IGT: "The clearer line of access to the Spanish market in ICE's move to Barcelona will be a game changer for Latin America"

The last edition of the ICE gaming expo to be held in London was also the show's busiest one, with a record total of 811 exhibitors from 76 nations occupying the entirety of the ExCeL exhibition center from February 6 to 8. The entire global industry joined the major expo to bid farewell to its longstanding home in the UK's capital, as the event now prepares for relocation to Barcelona starting next year.

Among the companies welcoming attendees over the show's three days was IGT, with a comprehensive showcase of its gaming portfolio, including performance-focused gaming, iGaming, iLottery, systems, and sports betting solutions. With over 125 gaming machines on display and several trade show debuts, the gaming giant made its presence felt with a busy booth that hosted presentations, networking, and more.

As part of its coverage of the show, Yogonet caught up with the IGT team during the second day of the show to learn more about the highlights of their presentation, and their objectives for the meeting. Jessica Luna, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts, Latin America at IGT, shared with us insights on demand from the LatAm region.

What were some key highlights of IGT's showcase this time around? What should LatAm customers keep an eye out for?

There are three can't-miss products we showcased at ICE this year. First of all, we have our Prosperity Link game, which has launched new titles and is the number one game in terms of performance in Latin America. Then we have the Mystery of the Lamp multi-level progressive, which is a great addition to any floor and has proven successful in several markets.

And then we have Egyptian Link with our version of the buy-a-bonus, through which the player has the possibility of acquiring the bonus directly. This is very attractive for the player and has been very well received – we are hearing good things in terms of results from operators.

ICE is a massive show and IGT's stand at the event was quite busy. What was the reception of the company's products, and what were your impressions of the show?

The show was a success for IGT right from the start. As for the Latin American market, we were visited by clients throughout the region, such as Peru and Argentina, for instance. We also had clients in Panama and Costa Rica approaching us; Central America in general terms has been really present this time around. Both South America and Central America are regions that have an increasingly bigger presence at ICE with each new edition.

We hosted many corporate clients at our stand as well as customers from strategic Spain accounts at the booth. All visits started early in the morning and kept taking place until the end of each day of the show. As you can see, the booth was quite busy; we've been hosting meetings and handling diverse requests right from the first day, which is always good news. 

With IGT present in so many verticals of the industry and having such a wide portfolio, which were some of the most frequent inquiries at the show? What are your clients interested in exploring at the moment?

What we always receive more inquiries about are our progressives, the linked progressives; in Latin America we can see a clear preference from the market for multi-games and linked progressives and we were very successful in Eilers & Krejcik's latest list of top games.

Our Egyptian Link has been featured and well-received, and we also have the Prosperity Link multi-level progressive making waves. So that's an initial area of interest for many customers, and now we have the standalone version of the games with the buy-a-bonus option, which we also have in our progressives.

Did ICE London 2024 feel different from past editions taking into account this is the last time it is taking place in the UK's capital before it relocates to Barcelona starting next year?

In more than a way, this is a historic edition. This is a show with a very notable background and tradition, which has been the scene for major deals and networking. It sets trends and gathers the industry together, along with the Las Vegas expo.

Of course, being the last time it is held in London has a certain sad component to it as we bid farewell to ExCeL, but I also think that the relocation to Barcelona will breathe new life onto the show and herald a new era for the expo. Just like companies and people do, these events reinvent themself, so starting next year we will most likely see a new ICE, which will also be a nice change of pace.

In line with this, do you expect the relocation to Barcelona to change the profile of the event's visitors, speaking about Latin America in particular? Do you anticipate more attendees from this region coming to ICE starting next year?

There are some clear ties between Spain and Latin America that can't be ignored. Number one, we have the same language in common. And in second place, we are also very similar culturally in a number of ways. I think it will be a game changer for Latin America the fact that there will be a clearer line of access to the Spanish market with ICE taking place in Barcelona.

I think the delegations of our clients will exponentially rise during their visit and as I said, change is always positive. While we now bid farewell to ICE, reflecting on the doors it has opened for us over the last few years, we also welcome the new opportunities Barcelona will surely unlock starting next year.