Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming November 2014 10 Cover Story Electronic roulette as we know it was largely the invention of Alfastreet, which emerged in 1994 from the furniture factory of the Počkaj family in Rodik, Slovenia, to become a global e-table leader by virtue of a spirit of innovation that hasn’t flagged in 20 years and never wavers from a commitment to Old World standards of engineering, craftsmanship and service. The company’s flagship multiplayer platform, the R8, is the embodiment of these traits: elegant, durable, immensely scalable—it strikes that balance between technological panache and fidelity to the “spirit of the game” which for Alfastreet represents the apex of achievement. “Our philosophy is to make the games simple and efficient. That is our main goal when we develop any game,” says Sales Director Albert Radman. “We do modify our games to suit specific markets, but the basis is always the same. Simple and effective.” The R8 is the “reference” for every ETG manufacturer that’s come after, as he sees it, and not without some justification. It’s carried Alfastreet to dominance in Cambodia’s 70-casino market, both on the borders and at NagaWorld, where the R8’s myriad strengths, principally as an automated roulette offering, have captured a majority of the Phnom Penh monopoly’s 400- plus ETG seats. “They conquered Cambodia very early on,” says Silver Heritage’s Tim Shepherd. “When Poipet opened up they were there, and as casinos grew up in the 2000’s, and up until today, you can’t open a casino and expect to succeed on the EGT side without at least one eight-seater Alfa.” The R8’s ergonomics has a lot to do with that. Supported by rigorous pre-release testing it plays out in ample leg room, a spacious 23-inch player interface and in the way each seat relates to its slightly convex screen surface (upgraded recently with fully adjustable RGB LED lighting) and to the centrally placed wheel. Just this year, a more compact version was unveiled, the four-seat R4, so the quality and performance are now available at a size and price more amenable to smaller operations, a strong selling point in Asia’s vibrant medium-tier casino and club markets. “Our goals are clear,” says Mr Radman, “we would like to see at least one Alfastreet machine in each casino and club.” If it happens, the flexible, single terminal SL will be another big reason why. The SL is the backbone of a rich multi-game offering comprised of popular e-versions of sic bo, baccarat, craps and an array of proprietary games that includes a big wheel unveiled earlier this year—Alfastreet Wheel of Fortune, it’s called, available both in live and automated versions—and an innovative virtual horseracing platform called Royal Derby that is being readied for release. The SL also has enabled Alfastreet to compete for a healthy share of the stadium-style configurations that are growing in popularity across the region, most notably in Singapore, where optimal performance is a must because ETG seats count against both casinos’ statutory cap of 2,500 machine games. Alfastreet controls an estimated 35% of those precious seats, good for second-most in the market. So it’s not surprising that the company continues to reinvest in the platform. Recent upgrades include a 23-inch monitor, an optional second-screen and live video feed and full game statistics. The more plush SL Gold, identifiable by its namesake trim and richer wood and carbon insets, comes with R8-style adjustable lighting and supports optional control via smartphone. The latest iteration, the WIKY, sports an entirely new look around a more minimalist base and on top features a whopping 32-inch player interface. Spirit of the Game ALFASTREET The new R4 —big casino quality at a small casino price. Upgrades are adding a new chapter to the SL Gold success story.