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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY How do I love thee? w e love our industry. There's no doubt about that. Each year we send out a lengthy survey to our operator readers to find out just how much we love this business. And as with anything we love, sometimes we get aggravated with it, swear to leave it , and think there must be something better. We soon admit that there really is nothing better and set out to work with what we have. Some years have been exceptionally good, while others have made us cringe just a little. But each year it becomes even clearer that we have a solid foundation and must take a hard look at what we are building on that foundation . Equipment comes and sometimes it goes, but most simply take a rightful place in the scheme of things. "Although no states adopted a plan to legalize video poker, 77% of operators felt that legalizing video gaming was not a dead issue." Valerie Cognevich PLAY METER lyzed the results to give you the annual State of the Industry report. You'll notice that the industry's annual gross is $6.4 billion this year, but don't compare it to the $9 billion last year. There are a few differences. For example, last year we included vending, cigarette machines, and video poker grosses since we do include questions about those forms of coin-op machines in our survey. However, last year one of our respected readers pointed out that it wasn't really fair to include those totals when calculating the industry total for the coin-op amusement industry. We agreed with his point and have excluded those totals from our figure . What the $6.4 billion represents is totals from all of the other categories of coin-operated amusement machines. Video Gaming Last year video gaming was dominating the industry as operators searched for that elusive way to beef up collections. State after state submitted plans to their legislatures to legalize video We always like to thank our gaming equipment, but it was a loyal readers who take the time to fill out the questionnaire, fruitless effort all around . The knowing that it takes some time previous year Louisiana became and effort to complete. However, only the fourth state to legalize we also like to stress that our video poker machines statewide; industry is operators and what none followed the lead in 1993. they have to say is what counts in Although no states adopted a this survey. plan to legalize video poker, 77% We didn't get quite as many of operators felt that legalizing surveys returned as we have in video gaming was not a dead the past, which is always upset- issue , leaving us to believe that ting because we worry that the many are not giving up. However, numbers will not accl!rately por- it's obvious that many operators tray a picture of the coin-op are finding solace in operating industry. However, we have com- video pokers-legal or not; 73% piled the results of the 200 sur- said that gray area video poker veys that were returned and ana- games are popular in their states. 8 1994 DIRECTORY