George and Howard McAuliffe of Pinnacle Entertainment Group (and RePlay column fame!) have been selected to present FEC-focused seminars at the upcoming Bowl Expo in Las Vegas (June 17-21). The father/son duo will head two back-to-back seminars at the Expo oriented toward those interested in understanding game room profits and bowling center synergy. “George and I are excited to be back at Bowl Expo this year,” said Howard. “The marriage of bowling and the FEC gets stronger every year. We intend to take it up a notch in terms of presentation format and quality of content.” In their first seminar,…
Author: Casey Minter
At Annual Event The New Jersey Amusement Assn. (NJAA) is hosting its 59th annual dinner dance on May 14 at the Clarks Landing Yacht Club in Point Pleasant, N.J. The annual event serves as a gathering for amusement business owners and operators to network and revel in the state’s active industry. The organization serves the industry at large but is keenly focused on amusement park and shore operations. This year, Chris Maier of Land of Make Believe (an amusement park in Hope, N.J.) will be honored by the association and attendees. Cocktails will kick the party off at 5:00 p.m.…
On April 1, the National ATM Council (NAC) appointed Edward Cramer (right) and Philip Webb (below) to the association’s board, taking over spots previously held by Emily Harris and John Steely. Said NAC Chair George Sarantopoulos of Cramer and Webb, “They both bring many years of hands-on, real-world ATM industry experience and expertise to the table that will prove invaluable to guiding the organization.” Cramer has been an ATM owner/operator since 2008, and is an active member of the association, instrumental in its efforts to fight against adverse state and federal legislation. “I appreciate this opportunity to join the NAC…
As reported in The Baltimore Sun and elsewhere, a Maryland couple, Matthew Dale Bush (below), 38, and Crystal French (aka Crystal Bush), 34, have been indicted on a multi-state ATM crime spree. According to the indictment, which was unsealed April 4, the pair has been linked to a series of “crash and grab” ATM robberies in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia committed last year. In at least five of the incidents, which took place in a two-month period, Bush allegedly stole entire ATMs by smashing the glass of retail businesses, then dragging the units out via rope or chain attached to…
As the 2018 baseball season gets underway, Apple Industries says its exclusive baseball licensing deal continues to grow, as Face Place photo booths continue to pop up in ballparks and sports bars nationwide. Opening Day was on March 29, and Apple is hoping a spring full of baseball will boost operators’ profits as fans and photo booth customers alike take pics with MLB graphics logos and team regalia. One of the company’s latest installations bowed at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, and Nationals Park, where the Washington Nats play (see photo at right). In a few weeks, Apple…
RePlay checked in with Brian Colin, creator of Bally-Midway’s Rampage, following his attendance at the April 4 premier of the new movie based on the classic video game. The film, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hits theaters April 13. The Los Angeles event at the Microsoft Theater was “over the top,” said Colin. “For starters, the movie was phenomenal –– a wildly entertaining thrill ride that just kept building and building, and actually had me shouting out loud with glee more than once. “In the lobby after the show,” he continued, “actor Jason Liles (who plays George) gave me a…
UNIS Technology has welcomed Logan Schneider to their Dallas office where he’ll be working alongside sales manager Debbie Gonzalez. So, consider Logan an additional contact for customer queries and product knowledge on their new games. He previously worked as a business developer for United Capital Registered Financial Advisers in Houston. “We’re excited that Logan is joining our team at UNIS. He brings a new perspective and new energy to our team.” said Debbie. He can be reached at 936-662-8733 or email: [email protected].
After six years in the FEC business, Creative Works’ “Experience Consultant” Marsha Brentlinger has retired. She began working for the laser tag designers/builders back in 2012 after some 25 years in financial services and appreciating the new fun atmosphere. “I wanted something that was a little different, and certainly Creative Works proved to be more different than I could have ever imagined,” Marsha said. Armando Lanuti (president) and Jeff Schilling (founder) had hired her to add more experience to their sales team, seeing huge potential in the formal sales training she received in the corporate world and the value she…
The mobile pay pros at PayRange have hired a new VP of Enterprise Sales, Cecil Ledesma. A cashless vet from USA Technologies where he spent the last 20 years leading their regional accounts team, Ledesma will look to expand the PayRange network, which today serves over 2,000 operators in 350 cities across the U.S. and Canada. “I’m thrilled to join the PayRange team,” said Ledesma. “There is a fundamental shift happening with everyday consumers – they are looking not only for convenience, but also a richer experience… A mobile app experience offers much more than payment and serves the consumer…
The newest basketball game from UNIS, called Extreme Shot, is ready to order and ship! This follow-up to the company’s well-liked Extreme Hoops has a red-hot color cabinet and blazing LED lights, but the company says the majority of the improvements have come in the form of enhancing the game’s durability and performance. The new game has a reduced footprint as well, with a shorter marquee and compact sides with solid metal construction. It’s also linkable to up to 18 other machines, giving the potential for quite a massive shoot-off!