Eduardo Aching, Konami Gaming: “Online gaming will be a big part of ICE London”
The Vice President, International Gaming Operations at Konami Gaming, anticipates the company’s innovations to exhibit at ICE London for the gaming industry.
Exclusive interview.- The countdown has already begun. ICE London 2023 will take place from February 7-9 at ExCeL London. In this lobby and in an exclusive dialogue with Focus Gaming News, Eduardo Aching, Vice President, International Gaming Operations at Konami Gaming, presents his forecasts.
What news will Konami take to ICE London 2023?
This year marks the ICE London debut of Konami’s expanded DIMENSION series of slot cabinets, including the industry’s number-one ranked DIMENSION 49 portrait screen machine. Popular slot games such as Fortune Mint, Ocean Spin, Lucky Envelope, and Majestic Moon Triple Sparkle are available now on the portrait screen cabinet, as well as the curved DIMENSION 49J machine.
Konami’s latest core cabinet DIMENSION 27 is also arriving to ICE 2023 for the first time, with a variety of stacked-screen content for guests to explore, from proven Extended ROM games like Mystical Temple to new linked series like Mystical Pearl.
The award-winning DIMENSION 49J curved screen machine is returning to ICE this year, but with an entirely new set of game options like Lucky Envelope and Ocean Spin. Across these games, Konami’s 2023 ICE stand is highlighting a broad mix of sign displays and LED merchandising options for operators to choose from.
As a result of what factors and with what objectives did you make the selection of products?
Knowing that funds for new games have been limited for many operators since 2019, Konami is displaying its latest proven game options at ICE London 2023, to give customers many options to consider for a fresher casino floor.
“Konami’s international market operations saw improved momentum in 2022.”
Eduardo Aching, Vice President, International Gaming Operations at Konami Gaming
Every slot game at the Konami stand is new to ICE London. The objective is to work cooperatively with customers to help them take advantage of new and modern gaming entertainment.
What balance do you make of your operations in 2022 and how do you project 2023?
Konami’s international market operations saw improved momentum in 2022, as businesses continue to recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. We project this positive trajectory will continue in 2023.
How do you assess the performance of the SYNKROS casino management system, in the context of the growing interest in cashless technology? Do you have new improvements in the pipeline?
For many years, Konami’s SYNKROS has supported cashless wagering on the gaming device through a product called Money Klip, and we continue to add new improvements including cashless table games wagering and TITO redemption support for table games.
Guests can even spend their digital funds at non-gaming outlets like property restaurants and bars through interfaced point-of-sale systems.
See also: Casino employee mobile app by Konami Gaming wins gold in MarCom Awards
There are a variety of factors—including venue type, audience demographics, and regulatory requirements—that influence the type of cashless solutions a casino venue may choose to implement, and SYNKROS has the strength, technology, and flexibility to power a wide array of roll-out options to suit each casino’s unique operations.
What do you consider to be the most relevant issues on the agenda at ICE London? Why?
As in years past, online gaming will be a big part of the event. It is a sector that continues to see growth and expansion. Throughout ICE 2023, specialists from Konami’s iGaming team are meeting with partners to discuss our latest online games—all proven popular titles that players know and love from the casino.
Konami has its own remote gaming server (RGS), which integrates with the most popular back-end systems used by today’s online gaming operators. This allows online social and online for-wager sites to bring popular classics like China Shores and Adorned Peacock, as well as new hits like All Aboard and Star Watch, to diverse online audiences.
ICE London carries excellent attendance in both the online and land-based gaming sectors, so Konami is glad for the opportunity to connect with customers in both of these areas.
