The amusement industry in Europe is facing significant challenges and may even be falling behind the rest of the world – that was the verdict of Intercard’s Alberto Borrero.
Speaking at last week’s Euro Attractions Show in Paris, France, Borrero described the European market as “shrinking” as a consequence of additional competition, whether that’s from other businesses within the leisure sector or simply the number of games available to play via tablets and smartphones.
“Another problem is that to be a success you need a combination of attractions, such as amusement machines, bowling, rides, etc., which requires a location to be a minimum of 3,000sq.m. In Europe, real estate is so expensive so no one can afford that, which is why Paris only has one real FEC for a city of 12 million people.
“Other parts of the world, such as the Middle East, have 10,000sq.m locations. Operators there have found the right equation and the market is very healthy.” Asia, he said, is also expanding “in a big way.”
Read the full EAS report in the October issue of InterGame.
