The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has announced the results of its 2019 IAD Cash Settlement Account Closure Survey. The recently-released report, which sought to quantify the epidemic of bank account closures of ATM operators, got feedback from independent ATM operators across the country via an online survey. An overwhelming number of respondents (85 percent) have loaded ATMs with cash from a settlement account held by a bank or credit union, now or in the past. An even greater number of people have had ATM-related accounts closed at least once by a financial institution (88 percent). As the association noted, despite…
Author: Matt Harding
Amusement Expo International organizers made a massive mistake in planning this year’s virtual reality Education track: they mislabeled it. The back-to-back, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. sessions were more of a bootcamp, dealing with far more than just VR and delving into the most relevant issues in location-based entertainment with some of the most forward-thinking thought leaders in the industry today. Though VR was far from the only focus of the sessions, pioneering technology and its myriad, unfound uses kept speakers and attendees both engaged. Longtime anti-Luddite Bob Cooney led the seminars, mentioning early on that he decided to forego…
With a new 30,000-sq.-ft. facility, In The Game in Peabody, Mass. had a lot of space to work with. They have a nearly 100-game arcade, mini bowling, virtual reality gaming, a climbing wall and more – including a sleek laser tag arena. The 3,560-sq.-ft. arena was designed by Lasertron and is a multi-level LED interactive and programmable arena that included 24 new LT-12.5 pro vests. In The Game Peabody general manager Randy Schneider said he expects the attraction to be a cornerstone of the facility for years to come. More information about the companies is available at www.lasertron.us and www.peabody.inthegame.net.
Stop by Booth #335 for The Munsters, Star Wars and other new pinball machines from Stern. They’ll have their pro and premium models of The Munsters, as well as The Beatles, Deadpool, Iron Maiden, Star Wars, Star Trek and their custom FEC Pinball Alley topper. On hand will be Gary Stern, John Buscaglia, Zach Sharpe and Patrick Powers to answer any questions prospective customers may have. Visit www.sternpinball.com for more information about the company.
All set for the Amusement Expo March 26-28 in Las Vegas, Bay Tek Entertainment will debut its latest redemption game Connect 4 Hoops HD, a smaller version of their popular basketball title. One or two players shoot baskets and watch as their 7” basketballs “magically fall into place on a 65” high-definition screen,” according to the press release. The first player to align four balls on the augmented reality playfield wins. Assembled, the new, smaller game is 9’ tall x 5’1” wide x 9’4” deep “The most noticeable difference is the game is 2 ½ feet shorter than the original…
Innovative Concepts in Entertainment will officially launch two new FEC classics at the Amusement Expo this year – Whack-a-Clown and Tons of Tickets, ICE’s first skill ticket crane. Both games were first featured in November at IAAPA, but are now ready to ship. Whack-a-Clown adds to ICE’s popular carnival series, where players compete against others trying to hit as many clowns as possible while avoiding the red clown. Tons of Tickets is a skill ticket crane being marketed as a 2-player game (though can be sold single-player). ICE calls it a “must have” for any FEC. “The game has been thoroughly tested throughout…
Be sure to stop by Booth #636 at the Amusement Expo, as specialist software provider 8Fuse will be giving away a new 32” cabinet, the largest in its line of kiosks with a retail price of $2,500. All you have to do is click this link on their website, www.8fuse.com, and be present at the booth at noon on March 28. The raffle winner will be chosen randomly. 8Fuse makes kiosks and computers with hundreds of games. The kiosks come in 17-inch (countertop model), 22-inch, 23-inch and 32-inch models and include bill acceptors, printers and touchscreens.
Triotech and its distributor Amusement Services International will hold a special event during the Dubai Entertainment Amusement & Leisure trade show, held March 25-27. The companies will be located together in Hall 4 – D32, according to a recent press release. “We have a strong relationship with ASI, and as we were both founded in 1999, we wanted to celebrate this unique milestone together at DEAL Middle East show in Dubai,” said Ernest Yale, founder and CEO of Triotech. Visit www.trio-tech.com and www.asi-world.com for more information.
It has retro video games and pinball machines, billiards, darts, foosball and more, and it’s the first of its kind in Oshkosh, Wis. The recently-opened Pixels Arcade & Sports Bar caters to everyone – “a place where soccer and baseball teams can hang out on a Saturday afternoon,” said owner Rob Strom, but also a nighttime 21-and-over crowd. The machines are coin-operated, so be sure to bring plenty of quarters (though an ATM and coin machine are available). The bar has a limited food menu of pizza and chicken strips. It wasn’t part of the original plan, but required in…
A New York town 60 miles south of Montreal is readying itself for a new arcade pub set to open in mid-April or May. Plattsburgh’s 1UP Arcade & Pub will reside in a 1,500-sq.-ft. space that was formerly home to other food and beverage ventures, according to the Plattsburgh Press-Republican. It will include about 10 games, rotated in and out from their 35-cabinet inventory. With a small space for only around 30 patrons, one of the co-owners, Chris James, said opening the business bridges the gap between child and adult entertainment. It’ll be a place for everyone with varying clientele…