Steph Nel: “There really is no substitute for in-person events”

Steph Nel, Managing Director for the Americas at TCSJOHNHUXLEY, spoke with Focus Gaming News about the first G2E Las Vegas after the latest edition in 2019.

Exclusive interview.- G2E returned to Las Vegas after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic and proved to be the perfect stage to showcase TCSJOHNHUXLEY’s latest products and innovations.

Steph Nel, Managing Director for the Americas at TCSJOHNHUXLEY, granted an exclusive interview to Focus Gaming News and shared his thoughts about the event and the plans of the company for the following months.

How was your experience at G2E Las Vegas, the first massive show post-pandemic? What can you say about meeting again with the industry?

It was great to finally get to meet our customers face-to-face at G2E. There really is no substitute for in-person events and it was encouraging to see so many people attending the show, although visitor numbers were undoubtedly down from previous years. 

Despite this, we can definitely say that the quality of attendees was high, which endorses the saying that quality matters, not quantity.

What does it mean to present your latest innovations in Las Vegas this year?

Our products need to be seen, touched and experienced in the flesh and this has never been more apparent since gaming shows were postponed or cancelled. 

“The importance of being able to properly demonstrate products face-to-face, explain their intricacies and answer customer queries cannot be underestimated.”

Steph Nel, Managing Director for the Americas at TCSJOHNHUXLEY.

We are extremely thankful for having a full-scale operation in Las Vegas which allowed us to exhibit as normal, especially as travel restrictions meant many international visitors and suppliers were unable to attend. 

This long-term investment in the Americas also ensures we are always able to provide exceptional service and support, quickly, efficiently on the ground and in the same time zone.

The company debuted Richer Spin Roulette at this year’s G2E. What does it mean to add this new game to your portfolio?

Richer Spin Roulette is a really exciting side bet that offers players the chance to win big payouts from small wagers – always an attractive prospect. The game also features a unique TCSJOHNHUXLEY Roulette wheel with an inner cylinder that has gold and silver bonus bet icons. 

This counter-rotates to the outer number ring allowing the two to spin on independently rotating cylinders. Winning bets are determined by the number the icons line up with once the wheel comes to a stop. 

With the one Gold icon paying out 300 for 1 and the nine Silver icons, 100 to 1, players love the chance of higher payouts to the traditional game and it’s also extremely attractive to operators as it increases table drop whilst retaining a strong house edge.

How was the experience presenting Qorex, the first fully in-house designed and developed electronic gaming solution?

Our Qorex ETG system continues to receive a lot of interest in this market, and we were delighted to be able to showcase both our dealer-assist stadium set up and HiLite carousel configuration. 

Qorex is a highly flexible modular system that provides unlimited configuration options to fit literally any space or player requirement creating a striking focal point, as well as generating excitement and entertainment for players.

“Operators we are working with are all saying how much they love the full package options Qorex offers.”

Steph Nel, Managing Director for the Americas at TCSJOHNHUXLEY.

The ability to choose a completely integrated and aesthetically cohesive system, not only ensures it will look great on the gaming floor but also makes the whole installation process more streamlined for operations teams too.

What are your plans for the following months? Are you expecting to launch any new product?

We have started our preparations for ICE 2022 and looking forward to exhibiting in London next February, where we will be launching some exciting new products. Expectations are high for a great show and hopefully, by this time the industry will be back in full force.