(AsiaGameHub) –
By: Robert Sterling
Most global gaming equipment vendors write off Iceland out of hand. Its small market size and strict regulatory rules feel like too much hassle for too little return. I’ve heard more than one business development lead dismiss the country as not worth a 3-hour sales trip. EGT’s first installation there just made all those people look foolish.
The official announcement lays out basic deal details clearly. EGT installed its best-selling Bell Link units in G 27-27 ST cabinets at Casino Haspenna, Reykjavik, Iceland’s largest gaming venue. The machines run Bell Link 1 and 2 titles, with tiered jackpots for players. The unspoken detail here? Passing Iceland’s strict regulatory vetting clears EGT for entry into every other Nordic regulated gaming market almost immediately.
Both parties’ public comments frame the deal as a tentative first step. EGT’s business development manager Madlen Matevosian called the installation a key milestone. The University of Iceland Lottery’s operations director Arna Ómarsdóttir noted it will freshen up the venue’s player experience. What neither said out loud is the shared Grand and Major jackpot structure across EGT cabinets gives the casino every reason to add more EGT machines later, with no extra system overhauls needed.
This single deal breaks the 8-year duopoly on Iceland’s commercial gaming hardware supply, and market share will shift sharply in EGT’s favor over the next 18 months.
Author bio: Robert Sterling, 20+ year veteran of global gaming hardware investment and cross-border market expansion.