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
9
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 .”