Techlink’s gaming program about to be introduced to Greece
Published on April 14th, 2010
The Cape Breton Post SYDNEY — As his business was being named Atlantic Canada’s fastest growing company by Progress Magazine, John Xidos was busy continuing to expand its reach into international markets.
Xidos, president of Techlink Entertainment, spoke to The Cape Breton Post about the designation Wednesday via cell phone from Greece, where he had just taken part in a press conference about the introduction of its responsible gaming technology to that country.
“They’re getting ready to roll out a VLT program, up to 50,000 VLTs and they’re looking at our technology obviously to put a seatbelt on the VLTs to protect players from harm’s way,” he said.
It’s the 12th year that Progress Magazine has released a list of the most rapidly growing companies in Atlantic Canada. For 2010, Techlink came out on top, moving up from second last year. Sydney-based Techlink was the only Cape Breton firm to make the list.
Pamela Scott Crace, editor of the magazine, noted in a news release that the companies named generally serve international markets with niche products.
Techlink’s product lines include the Performer, an electronic gaming machine developed for casinos, and the Gameplan system, which gives players information on how much money they spend and how long they gamble, and allows players to set money and time limits while gambling.
It hasn’t been an overnight success for Techlink, Xidos said; instead he called it the culmination of 15 years of hard work by a dedicated team of up to 80 employees, as well as contributions made by the members of its board of directors. Having the company’s technology embraced in Nova Scotia has also been an important factor, he said.
“If you’re going to sell a technology globally, the first question people ask you is are you doing it in your own sandbox, because if you’re not doing it in your own sandbox then I’m not going to come and play either,” he said.
In addition to Greece, Xidos said Techlink is focusing on moving its technology into Australia and New Zealand and also has plans to open an office in Europe.
“We’re dealing in a pretty mammoth industry, the gaming industry is one of the largest in the world and highly regulated and very closely knit and hard to get into the frat house,” he said. “Fifteen years of tugging and pulling and now we’re starting to see the growth in the industry . . . Last year in the gaming industry $1.5 trillion was bet and once you start to see these increases in the activity you get all the other that come with it, like lawsuits and more social problems and addictiveness.”
Governments are also increasingly hooked on the revenue they generate through gaming and are interested in expanding those options for players, Xidos said. He added they’re also trying to strike a balance with the social ills associated with gambling by using tools like those offered by Techlink.
“Putting a seatbelt or a restraining device on these VLTs to help players control their game play is the only choice they have,” he said.
The company’s growth has to be managed, Xidos said, because while it is making money and expanding it will encounter other challenges and has to make sure it has the resources it needs.
