Bowling is growing in popularity in Russia, according to QubicaAMF’s Oleg Korotovskiy, who handles PR for the company in the region, but the supplier and operator is keen to turn the ‘pastime’ into a serious sport in the country.
Speaking with InterGame at the RAAPA show this week, Korotovskiy (pictured) said: “While bowling is becoming more popular in Russia, it does not come with the traditions it does in the US. People don’t play in a league, don’t have their own kit and so on… They are occasional players who mostly play on impulse. We are trying to change this, trying to educate people in this area and make them see that bowling can be a part of a range of entertainment offerings rather than an impulse play.
“At this stage we are focusing our attention on integrating the bowling product into amusement locations and we’ve found that Highway 66 has been popular with some operators as it is an inexpensive option that doesn’t require specialist operation skills.”
Korotovskiy also noted that QubicAMF’s recent alliance with amusement giant Sega Amusements would provide added benefits to the company in Russia, telling InterGame: “While many companies represent Sega products in Russia, no one else but us can provide the Sega package, which sees us install the machines, brand the area with iconic Sega colours and characters and provide the highest level of after-sales support. We choose the right machines for the locations, always keeping in mind the demographics of the centre.”
