IAAPA’s Asian trade show is coming up in Shanghai, China, starting tomorrow, June 11 and going through June 13. LAI Games will be there at Booth #1123 with their products. They’ll have information on three brand-new experiences coming later this summer, and will be featuring their top-earning VR attraction Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride. The new experiences, LAI said, are “sure to generate even more enthusiasm for what is already the top game in venues worldwide.” More information is available at www.laigames.com.
Author: Matt Harding
Now through June 14, Digital Centre is offering some of its photo booths at $2,000-$3,000 discounts to celebrate their move in Miami (13651 SW 143rd Ct., Unit #105). They currently have their Mini I-Go available at $2,995 when buying two or more, and their larger Panther model at $5,495 for any purchase. For more information, visit www.digital-centre.com or call 305-387-5005.
The 2019 Golden Tee World Championship, to be held June 21-23 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, will have an even bigger audience come August, as event organizers have teamed with ESPN on a television special. A 30-minute program showcasing the weekend’s most impactful moments will be aired on the sports network, including the crowning of a new Golden Tee champion in the game’s 30th anniversary year. The event will feature 74 of the best video golfers in the world, and will be livestreamed on the Golden TeeFacebook page, and YouTube and Twitch channels. But the joint venture…
An expanded fun park that was previously a go-kart track called Kokomo Raceway will be opening this month in the Indiana city of the same name. Now called City of Firsts Adventure Park, the indoor-outdoor fun center has an arcade, 36 holes of mini-golf, six batting cages, party rooms and a 1,000-foot go-kart track as its centerpiece. Jesse Gonzales and his parents, Danny and Robyn, purchased the property last September, according to the Kokomo Tribune. It had become a dilapidated eyesore in recent years, the newspaper noted. “It was an extreme challenge to rehabilitate this place,” Jesse said. “Every last…
The 35th annual international pinball extravaganza, formally Pinball Expo ’19, is coming this fall and organizers expect it to be their best year yet. Held Oct. 16-19 at the Westin North Shore in Wheeling, Ill., the Pinball Expo is anticipating more than 440 pinball machines and video games (eclipsing last year’s total), and should have record attendance numbers, too. They’re already scheduled to showcase more than 20 pinball machines from Spain – a first for the event. Another sneak-peek: Haggis Pinball of Australia will be exhibiting their latest game. Attendance tickets start at $30 More information is at www.pinballexpo.com.
A recent article on the Syracuse Post-Standard’s website recalled the New York city’s history with pinball; like in many American cities, it was considered a menace to society. “The game had a seedy reputation and some thought it contributed to juvenile delinquency,” wrote Johnathan Croyle, the article’s author. “Others thought it was another form of gambling.” From the 1940s through the ’70s, New York City and other U.S. metros banned pinball. However, in Syracuse, the games remained legal, so long as they didn’t offer any incentive to play well, like free games (also, children had to be accompanied by an…
The Parfait point of sale system from Semnox was recently installed in Sparks Forest Adventure in Indonesia; Semnox says it continues making inroads in the Southeast Asia region in the amusement and leisure industry. “On meeting with Semnox, we found that they specialize in this area and they have a good track record around the globe,” said the park owner Felix Widjaja. Visitors can now access the park with the help of RFID wristbands, through automated turnstiles that have been set up at entry points to facilitate secure access without the need for long lines. More information is available at…
Chicago’s recent National Restaurant show had a familiar industry face: Betson Enterprises exhibited kiosks, touchscreen displays and healthy vending options, as well as other products designed for the restaurant market. Their Goldfinger monitor was one such product – a customizable touchscreen kiosk with interactive technology. They also showed the Byte refrigerated vending machine and partnered with Cafection to showcase that company’s Encore 29 coffee machine. More information about the products can be found at www.betson.com.
Mark your calendars and pack your sunscreen. AAMA’s next FEC Connect event will be held June 18 from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Xtreme Action Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The networking and learning event will feature a presentation by the location owner David Goldfarb, whose Xtreme Action Park was the 2018 AAMA FEC of the Year. It will also have a behind-the-scenes tour of the 200,000-sq.-ft. facility and a keynote speech from GameWorks chairman and CEO Philip Kaplan about esports. Roundtable discussions and other presentations will happen throughout the action-packed day as well. Registration is $30 for AAMA members and…
Richard Zayas-Bazan has become President of Betson Imperial Parts & Service. He was most recently VP of the division with 22 years of experience with Betson Enterprises. He originally joined Betson back in 1997 as a customer service representative, working his way up to a sales leadership position, then to VP. “Richard has been the key cog in Imperial’s dramatic growth, and his leadership of this company will best serve our vendors and customers with our value-added commitments going forward,”said Bob Geschine,President of parent company H. Betti Industries, Inc. More information is available at www.betsonparts.com.