthly. This includes data on over 20 countries mainly in North America, Latin America, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). I am also responsible for overseeing the publication of reports on game and cabinet performance, game features, and other trends in the market.
Which are the latest trends you have seen in casino floors in North America and Latin America?
In land-based slots, we are observing an omni-channel approach from major vendors. For example, providers will launch a new game in the North American market and if there is demonstrable success, that game is quickly ported to Latin America/EMEA markets. We are also seeing operators embrace premium leased games when in the past they were more apprehensive of recurring expenses. Suppliers are doing an excellent job of creating premium leased games so the incremental revenue from these titles warrants the additional expense and the net financial effect is favorable for both the operator and the vendor. On the game design side, the “flavor of the month” has been perceived persistence mechanics incorporated in games. As of February 2024, 88% of the Top 25 New Core Video on the EKG Game Report had a perceived persistence element.
What strategies can operators implement to make their properties more efficient?
A no-cost strategy to increase slot floor efficiency is to subscribe to EKG reports to see top games and cabinets in the market. These reports are complimentary to participating operators and keep you abreast of top games and associated trends. More generally, operators should explore third party data analytics solutions to help make purchase/conversion recommendations, especially those services that integrate with a larger slot performance database. We also recommend that operators identify games that are better suited for conversion options instead of incremental capital purchases. We often find it to be the case that games can perform at similar levels despite the cabinet. Lastly, operators should not be afraid of increasing their premium lease footprint. These games deliver revenue that far exceeds the additional expense. Because they are leased, they are also easy to swap out for newer and better titles as they hit the market.
What are your objectives for 2024?
Our goal is to increase the international exposure of the Eilers-Fantini Game Performance Database (GPD). We recently started producing monthly reports analyzing game performance in Latin America, so we are excited to grow our presence in Latin America. We also have a dedicated performance report for EMEA.