CR149-p01-Front_Coinslot NEW 06/03/2015 10:50 Page 1
MARCH 2015 • EDITION 149
TWITTER/@ICASINOREVIEW • WWW.CASINOREVIEW-ONLINE.COM
ICE
2015 Show Report THE WHO, WHAT AND HOW AT THIS YEAR’S ICE TOTALLY GAMING 26
nRACE HOTS UP FOR SOUTH KOREAN PRIZE World News 2
Is the door opening for casino resorts in Mexico? South & Central America News 18
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER FOR THE GLOBAL CASINO INDUSTRY
PERFORMANCE
WORLD IN MOTION: CHINESE NEW YEAR
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) in Macau during the Chinese New Year holiday period has been disappointing, reports indicate. So what does this mean for the world’s gambling capital?
he Spring Festival travel season - or Chunyun - is a period of travel in China with extremely high traffic load around the time of the Chinese New Year. One of the largest annual human migrations in the world, the transport infrastructure around China is put under great strain during the period, with rail transport experiencing the biggest challenge. The Lunar New Year holiday, a week-long break for mainland Chinese, is typically a high season for Macau. The weak gambling numbers in the SAR are especially disappointing because actual tourist arrivals to Macau from China rose seven per cent over the holiday, according to Barclays.
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Chinese New Year fails to boost Macau GGR
D MACAU
espite reporting an increase in visitors across the Chinese New Year period, gaming revenues in Macau continue to suffer. As International Casino Review went to press, analysts were expecting monthly gross gaming revenue (GGR) to fall below MOP20bn (E2.17bn) in February for the first time in four years. China’s Lunar New Year, which started on February 19, is traditionally a period for Chinese to travel - and the peak gambling season in the former Portuguese colony. According to data from
the city’s Public Security Police, total arrivals to Macau, excluding Macau residents, during the first five days of Chinese New Year were up three per cent yearon-year to almost 781,000. However, Japanese brokerage firm Nomura confirmed a drop in Macau’s daily GGR for the period of February 16-23. Barclays estimated that average daily table revenues in Macau were HK$510.5m (E58.2m) for the week to February 23 a period including five days in the holiday period - compared with HK$541m (E61.7m) the week before.
“According to our channel checks, February Macau table-only GGR is MOP13.3bn (E1.44bn) through February 23,” said Sterne Agee analyst David Bain. “Including slot assumptions, the February GGR run rate indicates a minus 56 per cent year-over-year monthly result, or MOP17.2bn (1.86bn).” Shares in Wynn Macau and Melco Crown Entertainment sank almost six per cent in the wake of the reports, while Sands China fell by 5.6 per cent and Galaxy Entertainment Group by 4.9 per cent.
More than a transaction. A connection.
“We are disappointed by the weak results since the data include the results from the first five days of Chinese New Year, which is typically the busiest period of the holiday,” a trio of Nomura analysts led by Harry Curtis said. Last year, casino revenues in Macau posted their first full-year decline since records began in 2002. According to official figures the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ), gaming revenues in 2014 fell 2.6 per cent to MOP351bn (E34.1bn), ending an 11-year run of increases.
www.jcmglobal.com
According to Credit Suisse AG, GGR in Macau is “sequentially weakening with no sign of bottoming yet”, with the first quarter of 2015 trending for a 16-per cent quarter-on-quarter decline. Some analysts were hoping that the Chinese New Year would finally bring relief to Macau’s gaming industry. However, for many the decline was much expected given the tough year-over-year comparison and the recent increase in transit visa restrictions and greater scrutiny regarding junkets.
CR149-p02-03-World_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 16:15 Page 1
News World
EMERGING MARKETS
SOUTH KOREA
Chow Tai Fook latest to express interest in South Korea casino
Hong Kong conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises wants to cash in on the rising number of Chinese touris $2.6bn casino resort near Incheon International Airport.
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ollowing last month’s news that the government of South Korea is planning to increase tourism by authorising the building of two new casino resorts, Asian entertainment and construction conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises has announced plans to invest $2.6bn (E2.2bn) on a project near Incheon. Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises is controlled by the family of 89year-old Cheng Yu-Tung, who is Asia’s fifth richest man according to Forbes, with its only listed entity, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery, currently the world’s
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largest jeweller by market capitalisation. The company is partnering with Echo Entertainment and Far East Consortium International in hopes of winning the right to build and operate a new integrated casino resort in the eastern Australian city of Brisbane while it is additionally reported to be considering casino-related investments in Vietnam. Chow Tai Fook Enterprises’ proposed South Korean development would sit near the planned $2.2bn (E1.9bn) resort casino from the consortium led by American giant Cae-
sars Entertainment and is set to include a foreignersonly casino, a hotel and retail space in addition to entertainment and convention facilities. The project, which is to be developed in two stages covering 2015 to 2019 and 2019 to 2022, still needs the approval of the South Korean central government and would also be within walking distance of the $1.7bn (E1.4bn) casino resort from Sega Sammy and local partner Paradise Company near Incheon International Airport some 31 miles west of Seoul. Although South Korea bans locals from entering 16
of its 17 casinos, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises is hoping its new development will appeal to the many tourists that visit the area including those from mainland China. The number of Chinese tourists grew by 42 per cent last year to 6.1m with Paradise Company, the largest casino operator in South Korea, reporting that approximately 63.4 per cent of its betting volume came from Chinese VIP punters. The increased numbers of Chinese tourists near Incheon International Airport recently led the airport itself to propose building a $4.6bn (E4bn) casino resort
while last month saw Filipino firm Bloomberry Resorts, which operates the Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila, acquire 12.2 hectares on Yeongjong Island for the purposes of building a similar entertainment facility. Incheon International Airport is the world’s ninth busiest and its urban planning department executive director Lim Byung Kee told Bloomberg News that the airport is currently looking for partners and wants to sign deals within the year while Bloomberry is planning to tackle its maiden overseas venture solo.
CR149-p02-03-World_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 16:17 Page 2
YXYXYXY BAHAMAS / SOUTH KOREA / MONGOLIA / UNITED STATES
ICR NEWS: WORLD 2-3 EUROPE 4-7 ASIA & OCEANIA 8-11 AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST 12-13 NORTH AMERICA 14-17 SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 18-19 COMMENT & POLITICS 22-23 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
RESORT OPENING
Merger of gaming giants gets green light
Special offer for Baha Mar opening BAHAMAS
fter announcing last month that it would officially open on March 27, the $3.5bn (E2.8bn) Baha Mar destination casino resort in the Bahamas is now running a special promotion that is seeing it offer patrons a free night’s stay so long as they purchase additional nights. Being fashioned as a competitor to the nearby Atlantis Paradise Island resort, the 1,000-acre devel-
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opment, which premiered its first US television advertisement during coverage of the 87th Academy Awards, has begun taking bookings for its Baha Mar Casino and Hotel, Rosewood at Baha Mar and SLS Lux at Baha Mar while a fourth luxury hotel, the Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar, is scheduled to open on May 1 following a ceremony being produced by director Jamie King and musician Emilio Estefan. “We are excited to welcome our very first guests to enjoy the ‘first night on
us’ to share the best Baha Mar has to offer,” said Paul Pusateri, COO for Baha Mar. “It’s the perfect time to travel to The Bahamas and experience the dazzling debut of the New Riviera.” The largest resort project in the Caribbean, Baha Mar is being built by China State Construction Engineering with funding from the Asian nation’s state bank and is to additionally feature a 100,000sq.ft casino and an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Gold Course.
DEREGULATION
Mongolia considering casino legislation
hinese tourists by building MONGOLIA
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“We have benchmarked Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore for the integrated resort project here,” said Kee. “We want to attract more visitors from China, taking advantage of the close distance.”
s International Casino Review went to press, legislators in Mongolia were considering draft measures that could see the central Asian nation develop multi-billion dollar casinos in order to attract gamblers from nearby China and stimulate its slumping economy. Mongolia, which has an estimated population of three million and shares extensive land borders with Russia and China, annulled legislation in 2010 that permitted casino gambling over corruption and social concerns. However, the country’s cabinet secretariat recently approved draft legislation that would authorise the signing of private partnerships for the construction of two VIPfocused casinos. The 76-seat unicameral parliament, which is known as the State Great Khural, is now set to vote on whether to approve
the legislation which would ban locals from playing and see any casinos fully owned and operated by private firms. “Russia, China and Japan are some of the biggest gamblers in the world,” an unnamed member of the cabinet secretariat told the Reuters news service. “Japan and Russia already don’t need visas for Mongolia and Chinese with official passports don’t either.” Although the proposed legislation does not specify any casino locations, it is understood that developers would be especially interested in the area around the New Ulaanbaatar International Airport, which is being built by Japanese firms Mitsubishi and Chiyoda.
The landscape of the world’s gaming machines supply and manufacture industry has shifted. Two tectonic plates, GTech and IGT, have finally merged leading, most probably, to the dawn of a new era of consolidation.
UNITED STATES
n February 10, International Game Technology (IGT) shareholders approved the company’s plan to merge with global gaming and lotteries firm, GTech. GTech announced plans to acquire IGT for $6.4bn (E5.6bn) in July 2014, and last month the company took another step closer to the purchase after confirming the successful pricing of a series of senior secured notes worth a total of approximately $5bn (E4.4bn). Under the terms of the transaction, IGT and GTech will combine under a newly formed holding company organised in the UK. The acquisition is still subject to certain closing conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of required gaming approvals. Following the IGT shareholder approval, GTech has experienced key management changes. Jaymin Patel, president and CEO of Gtech Americas and group board member, will leave the company on March 27. Michael Chambrello has been appointed as CEO of GTech’s North American Lottery business, while James Hurley has taken on a new role as senior vice president of investor relations. “Hurley will be responsible for promoting GTech’s business objectives while enhancing its image and reputation within the investment community,” the company stated. In a statement released when the deal was originally unveiled last year, Patti Hart, IGT CEO, said: “Together we are uniquely positioned to provide the industry’s broadest and most innovative portfolio of best-in-class products, solutions and services.”
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March 2015 casinoreview
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News Europe
MARKET PERFORMANCE
Citing challenging market conditions, Finland’s state-owned gambling monopoly, RAY, has booked a drop in 2014 revenues.
RAY sees ‘zero growth’ in Finnish gaming market
“ FINLAND
Zero growth” in Finland’s gaming market has resulted in a 1.9 per cent drop in revenues for the country’s gambling monopoly, Raha-automaattiyhdistys (RAY). According to RAY, a stateowned slot machine operator with growing interests in the online gaming sector, revenues in 2014 dropped by E15m to E776.4m. “For RAY, 2014 was a year
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of change,” said managing director Velipekka Nummikoski. “The financial situation in Finland was challenging, which was duly reflected in gaming as well.” RAY’s slot machines and casino games can be found in thousands of locations across Finland, including hotels, restaurants, cafés, service stations, markets and kiosks. Revenues in this core segment dipped by 2.1
per cent in 2014 in E581m. Casino Helsinki, the historic gaming venue owned and operated by the monopoly, saw revenues drop by 0.5 per cent to E27.7m during the year, while the group’s own arcades saw a top-line dip of 1.5 per cent to E94.6m. Discussing the distribution of the gaming revenues, Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health said a
total of E309.3m would be distributed to 789 non-profit organisations as funding, while an additional E117m will be allocated to the State Treasury for the rehabilitation of Finnish war veterans. In 2015, Nummikoski said RAY would continue to “systematically implement its strategy in an efficient and responsible manner”. And over recent months, it has become clear that part of this
strategy has been a focus on the online gaming sector. The group, which launched its online platform, Ray.fi, in 2013, recently signed a 20-year contract extension with Playtech for the supply of internet games. RAY has been working with Playtech since 2010, when it began building its online gaming services. According to Timo Kiiski-
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FINLAND / IRELAND /YXYXYXY ROMANIA Irish Parliament: Kicking into touch?
IRELAND: “THERE SEEMS TO BE A SENSE OF ARROGANCE IN THE GOVERNMENT SAYING THEY’LL FOCUS ON IT AFTER THE ELECTION, LIKE THEY ASSUME THEY’LL BE STAYING IN OFFICE.” LEGISLATION
THE SOCIAL NETWORK he profits from RAY’s gaming operations are used for promoting health and social welfare in Finland. Funding is granted annually to hundreds of social and healthcare organisations. “In its legislation, the Finnish government has traditionally put a great deal of emphasis on addiction prevention and player protection,” the European Casino Association (ECA) outlined in its 2014 European Gaming Report. “Finland has put in place player protection measures such as maximum wagers, selfexclusion measures and restrictions to operating hours,” the ECA said. “Customers must be at least 18 years of age, and must be registered when they enter a venue.”
Ireland’s gaming bill may be pushed back further
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h’ in t nen, RAY’s director of business operations, the first four years with Playtech have been successful, with online gaming revenues for the group totalling E60m in 2013. “We can review the continuation of the contract every four years based on our situation at the time,” Kiiskinen said. “The first review will be carried out in 2018.”
IRELAND
After nine years of working on the forthcoming Gambling Control Bill, gaming legislation in Ireland looks set to be pushed back even further to 2017. The
Gaming and Leisure Association in Ireland mourns the missed opportunities.
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alks to replace out of date gaming legislation in Ireland have broken down, as the government puts gaming reform in the country on the backburner, according to the Gaming and Leisure Association in Ireland (GLAI), David Hickson, director of the trade body, talking exclusively to International Casino Review said: “To say we’re ‘in discussions’ would be optimistic. The government has effectively indicated that they are too busy for this and that they will deal with it in their own good time.” The Gambling Control Bill - legislation aimed at replacing an arcane set of gaming laws in Ireland dating back to 1956 - was the subject of a heated debate last month, as senators from all political parties called on ministers to push the bill forward, with little success. “There seems to be a sense of arrogance in the government saying they’ll focus on it after the election, like they assume they’ll be staying in office,” said Hickson. “I’d say that’s an unsafe assumption because the Irish electorate are fuming.” GLAI has been working toward the publication of the Gambling Control Bill for nine years and has stepped up its drive for legal stability since recession hit in 2008. As the economy shows signs of picking up momentum, however, lack of regulation still stands in the way of operators making the
necessary investments. “What we’re looking for is legal clarity so we can invest in our businesses and give an offering that’s comparable to what you could find in other regulated jurisdictions,” explained Hickson. “There are a couple of larger suppliers who can’t operate in the Irish market because their licensing in their home jurisdictions prevents them from operating in grey areas.” In Hickson’s view, the strength of the bookmaking lobby in the Republic of Ireland has stood in the way of regulatory progress, as evidenced by the recent move to extend betting shop opening hours by transferring a clause from the Betting Amendment Bill into the most recent Finance Bill. “The bookies [bookmakers] wouldn’t necessarily be in favour of new regulation; they like the status quo,” commented Hickson. “But it just feels so irresponsible. Like, why would you give them extra hours without getting something in return, like consumer protection?” After six years of contraction in the market, however, Hickson does see opportunities for growth as the economy edges toward recovery. “No matter what the politicians might be saying, the average person on the street is not feeling any benefit in their pockets yet,” he said. “ We’d hope that the domestic market improves and that businesses can get back to a stable trading scenario.”
LEGISLATION
Romania approves draft slot legislation ROMANIA
fter almost a year of debate, legislators in Romania will soon vote on draft legislation that would specifically limit the operation of slot machines to casinos under the control of the national lottery. The measures recently approved by the legal committee for the lower Chamber of Deputies and now set to be sent before the full 412-member body for a vote would ban the operation of slots at any location that is not a licensed casino or lottery agent. First submitted by a group of 100
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representatives in March 2014 before being rejected by the upper 176-member Senate, the draft measure is envisioned as a way to help reduce problem gambling, which advocates stated has become “a major issue in Romania”, and would see licensed casinos permitted to operate a minimum of 50 machines
either in one or multiple locations. Meanwhile, as the centre-left government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta is scrambling to find the funds needed to reduce the budget gap in Romania, the government is currently pushing ahead with plans to legalise online gambling in the country. “We estimate that online gaming will bring in E100m in direct taxes in 2015,” said Cristinela Nistor, who heads up the country’s gambling regulator, ONJN. The new law aims to increase public revenue and stimulate the market, and at the same time harmonise Romanian legislation with European norms.
EUROPE ROUND-UP n Italy, millionaire comedian turned opposition politician Giuseppe ‘Bepe’ Grillo (pictured) has called on the government to pass legislation instituting a full ban on the advertising of gambling on any of the nation’s state-owned television channels. The founder of the MoVimento Cinque Stelle political party, which is the third largest in Italy, Grillo also wants to institute a complete ban on any gambling advertising and has criticised the ruling centreleft Italy Common Good alliance for being ‘under the thumb of the gambling industry and its lobbyists’. Gambling advertising is also on the agenda in Spain with the Senate, which is dominated by the conservative People’s Party, soon set to consider new rules governing the activity. Currently, the advertising of
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any gambling products and services is self-regulated but new regulations covering how and where Spain-based operators promote their wares could be instituted by the end of the year as the government attempts to curb incidents of problem gambling. Meanwhile, GuoLine Overseas, which is a subsidiary of Malaysian conglomerate Hong Leong Company, has reduced its stake in UK gambling giant Rank after selling 50m shares via an accelerated book-build placing with institutional investors. GuoLine Overseas revealed that it had offloaded 12.8 per cent of its stake in Rank, which is the largest casino operator in Great Britain with over 50 venues, to leave it holding approximately 219.1m shares or 56.1 per cent. March 2015 casinoreview
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CR149-p06-08-Europe_Coinslot NEW 06/03/2015 09:59 Page 3
News
AUSTRIA / FRANCE
Europe
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FINANCIALS
FINANCIALS
Casinos Austria reaps the rewards from investment programme
Business improves for Partouche
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Photo credit: Martin Steinthaler
Casinos Austria
FRANCE
reports record annual sales, partially due to the success of a double-digit investment programme for its 12 domestic casinos.
AUSTRIA
asinos Austria has toasted a successful 2014, after the gaming operator posted record annual sales of $4.07bn (E3.6bn), representing an increase of 2.3 per cent yearon-year, partially due to a six per cent rise in the number of visitors to its 12 domestic casinos. Last year saw Casinos Austria embark on a doubledigit investment programme that included refurbishments of its casinos in Bregenz, Velden, Salzburg and Vienna in order to give each a new look catering to the demands the contemporary leisure guest. The renovation of the venue in Bregenz saw the property gain an additional 450sq.m of floor space while the casino in Velden underwent
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a complete transformation with a new façade and canopy roof. This scheme also hit Vienna with the operator’s site now offering a pair of roulette-themed salons, one decorated in black and grey tones with the other in vibrant reds. The investment seems to have worked with Casinos Austria reporting that its eight Cuisino in-casino restaurants were “flourishing” while its launch of Double Roulette, which gives players the chance to win up to 1,200 times their stake, also proved popular with the slightly over 2.5m guests seen in 2014 generating annual revenues of $306.7m (E271m), a 3.2 per cent improvement year-on-year. The positive results from Casinos Austria were also
driven by the performance of its classic Lotto, EuroMillions and Rubbellos lottery products as well as the 13 WinWin video lottery terminal outlets, which reported a 3.3 per cent rise year-on-year in annual sales to an all-time high of $3.56bn (E3.15bn). Of particular interest was the performance of the WinWin outlets, which posted a 15.2 per cent boost in total annual sales to $717.8m (E635m) while the ‘6 Aus 45’ Lotto national lottery saw its figure rise by 2.4 per cent to hit a record of $662.7m (E586.4m). Casinos Austria declared that its positive results had also been driven by a ‘fortunate series of jackpots’ as well as to the introduction of new options for playing the lottery such as its TeamTipp
and Anteilsschein alternatives. In time for its tenth anniversary, EuroMillions saw a pot grow to $214.6m (E190m), which contributed to a 5.4 per cent increase year-on-year in ticket sales, while the successful introduction of new scratch-off tickets produced a seven per cent swell in Rubbellos sales compared to the previous year. “In 2014, we succeeded in giving a breath of fresh air to our classic lottery products with innovative new playing options like TeamTipp and Anteilsschein,” said Karl Stoss, chairman of Casinos Austria. “The expansions to our gaming mix and refurbishments in our casinos and Cuisino restaurants have also clearly won the strong approval of our guests.”
rench casino operator Groupe Partouche has released its financial results for the final three months of 2014 showing a three per cent year-on-year increase in turnover to $123.6m (E109.2m). After posting losses for the previous six years, the operator reported that it finished 2014 almost at equilibrium with a net loss of $1.8m (E1.6m) off of revenues of $464.3m (E410m), while its gross gaming product for the fourth quarter hit $172.1m (E152m), which was an improvement of 2.5 per cent on a comparable basis. “Despite what we can call a sluggish economic environment, annual turnover stabilised at E410m even with a slight drop of 1.9 per cent,” said Fabrice Paire, CEO for Groupe Partouche, which operates 41 casinos in France alongside five abroad. “The trend of the last six months is extremely encouraging since our net gaming revenues have registered growth for the past two quarters.
We can also report that our earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation margin improved to reach 16.9 per cent and this is the third fiscal year in a row were our margin is above 16 per cent.” Groupe Partouche also operates 15 hotels, 130 restaurants, a pair of golf courses, a spa and a trio of beaches and declared that its turnaround was mainly due to the performance of its French casinos, which posted a 3.6 per cent boost year-onyear in gross gaming product to $4.9m (E4.4m), while its table games revenues grew by $4.3m (E3.8m) thanks mainly to the development of electronic English roulette with a $566,119 (E500,000) improvement in slot gross gaming revenues.
CASINO PROPOSAL
New casino for northern France Vannes. The E10m casino is expected to open in the rench leisure operator region’s Gulf Park in 2017, Société bretonne d’ex- although a temporary gamploitation des Casinos ing venue will open in a for(SBEC) has received mer concert hall this approval to develop a new summer. casino in the north-eastern The as-yet-unnamed coastal commune of casino will occupy three FRANCE
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floors and will be built on stilts to reduce the risk of flood damage. A 425sq.m gaming area, with a capacity of 185 people, is being planned with 120 slot machines and around five table games. The temporary casino will house 75 slot machines.
Under the terms of the new casino licence, SBEC will operate the venue for 20 years, with between E800,000 and E1.2m being handed to the state in taxes each year. “In total, the city will receive nearly E23m over 20 years, of which E1.5m will
be dedicated to cultural and tourist facilities and E850,000 for improvements to Gulf Park,” the Vannes Tourist Board said. The casino is expected to accommodate up to 90,000 players a year, and more than 80 jobs will be created by the new operation.
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CR149-p08-10-Asia_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 15:41 Page 1
News
Asia & Oceania
FINANCIALS
Macau’s troubled gaming market has translated to a decrease in revenues and earnings for Melco Crown in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Melco’s balance sheet hurt by Macau market woes
MACAU
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elco Crown Entertainment has reported a sharp drop in revenues and earnings for the fourth quarter of 2014, as the Asian leisure and gaming group is hit by challenging market conditions in Macau. In the three months to December 31, 2014, revenues for the group, which owns and operates a range of casino properties in the former Portuguese enclave, totalled $1.2bn (E1.1bn), down 20 per cent on the $1.4bn (E1.2bn) in the prior-year period. Earnings sunk 58 per cent to $92.9m (E81.6m).
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According to Melco, the decline was primarily attributable to lower group-wide rolling chip revenues and mass market table games revenues and costs associated with the Studio City and City of Dreams Manila developments. Commenting on the results, Lawrence Ho (pictured), co-chairman and chief executive officer, said: “While 2014 was a challenging year for Macau, I am pleased with both our relative operating performance and the meaningful advancements we have
made towards realising our significant growth pipeline, positioning us to succeed now and in the future. “In Macau, our worldclass and unique assets, together with our marketleading premium-focused amenities and service standards enabled us to once again take share, in a disciplined manner, in the mass market table games segments in the fourth quarter of 2014.” Ho added: “At the same time, the repositioning of our rolling chip business at both City of Dreams and Altira Macau continues to
gather momentum and resulted in an increase in market share during the most recent quarter. “Our strategy and commitment to continually enhancing our current product offering in Macau, including the ongoing development of our luxury retail precinct and the iconic fifth hotel tower at City of Dreams, which remain on track for openings in the first half of 2016 and first half of 2017, respectively, ensures all of our operating assets remain highly competitive in a constantly changing
environment.” According to Ho, Studio City - the next standalone integrated resort to open in Macau - remains on track to meet its design and construction budget of $2.3bn (E2bn) and its scheduled opening in the third quarter of 2015. “This Hollywoodinspired resort will change the entertainment landscape in Macau and will be at the forefront of positioning Macau as Asia’s leisure, tourism and entertainment capital,” Ho stated. “Our innovative approach to providing
CR149-p08-10-Asia_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 15:42 Page 2
MACAU / NORTHERN MARIANAYXYXYXY ISLANDS Macao Gaming Show, November 17-19 2015
LAWRENCE HO: “WE REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR BELIEF THAT ASIA WILL CONTINUE AS THE FASTEST GROWING AND MOST IMPORTANT LEISURE AND TOURISM MARKET IN THE WORLD...” TOURISM
Macau to consul on mainland visitor cap
ustralasian casino operator SkyCity Entertainment has agreed to review the design of its planned New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland after the government announced that it would not be contributing any extra cash to the project. Last year saw SkyCity submit plans for the 3,500-seat venue (pictured) in the heart of the nation’s largest city, but costs subsequently rose above its contractual commitment of $302.9m (E266.4m) and it will now go back to the drawing board in hopes of saving the ‘landmark’ project. It is a similar story in Fiji, with the government revealing that it has revoked the licence it awarded in December of 2011 to developer One Hundred Sands for the construction
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MACAU
hares in casino operating firms including Sands China, SJM Holdings, MGM China, Galaxy Entertainment and Wynn Macau have fallen after officials in Macau revealed that they are considering limiting the number of tourists permitted to visit the former Portuguese enclave. China introduced its Individual Visit Scheme in 2003 that allows residents from the mainland to obtain permits in order to visit Macau without the need to be a member of a tour group. The programme was first implemented in four Guangdong cities in the south before being extended to 49 cities nationwide but concerns are growing after the number of mainland visitors to Macau hit 21m last year with 45.6 per cent of these using the Individual Visit Scheme programme. Macau social affairs and culture secretary Alexis Tam Chon
ASIA ROUND-UP
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Weng told local broadcaster Teledifusao De Macau that he will be approaching China’s central government to ask that they study the city’s capacity for visitors and consider how ‘too many tourists impact residents’ quality of life’. His concerns were reiterated by Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun Ying with the pair set to meet with officials in Beijing later this month to dis-
cuss a tightening of the Individual Visit Scheme programme. “I’ve always expressed to the central authority that our [tourism] capacity is limited and that I don’t agree to adding more cities eligible for the Individual Visit Scheme,” said Leung. “We understand that the growing number of tourists has formed increasing pressure on people’s livelihoods.”
CASINO APPLICATION
leading edge entertainment ensures that we are strongly positioned to cater to an ever-changing and aspirational regional clientele, whether that be in Macau, Manila or any future gaming markets that meet our strict investment criteria. “With Macau at its centre, we remain steadfast in our belief that Asia will continue as the fastest growing and most important leisure and tourism market in the world, supported by a rapidly expanding middle-class and strong economic growth.”
Titanic-themed hotel and casino approved in Tinian NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
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he harbour on the island of Tinian will soon be home to a $130m (E114.4m) Titanic-themed casino and hotel offering 300 rooms alongside a 38,00sq.m gaming floor complete with retail and banqueting facilities in addition to a wedding chapel. The Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission recently ruled that developer Bridge Investment Group as well as its two principles, Silvia Siu and Xianjun Meng, would be suitable investors with the finished development set to be a replica of the infamous ocean liner that sank in the northern Atlantic Ocean in 1912. “This is a major decision and it is good
news for both Bridge Investment Group and the people on Tinian,” Mathew Masga, chairman for the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission told the Saipan Tribune. Tinian is one of only three permanently inhabited islands in the self-governing Northern Mariana Island with a population of around 3,100 and the plan from Bridge Investment Group will also see two public buildings situated around its port replaced. “The Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission was very helpful and made the licensing process clear and painless,” Phillip Long from Bridge Investment Group told the Saipan Tribune. “All we had to do was follow the procedures set up by the Commission. We thank the Commission and its staff for making the process so painless.”
of the island nation’s first casino. The $155m (E115.5m) five-star project was due to be built near the town of Nadi on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, but One Hundred Sands, which had been awarded a 15-year exclusive licence in partnership with the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe of Washington state, soon ran into a series of setbacks and construction has never begun. The delays along with a lack of communication saw the tribe, which operates a casino some 27 miles southeast of Seattle, pull out of the deal after investing around $1.5m (E1.1m) and initiate a lawsuit in hopes of recovering some of these funds. Meanwhile, there is optimistic news from Vietnam with the nation’s prime minister recently approving plans for a new resort casino project for the country’s largest island. The new venue endorsed by Nguyen Tan Dung will be located on Phu Quoc Island, which is a special administrative economic zone in Kien Giang province in the Gulf of Thailand, and is to be part of a larger investment project designed to appeal to foreign tourists. March 2015 casinoreview
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News
AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND / SOUTH KOREA
Asia & Oceania
Macao Gaming Show, November 17-19 2015
CASINO PURCHASE OPPORTUNITY EXCEPTIONAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A CASINO AND/OR HOTEL 3,600 SQM CASINO FLOOR, 168 BEDROOMS CONTACT: JSULLIVAN@GBMEDIA.EU
PERFORMANCE
LEGISLATION
Earnings growth in Crown Resorts’ domestic operations has helped partially offset a decline in Macau.
Long wait for NZ slot machine legislation NEW ZEALAND
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Crown results find comfort in Australian operations AUSTRALIA
rown Resorts, the Australia-based casino and leisure venue operator led by James Packer, has reported a dip in profits for the first half of the year, although earnings growth in the group’s domestic operations have helped partially offset Macau’s struggling gaming market. In the six months to December 31, 2014, groupwide profits for Crown totalled A$201.8m (E140.8m), were down 47.2 per cent compared to the first half of the previous financial year. According to Crown, the performance of its domestic casinos in the cities of Perth
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and Melbourne was “satisfactory”, with a double-digit rise in revenues helping to drive a 20.6 per cent increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to A$478.2m (E333.7m). In Macau, however, weak market conditions in the Asian gambling hub had an adverse affect on the group’s joint venture subsidiary, Melco Crown Entertainment, where revenues dropped by 21.5 per cent to A$110.4m (E77m) during the period. According to Crown, the results were also weighed down by A$61.3m (E42.8m) in significant items linked to a write-down in the group’s investment in the US-based Cannery Casino Resorts and
costs from its now abandoned plan for a A$450m (E312.8m) casino resort in Sri Lanka. Commenting on the results for the first half of 2015, Rowen Craigie, Crown’s chief executive who recently had his contract renewed until the end of 2018, said: “Compared to the prior comparable period, normalised EBITDA was up 26.1 per cent in Crown Melbourne and up 7.7 per cent in Crown Perth, with main floor gaming revenue up 3.5 per cent across Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth. “The decline in Melco Crown Entertainment’s result was attributable to weak market conditions in Macau which worsened
over the six month period with a 30.4 per cent decline in gross gaming revenue across the Macau market in December 2014 compared to December 2013. The deterioration in the Macau market has continued into the second half.” Gambling revenue in Macau fell 2.6 per cent last year, the first decline since public accounting of such data began in 2002, as a smoking ban, Beijing’s antigraft campaign and tighter visa policies for Chinese travelling to Macau prompted China’s high rollers to shy away. The outlook in what remains the world’s largest gambling market is that Macau will continue to witness declines in the short term.
he parliament of New Zealand has finally passed legislation to improve the regulation and financial transparency surrounding noncasino gaming machines more than seven years after it was first introduced. The Gambling Amendment Bill (No 2) was introduced in August 2007 under the Labour government of prime minister Helen Clark, and has since picked up important provisions for the better regulation of operators along with stipulations dealing with licensing. “This is a momentous day,” said internal affairs minister Peter Dunne. “At least I can claim that under my stewardship it’s having its third reading.” The final version of the legislation, which
was only opposed by the conservative and fringe New Zealand First political party, stipulates that gaming machines located in pubs and nightclubs such as slots are to be graded as Class 4 gambling activities as their funds are utilised for an operator’s own purposes. Moreover, it introduces a duty to train employees on how to identify problem gambling while also giving the nation’s internal affairs minister the right to suspend or cancel a licence. Dunne stated that the new legislation will help to ensure that the existing Gambling Act and its measures covering the prevention of problem gambling works as it was originally intended while also underlining the responsibilities operators have towards the communities in which they operate.
DEREGULATION
Las Vegas Sands lobbies for change in South Korean casino laws SOUTH KOREA
S casino stalwart Las Vegas Sands has joined the influx of foreign firms interested in opening a new integrated resort casino in South Korea but only intends to proceed if the government changes current rules that limit gambling for locals. Las Vegas Sands wants to build a $4.5bn (E3.9bn) entertainment facility fea-
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turing a casino in the port city of Busan, which has a metropolitan population in excess of 8.2m, contingent on the caveat that Korean nationals be permitted to play. South Korea has 17 casinos with two more under construction but locals are only allowed to gamble at a remote facility attached to the Holiday Inn Resort in Pyeongchang County, which 2018 Winter Olympics and sia Resort in February of is set to be the focus of inter- Winter Paralympics taking 2018. national attention due to the place at the adjacent AlpenBusan is South Korea’s
10 | casinoreview March 2015
second largest city and mayor Suh Byung-Soo recently met with George Tanasijevich, president and CEO for Las Vegas Sands’ iconic Marina Bay Sands Singapore property, before calling for the central government to change its casino-related laws. This is the second time that Las Vegas Sands has advocated changing the rules on gambling in South Korea. In September, Tanasijevich stated that the firm
was interested in building an ‘iconic’ resort near Seoul’s Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which hosted events during the 1988 Summer Olympics, with rule changes that would allow locals to gamble a prerequisite. He declared that his company would be open to laws similar to those in Singapore where locals must pay an entry fee with casinos running ‘preventive’ measures such as banning those with criminal records or a history of bankruptcy.
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CR149-p12-13-Africa_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 15:36 Page 1
News
Africa & Middle East
PERFORMANCE
Chasing the Sun
L Sun International has improved trading in a period of significant change for the South Africabased casino operator.
SOUTH AFRICA
eading gaming and hospitality company Sun International has announced a seven per cent increase in revenue to ZAR5.3bn (E) in the first half of the year. In the six months to December 31, 2014, South Africa-based Sun International has continued on its large-scale expansion programme. This included the opening of the Ocean Sun Casino in Panama in September 2014, the acquisition of an additional 55 per cent interest in Chilean gaming group, Monticello, and the acquisition of a 25 per cent interest in Grand Parade Investments (GPI) Slots. The group also disposed of the majority of its interests in Gaborone Sun, Kalahari Sands, Lesotho Sun and Maseru Sun, as well as a 50 per cent interest in the Royal Livingstone and Zambezi Sun to Minor International.
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On the operational front, the group concluded its restructuring programme, which has resulted in the group’s South African head count reducing by approximately 1,500 and annual savings of approximately ZAR250m (E). During the first half of fiscal 2015, and excluding revenues from the new Ocean Sun Casino in Panama, revenue was up six per cent on last year, with the South African operations and Monticello up five per cent and 18 per cent, respectively. “The growth in South Africa was achieved despite a disappointing December in which gaming revenue was down one per cent compared to last year,” the group said in a trading update. “Good growth resumed in January 2015, with South African gaming revenue up by six per cent.”
OUTLOOK: SUN INTERNATIONAL espite the upswing in revenues for the first half of fiscal 2015, Sun International continues to operate in a subdued and challenging economic environment – particularly in its core South African business. Chief executive Graeme Stephens said the group has continued to benefit from the revenue enhancing and cost cutting initiatives implemented over the past 18 months, including those implemented at Monticello, which has delivered significantly improved trading. He said: “The benefits of the various initiatives should continue to be felt in the second half of the year, albeit the same relative revenue growth from Monticello is not expected given that restructuring initiatives at that property were undertaken at the end of 2013 and are already in the base comparative for the second half. The Ocean Sun Casino trading is expected to improve as it establishes itself in the market and grows its VIP gaming business. “On balance, the group is confident that it will achieve growth in both EBITDA and adjusted headline earnings in the second half of the 2015 financial year.”
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In May 2014, Sun International concluded a transaction which will see GPI exit its investments in SunWest and Worcester. Rival operator Tsogo Sun Holdings will acquire GPI’s 25 per cent interest and a 15 per cent interest from Sun International in both properties. In July 2014, the Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB) announced that the group’s application to relocate its Morula licence to Menlyn Maine on the east side of Pretoria had been approved, thereby permitting the relocation of the casino from Mabopane to Menlyn. The refurbishment of the Sun City Phase 1 Vacation Club was completed in November 2014, within the ZAR295m budget, Sun International stated. “The refurbishment has resulted in a significant modernisation of the gaming floor and its
CR149-p12-13-Africa_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 15:37 Page 2
ISRAEL / MOROCCO / SOUTH AFRICA YXYXYXY OPERATOR NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
COMMENT: “...ONE KEY TREND OVER RECENT MONTHS HAS BEEN THAT OF MIDDLE- TO HEAVYWEIGHT MANUFACTURERS SNAPPING UP SMALLER REGIONAL PLAYERS IN AN EFFORT TO OPEN THEMSELVES TO NEW MARKETS ...”
POKER
North Africa to play key role in WSOP expansion MOROCCO
he World Series of Poker (WSOP), the longest running and one of the most prestigious poker tournament series, is expanding its brand around the world, with Morocco being named as a new location in its global circuit. In February, WSOP organisers said they had reached agreements with three casino groups on three continents - in Italy, Mexico and Morocco. Casino de Marrakesh Es Saadi, in the central Moroccan city of Marrakesh, will host the first international circuit event on March 7-15. The expansion offers licensing deals to the venues - which also includes Casinò Campione d’Italia in Italy’s Swiss exclave and Casino Jubilee de Monterrey in Mexico - that will give them WSOP rights in their exclusive territories. In addition to hosting the WSOP circuit events, the properties will also host year-round
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satellite qualifiers for both the WSOP Las Vegas and WSOP Europe tournaments. “It’s time to emphasise the ‘World’ in World Series of Poker and more aggressively partner with leading casino operators at the regional level,” said WSOP executive director, Ty Stewart. “We know players crave a WSOP-like experience in their home market and believe our organisational expertise and unique tournament formats will bring a winning formula.” The Marrakesh poker meeting will feature eight official
ring events and a range of side events. Both the main event champion and casino champion at Casino de Marrakesh Es Saadi will automatically qualify for the 2016 WSOP International Casino Championship, which has a minimum prize pool of $1m (E893,000). “These new agreements will allow us to offer meaningful year-round benefits to our casino partners while giving poker players a more direct path to reach the ultimate WSOP dream,” said WSOP director, Gregory Chochon.
AFRICA ROUND-UP he Casino Association of South Africa (CASA) has appointed content development agency Kaelo Engage to plan and implement a sixmonth illegal online gambling awareness campaign. Online gambling remains illegal in South Africa and CASA revealed that the operation would utilise print, broadcast, social and online platforms to highlight the consequences of playing unlicensed games. The campaign comes after a study from PricewaterhouseCooper South Africa found that mobile gaming has grown tremendously thanks to the popularity of cheaper and Internet-connected phones and tablets in Africa’s richest nation. The investigation discovered that South African consumers spent $74.5m (E66.4m) on mobile gaming in 2013 and this is expected to rise to around $130.4m (E116.2m) by 2018 to
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ONLINE surrounds and has been well received by customers,” the group said. “Additional food and beverage offerings are being developed around the casino floor. The long overdue refurbishment of the Cabana rooms and public areas has commenced with an expected completion in November 2015, at a cost of ZAR100m. Further plans for the resort, in particular the convention and conferencing aspects of the business, are under consideration.” Sun International chief executive Graeme Stephens said: “The group has recently concluded a number of significant strategic transactions which will have an impact on the group’s results and financial position in the future. We anticipate that these transactions position the group for growth in the medium to long term.”
888 rejects William Hill takeover proposal ISRAEL
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hares in Israeli-controlled online casino and poker operator 888 Holdings plunged by 11 per cent last month after a key stakeholder prevented its planned £723m (E974.7m) takeover by rival, William Hill. London-based William Hill had proposed to pay £2 (E2.71) per share for the firm behind the 888Poker.com domain alongside a £0.03 (E0.04) dividend but 888 stated that talks disintegrated after ‘a significant difference of opinion on value’ developed.
Almost half of the shares in 888 at 48.6 per cent are owned by Israel’s Shaked family, which includes company co-founder Avi and the children of his late brother and fellow creator Aaron, while compatriot brothers Shay and Ron BenYitzhak hold approximately 10.5 per cent. William Hill is the latest to fail in an attempt to buy 888,
which saw the number of its casino, poker and sportsbetting customer accounts rise by 16 percent year-onyear as of September to 17.3m, with Ladbrokes twice attempting to purchase the operator also behind numerous bingo sites including WinkBingo.com and 888Ladies.com. Ladbrokes’ most recent attempt in 2011 failed after shareholders rejected a proposal of £0.70 (E0.94) per share and asked for £0.80 (E1.08) while William Hill’s bid of £2.03 (E2.75) would have represented the highest valuation since 2006 when the US outlawed online poker.
account for over 40 percent of the total gaming market. Also in South Africa, giant land-based casino operator Sun International has proposed restructuring its black economic empowerment (BEE) deal with investor Dinokana Investments following the expiration of the pair’s original 2005 agreement. The transaction would see Dinokana Investments, which originated from a commitment to the North West Gambling Board and has so far earned around $33m (E29.4m) for its 7,000 shareholders, become a subsidiary of the firm behind the Sun City (pictured) casino and resort near Rustenburg and transform its members into direct shareholders of Sun International. “Dinokana Investments shareholders will be able to participate in the growth strategy and performance of Sun International through a direct shareholding, which is key to effective black economic empowerment,” said Graeme Stephens, CEO for Sun International. March 2015 casinoreview
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North America
PERFORMANCE
Lucky Horseshoe
MARKET SNAPSHOT: MARYLAND Number of Casinos Number of Employees Revenues Tax Revenue
5 7,939 $1.39bn $534m
Data: American Gaming Association (2014)
UNITED STATES
The newly opened Horseshoe Casino is propping up an otherwise stagnant Maryland gaming market, writes J
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asinos in Maryland generated $85m (E75m) in revenue during January, up 28.3 per cent on the prioryear period, with state coffers benefiting from the newly opened Horseshoe Casino. Excluding the positive impact of the eastern US state’s latest gaming venue, which opened in August 2014, year-to-year revenue deceased by 6.7 per cent, according to data released by the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control
14 | casinoreview March 2015
Agency (MSLGCA). Hollywood Casino Perryville saw its revenues in January fall by 4.9 per cent to $6m (E5.3m). This was echoed by Maryland Live Casino and Rocky Gap Casino Resort, which saw their month-on-month revenues fall by eight and 1.8 per cent, respectively. Casino at Ocean Downs saw its January 2015 revenue increase by $210,000 (E185,000), or 6.6 per cent, from January 2014. Horseshoe Casino Balti-
more, which operates 2,500 slot machines and 147 table games, generated revenues of $23.2m (E20.5m) in January. According to the Baltimore Business Journal, the south Baltimore casino is still trailing projections that it would average more than £31m (E27m) in monthly revenue. Horseshoe’s best month so far was November when it generated revenues of $23.3m (E20.6m). Speaking to the Baltimore Sun, casino analyst
James Karmel said it is possible that Maryland’s casino market has “stabilised”. A new casino - MGM - is scheduled to open at National Harbor in Prince George’s County next year, and analysts say it remains to be seen whether MGM will expand the market or cannibalise revenues from Maryland’s existing venues. Owned by MGM Resorts International, the National Harbor facility is being pegged as a “world-class destination resort”. The
$925m (E817m) development will feature a hotel, retail, fine and casual dining and theatre, along with a large casino, which includes 3,600 slot and 140 table games. A December 2013 study by state consultant Will Cummings predicted that Maryland Live would be affected most by the new casino. In an effort to improve their operations, the state’s two largest casinos - Maryland Live and Horseshoe -
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MARYLAND YXYXYXY / NEVADA ICE 2015 Report 26
JIM MURREN: “MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL REPORTED ITS BEST FOURTH-QUARTER SINCE THE PEAK IN 2007 AND ITS BEST FULL-YEAR IN SIX YEARS AT ITS WHOLLY-OWNED DOMESTIC RESORTS...” BUSINESS 48 PERFORMANCE
Wynn results hurt by waning Macau performance UNITED STATES
nternational casino operator Wynn Resorts has released its fourth quarter financial results showing a 25 per cent drop year-on-year in net revenues to $1.13bn (E994.2m), due to substantial decreases in earnings from its venues in Las Vegas and Macau. NASDAQ-listed Wynn operates the 1,008-room Wynn Macau casino resort in the Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR) alongside gaming facilities in Las Vegas additionally offering 4,748 hotel rooms, suites and villas and declared that net revenues from its Macau property for the final three months of 2014 fell by 32 per cent yearon-year to $761.2m (E669.7m) while its Nevada venues took in 5.8 per cent less at $376.8m (E331.6m). For the full year, Las Vegasbased Wynn reported net revenues of $5.43bn (E4.78bn),
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which was a decrease of 3.3 per cent year-on-year, while its annual adjusted property earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation declined by 2.1 per cent to $1.77bn (E1.55bn). The firm stated that the ‘record annual performance’ of its Wynn Las Vegas venue, which had seen adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rise by 5.9 per
cent year-on-year to hit $515.2m (E453.8m), had been offset by its Wynn Macau property falling by five per cent to $1.25bn (E1.1bn). In other company news, Wynn’s properties in Macau and Las Vegas were recently awarded with eleven Forbes Travel Guide five-star accolades with Wynn Macau becoming the world’s first and only quintuple five-star resort.
NORTH AMERICA ROUND-UP he Little River Band of Ottawa Indians of northern Michigan is moving forward with plans to build a casino on 200 acres of land in Muskegon County. The $180m (E160.7m) venue on the site of the former Great Lakes Downs race track will feature a 69,000sq.ft gaming floor with 1,700 slots and 35 table games in addition to a 220-room hotel, conference centre and restaurant. Out west in California, the Soboba Casino (pictured) in San Jacinto has opened The Nook, its new non-smoking gaming area featuring 37 slots including classic titles such as Mr Cashman and current progressive jackpot games like Quick Hits Platinum. Owned and operated by the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, Soboba Casino stated that The Nook also offers the 4 Card Cleopatra
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SPORTSBOOK
Station Casinos inks Baldini’s sportsbook deal UNITED STATES
rket, writes James Walker. recently won approval by the MSLGCA to remove 300 slot machines each and replace them with more table games, which are performing well and are more profitable. Under state regulations, casino operators keep 80 per cent of the proceeds from table games and about 33 per cent from slot machines. The rest goes to the state to help fund education, subsidies for the horse industry and other programmes.
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S gaming firm Station Casinos has signed a deal that will see it enter the northern Nevada sportsbook market by creating, managing and operating a new sportsbook at Baldini’s Casino in the city of Sparks. Las Vegas-based Station Casinos stated that the arrangement will begin in the summer, subject to obtaining all required regulatory approvals. The deal will see it invest a “substantial amount of capital” in order to fully refurbish and renovate the existing sportsbook at Baldini’s while introducing its
proprietary Wagering Information Network linked sports wagering system. “We’re excited about entering the northern Nevada gaming market and bringing our cutting-edge mobile app, wagering technology and exciting sports contests to sportsbetting enthusiasts,” said Art Manteris, race and sportsbook operations vice-president for Station Casinos, which owns and operates 15 Nevada sportsbooks. Station Casinos declared that Baldini’s guests will soon be able to enjoy the “ease, access and benefits” of its complete sportsbook offering including its Sports Connection Mobile platform
alongside its parlay cards and sports wagering contests while earning B Rewarded loyalty card incentives. “Partnering with Station Casinos will allow us to tap into its state-of-the-art technology and popular sportsbetting offerings and promotions,” said Grant Lincoln, owner of Baldini’s.
Keno and 4 Card Caveman Keno titles as well as traditional video poker and keno games. “There is always something new at Soboba Casino every time you come back and our players come first,” said general manager Scott Sirois. Further south in San Diego County, the Pala Casino, Spa and Resort is spending $5m (E4.4m) to build a new restaurant, underground wine bar and entertainment complex. The venue from the Pala Band of Mission Indians already offers 2,000 slots, 87 table games and 13 poker tables but will grow even further with Cave, a 6,000sq.ft restaurant, bar and lounge featuring an underground wine cave and entertainments area. Due to be open before the American holiday of Memorial Day on May 25, Cave will replace Mama’s Cucina Italiana restaurant although chef Luciano Cibelli and his staff are being retained. March 2015 casinoreview
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News
ATLANTIC CITY / LAS VEGAS
North America
ICE 2015 Report 26
CASINO PURCHASE OPPORTUNITY EXCEPTIONAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A CASINO AND/OR HOTEL 3,600 SQM CASINO FLOOR, 168 BEDROOMS CONTACT: JSULLIVAN@GBMEDIA.EU PERFORMANCE MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Ameristar purchase proves positive for Pinnacle
UNITED STATES
American casino operator Pinnacle
Entertainment has reported improvements in its quarterly and annual financial results following acquisition of regional rival in August.
merican casino operator Pinnacle Entertainment has released its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2014 showing year-on-year improvements in its net revenues, earnings and operating incomes. Pinnacle Entertainment operates 15 casinos spread across the states of Colorado, Ohio, Indiana, Nevada, Missouri, Louisiana, Iowa and Mississippi and completed the acquisition of regional rival Ameristar Casinos in August for $2.8bn (E2.49bn). It revealed that the final three months of last year yielded net revenues of $554.28m (E494.17m), which represented an increase of 3.6 per cent year-on-
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year, while its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation grew by 6.4 per cent to reach $149.5m (E133.2m). “We are very pleased with the performance of the Pinnacle Entertainment leadership team in the fourth quarter of 2014,” said Anthony Sanfilippo, CEO for Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment. “We have worked diligently throughout 2014 to put meaningful initiatives in place to improve the performance of our properties and completed critical Ameristar integration work in a timely manner. We have made leadership changes where appropriate to ensure the best possible stewardship of our resources and assets across the company.” For the full year, Pinnacle Entertainment reported net revenues of $2.21bn (E1.96bn), which was an improvement of 49 per cent year-on-year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation advanced 57.7 per cent to $584.82m (E521.2m). “As we begin 2015, Pinnacle Entertainment is a stronger, more robust organisation that is highly focused on providing memorable experiences to our guests, a healthy environment in which our team members can prosper and
outstanding financial results for all of our stakeholders,” said Sanfilippo. “The scale of our portfolio, the cost and revenue synergies implemented since completing the Ameristar acquisition and a continued focus on operational efficiency are apparent in our financial performance.” Sanfilippo declared that the strong performances of the collective Ameristar-branded portfolio and the L’Auberge Lake Charles property were ‘of particular note’ during the fourth quarter, producing adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of 10.1 and 6.6 per cent respectively. “After stabilising in the 2014 third quarter, the revenue performance of our properties showed further evidence of recovery in the fourth quarter,” said Sanfilippo. “On a same store basis excluding Belterra Park, in the 2014 fourth quarter our portfolio of properties produced its first full quarter with a positive gross gaming revenue comparison in over nine quarters. This performance has strengthened so far in the 2015 first quarter, with our same store portfolio producing gross gaming revenue growth of approximately ten per cent in January.”
REGENERATION
Riviera Hotel and Casino due for demolition UNITED STATES
he Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has announced that it intends to spend $182.5m (E161m) in order to purchase and then demolish the historic Riviera Hotel and Casino so that it may expand the Las Vegas Convention Center. The 26-acre site will serve as the cornerstone of the new $2.3bn (E2.02bn) Las Vegas Global Business District, which is the largest economic development initiative undertaken by the LVCVA since the Las Vegas Convention Center was built in the late 1950s, and will be the site
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of 750,000sq.ft of new exhibition space alongside 187,500sq.ft of meeting areas. “Today marks an exciting new milestone in Las Vegas’ long history of reinvention and evolution and ensures Las Vegas’ meeting and convention industry remains the envy of the world for decades to come,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO for the LVCVA. “The Las Vegas Global Business District is the single most important economic development project in the state and it will generate thousands of good-paying jobs and help lay a strong economic foundation for the benefit of the entire community. This strategic acquisition of land gives us the much-needed
16 | casinoreview March 2015
space for expansion while also providing a highly visible presence on one of the most famous streets in the world, the Las Vegas Strip, and is essential in helping us to reach our goal of 45m visitors.” The first high-rise casino when it opened in 1955, the Riv-
iera Hotel and Casino is now scheduled to close on May 2 after celebrating its 60th birthday and will also eventually be the site for 100,000sq.ft of ‘general session space’ attached to the Las Vegas Convention Center as well as similarly-sized additional meeting areas.
Second deal to buy bankrupt Revel disintegrates UNITED STATES
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he proposed $95.4m (E84.6m) sale of the bankrupt Revel Hotel Casino to Florida developer Glenn Straub has collapsed after the parties failed to meet a February 9 deadline. The 1,400-room Atlantic City property cost $2.4bn (E1.9bn) to construct but closed in September after less than two years in operation having never turned a profit. Straub, through his Polo North Country Club investment vehicle, wanted the 47storey building to serve as the centrepiece of a planned $500m (E443.4m) development that was also to include a water park, Ferris wheel, soccer franchise and manmade mountain for skiing. However, a string of eleventhhour court rulings in favour of the property’s former tenants and other creditors including the operator of its nightclub, prevented the final sale being completed in time with the US Bankruptcy Court in Camden, New Jersey, ruling that Revel can now begin discussions with other potential buyers while keeping Straub’s $10m (E8.8m) deposit in temporary escrow. An earlier agreement to sell Revel to Canadian private-equity firm Brookfield Asset Management for $110m (E97.1m) fell through in November due to a court case brought by ACR Energy Partners, which operates the venue’s custom-built power plant, while Straub is now expected to appeal the decision. “No game ends in the first quarter,” Stuart Moskovitz, an attorney for Straub, told New Jersey OnLine. “There’s still a lot of things to go, not the least of which is there’s no other bidders. There’s nobody else. If we walk away, they are going to liquidate because nobody is going to come up with the money we are going to come up with. It would be insane for them to allow us to walk away.”
CR149-p18-19-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 15:23 Page 1
News
South America
LEGISLATION
A new proposal from Mexico’s Interior Ministry could see large resort casinos permitted for the city of Acapulco as well as on the Baja California and Yucatan peninsulas.
M MEXICO
Mexico considers authorising Las Vegasstyle casino resorts
exico could soon pass new legislation authorising the construction of giant Las Vegas-style resort casinos around the city of Acapulco as well as on the Baja California peninsula and in the Mayan Riviera area south of Cancun. There are currently 297 licensed casinos in Mexico under legislation that dates back to 1947 with the vast majority of these in urban areas. But, the Interior Ministry wants to encourage operators to construct venues in more rural locales in order to attract foreign tourists while decreasing the affects problem gambling has on metropolitan populations. Marcela Gonzalez Salas, Interior Ministry gaming director, stated that the new programme could see Mexico host up to 775 casinos with this latest pro-
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posal set to be considered as part of federal legislation currently making its way through Congress. “Despite the expected number of casinos, it is not yet clear whether investors are interested in the project proposed by the Interior Ministry,” said Gonzalez Salas. In July of 2012 there were 412 casinos in Mexico but a recent crackdown on illegal operators has seen this number reduced while 25,000 slot machines have also been confiscated or voluntarily surrendered following the initiation of a nation-wide complaints programme. Eduardo Sanchez, spokesperson for Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto, declared that these illegal machines had been bringing in around $1.67bn (E1.46bn) a year that ‘often financed other criminal activities’.
TOURISM INDUSTRY RECOVERY ollowing several years of stagnation, Mexico’s tourism sector appears to be on the rise, following the success of the $43m (E37.7m) US-aimed ‘Live It To Believe It’ advertising campaign. Suffering from the affects of the global economic slowdown, the H1N1 flu and adverse publicity relating to organised crime, Mexico first saw tourism numbers fall in 2009. This trend continued for the next three years before recovering slightly in 2013 helped by the attractive beaches and nightlife of resorts around the cities of Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Cancun. However, last year saw the country surpass the 2008 figure by welcoming 23.7m foreign tourists who generated $13.8bn (E12.1bn) in revenues for the economy. According to figures from the nation’s Tourism Department, tourism now accounts for 8.4 per cent of Mexico’s gross domestic product and employs around 6.8 per cent of the population.
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Hotel chains such as Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya and Resort Mundo Imperial Acapulco have reportedly already expressed an interest in opening such large casinos should the government pass the proposed legislation, while Miguel Angel Lemus Mateos from the Mexican Association of Professional Real Estate Agents in Cancun stated that several unnamed ‘Las Vegas-based firms’ operators are also paying attention. He declared that these firms are especially interested in the Mayan Riviera as this region already attracts large numbers of wealthy foreign tourists with casinos a way to further strengthen the area’s overall tourist offering. “Cancun and the Mayan Riviera are already in international competition with destinations that
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BAHAMAS / CHILE YXYXYXY / MEXICO SAGSE Panama: 54
MEXICAN INTERIOR MINISTRY: “DESPITE THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF CASINOS, IT IS NOT YET CLEAR WHETHER INVESTORS ARE INTERESTED...”
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Sun International to merge with Chilean operator CHILE
S
outh African hotel and casino giant Sun International has signed an agreement that will see it merge its Latin American operations with those of Chilean firm Dreams to create one of the region’s largest casino operators. Dreams, which was established by entrepreneurs Claudio and Humberto Fischer in conjunction with Citigroup Investment Fund, runs casinos in Iquique, Temuco, Valdivia, Puerto Varas, Coyhaique and Punta Arenas in Chile and recently expanded into neighbouring Peru. The new combined entity is to take control of these venues along with Sun International’s properties in the region including the Monticello Grand Casino in Chile, Panama City’s Ocean Sun Casino and a project nearing completion in Colombia.
“We have been looking for a partner in Latin America for some years and Dreams provides everything that we have sought,” said Graeme Stephens, CEO for Sun International. “Operationally, it has a strong presence in Chile, which is a country that we know well and that we have confidence in. It also has an expansion strategy that has seen it grow a presence in Peru, which is complementary to our own expansion into Panama and Colombia. Most importantly, we place a high value on its executive team and on having local shareholders, in particular the
Fischer family who have been in the industry for more than a decade. We believe with this team we are well positioned for future expansion.” The merged entity, which will be managed by existing Dreams executives, is to be a 50/50 partnership although Sun International has agreed to acquire further shares postdeal in order to take its shareholding to 55 per cent. “Sun International is the best partner for us to achieve the major goal of becoming a regional leader in the casino industry,” said Jaime Wilhelm, CEO for Dreams. “We are committed to making this a turning point in the entertainment industry. The combination of Dreams and Sun Latin America is an important step to create stronger companies within the regional gaming industry in order to further enhance industry standards and improve sustainability.”
SOUTH AMERICA ROUND-UP yatt Hotels has opened its fourth hotel in Mexico with the 145-room Hyatt Place Tijuana (pictured) near the Agua Caliente Racetrack and Casino. Hyatt Place Tijuana joins the operator’s other properties in Cuidad Del Carmen, La Paz and San Jose Del Cabo, which is scheduled to reopen later this year following a refurbishment, and is a 15-minute drive from Tijuana International Airport and ten minutes from Mexico’s border with California. Further south, American casino information and management systems developer Table Trac has expanded its presence in Columbia after signing a deal that will see its CasinoTrac innovation installed at eleven casinos operated by Quintero Group.
H
DEVELOPMENT
Genting acquires more land for Bimini development already have such offers and the possibility of installing such infrastructure will strengthen the competitiveness of the area,” said Lemus Mateos. Roberto Chapur Zahoul from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Cancun told El Economista that his firm was waiting on the passage of new legislation before deciding whether to include a casino in the new development. He stated that current regulations are not clear or transparent but that ‘the hotel will have space to open casinos as soon as the law is totally transparent’. For his part, the mayor of Cancun, Paul Carrillo De Caceres, said such a programme would be positive for the city so long as suitable regulations were included to monitor and control problem gambling and any illegal activities.
BAHAMAS
n advance of opening a new 307-room hotel at its Resorts World Bimini development in the Bahamas, Genting Malaysia has paid $24.6m (E21.6m) for 16.2 acres of adjacent land. The firm behind Malaysia’s only casino, Resorts World Genting, revealed in a filing with the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange that the deal agreed between its BB Entertainment operating subsidiary and local real estate developer RAV Bahamas also includes an option on 103.4 acres of additional neighbouring land for even more expansion. Opened in June on the small Caribbean island of
I
North Bimini, Resorts World Bimini is less than 60 miles from Miami and features a 10,000sq.ft casino with table games such as baccarat, blackjack, craps and roulette alongside more than 100 slots and a high-limit private gaming salon. The property’s hotel is expected to undergo a soft launch later this month before an official opening by the end of the year, while Genting Malaysia has additionally invested approximately $40m (E35.1m) to construct a pier capable of accommodating the 33,000-ton MS Bimini Superfast ferry that sails to the area three times a week from Florida. “There will be a waiting list to come to Bimini; that is what we are anticipating,” Patrick Fortemps, food and beverage manager at Resorts World Bimini, told local media.
The CasinoTrac management system features a full suite of products including a reporting and automatic data transmission facility specifically developed and tested to comply with standards set by the ColJuegos regulator alongside slot auditing, accounting and patron management capacities. The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has announced that its 2015 Annual Conference will take place at the JW Marriott Hotel in Lima, Peru, on October 13-15. The event in the Peruvian capital marks the first time IAGR will hold its conference in South America. In Mexico, meanwhile, the country’s tourism chief, Agustin Barrios Gomez, said that the government would create a new gaming board that will be authorised to define where Las Vegas-style casinos can be established in the country. While these areas are yet to be decided upon, the Interior Ministry has purportedly earmarked Los Cabos, Acapulco and the Riviera Maya as possible destinations. March 2015 casinoreview
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Comment & Politics
COMMENT
SUPPLIER NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
MEDIAWATCH
F Reel-to-reel: industry consolidation in 2015 Consolidation in the global gaming industry is set to continue in 2015, but where will the next wave of M&A activity be focused, asks James Walker.
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t ICE 2015, the writing was on the wall or, rather, the show floor - as International Game Technology (IGT) and Gtech exhibited a stone’s throw away from each other in the ExCeL Centre’s north hall. The close proximity of the two gaming groups in London this year came as the pair moved nearer to completing the largest-ever merger in the industry’s manufacturing sector. Indeed, in the immediate aftermath of ICE, the Nevada Gaming Control Board signed off on Gtech’s $6.4bn (E5.7bn) buyout of IGT, while shareholders of the Nevadabased gaming product manufacturer also voted in favour of the deal. “Due to the economic crisis and the difficulty globally, there was an expectation of acquisitions across all sectors of the entertainment leisure industry, and not just gaming,” the managing director of one large gaming products manufacturer told me at ICE. “But no one expected them to happen at this scale. I think everyone was surprised.” Once complete, Gtech’s acquisition of IGT is likely to represent the high-water mark of M&A activity that has swept across the global gaming industry over recent months. But although it is unlikely that the manufacturing sector will witness a merger that trumps the IGT/Gtech deal in scale or price, many within the industry insist that consolidation will continue over the near term.
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In its December 2014 outlook on the global gaming industry, Spectrum Gaming Group, an independent research firm, said: “Flat and declining growth in regional markets will continue to be a driver of M&A activity, spurred also by activist investors.” It is often difficult to predict exactly when the next acquisition will arise, or where M&A activity will be focused. Major suppliers are understandably tight-lipped when it comes to showing their hand. But one key trend over recent months has been that of middleto heavyweight manufacturers snapping up smaller regional players in an effort to open themselves to new markets and gain a competitive edge. Last July, in an effort to shore up its operations in North America Aristocrat Leisure agreed to buy Tennessee-based Video Gaming Technologies (VGT) for about $1.3bn (E1.2bn). Similar stories can be found in other large casino product manufacturers, such as Novomatic, which acquired Spanish games develop GiGames last year, and Gauselmann Group, which recently bought UK operator Sceptre Leisure. As the gaming industry continues to consolidate, it is also becoming aware of the importance of localisation. ‘Culturalspecific content’ has become a key phrase over recent months, and although it is unlikely that reports of a $6.4bn deal will surface in the near-term, it would be no surprise if several manufacturers unveiled plans to ramp up their presence in regional markets through inorganic growth over the next 12 months.
EDITORIAL Managing Editor: Ken Scott Email: ks@sjc.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900 Edition Editor: James Walker Email: jw@sjc.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900 Reporters: Joseph Ewens, Chris Webster, Alan Campbell, Imogen Goodman ADVERTISING
ollowing a crackdown on illegal gambling machines in Northern Ireland, former Conservative MP Sir Richard Needham stated that Rank Group’s plan to build the province’s first casino and entertainment centre in Belfast would bring gambling ‘out of the darkness and into the light’, reports Coinslot International. Speaking to the BBC’s Talkback programme, the past under-secretary for Northern Ireland and current non-executive director for Rank Group suggested that a lack of modernised legislation within the region has led to a burgeoning illicit gambling trade. Meanwhile, a story from The Indianapolis Star has the Indiana House of Representatives voting on legislation that would allow live dealers for games of blackjack and poker at the state’s two racinos while also permitting riverboat casinos to move their operations onto adjacent land. Known as House Bill 1540, the legislation has been designed to help the state’s 20-year-old casino industry
fight off competition from surrounding states and would also extend tax breaks for casino promotions and introduce incentives for casino construction. And finally, Tampa’s CBS-affiliated television station WTSP has reported that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians wants to build a casino resort in Florida and has already started preliminary construction on land it owns in Escambia County. Although not recognised by the US government, the tribe already operates a pair of four-star casino resorts in neighbouring Alabama and wants Republican governor Rick Scott to authorise the Florida panhandle project.
ONLINE GAMING
Caesars joins forces with Amaya S casino group Caesars Entertainment has joined forces with Montreal-based Amaya Gaming to promote the US online gaming industry in addition to supporting responsible legislation at state and federal levels. Toronto-listed Amaya Gaming purchased online poker leader PokerStars in the summer $4.9bn (Ebn) and has teamed up with Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment to offer online gambling to residents of New Jersey, although their licence has been subject to repeated delays. “Amaya Gaming and Caesars Entertainment have enjoyed a very good relationship and business partnership for a
U
Eric Hollreiser
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number of years,” Eric Hollreiser, communications director at PokerStars, told FlushDraw. “That has not changed since acquiring PokerStars. As part of our ongoing conversations we will work closely with Caesars Entertainnment to promote the US online gaming industry and support responsible legislation at state and federal levels.” The pair are hoping to overcome the concerted efforts of opponents such as Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO for Las Vegas Sands, who has adopted a ‘whatever it takes’ stand against legalised online gambling in the US. The 81-year-old billionaire wants to reinstitute a federal ban on online gambling as he believes the activity harms bricks-and-mortar casinos and is dangerous to society. “We need to focus on where our opposition really lies and clearly it’s not Amaya Gaming and PokerStars,” Jan Jones Blackhurst, governmental relations executive vice-president for Caesars Entertainment, told Gambling Compliance. “They are a strong ally in the space.” Opinions expressed in this publication should not be regarded as the official view of GB Media Corporation Ltd, except where stated. Views, opinions and recommendations contained in this publication are put forward for consideration only. No action should be taken in reliance upon any such views, opinions or recommendations. Neither GB Media Corporation Ltd nor contributors accept any responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person howsoever caused or arising as a result of or in consequence of action taken or refrained from in realiance on the contents of this publication. Notes for contributors The Editorial Board welcomes the submission of articles for consideration by the editor with a view to publication. Articles submitted will not be returned and accordingly contributors making submissions should retain copies. Submission of an article will be held to imply that the article contains original unpublished work which GB Media Corporation Ltd may lawfully publish. All submissions are made at the owner’s risk. © GB Media Corporation Ltd 2015 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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ICE TOTALLY GAMING 2015 ICE portfolio director Kate Chambers (left) is pictured with Novomatic Group CEO, Harald Neumann; outgoing ECA Chairman, Ron Goudsmit; and ICE marketing director, Jo Mayer
Review
ICE 2015
ICE 20125 REPORT
ICE celebrates recordbreaking anniversary Celebrating its 21st anniversary in 2015, the organisers of ICE Totally Gaming reported an eight per cent uplift in visitors to what has become the world’s largest B2B gaming event.
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he 2015 edition of ICE Totally Gaming closed its doors on February 5, with visitor numbers at the London gaming expo breaking the 25,000 mark for the first time. The interim figures, which are subject to a final independent audit, show that a total of 25,386 unique attendees made the journey to London’s ExCeL Centre - an increase on 2014, and the sixth consecutive year of growth for what has become the world’s biggest B2B gaming event. Reflecting on ‘ICE Week’, portfolio director, Kate Chambers said: “This was the best event that I have been involved with in my 25 year career in the exhibitions sector. The opening day set the standard with some 18,000 visitors coming through the doors at ExCeL.” “The enthusiasm for ICE was evident across the board, from
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Going Global COMMENT
T
he record-breaking attendance figures for ICE 2015 have understandably been welcomed by the show’s organisers, Clarion Events. However, this year’s real showstopper was, perhaps, not the visitor numbers, but the sheer breadth and scale of products and services on display. Land-based casino operators, traditionally ICE’s core customer base, were presented with world-leading slots, table games, backoffice solutions, cash handling systems and more. This was complemented by the show’s ever-expanding roster of online and mobile gaming solutions providers. ICE was traditionally known as the major European stop on the international gaming trade show circuit. But after impressive successive shows, it’s probably the major stop on the international circuit. Many exhibitors continue to ramp up the amount of localised titles on display each year, with products for South American and Asian markets sitting side-by-side with those destined for venues a little closer to home. Likewise, ICE Conferences continues to expand its scope, with the International Casino Conference, World Regulatory Briefing, BetMarkets and other streams tackling issues relevant not only to European operators, but those based around the world.
exhibitors and visitors alike. There’s no doubt that the industry has created a winning formula, with ICE proving the ideal showcase for international gaming in all of its guises.” Novomatic, which was one of the original exhibitors at the first ICE held 21 years ago and which now takes the biggest stand presence of ICE’s 512 exhibiting companies, was equally upbeat about what has become gaming’s most important three days of the year. David Orrick, director of communications and business development at parent company Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) said the show had been “exceptional”. The number and quality of visitors [was] very, very good and our entire team is energised and enthused as a result of the interactions they have had at this show,” he said.
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CR149-p28-p44-Report_Coinslot NEW 06/03/2015 12:28 Page 1
Report
E-GAMING / JCM GLOBAL / NOVOMATIC
ICE 2015
iCE Totally Gaming 2015
NOVOMATIC
E-GAMING
Novomatic continues on record-breaking path
European expansion for egaming
After reporting a strong uplift in both revenues and earnings for the first half of 2014, it is clear that Novomatic has set out to continue on its recordbreaking path to success in gaming markets around the world. Once again we have the biggest booth at ICE,” said David Orrick, director of communications and business development for Novomatic, on the opening day of ICE Totally Gaming 2015. “It’s also, once again, the biggest exhibition booth at any gaming exhibition ever in the world in history.” Headed up by newly-appointed CEO, Harald Neumann, Novomatic’s football pitch-sized stand in London was occupied by 18 international subsidiary companies and affiliates catering to the various segments of the gaming industry. At the front of the stand, Novomatic UK comprising Astra Games, Bell-Fruit Games, Empire Games, Gamestec and Mazooma Interactive Games - welcomed the guests, together with the colleagues from Eurocoin, while Admiral Sportsbetting and a large Novomatic Interactive area covered the right hand area of the stand. The group’s ExCeL stage also featured a wide range of AWP and VLT offerings for the Spanish, German and Italian markets, pre-
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Record breakers (from left to right): David Orrick, director of communications and business development for Novomatic; Novomatic CEO, Harald Neumann; Max Lindenberg, director for marketing for AGI; and Zane Mersich, CEO of Novomatic UK
sented by Novomatic Gaming Spain, Löwen Entertainment, Crown Technologies and Novomatic Italia, respectively. The main section of the Novomatic stand featured the full range of innovative gaming technologies from Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) and Octavian, as well as a new Novomatic hospitality area and Dominator numerous meeting rooms. Formerly known as The Astra Curve Gaming Group, Novomatic UK set out its stall to promote a broad range of new product launches from its top performing brands. Among the debutantes lined up for ICE was Astra Games’ new video-based Category C product, Community £100 bonus. “The importance of this exhibition can never be understated, both in terms of the way it delivers an invigorating start to the New Year and its role as an inspirational showcase for new ideas and concepts,” said Novomatic UK CEO, Zane Mersich. “It is,
without doubt, a highly effective shop window for the global gaming community.” Taking the spotlight for AGI this year was the Dominator Curve cabinet. Making its first public appearance anywhere in the world, the Domainator Curve features all the ergonomic and design elements of its predecessor plus the advantages of its own unique feature - an upright 40-inch full HD curved touchscreen. The player position in the focal point of the curved screen guarantees maximum impact gaming with sophisticated graphics and sound. The Dominator Curve was launched at ICE with a set of especially developed brand new games and Novomatic’s first proprietary mystery progressive stand-alone jackpot. Further attractions at ICE 2015 were an enhanced Panther Roulette with new attractive LED features, the Novostar VIP II with its impressively large 50-inch screen and a large range of new games, new mixes and new jackpots.
JCM GLOBAL
Offering the golden ticket CE 2015 saw the debut of a joint JCM Global/Future Logic stand, following the former’s acquisition of the latter in September 2014. “The gaming market is still pretty challenging at the moment, especially in Europe,” remarked Payam Zadeh, JCM’s general manager EMEA. “That was one of the reasons we acquired FutureLogic: we looked at their technology and realised that together we could support one another to help reduce cost and increase profit.” It was a gamble that seems to have paid off - at least in terms of driving traffic towards the company’s showstand. “I wasn’t expecting to see so many of our customers,” Zadeh continued. “We’ve had a great many meetings, and we’re finding our customers are receptive
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to new products and new ways of doing business.” Seemingly of benefit from the merger is an increase in profile within developing markets. “Africa and South America both seem like promising regions for us at the moment,” said Zadeh. “Worldwide people are looking to decrease costs: but particularly so within developing economies.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, Zadeh notes a correspondingly higher interest in TITO products in these countries. “Sorting high quantities of coinage is a heavy, dirty job - it’s expensive to handle and comes with a plethora of additional security concerns.” He explained. “If you’re looking to maximise profit and minimise costs, TITO is the logical solution.”
fter first participating in ICE three years ago, the London exhibition is now a key part of e-gaming’s business calendar. “ICE is really important for us,” said Urbain Thewissen (pictured), international sales executive for the Czech server-based gaming specialist. “Every year we see a very positive evolution. It’s a very important event that allows us to show our latest innovations and welcome our existing customers. “The show attracts a lot of visitors from Europe, but unfortunately the number of Latin American visitors - a region in which we are rapidly expanding - is poor. The organisers should try to attract more people from this region. It’s probably not so easy because of the long distance and added costs, but I think it’s worth a try.” According to Thewissen, e-gaming’s newest 23-inch cabinet with three monitors garnered a great deal of attention, as did the company’s latest game portfolio with 12 games. “Our online casino platform also caught the attention of many visitors,” he said. “During ICE, we signed several major deals in different countries. “In 2015 we will be working further on our expansion in Europe. We already have 20,000 terminals installed and expect this to grow by 2,500 this year.
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Report
GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNA
ICE 2015
E-GAMING 23” CABINET GLI TESTING PROCEDURES JCM GLOBAL TITO SOLUTIONS NOVOMATIC DOMINATOR CURVE CAB INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY SCIENTIFIC GAMES FRIENDS VIDEO SLOT TCS JOHN HUXLEY FLOOR LIVE (GFL)
GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL (GLI)
SCIENTIFIC GAMES
Standing the test of time: GLI and the quest for global homogeny
‘Stronger together’ with Scientific Games
Laws and custom may differ across the globe, but as far as Martin Britton is concerned, it’s the same service from GLI, regardless of location. s the world’s largest games-testing provider, ICE affords Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) unrivalled access to its European customer-base. “ICE is more of a European market for us in terms of the clients that come here, though we do get traffic from US customers as well,” states Martin Britton, GLI’s European managing director. The company’s slogan - ‘so much more than testing’ - eludes to a growing list of services beyond traditional areas of operation. “Our core business has been built around our regulatory and testing activity - it’s our strong point and we’re accredited in 455 jurisdictions, so we have to maintain a large dialogue there,” Britton explains. “Where we’re expanding is in our auditing and security services - or our Professional Services Group. It’s here that we offer greater expertise pertaining to the online, sports-betting and lotteries sectors.”
A
The fresh additions aren’t just for show GLI has invested heavily to ensure pertinent staff secure all requisite approvals, and the company has even hired a contingent of ethical hackers to put online protocols to the test. “As online systems can be very vulnerable, we’ve invested in training these guys and getting them the correct certifications: giving customers the assurance that their systems are rock-solid, and that the chances of getting hacked are very remote,” Britton says. Operating 21 locations across all five continents, GLI’s global reach is unsurpassed. For Britton, the scale of this operation provides its own unique advantages. “[It] helps us stay ahead of the curve in terms anticipating where and when regulated markets are opening,” he comments. “It also helps us in our advisory capacity, as we get feedback from operators the world over. This allows us to have an international, holistic approach in our consultation, as well as how we perform our
W Martin Britton (right) with GLI President James Maida
testing procedures.” Indeed, Britton makes much of the homogenised approach, irrespective of geography. “Our offices all test to the same level - there’s no subjectivity involved. Whether it’s an engineer in Colorado or in Johannesburg, its the same methods employed to the same standard.” Don’t be fooled - standardising methodology across large swathes of the world isn’t easy. “There’s certainly a phase of discovery with newer regulators and clients where you need to determine what’s being striven for,” Britton tells us. “This can sometimes be a long process, but based on the law, we use the feedback we receive to draft an approach which makes sense and stands the test of time.”
PLAYTECH
Data in the driving seat f the language employed by CEO Mor Weizer was anything to go by, ICE 2015 represented a seminal opportunity for Playtech. “We’ve flown in more than a hundred and fifty of our staff to be with us today,” he enthused to assembled press. “This year’s exhibition is a very, very exciting week for us.” At least part of this excitement seemed to be derived from a recent and quite remarkable success in northern Europe: with a 20 year extended deal as exclusive content provider to Finnish operator Ray. “The twenty-year length of our contract extension is almost unheard of in our industry,” Weizer remarked. “I think the fact that they felt comfortable entering this length of contract only reiterates the position of Playtech as a market leader and Ray’s strategic partner.” Extolling the virtues of Playtech’s latest marvel - it’s Business Intelligence Technology (BIT) solution - Weizer underlined the
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industry’s increasing requirement for a workable knowledge of customer behaviours. “Our operators have a lot of data: they have data about their customer trends about how they play, about when they play, and for how long,” he stated. “They have this wealth of data, but until now, haven’t been able to put it to good effect.” Weizer compared BIT to the ‘brains’ of
the future gambling operation - utilising a multitude of observed player trends as fuel for a variety of practical tools - including bonus and game recommendation - that serve to tailor the play experience to each individual user. “Data driven performance should, and will take this industry forward,” he insisted. “As such, that’s been one of our key themes of focus at this year’s show.”
ith a wealth of gaming options across a wide range of gaming sectors and markets, the question for visitors to Scientific Games’ stand at ICE 2015 was, “Where do I start?” Well, the starting point for operators was experiencing first-hand the strategic benefits of the combination of Scientific Games’ Bally, WMS, Shuffle Master, SG Gaming, Williams and Barcrest brands. The group showcased more than 125 gaming products that address casino operators’ diverse needs across all of their land-based and interactive channels. More than 50 WMS-branded products were showcased at ExCeL this year, including the Blade s23 hybrid slant cabinet with a range of games such as Double Buffalo Spirit, Snow Leopard and Romulus and Remus. On the Gamefield xD cabinet, meanwhile, The Flintstones and Austin Powers games took centre stage. Bally, too, put over 50 products on show at ICE this year, including the Friends video slot, MultiDeluxe fourlevel progressive, The Blob on the Hammerhead cabinet and Betty Boop’s Firehouse. Bally Systems, Shuffle Master and SG Gaming also maintained a strong presence at ICE. In addition to robust solutions and gaming content for the world’s land-based casino operators, SG Interactive demonstrated its iGaming and social casino solutions for landbased and online casino operators. “Our vision is to become the most successful gaming and lottery company in the world,” said Gavin Isaacs, president and CEO of Scientific Games. “We’re going to do that by creating the best content available for all players across all mediums.”
Phil Gelber, senior vice president of product development for Scientific Games’ Worldwide Studios
CR149-p28-p44-Report_Coinslot NEW 06/03/2015 12:29 Page 3
RIES INTERNATIONAL / PLAYTECH / SCIENTIFIC GAMES / TCS JOHN HUXLEY iCE Totally Gaming 2015
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Connecting the dots
It’s uniquely compact size allows it to be positioned on a Roulette table and offers further flexibility with 3 operating mode options - proving one size does indeed fit all. SaturnTM Auto Features: Accurate data capture of all wheel events, including patented ‘Drop Zone’ bias Precise and fast winning number detection Same footprint as SaturnTM 2 wheel
eptember’s G2E show in Las Vegas saw the unveiling of TCS John Huxley’s Gaming Floor Live (GFL): a management system, backwards compatible with any and all casino table products, which feeds real-time dealer data back to pit-bosses and supervisors. Back on home turf in London, GFL was still very much the centre-piece of TCS’ 2015 ICE presence. “In September, GFL functioned alongside baccarat products only,” director of marketing for TCS Tracy Cohen explained. “ICE has seen us roll out Roulette and Sic Bo functionality. Whilst the gameplay itself differs considerably, GFL’s reporting concept stays the same: be it pertaining to dealing procedures, optimisation and accountability.” ICE also saw the addition of marketing and media utility within the GFL platform: the branding elements for which were introduced at G2E. “We’re now offering a range of LCD displays - both landscape and portrait,” says
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Cohen. “These allow pit-bosses - as well as manager back-of-house - to use the GFL dashboard to control all information and media displays on each of their tables: be that minimum or maximum bets, special offers, facility information - whatever the changing circumstances of the gaming floor dictates.” Real-time, processable data is a commodity increasingly prized by betting operators of all ilks, and similar systems have been rolled out by other software developers and suppliers. So what’s GFL’s specific appeal to the landed casino sector? “We’re the only supplier who are catering to the live table-gaming space,” Cohen responds. “There have been slot systems and general casino management systems for some time: but when you consider the fact that a single table-game can draw upon products from ten separate vendors - no one else has been able to connect all these variables together in such a fashion before.”
Patented ball launch system for increased randomness 3 operating modes – Fully auto system driven, automatic and semi-automatic (Dealer push button) Easily integrates with third party Electronic Terminal Game Systems
www.tcsjohnhuxley.com
March 2015 casinoreview
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Report
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES / KONAMI GAMING / ZITRO
ICE 2015
iCE Totally Gaming 2015
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES C-SERIES KONAMI GAMING SELEXION MULTIGAME CABINET ZITRO ZITRO REVOLUTION
KONAMI GAMING
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES
Make the right SeleXion with Konami
Aristocrat welcomes ‘best ICE on record’
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Konami Gaming’s Steve Walther (left) and Matt Reback
During this year’s ICE expo, Konami Gaming showcased a broad selection of international product launches spanning video slots, multigame cabinets, standalone and linked progressive games, systems technology and more. n February 3-5, 2015, casino gaming representatives from across the globe arrived at ExCeL London to encounter a wealth of international casino games and technology releases set to define the future of gaming for the coming months. Konami’s 2015 exhibit featured the latest games including the ICE debut of Snow Stars White Winter and Rapid Revolver Northern Treasure, both of which are approaching international release. Guests were also able to explore an interactive demo environment for Konami’s Synkros casino management system. Featuring up to eight game themes, Konami’s unique SeleXion multigame cabinet switches instantaneously between games, denominations and languages, even down to its dynamic button panel. Operators can choose from an ever-increasing array of available KP3 themes to add to their SeleXion game libraries. Konami showcased both its upright and
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slant SeleXion machines, each with unique game packages, for Spain, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland and other specific configurations by jurisdiction. “The key to SeleXion is that players can instantly switch between games,” said Steve Walther, product management director for Konami’s games division. “It’s live, it’s quick and it’s fast. It also features a dynamic button panel that changes contextually depending on which game you are playing.” Elsewhere, Konami’s classic Podium cabinet, in upright and slant design, continues to entertain nations abroad through exciting new themes and progressives. With a reputation for reliability and performance, Podium is a favourite among players and operators alike, and at ICE this year players were given the chance to play four new titles: More Gold More Silver, Exotic Princess, Solstice Celebration and Dragon’s Victory. Also at ICE this year, Konami’s Podium
Goliath exemplified the latest top-performing configurations available for international markets. Compatible with any KP3 theme on the market, Goliath is able to feature the best high-performing games available to any Podium cabinet model, combined with new standalone progressives such as Rapid Hit Fever and Gigantic Wheel of Winning. With regard to marketing tools and automations, a variety of new enhancements were unveiled through Synkros’ True-Time Tournaments - a system-delivered community gaming application that uses True-Time Windowing to bring unique tournament games to any video-based EGM on the floor. Adding to the Player-on-Demand functionality was the new SynkStart feature that allows groups of players to all play at the same time. Both versions of True-Time Tournaments are available through an integrated module for full backend management and leaderboard functionality.
ZITRO
Join the Zitro Revolution
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itro Revolution took centre stage on Zitro’s booth at this year’s ICE Totally Gaming. Gaining increasing popularity around the world, Zitro Revolution offers major advances never before seen in the bingo sector, including more community games, more functionality and a range of new titles. With Zitro Revolution, 30 balls are drawn from a drum containing 60 balls. The player has up to four cards with 15 numbers on each one. Up to 10 extra balls help increase any prize won, and extra prizes are awarded through a new Slot Bonus game.
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A further innovation at ICE came from Zitro’s Interactive Division, which showed off its new products for the online market via www.worldofbingo.com, the leading video bingo game on Facebook, which is currently played in more than 160 countries. Many visitors were attracted by Zitro’s eGaming, through its different platforms and business models, the company said. Zitro’s Electronic Bingo de Zitro (BET) also caught the eye of those attending the show. “Zitro has demonstrated once again this year, on its cutting-edge display at
ICE, that it is working hard to have the most entertaining, the most dynamic, the most exciting and the most profitable products on the video bingo market,” said the company.
ristocrat Technologies is reporting its most successful ICE Show to date following a record amount of interest and sales at London’s ExCeL Centre. The global gaming supplier used the show to formally launch its new range of advanced Helix cabinets to EMEA-based operators, along with a strategically segmented range of over 60 new and unique games. Amongst the new games displayed were innovative concepts from Aristocrat’s C-Series of core games, J-Series jackpot style games, E-Series entertainment games and a range of new linked and licensed centrepiece games making up the EMEA gaming operations portfolio. The stand line-up also featured four global premieres. “Customers seemed to be very impressed when they saw the depth and breadth of their portfolio, their shopping lists quickly expanded to cover a wider range of Aristocrat games to suit a broader range of players, which they could now cater for on their floors,” said Donal Maguire, European sales and marketing director for Aristocrat. “The feedback on E-series was sensational, with most excited by the fact that we were able to deliver another 19 great titles enhanced with
new features, game mechanics and standalone progressives, building on the already successful 16 titles released in 2014. They proved very popular due to the strong performance of their predecessors over the past 12 months.” Maguire added: “Our new Jackpot range was also extremely well received. Taking inspiration from the E-Series model, including eyepopping animations, strong audio effects and compelling maths models, these games have performed exceptionally well in our first release markets of Australia and the US and are mirroring the results already in Europe, especially on the Helix Super Screen Slant cabinet, with its 32-inch high definition top screen. “Among the most glamorous products on our stand were the impressive link games, including Batman Classic TV Series and Superman The Movie Wonder Wheels and Tarzan of the Apes. These will begin to appear on European gaming floors over the coming weeks and months.”
th e HOT NEW on th on he HOT NEW For more information, contact Robert Dijkstra Email: robert.dijkstra@ainsworth-uk.com • Phone: +44 1293 538 011
www.ainsworth.com.au www.ainsw Subject to regulatory regu approval
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Report
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY / CRANE PAYMENT INNOVATIONS / EU
ICE 2015
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY A560 SL CABINET CRANE PAYMENT INNOVATIONS SCR NOTE RECYCLER EURO GAME TEC PARTNERS V-SERIES CHIPS EURO GAMES TECHNOLOGY
GPI
Constant innovation
EGT raises the temperature
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With a growing focus on land-based and online technologies, Euro Games Technology hit the ground running in 2015, with a host of new gaming innovations. uro Games Technology (EGT) raised the temperature at ICE 2015, as the Bulgarian gaming group unveiled new innovations across all of its divisions from video slot machines to interactive. “ICE has always been a major event for us,” said Stanislav Stanev, sales and marketing director for EGT. “This year, we turned out to be the breaking news of the exhibition. EGT is growing fast and strong, and we chose ICE 2015 as a ‘tribune’ to show all that ambition. “The visitors of our stand commented on our premieres, as well as on the rest of our products, that are well-established on the market due to their numerous advantages. The booth itself, with its size and design, has also been attracting a lot of attention. EGT is in a state of constant progress and we are confident that this will continue in the years to come. We are extremely pleased not only with the positive feedback at the show but with the sales opportunities as well. The interest was so great that my team carried out meetings constantly.” Making its worldwide debut at ICE this year, ET’s 4 Happy Hits is an innovative jackpot system with two ways to win. The solution entertains players with its own specially created games: Stone Story, a prehistoric-themed, five-reel game with 20 lines, and Blue Oceans, a marinethemed give-reel game with 30 lines. They are housed in P-32V Up cabinet - a brand new product of EGT with a 32-inch portrait-oriented touch screen monitor, enhanced quality stereo sound system, and
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optional dynamic OLED keyboard and overhead topper. ICE 2015 was also the first place to see EGT’s new cabinet - the P-24/24 St. It is another jewel in EGT’s Premier series crown. With its two high-resolution 24-inch widescreen monitors, it will be hard to miss on any casino floor. Its touchscreen provides great interactivity; the enhanced quality stereo sound system, sophisticated ergonomic details and ambience created by the LED illumination add to the pleasant look and feel of the cabinet. Comfort and user-friendly interface also widen its appeal. The machine, powered by Exciter II and the newly developed innovative Exciter III platform, offers some optional features as well. Among them are overhead multimedia topper with 18.5-inch monitor and keyboard with dynamic OLED buttons. For the first time, players, casino operators and guests were able to become acquainted with the Red Collection and the Premier Multi-6 mix of games. Red Collection is a compilation of four of the most popular EGT titles, powered by the brand new Exciter III platform. Premier Multi6, meanwhile, includes 45 games and relies on Exciter II software platform. Players can enjoy all titles on cabinets P-24/24 St, P-24/24 Up, P-24/24 St Slim, and P-24/32H St. EGT also chose ICE 2015 to present its brand new Luxury Touch Table Live Roulette and the all-new Luxury Automated Touch Table, along with showcasing its growing interactive, video lottery terminals and systems departments.
or GPI, each and every trade showing seems to bring with it a wealth of brand new casino currency. “Every year, one of our company goals is to try to come up with fresh product offerings: whether that be completely new chips or plaques, or new colours, designs and security measures for existing material,” said Maricela Maciel, the company’s director of global marketing. This constantly adapting portfolio holds particular sway in the Asian market, and for good reason. “In Macau not only do you have a lot of different casinos, but even within single establishments there can be up to 30 different cashsets,” Maciel explained. “Throw in no-cash value sets, which are employed by tournaments and junket-operators, and you’re looking at a huge demand for variety.” Alongside new ‘dragon’s-eye’, ribbon and mother-ofpearl chip backdrops, ICE also represented the European debut of GPI’s new V-Series chip line: an injection moulded product complete with anti-fungal agent which reduces downtime incurred through cleaning requirements. As the frills of these luxury products find the most fertile ground in Macau, how has GPI weathered the city’s 2014 downturn? “Whilst Macanese numbers were down last year, our sales have been largely unaffected,” Maciel responded. “There are still a number of really huge venues still in development, and we’re maintaining an extremely close and positive relationship with our existing customers.”
CRANE PAYMENT INNOVATIONS
CPI: technology that counts
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rane Payment Innovations’ (CPI) stand at ICE 2015 reflected the progress the company has made since Crane acquired MEI in December 2013. “Last year, the two former sides of our business had still been exhibiting separately,” said the company’s
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Katherine Cotter. “Now, with our combined strengths, we offer the most comprehensive portfolio of cash management solutions in the gaming industry - and, as a unified company, we’re already expanding our capacity to serve our customers as a solutions partner.”
Taking centre stage on CPI’s booth this year was the new SCR note recycler. Scheduled to launch in March, SCR leverages multiple CPI technologies to offer newfound benefits - the proven performance associated with the SC architecture along with seasoned recycling mechanics developed for the VNR
Erik-Jan van den Berg, senior sales director at CPI
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OVATIONS / EURO GAME TECHNOLOGY / GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL iCE Totally Gaming 2015
O GAME TECHNOLOGY ET’S 4 HAPPY HITS GAMING
Robert Dijkstra (right), managing director of Ainsworth UK, and Evsel Erkosar, CEO for Liberty Gaming Group
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY
Ainsworth hits the Sweet spot insworth Game Technology was at ICE 2015 in London to showcase its complete portfolio of games and cabinets including the new Fortune Ox and Royal Diamonds concepts for the UK B1 market. Also on show inside ExCeL was the new A560 SL cabinet complete with the Sweet Zone and Whopper Reels game packages. Featuring a 32-inch high-definition screen and a 19-inch LCD topper option for jackpot promotions, Ainsworth Game Technology additionally used this innovation to showcase a range of titles including Rumble Rumble, Big Bang Bucks, Flying Horse, King Cat, Fire Wizard, Ice Wizard, Power Fruit 7’s and Mega Fruit 7’s. Ainsworth also brought its new Game
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Plus library to London and amused visitors with the Quad Shot, Double Hit, Play 40/50/100 Lines, Wheel Winner, Multi Win and High Denom titles. Last but not least, the company added the enormous A560 Wide Boy cabinet to its at-show portfolio. Coming complete with a 32-inch landscape mode LCD topbox and game-driven LED lighting, this innovation was shown off using games including Hummin King Spin, Reel of Wheels Horsepower and Cash Challenge. “Our growth rates remain among the highest in the industry, which reflects the sheer amount of focus we place on our games and gaming machine range,” said Robert Dijkstra, managing director for Ainsworth UK. “We are very proud to have received the Golden Dice award.”
and BNR. SCR includes two-denomination recycling, which helps to eliminate hopper starvation. Moreover, SCR addresses concerns regarding cash management costs by providing a more efficient way to accept, process and handle cash payments. “Numerous features have been added - from CPI’s experience in both remote and difficult operating environments - to protect operators from losses associated with criminal activity,” Cotter added. “These features
include a removable anti-stringing module, lockable transport doors, ‘door open’ detection even when in a powered down state and entrance/exit sensors to ensure accurate accounting.” CPI has now installed its Easitrax management solution in over 150,000 games worldwide. The new Easitrax Web feature adds value to the original software package, and the next generation product is now in development to drive additional maintenance and operational efficiencies. March 2015 casinoreview
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Report
IGT / MATSUI GAMING / MERKUR GAMING
ICE 2015
iCE Totally Gaming 2015
IGT CRYSTALDUAL CABINET MATSUI GAMING MATSUI CHIPS MERKUR GAMING AVANTGARDE SLT CABINET IGT
MERKUR GAMING
IGT takes gaming to the next level
Merkur takes to ICE with fresh momentum
nternational Game Technology (IGT) introduced a pair of new cabinets at ICE 2015: CrystalDual and the S3000. Making its world debut at this year’s London expo, the CrystalDual cabinet has been designed to deliver ideal player experiences while additionally giving operators superior levels of serviceability and reliability. “There are really three words that we use to define the CrystalDual: beauty, brains and brawn,” said Ryan Griffin, director of core product management at IGT. “In terms of beauty, it’s clear that this is a stunning cabinet. The resolution is phenomenal - it’s like going from DVD to BluRay. “When we talk about brains,” Griffin added, “the CrystalDual actually fuels our latest and greatest technology. And for brawn, the serviceability and reliability of this cabinet is already proven. This is a less exciting topic, but one that is crucial for operators.” The launch of CrystalDual was backed by a pipeline of new themes, including Di Vinci Diamonds and Siberian Storm alongside new releases such as The Fates, Golden Eagle and King Reels. Also making its international debut at ICE this year was IGT’s S3000 cabinet, which has been envisioned as a way to preserve the essence of the still-popular spinning-reel cabinet while piquing the interests of video slot players seeking a new gaming experience. Continuing IGT’s legacy of bringing Hollywood to the casino floor, the company’s
fter recently appointing industry veteran Jens Halle as CEO, Merkur Gaming presented its latest trends and innovations for the international gaming industry during this year’s ICE expo. The German entertainment group provided visitors with a promising mix of innovative cabinets, tailor-made games packages and service offers over a floor space that covered approximately 650sq.m. “We clearly demonstrated at ICE the development potential that Merkur Gaming has and what the Gauselmann Group as a whole has to offer,” said Halle (pictured, right, with board member Jürgen Stühmeyer). “The show was a promising start for further collaboration.”
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IGT’s booth at ICE 2015 was bustling with energy, as the Nevada-based company showcased some of the industry’s most exciting games and systems for land-based, online and mobile gaming. latest blockbuster hit Sherlock Holmes video slots made its world debut. The allnew Premium Plus title is housed in IGT’s famed Triple Wheel hardware and puts players right in the middle of their favourite movie moments. The wily duo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson come to life in this 3x5 game experience. Players have the option for 50 or 75credit wagers that can lead them to one of four magnificent and mysterious bonus events from boxing matches to unlocking mysteries with the perfect key. “Our ICE 2015 portfolio is a direct reflection of our commitment to our customers
and IGT’s leading role in cultivating thrilling gaming experiences,” said Eric Tom (pictured), executive vice president of global sales for IGT. Other portfolio highlights on show at IGT’s booth included the latest addition to the company’s skill-based Video Reel Edge games family in Race Ace, a colourful and attention-grabbing spin on the tokidoki global lifestyle brand; the return of Quartermania for the S3000 cabinet; and the revamped Dynasty Edition series featuring several of the company’s top-performing titles such as Wolf Run, Siberian Storm and Treasure of Troy.
MATSUI
A reputation of good standing he stand of chip manufacturer and supplier Matsui saw a steady swathe of footfall at ICE. “The show’s been really positive for us,” enthused Dave Holt, the company’s European managing director. “A lot of good business has been done and we’ve secured a number of confirmed orders, including the new Sunborn yacht based in Gibraltar.” Holt insisted that deals like the new Sunborn contract are reflective of increasing growth within the European market. And indeed, recent growth for the company allowed for an expanded presence in the form of a large and impressive stand - at this year’s show.
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“We’ve been an exhibitor at ICE for a long time and we consider it the biggest show of the year for us,” Holt told us. “We’re in an improved position from last year and the size of the stand reflects this growth.” As for the reasons underpinning this expansion, Holt cited the pedigree of the chips themselves. “I think it’s probably the attention to detail that goes into the chips - in respect to the feel, quality, weight and security of the final product,” he ruminated. “As a business, we tend to trade on this reputation: it’s spread by word of mouth, which in turn relies upon positive customer association as regards to the brand.”
Taking centre stage on the Merkur stand were 11 unique cabinet types, including the classic Evolution SL and the Avantgarde SLT. The new flagship multigame cabinet, Ozone, offers full HD technology, a rich 2.1 stereo sound system and high-resolution graphics capabilities. In addition to its wide cabinet choice, Merkur underlined its commitment to different markets by introducing around 20 new HD games. “The core of the company philosophy at Merkur Gaming is to individually satisfy the corresponding target markets,” said Halle. “The feedback from the visitors at ICE has shown that we have been extremely successful here with the current Merkur Gaming portfolio.” Also on display at ICE 2015 was the Merkur Dispenser 100 Gold that can process up to 34 separate bills of three different denominations.
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Report
CASINO TECHNOLOGY / DRGT / GSA / SUZO HAPP / TRIPLE CROWN
ICE 2015
iCE Totally Gaming 2015
CASINO TECHNOLOGY AURORA CABINET DRGT DR SCREEN MINI GSA GSA STANDARDS SUZO HAPP LIGHT PRO TRIPLE CROWN TRIPLE CROWN ROULETTE
CASINO TECHNOLOGY
TRIPLE CROWN/MOZZART
Customer-driven innovations from Casino Technology
Taking roulette into the future
Casino Technology’s Natalia Baevska (right) with Milena Tsankarska, marketing manager for the Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo (BEGE)
ulgarian gaming group Casino Technology demonstrated ‘convergence in action’ at this year’s ICE Totally Gaming, with the company showcasing a range of customer-driven innovations and state-of-theart systems to visitors from around the world. As operators continue to place an increasing focus on player comfort, Casino Technology has developed the Aurora upright cabinet. The cabinet has a slim silhouette, double 24-inch panoramic monitors and ‘player interaction area’ and is offered with the globally recognised Gamopolis Highway multigame series. Sofia-based Casino Technology was also showcasing its Sensa and Tangra cabinet lines at ICE this year. With a range of hi-tech features, the cabinets are linked to the Rhino casino management system and the Buffalo jack-
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DRGT
DRGT cements its global presence
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fter three years of rapid expansion into more than 500 casino venues in 35 countries, ICE presented a chance for DRGT to meet and greet its global clientele as well as announcing two new international subsidiaries: DRGT Africa and DRGT Columbia. This wasn’t the only fresh development; DRGT also added a new product to
pot server, providing a fully networked casino floor. The Rhino and Buffalo solutions form part of the company’s Big 5 system suite, which also includes the Elephant remote game server, Lion money management system and Leopard online gaming platform. “With more than 15 years of experience in the landbased business, Casino Technology has the huge advantage to know which math models, game types, bonus schemes and other features provide those experiences that keep players coming back for more,” said business development director, Sonia Nikolova. “Gamopolis Highway, which was expanded with new titles and an improved game selection interface, has already proved to be one of the sure winners on any casino floor.”
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GSA
its range of serverless accounting and marketing tools in the form of the drScreenMini. This solution gives operators the option to display information on the player-tracking screen or view it on slot machine screens (using the original drScreen).
‘Incredible opportunities’ at ICE
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SUZO-HAPP
Suzo-Happ celebrates 60th anniversary at ICE
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arking its 60th year in Europe at ICE this year, veteran distributor SuzoHapp was keen to showcase its progression through the decades. In addition to the products on display from its exclusive distributing contracts with APEX, Epicentral, ELO and Transact, the company demonstrated how its own manufacturing capabilities have grown
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hen it came to quality table-game manufacturing, Serbia’s Triple Crown served as a fine example of eastern Europe’s ascendency within the field. “The former Yugoslovia was heavily industrialised throughout the communist period,” explained sales manager Vojislav Kraljic. “With the turmoil of the 1990’s well behind us, Serbia maintains a strong manufacturing base, and a skilled technical workforce to man it.” Formed in 2009, Triple Crown represents a joint venture between two companies: electronic roulette manufacturers Fazi, and betting-shop operator Mozzart. “Triple Crown’s flagship products are our automated roulette tables,” said Kraljic. “Importantly, the speed that the game is played is three times that of standard tables - maximising operator profit.” When it comes to landed casinos, an international focus for the company is crucial: as the Serbian domestic market is so small. “There are only two casinos in Serbia operating live table games, so we’re a developing market,” he commented. “That doesn’t mean we don’t like to gamble: betting shops are incredibly popular, and Mozzart operates 300 sites in Serbia alone.” As for the roulette tables on display - Kraljic argued new ground was being broken. “Triple Crown Roulette offers three active wheels and a range of alternative games,” he surmised. “As such, I think we represent the logical choice for operators looking for something new.”
and developed. At the heart of this was the PRO range, Suzo-Happ’s own label. Solutions included the LightPRO, CoinPRO, PowerPRO and VisionPRO. Looking to the future, the company is now offering components in a part assembled or fully assembled format, adding contract manufacturing services to its ever-growing repertoire.
vents like ICE provide an “incredible opportunity” to meet face-to-face with suppliers, operators and regulators from around the world to discuss the importance of standards to the industry, according to Peter DeRaedt, president of the Gaming Standards Association (GSA). “ICE and major trade shows like it provide a terrific setting to discuss GSA’s mission of providing the freedom and power to do what you want, fuelled by GSA standards,” DeRaedt said. “The show was very successful for GSA in that regard, and we had many meaningful discussions with suppliers, regulators and operators from around the world and from the many sides of gaming that make ours such an exciting industry.”
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ADVANSYS / GTECH / PATIR DESIGN / SIGNS4U iCE Totally Gaming 2015
ADVANSYS NEXIO GTECH TRUE 3D PATIR DESIGN SPORTS CAR SEAT SIGNS4U SIGNAGE
GTECH
ADVANSYS
Gtech dazzles ICE visitors with expanded True 3D library
Advansys showcases slickest casino management system yet
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Gtech brought its full range of end-to-end gaming solutions to ICE Totally Gaming this year. ollowing a highly successful 2014, Gtech - through its interactive, betting, lottery, and Spielo gaming pillars - presented a comprehensive portfolio at ICE 2015. Presented under the ‘All Together Gtech’ theme, visitors to the gaming giant’s booth experienced a full array of games, cabinets, systems and interactive solutions, including an expanded library of True 3D titles. Gtech’s innovative True 3D product line provides an unrivalled gaming experience. The Sphinx 3D game has already won three industry awards and is live in numerous casinos across Europe, the US and Latin America, enjoying success and generating excitement among players. Now, at ICE 2015 the company introduced several additions to its True 3D game library that are specifically designed to appeal to different player segments. Titles include Bejeweled 3D, Dragon’s Temple 3D, Dreams of Asia 3D and Aladdin’s Fortune 3D. Emphasising its expertise in linked gaming products, Gtech also featured several new linked products at its booth at ExCeL in February, including the powerful multi-level mystery jackpots, Peruvian Riches and Secrets of the Sea. These concepts allow operators to select nearly any title from Gtech’s core game library and insert them into a progressive bank. The Money Drop multi-level progressive also made its debut at ICE. Licensed by Endemol, the game features an innovative risk-based progressive play-off. Terrific Teal and Luxury Lilac are brand new editions to the well-known and highly successful Diversity multigame suites. On the interactive gaming side, visitors were able to experi-
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Victor Duarte, Gtech’s senior vice president of gaming and content, and Sylvia Dietz, senior director of global marketing, for the company’s Spielo and Interactive divisions
ence Gtech’s total iGaming solution, including entertaining interactive casino games, bingo, poker, sports betting and iLottery products, as well as new mobile additions for players on the go. Furthermore, the company debuted Gtech OnPremise mobile sports-betting and mobile casino, a brand new product that enables operators to extend the gaming experience by offering real-money on-premise mobile casino gaming and sports betting through the player’s own smartphones or tablets. Gtech’s open architecture platforms allow fast integration of third-party products to easily create a successful online solution tailored to customer needs. New casino games include favourites from the popular Spielo casino games library, with many new titles launched for desktop and mobile devices, such as Moving Moments, Goldify, Egyptian Dreams and Treasure Blast. The company’s networked bingo and poker solutions were also on show, with visitors to Gtech’s stand being able to test the newly launched, cutting-edge Poker Mac client and app, as well as HTML tablet bingo with user-friendly features that are the result of extensive research and development.
Signs of success
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wner and chief executive of Signs 4 U Martin Spies was upbeat about his company’s current standing in the market. “We’ve doing really well at the moment,” he declared. “ICE itself represents a great opportunity for us. If you look around the trade-floor you’ll find that we already have our products on the IGT, WMS, Merkur, Ainsworth, Konami and GTech stands.” Whilst this early business was appreciated, Spies was actively looking to secure additional clients. “This is a really important opportunity for us,” he said. “We’ll be looking to attract other major players as well.”
Going for Gold at ICE 2015
Taking on the world
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SIGNS 4 U
GOLD CLUB
PATIR
rawing inspiration from classical architecture and complete with Graeco-Roman columns, the Patir stand was a sight to behold. “It’s true, we put a lot of effort into our presentation here,” said Dennys Patir, the company’s junior general manager. “It reflects the high regard in which we hold ICE. For us, as an industry event there’s just nothing else which compares.” And it wasn’t just on the Patir stand itself that the company achieved product exposure. “What’s of added benefit to us is the fact that many of our customers showcase here with our seating forming a part of their own exhibitions,” Patir contin-
lovenia based company Advansys hit the ground running at ICE with a stripped back stand dedicated to its most advanced CMS yet. The IT software experts introduced Nexio billed as the ‘ultimate casino management system’ - to many customers to the first time, emphasising its cross-platform capabilities and fast, user-friendly interface. Nexio collects a wealth of data from every corner of the casino, from slots to tables, and presents it in slick graphics to help operators interpret the information for analytical, accounting and marketing purposes. A comprehensive dashboard brings all the essential performance reports together in a digestible format.
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ued. “It’s a nice touch: in some ways, we’re using the whole exhibition as our stand.” Since showing at G2E in September, Patir have introduced a number of new designs which made their debut in London. “We have a sports-car seat which we’ve just introduced for slot areas, and a double-seater, which has been requested by our customers for a number of years and was probably overdue,” Patir explained. In terms of market, he was adamant that the reach of these new items was truly global. “After all, this isn’t just a European event,” he argued. “This is where the whole world meets.”
chic black and gold backdrop was the foil to Gold Club’s extensive range of table games and slots this year at ICE, as the Slovenia based company showcased its brightest and best product lines. On the cabinet front, Gold Club’s Gamestar range was the highlight. The original Slant Top One, a dual widescreen multi game product, was joined by the Upright S1 and S2. However, it was the company’s high-tech table game range that immediately drew the eye. An iconic range of hypermodern themed roulettes were on display alongside Gold Club’s renowned automatic blackjack and baccarat tables and multi-player bingo platforms. March 2015 casinoreview
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ADVANTECH-INNOCORE / ALFASTREET / APEX GAMING / GAMING SUPPORT / TAB AUSTRIA
ICE 2015
iCE Totally Gaming 2015
ADVANTECH-INNOCORE DPX-S435 ALFASTREET SLOTS APEX GAMING I-DROP GAMING SUPPORT HYBRID GAMING PLATFORM TAB AUSTRIA GAMING MACHINES APEX
ADVANTECH
Apex aspires to ‘level up’ with iDrop
DPX forms the core of Advantech’s ICE offering
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With the iDrop making visits to the cash desk redundant and the Apex Player Station combining four table games effortlessly in one location, the company is aiming to take gaming to the next level. fter the recent announcement of an exclusive distribution agreement with Suzo-Happ, Apex’s iDrop was showcased triumphantly as one of the company’s most groundbreaking innovations so far. The compact cash management product, which allows both tickets and bank notes to be paid in, has voided trips to the cash desk and made it easier for players to switch between the slots and the roulette table. With the iDrop, players can go directly to the live gaming table to purchase chips or take their ticket from the slot machine straight to the live gaming table. Players wishing to cash out their chips receive their wins in ticket form. Operators can also benefit from the enhanced security and simplicity of the iDrop. The machine’s automated process allows them to streamline their business model - potentially doing away with the cash desk entirely - and free up space in the venue. The iDrop, which slots snugly into a table or a machine, validates and accounts for every note and ticket. Cash handling information is then easily accessible to the operator, and cash and tickets are safely stored for as long as necessary. For croupiers and dealers, the iDrop interface is easy and efficient to use, allowing them to enter up to 50 notes at a time
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to be individually checked and validated. “Our company motto is to take gaming to the next level. The iDrop has certainly done this,” commented Max Pessnegger, CEO of Apex gaming. The Apex Player Station (APS) was the second most prominent innovation on Apex’s stand. This fully electronic multiplayer offers four table games - Roulette, Baccarat, SicBo and Quikker - in one location. The APS can also be linked to three other roulette wheels, including live wheels, and to a comprehensive range of slot games. Customers can choose the number of terminals to fit their space, making it a flexible solution for different venues. On the cabinet side, Apex showcased the latest - even taller - additions to its Pinnacle range. With immediate effect, the Pinnacle 22” upright is now available as the Pinnacle 24” upright and the Pinnacle SL 26” slant top is available as the Pinnacle 27” slant top. The EVO platform has evolved to offer enhanced gaming on the Pinnacle, with HD quality and 3D gaming making the products even more immersive. Pessnegger said: “The feedback on all our gaming solutions was excellent and customers also stated how smart and sleek the Pinnacle gaming machines look with the extra-wide monitors inside.”
GAMING SUPPORT
wo new DPX Series gaming products commanded attention at Adventech-Innocore’s stand, with a selection from the company’s other product divisions complimenting the innovations. The DPX-S435 is the first Xeon capable motherboard for the gaming industry, featuring 4th Generation Intel Core architecture CPUs. The second new DPX product - DPXE130 - is being targeted at the slot machine market in Italy in preparation for regulatory changes in the region. Advantech’s range of industrial LCD monitor products from ADS (Advantech Display Systems) were also on display at the show, with screen sizes available from 7 inches up to 55 inches and sunlight-resistant viewing capabilities.
ALFASTREET
Joining the slot fold
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CE 2015 represented a seminal moment for Slovenian games manufacturer Alfastreet. “We put in a lot of research and development work throughout last year,” claimed the company’s sales manager Ana Zlender. “Not only were we updating and redesigning our existing products, but we’re now also able to offer a brand new range of slot-machines: a company first.” Whilst slot-line was kept in confidence throughout its development, Zlender noted a positive reception from stand visitors. “It’s been great to see,” she said. “Customers have been saying ‘we’ve wanted you to do this for years’.”
Gaming Support showcases Hybrid device ongstanding ICE exhibitor Gaming Support used this year’s London exhibition as a springboard to launch its new Hybrid Gaming Platform. “Bringing the online and offline gaming venues together is the greatest challenge since the introduction of slot machines in the gaming industry,” said Lucien van Linden, CEO of the Netherlands-based company. “The distribution power that the internet encompasses needs to be harnessed, validated and authenticated to prevent criminals taking over the gaming industry and to protect players from fraudulent gambling.” Discussing the importance of the London exhibition, van Linden said: “ICE is traditionally where we unveil our new products and new product studies. Moreover, ICE is where we talk to most of our clients at the same time in the same place, which gives us an actual insight of problems our clients and players are facing. “Gaming Support has been solving problems for operators, manufacturers and players for decades and we plan on doing so in the future.”
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Looking ahead to 2015, the group will be rolling out the first batches of the Hybrid Gaming Platform whilst applying for several licensed across multiple jurisdictions. “In addition, a renewed interest in affordable, modern casino signs, jackpot controllers and Bonus Boxes is keeping us busy until the summer,” van Linden stated.
TAB AUSTRIA
Seeking out growth
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AB Austria has a foot in a great many camps: adeptly supplying the amusement, jukebox, betting and casino sectors. Whilst casino-provision is a more recent focus for the company, that doesn’t stop it from having big plans for future expansion. “We purposefully make our gaming machines very flexible to cater to a broad international audience,” explained Dietmar Straubinger, the company’s marketing director. “Specifically, we’re aiming towards developing, growing markets in eastern Europe and Africa.”
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ABBIATI CASINO EQUIPMENT / AMATIC INDUSTRIES / COPAQ iCE Totally Gaming 2015
ABBIATI CASINO EQUIPMENT BRANDED TABLES AMATIC INDUSTRIES PERFORMER C24 CABINET COPAQ EQUIPMENT PLAYING CARD ABBIATI
COPAG
Abbiati pushes forward with international expansion
Brazilian roots, global reputation
Italian casino equipment supplier Abbiati attracted interest from customers around the globe at ICE, giving the company fresh impetus to break into new markets. bbiati Casino Equipment has registered another successful participation at ICE 2015, where the Italian company confirmed its presence in the gaming industry as one of the leading casino equipment suppliers. During the show the company showcased its consolidated products and its brand new gaming portfolio which included different styles of equipment for the live casino industry. Abbiati had the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to manufacture personalised products. Giovanni Abbiati, founder and president of the company, said: “The show has been very successful and we registered many important and promising enquiries, which have potential to become effective orders. “Some visitors carefully looked at our new range of branded tables, Roulette wheels, new generation high security
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L chips, jetons and plaques; others came to discuss, clarify and confirm existing orders and make the final business decisions,” said CEO Giorgio Abbiati. The company took advantage of ICE to showcase a number of new products designed especially for the show: tables, chips, jetons and plaques implemented with new security features that the company has been working towards for many years. The showcased products have received wide interest, especially the new branded tables, manufactured with the most fine and refined material handcrafted. In addition to the products exclusively prepared for the show, Abbiati Casino Equipment exhibited a wide range of live gaming tables of different styles and configurations, the American roulette wheels with patented invisible laser (Class 1A) adjusted on the independent wheel support
having on-line levelling control, together with a selection of roulette winning number displays and Baccarat displays. “Most of the visitors come from Europe, where the company still concentrates and continues to hold a major market share,” said Terry Clarke, commercial director of the company. “However, many investors from Americas, Africa and Asian countries were also present and this was an excellent opportunity for us.” With a new impetus after a successful show, the company will continue to research innovative products and security features as well as expanding into new markets and undertaking challenging business opportunities. The expansion plan for the near future of the Italian company includes the ongoing selection of successful partnerships to enter previously unexplored markets and to cooperate with new casino operators in these zones around the world.
ondon is a long way from its Sao Paulo headquarters, but that doesn’t stop card manufacturers Copag from holding ICE in the highest regard. “We attend a number of trade shows every year all over the world, but ICE is the best in terms of establishing new business,” stated the company’s director of international business, Marta Mateus. “The customer mindset at ICE seems wellinclined to new business ventures, which makes it a vital opportunity for us.” Founded in 1908, Mateus pointed to the company’s legacy and established highregard within the industry as one of the key differentiations between Copag and its competitors. “We continue to offer the best cardproducts in the world and are suppliers of the most important casinos and poker rooms in the world,” she said. “The fact that
AMATIC INDUSTRIES
Setting trends with stye and BitCoin capabilities Building on the success of last year’s Performer Grand Arc curved cabinet, Amatic introduced its upright sibling, the Performer C24, along with new games, new roulette wheels and even new currencies. matic used this year’s ICE as a springboard to launch their most eye-catching new products in addition to the latest technical advancements. The upright Performer C24 - a stylish upright addition to the Performer range garnered a particularly positive reception, with its three 24” screens pulling in customers throughout the show. Slick, automated roulette wheels also commanded a prominent part of the company’s stand, with the Roulette Grand Jeu 22WS being showcased in its distinctive yellow edition. Its bigger brother - the Roulette Grand Jeu Double - boasted two independent roulette wheels and four large screen displays, offering the opportunity for players to bet on both wheels at one time. One of the biggest innovations from
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Amatic was the digital link-up between the roulette wheels and the Performer cabinets, allowing players to use any down time on either of the entertainments to play an alternative game. Fresh multi game products were also on hand to be sampled, including titles like ‘Hot 81’, ‘Magic Forest’, ‘Red Chili’, ‘Scarab Treasure’ and ‘Square Fruits’. Adding to the buzz and excitement around BitCoin and crypto-currencies the topic of one of the seminars at the show - the company’s mobile and online products also included solutions for alternative payment methods. Thomas Engstberger, sales manager at Amatic Industries, said: “It fills us with pride to see our stand so busy. It confirms that our strategy to create new entertaining solutions to add to our strong product range is the right one.”
we’re also associated with the World Series of Poker and Poker Stars also raises our standing in the eyes of consumers.” Mateus noted the irony of a Brazilian company establishing itself at the forefront of casino components supply, whilst lacking a regulated domestic market of its own. “It’s true that we don’t have legalised gambling in Brazil, but despite that, the retail market remains very strong,” she explained. “Brazilians like playing cardgames: within our culture it’s often a social activity which takes place within families and friends.” The wider regulated South American market often proves a tough-nut to crack for European and North American suppliers. Although close to home, Mateus noted the continent’s regional challenges. “It’s an interesting market for us: each country has a different scenario which has to be understood,” she opined. “That said, it’s our oldest market, we’re aware of these characterisations, and as such we’re well placed to respond and adapt accordingly.” March 2015 casinoreview
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WHY INTERNATIONAL CASINO REVIEW IS THE INDUSTRY’S MEDIA PARTNER OF CHOICE! B
C
A
THE BEST WAY TO REACH OPERATORS A
C
Operators
Regulators/Government/Law
84.2%
2%
Global Circulation
Readership breakdown by sector
16,844
B
13.8% Suppliers
A READERSHIP OF INFLUENCERS AND DECISION MAKERS A
C
C-Levels (chairman, president, CEO, partners)
Senior management (Operational managers, sales/ marketing/PR managers…)
30.1%
C
D
A
20.4%
B
D
Managing directors/ general managers
Others (senior game designers, financial directors…)
46.6%
B
USA/CANADA/CARIBBEAN
2,004 11.9%
Readership breakdown by job title
2.9% B
C
D
A
INCREASING CROSS CHANNEL READERSHIP A
C
Land based casino
2.5% Lottery
B
D
Slot halls/Street gaming
Online/Mobile
62.9% Readership breakdown by type of gaming
PRINT 4,061
16%
18.6%
When the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara wanted to launch it’s gambling tourism vision for the Black Sea resort of Batumi, it immediately turned to Casino Review appointing it as the exclusive media partner. The integrated above and below the line campaign run only through Casino Review exceeded expectations and resulted in 120 investors from 25 countries traveling to Batumi The EXCLUSIVE European media partner for the Association of Gamto do business. ing Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) and the Official Publication of If you want more information on how International Casino Review the European Casino Association (ECA), the magazine is also used can work with you to help achieve your commercial objectives simby Reed Exhibitions to promote G2E Las Vegas and G2E Macau; ply contact Publisher John Sullivan at jsullivan@gbmedia.eu Monografie S.A to promote SAGSE Buenos Aires and by Clarion Events in support of its flagship London event, ICE Totally Gaming and EiG, Barcelona. With such an extensive, worldwide distribution coupled with award winning production and content it’s no surprise that International Casino Review is the preferred media partner for so many leading industry associations, b2b events and commercial organisations throughout the world.
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539
3.2%
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995
5.9%
CIRCULATION BREAKDOWN DIGITAL 12,783
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Supplier
News
INSTALLATIONS
A new threeyear deal will see casino and gaming equipment specialist TCS John Huxley service and maintain all electronic and traditional products offered at Grosvenor Casino venues spread across the UK.
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TCS John Huxley wins Grosvenor Casinos contract
asino and gaming equipment specialist TCS John Huxley has been awarded a three-year contract to service and maintain all of the electronic and traditional products offered by Grosvenor Casinos at multiple venues throughout the UK. The decision followed a competitive tendering process that saw candidates accessed on their quality of service delivery, value, capabilities, sustainability, broad product knowledge and experience with London-based TCS John Huxley stating that it met all
of the required criteria in addition to ‘having a strong track record and comprehensive experience in this sector’. “We are extremely delighted to be awarded this contract by Grosvenor Casinos,” said Tristan Sjoberg, executive chairman for TCS John Huxley. “Having been a major supplier for many years, we have strived to provide superior service and support and regard Grosvenor Casinos as an excellent partner. We look forward to strengthening our relationship and to provide gold standard busi-
ness support to our client for three years and beyond.” TCS John Huxley declared that the contract will enable both companies to focus on ‘future developments and mutually beneficial improvements’ in order to ensure that Grosvenor Casinos remains ‘the leading casino group in the UK at the forefront of innovation and technology’. “It is key to our business success that our electronic and table gaming equipment works efficiently and effectively to ensure that we provide our customers with a great leisure gaming experience,” said Simon Beacham, head of electronic gaming at Grosvenor Casinos. “TCS John Huxley has proven experience in planned and reactive maintenance of the gaming equipment across our estate so its skills and experience will help us to maintain a strong customer offer over the next three years. We very much look forward to building on what is already a strong and strategic partnership for Grosvenor Casinos.” • TCS John Huxley is also celebrating after taking home the Casino Equipment Supplier accolade from the eighth annual International Gaming Awards, which was held on February 2 at the Savoy Hotel in London. “For over 40 years, we’ve prided ourselves on providing our customers with superior service and support to match our quality products,” said Sjoberg. “This award reminds our entire worldwide team that we are continuing to deliver and improve upon what we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
ONLINE CASINO
Casino Technology solutions aid success of latest Bulgarian online casino nline a few months after launching, operator Telematic Interactive has declared that its new eCasino.bg online casino is experiencing ‘record attendance’ thanks to the Leopard online gaming platform and Elephant remote games server from developer Casino Technology. eCasino.bg is the newest licensed online casino in Bulgaria and the site features a portfolio of over 50 slots alongside roulette and bingo streamed via the Elephant remote games server. “The choice of a reliable technology provider is of crucial
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42 | casinoreview March 2015
importance for any online startup,” said Elitsa Nikolova from Telematic Interactive. “Our decision to trust Casino Technology’s Leopard online gaming platform proved to be very wise as the cutting-edge and flexible technology gave us the necessary base to rapidly expand our operations and customer base.” Telematic Interactive revealed that its site also comes complete with four-level jackpots, multiple bonus games and a range of unique promotions that have quickly impressed players. “The Leopard online gaming
platform was designed with the ultimate goal of offering our customers all of the tools they may need to move from land-based to online operations or to start an online operation with no effort,” said Konrad Gill, iGaming director for Sofia-based Casino Technology. “The appeal of the innovative and customisable platform is further enhanced by the huge library of Casino Technology’s games and third-party offerings, which have been adapted for online use, providing the ultimate mix of state-ofthe art technology and highly compelling game content.”
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Gauselmann completes Sceptre purchase
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he Gauselmann Group announced that it has acquired the assets of Sceptre Leisure, the UK’s second largest AWP operator and the largest independent AWP operator. “The acquisition of the Sceptre Leisure assets was the most effective way of ensuring the future security and prosperity of both customers and staff,” said Jürgen Stühmeyer, member of the board for sales for Germany-based Gauselmann. “The Gauselmann Group will be working closely with the management team at Sceptre Leisure to provide all the support it needed to create a platform for innovation and growth in the UK market place.” Whilst the Gauselmann Group has invested in several sectors of the UK market in recent years including Blueprint Gaming, Praesepe and Betcom - this will be the first investment, other than minority shareholdings, in the British operating sector. “The collaboration between the company group and Sceptre Leisure in the past two years has proven that the pooling of development capacity offers a decisive benefit to the market,” the company stated. “The expansion of the Gauselmann Group in Great Britain will be accelerated even more strongly with the acquisition of the new subsidiary.” Gauselmann noted that whilst it had concluded the purchase of the Sceptre Leisure assets, it was in discussion with another “major gaming company” regarding a possible investment in the business designed to further strengthen the company’s position.
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CASINO TECHNOLOGY / GAMESMAN / GAUSELMANN / IGT / SCIENTIFIC GAMES / TCS JOHNYXYXYXY HUXLEY Macao Gaming Show, November 17-19 2015
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RELOCATION
SYSTEMS
Scientific Games moves global HQ to Las Vegas
IGT creates winning combination at Oregon casino
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Following the approval of a $5.1bn merger with Bally Technologies, gambling technology company Scientific Games has moved its corporate headquarters from New York to Las Vegas. cientific Games Corporation has relocated its global corporate headquarters and established its gaming division’s primary US manufacturing operations at Bally Technologies’ existing facilities on South El Camino Road in Las Vegas, Nevada. The group took control of Bally in a $5.1bn (E4.5bn) buyout last year. In 2013, Scientific Games spent $1.5bn (E1.3bn) to purchase another leading competitor, WMS Gaming. “Selecting Las Vegas as our global headquarters is a natural step in the corporate evolution of Scientific Games,” said Gavin Isaacs, president and chief executive officer. “Las Vegas is a diverse, cosmopolitan city in business friendly Nevada
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where we have strong roots and an extensive and growing employee base. This move will allow us to stay closely connected to our worldwide base of gaming, lottery and interactive customers.” Isaacs added: “Equally important to our continued operating success is maintaining the continuity of our major operating divisions. To that end, the company’s Bally Technologies and Shuffle Master gaming development and support operations will continue to be based in Las Vegas, while our significant WMS game development, engineering and other gaming support operations, as well as our Interactive division, will continue to be based at our Chicago Tech Campus.” The operational headquarters of Scientific
Games’ Lottery Division will remain in Alpharetta, Georgia, Isaacs said. Reflecting the company’s commitment to rapidly implement identified integration plans that are expected to drive increased efficiency and cost synergies, Scientific Games has begun to transition the WMS manufacturing operations from Waukegan, Illinois, to Las Vegas. The group expects all production to be transferred to the Las Vegas facilities by the summer of 2015 and anticipates closing the Waukegan facility before the end of 2015. “It is great news for Nevada that Scientific
Games, an industry leader in gaming, lottery and interactive entertainment and technology, has selected Las Vegas as its new global headquarters,” stated Governor Brian Sandoval. “The relocation of the company’s manufacturing operations and corporate office to Las Vegas means hundreds of good-paying jobs for the people of Clark County and our state in the years to come. As we work together to grow and diversify the Nevada economy.” The annual cost synergies arising from the manufacturing consolidation are included in Scientific Games’ previously disclosed overall estimate of $235m (E207m).
he success of IGT Systems is spreading throughout southern Oregon in the US, as casino gaming entertainment leader IGT has been chosen to provide its Advantage 9.2 system suite with Service Window, in addition to 80 IGT games at the new Three Rivers Casino Coos Bay, slated to open in April 2015. “Three Rivers Casino Coos Bay serves as a great example of how IGT Systems innovation creates successful partnerships,” said Mark Wiedemer, IGT’s director of global system sales. “We’re building upon our track record of helping Three Rivers Casino in Florence, Oregon, leverage IGT Systems to create player excitement and engagement. “With the new installation of IGT Systems at Three Rivers Casino Coos
Bay, we take it to the next level by empowering players to gain seamless access to their club benefits at both properties.” The state-of-the art Three Rivers Casino Coos Bay will feature all Class II machines connected with IGT systems, featuring IGT’s Point Play and Xtra Credit bonus applications. Multi-site Patron Management will enable personalised experiences for players across multiple casino properties. In addition to IGT systems, Three Rivers Casino Coos Bay has also selected 80 IGT Class II machines, specifically chosen for this market. Fan-favourite titles include the Hot Roll family, Dolly Parton, Lucky Larry Lobstermania 2, with the built-in Class II prize-banking capability to award players exciting large jackpot prizes such as cars, boats and ATVs.
DIVERSIFICATION
A noble cause G amesman’s Martin Rigby remembers his roots.
products now go elsewhere. “UK AWP probably comprises only about 10 per cent of our business “We started in the UK purely as these days,” said Rigby. “The rest an AWP components supplier - of our activity is focused on and so at heart, that market’s still exports to the casino and betting very important to us,” he sectors.” remarked. Whilst still providing the butThat said, numbers don’t lie - tons and basic components with and the bulk of Gamesman’s which the company first cut it’s
teeth, Gamesman has now branched out to produce advanced components such as touch-screens and advanced topper signs. It’s a product progression which Rigby believes is a pre-requisite for success. “We’re trying to appeal to an upcoming demographic of player which has grown up with Xboxes, and Playstations, and with touch-screen and motionsensor technology,” he stated. Whilst ICE 2015 represented the company’s largest ever
showing to date, it also represented a solemn occasion, with the launch of its Target £25k campaign. “Our technical director James Cove - a founding member of the business was diagnosed with Mesothelioma last year,” Rigby explained. “It’s an asbestos related disease, and its profile is minimal. To that end, we’re aiming to raise £25,000 throughout the course of next year towards a Mesothelioma research charity.”
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APEX GAMING TECHNOLOGY / JCM GLOBAL
News
Macao Gaming Show, November 17-19 2015
CASINO PURCHASE OPPORTUNITY FAVOURABLE INVESTOR TERMS, TAX DEROGATIONS, COMPLETION JULY 2015, 3,600 SQM CASINO FLOOR CONTACT: JSULLIVAN@GBMEDIA.EU CASH HANDLING
Apex launch iDrop in Germany Gauselmann Group’s new Merkur Spielbank Leuna-Gunthersdorf casino has become the first in the world to offer innovative live table gaming cash handling system from Austrian developer Apex Gaming Technology. ustrian gaming machine and systems developer and manufacturer Apex Gaming Technology has launched its iDrop cash handling innovation at live gaming tables inside operator Gauselmann Group’s new Merkur Spielbank Leuna-Gunthersdorf casino. First shown at the recent ICE 2015 in London, iDrop allows players to purchase chips directly at a live gaming table with dealers simply placing banknotes or tickets into the unit. Able to accept bundles of up to 50 individually validated banknotes or tickets, iDrop subsequently sees dealers exchange chips for a ticket when it comes time for a player to cash out. Merkur Spielbank Leuna-Gunthersdorf is the first Gauselmann casino in Germany with another advantage to the iDrop innovation: all of the venue’s live gaming table cash can be accounted for in real-time as the system is capable
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tomers accepted iDrop immediately and there is a positive buzz around the casino. The benefits for us as a casino operator are overwhelming as we have complete and direct feedback and control of the drop. Furthermore, we purchased about half the amount of chips a casino would normally need as the chips all remain at the tables with none required for a cash desk.” Apex Gaming Technology declared that Merkur Spielbank Leuna-Gunthersdorf has become the first casino in the world to take advantage of its iDrop innovation with players appreciating ‘that they can take their tickets directly from the slots to live gaming and of being connected to any manage- Merkur Spielbanken Sachsen- and swap cash for chips repre- vice versa’. ment system for immediate infor- Anhalt and the man spearheading sents a revolution in gaming. This “We are very proud that Merkur mation on the drop. the introduction of iDrop for gives players more freedom and Spielbank Leuna-Gunthersdorf “The number-one focus at Gauselmann Group. “The idea anonymity as they no longer need has fitted our iDrop on all of its live Gauselmann Group has always that players can visit live tables to go to a cash desk. It also saves gaming tables,” said Kubilay Ozer, been service,” said Karl-Heinz after slots and exchange their tick- time and is why our casino does global sales director for Apex Lager, head of IT and security at ets for chips or go directly to tables not have a cash desk. Our cus- Gaming Technology.
PRINT SOLUTIONS
TICKETING
JCM lands UK ticketing deal
J JCM Global inks Merkur supply deal lobal transaction technologies supplier JCM Global has won another exclusive major contract after its award-winning Gen3 and Gen2 Universal printers were selected for use by Merkur Spielbanken at its new casino in SachsenAnhalt, Germany. Merkur Spielbanken is a subsidiary of giant gaming amusements innovator Gauselmann and the Sachsen-Anhalt casino, which will have 121 slot machines
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alongside eight gaming tables, is also set to take advantage of the iVizion bill validator from JCM Global. “For many years, JCM Global and Gauselmann have enjoyed a very fruitful relationship and we are very pleased to be a part of this incredibly exciting new venture,” said Payam Zadeh, EMEA general manager for JCM Global. “Our printers and bill validators have superior field-proven technology, outstanding
44 | casinoreview March 2015
reputations and exploit the very latest technology. These factors, combined with our world-class levels of service and support, make JCM Global the perfect choice for operators, suppliers and integrators who want to make better connections with their customers.” “We chose JCM Global for its long outstanding reputation in the gaming industry,” said Reinhard Wehner, slots manager for Merkur Spielbanken.
CM Global and its FutureLogic printer group have entered into an agreement to install the Ticket2Go ticketing system solution at Luxury Leisure gaming venues located throughout the UK. Luxury Leisure is part of the Novomatic UK Group of Companies, a leading operator of luxury adult gaming centres in the UK. Ticket2Go is a retrofit ticketing solution for gaming and AWP devices that do not support standard ticketing protocols, and it is the first and only system to work across all the post2007 legacy machines in a location. “The Ticket2Go system allows Luxury Leisure to take advantage of the proven benefits associated with ticket-in, ticket-out (TITO) that provide an
enhanced experience for players and allows Luxury Leisure to further optimise their operation,” said JCM. Ideal for AWP and low payout gaming machine markets, Ticket2Go delivers a networked TITO solution with a single ticketing solution across the gaming floor. Multi-lingual and multi-currency, Ticket2Go offers a retrofit ticketing solution for gaming machines that do not support open standard ticketing protocols as well as the new GBG UK TITO standards.
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CR149-p46-50-Supplier_Coinslot NEW 05/03/2015 16:13 Page 4
Supplier
ABBIATI / BMM TESTLABS / DLV / DRGT / GSA / INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY / PLAYTECH
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Macao Gaming Show, November 17-19 2015
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FINANCIALS
APPOINTMENT
Record annual revenues and earnings for Playtech
DRGT appoints new CFO
G
Acquisitions and partnerships have helped gaming software provider Playtech post a 24 percent year-on-year increase in revenues alongside 30 per cent rise in earnings. aming software and services giant Playtech has released its 2014 financial results showing a 24 percent year-on-year rise in annual revenues to an all-time high of $514.1m (E457m) on the back of its acquisitions and partnerships. The Isle of Man-based firm also recorded its best ever earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to $232.9m (E207.1m), which represented an increase of 30 per cent year-on-year, while its adjusted net profit for the twelve-month period grew by 29 per cent to reach $214.4m (E190.8m). Factors that contributed to the positive results included the completion of
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Ladbrokes’ migration to Playtech’s full product suite and IMS infrastructure alongside the industry-first roll-out of a single log-in omni-channel solution to Coral betting shops. There were also structured agreements signed and launched with Caliente in Mexico and RCS Media in Italy as well as a turnkey solution for the UK’s Trinity Mirror while the developer won a competitive tender to provide Holland Casino with casino, live, bingo and poker software after new regulations are ratified in The Netherlands. Playtech additionally acquired Aristocrat Lotteries in 2014 to create the world’s largest video lottery terminal software business alongside a 33.3 per cent
COIN HANDLING New products spark global rush
I
t was a bumper ICE show for Innovative Technology, thanks in no small part to the launch of its new SMART Coin System. “It was great to finally unveil our latest innovation the SMART Coin System,” explained marketing executive, Dayna Patterson. In fact, Innovative are reporting a record number of global visitors to its stand across the show.” International connections are of particular worth to Innovative, who’s growing export business has performed admirably in recent years. “Last year we opened a number of new offices,” noted Patternson, “so ICE 2015 provided a perfect platform to introduce new members of our international sales team, as well as showcasing our state of the art products to new potential customers.”
GAMING PROTOCOLS GSA prepares for launch of G2S 3.0
T
he Gaming Standards Association (GSA) will soon unveil the latest version of its award-winning G2S
46 | casinoreview March 2015
stake in BGO to give it access to a games design facility. Playtech stated that its positive results have continued into 2015 with daily average revenues for the first eight weeks of the year up over 22 per cent year-on-year and five per cent quarter-onquarter, which encompass benefits from the current weakness of the Euro. The firm also inked a 20-year extension with Finland’s Raha-Automaattiyhdistys (RAY) last month that will see it continue to supply the monopoly with multi-channel gaming software, content and support for its online, mobile and retail channels before subsequently releasing its new Virtual Sports multi-channel games package that includes
a series of never-before-seen industry-first features. “Playtech has continued to deliver exceptional performance by focusing on consolidating its position as the world’s leading software and services provider to the online gambling industry,” said Alan Jackson, non-executive chairman for Playtech. “By expanding its licensee relationships, creating innovative new content, enhancing its products and deepening its customer focus, the business has continued to thrive. The continued momentum of 2014 has been maintained in the first two months of 2015 and the board looks to the future with confidence and optimism.”
game-to-system message protocol following the completion of final reviews by some of the organisation’s leading members. Featuring new functionalities, including support for standalone progressive controllers, mystery progressive jackpots and progressive displays, G2S Version 3.0 will also come complete with specific jurisdictional requirements and improvements to its player user interface allowing for multi-source picture-in-picture functionality to be managed through an open protocol.
SLOT MACHINES DLV make headway in South America
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large-scale, impressive ICE presence for Latvian slotmanufacturer DLV seemed to have sights on markets beyond European shores. “The bulk of our European trade continues to take place within Latvia,” explained the company’s marketing support manager Julija Barbakadze. “As for the rest of the world, Latin American, and Peru in particular, has been our principal export market.” Julija Ivakenko (L) and Julija Barbakadze (R)
aming systems company DRGT has announced the appointment of Koen De Wispelaere as chief financial officer. De Wispelaere brings a wealth of experience to this position, having previously been responsible for group finances at Partouche. “DRGT is a multinational company that is completely focused on local support,” he said. “In my position as CFO I will be helping my colleagues to enable further structured growth and ensure that all internal processes are optimised.” Jurgen De Munck, CEO and co-founder of DRGT,
added: “The fact that we have just opened two new subsidiaries in Colombia and South Africa reflects our dedication to support our clients in their key decisions of systems requirements. “It is key that the company structure reflects the company size itself. Koen has amassed experience both in his own field of finances and in the world of gaming.” Within the space of just three years, DRGT has grown its customer base to over 500 venues in more than 35 countries around the world. The installed base has grown from 8,000 to over 30,000 during this time.
Koen De Wispelaere (right) and Jurgen De Munck
TESTING Whirlwind agenda for BMM at ICE
F
or Martin Storm, chief executive of BMM Testlabs, ICE 2015 represented an unparalleled opportunity. “For us, ICE is great. We’ve got a lot of our customers here: both of the cur- Wendy Anderson (L) and rent and prospective variety,” Martin Storm (R) he stated. “We’re having 150 meetings in 3 days,” he went on. “To this end, our show objectives aren’t not so much about traffic on the stand, as to having access to the people we need to speak to.”
APPOINTMENT Heap joins Abbiati in consulting role
A
bbiati Casino Equipment has retained the services of David Heap as non-executive special strategic advisor and consultant. Heap was the former group chief executive of TCS John Huxley for 16 years until his retirement in 2012.
David Heap
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CR149-p54-56-Business_Coinslot NEW 06/03/2015 10:05 Page 1
Business
GENTING SINGAPORE / MGM RESORTS / TATTS GROUP
& City News
BUSINESS NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
MGM sees losses widen in 2014
Tatts reports lift in H1 profits
T The Mirage, Las Vegas
G Despite reporting its best fourthquarter EBITDA since 2007, MGM Resorts International has seen a 500 per cent widening of its quarterly net loss.
lobal casino operator MGM Resorts International has released its unaudited fourth-quarter financial results showing a widening of its net loss despite year-on-year increases in net revenues for almost every one of its properties. MGM Resorts International operates some of the world’s most iconic casinos, including The Mirage Hotel and Casino, Luxor Las Vegas, MGM Macau and Bellagio Las Vegas and reported a 2.7 per cent increase in net revenues for the 12 months to the end of December to just over $10bn (E8.8bn). However, the firm posted a five per cent decline year-on-year in fourth quarter net revenues to $2.38bn (E2.1bn) while its operating income for the three-month period dropped by over 19 per cent to $266.1m (E235.4m) although the full-year figure improved by 16 per cent to $1.32bn (E1.16bn). “MGM Resorts International reported its best fourth-quarter earnings before interest, tax depre-
ciation and amortisation since the peak in 2007 and its best full-year in six years at its wholly-owned domestic resorts,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO for Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International. “For the full year, CityCenter resort operations and MGM China each achieved record performances. When I reflect on this year, I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the MGM Resorts International team and believe that 2015 will be another great year. In fact, we are already off to a good start with strong January results in the United States.” Over the course of 2014, MGM Resorts International declared that it had decreased its long-term debt by four per cent year-on-year to $12.91bn (E11.42bn) with its MGM China subsidiary boosting annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation by 4.4 per cent to $850.4m (E752.2m). In the United States, annual net revenues grew by 4.7 per cent to reach
$6.34bn (E5.6bn) helped by an improvement from every one of its properties with the exception of The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and the MGM Grand Detroit. But, the operator surprised many by revealing that its fourthquarter net loss had increased by over 500 per cent year-on-year to $342.2m (E302.7m) despite an almost 13 per cent reduction in the annual figure to $149.8m (E132.5m). “As a result of a successful year and our continued focus on our balance sheet, we improved leverage and raised significant capital in 2014,” said Dan D’Arrigo, executive vice-president, CFO and treasurer for MGM Resorts International. “We believe that our improved cashflows, the announced dividends from MGM China, $1.25bn (E1.1bn) in capital raised in the fourth quarter along with revolver availability provides us with adequate liquidity to fund our 2015 maturities and growth initiatives.”
atts Group, the Australian lottery and gaming group, has reported a 14.6 per cent increase in earnings for the first six months of fiscal 2015. “Excellent progress” in driving digital sales in the Brisbanebased group’s lotteries and wagering division saw Tatts’ profits total A$139.8m (E96.2m) in the first half of the year, with revenues rising 1.2 per cent to $1.51bn (E1bn). During the period, the company’s gaming segment saw strong top line gains, with revenues for the Maxgaming venue services group up 1.1 per cent to A$58.1m (E40m). Revenues for UK gaming centre subsidiary Talarius were up 12.3 per cent to A$59.3m (E40.1m). “Record lotteries earnings despite lower jackpot levels, and the momentum in our online sales are the standouts in our performance this half,” said Tatts CEO and managing director, Robbie Cooke. “Clearly, capturing the benefit of our cash position following the pokies compensation win and leveraging the interest rate cycle were particularly significant contributors.”
FINANCIALS
Genting Singapore shares fall after disappointing Q4
A
sian casino operator Genting Singapore has released its fourth-quarter financial results showing a 36 per cent decline year-on-year in net profits to $65.82m (E58m), while its revenues fell by eight per cent to
Resorts World Sentosa
48 | casinoreview March 2015
$470.86m (E414.97m). The Singapore-listed firm reported a fair value loss for the three-month period of $107.5m (E94.74m) on derivative financial instruments while its full-year earnings decreased by 12 per cent year-on-year to $381.86m (E336.47m). The Genting subsidiary operates the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort and stated that its total revenues for the year rose by one per cent year-
on-year to $2.11bn (E1.85bn) while declaring that the mass and premium mass segments of its gaming business had displayed “respectable growth” with a significant below average win percentage and rolling volume for its premium player market segment. “Our attractions business continued to achieve daily average visitation of 20,000 and our hotel segment registered an occupancy rate of 93 per cent
with average daily room rates at $311.54 (E274.44),” read a statement from Genting Singapore, which saw its shares fall to a four-year low of $0.96 (E0.84) following the release of its results. “We expect the non-gaming earnings to post respectable growth in 2015 as the travel industry climbs out of a difficult year in the region.” Genting Singapore additionally stated that it has begun marketing efforts for
its new 550-room Genting Hotel Jurong in Singapore, which is now scheduled to open in May, while it recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Resorts World Jeju development in South Korea. “We are confident that Resorts World Jeju will be a magnet for the regional tourist market, where within a flying radius of two hours there is a sizeable population of 750 million,” read the statement from Genting Singapore.
If you’re searching for the very best journalism, the widest distribution and inventive advertising opportunities, International Casino Review is your partner of choice. For more information on how we can help you deliver your message to the global casino industry community, simply contact John Sullivan at jsullivan@gbmedia.eu to receive your media +44 (0) (0) 1204 1257 277 pack or call us on +44 396 400. 397.
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Business
BOYD GAMING / FULL HOUSE RESORTS
& City News
Macao Gaming Show, November 17-19 2015
IGT: “I WOULD SAY THAT 80 PER CENT OF THE PORTFOLIO IN NORTH AMERICA IS APPLICABLE TO EUROPE, WHEREAS IF YOU LOOK AT ASIA, THIS FIGURE MIGHT ONLY BE 10 PER CENT.”
RESTRUCTURE
Management shake-up for Full House Resorts as growth plan implemented The future looks bright for Full House Resorts, as the US casino operator agrees extended payment terms with its creditors and reveals a plan to add nine luxury suites to its new Silver Slipper Casino Hotel in Mississippi. S casino operator Full House Resorts has announced numerous changes to its board of directors, while also hiring former Wynn Resorts executive Lewis Fanger to serve as its new senior vice-president, CFO and treasurer. Full House Resorts operates four casinos spread across the states of Nevada, Mississippi and Indiana, and December saw it appoint former Pinnacle Entertainment chairman Daniel Lee as its new CEO following a period of
U
“investor dissatisfaction”. The firm behind The Rising Star Riverboat Casino in Indiana has now elected Bradley Tirpak to serve as its non-executive chairman while re-electing Carl Braunlich as vice-chairman and accepting the resignation of director Raymond Hemmig to reduce the size of its board to eight members. “Ray’s wealth of governance experience has proven very helpful during this transition and we sincerely thank him for his contributions,” said Tirpak.
For his part, Fanger served as vice-president of Wynn Resorts from June of 2013 until last month where he assisted with development efforts and oversaw investor relations functions. Before this, he worked as CFO and senior vice-president for Creative Casinos, the original developer of the recently-opened Golden Nugget resort casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana. “The board and I are pleased to have Lewis, an accomplished executive with significant industry,
financial and operational expertise, join Full House Resorts,” said Lee. “Lewis has more than 14 years of financial and gaming industry experience including many years in the markets where Full House Resorts operates. He is well-suited to help our continued progress toward enhancing long-term value for our shareholders.” To further assist its growth efforts, Full House Resorts has additionally agreed extended payment terms with first and second-lien creditors while
these partners have moreover consented to the exclusion of ‘certain costs related to recent management changes’ from adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation calculations and those of correlated financial covenants. As a result, the operator revealed that it will now be able to add nine luxury suites to its new Silver Slipper Casino Hotel in Mississippi while reducing the venue’s room count by approximately 13 rooms to 129.
“Given that the hotel’s interior work has not yet been completed, the company expects to spend less than an additional $1m (E883,000) on this improved configuration and expects that it will result in an incremental return on invested capital,” read a statement from Full House Resorts. “The company expects to complete and open the 120 standard rooms early in the second quarter and expects the remaining nine suites to open approximately 60 days thereafter.”
FINANCIALS
Boyd Gaming reports improved Q4 performance S casino operator Boyd Gaming has released its fourth quarter financial results, showing net revenues of $531.6m (E467.4m), which represents a 1.4 per cent increase year-on-year, while its net loss shrunk by $14.9m (E13.1m) to $32.4m (E28.4m). Boyd operates 22 properties spread across the states of Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. The company stated that its Las Vegas ‘locals’ segment posted a 2.1 per cent rise year-on-year in fourth-quarter net revenues to $151.7m
U
year, while its Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa joint venture with MGM Resorts International in Atlantic City, New Jersey, saw fourth-quarter earnings grow by 14 per cent to surpass $179m (E157.5m). “In the fourth quarter we were pleased to achieve earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation growth and margin improvement in every segment of our business,” said Keith Smith, president and CEO of Boyd Gaming. “We (E133.5m) despite its (E52.4m). enues of $200m (E176.1m) saw modest revenue gains Downtown Las Vegas marLas Vegas-based Boyd for the final three months of throughout our portfolio, ket experiencing a slight said its remaining market 2014, which was a two per continued growth in our Las decrease to $59.6m segments reported net rev- cent improvement year-on- Vegas business and ongoing
50 | casinoreview March 2015
stabilisation in our regional markets. “We also made steady progress executing our strategy to enhance our non-gaming amenities, which contributed to improved growth and profitability in the quarter.” Smith added: “Additionally, we continued to strengthen our balance sheet during the quarter, bringing total debt reduction to nearly $200m (E175.8m) in 2014. The second half of 2014 provided encouraging signs of growth and a solid base for continuing to build longterm shareholder value.”
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People
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES / IGT / PLAYTECH
PEOPLE NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES
PLAYTECH
‘Take your gaming to the next dimension’
Playtech: waiting until the moment’s right
C
asino Review: How will you be helping European operators overcome the obvious hurdles in 2015? James Boje: I think the answer is here on our stand at ICE. We have a really exciting array of products - from cabinets, such as the Helix Upright and the new Helix Super Screen Slant, to our wide range of player-led gaming segments and, of course, our strong pipeline of industry-leading games.
James Boje joined Aristocrat Technologies as managing director of Europe, Middle East and Africa in September 2014. Speaking to James Walker at ICE Totally Gaming, he underlined the company’s focus when it comes to offering a wealth of gaming solutions to operators and consumers - across the globe. IGT
‘Operators are now reinvesting’ IGT continues to focus on creating market-specific content for players around the world, explains Eric Tom, executive vice president of global sales for the Nevada-based company. 52 | casinoreview March 2015
CR: What are the main strengths of Aristocrat’s offering? JB: From an aesthetics point of view, we have a very fresh, clean and crisp looking portfolio. The quality of our graphics is phenomenal, and this has been reflected in feedback from our customers here in London. This depth of quality filters down through to our game maths and the platforms on which they operate. CR: Could you talk me through the new Gen8 platform? JB: Gen8 is a next generation software platform that delivers more intense gaming experiences, whilst at the same time being compatible with a number of key, proven titles from the Gen7 games library. An integral part of the new Helix package, it offers more powerful processing performance, superior storage capacity, advanced graphics capabili-
In Europe, as with other regions around the world, one key area of focus for a manufacturer such as IGT is to develop the right content for the marketplace. What’s interesting is that a certain subset of our key North American content resonates well with our player base in Europe particularly in western Europe. I would say that 80 per cent of the portfolio in North America is applicable to Europe, whereas if you look at Asia, this figure might only be 10 per cent. This is a good advantage for us when it comes to bringing new content to market, but we also continue to focus on developing
“
ties and overall greater access speeds to core hardware components - all of which means our games developers can continue to push the envelope with unrestricted creativity featuring even more interactivity and innovation. CR: You launched the E-Series 18 months ago. How does game line tie in with your other libraries? JB: The E-Series stands for ‘Entertainment Series’ and is really working well. Our new JSeries is focused on jackpots and our C-Series offers a wealth of new and exciting concepts in core games. At ICE this year, Pixie Wishes, the first link game in the E-Series line, was shown for the first time within our gaming operations segment, where Sky Riders Golden Amulet and Silver Treasures have been boosted with the addition of a multi-level Hyperlink progressive. It completes the circle when it comes to Aristocrat offering a wealth of games across sectors. CR: Is variety and choice becoming more important? JB: Player profile changes from country to country and casino to casino, so manufacturers really must strive to develop strong libraries rich in depth and breadth and develop lasting partnerships with operators to help make choices for their business that are right for both today and tomorrow. We have a really great offering, and our key message to operators is: take your gaming to the next dimension.
specific content across all regions - no matter whether this is North America, Latin America, Europe or Asia. Looking at the market in western Europe now, I think a switch has been turned on, and operators are now reinvesting. The market is not necessarily growing, but operators are refreshing their offering. When the economic downturn hit Europe around 2008, many manufacturers pulled away. However, IGT felt it was important to stay in the market. Operators there seemed to appreciate the fact that we did stay. If the vendors had pulled out, it would have made things much worse. Not only do we have a broad portfolio of content, we have enough skill to generate content to whatever idiosyncrasies a market might have. We also have the ability to distribute and represent the product in all corners of the world. IGT continues to focus on growing on a field level, a service level and a portfolio level. These are things that matter most for the customer.”
I
n February 2014, having posted record growth and dividend payout in the previous year, Playtech chief executive Mor Weizer spoke of the company looking to make a “transformational acquisition.” A year on, Weizer’s opening address at ICE failed to address the subject of future business development directly. “There are a number of acquisition prospects currently on the table for us,” he responded when questioned. “Whilst there’s opportunity in us using the cash we have on the balance sheet - we don’t feel hurried or under pressure: it’s about us finding the right acquisition for us.” Whilst scant on the finer details, Weizer confirmed ICE as a potential platform for future expansion. “I will say that some of Playtech’s best acquisitions in the past have been born out of trade shows,” he stated. “They represent an unparalleled opportunity for us to see what other companies offer, and to start identifying potential targets.” Weizer apportioned the bulk of his speech to underlining the novelty of the Playtech product offering: in particular, it’s ‘omnichannel’ service. “We’re the only company at ICE which bases all of its content - irrespective of platform - on the same infrastructure,” he argued. “Omnichannel integrates web and mobile together as one offering. It doesn’t matter how you access the content - whether it’s over the counter, on your mobile, tablet or laptop - we’re offering the same customer journey.”
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Events
ENADA SPRING / IGAMING SUPER SHOW / SAGSE PANAMA
& Diary SUPPLIER NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
SAGSE PANAMA
IGAMING SUPER SHOW
SAGSE Panama returns in May
Registration opens for iGaming Super Show
The eleventh SAGSE Panama is due to take place at the Hotel El Panama Convention Center and Casino from May 13-14 with upwards of 1,500 visitors from around the world expected to attend.
W
hile the list of exhibitors for SAGSE Panama 2015 is yet to be released, the event remains one of the leading expos for the Central and South American gaming market with last year’s edition attracting numerous leading manufacturers and suppliers. “Year after year we have worked to improve paradigms inside the gaming area where working and pleasure fuse and create new experiences,” read a statement from the organisers. “ SAGSE Panama has continued to awaken interest and preserve its prestigious place as the most representative exhibition in Central America and the Caribbean.” Last year’s SAGSE Panama welcomed 781 local visitors in addition to 728 foreigners with 21 per cent of these originating in Costa
R Rica, Nicaragua or Guatemala. A full 20 per cent of visitors came from the Caribbean including the nations of Jamaica, The Bahamas and The Dominican Republic while 13 percent travelled from Mexico. Visitors from Europe represented five percent of the total at the 2014 edition of SAGSE Panama while eleven per cent came from the UK or Malta. Three percent of those at last year’s extravaganza travelled from the United States or Canada 27 with an unsurprising 27 per cent originating in South America encompassing the lucrative markets of Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. The expo has been busy signing special agreements with the Hotel El Panama Convention Center and Casino and the Hotel Casino Veneto for those wishing to stay over in Panama City, while attendees can take advantage of a unique 15 per cent travel discount courtesy of Copa Airlines.
ENADA SPRING
Enada Spring returning to Rimini
T
he 27th edition of the Enada Spring trade show is due to be held from March 18 to 20 at the Rimini Fiera exhibition centre in northeast Italy featuring some of the industry’s top companies displaying their latest wares. Enada Spring 2015 will see GTech, VNE, Merkur Gaming, Alberici, Stylgame and Inspired Gaming Group on the show floor.. “As with its previous edi-
| DIARY MARCH 2015 9-11 Gaming Technology Conference Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, US www.gamingtechnologyconf.com 18-19 FADJA Peru Atlantic City Convention & Entertainment Centre, Lima, Peru www.fadja.com.pe
54 | casinoreview March 2015
tions, Enada Spring 2015 will feature technologies, products and services for the gaming and amusement industries and host not only the main innovators in terms of products and services but also debates concerning the overall state of the entertainment and amusement sectors,” read a statement from Rimini Fiera. Last year’s Enada Spring attracted upwards of 25,000 visitors.
25-26 Caribbean Gaming Show & Summit 2015 San Juan, Puerto Rico www.caribbeangamingshow.com 30-1 Indian Gaming San Diego San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California, US www.indiangaming.org/events/tradeshow
APRIL 2015 8-9 FADJA Colombia Corferias, Bogota, Colombia info@fadja.com
egistration is now open for the 2015 edition of the iGaming Super Show - the biggest dedicated exhibition and conference for the online gaming industry, with more than 3,500 delegates, 100 speakers and 100 stands. The event will be held at the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on June 23-26. This year’s conference will take place across four conference rooms, with over 45 sessions that focus on finance, management, marketing, legal and technical topics, as well as specific conferences such as sports betting, player acquisition, affiliate marketing, compliance and payments. Sponsors include SafeCharge Payment Solutions, Microgaming, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), OpenBet and Casino Technology. The show will also house the annual Gaming in Holland conference, which will take place as the regulation of online gaming in the Netherlands draws closer. More than 30 influential speakers will participate in the event, including CEOs of gaming operators, specialised lawyers, SEO experts and lottery entrepreneurs.
MAY 2015 5-7 Southern Gaming Summit & Bingo World Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Centre, Biloxi, Mississippi, US www.sgsummit.com 13-14 SAGSE Central America & Caribbean Hotel El Panama, Panama City, Panama www.monografie.com 19-21 G2E Asia The Venetian Macau, Macau www.g2easia.com
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? Growth City Well-known leisure destination 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 July 2015 Hotel completion date July 2015
How? Apply in confidence for a prospectus and further information to jsullivan@gbmedia.eu