Chinese Red Packets By Desmond Lam
The Year of the Water Dragon (2012) should be yet an-
other exciting year for Macau. For foreign casino executives working in Macau, the annual task of preparing red packets for their staff can be a nuisance. You have to first decide who want to give, then how much to allocate to each level of staff that you has, and finally prepare the red packets. The physical task of putting cash into red envelopes can be very time-consuming and tiring. Getting good looking red envelopes with special dragon character design is often the easy part. The harder part is to find sufficient new and clean cash of the tens and hundreds to put into those small envelopes. For some executives, the tasks would possibly involve getting their wife and kids to help out. Whether one likes it or not, handing out red packets to Chinese employees during Chinese New Year is an essential business in Macau and an important part of the Chinese custom. The business of Chinese red packets reflects many of the deep-rooted and enduring values adopted by the Chinese people like a belief and celebration of its glorious past, superstitious nature, respect for one’s social hierarchical position, and constant giving/saving of face. Also known as ‘ang pow’ in Hokkien by the Chinese Singaporeans, ‘lei si’ in Cantonese by the Macanese and ‘hong bao’ in Mandarin by the Mainland Chinese, a red packet is essentially an envelope enclosed with money in it. In ancient times, Chinese used to tie coins together with red strings and gave to their kids in order to fend off evil spirits. This has now evolved into red envelopes, which are often decorated with auspicious words, pictures or symbols like carps and zodiac signs (dragon for 2012). Red packets are auspicious ‘gifts’ that are handed out during Chinese New Year, and in weddings, birthdays and/or important days. The amount put into a red packet should sound good and often end with an even number. For example, MOP 28, MOP 68 and MOP 188 are all good amounts to put into red packets. MOP 24 is bad since it means ‘easy to die’. The business of Chinese red packets reflects an almost subtle and long-forgotten superstitious nature of the Chinese people - a belief in ancient ritual/ ways and a constant celebration of the glory past that have now brought forward to modern Chinese society. Confucius stipulated the hierarchical relationships between a ruler and his subjects, a father and his son, a husband and his spouse, an older brother and his younger brother, and those between friends. These teachings have formed the foundation for today’s Chinese values and are observed in the business of Chinese red packets. During Chinese New Year, red packets are handed out from the old to the young. Parents will give to their children. Grand-
parents will give to their grand kids. Uncles and aunts will give to their nieces and nephews. Anyone single (i.e. not married) is generally entitled to a red packet regardless of age. Once a Chinese is married, he or she has the responsibility to give to every unmarried individuals - a signal that one has reached adulthood. The business of Chinese red packets teaches social segmentation based on individuals’ social positions. In office, directors are expected to give to their staff. The amount that you give often reflects your corporate status/ title and also the relative importance of the recipients to you. Generally, the higher ranking you are within the company, the more you are “expected” to give. A director of table game, who gives less to his staff than the other directors in a social gathering, will lose ‘face’. Hence, it is not uncommon for executives to come together prior to Chinese New Year to discuss how much to give per red packet to each employee. The business of Chinese red packets hence reflects the importance of face to the Chinese people. The business of Chinese red packets introduces foreign casino executives to the Chinese culture and ways of life. To be successful, it demands that foreign executives pay respect to the history and culture of the Chinese people. It reveals many aspects of the Chinese culture and shows what it takes to be successful in Macau. * Desmond Lam is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Macau. He can be contacted at DesmondL@umac.mo.
Casino Employees Crave Bias-Free Rewards and Incentives By Martin R. Baird
Studies show that employees would rather get praise from their supervisors than money. It sounds hard to believe, but most casino employees are starving for attention from their bosses. As far as they’re concerned, a pat on the back would be a nice change. We all know that casinos are highly regulated and that they have too many rules to mention. That’s why it’s easy to get wrapped up in what people do wrong instead of what they do right. Casino staffers get tired of hearing about their mistakes. They want to hear applause for a job well done. Some companies do the typical employee of the month. They select one or a few employees who did a great job the previous month and they recognize them. That’s better than nothing but, unfortunately, it misses the boat. As I work with casinos, employees always talk about how they want an unbiased way of being recognized. They feel that the manager’s pet gets all the rewards while the hard-working people on graveyard shift never even get noticed. That may not be fact, but that’s the perception. Employees see recognition as a popularity contest that’s not based on specific criteria. They want to know what they will be judged on so they can deliver it. Your recognition system needs to be bias free. You should have a third party do the mystery shopping and base your findings on their interactions with staff members. By doing this, you remove the huge hornet’s nest that managers bring into the equation. Mystery shoppers have absolutely no vested interest in who gets the rewards and recognition. They’re responsible for obtaining a certain number of interactions during a visit and sending in their findings. This third-party approach also keeps managers out of the explanation corner. They don’t have to justify why they selected one person over another. They’re given the data and the selection is based purely on what the shoppers experienced over the
last month. I’m doing this with a casino and after one of the shops, management was amazed that a particular staff member got very high scores. This person was a terrible employee from the manager’s perspective, but that staff member was well loved by the “customer,” the mystery shopper. It’s important to note that shoppers don’t address issues that managers may have faced with specific employees. You need your recognition program to revolve around what a guest thinks, not a manager. Before you rush out and add mystery shopping to your budget, it’s critical that you think about what you want evaluated during a shop. Some companies shop for standards. They want to know if the phone was answered within the right number of rings or that it only took one minute for a machine fill. You can have shoppers who look at their guest-service experience. You can have them shop for security and almost any other part of your casino operation. It’s important that you invest some time up front so you know what you’re shopping for. Once you have decided the context of a mystery shop, it’s important that you educate your employees and give them the skills they need to do the job right. This is not like a pop quiz in school. You want your people to get high scores during a shop because that means they’re doing things right. And when they do things right, your guests notice and appreciate it! Speaking of appreciation, the next step is to design a program that shows your employees you appreciate that they are doing what you have asked them to do. Let’s say you want to improve guest service and that you’re encouraging employees to smile and be proactive with helping guests. If the mystery shoppers find people who are doing that, you need to provide those employees with a reward as quickly as you can. Before you get your first reports with all the data on what happened during the last shops, you should have a turnkey system designed so you
have rewards and recognition that are ready to go. Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Robinson & Associates, Inc., a Boise, Idaho-based consulting firm to the global gaming industry that is dedicated to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and generate future growth and profitability. Robinson & Associates is the world leader in casino guest experience measurement and improvement. For more information, visit the company’s Web sites at www.casinocustomerservice.com and www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com or contact the company at 208-991-2037. Robinson & Associates is an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.
Crystal Ball Gazing, a 2012 Insight. Sarah Francis Payments Advisor Productive Payments
YES its 2012! Gaming Payments Directors are looking at where the pressure is coming from and where the opportunities are likely to be this coming year. I decided, therefore, to take out my crystal ball and see what the future might hold: top of my list would be to bring down costs, minimise risk and declines – it was probably top last year as well! If I begin by looking closely at the trends presenting themselves in bricks and mortar retail outlets that’s going to mean getting local and focusing on debit. (So what does this mean??) Maybe it means working with the marketing people to actively encourage/incentivise bank transfer and debit use, highlighting to customers it is safe, endorsing the safety and security mechanisms inherent in the systems available to the company. Another key thought are the lessons learned from any business will, in general, point to the fact that the smaller the supply chain the easier the costs are to manage and minimise. Working on the basis of looking for the smallest supply chain I need to be looking at moving my customers to payments options that move funds from their bank accounts to a local bank account that our business has access to. Bank account loading is not only very secure but also potentially one of my cheapest forms of loading and pay-out. Again, note to self, talk to the marketing folks on how we can encourage this behaviour! Also localised debit card products need to be considered. These products generally have the lowest available interchange rates, but are also likely to require local acquirers. Card usage overall can benefit from working with local acquirers, not only does this minimise the interchange therefore merchant fees, it also helps to minimise declines at transaction level, for numerous reasons that can include cross border movement of money and foreign exchange. From a risk point of view all of the above is good news. In general terms bank transfers and local debit products form a much lower risk than international credit products. In truth I can hear the technology team yelling at me ‘how many integrations are we doing?!’ In particular individual integrations won’t be time or cost effective. So I am going to be reviewing my PSP’s to see what they are doing to work with the local approach I want to take. The obvious question is what are we are doing about ‘alternative’ payment options, wallets and mobile for example. To a certain extent the local approach applies, each of the alternative payment options is going to be looking at the same options to get value into and out of their wal-
lets. I know that, in comparison, each of these ‘alternative’ solutions is going to be more expensive given the amount of mouths to feed in the supply chain; there is little option for them to be otherwise. Whilst we want our customers to have options we are still going to be encouraging the more direct less expensive routes, whilst keeping our options and relationships open. The key issue many of the marketing managers will be looking at is what payments are going to offer in new territories. The most interesting challenge is going to come from the opportunity presented if, or should I say when, the US opens its doors again! Given the policy of simply supply chain and local options, its back to the books on working with ACH, which works well with the expected need careful, but secure KYC, for both age and location verification. Historically ACH has never been a low risk option for funding, particularly for P2P play options such as Poker. The fraud systems are going to need to be sophisticated and layered with options to view pay-in and pay-out. Extensive access to KYC checks that don’t require consumers to complete pages and pages of details. The US will be greatly concerned with the aspects that are put in place to deal with problem gambling, from a payments point of view it is recognised that it makes good financial sense to protect the player environment from the abuse that invariably comes from that area. Workshop sessions between marketing, customer services, payments and risk need to be planned to understand and discuss the elements and risks that come from protecting both playing environment and the players from ‘problem gambling’. The key protections have to be gauged so the protections are in place and the options for help available without intrusive judgements being made by the company. So, overall my Crystal Ball strategy for 2012 tells me to look local, be cost effective, minimise risk and maximise revenue!
Chinese remedies Make 2012 a happy, healthy year STRESS and anxiety is a daily obstacle that most of us face on a daily basis. However, it doesn’t have to drag us under. Chinese medicine offers a number of approaches to manage stress. Dr TraceyAnn Brown highlights some of the natural remedies which can be applied to ensure a happy 2012; whether you are torn between family, friends, work stress or economical dismay. This stress may manifest with feelings of anxiety, insomnia/sleeplessness, headaches, moodiness, and in some cases low energy. In Chinese medicine, several herbs are usually combined to calm and settle the shen/spirit, in order to restore healthy sleep patterns, clear thoughts and reduce anxiety, irritability and restlessness. A wide variety of herbs are available. Primary herbs include: Suan Zao Ren (Sour Jujube Seed) Mu Li (Oyster Shell) Zhen Zhu Mu (Mother of Pearl)
In preparing herbal prescriptions, herbs may also be added to address other accompanying or underlying health issues in order to achieve optimal healing. ACUPUNCTURE Acupuncture also offers an additional course of treatment for relief, whether alongside herbal remedies or on its own. Acupuncture points are selected from more than 1,000 points on the body and gently stimulated. This in turn stimulates the central nervous system which assists the body in restoring its self-regulating systems. TAI CHI Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art that is primarily practised for its health benefits. Tai Chi emphasises complete relaxation and is essentially a form of ‘meditation in motion’. It is characterised by soft, slow, flowing movements.
LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS Daily practices that calm and nurture the spirit such as prayer, meditation, silent contemplation, mantras, chanting and various relaxed and mindful processes that promote self-reflection and quiet. Your physical, as well as emotional environment, is another key factor. Try to avoid excessive pollution or noise, harmful speech and relationships that are more a burden than a joy.
Chinese New Year 2012: Year of the Dragon The Dragon brings wealth and happiness but DON’T SWEEP! WELCOME wealth, prosperity and longevity in the Chinese New Year 2012. It falls on January 23 and is the start of the Year of the Dragon. It is a very symbolic celebration for many around the world which has many important do’s and dont’s during the first of 15 days of celebrations. In Chinese tradition, each year is dedicated to a specific animal. The Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Rat, Boar, Rabbit, Dog, Rooster, Ox, Tiger, Snake, and Ram are the twelve animals that are part of this tradition. In 2012, the Dragon is welcomed back after the 2011 year of the Rabbit. Each of these animals are thought to bestow their characteristics to the people born in their year. The Dragon’s Personality People born under the Dragon are passionate, brave and selfassured. At their best they are pioneering spirits; at their worst, they epitomize the old adage: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Dragons are generous with their resources, a tendency that at its most negative can reflect a foolhardy attitude towards money. But Dragons in general are blessed with good fortune. They are smart, enterprising and have a wicked sense of humor. They have a natural flair for fashion and are the people to consult if you want to catch up on the latest trends. This Chinese New Year 2012 ushers in the Water Dragon. Water exerts a calming influence on the Dragon’s innate fire. Water Dragons are more open to other people’s opinions than other Dragons which gives them the ability to channel their personal charisma into real leadership qualities. Famous celebrities born in under the Dragon include John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Al Pacino, Marlene Dietrich and Matt Dillon. The Dragon’s lucky color is yellow. The Dragon and Love Dragons are passionate. They fall in love quickly – and out of love just as quickly. Their charisma and charm is an immense draw to people of the opposite sex whose attention and admiration they crave. Though they have a tendency to treat love like a game, they can settle down when they meet the right partner, someone who’s strong enough not to be bowled over by the Dragon’s flamboyant, independent and stubborn personality. The Dragon’s ideal partners are the Rat, the Monkey, and the Rooster. The Dragon and Wealth Dragon years are lucky for anyone thinking of starting a business or initiating a new project of any sort because money is easier to come by for everyone, whether it’s earned, borrowed or received as a gift. Consequently we can expect the economic downturn to ease up a bit in the coming year. Fortunes can be made but they can also be lost: Keep in mind like all good things, the Year of the Dragon will come to an end and you will be held accountable for unreasonable extravagances. Dragons do well in professions that give them the ability to function somewhat autonomously. They make excellent sales people, publicists, political campaigners, lawyers, real estate brokers, actors and politicians.
Top three Chinese New Year superstitions: 1. Dirty Doings Put your feet up and relax. Certainly the most enjoyable of the Chinese New Year superstitions, sweeping and cleaning is strictly forbidden. The Chinese believe cleaning means you’ll sweep all of your good luck out the front door. 2. Lady in Red Chinese New Year is packed with colors, and while all the colors of the rainbow bring good luck, it’s the color red that is considered the ultimate luck bringer. 3. Read Between the Lines Be sure to stock up on reading materials before Chinese New Year, as Hong Kong’s bookshops will be padlocked tight. In Cantonese, book is a homonym for ‘lose’.
And the winner is… By Harvy M.
The International Gaming Awards 2012 speculates winners THE International Gaming Awards 2012 is rapidly approaching; finalists are preparing their thank you speeches and all eyes are on the starry accolades up for grabs. 2012’s prestigious and glittering gala event will be the fifth annual ‘Oscars’ of the landbased and online gaming industry. Professional insiders from all over the globe will unite as the debonair Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, on the 23rd January 2012. Prominent executives and established operators will gather under one glamourous roof from gaming havens such as Macau, London, Asia, Australia, Europe and Las Vegas. The competition is tough this year, with previous winners in the line-up hoping to be awarded again. The winners league table can be found on the official International Gaming Awards site under the WINNERS and then HOW MANY tab at www.gamingawards.com. Sitting proudly at the top of the winner’s league table is Melco Crown Entertainment; it owns and operates casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities. Their string of achievements stem back to 2008, when they walked away with an award for the best Casino Interior Design. 2009 saw them scoop the Operator Australasia of the year, 2010 again saw them grab another well deserved award for best Casino Operator Australasia. Not stopping there, 2011 was a particularly lucky year for Melco as they took home THREE awards for the best Casino Interior Design, Casino Operator Of The Year Australia/Asia & Casino VIP Room. Melco Crown Entertainment are in the shimmering finalists list again, for best Casino/Integrated Resort of the Year and Customer Experience of the Year. It’s been a prominent year for Melco, with Hong Kong securities regulator
approving the listing proposal of Melco Crown Entertainment in shares. Speculation and insiders claiming that Asia is set to overtake the USA as the world’s largest gaming market also boosts Melco as potentially taking home another star to add to their collection. Not far behind is Bally Technologies. Their gloriously gaming accolades also stretches back to 2008. They took two awards home for 2 in 2008 (Slot Manufacturer & Casino Equipment Supplier) 1 in 2009 (Customer Support/Service) 1 in 2010 (iView Display Manager) and 1 in 2011 (Slot Manufacturer). With a history dating back to 1932, Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies designs, manufactures, operates, and distributes advanced gaming devices, systems and technology solutions worldwide. Riding on the success of their awards, Bally Technologies are in the running to possibly continue their winning streak. For 2012, the firm is in the finalist list for Slot Manufacturer/Provider Online or Land Based. Cammegh, Holland Casinos and Casinos Austria International have all won four awards each since 2008 when the IGA’s made its spectacular debut. Four is the magic number for Cammegh it seems; taking home four awards from 2008-2011. Can they strike again? Cammegh made waves in 2012 when it shed light on their innovative, glam and exciting Mercury 360 Aurora Roulette Wheel. Cammegh stated that they “have developed the most exciting and innovative manual roulette wheel for 200 years.” We interviewed Cammegh back in October as they told us about its ever-changing colours and it’s co-ordination of being a game-changer. Cammegh is set to catch more than the gamers eyes. Will
they walk away starry eyed? It’s been a spectacular 2011 for all the finalists, overcoming legislative and socially responsible hurdles throughout the year. The IGA’s strive towards recognising and awarding the very best of the best from across the landbased and online gaming globe. No matter how any awards are scooped on the night, whether it’s one or five, the exquisite IGA award is an accolade to cherish with pride. Previous winners have ranged from Ladbrokes, Novomatic, Harrah’s Entertainment, Betfair, Ventian Macau, Playtech, IGT, The Ritz Casino UK, Red Planet Gaming, Continent8, Aristocrat, Gala Bingo Group to Mecca Bingo. The full glittering league table can be found on www.gaming-awards.com.
Stylishly Sporty Mercedez-Benz debut
WITH the completely redeveloped SL, Mercedes-Benz continues a tradition that began 60 years ago. The letters “SL” have ever since been synonymous with a symbiosis of sportiness, style and comfort – and with groundbreaking innovations. The new SL has been produced for the first time almost entirely from aluminum and weighs up to 140 kilograms less than its predecessor. Its highly rigid all-aluminum body-shell provides the basis for agile, sporty handling that has been taken to an entirely new level, coupled with exemplary roll characteristics and ride comfort. Even better driving dynamics come courtesy of the new BlueDIRECT engines; they are more powerful yet at the same time up to 29 per cent more economical than the engines in the outgoing generation. Other new features include the unique FrontBass system, which turns the luxury sports car into a concert hall regardless of whether the top is open or closed, and the highly efficient adaptive windscreen wipe/ wash system MAGIC VISION CONTROL; it supplies water from the wiper blade as required and depending on the direction of wipe. Compared with its successful predecessor, the new Mercedes-Benz SL offers considerably more comfort and
sportiness, setting new standards in the luxury roadster class. Added to which is uncompromising day-to-day suitability, which turns the SL into an incomparable all-rounder among sports cars. In short, anyone that talks about the new SL is bound to be talking about the ultimate in passionate, refined motoring. Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “There are around 900 million cars in the world and thousands of models. But there are only a handful of automotive icons. Our SL is one of them: it has class, it has style, it is the ultimate in comfort and luxury. But it combines all that with incredible sportiness and dynamism. You would struggle to find a car that embodies Gottlieb Daimler’s aspiration more perfectly than our new SL: the best or nothing.”
Lotus
Five year plan on track LOTUS seems to be taking their “five-year, five model plan” very seriously and the new generation Esprit set to be released at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show will be the model to set that plan in motion. New details about the future supercar revealed that the Esprit will, in fact, be offered in two versions. A base model will combine a 100 HP electric motor to a normally aspirated V8 engine and a more powerful version will drop the hybrid system and focus on weight-saving measures. “There will be no hybrid system, the engine will have more power, but the major performance gains will come from losing weight,” said Bahar. “The ‘Racing’ versions of each model will always be pure, driver’s cars. There will be never be anything unnecessary on them, and we will use materials such as carbon fiber.” Sales for the new Lotus Esprit will begin in Europe in Summer 2013.
EXCLUSIVE with
PokerStars INFINITY GAMING MAGAZINE exclusively spoke to Paul Telford, General Counsel for Pokerstars about why 2011 was such a challenging year and how 2012 is set to focus on aiming “to be first-in-line in every market that offers a license for online poker.“ Paul also revealed why there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to gambling addictions and how online and land based global gaming operators should work together to gain recognition in a sometimes rocky environment. He also talks to us about how Pokerstars is planning to stay ahead of the game as European markets gradually open their cyber-gates to foreign operators. Q: Much has happened in 2011 for PokerStars, but the company has come out of it very positively. How does the company view the events of 2011 and moving forward into the New Year? A: 2011 was obviously a very challenging year for the industry, players and PokerStars. We’re very proud of the way that our employees and our players handled the events of April 15 and our withdrawal from the US market. At the same time, the actions of others have cast a shadow on the industry and left a negative perception of online poker among some people. We will work very hard to improve that perception and continue to act in ways that enhance the industry and the perception of poker around the world. Q: Asia and Pokerstars, what is the potential in that market for the company? A: Poker is relatively unknown in most Asian countries compared to the rest of the world. Certainly PokerStars recognises the potential for this market with the establishment of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour back in 2007 and our first live room, PokerStars Macau, which has numerous regional tournaments attracting players from across Asia. Q: Are there any plans on the horizon to further expand the company on an international scale? A: We are a global leader because we are constantly seeking opportunities to expand the poker market around the world. That’s why we aim to be first-in-line in every market that offers a license for online poker. Q: Pokerstars is based in the Isle of Man. Is the company’s long-term strategy to stay on the Isle or, like many other companies, move
to more tax-friendly locations? A: We are committed to the Isle of Man, which is the gold standard for worldwide e-gaming regulation and is committed to a business-friendly environment. For us, the main attraction was the strict and rigorous licensing framework that exists here which is seen by many as the gold standard in the industry. We wanted to be associated with a jurisdiction that took its obligations seriously. In addition, the Isle of Man is highly respected internationally for the way that it tackles the issues of terrorist financing, money laundering and tax evasion. The island sits within an elite group of countries highlighted by organisations like the OECD and IMF for the way it treats these issues so seriously. When you add to that the good transport links to Europe, a well educated local workforce and excellent internet connectivity, the island really stands out as a place to be based. Q: The online gaming market is expanding as European markets are gradually opening their cyber-gates to foreign operators, so how is Poker Stars staying ahead of the game in this competitive industry? A: PokerStars promotes responsible and smart legislation/regulation that benefits players and the industry. We have received a license to operate in every country that offers such license: France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and Estonia. We work with regulators throughout Europe in our licensed markets and in markets considering regulation. We are leading the industry efforts to promote sound business practices, such as our recent work in France establishing a thirdparty trust to maintain player funds.
Q: How can online gaming firms such as yourselves emphasise responsible gaming? Can you tell us about any responsible gaming ethics in which you have implemented and your unique social responsibility projects? A: In the UK, PokerStars bases its policy on the GamCare model. There are three areas of the model that we focus on. They are: 1) Age verification. All first-time depositors have to go through an age/identity verification process. We use three different verification companies and we are very aggressive about this to ensure there are no underage players on PokerStars. 2) Self-exclusion. We have a Responsible Gaming option in the PokerStars client that enables players to self-exclude themselves from playing for a number of time periods. PokerStars goes far beyond the requirements, adding in 12-hour and 24-hour cooling off periods, along with 7-day, 30-day, 60day, 120-day and 180-day time outs. Many of these options were requested by players, so we take note of player input and demands and act to deliver what they want. We also believe we are the only poker site which has a designated Responsible Gaming Department that interacts with players 24/7, 365 days a year. 3) Deposit limit options. PokerStars gives players the ability to set their own limits, and once they tell us to place a restriction on their account, we won’t change that, even if they then ask us to. We are also able to restrict table and tournament limits, which again has been requested by players and acted upon by us, which goes far beyond the requirements.
We are now working on game-specific restrictions, like not being able to play a certain type of game (e.g. pot-limit Omaha), or a certain type of tournament (e.g. hyper turbos). Q: From your corporate perspective, what do you identify as obvious signs of gambling addictions and how do Pokerstars combat these signs in a corporate environment? A: Unfortunately there is no “one size fits all” approach to identifying problem gambling. In particular, it’s hard to gauge just from someone’s play, deposit habits and wins/losses whether they have a gambling problem. For example, a multi-millionaire or high stakes pro may be happy to deposit large amounts, lose or win a large amount and not have an addiction problem. That said, online operators are in a position to review detailed records of someone’s playing habits when a warning flag is raised. So if a customer contacts our support team with messages such as they can’t afford to pay their mortgage or they lost their job or something similar, the PokerStars support team alerts the Responsible Gaming team. They will then review a customer’s habits and contact the individual player to make sure they are okay and provide them with support and counselling guidance if they need it. In addition, all Support staff must do training in responsible gaming, and annually take a ‘personal perspective’ test, that they must pass. We also publish a range of different support websites and helpful resources on our website: www.pokerstars.co.uk/help/ responsible-gaming. Finally, we provide a range of self exclusion measures which players can activate to curb their real money poker playing. Once a player uses our tools to “self exclude” neither they or we can undo the decision. Q: In a bid to break negative stereotypical barriers within the gaming industry, how can land-based and online gaming companies across the world emphasise responsible gaming? A: By working together. Online poker companies are naturally very competitive, but this is the one area where we should all sit down and agree to offer as much support and
help as possible and should not be competing with one another. There should be a global self-exclusion list. No matter what country you are from you should be able to exclude yourself from all sites internationally and all the poker sites should be able to see this and exclude you if you have put yourself on the list. We should be working towards this. We need support in every country and counselling services for every player in every country. PokerStars has several support partners – tactus in Netherlands, FEJAR in Spain, ADICTEL in France, GamCare in the UK, Gambling Therapy.org (worldwide) – and we’re working on adding other partners in Denmark, Germany, Australia and Canada. In countries where we don’t have a support partner, we will actively seek out a counselling service for players in that country, who speak their language, and can provide them with help. Q: How did Pokerstars celebrate its 10th prestigious anniversary? A: The 10th Anniversary Celebration saw PokerStars organise nearly two months’ worth of online tournaments and promotions. The following all comprised part of the celebration:
• Another Milestone Hand was reached – the 72 billionth – which rewarded players to the tune of more than $750,000 in cash bonuses. Q: Does Pokerstars have an app for iPad yet and do you think this form of gambling will become even more popular in time? A: Mobile platforms are of course increasingly popular with consumers and poker players are no exception. We introduced a play-money mobile app in the Italian market in 2011. Our emphasis will be ensuring that we can deliver a very stable, secure and high-quality experience, just as we do in our online client and live poker events. Q: Just like mobile gaming has rocketed, do you have any predictions as to what may be the next big thing in the world of gaming? A: We wouldn’t want to divulge any proprietary or strategic information. What I can say is that innovation has been the stimulus for growth throughout our history and that will continue. We are also very focused on social innovation in poker. That will be an important area of work for PokerStars and the industry in 2012.
100 vacation/tournament packages • to PokerStars Caribbean Adventure – worth over $15,000 each – were given away in freerolls.
Q: What would you say are the key aspects of running a successful online gaming business, and how are you meeting customer requirements to maintain Pokerstars high profile?
• A new Guinness World Record was set for Largest Online Tournament when 200,000 people registered for the $1 event on December 4. A special party was held for players and media at EPT Prague, with Team PokerStars Pros and Guinness World Record official in attendance.
A: We are passionate about poker and about delivering the highest level of customer service in the world. Through our online offering, mobile apps and live events we provide the things that players are seeking most – a safe and secure poker environment.
A $10 million guaranteed Sunday • Million special tournament on December 18 set another new record for largest online tournament prize pool, after 62,116 players combined to create a prize pool of $12,423,200. There were other tournaments and • promotions, including VIP store sales, reload bonuses and a special Sunday Storm tournament, which saw 116,400 players buy in to the $11 event.
$920,000
Ivey Received $920,000 Per Month From Full Tilt Poker!
Bursting at the seams
30% gaming revenue boost prediction
PHIL Ivey made more than $920,000 from Full Tilt Poker, it has been reported. Since his bitter divorce battle ended up in courts, it’s become public knowledge that Ivey apparently used to receive $35 per hour and 100% rakeback of earnings. FTP have always remained tight-lipped about these figures, until now. Just before the Christmas break, it was widely reported that Ivey was saddled with $170,000 worth of credit card debt, $15,100,000 in gambling and “other” debt whilst his former wife whisked off with 40% of Ivey’s business interests, $1,000,000 in jewellery, a purse collection worth $1,200,000 and $180,000 a month in alimony. It’s no surprise that Ivey could afford to pay out $200,000 every month to his wife as taxable alimony from Phil Ivey between January 2010 to April 2011 “while Phil enjoyed the remaining approximately $740,000,” especially as he raked in around $11,040,000 annually. These payments stopped in April 2011 after Black Friday. So guess it was a black Friday for her too with her empty purse. Poker insiders have expressed their shock at the latest figures. Whilst Ivey received his staggering $11,040,000 per year for his “passive interest” in FTP, the financial deep hole in the company grew larger. Badly run?
Adelson rolls the dice
But named biggest loser… BILLIONAIRE gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson has renewed the registration of his faithful Beacon Hill lobbyist; which could indicate the Las Vegas mogul gearing up to roll the dice on his own turf. The renewal could increase their chances of getting one of Massachusetts’ casino licences. The news was first published in the Boston Herald and also stated that he has secured the services of lobbyist Roger Donoghue’s firm, Donoghue Barrett & Singal. Records show that Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. paid the firm $90,000 last year, $180,000 in 2010 and $112,000 in 2009 — when gambling legislation was being crafted on Beacon Hill. In other billionaire related news, according to Forbes magazine’s Biggest Winners & Losers for 2011 segment, Sheldon took a big hit. His net worth fell nearly 10%, from $22.7 billion to $20.5 billion, according to Forbes. Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., was the second-biggest loser after Warren Buffett in Forbes’ top five. Adelson’s “After a stunning comeback in 2010, his chips are down as shares of Las Vegas Sands fell 11%,” Forbes said.
A 30% growth in gaming revenue within local Macau-based casinos has been predicted for the first half of 2012. Union Gaming Research Macau forecast the sunny prediction in the New Year after news that Macau’s gaming revenue rose 25% in December from a year earlier. “We continue to believe the VIP segment should remain strong through at least the early part of 2012, as our channel checks suggest VIP demand is growing, not shrinking (despite macro China fears) with junkets asking for additional tables at many/ most properties,” it said. Galaxy Macau and Sands Cotai Central are predicted to be two of the main driving forces behind the ballooning profits.The equity and research firm is also expecting a new gross gaming revenue record to be set by local casinos this month, as Chinese New Year festival kicks off on January 23. Insiders have said that this is almost inevitable. “We are expecting growth upwards of 50 percent in January based of gross gaming revenue in excess of MOP27 billion (US$3.4billion),” Union Gaming said. For the whole of 2012, the company is still forecasting 20 percent gross gaming revenue growth for Macau, to MOP321 billion. According to S&P credit analyst Joe Poon, the analyst firm’s base-case forecast for the Macau gaming market “is growth in gross gaming revenue of 10 per cent-15 per cent in 2012.” 2012 could be the year where the amount collected solely in gaming taxes in Macau could be expected to be greater than Las Vegas’ combined gaming revenues.
First ever Fiji casino
First ever gaming license granted
A $290 MILLION 5 star luxury casino resort on Denarau Island is making its debut soon as the Fijian Government has granted the nation’s first-ever exclusive gaming license to One Hundred Sands, Limited. “It is important with all new investment projects - both internal and international - that we protect the rights and interests of Fijians, and provide for the prosperity of our nation,” stated Fiji’s Prime Minister Bainimarama at today’s announcement ceremony. The Prime Minister added, “[This project] provides a malleable fusion between the Western ideals of casino gaming with the strong cultural virtues of tribal and community life. This fusion is what we seek... considering our own national pride in, and respect for the value of the unique, yet united cultures present among all Fijians.” “This undertaking is a union of both economic and cultural endeavors,” shared Larry Claunch, Chairman of the Board of One Hundred Sands, Limited Consistent with the Bainimarama Government’s efforts to bring dynamic investment to its quickly modernising nation, this exclusive gaming license will further invigorate the Fijian economy; produce upwards of 800 jobs for local residents; add another segment to successful tourism industry; and increase Fiji’s capacity to welcome guests to visit the country. The groundbreaking for the gaming facilities, new convention centre, and luxury hotel is tentatively set for March of next year.
Galaxy game changer 20% market share
Genting gambles on family
GALAXY Entertainment Group (GEG) has reported a soaring 20% market share recently; GEG’s reported daily gross gaming revenue has gone from 55 million patacas (US$6.8 million) in April to 154 million patacas in November.
GENTING recently revealed that its Miami waterfront casino will NOT be the largest in the world. At a public forum recently, Genting dismissed past reports it wanted to build the largest casino in the world, revealing it only planned a gambling floor that would be one of the largest in the United States but would still be smaller than the massive casino resorts in Asia.
“Galaxy Macau surprised a lot of people,” HSBC senior regional gaming and consumer analyst Sean Monaghan said to the atimes.com. “Before this property opened, Galaxy as a company wasn’t really taken seriously as a casino company compared to Wynn, Las Vegas Sands or MGM. But this project was a game changer for the company on many levels.” “Galaxy is also a cool company,” HSBC’s Monaghan notes. “Other casinos put Lamborghinis on their floors but only Galaxy would put a Ferrari 458 and a Bugatti Veyron on its floor. It just goes the extra yard” - at more than 400 kph for the Veyron. For a change, the Macau family in the spotlight wasn’t Stanley Ho Hung-sun and his former monopoly Sociedade de Jogos de Macau. Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) is controlled by the family of construction and property tycoon Lui Che-woo. The atimes.com said: “Galaxy Macau’s “world class, Asian heart” also applies to the group’s business model. It’s not a model that worked in Las Vegas that’s trying to find roots in Macau, but a fresh approach from a company with no previous experience in casinos. It’s a model built on the fundamental global business principle of providing what the market wants and wasn’t getting.”
“If it’s just about making money, I don’t think we will kill ourselves to do it.”
Lim Kok Thay, Genting’s chairman and chief executive, is confident that their projected revenue will still topple records, despite is reaching out to families too. He states that the word “family” is a better association than just a gambling den. It already runs a $4.7 billion casino in Sentosa, and is flush with funds to spend in cashstrapped U.S. states that are looking for a way to bring down unemployment rates and close budget gaps. “If it’s just about making money, I don’t think we will kill ourselves to do it,” he says. The group’s properties in Malaysia, Singapore and New York are centered around theme parks and holiday resorts, with the casino just another attraction. Mr. Lim says even his organization is built like a family. He claims attrition rates are relatively low, partly due to worker-friendly conditions and competitive wages. In an interview with the WSJ, Mr Lim said: “Of course, it will be successful. You are not talking about Las Vegas where there are 30 other casinos. You are talking about Miami, a very cosmopolitan place. If you want to go to South America, [Miami’s] the place to change a plane. You have Europeans coming to Miami for business and vacation. It’s a hub. What’s missing is the Asian link. If you can add the Asian link to Miami, I think it’s the most exciting place to be.”
Elephant in the room!
“Tremendous growth in online gaming, especially in poker”. By Harvy Matharu
ONLINE gaming is set to grow from $34.4 billion to $79.3 billion in 2015; that’s the latest revelation from PriceWaterhouseCooper’s Global Gaming Outlook report. The boom in gaming has of course led to the status of online gambling and whether it can or already has contributed to this staggering growth. “There is a strong argument that, since consumers will engage in illegal online gaming anyway, it is better to license and tax it than to allow the revenues to go to unlicensed operators” says gaming analyst Jonathan Galaviz. I’m sure a lot of poker players will agree with this statement. He added that there is “tremendous growth in online gaming, especially in poker”. The report also dubbed online gambling as an “elephant in the room.” It stated: “Online gaming is happening across the world, whether regional, national, and state regulators and lawmakers like it or not.” It particularly drew attention to the Asia Pacific region as the fastest growing region in the world when it comes to online gaming. Casino Consultant and senior partner at Platform Asia Management Services, Mr. Felix Ling said that “legalising online gambling will likely cause a significant social impact.” He added that “Once you allow online gambling, you are indirectly encouraging more people to flock there.” After noting that regardless of the legality of online gaming in a country people continue to play in ever increasing numbers. An example of this is the fact that online gaming in Singapore, which is outlawed surged by 49.7% in 2010. According to Galaviz “It’s probably an appropriate time for governments to, at the minimum, seriously research the issue and get up to speed on the topic for thoughtful policy discussions.” Social networking will play a bigger role in expanding online gambling with the growth of mobile phones getting smarter: Going forward, social networking will be an important driver of activity and growth in online gaming worldwide. An early sign of this potential was the explosion in gaming on the Second Life social networking and virtual reality site, which for a while played host to hundreds of virtual casinos, lottery games, and other forms of gambling, using in-game currency that could be exchanged for real money.” The report concluded that online gambling will be going east and going digital. “By way of comparison, our projections in this study show that Asia Pacific will account for 43.4 percent of global spending on casino gaming in 2015.”
Belgium leads the way
Belgium approves three sites BELGIUM has approved three online poker sites allowing players to wager real money. In light of this, the Belgium Gaming Commission stated that it will still block unauthorized domains who challenge the legislation. The three companies receiving the licenses were PokerStars, Partouche and Casino777, each of which will be able to open rooms and websites featuring the .be domain name. PokerStars entered the Belgium market through online gambling operator Circus Groupe. “Attracting the world’s largest poker site was made possible by the remarkable work of the Belgian Gaming Commission and the Wallonia Ministry of Finance,” said Circus Groupe CEO Emmanuel Mewissen. Belgian has had its eye on France’s policies towards online gambling by instituting regulations that would allow for the government to issue licenses to online gambling operators. These licenses would allow operators to design sites catered specifically and exclusively for the Belgium market. Like similar sites in France and Italy, these poker rooms do not share players with international versions or versions from other countries. The problem here is that do Belgium have enough poker players to justify online poker sites in the country?
Ladbrokes bets on Betdaq? LADBROKES is reportedly in talks with Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond, owner of Betdaq. The latest rumoured move is said to focus on revamping its online business, as the online gaming sector looks set to (hopefully) boom within 2012. Chief executive Richard Glynn is hoping to up the ante on its internet sector by allegedly seeking to buy in pricing and trading skills of a peer-to-peer betting exchange – long seen as a main rival to traditional bookmakers. Despite the reports circulating within the gaming bubble, Ladbrokes seem to deny the talks apparently taking place. As reported in The Telegraph a Ladbrokes spokesman denied the bookie might also be interested in buying Betdaq, which is valued at more than £100m. “It’s only a discussion about technology supply,” he said. “Exchanges have good up-to-the-minute pricing technology.” He said any deal would come from £50m already set aside for investment in online gambling. Desmond, a Ladbrokes shareholder, set up Betdaq in 2000 but has struggled to make it competitive in the face of industry leader Betfair. He has already approached and then stepped away from 888 and Sportingbet whilst having reportedly pulled out of the auction for Australia’s Centrebet and had a flirtation with Playtech.
Kill Bill
Lucky 888
CASINOS in Florida are awaiting their fate, as Bill Bunkley has boldly stated that during his new legislative session, killing a bill allowing “mega casinos” in Florida will be his “number one priority.” He stated his aim to the Florida Baptist Witness, surveying legislation to be considered during the 60-day session that began Jan. 10.
888 is reportedly set to be the biggest beneficiary from the US online gambling status, according to broker Panmure Gordon. The news sent shares in 888, Bwin.party Digital Entertainment and Playtech up sharply recently after the festive break. Panmure Gordon also upped its target price for 888 from 60p to 63p. 888 Holdings has a particularly strong tie with Caesars Entertainment; the broker claimed that the DoJ decision is relevant given that Nevada passed online poker regulation last week. Licenses are set to be issued in Spring 2012.
Casinos await their fate
He said he would be tracking arounf 500 bills but would be stamping on the mega casino bill first. Beginning his 17th year representing Florida Baptists before state government, Bunkley said while he will continue to monitor closely “dozens of bills” impacting families and moral concerns, legislation proposing so-called “destination resorts” casinos will be his top concern, calling it a “massive gambling expansion.” The session, which began two months earlier than normal in order for the Legislature to handle its decennial redistricting responsibilities, will be dominated by fiscal concerns as legislators face the need to further trim state funding. Bunkley anticipates reviewing some 2,000 bills, with 500 being “tagged” for “closer monitoring and possible action.” Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, has introduced the House version of the bill, HB 487. The bill has not been scheduled for consideration by any House committee to date. “Defeating the destination casino expansion will be one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced here at the Capitol,” Bunkley said. “Tallahassee is awash with casino money used to buy pro-gambling influence at every conceivable level,” he added, citing a report in the Witness that gambling interests had already spent $2.5 million on lobbying. “Decades of building Florida’s exclusive branding of being the family vacation destination of the world could be wiped out in just a few short years if these mega casinos invade our shores,” he said. The rewrite did not change the heart of the bill: A new state gaming commission would be able to approve plans for up to three resort casinos that would be part of mixed-use developments—with the resort owners required to sink at least $2 billion into each project. The proposal would have to be approved in the local county referendum. If resort casinos start to operate, the rewrite also would reduce from 35 percent to 18 percent a tax on slot-machine revenues at pari-mutuel facilities. Casinos or pari-mutuels that offer the broader array of games, such as black jack and craps, would be taxed at a 10 percent rate. Bunkley said he would be closely monitoring any legislation that would “in any way diminish our precious religious liberties for both individuals and the church.” “I join many who believe that it is only a matter of time when the quiet and peaceful environment we now enjoy in our Christian activities will one day give way to those who would wish to place legislative obstacles designed to render our churches less effective in the sharing the Gospel and curtail individual witnessing, discipleship and maybe even assembly, as in the form home Bible study regulation,” he said.
“Ahead of current market expectations.”
Bwin.party also has agreements with two Las Vegas operators, Boyd Gaming and MGM Resorts. The DoJ’s change of stance followed requests from two US states, Illinois and New York, on whether they could use the internet to sell lottery tickets in their states. As one of the world’s leading gaming providers, 888 announced that “trading remains very strong especially in casino and poker” and added that its year-end results for 2011 are “significantly ahead of market expectations,” the statement said. The outlook of 888 for the coming year is also looking good as the gaming provider expects 2012 “to be a year of major opportunity for 888, with the opening of several newly-regulated markets across Europe.” The company anticipates investing in the new markets and to “build market share.” The statement further noted that, similar to gains in 2011, the company “expects results for the year ending 31st December 2012 to be slightly ahead of current market expectations.”
Spain delay
1st June extension A DELAY in Spain’s new online regulatory system has disgruntled players with news that July 1 is the new date for regulatory restrictions to be lifted. The announcement has seen the extension of a 6 month period to online poker providers operating in the country. On Dec. 30, Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE) announced that the new scheme would be delayed six months or until regulators issue their first license, whichever comes first. It was reported that around fifty applications were made from European gambling companies; when an announcement failed to see the light, speculation was triggered about the potential holdups and delays. Six more months of restrictions for poker players in Spain, what a great way to kick start 2012.
“Seductive” gambling
Party in Denmark
PROBLEM gambling has been yet again, highlighted by Marvin Steinberg as Connecticut raises its stakes for Internet gambling. Steinberg is well renowned for pushing forward the dangers of problem gambling to state policymakers. He has recently announced that he is resigning as executive director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling later this month. This has come at a time when state and national officials are going all-in with online poker and other digital games of chance.
Online poker and casino games launched today
“There’s always a new twist, a new way to gamble,” says Steinberg, who recently turned 75. “It’s very seductive. When people are able to do this from their home, you’re going to have an issue with problem gamblers and with people turning to this who don’t normally gamble.” Steinberg, a Guilford resident, co-founded the council in 1980. It was the first state council in the country to affiliate with the National Council on Problem Gambling. Over the years he has tirelessly testified before the state General Assembly and forged collaborations with both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resorts Casino to develop responsible gambling programs. He also pushed for Connecticut to create a gambling treatment program of its own and set up one of the first problem gambling help lines in the country. “I would always reach out to Marvin to find out the possible negative side to any expansion of gambling,” says state Rep. Stephen D. Dargan, D-West Haven, co-chairman of the legislative committee that oversees gambling. “Marvin has educated me about the importance of being on the front lines of helping people get treatment.” Mary Drexler, who will replace Steinberg as head of the council, says his secret is that “he does not give up. People from all over the country look to him as an expert in this field.” Steinberg grew up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where bookies and gambling were a routine part of street culture. He took part in it as a kid, playing blackjack or poker to scare up spending money. “I quit gambling totally when I was 18,” he remembers. Steinberg was working as a waiter in a Catskills resort that summer, and got into a poker game with two other waiters. He began winning. As evening turned to night, and eventually morning, his opponents grew increasingly frustrated and wouldn’t allow him to leave the game. “I took all their money and I never gambled again,” he says.
ONLINE poker and casino games were launched in Danish Danske Licens Spil (‘DLS’), a wholly-owned subsidiary of former monopoly Danske Spil A/S by Bwin.party.digital entertainment. Commenting on the announcement, Jim Ryan & Norbert Teufelberger, co-chief executive officers of Bwin.party said: “Building on our recent announcement regarding deals with both MGM & Boyd in the US market, this is another important milestone in the execution of our stated strategy that is focused on securing leadership positions in regulated & to-be-regulated markets. We are delighted that DLS has recognised our expertise & high standards of business practice & we look forward to building a market-leading customer offer for the Danish consumer.” Jens Aalose, CEO at DLS, said: “With some of the world’s leading products in online poker & casino as well as a large international customer base, Bwin.party was the obvious choice for DLS. Combining this with Danske Spil’s unique & strong position in the Danish market I am confident that we will deliver a highly attractive customer experience to players in Denmark.” The Dankse Spil Group is one of the largest betting & gaming organisations in Europe. It boasted a turnover of DKK10.3 billion in 2010. It’s owned by the Danish Government (80 percent), Sports Confederation of Denmark (10 percent) & Danish Gymnastics & Sports Associations (10 percent). Offering a variety of gaming products in Denmark including the national lottery, numbers games, instant games as well as gambling on machines, Danske Spil has also established a large online gaming business & already has over 600,000 registered online customers.
Secondary license update “Money will always find a way out.”
AS MOMENTUM is building in the UK for a ‘secondary licensing’ regime and taxes, William Hill has kick started 2012 with drawing attention to the independent survey it commissioned a while back. The Deloitte conducted survey found that the British government’s proposals for a point consumption on tax could backfire. Punters may be led to unregulated sites with smaller operators being forced out. Deloitte concluded that levying such a tax at 10 percent would seriously hurt the government’s “consumer protection policy objectives”. It additionally found that as much as 27% of current revenues would disappear into the “grey”, or unregulated, market. And at 15 percent tax, that figure rises to 40 percent. The survey found that the most marginal operators, accounting for up to 13 percent of UK online bets, could be “expected to exit following the introduction of a 5 percent tax”. In an update to the latest move, William Hill has submitted the report to the Treasury, which is reviewing a possible new tax regime for remote gambling. Ralph Topping, chief executive at William Hill, told the Telegraph: “Money will always find a way out. More people will go overseas or to fly-by-night, unregulated sites where the consumer is not protected. I hope the Government sees sense on this.” A Treasury spokesman said: “Responses to the review are in and are being analysed.” The Telegraph newspaper, reporting on the Deloitte study, says that UK consumers currently spend about GBP 1.7 billion a year – roughly 18 percent of total UK gambling revenues – with online gambling companies. At present many companies – including William Hill plc – escape the 15 percent gross profits tax levied in the UK by locating their internet operations in tax havens like Gibraltar, Malta, Alderney and the Isle of Man.
Bum scan CAR anti-theft measures have been taken to a whole new level by researchers at Japan’s Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology. They have developed a car seat that scans a driver’s backside to verify their identity. Forget the car alarm, it’s hoped that the latest zany development will be introduced into our precious cars by 2014. While it might sound rather embarrassing, researchers insist the method is less intrusive and more convenient than current fingerprint and iris scan technology. And drivers don’t have to drop their pants for it to work. The system embeds 360 incredibly precise sensors within the driver’s seat, the foundation of a system that is 98 percent accurate, according to researchers.
in Sweden who believe that copying and the sharing of information is the best and most beautiful that is,” says the information on its web site, which is presently unavailable due to overwhelming traffic load. “Throughout history, various groups around the world have been persecuted by oppressors. It has since taken refuge in religion and wanted a peaceful coexistence. Without threats and harassment.In our belief, communication is sacred. Communication needs to be respected. It is a direct sin to monitor and eavesdrop on people. The absolute secrecy is holy in the church of kopimism.” At the heart of the fresh religion is a 19-year-old philosophy student Isak Gerson, who founded the church back in 2012. Perhaps “Thou shall not steal” wouldn’t make its version of the Ten Commandments? It has already attracted around 3,000and the numbers are expected to rise…as more people share the information about this new religion.
Google goggle
GOOGLE is apparently working on a pair of specs which could display information on our surroundings. They have been likened to the “Terminator” style glasses and would tap into the -tech specs purportedly would tap into Google’s cloud-based location services. The information would then be displayed in a 3D augmented reality computer display.
File-sharing religion THANK GOD FOR CTRL+C and CTRL+V
A FILE-SHARING religion recently won official recognition in Sweden. It’s not really all that weird considering 15,000 Czechs now claim that ‘Jedi’ is a religion in the most recent census. So maybe this is where the religious sphere is heading? Will we be seeing more man-made (and tech inspired) religious movements in generations to come? It appropriately uses Control-C and Control-V (keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste) as sacred symbols The Church stated: “The missionary kopimistsamfundet is a religious group centered
They are allegedly in the prototype stage, according to the news site 9to5Google. The actual display technology is unknown, but 9to5Google speculates that it may use a transparent LCD or AMOLED screen. The site claims: “They are in late prototype stages of wearable glasses that look similar to thick-rimmed glasses that “normal people” wear. However, these provide a display with a heads up computer interface. There are a few buttons on the arms of the glasses, but otherwise, they could be mistaken for normal glasses. Additionally, we are not sure of the technology being employed here, but it is likely a transparent LCD or AMOLED display.”
Sleeping in a lower-case f Network in comfort BEDROOM furniture has been taken to a whole new (nerdy) level with the unique FBed; a bed in the shape of the mega popular social network Facebook. The product of designer Tomislav Zvonarić wanted to fuse together the comfort of the bedroom with the everincreasing need to network, network and network. FBed combines a bed and desk.
Overused buzzwords Looking for new job in 2012? LINKEDIN, the online business card portal, released its official list for the 2011’s most overused professional buzzwords. Coming in at number one is CREATIVE. LinkedIn’s connection director put it in a release: “Use language that illustrates your unique professional accomplishments and experiences. Give concrete examples of results you’ve achieved whenever possible and reference attributes that are specific to you.”
According to Zvonarić, “FBed is a conceptual multi-practical bed design that would allow you always to be up to date and close to your online friends even when you sleep. The idea is that you may hop in front of your screen directly from your bed when you wake up and inverse when you get tired and want to go sleep.”
Obama joins Instagram network Instant popularity amongst young voters?
PRESIDENT Barack Obama has joined the Instagram social network and posted his very first jazzed up photo. The photo sharing social network already boasts over 15 million users and seen more than 400 million photos uploaded. Impressive stats, considering it is yet to hit Android. He is already networking through Twitter, Facebook and Flickr and has since gained the cyber reputation of being media savvy. The president relied heavily on young voters in his first election effort and his campaign is no doubt trying to energize them once again with his ever-expanding social media presence. This was reflected in his connection and utilization of social networking site National Field. Writes Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom in a blog post: “We’ve seen political coverage on Instagram increase as the 2012 US Presidential Election nears. News organizations such as NBC News, ABC World News and the Washington Post have been sharing behind-the-scenes photos at debates and town hall meetings across the country, offering us a unique look into the 2012 elections. As we get closer to election day in 2012, we look forward to seeing how campaigns, reporters and voters use Instagram to tell the story of the 2012 Presidential Election through photos.” He has joined Instagram as @BarackObama.
LinkedIn’s 10 most overused buzzwords for U.S. profiles: 1. Creative 2. Organizational 3. Effective 4. Extensive experience 5. Track record 6. Motivated 7. Innovative 8. Problem solving 9. Communication skills 10. Dynamic Dynamic is at number 10. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its primary meaning is “of or pertaining to force producing motion: often opposed to static.” So by using this word, you have literally told your potential employer that you are adept at not being stationary. You are the type of person who does things and moves from place to place.
2012 Tech predictions YouGov releases tech 2012 predictions SMARTPHONES set to entice more of us gadget lovers in 2012. Research by YouGov states that 40% of people who currently own a smartphone is set to increase to 68% within the next upgrade cycle. Smart watches will also be the must have gadget of 2012, according to the research and predictions. Tablets and digital reading devices will also do well in 2012, YouGov says. More than 24% say they use the web on a tablet while in bed, the poll claims, and that trend looks set to continue. “The decline of print media sales will only accelerate during 2012,” said Russell Feldman, associate director of technology at YouGov. “Tablets and apps will increase the digital cannibalisation of paper copies as they erode more of those previously inaccessible locations to digital devices.”
Super rich gadget KICKSTART 2012 off in style with a “Gigantis” smartphone-controlled safe. The super luxurious gadget features automatic watch winding, a cigar humidor, TV, stereo and bar. It costs a glossy $240,000 (£150,000) and is available in wood, leather or carbon. Designed for the super-rich it is sure to secure and expose beloved timepieces. The 60 illuminated individual watchwinding compartments and a large touch screen controls the speed of the timepieces.
that Microsoft has big plans for expanding its Kinect technology beyond gaming, including partnerships with around 200 businesses, including car maker Toyota and digital advertising firm Razorfish. “The Kinect can sense your entire body for interaction with the device, and we’re only scratching the surface of what can be done because beyond computing there’s a lot of scenarios where this kind of natural user interaction could be really powerful, a real paradigm shift,” says Shahram Izadi, a researcher from the Microsoft Research Centre in Cambridge, England.
The company Kudoe Schli and Matz have been inspired by stalwart safe company Dottling who previously collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld to produce the Narcissus safe, a contraption described as “breaking technological and aesthetic limits”
Watch out for this in 2012 Anyone got the time?
Touchless smartphones and TVs GESTURES could be the way we control our smart gadgets in 2012; that’s according to the Israeli firm XTR3D. The firm hopes to put an end to putting your greasy fingertips on sleek devices by allowing software to read hand movements. The firm, based in Tel Aviv, has scooped $8m (£5m) in investment - including cash from US electronics giant Texas Instruments - to further develop this touch-less technology. The first motion controlled smartphone is set to be released early 2012. It does sound similar to Microsoft’s Kinect but those intrigued by the futuristic concept have been assured that this will be the future of smartphones. Reported in tech2.in.com, Tel Aviv, Roy Ramati, a XTR3D spokesperson said that XTR3D’s technology takes advantage of a 3D camera without any of the disadvantages, works in broad daylight, is cheaper and consumes less power. Moreover, it can be installed on any consumer electronics device and is said to be affordable for everyone. The newer devices will come embedded with the interface, while the older ones can download it from the app store. That’s not to say Microsoft will be left behind. It’s been reported
THE WORLD’S very first smartphone watch could be wrapping itself around our wrists in 2012. The touchscreen i’m Watch boasts similar features to a smartphone and is being dubbed as the next big gadget in the world of tech-savvy devices. Weighing in at just 70g and costing around €249/$325, the device is capable of receiving phonecalls, text messages and checking Twitter and Facebook feeds on the 1.5” touchscreen. If you’re an app-addict, Italian creator Blue Sky has additionally developed an Apple-style marketplace for consumers to download music and apps to the watch’s 4GB hard drive. The smart device runs on the Android operating system and incorporates Bluetooth to connect to users’ smartphones and tap into their messages and phone calls. It’s battery life can last around two days between charges too.