Ups and downs for eastern Europe
The countries in eastern Europe and central Asia that were once part of the Soviet Union have seen mixed fortunes in gaming in the 24 years since the wall came down.
Thriving industries in both Russia and Ukraine no longer exist, but on the other hand there has been gaming expansion in a great many former eastern bloc nations. There are also positive signs that Russia and Ukraine could open up again.
Based as it is in Bulgaria, gaming machine manufacturer Casino Technology is in a good position to assess these markets. “We made our first steps on the international market scene right at the beginning of the millennium during the EELEX exhibition in Moscow, Russia, which turned into a benchmark event for the gaming industry in eastern Europe and central Asia,” said the company’s director of business development, Sonia Nikolova.
“Following great market exposure and product demand from 2000 to 2007, we successfully positioned our brand, sold thousands of products and gained a leading market share in Russia and the CIS countries, Ukraine, the Baltic states, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria and many others.”
After regulatory changes and the bans applied in those major markets in the region, Casino Technology has focused on product development for the changing legal eastern European markets as well as other progressive world markets in western Europe, Latin America, Asia and the US. “However, we continued keeping an eye on all market news and macroeconomic factors in the banned markets,” said Nikolova.
Read the full article in the November issue of InterGaming.
