Multigaming platforms have become an invaluable part of the contemporary casino environment and continue to feature in many leading manufacturer's portfolios. James Walker finds out why they are popular with operators and players alike...

Over the past 10 years, multigames have grown from being a basic extension of traditional casino slots into a hugely successful format in their own right. In the wake of the server-based gaming revolution, some observers have suggested that multigames’ future hangs in the balance. Why, then, do operators around the world continue to embrace this format?

Multigames hold a number of advantages over their traditional single-game counterparts. Highlighting one principle attraction, Johannes Weissengruber, co-owner of Austria-based Apex Gaming Technology, said: “No matter where you put the machine, and no matter how many programs it contains, it only takes the space of a single cabinet. Space is limited in most casinos, and even if it isn’t an issue, there are times when machines are blocked because the venue is too busy. This is why multigame platforms are so important, because no matter what, you will still fill every machine.”

Apex is famous for its Multi Magic line of multigame tables. Multi Magic Blue features 10 of the company’s most popular games, all of which run from a single machine. The company’s most recent addition, Multi Magic Red, comes packed with several new games. As with most multigame machines that are released today, the desired game - which features cutting-edge sound and graphics - is selected by players using touchscreen technology.

“The fact that customers have a choice of different games will stop them missing out on their favourite games if a casino or gambling hall is busy,” Weissengruber continued. “This is extremely beneficial from an operators point of view, as it means a higher number of machines are likely to be played at the same time, and customers will not end up having to wait for machines.”

Tomas Holec, marketing manager for Evona Electric, which began producing multigame machines in 1997, noted that players actually spend more time on multigame machines, due to the fact that there are more games to choose from. “Consequently, they gamble more, which increases revenues for operators,” he said.

Expanding on this point, Sonia Nikolova, sales director for Bulgaria-based Casino Technology, told InterGaming: “Entering a casino, it is no longer necessary for players to walk around and look for their favourite game; and, when looking for a change, he or she doesn’t have to move to another slot machine. This is obviously extremely beneficial for operators - and it is especially valuable in regions with high gaming taxes.”

While issues of space and convenience are no doubt prime examples of why both operators and players continue to opt for multigame machines, Weissengruber also drew attention to the important issue of control. He noted that, despite the added number of games on multigame machines, operators keep full command over their products.

“Operators can turn on, or switch off, as many games as they like - leaving just one if they wish.” Over the years, continual improvements have been implemented into the overall manufacturing process of multigames, and it is now extremely simple to actually change the games in most machines, as they are stored on flashcards in the cabinet.

Andrea Lehner, spokesperson for Austrian Gaming Industries, said the company’s Multi-Gaminator product comes with a conversion kit, which provides operators with the opportunity to easily change and vary their game range on a regular and economical basis.

Unidesa Gaming and Systems’ Pick a Game 2 product acts as a further example of the manner in which multigames allow operators to maintain control of their gaming floor. The Barcelona-based company’s most recent product is available with many different configurations, which allows operators to choose the best option for their casino.

Multigames can also help circumvent some restrictive laws that apply to venues outside of the casino hall. In some places - Austria, for example - only two AWP machines are permitted per site. Here, multigames can be crucially important when it comes to providing players with choice without contravening the regulations of a country.

Some industry observers have suggested that multigames act as a good mid-point between traditional single games and full server-based gaming platforms. While this may initially appear to be a logical standpoint, companies involved in the manufacture or distribution of multigame machines often resist such generalisations. “My personal conviction is that each one of these concepts takes its fair place in the gaming world, as they cover different market segments and trends,” commented Nikolova. “Multigames have their own philosophy; it is all about the particular market and what players want.”

Although manufacturers may not generally agree that multigames should be placed in the centre of two other formats, it is obvious to see why such comparisons are made. In eastern Europe, which is a relatively conservative gaming market, multigames effectively take up the middle ground between single gaming and full server-based games, acting as a low-impact form of an extremely hi-tech mode.

Nikolova explains: “Eastern European markets are not so well developed, and up until recently the predominant equipment consisted of non-sophisticated slot machines, except for the rare presence of some second-hand products from major international manufacturers.” For this reason, Nikolova said Casino Technology’s multigame products, which were innovative without being too complex for the target audience, became hugely popular within a short period of time. “In some regions - such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, the Baltic states and the Balkans - the popularity of our Mega Jack machine grew so immensely that it literally defined the whole casino market there.”

Indeed, after launching in 1999, Casino Technology’s Mega Jack was a real revolution in of European gaming markets, setting completely new standards in casino equipment for the new millennium.

Unidesa is currently enjoying strong multigame sales across the globe. And while the company stated that multigames hold a universal degree of popularity, a spokesperson for the company said eastern European markets, in particular, have taken to the format. In addition, Evona has experienced tremendous multigame sales growth in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Slovenia.

After developing its first multigame product in the mid-1990s, Apex originally rolled out its Multi Magic platform in Austria and the UK. The company, however, soon realised the format would be accepted “everywhere, with no exceptions.” Weissengruber said that his company’s multigame products are currently enjoying tremendous growth in eastern Europe. “Apex primary markets are currently in central and eastern Europe. Our future target markets include Asia, Russia and Ukraine. New members of the European Union, including the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary also hold extensive growth potential.”

Looking ahead to future emerging markets, Nikolova of Casino Technology said: “I could point to Asia, Africa, and even Latin America, although there the players still mostly prefer single games.” Going forward, AGI expects multigame products to become highly significant in Asia and South America.

Recent technological advances have made it possible to put dozens of games onto one machine. And although the new server-based gaming platforms can, in some cases, host hundreds of different games, manufacturers are not sure this would be suitable for the multigame format.

When questioned over what they felt was the optimum number of games to be installed onto a multigame machine, manufacturers gave a variety of responses. Holec said the average number of games for Evona was seven, while Unidesa went one lower with six.

Nikolova, meanwhile, said: “In our products the number of games is between four and 10, which is optimal to provide the needed variety to the player.” For Apex, 10 games is the optimum number. “While it is possible to add 20 or more games to a cabinet, we feel that this would start to confuse the customer,” said Weissengruber. “Therefore, 10 is the magic number.”

AGI produced its first multigame products in the mid-1990s. The Interactive Games cabinet featured up to six games, and due to overwhelming success it was followed by the Hot Spot multigame mix. In 2002, the PC-based Magic Games product was released and has to this day, with various updates and new mixes, remained highly successful, especially in the UK market. The company’s flagship Multi-Gaminator product comes complete with either five, six, eight, nine or 10 games. So, although opinion is varied, it remains clear that for multigames too many games are more of a burden than an advantage.

Nikolova made the important observation that it would not be necessary to replace a strong mix of games for years. “Our Mega Jack proves this, being popular for almost 10 years in a row,” she added.

Weissengruber said Apex’s multigaming business continues to grow across all the markets it serves. When the company first rolled out Multi Magic Blue in 2005, multigames represented a very small percentage of the company’s turnover. Just two years later, however, the format now accounts for 95 per cent of the company’s top line. “The principal reason for this,” he said, “is that our multigame cabinets do not cost any more than our single games. Even single games now come with dual-screen cabinets and touchscreen technology, so for manufacturers, there is not much difference in hardware costs.”

Although multigames are still a relatively young phenomenon, the format has proven to be immensely successful across a wide variety of markets. Interestingly, it seems that manufacturers shy away from comparisons to server-based modes because this might imply that the multigame format may soon fade away. In reality, however, the multigame sector continues to grow in a dynamic and innovative manner.

Holec noted that Evona’s Multigame 2 not only offers eight games, but also includes a touchscreen, 19ins LCD double monitor and multiple language options. “This is the best value slot machine that Evona manufactures and is very popular among operators.”

Meanwhile, the latest member of the AGI multigame product family is the Super-R Gaminator. “For this product, our design team has pioneered new advances in hybrid technology to put video and mechanical reels together, marking one of the hottest developments yet in a multigame sector,” said Lehner. “Here, three giant mechanical reels complement advanced video gaming technology to provide a slick gaming floor attraction with six games.”

At the beginning of 2007, Casino Technologies launched its new series, Multi Gemini. The concept behind this product is to provide operators with a multi game mix of the current best performing video-slots from Casino Technology within a single unit. “These individual games from Gemini series have had resounding success during the past two years, and are now offered in a variety of multi game releases,” said Nikolova.

Manufacturers maintain that multigames are a standalone format in their own right. Indeed, the format is geared to specific markets where the more expensive, technologically advanced options simply are not yet feasible. And for this reason, it is clear that multigames will continue to keep their strong market share for years to come.