October 2014 Infinity Gaming Magazine by Clever Duck Media

Exclusive excerpts from latest book from Liz Karter

“Woods Talk” new feature inside

TCSJohnHuxley joins the IGA8

InfinityGaming

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

www.gaming-awards.com | ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

FEATURE

Shay Segev exclusive interview inside

contents InfinityGaming

EDITOR’S LETTER

Interview with Shay Segev..................................06-09 COO of Playtech & CEO PLaytech Retail

Woods Talk.................................................................14-17 New feature with JJ Woods interviewing John Roche

TCSJohnHuxley........................................................18-19 The leading gaming manufacturer joins IGA8

Liz Karter.....................................................................20-23

SHAY SEGEV

Second part of the new book

All Conferenced Out...............................................24-27 Christina Thakor-Rankin October article

The Next Generation Challenge........................29-31 Alex W Pariente new blog

Pennsylvania pushes against Adelson............32-33 State opposes Wire Act

WOODS TALK

MGM looks at New Yorkers for online.............34-35 Casino giant starts social media campaign

iPhone 6 purchase..................................................39-41 What we can learn - Martin R .Baird article

Where Next? ............................................................42-45 Andrew Tottenham October article

Bet365 accused of profiteering.........................46-47 Sports betting company accused of China involvement

IPHONE 6

Norther Ireland say no...........................................48-49 InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

N. Ireland block chance for Grosvenor Casino

02 2

Winning Through Terms & Conditions............54-57 Professor I. Nelson Rose latest artcle

Infinity Gaming........................................................ How and where can you read the magazine?

TERMS & CONDITIONS

EDITOR’S LETTER Lana Thompson - Chief Editor

EDITORS NOTES

InfinityGaming

Welcome to the October edition of the Infinity Gaming Magazine.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Christina Thakor-Rankin Martin R. Baird Alex W Pariente Andrew Tottenham JJ Woods Professor Nelson Rose

as the nights draw in and the temperature drops we turn our heads to conference and exhibition season, but more importantly the 8th International Gaming Awards with nominations closing on the 8th November. Finalists will be announced in late November and the whole show taking place at the stunning Savoy Hotel in London on the 2nd February, we are really looking forward to the special evening. Firstly, we want to welcome TCSJohnHuxley as our latest new sponsor for the IGA, now joining the other superb companies as PokerStars, BetConstruct, Yggdrasil, Betsoft Gaming, The Ritz Club and Galaxy Entertainment. Inside the magazine we have jam packed it will articles and interviews along with the very latest news from the gaming industry. We have some superb interviews

with Shay Segev COO of Playtech and the first instalment of the latest featured entitled “Woods Talk.” Must read - second part of exclusive read from new problem gambling book by Liz Karter, Professor I. Nelson Rose and great blog from Alex W Pariente. Our wonderful contributing writers have done some great work this month and Christina ThakorRankin’s “All Conferenced Out” helps us get through this very busy season. We would like to thank industry experts Martin R. Baird, Andrew Tottenham and JJ Woods for contributing their opinion to Infinity Gaming Magazine edition. We will be announcing Gaming App Awards finalists shortly and that brings famous quote to mind “My Mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.’”(Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump (1994))

CONTACT US Clever Duck Media Newmarket 20 Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK Tel: +44(0)1543 478 889 claire@cleverduckmedia.com PRODUCTION Clever Duck Media Newmarket 20 Centrix@Keys Keys Park Road Staffordshire WS12 2HA UK

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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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Business Partnerships Svetlana@gaming-awards.com

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LONDON - DECEMBER 2014 BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

BOOK YOUR PLACE FOR THE GAMING APP EVENT OF THE YEAR

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Exclusive Interview with Shay Segev COO, Playtech; CEO, Playtech Retail

Infinity Gaming Magazine sat down with Shay Segev the COO of Playtech & CEO of Playtech Retail, we find out what are the differences between the two companies and what Mr. Segev thinks of entering the US market with his company.

: Shay thank you for speaking to us today, can we start the interview by asking what is your role within Playtech and Playtech

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Retail?

SS: I joined Playtech in 2006 as COO of Videobet, now a key component within Playtech Retail and, over time, took responsibility of the overall online business. In 2011, I became COO overseeing all of Playtechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations, sales and customer relations. Over the last year the retail segment has become an increasingly important element for the future growth of the company whereby we see convergence across every channel. With that in mind, we decided to launch Playtech Retail and, due to my experience, the team decided that I was the most suitable person to run this venture alongside my other responsibilities. Q: What changes in the company have you seen in last eight years? SS: When I first joined the company we had 300 people

compared to 3,500 today, and we were almost entirely focused on online casino, with some poker added to the mix. Today, we are the leading global, multi-channel and mobile-first, gaming software and services supplier across all channels with 120 licensees across the vast majority of regulated markets. The DNA of company is to invest in innovation and new technology, products and talent and we have proven this concept over a very short period of time. All the strategic and best-of-breed investments we have made have worked out exceptionally well. Q: Tell us about Videobet? SS Videobet is the market leader in server-based gaming and VLTs and manages approximately 40,000 machines. Our clients include Coral, Ladbrokes, Mecca and Aspers, to name just a few, with more than 20,000 machines in the UK. Videobet is a platform but also a provider of our platform that manages physical gaming machines and tablets in venues such as betting shops, bingo halls and casinos.

SS: Playtech Retail is the umbrella group for all our retail products and technologies. It offers bespoke software and hardware solutions that deliver the ultimate multi-channel player experience, all within one seamless ecosystem. Using a single wallet an operatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers can play in-venue, at home, online or on the go - anytime, anywhere and on any device. We focus on a full retail solution for all operators, providing them with complete management options for land based venues, with the ability to connect all of their digital channels. This is the case for both existing and new online and mobile operators with retail outlets.

These machines are connected by a powerful, real-time back office system that allows our licensees to have complete control of all their assets and their customers, data and revenues from one central location, while equally allowing their players to have a superior experience and a longer and more profitable lifecycle.

We extended our presence in retail with the recent acquisition of Aristocrat Lotteries which manages 5,000 and 1,200 machines in Norway and Italy respectively. Videobet allows us to leverage our powerful games content across all land-based venues, while also offering worldleading system functionality. Q: What is Playtech Retail?

Our product range includes slot games, electronic table games, live casino content for venues and for broadcasting, pre-event, live & inplay sports betting, virtual sports, bingo, instant and traditional paper lottery games. With our analytics functionality, operators can capture and store detailed game data centrally. More

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As part of our package, we develop specialist, cutting-edge hardware in partnership with operators that can deliver any content through our Open Platform. These include slot cabinets, sports terminals, tablets, EPOS systems and many more. With us, operators have the ability to choose the content that suits their business requirements and deliver new, tailored devices, or provide added value to their existing offering.

importantly, our solution ensures they are actually able to utilise this data to grow their business. With custom-built control supported by specialist CRM capabilities, all land based operators have the advantage of being able to communicate with players how they wish. Even more significantly however, they can segment and tier their customers with our system, based on their profitability to the business, meaning that their most valuable customers can be treated differently to those less valuable. Q: What makes Playtech stand out?

InfinityGaming â&#x20AC;˘ ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

I personally believe the US is an important market and, when the time is right, Playtech will step into this marketâ&#x20AC;?

SS: We are the best performing, complete, multi-channel solution on the market. The DNA of the company means that we always push ourselves to deliver the best products, platforms, and games content. We never compromise on the quality of what we do, are extremely hands-on with all our 120 licensees and, over time, this has been proven. All our customers have been delighted with the solutions we have and we continue to provide them with across all channels. We have a huge number of in-

ternational success stories including William Hill, bet365 and Coral. Q: How does your branded content division operate? SS: The content unit is responsible for market research and, like in any other content company, they brainstorm creative concepts, attend shows and are in close contact with new trends, as well as local and international publishers and media

companies, to identify the best potential content for us to create and/ or adapt and deliver. Q: How do you see the US gaming market developing? SS: I personally believe the US is an important market and, when the time is right, Playtech will step into this market, however at present we are purely interested observers and focused on other opportunities.

The Savoy Hotel London - 2nd February 2015

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AUSSIE GAMING NEWS

James Packer says gamblers are “killing us”

ames Packer who owns the Crown Resorts casino company in Australia said at the Annual General Meeting of shareholders that the companies VIP segment of the business had been hit hard and was $100 million off where it should be with only four months gone of their financial year.

Mr Packer told his fellow shareholders that ‘the punters are killing us’ ‘Our VIP businesses is almost $100million below the theoretical result less than four months into the financial year due to an adverse win rate or put simply, bad luck,’ Mr Packer said.

Although he said that the house always wins at present that is not the case, group CEO Rowen Craigie told the AGM that local trading had been ‘impacted by general softness in consumer sentiment’ and that the roll of the dice had even affected Macau, which had suffered a slump.

Crown Melbourne does $200 million deal

However the deal has caused uproar among politicians there with parliament member Greg Barber saying the compensation clause in the deal was “absolutely extraordinary”, and showed that Crown was aware of its dependence on problem gamblers. “They’ve insured against measures that will actually reduce problem gambling,” he said. “Therefore, they must know that a

significant amount of their profits come from gambling-related harm.” He fears that other casinos in the state will now push for the same deal as Crown. Other parts of the deal for Crown included extending their operating license till 2050 along with increasing its gambling table numbers by 100. In return the casino company will make more than $900m in payments to the government, including $250m within seven days of the bill becoming law. The Victorian treasurer, Michael O’Brien, has said the agreement would support ongoing investment and jobs for the state and provide

significant financial benefits. Prof Linda Hancock, a Deakin University gambling expert and researcher, agreed that the money the government would gain from the deal was small. Crown had enjoyed special treatment by the government for years, she said. “This legislation covers some of the most controversial areas of gambling reform where Victoria already lags behind many other countries in best practice,” Hancock said. “The government has stuck an unconscionable deal and that’s the problem. They’re not acting in the best interest of the Victorian people and they are giving way too much compensation to Crown.

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he Crown Casino in Melbourne has struck a $200 million deal with the Victoria parliament that ensures if there are any future changes to problem gambling legislation that affects the casino it will be paid the money.

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EUROPEAN GAMING NEWS

Casino boss named as father to child of Paris Mayor

In a court ruling in Versailles just outside of Paris the judge has ruled that the millionaire boss of one of Europe’s largest casino companies, who is 70 is indeed the father to the country’s first ever female justice minister Rachida Dati’s child and currently Mayor of Paris. Mr Desseigne refused to take a DNA test to prove or disprove being the father which in France is allowed, however the casino boss said that at the time of their affair Ms Dati had up to eight possible lovers and any of them could have been the father of four year old Zohra. Although Mr Desseigne does admit to having an affair with Ms Dati he does not know if it is he or another who could father the child. Ms Dati

is well known for seeking publicity in France and has done many magazine photo shoots to promote herself. Her other liaisons say Mr. Desseigne’s lawyers are a TV host, a minister, a chief executive office, a Spanish prime minister, a brother of Nicolas Sarkozy, a Qatari Attorney General and the heir to a luxury goods empire. In several attempts by Ms Dati to get Mr. Desseigne to take a DNA test he has refused, but the Mayor of Paris says she has other evidence that he is the father, including his multiple visits to Zohra when she was born. The court ruling now names him as the father and is now liable for child maintenance that would be in excess of £2,000 a

month and lawyers believe will be much higher given the wealth of the businessman who has a fortune of £500 million. But the court ruling will be appealed by Mr. Desseigne and his lawyers.

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he head of European casino group Lucian Barriere Dominque Desseigne has been named as the father to the child one of France’s leading female politicians.

WOODS TALK

“Woods Talk” In this new section entitled “Woods Talk” our contributing writer and now intrepid reporter JJ Woods will be speaking to some of the leading figures in the gaming industry in both Ireland and europe. Here is his first interview with John Roche, General Secretary for the Irish Amusement Trades Association (I.A.T.A) ABOUT JJ Woods JJ Woods Director of Operations founded and set up Atlantic Casino Consultants to deal specifically with the Irish Market and the impending Casino Legislation. He was born in Ireland but left in the Seventies to live in London and for a career in Banking that lasted nearly four years after which he joined the Casino Industry in London where he trained and has over the last 30 years been involved in the setting up, design, management, and opening of Casinos around the world. JJ is also an Author on Gaming and has written for several magazines, spoken at gaming conferences and has appeared on TV and Radio discussing Gaming issues and can be contacted through his website... www.atlanticcasinoconsultants.com

Exclusive Interview with John Roche - General Secretary I.A.T.A

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reland’s Gaming Laws date back to 1956 and have not been updated to cope with the present gaming trends that exist today which makes the 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act totally inadequate. Government Research into a new gaming legislation began in 2006 and eight years on the Minister of Justice and Equality Ms. Frances Fitzgerald has announced that she intends to publish the Gambling Control Bill in early 2015, with a view to enactment of the legislation in the latter part of next year. Business still carries on however and Ireland has a mix of Amusement and Gaming Arcades and Casinos ( Private Members Clubs). It should be said that the Gaming /

Amusement Machine business is much stronger than the Casino side of things and in my opinion the Casinos (Private Members Clubs) exist like a cottage industry and certainly pose no serious threat to gaming on an International level as they are lacking in the “experience factor’’. Though my own research as an Independent Gaming Consultant I have also learnt that the only sector of the existing gaming industry in Ireland that has proper representation is the Amusement and Gaming Machine sector and this association is I.A.T.A. (Irish Amusement Trades Association) and is by far the best organised and the largest.

JR: The Irish Amusement Trades Association was founded by a number of far sighted people in the industry back in 1979. Many of the founder members are still with us and indeed the sons and daughters of those founding members are currently members of the association. I.AT.A. was formed to represent the interests of what was then known as the coin machine industry in dealing with all arms of the State. Until the formation of the association

government departments and local authorities tended to take decisions affecting the industry without any regard for the views of those involved in it. It has taken many years to establish our “ right of audience “ with those bodies but we are now recognised as a bona fide trade association representing a legitimate gaming and amusement industry. Q: You work side by side with Jim Rickard (President of I.A.T.A.) are you both equally passionate about the gaming industry?

Q: Considering the first rule of a Gaming Legislation in any jurisdiction which is : “ to protect the young and the vulnerable’’ – Do you think the Irish Government in it’s proposed new gaming legislation will finally deal with this issue considering they allowed the two forms (amusement and gaming ) to carry on side by side under the same roof in some cases for all these years ?

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Q: When and why was the association formed ?

JR: Yes, as General Secretary of I.A.T.A. I have worked with many different members who have served on the committee and as officers of the association over too many years to remember. I am always impressed at the amount of time these busy people give the association to consider the policies and responses to specific issues required at different times. While all members are dedicated to their association I have never come across anyone who has given literally the last 25 years of his life to any organisation as has our President Jim Rickard. Jim has been a steadying and articulate influence on I.A.T.A. and at times has been responsible for ensuring we avoid taking decisions which could be disastrous. Jim is an old fashioned machine man with the skills to go with it and as such can see problems before they arise .This wisdom is essential and vital to have at the side of a general secretary when we are in the throes of negotiations with government on matters such as legislation etc. His contribution to I.A.T.A. cannot be calculated in any human terms. For me it is a pleasure to work so closely with him. I must say in passing that in all my years with I.A.T.A. only rarely have I encountered what we might call an awkward or self serving member.

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WOODS TALK

JR: While I.A.T.A. believes that all responsible arcade owners must keep amusements and gaming separate we also recognise the requirement of sea side operators, in particular, to be able to offer their customers family entertainment. We believe that the choice of not offering amusements should apply but cannot see how it is possible to operate a family entertainment business in a tourist or holiday area without including amusements. It does not follow that the vulnerable are adversely affected simply by the inclusion of amusement machines on the same premises as gaming. I.A.T.A. is deeply involved with the Gambling Care Foundation ,which has the approval of government ,and through that body our members make financial and other contributions to the various services which are available to those adversely affected by gambling. Time and space available here does not allow me to elaborate further on this area but at a future date I will detail our commitment in this regard. Q: Your Association I.A.T.A is the

largest and bar the Bookmakers Association the only realistic group for Gaming Operators, How many Amusement Arcades / Machines are there in Ireland? JR: I.A.T.A represents the bulk of gaming and amusement arcades throughout the State , both those with gaming certificates from the courts and those with amusement licences from the revenue commissioners. The overall number of arcades in the country is about 200 including seaside premises which would operate in Summer only. The number of machines in total is about 22,000 with approximately 7,000 of these being gaming machines. These numbers vary according to seasonal requirements. Q: You’ve been responsible for several submissions to the Government during it’s research into a new gaming legislation , can you tell us a little about those? JR: For many years we have made submissions to various government departments on issues which affect our business. Quite frankly the

entire industry would have been driven out of existence had it not been for the presence of I.A.T.A. In 35 years we have gone from being something for politicians to avoid to being constantly asked our views by those in elected office. Back in 2001 the entire gaming and amusement industry faced wipe out because of a provision which had been included in the Finance Act of that year. I.A.T.A. was eventually forced to go to the High Court for vindication when negotiations failed and €70,000 and two years later were successful when the Finance Department backtracked and restored the relevant legislation. In the present context of the proposed Gambling Control Bill we submitted a very detailed case for our industry . To summarise we require the legislation to be nationally controlled rather than by local authorities, we require a decent stake and payout and that betting and gaming be kept completely separate. In plain language no gaming in bookmakers shops. There’s much more to our case but the above aspects are crucial to everything else such as a fair taxation system etc.

Exclusive interview with John Roche - in “Woods Talk”

JR: There is hope rather than confidence as everything depends on the contents of the Gambling Control Bill which I am assured will be published early in the new year. It is abundantly clear to any casual observer that our industry has the potential to create thousands of fulltime permanent jobs and make a much greater contribution to the economy if proper legislation is introduced. Quite honestly it is a miracle that so many of our businesses have been able to keep up the standards that they do in the present climate. For my own part I am confident that the Bill will set out to rectify the problems which have built up over the years because of the archaic nature of the present legislation. We have a situation where the main piece of law governing our sector is in existence since 1956 without any changes being made to the principal parts. Modern technology makes a joke of the 1956 Act and it not good for

any country to have its laws regarded in such a fashion. It also leaves the door open to abuse. In my opinion it is the duty of the legislators to rectify this position and do it fast. Apart from the economic advantages of doing so there is also the fundamental issue of protecting those who require it as we discussed earlier. Q: Regarding machine choice we see new machine brands than ever before arriving here , however the big brands , Aristocrat , Novomatic, IGT etc still have virtually no presence in the market here, What are your thoughts on this? JR: This in my view is down to the fact that we have not got proper legislation. Having said that it has to be said that a large number of machine manufacturers and distributors have shown great courage and confidence in the potential of the Irish market. Choice will increase in the new era but I am sure that Irish customers will not forget those who have stuck with us through these tough times. Q: Finally my own experience in the Gaming Industry tells me that at some point

during the legislative process live game Casinos (Private Members Clubs) and Amusement /Gaming machines will come together in some form mainly for the reason that Casinos cannot exist without the reliable revenues that machines produce and it is on that note that I would ask you if the I.A.T.A (Irish Amusement Trades Association) would expand it’s membership to this sector? JR: When we see the Gambling Control Bill published we can make decisions like this . While there are certainly grounds for such a suggestion I must bear in mind who I.A.T.A represents and what my job as General Secretary is. My function is to represent the members of my association first and foremost against anything whatsoever which may threaten their business and I intend to do that without apology to anyone for as long as they will have me.

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Q: The Amusement Arcades that you represent in my opinion have improved greatly over the last decade regarding decor , choice of machines, and overall comfort for the players, does this represent confidence in the Industry going forward for your members?

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GAMING AWARDS NEWS

TCSJohnHuxley announced as latest sponsor for IGA8

The 8th International Gaming Awards annual chic event is taking place in London’s historic venue, the Savoy Hotel in London, on the 2 February 2015. It will unite industry professionals from across the world and allow them to network with talented insiders from across the industry. The 8th IGA, once again, promises an exquisite line up of sponsors, judges, guests and industry achievers. Following in the footsteps of its previous successful awards, it will be hosting the biggest and best charity event within the gaming industry. TCSJOHNHUXLEY Combining excellence with innovation…The combination of manufacturing

excellence with innovation and product development means that everything needed for the casino of the future is in one place – from quality, hand-crafted furniture to cutting edge technical equipment that enhance gaming experience, profits and security. Colin Thompson organizer of The

IGA 2015 commented:” We are delighted to welcome TCSJOHNHUXLEY the Award winning, innovative company on board as a sponsor and proud that TCSJOHNHUXLEY once again chosen IGA as a first step to showcase companies most innovative products prior to a busy week in London”

The International Gaming Awards Nominations extended till 8 November 2014. IGA invites industry stars to submit nominations for 8th International Gaming Awards, celebrating creativity and innovation in the gaming industry. The International Gaming Awards will take place in London on 2 February 2015, the very first day of the busy week for the gaming industry. The 8TH IGA as always will provide first opportunity to showcase your product to the receptive audience of industry connoisseurs. International Gaming Awards as always welcomes the most successful operators from around the globe, outstanding leaders and charity supporters. The International Gaming Awards is the most memorable evening of the year with its main focus to support truly deserving charities: Care International and Children with Cancer More about our charities

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

he International Gaming Awards (IGA) is proud to welcome TCSJOHNHUXLEY the world’s leading supplier of gaming equipment and table game technology, on board as a Sponsor of the biggest charity event.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE

WORLD EXCLUSIVE Part 2 Working with Women’s Groups for

Problem Gambling By Liz Karter In a world exclusive the Infinity Gaming Magazine has gained permission to publish excerpts from the superb must read book for anyone involved in Social Responsibility & Problem Gambling. By agreement with Liz Karter the author and publisher Routledge. Here is part two of the featured book from Liz Karter.

Meeting Half Way through the Process

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f we are to truly live a rich and varied life we need to be able to manage our feelings around meeting new people and saying goodbye to those who have become familiar and of whom we are fond. Women’s Group, if it is working well and healthily, should become a microcosm of life and relationships outside, with all the fears, hopes, fantasies, support, companionship and sadness – and yes, I have seen tears of laughter too- that we will encounter. These are the ever present thoughts and feelings that we need to encounter and to ride and survive if we are not to remain isolated for fear of what we think or how we feel in close relationship

will destroy us, and through our self-imposed imprisonment remain lonely, anxious and depressed and so ever vulnerable to addiction. Offering an educational element to Women’s Group is of huge value. Women come to Group often having little understanding of their inner world of thoughts and feelings, let alone where on earth gambling addiction fits with it all. What makes the difference between those of us who manage life and its traumas perhaps a little better than others is the relationship we have with ourselves and others and how we process and express our uncomfortable feelings, our distress, how we

self-soothe and take a little healthy escapism here and there. Like an okay parent (Berne, 2010) I attempt to offer information and education and to encourage, but not to drag and not to push a woman in a particular direction. We see the beginnings of the women in this developing group learning to sit with and tolerate pain, their own and that of another. Such are the skills they will need. It is natural that when if a new member joins an established Group that the depth of disclosure changes for a while to a more superficial level and discussions centre once again around topics that are bond-

It is important that we remember that although gambling socially and for fun has associations with risk, gambling addiction in women is an attempt to take control by escaping from an environment that feels threatening through the absorption of gambling and to take control of thoughts and feelings that are tortuous to endure, The woman affected by gambling addiction has lost trust in herself and her ability to make good, healthy decisions and

informed choices. Not only is it of paramount importance that woman learns to trust in others who are trustworthy and to trust in herself, but it is of equal benefit if she can begin to gain the experience of being trusted by others. Gambling is by its very nature incredibly hard to detect. There are no obvious physical symptoms as there might be with drug or alcohol addiction. This means that when eventually gambling is either disclosed by the woman with the problem or

Liz Karter discovered by a family member, or a friend, by accident or through investigation due to suspicion over where her time and money are being spent, friends and family can experience a terrifying shock and the sense of betrayal and broken trust cuts deeply and leaves a wound to their ability to trust her in the future. After all, if they did not know that she was gambling in the first place-and perhaps for several years her gambling had remained the hidden addiction it has been described- then how will they know if she has relapsed? Gambling costs

money; that is a fact. And if we were to analyse for any of us the meaning of money we would not have to work at great depth before we would uncover association with stability and security if we have enough money, and the feeling that life is unstable and insecure of we do not. Friends and family therefore are understandably scared and suspicious that the women’s gambling addition has the power to shake the very foundations of their lives, Out of this fear that her addiction could suck dry their financial resources and send life spinning out of control, they sometimes will try to redress the balance and counterbalance their fear of feeling out of control by taking control of finances to inappropriate level. A few months ‘money management’ with the agreement of the women who has the gambling problem can indeed be very helpful and enable her to let go of the pressure to worry about money. Too tight a control on her finances and long term questioning of her intentions, her behaviour and her trustworthiness can produce the very result that the family members or friends have been desperate to avoid. She feels no benefits to putting in the day-by-day- and sometimes hour by hour hard work of remaining gambling free; she is given no room to move. It is, after all, only actions with which she can prove that she has genuinely changed this time. Lacking autonomy, lacking a sense of empowerment, choice freedom, all of the elements that combine to allow us to feel an adult self in the world, she feels trapped, And so, left to go on relapse occurs, triggered by all the same ‘Please Others’,

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ng for Group such as gambling and its consequences and yes, even the demonization of the gambling industry. I have heard many plots and plans to put bombs under bookmakers and send petitions of complaint about the industry to the government, so strong are the feelings of women against the gambling industry when they first start treatment. These feelings usually decrease in correlation with the increase of each woman’s selfunderstanding that her gambling problem was sparked by the problems in her life, rather than the existence of the gambling industry (Karter2013) Of course there might be genuine anger at the gambling industry, but the gambling industry too might stand in for others in life who have exploited so many of the women who attend meetings. Group members unite and transfer onto the gambling industry all of the anger and frustration they have suppressed for fear of the consequences were they to express it where it truly belongs.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE

Working with Women’s Groups for

Problem Gambling

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ork Hard’, rules that drove her to gamble in the first place.

The woman herself is plagued by constant guilt that eats away at the delicate flesh of her self esteem and she will often talk of understanding fully why she does not deserve to be trusted by those close to her; that she has lied and manipulated to get money to get her fix, to cover her debts, to cover her tracks where there have been questions about her time spent. Often my role in Group, as previously discussed, is to give her permission not to feel this constant, crippling guilt through understanding why she was so desperate to gamble that she behaved in the way that she did, which now disgusts her. Often she is desperate to prove to herself and to others that she is much more than the selfish, self-obsessed, money-obsessed and greedy woman that she saw when looking at her reflection in the distorting mirror of gambling

addiction. To be able to peel off and throw away that label of ‘gambler’. The chance to prove herself is essential to recovery; without that chance she feels she cannot move on, she is forever labelled as untrustworthy, a liar and manipulative. She might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb, why would she not be tempted to gamble if all around her constantly suspect that she has? Women’s Group allows that chance, the chance to be in a group of others who know all the tricks, who have lied and manipulated in desperation. Often the underlying motivation for their addiction being that somewhere along the path of life their trust in others has been shattered. And yet each woman is willing to begin to try to put the pieces back together and to begin to trust again. In a group full of women who are gamblers, she may have the first experience in many years and in many relationships of being seen as the woman she truly is underneath the set of behaviours,

By Liz Karter

of which she is so deeply ashamed, that had become the necessary tool kit of her addiction. This will help build a sense of self-worth, of being of value to other, to her Women’s Group, to her family, to her friends and wider society.

Next Month more from Liz Karter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Liz Karter is a specialist in treating gambling addiction in women. She established and still facilitates the UK’s first women’s groups for problem gambling and is founder of the Level Ground addiction treatment practice. She is the author of one previous book, Women and Problem Gambling.

Working with Women’s Groups for

Problem Gambling

TREATING GAMBLING THROUGH RELATIONSHIP

Liz Karter Why do so many women with gambling addiction relapse? Lifelong recovery requires much more than to just stop gambling. Women’s groups provide long-term benefits and support and have proven to be highly successful in promoting recovery from gambling addiction. By following the story of a real women’s group for problem gambling over the course of a year, Liz Karter explains how, for women, both the cause of and the cure for gambling addiction lies in relationship. Karter shows clearly how learning to face and cope with real life situations and relationships is essential to maintain recovery. She shares the themes which run through each women’s group, such as fear of trusting others, and the guilt, shame and risk associated with being truly seen and heard. Women’s Groups for Problem Gambling shows that with a combination of specialist intervention, women’s group support, courage and compassion, women can learn to stop running from their addiction and instead find joy and support in building relationships and communities. This highly accessible book provides a unique opportunity to gain a very personal insight into the group process, both for therapists and clinicians and for women wishing to better understand their addiction.

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BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

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FEATURE ARTICLE

All Conferenced Out By Christina Thakor-Rankin Our feature writer Christina Thakor-Rankin offers her views on conferences are we already tired of them or can we find new innovative ways to engage?

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

ow many of you are already suffering from conference fatigue – and that’s before the first one has even started! The start of the gaming sector’s ‘conference season’ this year, has seen not only the usual mix of announcements, invitations and early-bird registration offers, but also an increasing number of pre-conference socials, and even the odd preconference conference, to get us into shape for the coming months of planes, hotels and handshakes.

Over the years several of the bigger conferences have built up a solid reputation and following in their own right, acting as focal points of the gaming calendar. With time however, what was a small number of key umbrella events, has become interspersed with a growing number of smaller mini-conferences focusing on specific areas of interest. Whilst the logic behind this is understandable, the fact that there are now so many of them, all covering the same

content has had the net result of delegates reactions shifting from one of, ‘that sounds interesting’ to one of ‘heard it all before’. This in turn poses the question – are we about to hit critical mass? Are there now just too many confer-

ences, seminars and summits, to the point that quantity has come at a cost of perceived quality, and thus by association, value? To answer this we need to go back to the very early days of the gaming conference, understanding their purpose and why they became so popular in the first place.

At a time when collaboration and information sharing across the industry was virtually non-existent, aside of personal relationships, the conference presented a rare opportunity to gain an insight into what the ‘competition’ was getting up to, learn from the experience of others, see, meet and hear the pearls of wisdom dropped by industry leaders rarely seen outside of their own organisations and offices, and catch up on gossip. As the industry started to grow and ‘localise’, there were additional events catering for the specific needs of Europe and the US (and more recently Asia), and specialist groups such as Affiliates. These events carried a huge amount of cache - an invitation to speak at one suggested that you had ‘arrived’ and was not unlike finding a golden ticket in a bar of Willy Wonka’s finest. At the time these were ‘must attend’ events – the place to see and often, just as importantly - be seen.

Over the years the number of conferences and seminars has grown almost in proportion to the amount of news and information available to us. This often means that by the time the conference actually comes around, what was breaking news at the planning stage is now old hat. When so many different events all feature the same subjects and topics, and often delivered by the same people - an opinion or perspective is no more valuable for having been repeated several times over - it does beg the question is the industry conference still providing any

value? The answer of course is yes. In the end no amount of reading, blogging, sharing, messaging and social networking will ever be the same as meeting someone face to face, and hearing the passion and conviction behind the opinion. Conferences provide an opportunity for likeminded individuals with common interests who would otherwise never meet, to interact, share ideas and opinions, and explore different angles and perspectives in a way which other forms of media do not. This is extremely valuable and critical to maintaining an industry which is vibrant, inventive and sustainable. Unfortunately, the fact that there are now so many different events all competing with each other, over a fairly short time frame, does mean that the value has been somewhat diluted. When delegates pay to attend an event, they have an expectation that they will hear and see something new. Sometimes the expectation is met, but all too

often it is not – what they get is a physical presentation of an opinion or perspective they are already familiar with. Increasingly, my discussions with friends and colleagues regarding conference attendance are peppered with comments such as ‘It’s all same old same old’, ‘I’m going because so and so is going’, ‘It’s a chance to do some networking’ or ‘I’ve never been there before’ (meaning location of event, rather than the event itself!) – suggesting that for many, certainly within my circle, conference attendance is driven less by content and more by circumstance. What the conference organisers need to do is find a way of bringing back the value. Perhaps it is time for them to have their own conference to explore how they can better co-ordinate their events to avoid subject matter replication, better year round scheduling to avoid clashes, perhaps adding workshops and more interactive sessions, and even look at how and where they

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

Since those early days of the gaming conference the world we live and work in has changed beyond measure. Today, we have a plethora of publications, news feeds, blogs, industry associations, all competing for ‘breaking news’ whether its product, people or just gossip - and a combination of Linked In and more employee movement between jobs and organisations allows us to network without actually leaving the office.

an engage a new audience.

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One agenda item might be to identify those areas which are currently overlooked, such as technology. The online gaming industry is both an embracer and driver of technology, yet this is an area woefully neglected by the conference scene.

Granted there have been one or two techie sessions bolted on here and there, but all too often these have been too ‘tech for dummies’. Given that around a third of employees within the sector fall under some form of technical job description, perhaps it is time for a ‘Gam-tech’ conference. There could be discussions about how to address site speed, UX and SEO; the benefits and challenges of Agile and continuous integration; challenges and costs of security and compliance; how to transform a technical database into a marketing gold-mine and how to address

the complexities of a multi-channel experience – certainly there would be no shortage of topics. By working more closely together, whether it be by partnering up and hosting events together, rather than everyone having their own event on the latest thing; re-scheduling events across the year rather than trying to cram everything into one season; looking at the less well represented sections of the industry, and finding ways to add more interaction and interest rather than just presentations and panels, they would be able to do two things. Firstly, re-invigorate and bring back value to something which over the years has become a little staid and formulaic, and secondly, limit the cannibalisation and loss of interest which must surely come from too many events all covering the same subject with the same speakers over the same time frame. On the other hand organisers could

do nothing and carry on as they are, but this strategy does potentially carry the risk of their events becoming nothing more than a carrier for social activity under the guise of a work-related event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christina Thakor-Rankin is Principal Consultant at 1710Gaming working with start-ups, investors, operators regulators, and industry groups internationally, covering all aspects of the gaming and gambling cycle - from initial research, licence and operational go-live, to new markets and opportunities, to customer engagement and experience. She has over 20 years industry experience and has previously held roles at William Hill, Blue Square, Tote (Sport) and Virgin Games managing multiple business disciplines, functions and teams.

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

Build Your Brand, Business & Social Responsibility THE 8th INTERNATIONAL GAMING AWARDS NOMINATIONS OPEN

Categories for both Online & Land Based Gambling Industry CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 8TH NOVEMBER

Executive Vice President of International Marketing at Baha Mar

About Alex W Pariente

Through the course of his career he has participated in the opening of 5 Star Resorts in Latin America, Europe and USA and built strategic alliances and cross marketing initiatives with Airlines, luxury brands and Media. He was recently appointed as Executive Vicepresident of International Marketing at Baha Mar www.bahamar.com having the responsibility of establish a high net worth customer base for this unique 3.5B investment in Nassau Bahamas. Alex has been a member of the Wynn Resorts family since the inception of the company and has been a preopening team member of both Wynn and Encore Las Vegas achieving 5

stars Forbes and 5 Diamonds recognitions. In his role as EVP of Casino Marketing, he is responsible for building the business plan, setting up the strategy and innovative marketing programs for both US and International Markets that ensure rapid revenue growth by driving up customers visits, building loyalty and improving service while maximizing margins. Through his career Alex has been a key in training staff for long-term skill development and creating a customer-service, performance oriented and accountability culture. The division under his responsibil-

ity accounts for 70% of the overall Gaming Revenues for both Las Vegas properties achieving highest recorded Gaming Revenues in 2007 and 2012. Alex has helped crafting the credit and collections policies and recommend and approves credit in excess of 2 Billion US on a yearly basis. Prior to serving as an EVP of Casino Marketing he served as SVP of International Marketing at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas where he was transferred after successfully opening and running the Marketing Strategy for the Conrad Resort & Casino for Caesars Entertainment as an Executive Director. Alex holds a Key Executive Gaming License NGCB (NV, US), a degree in business administration from the Boston Bank Foundation of Buenos Aires, Argentina and has participated in several Strategic Planning and business development programs at Cornell and Reno Universities.

BUSINESSMAG â&#x20AC;˘ ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

lex W Pariente is an International executive with more than 20 years of leadership performance and career development in the Entertainment and Hospitality Industry.

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Next Generation Challenge Alex W Pariente is an International executive with more than 20 years of leadership performance and career development in the Entertainment and Hospitality Industry. Through the course of his career he has participated in the opening of 5 Star Resorts in Latin America, Europe and USA and built strategic alliances and cross marketing initiatives with Airlines, luxury brands and Media.

By Alex W Pariente Alex Pariente looks at the future of gambling and the most important element of it, the customer. As ever customer needs change and with future generations expecting more than just a table and service to engage them. Alex offers what operators need to do to compete for the next generation of customers.

InfinityGaming â&#x20AC;˘ ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

n an ever-evolving business environment with increasing competition and immense generational differences affecting the way customers behave, the task of identifying, attracting and developing the most profitable customers has never been more critical.

balance of time spent between work, family and entertainment. That said, their focus on spending habits and relationships were not ignored by our industry executives.

are also tech-savvy, big influencers and active in their virtual communities. They seek extremely personal experiences to share in their social world.

Every generation (i.e. Boomers/Gen X/Gen Y, Millennials) comes with particular characteristics, behavioral patterns that present challenges our industry must learn to adapt to.

Generation X (born 1965-1980) is comprised of a smaller, more independent, resilient and more frugal group. This generation also searches for a more balanced life incorporating time for entertainment and experiences in a way not seen in the prior generation.

The Boomer generation (born 1946-1964) is one of the largest and team-oriented generational groups. It is also comprised of an extremely hard-working group of individuals who often wrestled with the delicate

Gen Y/Millennials (born 1981 and after) are the next big generation. This group is highly motivated, seeks instant gratification and tends to have a shorter attention span than any of the prior generations. They

As we walk every day on our casino floors, we can see individuals within every demographic segment coexisting. The goal is to anticipate the speed of the consumer shift and adapt our organizations to bridge the gap between the different generations. With the boomers and GenXs now retiring and the next generation of GenY/Millennials taking its place, we must be mindful of the particular values inherent in each generation, and be able attract, retain and engage them in the most profitable way.

The Alex W Pariente Blog - Exclusive to Infinity gressive Jackpots and tournaments with short-term, big prizes, not only within the confines of our floor, but also between properties—all based on interactive social video experiences.

o Digital Experience o Social, shareable, components that add to the gaming experience at every touch point

 The evolution of the video game industry is a prime example of how casino games that are not social by design, like slot machines, must evolve (e.g. Farmville, Mafia Wars created by Zynga).

As a consequence of the above description our casino floor and marketing programs must be constantly adapted. With about 75% of the real estate occupied by slots our biggest adjustments must be geared towards:  Focusing on products with exciting and rich content that foment participation  Creating gaming experiences that challenge the consumers  Creating integrated opportunities for gamers to participate with other customers as a way of “sharing their experience”

o Satchell, an International Game Technology executives and the former chief technology officer for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, said “if casinos expect the players of tomorrow to

It would not sound peculiar, then, to imagine in the near future:

spend money on slots, they’d better put players in their comfort zones by offering features they enjoy in the video games they play.”

 Maximum visibility, customization and quicker activations through the use of e-wallets and beacon technology.

o Next generation gamers are attracted to games that require “skill” as much as or more than games that are solely “chance” based.

 Changes in the way the machines are laid out on the floor— Going from an expansive distribution to more concentrated hubs in which games are played individually and/or as a group.

 Table games still carry an aura of “cool” that crosses all generations and are social interactions by nature (friends and strangers gather around a table for an experience).

 Full integration of lucrative Pro-

 All gaming elements should include social components that

connect customers to other gamers both physically and digitally  Interaction and gaming to begin before gamers set foot on property through social media and web based platforms such as myvegas. com  Gametech’s Patrick Crawford said, “The best hope for bricks-andmortar casinos is to have a strong online presence to attract the Gen X and Gen Y crowd that socialize and communicate online on a regular basis.” Additionally I think the challenge begins with rethinking the way our communication strategy is designed to effectively reach out to this next tech savvy, socially integrated generation. Imagining an interactive way of keeping the connection alive with existing customers through virtual social game participation will be a way of monetizing customer’s online activity that can later be redeemed at brick-and-mortar casinos. In very simple words we will soon be “incubating” our new customers virtually before they know everything about us and the games they’d play way before they set foot in our casino foors. There are some great examples of that happening now. MyVegas.com is being used by great companies like MGM to incubate new customers and get them embedded in the company products and programs long before they make their first trip to their physical properties. How ready are you?

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

There are key elements that are much more important to the next generation of gamers that will need to be placed at the forefront of the gaming experience if casinos are going to attract them

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US GAMING NEWS

Pennsylvania opposes Adelson’s Wire Act push a state right – letting states determine their own internet laws. The Representative is planning to put before a resolution to the state house next week to oppose two federal bills presented by Sen. Lindsey Graham & Rep. Jason Chaffetz supporting Adelson’s quest for a ban by resurrecting and strengthening the 1961 Wire Act, which would effectively remove states from deciding their own fate towards online gambling.

ennsylvania is not going along with Sheldon Adelson’s plans to try and resurrect the federal Wire Act bill that would stop individual states from enacting laws to allow for online gambling. Although Pennsylvania is having difficulties getting its own online bill through the house, but Representative Mike Sturla, a Democrat has launched an initiative to prevent federal interference in what he believes is

Sturla says that states are able to full decide their own fate and with the backing and support of the licensing & regulation commission can effectively control any online gambling legislation Pennsylvania feels necessary. He points out that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has the capability to establish an accountable & responsible regulatory structure through licensed operators to a form of gaming which is currently operating illegally with no consumer safe guards.

AGA under fire over online gambling switch fire from Jeffrey Haas the Head of US poker for Party Poker the Bwin.Party owned company.

In a recent interview with Bluff Magazine Mr.Haas said the AGA had betrayed the online gambling industry in the US after announcing that it would not support legalised online gambling. This follows a previous announcement from the AGA that it was fully in favour of the fledgling industry. Haas said that the industry body had taken the “cheap and easy way out” avoiding any confrontation from the two biggest opponents of online gambling, Sheldon Adelson & Steve Wynn. Supporting online gambling or not the AGA was in an impossible position with members of the association

both taking part in the sector and those totally against it, however it seems the AGA decided to fall on the side of two of the most powerful men in US land based gambling and ignored casino companies such as MGM and Caesars who are fully supportive of internet gambling in the country. Concluding the interview Haas said that New Jersey was not as successful at present as his company had hoped and expected the state to have delivered three or four times the business that it currently has. Bwin.Party recently announced in its financial report that it had lost 25% of its online European poker business to competitors and the firm is banking on the US to help revive its fortunes.

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

The American Gaming Association (AGA) came under

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US GAMING NEWS

MGM push for online poker in New York

t seems MGM the Las Vegas based casino operator really wants New Yorkers to be a part of the online poker industry in the US.

William Hill ready to offer sports betting in NJ

Following reports in the New York Times that the casino company that had revenues of over $10 billion in 2013 is looking to be a major force in the online gambling sector when more states pass legislation legalising online gambling.

However what is interesting is why the company is doing this as they have no casino in the state should New York legalise online gambling or have any bids to have a casino there. One industry observer believes that should New York allow online gambling servers based in New Jersey would be allowed to offer services to New York thus allowing MGM which has casinos in New Jersey and already offering online gambling to locals there. Analysts believe that New York residents gamble online about $110 million to offshore operators, should the state legalise online gambling and turn those players around to legal sites then the state could generate anywhere from $50 million to $80 million a year in taxes, with another $80 million from licenses to operate in the state. Currently it is understood that MGM is just trying to galvanize support in the state for a push on legislators in the future to legalise the sector with MGM at the head of the queue to enter the market once legislation has been passed. The casino operator sees online gambling as a major business opportunity for the company in the future and wants to be leading the charge in each and every state that considers online gambling reforms.

Should the battle for sports betting in New Jersey be won by governor Chris Christie then William Hill is ready to go live almost as soon as the court fight is over. The UK bookmaker which has a US division called William Hill Sports & Race Bar has alreadt fitted out the Monmouth Park race track and could be live to take bets as soon as the fight with the National Football leagues and the US Department of Justice who are opposing the legality of sports betting in New Jersey. It is a very important decision as last year Nevada took $3.6 billion in sports bets and many believe that New Jersey market could be even bigger opening up the whole of the East coast of America. JosAsher the boss of William Hill in the US said recently that his company William Hill Sports & Race Bar premises at the Monmouth Park race track was “built out & ready to go” in what he described as a potentially large market. “I believe the New Jersey market once fully up & going would be at least three times the Nevada market,” Asher said. “This is an area with some of the most storied franchises in American sports where billions of dollars are already bet on sports illegally.”

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

In postings on Twitter and Facebook which has been traced back to the company which started appearing two weeks ago the messages were clear “let New Yorkers play online poker.” The campaign called “Let NY Play” has been traced all the way back to MGM headquarters in Las Vegas says the Times article.

Build Your Brand, Business & Social Responsibility THE 8th INTERNATIONAL GAMING AWARDS NOMINATIONS OPEN

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

Categories for both Online & Land Based Gambling Industry CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 8TH NOVEMBER

GAMING NEWS

Ivey loses Crockfords court case

The 38-year-old American who is regarded as one of the world’s top poker players sued over a game of baccarat that he played at the casino over two days in August 2012. Following his winning streak Ivey left the casino and flew back to the US with the casino promising to wire his winning onward. However the money never arrived, only his initial deposit of £1 million. Genting Casinos UK, which owns Crockfords, said the technique of “edgesorting” Ivey used – which aims to provide the customer with an element of “first card advantage” – was not a legitimate strategy and that the casino had no liability to pay him.

“It is our policy not to discuss our clients’ affairs in public and we very much regret that proceedings were brought against us. We attach the greatest importance to our exemplary reputation for fair, honest and professional conduct and today’s ruling vindicates the steps we have taken in this matter.” Speaking through a spokesman, Ivey said: “ I am obviously disappointed with this judge’s decision. As I said in court, it is not my nature to cheat and I would never do any-

not entitled to recover his winnings. If he did not, he is.” “What Mr Ivey and Ms Sun did was to persuade the croupier to turn some of the cards in the dealing shoe to permit them to know that they were or were very likely to be sevens, eights or nines, and in circumstances where she did not realise she had done so – and, if she had, would have immediately stopped play. “The fact that Mr Ivey was genuinely convinced that he did not cheat and that the practice commanded considerable support from others was not determinative of the question of whether it amounted to cheating. “Mr Ivey had gained himself an advantage and did so by using a croupier as his innocent agent or tool.

thing to risk my reputation. “I am pleased that the judge acknowledged in court that I was a truthful witness.

Its lawyers told Mr Justice Mitting in London that Ivey’s conduct defeated the essential premise of the game of baccarat so there was no gaming contract or constituted cheating.

“I believe that what we did was a legitimate strategy and we did nothing more than exploit Crockfords’s failures to take proper steps to protect themselves against a player of my ability.

A spokesman for Crockfords said later: “Crockfords is pleased with the judgment of the high court today supporting its defence of a claim by Ivey.

“Clearly today the judge did not agree.” In his ruling, the judge said that the case turned on whether there was cheating: “If Mr Ivey cheated, he is

“It was not simply taking advantage of error on her part or an anomaly practised by the casino for which he was not responsible. “He was doing it in circumstances where he knew that she and her superiors did not know the consequences of what she had done at his instigation.” The judge concluded: “This is, in my view, cheating for the purpose of civil law.” Dismissing the case, with costs, he said it was immaterial that the casino could have protected itself by simple measures.

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

orld poker player Phil Ivey has lost his high court case against London casino Crockfords and will not receive the £7.7 million he won there back in 2012 the judge has ruled.

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ARTICLE

Casino Customer Service Lessons from An iPhone6 Purchase By Martin R. Baird Our feature writer Martin Baird in his October article sees what lessons from a recent visit he had to an AT&T store and how the casino industry can learn from it.

This is one of those occasions. A friend recently bent my ear about his customer service experience at an AT&T store when he and his wife upgraded their iPhones. He knows what I do for a living, so he knew I would be interested. Thankfully, it was a positive experience. He told me all about Sarah, the AT&T employee who handled the upgrade. When he finished, I was amazed. I want every employee at every casino on the planet to be like Sarah. Her customer service style draws heavily from what I have been training casino employees to do all the years I have consulted in the gaming industry.

But there’s more. Lately, I have been talking with gaming executives about the urgent need for a real-time customer feedback platform on their casino floor. AT&T doesn’t have such a platform and it really missed out on a golden opportunity to create positive buzz about the company at social media sites. Many casinos are missing out as well, not only for positive reviews but for real-time service recovery when something goes wrong. Enough from me. I asked my friend to put his service experience in words. So, let’s hear it from him. I have put his story in quotation marks. “I went to the AT&T store near our home in late September to see what kind of deal we could get on upgrades for our existing iPhones. My wife and I wanted the new iPhone6. By the luck of the draw, I ended up with Sarah. She knew I wasn’t going to make a purchase until my wife and I could be there together to trade in our old phones. Nevertheless, she made sure I had all the information I needed. There was no guarantee I would even return to an AT&T store. After all, there are competing retailers selling iPhones. But my wife and I returned to that AT&T store the next morning because Sarah had truly impressed me. “When we arrived at the store, I asked for Sarah. We had to wait for her, but it was worth it. Our upgrade was a bit complicated and there was a lot of data to transfer from our old phones. It took quite a while, but Sarah amazed us the entire time. She consistently delivered high-quality service for

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

’ve been helping casinos improve the quality of their customer service for more than 20 years and I’ve been writing about the topic of customer service just as long. Occasionally, I like to let other people speak for me just so readers can see that I’m not making all this stuff up.

ARTICLE

Now I want to turn my attention to real-time customer feedback and AT&T’s missed opportunity. Like I said, the AT&T store does not have such a feedback platform. It should! My friend would have been happy to give AT&T on-the-spot feedback about his customer service experience via his iPhone. Properly configured, such a platform would have instantly posted his praise on social media sites. Casinos are at a serious disadvantage with unhappy customers who go to such sites as TripAdvisor and Yelp to rant about their terrible gaming experience. Customers no longer ask for a manager to complain about poor service. They just use their smartphones to post tirades online. And those negative reviews are on the Internet forever. Wouldn’t it be better if customers could use the casino’s real-time feedback platform to communicate directly with the casino first? three solid hours. Let me say that again. For THREE HOURS, she helped us, educated us and entertained us.

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

“Sarah was friendly and engaging in a thoroughly genuine way. She smiled a lot. She was patient with us. Sarah was very knowledgeable and accurately answered all our questions. There was a lot of electronic paperwork for her to do on her iPad and she just zipped right along. Amazingly, she did all that paperwork while also listening my wife and I talk to each other. While blazing away on her iPad, she picked up on what we needed and she responded. Sarah is the best listener I’ve ever encountered. She had great ideas and suggestions. On top of all that, Sarah gave us a good deal. It was hands down the best customer service experience of my life.”

There are valuable lessons in my friend’s iPhone purchase story. First, give customers an amazing experience and they won’t have a reason to post negative online reviews. Second, deploy a real-time customer feedback platform and you will have a system for instantly gathering customer comments. The positive comments can be forwarded to social media sites for the world to see (and they can be used to thank the customer immediately face to face). The negative ones can be addressed before the guest even leaves the property. That’s real-time service recovery.

Martin R. Baird Bio

Wow! Maybe I should hire Sarah as a trainer for my company. Anyway, I want to highlight all the things Sarah does that make her a top-notch service ambassador for AT&T. It bears repeating. I love it that Sarah is friendly, engaging, genuine, smiling, knowledgeable about her job, patient with her customers and a great listener.

Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Robinson & Associ-

It likely will be a couple of years before my friend updates his iPhone again, but I feel strongly he will return to that AT&T store to do it. Think about your employees and your casino. If your employees are like Sarah, you will have what all casinos crave – repeat customers (who will certainly come back more than once every two years).

company’s Web sites at http://casinocustomerservice.com

ates, Inc., a Boise, Idaho-based consulting firm to the global

Or Read on App Store growth and profitability. Robinson & Associates is the world

gaming industry that is dedicated to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and generate future leader in casino guest experience measurement, management and improvement. For more information, visit the and www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com or contact the company at 208-991-2037. Robinson & Associates is a member of the Casino Management Association and an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.

They all laughed... Now they wished they had listened

Over 20 years of helping casinos measure, manage and improve guest service

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Martin R. Baird Bio

Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Ro

ates, Inc., a Boise, Idaho-based consulting firm

Feature Writer - Andrew Tottenham

Where next? Andrew Tottenham Our feature writer Andrew Tottenham for his October article looks at the future for casino expansion around the world.

I have been involved with the gambling industry since before the internet was born. My consulting career, which began in the 1980s, has taken me to many countries around the world , which has enabled me to learn about the vast cultural and regulatory differences surrounding the gaming industry – in all its forms, including casinos, slot machine halls, VLTs, lotteries and remote gambling - in all of these different places. Through this series of occasional articles for the Infinity Gaming Magazine I will be putting pen to paper (finger to keyboard) and writing about my experiences, knowledge and thoughts developed during more than thirty years in this industry.

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

n the past decade the now large gaming companies have benefitted enormously from the growth in the Macau market. What once was a $4 billion a year market has grown in a decade to over $45 billion in 2013. Although there has been a slowdown in recent months due to a government crackdown, gaming revenues a likely to grow again as the Chinese middle class grows and more and more of China becomes able to visit Macau. Some estimates put the annual gaming market at more than $100 billion. I am not sure I would go that far, it depends on what happens elsewhere, but it has a long way to go.

This massive and unprecedented growth (in the first few years of this century did any of us forecast it could be as large as it is today? ) has created a few problems for those operating there. I am not talking about the issues related to junkets, triads and money laundering – these are serious issues that should be addressed but not in this article. I am writing about where d the next phase of growth comes from for the large gaming companies that operate in Macau and elsewhere. It is a

broad-brush approach and slightly tongue in cheek. Las Vegas Sands , MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts, Melco, Crown, and Galaxy are all public companies with investors and stock analysts who have expectations that they have to have a pipeline of new projects to invest the cash that is being generated in their operations in Macau. Caesars is the only large gaming company not to be represented in Macau. Before merging with Caesars, Harrah’s decided not to pursue a license in Macau because it decided that operating in Macau would jeopardise its US gaming licenses and it continued with this policy after the merger with Caesars. A decision it has come to regret ever since; Caesars has been shut out of the largest gaming market in the world with very little hope of finding any entry. The expansion of casino gaming in the US is running out of steam (running out of States!). Massachusetts is currently selecting operators for 3 licenses (11 entities bid), New York has a contest to issue 4 licenses and after that possibly Florida, in a few years’ time is the only

Feature Writer - Andrew Tottenham

WHERE NEXT? major US market to open up to resort style gambling. Will iGaming be the answer? I doubt it, the inauspicious start in New Jersey and Nevada has made it increasingly difficult for a politician to stick his neck out and push for the legalisation of iGaming within his State; at a Federal level legalisation has stalled.

We still do not know what the gaming tax rate will be. When gaming swept across the US in the 90’s and the last decade rarely did new jurisdictions propose a tax rate lower than the jurisdictions where casino gambling had already been legalised. It was always higher. In general terms, exclusive licenses or a limited number can support a higher rate than jurisdictions where there is no limitation and operators are allowed to compete. When it comes to gaming tax in Japan I am sure that canny government officials will certainly be looking at the examples of Macau and Singapore and wondering if operators wanting to enter the Japanese market would tolerate higher gaming tax rates. My guess is that it will be higher. South Korea could represent an opportunity and Caesars is already involved in a joint-venture that is developing a resort in Inchon. However, Korean nationals are

not allowed to gamble in Korean casinos except in one; Kangwon Land Casino about a three to four hour bus ride from Seoul. The town used to have a mine, its only employer, but when it closed as compensation they were allowed to open a casino – makes sense! Given its poor mountain location the operator argued that they only way they could make it work would be if locals were allowed to play. They were issued a license with the exclusive right to allow Korean nationals to gamble. Today this casino generates approximately the same revenue as the other sixteen Korean casinos combined. It is very difficult to make an Integrated Resort Casino to work unless there is a sufficiently large local popula-

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So if it is not the US, where else? Asia is certainly a possibility but there are not many opportunities that these companies can pursue. Japan is the Holy Grail; no one is yet sure how many licenses will be offered nor what the tax rate will be. I have heard of only two licenses being issued; one for each of Tokyo and Osaka (although the Mayor of Tokyo is lukewarm about the idea) and I have heard as many as six. However many licenses are issued the real prizes for the large gaming companies are Tokyo and Osaka. If each city has the right to offer one license, two large gaming companies will be happy, unless they suffer the winner’s curse and the rest will have to make do with smaller opportunities or not compete for them. Timing is also an issue. Much has written or spoken about getting the resorts open prior to the 2020 Olympics. My view is that is a deadline that will be impossible to meet. When you consider the time needed to pass the legislation, public tender, design and construction of the facility, being open before 2020 will not happen. An additional consideration is whether you want to be building a large resort in Tokyo at the same time as the Olympic facilities are being built. This would mean competition for materials and labour as well as City planning approvals; I know what will be the Government’s priority.

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

Feature Writer - Andrew Tottenham

WHERE NEXT?

Another possible opportunity might be the Philippines but this market is in danger of becoming overbuilt and so the market could not support the addition of a multi-billion dollar Integrated Resort. This then leaves countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Whilst gambling is legal in these countries, the lack of a proper legal infrastructure and stability and the ever present corruption (Transparency International’s Corruption Index ranks them 116, 160 and 140 respectively out of a list of 177 countries) makes it impossible for large licensed gaming companies to do business there. India? Thailand? Goa has an “on again, off again” relationship with the casino boats that does not build the confidence

necessary to invest and elsewhere initiatives to legalise gaming have failed early on due to the massive opposition. I have learnt from experience never to say “never” but it will be a long time before these countries allow anything like large Integrated Resorts. Where else in the world? South America perhaps. The big prize is Brazil. Again massive opposition from entrenched industry and religious groups makes the legalisation of large Integrated Resorts difficult any time soon. Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia all have thriving casino gambling industries. The general theme for South America is that political and economic instability, currency controls plus the perception of corruption makes multi-billion dollar investments all but impossible. So that leaves Europe. But gaming in Europe is overtaxed, over-regulated and anyway as we all know, Europeans don’t gamble!

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

Without this the operation is dependent on flying in overseas customers. The volume of customers you would need to support $2, $3 or $4 billion is substantial. It is doubtful that the Korean Government would break the exclusive license of Kangwon and allow locals to play. Without this Korea is not much of an opportunity for the large gaming companies.

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GAMING NEWS

Bet365 accused of profiteering in Chinese online market

In the report from the Guardian it says that Bet365 sports betting is now three times larger than William Hill’s own sports business and seven times larger than that of Ladbrokes and has seen a jump of 78% in their online business over two years.

The newspaper report says that they have acquired interviews from current and former employees of the firm stating those facts along with Freedom of information requests made to the UK Gambling Commission & an analysis of foreign-language media reports. Stoke based gambling firm that has used leading actor Ray Winston to promote their adverts has said the newspaper grown into one of the world’s leading online sports betting companies helped by the Chinese gamblers who risk prison by betting on the companies illegal websites within the country.

However Bet 365 says that by offering their services online in China it has not broken any laws, even thou the newspaper says that chinese national have been arrested for interacting with Bet365 online among other online betting websites. It is reported that Bet365 frequently changes its website addresses in China, thereby side-stepping attempts by local regulators to close sites down. Along with the company setting up a complex payments system that allows it to take bets in the Chinese currency. Another interesting part of the report says that Bet365 only makes 50% of its £1.3 billion profits from regulated licensed countries.

Within the Guardian report it says that Bet365 which has no physical presence in China has set up a warren of online betting sites that are able to avoid Chinese government attempts to close them down.

All of Bet365 competitors who are all Plc listed William Hill, Betfair, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power say they do not take bets from within the Chinese territory.

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

n a damming report from leading UK newspaper The Guardian, it says that online gambling firm Bet 365 has knowingly and willing flouted Chinese anti-gambling laws to make millions in profits.

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GAMING NEWS

Northern Ireland block casino proposal

orthern Ireland social development minister Nelson McCausland has almost certainly put an end to the hopes of UK casino operator Rank Group for casinos in Belfast by stating that the self-governing country will not consider changing the laws. It is a blow to the UK’s largest casino operator as the company felt there was an opportunity there, however McCausland said “that he felt there was simply no appetite for casinos in Northern Ireland and he was surprised that the company had not made its plans clear last year, when an indepth review of local gambling laws took place. “I’m not quite sure what their thinking is, but it was surprising

that they didn’t contribute to the discussion,”McCausland said. “It’s a bit late now in the day to come along because we are about to take a package of proposals to the executive and to the assembly and I want to go to the assembly with the changes in the gambling legislation next year.” The minister added that Rank had made no contact with his department.

The country is looking to update their current gambling laws and Rank who run Grosvenor Casinos was hoping that the time was right for discussions into a casino, however it is now clear that the government will look at only protecting the young from the dangers of gambling along with enforcing more controls on social responsibility.

SafeCharge sign deal with Rank

afecharge have announced that The Rank Group Plc (Rank), owner of bingo site Mecca Bingo and UK casino brand Grosvenor Casinos, has deployed SafeCharge’s Secure Payments Platform, Risk Management and PCI

As part of its commitment to providing best in class customer service, Rank wanted to find ways to enhance security around its customers’ sensitive card data. After looking at a number of options, the company opted for SafeCharge’s secure Payment Platform, and PCI descoping and Risk solutions because of its ad-

vanced technologies and industry expertise, as well as improving the customer experience. By outsourcing the storing and transmitting of sensitive debit and credit card information to SafeCharge, Rank will reduce costs, manpower, time, and make the auditing process simpler.

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

Descoping solutions for all of its UK customer facing digital businesses.

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

ASIAN GAMING NEWS

More delays for Japan casino bill

current session in order to ensure that casino resorts will be up and running before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

ernment ministers resigning this week getting the bill passed into law even in early 2015 could prove difficult.

The news is a major blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who wants to push the bill to be legalised in the

Casino operators Las Vegas Sands, Genting Singapore, MGM Resorts, Galaxy Resorts and Melco Crown Entertainment are waiting for the green light to start bidding for licenses but with delays expected once more and with also two gov-

Already compromises have been made to coalition leaders on restrictions for Japanese nationals playing in casinos and with just over 5 years left till the Olympics operators and the Prime Minister are running out of time.

enior officials involved in the coalition government in Japan are saying that the gambling bill will almost certainly not pass in the current parliamentary session that ends on the 30th November, meaning it will carry over to early January 2015.

Macau September revenues fall by 12%

The figure is the biggest fall in revenues since 2009, however the decline was expected to be in that region by most analyst’s. Most of the decline in revenues was put down to a fall in mass market customers along with VIP numbers still falling as mainland China continues its corruption hearings. With Hong Kong seeing democracy demonstrations and with many gamblers either coming from or going to Hong Kong during their trips to Macau, it was

expected that the revenues fall would be greater than normal.

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

Macau the world’s largest gambling hub has suffered its fourth consecutive revenue fall with September figures just released. Total revenues reported from Macau were $3.2 billion for the month a 12% fall from the same month in 2013.

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

ASIAN GAMING NEWS

Japan considers conditions of entry for locals to casinos

The parliament is due to discuss in the coming weeks the gambling bill that would allow casino resorts to be built for the first time ever on the mainland, however strong opposition from parties against casinos are threatening to block the bill if something is not done to protect the 128 million Japanese residents from problem gambling.

This latest revision would boost the chances that the bill will be passed before the end of 2014 but it is still not clear if it will gain enough support in its current format to pass. In the report shown to news agencies in the country it said: “The government, for the purpose of preventing the negative effects of casino facilities by non-foreign visitors, will take necessary measures regarding admittance and capacity…,” said the amended section to the bill. With this new revised writing of the bill that is causing Prime Minister who is in favour of casino resorts major headaches it said: The revision would avoid banning Japanese Nationals entry outright and limiting casinos to foreign tourists.

It says that it could possibly enforce an entry fee or conditions for entry by locals. What those conditions are is unclear and how an entry fee system for local players only would work in reality is doubtful. Sheldon Adelson who has said previously that his Las Vegas Sands company would invest $10 billion in Japan casino resorts would certainly change that investment amount following a conference call to analysts this week by saying: “From our standpoint, I will say that we will not be interested in Japan or any other country on a foreigners-only basis. We can’t do that. Our business model won’t allow it.”

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

apan seems to be flip flopping on the question of allowing locals to enter casinos in the country, under pressure to ensure the gambling bill passes parliament by opposition parties the government have now said it could place limits on Japanese nationals entering or gambling within the proposed casino resorts.

FEATURE ARTICLE

Winning Through Terms and Conditions Professor I. Nelson Rose By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. (gamesation.co.uk)

© 2014, I. Nelson Rose. Prof. Rose is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on gambling law, and is a consultant and expert witness for governments and industry. His latest books, INTERNET GAMING LAW (1st and 2nd editions), BLACKJACK AND THE LAW and GAMING LAW: CASES AND MATERIALS, and the recently published GAMING LAW IN A NUTSHELL, are available through his website, www.GAMBLINGANDTHELAW.com.

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

he amazing thing is not that 7,500 customers signed away their immortal souls to a website, but that 12% of the patrons actually discovered this provision, buried in the Terms and Conditions. There would probably have been even fewer, if GameStation had not included a hyper-linked option that read “click here to nullify your soul transfer,” and rewarded anyone who clicked with a coupon worth £5.

The 2013 independent film “Terms and Conditions May Apply” is as frightening as any horror flick; more so, because it is a documentary. It shows how virtually everyone has signed away their rights to privacy. Giant corporations, like FaceBook, harvest immense amounts of information from anyone who agrees to their T&Cs. They then use that date to personalize ads. And they freely give the information to the federal government. Lawyers for gaming sites understand the power of contractual terms hidden deep within T&Cs. When it became difficult for banks and others to process credit card

payments by players from the United States, Lasseters Online gave itself the option of accepting only wired money and checks. “Lasseters Online’s “Players Charter,” which gamblers must agree to in order to register. “Lasseters Online may at their discretion restrict Players from particular Countries/States from depositing funds to their Player account via Credit Card or other methods where required. Players who reside in these regions may therefore deposit to their player account via Telegraphic Transfer or bank cheque only.” After the FBI raided Second Life, the website banned all gambling. Other online worlds kept casino and other games of chance, but put in restrictions that their virtual currency could not be transferred to other players. To deal with the problem of “farming”, where entrepreneurs in countries like China would pay a few dollars to workers to play for hours to win magic swords and other valuable items, sites forbad players to sell these virtual goods on secondary markets.

The ability of a gaming operator to collect on a player’s debt depends upon which jurisdiction has been chosen in the T&C’s choice of laws provision. In fact, the legality of the entire operation requires the site’s lawyer to carefully choose which state or nation provides the controlling law.

Even better than arbitration, for the reluctant defendant, is a strong choice of forum clause. Party Poker won a nice victory in federal court in Ohio, because its Terms and Conditions said that all disputes would be heard in the courts of Gibraltar. The suit had the potential to be a major headache for Party Poker. The plaintiffs, Rose Wong and Patrick Gibson, had filed a class action, claiming they “and others similarly situated” had lost money because other players with multiple accounts had colluded against them. So why would Party Poker be liable? Wong and Gibson claimed Party Poker knew about the collusion and did nothing to prevent it. The plaintiffs’ claim was weak from the start. They quoted from Party Poker’s “Collusion Prevention Statement” on its website, to prove that Party Poker did nothing to prevent collusion. Of course, the Statement actually warned about collusion and described the ways Party Poker

was trying to identify and eliminate players who collude. But we will never know if plaintiffs would have been able to convince an American jury to give them big bucks, because the Court dismissed the lawsuit and told them to refile in Gibraltar. Party Poker’s lawyers had included clear choice of law and choice of forum provisions in the site’s Terms and Conditions. Players had to agree that the law of Gibraltar applied to the players’ Agreement, and that players “irrevocably agree to submit, for the benefit of the Company, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Gibraltar for settlement of any disputes . . .” Courts are split on whether forum selection clauses like this are enforceable. Ten years ago, a Texas player sued a California online gaming company operating Funscape’s Casino Royale in his local court. The federal court in Texas refused to enforce a clause that said all disputes would “be resolved exclusively by final and binding arbitration in the City of San Jose, County of Santa Clara, State of California.”

The Judge, probably incorrectly, decided that this was not really a forum selection clause, because it did not expressly say that all lawsuits must be filed in California. More importantly, the Judge noted that the clause was “buried” in the site’s online Agreement, which nobody reads. And he went on to hold that the state of Texas’s interest in protecting its citizens outweighed the Agreement. Today, the trend is to enforce online T&C agreements, especially if patrons have to click on buttons to show that they have supposedly read them. Of course, courts will not enforce terms of contracts, like choice of forum provisions, if a party has been induced to sign through fraud or misrepresentation. But this is difficult to prove. he Ohio Judge in the Party Poker case, Ann Aldrich, noted that the plaintiffs had not claimed that Party Poker’s forum selection clause was unknown to them. She quoted the boilerplate clause found in all online Agreements that patrons are required to read and agree to the Terms and Conditions.

BUSINESSMAG • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

If operators are afraid of being hit with punitive damages, or even just bad publicity, their lawyers include provisions for mandatory arbitration in the T&C’s. Arbitrators rarely award exemplary damages; in fact, it is not even clear that they have that power. And there is no right of the public, including the press, to be present at arbitrations, as there is with court proceedings.

InfinityGaming • ISSUE OCTOBER 2014

The proper procedure for enforcing a forum selection clause is a motion to dismiss under forum non conveniens, which requires the court to weigh all the interests at stake, in particular the convenience of witnesses and the importance the case has for the various jurisdictions involved. Until fairly recently, courts often seemed to feel that corporations could fight lawsuits anywhere, while individuals lacked the time and money to go to trial in another state, let alone another country. That position has been changed radically under my former classmate, Chief Justice Roberts, and the four other conservative members of the U.S. Supreme Court. In case after case, the High Court has sided with corporations and other businesses on almost every issue. This is especially true in issues involving personal jurisdiction, where the Court has held that injured individuals could not force out-of-state and foreign companies to defend claims by individuals in the victims’ home state courts. Judge Aldrich held the factors to be weighed for a finding of forum non conveniens, weighed in Party Poker’s favor. After noting the T&C’s express forum selection clause, she

went on to hold that the plaintiffs would get a fair trial in Gibraltar, which has a court system similar to England’s. Most importantly, the Judge dismissed the U.S. suit, “because of the clear difficulties” Party Poker would have “in trying a case in a different country from where the business, its documents, and witnesses are likely located.”

Smith, Catharine, “7,500 Online Shoppers Accidentally Sold Their Souls To Gamestation,” Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost. com/2010/04/17/gamestationgrabs-souls-o_n_541549.html, Posted 6/17/2010. Id. The “first day of the fourth month” is also known as April’s Fool Day. Lasseters Online, Terms and Conditions, § 10.6, http:// www.lasseters.com. au/footer/terms. asp (May 2002), quoted in Gottfried, Jonathan, “The Federal Framework for Internet Gambling,” 10 Rich. J.L. & Tech. 26 at n.88 (Spring, 2004). Sato, Gregory M., Nicholas R. Monlux, “Punitive Damages and Attorneys’ Fees in Arbitration: a Case of Form Following Function,” 15 Haw. B.J. 4 (Nov., 2011).

Judge Aldrich’s decision can be persuasive for other online operators. And the most interesting factor that was conspicuous by its absence was the question of legality. Would the result have been the same if the plaintiffs had claimed that Party Poker, but not they, were violating Ohio’s anti-gambling laws? END Notes from inserts used:

Warea, Stephen J., “Punitive Damages in Arbitration: Contracting out of Government’s Role in Punishment and Federal Preemption of State Law,” 63 Fordham L. Rev. 529 (Nov., 1994). Wong v. Partygaming Ltd., 589 F.3d 821 (6th Cir. 2009). Thompson v. Handa–Lopez, Inc., 998 F.Supp. 738 (D.W.D. Texas 1998).

INFORMATION

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