Casino life issue 113 vol 13 by Outsource Digital Media Ltd

Volume 13 Issue 113

INSPIRE THE BEST

I T ’S A L L A B O U T W H AT ’S I N S I D E

From the inspired artists at our globally-based design studios to the technical expertise of our hardware development teams, our core value of passion drives everything we do. Our goal is to give you more of what works for you and your customers. More revenue and leading-edge cabinets to transform your floor. Visit us on Stand S3-250 at ICE 2018 to see how we can build on your success, together.

EVERY ELEMENT. EVERY INNOVATION. EVERYTHING WE HAVE.

www.aristocrat.com

Editorial: Editor in Chief: Glyn Thomas Mob: +44 (0) 7727 969299 glyn@ace123.com Features Editor:

Damien Connelly

dconnelly@ace123.com Associate Editor Asia: Bill Healey bill@ace123.com

Associate Editor North America David Mckee

dmckee@ace123.com Special Assignment Correspondent: Jack Bulavsky

jackbulavsky@yahoo.com International Casino & Gaming Correspondent: JJ Woods

jjsilks@eircom.net Technology Correspondent: Rebecca Green

rebecca@ace123.com

Production: Designer: Stewart Hyde design@ace123.com

www.totaldesignworks.com Subscriptions: Helen Holmes subs@ace123.com

Web & IT: Sudip Banjeree sb@ace123.com

Publisher: Peter White

Tel: +44 (0) 1892 740869

Mob: +44 (0) 7973 273714 pwhite@ace123.com

Editor’s page Welcome to Casino Life...

It’s been a busy month with Peter White drawing the short straw and jetting off to Monaco for the inaugural World Gaming Expo there whilst I negotiated the traffic cones to Coventry as a judge in Grosvenor’s Dealer Championship. One of us was shaken not stirred, but I enjoyed my day at the coalface watching some incredible talent make me feel at ease whilst taking all my money. Playing the role of a rookie blackjack player I took it a bit seriously, raising a few eyebrows when always insisting on a card when I had 20. That ace had to show up eventually though. Hats off to the winners, the losers and those that train these guys and girls so well – not to mention the sponsors. Back to this issue and we lead with Mike Rothwell, Managing Director, Caesars Entertainment EMEA who took time out of a busy schedule to talk to me about “Brands, Brexit ...and being the Best”. Next up is to Bill Bembenek, the CEO Pala Casino Spa & Resort. Why not? Seafood? In the desert...? It’s always been a no-no in the past but Lavo Las Vegas has changed our view. We dine out with international DJ Erny and experience sophisticated dining in Las Vegas’s latest hotspot. Book now! Talking of hot dates, ICE is just around the corner so Peter talks to Kate Chambers about the forthcoming extravaganza – receiving encouragement for visitors to spend more time there rather than the traditional one day and back to the office. This year with dedicated Consumer Protection and Payment Solutions zones ICE has even more to offer. The Payment Zone will be a welcome addition for Aristidis Tsikouras, Managing Director, GeWeTe who speaks to Rebecca Green about the company and its ambitions. Aristocrat too outline their plans in advance for the biggest gaming show on the planet. Iain Corby meanwhile reports back from the 5th GambleAware Harm Minimisation Conference. We also have Robert Ambrose, on Gaming Legislation. We close with a final, final report of G2E by Victor Royer (squeezed from out last issue) but not before he pulls a rabbit out of the hat in the company of Murray – Celebrity Magician – who is currently resident magician at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas and resident magic expert for the Pawn Stars TV Show. Victor – living the dream, whilst the cones were still there on the other side of the Motorway on the journey home for me. From all of us at Ace Publishing – both Casino Life and Bingo Life, have a healthy Glyn Thomas and prosperous New Year! Editor in Chief

Contents 3

Editors page

5 Inspire the Best Glyn Thomas talks to Mike Rothwell, Managing Director, Caesars Entertainment EMEA about Brands, Brexit ...and being the Best 13 Renovation with Innovation Bill Healey talks to Bill Bembenek, the CEO Pala Casino Spa & Resort 20 Dealer Champions Glyn Thomas Reports back from this year’s Grosvenor Casinos Annual National Dealer Skills Championship 22 Lavo Las Vegas Restaurant Review by Bill Healey 25 Paradice Provides You Everything! Kate Chambers, Managing Director, Clarion Gaming chats to Peter White 30 Handling solutions Aristidis Tsikouras, Managing Director, GeWeTe speaks to Rebecca Green 35 Aristocrat to take ‘inside’ track at ICE 2018 ICE Totally Gaming Exhibitor Preview 37 5th GambleAware Harm Minimisation Conference Report by: Iain Corby, Deputy Chief Executive, Responsible Gaming Trust 40 Gaming Expansion Fighting the Ills of State Budgets with Additional Gambling by: Robert Ambrose 43 Move your imagination Celebrity Magician Murray, currently resident Magician at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas Victor H Royer 48 G2E 2017 Review: Part Two A breakthrough show for casinos, traditional slots, skill-based games, and more! By: Victor H Royer Editorial Policy: The views and opinions expressed in Casino Life remain principally the views of contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or publishers. The publishers wish to avoid inaccuracies and, whilst every precaution has been taken to ensure that information contained in this publication is accurate, no liability is accepted by the editor or publishers for errors or omissions, however caused. Unless otherwise stated, articles appearing in this publication remain the copyright of the publishers and may not be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written consent. Printed in the UK by MPC Ltd.

Inspire the Best

Glyn Thomas talks to Mike Rothwell, Managing Director, Caesars Entertainment EMEA about Brands, Brexit ...and being the Best

Most people will be familiar with the Caesars Entertainment brand but not necessarily be aware of how diverse the company is, how it has many different operations in different countries. Can you elaborate? Caesars Entertainment Corporation is one of the world’s largest and most diversified casino entertainment providers. We now operate 47 casinos across five countries, from the destination resorts of Las Vegas and Atlantic City to the high-end glamour of Mayfair, the buzz of London’s Leicester Square and the excitement of Cairo and its proximity to the Middle East. You’ll be familiar with our brands, including Caesars, Harrah’s, Horseshoe, Flamingo, Bally’s

and Planet Hollywood. Closer to home we have the Empire Casino, the Sportsman, the Playboy Club London, Alea Glasgow, Alea Nottingham, Manchester235, Rendezvous Brighton, Rendezvous Southend together with 3 businesses In Cairo and the 750-acre Emerald Casino Resort in South Africa. I visited your sister operations in Cairo last year and a definite “esprit de corps” exists at all levels – they are quite obviously actively part of the Caesars Entertainment family. From your perspective, how is that achieved? I’m a strong believer in the Service Profit Chain – happy team members create happy customers who, in turn, create happy shareholders. It’s simple, but

it is absolutely dependent on first class leadership. Better leaders deliver better results. We have a great team and great leadership in Cairo. They think hard about employee engagement and customer service. They have loads of energy. They work together well, share information well and, above all else, they have a strong culture of respect and professionalism throughout the operations. Authentic leadership is important and you’re right, there’s a real sense of pride. It’s no accident that Caesars is the market leader in Cairo, with consistently more than 30% market share over many years. Following on from the last question how close are the respective casinos in terms of staff exchanges and the sharing of ideas and maybe even VIPs? Giving our employees the opportunity to work in our other properties in the UK is relatively straightforward. This is great for their career development as it enables them to gain exposure to different markets, diverse customer bases and to develop their leadership skills. Internationally, it’s a little bit tougher, due primarily to visa requirements and work permits. That said, our UK employees often have the chance to work in our overseas properties, supporting on

The Ramses Casino, Cairo overlooking the Nile.

capital projects, slot floor layouts and restaurant offerings, for example. Mark Hands, who has previously headed up our Nottingham and Manchester properties, is now leading our South African resort property, leveraging his hotel and hospitality skills to drive success there. Sharing VIP customers is one of the key strengths

The Carlsberg Sports Bar, one of Caesars’ successful brand partnerships

of the Caesars family of properties. Our host teams operate globally, providing bespoke service to our customers, whether they’re visiting London from the US or on a visit from the Far East. It’s a key advantage of having a large network of properties. Launching Total Rewards, the world’s leading casino loyalty programme, into the UK market earlier this year has been a big step forward in customer service and loyalty. Focusing on the UK, how has the market changed in the past 12 months since we interviewed you last? The two biggest changes I have seen are a significant increase in Far East Asian visitors to our UK properties and increased regulatory scrutiny. The latter is something which has divided gambling industry opinion. From my perspective, I’m supportive of the Gambling Commission’s approach to consumer protection. I believe it’s vitally important that all the gambling industry CEOs culturally get their heads around the idea that treating customers fairly, and with respect, is great for business, financially as well as from a customer and employee perspective. Has Brexit been a gloomy topic at management

level or are you approaching it all with confidence? Personally, I’m disappointed by Brexit. Throughout the process, and the vote, we didn’t try to influence our employees in any way – they were all free to make their choices and it’s right and proper that government respects those choices. That said, I felt the government did a poor job of giving people clear, useful information which they needed to make an informed choice. The picture of doom and gloom they painted felt insincere to me and it backfired. I think they would have been better served emphasising the good things the EU does. It’s striking that some UK communities which are supported by EU funding voted overwhelmingly for Brexit, thereby, effectively, cutting off the funding on which they depend – that makes no sense to me. It’s also disappointing that the government now has to deal with extensive and involved negotiations when it would be much better served focusing on improving the UK economy and getting public finances back into shape. We all know how it feels being distracted by “curved balls” when we’re trying to focus on our jobs and I can’t imagine the depth of work involved to unravel the situation. From my perspective, I also think it’s a shame that Britain has chosen not to be part of something bigger. I love living and working in London – it’s an

Emerald Resort & Casino, South Africa

amazing city with an incredible diversity of cultures and nationalities – I hope we don’t lose that. From a business perspective, the obvious impacts have been the weakness in sterling, which has been good for tourism but, more worryingly, the potential loss of European workers on whom our economy depends. We’re already seeing that in our food and beverage operations. Fingers crossed we can come out the other side unscathed and culturally intact – I’m glad I’m not involved in the negotiations! How does Caesars Entertainment EMEA fare against other casino brands – and how is it different? Having distinct brands in the markets in which we operate makes sense and enables us to “localise” what we offer. So, for example, a customer in Alea Glasgow will have different expectations

from a customer in Manchester235. We also empower our local General Managers to have more autonomy in how they operate their businesses, which enables them to adapt more rapidly to changes in the markets in which they operate and with which they are more intimately connected. That doesn’t mean we don’t have standard operating procedures, we do; rather it’s being able to apply those in a meaningful way in each market. Having the Las Vegas connection is a big differentiator for us too. We are able to offer our customers access to experiences that other operators cannot. The ability to meet Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez, or visit the “Hangover” Suite at Caesars Palace, or be invited to stay in our New Orleans property during Mardi Gras – all these are key differentiators for us. You appointed Jim Firth as Venue Director for the

Sportsman Casino in London last year – how has he had an effect? I think Jim’s a great Venue Director and I’m delighted to have him on our team. He has a leadership style which works well – he’s calm, engages well with employees, is a good listener and understands the value of having a diverse network of contacts. He has integrity and authenticity – important leadership qualities. I mentioned earlier about my belief in the correlation between leadership and results: 2017 is looking like a record year for the Sportsman. I don’t think that’s a coincidence or an accident – it’s a high performing team. Jim isn’t the only new arrival to the Caesars’ Team though. We’ve made some important external hires into our senior management team over the past year or so. Chris Green joined us from the Rank Group and is now leading the Empire Casino in Leicester Square. George Gordon came from Gala and is now our Venue Director down in Brighton

and Maxine Gibbons is our Venue Director in Manchester235, having joined us from Rank. We’ve also had the opportunity to internally promote two of our key employees into Venue Director roles. Susan McGowan has taken the property leader role at Alea Glasgow and Junior Garrod, who was formerly our Marketing Manager at the Rendezvous Southend, is now our property lead. Both are already having a significant positive impact on team morale, customer service and results. I’m delighted that we are able to see team members progress through the ranks to become property leaders. This is a testament not only to their abilities, but also to all the time and effort we’ve invested in training and development over the past few years. We’ve had a good balance of external talent and internal promotion – I’m happy with that. You have some strong partnerships and affiliates

Manchester235 Casino’s VIP room, the most successful VIP room outside of London

such as with James Martin in your Manchester casino and Playboy Enterprises speaks for itself. What other alliances do you have at the moment and are others planned? Partnerships and affiliates are an important part of our business model. Consumers trust brands they recognise. We’ve been working with Marco Pierre White in Alea Nottingham for a number of years now and the MPW Steakhouse Bar and Grill has been a massive success. He’s a very active participant in the direction of the business and that really helps the relationship to be successful. The Carlsberg Sports Bar at the Empire Casino has also been tremendously successful – again, a very recognisable brand, trusted by consumers. In all these partnerships we work hard to foster strong relationships – active dialogue, ideas sharing, face to face contact – all vital to ensure success and to keep the product alive and relevant in the marketplace. In my experience, taking a passive approach to a partnership rarely leads to an optimal outcome. A key development for us has also been the launch of Total Rewards into the UK market in March this year. Total Rewards is the leading casino loyalty programme globally – the brand is recognised and trusted by millions of customers and extending the reach to cover our UK operations is a big step forward for us in driving loyalty and engagement.

Would I like to do more? Definitely. As we seek to grow market share in the territories in which we operate, partnerships will be one way through which we can differentiate ourselves. One of the benefits of being part of the Caesars global network is that we have access to some pretty important relationships. Watch this space! You’re on record as saying that each venue is different – distinct – and operates independently with no “homogenous product”. That said do you try to diversify your slot offerings with many suppliers or rely on major suppliers offering different product? Correct, each of our venues is distinct and tailored to the market in which we operate; I think this is important for attracting customers. From a slot product perspective, I don’t have any hard and fast rules. Typically my start point would be which product works best in each market. In this regard, we see a lot of commonality – exciting new products tend to resonate in every territory, not just a single market. Pricing is important, of course, but I wouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket if that left us with a basket of average eggs. The political landscape has been interesting too, from a product perspective. I had hoped that the casino industry would be permitted more slot machines over and above the current 20 per

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Marco Pierre White Steakhouse at Alea Nottingham

property for former 1968 Act Casinos. Timing is everything though and the current backlash against Fixed Odds Betting Terminals needs to work its way through the system before we can re-engage in a sensible discussion with DCMS about where gambling products should be situated. I’m always optimistic, though. The casino industry has been ahead of the game on social responsibility and consumer protection and I’m proud of what we do in this regard. Building this into a package of evidence for the government will help us move the agenda forward and I hope we will see appropriate relaxations within the next 12 months or so. I’m supportive of the work the Gambling Commission is doing around responsible gaming and, by continuing to work collaboratively with them, I believe that we can keep casinos at the forefront of safe gambling. 2018 is on the horizon. What’s on your hit-list for the New Year? Do you have any acquisitions or major refurbishments planned? I’m excited about 2018. Caesars US finally wrapped up the protracted Chapter 11 debt renegotiations in October, with a significantly lower debt load and much improved free cash flow. The focus for our business now is growth. We will be aiming to address our current absence from the online gaming market. It’s a huge industry and we have a great brand, so I’m looking

forward to leveraging that and providing additional entertainment channels for our customers. In addition, we have done a great job of investing in capital projects which have delivered strong returns. During 2018, I see us investing in our flagship London properties to continue to grow our market share. M&A will clearly be a focus for us too. We have a great management team here in the EMEA region and I’m keen to leverage our great operational and marketing skills by adding to our portfolio, be that in the UK or mainland Europe. I’m also excited about our culture-shaping work which we kicked off in 2017 and will continue in 2018. We call it “Inspire our Best” and it’s all about helping our team members become better leaders and managers. Bricks and mortar investment is exciting, as is M&A, but it’s our people who really shape the success of our business.

Renovation with Innovation Bill Healey talks to Bill Bembenek, CEO, Pala Casino Spa & Resort

estled in the secluded foothills north of San Diego, California is one of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top casino resort destinations, Pala Casino Spa & Resort. Though designated with a AAA Four-Diamond rating, the gaming and entertainment resort has undertaken an extensive $170 million expansion and renovation project that began in October 2017. We have been fortunate to catch-up with Bill Bembenek, the CEO to discuss the casino and their ongoing renovation. Could you give us a bit of a background on your industry experience, and what led you to Pala Resort. I began my gaming career in 1992 in the Chicagoland market, holding director level positions at the Empress Casino in Illinois and the Blue Chip Casino in Northwest Indiana. I joined the Pala management team in April 2001 as director of slot operations, and was promoted to vice president of slot operations and database marketing. In 2003 I was named assistant general manager and progressed to the level of CEO. Prior to my gaming career, I served two years

in the United States Army as a communications specialist. Pala Resort is in the midst of a US$ 170 million expansion and renovation. What does this signify for the property? Our ability to exponentially expand and refresh Pala Casino Spa & Resort is a true testament, not only to the growth of Pala, but also to the thriving economy and the continued strength of the gaming industry in California. This is a significant milestone for the Pala Tribe and we look forward to continuing to exceed the expectations of our loyal patrons. What are the facilities like at the present time in late 2017? As we start the project, the existing facilities at Pala Casino Spa & Resort include: a Las Vegasstyle casino with 2,000 slot machines; 80 table games and seven poker tables; a 507-room hotel; a 10,000-square-foot, full-service spa and salon that features 14 treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Construction of our new swimming pool complex is underway and will be completed in May 2018.

We currently offer 10 restaurants and 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. The Pala RV Resort opened May 23, 2016, and offers 100 parking sites for RVs and trailers from 55 to 70 feet with full-service amenities for RVers. The renovation and expansion is set to be completed by late 2019. What will the facilities be like upon completion? The $170 million renovation and expansion will include the addition of a new 348-room hotel tower as well as a complete remodel of the resort’s existing hotel tower. When complete, Pala will boast 853 rooms, including 104 unique suites and 749 deluxe rooms with dramatic views of the resort’s multi-pool and entertainment complex, event lawn and the scenic Palomar Mountain Range. To accommodate more hotel guests, the hotel parking structure will be expanded by adding 420 additional spaces. The conversion of the existing resort pool into a multi-pool and entertainment resort complex will offer guests the opportunity to enjoy five pools, two whirlpools, a new poolside bar, a new poolside restaurant and various outdoor lounge spaces

complete with fireplaces for evening cocktails. How will the gaming area be impacted by the expansion? Pala’s gaming area will be completely remodeled and expanded by 12,000 square feet to a total of 102,000 square feet. Within that expanded casino space, 500 new slot machines and several new table games are planned, increasing its offering of slot and video machines to 2,500 and its offering of table games to 88. A new casino bar and lounge will be introduced. Pala’s food promenade will be converted into a restaurant complex offering a wide variety of food options in varied settings. The restaurants will include casual café dining, Asian dining, a premium sushi restaurant and a sports bar restaurant offering live entertainment and dancing every Friday and Saturday night. The new restaurants will complement Pala’s signature Choices the Buffet, the elegant Oak Room Steakhouse, the eclectic underground wine cave with its new Californiacasual restaurant, Bar-Meets-Grill, which will open in January 2018.

How is this expansion being accepted by the local community? The Pala Casino Spa & Resort is highly regarded by the local community it supports. Several local and state dignitaries have issued public statements on their support for the project. One of the dignitaries at the October groundbreaking was California State Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher who mentioned, “I am proud to have played even a bit part in this important event for the Pala Band of Mission Indians, the State of California, and the local economy by authoring Assembly Bill 629 to ratify the tribal gaming compact that made today’s groundbreaking a reality. This legislation was overwhelmingly supported by representatives from around California because of Pala’s commitment to the economic self-sufficiency of its people and to the surrounding community.” Also present was State Assemblymember Marie Waldron who added that “Pala has been a great neighbor to the surrounding communities in our district. The casino and resort employs thousands of our residents and has had a tremendous impact on the economic prosperity of the Tribe’s members. Under the leadership of Chairman Smith, Pala has been a vast economic driver in my district and the surrounding areas. Our region is a better place

because of your efforts.” How has the development affected local employment? Pala’s renovation and expansion project will create 400 construction jobs and, once complete, add over 200 new employment opportunities to Pala’s current team of 2,000 team members. Assemblymember Gonzalez-Fletcher had offered their support for the impact we’ve had on employment by stating, “One notable contribution by Pala has been its commitment to fair wages and employment, evident in its efforts to set a statewide standard for gaming operations that has provided many Californians with the middle-class wages that so many are struggling to obtain...I want to congratulate Chairman Smith and the Pala Band of Mission Indians on their achievement today, thank them for their friendship and commitment to the people of California, and wish them the best of luck in this next chapter of their gaming enterprise.” Does the Casino have table game or slot tournaments? Yes. Pala sponsors a slot tournament for players every month and a video poker tournament each quarter and, intermittently, we sponsor table games tournaments.

What are the demographics of the casino patrons? Are they mostly local residents, or are there also tourists coming from greater distances? Our guest base comes from a large region of Southern California and from all ethnic, social and income-level backgrounds. Our regular guests visit from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties. Our market is from Santa Barbara on the north to Chula Vista at the border on the south. On occasion, tourists from outside the region who are vacationing in Southern California visit our hotel and stay and play. However, our guest base would have to be described as a large, local region. Does the Casino have a loyalty program for its frequent patrons? Yes. Our Privileges Club consists of five play levels: Privileges, Pearl, Gold, Platinum and Elite. Players can earn an array of awards, discounts, prizes and invitations to special events and cash drawings based on their play level. We also offer the public our online game, MyPalaCasino, at mypalacasino. com. There is no cash exchanged on MyPalaCasino.

However, players may also win an array of prizes such as dinners, entertainment tickets, hotel nights, etc. Is Pala actively involved with Responsible Gaming? Promoting responsible gambling has been a priority with Pala Casino Spa & Resort since opening in 2001. Our efforts have been to create awareness of the potential risks associated with gambling and providing resources to those who need help. Through the resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compact with the State of California in 2016, we have reaffirmed our commitment to assist Problem Gamblers. Our pledge is to promote responsible gaming; prevent underage gambling and unattended minors in the casino; serve alcoholic beverages responsibly; advertise responsibly; and to educate our Team Members in responsible gambling awareness. With the casinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successes, what Awards & Distinctions have come to Pala? Pala Casino Spa & Resort is a high achieving property on many levels. On a local level, it was

voted Best Casino in San Diego by the public in the 10News.com annual A-List poll sponsored by KGTVTV 10 News in San Diego. Our state-of-the-art Pala Spa was named the number three spa in North America and the number one spa in the State of California, and the number one spa in the entire casino industry for 2016. The ranking marked the eleventh consecutive year that Pala Spa has been ranked in the Top 100 and Top 10. Pala RV Resort is rated a perfect 10/10*/10 by Good Sam, the national RV Resort rating publication. Trailer Life and Motorhome magazines awarded Pala RV Resort its Gold Awards for 2016 and 2017 as Best RV Resort Casino and Best Campground Resort. Construction of the AAA Four Diamond award winning property is officially underway and will be completed in phases. The first phase will be completed in spring of 2018 and the final phase in late 2019.

Casino Life Magazine would like to thank Bill Bembenek and the team at Pala Resort for their time and cooperation with this article.

The Pala Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe whose reservation is located along the Palomar Mountain range approximately 50 miles northeast of San Diego. The majority of the over 900 tribal members live on the 12,000-acre reservation, established for CupeĂąo and LuiseĂąo Indians, who consider themselves to be one proud people - Pala.

Jerry Lewis (Assistant General Manager Luton) briefing the 10 finalists before their individual competitions start

Dealer Champions

Glyn Thomas reports back from this year’s Grosvenor Casinos Annual National Dealer Skills Championship

asino Life was pleased to take part as one of the judges in the grand final of Grosvenor Casino’s National Dealer Skills Championships held recently at its Coventry casino. Now in its 9th year, the annual event saw the best Grosvenor Casinos’ dealers across the UK go head-to-head in the over and under two years’ experience categories. After battling it out against 10 finalists for over six

hours, the winners were named as Joe Kent from Sheffield (under two years’ experience) and Josh Williams, from Soames in Manchester (over 2 years’ experience). Josh took home £1,000, a trip to Malta to experience Grosvenor Casinos’ live casino and the coveted National Dealer Skills trophy. In second place was Callum Lacey who took home a runner up trophy and £500 in prize money. Joe won £600,

Josh Williams Soames in Manchester over 2 years’ experience Champion

Joe Kent from Sheffield under two years’ experience Champion

Josh receiving his trophy and prizes from Richard Playle Commercial Director, Debbie Husband National Operations Director and Andrew Henson Managing Director for TCS John Huxley Europe (Championships sponsors)

a trip to Malta and his trophy. Runner up in this category was Danial Earp, who took home £300 and a trophy after the fierce competition. Grosvenor Casinos kicked things off back in June 2017, inviting all of its 51 clubs to train and compete amongst their colleagues in preparation for the regional heats. As a result, a staggering number of dealers from across the estate entered, with over 1,000 putting their hat in the ring. From September to October, five regional heats took place in London, the Midlands and West, Yorkshire and the North East, Scotland and the North, and finally, the South and East. The top two performers from the regional

rounds each received a prize of £300 and a place at the grand final in Coventry. Dealers were judged on their Blackjack and Roulette dealing skills. For Blackjack, the dealer had to shuffle and deal for 10 minutes and then complete a Blackjack pay-out test. For Roulette, the dealer dealt on roulette for eight minutes and then completed a bet calculation and cash conversion exercise. Glyn Thomas, Editor in Chief of Casino Life acted as the dumb first time BJ player and fulfilled his role exceptionally well. Dealers were scored against customer service, chip work & dexterity, asset & game protection, float management and communication. Ian Shanahan, casino games development manager at Grosvenor Casinos commented: “Congratulations to everyone who attended and supported our dealers and of course, a special mention to our winners and finalists who showcased incredible talent and prowess. The Dealer Skills Championship shows what makes Grosvenor Casinos’ dealers the best in the country and we’re proud to support our dealers and the wider Grosvenor family.”

Tasteful Experience In the weeks following G2E Las Vegas, Casino Life Magazine was invited to experience the award-winning Lavo Las Vegas. Considered by many to be a “must-visit” restaurant during a Vegas sojourn, we found it’s hype was exceeded by a real-life, first-hand experience.

oining me was DJ Erny, an international DJ formerly based on tropical Bali and in the process of relocating to Las Vegas after a 12-year residency at the island’s top Italian resto-lounge. Aside from Lavo being an ideal venue to celebrate her birthday, it also provided an unbeatable introduction to sin-city’s nightlife and a chance to experience the city’s top Italian restaurant. Lavo’s vibe impressed us from the moment of

arrival. Greeted by friendly hostesses, we were escorted through the busy lounge to our table inside. (Lavo also offers outside seating on their Terrace overlooking the famous Las Vegas Strip.) From our table we were able to enjoy the venue’s ambiance and internal décor which was inspired by the Mediterranean bath houses of Southern Italy. We took a moment to soak in Lavo’s warm colors and soft lighting emanating from the lowhanging chandeliers within the tile and stone walls,

water-splashed plaster, high wooden ceilings. Their attention to detail provided a level of cozy sophistication. Once seated, we were given menus by Jo, one of the friendliest waitresses you’ll ever meet. She provided us with menus, along with her recommendations on what we should be sampling. We were fortunate that Jo was well prepared to highlight their specialties -- so we didn’t spend much time with the menus, and went with recommendations. This turned out to be a very good choice. For our appetizer we chose the Crispy Fried

Calamari with fresh lemon, parsley, and spicy marinara along with their selection of breads. Having often had fried calamari on the seaside, we were eager to compare. We were quite surprised, that even here in the Vegas desert, the quality of the calamari was the best we’ve had. Our drinks with the appetizer and into our meals were a good selection of chardonnay. For our main meals, we again follow Jo’s advice. Erny ordered the Spaghetti with Meatballs -- an imperial wagyu, fresh ricotta, ragu. The wagyu meatballs are one of Lavo’s specialties and can be ordered as an appetizer or the main meal. I in-turn,

ordered the 20 oz. Bone-In Rib Eye (medium rare), dry aged, with garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted garlic with cream and extra virgin olive oil. Both meals exceeded our expectations, and the portions were sizeable and more than we could finish. Our main course was followed with a platter of dessert samplings that included New York cheesecake, Tiramisu and an assortment of additional sweets. We followed-up our meal with a couple of mojitos to take-in a bit more of the evening vibe. During our two-hour visit, the DJ’s music picked up from lounge to a bit more up-tempo house as the evening progressed. Mark Childers, Lavo’s Assistant General Manager kindly stopped by for a chat to see that all was going well. Though Lavo has over 20,000 square feet of space, they remained extremely busy with a queue to get in. Despite the fact that all tables were occupied, their service was impressive. Staff seemed to be everywhere, and yet seemed in sync and mixing well with customers. They were all very attentive and on point with their own tables, but also assisting other staff without hesitation. Glasses of water were always full, while empty plates were removed rather quickly. Lavo Italian Restaurant and Nightclub is part of the TAO Group, which is a leading restaurant and nightlife company that develops, owns and operates many of the most successful food, beverage and nightlife entertainment venues in the United States. Partners Marc Packer, Richard Wolf, Noah

Tepperberg, and Jason Strauss have brought decades of hospitality experience to the brand portfolio. Currently TAO Group boasts operations in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia. Along with Lavo, the collection includes Avenue, Beauty & Essex, Marquee Nightclub, The Stanton Social, TAO Asian Bistro Uptown and TAO Asian Bistro Downtown. TAO Group operates all of the food and beverage outlets of the Dream Downtown hotel including room service, PHD Rooftop, Electric Room and Bodega Negra. Additionally, they operate all of the food & beverage outlets of the Dream Midtown hotel including The Rickey, Fishbowl and PHD Terrace. Las Vegas operations include TAO Asian Bistro, Nightclub & Beach at The Venetian, Lavo Italian Restaurant & Lounge at The Palazzo, Beauty & Essex at The Cosmopolitan and Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan. TAO Group’s most recent expansion to Los Angeles include Avenue, Beauty & Essex, Luchini Pizzeria & Bar, TAO Asian Bistro and The Highlight Room rooftop, lounge, pool and grill atop the Dream Hollywood. Marquee Nightclub at The Star – Sydney represents the company’s first international offering. TAO Group regularly brings the brands to additional markets via pop-up venues at noted events such as the Sundance Film Festival and the Superbowl, among others. TAO Group will soon unveil three new concepts within Moxy Times Square including Legasea, a Seafood Brasserie; Egghead, an egg-centric all-day breakfast sandwich shop; and Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge, New York City’s largest hotel rooftop open all season. TAO Group will expand to new markets in 2018 including Chicago and Singapore. A fashionable evening at Lavo for dinner and drinks was a welcomed break. The service is topnotch, the Italian bath-house architecture is warm and inviting, and the sophisticated ambiance puts one at ease. Highly recommended for a night out on the town.

Paradice Provides You Everything! Kate Chambers, Managing Director, Clarion Gaming chats to Peter White What are Clarion Gaming’s aims and ambitions for 2018 ICE Totally Gaming? ICE London has established a strong reputation in the international gaming sector for not only being the biggest B2B gaming technology and learning event in the world, but also the most influential. I think the distinction is an important one, because the biggest events aren’t necessarily the most important, but ICE has managed to secure both accolades through a combination of outstanding exhibitors and outstanding content. ICE 2017 broke records across virtually every metric and my team’s job is to carry that forward year-to-year and to be consistently successful. One of the most important measures that we apply is the post-show satisfaction surveys that we undertake amongst exhibitors and visitors, and I’m pleased to say the responses were very positive. I’ve said it before, but the surveys aren’t a vanity exercise. In so many ways, I’m most interested in identifying where the market feels that we underperformed, so that we can put it right and make the experience more fulfilling. Our exhibitors invest in helping to make ICE London so successful and our visitors make huge commitments to be with us – it’s our commitment to deliver the best show possible and to continuously raise the bar. ICE Totally Gaming has continued to grow and this year it’s the biggest it’s ever been at ExCeL London. What’s new for ICE Totally Gaming 2018? To keep ICE looking and feeling fresh and contemporary, each year we make a series of incremental additions to the show proposition. In isolation, the micro changes would probably go unnoticed, but their overall impact serves to progress the development of the brand and

enhance the customer experience. In terms of macro changes, the most tangible are the addition of new sections for Payments and the Consumer Protection Zone, both of which are firsts for ICE London. The ICE Payment Solutions Section, comprising 4,000sqm of space, will provide a focal point for

Cash-Center-Compact

Cash-Center-Compact Casino

GeWeTe GmbH 53894 Mechernich, Germany, Zum Lindenbusch 5 Tel: +49(0)2256 3000-0/Fax: +49(0)2256 3000-19 Email: info@gewete.com / www.gewete.com

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international visitors wanting to meet and engage with the key innovators and thought leaders in the sector. The purpose of ICE is to showcase and reflect the dominant trends in gaming and payments is case in point. We were approached by a number of leading players wanting to utilise ICE as a platform to reflect these innovations and to create a meeting point for all those international visitors with an interest in the latest technologies and advances. I am delighted that we have been able to respond to the needs of the industry in this way and I am confident the resource that we are putting behind the ICE Payment Solutions Section will be well received by visitors. We will also be promoting the social responsibility message with the launch of the Consumer Protection Zone. The Zone will provide a focus for the social responsibility message and feature key organisations that are promoting social responsibility, as well as being a platform for presentations. The Zone is the latest in a series of social responsibility initiatives undertaken by Clarion Gaming, including the annual World Regulatory Briefing on Responsible Gambling Innovation, which was held in London in the Autumn, and the Social Responsibility training streams run by the Totally

Gaming Academy. Wherever Clarion operates, social responsibility is one of the most important topics and that’s across both emergent and mature gaming markets. Although we are not part of the operating community, I believe strongly that we also have a responsibility to serve as a forum for discussion and knowledge exchange. We will be creating an agenda with demos and presentations from regulators, providers and operators. We also hope to bring government officials, policy-makers and regulators to the Zone as part of the World Regulatory Assembly (WrA) and International Legislators’ Day programme. The industry has made important headway in helping to make gambling an entertainment experience, as opposed to a negative or destructive one, and there have been some really significant technology-driven advances in the fields of responsible gambling using data analytics. It’s totally appropriate these are showcased at ICE London. Visitors to ICE Totally Gaming also get the opportunity to access London’s foremost gaming venues. The London Casino Club is providing, for the third year, privileges and benefits such as

complimentary drinks and seats for an evening’s entertainment. How do visitors best take advantage of this opportunity? As part of the visitor experience at ICE London, attendees will have unrivalled access to London’s foremost gaming venues and a selection of privileged benefits at partnering casinos, from complimentary drinks to seats for an evening’s entertainment. A select number of London casinos are involved and will be creating bespoke offers for ICE visitors. All that visitors need to do in order to gain access to the full range of benefits that The London Casino Club, in partnership with the National Casino Forum, offers, is to present a valid ICE visitor badge when arriving at the chosen casinos. For those of our readership that are not familiar yet with the event ‘Pitch ICE ‘ can you explain to readers what it’s about and how, if they so wish, they can get involved? Pitch ICE is a series of short pitches by start-ups selected in a submission process. Now in its fourth successful year, it gives start-ups the platform to present their ideas and innovations to attendees from the global gambling industry direct from the stage. Over the course of Pitch ICE, start-ups will have two 15-minute slots to present their business. Where did the inspiration come from to have such a strong learning element? We are building ICE London to deliver a truly holistic experience and one which provides gaming

stakeholders from throughout the world with an opportunity to enhance their business as well as their personal development, through a combination of outstanding product and outstanding content and ICE London gives attendees access to three distinct knowledge streams. As well as being given the opportunity to engage with the companies responsible for creating gaming’s latest stand-out products and services, attendees will also be able to participate in 10 free-to-attend seminars taking place on the show floor, experience the quality of the Totally Gaming Academy (TGA) training courses, courtesy of the free-to-attend taster sessions being held in the dedicated TGA Theatre, and enrol as part of ICE VOX, the conference programme which features high calibre participants and 110 tier-one speakers delivering 70 hours of learning. Businesses need to see value when deciding to send their staff to events around the world and we know that we have to earn their attendance at ICE London as much as we have to earn that of our exhibitors. Our strategy is to invest in every aspect of the ICE London experience and, in the process, make it the definitive, must-attend gaming event on the industry calendar. Learning is an important part of the proposition. Casino Trends from Around the World sounds like an interesting topic. Can you tell our readers more? This runs from 10.15am through to 3.30pm on Tuesday, 6 February in the South Gallery Room at ExCeL London. It’s an overview of the

international casino sector and includes speakers such as Bob Morse, President of Hospitality, Caesars Entertainment, Melissa Blau, President, iGaming Capital, Seth Schorr, Chairman, Downtown Grand Hotel and Casino, Simon Thomas, Chief Executive, Hippodrome Casino and Ed Tracy, President, Hard Rock Asia. Topics that are being debated include non-gaming trends and how to make a profit, eSports in a casino, marrying games of chance and skill, and an exploration of Integrated Resorts and why the IR model is successful in some geographies but not in others. This session will examine the evolution of casino-resorts into modern day IRs, define its most essential components, review the most notable successes around the globe and the critical success factors needed in order to make an IR successful. With the show being such an amazing mix of new gaming technology, networking opportunities and world class speakers, attending for one day is simply not enough. What is your advice to attendees so that they get the most out of ICE Totally Gaming 2018? We are finding that more and more attendees are spending longer periods at ICE and, with over 60% of the attendance travelling to London from outside the UK, I think that trend is likely to continue. There’s so much to see and, if you consider that we will have over 500 of the world’s most dynamic gaming innovators all in the same place occupying a record 43,500 sqm of stand space, the physicality has to be experienced to be appreciated fully. In addition, we have a raft of networking opportunities and what I consider to be the very best learning programme in gaming. It’s a mouth-watering prospect which takes place just once a year. I know of a lot of gaming professionals who see it as being ICE week and set aside the time to meet with likeminded professionals and network throughout. It’s a huge opportunity and one which simply cannot be explored in a day. What are the hours of the show? ICE 2018 runs from Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 February 2018 at ExCeL London, located 10 minutes from Canary Wharf, in the heart of London’s Royal Docks. The show is open from 10am to 6pm on Tuesday, 10am to 6pm on Wednesday and 10am to

4pm on the final day, Thursday (all times GMT). Can you explain to our readership what’s different about this year’s website icetotallygaming.com? The new registration architecture has seen the number of mandatory fields reduced and contained within a simplified four-tier process. The popularity of social media is also evident with 1 in 5 ICE visitors now registering via LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. We work very closely with our stakeholders to ensure that every step of the customer journey and every contact point we have is as smooth and ‘stress-free’ as possible. Studies have confirmed that the first point of contact is frequently the most critical and, if handled in a clumsy, timeconsuming or non-sympathetic way, can undermine the relationship a brand like ICE has worked hard to create in the first place. Clearly, to alienate a potential customer at the point of registration is highly damaging and the creation of a consolidated process fast-tracks every registrant while still capturing the data we need in order to have our attendance independently audited. We are very conscious of how important it is to continuously explore how to enhance the customer experience from the moment visitors embark on their journey right through to when they return home. And finally, what key messages would you give to people who have yet to attend ICE Totally Gaming? I honestly think that if you are part of the gaming industry, or contemplating working with the industry, the opportunity is too big to miss and, if you can’t attend for personal reasons, send someone in your place! In 2017, we had over 30,000 attendees travel to London from 151 countries – no other show can command such an audience and there’s a simple explanation: as our creative says, ICE is the ‘Passport to Paradice’.

ICE London is the world’s biggest gaming technology event. Featuring world-leading innovators drawn from the casino, betting, bingo, lottery, mobile, online, social, sports betting and street gaming sectors, ICE provides the most comprehensive shop window on world gaming. To register and access the 500+ international exhibitors who will be in attendance at ICE London 2018, visit:www.icetotallygaming.com

Handling solutions Aristidis Tsikouras, Managing Director, GeWeTe speaks to Rebecca Green

We would like to commence this interview with our congratulations on the Gauselmann Group’s successful 60th Anniversary celebrations! Thank you. We are proud to be the cash-handling experts within the Gauselmann Group, responsible for providing the market with expert ‘made in Germany’ change and redemption machines. Everything we need to create our cash handling solutions can be found at our headquarters in Mechernich near Cologne. We have a complete factory with research & development, manufacturing and sales. Our customers know we belong to a financially strong company that looks to long-term success and not short-term gains. The 60th Anniversary Celebrations themselves back in September were something that we will never forget – an extremely fitting way for Paul Gauselmann to thank his staff and customers. It was a spectacular weekend. We are thankful that we belong to the Gauselmann Group. What has been the reaction of Casino & Gaming operators to GeWeTe cash handling solutions at G2E Las Vegas 2017? We had a very good response at the G2E Las Vegas. Let’s not forget – GeWeTe has only been responsible for change and redemption machine solutions in the international casino market within the Gauselmann Group for the past two years. Previously, HESS had this responsibility – there was a demarcation between amusement and casino. GeWeTe was responsible for the amusement market and AGCs, HESS for the casino market. Two years ago we at GeWeTe were given the responsibility for all amusement and gaming markets. We are overwhelmed by how quickly GeWeTe has become a household name in the international casino market. I am proud to say that more than 100 casinos have been equipped with GeWeTe machines in the past two years.

Your slogan is ‘Cash handling needs experience and competence’. That is very true and the foundation of our success. It is also something we have been doing for almost 25 years now! We have built up an extremely loyal customer base for which we are naturally very thankful. Our cash handling solutions can be found in a wide variety of markets. Here in gaming that is not only for gaming and amusement. This includes sports betting and also cashless solutions like TITO or Card Systems. Your bespoke solutions amount to a wide range of money processing equipment for the sport bet sector. Can you provide more information on this for our readers? Our reputation in the sports betting market continues to grow. More than forty individual sports betting providers have integrated our betting solutions. Here the Cash-CenterCompact and the Cash-CenterCompact 7” are our preferred solutions. There are some markets that allow gaming and sports betting in the same location. Spain is an ideal example here. Our market share has grown strongly in Spain during 2017 as we have all-in-one solutions that cater to the requirements of both sectors. That means we can process different solutions in one machine. Players can then get their winnings i.e. through a ‘hand payment’ or betting slip on the same machine – our Cash-Recycler. This even includes bulk coin acceptance – so larger coin winnings can easily be processed and exchanged for banknotes. As you can see, this is truly an all-in-one cash handling solution. Ticket-in, Ticket-Out Redemption Machines are a proven and now well-established feature of Casinos worldwide. What aspects of the GeWeTe system make it stand out from the competition?

There are a number of reasons but they all boil down to the same – our superior quality and advantageous price/performance ratio. Firstly, when calculated over the entire product life cycle, I very much believe that our products are the most economical. More features, increased customer satisfaction, minimal maintenance throughout its life cycle and the fact that our machines last so long – that makes purchasing a GeWeTe cash handling machine a real investment. Secondly, operators are always pleasantly surprised with our prices – taking all these factors into account. That stems from the fact that we also serve the amusement market and the demand for change and redemption machines is higher. As we produce larger numbers, we pass on the benefits of this economy of scale to our customers. Coming back to the product side, our Cash-Center-Compact-Casino is our solution for larger locations and can be found in over one hundred casinos. The Cash-Center-Compact is our solution for smaller gaming floors. Last year we introduced the Cash-Center-Compact 7” as an introductory solution for small casinos. With all the changes in euro Banknotes and other currencies and given the fact that there are in Europe alone around 21 other currencies, how quick are your Cash Handling Machines able to be updated to meet the changes? This is our daily business. We programme our machines to offer the currency / currencies our customers require. It is absolutely no problem to accept multi currencies. When changes take place – as new coins and banknotes are introduced – then we have ensured that our customers can easily update these. This is really child’s play to carry out. We can provide the new data on a CD, SD-card or USB stick. The new software just needs to be placed into the GeWeTe machine – and that’s it! We have customers who have had two separate updates done throughout the years – for example,

changing their machines from deutsche marks to euros, then to the new euro notes. The UK recently changed its one pound coin, which has created problems for some types of machine - even changing-room lockers. How has GeWeTe coped with this change in its own machines? That’s a very good question! The new one pound coin is not at problem at all for us. We accepted the old one pound coin, then both the old one and the new one in parallel when both were legal tender together. Our software update then enabled our customers to update our machines so that only the new pound coin is accepted (as soon as the old one pound coin was no longer legal tender). As you can see, we know what we are doing! The Cash-Center-Compact-Casino is one of your most recently launched products. Please give our readers some background on this new automated payment system. The Cash-Center-Compact-Casino is our most popular solution for the casino market. It is a multi-level solution for casinos that can handle cash, cards and tickets. It offers a great number of applications. It has a high cash capacity – up to 12,000 banknotes of up to four different denominations can be stored inside. Furthermore, it can be fitted with up to four hoppers. Like all our products, we fit only the best components. Integration into a casino management system is simple – all major casino management systems are already integrated in our GeWeTe machines. Based on the feedback from long term customers, what reasons do they give for staying with GeWeTe? Our message is: quality will always win through. We control the entire product process – from development, through to manufacturing and after-sales. Our ‘Made in Germany’ technology

has proven itself again and again throughout the years. Our change and redemption machines last longer and require less maintenance. They are simple to update when new coins and notes enter the market. We have customers that are still using their GeWeTe machines that they bought over twenty years ago. I think you’ll agree that this speaks for itself. What new cash handling machines and systems have you launched this year and what’s in the pipeline for the coming months? We will continue to invest in developing new machines and solutions. That explains why we have the biggest product range on offer. There is no ‘one size fits all’. The requirements differ depending on the local requirements and what the customer wishes to offer. You can look forward to ICE where we will be presenting our latest solutions. How do you go about finding the ideal solution for Gaming & Leisure venues for your Payment machines and Recyclers? We always listen to our customers. This is a key point – we do not just rely on our own experience. We ensure that customer feedback is brought on board as much as possible. As we have all R&D internally at GeWeTe, we can quickly create customeroriented solutions. Our management is streamlined and the Gauselmann Group gives us the complete autonomy to create new solutions as we see fit and in the time we see fit as well. What are the key reasons for GeWeTe’s success in the Casino, Betting, Gaming Leisure Parks and Amusement Sectors? I have talked a lot about our product quality, our wide

product range and our proven track record. Let me now say that we are prepared to invest in markets to support our customers directly. We have subsidiaries in the UK, Italy and Spain with local experts who speak the local language with our customers there. That gives our customers added confidence – they have a local contact who is not a distributor but a GeWeTe employee who spends 100% of his time focusing on GeWeTe. What are your strongest markets for GeWeTe cash and banknote Solutions and what markets do you see that provide you the best growth potential over the coming years? Our local market in Germany remains the strongest where we have a 70% share of the change / redemption machine market in the amusement arcades. Our strongest growing markets are where we have our European subsidiaries – which proves to us that investment can always pay off. With ICE Totally Gaming almost upon us, what can visitors expect to see in your booth at the show? In a word: innovation. Let me not take away the pleasant surprise visitors will have when they come and see us at the EAG and ICE. Wait and see. By the way, our booth numbers at these shows are: EAG: Stand No. 430 and ICE Stand N4 210/220/250 together with our colleagues of the Gauselmann Group. See you there! Have you anything else you would like to add? On behalf of the whole GeWeTe team, I would like to thank all our customers for their long-standing loyalty. We would not be where we are today without them. We wish all our customers continued success, health and happiness. See you at the EAG and ICE!

Aristocrat to take ‘inside’ track at ICE 2018 Aristocrat Technologies will maintain its pronounced focus on leading gaming content and innovative hardware solutions at ICE 2018, unveiling a new portfolio for EMEA markets on stand S3-250 under the all-encompassing theme, ‘It’s all about what’s inside’.

“A

ristocrat’s premium offering and clear, simple messaging for 2018 has already been acknowledged by visitors to G2E in Las Vegas, where our booth was voted the number one showcase for the fourth year running in an independent survey,” said James Boje, Managing Director – EMEA “Our ongoing drive to deliver the world’s greatest entertainment experience, every day, is centred on three key pillars – the content, the people who create the content and the delivery platform to bring out the best in our games. Having witnessed the huge array of stunning games in Las Vegas and customers’ response to them, we are now excited to bring the very best of them to gaming floors across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.” Leading the charge of new licensed concepts on display at the London show is the Flame55™ cabinet, a sleek and elegant large format cabinet featuring a 55-inch portrait

double-curved screen. Available in standalone and beacon carousels, the launch title is themed on the three-time Grammy award winning pop music superstar brand, Mariah Carey™ – female artist of the millennium who has sold over 200 million albums. Mariah Carey™ is a single-site progressive entertainment game with raised volatility and mechanics derived from proven Aristocrat titles including Lightning Link™, Buffalo™ Gold and More Chilli™. The Flame55 pipeline includes a sequel to the highly successful title Game of Thrones™ and a new title based on the HBO powerhouse series, Westworld™. Another bill-topping ICE breaker is the eagerly awaited Dragon Link™, which is an Arc™ Single portraitscreen form factor evolution of Lightning Link with 1€ and 2€ added to the player-selectable multi-denomination options. Having already demonstrated remarkably strong performance in Australia and North America, Dragon Link will launch in Europe with four Asian-themed base games – Autumn Moon™,

Tarzan™ on Arc™ Double

Golden Century™, Happy game content. New games on the & Prosperous™ and Panda scene include the film-themed Magic™ – and a choice of jawMy Cousin Vinny™, one of dropping LED sign packages. Aristocrat’s most successful game Amongst several other theme franchises, Tarzan™, the Aristocrat titles also enjoying Buffalo™-inspired Timber Wolf™ prolonged popularity having Grand and hit sci-fi brand, The adopted the Lightning Link X-Files™, which features a unique ‘Hold & Spin’ mechanic, the X-shaped reel layout. Mighty Cash™ game library Further licensed releases spearheaded by Zorro™ will include Gold Stacks™ 88 Link, an be joined by another licensed Asian-themed progressive link, brand, Ted™, with both and Fast Cash™ 100, a multi-/ existing standalone progressive single-site multigame progressive games also being featured link with frequent jackpot prizes, in the new multi-licensed which is now optimised to Mighty Cash Link™, along with perform across smaller wide area complementary base game progressive networks. themes Elvira™ and Pan-Am™. Mr Boje concluded, “Aristocrat More Mighty Cash mastery is packing more layers of rich Mariah Carey™ on Flame55™ comes in the form of Crazy content and features into an Ca$h Big Money™, a 4-level linked progressive expanding portfolio of games, supported by our game on the Helix™ platform incorporating 55-inch popular and proven mechanics. We’re delighted to portrait toppers, synchronised to create a giant be delivering customers products that perform and video wall dubbed ‘Helix Tower’. Base game flavours we look forward to offering them even more choice include Big Money™ Green and Big Money™ Gold. and sharing our vision of the future at ICE 2018.” With a firm and growing footprint in major European and South African casinos, the towering Dragon Link™ on Arc™ Single dual curved portrait screen Arc™ Double platform is being given a further boost in 2018 with the addition of more premium licensed and proprietary

Mighty Cash Link™ on Arc™ Single

Responsible Progress Report by: Iain Corby, 5th GambleAware Harm Minimisation Conference

Kate Lampard CBE, Chair

ambleAware hosted its fifth annual Harm Minimisation Conference at the King’s Fund. Over 300 delegates and 40 speakers attended the two day event. This year’s event saw a more diverse audience with only a third of delegates working in the gambling industry. This year’s conference tackled two major issues – the relationships between gambling and young people, and gambling and sport. But before getting into these issues, attendees heard first from the regulator, and then the government minister responsible for the industry. Tim Miller, Executive Director of the Gambling Commission made a clear case that problem gambling is a public health concern. Then, despite being limited in what she could say during the current policy consultation, Tracey Crouch MP was forthright in her call to the industry to do more to protect its customers and to fund GambleAware properly. She said: “We want everyone to work together to improve the voluntary system and make sure it provides the support needed, but if it doesn’t we won’t hesitate to explore alternative avenues

including a statutory levy. So this, folks, is really the last chance saloon on this.” This was echoed by Kate Lampard CBE, GambleAware’s chair, who reflected on her first impressions after a full year in the role. She called for a massive change in attitudes, warning it may require some change in personnel: “The testosterone needs to make way for more enlightened women and men who take a long-term view.” Delegates then turned their attention to the first issue of the day – the impact of gambling on young people. Dr Heather Wardle of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and deputy chair of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, gave the opening key note presentation entitled “Technological change and the health and wellbeing of youth: a case study of gambling”. A key theme of the conference was the rise of internet gambling and its impact on young people. Dr Sally Gainsbury, from the University of Sydney, introduced this topic with a presentation on “Access, awareness, and appeal: How the Internet is changing

Tracey Crouch MP

John Hartson, in a Professional Players Federation educational video launched at the conferenced

young people’s engagement with gambling”. She was followed by Professor Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University who gave a brief overview of internet gambling in adolescence, pointing out that internet gamblers are significantly more likely than non-internet gamblers to be problem gamblers. The first wake-up call of the conference came from Vicki Shotbolt, representing Parent Zone. She warned that what parents know about children and gambling wouldn’t even fit on a page – 97% had never heard of skins gambling, for example. The speakers to this point were joined for a discussions panel by a young man from Wales, who had been helped by a GambleAware funded project run by Newport Citizens Advice. He’d suffered a gambling addiction across a range of products, walking 14 miles to work so he could bet his bus fare instead. After lunch, attention turned to where and when does gaming become gambling? Luc Delany, from the International Social Games Association, argued that the definition of gambling should not be extended to social games, and the conference was addressing the wrong question. The counter-

Marc Etches, Chief Executive

argument was made by Justyn Larcombe, from Epic Risk Management, who had found his young preteenage son gambling in a virtual casino he’d built within a computer game. Dr. Mark Johnson, an expert in such games from the University of Alberta, explained that ‘unpredictability mechanics’ had featured in them for years, but it was only now becoming noticed outside the gaming world. A young gamer, Joe, who was 16, joined Simon Thomas from the Hippodrome and the other speakers so far to debate this topic. Joe explained how he could not see a clear distinction between gaming and gambling, whatever the legal definitions may say. Dr Brett Abarbanel from Nevada gave many attendees their first introduction to a world where tens of thousands of spectators attend sell-out stadium events to watch their heroes play computer games - Esports. Ian Smith of the Esports Integrity Coalition warned that this virtual world had to deal with all the same ethical issues that the real world has experienced, including doping and match fixing. To discuss these issues, the speakers were joined by Alexander Källman, himself a dedicated gamer, with many in the room struggling to keep up with the new terminology of loot-boxes and skins. At the Regulus Reception, Micky Swindale, a senior partner from KPMG’s Isle of Man practice, challenged the industry to address the lack of diversity evident at all levels. It was revealed that next year’s GambleAware conference would ask the question “Where are the women?”

Day 2

Rosena Allin-Khan MP, Shadow Minister in the DCMS team, opened the second day. She announced the next Labour government would review gambling legislation. The first session then followed on lotteries:

Tim Miller Executive Director Gambling Commission

focusing on their accessibility to the young and their increasing online activities. Anne Pattberg of the World Lottery Association opened the debate, with Richard Bateson from Camelot Group then describing the efforts made within the National Lottery to protect its players. For the panel session, James Holdaway, who leads on the lotteries for the Gambling Commission was joined again by the same recent victim of gambling addiction who’d spoken the previous day. It emerged that his gambling began with National Lottery Scratchcards. It quickly progressed to trouble with online gambling and visits to the bookmakers, leading eventually to a thankfully unsuccessful attempt to take his own life. The next theme was gambling and professional sport. Three questions were addressed: what is the relationship, where is the harm and what is the response? This section of the conference was chaired by Professor Chris Brady, University of Salford, director of the Centre for Sports Business. It opened with a provocative presentation on football and the normalisation of gambling by Professor Carwyn Jones, of Cardiff Metropolitan University. Professor Jones was clear that he disapproved of gambling per se, and that its ever close association with sport was of great concern. To debate this contentious issue he was joined by Richard Flint of SkyBet, Andrew Taylor, Committee of Advertising Practice and Duncan East, from Sky Sports. Duncan made the welcome announcement that Sky would in future be making its viewers aware of the BeGambleAware.org website’s support and advice whenever their presenters discussed odds or other gambling related content. Andy announced new guidance from the Committee of Advertising Practice would be published early in 2018 to address the content and style of gambling ads and explained that this was

only the first set of changes with more to come. The audience heard again from Professor Mark Griffiths, who sought to answer the question, “Where is the harm?” His lecture was titled “Sportsrelated gambling advertising and marketing: What do we know?” There then followed a moving account of the impact gambling addiction had on Mark Potter, a former rugby professional, under the title “An almost dead cert…” Mark now works with EPIC Risk Management, an organisation that works with sport, prisons, financial services and the military, to help them manage the risk to their organisations of gambling-related harm. Paul Buck, who runs EPIC, and Gary Bloom, from the treatment organisation Cognacity and a regular presenter of Talk Sport Radio, joined the speakers for a lively panel discussion. Dr Phil Hopley, of Cognacity, then offered an answer to the question of what is the clinical response. He told the story of an anonymous 19 year old professional player, and how his problems emerged, were treated before he relapsed and eventually was helped back into playing with a combination of therapy and the drug Naltrexone. A panel discussion followed on professional sports’ response. This included Dr Hopley, Jack Francis from Chelsea Football Club Academy, who looks after the welfare of youth academy players, and Jenni Kennedy from the FA Group. Representing those on the frontline were Richard Bevan, League Managers Association and Simon Barker of the Professional Footballers Association The finale of the conference was the launch of the Professional Players’ Federation gambling education and training programme. This was presented by Brendon Batson Chairman of the Professional Players Federation. There were also contributions from Lynsey Williams, Professional Cricketers Association and Colin Bland of Sporting Chance Clinic. Scott Davies, himself a professional footballer with Chelmsford City, was able to explain first-hand the challenge of dealing with gambling in the dressing room. The conference addressed some of the newest issues facing not only the gambling industry, but gaming and professional sport as well. While there is plenty still to do about the risks already widely known, it was clear that technology, the normalisation of gambling in society will require everyone involved to be agile and respond to new emerging challenges adeptly, adopting a precautionary approach until evidence is available to provide reassurance that we are not developing a public health storm of gambling-related harm.

Gaming Expansion Fighting the Ills of State Budgets with Additional Gambling. By: Bob Ambrose Real medicine or a placebo! Here we go again! The predicted revenue from expanded casino legislation continues to be the pill of choice for a state’s budget ills? The long term debate to allow additional gaming in PA has led to legislation to expand the model to include airports, truck stop slots and create an I-gaming platform. The hope is to fill a $2.2 billion dollar budget gap. Like a prescription for medication, these state sponsored remedies should come with a warning label! Warning: There may be a tendency for those in charge of state budgets to overdose on their gaming model. This could cause a symptom called “overconfidence” leading to additional budget short falls and a diluted state gaming market. This is a slippery slope as seen in other jurisdictions that have relied too heavily on just gambling dollars to support the infrastructure. Atlantic City is a good example of that. The “build it, they will come,” philosophy imploded in New Jersey when the Revel failed to be the attraction that was touted as “saving” Atlantic City. So just adding more gambling opportunities around Pennsylvania does not necessarily guarantee a major growth in gambling dollars for the state. Reliance on gambling revenue alone has shown

to be less the profit margin in recent years for many jurisdictions. PA has only seen a modest 1-2% modest growth year over year. Accordingly, there is some concern with PA’s latest expansion plans. Moody’s, the credit rating agency recently issued a report stating that Pennsylvania’s recent

expansion into further gaming may make the commonwealth of PA less attractive to the industry. According to published reports, Moody’s in part is concerned that “the moves could siphon revenue from existing casinos.” Could PA jeopardize their second place ranking under Las Vegas as a gaming revenue producer in the US? The current gaming map of Pennsylvania is now positioned evenly throughout the state. Among the state’s 12 gaming operations there is a mix of both resorts with a casino, offering an integrated resort experience and straight commercial casino venues with limited amenities. Written into the new legislation are up to 10 smaller satellite casinos, which could operate with anywhere from 300 to 750 slot machines and 30 gaming tables. Casino companies currently operating in the state will have first option. It will cost an existing operator $10million for a gaming license to establish a second venue. However it is up to the local municipality to grant the right of approval. So closing the budget gap is in part based on all 10 licenses and their approval to operate. There is also a 25 mile radius built into the law that protects an existing casino from competition. There has already been a public outcry of the proposed “mile-mapping-buffer-zone” plan as being more than fair to some properties and less to others. (Stay tuned for the law-suits.) There are certainly a great deal of “ifs,” in the state’s amended model. The current “drive-in-only” properties that offer gaming and limited non-gaming venues with no hotel could be impacted negatively by this legislation depending on their location to a proposed mini casino. Customers will now have the option of visiting mini-satellite casinos close to home. The geography of such locations has to factor into the analytics. It will be interesting to see how these properties market against this new expanded competition. Under the new bill, slots can also operate at eight airports and at qualifying truck stops for up to five video gaming terminals. The jury is out on what “truck stop slots” and airport gambling can do for PA. With only Nevada and Puerto Rico currently offering slots at their airports, Pennsylvania will now become the third. It is a wait and see on how consistent this cashflow will be. Most often the difference between projected “win” and reality in general feasibilities

studies is in the eye of the beholder. With a new Governor in the border gaming state of New Jersey that reportedly favors gaming expansion it will also be a wait and see in terms of the north Jersey gaming initiative taking off again. With that possibility on the horizon, New York may counter a north Jersey Casino with expansion on their turf. Where is the tipping point?

I-Gaming If there is a part of the PA. bill that makes some sense, it is I-gaming. Overall, casino properties could show more consistency in revenue growth to the bottom line with this new legislation allowing I-gaming. However, there is concern about the 50% tax rate imposed on I-gaming in PA. New Jersey is only 16%. I-gaming has definitely helped to stabilize the gaming market in NJ. And if NJ gets their way, sports betting will be another ingredient to add to this “state- budget- medication-list.” Thinking in terms of the future, New Jersey and Pennsylvania could blend their on line gambling experience together. We already see the model finding its place with New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada sharing the poker on line experience. Sharing player pools in a multi-state experience offers a potential for increased revenue for all states and larger jackpots for the customers. The technology is there. And it could ease the pain of over-saturating the brick and mortar model. Looking at the total gaming market in PA: • What is the strategy to market additional gambling options to drive business? • What is the casino saturation point before gaming becomes a loss rather than a gain as revenues are diluted? • What if the $ projections made to expand gambling do not occur? There will still be a budget gap to close. In the coming years, will Pennsylvania’s plan to expand legalized gaming be a case study on “cannibalization” of their-own gaming market rather than the solution for their budget gap? I hope someone read the WARNING label! Bob Ambrose Gaming Consultant/ Adjunct UniversityEducator @bobambrose

ExCeL London, UK 6-8 February 2018

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Move your imagination Interview with Murray â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Celebrity Magician, Currently Resident Magician at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas and Resident Magic Expert for the Pawn Stars TV Show by: Victor H Royer

Murray: The Celebrity Magician

as Vegas has always been the Entertainment commissioned memorial art piece by Tim Bavington, Capital of the World. This hasn’t changed, to honor those involved and affected by the October and won’t, according to Murray, the Celebrity 1, 2017 tragedy in Las Vegas. Magician, and resident Magic Star at Planet I sat down to my interview with Murray just Hollywood, in Las Vegas. before, and again just after, the Vegas Cares benefit. Even with the recent tragedy that impacted Las We met at a nice place in Boca Park, just north-west Vegas, and Las Vegas entertainers and entertainment on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s November now, and venues, Las Vegas as a City, and as a Community there’s a chill in the air – at least by Vegas standards. – residents, visitors, and entertainers alike – are Murray is a very nice person, and a true Las Vegas resilient, and not afraid. The future is bright, Star Entertainer. But the first thing that strikes you and everyone here is now, and has always been: about this striking entertainer is his humility, and #VegasStrong down-to-earth honest approach to his work, his As I am writing this article, the subject of this field, magic, and the status of celebrity. Feature, Murray the Magician, is performing at Murray is a consummate professional – and a the Vegas Cares benefit at the Venetian Resort in persona, and personality, which is unmistakable. Las Vegas, to benefit the Yet, as recognizable as he Murray in the middle of a Magic set, on Stage with victims and survivors of the is, he is perfectly at ease his assistant April recent tragedy. at this coffee shop, in the Ken Henderson, CEO neighborhood shopping of BEST Agency, who is park, among regular producing the benefit, people in an Internet Café. along with Murray, said Unpretentious. That’s the he expects a great lineup best way to describe his of entertainers. “It’s attitude to life, and to safe to say you will see people in general. And a collaborations between really nice guy. Among the these artists that you’ve world of entertainment never seen before and Stars, and many who may Murray wows the crowd will never see again,” be considered as “prima during one of his acts he added. “It will be a donnas”, Murray is the performance to remember. antithesis to the selfAlso, a special thank you indulgent and worshipto Frankie Scinta, Murray starved “star”. Sawchuck and Clint Holmes He is, after all, from for their vision with this Canada – and the grandson event.” of Ukrainian refugees who Headlined by famed escaped the Nazis in WW singer and performer II. I can relate – my Mom, “Jewel”, the lineup of who passed recently, also performers that were survived the Nazis, and scheduled to appear either then the Communists in in person or via video were: Adrian Zmed, Al B Sure, Europe, before embarking on a 50-year odyssey to Australian BeeGees, Blue Man Group, Brad Garrett, give me a chance at life in freedom. Britney Spears, Cast of BAZ – A Musical Mash-Up, Unlike many of his contemporaries, Murray is also Cast of Fantasy, Cast of Sexxy, Chippendales, Chris somewhat of a renaissance-man. Today, not many Phillips, Cirque du Soleil, Clint Holmes, Criss Angel, people remember legendary performers like Fred David Copperfield, Dee Jay Silver, Earl Turner, Frankie Astaire, Danny Kaye, Liberace, and others from the Scinta, Gordie Brown, Human Nature, Jason Tanzer, golden-age of Hollywood musicals. But he does. A JJ Harrison, Kendra Wilkinson & Jai Rodriguez, Lance legacy of entertainment greats – and their history Burton, Lyssa Baker, Mercy Music, Mike Tyson, – fills him with wonder, and appreciation of the art Murray Sawchuck, Penn & Teller, Peter Lik, Rich and the work that went into making it all look so Little, Tenors of Rock, Thunder From Down Under, easy. Tom Green, Travis Cloer, Vegas Golden Knights, and I asked him about that – the work that goes Elvis Monroe. into making “magic” look so real, and so easy. Proceeds from the Vegas Cares benefit will go to a “It’s preparation, rehearsal, work, and more work,

stamina, determination, and always the focus on the performance, and the audience,” he said. “And also always setting the bar just that little bit higher, to reach out for it, perhaps just a tad out of reach, so I have to keep reaching – and that means to always get better, to improve, and reach still higher, and do better. The audience deserves nothing less from a performer,” he added. But then that’s Murray – a professional, and someone who never forgets that it’s the audience, the people who come to see him, that are the reason why he exists, and does what he does. He never takes this for granted – after all, it took him 20 years of work and practice to get to where he is now, the resident Celebrity Magician at Planet Hollywood, in Las Vegas. After our coffee, and a few reminiscences about many people we admired, and met, like Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Phyllis Diller, Shecky Greene, Don Rickles, and others, we discussed many other things as well – and so I now present some of these highlights: Murray, first I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me. As you know, Casino Life Magazine takes great pride in interviewing leading entertainers, celebrities, and personalities – especially those who perform at gaming destination Resorts. Please tell our readers about yourself, and what are the key attributes to your success. I have been very fortunate to be in this business since I was five years old. I was introduced to entertainment when I was very young through Ukrainian dancing, and then later playing the accordion. In my early teens I really got into magic, and dropped all the other entertainment ideas I had. I have a degree in broadcast communications, and a minor in business and marketing, but I have always done magic. In my late teens I started touring the world on cruise ships, and in resorts, and going international through Japan and Europe. The main attribute to my success is that I never looked at anything else as another option. I never gave myself anything else to fall back on except MAGIC, so I had better make it work. It’s a passion walking on stage everyday and I don’t take one day for granted that I get to do what I do. In your career, what would you consider to be the highlights? Well, first of all, being born to two amazing parents, my mom and dad - John and Arlene Sawchuk in Vancouver, B.C. And later, getting my first major guest start role on Comedy Central’s ‘Reno 911’, then being a Semi-Finalist on America’s Got Talent

Murray with Rock Star Alice Cooper

Joe Perry, Aerosmith Guitarist

in 2010, then a regular on History Channel’s ‘Pawn Stars’, then headlining my own show at the Tropicana Hotel, and now at Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas for the last 6 years. And then – most recently – diving into the YouTube market and achieving over ½ Billion Views online just this year alone. We all have favorite entertainers, or celebrities we follow. Have you had an opportunity to meet someone you admire - and work with them? YES I have been so fortunate. Growing up, my idol was Fred Astaire, then Dean Martin, Phyllis Diller, Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr., Danny Kaye… then in my personal life my mentor was Marvyn Roy aka. Mr. Electric, a very famous variety act from the 40s to

Entertainment is a massive part of the Casino Resort experience – but what is it like for you, to perform nightly, and to keep your performances fresh, and yourself from becoming weary from the repetition? I love it because with my show even though I have a set of 90 min, I go off script all the time to customize each show for the audience. So with the audience changing everything, my show gets new life every night. I am also consistently putting in new effects all the time.

Murray with actor Johnny Depp

the 80s. People that have touched my life climbing up the ladder I’d say Alice Cooper and his wife Shery. l’ve met such wonderful people, and I have done their charity Solid Rock 4 times now. Also Michael Godard the ‘Olive Artist’, Jerry Lewis, Neil Sedaka, George Wallace, Carrot Top, Ben Vereen, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, Sammy Hagar, Michael Buble. Historically, I’m sure all Magicians are admirers of Houdini – what do you think made him so extraordinarily special as a magician, and as a performer? What made him the best was what most people don’t realize – and that is that his strongest asset was that he was great at PR and marketing. He was amazing at getting attention for his feats. He was good at what he did, but he really knew how to sell it. Apart from Houdini, what other historical figures in the field of Magic do you admire, and why? I love Cardini a 1930s-1950s magician, who acted very bewildered by his own act. And also Ballentine, Tommy Cooper from England, Tom Mullica and David Copperfield. How about currently – among the contemporary performers of magic, whom do you appreciate the most, and why? I still think Copperfield is the best, he has the money, time and people to keep him at the top.

Performing magic requires a great deal of discipline – how do you manage to keep yourself focused, and in such great physical and mental shape? I work out about 3 times a week, as I believe as an entertainer you have to look the part, and when you walk on stage you have to give the best to your audience every time. I am always creating and working on new effects, and writing new jokes for my show. I put something new in my show almost every week. I love it! I also do new videos and magic on my YouTube channel every week www.youtube. com/magicmurray so I am consistently thinking of ideas. What has been the most successful approach employed by you in building your career? What advice, for example, would you give to an up-andcoming entertainer, or magician? The most successful approach is to LISTEN to your audience if you’re not getting a reaction, or if it’s not good … bottom-line, work on it or change it, but be honest with yourself and your performance. Also don’t be scared to change with the times … it keeps you on your game and working all the time, because then you are current, and not dated. Creating an enjoyable fun and relaxed environment is an important factor in entertainment, especially in a gaming destination Resort. How have you been able to relate to your audiences, and keep them so riveted to your performances? It’s all in how you approached your audience, and let them know they are here to have a party, and a great time for the next 90 min. It’s in the energy you give out, and that’s how you’ll get it back from your audience. What would you say makes Planet Hollywood the perfect venue for you? It’s the perfect venue for my residency, as I am tied in with mega stars like Britney Spears, Lionel Ritchie, Backstreet Boys, JLO, and it’s got a great youth vibe, and the hotel is at the centre of the Las Vegas strip.

environment, entertainment is still a significant draw to casino resort destinations? For example, in years past great performers like Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis of the Rat Pack, and Comics like Don Rickles, Shecky Greene, Charlie Callas, and others, were huge draws for the casinos. Do you think that this is still the case for today’s entertainers and performers? I believe outside of Las Vegas YES … but in Vegas it has changed from DJ’s taking over the Las Vegas strip, and Pool Parties, it has definitely affected the revenue that shows can bring in.

You can’t beat it! As you see it, how have entertainment facilities, venues, celebrity performers, and events in Las Vegas – and elsewhere in the world – evolved in recent years? They have evolved, but the casinos have taken a less ownership role in shows, and are instead renting their rooms to larger companies to produce their shows, like Base Entertainment, AEG etc. So the hotel basically rents the theatre to another owner, and that does change the game a lot. Back in the day hotels took direct responsibility for their shows and stars. Not so much today.

Promotions and incentives are an important mix of patron loyalty. Do you, or Planet Hollywood, offer any specials, or incentives, to guests purchasing tickets to your shows? If yes, how can they get them? Yes for sure. We offer Military discounts, and we do Groupon offers throughout the year as well.

Is it possible for you to improve on what is already an extended and impressive body of work, and gripping performances in both Live and Filmed venues? Sure … there is always room for improvement. If you don’t think there is – as a performer – then you’re dead in the water. You always have to keep creating, and looking ahead.

Do you still do Dinner Shows, like in the old days? Or perform in smaller clubs and venues, other than the larger theatrical venues like Planet Hollywood? I don’t, but I have been hired for one nighters, and these are usually dinner type shows, which is a cool throw back to the old days.

How has social media impacted you, and your career? HUGE… In the last 2 years, over ½ billion people have seen my videos online. It’s the NEW NETWORK TV … I have been seen more online in the last 2 years than I have over the last 20 years on TV and worldwide. It’s a game changer.

How would you sum-up the future of entertainment in Las Vegas? It’s GREAT! Bigger and Bigger stars are coming to Las Vegas, and it helps all of us, as it’s still the Entertainment Capital of the World!

What is the split between local, tourist and travelling guests that usually come to your shows in Las Vegas? It’s about 60/40 … more tourist of course, but we have a great local audience that always comes out as well. Do you think that in today’s

Shane Ones Photography

Thank you, Murray, for your time, and for sharing this with us, and the readers of Casino Life magazine.

G2E 2017 Review â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Part Two The complete casino and integrated gaming experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by: Victor H Royer

The Extreme Thunderstorm games from Aruze

n Part One of this series, I showcased some of the innovative products and services which were on display at the 2017 G2E Gaming Show in Las Vegas. I also pointed out some of the facts that led me to forecast a bright future for gaming, in all its forms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which now include skill-based game, bonusing skill-based games, eTables and eGames, mobile gaming, as well as many new innovations in traditional slot machines and table games. And, of course, not to be outdone, also the numerous ancillary services and products which are also part of the overall casino and gaming

experience for players, and for operators as well. Among those are services provided by thirdparty contractors, and also food and beverage. Combining all of these onto the main floor of the G2E Convention space has made the Gaming Show even more exciting, and valuable to both attendees and exhibitors. In this Part Two feature, I will now present a few more of the innovative games, products, and services which I experienced at the Show, and which I find to be supportive of the bright future for gaming of which I spoke earlier.

Aruze Gaming

of denominations to cover the floor, and games players love, such as the Buffalo™ and Britney™ game themes, to make it the hottest spin in stepper entertainment. Aristocrat’s popular RELM™ cabinet is expanding with thrilling extensions of the Burning Spins™ and Forever Free™ game brands; new brands for the low and high denom space; and new Asia-themed games from the popular Lucky Destiny™ and Fortune Prosperity™ themes. Aristocrat’s Arc Single™ cabinet entertains with titles including the global sensation Dragon Link™ game theme, which was recently named as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Products for 2016. Also appearing on Arc Single is the Great American Treasure Hunt™ game theme. Aristocrat’s elegant and sleek flame55™ cabinet entertains players with 55 inches of curved screen wonder. Aristocrat’s royally successful Game of Thrones™ slot game is back in an all-new version created specifically for flame55. Also appearing on flame55 is the Mariah Carey™ game theme, and a new version of the acclaimed Tim McGraw™ slot game. Aristocrat’s The Walking Dead™ slot game is one of the most successful franchises in the company’s history, and now The Walking Dead™ 3 slot game presents all-new thrills and chills in Aristocrat’s new EdgeX™ cabinet. Aristocrat also premiered two earthshattering pop culture licensed titles on the cabinet at G2E. The fun and entertainment on Aristocrat’s Arc Double™ cabinet includes all-new X Files™ and Tarzan™ games created just for Arc Double, a rocking party licensed title revealed at G2E, and titles such as My Cousin Vinny™ and The Big Aristocrat’s new RELM XL™ reel spinner cabinet, with their most popular games. Lebowski™.

Exciting innovations from Aruze included the presentation of Extreme Thunderstorm Diamond Noir™ and Extreme Thunderstorm Gilded Treasures™ games, the newest series in the Cube-X Vertical 80® family. Extreme Thunderstorm – Diamond Noir™ and Extreme Thunderstorm – Gilded Treasures™ are 5 reel, 3-row video games with 30 pay lines, Bonus Wheel, Super Free Games, Jackpot Wheel, 4-level progressives and four fixed jackpot bonus prizes. Three bonus symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5 trigger the Bonus Wheel. The Bonus Wheel will award either credits, Super Free Games, Or The Jackpot Wheel. Super Free Games expand to 12 rows and 120 lines. Each free game will have between 1 and 5 wild reels. The Jackpot Wheel spins once and will award either a progressive jackpot or a fixed jackpot bonus prize. This powerful game will give you an electrifying experience!

Aristocrat and VGT At the 2017 G2E, Aristocrat and VGT showcased more of what works for their customers and their players, such as new titles with globally popular themes, the rocksolid Oasis 360™ gaming systems solution, leading-edge cabinets to transform the floor, and the new breakthrough OVATION™ product line. Aristocrat’s best titles take a step up in Aristocrat’s new RELM XL™ reel spinner cabinet. Building on the success of the RELM™ cabinet, RELM XL features a dynamic topper wheel, a range

Synergy Blue This innovative company showcased patented and patent-pending HAWG® solution blends GLI11 compliant, skill and non-skill-based gambling with the uninterrupted entertainment of arcade style

Synergy Blue games and Game Consoles

play. Patrons play through the arcade game while simultaneously wagering. In simple terms, HAWG® is a highly entertaining way for patrons to participate in class 3 and class 2 gaming. The gambling aspect takes into account jurisdictional minimum and operation maximum returns to player, while incorporating the seamless entertainment component which draws a younger demographic. Synergy Blue has developed several games for it’s HAWG® solution. These include word puzzle, match 3, platformer, driving and first person shooter type games. Additionally, existing licenses and game titles can easily be adapted. HAWG® is compliant under current regulations in most jurisdictions. With HAWG® everyone wins. The casino operator taps into an underserviced demographic. The manufacturers and distributors sell more games. And most importantly, the patron enjoys a new, engaging and fun experience with the chance to win! So, as the sun sets on yet another year of G2E, we bid fond farewell to the excitement of the times, and look forward to a bright future for gaming in 2018 – and into the next Show. See you in Las Vegas!

In Memoriam

My Mom, my Dad, and me – the baby – in happier times, 1956. From 1963 to the day she died, it was only my Mom, and me. I am the last – there’s no one else left.

II dedicate this article to the memory of my dear and loving Mamma, Gina, who passed away recently. Her loss has hurt me more than I can explain, or anyone could possibly understand. There is a quote above the photo that is in Czech, and it’s from a famous Czech Author. Loosely translated, it says: “Work with dedication and perseverance, and while the roads of your life may be varied and many, your dedication will always remain the same.” My Mom lived by those words, and that’s why she typed them over this photo, which was her favorite picture of our family, together. If you’d like more information about the remarkable life of this equally remarkable lady, please visit my web site: www.MoreCasinoDeals.com – and follow the links on the Home Page.

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