If you want a soundbite of what EAG can deliver, then take Quentin Stott’s entire show interview with Coinslot. The Reflex MD was ebullient over the London outing. But then he did have a cracking portfolio on display at the ExCeL Big Game Fishing: Community Catch was “the stand-out”, but it had enough challengers for the top product mantle. And it wasn’t just product; the Pub Summit was a highlight as were the general discussions where Stott solidified his view that the industry deserves more from the Gambling Act Review.
Coinslot: How did the show go for you this year: did it meet your expectations?
Quentin Stott: We had a fabulous show this year, probably one of the best ever, particularly down to a frenetic level of interest in our range of products targeted at the AGC & Bingo sectors.
Our whole team was fully engaged with conversations throughout Tuesday, with Wednesday predominantly taken up by pre-arranged appointments and even the traditionally quiet last day was beneficial for us.
The LCG/Social Expo split allows our customers to visit our stand and experience our products in a quieter more focussed environment.
The pub summit was a particular highlight for me, with an excellent panel of experienced retailers, trade bodies, machine statistics and political insights from Teddy Ryan from Anacta.
It gave an interesting insight into the increased cost burden that pubs are facing, along with how the sector might best approach government to try and achieve some positive wins for gaming machines.
Coinslot: Any key developments finalised at EAG – new agreements signed, new appointments, installations agreed etc?
Quentin Stott: We had so many sales confirmed at the show and we now need to follow up on these to arrange installations.
There are also a significant number of sales enquiries for us to pursue, so 2026 has started off on an extremely positive note.
Coinslot: What were the stand highlights – which products caught the attention and what was reaction to your portfolio of products?
Quentin Stott: Our showstopper product was ‘Big Game Fishing: Community Catch’. A three Player community Arena, full factory rebuild, coupled with a brand new immersive 98” screen.
It was one of the most talked about and eagerly anticipated products at the show. The order book will take us until mid-year to fulfil, and demand indicates that this could be a long running product for Reflex.
Another hit for us this show was the Flaming 500 Cat B3 in the new Cyclone Curve cabinet. This 49” single screen layout really caught the attention of customers with its highly visible site lines and immersive game play.
We also showcased our four new £500 community B3 game releases – Gold Knight, Lucky Gems, Big Game Fishing and 8 Balls of Fire to a very keen customer base.
Coinslot: It’s going to be a defining year for the business – new legislation and new regulation. How did you gauge the general mood of the industry and what were the main talking points?
Quentin Stott: The general mood seemed to be one of absolute relief that we avoided an MGD increase at the recent budget.
It’s well documented that our sector has been disproportionately affected by the recent increase in tax burden, but an MGD increase would have been a killer blow.
There remains disappointment that the pre-election cross party agreement on the White Paper still hasn’t resulted on the key changes necessary for the sector to remain healthy. Particularly on the 80:20 rule, debit cards on machines and there continues to be a lack of review of stakes & prizes.
There was further discussion around the remaining threat to the sector from the Gaming machine Technical Standards review, currently delayed by the Gambling Commission due to the overwhelming number of responses telling them that it’s a bad idea.
Customers are now increasingly looking for value led products and services, meaning that Reflex has become an even more interesting supplier, based on our combination of both new and rebuild products.
Coinslot: Now the show is over, what’s on your agenda going into spring in terms of new products, new projects and more exhibitions?
Quentin Stott: 2026 is well and truly underway and our aggressive Cat C game roadmap for the pub retail sector is increasingly exciting due to some fantastic titles scheduled for release throughout the year.
New themes, mechanics and cross channel launches aims to result in enhanced player appeal for all our cabinet offerings in Pub Retail and AGC/Bingo.
Further to this, the impending deployment of 4 new B3 Community games will bolster the existing Flaming 500 content pack, and we will continue to work hard to drive further penetration of Reflex branded machines to both AGC and Bingo customers through a combination of strong game content and competitive pricing.
Our next show will be at the ARE, Manchester, in April
Reflex rolling out its roadmap
Quentin Stott said… “2026 is well and truly underway and our aggressive Cat C game roadmap for the pub retail sector is increasingly exciting due to some fantastic titles scheduled for release throughout the year…
