July 2017 Infinity Gaming Magazine

InfinityGaming www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE JULY 2017

THE ONLY MAGAZINE YOU NEED

LORRAINE SAMMUT

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

GAMING + ARTICLES + BUSINESS+ GLOBAL + ONLINE + NEWS+ AWARDS + etc

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27 TAIWAN CASINO RESORTS?

16 SKILL GAMES & VEGAS Christina Thakor-Rankin

GIBRALTAR LOSS Teresa Tunstall

Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in all external articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Infinity Gaming Magazine Any content provided by our feature writers or authors are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any religion, ethic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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6 EDITOR NOTES Lana welcomes you to the June edition of Infinity Gaming Magazine.

6 OUR WRITERS Meet our feature writers, the superb writers on our rosta.

08 LORRAINE SAMMUT Exclusive Interview

16 VEAGS SKILL GAMES

08

Christina Thakor-Rankin

24 GIBRALTAR LOSS Teresa Tunstall article

LORRAINE SAMMUT One long party but it’s work

27 TAIWAN Time for casino resorts?

VR COULD END EXHBITIONS?

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29 CROWN EMPLOYEES Sentenced in China

38 VR TO END EXPOS? Future tech chanllenges

43 NEWS & MORE NEWS from the gaming industry

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A note from the editor CONTACT US Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK Tel: +44(0)1543 478 889 PRODUCTION Clever Duck Media Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK

Summertime is here let’s all relax before the hectic Autumn arrives

PUBLISHING Infinity Gaming Magazine is operated by © Clever Duck Media Ltd ®

Lana Thompson - Editor

Welcome to the July edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine

Welcome to the July edition of the Infin-

usual latest news we have the super

ity Gaming Magazine and here we are in

Christina Thakor-Rankin and Teresa Tun-

the summertime, always a lovely time of

stall with two superb articles and next

year to relax a little and recharge ready

month will be welcoming another excel-

for the Autumn and where the real work

lent writer to our family of contributors.

begins.

Enjoy the summer and of course the However here at Infinity Gaming Maga-

magazine.

zine we never rest and the team have again come up with a cracking edition of the magazine as you would expect from a global magazine such as ours.

So, “To Infinity and Beyond!”

We have a super interview with Lorraine

Regards,

Sammut a lady that has the energy of

Lana

100 Duracell Batteries, she is the Events & Social Marketing lady from that lovely bunch at Videoslots. What a super job she has if you have the energy and drive to keep going like Lorraine has!

Apart from the interview and all the

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The Editor

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Sponsorship Opportunities Colin@cleverduckmedia.com Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com Marketing & Advertising claire@cleverduckmedia.com Editorial Content & PR media@cleverduckmedia.com

Enquiries@RedTigerGaming.com

www.RedTigerGaming.com

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Infinity Gaming Magazine Contributing Writers A magazine is only as good as the content inside and with some of the leading specialists within the gaming industry. With specialised articles covering customer service, the gaming law, new prducts, technology and current affairs with the sector the Infinity Gaming Magazine is delighted to showcase our superb line-up of contributing writers.

Christina Thakor-Rankin Christina is Principal Consultant at 1710 Gaming Ltd, a specialist betting and gaming consultancy, delivering a range of services including licensing and compliance (incl. regulation, money laundering and social responsibility), business start-up, training and strategic reengineering, project management, research, business analysis and development, to start-ups and established multi-national operators and providers, gambling regu-

lators, law enforcement and government agencies, media, and specialist interest groups and associations within the sector, in both established and emerging markets across the world.

www.1710gaming.com

Teresa Tunstall – Independent Gaming Consultant After many years of working in casinos in the UK and on USA ships as a croupier and inspector, Teresa turned from ‘poacher to gamekeeper,’ spending 16 years with GamCare, who offer help and support to those who develop problems with their gambling.

Teresa now works independently consulting on all issues relating to Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling.

Working closely with the betting and gaming industry, She developed strong links delivering Social Responsibility and Problem Gambling training around the world, from Antigua to Moscow, and Auditing in the UK.

To contact Teresa regarding consulting please email: Teresatunstall1@gmail.com

Desmond Lam - Professor in integrated resort management University of Macau Desmond Lam is an associate professor in international integrated resort management at the University of Macau. He is a life member of Clare Hall (University of Cambridge) and an academic affairs advisor to the Macau Gaming Management Association. Desmond is the recipient of several research and industry awards including the Cambridge Clare Hall Fellowship and the Emerging Leader trophy at the 2016 Asia Gaming Awards. ​He is author of the book Chopsticks and Gambling, which examines the little-known world of Chi-

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nese gambling from historical, cultural, psychological and social perspectives.

JULY 2017

.com

ALEA.com is an award-winning casino operator founded in 2012 by Alexandre Tomic and Charles Gross, who have over ten years' industry experience ranging from affiliate network owner to casino operator. They are driven by innovation and dedicated to staying on the cutting edge of technology; with this in mind, ALEA’s product, SlotsMillion, is an online casino with over 1,300 slots and many inventive features. This includes the world’s first real money virtual reality casino, which is available to play in both VR and 3D and has received very positive reactions at conferences and from industry and mainstream publications.

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Interview with Lorraine Sammut Events & Social Media Marketing Videoslots

Hi Lorraine thank you for talking to us today, can we start by asking you what your role is with Videoslots?

weeks we have in a year!

of your time, and this could be challeng-

What is the most challenging part of your job Lorraine?

I look after all the company travels, events, social media and PR.

ing if the person doing this job happens to be in a relationship. Similar jobs require a lot of “socializing”.

Dietary requirements and technical issues……. Last thing I would want to do is

Your job sounds mega fun, is it and how many events would you guess that you do a year?

Most definitely however, it takes up a lot

upset someone with the food and make

How important is Social Media and indeed events for Videoslots?

them feel uncomfortable, however not everyone tends to be direct with their

I breathe social media! People want to

dietary requirements.

see everything in real time. It is no long-

: I once read “Pick a job you like and you

er about imagery but more about live

won’t have to work a day in your life”

Technical issues can be challenging

links and keeping the momento. It cre-

– That saying is pretty much how I feel

simply because I cringe if the sound

ates excitement and it also transpires

about what I do. It is hectic, but there is

fails but I tend to work with the same

the vibe of the working culture.

no room for boredom. We have monthly

tech savvy guys who I trust.

events, lots of events and festivals that we sponsor locally every week. I never thought about it but roughly I think I organise around 70 yearly events, which is quite a lot considering how many

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Would you recommend your type of job to anyone looking to build a similar career in this industry?

You have to be very outgoing to do your job. Have you always been like that?

I used to be a shy teenager but cov-

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I breathe social media!

People want to see everything in real time. It is no longer about imagery but more about live links and keeping the momento. It creates excitement and it also transpires the vibe of the working culture.

LORRAINE SAMMUT Events & Social Media for Videoslots

ered it well, I think I still am but I’m older and more confident. People

online gambling industry what you expected it to be like?

don’t believe me as they see me in ac-

What is the most fun thing you have done as Events & Social Media Marketing for Videoslots so far?

tion speaking to everyone and mak-

I dislike the word “gambling” as it

ing sure all are having a great time!

sounds like a vice but when you are in

Hard to pick one so I’ll give you my top

the business you learn more about how

3!

How did you get into the online gambling industry?

the regulations work and how players are protected too. The campaigns we

1) Annual Team Trip (I just came back

promote are all very innovative and

from a site inspection for our next one

the prizes are pretty cool. My favourite

in September!)

By chance and I wish I got into it before

experience was when 2 players won

as it suits my personality. Love the di-

football tickets last year and they were

2) The open day for Family and Friends

versity of cultures in the office too.

relating their fantastic experience to

at the office

me in-order to post it on social media.

You have been working with Videoslots for 18 months now, is the

Some players prefer to keep a lower

3) 2000 Games celebration just a cou-

profile though.

ple of weeks ago

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Lorraine Sammut Special Interview

Videoslots recently sponsored the Women in Gaming Diversity Awards, is that something Videoslots has a great interest in?

We were told that the night of the Women in Gaming Diversity Awards you did not get much sleep, can you tell us why Lorraine?

Lorraine you are based in Malta, what is it like to live and work there?

You work hard and play harder! My office is fifteen minutes from my house

Every time I attend gaming events, it

No! 2hours only, I wished I could have

which is by the sea so in summer going

feels that its mostly men present BUT if

extended my time In London but WIG

to the swim every day is easy. Nothing

you walk into our office the feel Is total-

fell on the same weekend as our sports

better than an ice-cold beer, sunset

ly different and it is more like 60% men

weekend! I got the first flight to Malta

and my colleagues who have become

& 40% women. WIG is a great event

at 06:25am and went straight to Golden

friends.

and it was an honor being present. We

Bay with my suitcase for our iGaming

also took home an award which was not

Volleyball Tournament which I had co-

surprising as our content writer is a true

ordinated for our team. Major funny mo-

hidden talent!

ment that surprised no one!

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We are now in the summer what has the season got in store for Lorraine Sammut and Videoslots?

Lorraine Sammut

JULY 2017

Special Interview We just experienced the Midsummer Party at Medasia Playa which Videoslots

How about the most difficult or hardest thing about the role?

supports and it is our official beach club. We have weekly parties at UNO

Pleasing everyone and unless you are

Malta which hosts many international

a jar of Nutella that is pretty hard but I

DJs I have seen during my time living in

think I manage well.

Ibiza. I am also in the process of helping out on a surprise event in August. I cannot give out much info, HOWEVER I will gladly share when the time comes.

I AM VERY BUSY! BUT HAPPY BUSY! đ&#x;˜Š

Can you tell us your favourite thing about working at Videoslots?

Before we let you go Lorraine can you offer any advice to people that may read this and are thinking of entering the online gambling industry?

Do it today! It is a fun industry and rewarding too. Kiss good bye to your

The office itself, and the kick—ass fun

corporate dresses & suits and discover

colleagues who brighten up my day

the joys of feeling free and less stiff at

when I need a little pick me up. Love

work. Jobs like mine can keep you busy

how we are growing to be leaders in the

around the clock but it is satisfying and

market and most importantly the respect

I would not change anything right now.

I have which truly feels like a family.

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The World’s Biggest Online Casino with over 1800 games

T H E FA M I LY

Gamble responsibly. Gambling can be addictive.

Videoslots.com is operated by Panda Media Ltd, a company registered in Malta having registration number C 49090.

Panda Media Ltd is regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority under licence number MGA/CL1/956/2014, MGA/CL1/1048/2014, MGA/CL1/1047/2014 and MGA/CL1/1091/2015 and the Gambling Commission in United Kingdom under licence number 000-039380-R-319311-001. The facilities provided to UK players is solely made in reliance on the latter licence.

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Russian casino investor removed from fareast development

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he company that was supposed to build the Firebird Resort in the far-east Russia gambling zone of Primorsky Krai has had its license revoked by local authorities after failing to follow through on the development of the resort in time.

interest.”

Royal Time Primorye the company in question failed to meet deadlines on the resort development which was to cost $215 million and was to include a casino, hotels, an aqua park, a mall and a concert arena. The construction was due to start in early 2016 but no work has begun to date.

“The land plot allotted to Royal Time Primorye will be auctioned off,” Sofia Korotina, the spokeswoman for the state region administrator, told Asia Times. “The corporation is trying to attract new investors to the project. At a recent expo in Macau, we reached certain agreements.”

“If investors are not able to keep to the agreed plan, we will find others,” an official in the Primorsky Krai administration said. “There are several others who have already declared

Authorities said they had no worries on removing Royal Time Primorye as they have multiple proposals from other developers keen to be involved in the region.

A favourite to win the license could be Naga Corp who has a plan in place to develop a second resort there while its first valued at $350 million is being constructed.

Holland Casino workers agree on new pay deal following strikes The state owned Holland Casino and union leaders have now reached an agreement following a period of strike action by casino workers on a new pay deal.

final vote by the upper house of parliament has yet to make a final vote of approval.

The 3,000 strong work force in 14 different casino locations run by Holland Casino will now be awarded a oneoff payment of 4.5% over 2016 in back pay and a rise of 2% for the current year and for 2018.

Also for 2019 and 2020 the wage rise will be in line with the national average wage.

Holland Casino chief executive Erwin van Lambaart told reporters on the deal, ‘This deal gives our people security, particularly as have also agreed that there will be no forced redundancies while the agreement is in force.”

Back in 2014 the government agreed to sell off the state owned Holland Casino to the private sector however a

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Sporting Index Group acquires Touchbet

S

porting Index Group has acquired Touchbet, an algorithmic sports trading and risk management business, for an undisclosed sum.

Touchbet, based in Sweden and Malta, operate in a complementary space to Sporting Solutions, the award-winning B2B arm of the Sporting Index Group.

The acquisition enhances Sporting Solutions’ existing Risk Management Services (RMS), whereby Sporting Solutions provides outsourced pricing and trading expertise to leading sportsbooks and manages their customer-generated liabilities.

Founded in 2006, Touchbet manages risk on an average betting volume of circa €4 billion per annum. All core systems are proprietary, adding to the Sporting Index Group’s ethos of building and owning all of its own technology.

Prior to the transaction, Sporting Index Group owner Magnus Hedman was a founding shareholder in Touchbet.

Simon Trim, CEO of the Sporting Index Group, said: “Touchbet has extensive experience of providing highly automated risk management services, both for lotteries that offer sports betting and for private opera-

tors in regulated jurisdictions.

“This acquisition strengthens the Group’s competitive advantage in trading and risk management and builds on the excellent momentum and exciting growth we have achieved over the past 12 months.”

Ralfh Backlin, CEO of Touchbet, added: “We believe that combining the capability of Touchbet further improves Sporting Solutions’ market-leading proposition.

Together we provide an end-to-end sports betting solution for the B2B market that is unsurpassed in terms of breadth, depth and expertise.”

Court ruling says Gibraltar operators pay same as UK counterparts

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ibraltar online gaming has been dealt a blow following the European Court of Justice ruling that operators there will have to pay the same rates of tax as their UK based counterparts.

The UK Government who the online operators were fighting in the case are disappointed in the decision that will see them lose their corporate tax is 10% and 1% levy on all bets placed with them. Now operators will have to pay 15% on all bets placed with them, but is still much lower than other EU countries charge such as Spain which levies

25% on all bets staked.

The judgement said that, “Although Gibraltar does not form part of the UK,” the judgment states that “Gibraltar is a European territory for whose external relations a Member State, namely the UK, is responsible, so that EU law is applicable to that territory.”

In essence the ruling stated that Gibraltar cannot be classed as a separate territory which the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association argued for.

tor that could justify the conclusion that relations between Gibraltar and the UK may be regarded as akin to those existing between two Member States.”

This is a major blow to Gibraltar online gaming especially in the time that the UK is preparing negotiations for Brexit from the EU. Gibraltar now will be classed as part of that Brexit and not a separate territory which the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association wanted to protect their operators.

The court said that “There is no fac-

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Vegas, Skill and Social Responsibility

By Christina Thakor-Rankin

F

or many the recent announcement that Vegas is set to bring the worlds of slots and skill

closer together by allowing skill-based slot games has been met with not so much a case of why, rather, what took them so long?

Faced with the growing dual challenge of attracting a newer, younger generation of customers to gambling, whilst retaining the interest of an older gaming trying to re-capture their youth, it seemed almost inevitable that it was only a matter of time before the two worlds of young adult gaming and adult gambling, would at some point reach out to each other.

For the new generation of millennials, who have grown up in a world of immersive and interactive technology, where success is increasingly linked to the attributes of the individual, the traditional bricks and mortar casinos with their flat one dimensional random number generator driven slot games have little attraction.

The games developers are faced with the prospect of their customers growing up and starting to turn their backs on the activities of their youth in favour of more grown-up adult entertainment activities, just at the time when they probably have more disposable income

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to spend on leisure then when they were playing their games.

By bringing the world of skill based video games into casinos, and replacing glory and kudos with gamble features and cash, a natural rite of passage is forged between gaming and gambling; from the teenagers in the bedroom playing for kicks, to the college kids in frat houses playing for kudos, to the young adults in the casinos, now playing for cash.

It sounds like the perfect marriage.

As everyone knows however, what sometimes seems like a match made in heaven can all too often turn into the coupling from hell. In this case, what initially looks to be a nailed on recipe for commercial success, could, if not handled with care, turn out to be an even bigger cause for social concern.

By taking a game played by teenagers in their bedrooms where skills are rewarded with kudos, and offering the same thing to adults where skills are rewarded by cash, the sector risks breaking its own code of practice in ensuring that their games do not appeal to youngsters.

Even more dangerous is the fact that unless the versions offered to those

who are below, and those who are above, the legal age of gambling are markedly different, for the first time ever, the sector will be making a conscious commercial connection between the two groups. This is potentially a very dangerous line to walk - especially given that Sheldon Adelson and the anti-internet gambling lobby’s primary objection is that allowing online gambling will open the door to unscrupulous operators grooming underage gamblers.

By taking a game played by teenagers in their bedrooms where skills are rewarded with kudos, and offering the same thing to adults where skills are rewarded by cash, the sector risks breaking its own code of practice in ensuring that their games do not appeal to youngsters.

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The development of these games is still

There is a very real risk that allowing

with cash, and where loss is linked not

in its very early stages, and it seems

gambling versions of video gaming may

to gambling but personal abilities, must

inconceivable that between them the

result in an existing gaming depend-

surely be a concern.

game developers, the game studios,

ency becoming an invisible, hidden

the operators and the regulators are

but even more destructive, gambling

There is also the reverse prospect of a

not cognisant of this danger and are

addiction. Like gambling, for most peo-

gambling addict developing a gaming

already looking at ensuring that this is

ple, gaming is a perfectly safe, enjoy-

addiction. Chasing the win will no long-

addressed well in advance of the first

able activity, but just like gambling, for

er be dependent upon just chance or

games being launched, to avoid undue

a minority, gaming can become an un-

a random number generator. With skill

criticism being levelled at the sector.

controllable compulsion. Indeed, recent

based gambling games, the win will be

2015 studies estimate that 10 to 15 %

dependent upon that individual’s skills.

For this reason, the danger of young

of gamers exhibit signs that meet the

Aside of the obvious ‘lost’ time spent

adult gamers being enticed into gam-

World Health Organization’s criteria for

‘practising’ to prepare for the big win

bling is perhaps one of the lesser con-

addiction. Granted the range of game

success in the bonus round will provide,

cerns linked to the prospect of skill

types and size of audience in gaming is

there are the other less physical, more

based slots games. The bigger issues

significantly larger than the measures

psychological side-effects to consider.

potentially relate not to the young but

use for gambling, but the prospect of a

to adults, and centre around what is al-

young adult with an existing gaming ad-

ready known about problem gambling

diction being able to walk into a casino

and addiction.

where the carrot of kudos is replaced

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Cyprus signs off on Casino Resort

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yprus has officially signed the contract with Melco and Hard Rock to begin work on the Casino Resort. The signing by the President Christos Mavrellis of the National Authority for Gaming Supervision and Casinos and representatives of the consortium took place at the Filoxenia Confernece Centre later Monday 26 June.

May saw the deal agreed by government and the signing today means that work can start officially on the â‚Ź500 million casino resort which will employ some 4,000 people in the construction part of the development.

Melco and Hard Rock were eventually the only bidder in the process for the exclusive license that will see them have a monopoly for 15 years as part of a 30 year license agreement.

During construction which is expected to take 2 years the casino operators will be allowed to open a satellite casino in Nicosia and three slot venues in Larnaca, Paphos and Famagusta, with the resort being built in Limassol.

Also Limassol will have its own temporary casino while the resort is being built and could be open as early as later this year.

Completion of the casino resort is expected to be complete late in 2019 and open in early 2020.

Stanley Ho steps down from company

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r. Stanley Ho has stepped down from the company he founded 44 years ago and daughter Pansy Ho takes his place. Ho is leaving the Hong Kong conglomerate Shun Tak Holdings Ltd it was announced with immediate effect which has business in transportation, property, hospitality and investments and was founded by Stanley Ho back in 1972.

ed the exclusive license to run casinos there in 1962 for his company SJM Holdings.

Several years Dr. Ho has been away from the limelight due to ill health and his family run his businesses for some time now with Pansy Ho the leading family member taking most responsibility.

Ho is famous for being the founder of gambling in Macau when award-

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Genting Birmingham casino robbed twice in two months

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Genting Casino in Edgbaston Birmingham known for having high end customers has been robbed twice now in two months.

The most recent robbery happened on Thursday 15th June at 2am when five masked robbers burst into the casino carrying large machetes and some gamblers fearing it was possibly a terrorist attack.

One gambler injured himself by fleeing from a window, a casino cahier was attacked during the robbery which resulted in the theft of cash and valuables from customers and the casino cash desk.

Previously in April 16 five men again masked carrying knives, base ball bats and an axe burst into the casino at 9pm stealing money from customers and the cash desk. Both times the robbers left within min

utes beating the police both times.

what so ever for customers or staff.

One customer who was involved in the robbery last week said although Genting said on the April robbery it was reviewing its security procedures nothing has changed and there was absolutely no protection

“Genting’s Edgbaston casino is frequented by higher end gamblers and this is the reason that robbers have now twice targeted the premises said one gambler, it is an easy target.”

Okada removed as Chairman following loan scandal

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azuo Okada the casino mogul has been removed as Chairman of Tiger Resorts, Leisure & Entertainment following the result over an investigation into alleged improper transfer of funds.

The allegations go back to Universal Entertainment the parent company which announced it was investigat-

ing the possibility of “fraudulent acts” dating back to a loan conducted by Okada its founder in 2015.

“As a consequence of the recent actions at Universal Entertainment Corporation, a special stockholders meeting of Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment was convened followed by an organisational meeting of the board,” said a company

spokesperson.

The statement went on to say that Kazuo Okada has been removed by the Board as Chairman. Universal also indicated the their founder could be involved in another two cases of illegal activity related to the loan activity.

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WE CAN'T FIX WHAT WE CAN'T MEASURE ALL-IN DIVERSITY PROJECT

All-In Diversity Project is an industry-driven initiative to benchmark diversity, equality and inclusion for the global betting and gaming sector.

It's only through transparency and measurability that we will affect real change for the future of gaming.

Contact us for a media kit today and be a part of the change.

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@Allindiversity

GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Century Casinos buy UK casino development

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entury Casinos has bought the planned casino development in Bath for £600,000 from its current owners Saw Close Casino Ltd. The casino which has not been built yet but has a license to do so will now have an injection of £5 million to complete the development which will have 15,000 sq ft of gaming space.

Along with the gaming area will comprise of gaming tables, slot machines and automated live gaming terminals along with leisure facilities and a 147 bedroom four star hotel.

Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, co-chief executives of Century Casinos, said on the purchase: “We are excited about the opportunity to enter the UK gaming market with the addition of the Saw Close Casino to Century’s portfolio. We believe the casino in Bath has the potential to provide an attractive return on our investment.”

The casino is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2018 and has a 30-year lease for the casino.

No entry to Japanese casinos without ID & visits limited

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he Japanese government plans to limit the amount of visits nationals can make to Casinos within the Integrated Resorts that are planned for the country.

A local newspaper in Japan has seen the plans for the bill that is aimed at protecting vulnerable gamblers and help to ease fears of addiction in Japan to the introduction of Integrated Resorts for the first time on the mainland.

Nationals will be required to show their My Number identification cards on entry to the casino every time they visit and the government will then prohibit entrance to over active visits by nationals. However at present it is not known how many visits will trigger the ban.

The bill is expected to be submitted to an extraordinary Diet session later in the year and will also include the specific design for the resorts.

To enforce the amount of visits the government will set up an external office under the control of the Cabinet Office to ensure that no nationals under the age of 20 years old will be allowed to enter any casino along with excluding any known or recognised organised crime groups.

Opposition groups in Japan fear that the introduction of casinos will increase gambling addiction in the country and the government are working hard to alleviate those concerns.

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Gibraltar nil – Court of Justice of European Union won!

By Teresa Tunstall

S

o Gibraltar loses their battle to avoid paying, ‘point of consumption,’ taxes in the UK.

To understand, Gibraltar is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.

This means they share our Queen, the protection of our British Army, Policemen that look the same as ours and red letter boxes all this exactly the same as ours in the UK. Gibraltar is situated on the beautiful seas of the Mediterranean in Europe, did they really think they had a justifiable argument not to pay taxes the same as Online companies in the UK. I find it hard to believe they really thought they’d get away with this, the right decision was made and Gibraltar lost their case.

Another group of losers were those betting on the Conservatives hoping to have a big win on the General Election, betting or spread-betting predicted by the polls for the Conservatives to win by a large majority.

It wasn’t to happen when the Conservatives were left with such a small majority they had to call for help from the DUP Northern Irish political party to support them. There were many gamblers and betting companies left in misery over a result that few thought would happen. After a rush to register for voting and more than 390,000 of those were aged under 25 - 42% of the total who voted it seems university students and young

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people have finally chosen to have a voice in who runs their country.

More stories about whizz kids that is children like the 11year old ‘cyber ninja,’ from USA who hacked into a teddy bear via bluetooth at a cyber-security conference in The Netherlands. In his demonstration he declared, “From aeroplanes to automobiles, from smart phones to smart homes, anything or any toy can be part of the Internet or Things and can be weaponised.” This is by means of connections to the icloud via wifi and Bluetooth smart technology to receive and transmit messages. An amazing depth of techno knowledge for one so young and a shocking wake-up for the many security people

who attended the conference.

Meanwhile, back in London a pilot scheme is being established between Westminster Council and British Esports Association, who are the national body for esports and competitive video gaming in the UK. 10-13 year olds will be given the opportunity to use high-spec PC’s to practice their skills, however, this isn’t just about helping support a generation of world class cyber-athletes children are encouraged to take the strategic skills and team management expertise they’ll develop online out onto playing fields and make healthy choices around playing a physical sport and could provide an infrastructure to nurture future

JULY 2017

talent. It seems keeping one step ahead of these very clever youngsters is not going to be an easy task.

Still playing the Lottery? In 2015 Camelot increased the number of balls in their draw from 49 to 59 this change cut the odds of correctly predicting six numbers from one in 14 million to one in 45 million.

Disregard the fact that in that you have a one in 7 million chance of being hit by lighting in the UK and one in 8 million of a shark attack!

Yet of course we all keep buying our tickets however, last May a new ruling introduced by the Lottery came into being that once the jackpot tops £22 million after ten consecutive rollovers the prize jackpot must be paid by whoever has chosen the most lucky numbers, as my son always tells me, “Somebody’s gotta win mum,” I just nod my head in agreement knowing it will never be me!

Over in Ireland there were no ‘Irish eyes smiling,’ when the Bank of Ireland was fined 3.15m. euros for significant failures in its controls against money laundering and terrorist financing.

This was followed by Ireland’s second and third largest retail banks, Ulster Band and Allied Irish Banks who were fined 3.3m.euros respectively for similar breaches. “The high volume and range of breaches uncovered as part of the investigation point to significant weaknesses in the strength of Bank of Ireland’s implementation of anti-money laundering and counterterrorist legislation,” said Derville Rowland, Director of Enforcement at Central Bank.

Credit Suisse was also in trouble with bank watchdogs over money-laundering failures in Singapore, the Swiss bank was fined alongside United Overseas Bank $1.2 million. There should be no sympathy for these big businesses who without doubt put us all in jeopardy by their reckless actions.

Attacks on Casinos are fortunately rare - it’s an evening out for those who just want an enjoyable time whether they win or lose. This terrible attack on the Manila casino where an apparent regular player, known to others punters, went in armed, stole £1.3 million in gaming chips before setting himself on fire causing others

to die of smoke inhalation but no one from shooting. It would have been impossible for any member of staff to have anticipated this ‘emotionally disturbed individual,’ reactions however, knowing your customer definitely helps on the way to making a decision particularly for those innocently enjoying the tables who genuinely need protection.

Finally, not only but also, the University of Glasgow reports that playing video games such as Minecraft and Tomb Raider can help undergraduates gain vital skills such as fast critical thinking and solving issues through gaming.

In an eight week trial 36 undergraduates split into groups and played for 14 hours, then both groups were tested on their communication ability and resourcefulness skills. Gamers showed improvements in communication and adaptability compared to the control group.

So the answer is play these games your children play without feeling guilty as they fine tune your mental skills, I’ll meet you Online!

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Taiwan gets another vote for casinos

T

he tiny island that belongs

Taiwan allowed in 2009 for islands

Experts in the region do not have

to Taiwan called Kinmen will

in its territory of Kinmen, Matsu and

much hope of success for Kinmen

have a referendum on allowing

Penghu to decide for themselves if

either as local feeling seems to point

casinos to be built. The referendum

casinos should be built there it will

to another defeat for casino support-

was triggered when Kinmen County

be the third time voters go to the

ers and even if the island does vote

Council Tsai Chun-sheng achieved

polls.

for them it is unclear whether China

the required plus 5% of the residents

would allow any of its nationals to

signatures asking for a referendum

Kinmen only has some 140,000

travel to gamble there making the

on the matter.

resident that are able to vote but ac-

whole project dependant on tour-

cording to figures only 60,000 live on

ism which many believe would not

It is now expected that the referen-

the island permanently. Penghu has

sustain a development.

dum will take place in late October

had to votes on allowing for casino

this year and will be the third time

developments and both have failed

China currently sees Macau as its

Taiwan islands vote on having casi-

with the most recent back in 2016

only destination for its nationals to

nos.

where 81% of residents voted down

gamble and allowing Taiwan to get

the opportunity for casinos.

into the casino business would create

Since the mainland government of

instability for Macau.

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Crown employees found guilty in China & handed jail terms

N

ineteen current and former Crown Resorts employees were found guilty of gambling related crimes and handed jail terms to sixteen of the nineteen ranging from nine to ten month jail sentences.

All defendants pleaded guilty in a trial which half of it was heard in secret with many observers believing plea deals were done by Crown lawyers on their client’s behalf.

With the sentences dating back to the time all were detained in October many could be released within the next two months. Fines were also imposed on all those found in total $1.25 million. The trial only lasted half

a day and the details were announced

by Crown lawyers and the Australian general consul of Shanghai.

“The Australian government has monitored this case very closely,” Consul General Graeme Meehan told reporters outside the courthouse.

“We will be continuing to provide consular assistance to the Australians and their families for as long as that’s required,” he said.

Jason O’Connor who is the Head of VIP for Crown was given a 10-month jail term and fined $292,000, which means he could be released in July of this year.

In other news from Australia related to Crown in the China court case, The former head of the New South Wales casino regulator, Chris Sidoti said that should the defendants be found guilty all of Crowns casino licenses should be reviewed back in Australia as a matter of caution.

Currently Crown hold licenses in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney where its Barangaroo is scheduled to open in 2021 which was developed to attract high end VIP gamblers. This trial in China is a huge blow for that strategy given their Head of VIP has been found guilty of crimes in China.

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Pennsylvania Congressman tries RAWA text to block online gambling Amaya to be called “The Stars Group Inc” Following the annual general meeting of Amaya it has been announced that the companies new brand name will be The Stars Group Inc. Earlier this year Chief Executive Rafi Ashkenazi said that the company would change its name but did not indicate what the new name would be, however following the approval of shareholders at the AGM Amaya will change the name by end of August.

P

ennsylvanian Republican Congressman Charlie Dent is trying for the second time to add texting to the states spending bill that would effectively block any attempt to legalise online gambling.

Dent is trying to add RAWA wording that dates back to the Wire Act restoration of 1961 that was used over the years prior to 2011 to prohibit states or federal level to introduce online gambling. This was overturned in 2011 when the Department of Justice re-interpreted the act to only account for sports betting and so states such as Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada legally passed legislation allowing for online gambling.

However Dent is trying to place the wording in a spending bill that needs to be passed by September, observers close to Pennsylvania believe the chances are slim as he failed last year to do the same thing.

It’s believed the name change is best to reflect the companies core business which is of course PokerStars and also distance itself from former boss and founder of Amaya David Baazov who is awaiting trial in Canada on insider trading charges.

Also announced at the companies AGM was that the online giant would move its main core headquarters from Montreal to Toronto where it already has 300 staff working there, however just a small finance team will remain in Motreal for the time being.

Finally on the Amaya news was that also mentioned away from the AGM by CEO Rafi Ashkenazi is that the company is very interested in opening up their business to the Indian market that has 1.3 billion residents. Ashkenazi said that PokerStars would work with a currently licensed partner there with COO Guy Templar working on the deal for Amaya.

The state ironically is close to legalising online gambling and the attempt is believed to stem from Republican donor and billionaire Sheldon Adelson who is strongly opposed to the expansion of online gambling in the US.

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

New trade group launched to support iGaming in US “iDEA�

A

new trade group has been set up in the US to focus and support online gambling specifically, The iDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA) has been launched to represent and promote all forms of online gambling.

Different to the American Gaming Association in its formation as it will only focus in the online gambling business where current three state have legalised the practice, those being Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey and no other state since

New Jersey back in 2013 has joined these states, however Pennsylvania and Illinois are the most likely to pass legislation this year to join the online gambling world.

from operators, suppliers and law firms such as; Tropicana, Golden Nugget, Amaya, Gamesys, GVC, IGT, NYX, PaddyPower/Betfair, Pala Interactive, PaySafe, NetEnt and IfrahLaw.

iDEA will use the New Jersey model to promote online gambling where it has shown to grow successfully since launching and also shows that no increase in problem gambling or organised crime has increased since its launch in 2013.

It is hoped that the launch of this new trade group will take up the slack that the American Gaming Association is guilty of with online gambling, it has swayed from no support to neutral in recent years and is pulled back and forth by its members that either support or are against iGaming.

The organisation has already signed up 20 iGaming companies varying

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Jamaica set to legalize online gambling

J

amaica is looking seriously at the possibility of pushing ahead with legalising online gambling with the The Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) saying they would like to fast-track legislation to introduce online gambling.

The Director of Information and Communication Technology at the BGLC, Carole Martinez-Johnson, said the Commission is currently reviewing proposals from licensees, which will be processed as quickly as possible.

Executive Director of the BGLC, Vitus Evans, said recently that the online gaming is a lucrative industry, valued at US$39.9 billion in 2015.

The Minister of Finance and Public Service for Jamaica Audley Shaw indicated that the Jamaican government had already started to set up licensing procedures for operators

to apply to offer their services in Jamaica. The government had also been in discussions with major investors to push the process along event faster.

New York online gambling bill pushed back to 2018

N

ew York residents won’t be playing online casino games this year after the Empire State Assembly will not be voting on the bill that was passed by the Senate this year.

Gary Pretlow, Chairman of the Committee on Racing and Wagering who was a strong supporter of the bill.

It will most likely be re-visited in 2018 according to reports. The reason is the lack of support given that the state has only recently given permission to have 4 casinos in the state along with nine racinos and 11 tribal casinos.

Another attempt will be made sometime in 2018 and supporters of the bill will once again hope that the timing then will be much better.

Although online gambling is not dead the timing of the bill is too early according to Assemblyman J.

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Free bets to customers could be coming to an end following investigation

I

s the offer of free bets and promotions by online gambling companies coming to an end?

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has come out and accused several online gaming firms of potentially breaking consumer law by not treating customers fairly and holding on to customers money.

Without naming the companies the CMA said people were not getting the deal they expected from signup promotions with the watchdog saying, “it would be taking action against a number of operators.”

“We know online gambling is always going to be risky, but firms must also play fair,” said Nisha Arora, the

CMA senior director for consumer enforcement. “People should get the deal they’re expecting if they sign up to a promotion, and be able to walk away with their money when they want to.

“Sadly, we have heard this isn’t always the case. New customers are being enticed by tempting promotions only to find the dice are loaded against them. And players can find a whole host of hurdles in their way when they want to withdraw their money.”

The announcement by the CMA comes after a joint investigation by the CMA and the UK Gambling Commission which has lasted some eight

months. Some 800 customers have contacted the regulator complaining about the free offers by online gambling companies and the lack of ability to withdraw the funds.

Sarah Harrison from the Gambling Commission said even went as far as saying that should gambling firms be found guilty of breaking the law with free offers they could lose their license.

With a new tax also ready to come in on free bets on gambling firms it could spell the end of free bets and promotions in the UK especially in light of this investigation.

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38

JULY 2017

Virtual Reality – Will it be the End of Exhibitions?

V

irtual Reality has changed the way we see the world.

Until now, barriers of time and space made it impossible for us to experience the world beyond us. However, Virtual Reality enables us to experience things beyond this barrier.

1. Money-saving The amount of money that is spent in actually going to an exhibition can be cut down a lot with the use of Virtual Reality devices. Eventually, people will give up the extra expenditure that physically visiting the exhibitions incurs.

Virtual Reality has become a great success for its ability to stimulate the brain in such a way that the brain gets an experience that is almost close to physically being present in the scene or situation. Naturally, the question about whether Virtual Reality will replace the need for exhibitions arise.

2. Time-saving The world is increasingly moving to a time-saving, quick world where multitasking is the norm. As such, people would prefer to save time on one activity if it can be used to do many more. If Virtual Reality for exhibi-

Exhibitions, be it art, history, automobiles or technology, have always been the key to telling people about the existence of something they may otherwise have not known existed.

But only a limited number of people can actually visit exhibitions. Naturally, Virtual Reality devices offer an alternative that enables people to see the exhibits even without leaving the comfort of their home.

Equally convincing arguments are put forth by both parties – those who insist that Virtual Reality will replace exhibitions and those who maintain that it won’t.

Reasons why Virtual Reality will replace exhibitions:

INFINITY GAMING

tions takes off, then people can use the time they save by not physically visiting the venue and fitting in other tasks in that time. People can enjoy the exhibits in no time. As the world progresses in this direction, it can only be safe to predict that Virtual Reality will replace the need for Exhibitions.

3. Effort-saving With a Virtual Reality device, people can just relax and ‘visit’ exhibitions without the effort that would go into actually visiting the place. Every development that humans make in

JULY 2017

technology is aimed at making life easier. Natural Virtual Reality devices are the ultimate way to save effort and trouble.

4. Multiple exhibitions can be enjoyed Here’s the most interesting argument that has been put across. Proponents believe that the time and effort that Virtual Reality will save for people interested in exhibitions can be used to be a part of multiple events at the same time. As such, people will not have to make tough decisions and compromises and make the best of every event that they would want to be part of.

Why Virtual Reality will not replace exhibitions 1. Lack of social touch

For all its benefits, Virtual Reality does not have the human element. As such, the social interaction and socialization that happens when a person physically attends an event is missing. This can make participation through Virtual Reality boring and non-stimulating.

As such, people will still continue to physically attend events no matter what the difficulty.

2. It’s not always about convenience Attending exhibitions and events may not always be contingent upon convenience. People attend exhibitions for the whole experience that a Virtual Reality device cannot give as yet. As such, people may not really mind the effort and time that they would be spending in physically visiting the venue.

3. Stunted experience Expanding the above point, it is

argued that Virtual Reality gives a very limited experience of the exhibition or event. There is no substitute for an experience that comes from stimulation of all sense organs. The experience that is gained from Virtual Reality lacks the richness of actually being present at the venue. This is the same reason for which people spend a lot of money and energy in getting tickets for events such as matches, braving the crowds of fans in the stadium.

Virtual Reality, however, can definitely be a great substitute to physical attendance in case of events that don’t actually need physical presence. The essence of the attendance is purely mental, and physical distance does not matter at all. This means that Virtual Reality devices can prove to be a boon to gambling operators.

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GAMING NEWS

JULY 2017

Tabcorp & Tatts given approval to merge

T

he merger between Tabcorp and Tatts Group in Australia has been approved by the Australian Competition Tribunal leading to the go ahead of the two gambling giants $8.6 (A$11.3 billion) billion merger.

Even thou the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it had “major concerns” with the deal because of Tabcorp’s broadcast business. The two companies bypassed the ACCC by applying for approval directly to the Australian Competition Tribunal.

The plan to merge was announced last year as both companies face strong competition from online gambling and believed that by

merging they could fight off the competition.

bling nation in the world, having the largest loss per head on average losing $1,130 per person.

Australians are the biggest gam

Crown Resorts employees in China to stand trial

C

hinese prosecutors have now formally charged all 15 Crown Resorts employees of illegal promotion of gambling on mainland China which is illegal under the law there.

The news that all will be prosecuted is a major blow to James Packer owned Crown Resorts, including those charged is top ranking Crown executive Jason O’Connor who is head of International VIP Services.

According to reports the maximum sentence the courts can impose is

10 years but the announcement that the trial will be held in Shanghai’s Baoshan District Court instead of a main city court points to the possibility the sentences will be lighter than the maximum with one industry insider that works in Asian gaming believing the sentences will be around 18 months to 2 years.

The arrests of the 15 Crown employees occurred in October last year and happened after the Chinese government repeatedly warned casino operators of working to promote their casinos on the mainland.

According to reports in China all 15 employees will be tried together in one case and is only expected to last two or three days maximum.

Since the arrests Crown Resorts which held a major stake in Macau based Melco Crown Entertainment have sold off all their interest in the casino company to former partner Lawrence Ho, with the final part of shares selling for $987 million.

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