CR144-p01-Front_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 13:06 Page 1
OCTOBER 2014 • EDITION 144
TWITTER/@ICASINOREVIEW • WWW.CASINOREVIEW-ONLINE.COM
G2E
Las Vegas THE KEY PLAYERS AT THIS YEAR’S VEGAS SHOWING G2E REPORT 28
ASIA & OCEANIA NEWS
EVENTS
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THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER FOR THE GLOBAL CASINO INDUSTRY
CZECH REPUBLIC
Czech casinos may benefit from tighter regulations
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Newly proposed limitations on gambling in the Czech Republic could be a boon for the country’s casino industry, writes James Walker.
ndrej Babis, Finance Minister for the Czech Republic, has unveiled details of a bill introducing stricter regulation of gambling in the eastern European country. Under the new rules, which are set to be implemented in January 2016, slot machines would only be allowed in specially licensed bars and casinos, and would be banned in regular pubs, bars, gas stations and other venues. The ministry is also looking to establish a central monitoring system, which would control all gambling operations in real time. A database of “high-risk” gamblers will also be created to prevent some from gambling, Deputy Finance Minister Ondrej Zavodsky said. Under the new law, the customs administration will
give permission for new gambling machines instead of the Ministry. The municipality will have the final say on which territory gambling operators will be able to set up business. Zavodsky said the number of gambling rooms and casinos would be limited by the number of inhabitants in any particular municipality and region, while the ministry would maintain overall supervision and decide on the approval of new games and technology. In addition to the monitoring system and database, the new regulations call for obligatory customer checks and a cap on the speed of games. Municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants may have only one gambling room and a casino may open
only in areas with more than 40,000 inhabitants. Although the European Casino Association (ECA) said, in its 2013 Casino Industry Report, the Czech Republic has taken a “relatively liberal regulatory approach to gambling”, which fostered an influx of small casinos across the country in the 20 years since the Velvet Revolution of 1989, it also maintained that “the current Czech regulatory framework, based on gaming laws from the early 1990s, is largely outdated following the vigorous growth of the gambling sector.” Although the full details of the bill have not been published, casino operators are likely to benefit from the ban on casual gaming in high street and roadside venues. According to the ministry,
More than a transaction. A connection.
Czechs spent CZK123.9bn (E4.5bn) on gambling in 2013, including CZK73.4bn (E2.7bn) on slot machines and CZK29bn (E1.1bn) on betting. Over the past several years, dozens of municipalities across the country have introduced their own directives banning or restricting gambling on their territories. The Finance Minister’s proposal, however, is the first comprehensive bill aimed squarely at social responsibility and security. The legislation also harmonises Czech law with EU rules, allowing companies based outside the Czech Republic to offer online gambling to Czech clients. “The draft should enter into force in January 2016 which gives us enough time for a proper debate and I
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firmly believe the bill will be approved,” Babis said. “We would also like to introduce principles of responsible gambling, establishing maximum hourly and monthly bet limits.” According to reports, the bill will now make rounds at other government ministries before it is discussed by the government and eventually reaches the lower house.
Andrej Babis: ‘The draft should enter into force in January 2016’
CR144-p02-03-World_Coinslot NEW 15/10/2014 15:13 Page 1
News World
ANALYSIS
FORECAST
s of now, milennials don’t necessarily have access to the salaries or pension plans afforded to their parents’ generation. What they do have, though, is a vigorous interest in the world and an advanced understanding and appreciation of technology. Their dollars may make up just a small percentage of current Vegas revenue, but operators would do well to remember that the millenials outnumber boomers (82m of them in the United States, compared to 77m of theirr elders), and factor this into the forward planning of their resort management. So, treat club18-35 well - it could be a lifeline.
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Leading travel marketresearch expert Peter Yesawich spoke to a G2E audience of a recovering travel industry, with younger travellers exhibiting a high desire to try their luck with a gambling vacation
MMGY Global: ‘Millennials’ express highest desire to gamble on holiday
P UNITED STATES
eter Yesawich is not an expert when it comes to casinos. “I guess it’s better if I outline that from the start.” It might seem an unlikely opening statement considering the circumstances: he is addressing hundreds of casino industry stake-holders as the first keynote speaker in a line-up which includes an impressive calibre of veterans. Where Yesawich’s expertise lies is in the area of travel: he is vice chairman of MMGY Global, a leading US market research firm. “And that’s something that’s vital to bear in mind,” states Yesawich, “the fact that gambling makes up part of a wider vacation experience.”
2 | casinoreview October 2014
Each year, MMGY conducts its Portrait of American Travellers (PAT), an evaluation of over 2,500 US households with an income of $50,000 per annum. “That’s our baseline figure,” states Yesawich, “in the post-recession environment, we’re finding that American households earning below $50k are often ruling out the prospect of a vacation altogether.” The figure is alarming: with the median yearly US income just $52,000, approximately half of the country - nearly 60m households - are often judging the prospect of a vacation an unaffordable luxury. The recent recession may well be to blame. “By
all estimates, the great recession of recent times ended approximately two years ago,” Yesawich comments. “Unemployment is now the lowest the country has seen since before the recession, but peoples’ spending habits are still rooted in the mindset of austerity.” All this could spell future gloom for Las Vegas and other domestic US tourist hotspots, beleaguered as they are already from the after-effects of the 2008 crash. But respite may well be close at hand: “In the past two years, the travel industry in this country has seen a meteoric rise back to form,” claims Yesawich.
It’s by no means an exaggeration. The PAT 2014 reveals that 63 per cent of Americans with the means to travel are currently planning at least one vacation within the next twelve months: the highest rate on record since 2007. Crucially, underlying this figure is a renewed sense of job security: when put to poll, this factor has risen by seven per cent since 2011. Regarding the specifics of casino-vacation uptake, a demographic division emerges. Whilst those aged 18-35 (the so-called ‘millennial’ generation) are least likely to have previously gambled whilst on holiday (11%), they do exhibit the highest desire
to gamble whilst on holiday in the future (33%). The statistics go on to paint an encouraging picture of the upcoming generation of traveller: 71 per cent claim to be openminded to trying ‘something new’ whilst on vacation, and 60 per cent admitted that they looked forward to a holiday more than any other event in the calendar year. “Millennials present a new challenge to the travel industry,” says Yesawich, “their brand loyalty is low and they’re savvier than boomers in terms of seeking out a deal, but they’re also adventurous, and the desire to travel is the highest of any other age group.”
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YXYXYXY NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS / UNITED KINGDOM / UNITED STATES
ICR NEWS: WORLD 1-3 EUROPE 4-9 ASIA & OCEANIA 10-15 AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST 16-17 NORTH AMERICA 18-21 SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 22-23 COMMENT & ANALYSIS 26-27
UNITED KINGDOM
ue to a High Court challenge from the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA), the UK’s Department of Culture Media and Sports (DCMS) will be taking the necessary steps to postpone amendments to the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act coming into force until November 1, 2014. After forcing the delay to the amendments, which were due to be implemented earlier this month, the GBGA’s legal challenge was subsequently rejected by the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The UK Gambling (Advertising and Licensing) Act is an Act of Parliament which requires remote gambling operators - those not physically located in the UK - to obtain licences to provide an online gambling service to UK gamblers and to pay a ‘point of consumption’ tax of 15 per cent on the profits made from their UK operations. The GBGA represents a
LEGISLATION
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UK Gambling Act amendments postponed vast number of remote operators who are household names in the UK. The online activities of 888, William Hill, Bet365, Ladbrokes, Bwin.Party, Betfair and Victor Chandler are all based in Gibraltar because
of the tax advantages offered by the Crown State Territory. On behalf of these companies, the GBGA took legal action on the grounds that the implementation of a 15 per cent tax would create an
unfair advantage to UKbased operators and that the UK Gambling Act was “illegitimate, disproportionate and discriminatory interference with the right to free movement of services guaranteed by Article
56 [of the] Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union.” The GBGA suggested an alternative ‘passport solution’ for regulating online gambling in the UK that would create a consistency
of regulation between what was already in place in Gibraltar and what was being proposed in the new Act. The GBGA also claimed that this solution would impose a more proportionate burden on its members. After the verdict was announced, a spokesperson for the GBGA said that they were disappointed with Justice Green’s ruling. He said that the UK had an opportunity to introduce a cross-border regulatory regime which would benefit consumers and the industry alike. The GBGA maintains that the new legislation is not in the best interests of UK gamblers, but it will not appeal the verdict. A statement released by the DCMS welcomed the verdict. It said that the implementation of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act will now go ahead on November 1 and that the department looked forward to improving the protection of those gambling in Britain.
INVESTMENT
Macau firm ups pledged investment plan to North Mariana Island venue NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
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acau-based Alter City Group Holdings Ltd (AGC) has raised its proposed casino resort investment on Tinian, part of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariania Islands (CNMI), from $200m (E157.2m) to $300m (E235.9m). The real-estate development and investment firm pledged increased investiture in the Pacific US Island territory in time for the commonwealth’s Department of Public Lands’ (DPL) submission to the overriding Legislature for a draft lease agreement, which would see AGC rent 152 hectares of public land. The plans were put forward to house
speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero and senate president Ralph Torres by DPL public lands secretary Pete Tenorio. If approved, they will confirm a 40 year lease agreement for AGC, who will then need to apply separately for a casino licence. The proposed casino would also offer a luxury 1,000 room hotel, a series of private villas, a water park and an 18hole championship golf course. Construction would take place over a 12 year period, in a three-tier process. Tinian is one of only three inhabited islands in the territory, with a population of just over 3,000. Two thirds of it’s 100 square-mile landmass is currently leased to the US military. Whilst the island is host to the CNMI’s only existing casino, The Tinian
Alter City Group Holdings’ proposed resort on the tiny island of Tinian will see an extra $100m (E78.6m) funding, if given go ahead by local authorities. Dynasty Hotel & Casino, its tourist infrastructure remains underdeveloped. The AGC casino project has been forecast to attain gross revenues of $1.44bn (E1.01bn) across its first 25 years of operation. This anticipated injection of funds has been welcomed by local political figures, who have urged the territory’s governing body to throw their support behind the plan. “I expect such a multi-million dollar development to significantly boost Tinian’s local economy, as well as the entire Northern Marianas,” wrote Tinian mayor Ramon Dela Cruz, in a letter to the CNMI legislature. “It will provide additional jobs, tax revenues, and business and consumer spending, among other benefits and will stimulate tourism demand on Tinian, leading to additional flight capacity.”
AGC has earmarked Puntan Diablo as the proposed location of its new resort, the same area previously leased by Marianas Resort Development Corporation MRDC, which had harboured plans to build its own casino resort and golf course. The CNMI has witnessed an influx of recent casino investment. Neighbouring capital island Saipan will soon see construction commence on a $2bn (E1.57bn) integrated casino resort, after Hong Kong based Best Sunshine International Ltd won a bidding war for a casino development agreement on the island. The local lottery commission is in ongoing negotiations with the firm which will ultimately result in it being awarded an exclusive Saipan casino licence. October 2014 casinoreview
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News Europe
REVENUES
Casino Helsinki
Despite reporting slight growth at Casino Helsinki, Finnish gaming operator RAY has booked a drop in earnings for the first eight months of the year.
Recession digs into RAY gaming revenues
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inland’s state-controlled gaming operator, Rahaautomaattiyhdistys (RAY), has reported a 1.5 per cent drop in revenues for the first eight months of 2014. According to RAY, gaming revenues from January to August began to decline in late spring, as cash-strapped consumers cut back on their spending habits. Revenues to August 30 totalled E512.3, down 1.5 per cent on the prior-year period. During the period, the group handed E61.3m to the state as lottery tax.
4 | casinoreview October 2014
Profits for RAY totalled E277.3m, representing a 2.7 per cent drop on the first eight months of 2013. Casino Helsinki was the only one of RAY’s distribution channels that increased its revenue during the period. The casino’s revenue in January to August was slightly under E18.5m, which indicated a growth of 1.1 per cent from the previous year. “This was a notable result even on the European scale,” the group stated. “The reduced purchasing power of citizens had
an increasing impact on the gaming habits of Finns during the second quarter. As a result, our gaming operations are showing little growth at present,” said RAY managing director, Velipekka Nummikoski. Revenue from the group’s digital distribution channel declined by one percent compared to the same period last year. Digital games collected approximately E38.7m in January to August. The number of registered customers at the end of August was 305,513. Slot machines revenue
for RAY - which account for 75 per cent of the group’s total gaming revenue - declined by 1.5 per cent. Revenue from RAY’s own arcades totalled just under E62.3m, indicating a decline of two per cent compared to the same period last year. Located in the Finnish capital, Casino Helsinki is the only casino in Finland - although this was set to be joined by a new casino in Vaalimaa near the Russian border next year. In 2012, RAY considered 15 different options for the location of the
new casino. The town of Vaalimaa in Virolahti emerged as the best choice at the time, due to the high levels of traffic resulting from the Finnish-Russian border crossing and Vaalimaa’s own development plans. In September, however, the group said it was withdrawing from its plans to develop the casino at Vaalimaa Shopping Centre. “We will now take a timeout to carefully reconsider how we wish to proceed with regard to the casino permit,” Nummikoski said last month.
CR144-p04-08-Europe_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 11:02 Page 2
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LEGISLATION
Cyprus submits casino-enabling proposal for online scrutiny CYPRUS
he commerce ministry of the Republic of Cyprus has invited input on a draft law posted to its website, which would provide one operator an exclusive licence to operate casinos within the island state. Under the proposed legislation, the selected operator would follow strict guidelines pertaining to the scale of permitted gambling activity. They allow for the construction of a singular five-star luxury casino and hotel resort, with provision to operate four smaller satellite venues. The guidelines suggest a minimum capacity of 500 rooms at the primary site, with a casino floor offering at least 100 tables games and 1,000 gaming machines. The subsidiary sites would be limited to a maximum of 50 machines per premises. The licence duration on offer is 30 years, with a guarantee of 15 years exclusivity. The location of the main resort will be chosen at the discretion of the operator, although the additional sites would have to be constructed
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RAY has abandoned its plans to develop a new casino in the border town of Vaalimaa
ABOUT RAY inland’s slot machine association, Rahaautomaattiyhdistys (RAY), offers adult games at many locations around Finland, in addition to operating Casino Helsinki and an online platform. The profits from games are channelled into social and healthcare organisations. RAY’s slot machines and casino games can be played at thousands of locations which are looked after by the company’s business partners. Games can be found in hotels, restaurants, cafés, service stations, markets and kiosks. It is also possible to play at RAY’s own arcades, which operate under the Potti, Täyspotti and Pelaamo brands. The option to play on the Ray.fi online service has been available since the beginning of 2013, and it is now also possible to play on hand-held devices.
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in other municipalities. There is no current legal provision to operate casinos in the Republic of Cyprus, but casinos are legal in the selfdeclared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The proposal comes following evidence suggesting that citizens of the Republic were increasingly crossing the bor-
der to gamble in legal establishments in the north. The previous Cypriot government ruled out the legalisation of casinos on moral grounds. In recognition of this, the current administration have stated that any casino operation outlined in the paper would be: “truthful, tasteful, inoffensive and responsible.”
EUROPE ROUND-UP weden’s tax agency, the Skatteverket, claims to have found nearly SEK250m (E27.4m) in undeclared poker winnings, thanks to a co-operation with international tax havens. The news broke in October, when the agency’s project manager Dag Hardyson discussed the issue on Radio Sweden. Hardyson said that authorities have found approximately 50 players who have not been regularly reporting their winnings. “Many of the people involved are professional poker players,” Hardyson said. “As far as I know, this is the first time that we have used the opportunity to seek information about unidentified people.” Elsewhere in Scandinavia, Thorhild Midvey, Norway’s Culture Minister, has instigated a report on the possible impact of an open gambling market. This has been an on-going process, with Widvey appearing keen to liberalise Norway’s conservative laws, with possible changes due to be passed by the government next year.
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ILLEGAL OPERATIONS
Italian authorities crack down on illegal operators ITALY
I
talian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan (pictured) has unveiled a series of measures to clamp down on illegal gambling providers. According to reports emerging from the region, a 140-page report on tax evasion has been presented to Italy’s Council of Ministers, and the country’s tax authorities are planning to launch an investigation into illegal gaming rooms that have not been granted a licence from the Autonomous Administration of the State Monopolies (AAMS). The investigation will focus on all types of gambling, both land-based and online, the reports indicate. When incidents arise where
there is suspicious transactions, operators as well as the players that are involved will be presented with a direct fine. According to a report released by Italy’s Department of Finances, illegal gaming operators bypass the country’s taxation authorities with E122m of revenue shortfall.
In the Netherlands, meanwhile, an official delay in the reformation of the Dutch games of chance market is on the cards. Although the Netherlands is still aiming to implement its new Remote Gambling Act by January 1, 2015, the expectation is that this estimated timeline might not be achieved due to the number of phases the bill still has to follow. The House of Representatives requested additional time for written debates. The deadline has been set on the October 30. After the House of Representatives has passed the bill, it will be notified to the Senate for written debates and a plenary hearing. The moment the Senate has adopted the bill, it will be officially published and will come into force. Operators that wish to be active on the Dutch market can then apply for a licence. October 2014 casinoreview
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News Europe
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DEREGULATION
POKER
Rank proposes prototype Belfast casino
Legendary Parisienne poker venue closed after police raid FRANCE
UK Casino operator The Rank Group have put forward their vision of Northern Ireland’s very first casino to city councillors, despite continued political opposition. UNITED KINGDOM
perator of both the Grovesnor Casino and Mecca Bingo chains, The Rank Group PLC have laid out speculative plans to Belfast’s development committee for a combined casino and entertainment complex in the Northern Ireland capital. The company operates 55 casinos throughout the UK, but the proposed Belfast venue would be a company first in terms of scale and activity: including an arthouse cinema, a theatre, a bowling alley and coffee shops as well as the mainstay casino-floor and bingo hall. Speaking to the Belfast Tele-
O
graph, Rank Group’s strategic development adviser Dan Waugh commented: “It would be a leisure and entertainment campus. We would aim to bring all the components of a great night out together - somewhere to eat, drink and be entertained in comfort and security.” Rank Group claim the proposed $29.5m (E22.7m) venue would see the creation 250 new jobs. However, current legislation prevents the operation of any casino within Northern Irish jurisdiction. Plans to revise the country’s gambling laws are due to be put forward to the its legislative assembly in 2015, but the responsible statesman, social development minister Nelson
McCausland, has stated that they will contain no proposal to legalise casinos, either in the short or long term. “When we consulted widely, right across the province, we found there was no appetite for it,” he told the BBC. “We’ve decided not to move forward in that regard.” Alderman Tom Ekin, chairman of Belfast’s licensing committee, was more receptive, but expressed his own reservations: “At the moment, in principle, we’re neither for it nor against it,” he stated, conceding that opposition based solely upon a potential rise in problem gambling rates was misguided. “Online and television gambling is more dangerous than a
well-run casino which offers a variety of other things that such as restaurants, bowling alleys, bars, theatres and so on.” In consideration of this political landscape, Rank Group have outlined a low-stake precedent for all casino games within its proposed Belfast location. “We are not saying ‘Belfast must have a casino’,” Waugh claimed. “We’re saying that Belfast should have the right to choose whether to have a casino or not. Given that we’re talking about fairly significant job creation and fairly significant investment, it would seem that it is beneficial for Belfast City Council to have the right to have the flexibility to choose whether to licence this.”
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e Aviation Club de France (ACF), one of the country’s most recognisable poker sites, has provisionally closed following a police raid which resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals, thought to include both current and former members of staff. The raid was conducted on the Champs Elysees venue in the early hours of Tuesday 16 September, by officers of the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police. Club-owner and Corsican political figure Marcel Francisci was amongst those taken into custody on charges pertaining to money-laundering activity. ACF, formed as a select private poker circle for wealthy pioneering aviators at the turn of the 20th century, was
NEW LICENCE
Five shortlisted for Southampton casino UNITED KINGDOM
shortlist of companies bidding to build and operate a large casino in Southampton, UK, has been revealed. Five businesses have made it to the final stage of the selection process Grosvenor Casinos, Kymeira Casino, Genting Casinos UK, Global Gaming Ventures and Aspers which handed in a total of seven bids. Located on the UK’s south coast, Southampton holds the last of the country’s eight licences for a socalled ‘super casino’, which can have up to 150 slot machines and 30 blackjack and poker tables.
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whether the applicants met the criteria of our licensing objectives for the large casino, and all of them satisfied the broad criteria. It’s now the responsibility of the committee and myself as chairman to determine which operator ultimately gets the licence.” The Royal Pier development will transform the landscape of Southampton’s waterfront, showcasing the international face of the city as a great place to live, work and enjoy. The The new casino is likely and another for Leisure- them through to the final waterfront will be revito be located at the pro- world in West Quay Road. stage of the process. The talised, with a new and posed £450m (E575m) At a meeting on Septem- final decision is likely to be extended Mayflower Park, Royal Pier development, ber 4, Southampton coun- made in June 2015. speciality shops, offices, although a bid has been sub- cil’s licensing committee Matt Tucker, chairman leisure venues, apartmitted for the Watermark considered all seven bids of the licensing commit- ments and waterside WestQuay development and decided to put all of tee, said: “We looked at attractions.
6 | casinoreview October 2014
owned by Francisci’s uncle and namesake, Marcel Francisci, who achieved notoriety nationwide as both a businessman and a gangster. The elder Francisci waged two wars for the domination of the casino industry in the south of France during the 1960’s against his rival Jean-Baptiste Andreiani. He was shot dead by unknown assailants in January of 1982. The private club employs 200 staff and enjoys annual revenues of approximately $29.3 (E23m). It is understood that at the time of the Paris raid, concurrent operations took place across Corsica, resulting in further arrests and the seizure of funds rumoured to be in the region of $1m (E0.79m).
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FINE
INVESTMENT
An Athens court has handed down a E5.4m fine to Queenco Leisure in relation to the operation of Casino Rhodes. Although this figure is less than the E23m initially put forward, the operator is now looking for ways to meet its obligations without having to close the casino. James Walker reports. GREECE
ueenco Leisure International, the emerging markets entertainment centre and casino developer and operator, has announced that the Athens Administrative Court of Appeal has handed down its judgment concerning Casino Rhodes’ appeal on a tax assessment totalling approximately E23m, which was issued in 2005 with respect to the years 1999-2000. And the operator will be somewhat relieved, although still much the poorer. The Greek court partially upheld the appeal and reduced the sum of the tax assessment set by the tax authorities to approximately E5.4m, of which E1.45m
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Queenco troubled by BCN World Casino Rhodes tax fine launches international marketing campaign SPAIN
I was deposited by Casino Rhodes as a guarantee when the appeal was filed. According to Queenco, Casino Rhodes “does not have the financial means” required to pay the sum. As a result of the judgment, the company is expected to record an expenditure of approximately E5.4m. “The court’s judgment has not been officially served yet to Casino Rhodes and it is expected to be delivered in the next few weeks,” said Yariv Lerner, chief executive of Israel-based Queenco. Casino Rhodes, as well as the Greek tax authorities, has the right to file an appeal to the Greek Supreme Court, but such appeal will not delay the execution of the judgment. Together with Greek legal counsels, the management of Casino Rhodes
and its parent company are now considering the best course of action. “The company estimates that it may be possible to enter into a debts rescheduling arrangement in a manner which will allow Casino Rhodes to meet its obligations while continuing its current operation,” Lerner said. Operated by Queenco, Casino Rhodes is the only casino on the Greek island of Rhodes. Known locally as ‘Casino Rodos’, Queenco also owns Casino Loutraki in Corinthia. • Elsewhere, a ruling from a Greek court has determined that the monopoly of national gambling operator OPAP is “entirely compliant” with EU legislation. Furthermore, the Council of State also ruled that the country’s prior parliamen-
tary reforms relating to online gambling are legal. Central to the argument has been the assertion of Greek judges that a core aim of OPAP is to safeguard the country against illegal online gambling operators. This will come as a blow to a trio of foreign gambling operators, consisting of William Hill, Sportingbet and Stanleybet, who first launched a legal challenge against the monopoly of OPAP back in 2004. They had argued that the Greek approach to online gambling was in direct contradiction to EU law. Most notably, the trio argued that Greece was in direct contravention of the EU law that promotes the ‘Freedom of services’. Despite the protests of the foreign gambling operators, however, the Greek market will remain the same.
n an effort to attract the attention of both investors and the general public, BCN World embarked on its first international marketing campaign in September, as the gaming and leisure resort became the lead sponsor of the first Formula E Championship. Sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Formula E is intended to be the highest class of competition for single-seater, electrically-powered racing cars. The series was conceived in 2012, and the inaugural championship started in Beijing on September 13. Each year, 10 races are set to take place in different cities around the world. “With this sponsorship, BCN World is seeking to introduce itself to potential customers that it intends to attract from Europe, Asia and America to visit the major tourism, leisure and casino com-
PRIVATISATION
Tenerife’s Playa de Las Americas fails to attract private interest SPAIN
he deadline for submission of bids to purchase the publicly owned Playa de Las Americas casino in Tenerife has passed, without securing a singular offer. Plans to privatise the publicly-owned, Canary Islands enterprise were announced in April, amid wider efforts to restructure 90 per cent of the public ownership sector on
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the venue. In a statement, The Cabildo (council) of Tenerife said it would conduct a review of the submission process to ascertain the reasons underlying the apparent failure to attract private investment. The relatively short eight-year tenure of the operating license on the island. offer is rumoured to have Despite initially garnering been partially responsible for the interest of three potential this outcome. operators, none chose to ratThis absence of private ify a formal submission for interest has been welcomed by
8 | casinoreview October 2014
public-sector unions, who have expressed their surprise and satisfaction at the continued job security of current Play de Las Americas employees. However, a spokesman for the island’s council claimed that efforts to sell the casino would continue undeterred: “We are already working on a second bidding phase in accordance with legal guidelines, as well as the Streamlining and Sustainability of Local Government Act.”
plex it plans to open between Vila-seca and Salou in 2017 at the latest,” said developer, Veremonte. “The BCN World brand will be seen at the circuits and at the award giving ceremonies, which will include its name, as well as on television commercials broadcast to almost 90 countries before, during and after each competition.” To date, Veremonte has attracted numerous partners that will help oversee the development of BCN World, including the Melco and Hard Rock casino brands; Value Retail for luxury shops and Meliá and Port Aventura for hotels. Veremonte has estimated that building this major complex will create 17,000 jobs and that, once open, each resort will employ 5,000 people directly - equivalent to a total of 30,000 jobs once the six planned resorts are underway.
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CR144-p10-14-Asia_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 10:56 Page 1
News
Asia & Oceania
XYXXX
The Australian Wagering Council has called for a crackdown on illegal offshore operators.
AWC calls for reform of Austra Interactive Gambling Act
T AUSTRALIA
he Australian Wagering Council (AWC) has warned that more Australians face risks to the security of their personal and financial information, unless governments commit to a crackdown on the operations of illegal offshore wagering service providers. The warning comes on the back of a recent investigation by trade association Racing Victoria into Vanuatu-based operator, Betjack. Chief executive of AWC, Chris Downy, stated: “Sadly,
10 | casinoreview October 2014
the details of Betjack’s operations come as no surprise to the Australian Wagering Council. We have been warning governments of the need to crack down on these illegal betting providers for some time. “AWC represents the interests of licensed online bookmakers in Australia, including Bet365, Betfair, Ladbrokes, Sportsbet, William Hill Aust Group and Unibet. “Most people don’t realise that it is illegal for
operators who are not licensed and regulated within Australia to offer their services to Australians,” Downy added. “Yet, every day, Australians risk not only their money, but also the security of their personal and financial information betting with these offshore cowboys. It is especially worrying that, whilst licensed in Vanuatu, Betjack may be staffing and operating a sales office locally.” According to Downy, the
proliferation of illegal offshore operators again highlights the need for government reform of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which, he said “no longer reflects the current state of technology or advances in global harm minimisation measures”. He stated: “AWC understands more than 2,300 offshore illegal operators in Asia alone offer online inplay betting to Australian punters. Prohibition does not work in a global online
environment, and for as long as such prohibition continues, Australians will be driven to wager with illegal offshore providers.” It is estimated that in excess of A$1bn is bet offshore by Australians annually, and a 2014 report on interactive gambling, funded by Gambling Research Australia, found that at least one-third of online gamblers were not concerned about gambling with offshore providers. Earlier this year, AWC
CR144-p10-14-Asia_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 10:57 Page 2
AUSTRALIA / CAMBODIA / MACAU / NEPAL / PHILIPPINES / SINGAPORE YXYXYXY Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
MACAO SUMMIT: THE MACAO GAMING SUMMIT WILL FEATURE OVER 20 UNIQUE SESSIONS FOCUSING ON THE ASIAN GAMING WORLD. THE 2014 SUMMIT THEME IS ‘ASIAN GAMING: LOOKING BEYOND THE HORIZON’.
EXHIBITIONS
Independence is the key driver for MGS success story
MACAU
tralia’s said it welcomed Racing Victoria’s trial of an incentive programme for licensed operators to service ‘high volume, low margin’ (HVLM) punters more effectively. “Racing Victoria has taken a step forward in recognising the real threat that punters migrating to offshore, unlicensed operators poses to racing in Victoria - in terms of both the integrity of the sport and lost wagering income,” Downy stated.
The Macao Gaming Show’s mission statement of ‘By Asia, For the World’ is the key driver behind the show’s rapid growth. Jay Chunn, chairman of the trade body MGEMA - the group behind the exhibition, explains the direction and aspirations of the event. And in between the lines, it’s very clear that the show is moving in one direction forward.
s the marketing campaign for November’s Macao Gaming Show (MGS) enters its final phase, Jay Chun, chairman of the Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association (MGEMA), organisers of the event, believes that the key drivers behind the MGS success story is its independent status and its ability to represent the Asia gaming community with integrity and authority. Expanding on why he believes MGS is the leading event of its kind in Asia, Chun said: “Fundamentally MGS is the only show that is truly representative of the Asian gaming industry. You just have to look at our panel of event organisers, supporting organisations and co-organisers which include MGEMA, Direcção de Inspecção e Coordenação de Jogos (DICJ), Macau Trade and Investment Institute (IPIM), General Association of Administrators and Promoters for Macau Gaming Industry, Associação de Mediadores de Jogos e Entretenimento de Macau, Macau Jockey Club, Macau Slot, and Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Company to see how authentic our credentials are.” He added: “With respect to other organisations, the MGS organisers are part of the fabric of Macau and not from the United States or
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Europe. Those behind MGS are considered ‘insiders’ of the Asian gaming industry and will be heavily supported by the regional players. There will be Asian gaming executives at MGS that wouldn’t go to other shows that are perceived as being organised by ‘outsiders’. “An exhibition is nothing without exhibitors and visitors will have access to the very best exponents in their fields. We will also have events and features including the Slot Experience Centre as well as the Macao Gaming Summit both of which provide powerful additional reasons to attend. Simply MGS is by Asia and it is designed to appeal to the world.” Organisers have confirmed that, as of October 8, the MGS 2014 floorplan features a contracted list of 122 exhibitors drawn from Asia and beyond, a figure which represents a substantial 20 per cent year-on-year increase. In addition to receiving widespread commercial and government support from within Macau, MGS has also attracted a distinguished international line-up of thought leaders who will be appearing at the Macao Gaming Summit. The three-day conference will be focussing on key gaming topics and how they impact both established and emerging nations including Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea, Sri Lanka as well as Macau.
ASIA ROUND UP ising wage bills in Macao will continue to put pressure on gaming operators’ profits until at least 2018 according to a new Morgan Stanley report. The financial institution said that the extra millions in bonuses, compensation and wages, put in place as part of a new employee retention strategy, would widen the wage difference between casino workers and the rest of Macau’s labour force, prompting the territory to risk ‘social destabilisation’. Meanwhile in Goa, the government issued a ruling with less than 24-hours notice ordering licensed casino operators to stop operations on the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth as a mark of respect. The ruling drew a mixed reaction from the casino industry, with operators saying that while they respected the homage, it was ‘shocked’ by the timing which gave them less than a day to make alternative arrangements. In further news from India, a committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) inspected all four of Goa’s off shore casinos in order to examine the management of sewage treatment and discharge of sewage and garbage. Sources said that the committee will meet again to deliberate on the findings of the inspection and the report will be submitted to the NGT. Finally, gaming software and online gaming content supplier GameAccount Network announced the extension of its Simulated Gaming software into Australia. The move was made in partnership with a consortium of ‘major land-based Australian community clubs’ following their dialogue with relevant Australian regulators.
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October 2014 casinoreview
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CR144-p10-14-Asia_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 10:44 Page 3
News
Asia & Oceania
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
SLOT EXPERIENCE CENTER: VISITORS TO NOVEMBER’S MGS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST DRIVE THE LATEST MACHINES AND PROVIDE CRUCIAL FEEDBACK TO PARTICIPATING MANUFACTURERS.
INTEGRATED CASINO RESORT
Resorts World Bayshore City breaks ground PHILIPPINES
ntegrated gaming resorts firm Travellers International Hotel Group Incorporated has broke ground on the new $1.1bn (E867.9m) Resorts World Bayshore City development as it bids to become the biggest player in the Philippines gaming market. Scheduled to open during the fourth quarter of 2018 creating 8,000 jobs, the 31-hectare Resorts World Bayshore City will
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be the operator’s second casino resort in the Philippines following the 2009 inauguration of the nearby Resorts World Manila development and will complete Entertainment City, which is a planned gaming and leisure hub located on the shores of Manila Bay owned by the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCor). Resorts World Bayshore City, which is located seven miles from downtown Manila, is to be developed in three phases with the first consisting of over
77,000 square meters of retail space alongside over 1,500 hotel rooms offered by venues including the Westin Hotel Manila Bayshore, the Hotel Okura Manila, the Genting Grand and the Crockfords Tower. Travellers International stated that Resorts World Bayshore City will eventually also feature a 3,000seat opera venue alongside condominiums, ten cinemas, food and beverage outlets and conference and exhibition facilities. “We expect that Travellers International will be
SERVICES
the biggest leisure and entertainment company in the Philippines with the two Resorts World properties offering a total of about 5,100 hotel rooms,” said Kingson Sian, president for Travellers International. Travellers International is a partnership between Alliance Global Group Incorporated, which is led by billionaire real estate tycoon Andrew Tan, and Genting Hong Kong and is also in the process of expanding Resorts World Manila with the construction of the
Marriott West Wing, the Sheraton Hotel Manila, the Hilton Hotel Manila and the Maxims Annex. “With the current developments at both Resorts World Manila and Resorts World Bayshore City properties, Travellers International continues to push the envelope in the integrated resort industry as it
will be the only player that offers global brands like Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton and Westin and Okura hotels,” said Sian. “Our hotel rooms will provide accommodation to about 1.5 million tourists a year, which will greatly support the government’s goal of attracting ten million tourists by 2020.”
FORECASTS
Louis XIII makes historic order of luxury Rollers MACAU
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ong Kong entrepreneur and billionaire Stephen Hung has purchased a fleet of 30 bespoke Rolls Royce Phantoms for his upcoming Louis XIII hotel and casino resort in Macau, constituting the world’s largest ever single order of ‘rollers’. The deal was formalised last month, with a signing ceremony at Rolls Royce’s headquarters in Goodwood, England between Hung and Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes. “Macau is rapidly evolving into the luxury capital of the world,” commented Hung. “Louis XIII and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars share
the same philosophy: to deliver the perfect experience to the world’s most discerning customers.” Situated on Macau’s Cotai Strip, Hung’s Louis XIII will cater exclusively to the world’s wealthiest customers. Due to open in 2016, room rates are rumoured to be in the region of $180,000 per night, with a minimum casinotable bid of $650. Each of the vehicles on order will be heavily customised with unique luxury features, including bespoke clocks designed by Graff Luxury Watches. They will include two specific models which will be the most expensive the British manufacturer has ever produced, featuring both external and internal gold accents.
Stephen Hung, chairman of Louis XIII Holdings Limited and Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, chief executive officer, Rolls Royce Motor Cars
12 | casinoreview October 2014
Deutsche Bank lower expectations for 2015 MACAU
ontinued clamp-down on corruption, as well as a change in the dynamic of Chinese wealth creation are behind the latest predicted figures from Deutsche Bank, which downcasts 2015 Macau gross gaming revenue growth from 10 per to just 1 per cent. Whilst anti-corruption measures in mainland China have continued to lower VIP visitation to Macau throughout the year, the bank is now predicting that mass market revenues may flatline in October, due to a city-wide smoking ban and increased visa restrictions for Chinese nationals.
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With several major new casinos currently in development, Deutch Bank expressed concern that new supply would fail to drive fresh revenue: “In the current anti-corruption environment, next year’s supply may not be able to stimulate VIP demand,” said Hong Kong based analyst, Karen Tang. “While the market already expects new casinos will drive visitor demand in 2015, the market seems to ignore the negative impact from supply on pricing.” Tang goes on to note a discernible change in the character of the Chinese VIP demographic frequenting Macau. “In the last five years, we believe that wealth creation in China is changing
from a resources and relationship-based foundation, as in the coal mining and property industries, to an innovation and entrepreneurial-base,” Tang claimed. “While these newly-minted millionaires may also be gambling VIP style, their average bet sizes will also likely be lower than the previous generations of coal mine owner VIPs.” Recent months have seen a sharp slowdown in the city’s mass market gaming growth: from 15 per cent year on year growth in July to 10 per cent in September, with stagnation feasible for October. VIP decline has been significantly worse: down 17 per cent in August and approximately 30 per cent for the following month.
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CR144-p10-14-Asia_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 10:40 Page 4
News
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
CASINO ENTRY
LEGISLATION
Monetary concerns a priority in Cambodia
Singapore passes online gambling ban
Asia & Oceania
REVVING UP: PERFORMANCE CAR BRAND LOTUS WILL BE EXHIBITING AT MGS. THE FAN CLUB LOTUS MACAU WILL BE AT THE VENETIAN MACAO WITH FIVE LOTUS FROM THE ELISE AND ESPRIT RANGE
SINGAPORE
Money laundering and cash-flow problems stalk Cambodian operators, but the prospect of casino entrance for locals may provide a significant silver lining. CAMBODIA
aga Corp, owner of Cambodian casino NagaWorld, has announced that it is to undertake an internal money laundering investigation as part of its semi-annual auditing process. The Phnom Penh resort will analyse its last six months of financial data, with the results to be published in the company’s next annual report. “NagaCorp has engaged an independent professional party to review the internal controls of the company and its subsidiaries with a focus on anti-money laundering,” it said a statement. Cambodia is considered a hotbed of money laundering activity, having been highlighted by both the Financial Action Task Force and
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the Basel Institute on Governance in recent months. Many Cambodian casinos are suspected of funnelling money across the border into nearby Thailand and Vietnam. “There is no effective oversight of cash movement into or out of Cambodia,” said a recent US report. “Cambodian casinos have accounts with major Thai or Vietnamese banks and patrons can wire large amounts of money to one of these foreign accounts.” These fears, however, have not dissuaded the owners of the Cambodian Queenco Casino from looking to expand its operation in the seaside town of Sihanoukville, despite concerns over the resort’s probable location. Queenco Leisure International, which also operates casi-
nos in Greece and Serbia, has announced that it intends to construct a new 3,000 room five-star gaming resort on nine hectares of land the company currently owns. That land, however, has accrued losses of around $1.18m (E0.9m), meaning that Queenco will need to attract significant investment if it is to complete the project. “The company would like to develop a new tourist project on a nine hectare land it owns in Sihanoukville, which is located near the current Cambodian project,” said CEO Yariv Lerner, “however, due to the company’s cash flow distress, it may need to sell this land. Indeed, the company’s board of directors resolved in February 2013 to offer for sale the company’s nine hectare land in Cambodia, if needed to enable the
company to meet its obligations.” These plans could become a more attractive proposition if the Cambodian government follows through on suggestions that it may permit locals to enter its casinos. As part of new gambling legislation expected before the year’s end, Cambodia is considering opening up casinos, which are currently only open to tourists. “We have thought about Vietnam legalising it,” said Ros Phirun, spokesman for the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s gaming and casino department. “Gambling nowadays is a worldwide industry, not just in one country or two. It is an international industry. So now we too have to internationalise the gambling industry. But in order to do that, we have to get the laws in Cambodia finished.”
OPENING
Nepal casino re-opens following government crackdown NEPAL
fter being forced to close its doors six months ago, the Casino Royale in Kathmandu has re-opened offering around-the-clock live dealer games of roulette, baccarat, blackjack, kitty and pontoon in addition to slots. The Nepalese government shut every one of the mountainous nation’s ten casinos in April following the passage of controversial legislation that required venues to clear any outstanding tax and royalty payments before they would have their licences renewed. Passed last year and subsequently approved by the Supreme Court, the Nepal Casino Rules 2013 legislation requires each casino to fork over $42,105 (E33,265) a year in tax while additionally clearing any past
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liabilities ahead of re-licensing. It is estimated that casinos in the country owe upwards of $11m (E8.6m) in taxes dating back to 2005 while the closures are thought to have led to the loss of some 10,000 jobs. “Even though we had previously given nine months time to clear their dues, the
casino operators did not listen to the government, which forced us to close them down,” said joint culture ministry secretary Madhusudan Burlakoti before the closures. Under the new legislation, operators must also pay initial licensing fees that could rise to over $201,000 (E158,891) alongside annual renewals of up to $100,000 (E79,050) for large gambling houses. In addition, casinos are required to deposit as a guarantee an amount equal to their tax bill each year while start-up capital amounting to approximately $2.5m (E1.9m) is also required for larger venues. The casino industry in Nepal dates back to 1947 and Burlakoti stated that the remaining nine venues, of which seven are located in Kathmandu with a further two in Pokhara, could have their licenses renewed if they cleared all outstanding dues and agreed to the new measures.
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ingapore has passed legislation banning most forms of online and telephone gambling while imposing measures designed to block access to certain websites, advertisements and payment transactions. The new Remote Gambling Bill was ratified by the city-state’s parliament on October 7 with its prohibitions due to come into effect early next year according to a statement from the Home Affairs Ministry. Despite protests from numerous members of parliament, the strict legislation does contain exemptions to the ban that could see certain operators licensed to offer gambling on a non-profit basis utilising servers based in
Singapore. State-owned lottery company Singapore Pools Limited and licensed horseracing provider Singapore Turf Club are both likely to apply for these licences with Home Affairs Second Minister S Iswaren stating that exemptions are necessary in order to prevent the activity from being driven underground. Iswaren cited jurisdictions such as Norway and Hong Kong as examples to follow and declared that any new licensees would be forbidden from offering casino-style games or online poker in addition to gambling on credit while being required to stick to strict social safeguards such as minimum age requirements and only allowing pre-registered users to access their services. In addition, anyone previously registered with the nation’s new centralised self-exclusion scheme is also to be refused access to gambling services.
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CR144-p16-17-Africa_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 11:05 Page 1
News
Africa & Middle East
SPORTS BETTING
A leading sports trading partnership has moved to expand its services to South Africa and Asia by selling 50 per cent of its business to BVI’s Universal Sports Group.
STC to expand into South Africa and Asia
B SOUTH AFRICA
VI’s USG Partner, formerly known as Universal Sports Group, has acquired a 50 per cent stake in Sports Trading Club Partnership (STC), clearing the path for the group’s expansion. The acquisition will see the STC licensee, which currently operates across Australia and New Zealand, expand to include South Africa and Asia. STC general partner Anne Larter said USGP, a subsidiary of British Virgin Islands company Jenforth Holdings, has big plans to grow the trading club internationally. “The new partners consider STC to be an emerging brand, with a strong track record throughout Australia and New Zealand,” she explained. “It is exciting to hear what
16 | casinoreview October 2014
plans they have for the STC, having recently taken up the South African licence and to be part of a new foray into the fast-growing Asian marketplace.” Larter added the deal will not affect the day-to-day running of STC Australia, nor will it impact any staff. “I want to make it clear that it is very much ‘business as usual’ for our associate members and employees.” Larter sees the acquisition as a positive for the business overall. “We have seen some extraordinary profits in the past year and phenomenal growth in the online gambling on sports, so this is a real opportunity to go to the next stage and grow. “The team remains but the spirit will be uplifted to do
INDUSTRY GROWTH SG Partner has grown in line with other betting industry leaders, such as Betfair, which was founded around its pioneering betting exchange that enables customers to come together and bet against each other, rather than against a bookmaker. The growth of sports trading can be attributed to cutting-edge online exchange technology, which enables customers to bet against each other through an exchange, rather than against a bookmaker. Betting Exchanges like Betfair make money by taking a small commission from the winning side of the bet. Today, Betfair’s exchange processes over 1.2bn bets a year, with a trading value of £56bn (E71bn). To put this into some context, this is more transactions than all the major European Stock Exchanges combined. USG Partner does not accept applications for new investors, as membership is strictly by invitation only.
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more and create a robust and healthy commercial environment. And doing what we do best, making money out of other people’s mistakes by trading on sport and prediction markets.” Harry Clement, business manager of USG Partner, said: “We are very enthusiastic about this investment and look forward to becoming a part of this team - not many businesses can boast the track record the STC has achieved over the past 18 months so we wish to share in their success.” “At USG Partner, we have been watching for investments that we can focus on making global. We will continue to study complementary opportunities,” Clement added.
CR144-p16-17-Africa_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 11:05 Page 2
SOUTH AFRICA YXYXYXY Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
GOVERNMENT BACKING: THE DICJ AND IPIM HAVE GIVEN FULL SUPPORT TO MGS AS “RECOGNITION OF MGS’S
EFFORTS IN PROMOTING THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY PLAN OF DIVERSIFYING THE MACAU ECONOMY
AFRICA ROUNDUP
REGULATION
South Africa’s regulatory board suspended SOUTH AFRICA
outh Africa’s Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, has suspended the country’s National Gambling Board (NGB) pending the outcome of a forensic investigation. While details surrounding the temporary suspension are unknown, Sidwell Medupe, a spokesperson for the National Gambling Board in South Africa, said two high-level administrators will oversee the running of the NGB until the issues at hand are handled. “We are unable to say how long this will take,” Medupe said. “The forensic investigation will mainly cover the assets of the National Gambling Board and the minister has appointed two administrators to oversee the day to day assess of the National Gambling Board. “Both administrators are experienced public ser-
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vants who occupied senior positions within the Department of Trade and Industry prior to their appointment as administrators.” South Africa is currently set to review its gambling laws, with a draft bill presented to government official in April of this year. The draft bill focused on centralising gambling legislation and presenting a new framework for monitoring and regulating online gambling in the region Established with South Africa’s 1996 Gambling Act, the NGB is responsible for the oversight of the regulation in the gambling industry throughout the country. Seven board members are listed on the association’s website, including chairperson Professor Linda De Vries, deputy chairperson Moipone Magomola, acting chief executive Dominica Muzwayine and board members Professor Sphiwe Nzimande, Matimba Macebele, Brigadier ST Nkosi and Evelyn Masotja.
OFFLOAD
sia Late last month, USG Partner executives held talks with representatives from Financial Investment and Development Capital (FIDC), a commodities trader in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, about a potential joint venture to introduce the STC into the Indochina region. USG Partner maintains its intentions to expand into the region. The Sports Trading Club made headlines when in April the group announced it had made a multi-million dollar wager on Brazil not to win the world cup. It then, in June, announced a further multi-million dollar trade on Germany to win the World Cup.
ull-year profit at Windhoek Country Club in Namibia improved from N$9.2m to N$28.4m for the financial year ended April 2014. The Windhoekbased firm said casino revenues grew 29.3 percent on the period, while operating profits grew from N$12.6m to N$28.8m total operations. Total comprehensive income at the casino also grew from N$4.6m to N$17.9m. Board chairman Sven Thieme said that 2013/14 had been the best year ever, not only in terms of financial results, but also with regard to room occupancy and conference and event bookings. Tsogo Sun’s South African gaming hall, Monte Casino, said that its promotion is coming to a close at the end of November. The competition has been hailed a success by organisers after creating 630 winners in 15 week. Sticking in South Africa, the second annual BiG Africa Summit in Johannesburg was hailed a ‘highly successful’ three days of events and networking opportunities. Guests at the Summit included
Sun International sell lion’s share of African portfolio SOUTH AFRICA
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un International has sold a significant proportion of its African shareholding and interests to Bangkokbased hotel operator Minor International (MINT), in a bid to refocus continued expansion into emerging Latin American markets. The $63.9m (E49.8m) deal saw the South African firm relinquish 50 per cent of its interests in Zambia and 80 per cent of its interests across the rest of its African properties in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Sun will continue casino
operation in all affected properties, with MINT taking possession of hotel facilitation. The transaction will provide Sun with greater means of debt reduction and aid continued casino expansion in Central and South America. Chief executive of Sun International Graeme Stephens commented: “With MINT now taking the bulk of management responsibility for these African assets, the proposed transaction allows Sun International and its management team to increase their focus on the core casino assets that are driving its financial performance and strategy.” Dillip Rajakarier, chief execu-
tive of MINT’s Minor Hotel Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the potential of the new partnership: “Starting with the existing African Assets, it is our combined intention to explore together other hotel and gaming opportunities which may arise in Africa and Asia, where MINT would likewise manage the hotel component and Sun International the casino component.” The only African Sun International property outside of South Africa not included in the recent transaction is its Federal Palace in Lagos, Nigeria, although talks are ongoing as to possible additional MINT investment here at a later date.
Chief Director of Policy and Legislation in South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry, MacDonland Netshitenzhe, and Geordin HillLewis, Shadow Minister at South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry who covered topics including legislation and regulation issues in the country. October 2014 casinoreview
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CR144-p18-20-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 11:18 Page 1
News
North America
LICENCE
Wynn signs exclusive Boston area casino licence
Wynn Resorts have won the jewel in the Massachusetts casino crown. But the celebration may well be short-lived, as the potential for legislative overhaul nears.
T UNITED STATES
he Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Gaming Commission (MGC) and Wynn Resorts have now finalised and signed the coveted Boston area casino licence, following Wynn’s bidding victory over rivals Mohegan Sun and Suffolk Downs racetrack. Wynn’s successful proposal laid out the construction of a $1.6bn casino resort on a strip of derelict waterfront in struggling Everett, MA: an economically deprived area north of central Boston. The plan would not only see the creation of a new gambling resort alongside the Mystic River, but also the building of a new family-orientated riverside esplanade with a range of shops and restaurants, an amphitheatre and regular ferry transport to and from both Boston and the city’s Logan airport. The licence, estimated to be worth approximately $800m per annum, was won after five days of intense
18 | casinoreview October 2014
deliberation on behalf of the MGC, in which both bidding parties endured a barrage of questions from the regulating body. Connecticut tribal casino resort Mohegan Sun had laid out a joint proposal alongside Massachusetts’ last remaining thoroughbred racetrack operators, Suffolk Downs, to build their own $1.3bn casino complex in Revere, MA. With local brand familiarity as well as a degree of political support, the Mohegan Sun/Suffolk Downs bid had initially seemed to hold the higher ground, but the commissioning board eventually decided 3 to 1 in favour of the Wynn submission, citing greater overall benefit for the local economy. Mayor of Everett Carlo DeMaria was overjoyed at the decision. “You won’t recognise the city of Everett in 10 years,” he told the Boston Globe, “we’ll no longer be the butt end of the city of Boston.” With employment
PROJECT DETAILS ynn’s proposal for Everett would see a casino floor consisting of 150 table games, 3000 slots, a 500 room hotel, as well as a 3000 square-foot meeting and convention centre. 90,000 square feet will be dedicated to retail allocation, with 8 separate restaurants and a health spa alongside shopping outlets. The complex will see the creation of 3,700 constructions jobs short-term, and close 5,000 permanent position following completion and opening. The Wynn won the commissioning board’s financial and project overview categories, but fell down regarding traffic provision. Accordingly, the firm has now pledged $45m in improvements to the surrounding road network.
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Artist’s interpretation of the Wynn Resort in Everett, MA (March 2013)
prospects and wider economic benefit seemingly close to hand, a recent poll showed that 86 per cent of Everett residents supported the Wynn proposal. However, the failure of the local bidders carried with it an unanticipated
cost: Suffolk Downs immediately announced that it would cease trading as of December 2014, bringing nearly 80 years of operation to a close. As a sub-clause to the newly signed license, Wynn has agreed to prioritise former Suffolk Downs
employees to staff its own facilities upon completion. Wynn Resorts has forecasted a 2017 completion date for its new complex, but construction is unlikely to commence until one final hurdle is surmounted: a November referendum on
CR144-p18-20-NAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 11:21 Page 2
YXYXYXY CANADA / UNITED STATES Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
MACAO GAMING SUMMIT: IGAMING IN MACAU AND CONVERGENCE BETWEEN LAND-BASED CASINOS AND IGAMING FORMS THE CORE SESSION ON THE OPENING DAY OF THE TWO-DAY MACAO GAMING SUMMIT.
NORTH AMERICAN ROUND-UP
PERFORMANCE
Earnings up for Stratosphere owner
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proposed casino at Colorado’s Arapahoe Park racetrack will generate $418m in economic impact statewide according to a study commissioned by proponents of Amendment 68, the upcoming casino ballot. The study reported that a casino would create more than 1,400 jobs locally, plus lead to another 900 indirect jobs from the economic activity it generates, although opponents say it doesn’t account for any potential business that would be lost by the casinos currently operating in Colorado. The National Indian Gaming Commission also condemned the casino, declaring it a threat to public safety that could result in serious injury or death.
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UNITED STATES
merican Casino and Entertainment Properties (ACEP), the Nevada-based operator of gaming and leisure properties in Nevada, has reported a 1.1 per cent rise in second-quarter revenues, due primarily to gains in its hotel and food and beverage divisions. In the three months to June 30, revenues for ACEP totalled $89.4m, compared to $88.4m in the prior-year period. Net income totalled $1.7m in 2014, compared to net income of $0.1m in the second quarter of 2013. ACEP owns and operates four casinos in Nevada: Stratosphere Casino, Hotel and Tower (pictured), Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Arizona Charlie’s Boulder and Aquarius Casino Resort. The group said the increase in consolidated net revenue for the second quarter of 2014 was driven by its hotel and food and beverage divisions. Con-
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solidated casino revenue decreased 2.4 per cent. “The decrease in casino revenue was the result of lower volume in slots and tables and a 4.7 percentage point decrease in bingo hold percentage,” ACEP stated. “The decrease in those areas was offset by a 1.3 percentage point increase in sports hold percentage. Stratosphere - ACEP’s leading property saw net revenues increase by 4.3 per cent during the quarter.
In California, a federal judge ordered the closure of Fresno’s Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino following an armed showdown between tribal factions. The judge set no date for a possible reopening, calling the casino a ‘threat to public safety’. Over on the East Coast, GameAccount Network joined Empire City
OPENING whether to repeal the current gaming law which permits casino operation. If passed, it would render Wynn’s invested efforts to date a waste, as well halting all progress on the western Massachusetts licence, won by MGM resorts earlier this year. With construction already underway, MGM spent three years and over $40m building its case for a $800m resort in Springfield, MA. Whilst MGM are actively campaigning for commonwealth residents to vote against the motion, Wynn Resorts has yet to commit to any political action. “We have always said that it is up to the citizens of Massachusetts to make that decision come November,” Robert DeSalvio, a senior vice president for Wynn, told the Associated Press. “Whether or not we get involved at a later date, we really haven’t come to that conclusion.”
Hollywood expands throughout Ohio, as Penn National Gaming continue inroads UNITED STATES
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eptember in Ohio saw Penn National Gaming open its second Hollywood Gaming venue in just three weeks, as the ribbon was cut on the $250m (E197m) Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course. The opening of the ‘racino’ follows on from the launch of Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, which opened its
doors at the end of the August. The company now operates four ‘Hollywood’ brand casinos within the midwestern state. Speaking at the Mahoning Valley launch, president and CEO of Penn National Gaming Tim Wilmott stated: “We’re deeply committed to this state, and this fact is reflected in the success of our Toledo, Columbus and Dayton facilities. In addition to bringing top-notch entertainment just a ten-minute drive from
downtown Youngstown, we’re proud to be creating jobs and tax revenues and contributing to the ongoing economic resurgence of the Mahoning Valley.” The economy of the Mahoning Valley area was heavily dependent on its steel production. The collapse of this industry in the 1970’s saw economic decline in the decades that followed. The new casino is expected to attract one million patrons per annum, and already employs more than 400 local staff. Themed in the style of 1930’s Hollywood art-deco glamour, the 25,000 square foot casino floor will boast more than 850 individual gaming slots. Racing facilities include a 1,000 seat fully enclosed grandstand and a one-mile thoroughbred racing track.
Casino of New York in announcing the commercial launch of a Simulated Gaming website. Timothy Rooney, Jr., General Counsel of Yonkers Raceway Corporation, owner of Empire City, said that GameAccount Network’s ‘proven’ Simulated Gaming model has delivered a portfolio of slot themes that guests will recognise from Empire City’s casino floor. October 2014 casinoreview
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News
North America
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
MACAO GAMING SUMMIT: LIVELY DEBATE AND EXPERT OPINION INCLUDE REGULATORY CHALLENGES, IGAMING PAYMENT METHODS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER ASIA PACIFIC MARKET.
OPERATING LICENCE
REVENUES
Monthly fall for Mississippi casino GGR
The group has committed to renovating and redeveloping the British Colombia venue
UNITED STATES
The planned Hard Rock Casino Vancouver
Great Canadian renews Fraser Downs operating licence Great Canadian Gaming Corporation has announced a 10-year extension of its operating contract for Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino. CANADA
reat Canadian Gaming Corporation has exercised its renewal option with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) to extend the term of the operational agreement to run Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino in Surrey, British Columbia. Under the terms of the contract extension, Great Canadian will have an additional 10 years of term certainty as the casino operator of Fraser Downs to March 31, 2024. The group has committed to renovating and redeveloping the venue in 2015. Great Canadian has been the operator of the Fraser Downs since 2005. The property features four dining options, meeting facilities and horseracing, as well as the lat-
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est casino table games and slot machines. Great Canadian operates gaming, entertainment and hospitality facilities in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Washington State. The company’s 17 gaming properties consist of three community gaming centres, four racetracks, and 10 casinos. The news of the group’s contract renewal came as Great Canadian reported a 75 per cent rise in second-quarter profits to C$19.9m (E14m). Revenues for the British Columbia-based company rose 12 per cent to $114.7m (E80.7m), representing the highest quarterly revenue in the group’s 32-year history. As of June 30, 2014, the company had approximately 3,900 employees in Canada and 600 in Washington State. Discussing the renewal, Rod
Baker, Great Canadian’s president and chief executive officer said: “We wish to thank BCLC for their continued confidence in Great Canadian as the operator for Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino in Surrey. We are pleased to have exercised the renewal option and look forward to incorporating changes to the property that are supported by market demand and which will continue to provide our guests exciting entertainment experiences.” Earlier this year, Great Canadian renewed its 10-year contract to operate the only two casinos in Novo Scotia. As part of the deal, the group committed to investing a minimum of C$9.3m (E6.85m) in the Halifax and Sydney venues by the end of next year. Over recent months, the company’s casinos - particularly the
River Rock Casino in Richmond have been benefiting from an influx of wealthy Asian visitors, and this renew-and-refurbish strategy is likely to help it maximise on the potential of this new growth stream. In July, Great Canadian announced plans to rebrand the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam, British Columbia, as ‘Hard Rock Casino Vancouver’ under a trademark licence from Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Plans for the second phase of the casino’s redevelopment include a hotel, conference facilities and additional dining options, although a recent management statement from the group indicates the property’s performance, has experienced “substantial erosion,” as the local economy continues to struggle against the effects of the economic downturn.
POKER TOURNAMENT
WPT Borgata witnesses historical participation UNITED STATES
eptember saw Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa host its annual $3 Million Guaranteed World Poker Tour (WPT) Poker Open Championship No Limit Hold’em event, with nearly $4m up for grabs and a record of 1,226 entrants. $3,924,426 in prize money was generated from the unprece-
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20 | casinoreview October 2014
dented number of entrants, with renowned player David Williams scooping his second WPT victory with a final table victory worth over $80,000. “To set an attendance record in this, our 12th annual Borgata Poker Open tournament series is a true testament to our unrivalled gaming product which continues to evolve and flourish,” commented Joe Lupo, senior vice president of operations at The
Borgata. Hosting such a large-scale event poses few obstacle for the New Jersey venue, which can claim 161,000 square feet of gaming space: including 182 gaming tables, 3,475 slot machines and an 85-table poker room. WPT Season XIII continues in November, where players will converge on the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.
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ross gaming revenues in the US states of Mississippi fell by 2.9 per cent between July and August. The state’s 29 casinos reported $175.1m (E137.8m) in August takings, down from $180.3m (E141.9m) for the previous month. Biloxi and the Gulf Coast counties experienced a slight decline, drawing in $94.1m (E74.0m) as opposed to July’s $95.5m (E75.1m), with the state’s inland river counties faring worse: $80.9m (E63.7m) for August contrasted with $84.8m (E66.7m) in July. Statistics published by the Mississippi Gaming Commission indicate that state-wide monthly revenue was also down year on year, falling two per cent from the August 2013 total of $179m (E140.8m).
The 12 coastal casinos continue the trend of widely outperforming the 17 inland venues in terms of takings per-site. Regional breakdown also highlights a slight increase in year-on-year takings for Gulf Coast operations, which rose by 5 per cent on August 2013, contrasted with northern locations, which were down 9 per cent. 2014 has seen two state casinos shut their doors. In June, Caesar’s Entertainment closed Harrah’s Tunica, once the largest casino complex in Mississippi. The Margaritaville Casino in Biloxi followed suit in September declaring bankruptcy after only two years of operation. Regardless, the health of the casino sector in the state seemingly remains robust: to date, 2014 has seen land-based casinos in Mississippi accrue more than $1.4bn (E1.1bn) from regional gamblers.
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CR144-p22-23-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 11:27 Page 1
News
South America
BOLIVIA
In an effort to help develop Bolivia’s gaming industry, the country has signed an informationsharing deal with authorities in Spain.
BOLIVIA
Bolivian gaming authority link with Spanish counterparts
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he Bolivian gaming authority, La Autoridad de Fiscalización y Control Social del Juego, has signed an agreement for co-operation and exchange of experiences with its equivalent government body in Spain. Under the terms of the agreement with the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego de España, research and exchange of experiences in the areas of gaming will be reinforced, along with the design and implementation of programmes, studies and other initiatives related to the activities of each entity, said Mario Cazón, director
22 | casinoreview October 2014
of the Bolivian gaming authority. The agreement, which will run for two years, also includes training and updating through “courses, panel discussions, workshops and other initiatives” that benefit the public servants of the two institutions. To implement the agreement, representatives from Bolivia and Spain, working under the Spanish Ministry of Finance and Public Administration, will establish an annual action plan in conjunction with the respective programmes and projects. The agreement comes as
Flamingo Casino
gaming authorities in Bolivia continue in their task to remove illegal gaming machines from the country and improve player protection. In September,
audited for two months, IBNORCA said the gaming authority received certification “without question”. Gaming in Bolivia has been controlled and monitored since 1996, the same year the government decided to grant the temporary licenses to slot parlours and casinos. Illegal gaming in the form of slot machines in small businesses has been an issue, and in 2006 the authorities began to the Bolivian Institute of forcibly remove slot Standardization and Certifi- machines operating withcation (IBNORCA), certi- out a licence. In August, the Bolivian fied the gaming authority for its role in monitoring government seized a total of and security. After being 72 illegal gaming machines
CR144-p22-23-SAmerica_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 11:28 Page 2
BOLIVIA / JAMAICA YXYXYXY / MEXICO Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
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Santa Cruz
PERFORMANCE
Earnings up for Jamaican gaming operator JAMAICA
amaican gaming operator Supreme Ventures has reported a seven per cent increase in profits for the first-half of 2014, as the Kingstonbased group made gains in its core lottery and sports betting businesses. Net profit after tax for the six months to June 30 totalled, J$432.8m (E2.9m) compared to J$403.7m (E2.7m) in the prior-year period. Revenues grew 26 per cent to J$20.2bn (E138m). The group’s growth over the six-month financial period was due mainly to an increase in lottery and sports betting revenues, the latter of which benefitted from the World Cup football tournament, which started on June 12. In addition to offering lottery and sports betting options, Supreme Ventures also operates video lottery terminals (VLT) in gaming lounges across Jamaica. The company reported a J$20.3m (E138,000) reduction in VLT net win compared to the same period in 2013. “The long-awaited amendment to the Betting,
J
Gaming and Lotteries Act was passed through parliament in May and, as a result, we were able to undertake an aggressive roll-out of approximately 200 additional sports betting outlets in the two weeks leading up to the start of the World Cup,” the operator said. “The performance of our gaming and hospitality segment continues to pose challenges for the group. The reduction in coin in and net win in some lounges is reflected in the segment’s overall performance in the period under review.
SOUTH AMERICA ROUND-UP egislators from Mexico’s Special Commission of Gaming, along with officials from the Ministries of Finance and the Interior Ministry, announced plans to form a committee to discuss laws concerning the duration of casino licences in the country. The government has proposed a ten-year licence, renewable for the same period, however, opposition parties are arguing that that this should be extended to either 12, 15 or 20 years, renewable for the same period. Staying in Mexico, new gaming laws being debated in the Lower house of Deputies could allow casinos on cruise ships. Under current rules, it is illegal for casinos on cruise ships to open while either docked in Mexican ports or while sailing in Mexican waters unless they are given permission in advance by the Interior Ministry. Eduardo Gonzalez Cid, advisor and liaison of the Senate committee on Tourism, said that opening cruise ship casinos in Mexi-
L
ILLEGAL GAMING
links s in two locations in Tarija and Santa Cruz. In addition to the dozens of slot halls around the country, Bolivia has witnessed the development of larger scale casinos such as Bingo Bahiti in Santa Cruz. Owned by Lotex, Bingo Bahiti the bingo-casino hybrid has room for around 2,000 players at any one time. Flamingo Casino, also in Santa Cruz, is perhaps the country’s largest fullyfledged casino. The 300sq.m venue includes a range of live games, including baccarat, blackjack, roulette and Caribbean Stud Poker.
Mexico sees wide-scale confiscation of illegal slot machines MEXICO
M
exico’s continued attempts to clamp down on the illicit operation of slot machines has seen the seizure of over 4,500 illegal units since July. The move represents the latest step in a campaign to tackle black-market gambling operations throughout the country: in October 2013 the Mexican government outlawed the operation of slotmachines outside of casinos, and forbade casino operators
from leasing their equipment to third parties. As of last year, Mexico’s General Directorate of Gaming (DGJS) estimated that between 70,000 to 75,000 illegal slots were being operated within the country, with concentrated proliferation throughout Mexico City, Jalisco, Yucatan and Nueva Leon. The machines are smuggled into the country as contraband, and are estimated to generate an annual income of approximately $2.14bn (E1.69bn). Illegal slot-machines have become increasingly common
in the country, and can be found in open usage on sidewalks, markets, chemists and convenience stores. This latest seizure operation was carried out in the Federal District and the State of Mexico by officers of the DGJS, Mexican Federal Police and the Attorney General’s Office. Concerned at the potential uptake of gambling in minors, the country’s secretariat of the interior (SEGOB) has launched a public awareness campaign encouraging citizens to report the location of any known illegal slot.
can waters would not negatively impact the land-based casino industry and could greatly benefit the local economy. Poor trading in Argentina and the depreciation of the Peso have been citied as key reasons behind a 15.2 percent fall in first half revenue according to casino operator Codere. EBITDA at the Latin American gaming group dropped 15.7 percent on the period, to E91.6m, while net income increased by 13.5 percent from a loss of E74.7m. Angel Corzo, Codere’s CFO, said second quarter results were also affected by an adverse seasonal context due to the World Cup in Brazil. October 2014 casinoreview
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Comment & Politics
FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE
Packer: ‘Crown is set the bar for luxury tou The main contributor to Crown Resorts’ improved performance this year was the group’s investment in Macau, according to chairman, James Packer.
“
Crown’s Australian resorts make a major contribution to Australian tourism. We are a leading employer, with more than 15,000 people working across both properties, and Crown is one of the most significant taxpayers in the country, contributing two-thirds of its pre-tax profits to governments. This is more than any other ASX 50 company. For the financial year ended 30 June 2014, Crown Resorts announced a net profit of A$702.5m (E487m) before significant items, which was up 43.1 per cent on the prior year. Australia’s leading integrated resorts, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth, have improved their performance in the second half to deliver earnings growth, despite a challenging domestic environment. The main contributor to Crown’s improved performance this year was our investment in Melco Crown Entertainment (MCE) in Macau. MCE deliv-
ered strong earnings growth and Crown received its first dividends from MCE, which totalled A$94.4m (E65m) for the year. Crown is setting the bar for luxury tourism in Australia, and I am extremely excited about our future pipeline of projects. In Perth, our six-star Crown Towers project is underway and is expected to open in late 2016 and we continue to make progress on our plans to complete the Crown Sydney project. I believe that Crown Sydney will offer New South Wales and Australia a oncein-a-lifetime tourism infrastructure opportunity. Sydney is Australia’s international gateway and an iconic six-star luxury Crown resort on its harbour will help attract millions of tourists and create great economic benefit for the city and this country. In Victoria, Crown has reached agreement with the State Government on a number of reforms to the Melbourne Licence and associated taxation arrangements, which will improve our
MEDIAWATCH
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In the UK, courts ruleagainst a cardsharp and a north eastern casino project is on the ropes, while in Japan legislators rule out banning locals from casinos. 26 | casinoreview October 2014
orld famous poker player and gambler, Phil Ivey, has lost a battle to claim £7.7m (E9.8m) of winnings from a London casino, reported BBC News. The UK’s High Court ruled that the technique he and a female companion used to win big at the Crockford’s casino in Mayfair was cheating and that the exclusive gambling venue acted correctly in withholding Ivey’s payout. The 38-year-old American, widely regarded as his generation’s best poker player, openly admitted to using a technique known as ‘edge-sorting’ to overturn the odds. The method involves taking advantage of non-symmetrical card backs to accurately predict when cards of certain values will be drawn by the dealer. “I believe that what we did was a legitimate strategy and we did nothing more than exploit Crockfords’ failures to take proper steps to protect themselves against a player of my ability,” said Ivey’s spokesperson, following the ruling. A spokesman for the casino, which is owned by the Genting Group, confirmed
Image by sjiong
that it was, ”pleased with the judgment of the High Court today supporting its defence of a claim by Mr Ivey.” Elsewhere in the UK, SBC News has
revealed that plans for a casino complex in Middlesborough are floundering, as property developers Jomast Developments remain unable to confirm when
CR144-p26-27-comment_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 10:27 Page 2
YXYXYXY TO MAKE A COMMENT, HAVE YOUR SAY OR WRITE A LETTER TO INTERNATIONAL CASINO REVIEW: EMAIL JW@SJC.CO.UK TO COMMENT: JW@SJC.CO.UK
COMMENT
setting Linked in: catering to a tourism’ global audience competitiveness and investment certainty for the long run. With the support of the Victorian Government, we will have a licence and taxation regime that will enable us to compete on a more level playing field to help drive tourism, jobs and economic benefit for the State. Through our investment and partnership with MCE, we are expanding our resorts across Asia and building a global luxury brand based on the highest quality product and exceptional service. MCE will continue to explore the opportunity that may arise in Japan, should Japan decide to develop integrated resorts to compete on the world stage. Crown, through a majority-owned subsidiary, has also acquired a 34.6acre site on Las Vegas Boulevard. Our investment in Las Vegas will expand Crown’s global presence as a leading integrated resort operator and importantly, will provide our company with business and entertainment synergies that come from a network of resorts around the world.”
construction will begin. They have also refused to confirm whether casino operators reportedly interested in the project when the licence was won in 2012 are still on board. If it goes ahead, the £25m (E32m) project will convert the vacant Gurney House building into a complex that is expected to generate around 400 new jobs. Across the globe in Japan, the country’s progress towards a regulated casino industry continued, as the government confirmed that it will not ban Japanese nationals from entering these resorts. There had been concerns that Japan would allow only foreign visitors to partake in casino gambling on its soil, but a government source revealed to Reuters that in private talks lawmakers had, “agreed that we will make a partial change, to address concerns that have been raised, to say that we will take necessary measures,” but, “we confirmed that we will not exclude Japanese nationals.” Discussion of the bill is expected to take place this month, the passage of which could create a casino industry worth tens of billions of dollars.
seas visitors. Although, most certainly, the world is becoming a smaller place, localisation still plays a key role - particularly in terms of product development. Casino product manufacturers large and small are placing increased focus on regionspecific titles, and not simply re-skinning existing games with a new cabinet and language pack. This year’s G2E in Las Vegas marked the next stage in the development of localised content. IGT, Novomatic, Gtech, Bally Technologies and WMS Gaming,
among others, hosted expanded sections of products designed for regional markets around the world. We find ourselves in interesting times. Although many new gaming venues - particularly the large-scale ‘destination’ resorts in places like Singapore - are casting their net wide to attract people from across the globe, game content is often pointed and hyper-specific. No matter how small the world becomes, an understanding of cultural intricacies and regional market trends will continue to go a long, long way.
James Walker
s the old cliché goes: the world is getting smaller. This is certainly true in the context of the global casino industry, where globalisation has not only facilitated the swapping of ideas to create some of the most innovative products the market has ever seen, it has also opened up a new world of opportunity for operators. Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, operator of 17 gaming properties across Canada and the US, recently reported a 76 per cent rise in profit for the second quarter of 2014. The company attributed the growth to a surge in wealthy Asian visitors at its River Rock Casino in Richmond. Air travel has changed from a luxury only the wealthy could afford in the 1950s and 60s to something far more commonplace. And Great Canadian’s latest financial results are the latest in a string of success stories where casinos have tapped into new markets and bolstered their top line through increased overseas visitor spend. Casinos around the Pacific (and, indeed, the world) are now jostling to attract high-rollers from Asia and elsewhere, who are themselves expanding their range and heading to new destinations. Meanwhile, the trend for integrated resorts continues; the very business model of these destination resorts relies on over-
A
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CR144-p28-29-G2E-Report_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 10:09 Page 1
Report
G2E Las Vegas
G2E 2014 REPORT
Innovation and acquisition: the G2E returns to Las Vegas
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The casino industry’s largest trade-show, G2E Las Vegas, boasted unparalleled scope and circumstance, amid advanced technological solutions and multibillion dollar buyouts.
28 | casinoreview October 2014
he 14th annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E) closed its doors in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this month with the world’s leading gaming solutions groups fielding their latest technologies. Thousands of attendees flooded the Sands Expo and Convention Centre for G2E’s largest show floor to date, with more than 500 exhibitors showcasing high-tech innovations, unveiling popular entertainment-title games and even hosting celebrity appearances. Whilst innovations abounded, a number of high-profile acquisitions set an unprecedented backdrop to the casino industry’s largest trade show. The past months have seen Scientific Games consume slot manufacturer Bally Technologies in a $3.3bn (E2.6bn) deal, following on from the company’s 2013 purchase of WMS Industries in January 2013 for $1.5bn (E1.2bn). Meanwhile, long-time global manufacturer of slots and casino games International Game Technology (IGT) announced in July its impending $6.4bn (E5bn) takeover by Italian firm GtTech. And then there was FutureLogic, long-time established providers of gaming printing products,
declaring their acquisition by transaction technologists JCM Global. The upheaval, consolidation, shifting sands - whatever one’s perspective - provoked mixed responses from industry stakeholders. “There’s concern and there’s excitement,” said Paul Magno, executive vice president of test lab Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), one of the leading global providers of gaming testing services. “On the one hand, the face of the industry is clearly changing, and there’ll be new prospects that go along with that. On the other, we really don’t know what that brings in the future.” Out of shot of the industrial lens, the show also provided the now statutory platform for a programme of keynote industry speakers at the adjoining seminars. Topping the bill this year were billionaire casino entrepreneurs Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson, owners of Wynn Resorts and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, respectively, both voices keenly heard and analysed by a somewhat nervy audience clearly uncertain as to how the latest twist in the casino story will infold. Off the big-hitters stage, but still pack-
ing a punch, were the likes of Peter Yesawich, vice chairman of travel marketing agency MMGY Global, who took the stand with a sense of positivity. Profiling current vacation trends of the American public, Yesawich contested that whilst Las Vegas gaming revenues remain depressed in the post-recession climate, there may well be respite close to hand. “MMGY’s latest findings suggest that the ‘millenial’ generation (those aged 18-35) have the highest level interest of any age demographic when it comes to the prospect of a future gambling holiday,” he stated. Keen to grasp every opportunity amid difficult economic performances by the world’s major powerhouses, this player opportunity was a chink of light for a strong US based showfloor, hungry for sustained recovery. But, at the end of the show, it’s not the analysts words that matter: strong product, as usual, aggressive positioning and new technology were served up by G2E with all its typical glitz and razzamataz. The yearning question, though, remains: how will the changing face of the world gaming industry deliver on these prospects?
CR144-p28-29-G2E-Report_Coinslot NEW 15/10/2014 17:41 Page 2
G2E LAS VEGAS 2014 / GTECH Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
GTECH TRUE 3D | GALAXIS | SYSTEMS2GO
GTECH
GTech builds on True 3D success
Gtech’s Marcel Heutemekers and Slyvia Dietz
GTech headed to G2E with an expanded line-up of True 3D products this year.
F
ollowing the runaway success of Sphinx 3D, North American casino operators can now choose from an expanded line-up of GTech’s True 3D games, which now includes Bejeweled 3D, Dragon’s Temple 3D, Dreams of Asia 3D and Aladdin’s Fortune 3D. “The show has exceeded all our expectations,” said the company’s Slyvia Dietz on the second day of G2E. In addition to the latest True 3D range, Dietz highlighted the latest additions to GTech’s Community product line, Bejeweled Community and Zuma Adventures. GTech’s line-up also includes yet another internationally-recognised licensed title from the exciting Deal or No Deal franchise, with the newest version in the series, Deal or No Deal Las Vegas! Using the MaXVusion cabinet and featuring Howie Mandel and the Deal or No Deal ladies, this brand-new title is set against a glamorous Las Vegas backdrop and offers two base games that share a unique middle reel that only contains wilds and bonus triggers. Completing the North American casino product line-up is a diverse portfolio of core games with a balanced mix, including the evolution of perennial successes, new and innovative concepts, and games specifically
designed for high denomination play. Discussing the success of G2E 2014 and its relevance to a range of global markets, GTech’s Marcel Heutmekers said: “This is really becoming one of the biggest shows for our South American team. We even had our own Latin American support area.” Specifically for the Latin American market, GTech showcased Peruvian Riches, a mystery jackpot that can be run with nearly any core game from the group’s extensive core games library. The new ProdiGi Vu My Choice multigame offers nine different suites with four popular and proven games each, as well as attractive frame lights that stand out on the casino floor. “We are currently launching some of our premium products in Asia, such as the PopCap library,” said Heutmekers. “Sphinx 3D will be available for the market early next year, and G2E Asia 2015 will see the launch for our Asian library.” On the systems side, Heutmekers said GTech continues to develop its Galaxis and System2Go offering. The comprehensive range of Galaxis modules for all areas of casino management were showcased at G2E. In addition, the casino systems team demonstrated JP2go, a standalone, turnkey jackpot system developed to boost machine play. System2Go.
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DRGT Europe sales@drgt.net www.drgt.com October 2014 casinoreview
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Report G2E
KONAMI GAMING DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS | NEO CONTRA VIDEO SLOT LT GAME LIVE TABLE MULTI GAMES SYSTEMS | E-BACCARAT TABLE PATIR DESIGN DIAMONDS COLLECTION KONAMI GAMING
LT GAME
Konami takes systems and slots to the next level
It’s a name the industry will be hearing a lot of in the coming months and years. And LT Game showed exactly why at this year’s G2E. Fresh from recent partnership deals with some of the world’s biggest-hitting manufacturers, LT signalled exactly why the quesues were forming at the Las Vegas stand.
Konami Gaming, said it received an “outstanding response” from guests at the 2014 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) for an array of new products coming to markets both domestic and abroad. Michael Ratner, director of product management systems for Konami
LT Game shines Konami Gaming’s Matt Reback with the new Dungeons and Dragons themed slots
fter announcing its launch earlier this year, Konami Gaming’s new Dungeons and Dragons themed slot took centre stage at the group’s expansive booth at this year’s G2E in Las Vegas. Konami’s Dungeons and Dragons games are available in two rich fantasy themes including Conquests and Treasures and Enchanted Riches. Setting them apart from other slots on the casino floor, the games are housed in pods and feature custom premium chairs, a themed bezel complete with glowing runes, faux stone design elements, hand painted 3D dragon toppers and a variety of sign packages including one with a large rotating red dragon. “We built our Dungeons and Dragons games in close collaboration with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast in order to deliver an entertaining fantasy-themed game based on the classic adventure game,” explained Matt Reback, vice president of marketing for Las Vegas-based Konami. In addition to new progressive games, numerous original math game themes, imaginative stepper cabinet breakthroughs, and all-new systems marketing and management tools, Konami received widespread enthusiasm for the unveiling of Neo Contra themed video slots - marking the first ever release of Konami Digital Entertainment video game Intellectual Property (IP) to the casino gaming industry. “The release of Neo Contra is important because it sends a message to the industry that Konami is uniquely positioned to combine a library of popular video game brand IP with our dependable math models and reliable hardware to create yet another way to deliver more to the operator,” Reback said. “Additionally, brands like Neo Contra provide one targeted way for operators to attract and entertain coveted Gen X and Millennial patrons, as well as core players who enjoy the action adventure genre.” Jeffery Inman, corporate slot director at Laguna Development Corporation, a casino and hotel operator, explained the lasting success of Konami’s gaming prod-
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30 | casinoreview October 2014
fter recently signing an agreement with IGT, which will distribute the group’s products across US and Canada, LT Game arrived at G2E Las Vegas with a range of new and innovative products for forward-thinking casino operators. The company’s Live Table Multi Games System has
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ucts. “A lot of casino games are what we call ‘90-day wonders’ - performance shoots up out of the gate and comes right down,” he stated. “But what makes Konami unique for me and my company is that the company has a real history of finding games that produce, and continue to produce. “Players are really going to love these new games coming out of G2E because they maintain the Konami math that our customers love, but it’s presented in new and exciting ways. I believe that Konami has the most consistently performing, most desirable product offering in the industry today.” Also at G2E, Konami unveiled an all-new stepper cabinet with increased processing power and visual design capacity called Advantage 5X. Its debut release themes, Mighty Thunder and Jungle Coaster, display vivid video elements in the upper screen and new lower touch screen, allowing for vertical graphic interaction from the top screen, down through the reels, and into the bottom touch screen. As in years past, the Konami booth featured a comprehensive systems demonstration environment, with a wealth of new products and features available through its Synkros casino management system. Guests were able to explore the benefits of recent release updates such as SynkStart Tournaments and Slot Dispatch, and upcoming feature releases like SynKiosk, further evidencing the company’s commitment to sustaining innovations in casino marketing and operations. “SynKiosk is going to be released on the market in March 2015,” said Michael Ratner, director of product management systems for Konami. “It will give the operator the ability to have a fully-fledged kiosk product on their show floor, which allows players to redeem offers, promotions, check their account balance and check menus, among many other things. “The twist to this is that we are mobilising the kiosk. Everything you can do on a standalone kiosk you will be able to do on your phone, as well as any gaming screen. All of this will be powered by Synkros.”
been a dominant electronic gaming machine category in the Macau market, and has seen a rapid surge in demand from overseas operators. The group’s star product for this year was the E-Baccarat Table, which allows five to 10 players to play on the table simultaneously. Players keep the enjoyment and the excitement of flip-
PATIR DESIGN
European luxury s garners US intere
C
asino seating specialists Patir Design offered a comfortable resting stop for G2Egoers this year: their impressive stand showcased their glamorous Diamonds Collection of leather-upholstered, single-stand, rotating chairs, offering a brief respite to any and all passing by. Also featuring were two of the company’s luxury Cobra models, specifically designed for VIP area use. The chair’s advanced ergonomics have earned Patir an exclusive contract with Novomatic Group: the
Cobra ships internationally alongside all of the gaming giant’s VIP machine products. Formed in 1991, the Munich-based manufacturer sources and assembles all product materials in its native Germany. Regarding its areas of major operation, junior general manager Dennys Patir commented: “It’s true that our Europe remains our main marketplace: we’re a known commodity there, and we’ve built up a reputation for quality.” However, Patir hinted that future trans-atlantic prospects
CR144-p30-31-G2E-Report_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 13:11 Page 2
KONAMI GAMING / LT GAME / PATIR DESIGN Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
LT Game’s Betty Zhao
ines in Las Vegas ping the cards and the atmosphere of playing on the tables like in any conventional baccarat table, but their payout will be completed by the system automatically. Other players can also play the e-baccarat table from the betting terminals. LT Game’s Intelligent Cash Access solution is
another recent release. The solution has added benefits that set it apart from its counterparts, including reduced security risks, lower costs and fewer errors on cash handling. It has a function of putting multiple notes in the same time into the machine and buying tickets. This cash access machine is a smart,
flexible and reliable cash and ticket handling solution. The LMG-6 and otherwise known as MultiTouch offers a multi-player mode. Allowing two players to play on the screen or split screen of one terminal, and the players can play at least three games concurrently.
ury seating nterest at G2E
Dennys Patir (centre), junior general manager, Patir Design
may be looming on the horizon. “Whilst US sales make up a small proportion of our over-
all activity, we’re seeing a great deal of interest this year from American operators.”
Invigorated interest may well be the product of a sound marketing strategy: the company is religious in attending trade events throughout the globe and brand awareness may well be following hand-in-hand. “Whilst the US market has its own casino-seating specialists to contend with,” adds Patir, “I can say with real confidence that we represent something different in terms of product range, quality and customisation options - that’s what really marks us out from the competition.”
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October 2014 casinoreview
| 31
Venetian Macao 18-20 November 2014
By Asia
for the world
For more information and to book your place at Asia’s ‘must attend’ gaming exhibition contact enquiry@MacaoGamingShow.com, visit MacaoGamingShow.com or telephone www.macaogamingshow.com +853 6363 0080 or +852 6329 6008 PRC hotline: +86 180 6387 4408
www.macaogamingshow.com
MGS is back and even better! Now’s the time to book your attendance at MGS 2014 18th – 20th November. MGS is the only show that is truly representative of the Asian gaming industry. And the only event to earn the title ‘by Asia, for the World’.
Come and see the entire gaming industry Gaming Equipment & Accessories. Gaming Promoters & VIP Clubs. Casino Fixtures & Fittings. Promotional Services & Memorabilia. Food & Beverage. Entertainment & Performance.
MGS means business Exhibiting at MGS makes fantastic business sense. Reach out to casinos, integrated resorts, regulators and gaming affiliated businesses. 83% of MGS visitors are either decision makers or have direct input to purchasing decisions. An overwhelming majority (99%) said they would be returning to MGS in 2014.
Event Organiser
Supporting Organizations
Feature rich Visit the highly acclaimed Slot Experience Center. Gain invaluable knowledge at the Macao Gaming Summit. Promote your brands on MGSTV.
The best networking in Asia Invaluable business networking opportunities. Get to know potential business partners in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.
博彩監察協調局 Direcção de Inspecção e Coordenação de Jogos
Event Co-Organisers
And we will even help pay your way! The Macao SAR Government is once again offering attractive subsidies to qualified buyers from air fares to hotel accommodation, making MGS the key annual meeting hub for casino procurement teams. Event Contractor
CR144-p34-G2E-Report_Coinslot NEW 15/10/2014 15:29 Page 1
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CPI / GAMING SUPPORT / NOVOMATIC GROUP OF COMPANIES
G2E
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
CPI SC ADVANCE NOTE ACCEPTOR | EASITRAX SOFT COUNT NOVOMATIC NOVOSTAR VIP | ACTION GAMINATOR GAMING SUPPORT PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT CONTROLLER NOVOMATIC GROUP OF COMPANIES
GAMING SUPPORT
With an emphasis on tailored content, Novomatic’s stand at G2E 2014 was replete with US-specific product innovations and universal classics.
Operators clamour for Gaming Support’s G2E flagship product t this year’s G2E, Gaming Support USA’s Don Baugh was a busy man. “The amount of times people have been asking me ‘Is it ready yet?’ is unbelievable,” he told us. The product in question is Gaming Support’s latest progressive jackpot controller. GLI certified, it’s currently under test in Nevada, with Baugh aiming for an October launch.
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Max Lindenberg (left), director for marketing for AGI, and David Orrick, director of communications and business development for Novomatic
Novomatic Americas hits the ground running ith the establishment of Novomatic Americas Holdings in Deerfield Beach, Florida, in 2012, the Novomatic Group of Companies took a strategic step that underlined the group’s commitment to the American continent. Now, as Novomatic continues to expand across world gaming markets, the Austrian gaming conglomerate has emphasised its focus on tailored content, and the company’s stand at G2E 2014 was replete with US-specific product. In the first full business year since Novomatic announced its imminent arrival on the US scene, progress has been steadily made: through the foundation of Novomatic Americas Sales, the establishment of the Deerfield Beach headquarters and an additional office and service centre in East Dundee, Illinois. Novomatic Americas Sales brings together a team of well-seasoned industry professionals, headed by CEO Jens Halle and vice president of sales Rick Meitzler. The company, which is licensed in a variety of US jurisdictions including Illi-
W
nois and California, recently launched a standalone website for customers in North America. And with the foundations for success now laid out, Novomatic’s R&D team has been busy creating market-specific for different US jurisdictions, including slot machines for Class III, Class II and VLT/VGT markets and electronic table games, as well as casino management systems and ancillary solutions and services. Taking pride of place on Novomatic’s stand at this year’s G2E in Las Vegas was Novostar VIP. The latest evolution of the Novostar slant top cabinet is now designed into the VIP configuration to bring the biggest slot gaming attraction onto the gaming floor. Retaining the unique ‘flip screen’ feature of the original Novostar, this VIP cabinet is further upgraded by a giant 46-inch upper screen positioned at the perfect ergonomic distance for supreme game play. Specifically for the Illinois VGT market, Novomatic Americas offers the Action-Gaminator that com-
prises a sophisticated All-Star mix of internationally proven Novomatic hit games. Also on display were Panther Roulette, Novo Line Interactive games and the Coolfire II range, among many others. Described by Halle as a “mustattend” event for the international gaming community, Novomatic representatives from its European, Asian, African and Latin American subsidiary companies were all present on the company’s stand at G2E. “G2E Las Vegas, as the major North American gaming show, is a traditionally important event for the Novomatic Group, and it is now of even more of significance for Novomatic Americas as it is the first big show presentation of our growing range of licensed products for US markets,” Halle said. “We have done our homework, listened closely to our customers’ needs and their guests’ wishes and are now in a ‘green light’ position to present an initial and growing US portfolio that also caters to special market requirements such as the Illinois VGT sector.”
interest is the controller’s multi-game, multi-denomination functionality. “Here in Nevada, a common scenario is that you’ll have a bank of machines which are on a dollar progressive jackpot, and another on a quarter progressive, but they rarely intermix,” Baugh explained. “Our controller provides that bridging utility: giving players that extra incentive and operators increased flexibility.” The controller also permits players to change bet streams from low-volatility to high-volatility without the need to physically relocate to a different machine. “That’s an additional feature we’ve been asked to provide for a long time, and I’ve got to say I’m particularly pleased that we’ve been able to provide it.” Whilst the intricaDon Baugh, chief executive, cies of IT networking Gaming Support USA might seem intimidating to the uninitiated, Circumstances have inter- Baugh was clear that the conested parties chomping at the troller was designed with ease bit. “Recent acquisitions have of operability in mind. “All of removed some competition our products are standard ethfrom the market,” Baugh ernet-based,” he said. “To to noted, “it’s something of a mar- link up, all you need is an offket-opening for us.” the-shelf network switch One of main features which which you’d purchase for your has been the source of all the computer at home.”
CPI
New installations aplenty for CPI
E
xhibiting for the first time under one brand at G2E this year, CPI showcased its comprehensive range of cash handling and back-of-house solutions in Las Vegas. As reported by International Casino Review over recent months, CPI has been collecting high-profile installation contracts
around the world, as the SC Advance note acceptor and Easitrax Soft Count cash management solution continues to strengthen its position in the market. And timing, as ever, was key to this marketing drive: with the global gaming industry descending on Las Vegas for G2E, it was fitting that CPI could report that
34 | casinoreview October 2014
The Strip’s newest addition, SLS Las Vegas, has installed SC Advance and Easitrax across all of its slot games. Featured in approximately 800 slots across the 60,000sq.ft casino floor, SLS rounds out five of the last six casinos to open on The Strip since 2008 that utilise CPI’s products. “It is rewarding to know
our solution makes such a profound impact throughout casino operations,” said Eric Fisher, CPI president of gaming. “CPI’s continued success in Las Vegas - and beyond - shows that gaming operators understand the importance of cash management and its role in operations, player satisfaction and, ultimately, profitability.”
Graeme Lewis, vice president of Asia-Pacific operations for CPI
www.gaminglabs.com
www.gaminglabs.com
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APEX GAMING / GAME ACCOUNT NETWORK / WMS GAMING
G2E
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
APEX GAMING IDROP | MOBILE SLOTS GAME ACCOUNT NETWORK SIMULATED GAMING | IBEACON WMS GAMING GAMEFIELD XD | BLADE
WMS GAMING
APEX GAMING
WMS: Keeping players in the game
Linking live gaming and slots
Highlighting its commitment to helping casino operators engage core players and attract newcomers through groundbreaking technologies, WMS Gaming showcased a wide range of gaming solutions and cabinet configurations at Las Vegas. t G2E 2014, WMS introduced new playerfocused mechanics that differentiate and elevate the gaming experience, new top box enhancements for the Gamefield xD cabinet, and showcase new game features for popular themes such as Goldfish®, Zeus, Reel ‘Em In! and Life of Luxury, that address player preferences and current market requirements. A highlight of the company’s video cabinet offerings at G2E 2014 was the Blade cabinet, currently one of the industry’s strongest performing platforms thanks to superior graphics and
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increased player engagement enabled by its next-generation CPU-NXT3 operating platform. WMS demonstrated new for sale games for its expanding video content library, including the Double Buffalo Spirit, Snow Leopard, and Sweet Nothings themes. Follow-up themes to the playerpopular OMG! Kittens game OMG! Puppies and OMG! Kittens Safari themes - also made their G2E debut. On display on the Blade video platform is the Cool Jewels theme, which represents the first theme WMS Gaming and Williams Interactive are simultaneously
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Jason Chan, senior director of game studios at WMS
launching for land-based, social and real money wagering. A key highlight of WMS’ appearance at G2E 2014 was the debut of two new Blade cabinet configurations. The result of WMS’ most intensive player research development process ever, the new playerfocused hybrid slant Blade cabinets combine a revolutionary advance in technology with an innovative form that falls outside the traditional hardware platforms on casino slot floors today. The Blade s23 cabinet, a hybrid slant cabinet that combines the key playerfavourite features of the
Blade cabinet and dual 23inch HD displays along with the latest Blade cabinet content. The Blade s23 cabinet offers a captivating bank appearance with dynamic game-driven direct and ambient lighting effects across a broad array of content. The Blade s32 cabinet features dual 32-inch full HD Metascreen technology displays and an ergonomically angled Button Panel tablet with a projected capacitive multi-touch screen for improved gameplay integration. This new cabinet has launched with two themes, the Hot Hot 8 and Dragons over Nanjing themes.
GAME ACCOUNT NETWORK
GameAccount takes Simulated Gaming opportunity to G2E
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n “invaluable opportunity to showcase the huge strategic and commercial benefits of GameAccount’s Simulated Gaming offering to an international audience of key opinion-formers” is how Dermot Smurfit, CEO of GameAccount Network, described his company’s highly successful showing at G2E in Las Vegas. Coinciding with the announcement of a Simulated Gaming website for Empire City Casino, which was confirmed
on the opening day of the show, the potential for casino operators to effectively lift their casino floor and represent it online, with all of the associated benefits of increase patron visitation onproperty and the generation of meaningful levels of new income from an online channel, was one of the key discussion points at the expo. Smurfit stated: “Enabling bricks-and-mortar casinos in the US to move online is a core element of our mission statement, and G2E certainly
36 | casinoreview October 2014
GameAccount Network commercial director, Daniel Lindsay
enabled us to have the conversations we were looking to have and with the right people. Simulated Gaming and the award of a US patent for our iBridge Framework, which enables the complete integration of an Internet Gaming System with a landbased casino’s rewards points programme, created a real buzz at the show as operators realised the benefits in a yet to be regulated environment. “It not only enables operators to offer engaging online gaming to complement the live experi-
ence, but it also puts those brands in pole position for when online real money gaming goes live. “We also premiered our pioneering iBeacon technology used for on-property gaming, which when combined with our class leading content represents both a strategic and an immediate commercial opportunity, benefits which resonated with those casino operators visiting our stand and the many meetings we held with operators during our time in Vegas.”
pex Gaming’s iDrop is, the company believes, the new way to link live and slots gaming. The compact unit enables tickets to be used in live gaming, as it contains a banknote reader with bunch note feed capabilities and a ticket printer alongside a touchscreen display. “We have tested iDrop over the past six months, and have, in some cases, increased live table revenue by 20 per cent, without compromising slots revenue,” said Max Pessnegger, chief technology officer for Apex, at G2E Las Vegas. “A slots player can easily move to a table game and continue playing, without having to go to the cash desk.” Using iDrop, live gaming players can give their ticket to the dealer in exchange for jetons. The player can specify how much money should be exchanged into jetons. If only a part
Max Pessnegger
of the ticket should be exchanged, the dealer then gives the change to the player in the form of a new ticket. Naturally, the iDrop accepts cash and the player can exchange cash for jetons. The dealer can also place a bundle of notes into the unit, which then validates and stores each and every note individually. Also on display at Apex’s G2E stand this year was Mobile Slots, which are a useful for landbased gaming operators. Players can be handed tablets to play the Apex games, for example at the bar or restaurant. RFID technology allows players to simply enter credit on the tablet or ask the gaming staff to pay out winnings as well. The roots of Apex lie in the development and production of gaming machines. This year, the Pinnacle upright cabinet was joined by the Pinnacle SL slant top. A slimline version is also available - known as the Dual Slim Line. The Apex Player Station was also be on show in Las Vegas. This fully automatic player station incorporates a roulette wheel. Three other table gales are available - Sic-Bo, Bacarrat and Quikker, the latter of which sees the player bets on the outcome of two cards.
www.apex-gaming.com
sales@apex-gaming.com
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AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY / BMM TEST LABS / TCS JOHN HUXLEY / ZITRO GAMES
G2E
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
AINSWORTH RUMBLE RUMBLE BMM TEST LABS TESTING TCS JOHN HUXLEY GAMING FLOOR LIVE ZITRO ZITRO REVOLUTION 2014
TCS JOHN HUXLEY
G2E sees TCS John Huxley bring table games online with Gaming Floor Live Already respected industry-wide as a manufacturer of quality table-game products, with the demonstration of its Gaming Floor Live product at G2E 2014, TCS John Huxley may well be revolutionising the future of table-game play. In recent times, TCS John Huxley (TCS) has undergone something of a transformation. “In the last two years, there’s been a change in tack from the company perspective, in the inclusion of a systems element to our product-range,” claims Tracy Cohen, director of marketing at TCS. Cohen credits the course-alteration to chief executive Kath Burns, whose appointment from Bally Asia in 2012 saw the company gain a helmsperson with a foundation in systems expertise. “Kath realised that we had to leverage our heritage: maintaining the quality of our manufacturing and our core products whilst making them more data-driven,” says Cohen. Gaming Floor Live (GFL) has been born out of the desire to bridge these two overar-
I
G2E 2014: NEWS IN BRIEF BMM TEST LABS BMM CONTINUE MACAU EXPANSION AND MAKE INROADS IN TRIBAL GAMING aming certification company BMM Test Labs promoted the increasingly diverse scope of their testing operations at G2E this year. “What’s been really helping our global expansion is the establishment of the
G
Wendy Anderson, chief of staff, BMM Test Labs
38 | casinoreview October 2014
ching goals. Its genesis is simple: as Cohen is quick to point out, whilst slot machines are able to provide a plethora of data regarding frequency of use, median pay-outs, session time and an endless list of other variables, when it comes to casino games, operators are often left in the dark. “Previously, it’s been the job of pit bosses to walkaround and manually note player numbers, dealer rates and other operational metrics,” Cohen explains. “But with that kind of system, there’s no benchmark: the pit-boss simply draws upon their own judgement to deduce what they deem to be a healthy, fair, or poor performance. We identified that if we were able to provide that level of data real-time, we’d have an extremely compelling product.”
Tracy Cohen, director of marketing, TCS John Huxley
GFL’s monitoring system mirrors that of a modern slot machine: by way of a Table Interface Board, the system relays all pertinent table-data back to the operator, analysing the time it takes for a dealer to complete the stages of the game directly under their control. Presented with a simple colour-coded readout, wider-management are able to assess dealer performance and wider floor analytics with hitherto unprecedented accuracy. “Every casino at the moment is screaming for data,” Cohen adds. “Gaming Floor Live fills a critical void in that required data-set, whilst simultaneously maintaining and improving the customer experience.” Regarding accessibility and uptake, TCS has designed GFL as an open platform sys-
Macau branch of our engineer academy,” said Wendy Anderson, chief of staff at BMM. “We’re also doing a lot of work with the Native American tribal casino industry: we go out and provide educational services regarding testing and licensing.”
ZITRO GAMES ZITRO CONTINUES US CONSOLIDATION WITH REVOLUTION AT G2E uxembourg-based video bingo providers Zitro Games showcased L their new Zitro Revolution 2014 product at this year’s G2E: a multi-game unit inclusive of new titles, features and community games. The event represented the culmination of a busy year for Zitro, whose consolidating efforts in the US through subsidiary company Zitro USA have seen it present at tribal casino events NIGA in San Diego and OIGA in Oklahoma city. “In terms of video-bingo, Zitro has the best product around,” claimed Sam Basile, chief executive of the company’s US division. “It has great quality, is certified and perfectly
Johnny Ortiz, President of Zitro Games
adapted to the US market, and offers players a unique and unforgettable gaming experience.”
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY
tem - so it can be used with competitors’ table products as well as feed into alternative management systems. But Cohen is also adamant that the efficiency implications of GFL uptake are profound. “For the first time, operators are being given an interpretable, real-time, comprehensive perspective on the performance of their table-games,” she states. “Irrespective of whether an operation mirrors the Macau environment, with 800 tables operating on a 24-hour basis, or a humble single-pit venue: over a long-term basis, you’re looking at an exponential rise in takings.” Currently available for baccarat tables, GFL will be rolled out across the entirety of the TCS-covered product range by the end of the year. forefront of technology,” stated the executive chairman and founder of Ainsworth Game Technology, “otherwise you’re doomed to failure.”The Australian firm’s flagship product was its exciting single-title video slot Rumble Rumble. Having already seen success in the US market, the company has high hopes for its introduction to European buyers later this year. “We’re really impressed by the global attendance we’ve witnessed at this year’s event,” said Robert Dijkstra, managing director of Ainsworth UK Ltd. “With the large-scale acquisitions ongoing with some of our competitors,I think this year Ainsworth is presenting potential investors as a particularly stable and enticing provider.”
AINSWORTH SPIES OPPORTUNITY AMID COMPETITOR ACQUISTION e may have celebrated his 91st birthday, but that didn’t stop Len H Ainsworth from attending G2E 2014, amid an impressive floor-space of hightechnology offerings from his company. “It’s so important to stay at the
Len Ainsworth, executive chairman, Ainsworth Game Technology
www.egt-bg.com
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ADVANTECH-INNOCORE / BALLY TECHNOLOGIES / EURO GAMES TECHNOLOGY
G2E
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
ADVANTECH-INNOCORE DPX RANGE BALLY TECHNOLOGIES PRO WAVE 360 | SAFE-BACC EURO GAMES TECHNOLOGY P24/24 UPRIGHT CABINET | LADY’S CARDS
BALLY TECHNOLOGIES
Bally scoops industry awards
Bally representatives Mike Trask and Laura Olson-Reyes
ADVANTECH-INNOCORE head of G2E 2014, Bally Technologies earned three honours in the 2014 Gaming and Technology Awards, including top spots for two of the company’s game and table product innovations. The Pro Wave 360° cabinet won first place for ‘Best Slot Product’ and Safe-Bacc won first place for ‘Best Table Game Product or Innovation’. In addition, Mobile Credits won second place for ‘Best Consumer Service Technology’. The Pro Wave 360° redefines community-style gaming with its circular display featuring five Pro Wave cabinets and five 40-inch video toppers forming a 360-degree video display for a towering centrepiece reaching 10ft tall. Safe-Bacc combines Bally’s bestin-class automatic shuffling, card reading and scoring technology into one solution that increases game speed and improves security on baccarat tables. Mobile Credits revolutionises slot play by enabling players to fund their gaming directly from their mobile device. This next generation of funds management removes the need for players to visit an ATM or carry vouch-
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ers around on the casino floor, increasing potential coin-in by reducing the time spent away from a slot machine. Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies’ award-winning products were showcased at G2E this year, along with many other titles, including branded video slots Friends and Duck Dynasty. Bally’s Friends progressive video slot reunites players with Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross and Joey - the popular characters from Warner Bros Television’s worldwide hit comedy. The Friends game gives players the chance to experience the laughs and loves in a whole new way with a wide-area progressive top award, clips of the show’s funniest moments and a wheel bonus awarding credits or one of four different Free Games features. Developed in conjunction with G2 Game Design, meanwhile, the Duck Dynasty slot, also presented on the Pro Theatre, includes a wheel feature that is packed with six different bonuses inspired by A&E’s numberone original series and the mostwatched reality cable TV show in history.
EURO GAMES TECHNOLOGY
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EGT begins expansion into Americas G2E 2014 saw Bulgarian company EGT boast its first US contract, with eyes firmly on further expansion into South America. ofia-based Euro Games Technology (EGT) made landfall at G2E this year, showcasing its P24/24 Upright cabi-
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net. Established in 2002, the rapidly expanding company has just made its initial US contractual sale with the cabinet, to Reel Games Ltd of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “The P24/24 Upright is our best-seller,” EGT marketing and press manager Radostina Ganeva claimed. “It’s the milestone in our product-line: it’s very ergonomic, it provides more comfort for the players, the graphics are extremely high quality and the range on multi-game titles is unprecedented.” Also taking centre-stage was the company’s new Lady’s Cards jackpot system: which made its trade-show debut in Las Vegas. A four level, randomly triggered progressive jackpot, each of the Lady’s Cards jackpot levels can be won by way of a special bonus game which can be triggered at the end of each of the base games. “It’s a
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markedly different jackpot system from the others we provide,” Ganeva commented. “It’s more flexible, it has a wider range of titles, and it can be utilised by any and all of our cabinets.” Regarding future development, the company plans to continue the success of its online division, EGT Interactive, which launched in 2013. “Its growth has been phenomenal,” stated Ganeva. “We now have over 35 individual games launched, and we’re making every effort to ensure all of our customers’ favourite landed titles are represented now in some online capacity.” Despite the slow pace of regulation, particularly in the US, she remained positive as to the future outlook of the online industry: “I think as a business, this is going to be a major area of expansion for the future.” Whilst Ganeva acknowledged the company’s name portrays a Euro-centric focus, she was adamant regarding the import of EGT’s G2E showing: “It’s true that we’re just entering the American market,” she said,
Advantech introduce lastest DPX gaming board to G2E
Radostina Ganeva, marketing and press manager, Euro Games Technology
“but our participation at G2E is incredibly important in terms of promoting awareness of our brand and reaching out to new potential clients.” Her logic is sound, as the show not only provides opportunity to network within the US market, but to those further afield as well. “It’s a wonderful platform for presenting to the Latin American sector, which is becoming increasingly lucrative year on year.” EGT products are already on sale in Argentina, and the company plans wider South American expansion in the years to come. To this end, the company plans to showcase at SAGSE in Buenos Aires in November.
dvantech-Innocore presented a comprehensive product line at G2E this year: in addition to its DPX series of gaming boards and systems, it also displayed a wide range of standard industrial PC products, alongside the company’s expanding range of industrial touchdisplays. Advantech’s ‘standard’ products included its industrial Mini-ITX and COM Express modules on the stand, boasting the latest AMD R-series and Intel QM77 chipsets. In the family of industrial touch display solutions, a size range up to 42” was showcased. all with multi-touch functionality. Taking prime position was the company’s well known DPX range of products, a family which used G2E to welcome a new addition to its ranks: the DPX-S430. Utilising AMD’s new Embedded R-Series Platform, the DPX-S430 is a complete industrial computer platform for gaming applications. In common with all DPX products, the DPX-S430 includes a full feature set of I/O, COMs and security designed specifically for gaming devices. But it’s in the area of graphics performance that the new DPX-S430 aims to deliver. With both the AMD R-Series integrated Radeon HD7000G GPU and the flexibility to add PCI-Express x16 graphics cards, the DPX-S430 offers a strong combination of performance and scalability with the ability to drive up to 10 displays.
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AMATIC TURBO CARD ROULETTE DRGT DR BONUSING GAMESMAN OFF THE SHELF GAMING SOLUTIONS GLI GLI LINK IGT WHEEL OF FORTUNE JACKPOT PARADISE | CRYSTALCORE
GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL
AMATIC INDUSTRIES
GLI promotes Link service at G2E
Turbo-charged roulette from Amatic
The reach of Gaming Laboratories International grows ever further, with the company combining a quarter century’s experience with a truly global infrastructure LI had cause to celebrate at G2E this year: the company marked 25 years of serving the gaming industry with its Vegas outing. Since 1989 GLI has established itself as one of the leading providers of land-based and iGaming testing and consulting services worldwide. Operating 21 separate laboratory locations throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas, in recent years GLI has forged new ground in providing a sleek global infrastructure by way of its GLI Link service. “GLI Link allows us to test gaming devices to the full, irrespective of their location of origin, rather than the need to ship a unit to one central location,” said Paul Magno, company co-founder and executive vice chairman. The service draws upon GLI’s worldwide network of facilities, which now employs more than 700 staff. The newest opened its doors this month, embedded within the headquarters of Mexican electronic certification board NYCE in Mexico City. “By providing this kind of service, we expedite the speed of our testing, and we cut costs for our clients.” Within the post-recession economic environment, the success of the service is understandable: “It’s been very well received,” Magno comments. “We’ve been doing it for a number of years now and we’re getting more efficient as we go on.” Magno and his colleagues came to this
matic Industries of Austria shared its stand at this year’s G2E with INAG, as the companies showcased Turbo Card Roulette. A joint invention of INAG and Amatic, Turbo Card Roulette is a patented and GLIcompliant card-based roulette that requires minimal training for operators. Designed to eliminate casino losses, the roulette is fully expandable, as Amatic has transformed the game into an electronic version, providing the necessary software and hardware. Also on the companies’ stand at G2E 2014 was Amatic’s popular Multi Game product. Housed in the stylish Performer C22 upright cabinet, Multi Game (pictured) has been the focus of the group from its incorporation. “We are convinced that the Turbo Card Roulette is a perfect solution for gaming in the US, and we see real opportunities in many other countries as well,” said Thomas Engstberger, sales manager at Amatic.”
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Paul J. Magno, executive vice president, GLI
year’s show off the back of fresh success within the lottery sector - in which the company saw its initial success. GLI has been the driving force behind the recent launch of WyoLotto, the Wyoming state lottery. “The development team had been working on Wyoming for some time,” Magno elaborated. “We kept knocking on the door - continuing visits and showings so the relevant parties were aware of what kind of services we provide.” The speedy turn-around of the project (less than a year from submission to fruition) owes much to the GLI’s extensive experience in the sector, as Magno attests: “I think the fact that we’ve been so successfully involved with such a large number of lotteries in the past was what finally sealed it.” As one of the premier providers of testing and certification services, GLI has a finger on the pulse of the industry as a
whole. How does Magno view the potential impact of the impending acquisitions shaking up the sector? “With a mixture of excitement and trepidation,” he replied. “It’s exciting because it presents something of a new paradigm, but on the other hand, we don’t know what that will bring in the future.” Magno considers that potential risk of increased conglomeration lowering the number of submissions processed through GLI, but concedes that shortterm implications retarding business may aid long-term business growth: “On a wider scale - there’s the possibility that product enhancement will occur: with groups taking the best ideas from each other’s product ranges and applying them to new machines with enhanced customer appeal,” he states. “The end game of that would be a net benefit to the industry as a whole.”
GAMESMAN
Gamesman gains plaudits in Vegas
G Gamesman sales manager Martin Rigby (left), with Nick Walter, general manager of the company’s US operations
amesman, the leading component manufacturer to the international gaming industry, returned to the UK in buoyant mood after what managing director Mark Smith described as his company’s “most successful G2E on record”. Showing alongside parent company Esterline, Gamesman used G2E as a shop window for both its off-the-shelf gaming solutions and the bespoke product development service, which
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accounts for a growing percentage of annual turnover for the company which was formed in 1996. Reflecting on Gamesman’s G2E showing, Smith said: “We use our presence at the big shows such as G2E in Vegas and ICE in London primarily to meet with clients, to listen to what their big issues are and to identify how we can help them. G2E gives us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in what is Gamesman’s
single biggest market, sit down with our customers and simply talk gaming.” He added: “With all of our customers attending G2E, the show also provides an opportunity to measure the level of service we are delivering. I’m delighted to say the feedback was outstanding with Gamesman receiving official recognition from four separate companies with one confirming that for the second year running
Gamesman topped their league table of external suppliers, for quality, on-time delivery and customer service. “This level of commitment is something that has carried Gamesman throughout our history and will take us forward as we continue to grow. This is very much a team achievement, and I look forward with confidence to our next big opportunity to showcase what we do at ICE in February.”
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AMATIC INDUSTRIES / DRGT / GAMESMAN / GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL / IGT Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
IGT
IGT brings gaming home
Phil O’Shaughnessy, director of global corporate communications for IGT
Located in the heart of the G2E convention hall, IGT’s attention-grabbing booth was full of gaming innovations that embody the company’s pioneering spirit. ew products and modern iterations of classic titles defined IGT’s presence at this year’s G2E, with the all-new Wheel of Fortune Jackpot Paradise sharing the limelight with a host of other innovations in Las Vegas this year. The group’s latest wide-area progressive (WAP) comes complete with cuttingedge graphics and plentiful payouts. Housed on the CrystalCore cabinet, Jackpot Paradise features a touchscreen interface and interactive bonus rounds. Another game to debut on
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IGT’s CrystalCore cabinet at G2E 2014 was Powerhits - the first dedicated theme to join IGT’s multi-state commercial WAP link, Powerbucks. The powerpacked gaming experience is poised to launch fully converged for play on land, online and for mobile wager online where allowed. Housed on IGT’s recently launched CrystalCore cabinet, Powerhits is a unique title within IGT’s rich WAP portfolio that provides a compelling visual with every wager below max bet that reveals to the play-
ers where all the symbols landed, across all reels, regardless if they were wagered paylines or not. Building upon the company’s leadership in compelling core content, IGT has also broadened its offerings in this category by introducing a diverse line-up of themes and play mechanics, including Hot Roulette, Mega Free Games, Dynasty Edition and King Reels. Hot Roulette puts a new spin on IGT classics as it couples player-favourite themes Wolf Run and Enchanted Unicorn,
with bonus content that allow players to engage in a touchscreen roulette game in the top box. Mega Free Games will launch as a high-volatility, fourtheme family that allows players to win up to a staggering 450 free games and ‘choose their fortune’ by picking between mystery credits and free games in bonus play. Also at G2E 2014, IGT unveiled the Dynasty Edition series - a revamped, refined and re-launched collection of several of the company’s top-per-
forming titles including Wolf Run, Siberian Story and Treasure of Troy. The Dynasty Edition series merges original game features and math with enhanced characteristics, such as amplified bonus content, pace and visuals. King Reels offers players a larger-than-life reel configuration with 90 total paylines - 60 in the top box and 30 in the base game. This royal use of the game interface can be found in two King Reel themes Farmer’s Daughter and Turquoise Princess.
DRGT
Systems success for DRGT
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he DRGT team jointly exhibited with Apex Gaming - whose products the group distributes in Latin America - at this year’s G2E in Las Vegas. Over recent months, DRGT has been enjoying success across numerous territories, as casino operators realise the benefits of the company’s accounting, systems and back-office solutions. “We have complete solutions that can make a real difference for your players,” said Jurgen De Munck, CEO and co-founder of DRGT. The group’s DrBonusing solution is suitable for virtually every purpose, such as recruiting members for slot
clubs, pushing new games or promoting shows. Ideal for both one-time and recurring events during any time span, the system can be implemented in single or multi-site operations. Players can view the points balance and the conditions for participating on displays at the machine. DrAccounting is the prerequisite for systems technology around the world. DRGT offers many more possibilities for operators to manage their gaming machines. Jackpots, ticketing and player tracking are all available as options - correspondingly called DrJackpots, DrTicket and DrPlayerTracking.
October 2014 casinoreview
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ABBIATI VALUE CHIPS AND PLAQUES ARISTOCRAT SUPERMAN | TED CASINO TECHNOLOGY HOT ROD SERIES COPAQ PLAYING CARDS GSA TESTING STANDARDS INTERBLOCK G5 DIAMOND MERKUR EVOLUTION SL CASINO TECHNOLOGY
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES
Casino Technology showcases ‘Big 5’ and more in Vegas
Aristocrat moves to the next level at G2E
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Exhibiting at G2E for its 10th year, Casino Technology presented its full suite of gaming products to a worldwide audience in 2014. asino Technology recently partnered with Las Vegas start-up Alto Gaming to bring a suite of new games under the iconic Hot Rod brand into North American casinos. With a strong presence at this year’s G2E, Casino Technology and Alto Gaming recreated the same entertainment value of the Hot Rod portfolio in their casino games. The suite of games carrying the brand will feature unique game design characteristics and come packaged in a brand new themed cabinet that pays homage to the sleek lines of the vintage automobiles. The North America deal
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came on the heels of Casino Technology’s separate partnership with The Enthusiast Network (TEN) for the exclusive rights to develop new casino games based on the Hot Rod brand. “The fit was logical,” explained Milo Borissov, president and CEO of Bulgariabased Casino Technology. “Hot Rod and the ‘rodding’ culture carry an inherent sense of excitement and entertainment that is a true fit for the gaming world.” Casino Technology continues to diversify its offering. Speaking at G2E, the company’s Nataliya Baevska (pictured
right) explained how the group’s portfolio is now housed in the ‘Big 5’ series of animalthemed verticals, including the Buffalo jackpot server, Lion money management system, Elephant remote gaming server, Rhino casino management system and Leopard online casino management platform. As company continues to develop numerous land-based titles specific to the markets it serves, Casino Technology’s Interactive division has also got off to a flying start. Less than two years since its creation, the group boasts track record of successful projects, providing a solid foundation for its ambitions to
establish the company as one of the trend-setters of modern gaming. Following recent agreements with content and platform provider NYX and Bulgarian online operator Efbet, the integration of Casino Technology’s Elephant remote gaming server has provided a major milestone. “To make this dream come true, we launched the Big 5 multichannel solution with the ultimate goal of erasing the borders between online and landbased gaming and facilitate the seamless synergy of between both,” said Konrad Gill, iGaming director.
GAMING STANDARDS ASSOCIATION
GSA at G2E: “Creating the standards the industry desires” 2E is familiar territory for the Gaming Standards Association: as a trade body, it has overseen the applied standards that the vast majority of products and systems on the show’s tradefloor have been tailored to. Established in 1998, the association’s membership has grown steadily, and it continues to strive to provide the best support for casino operators, suppliers and associated manufacturers and regulators. In recent years, the association has focused on aiding the regulation of the online sector - a topic of discussion high up on the agenda at the GSA annual meeting, held at G2E on 1 October. “Regarding the online space, there are four regulatory aims that we’ve identified,” states GSA president Peter DeRaedt. “One is almost finished, so it’s our aim next year to press on and focus on the remaining three to get them finished.”
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Peter DeRaedt, president, Gaming Standards Association
DeRaedt is uniquely placed to interact with the full spectrum of industry stakeholders. At G2E 2014, he identifies one key area of common ground. “I think there’s a sentiment that everybody shares here this year,” he says, “and that’s the topic of the ongoing ‘mega-mergers’ and acquisitions.” DeRaedt notes that the altered para-
digm may present a challenge to GSA funding. “It’s difficult for me to speculate on the knock-on effects for suppliers and operators, but from our own perspective, we are solely funded by our membership fees,” he notes. “We don’t have any other funding mechanisms to draw upon, so whatever the form the new scenario takes, we’ll need to get to grips with it pretty fast.” Regardless, DeRaedt’s commitment to the GSA’s overriding aims remains implacable. “In the wider scheme of things, our goals remain unchanged,” he explains. “Our focus point is about insuring the clear articulation of the commercial value our standards bring to the table which are not always fully understood.” Will this require any alteration in strategy? DeRaedt thinks not: “It’s simply about ensuring that we remain relevant and ensuring that we continue to create those standards that the industry desires.”
ristocrat took to the Vegas showfloor with the aim of building on its reputation of diverse product offerings and new hardware. The company premiered new titles including Ted and Superman The Movie, which pave the future roadmap for the new Wonder Wheels product line. The latest in the successful Superman franchise, Superman Man of Steel, was also unveiled at the show, and the Buffalo franchise has also been expanded with a highly anticipated new Buffalo title. In addition to these popular licensed themes, Aristocrat showcased some of its best Hyperlink content including Cashman Fever II, Good Fortune and Pixie Wishes, which combine the best E-Series games with the proven success of Hyperlink jackpots. Targeting the varied needs of operators, Aristocrat stayed true to its classic content base with its C-Series, E-Series and J-Series, rolling out new game families Mega Line Power and Extra Bonus Wilds. The E-Series arrives with some degree of anticipation having been namedone of the most anticipated releases in the 2014 Goldman Sachs Slot Manager Survey. The J-Series, meanwhile, features product lines specifically created to thrill jackpot chasing players. “This is one of the most exciting times in Aristocrat’s 61-year history,” said Aristocrat’s chief product officer, Rich Schneider.
Matt Wilson, Aristocrat’s senior vice president of sales and marketing in the Americas,
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ABBIATI / ARISTOCRAT / CASINO TECHNOLOGY / COPAQ / GAMING STANDARDS ASSOCIATION / INTERBLOCK / MERKUR GAMING Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
G2E 2014: NEWS IN BRIEF
ABBIATI CASINO EQUIPMENT
RFID FOCUS FOR COPAG
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opag presented its full range of playing cards at G2E 2014, including those made from 100 per cent plastic and coated paper. “Our new line of RFID cards have just started going under production,” said the company’s Rafael Lisboa. “The cards are being used by PokerStars for their finals tables at PCA, EPT and next year at LAPT. We are having great feedback.” Lisboa also noted that Copag has now started selling its cards directly to customers.
VEGAS SUN SHINES ON MERKUR
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Abbiati claim another successful G2E With an expanded portfolio of products that now include a new line of security currency items, Abbiati is growing its client base around the world. bbiati Casino Equipment confirmed that this year’s G2E show was an “extremely successful” edition for the Italian company, where it presented its most recent products and state-of-the-art technologies. “G2E is one of the key shows in the gaming industry and it’s essential for our company to be present,” confirmed Terry Clarke, commercial director of Abbiati. “It’s a perfect place to demonstrate to the visitors our latest developments and new innovative products.” The Italian company has seen strong interest coming from European and Asian operators, as well as much attention received from the existing and new potential customers based in Central America region, where the company has strengthened its presence with the support of a new collaboration with a well-known expert of the gaming industry, Misty Rodda.
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“We are excited that Mrs Rodda had joined Abbiati’s sales forces,” said CEO Giorgio Abbiati. “We are sure it will become a long and successful collaboration which will bring in the future many more challenging opportunities.” The comprehensive offering exhibited during the show included all the main products of the Italian manufacturer. The biggest interest focused on a new line of casino security currency products Value Chips and Plaques including enhanced security features. They also showcased new model of the black jack style table, with new innovative composite materials and finishing. This table was fitted with the new baccarat game, EZ Baccarat, which eliminates the commission payment and has two optional side bets - Panda 8 and Dragon 7. In conjunction with DEQ , the Italian manufacturer will also be offering
the G3 Progressive Bonus bet to EZ Baccarat. Abbiati has also presented a new range of paper plastic coated and 100 per cent plastic professional casino quality playing cards, dedicated to Poker division, as well as its RFID beanshaped baccarat table. This design is dedicated mainly to the Asian players, fitted with a Perfect Pay Table Network platform; “G2E Las Vegas show is a great platform to demonstrate how Abbiati products have continued to improve during the years, using new innovative materials, designs and applied technologies,” stated Giovanni Abbiati, founder and president of the Italian company. “Presenting to the visitors the line of our products we want to demonstrate again our flexibility and ability to manufacture customised and exclusive equipment.”
erkur Gaming displayed a range of brand new solutions to the international market at G2E. The Gauselmann Group subsidiary rolled out the Evolution SL and Avantgarde SLT cabinets in Las Vegas this year, in addition to the new Ozone gaming machine. On the cash handling side, the Germany-based company showcased the new Merkur Dispenser 100 Gold, a new banknote recycler that includes the possibility to accept tickets. The Merkur team was led by Ralf Markmann, who marked his first G2E Las Vegas.
LATEST INNOVATIONS FROM INTERBLOCK
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ith a growing international presence, Interblock presented its latest G5 Diamond and MiniStar products in Las Vegas this year. “Interblock’s hard work and effort again resulted in the outstanding success of the biggest US gaming show,” said Tom O’Brien, CEO of the company’s US division. “We are very proud of every single participant who is a part of our magnificent story. I would also like to express gratitude to all our dear partners, customers and friends who visited us in Las Vegas. It was again a great opportunity for us to become even better and greater brand.” October 2014 casinoreview
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ALFASTREET / GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL / JCM GLOBAL
G2E
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
ALFASTREET R4 | WHEEL OF FORTUNE GAMING PARTNERS GEMACO PLAYING CARDS JCM GLOBAL DYNAMIC NTWORK APPLICATIONS
JCM GLOBAL
ALFASTREET
‘We are excited to integrate the Alfastreet FutureLogic line into JCM’s portfolio’ celebrate 20th CM Global showcased its comprehensive Dynamic Network Applications (DNA) at G2E 2014, empowering both operators and regulators with the abilities of real-time monitoring, triggered event alerts and peripheral component management. “This was another rousing and productive G2E for JCM Global,” said Tom Nieman, vice president of worldwide marketing for company. “In the weeks before the show, we announced our acquisition of FutureLogic, and at G2E the response to that new business alignment was very positive. “Moving forward, we are excited to fully integrate the FutureLogic line of award-winning products into JCM’s portfolio, giving our customers around the world the widest and best peripheral products available.” Discussing the opportunities brought about by its own DNA
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“Additionally, attendees were very interested in our iV8 table game bill validator, which is now in field trial in Australia,” Nieman added. “iV8 dramatically decreases the buy-in process from minutes to just seconds. Plus, the validation process adds a high level of security that is simply not possible with hand-counting. “We also had intense interest in our JCMedia line of products, which includes everything from production to displays to media management. We had 18 different types of displays in our booth, each showing dazzling capabilities and clarity that our extensive line of JCMedia products has to offer. “We are looking forward to fully integrating FutureLogic solution, Nieman said: “DNA board. DNA’s flexible platform into our product portfolio and passively monitors the SAS line, means it can be used in a variety presenting those offerings to provides diagnostics, analytics of settings and for a wide range our clients around the world in and value-added features that of purposes, from multiple- the gaming industry and outcan all be managed through a property casino operators to side of the gaming industry,” user-friendly mobile dash- AWP route operators. said Nieman.
GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL
GPI showcases expanded range of currency and table game products
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ollowing its acquisition of GemGroup in July, Gaming Partners International headed to G2E 2014 with an expanded range of casino currency and table game products. At this year’s G2E, Gaming Partners International (GPI) introduced several new products specifically developed to meet the needs of its global customers. The Las Vegas-based company also highlighted its well-known Gemaco playing cards and layouts, as well as its numerous RFID products and solutions. This year, expanding GPI’s B&G plastic injected chip portfolio is the new VSeries chip range, an extensive selection of standard chip designs that not only offer an unprecedented variety of configurations but also feature a new chip material formula that is stronger and more durable. In addition, the company has increased the value of this new product by including ChipShield as a standard feature. An anti-microbial substance
46 | casinoreview October 2014
GPI’s Maricela Maciel (left)
that helps inhibit the growth of staincausing mildew, ChipShield leaves a cleaner, more sanitary chip surface. Best of all, all V-Series four-shot chips come standard with an infrared security feature exclusive to GPI. Adding to the company’s European plaque collection, GPI introduced two new standard plaque designs including the Dragon’s Eye, a stunning design sure to appeal to the Asian market, and the new Ribbon design, which is available with two different ribbon pattern widths New to the group’s currency security features portfolio, 3-in-1 UV is a security taggant that remains invisible under standard UV wavelengths. Because it can be added to plastic injectionmoulded chip materials, it is easy to validate chips when placed in stacks or racks. It also offers three levels of authentication, including a forensic verification using Scanning Electron Microscopy.
anniversary with new partner
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lovenian games manufacturers Alfastreet, celebrating their 20th operational year, showcased its R4 roulette unit for the first time in North America, and announced its partnership with Philadelphia-based distributor KGM Gaming. “Whilst we’ve built up a reputation in Europe, Asia and Latin America over the past two decades, the US market has remained somewhat elusive,” commented sales manager Ana Zlender. “Our agreement with KGM builds upon several years attendance at G2E, and heralds our entry into the North American market as a serious contender.” The R4 offers the same ergonomic and product quality of the company’s established R8 cabinet, with a condensed floor footprint ideal for smaller venues. Taking centre-stage on the Alfastreet stand was the company’s enormous Wheel of Fortune cabinet. At four meters high, and styled to mimic the features of a cat, it formed quite the centre-piece. “It’s a fun entertainment feature which is quite unlike anything else our competitors are offering,” Zlender commented. With its products now shipped to over 90 countries, Zlender claims the company’s philosophy of prioritising customer requirements is central to its ongoing success: “We’ve built up a reputation on the basis of customising all of our products as per client specification,” she stated. “We operate a 24/7 support line,so we make it as easy as possible for operators to request replacement parts or repairs if required.”
Ana Zlender, sales manager, Alfastreet
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DRGT / GAME ACCOUNT NETWORK / KONAMI GAMING / WMS GAMING
News
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
INSTALLATION
WIDE AREA JACKPOTS
DRGT continues Konami’s European expansion
WMS pays 300th wide-area jackpot
DRGT has built upon its success in Germany with a new order of networked Konami slots to Casino Dintant.
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elgium firm DR Gaming Technology (DRGT) has acquired fresh success at home through the installation of an expanded number of Konami slots at the Casino of Dintant. This latest order of ten new machines will see the venue boast both single and multigame slot units, contained within two distinct banks. Elaborating on his latest strategic decision, general manager of Casino Dintant Camille Continelli commented: “Originally we were operating on a small number of Konami single games. Upping the number of units and condensing these into two banked areas is already paying off well.” He notes that the machine-banks themselves are not uniform in their offering: “We’ve mixed the single and multi-games machines together in each bank and it seems to be adding to cus-
tomer appeal.” Continelli seems convinced the investment will continue to yield promising results. “My opinion is that a casino can best benefit from a complete bank of Konami slots. We’re very pleased with the popularity of our ten new machines and are considering expanding this number further in the immediate term.” The order marks continued expansion for DRGT, which is the exclusive distributor for Konami throughout Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Northern Cyprus and Malta. From its operational headquarters in Knokke, the company oversees over 20,000 individual machines operating throughout 200 casinos in 27 countries worldwide. Utilising an innovative server-less network, DRGT is able to provide operators with specialist data packages granting
W access to player tracking, accounting, jackpots and ticketing information all enabled machines. With regional offices now also in Austria and Peru, the firm can link any machine, irrespective of class or age, into its integrated network. The Dintant expansion follows on from additional DRGT success with Konami units earlier this year: June saw the company expand into the notoriously challenging German market, with successful trials of four singlegame titles at the historical Casino Bad Homburg. With more than 70 casinos across the country, the German
domestic market is highly saturated. Bad Homburg manager director Lutz Schenkel remarked at the time: “Usually a newcomer’s slot machine is popular in the first few weeks, then interest tails off. But the results of the Konami slots have been continually positive: they’re sought-after by our customers so we made the natural choice keep them on our floor.” Chief executive and cofounder of DRGT welcomed the company’s continued success, stating: “Following on from our Konami achievement in Germany, it is great to inform the industry of success in our home country.”
ONLINE SOFTWARE
GameAccount announces first on-property mobile gaming client ameAccount Network, a leading developer and supplier of enterprise-level B2B gaming software and online gaming content, has announced the extension of an existing partnership with a major undisclosed US casino operator to deploy the Sense3 Mobile Casino real money gaming experience for existing patrons on-property. Sense3 combines the three senses of sight, hearing and touch, representing a superior internet gaming experience on personal mobile devices. Comprising responsive design websites, HTML5 casino games and downloadable apps for
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iOS and Android, GameAccount delivers near-perfect facsimiles of Class III slot machines onto patrons’ mobile smartphones and tablets. By deploying the GameStack internet gaming system and leveraging the existing technical infrastructure of US casinos, the Sense3 real money mobile casino gaming experience can be delivered to casino patrons anywhere while they’re onproperty. Customary in the regulated landbased US casino industry, the identity of the operator remains embargoed prior to all regulatory approvals being obtained by the par-
50 | casinoreview October 2014
ties. It is expected that GameAccount Network and the operator will launch real money on-property mobile casino experience in the first quarter of 2015, subject to relevant regulatory approvals. The GameStack internet gaming system deployed on-property for the operator will deliver Simulated Gaming nationwide, real money onproperty mobile casino gaming, together with an immediate upgrade to real-money internet gaming upon passage of relevant state legislation. Partnership extension to real money on-property mobile casino
gaming is further validation of the GameAccount model of deploying the GameStack internet gaming system on-property for major US casino operators. Dermot Smurfit, CEO of GameAccount Network, said: “2013 saw GameAccount launch New Jersey regulated real money intra-state internet gaming. 2014 saw the launch of Simulated Gaming nationwide in the US, and 2015 will see the launch of on-property mobile gaming for real money. On-property mobile casino gaming is the natural evolution of internet-based gaming for US casino operators.”
MS Gaming, a Scientific Games company, announced that a very lucky player at the Lodge Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, won a $1.4m (E1.1m) jackpot on a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory slot machine on August 25, 2014. The prize is the 300th jackpot on a WMS widearea progressive slot machine since the first installation in 2004. Within 36 hours of that 300th jackpot, two other lucky players hit mega-wins on WMS machines at other locations for a combined total of nearly $5m (E3.9m) in jackpots. Dean Ehrlich, WMS senior vice president of global gaming operations, said: “We are always thrilled to pay casino patrons larger-than-life jackpots, and we’ve had the opportunity to pay over $188m (E146m) to winning players in the last 10 years.” The first jackpot on a WMS widearea progressive was on October 16, 2004, at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
www.casinocitypress.com
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Supplier
News
ADVANTECH HEADQUARTERS BALLY TECHNOLOGIES INSTALLATION CASHPOINT LICENCE DRGT INSTALLATION GAME ACC LICENCE JCM GLOBAL INSTALLATION KONAMI GAMING INSTALLATION WMS GAMING JACKPOTS LICENSING
HEADQUARTERS
IGT announce release of Ellen video slots
Advantech cuts ribbon on new HQ
The latest high-tech licensed offering from International Game Technology draws on the acclaimed US daytime talk-show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. S gaming entertainment providers International Game Technology (IGT) has partnered with the Emmy Award winning Ellen DeGeneres Show, resulting in the firm’s latest franchised video-slot offering. Now in its twelfth season, the popular Warner Brothers talk-show debuted on US television in September 2003. It features observational humour from its eponymous host, as well as human interest stories and high-profile interviews with leading celebrities. IGT have brought the show to two distinct new titles: The Ellen DeGeneres Show Featuring Ellen’s Dance Party and The Ellen DeGeneres Show Featuring 12 Days of Giveaways. The duo of games will inter-splice player progression to a coveted big jackpot payout with their favourite moments from the programme.
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“I'm so excited to have my very own line of slot machines,” DeGeneres commented. “People are going to have the chance to play really fun games, have their own mini dance parties and win actual cold, hard cash. I mean, honestly, what more do you want from me?” The Ellen DeGeneres Show Featuring Ellen's Dance Party comes with a multitude of toetapping tunes, as well as The Ellen’s Dance Party Free Spin Bonus, which draws on the game’s reels to provide a fun filled, musical bonus round. The Ellen DeGeneres Show Featuring 12 Days of Giveaways features a symbol set that includes many of the show’s most famous gift-shop items, including Ellen branded boxers, totes and mugs. A dedicated Free Spins bonus has players spinning reels full of holiday-themed symbols and reaping the rewards of 12 on-screen gift
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boxes, each revealing multipliers that increase with each spin. Both games come housed in IGT’s CrystalCore cabinet, which boasts high quality sound and visuals on a 42 inch vertical touchscreen display. They include original voiceover work by Ellen DeGeneres, as well episodic footage from the show’s most memorable moments. “IGT aspires to create the industry’s most entertaining, globally-appealing gaming experiences,” said Joe Sigrist, IGT vice president of game design and global product management. “By partnering with a brand as legendary as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, we are in a great position to engage with Ellen’s millions of fans and drive play to our customers around the world.”
INSTALLATION
Caesars to install Bally solutions across UK venues aesars Entertainment UK will deploy several industryleading table products from Bally Technologies at its casinos across the UK, with the goal of increasing performance and excitement in its table-game pits. Under the terms of the new agreement, Caesars will install 108 SHFL Fusion terminals linked to SHFL Fusion Auto, i-Table Roulette, and live American roulette tables at the Casino at the Empire in London and its seven other casinos throughout the UK. The company will also install 57 ChipStar roulette
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chip sorters, which now have the ability to sort 43mm chips. Bally’s SHFL Fusion line provides a variety of gaming options for the casino floor. SHFL Fusion Auto features a fully automated roulette wheel and custom
52 | casinoreview October 2014
speed to result in more rounds per hour while eliminating errors. Additionally, Casino at The Empire will install TableView, an efficient real-time table rating and player-tracking solution that enables casino operators to replace their existing manual rating process with the ease of electronic lighting options, along with automation. highly configurable termi“Bally is a market leader nal layouts. The e-table in table solutions and it innovation i-Table Roulette made perfect sense to work combines the excitement together to bring these of traditional roulette with proven and innovative soluall bets and pays made elec- tions to our players,” said tronically, increasing game Caesars Entertainment UK security, accuracy, and managing director Mike
Rothwell. “These products offer our patrons a new and exciting way to play the popular game of roulette and we expect them to deliver a strong return-oninvestment and a differentiated experience for our customers.” Bally Technologies’ vice president and managing director of Europe, Marco Herrera, added: “These solutions are designed to enable operators like Caesars Entertainment UK to continue to provide their players with the highestquality gaming experience while increasing profitability and efficiency.”
he Advantech-Innocore team in Taiwan has become one of the first business units in the fast growing Advantech Corporation to occupy the new purposebuilt campus in Linkou, just outside of Taipei. Located near Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and the downtown area, Advantech’s newly opened Linkou Campus occupies an area of 34,500sq.m. It currently consists of an R&D centre and offices, while the second and third phases will expand the office area and add a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and warehouse and distribution centre. Advantech-Innocore managing director Edward Price commented: “The new facilities at Linkou give our growing team in Taiwan more space and fantastic resources under one roof. The new campus will allow for more efficient use of time with easy access to R&D and production facilities. We expect to see the benefits of this new engine for growth immediately.”
CR144-p50-53-Supplier_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 12:03 Page 3
ADVANTECH / BALLY TECHNOLOGIES / CASHPOINT / GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL / IGT / JCM GLOBAL Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
N GAME ACCOUNT NETWORK MOBILE GAMING GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR IGT
SPORTS BETTING LICENCE
INSTALLATION
Top marks for Gauselmann subsidiary, who win Hesse sports betting licence
Seven Clans Casino Warroad employs latest JCM components
Cashpoint are the first of twenty new private providers of sports betting in the German state of Hesse, following fresh success with its Merkur Betbook and X-TiP joint venture.
ore than two years after adopting Germany’s Interstate Gambling Treaty, the state of Hesse has awarded Gauselmann Group subsidiary Cashpoint one of its select E-15 sports betting licences. The German region has been slow to take up federal legislation permitting private sports betting operation: up until 2012, all activity to this end within the state of Hesse continued to be the responsibility of the state alone. 35 companies had applied to the Hessian Ministry of Interior and Sport as part of a complex selection procedure, in which each applicant put forward their suitability for the licence by meeting fifteen distinct criteria. Authorities rated each application with a points-based scoring system, and awarded the betting con-
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J cessions to the top 20 candidates. Founded in 1996, Cashpoint provides internet sports betting services, as well as more than 5,000 betting shops, kiosks and self service terminals throughout Germany, Austria, Denmark, the UK, Belgium, Greece and Cyprus. It’s current flagship product is the Merkur Betbook: a user-friendly betting terminal utilising dual 27 inch touch screens placed on angle to each other, in stylish homage to an open book being read. “We are pleased to have emerged as the company with the best assessment from the review made by the Hesse Ministry of the Interior,” claimed company chairman Paul Gauselmann, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday. “With this we have been clearly certified as the most reliable, most secure and most capable company amongst the appli-
cants in all aspects”. This latest development comes at the end of a busy year for Cashpoint, who in January announced a joint venture with Maxcat Vertriebs GmbH, yielding the new X-TiP brand of franchised betting shops and systems. With a sleek online presence, XTiP has already partnered with Bundesliga sides VfL Wolfsburg, Hertha BSC and the German IceHockey League (DEL). Two bespoke X-TiP betting shops opened in Germany’s northernmost state of Schleswig-Holsten in August, in time for the commencement of the Bundesliga. In recent years, Gauselmann group have been heavily influential in leading the transformation of AWP machine away from singlegame, reel-based technology towards multi-game video options.
CM Global has secured the provision of key transaction and signage technologies at Red Lake Gaming’s upcoming Seven Clans Casino in Warroad, Minnesota. Due for its grand opening on October 30th, Seven Clans Warroad will employ both JCM’s award winning iVizion bill validator and PayCheck 4TM thermal printer, as well as its NanoLumens Nano Curve flexible LED displays. “We are very pleased to bring JCM’s latest state-ofthe-art equipment to the customers of our new casino,” said Red Lake chief executive Raymond Brenny. “Our goal was to bring in only the very best for our new casino, and JCM’s iVIZION, PayCheck 4 and NanoLumens displays fit perfectly within our plans.” The iVIZION bill validator’s counterfeit prevention measures include advanced Contact Image Sensor technology, which captures the full image of a note or ticket, and boasts an unri-
valled acceptance rate of over 99 per cent. Meanwhile, the PayCheck 4 thermal printer has the longest print-head lifespan currently on the market, and comes equipped equipped with more standard memory than any other printer in its class. Seven Clans Warroad will be making full use of the flexibility provided by JCM’s lightweight NanoLumens LED technology, which allows for custom design curvature. The casino will include a 360 degree curved wall display, complimenting the venue’s distinctive architecture. “JCM’s bill validators, printers and displays are the better, smarter, faster ways for casino operators to make connections with their guests,” said JCM vice president of sales Mark Henderson. “We are confident that Seven Clans Casino Warroad will experience the same levels of satisfaction as our clients across the US and around the world.”
EVENT
GLI hosts ‘most successful’ Latin America roundtable
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aming and Lottery regulators as well as state lotteries from 16 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in August for Gaming Laboratories International’s (GLI) Latin American Regulators Roundtable. The educational event was held in Lima, Peru, and was the most successful Roundtable GLI has yet produced in the region. “We were very pleased to welcome so many regulators and state lotteries from so
many countries, representing the diverse and exciting landscape that is the gaming and lottery industry in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said GLI director of Latin American development, Karen SierraHughes. In total, 53 representatives from across Latin America and the Caribbean were in attendance. Countries represented included Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and the US Virgin Islands.
Regulators were enriched by a program covering today’s most relevant and pressing
issues, presented by thoughtleaders and experts from across the region and around the world. Topics included gaming and lottery license processes for land-based and iGaming operations; fraud, money-laundering and player protection; sports betting operations and their procurement processes; lottery profitability, risk management and growth challenges; interactive delivery systems; monitoring and control systems; and responsible gaming.
October 2014 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.
On average, each print copy of International Casino Review is read by
4.13
GLOBAL COVERAGE
readers
WESTERN EUROPE
10,072 59.8%
CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
1,769 10.5% ASIA PACIFIC
1,465 8.7% MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA
539
3.2%
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA
995
5.9%
CIRCULATION BREAKDOWN DIGITAL 12,783
CR144-p56-58-Business 2_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 12:18 Page 1
Business
& City News
ACQUISITION
Gauselmann Group acquires Betcom German giant Gauselmann is set set for further inroads into the British market following purchase of category C and D games development and design firm.
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fter recently reporting a 3.4 percent rise in annual revenues to $2.34b (E1.85b), Gauselmann Group has now acquired British games development and design firm Betcom Limited. Midlands-based Betcom specialises in developing games for the traditional category C and D pub markets with Gauselmann declaring the purchase ‘a further important step’ in its expansion into the British market. “Betcom opens up new perspectives for market development in Great Britain and beyond,” said Jurgen Stuhmeyer from Gauselmann Group, which inaugurated a new logistics centre attached to its Lubbecke headquarters in July. “Thus, a global network of 16
development teams is continually working on new content for gaming fun ‘made by Gauselmann’. Alongside the increase in development capacities, this acquisition mainly offers important new synergy effects and expansion possibilities with the know-how that is already available at Blueprint Gaming.” Gauselmann Group stated that its Blueprint Gaming subsidiary will particularly benefit from Betcom’s capacities as its UK umbrella now covers games development and machine sales. “The acquisition of Betcom is a key part of the company’s strategy to strengthen its position in the UK machines market,” said Simon Barff from Blueprint Gaming. “Betcom’s track record in the
development of category C games is second to none and adding its creative skills to our content portfolio will strengthen the market development of Gauselmann Group product in the key category C sectors within the pub, AGC and bingo markets.” As times change and traditional single-game reel-based machines are replaced by video-based multigame units, Gauselmann Group stated that the UK pub market is ‘perfectly positioned’ to benefit from its games and terminals. “The old way was to provide single-game reel-based machines that moved from site to site depending on their popularity and age,” said Barff. “This is a costly process and
assumes tight machine management control. It is vital that machines like these are changed on a regular basis to maintain player interest and to leave a machine onsite for too long a period will cause a loss of vital income. We know how video-based multi-game AWPs have revolutionised the market in Germany and that is how we foresee the UK market going. We are perfectly placed to play a key role here as our parent company is the Gauselmann Group.” Blueprint Gaming has already provided several thousand videobased multi-game AWPs to the UK market and its products can be found in every gaming segment including AWP, LBO, VLT, bingo, online and mobile.
FINANCE
LVS amends Marina Bay Sands credit facility
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as Vegas Sands has completed an amendment and restatement of the credit facility for its Marina Bay Sands casino resort in Singapore. The maturity of the existing credit facility has been extended to 2020. The deal involved several lenders, including DBS Bank as agent and global coordinator, and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp, United Overseas Bank and Malayan Banking as global coordinators. It included amend-
ments to the amortisation schedule and leverage covenant, among
56 | casinoreview October 2014
other changes, the gaming operator said in a filing to the US Securities
and Exchange Commission. “The amendment and
restatement extends our maturities through the end of the decade, which enhances our balance sheet strength and financial flexibility,” Las Vegas Sands chairman and chief executive Sheldon Adelson said. “Our unique convention-based integrated resort business model, coupled with our financial strength, represents a key competitive advantage as we pursue new integrated resort development opportunities around the globe.” Las Vegas Sands is understood to have filed a request to the Singa-
pore government for land to build more hotel rooms at Marina Bay Sands. The company wants to add 1,500 rooms to the 2,560 existing ones, and also add more meeting room, ballroom and exhibition space. In Macau, group subsidiary Sands China is building the Parisian Macao, its fourth casino resort in Cotai and its fifth property in the Macau market. Its first, casino hotel Sands Macao, opened in the traditional downtown casino zone in May 2004.
CR144-p56-58-Business 2_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 12:15 Page 2
GALAXY ENTERTAINMENT / GAUSELMANN GROUP / ICSID / KONAMI GAMING / LAS VEGAS SANDS YXYXYXY Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
RANKING
PATENT
Are the sands shifting in the world’s gambling capital? Galaxy has stepped up its game to move into the number one spot in Macau, moving ahead of Sands China and SJM. Part surge in VIP activity, part euphoria of a new casino on the strip, but the Galaxy pattern is set to repeat itself in the coming months according to analysts.
Konami and Cadillac Jack reach patent settlement onami Gaming and electronic games developer Cadillac Jack have reached a settlement agreement resolving pending infringement litigation to enforce certain Konami’s Action Stacked Symbols patents against various Cadillac Jack products. According to a statement from Konami, Cadillac Jack was co-operative after receiving notice that the litigation was filed and the two companies embarked on a process of information sharing to determine whether, and to what extent, Cadillac Jack’s products utilised technologies that touched on Konami’s patents. “We routinely enforce our rights against anyone we believe is infringing our intellectual property,” said Steve Sutherland, chief operating officer
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Galaxy takes Macau market share top spot alaxy Entertainment, the casino operator controlled by billionaire businessman Lui Che Woo, has overtaken Sands China as Macau’s largest casino operator in terms of market share. Statistics from the enclave’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau showed that Galaxy seized 22.9 percent of Macau’s gross gaming market in September, overtaking former incumbent Sands China (21.8%) and SJM (20.9%), which remained in the third position.
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Analysts attributed Galaxy’s gain to a surge in VIP business, while competitors have struggled with ‘significant’ declines, which in some cases had amounted to a 25 percent loss in overall VIP revenue. A spokesperson for Macau-based equity research firm Union Gaming Research said: “We would expect Galaxy to likely retain its top market share of revenue position for a while. It has the unique advantage of being the first operator to open
its new casino on Cotai, which is advantageous for the firm, especially if the VIP market recovers in a meaningful way in early 2015. “However, when the VIP business recovers, we think you will see Sands, SJM and Galaxy all vying for the market share leader position,” he added. The news comes amidst a slowdown in Macau’s gaming growth rate, with casino revenue falling 12 percent in September, to $3.2bn. This trend, in particular, will undoubtedly
strike a note of caution for the resort’s big-hitters: the region is also waiting to see the long-term effects of its newly introduced smoking ban, which has some experts predicting a prolonged drop off in casino related business. A report from financial institution Morgan Stanley warned that the Macau gaming industry could see profits slashed by around $800m over the next nine months, from the fourth quarter of 2014 to the second quarter of 2015, because of the smoking ban alone.
and executive vice president at Konami. “In particular, Action Stacked Symbols represent a key piece of Konami’s IP portfolio.” Mauro Franic, Cadillac Jack’s chief operating officer, added: “At Cadillac Jack, we pride ourselves on our innovative technologies and unique content. When we heard of Konami’s concerns, we were eager to collaborate with Konami to further differentiate our technologies from Konami’s patents. We appreciate their professionalism throughout the process.” Sutherland added: “We were able to reach a mutual and amicable settlement agreement without the need to prolong the lawsuit. Both parties were happy to avoid unnecessary legal fees from protracted litigation.”
COMPENSATION
Israeli investors lose Hungary compensation claim
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he International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has rejected a E326m compensation claim by Israeli investors over a failed casino investment in Hungary. The Washingtonbased arbitrator ruled that the
state of Hungary acted lawfully when it cancelled the casino concession contract and decided that a property swap deal, related to the project, was null and void. ICSID added that its decision is final and cannot be appealed.
The 2009 plans to build a E1bn casino and resort near Lake Velence in western Hungary were derailed after a land swap involving the site - which took place before Hungary’s current government came to power was put under scrutiny.
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Business
AMERICAN GAMING ASSOCIATION / CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION / SUZO-HAPP
& City News
Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
ACQUISITION
CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
Suzo-Happ acquires Comestero uzo-Happ has completed the acquisition of Comesterogroup, a leading provider of electronic payment systems and self-service equipment to the carwash, gaming, laundromat and vending industries throughout Europe. The Comesterogroup range of products and services includes a variety of payment systems and self-service machines that incorporate award winning design and cutting edge electronic technologies. Comesterogroup is headquartered in Gessate, Italy, just outside of Milan. The Comesterogroup acquisition significantly expands Suzo-Happ’s presence in key European markets - particularly Italy, France and Spain and broadens the group’s diversification with access to new end-markets through Comesterogroup’s carwash and laundromat automation components. Comesterogroup’s products include the RM5 coin validator, which, when combined with Suzo-Happ’s hoppers and other coin dispensing products, give customers access to complete coin handling solutions that together represent an installed base of more than 2m units. Comesterogroup has more than 5,000 customers that are an important addition to SuzoHapp’s growing customer portfolio and their 150 employees are a critical expansion of
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Caesars Entertainment in restructuring talks fter shuttering its Showboat Casino in Atlantic City in addition to the Harrah’s Tunica property in Mississippi earlier in the year, Caesars Entertainment Corporation in now in discussions with senior lenders on how to further cut its $25bn (E19.7bn) debt. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Las Vegas-based operator stated that it has signed confidentiality agreements with ‘certain beneficial holders’ amounting to 11.25 percent of the senior secured notes due on its Caesars Entertainment Operating Company Incorporated subsidiary in 2017.
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At least six ‘first-lien creditors’ for its biggest division are reportedly involved in the discussions including Pacific Investment Management Company and Elliott Management Corporation, while one option could see the giant operator undergo a pre-arranged bankruptcy subject to approvals being received from bondholders and owners of its bank loans. “We are committed to working constructively with creditors to deleverage Caesars Entertainment Operating Company and create a path toward a sustainable capital structure for Caesars Entertainment Operating Company that is in the best interest of
all stakeholders,” said Gary Loveman, chairman and CEO for Caesars Entertainment. The Caesars Entertainment Operating Company subsidiary owns 22 gaming properties around the world including the flagship Caesars Palace hotel and casino in Las Vegas but has been losing money since 2009. Its net loss for the year to the end of June stood at $3.29bn (E2.6bn), which was higher than its deficit of $2.99bn (E2.36bn) for the whole of the previous year, largely due to total revenues falling by 6.5 percent year-on-year when compared with the $6.3b (E4.9bn) collected in 2013.
resources and human capital. Davide Chionna, Comesterogroup president, said: “Suzo-Happ has always been a key part of our build-buy partner innovation strategy. SuzoHapp’s commitment to support our speed of innovation
and the level of quality offered by Comesterogroup’s management will allow us to be an industry leader to our valued customers through our sales force, productive capacity, service and after-sale support.” The acquisition provides Suzo-Happ access to new technologies including Europe’s leading closed-loop cashless system. It will also result in significant operational synergies in combination with SuzoHapp’s existing European business including a broadened suite of products for vending component solutions and overall manufacturing capacity.
EMPLOYMENT
Casino gaming industry contributes ‘quarter of a trillion’ to US economy
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he US casino industry contributes $240bn annually to the US economy, a figure equivalent to the total state budgets of New York and Texas combined, according to a new study commissioned by the American Gaming Association. The research, conducted by Oxford Economics to measure the economic
58 | casinoreview October 2014
impact of every facet of the casino gaming industry, also found that the sector supports more than 1.7m jobs, generates nearly $40bn in tax revenues to local, state and federal governments, and is one of the largest recreational employers in America. Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, said:
“We’ve known for a long time that our industry’s contributions have gone underestimated, but these numbers are bigger than even we anticipated. Gaming is driving big results in hundreds of American communities. Our future success depends on strong partnerships with policymakers that allow us to innovate, reinvent, and create more
jobs.” Adam Sacks, Director at Oxford Economics, added: “The research reveals a vast industry that supports local communities across the country through business linkages and employment generation. Given the relatively high levels of taxes on the casino industry, it supports a wide range of government services as well.”
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TO PURCHASE CASINO AND/OR HOTEL
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3,600 SQM CASINO FLOOR
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WHERE?
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WHY? FAVOURABLE TERMS FOR NEW INVESTORS
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HOTEL COMPLETION DATE MARCH 2015
HOW? APPLY IN CONFIDENCE FOR A PROSPECTUS AND FURTHER INFORMATION TO JSULLIVAN@GBMEDIA.EU
CR144-p66-63-Events 2_Coinslot NEW 16/10/2014 09:59 Page 1
Events
ICE 2015 / IGS / MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014 / MACAO GAMING SUMMIT/ SAGSE 2014 / TABLES GAMES SUMMIT
& Diary EVENTS NEWS: JW@SJC.CO.UK
ICE 2015
Clarion launches ‘epic’ campaign in support of ICE 2015 The organisers of ICE 2015 are taking inspiration from Jules Verne, as the gaming industry embarks on their journey to London next year. 60 | casinoreview October 2014
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larion has unveiled its campaign for ICE 2015, which opens in London on February 3-5. Inspired by the pioneering work of French novelist, poet and playwright Jules Verne and his epic stories of adventure, the campaign invites the industry to embark on its own Voyages Extraordinaires and ‘Discover’ the world of gaming which will be at ICE in London. The event is on course to eclipse the 2014 success story when an independently audited 23,506 attendees from a record 156 nations travelled to London to see the 515 exhibitors who chose ICE as their interna-
tional shop window. Kate Chambers, who is responsible for the Totally Gaming portfolio which as well as ICE includes EiG (Berlin, October) and GiGse (San Francisco, April), believes that the campaign captures the essence of ICE and the unique benefits that it delivers stakeholders. “Each year we work extremely hard in partnership with our creative agency to produce a campaign which is impactful, imaginative and relevant to the brand,” Chambers said. “Jules Verne is probably most famous for the adventure novel Around The World in Eighty Days: ICE enables attendees to travel around the entire land-based and online gaming world in just three days, a feat which no other event on the gaming calendar can match.
“Thanks to the imagination and creativity which ICE exhibitors apply to their presentation at the event, ICE has also become an adventure where gaming professionals and entrepreneurs discover new suppliers, discover ground breaking technologies and discover those landmark products which have the potential to transform the way the industry does business. I am pleased to say this is an epic campaign for what is an epic event.” Despite the difficulties caused by a London-wide transport strike earlier this year, ICE Totally Gaming 2014 succeeded in attracting attendees from a record 156 nations, a statistic which puts the world’s biggest gaming event amongst the elite of UK-hosted exhibitions.
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Events
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Macao Gaming Show November 18-20
MACAO GAMING SUMMIT
MGS ramps up promotional activity
The Macao Gaming Show has set the bar high - in fact, so high the sky’s the limit. With great ambitions and a solid foundation, the ‘By Asia, For the World’ expo is spreading the word with a strong and potent advertising campaign.
he Macao Gaming Show’s ‘robust’ advertising campaign is now in full swing following the launch of a series of TV adverts that will be showing in over 40 of Macao’s most luxurious apartments and commercial buildings. The 10second broadcast forms part of an ongoing international promotional campaign in the lead-up to the November (18 20) event at the Venetian Macao. The TV camapign is supported by over 200 pages of gaming print media advertising and a dynamic promotion that sees MGS branding, information and messaging displayed across the Special Administrative Region’s yellow cabs, as well as on buses from the airport to the region’s main gaming district, the Cotai strip. Ross Zhang, event operation manager for MGS, explained: “This is an exciting time for all of us at MGS as the build up to show reaches its most intense stage. As witnessed by our robust and exhaustive advertising campaign, we’re fully invested in delivering our ‘By Asia For The World’ message toevery corner of the earth and showing everybody that November's
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Macao Gaming Show will be the perfect opportunity for exhibitors and delegates to connect, network, discuss innovations, explore business opportunities and get a true taste of the Asian gaming market. “Macao is the centre of the world’s gaming sector, and with MGS rooted firmly at the heart of Macao’s gaming community the Venetian Macao is the only place to be in November,” Zhang added. Peggy Lee, head of sales for Road Media Limited, the company responsible for implementing the yellow cab advertising campaign, said: “MGS is making a dynamic advertising statement and will be delivering their message across Macau, including on the Cotai strip and beyond as part of the taxi’s ongoing journey around the region. We are excited to have this opportunity to work with the Macao Gaming Show and look forward to helping them achieve their goal of becoming Asia’s number one gaming event.” • Two major sign-ups ahead of next month’s show with gaming giants Konami and JCM both confirming their presence at MGS.
MGS goes back to school The organisers of the Macao Gaming Show have issued an international invite to exhibitors attending the November exhibition to participate in its upcoming ‘Technology and Market Trend Development on Electronic Gaming Machines and Electronic Table Games’ Conference event. The discussion, held in association with the Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM), is an educational program curated for IPM students in its Gaming Management Program, who will attend MGS and be given a series of talks by MGS attendees. Ira Iskandar, conference manager, called the session a ‘great opportunity for delegates and exhibitors to familiarise the next generation of gaming professionals with your products and technologies’. “We are calling on all interested exhibitors who would like to participate in this groundbreaking event, which aims to familiarise the upcoming generation with the modern gaming industry and give them a taste of what to expect upon graduation, to get involved and register their interest. We welcome any and all support, and are looking to make this an educational endeavour for the students involved.”
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MGS highlights importance of iGaming at November event
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Gaming will play a major role at next month’s Macao Gaming Show according to the organisers with the genre providing ‘key focus’ at the 2014 show. Ross Zhang, MGS event operation manager, said that although iGaming is not yet regulated in Asia, MGS is the perfect time to start to network with international operators and debate the pros and cons of the regulatory framework in Asia.
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“Following last year s inaugural event, and with Europe and particularly the US, starting to regulate iGaming, with only the Philippines having clear laws and issuing iGaming licences in Asia, iGaming in the rest of Asia will move along this route eventually,” Zhang explained. “So getting a head start is important, and MGS will be an important gathering place for iGaming people to network and
find new contacts and new business leads.” Much of this ‘key focus’ will hone in on the the second day of the Macao Gaming Summit at the Venetian. Zhang confirmed: “This year, we have devoted most of day two of the summit to iGaming and have already confirmed nine expert iGaming speakers to the event, with many more to be confirmed still. This is a key focus for us all at the Macao
Gaming Show and we hope you will join us in the discussion. Confirmed speakers include: Nick Nocton, Director, Jeffrey Green Russell Ltd; Robert Stocker, Gaming Practice Leader, Dickinson Wright PLLC; Richard Schuetz, Commissioner, California Gaming Commission; Reinout te Brake, Founder and Chairman, iQU; and Matthew R. Brown, Director of Business Development, Iverson Gaming.
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SAGSE 2014
uenos Aires is set to host its 22nd annual SAGSE trade-show this November, with an extensive list of casino exhibitors confirming their attendance. The city’s Centro Costa Salguero will provide the setting once again for both regional casino suppliers andinternational stakeholders. From the region itself, DLV Peru will be showcasing, whilst from North America, testing-standards company GLI and manufacturing giant WMS Industries will also be in attendance. European exhibitors will include Bulgarian manufacturers Euro Games Technology (EGT) and Novomatic Group, whilst Asia and Australasia will be represented by Konami, Aristocrat and Ainsworth Games Technology.
Whilst visitor numbers at last year’s event were slightly down on 2012, event organisers released a post-show breakdown highlighting a higher calibre of attendees: 35.74 per cent of visitors worked in a managerial, 34.78 per cent of guests were deemed to be actively involved in the process of influential purchases and the remaining 29.48 per cent of delegates were classed as ‘final decision makers.’ The statistical breakdown highlights the casino-centric nature of the show: 24.9 per cent of all exhibitors activity at SAGSE 2013 was from casino stakeholders. This figure was followed by bingo (16.3 per cent), lotteries (13.6 per cent) and online gaming (9.6 per cent). SAGSE Buenos Aires 2014 takes places November 11-13.
TABLE GAMES CONFERENCE
Paris, Vegas to host annual table games symposium he Paris Hotel in Las Vegas will be the venue for the 2014 Table Games Conference, which will see stakeholders converge to discuss the latest financial, management and security implications in table-game operation. Exhibitors already confirmed include Royal Showdown, EConnect, Double Luck Gaming and Power Parlay. The agenda includes a keynote address on table-game trends and analysis from Dr David Schwartz, director of the University of Las Vegas’ Center for Gaming Research. Other areas of focus will include risk management of cheating and scamming threats, dealer training and new game selection. The conference will also hold its Best
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IBEROAMERICAN GAMING SUMMIT
Buenos Aires gears up for SAGSE 2014
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New Table Games competition, offering the prize-winning game a trial at four US casinos. Established gaming consultant and author Jim Kilby will also be making an appearance, discussing the pitfalls and benefits of loss discounting, and providing his own take on the underlying cause behind the recent closure of established US gaming venues. Running from 17-19 November, the Table Games Conference will follow on from a one-day pre-conference workshop on advanced advantage play techniques, led by experts Bill Zender and Eliot Jacobson. It will address how best to respond to those employing legal means of exploiting extant table-game vulnerabilities.
Arrangements for the second IGS commence
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ollowing the success of the first annual Iberoamerican Gaming Summit (IGS), organisers are preparing for the 2015 edition of the event, which is scheduled to take place in Madrid, Spain, in May. This year’s meeting brought together more than 300 gaming industry professionals who analysed the prospects of a constant growth sector and sought to generate new forms of integration. IGS served as a space to discuss trends, challenges and milestones of the gaming world on both sides of the Atlantic. The event is designed as an opportunity to plot the latest developments in the sector - not only on a regulatory level but also regarding the business development operators and licensees of the gaming industry as well as its projection in Latin American emerging markets.
| DIARY OCTOBER 2014 20-21 Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) Inter Expo Centre, Sofia, Bulgaria www.eegamingsummit.com 21-22 Balkan Entertainment & Gaming Expo (BEGE) Inter Expo Centre, Sofia, Bulgaria www.balkangamingexpo.com 27-29 International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) Annual Conference Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Philadelphia, US www.iagr.org/philadelphia-2014
NOVEMBER 2014 11-13 SAGSE Latin America Costa Salguero Convention Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina www.monografie.com 17-19 Table Games Conference Paris Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, US www.tablegamesconf. com 18-20 Macao Gaming Show (MGS) Venetian Macao, Macao www.macaogamingshow.com
JANUARY 2015 13-15 EAG International Expo ExCeL London Exhibition Centre, London, UK www.eagexpo.com
FEBRUARY 2015 3-5 ICE Totally Gaming ExCeL London Exhibition Centre, London UK www.icetotallygaming.com
MARCH 2015 18-19 FADJA Peru Atlantic City Convention & Entertainment Centre, Lima, Peru www.fadja.com.pe October 2014 casinoreview
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