IGA Special 2018 Infinity Gaming Magazine

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE94 2018

GAMING + ARTICLES + BUSINESS+ GLOBAL+ ONLINE + NEWS

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51 ECA APOLOGISE

38 THE GENERATION GAME Christina Thakor-Rankin

54 TIMES ARE CHANGING Teresa Tunstall

Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in all external articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Infinity Gaming Magazine Any content provided by our feature writers or authors are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any religion, ethic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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4 EDITOR NOTES Lana welcomes you to the latest edition of Infinity Gaming Magazine.

6 OUR WRITERS Meet our feature writers, the superb writers on our rosta.

08 IGA11 WINNERS See who made it

10 SEE WHAT IS GOING ON

08

At the IGA11 this year

38 GENERATION GAME Christina Thakor-Rankin

AND THE WINNERS ARE See who made it at IGA11

46 RELATIONSHIPS Lee-Ann Johnstone

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

51 ECA APOLOGISE

Lee-Ann Johnstone

26 46

54 TIMES ARE CHANGING Teresa Tunstall

55 NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

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A note from the editor CONTACT US Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK Tel: +44(0)1543 478 889 PRODUCTION Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK

The best night of the year has just happened

PUBLISHING Infinity Gaming Magazine is operated by © Clever Duck Media Ltd ®

Lana Thompson - Editor

Welcome to the post IGA11 edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine

Welcome to the Infinity Gaming Maga-

You would think would be enough but

zine, this special edition celebrates the

no we have our super three writers of-

very best within our industry with the

fering some interesting thoughts with

11th International Gaming Awards win-

articles from Lee-Ann Johnstone, Teresa

ners inside.

Tunstall and Christina Thakor-Rankin.

It was a superb night at the Grosvenor

I will let you get on with reading all the

House in Londons Park Lane and all the

superb articles as always and till next

attendees looked superb.

time.

As always the gaming industry came out

“To Infinity and Beyond!”

and supported our focsed charity Care International, thank you all so much.

Regards,

I want to congratulate all the winners on

Lana

the evening, it was a tough year with so many strong finalists, it was a difficult decision for our judges and I want to thank them all for their time and support.

So enjoy all the photos we have for you not just of the ceremony but the fun we had before and during.

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The Editor

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Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com Editorial Content & PR media@cleverduckmedia.com

presents

created by

The first of a new generation of independent game builders. microgaming.co.uk/studios Š 2018 Playboy Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Infinity Gaming Magazine Contributing Writers A magazine is only as good as the content inside and with some of the leading specialists within the gaming industry. With specialised articles covering customer service, the gaming law, new prducts, technology and current affairs with the sector the Infinity Gaming Magazine is delighted to showcase our superb line-up of contributing writers.

Christina Thakor-Rankin Christina is Principal Consultant at 1710 Gaming Ltd, a specialist betting and gaming consultancy, delivering a range of services including licensing and compliance (incl. regulation, money laundering and social responsibility), business start-up, training and strategic reengineering, project management, research, business analysis and development, to start-ups and established multi-national operators and providers, gambling regu-

lators, law enforcement and government agencies, media, and specialist interest groups and associations within the sector, in both established and emerging markets across the world.

www.1710gaming.com

Teresa Tunstall – Independent Gaming Consultant After many years of working in casinos in the UK and on USA ships as a croupier and inspector, Teresa turned from ‘poacher to gamekeeper,’ spending 16 years with GamCare, who offer help and support to those who develop problems with their gambling.

Teresa now works independently consulting on all issues relating to Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling.

Working closely with the betting and gaming industry, She developed strong links delivering Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling training around the world, from Antigua to Moscow, and Auditing in the UK.

To contact Teresa regarding consulting please email: Teresatunstall1@gmail.com

Lee-Ann Johnstone - CEO Best Odds Marketing With almost two decades of digital marketing and affiliate experience gained within retail, payments and blue chip iGaming brands, Lee-Ann has a wealth of expertise as an award winning digital marketing expert and business mentor. She is the creator of AffiliateFEST, founder of Best Odds Marketing a digital consultancy specialising in affiliate marketing and recently launched Affiliate Insider offering training, events and business development for the affiliate channel.

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www.affiliateinsider.com|www.bestoddsmarketing.com

2 0 1 8 I N T E R N AT I O N A L

GAMING AWARDS AT T H E

GROSVENOR HOUSE HOTEL 5th Februar y 2018

9 S E C T I O N T I T L E

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10 MAG A Z I N E

The Champagne Reception Sponsored by Videoslots.com

Above Selfie time 1 0

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hen you have a chance to speak to some of the leading figures from the online and land based

gambling industry Clever Duck Media and our interviewer Lyndsey Vickers did not miss the opportunity.

The team were on hand to turn on the lights and record some truly memorable moments from the Champagne Reception sponsored by online operator Videoslots. The reception party was in full swing thanks to the superb tunes from our live group.

With the champagne flowing and the music attendees were relaxed talking to our intrepid reporter about what their companies had planned for 2018 and beyond.

As always with the International Gaming Awards there were some glamorous dresses by the ladies and all the men dressesd to impress.

This is a night for the entire gambling industry to get together and celebrate their and others achievements.

The setting for the 11th International Gaming Awards was Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane and attendees were treated to the highest level of service only one of the most exclusive hotels in the World can deliver.

Everything was in place for what was going to be one of the best nights ever for the awards ceremony and all those in attendance.

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Above Photos Relaxing at the Champagne

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12 MAG A Z I N E

Above & Right Everywhere you looked great dresses and the men were well dressed too.

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13 S E C T I O N T I T L E

Top Champagne Reception Sponsors Videoslots

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Right & Far Right Interview time

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Left & Above Attendees enjoying the Champagne Reception

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16 MAG A Z I N E

Right Cheers

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17 S E C T I O N T I T L E

AboveThe IGA Bar Left Time for that momento

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18 MAG A Z I N E

Taking Care Industry supporting Care International

E

very year at the International Gaming Awards we

CARE and women

encourage the entire gambling industry to come out and help support one of the hardest working

CARE tackles the underlying causes of poverty so that people can

and global reaching charities, the charity being

become self-sufficient. Recognising that women and girls suffer

Care International. Over the ten years now we have

disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on

raised hundred of thousands of pounds for Care

working with women to create permanent social change. Women

and other deserving charities. It is only with the help, support and

are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve

encouragement of those attending are we able to support them, this

basic education, increase access to quality healthcare and expand

year we were lucky to have Alea & Caesars Entertainment offer to be

economic opportunity for all.

charity sponsors.

CARE International is Here is a little about Care

non-religious and non-political,

International and why the

allowing us to deliver

International Gaming Awards

humanitarian and development

works all year round to support

assistance to anyone in need

them:

regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, political

CARE fights poverty and

view or sexual orientation.

injustice in 86 countries around the world to help the world’s

With more than 60 years’

poorest people find routes out

practical and hands-on

of poverty. CARE also delivers

experience, our programmes

emergency aid to survivors of

tackle the deep-seated root

war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives in the aftermath. causes of poverty, not just the consequences.

CARE’s mission is to create lasting change in poor communities and put money where it is needed most:

More than 90 per cent of our 13,000-plus staff are locally-hired, and we increasingly look to

94 pence in every pound goes towards our poverty fighting

work alongside local organisations.

programmes - that’s one of the highest rates among all the UK aid agencies.

CARE’s vision for a world without poverty

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Above Vahe Baloulian wins the auction for the Neymar JR Signed Shirt. Thank you Vahe INFINITY GAMING

And the winners are....

MARCH 2017

Left BBIN Wins Asia Focused Technology Supplier Below Betradar wins eSports Betting Software

Below PokerStars NJ Picks up Gaming Operator US

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The Ritz Club 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BS +44 (0)20 7499 1818 www.theritzclub.com @TheRitzClub

Outstanding Contribution Award S E C T I O N T I T L E

Dave Allen

A Special Moment

Watching the award video

The Life

The IGA works closely with family and work colleagues to ensure the biggest and most important award is kept as a surprise and this year was no different as Dave Allen was genuinely shocked to receive the honour.

Dave Allen is the Chairman of A&S Leisure on stage after finding out he was the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution Award for 2018. Secrecy kept it between family and his company.

The Outstanding recipient Dave Allen makes his acceptance speech to the packed main hall at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane London.

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24 MAG A Z I N E

Above Caesars EMEA wins Gaming Operator Europe Above Right Galaxy Entertainment wins Integrated Resort Above Astropay picks up Payment Processing Company

Below Microgaming wins iGaming Software Supplier

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Above SBTech scoops Mobile Product Award

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Above Mansion wins Online Casino Operator Left Cherry wins Mobile Operator Right The Ritz Club wins Socially Responsible Operator Landbased

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Winning an award You got to thank people

Above Melco Resorts Entertainment wins Gaming Operator Australia/Asia Right The Award for Online Gaming Operator goes to William Hill

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Top And the winner of Live Casino of the Year goes to Leo Vegas Above Play’n GO scoops Slot Provider of the Year Left Lottery Product Award goes to IGT 2 9

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Above Online Poker Operator went to Kindred for Unibet Poker

Above Bethard is the place to work after scooping Great Place to Work Award Right Yggdrasil wins Innovator Supplier

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Above Caesars wins Gaming Operator Europe

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And The Winners are The Final few but some big names

Above SlotsMillion win Innovator Operator Award Right Sports Betting Operator Award went to ComeOn

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MARCH 2017

Above Mr Green wins Socially Responsible Online Left Betconstruct scoops Technology Provider Below Videoslots Team wins Slots Operator Award

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Right & Far Right Don’t ask what is happening here, if you were not there you missed it!

MAG A Z I N E

The now traditional winners photograph of all the category winners from the evening. The excitement of winning was all a bit too much for some.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists and thank you so much for a fantastic photo.

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MARCH 2016 2017 S E C T I O N T I T L E

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Reed To Set Guidelines On Promotional Models At G2E

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dress the issue of more appropriate dress. We look forward to working with our partners to address this issue together.�

Melissa Ashley the Senior Vice President at Reed told the iGaming Post that “In cooperation with our exhibitors, the G2E team has been working on a commitment to ad-

However when pushed to clarify if this meant that Reed would set out guidelines on behavior and attire by promotional staff at their next event Ashley confirmed that indeed they would set out new guidelines.

Clarion Gaming came under fire from multiple national newspapers during the ICE Totally Gaming Expo for not controlling the use of promotional staff by exhibitors which sometimes only wore body paint

ollowing the national newspaper coverage at the recent ICE Totally Gaming Expo organised by Clarion Gaming regarding the inappropriate use of promotional models and what they wear at a B2B industry event, Reed Exhibitions the organiser of both G2E and G2E Asia has said it will set out guidelines to exhibitors prior to the next expo.

and others pole dancing.

Sarah Harrison the chief executive of the Gambling Commission said that some women (promotion girls) at the Expo were wearing little more than swimsuits, while the men walked about wearing smart suits.

It now seems that Reed want to avoid any negative reaction at their two flagship events and will in the coming months work on standards for exhibitors on the use of promotional models.

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The Generation Game why the debate about promo girls at ICE is critical to the future of gaming

ICE 2018 went to places ICE has never been before

By Christina Thakor-Rankin

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irstly, there was the note from Clarion and the European Casino Association a few weeks before the event asking that exhibitors take a less sexualised approach to the promotion of products and brands, compared to previous years, followed by a warning from Sarah Harrison, CEO of the Gambling Commission that the regulator might consider boycotting future events if the issue was not addressed.

Secondly, and perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly in view of the above, the events at ICE made the headlines in the UK media, with video footage of pole-dancers and anecdotal comments highlighting the experiences of some of the promotional girls; Thirdly, there was the ‘industry’ reaction to all of this – a combination of quasi-defensive backlash

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on behalf of the industry involving tradition and the rights of businesses and promotional girls to do as they liked within the parameters of the law and proactive championing of views and commitment to action in the future; There was nothing particularly surprising or remarkable about any of this. The gambling sector does not operate in a vacuum and it was almost inevitable that against a backdrop of #metoo, the President’s Club dinner and F1 grid girls and in a time where attitudes are changing and calling out ‘inappropriate’ behaviour is de rigueur, ICE 2018 was likely to hit the headlines.

What is interesting is the reactions to the headlines and the various discussions regarding cause, effect and resolution to what is already a highly charged and emotive topic,

across discussion panels, blogs and social media.

These range from the issue being symptomatic of an industry which for too long has been dominated by men at the top, and one which can be addressed by having more women in senior and board level positions via quotas or positive discrimination; to a defence of tradition and the right of businesses and women to do as they wish within the parameters of the law; to the suggestion that this is a fringe issue which is the by-product of ‘a small bunch of privileged women from outside our industry are trying to impose their own political agenda on an industry they dont (sic) know and possibly dont (sic) like’ (- the ‘privileged women’ in question being confirmed in a separate post as ‘Clarion and the Commission’); to, in the absence of a cohesive argument, simple

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dismissal of a female casino director’s

tional girls is on trend and has helped

cessity - usually war, which saw women

views on the matter as ‘She’s not even

to elevate the discussion about women

entering the workplace to fill a gap, or

a proper industry female. At the end of

and the way in which the industry is

economic boom which saw women and

the day she is a casino dealer that got

represented and viewed by the wider

immigrants entering the workplace to

lucky. Little talent and no idea.’

world to the forefront, the real issue

fill a gap. We are about to hit another

goes way beyond this and encompasses

tipping point. The global workplace is

Whilst most of the points made in re-

all aspects of diversity, equality and in-

about to see one of the biggest shifts

spect of cause, effect and resolution

clusion.

ever – e-v-e-r, and what we are expe-

all carry varying degrees of validity and

riencing right now whether it be talk

rationale they would only be applica-

To be clear, this is not due to some per-

about gender pay or promotional girls is

ble if we were having this conversation

sonal or political agenda, feminist or

the start of a transitional period which

5 years ago. In 2018 they are already

left-wing leanings or the desire to be

will see attitudes and approaches to

heading towards redundancy – by the

politically correct or jump on any on

workplace practices completely turned

end of the decade they will almost cer-

trend bandwagon – the driver is simply

on their heads.

tainly be invalid in some parts of the

commercial and economic imperative.

world.

Whilst the discussion about promo-

The cause of this seismic shift is one Historically, changes in workplace prac-

that is all too familiar to this industry –

tices have been driven by economic ne-

the ‘millennials’. The biggest

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THE GENERATION GAME

By Christina Thakor-Rankin And then there is the ‘snowflake’ generation, very sensitive and easily offended by views and opinions that do not coincide with their own – a group which considers F1 grid girls as a throw-back to the days where the role of women in sport was merely decorative and therefore no longer appropriate in today’s world, but singers in provocative music videos and reality stars posting top-less selfies as empowering. And confusing and conflicting as this might be, this is going to be the new reality.

generation group ever by 2020 (in less

• 58% would take a 15% pay cut if it

than 2 years) they will form 50% of the

meant working for a company with val-

global workforce, by 2030 75%.

ues like (their) own;

They and their progeny - ‘generation z’

• 45% would take a 15% pay cut if it

that millennials do not like gambling.

(gender neutral and actively resisting

meant a job with a positive environ-

In fact, more would rather visit an art

stereo-typing and categorisation) and

mental or social impact; and

gallery than a casino.

fended and capable of starting an ar-

• 35% would take a 15% pay cut if it

As an industry we have already failed

gument in an empty room) have an en-

meant working for a company with a

to attract millennials as customers -

tirely different approach to life, love and

commitment to corporate social respon-

we cannot afford to miss them as em-

the pursuit of happiness:

sibility.

ployees too. This is not about women,

And if this wasn’t enough to be going on with there is the added frisson

the ‘snowflake generation’ (easily of-

gender, quotas, preserving traditions • 91% say they expect to stay at the

If this was not enough meet ‘generation

or trading insults. We need to get over

same job for less than 3 years;

z’ – gender fluid and very much ‘against

ourselves and start taking a long hard

traditional gender or linear definitions

look at how the rest of the world views

• 81% think they should be able to set

of sexuality’ according to researcher Lu-

and sees this industry and accept that

their own working hours;

cie Greene, trend forecaster at J Walter

we need to make significant changes

Thompson.

in the way in which we think and act, so that we are able to attract the inves-

• 70% want ‘me time’ at work; This is a group already starting to make

tors, the employees and the customers

• 76% think their boss could learn from

their mark with a number of countries

of tomorrow - if we don’t, gambling

them;

formally acknowledging the existence

could become something we used to

of the non-binary Gender X (including

do.

When it comes to aspirations 52% rate

Nepal, Australia and a couple of states

being a good parent as their primary

in the US) on official documents such as

This is not about the future of promo-

objective, only 15% aspire to a high-

passports and driving licenses.

tional girls this is about the future of the industry.

earning career.

Whilst the idea of the 30% Club and This alone requires a complete re-think

50:50 gender targets are a nice idea in

READ More from Christina Thakor-

of traditional working practices and pol-

theory, in those countries where a third

Rankin next month in the Infinity Gam-

icies from recruitment to co-parenting

gender is now formally recognised,

ing Magazine.

leave, but throw in the following and for

50:50 is no longer a move towards posi-

the gambling industry things just got a

tive gender affirmation, it is now sexual

little bit harder:

discrimination.

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Mixed Results For H1 At Star Entertainment

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ustralian casino operator Star Entertainment had a mixed bag of results for the half yearly report, revenues for H1 saw a rise of 15.9% to $1.36 billion ($1.07 billion). However the profit on the revenue rise did not materialise as their VIP customers had better than expected results.

In the companies International VIP section of business the win rate was 1.06% compared to 1.62% for the same period last year. Profit in total after tax came in for the half year marker at $120 million which is a rise of 12.4% but with one off costs such as debt restructuring the company posted a drop of 77% from last year to $33 million.

Matt Bekier the CEO and Managing Director of Star Entertainment said, “We continue to moderate the reliance on North Asian visitation, and our expansion into other international markets has been supported by the bolstering of sales teams to cover a larger and more balanced footprint.”

“The start to the second half of FY2018 has been mixed,” Bekier said. “Direct comparisons with the prior corresponding period are difficult given the different timings of Lunar New Year and the relatively short period of trading. We are seeing pleasing performances in the Queensland properties and continued strength in the international business. Trading in Sydney has been softer than expected in the early parts of this year.”

“The full year FY2018 result may be impacted by several factors (which may be material in nature) including general macro-economic conditions, potential hold and win rate volatility in the private gaming room and International VIP Rebate business, level of debt or provisions, success of the Group’s marketing programs and any uncertainty related to the regulatory environment.”

California No Online Poker This Year But High Hopes For 2019 Online poker in California is not going to happen in 2018, with just today left for filling any bill in support of internet poker in the state its main champion Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who has for the past ten years filled a bill proposing online poker is not doing so this year.

With two groups of Indian Tribes unable to agree on the legislation for online poker over the years it is almost certain to stay in the “California Dreaming” column for another year.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians who have an agreement with PokerStars to operate online poker should it ever happen want PokerStars included in any legislation. However Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians have no such deal and want PokerStars excluded.

Over the years these two groups have not moved an inch in working out their differences and Jones-Sawyer has

given up going for another bill this year while both parties remain entrenched in their positions.

But next year it is expected that should Sports betting become legal in states following the hoped for decision by the US Supreme court in the case involving New Jersey, California would propose a bill to enter the sports betting business.

Could the forward motion with sports betting (if it happens) help California bring in both sports betting and tag along online poker at the same time?

Some supporters believe that 2019 could be the year that both tribes see benefits in both areas and the dream for California to join the online gambling industry could become reality.

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Relationship Building and Why Mentoring is so Important for Entrepreneurial Affiliate Businesses

By Lee-Ann Johnstone

W

ithin the affiliate marketing space, those that build solid relationships are often the most successful irrespective of the size of their sites.

Building up these relationships and receiving mentorship can make a drastic difference to your outcome, but why is this so important?

Do People - really Buy People?

This adage is common because it’s true, we can all think of a time when we’ve chosen to work with someone over a competitor because we like them. If you get out there, make a good impression and build upon the positive relationships as you create a network of partners that will support your business growth. The businesses that find value in working with you when you are small, are the one’s that will help you develop as you grow big. Trust is a major form of building new relationships. You’ll be able to tell , in the first 10 minutes

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talking to an affiliate manager if they are knowledgeable and willing to develop a relationship that will help your business grow alongside theirs.

It’s this gut instinct that allows us to build good relationships. These partners will think of you when they need a new affiliate or help, which can open yet more doors for you. They may even introduce you to another partner or supplier that can benefit your affiliate business - saving you time or money.

What Makes a Good Affiliate/Affiliate Manager Relationship?

This one is pretty easy, as we all know how we’d like to be treated by the other half of the partnership.

Being responsive and respectful on both sides makes for a much better working relationship overall. Affiliate managers who invest in self education to keep abreast of digital skills is essential. Affiliates are the front line

of a brands acquisition and when their account managers understand the pitfalls they face on a realistic standing to drive traffic volume - it makes it easier to negotiate solid commercial terms. Affiliate managers need to understand the depth of each affiliate they work with as a unique business and approach them with a custom tailored strategy to get results.

Knowledge, Commercial Acumen and Trust are key to making an affiliate - affiliate manager relationship stay solid.

What are the 3 basic rules of building a good relationship?

Building a relationship cannot happen without three basic elements; trust, honesty and respect. If you treat all of your business contacts with trust, honesty and respect – then you will find that they begin to come by preference to you over

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anyone else , regardless of the revenue share price you are paying.

At a recent affiliate event there were new partners attacking the market place with unrealistic commission offers. (80% in one instance). Affiliates questioned the reality and longevity of a relationship with a brand willing to give away 80% of their net profit to build a direct relationship. Why? Because they understand that if they are giving away so much - will then still be around as an operator to pay life time revenue share after a few months are gone? Whilst it could be seen as a great lead generation marketing tactic, it could also backfire and breed mistrust.

Keep it simple - good, honest, trustworthy dealings are more than enough to build a long standing relationship that works commercially

for both sides.

This brings us on to the next question of how to compete commercially.

A good relationship can actually overcome a commercial negotiation deadlock.

Being unable to reach an agreement with an affiliate manager is a nightmare, as it seems the deadlock will never end. They want , you need to give. Sometimes a misunderstanding of what is actually possible in terms of delivery given the business structure and competitive nature is all that stands in the way. That the a total lack of relationship building where you can talk frankly and expertly to come to a reasonable solution. While having a relationship there won’t mean they automatically give you what you want, you’re more likely to be able to communicate effectively and reach an alternative agreement that fits both parties than when you have no

personal standing with the person you speak to. When you get to know affiliate managers, you’ll know who will give you some leeway and who will be firm on their deals, then you can use this to your advantage.

A Good Relationship Continues to Evolve An evolving relationship will allow both partners to thrive, as you introduce one another to new contacts and learn from one another. Affiliates need to cling onto anything that can give them the edge and a little insider knowledge from an affiliate manager might just give you the jump on your competition. Affiliate Marketing is based on Symbiotic TrustThe whole concept of affiliate marketing is to find a mutually beneficial agreement between two parties. There already has to be a level of trust between one another, trust that traffic will be

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Enquiries@RedTigerGaming.com

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www.RedTigerGaming.com

By Lee-Ann Johnstone

delivered and that the manager will help the affiliate grow. Most affiliates know that if that trust is betrayed, there’s no coming back from that.

Should I consider using a Mentor for my business? What Expertise do you really get from a Mentor?

Mentors will be able to share a lot of their own experiences with you, as well as identifying areas for growth that you may just not see in your own business because you are working hard on delivering the day to day activities. They give you an increased amount of accountability, and can also offer invaluable perspective to help you see your business from the outside - like others do. If you have a goal to reach and your mentor is pushing you towards it – you’re more likely to do what’s necessary to achieve it. This

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can be a major issue for small business owners, as you don’t have the same accountability and motivation over time. Mentors are able to bootstrap your business development, as they guide you through scenarios that they’ve already experienced. Working with a mentor that has experience in the same industry will stop you from making rookie mistakes and even introduce you to the right contacts. Your business will thrive with the help of an experienced hand to guide the ship.

tically improve your business. Some connections could take you years to make, or you may miss out on them entirely, without the guidance of a mentor.

What Mentoring offers you

Taking time to work ON your business is just as important as working IN it.

Understanding the value of building solid relationships really does impact your bottom line and can help you navigate tough commercial situations for the perfect outcome.

Mentoring as a whole just gives you a chance to learn from someone that’s been there and done that. You can learn from them and their networks in order to gain momentum in your business. Their networks of contacts can give you opportunities that can dras-

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GAMING NEWS

ECA Admits Failings in Diversity

F

ollowing the article on the European Casino Associations (ECA) during the recent ICE Expo failure to show diversity in their selection of the Board for the Association, the Chairman of the ECA Per Jaldung has issued a direct message to the iGaming Post on the article.

“You are absolutely right. It’s not good enough, and that is why the ECA since 2016 is dedicated to improve the gender diversity and to help increase the number of women in top management positions in the casino industry ECA is presently forming alliances with different companies and organizations involved and we will use our network to make a positive change.

Unfortunately it is a slow process, but we are doing our best to speed it up. Some stakeholders and other have ducked behind bushes for years, and they are now jumping on the bandwagon. Sadly they are often contra-productive.”

The iGaming Post thanks the Chairman for recognising the issues the ECA has and indeed some in our industry on failing to recognise diversity within the business. We will be following the ECA closely in future to see how far they will move

towards being a more inclusive organisation that represents the gaming industry in Europe.

However to do this the ECA needed to recognise their errors and so in doing this it is the first step towards correcting them.

Sadly Clarion Gaming has made no announcement in their own failings at ICE towards all exhibitors, the iGaming Post released an article last week on Clarion Gaming only contacting some exhibitors two weeks before the event on being more inclusive towards promotional staff.

The iGaming Post has learnt since that some exhibitors did not even get that email and with just two weeks remaining before ICE it was too late.

We are asking Clarion Gaming for a statement to know exactly what they intend to do going forward to avoid the huge negative press reaction to the ICE Expo 2018 and the damage it has done to many companies.

Will Clarion Gaming announce proper guidelines for exhibitors for 2019 in relation to promotional staff and what is deemed acceptable for a

B2B event?

UPDATE: Kate Chambers, the Managing Director of Clarion GaminG Said in a statement: “Our campaign to encourage respectful representation of women began over a year ago, prior to the 2017 edition of ICE. The majority of the senior team at Clarion Gaming is female and our strategy has been to drive a cultural change, which hopefully has a degree of permanency rather than a proscriptive change.

While I think we have achieved some success adopting this strategy, moving forward we will be taking a greater degree of control over this important issue and updating our position in partnership with our stakeholders. Wherever Clarion Gaming operates in the world it does so with the support of the industry we set out to serve and we will be canvassing stakeholders through our Ampersand Think Tank and research initiative that enables us to communicate directly with the industry. Following this process, we will produce an Action Plan of deliverables for wider consultation and I would ask members of the industry who would like to be part of that process to contact me directly. The Action Plan will apply to all of our brands.”

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GAMING NEWS

53

Hard Rock and GIG Partner Up to Launch an Online Casino

H

ard lRock International Inc. is a U.S.-based hospitality company and casino operator. It recently made an announcement regarding its iGaming business signing a deal with GIG (Gaming Innovation Group Inc.) for the launch of a new digital casino.

The press release of the company states that GIG will be providing an online consumer portal to Hard Rock International, along with a backend platform for managing the Internet casino operations. Hard Rock International will be supported by the design and software development team of GIG in developing this online casino. The final product will be launched in the later part of the year.

GIG is a privately-owned company that runs iGamingCloud.com. This is a software-and-cloud-based digital gaming platform.

Hard Rock’s online gaming vice president, Kresimir Spajic, was reported

saying that the company is determined to become an international leader while setting new trends in the online gaming industry. He added that they were extremely confident about their partnership with GIG and knew that it would end up revolutionizing the market with regards to user experience and product innovation.

The chief executive of GIG, Robin Reed, also commented on the partnership and said that the cloudbased casino would be a brilliant product backed by the sizzle and glamour of Hard Rock’s entertainment, music, and overall vibe.

Hard Rock International is associated with the Seminole Tribe (Florida), a Native American organization, and has been looking to grow its gaming business and enter the Asian market. The casino owner was reported saying that it is currently trying to acquire a license for running a casino in Japan. Previously, the com-

pany has shown interest in building a beach resort casino in Vietnam.

A recent release also announced that a Seminole Tribe unit and Hard Rock International have signed a deal with none other than Greentube Internet Entertainment Solutions for developing a tailor-made social gaming online platform. This agreement will cover casino properties of both the companies in America and in other countries all over the world.

Greentube is the Novomatic Group AG’s subsidiary. This Austria-based group specializes in equipment and games for regulated casinos and licensed lotteries. Greentube’s CEO, Thomas Graf, says that the company is consistently evolving and trying to meet the requirements of a casino industry that is highly demanding. The agreements in question will help Greentube perform better in a highly competitive market.

INFINITY GAMING

54

Times they are a changing

By Teresa Tunstall

T

heGambling Act 2005 came fully into force on 1 September 2007, which was around this time that I was invited by an Online/land based gaming operator to attend their first Social Responsibility meeting.

We sat discussing problem gambling and what social responsibility meant to them in their job when a member of Online staff bought up an incident that occurred with a slots player.

After three days playing Online she won the Jackpot £85,000! Obviously, she was happy beyond belief and very joyous at her amazing first time big win.

Staff members eagerly congratulated her win and then carefully explained to her that whilst the prize money would be in her account it would only be released according to their ‘Terms & Conditions’ - a 48 hour wait. Accordingly she accepted this and continually viewed her account, checking the winnings were still in there whilst gazing in quiet admiration of herself. Furthermore she made all her friends aware of the substantial amount of money sit-

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ting in her account and that now she could pay off her mortgage. Won’t the bank be surprised?

For what seemed like an age, two long days later she had confirmation that the Terms and Conditions had been met. One day shortly thereafter she woke up rather bored, and realised that she was missing playing her lucky game. So she decided to view her winnings and then thought to herself, ‘I’ll have just a few spins, where’s the harm in that?’

The rest is history. She played and played watched by staff who were so concerned they called her asking if she realised what she was doing?

Her winnings were fast depleting and as a result 48 hours later they were down by a third! Of course she was devastated, and phoned the website in tears, sobbing her heart out and blaming herself for being so stupid; her one opportunity to pay off her mortgage was gone. Needless to say, the staff who had been supporting her over such a good win now shared her anguish for her sad misdemeanour.

The Director of online gaming called a meeting with the staff and organised a Conference call to include the player. I’m sure the Director was informed that she was a good regular player whom the staff knew and liked; “a friendly, kind person” was how they described her. As a consequence I’m pleased to tell you that they decided to pay her the full sum of £85,000 and forego the losses she had incurred.

Now I don’t doubt that they could have taken the opposite view and that she was responsible for her own actions, but they didn’t. Maybe they realised that she could well have gone to the newspapers with her story of doom and gloom and let’s be honest, no gaming operator wants that really bad publicity. I’m also sure they invited me to their meeting because they knew a good news message was coming and of course this proved they were a ‘Social Responsible’ company.

Now ten years on to the present time, the Gambling Commission has demanded that online operators must pay out winnings immediately

Times they are a changing

55

if requested and punters would not

ble draped over his daughter’s body in

few days a sell-off priced it at $9000.

have to wait. ‘Terms & Conditions’ will

an attempt to save and protect her but

Some couples may take the view that

have to be rewritten……the only thing

unfortunately both father and daughter

It might be financially advantageous to

that’s constant is change, but hopefully

died together.

stay married!

Later a remembrance service was held

However it beggars the question just

next time it won’t take quite so long to happen.

in the Cathedral in Nelson, for those

how long will cash retain a place in the

It turns out that those of us in the UK are

New Zealanders who died in the Haiti

gambling industry? The rise in biomet-

pretty generous when it comes to giv-

earthquake. When we read of such trag-

ric payments and new cryptocurrencies

ing our money over to charities. Statis-

ic humanitarian catastrophes then later

indicates that both ways to pay and play

tics show two-thirds of us have donat-

learn of the terrible scandal of the few

is becoming an expanding market.

ed to charities over the past year, and

bad egg Oxfam employees, we forget

thus we should be proud of ourselves!

those who did their best and lost their

Finally, Sarah Harrison, Chief Executive,

However, with the expected backlash of

lives in doing so. Sometimes it feels like

Gambling Commission, spoke about

the Oxfam scandal it’s anticipated that

there’s no justice in this world.

the ICE exhibition. I quote: “Men wear

thousands will be cancelling their direct

tailored suits…..their female colleagues

debits and stop dropping coins into a

On a lighter note we learn that divorcing

nothing more than swimsuits.” Appar-

collection tins.

couples are fighting over crypto-curren-

ently, she was appalled by the sexism at

cies assets such as bitcoin, litecoin etc.

the event, and this made me recall my

In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti

The number of parting couples is ex-

Playboy Club days dressed in my Bunny

earthquake I was with family friends

pected to grow and as digital finances

costume. Personally I remember those

who knew a New Zealand couple and

become more main-stream, I wonder

days as being fun…so many Bunny girls

their young daughter who were in Haiti

how things will eventuate. The value

we far outnumbered Club members!

as charity workers for Oxfam. The fa-

can change dramatically from high to

Times have changed and we have to

ther was actually out of town with his

low overnight which adds to even more

change with them.

5 year old daughter when the quake

confusion especially, if the Inland Rev-

happened. Sadly he was later to be

enue get involved. The value of bitcoin

discovered under the concrete and rub-

hit $20,000 high last year but in the last

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GAMING NEWS

57

New Casino Resort Coming To Las Vegas in 2020

C

oming in 2020 will be a huge new Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Marriott International the Hotel company is building along with partners real estate development firm Witkoff a 4,000 bedroom hotel and casino resort.

Named The Drew Las Vegas it will sit on the failed Fontainebleau Resort which has sat dormant since the financial crash in 2009.

It will be the first time the Marriott will have a hotel on the Las Vegas

Strip and will also have a casino and half a million square feet of convention and meeting space.

Marriott global chief development officer Tony Capuano said: “The Drew Las Vegas will become a landmark property for Marriott International.

The resort will give our more than 100 million loyalty members the chance to enjoy our brand of hospitality in one of the most exciting and popular cities in the world, whether the visit is for a convention or a leisure trip.” The integrated

resort will also house entertainment, nightlife, retail and dining options and Two Blackbirds Hospitality will oversee the launch and operations of The Drew Las Vegas. Witkoff chairman and CEO Steven Witkoff said: “With Marriott International, we have the opportunity to leverage the world’s most powerful group and convention pipeline as well as an unmatched loyalty program to ensure we unlock the unparalleled value of this asset.”

Steve Wynn Resigns

S

teve Wynn the gambling mogul who founded Wynn Resorts has resigned from his own company following allegations of sexual misconduct dating back decades.

Three weeks ago The Wall Street Journal newspaper published in detail allegations of sexual miscon-

duct by Wynn which included a 2005 incident with a manicurist that was forced to have sex with the casino king who later was paid $7.5 million in a settlement to keep quiet.

Although Wynn continues to deny all the claims they continue to surface, with the statement from himself on his decision to step down, “In the last

couple of weeks, I have found myself the focus of an avalanche of negative publicity. As I have reflected upon the environment this has created — one in which a rush to judgment takes precedence over everything else, including the facts — I have reached the conclusion I cannot continue to be effective in my current roles,” he said.

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GAMING NEWS

59

Catskills Risks Opening Up a $900 Million Casino and Hotel

I

t’s been ages since the Catskills officials have had their hopes on a revival. And now finally, their wait might be over. On Thursday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the start of a massive $900 million casino and hotel project on Concord Hotel grounds, near Monticello.

The casino is situated IN the Town of Thompson (Sullivan County). According to the location’s supervisor, William Rieber, they were done being a “has-been” and were ready to take on the famed resort industry.

The ‘Resorts World Catskills’ is looking to host over a hundred table games and more than two thousand slot machines in addition to ten unique bars and restaurants. This is the among the few nontribal casinos that had received a license approval from the state back in 2014.

Aqueduct’s “racinos”, located in

Queens, is also under the ownership of Resorts World. Both Yonkers’ Empire City and the “racinos” only offer video poker and slot machines. According to Reiber, this new casino resort has the potential of becoming an attractive holiday alternative for long-distance as well as short-distance travel. Reiber was a young boy of 8 years when he moved to this area with his family and is quite familiar with its workings.

This upcoming venture will be a complete departure from the old location, known for its classic vintage comedians in the former days. The place was later memorialized by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in the popular “Dirty Dancing” movie.

Even then, the opening of the Resorts World comes at a time when the casino and hotel industry is facing multiple crisis. The existing commercial casinos of New York are reporting very poor revenues and there is aggressive

competition to attract gamblers.

The Investors Service of Moody recently reduced the Del Lago Resort Casino’s debt, citing poor earnings as the primary reason. In its January report, it cautioned that the Resorts World Casino could further end up saturating the gaming market.

While acknowledging the challenges, officials from Resorts World said that they were confident about their “allinclusive resort concept” and their closeness to NYC. These factors would definitely make them more attractive to the customers. The Empire Resort’s CEO, Ryan Eller announced that their strategy was fundamentally different.

He said that the hotel and casino will be the foundation of a massive development project, which after completion, would also include a waterpark, a lavish golf course, an entertainment village and additional hotels.

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GAMING NEWS

61

2.4 Percent Increase in Crime Cases Related to Gaming in Macau: Police Report 2017

I

n the year 2017, Macau, a gaming hub of the world, recorded approximately 4,714 crimes related to gaming. This data was recently revealed by the Judiciary Police of the city during a press conference. This indicated a 2.4 percent increase in the crime figure, which was recorded at 4,602 in 2016.

According to Judiciary Police, a case is considered to be related to gaming when it takes place either inside or in the close vicinity of a casino. Gaming cases related to suspected usury, that is, illegal lending of funds, also called ‘loan-sharking’, saw a decrease of 2.9 percent in 2017 and were recorded at 428.

In the previous year (2017), 464 cases of alleged unlawful detention related to gaming were recorded. This reflected a decrease of 7.8% when compared

to the figure in 2016. In Macau, these cases are usually associated with gambling-related loan-sharking.

While acknowledging the overall rise in alleged gaming-related crime cases in Macau, the Judiciary Police said that they had observed a rise in multiple types of crimes related to gaming in the recent years. It announced that readjustments had been made to the strategy for controlling such crimes and this had helped dismantle various criminal groups in 2017.

Some emergency bodies in Macau joined the Police in a drill that involved a mock public armed robbery at the famous Galaxy Macau resort recently. Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. is responsible for operating this casino resort. According to the government, the police had designed this drill for testing if the emergency

public divisions and the regional casino industry could coordinate and manage a suitable response to all kinds of major incidents.

This drill was organized just a few days after casino chips worth US$6.1 million (HKD47.9 million) were stolen from the popular casino property ‘Wynn Macau’. The property is located on the peninsula of the city and under the operation of Wynn Macau Ltd. The two horrifying attacks in 2017 triggered the authorities in Macau to organize this drill. The attacks involved gaming properties located in Las Vegas and the Philippines.

As per data provided by the official casino regulator of Macau, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, the total casino GGR (gross gaming revenue) of the city was up by 19.1% in 2017 in comparison to 2016.

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GAMING NEWS

63

Former Casino Workers in Atlantic City Might Get Their Jobs Back Soon

A

tlantic City went through a horrifying three-year period when five popular casinos were shut down and thousands of people lost their jobs. But there is good news for all- these casinos are now coming back.

2014 was the year that the casino industry in Atlantic City started experiencing a downfall and laid off 11,000 people working in the economy. But Tuesday brought some hope for the entire laid-off population as the chances of reemployment became visible. The former shuttered casino, Taj Mahal, began a round of interviews inviting job applicants as it is planning a summer reincarnation and well now be opened as the new Hard Rock resort.

All ex Taj employees attended the event and approximately 1,600 laidoff workers were called to reapply for their job. About 1,400 turned up for the event. The Hard Rock resort is also planning more such recruitment events soon. These events will be targeted at people who had sent online applications and hadn’t necessarily worked at the former Taj Mahal.

Hard Rock president, Matt Harkness, announced that this was the first step in the renaissance plan. The casino is looking to generate over 3,000 jobs. Another closed casino will also join the Taj Mahal to reopen its doors in the coming summer season.

The Revel casino had also shut down

in 2014 and will be relaunched with the name ‘Ocean Resort Casino’ while adding thousands of more jobs.

A Taj Mahal employee, Monica Weekes, has been working with the casino since it first opened its doors in 1990. She recalls that the October 10, 2016 shutting down of the property was a highly depressing event and was almost unbelievable. She said that she remembered praying to God to let the casino remain open.

However, the closing of one door also marks the opening of another; in this case, the other door is Hard Rock.

Weekes says that she cannot wait to

get involved and kick-start operations again.

Local 54 president, Bob McDevitt (Unite-HIRE union), was reported saying that it was brilliant to have so many ex Taj Mahal workers getting their jobs back. He added that Hard Rock is a great organization and recognizes that Taj Mahal always boasted of an excellent workforce.

The workers at Taj Mahal offered brilliant services for many decades. The president of Hard Rock, Harkness, was in agreement with McDevitt.

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65

March 16 Grand Casino Opening in Nepal Announced by Silver Heritage

A

casino resort was recently opened near the Nepal border and the promotor has made an announcement that the venue would have a massive celebratory opening on 16th March 2018. The resort borders the Uttar Pradesh state of India.

The Silver Heritage Group also announced on Wednesday that the resort, named ‘Tiger Palace Resort Bhairahawa’ hosted its first key event on January 26th, which was also the Republic Day of India. The casino was visited by more than 600 patrons and approximately 120 guests stayed at the property that night. The management reported that it was surprised to see the participation and that it had definitely crossed its expectations. The casino welcomed almost 50% more customers than the event held on New Year’s Eve, reported an Australian Securities Exchange filing.

since its August 2016 IPO. It was on December 28, 2017, that the Tiger Palace Resort kick-started its casino operations. This was after it received its official gaming license on December 27. At that time, the casino resort had 216 digital gaming machines and a little over 40 gaming tables, according to a statement filed by Silver Heritage. The group also hosted a soft launch of the hotel facilities on 20th September. The hotel currently offers 100 rooms to its customers.

In a filing on Wednesday, the Silver Heritage Group also disclosed a few financial points for the 2017 fourth quarter. The report suggested that the firm had managed to generate a gross sales revenue (unaudited) amounting to US$5.44 million. The revenue recorded for the same quarter in 2016 was US$4.76 million. The company said that this was the highest quarterly sales earnings reported by the firm

The firm announced that it was planning to reveal its preliminary 2017 reviewed financial results before February 28. Other properties operated by the company include the Kathmandu-based Millionaire’s Club and Casino and the Hanoi-based Phoenix International Club (Vietnam).

A business update was given by Silver Heritage in September 2017. In this update, the company hinted that another site had been identified in Nepal and that it could be a potential location for a new casino resort after the Tiger Palace was launched.

According to this update, the new site will be further ahead, somewhere closer to the border with Sikkim and Bihar. This means that it would be a short distance away from the IndiaBangladesh border.

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67

Mini-Casinos Likely to Come Up in Six County Municipalities

P

ennsylvania is gearing up for a series of mini-casinos that will be opened in Franklin County’s six municipalities. The Pennsylvania State Gaming Board is holding a third auction for acquiring licenses for these mini-casinos. Auctions have been scheduled for after 2 weeks.

Each mini-casino is permitted to have up to thirty table games and a little over 700 slot machines. These special casinos will be significantly smaller than the standard large casinos that are capable of hosting more than 200 table games and 5,000 slots.

At present, Pennsylvania has ten large-sized casinos, including Hollywood Casino close to Harrisburg.

There are 2 mini-casinos currently being developed. A bid worth $50.1 million was submitted by Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association LLC on January 10. A mini-casino was proposed by the firm in an area close to York County.

The Hollywood Casino is operated

by Mountainview Thoroughbred and is located near Grantville.

The second winning bid, worth $40.1 million was submitted by Stadium Casino LLC on January 24.

The mini-casino of the company will come up near Pittsburgh, close to Westmoreland County (Derry township). It is also building a massive casino worth $600 million near Philadelphia.

When a company wins a bid, it has only 6 months to find the casino site and make its detailed development plan.

The municipalities were given time until December 31st by the state law to reject the proposal of a minicasino development. The casino hosting proposal was declined by over 1,000 municipalities out of the total 2,500 municipalities located in Pennsylvania.

Franklin County’s six municipalities- Orrstown Chambersburg and townships of Washington, Lurgan,

St. Thomas and Greene- chose not to miss the opportunity to have a minicasino developed in their area.

With a mini-casino, a municipality could earn revenues of nearly $1.6 million annually. A similar amount may be earned by the host county, basis the existing receipts for games and slots in Pennsylvania. Supervisors of Washington Township were attracted to the potential job creation and financial benefits of a mini-casino. However, Jeff Geesaman, township manager, believes that the area is up against long odds. He explained that they chose not to opt out and would seriously consider permitting a mini-casino development if approached with an opportunity.

Both Greene Township and Chambersburg can be found on I-81. The mayor of Chambersburg, Walter Bietsch, said that the borough was capable of regulating a casino location with its well-formulated zoning regulation.

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GAMING NEWS

69

Japan Tax Rate For Integrated Resorts 30% Of Revenues

A

ccording to reports in Japan the Government is considering having a 30% tax on revenues when integrated resorts are opened in the country. It is being reported that operators will pay on revenues made not profits gained and could even be higher should the casino resorts break 300 billion Yen.

fund social responsible projects.

Should the casino operators break 300 billion Yen then the tax would be 40%, 400 billion Yen then 50%.

It is said that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will propose the tax rules in the regular Diet session this year.

The tax income will then be split equally between the national government and local government to

William Hill Annual Results Set To Improve By 11%

W

its quality of service and make it more appealing to customers and the consensus by analysts is that he has done that.

Chief executive Philip Bowcock made it the number one priority to make the online gaming business improve

Predictions have the betting firm returning around ÂŁ290 million in profits for 2017 that would be 11% increase on the previous year which were ÂŁ261 million. Although the increase is impressive it only reflects

illiam Hill will be announcing their annual results this week and expectations are that the UK bookie has managed to turn around its online division and see it return to growth.

that 10% slide in profits from 2016 so catch up is still the name of the game but it is a very positive start.

With improving online services and bookmaker-friendly results for the end of 2017 William Hill will look at the year past as a positive. However the UK Governments announcement on the fate on FOBTs will potentially weigh down on 2018 annual results.

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GAMING NEWS

71

PAGCOR to Stop Accepting New Applicants

P

AGCOR, the Philippines gaming regulator, has issued an order prohibiting the approval of new licenses after President Duterte commented on the sudden increase in the number of casinos in the country.

In a recent interview, Andrea Domingo, Chairman of PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.), stated that the regulator would only be approving applications that were submitted before the President issued the new order. This includes the application for a casino in Pampanga, owned by Dennis Uy, a businessman from Davao.

Domingo went on to further state that she had been ordered in January to stop the approval process for new casinos as the market had already been crowded. Domingo had made these statements at the recent ICE Totally Gaming 2018 convention.

It is believed that applications received prior to the order are being processed currently. However, the

regulator stopped accepting new applications all the way back in midJanuary.

Current licensees There are already several casinos that currently hold an approval from the regulator. 4 of them are located in PAGCOR’s own Entertainment City complex in Parañaque City. This includes the Okada Manila, the Solaire Resort and Casino, and the City of Dreams Casino in Manila. The fourth casino, Resorts World Manila, is yet to be constructed.

Apart from these casinos, applications had been sent in for 3 new facilities in Cebu. This includes Dennis Uy’s Emerald Casino, Gokongwei Group’s Universal Casino, and Asian Gaming Group’s Millennium Casino.

Another licensee will be setting up a facility on Boracay Island, while other new operations, including Widus, Donggwang, Midori, Mimosa, and Clark Global, will also be launching soon in Clark.

Domingo stated that, with another two approvals, Clark alone will be home to 8 casino operators. The PAGCOR Chief also commented that with the new operations in Clark, the city has a high-chance of following in Vegas’s footsteps, especially with the addition of an airport and a high-speed railway connection to Manila.

Uncertain future Whether Duterte will revoke the order remains uncertain as he is known for being unpredictable and dictatorial.

The Philippine casino market is a fast-growing one and Morgan Stanley even produced a report stating that saturation was impossible in the near future.

However, Duterte’s policy towards gambling is hard to interpret. In 2016, the leader shutdown Philweb’s operations despite the fact that the operator met all legal requirements and even funneled in $12 million into the government’s coffers.

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GAMING NEWS

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No Anti-Poker Move by Court, Industry Correctness Wins

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ccording to the GTA (Gaming Technologies Association), an Australasia-based trade body, the new judgment passed in the Federal Court of Australia, which dismisses a proposal to have a digital gaming machine, claiming that it does not comply with the consumer law of the country, proves that the gaming industry is fiercely regulated.

The chief executive of GTA, Ross Ferrar says that the court judgment makes things clear after a rather annoying campaign was conducted against the casino industry. The campaign, in question, was based on claims and speculation that failed to endure legal scrutiny.

Shonica Guy is the woman who had brought on the case. She is a native Australian who claimed to suffer from gambling addiction for 14 years and linked it to playing on the so-called “pokies” or poker machines.

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers is the law firm that supported Guy’s case.

Among various other things, her supporters argued that Australia’s Aristocrat Technologies had ended up misleading customers about the odds of winning for its popular machine ‘Dolphin Treasure’. The company quoted 87.8% as the percentage for the player returns. In reality, this was just the stake money payout for a player. Big wins were only enjoyed by a very small percentage of participants. Another property, Crown Resorts Ltd., was also listed as a case defendant.

Justice Debbie Mortimer, in a judgment last week, said that any impression related to available ‘player returns’ was brief and would quickly be dismissed as the game continued.

The judgment was passed in a Melbourne court. She added that it was the government’s responsibility to take a decision on the appropriateness of gambling (or otherwise).

Justice Mortimer did, however, say that the potential connection

between the features and design of digital gaming equipment was a rather “new field”. Some researchers have found justification to undertake additional work for understanding this relationship.

In a statement, GTA said that they were happy that the court official had identified that the case brought on by Guy was a failure on every count. It particularly took note of Justice’s comments on Crown and Aristocrat’s compliance with the regulatory system. According to Mr. Ferrar, the ruling passed by Justice Mortimer is additional proof that poker machines in Australia are dynamically regulated and could hence be used with confidence.

According to Jennifer Kanis, Guy’s lawyer, the decision served as an opportunity for reviewing the casino industry regulations and ensure that the design/features of all poker machines match the gambler’s understanding.

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GAMING NEWS

75

China Cracks Down on Gambling

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s China enters the Year of the Dog, the government here is working towards curbing all forms of illegal gambling.

This isn’t the first attempt in recent times. The country had carried out a similar crackdown on illegal gambling last year. However, this time, it will also be going after the systems that support illegal gambling.

Earlier this week, Xinhua, the state’s official media service published a video statement from Deputy Minister Huang Ming of the Ministry of Public Security. Ming makes it clear, in the video, that China is facing a new challenge in its efforts to end illegal gambling, implying that stronger enforcement of the law is likely.

According to Ming, illegal gambling is a growing menace in the more rural sections of the country. He attributed the problem to illegal gambling sites and also, human operators. The Deputy Minister is

believed to have ordered the police to directly target such “enablers”.

This is said to include a network of banks that exist underground.

Chinese gamblers have been known to rely on such banks to fund their illegal gambling habits.

Anti-gambling rhetoric Apart from the legal crackdown, Ming has also discussed the negative impact of gambling in the video. He called it a “social harm” that posed a threat to the country’s security. He also warned that, if caught, illegal gamblers and the forces that obstruct investigations related to the crime will be dealt with in a severe manner.

China has dealt with over a million cases of illegal gambling since 2012. Around 6 million people were said to have been involved in carrying out these activities. In October 2017, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate published a report showing that the country arrested almost 710 individuals for illegal

online gambling in 2017 alone; an increase of 80.7% compared to the previous year.

A desperate market Apart from welfare lotteries and state-run sports, gambling remains an illegal activity in Mainland China.

This has led to gamblers opting for alternative options, which mostly includes illegal gambling dens. The closest legal alternative involves traveling to Macau or Hong Kong; a not-so-feasible option for many.

There have been suggestions from various quarters to legalize gambling in the mainland. Proponents feel that this would address the growing problem of illegal gambling and also prevent precious revenue from moving outside.

According to a report from Macau’s Institute for Tourism Studies, the revenue loss itself could end up becoming a national threat in the long run. The report also offered suggestions such as opening small pilot projects within special zones as a way to test the waters.

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