Casino Life's Damien Connelly catches up with a very busy Tim Kennedy, Vice President of Sales for Europe at SUZOHAPP
It was a tumultuous but ultimately auspicious year for the gaming industry, and SUZOHAPP was not exempt. Fortunately, things turned out for the better, not the worse, as Tim Kennedy explains to Casino Life.
How did 2021 turn out for SUZOHAPP?
2021 was a roller coaster for the industry with the different variants and waves of the pandemic with restrictions, closures, and reopening but it was actually a rather good year for us. We have a terrific team that has learned how to adapt and react very quickly to the ever-changing market, and their creativity really made this year work. Traditional gaming isn’t quite where it was pre-pandemic yet, but we’ve seen so much growth in sports betting and electronic table games that it will be exciting to see what the future holds.
Sports betting is one sector SUZOHAPP clearly have had great success in 2021. What are the goals for the sector this year?
In 2021 we launched our sports betting terminal collection with great success. We plan to further expand on that offer and really focus on what makes us unique, which is the ability to customize our solutions for each individual customer. We also know that as the sports betting sector grows, players will expect to be able to place their bets at more than just a terminal so we’re determined to have solutions that work for every venue.
Will SUZOHAPP be exhibiting at the NIGA in April and if so will you have the complete ecosystem for a sports betting platform for visitors to view?
We are most definitely exhibiting at the Native American gaming show expo in April and are very excited to feature our sports betting ecosystem. Visitors will be able to check out our standard kiosk terminal, our bar top terminal, our over-the-counter experience as well as our cash-redemption options.
There have been a number of promotions at the company such as Markus Prader and Norman Ridall, as well as the appointment of Anette Jauch, which follows on from the recent addition Edgardo Zucconi, based out of Buenos Aeries.
We have an incredible team that has not only adapted but thrived during the challenge of the pandemic and their promotions were well deserved. As we are expanding our footprint in Europe and also looking at the emerging markets in South America it is important for us to ensure that our growth is well supported with the right resources led by those that have shown they can excel in this new market.
SUZOHAPP introduced a complete ecosystem for sports betting platforms. Can you explain to readers what that encompasses?
Our vision for sports betting is to allow customers to place their bets however they want, where they want whether that be at the bar, behind the counter or on the sports book floor or somewhere else entirely. Our new ecosystem is just the beginning of us executing on that vision with our kiosk terminal, our bar top terminal, a wall-mounted terminal and more. Most importantly though is our ability to quickly customize each of these solutions to suit the needs of each particular platform and provide them with high quality product at low lifetime costs. We are approaching sports betting with a mindset that you shouldn’t be limited to the same terminal that you see everywhere but partner with us to determine how to stand apart from the crowd.
How can SUZOHAPP assist gaming licenced premises with setting up sports betting at their establishments in the U.S.?
We have years of experience in the industry and know the ins and outs of getting to market. From easing the burden of hardware and designing custom solutions, to assisting with required certifications and licenses, by allowing SUZOHAPP to be your trusted hardware partner, we can set you up to succeed.
Casinos require it would seem more and more displays located on walls around and bars, even suspended from ceilings. How has SUZOHAPP responded to this ongoing trend, and what is the range of screens that you can provide?
SUZOHAPP offers two primary lines of monitors, our VisionPro line and, of course, the top-quality Elo displays. Within these two product lines we offer every size between 10 inches and 72 inches with various options for LED framing, touch screen capabilities and more. We believe strongly that our offering is the best quality for price and are very proud of what we have to offer.
What exhibitions can readers expect to find SUZOHAPP at this year?
Tradeshows have been in such a state of flux since the pandemic has started and while we have multiple shows planned, such as EAG, FIJMA and Interfun Expo, circumstances continue to develop and we have to do what is best for our team, our partners and our customers. We hope to see our customers in person for many of the large scale events this year but will have to see what happens as the pandemic drags on.
* Interview originally published in Casino Life Magazine Issue 149 February 2022 *
