- Video King

VKN
VOL. VI, ISSUE I
V
ideo King
is among
the
world’s
largest
providers
of electronic gaming systems,
Bingo hall equipment and
innovative games. Reaching
a global market, Video King’s
entertainment systems can
be found aboard luxury cruise
liners, throughout Indian
Country and in thousands
of charitable, commercial
and military establishments
around the world.
Read All
About It!
! Video King Launches
Free Gaming Web Site ... 1
! TAB-e Tablet Wins
Round Of Applause ... 1
! Tim Stuart: Bingo Good
Value For The Money ... 2
! Bingo Contest A Testament
To Love Of The Game ... 2
! OMNI Pull-Tab Module
Eases Workload For All ... 3
! BingoWorld Expo Joins
Southern Gaming Summit ... 3
! Show Business: Video King
Exhibits New Product Line ... 3
! Chris Clay Fits Road
Warrior Role To A ‘T’ ... 4
! Tom Gross Leads E-Bingo
Revolution For The Military ... 4
! Bone Game ‘A Chewable
Charm’ For Disabled Vets ... 6
! Warfield ‘Mans’ Command
Central At Bingo Video ... 6
! Vertical Flashboard Software
Adds New Dimension ... 7
! Bingo Buddies: Affordable
Solution For Small Venues ... 7
! Daubers Just Tip Of
E-shop’s Great Deals ... 8
! Contest Winner Takes A
Gamble On Love, Life ... 12
Copyright 2010 VKGS LLC
All Rights Reserved
ee !
P lay For Fr K ing
eo
id
V
e
Visit th
annel
Gaming Ch et.
at VKG C.n ait !
Aw
You r Pr izes
VIDEO KING NETWORK
SPRING ’10
Video King Launches Gaming Site
Play For Free! Enter Daily, Monthly, Weekly Drawings! Win Prizes!
C
raps anyone? How about a round of
poker, keno, slots or roulette? Or better
yet Bingo, the most popular game
the world over? What, your ship hasn’t
come in ... No trust fund or large cash
reserves to bankroll this funfilled venture ... No problem.
It’s free. Yes, you’ve
read it right. With the
launch of Video King’s
new gaming Web site,
we’re able bring you
the virtual casino
experience – with
awarding-winning
games so realistic you
can actually hear the
Slot Games dealers shuffle the decks.
And, the new site, the Video King Gaming Channel
(VKGC.net for short), launching this May, won’t even
cost you a dime to begin play ... (How ’bout them apples.
OK, you’d rather have three cherries ... keep spinning.)
Ready for even more good news ... We can top that.
As a special sign-in bonus,
Video King is giving each new
player a total of 1,000 points
to enter our daily, weekly and
monthly prize drawings and
play the multitude of casinostyle games. Bingo is featured
as the new site’s main event,
and does not require you to
spend your points to play.
Video Poker
Parlay
Ready to win? It won’t cost you a thing. Video King will launch
the Video King Gaming Channel, VKGC.net, a free play site, in May.
Play Bingo and a multitude of the most popular casino-style games,
including craps, slots, pull-tabs and video poker. Win Bingo prizes
and earn points to enter our daily, weekly and monthly drawings.
Winning a Bingo game can either give the player more play points,
or – in the case of a couple of special games each day – the option to
select a prize. All winners will be directly notified via their log-in
information of their prize winnings.
Let’s go one even better. If you happen to run through your points too
quickly – and break the bank – just hit the reload button on the navigation bar, and you’ll be awarded more points so you can continue to play.
Gaming Site/See Page 8
TAB-e Tablet Wins Round Of Applause
Portable Gaming Device A Crowd-Pleasing Reduced Cost, Size, Weight!
W
ord on the
street ...
Awesome.
Great.
Love the size. Easy to use.
Graphics nice and crisp.
The public has spoken.
Video King’s newest, portable
gaming tablet, the
TAB-e™, has won
rave reviews in its first foray
into the marketplace –
judging from feedback
at its selected test site.
OK, we know, that spot,
the alpha site, is typically
reserved for canine breeds
... but the TAB-e does tout
the same, highly soughtafter features as Video King’s
Home Of The Champs!
“top dog” tablet, The Champion II™,
albeit at a crowd-pleasing,
reduced cost, size and weight.
Word back from our Research
& Development team in Winnipeg,
Canada ... equally receptive.
Although no champagne corks
were popped at the office – the team
is drinking in the TAB-e’s success.
TAB-e/See Page 5
2
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
Bingo The
‘Walmart’
Of Gaming
A Word From Tim Stuart
Video King President/CEO
W
hat Recession?
It appears that
Bingo has done
well throughout
the “Great Recession.” Yes,
unfortunately, we have had Bingo
halls shut down, and we have
heard about many Bingo sessions
being cancelled all across North
America
over the
past few
years.
But all in
all – from
all of the
information that
we have
received –
Bingo has
been able
to somewhat
“weather
the
storm”
so to
speak.
I have
heard
casino
operators
Tim Stuart
refer to
Bingo as
the “Walmart of Gaming.”
Why? I guess it’s because
of good value for your money.
I have observed that the many
manufacturers of both electronic
and consumable Bingo-related
products have stepped up to the
plate over the past few years with
new, entertaining products.
In fact, the rapid race in
the technology sector has enabled
the providers of electronic Bingo
products and services to develop
electronic devices and game
content that were unheard of
only a few years ago.
You will read about a lot of
new hardware and game content
in this issue of the VKN.
Many casino operators have
told me that their Bingo rooms (in
the casinos) are very busy in comparison to the rest of the property.
Bingo/See Page 3
SPRING ’10
Buddy Contest A Testament To Love Of Game!
Bingo Popular The World Over ...
H
ello again all of my fellow
Bingo lovers. I just want to
start out by saying thank you
for the great response to our
“Name Your Best Bingo Buddy Contest!”
We are receiving nominations from all
across the United States and other parts
of the Bingo world, too. As I read the
Tony Delise nominations, it is easy to see why Bingo
is the most popular entertainment game
in the world and truly is a game of love. Reading the nominations,
I have found that the word, love, is often used to describe feelings
the nominee has for the person they are nominating.
Sorting through the comments, any one can clearly see
that playing Bingo provides an opportunity to make lasting
friends, who truly take an interest in you, look out for you, and
are happy when you are around.
I love to play Bingo, and I love to meet and get to know the
people playing around me. So when I first enter a Bingo parlor,
before the session play starts, I like to walk around the room and
introduce myself to players and find out
what they enjoy most about playing Bingo
and hear some of their favorite Bingo stories.
What I have learned over the years
is that many of them are about the other
people who you meet and become close to,
and how they have become an important
part of your life.
Bingo is also a game of love through
the selfless work of thousands
of people all across the world,
who donate their time to
helping charitable nonprofit
organizations run Bingo games
for the sole purpose of helping
others who are in need.
One of the things that I
personally love most about Bingo
is how it appeals to all ages.
Allow me to share a
Christmas story with you ...
While visiting friends
and family on Christmas Eve,
soon after all the presents were
Attention Halls, Casinos: opened, I noticed that many of
the children were gathered
Contest Entry Cards
around the kitchen table
Now Available!
laughing and talking.
So I walked over to see what they were up to.
And, to my delight, I found them engaged in playing Bingo.
Of all of the high-tech presents that were opened that evening,
it was a beginner’s Bingo game that captured their interest.
So, my friends, if you personally want to experience a truly
rewarding feeling, invite someone who you know, who does not play
Bingo to join you, and introduce them to all of your Bingo friends.
I guarantee you that your friend will thank you for the experience.
And Don’t Forget ... Take the time to submit your Best Bingo
Buddy nomination. If selected, you and your Buddy will win two
round-trip tickets to Reno, Nev., where you will be guests of
John Ascuaga Nugget
As Video King’s guest columnist, Tony Delise, Director of
Bingo, Slots and Keno at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Reno,
Nev.; will dispense gaming advice to our readers. Simply email your comments and gaming questions to his alter ego,
Tony Tombola, at [email protected]. Together with
Video King, Delise has staged a new contest to promote his
favorite of game: Name Your Best Bingo Buddy. Grand
prize is a trip for two to the Nugget (above). Enter online at
VideoKingNetwork.com. Contest entry cards (left) can also
be distributed to your players. Call Video King for details!
John Ascuaga’s Nugget® Hotel Casino and enjoy a weekend of
FREE BINGO! Your prize package will also include three nights
lodging, tickets to the Nugget’s $100,000 Bingo Blowouts,
meal vouchers, along with dinner with none other than me,
“Tony Tombola,” Mr. Bingo. All you need do is write a short description of why you nominated your friend as your “Best Bingo Buddy.”
! The second-place winners will share $500.
! The third-place winners will share $250.
! And, all winners will receive a Video King
T-shirt and be featured in Video King’s
newsletter, sent to more than 70,000 readers.
To enter, log on to the contest section of Video
King’s Web site: VideoKingNetwork.com, where contest
details and downloadable nomination forms are posted.
Nominations can be entered online, mailed or faxed to Video
King. For information or to distribute contest entry cards to your
players, please call (800) 635-9912 or (402) 951-2970, Ext. 5851.
M
inutes from downtown Reno, John Ascuaga’s
Nugget is one of the region’s largest and most
successful casino resorts. To purchase
$100,000 Bingo Blowout tickets, call (800) 468-4388 or
register online at www.janugget.com.
Next Blowouts will be held:
! Saturday, March 20
! Saturday, May 29
! Saturday, July 24
! Saturday, September 25
! Saturday, November 20
load
SPRING ’10
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
OMNI Tracking Software Eases Workload!
Pull-Tab Module Ready For Release
H
ave you been struggling to track the
hundreds of thousands of pull-tab tickets
flowing through your hall each month?
Or – just wish there were an easier way to
do it? Here’s the latest news flash:
Your worries are over ...
Given the green light – from
our R & D Team, Video King’s
new pull-tab tracking module
has surpassed its test phase
and been readied for take-off.
Becoming more and more
universally known, OMNI –
The Total Solution™, our stateof-the-art, point-of-sale system,
has launched a new era in Bingo hall
management. With its superior inventory control system,
OMNI has proven itself to be the industry leader in terms
of ease-of-use, control, reliability and accountability.
What you may not know is that we’ve added an entire
new dimension: The pull-tab module.
“Building on the rock-solid foundation of our inventory
system, pull-tab tracking gives you full control over your
ticket issues, returns, playbacks and payouts,” according
to John Mowat, the OMNI project lead.
“You can choose which employees in the hall will work
with pull tabs – for those users, pull tabs will appear on
their inventory screens, right alongside paper and other
existing inventory. These users can use OMNI’s filters to show
3
And Now
For A Little
Show Biz ...
J
Video King
OMNI, Video King’s state-of-the-art Bingo hall management system, now offers pull-tab tracking software
to help ease the workload, giving customers full control
over their ticket issues, returns, playback and payouts.
‘just paper’ or ‘just pull tabs’ or ‘both’ on their inventory
screens. Users simply stock them in and issue them out like
any other inventory item,” he said.
“For anybody who isn’t working with pull tabs, they won’t
even appear on their screen. It’s just another way OMNI works
hard to keep things simple for all users,” he added.
Pull-Tab/See Page 9
Expanded Networking Opportunities
BingoWorld Conference & Expo is joining forces
with Southern Gaming Summit, the country’s largest
commercial gaming trade show outside of Las Vegas.
Superior Conference Program
BingoWorld will provide the same superior educational
opportunities that attendees have come to expect,
with a full conference program dedicated to this
popular form of charitable, tribal, commercial and
online gaming. Attendees will also have access to the
entire Southern Gaming Summit conference program.
BingoWorld Joins
Southern Gaming Summit
in Mississippi for 2010
May 5-6, 2010
Biloxi,
Mississippi
An Expanded Show Floor
Everyone will benefit from the large combined
BingoWorld/Southern Gaming Summit exhibit hall
filled with a variety of products and services for all
segments of the gaming industry.
www.bingoexpo.com
BingoWorld at Southern Gaming Summit will reach new heights with famous
Southern hospitality. The parties are legendary and the ambience is sublime!
For more information on the 2010 event, please contact Lesley Grashow, 203-938-2782 or [email protected].
ust in time for the spring
thaw, Video King will demo
our latest Bingo hall equipment, game designs and
electronic gaming systems at a
number of tradeshows throughout
the United States and Canada.
As you can read in this issue
of the VKN, we’ve kicked it into
high gear and have a multitude
of new products and features
we’d like to “show” you.
If time allows, please visit us
at one of the following venues:
! April 6-9: Booth 540,
National Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow & Convention,
San Diego Convention Center.
www.indiangaming.org
! April 26-28: Booth 1119,
Canadian Gaming Summit, BMO
Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
www.canadiangamingsummit.com
! May 5-6: Booth 923,
BingoWorld Conference & EXPO
/Southern Gaming Summit,
Mississippi Coast Coliseum &
Convention Center, Biloxi.
www.bingoexpo.com
If you pre-register in time,
free passes are available for the
Canadian and BingoWorld events
in the tradeshow section of our
Web site: VideoKingNetwork.com
– complete with product updates,
media center, online store and
more. For information, call us at
(800) 635-9912/(402) 951-2970.
Bingo –––––
Continued From Page 2
Again, the millions of
Bingo players around the world
want to have fun, be entertained
and have a chance to win money
– all at a fair price – whether
it be in a Bingo room, casino,
military base, cruise ship or
charitable Bingo center.
Here at Video King we
continue to get so many good
ideas from our customers.
We appreciate that a lot.
Sincerely,
Tim Stuart
[email protected]
(800) 635-9912, Ext. 7777
Office: (402) 951-2970
Cell: (402) 578-1475
4
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
Clay Fits
Road Warrior
Role To A ‘T’!
SPRING ’10
Leads E-Bingo Revolution: A Benefit To Soldiers, Families
Gross: A Military Man To The Core
T
he voice is gruff, booming.
To some intimidating ...
But it’s what lies beneath
that captures most people’s
attention. That is, the amount of information he’s willing to share. Not that it’s
classified. But the man who sacrificed
his life for his country, claims it’s the
military that gave him life.
And, Tom Gross, 68 – who served in
Vietnam and logged hundreds of thousands of miles crisscrossing the globe,
many in his road-weary vehicles – has
done a lot of living, thanks in large part
to his military career.
BABCO
Chris Clay (We believe ... )
! Name: Chris Clay.
! Age: 41.
! Residence: Warren, Ohio.
! Title: Regional Sales Manager.
! How Long With Company:
Almost a year.
! Job Detail: Maintain relationships with existing distributors
and halls. Establish relationships
with new customers. My current
area is Michigan, New York,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, North
Dakota and South Dakota.
! Best About The Job: I love
the fact that I am not stuck in
an office or cubicle.
I get to meet new people all the
time and experience new places.
! Most Difficult Aspect:
This is a tough business to get
a sale. I have many great relationships in this industry, but some
are still not customers. It often
takes many visits and meetings
to actually earn a new customer.
! Interests/Hidden Talents:
Football, Football, Football ...
Pro, college and Fantasy Football.
Favorite Pro Team: Dallas
Cowboys. Favorite College:
Michigan Wolverines.
I am the captain of a
scenario paintball team
that plays throughout the Ohio
/Michigan/Pennsylvania area.
Over the past two years I have
taken an interest in planning
and promoting themed parties.
So far we have had a Halloween,
Disco and ’80s party.
! Family: I have a 13-year-old son.
His name is Ceejay.
To A ‘T’/See Page 5
A salty character, whose reputation
precedes him, he now serves as a national
sales manager for BABCO International Inc.®,
which offers food, lodging and services
to the military, funded in part by Bingo.
“Bingo is a very important part
of military clubs,” he said, from his
cell phone on the road.
Known as the “Golden Goose,”
Bingo supplements the military’s Morale,
Welfare and Recreation program, which
offers essential services, such as child
care and special events for the
troops and their families,
according to Texana
Sonnefeld, BABCO’s
president and general manager.
And, Gross knows, by many
accounts, the game better than anyone.
In fact, you could say he started
a one-man revolution, commandeering
the switch from hard cards to paper and
now tablets and handsets in bases across
the states.
“Tom introduced the military
to e-Bingo (electronic) and e-Bingo
to the military,” said Brian Jenkins,
Video King’s Manufacturing Manager,
who’s worked with him in various
capacities for the past 12 years.
“That, in itself, is a pretty substantial
impact on the Bingo industry,” he said.
Instilled with a deep sense of honor
and loyalty, Gross, at the first encounter,
seems like a throwback to the old-school
war veterans. You know, the kind
Hollywood types often cast.
Tom Gross, who retired after 30 years
in the Air Force, now serves as a
national sales manager for BABCO
International, Inc., which offers food,
lodging and services to the military,
funded in part by Bingo proceeds.
A salty character, Gross is credited
for introducing the military to e-Bingo
and e-Bingo to the military.
Tough, rebellious, yet tight-lipped,
a man who likes to keep certain things
close to his vest ... Even basic information.
“You can call me Tom, but I’ve been
called worse ...” he begins, introducing
himself.
But to hear him tell it, sounds
like he had little choice in careers.
Born in Cedarhill, in the corner of
Kentucky and Tennessee, he
moved to Russiaville, Ind.,
where he wasn’t necessarily
raised, but got himself kicked out
of high school, he said. As far as family,
a step-brother is all he cares to speak of.
“It was either military or jail,” said Gross,
whose Air Force career spans 30 years.
“I had no guidance as a child.
That’s why I stayed in the military. They
were the first family that really loved me,
really cared. They fed me. Paid me. Didn’t
beat me. It was a good life,” he said.
Not wanting to talk about Vietnam,
Gross claims to have worked in the
“intelligence” field. But as one, who
likes to joke a bit, one might want to
throw in a disclaimer here and there.
“Just suffice to say I served in
Vietnam,” he said, brushing over
the early parts of his career.
But like for many, the war took a
heavy toll. “I came home an alcoholic.
They locked me up for 60 days and
dried me out.
“Then told me I could be anything
I wanted to be. Meaning I had to find
a job,” he wryly said.
With his eyes set on the horizon,
he then began the second leg, what he
recalls with some nostalgia, the most
enjoyable part of his military career.
“My first assignment was club
manager of an Air Force base in Florida,”
he said. That was followed by similar
stints, running clubs in Korea, South
Carolina and finally the Rhein-Main
base in Germany, where he spent 10
years of his overseas career.
“Club managers back in the day –
the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s – probably had
the most freedom on base. We had control
of all the beer. All the liquor. All the good
things. We were all ‘‘legends in our
own minds,’” he said, poking fun at
their exponentially large swagger reserve.
But, he did prove fearless on all fronts.
While stationed in Europe he had the
dubious honor of serving under not one,
but five different wing commanders.
Forget battle, to hear him tell it,
sounds like a feat in itself.
“I survived,” he deadpanned.
“All of them had different personalities.
They all had their own way of doing
things. Only two of us lasted that long.
Everyone else left,” he said.
What saved his neck, was his knack
for what he did, and how he did it.
“I did my job. They left me alone. I did
it well. I took care of the troops,” he said.
But he did more than just talked the
tough talk.
“One of the first things I did, I
noticed on Mondays there was nobody at
the clubs. I asked, ‘How come?’ They said,
‘Nobody comes to the clubs on Mondays.’
I said, ‘OK, from now on everything’s half
price on Monday.’
“Once the word got out, they went
crazy. You had to beat them out of the
door. The employees couldn’t believe it.
“The commanding officers couldn’t
believe it.
I didn’t
believe it,”
he said.
And
when push
came to
shove, he
proved just
the man for
the job.
Military Man/See Page 10
SPRING ’10
TAB-e, Video King’s newest, portable, Wi-Fi gaming tablet
has proven to be ‘purrfect’ for all players, judging from
feedback from industry insiders and our selected test site.
TAB-e –––––––
Continued From Page 1
“Yes, the feedback’s been very positive,”
said Dan Free, Video King’s CTO and Vice
President of Electronics. “In particular, players
liked the smaller, light weight of the unit and its easy-to-carry
handle. They also made comments about the ‘very bright and
clear graphics’ on the screen,” he said.
In addition – once players log in – they can
personalize their tablets by choosing from a
wide variety of daubers and color themes.
But that’s not all they’ll come to enjoy ...
This touch-screen tablet is more like
nine lives o’ fun rolled into one!
“The TAB-e is a Wi-Fi enabled device, which
allows us to offer players additional games
that could not be offered on our Lil’ Champ™
and SuperChamp™ handsets, because they did
not have a two-way network ability,” Free said.
“The additional games include our existing pari-mutuel
play, our QuickShot™ games, as well as the new games like
Crazy Quarters™, that are being developed,” he added.
As for hall owners, the tablet’s features are just as appealing.
“The TAB-e, like the Champion II, are account-based
devices. The purchase information doesn’t get downloaded at
the cashier station,” Free explained. “Players log on with their
account number. They get their receipt, and can key in their
account number onto any tablet they wish to play.”
By comparison, SuperChamp and Lil’ Champs are direct
downloads. Purchase information is loaded at the cashier
station, where up to hundreds of units may be stored.
Besides being rugged and durable, the TAB-e’s real
advantages for hall owners, he points out, are as follows:
! Cashiers don’t have to handle any units. Players can go
to any unit within the hall and key in their account numbers.
! The flexibility to distribute the units around the hall for
direct player access potentially creates more space within
cashier areas.
! Lines move faster. The game information is downloaded
when the player is seated, not at the cashier station, while
others await their turn.
! And, of course, the ability to play many of Video King’s
specialty games, offering additional sources of revenue.
The TAB-e, which made its debut at the 2009 Global
Gaming EXPO in Las Vegas, had already received rave reviews
from gaming industry insiders.
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
To gauge public appeal, Video King decided to
test the waters even further at Bingo Madness
in Port St. Lucie, Fla., a popular Bingo hall and
arcade, within driving distance from Orlando,
Tampa, Miami and West Palm Beach, where
Bingo is played nearly every day of the year.
“It appears we do have a winner.
It got player acceptance,” welcoming
words from Jeff McIntosh, a manager at
Bingo King, largest Bingo supplier in Southern
Florida, which has partnered with Video King.
“It’s a great alternative to the Champion II,
and will offer everything the Champion II and PowerTouch™
units can, but is smaller, more affordable,” he said, of the
2.5-pound tablet. “It’s a really entertaining product, offering
more that just standard Bingo games.”
He would know first-hand. While he upgraded the hall’s
equipment, Rick Tabachuk, Quality Assurance Analyst
at Video King, spent an entire week on site, gathering comments, answering questions and monitoring the new device.
“Ten to 12 tablets were used every session,” said
Tabachuk, who measured the TAB-e’s success with the help
of direct player feedback, hands-on training and written
comment cards.
In his words ... “I think it will become very popular.
It’s small, compact and looks really neat. And, from a hall’s
standpoint, really easy to distribute to the players and fast
for cashiers to sell,” he said.
Video King
Players can personalize the TAB-e with a variety of
dauber shapes and color themes (see top image).
The portable Wi-Fi device, with its crisp, clear graphics,
can also display one, two, four, six and nine-card views.
That’s great news for halls like Bingo Madness, one of
Bingo King’s many valued customers, selected as a test site
based on its popularity, location and number of sessions.
TAB-e/See Page 6
5
To A ‘T’ ––––
Continued From Page 4
He is a good student and
an excellent baseball player.
He played on his first Little
League World Series Team as
a pitcher this year, and they
made it to the championship
game at the state tournament.
He is also a key member of
my scenario paintball team.
! Background: I joined the
Naval Reserves while I was
still in high school. I went to boot
camp during the summer after
my junior year of high school and
then went on to train with the
Navy after I graduated.
I was a field medic with the
Marines and decided to go into
home health care while
attending college.
! Education: 1987 graduate
of West Salem High School, West
Salem, Wis. Attended University
of Wisconsin, Lacrosse.
! What People Don’t Know
About You? I was the Trumbull
County (Ohio) Humane Officer
for about three years. I did animal cruelty investigations and
readied cases for prosecution.
I also established a community
awareness program on taking
care of your pets, including
speaking at several local
schools and public forums.
! Work Experience: Home
health care aide, Trumbull County
Humane Officer, service manager
for a few car dealerships.
! Favorite Get-Away:
Outer Banks, N.C. I am a big
fan of the beach. Funny thing
is I don’t really like the sun or the
sand that much. I like to sit on
the balcony of a beach house
right on the shore and relax, no
cell phone, no laptop.
! How Do You Unwind:
Bourbon!!!! Just kidding.
My motorcycle. I like taking day
trips with my friends and family.
My dad and his wife both have
motorcycles and getting away on
the motorcycle is a great way to
relax. We also like to go to local
bike shows, and we have all
won awards/trophies.
! What Would You Like To Do
Before Life Is Through? I want
to take a two-week vacation,
preferably to Italy. Every time
I am on vacation, I always wish I
could stay another week and never
have the opportunity to do so.
To A ‘T’/See Page 6
6
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
To A ‘T’ ––
Continued From Page 5
SPRING ’10
‘Chewable Charm’ Does Trick For Disabled Vets
Bone Game ‘Tied’ To SuperChamp
P
Chris Clay (He claims ... )
Also: I have been working for
the past few years, gathering
information to start and own a
haunted attraction in my area.
A few of my friends and I have run
several haunted hayrides for our
friends and family in the past, and
we would like to run an attraction
with part of the proceeds going
to our local school district.
TAB-e –––––
Continued From Page 5
With payouts of more than
$6,000 daily, the full-service, commercial Bingo hall offers a warmup session at 11 a.m., matinee
from 1 to 3 p.m., Lightning Bingo, a
fast-paced, three-card game, from
5 to 6:45 p.m., main session from
6:45 to 10 p.m., and concludes again
with Lightning Bingo at 10 p.m.
“We knew these units would be
used continuously,” McIntosh said,
calling the 16-year-old hall an
ideal test site for the TAB-e.
Supporting numerous charities,
the hall averages between 80-110
players a session, according to
Vernon Jines, manager and industry veteran for almost 20 years.
“I think the TAB-e’s great.
We have the Lil’ Champ and fixedbase units. Rick was great help,
answered any question, and went
through everything. The majority
seemed to like it,” he said.
In fact, the TAB-e – with future
multi-lingual support for English,
French and Spanish players –
seems to have universal acceptance ...
“The average age here is
about 55,” said Jines, of the hall’s
patrons. “We have a few 90-yearolds and 20-year-olds and more
women than men. It had the same
appeal, no matter the age.”
In other words ...
‘purrfect’ for all players.
lease pass the gravy ...
Many have heard that uttered
at gatherings across America.
But, please pass the bone?!
Here’s something else to chew on ...
What does a bone have to do with sporting
events, like staging rafting excursions for
the physically challenged ...
Done digging for that answer?
Both are tied to those who have
valiantly served our country and
to those who thankfully honor
and support them.
More specifically, the DAV
Bingo facility in Portland, Ore., which
helps support its 1.2-million member
nonprofit charity. Its mission: Building
Better Lives for Disabled American
Veterans and Their Families.
Confused? Don’t be ...
It was all done in good fun.
In fact, it was a game concept that
proved so popular, it won top honors at
a recent DAV convention, according to
Kim Bird, manager at the hall, which
attracts about 180-200 players each session.
The game was called “Bones,”
she said. It all started with Carolyn Major,
who like many Bingo players will try all
kinds of magic charms – and now it
seems – “dog tricks” to increase their
chances of winning.
After all, she and the other players
were using Video King’s SuperChamp™
handsets, the mascot, a scruffy mutt,
whose animated likeness wags his tail
upon the screen the closer players get to
B-I-N-G-O! (We know, you almost want to
sing along ... give that dog a bone ... )
In this case, Major used a real dog
biscuit, drilled a hole in it and tied a string
around it to entice the handset to win.
Sensing something was afoot,
others would plead, “Let me have your
bone!” hoping some of the good luck
would rub off on them.
And, like most charitable people
at the DAV, Major threw them a bone ...
It became such a hit, Bird and her
crew decided to invent a game out of
the concept. The rules were simple:
The honorary recipient had to be a single
winner, who would receive the payout,
as well as the bone. At the end of the
evening, the one holding the bone would
also receive $50 worth of free games.
Bone/See Page 10
Office Manager Runs Bingo Video With Military Precision
Warfield ‘Mans’ Command Central
W
hen Cindy Warfield’s
not deep sea fishing
off the coast of Florida,
scuba diving or feeding
her five, mostly mixed-breed mutts she
took in as strays, you’ll probably find her
at the Bingo Video® Tampa office, where
she’s known to work as hard as she plays.
(OK, she meant to find them all homes,
but found it hard to let them go ... )
A military transplant, whose family
lived in many places here and abroad,
Warfield, now 47, serves as office
manager at one of the biggest retailers
and commercial suppliers of Bingo hall
equipment in the state of Florida, now
a division of Video King.
It’s a job that keeps her moving
in military precision; maybe a drill
ingrained from all her vivid childhood
experiences.
“We’re your one-stop shop for
everything that has to do with Bingo,” she
explained, in between dispatching drivers
and fielding service calls.
Bingo Video
Bingo Video’s Cindy Warfield, a wellread, world traveler, has many interests, including a soft spot for ‘strays.’
“We supply consoles, flashboards,
POS (systems), handsets, Bingo paper
products and inks daubers to RV parks,
condos, commercial halls, charitable
organizations and moms and pops.
“We’re as large as you can imagine
and as small as you can imagine,” she
said, refreshingly gun-ho. “We have everything you need to operate your business.
There’s no where else you need to go.”
Given a glimpse of all she does, it’s
no mystery why Warfield – on board since
August 2003 – has become an integral
part of this Florida business.
“Cindy is the central hub of
Bingo Video,” said Fred Rowntree,
President/CEO of the Tampa division.
“She’s a woman of many talents,
which include taking orders and communicating with customers, directing
delivery staff, monitoring and reordering
all inventories, maintaining the books –
and shipping and receiving when necessary
– although she does draw the line at
driving the forklift,” he jokingly said.
“Her cheerful disposition and
ever-present sense of humor endears
her to everyone who comes in contact with
her, and her common sense approach to
resolving problems and running day-to-day
operations is a major factor in the ongoing
success of the Tampa store,” he said, with
sincere high praise.
Warfield/See Page 7
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
SPRING ’10
PowerPlay Software Adds New Dimension To Hall Channels
Picture This: Vertical Flashboards
Video King
V
ideo King has added yet another
dimension to our unparalleled line
of PowerPlay ™ Bingo consoles –
further expanding its
multimedia presentation capabilities.
Picture this ... Vertical
flashboards can now be displayed on the hall
video channels, with newly enhanced video flashboard software, included on all PowerPlay Bingo
consoles. This feature is in direct response to our
customers’ requests – great news for a
number of halls, large or small.
“The new configuration will
allow increased flexibility to display
more and/or larger current game images –
by virtue of the vertical dimensions,” said Dan Free,
Video King’s CTO and Vice President of Electronics.
“This is particularly important for halls that play multi-card
patterns and wish to see both the flashboard and the winning
sheet of cards during the caller verification process,” he said.
The new software also provides halls, running two
PowerPlay consoles, the ability to display two complete
and separate hall video channels. One set of monitors can
display the Bonanza game, and the other set of monitors
can display the current game in play.
“Previous software only allowed the current game hall
channel and the Bonanza flashboard to be displayed.
Vertical flashboards can now be displayed on hall
video channels, with newly enhanced video software,
included on all PowerPlay Bingo consoles.
“With this new release, all other information (ball count,
prize amount, etc ... ) about the Bonanza game can be shown,
as well as a complete current game hall channel,” he said.
Innovators in the field, Video King pioneered the
use of televisions and LCD monitors as video flashboards
more than a decade ago with the launch of our PowerPlay
XL700™ console. This additional information for the hall
channel – when combined with the ball camera and
Flashboards/See Page 11
Bingo Buddies: An Affordable Solution
F
eel like technology has
passed you by, simply
because you can’t draw
the same crowds the
larger bingo halls do – who meet the
minimum number needed to install the
latest electronic handsets?
Has Bingo – among the world’s
most popular pastimes – become more
stressful and less exciting, because you
forgot to daub a number or missed a
winning pattern?
Wish you could play more cards
and increase your chances of winning?
But not even in your youth, could your
fingers fly as fast as those age-defying
grannies, who B-I-N-G-O more often
than not.
Video King has just the solution –
for managers as well as the players!
The Bingo Buddy, among Video
King’s first electronic handsets, has
remained a friend, throughout the years
– lest you forgot ...
“Durable, dependable and easy
to operate, the Bingo Buddy offers
Vid
eo
Kin
g
The Ideal, Portable, Electronic Handset For Smaller-Sized Venues!
smaller environments an affordable
solution,” according to Ed Dwornicki,
Video King’s Director of Sales.
The battery-powered device requires
no additional computer equipment,
point-of-sale system or data to download.
The game information is preloaded,
within each device. And for players,
who want to take the leap from paper,
it takes mere seconds to learn.
! Each Bingo Buddy includes an
easy-to-view screen with clear, crisp
numbers and large, soft-touch keys
for easy entering.
! A musical tone tells you when
you’ve entered a number, and another
lets you know when you have a Bingo.
! A multi-tasker, it even recognizes
multiple Bingos.
! You enter a Bingo number only
once – the Bingo Buddy automatically
checks all the cards you’re playing and
“daubs” that number whenever it
appears.
! This makes the Bingo Buddy
ideal for visually or physically
challenged players.
! Every possible win pattern
is instantly analyzed after each entry.
! The handset lets you play as
many cards as you can reasonably play.
! Like paper, you have different
card faces for each game.
! So lightweight and portable,
you can play the Bingo Buddy among
friends, while in line to the refreshment
stand, or alone in a nice, cozy spot.
For further information on our entire
line of gaming products, please call us
at (800) 635-9912 or (402) 951-2970.
7
Warfield ––
Continued From Page 6
But when Warfield was first
hired, she had never even played
Bingo, one of this region’s
most popular pastimes.
“Never even thought about it.
I never played board games. I was
more of a bookworm,” she’s quick
to admit. Although she was born
in Fort Benning, Fla.; she grew up
worlds away from this haven for
cold-weary snowbirds and
sun-seeking retirees.
“There’re not enough pages,”
she said, when asked about
some of her most memorable
childhood experiences.
So here’s just a glimpse ...
“My mother is German,” she
explained. “We lived in Germany
for nine years. I used to be fluent.
I understand it perfectly. My mother
still speaks it to me. She says,
‘You still have it in you.’”
Over the course of years, her
family also moved from Seattle to
Fort Hood, Texas; Sarasota, Fla.; to
Fort Knox, Ky.
“I was fortunate to see a lot
of the world and fortunate to know
they are places that drop to below
50 degrees F. That’s why I live in
Florida,” she said, in a way that
makes us Northerners, facing
frigid temps, question our logic.
An avid reader, who
consumes about three novels a
week, Warfield said every year a
child was born to her family, has
coincided with an historic event
– be it the 1959 rise of the Berlin
Wall, sibling 1; the 1962 Bay of
Pigs, sibling 2; the 1965 Nurnburg
peace-keeping mission, sibling 3;
or Fort Hood 1976, the U.S. bicentennial, when, she humorously
notes, her father retired and finally
got his boy, sibling 4.
After studying business
in college, Warfield and her then
husband started their own construction company – an ideal time
– the boom of 1984. The mother of
a now grown son, she then did
bookkeeping for a concrete business,
before deciding to take a hiatus.
“I was maybe looking for
something part time. I wasn’t
looking for anything in the huge
corporate sector,” she said.
Nor was she keen on gaming.
“I was very surprised by the
interest. I’m not a gambler.
I’ve been to Vegas one time.
My (boyfriend) gave me $500,
Warfield/See Page 9
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
Daubers Just
Tip Of Great
E-Shop Deals
I
n addition to our Used
Equipment Exchange,
Video King has added yet
another “department” to our
ever-expanding e-store. Just log
on to VideoKingNetwork.com,
and click on the new “signage”
at the top of the page to open
“the doors” to our store.
You may have noticed
we already carry everything
from Bingo consoles to Bingo
flashboards, Bingo balls,
Bingo hall equipment, Bingo
parts & accessories, audio-visual
components, specialty items,
novelties and a Treasure Bin for
bargains and one-of-a-kind deals.
Now, ink daubers are just
one of the many items available
through our
online store.
Choose
from among
the quality of
these top-name
brands:
Dab King™
ink markers are
available in
nine popular
colors. Each
bottle has a
fun, new look
with colorspecific sleeve
design and a
sleek rounded
ball cap that matches the
ink color.
Dabtastic™ ink markers, with
brilliant ink formula, are available
in 12 dynamic colors – complete
with bright, metallic-looking
sleeves and matching metallic
ball caps.
Both brands are available in
two sizes: 110 ml and 80 ml.
Each Dauber Features:
! 24 mm applicator tip.
! Ink color printed on each label
for easy identification.
! The GROOVE GRIP™ bottle,
ergonomic, easy to hold, designed
for player comfort.
! Non-smearing, fast-drying ink.
! An easy-dab applicator.
For further information or to list
your used equipment, please
contact our Sales & Marketing
Department at (800) 635-9912
or (402) 951-2970, Ext. 5851.
SPRING ’10
Game Site –––
Continued From Page 1
Yes, all this sounds too good. But yes,
all this is true, at no cost to you – thanks
to Video King – among the world’s largest
providers of electronic gaming systems,
game designs and Bingo hall equipment.
“It’s our way of rewarding our
customers, generating more interest in
gaming, and introducing Bingo to people
on a grander scale,” according to Tim
Stuart, President/CEO of Video King.
“We are extremely proud and pleased
to offer this free gaming site. As word
spreads, we will keep you informed of
even more exciting promotions,” he said.
In addition to a multitude of themed
Bingo games, Video King’s new site will
feature a dazzling array of casino-style
games, recreating the sights and sounds
of premier entertainment destinations,
such as Vegas.
“To keep the site fresh and exciting,
new games will be continually introduced,” said Dan Free, Video King’s
CTO/Vice President of Electronics.
In fact, the site’s slots are specifically
designed to appeal to Bingo players, with
cleverly designed, captivating graphics,
amusing sound effects and interactive
bonus rounds, which amp the level of
excitement, he said.
As you’ll soon
see, Video King’s
new site offers an
exceptional variety
of 1-line, 5-line and
9-line slot formats,
as well as keno,
craps, pull-tabs,
scratch-offs, Black
Jack and various
styles of video poker.
But, what you’re
probably most interested in
now is how to play.
So let the games begin ...
(Please note: This free play site may
not be authorized in all jurisdictions.)
To begin, simply log on to the Video
King Gaming Channel at VKGC.net where
you find Lil’ Champ™, our canine mascot,
directing you to the green “Join Now” button, found in the center of the home page.
“In fact, the site may seem familiar to
some. It was designed to complement our
corporate site: VideoKingNetwork.com,
complete with product information, media
center, used equipment exchange, contests,
places to play, tradeshow updates, e-shop
and more,” said Carla Chance, Video King’s
Director of Marketing/Communications.
The new site is equipped to play
75-number Bingo, with six to eight games
an hour, 300 different patterns, 24-card
maximum per game, with some games
having up to five parts, such as one-line,
two-line cover-alls and/or special themes.
Parlay
8
Let the games begin! Video King will launch the Video King Gaming Channel,
VKGC.net, a free play site, in May. In addition to Bingo and Chat, new casino
games and prizes offerings will be introduced to amp up the level of fun!
“Rest assured, this award-winning
software is widely regarded as the most
advanced, flexible and reliable Bingo
product available on the market,”
Chance said.
For a quick tour, log on to the site
or just visualize the top left
of the screen. You’ll notice
a player icon and box,
which identifies the name
of the player.
Moving across the
top, venturing toward the
right, you’ll see a series of
universal symbols, each with
pull-down menus, and number of points indicating your
account balance.
Don’t stress, if you
can’t recall which each
symbol means, just hover your mouse
over any of them and a text message
will appear to describe their functions.
For instance, the “Wrench Tool,”
signifies various “Game Options” the
player can control.
They include: Auto Daub, Best Card
Sorting, Card Highlighting, with different
colors for 1-away, 2-away and 3-away
from Bingo, Sounds, Graphic Quality,
Daub Colors and Patterns.
Using the other symbols, players
can also toggle the sound on and off,
access their account fund and activity
report, update their profile, including
changes in their e-mail addresses,
reach the Help Desk, view recent winners
and gather more information about
Video King’s new site.
Moving down the left side of the
Bingo screen, the “Current Game” segment
indicates how many players are logged
into this particular game.
Like a live event, the screen also
displays game information, such as pattern,
number of parts to the game, designated
points, ball calls and of course – flashboard.
If curiosity’s got the best of you,
the “Next Game” button allows players
to view details of the upcoming game.
If the Bingo cards are too small for
your eyes, simply click on the “+” (Plus)
sign, next to the game identification
number to increase the magnification.
To make it simpler to follow along,
grayed areas on the cards will indicate the
game pattern and numbers needed to win.
To facilitate your purchase, click on
the “White Indicator Arrows” or “Scroll
Bar” at the bottom of the screen to
preview the cards.
If Bingo is all you want to play, click
on the “Red Indicator Arrow” below the
“Next Game” button to expand the screen,
and then again to minimize it.
Since Bingo is more a social event
– we’ve also included a variety of themed
and monitored “Chat” rooms, the social
networking craze, immensely popular
among the online gaming set.
To access “Chat” while playing
Bingo, move your mouse over to the top
left of the screen. Next to the Lil’ Champ
dog, you’ll find another set of universal
symbols, each with specific functions.
To enter “Chat,” click on the
“Dialogue Bubble” at the top of the screen
and a text screen will appear.
To send a message, type in the blank
box at the bottom, then click “Send.”
To illustrate your message, click on the
“Happy Face” symbol and select from the
various emoticons (icons used to represent
the writer’s mood or facial expression).
Game Site/See Page 9
SPRING ’10
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
Warfield –––
Pull-Tab ––––
Continued From Page 7
Video King
Continued From Page 3
Easing your workload, OMNI’s Pull-Tab module
Manage Deal function (above) gives real-time sales,
awards and profit information for any serial without
running a report, while the module’s History function
(below) tracks every transaction that affected a deal.
Video King
For Playbacks, OMNI has been designed for flexibility
– to fit the way you do business!
Do your floorwalkers drop an apron full of cash and
playbacks onto the supervisor’s counter?
Great – it’s easy to record playbacks as a lump sum – right
on the same screen as their cash deposit – without impacting
your ability to track performance by serial number, he said.
Or ... do your floorwalkers drop their winners at a
paymaster station, separate from the cash manager?
No problem. You can choose which users get access to the
dedicated “Playbacks” screen, and they can track every playback for every serial, down to whatever prize level you wish.
For Payouts, when the big prizes are awarded, simply
bring the winners back to your pull-tab paymaster’s workstation to have the winning ticket and prize redeemed.
“OMNI will validate that there are still unpaid winners at
the specified prize level, and will warn you if people are trying
to redeem more winners than are actually in the deal!
“And, of course, we will track the payouts down to the
serial number for every game in your hall,” he said.
And, here’s a stellar tip ... To really boost your paymaster’s
productivity into the stratosphere, take advantage of
OMNI’s support for bar-code scanners.
“If you sell tickets where the big winners contain a hidden
barcode, then your paymaster can just scan the winners to
validate whether they are good wins ... or duplicates that have
been pulled out of the trash,” he said.
Secure payouts in 1 second flat!
“OMNI has become known for its easy-to-use, yet powerful
balancing and auditing capabilities, and our pull-tab features
are no exception,” Mowat said.
“For example, check out the ‘Manage Deal’ screen to get
real-time sales, awards and profit information for any serial
in your hall – without running a report!
“Or, let’s say you’re using one of our summary reports to
check the profitability of all your deals for the last month, when
you notice that one serial actually lost money,” he said.
“Time to switch to our ‘History’ report for that deal, where
you will see every single transaction in the hall, which affected
that deal – from the time it was stocked-in, to every issue &
return, to every payout, playback and stock-out.
“You’ll see which user performed the transaction in OMNI,
who they gave the tickets to, who voided a payout, and more,
right down to the minute and second,” he said.
Yes, we’ve heard your S.O.S. Help has arrived. Call us
to launch OMNI’s pull-tab tracking module, to help propel your
Bingo management system. Ease your workload, today!
Game Site ––––––––
Parlay
Continued From Page 8
To decipher or send webspeak, click on the “WTG”
button to select a message
(which, for you e-newbies,
stands for Way To Go.)
If you’re a multi-tasker
– and have enough accumulated points – you can
play Bingo, along with any
number of games while
Pull Tabs
in “Chat.”
To try your hand at keno, pull-tabs, slots or poker, click
on the “Cherries” to select games from the mini lobby or the
“Red Arrow” at the top of the screen for a more expansive
menu, including craps, roulette and other casino games.
And – last but not least – not only is it fun to play,
it’s even more fun to win ...
To enter any number of Video King’s prize drawings, return
to the home page and click on the “Promotions” button along
the navigation bar. (To close out a window, just click on the
“Red X”, and you’ll be returned to the original screen.)
9
In addition to entry options, the “Promotions” menu allows
players to view winners and a record of their past entries.
“We sincerely hope you enjoy this free gaming site.
If you have a question, suggestion or comment or need further
information, just click on the “Contact Us” button along the
navigation bar,” Chance said.
“If you’d like to learn more about our product line, scroll
down to the bottom of the page and click on Lil’ Champ. He’s
asleep in his dog house, but if you nudge him a bit, he’ll be more
than happy to take you back to Video King’s company Web site.”
Now go give Video King’s free gaming site: VKGC.net
a spin. We hope you have fun, and certainly hope you win!
and I bought some clothes. He asked
how I did, and I showed him what I
bought,” she laughed. “I could sit at
the bar and play the (video) games
for four to five hours on $20.”
A quick learner, Warfield pored
over the company catalogue to
learn the products, and members of
the six-person staff took the time to
mentor her, giving her a good grasp
of the business.
And, so it seems – in Bingo
parlance – she found her calling ...
“I absolutely adore it,” she said
of her position. “It’s like taking my
skills and transferring it to another
type of business.
“I met so many fun people.
I love it. Every season, I hear back
from the RV parks. And, my delivery
guys, they’re a great group of guys.”
Although she’s a soft-touch,
she does have backbone.
“I’m the only girl here. I’m like
a hen, you can’t be a lamb or you’ll
get run over,” she said of how she
holds her own in the business.
As Warfield grew to love the
Bingo industry, so did Bingo Video,
but in another sense, acquiring two
more businesses.
“Since I started, the company
has grown quite rapidly,” she noted,
now dispatching company vehicles
over nearly two-thirds of the state.
Even that, in turn, has spurred
more business. “People actually call
us and say, ‘Hey, I saw one of your
trucks with the 800-number go by,
and I have a Bingo hall that needs ...’”
Now a Bingo veteran, she’s
quite likely to recruit others.
“I think Bingo is growing in
popularity, It’s everywhere. I go to
Web sites and check out other places.
It’s cliché to say, but it’s not grandma’s Bingo anymore. People like the
electronics. They like state-of-the-art
things. And through Video King, we
can offer them at a reasonable cost,”
she said, with a knack for promotion.
But for now, it’s time to put
business to bed. Warfield has to
hurry home and feed those five
hungry sets of eyes, even before
she fetches the mail and puts her
feet up to rest.
Besides, who else is going rise
and shine extra early just to prepare
her two basset hounds – who howl
like clockwork until they’re fed –
the border collie/chow, golden
retriever/chow and American bulldog /sheep dog mixes their daily
regimen of brown rice, vegetables
and ground turkey, poured over
commercial dog food, before she
heads off to work again.
10
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
Bone –––
Continued From Page 6
For the full visual effect,
Bird went to a pet store and
purchased a 10-inch, 7-pound
bone and tied it with big, congratulatory balloons. “It was the most
obnoxious thing,” she said of the
big “bone-us” prize.
Not surprisingly, the
game took chase ...
“It was the funniest thing,”
Bird said. “It was hysterical.
You knew when someone lost, the
whole crowd would go awww ...”
Now that the novelty’s worn
off, she’s pretty much buried
that bone, but is always
on the lookout for new
games to entertain the crowd.
A Bingo player for 20 years,
Bird’s mother introduced her to
the game. “I got hooked the first
time I played. I was 21, and I won
the $500 black out. By God, you
think you’re always going to win
it,” she said, laughing at her
unwavering optimism.
But win or lose, they know the
money spent goes to a good cause.
Founded in 1920, the DAV was
established by veterans returning
home from World War I. In 1932,
it was Congressionally chartered
as the official voice of the nation’s
war-time disabled veterans.
“With our brave Americans
leaving the battlefields of Iraq and
Afghanistan, the DAV’s services and
advocacy are as relevant and critical
today as in any time in our nation’s
history,” the organization said.
To put it in perspective,
since 9/11 more than 1.64 million
U.S. troops have been sent by the
U.S. government to combat zones
around the world.
Bone/See Page 11
Military Man –
Continued From Page 4
“We had staff meetings with the
wing commander. I was the only NCO
(non-commissioned officer). Everyone was
vying for money. I would say, ‘Sir. I want
these items.’ I was one of the people that
always got them.”
But that did not make him popular,
he noted, with the others. No matter. A risk
taker, seems long ago Gross had developed
his own way of getting things done.
This might have been one of the
first indications ... In 1978, the Air Force
was holding a training session at a club
he was managing in South Carolina,
introducing paper Bingo.
“The Bingo players liked it
so much, I threw all the hard
cards in the dumpster.
The boss wanted
me investigated for
destroying government property,”
he said, laughing
at the absurdity.
With much
the same gusto,
he embraced his
overseas assignment,
which also included
recruiting athletes for
competitive sports that drew
thousands onto military bases.
“During that time, there were over
300,000 military in Germany. We did
quite well. We played the other Air
Force bases. It was good relaxation,”
he said for the off-duty troops, as well
as the gathered crowds.
But don’t ask, he may not fully tell
how they managed to fly the football
team, aboard military aircraft, instead
of bus to at least one competition.
Although he never accomplished a
full command of the German language,
does seem he learned something a bit
more useful and universal.
“I didn’t have to learn German.
They are experts in English. They
learned it in the third grade. I could say
Jäger (meister – a 70-proof German liquor)
and spell it properly,” he said, like a man
who’s broken through barriers and understands people.
But there comes a time when all
things must end. For him, the late ’80s.
An historic moment, the fall of the
Berlin Wall, which he witnessed, marked
the end of the Cold War, and being close to
retirement, what seemed to be the beginning of the end of his military career.
“They didn’t need us anymore.
About a third of the bases closed down.
It was a great 10 years.
“You don’t miss something until
you lose it,” he said, referring to his
German-based peers.
But on the horizon, was
BABCO, another beacon, founded
during the Vietnam conflict to provide
quality products and service to military
facilities throughout the world.
“We began by servicing Thailand
and Vietnam in 1970 and gradually
expanded our efforts to all areas in the
Far East, including Japan, Korea, Okinawa,
Guam, Philippines, Singapore and
Malaysia,” Sonnefeld said.
In 1978, BABCO hired and trained
sales representatives to cover Germany,
the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Turkey
and Greece.
Then in 1985, further expanded to
provide complete coverage of the United
States, including Alaska and Hawaii.
“Tom was a customer of ours,” said
Sonnefeld, who has known Gross now for
21 years. “He was always fair, but very
expectant, meaning he expected the world.
But was very reasonable and fair.
“Part of his gruffness, was his
perfection,” she points out.
“He would work until he got everything
just right. If it took him 20 hours to do
something, that’s what he would do, and
he expected everyone else to as well.”
And, he admittedly, ruffled
feathers along the way ...
“He was very well respected ...
but not necessarily well liked. You either
love him or hate him. And, if you don’t
like him at first, you will in the end.
He absolutely has a heart of gold.
He’s tremendously loyal,” she now said.
There’s just no way to sugar coat him ...
“He does have a gruff exterior.
The military has been his life. He retired
active duty military, and he
remained there beyond. Just
part of who he is,” she said.
Jenkins, who worked as
his tech, then account manager
and now factory contact,
fully agreed.
“Tom is a cut-to-the-chase
business man. He is the living
definition of ethical and truthful.
It may hurt his chances at getting or
keeping your business, but he’s going to
give you the information you need to make
the best business decision.
“Once you get past his tough and
edgy exterior, you’ll find he has the most
endearing qualities and is as loyal of a
friend a person could have. I actually view
him as more than a friend, more like a
father figure.
SPRING ’10
“If you work hard for Tom, Tom
will work twice as hard for you,” he said.
A veteran of adversary, Gross, once
again, took on the challenge and persevered.
“After six to seven years, he’s still
the same person, as being very expectant,”
Sonnefeld said.
“He worked incredibly hard. Drove us
all crazy. We wish we had 10 of him, but
we’d be in a loony bin,” she jokingly said.
“Many years later he has become very successful. Because he puts customers first,
always, above all else,” she, then added.
Again, it comes back to doing
what he knows best.
“It’s the people. I love the dickens
out of them. I like to make them smile.
I like to make them happy. I like to take
care of them,” he sincerely said.
And, he’ll go more than that extra mile.
In charge of almost every state east of the
Mississippi River, he logs about 65,000
Interstate miles, mostly in his own cars,
to call on customers each year.
“The last car I had had 230,000 miles.
One I bought in 2000, had 290,000 miles.
I buy them all new. I don’t trade a car in.
I run them until they drop,” he said.
In fact, in Bingo circles, it’s a feat
he’s rather well known for.
“When Tom turned 200,000 miles on
his Taurus wagon, he pulled over on the
side of the road on the Interstate and ran
a victory lap around the car, then got back
in and continued toward the Bingo hall,”
said Jenkins, who admires his “sensibility,
pragmatic approach to all situations, and
his ability to problem solve and overcome
significant road blocks in business.”
Part of his M.O. is that he’s more of
an account manager than a salesman,
Jenkins said.
“Meaning he doesn’t just ink the
deal and leave. He’s successful because
he helps the Bingo business managers
understand how to drive revenue and
increase profit using e-Bingo.
“He helps the business managers
cultivate a successful e-Bingo program
without drastically changing what they
are already doing.”
And, like most distributors, he’s not regionalized, Jenkins said.
“He does an
incredible job of
helping the business
managers tailor their
e-Bingo programs,
using regional game
styles, pricing and payouts.
“He also uses his gained experience to
spread game ideas, marketing strategies
and efficiency tips he gets from – say
Florida to New Jersey and back,” he said.
Sonnefeld, who calls him one-of-a kind,
agreed. Case in point, how he helped triple
the sale of handsets in three weeks time.
Military Man/See Page 11
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
SPRING ’10
Flashboards –
Continued From Page 7
Video King’s PowerPlay video switch
(standard on some models) – allows for
up to three separate channels of hall
information to be displayed to the players.
“These three PowerPlay hall channels
offer a great player viewing experience
and are a comprehensive and multimedia
capable replacement of any hall’s traditional Bingo flashboards,” he said.
The PowerPlay consoles ship with a
standard hall channel configuration, but
customers can contact their distributors
or the Video King help desk to change
the information they want displayed.
In the standard configuration,
the video flashboard’s regular game
elements typically include:
! Flashboard
! Ball Camera
! Simulated Ball
! Pattern
! Prize
! Game Number
! Game Name
! Last Ball Called
During verification, the flashboard
elements typically include:
! Verified Card Image Or Sheet Image
! Verified Card Or Sheet Number
! Perm
Bone –––––
Continued From Page 10
And, the more than 38,907
“official casualties” of the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan are somewhat
deceiving, according to the DAV.
“These numbers do not include
the many thousands of veterans who
come home with undiagnosed, traumatic
brain injuries and psychological trauma.
“Nor do the statistics tell the story
of the husbands and wives, parents and
children who have become caregivers
to the young men and women who
were once providers.”
! The DAV membership is open
to any man or woman who served in the
armed forces during a period of war or
under conditions simulating war; and
! were disabled to any degree,
or left with long-term illness as a result
of military service; and
! were discharged or retired
from military service under honorable
conditions.
Each year, the organization represents more than 200,000 veterans and
their dependents with claims for bene-
There are also a number of additional
elements that can be displayed, according to each customer’s requests.
These additional elements can be
displayed for both a current game and a
Bonanza game and include the following:
! Date & Time
! Card Color
! Card Series
! Card Level
! Game Part Won
! Session Name
! Message (a sideways scrolling
text message, which can be set at
the PowerPlay by the caller)
! Basic Geometric Shapes (eclipse
and rectangle used to “color and
frame” other information displayed)
! Play Sequence Number
! Count Down Timer (during the
sales period of a buy-on-the-fly
style game)
! Win Position (indicating order
of declared winners)
To request a customized flashboard, simply contact Video King’s
24-hour help line at (888) 246-4609
(888) BINGO 09 or (204) 474-2454.
But the list of possibilities
doesn’t end there ...
Since all of Video King’s PowerPlay
consoles are equipped with multiple
graphic outputs, any-sized hall has the
technology needed to stage a number
of multimedia presentations.
fits from the Department of Veterans
Affairs and Department of Defense.
The DAV’s Voluntary Services
Program operates a comprehensive
network of volunteers who provide
veterans free rides to and from VA
medical facilities and improve care and
morale for sick and disabled veterans.
“Everything that has to do with
vets we pretty much do,” Bird said.
“We take people everywhere.
Raise money for vans, feed the homeless,
help pay rent and bills, and do sporting
events, such as rafting trips for quadriplegics.”
Throughout communities
nationwide, its members also provide
grassroots advocacy and services,
educating lawmakers and the public
about important issues to supporting
services and legislation to help disabled
veterans, the organization said.
In fulfilling its mission, the DAV
has developed the preeminent service
program for America’s veterans and can
be accessed online at www.dav.org.
That service is provided free of
charge through a nationwide network
of 88 DAV National Service Offices,
38 Transition Service Offices, 198 DAV
Hospital Service Coordinator Offices,
In addition to the various regular
and Bonanza game information, the
channels can be used to display
HorsePower Racing™ and any other
of Video King’s patented Bingo racing
games, PowerPoint presentations,
in-hall advertising, as well as closed
circuit and cable TV stations.
All that’s required is the integrated
video switch, which comes standard on
all 700s, and can be ordered as option
on the 500 Series™ and Bel Air.™.
The video switch integrates with
the PowerPlay software, allowing for
on-screen video mapping, Free said.
“The only limit is your imagination,”
according to Mark Newton, Video
King’s Director of New Product
Development/Regulatory Compliance.
“Gone are the days of only the
larger halls having all of the glitz
and the glamour,” he said.
“Imagine a hall monitor at your concession stand, running a list of the day’s
specials. Another monitor by the cashier,
running advertising for today’s jackpots,
encouraging those all-important impulse
purchases. And, throughout the hall,
video commercials from local businesses.
“Even the smallest hall can benefit
from the implementation of the video
capabilities built into Video King’s
PowerPlay consoles,” he said.
Contact your Video King sales rep
to see how to bring the future of Bingo
presentations to your hall today!
52 state-level DAV Departments,
249 DAV VA Voluntary Service
Representatives and more than
1,900 local DAV Chapters.
Site of the only linked jackpot,
the Portland DAV Chapter offers Bingo
at 10 a.m., noon and 6:30 p.m. every
day of the week. They also hold special
events, such as a New Year’s Eve Gala
and Kids Day, for children 6 years and
older, with laptop computers and iPods™
offered as Bingo prizes.
Since June 2006, the DAV has
raised approximately $117,000 to
purchase new vans. Statewide, the DAV
operates 13 vans, driven by volunteers.
“Bingo is probably our biggest
source of income,” Bird said. “We also
get a lot of donations, and vets leave
us money,” she added.
If you have a Bingo story or
game idea you’d like to share,
please contact Video King’s
Marketing Department at
(800) 635-9912, Ext. 5851
or (402) 951-2970.
We like to hear happy tales!
11
Customizable
Video Flashboards
Standard Video Output
Dual Flashboard Output
A Number of Optional
Elements, Such As Hall
Names, Can Be Displayed
Military Man –
Continued From Page 10
“When electronics came out, it
was immediate. The light went on.
He could see it. This is going to be
huge. He wanted to run with it.
He was in high gear. On his way.
Ready to hit the road.
He had the vision,” she said.
As for the future, Gross
doesn’t really envision ever
slowing down.
Married, with a daughter,
three grandchildren and twogreat-grandchildren, he likes
to spend his free time riding his
Harley and playing casino games,
his favorite being “21.”
But once he takes his
final stand, he has the ultimate
exit plan ...
A military man to the core,
he wants his ashes scattered
at one of his favorite bases.
“I will have returned to
where has been the happiest
time of my life,” he said.
His closing words ...
“Thank you. God bless.”
12
SPRING ’10
VKN – VIDEO KING NETWORK
Company
Contacts
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
OMAHA NE
PRINTCO GRAPHICS
2717 N. 118th Circle, Ste. 210
Omaha, NE 68164
VideoKingNetwork.com
VKGS LLC
Video King:
Corporate Headquarters
2717 N. 118th Circle, Suite 210
Omaha, NE 68164
Toll Free: (800) 635-9912
Local: (402) 951-2970
Fax: (402) 951-2990
Manufacturing Division
7270 Pacific St.
Omaha, NE 68114
Toll Free: (800) 525-8380
Facility: (402) 951-2970
Fax: (402) 315-3496
VKGS Florida Affiliates
Bingo Video Division
9940 Curry David Dr., Ste. B4
Tampa, Fla., 33619
Toll Free: (877) 746-6087
Local: (813) 628-4020
Fax: (813) 628-4013
Bingo King Division
3402 S.W. 26th Terrace, Ste. B4
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 33312
Local: (954) 321-8300
Toll Free: (800) 786-2464
Fax: (813) 954-321-8262
Video King Gaming &
Entertainment Canada Ltd.
Research & Development
1475 Chevrier Blvd., Suite 100
Winnipeg, MB R3T 1Y7
Local: (204) 452-0100
Fax: (204) 452-0600
Help Desk: (888) 246-4609
Newsletter Editor:
Carla Chance
[email protected]
Yes, Here’s Proof Your Luck Can Change!
Winner Takes Gamble On Life, Love
H
ere’s proof your luck can
change – even in Vegas,
where the odds of winning
are often stacked against
you. Seven years ago, Arthur Klaiber took
a gamble and married a “beautiful”
woman at a casino resort, who has since,
he said, made his life complete.
About a year ago, the same
gentleman took a chance and entered
one of Video King’s contest drawings
at the Global Gaming Expo in Vegas,
one of the largest exhibitions of its kind.
Lo and behold, the 62-year-old
resident of Merrick, N.Y., won a trip-for-two
back to none other than Vegas – “Gaming
Capital of the World.”
And, no surprise, who will be accompanying him ... his own “Lady Luck,” wife, Karen.
But, he was surprised when Video King
called and told him he had won.
“We get lots of those phone calls,”
he said, regarding various contests and
“free” offers. “Normally it requires money or
viewing a time share they claim takes two
hours, but in fact takes the entire day.
It’s really high-pressure sales,” he said.
But once he realized Video King’s call
was legit, he said, “It’s a wonderful experience. It’s always nice to win something.”
Seems, Klaiber, himself is a veteran of
sorts of fun and games. A one-man show,
the father of two is a route operator and
service technician for A & K Amusement, Inc.
“I carry a full line of amusements,
from coin-operated juke boxes to pool
tables, pinball machines and video
games,” he said from Florida, where he
likes to seek sun and shelter from the
brutal cold. “I do it all. Repair the circuit
boards. Repair the monitors,” he explained.
Before that, he worked as a line
mechanic, then service manager for a
major auto manufacturer, but was quite
familiar with the amusement industry.
“I had a friend in the business.
His parents had a bad marriage, and his
Klaiber
Congratulations to Arthur Klaiber and
his Lady Luck, wife, Karen, winners of
Video King’s latest contest, a trip to
Vegas! Visit VideoKingNetwork.com
to enter our latest contest: Name Your
Best Bingo Buddy! Three prizes awarded.
Details on line. Best O’Luck!
father would take his kid on service calls
when he was about 10 or 12. By the time
he was 15 or 16, he knew all about the juke
box and pinball business,” he said.
Seeing green, Klaiber decided to join him.
“My friend was making a nice dollar
in the pinball business (which pre-dated
video games). I started with my friend’s
company for a couple years, until it folded,
and in 1975 started my own business.”
Over the years, Klaiber, who travels
a 75-mile radius, has seen a lot of amusement companies come and go.
“The Xboxes™ and Wii’s™ have really
damaged the commercial, coin-operated
game business,” he said.
In this case, staying afloat involves
a lot more than sheer luck of the draw.
“The whole trick in this business – or
any business – is to keep your expenses
down, especially during a tight economy.
If you keep expenses down, margins low,
you can still make money,” he offers, as
sage advice to others.
Another is to be on the look out for
new ideas, which is how he won the trip.
Although he’s only played Bingo once,
Klaiber was intrigued by what he saw.
“I recalled your booth at G2E.
It looked like your company had some
interesting products, but I wasn’t quite
familiar with Bingo,” he admits.
That may be true for many ...
If you haven’t been to a Bingo hall in
a while, you might be surprised by its
evolution.
In addition to Pick ’N Play™, an
award-winning combination Bingo/slots
machine, Video King has an entire new line
of electronic entertainment systems, ranging from portable gaming devices, our
OMNI™ point-of-sale system and a wide
range of highly popular – not your
Grandmother’s – animated Bingo games.
They’ve been designed to attract people
like Klaiber, who prefer games with “all the
bells and whistles.”
As for Klaiber, he envisions he’ll have
more time to play in the future.
“My wife is ready for me to slow down
a bit and enjoy life more,” he said.
And, it looks as if Video King may
have won his interest ...“I’m very thankful
and appreciative,” he said, of his win.
“And, I’m looking forward to seeing your
booth next year,” he said.
To learn more about
Video King’s
entire line of
Bingo hall
equipment and
electronic gaming
systems, visit our Web site at
VideoKingNetwork.com, with contests,
latest product updates, media center,
new gaming site portal and online store
– with used equipment, discounts, a
treasure bin and much, much more!