CR136-Front_Coinslot NEW 03/02/2014 12:45 Page 1
WWW.CASINOREVIEW-ONLINE.COM • FEBRUARY 2014 • EDITION 136
SENSATIONAL ICE! A guide to some of the highlights at ICE ATLANTIC CITY CAN THE ONLINE PANACEA COME IN TIME TO SALVAGE AC’S FORTUNES? 26
ICE GUIDE 44-59
SOUTH KOREAN REVIEW COULD OPEN THE DOOR TO BETTER CASINO OPPORTUNITIES
Asia News 14
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The slot machines at Aspers Westfield Stratford City
UNITED KINGDOM
A jackpot jump is set to provide a boost for the UK’s casinos at a time when they can use it most. While there is much need for more improvements to the regulations in Britain, operators have positioned themselves to take advantage of the expected upturn in the economy.
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he UK’s arcane gaming machine regulations took a step in the right direction on January 14 when stakes and prizes for category B1 machines, which only casinos are allowed to operate, increased by 150 per cent. The maximum stake rose from £2 (E2.42) to £5 (E6.06), while the maximum prize per individual machine increased from £4,000 (E4,850) to £10,000 (E12,115). The review also allows each casino to operate a single-site progressive with a maximum prize of £20,000 (E24,230). News of the first large wins came through about a week after the machines were upgraded. A bride-to-be won £10,237 (E12,402) at the G Casino in Birmingham, just a few weeks before her wedding. General manager Adrian Frost said: “It’s always nice to have a winner in the casino as it creates a really exciting
STAKES & PRIZES
Bigger prizes for UK players and casinos atmosphere. We’re especially thrilled to be one of the first casinos in the country to have a jackpot winner in the first week since the legislation changed.” A couple of days later, a player at Aspers Westfield Stratford City, the first 2005 Act large casino to open in the UK, walked away with a win of £12,664 (E15,347). Tony McPhee, head of slots and electronic at Westfield, said: “It’s great to see someone was able to scoop such a big win so soon after the new legislation came into force. Now we’re waiting to see if anyone can claim the full £20,000 progressive in the coming weeks.” The new regulations are expected to provide a big boost for casinos, even if the maximum prize is a long way off what players in other parts of the world can try for. The larger jackpots will fall more often at the country’s two 2005 Act Large casinos than at
the roughly 140 1968 Act legacy venues: the Aspers casino in Stratford and its sister venue in Milton Keynes to the north of London can each offer up to 150 gaming machines while the other venues are still restricted to just 20 units. The development of 2005 Act casinos continues, with the opening of Aspers Milton Keynes a highlight of the second half of the year. Genting is currently midway through construction of its Resorts World casino at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham, which is expected to open sometime in 2015 as the third venue. Genting has now by-andlarge completed its multi-million pound investment in the refurbishment of its UK estate - a move that has seen it swap sometimes down-at-heel locations for shiny, new and appealing venues competing for the modern leisure spend. Rank, which was the first of the
large UK operators to decide on a comprehensive modernisation of its estate, now has a whole new project in bringing the 19 casinos it acquired from Gala under the Grosvenor or G Casino banner: it is now officially the largest single operator in the country. Both groups reported steady, if not spectacular, results at various points last year, however, the steadily improving UK economy may be reflected in the results that will soon be released for the whole period. Steadiness in the face of a difficult market, and the levels of investment that operators have made are real achievements, especially when compared to Europe where casinos in certain jurisdictions, even those operating under nominally more liberal regimes than the UK, have suffered greatly from recession, the Eurozone crisis, competition and unimaginative reactions to them.
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ANALYSIS he new stakes and prizes will do a lot to improve the appeal of casinos to players: there are very few regular games accessible to all adults where such amounts can be won, bar the lottery. With people travelling more widely and experiencing casinos in other countries around the world, how pitiful and how old-fashioned the £4,000 top prize came to seem. But £10,000 and £20,000 - that’s getting attractive at just the right level, provided casinos can get their message out to players. With the economy now showing real signs of improving, this and the work that operators have done to maintain their customer base through the recession could really start to make a difference.
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CR136-p02-04-World_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 09:01 Page 1
News World
ONLINE GAMBLING
Having introduced the most punitive and publicly humiliating regime to combat online gambling providers who were breaching its laws, Bulgaria has now improved the climate with a big tax reduction.
BULGARIA
Bulgaria enacts new tax regime for online
N Gaming lawyer Nadya Hambach
ew gaming tax laws came into effect in Bulgaria at the start of January that significantly reduce the burden on online gambling operators. Under the new law, passed in December and enacted on January 3, online gaming operators will now be taxed at 20 per cent of gross gaming revenues, or of the rake where appropriate, rather than at 15 per cent of the drop, which operators complained was unfair and uneconomic. According to some estimates, it reduces the tax burden by a factor of three. In addition companies that establish a local company can take advantage of a ten per cent of corporate tax. Gaming lawyer Nadya Hambach said the new
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regime “together with the reasonable and balanced regulations currently in place makes the country attractive for local licensing and gambling operations based upon a lower corporate tad and highly qualified an low-priced technical specialists”. Writing for Dickinson Wright’s Gaming Legal News, she added: “From a regulatory perspective, the Bulgarian gaming regime is now one of the most balanced in Europe. It does not require local establishment and main server in Bulgaria for any foreign operator who decides to obtain a local Bulgarian licence… There are no specific requirements for performing payments through a local bank or to make cer-
tain investments in the country. The operators are not required to operate a .bg domain. Foreign operators registered, investing and having a main server anywhere with the EU EEA and Switzerland - can apply for a licence.” The improvements in the law could mean that many more companies will now apply for a Bulgarian licence: a number already have. Currently, only one company is understood to be operating legally: with far more providers acting within the law and paying taxes, the revenue improvements to the government are expected to grow rapidly. It is a significant change from the previous approach, in which a law
passed in March 2012 attempted to purge the country of unauthorised operators. Last summer, the Bulgarian Gambling Commission published two blacklists of banned operators, including some 50 sites, including famous names such as 888, BetFair, Bet365, Ladbrokes, William Hill, PokerStars, PartyPoker and Full Tilt Poker, as well as mirror sites and subsidiaries. The law was criticised for being incomplete and putting operators in an impossible position, being ready and willing to pay for a legal licence but without the mechanism in place to apply for one. The new law doesn't do away with the blacklist, indeed, there are even
stricter sanctions for those operating illegally, but it does make it easier for operators to get off it, for example, allowing them to be removed from the list even before they are granted a licence provided they make the request before the end of March. Hambach said: “The effort of the Bulgarian Parliament are of major significant. Instead of concentrating on blocking measures, such as ISP and/or payment blocking, the government has focused on best practice and introduced regulations that motivate the online gambling operators to get a licence and work not only in a balance regulatory environment but also under a favourable tax regime.”
CR136-p02-04-World_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:25 Page 2
BULGARIA / SPAINYXYXYXY / MACAU
ICR NEWS SECTIONS: WORLD 2-5 EUROPE 6-13 ASIA & OCEANIA 14-21 AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST 22-25 NORTH AMERICA 26-33 SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 34-39 COMMENT & POLITICS 40-43 PERFORMANCE
CASINO OPENING
Gran Via opening shines light on Spanish casino industry
The former Portuguese enclave’s dominance of the world gaming industry could be coming to an end, some analysts are suggesting, despite revenues of $45bn last year. But is Macau’s lofty status really under threat?
Slowed growth predictions for Macau MACAU
ANALYSIS ere is another example of why good regulation is not always the most draconian legislation. The ill-drafted online gambling law previously in operation in Bulgaria laid out the country’s intent not to be a target for unlicensed operations and that’s entirely laudable - but it went too far, making it too difficult even for well-respected names in the industry to get into the market. When conformable operators can’t get in, it leaves a gap for less reputable and safe operators to get in, no matter how many blacklists they may be on and the government doesn’t get the taxes it wants. All that good operators want, online or offline, are clear, fair and rigorous regulations and it appears Bulgaria, after shaky start, might just have found some.
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SPAIN
ver recent weeks, much of the attention on Spain’s casino industry has been focused on Sheldon Adelson’s announcement that Las Vegas Sands had scrapped its plans to build a multi-billion dollar resort on the outskirts of Madrid. Yet while many within the industry continue to lament the group’s decision to drop the EuroVegas project, the recent opening of a high-end casino in the centre of the Spanish capital has acted as a reminder that the country’s gaming market is not to be overlooked. On December 18, the Comar Group opened the doors to Casino Gran Via in central Madrid. The new casino is located in a historical landmark building that was built in 1924, with Steelman Partners Europe being responsible for the project design. Discussing the ambitious, E15m project, Steelman said the focus was on highlighting the historical elements of the
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building and its beautiful interior and exterior. “Casino Gran Via was born with the aim of contributing to the revitalisation of leisure and tourism in Madrid,” said Javier Garci, director general of Comar. “The iconic building, the team of excellent professionals, facilities and the exclusive design makes the Casino Gran Via a leisure experience of reference in Europe.” The building has a total area of 4,500sq.m spread over three floors. The ground floor provides direct access to the casino without prior registration, and has a new cafe, reception area and game room with 65 slot machines. A cocktail bar, lounge area and table games are located on the first floor, while the second floor includes the orientalthemed ‘Asian Chamber’, with baccarat, American roulette, blackjack and poker tables. Casino Review International speaks with Aleksey Belinskiy, studio lead for Steelman Partners Europe, about the Gran Via project on p76.
T
he decade-long streak that has seen Macau transform itself into the world’s largest gaming destination by revenues may be coming to an end, according to analysts from banking and financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The boom that began with deregulation in 2002 saw the former Portuguese colony’s 33 casinos produce total annual revenues of $45.2bn (E33bn) last year, largely due to the influx of Chinese visitors. But, shares in some of the enclave’s largest operators, MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands, took a big hit recently as investors began factoring in more aggressive growth assumptions Although analysts feel that China remains relatively encouraging due to economic expansion, December saw the nation’s credit growth fall by 25 per cent year-to-year and this could possibly negatively affect mid-year results. Macau is now seven times larger than Las Vegas in terms of gaming revenues and these earnings are, so far, up by approximately 17 per cent year-on-year. However, investors are worried that the Chinese New Year could adversely impact mass table revenues, which were lower during this period than for any other in 2013. In related news, CLSA reported that it expects the United States to become the top destination for the growing number of Chinese tourists by 2020. The Asian brokerage firm stated that these spend more than visitors from any other nation and place special significance on gambling and fine dining. February 2014 casinoreview
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CR136-p02-04-World_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 09:42 Page 3
News
PHILIPPINES / UNITED STATES
World
Kate Chambers 44
ICE TOTALLY GAMING: “THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT ICE DELIVERS A COMPREHENSIVE TAKE ON GAMING FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE AND THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY TRENDS ...” RESORT CASINOS
Melco to bring Nobu Hotel to Manila casino development PHILIPPINES
With backers including actor Robert De Niro, Asia’s first Nobu Hotel will form part of the leisure offering when Melco Crown Entertainment’s City of Dreams resort opens later this year.
asino resort developer Melco Crown Entertainment is to introduce internationally acclaimed Nobu Hospitality at its City of Dreams resort in Manila, marking the first Nobu Hotel in Asia. The 321-room boutique Nobu Hotel has been designed to provide a ‘fun-luxury’ experience at the integrated resort, which is currently under development. City of Dreams, comprising a casino, three entertainment venues, six hotel towers, restaurants, bars and a multi-level car park, is expected to open in mid2014. Lawrence Ho, co-chairman and CEO of Melco
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Crown Entertainment, said: “Being Melco Crown Entertainment’s flagship entertainment resort brand, City of Dreams is committed to enhancing the Philippines’ tourism diversity by offering unique, internationally acclaimed hospitality experiences at its integrated resort. “The partnership, with one of the world’s foremost luxury lifestyle brands within City of Dreams, is a further step in realising our overall vision to deliver world-class and diverse innovative lifestyle and entertainment offerings to broaden the appeal of the Philippines as a leading leisure destination in Asia.”
Inspired by the worldrenowned Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa and championed by Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro and Hollywood producer Meir Teper, Nobu Hotel is billed as the “ultimate playground” for Melco’s Filipino, Asian and international clientele. The hotel will feature a Nobu Restaurant within an idyllic setting including an outdoor cabana-styled dining terrace situated on an exclusive platform deck, providing views over Manila Bay. Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, explained: “The new Nobu Hotel at City of Dreams Manila will bring a new level
of luxury, celebrity culture and sophistication together with outstanding Nobuinspired cuisine to the Manila leisure destination scene. “In partnership with Melco Crown Philippines, we will be creating a unique five-star destination for Asian and international style-makers and trendsetters, with a stylish new experience of luxury and hospitality created on a bespoke basis for City of Dreams Manila’s target markets.” Clarence Chung, chairman and president of Melco Crown Philippines said: “The development of City of Dreams Manila is progress-
ing well and is expected to open in 2014. “I am pleased that City of Dreams Manila has a sound strategic mix of hotel brands - from celebrityinspired lifestyle for trendsetting leisure and business travellers, a luxurious casino hotel experience for VIP’s, to unparalleled services and facilities for premium business guests. “We will continue to work closely with our partners, as well as PAGCOR and the Philippines government, to further realise our aim to help redefine Entertainment City and Manila as one of the leading leisure and entertainment destinations in Asia.”
PERFORMANCE
Atlantic City revenue falls for seventh consecutive year UNITED STATES
F
igures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reveal the continued decline of Atlantic City casinos, with the city having recorded seven consecutive years of falling profits. This most recent set of financial results indicate that land-based gambling in the region has seen revenue drop below $3bn (E2.2bn) for the first time in 22 years. Takings fell six
4 | casinoreview February 2014
percent during 2013, falling from $3bn (E2.2bn) to $2.86bn (E2.1bn). Since reaching its highest ever total of $5.2bn (E3.8bn) in 2006, New Jersey casinos have reported a consistent drop in income. Table games pulled in $798m (E586m) during 2013, down seven percent on the previous year, while slot games dropped six percent to $2.1bn (E1.5bn). Atlantic City’s most successful casino of 2013
filed for bankruptcy in January 2014. Atlantic Club had instigated a swathe of discounts to encourage locals to visit, but despite an increase in gaming revenue of 12 percent, the $142m (E104m) taken in revenue during the year was not enough to prevent its closure. Tropicana and Caesars Entertainment have purchased the property in a shared deal worth $23.4m (E17.1m).
Casinos in Atlantic City have cited pressure from an increasing number of venues opening in the local area as the primary motivator for declining revenues. Many are hoping that their ventures into New Jersey’s recently opened online gaming market will bear fruit. Internet gambling, which is only open to state residents, accrued $8.4m (E6.1m) during the latter part of 2013.
Finally u Finally unveiled nveiled a att IICE CE 2 2014 014 The T he N NOVOMATIC OVOMATIC W World orld o off G Gaming aming Entrances S4 S4 & S5 S5 Entrances
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International Sales: Jens Halle, Phone: +43 2252 606 234, sales@novomatic.com, www.austrian-gaming.com
CR136-p06-13-Europe_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 08:51 Page 1
News Europe
THE BRITISH DILEMMA: FOBTS SHOULDN’T BE BANNED BUT THEY CAN BE REDEFINED INTO SOMETHING FAIRER NOT ONLY TO THE
REFURBISHMENT
Casinos Austria sets t on major refurbishme Located in a city that is both a cultural and tourist magnet in Austria, Casino Bregenz has risen to be the leading casino in the country. Now it is to undergo a major transformation and expansion.
AUSTRIA
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ith the assurance that the basic structure of its domestic business is guaranteed for at least the next 15 years, Casinos Austria has begun the first of series of refurbishment programmes, with Casino Bregenz on Lake Constance (Bodensee) to see a major overhaul in the first half of this year. Casino Bregenz is Casinos Austria’s largest earning venue and will see a major expansion over the coming months, with the electronic Jackpot Casino the focus and the Summer Terrace on its roof. The bar in the Classic Casino, which features live games
6 | casinoreview February 2014
and slot machines, will also be expanded. In all, the venue will be extended by about 450sq m. In addition an exterior terrace facing the Bregenz Festival Theatre will be enlarged and the outer facade completely redesigned the casino was designed in the 1980s and is showing its age, according to some. CEO Karl Stoss said: “Casino Bregenz has a large catchment area and our guests really appreciate the ambience and the offer. With the refurbishment we will be able to meet our customers’ requirements even better than before.
Redesigning the casino with the creation of a new lounge means a significant improvement in quality for our guests. We will also be offering a new concept in accommodation that speaks to the current trends and needs of visitors seeking entertainment.” With even better access to the Summer Terrace, which overlooks the Festival square where half a million people enjoy strolling in the summer months, casino visitors will be able to enjoy the atmosphere from a privileged location. The first stage of the works is expected to cost around E4m and
will be completed in time for the opening of the Festival in July this year. Gaming will continue uninterrupted during this period. The second phase will start at a later as yet unspecified date and will include the construction of the new facade, which will allow the building to present a homogeneous whole to those approaching from the station side and fitting in well with the planned new Lake Quarter. By the latest it will be finished in 2016, according to company spokesman Martin Himmelbauer. This is not the first time that refurbishment works have been
CR136-p06-13-Europe_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 08:51 Page 2
AUSTRIA / BULGARIA / GREECE / ITALY / RUSSIA / SLOVAKIA / NETHERLANDS / UNITED YXYXYXY KINGDOM FOBT’s under fire 40
PLAYER BUT ALSO TO THE WIDER INDUSTRY, FOR WHICH THESE MACHINES IN THEIR CURRENT FORM AND LOCATIONS ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT.
ts to work ment An artist’s impression of the casino’s new facade
EUROPE ROUND-UP ndustry analyst GamblingData has published a report on the Danish online casino and sportsbetting market that predicts medium-term growth due to the Scandinavian nation’s comparatively positive economic outlook and benign regulatory requirements. Unique among regulated markets in that it permits international poker liquidity, the Danish market is expected to yield $328.7m (E242.8m) in total regulated online gross gambling yield by 2016, which would represent a rise of more than 20 percent when compared with 2013. In Macedonia, meanwhile, plans are afoot to curb citizens’ access to foreign gambling sites in order to prevent large amounts of money from leaving the country while additionally establishing a state-run Internet lottery in partnership operator Casinos Austria International. All of the expected $8m (E6m) development costs associated with the new online lottery, which is anticipated will start later in the year, are to be paid by Casinos Austria despite the Eastern European nation owning a controlling 51 percent stake in the enterprise. Back in northern Europe, The Netherlands state lottery has revealed that its proposed merger with the charitable De Lotto would enable it to more effectively compete and explore the possibility of offering online gambling services in the future. As Dutch gambling laws are liberalised over the next few years to permit a more open and competitive market, the Staatsloterij asserted that a union would create an organisation with annual sales in excess of $1.6b (E1.2b). In the UK this month, all eyes
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Karl Stoss, CEO of Casinos Austria
ANALYSIS carried out, however, in the past it has been somewhat piecemeal. The aim this time is for a more coherent final result. Casinos Austria said that together with the Festival Theatre and its impressive floating stage just off the lakeshore, Casino Bregenz is contributing to the very strong sense of place that the cultural district has built up over recent years linking together the art museum, state theatre, Vorarlberg museum and the Festival square.
ith the tail end of the economic crisis still flicking around and the protracted licensing processes that took up a lot of Casinos Austria’s energies, it is unsurprising the company has taken so long to get on with its refurbishment plans - it is over a year since it was announced that the City Package of six casinos including Bregenz was to go to Casinos Austria. Its future was only really secure when it won the Provincial Package as well last October. Still, as yet the country’s only casino operator, it is now able to move more quickly.
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were on the new stakes and prize limits rising, with one of the first winners under the new levels, cashing in, somewhat appropriately, at the Westfield Stratfield development, just minutes down the road from the fomrer Olympic village. The anonymous player bagged a cash prize of £12,664 (E15,333) thanks to a slot win at the Aspers Casino. Recent changes in UK legislation - unveiled very timely just ahead of the ICE Totally Gaming expo - have doubled single-spin jackpots from £4,000 (E4,843) to £10,000 (E12,107) and took maximum progressive prizes up to £20,000 (E24,213) while additionally raising the highest B1 stake to £5 (E6). And finally in Spain, after 90 years, Madrid has a new casino, located in the Columbus area on Paseo de Recoletos. Stars including actors Miguel Angel Munoz, Elena Furies, Enrique Gonzalez Macho, and chefs Dario Barrio and Whip turned up to show their support. The new venue’s main room is located in an area of 1,732 m² and hosts gaming tables, slot machines and a coffee-bar, ‘Bond Bar’. The venue occupies a total of 4123.28m² and 1,000m² has been dedicated to the 27 gaming tables, and 65 slot machines. Furthermore, two game premieres were held on the night; Episodic Gaming and The Dark Knight. The casino will employ 415 workers, of whom 200 are newly hired.
February 2014 casinoreview
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CR136-p06-13-Europe_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 08:54 Page 3
News Europe
Liberation in Venice
FICOM LEISURE: DATA INDICATES THAT TOTAL GAMING REVENUES FOR VENICE’S TWO CASINOS TOTALLED E111M IN 2013, DOWN 8.8 PER CENT ON 2012.
Two of Italy’s most iconic gaming spaces will soon be in private hands, as the Municipality of Venice prepares to reveal the new operator of the city’s historic casinos.
ITALY
n March 19, two days after the tender submission deadline has ended, the bid envelopes will be opened to reveal who will manage Venice’s two casinos for next 30 years. The Municipality of Venice is planning to give the management of the two Casinò di Venezia locations - at the Ca’ Vendramin Calergi palace on the Gran Canal in the historic city centre and the in Ca’ Noghera on the mainland close to Marco Polo Airport - to a proven private casino operator. Both locations will remain the property of the municipality, but the local government has built a clause into the operating licence stating that Ca’ Noghera venue can be replaced by a new casino, in a new location elsewhere in Venice. Ficom Leisure, a European advisory and consultancy company, has been following the privatisation process over the last two years and has now analysed the tender documents in order to assist
O
OPERATIONS
Venice casino privatisation process initiated
interested bidders. “The minimum economic offer to qualify to bid includes numerous clauses,” said Christian Tirabassi, senior partner at Ficom. “Upon signing the contract, the Municipality of Venice will receive a minimum bid amount of E140m for the first two years. Another E44.3m will be paid by the new private operator to buy the company that manages the casino and has all the casino-related assets. “In addition, the offer must include a minimum guarantee of E308m from the third year through the expiry of the concession, which is a minimum annual amount of E11m,” Tirabassi said. “For the gaming concession fee, the national administration must also receive E16.2m - divided over 30 annual instalments. By the seventh year of the agreement, the city will also receive a minimum of five per cent of the difference, if positive, between gaming revenues and E140m.” In order to participate and qualify to the tender, the municipality stipulated that bidders for the Casinò di
Venezia operating licence must have achieved an average turnover of at least E609m over the last three years, and the company must have accrued at least last five years of operating experience in the casino sector. Technical points will also be awarded on the perceived strength of any investment plan and the potential licensees’ general approach to the management of the casinos, including potential synergy with other casinos and the future development of the Ca’ Noghera site. “The winning operator may discontinue the current premises of the Casinò di Venezia in Ca’ Noghera and open new premises in a new location,” Tirabassi said. This may be done, for example, in the context of a broader casino resorts development project.” Data provided by Ficom Leisure indicates that total gaming revenues for Venice’s two casinos totalled E111m in 2013, down 8.8 per cent on 2012. Attendance during the same period was down three per cent to 800,000.
ACQUISITION
Olympic acquires WinWin
SLOVAKIA
E
astern European landbased casino operator Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG) has paid an unspecified amount of money in order to take full control of Slovak video lottery terminal
firm WinWin Slovakia. OEG operates slot and table games casinos in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Italy and Slovakia through local subsidiaries including Olympic Casino Estonia, Olympic Casino Latvia and Olympic Casino Group Baltija with its shares publicly traded
8 | casinoreview February 2014
on the Tallinn and Warsaw Stock Exchanges. It revealed that it intends to use the purchase in order to premiere a video lottery terminal operation in Slovakia beginning later in the year. With equity reportedly worth approximately $1.6m (E1.2m), WinWin Slovakia holds a local
video lottery terminal licence but does not yet operate outlets. In 2012, Olympic Entertainment concluded a similar deal in Italy that saw its The Box joint venture with GHolding purchase operator Jackpot Game Srl. Tallin-based OEG also runs a number of subsidiaries in the
Baltic region and Jersey that are engaged in hotel/bar services and catering and it reported revenues of $144.8m (E105.9m) for the nine months to the end of September, which represented an increase of just over eight percent year-on-year, alongside an improved net profit of $25m (E18.3m).
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OCTAVIAN DE ARGENTINA S.A. San José 83 Piso 3 C1076AAA Buenos Aires Argentina Phone: +54 11 4383 4131 Fax: +54 11 4383 4131
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AGI GAMING COLOMBIA S.A.S. Autopista Norte N. 122 - 35 Lc 2 Edificio Mezco Colombia Phone: +57 1 2130 388 Fax: +57 1 2141 571
Please note that Austrian Gaming Industries GmbH (AGI) has acquired the Octavian companies listed above and certain assets and/or rights to offer ACP and other Octavian products. AGI and the companies mentioned above including their products are not related to Octavian International Ltd. (UK) which is under administration.
CR136-p06-13-Europe_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 09:14 Page 4
News Europe
National Casino Forum
UK TRADE BODIES: THE NATIONAL CASINO FORUM IS THE SOLE REPRESENTATIVE TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR THE UK CASINO INDUSTRY AND WILL SPEAK FOR THE UK’S LICENSED CASINOS.
RELAUNCH
APPOINTMENT
Leicester’s Grosvenor G casino completes £1m relaunch
Firth takes over in Blackpool
UNITED KINGDOM
Rank Group’s wideranging revamp and rebranding of the Grosvenor G Casino in Leicester has reached a conclusion with the addition of a new sports-bar and restaurant.
ank Group, owner of the Leicester’s Grosvenor G Casino, has announced the completion of a £1m (E1.2m) renovation project. A series of new services have been created to complement an enhanced casino floor at the East Midlands venue. Located in Leicester’s town centre, the casino is one of nineteen picked up by Rank Group as part of a deal inked with Gala Coral Group. In March 2013 the UK gaming company spent £179m (E216m) to purchase Gala branded casinos across the country. The sale made Rank Group the largest casino operator in Great Britain, with 54 separate operators falling under their remit. The £1m investment into their newly acquired Leicester location is part of a
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UNITED KINGDOM
G rebranding programme to bring former Gala venues under the Grosvenor brand name. The casino, which is now open 24 hours a day, has seen many of its tables and machines upgraded to newer high tech equivalents. A 24-hour sports-bar has been built, becoming the first such establishment in Leicester to remain open around the clock. A new restaurant also forms part of the complex, serving traditional cuisine and local spe-
cialties. “The investment in the casino has really changed the look and feel of the venue and we now have one of the best facilities for gamers in the East Midlands,” said Chris Maskill, general manager of Grosvenor G Casino Leicester. The casino floor has benefited from the addition of a private room, intended for high-stakes players searching for increased privacy. The space includes roulette
CASINO RESORT PROJECT
Adelson ponders Athens development
GREECE
A
fter recently shelving plans that would have seen it invest more than $30bn (E21.8bn) to develop a series of integrated resorts in Spain, global gambling operator
Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS) is now looking at Greece as a potential new market for expansion. According to Bloomberg, LVS chairman and chief executive officer Sheldon Adelson is examining options in numerous European cities including
10 | casinoreview February 2014
enting UK has named industry veteran Jim Firth as the new general manager for its Genting Club Blackpool casino and restaurant. Firth, 44, began his career as a valet over 25 years ago and has gone on to work for some of the most wellknown British gambling firms including Ladbokes and Stakis Casinos at venues from London to Glasgow. Most recently he spent
Athens, Milan and Paris for the creation of a new casino resort. This is not the first time LVS has looked at the possibility of investing in Greece following the rejection in 2007 by then finance minister Giorgos Alogoskoufis of a proposal that would have seen the world’s largest casino
and blackjack tables and is also available for hire. Visitors looking to run an exclusive small game or host an event can arrange to book the space. With its refurbishment complete, the casino becomes the second Rank property in the city, joining Mecca Bingo Leicester in the company’s portfolio. Rank now employ more than 180 people in the city, with 124 staff at work in the Grosvenor G.
operator construct a venue at Athens’ former Elliniko international airport (pictured). The possibility of establishing a casino in the Greek capital was first proposed in 1994 following the issuance of the nation’s first casino licences. But, the issue has recently re-emerged following the global financial slowdown and ensuing privatisation plans for the Elliniko site, which is just over six miles from central Athens. The possibility of LVS opening a private casino resort in suburban Athens is likely to be opposed by Greek gambling operator OPAP, which holds the $768m (E565m) nation-wide licence to operate video lotto terminals. Its agents are required to adhere to numerous special conditions including player limits and identity cards that do not apply to casinos. Another likely opponent is the Club Hotel Casino Loutraki, which paid for its licence following assurances from the state that no other casino would be permitted to operate in the capital.
eleven years with Gala Coral Group serving in a variety of roles including operations development director and north and west regional manager. “This is an exciting time to join the Genting team,” Firth told the Blackpool Gazette. “The refurbishment has transformed this iconic venue into a stylish destination [that] offers something for everyone; from the elegant restaurant and bar area to a high-quality gaming floor. We now have a great platform to build.” The unique castle-shaped Lancashire venue, which has been a casino for more than 25 years, recently reopened following a £500,000 (E608,000) refurbishment and employs over 70 full-time and part-time staff. Offering poker alongside a range of slots such as Golden Prophecies, Gold Craze and Gryphon’s Gold titles, it additionally features the Fahrenheit bar and restaurant.
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CR136-p06-13-Europe_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 08:55 Page 5
News Europe
Arjel’s ad campaign 88
ARJEL TACKLE ONLINE: “OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DETER PLAYERS FROM PLAYING OR BETTING ON ILLEGAL SITES AND TO EMPOWER THEM IN THEIR GAMBLING BEHAVIOUR. “
REDEVELOPMENT
POKER
Metropolis project to go ahead without casino
EPT makes its return to Vienna
SLOVAKIA
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etropolis, a new E223 mixed-use resort and convention centre planned for the outskirts of Bratislava, Slovakia, will no longer include an American-style casino, as investor TriGranit has cut it from the plans of the project’s first phase. The new facility will feature a convention centre, waterpark, hotel and retail operations, all of which are being developed in the hope of attracting both and holiday tourism and business visits. “At the moment the casino is not [a reality],” said Gábor Zászlós, chairman of TriGranit’s board of directors, as quoted by the Sme daily, when presenting a new version of the first phase of construction. Zászlós could not say definitively, however, that a casino will never be included in the development, as another company could step in and build one. The Metropolis complex will stand on a 30hectare plot between Petr alka and Jarovce, south of Bratislava, at a junction of highways linking Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria.
AUSTRIA
he European Poker Tour (EPT) has unveiled a 40event schedule for the forthcoming Vienna stop of its Season 10 tournament series that is set to include turbo and deepstack events with buy-ins starting from $137 (E100). The first time the EPT has visited the Austrian capital for three years, the Vienna extravaganza is set to run from March 23 to 29 at the Hofburg Palace in the centre of the old town in partnership with Concord Card Casino and
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feature $2,049 (E1,500) buy-in limit seven-card stud, $273 (E200) limit Omaha high-low double board and $1,366 (E1,000) pot-limit Omaha reverse events. The Vienna spectacular is to be prefaced by the regional Eureka Poker Tour from March 19 to 22 at the same venue and will also have a lot to keep no-limit hold’em fans busy with a plethora of new game
and the remainder in seats to the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final in Monaco at the end of April. “The EPT is all about fun, celebrating the excitement of the game and gathering players together for a good time and we really wanted to make a splash on our return to Vienna,” said EPT head of live poker operations Neil Johnson. types on offer including the $137 “The EPT is known for game (E100) buy-in Deuces Wild and innovation [and] variety and we Always 20 Big Blinds events. There pride ourselves on providing game will also be the $2,732 (E2,000) buy- types in tournament format that in Grand Final Hybrid tournament you simply don’t find at other live offering 50 percent in prize money events.”
An elevenday poker spectacular is due to kick off in March at the Hofburg Palace in partnership with Concord Card Casino.
EMPLOYMENT
Yet more cuts for Holland Casino NETHERLANDS
tate-owned gambling institution, Holland Casino, has pledged to continue its wideranging redundancy project with the removal of a further 150-200 jobs. The company has spent the past twelve months battling poor revenue, with a series of cost-cutting measures enacting in an attempt to rescue the ailing business. This latest round of cuts will see the country’s fourteen casinos lose
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around five per cent of their work force. These are in addition to round of redundancies announced in November, 2013. Holland Casino had previously stated that 400 of the company’s 3,000 jobs would be removed, in an attempt to raise at least E18m. The union for Holland’s casino workers, ABC, has argued that staff are being treated unfairly. “It is difficult for croupiers to find another
job,” union representative Victor Kloos told the Dutch arm of the Reuters news wire. Holland Casino was reported to have made a E30m loss during 2013, as a result of falling visitor numbers and increased competition from online gambling. The government operated company has been suffering for a number of years, having removed a further 800 jobs between 2008 and 2012.
LEGAL
Russian gambling ring granted amnesty RUSSIA
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he case against six organisers of an underground gambling syndicate that was centred near Moscow and allegedly involved a number of senior Russian police and regional officials has been closed under an economic amnesty. The amnesty request, which was filed in autumn last year, was granted by the federal Investigative Committee and forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s
12 | casinoreview February 2014
Office although three cases involving public prosecutors accused of offering protection for the enterprise remain open. The illegal syndicate was first exposed in the spring of 2011 following an investigation by the Federal Security Service (FSB). Law enforcement officials alleged that businessman Ivan Nazarov had helped to organise illicit gambling in 15 towns around Moscow with the help of local police and prosecution officers. The men were originally
charged with running an illegal business but the cases against them all but collapsed in the autumn of 2012 after the Prosecutor General’s Office, which had opposed the original Investigative Committee inquiry, argued that the arrests of highranking figures had been illegal. This difference of opinion was seen as a ‘turf war’ between the two agencies that dated back to September of 2010 when then-President Dmitry Medvedev separated the pair from the same body.
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News Europe
Meeting up 90
ONLINE GATHERING: REPRESENTATIVES OF ONLINE GAMBLING REGULATORS FROM GERMANY, ITALY, FRANCE, PORTUGAL, SPAIN AND THE UK CONVERGED ON ROME RECENTLY
LEGISLATION
Austria to relegislate for poker AUSTRIA
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aunching its policy objectives for 2014, the Austrian government has said it intends to reform the law in respect of poker as well as improve player protection and better combat illegal gambling. In particular, the government wants to bring poker under the Gambling Act. The Constitutional Court made a ruling last July that effectively defined the game as being outside the Act in a case brought by non-casino poker salon operators who claimed successfully that licensing only one “poker casino” was unconstitu-
tional; the sections related to poker were therefore repealed. The court, however, said that the government could legislate again to bring poker within the remit of the Gambling Act, which it is now promising to do. Other measures include the commissioning of an interagency study on problem gambling and crime and how to combat them; the introduction of a player card independent of operators for use with the system of central monitoring for gaming machines; more effective sanctions for illegal operators both on- and offline; and strict new player protection measures for online betting and gaming.
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CR136-p14-20-Asia_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 09:07 Page 1
News
Asia & Oceania
INVESTMENT
The rigid criteria that the South Koreans has applied to new casino investments have resulted in disappointment for both applicants and government alike. However, an easement in terms could be in the offing.
South Korea signals a chan
T SOUTH KOREA
he South Korean government is to release a new tourism strategy that will include a relaxation of the financial rules for foreign companies wanting to invest in casino development in the permitted economic zones. Although Korea’s casino market has long been established, expansion of the sector has not been smooth. In particular, the government wants to see casino resorts developed in the Yeongjongdo economic zone not far from Incheon International Airport. To that end it is understood that certain financial rules would be relaxed for foreign companies that would allow them to make the necessary investment. According to a government official quoted by Bloomberg: “We are considering easing the bidding standards after receiving complaints that it is too difficult to meet the criteria of BBB credit ratings. But we have yet to decide on detailed plans.”
14 | casinoreview February 2014
In June last year, the Korean government rejected two applications for Yeongjongdo, one from Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment and one from a joint venture comprising US firm Caesars and the Indonesian firm Lippo. Universal’s bid was reported as having been rejected on the grounds of reputation: at the time its difficulties in the Philippines over land ownership and an ongoing legal dispute with Wynn Resorts, among other issues, were bringing the firm a good deal of bad publicity. As for Caesars, the company was “surprised and disappointed” to have been rejected. The company’s credit rating, already low given the US$20bn of debt it still has to service as a result of the leveraged buyout in 2005, was downgraded yet again in May last year. The company claimed its financing for the Korea project at least was secure so the decision, according to Caesars executive Steven Tight at the time was “really
quite baffling”. It was another knock back in the company’s attempts to gain a foothold in Asia, which has been such a lucrative region for Caesars competitors. In December, the company appealed to the government to reconsider: the joint venture wants to build a 2.2tr won (E1.5bn), 33ha resort in Incheon. The willingness of the government to think again is believed to be in direct response to this case. However, Universal has also not given up: at the start of January the company bought a 1.3ha site in Yeongjong Sky City on which it wants to build two six-star casino hotels with 3,000 rooms, a business hotel, shopping mall and other entertainment facilities. Another investor has also popped up: PNC Bank has submitted a letter of intent to the stateowned land development company for a 7tr won (E4.75bn) casino resort project.
CR136-p14-20-Asia_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 12:32 Page 2
AUSTRALIA / CHINA / INDIA / JAPAN / MACAU / MALAYSIA / SOUTH KOREA /YXYXYXY VIETNAM YXYXY Yeongjongdo economic zone
KOREAN REVIEW: “WE ARE CONSIDERING EASING THE BIDDING STANDARDS...”
ENTRY
Goa to ban casino visits by locals INDIA
A
fter winning a clear majority in last year’s Goan elections, the Bharativa Janata Party is set to fulfill a campaign pledge by instituting a ban on locals entering any of the Indian state’s 16 casinos. Goa is one of only two Indian
An artist’s impression of how the Yeongjong complex may look
hange of heart ANALYSIS he success of yet more casinos in South Korea will depend on the kind of access they can get to wealthy Chinese and possibly Japanese tourists. There is no locals market, as South Koreans are not allowed to gamble in casinos in their own country - they must take their business and their money to casinos in other jurisdictions. Locals business is steady; foreign business has to be worked harder for and there is ever more competition for it. The Asian casino market is a long way from being saturated yet - probably. As time goes by and wealth, especially in China, increases for more people, the
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market shows few signs of going backwards. South Korea has the advantage of being the closest casino market to Beijing, which may yet count for something, and relations between it and its large neighbour are not too bad, meaning less opportunity for politics to get in the way of business. The South Korean government clearly feels there is mileage in encouraging casinos, provided they are operated on its terms. Caesars, Universal and PNC clearly believe that too or they wouldn’t be pressing so hard, but it’s worth noting that other major operators in the region don’t appear hugely interested.
states that permit gambling and is the home to four offshore venues in the Mandovi River alongside a dozen landbased casinos. The move, which was announced by chief minister Manohar Parrikar (pictured) and is due to come into effect from February 28, will most seriously affect onshore operators as 80 per cent of visitors to these venues in the South Goa district are local while over 50 per cent of players are natives in North Goa. “The act [will] be amended making it mandatory for the person entering a casino to prove that he is tourist and not a Goan,” said Parrikar. Responsibility for ensuring that the new ban is being followed is due to rest with the state’s new yet-to-beappointed gaming commissioner, Parrikar said, while critics have panned the move and predicted that there is now likely to be a growth in the use of fake identity cards.
ASIA ROUND UP aming and hotel operator Genting Malaysia Bhd has set aside a further MYR2b (E446m) for the refurbishment of facilities at its Genting Highlands hilltop casino resort in central Malaysia. Known as the Genting Integrated Tourism Plan, Genting Malaysia previously announced an investment of MYR3b (E669m) to develop, expand and enhance the resort’s hotels, theme parks and related infrastructure over the next decade in order to bring these up to the same standards as the group’s newer operations in Singapore and the Philippines. The first phase of the scheme, which is scheduled for completion in 2016, will see Genting Malaysia spend approximately MYR4bn (E892m) to develop and refurbish existing hotel properties, infrastructures and amenities. This is to be followed by the construction of a new three-star hotel with approximately 1,300 rooms adjacent to the First World Hotel and the development of a second cable car system for improved accessibility. Elsewhere, the number of foreign and local tourists who spent time at one of Cambodia’s coastal destinations increased dramatically last year, with casinos acting as a key driver. Officials in Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kep and Koh Kong provinces reported that more than a million visitors travelled to the area in 2013 helped by a 42 per cent rise year-on-year in the numbers from overseas, led by those from China, Vietnam and Russia. Foreign visits rose to 302,325 while domestic tourist figures increased by 12 per cent when compared with 731,604 in 2012. In China, meanwhile, an explosion at an illegal gambling hall in a village outside the city of Kaili has killed 14 people and injured seven. According to a report from the official People’s Daily newspaper and Xinhua news agency, the cause of the explosion in the poor southern province of Guizhou remains under investigation with police treating the incident as a crime after revealing that it could have been set deliberately.
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CR136-p14-20-Asia_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 09:11 Page 3
News
Asia & Oceania
Japanese business backs casino change 82
JAPANESE DEREGULATION: JAPAN’S BROADER BUSINESS COMMUNITY JOINS FORCES IN A MOVE TO PERSUADE GOVERNMENT THAT THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR CASINO GAMING.
ACQUISITION
Donaco increases its Vietnam stake VIETNAM
Australian leisure and entertainment operator Donaco now holds a 95 per cent stake in the Lao Cai International Hotel near the Chinese border.
n Vietnam, leisure and entertainment operator Donaco International Limited has signed a binding agreement to purchase an additional 20 per cent stake in the Lao Cai International Hotel joint venture from Sapa Petroleum Tourism Joint Stock Company. The deal by the Australian firm will see its holdings in the enterprise, which operates the country’s Lao Cai International boutique hotel and casino near the Chinese border in northern Vietnam, increase from 75 per cent to 95 per cent, with the remainder remaining in the hands of its state-owned partner. It reported that the venue saw revenues of $13.8m (E10.17m) for the year to the
I
end of November alongside post-tax profits of $6.1m (E4.5m). “The financial results for the year reflect the very strong growth at the company’s flagship Lao Cai casino property with a 41 percent increase in both revenues and post-tax net profits,” said Donaco International chairman Stuart McGregor. The deal costing $4m (E2.9m) will take effect from the end of 2013 entitling Donaco International to 95 percent of the profits from Lao Cai International Hotel Joint Venture with the remaining formal requirements for the transfer due to be completed later this year. Sydney-based Donaco International is also using the
Lao Cai International Hotel Joint Venture to build a new five-star resort hotel and casino in the same location worth $53m (E39m) and scheduled for a soft launch in early-March. It has already raised some $22m (E16.2m) for the twelve-storey development, which is expected to become fully operational in July boasting 428 rooms and 50 gaming tables. Donaco International is led by Lim Keong Yew and Lim Keong Hoe, grandsons of the man that established Asian casino operator Genting Berhad, Tan Sri Lim Goh
CASINO DEVELOPMENT
nearby Gold Coast Airport. However, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman lans to build a $1.7bn has joined with local surfing (E1.3bn) cruise ship clubs in opposing the develterminal resort com- opment, which would have plex complete with a casino also included super yacht on a beach site in the facilities plus hotels, apartQueensland town of Bilinga ment and shops. are in tatters after the south“Some of the things I am ern Australian state’s Pre- being asked, I am hearing mier withdrew his support. from this lobby group, would Billionaire developer actually impact negatively Bob Ell’s Leda Group had on surf clubs,” said Newman. intended to apply for one of “So, you need to be very a trio of state casino careful about some of these licences up for grabs later proposals but I am saying this year and locate the there will be no cruise ship new Gold Coast Ocean Ter- terminal on the southern minal development part of the Gold Coast or between the sea and the indeed on any part of the
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16 | casinoreview February 2014
man, Do Du Bac. “As a result of the significant investment made by Donaco International over the years, we have agreed to sell the majority of our interest in the Lao Cai International Hotel joint venture company to them. The significant investment and expertise contributed by Donaco International has elevated the economic status of Lao Cai province. We are very pleased that our relationship with Donaco International will continue under this new arrangement for a long time in the future.”
ustralia’s Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) regulator is calling for public submissions as it conducts a mandatory investigation into the proposed new Sydney-area casino development from Crown Resorts Limited. Controlled by billionaire entrepreneur James Packer and already running similar venues in Melbourne and Perth, Crown Resorts’ plan for a new $1.3bn (E845m) VIP-only harbour-site casino at Barangaroo has bipartisan support in New South Wales and was given the initial go-ahead in July. New South Wales’ Casino Control Act mandates that any holder of a casino licence must be regarded by the ILGA as a ‘suitable person’ with the New South Wales regulator revealing that it plans to make its final decision within three months. “It is expected that the investigation will be completed in March 2014,” said a spokesman for the ILGA.
Melbourne-based Crown Resorts passed a similar test in May as it sought to boost its ten percent stake in rival Echo Entertainment Group Limited, which operators Sydney’s only existing casino, The Star. It subsequently decided against the move in favour of moving forward with the Barangaroo development and the ILGA is expected to heavily consult this previous examination in order to make its latest determination. Last year saw the government for New South Wales reject a $1.4bn (E910m) proposal from Echo Entertainment to further develop The Star with a pair of new hotels and upgrades to the venue’s existing gaming facilities. Despite the setback, the Brisbane-based firm stated that it is ‘committed to maximising shareholder value from the high-quality valuable asset’, which is to remain the only casino in Sydney until at least November of 2019.
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Bilinga casino plans blocked by Premier AUSTRALIA
Tong, and plans to additionally upgrade the ten-year-old, three-star Lao Cai International Hotel to a five-star property once its new property goes live. The stake increase and renovations could lead to stronger revenue growth over the next few years due to the rising number of visitors from China and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. “We have had a very successful relationship with Donaco International for more than ten years,” said Sapa Petroleum Tourism Joint Stock Company chair-
Gold Coast that impacts on the beaches. We would not be interested in a proposal for a casino on public land on the beach, on any part of the Gold Coast basically; on the sand dunes or something like that. If someone has a block of private land they are within their rights to make any sort of proposal.” Queensland’s acting Planning Minister, Ian Walker, revealed that eight parties have so far registered interest in the three new casino licences with the state’s Cabinet expected to rule in the coming weeks on proposals for the Broadwater Marine Project near Brisbane.
LICENCE
Regulator begins Crown Resorts assessment
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CR136-p14-20-Asia_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 09:11 Page 4
News
Asia & Oceania
G2E at the Venetian
G2E: PLANS FOR THE 2014 EDITION OF G2E ASIA ARE UNVEILED WITH BIGGER, BETTER AND BRIGHTER ON THE AGENDA FOR THE MACAU EXTRAVAGANZA.
Operators continue to circle Japan’s casino market
AWARDS
DEREGULATION
Five-star awards for Melco propetries MACAU
Officials in Osaka have held already held discussions with Caesars and Genting, and expect to meet with MGM Resorts International over the coming months. JAPAN
Ichiro Matsui
aesars Entertainment Corporation and Genting Singapore have reportedly met with officials in Osaka to discuss the possibility of building a $4.8bn (E3.5bn) casino resort in Japan’s third largest city, while MGM Resorts International is expected to hold similar discussions soon. Prefecture officials met with Caesars Entertainment and Singaporebased Genting late last year and are scheduled to sit down with MGM Resorts over the next few months as the nation looks to end its 107-year ban on casino gaming. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and local Japan Restoration Party aim to legalise casino gambling during the forthcoming session of the National Diet while Osaka Prefecture governor Ichiro Matsui asserted that a resort casino sited on reclaimed land owned by his city would lure investment and tourists to the often
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M overlooked region. With a relatively wealthy population of over 126m, Japan is understandably seen as an attractive market for casino gambling with experts estimating annual revenues could reach as high as $15bn (E11bn). But, the activity has been outlawed since the 1880s while a 1907 law explicitly prohibited casinos as contrary to the dominant Confucian belief system. Despite this, exceptions including Takarakuji charitable lotteries exist in several states while parimutuel wagers on horse, bicycle, speedboat and motorcycle racing are popular alongside over 12,400 venues offering the Pachinko pinball-meetsslots game. The bill to legalise casino gambling was jointly introduced in the National Diet last year and many experts expect it to pass with operations able to start as early as 2018. “I think the bill will definitely
pass,” Kazuaki Sasaki, assistant professor at Nihon University College of Economics, told Bloomberg. “The Liberal Democrat Party is supporting the bill and even for those parties that are against the bill, I don’t think they will put restrictions on each member’s vote.” A casino resort in Osaka could reap annual gross gaming revenues of as much as $5bn (E3.6bn) according to a report from CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets while land in the ancient port city costs about one-tenth as much as parcels in Tokyo’s Odaiba island, which is an area being looked at for a similar venue by local developer Mitsui Fudosan. “Even before the casino bill is passed, Osaka is crafting details of the resort plan so that we could embark on the project at any time,” said Matsui. “We’d need global casino operators’ involvement and expertise as the business is new to Japan.”
DEVELOPMENT
‘No casino applications received in Johor’ MALAYSIA
D Malaysian official contradicts recent reports that the country could be about welcome a second casino.
espite numerous recent reports to the contrary, officials in the southern Malaysian state of Johor have revealed that they have not received any applications or proposals to open a casino. Currently, operator Genting’s Casino de Genting in the Resorts World Genting hill development hosts the only legal casino in Malaysia, with the leader of the Johor State Legislative Assembly, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (pictured), recently dismissing allegations that a casino
18 | casinoreview February 2014
would be opened at a hotel in Johor as “mere mischievous writing”. “I do not know where the news came from; it suddenly emerged but as far as I know all casino licences are controlled by the federal government and not by the state,” said Khaled Nordin. “But I would like to reiterate here and assure Johoreans that Johor will not have a casino. We also do not approve other types of gambling centres.” A member of Malaysia’s largest political party, the United Malays National Organisation, and the national Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development
from 2004 to 2008, Khaled Nordin stated that the federal and state governments would carry out their responsibilities in investigating the viability of any new casinos in the Johor should an application ever be received. He also declared that officials from the local Iskandar Malaysia development corridor are likely to be more selective in the future while additionally welcoming companies to invest in areas outside of the site. “We will be selective when it comes to investments for Iskandar Malaysia and only go for those which could create economic spills-over to Johor,” said Khaled Nordin.
elco Crown Entertainment’s Altira Macau and Crown Towers properties have been awarded with five-star prizes as part of the recent 56th Annual Forbes Travel Guide ceremony in Las Vegas, US. The Altira Macau garnered the highest ratings in the hotel and spa categories, as well as the added honour of a five-star rating for its Aurora restaurant. For its part, last year saw City of Dreams’ Crown Towers became the first hotel on Macau’s Cotai Strip to receive a Forbes Travel award, while this time around it welcomed five-star honours for all of its facilities, the first and only venue in the former Por-
tuguese enclave to such recognition. “We are thrilled to receive the prestigious five-star designation for both Altira Macau and City of Dreams’ Crown Towers once again,” Melco chairman, Lawrence Ho. “These awards reflect the exceptional commitment at the core of both properties where every guest is immersed in a world of compelling hospitality experiences.” The Altira Macau and Crown Towers are only two of seven Macau hotels to have received five-star recognition this year while there are only 13 across the planet to have won this acknowledgment for all of their offerings. “This comprehensive recognition of excellence reflects Melco Crown Entertainment’s in-depth understanding of Asia’s hospitality landscape,” said Ho. “We are constantly adapting to the demands of discerning travellers as well as enhancing the destination with our commitment to quality travel experiences in every aspect of a guest’s stay.”
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News
Asia & Oceania
End of a dream 78
MOVING OUT?: CRIPPLING REVENUE AND POOR GAMER NUMBERS HAVE PROMPTED ENTERTAINMENT GAMING ASIA (EGA) TO CONSIDER WALKING AWAY FROM DREAMWORLD...
MARKETING FINANCIAL
Resorts World Sentosa targets Chinese visitors
Galaxy founder ‘remains Asia’s second-richest man’ Lui Che-Woo is now worth $23.7bn after his family-controlled casino business posted a 24 per cent increase in third-quarter earnings. HONG KONG
ui Che-Woo, founder of Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group, has remained Asia’s second-richest man despite seeing his personal wealth rise by US$2.9bn (E2.1bn) over the previous 12 months to US$23.7bn (E17.4bn). The chairman of K Wah Group, which owns Galaxy Entertainment, Lui is second in Asia’s rich list behind Hong Kong real estate investor Li KaShing, whose personal fortune is estimated to be US$29.5bn (E21.7bn). Galaxy operates 20 gambling establishments in Macau, including the StarWorld Macau, Galaxy Macau and four CityClub casinos. The group recently reported a 24 per cent year-on-year increase in third-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation to HK$3.2bn (E307.8m) due to Chinese visitors spending more at its venues. The firm’s revenues for the three months to September 30 rose by 16 percent to HK$16.3bn (E1.6bn) when compared with the same period in 2012 thanks to a boost in VIP turnover while annual adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation for the year came in at HK$11.5bn (E1.09bn), which represented an increase of 22 per cent year-on-year. Lui and his family own a 51 per cent stake in Galaxy Entertainment, which is ranked as Asia’s thirdlargest casino operator by revenues,
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and the company is currently expanding in Macau’s Cotai area in addition to controlling what is purportedly the largest undeveloped land-bank in the former Portuguese colony at 21.5m square feet. Through its Galaxy Casino subsidiary, the Hong Kong-based firm has held a gaming license since 2002 and recently completed the HK$3.25bn (E312.6m) purchase of the Grand Waldo complex, which it intends to re-launch following refurbishment. An expansion of the existing Galaxy Macau resort due to cost US$7.7b (E5.6bn) will also add as many as 500 gaming tables and 1,300 rooms from the JW Marriott and RitzCarlton hotels by mid-2015 while the firm is also reportedly looking further afield and is prepared to spend up to US$2.6bn (E1.9bn) in Japan or Taiwan each if those markets were to open in the near future.
20 | casinoreview February 2014
PROFILE: LUI CHE-WOO orn in 1929 in the southern Chinese city of Jiangmen, Lui Che-Woo fled his homeland for Hong Kong with his parents during the Second World War when he was only five. As a teenager he helped to support himself by selling food on the streets while the end of hostilities saw the Guangdong native buy and import construction equipment left behind by American forces following their successful invasion of the island of Okinawa. At the age of 26, Lui established K Wah Group and made millions as the British rebuilt Hong Kong using his equipment and materials. The firm alleges that its materials were used in a quarter of all the buildings constructed in Hong Kong around this time while its owner parlayed his profits into residential property development in addition to hotels and casinos. When Macau ended the 40-year gaming monopoly held by Stanley Ho in 2002, Lui partnered with American business magnate Sheldon Adelson to win one of three new gaming concessions. The pair split within a year following a disagreement over strategy but 2006 saw Galaxy Entertainment open the StarWorld Macau, where players can bet as much as US$250,000 (E184,200), while the Galaxy Macau followed five years later.
B
CHINA
I
t is the year of the horse in the Chinese calendar, and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in Singapore is celebrating by handing out 18,888 special red envelopes between now and February 14, each containing a prize. The Sure Win Hong Bao Surprise promotion is set to award those visiting Universal Studios Singapore, Sea Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark at RWS with over $4.7m (E3.4m) in total prizes, including a special package for a one-night stay at the exclusive Ocean Suites or Tree Top Lofts, complimentary tickets to LightSeeker as well as Resorts World Sentosa attraction passes and dining vouchers. Guests dining at one of the seven food and beverage outlets and spending at least $40 (E29) will also receive an envelope. Resorts World Sentosa is a mixed-use leisure development off the coast of the island nation
that includes a 500-table, 2,500-slots casino and it will be transformed during the Chinese New Year period with 3,888 custom-made lamps including eight-lantern horses and seahorses for its FestiveWalk and Maritime Experiential Museum. As if all of this wasn’t enough, the award-winning Feng Shui Inn and Forest restaurants will be serving a range of festive dishes while selected characters will appear at Universal Studios Singapore with SEA Aquarium extending its opening hours. “A series of public activities will also take place at the world’s largest aquarium with highlights such as acrobatics and drum performances as well as underwater blessings from our divers,” read a statement from Resorts World Sentosa. “Guests will be fully immersed in the festive mood as they visit Resorts World Sentosa, be it for reunion dining or enjoying a fun-filled day at our attractions.”
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News
Africa & Middle East
ONLINE GAMBLING
With no licences for online gambling issued in South Africa, only unlicensed and illegal operators are getting any benefit. As the government continues to drag its heels, the opposition has proposed a new framework.
SOUTH AFRICA
New approach to online South African opposition
Geordin Hill-Lewis, shadow depu
T
he shadow deputy minister for trade and industry in South Africa, the opposition Democratic Alliance’s Geordin Hill-Lewis, has said he wants to introduce a draft bill into parliament that would finally create a mechanism for establishing a legal online gambling sector and widen its scope. Hill-Lewis proposes that operators should apply for licences in each of South Africa’s ten provinces, with licensing agencies - most likely the extant gambling boards - required to investi-
22 | casinoreview February 2014
gate all the companies involved, including the online supply chain. However, there would also be a national body to ensure consistent “norms and standards”. He suggests that provinces would be able to establish their own tax rates - although others believe that may not be a practical solution. He says there should also be some established national principles, including a ban on gambling on credit In August 2013, trade and industry minister Rob
Davies announced plans to tighten a number of what he saw as loopholes in South African gaming legislation, including a review on advertising for casinos and more efforts to combat problem gambling. He also proposed the establishment of a single regulator for online betting, betting exchanges, the national lottery and sports pools - but he made no reference to online casino gaming, even though the legislative framework to license it has been in place now for more than five
years. In any event, there has been little if any movement on the matters he did address. As access to the internet increases in South Africa, so has the use of illegal gaming sites. A recent report by PwC suggested that upwards of 40 illegal online betting sites are active, despite a decision by the Supreme Court in 2012 that effectively criminalises not only operators offering unlicensed online gambling in South Africa but also players. That decision came
when the operators of the Piggs Peak online casino based in Swaziland had an appeal against an advertising ban in Gauteng rejected. At the time, the National Gambling Board set out stark penalties: “All those found to engage in or offer such illegal activities shall be prosecuted accordingly and shall forfeit any unlawful winnings received on such sites. Any person found guilty under the Act in this respect may be sentenced to a prison term of ten years of a fine not
CR136-p22-24-Africa_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 09:30 Page 2
GHANA / SENEGAL / SOUTHYXYXYXY AFRICA Marketing comes in many guises
SUN: CAN MISS SOUTH AFRICA RAISE THE TEMPERATURE FOR SUN?
VIRTUAL GAMES
ANALYSIS ven though this new proposal is unlikely to become law, it does give the opportunity to discuss once again how long it is taking the South African government to regulate and license online gaming. The government will be under pressure from the land-based operators who may be fearful about the impact on their business, although the way to combat that is to link online licences to offline casinos. By not acting, and not acting for a very long time, the South African government is opening the door to illegal offerings without a care for necessary protections for players. The longer the situation goes on, the more entrenched the problem will become.
E
ne by tion
Lewis, shadow deputy minister for trade and industry
exceeding R10m (E650,000) or both.” No-one is believed to have suffered any such sanction as yet. Geordin Hill-Lewis’s draft bill will be introduced to parliament “in the coming months”. The Democratic Alliance, although the largest opposition party, still has only a quarter of the seats of the ruling ANC. While the political winds are changing in South Africa, it is unlikely to be in power soon, and the chances of an opposition bill making it into law are slight.
Virtual horseracing comes to Senegal LONASE has partnered with SeneJeux to launch random number generated games in West Africa. SENEGAL
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he Loterie Nationale Senegalaise (LONASE) lottery operator has launched a new fixed-odds three-dimensional virtual horseracing game in partnership with gaming technologies provider SeneJeux. The new high-frequency random number generated virtual horseracing game is capable of around-the-clock operation with races every five minutes and will be rolled out in betting outlets run by Pari-Mutuel Urban (PMU). The launch follows November’s signing of a five-year deal that will see SeneJeux supply LONASE with a range of virtual horseracing, greyhound racing and football games for retail, online and mobile channels. As part of the agreement, work is underway to deploy virtual horseracing in all 35 betting shops in the West African nation with installations completed in around six weeks. “During installations across the entire LONASE estate, the reactions from shop customers have been amazing and very positive with customers wanting to place bets immediately even though we were a couple of weeks away from starting live operations,” said SeneJeux director of operations Balla Gadiaga. “We feel that virtual horseracing is the perfect complimentary game to go along with the existing live horse PMU activities operated by LONASE. Now that we are live, it is evident that additional revenues are being increased especially during hours when live horseracing from France is not available.” The deployment plan sees venues fitted with new 43-inch plasma television screens in addition to bind-the-counter touchscreen point-of-sale terminals equipped with printers and bar code scanners.
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October 2013 casinoreview
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News
Africa & Middle East
Media Watch 40
PACKING A PUNCH: JAMES PACKER TELLS FORBES HOW HIS $750M INVESTMENT IN MACAU HAS DELIVERED WORTH OF $8BN TO HIS EMPIRE.
POKER
TECHNOLOGY
Players at the upcoming WPT Alpha8 Johannesburg tournament will also be able to take part in a special threeday photo safari.
MG Africa adopts WAP technology GHANA
C
High-stakes poker action coming to South Africa SOUTH AFRICA
he World Poker Tour (WPT) is due to hold a unique event in February when the $100,000 (E73,900) buy-in WPT Alpha8 Johannesburg high-roller tournament gets underway from the Emperors Palace Casino Resort. Scheduled to begin on February 14, the WPT Alpha8 Johan-
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nesburg will be the latest installment of the WPT’s series of highroller tournaments. Featuring unlimited buy-ins through the initial six levels of play, the South African event will also include a three-day post-tournament photo safari where participants will be able to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s most exotic wildlife in its natural habitat. “WPT Alpha8 Johannesburg
is so much more than just another poker tournament,” said WPT president Adam Pliska. “This show and these events are designed to provide the players and viewers with unforgettable experiences both on and off the felt and venues like the Emperors Palace Casino Resort offer us the opportunity to achieve that goal. We’re looking forward to a unique and fantas-
tic event that people will talk about for years to come.” Operated by Peermont Global and located next to OR Tambo International Airport, the Emperors Palace Casino Resort offers 1,724 slots in addition to 68 table games and recently hosted the WPT Season XII Emperors Palace Poker Classic that saw Daniel Brits walk away richer to the tune of $132,138 (E97,670).
MARKETING
Sun looks to revamp Miss South Africa pageant SOUTH AFRICA
T
he Miss South Africa pageant has unveiled the 12 semi-finalists who are due to take part in the annual event, scheduled for the Sun City casino resort near the city of Rustenberg in late March. Organised by entertainment operator Sun International, and with mobile telecommunications provider Cell C serving as the headline sponsor, the Miss South Africa event is being held in line with a new ‘Believe’ manifesto in addition to ongoing strategies to empower women.
Local radio and television personality Anele Mdoda is returning to the judging panel while international recording artist Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumelo, better known as Black Coffee, and magazine editor Pnina Fenster will be making their inaugural appearances on the team. “Our aim is to take The Miss South Africa pageant to new heights and we believe that we are well on our way to achieving this,” said Alison McKie from Sun International, long-time licence holders of the annual competition. “We are delighted that Cell C
24 | casinoreview February 2014
is sponsoring the 2014 competition as we all have the same vision when it comes to helping young women fulfil their dreams. We also believe that our judges will bring something new to the competition thanks to their wide-ranging experience and expertise.”
The changes to competition are part of a concerted drive by Sun International to grow the Miss South Africa brand and make it relevant for today’s younger generation. As part of the extensive revamp, the winner is new set to be crowned on March 31.
asino management firm Millionaires Gaming Africa (MG Africa) is embracing widearea progressive (WAP) technology for jackpots on slot machines, having installed satellite communications to its sites across Ghana. The new stable communication technology has enabled MG Africa to fully utilise the wide-area systems from DRGT. The solution allows visitors to the group’s casinos in Ghana to use their Club Millionaires (Club M) casino loyalty card in any site without having to report to a reception desk. Both cashless funds and loyalty points are transferred from the players’ home site to the current site simply by inserting the card in any slot machine. “A wide-area mystery jackpot, Millionaires Money Mania, has been added to the MG Africa wide area fold, utilising one of the most advanced WAP concepts that I am aware of,” explained Charl Geyser of MG Africa owner, Simplicit-e GamJoseph Pestana ing, which has been working with DRGT in system setup. “The solution is a mystery jackpot that runs on all slot machines in all four of MG Africa sites in Ghana. The difference is that the payout is shared. The person triggering the jackpot wins a third of the prize, the rest is shared across all other ‘active’ machines. An active machine is defined as one that has a Club M loyalty card inserted and has had a game played in the last six seconds.” Joseph Pestana, the owner of MG Africa and the initiator of the new WAP configuration (pictured), said: “The way we have configured this shared mystery jackpot is the perfect way for us to reward our loyal customers. Excitement grows, as nobody knows when the jackpot will hit, but they know that when it is hit they will all win, as long as they are playing a machine with their Club M card inserted. The fact that the jackpot is shared between loyalty card holders has led to a wonderful acceptance of our Club M programme.”
CR136-p26-32-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 12:02 Page 1
News
North America
STEVE NORTON: “...ATLANTIC CITY SHOULD BRACE FOR ADDITIONAL CAS NEW JERSEY MEADOWLANDS IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.”
BRICKS & CLICKS
The first major closure in Atlantic City has taken place after years of unceasing falls in revenue with the end of the Atlantic Club. Online gaming, which became legal in November and viewed as a possible lifeline, looks unlikely to do much more than slow the continuing decline.
Faint hope that onlin save Atlantic City’s c
N UNITED STATES
ovember’s opening of online gaming did little to stem the haemorrhaging revenues in Atlantic City in December, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has reported. The first report to include a full monthly contribution from the internet gaming licences coincided with closure of Atlantic Club Casino, which despite a substantial increase in its gross gaming revenues in 2013, failed to compete with even the lacklustre business at most other resorts in the city. The six internet casino operations - all linked to one or more of the land-based licences - together generated gross gaming revenues of just under $7.4m (E5.5m) in December. All bar Golden Nugget, which went live on December 13, had a full month’s revenues to show. Borgata, the best earning AC casino, came out top with revenues of slightly over $3.3m (E2.4m), followed by Caesars Interactive (operated in conjunction with the Bally’s AC and
26 | casinoreview February 2014
Caesars resorts), which brought in $2m (E1.5m). Trump Taj Mahal generated $825,100 (E609,400), Tropicana $603,500 (E445,800) and Trump Plaza $402,000 (E296,900). In its just-over two-week period, Golden Nugget online brought in $177,700 (E131,200). In terms of online revenues as a percentage of land-based revenues, Trump Plaza did best with 10.1 per cent. Borgata’s online GGR was 7.6 per cent of land-based, while Trump Taj Mahal, Caesars Interactive and Tropicana were 5.1 per cent, 4.4 per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively. Land-based revenues generated by Atlantic City in the whole of 2013 were $2.86bn (E2.11bn), down 6.2 per cent on 2012 and continuing a seemingly inexorable decline that started before the economic crisis of 2008 kicked in. Revenues have fallen around 45 per cent since 2006. Borgata remains the one relatively bright star in the AC firmament, with GGR of $617m (E455.7m) more than 72 per cent better than the next best performer Harrah’s, which produced GGR of
$356.4m (E263.2m). Borgata saw growth in the year - just - at 0.7 per cent, while Harrah’s was down 10.7 per cent. The biggest growth came from Revel, up 26.8 per cent to $155.1m (E114.6m), however, that was against only eight months of 2012, having opened in April that year. Otherwise the only substantial growth came from Atlantic Club, where revenues were up 11.6 per cent to $141.9m (E104.8m). Trump Plaza, already the smallest casino by revenue saw its 2013 gaming take drop 27.9 per cent to $73.9m (E54.6m), and below the eye-catching $100m barrier for the first time in many years. The closure of Atlantic Club with the loss of 1,600 jobs came after it went bankrupt in November and was sold off to Tropicana and Caesars for just $23.4m (E17.3m) who are stripping the place. Former owners Colony Capital lost a vast amount on the deal, having bought the venue for upwards of half a billion dollars in 2005. A much trumpeted $15m (E11.m)
sale with PokerStars, which wanted to use it as a base licence for online gambling, collapsed when the likelihood of the company being awarded an online licence in the state was called into question over unresolved legal proceedings against the company’s founder. Casino consultant Steve Norton told AP: “The Atlantic Club closing will benefit the market by removing unneeded capacity, and the excessive discounting that was helping to keep it afloat. Atlantic City should brace for additional casino closures, particularly if gambling is allowed to expand to the northern New Jersey Meadowlands in the next several years.” He added: “This is very unfortunate for the several thousand employees, whose families rely on their casino jobs, but those with gaming training may find a new opportunity, if Meadowlands gaming is approved in the future,” he said. “The Atlantic Club’s closure may be the first, but probably not the last.”
CR136-p26-32-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 12:02 Page 2
YXYXYXY ATLANTIC CITY / LOUISIANA / MARYLAND / MASSACHUSETTS / MIAMI / ONTARIO / SAN DIEGO / VANCOUVER Atlantic City
TIONAL CASINO CLOSURES, PARTICULARLY IF GAMBLING IS ALLOWED TO EXPAND TO THE NORTHERN ”
Atlantic Club Casino closed on January 13
DESTINATION RESORT
Genting signs Miami deals Agreements could see planned Resorts World Omni Center offer slots and off-track wagering.
eading gaming operator Genting Malaysia has signed agreements with four local horseracing associations in south Florida that could see it open a casino inside its proposed Resorts World Omni Center in Miami. Genting Malaysia, which is the largest leisure and gaming operator in southeast Asia, acquired the downtown site in 2011 as part of its failed $3.8bn (E2.8bn) Resorts World Miami project and now wants to offer up to 2,000 slots inside a new entertainment facility alongside a card room and off-track betting. The deals with Gulfstream Park Racing Association Incorporated, which operates the Gulfstream racetrack in nearby Hallandale Beach, the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Incorporated, Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred After Racing Program Incorporated and the Florida
ment resort, which includes a gaming facility with 2,000 slot machines in Miami,” read a brief statement from Genting Malaysia, in which conglomerate Genting Bhd is the largest shareholder with a stake of 47.1 per cent. Florida legislators have twice before rejected plans for the development of ‘destination resorts’ that would have allowed for the establishment of two to three sizeable casinos in Miami and approval by Tallahassee is a necessary hurdle that Genting Malaysia must still overcome. Gulfstream claims that its licence allows it to operate in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties because it straddles the county line and the new development’s success depends on officials clarifying the law, getting parimutuel regulators to change the rules or a potentially long court case. As part of the plan, Genting Malaysia plans to set aside a portion
Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Incorporated will see Genting Malaysia apply to the state for permission to operate the site using a re-located Gulfstream non-profit license. “The partnership is the initial step towards enabling Genting Malaysia to create a leisure and entertain-
of any profits made by the new development for use by a new thoroughbred aftercare programme for retired horses while also helping disabled jockeys and creating a dedicated marketing service designed to attract more horseracing fans and steer additional money into improving racing facilities.
UNITED STATES
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nline will ’s casinos ANALYSIS e should not read too much into one month’s figures on online gambling in New Jersey - the programme is only just up and running and people need to get used to the idea. But online gambling in the state is restricted to residents and the danger is that the already hardpressed Atlantic City resorts will have their traditional business cannibalised: Tropicana bought casino equipment after Atlantic Club’s bankruptcy is there so huge an untapped market for gambling online, even in the 11th most populous state in the US, that new players will outnumber old ones who may now choose to stay at home? It’s an unlikely proposition. While online gambling in NJ is getting its feet under the table, it is adding yet another pressure to the land-based industry, this time from within state borders. The legally mandated link between bricks and clicks will save the resorts that can capitalise on the new outlet. It also shows which resorts are likely to have their feet in the fire as the rationalisation of AC The message waiting for visitors to the market continues. Atlantic Club resort website
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February 2014 casinoreview
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News
North America
CG pay the penalty
PRICE TO PAY: MOBILE AND IN-PLAY BETTING GROUP CG TECHNOLOGY IS SET TO HAND OVER $5.5M IN THE INDUSTRY’S LARGEST-EVER CORPORATE SETTLEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF NEVADA.
REVENUES
FINANCIALS
Casinos in Louisiana looking to improve footfall in 2014 UNITED STATES
igures from Louisiana’s 21 casinos indicate that gamblers lost $202.2m in December, down 4.4 per cent from 2012. Lake Charles - a city of 80,000 people, 80 miles west of Lafayette - was the only market to show an increase with winnings rising only 1.6 per cent, according to figures compiled by state police and released by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB). The state’s biggest city, New Orleans, showed a fall of 16 per cent for the month. Riverboats, which account for more than half the state’s casinos, and downtown Harrah’s, took in $48.7m between them. The $11.9m figure from L’Auberge, Baton Rouge,
F Lucrative year for Maryland Live! Casino Baltimore casino Maryland Live! capped off profitable year by posting 46 per cent yearon-year increase in gross gambling revenues. UNITED STATES
n its first full year of operation, the Maryland Live! Casino in suburban Baltimore took in some $586m (E430.6m) in gross gambling revenues including $153 (E112.4m) from its collection of live-action table games, which only went live in April. According to a report from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, the eastern state’s four casinos generated almost $750m (E551.2m) in pre-tax revenues for
I
2013 and contributed approximately $415 million (E305m) in tax including $315m (E231.5m) for the Education Trust Fund. December was an especially lucrative month with state-wide casino revenues totaling some $65m (E47.7m). Maryland Live! Casino led the way after earning over $52m (E38.2m) for the period, which represented the Arundel Mills site’s eighth consecutive month of posting gross gambling revenues of at least $50m (E36.7m) and a 46 percent rise yearon-year. Daily gross gaming revenues for each one of the venue’s 4,341 slots
came in at $240.45 (E176.74) for December while its 122 banking table games contributed $4,711.66 (E3,463.40) individually followed by $1,461.56 (E1,074.39) for every one of its 52 non-banking table games. “We’re very pleased with our performance,” said Rob Norton, President and General Manager for Maryland Live! Casino. “The addition of live-action tables and poker has been very exciting for the property from an experience and revenue standpoint while slots showed steady growth through the year even with the addition of tables.”
Down to the last three contenders for Massachusetts’ casino licence UNITED STATES
A
s Casino Review went to press, the race to win the lucrative Massachusetts casino licence intensifies. MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun and Wynn Resorts have signalled their interest in the highly coveted casino licences the state plans to issue in the forthcoming months as a result of the landbased casino expansion bill Massachusetts passed back in 2011. According to the Boston Globe, the three companies will soon have the opportunity to appear before Massachusetts gaming regulators to make direct statements as to why
28 | casinoreview February 2014
each believes it is suited to operate a land-based casino resort in the Bay State. Under Massachusetts law, a casino company has to win a public referendum before advancing to the final stages of licensing consideration. If approved, Wynn has promised to transform the polluted land fronting the Mystic River in Everett, Massachusetts (just outside Boston), once the home of a Monsanto chemical processing facility, into a $1.2bn resort modelled on its Macau casino property. Mohegan Sun is seeking to gain approval for the lone Boston-area casino resort licence. After losing the public referendum in early
November, they formed a partnership with Suffolk Downs. MGM - the only remaining applicant for the western Massachusetts casino licence - is looking to site a new casino in the city of Springfield, the second largest metropolitan area in the state.
was 8.3 per cent above the total from the previous December 2012 figure. The three riverboats in the state capital collectively took in $22.6m, down 1.7 per cent, Hollywood’s revenue plunged 18.7 per cent to $5.8m, while the Belle of Baton Rouge rose 0.7 per cent, to $4.9m. Just a few miles from the Texas border, the slots casino at Delta Downs racetrack saw revenues of $14.6m, a decrease of 4.7 from December 2012, and the Isle of Capri riverboat casino made $11.5m, a rise of $14,400 - or 0.1 per cent. Although the Shreeveport market total was down just $5,600 from a year ago, and nearly equal to that in Lake Charles at $59.4m, it was split among six riverboats and the Louisiana Downs track casino. The Margaritaville casino, which opened in June, brought in $9m. Revenue at the other five riverboats fell from 21.9 per cent to 5.7 per cent, while the slots casino’s revenue saw a fall of 17.1 per cent to $4.8m. In the New Orleans market, Harrah’s saw a decrease of 17.8 per cent from the same time last year, and the Treasure Chest riverboat 16 per cent. The drops were smaller at the market’s other casinos: 11.8 per cent, to $9.1m, at Boomtown and 1.28 per cent, to $3.6m, at the Fair Grounds Race Course slots casino. In an effort to boost footfall and replicate the success of the Lake Charles casino, operators have implemented a series of offers including reward cards, and country acts at the Horseshoe, Bossier City throughout February.
www.wms.com/now
CR136-p26-32-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:47 Page 4
News
North America
Borgata 78
FINANCIAL FREEZE: BORGATA OPERATOR BOYD GAMING SAW THE EFFECTS OF THE POLAR VORTEX WEATHER SYSTEM TAKE A CHUNK OUT OF ITS GAMING REVENUE IN DECEMBER. CONSTRUCTION
Construction begins on San Diego casino project Jamul Indian Village of California and Penn National have broken ground on the multi-million dollar Hollywood Casino Jamul in San Diego County. An artist’s rendering of Hollywood Casino Jamul
UNITED STATES
amul Indian Village of California (JIV) and Penn National Gaming have announced the launch of construction activities at the site of the proposed $360m (E263m) Hollywood Casino Jamul on JIV’s reservation in Jamul, California, approximately 20 miles east of downtown San Diego. Hollywood Casino Jamul, projected to open in late 2015, is expected to include a threestorey gaming and entertainment facility of approximately 200,000sq.ft, featuring over 1,700 slot machines, 50 live table games including poker, multiple restaurants, bars and lounges and an underground parking structure with over 1,900 spaces. The project will create an estimated 2,500 construction and permanent jobs in the area. JIV - one of 13 bands of the Kumeyaay Nation federally
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recognised as a sovereign nation - has completed a comprehensive environmental review as required by the 1999 Gaming Compact with the State of California. JIV has made significant changes to the design of the facility to incorporate local community input, including significantly reducing its height and footprint. In addition, the planned development will now include water and wastewater reclamation facilities, addressing on-site fire protection measures. “We are very excited that our long-time dream will finally become a reality,” said Raymond Hunter, chairman of the Jamul Indian Village of California. “We have worked tirelessly for well over a decade listening to the voices of the community, addressing concerns, and ultimately developing a project that blends seamlessly into the region, while creating approximately 2,500 construction and permanent jobs in our region.
30 | casinoreview February 2014
The commencement of construction related activities follows the recent review and approval by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) of the project’s Transportation Management Plan (TMP) and issuance of an Encroachment Permit to the Tribe to minimise any traffic impact on SR-94 during the building phase of the project. The TMP includes flagging operations, state-of-the-art dirt and dust control measures, CHP patrolling of the impacted area and more. “We have worked with Caltrans to develop TMP procedures that will keep construction traffic moving in a safe and convenient manner,” Hunter said. “Rather than using existing access roads for our hauling operations that require no encroachment of public right of ways, we specifically planned for our hauling operations to travel to the southeast and away from the businesses and neighbour-
hoods in Jamul to minimise any potential impact on the community.” Jay Snowden, chief operating officer for Penn National Gaming, added: “We are excited to serve as the JIV’s developer, lender and manager of this Hollywoodbranded gaming facility, which will deliver economic benefits for the Tribe and the local community. Jamul Indian Village of California has been working on this casino development for nearly 15 years, and we’re proud to be a partner with them on a project that allows them to bring to fruition their vision to revitalise their reservation and become self-sufficient, while simultaneously sharing gaming revenue with local governments and charities. Along with JIV, we have made substantial progress with respect to the National Indian Gaming Commission’s process for approval of Penn National’s role as manager.”
US ROUNDUP as Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS) founder Sheldon Adelson (pictured) is now the world’s eleventh richest person after seeing his net worth rise by $14.4bn (E10.6bn) last year due to a 71 per cent spike in shares of the world’s largest casino operator. The 80-year-old American’s net worth now stands at over $36.1bn (E26.5bn) on the Forbes 400 list with LVS recording revenues of $13.2bn (E9.7bn) for the year to the end of September with more than 58 per cent of sales coming from Macau. Meanwhile, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM Resorts International, the Atlantic City venue partnered with developer Bwin Party Digital Entertainment for the new innovations, which allow players in New Jersey to remotely access slots, jackpot promotions and a portfolio of table games including blackjack and roulette. The new applications are supported by version 4.3 or later of the iOS operating system and can be accessed via wi-fi networks on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Staying in New Jersey, leading developer High 5 Games has finalised an agreement with Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) that will see it integrate its remote games server onto the Caesars web offering. The deal sees CIE become the first New Jersey operator to integrate High 5 Games’ suite of real-money online titles for use in the eastern state and encompasses top-performing games such as Jaguar Princess, Shadow Of The Panther, Dangerous Beauty and Sirens. In neighbouring New York, the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (WROTBC) horseracing operator has thrown its weight behind opposition to a plan from the Seneca Nation of Indians to build a Las Vegasstyle casino in the town of Henrietta. The WROTBC is owned by 15 New York counties in partnership with a pair of cities and is supporting a vote by the Orleans County legislature to formally oppose the new development citing concerns that it would over saturate the market. Out west, the 45th annual World Series Of Poker tournament series, will now begin on May 27 from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas before ending with its $10,000 (E7,367) buy-in main event on July 14. Last year’s edition of the world’s longestrunning and most prestigeous poker tournament series attracted over 79,000 participants while its main event saw 6,352 players battle it out with Michigan native Ryan Riess taking the title and its cash prize of over $8.3m (E6.1m).
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CR136-p26-32-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:51 Page 5
News
North America
Nebraska gets even? 43
NEBRASKA SENATOR SCHUMAKER: “IT IS SIMPLY, SIMPLY WRONG TO BE SO GENEROUS TO OTHER STATES THAT ARE POACHING OUR RESOURCES,”
CLIMATE
The record-breaking cold snap that hit parts of Canada and the US in early January could return with similar results.
CASINO PROJECTS
Casinos close as ‘polar vortex’ sweeps over North America
Ontario casino plans delayed CANADA
lans by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) to launch four new casinos in the north of Canada’s most populated province have been delayed after development firm Crown Enterprises revealed that it does not plan to call for tender proposals this year. The multi-stage casino-building strategy was first announced almost a year ago and authorises 29 privately-run ‘gaming zones’ each capable of hosting slots, table games or a combination of both. These zones included a bundle of four covering the municipalities of Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay/Kenora that initially attracted interest from the likes of Caesars Entertainment Corporation. However, Toronto and Vaughan have since turned down the chance to open a new casino while the OLG has fallen well behind its original goal to have requests for proposals issued by the end of 2012 following a
P USA
he recent ‘polar vortex’ blamed for brining many areas of North America their lowest winter temperatures for over 20 years forced many casinos to temporarily close their doors. Parts of the US and Canada experienced temperatures down to -30 degrees Celsius in early January and this, along with record snow falls, led to the interim closure of numerous roads, schools, malls and airports along with casinos in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. In Ohio, the new Hollywood Casino in Toledo and Cleveland’s Horseshoe Casino closed their doors as temperatures dropped while Indiana saw the Horseshoe venue in Hammond shut temporarily due to excessive snows on the nearby Interstates 65 and 80/94. “It was really desolate out
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[with] hardly anyone out driving,” Hammond resident Gus Lopez told local radio station WBEZ. “It reminded me of my time in North Dakota, where this type of weather and these types of conditions are not unusual at all for folks up there, that far north.” Michigan was one of the worst hit American states as Four Winds locations in Dowagiac and Hartford shut amidst the dropping temperatures while an associated power cut at the Gun Lake Casino led to numerous customers being left unable to retrieve their money from the machines. “We’re very happy to report that our power is on and we’re back up and running,” read a statement on Gun Lake Casino’s Facebook page. “A big thanks to our guests and team members for your
understanding during these unforeseen circumstances that the weather caused. To all of our guests who were playing slots during this time, we have your information on file and you can stop by the cage to pick up any money owed to you.” Even in Illinois, a state accustomed to strong winds and low temperatures, Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Joliet venue closed for two days as wind chills made the outside temperature feel like -40 Celsius contributing to nine weatherrelated fatalities. “We are facing a dangerous combination of low temperatures, black ice and snow drifts,” said Illinois governor Pat Quinn. “The state of Illinois has mobilised all resources to keep residents safe.” Far from being a one-in-adecade or even a once-a-year
occurrence, there are signs that a similar ‘polar vortex’ could return, again bringing unseasonably low temperatures to parts of southern Canada and the northern Midwest. According to Wes Junker from The Washington Post newspaper, a weakened system is currently sitting over Hudson Bay and is expected to move south with comparable results. “The polar vortex will move farther south and get stronger,” said Alex Sosnowski from weather forecaster AccuWeather. “The pattern will gradually change the current mixture of Pacific and Arctic air in the Canada prairies and the northcentral United States to all Arctic air. The air will get significantly colder over the Canada prairies and much of the eastern half of the nation as a result.”
RENOVATION
Hard Rock inaugurates Vancouver casino Canadian city’s former Boulevard Casino has been transformed and offers 950 slots alongside a dozen poker tables. Canada’s eighth largest city. Located near the banks of the giant Fraser River, the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver is being ollowing a year-long renovation of an marketed as an ‘urban resort’ by general manexisting venue that cost upwards of ager Raj Mutti and offers 950 slots alongside 46 $13m (E10.09m), Hard Rock Interna- gaming tables and twelve poker tables, which tional and Great Canadian Gaming Corpora- includes a number of private high-stakes tables. tion have officially opened the Hard Rock “This new multi-million dollar renovation Casino Vancouver. and rebranding will create an iconic entertainThis is the latest Hard Rock-branded venue ment environment offering ‘everything you go to open its doors following mid-December’s out for’,” said Great Canadian Gaming vicelaunch of the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield president Howard Blank. Park in northeast Ohio and sits on the site of the “We look forward to presenting the very former Boulevard Casino on the outskirts of best of gaming, music, fun and dining at the CANADA
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32 | casinoreview February 2014
Hard Rock Casino Vancouver. Everyone will be treated like a rock star, whether you are 19 or 99.” The 80,000-square-foot Hard Rock Casino Vancouver offers games of blackjack, roulette, Pai Gow, poker, baccarat and craps while its walls are festooned with memorabilia from some of music’s most legendary artists including Jimmy Hendrix, Geri Halliwell from the Spice Girls and The Doors. “Hard Rock Casino is one of the most globally recognised entertainment brands in the world,” said Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas chief operating officer Jody Lake.
multi-stage process that was to see potential operators pre-qualify for the chance to bid for one of the licenses. Last year saw the OLG estimate that its privatisation programme would bring in as much as $1.3bn (E875.3m) to the provincial treasury while new revenue-sharing arrangements would benefit municipalities. “For OLG, modernisation continues but we see this as a five-year province-wide programme,” said OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti. “It’s a massive undertaking, involving a complex [and] multi-year procurement process. There are also multiple stakeholders including all three levels of government, thousands of employees and thousands of vendors. This requires significant due diligence so, as I mentioned, we will be issuing requests for proposals and the remaining request for proposal quotes in the coming months.”
CR136-p34-38-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:04 Page 1
News
South & Central America
PROBLEM GAMBLING
Chile’s casino regulator SCJ has issued new guidance for operators to deal with the selfexclusion of problem gamblers, including the requirement for a proxy.
CHILE
Proxy part of new self-ex rules in Chile
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he new year saw Chile’s Superintendent of Casinos (SCJ) publish new standards for self-exclusion on the grounds of problem gambling, with new requirements for casinos. The measures were set out in a circular distributed on December 31. The SCJ said: “Among the principal modifications - and recognising that the family plays a central role in the lives of those people who suffer from this disease in respect of prevention, treatment and
34 | casinoreview February 2014
rehabilitation - this circular establishes the incorporation of a sponsor who must sign the voluntary exclusion form in conjunction with the applicant, who will be contacted by staff at the operating company if a player tries to enter the premises.” The self-exclusion order, once signed, is indefinite; however, it can be revoked without prejudice if, and only if, the sponsor agrees and signs to that effect. While the measure spreads the responsibility
between more parties - and with a named person on the side of the problem gambler - it is unclear what further legal responsibility the sponsor has either in respect of the person he or she is helping or in respect of the casino operator. In addition to barring entry to those who have signed themselves out, the circular also stipulates that casino operators must cease any marketing. The SCJ said: “Operators are obliged to remove self-
excluded people from player loyalty programmes and to stop sending them information about gaming tournaments, special events and promotions in general, and must take the necessary measures to remove them from their promotional databases.” New regulations were put out to public consultation last November, and suggestions and recommendations received by the agency were put to the Responsible Gaming Roundtable, a public-pri-
vate partnership that brings together different stakeholders. Also involved in devising the regulations was the Advisory Council for Civil Society, which was formed last year and comprises the Association of Players in Therapy (AJUTER) and the Chilean Casino Association. The reinforcement of anti-problem gambling measures in Chile was mandated under new legislation passed by the parliament last year.
CR136-p34-38-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:05 Page 2
YXYXYXY ARGENTINA / BERMUDA / CHILE / COSTA RICA / DOMINICAN REPUBLIC / MEXICO / PANAMA / URUGUAY Slots shine in Panama
PANAMA GROWTH: SLOTS DRIVE A SURGE IN PANAMANIAN GAMING STATISTICS AS THE INDUSTRY ENJOYS ROBUST FORTUNES IN 2013. CASINO OPENING
ANALYSIS ensible measures to strengthen protection for people developing problems when gambling are always welcomed by the industry. Chile has found a sober and straightforward approach to casino regulation that is much to be admired. The inclusion of a third party in the process is not unique in self-exclusion models around the world but the level of responsibility that is being demanded of the sponsor, probably a family member, is unusually high. How much responsibility do they bear - and to whom - if the problem gambler somehow breaks the selfexclusion? Self-excluded players have often broken the terms of the agreement and then gone on to sue a casino that let them in by mistake. Could a sponsor also be sued? What happens if a sponsor is no longer willing or able to hold that position? There are undoubtedly ways around such issues: what this new regulation does establish, however, is the idea of somebody squarely on the side of the problem gambler and his or her best interests - preferably an objective somebody. That is an interesting and worthy principle.
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f-exclusion
President Casino opens in Santo Domingo
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
brand new internationalstandard casino opened in the Dominican Republic’s capital Santo Domingo on January 15. The Casino Presidente is located in the Hilton hotel close to sea shore. General manager Orlando Torres said: “The casino features the latest hi-tech gaming machines exciting activities and highly professional staff providing personalised services for our guests. The main objective is to offer our customers a leading alternative and attract more international tourism to Santo Domingo.” The casino features 166 slots of the newest generation plus 21 tables games, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker. It also features a VIP smoking area and exclusive access for high rolling players.
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SOUTH AMERICA ROUNDUP s part of a plan to reduce its debts by as much as 50 percent, giant Spanish operator Codere SA has begun negotiations that could see it offload the 14 bingo arcades it owns in Argentina. The $1.5bn (E1.1bn) restructuring plan could see Codere completely vacate the Argentine market and follows its embarrassing inability in December to meet a $172m (E127m) credit payment, which led to it being granted a one-month extension. The Madrid-based firm has reported losses for the previous seven quarters and is yet to decide whether to completely exit the Argentine market or raise cash through a sale of shares. In other company-related news, Codere has partnered with Las Vegas-based International Game Technology (IGT) to launch the new Greenplay.mx online casino and bingo platform for players in Mexico. Offering popular IGT games including Cleopatra, DaVinci Diamonds, Wolf Run, Monopoly Plus and Star Trek, Greenplay.mx is also accessible using mobile and tablet devices while Codere plans to partner with the American developer’s Double Down Casino subsidiary in order to bring the platform into the social gaming sector. Elsewhere in Mexico, multi-national games developer Ortiz Gaming handed out over 10,000 bottles of champagne last month as part of its unique Celebrating Together promotion. The campaign held in over 150 arcades throughout Latin America’s third largest nation was designed to promote the Madrid-based firm’s Bingo Video games brand and ran from December 1 to Christmas Day. Further south, big changes are on the horizon lottery players in Colombia following the adoption last month of Decree 3034, which is intended to increase the competitiveness and performance of that nation’s 15 individual lotteries. For the 11 months to November, Colombian lotteries brought in over $16.3 (E12m) to help fund public health services in the country while handing out prizes totalling in excess of $24.2m (E17.8m). The new legislation standardises the disparate regulations that governed lotteries in the past and allows operators to transition to higher prize amounts over the next five years.
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Renato Maturana, Chile’s Superintendent of Gaming
February 2014 casinoreview
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News
South America
Puerto Rico
94
CARIBBEAN GAMING SUMMIT: AS A CROSSING POINT BETWEEN NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA, THE CARIBBEAN HAS THE WORLD’S MOST SIGNIFICANT AND DYNAMIC ISLANDS... REVENUES
REVENUES
Slots fuel revenue surge in Panama
Ten years of growth for Uruguay
A rise in activity on slot machines, lottery sales and table games has helped produce another boost to Panama’s gambling revenue. period in 2012. Income from table games was the third largest contributor, which totalled $276.3m in 2013, a 2.4 per cent increase on the $269.8m they took in the previous year. In contrast, the amount of money staked on sporting events came in at $18.6m, $10m less than the same period in 2012. Revenue at the country’s racetracks fell to $36.5m in 2013, $1.8m less than the previous year, while bingo hall income dropped to $3.2m, $200,000 less than in 2012. Panama’s betting and gaming sector has seen rapid growth since 2009, when it collected a total revenue of $1.4m over the first ten months. In the same period over the subsequent three years (2010, 2011 and 2012), revenue increased to $1.5m, $1.7m and $2.2m respectively. Industry experts have attributed the The main driver was income taken by boom in betting and gaming activity to the PANAMA slot machines, which attracted $1.6m strong economic growth Panama has expebetween January and October, 18.7 per cent rienced over the past four years, as well as surge in the popularity of slot more than in the first ten months of 2012, the growth of the country’s tourism sector. machines has generated a rise in the according to figures released by Panama’s The Panama Tourism Authority has estigambling revenue collected in comptroller general of the republic. mated that visitor arrivals grew between Panama over the first ten months of 2013. The second biggest draw for the coun- six and seven per cent during 2013, comThe country collected $2.4m, an increase try’s punters was the National Lottery of pared to the total received the previous of 12.8 per cent on the same period in 2012, Panama, which generated net sales of year, with the total number of tourist when gambling businesses took in $2.2m. $486.1m, a rise of 6.1 per cent on the same exceeding 2.2m.
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LEGISLATION
Bermuda proceeding with casino legalisation BERMUDA
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he government for Bermuda has announced that it intends to proceed with plans first announced last year to legalise casino gaming and intends to follow the ‘integrated casino resort model’ already employed in places such as Aruba and Singapore. The island nation stated that it had decided to ‘proceed with the establishment of legalised casino gaming through the parliamentary process’ despite initially planning to put the issue to a public vote. “We engaged industry leaders as well as consulted with past and current leaders of jurisdictions that have already
36 | casinoreview February 2014
implemented casino gaming and believe we are on the right track in creating an industry that will be beneficial to the island while limiting adverse effects,” said Bermuda tourism minister Shawn Crockwell. “One of the benefits of getting into this industry late is that we can learn from the mistakes of other jurisdictions.” Crockwell declared that he was ‘confident it was the right decision for Bermuda’ and revealed that the government would be holding a series of ‘awareness and education’ events on gaming. “Casino gaming is not a panacea but a much needed amenity for our tourism product,” said Crockwell.
“We must augment our tourism offerings and we must enhance our tourism infrastructure. The data shows that with the implementation of responsible and well regulated casino gaming we can attract new high-end hotel brands and additional hotel inventory.”
Uruguay’s gaming industry took total wagers of $900m last year despite a decrease in foreign visitors and the rise of illegal operators. URUGUAY
he gaming industry in Uruguay has recorded ten consecutive years of growth with total lottery, casino and slot wagers in 2013 of $900m (E660m). The Uruguayan Board of Lotteries and Pools Betting revealed that total pools betting and lottery wagers reached $412.2m (E302.3m) last year, which represented an increase of 12.6 percent year-on-year, while instant games recorded a 152.4 percent rise when compared with 2012 to hit $22.9m (E16.7m). Still the most popular game run by the Uruguayan operator, pools betting chalked up a 9.9 percent boost in gross revenues for 2013 to $171.1m (E125.4m). This swell is due to a reduction in the number of lottery draws and an improved focus on core products, according to director Luis Gama, with successful advertising campaigns also playing a part. Revenues from casino and slot parlours is also on the rise with the Uruguayan Gaming Board regulator reporting gross earnings of around $246.4m (E180.6m) for 2013, which is a six percent increase year-on-year, with $39.6m (E29m) of this coming from slots. The improvement from these sectors comes despite a decrease in the number of players from nearby Argentina due to currency control regulations and an increase in illegal gaming channels. It is estimated that there are 20,000 unlawful slots in Uruguay located in shops and small businesses generating about $3.2m (E2.3m) a week.
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CR136-p34-38-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:22 Page 4
News
South America
SCP in Argentina 80
TRILENIUM: CRISTÓBAL LÓPEZ, OWNER OF THE CASINO CLUB SLOT HALL BRAND IN BUENOS AIRES IS CLOSE TO SIGNING A DEAL WITH SCP TO BUY ITS 50 PER CENT SHARE OF TRILENIUM...
TAXATION
ILLEGAL GAMING
Mexico imposes tax increase on slots
Costa Rica sentence illegal betting operator COSTA RICA
MEXICO
A decree from President Enrique Peña Nieto has raised the levy on the importation of gambling machines in Mexico by 15 per cent.
exican President Enrique Peña Nieto has signed a decree levying a 15 per cent tax increase on the importation of slot machines. Part of a wider package of reforms designed to increase import and export duties under the new General Import and Export Taxation Law, the decree also hopes to help limit the proliferation of gaming in the world’s most populous Spanish-speaking nation. “The gambling industry is a social and economic phenomenon that is growing in our country, whose exposure increases the risk of the activity interfering at the family level, socially or on the working relationships of the people involved,” read the decree.
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“It is necessary to create a tariff code to classify the importation of machines, the electric, electronic and mechanical operation or the combination of them, through which there are held draws with numbers or symbols, which are subject to chance, with the aim to permit a better monitoring and surveillance of them.” The Asociacion de Permisionarios, Operadores y Proveedores de la Industria del Entretenimiento y Juego de Apuesta en Mexico (AIEJA) trade group estimates that the nation had around 90,000 slots in approximately 750 authorised venues spread across Mexico last year operating under names including Caliente, Play City, Yak and Palmas. Large foreign
suppliers such as Win Systems, Cadillac Jack and Boss Gaming could be harmed by the latest move as could domestic firms including Eibe Games and Promotora Latinoamericana De Entretenimiento. A presidential decree signed by Nieto late last year banned casino licence holders from renting out their permits to other operators while additionally implementing a 25-year time limit. The dictate, which was passed following moves by predecessor Felipe Calderon to clarify the legality of slots, also granted the Mexican Gaming Control Board, which is under the Interior Ministry, more powers to cancel the licenses of companies found to be operating illegally.
CASINO OPENING
New casino for Argentinean coastal resort ARGENTINA
ollowing three years of political infighting, a new casino located inside the Hotel Sasso in the Argentine seaside resort of Mar Del Plata has opened, complete with eight roulette wheels and four gaming tables. Inaugurated with a fashion show from designer Benito Fernandez and a concert from Patricia Sosa, the 1,300sq.m casino, which takes the number of such venues in the city to four, has parking for 170 vehicles and could be permitted to offer craps and slots in the near future. Owned by the Union of Tourism, Hotel and Restaurant Workers (UTHGRA), the new venue has created 200 permanent and 300 temporary jobs and opened only days after provincial governor Daniel
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Scioli consented to the granting of a licence. “This will undoubtedly be the most modern room and impressive casino in the province,” said Jorge Baino from the Association of Casino Employees. Located on Avenida Martinez de Hoz a stone’s throw away from the city’s famous beach and spas, Hotel Sasso features 84 modern rooms
38 | casinoreview February 2014
with individual air conditioning, LCD televisions, cable and wi-fi Internet access and digital safes alongside eleven suites equipped with jacuzzis. Alongside the casino, the venue additionally offers a lobby bar and health club in addition to banquet and convention spaces. The popularity of gaming in the province of Buenos Aires has
increased over the past few years despite the global economic downturn seriously affecting the Argentine economy. This is due to a 2012 law that prohibits people from buying American dollars for the purposes of saving while those travelling abroad are only permitted $100 (E73.8) per day. As a result, the majority of citizens are finding it impossible to go abroad while the nation’s twelve state-run casinos recently reported a 30 percent yearon-year increase in total revenues. Argentines are also required to pay a 25 percent tax on all credit card transactions made abroad leading to domestic resorts such as Mar Del Plata recording record visitor numbers with hotel bookings standing at above 90 per cent. December saw the city record 700,000 visitors, which was slightly up on the figure for the same month in 2012.
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klahoma resident Teddy Mitchell has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison after admitting to operating an illegal offshore online sportsbetting operation based in Costa Rica. In September of 2012, Mitchell was one of nine men charged as part of an 81-count federal indictment alleging the operation of an illegal gambling operation and the subsequent laundering of proceeds. July saw the 59-year-old plead guilty to running an illegal offshore online sportsbetting business and conspiring to commit money laundering before using these funds to promote the unlawful enterprise. United States District Judge David Russell has ordered Mitchell to serve 27 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release while officials are also seeking a forfeiture money judgment from the group of more than $8.1m (E5.9m) in alleged total profits along with multiple tracts of real estate, vehicles and cash held in numerous accounts.
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CR136-p40-Comment_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:11 Page 1
Comment & Viewpoint
TO COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE: JW@SJC.CO.UK
MEDIA WATCH
COMMENT
A very British problem: don’t ban FOBTs change them
B The hot button issue in Britain at the moment is Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) played largely in betting shops but also in many casinos. They are attracting increasing political heat, not without reason says former ICR editor Hugh Sorrill, but a ban is not the answer.
ookies love FOBTs - officially B2 gaming machines because in most cases the four allowed per venue generate more revenues than over-the-counter betting and they are a great deal cheaper to run: FOBTs could well be the reason why so many LBOs have sprung up on high streets that and cheap retail accommodation during the recession. Some UK casinos also offer a few as part of their machine mix because of player demand. For the benefit of nonUK readers, the maximum prize on B2s (often featuring roulette games) is £500, however, players can play up to £100 each time they hit the button, with the amount segmented so that no single bet or combination of bets would generate a prize greater than £500 effectively a maximum bet of £14 on a single roulette number, although players will tend to bet lesser amounts and spread them. FOBTs also offer blackjack and slot-style games. They have been described too loud and too often as the “crack cocaine of gambling” linking them inevitably with gambling addiction. As yet anecdotal evidence suggests that problem gamblers are certainly playing the machines, but then for the most part they are located in places where problem gamblers are more likely to be found - there’s not as much protection for vulnerable players in a betting shop as there is in a casino. There is also the suggestion
40 | casinoreview February 2014
that the fast pace of the game - just 20 seconds between spins if you want reduces the consideration time of those susceptible to making poor decisions about when to stop gambling. Theoretical return to players is high on roulette much higher than standard slots and people may be able to play for some time without reloading. But it also assumes perfect play and strategy, unimpaired by impulses to chase losses. In principle, there’s no difference between electronic roulette on a terminal and an automated roulette on a gaming floor, but subtle variations like game speed, like stakes and prizes, like environment can have a huge impact. I believe gaming machines should be located in the right environment: a largely uncaring betting shop on a street in an area of poverty is not the right environment. Even then there is a strong case for rethinking the maths of B2 games, for example preventing players from putting £100 on one spin, limiting the machine bank meter or reducing the number of spins per hour to the edge of boredom - just to the edge, mind, it doesn’t need to go further. FOBTs shouldn’t be banned but they can be redefined into something fairer not only to the player but also to the wider industry, for which these machines in their current form and locations are an embarrassment.
Asian investments continue to pay dividends as the world’s press focus on a surprise Spanish revival and groundbreaking US sponsorship.
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he South China Morning Post are reporting on claims by Lui Che-woo, chairman of Galaxy Entertainment, that he will expand his casino empire beyond Macau in the near future. The 84year-old has rocketed up the Asian rich list in recent months and has declared that he has no intention of retiring in the near future. “What can I do if I retire, watch the sun rise and set?” he said. “I want to do something meaningful. I don't want to just sit there waiting to die.” Che-woo has not ruled out investing in a US casino and is involved with a project on the gamblingfree island of Hengqin. Elsewhere in Asia, Crown executive chairman James Packer has been telling Forbes about how his investing successes rescued him from a reported $3bn loss incurred during the US financial crisis. “We put $750 million into Macau, and it’s now worth $8 billion,” said Packer. “I’ve now got more of my money in China than anywhere else, more probably than in Australia.” The New York Times has been focussing on the aftermath of Sheldon Adelson’s failed bid to create a sprawling EuroVegas casino on Spanish soil. Although his plans for a $30bn casino and leisure resort never came to fruition, it has provided an unex-
pected boost to the Iberian gaming industry. “The arrival of a giant like EuroVegas meant that we had to do something and couldn’t just stand still,” said Pedro Olmedo Franco, a director of the Casino Gran Madrid. With Adelson’s project prompting a bidding war between Madrid and Barcelona, the national capital issued two new casino licences and lifted a ban on venues operating within 18-miles of the city centre. New venues quickly moved in to snap up these licences, while foreign investors have tentatively begun to return. In the United States, two national sports teams have agreed landmark deals to become the first professional sports teams to sign a sponsorship agreement with an online gambling company. ESPN reports that the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL squad the New Jersey Devils have both entered partnerships with bwin.party and their online poker subsidiary partypoker. “We are proud to welcome partypoker to our family as we embark on an exciting journey with an innovative, global leader in the digital marketplace,” said Scott O’Neil, chief executive of both teams, both owned by investment banker Joshua Harris.
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CR136-p42-43-Politics_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:14 Page 1
Politics
& Analysis GAMING BAN
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
Macedonia gambling ban raises censorship fears
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UK casino trade bodies announce merger
T The interests of the UK casino industry will be driven forward by a newly merged and reorganised trade body. Arcane legislation and some ridiculous business bureaucracy beware: the casino sector is on the warpath.
he National Casino Forum (NCF) and the Casino Operators’ Association (COA) have decided to merge their membership under the NCF banner. “On February 1, the National Casino Forum became the sole representative trade association for the terrestrial casino industry in the UK and will speak for the UK’s licensed casinos,” the association said, noting that the newly formed trade body represents 97 per cent of the industry. A joint statement issued by Tracy Damestani, CEO of NCF, and Andrew Love, chairman of the COA, the trade body leaders read: “For some time now we and
42 | casinoreview February 2014
our members have recognised that NCF and the COA have been promoting very similar agendas. “In dialogue with DCMS and the Treasury on issues like taxation, anti-money laundering and stakes and prizes there has been nothing between us and, similarly, at sector meetings with the Gambling Commission we have been in agreement on a wide range of issues. “However, the immediate catalyst for joining the two organisations has been the very strong agreement between us around pursuing the Playing Safe agenda. All our members have expressed support for
Playing Safe and developing the industry in line with its principles. The statement continued: “Both organisations believe there is much to be gained, both for the industry and for our customers, through Playing Safe and we have concluded that its success is best achieved through a unified trade association speaking with a single determined voice.” Tracy Damestani CEO of the merged organisation said: “We are very pleased that the goodwill we have been able to build between the organisations has made this merger possible. This is a good day for the industry and the gaming public.”
acedonia says plans to disable access to foreign betting sites are in the public interest - but critics say it smacks of Chinese-style internet censorship. The country’s government plans to curb access to foreign gambling websites in order to prevent an outflow of money, and has teamed up with an Austrian gambling company to stage a state-run internet lottery instead. “With the start of games organized by the State Video Lottery, institutions such as the Electronic Communications Agency and the Information Society Ministry will disable internet gambling and betting on world websites for players at home,” government spokesperson Aleksandar Gjorgiev told the media. He insisted that this was being done “based on the best world practices”. The government says it will not spend any cash on the new state-run business as its partner, Austria Casino, will invest some 6m euro to launch the on-line betting. The government will own 51 per cent of the newly formed company that should start functioning this year. But news that the state plans to disable access to world gambling sites has raised complaints about censorship creeping into the country. Zoran Ricliev, digital
media producer at Media Print Macedonia, said the proposed attempt to disable access to some internet sites followed “a precedent done only by countries like China or North Korea”. He said it was one thing to make gambling or betting illegal and another to disable access to certain sites for your own citizens in order to favour other sites. “The danger is that if you prohibit one page, what prevents you tomorrow from prohibiting another by coming up with any kind of excuse? Why disable access to a page that is legal elsewhere?” he asked. The government spokesman said they were acting on behalf of the public interest. “European practice has shown that state regulation of this area, besides the positive fiscal effects, decreases the number of players, which goes along the line of protecting the public interest,” Gjorgiev said. The government has not predicted how much money it plans to earn from the monopolisation of gambling. It has also not presented the expected gains of the Austrian firm.
CR136-p42-43-Politics_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 10:14 Page 2
YXYXYXY
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Opinions expressed in this publication should not be regarded as the official view of GB Media Corporation Ltd, except where stated. Views, opinions and recommendations contained in this publication are put forward for consideration only. No action should be taken in reliance upon any such views, opinions or recommendations. Neither GB Media Corporation Ltd nor contributors accept any responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person howsoever caused or arising as a result of or in consequence of action taken or refrained from in realiance on the contents of this publication. Notes for contributors The Editorial Board welcomes the submission of articles for consideration by the editor with a view to publication. Articles submitted will not be returned and accordingly contributors making submissions should retain copies. Submission of an article will be held to imply that the article contains original unpublished work which GB Media Corporation Ltd may lawfully publish. All submissions are made at the owner’s risk. © GB Media Corporation Ltd 2014 All rights strictly reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission is given, full acknowledgement of author, publisher and source must be given.
YXYXYXY
LEGISLATION
Everybody needs good neighbours ebraska’s neighbours may be looking over their shoulders soon after the state’s senator introduced a constitutional amendment that could see the building of gambling houses unless casinos across the border give the Cornhusker State a share of their proceeds, and taxes. Senator Paul Schumacher, of Columbus, introduced the bill, estimating that Nebraska could bring in between $50m and $100m in extra revenue from Iowa alone, which is great news
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for Nebraska, but not so much for Iowa. It would appear that a significant number of Nebraskans travel to surrounding casinos to spend their money. If the legislation is passed after its required state-wide voter approval, the Nebraska senator would be authorised to approve the building of casinos. In a report by the Omoha World Herald, Schumacher said: “There are 3,000 to 4,000 slot machines poised on Nebraska’s doorstep in
Council Bluffs, and they’re poised there for one reason, to plunder our resources and keep the money in Iowa. We’re satisfied that three casinos are probably enough in the Omaha metropolitan area, so give us our tax money and we’ll keep the status quo.” There is opposition to the idea. The chairman of the legislative committee, Senator Russ Karpisek thinks it has “poor odds”. He commented: “I agree with him [Schumacher]
that we’re losing a lot of revenue to the states around us - everyone has casinos. But I don’t think Iowa is going to give us money. I don’t think this is going to happen.” If the bill was passed, explained Schumacher, state legislators would be authorised to approve casinos only if neighbouring
states refused to share their gambling proceeds. “It is simply, simply wrong to be so generous to other states that are poaching our resources,” he added. Two-thirds of Nebraska’s population is within an hour’s drive of casinos just across the five border states that allow
gambling - Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri and Colorado - but proposals to legalise it have not got out of first gear for a decade. The last time Nebraska voters had a chance to cast ballots on expanded gambling, they voted down two measures in 2004.
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Preview
ICE TOTALLY GAMING 2014
ICE 2014 ICE 2014: “THERE’S ALWAYS A GAME-CHANGING PIECE OF GENIUS THAT APPEARS WITHOUT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE..”
ICE TOTALLY GAMING 2014
Open up your senses
ICE HIGHLIGHTS •
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Kate Chambers: ‘We’ve worked extremely hard to make ICE into the international showcase that it has become’
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Following a seamless transition to the ExCeL centre last year, the world gaming industry once again convenes in London for the much-anticipated 2014 edition of ICE Totally Gaming. Kate Chambers, portfolio director responsible for the show, explains why ICE remains one of the world’s most important and valued events in the gaming industry calendar.
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ICE attracts all types of visitors from all sectors of gaming and from all parts of the world. Our visitors know there’s every chance the stand out gaming product or innovation of the year is going to be on someone’s stand at ICE - it’s a case of making time to find it! Taking account of the companies sharing stands and our friends in the international media, we will have in excess of 500 exhibiting companies drawn from some 57 countries. This figure compares to 481 from 55 countries in 2013. The stand space comprises 55,000sq.m, a 12 per cent increase on last year, making ICE 2014 the biggest gaming event in the world. I am often asked what makes ICE such an important and valued event in the gaming industry calendar. One of the fascinating characteristics is there’s always a game-
44 | casinoreview February 2014
changing piece of genius that appears at the event without any prior knowledge or fanfares of publicity - that’s certainly part of the intrigue. The thousands of people who make the journey to ICE also experience the entire world of gaming covering betting, bingo, casino, lottery, mobile, online, street and social gaming in what is the world’s biggest gaming space. There’s no doubt that ICE delivers a comprehensive take on gaming from a global perspective and, with that, the ability to identify trends and products from every corner of the world in a way that no other gaming event can. One of the aspects of our Totally Gaming week, which sometimes gets overlooked, is the ICE Conferences programme, which has become widely recognised as the best in gaming. It is an opportunity
to engage, network, and learn, before meeting with the innovators and suppliers on the show floor who are interpreting trends, regulations and the latest thinking into commercial gaming solutions. We’ve worked extremely hard to make ICE into the international showcase that it has become and we are extremely proud of its world leading status in this area. Yes, it is more international than any other event, which is a positive for businesses with the vision to look for the next big thing and gain first mover advantage. As well as meeting with existing suppliers the key reason buyers come to London is to gather intelligence and to walk away from ICE brimming with ideas and insight. For the second year ICE is physically the biggest gaming event in the world.
Last year it ran the length of one hall - some 700m. This was too long, so this year we have taken over both the north and south halls and moved from a rectangular format to one which is much squarer. The space is 12 per cent bigger but much easier to navigate. Off the back of an extremely successful ICE 2013 we have been busy with a number of developments which demonstrate our aim to be at the forefront of gaming. Firstly, we had the launch of the Brasilian Gaming Congress to support the renewed debate for legislation and regulation. This was followed by the announcement of the first ever Japan Gaming Congress, as a means to allow national stakeholders and the international industry to engage constructively in the positive developments in that country.”
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Jon Matonis, executive director of the Bitcoin Foundation, will lead a group of economic experts in an in-depth look at the future of this burgeoning online currency. India will be subject of a detailed seminar, including a talk by Sugal Chand Jain, chairman emeritus at the Sugal and Damani Group. MTI security consultant, Ian Reynolds, will be running a three-day live hack throughout the show, with a focus on Digital Marketing, Data and Security. The very first Tribal Gaming Seminar will take place at ICE under the guiding hand of Victor Rocha from Pechanga.net, who will lead a series of speakers aiming to educate attendees on the myths and challenges presented by Tribal gaming. The sixth International Casino Conference is set to feature Damià Calver, director at the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge for the government of Catalonia and Harrie Temmik, Internal Market and Services Directorate General at the European Commission. The world’s leading regulators are scheduled to gather for the World Regulatory Briefing, a day of educational discussion targeted at demystifying the complexities of multi-jurisdictional licences. ICE’s conference schedule includes a detailed look at mobile gaming and how best to delver compelling, seamless and engaging experiences that keep customers active on their smartphones, tablets or Smart TVs.
St us Se an at e d N IC 2- E 15 0
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Guide
BALLY TECHNOLOGIES / IGT YXYXYXY
ICE 2014
ICE Totally Gaming 2014
INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY
BALLY TECHNOLOGIES
A series of international debuts for IGT
Bally Technologies ready for an action-packed ICE
International Game Technology (IGT) brings a vast range of cross-platform gaming content to ICE, including a raft of new products making their European debuts. GT arived at London’s ExCel arena with a huge selection of new products. Some will be making their world-wide debut at ICE, while others will be given their biggest European exposure to date. Making its first appearance is Venture to Never Isle, a new game which brings to life famous characters from the world of literature. It aims to attract players by utilising symbol-drive entertainment with big win potential and engaging bonuses. IGT’s CenterStage Duo cabinet will host this new title, alongside two games based on James Cameron’s Avatar. Jenga Tower of Money will also be making its first appearance at ICE. Inspired by the classic multiplayer stacking game, its bonus rounds challenge players to pick a piece from the Tower of Money without causing it tumble. IGT hope to appeal to players of all budgets with the implementation of three scale-with-play jackpots. The company’s innovative Enhanced Content feature will appear in Europe for the first time. The software enables operators to offer twice as much content in a single machine, without having to change theme or cabinet. Using Enhanced Content, customers unlock content as they play, encouraging them to remain at one machine of long periods of time. IGT will make use of its Back to the Future - Back in Time, Bridesmaids and Sex and the City Platinum games to demonstrate this new software.
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A range of systems solutions are also scheduled to appear, including the sbX casino management system. The software is designed to maximise casino investments and give operators a detailed look at their venue’s performance data, alongside access to more than 400 titles in from IGT’s game library. Operators with multiple sites can make use of IGT Cloud and sbX to manage all of their locations using a single piece of software. The company’s cloud service provides the network infrastructure required to analyse data from across a company’s portfolio, refreshing the games in any and all venues under an operator’s control. “We’re transforming the global gaming experience with bold new content, backed by truly international appeal,” said Eric Tom, executive vice president of global sales. “ICE Totally Gaming provides us with the exceptional opportunity to deliver the industry’s most entertaining, cross-platform gaming experiences to the important European market,” said Eric Tom, executive vice president of global sales. “IGT is redefining gaming entertainment on land, online and onthe-go, and with our strong global footprint, we’re uniquely positioned to deliver the experiences that players want, anytime, anywhere.”
American slot machine and gaming solutions manufacturer
Bally is set to showcase its complete portfolio of licensed brands, systems technologies, table-game products and online cross-platform innovations.
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merican slot machine and gaming solutions manufacturer Bally Technologies will be showcasing its full portfolio of worldclass licensed brands, systems technologies, table-game products and online cross-platform innovations at ICE this year. “This is our first show since acquiring SHFL Entertainment in November and we will showcase a tremendous amount of new content including tablegame products,” said Bally Technologies president and chief executive officer Ramesh Srinivasan. “In the past four years Bally has earned more than 80 awards for innovation. We believe our new brands, platforms and ability to provide a single view of the player will continue that trend.” Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies is especially excited about exhibiting dozens of unique game titles at the London event including the licensed Titanic, The Magic of David Copperfield, Grease Pink Ladies and ZZ Top Live From Texas games along with an array of systems technologies and table products. The Titanic video slot features scenes and music from James Cameron’s film of the same name alongside many proven play mechanics, two base-game mystery features and three progressive jackpots. The unit’s U-Spin bonus wheel resembles a ship’s helm and awards credits as well as one guaranteed Heart of the Ocean, Make It Count or Safe Bonus free games feature.
Limited Tradeshow Offer Media Player Lite “plug & play” INCLUDING content *) Please join us at ICE 2014, booth N4-210 for more amazing tradeshow deals! 46 | casinoreview February 2014
For its part, the Magic of David Copperfield video slot comes complete with mystery bonuses and a progressive jackpot while its Death Saw bonus hands out credits, the progressive jackpot, Flying Free Games or Levitation Free Games with video of the illusionist’s performances. There is also the nostalgic Grease Pink Ladies where characters Rizzo, Frenchy, Marty and Jan travel back to Rydell High School in the 1950s before awarding players with a variety of prizes. The slot comes complete with three bonus experiences, random wilds, multipliers and a top jackpot award while its Pink Rules, Hand Jive Kisses and Frenchy Heartbreaker bonuses encompass clips and music from the 1978 film. Finally, classic rock meets modern slot play in ZZ Top Live From Texas as the famous American blues-rock trio delivers a host of bonuses, play mechanics and progressives. The game, which includes songs from the band such as Sharp Dressed Man, Cheap Sunglasses, Legs and Gimme All Your Lovin’ as well as loads of concert footage, awards Just Got Paid mystery credit prizes or wheel spins for the chance to bag credits or one of three free-games bonuses in Live From Texas, Sharp Dressed Man or Cheap Sunglasses while three any-bet progressives add to the excitement.
www.casino-technology.com
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Guide
AUSTRIAN GAMING INDUSTRIES / CRANE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS / GAMING SUPPORT
ICE 2014 ICE Totally Gaming 2014
AUSTRIAN GAMING INDUSTRIES
GAMING SUPPORT
AGI spearhead Novomatic’s massive display
A party atmosphere for Gaming Support
Representatives from Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) are leading the contingent from Novomatic at ICE 2014, as their worldwide roster of gaming brands combine to form the expo’s largest exhibitor. he Novomatic group of companies are once again the largest exhibitor at ICE Totally Gaming. Manufacturer AGI are leading the charge, joined by companies from Europe, Asia, Latin America, USA, Africa and the UK. At the show, Novomatic’s biggest hardware attraction may well be their new Novostar V.I.P. machine, an upgrade of the popular Novostar slant top cabinet. This new device retains the unique Flip Screen feature of its predecessor, now augmented by a 46 inch upper monitor that has been positioned to provide the most comfortable viewing angle. Those wishing to try out the machine will
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take a seat in a Crown V.I.P. chair, equipped with an integrated sound system built into the device. Visitors to the Novomatic stand will also be able to test new additions to the Novo Line and Coolfire II game compendiums, alongside new titles from the Superia Games mix. Plenty of standalone releases will also be on show, with more than fifty new titles on show at the company’s stand. A successor to Novomatic’s popular Pinball Roulette game, Panther Roulette, is also expected to draw crowds. The small roulette terminal allows players to fire the ball into a contained wheel by pulling on a pinball-style
plunger, before placing their bets digitally. This new version adds an Autostart button to the right of the hand-rest in an attempt to increase player comfort. The Panther Roulette II, which will be on show beside its sister machine, adds a second 32 inch HD display at the top of the machine to facilitate Novomatic’s Flip Screen functionality - which sees players swap images from screen to screen. Both versions will be outfitted with a multi-game package that includes 23 video slot titles. For the first time in public, Novomatic will be displaying the results of their work on DNA identification. The Novomatic Biomet-
ric Systems are making their debut at ICE, with all of the company’s existing portfolio ready to support this new technology. The system consists of a modified fingerprint scanner, a local server and a central server which allows a single DNA database to be access from multiple locations. The company will also be showcasing their new Novomatic Remote Play software, the system having received a raft of upgrades since it was unveiled in late 2013. The system enables operators to provide mobile versions of Novomatics’s Novo Line games via secure tablets located anywhere on their premises.
CRANE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
Crane Payment to exhibit tried and tested portfolio Products displaying field-proven transaction technology from Crane Payment Solutions are on show at ICE, including a range of bill and coin validators.
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rane Payment Solutions has brought a package of hardware to ICE 2014 focussed on improving the safety and efficiency in the gaming industry. “Exhibiting at ICE in Excel last year was one of the highlights of 2013,” said Stephan Rosseneu, director of european sales, “and we’re expecting this time around to be the same. 2014 is set to be a very exciting time for the company and it’s great to have such a major event so early in the calendar year where we can meet with customers.”
Leading the field on the company’s bill validator selection is the Money Controls Ardac Elite. This device is already hard at work in a number of gaming locations around the world and remains one of the most high tech products the company produces. It uses advanced image capture and processing technology to monitor 200,000 data points on every bill inserted. This process gathers information from the entire note, resulting in high levels of counterfeit detection. The technology at work in the Ardac Elite
48 | casinoreview February 2014
has created a machine with very high acceptance rates that can process dilapidated bills that have been inserted at virtually any angle. ICE 2014 will also see a demonstration of the CashCode One bill validator. The device is designed to work with almost any gaming machine and to accept as many currencies as possible. It is one of Crane’s most diverse and adaptable products, designed with flexible architecture that supports multiple options and configurations. The device uses sensor technology
that scans both sides the bill and self-centring transport guides that automatically align bills or barcodes of different widths. To enhance the CashCode One’s status as a universal solution, it also comes equipped with Crane’s oneCheck cash management and accountability software. The NRI v2 eagle coin validator will also be on display, using its unique MFT validation technology and sorting control sensors to process coinage quickly and securely. The device uses simultaneous evaluation of 24 measure-
ment parameters for 32 coin channels and operates and anti-jam sensor to prevent lag and downtime. Operators can configure the eagle to use top or front coin entry and outfit it with a range of different sorters. Perhaps Crane Payment’s most popular product, the Money Controls Universal Hopper, has been purchased in its millions by operators around the world. It’s promise to reduce operating costs and increase payment security has made it a success at a large number of gaming venues.
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aming Support are attending ICE with plans for a celebration. In particular, the company hopes to champion the benefits of its innovative gaming solutions, designed specifically to improve floor performance. Chief among these are its new media systems, which allow casino managers to transmit information to players across their entire resort. These products are outfitted with all of the latest casino protocols and have been developed specifically for use with touchscreen devices, giving venue staff intuitive control over the messages they transmit. Gaming Support’s new Jackpot Controller will also form a major part of their stand. It has been set up to integrate with almost any slot machine on the market, providing remote management of jackpots, game settings and special effects. The software runs on an iPad and is designed to give users an overview of their slot portfolio at a single glance, while allowing for control over individual portions of the network. The company’s range of gaming signage will light up their ICE display, showcasing its ability to create custom signs built to a customer’s specifications. Gaming Support is a veteran producer of toppers for slot machines, general information boards and many other varieties of signage.
Technology that inspires For nearly 60 years, JCM Global has been creating leading and award-winning transaction technologies that have evolved entire industries and inspired businesses to be better, smarter and faster. Now, there is a new generation of technology from JCM to inspire you, including even more advanced bill validation, advanced printing capabilities, real-time controls for the entire operation, and digital displays unlike anything you’ve seen before. A world of inspiring technologies, all from one company.
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CR136-p46-59-Ice guide_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 13:13 Page 3
Guide
ARISTOCRAT / GTECH / PATIR DESIGN
ICE 2014 ICE Totally Gaming 2014
ARISTOCRAT
GTECH
Aristocrat courts fame with world famous brands
GTech to unveil innovative casino software
Aristocrat are banking on a series of big licences from the worlds of film, television, music and literature to capture visitor’s attention at ICE 2014.
Alongside the many products at their stand this year, GTech will be introducing two new casino managements systems into their growing software lineup.
ustralian machine manufacturer Aristocrat will present a selection of games based on well known brands as their range of licensed games continues to expand. “Licensed games form a crucial segment of our business,” said Jason Walbridge, Aristocrat’s chief supply officer and managing director for the EMEA region. The company’s stand will feature the most successful games from their existing licences, as well as some recently acquired additions. These include iconic 80s movie Flashdance, which has been tapped for two new standalone progressive jackpot titles. It joins The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and Jaws Moonlight Bounty in the Viridian WS Feature Top Box library. “Film, television, music and book publishers have invested billions of dollars building familiarity
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and passionate demand for their brands,” said Walbridge, “and it’s that added value that captivates imaginations with intricate and immersive branded game play. Those brand values of course carry a price tag, so careful selection is paramount,” he said. Among those brands that Aristocrat has carefully selected are legendary rock n’ roll band The Rolling Stones. Their game features a twolevel jackpot alongside themed bonuses like random tongue licks and sticky wilds. As they play patrons will be serenaded by some of the group’s most famous songs, with live concert footage shown as the game progresses. “Rather than simply picking a momentarily ‘in vogue’ theme, every licence secured by Aristocrat is scrutinised against key player demographics,” said Walbridge. “Our current and future line-ups
are designed to generate optimal appeal amongst entertainmentseeking players in the markets and segments we designate.” That line-up includes brands like Sherlock Holmes, who features in a new progressive link jackpot game. This new title joins a set of licensed machines in the Viridian Hybrid Stepper range, which already includes the likes of Superman The Movie and Zorro The Legend Returns. Jungle dweller Tarzan has been the subject of many popular gaming machines over the past few years and Aristocrat is once again hoping to draw audiences with their new Tarzan of the Apes title. ICE attendees will witness Tarzan swinging across a high definition screen to deliver bonuses, as he leads them through a lost city of gold.
PATIR DESIGN
Patir to showcase Cobra Visitors to London will see all of the latest arcade and casino seating solutions as Patir is far from sitting it out.
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rcade and casino seating solutions supplier Patir Design GmbH has once again increased the size of its stand at ICE in order to better showcase its complete portfolio of chairs. The German firm
revealed that it is especially excited to premiere its new Cobra gaming chair, which has been designed to resemble the venomous reptile and comes complete with a range of technical features such as integrated buttons
50 | casinoreview February 2014
and speakers. Patir Design stated that it is committed to setting new trends in the world of casino and arcade seating, a message it will be driving hard on the ExCeLfloor in London.
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wo new casino management systems are launching at the GTech stand this year. Both JP2go and Rub4Riches are to be unveiled during the show, joining the company’s Galaxis casino systems modules and System2go slot solution. GTech are billing JP2go as the world’s first fullyinstalled, turnkey jackpot solution in a standalone package. The software works independently of any other casino management module, making the instillation process as smooth as possible. JP2go provides operators with targeted, revenuebuilding mystery, progressive and wide area jackpots. The system is priced permachine, making it possible for businesses of all sizes to integrate the software with their casino floor. Attendees will also be given the opportunity to try out Rub4Riches, which becomes the newest portion of the Galaxis Bonusing module. The software provides slot players with a digital scratch card that they can activate to unleash bonuses and other rewards. Operators can configure them to appear whenever a player hits a certain threshold, at which point a custom designed card will appear via the company’s Crystal.net touch-screen interface. Players physically rub the screen to reveal promotional credits which feed directly back into the slot machine they are currently playing. A selection of GTech’s other casino management
tools form a major part of their ICE stand, including a demonstration of gameViz. This advanced analytics tool ingrates into Galaxis Analytics to allow operators to see data from their business presented in an easily understood visual form. The software is designed to help users appreciate slot machine performance and customer preferences. This and many other individual software pieces form
part of the Galaxis Casino System, which will be on display in its entirety during the show. The nine modules that comprise the system are designed to cover every aspect of casino systems management. Venues around the world are already using the product to manage their jackpots, player club bonusing tools and cashless casino options. Its companion product, System2go, is a slot management system that combines online accounting and remote monitoring with an all-around jackpot system. The software can be configured to manage ticketin/ticket-out, magnetic card and player tracking through ad-ons to the original system. Information gathered by System2go can be viewed online through a web portal accessible from any location.
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Guide
EGT / GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL / INTELLIGENT GAMING
ICE 2014 ICE Totally Gaming 2014
INTELLIGENT GAMING
Intelligent Gaming’s Neon hits the high seas
GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL
Chris Dempsey and David Zelen of Intelligent Gaming with the MSC Cruises management team in Geneva at the MSC offices in Geneva
GLI showcasing full range of services
Intelligent Gaming’s innovative casino gaming management system is now live on the MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia, MSC Musica and MSC Opera ships. etail gaming management systems supplier Intelligent Gaming has successfully completed the first phase of a project to implement its Neon innovation to administer the casino gaming on four cruise ships operated by MSC Cruises. A subsidiary of online gaming software supplier Playtech, Manchester-based Intelligent Gaming revealed that its bespoke Neon system is now live on the MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia, MSC Musica and MSC Opera ships offering all passengers easy access to their casino funds. “This project offered a great opportunity to demonstrate our ability to tailor our casino management systems to meet the specific needs of each of our customers,” said Intelligent Gaming consulting director Chris Dempsey. “MSC Cruises has installed Neon to manage its slots, tables, cash desk and rewards programme. The system also offers mobile apps to enhance customer service and integration with a
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range of systems and devices. All casino and bingo revenues are controlled and reconciled through Neon and all data is available at headquarters in the Neon Analytics business intelligence suite. As ships move between markets and change operating currency, all revenues are stored in their original currency and a consolidated Euro figure, calculated using the prevailing exchange rates. This unique design enables the headquarters team to monitor the operations and audit the revenues for each ship and analyse revenues across ships. “We have connected our membership and cashless gaming solution to the Fidelio property management system operated on the ships. Our open architecture enabled us to achieve this seamlessly as we have with Playtech's multi-channel CRM and wallet solutions. Guests can use their cabin keys to securely charge play to their room bill using a multilingual app at each slot, an iPad at the table or via the cashier. This convenience was very important but,
at the same time, MSC Cruises wanted to offer its guests choice so machines are also configured to accept cash and tickets.” With regard to the casino loyalty programmes, Dempsey explained that it has been designed to influence customer behaviour utilising a range of rewards. “Any successful reward programme should be designed to influence customer behaviour,” said Dempsey. “MSC Cruises identified that a traditional linear loyalty programme based on points or freeplay is a blunt instrument with which to achieve this in their environment. MSC Cruises’ casinos are now able to offer a range of targeted and dynamic bonuses to reward and incentivise players. To encourage guests to use their onboard accounts, matchplay is automatically downloaded to the machine when the player first charges his or her account. MSC Cruises is also able to offer targeted comps and freeplay promotions, virtual and printed draws and hot seat bonuses that ran-
domly select an active player and provide an appropriately sized reward. We are now working with MSC Cruises to design new innovative bonusing concepts designed specifically to suit vacation players.” For its part, Geneva-based MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise operator with twelve vessels and stated that it first became interested in implementing the Neon gaming management system following a visit to last year’s International Casino Exhibition (ICE) in London. “We first met Intelligent Gaming at the ICE exhibition in 2013 and immediately saw how Neon could provide us with greater central control of our casino operations and help us to improve customer service,” said MSC corporate casino operations manager Sergio Porcasi. “We worked closely with Intelligent Gaming’s consultants to design a system that would address our operational needs and help us create a more exciting rewards programme.”
EURO GAMES TECHNOLOGY
Latest EGT premieres set for ICE Bulgarian developer EGT will be exhibiting its latest products for the slot, multi-games, online, mobile and multi-player solutions sectors.
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aming products developer Euro Games Technology (EGT) has for many years used the annual International Casino Exhibition (ICE) to premiere its latest products and the 2014 edition of the London show is set to be no different. The Bulgarian firm will be at the ExCeL extravaganza showing off
its newest offerings in the slot, multi-games, online and multiplayer solutions categories while its recent entry into the mobile sector is expected to be especially lucrative. “Our company will grab the attention at ICE 2014,” said EGT sales and marketing director Stanislav Stanev.
“One of the largest booths at the exhibition will be occupied by EGT new comings. We are now entering the mobile gaming market, thus covering every sphere of the gaming industry. The whole EGT team has been working hard and the company has expanded vastly in
the past year. We are going to show this at ICE 2014 and I am sure that we shall deliver an entertaining tour in the entire world of gaming for every visitor.”
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ndependent gaming, wagering and lottery testing, inspection and certification firm Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) will celebrate its 25th birthday later this year and is attending the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2014 to showcase its full range of capabilities. Serving lotteries since 1989, GLI operates 21 laboratories spread across the globe offering auditing, compliance, consulting and testing services alongside independent network and information security assessments to regulatory, lottery and supplier clients. “Whether you’re an operator, supplier or regulator, today’s gaming industry is like a global chess game and it takes a longterm strategy to successfully navigate the nuances of regulations in land-based, lottery and online gaming,” said GLI Europe managing director Martin Britton. “Because we have 21 locations around the world, GLI is uniquely suited to assist companies and government agencies successfully accomplish their goals with our unrivalled levels of independence, impartiality and integrity.” A member of numerous associations, GLI serves more than 65 lotteries around the world and its government affairs vice-president, Kevin Mullally, is set to address ICE 2014 attendees on common standards and regulator harmonisation during the World Regulatory Briefing conference on February 4 before appearing on the panel for the Gaming Convergence event the next day as part of the International Masters of Gaming Law Intensive Masters Class.
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www.apex-gaming.com
sales@apex-gaming.com
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Guide
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY / GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL / KONAMI GAMING
ICE 2014 ICE Totally Gaming 2014
GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY
The perfect gaming partner
Ainsworth Game Technology brings it all to ICE
Global casino currency and table games products provider GPI is to showcase its latest currency and RFID advances at the London show. lobal casino currency and table games products provider Gaming Partners International (GPI) will be returning to London’s ExCel Centre for the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2014 where it will showcase its full range of wares and solutions. “We have a long-standing tradition of providing customers with a full range of casino currency and table game products and solutions and we will be featuring an array of offerings designed to provide casino operators expanded chip, plaque and jeton options and other products and solutions that help maximise their table game performance,” stated Las Vegas-based GPI. Among its many new products, GPI revealed that it is especially excited to be exhibiting its B&G currency line, beginning with the B&G J3 jeton. The J3 combines features from American-style chips and European-style plaques and jetons with an expanded
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number of edge spot options and patterns with a multitude of security features. “There is no other currency product in the industry that can compare to our J3,” the Las Vegas-based firm said. “In addition, we have also added new plaque and jeton colours and standard plaque designs that further expand our customers’ design choices and level of customisation options.” As part of its currency offerings, the plaque and jeton lace decor as well as the edge spots of the J3 jeton can now be fitted with the LaserTrack security feature. Set to be exhibited at ICE, this innovation works with specially developed laser inks mixed with printing inks or currency materials and is only revealed with the aid of an invisible laser beam produced by a special device. “We continue to develop new solutions that utilise the full potential of our RFID technology,” GPI said. “Used alone, our RFID solutions help automate
Ainsworth will use London show to showcase its ever-growing portfolio of solutions including latest Premium Plus titles.
L many of the everyday manual tasks to help casino’s streamline operations. Our Chip Inventory System provides operators a real-time look at their chip inventories and provides customised reporting depending on their needs. We will be demonstrating how customers can use our RFID solutions such as our Chip Inventory System and integrate them with their own management systems thus maximising the cost saving and efficiency benefits of RFID.”
Visitors can also watch a demonstration of the award-winning Total Money Management integrated solution, which combines the efficiencies of RFID technology with JCM’s iV8 high-speed bill validator to streamline table game cash and chip transactions and enable more rounds per hour, labour savings and accounting efficiencies along with greater currency security through instant authentication and validation.
KONAMI GAMING
Konami so goody Konami Gaming will be showcasing a catalogue of new innovative technology during ICE 2014. n display at London’s ICE expo will be Konami’s new multi-game SeleXion™, emerging hit cabinet Podium Goliath™, new progressive link Dragon’s Victory™ and the new SYNKROS™ systems technology. SeleXion is a newly released multi-game which features a user-friendly dynamic button panel and a choice of up to ten of Konami’s top performing games on a single machine. The player now has the ability
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to switch between games instantaneously. SeleXion has multi-lingual, multi-denominational features and is available on the Podium and Podium Slant cabinets. The Podium Goliath, which is the larger version of the popular Podium™ cabinet, provides operators the flexibility to host Konami’s high performing video game titles in an oversized cabinet. Games such as Passport to Riches: The Great Pyramid™ utilise both 32” monitors.
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True Time Tournaments is a unique approach to systemdelivered community gaming. Patrons can now play tournaments at their own convenience with a player-on-demand format or in a group-start format called SynkStart™. Synkros also offers SuperSeries, a multi-level, multithemed, floor-wide bonusing tool. SuperSeries was designed to increase time-ondevice, visitation rates, carded play rates and player card sign-ups.
eading gaming technology and software developer Ainsworth Game Technology will be on hand at the International Casino Exhibition (2014) to showcase its ever-growing portfolio of solutions including the latest Premium Plus titles. Established by Len Ainsworth in 1995, Ainsworth Game Technology revealed that the new Reels of Wheels, King Spin and Cash Challenge Premium Plus titles will be showcased in London using the supersized A560 Wide Boy cabinet, which comes complete with a high-definition 32-inch LCD top-box display to better showcase the unique multi-wheel feature. “Linking five wheels to five reels, the Reels of Wheels feature wheels will spin to determine special wild symbols linked to reels one through to five,” read a statement from Ainsworth Game Technology. “Reels of Wheels builds anticipation with eight exhilarating free games providing guaranteed wild symbols and accumulating wild multipliers, multiplying wins up to five times on reel three. Reels of Wheels is sure to be a hit with players as it continuously rewards with four levels of rapid triggering stand-alone progressives featuring a $5,000 grand progressive jackpot.” Ainsworth Game Technology will additionally exhibit its range of link progressives at ICE 2014 including Treasure Storm and Oriental Fortune plus Mystery products Golden Goose Mystery, Big Chief Mystery, Glitter Mystery, Wolf King II Mystery and Hummin Mystery. There will also be concept brands on show that are due for release later in the year in addition to new takes on some classics from the GamePlus library such as Quad Shot, Double Hit, Triple Shot, Play 100Lines/50Lines/40Lines and High Denom. Ainsworth’s stand at ICE will also house a pair of new eye-catching brands in Wheel Winner and Crazy Ways while the firm is clearlt excited by the forthcoming launch of its Multi Win multi-game entertainer range. “Ainsworth Game Technology is excited to present our latest additions at ICE 2014; our new games truly combine our premium math models with the Ainsworth flare for entertainment and fun,” said Ainsworth Game Technology strategy and development group general manager Scott Clarebrough.
It’s in our DNA! ICE 6-210
booth N
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Guide
ADVANSYS / DR GAMING TECHNOLOGY / WMS
ICE 2014 ICE Totally Gaming 2014
ADVANSYS
WMS
Advansys pleased to parade Nexio
WMS prepared for ICE 2014
Slovenian developer Advansys will showcase its latest casino management system, which is faster, wider and deeper than ever before and can be accessed by operators on the move. nline casino management systems manufacturer Advansys returns to London on the back of a successful 2013 that saw the Slovenian firm increase its international market share and penetrate new markets in Africa and Asia. The Solkan-based firm revealed that it is especially pleased to be showing off its Nexio casino management system, which has been released following two years’ of intense development utilising the company’s decade-long experience. “Nexio offers easy and fast system use and navigation with an advanced and intuitive graphic user interface delivering the ultimate user experience across the whole app,” said Advansys regional sales manager Tina Stolfa. “From simple tasks to complex analytics, users can immediately recognise a whole new level of software allowing faster, wider and deeper views of all casino management system data, virtually everywhere.” Recently installed in the Diamond Casino in St Maarten and northern Cyprus’ five-star Merit
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aming designer and manufacturer WMS will use the upcoming ICE 2014 show to exhibit how its recent acquisition by Scientific Games will provide it with the ability to supply world-class hardware, content and services to clients around the world. WMS believe that its synergies with Scientific Games and Williams Interactive will enable it to offer customers a wider range of products and services along with and ‘a deeper catalogue of innovative content’. “ICE 2014 will be especially exciting for us this year because in addition to introducing our latest products we will have the chance to showcase the benefits of the combination of WMS, Williams Interactive and Scientific Games,” WMS international president Sebastian Salat said. “We will draw on each organisation’s core strengths to broaden offerings, bring gaming and lottery content to new channels, sectors and geographies and offer enhanced content, systems and support.” Along with its next-generation CPU-NXT3 operating plat-
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Royal Casino with 300 slots, Nexio utilises one of the latest web-based platforms built on a model view controller meeting the W3C standards used by major developers such as Apple, Google and Microsoft. Compatible with all operating systems, the innovation additionally allows operators to securely access data from anywhere using a tablet and smartphone
while its MVC architecture has even more room for new features and customisation. “Nexio is more than an improved version of Advansys’ previous FloorScanner casino management system since it has been developed entirely from scratch with completely new systems architecture and runs on cutting-edge hardware,” said Stolfa.
form and Blade and Gamefield xD cabinets, WMS will showcase its five local area progressive themes; Colossal Jackpots, Winning Fortune, Monster Progressives, Jackpot Party Progressive Deluxe and Treasures of the World. These games have been created with the particular needs of international customers in mind alongside the Game Chest Multi-Game series, which supports different languages and currencies in addition to multiple unique game sets with a mixture of content. There will also be groundbreaking for-sale themes on display including a number of new game series on the CPU-NXT3 platform such as Exploding Pays, Supercharged Reels, Reel Intensity, Speed Spins and Monster Progressives themes as well as the next-generation of Colossal Reels games and the Gold Fish3 theme.
DR GAMING TECHNOLOGY
DRGT demonstrate all encompassing systems technology
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RGT heads to ICE with a package of software products that could totally revamp an operator’s promotional strategy. Their server-less technology aims to reduce start-up and daily running costs by creating player-centric systems that communicate at an individual level. At the centre of their offering is drScreen, a program that places all patron communication on the slot screen as they play. The software creates a two-way interaction, with players able to respond to messages
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they are being sent and actively manage their own casino account. Using this system, casino management can see which players are playing at which machines and target them with information relevant to their interests. These messages can range from the volatility of their chosen slots game to details of shows in the local area. Many of DRGT’s products underwent significant installations during 2013. The drJackpots software established itself in the South African casinos of Sun International and the highly
positive feedback DRGT has received from these initial operators has seen them come into ICE full of confidence. In their ‘dr’ range of products, the jackpot and screen members of the family are joined by drCashless, drPlayer Tracking and drCarm. “A sensational ICE can only come about when sensational exhibitors are there, said DRGT founder and CEO, Jurgen de Munck. “We at DRGT are bringing sensational solutions to the systems market and are very proud to be the fastest growing company in this segment.”
info@intelligentgaming.net www.intelligentgaming.net
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Guide
E-GAMING / MEI / TCS JOHN HUXLEY
ICE 2014 ICE Totally Gaming 2014
TCS JOHN HUXLEY
E-GAMING
TCS John Huxley to showcase innovation
Innovations aplenty from E-Gaming
TCS John Huxley will unveil its Gaming Floor Live real-time roulette optimisation tool alongside Supernova Progressive platform to an eager London audience.
Czech developer E-Gaming is excited to showcase its new Central Lottery System and Server Based Gaming System gaming platform in London.
ive gaming solutions innovator TCS John Huxley will be at ICE to showcase its extensive portfolio of cutting-edge products with special focus on its Gaming Floor Live real-time roulette optimisation tool and Supernova Progressive platform. London-based TCS John Huxley will be showing off its large catalogue of electronic and traditional table games alongside roulette wheels, Chipper Champ 2, e-FX displays and A-Plus shufflers. “2013 saw a focus on customer driven innovation and input on key products in our range,” said TCS John Huxley chief executive officer Cath Burns. “We have invested in infrastructure, products and people, creating teams to power innovation and further strengthen business partnerships. We will be showing these developments at ICE 2014 and demonstrating how this technology is already providing solutions to our customers across the globe.” TCS John Huxley described the Supernova Progressive as a powerful floorwide event and mystery progressive
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platform that can be adapted to suit almost any table game. This innovation allows operators to configure as many different prizes and jackpots as they desire for incremental profits leading to a fast return on investment. The previous ten months have seen the British firm complete the installation of over 70 gaming tables in South Africa and Australia and it reported that some operators have subsequently doubled their side bet revenues within a matter of weeks. In further support of its progress, the Supernova Progressive innovation also took home the Best Table Game Product Innovation prize from the twelfth annual Global Gaming Business Gaming and Technology Awards.
Visitors to the London show can also stop by TCS John Huxley’s booth to check out the latest e-FX Elite 2 winning number display system featuring an aluminium case design. Building on the successful e-FX Elite original but coming complete with added functionality as well as new screens with higher resolution, this latest product brings fully integrated cable management to the table along with improved camera fixing points and the option of adding an additional promotional topper screen. There are also backlit buttons with intelligent lighting modes for improved usability while customer service has been advanced through the use of dual attendant call lights.
management solution by integrating with MEI’s SC Advance technology. Security is also paramount, with the device’s anti-stringing module having earned its spurs in the challenging German gaming market. All the functions of a traditional accept/dispense unit are present in the SCR, including a closed-loop system that accepts, accounts for and stores cash from one player and makes it immediately available as change for the next user. This minimises hopper starvation in AWP applications and allows the machine to run for longer without maintenance. The genesis of this new product is the Cashflow SC, which was famed for its note acceptance rate, jam prevention, security and low cost of operation. The new SCR adds faster note-to-note speed,
improved barcode recognition and the ability to accept up to 100 different currencies and denominations. MEI even report that street-grade notes other machines cannot process present no issue for the SCR.
MEI
MEI leads with advanced note-reading technology he package of products that form MEI’s ICE offering are designed to boost operator profitability. Chief among them is the company’s new SCR banknote recycler. This two-denomination device is based upon MEI’s successful SC platform which already boasts an install base of 1.5m units. The SCR is designed to slot into a cash
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erver-based gaming and video lottery terminal developer E-Gaming will be at ICE in London to showcase its versatile and flexible Central Lottery System and Server Based Gaming System gaming platform. Allowing operators in emerging video lottery terminal markets to meet a wide range of legislative requirements, the Central Lottery System and Server Based Gaming System can operate the Czech firm’s Multi Lotto and Multi Slot terminals to offer more than 60 games including those licensed from international suppliers. E-Gaming revealed that the Multi Lotto and Multi Slot games have become its most successful products to date with over 18,000 installed around the world. This popularity is improved through the use of annual upgrades that provide new games with more entertainment value. “Multi Lotto and Multi Slot supports games that players love and has been widely accepted by existing players over the world,” said Sona Cabakova from the Prague-based company. “These give players a dual screen experience with great content and ergonomic comfort. The games target different player characteristics from low to high volatility and include configurable settings such as multiple denominations, game payouts, minimum and maximum bets and multilanguage capabilities. “The second screen can be customised to display game description or advertising. This feature optimises player experience and utilises a prime location.” E-Gaming will also showcase its Treasure Box, Double Game, MultiPlay 81 and Hunter’s Dream 2 slots in London alongside an expanded assortment of Texas hold’em, roulette and blackjack titles.
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Guide
APEX GAMING / CASINO TECHNOLOGY / FUTURELOGIC
ICE 2014 ICE Totally Gaming 2014
APEX GAMING
FUTURELOGIC
Apex take the lead FutureLogic on mobile gaming celebrates 15 years at London show
pex Gaming has positioned itself at the forefront of the drive to integrate tablet gaming with the casino floor following the introduction of its Apex Mobile Slots system. Using this software, players can continue to play the same real-money games they have been enjoying on the casino floor as they move into a resort’s restaurant or bar. The company are also displaying their new Apex Player Station, with its fully electronic roulette wheel that supports roulette, baccarat, sic-bo and proprietary title Quikker. Apex’s new game is a cross between black jack and roulette, with players betting on the outcome of two cards using a variety of different parameters. The company’s slot titles have also been integrated into the
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Player Station, creating a modular and flexible device that Apex hopes will provide a major draw for ICE attendees. The chrome plated Pinnacle cabinet and its slant top companion, the Pinnacle SL, will be tapped by Apex to display a range of the company’s latest games. Multi Magic Classic, Multi Magic I-IV and Red Hot Fruits XXL game series’ have all received updates that Apex will be showcasing during ICE this year. Alongside new Apex Mobile Slots software, the company has continued to develop its ‘just-forfun’ mobile gaming selection. Many of the games can now be transformed into a tournament, launched on demand whenever friends are ready to play. Visitors can try out the Apex Slot Challenge app at the show or download it now for their iOS or Android devices.
CASINO TECHNOLOGY
Big Five to come alive Casino Technology to bridge land based and online gaming at ICE
asino Technology is ready to deliver new products and solutions at ICE 2014. With the launch of their Interactive Gaming division, the company is showing a complete set of systems offering multichannel players experience for land-based, online and mobile gaming. The Big 5™ is the collective brand under which all systems will be presented. A full range of products including video slots and bingos, live and electronic table games, virtual and live sports betting and other, will be presented on the new Leopard™ online gaming platform. The Casino and Money Management System allows live game monitoring and seamless players’ e-wallet transactions between land-based and online player accounts, in addition to the standard functionality for accounting, reporting, CRM and player tracking. All server-based and online
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games are linked together to the same RGS through the patented Server Games Technology™ and are available for land-based and online selection. New slot games and new cabinets will also be displayed. Building on the successful Sensa™ line of slot machines, Aurora™ is showing for the first time at ICE, providing unbeatable presence on the slot floor. Reaching the highest level of serviceability, functionality and player comfort, the new member in the family is housing the latest releases of the popular Gamopolis Highway™ and Gamopolis Multiskin™ series.
Approaching their 15th anniversary, Casino Technology is committed to providing novelty solutions, quality products and superb performance, and is ready to reach out and deliver through its complete portfolio of products.
Ticket printing and couponing solutions developer
FutureLogic is especially excited to launch the Gen3 Evolution printer for international markets.
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icket printing and couponing solutions developer FutureLogic is celebrating 15 years in the gaming industry and will be marking this significant anniversary at the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2014 with a special event on its stand. It was in 1999 that International Game Technology (IGT) developed ticket-in ticket out technology and selected FutureLogic as its ticket printer provider of choice with the California firm having since shipped more than 1.5m units to the gaming industry. Glendale-based FutureLogic will hold a special celebration at the London show on February 5 from noon to mark its 15 years with IGT’s Sabby Gill, Jens Halle from Novomatic and Madis Jaager of Olympic Entertainment Group due to speak. Following a speedy roll-out in the United States and Canada with more than 50,000 units
already installed, FutureLogic will also use ICE 2014 to launch the Gen3 Evolution printer to its international markets. Designed to be the only printer a casino operator will need across their floor for the next decade, the Gen3 Evolution comes complete with a ticket and coupon printer complete with an advanced feature set.
“The Gen3 Evolution was designed to be future-proof with faster print speed, greater ticket capacity and superior photographic quality printing than any other printer in the market,” read a statement from FutureLogic. “Its gray-scale and photographic-quality printing makes the Gen3 Evolution the printer of choice for all casino operators considering promotional couponing.” FutureLogic will also exhibit the latest Ticket2Go and Ticket2Go TITO modules at ICE, which have been designed for small to medium-sized venues in AWP and low payout machine markets. Enhanced to deliver a networked ticket-in ticket-out solution as well
as a proven networkless ticket payout feature, the innovation additionally comes complete with a retrofit ticketing capability for machines not supporting open standard ticketing protocols. “Ticket2Go TITO will allow true ticket-in ticket-out operation on all analogue and digital gaming platforms across gaming arcades,” read the statement from FutureLogic. “Ticket2Go’s major achievement is its ability to enable legacy gaming machines such as AWP machines with parallel hoppers to be connected to a ticket-in ticket-out system.”
February 2014 casinoreview
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Supplier
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY / IGT
News
SUPPLIER NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
PREVIEW TO ICE 44-59 SUPPLIER NEWS 60-73 B2B LISTINGS 74-75 BUSINESS & CITYNEWS 77-81
PERFORMANCE
Positive predictions at Ainsworth Game Technology Global gaming solutions provider Ainsworth Game Technology expects to record 50 per cent profits increase after receiving Mississippi approvals.
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lobal gaming solutions provider Ainsworth Game Technology Limited has announced that it expects to report around a 50 percent increase in its profits before tax of $45m (E32.8m) for the six months to the end of December. The Sydney-based firm was recently granted a manufacturers and distributors licence by the Mississippi Gaming Commission enabling it to produce, sell and supply gaming devices
and associated equipment for use and play in the southern American state. The Australian firm revealed that the Mississippi gaming market has approximately 36,000 devices spread over 33 locations along with a number of corporate customers with whom it and its Ainsworth Game Technology Incorporated subsidiary have existing and established relations. Ainsworth stated the
most recent profits prediction is based on unaudited management accounts that are to be subject to periodend finalisation procedures including the completing of income tax expenses and a statutory audit review. Ainsworth Game Technology reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $74.1m (E54.1m) for the first six months of 2013 alongside a net profit after tax of $52.2m (E38.1m).
PROFILE AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY stablished by Lee Ainsworth in 1995 with a vision of supplying excellence in gaming solutions, Ainsworth Game Technology Limited provides the global market with a large portfolio of innovative technology and combination software. The Australian firm boasts a fully integrated operation that encompasses the entire product development cycle including design, development, assembly testing, sales and field services and is responsible for the A560, Ambassador and Celebrity range of gaming products along with a catalogue of standalone progressives and linked games. Headquartered in the Sydney suburb of Newington, Ainsworth Game Technology has offices around the world including in Europe, the United States, New Zealand, Macau and South America.
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SLOTS
Significant windfall for IGT slots players California pair bank over $950,000 courtesy of popular MegaJackpots line at new Graton Resort and Casino.
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pair of American slot players are celebrating after taking home a total of over $950,000 (E695,160) in cash recently courtesy of International Game Technology (IGT) and its MegaJackpots line of games. Hit at the new $800m (E585m) Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, California, the first of the anonymous players banked $106,878 (E78,209) from the Wheel Of Fortune Reel MultiPlay - Five Times Pay slot before the second pocketed $851,864 (E623,426) courtesy of the Wheel Of Fortune Spinning Reel - Triple Double Emeralds title. “We are thrilled to have had two IGT MegaJackpots winners hit in a matter
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of one week at Graton Resort and Casino,” said the venue’s general manager, Joe Hasson. Las Vegas-based IGT revealed that it has been making millionaires since 1986 and has so far handed out around $6m (E4.3m) to American MegaJackpots players. “IGT’s Wheel Of Fortune struck gold at Sonoma County’s new hot spot and we’re excited to collaborate with our partners at Graton Resort and Casino to bring the most compelling game play experiences to the casino floor and to create more jackpot winners,” said IGT corporate communications vice-president Susan Cartwright.
www.egt-bg.com
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Supplier
CRANE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS / DALLMEIER / E-GAMING
News ICE Totally Gaming 2014
CRANE LATVIAN CONVERSION TO EURO DALLMEIER CASINO SURVEILLANCE IN WEST VIRGINA E-GAMING EXPANSING TO ACCOMMATE VLT EXPANSION
SECURITY
Mardi Gras West champions Dallmeier surveillance he Mardi Gras West Virginia casino and resort has been keeping its staff, patrons and property secure with Dallmeier surveillance equipment for the past two years. Security staff at the casino have recently been speaking out about their positive experience of working with Germany security company.
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“Not only was the support during the planning and installation phases exemplary; the after-sales care is fantastic, too,” said Mardi Gras surveillance director, Chris Batog. The 90,000 square feet casino floor is monitored at all times by a modern IP system equipped with high-resolution HD cameras. A series of existing pan-tilt-
zoom (PTZ) cameras were already in operation at the resort and, through the combined effort of Dallmeier and North American Video, these were seamlessly integrated into the new setup. Dallmeier opted to install dome and movable PTZ cameras from their Domera series. These modular high speed machines support an
auto-focussed 10x optical zoom and record 1080p video at 30 frames per second. “The unusually high image quality and attention to detail provided by the
cameras, even in the difficult lighting conditions of the casino area, constituted one of our main reasons for selecting Dallmeier products,” said Batog. Footage taken by these
cameras is stored on servers from the DMX 2400 Smatrix model, a video IP product with 24 video channels and an integrate storage system which can support up to eight hard disks.
VLTS
CASH HANDLING
E-gaming expand to cope with growth
Crane readies Latvia for euro introduction
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Since entering the gaming industry in 2005, e-gaming has begun to make a real name for itself and become one of the main players in the Czech Republic domestic market. ementing a strong position in the VLT market, e-gaming was one of the first companies to introduce VLTs into the Czech Republic and now has one of the largest networks in the country, with roughly 18,000 terminals currently in operation. Based in Prague, e-gaming is a young and dynamic company and since last year has made inroads into the Slovak, Romanian, Spanish, Belgian and Macedonian markets and is now looking at other international markets. E-gaming created the Multilotto Server Based Gaming system that allows access to online technology such as: multi-channel gaming where players access games on other platforms; support for multiplayer and progressive jackpots; and fast access to any game avaliable in company’s portfolio. The Multilotto system is easily integrated onto a gaming floor. All that is required is internet access, allowing the operator to connect Multilotto VLTs to a wide library of games and gives an access to
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extensive operational modeling tools. Irrespective of the operation size, Multilotto Server Based Gaming system can scale to their requirements. Games available in the system include video slots, table games, video pokers, AWP and the Progressive Jackpots games. E-gaming has stepped up its profile activities so far this year,displaying its confidence by taking up a much larger stand at ICE in February to present latest new technologies as Online Casino platform, new video reel games, mobile gaming platform, new VLT based products for Spain and Mexico. E-gaming is currently testing machines in some communities in Spain, test results of which are above expectation. Those games are currently in the last stages of the homologation process, and e-gaming has a Joint venture with a well-known distribution company in Spain which has already started to commercialise the products.
ith Latvia now using the euro, leading payment solutions designer and manufacturer Crane Payment Solutions partnered with innovative business technology solutions provider Hansab Group to ensure that its customers in the Baltic nation enjoyed a smooth transition. Latvia abandoned its traditional Lats currency for the Euro on January 1 and Crane worked with Estonia’s Hansab Group, which services more than 30,000 devices including up to 2000 automatic teller machines to ISO 9001 and ISO 20000 service quality standards, to provide clients with software updates for its existing range of products including the NRI G13.mft coin validator and the G-46 changer, which have been out of production for some seven years. To help customers of its Tallin-based distributor, Crane Payment Solutions also supplied Hansab Group with new spares for existing changers. In the case of its currenza c product, this entailed supplying a new Euro cassettes cartridge to eliminate the need for clients to purchase additional coin changers.
www.patir.de info@patir.de
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Supplier
DR GAMING TECHNOLOGY / GTECH / NOVOMATIC
News ICE Totally Gaming 2014
DRGT COMPLETES INSTALLATION IN SOUTH AFRICA GTECH JOIN SPONSORS ROLECALL AT ICE NOVOMATIC AND NIKI LAUDA JOIN FORCES NOVOMATIC MARKETING
GTech enhances ICE 2014 presence
Novomatic show that actions speak Lauda than words Three-time Formula 1 champion will serve as a brand ambassador for Austrian gaming giant Novomatic while also delivering branding opportunities on his iconic red cap. ovomatic has signed a longterm deal that will see entrepreneur and threetime Formula 1 world champion racing driver Niki Lauda serve as its global brand ambassador. The Austrian won the 1975, 1977 and 1984 titles while his 1976 battle with British opponent James Hunt was recently the subject of the Ron Howard film Rush. Later life saw the former Ferrari,
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McLaren and Brabham driver establish his own airline, Lauda Air, while his iconic red cap, which is worn to hide scars sustained following a crash at the German Grand Prix and often branded, is internationally known. As part of the deal with Novomatic, the 64-year-old’s cap will be branded with the Austrian firm’s logo while he will also appear at
select national and international events. “We are honoured that the long-standing friendship between our company founder, Professor Johann F Graf, and the Austrian national hero Niki Lauda has now led to this cooperation,” said Novomatic chief executive officer Franz Wohlfahrt. “The world star Niki Lauda is the perfect communicator for our
corporate philosophy as a worldleading and innovative provider of technologies, products and services for the international entertainment and leisure industry.” “I am very pleased that Novomatic chose me for its new brand ambassador and it was an elating premiere to wear the new cap for the first time at the Golden Globe Awards,” said Lauda.
INSTALLATION
Thunderous success for DRGT in South Africa RGT has revealed that the installation of its Duma WAP progressive jackpot system at venues owned by African hotel and casino operator Sun International has succeeded in becoming ‘one of the best performing products ever’. Implemented in March to drive 117 slots spread across a dozen casinos via a partnership with Sun International and suppliers Simplicit-e Gaming Solutions and Gold Club, the Duma solution became an ‘instant hit’ and has already been rolled out across an additional 43 machines. The Zulu word for ‘thunder’, Duma is a unique WAP innovation that has been designed with a three-tiered progressive jackpot that starts at a static $4,495 (E3,300)
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Duma system with progressive wins displayed via terminal overhead signage at machines in every casino using the innovation. This exhibited win information includes the level and value of any prizes along with the awarding machine and casino. “We are so proud to have received this shining reference,” said Jurgen De Munck from DR Gaming Technology. “This is all down to our hard work in enabling our customers to bring just the right WAP innovabefore a second constant prize level of tions to excite their customers. $22,450 (E16,490). The top stage features a “The impact this had had on the bottom base prize of $53,900 (E39,500) and will rise line is amazing and player satisfaction is incrementally with average rewards so far truly outstanding. Our special thanks go to totalling just over $89,900 (E66,000). our dedicated partner in South Africa, SimJackpot data is constantly fed through the plict-e Gaming Solutions.”
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tech is complementing its presence at this year’s ICE exhibition by sponsoring the prestigious conference programme running in tandem with the gaming industry’s largest trade fair. The Italian firm will be exhibiting inside ExCel London for the first time since becoming a fully integrated end-to-end gaming technology solutions provider with its high-level sponsorship activities designed to complement its presence on the show floor. “We expect ICE conferences to be high quality, well-attended and successful events,” said GTech iGaming senior vice-president Matteo Monteverdi. “The industry benefits from the conferences’ high-profile speakers on the operator and supplier side as well as those representing industry organisations in addition to experts outside of the gaming industry. “Besides learning and exchanging opinions, ICE proves to be a great networking opportunity. The diverse and forwardlooking conference programme covers the hottest topics in the industry. In particular, we are interested in mobile and next generation lotteries because these are key areas of our expertise.” At ICE 2014, Gtech will showcase its full complement of cabinets, games, systems and software, which includes end-toend and cross-channel products for gaming, interactive, betting and lottery markets. “It is fitting that an organisation of GTech’s calibre has chosen to sponsor what has become the most respected learning and networking programme in gaming,” said ICE 2014 marketing director Jo Mayer.
The innovative, classically designed A560® Wide Boy cabinet eliminates the need for overhead jackpot signage, provides flexibility for optimum game marketing and line of sight machine placement. Specifically designed and custom built for selected Premium Plus™ games.
Experience the A560® Wide Boy cabinet for yourself at ICE 2014, booth N6-120. For more information email sales@ainsworth-uk.com or dial +44 1293 538011
www.ainsworth.com.au
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Supplier
SCIENTIFIC GAMES / MERKUR GAMING
News ICE Totally Gaming 2014
MERKUR GAMING VAN MARISSING ENDS HIS SPELL SCIENTIFIC GAMES EXTEND THEIR LICENCE DEAL WITH HASBRO DEPARTURE
Scientific and WMS extends Hasbro relationship
Van Marissing exits Merkur Gaming
Good news for the players keen on a famliar name as SG subsidiary WMS extend their licence with Hasbro to develop gaming’s most popular brands including Monopoly, and in even more international channels.
eading casino and amusement games developer Merkur Gaming has announced that Daniel Van Marissing has stepped down by mutual consent from his post as sales director after less than two years in the role. A subsidiary of the giant Gauselmann Group, Luebbeckebased Merkur Gaming develops and sells a wide range of electronic gaming machines including AWP, slots and video lottery and serverbased terminals around the world. It revealed that Van Marissing is leaving to pursue other opportunities in the industry but will continue to support its efforts as an eternal partner for products and services taking a particular emphasis on international markets. Appointed to the post in March of 2012, Van Marissing had been tasked with expanding Merkur Gaming’s business activities and opening up new markets.
IN BRIEF
LICENSING
lobal gaming and lottery products and services developer Scientific Games Corporation has amended its longterm licensing deal with Hasbro Incorporated and will now be able to exploit additional distribution channels around the world with even more branded products. The agreement expands the existing real-money slot licensing agreement Scientific Games and its WMS Gaming subsidiary hold with Hasbro that began over 15 years ago and includes a number of the American toy company’s most popular brands including Monopoly for use in the social gaming sector. “Expanding our licensing agreements and working more comprehensively with one of our most valued licensees allows us to build on our strong brand presence in the lottery and casino gaming world,” said Hasbro digital gaming and corporate development
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Crime Pays at Unibet Casino
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MS Gaming has exclusively launched an online version of its innovative five-reel and 50-payline Crime Pays bonus slot with Unibet Casino and Maria Casino. The ex-cop turned private eye-theme multi-player game from the Scientific
Games Corporation subsidiary comes complete with a £50,000 (E60,900) mustwin jackpot via the Master-
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senior vice-president Mark Blecher. “We’ve enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with both Scientific Games and WMS and their combination presents us with exciting opportunities as we centralise key brands with one licensee across multiple gaming distribution channels.” The revised deal extends the most recent licensing agreements from 2017 to 2020 and also includes an additional three-year option. “We know the importance of convergence in today’s marketing environment so we are gratified to expand our relationship with Hasbro and leverage opportunities that will arise from employing Hasbro brands with strong consumer appeal across multiple channels simultaneously.” said Scientific Games properties group present and chief creative officer Steve Saferin.
mind feature and can be played for as little as £0.25 (E0.30) per spin.
Crane completes rebranding
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he recent IMA trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, saw leading gaming payment solutions designer and manufacturer Crane Payment Solutions premiere its new Crane Payment Innovations identity. The rebranding follows Crane Payment Solutions’ acquisition of rival MEI in December for $820m (E604.5m) and is designed
to reflect the firm’s portfolio of brands that now encompasses Money Controls, CashCode, Telequip, NRI and MEI. Crane Payment Innovations revealed that it was still in the process of consolidating its sales and technical support teams along with product, billing and shipment functions while MEI’s SC portfolio is due to serve as a core part of its CPI range.
“The acquisition of WMS has enabled Scientific Games to extend and expand its licenses with Hasbro and to create a onestop solution for lottery, casino and online gaming for gaming operators.”
IGT creates a Floridian millionaire
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Florida resident taking her friends on a trip to the Seminole Casino in Immokalee became the latest player to win over a million dollars thanks to the IGT MegaJackpots system. Connie B. was sitting at the Wheel of Fortune DoubleDiamond slot machine when it paid out to the tune of $1,097,272 (E808,264). Since its inception in 1986, IGT’s jackpot programme has now awarded almost $6bn (E4.4bn) in prizes.
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Supplier
News
MERKUR GAMING PREPARATIONS NOW COMPLETE FOR A SENSATIONAL ICE SUZO-HAPP RETURN FROM LONDON’S EAG BUOYED WITH SUCCESS
SUPPLIERS
Merkur predicts a sensational ICE
SPARES & COMPONENTS
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he upcoming ICE 2014 show will see Merkur Gaming showcasing its new Avantgarde cabinet along with a portfolio of games as well as the completely new All-In-One gaming management system. Adding even more variety to what is probably one of the industry’s greatest arrays of gaming cabinets already encompassing the Privilege, Evolution and Highflyer models, the Avantgarde is due to be shown in London from February 4 to 6 complete with some of the industry’s most popular three-dimensional games. Part of the Gauselmann Group, Merkur Gaming stated that the All-In-One secure and player-centric gaming management innovation is a ‘quantum leap’ and ‘much more than just a floor management system’ as it has been designed to unite all slot, casino/arcade and business management functions. Merkur Gaming will also showcase a range of applications for the ever-growing server-based gaming (SBG) and video lottery terminal (VLT) segments in addition to its Merkur Dispenser 100 banknote innovation. “The quantum leap in innovations is surely set to astonish the gaming world,” chief operating officer Thomas Niehenke said.
Suzo-Happ heralds successful EAG International Suzo-Happ was at London’s EAG Expo recently to show off its complete catalogue of new and established products.
http : //www.ltgame.com
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Email : sales@hk1180.com
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aming industry components and spare parts supplier SuzoHapp Group had its full range of products on display at the recent EAG International 2014 trade show in London including a few that were making their premiere. EAG, the UK’s premier coin-op and amusements exhibition, saw Suzo-Happ stay true to its ‘solutions focused, technology driven’ corporate motto by exhibiting the new InteractivePro Table for the first time. The global firm’s answer for table gaming and games complete with a 42-inch display, this innovation has multi-touch technology included while its screen can be separated into up to four separate sections. Additionally featuring robust design and construction to make it ideal for a host of different locations, the InteractivePro Table is ideal for standing or seated players as it can be inclined
or moved up and down. The InteractivePro Table is just one of the new Pro solutions exclusively available from Suzo-Happ. This line also encompasses solutions for a range of products such as VisionPro monitors and PowerPro power supplies while the new BilliardPro array is a portfolio of pool and billiard accessories. “EAG International is the ideal opportunity for operators and manufacturers to come together and see the latest supplier innovations,” said Suzo-Happ UK sales director and EMEA amusement sales vice-president John Vallis. “We had plenty to talk about with the introduction of the Pro series and our upcoming February Free For All repair service promotion. Our new UK mini catalogue in a handy A5 format gives a great overview of the most important innovations and solutions we have on offer. ”
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MERKUR GAMING / NOVOMATIC / SUZO-HAPP / ICE Totally Gaming 2014
NOVOMATIC THE DUTCH EXPANSION PROJECT CONTINUES WITH ARCADE OPERATOR JOING THE GROUP OF COMPANIES
ACQUISITIONS
Novomatic strengthens Dutch position with new acquisition A
ustrian Gaming Industries (AGI) has acquired the long-established Dutch arcade operator Loontjens Automaten through its Tilburgbased Novo Gaming Netherlands subsidiary. Loontjens Automaten includes the Recreatieprojecten Zeeland brand and operates nine arcades and approximately 1,300 AWP machines in the local pub sector. The deal will see Loontjens Automaten retain its staff while founders Alexander and
Marcel Loontjens are to remain with the company as it strengthens its focus on new products for the Dutch market. One of the oldest gaming companies in The Netherlands and regularly ranked among the nation’s top five operators, the Middelburg-based firm has an especially strong market position in the country’s southwest. Novomatic stated that the acquisition further increases its commitment to the Dutch gaming sector and follows last year’s purchase of JVH
Exploitatie, JVH Gaming Products, Eurocoin Gaming, and Pierre De Jonge. Its comprehensive product range will also now be able to better meet the requirements and needs of arcade operators in The Netherlands. Billiard table and accessories producer and distributor Loontjens Biljarts, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in six years, is not involved in the acquisition and is to remain in the private hands of the Loontjens family.
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Supplier
GTECH / JCM GLOBAL / GAMING STANDARDS
News ICE Totally Gaming 2014
GTECH COMPLETE THEIR LATIN AMERICAN APPOINTMENT JCM GLOBAL UNVEIL THEIR ICE LINE-UP GAMING STANDARDS SET THEIR EYES ON ONLINE ACTION
APPOINTMENT
ICE 2014
GTech appoints new sales manager in Latin America
JCM Global brings awardwinning technology to ICE Amusement and gaming operators across Europe will find unique ways to evolve their operations thanks to leading transaction technologies from JCM Global.
GTech has announced the appointment of Sebastián Mariasis as its new sales manager for Panama. ith a new man on board, GTech are planning on making their mark in Panama. Sebastián Mariasis will provide dedicated support, service and consulting to customers in this important market. For nearly a decade, Mariasis has played a key role as a specialist in GTech’s systems division, providing technical and service support to customers in Argentina, Panama and Chile. “The Latin America market is thriving,” said
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GTech’s director of Latin America sales and service, Jessica Luna. “It is critical that GTech provide superior ongoing support services to all of the major markets of this region. “Sebastián Mariasis’ professional experience and success with the company are strong credentials that will ensure the delivery of high quality service and knowledgeable product consultation to our Panamanian customers and the rest of the region.”
CM is bringing better, smarter, faster solutions to ICE Totally Gaming where they will show their award-winning products. Headlining is the iVIZION® bill validator, the reason JCM has won more than 80 percent of all new casino openings in North America over the past 24 months. In Europe, iVIZION is making an impact with both suppliers and operators, numerous customers on the OEM, operator and casino side have trusted JCM Global.
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JCM introduces the next generation EBA™, or European Bill Acceptor. The EBA-40 allows plug and play upgrade from the EBA-3x series, one of the most widely used bill validators in its class in central Europe. The state-of-the-art sensor technology captures ten times more precise data and twice more numbers of data from each banknote, providing the best security against counterfeits in its class. Also showing is iPRORC™, UBA® and Vega-RC
bill validators. Each has anti-counterfeit and antistringing technologies, and iPRO and Vega have optional recycling technology for an even higher uptime. For very high-volume applications, JCM’s Transactional Bill Validator (TBV™) has the same anti-counterfeit technology as the iPRO, combined with a bulk note feed feature that accepts up to 50 notes at a time. JCM’s Intelligent Cash Box (ICB®) gives operators powerful webenabled reporting
STANDARDS
GSA drives online standards
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he Gaming Standards Association (GSA) has been driving global standards in the land-based sector for more than 15 years and intends to use the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2014 to publicise its recent work in helping to develop protocols for the online gaming industry.
Formed last year, the GSA’s Online Gaming Committee is working to bring the same levels of standardisation and success to online gaming that its committees and standards have brought to land-based gaming. With its global membership continuing to grow, especially following the addition of ten new
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members in January, the international body offers a range of membership levels to suit any company’s budget and business interests and will be in London to discuss the benefits this could bring to operators, suppliers and regulators. “Many of today’s devices and systems on the tradeshow
floor are powered by GSA standards,” said GSA president Peter DeRaedt. “This is a testament to the success of our land-based standards. Now, as online gaming continues to grow globally, it is important for the industry to bring the relevant standards to this critical area as well.”
combined with impressive accuracy and technology that eliminates potential for human error. Also on display is the flexible HSVL Transformer™ Thermal Printer with adjustable spindle arms for configuration flexibility. The PayCheck 4™ thermal printer lasts longer, prints faster and has a high standard memory. Discover the entire line of JCM Global’s award-winning products at ICE and see how they can evolve your operations.
Dedicated to servicing the needs of the international betting and iGaming industry, Betting Business interactive is your partner of choice if you’re searching for the very best journalism, the widest distribution and inventive advertising opportunities. For more information, simply contact John Sullivan at jsullivan@gbmedia.eu or come and see us on our stands Entrance S4 at ICE 2014.
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Supplier
News
ALFASTREET PLANS AFOOT FOR A REVOLUTIONARY UNRAVELLING AT ICE GEWETE ENJOY A STONG SHOWING AT EAG SCIENTIFIC GAMES SIGN UP WITH NEW MEXICO GAMING BOARD CASH HANDLING
SYSTEMS
Strong showing for GeWeTe
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hange, automatic cash and access control machines developer and supplier GeWeTe attended the recent EAG International 2014 trade show in London to present its full range of products including the popular Cash Recycler model. The Gauselmann Group subsidiary had its own dedicated stand inside ExCeL London with new recruit Mark Edmundson promoting the fact that the company now has a UK office to better serve its British and Irish customers. “It is so good to be back in the industry,” said GeWeTe UK and Ireland sales manager Edmundson. “GeWeTe has a fantastic reputation. Now that we have an office in the UK, we are set for strong growth with the service back-up here. The message of UK-based service together with ‘made in Germany’ quality has been really well received by visitors to our stand.” GeWeTe offers cutting-edge technology for changing banknotes and coins alongside the payment terminal solution for FutureLogic’s Ticket2Go, which was additionally on show at EAG International. As if this weren’t enough, it also took the opportunity to showcase Merkur Kids childrens’ rides with the Mini Mouse model proving one of the most popular. “We have been making strong headway in the UK and Ireland so it was the natural next step to set up an office here,” said GeWeTe managing director Aristidis Tsikouras. “In Mark Edmundson we have gained a professional who has great respect in the industry alongside his extensive knowledge and experience in the world of change machines. The best products [and] the best people, this reflects our corporate philosophy.”
Scientific takes central role in New Mexico Scientific Games, fresh from its acquisiton of WMS Gaming, has signed a contract to implement and support a Central Monitoring System for the New Mexico Gaming Control Board.
here’s no doubting that the union with WMS has developed Scientific Games into a major player in the gaming industry, with a larger, more diverse portfolio of products and services and the knowledge and expertise of some of the world’s top gaming and lottery professionals. And just to prove its power base, the company has successfully signed up to provide the SGVideoTM Gaming Central Monitoring System to monitor and control licensed video gaming terminals, located in five
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racinos and up to 70 nonprofit locations in New Mexico. The contract was awarded through a competitive procurement process and will run for an initial term of four years, and may be extended by the Gaming Control Board for up to four additional years. Frank Baca, acting executive director/general counsel, said; “We were impressed by the proposed solution from Scientific Games. We felt that Scientific Games had a real understanding of our goals and initiatives and provided the best
overall approach. We believe the experience and systems technology from Scientific Games offer the best solution for the State. Responding for Scientific Games was Brennen Lawrence, senior vice president of North American Gaming, who said: “Scientific Games continues to develop solutions that meet the changing needs of our customers. This system provides the powerful tools necessary for New Mexico to regulate gaming activity, evaluate financial positions, and collect revenue.”
NEW LAUNCH
Alfastreet choose ICE to launch revo ulti-player terminal designer Alfastreet has been preparing for a big reveal at ICE 2014. The company is intent on whetting appetites as they trail the announcement of a new machine that will see the light for the first time at London’s ExCel arena. The company has also
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chosen ICE for the launch of their 20th anniversary celebration, which will continue throughout 2014 as they visit trade shows around the world and hold a number of their own exclusive events. Going into the show, the company are expected to launch a new version a classic game, which has never
previously been seen in public. The company are promising a game which will leave a permanent mark on the industry, infusing a classic title with the latest technological trends in an attempt to appeal to fans of a gaming staple. Alfastreet has announced that the game
will be a single-terminal title that combines touch screen controls with a revolutionary ergonomic setup and high adaptability. A spokesperson has described the game as a “unique fusion of vintage gaming spirit and the signature Alfastreet engineering excellence.”
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ALFASTREET / GEWETE / KONAMI GAMING / SCIENTIFIC GAMES
KONAMI GAMING INSTALLATION IN AUSTRALIA COMPLETED INSTALLATION
EVERYTHING RUNS ON WIDE AREA AND WITHOUT A SERVER!
Konami completes Echo Entertainment installations onami Australia Pty Limited has completed the simultaneous installation of its gaming enterprise management system at two Australian venues operated by Echo Entertainment Group, Jupiters Hotel and Casino and Treasury Casino and Hotel. Located on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Jupiters Hotel and Casino has been in operation for over 25 years and is home to home to seven restaurants, eight bars, nearly 600 rooms including suites, a variety of live entertainment, one of the largest convention centres in Australia and a state-of-the art gaming floor with more than 1,500 machines and 90 table games. For its part, the Treasury Casino and Hotel is located in the heart of Brisbane and has been in operation for nearly 20 years featuring six restaurants, five bars,
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128 rooms and a three-story gaming floor offering more than 1,400 machines and 100 tables. “With the installation of Konami’s system at the Jupiters and Treasury casinos in Queensland, Echo Entertainment has enhanced its ability to manage its portfolio of properties and created value for its customers that extends beyond each individual venue,” at Konami Australia business development senior manager Jay Bertsch said. “Echo Entertainment also operates The Star in New South Wales and has been a leader in the Australian gaming industry for years. We are excited to extend our partnership in order to help it enhance what are already world-class customer experiences at its Jupiters and Treasury venues.”
drAccounting GUTicketing GUCashless drPlayer Tracking drBonusing drJackpots drScreen GUReports
h revolutionary new game The new release sits alongside a range of other machines from the Slovenian manufacturer as they display a wide selection of their products at ICE 2014 and prepare various special events to celebrate their two decades of success.
DRGT Europe sales@drgt.net www.drgt.com
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Listings
Business2Business
EXPANSION
Name change, but location stays the same
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onami Gaming, Inc. is changing its street mailing address from 585 Trade Center Drive to 585 Konami Circle to reflect the significant building expansion underway at its existing facility in Las Vegas. The new addition will create a single
CABINETS
LISTINGS
Montana welcomes Ainsworth cabinets
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insworth Game Technology has received regulatory approval from the State of Montana for its Montana MultiWin cabinets. Both the A560 Slant Top and A560 Dual Screen High Boy machines have been given the go ahead to operate in the state, making them the first of the company’s products to be endorsed in this market. “We are delighted to be able to make these popular and proven games available in Montana through our partnership with Fleetwood,” said chief executive officer Danny Gladstone.
CHARITY Caesars makes CHIPS donation
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aesars Entertainment UK has presented gaming industry charity
campus housing expanded manufacturing, research and development and administration to support the company’s growth as they look to expand in 2014. The change of address will take effect immediately. “We are changing our street address
name, but we are not moving anywhere,” announced Tom Jingoli, chief compliance officer at Konami. “In fact, we are adding 200,000-square-feet of new, state-of-the-art space to our current 160,000-square-foot facility and the project is progressing on schedule.”
CHIPS with a cheque for £6,000 (E7,200) which will fund a new bespoke, high performance wheelchair for 11 year old Josh Coleman, the son of former Caesars employee Sharon Coleman. Josh Coleman was presented with his cheque by Michael Silberling, international president of operations for Caesars Entertainment UK. Silberling sad: “At Caesars we have developed a strong culture of giving something back and to be able to support such a worthwhile charity and a former employee makes us all very proud. We can’t wait to see Josh enjoying his new found mobility.”
birthday, Advantech-Innocore is to exhibit its latest range of products based on advances in chipsets, CPUs and display solution technologies including its DPX-E130 gaming platform targeted at the Italian AWP3 market and DPX-S435 Intel Xeon-powered gaming board.
COMPUTING Advantech-Innocore showcasing latest innovation
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eading embedded computing solutions and design-in services firm Advantech-Innocore will be showcasing its range of products for the gaming industry at the upcoming International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2014 in London. After recently celebrating its 30th
CORPORATE IDENTITY Casino Technology aims for a new look
G
ame developer Casino Technology is preparing to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary in 2014 with the adoption of a new brand identity. The veteran creator of land-based slots games intend to premiere a strategy that will unify traditional gaming with its internet equivalent. “We are mature enough and enthusiastic to build on our core experience of creating successful games,” said CEO Milo Borissov, “and through our unique patented technologies to deliver the best gaming convergence experience to the player.”
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YXYXYXY B2B LISTINGS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
APPOINTMENTS AWARDS CHARITY CHANGE MACHINES DISTRIBUTION GAMING PLATFORMS HARDWARE INSTALLATIONS PAYMENT TECHNOLOGIES MULTIGAMES SYSTEMS REGULATION ROULETTE SPORTS BETTING
SUPPLIERS
PRODUCT LAUNCH
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Suzo-Happ promote Wagemaker to marketing VP
Apex launches Apex Player Station
IGT veteran joins AGEM board
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aming parts provider SuzoHapp has announced the promotion of Harald Wagemaker to executive vice president sales and marketing for EMEA gaming and casino. In recent months Suzo-Happ has grown its business through acquisitions and distribution deals, prompting the company to restructure its executive management. Wagemaker becomes the focal point for the company’s marketing, support and sales in Europe, the Middle-East and Africa. Suzo-Happ’s expansion has been driven by its acquisition of Australian
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company Transcity. While other divisions of Suzo-Happ use Transcity’s Asian foothold to expand into that market, Wagemaker will be tasked with bringing its products and expertise to the EMEA region. “Harald leads his team by example and is dedicated to the success of our customers,” said Suzo-Happ’s managing director EMEA, Marcel Oelen. “This has seen the demand for our products and services grow. The complete management team wishes Harald every success in is new expanded role.”
aming machines manufacturer Apex Gaming has launched the new Apex Player Station modular multi-player terminal system and will be premiering the innovation at the upcoming International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2014 in London. Apex Gaming revealed that the full electronic Apex Player Station offer roulette, baccarat, sic-bo and Quikker, which is a combination of roulette and blackjack and allows player to wager on the outcome of two cards including the same colour, maximum value or if either or both are an ace.
SPORTS BETTING Scientific Games completes Sportec sale
L INSTALLATION EGT completes caribbean installation
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he Awasa Casino Curacao has taken delivery of a large number of Vega Vision+ Upright and Slant Top machines from Euro Games Technology (EGT), giving players at the venue access to EGT’s latest multigame mixes. “We couldn’t help but notice the fast success of EGT products in Awasa Casino. In a very short period they have become the most popular machines in the casino,” said Nadia Popova, director at EGT Panama.
Interblock celebrates Reunion Island first
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or the first time in the country, gaming machines developer Interblock has installed its G4 Organic LiveT top-branded multi-terminal gaming machines at the Casino Du Sud Saint Pierre in Reunion Island in partnership with French distributor, SFC2A. “Continuous development and ongoing
improvements based on Interblock’s experience lead to positive responses from players and casino operators all over France market,” said Interblock regional sales manager Bojan Dreven.
PRIZES Betty Boop helps Bally make a millionaire
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layers and staff at the Creek Casino Montgomery witnessed the latest big winner of Bally Interactive’s 1,000,000 Degrees Class 2 wide-area progressive. The $1.7m (E1.3) linked slot machine jackpot was picked up by an anonymous winner at the Alabama venue on 11 January, 2014. The patron acquired their winning combination while playing on Betty Boop’s Love Meter, a machine based around the famous 1930’s cartoon character.
ottery solutions provider Scientific Games (SG) has sold its stake in pool and sports betting operator Sportech for £27.8m (E33.5m). This sale follows the purchase of WMS Gaming during October 2013. SG also announced the extension of licensing deals with toy and board game creators Hasbro, from 2017 to 2020, with the option to add an additional three-year extension.
TICKET PRINTING Meyerhofer assumes new role at Futurelogic
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icket printing and couponing solutions developer FutureLogic Incorporated has announced that Eric Meyerhofer has been elected to serve as its next Chairman, replacing Miles Arnone who is to remain a member of its board. In addition, Peter Murphy, formerly the company’s COO, has assumed the position of FutureLogic CEO in place of Meyerhofer while Nick Ortyl has joined the American firm as COO.
The Association of
Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) has appointed Connie Jones as director of responsible gaming.
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20-year veteran of the gaming industry, Jones previously served as director of responsible gaming for International Game Technology (IGT) and has been dedicated exclusively to responsible gaming for the past 14 years. In her new role with AGEM, she will create the AGEM Responsible Gaming Policy and Plan, provide the global AGEM membership with quarterly reports on responsible gaming technologies and their business implications and represent AGEM with a variety of organisations and at industry events, conferences and trade shows. Since its inception in 2000, AGEM has been strong supporter of organisations and initiatives dedicated to addressing problem gambling issues. The group has directly contributed more than $1m (E730,000) to leading organisations such as the National Centre for Responsible Gaming (NCRG), the National Council on Problem Gaming (NCPG), The Problem Gambling Centre, the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling and GamCare in the UK. “Appointing Connie to the position of AGEM director of responsible gaming is a natural extension of our organisation’s efforts and a reflection of the growing influence of AGEM,” said Thomas Jingoli, president of AGEM. “She is widely considered the preeminent expert from the supplier side on problem gambling issues and will continue to be at the forefront of an issue our industry is committed to addressing in a smart and thoughtful way.” February 2014 casinoreview
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Business
& City News
STEELMAN: “THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MACHINES AND D THE SPECIFIC CUSTOMER BASE FOR EACH CASINO, WHETHER TH
STEELMAN PARTNERS
Intelligent by des
E As the far-reaching effects of the economic downturn across the western world became apparent towards the end of the last decade, many casino operators cut back on new developments. This is now changing, according to Aleksey Belinskiy, studio lead for Steelman Partners Europe. James Walker reports. 76 | casinoreview February 2014
stablished in Las Vegas in 1987, Steelman Partners is a renowned specialist in the field of casino design. With additional offices in Amsterdam, Macau, Zhuhai and Ho Chi Minh City, the company has completed over 4,000 casino and integrated resort designs around the world. Aleksey Belinskiy heads up Steelman’s European office, which opened in Amsterdam three years ago. “We took the decision to open a European office to better serve our clients here,” he told International Casino Review. “We looked at different locations, and Amsterdam was a perfect fit for us. At the time we were doing a lot of work for Holland Casinos, plus Amsterdam is a great international business hub for Europe. Schiphol Airport gives you an immediate,
direct connection to most places in Europe. We have long been recognised worldwide as a prime casino design company, but being local in Europe and having a presence here just reinforces this.” Belinskiy, a regular speaker at the European Slot Summit, said that while casinos are Steelman Partners’ primary focus, the scale of the projects in which the company is involved often include hotels, restaurants, theatres, auditoriums and themed areas. “We not only design venues, but really help our clients to understand the market and help with the selection of the locations,” he said. “Our work in the field of design and architecture ultimately deals with the psychology of people, such as behaviour patterns, how we can entertain people and keep
them in the venues for longer periods. It is our goal to create a high-level entertainment experience for everyone.” Discussing the nuances of individual gaming markets, Belinskiy said: “There are different types of machines and different types of players, and we strive to the best of our ability to satisfy the specific customer base for each casino, whether this is in a mixed-use resort or an urban environment.” As with many sectors in the leisure and entertainment industry, casinos were impacted by the slowdown in the economy, and Belinskiy said this has presented numerous challenges to those working in the field of design and architecture. “When consumers are unsure about their financial future, they are reti-
cent to spend money. This, of course, impacts our customers - the casino operators and owners. They shifted their focus to retrofitting and redesigning their existing casinos, but now I feel the workflow for new casinos is gradually coming back.” The shift in focus back to new casino developments is perhaps best exemplified in Steelman Partners’ work on the Casino Gran Via in central Madrid, which opened its doors in December. Operated by the Comar Group, the new casino is located in an historical landmark building that was built in 1924, with Steelman Partners Europe being responsible for the project design. “We first met with the Comar team two years ago,” Belinskiy explained. “They found a truly amazing neoclassical building
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STEELMAN PARTNERSYXYXYXY EUROPE Alexsey Belinskiy
INES AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLAYERS, AND WE STRIVE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY TO SATISFY WHETHER THIS IS IN A MIXED-USE RESORT OR AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.”
FUTURE FOCUS ooking ahead, Belinskiy said that some of the biggest changes to casino design would be directed by changes in technology. “The types of machines and the types of electronic entertainment options that the customers have will ultimately impact the design of the casinos,” he noted. “Casinos are still going to be fun and entertaining places, but the types of games and types of entertainment will be different. “We must also remember that we will be welcoming in a new generation. In five or 10 years, different people will be coming to the casino. They will be more techsavvy and will expect a different experience. I think there will be a shift in individual play to more social play, and casinos will be designed to accommodate these new types of games. “There is a lot of concern among land-based casinos that online gaming is becoming more easily accessible, but I do not think this is something to be worried about. In fact, I think this will only positively impact land-based casinos, because your customers are being created with no marketing effort on your behalf. Ultimately, everyone will still want to visit the mothership to experience real, live games.”
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design on one of Madrid’s busiest thoroughfares, right in the heart of the city. It was a fantastic location, but the building - a former municipal office - was not taken care of. We could see the potential, however. The grand ballroom is a jewel that was just sitting there in the heart of Madrid, and we knew it would make an incredible gaming space. And the atrium features a magnificent skylight that
connects all the floors vertically. “Multi-storey casinos often pose numerous challenges, because people don’t like to move up and down,” he added. “But when we saw the building, we could see the potential of it becoming something of an integrated gaming space, where we could include a high quality restaurant and bars along with the gaming component.”
Aleksey Belinskiy
MACAU
Macau expects improved January
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fter posting total gaming revenues of MOP33.5bn (E3.07bn) for December, Macau could be in for another bumper month following predictions that table earnings for January could be as much as 17 per cent ahead of the same period in 2013. The world’s largest gaming market saw table gaming revenues grow by over 18 per cent yearon-year in December, while the trend from the initial 12 days of January could see monthly earnings top MOP31.5bn (E2.89bn). The once-struggling casino market in the former Portuguese enclave has undergone a transformation over the past decade following the abandonment of monopolistic policies and the welcoming on foreign operators such as Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Wynn Resorts. Recent months have
seen casino operators such as Galaxy Entertainment Group and Sands China add hotel rooms, shopping malls and entertainment shows to their offerings in order to attract even more Chinese tourists, who accounted for more than 60 per cent of arrivals in Macau last year and are largely responsible for the boom in the nation’s only city where casinos are legal. Analysts from RBS Capital and Wells Fargo are predicting year-onyear casino revenue growth in Macau of 13 to 17 per cent for January alongside a six to nine per cent bump in earnings from VIP players. Massmarket takings could increase by as much as 35 per cent, although the market may be adversely affected by the timing of Chinese New Year, which starts on January 30 this year as opposed to February 10 in 2013.
Limited Tradeshow Offer Slim Line Casino Sign INCLUDING 40” Screen *) Please join us at ICE 2014, booth N4-210 for more amazing tradeshow deals!
February 2014 casinoreview
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Business
BOYD GAMING / ENOCH CREE NATION / ENTERTAINMENT GAMING ASIA
& City News
SUPPLIER NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
NORSK TIPPING: FACING COMPETITION FROM FOREIGN PLAYERS, NORSK TIPPING, NORWAY’S STATE-OWNED GAMING GROUP, HAS ROLLED OUT 65 NEW GAMES FOR ONLINE AND MOBILE BETTING....
ENTERTAINMENT GAMING ASIA
BOYD GAMING
EGA may turn its back on Cambodia casino Crippling revenue and poor gamer numbers have prompted Entertainment Gaming Asia (EGA) to consider walking away from its Dreamworld Casino in Pailin province. ntertainment Gaming Asia (EGA) has announced that the annual valuation review of the company’s Dreamworld Pailin facility, and gaming assets, is to take place. The casino is situated in the Pailin Province of north-western Cambodia, near the Thailand border, a strategic location on a growing trade route with a solid infrastructure between the two countries - approximately five hours from Phnom Penh, and three to four hours from Bangkok, by car. The site caters to mass market and premium players from the major nearby cities in the region and was opened in May 2012. The venue houses 26 table games and 52 EGM seats. While operating losses have decreased in recent months due to strategic improvements in the operating model, the future outlook remains challenging. As a result, the board of
Weather dents December wins for Boyd Gaming
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directors concluded that the company is required, under GAAP, to record an impairment charge of approximately $2.5m, as of December 31, 2013, related to their Dreamworld Pailin operations. Given the high costs associated with acquiring a quality player base in this market, in September 2013, the company began the transition to a leasing model for its table games at Dreamworld Pailin in an effort to provide recurring revenue and reduce operating costs. Presently, the company has 11 gaming tables leased on an initial shortterm basis to a third-party operator for a monthly
rental fee. Under current market conditions, they are reliant on the thirdparty rental income and slot revenue to cover their cash operating costs. However, at the present time, these operations do not generate positive cashflow and management does not see an avenue to improve profitability under this model. EGA is reviewing all potential options for the Dreamworld Pailin operations, which include seeking additional leasing contracts with third-party table game operators, subletting the entire facility or exiting the Dreamworld Pailin operations altogether.
ENOCH CREE NATION
River Cree Resort now totally aboriginal-owned
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he River Cree Resort and Casino near Edmonton in the Canadian province of Alberta, is now fully owned by the Enoch Cree Nation and aboriginal casino operator River Cree Enterprises after the pair purchased the minority interest previously held by
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Las Vegas-based Paragon Gaming. Opened in October of 2006 on aboriginal land, the River Cree Resort and Casino reported adjusted revenues of almost $118m (E87m) in 2012 and is now set to be managed by Canada’s Sonco Gaming Company.
Borgata operator Boyd Gaming saw the effects of the polar vortex weather system take a chunk out of its gaming revenue in December. oyd Gaming Corp has blamed temporary factors including severe winter weather over two weekends for a decline in results at its land-based casino operation in the US. Total casino wins at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in New Jersey, of which Boyd and MGM Resorts International each own a 50 per cent stake, dropped 19 per cent to $44.1m in December from a year earlier. Despite the fall, Boyd president and chief executive Keith Smith said he was optimistic that the year ahead would yield more positive results. He commented: “Results for our landbased operations for December did not meet our expectations. “However, the shortfall was due to several short-term factors, including an unusually low hold percentage and severe winter weather during two weekends. “While we are disappointed in the December results, we remain optimistic that the positive momentum we have seen in recent months will continue in 2014.” According to figures released in January by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, annual revenue at the Borgata was up less than one per cent to $616m in 2013, a figure that was still almost twice as much as its nearest competitor, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, took in. In context, in 2013 revenue for all twelve of Atlantic City’s casinos combined fell below $3bn for the first time in 22 years, as increased competition in north eastern US continued to shrink the market.
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The resort’s casinos won $2.86bn last year, down from just over $3bn in 2012 - the seventh straight year that Atlantic City has seen its gambling revenue take a tumble. One of the main reasons for Smith’s continued confidence was the performance of the Borgata’s Party Poker online gaming brand, which took $3.75m in gambling revenue over the final five weeks of 2013. That represented a fraction under 45 per cent of the $8.4m taken by New Jersey’s online gambling websites. New Jersey became the third US state to legalise gambling online when betting went live on November 21. To help existing casinos counteract the fall in revenue from their land-based operations, the state requires online operators to locate their computer hardware in Atlantic City. Research firm H2 Gambling Capital has forecast that US online gambling could be worth as much as $7.4bn by 2017.
ONLINE WINNER oyd Gaming president and CEO Keith Smith was encouraged by Borgata’s performance during the first full month of online gambling. He commented: “When matching our online and land-based data bases, we found that 60 per cent of online casino customers had not been to Borgata in over a year, and over 75 per cent had made fewer than two trips to Borgata in the past year. “On a combined basis, online and land-based poker revenue at Borgata was up more than 40 per cent from our land-based play in December 2012. “Clearly, online gaming is complementary to our land-based business, not competitive.”
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Business
& City News
IMA 2014: OVER 9,000 PEOPLE VISITED DUSSELDORF LAST MONTH TO SEE THE RETURN OF GERMAN AMUSEMENTS SHOW IMA. THE RESPONSE CLEARLY WAS THAT GERMANY HAS NO INTENTION OF LYING DOWN. SCP
DELTA CORPORATION
Cristóbal López looks toward Tigre Casino
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Delta posts improved casino numbers India’s Delta
Corporation is looking ahead to the Daman project with optimism following improved gaming performance.
IGT
ndia’s largest gaming and entertainment firm, Delta Corporation, has released its financial results for the three months to the end of September showing a 39 per cent drop year-on-year in overall revenues to $22.43m (E16.57m). Delta Corp operates three offshore casinos in the province of Goa in the Deltin Royale, Deltin Jaqk and Deltin Caravela along with a pair of hotels and recently announced plans to open a five-star hotelcome-casino in the Indian city of Daman following the receipt of regulatory clearances. The firm revealed that
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Daman project for a while and we are now only a couple of weeks away from launching it. The launch will take place in two phases; the hotel will be operational in stage one and it will be followed by other operations. “When we started the gaming business five years ago most people including analysts were sceptical about how well it will be received in India,” Dhebar added. “But we have clocked numbers that have surprised the market and we believe this is the beginning of a new chapter and that we will witness something that will surpass
everyone’s expectations. “Trends worldwide say that any destination with a ten million kind of catchment population makes for an excellent destination. Geographically, Daman is two-and-a-half hour drive from Mumbai and one and half hours from Surat, Baroda and Ahmadabad. The catchment population in these three to four centres itself is about 50 million. So with Daman coming in, we see an exponential growth. We hope that sometime next year when we sit to look at the numbers, they will be way in excess of everybody’s expectations.”
IGT posts improved quarterly results lobal gaming machine developer and manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) has released its financial results for the three months to the end of December showing a two per cent rise year-onyear in revenues to $541.2m (E395.5m). The Las Vegas-based innovator has offices around the world including in the UK, China, Australia and Argentina and shipped 6,100 North America replacement units during the quarter, which was an increase of 20 per cent year-on-year, while additionally returning $226m (E165.2m) to shareholders via share repurchases and dividends. Although quarterly operating income dropped by twelve percent when compared to the same threemonth period in 2012 to $103.7m (E75.8m), alongside a 19 per cent decrease in net operating cashflow to $76.1m (E55.6m), IGT revealed that net income for the
G Global gaming giant IGT has posted a two per cent year-on-year rise in revenues alongside a 21 per cent increase in net income.
net profits for the threemonth period fell by over 63 per cent year-on-year to $940,350 (E694,316) although overall revenues from its casino operations rose by 107 per cent when compared with the same period in 2012 to $4.7m (E3.4m). Perhaps most pleasing for Delta, quarterly casino profits before tax increased by almost seven percent year-onyear and 4.3 percent quarter-on-quarter to $37.6m (E27.7m). “The New Year has begun on a positive note for us,” Delta Corp CFO Hardik Dhebar told CNBC-TV18. “We have been working on the
80 | casinoreview February 2014
most recent three-month period rose by 21 per cent to $79.2m (E57.8m) while earnings per share grew by 29 percent. IGT has also seen success from its DoubleDown online casino with quarterly revenues from social gaming escalating by 57 percent year-on-year and six per cent sequentially to $65m (E47.4m). “In our fiscal first quarter we expanded revenues while maintaining strong operating income and cashflows despite market challenges,” IGT chief executive officer Patti Hart. “We remain confident that our focus on content, distribution and maximising shareholder value while improving efficiencies will position us for success in fiscal 2014.” The US firm’s income has now ascended by an average of 24 percent year-on-year over the last four quarters with the largest boost coming in the three months to September 30 when a 41 per cent swell was achieved.
ristóbal López, owner of the Casino Club slot hall brand in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, is close to signing a deal with Sociedad Comercial del Plata (SCP) to buy its 50 per cent share of Trilenium, a casino located in the northern Greater Buenos Aires district of Tigre. The Tigre Casino, built in 1999 following special permission granted by former governor Eduardo Duhalde, has been operated by Trilenium, a partnership between SCP and gaming company Boldt. According to reports, negotiations over SCP’s share in the popular casino began in November and were led by Ricardo Benedicto, one of López’s partners at Casino Club. The casino is one of the largest in the region, and it is thought that the operation could be worth $10m (E7.3m). As well as offering live entertainment, Trilenium has 800 slot machines and 74 gaming tables located over three floors. There are currently 46 bingo halls in operation across the province. Bingo halls in Argentina all house slot machines and the Casino Club could now, as a result, build new bingo halls in the most affluent parts of Buenos Aires. The deal was made after López bought a 50 per cent stake in the company in return for $108m (E79m) which was previously held by the Sociedad Comercial del Plata. The other half of the shares of Trilenium remain under the control of Argentine casino company, The Boldt Group, which also runs gaming properties in Santa Fe, Mar del Plata and Miramar.
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DELTA CORPORATION / IGT / SCP / TCS JOHN HUXLEY IMA 2014
SLOVAKIAN MOVE: OLYMPIC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP HAS PAID AN UNSPECIFIED AMOUNT TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF SLOVAK VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINAL FIRM WINWIN SLOVAKIA. TCS JOHN HUXLEY
Building for the future Equipment-tosystems developer TCS John Huxley continues to invest heavily in R&D. Todd Cravens, who assumed his role as CEO of the Americas for TCS in May last year, outlines the company’s growth strategy for the region in 2014.
“
We at TCS John Huxley are very excited about 2014. Over the last 18 months we have spent a tremendous amount of time speaking with customers and learning what they need to run their businesses better. At that same time we have invested heavily in research and development to create new products and make our traditional products more intelligent. 2014 will see the broad roll out of our Xia platform that combines our best of breed technology products into the standard gaming table. The Xia platform is an open platform that has been designed to connect to most products including both hardware and software products on a table and extract
data to enable more timely business decisions. 2014 also sees the rollout of our new progressive system, Supernova. In 2014, Gaming Floor Live will land throughout North America. This application allows the operator to gather data from their roulette, baccarat and other tables. Operators now have a tool that allows them to make decisions on their floor based on data. This year in North and South America, TCS John Huxley will also debut its progressive system for tables: Supernova. Supernova is a flexible progressive system available to operators today. The system offers an almost unlimited amount of
event-based jackpots along with a number of configurable mystery jackpots that can be used across the casino floor and on any style of game. TCS John Huxley has had tremendous success with Supernova in other markets, and it stands to be the signature product for the company in 2014. While TCS John Huxley builds for the future with technical products, the company has also continued to improve on our traditional offerings. We have recently launched the Elite 2, the successor to our most popular winning number display. This new display incorporates the latest design elements and has all of the electronics completely
contained, which makes service easier, and the display clarity is excellent. We continue to be a leader in design and delivery of new tables throughout North America and the Caribbean, and some of our new features will be on display throughout the year. We are really looking forward to 2014, as we think the innovations that our R&D teams have created will really help our customers do more with the existing products they have on their casino floor. We look forward to delivering data to our customers through Gaming Floor Live, and helping to drive their revenues with Supernova.”
www.craneps.com sales@craneps.com February 2014 casinoreview
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Markets JAPAN
GERMANY / JAPAN Online grows in Germany 88
GERMANY: REVENUES FROM ONLINE IN GERMANY ARE FAR OUTPACING LAND-BASED SECTOR...
GERMANY
Japanese business leaders back casino legalisation JAPAN
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n executive from the second largest convenience store chain in Japan is joining forces with several other business leaders in order to lobby for the legalisation of casinos and open up what could become one of the world’s largest gaming markets. Takeshi Niinami, chief executive officer for Lawson Incorporated, has established a procasino group in partnership with Shingo Torii, executive vice-president for brewing and distilling firm Suntory Holdings Limited, and the former head of the Japan Tourism Agency, Hiroshi Mizohata, to urge National Diet legislators to pass a measure introduced in December that could see casino gambling operations begin within four years. The new organisation is set to recruit likeminded individuals from local government and businesses with any funding provided by membership fees. Mizohata stated that the group would not accept contributions from casino operators such as Caesars Entertainment Corporation and Genting Singapore, which recently held discussions with authorities in Osaka regarding the possibility of building a casino in Japan’s third-largest city. “We want to get various stakeholders involved,” said Mizohata. Mizohata declared that the new group, which is set to be officially launched in May, will work with lawmakers in support of the proposed casino bill and make policy recommendations in collaboration with local government authorities and companies. It is also due to publicly advocate for an end to Japan’s casino ban in hopes of beginning operations in advance of the coming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Mizohata now serves as a special advisor to the Japanese cabinet and wants his nation to tap into a market that could grow to be worth up to $15b (E11b) a year by 2020. He proclaimed that casinos could ‘provide a spark for not just tourism but also for the revitalisation of local economies in the countryside’ by attracting visitors from around Asia including China, which is annually expected to see up to 200m of its citizens travelling abroad in the next six years.
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IMA celebrates triumphant return Over 9,000 visitors travelled to Dusseldorf in mid-January for IMA to see the latest products from exhibitors including Gauselmann, Amatic Industries, Apex, JCM Europe and MEI. GERMANY
ollowing a two-year hiatus, the latest edition of the IMA amusements and vending machine exhibition took place from January 14 to 17 at the Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre in Germany and welcomed over 9,000 visitors from around the world. The Association of the German Amusement and Vending Machine Industry (VDAI) decided not to hold IMA last year after new and controversial restrictions were passed on commercial gambling in Germany and many were surprised that the most recent edition of the show had attracted so much interest. IMA 2014 saw exhibitors including Gauselmann, Amatic
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Industries, Apex, JCM Europe, MEI, Merkur Gaming, Patir Design, Suzo-Happ Group and Walberer Automaten showing off their latest wares while VDAI chairman Paul Gauselmann used his opening address to insist that the amusements and vending machine industry in Germany isn’t about to roll over and die. Also the chief executive officer for Espelkamp-based Gauselmann, a defiant Gauselmann stated that many realistically-minded politicians and a large number of legal experts have sided with the industry in its opposition to the German State Treaty on Games of Chance. “The rule of law will prevail in a constitutional state,” the 79-year-old told a group of around 200 guests from the worlds of politics,
media and business. “There is no room for expropriation and occupational bans.” The German show saw many coin-op gaming machine manufacturers and dealers attend with short-term rental and leasing offers especially popular due to current local mandates on shorter opening hours, tightened smoking bans and higher amusement taxes. Mirroring the consumer electronics boom, high-definition technology, large screens and innovative content dominated this market sector although the total number of exhibiting dealers was eight percent less than in 2012 while the manufacturing sector was down by 12.7 percent. Some of this slack was taken by firms offering player protection systems
with training programmes especially popular alongside social-policy gaming concepts implementation. Demand was also strong for security technology, networking and cash management products as the industry, just like private homes, tries to prevent being targeted by criminal gangs. Finally, IMA 2014 featured a stand for the Die Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft umbrella organisation, which is a group consisting of some of the amusement and vending machine industry’s leading associations. Despite cries that the economic downturn has combined with recent increased regulations to splinter the sector, this booth gave representatives a chance to show off their united and defiant front.
If you’re searching for the very best journalism, the widest distribution and inventive advertising opportunities, International Casino Review is your partner of choice. For more information on how we can help you deliver your message to the global casino industry community, simply contact John Sullivan at jsullivan@gbmedia.eu or come and see us on our stands Entrance S4 at ICE 2014.
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Sectors
& Services
RENOVATION
Pechanga unveil wide ranging hotel and restaurant renovation
LISTINGS
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he largest resort casino in the state of California, Pechanga, has completed its multimillion dollar renovation scheme. The project has seen two restaurants and a 22,000 square foot lobby remodelled, with the additional construction of two new dining locations. “We set out to renew and transform the lobby and restaurants into a focal point for guests,” said Patrick Murphy, Pechanga development corporation
president. “Judging by the thousands of guests who have already come in and taken photos in the new space, we hope we have achieved that objective. We are very proud of this new elegant, timeless renovation.” The economist Manfred Keil estimates that the renovation will result in a boost to the local economy of around $20m (E14.7m). This figure takes into account the construction jobs brought about by the renovation
and the ninety positions that have been created as a result of its completion. The bulk of the remaining money is expected to be generated by a fresh influx of tourism. “When a company does something on as grand a scale as a multi-million dollar remodel, it has a nearly immediate effect on many other visitor-based businesses,” said Ken Westmyer, chairman of the Temecula Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.
EXHIBITION
graphic cards and intelligent display solutions.
Advantech-Innocore to feature advances at ICE 2014
FOOTFALL
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Poll finds significant social casino crossover
a bricks-and-mortar property on average with 32 percent replying ‘more than once a week’. Twelve per cent of those asked responded ‘once a week’, with 20 per cent visiting ‘once a month’, while a further 12 per cent went ‘once a year’. There were also nine per cent that replied ‘less than once a year’ with 15 per cent never visiting a land-based casino.
dvantech-Innocore is to showcase products, based on the latest advances in chipsets, CPUs and display solution technologies, at ICE. With development in mind, the company also offer alternative gaming platform solutions such as Mini-ITX motherboards and COM Express modules featuring Intel fourthgeneration Core and AMD Rseries and G-series architectures, plus a full line-up of gaming
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ccording to a recent poll conducted by advanced data analytics and marketing solutions firm Traffic Generation, almost a third of American social casino players regularly visit a landbased casino. To establish the cross-over between social casino and landbased players, Traffic Generation polled 2,118 social casino players and asked them how often they visit
Limited Tradeshow Offer Progressive Jackpot Controller*) Please join us at ICE 2014, booth N4-210 for more amazing tradeshow deals! 84 | casinoreview February 2014
CR136-p84-85-Sectors_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 11:51 Page 2
YXYXYXY SECTORS & SERVICES NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
ACCOUNTS ARCHITECTURE B2C BETTING CATERING EXHIBITIONS FOOTFALL FURNITURE LOTTERIES MEDIA ONLINE GAMING POKER TOURNAMENTS SLOTS SECURITY TABLE GAMES TRADING VIRTUAL SPORTS WAGERING
alongside its own range of proprietary casino table and multi-player skill-based games on its GameStack Internet Gaming System to create ‘one of the widest selections of Class III gaming content available online.
PLATFORM ONLINE GAMING GameAccount signs Konami partnership
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eading iGaming software developer and supplier GameAccount Network has agreed a deal that will see it bring games from Konami Gaming online while additionally providing land-based operators utilising the Konami Synkros management system with its own GameStack Internet Gaming System. Las Vegas-based GameAccount stated that Konami slots will join those from Ainsworth, Incredible Technologies, Scientific Games, Reel Time Gaming, GamoMAT and Multimedia Games
Ibase Technology unveils IB908 computing platform
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ndustrial motherboard and single board computer supplier Ibase Technology Incorporated has premiered its IB908 3.5inch disk-sized embedded computing platform, which supports fourth-generation IntelR CoreT processors. Taipei-based Ibase Technology stated that the IB908 featuring a BGA1168 (MCP) socket is the ideal platform for demanding applications
in space-limited environments that require low power, flexible expansion and superior performance including point-of-sale and kiosk.
World’s first gaming platform specifically for 4K Ultra HD gaming
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uixant will preview its latest gaming platform - the QX-50 Ultra HD - at ICE. Designed to enable slot manufacturers to take advantage of the latest
4K Ultra HD resolution screen technology, it is also supports the new Mantle API. The company has also extended its existing DisplayPort monitor range to include a selection of 4K Ultra HD monitors, designed for gaming.
TAX REVENUES Drop in vital revenue for bankrupt city
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etroit’s total gambling revenue slipped 4.7 per cent to $1.35bn last year, according to recent figures released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The decline means the bankrupt city will receive less revenue from gaming taxes, as the three casinos took in $1.42bn in 2012. A spokesman for Detroit emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, said casino tax revenue is the city’s most stable source of income.
www. steelmanpartners.com
February 2014 casinoreview
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WHY INTERNATIONAL CASINO REVIEW IS THE INDUSTRY’S MEDIA PARTNER OF CHOICE! B
C
A
THE BEST WAY TO REACH OPERATORS A
C
Operators
Regulators/Government/Law
84.2%
2%
Global Circulation
Readership breakdown by sector
16,844
B
13.8% Suppliers
A READERSHIP OF INFLUENCERS AND DECISION MAKERS A
C
C-Levels (chairman, president, CEO, partners)
Senior management (Operational managers, sales/ marketing/PR managers…)
30.1%
C
D
A
20.4%
B
D
Managing directors/ general managers
Others (senior game designers, financial directors…)
46.6%
B
USA/CANADA/CARIBBEAN
2,004 11.9%
Readership breakdown by job title
2.9% B
C
D
A
INCREASING CROSS CHANNEL READERSHIP A
C
Land based casino
2.5% Lottery
B
D
Slot halls/Street gaming
Online/Mobile
62.9% Readership breakdown by type of gaming
PRINT 4,061
16%
18.6%
When the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara wanted to launch it’s gambling tourism vision for the Black Sea resort of Batumi, it immediately turned to Casino Review appointing it as the exclusive media partner. The integrated above and below the line campaign run only through Casino Review exceeded expectations and resulted in 120 investors from 25 countries traveling to Batumi The EXCLUSIVE European media partner for the Association of Gamto do business. ing Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) and the Official Publication of If you want more information on how International Casino Review the European Casino Association (ECA), the magazine is also used can work with you to help achieve your commercial objectives simby Reed Exhibitions to promote G2E Las Vegas and G2E Macau; ply contact Publisher John Sullivan at jsullivan@gbmedia.eu Monografie S.A to promote SAGSE Buenos Aires and by Clarion Events in support of its flagship London event, ICE Totally Gaming and EiG, Barcelona. With such an extensive, worldwide distribution coupled with award winning production and content it’s no surprise that International Casino Review is the preferred media partner for so many leading industry associations, b2b events and commercial organisations throughout the world.
On average, each print copy of International Casino Review is read by
4.13
GLOBAL COVERAGE
readers
WESTERN EUROPE
10,072 59.8%
CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
1,769 10.5% ASIA PACIFIC
1,465 8.7% MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA
539
3.2%
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA
995
5.9%
CIRCULATION BREAKDOWN DIGITAL 12,783
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Focus
FRANCE / GERMANY / NORWAY / UNITED STATES
Online
BUSINESS NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
ONLINE THREATS: “[PLAYERS] FACE RISKS SUCH AS BEING CHEATED, THE THEFT OF THEIR PERSONAL AND BANKING DATA...”
REGULATION
MARKET
Online gambling grows in Germany
N
French regulator launches online awareness campaign
F A public awareness campaign has been launched by French regulator ARJEL to warn players of the dangers of illegal gaming websites.
rance’s Regulatory Authority of Online Games (ARJEL) has launched a public awareness campaign in its fight against operators of unlicensed horse, sports and poker betting. ARJEL’s multimedia campaign, covering radio, print and online, retains the humorous tone of a similar effort broadcast in 2010 and seeks to discourage players from using these illegal websites. Warning players they may be cheated, have their personal and banking information stolen and become unable to obtains their funds, the campaign is supported by national press and radio advertising and a viral internet video bluntly expressing the consequences of illegal gaming. Jean-François Vilotte, ARJEL president, said: “Our objective is to deter players from playing or betting on illegal sites and to empower them in their gambling behaviour. Oth-
88 | casinoreview February 2014
erwise these same players would face risks such as being cheated, the theft of their personal and banking data or not receiving the gains they made.” Dissatisfaction with the French government over several factors affecting the online gaming sector is thought to be behind the authority’s decision to appeal directly to players and the public. ARJEL’s radio campaign will consist of three adverts detailing the risks of using unregulated sites, due to be aired on major radio stations over a two-week period. These will be supported by three print adverts across the national press and a humorous internet video clip that has already achieved over 22,600 views on YouTube. It has been noted that player security and access to funds is not always guaranteed even from operators approved under ARJEL’s regulatory model. A recent case in point is that of
Full Tilt Poker, which was left owing players millions of dollars in payouts after it was shut down suddenly by US legal action. The issue was only resolved when Full Tilt was acquired by rival gaming site PokerStars, itself effected by the same indictment issued by the US Justice Department. The most recent example is that of online poker site MyPok, which had been due to reopen on January 1 after becoming inactive over the last two months of 2013. To date the site remains inactive, with players unable to access their funds from the site. Players that have tried to contact the MyPok customer services have reported that, despite making several attempts, they have yet to receive any reply. It is thought this issue will be at the top of the agenda for Vilotte’s successor as ARJEL president, who was due to be appointed at the end of January.
ew research from the IFO Institute for Economic Research in Munich has found that revenues from online gambling in Germany are far outpacing those seen by the land-based sector. The study from the research organisation affiliated with Munich University’s Center For Economic Studies found that almost $900m (E658m) was gambled over the internet in 2012 while Germany’s 71 bricks-and-mortar casinos and slot parlours took in $735m (E538m). This is in sharp contrast with 2005 when the landbased sector was responsible for total income of almost $1.4bn (E1bn) with iGaming taking in only $269m (E197m). The research details how the dominance of the land-based casino sector held until 2009 when the cumulative effects of a partial indoor smoking ban, detrimental tax rates for bricks-and-mortar venues and a rise in the popularity of iGaming combined to take online gambling beyond its more traditional rival. Last year’s move by the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein to controversially issue 23 licences for virtual casino games along with 25 for remote sportsbetting has also not helped with traditional operators bemoaning the lack of an efficient system of regulation or enforcement. As an added complication, land-based casinos face tough advertising restrictions, strong player identification rules and an inability to offer ATM access. The situation for bricks-and-mortar venues in Germany likely to grow even worse with the central state of Hesse currently coordinating 20 virtual sportsbetting licences that are likely to be valid nationwide and with operator fees based on annual turnover.
agem.org@cox.net
www.agem.org
tracy.cohen@agem-europe.com
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Online
CIty blues 26
ATLANTIC CITY: ONLINE GAMING, WHICH BECAME LEGAL IN NOVEMBER AND VIEWED AS A POSSIBLE LIFELINE, LOOKS UNLIKELY TO DO MUCH MORE THAN SLOW THE CONTINUING DECLINE. MOBILE BETTING REGULATION
CG Technology to pay record settlement for illegal bets complaint Mobile and in-play betting group CG Technology is set to hand over $5.5m in the industry’s largest-ever corporate settlement in the history of Nevada.
Online gaming regulators converge on Rome
obile and in-play betting and gaming technology solutions provider CG Technology - formerly known as Cantor Gaming - has agreed to settle an illegal sports betting complaint by paying the industry’s largest corporate fine in the history of Nevada. CG Technology, an affiliate of global financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, will hand over $5.5m (E4.05m) to the Nevada Gaming Control Board in order to settle an 18-count complaint concerning the actions of its former director of risk management and vicepresident, Michael Colbert. C G Te c h n o l ogy admitted that it had not properly supervised its sportsbook and should have known that Colbert was accepting illegal wagers and actively recruiting bettors. The 33-year-old employee pleaded guilty in the New York federal court in August to one felony conspiracy charge in connection with the nationwide illegal bookmaking ring and is currently awaiting sentencing. The six-page settlement, which was approved by CG Technology chief executive officer Lee Amaitis and Cantor Fitzgerald chairman Howard Lutnick, covers violations of state gaming record-keeping regulations after eight of the 19
Two days of informal talks, exploring a variety of issues including good practices and information sharing. The online sector is within the regulatory bodies’ sight.
M
account wagering applications requested by the audit division of the Nevada Gaming Control Board were missing. CG Technology noted that it has since improved its written policies, especially those related to book wagering, and is working with regulators on records retention. It also stated that it co-operated fully with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and had reported Colbert’s violations once becoming aware of them. The fine levied on CG Technology exceeds the $5m (E3.6m) paid to the Nevada Gaming Control Board over a decade ago by MGM Mirage, which is now known as now MGM Resorts International. That 92count complaint alleged that The Mirage venue had failed to file some 15,000 currency transaction records with the Internal Revenue Service over a two-year period. In 1984, the owners of the Stardust property handed over $3m (E2.2m) in connection with allegations that its owners had failed to prevent organised criminals from skimming gambling revenues, while Ralph Engelstad, late owner of the Imperial Palace, paid $1.5m (E1.1m) four years later after damaging the state’s reputation by holding a pair of Adolf Hitler birthday parties.
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epresentatives of online gambling regulators from Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and the UK converged on Rome recently for two days of informal talks on a variety of issues including good practices and information sharing. The meetings over January 16 and 17 were designed to assist the work of the Group of Experts on Gambling Service, which was created by the European Commission in 2012, and included a visit to national gambling central control systems manager Societe Generale D’Informatica SpA (SOGEI). According to Italy’s Amminis-
R
trazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stado (AAMS) regulator, participants shared their views on skill games, the regulatory evolution of numerous domestic markets, technical standards, control systems differences and the exchange of standardised market data along with legal issues linked to the exchange of personal data. Attendees also focused on ways they could deter suppliers from providing unlicensed operators with products and more effectively cooperate in combating illegalities including the scope for support from the Euro-
pean Commission. In addition, the group looked at methods that could allow them to better share data while respecting local requirements, produce comparable market data and maintain high player and public protection standards with consideration for multi-jurisdictional licensees’ regulatory costs. However, the talks surprisingly did not explore the issue of shared liquidity, which could still be on this year’s agenda with Spain and Italy leading the way following a decision from the French Parliament not to amend its current gambling laws.
INNOVATION
Norsk Tipping ramps up online offering
F
acing competition from foreign players, Norsk Tipping, Norway’s stateowned gaming group, has rolled out 65 new games for online and mobile betting. The games, which span the casino and bingo sectors, mark an “exciting new era” in the history of Norsk Tipping, according to CEO Torbjorn Amlid. “Through this new initiative, we are well equipped to meet the increasing competition from abroad with attractive games within a responsible frame-
work,” Amlid said. “This is a necessary and important modernisation of [our] games portfolio. Customers expect us to have a good selection of gaming, and so far we have been weak on this type of digital games, which has led to foreign players, who do not have a licence in Norway, to gain a foothold. Some of the new games will include a ‘chat’
function, and Norsk Tipping is also launching a service that will help players keep track of how much they are gambling. Every penny of Norsk Tipping’s profits go to charitable causes, sports, culture and voluntary organisations, with the Norwegian parliament deciding how profits are distributed. More games will follow this year, Amlid stated.
STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME IN ASIA May 20-22, 2014 The Venetian Macao
A G2E Event
Organized by
www.G2EAsia.com
Sponsored by
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Events
BILOXI / BOGATA / MACAU / PUERTO RICO / SAN DIEGO / TOKYO
& Diary
MAY 20-22 G2E ASIA THE VENETIAN MACAU
G2E ASIA
G2E Asia on track for successful 2014
G2E Asia, the annual Asian gaming exhibition and conference, has been confirmed for May 2022 at The Venetian Macau.
W
ith some 95 per cent of its exhibition space already sold to companies from around the globe, the upcoming edition of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia is on track to deliver anothe premier outing for the region’s gaming fraternity. Scheduled to be held from May 20-22 at The Venetian Macau, G2E 2014 will see exhibitors including TransAct Technologies Limited, Gamesman Limited, The United States Playing Card Company, Geoffrey Parker Games Limited, TCS John Huxley and Aristocrat showing their latest innovations while an extensive conference programme is due to cover the latest topics facing the industry such as marketing, risk management, finance and non-gaming amenities. “No other gaming expo in the region integrates a lively exhibition with an outstanding conference that features high-level speakers and unmatched educational content for gaming professionals,” read a statement from organiser Reed Exhibitions
which is keen to up its game in the region. “The G2E Asia conference programme, rated by many as the best in the region, is where the gaming industry’s most influential thought-leaders, innovators and decision-makers congregate for three days of lively discussion and expert analysis.” The Players Club VIP programme, which successfully debuted last year, is set to make a welcome return bringing hundreds of purchasing professionals and decisionmakers from Asia’s premier casinos, integrated resorts, hotel properties and cruises face-to-face with the vendors of their most sought-after products and solutions. The organiser stated that buyers at this year’s edition of the invitation-only event will represent some of the industry’s key markets including Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines in addition to non-Asia locales. “An expanded show in 2014 promises participants greater value than ever before,” Reed explained.
“In keeping with the event’s tradition of mirroring industry demand and anticipating emerging trends, the G2E Asia 2014 show floor will have dedicated pavilions for business solutions and training, security and surveillance and iGaming; all integral parts of the modern gaming landscape.” Now in its eighth year, visitor numbers at G2E Asia 2014, which was developed in partnership with the American Gaming Association, could well surpass last year’s 5,851 from 72 countries and regions there to see products from exhibitors including FutreLogic Asia, Gaming Laboratories International, Astro Corporation, Spielo International, Aruze Gaming, SHFL Entertainment, Amatic Industries, Merkur Gaming and WMS Gaming. G2E Asia May 20-22, 2014 The Venetian Macau www.g2easia.com
w w w. j c m g l o b a l . c om
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& Diary
EVENTS & DIARY NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
| DIARY
CARIBBEAN GAMING SHOW
Puerto Rico opens door to Caribbean gaming prospects
19-21 ENADA Spring, Rimini, Italy www.enadaprimavera.it 23-24 FADJA Corferias, Bogota, Colombia www.fadja.com 25-27 FER-Interazar 2014, Spain www.ferinterazar.c
APRIL 2014 6-8 Southern Gaming Summit and Bingo World Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, US www.sgsummit.com
MAY 2014 for visitors available from the Sheraton Puerto Rico alongside reduced airfares courtesy of American Airlines. “As a crossing point between North America, Europe and Latin America, the Caribbean has the world’s most significant and dynamic islands and countries and is host to the most important casinos and hotels,” the show organisers declared. “Huge business perspectives are born every year and great gaming enterprises are still present and growing Under this umbrella, gaming, tourism, lotteries and the
India comes to the States he Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention is a four-day event scheduled at the San Diego Convention Centre, USA. The event will showcase game technology, laser etching and design, cards, modular systems, security systems, constructions materials and payment solutions in the sporting goods, toys and games industry.
BRIEFS
T
leisure industry remain some of the safest and most attractive for investors. More than 200 casinos offer resources for profitable business with your company and [this is] combined with flexible and reliable legislation in all Caribbean countries to make the region currently the optimal place for gambling growth.” Caribbean Gaming Show and Summit March 19-20, 2014 Puerto Rico Convention Center, Puerto Rico www.caribbeangamingshow.com
iGaming Affiliates & Products Conference, discussing social casino games which occupy a unique segment within the social gaming market, and the growing segment faces its own set of questions, opportunities and challenges. Latin American i-Gaming Conference March 20 Puerto Rico Convention Centre San Juan
Indian Gaming 2014 Tradeshow & Convention May 11-14, 2014 San Diego
South American gamizng industry on the agenda Learning Latin he Latin America iGaming market is one of the fastest growing worldwide. CGS Group Investments LLC will host the first Latin American
94 | casinoreview February 2014
MARCH 2014
19-20 Caribbean Gaming Show and Summit Puerto Rico Convention Center, Puerto Rico www.caribbeangamingshow.com
M
T
4-6 ICE Totally Gaming ExCeL, London www.icetotallygaming.com 18 Latin America Casino Forum San Juan de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico www.cflatam.net
The fifth edition of influential Caribbean Gaming Show and Summit is scheduled to run from March 19 to 20 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. embers of the casino and gaming industries are being invited to attend the 2014 edition of the Caribbean Gaming Show and Summit in March, for two days of conferences, seminars and networking opportunities alongside the chance to view some of the latest products and innovations. Scheduled to run from March 19 and 20 inside the giant Puerto Rico Convention Center in the capital of San Juan, the fifth edition of the Caribbean Gaming Show and Summit will see a multitude of leading local and international companies exhibiting their wares such as Bally Technologies, TCS John Huxley, Ortiz Gaming, SHFL Entertainment, Amatic Industries and Novomatic, while daily conference sessions are set to cover some of the most important subjects facing the industry today. Other companies expected to exhibit include Ainsworth Game Technology, Gaming Laboratories International, Bet Construct, BMM Testlabs, Zuum, Axis Communications, R Franco, Gasser Chair Company, Knockout Gaming and Slot-Tickets Worldwide with discounted hotel rates
FEBRUARY 2014
ADJA has served as a good marketing tool for manufacturers, plus national and international operators, in the South American gaming industry - a forum for buyers and sellers. Marketing strate-
F
7-8 SAGSE Central America and Caribbean El Panama Hotel, Panama www.sagsecc.com 11-14 Indian Gaming 2014 San Diego Convention Center, US www.indiangaming.org 14-16 Japan Gaming Congress (JgC) Tokyo, Japan www.japangamingcongress.com
gies for the Andean region will be discussed, in addition to the effectiveness and productivity. Feria Andina De Juegos De Azar Andean Gaming Trade Show April 23 & 24 Corferias, Bogota, Columbia
Big in Japan here will be a first opportunity to engage with key influencers shaping the Japanese casino market. Join members of government, industry leaders and distinguished local and international market representatives as they discuss the latest developments for what analysts predict to be a potential $20bn market as Japan looks poised to dispose of regulatory barriers.
T
Japan Gaming Congress May 14-16, 2014 Tokyo
CR136-p93-95-Events_Coinslot NEW 02/02/2014 11:46 Page 3
Diary Check: Japan Gaming Congress May 14-16
G2E ASIA: “AN EXPANDED SHOW IN 2014 PROMISES PARTICIPANTS GREATER VALUE THAN EVER BEFORE,”
SOUTHERN GAMING SUMMIT
Southern hospitality returns in May The Southern Gaming Summit will open on May 6 with on opening address from Tilman Fertitta.
T
he 21st edition of the Southern Gaming Summit is scheduled to run from May 6 to 8 from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi offering attendees the chance to see products and services for a broad range of industry segments including commercial and tribal casinos, racetrack gaming and bingo. Being held alongside the companion Bingo World Conference and Expo Bingo show, this year’s Southern Gaming Summit is also set to feature a conference
programme consisting of 16 breakout sessions focused on a broad range of issues of interest to the commercial and tribal gaming sectors with nine of these offering qualified attendees CLE and CPE continuing education credits. The latest instalment of the Southern Gaming Summits already lists International Game Technology, Aristocrat, Konami, Gaming Laboratories International, Aruze Gaming, Bally Technologies and Galaxy Gaming among its many sponsors.
Also on the schedule will be an opening keynote address from Tilman Fertitta, CEO for gaming and entertainment firm Landry’s Incorporated, while Geoff Freeman, President and CEO for the American Gaming Association, will close proceedings following a similar oration. Finally, there are due to be a plethora of networking opportunities with the popular opening day Global Gaming Women Luncheon at the nearby Hard Rock Hotel and Casino returning on May 6 while the opening day
will also feature a golf tournament at Windance Country Club alongside a welcome reception at the Golden Nugget later in the evening.
Southern Gaming Summit May 6-8, 2014 Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, USA www.sgsummit.com
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February 2014 casinoreview
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So spin the platinum record, groove to the music, and join the world’s greatest superstar for a winning performance! © 2014 Triumph International, Inc. under license from Bravado Merchandising. All rights reserved. © 2014 Bally Technologies. All rights reserved.Images are for illustration purposes only and are subject to change.
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