AGS doubles down on its most popular game franchises with new cabinets , new game mechanics , and a singular vision
GLOBAL GAMES 2024
AGS
Same Plan , New Era
AGS doubles down on its most popular game franchises with new cabinets , new game mechanics , and a singular vision
The big news this year for slot supplier AGS was , of course , its pending acquisition by private equity firm Brightstar Capital Partners .
But as AGS CEO David Lopez said in the statement announcing the $ 1.1 billion transaction — set to close in late 2025 — the return to private ownership after what will be seven years trading on the New York Stock Exchange will not change the still-growing supplier ’ s product plan .
In fact , he said , the resources of Brightstar , a middle-market private equity firm focused on investing in industrial , manufacturing and services businesses , will help move the product plan forward .
“ Joining forces with Brightstar represents an exciting new chapter for AGS and our mission to provide exceptional gaming solutions for our operator partners ,” Lopez said in the May 9 announcement of the Brightstar agreement .
“ With Brightstar ’ s resources and strategic guidance , we believe AGS will be well-positioned to make targeted investments in R & D , top talent , operations , and industry-leading innovation , which should accelerate our global footprint .”
The plain fact is that AGS , which has been one of the bright spots over the past year in an otherwise flat slot supplier market , became a target for Brightstar based on the strengths of the company ’ s products , which have propelled the former Class II supplier into a prominent position in the slot market since Lopez became CEO in 2018 .
While the company grew — first to add a table-game division that went from zero to 60 in under a year ; then creating an interactive division that is growing at the same speed — the slot division came into its own , launching hit products including the Rakin ’ Bacon family , Piñata Pays , Triple Coin Treasures and more .
Most recently , the oldest and newest divisions of AGS came together in pioneering omnichannel game releases . In February , the company executed an exclusive omnichannel launch of Rakin ’ Bacon Odyssey , in person at Caesars Atlantic City and online at the Caesars Palace Online Casino site in New Jersey . In July , Rakin ’ Bacon Sahara was launched simultaneously at Hard Rock Atlantic City and the Hard Rock Bet online site .
Extending the Brands
The fact those launches featured the company ’ s most successful game franchise in Rakin ’ Bacon was no accident . AGS has spent the past several years building up all the company ’ s popular game franchises with sequels to the games , each adding a twist to a game that retains the basics of what it made popular .
This year , the focus at AGS has been to take those franchises to the next level , adding the most popular game mechanics of the day to titles that are already well-known to players .
“ The idea behind this is , let ’ s introduce this brand that ’ s been so powerful , that we know resonates with players , to players who enjoy all different styles , player segments and mechanics ,” says Mark DeDeaux , general manager and senior vice president of slots for AGS .
“ We ’ ve got a lot of really great brand extensions of Rakin ’ Bacon , and we ’ re really excited to introduce that brand to new player segments . And so , if you weren ’ t a player who just happened to like a pseudo-persistent , single-pot , free-games style of game , you may have tried Piñata Pays , but you might not have played it very frequently . Recognizing that , we know that there are a lot of players who are liking this three-pot , pseudo persistence , so we ’ ve got two different styles of games we ’ re going to be debuting at G2E with Rakin ’ Bacon branding .”
It ’ s not just the game content that ’ s going to bring Rakin ’ Bacon , Triple
40 Global Gaming Business OCTOBER 2024