WMS Industries Inc. : WMS Establishes Williams Interactive to Advance iGaming Products and Services for Casino Operators and Their Players
07/17/2012| 07:35am US/Eastern
Recommend:
- WMS' Online Wagering, Social, Casual and Mobile Gaming Resources to
be Integrated under Single iGaming Umbrella Organization -
- Orrin J. Edidin Named President and CEO of Williams Interactive -
- Kenneth Lochiatto Named President and COO of WMS Gaming -
WMS
Industries Inc. (NYSE:WMS) today announced the formation of Williams
Interactive LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary that will focus on the
growth, development and operational execution of the Company's worldwide
online wagering, social, casual and mobile gaming initiatives. The
creation of Williams Interactive LLC is intended to optimize the
benefits of iGaming for WMS' casino operator customers and their
players. Orrin J. Edidin, President of WMS Industries, has been promoted
to the new position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Williams
Interactive. In his new role, Mr. Edidin will lead the Company's efforts
to leverage its product development expertise, industry leading content
and already comprehensive iGaming capabilities to capitalize on the
emerging industry's significant potential growth opportunities by
supporting casinos' participation in these new distribution channels. In
addition, reflecting the Company's commitment to operational excellence
and continued growth in its core gaming product sales and gaming
operations businesses, WMS has promoted Kenneth Lochiatto to President
and Chief Operating Officer of WMS Gaming.
Under Mr. Edidin's leadership, Williams Interactive will integrate under
a unified organizational structure the Company's already extensive array
of interactive gaming operations and development initiatives in the
rapidly growing online wagering, social, casual, and mobile gaming
distribution channels. Williams Interactive is expected to facilitate
the continued expansion, evolution and extension of WMS' interactive
businesses. These operations currently include:
-
The successful and award-winning UK-based JackpotParty.com
B2C online casino and the development and operation of its B2B managed
online casino site in Belgium in collaboration with Groupe
Partouche.
-
Jadestone Group, a leading developer, publisher and distributor of
online gaming content with particular expertise in multiplayer,
skill-based gaming and experience in integrating their game servers
with customers' online gaming platforms, which will facilitate broader
distribution of our entire content library online as they presently
serve a wide range of high-profile online gaming customers primarily
in Europe.
-
The award-winning, cloud-based Player's Life® Web Services that
links casino-based entertainment with non-wagering entertainment
features at home or on mobile devices, which now has over 1 million
unique registered accounts.
-
The Company's social gaming pursuits, including the Lucky
Cruise? social casino on Facebook.
-
Phantom EFX, a leading developer and publisher of play-for-fun gaming
entertainment for the social, casual and mobile channels that has
significantly expanded our capabilities across these distribution
channels; and,
-
The recently announced strategic alliance with Dragonfish, the
independent B2B division of 888 Holdings, to pursue U.S. online poker
initiatives, including both play-for-fun and real money applications
when legally permitted, as well as other online casino applications
and opportunities.
With a strong historical focus on understanding players' entertainment
values and demands, its Player Driven Innovation culture and the
Company's legacy of excellence in creating player-appealing products and
services, WMS has built a comprehensive suite of organically developed
iGaming resources and initial product offerings that have been
supplemented with strategic alliances, acquisitions and partnerships.
Brian R. Gamache, Chairman and CEO of WMS Industries, commented, "For
several years, WMS has been moving toward the convergence of land-based
casino entertainment with players' desires for gaming content across the
full spectrum of online, social, casual and mobile mediums. As result of
our anticipation of this convergence, we already possess a comprehensive
range of leading solutions to meet our customers' current and evolving
needs. Establishing Williams Interactive is an important step forward in
concentrating our efforts and increasing our collective ability to
leverage our operational and development initiatives to propel growth
and returns to the next level. Orrin's management expertise and
knowledge of the WMS organization, understanding of the dynamics of
these new emerging distribution channels and deep appreciation of what
land-based casino operators need to maximize their benefit from iGaming
opportunities make him the ideal leader to move Williams Interactive
forward for the benefit of our customers, their players and WMS.
"Across the gaming industry, casino operators are looking for assistance
in preparing for the ongoing convergence between their land-based casino
gaming and the various new iGaming options," Gamache added. "With our
already advanced existing capabilities, which benefit from our core
competencies in developing player-appealing gaming content, we believe
WMS is favorably positioned to help our customers benefit through the
development of customized gaming experiences that will engage their
existing patrons, attract new players and help them grow their
businesses.
"We have an impressive, established base of talented people in our
existing operations, as well as in these new businesses, and we expect
the establishment of Williams Interactive to build additional momentum
in these new distribution channels. Having strengthened our
organization, realigned our product development and our operational
efforts to address customers' current needs and their players' current
behaviors, we've rebuilt momentum over the past year and we are in an
excellent position strategically, operationally and financially to
expand our iGaming efforts while building on our core business focus and
strengths."
Williams Interactive will be headquartered at the Company's technology
campus in Chicago and structured to strengthen its various interactive
businesses, including its online managed services whereby WMS provides a
full private-label online casino solution to look like the customer's
web site and its online game server operations whereby WMS' servers and
game content will interoperate with third-party online casino platforms,
as well as WMS' social, casual and mobile gaming operations.
Reporting to Mr. Edidin at Williams Interactive will be Jordan Levin,
Vice President and COO; Kent Hansen, Vice President and CFO; and Aaron
Schurman, head of Phantom EFX, WMS' recently acquired social, casual,
and mobile gaming business. In addition to these individuals,
significant management and development talent have been assembled
through a combination of internal WMS individuals and members of the
Phantom EFX and Jadestone teams. Mr. Edidin retains his position of
president of the parent company, WMS Industries, which he has held since
2008.
Mr. Edidin said, "A global migration toward content convergence and
multi-channel distribution is rapidly underway. Having anticipated the
convergence of land-based casino gaming with online, social, casual and
mobile gaming, we set out several years ago to prepare WMS to benefit
from these exciting new opportunities. We have developed and acquired
the appropriate experience and skills needed to help our customers
prepare for the convergence in their businesses with a broad set of
value-added solutions, products and managed services."
Edidin added, "Creating a single organization to unify the Company's
efforts in online wagering and interactive gaming distribution channels,
while drawing upon our extensive existing library of great gaming
content, will better enable WMS to participate in the many high-margin
opportunities this content convergence offers. Williams Interactive
enables us to efficiently integrate our Atlanta-based online development
resources, India-based systems and software capabilities, Chicago-based
online development studio and engineering staff, our UK-based
operational center, our Sweden-based online development and operations
center and our Iowa-based Phantom EFX development team for social,
casual and mobile gaming entertainment."
Reflecting the Company's commitment to excellence and continued growth
in its core business, WMS promoted Kenneth Lochiatto to President and
COO of WMS Gaming. "Since joining WMS in February 2006 as Senior Vice
President of Sales Operations, Ken has played a leading role in
strengthening our processes to be more customer-centric, while also
improving our revenues, operating margin and market share," said
Gamache. "His contributions and leadership have been instrumental in
driving our long-term growth. In addition to his strong sales and
operating background, Ken also possesses a diverse range of management
experience gained from a 22-year career in commercial operations at
General Electric, including responsibilities in engineering, finance,
marketing and manufacturing." Mr. Lochiatto retains his position as
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of WMS Industries.
Gamache said, "By aligning responsibility for all of our customer touch
points and product development under Ken, we expect to enhance
collaboration between our development process, focus on player research
and game performance, enhanced customer feedback and input, and an
end-to-end integrated supply chain, allowing us to further improve our
capabilities to satisfy customers' needs, strengthen our competitive
positioning and enhance our long-term growth and profitability."
Gamache concluded, "Our customers are seeking a partner that can help
them respond to consumer demand for the best and most engaging content
across multiple mediums by delivering a proven and integrated strategic
approach to gaming in the online, social, casual and mobile world. With
our documented history of innovation, proven player-appealing gaming
content and record for responsible gaming compliance in legalized and
regulated markets, our customers know they can count on WMS to help them
stay connected to their players, wherever and however players find it
most convenient to seek gaming entertainment today and in the future."
About WMS
WMS serves the gaming industry worldwide by designing, manufacturing and
marketing games, video and mechanical reel-spinning gaming machines,
video lottery terminals and in gaming operations, which places leased
participation gaming machines in legal gaming venues. The Company's
iGaming business develops and markets digital content, products,
services and end-to-end solutions that address global online wagering
and interactive social, casual and mobile gaming opportunities. WMS is
proactively addressing the next stage of casino gaming floor evolution
with its WAGE-NET® networked gaming solution, a suite
of systems technologies and applications designed to increase customers'
revenue generating capabilities and operational efficiency. More
information on WMS can be found at www.wms.com
or visit the Company on Facebook,
Twitter
or YouTube.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our
future business performance, strategy, outlook, plans, products and
liquidity. Forward-looking statements may be typically identified by
such words as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "plan,"
"likely," "believe," "estimate," "project," and "intend," among others.
These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the
expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. Although we
believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking
statements are reasonable, any or all of our forward-looking statements
may prove to be incorrect. Consequently, no forward-looking statements
may be guaranteed. Factors which could cause our actual results to
differ from expectations include (1) delay or refusal by regulators to
approve our new gaming platforms, cabinet designs, game themes and
related hardware and software; (2) changes in regulations or regulatory
interpretations that may adversely affect existing product placements or
future placements; (3) an inability to introduce in a timely manner new
games and gaming machines that achieve and maintain market acceptance;
(4) a decrease in the desire of casino customers to upgrade gaming
machines or allot floor space to leased or participation games,
resulting in reduced demand for our products; (5) a reduction in capital
spending or interruption in payments by casino customers associated with
business weakness or economic uncertainty that adversely affects our
customers' ability to make purchases or pay; (6) a greater-than-expected
demand for operating leases by customers over outright product sales or
sales financing leases that shift revenue recognition from a single
period to the term of such operating leases; (7) future costs relating
to our planned restructuring and other charges that may be higher than
currently estimated, including additional charges related to actions at
a later time not presently contemplated; (8) ability to realize in full,
or part, the anticipated savings and expense reductions from
restructuring and lower staffing; (9) adverse affects on product
development, innovation and the ability to retain and attract key
personnel following the restructuring and reorganization actions; (10) a
reduction in play levels of our participation games by casino patrons,
whether due to economic conditions or increased placements of
competitive product; (11) inability of suppliers of key components to
timely meet our requirements to fulfill customer orders; (12) increased
pricing or promotional competitive activity that adversely affects our
average selling price or product revenues; (13) a failure to obtain and
maintain our gaming licenses and regulatory approvals; (14) failure of
customers or players to adapt to the new technologies that we introduce
in new product concepts; (15) a software anomaly or fraudulent
manipulation of our gaming machines and software; (16) a failure to
obtain the right to use or an inability to adapt to rapid development of
new technologies; (17) an infringement claim seeking to restrict our use
of material technologies; (18) risks of doing business in international
markets, including political and economic instability, terrorist
activity and foreign currency fluctuations; and (19) the unfavorable
outcome of any legal proceedings in which we may be involved from time
to time. These factors and other factors that could cause actual results
to differ from expectations are more fully described under "Item 1.
Business", "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and "Legal Proceedings" in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2011, and our more
recent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
WMS
William H. Pfund, 847-785-3167
VP Investor Relations
bpfund@wms.com
or
J
C I R
Joseph N. Jaffoni or Richard Land, 212-835-8500
wms@jcir.com
© Business Wire 2012
Recommend :
