Infinity Gaming Magazine December 2011

EXCLUSIVE Interview with

Vahe Baloulian Managing Partner for Egaming Partners

INFINITY GAMING MAGAZINE caught up with Managing Partner for Egaming Partners, Vahe Baloulian. He reveals the secrets behind creating a successful, online channel, especially as online gaming and its legislative is becoming more of an integral gaming issue. Vahe also identifies why there must be a distinction between man and the machine, not to mention how to avoid crucial mistakes in online gaming platforms.

Q: Thank you Vahe for your time today it is truly appreciated, firstly ev-

eryone knows that you are the respected Managing Partner for eGaming Partners. Can you firstly tell us what your role involves?

A: EGaming Partners is a partnership of online gaming specialists who have worked in many countries with a diverse group of companies. We have helped start-ups get off the ground, turned around underperforming poker operations, established training schools with ground-breaking methodologies, revamped gaming products and authored innovations.

My role is to discover what ails the client’s company, where they can do better without a lot of investment, and find and deliver solutions.

Aside from being a generalist, I specialise in customer care and retention through service.

Q: What is eGaming Partner’s position within the online gaming world and how exactly does it turn around underperforming poker networks?

A: I don’t know of another company offering the same services. We

Q: With the rocky race to legalise online poker in the USA, from your

perspective, do you think there is more potential in legalising it as opposed to eradicating it? In light of this, how can these gaming sites form a trustworthy affiliation with their global customers? (Especially after the FTP fiasco!)

A: Legalising has no alternative. Those in favour of eradicating online

gaming know perfectly well that it is impossible and that’s why they are for it - it gives them a lifetime cause to fight against and benefit from. However, I say that legalizing has no alternative not because eradicating online gaming is unachievable, but because it is an absolutely immoral thing to do.

assist with the structure of the start-ups and established operations, as well as help with training and hiring. We are hands-on, result-oriented consultants with a no-nonsense approach. We don’t ask for your watch and then charge you for telling the time. We ensure your watch works so that you can always get the time yourself. Our solutions are informed by our many years of work in e-gaming, but there are no identical situations and one-size-fits-all answers. Every ill-performing operation requires its own pill to get better. In one case, we may guide the client to a very simple solution which they overlooked because of complacency. In another one where failure is caused by mismanagement and lack of an independent voice within the company to spark discussion, we may provide that voice and offer a fix.

Compared to most other industries, gaming companies have a harder work to do in building trust. E-gaming is a business that we have been relentlessly conditioned not to trust. I am all for ruthless competition but Trustworthiness is one area where you don’t want your competitors to fail. In building trust, as with problem gambling issues, online gaming companies should cooperate. Rogue behaviour of one blemishes the rest. As insiders, we see that PokerStars fulfilled its obligations and paid their players and FullTilt failed to do so. However, all the potential players, who have yet to give online gaming a try, are hearing is that an online gaming company didn’t pay their players. Will they be flocking to an e-gaming site to play after that?

We also work with successful companies who would simply like to do better. We believe there is no limit to improvement. There are many players who have yet to give any company a chance to serve them.

There is no scandal in paying the players but failing to do so is a juicy story. For its own sake, the industry should do everything possible to avoid these juicy yet detrimental stories.

Q: From a corporate perspective, what is the biggest mistake online

Q: If American online poker opens up in the USA, does eGaming Part-

gaming sites often make when they launch? What is the most successful creative solution in launching a new site?

A:

The biggest mistake is going in with a lack of knowledge and the subsequent refusal to face it. What you don’t know cannot benefit you.

What you know that is not so can outright hurt you. Online gaming is a unique business. You shouldn’t approach it with “it’s like” model. It’s not like telecoms, it’s not like e-commerce, it’s not like anything else.

There is no universal formula for a successful launch, but if I had to give one piece of advice, it would be this: don’t mislead yourself.

ners have any plans to enter the market to expand its brand/operation?

A: We work from different locations worldwide but eGaming Partners is a US-based company. We are engaged with a few companies in the US who are already active in or planning to enter the online gaming sphere.

This is an important market for us and I am confident that there is a need for the services we provide. However, we are a boutique consulting firm and don’t plan to expand at the expense of quality we provide.

Continue >>

Q: Online gaming is expanding on a global basis, so how does eGaming Partners stand out from its competitors? In terms of your unique selling point, why should online gaming networks reach out to you to gain a greater online presence?

A: We are able to spot problems and create new solutions that may not

be visible to the company insiders simply because they are too close to the subject or too invested in it. We help launch, manage and refine the performance of our client’s online gaming property, streamline their processes after operational audit, transfer operational know-how to their employees and help recruit new specialists. After laying the foundation, we provide continuous training, supervision and advice to ensure optimized performance of their growing organization.

We have developed a unique course specifically for customer-facing employees of e-gaming companies. The emphasis is placed on teaching employees how to build profitable and sustainable relationships with players while being able to find creative solutions in any challenging situation.

We don’t teach what everyone already knows. We don’t recycle common knowledge. We take time to study our client’s player-facing operations and tell them what they need to know based on their relationship with their customers.

I can’t say anything about competition because I don’t know of any organization that does what we do.

Q: How does eGaming Partners help its clients to put the customers at

the heart of the services they provide and do you think social networking plays a big role in getting established?

A: Customer is the heart of any service. We teach that to keep their players and make them act as recruiters, e-gaming companies have to learn and then teach their employees to love their players. We help our clients move from lip-service to genuine service. For example, it may sound like mere common sense, but promises given in advertising campaigns should be kept. If you promised to treat me as a valued customer, please do so, and what’s more important, make sure I feel that way.

Just because you think that a player feels valued will not mean he does too. From my experience as a player at many online poker rooms and casinos, I can say that even the ones with the most resources often fail to find a way to touch the player. Due to the recent news stories, the player expects to be mugged by an online company and he will be most delighted should he be hugged instead.

Social networking is important. Once you’re in that space, you build expectations and have no choice but keep going. In radio broadcasts, just a second of silence can be deafening. The same is true with social networks. If you can’t afford to be active – don’t go there. If you can, it will play a big role in getting established. Players like to feel protected from surprises. The more channels you find to be in touch with them, the safer they will fill. Social networks are the perfect tool for that.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the development of eGaming Partners and what does it identify as the key aspects of getting an online gaming site off the ground?

A: In the past, all of my consulting commitments were exclusive to particular companies, which meant I gave them 100% of my time. However, I always got drawn into advising others on a friendly basis. I saw that many companies failed where they didn’t have to and there was no advisory service to which they could turn.

After completing my last exclusive assignment, I decided to turn eGaming Partners into such a non-exclusive and technology-neutral advisory service.

In addition, the key aspects are to have your vision fly but to be firmly grounded yourself; to be confident in the “why” you want to go into this business and to be willing to always learn the “how”; to learn from others but not copy them; to avoid being limited by established maxims and know that nothing is impossible.

Q: You

say that your company provides a fresh eye, knowledge and objective skills. Can you perhaps give us an example of how you have turned around an underperforming poker site? How did you right its wrongs?

A: In one case we had done it in 2 months simply because the network was stuck with a procedure that prevented new players from doing what they came for – playing right away. The players were forced to wait for up to 48 hours before they could start even the free play. The procedure was hard coded in the technology, and what’s worse – it was hard coded in the minds of the employees. They didn’t even think that it can be removed without a detriment.

In another case, it took us almost 2 years because the management was persuaded that their technology is superior and it became a mantra within the organisation – they were looking for problems anywhere but in their technology. The trick was that while it indeed did have “superior” sophisticated qualities, it lacked in simple things that players needed. We worked with them to re-write the code.

Every situation is different. Now, for example, we are working with a well-financed group where answer to every problem is: let’s throw money at it. They were pleasantly surprised when we told them that their current assets, if positioned correctly, would be enough to resolve their problems.

Q: The online gaming industry always focuses on the technological advancements within eGaming; however, what about the human aspects of why and how eGaming is progressing on the internet and mobile phones? How does eGaming Partners strive towards creating this fine balance between “man and the machine?”

A: There is an oil company whose tagline is: we are on the driver’s side.

I can say that in finding the balance between man and the machine, eGaming Partners is on man’s side. E-gaming companies often forget that they are gaming companies before they are technology companies.

To retain more players, we advise them to make an effort and see a human being behind all this data and technology. Learning to love your players can lead to serious profits.

Q: Why should gaming firms focus in particular on customer services within land-based and online operations? How much of a difference does it make to an online site for example?

A: Because it can drastically improve their bottom line. I would bet that

there is hardly an organisation (with the exception of certain public service providers) that would argue against superior customer service.

However, it is easier to advocate principles than live by them. The passion for treating the player as a unique human being translates into a revenue source - one that’s continuous and renewable.

EXCLUSIVE Interview with CEO of INTERBLOCK

Q: Can you tell us what you

Tomaz Zvipelj

A: For sure it will be anoth-

think 2012 holds for online gaming/gambling?

er challenging year where

INFINITY GAMING MAGAZINE talks to the CEO of In- investments will be made terblock, Tomaz Zvipelj, about why 2011 was such a very carefully, therefore are happy to have such momentous year for the established firm and why we a strong product portfolio 2012 is set to be bigger, despite the economic down- which despite the economturn within gaming and globally. He emphasized the ic down turn has retained great profitability and firm’s slogan: “We will fight for your Revenue,” in a its popularity among the playbid to stay ahead of rivals and keep their clients at the ers. heart of their game. In terms of online markets fighting for regulation, Tomaz also reveals why there are Q: From a corporate perspective, how do you attract new gamers to more questions than answers in the continuing battle. your products and how will you continue to maintain this?

Q: Thank you Tomaz for your time today it is truly appreciated, firstly

everyone knows that you are the respected CEO for Interblock. Can you firstly tell us what your role involves?

A: My business path at Interblock started in year 2000 in sales depart-

ment. In 2005, at a relatively young age of 27 I was given the opportunity and shown great level of trust by our President Mr. Joc Pececnik by nominating me for the leading executive position, focusing on the sales growth, process of reorganization and expansion to all continents. Over the years we entered new markets in Europe and expanded our sales network over the world including USA, Canada and Asia with offices in Sydney and Macao. We employ over 300 people in the whole Group, so my direct responsibilities are constantly evolving with delegating some of them and assuming new challenges.

Q: What is Interblock’s position within the online gaming world and how exactly does it stand out from its competitors?

A: We are not yet involved in online gaming but we are keeping a close eye on all developments and changes in regulations throughout the world.

Q: What has been the highlight of 2011 within your gaming firm so far?

A: Year 2011 was particularly important as we have accomplished our

long time goal to be able to sell our products also in the State of Nevada after more than 9 years of hard work. Furthermore we have presented to the US market our fourth generation of products branded Organic TM and performed Interblock’s biggest installation at the Aqueduct New York Casino with 118 play stations for Phase 1 and additional stations for Phase 2, which is due for opening as you read this article. We have been focusing a lot of our activities also in Australia, Canada and Asia and won an award for G4 Organic Island for ‘Best Multi-Terminal Innovation’ by Inside Asian Gaming’s Supplier Awards 2011. I could go on and on as we truly have a great team here at Interblock and I personally appreciate their efforts for making all this possible.

A:

Interblock’s greatest advancement in the 4th generation of products, is the ability which allows the players to choose all of our different games on casino floor on each G4 Organic play station therefore increasing the thrill for the players and optimizing casino floor at the same time. Interblock has proven to be a reliable partner, willing to think together with customers, we are quick in responding to new customer needs and solutions, offering novelties constantly.

Q: With the rocky race to legalize online poker in the USA, from your perspective, do you think there is more potential in legalizing it as opposed to eradicating it? In light of this, how can these gaming sites form a trustworthy affiliation with their global customers?

A: There are still probably more questions as there are answers to this whole issue, but I personally believe online gaming is something what is already here now, so the sooner it is put into some legislative boundaries, the better for everyone.

Q: If American online poker opens up in the USA, does Interblock have any plans to enter the market to expand its brand/operation?

A: Not at this stage.

Q: How does Interblock put customers at the heart of the services you provide and do you think social networking plays a big role in getting established?

A:

Every day customers and players are becoming more demanding and they want newer more exciting games, more comfortable environment so the fluid and modern design offer tremendous eye appeal. Our larger configurations that include signage and our Organic products Island setup allow our games to become an attraction itself for the casino.

Players are visually drawn to the products. Our flexibility in design and color lighting also provide casinos with visually stunning product that integrates well with any floor. We have done an extensive research and market scans to see what is available in the market in terms of multiplayer concepts with intention to fill in the needs for more social game concepts as oppose to a single station individual machine. The results from first two years after introducing the so called social concept are extremely encouraging and a big portion of our revenue is already derived from this concept.

Q: What do you think is your most unique feature in terms of bringing more gamers to your products?

A: We still believe strongly in physical gaming by visiting the casinos and playing on actual products versus the pure online experience, but the same principles apply as on the casino floor with few thousand stations, you really have to add that special something for the players even to notice you, not to mention that they keep coming back to your product.

Part of what sets our games apart is the unique design and simple user interface, among which roulette is still the most popular game. Interblock’s products are perhaps best known for their stunning appearance. But the beauty of the product goes far beyond the exterior. The key features that sets Interblock products apart from the competitors is definitely our multi-game ability and various electromechanical generators. No other company can provide the same variety of game generators in the multi-game setting that the G4 Organic products can offer.

The most current product, the Organic G4, is a multi-game product that utilizes multiple servers. Roulette, Sic Bo, Craps, Baccarat and Blackjack can now be combined into one machine. So if you wanted to play roulette on one side of the casino and craps on the other side, you can now stay on the same terminal and just switch between games. We believe this concept is an advantage, which will keep bringing new players to play our products.

Q: You recently announced that Interblock has installed its biggest Organic Island in the United States with 118 play stations. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

A: Yes, as already mentioned this was so far our biggest installation in

the United States and we are very proud to work with such respected partner as Resort World New York. It is a relationship that has been evolving through the years as we have installed first products at Resort World Genting almost a decade ago and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to be part of their global expansion also in other parts of the world.

Q: What has been your most enjoyable time at Interblock and can you tell us what 2012 holds for the established firm in terms of partnerships, projects and possible new products?

A: Every day here at Interblock is a true pleasure and despite the problems the world is facing, it is great to be a part of such team which is more a family than a working environment for me.

For the forthcoming year 2012 the newest product in Interblock’s lineup is the G4 Organic Bartop, which was premiered in G2E 2011 Las Vegas show and will be available on the market at the beginning of the next year. The most important advantage of this project is even bigger flexibility towards to the customers as the product will allow players to play any offered game right on the bar countertops.

Company’s goals for 2012 are to achieve stable sales growth worldwide and at the same time also opening few new markets. Our biggest focus for sure will be in the North American markets where we see more opportunities than we can currently even handle.

At the end I would like to express my special gratitude for all the support from our friends in the gaming industry and let them know our slogan still remains the same: “We will fight for your Revenue.”

Optimising the World of Gaming Neil Erlick, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, OP- Q: What specific challenges do optimising payments to the online gamTIMAL PAYMENTS spoke to INFINITY GAMING MAGA- ing customer present you with compared to other sectors?

ZINE about optimising the online gaming sector whilst A: Delivering innovative solutions has always been the key to success in interweaving their expertise within the industry. He online gaming – and online gaming is certainly the most challenging of reveals what the future holds for online payments all the sectors we service. Traditional payment methods typically failed and how the surge in mobile gaming is a trend Opti- to work, or were too expensive for operators. And fraud rates can be high. Optimal’s ability to combine its more than 10 years experience mal Payments are optimising. Find out why Optimal in the sector, with sophisticated risk and fraud management expertise Payments think “online gaming is certainly the most has enabled us to stay ahead of the game – whether it’s processing CNP payments for operators or providing our NETELLER eWallet as an challenging.”

Q: eGaming is moving from dot.com into dot.country regulated markets in Europe. How are you adapting and preparing for this shift?

A: We’ve always had a country-by-country focus and offered our pay-

ments solutions in multiple languages and multiple currencies, particularly in the European market. We currently support 10 languages, with 78 local payment types. Offering this level of diversity significantly broadens the utility of our payments solutions to operators, and ensures that with one integration with Optimal’s NETELLER eWallet or NETBANX payment processing services that they are able to provide their customers with local alternatives to pay and play online. We are continuing to invest in expanding our country coverage with the aim of enhancing the choices to our customers. This year alone we are planning to add support for those 9 new countries, 40 new ways to deposit in countries, and 10 new currencies.

Q: The emerging regulatory environment means localisation is more important than ever. What help can you provide to operators here?

A: Our offering to operators is always tailored to meet their precise requirements – and we are not just talking about payments. We provide a complete service which embraces the whole process – from signing up the customer and verifying their age and identity, ensuring they have funds when they arrive at the operators’ site (whether through our proprietary eWallet NETELLER or through a direct processing relationship via our NETBANX card processing business), we manage the risk and fraud issues around transactions for the operator, and we offer multiple payout options for their customers to access funds should they win. This end-to-end service sets Optimal Payments apart from competitors who don’t offer such a complete, tailored solution.

Q:

What are the major challenges today facing payments providers across established and emerging markets, and how have you overcome these?

A: There are three principal challenges involved in serving such a broad

range of markets: understanding each market’s regulation, adapting to its environment and executing the logistics. Aside from complying with regulation, we must discover how the market works, what the local payment types are, how people move money, and the kind of transactions they require. The logistics of expansion involve many things, including building relationships with local payment providers and banks and adding local languages and currencies if required. We also need to form relationships with local governments and data brokers to allow age and identity verification.

alternative to customers. The knowledge we’ve gained in the complex gaming market has allowed us to expand into other online segments, such as IPTV, online FX trading, and traditional retail and travel sectors.

Q: What does the future hold for payments? Which developments or innovations are on the way, and how is your offering taking account of these?

A: Undoubtedly one of the biggest trends is the broadening of channels and new devices. We’re seeing huge growth in mobile particularly for gaming, whether it’s on smartphones or tablets like the iPad – and we think that is just the start. For us it’s important that our payment solutions work across all these channels – and the recent investments we’ve made in our eWallet technology help us along way to positioning us to do this. At the same time, we see operators increasingly looking for a complete service – not just handling their payments, but looking after their customer data, managing their risks around financial transactions, and ensuring they’re not exposed to fraud. Optimal Payments is ideally placed to do all of this – it’s what we’ve been doing since 1996 – and our approach to tailoring solutions for our customers means we’re able to provide more than just payments.

Neil Erlick, A seasoned industry executive, Neil has been a key member of the Optimal Payments senior management team since September 2000. Neil is responsible for the strategic development and marketing of online payment solutions for large-scale international merchants.

He has also recently taken on the responsibility of running the gaming sales division for NETELLER, part of Optimal Payments, the leading alternative payment company. To contact Neil directly, email neil.erlick@ optimalpayments.com or call +1.514.380.2746.

EXCLUSIVE Interview with

SIMON WITTY

Group Product Development Director for TCSJOHNHUXLEY

INFINITY GAMING MAGAZINE exclusively catches up with Simon Witty from TCSJOHNHUXLEY about their latest innovative and unique product, the Supernova table bonus system. He reveals how and why it is set to showcase and change the experience of gamers within the competitive, global industry. He confidently tells us “the Supernova Roulette bonus system is unique, exciting and doesn’t impact on traditional game play procedures. No one yet has really created a successful Roulette bonus system. We think we have cracked it!” Gamers will not be disappointed.

Find out why…

Q: Thank you Simon for your time today it is truly appreciated, firstly everyone knows that you are the respected Group Product Development Director for TCSJOHNHUXLEY. Can you firstly tell us what your role involves?

A: I have 2 current roles for the company. The first is MD of TCS John Huxley Australia

A: The system is very player focussed. From the outset we strove to make the system provide higher levels of excitement and game appeal. The mystery prises are designed such that a jackpot will hit on each table during the average play duration. Although an individual player may not win every time, he or she will see one of the players at the table hit a prize and the mystery winner sequence keeps everyone guessing who the winner is. It’s great fun!

Q:

The Supernova has boasted that it drives increased revenues by adding higher levels of player excitement and loyalty. In light of this, do you think the product has the capability to take gaming to the next level?

A: Yes it does. Most casino give away prizes in free draws to encourage player atten-

dance. Supernova can control this expenditure more effectively and reward players for participating in games via frequent mystery jackpots. Electronic Gaming Machines incorporate mystery prizes structures which really can drive player appeal. With Supernova table game operators will be able to achieve the same.

Q:

What was the inspiration behind the development of the product?

which involves managing the business unit for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific regions but also I develop the groups long term product strategy and manage a global R and D team. We have several R and D centres within the group and encourage each of our local business to develop specific products for their marketplaces – but on a larger group scale we focus on utilising the latest technologies which will drive innovation in our core market of live gaming systems.

A: We have worked with many table

Q: Can you tell us about the very latest product, Supernova table bonus system?

Q: The prestigious Access All Areas 2012 event is taking place in London in January.

A: We have already launched Supernova to the market but for the London event we

will be showcasing some exciting new developments. Supernova is a floor wide table bonus system that combines both specific base game jackpot events with mystery bonus prizes. Every table on the gaming floor can participate in the Mystery jackpots which provides the operator with a very flexible system to reward players and create excitement and loyalty. The big unveil is Supernova Roulette. We believe that the Supernova Roulette bonus system is unique, exciting and doesn’t impact on traditional game play procedures. No one yet has really created a successful Roulette bonus system. We think we have cracked it!

Q: How does it stand out from the rest of your sophisticated gaming products? What is so unique and powerful about the Supernova table bonus system?

A: A number of key reasons; it can be applied to all table games which provides the operator with faster growing jackpot pools to reward players with; the jackpot controller software is very sophisticated and can operate an unlimited number of jackpot pools to allow the operator fine tune prize structures to optimise player appeal; and being a new system we have incorporated the best of what we have learnt about table bonus-ing over many years.

Q: TCSJOHNHUXLEY combines excellence with innovation; this is identified through the

sheer sophistication of products. In regards to the latest product, in what way will it aim to change the gamers’ experience?

bonus systems over the last 15 years and saw an opportunity to provide a next generation system as most of the existing system are based on older technology. Once we started the project more and more innovative ideas were created through the development process. We have got a lot more to add to Supernova over the next 12 months – but for now it’s all about Supernova Roulette and its groundbreaking!

Has the sky-high venue been decided upon yet? How are you planning to showcase yourselves there?

A: We have decided to host Access All Areas London event at the spectacular ROOF GARDENS in Kensington. This iconic venue is totally unique providing a stunning oasis located 6 floors above London’s bustling Kensington High Street. The flexible space allows us to incorporate areas for our product showcase as well as great hospitality spaces incorporating some of the gardens, which can be used even in January!

Q: Why was the last Access All Areas in Las Vegas, the playground for the rich and famous, a success?

A: The event’s success is not solely down to the great location and showcasing superb products – although it definitely helps! Customers absolutely love the relaxed atmosphere with the added bonus of being entertained in a real life casino environment.

Although unseasonably cold outside, TCSJOHNNUXLEY managed to keep the heat turned up with some added extra treats, including an impressive array of classic cocktails prepared using original ingredients and recipes.

Q: Is there a swanky new theme for 2012’s Access All Area’s event and how will it attract more avid gamers to the world of TCSJOHNHUXLEY?

A: As always there will be plenty of surprises in store for our invited guests. All I can say is they will not be disappointed!

Gaming Review and Outlook: Disbelief, Trepidation and Hope

By Martin R. Baird As 2011 quickly comes to a close, I look back on the gaming industry with disbelief. I peer forward to 2012 with both trepidation and hope. This year has been an interesting one at best for casinos because they are no longer recession proof and insulted from the world at large. Casinos were affected by: unemployment in the U.S. holding near 9 percent, gold trading at more than $1,600 an ounce and the economic crises in Greece and Italy. And how could anyone forget the Arab Spring and general world unrest?

Even so, it’s astonishing that 2011 has not been a bad year for gaming. Many operators smartened up. They worked hard to reach the proper staffing levels without making huge cuts. They developed projects that fit their market’s demand without clinging to the old mentality of “build it and they will come.” They finally understood that pouring billions into construction of glitzy new buildings is no longer the answer to a decline in customers.

Narrowing my focus, I have to say 2011 was an up-and-down year for Nevada gaming.

There were a few months that were great but then the numbers dropped off. For the second quarter, the Wall Street Journal reported that “the Las Vegas Strip’s dominant casinos and resorts are signaling that after years in the dumps, the heart of Las Vegas tourism is showing a slow recovery,” with Caesars’ Las Vegas revenues increasing 10.3 percent from the year-earlier period and spending per trip growing 9.2 percent.

Then in November, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Nevada casinos saw their take from customers decline almost 6 percent in September to $863.9 million, the second consecutive monthly revenue drop. With increased competition coming from across the U.S. and the rest of the globe, it has not been an easy year for Las Vegas.

I believe 2011 has been a once-in-a-lifetime year for gaming. In some respects, perhaps it’s okay that many of us may never see such a year again in our lives. But it hasn’t been all bad.

As I look forward to 2012, I have significant concerns but also optimism. First the concerns.

Forrester Research, an independent research company that provides forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business, states that we have entered the “age of the customer” and that “empowered buyers demand a new level of obsession.” WOW! Forrester is looking beyond better service or customer focus. It’s saying customers will demand even more. They will expect obsession.

And I think this could be true. Customers have access to more information than ever before. They have the gargantuan amount of information available on the Internet, but they also have something even more powerful – social media commentary. From blogs to Yelp to Facebook to TripAdvisor, customers are well aware of what casinos are doing to lure them and they are reading about what does and doesn’t work.

Casino guests believe advertising less than ever and online customer comments more than ever. This is revolutionary because social media empowers customers like nothing that came before it. Social media is 24/7 in real time. Imagine a player posting his own Yelp review about your property while he is still on the casino floor. That is customer feedback gone real time!

This means that in tough economic times, the customer holds all the aces. Customers decide who they will reward with their entertainment dollars. Forrester is right. Casino operators must now obsess over their guests. For years, casinos have paid lip service to customer service, being customer centric and improving the guest’s gaming experience. Those that have taken action and invested in customer-related improvements over the last three to five years will be rewarded. Those that just talked about it may not survive.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a new kind of competition emerging from our economic ruins. With sales tax and property tax revenues plunging in the U.S., states need new revenue streams for schools and social services. Sin taxes are an easy target.

Almost daily, I receive emails about state legislatures looking at ways to implement gaming taxes or increase the casino tax revenues they already receive.

The day I wrote this column, my inbox had news about Kentucky looking at taxing casinos. Casinos that dot the Indiana-and-Kentucky state line better get ready now if they want to survive. Florida is looking at mega casinos. What will that do to the Biloxi area? Will Texas decide to dip into casino revenues in 2012? It doesn’t matter whether a casino is in the U.S. or Europe. Government coffers everywhere need replenishing.

And let’s not forget about online gaming. If Internet-based gaming becomes legal in the U.S., will states tax it?

I’ve dwelled enough on the dark side. Now I want to say something positive. There will be opportunities for gaming in 2012. Creative ideas often bubble up during tough times as people look for better ways of doing things. In 2012, I think casinos will become more creative. Because they know they all have the same games and tables, they understand that they have to be creative to stand out and attract guests. They will look for ways to get players to visit more than once. Only time will tell what they do, but they will do it because they must. Customers may not have as much to spend these days, but that’s okay if they have fun and come back.

I believe 2012 will be an amazing year for the industry. Casinos that are customer focused and meet or exceed customer expectations (in other words, customer obsessed) will have a good year. Please note I did not say an easy year. I don’t think it will be easy for most casinos.

Wishing you and your team an amazing 2012 full of opportunities, success and fun!

Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Robinson & Associates, Inc., a Boise, Idaho-based consulting firm to the global gaming industry that is dedicated to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and generate future growth and profitability. Robinson & Associates is the world leader in casino guest experience measurement and improvement.

For more information, visit the company’s Web sites at www.casinocustomerservice.com and www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com or contact the company at 208-991-2037. Robinson & Associates is an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.

Global Business on Local Basis By Sarah Francis Payments Advisor

Productive Payments In many ways payments we use on a daily basis, how we handle money, can be as culturally individual as our language. The payment mechanisms in each country have been developed in line with local political and cultural factors as well as economic necessities.

The UK for instance has largely mimicked the trends set, initially, in the US with the adoption of credit and credit cards, and, at a later stage debit. Its surprising, given the familiarity so many of us have with payment cards, to realise just what a recent innovation they really are, the first Debit Card being launched in the UK in 1987.

In January 2010 (Source: British Bankers Association) it was reported that some 60.7 million Credit Cards are in circulation and yet, in Germany, this is matched against 4 million Credit cards less than 5% of the population, as of 2009 (Source; Euromonitor International, January 2010). This is not due to a lack of interest in credit but more the differing way it is offered on a local basis resulting in fewer card related credit contracts.

In markets such as Spain it has been reported that as little as 13% of payments made are with debit or charge cards!

Individual countries have their favoured products iDEAL in the Netherlands, for instance, an online payment product processing some 68.8 million transactions by 2010.

It can sound endlessly complex and confusing and it’s possible to quote a myriad statistics and products from countries across the world. For the online gambling market this is an almost unique challenge, very few if any other industries have such a global reach, almost borderless.

How much attention is paid to translating a payments structure when entering a new market? When launching into new countries, a great deal of time and attention is paid to appeal to the cultural environment, the site is translated into local language, appealing designs used. The big question though goes beyond accepting local currency.

How much attention is paid in translation to suit the local payment culture?

We all talk about global business the international nature of the internet, but the reality is, just like language and laws, everything has a local flavour. At the core there maybe similarities in how the culture has evolved but, as they say, ‘the devil is in the detail!’

The resultant success, or failure, comes from choosing your payment partners from those who recognize that payment cultural adaptation is needed. HSBC runs many adverts based around ‘building global businesses by utilizing local relationships’, this kind of thinking is critical from the global online gaming market.

As the market becomes increasingly competitive payments and speaking the local ‘payments language’ goes beyond customer attraction and directly affects the bottom line when it comes to cost. Many local products are not just attractive but are often more cost effective in terms of merchant pricing and speedy funds clearing.

The subtle elements of trust, understanding and service can be market leading USP’s in a highly competitive market. When shopping for payment partners perhaps one of the leading questions should be how well they understand the cultural adaptation of payments within the markets they represent.

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The year for real progress

By Sally Painter In the US, 2011 will be remembered as a mixed year for online gaming and the public policy issues surrounding the industry. The tone for this narrative was set early in the year, with the “Black Friday” indictments surrounding PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker when a dozen executives were charged with serious crimes. This marked a turning point in an industry that had seen a boom of activity, despite operating in a murky-at-best legal environment.

Aside from the executives directly implicated in the indictments, millions of online poker-playing Americans saw assets frozen or seized, and many have yet to find resolution.

In an economy still recovering from a global recession, this has proven devastating to those players caught in the middle.

Unfortunately for the industry, the other major story line of the year has been the U.S. government’s inability to develop a new regulatory framework to bring the industry back into a more transparent state of operation. To put this in context, there has never been a majority of legislators capable of passing smart laws that utilize the industry as an economic driver, while protecting the social safety net. In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was not passed on its own merits; in fact most lawmakers disagreed with it. Rather it was passed in haste attached to a politically sensitive port security bill less than a month before elections that took out the majorities in both the houses that passed it.

In the five years since, industry experts, economists, and political professionals have been working to pass legislation to liberalize the market in a way that boosts the economy, supports the players, and addresses the concerns of detractors. Some thought that 2011 was the year that this could happen, but unfortunately this was not the case.

Will the outlook be better in 2012? It’s possible. While there was very little to show in the way of substantive policy advances in 2011, there was much work done behind the scenes. Congressional committees held hearings that brought in consumer advocates, industry executives, and academic experts to try and find common ground. The key stake holders have been in continual discussion and an amenable-to-all agreement could be reached in the coming months. Importantly, there is a sense in congress that these are issues that need to be addressed.

The fact that legal online gaming in the United States could support 60,000 thousand jobs and generate $2 Billion in revenue only reinforces this opportunity.

I expect there to be a serious push in 2012 for legislation in Congress that modernizes UIGEA to clearly state what is and what is not legal and who has the power to enforce it. The conversation has shifted from opening up online gambling completely to making tangible incremental progress. This will likely mean clear federal authority to regulate online poker and stronger law enforcement tools to ban other forms of online activity. Most importantly if this does not occur, we will likely see movement from the individual states to open up their markets outside the jurisdiction of the federal government—an outcome many opponents of online gaming fear more than the current proposed legislation.

This should give online poker advocates reason for optimism, but it is no sure bet. The 112th Congress has had a remarkably difficult time passing any meaningful legislation, even when failure could cause serious harm to the American public. We are also entering an election year—not just for the congress but for the President of the United States. Adding to the stakes is the fact that the class of Senators up for re-election is the moderate class of 2006 which flipped that chamber from Republican to Democrat during their last cycle.

2012 could be a historic year for the online gaming industry, but in order for success all, stake holders must work together to push through the inertia of Congress typically found in an election year. 2012 may in fact be just the year.

Crystal Balling the World of Chinese Gambling Desmond Lam, PhD.

Ballooning casino gaming revenue has put Macau yet again in the limelight of the gaming world. With thousands of eager Chinese players crossing its border with Mainland China each day, Macau seems likely to maintain the enthusiasm of savvy investors worldwide. Why are the Chinese people so eager to patron casinos around the world remain a mystery for many people? One way to build an understanding of the world of Chinese gambling is to look back through time.

Records of gambling among the Chinese people are documented in Chinese history books. Among these, Sima Qian (109 - 91 BC)’s “Shiji” (史记) recorded horse racing and cock fight betting during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). Wagering activities were recorded in every Chinese dynasty since then. In fact, many modern games like lottery, pai gow, fan tan, and mahjong are thought to have originated from China.

Simple but innovative ancient Chinese games like liubo, shi pai and gu pai laid the foundations for later Chinese gambling games.

A closer examination of Chinese history shows a frequent need for gambling entertainment among commoners and Chinese officials for thousands of years. However, to examine Chinese gambling in greater depth would require us to look beyond Chinese gambling history. Culture, in particular, plays a key role in Chinese gambling. But it is incorrect to suggest that Chinese culture encourages Chinese people to gamble more than any other cultures. On the contrary, traditional Chinese values as advocated by Confucius discourage gambling since it is perceived to be wasteful and can lead to social disorder. In fact, gambling has been subjected to control and sometimes ban over the history of China. The earliest documented control of gambling can be found in “The Book of Law” by legalist Li Kui of Wei kingdom during the Warring States period. In the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (established by Hong Xiuquan during the mid-1800s), officials and soldiers caught gambling will be executed.

While culture plays an important role in shaping the Chinese people, external forces may also explain why Chinese people gamble as much as they are. The transition from poverty to prosperity, widening income gap between the poor and rich, and negative real interest rate can all explain to a certain extent why Chinese people take such excessive monetary risks when they gamble. Some observers believe that Chinese people see gambling in Macau’s casinos as an investment as a result. Nationally representative studies, however, found a large percentage of Chinese people tend to gamble for fun and entertainment; not just for money.

One thing for sure: Many Chinese people see gambling as a form of social activities. There is no fuss about it. Leisure gambling can be considered a good activity at times. Mahjong playing, for example, helps elderly Chinese to think better by ‘exercising’ their brains. It is a celebrative game for all Chinese people. Gambling is perfectly alright for anyone during festive periods like Chinese New Year. Perhaps these attitudes towards social gambling reflect Chinese values and culture.

If practice in moderation, there is fundamentally nothing wrong with gambling as it has been for thousands of years. Yet, it is considered a taboo when practiced excessively. A Chinese person who falls into gambling pathology is simply someone who cannot control his own actions and is morally a bad person. There is no sickness; he is just a weak-minded person.

The world of Chinese gambling is huge and expanding. It is likely to continue to grow for foreseeable years ahead. By examining Chinese gambling from historical, social/cultural, psychological, and environmental perspective, one can then begin to understand why Chinese gamblers behave the way they are.

Culture can take different forms and have different effects on people.

A few studies have shown that Chinese gamblers have exceptionally high illusion of control. They believe they can control the outcome of gambling events. This characteristic may have to do with the influence of traditional Chinese beliefs and values. It seems that ancient belief of heaven/earth and rituals to please the gods is a starting point for further development of Chinese people’s obsession with the supernatural (e.g. luck, feng shui, fate, and destiny). Three major religions, namely, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism adopted many ancient beliefs and practices. These three religions or philosophy (Confucianism, in particular) have, along with other ancient Chinese beliefs and folk religions, helped shape the thoughts and behaviors of Chinese people into the way they are.

One of the many Chinese traits that may have come from such influences is an external locus of control. Chinese people are found to have a higher external locus of control over their Western counterparts. It means that Chinese people believe that luck, destiny, chance, and powerful others control their lives more than their own actions. An external locus of control can potentially lead to higher illusion of control on the gaming table. Superstition aggravates illusion of control. Chinese people’s unique form of superstition on lucky/unlucky objects, feng shui, and numbers has added to their high illusion of control. However, this has also somewhat enhanced the value (i.e. entertainment, fantasy, and escape) that Chinese people obtained from gambling. High illusion of control may then lead to high risk taking and/or more gambling.

Desmond Lam, PhD.

Toyota revs up with iconic sports car The anticipation is over

Toyota’s new GT 86 sports car made its world debut at the Tokyo motor show on November 30. The compact 2+2 model, one of the most keenly awaited new cars of the coming year, will go on sale in the UK in June 2012.

The GT 86 has been conceived as an entirely driver-focused machine, designed to deliver the core qualities of the classic sports car experience. That means precise, instant response to the smallest throttle and steering inputs and the kind of performance that appeals to those for whom driving is a passion, not a necessity.

The GT 86 is built on a new platform, with a highly aerodynamic bodyshell stretched tight over the car’s mechanical elements. Rather than fitting a heavy, large capacity powertrain, Toyota has opted instead to go back to its sporting roots, installing a compact, front-mounted, free-revving petrol engine that drives the rear wheels.

This four-cylinder "boxer" unit generates 197bhp at 7,000rpm and maximum torque of 205Nm at 6,600rpm, giving the GT 86 brisk, engaging performance.

The powertrain is matched to the world’s most compact four-seat design to create a car that benefits from light weight, low inertia and a low centre of gravity to achieve the best possible power-to-weight ratio. For the driver that means lively, accessible performance and dynamic character with minimal intrusion from electronic systems.

Smartphone on wheels "A car must appeal to our emotions.”

TOYOTA has unveiled a futuristic concept car, “Toyota Fun-Vii", that looks similar to a smartphone. It reflects how Toyota is racing ahead in terms of mobile technology; the motor was showcased ahead of the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011which took place from November 30 through December 11 at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, Tokyo. The theme of the show - to - is "Mobility can change the world."

The automaker’s president, Akio Toyoda, chose to focus on the experimental Fun-Vii, which he called "a smartphone on four wheels" at Monday’s preview of what Toyota is displaying at the show. The car works like a personal computer and allows drivers to connect with dealers and others with a tap of a touch-panel door. "A car must appeal to our emotions," Toyoda said, using the Japanese term "waku waku doki doki," referring to a heart aflutter with anticipation.

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Eternal youth

All you have to do is smile

Happy home?

Stressful work-home life

WORKING from home is more stressful than stepping into the office, according to research by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Investigating 3,000 people, it revealed that those who manage their workload from home find it difficult to switch off their family life in the background. In fact, working from home often makes domestic disputes worse, the study discovered.

Professor Tim Golden said: “The more work and family demands conflicted, the more people suffered from exhaustion," says professor Golden. "Those with already high levels of work-family conflicts suffered higher exhaustion when they spent extensive time working from home."

Despite the mod-con luxury of technology that allows us to be in constant contact with our work colleagues in the office, people sat at home find it hard to switch-off their family life and juggle their daily workload.

"Those with low levels of conflict between work and family seem able to benefit more from telework than those individuals who have high levels of conflict between work and home," the study says.

FORGET the anti-ageing creams, a simple smile could leave you looking younger in an instant, according to a study by Max Planck Institute in Berlin.

German researchers from the found that smiley, happy people were more attractive and had a more youthful appearance than their solemn counterparts.

“Facial expression has a substantial impact on accuracy,” says Manuel Voelkle from the study. “Those displaying happy expressions were most likely underestimated.”

The study asked 150 men and women to guess the ages of the faces from over 1,000 photographs and found that while neutral facial expressions generated the most accurate age guesses, happy faces were voted as the youngest looking.

The reasons behind the findings, published in the Psychology and Aging journal, is apparently down to how many wrinkles or ‘laughter lines’ a person has, as it makes it harder to guess their age. These findings follow a recent study from the London University College, which found that being happy and cheerful could reduce your risk of premature death by 35%.

Cheer up.

Sleek, sharp and sophisticated

By Harvy M

Red Carpet Fashion for men THE red carpet season is upon us, so where better place to stylishly shop than Harrods, the grand, luxurious, quintessentially stylish haven for designer hungry clients. Shop the world’s most famous luxury at the world’s well renowned and glamourous department store. As the International Gaming Awards 2011 is just around the corner, Harrods is the perfect stop to pick up a sleek, sophisticated suit just in time for the chic ‘Oscars.’ Check out their full sharp collections, from Ralph Lauren, Versace, Hugo Boss to Alexander McQueen. Suits scream out a polished, sleek, booted and suited elegance. Traditionally, the black suit and white shirt is mildly jazzy. But why stop there. This season, the tailors are experimenting with patterns, prints and fabric and we think you should follow suit. Mix it up on the red carpet with jacquard jackets or a pop of colour. How about the classic bow tie? Shake off the stuffiness and revitalise this classic accessory. Every red carpet look needs to be finished off with a pair of glass slippers-men’s style of course. From brogues to python slip-ons, Harrods has them. Make a statement on the red carpet at the dazzling awards.

Digital cash by 2016 R.I.P Wallets

MOBILE phones may replace our wallets by 2016, according to research by Forrester and commissioned by PayPal. It stated: “2016 will be the year when UK shoppers will be able to use their mobile phones to pay for things on the high street with digital money rather than cash, cheques or cards”. The results are based on interviews with 10 senior executives from major UK businesses, representing a combined 2010 turnover of £85 billion.

16.8% of the adult population have never surfed the net Digital exclusion

STARK figures released by the office of National Statistics claim that a staggering 8.43 million adults (16.8%) have never surfed the net.

The statistics were released recently and state that the latest figures dropped by 299,000 compared to just 12,000 in the previous quarter.

In light of the latest figures, the Government wants to get everyone online by 2015. Its “digital champion”, the internet entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox, is also running the Race Online campaign to create 1.9 million new internet users by the end of 2012.

The figures were based on the ONS’ quarterly Labour Force Survey; it highlighted that non-surfers decreased in all age groups except the youngest. The younger generation showed a small increase. Some 98.6 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds said they had used the internet which is a shocking figure, seeing as though most people seem to have their hands on a smartphone these days.

Many of those unable to get online represent the most disadvantaged groups among society, whose inability to access the web excludes them from a host of benefits, further compounding their isolation from society in a phenomenon referred to as ‘digital exclusion’.

The biggest fall, of 164,000, was among over-75-year-olds. However, the statistics did not indicate how much of this was caused by people going online for the first time and how much by the older members of the age group passing away. Some 72.4 per cent of over-75s have still never used the internet.

Carl Scheible, Managing Director of PayPal UK, claimed, “We’ll see a huge change over the next few years in the way we shop and pay for things. By 2016, you’ll be able to leave your wallet at home and use your mobile as the 21st century digital wallet.

2016 will mark the real start of money’s digital switchover in the UK. We’re not saying cash will disappear entirely, but we’ll increasingly use our phones and other devices rather than our wallets to pay in-store as well as online.”

Scheible added that the “The lines between the online world and high street will soon disappear altogether. Children born today will become the UK’s first ‘cashless generation’. It will be completely natural for them to pay by mobile.”

The study also suggested that almost half of mobile users use their devices to make a purchase every three months. With the smartphone market being constantly saturated, it’s thought that the trend will only grow more popular.Increasing numbers of online retailers are offering PayPal alongside credit cards, and eBay is to open a shop which encourages visitors to pay for goods with their mobile phones rather than at a conventional till.

PayPal said it expects to process more than $3.5 billion in mobile payment volume in 2011 – five times the volume it processed in 2010. By 2016, UK mobile retail sales will hit £2.5 billion, PayPal claims, as just over 14 million adults will regularly shop via their mobiles.

Would you ditch your wallet?

Faceless watch The future of wristwatches

A FACELESS watch is currently being developed by Nottingham Trent University as part of project for media company i2i Media Ltd. The wrist-worn devices – watches and bracelets – incorporate leading edge display technologies to enable consumers to stay up-to-date while on-the-go.

Using technologies such as Organic LEDs (OLEDS) and flexible thin film displays, the devices are currently being developed collaboratively within the university’s School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, and School of Science and Technology.

Female gamers have more sex than non-gamers

Stark new survey

FEMALE gamers are much happier than non-gaming women, according to a new study. It also revealed that female gamers have more sex than those that don’t divulge in the online virtual game. The findings are the polar opposite to the commonly held "nerdy" view of people who play video games.

And most significantly 38% have sex at least once a week - nongaming women are less sexually active, at just 34%.

Approximately 55 percent of female online gamers say that online games make them happy and 50 percent feel smarter when playing online games. Thirty-eight percent of female online gamers have children under the age of eighteen and 61 percent of female online gamers play between 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. each day. At 35 percent of respondents, the largest concentration of female online gamers is in the South and the age of female online gamers skews older. While 36 percent of female online gamers are between the ages of 18 and 34, the remaining 64 percent are at least 35 years old.

Paul Johnson, head of product design, has designed the range. He commented: “The recent introduction of exciting new display technologies has led to a huge The study was commissioned by gaming site GameHouse. demand for smart devices and telecoms products.

Its chief gamer, Matt Hulett, said of the survey: "Maybe if we all

“These display technologies will enable designers watched a little less TV and played more games online, we’d all and consumers to create new markets and trends in be having a little more sex.” wearables, and respond to increasing consumer thirst for personal mobile information on the go.”

HTC slump

Increased competition pushes HTC out A 7% drop in share prices has cast a gloomy shadow over Phone manufacturer HTC. The firm predicted a 20-30% growth for the final three months of the year; the latest prediction is now a stagnant growth.

The slump is being partially pinpointed on increased competition and a weakening demand.

Analysts and the markets were surprised by the statement filed with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. "This new guidance takes us by complete surprise and is at odds with recent discussions we have had with distribution channels, especially in Europe," said Pierre Ferragu from Sanford Bernstein in a note to clients.

The swarm of smartphone’s flooding the market has seen launch after launch throughout 2011, including Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, the iPhone 4S and the Motorola RAZR. Despite announcing new versions of the HTC Sensation (Sensation XE and XL), the Taiwanese-based company has struggled to find a serious competitor to Apple’s all-conquering smartphone, particularly in the US, which accounts for half of HTC’s sales. The company is expected to release new products next year, though some analysts predict that it may be too late to stop HTC’s main competitors, Apple and Samsung, from pulling away.

I hear you!

Apple reportedly fine-tuning a new television APPLE are devising a new television, apparently called iTV, according to various Apple rumours. If rumours turn out to be true, then the slick device may be able to hear and understand your shouts and see your gestures. These gestures could be used, for example, to edit videos or transfer footage from the TV to a telephone.

According to experts, the revolutionary new interactive sets may be available by late next year.

In a posthumous biography, the late Apple founder Steve Jobs had hinted at the new technology being developed, the Daily Mail reported.

"I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," Jobs was quoted as saying.

"It would be seamlessly synched with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine.

I finally cracked it," he said.

In October it emerged that the US patent office had received details of an Apple device for ‘real-time video process control using gestures’. The new TV is also likely to make it easy to access whole films from the Internet and watch them on the big screen, introducing powerful competition to pay TV firms and rival electronics manufacturers like Samsung.

Promised faster

broadband Bid to help small empires

CHANCELLOR George Osborne announced a £5bn fund towards improving the speed of broadband, according to his Autumn Statement. The cash has been put aside for capital projects in a new National Infrastructure Plan.

"We will help bring world-leading super-fast broadband and WiFi to 10 cities, including the capitals of all four nations," Osborne told the House of Commons.

Apart from Edinburgh, London, Belfast and Cardiff, up to six other cities will get to share in the £100m pot. These cities will be chosen in a UK-wide competition, and all those chosen will get broadband in the speed ranges of 80-100Mbps.

The rationale behind the broadband plan, the Treasury said, is to support economic growth by focusing on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and "strategic employment zones".

BT welcomed the news, saying in a statement that it was "a positive initiative that will help ensure our major cities have the best available super-fast broadband".

"BT is already upgrading large parts of these cities under its commercial rollout plan and these funds could help us go further. We look forward to working closely with the selected cities to see what can be achieved," the company said.

Smartphone envy Regret

ONE in five iPhone owners regret purchasing their smart gadget. A survey conducted by phone comparison site GoodMobilePhones of 1,694 Brits revealed that the 22% asked wish they had another smart device.

This is no surprise either, as the phone market is being constantly saturated by a new gadget every month, it seems.

Tech Digest reports the five top reasons as to why we turn green with envy.

• • • • •

Jealous of rival smartphones (43%) Battery life (25%) Lack of ‘buttons’ (13%) Difficulty using emails (8%) Unhappy with functionality (5%)

GoodMobilePhones owner Mark Owen said: "Smartphone envy is something that many phone owners experience, but few will admit to, because everybody wants to believe that they own the ‘best’ phone on the market.

"I was really surprised that so many people admitted to regretting their iPhone purchase, because they are regarded by many as the best phones available.

"Mobile phones are becoming more and more expensive as technology advances, and the majority of newer smartphones are only available on lengthy contracts, which can last for as long as two years.

"My advice would be to research the latest phones, or try and find a way to test out the handset to see if it is the ‘right’ device for your needs, before committing to buying."

Social gaming on the rise $5 billion by 2015

SOCIAL gaming is on the rise with more of us logging onto our social media accounts for a virtual challenge. PopCap Games, maker of some of the world’s most popular video games, unveiled the results of a survey updating a 2010 report targeting social gamers in the U.S. and U.K. The survey found that 118.5 million people now play social games at least once a week, up 71%. Information Solutions Group conducted this research exclusively for PopCap Games.

Among other results in the new survey, players are now significantly more likely to spend real-world money to buy content within social games, with 31 million players having purchased in-game currency, up 86%. The report examines play habits, attitudes and regional/demographic differences among social gamers, who represent the fastest-growing segment of the video game industry. The social game sector is anticipated to generate $5 billion by 2015 according to market research firm Parks and Associates.

The survey found that 30%, or 35 million people who now play social games are new to the category since February 2010, and that 17% percent of people who play social games regularly are new to gaming altogether, having never previously played a video game, representing 20 million new gaming consumers. And while the average age of social gamers has gone down from 43 to 39, the average first time new social gamer is a 50+ year-old woman.

The report also uncovered regional differences in attitudes about cheating in social games, finding U.K. social gamers (11%) cheat at a higher rate than U.S. gamers (7%).

Still waiting?

E-mail etiquette

A QUARTER of us expect to receive a reply to our e-mail within an hour, according to a recent survey by Author of Brilliant Email and email management expert, Dr Monica Seeley. The survey also revealed that over a third of us expect one within two hours and over two-thirds within half a day. Only a quarter of us think a response within one day is acceptable and only seven percent of us are prepared to wait two days.

As technology speeds up, it seems as though our response times are supposed to catch up with these speed standards too. The results also highlight how most of, who sit in front of a computer all day, could feel pressurized by the email overload we face on a daily basis.

“Today’s ‘always on’ culture of email, smart phones and social media means we expect almost instant responses to our communications. We pressure ourselves into thinking that most email has to be answered and often as soon as it arrives. But like driving, the faster we respond, the more damage we do when we make a mistake.”

"We are confusing speed of email response with effectiveness" and allowing technology to dictate and potentially damage the way we work.

Garth Ralston, Business Intelligence Development Manager for Aimia who manage large customer loyalty schemes like Nectar and Aeroplan agrees. He is introducing an email etiquette scheme across his division giving guidelines on email conduct including expected response times.

Top Facebook stories of 2011 “A Message to Women From a Man: You Are Not Crazy.”

FACEBOOK has revealed its top 40 most-shared articles in the US through the networking giant. Yahoo, New York Times, CNN and Huffington Post all boast multiple entries in the top 40; which ranges from “cute to thought provoking”, according to Facebook Notes.

The types of stories which made the list included parenting, comedy videos to viral videos to natural disasters across the world.

The most shared article of 2011 in the US was an article showing satellite photos of Japan before and after the tsunami, published by the New York Times. According to The Telegraph, it was shared “more than 600,000 times” on the social networking platform.

Second place went to “What teachers really want to tell parents” posted on CNN, while third place was “No, your zodiac sign hasn’t changed”.

The list highlights the importance of social media and how it connects users from all over the globe in terms of sharing news and events. There is no longer a restriction in sharing information over the web.2012 looks to place even more emphasis on sharing content thanks to the continued growth of Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

Surprisingly, the death of Apple co-founder and tech icon Steve Jobs only registered at 37 on the list and his patents came last of all. Coming in at number 33 was “Things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know” and another random shared piece is “A Message to Women From a Man: You Are Not Crazy.” Curious as to what’s in the full listing? Visit Facebook’s official blog.

Txt me Happy Bday Txt’n

TEXT messages turn 19 this month, what most people don’t know is that the first person to send one was a British engineer. The first texter, Neil Papworth, aged 22 texted Vodafone director Richard Jarvis at a staff Christmas party. Instead of what we all have become so used to texting, Neil in fact texted ‘Happy Christmas’ instead of text lingo ‘Happy Xmas.’

Text messaging has supplanted the traditional hand written letter, the congenial telephone conversation, and in some cases even the face to face conversation.

Another casualty of the text message is spelling. People today cannot spell because everything is shortened to its smallest possible length – UR L8, LOL, JK! Mobile companies made over one billion dollars last year from people texting. An estimated 8trillion text messages will have been sent by the end of the year over 15million each minute.

200,000 poker faces PokerStars record breakers!

TCSJOHNHUXLEY announces their sky high location

THE world’s largest online poker room PokerStars has smashed its own record for the most people simultaneously playing an online poker game after 200,000 people joined its record attempt on Sunday night.

Czech Republic PokerStars.com Manager Ondrej Drebota explained; “the tournament was sold out before it started, but technical limits prevent their number from crossing 200,000.”

The record attempt was also part of PokerStars’ 10 year anniversary celebrations, with the site being launched for real money on December 12, 2001. The site has continued to grow ever since and in 2010 PokerStars was netting around $1.34 million per day and $1.4 billion annually.

The site also dealt its 60 billionth hand on March 31, 2011, with UK player “Pogo650″ winning the milestone hand for $102,090.What a way

2012?

Prospects for online gambling in US looks positive FORMER Wynn Resorts exec, Richard Bronson who now heads online gambling provider US Digital Gaming, says the prospects for legalised online poker in the United States for 2012 are good.

Bronson confirmed his company has invested $75,000 over the past year with lobbyist Patricia Lynch Associates.

Bronson said that he doubted federal legalisation would be achieved, & that his company’s approach over the past three years has been to brief & encourage lawmakers in individual states to pursue intrastate online poker legalisation.

Bronson also said that recent moves by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to introduce [land] table gambling to the state in order to generate tax revenues was a positive for online gambling initiatives.

The bottom line, said Bronson. When Steve Wynn & I were in business 20 years ago & going around the country & talking to states to legalize casinos, it was like abortion or the death penalty, a highly controversial subject.

But it’s not even controversial anymore in that regard. States now look at gaming revenue as legitimate revenue sources. There are currently 23 states that have full casino gambling.

Bronson revealed that U.S. Digital Gaming has been talking about the legalisation of online gaming in New York state for the better part of a year now, relying on states’ rights to pass intrastate law.

Morgan Stanley estimates that the U.S. online gaming industry is worth $14 billion annually.

Access All Areas 2012 taking gaming to new heights at The Roof Gardens, Kensington TCSJOHNHUXLEY has announced The Roof Gardens, Kensington, as its debonair VIP location for its Access All Areas 2012 event in London on January 24-25th 2012. The celebrated and prestigious innovative industry event is hoping to attract gaming professionals from all over the world and be bigger and better than ever.

Just like previous events, TSCJOHNHUXLEY promises to showcase the crème de le crème of a gloriously gaming haven.

TCSJOHNHUXLEY’s event in Las Vegas was a huge success and showcased a glam theme of gaming in the golden age, ‘Gaming in Style.’ It took place earlier this year and visitors were able to experience an era when Las Vegas evolved into a glamourous playground for the rich and famous. 2012’s event will carry a fresh, new theme.

In Las Vegas, impressed guests were treated to some new and exciting innovations that were showcased for the first time at the event - these included Double Action Roulette for the Novo Unity II platform – the added thrill of Double Action Roulette comes to the leading multiplayer platform allowing increased game frequency to a much larger audience all from one dealer; DigiDeal’s hybrid L2V (live to virtual) e-table featuring TCSJOHNHUXEY’s Value Verification Unit (VVU card scanning shoe) the hybrid touch screen live card table that offers real card action at electronic speeds; for US customers only, Inspired’s slant top Sabre terminal offering roulette and baccarat that can be connected to up to four wheels and tables - including live and remote systems - allowing players much more game choice.

For more information about the Access All Areas event and TCSJOHNHUXLEY, visit www.tcsjohnhuxley.com

AmericanPoker.com up for grabs 32Red Online Casino eyes "AmericanPoker.com is a domain name up Italian market you wouldn’t want your competitor to own." No licence granted yet ONLINE poker has been making headlines recently with proposed legislation that could regulate the online poker industry. The domain name AmericanPoker.com, previously reserved for a new network of sites, was just released and is now available for purchase. Despite savvy entrepreneurs scooping up the most popular domain names, there is still a chance to grab the newly released domain name.

ITALY has recently regulated its online gambling industry, opening its doors to foreign operators and the prospects of exploring offshore gaming markets along with new potential gamers. In light of this, 32Red Online Casino has shown interest in stepping into the Italian market and expanding its own brand overseas. The gaming firm hasn’t yet been granted a golden ticket yet, a license, so the firm remain on edge awaiting their fate. Perhaps 2012 will see the firm change its game?

Chief Executive Ed Ware exclusively told Infinity Gaming Magazine: “I can’t confirm that we will be definitely entering the Italian market as we haven’t been granted a licence yet. However, as you know we are going through the process of a licence application in Italy and are approaching the time when we will be ready to submit our documentation to AAMS for their consideration. Should we be granted a licence then we hope to be operating an Italian service by the beginning of next summer.”

Ed Ware has a clear direction of where he wants to see 32Red go; with his 15 years of experience within the gaming industry, he believed that if the application is approved, “Italy would represent a second significant regulated market for 32Red, after the United Kingdom.”

It’s this unprecedented popularity that attracts both players and Internet entrepreneurs alike. Gaming experts realize the opportunity that poker sites present.

What makes this domain name particularly desirable, according to online poker trends expert Paul Wilson, is that Americans make up the majority of players. He added that all the most popular poker games are in the American Poker category. Players understand American Poker because the games they play are in this category.

"AmericanPoker.com is a domain name you wouldn’t want your competitor to own," says Wilson. "For someone who sees online poker as a serious, legitimate business and not just a hobby, this is the perfect domain name."

International Gaming Awards CARE Thanked as a donor INTERNATIONAL Gaming Awards has been recognised and sincerely thanked as a donor for CARE International, within its latest annual review. The review highlighted the help, support and invaluable donations it received towards the fight in eradicating poverty across the globe.

Neil Munro, Head of Events, CARE International said: “We are delighted with the fantastic support from the International Gaming Awards, which have raised over £53,000 for CARE since 2010, which is absolutely wonderful. This allows us to continue our life changing work and help even more people living in extreme poverty.”

CARE International is well renowned for seeking a world of hope, tolerance and social justice. It strives to help people live in dignity and security with its bold aspirations towards overcoming poverty.

GamCare responds to negative press GamCare calls for responsible gambling education to be part of the school curriculum GAMCARE has responded to the Department for Education review of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education by arguing strongly for the addition of gambling to the curriculum.

Chief Executive, Andy McLellan said: “One of GamCare’s core aims is to ensure that gambling remains safe for all – and this is particularly relevant for young people.”

For the vast majority, gambling is a pleasurable leisure pursuit. But we also know that at any one time some 60,000 12-15 year olds may already be problem gamblers – a prevalence rate of 2%, more than twice that for adults. The answer to this must lie in better education – for teenagers, parents and teachers.”

Giving evidence to the Culture Select Committee inquiry into gambling, he drew attention to the opportunity afforded by the DfE’s review.

“The DfE’s review gives us the chance to make the case that the PSHE curriculum should raise awareness about the potential risks of gambling and include information about understanding risk and probability, and how to gamble responsibly – in exactly the way young people are already offered advice about the risks of drinking alcohol, taking drugs or smoking.”

Visit: www.gamcare.org.uk for more details.

Japan takes a gamble?

Slotting casinos into Japan’s economy GAMBLING may be on the cards in an effort to boost tourism and tax revenues. It’s been a distant vision for years now with Tokyo’s powerful governor, Shintaro Ishihara looking to slot casinos into the economy and leisure industry. However, the green light hasn’t been switched on yet, as legislators fear that gambling would boost organized crime instead of benefitting the population. In this sense, the odds are against Shintaro.

Adelson, chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), has also been driving the need for gambling to be opened up in Japan. In light of this, a group of 150 lawmakers plans to introduce a bill that could allow resorts that combine slot machines and gambling tables with hotels, shopping and restaurants.

Looking at the financial possibilities and outlook, Japanese casinos could emerge as a 3.4 trillion yen ($44 billion) industry, according to a 2009 study by Ryosaku Sawa, an economics professor at Osaka University of Commerce. Could this sway legislators towards taking a chance on gambling in Japan?

That would certainly provide an attractive source of tax revenue for a government facing a 19 trillion yen reconstruction bill from the March 11 earthquake, on top of the world’s largest public debt. “It would be an engine for fiscal revival and job creation that wouldn’t require raising taxes,” said Takeshi Iwaya, a member of the group of legislators from six parties, including the ruling Democrats and their main opposition Liberal Democrats. Issei Koga, who leads the group, said today that he hoped to introduce the bill during the Diet session that begins next month, because time had run out on advancing the proposal during the current session.

“The liberalization of potentially Japan and Taiwan are on the cards,” Lawrence Ho, chief executive officer of Macau casino operator Melco Crown (MPEL) Entertainment Ltd. and son of gambling billionaire Stanley Ho, said in an interview. He will be “open minded” about selling more stock in Melco Crown, which listed in Hong Kong yesterday, to raise funds that may be used to expand outside the Chinese city, he said.

Other casino operators are also betting that Japan will overturn the ban in its Macau-envy. It’s not surprising really; according to Bloomberg. com: “2010, gambling revenue there was four times that of the Las Vegas Strip and jumped 44 percent in the first 11 months of 2011.”

“It’s a very attractive market,” said Steven Tight, president for international development for Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corp.

“There just seems to be a very strong affinity to that sort of entertainment.”

Another pair of eyes keeping close to developments is MGM Resorts International (MGM) said Ed Bowers, the Las Vegas-based company’s senior vice president for hospitality. Nanami Kasasaki, Genting Singapore Plc (GENS)’s representative director for Japan, said her company is paying attention too.

Adelson said he hopes all the talks he’s held with Japanese government and business leaders will put Las Vegas Sands in pole position, should the law pass. “We’ve been lobbying there for years,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that we’re the leading candidate.” Singapore has been used as a shining example highlighting legislation is not always a pitfall.

Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, opened in April 2010, two months after Genting Singapore’s Resort World Sentosa, and the city-state is already set to raise an estimated $1 billion in gambling taxes this year, according to Richard Huang, a Hong Kong-based analyst at CLSA AsiaPacific Markets. In Macau, the government may collect $13 billion in taxes this year from its 34 casinos, he estimated.

The money generated by gambling in the two cities has prompted countries across Asia to embrace the concept of Las Vegas-style resorts. The Venetian Macao, operated by Adelson’s Hong Kong-listed Sands China Ltd. (1928), generated more than $2.4 billion in revenue last year. Sands China has gained 40 percent this year in Hong Kong trading while rival Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. (27) has jumped 74 percent. Melco Crown is up 53 percent in Nasdaq trading this year. “There’s more momentum and greater optimism than there has ever been in the past,” George Tanasijevich, chief executive officer of Sands’ Singapore operation and Adelson’s representative for Japan, said in a phone interview.

South Korea, which has casinos catering mostly for foreigners, is making its own legislative push to permit the development of casino resorts. In the Philippines, Japanese pachinko company Universal Entertainment Corp. (6425), the biggest shareholder in Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN), plans to build a $2.3 billion hotel and casino as part of Manila’s Entertainment City project.

Casinos in Japan would compete with existing forms of legal gambling, including bicycle, motorboat, motorcycle and horse races, along with pachinko -- a type of combination slot and pinball machine -- and some soccer matches. Those pastimes earned more than 25 trillion yen, or about $322 billion, last year, according to a 2011 White Paper on Leisure published by the nonprofit Japan Productivity Center.

Keiko Itokazu, an independent legislator, said she was concerned that organized crime, known as the yakuza, would exploit casinos for prostitution and selling drugs. “The yakuza would certainly get involved.” Takashi Kiso, head of Tokyo-based consulting firm International Casino Institute Ltd., told lawmakers in November that it would be a mistake to assume Japan would copy Singapore’s success in controlling vice.

Singapore’s gambling resorts are isolated from the rest of the city. The city-state’s small size and strict rule of law also make it easier for authorities there to clamp down, he said.

Casinos may fail to deliver the expected level of economic windfall for the country, according to William Thompson, a professor at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. The benefits would depend on Japan’s ability to draw a large number of gamblers from overseas. “If they don’t get foreign gamblers, for the economy it’s at best a zero and at worst a negative,” he said. “If the gamblers are Japanese, the money is coming out of the Japanese economy.”

Macau boost " Big changes."

NEIGHBOUR to gambling haven Macau, Hengqin Island, is set to offer a boost in visitors to the gambling powerhouse. At the moment, the massive construction site is gearing up to morph into a family-friendly resort. No gambling will be allowed on the sleepy island, so the extra population is expected to hop over to Macau, providing extra revenue and strengthening the gaming haven.

"In the coming year there will be big changes," Zhao Zhen Wu, a Chinese government director working on the development of Hengqin, said during a recent media tour of the island.

"Hengqin’s investment philosophy is geared to the world, particularly Hong Kong and Macau. We welcome foreign investment, especially from Fortune 500 companies," he was quoted in a Reuters interview.

"Having a significantly larger Chinese population base immediately adjacent to Macau should serve to drive mass-market gaming revenues," said Grant Govertson, founder of Union Gaming Group, an independent research and advisory firm based in Macau and Las Vegas.

Macau reports a 32.9% rise in gaming revenue Macau races ahead of Las Vegas GAMBLING destination, Macau, announced that they have seen a 32.9% rise in November to 23 billion patacas ($2.9 billion.) It reflects the rising numbers of glitzy gamers to the gambling enclave. The good news shines brightly amidst the global crisis currently sweeping the economical environment.

The November figure, which equates to what Las Vegas may record for half of 2011, was no surprise, according to Credit Suisse consumer and gaming analyst Gabriel Chan.

"Next month could be similar to this month in terms of growth, but going into January will be a low season as in the first couple of days of the Lunar New Year we don’t have any VIPs coming to Macau," Chan said.

He added that the seven-day Chinese New Year holiday, which Chinese gamblers are more likely to spend with their families, would fall near the end of January next year, rather than in February when it is usually held, making year-on-year comparisons more tricky for that period.

November revenue, which rose at the slowest pace this year, was expected to fall from October’s record $3.4 billion because of the previous month’s week-long national holiday in China that dramatically increased the flow of visitors into Macau. "We are not seeing any changes in patterns in terms of velocity of money. Things have been pretty consistent for the last 12-18 months," Melco Crown International Chief Financial Officer Geoffrey Davis told reporters at a conference on Wednesday.

While Macau’s gaming revenue easily trumps that of Las Vegas, the non-gaming component accounts for less than 5 percent of total revenue.

Melco Crown shares its shares “Capture the rapidly expanding Macau gaming market.”

MELCO Crown Entertainment has announced that it plans to list its shares on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, by way of introduction commencing December 7.

Mr. Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melco Crown Entertainment, said, "We believe our proposed dual listing on the local bourse will not only put us on a par with our competitors, but will also provide our existing shareholders with enhanced liquidity and enable local and Asian investors to directly access investment opportunities in our Company, thus broadening our investor base."

The Company’s Shares are expected to commence trading under the stock code 6883. Shares will be traded in board lots of 300 Shares. Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) Limited and Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch (in alphabetical order) are the joint sponsors of the dual primary listing.

The Company wishes to highlight that the HK dual listing is subject to the final approval of the SEHK and other relevant authorities, and may not occur in the absence of such approvals.

He added: "We believe a listing by introduction is consistent with the Company’s disciplined and pro-active approach to managing its capital structure, providing the Company with an additional channel, via the SEHK’s mature and liquid platform, to raise future capital. Taking into account, among other factors, the current market sentiment, we do not currently intend to carry out any equity offering in conjunction with the listing by introduction.

"Led by an experienced management team, Melco Crown Entertainment is well-poised to capture the rapidly expanding Macau gaming market with its unique and diversified portfolio of high quality properties targeting multiple customer segments.”

Forced into online black market gambling?

Review of the British online gambling market A REVIEW of the £1.7 billion British online gambling market points to a possible secondary licensing fee on offshore gaming companies operating in British markets. The shakeup means that the government could close tax loopholes taken advantage of by offshore online gambling operators. Most of the top 20 operators in the UK market operate from offshore locations and do not pay taxes or horseracing levies in Britain. William Hill, in particular has voiced themselves on the issue.

Lawsuit battle heats up Mgm files lawsuit

It’s been reported that William Hill is the gambling group most likely to be affected by the secondary license fee. It has more than 10% market share and operates offshore. It commissioned professional business services provider Deloittes to carry out a review.

Deloittes concludes that secondary taxation at the point of consumption could lead to an exodus of the more reputable online gambling operators, forcing an estimated 40% of the players to shift to unauthorized and untaxed operators. This would result in the growth of a black market in online gambling. A spokesman for William Hill told The Independent newspaper, "The question for the Government is, should it introduce policy which distorts markets?" Changes are expected to come into force this time next year.

Nevada reviewing its poker applications Internet poker could be implemented in February NEVADA gaming regulators have already started to review “probably five or six” applications in association with their intrastate Internet poker, according to reports.

Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli said that there are two gaming entities new to Nevada that have applied as “manufacturers and distributors” in the online poker business. Since there is no Control Board history of investigation for these companies, reviewing their respective applications is already ongoing. Lipparelli admitted that “activating” an application before regulations are adopted is “not ideal.” Regulators will reconvene on Dec. 22 to continue to iron out the language in the regulatory drafts, which must be finalized by the end of January. The last public hearing was held in early November.

In mid November it was widely reported that Lipparelli said the Control Board would begin taking applications in February.

“I think there was little bit of misinterpretation about what I said,” Lipparelli said. “What I meant was that in January the regulations have to be adopted, and I would expect, beginning in February, that people would want to pursue potentially operating an Internet poker site in Nevada.

But that did not mean that only in February would the applications be accepted. In fact some people filed a month and half ago.”

The chairman said he couldn’t predict how many more applications will come into his office in the coming weeks. He said that some companies may act conservatively and wait until the end of January’s hearings.

A LAWSUIT was filed by MGM Resorts International recently against four individuals and two companies for trademark infringement. The lawsuit claims that each of the defendants registered poker-related websites between 2002 and 2005 that used names of MGM properties.

The lawsuit lists the following sites linked by name with MGM casinos: bellagioonlinepoker.com, circuscircuspoker.com, excaliburpoker.com, luxorpoker.com, mandalaybayonlinepoker.com, mgmpoker.com and ariapoker.com.

The lawsuit charges that each of the casino names has become famous because of billions of dollars MGM spent advertising and promotions over the years.

“The defendants have or have had a bad faith intent to profit from their registration of the domain names,” the suit claims Attorneys for MGM Resorts have requested a temporary restraining order against the defendants that would block them from using the domain names.

In light of this, the battle is now heating up, as a Texas man, Adam Majewski, has filed a response to the lawsuit. Majewski, who has owned the excaliburpoker.com domain name since 2005, states that his site doesn’t infringe on MGM Resorts’ trademark of the term “Excalibur.”

According to an article from VegasInc.com’s Steve Green, Majewski’s motion states, “Excalibur is not a distinctive mark…It was the sword of kings in the Arthur legends. Thousands of businesses use this name – Excalibur Bowling, Excalibur Taxi and even Excalibur Condoms.” While he does admit to being an entrepreneur in online gaming, internet marketing and social media, Majewski says he has gone out of his way to avoid targeting Nevada with his site, VegasInc says.