E-PLAY MAGAZINE 1/2018 (Nr 3 ENG)

GAMBLING MAGAZINE NO. 1/2018

Resumption of the investigation into the “gambling scandal” Some comments on the need to introduce abolition

One arm bandits

Casino security

Styczeń 2018

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From the Publisher The next New Year, like every new year brings major changes, and new solutions should be expected in this one, respect both in terms of the law and the operability of the existing regulations. Although the change of gambling law in Poland has passed all year long, it has not been possible to take full advantage of the chance to improve the situation of gambling in Poland, as local politicians wanted.

On the market you can still find gaming machines in operation, but spectacular actions by customs officers did not change the habits of the players. New forms of gambling have emerged: through tablets or internet terminals placed in consumption points, difficult to control or subject to punishment. And the punishment, whose great heights politicians and officials proclaim, can not be denied and are only in the sphere of statistics, which is typical of the Potemkin activities.

Casinos that have introduced a tax on winnings (and even as a result of an error, also from losses) suffer as much as other sectors of the industry. It may soon turn out that running casinos will become unprofitable and as nowhere else in the world they will start to bring losses, which will lead to their immediate closure.

Bookmakers welcomed the new year with impediments, the ban on running bets through dedicated terminals was also extended by officers’ orders to ordinary internet terminals. None of the licensed bookmakers will risk losing a license because of differences in the assessment of law by omnipotent officials interpreting the interpretation of the law in their own way.

Table of contents: Resumption of the investigation into the„gambling scandal” str. 4

Some comments on the need to introduce abolition in the application of the Gambling Act str. 8

PROMATIC GROUP – Join us to win! str. 12

Casino security: how casinos around the world protect their money? str. 15

NOVOMATIC Americas partners with Foxwoods Resort Casino to debut ETG system in the US str. 18

Forecasts of the bookmaking market for 2018 str. 21

Amendments to the gambling law have opened the way to legitimate bookmakers from abroad str. 24

Expected and repeatedly announced development of the network of arcade games salons has not even emerged from the sphere of projects, the supplier of the network management system is unknown, unknown are types of machines, on which operational activities will be carried out, or even a certain location does not exist. Similarly, it is happening with the start of the online casino activity. In addition to fictitious movements to choose a software, games and system supplier, nothing has changed the ubiquitous state of apathy.

Exclusive Interview with Iryna Sergienko, CEO of the Ukrainian Gaming Industry Association

But gambling exists and is doing very well, still lots of players participate in the favorite form of entertainment but in the so-called in the gray zone. Poker players still go to tournaments in the Czech Republic and online players with a great range of casinos and bookmakers offer, benefit from the possibility of venting their whims, regardless of prohibitions and difficulties.

Internet terminals for bookmakers

And only fraudsters in the game „three mugs” are stigmatized and hunted, which is sometimes reported by the publics or law enforcement agencies. But this can change, scammers will soon go to their heads. Observing the State surrounded by chaos and lack of consistency in action, they can start organizing their games online.

And it will probably happen much faster than the opening of the National Online Casino or National Slot Salons.

Iwo Bulski - publisher

str. 28

Bookmakers on TV – how to deal with it in Poland? str. 31

str. 34

Paymenticon - your electronic wallet str. 37

One-armed bandits – how the slot machines evolved str. 39

Live Casino - live dealer on your computer str. 43

E-gambling in the third quarter of 2017 str.46

The Sting - a super scam str. 49

A master of climate and temptation str. 51

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Resumption of the investigation into the „gambling scandal” Iwo Bulski

Resumption of the investigation regarding the so-called „the gambling scandal” gives the chance to present charges against former minister Kapica, the main perpetrator of changes and devastation of normalized gambling in Poland after 2009.

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he prosecutor’s office resumes the suspended investigation regarding the gambling scandal. This proceeding concerns decisions of Ministry of Finance officials from 2006-09 regarding the registration of thousands of gaming machines with low prizes.

The prosecutor conducting the investigation, who wanted to charge charges against the then deputy finance minister Jacek Kapica, was

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removed from the proceedings and the long-term investigation was discontinued. At present, by the decision of the national prosecutor Bogdan Święczkowski, after re-examining the files, it was considered that the investigation should be resumed. „The gambling scandal” broke out at the beginning of October 2009, after the publication of the article in „Rzeczpospolita”. The CBA’s materials

revealed at the time by investigative journalists showed that the then-then: the head of the club PO Zbigniew Chlebowski and the minister of sport Mirosław Drzewiecki had during the work on the changes in the gambling law to work for businessmen from the gambling industry. Both denied it, but soon lost their lucrative positions.

Proceedings regarding low-prize slot machines have been conducted since

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2009 by the department of organized crime and corruption, the then Appellate Prosecutor’s Office in Bialystok.

The media then informed that in the case - in which allegations were heard by about 200 people: owners of companies with slot machines, customs officers and MF officials - the deputy minister of finance and the head of the customs service Jacek Kapica also had to plead notices of failure to perform official duties.

From February 2008 Jacek Kapica was the deputy minister of finance, responsible for customs services. When in 2009 the gambling scandal struck the PO-PSL government (the CBA overheard conversations between businessmen from the gambling industry and politicians of the ruling camp), Kapica was hailed as „the sheriff”, playing the role of a positive hero. However, it was only thanks to his decisions that it was not possible to bring about changes in the law that would give the gambling industry some simplification, while also regulating the incorrect implementation regulations, which was reported both by representatives of companies and units testing gaming machines.

However, Kapica could have problems due to the dumping of slot machines, which in the years 2003-2009 accord-

ing to the information provided in the official bulletins of the customs service was about 55 thousand. After the outbreak of the gambling scandal, there was a search for negligence and distortions in the activities of the Ministry of Finance and units testing slot machines. It was found after many controls that the machines operated allowed for high stakes (thanks to the accumulation of winnings), not for single wins of several dozen zlotys.

However, this was in line with the applicable laws and regulations, which invariably (despite the suggestions of the representatives of the research units) have not been adjusted to the legislator’s intentions. According to later estimates of the Ministry of Finance, the state treasury could lose up to several billion zlotys, because the machines were similar in its solvency to those located in casinos and arcades.

The prosecution was possible because the customs officers, tax officials and the Ministry of Finance, especially Deputy Minister Kapica, who overcame them, did not take care of their duties. About 200 people heard complaints in this matter, mainly owners of slot machines and importing companies, customs officers and several high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Finance. Most cases were discontinued and the allegations against the business owners were dis-

missed. However, as early as in 2013, investigators from Bialystok wanted to charge charges against Kapica. In their opinion, even as the head of the Customs Chamber in Szczecin, he knew that higher pay rates could be won on machines, because the Ministry was sent to the ministry for this matter.

Prosecutors assumed that Kapica knows about other signals that reached the ministry, being already a deputy minister (referring to the letters from branch companies and industry sector of the GPiOUR Chamber). As a deputy minister, as part of the official supervision, he should commission inspections in the units that examined the machines before they were registered (tests confirmed that the machines are legal) issuing specific approval for these devices, and stop further registration of machines. According to investigators, Kapica created the belief that the state accepts such a business, despite repeated letters and willingness to explain these issues by representatives of legally operating licensed industry companies.

By a coincident, the allegation was revoked, and the proceedings were taken away from the prosecutor who led them. The Warsaw district prosecutor’s office eventually discontinued the investigation of this matter on April 7, 2011.

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Already in 2014, the General Prosecutor’s Office intervened on these charges. However, it was recognized that there was no evidence that Kapica knew about the scale of the procedure. Was also pointed out that the then deputy minister was burdened only with the confessions of an official from the ministry of Anna C., who had herself charged and who had the greatest responsibility for the inaction of officials. According to many interested parties, the solution to this scandal was a classic example of a „scapegoat”, thus dismissing the right course of action. The fact is that Anna C. was responsible for matters relating to gambling activities in the ministry long before Kapica became deputy minister. In the opinion of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Anna C. was able to transfer responsibility to her supervisor in this way.

Investigators from Bialystok as a result of unaccountable decisions to this day, have given up the idea of making Kapica’s allegations. The prosecutor’s office in Białystok, the prosecutor from

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Białystok, dismissed the action of the investigation into the responsibility of officials from the Ministry of Finance and forwarded it to the prosecutor’s office in Poznań in a rather bizarre manner. After transporting hundreds of volumes and attempting to get acquainted with this case by a prosecutor who had no experience and knowledge of the subject, it was understandable that it was about slowing down or switching to other tracks of the investigation through such obstructive actions. In March 2017, the General Prosecutor’s Office decided to discontinue the investigation against all seven high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Finance (which was not informed at that time).

Public opinion learned about it at the end of October 2017, when the National Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that, on the order of the public prosecutor Bogdan Święczkowski, this remission was being analyzed.

The currently resumed investigation provides an opportunity to

clarify the role played by Minister Kapica and its officials and to bring to justice those who have led to a complete chaos of gambling activities in Poland.

The result of the omissions and conscious decision taken on the minister’s stool by the incumbent Jacek Kapica, was a complete paralysis and destruction of the structures of legally operating companies possessing legally valid licenses issued by state institutions. Also thanks to such actions, it happened that for the next 7 years after the rapid change of the gambling law in Poland, there was a situation where the financial benefits were drawn only by the organizers of gambling in the so-called „gray zone”.

The decision of only one official in the rank of deputy minister led to the fact that the existing state of law became lawlessness and the credibility of politicians and officials involved in gambling. activities has dropped to zero.

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Some comments on the need to introduce abolition in the application of the Gambling Act The Act on Gambling of November 19, 2009, which came into force on January 1, 2010, has caused and continues to evoke much controversy regarding the application of its provisions by customs and tax authorities and courts. Apart from the political context of its adoption, it should be recalled that due to doubts about the technical nature of the provisions of art. 6 par. 1 and art. 14 par. 1, it was twice of interest to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

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n the matter of its interpretation, the most important judicial bodies of the Polish state - the Constitutional Tribunal, the Supreme Administrative Court or the Supreme Court - many times expressed their opinion.

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From the point of view of those who write these words - lawyers involved in conducting both penal and fiscal proceedings regarding acts in art.

107 § 1 of the Fiscal Penal Code, as well as proceedings in the area of

fines imposed pursuant to art. 89 of the Gambling Act, currently occurring discrepancies in the case law of common courts, regarding cases from 2010-2016, require legislators to take systemic solutions that would

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override or at least reduce the negative legal consequences for persons operating in this period of activity in the form of gaming machines, providing services or renting premises for the needs of such activity.

It should be remembered that the nodal problem of applying the gambling act were the aforementioned provisions of art. 6 par. 1 and art. 14 par. 1. The first of them specified that the activity in the field of arranging gaming machines (as well as other games) can only be carried out on the basis of concessions, the other limited the place of arranging such games to casinos.

From the very beginning of the Act, entities operating in the gambling industry, as well as persons against whom acts were prosecuted for acts under art. 107 § 1 of the Penal Fiscal Code, indicated that the above regulations as technical, can not be applied in the Polish legal order due to the failure of the Polish legislator to notify the European Commission.

In a landmark judgment of 19 July 2012, issued in cases C-213/11, C 214/11 and C217 / 11, the Court of Justice of the European Union, answering the question of the Regional Administrative Court in Gdańsk, unequivocally indicated that provisions such as art. 14 par. 1 of the Gambling Act can not be applied by the Polish

administration of justice, because they constitute „technical regulations” within the meaning of EU Directive 98/34 EC (point 25 of the substantiation for the judgment). As pointed out by the Tribunal, if we are dealing with such provisions as the provisions of the Gambling Act, they should be forwarded to the European Commission for notification, and a breach of the obligation to notify is a serious procedural error, the consequence of which is the recognition of the Gambling Act they are ineffective and can not be the basis for the decisions of national courts.

The ruling of the Court in Luxembourg was a turning point within the meaning of the notion of technical provisions of the Act by the Polish judicial system. Experience from the years 2012-2015 shows that during this period, common courts using the decision of the EU judicial body, most often released the accused from criminal liability for arranging games without vending machines, discontinuing proceedings or issuing acquittals. The Supreme Court, which in its decision of November 27, 2014, ref. No. Act II KK 55/14, supporting the pro-European interpretation of Polish law, even signaled the possibility of State Treasury liability in the event of non-notified provisions of the Gambling Act by public authorities.

Not without significance was also the voice of legal environment,

which almost unanimously supported the recognition of both non-notified provisions of the Act as technical.

The view on the technical nature of the provisions of the Gambling Act changed only as a result of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union on October 13, 2016. in Case C-303/15, which, responding to the question of the Regional Court in Łódź, considered that the provision of art. 14 par. 1 of the Act is a technical regulation, but refused such an attribute of art. 6 par. 1.

The consequence of the above ruling was the resolution of seven judges of the Supreme Court of January 19, 2017, in Case No. I KZP 16/17, in which it was stated that the lack of notification excludes the possibility of applying a crime under Art. 107 § 1 k.k. the provision of art. 14 par.

1 of the Act of November 19, 2009 on Gambling Games (Journal of Laws of 2015, item 612) in its original wording. However, art. 6 par. 1 of this Act could and may still be a supplement to the blank standard contained in art. 107 § 1 k.k.s., if the circumstances of the particular case allow to determine that this provision is applicable and has been violated.

As you can see, the change in the Supreme Court’s position was diametrical and raises some doubts.

The same composition of the judges

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suspending proceedings on 14 October 2015 pending the court’s preliminary ruling in Luxembourg, ruled that the question of the technical nature of the provisions of Article 6 par. 1 and art. 14 par. 1 in the aspect of Directive 98/34 / EC can not raise doubts.

The unambiguous wording of the resolution led to the courts immediately commencing the proceedings suspended so far and recognizing these matters.

What is the shape of the judicial line in cases concerning acts under Art. 107 § 1 of the Tax Penal Code? By making some generalizations it can be said that criminal courts generally rule in two ways. The first type of judgments is usually convictions, which, citing the above-mentioned resolution of the Supreme Court,

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eliminate art. 14 par. 1 of the Gambling Act, leaving only Art. 6 par. 1 of this Act. The second group are judgments acquitting or discontinuing criminal proceedings, which in their justifications indicate the actions of defendants under the influence of error. The marginal group of judgments is the one in which guilt is admitted, but the courts treat the accused in a gentle manner, conditionally discontinuing criminal proceedings or even renouncing the penalty.

Particular attention should be paid to decisions broadly speaking about the possibility of the defendants acting under the influence of error.

Courts pointing to a specific legal chaos in this period rightly argue that even an entrepreneur, a person from whom one should expect greater awareness in terms of knowledge of the law, can not

bear the negative consequences caused by an incorrect interpretation of the Gambling Act. Paradoxically, described situations may lead, for example, to extremely different treatment of a citizen by courts operating in the same country, and adjudicating on the basis of the same legal provisions. The territorial scope of activity of entities from the gambling industry, covering the entire country, indicates that such situations may occur.

Lack of information about the number of pending proceedings, both at the stage of pre-trial and court proceedings, does not allow to determine what is the scale of the described problem. Experience based on the conducted proceedings may suggest that it is significant and may concern several thousand people in Poland in conservative estimates.

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People who, what is worth stressing, may potentially be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment.

Therefore, what remedies could be taken to eliminate such a situation giving rise to negative consequences for the citizen?

Such a solution is a somewhat forgotten institution of abolition.

To simplify matters, abolition consists in abandoning the prosecution of a specific category of crimes. Intro-

which allowed for continued use by a user without a license from his computer program. Finally, the concept of tax abolition introduced in 2002 by Minister Grzegorz Kołodko, aimed at taxing the undisclosed income with a lower tax rate, which was finally declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Tribunal.

Undoubtedly, the introduction of abolition in the field of offenses under art. 107 § 1 of the Fiscal Penal Code, it would be an extremely desirable solution.

ing custodial sentences is a straightforward path to its insolvency. Which, as a consequence, puts a strain on the state budget.

A separate issue is the temporal scope of acts covered by the abolition. It seems that the starting date should be the day of entry into force of the act, that is January 1, 2010. By contrast, the turning point of this period - be it the resolution of the Supreme Court of January 19, 2017 - or the more rational day preceding the introduction of the latest amendment to the Gambling Act providing for the monopolisation of the gaming machines sector, that is March 31, 2017.

This text does not cover all the issues related to the possibility of abolition.

The arguments raised were focused on the question of penal responsibility.

It also seems that there are no contraindications as to the possibility of extending its application also to financial penalties imposed under the Gambling Act. They do not have the character of tax liabilities, but constitute a quasi-punitive measure of repression, which is in fact similar to criminal liability.

duced by a legal act of a statutory rank, it contains an order not to initiate criminal proceedings or cancellations initiated earlier. In other words, abolition, without denying the fact of committing a prohibited act, prohibits the procedural authorities from conducting criminal proceedings in this respect. Thus, he frees the accused from the possibility of assigning him criminal liability.

The concept of abolition, going beyond criminal policy, was used in other branches of law. By way of example, legal regulations may be provided for foreigners who, illegally staying in the territory of the Republic of Poland, had to leave its borders, so that they could cross them again on a legal basis. Of course, without any negative consequences. Another example is the so-called „Computer abolition”, introduced by the law on copyright and related rights,

First of all, it would enable a uniform treatment of citizens conducting business activity consisting in arranging games on machines or renting premises for such activities, who were convinced as to the legality of their actions under the influence of the judicial decisions of that time.

Secondly, the redemption of several or depending on the estimates of several thousand criminal proceedings would lead to significant savings in the state budget. The costs of proceedings, a significant part of which is generated by experts’ opinions in the field of testing gaming machines, would not unnecessarily burden the State Treasury. Even considering the fact that he was convicted of an act under art. 107 § 1 of the Penal Fiscal Code will be charged with these costs, the potential multiple of these convictions, increasing the size of fines, and even ultimately adjudicat-

The intention of the authors is that this article will start a discussion on the possibility of introducing „gambling abolition” in the Polish legal order. The representatives of other fields of science, such as economy, psychology and sociology could also speak out about the purposefulness of this solution. A valuable voice in the discussion would be the comment of people directly affected by the consequences of legal regulations passed in 2009. advocate Maciej Kostecki legal advisor Dawid Sokołowski

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PROMATIC GROUP – Join us to win!

The largest gambling Expo in Europe is fast approaching – ICE Totally Gaming in London, February 6th - 8th. Participating in the event, among the world leaders of the industry, is the foremost provider of gambling systems from Poland – PROMATIC.

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ROMATIC GROUP is the largest Polish producer of slot machines, systems and games for the gambling industry. Its presence is among the European, African and Central American markets. During the previous ICE

Expo, the company presented its own products and solutions to a considerable interest among the visiting distributors. The growth of the company is visible through the construction of a new factory and a new branch office in Warsaw.

PROMATIC Offer: Exclusive, Premium & Optimum During ICE 2018 PROMATIC Group will show a wide range of products directed toward specific sectors of the gambling industry. First are EXCLUSIVE products – designed for casinos.

The showcase consists of four islands presenting the newest machine on offer – CASINO 27.

CASINO 27 is a brand new cabinet, with intuitive use and sleek design in mind. Three wide 27” HD LED screens provide unforgettable excitement during play. The quality to price ratio makes CASINO 27 an interesting offer among the casino-dedicated machines on the market. The live presentation allows everyone to see first-hand its capabilities and design.

The second proposition from PRO-

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MATIC is PREMIUM products – a response to the needs of casinos and gaming locales that value a good price. The offer of this product consists of four types of MULTIGAME and additional features.

Online HTML5 games are known for their high performance, ease of use and multiplatform presence. It was hard to imagine just a couple of years ago, however now, with this technology, the excitement and fun are

The third part of the offer is OPTIMUM – dedicated to smaller entertainment locales. The cabinets meant for these machines are designed for security and durability, made from high-quality materials, to limit any potential damage.

available on all devices with a web browser. The number of players using mobile solutions increases every year and online HTML5 games are widely available, affordable and the next step in the industry.

Games in HTML5 technology The next product, available to try during the London Expo, are online games in HTML5. This technology, gaining more and more popularity in the web app market, allows the creation of Internet portals with rich interactive elements in its design. The only thing needed is a web browser, without the need to install plugins and libraries.

The collection of games consists of the most important titles, among them: Poseidon’s Gold – the underwater kingdom of Poseidon, Bonus Target – the fruit bonus with the sweetest victory, Fun 8 – a game in the retro 8-bit style, Book of Mystery Deluxe – popular gameplay in the mysterious Ancient Egypt and many more.

PROMATIC for Operators PROMATIC Group is present and successful in the Polish market for over 20 years. Now, we are expanding on global markets Europe, Africa and Central America. To create a product of the highest quality, every change, every individual configuration of the machine as demanded by each market, is subject to multiple tests to ensure it. Among our products and technological solutions, the company offers a 24/7 technical support. That way, any potential problem encountered can be solved immediately. Remote access to the management system allows the customer to update the software, making it a convenient and very practical solution.

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Thanks to the dynamic growth, PROMATIC is looking for sales specialists for European, African and American markets. People, who understand the industry and have business contacts. Specialists should know how to build relationships, setting and achieving goals. The key to this position is contact with business clients and developing a partnership. If interested, please visit our stand during ICE 2018.

Many years of experience, the involvement of employees and a great management cadre, PROMATIC is the leader in the gambling industry in Poland. Knowledge of the requirements from operators and player preferences allowed for the stable growth and design of new, improved products and solutions. The best advantage of PROMATIC products is the high quality to price ratio. The offer: EXCLUSIVE,

PREMIUM and OPTIMUM is flexible and allows the customers the freedom of choice to find the configuration suited to their individual needs.

Details about our offers are available from our PROMATIC GROUP representatives during ICE 2018 (6-8.02.2018) in ExCel London – stand S7-250.

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Casino security: how casinos around the world protect their money?

Iwo Bulski

One of the most important aspects when operating a casino is the security of cash flow operations carried out there during games. But how is the safety of the casino itself ensured?

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hy is it so safe in casinos?

Security is a very detailed part of casino management, because it is essential for the protection of money, property, employees and casino players. The risk of crime, theft and improper behavior is higher in casinos than in other commercial facilities due to the large amount of money that goes through the casino and are kept daily in the casino.

At the beginning of gambling activities in these places of debauchery, over the safety of the casino, he was in charge of a few bulky bodyguards who were permanently on hand to cope with troubles. There were also paddocks above the casino, which allowed the security personnel to pass the entire length and width of the casino floor at the ceiling level to keep an eye on the players and the croupiers.

However, as the industry was becoming more and more profitable and more money was being traded in the casino, it became clear that improved technologies and other means were needed to fight crime.

What security systems are used in casinos?

The protection of the casino in the present modern era now consists of two independent factors - a physical team consisting of trained security and protection specialists and the most modern CCTV system. A team of specialists can physically cope with prob-

lems in the casino and immediately react if a threat or signal is observed from the supervisor. CCTV works as an „eye in heaven� and can observe more subtle attempts to break the rules of the casino. The American casino located on the Strip in Las Vegas, such as MGM Grand, can have over 2,000 cameras active simultaneously, which are connected to more than 50 monitors and viewed by many people from the security section.

The evolution of technology has also seen the possibility of using a range of other casino protection support systems that are implemented in them all over the world. These are scripts to check the identity of the player to preliminarily ensure that no-one at the wrong age enters the casino. More sophisticated facial recognition software helps casinos to identify all blacklisted,

casino-specific or suspicious people who entered their premises.

Most casinos have their own list of excluded players. This is due to the prevention, after finding unfair activities during the stay in the casino but also after the self-reported player who thus wants to protect himself from the impact of the addiction. Casinos that do not respect these arrangements are at risk both legally and financially, if despite the entry on the list, however, allow the player to stay and play.

The player who will be on the list of exclusions, regardless of whether it is their own will, or on the request of a third party, playing on the machines or at the tables breaks the rules. That is why it is important that the list of exclusions and people on it are constantly updated and trained staff are constantly monitoring new arrivals.

In casinos operating the registration

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and their identity is sent to other casinos as part of cooperation in the field of protection.

The security technology used by some casinos is sometimes very passive. Simply managers follow the rule: watch and wait. Arresting suspects may be quite a terrifying experience for other casino players. It can be assumed that the initial reaction of casino protection would be the most appropriate way to ensure security and eliminate the threat. However, casinos instead try to maintain their safety in a different way.

In the event of danger or identification, the perpetrators of fraud use their digital technology to get as much information about the incident and the people involved as possible, and then allow those who pose a threat to leave the casino.

How much money does the casino keep in the vault?

This is one of the questions that the answer really depends on the rules and guidelines of the jurisdiction of the country in which the casino operates. For example, in the US, the Nevada Gaming Commission claims that the casino must have enough cash in its area (treasury) to cover every token that is in play on its site. This number may vary depending on the season and days in which casinos are particularly crowded. Big casinos in Las Vegas, such as Bellagio or Caesar’s Palace, will try to keep anything over $ 70 million in the average day of the week. This number is approaching $ 100 million every weekend. However, on great occasions, such as sports fights, Spring Break or March Madness, this number can go up to around $ 150 million. It is obvious that this number in smaller casinos is much lower, but even the smallest casino should store at least $ 20 million on the spot. In other casinos, the principle is to have cash in the cash supply needed to pay a certain limit depending on the casino regulations.

Why is this happening?

The casino knows that any confrontation can lead to a sudden ending of such an event that is not in the best interest of employees or players in this casino. Protection and safeguards begin when only the offenders leave the casino area. The perpetrators of fraud are very often detected by CCTV and evidence collected from eyewitnesses.

We also analyze the habit of spending and suspicious activity, which can often be traced by paying attention to tokens or cash stolen from the casino.

Persons who prove such a practice are inscribed on the list of the excluded

How do casinos keep their money?

The money stored in the casino is available in two forms. These are chips dedicated to every casino and cash. The chips are used mainly on the tables for a live casino game.

These tokens are specially tracked and recorded. Thanks to this, all tokens that are the object of robbery after finding this fact will be marked. If they are used again in a given casino or another casino of this network, it will be recorded in the future and the person paying with them will be punished.

and registration system, this is captured during entry, but in casinos where there are no accounting rules, these accounting systems are excluded. Failure to eliminate the excluded may result in the casino being fined or even suspended or, in the worst case, revoked license.

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The cash reserves of casinos are stored in a number of safes in casino vaults.

Undoubtedly, the most famous is the classic Hollywood movie, such as „Ocean’s Eleven”, whose plot revolves around the break-in to one of these vaults and the theft of money located inside. Film as a kind of fiction presents only an approximate scale of security to protect these secured funds against theft. The reality is completely different but it is not the casino’s business to cheat on it.

What do the casinos do with their money?

The casinos are finally set up for profit.

The phrase „the casino always wins” is commonly used because it is not far from the truth. The casino is supposed to make a living for it, and finally the legislator, the licensor, assumes that the activities carried out in it will result in due profits in the form of taxes. The money stored by the casinos serves not only to replenish the stock on the spot, but also to pay employees, improve safety at the casino and invest in the company itself. From the time when there were murmuring deals in the Wild West, buzzingly called Casino, to these days, these taboos in which gambling is protected are better than many embassies of a foreign state. The safety of every professionally run casino is the highest priority.

Why this is happening, the answer is very simple - because there is money.

And these have always been the object of interest of everyone, from gamers to casino owners to concession grants - the state.

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NOVOMATIC Americas partners with Foxwoods Resort Casino to debut ETG system in the US

World-class technology leaders NOVOMATIC and FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO to premier an impressive display of over 54 dealer-assisted electronic table games (ETGs) at FOXWOODS..

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OVOMATIC Americas, the US subsidiary of the NOVOMATIC Group, has signed a multi-year agreement with North America’s largest casino resort that will bring NOVOMATIC’s industryleading dealer-assisted Electronic Table Game product lines to the Northeast’s premier resort destination. With this multi-year agreement, Foxwoods and NOVOMATIC are dedicated to creating and adapting entertainment concepts to offer the ultimate personalized ETG experience. The initial installation features a combination of 30 electronic gaming terminals in an inviting layout where live dealers drive the play of Novo TouchBet® Live-Baccarat and Novo TouchBet® Live-Black Jack – with multi-table selection on d e m a n d.

Huge screens, dramatic lighting and personal player stations containing charging ports, bag hooks and dedicated beverage holders complete this unique offering. A second installation of 24 units will follow.

Rick Meitzler, President and CEO of NOVOMATIC Americas, said: “The entire team at NOVOMATIC Americas is proud to be a part of this

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exciting entertainment concept. Novo Line Novo Unity™ II has proved to be a world-leading ETG platform in its class, providing a flexible, secure and robust system to create incredible player excitement. Our ETG system is easily configurable and expands as player demand increases. Over the past several months our teams have worked together on new game concepts, design, development and the necessary approvals.”

The relationship allows NOVOMATIC and Foxwoods to continue collabo-

powered by Greentube Pro, to an extended Electronic Table Games experience on the casino floor.

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signs, player experiences and space requirements. A great variety of terminals such as the popular EXECUTIVE™ SL and NOVOSTAR ® SL1 and SL2 can be linked to a single gaming device and server to maximize space.

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Forecasts of the bookmaking market

for 2018

Michał Kopeć – bookmaker’s analyst

Christmas and New Year is, as usual, a time of summaries and plans.

The year 2017 on the bookmaking market was an extremely active year.

After the entry into force of the new gambling law in Poland, a lot has changed. Probably not many readers expected the exit from the market of such companies as Bet365 or Skrill.

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he blockade from their websites radically changed the landscape of the Polish bookmaking market.

As to whether there will be different opinions, of course. However, I will not try to convince anybody here about the strengths or weaknesses of these changes. I will focus on the future.

ers will appear. Certainly, the online betting license will be granted to those already authorized to operate Superbet ground points..

Licenses will also be received by other entities with Polish capital.

What is waiting for us in 2018? I will try to introduce you to the three most important events that we can expect in the coming year, both in Poland and in Europe.

In my opinion, before the World Football Championships, we can expect a minimum of two new operators. By the end of the year, however, I hope that our market

We start from Poland •N ew online bookmakers - after changes to the gambling law on the Polish market, loud about such bookmakers as Forbet or LVBet. These companies are trying to build a strong position in the market through sponsorship and extensive online promotion. In 2018, new entities will certainly come to us. Here, due to the actions of the Ministry of Finance, we do not have much to expect large foreign operators. However, this does not change the fact that new bookmak-

will be enriched by two more companies. It is in connection with the increased activity of eToto, which after presenting its new version has very

ambitious plans will definitely improve the offer on the Polish market.

Players will certainly benefit from this.

•S TS partner - the largest Polish bookmaker is doing well and has been working hard in recent months. Although STS is now a clear market leader, it knows that the competition is awake and sooner or later it will compete with bigger and stronger rivals. The Katowice operator for the New Year is preparing a surprise, which will surely please some o f the readers of the E-Play magazine.

STSPartner is a new partner program of STS. Thus, STS takes a completely opposite step to the recent decisions of Forbet, opening to partnering with the largest sports and bookmaker websites.

Good decision, which will surely allow STS to strengthen the position of the leader of the national bookmaking market.

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• The state monopolist - after two rather optimistic for players and people associated with the bookmaking market in Poland predictions, unfortunately at this point time for a bit of pessimism. As we know, bookmakers in Poland, despite high taxes, are doing well and the licenses enjoy interest from both Polish and foreign players. Unfortunately, the situation of poker and online casinos, by the decisions of the legislator and the introduction of a state monopoly, is much worse. Totalizator Sportowy is clearly focused on its main product and European jackpots.

The company’s board of directors is also working on the launch of the casino and online poker offer, but this is not what we expect. If anything happens in this area, it will probably be at the end of 2018. Sad because it condemns poker and online players to non-existent.

Turning to European markets, we will focus on the three most important countries in which in 2018 we can expect significant changes that will affect not only these countries but also the international landscape of the gambling market.

•G ermany - our western neighbor is the largest economy in the European Union. It is surprising that these perfect Germans for years can not cope with the effective regulation of gambling.

While in the case of sports betting the situation is not tragic, because bookmakers pay a 5% turnover tax there, and although they are not fully legally and comfortably, they can work. The case looks completely different in the case of casinos. While the casino operators have been able to operate peacefully over the years after the Paradise Papers scandal and the 888 court case, the situation has changed dramatically. First of all, Merkur withdrew its games from the market.

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Secondly, the court in case 888 found that casinos in Germany are illegal.

This, in connection with the decision of the European Commission not to interfere in the internal regulations of gambling in individual member states, set casinos on the German market in a very difficult situation.

Merkur has already withdrawn its games, in its footsteps other suppliers for the German gaming market will go any moment. This means problems even for the largest casinos and the withdrawal of at least some of them from the market in 2018. And this in turn may affect the balance of power throughout Europe..

•S weden - although Sweden also has no gambling regulations, it is still one of the largest gambling markets in Europe. Swedes like to play and because of the fact that they can afford it, the market is a priority for many online operators. Until now, everyone offered their services under the Maltese license. In 2018, however, changes will begin.

The Swedish government has already announced its own regulations.

To a large extent, they are to be modeled on neighboring Denmark.

As you know, the Danish model is set as a model for effective regulation of the gambling market. There is a chance that this market, important for operators, will soon be regulated and in a pretty cool way.

•M alta – unfortunately, information from both Germany and Sweden is not optimistic for Malta. This gambling area of Europe through regulations in individual countries will lose its importance. Whereas a few years ago, the Maltese license gave the right to operate on such markets as Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands or even Poland, the number of these countries has been decreasing for several years.

In 2017, Portugal, the Netherlands and Poland left the list. In 2018,

Sweden will also leave the list.

If not in 2018, Germany will probably leave in 2019.

Of course, Malta will remain an attractive country for tax reasons.

However, the lack of adequate infrastructure and the increasing problems with the workforce in this country can make the largest operators slowly start returning to their homelands giving up the Maltese sun. And that would be a blow that Malta can not handle.

In addition to the above-mentioned details on the gambling market, we will certainly see a lot more activity.

For a few years, a lot has been going on at the acquisition market. In 2018, the giant Ladbrokes-Coral will probably be acquired by the GVC group.

There will also be other connections on both the operators and affiliates market.

In Poland, we may finally see the sale of Totolotek or Milenium. Gambling laws will be changed not only by Swedes or Germans but also by other countries. One thing is for sure. After a very interesting year 2017 promises to be another extremely interesting 12 months.

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Amendments to the gambling law have opened the way to legitimate bookmakers from abroad

The April amendment of the gambling law facilitated the takeover of the market by legally operating bookmakers, and thus reduced the gray market.

Obtaining a license for legal activity from the Minister of Finance, however, is not easy. From April it was possible to just one - the company Superbet.

From the left: AleĹ› DobeĹ›, Jerzy Dudek, Vlad Ardeleanu

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he amendment to the Gambling Act is designed to protect players, and at the same time to increase revenues to the state budget. Most of its provisions entered into force at the beginning of April 2017. Three months later, the remaining provi-

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sions on blocking access to gambling domains registered outside of Poland, illegal bookmakers and online casinos came into force.

- Recent changes on the bookmaking market are aimed at attempting to civilize and eliminate pathology

prevailing for several years. Before the entry into force, the vast majority of bookmakers, especially online betting, were concluded with foreign entities that do not have a Polish license, accounting for taxes in other countries - comments on changes in the

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services and comfort for customers, which results in modern and elegant points. - Superbet is a company focused on customer service - we will focus much more on what the customer wants from us, what he expects from us and how to provide him with the expected product. For our entire team it is a great pleasure, but also a big challenge that the Superbet brand is growing and entering Poland - says Dobeš.

gambling law patron Artur Kuczmowski from the Thompson & Stein law firm.

This means that internet providers have the obligation to block the pages of illegal bookmakers under penalty of up to 250,000 PLN. The blockade is based on the open register of Domains Serving for Gambling Games Incompatible with the Act, which is run by the Ministry of Finance.

- Telecommunications providers are obliged to block access to illegally operating portals, the court’s judgment is not necessary for this. Blocking of domains caused that entities that so far have operated without a Polish license are increasingly considering obtaining it. In addition, the legislator introduced fines for players, ie for persons who will be proven to participate in operator’s mutual plants operating without a license - 100% of winning amount not increased by the amount of the paid rate and a fine of up to 120 daily rates - adds Kuczmowski.

- The effect of recent changes in the law and the withdrawal of, among others, such companies as bet365 from the Polish market is a significant increase in the number of establishments for legal operators, compared to last year - says Aleš Dobeš, President of the Superbet Board Bookmakers.

At the moment, there are seven legitimate online bookmakers in Po-

land. Before the amendment of the act, taking into account the turnover, they served only about 10 percent of the entire market, whose value was estimated at about PLN 6 billion.

- The Polish bookmaking market is constantly growing. The products and offer are advanced and the standards are very high. In addition, the market is very strictly regulated, which we receive positively. This means that if everything is done in accordance with the law, you will get a very solid foundation on which you can build a business. Restrictive but also transparent legal regulations are a positive thing.

This is the situation in Romania and Poland. We believe that on this foundation we can grow and grow - adds Vlad Ardeleanu, CEO of Superbet Romania.

Superbet will have to look for such elements in its offer that will allow it to stand out in the market and gain recognition among Polish customers. The President of the Superbet company is aware of this very well.

- We will be based on positive models that made it possible to achieve success in Romania. First of all, modern and large points, other than those to which the Polish client was used. These are points with an area of at least 60 square meters. Secondly, we want to develop our offer and have a product portfolio for many events - from virtual sports, live bets and traditional sports betting - sums up Aleš Dobeš.

Superbet is in the perspective of active support of Polish sport, but only in the next stage of company development, after launching the online channel. The Polish sportsman - Jerzy Dudek - was known as the brand’s face.

Superbet officially started operations in Poland in October 2017, opening in the first stage about 50 points in Poland, including Warsaw, Katowice, Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan and Gdansk. - We estimate and plan to open up to 100 points to the world football championship in Russia. Our strategy and plan is opening the second sales channel in the second half of next year, or online betting - announces President Aleš Dobeš.

Superbet entering Poland from the first day wants to set new standards.

One of the basic assumptions of the company is the high quality of

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Exclusive Interview with Iryna Sergienko, CEO of the Ukrainian Gaming Industry Association Andriej Nabukhotny Head of IT and Online Marketing, MBA Strategy

Iryna Sergienko is the CEO of the Ukrainian Gaming Industry Association since August 2016 and also a Board Member of the All-Ukrainian Union for bookmaking development from 2014. As an Attorney at Law, her specialization includes gambling, IT – business and sports law. A member of the Interagency Working Group for consideration and resolution of problematic issues in the field of gambling and lotteries (2015).

E-PLAY: Who has founded the Ukrainian Gaming Industry Association (UGIA) and why?

Who are the members of the association?

Iryna Sergienko: The UGIA is a nongovernmental association established in 2016 in Kyiv by a group of experts in gaming industry, primarily the highly qualified lawyers. The key purpose of the associ-

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ation is to promote sustainable investments into the Ukraine’s gaming market. This is a long-term purpose, which can be reached by regular concerted efforts of many individuals and interests, and our association aspire to be an integration point for a wide range of such stakeholders.

E-PLAY: What does gambling industry look like in Ukraine these days? How many legal lottery operators and bookmakers are there?

IS: There are three sectors in Ukrainian gaming. The first consists of businesses operating lotteries, both land-based and online, under licences issued according to the Lottery Law (2012). The second sector is online gambling (primarily betting, casino and poker), provided by offshore operators, which is unregulated in fact, since the governmental authorities

are quite passive in enforcement of the ban on online gaming. The third sector includes various land-based halls and spots, which are purely illegal and operate under the immediate threat to be prosecuted by the law enforcement authorities. Here are the most remarkable features of the lottery licences: (i) only three licences have been issued; (ii) since 2015 two licenced operators are under a set of restrictions introduced as sanctions on national security grounds against businesses with Russian UBOs; (iii) terms of all licences have already expired, and their validity, regularly disputed by the Ministry of finance, is proved through sophisticated interpretation of transitory provisions of new licencing law. Another feature is that lotteries are understood very broadly and cover almost all other gambling products, including sportsbetting (known as “sports lottery” or “lottery toto”) and slot machines (“instant lottery”).

E-PLAY: What has changed inside typical slot machines halls, which were redesigned into lottery spots? Who provides technical and financial regulations for lotteries and bookmakers?

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IS: In our opinion, the governmental control through the Ministry of finance and the Taxation service over lottery operators cannot be qualified as effective, which may explained by week legislative regulation. While the 2012 Lottery Law is designed in very general and vague terms, the respective bylaws, including the essential licencing terms and conditions, have not been adopted. Therefore, currently we have a regulation based on common sense rather than on legislative provisions. As I mentioned before, the bookmaking is forbidden by the law or is regulated as a sports lottery, if betting services are provided as licenced lotteries.

sports poker as an official sports game in Ukraine. This is a long complicated story, and the Ministry of sports has not yet granted such recognition. Although poker as a game of chance is prohibited in Ukraine, online poker is available to Ukrainian players as any other online gaming product. At a rough guess, it is much less popular than betting or casino products. However, no reliable data are available in this case too. Our association supports legalization of poker, since it is not wise to promote restriction which will be effective only on the paper.

Moreover, since poker is a game of skill, its negative social effects have limited scope.

E-PLAY: What about illegal land based casinos and gambling halls? How big is this shadow industry?

E-PLAY: What are the prospects of legalization of gambling in Ukraine in 2018 with regard to letter of intent sent to IMF and political situation in Ukraine?

IS: Ukrainians regularly get news that police closed the just another gambling hall. However, they are still abundant.

Some of them are based on face control, the others try attracting broader public. Unfortunately, no one possesses trustworthy data on quantity and scope of such establishments and on volume of the black market.

E-PLAY: What online casino systems are popular in Ukraine?

Is there any effective way to block them?

IS: Ukrainians have access to a broad scope of online casino products provided primarily by offshore operators.

Since this is a shadow industry, no official or reliable data are available on consumer preferences. The government does not take effective measures to prevent illegal online gambling. It looks like it may be explained by lack of solid legal basis for restrictions against internet providers, financial institutions and advertising companies.

E-PLAY: Is poker sports or gambling in Ukraine? What is UGIA’s position?

IS: There are several national associations which strive for recognition of

IS: The Ukraine’s public obligation to the IMF to legalize several shadow industries, including gambling, provided new impetus to public discourse on legalization. The UGIA considers the obligation as a leverage which can radically influence political actors and result in legalization of the gaming industry.

E-PLAY: What do you think about the draft law by the Government?

Does in need to be revised?

What are your forecasts if the bill becomes a law?

taken on conditions of access to each of key gaming markets: lottery, betting and casino. In our opinion, this will depend upon ability of the respective sector to build up and foster persuasive dialogue with the Government, the political fractions in the Parliament, and the society.

E-PLAY: What foreign gambling legislation would be a good example for Ukraine?

IS: Our association focuses on and promotes experience of the European Union countries, since Ukraine is a European nation. Moreover, the UkraineEU Association Agreement, as a part of national legal system, requires approximation of many Ukrainian laws to the EU legislation, including those which directly concern gambling industry, e.g. on AML measures. We read many good texts, and we try to take those one which could be effective in the Ukrainian environment.

E-PLAY: Is gambling expected to be more socially responsible in Ukraine, than it was before the ban in 2009?

IS: We believe yes. I see that now everyone clearly understands that the ban was a result of the industry’s poor dialogue with the society. And surely there is understanding that such dialogue will be sustainable only if developed on effective protection of players’ interests.

IS: The governmental draft Law No. 4663, which was included in the Parliament’s legislative agenda in October 2017, is a replication of the text which was promoted by previous government since 2014. Our association considers this draft law can be adopted in the first reading. However, the Parliament should further elaborate its text before the second reading. In particular, four key horizontal issues should be carefully enhanced or redrafted: protection of players, taxation of operators and players, licensing and supervision procedures, the State online electronic monitoring system. Obviously, reasonable political options should be finally

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Bookmakers on TV

– how to deal with it in Poland?

Changes in gambling law from 2017 allowed bookmakers for a bit more in the area of advertising their services on television. Until now, they could only inform about sponsorship, so the most important thing was to choose the right entity for the company’s portfolio to create a spot that could reach a wider audience. How does this issue currently look on the Polish market?

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he most important in the amendment to the Act is Article 29b detailing the principles of advertising betting services: „Art. 29b. 1. Advertising of mutual bets for which the license has been granted is permitted, provided that: 1) is not addressed to minors, does not represent minors and does not take place with the participation of minors; 2) does not combine game devices or participate in games with physical or intellectual fitness or a chance to get an easy win; 3) does not contain statements that participation in gambling has a relaxing, calming effect or is a way to resolve personal conflicts or financial problems; 4) does not represent a refraining or moderate participation in games in a negative way; 5) does not encourage to pay higher rates as a factor increasing the chance of winning;

2. Advertising of games referred to in paragraph 1, can not be carried out: 1) on TV, radio, cinema and theater between 6:00 and 22:00; excluding advertising carried out during transmissions from sport events, which the betting entity is a sponsor or sponsor of a team or players taking an active part in a sport event; ... „

2. Fortuna In the past, the company used on TV an advertising film referring to the sponsorship of Playarena. Currently, Fortuna advertises with two spots under the slogan „More from the game”, in which, as in the case of STS, all legal restrictions apply.

Thus, the ad can only appear between 6:00 and 22:00.

Let’s look at the bookmakers on the Polish market in terms of their advertising activities on television: 1. STS The company uses two spots, one of which is a typical information about sponsorship based on supporting Polish football representation. This advertisement is possible to show in every break without any restrictions. The second spot produced by STS is the advertising of the mobile application, which already fits in with all the restrictions contained in the act.

3. Totolotek In this case, we were again dealing with the promotion of the service, which is a mobile application under the slogan „Your match day”. Spot was emitted on TVP1, TVP Sport, Polsat, Eurosport and Canal + sports channels.

6) does not evoke associations with: a) sexual attraction, b) relaxation or leisure, c) study or work, d) professional, life or financial success.

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4. ForBET Forbet decided to base the motif of his spot on classic information about sponsorship under the slogan „We support Polish sport”. This bookmaker company is characterized by an aggressive sponsorship strategy, having in its portfolio more than a dozen clubs from various sports disciplines.

This fact allowed to create an advertising movie based on the communication of sponsorship, which allowed the broadcast of the spot not only in the hours between 22:00 and 6:00.

„1) is not addressed to minors, does not represent minors and does not take place with the participation of minors;” So let’s forget about any use of people under 18 in advertising. However, it is similar in other countries, so it should not be surprising in any way.

2) does not combine game devices or participate in games with physical or intellectual fitness or a chance to get an easy win; Showing a big win, thanks to an analysis of a sport event? Under the Act, it is rather risky and inconsistent with the law...

5. LV BET The company carried out an advertising campaign on Polsat channels around a sponsored volleyball tournament, such as LOTTO Eurovolley 2017. It is the only advertising campaign in the last year that used the brand ambassador’s motto, Krzysztof Ignaczak (you can argue that STS also used the famous character, because the spot of this company was wellknown radio commentator Tomasz Zimoch). LV BET also created a film under the slogan „We share the passion”, but used it only on foreign markets.

3) does not contain statements that participation in gambling has a relaxing, calming effect or is a way to resolve personal conflicts or financial problems; Getting pleasure from betting in any form? The above record rather excludes it.

4) does not represent a refraining or moderate participation in games in a negative way; So if someone would like to make a campaign that is discouraging to bet based on the idea of the latest Sky Bet spot ...

5) does not encourage to pay higher rates as a factor increasing the chance of winning; Therefore, it is impossible to show millions won when we play for thousands and not for the proverbial „one euro”.

Other brands registered on the Polish market have not yet decided on an advertising campaign on television (E-toto, Milenium and Superbet).

However, in the creation of a spot, a number of previous restrictions should be taken into account, which the law introduces. Let’s move these records in turn:

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6) does not evoke associations with: a) sexual attraction, A pretty and scantily dressed lady in advertising? Forget the spot of ComeOn brand used on the Polish market would not pass.

b) relaxation or leisure, J acek Gmoch in Betsson brand advertising in the sauna and swimming pool? No way.

c) study or work, Showing the bookmaker’s work from the backstage? It would be doubtful... d) professional, life or financial success.

Home, car, high social position and connection with bets? There is no option.

Therefore, the bookmaker market in Poland is difficult in terms of TV advertising. A lot of work for lawyers, lots of obstacles for marketing departments and killing the creative form that will bring this market closer to the countries of Western Europe. Maybe I am wrong and one company will come up with something interesting even under the current restrictive regulations?

LIK -journalist specializing in bookmaking

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Internet terminals for bookmakers

Iwo Bulski

Since the operation of bookmakers who have placed bets on a special elevation at horse or greyhound races, many years have passed. The allembracing technique and popularity among those willing to bet and the understanding of the legislator in many countries has led to the creation of a higher and more convenient form of betting without the need for a trained bookmaker’s staff.

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t is understandable that the technique forces people to take a comfortable approach to many life issues by facilitating, modifying or replacing human work with a device or machine. This was not avoided by the companies that offered bets - even searching for solutions, how to replace human error, lasted for years.

What’s more, modern devices allow for the integration of many functions necessary for quick and reliable use of the possibilities offered by the Internet - placing bets, deposits and withdrawals, payment card services - generally speaking - cooperation with online gambling.

At the present time there are several producers of such devices that can provide service to licensed bookmakers. Each of the suppliers is able to provide technologically advanced and reliable devices for any recipient, following a simple rule: deposit - play - win - pay off.

The first presented by us such a producer is the Austrian company CASHPOINT which is part of the holding Gauselmann -

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MERKUR and its flagship product - Bet Solo. These terminals support the bookmaker’s network called XTip and are mainly located in Germany, Austria and Denmark.

The BetSolo terminal makes it easy and secure to place bets on most sporting events in the world. The possessed software of this device is linked with a convenient large interface and the betting service is updated twice a week. The only drawback of this device is the need to provide a fast Internet connection, which in the current coverage of most areas of Europe via Internet and telephone is not a major obstacle.

BetSolo additionally allows you to make bets without the need for an employee to operate the premises, it is only necessary to take care of the technical efficiency of the device.

The second company that has in its offer devices that allow betting in real time is Sports Betting Solutions, also an Austrian company NOVOMATIC GROUP.

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readers, RIFD for proximity cards, SCRA memory card reader, and finally the banknote acceptor.

Full use of Full Kiosk allows you to use it in bookmaker’s points as a place for betting and online casinos. The credit card reader system there, which makes deposits and withdrawals, enables simple online gaming settlement.

These terminals are primarily characterized by: the dynamism of betting, the possession of three monitors on which you can follow TV channels or courses simultaneously. An additional feature is the equipment of terminals with a variety of options: RFID card reader, ticket scanner, coin and note acceptor or ticket printer. These devices work with the Crown SlimChange system - regulating cash management for bookmakers. In addition, this device allows withdrawals directly from players account, allows you to buy valuable tickets, presents the customer’s balance on an individual card and has a high capacity cash resource.

Putting a few of such terminals at the gaming point together with the financial device eliminates the human factor to a minimum.

The third company rated by me is Best Gaming Technology, which is owned by Playtech - one of the largest producers of online slot games.

The company’s terminals obtained permission to operate in accordance with the law of many jurisdictions around

the world. They are characterized by a double touch screen and are integrated in a wide range of financial mechanisms and identification protocols in their service.

They can be used due to their facilities from regular bars to online casinos and service at bookmakers around the world. Working with tablets that easily integrate with the existing POS system, they enable the use in many locations: press, cigarette or kiosk sales points or bars.

BGT with more than ten years of experience allows bookmaker customers, thanks to their terminals, to bet anything at any time.

The number of devices enabling operations on four continents has long exceeded the number of 20,000 units.

The last of the presented in this assessment is the British company imageHOLDERS and its Full Kiosk.

These are modular terminals built from two key elements a tablet case and an integrated unit. Customers can choose special sizes of tablets, which can safely enclose the touch screen on a special arm mounted on the meter. On the other hand, the integrating unit can close many OEM devices: printers, credit card

The use of terminals for bookmakers’ services is, however, related to the legislation of a given country, which either allows betting with the use of modern technology, thereby increasing players’ potential and turnover achieved with these devices, or does not allow exploitation, putting licensed bookmakers in outsider position.

The use of these technologies combined with precise settlement of the bets and their financial activities gives the legislator full convenience in recording the revenues.

The „responsible gambling” assumptions are also met, which, thanks to the age record and the player’s involvement, controls and eliminates unwanted behaviors.

Internet terminals with the option of cooperation with bookmakers are the future of this market, just like running licensed online betting. This technology enforces the use of such solutions, providing full control for the organizers, players and the legislator - that is, the state treasury issuing the concessions.

Unfortunately, it is currently observed how these devices are operated only in technologically advanced countries, where gambling legislation is stable and not subject to political revolutions. Like any other branch of the economy, gambling does not like rapid changes and uncertainty of investments incurred after the consent of the State. The State of Law.

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Ciesz się

W YG O DNYMI P ŁAT NO Ś C I AMI O NL I NE 36

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Paymenticon

- your electronic wallet Electronic wallets are gaining popularity. Seekers of alternative ways to store and dispose of money can test more and more new solutions. For some time, they have been able to check the Paymenticon electronic wallet.

P

aymenticon combines elements of a bank account and internet payment gateway or prepaid card. Depending on the needs, the user assumes an individual portfolio, which he can use privately or business - for his company. When buy-

ing a product from a partner or paying for a service, the user (individual customer or company) transfers money from his wallet to the seller’s account.

Everything online With Paymenticon you can use on-

line. All you need to do is open an account and register your wallet. The user provides it with a bank transfer or through one of the payment gateways - eCard, Przelewy24 or Trustly.

You can also transfer money from your wallet to another wallet and to

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any bank account. In addition, Payemnticon can hold money in four currencies - euros, pounds, zlotys and leagues.

No formalities.

The account creation itself takes less than two minutes. The user then has an anonymous wallet. By registering it, it gains more access to the service - including the abolition of the transaction limit or the possibility of transfers to other portfolios and bank accounts.

Portfolio registration and data verification do not take more than 15 minutes. You do not have to send any applications or wait for a contract.

All you need is a decent photo or scan of your ID. Everything takes place comfortably and quickly.

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Easy access to your account.

We log in with an email and password.

The user can also get a card with a QR code to facilitate the use of the wallet.

Another solution that allows you to use the selected service faster is logging in with the same data - in the wallet as in the partner panel. It is possible thanks to a specially designed login window on the seller’s website. By logging in to the Paymenticon wallet, the customer can immediately pay for a product or service, or log in without a deposit, for example if he wants to continue shopping or transfer money from the wallet at another time.

Expenses under control The asset of Paymenticon’s e-wallet is greater control over expenses - we do not have to worry about exceeding the

balance or spending the money we want to save. We are also not threatened with a surprising minus in the account, because we can not make debit, as it happens in the case of bank accounts. All you have to do is load the wallet with the amount you want to spend.

Modern financial solutions are undoubtedly a nod to the user - care for its convenience, time saving and ease of access. The Paymenticon wallet, whose creators focus on the continuous development of the product, is a worthwhile alternative to bank accounts or other such innovative methods of disposing of money. *** For more information, visit: www.paymenticon.pl and www.facebook.com/paymenticon.

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One-armed bandits

– how the slot machines evolved

Iwo Bulski

The history of slot machines comes from 1891. During this period, Sittman and Pitt, who were residents of the East Coast of New York, invented a machine that became the precursor of modern slot machines. The classic machine was mainly based on a game of poker to get cash by drawing on the popularity of the game. The machine had fifty cards and proved to be a hit in the gaming world at the time.

The main obstacle for the machine was the lack of a direct payment method. To solve this problem, the machine manufacturer has developed an innovative solution, inventing a variety of combinations that replaced ten cards with 5 symbols

(spades, diamonds, freedom bells and horseshoes). In addition, he accepted the existence of three drums in the machine to reduce the complexity of the combination in reading the winnings. Mechanical poker machines, unfortunately, could not pay out

prizes. The winners had to wait for someone who could verify the winnings and withdraw the winnings.

The first machines in a modern sense were invented by the born in Bavaria American inventor

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Charles August Fey, then a mechanic in San Francisco, who in 1894 built his first coin-operated game machine. Placing the machine in the local salon made this a success, Fey soon gave up his job and opened his own factory to produce more units.

In 1898, Fey built the Card Bell, the first machine with three reels with automatic payouts. Card Bell had a handle that put the reels in motion.

The machine played by placing card combinations in the queue for the poker player’s hands.

His next Liberty Bell was built in 1899 and used his horseshoe and bell symbol to match the reels. Three bells in a row meant the highest payout.

Due to the earthquake that hit San

cially in private pubs and cafes, were widely ignored.

Machines despite the ban were common in clubs, cigar stores and other places until 1951, when Congress adopted a law that prevented their transportation across the US. „This law limited their presence and exploitation only in Nevada, a state where gambling was legalized,” said David Burritt from Colorado, who runs an online store and a price guide for collectors of vending machines.

bols on the reels returned all the coins currently in the machine. It also increased the attractiveness of slot machines, thus increasing interest in this form of gambling.

Due to its attractiveness, simplicity and reliability, slot machines quickly spread throughout the country. To circumvent the law prohibiting gambling in bars, many of them seemed to buy gums, chips or fruit shopping vouchers.

Francisco in 1906, only 4 of the over 100 Liberty Bell machines built by Fey have survived to the present day.

Frey’s machine was a great success and soon filled most of the bars and pubs in San Francisco, but because gambling was illegal in California, Frey could not patent his machine.

Other producers, including Mills Novelty Company from Chicago successfully copied and distributed the machines to the game throughout the US, adding on their spools an image of a chewing gum packet (soon stylized as a well-known „bar” symbol). Mills Novelty Company also invented the „jackpot” in 1916, so that some combinations of sym-

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„It’s probably where the fruit symbols on the reels of slot machines started,” said David Schwartz, director of the Games Research Center at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, who wrote Roll the Bones - the history of gambling.

In the 1920s, slot machines were popular in many parts of the United States, particularly in the spa regions, and were still popular during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

However, the knowledge that the distribution of gaming machines was often controlled by organized crime led to increased legislation limiting their sale and transport, as well as their exploitation, with the exception of private social clubs. The ban on slot machine play in the USA except Nevada, which legalized gambling in 1931, was virtually complete until 1951, although illegal activities, espe-

After the Second World War, the machines found their way around the world, because governments were attracted by the prospect of tax revenues from the emerging popularity of gaming machines. In 1988, gaming machines were allowed in French casinos to end the 50-year ban.

The first electromechanical slot machine The first electromechanical slot machine, Honey Money, was developed in 1963. It enabled the payment of up to 500 coins, in comparison with the maximum of 50 cents paid by Fey’s machines, and also eliminated the mechanical side lever which gave the slot machine the nickname „One-armed bandit”. Even though the leverage still existed in subsequent editions of the machines, being visible for many years, it was no longer necessary. Electromechanical gaming machines allowed for many new payout systems, such as multipliers of 3 and 5 coins, where the payout sizes are proportional to the number of coins inserted before starting the game.

A computer revolution in machines In 1976, Fortune Coin Co. based in Las Vegas, introduced the first real video game machine, which uses a 19-inch Sony Trinitron screen and logic boards to operate gaming machines. After the initial rehearsals in the Hilton Las Vegas lobby and some

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modifications, the videogames were approved by the Nevada State Gaming Commission, paving the way for their huge popularity in Las Vegas and casinos around the world. In 1986, electronic systems connecting multiple slot machines in different locations were introduced, thanks to which a small fraction of each coin thrown into the machine goes to a common „super jackpot”, which could reach a very large size. For example - in 2003, one of the machines in Las Vegas paid a lucky player nearly $ 40 million.

Slot machines are by far the largest profit generator for almost every casino, bringing an average of 30 to 50 percent. In the USA, only about 200,000 gaming machines are registered in the state of Nevada alone. As the gambling regulations were relaxed at the end of the 20th century, legal gambling was allowed in the Native Americans area and the revenue capability in many US states was expanded, the number of electronic gaming machines (which also included video poker devices as well as modern slot machines) has increased significantly.

By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, there were over 830,000 electronic gaming machines in the United States, and the capital generated from these devices increased from 40% of total casino revenues in 1970 to around 70 percent in 2010.

At the beginning of the 21st century, casino operators were worried that the popularity of physical slot machines in traditional casinos would be threatened by the rapid growth of online casinos where customers deposit money to make bets and play different gambling games using personal computers. Their fears have not been confirmed, and gaming machines continue to enjoy uninterrupted popularity. Especially those placed in bars, although the restrictions applied give, however, a sense of independence, this is a hindrance in casinos and ar-

cade games salons where records are kept and players’ identity checked.

Slot machines, or „slots” (from the name of the hole to the coin inlet to the machine), are still at the peak of

popularity. The evolution that followed the production of the first mechanical machine to the currently manufactured, fully computerized with three touch screens, payment and withdrawal systems through the use of tickets or cards, giving the opportunity to play the machine and also after going to the bar to continue playing on the tablet or phone, constant desire to use and tempt fate by playing on them. Currently, the machines are divided into many different types: - poker games - requiring symbols whose value is the same as in poker - bingo - the player selects randomly selected numbers on the purchased cards and wins when the line is selected, multiple lines or all numbers in the set - Multi-lines machine - a machine with many lines of the bet, their number, bet lines and the sequence of symbols is variable and depends on the characteristics of the given machine - Automatic reel machines - mechanical like electronic ones that have reels whose number of coils can change depending on the game, forming different game combinations.

ly promoting the given media event.

There were also producers, such as NOVOMATIC GROUP, a global producer and operator of gaming machines, whose position on the game market is still growing. NOVOMATIC currently has over 260,000 machines operating in the world, employing over 29,000 employees, which clearly shows the way the game industry has gone from the first Fey’s factory to the present day.

Only the name „one-armed bandit” remained, even though the appearance of a modern slot machine does not resemble these old devices. Perhaps it is by sentiment, after losing, when he leaves the machine, he is to be reviled and to blame the responsibility for his own lack of happiness..

In many cases in video machines, the motifs are based on the characters of movies, images of stage stars or TV programs, additional-

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Live Casino

- live dealer on your computer Błażej Bulski –a longtime editor of the E-PLAY magazine and portals, a gambling specialist at the gaming line, a poker player (with a miserable result).

Live Casino these days is an important part of the compulsory offer of every online home game. Thanks to the possibilities offered by modern technology, we do not have to visit a real terrestrial casino to feel like at Monte Carlo.

Today, without leaving the house, we can see the spinning wheel of roulette with our own eyes and exchange a few words with the truest, living croupier.

The offer of online casinos will find all table casino games with a live dealer. We can play roulette, blackjack or baccarat and even less popular varieties, such as Caribbean poker or Texas Hold’em. At each of these tables a real dealer is waiting for the player, turning the real wheel and giving the truest cards.

But how does it work?

Online casino is a digital application. It exists only on the operator’s server. Where do the croupiers operating the Live Casino work then?

Answering in two words, one could say - „in Latvia.” Well, the largest centers serving online casinos are live in Riga. The company Playtech opened there in February 2017, the world’s largest studio, where the studio of another leader in the industry, Evolution Gaming, is located.

Among the operators who run their own studios with live dealers, there are also Microgaming, Extreme Live Gaming, Media Live Casino, Net Entertainment, Amaya / Ho Gaming, Opus Gaming and a dozen more small ones serving

one up, two online casinos. For comparison, the leader - Evolution Gaming - sells its services to dozens of the largest online game houses.

Fewer customers have Playtech.

of work must have a break, the entire industry is supported by thousands of qualified employees.

Evolution Gaming itself and only in Latvia employs 3,000 people.

How many people support such a studio? Assuming that in the largest centers, several hundred tables are working all the time, and every croupier after an hour

What does this studio look like?

This room, looking like a huge casino, with hundreds of cameras serving hundreds of tables to play, with hundreds of live

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who just „sat down” at this table. And the number of places is unlimited!

We will play blackjack similar as in a regular casino. We bet, the dealer deals cards. Each card is equipped with a code that when identifying a card from a „shoe” is identified before a special reader, so the software knows what card appeared on the table. For obvious reasons with blackjack, the number of places is limited by the number of fields on the table. In this game, the player decides whether to draw another card, so the rule applies: one field of play - one player. croupiers working. The game takes place around the clock. Only players can not be seen. You can not see them because they are sitting at home or in front of portable devices.

Thanks to the cameras placed above the tables, everyone can see the course of the game, microphones allow you to talk to the dealer.

As a rule, we will discuss the croupier in English, but recently the Live Casino operators offer tables dedicated to players who speak other European languages.

In the largest casinos we can find roulette with a German croupier or blackjack with a Swedish speaking croupier. All this so that everyone can find a cozy place to play for themselves.

Some of the online casinos rent dedicated exclusive tables from the Live Casino provider. In this case, only players who log in to this particular e-casino play at a given table, and the dealer’s logo is most often found behind the dealer.

For example, Mr Green, LeoVegas and Royal Panda Casino have their own tables in the Evolution Gam-

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ing studio. Most roulette, blackjack and baccarat tables, however, are generally unavailable and can be played by players from each of the casinos, which only bought the appropriate licenses from the supplier.

What does the roulette game look like, and how about blackjack? In the first case, on the screen of our device, we see a table and a roulette wheel. The dealer or dealer throws a ball and we place the appropriate bets on the visible field of the game on the screen of our device.

The camera placed on the roulette wheel tracks the ball movement and identifies the field on which it will stop. When this happens, the dealer announces the winning number and the game starts again. Of course, no chips on the table do not move - he does it for the software that manages the bets placed by each player

How does communication with the dealer work? We have a chat window next to the game field on our device. We can welcome the croupier there, compliment her beauty or thank her for a happy hand. The dealer will answer us, mostly in English, by turning to the camera. However, it is not worth writing out too much, in the end it’s about the game. And time is money.

According to Online Gambling Quarterly, the Live Casino service has seen one of the largest gains in the industry in the last 12 months, giving way only to live sports betting. What does this prove? One can be tempted to diagnose that after all the technical novelties and possibilities offered by a digital casino are overjoyed, players value contact with a real human being the most, even if they are separated by a computer or smartphone screen.

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E-gambling

in the third quarter of 2017 The online gambling industry in the whole civilized world is developing at its best. Perhaps the time will come that we will be able to present the results of our country and operators operating in Poland in such combinations.

I

n the meantime, let’s see how the online casinos and bookmakers, operating legally in Europe, were doing in the third quarter of this year. Quarterly breakdown of their financial results, presented by Online Gambling Quarterly, shows very interesting data.

creased in relation to the corresponding period of the previous

year by 25%. Almost all operators noted an increase in this regard:

Income General, average income of the egambling industry, taking into account the results of selected, major operators, in the second quarter (we do not have data for the third quarter) of the current year inBy spreading these data into two main components, i.e. bookmakers and casinos, we see that the former have recorded a smaller increase in revenues - averaging this will be 9%. The results of casinos look much better. In this case, this is an average increase of 22%. The biggest jump, compared to the same period last year, boasts the LeoVegas casino, which improved its financial results by as much as 65%.

Social marketing It would seem that nowadays nothing affects the results of online businesses, such as activity on social media. We present data from the three most popular social media channels, thanks to which

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Income growth comparing the second quarters of 2017 and 2016:

operators try to reach their current and future customers. Considering the above presented financial results, these numbers may surprise ...

Facebook The average number of likes of websites operated by gambling operators on Facebook - 533.867

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• The most likes - Paddy Power: 1.594.458 • PokerStars and Bet365 are on the podium • The most likes, taking into account data from the third quarter of 2016, came with Bet365: + 16% Twitter • The average number of followers 125,286 • Most followers - Paddy Power: 634.119 • Bet365 and William Hill are on the podium • The largest increase - 188bet: + 6% YouTube • The average number of subscribers of channels run by operators - 32,566 • Most subscribers - PokerStars: 337,407 • Bwin and PaddyPower are also on the podium • The biggest increase - Betsson: + 16% What were we playing?

How did the offer of bookmakers and online casinos in the third quarter of 2017 look like? In general, we had the most bets at

bookmakers for Premier League matches, and the most slots in casinos. What do specific numbers look like?

Number of bets offered by bookmakers in the 3rd quarter of 2017 (daily average): • Premier League – 1172 • Primera Division – 1043 • 1 Bundesliga – 1023 • Ligue 1 – 1084 • Serie A – 1007 All bets on football-related events were offered on average 33,579.

Considering the basketball bets (173) and tennis (251), which are two more places to play, when it comes to the offer of bookmakers, it is clear that this industry is simply a football.

In the summer the world football championships will take place - the bookmakers have a huge harvest.

How can we comment on this data?

Everyone loves slots the most, slots are the most and on the slots casinos earn the most. It is not without a reason that producers of this type of games most often present next premieres of their productions. And we must admit that modern video slots with their three-reels prototypes are less and less common. The principle of the game is similar, but slots from NetEnt, GreenTube and Yggdrasil are the most modern combination of the highest quality graphics, animations and sounds. With an interesting scenario and many interesting modes of bonus games.

And no matter if these are games on mobile or stationary devices, it seems that for a long time reel machines will be the palm of priority among all gambling entertainment.

Casino games offered by operators in the 3rd quarter of 2017: • Slots - 381 • Table games - 41 • Games with jackpot - 34 • Video poker - 11 • Scratch cards - 27

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The Sting - a super scam „The Sting�, shot in 1973, won 7 Oscars. According to critics, it is in the top ten of the best and most-liked films of all time.

Many factors contributed to success, the most important of which are: a brilliant screenplay (David S. Ward), perfect direction (George R. Hill) and a brilliant acting duo (Robert Redford and Paul Newman). The stilted success of the storyteller was also the music of the king of ragtime, Scott Joplin, splendidly stylized for the 1930s.

The Sting is a crime comedy with elements of gangster cinema. This film has nothing of farce and does not provoke the viewer to burst into laughter. For this, on some stages, the hands themselves make for applause.

If you weigh, with the positive heroes are two fraudsters, you can see through this fact that this work is very unusual.

America during the Great Depression. Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) is a dangerous gangster who is torn

by Illinois. One day, he sends one of

his people to provide 10,000 dollars to the agreed place (in those years a large amount). It seems that the courier is stealing from two nice crooks - Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and Luther Colemen (Robert E. Jones). They do not know who they have ...

Enraged, Lonnegan decides to kill them. His thugs get and murder Luther. Johnny manages to escape, but he wants to avenge his friend, and help him with this old buddy, Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman). Together, they are developing a plan that aims not only to bring Lonnegan to ruin, but also to make a fool of it. Two brilliant fraudsters challenge a powerful gangster.

lions are at stake. It’s just that skillfully conceited Lonnegan does not know that this is pure hoax, because the totalizer is false, and the whole game is one big bosh. Evident scam, but how ingeniously prepared!

The thing is based on an unusual idea and carried out with real virtuosity.

The real masterpiece is the way in which Newman plays a game of poker with Shaw - whoever once held the cards in his hand, he will never forget this scene ... And this poker duel gives rise to a plot that is (dynamic and full of surprising) turns keeps the viewer in suspense until the end. full of surprises returns) keeps the viewers in suspense until the end.

How do they achieve their goal? They cleverly exploit the passion of the mafia for gambling, its greed, shoe and megalomania. Because this is a movie about a game in which mil-

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A master of climate and temptation It is hard to find someone who would be able to promote the casino with such great sensitivity, as well as lure players. Sam Boyd, (founder of the family company Boyd Gaming Corp. in 1975, which is currently one of the most important in the American gambling industry), has been striving for players in an extremely effective way. It was not the most important for him whether the potential guest had only 20 dollars or 20,000 in his pocket - every customer counted. open to gambling city, a work-mate - which he treated somewhat as an excellent game - he slowly gained a position in the industry. First, he was employed at the Jackpot Club, then (after a two-year service in the army) at El Rancho Vegas. He also worked at the Flamingo casino (just after his creator Benjamin „Bugsy” Siegel was killed by the will of mafia investors), where he was the head of the change and casino Thunderbird, in which he was offered a pit boss position.

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n the 20s of the last century, a dozen or so years old Sam was harassing guests and offering them gambling in Long Beach, California. It was there that he understood that the success of any business at least half depends on the ability to attract customers.

In the early 1930s, Boyd had already worked in bingo stores in Los Angeles. Later he organized bingo in Hawaii - Honolulu and Hilo. When in 1941 the California federal authorities limited the freedom to gamble in this area, Sam moved with his wife and son to Las Vegas. In this out-of-the-way, but

In 1952 he gained the chance to invest his own money. Al Winter offered him a 1-percent share (worth 16 thousand dollars) in a gambling business under the name of Sahara Hotel & Casino. For the next four years, this place became a place of work for Sam (he was the head of change), a dining room and a bedroom. When the company Sahara Hotel Corp. was building another casino - Mint, located in the center of Las Vegas, Boyd also became a shareholder. This time, however, he sat on the stool of the vice-president and the main manager.

the neighboring premises and enlarged the surface of Eldorado. A special atmosphere prevailed here - because the casino staff knew many players by name, it maintained intimate relations with them, which translated into a friendly atmosphere.

In the 1970s Sam Boyd became the largest individual shareholder of the Union Plaza casino at Freemont Street. A livid, though controversial, idea of ​​employment as croupiers of young women came up at that time. The resistance of the employees of the premises and business partners was, of course, enormous. However, stubborn Boyd, sensing that the sex of the beautiful will attract the guests, he set his own. Charming croupiers attracted customers. Another good move was the introduction of Broadway musicals to the casino. Union Plaza was gaining popularity and winning. the market.

The first casino belonging to the Boyd family - Eldorado Club, located in the suburbs of Las Vegas, Sam acquired together with his son in 1962. The business developed so well that after three years, the Boyds repurchased

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