Casino Enterprise Management

There are many opportunities for customization on your gaming floor, whether it’s through architectural features like layout and floors or elements like chairs with your property’s logo. So why not go up, literally? Customized slot and gaming signage can draw player attention directly to the center of the action. Even game manufacturers are getting involved, because the perfect sculpted signage piece can be the cherry on top of an already great bank of games.

“New innovations regarding sign parts are DMX-controlled RGB LED lights, fiber-optics in the acrylic glasses and, of course, moving

3-D sculptures packed with animatronics,” said Signs4U Sales Representative René Huibers.

These toppers can also serve to better integrate a casino brand throughout the property, according to Todd Baker, operations manager for City Lites Electric Sign Co. “From our vantage point, casinos are migrating toward interior continuity and a more themed gaming environment. Everything matches and must have a place or purpose. It is a very clean look.”

Besides speaking to the aesthetic appeal of a gaming floor, these custom signs are an important part of staying on the cutting edge of technology. “There will be a continued interaction between the design itself, the content streaming across the monitors and the casino,” explained Nat Holt, director of sales for AC Coin & Slot. “This all adds up to being able to deliver a better message between the slot games, the casino and the player, who, by the way, is the ultimate decision-maker as to the continued successes of our industry.”

“The recent launch of server-based gaming will also influence our signage,” added Huibers. “In the near future we will have to find out the best solution to produce signage for downloadable games. We will have to adjust our signs in a split of a second to refer to the games played at the moment.”

To help you find someone capable of handling your company’s image and addressing all the latest technologies, the following pages contain reviews of some of those providers. These three companies are not the only ones, by any means, but they have stood the test of time, delivering quality products and experiences, for both their clients and the players.

AC Coin & Slot

While many may know AC Coin & Slot as an East Coast slot manufacturer, famous for its engaging community style games, the company has a few more tricks up its sleeves—one being its gaming signage division. “We are the only slot manufacturer that has a custom gaming signage division (25-plus years signage experience), which is located at our corporate headquarters in New Jersey,” explained Director of Sales Nat Holt. “We design, manufacture and install all of our sign products.”

Besides producing all the signage and toppers for their own games, AC Coin designs, manufactures and installs signage for their peers in the industry, both operators and fellow game manufacturers. “We have the best of both worlds,” Holt said.

AC Coin has built a strong reputation in the industry that is primarily based on the strength within the company. It got its start in 1978, when founder Mac Seelig saw a future need for products and services in the emergent Atlantic City gaming market. The company started off as the exclusive distributor of IGT’s slot machines, eventually producing its first proprietary slot in the ‘90s. Also during this time of great growth, Seelig’s three sons—Jason, Jeff and Jerry Seelig—joined the team, making it truly a family affair. This attitude of family has carried through to their business as well. “We pride ourselves as a partner, not just a vendor, which has been the key to AC Coin & Slot’s success,” Holt said.

And priority No. 1 when beginning a new project is to “listen” to the customer’s needs. “We are typically contracted at the inception of the project,” Holt explained. “This allows for streamlined communication/collaboration between the AC Coin design team and the client’s team, usually consisting of architects, designers and operational personnel.”

The planning phases of a project are what Holt refers to as “endless information exchange sessions.” That constant flow of communication is what is required to ensure that both AC Coin and the client are on the same page, and all needs are being met. Once the design phase begins, AC Coin provides a number of materials for customer approval, always keeping them in the loop. Those materials can include 3-D color renderings, image modeling and material finish boards. Production will only begin once the customer is perfectly happy with the plan and has given final sign-off. “Throughout the entire production phase, we adhere to most stringent quality control/assurance processes, including providing on-site visits for the customer to view their work in process,” Holt said.

That method has been working well for the company so far, as Holt explains: “AC Coin has completed signage projects in nearly every gaming market in North America and throughout the Caribbean. We have delivered projects to the gaming industry on time and under budget for over 25 years.” These installations can cover a range from two small customized signs all the way up to a multi-million dollar, whole property undertaking.

Some of the satisfied customers from those projects include Harrah’s Entertainment, The Borgata, Sands Bethlehem, Casino Snoqualmie, the Seminole Hard Rock, Foxwoods, Mount Airy Casino Resort and the MGM Grand.

For potential customers who would like quality products but are still feeling the economic crunch, AC Coin offers a catalogue of inventory slot signage products that have been fully refurbished, either to original specifications or new features designated by the new customer. “For the ‘budget-conscious customer,’ this represents approximately 50 percent savings vs. new build,” Holt explained. “We have completed numerous projects of this type where we provided the majority of the gaming floor signage at a fraction of the cost for ‘new’ build.”

So whether it’s new or just new to you, AC Coin has a variety of options of features, including sculpting, airbrush artistry, hand-blown glass, LED lighting, sound innovation and other up-to-the-minute technologies.

AC Coin & Slot at a Glance
Company headquarters: Pleasantville, N.J.
Other locations: Reno, Nev.; Las Vegas; Davenport, Iowa; D’Iberville, Miss.; Burlington, Ontario; San Juan, Puerto Rico
Executives: Mac Seelig, President
Jerry Seelig, EVP, General Manager
Jeff Seelig, Chief Financial Officer
Jason Seelig, EVP Sales and Marketing
Tom McCormick, EVP General Council
Year founded: 1978
Number of employees: 280
For sales info: Nat Holt, Director of Sales, nat.holt@ac-coin.com
Website: www.ac-coin.com

City Lites Electric Sign Co.

While they may not actually be family, the team at City Lites Electric Sign Co. seems to behave like one. The company prides itself on maintaining a high-quality product and a high-quality work environment for its employees—which may be the reason why those employees do their jobs so well.

Operations Manager Todd Baker explained: “The City Lites team is a highly skilled and dedicated cadre of individuals which many are excited to be a part of. These core values are the primary reasons for this feeling, and they transcend our size and our growth rate. These core values are the soul of our company: designing and fabricating the highest quality and cutting-edge signage and displays available; exceeding our customer’s needs and expectations; supporting team member happiness and growth; creating wealth through profits and growth; creating ongoing win-win partnerships with our suppliers.”

That foundation has led to strong relationships with customers like Konami Gaming, Aristocrat Technologies, Bally Technologies, MGM Mirage, Boyd Gaming, WMS Gaming, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Ameristar Casinos and many more, including a number of additional casinos throughout the country in commercial and tribal gaming.

City Lites’ most recent innovation is something that Baker chalks up as a “team effort”—the Z-Chassis Modular Sign System. “This revolutionary design features our new component ‘slide rail’ assembly. This sign system is the first of its kind, and is truly a modular, tool-less sign system. It embodies a ‘ready for development’ central chassis and support posts with full adjustability, game height and positions for one or two games wide. The Z-Chassis, combined with our custom designed re-deployable themed components, makes this system a highly flexible and cost-effective alternative.”

The Z-Chassis definitely operates on the premise of “more bang for your buck,” as it is available in many distinctive designs that can be arranged in nearly infinite configurations. It also has a long product life, which enables a property to experience a better ROI. Casino Lites is also able to work with customers to “value engineer” the exact solution that customer is looking for, or if there are specific budget needs.

Listening to the customer is a key part of the City Lites experience. The company is open to design requests, as they consider their biggest focus to be capturing the vision that the customer wishes to create. That vision can play a large part in enhancing the casino or resort experience, which can include everything from lighting, décor, signage and furniture to events and cuisine. “If the project is large enough, we become one part of a team, integrating our experience and knowledge with the capabilities and products of our fellow members,” Baker said.

“Personal communication with the customer regarding the product, the service and installation, and finally the project itself is key to understanding that particular customer and how we might meet their needs in the future.” This is how City Lites creates a lasting relationship with its customers.

The company also has an eye toward the future, and sees that “going digital” is an important part of it. This future also includes the use of versatile, long-lasting and easy-to-use LED screens. “The entity that can optimize the capabilities and flexibility of digital displays and LEDs will lead the pack in designing cutting-edge casino environments,” Baker shared.

City Lites is looking forward to meeting those future challenges head on, but admits they have a secret weapon that gives them an advantage—people. Baker explains, “Our people set us apart from our competitors. Their ability to think ‘over the horizon’ allows us to meet our customers’ challenges, be superior problem solvers and sign design innovators.

City Lites at a Glance
Company headquarters: Las Vegas
Executives: Joseph Kirk, CEO
George Turk, General Manager
Year founded: 1989
Number of employees: 45
For sales info: Karen Ruhe, Sales Operations Manager
karen@cityliteslv.com, (702) 873-3566
Website: www.cityliteslv.com

Signs4U

The Netherlands-based Signs4U may not be an established name in the United States, but it is a solid option for companies with interests abroad. Signs4U already enjoys significant market share in Europe and South America, working with other industry-leading manufacturers and properties. “You will probably find our signs in every European casino,” said Sales Representative René Huibers.

Some of their most recent projects have been complete casino installations at Gran Casino Costa Brava in Spain, Casino Espinho in Portugal and in-progress work at the new Casino Troia in Portugal. They are also collaborating with Lottomatica to supply the newly-opened VLT market in Italy.

A little less than half of Signs4U’s projects involve working directly with slot manufacturers, as the main European and South American sign supplier for Novomatic, Bally, IGT, Aristocrat, ATRONIC, WMS and Magic Dreams.

Those are a lot of impressive names, but the most important are those of the company’s founders, Jan and Martin Spies. These brothers established the company in 2000, and it continues to be privately owned and operated. One of the most recent milestones for the company is a 2007 joint venture with Suzo South Americas to produce and distribute products in Signs4U’s new factory in Montevideo, Uruguay.

As to what sets the company’s products apart from others in the industry, Huibers explains: “We focus on high standards; our signs have a high-quality finish and are constantly checked during every step of the production process. An important part of a sign is the acrylics containing the artwork of the sign. We have an excellent quality of these so we can guarantee color resistance for at least 10 years, even under the influence of neon. Besides the quality, which is a major selling point, we always try to be innovative with our products.”

The complete product range for Signs4U includes: casino signage—consisting of progressive, mystery and custom-built, outdoor signage, multimedia systems, jackpot controllers and systems, slot toppers, denomination and edge-lit signs, directional and wayfinding signs, in- and outdoor LED displays, bank ends, and used signage.

In order to offer so many stellar options, Signs4U has recently partnered with a leading multimedia provider based out of Tel Aviv, Israel. “C-Nario secured its leading market position with the development of highly innovative content creation and management tools, better than broadcast quality playback, ease-of-use, workflow management, seamless integration with external systems and technologies, scalability and full control capabilities,” Huibers said. C-Nario has installations in 40 countries on six continents, and has offices in the U.S., Europe, Israel and Asia.

Where Signs4U and C-Nario collaborated was in the area of jackpots. C-Nario was only missing the interface to the jackpot controllers—an area where Signs4U was able to fill in the gap. Now, their system has the capability to display jackpot data from multiple jackpot controllers. The data that is fed, real-time, can be sent to and displayed in hotel lobbies, restaurants and bars around the world, at long distances.

One more example of Signs4U’s unique offerings involves a step in their production process that is different from that of their competitors. “We laminate most of our signs with a thin layer of aluminum to get a perfect high glossy finish,” Huibers explained. “This is labor intensive, but the end result is great. Most of the sign manufacturers in Europe just spray paint or powder coat their cabinets.”

And it is attention to detail like this that has earned Signs4U a top spot in the gaming signage world.
 

Signs4U at a Glance
Company headquarters: Ede, The Netherlands
Other location: Montevideo, Uruguay
Executives: Martin Spies, Jan Spies
Number of employees: 35
Year founded: 2000
For sales info: René Huibers, rene@signs4u.nl or
Shanna van Capelleveen, shanna@signs4u.nl
Website: www.signs4u.nl


Taaren Haak is the Associate Editor for Casino Enterprise Management. She can be reached at (701) 293-7775 or editor4[at]aceme.org.