David Snook takes a look at one of the most influential distributors in the Czech Republic
The champagne corks popped on Saturday, October 11, 2008 in the Hotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. It was the 15th birthday party of one of the most notable distribution organisations in the country, Jamp.
Hosting the party were founders Milutin Peric and his wife Aida Pericova. Peric remains active within the company, but has forged a strong back-up team of senior executives headed by Jan Tuma, the financial director and Karel Hamr the sales director.
They entertained their staff, top customers and essential suppliers of machines and services to the company, celebrating Jamp’s rise from nothing to one of the most senior companies in the Czech Republic.
The company is based in Karlovy Vary, where its headquarters act as the focus for an operation in sales and machine siting spread all over the country. It has a back-up office in Prague and other offices in surrounding countries. The company’s influence in central and eastern Europe has spread to Poland, where the company is known as Slot based in Warsaw, and in Slovakia where Jamp Slovakia is located in Bratislava.
Essentially, Jamp is a trading company, or ‘umbrella’ organisation. It operates VLTs and roulette machines through Slot Game, Apex online and elrancho. Its casino operation is run through Slot Group, and its AWP operation is also run by Slot Group together with Slot Alfa, Slot Beta, Slot Delta, Slot Zeta, Slot Omega, Trefa Games, Terno Games and Reno Games.
The company does not manufacture its own machines and concentrates on distribution and operation. It represents some of the best names in the coin machine industry, including Barcrest’s AWP and VLT lines for the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, Gold Club roulettes, Impera’s AWPs and VLTs in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Money Controls in the same countries.
Its influence in the Czech market and in those of Poland and Slovakia is not stopping there. Karel Hamr commented that the company is constantly searching for opportunities elsewhere.
“We want to strengthen and widen our activities in countries where we already work but remain interested in any new markets, especially if those countries have well-established and clear regulations. Plus, of course, we need to find the right partners in those territories.”
He added that fresh distribution lines are currently in the course of negotiation, but that they would complement the ranges the company already represented.
The overall situation in the Czech Republic, he said, was of a market which is well-established, but needed the confidence which would only come with the imposition of the widely-expected updating of the gaming laws. The uncertainty which the protracted discussions on fresh regulations has impacted the industry.
Jamp is neatly situated to capitalise on whatever those new regulations may demand of the industry. Above all, the company is keen to ensure that its own operations are totally transparent and it is very keen to ensure that the law permits the industry to work in no other way.
The clearing up of the status of new forms of gambling which have been introduced by technology since the current regulations were framed 20 years ago, would give the industry the opportunity to move forward with confidence. And Jamp would be in the forefront of the vigorous new market which will emerge.
