Great Lakes Amusement: Latest News

Maintenance & Training

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:55:26 +0000

Having properly trained technicians and staff can be the difference between a profitable machine and a big eyesore collecting dust.

Take the time to acquire user manuals, take detailed notes and learn about the main components in your machines. A technician who knows their error codes or other common issues can quickly get your machine back up and running.

Often times issues arise due to user error and accidental changing of settings. Taking the time to learn, or having someone on staff who is knowledgeable in the field, will help prevent this issue from happening in the first place or be able to correct it with ease.

Occasional maintenance and cleaning of machines can go a long way as well. Carefully removing dust and spilled liquids from the inside of machines is essential. Using products such as sensor cleaning cards on bill validators, for example, is another great way to boost the lifetime of your components.

Another measure to take is to purchase spare components. Having a duplicate bill validator at the ready will allow you to swap it out and keep the profits rolling in. Printers, game boards, buttons, monitors, etc. are key components that you should have duplicates of incase an issue arises and you need to send a part out for warranty repair.

Having some technical knowledge and spare components can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Parts out for repair can take weeks or months to get back and leave you with less profits. Properly training yourself and/or technicians is the fastest way to repair an issue.

New Games and What to Look Forward to

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:17:33 +0000

Latest News

Riversweeps Kiosks are back in stock and now available!

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Banilla Games is known for high-quality and reliable games.

With the release of Hot Locks to the Wisconsin market, everyone will be looking to play it.

HOT LOCKS is a brand-new, single game-board concept from Banilla Games designed for the Wisconsin Market! HOT LOCKS is one of Banilla’s most popular titles in other markets, and excitement is high for the Wisconsin release!

Hot Locks is a 3 x 5 reel game with 25 paylines and two unique bonus features including “Flaming Fortunes” and “Hot Locks,” keeping players engaged and entertained. Pay tables for all icons in HOT LOCKS grow along with the denomination bet, and winning combinations can be won on any pay line.

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Street Fire

Street Fire is a 27 in 1 game that can be used as vertical or dual screen!

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WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Infinite Link

Infinite Link by IGS is coming soon to the market. A 5-in-1 multigame featuring a 4-level progressive jackpot with great graphics and features, it will be in high demand and one the biggest games of the year.

Best Sellers from 2022

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 10:58:38 +0000

2022 saw a lot of new products brought to the market. With so many new products, we want to share our most popular offerings from last year. We hope this information will help you keep the edge against your competition and your clients interested.

Jenka Lab had a big year with the release of Favorite Link, World Famous and Holiday Special. World Famous and Holiday Special feature all-new games that can’t be had anywhere else. We haven’t been able to keep these ones on the shelf long. Banilla Game’s Fusion games have been in high demand this year, being one of our most popular skill game series. In addition, High Roller Club and Golden Master are on the top of our charts. These two skill games from IGS feature a preview on/off capability.

As our industry steers toward vertical machines, 32” and 43” LED Vertical cabinets have been the new standard. 55” vertical machines have now become available, and we anticipate a rise in popularity with these across the industry.

There is no surprise that the PA7 from ICT and the Phoenix Thermal Printer from Pyramid have been the best-selling components this year. Pyramid Technologies, Inc and ICT have been producing high quality and reliable bill validators and printers for many years, and continue to be leaders in our industry.

Along with printers, thermal security paper has been in high demand, and we continue to stock it when its available. Finally, its important to consider your clients comforts, which is why our sit-down and stand-up gaming stools have been a favorite.

Accounting Systems

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 09:46:36 +0000

Accounting Systems

Whether you need tickets printed in a central location, credits added to machines remotely, or to have an accurate account of your machines, a remote system behind the counter can save you time and hassle. These systems can be great for saving you time, add the ability to verify tickets, trouble shoot issues and give you a summary for your accounting needs.

Some accounting system options to consider:

The Multi 5 Centralized Print System is a great option for printing needs. It connects to up to 5 machines
The Nanoptix Ultra Print System provides a similar service as the Multi 5 Centralized Print System but is wireless
Print with a Mutha Goose system and have the option to add more capabilities
Print and add credits with a Sentinel Management System
The Wasp system gives you printing, adding credits, accounting plus online reporting with easy installation

Sit down and Stand up Gaming Stools - Machine Maintenance

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 13:01:39 +0000

Machine Maintenance and Care

You’ve purchased your amusement machine, installed it in your location and now your ready to plug it in and forget it. You could do that and let the machine run until problems start occurring, or you could give it some regular maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape to prevent premature issues. Let’s look at some simple maintenance and preventative measures you can take to keep your investment up and running for longer.

POWERING DOWN YOUR MACHINE BEFORE CLEANING INTERNAL COMPONENTS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO REDUCE RISK OF DAMAGE

Nothing is quite as off-putting for customers like walking up to a machine only to find that the buttons and touchscreen are smudged with dirt and grease from other players. Keeping the buttons and touchscreen cleaned and sanitized will make it a much more inviting for your patrons. Unfortunately, its not uncommon for drinks to be spilled on a machine, so it’s important to take the buttons out and clean them before they become sticky.

You might already wipe down the outside of the machine to keep it clean and looking presentable for customers, but don’t neglect the inside of the machine. Dust build-up can cause serious damage to electrical and mechanical components over time. Be sure to vacuum inside the machine, paying attention to the fans if any. Having a can of air to blow out dust from behind components can be a great tool as well.

Making sure your bill acceptor is at peak performance is crucial. If a customer can not insert notes, or the bill acceptor has intermittent performance, then they will be less likely to play that machine. An easy way to help with this is by cleaning the bill acceptors sensors. Bill Acceptor Cleaning Cards make this quick and easy. Depending on the volume of usage, once to twice a month will do the trick. Moving back to the outside of the machine, lets look at potential threats to your machine.

Your machine can’t defend itself unless you give it the tools to do so. Installing a Security Bar and lock on the machine will greatly reduce the possibility of break-ins from thieves. Additionally, power surges are an all-too-common risk as well. Placing a power surge protector between your machine and the outlet can save you from having to replace damaged components.

Finally, make sure to have extra printer paper on hand and spare bill acceptors, printers, monitors, and other crucial components. Having those extra parts will allow you to keep your machine running by swapping them out and sending in the damaged parts for repair. Otherwise, your machine could be out of order for days or weeks and cost you a small fortune in missed revenue.

Summary

Be proactive and keep your investments up and running longer by doing simple cleaning, acquiring security devices, and keeping spare parts on hand.

Don't forget stools for sit down and stand up game play!

Offer a comfortable experience to your customers with these quality made stools. 25" and 28" options available. Thick cushioned seat, back rest and durable metal frame. Swiveling action allows for ease of use. These stools are made of high quality materials and are built to last.

Aurora and Northern Light - PrimePay Redemption Kiosk

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:49:57 +0000

Difference between Aurora and Northern Light

With all of the new releases from Jenka Lab it is grabbing the attention of more people. If you weren’t already aware of Jenka Lab and their very popular games, you probably are now. You also might wondering what is the is the difference between Aurora and Northern Light games from Jenka Lab? The Aurora line of games are Skill/Nudge games. This nudge feature allows for a player to “nudge” the line up or down to form a winning line after their spin. Aurora games also have the ability to be preview if required. The Northern Light series are preview games. This allows the player to view the outcome of a spin without having to spin. If the player does not like the result, they may choose not to spin and exit the game. Northern Light can be non-preview, preview, or mandatory preview.

Summary

Jenka Lab offers top quality Skill and Preview games to suit your needs. They are one of the leading game makers on the market and their games have been received with overwhelming popularity.

We are excited to now offer a redemption kiosk that truly makes your redemption needs easier.

Introducing PrimePay from Primero

The PrimePay redemption kiosk boasts several security features to ensure your day-to-day operations are not tampered with. It has a very user-friendly interface as well as remote accessibility to help you monitor your kiosks in real-time. The size to capacity ratio allows you to save space and not compromise the volume of notes you can dispense.

Bill Acceptors - Serial vs. Pulse

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 09:39:44 +0000

Bill Acceptors - Serial vs. Pulse

When putting a machine together with a bill acceptor, you must decide whether you want a pulse or serial connection.

But you might wonder: What’s the difference? Don’t they both work? Which is better? Why should I care? Let’s look at some differences between the two options.

A pulse connection between the bill acceptor and the game board uses a pulse of electricity to communicate information (i.e., how many credits the customer has put into the machine).

A serial connection between the bill acceptor and the game board uses a direct line between the bill acceptor and board allowing them to perform a “handshake” (e.g., a way to secure the transaction).

Both forms of connection do work. However, the best option to use, when applicable, is serial. It automatically makes sure that the credit into the machine is accurately communicated with the board. In a pulse connection, this can be tampered with. As mentioned, serial is good when applicable. Not all boards support serial communication with the bill acceptor and must use a pulse connection.

In these cases, we strongly recommend that you install a “Shutoff Alarm Kit” to prevent the successful tampering of your machine. The Shutoff Alarm Kit will automatically shut down the machine in the event of an EMP attack on your machine. Thus, not allowing the criminal to scam you.

Shutoff Alarm Kit

Summary

Security from being scammed is the goal in this decision. Choose serial when possible and utilize a shutoff alarm kit when using pulse.

New Game From Jenka Lab - Holiday Special

Holiday Special brings you FIVE new games: Christmas Special, Fat Tuesday, Midway Carnival, 4th of July, and Halloween Special.

Holiday Special by Jenka Lab is available as a Skill Game and as a Preview Game

Nudge / Skill Games

Tue, 31 May 2022 09:09:49 +0000

Skill games allow the player to use their skill level and

knowledge to potentially earn rewards from the game.

Customers enjoy these games because they can

continuously come back to learn and practice in an

attempt to improve their odds of winning.

In conjunction with the thrill of advancing their skill,

your customers will enjoy the experience that these

games provide. We offer a range of Skill Games from the

leading manufacturers in the industry, as well as the

knowledge and support to set you up for success after

purchasing a product from us.

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A Supreme Skill Game

Mon, 09 May 2022 10:03:08 +0000

Supreme is an exciting 5-in-1 skill game with Bonus Game, Free Game, and Jackpot features. With Supreme's variety of game types and features, you have everything you could want all in one package!

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SKYRISER - A Towering Skill Game Experience

Mon, 02 May 2022 10:53:39 +0000

Reaching over 7 feet tall, SKYRISER will turn heads and keep your customers' attention.

Featuring 2 high-resolution monitors, updated graphics cards, and enhanced audio system, SKYRISER is one the best looking and sounding systems in the industry today.

This 6-in-1 game is equipped with an updated, board-wide, Progressive Wheel Bonus.

The SKYRISER system is available in a wood cabinet or a metal cabinet.

A Towering Skill Game Experience (constantcontact.com)