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THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER FOR THE GLOBAL CASINO INDUSTRY

ATLANTIC CITY: IS THERE A BREAK OR BREAKINGPOINT ON THE AC HORIZON? 2

JULY 2014 • EDITION 141

ASIA: AWONDERFULOPPORTUNITY

IGT’s Eric Tom discussesopportunities in Asia

PEOPLE 42

MACAO GAMING SHOW

JAPAN

The Asian expo unveils its exhibitor line-up 28

espite a delay in the antici-pated timings for the discus-sion of the IntegratedResort Promotion Bill inJapan, the prospects for thecontroversial legislation arebetter than ever now thatthe powerful prime ministerShinzo Abe and the entirecabinet has given their fullsupport to it. Prime Minister Abe said:

“Integrated Resorts areexpected to provide a greatcontribution to tourism,regional economies andindustry, I think, and can beone of the key elements ofJapan’s growth strategy.”He added: “I hope in my

capacity as the leader of theLiberal Democratic Partythat we can aim to pass it inthe next extraordinary ses-sion of the Diet.”Since coming to power a

year-and-a-half ago, Abe haspursued policies of fiscalstimulus and easing of themonetary supply - known inJapan as Abenomics - to tryand rid the national econ-omy of deflation and bringout of well over a decade ofpoor performance. Theeconomy contracted in thelast quarter, which helpedpersuade the government togive its full backing to theopening of resorts withcasino gaming at their heart,despite the significantopposing pressures that willbe brought to bear. As many as ten IRs of vary-

ing sizes are expected to beapproved, with two of thelargest planned for bay-island locations in bothTokyo and Osaka. Americancompanies such as Las VegasSands, Wynn and MGM

Resorts as well as the home-grown Universal Entertain-ment of Kazuo Okada andeven Konami, better knownas a gaming machine manu-facturer, have all expressedstrong interest and wouldtogether bring investmenttotalling many tens of bil-lions of dollars. The rewards for those

companies will come fromhaving access to a vastuntapped market that enjoysgambling. For Japan, theprospect of tens of thou-sands of jobs in both the con-struction and operation ofthe IRs is too good to pass up.The domestic market

will provide a firm founda-tion for the resorts but willalso help attract even moretourists: 2014 is expected tobe a record year as the weakyen and eased visa condi-

tions encourage more visi-tors, including from everwealthier China. Accordingto Reuters, the projectedspend by foreign tourists isexpected to exceed that ofJapanese tourists goingabroad for the first timesince 1970. If the trend continues

and is bolstered by the newIRs, it will contribute toboth the balance of pay-ments and public coffersthrough taxation. The IRmarket could be worth asmuch as $40bn a year withinfive years of opening,according to estimatesbased on the experienceselsewhere in Asia. Thatwould make it the secondlargest gaming market inthe world after Macau.The Prime Minister sig-

nalled his growing support

for the IR plan in May whenhe visited the two resorts inSingapore. The coalition heleads has a majority in bothchambers of the parlia-ment, though the NewKomeito party is ambiva-lent towards the proposal.Nevertheless, there is alsosupport across the aislesfor IRs, which should nowmake the bill’s passage aracing certainty. The delayhas made the alreadynarrow window for gettingat least some resorts up andrunning in time for the 2020Olympics in Tokyo nar-rower still but phased open-ings will likely allow somelatitude.

LEGISLATION

Japanese PrimeMinister puts hisweight behindcasino proposals

The politics ofJapan are far fromsmooth, especially

when it comes tocasinos. But while

the enabling bill thatwould allow the

regulation ofIntegrated Resorts

to go forward hasbeen delayed untilthe autumn, it will

return to theagenda with some

hard-hitting backing- from the PrimeMinister and his

cabinet.

Jap anese Pr ime MinisterS hi nzo Abe ’s suppo rtmake s the li keli ho od ofca si no l egis lati on passing i nJap an much stronger

TWITTER/@ICASINOREVIEW • WWW.CASINOREVIEW-ONLINE.COM

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WorldNews

aesars Entertainment hasannounced that it is toclose the Showboat Casinoin Atlantic City at the endof August with the loss ofmore than 2,000 jobs.Theshock announcementcame on June 27 just aweek after Revel, the greathope for a revival of for-tunes for the New Jerseycasino industry, went intobankruptcy for the secondtime in its short life.

Caesars chairman andCEO Gary Loveman said:“While we regret theimpact that this decisionwill have on our Showboatassociates, we believe thisis necessary step to help

stabilise our business inAtlantic City and supportthe viability of our remain-ing operations in the vicin-ity. Since 2006, revenue inAtlantic City has declinedby more than $3bn andcompetition in the city hasincreased.”

A local union leader BobMcDevitt called the deci-sion a “criminal act” as thecasino is still profitable.Showboat is around mid-table in terms of revenuegeneration in AC but likemost has seen revenues ina continuous spiral ofdecline for eight years.

In a statement the com-pany said: “Caesars

remains the largest opera-tor in Atlantic City and willcontinue efforts alreadyunderway to help revitaliseand transform the area.Caesars is developing anew, state-of-the-art meet-ings facility adjacent toHarrah’s Atlantic City andis pursuing other opportu-nities to stimulate new visi-tation and growth.”

Atlantic City started theyear with 12 casinos, butnot for long. In January theAtlantic Club closed afterColony Capital sold thecasino’s assets to Tropi-cana and the site revertedto landowners Caesars. IfRevel cannot find a way to

restructure and a businessmodel that can operateunder the existing condi-tions, not the ideals thatseem to have informed itsstrategy thus far, by theend of this year there couldbe only nine in operation.

Atlantic City mayor DonGuardian, who has onlybeen the job a few months,said just after the Show-boat closure wasannounced: “Although it issad today, it’s part of thetransition that AtlanticCity needs to have. There ispain as we go through thistransition but it’s criticalfor Atlantic City to haverealised we are no longer

UNITED STATES

Don Guardian, AtlanticCity’s mayor

ATLANTIC CITY

Will the closure ofone of Caesars

casinos allowothers to survive

a little more easilyor is it the next

step in a terminaldecline for

America’s secondcasino resort

destination city?

2 | casinoreview July 2014

Rot sets in as AC’sShowboat to close

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July 2014 casinoreview | 3

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ICR NEWS: WORLD 1-5 EUROPE 6-9 ASIA & OCEANIA 10-13 AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST 16-17 NORTHAMERICA 18-21 SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 22-23 COMMENT & ANALYSIS 26-27

AUSTRIA / MACAU / UNITED KINGDOM / UNITED STATES

Integrated casino resort developer MelcoCrown Entertainment has revealed that itsStudio City development in Macau is on

course to open during the middle of next year.When completed, the Cotai venue will fea-

ture a 1,200-room luxury hotel alongside290,000sq.ft of leasable retail area and amulti-purpose entertainment studio able tohost a range of events including concerts andboxing matches.

To bring its vision to reality, Melcoannounced that it has also increased thedevelopment’s budget by $300m (E220.1m)to $2.3bn (E1.6b) due to rises in constructioncosts including building and fit out expensesalongside design and consultant fees.

“We are extremely excited about ournewest integrated resort in Macau, whichremains firmly on track to open in mid-2015,”

said Lawrence Ho, co-chairman and CEO ofMelco Crown Entertainment.

“The property’s cinematic theme and vastarray of unique entertainment and attrac-tions will enhance Macau’s appeal as a lead-ing tourist destination in Asia. Studio City’sprime location directly adjacent to the LotusBridge immigration border and proposedlight rail stop is one of the property’s keycompetitive advantages given the antici-pated growth and widespread developmentplan for Hengqin Island. We look forward toworking closely with the Macau governmentto bring this unique property to realisation.”

Elsewhere, the Hong Kong-based firm’sPhilippine subsidiary, Melco Crown Philip-pines Resorts Corporation, is hoping to raiseas much as $129m (E94.6m) to help fund itsCity of Dreams development. The unitintends to sell as many as 485m shares afterincreasing the budget for its Manila casino byaround a third to $840m (E616.5m).

Following two years ofhearings and backgroundinvestigations pro-

ceeded by a week-long seriesof hearings and deliberations,the Massachusetts GamingCommission has unanimouslyapproved MGM Resorts Inter-national’s application to oper-ate a resort casino in the cityof Springfield.

MGM officially announcedits interest in the westernMassachusetts licence inAugust 2012 and was origi-nally one of five firms along-

side other heavyweightsincluding Penn National Gam-ing vying for the right to bring aresort casino to the centre ofthe state’s third largest city.

“This is a great day forSpringfield, the Common-wealth of Massachusetts andMGM Resorts,” said Jim Mur-ren, Chairman and CEO of theLas Vegas-based casino oper-ator. “We’re proud of what ourtalented team and our manydedicated city and communitypartners have accomplishedtogether. We thank the Mas-sachusetts Gaming Commis-sion for its thorough vettingprocess and look forward to

continuing our work withSpringfield mayor DomenicSarno and other Springfieldand western Massachusettselected officials and govern-mental leaders along with res-idents and businesses ofSpringfield and the region aswe move this project for-ward.”

The finished $800m(E586.1m) development is tofeature a 25-storey hoteloffering 250 rooms alongsidea spa, pool and roof deck inaddition to 125,000sq.ft ofgaming space with up to 3,000slot machines, 75 gamingtables, a poker room and a

high-limit VIP area. Expectedto create 3,000 permanentjobs, MGM Springfield willadditionally include 15 shops,restaurants, a multi-level park-ing garage and an eight-screen cinema, bowling alleyand outdoor stage.

However, the whole projectcould be scuppered if voterspass a measure in Novemberthat repeals the easternstate’s controversial 2011gaming and licensing law. As aprecaution, MGM Resorts ear-lier agreed a deal that makesany licence award contingenton the eventual outcome ofany such ballot.

the monopoly of gaming onthe East Coast. If you buildmore and more casinosand don’t increase theamount of people comingto them, you’re sharingthat wealth. We’re justgoing through a very diffi-cult time.”

Ratings agency Fitchapproved of Caesars move.In a note to investors it said:“The closure makes finan-cial sense for Caesars andis a positive for the over-supplied Atlantic City mar-ket… [The company] willlikely recapture most of theShowboat customers at itsthree other resort inAtlantic City.”

ANALYSIS

Showboat haseffectively beensqueezed out the

market, not only by itsowners but theprevailing businesswinds. The US modelfor the industry haschanged greatly: inalmost every part ofthe country now, youdon’t have to travelmore than a couplehours to find a casino.The old concentrationshave less importance.Las Vegas has comethrough because of itshistory and its uniquequalities as adestination. AC hasless to offer. Themayor has said theclosures are part of atransformationprocess but has notsaid, and perhapsdoes not know, whatthe transformation willresult in.Unlesssomeone canarticulate a clear visionand soon, AC will endup as a couple oflarge, moderatelysuccessful hotel-casino resortstowering over acrumbling boardwalkand little else.

INTERGRATED RESORT

Studio City on track for mid-2015 opening

CASINO LICENCE

MGM Resorts wins westernMassachusetts licence

MACAU

UNITED STATES



World

MACAO GAMING SHOW: “THE RESPONSE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL GAMING COMMUNITY HASBEEN VERY POSITIVE. 2014 IS ON COURSE TO BE A BIGGER EVENT...”

MarinaWong

28News

During last month’s generalassembly of the EuropeanCasino Association (ECA)

in Copenhagen, Denmark, all 23European countries unani-mously accepted the NationalCasino Forum’s application tojoin forces with Europe’s leadingtrade association for the Euro-pean casino industry.

Commenting on the partner-ship, Ron Goudsmit, chairman ofthe ECA, said: “We are delightedto extend our membership to theUK. Having the UK in the ECA isvery important because of thesize of the market and thestrength of its industry.”

“For some time now the ECAand NCF have been promotingequivalent agendas. Thisrenewed membership, whichwas sealed during the general

assembly of the ECA in Copen-hagen, will reinforce ECA’s mainpledge to be the unified voicefor Europe’s licensed casinoindustry.”

NCF is active on both the politi-cal and regulatory levels in theUK. “Throughout the years, ECAand NCF have maintained posi-tive relations and we are lookingforward to these relationsbecoming even stronger, andjoining forces to fulfil our com-mon industry regulatory and pol-icy endeavours together,” saidTracy Damestani, CEO of NCF.

“ECA and NCF share the sameaims of promoting a positiveagenda for a healthy, well regu-lated, responsible and economi-cally sustainable casino industry.Working together will strengthenour influence in Europe.”

The partnership between theECA and NCF comes at an impor-tant time for the UK’s land-basedcasino industry. Despite the factthat the ECA’s 2014 EuropeanCasino Industry Report indicatesthat the UK market saw total rev-enues of £872m (E1.035bn) in2012 – representing a 9.4 percent jump on the previous year –both Goudsmit and Damestaniagreed that the industry stillfaces numerous hurdles.

“There are huge challengesfacing the UK industry,” Dames-tani told International CasinoReview. “I think that those fig-ures, whilst somewhat encour-aging, should not be taken out ofcontext. There is a large amountof competition now comingfrom all angles within the gam-bling markets.”

The Austrian Ministryof Finance hasawarded one of the

two new casino conces-sions in Vienna to GrandCasino Wien, an interna-tional joint venture led byStadtcasino Baden Group,renowned operator ofGrand Casino Baden andCasino Davos in Switzer-land.

Together with its Ger-man partner, GauselmannGroup, a high-class casinoand entertainment projectwill be developed in the his-torical Palais Schwarzen-berg, one of the mostprominent baroque-style

buildings in the Austriancapital. The first-time grant-ing of a casino concessionto an international appli-cant marks the end of the60-year-long casino monop-oly in Austria.

The second licence inVienna was handed toNovomatic Group, whichwill transform its existing400-machine gaming hall inthe Prater district ofVienna into a state-of-the-art flagship casino. Thecompany will also developa new venue in the nearbycity of Bruck an der Leitha,Lower Austria (SupplierNews, p32).

“We are more than happyabout this decision but atthe same time fully aware

that it is associated with alarge degree of responsibil-ity,” said Detlef Brose, CEOof Stadtcasino Baden. “Weare committed to create acasino of internationalappeal that Vienna merits.”

According to Brose, thepremium casino will com-pete with internationalrenowned casino locationssuch as Monte Carlo. “Wewant to offer our guestsunparalleled gaming andentertainment experience,combined with a success-ful mix of restaurants, barsand events,” he stated.“Beyond that, GrandCasino Vienna will alsoadopt a leading approach inresponsible gaming, gainedon our home market in

Switzerland for more than adecade.”

Hubertus Thonhauser,chairman of the board ofdirectors of the GrandCasino Vienna operatingcompany, added: “TheGrand Casino in PalaisSchwarzenberg is morethan just a casino. It is theengine for an urban devel-opment project connectingVienna’s city centre and thenew Central Station, inwhich a total of approxi-mately E100m will beinvested.”

Grand Casino Vienna willoffer 28 gaming tables aswell as 290 slot machineswith the historical baroque-style ceremonial and repre-sentation rooms of the

Palais Schwarzenbergreserved exclusively fortable games. Spacious bars,lounge and smoking areasas well as a multi-functionalentertainment room willcomplete the offer.

As part of the invest-ment a central park next toPalais Schwarzenberg willbe open to the general pub-lic and upgraded withF&B-services. Further-more, in one wing of thePalais the Schwarzenbergfamily foundation, partnerof Grand Casino Vienna, isplanning a boutique hotel.In addition, an under-ground parking adjacent tothe Palais with over 200spaces will be built andoperated by the Breit-

eneder Group, a leadingAustria operator of park-ing lots.

The construction workwill be started immediatelyand executed in close co-ordination with the FederalMonuments Office. Reno-vation is expected to take atleast 12 months.

“This fast kick-off is pos-sible because the planningand approval processeshave been advancedalready during the tender-process for the conces-sion,” said Thonhauser.“The objective is to create acontemporary and moderninterpretation of a classicalcasino, putting Vienna onthe international map ofcasino destinations.”

AUSTRIA

UNITED KINGDOM

TRADE BODIES

UK strengthens ties with EuropeThe UK’s association forthe land-based casinoindustry, the NationalCasino Forum, has joinedthe European CasinoAssociation.

RonGoudsmit

NEW CONCESSION

Grand Casino Viennato open in historicAustrian palaceA joint venture group led by Stadtcasino Baden has obtainedthe concession for a new casino in Vienna, bringing the country’s60-year monopoly to an end.

IN BRIEF: NCF

Since January 1, 2014,NCF became the solerepresentative trade

association for the land-based casino industry inthe UK. It represents over98 per cent of the UKland-based casinomarket, with operatorsfrom not only the UK, butalso from the US,Australia, Malaysia andEurope. In total, 147casinos are operating inthe UK providing directemployment to circa15,000 people andindirect employment to afurther 30,000.


International Sales: Jens Halle, Phone: +43 2252 606 234, [email protected]

YOUR WORLD OF INNOVATIONSNOVOMATIC Global Attractions 2014

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EuropeNews

hen Genting’s ResortsWorld Birmingham opensin spring 2015 it will mark anentirely new approach tocasino gaming in the UK.The third Large licence toopen under the 2005 Gam-bling Act, its location on theNational Exhibition Centrecampus opposite the LGArena will offer it someunique opportunities butalso unique challenges.

Unlike any other casinoin the country, including the2005 Act venues in Stratfordand Milton Keynes, ResortsWorld Birmingham willprobably not be able to relysolely on a locals market forits bread and butter busi-ness: the NEC is located inSolihull and a 20 minutedrive from the edge of thecity - however easily acces-sible by public and privatetransport.

“There will be a localsmarket but it won’t drive thebusiness,” said Paul Will-cock, Genting UK’s manag-ing director of home

markets. “What will is thefact that the casino is at thecentre of a complex thatwill pull people in from awide area. It’s a new kind ofleisure experience in thiscountry. The outlet centrewill be a major attractionand people will stay for thecinema, the spa, the greatbars and restaurants and ofcourse the casino.”

He continued: “Ourmajor advantage is that thevenue is directly oppositethe entrance of the LGArena, so when the mainevent is done, there will bethousands of peoplestreaming out in a goodmood looking for ways tocontinue the party. Andwe’ll be right there. And ofcourse there are thou-sands coming to the NECevery week for tradeshows and conferences,staying in the hotels - stay-ing in our hotel too.”

The NEC currentlyattracts around 3m visitorsper year, which is a good

start. It is currently ownedby Birmingham City Coun-cil. The city authorities arenow in discussions to sell itinto private hands and thefunds it generates will gosome way to balancingBirmingham’s very lop-sided books. The newowner is likely to investsubstantially in the site inorder to attract a lot moreMICE business, which willmean even greater footfall.That can only be a goodthing for Resorts WorldBirmingham.

“Events is really the keyword in our strategy,” saidWillcock. “The complexwill be a destination, visit-ing it an event in itself butwe are also likely to beworking with the LG Arenato bring, for example,Asian music stars who willattract huge crowds fromall over the country. Ourkey performance indica-tors cover the complex as awhole, not just the casino,which is different from the

rest of our estate.”He added: “We are

entirely conscious that wecan’t just magic tens ofthousands of new visitors tothe venue - we will be invit-ing Genting customersfrom across the region andfurther afield to come andexperience it, and also tar-geting users of other casi-nos in the region.”

The marketing campaignfor the entirety of theResorts World Birminghamwill be the responsibility ofBarry Clemo, the formermarketing director forGenting UK and now com-plex operations director,which means he is in chargeof the build and will run thewhole venue when it’s open.

He said: “I’m incrediblyproud and honoured to beworking on this project:being both the landlord andan operator within in it, ournew tenants know that wewill be working hard tomake their businesses assuccessful as ours. In addi-

tion to the casino, we willalso be operating the four-star boutique hotel and thespectacular bars, includingthe World Bar, featuringbeers from around theglobe, the chic ChampagneBar, a 360-degree Sports Barwith sports betting and ofcourse the spectacular andvery exclusive Sky Bar.”

He continued: “This isthe UK’s first in-resortcasino and because we’rebuilding it from scratchwith the support and expe-rience of the global Gentingorganisation we absolutelybelieve we are creating aleisure casino for the UK inthe way it should be doneand combining it withopportunities for high-endplay that are unusual out-side London.”

The main floor of thecasino will feature an ini-tial 100 slot machines (ris-ing to the maximum 150 intime) from a variety ofmanufacturers includingIGT, Novomatic and Spielo

W

Just a year off itsscheduled

opening,Genting’s

Resorts WorldBirmingham has

almost toppedout. International

Casino Reviewwent to the see

the constructionsite and met

Genting UK’s Paul Willcock

and Barry Clemo.

UNITED KINGDOM

NEW CASINO

Resorts World Birmingham ri

Resorts World Birminghamhas a lakeside positionwithin the NEC campus

The gaming floor The luxurious salonprivé on the top floor

The Sky Bar wil l beavailable for exclusiveprivate events

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MARJA APPELMAN: “OPERATORS HAVE THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR AND ANALYSETHE BEHAVIOUR OF THEIR CONSUMERS AND INTERVENE WITH HARMFUL GAMBLING BEHAVIOUR..”

Dutch tackleonline issue

26

AUSTRIA / BELGIUM / MONACO / PORTUGAL / UNITED KINGDOM

In Portugal, the cabinet of Prime Min-ister Pedro Passos Coelho hasapproved draft language that would

legalise and regulate online gamblingfor the first time, while establishing atax rate of between 15 and 20 per cent.

According to Adolfo Mesquita Nunes(pictured), Secretary of State forTourism, the government wants to insti-tute an “open model” similar to thatalready present in Spain, France andItaly, which would allow foreign opera-tors to obtain a licence so long as they“meet the requirements and are in goodfinancial standing in their finances andsocial security”.

The proposed legislation, whichcould be ratified before the end of theyear if it is subsequently approved by

the EU Commission, would see taxa-tion based on gross gaming revenues,with differing rates depending onactivity and amounts as sportsbettingis expected to attract a 37.5 per centrate of tax.

A reform of Portugal’s laws coveringonline gaming was one of the condi-tions of a E78bn bailout from the Euro-pean Union, which the nation satisfiedlast month, while any future proceedswould be split between central govern-ment and regional authorities to‘encourage sport and for culturaldevelopment’.

The draft bill would give the Ministryof Tourism licensing and enforcementresponsibilities while that nation’s cur-rent regulator, Santa Casa da Misericor-dia de Lisboa (SCML), is to retainexclusive rights over social gaming.

Portugalapprovesdraft online gaming bill

PORTUGAL

LEGISLATION EUROPEROUND-UP

Total turnover from theGreek gambling marketdeclined by some 37 per

cent over the past five yearsto stand at $7.5bn (E5.4bn)for the whole of 2013,according to a report from theGaming Oversight and Con-trol Commission.

The authority asserted thatthe nation’s lottery andcasino operators as well asthe state-run OPAP and ODIEmonopolies should soonbenefit from the effects ofderegulation as well as newgaming machine IT controland oversights systems.

Changes are also in thepipeline for gamblers in Polandafter the Ministry of Financepublished draft language thatwould amend the country’sGambling Act and allow oper-ators from outside the countryto open and operate onlinebetting sites.

The legislation would seefirms registered in the EU orEFTA permitted to compete

against the current four opera-tors licensed to offer onlinegambling services so long asthey open an office in Poland.

A recent study from consul-tancy Roland Berger esti-mated that Poland misses outon around E142m in tax rev-enues each year from onlinewagering with the country’slicensed operators account-ing for only nine percent of thecurrent total spent.

In the UK, the HippodromeCasino in London’s LeicesterSquare has premiered a newgaming and entertainmentventure themed around famed1910s chorus girl and allegedillegal card game and drinkingparty organiser Lola McGuire.

Lola’s Underground Casinocombines entertainment andgambling by offering dancinggirls on podiums amongst itstraditional blackjack androulette tables. The six-figureinvestment in the West Endproperty’s lower ground flooralso includes ‘gin palace’ bartogether with a barber shop.

as well as a number ofFOBTs from Inspired Gam-ing. Inspired’s Sabre 5 auto-mated and electronicmulti-gaming terminalswill also be very much inevidence with more than 60terminals in two separateblocs.

TCSJohnHuxley willsupply the live gamingtables, 28 in all on the mainfloor - 14 roulette and 14blackjack and baccarattables including some flip-tops. Four tables will belocated in a high-stakesgaming area off the mainfloor and four in a learn-to-play area that can also beused for specific events.The casino will also featurea UK first - an indoor-out-door casino terracedesigned to allow guests tosmoke as they play. Thesides will be made of angledglass panels that will pro-tect guests and the equip-ment from the weather allwhile obeying the legalstrictures on enclosures for

smoking areas. A pokerroom with 12 permanenttables will also be offered,with the ability to convert abar area near the entranceinto a tournament areahousing at least another 20,as required.

On the fifth floor of thebuilding, the topmost levelnear the exclusive suites ofthe hotel, will be the Sky Barand two salons privés plusanother external smokingand gaming space equippedwith ten gaming tables.

“Resorts World Birming-ham will be a real gamechanger for Genting UK -and for the UK gamingindustry,” said Clemo. “Weare working with our part-ners in the worldwideGenting Rewards pro-gramme to bring in newmembers. Visitors will beable to tap into the pro-gramme at three levels: theRed card allows guests tocollect points across theentire resort and spendthem on almost everythingbar gaming credits. Thestandard Black card ismore for regular casinoplayers, while the Platinumcard brings unique offersand benefits for exclusiveguests. We are also workingon bringing it to our onlineplayers. The programmewill fold our customers intothe whole, exciting worldof Genting.”

Resorts World Birming-ham has already createdaround 1,750 constructionjobs and will offer another1,150 full-time equivalentposts when it opens, includ-ing 276 in the casino itself.

“I fully expect the nextyear to disappear in a flashas we prepare the buildingto open,” said Clemo. “Wealready have some anchortenants in place -Cineworld will operate thecinema, for example - andwe have had a huge amountof interest in the retail andF&B units, for which therewill be a lot of competitionas we approach opening.But as much as I’m reallyenjoying the constructionprocess, I’m looking for-ward even more to operat-ing the resort. It will be apowerful demonstration ofthe commitment ofGenting to this country andI can’t wait to show to it toour customers.”

Following Wolverhampton Race-course’s decision in April to can-cel its plans to become the first

‘racino’ in the UK, rival operatorCasino 36 is hoping to secure the‘small’ gaming licence available in thecity and open a venue featuring up to80 slot machines.

Casino 36 wants to expand itsexisting Rubicon Casino on TempleStreet into a neighbouring buildingthat formerly housed The Dorch-ester nightclub to create the region’slargest casino.

If it is successful in obtaining thelicence, Casino 36 stated that thenew venue would offer live gamingtables featuring roulette, blackjackand three-card poker alongside 100stand-alone terminals and a maxi-mum of 80 slot machines with jack-pots of up to £20,000 (E25,014). Therewould also be restaurants in additionto snooker, pool and darts facilitiestogether with a sports bar screeninglive matches while the existing all-weather roof could be transformed

into an open-air terrace.“This would be a massive expan-

sion of what we already do there,”said Adrian Ballard from Casino 36.“This will really benefit the night-timeeconomy of Wolverhampton. It willhave a lot more than your averagecasino. This will be a premier land-mark venue for Wolverhampton citycentre within the Southside regener-ation area. We estimate the total costof the project to be £4m (E5m).”

The new casino could create up to133 new jobs while Casino 36 hasalready shown its commitment to thelocal community by handing £36,000(E45,029) to Wolverhampton CityCouncil despite no legal obligation foruse in counselling programmes andcommunity initiatives.

m rises

UNITED KINGDOM

Casino 36 hopes to winWolverhampton licence

LEGISLATION




Europe

VDAI: “FURTHER DRASTIC LIMITATIONS ARE TO BE IMPOSED ... MANUFACTURERS FACEPRODUCTION SETBACKS OF PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN PROPORTIONS.”

End of anIMA?

27News

Société des bains demer de Monaco(SBM) has reported

an 11.4 per cent increase inannual revenues, as thegroup made gains in itsgaming and hotel divisions.

Owned by the Govern-ment of Monaco, SBM hasfive casinos in the princi-pality, including Casino deMonte-Carlo, Casino Caféde Paris and Monte-CarloBay Casino. It also oper-ates dozens of hotels,restaurants, bars, night

clubs, spas and golf clubs.In the year ending March

31, 2014, revenues for SBMtotalled E472.5m, up 11.4per cent on the E424.1mreported in the previousyear, bolstered in part bythe group resuming opera-tion of the Méridien BeachPlaza Hotel and the sale of400,000 Wynn Resortshares.

According to the com-pany, which last year cele-brated its 150thanniversary, turnover from

gambling activities wereup 18 per cent in fiscal 2014,and turnover from hotelactivities was up two percent. Despite this, how-ever, SBM recorded anoperating loss of E11.8m,although this is less thanthe E32.7m deficit reportedlast year.

“Even with improve-ment in consolidatedturnover, the group’s oper-ating result still shows aloss, though it hasimproved significantly as

compared to the previousyear,” the group said. “Thegroup’s various sectors ofactivity - gambling, hotelsand rentals - have all con-tributed to this morefavourable trend.

“With revenue ofE207.9m, the gambling sec-tor shows a rise of 18 percent in turnover. Whileactivity for table gamesshows a rise of 43 per centin revenue, activity forautomatic machines saw aslight setback as compared

to the previous year.”SBM added: “The hotel

sector has pursued thefavourable trend estab-lished in the previousfinancial year, withturnover of E237.4m ver-sus E222.2m in 2012/2013.The group benefited fromyear-round running of theMéridien Beach Plaza hotelin Monaco, giving a posi-tive impact of E10.8m, andgrowth of two per cent inturnover on a constantperimeter basis.”

ANALYSIS

Looking beyond its bottomline performance figure,SBM is well positioned to

swing its operations back to aprofit in the near term. Inaddition to its five opulentcasinos - with the jewel in thecrown being the iconic Casinode Monte-Carlo - SBM alsoowns the principal hotels,sports clubs, foodserviceestablishments and nightclubsthroughout Monaco. And whilemany high-end Europeanleisure groups have sufferedamid the economic downturn,the double-digit revenuegrowth achieved by Monaco’sincumbent leisureconglomerate acts as a usefulindicator that consumers arespending once again.

FINANCIALS

SBM still struggling withoperational woes

Despite reporting anincrease in annualrevenues, Monaco’sstate-owned gaming,entertainment andhospitality group,SBM, is stilloperating at a loss.James Walkerreports.

MONACO

The Belgian GamingCommission (BGC)has published an

open letter to lawmakersin the country calling fortighter restrictions on thegambling industry along-side the introduction ofregulations for socialgaming.

Signed by EtienneMarique, president of theBGC, as well as directorPeter Naessens andstrategic advisor MarcCallu, the communicationappealed to the nation’snext government tostrengthen the existingregulatory framework andrecognise growth in theBelgian gaming market bygiving it additionalresources.

The BGC drew attentionto the fact that 600,977Belgian players used atleast one online gaming

site in 2013, which is almostthree times the numberthat frequented thenation’s land-based ven-ues, with total turnoverexceeding $20m (E15m).

“New figures indicatethat gambling appeals toan increasingly visible partof the population while theregulatory framework isnot up to scratch,” read theletter. “The role of the reg-ulator must be enforced inorder to protect the credi-bility of the state and thesector must be restrictedbecause exploitation ofbetting is not a normal eco-nomic activity.”

BELGIUM

REGULATION

BGC callsfor toughergamingcontrols

Breaking the monopoly heldby Casinos Austria, the Aus-trian Ministry of Finance has

granted integrated global gamingfirm Novomatic Group two casinooperating licences, while a thirdhas gone to Gauselmann in partner-ship with Casino Baden.

While the newGauselmann/Casino Badencasino is to be located in the

Palais Schwarzenberg (see WorldNews, p4), Gumpoldskirchen-based Novomatic will transformits existing 400-machine gaminghall in the Prater district ofVienna into a state-of-the-art flag-ship casino while additionallydeveloping a new venue in thenearby city of Bruck an der Lei-tha, Lower Austria.

Novomatic, which was foundedin 1980 and operates some 30 casi-nos throughout Europe includingGermany’s largest, Spielbank

Berlin, employs over 20,000 staffaround the world including 3,000 inAustria and stated that the Austrian

concessions will create hundredsof new jobs.

“The allocation of these licencesnow allows us to prove our interna-tional casino competencies in our home market, Austria,” saidFranz Wohlfahrt, CEO of Novo-matic, which reported turnover in2013 of over $4.7bn (E3.5bn).“Apart from that, it enables us toguarantee the sustained growth atthe Novomatic headquarters inGumpoldskirchen while creatingjobs for 500 new employees.”

LICENCES

Novomatic granted pair of Austrian casino licences

AUSTRIA


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Asia & OceaniaNews

he chairman of the Philip-pines gambling regulatorand state-owned operatorPAGCOR, CristianoNaguiat, has said thatManila Bay Resorts, cur-rently under constructionafter numerous delays, isstill in breach of ownershiplaws that mean it cannotstart operations.

The project has beenbeset by legal issues fromthe start, especially overthe requirement that the44 hectares of land onwhich it stands withinPAGCOR’s EntertainmentCity development shouldbe owned at least 60 percent by Filippinos.

Japanese developer Uni-versal Entertainment ledby the controversial busi-nessman Kazuo Okada hasbeen through two potentialpartners since it wasuncovered that the originalland-holding company was

majority-owned by Univer-sal through various sub-sidiaries.

Naguiat said: “Even ifthey finish [the resort],they still cannot open it ifthey do not have a localpartner. Before openingthey should abide by allPhilippine laws.”

A deal with RobinsonsLand Corp fell apart in May2013. A new agreementwith Century PropertiesGroup put together inNovember has also nowfailed. Talks with newpotential partners areunderstood to be under-way.

There is a significantamount of money at stake:the integrated hotel andcasino resort is set to costUS$2bn and is due to open intowards the end of 2016.Further phases would bumpup the investment aroundUS$5.75bn.

Manila Bay Resort wouldcreate thousands of jobs forlocals, possibly as many as15,000, with many alreadyhaving experience in hoteland catering often overseas.

Even if it can find a part-ner, Universal and its localsubsidiary Tiger Resort andLeisure Entertainment stillface significant challenges,not least the prospect thatthe gaming licence mightyet be revoked. Universaland Okada are undergoingtwo separate criminal inves-tigations, one by the FBI inthe United States, the otherby Philippines authorities,into allegations of bribery,specifically suspect pay-ments alleged to have beenmade by a Universal shellcompany in Hong Kong to aclose associate of the for-mer head PAGCOR.

Along with other allega-tions, that was enough tohave Okada, formerly the

largest investor in WynnResorts, expelled from thatcompany’s board and hisshares compulsorily pur-chased at a discount, losinghim millions. Wynn wasalready upset at Okada’sManila project, believing itto be a direct competitor toits expanding interests inMacau.

Manila Bay Resorts is ahugely important flagshipproperty for Universal - itsfirst foray into large-scalecasino resort developmentand operation. While theprospects for internationalstandard casino resorts aregood in the Philippines, interms of the size of thepotential market, for Uni-versal it would give them afirst foundation from whichto launch its undoubted bidfor a casino resort in itshome country of Japan. Leg-islation there is expected topass early in the autumn.

ANALYSIS

Finding the right dealthat will complementand support the huge

investment that Universalis making into thePhilippines is provingdifficult. The Japanesefirm, although assertive,finds itself in anincreasingly weakposition with completiondates receding, costsrising and threats to itsoperating licencemounting. The pool oflocal people and firmswith the necessary fundsis also relatively small,which adds to thepressure. Sooner or later,Universal will have tomake a deal withsomeone and it will haveto stick, even if it alsosticks in the throat.

RESORT CASINO

Manila Bay Resorts stillnot legal says PAGCOROne of the major development projects in the Philippines Entertainment City complex remainsnon-compliant after failed attempts by Universal to find a suitable partner.

PHILIPPINES


Going up: Manila Bay Resorts.But can it stay up?

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AUSTRALIA / INDIA / MACAU / NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS / PHILIPPINES

ASIAROUND-UP

Crown Resorts has settled alawsuit regarding its failedA$2.9bn (E2.1bn) takeover

of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas,which fell through in 2008 follow-ing the global financial crisis.

In a short statement, the Mel-bourne-based hotel and casinooperator revealed that the actionbrought by a group of lenders inNevada District Court had beensettled out of court with the con-nected court case dropped.

“As a result of the settlement,the lawsuit has been dismissedagainst the Crown defendantsincluding James Packer (pic-tured),” read the statement fromCrown Resorts.

In Cambodia, the Roxy Casinoin Bavet City has re-opened afterthe once derelict property waspurchased in March by Aus-

tralian firm Cell Aquaculture.Located 200 metres from the

border with Vietnam and only87km from Ho Chi Minh City andits 8.1m inhabitants, the perpet-ually-licensed Roxy Casino fea-tures a 20-room hotel, a 50-seatrestaurant and administrationoffices alongside a gaming flooroffering up to 25 tables in addi-tion to slots and a sportsbook.

Similarly, the Primorsky Kraiarea outside of the Russian cityof Vladivostok could soon behome to two new casinos afterMacau’s Lawrence Ho and Cam-bodian casino operator Naga-Corp each signed up to developvenues.

The new resort casinos in thefar east of the giant nation wouldtarget the over 21m residents ofBeijing along with those inChina’s three northeastprovinces and punters fromSouth Korea and Japan.

Some of the world’s largest casino oper-ators including Las Vegas Sands Cor-poration and MGM Resorts

International have seen their shares take ahit after May gross gaming revenues inMacau fell short of analysts’ expectations.

According to data from the GamingInspection and Coordination Bureau, grossgaming revenues in the former Portugueseenclave increased 9.3 per cent year-on-yearfor the month to reach $4.1bn (E3bn),which was well below the expected 13 to 15per cent.

Wynn Resorts and Melco Crown Enter-tainment Limited also saw their share prices

affected, as did Galaxy Entertainment, SJMHoldings and Sands China, with May’s figurerepresenting the slowest growth since Feb-ruary and considerably lower than April’s10.6 per cent.

Increased government regulation is onereason for the slowed growth with govern-ment officials also seizing UnionPay cardsearly in the month after these were sus-pected of being illegally used to siphon bil-lions of dollars away from mainland China toMacau.

Another concern is the impending casinosmoking ban, which is scheduled to be imple-mented from October 6. After this date, gam-blers will be required to move to designatedareas for smoke breaks, which could lead tofewer or slower games and less revenues.

Plans to develop a new casino in theNorthern Mariana Islands havebeen delayed after the US island ter-

ritory’s Superior Court extended an orderstopping the government from eitherdenying or approving a licence.

As previously reported by Interna-tional Casino Review, March saw Gover-nor Eloy Inos sign the Saipan Casino Billinto law in a bid to attract more touristsand raise additional tax revenues despitedirect opposition from the Saipan Cham-ber of Commerce over an alleged lack oftransparency. The legislation granted oneoperator selected following a competi-tive bidding process an exclusive casinolicence covering the whole of the nation.

However, one of the finalists in theprocess, Mariana Stars Entertainment, inwhich Hong Kong firm Mega Stars Over-seas holds a 25 per cent stake, requestedand received a temporary restraining

order last month pending the resolutionof a lawsuit it is bringing against fellowbidder Best Sunshine International, awholly-owned subsidiary of Macau-based junket investor First NaturalFoods.

Each firm had paid a $1m (E720,000)non-refundable application fee beforeindividually depositing $30m (E21.5m) inescrow to have their rival bids for theisland of Saipan considered by authori-ties. But, Mariana Stars is suing Best Sun-shine over claims it ‘illegally’ providedbenefits to at least four local lawmakersin exchange for support.

The initial temporary restraining orderwas due to expire on June 29 but Associ-ate Judge David Wiseman extended thearrangement indefinitely pending the res-olution of the action brought by MarianaStars, which is set to be heard from July 1.

CASINO LICENCE

Saipan casinoplans delayedpendinglawsuit

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

As part of a cross-border campaignto crack down on illegal betting,police in Macau raided an unautho-

rised operation last month that hadallegedly taken $645m (E473.7m) inwagers on the 2014 FIFA World Cup foot-ball tournament.

Believed to be the biggest operation ofits kind in Macau, the raid saw 22 peoplefrom mainland China, Hong Kong andMalaysia arrested with authorities alsoseizing $248,000 (E182,000) in cash alongwith 17 computers, ten mobile phonesand betting slips. The ring purportedlyused three hotel rooms to take online andtelephone wagers from around the worldwith one gambler said to have placed abet worth $5m (E3.6m).

Hours later inthe same hotel,authorities con-ducted a similarexercise on asecond illegaloperation, this one alleged to have taken$645,000 (E474,000) in illegal World Cupbets in only one day. Four Chinese menwere arrested as a result of this actionwhile police have refused to release thename of the hotel.

According to a recent study from theInternational Center for Sport Securityand Paris Sorbonne University, over halfof the world’s illegal sports bets areplaced in Asia. Hong Kong police alonearrested 39 suspects over illicit gam-bling during the first week of the WorldCup, seizing betting slips worth around$10m (E7.3m).

REVENUES

Revenue growth slows in Macau

MACAU

MACAU

ILLEGAL GAMBLING

Macau crackdown onillegal World Cup betting

MACAO GAMING SHOW: “MGS PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE WINDOW ON THE ENTIRE GAMING INDUSTRY,IT IS ALSO THE ONLY SHOW THAT IS TRULY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ASIAN GAMING INDUSTRY....”



Asia & Oceania Dreamworldsale

37News

As it looks to strengthen its caseto develop a second casino inBrisbane, Queensland, Echo

Entertainment Group has teamed upwith former rival Chow Tai FookEnterprises and property developerFar East Consortium International.

Last month saw Echo Entertain-ment named alongside CrownResorts as one of two preferred bid-ders for a new casino licence in theQueensland capital, which is toserve as the centrepiece of a A$1bn(E691.3m) redevelopment of thecentral Queen’s Wharf area. Theproject is to sit alongside mixed-useareas containing six-star hotels,convention facilities, retail, restau-rant and entertainment zones inaddition to open spaces.

Despite making it to a shortlist of12 on its own, Hong Kong-basedChow Tai Fook, which is the world’slargest listed jeweller, lost out in late-

May but will now join forces withEcho Entertainment in agreeing tocontribute 25 per cent of any devel-opment costs in exchange for ashare of the development. Far EastConsortium has also pledged tocarry a quarter of any such outlays asthe trio go up against CrownResorts, which is controlled by oneof Australia’s richest businessmen,James Packer, and recently signed asimilar partnership deal withChina’s Greenland Holdings Group.

“Echo Entertainment is delightedto work in partnership with two sig-nificant Asian based partners and thegovernment to develop and submit acompelling proposal for the Queen’sWharf Brisbane site, which willdeliver major investment in tourism

infrastructure including a world-class integrated resort to Brisbane,”said Matt Bekier, CEO of Brisbane-based Echo Entertainment.

The Brisbane casino develop-ment is part of a state stimulus pack-age announced by premier CampbellNewman in October. The eventualwinner will be required to include a“landmark hotel that will help putQueensland on the map”.

As Australia’s third largest city,Brisbane is popular with touristsdue to its warm climate and proxim-ity to the Great Barrier Reef. The cityof 2.24m is hoping to emulate thesuccess seen by Singapore after itbuilt two casino resorts in 2010 withthese properties, run by Genting Sin-gapore and Las Vegas Sands Corpo-

ration, helping to boost subsequentvisitor spending.

The new Brisbane venue, whichwill be only a short walk from the 123-year-old Treasury Casino and Hoteloperated by Echo Entertainment, isto be joined by the A$8.15bn(E5.63bn) Aquis Great Barrier ReefResort casino resort project justnorth of Cairns alongside a similarA$7.5bn (E5.18bn) developmentfrom Eastern Success Group andASF Consortium at Broadwater onthe Gold Coast.

The two teams of bidders for theBrisbane licence must now submitfully developed proposals beforethe end of the year with the eventualwinner expected to be announcedearly in 2015.

CASINO LICENCE

STAKES & PRIZES

Echo confirms Brisbanepairing with Asian firmsOperator EchoEntertainment hasjoined forces with ChowTai Fook and Far EastConsortium in its battleagainst rival Brisbanecasino bidder CrownResorts.

AUSTRALIA

New legislation hasbeen proposed byThe Greens in the

Victorian parliament thatwould set a maximumstake of A$1 (E0.69) perspin for the Australianstate’s 30,000 pokermachines.

Despite industry claimsthat the machines aresolely for fun and entertain-ment, they accounted for 54

per cent of the nation’s totalannual gambling revenuesof A$20.5bn (E14.1bn) lastyear, while recent studieshave found that they coulddo harm to up to 30 per centof users.

“Problem gamblers canlose thousands of dollarsan hour on pokies; the aver-age in Victoria is $840 perhour,” read a statementfrom the Victorian Greens.“A $1 bet limit would limitlosses to $120 per hour andmake a huge difference to

families suffering from thedetrimental impacts ofproblem gambling.”

The current A$5 (E3.45)maximum stake was

brought in between 2008and 2010, while morerecent attempts to intro-duce a pre-commitmentsystem met with heavyresistance before beingdefeated.

A new study from mar-ket research firm Roy Mor-gan Research found themachines accounted for 60per cent of the A$16.3bn(E11.2bn) spent by Aus-tralians on gambling in the12 months to March.

By contrast, the same

period saw A$2.5bn(E1.7bn) spent on race bet-ting with lotteries taking inA$1.7bn (E1.1bn). For theremaining 15 percent of themarket, sportsbettingaccounted for five percentor A$900m (E621.6m)while casino table gamesmade up four percent atA$600m (E414.3m). Otherpopular forms of gamblingincluded keno, which tookin A$500m (E345.1m), andscratch tickets withA$300m (E207m).

The opposition Con-gress Party in Goahas demanded that

the offshore casinoslicensed by state bebanned after blamingthem for high levels ofriver pollution.

The water in River Man-dovi was recentlydeemed unfit for bathing,fishing or water sports bythe Goa State PollutionControl Board due to highlevels of bacteria.

Congress spokesmanUlhas Parab said: “[This] isgoing to be an environ-mental hazard for affect-

ing the people livingaround this waterbody.The offshore casino ves-sels are obvious reasonsfor this pollution. Wedemand an immediateban on these vessels.”

According to Parab,bacteria levels are 65 percent higher than permittedand will hit those whodepend on fishing hardest.

He added: “How canthe pollution controlboard give a clean chit tooffshore casinos whenthe reason for the highlevel of bacteria is therelease of sewage. Thereis no source of sewagehere other than offshorecasinos.”

The National Green Tri-bunal is currently hearinga case against offshorecasinos.

OFFSHORECASINOS

GoaCongressParty aimsto sinkcasinoboats

INDIA

AUSTRALIA

New stake limits proposed for Victoria ‘pokies’

CHANGING HANDS: ENTERTAINMENT GAMING ASIA HAS AGREED TO SELL ITS STRUGGLING DREAMWORLDPAILIN REGIONAL CASINO IN CAMBODIA TO LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR BAN KEA FOR $500,000 (E366,000)


For stand options and sponsorship opportunities at November’s

Macao Gaming Show contact John Sullivanat [email protected] or call

+44 (0) 1204 396 397

Get your hands on prime real estate in Macao

Asian Gaming: Looking beyond the Horizon is the theme of this year’s Macao Gaming Summit, a two day gathering of commer-cial, academic and political infl uencers which is taking place as

part of Novembers’ Macao Gaming Show (MGS). Targeted at decision makers and industry professionals from all sectors of the off line/on line gaming industry, Macao Gaming Summit (18th – 20th November) will also cater for leading fi gures drawn from government and regulatory bodies, the banking, investment, legal and consulting sectors as well as research and education.

The Summit will include keynote sessions on the regulatory environment in Asia-Pacifi c, the future of gaming in Macao and beyond, opportunities in Asia-Pacifi c comprising industry updates on mature, emerging and fu-ture markets as well as best practices required in the region. The sessions dedicated to iGaming will focus on the latest developments, challenges,

solutions and key opportunities as they impact consumers in Asia.Marina Wong, General Manager and Event Director for MGS, said: “We

know from our research undertaken after the fi rst Macao event in 2013 how important the Summit was to visitors and the role that it plays com-plementing MGS. We have been working very closely with gaming lead-ers in Asia to create a comprehensive, integrated programme to equip visitors with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the key gaming issues that will be impacting the region both now and in the future. The Macao Gaming Summit is aimed at key decision makers and delivered by authorities in their respective fi elds. It is not to be missed by anyone who wants to learn more about the key gaming issues in Asia.”

The cost of tickets are HKD 3,800/delegate and HKD 2,800 for a one day pass. Discounts of 10% are being offered for bookings of three delegates or more. An Early Bird discount of 15% runs through to 30th September.

The Macao Gaming Show is proud to have registered a series of fi rsts which refl ect

its status as Asia’s premier gam-ing exhibition. As well as being the fi rst (and only) gaming exhibi-tion staged in Asia to be organ-ised by leading organisations ac-

tive in Macao, it was also the fi rst gaming show to feature Macao’s top fi ve junket operators. An-other fi rst, which remains unique to MGS, is the Slot Experience Center, a show feature which ena-bles visitors to ‘test drive’ slots and provide invaluable feedback

on the latest games and how they perform. But perhaps most importantly is the cultural insight that attending MGS can deliver. It is the fi rst choice event to un-derstand how and why Asia is so different from every other gam-ing jurisdiction in the world. So if

you want to be amongst the fi rst to get a proper understanding of the market, how to do business here and the opportunities that it has to offer, register for the only gaming show which can really live the slogan ‘By Asia For The World.’

Looking beyond the Horizon at Macao Gaming Summit

Come to MGS and be fi rst to the market

For more information on MGS 2014, download our show brochure at www.macaogamingshow.com

MGEMA Chairman invites the world to experience Macau

Jay Chun Chairman, Macau Gaming Equip-ment Manufacturers Association, has is-sued an open invitation to the gaming

world to attend November’s Macau Gaming Show. Mr Chun said: “It will be a great honor to welcome so many visitors to Macao for the second annual Macao Gaming Show. MGS is the only show that is truly representative of the Asian gaming industry, and following last year’s highly successful exhibition, we have continued to develop and build our offering with the aim of consolidating our position as Asia’s number one gaming show. Needless to say, MGS is a success story that would not be possible with-out the contribution of our visitors and exhibi-tors alike, and I look forward to welcoming the international gaming community to the world’s most signifi cant gaming market. To follow an up-to-date stream of our latest news and an-nouncements, please follow @MGS_HQ”

Exhibitors confi rmed for the second MGS include many of the biggest and most infl uential organisations active in the

international gaming community. The heavy-weight international gaming companies, in-clude IGT Asia Macau, Aristocrat (Macau), Aruze Gaming Macau, Ainsworth Game Tech-nology, TCS JOHNHUXLEY, LT Game, BMM Testlabs, Astro Corp, Future Logic, Angle Playing Cards, Inspired Gaming Group, JCM Global, Matsui Asia, and MEI Group. 95%

of last year’s exhibitors have re-booked with companies new to MGS being offered stand options for 2014.

MGS is on course to beat last year’s debut event which consisted of close to 8,000 visitors and 102 exhibitors covering sectors compris-ing gaming equipment and accessories, gam-ing promoters and VIP clubs, casino fi xtures and fi ttings, promotional services and memo-rabilia, food and beverage and entertainment and performance.

Big names confi rmed with 95% of exhibitors returning

Venetian Macao18-20 November 2014

By Asiafor the world

MGS is back and even better!Now’s the time to book your attendance at MGS 2014 18th – 20th November.MGS is the only show that is truly representative of the Asian gaming industry. And the only event to earn the title ‘by Asia, for the World’.

Come and see the entire gaming industryGaming Equipment & Accessories.Gaming Promoters & VIP Clubs. Casino Fixtures & Fittings. Promotional Services & Memorabilia.Food & Beverage. Entertainment & Performance.

MGS means businessExhibiting at MGS makes fantastic business sense.Reach out to casinos, integrated resorts, regulators and gaming affi liated businesses. 83% of MGS visitors are either decision makers or have direct input to purchasing decisions.An overwhelming majority (95%) said they would be returning to MGS in 2014.

Feature richVisit the highly acclaimed Slot Experience Center. Gain invaluable knowledge at the Macao Gaming Summit. Promote your brands on MGSTV.

The best networking in AsiaInvaluable business networking opportunities. Get to know potential business partners in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.

And we will even help pay your way!The Macao SAR Government is once again offering attractive subsidies to qualifi ed buyers from air fares to hotel accommodation, making MGS the key annual meeting hub for casino procurement teams.

G

Africa & Middle EastNews

rand Parade Investments, aminority partner in majorcasino operations in SouthAfrica has sold almost all itsgaming interests in order tomove into businesseswhere it has control, includ-ing Burger King restaurantsnow rolling out across thecountry.

GPI used to own 25.1 percent of SunWest, whichoperates GrandWest Casinoin Cape Town, and a similarstate in Worcester Casino,which runs the Golden Val-ley Casino also in the West-ern Cape. In a complicatedarrangement, the GPIstakes were sold to TsogoSun and Sun International,with the latter also acquir-ing GPI’s 24.9 per cent shareof Dolcoast, which indi-rectly owns a 5.6 per centstake in Sibaya Casino.

The combined deals havenetted GPI cash of R1.68bn(almost E115m), almostdoubling the company’s netasset value.

It has also agreed to sell70 per cent of its whollyowned GPI Slots companyto Sun International inthree stages depending onGPI Slots’ results in 2014,2015 and 2016. The firsttranche of 25.1 per cent wassold at the end of June forR276.6m (E18.9m) plusR20m (E1.4m) for the can-cellation of a managementcontract.

Grand Parade’s chairmanHassen Adams said each ofthe transactions was a sig-nificant opportunity to gen-erate cash for reinvestmentinto both existing operationand new opportunities thatwould enable the company

to accelerate its growthstrategy.

He said: “This deal in itstotality signifies the comingof age of GPI. It has alwaysbeen our dream to play agreater part in the SouthAfrican economy but not atthe expense of windowdressing or playing secondfiddle. As a BBBEEE com-pany our vision has been tocontrol our own destiny andin doing so taking out largecommunity-based share-holders along on the jour-ney. It is incumbent on us asone of the pioneers ofBBBEEE to leave a legacywhich we hope to do in theenabling environment cre-ated by these deals.”

GPI has now exited fromWestern Cape casino mar-ket entirely, leaving TsogoSun with a 40 per cent sharein each of SunWest andWorcester Casino.

“GPI has been invested inSunWest and WorcesterCasino for 16 years as SunInternational’s initial BEEpartner,” Adams added. “Wewould like to thank Sun foraffording us this opportu-nity and for mentoring usover this time. We believethat the timing and terms ofthe transaction fully sup-port GPI’s strategy to pur-

sue new high growth invest-ment opportunities. Impor-tantly, Sun Internationaland Tsogo have the neces-sary financial capability,requisite BEE credentials,regulatory and industryknowledge to implementthe transaction at a valua-tion that meets GPI’s expec-tations.”

One of those high growthopportunities comes in theform of the Master Fran-chise for South Africa ofBurger King, which since itopened its first restaurantjust over a year ago hasproven a massive hit in thecountry, with customersand potential franchiseoperators queuing roundthe block. Adams is buildinga halal-compliant meat fac-tory in South Africa that willallow it to sell into Muslimcountries across Africa andthe Middle East.

GPI will retain itsfoothold in gaming throughits 30 per cent stake in GPISlots and intends to con-tinue developing its gamingmachine manufacturingbusiness through its GrandMerkur subsidiary, withwhich it has ambitions to bethe leading supplier ofmachines to the gamingindustry in South Africa.

DIVERSIFICATION

Grand Paradeturns casinostakes intoburgers

A companylong associatedwith investment

in casinooperations inSouth Africa,

Grand ParadeInvestments,has cashed inits shares andturned to thelucrative fast

food business.

SOUTH AFRICA

ANALYSIS

Grand Parade is an investment company, and while it has been a key stakeholder in the development of casinooperations in South Africa it has been at the (largely benign) mercy of the controlling shareholders. Theinvestments it has made in the industry have been fruitful and the company has turned a handsome profit on

its stake, not to mention the dividends it has received over the years. The company’s joint venture with Merkur hasstarted the production of slot machines, the first to be made in South Africa. Although competition in gamingmachines is fierce, the ability to make and sell slots at a price that the industry in the country can readily afford,along with the backing of the powerful Gauselmann Group, will give it a number of advantages over imports.


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US gaming machine devel-oper and manufacturerBally Technologies

entered into a definitive agree-ment that will see it spend $51m(E37.4m) to acquire online socialcasino firm Dragonplay.

Established in 2010 and head-quartered in Tel Aviv, Israel,Dragonplay is one of the world’stop 10 social casino game devel-opers with approximately700,000 daily active users. ItsLive Hold’Em Pro is the top-grossing game in the ‘card’ cate-gory on Google Play, while theDragonplay Slots title is a top 10performer in the digital distribu-tion platform’s ‘casino’ classifi-cation in terms of active users.

“With over three years of top-ping various performance chartson Google Play, Dragonplay hassuccessfully and consistentlydemonstrated its ability toacquire, monetise and retain

social gamers by creating com-pelling games with staying powerin the social casino space,” saidRichard Haddrill, CEO of LasVegas-based Bally Technologies.

“We expect this strategicacquisition to help position BallyTechnologies at the forefront ofsocial casino gaming by leverag-ing our world-class contentincluding proprietary tablegames and award-winning videoslots on Dragonplay’s increas-ingly popular social casino.

“Additionally, with the major-ity of its revenues generated fromsmartphones and tablets, Drag-onplay has proven remarkableforesight and leadership in themobile space, which is the fastest

growing segment of social gam-ing.”

The deal could also see BallyTechnologies pay out around$49m (E35.9m) in additionalearn-out considerations andemployee retention paymentsover the next 18 months subjectto Dragonplay meeting previ-ously agreed financial perform-ance targets.

“Dragonplay and Bally Tech-nologies share complementarycultures focused on innovationand user experience,” saidSharon Tal, CEO for Dragonplay.“Both companies are committedto providing unique and stimulat-ing content to players across theglobe that enjoy playing enter-taining casino-style games. I amconfident that leveraging BallyTechnologies’ vast library ofproven slot and proprietary tablegames content will provide ourloyal player base with an evenmore robust experience, which isexpected to augment Drag-onplay’s growth trajectory.”

South Africa’s largest hoteland casino operator,Tsogo Sun Holdings, has

appointed asset managementand private equity fundraisingspecialist Busisiwe Mabuza toits board of directors.

Already a non-executivedirector for a number of com-panies including AirportsCompany South Africa, Cen-tral Energy Fund, DevelopmentBank of Southern Africa,Industrial Development Cor-poration and Nehawu Invest-ment Holdings, Mabuza hasexpertise in investor relations,industry research, investmentanalysis and portfolio man-agement.

Tsogo Sun runs over 90 lux-ury properties in seven Africannations including Nigeria andthe Seychelles. Mabuza willserve as an independent non-executive director and as amember of its audit and riskcommittee.

In order to provide it with “an

interest in quality casinoassets in an area” where it cur-rently has limited exposure,May saw the Johannesburg-listed firm spend $202.94m(E148.95m) to acquire 40 percent equity interests in hote-lier SunWest International Pro-prietary and leisure firmWorcester Casino Proprietary.

SunWest operates theGrandWest Casino And Enter-tainment World at Goodwoodin Cape Town, while also own-ing the city’s Table Bay Hoteland a 24.8 per cent stake in theCape Town International Con-vention Centre. For its part,Worcester Golden runs theValley Casino at Breede RiverValley in Worcester some 110km northeast of Cape Town.

ACQUISITION

Bally to purchase Israelisocial gaming firmBally Technologies has signed a deal that could see it spend up to $100m(E73m) in order to take full control of Tel Aviv-based Dragonplay.

MANAGEMENT

Mabuza joins Tsogo Sun board

SOUTH AFRICA

ISRAEL

AFRICAROUND-UP

As its senior team lined up to com-pete in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, itwas announced that the Ghanaian

Football Association was under investi-gation after one of its members wasfilmed allegedly offering to rig interna-tional friendly games.

A sting conducted by the UK’sChannel 4’s Dispatches programmeand The Daily Telegraph newspaperpurportedly found Obed Nketiah (pic-tured), who sits on the managementcommittee of the Ghanaian Under-20team and is CEO of premier sideBerekum Chelsea FC, partnering withregistered FIFA agent ChristopherForsythe in offering to ‘grease thepalms’ of officials so that a clausewould be included into any contract

allowing them to select friendly officials.For $170,000 (E125,000), the pair

claimed that these referees could thenbe convinced to influence the outcomeof any game involving the Ghana Under-20 side before kickoff.

In response, the Ghanaian FA issueda statement claiming that the pair hadapproached its president, Kwesi Nyan-takyi, with a proposal to buy the rights tothe side’s friendlies while it claimed tohave reported the duo to police “formisrepresenting the Ghanaian FA withan attempt to defraud”.

Further south, continent-wide hoteland resort casino operator Sun Inter-national has unveiled a new interna-tional marketing campaign that will seethree of its five-star properties pro-moted under the single Sunlex Collec-tion banner.

The trio of venues encompass TheTable Bay in Cape Town alongside SunCity’s The Palace Of The Lost City andthe Royal Livingstone adjacent to Victo-ria Falls in Zambia.

The group is to be marketed asAfrica’s ‘Golden Triangle’ offering visi-tors unique experiences at must-seeworld-renowned scenic wondersacross sub-Saharan Africa.

Elsewhere, the Garden Route Casinoin the South African harbour town ofMossel Bay has taken the unique stepof launching its own radio station.

Garden Route Radio will broadcastdaily throughout the area featuring pre-senters and music ‘geared to the spiritand tastes of the local community’.Deejays will interact with casino guestswhile keeping listeners informed aboutupcoming events and promotions.

GPI chairmanHassen Adams

HASSEN ADAMS: “THIS DEAL IN ITS TOTALITY SIGNIFIES THE COMING OF AGE OF GPI. IT HASALWAYS BEEN OUR DREAM TO PLAY A GREATER PART IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY.”

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North AmericaNews

Borgata, the Atlantic City casino owned by Boyd Gaming and MGM Resorts, has reached amulti-million dollar tax settlement with the authorities.

merican hotel and casinooperator Boyd Gaming Cor-poration has settled a long-running tax dispute withauthorities in Atlantic City,and is now set to receive aone-time cash refund worth$88.25m (E64.87m).

Boyd Gaming owns acontrolling stake in the sea-side resort’s Borgata Hotel,Casino and Spa through itsMarina District Develop-ment Company joint ven-ture with MGM ResortsInternational, and had longargued that the $58m(E42.63m) venue wasrequired to pay each year inproperty taxes was too high.

In an effort to limit theamount of cash casinos

could possibly claw backthrough litigation, newAtlantic City mayor DonGuardian has agreed to therefund for the years 2011 to2014 while additionallysigning off on credits thatcould be worth an estimated$17.85m (E13.12m) andconsenting to a definedproperty tax assessment forcertain Borgata propertiesfor the 2015 tax year.

“We are pleased to bringclosure to this matter andbelieve this negotiated set-tlement sends a strong mes-sage that Atlantic City isserious about creating apro-business climate thatencourages growth andinvestment while at the

same time protecting ourresidents,” said Guardian.

In exchange, the Borgatahas surrendered any rightsto further contest the prop-erty tax assessments for2011 to 2015 subject to cer-tain conditions, althoughthe deal does not cover the2009 to 2010 tax years,which have also been thesubject of dispute.

October saw a New Jer-sey tax court rule that thecity’s valuation for the Bor-gata at $2.3bn (E1.69bn) wasalmost three times higherthan a fair figure of $880m(E646.83m) for 2009 and$870m (E639.48m) in 2010.As a result, the court foundthat the Borgata was due a

refund of $48m (E35.28m)with the issue ongoing.

Since taking office asAtlantic City’s first Republi-can mayor in over 20 yearsin January, Guardian hasmade the settlement ofcasino tax appeals a priorityand has so far handed back$270m (E198.48m) usingmostly borrowed money.However, the former BoyScouts of America execu-tive could find it hard to con-tinue granting refunds asthe Borgata, which is thelargest and top-grossing ofthe city’s eleven casinos,contributed over 20 percentof the municipality’s totalbudget of $249m(E183.03m) in 2013 while its

credit for this year aloneamounts to approximatelyseven percent.

“When I took office inJanuary, this administrationwas faced with an excep-tionally challenging finan-cial situation that requiredquick action and difficultchoices,” said Guardian.“By reaching this agreementwith the city’s largest tax-payer, we have eliminatedsignificant uncertaintyregarding future budgets.We see this as another posi-tive step toward stabilisingour tax base. In addition,this provides our city withmuch-needed flexibility andwill save considerable legalfees and borrowing costs.”

Borgata in linefor $88m refund

UNITED STATES

Borgata’s high rollsblackjack room

TAXATION


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GARY LOVEMAN: “WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE CAESARS BRAND TONEW YORK STATE AND CREATE A WORLD-CLASS ENTERTAINMENT FACILITY...”

Caesarmarch onNew York

36

CANADA / UNITED STATES

US voters across the political spec-trum view casino gaming morefavourably than ever before,

according to a new nationwide poll con-ducted by political pollsters Mark Mell-man and Glen Bolger.

The timely findings come as many statepolicymakers begin to re-examine gamingtaxes, inefficient regulations and otherthreats to casinos in an increasingly com-petitive environment.

The national telephone survey foundthat, by a 2-1 margin, US voters view casinogaming favourably. In addition, more than70 per cent of voters recognised that casi-nos created jobs, and nearly 60 per cent ofvoters said they knew that casinos boostlocal economies.

The results also come as the AmericanGaming Association (AGA) reports thelatest gross gaming revenue numbers inNevada, which increased from $10.9bn(E8bn) in 2012 to $11.1bn (E8.2bn) lastyear. In Reno, revenues grew from $727m(E537m) in 2012 to $753m (E556m) in2013.

“Voters recognise what Nevadansalready know: that casinos are a main-stream form of entertainment and an eco-

nomic driver that supports jobs andboosts growth in communities across thenation,” said Geoff Freeman, presidentand CEO of the AGA.

“Casino visitors are a portrait of theAmerican electorate, voters are giving pol-icymakers permission to treat casinos likeany other business. The AGA will aggres-sively pave the way for policies that reflectvoters’ favourable view of gaming, pro-

tects jobs and promotes innovation.”Mellman added: “Across partisan, ide-

ological and geographic divisions, thevast majority agree that gaming is accept-able. Voters overwhelmingly believe casi-nos have a positive effect on localcommunities. Nearly two-thirds of casinovisitors leave the property to patroniseneighbouring local small businesses andother attractions.”

PUBLIC OPINION

Voters view casino gaming more favourably

UNITED STATES

After running the onlytwo casinos in theCanadian province of

Nova Scotia since 2005,Great Canadian Gaming Cor-poration has exercised a 10-year renewal option with theNova Scotia Provincial Lot-teries and Casino Corpora-tion.

As part of the deal, whichrepresents the third timeGreat Canadian Gaming hasrenewed its agreement withprovincial authorities, theoperator has committed toinvesting a minimum of$9.3m (E6.85m) in the Halifaxand Sydney venues by theend of next year.

“We wish to thank theNova Scotia Provincial Lot-teries and Casino Corpora-tion and its board ofdirectors for their continuedconfidence in Great Cana-dian Gaming as the operatorfor the two casinos in NovaScotia,” said Rod Baker, pres-ident and CEO of Great Cana-dian Gaming, which is basedin the Vancouver suburb ofRichmond.

“We are excited to con-tinue our relationship withthe Nova Scotia ProvincialLotteries and Casino Corpo-ration and look forward tomaking exciting changes tothe properties that willenhance our guests’ enter-tainment experiences whilemeeting both the social and

financial objectives of thegovernment of Nova Scotia.”

Great Canadian Gamingadditionally operates 15 ven-ues in Ontario, British Colum-bia and the American state

of Washington while theNova Scotia casinos offerdining, showrooms, meetingfacilities as well as a selec-tion of casino table gamesand slots.

OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Great Canadian Gamingextends Nova Scotia contract

USROUND-UP

The 30 non-aboriginal casinos in thesouthern state of Mississippi sawtheir total revenues for May

decrease by 10.6 per cent year-on-yearto $172m (E126.3m), while the 21 ven-ues in nearby Louisiana reported a dropof one-tenth of one per cent to $202.5m(E148.7m) for the month.

The dozen coastal casinos in Missis-sippi, which include the Isle of CapriCasino Biloxi and the Hard Rock Hoteland Casino (pictured), won $84.3m(E61.9m) in May with their 18 river coun-terparts taking in $87.5m (E64.2m). Thisrepresented a decline of 10 and 11 percent respectively and is the 21st monthout of the previous 23 that the venueshave won less money from gamblerswhen compared to the same period inthe previous year.

However, the picture is much differentin the northern state of Pennsylvaniawhere revenues for May increased by 2.3per cent year-on-year to reach $64.2m(E47.1m) helped by strong gains at theSands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

According to official figures from thePennsylvania Gaming Control Board,the state had an average of 1,091 gam-ing tables open every day in May andgenerated tax revenues for the month ofjust over $9.2m (E6.7m).

Elsewhere, the United StatesSupreme Court has ruled that Michigancannot block aboriginal groups fromopening off-reservation casinos due tostates’ legal challenges being barred bytribal sovereign immunity.

In a 5-4 decision, the highest court inthe land decreed that Michigan did nothave the authority to close the Bay MillsIndian Community’s casino locatedapproximately 90 miles south of itsUpper Peninsula reservation.

Sixteen other states had submittedbriefs in support of Michigan’s positionwhile the ruling will be seen as a win forIndian tribes, which have increasinglylooked to casinos as a source of rev-enues while relying on immunity to shieldthem from government interference.

CANADA

‘The rest of the nation affirms what Nevada already knows’


North America

GIGSE: GIGSE WILL DEBATE THE DOMINO EFFECT IN RELATION TO STATE BY STATE REGULATIONOF IGAMING... AND HOW SOCIAL CASINO CAN BE INTEGRATED AS PART OF AN RMG STRATEGY.”

Governor RobertMil ler on thestage

46News

As competition heats up to winone of the seven resort casinogaming licences due to be put

up for grabs by authorities in state ofNew York over the next year, HardRock International has partneredwith NYS Funding for the potentialdevelopment of a venue in the upstatecity of Rensselaer.

The planned Hard Rock Hotel andCasino is to sit at the DeLaet’s Landingsite, which is the former home ofRensselaer High School, less than twomiles across the Hudson River fromthe state capital, Albany. It would fea-ture a mix of gaming and non-gamingamenities, including casino tablegames, slots, hotel rooms and foodand beverage options.

Hard Rock International has notdisclosed additional specific details,as the project is still in its proposalphase, but further details will come tolight after NYS Funding submits itsrequest for application to the New

York State Gaming Commission overthe coming weeks

“Hard Rock International isthrilled to collaborate with NYSFunding LLC to potentially create aworld class facility in Rensselaerwithin the ‘capital region’ as it wouldbecome an important economicengine for the community,” said JimAllen, chairman of Hard Rock Inter-national.

“We look forward to lending ourglobal recognition, strong legacy ofphilanthropy and entertainment andproven experience to this project. Weare confident that this Hard RockHotel and Casino will positivelyimpact the community’s economy.”

Voters in the eastern stateapproved a controversial constitu-tional amendment in November thatauthorised the establishment of up toseven non-aboriginal resort casinoswith full-table gaming facilities. Thefirst four developments are to besited outside of New York City inareas around the central HudsonRiver or Catskill Mountains, near the

state’s ‘southern tier’ border withPennsylvania and close to the ‘capi-tal region’ around Albany.

New York already has five aborigi-nal-run casinos alongside nine raci-nos offering slot-like video lotteryterminals with the first tranche ofnew resort developments due to befollowed after seven years byanother three although no more thantwo are to be permitted in eachregion.

The state’s five-member GamingFacility Location Board beganaccepting applications in late Marchand is expected to begin awardinglicences in the autumn.

“Hard Rock is an internationallyrecognised brand known for high-quality offerings across the globe,”said Rensselaer mayor Dan Dwyer.“Introducing the Hard Rock brand tothe region and to our city greatly ele-vates the excitement around thisproject and will make the resortcasino even more attractive and suc-cessful as a destination for the localcommunity and visitors alike.”

RESORT CASINO LICENCE

Hard Rock joins racefor New York resortcasino licenceA newly proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in New York would feature a mix ofgaming and non-gaming amenities including casino table games and slots.


UNITED STATES

Workers in LasVegas havebegun disman-

tling the structurallydefective Harmon Hotel,while the property’sowner, MGM ResortsInternational, and builder,Tutor Perini Building Com-pany, remain locked in alegal battle to determineliability.

Designed as a 48-storey curved glass-fronted tower sitting atthe centre of the nowcompleted $8.5bn(E6.2bn) CityCentermixed-use urban com-plex, the developmentwas stopped in 2008 afterinspectors discoveredflaws in the steel rein-forcements of its con-crete pylons.

Attorneys for CityCen-ter, which opened in 2009,had long argued that thehalf-finished buildingshould be demolished asit represented a safetyhazard. They claimed thatthe completed 26 storeyscould collapse if Las

Vegas were to be struckby a large earthquake,which is a scenario thatexperts have given aprobability of 50 per centover the next 30 years.

Representatives for thebuilder countered that thestructure should remainto serve as evidence inthe MGM Resorts lawsuit,which is due to get under-way in September, withthe owner responsible formaking the structuremore earthquake-proof.

However, early-Maysaw a judge approve dem-olition with MGM Resortssubsequently stating thatthe whole process is nowexpected to take an entireyear to complete. Crewsbegan removing scrapmetal from the site latelast month while protec-tion systems are beinginstalled over adjacentsidewalks and walkways.A crane will be used to dis-mantle the structure,which means that astreet-level sidewalk is tobe closed althoughnearby pedestrianbridges are to remainopen.

LEGAL

Crews begindismantlingHarmon Hotel

UNITED STATES


www.patir.de

[email protected]


J

South AmericaNews

ust eight months after theclosure of the Casino Termasde Chillán in the central BíoBío region of Chile, threecompanies have put forwardproposals to state authori-ties to take over the licence.

The previous licence washeld by Somontur Hotels,which operated a smallcasino in a ski resort 75km tothe south east of Chillán city,the state capital: throughoutits existence the casinobrought in the lowest rev-enues of all the new-era ven-ues and the inexperiencedoperators were repeatedly inbreach of their licence, lead-ing to fines that put ever morepressure on the business.

The companies that wantto take over the licence areall well known in the indus-try: Dreams, which operatesseveral casinos in the coun-try; Marina del Sol and BoldtPeralada. Each has pledgedto invest millions of dollarsin their projects. All threeenvisage venues much,much closer to city of morethan 200,000 people.

The Dreams project willcost more than US$87m andincludes the construction ofa five-star hotel. A companyrepresentative told the citycouncil: “We have a projectand a site that we believe isthe most advantageous tothe city, offering the most

jobs - and that is one of ourgreatest strengths. Therewill be 705 direct jobs andaround 300 indirect jobscreated over the 24 monthsit would take to build.”

The Marina del Sol planrepresents an investment ofUS$55m at a site on thePanamerican Highway thatwould see the creation of amuseum, a lagoon, a citypark and other facilities.The casino would house 450gaming machines.

At US$54m, the invest-ment proposed by Boldt-Peralada is the lowest of thethree, also for a casino onthe Panamerican Highway,which would create more

than 340 direct jobs and seethe development of parksand sports facilities.

City councillor JorgeMarcenaro said: “Chillándoes not have an entertain-ment industry - it is one ofthe great gaps and willtherefore be very welcome.This means a form of enter-tainment unlike anythingelse in the city.”

He continued: “We havebeen talking about invest-ments of millions - of thethree, the lowest is US$54m.If you look back over theyears, no one entity has everinvested so much in Chillán.The city will also get by lawten per cent of the revenues,

which if we take Talc-ahuano as a reference pointmeans an extra US1.8m inthe budget. The ski resort atLas Termas brings in abouthalf of that per year, so thecasino will be very impor-tant to us.”

While the Chillán citycouncil may have itsfavourite, their opinion onlycounts slightly in the deci-sion to award the licence,which operates on a pointssystem. Of a possible 2,000points, the city’s decisionaccounts for just 150 points,whereas the regulator canaward up to 1,300. A deci-sion is expected within sixmonths.

LICENCE APPLICATION

Three operators in therunning for vacant licenceSome recognisable names have applied for the empty licence in Chillán, judging thatpurpose-built new venues in the city will have a better chance of turning a profit than theremote and tiny casino one of them will replace.

CHILE

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CHILEAN REVIVAL: “CHILLÁN DOES NOT HAVE AN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY - IT IS ONE OF THE GREAT GAPSAND ... THIS MEANS A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE CITY.”

OPERATOR NEWS: [email protected]

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA / CHILE / PUERTO RICO

Just one day after beingsworn in as the fourthprime minister of Antigua

and Barbuda, Gaston Brownesigned a memorandum ofagreement with developer YidaInternational InvestmentAntigua that will see a $740m(E543m) casino resort con-structed on one of the country’soutlying islands.

Yida International is led byinvestor Yida Zhang, and thenew tourist-focused develop-ment is expected to be thelargest in the region since thesimilarly China-backed BahaMar project, which is due toopen in December. The newdevelopment will feature five-star hotels, a casino and confer-ence centre, 1,300 residentialunits and a 27-hole golf coursealongside a marina and commer-cial, retail and sports facilities.

The site for the new resortcasino on Guiana Island andthe nearby Crump Peninsula

was once owned by disgracedfinancier Allen Stanford. Hewas convicted of fraud in 2012and is currently serving a 110-year sentence with the land dueto be purchased direct from liq-uidators.

In an effort to get his AntiguaLabour Party back in powerafter a decade in opposition,Browne campaigned to makeprojects such as this a priorityand drive much needed eco-nomic growth. He revealed thatthe agreement will see Yidainvest more than $74m(E54.35m) annually over the

next ten years and give the smallnation a ‘presence in the Peo-ple’s Republic of China toattract additional economicallyviable investments’.

“I promised the people thatmy administration would bringthe type of investments to thecountry that will transformAntigua and Barbuda into aneconomic powerhouse and Iam serious about that prom-ise,” said Browne. “This memo-randum of agreement is theresult of our determination towork in the interest of the peo-ple of the country.”

RESORT CASINO

Antigua agrees deal fornew resort casino

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

SOUTH AMERICAROUND UP

Argentina’s Casino Santa Ferecently handed out over$28,000 (E20,500) in cash to a

pair of players thanks to its popularprogressive jackpot games.

The first wins came during the after-noon of June 28 and first saw oneCasino Plus member walk away with$20,900 (E15,313). This was followedthis up only an hour later with anotherplayer banking $7,131 (E5,224).

In an attempt to distance itself fromthe rival World Series Of Poker(WSOP), the Latin Series of Poker haschanged its name to the Latin Poker

Series while declaring that all otherfacets of its organisation haveremained unchanged.

The travelling poker tournamentseries stated that all of its Season 7scheduled events, which kick off fromPanama’s Majestic Casino with theMillions II competition from September13-20, will take place featuring thesame player-centric focus. To comple-ment its new name, the Latin PokerSeries has launched a revamped web-site featuring a new design and keytournament information alongside ayet-to-be-revealed leader board com-petition.

The first quarter of the year has seentotal gaming revenues in Panama riseby just over three per cent year-on-year to reach $583.2m (E427.3m),according to a report from the Pana-manian Gaming Control Board.

The authority stated that slotmachines accounted for much of theincrease while wagering in bingo hallsand casinos was becoming less fash-ionable. The popularity of the NationalLottery has also played a part as it sawfirst-quarter sales swell by 12.2 per-cent year-on-year to $152.7m(E111.8m).

The Department of Economic Develop-ment and Commerce in the US territoryof Puerto Rico is offering casino opera-

tors the chance to build and operate a newvenue on land that was once occupied by anaval base.

Occupying approximately 3,000 acres ofcoastal land and facilities on the eastern endof the island adjacent to Puerto Rico’s ElYunque rainforest, the site of the former USNaval Station at Roosevelt Roads includes anairfield and is just minutes away from of some

of the world’s most beautiful beaches inVieques and Culebra.

The authority has asked that parties inter-ested in developing on the land to submit arequest for qualifications to the island’s Roo-sevelt Roads Local Redevelopment Authoritybefore lodging their official interest inadvance of a July 16 deadline. The next day willsee potential investors invited to tour the sitewhile August 7 has been set as the final dayfor qualifications to be submitted.

“This announcement marks a milestone inthe redevelopment process of the lands atRoosevelt Roads that will create the jobs andspur economic development that will trans-form the lives of the people and economies ofthe region and Puerto Rico,” said MaluBlazquez Arsuaga, executive director of theLocal Redevelopment Authority.

“Not only is the land’s vast size and pre-existing infrastructure unusual but it alsooffers unparalleled access by sea and air, ayear-round tropical climate, passport-freetravel for US citizens and competitive tax ben-efits for investors.”

CASINO LICENCE

Puerto Rico invites casino developers

PUERTO RICO

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T

& AnalysisComment

The chairman and CEO of CaesarsEntertainment, Gary Loveman hasbeen talking to Bloomberg TV about

the potential for a regulated casino industryin Japan. The opening of large-scale casinosin the country has been mooted for sometime and the its National Diet hopes to passa bill in the Autumn of 2014.

When challenged on how his companywould pay for the construction of new casi-nos, given the $23bn of debt the companycurrently possesses, Loveman argued thatthe potential of opening the Japanese mar-ket would allow the projects to be “financedvery largely on their own.” Loveman esti-mated that overall investment in the newsector would amount to at least $5bn.

Back in Loveman’s home country, theWashington Post reveals that a new casinois scheduled to open in Baltimore, Mary-land, USA. The ribbon will be cut on theHorseshoe Casino Baltimore in late sum-

mer 2014, with the $442m venue still await-ing regulatory approval ahead of its 26August opening. The resort will boast a122,000 square feet casino floor, featuringslot machines, blackjack and other tablegames. This site will also feature a spe-cially designed poker room featuringbranding from the World Series of Poker.Casino officials have announced that thedevelopment will bring around 1,700 jobsto the local area.

Online, things are certainly going offlinefor some. Online casino 888 has reacted tothe controversy surrounding Uruguayansoccer star Luis Suarez by removing him asone of the company’s brand ambassador.Suarez was banned by FIFA from engagingin any footballing activity for four monthsfollowing a bite on Italian player GiorgioChiellini the World Cup in Brazil.

The British newspaper the Daily Tele-graph quotes a statement from the poker

arm of the betting website, which statesthat, “regrettably, following his actions dur-ing Uruguay’s World Cup match againstItaly on Tuesday, 888poker has decided toterminate its relationship with Luis Suarezwith immediate effect.”

Suarez had only become a spokespersonfor the company shortly before the WorldCup, following an impressive season forBarclays Premiership side Liverpool. Theplayer had produced a number of videodiaries for 888 over the course of the tourna-ment, which included thrilling perform-ances that included spearheadingUruguay’s defeat of England in the WorldCup group stages.

“We have no plan to use Suarez for anyadditional marketing activities during the2014 FIFA World Cup,” quotes the Tele-graph. “We will discuss all aspects of ourfuture partnership directly with Suarez andhis team following the World Cup.”

he third edition of the Gaming in Hollandconference took place in Amsterdam onJune 23-24, with the country’s impendingonline gaming legislation taking centrestage.

Marja Appelman, director of the DutchGaming Authority - the Kansspelautoriteit -said she expects the parliamentary processto be completed by January 1, 2015.

“It is up to us as the Dutch GamingAuthority to translate the new legal frame-work into practical procedures, processesand guidelines,” she told delegates.

While Appelman said she could notreveal full details of the bill, she said theDutch Gaming Authority was workingclosely with other regulators around the

world. “Online gaming operators work ininternational markets, and we know thatyou don’t want to have different technicalstandards between markets,” she said. “Wehave been co-operating with other gamingauthorities and exchanging best practicesin an effort to harmonise, where possible,the technical and administrative proce-dures. I hold the opinion that such co-oper-ation is absolutely necessary.”

Appelman said consumer protectionwould be at the top of the regulatoryagenda, and that the Dutch GamingAuthority is currently working with theMinistry of Security and the Ministry ofPublic Health to create a detailed list ofoperational requirements for licensed

operators, which will include a self-exclu-sion clause.

“Operators have the legal responsibilityto monitor and analyse the behaviour oftheir consumers and intervene with harm-ful gambling behaviour,” she said. “We willset a minimal level of processes andrequirements operators will have toadhere to, in order to ensure safe andresponsible gaming for Dutch citizens.

“The gaming authority is working on thedocuments regarding the licensing proce-dure. As soon as it is ready, we will makeour requirements public, so that operatorswill be able to see exactly how we havetranslated all those requirements in prac-tical procedures.

Caesars strongly signalsJapanese investment plans, asa new Horseshoe opens inBaltimore and Suarez loses his888 endorsement.

MEDIAWATCH


Responsibility focus fornew Dutch Gaming Bill

CONFERENCES

Social responsibilityand the protection ofconsumers will play acentral role in thenew Dutch GamingBill, according toMarja Appelman,director of the DutchGaming Authority.

Ph

oto

by

Ailu

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CR141-p26-27-Comment_Coinslot NEW 09/07/2014 13:38 Page 1


YXYXYXY

VDAI: “...THE GERMAN AMUSEMENT AND VENDING MACHINE INDUSTRY IS EXPECTING THE LOSS OF MORETHAN 50 PER CENT OF THE 70,000 JOBS DIRECTLY DEPENDENT ON THE INDUSTRY...”

TO COMMENT EMAIL: [email protected]

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Last month, Reed Exhibitions andGerman trade association Ver-band der Deutschen Auto-

matenindustrie (VDAI) announcedthat 2015 edition of IMA had been can-celled.Traditionally held in Düsseldorf

every January, IMA returned from ashort hiatus this year. However,despite a successful event in 2014,VDAI said the decision to cancel theevent next year was due to “due toeconomic reasons resulting frompolitical decisions on the part of the

German states and the Federal gov-ernment”.According to the association, the

German State Treaty on Games ofChance (GIüStV), which came intoforce in 2012, has served to signifi-cantly increase the local amusement

taxes in some communities andrepress the gaming and vendingmachines industry.“Further drastic limitations are to be

imposed by the planned amendmentof the gaming ordinance,” VDAI said.“Years of development work have

been abruptly rendered obsolete. Themanufacturers represented by theVDAI face production setbacks of pre-viously unknown proportions.“At the same time, the German

amusement and vending machineindustry is expecting the loss of morethan 50 per cent of the 70,000 jobsdirectly dependent on the industry, aswell as approximately 35,000 jobs indi-rectly dependent on it, should allrestrictions be confirmed as beinglegal in the precise form they havebeen drafted.”“In the opinion of the manufacturers

represented by the VDAI, entrepre-neurial and financial prudencerequires them to refrain from partici-pating in IMA until such time as thelegal situation has been clarified,” theassociation added. “As a result, thebasis for holding IMA does not exist.”

EVENTS

‘The basis for holding IMA does not exist’The organisers of IMA haveissued a statement explainingwhy Germany’s principal gamingand amusement show has onceagain been cancelled.

CR141-p26-27-Comment_Coinslot NEW 10/07/2014 18:11 Page 2


NewsARISTOCRAT / GLI / IGT / JCM GLOBAL / LT GAME / MACAO GAMING SHOW

Currently celebrat-ing its 25thanniversary, Gam-

ing Laboratories Interna-tional (GLI) is continuingto expand its operationsin its three Australianlabs, both in terms ofstaff and in clientsserved.GLI’s three Australia-

based labs, known col-lectively as GLIAustralia, are increasingthe pool of technicalexpertise to meet ever-increasing demand ofexisting and new cus-tomers, adding 18 newstaff members over thepast six months.The staffing increase

at GLI Australia includesfour seasoned test engi-neering veterans: DavidDang, SurendranathDwarakanath, LilianaHrncic and Ken Truc HanTruong. “Regional jurisdic-

tions are becoming moreand more cognisant ofthe fact that both playersand government regula-tors have high expecta-tions when it comes toplayer fairness, and thatGLI strives to meet theseexpectations with duediligence,” said GLI Aus-tralia COO, Espee deRobillard (pictured).“Regulators, manufac-

turers and operatorshave come to trust GLIAustralia as a true part-ner, and our operationalperformance continuesto scale with growth ben-efiting regulators, manu-facturers and operators.”

APPOINTMENTS

GLI expandsAustralianbusiness

Casino Lisboa hasnamed JCM Globalas its preferred bill

validator supplier. Thewaterfront casino in Lis-boa is the latest in a stringof casinos across Europethat have named JCM’siVizion as its prefferedvalidator.

Casino Lisboa generalmanager Lou Ion San

said: “We have beenhappy with our JCM prod-ucts and service in thepast, and after the iVizionfield trial, it was very clearthat we could evolve ourcasino operations withiVizion. We are verypleased with the productand the increased security it brings to ourcasino floor.”

JCM EMEA generalmanager Payam Zadehadded: “During its iViziontrial, the casino discov-ered what casinosacross Europe andaround the world alreadyknow - that iVizion is thebetter, smarter, fastersolution that increasessecurity and evolvecasino operations.”

JCM lands Casino Lisboa contract

Supplier

Casino gaming enter-tainment developerand manufacturer

International Game Tech-nology (IGT) has signed adeal that will see its technol-ogy utilised on approxi-mately 1,000 machines in 50slot halls throughout Latvia.The agreement with oper-

ator DLV is set to run for twoyears beginning this monthwith the Latvian firm lever-aging IGT’s Casinolink,Medialink and EZ Pay sys-tems to maximise efficiencyand player engagementthrough improved account-ing with jackpot and cus-tomer managementtechnologies.“This significant systems

installation throughoutmultiple DLV properties inLatvia provides an excellentexample of IGT’s position asa global leader in wide-areacasino management sys-tems deployments,” said IanBaynes, EMEA regional

vice-president of IGT.“Other vendors have tried

but were not able to deliverthe comprehensive technol-ogy and quality that shouldenable DLV to dramaticallyenhance its patron offeringswhile greatly improving itsoperating efficiencies andcontrol.”The deal also marks the

first time the Xtra Creditsystems module from IGThas been utilised in Europe,which enables easy deploy-ment of promotionalawards while additionallyincreasing play time.“We chose IGT systems

because Casinolink pro-vides a proven multi-sitemodular system that offersDLV enhanced manage-ment controls and the abil-ity to offer our players thevery best promotions andbonuses that, in turn,should drive more play,”said Mihails Volokotkins,chairman of DLV.

Organisers of Novem-ber’s Macao GamingShow (MGS) have

unveiled an exhibitor listwhich comprises many ofthe biggest and most influ-ential organisations activein the international gamingcommunity.Taking place across

November18-20 at the Vene-tian Macao, MGS will fea-ture a raft of heavyweightinternational gaming com-panies, including IGT AsiaMacau, Aristocrat (Macau),Aruze Gaming Macau,Ainsworth Game Technol-

ogy, TCS John Huxley, LTGame, BMM Testlabs, AstroCorporation, Future Logic,

Angel Playing Cards,Inspired Gaming Group,JCM Global, Matsui Asia

and MEI Group.As of July 1, 95 per cent of

last year’s exhibitors havere-booked with companiesnew to MGS being offeredstand options for the 2014event.Marina Wong, general

manager and event directorat MGS said: “Our objectivewas to build on the successachieved in 2013 and theresponse from the interna-tional gaming communityhas been very positive. 2014is on course to be a biggerevent featuring returningcompanies as well as those

which will be new to MGS.“The proportion of

returning exhibitors is avery accurate measure ofsuccess and I’m delighted tohave some very importantcompanies on the floorplan. The MGS slogan ‘ByAsia for the World’ could notbe more appropriate.”Macao Gaming Show is

organised by the MacauGaming Equipment Manu-facturers Association(MGEMA) and is now in itssecond year following ahighly successful launch in2013.

MGS announces influential exhibitor line-upEXHIBITIONS

CASH VALIDATORS

IGT winsLatviacontract

SYSTEMS

Marina Wong, generalmanager and eventdirector for MGS

CR141-p29-33-Supplier_Coinslot NEW 10/07/2014 17:16 Page 1

YXYXYXY

ARISTOCRAT ACQUISITION GLI APPOINTMENT JCM GLOBAL SUPPLY CONTRACT LT GAME NEVADA LICENCE •AWARD MACAO GAMING SHOW EXHIBITORS

SUPPLIER NEWS: [email protected]

ARISTOCRAT / GLI / IGT / JCM GLOBAL / LT GAME / MACAO GAMING SHOW


[email protected] www.ltgame.com

May’s G2E Asia 2014 exhibition sawLT Game receive the Best Multi-Terminal Product award from

Asia-focused gaming industry trade publi-cation Inside Asian Gaming for its LiveTable Multi-Game System.

The gaming and casinotechnology provider statedthat its Live Multi-Game Sys-tem is perfect for customersbecause it offers players “theopportunity to gamble simulta-neously” on multiple tables andgames via one terminal andwithout having to leave theirchairs.

Macau-based LT Game addi-tionally declared that its LiveMulti-Game System offersnumerous benefits to casinos aswell including the ability to site anincreased number of players pertable. This means that venues mayneed to employ less dealers pertable while games run using its inno-

vation proceed at a faster pace when com-pared with their more traditional counter-parts. All of this sees casino operatorspresented with the ability to decrease out-lays and increase profits.

“LT Game sincerely appreci-ates Inside Asian Gaming forthis award,” said Jay Chun,chairman of LT Game. “Thisrecognition of our efforts

gives us a sense of secu-rity and confidence inour daily jobs. We

will redouble ourefforts to keepgrowing and

improving our levelsto support our cus-tomers. LT Game isgoing to continue towork hard with newideas and productsand we expect to winthis award again thenext year.”

Prestigious prize for LT GameMULTI-GAMES

As it looks to continue itsexpansion into the US mar-ket, Australian firm Aristo-

crat Leisure has confirmed that itis conducting final due diligenceon a proposed purchase of gam-ing machine manufacturer VideoGaming Technologies (VGT).Primarily responsible for the

manufacture of slot machinesfor use in aboriginal-run casinosin the US and Mexico, VGT, whichis based in the Tennessee townof Franklin, also operates thebingo-based Live-Call Bingogame in addition to developingthe Riverboat Queen multigamesystem and the Treasure Quest

series of skill-based titles.In a filing with the Australian

Stock Exchange, Sydney-basedAristocrat stated that there is noguarantee that the proposedacquisition, which could cost itup to $1bn (E733.4m), will be suc-cessful as it only consider trans-actions that are “consistent withits strategy, enhance share-holder value and are accretive toearnings”.Aristocrat has a market cap in

excess of $2.82bn (E2.06b) andthe proposed deal, which is cur-rently undergoing final due dili-gence, would see its US footprintincrease significantly.

LT Game has receivedformal approvalfrom the Nevada

Gaming Control Board(NGCB) for the installa-tion of its Live Table MultiGames System through-out the US state, followinga successful field trial atthe Palazzo Casino in LasVegas.

“The Live Table MultiGames System is theanswer to casino opera-tors’ demand for labouroptimisation, operationalefficiencies and playerconvenience,” said JayChun (pictured), chair-man and CEO of LTGame’s parent company,Paradise Entertainment.

“The Live Table MultiGames System offer play-ers the flexibility and con-venience of being able toview and play multiplelive-broadcasted gamessimultaneously, enhanc-

ing player experiencewhile increasing gameproductivity for operatorstremendously.”

The Live Table MultiGames System has been adominant electronic gam-ing machine category inthe Macau market and hasseen a rapid surge in

demand from overseasoperators.

The approval grantedby the NGCB marks animportant milestone forLT Game’s expansion intothe US and signifies thestart of an importantchapter in the company’sglobal growth story.

LT Game receivesNevada approval

GAMING SYSTEMS ACQUISITIONS

Aristocratpursues VGTpurchase


NewsSupplier

Following its award-winningglobal launch at the 2013Global Gaming Expo,

GTech’s Sphinx 3D game has beenbrought to life for thefirst time in the NorthAmerican casino mar-ket at the MGM GrandHotel and Casino in LasVegas, Nevada.The first title in

GTech’s new True 3Dproduct line, whichuses a glasses-free 3Ddisplay designedexclusively for the

company by

SeeFront, the Sphinx 3D game hasalready garnered multiple awardsand accolades, and has been iden-tified as one of the most highlyanticipated premium games forthree consecutive quarters.Sphinx 3D game uses a unique,

patented autostereoscopic tech-nology with integrated eye-track-ing to make images jump off thescreen or stretch into the distancein high resolution. It runs on thenew Axxis cabinet, which isdesigned to maximise player com-fort, create a sense of personalspace, and immerse the player inthe game.

“Based on the responses fromgaming operators and from play-ers themselves, the Sphinx 3Dgame is positive proof of GTech’sability to successfully combineinnovation and entertainment inthe commercial casino segment,”said Victor Duarte, GTech’s vicepresident of gaming and content,and Senior vice president ofNorth American commercialgaming. “As the game is rolledout to casinos across NorthAmerica, we expect its perform-ance to be driven by its uniqueand compelling features andfunctionalities.”

3D GAMING

Sphinx goes live in Las Vegas

Evolution Gaming, aworld leader invideo-streamed

Live Dealer gaming, haslaunched a unique newonline Live Casino forDanske Licens Spil inDenmark’s liberalisedgaming market.

The new service fromstate-owned DanskeLicens Spil commencedlive rollout on July 3 withdedicated Live Rouletteand Live Blackjacktables hosted at Evolu-tion’s Malta studios.

These dedicatedtables sit within a studioarea devoted exclusivelyto the Danish national

gambling operator. Thearea features DanskeLicens Spil design, décorand branding through-out, as well as dedicatedteams of native speakingDanish dealers and chatmoderators.

The live dealer gamesare available on desktopinitially, with access oniPhone, iPad and leadingAndroid tablets andsmartphone scheduledto go live soon.

In addition to thesededicated tables,Danske Licens Spil play-ers will be able to accessfurther Live Roulette andBlackjack games hostedat Evolution’s studios inLatvia, as well as LiveCasino Hold’em, MiniLive Roulette and Evolu-tion’s multi-cameraImmersive Roulette.

LIVE CASINO

Evolutionrolls outDanishLiveCasino

Fresh from opening its South-ern Showroom in Munich,Germany, last month, video

surveillance products and solu-tions firm Dallmeier has providedthe Seven Luck Casino in Seoulwith an upgraded system utilisingstate-of-the-art high-definition net-work technology.Owned by Grand Korea Leisure

and located in the centre of theSouth Korean capital’s Gangnamdistrict, the 6,000sq.m Seven LuckCasino is open around the clock,offering over 70 gaming tables andmore than 100 slots.The venue now monitors all of

the action using 510 high-definitiondome, box and PTZ cameras fromRegensburg-based Dallmeierplaced in the foyer, above gamingtables and the slot machine areas,

inside the VIP

room and the cash centre andaround the car park.“The Dallmeier solution is con-

sidered to be one of the most reli-able casino security systems on themarket and the technology alsolived up to its reputation in ourtests,” Grand Korea Leisure said.Working in tandem with the cam-

eras, which take in images at 30frames per second, Seven LuckCasino additionally installed bladerecorders from Dallmeier com-plete with integrated storage sys-tems that sees the German firmpartner its Linux-based applianceswith a Windows-based PC counter-part that utilises Smavia RecordingServer Software to hold imagesredundantly before sending themfor single mass storage.“This way, we can guarantee the

highest possible levels of both data

security and availability at thesame time,” said Jeon Yongwan,general manager at DallmeierKorea.The entire surveillance opera-

tion is controlled using SeMSymanagement software, which pro-vides users with a rapid overview ofall cameras including the display oflive pictures alongside searchcapabilities and the ability to con-

trol PTZ units.“SeMSy is not only extraordinar-

ily powerful [but] it can also beoperated simply and intuitively,”read a statement from Dallmeier.“Control is made even more con-venient for the Seven Luck Casinoby the addition of VMC-1, a videomanagement system that com-bines a joystick, keyboard, monitorand jog-shuttle functions.”

South Koreancasino bankson DallmeiertechnologySeoul’s Seven Luck Casino has selected high-definition monitoring and recording solutions fromGermany’s leading video surveillance products andsolutions firm Dallmeier.

CCTV



CASINO TECHNOLOGY ONLINE CASINO DALLMEIER SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT EGT PROGRESSIVEJACKPOTS EVOLUTION LIVE CASINO GTECH 3D GAMING KONAMI AWARDS

CASINO TECHNOLOGY / DALLMEIER / EGT / EVOLUTION / GTECH / KONAMI GAMING

Global casino gam-ing and systemsfirm Konami

Gaming has congratu-lated marketing man-ager, Annabelle Leeafter she was named asone of this year’s GreatWoman of Gaming Ris-ing Star honorees.The awards highlight

females that haveshown commitment tocontinued profession-alism, exceptional per-sonal achievement andpositive contributionsto their company, asso-ciates and the gamingindustry as a whole andeach year highlight nomore than ten nomi-nees in the ProvenLeader and Rising Starcategories.Konami stated that

Lee joined its ranksover six years ago andhas ‘displayed commit-ment and persever-ance’ in establishing its‘signature presence’ athigh-profile events andpromotions.“Her ability to consis-

tently go above andbeyond her job respon-sibilities to make a dif-ference, her activeparticipation in efforts

to grow the gamingindustry and her com-mitment to KonamiGaming and her co-workers all reflectAnnabelle’s tirelesswork ethic and passionfor our industry,” saidMatt Reback, market-ing vice-president atKonami Gaming.Promoted twice

since joining the mar-keting team at KonamiGaming in 2007, Lee iscurrently responsiblefor ensuring that thecompany is properlyrepresented in alladvertising as well atinternationaltradeshows, through-out its website and atcustomer events.“Annabelle Lee’s

efforts are perhapsmost visibly seen eachyear in Konami Gam-ing’s many tradeshowbooths, the design andoperation of which areunder her careful direc-tion,” said Reback.“In all facets, she has

an uncanny gift forbuilding relationshipsand advancing theinterests the gamingcommunity as awhole.”

As it looks to continue eras-ing the borders betweenclassic and online gaming,

Casino Technology used therecent iGaming Super Show inAmsterdam to exhibit its new TheBig 5 solutions suite.Combining its Rhino Casino Man-

agement System, Lion Money Man-agement System, Buffalo UniversalJackpot Server, Elephant RemoteGame Server and Leopard OnlineGaming System, The Big 5 offersoperators a way to smoothly transi-tion from the land-based sector tothe online and mobile channels.The Big 5 was shown off at the

exhibition by the Bulgarian firm’snew Casino Technology Interactivedivision.“For us this is an excellent oppor-

tunity to introduce to an interna-tional audience our new turnkeysolution that meets the highest stan-dards of efficiency and full conver-gence,” said Konrad Gill, iGamingdirector of the Sofia-based company.The Bulgarian firm also used the

iGaming Super Show to finalise acontract that will see its ElephantRemote Game Server integratedinto the NYX Open Gaming Systemfrom Swedish online gambling plat-form provider NYX Interactive. The

deal represented the culmination ofmany months of negotiation and willsee the company’s games featuredon top online gaming websitesaround the world.Further afield, Casino Technol-

ogy attended last month’s PeruGaming Show in Lima to premiereits new Peacock and Dragon seriesof Asia-themed games completewith high-definition graphics andintriguing story lines based on Chi-nese mythology. Linked to the 8 Pea-cocks progressive jackpot, the titleswill soon be homologated so thatlocal players can discover the excit-ing mysteries of Asia.The Buffalo Universal Jackpot

Server was also shown off in Peruwhile new themed games from thebranded Penthouse Slots seriesgrabbed the attention of visitorsdue to their eye-catching graphics,hot cartoon beauties and greatwinnings.“The company continues its

expansion in Peru and other LatinAmerican markets. Our products,particularly the Gamopolis multi-game series, enjoy a very goodacceptance in Chile and Colombia,”said Liliana Candelino, Latin Amer-ica business development managerat Casino Technology.

On the floor, Highway-brandedcabinets with video toppers fromCasino Technology were recentlyinstalled at the Enjoy Casino in theChilean port city of Coquimbo.

AWARDS

Konami executivewins award

ONLINE CASINO

Casino Technologyunleashes The Big 5Casino Technology’s new solutions suite unveiled atthe recent iGaming Super Show in Amsterdam receivedpositive feedback thanks to its wide range of options andsophisticated tools.

Euro Games Technol-ogy’s latest jackpot sys-tem, Cat4Cash, has

been installed for the firsttime in France.The casino managers of

Casino Terrazur in Cagnessur Mer and Casino Flamingoin Grau du Roi reportedexcellent feedback from alltheir customers.At the end of June, the

Cat4Cash jackpot systemwas also installed in three

more casinos - Casino deDunkerque, Casino SevenAmneville, and Casino dePau. All of the casinos are apart of Groupe Tranchant.Cat4Cash is a four-level

progressive jackpot system,presented in a specific cabi-net with 22-inch widescreenmain monitor and 32-inchportrait-oriented top moni-tor. The hardware configura-tion includes an impressivejackpot panel featuring clear

view of the increasing jack-pot values and an attractiveanimation, which creates acheerful atmosphere, drawsthe players’ attention andprolongs the play.The Cat4Cash Jackpot

system is available with amultigame of six populargame titles from the ever-expanding EGT video slotlibrary.Stanislav Stanev, director

of sales and marketing for

EGT, confirmed: “TheCat4Cash Jackpot System isa product which has alreadybecome a favourite in othercountries, and I am quite cer-tain that it will have similarsuccess in France.“Apart from the attractive

appearance, the Cat4Cashfeatures unique mathemat-ics and an assorted choice ofgames which makes it evenmore various engaging andentertaining for the players.”

PROGRESSIVE JACKPOTS

Cat4Cash debuts in France




NewsSupplier

Printer solutions firm FutureLogichas joined with transaction tech-nologies supplier JCM Global in

attending the upcoming Macao GamingShow, which will take place at the Vene-tian Macao Resort Hotel from November18 to 20.FutureLogic stated that it will be

exhibiting an “impressive portfolio ofprinting and couponing solutions” at theMacao Gaming Show including itsTicket2Go networkless ticket-out pay-ment machine. It is to demonstrate howthe multi-lingual and multi-currencyinnovation can be installed acrossnumerous sites and provide a simpleticket-based solution to payouts.For its part, JCM declared that it will

be in Macau to exhibit a ‘full range of val-idator, printers and technologies’ includ-ing the latest intelligent cash boxes andfirmware upload tools. It proclaimedthat members of its staff would also beon hand to demonstrate technologiesand discuss business opportunities.FutureLogic was also at the recent

Canadian Gaming Summit in Vancouver,British Columbia, to show off its range ofprinting and couponing products,including the PromoNet and TableX-change innovations as well as its Gen3Evolution Gen3 Universal andCouponXpress printers.Alongside Patrick Flannery, senior

director at Aristocrat, and Bally Technol-ogy’s product planning senior director,Ron Galloway, FutureLogic’s chief mar-

keting officer, John Edmunds, also tookpart in the After TITO: The Next Technol-ogy Wave panel discussion at the Van-couver Convention Centre. The June 24event, which was moderated by VicPoleschuk of local casino operator GreatCanadian Gaming, saw Edmunds shareindustry insights and demonstrate waysthat operators could optimise existingresources and utilise new technologiesin order to expand their reach on thecasino floor.“The adoption of TITO in the early

2000s was brisk but its full potential has

yet to be unleashed,” said JohnEdmunds, chief marketing officer atFutureLogic.“To keep up with the newest eco-

nomic challenges and to stay competi-tive, land-based operators need to takefull advantage of all existing casinoresources. Taking full advantage of TITOcan be an invaluable tool for all brick andmortar casinos. By extending TITO totable games and using promotionalcouponing across all games throughoutthe resort, operators can gain a clearadvantage over their competitors.”

PAYMENT SOLUTIONS

Cash handling leadersconfirms MGS participationPrinting and couponing solutions specialist FutureLogicwill be high profile at the VenetianMacao Resort Hotel in November alongside transaction technologies supplier JCM Global.


Inspired GamingGroup has signed adeal that will see it

supply a portfolio ofHTML5 games toBritish bookmakerWilliam Hill for use on itsmobile betting platformbeginning with WhiteKnight.A supplier of server-

based gaming video lot-tery and virtual sportscontent, Inspired said itwould follow this initialrelease with an HTML5version of Goddess ofthe Amazon later in theyear.“William Hill is a leader in online betting and

gaming and we are delighted to be expandingour games portfolio to its online and mobileplayers,” said Luke Alvarez, CEO of InspiredGaming. “Cross-channel convergence is a keyphilosophy of Inspired Gaming’s globalexpansion strategy and White Knight is thefirst of many exciting HTML5 games to bereleased to William Hill’s mobile gaming plat-form in the coming year.“Inspired Gaming’s mobile games currently

support iOS and Android devices and will beavailable on Windows devices soon.”Inspired revealed that it has also further

enhanced its Virgo remote games server tooffer white label services while six newHTML5 games are to be released via the inno-vation in 2014.

MOBILE GAMING

Inspired inksWilliam Hillmobile deal

Iconic TV star Adam Westmade a special appear-ance at Pechanga Resort

and Casino on June 25, asthe California casino wel-comed the arrival of its lat-est slot game, BatmanClassic TV Series.Developed by Aristocrat

Technologies and poweredby the Wonder Wheelsgame category, the new$250,000 (E200,000) multi-site progressive game fea-

tures still and videoimagery from the classicTV series with Adam Westand three mechanicalwheels that increaseplayer engagement. Game-play is enhanced bystacked wilds, six themedbonus features, video clipsfrom the TV series and ahighly anticipatory wheelfeature trigger. New to the industry is

the independent wheel

function of WonderWheels, which allows theplayers on the bank to con-tinue uninterrupted whenanother player hits a trig-ger and engages wheel-mode.“The Batman Classic TV

Series is packed full of eye-catching imagery, iconicphrases, and memorablecharacters,” said KarenMcTier, executive vicepresident of domestic

licensing and worldwidemarketing for Warner BrosConsumer Products.At 10.5ft tall, Batman

Classic TV Series towersabove others on the casinofloor. The action comes tolife in Aristocrat’s newHelix cabinet paired with alarge portrait-style top-box screen for bonusesand is punctuated withAristocrat’s sensory-bust-ing surround sound iChair.

SLOTS

Aristocrat launches Batman at Pechanga


ARISTOCRAT SLOT LAUNCH BALLY PRIZES FUTURELOGIC EXHIBITION GREENTUBE ACQUISITION IGTJACKPOTS INSPIRED MOBILE GAMING JCM EXHIBITION

ARISTOCRAT / BALLY TECHNOLOGIES / FUTURELOGIC / GREENTUBE / IGT / INSPIRED GAMING / JCM GLOBAL

The 1,000,000 Degreeswide-area progressiveslot jackpot from US

gaming machine manufac-turer Bally Technologieswas hit early last month at acasino in Alabama for over$1.2m (E907,000).Pawn shop owner Jerry

Dennis (pictured) fromLaGrange, Georgia, hadbeen enjoying the one-centdenomination Triple Blaz-ing 7s Wild Jackpot game atthe Wind Creek casino inWetumpka for about 20 min-utes on June 8 before win-ning a life-changing$1,238,018 (E907,167).The 69-year-old player,

who often enjoys the TripleBlazing 7s Wild Jackpotgame, had seen the $100 billhe originally inserteddecrease to $40 beforewalking away with the jack-pot and says that he will nowinvest in a new home appli-ance.“I didn’t really have a

reaction right away,” saidthe unmarried winner. “Ijust started playing themachine next to me. I fig-ured why not make it a $2mday. I’m going to get myself a

new refrigerator but not thefancy kind.”Triple Blazing 7s Wild

Jackpot features a million-dollar progressive jackpotopportunity that playerstrigger by collecting nine1,000,000 Degrees symbolson a maximum bet. Avail-able on the Alpha Elite S9Eupright widescreen stepperplatform from Bally Tech-nologies, the title, whichsubsequently had its basecash prize reset to $999,999(E732,648), also offers the

chance to collect up to 15free bonus games for threescattered Free Games sym-bols reels two to four.The Alabama win fol-

lowed a pair of wide-areaprogressive pay-days in Maythat saw Bally Technologiesaward two slot players withover $2m (E1.4m) in totalcash. The first success tookplace on May 17 at the Semi-nole Hard Rock Hotel andCasino in Hollywood,Florida, with a woman fromVirginia banking $1,070,209

(E783,710) courtesy of theMillionaire Sevens prize hiton the one-cent denomina-tion Money Vault game.This was followed three

days later by a windfall of$971,979 (E711,920)awarded via the Cash Con-nection jackpot on the HotShot Progressive game atLittle River Casino Resort inManistee, Michigan.Bally Technologies

stated that its MillionaireSevens wide-area progres-sive, which is offered bynumerous aboriginal casi-nos and is eligible to be wonby slot aficionados in Cali-fornia, Florida, Mississippi,Nevada and New Jersey, fea-tures a cash award thatincreases as more gamesare played.The Las Vegas-based firm

additionally declared thatits Hot Shot Progressivevideo slot is a double-wheelconfiguration of the popularbrand featured on a 42-inchvertical display sitting atopa 22-inch high-definitionscreen with popular playmechanics, touch-activatedinteraction, progressivesand free games.

Atrio of Americanslot playersbecame instant

millionaires last monththanks to developerInternational GameTechnology (IGT) and itsseries of Wheel of For-tune games tied to theMegaJackpots progres-sive jackpot.The first winner took

home $1.6m (E1.1m) incash on June 14 at theMohegan Sun inUncasville, Connecticut,thanks to the Wheel ofFortune Super Spin WolfRun game before the verynext day saw a player atthe San Manuel IndianBingo and Casino in High-land, California, bank$1.3m (E980,000) off theWheel of Fortune Double3x4x5x Pay MultiPlay.A third life-changing

cash prize of $1.1m(E825,000) was then wonon June 16 by a player at

the WinStar WorldCasino and Resort inThackerville, Oklahoma,after they placed awager on a Wheel of For-tune Super Diamondsslot.IGT launched the

MegaJackpots progres-sive product line in 1986and has so far awardedthousands of winnerswith cash prizes rangingfrom $1m (E720,000) to aworld-record $39m(E28.6m).June began with a slot

player at the Bellagio inLas Vegas winning $1.1m(E825,000) in MegaJack-pots cash from Wheel ofFortune. The Florida res-ident, who was on holi-day in Nevada to visitfamily at the time,described the event as“unbelievable” andrevealed that sheintends to invest most ofthe prize.

JACKPOTS

Lucrative month forWheel Of Fortune

JACKPOTS

Bally awards $1.2mprogressive slot jackpot Bally Technologies has handed out in excess of $3.2m over the past two months courtesyof 1,000,000 Degrees, Cash Connection and Millionaire Sevens wide-area progressives.

Greentube, a leading devel-oper and provider of skillgames for internet, mobile,

PC and iTV and its parent com-pany, the Novomatic Group, hasacquired Bingocams, one of themost popular and innovativeonline bingo platforms, from Daz-zletag Entertainment.The Bingocams integrated

web platform combines onlinebingo with social media andvideo. Players can engage eachother via two or three person pri-

vate webcam chats during gameplay, thereby re-establishing thetraditional social element of live,in-person bingo.“Bingocams is a welcome addi-

tion to the Greentube line ofiGaming solutions,” said ThomasGraf, CEO of Greentube. “Thisacquisition marks another majorstep forward for Greentube andfurther enhances Novomatic’sposition of significance within theever expanding new world ofonline gaming.”

Dazzletag revolutionised theonline bingo industry when theyintroduced their no-downloadBingocams application. The plat-form offers players a wide rangeof bingo games in a friendly, inter-personal environment thatincludes live chat among playersand live chat with hosts.In addition, Bingocams offers a

patented Live Win Moment thatprovides a visual playing experi-ence that captures the social spiritof live bingo.

ONLINE BINGO

Greentube completes Bingocams acquisition





Business2BusinessSUPPLIER NEWS: [email protected]

LISTINGS SYSTEMS

DRGT receives Germanplaudits

After introducing cashless gaming atCasino Bad Homburg in February,

DRGT has received positive feedbackfrom both the German casino’s customersand management.

DRGT stated that its card-based cash-less system has been “well accepted” atthe Hesse venue because players - 85 percent of which are loyal customers - enjoyits ease of use.

“Our customers are paying us back forour investment in the future,” said LutzSchenkel, managing director for CasinoBad Homburg.

HARDWAREQuixant launches HD gaming platform

Quixant unveiled the QX-50, the mostpowerful platform it has ever devel-

oped, at G2E, Asia last month.The new QX-50 has been designed to

respond to the evolving needs of gamedevelopers in bringing 4K ‘Ultra HD’ dis-play technology to the gaming industry. Itbuilds on the success of the firm’s current

flagship, the QX-40, and har-nesses the power of AMD’s

latest APU technology.The QX-50 deliv-

ers enhanced per-formance, a deepgaming feature set,software support forWindows and Linuxand integrates sev-

eral new technologies.“We believe 4K presents a

huge opportunity for game developersto deliver a new breed of games that standout from the crowd,” said John Malin,sales director of Quixant UK.

EVENTSAmatic’s Multi Game a hit at PGS

Amatic Industries once again had astrong presence at the Peru Gaming

Show (PGS) that took place at the Jockey

Exhibition Centre in Lima on June 11-12.Teaming up with local partner Happy

Games, the Austrian group presented itslatest generation of slot machine solutions- the Performer C22, which houses theMulti Game platform.

“Operators are seeing more and morethat offering optimal gaming solutions totheir customers not only retains them butbrings in new players,” said Amatic salesmanager, Thomas Engstberger.

ADULT GAMINGCENTRESAstra Gaming Group entersAGC sector

The Astra Gaming Group - a wholly-owned UK subsidiary of Austrian Gam-

ing Industries (AGI), part of the NovomaticGroup - has acquired the majority of theNoble Organisation arcade business foran undisclosed sum.

Under the terms of the deal, Astra willtake ownership of 81 adult gaming cen-tres and one family entertainment centre,along with 48 Kwik Tan venues and 10cafes, all of which are sited within thearcades themselves.

The business currently employs circa850 staff led by some of the most experi-enced management personnel in the busi-ness. Astra Gaming Group confirmed thatthe existing staff members will continue to

be utilised in order to champion the strongNobles brand identity within the Novo-matic Group.

APPOINTMENTSNew president for Jumer’s

Jumer’s Casino and Hotel, a leadinggaming destination in the Quad Cities

region of the Midwest US, has announcedthe appointment of David Wolf (pictured)as its new president and general manager.

With more than 33 years of leadershipexperience in the gaming arena, Wolf willoversee all aspects of the operation at theRock Island, Illinois, venue, includinggaming, food and bev-erage, and lodging.

Wolfcomes toJumer’safterspend-ing fouryears asgeneralmanager atOdawaCasino Resort inPetoskey, Michigan.

GAME CONTENTWilliams teams withEveryMatrix

The Williams Interactive subsidiary ofScientific Games Corporation has

signed a deal that will see it provide con-tent to online gaming platform providerEveryMatrix for use in the Casino Engineinnovation.

Already one of the largest online casinocontent aggregators and coming com-plete with a seamless wallet and unifiedback-office for reporting and bonus mod-ules, Casino Engine will now be able tooffer EveryMatrix’ growing client baseeven more options.

CABINETSWMS Gaming shows it all inVancouver

WMS Gaming used last month’s Cana-dian Gaming Summit in Vancouver

to premiere a number of products includ-ing the new Blade Stepper cabinet, whichhas been designed to bring classicmechanical features to the contemporaryslot floor.

The British Columbia show marked thefirst time that the Scientific Games sub-sidiary had presented innovations from itslottery, gaming and interactive businessunits in one place with additional newreleases encompassing the WMS Colos-sal Jackpots series including the Lunarisand Open Kimono base games.

ADULT GAMING CENTRES / APPOINTMENT / CABINETS / EVENTS / GAME CONTENT / HARDWARE / SYSTEMS

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& City NewsBusiness

Tech, the world lottery operator,gaming equipment manufacturerand systems developer, couldsoon be further bolstering its pres-ence in the casino slot machinesegment, after the groupannounced that it is in preliminarydiscussions to purchase LasVegas-based International GameTechnology (IGT).GTech is responsible for 63 per

cent of the world’s lottery busi-ness, including the ItalianNational Lottery and US state lot-teries in Indiana and Illinois.Although it attributed no mone-tary value to the discussed acquisi-tion of IGT, it has hired a team ofadvisers to help it negotiate a deal.“GTech is engaged in prelimi-

nary exploratory discussions aspart of a process regarding apotential transaction with IGT[and] has engaged advisors toassist it in exploring this potentialtransaction,” read a short state-ment from GTech in June.For its part, IGT is understood

to be seeking a buyer after recentweak demands in the gaming mar-ket saw its shares depreciate byalmost a third. The firm is report-edly drawing interest from a threeother firms.“IGT regularly considers and on

occasion explores a broad rangeof strategic alternatives includingbut not limited to business combi-nations, changes to our capitalstructure and adjustments to our

portfolio of businesses with thegoal of maximising shareholdervalue,” read a statement from IGT.“The IGT board of directors and

senior management are currentlyengaged in such an explorationbut no decisions have been madeby the board regarding any partic-ular alternative available to thecompany and there can be noassurances that any transaction orother strategic change will beentered into as a result of the cur-rent exploration of alternatives.“IGT does not intend to discuss

or disclose developments with respect to this general subject unless and until the boardhas approved a definitive courseof action.”

Caesars Acquisition Company (CACQ) and Cae-sars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) haveannounced the proposed development of Cae-

sars New York, an $880m (E645m) luxury casinoresort in Woodbury, New York.The companies have submitted an application to

the New York State Gaming Facility Location Boardfor a gaming licence, which will be managed and oper-ated by Caesars Entertainment and its affiliates. Situated in the heart of the Hudson Valley, approxi-

mately 50 miles from New York City, the proposed proj-ect will be a sustainably designed, contemporarystructure that complements the region’s natural sur-roundings to create a world-class entertainmentretreat.The resort is projected to attract more than 10m visi-

tors a year, making it a strong economic engine for theState of New York, Orange County and Woodbury. CECsaid it would work closely with other businesses in thestate to maximise the economic development opportu-nity in the region as outlined in the Gaming Act.The proposed resort, situated on a wooded 115-

acre site in Woodbury, will include approximately 300luxury hotel rooms, suites and villas, 2,560 state-of-the-art slot machines, 190 table games and 50 pokertables.The poker room will carry the World Series of

Poker brand and become a leading East Coast hometo the WSOP and its events, many of which are broad-cast on ESPN. Caesars New York will also include aflexible entertainment space, ideally suited for busi-ness meetings, celebrations, entertainment andWSOP circuit events.“We have a tremendous opportunity to bring the

Caesars brand to New York State and create a world-class entertainment facility, adding a new destinationthe Total Rewards loyalty network and attracting visi-tors from throughout the region and around theworld,” said Gary Loveman, chairman and chief exec-utive officer of Caesars Entertainment.“If we are successful in winning a licence, Caesars

New York will create thousands of jobs and becomean engine for economic growth in the area.

The Cordish Companies andPenn National Gaming haveformally filed their application

for a gaming licence in the HudsonValley-Catskills Region in the state ofNew York.The application to develop the

$750m (E550m) Live! Hotel andCasino New York consists of well over athousand pages detailing finances andcapital structure, design of the facility,amenities, sustainability, responsiblegaming, and workforce development,among many other details.“Our team has worked tirelessly for

the last three months to develop thebest project for the Hudson Valley-Catskills Region,” said David Cordish,chairman of The Cordish Companies.“No other applicant can match our

comprehensive plan to maximize rev-enue and jobs in the state of New Yorkwhile simultaneously empowering the

region to grow exponentially for yearsto come.”Cordish and Penn National’s appli-

cation includes the creation of aunique Angel Incubator - H2V2 - non-profit organisation to attract new orexisting out-of-state manufacturing,computer science, and researchbusinesses to the Hudson Valley-Catskills Region.Cordish and Penn National will fund

H2V2 with a $1.5m (E1.1m) annualgrant in perpetuity and will includeboard representatives from NewYork-based Universities and Commu-nity Colleges in one or more of thethree business areas to judge appli-cants and assist grant recipients in thedevelopment and operations of theirbusinesses.Live! Hotel & Casino New York will

include an upscale boutique hotelwith over 300 rooms and luxurysuites; a destination spa and fitnesscentre; over 3,000 slot machines;more than 250 live table games,including poker; several marqueerestaurants; and well as a live enter-tainment venue and a spacious con-ference centre.

PENN NATIONAL

Cordish andPenn Nationaljoin NYcasino race

CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Caesarssubmitsapplicationto developCaesarsNew York


GTECH/IGT

GTech in talks topurchase IGT

CR141-p36-38-Business_Coinslot NEW 10/07/2014 17:34 Page 1


YXYXYXY

BUSINESS NEWS: [email protected]

CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT / ENTERTAINMENT GAMING ASIA / GROUPE PARTOUCHE / GTECH / IGT / PAF / PENN NATIONAL

Groupe Partouche,the Frenchleisure conglom-

erate with interests incasinos, hotels, restau-rants and spas, hasreported a 7.4 per centdrop in second quarterrevenues to E96.4m.

The group, which is inthe process of imple-menting a large-scaledivesture programme,said analysis of thequarterly results toApril 30 must take intoaccount the disposal ofassets worth E57m

since the beginning ofthe year. This includesthe sale of three casi-nos: Grand CasinoKnokke, Grand Casinode Dinant and CasinoHauteville.

In June, Partoucheannounced it was sell-

ing the Hôtel Interna-tional de Lyon for E25m.Under the terms of thecompany’s draft plan,50 per cent of the netproceeds of all of thegroup’s asset sales willgo towards repaymentsof a syndicated loan.

GROUPE PARTOUCHE

Q2 revenues down for Partouche

Entertainment Gaming Asia(EGA) has agreed to sell itsstruggling Dreamworld

Pailin regional casino in Cambo-dia to local entrepreneur Ban Keafor $500,000 (E366,000).

The company opened thevenue on the Thailand borderthrough its Dreamworld Leisuresubsidiary in May 2012 but theproperty has struggled recentlydue to an inability to secure along-term third-party table gameoperator, low levels of player traf-fic and local political unrest.

“After careful evaluation of alloptions, on June 20, 2014, thecompany entered into an agree-ment to sell 100 per cent of theissued shares of Dreamworld

Leisure to the purchaser,” EGAstated. “The sale includes allassets of Dreamworld Leisurewith the exception of all elec-tronic gaming machines, certainsurveillance equipment and otherassets excluded in the agreementand prohibits any use of theDreamworld brand name by thepurchaser.”

EGA. The operator, which hasoffices in Chicago, Hong Kongand Manila due to receive approx-imately $100,000 (E73,000) of thepurchase price up front followedby 16 monthly instalments eachworth $25,000 (E18,000).

“As previously reported, thecompany recorded an impair-ment charge of approximately

$2.5m as of December 31, 2013,related to Dreamworld Pailin,”EGA said. “The impairmentcharge represented the entirecapital expenditure incurred forthe property as of December 31,2013, with the exception of thoseassets that the company believescould be redeployed to otherexisting properties.”

EGA had previously releasedits financial results for the firstthree months of the year showinga 29 per cent decrease year-on-year in overall consolidated rev-enues to $4.9m (E3.5m).First-quarter revenues from itsgaming operations were lower by25 per cent year-on-year at $4.1m(E3m) while the $3.9m (E2.8m) it

took in from slots was 12 per centless than for the same period in2013.

Dreamworld Pailin con-tributed $216,000 (E158,000) ingaming revenues during the firstquarter of 2014, which comparedwith $1.1m (E805,946) for the cor-responding three months lastyear, while the firm saw revenuesfrom its gaming products fall by43 per cent year-on-year to$811,000 (E594,000).

All of this left EntertainmentGaming Asia with first-quarteradjusted earnings before inter-est, tax, depreciation and amorti-sation of $862,000 (E632,000), areduction of 54.6 per cent year-on-year, with its net loss now

standing at $1m (E733,000).“The decrease in gaming oper-

ations revenue for the first quar-ter of 2014 was largely due to thedecline in revenue from Dream-world Pailin,” stated ClarenceChung, chairman and CEO ofEGA.

“We remain committed to ourgaming development strategyand are actively seeking newprojects in Indochina and othergrowing gaming markets in Asiathat have the potential to drivemeaningful long-term growth forthe company. We seek to lever-age our established presenceand relationships to capitaliseon growth opportunities in ourtarget markets.”

Finnish gaming operatorÅlands Penningau-tomatförening (PAF) has

begun the search for a newdirector for its online casinooperation after Anders Wik-lund announced that he wouldbe leaving in September.

Wiklund has spent eightyears at PAF, which is licensedby the autonomous AlandIslands in the Baltic Sea, andhas provided gaming servicesto international cruise shipand ferry operators since1974.

PAF’s seaborne operationencompasses some 1,700 slotmachines and 40 gamingtables spread across 28 ves-sels sailing nine Baltic routes,while 2010 saw it inaugurate aland-based casino in theAland capital, Mariehamn,

offering regular poker tourna-ments.

“PAF has had an impressivejourney and I am extremelyproud of what we have accom-plished both when it comes toresponsible gaming, how wework, our focus on the person-nel in the organisation and, inthe end, the profits this has allgenerated for the publicgood.”

PAF

PAF directorstanding down

ENTERTAINMENT GAMING ASIA

EntertainmentGaming offloadsCambodian casinoEAG’s Cambodian operation on the border with Thailand hasstruggled since opening in May 2012 and has now been sold to a localentrepreneur for $500,000.


& City News


AMAYA GAMING GROUP / GAUSELMANN GROUP / TRANSWORLD CORPORATION

Business

TransWorld Corporation, a hoteland casino operator, hasreleased its financial results for

the first quarter of 2014, showing thatits total revenues for the three-monthperiod increased by 10.8 per centyear-on-year to reach $9.1m(E6.68m).Through its American Chance

Casinos subsidiary New York-basedTransWorld operates the Americana-themed Ceska Kubice, Route 59 and

Route 55 casinos in the Czech Repub-lic near to the borders with Germanyand Austria, and revealed that overallfirst-quarter gaming attendance atthe venues rose by 9.1 per cent whencompared with the same period in2013 and led to a 7.8 per cent boost intotal live game drop.In addition, TransWorld declared

that room occupancy at its inauguralfour-star Hotel Savannah in the Czechtown of Znojmo improved by 0.6 per

cent year-on-year for the initial threemonths of 2014, while its overallincome before foreign income taxesswelled 62.4 per cent to $716,000(E525,709).All of these saw TransWorld report

first-quarter earnings before interest,tax, depreciation and amortisation of$1.1m (E807,700), which representeda 30.3 per cent advance year-on-year,while net income improved by a mas-sive 81 percent to reach $485,000(E356,102).“TransWorld Corporation had a

strong first quarter [as] we saw dou-ble-digit increases in revenues and netincome,” said Rami Ramadan, CEOfor TransWorld. “This was in part dueto an unseasonably mild winter. Alsoduring the quarter, we launched anumber of new promotional events.These events featured live entertain-ment and raffle games and were metby an overwhelming level of successthat resulted in record-setting rev-enue days during the quarter.“We are strongly encouraged by

our first quarter results and are opti-mistic that this momentum will con-tinue for the remainder of the year.”

TRANSWORLD CORPORATION

TransWorld postsquarterly advances

Amaya GamingGroup has acquiredOldford Group - the

owner and operator of thePokerStars and Full TiltPoker brands - for $4.9bn(E3.6bn). The transactionhas created the world’slargest publicly-listedonline gaming company,as the leading pokerbrands join Amaya’sexisting portfolio of B2Bcasino and lottery gamingsolutions.PokerStars and Full Tilt

Poker collectively havemore than 85m registeredplayers, and Amaya said itexpects to achieveEBITDA of up to $640m(E470m) this year.The transaction com-

bines complementarybusinesses with minimal

overlap: Isle of Man-head-quartered RationalGroup’s B2C poker busi-ness including Poker-Stars, Full Tilt Poker, livepoker tours and events,and online and TV pokerprogramming; and Mon-treal-headquarteredAmaya’s B2B interactiveand physical casino andlottery gaming solutions.”It is thought the trans-

action will expedite theentry of PokerStars andFull Tilt Poker into regu-lated markets in whichAmaya already holds afootprint, particularly theUS. Additionally, Amayawill provide an extensiveselection of its onlinecasino games to expandthe nascent Full Tilt Pokercasino platform.

AMAYA GAMING GROUP

Despite difficult polit-ical landscape thatcontinues to hinder

the growth of the Germangaming industry, Gausel-mann Group has reportedrevenues of E1.85bn in2013, up 3.4 per cent on theE1.79bn in 2012.“In view of the numer-

ous political challengesfrom the communal level tothe federal level thatgreatly affect the businessresults in Germany, we aresatisfied with this result aswe began focusing on inter-national business at theright time,” stated Gausel-mann founder and CEO,Paul Gauselmann.Between fiscal 2012 and

2013, the number of peopleemployed by theEspelkamp-based com-pany employees rose by1,757 to 8,161. Gauselmannmade investments amount-ing to approximatelyE214m in 2013 – the major-ity of which was in research

and development.According to the group,

the basis for its core, 60-year-old business of com-mercial gaming machineswith low stakes and prizesin Germany has been thecountry’s “reasonable legalparameters”, which arenow threatened with being“thrown out of joint”through the new laws andregulations.Gauselmann said the

current legal situationcould result in commercial

gaming in Germany beingeradicated in 2017 - if juris-diction or political reasondoes not prevent this -resulting in the loss of over50 per cent of the current70,000 industry employees.“The industry is fighting

united together against thedemands from the statethat has initiated the corre-sponding laws as it andjurists doubt their consti-tutionality,” the groupstated. “On the one handlawsuits, on the other

hand, negotiations withvoluntary offers – such asall arcades being certified -are underway.”Gauselmann said: “The

goal must be to find a solu-tion that enables the manymillions of players in Ger-many to continually enjoyattractive, regulated andvalue-for-money gamingand at the same time tooffer qualified responsiblegaming and furthermoresecure an economic liveli-hood for the operators.”Due to the situation in

the German market, theGauselmann Group isstrongly pushing the newbusiness divisions ofsports betting and onlinegaming, as well as theexpansion of its owngames, gaming machinesand arcades outside of itshome country. Accord-ingly, international busi-ness further increased in2013, making up over 40per cent of total turnover.


GAUSELMANN GROUP

Gauselmann continuesgrowth path

In search of asolution: PaulGauselmann

GameAccount Networkhas underlined its ambi-tious growth plans by

installing a new commercialteam which combines a strongacademic background withexperience gained from bothwithin and outside the gamingsector. Led by commercialdirector Daniel Lindsay, whohas over 19 years gaming expe-rience with companies includ-ing TCS John Huxley andAristocrat Leisure Limited, thenew team comprises; Sara DiFinizio (country manager Italy),alongside commercial man-agers Federica Faggiano andCamilla Folkeson.

Lindsay said: “We haverecruited from a variety of back-gounds in order to achieve acomplementary balance of

experience and skill sets. SaraDi Finizio, our country managerItaly has a background in tech-nology and marketing and is agraduate in Marketing Commu-nications working from Rome.

“Federica is responsible formanaging existing regulated.com accounts and ensuringour operating partners candeploy the very latest range ofcontent from the extensive list ofslot providers in the GameAc-count portfolio.

“Camilla will drive overall busi-ness development outside ofNorth America including the rollout of GameAccount’s uniqueSimulated Gaming products toland based operators. She joinsfrom a Swedish eGaming opera-tor where she had overallresponsibility for marketing.”

Amaya scoopsup leading onlinepoker platforms

GAMEACCOUNT NETWORK

GameAccount unveilnew commercial team


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& ServicesSECTOR NEWS: [email protected]

LOTTERIESGtech extends West VirginiaLottery contract

Global gaming operator and technologyprovider GTech has signed a two-year

contract renewal with the West Virginia Lot-tery that is expected to be worth some $20m(E16.6m).

The new arrangement begins on June 28and will see GTech continue to operate andmaintain the West Virginia Lottery’s existingsystems and terminals while also deliveringadditional self-service products.

GTech has been the lottery technologyand services provider in West Vir-

ginia since 2009 and is intendsto continue operating from aprimary data centre inCharleston handling fieldservices and hotline man-agement alongside instant-

ticket telemarketing,warehousing and distribution.

MONITORINGScientific Games inks SGVideo deal

Scientific Games Corporation has signeda 10-year contract to supply the Inde-

pendent Gaming Corporation Limited ofSouth Australia with its SGVideo centralmonitoring and control system.

A successor to the Aegis video systemand unique in that it supports both G2S andQCOM communication protocols, SGVideowill monitor approximately 12,500 gamingmachines in more than 550 locationsthroughout South Australia.

ONLINE GAMINGStudy reveals New Jerseydifferences

Market research firm Commercial Intelli-gence has conducted a study revealing

that promotions tied to land-based casinoshave been the most effective incentives foronline players in New Jersey.

The Consumer Insight Group, which con-sists of experts brought together for theupcoming Global iGaming Summit andExpo (GiGse) in San Francisco, stated thatthe findings effectively demonstrate how dif-ferent the newly regulated iGaming market inthe US is from its European counterparts.

APPOINTMENTSGauselmann hires Alexander Martin

Gaming machine developer Gausel-mann has hired Alexander Martin, pre-

viously a management consultant at ATKearny in Dusseldorf, to serve as the direc-

tor for its new mediasegment.

While admittingthat new media willnever replace terres-trial gaming in arcadesand pubs, Gausel-mann stated that thisnew business seg-ment belongs to thefuture.

“We made the decision to create a sepa-rate management board position here dueto the continually increasing importance ofInternet gaming in society and also withinthe company,” said Paul Gauselmann,chairman for Espelkamp-based Gausel-mann.

Cecchini joins Betware

Betware, the inter-active gaming

solutions developerthat was acquired byNovomatic last year,has strengthened itscommercial team withthe appointment oflottery veteran FrankCecchini as chiefcommercial officer.

Cecchini, who has over 14 year of expe-rience in the lottery sector, will be responsi-ble for the sales, marketing and accountmanagement strategy of the company.

Commenting on the appointment, Ste-fan Hrafnkelsson, Betware CEO, said:“Frank joins us at a very exciting time. Afterfinalising the acquisition process, togetherwith our new owners Novomatic, Betwarenow focuses on a complete 360-degreesolution for lotteries.”

TRADEASSOCIATIONS

GSA opens new office inBrussels

As part of its global collaboration initia-tive in the creation of standards for the

gaming industry, The Gaming StandardsAssociation (GSA) has established a satel-lite office in Brussels, Belgium.

“Work in the creation of GSA’s OnlineGaming Standards is progressing at a fastpace, andEurope hasbeen aleader in theadoption ofregulationfor onlinegamblingand bet-ting,” the association stated.“With the establishment of an office inEurope, GSA will be working and consult-ing with all stakeholders from both the regu-latory and policy domain as well as theindustry.”

HEALTH & SAFETYGalaxy Macau signsoccupational safety charter

Galaxy Macau, the flagship property ofGalaxy Entertainment Group (GEG),

has reinforced its effort to promote work-place safety by signing the Macau Occupa-tional Safety and Health Charter.

The charter was signed by Chee PongChan, seniorvice president offacilities man-agement for theCotai resort,and MichelleLam, assistantmanager ofhumanresources andadministration.

The purpose of the Macau OccupationalSafety and Health Charter is to encouragebilateral co-operation between the manage-ment and employees to maintain a safe andhealthy workplace through a comprehen-sive safety management system.

“The hospitality industry is one of the mostimportant sectors in Macau,” said Wong ChiHong, director of Macau’s Labour AffairsBureau. “Its active involvement in promotingoccupational safety will bring positive influ-ence not only to the entire tourism industrybut also to other commercial sectors.”

TESTING LABSGLI receives Sloveniaapproval

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI)subsidiary, GLI Europe,has received

the necessary approvals to test games foruse in Slovenia.

The Ministry ofFinance appointedGLI as “an institu-tion for issuinggaming device testreports for the juris-diction of Slovenia”,which marks the firsttime a foreign companyhas been permitted to pro-vide such services in the country.

A market leader in Europe where it hasoffices in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands,Poland and Spain, GLI serves regulators,suppliers and operators in 455 jurisdictionsand provides land-based and online gam-ing testing and consulting services.

“This has been a strategic project allow-ing GLI to issue gaming device test reportsdirectly to the regulator for this market, sav-ing time and cost to the client, while beingable to provide onsite services within Slove-nia,” said Martin Britton (pictured), manag-ing director of GLI Europe. “It is a greatachievement for GLI, which also benefitsour clients. We are thankful to the Ministryfor the trust it has placed in GLI.”

APPOINTMENTS / HEALTH & SAFETY / LOTTERIES / MONITORING / ONLINE GAMING / TESTING LABS / TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

LISTINGS

CR141-p40-Sectors_Coinslot NEW 09/07/2014 11:09 Page 1

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& CompaniesPEOPLE NEWS: [email protected]

IGT

asino Review: We recently spoke toSabby Gill, senior vice president of inter-national sales at IGT, who outlined yourcompany’s strategy in Europe. Couldyou give us a run down of your currentapproach in Asia? How important is themarket for IGT?Eric Tom: Of all the international markets,the growth markets are clearly in Asia andLatin America. When we look at growth, thefirst thing we do is take a map of the world.We map the disposable income in the mid-dle class, and then you overlay on top ofthat map a propensity to gamble. We thenoverlay a third factor, which is willingnessfor the government to regulate and enforceregulation. When you consider these threefactors, Asia is terrific, as you have that nat-ural or growing wealth in the middle-income class. Asia represents a wonderfulopportunity over the next six or sevenyears.

CR: How important has the Singaporemodel been for gaming in Asia?ET: Singapore created a model that allowedthe country’s government to take advantageof all the inbound tourism that they createdthrough the casinos. What’s interesting about the Singaporemodel is that it really was more of a destina-tion resort model – it wasn’t just about gam-bling, but the entire experience. Gaming,however, is what creates the financial struc-ture to allow such incredible facilities likeMarina Bay Sands or Resorts World Sentosato be built. Gaming increases the feasibility

of destination resorts, and many other mar-kets in Asia are trying to follow this model.

CR: In terms of game development, inEurope many OEMs have a two-pronged strategy, developing bothlicensed and entertainment-basedgames along with high volatility slots.Would you agree that the trend in Asia istowards the latter of these two?ET: Without a doubt. This is a gambler’smarket. Asia hasn’t really evolved its enter-tainment market yet. It’s about winning andlosing at the slot machine, as opposed tobeing entertained for an extended period oftime. It’s interesting to note that the US mar-ket evolved from what was once a gamblersmarket to entertainment, but is actuallygradually moving back again. In Asia, how-ever, people are clearly here to gamble.That’s why the volatility is important.

CR: Do you think there is a truly universalbrand out there that could appeal topeople around the world and resonateswith everyone?ET: We’re trying different brands. We have abrand coming out called Tokidoki, whichhas a cult following of sorts and has globalappeal. What’s interesting about Asian mar-kets is that you can create your own brand –it doesn’t necessarily need to be a recognis-able brand. You just need to look at the mostpopular games: these are brands that havedeveloped and grown on the back of theirintrinsic popularity, as opposed to con-sumers’ predisposed orientation to it.

BIOGRAPHY: ERIC TOM

Eric Tom has served as executivevice president of global sales forIGT since June 2012. From July

2009 to June 2012, he held variouspositions at the company, includingexecutive vice president of NorthAmerica sales and global marketing(2009-2010), chief operating officer(2010-2011) and executive vice presi-dent of North America sales andglobal services (2011-2012).

Prior to joining IGT, from 2007-2009 Tom was vice president, corpo-rate and business development andstrategic alliances of Force10 Net-works, a global technology com-pany. Before this, he held variouspositions at Broadband InteractiveTV, Qwest Communications, andSprint Corporation.

Tom earned a Bachelor of BusinessAdministration degreefrom the Universityof Hawaii and a Mas-ter of BusinessAdministrationdegree from the Uni-versity of CaliforniaBerkeley, withan emphasison corpo-ratefinance.

IGT ‘Asia represents awonderful opportunity’

At G2E Asia 2014,James Walker caught

up with Eric Tom,executive vice

president of globalsales for IGT, who

discussed the group’scurrent strategy in Asia.

CR141-p42-People_Coinslot NEW 09/07/2014 10:57 Page 1

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With such an extensive, worldwide distribution coupled with award winning production and content it’s no surprise that International Casino Review is the preferred media partner for so many leading industry associations, b2b events and commercial organisations throughout the world.

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T

& DiaryEvents

The organisers of July’s GiGse, haveconfirmed that 45 expert industryspeakers will be appearing exclu-

sively at the online gaming event, whichtakes place at the Hyatt Regency in SanFrancisco on July 14-15.

The exclusive line-up of thought leaders -which includes representatives from Penn-sylvania House of Representatives, Atari,Morongo Band of Mission Indians, NevadaSenate, GSN Digital, National Council ofLegislators from Gaming States and Party-poker - will debate key industry issuesincluding the domino effect in relation tostate by state regulation of iGaming, a re-evaluation of the business model based oneight months data and experience in NJ andhow social casino can be integrated as partof an RMG strategy.

Ewa Bakun, head of gaming content forClarion Events, said: “We have addressedthe very real issue of speaker fatigue byhand-picking a line-up of thought leaderswho have chosen to make their first iGam-ing appearance of the year and to share theirknowledge at GiGse.

“For attendees this means that the con-tent is fresh, the thinking original and the

insights they will deliver both powerful andvaluable. Industry professionals attendevents to learn from original thinking deliv-ered by experts, which is exactly what theywill experience at GiGse 2014.

“I am delighted to welcome such an ‘Alist’ of speakers including Norbert Teufel-berger, Governor Ed Rendell, GovernorRobert Miller, Susan Hensel and Represen-tative Jim Waldman who have chosen tomake their first iGaming appearance of2014 at GiGse. I believe their decision to useGiGse as their platform of choice speaksvolumes for the integrity and the reputationenjoyed by the brand as North America’smarket leading event.”

Bakun added: “GiGse is a powerful andbusiness focused coming together of influ-encers and doers in North American iGam-ing. It provides a unique opportunity toshake hands and build strategic partner-ships with a wide spectrum of stakeholdersincluding regulators, legislators, bricks andmortar casinos, online operators, technol-ogy suppliers, social gaming developers,tribes and start-ups, in the process deliver-ing invaluable, competitive and consumerinsights to this hugely important market.”

Governor Robert Mil ler

GIGSE High-profile speakers to take GiGse podium


he team behind November’s MacaoGaming Show (MGS is investing in amulti-media marketing campaign totake its ‘By Asia for the world’ mes-sage to an international audience ofgaming influencers.

As part of the dual Chinese and Eng-lish language drive, over 100 MGS

print and online adverts will beappearing across 25 gaming mediachannels from now until November.

This is being supplemented by MGSMacau taxi advertising, MGS televi-sion ad slots, and visits by the seniormarketing team to major internationalgaming exhibitions such as GTI Taiwanexpo and conferences including JapanGaming Congress (JGC) in Tokyo.

Discussing the campaign, MarinaWong, general manager and eventdirector at MGS, said: “The marketingcampaign, which is significantly big-ger than in 2013, plus the appointmentof world class partner organisationsrepresents another sign of our com-mitment to establish Macao GamingShow as the most important exhibi-tion in Asia.

“We are supporting the MacaoGaming Show with an unprecedentedlevel of investment in marketing andadvertising in order to build on thesuccess achieved in our debut year.Our aim is to ensure that every buyer

who has an interest in the Asian gam-ing sector knows about the show, andhas all the necessary tools and infor-mation to be able to attend.”

Wong added: “The registration datathat we have processed since regis-tration opened confirms a very highproportion of repeat visitors. Our aimis to grow the attendance by addingnew first-time visitors to this veryhealthy base while maintaining a simi-lar if not higher level of seniority as in2013 when 83 percent of visitors wereeither decision-makers or had directinput to purchasing decisions.

“Not only does MGS provide a com-prehensive window on the entire gam-ing industry, it is also the only showthat is truly representative of theAsian gaming industry. I am delightedthat so many industry decision-mak-ers, purchasers and influencers willbe joining us at the Venetian Macao inNovember.”

MGS 2014 takes place at the Vene-tian Macao on November 18-20.

MACAO GAMING SHOW MGS makes majorinvestment ininternational marketing

CR141-p46-47-events_Coinslot NEW 09/07/2014 10:43 Page 1

YXYXYXYEIG / ENADA ROME / GIGSE / MACAO GAMING SHOW

The 42nd edition of Enada Rome will be held fromOctober 15-17 at the Italian capital’s Fiera di Romaexpo centre.

The event is set to bring the latest in gaming, video lot-tery terminals and amusements to Italy, with tickets nowon sale to all industry representatives.

Enada organisers Rimini Fiera recently hosted theAssembly of the Delegate Members of SAPAR - Italy’snational association of public recreational attractionequipment.

SAPAR chairman Raffaele Curcio said he was very satis-fied with the participation in the assembly. “It is an excel-lent omen, considering the future of the sector, which isawaiting encouraging responses on behalf of the currentgovernment,” Curcio said. “In fact, the delicate Article 14of the Fiscal Bill which foresees important intervention bythe executive in the gaming sector is at the approval stage.”

According to SAPAR’s national secretary, CorradoLuca Bianca, Enada remains a vital outlet for the coun-try’s gaming industry. “[It is] an indispensable expo for

the sector, and one which I obviously hope will growincreasingly the in the future, as it is a real driving forcefor our businesses.”

Rimini Fiera’s business unit manager, Simone Castelli,added: “Enada Rome will attract all the sector’s key play-ers, reconfirming its role as a fundamental referencepoint for the business of all Italian and foreign gamingtrade members, as well as the opportunity for network-ing on the hottest issues, once more confirming its lead-ership in the trade.”

ENADA ROME

Enada Romeconfirms itsOctoberscheduleWith Enada Rome set to return in October,and the event organisers have receivedplaudits from the country’s amusementtrade association, SAPAR.

| DIARYJULY 20148-10World Gaming Executive SummitWHotel, Barcelona, Spainhttp://www.terrapinn.com/conference/wges

14-16 Global iGaming Summit & Expo(GiGse)Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, USwww.gigse.com

AUGUST 201412-14 Australasian Gaming ExpoSydneyExhibition Centre, Sydney, Australiawww.austgamingexpo.com

SEPTEMBER 201430-2 G2E 2014Sands Expo & Convention Cen-tre, Las Vegas, US www.globalgamingexpo.com

OCTOBER 20146-8BiG Africa SummitThe Emperors Palace,Johannesburg, South Africa www.bigafricasum-mit.com

20-21 Eastern European Gaming Summit(EEGS) Inter Expo Centre, Sofia, Bulgariawww.eegamingsummit.com

21-22 Balkan Entertainment & Gaming Expo(BEGE) Inter Expo Centre, Sofia, Bulgariawww.balkangamingexpo.com

NOVEMBER 201418-20Macao Gaming Show 2014 VenetianMacao, Macao, China www.macaogaming-show.com

Clarion Events has announcedthat October’s EiG is set to havea more international focus than

at any other time in its history thanks,in part, to the new Outside-In initiative.

Scheduled to take place at theArena Berlin, Germany, from October21-23, EiG 2014 will represent the 13thedition of the global gaming confer-ence and exhibition that has previouslybeen staged in some of the world’smost beautiful cities includingBarcelona, Copenhagen and Milan.

“EiG’s origins were in Europe but thedynamics of this technology-drivensector have changed dramatically,”said Jo Mayer, EiG marketing directorof Clarion Events.

“EiG is no longer defined by geo-graphical region or location. EiG isabout thinking, exploring, meeting andengaging without frontiers. It is an idio-syncratic gaming space where liber-ated minds come together from eachand every location in order to meetand think.”

New for 2014, the Outside-In twin-track conferences will see a group ofguest editors drawn from outside thegaming industry analyse technologyopportunities from very different per-spectives. The Think 2014 session isto deal with the here and now while itsThink 2024 counterpart will encour-age delegates to liberate their mindsand debate how gaming could look inten years.

Acclaimed author and player psy-chologist Scott Rigby will head Out-side-In proceedings on October 21from 12:40 to 15:00 while accom-plished video gaming veteran DonDaglow is to lead the next day’s Think2024 session from 10:40 to 12:30.

In his talk, Rigby is due to delve intothe distinction between ‘intrinsic’ and‘extrinsic’ motivations, which areincreasingly a focus of conversationand strategy, and assist delegates inunderstanding the building blocks ofmotivation in a way that is clear, accu-rate and practically useful to buildinggame experiences.

YXYXYXYEDITORIALManaging Editor: Ken Scott Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900Edition Editor: James Walker Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900Reporters: Joseph Ewens, HughSorrill, Alan Cambpell ADVERTISINGNeil Judson

Email: [email protected]: +44 (0)1204 396 397PRODUCTIONAd Production: Dave RoderickEmail: [email protected] Design: Gina LloydEmail: [email protected] & Production Office: 20 New Road, Brighton BN1 1UF,UK Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900

SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions:Sarah Haworth Email: [email protected]: +44 (0)1204 396 397Publishers GB Media Corporation Ltd, BoltonTechnology Exchange, 33Queensbrook, Bolton BL1 4AY, UKTel: +44 (0)1204 396 397Publisher: John SullivanEmail: [email protected]

Opinions expressed in this publication should not be regarded as the official view of GBMedia Corporation Ltd, except where stated. Views, opinions and recommendationscontained in this publication are put forward for consideration only. No action should betaken in reliance upon any such views, opinions or recommendations. Neither GB MediaCorporation Ltd nor contributors accept any responsibility for any loss occasioned toany person howsoever caused or arising as a result of or in consequence of action takenor refrained from in realiance on the contents of this publication.

Notes for contributorsThe Editorial Board welcomes the submission of articles for consideration by the editorwith a view to publication. Articles submitted will not be returned and accordinglycontributors making submissions should retain copies. Submission of an article will beheld to imply that the article contains original unpublished work which GB MediaCorporation Ltd may lawfully publish. All submissions are made at the owner’s risk.

© GB Media Corporation Ltd 2014All rights strictly reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior writtenpermission is given, full acknowledgement of author, publisher and source must be given.

Casino Review is the premier b2b publication for theinternational casino and gaming industry. With a combinedprint and digital circulation in excess of 14,000 per month,Casino Review has become the first choice read of casinooperators, legislators and senior casino executives. Sign up foryour free digital version at www.casinoreview-online.com

GBmediacorporation ltd

EXHIBITIONS

EiG increasing its international focusDon Daglow and Scott Rigby have been confirmed as guest editors due to lead EiG’snew twin-track Outside-In initiative.


CR141-p46-47-events_Coinslot NEW 09/07/2014 10:48 Page 2

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