The RAAPA Expo, which closes its doors today, further demonstrated the impressive growth of the Russian amusement sector.
This year’s show in Moscow marked the 15th year it has been held and once again attracted major names from across the international amusement, park and family leisure market.
Russia’s amusement market continues to expand, although the message form exhibitors was that although the country’s major cities are perhaps now becoming saturated with amusements, more regional cities – those with populations of around 300,000 – are seeing a host of new projects and developments.
However, some InterGame spoke with raised concern that Russia is yet to develop a significant replacement market and that operators tend to work machines into the ground before replacing them. For now, it seems, the amusement market here is simply being driven by new projects and location openings.
Another trend of note is that the market has increasingly become dominated by redemption. Where it was perhaps a 50-50 split between video and redemption only a few years ago, now exhibitors report that redemption now accounts for as much as 70 per cent.
Overall, the 2013 edition of RAAPA proved successful, with the majority positive about the country’s future prospects as a major amusement market.
