LV firm buys U.K. gaming tech company

Wednesday, May 28, 2003 | 10:56 a.m.

Alliance Gaming Corp.'s Bally Gaming and Systems unit said today it acquired Honeyframe Software Development Ltd., a U.K. gaming machine management systems company based in Telford, England.

Honeyframe, which supplies software and hardward to several large manufacturers and operators in the U.K. and Europe, is the only commercial systems provider serving the U.K.'s amusement machine market.

Amusement machines are slot-like devices in which players receive prizes instead of cash.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

The deal allows Alliance to integrate Honeyframe's technology with systems developed by Micro Clever Consulting, a French company that Bally Gaming acquired in April, the Las Vegas firm said. The combination of the two product lines will allow Bally Gaming to offer gaming machine accounting, casino management and marketing package that links both amusement machines and traditional slot machines. The link will allow the company to capitalize on the proposed expansion of gambling in the United Kingdom, Alliance said.

"Through this acquisition of Honeyframe, we will be able to offer a complete systems solution for everything from pubs, arcades and bingo halls to full-scale casino operations," said Robert Miodunski, president and chief executive officer of Alliance Gaming.

Honeyframe's proprietary products include CashMaster, a machine accounting software package and Connexus, a hardware product that fits into gaming machines and provides the interface between the machine and the software monitoring system.

Alliance acquired Honeyframe from Guild Ventures Ltd. of England. Managing Director Chris Preece will lead the Honeyframe development team.