Press Releases

Positioning a new London show for casinos.

The new London casino exhibition – the ‘London Casino and Gaming Show’ – will act as a stand-alone boutique event for the land-based sector, says organiser Martin Burlin.

Co-hosting with the long-established European Amusement Expo at London’s ExCeL, LCG is presenting itself as a ‘pocket-sized taster’ for the giant ICE, which has recently vacated the same venue to move to Barcelona a week later.

LCG and EAG are set for January 14-16, while the big international casino show is opening its doors the following week, January 20-22.

The movement of ICE from London to Barcelona, has opened the ExCeL door to the smaller EAG developing its own casino event, mirroring the original creation of ICE itself as a part of the bigger ATEI show in the 198Os.

The amusement show, owned by trade association BACTA, as ATEI once was, will this year welcome bricks-and-mortar casino operators through its doors alongside the arcade, FECs and AGCs of Europe.

“for the avoidance of doubt we are not including on-line gaming, we see our niche as being land based gaming”   said Burlin, “which will make LCG a much more boutique event.”

His Industry Ambassador, Nick Harding, explained the positioning of LCG vis-à-vis ICE: “In our research into the possibility of running a casino event, we found that a number of casino operators wanted to continue with a London show. We also found many that would welcome a smaller, quieter event where they didn’t have to walk long distances from one supplier to another.”

He added: “Some North American operators, for example, have also welcomed the chance to come and enjoy London a few days ahead of Barcelona.”

Show manager Nicola Lazenby, told us that her sales team had already scored some significant successes in recruiting exhibitors for LCG. “There is a nucleus of companies that have the majority of their business only among UK casinos,” she said, “and coupled with the other points made by Nick, it combines to give LCG an appeal of its own.”

Lazenby said that there would be no physical barrier between the two shows at ExCeL; they would be complimentary  and run alongside one-another. “There is a natural and growing overlap between the amusement industry and the gambling business, particularly at the ‘softer’ low-stakes end and you will have seen a great many EAG visitors in the corridors at ICE in recent years.”

Taking up the theme, Martin Burlin said: “We are responding to demand. There is a significant number of people who still value a London event for casinos and we have every intention of growing it and expanding it, so that it becomes very much a European event focusing on the bricks-and-mortar casinos.

“It isn’t positioning itself as an alternative to ICE, but rather as a supplementary event; a kind of hors d’oeuvres for Barcelona.”

And Nick Harding added: “And for those who seek sunshine in January, it is also worth pointing out that Barcelona in January is only, on average, four degrees warmer than London!”

ENDS.

Enquiries;  nicola.lazenby@eagexpo.com    +44 (0)7787 217228

                     nick@spraylakesconsultancy.com  +44 (0)7970 148000

Giants already signing up for LCG

Some of the biggest names in the casino supply industry have already indicated support for the new London Casino & Gaming Show (LCG), said show director Nicola Lazenby.

“We are signing contracts this week,” said Lazenby “and in the next few days we should be able to release names.”

Lazenby and her chairman, Martin Burlin, told us that they had been encouraged by the reaction of the UK and European casinos to what they term ‘our boutique event’ that will be staged a few days (January 14-16) ahead of the big international show, ICE, now moved to Barcelona (January 20-22).

A bricks-and-mortar-only casino expo, LCG will be held at London’s ExCeL, the until-now traditional home of European gambling shows and the long-time home of the Entertainment, Attractions and Gaming Expo (EAG), which will cohabit ExCeL at the same time. Also new for 2025, and again co-habiting ExCel will be the Social Immersive Entertainment Expo (SIE).

Appealing to three interlocking sectors simultaneously, said Burlin, would effectively widen the base of the event to appeal to the widest possible audience on behalf of show owners Bacta.

The trade association has already been joined in sponsoring the show by its European counterpart, Euromat, the umbrella organisation for no fewer than 18 amusement and gaming trade associations from 12 separate European countries.

Talks are continuing, meanwhile, with other affiliated industry organisations to lend their support for LCG.

“We are feeling more confident every day,” said show ambassador Nick Harding, “that our original thoughts that the casino business in Europe needs and deserves its own event on a smaller and more focused footprint, free of the internet gambling and betting interests that might threaten to overwhelm everything else.

“We want to see every aspect of the bricks-and-mortar casino on the floor of the show, from not just slots and live tables, to a representation of every aspect of the day-to-day activities; uniforms, roulette equipment and other table games (automated or otherwise), F&B, glass suppliers, lighting effects, payment systems, and security.”

Nicola Lazenby added that the three-show configuration would extensively enlarge what was once just the EAG expo footprint at ExCeL. “We expect to be taking up as many as ten of the venue’s halls in just the first year.”

All three shows would have their own workshops, seminars and breakout events, said Lazenby, and there were already indications that a number of evening social events would be put in hand.

“We are even having approaches to see if live international gaming events can be run during the exhibition, which will add a great deal of excitement.”

ENDS.

Enquiries;  nicola.lazenby@eagexpo.com    +44 (0)7787 217228

                     nick@spraylakesconsultancy.com  +44 (0)7970 148000

Novomatic, Merkur, Inspired for LCG

As expected, the big names are already starting to line up for January’s London Casino & Gaming Expo, led by the ‘big two’ of Europe, Novomatic and Merkur.

Show chairman Martin Burlin told us this week that confidence was growing in the EAG/LCG team that they will be able to stage a dedicated ‘bricks and mortar’ casino show, a few days ahead of the Barcelona ICE.

“The industry is well used to coming into London for the main gambling event each year,” he said. “They like the shows, the shopping and the whole British experience. Our EAG (Entertainments, Attractions and Gaming Expo) already has a European pedigree and it has always contained an element of the gambling industry.

“That is a natural lead-in to the casino business as some of the manufacturers deal with both sectors.”

Show ambassador Nick Harding, put a slightly different slant on the LCG strategy, however, and said: “We are of course delighted that the machine manufacturers are keen to be in from the start and they will clearly form the backbone of the show. But we also want to see a welter of exhibitors there who will supply what the industry would probably term ‘associated products’, applications that are nevertheless vital to a casino. “I am referring to products such as F&B, CCTV, signage, recruitment, training, payment systems....there is space for all of them and the opportunity for them to stand out so much more in a bijou event.”

Meanwhile, Austrian giant Novomatic is immediately on-side, and having a UK subsidiary gives it a natural entrée. The other European multi-national, Germany’s Gauselmann Group, has its Merkur UK group of companies and that, in turn, houses the very well-known Blueprint brands. They are in too, confirmed exhibitors in the new show.

Also immediately involved is Reflex Gaming, the major UK-based company that led the Category C refurbishment programme for years, before stepping up to all-new developments for almost every category of gaming machine.

Inspired Entertainment has nearly 50,000 pieces of equipment in operation across the UK but as a supplier, its products cross every sector, content, technology, hardware and services.

Also booking early for space on the floor is EFCO, the EverFine Group company, a leading provider of embedded computer platforms for the gaming industry.

“This is just the start,” said show ambassador Nick Harding. “There is a whole group of companies on the cusp of signing up for the show and we will release their names as they are confirmed.”

Show director Nicola Lazenby and her team are already blocking off sections of the floor plan for LCG on behalf of clients. “They seem to like the structure of the show – taking out the overwhelming online gambling sector and concentrating everything that operators want to see into one compact event. They will get close to the suppliers of the materials for every sector from AWPs as they are still known in Europe (Category C in the UK), through to casino slots, with their accompanying associated products and services.”

The exhibition is set for London’s ExCeL from January 14-16.

Ends

Enquiries;  nicola.lazenby@eagexpo.com    +44 (0)7787 217228

                 nick@spraylakesconsultancy.com  +44 (0)7970 148000

LCG team in place

A new picture of EAG/LCG shows director Nicola Lazenby with her two specialist sales chiefs, reinforces the closer ties that are emerging from the amusements and gambling industries.

It has led directly to the creation of the new specialist land-based casino show, the London Casino & Gaming Expo that will run alongside the long-established Entertainments, Attractions and Gaming Expo (EAG), set for London’s ExCeL, January 14-16.

Greg Bailey (left) is heading up the LCG show sales, while colleague Tom Hackett (right) is in the same role for the amusement sector at EAG.

With a full team backing them and the experienced support of veterans from the UK games and gaming industry, including Bacta past president Martin Burlin who is chairman of the shows on behalf of the trade association, and Nick Harding as show ambassador, Nicola Lazenby is confident that the strong start the show’s sales have experienced will now take off.

“I expect the demand to pick up quickly,” said Greg Bailey, “especially now that the main holiday season is out of the way.”

Greg Bailey said that the show is ‘answering the call’ from those in the land-based casino supply business who are not totally enthusiastic about showcasing their products and services in Barcelona.

“This may be for logistical or financial reasons,” he said, “and would prefer to be part of a smaller London-based show.”

Bailey also supports the view that the different sectors of the ‘coin-op’ industry are gradually coming together. “LCGS is providing a second element to EAG as was the case in the old days of the ATEI show where there was a separation between the amusement sector and the gambling business with ICE – but under the same roof.”

He also feels that London is still considered as one of the top destinations for gambling in Europe and has some of the market’s top state-of-the-art casinos and attractions.

Bailey said that he had noticed that some exhibitors were now booking at LCG who are already committed to ICE (Barcelona January 20-22). “The reception has been positive when speaking to peripheral suppliers of products such as interior design, energy supply, display and signage, etc. The ‘plus points’ among those suppliers about the London option are that the city is ‘familiar’ and that they do not want to have to deal with the logistics of travel to another mainland European city.”

Said Nicola Lazenby, now coming up to two years in the top job of organising the shows at ExCeL: “I knew I would have to hit the ground running when I first joined, but in the last six months opportunities have abounded for us; not just EAG and now LCG, but also the SIE Expo – the third element, serving the fast-expanding  competitive, social and immersive entertainment sector.

“What I and the rest of the team have to do now is deliver exactly what it says on the tin...with the sharp acceleration that this will involve. I now have a strong sales team in place to do just that. It is all very exhilarating....”.

Pic. Lazenby/Bailey/Hackett