Getronics expands gaming IT contract

Service provider Getronics Australia is set to seal a five-year deal to buy UNiTAB’s Queensland gaming machine maintenance operation.

Robbie Cooke, general counsel and strategist at gaming company UNiTAB, said the local arm of Netherlands-based service provider Getronics and UNiTAB had agreed to extend a current contract until 2010.

A further five year option would also be made available to the service provider.

“Getronics currently provides gaming machine maintenance services to UNiTAB’s existing Queensland gaming machine monitoring business,” Cooke said in a statement to the ASX.

The new deal resulted from UNiTAB’s expansion following its recent acquisition of a large chunk of Queensland and New South Wales business from Tabcorp Holdings.

Cooke said UNiTAB had just finalised a deal to buy Tabcorp’s centralised monitoring system business, jackpot services business and gaming machine maintenance business in Queensland for $40 million.

UNiTAB also acquired Tabcorp’s jackpot business Maxgaming, centralised monitoring system operation DMS and Maxvision electronic jackpot and advertising signage in NSW for around $195 million.

Getronics had not responded to requests for further information at press time.

The IT services provider has partnerships with companies such as traffic management technology provider Adacel and content filtering and email security vendor Clearswift.

Getronics Australia also maintains betting terminals and associated hardware at TOTE Tasmania venues, including provision of ongoing standbuy technical support and special service levels for major sporting events, such as horse-racing’s Melbourne Cup.

Other customers include Shell, the Federal Department of Family and Community Services and Bendigo Bank.