You don't know 'Jack'
by Jack Bulavsky
April 30, 2008
Growing game manufacturer Cadillac Jack cut its teeth in domestic Class II markets; now it has its sights set on the world
One of the questions often asked of
Cadillac Jack is how the gaming manufacturer got its name. Mike Macke,
current chairman and chief executive officer, founded the company in
1995, and has that answer.
"My background is in game
design," said Macke, "and about 13 years ago, after a self-imposed
retirement, a friend of mine, who was involved in gaming in South
Carolina, asked me to build a five-player electronic blackjack game
that was very popular in the Southern states at the time. So I built
one that was the Cadillac of blackjack games and named it Cadillac
Jack. The rest, as they say, is history."
And what a history
it has been, in spite of the times when the investment community
suggested Macke change the name of the company.
"Our customers liked the name and I liked it and that's all that mattered," he said.
Cadillac Jack designs, manufactures and distributes server-based
downloadable games and gaming equipment to Native American gaming,
charity bingo, international markets and other venues. Macke has been
the driving force in the continued growth of the company, while holding
overall responsibility for directing corporate strategy and leading the
company's efforts to identify new markets.
The newest one identified is Mexico.
"Our international sales are 50 percent now," said Macke, "and that
market continues to grow as gaming moves rapidly around the world.
We're in Bolivia, Peru, and the United Kingdom, and we have sold some
games in Russia. But our next really big market is Mexico."
Cadillac Jack started in Mexico one year ago when the country issued
358 bingo licenses including both traditional paper bingo and
electronic bingo machines.
"Our strength in the
international marketplace comes from our vast market experience and our
ability to leverage and adapt our core Class II offerings to meet
stringent international requirements," explained Macke. "Those machines
are very similar to Class II bingo machines that we have in Native
American casinos. Now if you do the math of 358 locations at 200
machines per location that totals out to about 72,000 machines. We've
already placed 1,000 machines there and expect to add another 5,000 in
the coming year. Mexico is going to be a big market, not only for us,
but for other gaming manufacturers as well."
Keeping it fresh
Another strength that Cadillac Jack
promotes is its extensive game library. According to Greg Gronau,
president, about five new games are introduced every two months.
"We work closely with operators to maximize customer acceptance of our
product," he said. "For instance, we evaluated the market appeal for
games based on old schoolyard games. So we're about to introduce "Rock,
Paper, Scissors." This will be the first in a series of games within an
entire family of products that will go into this category."
Tim Minard, chief financial officer, is proud that Cadillac Jack has
always stayed ahead of the technological curve and was one of the first
companies to develop downloadable game systems. He said the ability to
quickly and easily download new game titles provides greater efficiency
for gaming operators, and allows them to adjust their floor mix for
seasonal themes.
Bob Drew, chief operating officer, said
the company's downloadable game capabilities provide a continual
refresh of new games for the players and continual optimization for the
operator.
"We enjoy working with our clients to develop an
efficient casino floor," said Drew. "It benefits both of us as we
continue optimization of our product while refreshing customer play and
client satisfaction."
Rave review
One satisfied client is John Barrett, chairman of the Citizen Potawatami Nation.
"What really impresses me about Cadillac Jack is the reliability of
their equipment," said Barrett. "I attribute this to Mr. Macke, whom I
have known for years and find him to be the most creative and
innovative person in gaming, especially when it comes to Class II
equipment. He has the ability to foresee trends in the industry and
identify new market opportunities. In my opinion, they lead the market
in the combination of multidenomination games with bonus features."
Barrett said Cadillac Jack has become more creative and responsive to
his casino's demographics and does a good job of analyzing market and
understanding player preference.
"It seems that at the end
of a meeting with them, they always walk away with a sense of what to
do," said Barrett. "And sure enough, they'll return and bring in a game
with a new pattern of play or rhythm. And the same can be said about
the bonus features and graphics. They're very adaptive and will alter
their product if need be. This is where they excel."
Sidebars:
Cadillac Jack at a glance
Cadillac
Jack developed its early success in the redemption and amusement
markets. Both markets continue to be reliable and well-established for
the company, despite changing legislation. Maintaining a focus on
innovative game design, Cadillac Jack designs, manufactures, licenses
and sells an extensive portfolio of revenue-producing games that
provide player satisfaction. With a vast array of products deployed
worldwide, Cadillac Jack has the games and experience to meet the needs
of gaming operators worldwide.
Cadillac Jack
2420 Meadowbrook Parkway
Duluth, Ga. 30096
(770) 908-2094
Toll Free: (800) 684-4263
Fax: (770) 908-1790
Key executives:
Mike Macke-chairman and chief executive officer
Gregory Gronau-president
Bob Drew-senior vice president of sales
Timothy J. Minard-chief financial officer
Jack Saltiel-chief technology officer
Michael Newell-vice president of Indian gaming division
The 'Devil' made me do it
One of the two most popular games for Cadillac Jack is where the devil is your friend. The other is just strange.
The 5-reel, 20-line "Dr. StrangeLuck" is
Cadillac Jack's most popular game. It features campy horror movie
sounds and animation that give players the feeling of being in the mad
scientist's lab. Upon entering the Lab bonus round, Dr. StrangeLuck
greets his guests and invites them to create their own experiments.
Players pick an element in the lab that triggers a series of random
chain reactions that can result in more than 50 winning sequences.
The second most popular game is the 5-reel, 25-line "Lusty Devil." It
is a penny slot that features a lady devil complete with pitchfork and
flaming lucky eight balls. Three or more skulls, pitchforks or flaming
hearts pay scatter wins, and multiple Lusty Devil symbols trigger the
Match Your Fortune bonus round. The player throws a flaming pitchfork
to reveal the Fortune symbol and then tries to match it to win up to
100 times the total bet.
And for the future, Cadillac Jack
is going back to childhood nostalgia. "Rock, Paper, Scissors," the old
schoolyard game, is the company's newest 5-reel, 15-line game where
paper covers rock and scissors cut paper. It features such schoolyard
characters as Ace, Sissy, Bully, Tough Girl and Nerd. Players become
the characters as they rack up bonus points. Three to five Dynamite
symbols create an interactive main screen bonus game. Combining certain
token symbols jump-start the second screen bonus round, where players
compete in "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to earn additional tokens and the
chance to go to the Super Bonus round.
Jack Bulavsky
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