Casino Life January 2016 by Outsource Digital Media Ltd

January 2016

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Editorial:

Editor’s page

Editor in Chief: Glyn Thomas

Welcome to Casino Life...

Mob: +380 952 705 596 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

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...and a Happy New Year to you all, although most of us are getting a bit tired of hearing it past the first week. Here in Ukraine there is also Orthodox Christmas on the 7th January followed by the “Old” Orthodox New Year (still with me?) on the 14th. It all adds up to a holiday overload I’ll be pleased to come out of to be honest. It’s that shaking off of the past and embracing the future that helps ICE maintain a fresh feel – not an easy task each year but being at the start is an asset. It would be too easy to just rely on the show being a success but I’ve been impressed by the innovative branding in recent years – From Retro pop to Jules Verne and now Technopolis. The theme captures the essence of why the event is so successful in that exhibitors are keen to display the fruits of labour from their R&D whilst visitors in turn want to see the innovations that lie ahead. I’m looking forward to becoming a citizen. Back to this issue and Peter White kicks off with a UK-based feature talking to Mike Rothwell, MD at Caesars Entertainment UK about how their offering benefits from the parent companies clout yet remains distinctly different. I had a chance recently to catch up with Matt Hurst of Tiger Resorts about how he and his team have steered Manila Bay Resorts towards opening later this year. David Mckee completes the trio of casino operator interviews by sitting down with Don Carano of the successful Eldorado Resorts Operation which is in the right place at the right time: Reno. The city is undergoing a transformation as Tesla, Apple, Switch and Amazon set up parts of their business in the region. Long overdue regeneration is happening. Giulio Corragio is a regular visitor to my email inbox with a blog and news service that focuses on the “Internet of things” (google it before it goggles you) and is an expert on all things gaming happening in Italy. We’re pleased to welcome the first of what should be an interesting series of columns throughout 2016. David Switzer pulls no punches in telling casinos to sharpen up their act and it all makes good reading – and a lot of sense. Go to it guys and let us know if his suggestions worked! Bob Ambrose likens the current debate over Fantasy Sports to Aesops fables - using the tried and tested Tortoise and Hare story to make the point that nothing is a foregone conclusion. Meanwhile Victor Royer looks closely at Slant Tops and the question of form over function – an aspect that may be ruining a player’s game. Paul McGee, a leading expert and speaker on workplace change, looks at the four myths of customer service (only four?) and challenges whether we have got it right. Finally Mark Wayman founder of the Foundation executive placement company let’s us all in on the key 10 questions we need to face if we are being interviewed for a senior level job – and why. Not a bad start to the year.

Publisher: Peter White Tel: +44 (0) 1892 740869

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

Glyn Thomas Editor in Chief

Contents 1

Editors Page

4 Mission Vision & Values Mike Rothwell Managing Director Caesars Entertainment UK chats to Peter White 12 Long Haul Rewards Glyn Thomas talks to Matt Hurst, Executive Vice President – Casino Operations and Marketing at Tiger Resorts. 18 A family affair Tightly knit Eldorado Resorts is a casino company on the move. David McKee 24 The Italian Gaming Revolution In 5 Changes The recent regulatory changes made the expectations for 2016 in the Italian gaming market even bigger, but who will exploit them? 26 Ignoring low level advantaged players: Part 3 By David Switzer 30 Game of Skill or Chance? The children’s classic, the Tortoise and the Hare. By Robert Ambrose 31 Slot Preferences for 2016 How to solve an uncomfortable problem. By Victor H. Royer 35 The four great myths of customer service By Paul McGee 37 TOP 10Candidate Questions aka Why Executive Recruiters “Qualify” You By Mark Wayman 40 ICE Totally Gaming 2016 Spotlight Preview By Rebecca Green The National Casino Forum (NCF) has held, and will continue to hold, meetings at the highest levels with the DCMS (Department for Culture, Media & Sport) on a regular basis.

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.

Mission Vision & Values Mike Rothwell Managing Director Caesars Entertainment UK chats to Peter White

Mike Rothwell Managing Director Caesars Entertainment UK

What, in your opinion, are some of the key attributes and characteristics that differentiate Caesars Entertainment UK’s casinos from other casinos in England and Scotland? Caesars UK casinos typically differ from our competitors in two important respects – the scale of the operation and the breadth and quality of the offer. Given that our properties, in most cases, have larger footprints, we’ve been able to differentiate through diverse and exciting products which we know appeal to not only existing customers, in each market in which we operate, but also enable us to attract new customers who wouldn’t otherwise visit a UK casino. Our James Martin celebrity chef restaurant in Manchester is unique in the city and was, just recently, recognised as one of the Sunday Times Top 100 restaurants in the UK – a major accolade for us. The Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, Bar and Grill in Alea Nottingham has consistently performed well for us and, again, is unique from a casino perspective in that market. In London, we have the incredibly successful Carlsberg Bar at The Empire Casino, not to mention the Playboy Club London in the heart of Mayfair, featuring the iconic Playboy Bunnies and also Salvatore Calabrese, one of the world’s most famous bartenders and mixologists. We are opening another celebrity chef restaurant at the end of January 2016 in our Alea

Casino in Glasgow with Tony Singh. It’s an approach that works well for us. We develop our business strategy on a market by market basis – what works in Manchester may not work in Glasgow, so we have to be creative, innovative and passionate about being the best we can be ensuring we understand the local opportunity and customer preferences, rather than providing a “one size fits all” solution. What is the percentage of locals to tourists and business visitors to your London Casinos and is that representative across all the UK casinos or is it unique to London? The contribution of casinos to the UK balance of trade is often under estimated. Across our London estate, I would estimate the split of revenue is roughly 50% international and 50% domestic, and that’s a significant influx of funds into the UK economy. Outside London, domestic business dominates revenues. I’d like to see our government recognise this valuable contribution and support the industry through regulatory reforms, particularly around slot machine quotas, to enable UK operators to provide a product which would be more competitive in an international context. Have there been many changes in the table game mix

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in recent years to account for changing trends? The UK market has historically been dominated by roulette but, over the past couple of years, we’ve seen increased levels of Punto Banco / Baccarat, primarily in London, due to the influx of Far East Asian customers at the VVIP end of the market. More recently, that segment of the market has contracted a little in Mayfair, but Caesars UK has been reasonably effective in increasing our market share. What has been Caesars Entertainment UK’s approach at Head Office to the operations in the UK, Egypt and South Africa? Centralisation often characterises itself as a ‘one size fits all’ solution, or one can adopt a local model, with each operation incorporating their own individuality, founded on the clubs locality and the community it serves? Our approach is to find the optimum balance between those two models. Centralisation where it makes sense from an efficiency and productivity standpoint, but with sufficient localisation to deliver maximum relevance and impact. Our business model focuses on hiring great people and empowering them to get on and run their business, while holding them fully accountable. The role of our Head Office Team is to provide strategic direction, guidance, support, advice, capability,

infrastructure and technology improvements. As I said earlier, what works in one city may not work in another, so each business is tailored accordingly. We’ve done a good job of breaking down any “them and us” mentality in our business and the communication lines between our management teams and our Executive Team are frequent and close. This enables us to move quickly and react well to changes in market conditions in a way that larger organisations typically find more difficult to do. Overseas, we have dedicated management teams in Egypt and South Africa. They are there, in the market, and understand them well – our Head Office Team role remains the same – support them to get the best out of them. Recently Mark Frissora, Global CEO of Caesars Entertainment Corporation recently went on record stating that the gaming industry needs to attract millennials to stay current. What initiatives do you think can be put in place from a UK perspective to engage with this section of the population? I think Caesars UK has done a good job already in recognising that millennials are typically looking for entertainment experiences, rather than pure casino gaming experiences. Amenities like James Martin’s restaurant in Manchester235, Marco Pierre White in Alea Nottingham and the Carlsberg Bar at the Empire

all appeal to this demographic. Poker also has strong appeal to a millennial audience – the element of skill involved differentiates it substantially from regular casino games of chance. One can see this clearly from the recent World Series of Poker (a Caesars Entertainment brand) – the winner, Joe McKeehen, and the runner-up, Josh Beckley, were both 24 years old. Many of our properties have poker facilities – the most successful in our estate being the Empire Poker Room in Leicester Square, which we have recently expanded and refurbished. We’re also doing a better job of communicating with our millennial customers – traditional direct mail has little relevance to them, so we are increasingly embracing social media, mobile, SMS and email as the means to market and inform. The UK casino market still has a perception gap to overcome to be seen as a fun, safe, mainstream entertainment offer – I see this taking time, with relatively slim margins constraining significant above the line marketing investment, but celebrity partnerships and branding will help attract this increasingly important audience, as will a relentless focus on great service. What aspects of the parent, Caesars Entertainment US, has the UK operation drawn upon to develop the Leisure and Entertainment aspects of the operation? Our celebrity and branded partnership approach is something one will see throughout the Caesars Entertainment family. Gordon Ramsay, for example, has proved to be a massive success in our parent company’s Las Vegas properties. Being part of the Caesars group also gives us access to experiences and offers which our competitors find difficult to match. We recently participated in a Caesars US promotion, the “Millionaire Maker”, to give our slot customers the opportunity to participate in a tournament in Las Vegas where one of them could win $1,000,000. This was a first in the UK market, and something that UK casino customers could only

experience with us. We’ve also arranged meet and greets for our customers with Caesars headline acts such as Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, at Planet Hollywood, and Mariah Carey at Caesars Palace – these are truly unique experiences which our customers can’t get anywhere else. Matt Goss, formerly of Bros, for those of us who remember the Eighties, has a longterm residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and recently performed three sell-out performances in Alea Nottingham, Manchester235 and the Playboy Club London. Our loyalty card customers get benefits and advantages both here in the UK and in our US properties, such as free room nights and the ability to use their loyalty points in the US and UK. On the gaming side, we also work hard to promote UK experiences to US customers, and vice versa – having Caesars Palace or Planet Hollywood in the portfolio enables us to provide experiences and personal service which they can’t get elsewhere. How does the financial performance of Caesars Entertainment UK compare across London with the regional Casinos and those in Egypt and South Africa? 2014 was a record year for us – we did a lot of work turning the business around from a relatively weak 2013, where we had been a little slow to adapt to intense competition in our key markets. We worked hard to get the best talent on the team and drove engagement and service throughout the business. Our marketing team did a great job of improving our capabilities and focusing our investment on the strongest returns, and we made significant product changes, particularly on the electronic gaming side, all of which significantly boosted the business. 2015 very much continued that trend, albeit with some unlucky VIP play (from our perspective), which meant our strong business volumes didn’t all translate down to the bottom line. London remains a fantastic market for us – it’s very international and very resilient in the face of

Highly acclaimed Chef James Martin

a challenging economy. Generating profits outside London is much harder – consumer spending on entertainment and leisure is more constrained, so we have worked hard to differentiate ourselves, as I mentioned earlier. The Middle East has performed well for us in 2015 – it’s seen by many as a difficult environment, but it’s an important force in the economic world, and we see strong linkages between our Egyptian and London operations. Again, we have a great leadership and operations team there, and the correlation with the impressive financial results is no coincidence. The Emerald Resort in South Africa is a significant integrated resort property, comprising circa 750 acres of land, a 550 slot / 30 table casino, a hotel, bush lodges, chalets, restaurants, zoo, safari park and other amenities. 2014 and 2015 have been turnaround years for the resort – we put in place a whole new smart-card gaming system, provided by DRGT, new product, new marketing programmes and new talent – I’m expecting good things from 2016, in spite of a weakening local currency. Have there been many changes amongst the EGM’s and what is your current replacement / upgrade cycle on slots and which would you say have proven to be stand out performers over the last year? Rather than defined product replacement cycles we

look at what performs and what doesn’t. It’s worth remembering that in the UK we have a very small number of units by international standards. That said, throughout 2014, we undertook a major rollout of Bally’s Fusion electronic roulette product and that has been successful for us. Your London offices happen to be located just down the road from a very famous address, 221b Baker Street, that of Sherlock Holmes. Do you and your staff see a lot of filming of the series along the street? I’m a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes series, but I haven’t seen any of the actors or film crew since we moved here. The rationale for the move, last March, from our previous Head Office in Mayfair, was to find a better place to work for our team, which fitted our culture better, was more open plan and modern with better technology, communication and more efficient building systems which, in turn, helps the environment. We also saved quite a bit of money and Marylebone is an exciting and vibrant area, so it’s been a winner all round. How do you see the prevailing UK economic climate for 2016 and do you think there will be an increase in disposable income providing more opportunity for it to be spent in leisure and entertainment?

I feel positive about the UK economy generally, but I don’t see much natural growth in consumer disposable income over the next couple of years. To capture market share, we’ll have to work hard to provide customers with what they want – excellent customer service remains critical for us, supported by training and engagement of our teams. Making our marketing and promotions relevant and exciting to our customers, together with the diversity of restaurants, bars and other amenities on our premises will also be very important. Caesars Entertainment UK has, in its portfolio, casinos that have maintained a very high quality of standards in highly appealing locations particularly in London. How popular and important are the bars, restaurants and the entertainment in clubs such as the Empire, Leicester Square, The Sportsman, Marble Arch, and the Playboy Club London in Mayfair? We have some great amenities in our casinos, and branded associations will continue to be an important part of our business model – customers respond well to brands, providing the offer is executed and marketed well, and we’ve done a good job of that. We recently extended the Carlsberg Bar in the Empire Casino in Leicester Square – it’s performed well since we originally opened it 4 years ago and the customer demand was clearly there – it’s a great place to watch the football, rugby, cricket and international sports too. December also saw the launch of the Dragon Lounge VIP room at the Empire, a dedicated area for high end customers with limits and service to match. I mentioned the Playboy Club London earlier, which has been a game-changer in the Mayfair market.

We’ve put a lot of thought, effort and analysis into being innovative and mould-breaking, and it’s been consistently successful for us. Are there plans for Caesars Entertainment UK to expand into mainland Europe? We have the capability, and extensive international experience in the team, to do so and I would like to. We continually evaluate opportunities. What are amongst the main accomplishments of the organisation in 2015 and are among the organisations principal goals for 2016? From my perspective, the key to building a successful organisation is to get the best people on the team, train them well and motivate them to be successful. During 2015, I believe I made good progress towards my goal of assembling the best senior management team in the industry – they’re great – operationally focused, engaged, enjoy working in the industry and are great ambassadors for Caesars’ Mission, Vision and Values. Our customer service scores climbed to record levels, thanks to the efforts of all our team members, and our workforce engagement, which we measure through our annual Employee Opinion Survey, improved well over the previous year. Employee engagement and customer service will continue to be key for Caesars UK during 2016, as will improving our product, processes and technology to enable us to give customers what they want and to help us understand our customers better and communicate with them more effectively. I’m hoping that, with all the things we’ve done in 2015, and the plans we have in place, 2016 will be another record year for our business.

Matt Hurst Executive Vice President Casino Operations Tiger Resorts

Long Haul Rewards Glyn Thomas talks to Matt Hurst, Executive Vice President â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Casino Operations and Marketing at Tiger Resorts. 12

nce the centerpiece of a feud between casino owners, challenged by ownership percentages but now back on track and due to open in a yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time, Manila Bay Resorts looks as if it will finally take its place amongst the top resorts in Asia. Matt, that period of disruption must have taken its toll on the project but is it all now behind you? What doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t kill you only makes you stronger. Our team has become even more galvanized from having pulled through some of the challenges in the past and we are now pressing forward full of confidence in the iconic property that we are soon to operate. We are looking forward to and focusing on the many opportunities in front of us, not looking behind. Can you say with confidence that the project is on track for a December 2016 opening? A project of this scale and scope represents a massive challenge, but yes, we are confident we will deliver by December 2016. During the period of delay in construction was there opportunity to take review the project and consider design and hospitality issues more closely? We are constantly reviewing our offering in light of new things we learn and from feedback from our future business partners. It was partially due to this

that we requested an extension to our license as we wanted to incorporate several design changes we felt enhanced the property in many ways. The addition of Antonio Cojuangco as a major equity partner has resolved ownership issues but does he bring more to the table? Our partnership with All Seasons Hotels and Resorts, whose chairman is Antonio Cojuangco,

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gives us a fantastic partnership here in Manila. Mr. Cojuangco has been involved in the hospitality industry here for some time, is a well-respected member of the business community and a major supporter of the arts. Whilst competition is always fierce between casino operators in a resort do you feel that your development will be welcomed by the other major existing projects on the island as â&#x20AC;&#x153;adding weightâ&#x20AC;? to the destination as a whole? I think the other operators are all smart people. I think they realize that while we compete vigorously, we have more to gain through cooperating to cobrand and co-market Entertainment City Manila in order to foster and develop tourism for the Philippines and to develop international visitation which is the key to success for all of us. We look forward to working with them to achieve this. In the topping out ceremony in July of this year you unveiled plans for the non-gaming phase of the development that will follow. Can you say more about this? Phase 2 of our project is slated to add another 1,000 upscale hotel rooms, with slightly more modest sizes than the grand rooms (starting at 60m2 and 80m2 for each tower respectively) we will have at Phase 1. We will add additional Food & Beverage offerings, car parking, but most importantly we will massively expand our retail offering from approximately 7,500m2 to 75,000m2. This will

add a new dimension to the property and is very exciting for us, as Manila has very strong retail business and it also makes us a lot more attractive for international visitors looking for an all-round experience. Finally, whilst it looks as though the odds were

stacked against you for a while, in reality the downturn in the Macau market may well play into your hands on a long term basis. Is that as big a factor as some are commenting or do you believe the project stands up regardless of other trends in the region? There is plenty of scope for growth in Asia for integrated resorts, and the downturn in Macau has had little effect on our planning or our confidence. I think the re-set in Macau is a good thing long term, as there is a shift towards a long-term sustainable business model focusing on mass and premium mass. More properties are now making a genuine effort to develop non-gaming attractions, and that will spread throughout Asia. We have always had a very strong portfolio in that area so we are well set, however my meaning is that as other operators also begin to bring those amenities on line it helps grow the market overall which is good for everyone.

family affair Tightly knit Eldorado Resorts is a casino company on the move. By David McKee 18

keptics scoffed when, in 1973, Don Carano built Eldorado Resort in Reno. It was north of the railroad tracks that bisected downtown at the time (they have since been submarined) and customers wouldn’t make the trek, so the conventional wisdom went. Well, make it they did and five years later, Eldorado was joined by Circus Circus Reno. The former expanded several times over the next two decades until Circus and Eldorado joined forces to create the luxurious Silver Legacy Resort Casino, which opened in 1995. Skybridges and mezzanine-level amenities combined the three casinos into one giant entertainment complex. While Circus Circus was a publicly traded corporation, Eldorado Resorts made its mark in part by being a family operation, a tradition that survives to this day. Don Carano has retired, but his son Gary sits in the CEO’s chair. His brother Gene is the senior vice president of operations for the company’s Reno properties, where sister Cindy is also a vice president. Don Carano’s wife Rhonda is Eldorado’s senior vice president of marketing and design. Sons Gregg – senior vice president of food and beverage – and Glenn (general manager of the Reno properties) are also in the fold. The tradition continues with Gary’s son Anthony, who is general counsel for the company. Says Gary Carano, “we have shareholders but we also want to keep that family culture throughout all of our properties.” In the past decade Eldorado has expanded judiciously. It started with the 2005 purchase of the Hollywood Shreveport riverboat out of bankruptcy. The Caranos quickly turned it around to the point where it can usually be counted on to outperform the Shreveport/Bossier City market, a highly competitive one. A prolonged courtship of MTR Gaming resulted in a reverse merger of the two companies in late 2014, at which point Eldorado became publicly traded. Then, in July of last year, Eldorado announced it was buying out the other half of Silver Legacy plus Circus Circus Reno. The latter had passed from Mandalay Resort Group into the hands of MGM Resorts International, which was looking to pare away non-core assets, so a sale of Circus Circus Reno to Eldorado was a perfect fit. “We look for what’s best for the company and our shareholders, and we’ve always come from the culture not to be highly levered, so we always keep our leverage ratios on the conservative side,” says Gary Carano, explaining Eldorado’s corporate philosophy,

Gary Carano CEO Eldorado Resort Casino

“but we’re a growth company and we’re always looking for that next opportunity, always keeping mindful of our leverage ratios. “We look for quality for low-hanging fruit and put our management teams into those properties and/or work with existing management teams, to bring our Eldorado culture,” Carano adds, “which is great guest service and quality food and beverage.”

Reno resurgence Although MGM is pruning its corporate tree, selling small-market properties, it was Eldorado which made the Circus Circus overture to MGM CEO Jim Murren, “a family friend and a great partner for all these years.” It’s going to be something of a fixer-upper project for the Caranos, as very little capital had been reinvested in it over the years. “It gives us the opportunity to, as we say, put some love into the clown,” Carano says. “It’s positive-EBITDA, it’s very, very clean. I don’t have the dollar amount that we will put into Circus but it will be substantially more than the Circus has seen for many, many years, starting off with buying new

slot machines to new mattresses in all the sleeping rooms, which were badly in need of it. We’re just now developing a three-year plan on the three properties. Legacy is in beautiful condition. Our culture, created by my father, has always been, ‘Never fall behind on the crispness and the quality of your properties, because you’ll never catch up.’ That’s why Eldorado -- and Silver Legacy’s only 20 years old -- are pristine.” Carano plans to focus on growing revenues rather than cutting costs, although synergies are being contemplated, now that he has 4,100 hotel rooms, 20plus restaurants, and innumerable bars and lounges, all of which can now be marketed together as a single, giant destination. Of course, the merger of the three casinos raises questions like, “Do we need three buffets? Do we need three 24-hour coffee shops? That type of master planning is happening as we speak,” Carano assures Casino Life. Eldorado’s timing is propitious, the Reno gaming market – which was on the ropes for much of the early 21st century – is on an upswing, after taking a lengthy pummeling from tribal casinos in northern California. The primary reason for the comeback is corporate investment in Reno itself. Carano points to the Tesla Gigafactory, 12 miles east of downtown, where the electric-car company will manufacture batteries. Cloud-service provider Switch has a data center in Reno, as does Apple. It is a shipping hub for

Amazon and a place where the U.S. government tests its drones. “So we think we’re just on the front side of this wave of economic potential,” Carano says, “It’s a wave of economic positives that we haven’t ever experienced in Reno; 15 years ago, we would have to be out refinancing casinos and apologizing for Reno or defending Reno from the Native American growth in northern California.” He notes that the Reno gaming market absorbed the competition posed by Graton Rancheria, across the border, which books a halfbillion dollars in gaming revenue per year. Instead, it is cannibalizing other tribal casinos. From the vantage point of one of their Ferrari Carano wineries, the family witnessed what happened to River Rock Casino when Graton opened. “They had their best day ever the day Graton opened,” Carano reports, “but since then they’ve been hurt. So the thesis of them cannibalizing each other has come full circle now.”

Big move eastward Farther from home, Eldorado is moving to put its stamp on the three racinos – Presque Isle Downs, Scioto Downs and Mountaineer Casino – it obtained in the MTR takeover. “It fulfilled a dream of my father to grow the company outside of Nevada,” Carano says of the reverse merger. MTR “was well run but it had turnover in top management both at the corporate

level and at the properties, and that is not our culture.” Scioto Downs, near Columbus, Ohio, has not only been one of Eldorado’s biggest cash flow contributors, it has also held its own against Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Columbus, even though Scioto Downs only has VLTs, no table games. “MTR Gaming did a great job of choosing a fantastic location and they hit it out of the ballpark in their design, as far comfort, security and our VLT database. It’s a very comfortable property,” Carano says, adding that brother Gregg has not only redone the whole food program at Scioto Downs, he’s also opened a new Brew Brothers pub: “Before Brew Brothers, it was knocking it out of the park. Now it’s only going to be getting better because we have another dining and late-night entertainment amenity also.” Now, in tandem with Vista Host, Eldorado is planning to add a 118-room, four-story, $15 million Hampton Inn to Scioto Downs, with a projected opening date of late 2016. “Hilton doesn’t do things on a whim,” said Carano of his new partnership. “They do extensive research. We felt the opportunity, the need is there, because we’re not only close to downtown Columbus, we’re also close to Grove City, which is a thriving community that has an airport there that is mainly a freight airport that has a lot of employees. For us to have the ability to have our players stay overnight, that’s one of the basics of our business.

We get people that will travel 100 miles that want to spend the night.” Although Presque Isle Downs, in Erie, Pennsylvania, has taken a hit from a casino and two racinos in the Cleveland area, Carano believes the property is already in turnaround. He feels that both it and Mountaineer, in West Virginia, suffered from being some of the first racinos in America and “they built them economically, I should say. Erie is a nice property but we feel we want to put our Carano family touch of design on the property. We’ve started to do that.” The first steps included changing the layout of the casino floor and, to add some excitement, putting in a casino bar with 20 flat-screen TVs. Enter Rhonda Carano, to provide some design flair. “We’ve changed the colors in the casino. We’ve gone into the steakhouse, warmed that up. Next year, we have some exciting plans – I don’t want to divulge them now – for restaurant remodels.” The younger Carano adds that, with a population base of 200,000, Erie “has all the population we possibly need” to thrive, although the database marketing to Pennsylvanians is slated for improvement. In Mountaineer, Eldorado inherited a 50-yearold racetrack with notable history but one that was showing its age. “Mountaineer, they built that property as the first or second racino in America, before any casinos were in Pittsburgh or Cleveland,

and used to do tremendous business, three and a half times the business we’re doing now, when they were a monopoly,” Carano says. The racino took another hit last July when the host county enacted a ban on smoking in public places. Eldorado responded by taking some unused, walledoff space and converting it to a new casino floor, free of the inroads of smoke. This year, Carano plans to “rightsize” Mountaineer by reducing the size of its casino floor – in part to account for new competition from Penn’s high-grossing Hollywood Austintown -and introducing new restaurants. (“We bought it with the discount that Austintown was coming,” Carano says.) “It still does great revenues,” Carano says, “but we’re in such a high-tax market that those revenues don’t flow like they do in lower-tax regions.”

Lessons and inspirations For the moment, that leaves Eldorado Shreveport. What was the Carano family’s secret to turning it into a success story? Carano is quick to give credit to the original owners, who built a lovely, 400-suite hotel. But “they opened up with used slot machines.” Investing the better part of $18 million in new gaming equipment was the Caranos’ first move. “My brother Gregg, with our culinary style, has done a great job there and the buffet, coffee shop and steakhouse, and we continue to make improvements. You wouldn’t know you’re in a boat there,” Carano adds, “But our casino’s on three levels, with three beautiful escalators going to each level.” Throw in a showroom that presents “Southern garage bands” nightly, a spa and a location right on the Red River, just downstream of its confluence with Twelve-Mile Bayou, and you have a formula for success. Carano frequently cites Horseshoe Casinos founder Jack Binion as a touchstone and inspiration for what Eldorado has striven to do in the casino industry, both in creating a publicly traded company with a family feel and building beautiful properties. He also carries forward the lessons he learned from Don Carano. “My father adopted a saying a long time ago that we could never afford Frank Sinatra so the quality of food and guest service will be our Frank Sinatra,” Gary Carano concludes. The continuing success of Eldorado Resorts testifies to Don Carano’s wisdom and his family’s dedication to paying it forward.

The Italian Gaming Revolution In 5 Changes The recent regulatory changes made the expectations for 2016 in the Italian gaming market even bigger, but who will exploit them? Giulio Coraggio Partner DLA Pipe

he approval of the Italian budget law (the so called Stability Law) by the Italian Parliament set the ground for a “revolution” that is passing through these 5 top changes:

1. VLTs and AWPs higher taxes, but easier certification and more certainty The taxation on video lotteries has now been increased up to 5.5% of the turnover, while the taxation on AWPs (the so called comma 6a) has been increased to 17.5% with a lowering of the minimum payout to 70%. These changes have been accompanied by the removal of the € 500 million contribution that had led to major disputes during the past year. At the same time, an easier certification process has now been introduced for video lotteries since - as it occurs with online games - this process can now been handled by private companies. This will facilitate the access to the market by new game suppliers. Also, the Government committed to find an agreement with the regions and the municipalities as to the features and the location of gaming halls

by 30 April 2016. The goal is to avoid the current inconsistency in the country with different rules per region and sometimes per municipality. The reaction from the industry to such changes has been considerably negative especially in relation to AWP operators. It is likely that the increase of the taxation for AWPs will lead to a reduction in the number of intermediaries that are currently in place in the distribution of AWPs.

2. Online games - new gaming licenses and switch to GGR tax A tendering process for the award of 120 new online gaming and betting licenses will be launched by 31 July 2016. The licenses will last up to 31 December 2022, their price will be of € 200,000 and the tendering rules are expected to be similar to the ones of previous tendering processes. The opening of the application window for new licenses is accompanied with the introduction of a better tax regime for online games. Indeed, the

taxation changed with effect from 1 January 2016 for • online sports betting to 22% of the GGR (while it was 2% to 5% of turnover) and • skill games, including poker tournament and fantasy sport games, to 20% of the GGR (while it was 3% of turnover). The taxation for online bingo will also change to 20% of the GGR with effect from 1 January 2017. This change has been awaited by the industry during the last 5 years as the previous turnover based regime was placing on operators an excessive cost and considerable uncertainties in terms of revenues. It is expected that operators will now be able to offer better odds further lowering the size of the black market.

3. Land based betting - betting shop licenses, switch to GGR tax and last chance for CTDs All the betting shop licenses as well as the current authorizations for “cured” CTDs will expire in June 2016 and for this reason a tendering process shall be launched by 1 May 2016 for the award of • 10,000 betting shop licenses against an initial bidding price of € 32,000 and • 5,000 corner shop licenses against an initial bidding price of € 18,000. These licenses will be awarded following the change (effective from 1 January 2016) of the taxation for land based sports betting to 18% of the GGR. This happens when a last chance is given to CTDs (i.e. internet cafes connected to foreign licensed online operators) to “cure” their position adhering by 31 January 2016 to the same procedure launched last year with the possibility to pay discounted back dated taxes and being authorized to operate. On the contrary, stricter rules have been introduced to qualify as a tax permanent establishment in Italy the entities that run a network of CTDs and higher sanctions have been introduced against gaming terminals placed in shops and connected to online gaming websites (the so called “totem”). It is difficult to assess whether the award of the

new licenses will lead to a reshuffling of the market. Current betting shops will not want to lose their license, but at the same time if CTDs are acquired by major operators they might have considerable financial capabilities.

4. Stricter gaming advertising rules Advertising of games with cash winnings will be prohibited during “generic” programs from 7 am to 10 pm and shall comply with rules similar to those already provided by self-advertising regulations in relation to their contents with sanctions up to € 500,000. The terminology used in the law with the reference to “generic programs” leaves uncertain the exact scope of the prohibition since media laws provide for generic channels, while there is no definition of generic programs. A decree of the Ministry of Finance might clarify the matter, but at the moment operators are following different approaches. Also, the above rules have been coupled with a recent more stringent approach by the advertising self-regulatory authority against gaming advertising which in my view will remain the most relevant and effective obstacle to gaming advertising. The risks deriving from such gambling advertising regulations pertain the potential prejudices on gambling that the regulators might have in their implementation. As any type of advertising, gambling advertising has to be able to promote the advertised product that in such case is gambling. Therefore, the rules shall be applied in a reasonable manner that does not result in excessive restrictions for operators.

5. Launch of Lotto tender The lotto tender has been just launched and we will see which bidder will win the battle for the license. This is a business that generated a turnover of € 6.6 billions in 2014 and the actual value of the license in terms of profits is estimated in € 3.5 billions. Lottomatica (IGT) has historically held such license for the last 20 years, but some interesting contenders might participate to the bidding process that has an initial price of € 700 million. *Giulio Coraggio (Giulio.Coraggio@dlapiper.com) is a partner at the global law firm DLA Piper where he leads the Italian gambling practice.

Ignoring low level advantaged players Part 3 David Switzer Introduction

Even though a large majority of casinos are currently using procedures that are costing them potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue per year, this bleeding of profits can quickly and easily be turned around by implementing a few changes in the way they deal their table games. If casinos begin to use less complicated shuffles or shuffling machines, David Switzer increase the penetration on their blackjack games, remove the NMSE rule, and properly train their surveillance, gaming floor, and security staff, they will begin to increase their revenue potential immediately.

Faster shuffles

Complicated shuffles clearly have a great impact on the revenue earning potential of blackjack and other carnival games by slowing down the amount of hands dealt per hour. While it would be easy to simply do a quick, one pass shuffle and begin to deal again, casinos need to adequately randomize the deck(s) in order to comply with gaming regulations and provide a fair game to the players. Also, a shuffle that is too simple (for example a single pass) could attract even the slightly knowledgeable advantage players who may not be able to track a more complicated shuffle but could potentially (along with the very skilled professional players) beat this type of â&#x20AC;&#x153;insanely beatableâ&#x20AC;? procedure (M. Rubin, personal communication, April 15, 2014). To quickly and easily solve these problems, casinos need only to look at gaming technology that was

designed for this exact purpose.

Automatic Shuffling Machines (ASMs)

Many casinos have started to purchase or rent automatic shuffling machines which quickly and adequately shuffle 1-8 decks of cards and also prevent any level of shuffle tracking. These machines hide the decks from view of the players, so any advantage player attempting to keep track of cards during the shuffle process would be unable to do so. ASMs, created and distributed by ShuffleMaster, cost $22,000 to purchase or are available to rent for $600/month (M. Rubin, personal communication, April 15, 2014). These machines also lessen stress injuries to a dealer as he is no longer required to perform tedious and complicated shuffles. Even though these machines will increase the overhead costs to the casino, adding these shuffling machines will greatly increase decisions per hour and will more than pay for equipment costs (Zender, 2013).

Increase Penetration

On a blackjack game that is shuffled by hand, the effect of reducing deck penetration by a half deck (26 cards) costs about six rounds per hour because this forces the casino to shuffle more often. On games that are shuffled by machines, the reduction costs only about two rounds per hour. Casinos often believe that reducing deck penetration will increase profitability by decreasing the number of card counters on their games, and while this may be true, the limiting of penetration does nothing except

lower revenue as more hands played by average players would make up for any losses attributed to card counters. Casinos should be looking to increase the deck penetration on their blackjack games, which will lead to an increase in revenue. In the 1990s the Aladdin casino increased their blackjack penetration from 66% to 92% because management believed that card counters could be stopped by a diligent staff, and this better penetration would generate enough additional revenue to overcome any loss in revenue from undiscovered card counters. A few months after the new procedure was initiated, the Aladdin’s new hold percentage outperformed all the casinos on the Las Vegas strip (Zender, 2013).

to spend a few days listening to a casino consultant once a year. Furthermore, the casino employees most likely to listen to the consultant are high level employees and not the casino floor employees who actually watch the table games. It is not uncommon for a major casino with a budget drop of $500 million to $5 billion to spend only $3,500 annually on training table games employees (M. Rubin, personal communication, April 15, 2014). Three sets of casino employees need to be properly trained in spotting and dealing with advantage players in order to increase revenue, with those employees being the ones who work in surveillance, the casino floor, and security.

Permit Mid-Shoe Entry

Counting cards is not a difficult practice to spot on a blackjack table. The difficult and timeconsuming part of counting cards are the things casino employees don’t need to concern themselves with, namely bankroll management, optimal bet-sizing, and finding the best games. Properly trained employees on the casino floor and in the surveillance room would need only to watch a few shoes of a blackjack game being dealt before they would be able to spot a patron who is changing his bet size to correspond with the rising and falling count. While solo card counters may be easy to spot, catching a team of advantage players (a Big Player style team for example) would take a little more time but is still a relatively easy task. If a patron is seemingly wandering around the tables, sitting and placing some large bets once in a while but then getting up and searching for a new table quite frequently, employees on the casino floor can pursue two options to determine if the player is an advantage player. First, the next time the player sits at a table (if the game is a single deck blackjack game), an employee can take the cards that have already been dealt out of the discard rack and literally scan through them and determine what the count is. If the count is high, it would be worth doing the same at the next few tables the player moves to. Secondly, employees on the casino floor or in the surveillance room can keep track of the other players at the table when the large bettor arrives, and if these players are always present, there is a good chance that a BP style advantage play is being undertaken.

NMSE has become a popular rule on many blackjack games, mainly in high-limit rooms, to prevent against the Big Player team style of advantage play and also back-counting, a style of card counting where a player stands behind the table and keeps track of the cards only to sit down when the count becomes positive. If a casino were to remove this rule it is possible that now and then a card counter would sit down, but his large wagers alone may encourage others to bet large (Zender, 2013). His very presence could act as a catalyst to attract new players and create an atmosphere of excitement that average gamblers look for in their gambling experience. Some casinos use this NMSE rule for the sole purpose of thwarting card counters, but others use it purely from a customer service point of view. Casinos value players who bet large and for long periods of time, and some of these high rollers get mad when other players sit down at their table and “disrupt” their game (M. Rubin, personal communication, April 15, 2014). In this case, casino management needs to make an informed decision about whether the revenue lost to the NMSE rule which keeps out potential players will be offset enough by the wagers of the one individual (or small group) at the table.

Train Employees

Simplifying shuffles, increasing penetration, and removing NMSE rules are three quick and easy ways to increase table games revenue, and while the two latter changes may attract advantage players, this potential advantage player “threat” can be easily overcome by simply having trained employees who are competent enough to spot these plays. Unfortunately, most casinos don’t adequately train these employees more than perhaps allowing them

Surveillance and Casino Floor

Security Guards

Once an advantage player is identified, it is then up to the casino management to determine whether or not they want the player to continue to play. While

most casinos would jump at the chance to evict an advantage player, other casinos take their time and allow the play to continue under the assumption that many card counters are actually not strong players and have the potential to eventually “go on tilt” and begin to play with a disadvantage (M. Rubin, personal communication, April 15, 2014). If a casino does decide to “back off” the player (tell him he is no longer allowed to play blackjack) or evict him completely (tell him he is no longer allowed on the casino property), upper management needs to ensure that security employees know the correct procedure to follow. The correct and legal procedure that should be undertaken by casino employees is to tell the patron that he is no longer allowed to play blackjack but is welcome to play other games, or in the case of an eviction to inform the patron about the management decision, and then allow him to cash out any chips he may have and leave the building. While this procedure may appear simple and obvious, security guards sometimes physically seize these players rather than let them leave the premises or in some instances call police to have patrons arrested (Benston, 2011). This can result in civil and criminal repercussions for the casino and employees. A notable example of this behavior is the case of Grosch vs. Tunica County, Mississippi, where the patron, Adam Grosch, was suspected of counting cards and was detained by Hollywood Casino employees, who proceeded to refuse to cash the victim’s chips unless he provided them with his identification. The casino employees called the local Sheriff’s department, who arrived and demanded identification from the victim who complied with the deputy’s request but was then arrested for disorderly conduct. The charge against Grosch was subsequently dismissed, and he sued the Hollywood casino, Tunica County, and the arresting deputy. The casino was found liable for false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, conversion, and trespass to chattels, and the jury awarded the plaintiff $103,703 in compensatory damages and $600,550 in punitive damages (“Grosch v. Tunica County, Mississippi Et Al - Document 145,” n.d.). While this case may appear to be an extreme example, these type of incidents involving casino security and advantage players happen regularly and often cost the casino hundreds of thousands of dollars. Similar cases include Grosjean/Russo vs. Caesars Palace where compensatory damages equaled $100,000 and punitive damages were settled confidentially out of court (“Two Awarded Punitive Damages from Detective Agency Used by

Casinos,” 2005), Pikaluk vs. C & HRV LLC where the two plaintiffs were awarded a combined $200,000 from the Virgin River casino, D’Aquin vs. New Frontier which was resolved for $101,000 (“David D’Aquin v. New Frontier Hotel & Casino,” n.d.), Pistor vs. Garcia where two of the three defendant parties settled for $160,00 and $50,000 respectively, and Grosjean vs. Imperial Palace where the plaintiff was awarded $99,000 in compensatory damages and $150,000 in punitive damages (“GROSJEAN v. IMPERIAL PALACE INC,” n.d.). All of the former cases included the claim of false imprisonment, which was upheld in every instance, and many of them involved assault, battery, and conversion (failure to cash chips). The plaintiffs in each of these cases were simply advantage players playing with a legal edge. Casino security personnel need to be given the proper training and guidance to ensure that these types of mistakes are not made and “unwanted” patrons are always allowed to leave the premises without being detained or threatened.

Conclusion

Casinos are very reactive in nature, and when they hear of a new threat that could possibly have an effect on their profits they quickly implement a new rule to combat it but often don’t consider the negative effects of such a rule. Studies show that new rules that slow play, such as complicated shuffles, decreased penetration and NMSE, decrease the revenue coming from gamblers. The intended impact of the rules, to discourage or thwart advantage players, may be fulfilled, but at an overall cost that decreases revenue to the casino. A casino would be more profitable were it to eliminate the game-slowing rules in order to make the casino floor a more exciting experience for all and to allow for faster games.

Recommendations

Casinos should eliminate defensive techniques that slow games. Advantage players can be dealt with by properly training the casino floor and surveillance staff to identify advantage players. After these employees have identified a patron who is to be backed off or evicted, the security staff should be able to easily and properly deal with the situation if they were given adequate training to make sure that they act legally. David Switzer is a Chicago currency trader who received his B.A. in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University and a dual M.S. in Hotel Administration/MBA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Game of Skill or Chance?

The children’s classic, the Tortoise and the Hare

decades later! (Restoration n the Daily Fantasy of America’s Wire Act HR Sports model, the 707.) Hare had a statistical The 2006 I- gaming bill advantage; even if he passed by congress exempted didn’t win the race. DFS from regulations yet it We are in a defining continues to be a discussion moment where regulation, point. gambling and the current It’s about defining what technologies, are locked in the DFS model is again and not only a semantic debate appropriately regulating it. If but a regulatory one as well. we are 50+ years away from The recent headlines in the the installation of the 1961 news have raised questions Wire Act and still debating it; about the operational model you had better sit down for of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS.) the DFS debate. The controversy, based on The rhetoric will settle some employees’ alleged use and there will be debate and of proprietary information to Robert Ambrose Instructor Gaming & legislative “give and take” in wager, has made DraftKings Hospitality Center for Hospitality & Sport Management Drexel University the US for some time. The and FanDuel the poster most important part of the children for regulation. DFS topic for now is that it is being discussed. Once Nevada shut them down, requesting Getting back to that Aesop’s fable of the tortoise they become part of the “gaming” regulated and the hare. I guess the moral of the story is never environment; the dominos fell as several states underestimate the outcome even if you have the in the US began the debate for regulations. In statistics? Hmmm. Sounds like a game of chance to recent weeks, policy makers in MA, NY, PA, NJ and me? And when you bet on it, some may even call it other states have not only voiced concern about gambling! the unregulated business model but also have suggested ways to regulate it. It is no secret too Bob Ambrose, Instructor Gaming & Hospitality that the federal and state governments may be Center for Hospitality & Sport Management Drexel missing out on fees and taxable wins in an industry University generating a huge revenue stream. The Dennis Gomes Memorial Casino Training Lab Looking at the history of gaming regulations I Rja73@drexel.edu have to take note of the Wire Act of 1961. http://www.drexel.edu/hsm/ This legislation certainly reflects the technology Twitter @bobambrose of the day and it still is part of the discussion

Slot Preferences for 2016 How to solve an uncomfortable problem. Victor H. Royer

s a consultant to the gaming industry, I help my clients with many situations. For Wall Street, and other financial houses, I provide key perspectives on the industry as a whole, as well as individual items as such are requested. For casino operators, I help them understand what’s actually happening on the casino floor, from the guest’s perspective. For gaming equipment manufacturers, I help them understand what the players actually want, and why. And how to maximize the reach and appeal of their games and products. In my capacity as a consultant, I produce not only operational and efficiency profiles of casino resorts, but also several reports for gaming manufacturers. These focus on players’ preferences, and range from the hardware design, to the ergonomics of the products, to the software and game components. Although these reports are always confidential in their detail and applicability to each client, nevertheless there are many generalities that can be

culled from them. Here in this article, I will explore some of the interesting aspects of information that I was able to obtain from several thousand subjects. Here, the focus will be on Slant Top Slot Designs, specifically on the hardware cabinetry design of the machine that holds the game – also including the newest models like Wave and Arc, and their similar counterparts. Although many of the players who play these slant top slot designs may not be able to explain their preferences in quantifiable terms, nonetheless there are enough similarities in the language and expressions they use, and in the way and manner they speak about these machines, that leads me to the conclusions as here provided. Players are almost evenly divided between those that like these slant top designs, and those that hate them. There doesn’t seem to be any “middle”. Players are distinctly divided into the two groups of “yes”, and “no”.

Those players who like the slant top designs say placed them. that they like them because they are more like a Some slant top slot designs have a padded area at table, and seem easier to use. the front which protrudes upward, making “bumps” Players who hate them, say that they hate them and “lumps” in the padding in front (like some of for precisely the same reasons that the other the Interblock games, particularly those of the latest players like them, but also add that they like the designs, where this is a very major issue for players uprights better because on those they can put their under real casino playing conditions). feet up on the cabinet, lean back, and relax while Designs like these are very bad, because it leaves playing the machines. This is not possible on slant corner areas into which dirt falls, cigarette butts top designs, and these players therefore claim are placed, ashes mount, and there isn’t enough that because of this such slant tops are just too room to put a drink, or anything else. Drinks tip uncomfortable to play for any length of time. over on these corners, causing spills, machine This applies even more specifically to the newest malfunctions, and great distress to the players – and machines, like Wave and Arc, which usually have the employees who have to clean it up and get the fixed seating in front of them, and this forces players machine working again. to have to sit too far back to comfortably play them. Any machine that is made this way should be At the same time, these designs are also forcing remodeled immediately, because this is the most players to stay “stuffed in” underneath the “lip” of useless configuration ever perpetrated upon the these games, where it gets hot and unpleasant. hapless casino customer. The initial idea may be So, players who hate these slant top designs, good, but the real-world usage of these machines cite all of these as examples why these models and means that the exact opposite was achieved – designs are so horribly instead of player comfort, uncomfortable that they player discomfort was can’t stay and play them caused. And the same for any extended periods applies to many slant top of time – even though they slot designs that have normally would like to. already been re-worked, Players also don’t like it but whose designers still when the casinos crowd put components – like slant tops together, so ticket printers and currency Victor H. Royer President of Gaming Services & Research much so that people validators – on the lip of fall on top of each other the machine, where players trying to navigate between them. This isn’t really a put their stuff. manufacturing problem, but the manufacturers can The best slant top designs have smooth surfaces, help by making their slant top slot designs wider by with no ridges, or anything which is high, protruding, about 4” total. That two inch space on either side or has any kind of interference with operation, will go a long way toward making the actual use of ability to lean forward, place drinks, hold ashtrays, these machines more player friendly, and cause less or anything that could be a tipping hazard, or in player perceived “congestion” between machines some way interfere with ease of operation, cleaning, and players. and maintenance. This is actually a real problem, particularly in If padding is used, this should be form-fitted so casinos that stack machines in close proximity that it doesn’t rise above the plain of the machine’s to maximize floor space. At busy times, it is the deck, lip, or screen, nor should the screen itself be machines that are blamed for the congestion, and reset inside a hollow, but be flat, or covered flat, the players are often alienated from the machine, with smooth surfaces throughout. instead of being angered at the casino’s placement Part of the perceived problem with these slant of the machines. Nevertheless, this negativity in top designs seems to be lack of forethought about player perception will be felt by the manufacturers the actual in-casino use of this equipment. Machines of the machines and the games in them, because get dirty and have to be cleaned. People playing the most players will simply not realize that their machines bring “stuff” along with them, and they displeasure has little to do with the machine and need room to put this “stuff” on the front of the game, but everything to do with the way the casinos machine. Since slant tops don’t have a cabinet on

top of which they stand – like the uprights – they also don’t have spaces between machines where people can put their “stuff”. In addition, casino personnel also have to be able to get to these machine when they must, and to do this they always have to ask the players to move their “stuff”, and this is often a very huge problem. Simply put, many such machines just aren’t playerfriendly in their basic design concept – seemingly ignoring the actual uses to which they will be put by their users (the players in the casino). But by far the greatest problem with these slant top designs is the awful fixed seating that often accompanies these machines. A large percentage of casino slot players absolutely hate this, so much so that many will refuse to play these slant top designs altogether because of it. Having fixed seating in front of any machine is to cause players so much anguish and discomfort as to render the game decidedly off-putting, whatever it may be. Fixed and non-adjustable seating in front of gaming machines is among the most frequently cited complaint about slant top designs from all slot players everywhere – alongside with short chairs that are too low when used in front of uprights. Why anyone would do this is befuddling to everybody, except those who made them that way, or so it seems. While I realize that manufacturers cannot control the seating that casinos put in front of their machines – unless the manufacturer supplied this fixed seating as part of the machine and cabinet – at no time should any slant top, or any slot machine, be supplied, made, or even equipped with these torture devices. By their very nature, machines with fixed seating have to be configured to accommodate really fat people, and while the majority of Americans may now be statistically overweight, this doesn’t mean that the rest of the world’s slot players need be so compromised by a problem that’s easily solved by simply having a free-standing chair with these slant top designs, so that each player can put the chair where they want it to be. The final item for this article has to do with player fatigue. This is particularly relevant to slant top designs that contain video poker, either as a standalone game, or as part of a multi-game platform. The design of the cabinetry requires the players to lean forward, at an angle of about 20-25 degrees from that which would be considered as correct posture for a sitting position. This is specifically accentuated on machines that have a button deck requiring

constant player participation, as is the case in video poker. Even if these slant tops have free-standing good seating in front of them, the fact remains that the button deck on these machines is often located too far away from where the player can sit, even if the player’s stomach is pressed against the front lip of the machine. Additionally, the button decks on these machines are generally ergonomically awful, and often quite unresponsive to commands. The outcome of all of this is that the customer – the casino player upon whom both the casino and the game’s manufacturer rely for profitability – tires easily. Players on machines of this kind fatigue at a rate of about three times that of uprights, according to our numbers over the past decade. Although many players of these slant top designs may not consciously realize this during their play, after only a short time they nevertheless leave the game, often complaining of backaches, particularly in the small of the back. It so happens that the designs of these slant tops requires the players to sit at the angle I mentioned earlier, and this places huge stress levels upon the muscles that hold the spine and hips and lower back and abdomen. This is precisely where the juncture of nerves is the highest, and the solidity of the human body the weakest. The sciatic nerve runs directly through this juncture, and such a posture as is required of players of these slant tops directly results in inflammation of this nerve, as well as muscular fatigue. This quickly rises to the upper back areas, to shoulders, and eventually to the forearms, hands and fingers. Repetitious activity, such as the frequent pressing of buttons required during play on video poker slant tops, accelerates and exacerbates this process. The ultimate outcome is that the player leaves the game far sooner than he or she would have otherwise, and at a rate of about three times as soon as they normally leave more comfortable uprights. Such frequent player fatigue leads to player attrition at a rate higher than necessary. A simple redesign of the controls will solve this issue, and both the casinos and the game’s manufacturers will benefit by the increased play that these machines will thus generate. The point of all of this is that sometimes the reasons why a machine or game is underperforming have little to do with the game itself, and a lot more to do with the box it’s in, and how that box is designed, and then actually placed, and used, in the real world of the actual casino.

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Creating Confidence.

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The four great myths of customer service Paul McGee

t was Mahatma Gandhi who allegedly said, “Customers are not dependent on us, we are dependent on them”. In the last ten years, customer service has finally become a major focus for many organizations, as they wake up to the fact that retaining customers can be just, if not more profitable, than trying to win new ones. However, despite the many books, CD’s and seminars around the subject of customer service, many myths still abound. As I work with organizations both in the UK and internationally, four particular myths reoccur.

Myth 1 - ‘No News Is Good News’ I remember wanting to buy a cot mobile for a friends baby from a well-known store. As the last remaining one was on display, I decided to ask for some discount as it was clearly ‘shop soiled’. The store manager, whilst dismantling the mobile from the cot replied, “look, do you want this or not, because I’m not prepared to give you any discount”. Stunned by this response (and coming from the store manager especially), I decided, perhaps not surprisingly, not to make a purchase. As I left the store I remarked to a friend, “do you know, I’ve a good mind to write to the stores head office and complain”. The question is, did I? No. Why not? Like thousands of other customers, my reasons were simple; hassle, inconvenience and most importantly; would my complaint make any difference anyway? This particular organization has remained oblivious to the poor service I received. However, I have told many of my friends (and literally thousands of people attending my seminars and talks) and never shopped at that store again! So what can we learn from this experience? Although no organization likes to receive complaints, at least by complaining, a customer is giving you the opportunity to put

things right. In fact, handling a customer complaint well, can actually cement a greater loyalty from that customer in the future. Without clear communication and feedback, we may be nearer to losing our customer than we realize. So beware of ‘nice customers’, the ones who never complain but tell their friends, tweet about you and never come back. No news is not necessarily good news.

Myth 2 - ‘Organizations Know What Customers Want’ I spend a great deal of my time in hotels. One of the perks I enjoy about staying in hotels is the brilliant breakfasts they provide. I love the wide selection of fruit and cereal and cooked food that I can help myself to. Recently however, whilst staying in a hotel in London, the attempts of the staff to provide what they considered to be great service left me disappointed. Despite all the food being laid out buffet style, I was told I could not help myself, but a waiter would take my order. “But I’d rather help myself” I protested. The hotel staff insisted however, that a waiter would get the food for me. Far from listening to what I wanted, the hotel assumed they knew what great service was, but failed to find out their customers perspective on the matter. While we must always be exploring ways to improve our service, it is important to remember that it is the customers perception of what great service looks like that counts and not ours.

Myth 3 - ‘The Customer Is Always Right’ Actually the customer is not always right. On some occasions, a minority of customers are arrogant, rude and even hostile. So, they might not always be right, but they are always the customer. This fact however, is not an invitation to passively roll over submissively at the first sign of an angry customer. An organization should do their utmost to help their customers - but not at any cost. Staff can become demoralized and disheartened when in order to appease a dissatisfied customer, they are continually undermined by those senior to them. If for business reasons, an organization does back down to an unreasonable request, staff need to have the reasons for this explained and be given guidelines should the situation arise in the future. Training also needs to be given to staff on how to handle and deal with difficult and angry customer.

Failure to do so can lead to poor performance, increased stress levels and increased staff turnover. Myth 4 - ‘Customer Service Is Just Common Sense’ Certainly, if this were the case, organizations would no longer require the services that I and others provide and people everywhere would be receiving the level of service they expect. The reality is that what can seem like common sense to one person, can appear to be rocket science to another. So why does delivering great service seem so natural to some people, but quite alien to others? Recent research, particularly by Daniel Goleman, has identified a range of ‘intelligences’ that people may possess, one of which is ‘interpersonal’ i.e. the ability to deal with, empathize and understand other people. This skill is crucial in dealing with customers and explains to some extent why some people find handling customers easier than others do. Lacking the necessary interpersonal skills, coupled with some peoples lack of self-awareness, explains why common sense is rarely common practice for some people. Remember, never to belittle common sense. As an American proverb so aptly puts it, ‘common sense is genius dressed up in working clothes’. Now, by avoiding these four common myths of customer service and by developing a customer service culture throughout the whole organization, perhaps I’ll be finding myself less busy in the future! Which reminds me, sales training or presentation coaching anyone?

Paul McGee is one of the UK’s leading speakers on the subject of change, workplace relationships and motivation. His provocatively titled book SUMO (Shut Up, Move On) became an instant best seller and his book on Self Confidence reached number one in the WHSmith’s business book chart and remained there for a further 24 weeks. He has appeared on BBC Breakfast television and is a regular contributor to Radio 5live. Building on his background in psychology, Paul’s aim is to deliver a practical, relevant message that can make an immediate impact on people’s professional and personal lives. www.theSUMOguy.com.

TOP

Candidate Questions aka Why Executive Recruiters “Qualify” You

Mark Wayman, Founder and CEO of the executive placement firm The Foundation, LLC discusses executive recruitment

y name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000; last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars. This article explains the types of questions you can expect when engaging an Executive Recruiter, and why we ask those questions. I focus on executives in the $100,000 to $1,000,000 compensation category, however these answers are relevant at all levels. Every time a Recruiter submits a candidate for a job, their reputation is on the line, so there is due diligence to ensure the candidate is a strong match for the open position. Three important points to remember about Executive Recruiters. Executive Recruiters Get People for Jobs, NOT Jobs for People – If we don’t stay focused on filling our open searches…we don’t eat. We don’t have the time to play career coach or figure out how to get a candidate placed. Our focus is on the clients, and filling open jobs. The Wrong Time to Meet a Recruiters is When You are Unemployed – The best Executive Recruiters only work with executives they know personally, or were

that were referred from their professional network. Our clients expect us to have a strong knowledge of the candidates, so we can’t accept cold calls or unsolicited resumes. Make sure you have a good relationship with at least one Recruiter while you are gainfully employed. Recruiters rarely represent unemployed executives. I Have Jockeys, I Need Horses – My horse trainer used to tell me this. Horses pay the bills, not jockeys. In Recruiting, hiring companies (clients) pay the bills, not candidates. Yes, Recruiters need high quality candidates, but make no mistake; the focus is on the searches. Recruiters can get 10 more candidates, however replacing even a single client because a candidate was unprofessional during an interview…is a major challenge. OK, on to those ten questions. You are probably wondering, “What if a candidate refuses to answer the questions?” Then I won’t represent them. I only want to work with executives of integrity that realize this is a partnership. No Recruiter needs a candidate that wants to be secretive or play coy. So here are the questions, and a translation of what they mean. What is your current (or most recent) base salary? The company is going to get this information, period.

They can ask your last employer for title, compensation and tenure. The Recruiter needs to ensure you are “in range” for the position. If you are $100,000 and the job is $300,000, you are probably not senior enough. If you are $200,000 and the job pays $100,000 the Recruiter won’t be able to meet your compensation requirements. Do not lie! Give your base salary and total compensation. Do not spin. Do not embellish. I guarantee you this...you will get caught. What is your desired base salary? This is used to weed out unrealistic expectations. I routinely have executives at $100,000 ask for $150,000 to $200,000. That is just not going to happen. Even if I believe you are worth that number, Human Resources is going to shoot me down. Companies do not give fifty to one hundred percent salary increases. 20% to 25% is reasonable. I drop a significant number of candidates due to their unrealistic expectations. They are good, solid people, however they have an inflated opinion of their abilities. Kind of like when people sell a house they typically price it way too high. If you are in transition, please give me a one or two line synopsis of why you left the last company. You know how many people told me they got fired? Out of 20,000, maybe two? It is REALLY important that you are honest with the Recruiter on why you left. If it comes out later that you lied, you are going to be dropped from consideration. If you are already on payroll, you WILL be fired. I have a Casino President that would not tell me why he left. Finally he said, “I did not make my numbers” and I replied, “Maybe your number were not realistic.” There are plenty of good reasons to leave a company. Don’t be shy – be honest! If you are gainfully employed, please give me a one or two line synopsis on why you are looking for a new career opportunity. Career advancement is the best answer. Worst answer? Complaining about your company or your boss. You will be dropped like a bad habit. A lateral is OK, but most executives are looking for a bigger title and/or a bump in compensation. Remember to stay focused on the OPPORTUNITY. There is nothing worse than a candidate that provides a line by line breakdown of their compensation. Recruiters don’t like it; hiring companies don’t like it. To which companies have you applied to in the last 12 months? Be honest! If you have applied to the hiring company in the last 12 months, the Recruiter CAN NOT REPRESENT YOU. And don’t ask them to “do you a favor” and recommend you. At the end of the day, this is a for-profit business. Another big tip – if you

are applying to online job postings, don’t contact a Recruiter. We get paid very well to find the best of the best, not executives that spam their resume. If you are applying to a $50 LinkedIn ad, the hiring company has no reason to pay a Recruiter. To which recruiters have you submitted your resume in the last 12 months? Again, be honest! If you are using one or two Recruiters you know personally, perfect. More than two is spamming, and smells like desperation. Personally, I look at which Recruiters the candidate is using as well. I’m 25%, so if they are being represented by a 15% Recruiter, I am out. Not judging. I like Costco, but I get my suits at Sak’s and Nordrsom’s. You are trusting your career with the Recruiter; don’t use a discounter. Can you relocate nationwide? If you can relocate, you will have more opportunities. If not, focus locally. Keep in mind the Recruiter probably has a specific role that he is filling, and if that is not in your city, you will need to relocate. When someone says they need a job in a specific city other than the West Coast, I recommend they find a Recruiter in that city to represent them. Do you have any contingencies (have to sell your house, spouse needs to find a job)? This is not IBM in the 1960s. No one is going to buy your house off you. And it’s not the Recruiters responsibility to find your spouse a job. Contingencies translate to you performing the job search on your own. Recruiters like flexible executives that will do whatever it takes to move their career forward. Do you have a non-compete? If I have one more guy tell me his Brother is an Attorney and his non-compete is not valid…I’m going to cry. There is exactly one thing a Recruiter can get sued for – knowingly placing an executive that is in violation of a non-compete. We don’t do it, ever. If your non-compete is geographic (Nevada or Las Vegas for example), you will be relocating if you want to make a career change. If there is any ambiguity, I let the hiring company General Counsel review the verbiage and make the call. All positions require a Compliance check (criminal record, tax lien, DUI, bankruptcy, foreclosure) and drug test. Do you have ANYTHING in your background that will show up on a background check? Most of my companies are in regulated industries, so criminal record or a failed drug test is a deal breaker. Companies don’t want to hire people that make bad personal decisions. Again, I’m not judging. These are the rules, and Recruiters have to play by them. More recently, bankruptcies, foreclosures and short sales are subjective.

SPOTLIGHT – ICE 2016

Cammegh to deliver a fabulous spread for ICE 216

ammegh, manufacturers of the world’s finest roulette wheels, are set to showcase an impressive spread at this year’s ICE show in London. Taking center stage will be the new Aurora Halo roulette wheel which features a dazzling display of LED lighting in the ball track to ramp up excitement at the table. Also making its debut at the show will be the latest 23” Billboard screens which now come in an ultra-slim design and feature customizable RBG LED strips. Joining them will be Cammegh’s increasingly popular roulette side bet, Spread Bet Roulette. The

side bet brings mini-jackpots and increased house edge to the roulette table and has already found great success with installations in the UK, India and South Africa. Cammegh will also have a range of their world famous roulette wheels on the stand, including the Mercury 360, Crystal Wheel, Slingshot 2 and Connoisseur. Last but not least will be an array of 27” and 32” single and double sided Billboard displays as well as the Eyeball camera technology. The ICE 2016 show in London looks set to kick start another exciting year for Cammegh and the whole team looks forward to welcoming everyone to stand S7-120.

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SPOTLIGHT – ICE 2016

Alfastreet Gaming ‘Evolution‘

Alfastreet revealing ground breaking products at ICE 2016

lfastreet will take advantage of the upcoming edition of the London ICE show in February 2016 to push the bar even higher than during a very successful 2015 campaign. The products that made a big impression on all the exhibitions, and more important on the gaming floors all over the world, will get further evolutions and definitive versions. A logical evolution step in design strategies, acquired knowledge and feedback from customers worldwide. Alfastreet is proud to have established very good connections and partnership with its clients and business professionals, who contributed to the future product line to great extent. It is vital to learn about and thoroughly know the operators, their needs and expectations, to define the new designs. The company boasts extensive insight into the secrets of the gaming industry, knowing everything that goes into such venture, from mathematical and physical models, to technical excellence and innovation. The customers have supported these efforts, knowing the reputation and the dedication of everyone involved. They know, that the new products will incorporate all the characteristics, that adorn Alfastreet ETG’s from the very beginning, such as flawless ergonomics, intuitive and reliable software, that is true to the genuine spirit of the game, and above all; superior quality and attention to details. As mentioned in the beginning, everybody involved is very excited about the upcoming unveiling on the ICE show, from 2nd to 4th of February 2015, where the visitors will witness the premiere of the definite version of the Alfastreet slot machine, another spectacular version of the Royal Derby and a product, that will evoke nostalgic memories and provide a very clever solution to the

Ana Zlender Sales Manager Alfastreet Gaming

casino experience. The company is confident it will be another success story, destined to be copied by the competition, as usually happens with our ideas. The red line between all the exhibits is the company insistence on top quality solutions both in design and features. Alfastreet wants to extend a warm welcome to everybody in the industry, to come and join us for the 2016 edition of the ICE show, as it will be something to remember.

SPOTLIGHT – ICE 2016

Apex Gaming

A VIP welcome awaits visitors to Apex Gaming’s booth at ICE 2016

PEX gaming is set to show its complete product range at the forthcoming ICE that will take place between 2nd and 4th February at the ExCel in London. The complete gaming solutions supplier will be bringing further innovations – making a visit to the APEX gaming stand a must at the ICE.

The Premium Of Pinnacle – Announcing The New Apex Vip Lounge Gaming Machine The APEX gaming machine family under the brand name Pinnacle has made a name for itself over the past years. The latest generation includes wide-screen monitors, either in 24” format for the upright Pinnacle or in 27” format for the slant-top Pinnacle SL. These superior cabinets house the EVO gaming platform which has transformed the APEX games with their pinsharp graphics and display potential. The range EVO games includes featurebased games, fruit-based games, table-based games and 3D games. The Pinnacle itself boats LED lighting around the monitors as a further highlight. APEX gaming will be bringing a new addition to the Pinnacle family – a top-of-the-range, VIP edition. This very special gaming machine will be taking prominent position at the APEX stand at the ICE.

iDROP is joined by the iDROPe

The iDROP is the complete solution at live tables that require a banknote reader to securely accept and report the cash handling at the table. The iDROP is much more than this – it contains a banknote reader with bulk note feeder – meaning that the croupier can enter up to 50 notes or tickets at a time and each is individually checked and stored inside the iDROP. The iDROP also accepts tickets and can print out tickets – for player cash-out or when the player wishes to bet only part of the ticket value. The integrated touchscreen makes it

simple for operators to run. The iDROP connects with the SAS communication and can run with any casino management system (CMS) – so providing clear and reliable instant reports on the drop. The iDROP was one of the hits at last year’s ICE. The iDROP will be joined by the iDROPe. The ‘e’ is for ‘external’ – so it can be fitted to the gaming table without having to make any major adjustments and so can simply be added-on to the table. Just like the iDROP, croupiers can enter notes or tickets in a bundle of up to 50 at a time and print out a ticket. The iDROPe has an integrated stacker with the banknote vaildator that can store up to 2,000 notes / tickets. In addition to this, the iDROP and the iDROPe both have player tracking capabilities. The player card can be entered into the new slot on the iDROP/ iDROPe and players can profit from the casino player tracking scheme and naturally operators can make great use of this new data from the live gaming area. Alongside ticket-in, ticket-out and player tracking, the iDROP/iDROPe can manage cashless gaming – making it the most complete live table cash management system in the market.

Apex Mobile Slots

The world of mobile and online will receive strong focus at the ICE and the APEX team will gladly explain how the APEX MOBILE SLOTS can benefit your operations. “We invite visitors to ‘see the difference’ at our stand. The new top-of-the-range Pinnacle will be premiered at the ICE. We will be showing the iDROPe for the first time at ICE. We will also be showing brand new developments, games and solutions”, explains Mr. Kubilay Özer, Global Sales Director at APEX gaming. “We foresee this being the best ICE ever”. The APEX gaming stand number is S4-250

SPOTLIGHT – ICE 2016

SUZOHAPP ICE Invitation SUZOHAPP invites you to enter into the heart of gaming at ICE 2016. Complete new stand design to house the biggest selection ever

brand new stand with a complete new focus awaits visitors to the forthcoming ICE in London that is set to take place between 2nd and 4th February. The new look will give a maximum focus to customers – with solutions being presented with a market orientation. In such a way more clarity is given to the gaming market that is made up of many different elements, such as for OEMs, operators, sports betting and lottery segments. The currency handling solutions of SUZOHAPP were further strengthened by the acquisition of SCAN COIN in 2015. This year’s ICE will be the ideal platform to introduce the SCAN COIN banknote and coin processing, counting and sorting solutions to the gaming market. SCAN COIN is a household name in the banking, retail and public transport markets and the gaming market will surely profit from the secure and sturdy SCAN COIN solutions. Further SUZOHAPP cash handling solutions include the Comesterochangers – including the ROCK, SWING and PRO range. The SUZOHAPP The Bill-to-Bill™ Banknote Recycler and MFL™ Banknote Validator product lines are proudly designed and manufactured by SUZOHAPP in Canada and have become industry standard, setting the bar high, especially when it comes to its reliability, performance and customer satisfaction. The RM5 electronic validator, manufactured by SUZOHAPP in Europe, has been sold more than a million times and is the reference for secure coin acceptance in machines. As the masters of hoppers and toppers, SUZOHAPP will again be showcasing its amazing range of coin hoppers and slot machine toppers. The brand new SH1950 video topper will receive its ICE debut in February. SUZOHAPP’s InteractivePRO™ Tables and booth TV have celebrated success after success in the USA. The ICE will enable global operators to witness first hand the sheer entertainment they can offer their players in a wide variety of ways. ELO Touch monitors will feature prominently on the stand as SUZOHAPP is the global distributor for ELO

in the gaming market. The sheer quality of ELO is that what has made the company so successful in gaming. The level of technology implemented at ELO Touch is of such a standard that no other monitor supplier has been able to come close. Consistency is another great benefit of the ELO Touch monitors. ELO guarantees keeping all sizes and measurements equal to the model they introduced. SUZOHAPP is the global distributor for TransAct. Recognised worldwide for its unmatched reliability, and compatibility with all new and legacy games, the Epic® ticket-in/ticket-out (TITO) printer is installed in more than 500,000 slot machines worldwide. The Epic 950® printer can also print targeted, personalized coupons, in real time, when matched up with TransAct’s Epicentral software. With the addition of a TransAct ServerPort™ the Epic 950® simultaneously connects to the game AND to the casino management system, to maximize the ability to communicate with and reward players – whilst they are playing Mr. Harald Wagemaker, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing of Gaming and Casino EMEA, looks forward to a great ICE, stating, “Last year’s ICE was extremely special as we celebrated 60 years of business in Europe. This year’s ICE is already looking to be special as well. Our new design underlines our focus in providing the right solutions to all the market segments within gaming. Our focus is on our customers and that is why we have invested in a complete new design to reflect this. Naturally we will be exhibiting a wide range of our solutions including locks, pushbuttons and electronic pushbutton panels. We have an excellent mix of our own products – that we develop and design ourselves – and the market-beating solutions from our partners where we are their global distributors in the gaming market. The whole SUZOHAPP team from around the globe sends out a warm welcome to come and see us at the ICE”. SUZOHAPP will be exhibiting at stand number N4-110 at the ICE.

SPOTLIGHT – ICE 2016

DRGT

DRGT – great systems innovations to be introduced at ICE

RGT continues to break the mould of how a systems company is seen in the industry. Expect great new innovations to further strengthen the extensive systems solutions from DRGT. DRGT can be found at stand number N2-130 at the ICE that will take place between 2nd and 4th February at the ExCel Centre in London. The (dr)team has grown quickly in the past year to ensure that the increased demand for DRGT systems from around the world is supported quickly and professionally. Customer support plays a key role for this independent systems company and the management team has invested strongly to further strengthen the company structure, founding a subsidiary in South Africa with further to follow soon.

Slots display innovations

drScreen is now available in three versions. The original drScreen makes use of the slot screen itself. Players can view and manage their account, operators can communicate directly to the players (e.g. infotainment, advertising) – thus drScreen is the most direct way for operators to reach their customers. Operators can choose from another two versions – making use of the player tracking screen – as the 6.2” drScreenMini or the brand new drScreenMicro version on a 3.2” LCD touchscreen display. Operators can make use of the benefits of drScreen on this smaller display. It makes use of the same card reader with dual slots. The functions are clearly marked – such as transferring cash to play, transferring points for freeplay and calling the attendant. A further great benefit is that players can view the last hit history for not only the slot machine but also the entire gaming floor. Naturally the operator can position the company logo on the screen as well.

Multi-Currency systems management

This is a speciality of DRGT. The latest examples at casinos in Georgia, Eastern Europe, exemplify this where DRGT made two new installations in 2015 in the city of Batumi in casinos where the slot machines can accept up to four different currencies.

Live tables innovation

Having successfully launched this at the G2E Las Vegas, DRGT will introduce drJackpot Tables at the ICE for the first time. DRGT has in essence migrated its superior slots jackpot and wide area technology onto gaming tables. Now

operators can offer jackpot features to their customers on live gaming tables. The simple design allows application on most tables games with many jackpot configuration options. Customers can choose whether to take the off-the-shelf jackpot version – naturally the jackpot can be customised. A wide range of jackpot possibilities can be made use of, including the Dynamic Jackpot Elevation which allows the jackpot level to rise more quickly at the beginning and then smooth out over time. In this way, players are motivated to join the jackpot early on as the jackpot level increments more quickly.

Multi Game innovations

The importance of Multi Game continues to grow in the international gaming industry. Multi Game offers the player a number of different games on one slot machine – the number of games varies according to the gaming machine manufacturer, the demands of the market and local legislation. Regardless of how it is offered, one thing is for sure – it gives the players more choice. DRGT can today provide the operator with a great number of tools to make full use of the focus on Multi Game. These include:

Player Card innovations

DRGT can now manage up to eight different player card levels, such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum VIP Day Visitor, Platinum VIP Club Member, Platinum VIP Silver and Platinum VIP Gold. Mr. Jurgen De Munck, CEO and co-founder of DRGT, sends out a warm welcome, stating, “We are confident that our customers will recognize how international we are. Our experience, our team, our products, our innovations, our willingness to adapt and grow to reflect the demands and challenges our industry place on us – all these make up what we are and what we are proud to be. We are very much looking forward to greeting our customers and visitors to the stand at ICE. Come and see us and find out how we can revolutionize your operating system”.

SPOTLIGHT – ICE 2016

Widespread appeal for Aristocrat’s Big Play ICE portfolio strengthened by links, extended cabinet options and all-segment standalone games

omplementing a star-spangled lineup of previously disclosed premium licensed games on centrepiece hardware concepts such as Arc™ Double, Behemoth™ and Wonder Wheels™ cabinets, Aristocrat Technologies now unveils a potent and diverse range of linked jackpot progressives and new standalone games making debut appearances in EMEA at ‘The Big Play’ on Stand S3-250 at ICE 2016. Lightning Link™ is the first playerselectable multidenomination link progressive based on Aristocrat’s formidable J*Series™ games segment, designed to deliver sizzling jackpot chases and exhilarating game play, explained Erik-Jan van den Berg, Sales Director EMEA. “Game performance has reached epic proportions in its native Australian market, where record sales of the game have been seen. Broader player appeal is also being established following its recent introduction on American gaming floors

and we are confident that the uptake in Europe and Africa will be equally strong,” he said. “Good Fortune™ is another proven link game, whose strong Asian theming and powerful core maths have helped to make it the number one performing progressive in Macau,” continued Mr van den Berg. “Veering towards more discerning core games players, Good Fortune adds to a growing list of new-breed Aristocrat links, each one engaging a different level of entertainment spectrum.” Making its first appearance in EMEA at ICE, Aristocrat’s new Arc Single™ is described by the company as a natural extension to its broader cabinet portfolio, offering newstyle gaming on a curved 42-inch HD portrait screen. “While the dualscreen Arc Double cabinets will feature only dedicated premium licensed games, Arc Single will house a growing number of standalone titles from across all game segments,” said Iain London, Product & Business Development Director - EMEA. “This provides operators with an ‘anti-box’ alternative, breaking any floor monotony with its graceful lines. “Arc can also be complemented with a range of

SPOTLIGHT – ICE 2016 illuminated branded wedges to create feature banks in straight and round carousel formations, creating a substantial floor presence and a player destination,” added Mr London. New titles coming to Arc Single in EMEA include Wonder 4™ Tower, the latest development in Aristocrat’s ground breaking series, offering concurrent play across up to six reel sets; a number of ‘Gold’ extensions to popular C*Series™ core titles Wild Panda™, 5 Dragons™ and Miss Kitty™; new J*Series™ jackpot themes Diamond Storm™ and Sugar Hit Jackpots™, each with two complementary base games; and new extensions of proven E*Series™ games, Sky Rider™ 2 and Moon Maidens™ II. Further expanding its library of standalone games for the popular Helix™ cabinet in EMEA, Aristocrat is using ICE to introduce a number of new games in each of its four principal categories. New C*Series games, the majority of which now incorporate standalone progressive jackpots, include: Jet Strike™, a low line high denomination air combat themed game with 3-level SAP, Hold & ReSpin and Repeat Win features; Weird Wicked & Wild™, a 40 line SAP with three distinct flavours selectable in the free games feature; Fortune’s Way, packed with wilds, multipliers, a new ‘Strike Feature’ base game mechanic and the chance to win up to 450 free games; the dual-language configurable SAP ‘Collect & Go Wild™’ games Wild Inferno™ and Wild Wings™; and Hong Kong Fortunes™, a new theme in the popular Super Wheel Blast™ family. Aristocrat’s J*Series segment is further bolstered by the addition a new Xtra Ways™ family, Gold Stacks™, comprising Asian-style base themes Golden Prosperity™ and Golden Zodiac™, whilst the successful Jackpot Streak™ family welcomes two more unique base themes, 00 Gold™ and Twilight Spirit™. Concluding on the Big Play line-up for ICE, Mr van den Berg stated, “Aristocrat has continued to invest heavily in design and development of new gaming concepts over the last 12-18 months, right across

each and every segment. This has resulted in what will be the most comprehensively rich collection of Class III games and cabinets available anywhere on the ExCeL show floor. We look forward to sharing the fruits of those labours with operators, helping them to make the big play, creating experiences for their players that are exciting, engaging and that build loyalty throughout 2016 and beyond.”

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