Casino Enterprise Management

Interblock is a global business, with branches in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the U.S. and Canada. Popular for its Organic product range, dazzling displays and distinctive design, it shines as a multi-player table game producer. And with its recent entry and expansion into a new market, its future is just as bright.

History
Interblock was founded in 1998 by Joc Pececnik with the hopes of developing a strong sales and services network throughout the international market. Its parent company, Elektroncek, started in 1989, and adjusted its focus from security systems to information technology. Pececnik began with just a few roulette machines, explains Vice President of Sales Tom O’Brien. “Within a few years, he was asked for a few more orders, then a few more orders. And before he knew it, he had himself a gaming company, and he started building other types of products for customers.”

Because of the evident success of Interblock, other Elektroncek subsidiaries were formed. Interblock USA, Interblock Canada and Interblock Asia-Pacific are headquartered in Slovenia, but are located throughout the world. The company’s focus had primarily been Asia and Spain in the past, but, as O’Brien says, “We’ve been attacking the U.S. for the last 18 months.”

 In 2006, 50 percent of the company was purchased by Aristocrat Technologies. However, as of June 2010, Interblock and Elektroncek bought their shares back and now own 100 percent of the company. Since that time, they’ve changed products. “We’ve gone from different generations—from generation three to generation four (G4)—which is our newest product today,” O’Brien says. That growth and success is due largely in part to Pe˘ce˘cnik. “His passion has been in gaming since 1998, and it’ll continue for years to come.”

Products
Interblock’s products are perhaps best known for their stunning displays and unique design. But the beauty of the product goes far beyond the exterior. The most current product, the G4, is a multi-game product that utilizes multiple generators. Roulette, Sic Bo, craps, baccarat and blackjack can now be combined onto one machine. So if you wanted to play roulette on one side of the casino and you wanted to play craps on the other side, you could stay on the same game and just switch games, O’Brien says.

Roulette has been a huge focus for Interblock, but the company also has a history with craps and Sic Bo, so those are feature products that are starting to come out and gain popularity in the U.S. electronic table games market. O’Brien adds that they think it’s a good time for the company because the market is still relatively new for the U.S.

G2E 2010 was the company’s first real debut in the U.S., and it was where they demonstrated the Organic G4 product. Their booth, much like the Interblock products, was designed by Pe˘ce˘cnik. “Joc has done most of the designs on his own,” O’Brien says. “We call him the Mad Scientist. He’s got a great marketing mind. He knows how to get the client’s attention.” In fact, he created the Organic product line from the ground up. “It’s named Organic because it was Joc’s baby.”

The design of Interblock’s products certainly grabs attention. “Our design is fantastic,” O’Brien says. “Almost every customer, everyone that comes and sees our game says it looks fantastic. It’s a luxury product. It’s sleek; it’s beautiful. That gets your attention to begin with.” He adds that the features of the game then keep players’ attention. Their games, fast bet buttons or double-up features are sure to keep patrons at their games. “Most of our competitors can’t do multiple games at the same time. They can do multiple chips or multiple denominations, but multiple games is very difficult, and it’s something that we strive for. That’s one of the best features of our games.”

Although the setup may appear complex, it’s actually a relatively simple concept. A generator sits at the core of every game, with a product that produces the game’s outcome. Terminals shoot off of the generator and can be hooked into multiple generators, taking whichever game they want. “Another one of the great features about our product is that it’s multi-functional,” O’Brien adds. “You can move it around, make it a theater, make it an 8-game station or a 10-game station.” One of the most popular games is a twin, with two generators in the center, shaped as an oval. There is also one in a football shape, which is proving to be popular among customers.

Company
One of the main focuses of the company is to concentrate on what they’re good at—electronic table games. “We’re not in multi-functional products,” O’Brien says. “We’re not doing slot machines; we’re not doing card shufflers; we’re not doing game systems. We’re focused on electronic table games.”

The company also prides itself on product performance and values toward customers. Their experienced staff has proven to be a great asset to the company. O’Brien explains:  “Most of the people we have on board right now in the U.S. have been in the gaming industry for 10 to 20 years. They know the business very well. The owner realized that to make this a popular company in the United States, he had to hire within the United States with some experience, the veterans, and let them do their jobs. Now we’re building off that and getting stronger every day.”

Growth
One of Interblock’s most recent accomplishments in the U.S. was gaining approval in Nevada, which happened on March 24, 2011. The company has submitted for approval in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has plans for Michigan and Colorado after that. “We’re picking the markets by demand, going with the most popular first,” O’Brien says. “And then we’re working our way across the country.”

He explains the difference between approval in the U.S. and internationally: “As opposed to international markets, it’s a lot easier to get approved in certain jurisdictions internationally. So they’re running very heavy in Spain and all over the international markets. Here, it’s heavily regulated, even by tribes, so we’re kind of starting from scratch, getting new tribal licenses and new state licenses everywhere we go.”

A few of Interblock’s most significant installations across the nation include Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods, L’Auberge, MGM, Bellagio and Mirage. “They’ve all been instrumental in helping us get moving here,” O’Brien adds.

Although the machines can be set up for large, theater-style tables, O’Brien says that those are not the most popular versions in the U.S. He says they’re more like the 8, 10 or 12-terminal setups, and are done in small installments to keep the yield up, test the waters and see customers’ reactions. “The nice part about our games is we can always add more games to that section if we need to.”

One thing to watch for from Interblock is a large-scale installment coming in October to Resorts World in New York. According to O’Brien, the installment at the Aqueduct Racetrack is probably going to be one of the largest installations of electronic gaming machines in the world.

The customer service of Interblock goes much farther than the basic installation of the machines. Every four to five weeks, the company sends an engineer to make sure the machines have preventative maintenance done. They also periodically check in to make sure the games are earning for them and that they are performing properly.

The newest product in Interblock’s lineup is the G4 bar top. Though it’s not on the market yet, O’Brien hopes that the product will be available by the upcoming G2E. This product will allow players to play games right on the countertops of bars. “We’ll go in and insert the bars and put a generator somewhere behind the bar,” O’Brien explains. “We’ll have overhead screens behind it so people can actually play roulette, craps, whatever they want to, right on the bar.”

A Bright Future
Being new to the market, Interblock hasn’t made many changes due to the economy. However, they do adjust to the customer’s needs because of the economy. “We’ll assist wherever we can in participation or recurring revenue to some of the customers that don’t have the budgets to purchase products anymore.” Doing things like adjusting payment methods and increasing product reliability are ways that Interblock makes it easier for customers financially.

As for the future, O’Brien says that one of the goals is to have a product placed in every major state in the U.S. “We’re relatively new, so our goal is to strive to make everyone aware of who we are and what we’re capable of. For the United States, the sky’s the limit. We have a lot of work to do and a long way to go, but it’s going to be very popular for us.”

Judging by the way they’ve made their mark so far, there’s no turning back now. Interblock is here to stay.


Mission and Vision
Elektroncek’s multi-player solutions are recognized worldwide for their technological excellence and durability, attractive and contemporary design, together with efficient after-sales support and services. We strive to set trends for the multi-player gaming machines.
Elektroncek group of companies strive to realize the following vision:
• Continuity of the Elektroncek success story in developing, producing and servicing state-of-the-art multiplayer systems through investment in R&D, licensing, market research and communication in order to satisfy the needs of customers.
• To focus on meeting customer’s needs through effective distribution and prompt on-site customer support.
• To constantly strive to meet the demands of new markets by obtaining their legislative restrictions, gaming customs and end user behaviors.
• To invest in skilled employees that co-create great brand experience, where Interblock is a synonym for outstanding customer service.
• To sustain the lead over the competition also by reallocating resources and establishing new production lines in USA and Asia.
• To form strategic alliances with partners from various fields of business in order to stay at the global competitive edge.
• To operate to the benefit of all stakeholders, including employees, customers and society at large in respect of sustainable development at all levels of environmental, social and economic performance.