Ainsworth’s Latest For Mexico’s PlayCity Casinos
Industry heavy-hitter Ainsworth Game Technology announced that its new A-STAR cabinet would be installed at PlayCity casinos in Mexico. According to representatives from Ainsworth, this decision comes out of a desire to offset COVID-19-related losses to casinos in Mexico, largely resulting from shrinking visitation. The A-STAR cabinets are part of an exclusive launch from the company, potentially signaling a creative route around the cancellation or postponement of IRL conventions this year.
Ainsworth is partnering with PlayCity casinos to exclusively launch its newest cabinet, the A-STAR. ©lizzzd/Pixabay
The A-STAR Gaming Cabinet
Ainsworth’s new cabinets coming to PlayCity casinos in Mexico are a brand new series known as the A-STAR, which comes in both Dual and Curve options. All A-STAR cabinets come with HD monitors for a high-tech and glitzy player experience. Players will also be happy to see that these new cabinets come with HD sound.
A-STAR Dual
The A-STAR Dual offers players a high quality gaming experience on a slim, easily installed cabinet. The cabinet’s name comes from dual HD monitors, each 27 inches, which are stacked one above the other. This design allows for easy install on the part of the casino, plus exciting and immersive game play for the average gamer.
The cabinet also comes with immaculately designed special features, like programmable LED lighting, touch-screen technology, a variety of payment options, a high-quality sound system, and — in an exciting touch — even a station where players can charge their cell phones, as necessary.
A-STAR Curve
The other option of A-STAR cabinets for casinos to install is the A-STAR Curve, which — unlike the Dual — has just one screen, a 43 inch HD monitor that curves elegantly outward. The Curve, unlike the Dual, does not strive for minimalism: its cabinets call attention to themselves, tall and impressive, with screens arcing like shells toward the player.
PlayCity Casinos: A Wide Presence In Mexico
These cabinets will be installed at PlayCity casinos in Mexico, making PlayCity the first operator in Mexico to feature Ainsworth’s latest cabinet. PlayCity is an established presence in the Mexico casino landscape, with locations in Acapulco, Durango, Aguascalientes, Nuevo León, Xalapa, Juárez, Culiacán, and more.
Installs Intended To Offset COVID-19 Losses
In an interesting twist, a press release indicates that the exclusive installs of the A-STAR cabinets in PlayCity casinos in Mexico is an attempt to remedy financial woes in PlayCity casinos (and casinos overall, in the country) as the coronavirus pandemic marches on. This could indicate an interesting new trend in the pandemic-era gambling industry.
In Corona Time, Could Exclusive Installs Replace Convention Launches?
Normally, games developers like Ainsworth use international, IRL gaming conventions to launch their latest products. This includes events like ICE London, SiGMA, or, in the Latin American market, conventions like SAGSE and the GAT Expo. As the pandemic continues, however, the traditional industry convention has dramatically changed.
In some instances, conventions have been postponed or canceled outright, but others, like Colombia’s GAT Expo, have launched technologically-savvy online iterations, allowing for industry members and guests to create virtual avatars to peruse digital renderings of the traditional casino floor.
Clearly, however, slots developers like Ainsworth lose out, to some degree, by not being able to exhibit new cabinet creations to IRL visitors. By exclusively launching A-STAR cabinets with a certain brand of casino operator in Mexico, Ainsworth is implying that this could be another means to generate buzz around the new A-STAR cabinet.
Ainsworth Is Staying Creative in 2020
In a time which has been profoundly challenging for the gambling industry, Ainsworth has been savvy in its approach. This collaboration with PlayCity casinos offers one route the developer is taking — pairing exclusive launches with a well-known regional brand to boost revenue for both — but the company is also exploring online business, as well.
In mid-October, Ainsworth announced that it was partnering with Resorts Casino, an integrated hotel and casino located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Rather than bringing Ainsworth cabinets to the IRL casino, however, Ainsworth’s games catalog is coming online, exclusively to two of Resorts Casino’s affiliated online gambling options.
