Czech manufacturer Synot presented a whole range of innovations for 2011 at January's ICE Totally Gaming show, held at London's Earls Court.

New games for its VLT systems IVT2 and Super VLT, developed in cooperation with GTech G2, were showcased for the first time, as was the fifth generation VLT terminal Black and White. This bright, all-metal cabinet with progressive design contains five games and is due to be ready for the Czech market in August and then Slovakia in September.

But it doesn’t end there. "We have prepared a new sports betting application for self-service double screen terminals," Synot’s sales director, Pavel Michalcio, told InterGame. "This new product is currently being tested in the Czech Republic and could be ready for Slovakia in about six months."

With its main business concentrated in Czech Republic and Slovakia, Synot has now grown its number of machines in operation to over 14,000 (12,000 in Czech Republic and 2,000 in Slovakia).

"While our primary focus is on these markets, we do not concentrate solely on Czech Republic and Slovakia and we endeavour to expand into other countries - for example, the Balkans, where we consider Romania to be the core area of opportunity and we will take part in the Entertainment Arena Expo again this year. This show traditionally attracts companies involved in gaming markets such as Kosovo and Albania as well; we already have some existing business in these regions but there are still opportunities for expansion."

With this in mind new machines specifically designed for the Balkans were introduced at the ICE show. Innovations included an upgraded version of Explosive Games software for Albania and Kosovo, where customers will find new games Demonio and Diamond. The Max Power system was also presented in its Linea and Electra versions.

In other company news, lottery companies associated with the Synot Group have now started to operate the first Explosive Games machines in Latvia, with an aim of placing a substantial amount of machines over the next year.

Looking forward, the gaming market can expect to see no less than 12 new games for VLTs from Synot in the near future and its customers will also have the opportunity to enjoy benefits of its ultra-modern Data Centre Monaco, built on 400sq.m, offering back-up for 85 installed racks and complete services as well as a wide spectrum of services in hosting and housing. Operators are able to house or host their servers for its VLTs there, or rent part of the data centre infrastructure if they prefer.