Industry
Eciggys machine set to encourage linger time
Coinslot June 14- June 20, 2013
INDUSTRY AMUSEMENTS LEISURE B2B COMMENT NEWSWEEK
SWP Games Warehouse leads the fightback against the reported demise of the SWP. 30
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VENDING
ndustry entrepreneur Paul Howarth
Ibelieves he might have just the solution to circumnavigate the smoke ban and keep machine players on task. With his Eciggys vending concept, Howarth is confident that the bingo and pub sectors in particular can benefit from the use of water-vapour e- cigarettes which can be‘ smoked’ safely and legally indoors.
“ I’ ve developed a vending machine which dispenses a highquality disposable cigarette, the‘ 66’. They come in two flavours, tobacco and menthol, and there’ s already been an enormous interest in the products from pub retailers, operators and bingo chains.”
With the knowledge that the e-cigarettes themselves and point of sale material already existed, Howarth saw an opportunity to create a costeffective wall-mounted vending product for the e-cigarettes which, as he put it, is effectively‘ a slot machine’.
“ It’ s a great product for bingo and arcades- Eciggys let customers‘ smoke’ all day without having to go outside and take a break from playing the coinop machines on site, added Howarth.
The e-cigarettes, sourced from China and named 66 because of the accepted time- in days- it takes to make or break a smoking habit, vend at £ 5 or, if the venue owner dictates, using tokens. Howarth believes that the 66 brand is unique among e-cigarettes because the strength of dose- no tar, no ash- varies depending on how hard the user inhales.
Howarth concluded on an upbeat note, stating:“ We arrived at Park Avenue at 10am. By 10:15 we’ d already taken an order.”
Shinzo Abe shows arcade game knowledge
NOVELTY
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe referenced a classic novelty game in a recent speech about economic reform. After setting out reforms to bring more women into the workforce, promote industrial innovation and tempt cash-hoarding firms into investing, in a bid to help his country break free of the deflationary trap in which it has been caught for 20 years. He also declared war on the nation’ s notorious bureaucracy. He concluded his speech by stating:“ To achieve this will be like Whack-A- Mole! There is no end.”