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JUNE 2014 • EDITION 140

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News World

OFFLINE: THE US CASINO INDUSTRY TURNS ITS BACK ON LEGALISING ONLINE GAMING 2

MACAO GAMING SHOW

Preparing for Asia’s largest showcase EVENTS & DIARY 52

G2E ASIA REVIEW The key trends at this years show 26

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER FOR THE GLOBAL CASINO INDUSTRY

CASINO DEVELOPMENT

ANALYSIS

Queensland reveals Brisbane A resort casino finalists

Echo Entertainment and Crown Resorts are set to compete for the licence to develop and operate the much awaited new riverside casino and hotel in the Australian city of Brisbane.

A AUSTRALIA

Campbell Newman

fter paying a A$100,000 (E67,100) consideration fee and making a shortlist of 12 last month, operators Echo Entertainment Group and Crown Resorts have been told that they are now the sole runners in a race to develop a second casino in Brisbane, Queensland.

The new casino would be the centrepiece of the A$1bn (E691,300m) redevelopment of the Queen’s Wharf area of central Brisbane and sit together with mixed-use projects containing six-star hotels, convention facilities, retail, restaurant and entertainment zones alongside new open spaces.

Other firms that bid for the licence to bring casino gaming to the north bank of the Brisbane River included SkyCity Entertainment Group, Lend Lease, Greenland Investment and a joint

venture from Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises. Echo and Crown will now be required to submit fully developed proposals by the end of the year before a winner is eventually selected.

As part of a state stimulus package announced by Queensland premier Campbell Newman in October, the winner of the Brisbane licence must include a “landmark” hotel that will “help put Queensland on the map”.

The capital of Australia’s third most populous state, Brisbane is popular with tourists due to its warm climate and proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. The city of 2.24m is hoping to emulate the success seen by Singapore after it built two casino resorts in 2010, with these properties - run by

Genting Singapore and Las Vegas Sands Corporation – helping to boost visitor spending.

“It will be a landmark development designed to be a drawcard for international tourists and businesses for generations to come,” said Jeff Seeney, deputy premier for Queensland.

The Brisbane announcement came only a day after Sweeney revealed that the proposed A$8.15bn (E5.63bn) Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort casino resort project just north of Cairns alongside a similar A$7.5bn (E5.18bn) development from Eastern Success Group and ASF Consortium at Broadwater on the Gold Coast had been given conditional approvals.

“These projects have the potential to create thousands of new jobs in these

two key tourism centres,” said Sweeney.

However, critics point to the fact that the state is already home to four of Australia’s 13 casinos with one of these, the 123-year-old Treasury Casino and Hotel in Brisbane, which is operated by Echo Entertainment, only a short walk from the proposed site of the new development. They argue that new casinos designed for overseas high-rollers would be more likely to prey on local gamblers if there was a downturn in international tourism.

However, the church fraternity’s defeaning silence about its own proven social misdemeanours does serve to devalue its opposition somewhat, although for some strange reason, it seems so very vocal about the gambling sector’s activities.

former soldier and mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman’s centre-right Liberal National Party of Queensland won an overwhelming majority in the elections of March 2012 on a promise to make the state “a can-do place once more”. The 38th premier of Queensland subsequently announced a raft of measures designed to improve the economy and bolster the state’s finances including the authorisation of up to three resort-style casinos featuring five-star hotels and restaurants similar to those in Macau and Singapore. “It’s about jobs, it’s about investment dollars and it’s about tourism potential for Queensland,” said the 50year-old at the time. “It’s about people coming here because we have something that is a drawcard.”In an effort to please voters in Brisbane, the first-time premier revealed that one of the new casino developments would be in the centre of the state’s largest city in an area adjacent to State Parliament currently dominated by government buildings while the remaining pair would be approved based on expressions of interest.

Newman described Queensland’s current casinos as “run down and eroded”, while declaring that the future of the state’s tourism sector was “bleak” without new attractions.

w w w. j c m g l o b a l . c om

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News World

ONLINE GAMING

Geoff Freeman

Infighting between disagreeing members has seen the AGA abandon its backing for legalised online gaming across the US. What this will mean for a now entangled industry remains to be seen, other than confusion, delay and division.

AGA withdraws support for online gaming

T UNITED STATES

he industry group representing some of the most prominent land-based casino operators in the US has pulled its support from efforts to legalise online gaming nationwide.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) withdrew its official endorsement late last month due to disagreements between its various members as firms including Caesars Entertainment Group and MGM Resorts International are in favour while Las Vegas Sands Incorporated through its chairman and CEO, Sheldon Adelson, has maintained steadfast opposition.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Geoff

2 | casinoreview June 2014

Freeman, CEO for the AGA, stated that online gambling was “an issue that the Association cannot lead on”, despite submitting written testimony to Congress last year advocating for its legalisation.

“One of the things I’ve learned in this industry is we are extraordinarily competent at shooting at one another,” Freeman told The Wall Street Journal.

“The snipers in this industry are of the highest quality and if you let that be the focus we’ll kill each other.”

Las Vegas Sands established the Coalition To Stop Internet Gambling late last year, which subsequently prompted Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts

to back the anti-prohibition Coalition For Consumer And Online Protection.

“I am willing to spend whatever it takes,” said Adelson, who is the world’s eighth richest person with an estimated fortune of around $37b (E27.1b). “My moral standard compels me to speak out on this issue because I am the largest company by far in the industry and I am willing to speak out. I don’t see any compelling reason for the government to allow people to gamble on the internet and nobody has ever explained except for the two companies whose special interest is going to be served if there is gaming on the internet,

Caesars and MGM.” In contrast, MGM Resorts holds an online gaming licence from Nevada but has so far only launched a free-play site that allows members of its M Life loyalty programme to earn additional rewards.

“A move to make all internet gaming illegal is absurd on its face,” said Alan Feldman, senior vicepresident for MGM Resorts. “That would remove all law enforcement oversight and permit the unregulated black market operators the ability to grow.”

For its part, Caesars Entertainment is one of the biggest proponents of legalised online gaming in

the United States and established its Caesars Interactive Entertainment Incorporated subsidiary in 2009. This division currently operates the CaesarsCasino.com, HarrahsCasino.com and WSOP.com domains for American players in New Jersey and Nevada.

“The same way that the state of Nevada started land-based casino gaming and you’ve seen the proliferation of casino gaming across the United States; we believe that the digital age will repeat that very same pattern,” said Mitch Garber, CEO of Caesars Interactive Entertainment and former CEO of online operator PartyGaming.

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YXYXYXY MACAU / THAILAND / UNITED STATES

ICR NEWS: WORLD 1-5 EUROPE 6-9 ASIA & OCEANIA 10-13 AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST 14-15 NORTH AMERICA 16-19 SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 20-21 COMMENT & ANALYSIS 22-25

REGULATION

ATTENDANCE

Macau implements casino smoking ban

Thai military coup hits border casinos

MACAU

rom October 6, all smoking on mass-market gaming floors in Macau is to be banned after a partial prohibition put into place last year failed to keep air quality at acceptable levels.

Around 25 per cent of China’s population smokes, and December saw six casino operators, including giants MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands Corporation, petition the government for the special administrative region asking that that massmarket zones be designated as smoke-free. This came after the Macau Health Bureau found 64 per cent of

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venues had not complied satisfactorily with the previous ban, which prompted Macau’s economy and finance secretary, Francis Tam Pak Yuen, to warn of stricter sanctions.

In exchange, casinos in the former Portuguese colony will be permitted to

CEO for MGM China Holdings Limited.

“It is just a question of how it all fits together.”

Despite the uncertainties surrounding a new smoking ban, operators in Macau can be happy after total gambling revenues in the enclave hit $4.05bn (E2.97bn) for April, which was 9.3 per cent higher than for the same period last year.

According to figures offer special non-gaming from the Gaming Inspection smoking rooms with larger and Coordination Bureau, ventilation systems while April marked the third time VIP players could still be this year that Macau had permitted to smoke. reported at least $4bn “It’s still entirely possible (E2.93bn) in gaming revthat there will actually be a enues with the city now requirement for even non- bringing in the equivalent of smoking in some of the VIP Las Vegas’ annual haul in rooms,” said Grant Bowie, less than two months.

CONTENT

North America deal for Snowcat Games

UNITED STATES

E

stonian firm Snowcat Games has signed a long-term deal with distributor Big Tent for the supply and integration of games and content into land-based Native American casinos.

A subsidiary of Californian firm Pavilion Worldwide Group, Big Tent will use Snowcat Games as its preferred non-US slots aggregator for content from developers including UMA Premium Group, Playson,

Lightning Box Games, Leander Games and Fatspanner.

“Snowcat is now the ‘preferred and dominant’ supplier and integrator of games content for a major route and share operator who is in the early stages of rolling out many thousands of machines into NIGA venues,” said Michael Rankin, co-founder of Tallinnbased Snowcat. “For Snowcat and its stable of content partners, this deal is a major win, by delivering large volumes of leadingedge game content and

entertainment pieces over many years.”

Snowcat stated that it is currently in the process of reviewing its suppliers and combined library of available titles to ensure adequate volumes and quality of content is ready when integration begins later this quarter. It also confirmed that it could soon sign up additional games developers to guarantee total customer, site and player satisfaction.

“I have worked closely with the founders of Snowcat over many years and

am delighted we have been able to close this deal with it for Big Tent,” said Mark Irvine, international managing director for Pavilion.

“Having Snowcat as our preferred content aggregator for non-US slots gives us access to a vast pool of emerging worldwide talent. Our casino partners expect not only best-of-breed when it comes to slots content but they want experienced hands managing the process. Snowcat ticks every box.”

THAILAND

ast month’s military coup in Thailand could negatively impact the number of visitors to casinos throughout Southeast Asia.

Although illegal in their homeland, many Thai citizens visit border establishments in neighbouring nations such as Myanmar and Laos for casino gaming, with one operator in the Cambodian frontier town of Poipet reporting a 40 percent drop in customer numbers since the May 22 military takeover.

Thailand’s army last took the reins of power in 2006, which represented the tenth successful military coup since the nation abolished its absolute monarchy of King Prajadhipok in 1932, and immediately imposed cross-border controls on capital movement. Although officials have so far held off inflicting such draconian measures this time around, the general atmosphere of uncertainty and stepped-up scrutiny have led to many players staying home.

“On average, we receive more than 200 [Thai] visitors per day but now the number has dropped to only a little over 100,” said Kim Ledaro, managing director for Cambodian casino operator Crown Resorts Company.

Ledaro reported that almost 99 per cent of players at his firm’s three casinos in Poipet are Thai nationals with official statistics indicating that the number of visitors passing through the Thai-Cambodia border has declined from about 1,500 per day before the coup to around 700 now.

General Prayuth Chan-Ocha, Thailand’s army chief, stated that the coup was undertaken for the good of the nation following six months of political deadlock and street violence. The unrest between the pro-establishment yellow-shirted supporters of Democrat Party strongman Sutep Tueksuban and the more populist red-shirted proponents of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has raged on and off for over a decade but reached a head last month following the failure of a series of talks.

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June 2014 casinoreview

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News

EUROPE / INDIA

World

Ron Goudsmit

RON GOUDSMIT: “SINCE ITS DEBUT, THIS EVENT ... BRING TO LIFE NEW LIVELY AND EXCITING COMPETITIONS WHICH REMIND ALL THOSE IN ATTENDANCE OF WHAT THE CASINO INDUSTRY IS ABOUT.”

TOURNAMENT

Scandinavian dominance at the European Dealer Championship In its eighth outing, the European Casino Association’s annual celebration of croupiers’ skills saw a first victory for the Danes and runner up places for the Finns.

EUROPE

fter 15 years in casinos, Lars Mikkelsen from Casino Copenhagen is no novice, however, this year he entered the 2014 European Dealer Championship for the first time. His experience showed and he glided home with the title.

The eighth year of the ECA-organised event saw 28 competitors from 17 countries gather at Casino Beograd in Serbia, the second time the EDC has been hosted there.

Mikkelsen said: “I thought to myself, ‘If I’m going to win I’m really going to have to focus on the skill of dealing’. I just gave it my all doing the job that I actually do.”

Competition judges highlighted his focus and his uncontainable charisma in awarding him the first prize of a trip for two to an ECA member casino of their choice, sponsored by Bally

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Technologies.

Mikkelsen added: “I love my job, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else, so being recognised as the European Champion Dealer of the year is a great honour.”

Casino Copenhagen is 50 per cent owned by Casinos Austria International, whose director Dietmar Hoscher said: “The fact that this year’s victor once again comes from a Casinos Austrian International venue naturally fills us with special pride.”

First runner-up was Amir ben Said followed by Matti Kankainnen, both of Casino Helsinki, each of whom have placed in the competition more than once in previous years but have not yet managed to carry off the title.

The side events are a popular addition to the Championships with five titles up for grabs. This year competitors from the host country all but cleaned up. Best

Card Handler and Best Chip Cutter went to Dragan Cvetkovic of Serbia and Dusica Stojimirovic, also of Serbia, won the Roulette Mathematics and Roulette Chipping awards. Slovakian Ivan Fedurico took the award for Pushing Stacks.

Event co-organiser Jeroen Bosman said: “These side competitions only measure a few of the necessary skills involved in being a dealer, and watching members of the audience clumsily try their unpractised hands at these specialised tasks revealed the agility involved in tackling merely one of the many abilities a dealer must have at his or her disposal.”

Ron Goudsmit, chairman of ECA, took the floor during the final celebration. He said: “Since its debut, this event owes its seamless operation to our more than capable organising team Jeroen Bosman of Holland Casino and Yared Gabretensaye of Casino Cosmopol -

for their dedication to eight years of the ECA EDC. Each year the duo, with the help of local know-how, bring to life new lively and exciting competitions which remind all those in attendance of what the casino industry is about.”

He added: “This year’s event owes its own unique

mix of incredible hospitality and contagious enthusiasm to our gracious host Christos Tsemperas, CEO of Grand Casino Beograd, and his dedicated team.”

The event was sponsored by AGEM, CLS, CTC Holdings, GPI, ICS Europe, Abbiati and Bally Technologies.

Top: Lars Mikkelsen (centre) flanked by runners up Amir ben Said and Matti Kankainnen, along with the winners of the side events.

Bottom: Mikkelsen’s focus and charisma won him the European title

LEGISLATION

Goa tourism minister says no to offshore casinos INDIA

G

oa’s tourism minister Sripad Naik has said he is against the offshore casinos in the Indian coastal state.

State politicians last

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year decided not to allow the development of any more offshore casinos, whilst pursuing the closure of the existing establishments. Goa currently has five offshore casino vessels, which are currently anchored in the

Mandovi River near the state capital, Panaji.

“Nothing has been decided on the offshore casinos’ future in the state, but personally I am against encouraging offshore casinos,” Naik told the Press Trust of India. “It is the policy

of the state government that would take care of these offshore casinos.

Manohar Parrikar-led government has already announced that it will shift the offshore casino vessels out of Goa waters and also ban the entry of locals.”

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News Europe

NEW LICENCES

The Las Vegas Casino Budapest is one of the existing operations in Hungary, owned by Vajna

Rapid expansion of Hungarian casino numbers With slots available only in casinos, legally, a hungry market awaits the new casinos in Hungary as they attempt to open in double-quick time. But there are likely to be challenges along the way.

T HUNGARY

he Hungarian economy ministry has announced the award of seven new casino licences in the country, taking the national total up to ten by early 2015. Five of the new licences are for the capital Budapest and the Pest district with the remaining two for Debrecen and Nyíregyháza, cities 40km apart in eastern Hungary.

The ministry said the tenyear licences would each bring in annual concession fees of around 4bn forints (E13m) as well as VAT receipts in the order of 1bn forints (E3.3m).

A ministry official said: “Hungary has strict regulation in place against money laundering and other crimes and this will help us to make sure that the new casinos

6 | casinoreview June 2014

will conduct only legitimate operations. All of the new casinos will operate under the strict control of the government to make sure that none of them will be used for illegal activities.”

In October 2012, Hungary banned all slot machines operated outside casinos: that led to a big uptick in business for the three existing casinos in the country, two in Budapest and another - operated by Casinos Austria International in Sopron in the west of the country. However, overall government revenues from gambling inevitably declined and in July 2013 the economy ministry initiated a process to expand the number of casino licences.

Hungarian law allows for a

maximum of 11 casino licences to be issued and the latest announcement completes the list.

The licences for the existing casinos expire at the end of 2015 but are widely expected to be renewed. A fourth casino licence of 20 years is already in place for the EuroVegas project near Bezenye in the north-western part of the country, however the development has been beset by delays upon delays since it was first announced over eight years ago.

There is rather more haste with the new licences: the first two venues are likely to open in the summer in Debrecen and Nyíregyháza followed by two of Budapest’s licences in the

autumn.

Another is expected to open its doors in the early part of 2015.

The award of licences, however, has not been uncontroversial. Firstly, the decision was made without the benefit of a public tender offering - a move that could lead opponents to make challenges at the European level.

Secondly, all five of the Budapest and area licences have been awarded to one company, Las Vegas Casino Ltd controlled

by the film producer Andy Vajna, who has worked on many Hollywood blockbusters, including the Rambo and Terminator series. He is also the government commissioner in charge of the Hungarian film industry.

T h e process has been challenged by Jobbik, the third largest party in Parliament after the April elections Jobbik MP EnikHegedus

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CZECH REPUBLIC / EUROPE / GREECE / HUNGARY / SPAIN / UNITED YXYXYXY KINGDOM Novomatic record revenues 49

FRANZ WOHLFAHRT: “OUR DUAL BUSINESS STRATEGY HAS ONCE AGAIN PROVED TO BE A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS .. IT SECURES THE SUSTAINED VIABILITY OF OUR GROUP ...”

ANALYSIS egardless of any allegations of favouritism that might be levelled at the Hungarian government for awarding so many licences to one operator, the fact that it did so without a public tender process is likely to backfire. European Union rules are pretty clear that applications for such licences should be a transparent process and open to everyone in the single European market. Even a slight breach of this principle required Austria to change its gambling law and tendering process.

There was nothing transparent about this process: Hungary can almost certainly expect to answer it at the Court of Justice and more delays will of course follow.

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LEGISLATION

Catalonia approves BCN World legislation SPAIN

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n Spain, the parliament for the autonomous community of Catalonia has passed legislation that will allow up to six casinos to be located within the planned BCN World leisure development near Barcelona.

Due to be constructed at a cost of around E4.7bn between the municipalities of Vilaseca and Salou a one-hour drive south of the Catalan capital and next to the Port Aventura amusement park, BCN World was first announced in 2012 and is also slated to contain convention and shopping centres, restaurants, hotels, offices and a living area.

The regional government is now scheduled to begin the process of approving the plans for BCN World, which is expected to create 30,000 jobs, while defining the zoning and licensing tenders although its legislation decreed that

only 30 per cent of the total area may be designated for recreational activities.

The measure also altered the boundaries of local municipalities on the Costa Dorada, lowered the tax rates on any

EUROPE ROUND-UP olverhampton City Council in the UK has granted formal permission for a building once occupied by a Gala Casino to be transformed into a mosque.

The casino shut its doors for good in 2011 with the site unofficially serving as the Wolverhampton City Islamic Centre and Al Rahman Mosque since June of last year attracting around 1,000 worshippers each week including about 200 every Friday.

Religious leaders now want to use the building to provide Arabic and Islamic studies alongside food to those fasting during Ramadan.

An Islamic marriage service will also be begun while the venue is to receive a new coat of paint and have signs installed bearing its new name.

In Ireland, lawmakers are set to reform an 80-year-old restriction that forces betting shops to close at 6:30pm for six months of the year after it emerged that the state could be losing out on more than $31m (E23m) in tax.

The September to February con-

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gambling in the development from 55 to 10 per cent, raised the area’s hotel duties to match those offered in Barcelona and authorised casinos to extend credit to players.

TAXATION

Land-based sector ‘needs a fair taxation regime’ and deemed to be radically right-wing and nationalist.

MP Enik Hegedus told a press conference: “The ministry awarded the licences to Vajna’s company without a tender, qualifying it as ‘reliable’.”

She said that Vajna’s company last year got tax relief of 1.6bn forints (E5.3m) based on just one casino, a business that generated 3.8bn forints (E12.5m) in revenues, on which it should have paid 1.1bn (E3.6m) to the state in gambling tax and an additional 800m-forint (E2.6m) concession fee. Due to an amendment in the law, however, Hegedus claimed the company finally paid just 300m forints (E1m) in taxes.

EUROPE

he European Gaming and Amusement Federation (Euromat) gathered in Bucharest, Romania, on May 31 to discuss the future of European gambling markets at the group’s annual general meeting.

This year’s assembly reiterated the call for effective regulation of the gambling sector; regulation that Euromat says would ensure a “level-playing field across the industry and successfully tackle illegal gambling”.

Against the backdrop of the rapid rise of online gambling, the association stated that landbased gambling operators could not compete when European governments continue to introduce regulations that create preferential frameworks for the online

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Annette Kok

sector, both in terms of regulatory requirements and taxation leaving the land-based sector at what it calls an “unfair and unjustified” disadvantage.

Annette Kok, president of Euromat, said: “European governments need to understand that we [the land-based sector]

need a fair taxation regime and certain flexibility to adapt our products to the increasingly fast changing need of our customers.”

Looking back on the past year, Euromat engaged with the EU institutions in Brussels, ensuring that the federation’s call for a level-playing field was included as the EU looks more carefully into the regulation of online gambling.

The statements from Euromat preceded reports that the 2015 edition of IMA, Germany’s annual amusement and gaming show, had been cancelled. Traditionally held in Düsseldorf every January, IMA returned from a short hiatus this year. It is thought that Germany’s unstable gaming industry infrastructure is once again to blame for the show being scrapped.

straint will be swept away under new provisions contained in the Gaming (Amendments) Act but this legislation needs to be passed before next month’s summer recess in order to have any impact in the autumn.

Further south, facing insolvency proceedings, Spanish casino and racetrack operator Codere has negotiated another extension with creditors who hold approximately $1.3bn (E959m) of its debt.

The Madrid-based firm stated that its sixth ‘standstill agreement’ with creditors has now pushed the deadline for a final deal to June 4 with negotiations ongoing.

Codere, which first revealed the extent of its debt in January, operates gaming venues across Europe and Latin America and was hit by a number of outside factors including a smoking ban in Argentina and an increase in taxes in several jurisdictions. Its liquidity has also declined following the closure of eight halls in Mexico and a recent $144.9m (E107m) payment to renew gambling licenses in Buenos Aires.

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News Europe

Registrations open for EiG 54

CLARION EVENTS: “EIG IS ABOUT FREEDOM. THE FREEDOM TO THINK, THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE, THE FREEDOM TO ENGAGE AND THE FREEDOM TO MEET IN THE WAY THAT SUITS YOU”

SERVICE

COMPETITIONS

King’s Casino takes to the air

Aspers hosts £1m competition

Czech casino King’s will be laying on the ultimate in customer service, with its intention to use a newly purchased helicopter for VIP and corporate charters across the region.

CZECH REPUBLIC

ing’s Casino in the Czech border town of Rozvadov has become the nation’s first owner of a new Bell 407GX helicopter and intends to utilise the aircraft to conduct VIP and corporate charters across the region.

Located one mile from the border with Germany and only 90 minutes from the cities of Nuremberg and Prague, King’s Casino is open around-the-clock offering a variety of casino games including slots, American and European roulette, blackjack and punto banco while its poker room is Europe’s largest.

“Our choice was easy when deciding on the Bell 407GX,” said Leon Tsoukernik, president of

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King’s Casino. “I have flown Bell helicopters in the past and the exceptional performance and service in Europe have made me a loyal customer.”

For its part, Bell Helicopter, which will celebrate its 80th birthday next year, revealed that the deal represents the first time it has sold a Bell 407GX into the Czech Republic.

“We are excited King’s Casino has put its confidence in the performance of the Bell 407GX and our global maintenance and customisation ability,” said Patrick Moulay, Europe managing director for Bell Helicopter.

First produced in 1996, the Bell 407GX features a Garmin G1000H flight deck providing critical flight information at a glance for greater situational awareness and increased safety while it also

UNITED KINGDOM

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comes complete with a tail rotor camera, which allows for rearview visibility during take-offs and landings.

The purchase seems to be an indicator of optimism in the Czech casino market as, despite seeing total revenues for 2013 decline by 7.6 per cent year-on-year to $197m (E146m), the sector may be over the worst affects of the global economic recession as earnings topped where they had been in 2010.

Compared with the rest of Europe, the Czech Republic has taken a relatively liberal regulatory approach to gambling, which has seen the number of casinos

grow in the 20 years since the Velvet Revolution of 1989 to 185 employing some 2,850 people.

Major operators include Casinos Austria International through its Czech Casinos subsidiary, Novomatic, which operates venues via its European Data Project concern, and the European arm of American firm Trans World Corporation, American Chance Casinos.

However, the industry could soon face tougher restrictions after municipalities were given stronger powers to limit the numbers of video lottery terminals and slot machines, while they now also having jurisdiction over operating hours.

REVENUES

OPAP revenues continue to improve GREECE

n Greece, the OPAP gaming monopoly has released its financial results for the first three months of 2014 showing an 11.1 per cent increase year-onyear in total revenues to $1.3bn (E965.5m).

OPAP operates all numerical lottery and sportsbetting games in Greece and revealed that this was the fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth and was helped by a 30 per cent rise in earnings from the Stihima game as well as a “return to positive territory” for its Kino offerings.

Gross gaming revenues for the three-month period rose by 5.8 percent year-on-year to $435.3m (E320.1m), which reversed a drop in the previous

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stood at $228.4m (E168m).

“The first quarter of 2014 was marked by OPAP’s return to meaningful profitability growth,” said Kamil Ziegler, chairman and CEO for OPAP. “The operating performance of our key games was further reinforced aided by the persisting revitalisation actions in our games’ portfolio while we also increased operating efficiencies in line with our long-term commitment.

“The improved performance together with the successful and well perceived launch of the scratch tickets, only the first quarter, while earnings before (E25.8m). game to come within a series of interest, tax, depreciation and All of this saw OPAP report a new products throughout the amortisation improved by 32.4 net profit for the first quarter of year, makes us confident that per cent to $103.7m (E76.3m) $67.5m (E49.7m), which was a 2014 will prove to be overall a with distribution expenses low- boost of 27.6 per cent year-on- rewarding year for all of our ered by 12.2 per cent to $35m year, while its net cash position stakeholders.”

spers Casino Westfield Stratford City has become the first UK casino to offer patrons the nightly chance to win £1m (E1.2m) in cash off the single spin of a special roulette-style wheel.

The new Spin For A Million game began last month at the London venue and is due to run for six weeks offering customers daily free chances at becoming an instant millionaire.

“I’m really proud that we’re the first casino business to offer this,” said the casino’s owner, Damian Aspinall. “It’s a really exciting way of communicating with our customers and creates a real buzz so I’m delighted we’ve pulled it off.

“It’s a chance to change someone’s life and show our customers we’re very progressive and able to do fun things that others wouldn’t. If it goes well and the customers enjoy it there’s no reason why we wouldn’t repeat it and maybe even go higher.”

Daily winners are presented with a Golden Ticket and progress to a June 21 Spin For A Million final where 20 hopefuls will compete in ten knockout rounds before one walks away with £25,000 (E30,722) and the chance at £1m tax-free.

Opened in December of 2011, Aspers Casino Westfield Stratford City averages 3,500 visitors a day and pays out more slot jackpot prizes than any other casino in the UK. “I believe if you deliver a fantastic product, people will come, but the fantastic location, a fantastic mayor and the whole regeneration of the East End are all factors in our success,” said Aspinall.

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CR140-p10-12-Asia_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 14:55 Page 1

News

Asia & Oceania OPENING MARKET

Japanese decision now expected in the autumn

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Singapore IRs has boosted the confidence of casino proponents in Japan

It’s getting ever closer, but there’s still a way to go before casino legalisation is in the bag in Japan.

Supporters must now step to the delicate dance of political strategy The Diet may only vote on the Bill in the autumn

T JAPAN

he Japanese parliament, which supporters of casino legalisation hoped would decide the matter in the current summer session, looks set to postpone a final decision until later in the year.

According to reports, other legislative priorities have pushed back discussion of the IR (Integrated Resorts) Promotion Bill meaning that it is unlikely to pass before the end of the session on June 22. However, the Bill’s proponents hope that by starting the debate but not voting during this session of the Diet, they will be able to keep control of it over the long summer break, so that if as expected the legislation does finally win approval it will have some momentum behind it as it goes in front of the senate committee with its chairman said to be hostile to the idea.

10 | casinoreview June 2014

The IR Promotion Bill is enabling legislation that would establish the principle of legal casinos within Integrated Resorts: it would then require the government to present detailed legislation covering licensing and regulation within a year. Once passed, prefectural governments will be able to invite tenders: the first projects could begin construction in 2016, giving operators around three-and-a-half years to get up and running in time for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

“We are getting close to starting debate,” said Takeshi Iwaya, a member of the ruling LDP party and a principal figure in the push to legalise casinos. He said that starting debate in the lower house without pushing it to a vote until an extraordinary session in

the autumn would allow supports to “keep a grip” on the bill.

A Reuters source seemed to confirm the strategy: “It’s logistically difficult for it to pass in the current session. I would say it’s highly likely to pass in the fall.” The same source said it was unlikely the Bill would be delayed until next year, which would leave too little time for any resorts to be ready for the Olympics.

The pro campaign received a boost in early June when the popular Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is being credited with making a major contribution to bringing Japan out of period of stagnation that has lasted more than a decade, visited the Marina Bay Sands and Genting’s Resorts World Sentosa. He has still not come down on one side of the argument or

the other, but observers believe his media-trailed appearance at the resorts demonstrate his approval.

The Singapore IRs are the models for the projects that have already been proposed in Japan: Tokyo and Osaka already have detailed ideas about where their IRs could be located both on reclaimed islands in the bay. As many as ten other IRs, likely to be smaller, could be called for by prefectures up and down the country. International operators already known to be deeply interested include Las Vegas Sands, Genting Singapore, MGM Resorts and Melco Crown.

Their expectations are that Japan will become the second largest gambling market after Macau, with a huge native appetite that could bring in US$40bn (E30bn) in revenues per year.

ANALYSIS here is strong opposition still to the idea of casinos operating in Japan, but the signs are positive that among legislators the tide is turning. The popularity of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cannot be underestimated and his visits to the Singapore IRs will boost both supporters’ confidence and demonstrate to opponents the force behind the move.

But Japan is Japan and politics changes glacially even if there is pressure from time and the opportunity for huge investment and jobs growth.

T

CR140-p10-12-Asia_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 12:26 Page 2

CAMBODIA / JAPAN / PHILIPPINES / SOUTH KOREA YXYXYXY MGEMA explains its role 22

JAY CHUN: “ON BEHALF OF THE INDUSTRY, WE ARE HERE TO HELP PROTECT THE MANUFACTURERS’ INTERESTS AND TO DISCUSS WITH THE GOVERNMENT WHAT IS THE BEST FOR MACAU.” PERFORMANCE

Net loss shrinks at EGA CAMBODIA

C

ambodian casino operator Entertainment Gaming Asia (EGA) has released its financial results for the first quarter of the year, showing a 29 per cent decrease in consolidated revenues to $4.9m (E3.5m).

EGA operates the Dreamworld Poipet and Dreamworld Pailin casinos in the northwest of Cambodia near to the border with Thailand and blamed the drop on “declines in both the gaming operations and gaming products divisions’”.

The firm revealed that revenues from its gaming operations for the initial three months of 2014 hit $4.1m (E3m), a fall of 25 per cent year-onyear, while its slot takings waned by 12 per cent to $3.9m (E2.8m).

Continuing the regression, EGA, in which Melco Crown Entertainment owns 38 per cent, reported that its casino operations contributed $216,000 (E158,400) in total gaming operations revenues during the first quarter. This represented a decrease of 80 per cent year-on-

year and was due to the firm ending its use of tour group promoters in favour of a more cost-efficient leasing model.

First-quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation came in at $862,000 (E632,100), which represented a 54.6 per cent drop year-on-year, although the operator’s net loss improved from $2.5m (E1.8m) last year to $1m (E733,280) this time around.

“We remain committed to our gaming development strategy and are actively seeking new projects in Indo-China and other growing gaming markets in Asia that have the potential to drive meaningful longterm growth for the company,” said Clarence Chung, CEO and chairman of EGA. “We seek to leverage our established presence and relationships to capitalise on growth opportunities in our target markets.”

ASIA ROUND-UP

T

he new owner of the Tinian Dynasty and Casino (pictured) in the Northern Mariana Islands, Mega Stars Overseas, has expressed disappointment over the lukewarm response it has received from residents and government officials concerning its planned $600m (E440.5m) investment.

The operator has already spent $40m (E29.3m) to keep the struggling casino and hotel afloat and is planning to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars more to rehabilitate the venue and build a new hotel on Tinian.

In Vietnam, the National Assembly is debating changes to the current law that bans Vietnamese nationals from gambling in their own country. Any alteration could be a spur for investment from multinational operators such as Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Genting, while Australia-listed

CASINO OPENING

Cell Aquaculture re-opens Cambodian casino CAMBODIA

ne-time Australian marine technology firm Cell Aquaculture Limited has soft launched the Roxy Casino in Bavet City, Cambodia, after purchasing the formerly derelict property in March.

Located 200 metres from the border with Vietnam and only 54 miles (87 kilometres) from Ho Chi Minh City and its 8.1m inhabitants, the perpetually-licensed Roxy Casino features a 20-room hotel, a 50-seat restaurant and administration offices alongside a gaming floor offering up to 25 tables in addition to

O

slots and a sportsbook.

Perth-based Cell Aquaculture purchased the Cambodian development in addition to the Haikou Free Trade Zone in China from Noble Rate Limited, Tang

on the Australian Stock Exchange in November of 2012 after posting a loss of $3.2m (E2.3m) for the financial year. However, it was reinstated in September after issuing an additional 250m new shares to generate $277.3m (E203.6m) in extra funds.

“When the company’s owners realised current operations were no longer feasible or viable, they decided to look for a new Dashun and Beijing Proper- direction for the firm and ties in return for 533.3m with our China operations shares worth $76.7m only 46 percent complete so (E56.3m). far the company needed a Cell Aquaculture was more immediate source of placed into administration income,” said Richard Soo, a and suspended from trading director at Cell Aquaculture.

Donaco International recently inaugurated a new five-star hotel in the northern province of Lao Cai catering to players from nearby China. “[The National Assembly] has come out publicly to say that this is just a matter of time until they open up,” said Joey Lim Keong Yew, managing director for Donaco. “The government has estimated that around $800m (E587.4m) is lost in annual tax on gross gaming revenue.”

Continuing east, the future of the five offshore casinos in the Indian state of Goa looks uncertain after culture and tourism minister Sripad Naik stated he was against such venues.

The government for the former Portuguese colony decided last year not to allow any more offshore casinos while asking existing landbased venues to shut for good over the next 24 months.

June 2014 casinoreview

| 11

CR140-p10-12-Asia_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 12:26 Page 3

News

Asia & Oceania

MGS strengthens appeal 52

MARINA WONG: “THERE IS A REAL SENSE OF ANTICIPATION FOR THE SECOND MACAO GAMING SHOW AND EVERYTHING IT HAS TO OFFER: NEW OPPORTUNITIES, ACCESS TO THE REAL DECISION-MAKERS IN ASIA.” SOCIAL INITIATIVES

Melco Crown partners with DreamWorks The world’s first DreamPlay By DreamWorks ‘edutainment’ centre is scheduled to open inside City of Dreams Manila later in the year.

PHILIPPINES

ntegrated casino resort developer Melco Crown Philippines Resorts Corporation is partnering with global branded entertainment firm DreamWorks Animation to open an innovative ‘edutainment’ centre inside its City Of Dreams Manila development.

The first-of-its-kind education-based DreamPlay By DreamWorks interactive entertainment concept is inspired by the mantra of learning through play and is scheduled to open later in

I

the year at the Manila resort, which is currently under development.

The subsidiary of Melco Crown Entertainment stated that DreamPlay By DreamWorks will represent ‘a revolutionary approach to family entertainment’ exclusively designed by DreamWorks Animation and iP2 Entertainment and

combining the best elements of the animator’s library with hands-on activities to create “a truly one-ofa-kind family adventure”.

Using the very latest digital technology, guests will be able to interact direct with their favourite characters including those from Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Madagascar and How To Train Your

Dragon as they learn.

“Melco Crown Philippines is delighted to be introducing DreamWorks to the Philippines as we continue our strategy of delivering innovative leisure and entertainment offerings that enhance the leisure destination appeal of Manila,” said Clarence Chung, the subsidiary’s

chairman and president.

“Our collaboration with DreamWorks is a further illustration of our expertise in developing world-class, innovative and groundbreaking entertainment for leisure seekers both in the Philippines and internationally. The DreamPlay concept delivers an education experience through spontaneous and sensory play that represents an industry first.”

Melco Crown Philippines Resorts has also welcomed a decision by the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCor) to lower licence fees by 10 per cent of gross gaming revenues.

The deal with licensees including Travellers International Hotel Group, Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels Incorporated, Melco Crown-led MCE Leisure Philippines Corporation and Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment Incorporated covers the high-

roller and mass-market segments and is intended to ‘make whole’ gaming operators after a recent Supreme Court decision saw PAGCor lose its tax exempt status.

Instead of paying a five percent franchise tax on gross gaming revenues, operators will now be subject to the regular 30 percent corporate income tax.

“We welcome this initiative and express our sincerest gratitude to the government of the Republic of the Philippines and PAGCor for its continuous support in helping us realise our gaming, leisure and entertainment complex in Manila,” said Chung.

“The development of City of Dreams Manila is progressing well and we firmly believe our integrated leisure and entertainment destination resort will play a key role in furthering the ambitions of the Philippines in establishing the country as a major leisure and tourism destination in the region.”

“The growing interest in football in China and the fact that a significant number of casino cus-

tomers are Chinese was the main reason behind naming Mourinho as the model,” Paradise said.

ENDORSEMENT

Jose Mourinho is the new face of South Korean casino development SOUTH KOREA

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nly weeks after being named as a Global Ambassador Against Hunger by the World Food Programme, Jose Mourinho, the manager of English football team Chelsea, has now been hired by South Korean casino operator Paradise Company to be the face of a new advertising cam-

paign.

Paradise is partnering with Sega Sammy Holdings Incorporated of Japan to construct a $1.7bn (E1.2bn) casino resort in the coastal city of Incheon near the Asian nation’s main international airport and it hopes that Mourinho, who has twice managed teams to UEFA Champions League titles, will help to lure punters from China where football is increasingly

12 | casinoreview June 2014

popular.

According to the Korea Tourism Organisation, the number of tourists visiting South Korea from China in 2013 surged by 52.5 year-on-year to 4.3m with Paradise’s new development, which is expected to open in 2017, facing steep competition from new resort casino ventures from the likes of Genting Singapore and Caesars Entertainment Corporation.

Figures from research firm CIMB put South Korean gaming revenues for last year at $2.7bn (E1.9bn), which was slightly higher than those from the Philippines but massively behind Singapore at $6.4b (E4.7bn) and Macau’s $45b (E33bn), while Paradise expects its new Incheon resort to attract 160,000 visitors a day with twothirds of these likely to be Chinese nationals.

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CR140-p14-15-Africa_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 14:57 Page 1

News

Africa & Middle East

LICENCE ACQUISITION

Northern Cape’s third casino under construction A licence awarded seven years ago but never opened has, to the surprise of many, been revivified with LPM and bingo operator Niveus taking a majority holding in the desert resort now under construction.

N SOUTH AFRICA

iveus Investments, hitherto focused on lower-stakes gaming at locations across South Africa, has announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in a casino licence for Kuruman, a small town on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in the Northern Cape province.

In a brief line in his commentary on its full-year results, CEO Andreus van der Veen said: “The Group acquired a 60 per cent interest in the Kuruman casino licence. Construction has commenced and it is anticipated that the casino will be operational in December

14 | casinoreview June 2014

2014.”

The Kuruman licence, the third for the Northern Cape, was the last to be awarded under the revised 2004 Gambling Act, and was handed in 2007 to Leithlo Resort and Entertainment World but never built. Leithlo was a joint venture between BEE companies, Meriting Investments and Calabash.

Although benefiting from a number of tourist attractions, the remoteness of Kuruman and the small size of the town itself (population around 13,000) make it a difficult prospect for any operator. The

opportunity was ignored by the three major operators.

Niveus was spun off from Hosken Consolidated Investments in 2012 in order to focus on ‘alternative’ gaming. The company’s subsidiary Vukani is a major supplier and operator of Limited Payout Machines across eight of South Africa’s provinces.

Another subsidiary, Bingo, operates parlours with electronic gaming in three provinces. A third company in the group KWV owns a chain of alcohol shops.

Hosken is still the controlling shareholder of Niveus, and is also the

largest shareholder in Tsogo Sun Holdings, now the biggest operator of casinos in South Africa.

Van der Veen said: “Consumer spending and disposable income is under significant pressure in South Africa and it has impacted many sectors of the economy negatively.

We are however fortunate that our gaming businesses have not been affected as much as other sectors that are dependent on consumer spending.”

He continued: “We have continued to invest in gaming and committed R186m [E12.7m] to capital expen-

diture during the 2014 financial year. The potential returns remain attractive in this sector and our plans for 2015 are to continue to invest in growth of these businesses.”

Northern Cape is the largest and least populated province in South Africa and is currently home to two casinos, the Desert Palace Hotel & Casino Resort in Upington (population 75,000) and Sun International’s Flamingo Casino in Kimberley, the provincial capital, (population 225,000). Both are around 250km from Kuruman.

CR140-p14-15-Africa_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 14:57 Page 2

SOUTH AFRICA / ZIMBABWE YXYXYXY G2E Asia report 26

G2E ASIA:“THERE IS A REAL SENSE OF ANTICIPATION FOR THE SECOND MACAO GAMING SHOW AND EVERYTHING IT HAS TO OFFER: NEW OPPORTUNITIES, ACCESS TO THE REAL DECISION-MAKERS IN ASIA.” ACQUISITION

ANALYSIS t is a bold move to open a casino in a small town on the edge of a desert, even if it is an interesting stop-off for tourists. Niveus has the experience of operating its bingo venues to fall back on, which involves managing live games with machines, and its executives have casino experience through their connections with Hosken. The company must have acquired the licence at a very good price to be tempted to make the remaining investment: small venues can make a return but generally they need a good footfall. It remains to be seen whether Niveus’s investment can pay off.

Tsogo Sun buys interest in rivals

I

SOUTH AFRICA

outh African hotel and casino operator Tsogo Sun Holdings Limited has spent $203m (E149m) for 40 per cent equity interests in hotelier SunWest International Proprietary and leisure firm Worcester Casino Proprietary.

Tsogo Sun runs over 90 luxury properties in seven African nations including Nigeria and the Seychelles such as Montecasino, the Tuscan-themed hotel, theatre and casino complex near Johannesburg.

The Johannesburg-listed firm stated that the acquisitions, which are being funded from existing cash resources, represent “an attractive investment opportunity” that will provide it with ‘an interest in quality casino assets in an area’ where it currently has limited exposure.

SunWest operates the GrandWest Casino And Entertainment World at Goodwood in

S

Cape Town while also owning the city’s Table Bay Hotel and a 24.8 per cent stake in the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

For its part, Worcester Golden runs the Valley Casino at Breede River Valley in Worcester some 110km northeast of Cape Town.

Tsogo Sun has also released its financial results for the twelve months to the end of March showing a 19 per cent increase year-onyear in overall profit as an ongoing expansion programme helped boost room rates and gaming revenues.

Annual net income for the largest hotel and gaming firm in South Africa climbed by $27.9m (E20.4m) from the previous financial year to $176.5m (E129.5m) with sales improving by nine percent year-on-year to reach just over $1bn (E733.8m).

The company’s net gaming win for the twelve-month period advanced by five percent year-onyear to $631.7m (E463.7m) with room revenues jumping 16 per cent to $204.4m (E150m) and food and drink sales surging 22 per cent to $98.5m (E72.3m).

AFRICA ROUND-UP n South Africa, the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF) held its 10th annual conference last month at the Protea Hotel Ranch Resort (pictured) some 23km southwest of Polokwane, Limpopo.

Delegates from Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Ghana and Swaziland joined representatives from all ten South African gambling boards to discuss a wide range of African gambling regulation issues.

The event also saw Serobi Maja, CEO for the Limpopo Gambling Board, unanimously elected chairman of the trade group for the next twelve months.

Maja also serves as a board member for the Las Vegas-based International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) and a director for the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation and stated that he will work towards instituting healthy, fair and transparent gaming regulations

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POLITICS

Zimbabwe minister criticised for inspection trip The principal tourist attraction in the town, the Eye of Kuruman is the largest natural spring in the southern hemisphere

ZIMBABWE

I

n Zimbabwe, a government official is in trouble after going on a three-day trip partly paid for by a local casino operator in order to inspect gaming equipment in neighbouring South Africa.

Home affairs permanent secretary Melusi Matshiya was accompanied by Heavens Simbarashe Gonga, CEO and secretary for the Zimbabwean Lotteries Gaming Board, on the jaunt, which was co-sponsored by Enterpro Limited and Hotel Redcliff.

Although the trip was reportedly approved Misheck Sibanda (pictured), chief secretary to the president and cabinet, critics pointed to the fact that Enterpro is owned by businessman Max Tshuma, the man behind several casinos in Zimbabwe including the Regency Casino at The Rainbow Towers in Harare and the Maruwati Casino in Marondera. Further muddying the

waters is the issue of Hotel Redcliff being allegedly controlled by the wife of defense minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Auxilia Mnangagwa.

However, Matshiya defended his decision to travel for the inspection by stating that it was important for his department to be familiar with any equipment before it is imported into the country.

“It is just a matter of failure to appreciate the procedure that is taken before gaming equipment is brought into the country,” said Matshiya.

“As a regulating authority, if an operator approaches us and advises that he intends to purchase such equipment, we are duty bound to go and inspect the machine before it is brought into the country. We do so in order to satisfy ourselves that the equipment that the operator intends to use is not likely going to prejudice the players and the operator himself.”

throughout Africa.

Meanwhile, South African online casino at SpringbokCasino.co.za has honoured its commitment to adding as many new mobile slot games to its portfolio as quickly as possible after premiering the new Ocean Oddities title.

The mobile video slot features a collection of strange undersea creatures on its five reels including a shark that barks serving as the wild symbol, a snail riding a seahorse, a king cod, a grumpy lobster, a sinister spiked crustacean and a flying fish with pilot’s goggles.

The website now offers over 350 online casino games with 15 of its most popular slots additionally available via iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy S3/S4, Google Nexus and Samsung Galaxy Tab users.

June 2014 casinoreview

| 15

CR140-p16-18-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 14:59 Page 1

News

North America CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS

During the five years he has been LVS president and COO, Michael Leven has helped the company become the richest and most powerful in the industry. He will not be followed into retirement by his boss, however.

Michael Leven (left), retiring; Sheldon Adelson, not retiring

UNITED STATES

Las Vegas Sands’ Leven to step down at year’s end

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as Vegas Sands has announced that 76-year-old company president and chief operating officer Michael A Leven is to retire from his position when his contract expires at the end of 2014. The veteran executive has held the number two spot at LVS since 2009 following an acrimonious senior management restructuring as the company struggled to balance its rapid expansion and debts amid the developing global financial crisis.

At the same time, the company said that its 80-year-old chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson has “no plans to slow down, step back or relinquish his CEO title and role”.

He told shareholders: “80 is the new 60!”

Responding to news articles that he might offer the CEO title to whoever replaces Leven, Adelson said: “As the supposed Mark Twain quote goes, the rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I am as bullish about this

16 | casinoreview June 2014

company as I’ve ever been, and I have no plans of slowing down or passing the CEO title or job to anyone. We have an taken an important leadership position in the gaming and hospitality industry and I plan on spending year after year building on that success.”

He added: “On behalf of the entire LVS family, I want to convey our deepest appreciation for Mike’s tireless work and dedication during his tenure. Mike started in this role at one of the most challenging times in our company’s history and we appreciate his effort and leadership in helping LVS experience unprecedented success as we’ve grown.”

A board-led committee will now oversee the search for a new president and COO. Leven will remain a board member of both LVS and Sands China after his retirement.

He said: “I’m grateful to Sheldon and his family for allowing me to help him lead the company during such a tremendous period of

growth. I’ve enjoyed working with the finest team in the industry and look forward to continuing to serve the company, it shareholder and it team members from my position on the board of directors. For me, this is truly a storybook ending to a more than 50-year career in the hospitality industry. I wouldn’t want it to end any other way.”

Although it boasts relatively few properties - three in Las Vegas, one in Pennsylvania, four in Macau and one in Singapore - LVS is by far the biggest grossing casino operator in the world. In the first quarter alone, its net profit rose 36 per cent over the previous year. Its Integrated Resort model has appealed to the vast and ever-growing market coming out of China, and the company is well placed to replicate it in more markets, such as Japan and South Korea.

“They represent the most promising and meaningful development opportunities in the world,” Adelson told shareholders.

ANALYSIS hen Sheldon Adelson brought in Mike Leven as company president and COO, it was in the wake of the bitter departure of Bill Weidner, with whom there were strong disagreements about how the company should be run. The company was also racking up enormous debts due to its rapid expansion and the revenues were not flowing in as quickly as they could have. The eventual flotation of Sands China in Hong Kong not only secured the funds needed to continue with growth in Macau but also signalled the first signs of recovery. Leven, with his years of experience in the hotel sector, has been much more measured and calm in the role, helping the relatively small team at the top of the company ride the wave.

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CR140-p16-18-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 13:23 Page 2

YXYXYXY CANADA / UNITED STATES Wynn buoyed 48

WYNN WIN: THIS GROWTH WAS DRIVEN BY A 14.2 PER CENT INCREASE YEAR-ON-YEAR IN REVENUES FROM THE MACAU PROPERTY...DESPITE A DECLINE IN NET REVENUES FROM THE OPERATOR’S TWO LAS VEGAS VENUES.

NORTH AMERICA ROUND-UP

CONSTRUCTION

Massachusetts approves Plainridge construction schedule

UNITED STATES

fter breaking ground in March following approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Penn National Gaming Incorporated has announced that its $225m (E165.4m) Plainridge Park Casino development could open as early as June of next year.

Wyomissing-based Penn National Gaming operates almost 30 venues across the United States and Canada and beat off stiff competi-

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tion from fellow bidders The Cordish Company and Raynham Park to get its proposal for the redevelopment of Plainridge Racecourse approved as the state’s sole slots-only gaming facility.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has now given preliminary consent to an aggressive construction schedule that could see slots installed as early as April with a permit to occupy the new gaming facility then expected by June 15. The timetable calls for the venue’s parking garage to be completed by February with structural steel due to go

up later in the summer and June 26 set as the estimated opening date.

Officials are to receive monthly updates so that they may gauge whether Penn National Gaming is keeping up with its plan. “[The Commission’s] favourable action is an important step toward creating over 1,500 new jobs and hundreds of millions worth of economic investment in the Commonwealth and stopping the flow of Massachusetts dollars from leaving the state,” said Eric Schippers, vicepresident for Penn National Gaming.

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Penn National Gaming estimates that the project, 28 miles (45 kilometres) south of Boston, will create 1,000 temporary construction jobs alongside permanent employment for up to 500.

To run the new facility, Penn National Gaming has selected Lance George to serve as general manager.

The former boss at Argosy Casino Sioux City reports directly to John Finamore, the firm’s regional operations senior vice-president, and will oversee all construction and staffing duties in addition to ongoing standard bred harness racing.

arrah’s Entertainment Corporation has closed its hotel and casino complex in Tunica, Mississippi, with the loss of up to 1,300 jobs.

The venue, which is located along the shores of the Mississippi River, officially shut on June 2 with Harrah’s citing its large overheads along with an overall regional decline, flooding and the global economic recession as reasons.

In Nevada, meanwhile, gaming revenues for April fell by less than one per cent year-on-year to $852m (E625m), although venues on the Las Vegas Strip reported an improvement of almost 3.2 per cent for the month to $463m (E339.6m).

The state-wide figure represented the third time over the first four months of the year that revenues had

ACQUISITION

Caesars offloads Atlantic Club UNITED STATES

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fter acquiring the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel at a bankruptcy auction in January for $15m (E11m), Caesars Entertainment Corporation has agreed to sell the Atlantic City property to a Florida hotelier for an undisclosed sum.

Previously owned by Colony Capital, the Atlantic City Casino Hotel had been intermittently on the market since January of 2011 and

lost more than $7m (E5.1m) over the first nine months of 2013 despite posting an eleven percent increase in gambling revenues.

TJM Properties, which is a privately-held real estate enterprise owned

by Terence McCarthy of St Petersburg, Florida, now plans to re-open the 801-room venue as a non-gambling facility.

This is the firm’s second acquisition of a former Atlantic City casino this year as it also recently purchased the 500-room hotel of the former Clar-

idge Hotel Casino, which was part of Bally’s Atlantic City, for $12.5m (E9.2m).

“TJM is attracted to the Atlantic City market and they believe that non-casino amenities have great value in the future of Atlantic City,” said Sherry Amos from Clearwater-based TJM Properties, which owns eight other properties in Florida and Virginia. “TJM is not planning a casino.

They’re optimistic about the potential growth opportunities in the Atlantic City market.”

been below their 2013 comparisons while baccarat play saved the Las Vegas Strip figure as without it business would have declined by three percent year-on-year.

Also in Nevada, the D Las Vegas Casino Hotel has joined with local firm Robocoin to debut the first Bitcoin automatic teller machine within a casino.

The new machine will allow customers to deposit cash into their Bitcoin wallets and exchange the virtual currency for dollars.

Although Bitcoin cannot yet be used for gaming, the venue does accept the currency at its front desk, gift shop and restaurants.

June 2014 casinoreview

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CR140-p16-18-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 13:26 Page 3

News

North America

Sahara joins Hilton 50

JIM HOLTHOUSER: “CURIO EXPANDS OUR PORTFOLIO TO ELEVEN ... AND CREATES ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE OUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS EVEN BETTER, ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS AND GROW OUR PIPELINE.”

LEGISLATION ONLINE LOTTERY

Canadian province contemplates lifting casino ban CANADA

I

Minnesota governor vetoes anti-online sales legislation

Mark Dayton

A new measure that would have seen Minnesota State Lottery prohibited from selling scratchcards or offering casino-style games via the internet has been vetoed.

UNITED STATES

n Minnesota, first-term governor Mark Dayton has vetoed legislation that would have seen the northern US state ban the sale of scratch tickets over the internet while additionally prohibiting its lottery from offering online casinostyle games.

Officially known as Chapter 303 Senate File 2642, the measure was overwhelmingly passed with bipartisan support by the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate on the final day of the 2014 legislative session but it would not have outlawed all online sales as the lottery would still have been able to continue offering tickets on a subscription basis over the internet for its draw games including Powerball and Mega Millions.

I

The Minnesota State Lottery premiered its first online games in 2010 but immediately drew criticism from lawmakers after taking its scratchcard franchise online. Legislators were upset because they had not been consulted with many fearing that the move would lead to an increase in problem gambling issues.

However, Dayton used his veto letter to assure lawmakers that the operator had taken steps to modernise its operations in response to changes in technology while pointing out that voters had approved the creation of a state-run lottery in 1988 before the legislature created a statute giving it broad powers.

“With all due respect... the authorisation for the lottery stems directly from the people of Minnesota, who instructed the legislature to establish the Minnesota

18 | casinoreview June 2014

State Lottery,” read a statement from Dayton, who was elected governor in 2011 after serving a term as one of the state’s US Senators.

“The statutory language providing for a lottery broadly defines the powers and duties of the Executive Director. Minnesota Statute 349.02 states, in part: ‘In operating the lottery the director shall exercise the following powers and duties: One, adopt rules and game procedures; Two, issue lottery retailer contracts...’. It appears to me that the Executive Director is operating within the scope of his legislativelyestablished authority.”

But, the Democrat governor revealed that he was conflicted over the strong message sent by lawmakers although he feared that the legislation was somewhat motivated by other gambling interests looking to

protect their business.

The Minnesota State Lottery argued that the online games are an important branding tool and a way to market tickets to a younger audience accustomed to doing everything on their tablet computers and mobile phones.

Conversely, this ease of use troubles some in St Paul with Republican Representative Joe Hoppe predicting that legislators will attempt to pass even tougher antilottery measures later in the year.

“In effect, what the governor is saying is it’s okay for his Lottery Director without consent of the legislature to sell lottery tickets anywhere, anyhow in the state of Minnesota,” said Hoppe.

“I don’t think that’s right and I think an overwhelming majority of the legislature agrees with me and this will not stand.”

n Canada, a senior member of the government for the eastern province of Newfoundland And Labrador has revealed that she is open to the idea of legalised casino gaming.

Newfoundland And Labrador is the only Canadian province without a casino but finance minister Charlene Johnson from the ruling Progressive Conservative Party told the CBC that the current prohibition could be overturned following public consultations.

“I think it’s fair to review any proposal that comes in whether it be for a casino or what have you,” said Johnson, who represents the rural Trinity-Bay De Verde district. “I think we have an obligation if somebody puts that level of work and detail into a formal proposal; I think it’s only fair to review that. Our current policy is no casinos but we’d have to give it a fair look.”

However, current Progressive Conservative Party premier Tom Marshall spoke out against the issue in 2010 when he was finance minister while leaders from the opposition Liberal Party and New Democratic Party are also not in favour of lifting the ban.

“No matter what decision we make when we look at things like casinos, I think we have to look at it not just under the potential revenue stream as an example here,” said Dwight Ball, Liberal Party leader.

“There’s always the social lens that we need to consider every time we do this and a casino is certainly something that I would see we would need to take a very hard look at. Right now, I do not support setting up a casino in the province.”

Charlene Johnson

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CR140-p20-21-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:18 Page 1

News

South America

INQUIRY

A major inquiry into alleged embezzlement by three officials working in a state-operated casino on behalf the Uruguayan regulator has re-opened and been expanded to include 40 more people.

URUGUAY

Fraud investigation at stateoperated casino spreads

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shortfall of US$300,000 discovered in the accounts of Casino Mantra in the Hotel Mantra de Punta del Este has led to almost 40 officials and employees of the operator, the state-owned Casinos del Estado, being investigated by the Directorate General of Casinos (DGC) in Uruguay.

The shortfall was discovered in January 2013, half way through the boutique casino’s sole three months of operation over the summer holiday period. The DGC concluded that three of its own employees, officials tasked with monitoring the flow of money, had devised a scheme to divert the money: the three were suspended on half-pay and

20 | casinoreview June 2014

were set to face criminal charges.

There is a significant twist in the tale, however.

The three officials blamed for the shortfall were allowed to return to work as the investigation was not concluded within a sixmonth deadline and the fraud charges were dropped.

The DGC’s director Javier Cha said he very much regretted the delays in investigating the fraud. “For the DGC, this is actually a very clear and a very serious case,” he said. “But what matters most, what concerns us most is that there have been no judicial proceedings in respect of it. The fact that the officials have now reported back to work

ANALYSIS raud is a danger for all casinos, which depend of course on the probity and honesty of their employees - all of them. For a regulator tasked to ensure the probity and honesty of casinos to discover or even suspect corruption within its own ranks is particularly upsetting. In Uruguay, the situation is compounded by the dual nature of Casinos del Estado as both operator and regulator, which inevitably creates a greater risk if dishonest people reach the wrong position. The long-term viability of casinos in modern, just societies is only guaranteed by fair regulation and effective enforcement, and for that regulator and operator need to be separate entities even if the state is both.

F

creates a complex situation.”

Now, almost 18 months later, the case has been reinvigorated and broadened to investigate 40 more employees, whom Cha believes “lacked sufficient diligence or committed procedural errors”, thereby allowing the fraudulent scheme against the state to go ahead.

He told El Pais newspaper: “The administrative investigation showed that the scheme was possible because there were insufficient controls in place.”

Following the massive delay, a criminal judge and a tax judge have just started the first hearings in the original case and the three principal suspects may yet face a trial. The DGC claims that

CR140-p20-21-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:18 Page 2

YXYXYXY JAMAICA / MEXICO / URUGUAY MGS: By Asia for the World 53

MACAO GAMING SHOW: “OFFERING GREAT EXPOSURE TO BOTH ASIA AND THE WORLD, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IMPACTFUL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT THE MACAO GAMING SHOW...”

SOUTH AMERICA ROUND-UP

CORRUPTION

Mexican judges suspended over corruption charges

A

MEXICO

n Mexico, a trio of federal judges in the northern states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas has been suspended pending an investigation into judgments that reportedly favoured local casino owners.

According to a statement from the Federal Judiciary Council, disciplinary cases have been opened into federal judges Eduardo Ochoa Torres and Javier Ruben Lozano Martinez in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas’ Jose Manuel Rodriguez Puerto although the body refused to

I

shock announcement in Argentina has seen The National Lottery warn five bingo halls operating in Buenos Aires that they must pay a total of $16m (E11.7m) in back tax and be prepared to shut when their licences expire in late-December.

The venues together employ 1,500 people directly and indirectly and it was widely assumed that the government would overlook the tax as part of an agreement with The National Lottery boss Roberto Lopez in order to save jobs.

In a joint statement, unions representing workers at the halls said

identify the casinos that may have benefitted from any fraudulent rulings.

This is the largest purge of Mexican federal judges suspected of corruption in recent years and follows 2011’s suspension of Luis Armando Jerezano Trevino from the state of Coahuila over bribery allegations that are still under investigation.

February saw local prosecutors in southern Texas file an action seeking the forfeiture of more than $3.2m (E2.3m) seized from American bank accounts belong-

ing to the under-fire judge over allegations that the funds were the result of money laundering and subornment. Court documents contend that the judge with support from his wife, Claudia Zulema Alanis Trevino, hid his profession from financial authorities in the United States.

The states of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and Coahuila, all of which border Texas, have seen numerous casinos open over recent years in hopes of attracting players and crucial tax revenues from the United States.

LEGISLATION The seasonal Casino Mantra in Punta del Este is the centre of a major fraud investigation

Shake-up for Jamaica gaming legislation JAMAICA

they used their key positions in the treasury and accounting departments of the casino, and their intimate knowledge of the operations to record lower amounts than those actually taken on the gaming floor and pocketed the difference. The DGC says that the employees acquired property and started business ventures that were beyond what their salaries as employees of the DGC could fairly achieve.

The DGC is in an unusual position, being the effective regulator of gambling on behalf of the Uruguayan government as well as the country’s largest casino operator with eight casinos and 24 amusement centres/ electronic casinos.

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amaica’s Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act could soon be amended, requiring all casino employees to be licensed with the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) given authority to penalise any breaches.

The amendments must still be ratified by the country’s senate but would require any machine servicing to be carried out under the supervision of a BGLC officer and necessitate the licensing of on-track and off-track bookmakers as well as all non-Jamaican technical service providers.

“Technical service includes developing, testing, selling, supplying, installing, adapting, configuring, repairing, maintaining, downloading or providing consulting service in

relation to any hardware or software to be used in connection with betting, gaming or lottery activity to be used in the industry,” said Amina Maknoon, legal services director for the BGLC. While the cost for a technical service provider’s licence has yet to be determined, any worker at a casino or bookmakers as well as all terminal operators will be required to pay $45 (E33) each year.

“An important aspect of regulating is ensuring the probity of all persons employed in the industry,” said Maknoon.

“Previously, there was no requirement for these persons to be licensed by the BGLC, but in accordance with international best practices these persons will have to satisfy fit and proper criteria to operate in the industry.”

In order to tap into the the large market for sportsbetting that BGLC research shows is already taking place in Jamaica, Maknoon stated that the new legislation would also see wagers accepted outside of licensed betting offices or gaming lounges such as at lottery outlets.

Finally, the changes could also see regulated online gaming permitted as a tax generating measure also under the control of the BGLC.

members will use ‘all means necessary’ to defend the jobs while urging the government to clarify the situation immediately.

BitCasino.io, the world’s first Bitcoin-only licensed online casino, has grown to amass a player base of some 7,000 users since February while processing wagers totalling in excess of $1.4bn (E1.02bn). The Curacaolicensed domain (pictured) offers traditional and live dealer table games and real-time dice and lottery titles alongside a catalogue of over 150 high-definition video slots and expects gross turnover to rise by over 1,000 per cent in the next six months.

Also in the online world, Intertops.eu is offering players a range of new cash and bonus prizes themed around this month’s 2014 FIFA World Cup taking place around Brazil.

The online casino is committed to handing out $180,000 (E132,000) in total prizes to regular players before July 14 via its Samba Soccer leaderboard promotion with $30,000 (E22,000) in cash up for grabs every week.

June 2014 casinoreview

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Comment & Analysis

EVENTS

‘MGS attracts visitors with real buying power’

“

This year’s Macao Gaming Show is promising to be bigger and better, as organisers the Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association build on the accomplishments achieved in 2013. Jay Chun, chairman of the trade association, looks ahead to this year’s show at the Venetian.

The Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association (MGEMA) was established in June 2012. The association has numerous functions. Our technical committee was created to assist the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) in creating a new standard for slot machines and electronic games.

On behalf of the industry, we are here to help protect the manufacturers’ interests and to discuss with the government what is the best for Macau.

Secondly, MGEMA has an important business development function. We help our members to find business opportunities in casinos - both in Macau and in other regions. Finally, we also organise the Macao Gaming Show (MGS), which started last year and takes place this year at the Venetian Macao on November 18-20.

MGS is a little different from other major casino trade shows, such as ICE Totally Gaming and G2E Las Vegas, because the majority of gaming revenues from Macau are from junkets.

Junkets are the major players in

Macau. They want to show the industry that they are the very well licensed, very transparent, highly regulated and provide the best service. MGEMA has more than 70 members, and MGS is supported by two of Macau’s biggest junket associations, which cover almost 90 per cent of the junkets in the region.

Our relationship with the junkets, and their presence at MGS, means that many casinos send senior representatives to our show. Normally, trade shows are visited by technical representatives who swap ideas and information, but MGS is really a trading platform, as the people walking the show floor have real buying power. It is about making sales, and this is key.”

ABOUT MGEMA reated in 2012, the aim of MGEMA is to create a platform for technical exchange and business marketing for Macau’s gaming equipment sector. The association also seeks to increase the international standing and market share of ‘Made in Macau’ entertainment equipment, to contribute to Macau economically and to increase the diversification of Macau industries. An important role of the association is to work towards the diversification of economic strategies pursued by the government of Macau and to contribute to the development of gaming equipment manufacturing and supporting sectors in the SAR.

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MEDIAWATCH

Local authorities around the world battle for new casinos, while growth may slow in Macau as the local government restrict the easy use of UnionPay cards.

22 | casinoreview June 2014

he battle for the right to build a casino in upstate New York has increased in intensity, as the Albany Business Review reports that the Mohawk Harbor casino project has been approved by Schenectady City Council. The resort would form part of a regeneration project fronted

by David Buicko, president and chief operation officer of the Galesi Group in Rotterdam, New York.

Buicko is planning to redevelop a brownbelt area along the state’s Mohawk River to include apartments, condos, two hotels, retail and a harbour dug out of the river.

Companies vying for the licence to construct a New York casino must receive the endorsement of the area in which they

T

intend to build. Schenectady City, on the banks of the Mohawk River, approved Buicko’s plan by a vote of 5-2. The Albany Business Review notes that billionaire Neil, Bluhm, who chairs Rush Street Gaming, sat alongside Buicko in the front row for the entirety of the three hour council meeting.

Elsewhere, the British coastal town of Blackpool is hoping for a similar windfall.

Lord McNally, Baron of Blackpool, has argued that without the addition of a previously mooted ‘supercasino’ the town’s ailing economy will continue to slide into obscurity.

The Blackpool Gazette quotes a speech Lord McNally gave at the House of Lords: “I worry that, without concerted effort by

CR140-p22-23-Comment_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:25 Page 2

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MGEMA

Jay Chun (left) and Geoff Freeman

MGEMA welcomes AGA to Macau

D

ignitaries from the Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association (MGEMA), led by chairman Jay Chun, recently welcomed Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA) on what was his first ever visit to Macau.

Freeman, who also took the opportunity to visit a number of casino operators during his stay, received a guided tour of the MGEMA offices before being presented with a commemorative plaque by Chun.

Commenting on the visit, Chun said: “It was a great honour to host Mr Freeman and the AGA at our

offices in Macau. He was very interested to learn more about the work of the MGEMA representing companies which are involved in the development and manufacturing of gaming equipment in Macau and raising the international reputation of Macau gaming equipment manufacturers. “I believe that it is very important that our two associations, which represent the biggest regulated casino markets in the world, have an open and progressive dialogue on matters of mutual concern and interest. I look forward to building further on our positive relationship.�

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both local and national government, the town could reach a tipping point which would make regeneration impossible. I still believe that the casino option should be revisited to revitalise the economy and to use Blackpool’s unique brand name to create a multi-activity resort, as has happened with many successful regenerations around the world.�

Meanwhile, in booming Macau, Bloomberg Businessweek reports on a plan by the local government to prevent illegal funds flooding the region. The Macau Monetary Authority has ordered jewellery shops and pawn stores on casino grounds to stop remote terminals that accept China’s UnionPay pay-

ment cards.

There are strict regulations regarding how much money can be taken across the border from China into Macau. These restrictions can be dodged by taking high value items into the region, which are then sold for cash locally. By removing the option of UnionPay on casino grounds, it will become less convenient for gamblers to obtain new funds.

The news has been confirmed by Macau’s largest operator, SJM Holdings, who is quoted in an email to Businessweek as saying: “It has come to our knowledge that individual shops in the casinos have received such notification from the Macau Monetary Authority.�

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June 2014 casinoreview

| 23

Venetian Macao 18-20 November 2014

By Asia

for the world

For more information and to book your place at Asia’s ‘must attend’ gaming exhibition contact enquiry@MacaoGamingShow.com, visit MacaoGamingShow.com or telephone +853 6363 0080 or +852 6329 6008 PRC hotline: +86 180 6387 4408

MGS is back and even better!

Feature rich

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’.

Visit the highly acclaimed Slot Experience Center.

Gain invaluable knowledge at the Macao Gaming Summit.

Promote your brands on MGSTV.

Come and see the entire gaming industry Gaming Equipment & Accessories.

Gaming Promoters & VIP Clubs.

Casino Fixtures & Fittings.

Promotional Services & Memorabilia.

Food & Beverage.

Entertainment & Performance.

MGS means business Exhibiting at MGS makes fantastic business sense.

Reach out to casinos, integrated resorts, regulators and gaming affiliated businesses.

83% of MGS visitors are either decision makers or have direct input to purchasing decisions.

An overwhelming majority (99%) said they would be returning to MGS in 2014.

The best networking in Asia Invaluable 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 qualified buyers from air fares to hotel accommodation, making MGS the key annual meeting hub for casino procurement teams.

Event Organiser

Event Co-Organisers

Event Contractor

CR140-p26-37-G2EAsia_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 14:59 Page 1

Review

G2E Asia

COMMENT

At the leading edge of innovation

T The multitude of new technologies on show at G2E Asia will benefit gaming markets around the world, writes James Walker.

26 | casinoreview June 2014

hat which is in the spotlight is often subject to the most scrutiny - and this is most certainly the case for Macau’s gaming market.

On a seemingly weekly basis, analysts, news agencies and indeed the humble trade press are quick to report the latest stats on Macau. A few percentage points here, a few percentage points there. Exactly when will the market flatten? Just how big will the monster grow?

As Casino Review went to press, Macau recorded its fifth highest monthly gaming revenue ever. In May, revenues reached MOP32.35bn ($4.05bn), up 9.3 per cent from a year earlier. This, however, failed to impress investors, with many of the region’s leading operators’ shares taking a fall.

This news was quickly followed by predictions from some that VIP gaming revenues in the former Portuguese enclave could fall by as much as 10 per cent in June.

And so will this cycle of reaction and prediction continue for as long as Macau remains in the spotlight.

Amid the weekly news reports, data and (often conflicting) analysis, one thing must be kept in mind: Macau is the world’s biggest gambling market. The undisputed king. The Chinese territory reported gambling revenue of MOP360bn ($45bn) for 2013, an increase of almost 20 per cent over the previous year. This makes the gaming market in Macau around seven times bigger than that of Las Vegas.

As Matthew Ossolinski of investment fund Ossolinski Holding stated: “While month-to-month it is difficult to predict specific outcomes, Macau’s continued, longterm growth is well intact, underpinned by a

perfect storm of strong economic fundamentals, strong political support, strong egos and a culture disposed to gaming. The market remains vastly underpenetrated.”

Fifteen years after being transferred back to Chinese hands, Macau bears little resemblance to the sleepy harbour it was before 1999. The subsequent opening of the SAR’s gaming industry to Mainlanders has heralded a new chapter in terms of both the size and scope of land-based gambling facilities - and this evolution is set to continue at a hurried pace for the foreseeable future.

It is no surprise, therefore, to learn that both hardware and software developers with interests in the Macanese and wider Asian gambling market are placing a vast amount of effort on developing the latest

and most compelling games, systems and technologies. As the following pages in our G2E Asia Review reveal, there are a number of key themes, including localised thematic content, which is now widely regarded by many as crucial for success, and leadingedge systems that help maximise revenues, increase efficiencies and bolster security.

These technologies, it must be noted, are not only being developed for the benefit of Macau’s gaming industry. While new innovations in the field of linked terminals and ‘chipless’ casino models are being tried and tested in Macau, operators in other parts of the world - particularly those in the West still struggling in the wake of the economic downturn - would also clearly benefit from their adoption.

CR140-p26-37-G2EAsia_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:00 Page 2

GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL / NOVOMATIC / RYXYXYXY FRANCO

NOVOMATIC

R FRANCO

Austrian Gaming Industries hosted a busy booth throughout G2E Asia 2014, as delegates flocked to see demonstrations of Dominator, Novostar VIP and Panther Roulette.

R Franco ‘exceeds all expectations’ in Macau Max Lindenberg (left), director for marketing for AGI, and David Orrick, director of communications and business development for Novomatic

G2E success for Novomatic subsidiary ith an increasing focus on Asian gaming markets, Novomatic subsidiary Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) - together with local partner Jade Gaming - presented its latest range of quality solutions to delegates from across the region.

At the Macau expo this year, David Orrick, director of communications and business development for Novomatic, told International Casino Review: “Macau is a clear focal point for Asia.” Indeed, the group

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has underlined its commitment to this highgrowth market, with the Dominator taking centre stage on the group’s booth.

The Dominator was presented with a range of Novo Line Interactive multigame mixes, as well as the new Octavian SuperiaGames mixes 1-3.

Another Novomatic booth highlight was the Novo Line Interactive mixes in the Novostar VIP slant top, complete with the luxurious Crown VIP chair with integrated sound system and start button located in the

armrest.

Orrick, along with Max Lindenberg, director for marketing for AGI, were also keen to discuss Panther Roulette - the successor of the already extremely popular Pinball Roulette. Presented in two versions, Panther Roulette comes with a new ‘start’ button on the right hand side of the hand rest for increased player comfort, while Panther Roulette II additionally features a second 32-inch full HD screen in a vertical position on top of the machine.

GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL

GPI remains firmly focused on Asia

A

t G2E Asia 2014, Gaming Partners International (GPI) exhibited its extensive range of casino currency products and RFID solutions, and introduced several new products, including 3-in-1 UV - a security taggant that remains invisible under standard ultraviolet wavelengths.

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he 2014 edition of G2E Asia offered a unique occasion for R Franco’s consolidation in the Asian market.

The exhibition of the company’s wide range of products was welcomed by a large numbers of visitors that this year was “substantially higher” than in 2013, R Franco said.

Among the products presented by the company was their latest Sic Bo game, which stood out on the grounds of its three-drum original design and its advanced and praised graphic features.

Also on the R Franco stand was Bingo Bombo and the new Tombola Roulette with three cabinets. Other highlights included video slots, particularly the Egyptian-themed game, Golden Sphinx.

“Thanks to the involvement and motivation of our partner and distributor, RGB Games, R Franco had a highly relevant participation at G2E, occupying almost one third of its stand,” the group stated. “At present, RGB is proving its commitment towards the products of the company presided over by Jesus Franco.

This will surely result in the deployment of our product, such as Tombola Roulette or the new multi-post terminals, to name but a few of our most prominent proposals.”

The new security feature can be added to plastic injectionmoulded chip materials, making is easy to validate chips with a specialised tool when chips are placed in stacks or racks. In addition, 3-in-1 UV offers three levels of authentication, including a forensic verification that uses Scanning Electron Microscopy.

Las Vegas-based GPI also introduced two new standard plaque designs - Dragon’s Eye and Ribbon - at G2E Asia this year.

These new designs can be further enhanced with several new material patterns and colours, extending their overall visual appeal.

“We made the strategic decision in 2011 to open offices in Macau,” said Kirsten Clark, senior vice president and chief operating officer for GPI. “Since that time we have been adding to our local support, whether this is RFID services, installations, sales support or counterfeit detection. It’s critical that we are here on the ground and that we tailor our development to meet the needs of the Asian market.”

In the immediate wake of this year’s G2E Asia show, GPI announced that it had received a significant order to supply new chips and plaques for an as-yet-unnamed casino in Macau. The order includes nearly 900,000 chips and over 137,000 plaques from the company’s Bourgogne et Grasset and Bud Jones brands totalling just under $6.4m (E4.7m).

June 2014 casinoreview

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CR140-p26-37-G2EAsia_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:00 Page 3

Review

ARISTOCRAT / GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL / JCM GLOBAL

G2E Asia

GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL

Ian Hughes

GLI tests its labs in Macau

Aristocrat showcases content and portfolio breadth at G2E Asia

GLI continues to use global events such as G2E Asia as a platform to meet with both gaming regulators and equipment manufacturers. elebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), the world’s leading gaming testing laboratory and technical consultancy, took its world-class services and award-winning and patented products to G2E Asia.

With full service labs in Macau, China, and in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, GLI company has had a great deal of success across Asia-Pacific region, and its business continues to grow in both established and emerging markets.

“The entire gaming industry regularly comes together at key industry events around the world,” Ian Hughes, vice president of global services for GLI, told International Casino Review.

“G2E Asia provides a great opportunity for us to meet and talk with everybody in one place. From a regulatory perspective, there is obviously a lot happening in Asia. In addition to new and emerging markets such as Japan, there are also other things happening in the Philippines and Taiwan. And then, of

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course, there are changes in Macau’s technical regulations which is what GLI is very much involved with. “I have been coming to Macau for 10 years, and we have a very strong relationship with the region’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ),” Hughes added. “We have been talking with the DICJ and are also helping to ensure manufacturers are aware of the changes that are being put in place.”

GLI’s services include lottery testing, gaming device and systems testing, online gaming systems and security testing, rule writing, consultation and professional services.

At G2E Asia, the group also presented its wide range of exclusive tools, one of which - GLI Link - was created with a keen eye on the Asian marketplace. GLI Link recently earned a US patent and allows device testing against systems from any of GLI’s global locations, saving time and money and speeding time to market.

JCM GLOBAL

Smaller is better for JCM CM Global presented the latest incarnation of its groundbreaking iV8 table game bill validator at G2E Asia 2014.

The iV8 counts currency at eight notes per second, and can instantly increase the

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ARISTOCRAT

number of games played per hour. The unit processes a ‘brick’ of 40 notes in seconds - from presentation to storage.

Discussing the success of G2E Asia 2014, Tom Nieman, JCM’s vice president of global marketing, said: “Clearly, the

second day of the show was the busiest day. Interest was very high in the iV8. We have even had dealers from casinos come to see the products and the benefits it can bring.

“We’ve constantly been improving the iV8 and have reduced the size,” Nieman added. “The very first one was larger, but we wanted to make it as compact as possible – particularly above the table.”

The transaction technologies supplier brought its award-winning iVizion validator, the Transactional Bill Validator (TBV), Vega and Vega-RC Twin and iPro to G2E Asia.

In addition, JCM also showcased a range of exclusive technologies, such as the ICB 3.0 intelligent cash box with ondemand web reporting; the BlueWave firmware upload tool for fast and easy firmware uploads without opening the validator; and the Sentry line of smart bezels that communicate with the player in up to four languages.

JCM has a local office in Macau, fully staffed with sales and support teams that service JCM clients in the region.

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ristocrat’s stand at G2E Asia 2014 featured a range of engaging and entertaining new releases that promise to deliver the outstanding performance Aristocrat games are known for.

Building on famous Asian games such as Fa Fa Fa, 5 Dragons Deluxe and 50 Dragons Deluxe, Aristocrat launched a host of new titles tailored specifically to local markets at the Macau showcase.

These core products include Super Feature and Good Fortune Link. Aristocrat also added to its Legends portfolio with the launch of 5 Dragons Gold and 50 Lions Deluxe. Incorporating new features, enhanced gameplay and graphics, these titles further strengthen the Legends offer and deliver deluxe versions of some of Asia’s most loved games.

In addition, Aristocrat’s increased investment behind the Entertainment, On Demand and Jackpot segments means more choice for players and more flexibility for operators.

The new E-Series range has been developed with game styles and content tailored specially for Asia-Pacific markets, with three product families - Sky Rider, Temple of the Tiger and Storm Queens - taking centre stage on the Aristocrat booth.

“Asia is one of our premier markets,” said Nathan Drane, marketing manager for Aristocrat Technology Asia, “and it’s really important that we stay focused on this market. We will see Cotai expand over the next three to four years, and we are holding our position across Macau.”

Technology that inspires

w w w. j c m g l o b a l . c om

For nearly 60 years, JCM Global has been creating leading and award-winning transaction technologies that have evolved entire industries and inspired businesses to be better, smarter and faster. Now, there is a new generation of technology from JCM to inspire you, including even more advanced bill validation, advanced printing capabilities, real-time controls for the entire operation, and digital displays unlike anything you’ve seen before. A world of inspiring technologies, all from one company.

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Review

CRANE PAYMENT SYSTEMS / DALLMEIER INTERNATIONAL / IGT

G2E Asia

IGT

IGT showcases Asia-specific titles at Cotai Expo Las Vegas gaming giant IGT spotlighted culturally enriched game content and innovative systems at this year’s G2E Asia.

GT presented its global strength and local focus at the G2E Asia 2014. New games on the company’s booth at Coati Expo included San Xing Bao Xi: Lucky Dragon, which features a fire dragon in the base game that reveals random expanded substitutes to increase the number of awards.

The Dragon Fairy game theme, meanwhile, is available as a video and MLD slot with configurable lines to provide customised games to match players’ preferences. Also on display were the stacked symbol fun of Jade Fortune and Harmony Riches.

IGT also presented Lucky Chip at G2E Asia 2014. The group’s award-winning table game jackpot promotion surprises players by increasing carded play, and creates a competitive advantage for casinos through the development of unique promotions and new player attraction.

IGT Table Manager is the first fully auto-

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mated system that maximises accuracy and delivers compelling promotions to table players, while SbX Floor Manager provides operators access to IGT’s expansive game theme library.

In addition to revealing new products at G2E Asia, IGT demonstrated robust systems offerings that highlight unique player engagement and floor optimisation capabilities for casinos in Asia and beyond.

“IGT has utilised extensive market research to formulate game themes that resonate with players in the Asian region, and we’re driving excitement and engagement with regionally attuned art, game concepts and math models,” said Eric Tom, IGT’s executive vice president of global sales. “Our systems provide another area where we excel, enabling dynamic floor management and enhanced player connections like nobody else can. With our strong global footprint and clearly differentiated product offerings, IGT

Eric Tom: ‘IGT is uniquely positioned to win in the growing Asian market’

is uniquely positioned to win in the growing Asian market.”

On the last day of the show, the group unveiled a distribution partnership with Matsui Gaming Machine. Under the terms of the deal, Matsui will distribute IGT’s electronic gaming machines in South Korea.

“We are focused on long-term growth in Asia, and the partnership with Matsui is an

incredible opportunity for us to grow our brand and show our strength in this emerging marketplace,” said Sabby Gill, IGT’s senior vice president of international sales.

“Matsui demands the best-in-class games for its loyal customer base, and we are honoured that they recognised the value of IGT to meet the needs of players in South Korea.”

CRANE PAYMENT INNOVATIONS

DALLMEIER INTERNATIONAL

CPI showcases comprehensive cash management solutions

Next-gen security solutions top Dallmeier agenda

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ash management specialist Crane Payment Innovations (CPI) exhibited its full range of solutions at G2E Asia, as the group demonstrated how OEMs and operators can cover their entire cash handling needs.

MEI’s SC Advance, Easitrax Soft Count and the PPM Advance formed the core of the company’s display, alongside the CashCode SM BackLoad note acceptor and a range of Money Controls coin hoppers. These are some of Crane and MEI’s most successful products, with the SC Advance already boasting an install base of nearly one million units.

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elebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014, Dallmeier took its comprehensive range of CCTV IP video surveillance products and solutions to G2E Asia.

C “The integration of MEI into Crane Company is well underway,” said Edmond Tang (pictured), sales manager for the AsiaPacific region. “It is business as usual for our customers, as the transition period continues. Our payments solutions are installed across 144 countries worldwide.”

The CashCode SM BackLoad note acceptor has the fastest note-to-stack speed in the world, at 1.7 seconds. The machine is designed to support doormounted applications with small footprints, such as bingo, roulette and tabletop sports betting terminals.

“The show this year has been bigger than in 2013,” said Craig Graham, general manager for Dallmeier in Asia. “We’ve spoken to many more people, all of whom are very interested in the gaming analytics that we have developed and continue to develop.

“The display of information in the control room is very important when it comes to being able to rapidly assess the situation and not get mired in white noise. Our latest gaming analytics displays how tables and slots are performing. We are moving toward a truly holistic system, which a lot of people have been talking about.

“From our perspective, we design hardware and software for our own cameras and our own recording solutions. Factors like ergonomics and lighting play a key role. The chairs and the monitor placement need to be right because you don’t want fatigue in your operators - they have to be continually challenged.” Graham added: “Those operating in the gaming sector always want equipment that is aesthetically pleasing - particularly in VIP rooms. We supply a range of ‘designer’ cameras, one of which includes Swarovski crystal studded housing. We are a bespoke company and always sit down with the operators to discuss the ideal systems for them.”

www.patir.de info@patir.de

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Review

G2E Asia

GTECH

GTECH SYSTEMS

GTech Systems expands sales team in Asia

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GTech underlines commitment to Asian gaming market GTech’s first standalone booth at G2E Asia underscores the group’s commitment to this highgrowth region.

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Tech showcased new and awardwinning products from its Spielo Casino Systems solutions and Spielo slot gaming product portfolios at the Venetian Macau during the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia this year.

The group, which had its own booth for the first time in 2014, introduced its JP2go turnkey jackpot solution, which is offered in straightforward standalone packages.

Independent of other systems, JP2go deployment is quick and easy. It offers targeted, revenue-building mystery, progressive and wide-area jackpots to create excitement on the floor and increase machine play for an all-inclusive, permachine price.

Meanwhile, GTech’s Rub4Riches onscreen scratch card product, the newest in the Galaxis Bonusing module, brings the thrill of scratch cards to slot machines and provides operators with a novel, interactive bonusing tool that instantly rewards players at the point of play.

Integrated into the Galaxis Analytics portfolio and supplied in partnership with BIS2, GameViz advanced gaming analytics was demonstrated at G2E Asia. GameViz provides a new way to visualise advanced business intelligence using sophisticated ‘Super Graphics’. It helps operators to understand slot machine performance and customer preferences to identify practical ways to improve revenue and profit.

The full range of the powerful and comprehensive Galaxis Casino System was also put on show at G2E Asia, as well as GTech’s System2go slot management system. System2go combines online accounting and remote monitoring with a complete

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jackpot system in a single package.

“We have continuously increased our presence here in Asia and are very pleased to bring our greatest and most innovative products to G2E Asian and to the market,” said Chiang Lai Fatt, GTech’s general manager for casino systems in Asia. “Just one example of our successful work in Asia is the systems installation at Kangwon Land in South Korea, the country’s biggest and busiest gaming venue. With 200 tables and 1,496 slot machines, it’s the perfect venue to demonstrate the robustness and flexibility of our GALAXIS casino management system.”

In addition to Spielo Casino Systems solutions, innovative and award-winning slot products were also on display. By introducing the three-time award-winning Sphinx 3D and two extremely popular PopCap titles at G2E Asia, GTech reinforced its commitment to the Macau slot market.

“We have started with the licensed games, and next year we will have Asiaspecific titles,” Marcel Heutmekers (pictured), vice president of commercial gaming for GTech.

Sphinx 3D is the first title in the new Spielo True 3D product line, which uses a glasses-free 3D display designed exclusively for Gtechfor the gaming industry by SeeFront. It uses a unique, patented autostereoscopic technology with integrated eye-tracking to make images jump off the screen or stretch into infinity in high resolution.

The Gtech stand also featured two popular titles that casual gamers know and love from PopCap - Plants vs. Zombies Gargantuar and Plants vs. Zombies Backyard Showdown.

ust one day ahead of this year’s G2E Asia, GTech announced it had further increased its presence in the Asian gaming market with the appointment of Michael Lim as casino systems sales manager in the region.

Based in Singapore, Lim has six years of experience in all aspects of the gaming industry in Asia. His past experiences include a position with Weike Singapore, as well as a sales manager role for IGT Asia. He will be taking care of Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan, where his main task will be to develop these new markets and introduce the casino systems product portfolio.

“Over the past 24 months we have continuously increased our presence in Asia and continue to do so with Michael’s appointment,” said Marc Attal, Gtech’s general manager for casino systems. “As our new sales manager in Asia he will focus on developing and maintaining close relationships with our customers.

“Michael will be reporting to Lai Fatt Chiang, Gtech’s general manager for casino systems in Asia. This latest addition to our Asian team clearly demonstrates our commitment to the Asian market and will further help us to understand cultural differences among operators and players.”

Lim graduated from the University of West of England. He speaks fluent English, Mandarin and Hokkien.

Michael Lim (left) with Gtech’s casino systems team

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G TECH / GTECH SYSTEMS / INTELLIGENT GAMING / LT GAME / WMS GAMING

WMS GAMING

WMS is on the Path to Prosperity xhibiting at G2E Asia for the first time since the company was acquired by Scientific Games Corporation last year, WMS Gaming presented a series of localised products designed to set new standards for lasting performance, while offering players unique and dynamic entertainment experiences.

Taking centre stage on the company’s booth was Winning Fortune Progressive.

Known as Yi Lu Fa (Path to Prosperity) in Macau, the game has been created specifically for the Asian market. It offers five levels of progressives, an interactive feature that players to place the top progressive symbol on the wheel before spinning, and

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three base themes: Wishing You Fortune, Far East Fortunes Deluxe and Dragon's Legend, each with unique bonus rounds.

“We have an entire range of locally developed products with Asian game themes and fully localised progressive jackpots,” said Jon Lancaster, executive director of international sales for WMS. “Customer feedback has been extremely encouraging.”

WMS’ Colossal Jackpots series also made its G2E Asia debut this year. Launching with two base themes - each with a unique player experience and 100 lines of high-definition graphics - these games were designed with the Asian progressive player in mind.

LT GAME

E-Baccarat takes centre stage on LT Game booth

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T Game showcased a number of new and existing innovations at this year’s G2E Asia expo, with the manufacturer’s new E-Baccarat table garnering a great deal of attention.

The newly developed E-Baccarat Table sits eight players, with payouts being completed by the system automatically. It reduces dealer error and boosts the efficiency of the game.

“Our new E-Baccarat product is a totally different concept,” Betty Zhao, chief operating officer of LT Game, told International Casino Review at

G2E Asia. “The E-Baccarat table is ticket-in, ticket-out and also includes player monitoring that tracks gaming behaviour. This is all very good for the casino operator.”

In addition, in an effort to overcome the table limit restrictions and increasing labour costs in Macanese casinos, E-Baccarat can also be linked to terminals, which receive a video feed of the live game and allowing many more players to bet at the same time.

Four 10-seat versions of the E-Baccarat tables were recently installed at the 13,000sq.ft Macau Jockey Club.

PLAYTECH

Playtech’s Livo launched at G2E Asia

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xhibiting at G2E Asia for the second time in 2014, Playtech subsidiary Intelligent Gaming launched Livo, its comprehensive table game optimisation solution, at this year’s Macau expo.

“This year we have doubled our stand space,” said Tom Arnold, strategic account manager for the UK based company. “Premo, our on-premise mobile gaming platform that was showcased here last year, now has a new range of content including Baccarat, Sic Bo, Roulette, Slots, Bingo and Virtual Sports. In addition, at this year’s G2E Asia we are also demonstrating our new product called Livo.”

Livo helps operators to capture and analyse live games performance, enabling better decision making on pricing, availability, utilisation and dealer output – driving incremental revenue from table games.

“Automation is maximised with key data captured from

devices such as digital shoes and video analytics,” Arnold added. “Livo monitors the various stages of game play and captures the time taken to perform each game event.

A dealer display informs the dealer of the expected duration of each step and prompts the dealer to change behaviour when the speed of the game is not optimal.”

Livo provides comprehensive analytics encompassing all game data including game type, table minimum, occupancy, dealer and location. These tools help operators to maximise yield by defining a demand model and the most profitable configuration of tables and pricing. Livo processes real-time data and helps managers to constantly react to demand and optimise their revenues.

“Automation is key, and we’re connecting to all manner of devices including video analytics, digital shoes, wheel readers, chipping machines and RFID equipment to

Intelligent Gaming’s strategic account manager, Tom Arnold (left), with Menh Vay Giang, Asia-Pacific regional sales director

deliver accurate real-time data. Where manual entry is required, we have the flexibility to record detailed data during the hand either within the Neon Tables app (iPad or Windows 8) or as a standalone native app on a small dealer unit (iPod, Windows Mobile 8 or Android).”

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Review

G2E Asia

KONAMI GAMING

GAMEACCOUNT NETWORK Steve Walther

GameAccount Network debuts in Macau

F Konami unveils wide range of Asia-specific titles at G2E Asia At G2E Asia 2014, Konami Gaming focused on showing the industry that it is a company ‘Born From Fun’ and built to perform in Asian gaming markets. isitors to Konami Gaming’s booth at G2E Asia 2014 experienced a wide range of innovative technologies and new products designed to demonstrate that Konami games are designed to drive performance on operators’ floors and provide the ultimate player experience.

This year, Konami featured a range of new products, including Brothers of Fortune - the newest member of the Las Vegasbased group’s high performing linked progressive series. Designed specifically for the Asian market, Brothers of Fortune provides a unique themed art style, while boosting entertainment and offering memorable gameplay.

As part of Konami’s UltraReels product series, King of the World features left-right scatter pays and a unique free game bonus feature that allows players to influence their destiny by choosing from a one of three different feature combinations of free games and multipliers. Based on the

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Konami also demonstrated its comprehensive Synkros solution at G2E Asia 2014

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trigger symbols, players can win up to 30 free games or 100x multipliers.

More Gold More Silver is another new game from the UltraReels game series. In the free game bonus, players are put in control when they choose between three different statues. If the statue reveals a gold ingot, all the silver ingots become gold throughout the free games. This symbol transformation gives players the opportunity for big wins. If the ingot revealed silver, players still have the opportunity to win big as all gold ingots become silver for the free games.

Also at G2E Asia 2014, Konami presented two distinct gaming concepts fused into one impressive cabinet. The Rapid Revolver boasts a combination of a video reel primary game experience with six spinning reels, stacked and verticallymounted in an oversized top box and surrounded by synchronized, high-impact sound and lighting.

“We have two Rapid Revolver themes at G2E Macau: The Rising Dragon and Northern Treasure,” said Steve Walther, product management director for Konami’s games division. “The Rapid Revolver cabinet utilises a hybrid technology, with a standard video game five-reel display and a bonus mechanic that is comprised of six cylindrical wheels in the top box. They spin very quickly and reveal additional wilds, jackpot chances and credit awards. They both make for a really nice presentation package.”

Konami’s SeleXion multigame cabinet, meanwhile, allows for instantaneous switching between games, denominations and languages. SeleXion includes a dynamic button panel and a scrolling, multi-game attract mode designed to alert customers to the special functions and variety of game themes available. Each SeleXion cabinet can feature up to 10 games, depending on game size, with up to three denominations per game.

On the systems side, Synkros was on display and continued to garner attention for its award-winning True-Time Tournaments module. This innovative systemdelivered tournament product provides operators with the ability to offer playeron-demand and synchronised start (SynkStart) tournaments via Konami’s proprietary True-Time Windowing technology.

“We have spent the last year deeply listening to our market and our region and we’ve taken that feedback and incorporated certain technologies into our games and some certain themes into our games to really drive Asia-specific titles and experiences,” Walther told International Casino Review.

ollowing a highly successful ICE show in London earlier this year, GameAccount Network debuted at G2E Asia in May. The online gaming group used its first appearance at the Macau show to introduce its enterprise-level B2B gaming software and online gaming content, placing a particular focus on its partnership with Foxwoods Resort Casino, with whom GameAccount launched the first ever simulated gaming online casino experience in the US. “Through our partnership with Foxwoods, players can now go on to the operator’s website and play games for fun on their PC, laptops or mobile device,” said Daniel Lindsay, commercial director of GameAccount. “When you sign up you receive 5,000 credits, and when you have run out of virtual credits you can either wait for a month or you can buy some more. A payment gives you points on your loyalty card, which you can then redeem in-venue.”

At G2E, GameAccount was demonstrating why content is one of the most important aspects of this playfor-fun platform. “Our solution includes the same games Foxwoods have on their gaming floor,” Lindsay said. “So when the player visits the website they will recognise the games they have seen at the resort.”

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AMATIC INDIUSTRIES / CASINO TECHNOLOGY / GAMEACCOUNT NETWORK / KONAMI GAMING / SEGA SAMMY CREATION x

CASINO TECHNOLOGY

AMATIC INDUSTRIES

Seamless synergy from Casino Technology

Double the fun from Amatic

Casino Technology is ramping up its efforts in Asia, with the company presenting a new region-specific title at G2E 2014.

elebrating its 15th anniversary this year, Bulgarian casino product manufacturer exhibited at G2E Asia with a new Asia-specific title, Peacock and Dragon.

Chinese symbols of good luck and prosperity come to life in this game, which includes a Wild on the second, third and fourth reels, different sets of free games with a multiplier and eight Peacock bonuses.

Accoridng to Sonia Nikolova, Casino Technology’s business development director, Peacock and Dragon is fully certified and will be followed with further Asiaspecific titles throughout the year.

“We now have product tailored for Asian markets,” Nikolova said. “The initial response has been very positive. We have four more Asian titles on the way. The second game, Five Blessings, is currently under certification testing, and three more will be released towards the end of the year. The games are linked to the multilevel progressive Jackpot 8, and Peacocks is based on a unique, innovative mathematical concept.”

Both games are to be linked to a multi-

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Sonia Nikolova, Casino Technology’s business development director, and Gus Noble, sales director of distributor IndoPacific Gaming

level progressive jackpot and will support a variety of languages, including Mandarin Chinese.

As the group continues to make inroads to the Asian market, Casino Technology has another custom developed product for the market. Targeting video bingo players, the Bingogator mix, which is housed in the new Gator slant top, includes a selection of several bingo games, includ-

ing Bingo Fast, Bingo Best, King’s Tomb Riches and 90 Ball Bingo, all offered as single titles as well as in a multipack suite.

The company has been exploring the Asian markets for several years, with a number of installations in legal markets in Indochina and the Asia-Pacific region, including Cambodia and the Philippines.

It’s products are distributed in Asia through IndoPacific Gaming.

SEGA SAMMY CREATION

Sega Sammy unveils debut games at Macau expo fter being established in June 2013, Sega Sammy Creation presented a new generation of gaming machines at this year’s G2E Asia expo.

Taking centre stage on the Tokyo-based gaming machine manufacturer’s stand was Sic Bo Bonus Jackpot, which has an original jackpot bonus like no other. Sega also exhibited two giant gaming machines.

“Our strength lies in our ability to provide the highest forms of entertainment possible,” said Hisao Oguchi, CEO of Sega Sammy Creation. “This is made possible by utilising all of our resources, leading bilities cultivated from both Sega and technology and rich experience and sensi- Sammy. We have applied these assets to

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xhibiting at G2E Asia for the second time, Austria’s Amatic Industries took the Grand Jeu Double to Macau in 2014.

The Grand Jeu Double is a complete electronic roulette manufactured of the highest quality. It has two built-in roulette wheels that are housed together in a unique design, offering 10 seating positions. It also includes four large-screen monitors to provide all the necessary statistics. Naturally, the four screens can be used for advertising purposes as well.

This unique electronic roulette is an eye-catcher for larger casinos and can be placed in prominent positions.

“Asia is a very important market for Amatic,” said sales manager, Thomas Engstberger (pictured). “Along with South America, Asia is a key growth market.”

In addition to the Grand Jeu Double, Amatic also showcased its Multi Game solution in the Performer cabinet, which has made a strong name for itself in Europe and is now being brought to Asia.

“We have over 20 years of experience in developing and manufacturing gaming solutions,” Engstberger added.

“Our key to success is the innovation we bring to the market - our customers know they can source products and solutions that will stand out in their operations. Our reputation for quality and machine longevity speaks for itself.”

the development of gaming machines.”

Oguchi added “We will provide products with design that is appealing on the casino floor and optimises the user interface for gameplay. “The entertainment aspect is growing in casinos, and Sega Sammy Creation would like to contribute to this trend. We can do that by increasing the fun aspect of gaming machines, which in turn should increase the number of casino fans and help the industry stabilise and grow.

“It is our hope that casinos will become spaces where people can gather and share in the fun and excitement of gaming machines.”

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Review

G2E Asia

TCS JOHN HUXLEY

TRANSACT TECHNOLOGIES

TCS brings innovation to the gaming floor

TransAct demonstrates proven performance of Epicentral

CS John Huxley has always had a strong presence in Asia, and this continues to increase as the market expands. At G2E Asia 2014, the group showcased its leading edge technology portfolio with a focus on products and solutions that bring innovation to the gaming floor.

“G2E Asia has always been an important show for TCS John Huxley,” said Tracy Cohen (pictured), director of marketing for the London-based company. “We continue to work with operators in the region to develop our products and services for the world’s largest table games market. This development process benefits all regions globally as we know what works in this demanding environment, will almost certainly work anywhere.”

One such product currently being deployed is the Gaming Floor Live solution for Baccarat Gaming Floor Live Baccarat was displayed at G2E Asia for the first time in 2014. This real-time game optimisation tool is designed to maximise key performance areas and profitability.

Casinos now have powerful information at their fingertips that can assess dealer accountability by giving real-time feedback on dealer performance as well as speed of each of the hands being dealt.

In addition, Gaming Floor Live provides pit visibility with table alerting and reporting; increased security providing surveillance views of all tables, alerts and incidents; and complete floor optimisation with back of house reporting for table optimisation. All this is

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available on an open platform that can interface with existing systems, if required.

“As the Asian market continues to expand, we remain focused on investing in our products and our people,” commented Cath Burns, group CEO for TCS John Huxley. “Our strategy to supply products, solutions and support that drive and grow our customers’ business through our enabling technology innovations, are already delivering solutions to operators across the globe.”

Rebecca Kingswell, managing director of the group’s Asia business, added: “We are currently in Partnership with a significant operator to maximise efficiencies on the floor and to improve on dealer speed to increase revenue. By having visibility of enough data and knowledge to refine and optimise processes even a tiny amount, operators are able to save and make more money. Even a fractional optimisation on the scale of Macau table revenues adds up to a significant and positive change to profitability.”

Another key product on display on the TCS John Huxley booth was Sicbo Blaze. This innovative LED gaming surface technology offers stunning game animations projected through an acrylic screen. Blaze brings added excitement to the game, attracting new players by making tables stand out on the gaming floor. For improved game security, all winning bets and game sequences are highlighted.

GAMESMAN

Gamesman has the magic touch

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lobal gaming component manufacturer Gamesman, which was acquired by Esterline Corporation in February 2013, is a long-standing exhibitor at G2E Asia. This year, company representatives Arturo Catano and Martin Rigby were on hand to demonstrate the group’s latest multi-touch touchscreens and numerous other key components.

“We have been exhibiting at G2E Asia since the show began,” Catano said. “It has been improving year after year. We have enjoyed a growing market share in the established markets of Europe and the US. We started coming to G2E Asia to develop our business in Asia, and over the last six years we have managed to grow our presence here.

“We are selling to the largest manu-

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t G2E Asia 2014, TransAct Technologies demonstrated how casinos are benefiting from Epicentral, the USbased group’s promotions and bonusing print system.

Currently installed in over 10,500 gaming machines at 11 casinos worldwide, Epicentral is the industry’s only enterprise-level software system that enables casino operators to deliver realtime targeted promotion and bonusing coupons to both their carded and uncarded players directly at the slot machine or electronic table game.

It connects with all existing slot management systems, slot machines and electronic table games, regardless of manufacturer, which allows casino marketing and operations teams to quickly and easily design and run floor-wide promotions with the touch of a button, eliminating the need for a visit to the gaming machine by a floor attendant for printer and/or device configuration.

“Epicentral is the big story for us,” said TransAct’s executive vice president, Tracy Chernay (pictured). “It has drawn a tremendous amount of excitement because it achieves the results casinos have been asking for.”

Bart Shuldman, chairman and CEO, added: “We are extremely excited to demonstrate for our customers in Asia the ability of Epicentral to drive meaningful improvements in casino performance.

Casino operators that have installed Epicentral continue to report that their casino floor revenues have gone up thanks to the power of our bonusing and printing solution.”

In addition to Epicentral, TransAct also highlight its award-winning line of Epic printers for slot machines, gaming devices and customer self-service kiosks.

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TCS John Huxley’s innovative Gaming Floor Live Baccarat took centre stage on the company’s booth at this year’s G2E Asia.

Gamesman sales manager, Martin Rigby (left) and sales director Arturo Catano

facturers of machines in Singapore, Taiwan and now for the last couple of years in Japan,” Catano added. “We continue to commit more resources in the region, through investing in our own manufacturing facility in China

and working with R&D engineering groups. This has paid back handsomely. We are very satisfied with the progress that both ourselves and our customers have made in Asia over recent years.”

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ABBIATI CASINO EQUIPMENT / ALFASTREET / GAMESMAN / INTERBLOCK / TCS JOHN HUXLEY / TRANSACT TECHNOLOGIES

ABBIATI CASINO EQUIPMENT

Abbiati’s Reda Seiliute

Abbiati presents extensive range of table games equipment

Interblock encouraged by response at Macau show

In addition to its core products, Abbiati Casino Equipment exhibition took the opportunity to feature an RFID-enabled table with Walker Digital Gaming’s Perfect Pay applications at this year’s G2E Asia.

t this year’s G2E Asia, Interblock received “outstanding” feedback from visitors, as the Slovenian company operated from a larger booth that in previous years.

At G2E Asia 2014, the company showcased the premier unveiling in Asia of the Interblock Hologram Gaming Lounge (IBHGL) and other brand new G5 products, including Bubble Generator with keno and Pop’n Poker games; the IB-HG Hologram with baccarat and multihand blackjack game; the award-winning MiniStar Roulette with single zero game and Goal! roulette side bet feature; Wheel Generator; Roulette Generator; Dice Generator; and the IB Multidata Terminal, which presents all IB products, by teaching the players how to play and use our products with video presentations.

“We wanted to show the Macau market that it is still one of the most important regions to our organisation,” said Tom O’Brien, CEO at Interblock USA. “The customer response was outstanding and they believe we are one of the most innovative vendors in the gaming industry today and for years to come.”

Quyen Pham, sales director for the Asia region, added: “G2E Asia 2014 has been a great success for Interblock as a global brand. The opportunity to showcase our latest G5 range of innovative multiplayer gaming machines products at this gateway to Asian gaming has shown tremendous potential.”

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bbiati Casino Equipment presented its latest in table game products and RFID casino applications at the G2E Asia 2014.

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The Italian company showcased a brand new line of chips, plaques and jetons in Macau, including a number of innovative security technologies to prevent casino currency counterfeiting.

“The innovations we presented this year are the results of extensive R&D projects we carried out both internally with our engineers as well as with our partner suppliers,” said Giorgio Abbiati, CEO of Abbiati. “Our company has an increasing Asian focus, and we have been working hard to meet the demanding needs of Asian customers who require reliable and state-of-the-art products.”

The new ranges included an impressive collection of new patterns, design and materials for the plaques as well as the new line of ‘Tie’ chips featuring multiple injections, transparent inserts and a combination of intricate and innovative rim and edge inserts.

All new products are available with security features such as 13.56 MHz RFID, 8-color UV pigments, LaserTracer technology, Optical Variable Ink and high security holograms.

The Abbiati stand also featured Perfect Pay Table Network platform as a table exclusively designed and manufactured for Abbiati’s partner Walker Digital Table Systems. It demonstrated the Italian company’s leading position as a 13.56 MHz RFID technology integrator and supplier.

“We received tremendous interest in this RFID application as well as in our customised high end table” Abbiati said. “Abbiati is

INTERBLOCK

today recognised as a leading supplier of RFID technology and our partnership with Walker Digital Gaming enhances our ability to supply RFID-equipped baccarat tables with various design options.”

Also on the booth was a unique black jack table manufactured with special composite materials. Designed to accommodate the progressive game of another of its partner DEQ, the table featured a unique high-end design with elegant and refined finishing.

“We have been improving our service to the Asian operators through our collaboration with industry veteran Christophe Leparoux and his firm Golden Cathay Consulting, and together with our dedicated team Christophe is playing an important role in the expansion of our company in the region,” concluded Abbiati.

ALFASTREET

Alfastreet presents latest innovations at G2E Asia

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lfastreet attended this year’s G2E Asia show in Macau, where the Slovenian company presented its latest casino products for the region.

The group has been present on the Asian market for many years now, and this year presented its renowned R8 roulette product that has been renewed, upgraded and includes a range of new features.

The SL single terminal, WOF and a brand new terminal, the Wiky, which is recognisable by its futuristic design,

ergonomics large screen, also took centre stage on Alfastreet’s booth.

All of machines were also connected to live and automated games, so visitors were able to test them first hand.

“For Alfastreet, player comfort is one of our priorities,” said the company’s Albert Radman. “Therefore, we have invested a great amount of time in developing products that suit the player’s body.”

Alfastreet’s Jure Jakofcic and Ana Zlender

Tina Ferko, head of European marketing for Interblock

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Supplier

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APPOINTMENT

APPOINTMENT

Haddrill returns to lead Bally Technologies

Isaacs named CEO of Scientific Games

S gaming machine manufacturer Bally Technologies has announced that Richard ‘Dick’ Haddrill has returned as its CEO following the recent departure of Ramesh Srinivasan.

Previously CEO from 2004 to 2012, Haddrill (pictured) has been a member of the Las Vegas-based firm’s board of directors since 2003 and has additionally served as chairman since 2012.

David Robbins, who served as chairman from 1997 to 2010 and also the company’s lead independent director, has taken over from Haddrill as chairman.

“The board would like to thank Ramesh for his many years of service to Bally Technologies and for his leadership in guiding the company through the acquisition and integration of SHFL Entertainment as well as his exemplary execution in developing Bally Technologies’ systems business,” said Robbins.

“Dick’s depth of knowledge about our company and our industry is unparalleled.

As a result of his many years of being Bally Technologies’ CEO, a director and chair-

cientific Games Corporation have appointed Gavin Isaacs as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Taking over from David Kennedy, who will continue to serve as executive vice chairman of the board, Isaacs is a respected executive with more than 15 years of industry leadership experience.

Most recently, he served as chief executive officer of SHFL Entertainment from April 2011 through November 2013 when the company was acquired by Bally Technologies.

Previously, Isaacs served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Bally Technologies from May 2006 through March 2011.

Prior to joining Bally, Isaacs held senior roles at Aristocrat Leisure, including head of global marketing and business development, managing director of Aristocrat’s Londonbased European subsidiary and president of Aristocrat Technologies, Aristocrat’s Las Vegas-based subsidiary focused on North and South America.

“Gavin is a very talented and seasoned gaming industry executive with the necessary skills to lead our Company to the next level of growth and performance,” said Ronald Perelman, chairman of the board of Scientific Games. “He has an impressive track record of success and is recognised for his dynamic leadership.

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man of the board as well as CEO of two other successful public companies, we believe that he is uniquely qualified to lead Bally Technologies through its next era of growth. We are confident that Dick, together with our executive management team, will ensure a seamless transition and execute our strategy of continuing to grow Bally Technologies into the leading provider of technology-based products and services to the global gaming industry.”

In addition, Bally Technologies has announced that Michael Klayko is to take a seat as a class-two member of its board of directors from July 1. The past CEO for networking products and solutions developer and manufacturer Brocade Communications Systems Incorporated from 2005 to 2013, Klayko’s leadership experience also extends to serving as president and CEO for storage-area networks router innovator Rhapsody Networks from 2001 to 2003 alongside senior roles with EMC, Hewlett Packard and IBM.

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“We believe his focus on customer relationships, strategic thinking and expertise in growing innovationfocused businesses make him the ideal choice to lead our efforts to achieve greater profitability and increased cash flow.”

Isaacs commented: “Scientific Games has a skilled worldwide organisation that is focused on improving performance and growth.

In collaboration with the entire Scientific Games team, I look forward to working together as we concentrate on creating and distributing innovative products and services to our customers, completing the integration of WMS Gaming and enhancing stockholder value.”

APPOINTMENT

Gauselmann appoints new COO

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fter more than 20 years in various management positions at Gauselmann, Thomas Niehenke has stepped down as head of the German firm’s international games systems business. He will be succeeded by Ralf Markmann (pictured).

Niehenke, who left in order to fulfil a long-held dream of self-employment, played a leading role in expanding the

38 | casinoreview June 2014

Casino Merkur-Spielothek arcade chain before becoming COO and helping to increase the popularity of Gauselmann’s games systems around the world.

“We thank Mr Niehenke for his dedication to the company,” said Paul Gauselmann, CEO of the Espelkamp-based games manufacturer. “He contributed to the fact that the recognition of our brand, the laughing

Merkur Sun, has increased both nationally and internationally and we are pleased that Mr Niehenke will in future be implementing his experience as advisor on behalf of our company.”

Markmann has taken over as management board spokeperson for Merkur Gaming and is handling the international marketing for all of Gauselmann’s games systems.

“Ever since Mr Niehenke revealed his future aspirations to us, we began searching for an experienced manager for the international arena so as to promote our global business,” said Gauselmann. “We are sure of having gained an experienced specialist and top manager in Ralf Markmann to sustainably promote the further and systematic expansion of the international business.”

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YXYXYXY AMAYA GAMING / BALLY TECHNOLOGIES / GAMEACCOUNT NETWORK / GAUSELMANN GROUP / NOVOMATIC / SCIENTIFIC GAMES SUPPLIER NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

AMAYA LICENCE BALLY CEO APPOINTMENT GAMEACCOUNT DISTRIBUTION GAUSELMANN COO APPOINMENT NOVOMATIC LICENCE DEALS SCIENTIFIC GAMES CEO APPOINTMENT

NOVOMATIC INKS GLOBAL LICENSING DEALS LICENCE

DISTRIBUTION

Amaya extends Novomatic licence

GameAccount Network to distribute Novomatic games across Europe

I Thomas Graf

Novomatic’s status as a premier league integrated gaming firm has been reinforced after inking new licensing deals with

GameAccount Network and Amaya. The agreements will see games from Novomatic’s

Greentube subsidiary available to players in even more jurisdictions around the world.

But the move is equally interesting for the trend towards greater online activity as GAN, amongst others, displays the growing influence of the genre in the gaming arena.

ameAccount Network, leading developer and supplier of enterprise-level B2B gaming software and online gaming content, has concluded an agreement with the Novomatic Group’s iGaming solutions provider Greentube Interactive Entertainment Solutions, to distribute its market leading games to GAN’s operator partners in Europe.

“We are delighted to have been able to conclude this agreement with GameAccount Network and look forward to providing its ever-growing global customer base with our most popular high-performing range of slot content,” said Thomas Graf, chief technology officer at Novomatic.

For its part, GameAccount Network utilises a “content agnostic” and open invitation platform that enables operators to deliver ‘enhanced levels of player choice and variety’, which lie at the heart of its commitment to providing the industry with the largest possible portfolio of slots.

“Novomatic is one of the giants of the gaming industry, renowned for its track record in producing many of the most enduringly

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popular international slot games, and is a trendsetter in the research and development of creative and innovative gaming equipment for regulated markets,” said Dermot Smurfit, CEO of GameAccount Network.

“Novomatic is a hugely important addition to our portfolio and it is an honour to be able to work alongside an organisation widely regarded as a pioneer in the international gaming industry.”

GAN’s agreement with the €3.2bn turnover organisation, one of the largest integrated conglomerates of the international gaming industry, follows similar agreements struck with other world class land based gaming brands such as IGT, Bally, Aristocrat and SG Gaming.

• Other news featuring Novomatic includes the decision of the the Illinois Gaming Board to approve the Austrian firm’s Novomatic Americas subsidiary as a licensed supplier for the riverboat casino and video gaming terminals sectors. The endorsement represents a major forward step in the firm’s entry into key markets in the United States and has been warmly welcomed by the Florida subordinate.

n a busy month for Austrian-based giant Novomatic, a similar licence agreement has been renewedwith Amaya that will see 28 titles from Greentube continue to be made available to regulated jurisdictions around the world. The two-year deal extends a long-standing partnership that dates back to 2009 and is expected to reinforce both companies’ position in the marketplace.

“We are delighted to continue our relationship with Amaya and look forward to offering our popular and high-performance land-based slots to Amaya’s growing base of industry-leading customers,” said Novomatic chief Thomas Graf.

Under the terms of the agreement, Amaya will additionally add six fresh titles from Novomatic to its client base.

sales@hk1180.com

www.ltgame.com

June 2014 casinoreview

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DALLMEIER SECURITY / EURO GAMES TECHNOLOGY / KONAMI GAMING SUPPLIER NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

DALLMEIER NEW SHOWROOOM EURO GAMES SAGSE SUCCESS KONAMI STUDENT PATENTED GAME

EXHIBITION

DEVELOPMENT

EGT triumphs after successful SAGSE

UNLV student sells idea to Konami

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Euro Games Technology rounded off its recent Panama appearance by signing contracts with casinos in Suriname and Belize. ulgarian gaming machine developer and manufacturer Euro Games Technology (EGT) was at the SAGSE exhibition in Panama City, Panama, in May for the first time to showcase its complete range of products.

The trade show inside the El Panama Hotel saw EGT exhibit its Premier Upright P-24/24 Up cabinet for the first time in Latin America complete with the Premier Multi 4 45-game package that included keno alongside card and roulette titles.

The Sofia-based company also demonstrated its Stork multiplayer terminal complete with an automatic roulette wheel and stated that visitors enjoyed having a go at roulette and blackjack using the same unit thanks to one of its latest multi-game software

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innovations.

Last but not least, EGT showcased its new category-four Cash Jackpot System using one of its Premier P-24/32V cabinets. This innovation offers a multi-game experience utilising unique mathematics alongside a special selection of titles.

“We have had a successful and productive presentation,” said Nadia Popova, director for EGT Panama. “SAGSE Panama is not one of the largest scale exhibitions but it gives local companies and branches the perfect opportunity to showcase their new products and to meet new and existing contacts. EGT took advantage of this opportunity and we will be glad to announce a lot of key agreements in a very short time.

“The debuts on the local market of the category-four Cash Jackpot

tor Princess Group International for use in its venues in Belize and Suriname.

The Vega-R8 offers eight player stations while each unit comes complete with a 22-inch touchscreen monitor and these units will now take pride of place at Pricess Casinos in Belize City, Belize, and Paramaribo, Suriname.

“EGT has already achieved a lot in a very short time in the Caribbean region and Central America,” said Popova.

System and Stork multi-player ter“We are among the top gaming minal were extremely successful facility providers in the area and and made these products some of the main provider for Princess’ the main attractions at the show.” casinos. I am certain that the qualIn other company news, EGT ity of our products is what has also announced that its Vega-R8 made them a favourite for players electronic roulette tables have and operators and EGT intends to been selected by Central Ameri- keep and even exceed these excelcan and Caribbean casino opera- lent outcomes in the future.”

SECURITY

Dallmeier opens southern showroom ideo surveillance products and solutions firm Dallmeier can now provide customers and partners in southern Germany with an on-site showroom following the opening of its Showroom South in Munich.

Located inside the headquarters of video surveillance provider IPPI, the new display area was officially inaugurated last month and follows the unveiling of a similar Dallmeier solutions centre inside Johanns Systemhaus in Bitburg.

The new showroom offers existing and potential customers the ability to experience for them-

V

40 | casinoreview June 2014

selves the user friendliness and open system capabilities offered

by Dallmeier’s video management solutions. One special highlight on display is Panomera multi-focal

to thorough consulting and professional service,” said Dieter Dallmeier, CEO for Regensburgbased Dallmeier. “Here, the customer receives everything from a single source, from planning all the way through to implementation.

This is why IPPI is also an ideal partner for us.

“With our recently opened solution centre in Bitburg, we intend to reach potential customers in the sensor technology, which west and northwest of Germany.

Dallmeier stated represents “an Now we wanted to offer our cusideal solution” for both the com- tomers in the south of Germany a mercial and industrial sectors. fully equipped showroom that they “IPPI attaches great importance could visit more easily.”

he first casino game patented by a student-inventor as part of an innovative new University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) gaming course was sold last month to industry leader Konami Gaming.

UNLV Harrah Hotel College student Hien Nguyen developed the game last year during the first semester of the Dr Mark Yoseloff Gaming Innovation Programme. Nguyen’s creation is Domino Dragon, a Chinese domino video wagering game that includes a new method for determining slot machine winning outcomes using elements of Pai Gow tiles.

“Konami Corporation has a longstanding philanthropic relationship with UNLV, and it is exciting to witness the university encouraging its students to hone their talents and market their ideas to the gaming industry,” said Tom Jingoli, chief compliance officer and senior vice president at Konami Gaming.

“In this case, Konami’s interests were purely commercial and we are optimistic about the financial partnership we have forged around this innovative gaming concept.”

Yoseloff, a gaming innovator and former CEO of SHFL Entertainment, teaches the course each year and connects students with established gaming leaders who serve as guest lecturers and mentors.

Classes focus on gaming commercialisation concepts and technology, the patent process and successful business strategies. Eleven more games developed by students are currently in the patent process and could be sold to gaming companies.

TRANSFORM

TRENDS INTO

TARGETED GROWTH Get the complete com m p l e t e over overview at G2E

NETWORKING, EDUCATION AND BUSINESS INSIGHT.

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ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES / ESTERLINE CORPORATION / JCM GLOBAL

News

SUPPLIER NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

ARISTOCRAT SYSTEMS SIGN UP ESTERLINE HAL YEAR ACCOUNTS JCM GLOBAL TRAINING SESSIONS

TRANSACTION TECHNOLOGY

JCM commits to spreading globally This month will see global transaction technologies supplier JCM Global host a training session in Peru before exhibiting at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Vancouver. lobal transaction technologies supplier JCM Global is set to further demonstrate its dedication to the Latin American gaming industry by hosting an in-depth training session for operators on the final day of the Peru Gaming Show.

Scheduled to take place at the at the Jockey Exhibition Center in Lima on June 12, the session will see a team of engineering specialists from JCM give operators an inside view of its UBA and iVizion bill validators as well as the PayCheck 4 thermal printer so that they may better understand the products’ technical functionalities.

“This free training is one more

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example of JCM’s dedication to the industry in this region where for more than ten years we have worked closely with Latin American operators to safeguard their operations against counterfeiters and other cash cheats,” said Eduardo Rozen, Latin America sales manager for JCM. “Our technology helps operators make their operations more secure and more profitable and this training is an essential part of that process.”

Following the training session, JCM will be off to Vancouver, British Columbia, to participate in the Canadian Gaming Summit and show off its solutions for the local gaming

industries including lotteries and land-based casinos.

The Canadian Gaming Summit will take place from June 24 to 25 inside the Vancouver Convention Center and JCM will be showcasing its iVizion and new iPro bill validators in addition to the PayCheck 4 thermal printer. Visitors will also be able to check out the ICB 3.0 intelligent cashbox with on-demand web reporting alongside a wide range of digital display solutions encompassing panels, media systems hardware, publication software and content development.

“JCM has been very fortunate to have enjoyed long-term success across Canada,” said Mark

Henderson, global sales vice president for JCM. “We have developed awardwinning transaction equipment that is second to none and operators across the country have embraced our solutions. Now we are excited to bring our latest products and solutions to the Canadian Gaming Summit.”

Further showing its determination to growing globally, JCM has also welcomed two new sales representatives to its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales and service team.

Jim Foster has joined JCM as a sales manager and will oversee the firm’s gaming and commercial accounts in the UK, The

Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg in addition to all Nordic territories. He most recently served as a sales manager for Northern and Eastern Europe at Money Controls/Crane.

Also joining the JCM EMEA team is Alan Lee, who will serve as the company’s commercial sales manager for Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Fluent in English, German, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien, he has more than 15 years of business sales experience with cash handling devices in countries around the world and was until recently serving as business development manager for MEI.

SYSTEMS

FINANCIALS

Mono Wind Casino signs up for Aristocrat’s Oasis 360

Improved results for Esterline

he Mono Wind Casino in California is to utilise Aristocrat’s casino management system in tandem with nCompass LTE player interface to bring dynamic and interactive content to its players.

Land-based and online gaming technology supplier Aristocrat Technologies has installed its Oasis 360 casino management system complete featuring robust and open architecture at the Mono Wind Casino in Auberry, California.

In addition, Aristocrat has also equipped all of the devices in the casino with its nCompass LTE player interface, which will allow

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the Californian venue to differentiate itself through the use of dynamic and interactive content. Utilising the Oasis 360 system, this innovation will see Mono Wind promote products, services and promotional awards in a more targeted manner based on a configured schedule and a variety of defined triggers.

“We are excited to welcome Mono Wind Casino to the growing list of Oasis 360 partners,” Said Kelly Shaw, system sales vice president for Aristocrat.

“Like our other partners, Mono Wind will benefit from Oasis 360’s open platform and strong third-party integration. The open plat-

42 | casinoreview June 2014

form allows Mono Wind to have the freedom of choice, ensuring the best solutions are in play.”

Aristocrat’s Oasis 360 is the most widely used casino management system in North America with its portfolio continuing to grow as a result of its Partner Network and ease of integration.

“We like to say Mono Wind Casino is the friendliest little casino in California [and we] needed a casino management system that was powerful and flexible enough for us to fulfill on our reward and engagement promises,” said Kerry Smith, general manager for Mono Wind Casino.

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pecialty aerospace, defense and industrial markets manufacturer Esterline Corporation has released its second-quarter and half-year unaudited financial results showing increases in earnings, sales and assets.

Bellevue-based Esterline develops advanced avionics and control systems for companied including Boeing and last year acquired gaming equipment components and systems manufacturer Gamesman Limited via its Interface Technologies business platform.

For the three months to May 2, Esterline posted a 4.8 per cent increase year-on-year in net earnings to $37.5m (E27.5m) while the figure since November rose almost 10 per cent to $67.7m (E49.6m). Adjusted earnings from continuing operations for the firm’s

second quarter hit $41.5m (E30.4m) while the half-year figure topped $76.4m (E56m).

The Washington-based firm revealed net sales for its second quarter of $529.5m (E388.4m), which represented a boost of six per cent year-on-year, while this figure was up by eight percent for the six-month period to $1.03b (E755.6m).

Esterline declared that new orders during its second quarter increased by 13.6 percent year-on-year to $561.2m (E411.6m) with the half-year result topping $1.06bn (E777.4m) compared to $970m (E711.4m) for the corresponding previous period.

The US company operates multiple facilities in Europe, North America and China reported assets of $1.13bn (E828.9m) as of May 2 compared with $1.02bn (E748.2m) on April 26 of 2013.

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CR140-p44-B2BListings_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:42 Page 1

Listings

AWARDS / CITY / GAME DEVELOPERS / MULTI-GAMES / SLOTS / TESTING

Business2Business

AWARDS

SLOTS

GTech’s Burda wins gaming award

GameAccount Network’s slot portfolio tops 200

LISTINGS

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ubravka Burda, GTech’s director of global game development, has won the Leader of the Year Award for the land-based gaming sector at the 5th Annual Women in Gaming Awards.

The title was awarded to Burda during the awards gala at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London on Friday, June 6, 2014.

The Leader of the Year category identifies a woman working in the land-based gaming industry who has proven the ability to lead in a positive environment and has

helped to inspire and guide her team to internal or external success.

“Dubravka’s leadership and commitment to excellence directly influences GTech’s strong game development pipeline, which consistently provides our customers with compelling and high-performing game content,” said Victor Duarte, GTech’s senior vice president of gaming and content, and senior vice president of the group’s North American commercial gaming division.

GAME DEVELOPERS SG Gaming unveils new titles

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cientific Games Corporation subsidiary SG Gaming has launched the new Road Hog slot alongside the Zeus II slot theme.

Previewed at the recent ICE Totally Gaming 2014 show in London, both began being deployed to customers in the licensed betting office, arcade and bingo sectors in late-February with this roll-out expected to be complete over the next few months.

Road Hog was developed by SG Gaming’s in-house content development team while Zeus II is the first title from WMS Gaming to be made available to customers of the Scientific Games subordinate.

MULTIGAMES Casino Technology hails Columbian success

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ulgarian gaming machine developer Casino Technology used the recent FADJA exhibition in Bogota, Colombia, to showcase its MultiSkin and Highway ver-

44 | casinoreview June 2014

ameAccount Network plc, leading developer and supplier of enterprise-level B2B gaming software and online gaming content, has confirmed that it is now providing operators with a choice of over 200 different slots from the world’s leading games creators including IGT, Bally, SHFL, Ainsworth, Aristocrat, Incredible Technologies, Konami, MultiMedia Games, Gamomat, Reel Time Gaming, NetEnt, Slot Symphony, High Flyer Games, Barcrest/SG Gaming and most recently, Novomatic, underscoring the gaming maxim ‘Content is King’.

Daniel Lindsay, commercial director at GAN, said: “In a commitment to exceed the expectations of our customers we have developed a portfolio of slots which no other provider can surpass for either breadth or depth. The standout features of the GameAccount Network slot portfolio relate to the use of an open invitation platform and its content agnostic status. What this means in practice is that anyone can integrate the system, an operational feature which delivers complete and total flexibility to the customer, in the process enhancing player choice and variety.”

He added: “For land based operators looking to diversify and profit online, GAN can effectively ‘lift’ their entire land based slot floor and place it into the online space. Content is King, and in this respect, by supplying the games that people love to play, GAN is driving success for it’s operating partners.”

sions of its Gamopolis multigame series offering 25 and 40 individual titles respectively in the Sensa Plus cabinet.

“Both multi-game series show lasting results in many locations in Latin America and all over the world due to the large number of games [at an operator’s] disposal and convenient menus for games selection and sorting,” read a statement from Sofiabased Casino Technology.

TESTING BMM announce open platform partnership

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ndependent gaming certification lab, BMM Testlabs, has announced a collaboration with Gaming Informatics that will see two companies develop and implement a new open standard. Known as GD-API, it becomes the first open standard to enable electronic exchange of gaming-related certification information between any two organisations.

“BMM is the first major organisation to roll out a web service using the GD-API, making our certification data downloadable by any client software that also imple-

ments the GD-API,” said said Travis Foley (pictured), EVP operations for BMM Americas. “The use of an open standard will ensure ultimate flexibility for regulators, operators and manufacturers.”

CITY AGEM Index slides for third consecutive month

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he AGEM index for the month of May provided tough reading for members of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers. For the third consecutive month, the index reported a month-to-month decline, with 16 companies enduring stock price falls through the previous month, while both IGT and INLOT posted flat results.

Numerically, the index fell 2.56 points to reach a composite figure of 178.92, amounting to a decrease of 1.4 percent when compared with April. These results mean that AGEM has reported a contraction during four of the first five months of 2014.

Marcus Prater, Executive Director +1 702 812 6932 • agem.org@cox.net agem.org@cox.net AGEM.org www.agem.org Tracy Cohen, Director of Europe + 44 (0) 7970 833 543 • tracy.cohen@agem-europe.com tracy.cohen@agem-europe.com connie.jones@agem.org Connie Jones, Director of Responsible Gaming +1 702 528 4374 • connie.jones@agem.org ©2014 Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). Membership list current as of June 2014.

WHY INTERNATIONAL CASINO REVIEW IS THE INDUSTRY’S MEDIA PARTNER OF CHOICE! B

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THE BEST WAY TO REACH OPERATORS A

C

Operators

Regulators/Government/Law

84.2%

2%

Global Circulation

Readership breakdown by sector

16,844

B

13.8% Suppliers

A READERSHIP OF INFLUENCERS AND DECISION MAKERS A

C

C-Levels (chairman, president, CEO, partners)

Senior management (Operational managers, sales/ marketing/PR managers…)

30.1%

C

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A

20.4%

B

D

Managing directors/ general managers

Others (senior game designers, financial directors…)

46.6%

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USA/CANADA/CARIBBEAN

2,004 11.9%

Readership breakdown by job title

2.9% B

C

D

A

INCREASING CROSS CHANNEL READERSHIP A

C

Land based casino

2.5% Lottery

B

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Slot halls/Street gaming

Online/Mobile

62.9% Readership breakdown by type of gaming

PRINT 4,061

16%

18.6%

When the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara wanted to launch it’s gambling tourism vision for the Black Sea resort of Batumi, it immediately turned to Casino Review appointing it as the exclusive media partner. The integrated above and below the line campaign run only through Casino Review exceeded expectations and resulted in 120 investors from 25 countries traveling to Batumi The EXCLUSIVE European media partner for the Association of Gamto do business. ing Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) and the Official Publication of If you want more information on how International Casino Review the European Casino Association (ECA), the magazine is also used can work with you to help achieve your commercial objectives simby Reed Exhibitions to promote G2E Las Vegas and G2E Macau; ply contact Publisher John Sullivan at jsullivan@gbmedia.eu Monografie S.A to promote SAGSE Buenos Aires and by Clarion Events in support of its flagship London event, ICE Totally Gaming and EiG, Barcelona.

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

On average, each print copy of International Casino Review is read by

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GLOBAL COVERAGE

readers

WESTERN EUROPE

10,072 59.8%

CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

1,769 10.5% ASIA PACIFIC

1,465 8.7% MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA

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CIRCULATION BREAKDOWN DIGITAL 12,783

CR140-p48-50-Business_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:05 Page 1

Business

& City News

WYNN RESORTS

Wynn Resorts buoyed

by Macau performance

Wynn Resorts saw firstquarter revenues rise by 14.2 per cent in China, while business in Las Vegas dropped off by 1.5 per cent.

H

otel and casino operator Wynn Resorts has released its financial results for the first three months of the year showing a 9.7 per cent increase year-on-year in net revenues to $1.51bn (E1.11bn) helped by the performance of its venues in Macau.

The Las Vegas-based firm reported first-quarter adjusted property earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $494.6m (E362.6m), which also represented a rise of 9.7 per cent year-on-year, while net income improved by 11.7 per cent to $226.9m (E166.3m).

Wynn Resorts, which

48 | casinoreview June 2014

also recently announced the appointment of Steve Cootey as its new CFO, stated that adjusted net income for the first quarter came in at $236.7m (E173.5m), a swell of over 15 per cent when compared with the same period in 2013.

This growth was driven by a 14.2 per cent increase year-on-year in revenues from the operator’s Macau property, the Wynn Macau Resort, with first-quarter net revenues there reaching $1.13bn (E830.3m) despite a 1.5 per cent decline in net revenues from the operator’s two Las Vegas venues.

First-quarter adjusted

property earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation from Macau grew by 16.2 per cent year-on-year to reach a record $384.3m (E281.7m) while VIP table games reported turnover of $36b ($26.3b), which was a 26.7 per cent rise. Turnover for mass market table games similarly increased by 23.7 percent to hit $300.7m (E220.4m) with the slot machine handle of $1.4bn(E1.02bn) representing a 25.3 per cent boost when compared with the same three-month period last year.

Wynn Resorts declared that the average daily rate of

$338 (E247.78) in Macau during the first quarter represented a 7.3 per cent increase year-on-year while occupancy at the Wynn Macau Resort for the threemonth period grew by 4.3 per cent to 98.1 per cent.

The US firm is currently constructing the $4bn (E2.9bn) Wynn Palace venue in Macau, is to be a fully integrated resort containing a 1,700-room hotel, casino, spa and retail offerings alongside food and beverage outlets, and additionally revealed that it expects the new addition to open during first half of 2016. It spent $163.1m (E119.5m) on the project

during the first quarter to take its total investment so far to $866.7m (E635.3m).

Finally, Wynn Resorts has also joined with fellow operator MGM Resorts International in petitioning the Massachusetts State Legislature to alter its 2011 expanded gaming laws. The legislation, which could still be repealed subject to a state-wide ballot, will see Wynn or rival Mohegan Sun granted permission to open a new casino just north of Boston as soon as August while MGM Resorts is in the lead for a $800m (E586.4m) Springfield development.

However, the pair want a provision requiring the

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NOVOMATIC GROUP OF COMPANIES / RANK GROUP / WYNN RESORTS YXYXYXY BUSINESS NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

NOVOMATIC

Novomatic posts record revenues urope’s largest integrated gaming firm, Novomatic, has released its financial results for the 2013 business year showing that a 9.6 per cent year-on-year rise in turnover saw it record a record $2.296bn (E1.684bn) in revenues.

The Austrian firm posted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for the 12-month period of $655m (E480.2m), which represented a fall of 8.3 per cent year-on-year, while it increased its total workforce by 15.6 per cent to 16,022.

Novomatic remains one of the world’s largest exporters of gaming technology and entertainment expertise and stated that it made “financial provisions” over the course of the 12

E

months in order to “secure a sustained and stable market position in core markets such as Italy and Germany” for the coming years. These, along with what it called an

The annual accumulated non-consolidated turnover of Novomatic Group, which consists of Novomatic as well as Swiss sister companies Ace Casino Holding and Gryphon Invest and employs over 20,000 people around the world, also rose, this time by 9.2 per cent year-onyear to reach a new high of $4.81bn (E3.52bn).

“Our dual business strategy has once again proved to be a formula for success,” said Franz Wohlfahrt, CEO of the firm. “It secures the sustained viability of our group headquarters and technology competency hub “economically still challeng- in Austria. Additionally, we ing climate” and other earn- have shown that the longings exemptions, saw its term protection of jobs annual net income slip by remains more important to over 71 per cent year-on-year us than the maximisation of to $75.1m (E55.1m). profits.”

RANK GROUP

FY revenues up for Rank Group

B quarterly reporting of all casino ‘comps’ repealed alongside another that would compel them to check any win over $600 (E440) for outstanding tax liability or child support arrears.

In response, the fivemember Massachusetts Gaming Commission has recommended that the existing regulations be changed to require licensees to simply maintain ‘comp’ records for future consultation while delaying the implementation of the second contentious issue until the state has “an online, realtime system” that operators can consult.

ritish gambling and entertainment firm Rank Group has released an interim statement regarding its financial performance since July showing that it experienced a 17 per cent rise year-on-year in total revenues.

The Maidenhead-based firm revealed that total revenues since January 1 had risen by 19 per cent although it saw a one per cent drop in like-for-like revenues for the period, with like-for-like results since July down by four per cent due to a “challenging and highly competitive trading environment”.

Rank operates 37 Grosvenor Casinos venues in the UK and Belgium, along with 109 Mecca

Bingo and Top Rank Espana bingo clubs in Spain and the UK. It also has the Rank Interactive online gaming

and betting division and, since 2011, the Spainfocused enRacha interactive gaming business.

For its Grosvenor Casinos business, Rank saw like-for-like brand revenues grow by two per cent year-on-year since the start of the year while total revenues swelled by 45 percent. Since July, likefor-like revenues fell by four per cent although overall revenues enlarged by 39 percent.

“I am pleased to report that since [the first half], the group’s performance has shown an improvement in both total and likefor-like revenues,” said Rank CEO, Henry Birch (pictured). “The investment in our Grosvenor Casinos venues and our continuing focus on providing value for money in our Mecca venues are helping deliver this improvement.”

June 2014 casinoreview

| 49

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Business

ARISTOCRAT LEISURE / GALAXY ENTERTAINMENT / SLS LAS VEGAS

& City News

BUSINESS NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

GALAXY ENTERTAINMENT

SLS LAS VEGAS

Galaxy Entertainment reports record Q1 results The former Sahara Hotel And Casino will be 10th member of Hilton Worldwide brand when it opens in the autumn.

SLS joins Curio familya he new SLS Las Vegas Hotel Casino in Las Vegas will open its doors in August as the latest member of the Curio chain of independently operated hotels from Hilton Worldwide.

Previously known as the Sahara Hotel And Casino and currently undergoing a $415m (E304.2m) renovation, SLS will join venues including The Sam Houston

T

Hotel in Houston, Texas, Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, South Dakota, The Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and a soon-to-be named development in downtown Portland, Oregon in the Curio chain and will participate in the Hilton HHonors programme allowing members to use and earn points.

Owned by SBE Entertain-

ment Group and Stockbridge Real Estate, SLS will offer 1,620 rooms and suites when it opens in the autumn in addition to a casino floor covering some 85,000 square feet of space, four nightclubs and branches of the Los Angeles-based Fred Segal clothing store. The 55acre site will be the northernmost stop on the Las Vegas Monorail and is additionally set to house restau-

rants including The Bazaar from chef Jose Andres and a Umami Burger franchise.

“Curio expands our portfolio to a total of eleven exceptional brands and creates additional opportunities to serve our existing customers even better, attract new customers and grow our pipeline,” said Jim Holthouser, global brands executive vice president for Hilton Worldwide.

G

alaxy Entertainment Group has posted record first-quarter revenues and earnings thanks to double-digit growth from its Galaxy Macau and StarWorld Macau properties.

The Hong Kong-listed operator saw overall revenues for the first three months of 2014 rise by 33 per cent year-on-year to $20.2bn (E14.8bn) while adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for the period improved 38 per cent to stand at $3.8bn (E2.7bn).

The Galaxy Macau property on the Cotai Strip reported a 44 percent year-on-year boost in adjusted earnings before interest, tax, deprecia-

ARISTOCRAT LEISURE

Earnings up for Aristocrat aming machi n e manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure saw its net profits for the six months to the end of

market share growth in the United States and foreign exchange and tax benefits.

The Sydney-based firm will soon have its Heart of Vegas suite of Facebook games ready for play on smartphones and tablets and revealed total half-year revenues of A$409.89m (E278.48m), which represented an increase of some 7.7 per cent year-on-year.

Aristocrat reported six-month earnings before interest, tax and depreciation of A$99.9m (E67.8m), which was a 4.7 per cent improvement year-on-year, while its earnMarch rise by 9.2 per cent ings before interest and tax year-on-year to A$57.39m increased by 1.1 per cent to (E38.98m) thanks to better A$76.1m (E51.6m). operational performance, “The first half of the 2014

G

50 | casinoreview June 2014

fiscal year was another period of strong operational delivery including incremental share growth in the critical US gaming operations market, share growth in both the US and Australian outright sales markets, maintenance of our leading position in Asia-Pacific markets and continued growth in Product Madness profitability, monetisation rates and daily active user numbers,” read a statement from the group.

Aristocrat stated that earnings from its Australian operations were lower due to “one-off licensing revenues in the prior corresponding period” although product performance continued to

improve as it maintained its leading position in New South Wales market while achieving top spot in Queensland. Its results were also impacted by fewer outright sales into secondary North American markets as well as lowered expansion activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

“The group’s strategic investments in talent and technology are starting to deliver more competitive product in key markets and segments in line with our strategy,” read the statement from the Australian firm. “During the year, the group increased investment in design and development to further drive its product-led growth strategy.”

tion and amortisation, which represents the eleventh consecutive time it has achieved such growth, to $2.8bn (E2.1bn) while its sister StarWorld Macau development experienced a 26 per cent rise to $1.1bn (E808.2m).

This means that Galaxy Entertainment has seen its adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for the previous twelve months climb by 30 per cent year-on-year to stand at $13.6bn (E9.9bn).

“Both Galaxy Macau and StarWorld Macau performed very well during the quarter,” said Lui Che Woo, chairman of Galaxy Entertainment. “Revenues and earnings at Galaxy Macau continued to increase in a sustainable way. As an established property, StarWorld Macau’s year-on-year growth was especially noteworthy, driven by growing mass gaming revenues.

CR140-p51-Sectors_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 15:48 Page 1

Sectors

PARTS & EQUIPMENT / POKER / SEATING / TESTING LABS / USED EQUIPMENT

& Services

POKER

SECTOR NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

WPT gets around with Season XIII schedule

The latest edition of the travelling poker series is set to visit venues on four continents before the end of the year.

T

he World Poker Tour (WPT) is on the move again after announcing the first 20 stops for the 13th edition of its annual travelling poker extravaganza.

Following national events in Italy at the

LISTINGS

Aria Resort and Casino’s poker room

TESTING LABS GLI hires veteran test manager

T

echnical consultant and games testing laboratory Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has expanded its professional services group with the hiring of consultant Kelly Black as its new technical services manager.

A certified software test engineer with more than 14 years testing experience, Black has worked for some of the industry’s most prominent firms including Neteller, Cenovus Energy Incorporated and BearingPoint and will now be based at GLI’s headquarters in Moncton, New Brunswick.

USED EQUIPMENT Asia focus for Seeben

Q

uality used equipment supplier Seeben has refocused its efforts on the Asian gaming

Casino Campione and London’s Aspers Casino Westfield Stratford City, the WPT will hold a WPT500 tournament at Las Vegas’ Aria Resort and Casino before jumping back across the Atlantic for a pair of competitions in Valencia, Spain.

The WPT recently completed its twelfth season by crowing a 193rd champion and revealed that its 13th season will subsequently take in the Grand Casino Brussels for an event on July 18 prior to holding a regional event at Reno’s Atlantis Resort and Spa beginning on August 22.

California’s Bicycle Casino is then scheduled to host the first televised main event of Season XIII, the WPT Legends of Poker, on August 23 with September’s action getting underway from the Merit Crystal Cove Casino in Cyprus 13 days later.

The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, will then play host to a pair of events before the WPT action rolls into Marrakech’s Casino Es Saadi from October 9-12.

The WPT next visits Asia with the MGM Grand Sanya in Hainan, China, hosting a national event from October 28 to November 3, while the Grand Casino Brussels is simultaneously revisited for a second $1,020 (E750) buy-in tournament.

The Season XIII action returns again to the United States from November 7 with Jacksonville, Florida, hosting a televised event before the action switches later in the week to the Emperors Palace Hotel Casino in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The final four WPT events of 2014 are to start from November 18 at Nottingham’s Dusk Till Dawn poker club while the Playground Poker Club in Montreal hosts another week-long televised tournament beginning on November 27.

Finally, the Cercle Clichy in Paris will play host to a WPT national event from December 4-7 before the year ends with the televised WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic from the Bellagio in Las Vegas just before Christmas.

market, and had a full appointment book at this year’s G2E Asia.

The Belgium-based company is currently pursuing new markets in Asia. Sales manager Andrew Laurent (left) is pictured with reseller Domisco Bvba at this year’s Macau expo.

year took its own stand.

SEATING Sitting in style

I

talian casino seating specialist StylGame took a wide range of its Royal Stoolbranded products to this year’s G2E Asia expo.

With a continued focus on both aesthetics and ergonomics, StylGame used the Macau exhibition as its platform to demonstrate the benefits its seating can bring to both casino operators and players.

The company had previously exhibited at G2E Asia alongside Abbiati, but for the first time this

PARTS AND COMPONENTS Suzo-Happ underlines Asia commitment

S

uzo-Happ Group underlined its commitment to the Asia-Pacific gaming market last year, when the spares-toperipherals group completed the acquisition of Transcity, the Australia-based electronics company that specialises in the design, manufacturing and repair of hardware and software.

Speaking at this year’s G2E Asia event, Chris Rogers, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Transcity, confirmed: “For Asia, we have a wide range of products. We are manufacturing for OEMs right through to selling directly to operators – particularly when it comes to our interactive and displaydriven products. We have everything from kiosks to self service betting terminals and from back end displays to interactive tables.”

June 2014 casinoreview

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Events

& Diary

MACAO GAMING SHOW

Registration opens for Macao Gaming Show

R Organisers of the Macao Gaming Show have reported a positive response to the forthcoming 2014 edition, with qualified buyers eligible to receive government subsidies to cover travel and accommodation costs.

52 | casinoreview June 2014

egistration for the Macao Gaming Show (MGS), which will take place from November 18-20 at the Venetian Macao, has opened with organisers reporting a strong and hugely positive response from international gaming professionals.

The opening of registration coincided with the launch of the 2014 show’s marketing campaign, which aims to build upon the success enjoyed by the inaugural event and top last year’s tally of almost 9,000 visitors from eleven nations.

“The research we undertook following the 2013 show suggested that the positive experiences gained from attending the Macao Gaming Show were such that the overwhelming majority, some 99 percent of attendees, said they would return again in 2014,” said Jay Chun, chairman of the Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association (MGEMA).

“The registration data that we have processed since registration opened confirms a very high proportion of repeat visitors. Our aim is to grow the attendance by adding new first-time visitors to this very healthy base while maintaining a similar if not higher level of seniority as in 2013 when 83 percent of visitors were either decisionmakers or had direct input to purchasing

decisions.

“Not only does MGS provide a comprehensive window on the entire gaming industry, it is also the only show that is truly representative of the Asian gaming industry. I am delighted that so many industry decision-makers, purchasers and influencers will be joining us at the Venetian Macao in November.”

Now recognised as the largest gaming show in Macau, the November exhibition will feature the slogan ‘By Asia For The World’ and see qualified buyers eligible to receive official state subsidies to cover some or part of their travel and accommodation costs as part of the Direccao Dos Servicos De Economia’s (DSE) Exhibition Stimulation Program, which seeks to enhance the competitive edge of the convention and exhibition industry in the former Portuguese colony and market it as a successful and vibrant destination city for commerce.

“This is a progressive and welcome initiative from the DSE and one which makes it even more attractive for what are termed ‘qualified buyers’ to attend Asia’s most significant gaming exhibition,” said Marina Wong (pictured), general manager and event director for the Macao Gaming Show.

“We are currently finalising the precise level of subsidy. However, to qualify, all air tickets, jetfoil tickets and hotel accommodation in Macau has to be booked through nominated agents. To fit the criteria for a ‘qualified buyer’, visitors are required to supply the Macao Gaming Show with a letter detailing their involvement in the gaming/leisure/hospitality sectors. This level of verification serves to ensure that our international visitors at the Macao Gaming Show are authentic buyers who have influence on the decision-making process.

“We are very pleased with the response we have received from exhibitors, visitors, dignitaries and VIPs to the second MGS. There is a real sense of energy and anticipation for the second Macao Gaming Show and everything it has to offer in terms of new products, new opportunities, networking and access to the real influencers and decision-makers in Asia.

The panel of event organisers and coorganisers behind the Macao Gaming Show are considered ‘insiders’ of the Asian gaming industry and are being heavily supported by all of the regional players.

I am confident that MGS will provide a professional platform for the gaming and hospitality sectors based in Asia.”

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AUSTRALIAN GAMING EXPO / MACAO GAMING SHOW / WORLD GAMING EXECUTIVE SUMMIT EVENTS NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

STRATEGIC SPONSORSHIPS

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or organisations that want to enhance their branding and awareness, MGS has released details of the over 50 branding and sponsorship opportunities being made available in November.

Accessible online via the exhibition’s Sponsorship Manual, the opportunities range from conventional banner adverts in strategic high footfall locations to exclusive conference and event programme sponsorship packages.

“Following on from the success of the first Macao Gaming Show, which attracted 102 exhibiting companies and close to 9,000 visitors, we were asked by our exhibitors to develop a wide range of sponsorship options for them to select from,” said Wong. “Offering great exposure to both Asia and the world, there are a number of impactful sponsorship opportunities available ranging from banner advertising to lanyards and show bags, Macao Gaming Show website marketing and event guide advertising. There are also a number of high visibility options available such as floor panels, light boxes, structural banners, pillar wraps and registration booth panels, which are the first points of contact for visitors to the show.

“Additionally, we have created sponsorship packages for events including the official Welcome Reception and Conference Luncheon as well as high-profile opportunities in the media centre and on the show’s own successful television channel, MGS TV. The Macao Gaming Show is the first trade show aimed specifically at the Asian market and provides a wonderful way for the industry’s major players to showcase their wares and put their brands in front of the entire Asian gaming community.”

GAMING EXECUTIVE SUMMIT

Barcelona welcomes World Gaming Executive Summit he Spanish city of Barcelona will welcome online and landbased gaming operators from all over the world next month, as the World Gaming Executive Summit (WGES) rolls into the Catalan capital.

Scheduled to take place at the seaside W Hotel from July 8-10, and featuring up to 280 participants, the latest edition of the WGES will see attendees treated to the latest strategies and most up-to-date innovations while industry leaders are to share ideas and debate policies in an open forum.

The World Gaming Executive Summit will feature speakers including Richard Glynn, CEO of Ladbrokes, Tim McNally, chairman at NagaCorp, and Mor Weiser, CEO for Playtech, who will explore new and emerging markets.

Land-based and lottery innovations and partnerships will be discussed by a panel comprising Mike Leven, president and COO

T

of Las Vegas Sands, David Baazov, president and CEO for Amaya, and Peter Hoetzinger, co-CEO and president at Century Casinos, while attendees can learn how to expand their online horizons from Johan Styren, CEO for LeoVegas, Sean Ryan, Facebook’s global games partnerships director, and Mitch Garber, CEO for Caesars Interactive.

The world’s varying regulations will be investigated by a panel consisting of Jan Jones Blackhurst, Caesars Entertainment’s communications and government relations executive vice-president, Annette Kok, president for Euromat, and Erik Voorhees, founder of SatoshiDice.

“It’s a great privilege to hear some of the people from all around the world share their experiences, particularly the latest evolutions in Vegas, and having the opportunity to hear about these is worthwhile ” said Peter Brooks from Genting UK.

AUSTRALIAN GAMING EXPO

Australian Gaming Expo returns in August

| DIARY JUNE 2014 23-25 Canadian Gaming Summit Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, Canada www.canadiangamingsummit.com

JULY 2014 8-10 World Gaming Executive Summit W Hotel, Barcelona, Spain www.terrapinn.com/InterGES2

AUGUST 2014 12-14 Australasian Gaming Expo Sydney Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia www.austgamingexpo.com

SEPTEMBER 2014 30-2 G2E Las Vegas Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Las Vegas, US www.globalgamingexpo.com

OCTOBER 2014

F

eaturing more than 180 exhibitors spread across 15,000sq.m of floor space, the Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) will take place from August 12-14 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre.

The biggest event of its type in Australia, the annual event will see exhibitors including Aristocrat Technologies Australia, WMS Gaming, Bally Technologies, Ainsworth Game Technology, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) Australia, JCM Global,

Aruze Gaming Australia, Konami Australia, FutureLogic Australia, Gasser Chair Company and Interblock showing off their latest and most popular products and services.

Due to run from 10am to 5pm on August 12 and 13, the show will be shorter by two hours on the final day with free entry for all gaming industry executives courtesy of the local Gaming Technologies Association trade group.

21-22 Balkan Entertainment & Gaming Expo Inter Expo Center, Sofia, Bulgaria www.balkangamingexpo.com

NOVEMBER 2014 11-13 SAGSE Latin America Buenos Aires, Argentina www.monografie.com 18-20 Macao Gaming Show Venetian Macao, Macao www.macaogamingshow.com June 2014 casinoreview

| 53

CR140-p52-54-Events_Coinslot NEW 16/06/2014 16:34 Page 3

Events

EIG / G2E LAS VEGAS

& Diary

EVENTS NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK

G2E LAS VEGAS EIG

G2E ready to break records

T

Preparations for EiG stepped up ‘Excellence in Gaming’ is the strap line for the forthcoming EiG conference and exhibition, which takes place in October. egistration is now open for the 2014 edition of EiG, which takes place at Arena Berlin, Germany on October 21-23.

The event is organised by Clarion Events, the team behind ICE Totally Gaming, Japan Gaming Congress, World Gambling Briefing and GiGSE, which said EiG is “no longer a conventional conference”.

“EiG is about freedom,” Clarion stated. “The freedom to think, the freedom to explore, the freedom to engage and the freedom to meet in the way that suits you as a consumer of information and insight. EiG 2014 is now a vibrant, contemporary global gaming space.”

Host to all the trend-setters and start ups, the leading investors, venture capitalists, regulators and international gaming operators, EiG offers a fresh, integrated experience with a one price for all entry pass of E499.

Clarion has been working closely with its newly formed EiG Advisory Board – which comprises over 70 of the world’s leading gaming experts - to bring delegates a completely different experience this year.

“We have established an Advisory Board to help guide and steer content for the future, ensuring that EiG remains topical,” Clarion stated. “The Advisory Board comprises leading names in gaming, including Andre Wilsenach, executive

R

Casino Review is the premier b2b publication for the international casino and gaming industry. With a combined print and digital circulation in excess of 14,000 per month, Casino Review has become the first choice read of casino operators, legislators and senior casino executives. Sign up for your free digital version at www.casinoreview-online.com corporation ltd

GBmedia 54 | casinoreview June 2014

he next edition of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) will take place from September 29 to October 2 at Las Vegas’ Sands Expo and Convention Center, with organisers recently signing a deal that will see the show include hotel and lodging-specific content.

In order to meet the needs of attendees from the lodging and hotel sectors, the alignment with the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association (NHLA) will see G2E 2014 feature a spectrum of additional content including bespoke education and special offers alongside the usual range of over 400 exhibitors and daily seminar programme.

“We recognise that the hotel industry is a critical part of the gaming mix and will continue to be an integral part of the guest experience,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO for the AGA. Last year’s G2E welcomed nearly 16,250 visitors, which represented the exhibition’s highest attendance since 2008 and a three percent rise year-on-year, while total attendance including exhibitors swelled to 26,300.

G2E 2013 also featured its largest trade show floor since 2008 with more than 455 companies exhibiting across 285,000 square feet of space, which represented an increase of nearly eight percent year-on-year.

director, Alderney Gambling Control Commission; Hussein Chahine, CEO, Yazino; Nils Anders, CMO, Unibet; Ben Dale, former international development director, Ladbrokes and Joerg Hofmann, president, IMGL.” “Clarion’s decision to form an Advisory Board is to be commended and I believe that it will help to ensure EiG remains relevant in what is an extremely dynamic market place,” said Dale. “There is an enormous amount of goodwill for EiG to remain successful and I am delighted that Clarion is drawing on the experience and insight of what is a very knowledgeable board.”

Leading online gaming companies will be taking their place on the EiG exhibition floor, including Bet Construct, Microgaming, World Pay, Intralot and Playtech through to upand-coming start-ups representing the future of the industry.

In addition to action on the exhibition floor, EiG will host an in-depth conference programme. While the full agenda is yet to be confirmed, it will tackle a range of important issues, including technological disruption; creating an immersive virtual experience to glue players to games; understanding the key factors to adapting content and enhancing the user experience; cybercrime, security and compliance; learning from the retail industry’s online success; and thinking about synergies with the video gaming industry.

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

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Notes for contributors The Editorial Board welcomes the submission of articles for consideration by the editor with a view to publication. Articles submitted will not be returned and accordingly contributors making submissions should retain copies. Submission of an article will be held to imply that the article contains original unpublished work which GB Media Corporation Ltd may lawfully publish. All submissions are made at the owner’s risk. © GB Media Corporation Ltd 2014 All rights strictly reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission is given, full acknowledgement of author, publisher and source must be given.

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icr

EXCEPTIONAL

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

TO PURCHASE CASINO AND/OR HOTEL

WHAT?

LUXURY HOTEL – 168 BEDROOMS SPREAD OVER17 FLOORS

3,600 SQM CASINO FLOOR

BRAND NEW BUILD

LUXURY FIT OUT

PART OF INTEGRATED MULTI-USE COMPLEX ALSO COMPRISING SHOPPING MALL/RESIDENTIAL & FOOD COURT

WHERE?

WELL-KNOWN LEISURE DESTINATION

GROWTH CITY A MAJOR EMPHASIS ON LEISURE AND TOURISM IN THE GOVERNMENT PLAN

WHY? FAVOURABLE TERMS FOR NEW INVESTORS

TAX DEROGATIONS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER FIRST MOVER ADVANTAGE IN A RAPIDLY EXPANDING VIBRANT CITY

WHEN? CASINO COMPLETION DATE SEPTEMBER 2014

HOTEL COMPLETION DATE MARCH 2015

HOW? APPLY IN CONFIDENCE FOR A PROSPECTUS AND FURTHER INFORMATION TO JSULLIVAN@GBMEDIA.COM