At this writing, communication with the business crowd in Houston was almost nil. Readers all know about the catastrophe that hit America’s fourth largest city. What we don’t yet know is the extent of the damage this disaster has dropped on operators in this location-rich part of the world. But it can’t be good. And, it was still raining! Hard!! Bob Roe, service chief over at the AVS Companies outlet in Dallas, said their Houston office (the former Franz place on Dennis Street) will probably be closed for days to come, maybe for the entire week, as they try to…
Author: Casey Minter
With new markets successfully tapped and its original arcade operations to maintain, PrimeTime Amusements has been busier than ever in 2017. The South Florida operation, headed by David Goldfarb, has been working in the arcade world since 1992, but recently exploded onto the map with its new Xtreme Action Park. The Park opened in 2015 and has been growing (physically and in popularity!) into an epicenter of entertainment housing everything from arcades and trampoline parks to roller rinks and more. One of the Park’s most recent additions was Hard Knocks 365, and according to Goldfarb, it’s the most exciting addition…
The Keystone state is in the midst of a heated debate over whether to legalize video gaming terminals in bars, airports and clubs. The proposal hopes to make up for a chasmic state deficit, and operators in the state are starting to take the potential seriously. Universal Gaming Group PA (UGG PA) recently held two well-attended video gaming meetings in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in anticipation for what the company feels will be a positive outcome and legal VGTs. “We feel the VGT issue has a very good shot at passage this time around,” said Lou Larson, VP of Gaming Relations…
Slots, tables and shows are a staple of the Vegas entertainment scene, but as of Sept. 8, visitors to the Sin City will have another option: Zero Latency’s eight-player VR arena. MGM Grand Hotel and Casino is set to introduce the VR experience inside its Level Up gaming lounge, a bar arcade that features pool, classic arcade games, skill based games and more. “We were looking to bring a unique entertainment element to MGM Grand and found the perfect fit with Zero Latency,” said President and COO of MGM Grand Scott Sibella. “There’s simply nothing like this anywhere in Las…
Universal Gaming Group PA (UGG PA) recently held two well-attended video gaming meetings in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in anticipation for what the company feels will be a positive outcome and legal VGTs. Chris Vecchione and Lou Larson were the main speakers at both meetings, providing comprehensive presentations on the proposed Pennsylvania laws and internal procedures UGG PA will implement in order to stay compliant. In addition to Vecchione and Larson, the company’s counsel Josh Horn and Patrick Woytek attended to answer questions covering the proposed law. UGG PA’s affiliate company, Universal Gaming Group, is a licensed video gaming company operating…
AMOA Exec. Dir. Lori Schneider, who has been highly active in lobbying for the industry on Capitol Hill, has issued her comment on the Department of Justice’s recent decision to end Operation Choke Point. Recounting the events leading up to the DOJ’s announcement, Schneider said that after a letter was sent by U.S. Congressmen and Congresswomen (including Blaine Luetkemeyer, Jeb Hensarling, Bob Goodlatte, Tom Marino and Darrell Issa) to multiple Federal agencies asking them to end the program, the DOJ responded positivey, announcing: “All of the department’s bank investigations conducted as part of Operation Chokepoint are now over, the initiative…
Journalist and arcade expert Reyan Ali is on the verge of releasing his first book: NBA Jam. The title will chronicle Midway’s arcade hit of the same name, which slammed into arcades in 1993 and gave sports fans a reason to plunk a humongous amount of quarters into the machine. Ali takes his readers deep into the saga of the game’s creation, giving them an up-close view of Midway’s bustling Chicago offices filled with some of the era’s most talented game designers taking advantage of some then-cutting edge technology. Ali’s NBA Jam features interviews with the game’s architect Mark Turmell,…
Greenspace Leisure expanded its cashless solution at three additional parks in the United Kingdom. With this installation, Semnox’s system is now installed at four Greenspace parks, and customers are now able to buy a stored value card from one location that can also be used at the others. “We have been very impressed with the performance of Semnox’s system at our first park and had no hesitation in implementing it and extending the cashless facility at our other parks,” said Greenspace owner Jay Wheatly. “Semnox was able to demonstrate their ability to innovate and bring in new technology that not…
Operation Choke Point, the Obama-era regulatory program intended to clamp down on a variety of shady business banking schemes, will be shut down, according to news from the Justice Department on Friday Aug. 18. Members from the AMOA, AAMA and National ATM Council, as well as multiple other industry associations, have been lobbying for the policy’s end since its strains on business became apparent. The program went into effect in 2013, and was intended to root out fraud and money-laundering by banks and depositors and disallow payment processors seeking to enable wrongdoing merchants (which it was successful in combating). The…
For many years, one of the most iconic aspects of a visit to Chuck E. Cheese was a chance to see the animatronic band that would entertain the crowd like clockwork. Now, those robot performers are slowly disappearing from the chain, as the company begins to phase them out completely in an effort to rebrand. In an anachronistic twist, live actors will take the robots old jobs. Execs at the umbrella company believe kids have lost interest in the old mechanical band and would rather cavort with the big dude in person. CEC reportedly owns over 500 facilities here and…