The Entertainment Arena Expo opened in Bucharest, Romania, yesterday to a small crowd.
The show has shrunk in both exhibitor and visitor numbers since InterGame visited two years ago, with the blame lying with new legislation and the economic crisis.
New legislation was introduced last year, which saw tax levels increase from €400 to €2,000 per machine per year. Limitations on the number of machines per location has also had a massive impact on the market with street locations such as bars and pubs limited to three to five machines, while gaming arcades are required to have a minimum of 20 machines.
All of this saw some of the major players in the industry absent from the show. Novomatic, Casino Technology, Synot, Alfastreet and Innogate did take stands, but companies such as Webak Games, Apex Gaming and Gold Club, among others, were missing.
What lies ahead for the Romanian gaming market is yet to be seen. While there is potential, many companies have turned their attention to the operations side of the business because of product coming from Russia and the Ukraine. A full show report will appear in December’s InterGame.
