The lack of movement on stakes and prizes for Category D amusement machines may have been “incredibly unfair,” but the category still offers great opportunities, it has been claimed.
The recent Triennial Review in the UK disappointed some who had hoped Category D would have seen changes to prize levels.
“Millions of families enjoy Category D machines, such as cranes, Drop the Hook and Dunk Tank Prize, so it seems incredibly unfair that this part of the industry did not get an increase in prize levels in the Triennial – especially when you consider that Category D prize levels have remained stagnant for 20 years,” said James Anderson, Namco Prize Europe general manager.
Despite this, the right combination of machines and prizes can still prove highly profitable for operators, he explained.
“Our product range is renowned for its high return on investment and its high-perceived value to the players,” he continued. “Namco has pioneered the prize vending and prize sectors over the past few years firstly with the introduction of a range of machines such as Barber Cut, Dunk Tank Prize and latterly Drop the Hook, which have allowed operators to entice players with a different format and different types of prizes.
“Namco Prize Division was also the first ever to introduce great value electronic prizes to the sector. This has given prize vending and crane machines a new lease of life and has attracted a new demographic of player to the sector.”
The company’s NAM-GEAR range of electronics includes HD video cameras, smartphones, tablet computers, netbook computers and portable DVD players.
“Next year,” said Anderson, “will bring even more exciting products to both this and our plush range to give operators the highest possible revenues on the market.”
