June/July 2014
Getaway
Try the Norwegian Cruise Line experience
Editorial: Editor in Chief: Glyn Thomas Mob: +380 952 705 596 glyn@ace123.com Associate Editor North America David Mckee dmckee@ace123.com Special Assignment Correspondent: Jack Bulavsky jackbulavsky@yahoo.com N Europe - Damien Connelly dconnelly@ace123.com UK - Alan Campbell alancampbellcasinolife@gmail.com Latin America & Asia Correspondent: Janice Chaka Janice@ace123.com International Casino & Gaming Correspondent: JJ Woods jjsilks@eircom.net Online Gaming Editor: Sam Miranda sam@ace123.com
Production: Designer: Stewart Hyde design@ace123.com www.totaldesignworks.com Subscriptions: Helen Holmes subs@ace123.com Web & IT: Sudip Banjeree sb@ace123.com Journal Manager: Chris Sanson csanson@ace123.com Publisher: Peter White Tel: +44 (0) 1892 740869 Mob: +44 (0) 7973 273714 pwhite@ace123.com
Editor’s page Welcome to Casino Life. Jennifer Aniston sells magazines. Put her on a front cover and it will fly off the shelf and will have done for the past 10 years. We can find no excuse to do likewise unfortunately, but if there’s a comparison it’s an image of a cruise liner (stay with me). Consistently at gaming shows worldwide, the magazine we always run out of from our archive on the stand has a cruise ship on the cover – not because most exhibition visitors like ships but because most have worked on one, know someone who has or may be thinking of it for their next move. A long introduction into our leading interview with Norwegian Cruise Line but I think such trivia should be aired. A similar fan of trivia is our guest editor Steve Donoughue who also shares my hatred of FOBTs and quite rightly devotes his space towards the subject. He also touches on the perennial problem of the gambling industry in the UK – it’s perceived as either a James bond cliché with clinking champagne glasses or a drug-induced prostitute-filled hades. Nobody in power seems to be troubled enough to find out the truth – which timely leads us into the NCIF interview. Tracy and her team are trying to make a difference and Roy Ramm pulls no punches in his view of the latest proposed changes to the Gambling Bill. I have always maintained that casinos will only be accepted in the UK once a soap star character can be employed as a dealer and nobody blinks. We have some way to go. Finally if you are thinking of going to the Crimean Gaming Show please remember that it is being held on territory that has been stolen from another sovereign state. When you fly in it will not be from Europe as the European Air Safety Agency have declared that the airspace is not Russian but Ukrainian. The seaports have now been treated similarly. The US, EU, PACE and United Nations have all condemned Russia for it’s aggression and even if you don’t listen to me – at least they may have a point, even if their sanctions are toothless. Meanwhile Russia continues to kill Ukrainians by supplying troops, arms and ammunition to “separatists” trained in – Crimea. On the other hand, our proposals here at Casino Life to re-introduce casinos in a proper legal balanced regulated manner in Ukraine, are at least on the desk of someone who has the power to make them happen. Watch this space.
Glyn Thomas
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Contents 3
Guest Editor Steve Donoghue UK Gaming Consultant
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Cruise Control Glyn Thomas speaks to Jim Abbas Vice President, Casino Operations at Norwegian Cruise Line.
10 Be prepared for the Lunar invasion Lunar Poker is bigger, better and coming soon to a casino near you. By Steve Karoul 15 Another Rewarding Year at Zitro Peter White chats to Johnny Ortiz President of Zitro 19 Casinos should invest in employees By Janice Chaka, Latin America and Asia Correspondent 23 Japan’s casino dreams are founded on false hope By Sam Miranda Online Gaming Editor 25 British Gaming Golf Championship 2014 Linda Lindsay Charity Organiser for the UK Charity CHiPs 26 Single Industry Voice Tracy CEO National Casino Forum & Roy Ramm Roy Ramm Chairman Playing Safe Technology in Casinos 1
Guest Editor Comment F rank Catania, Cantania Gaming Consultants
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A Whole New Galaxy Peter Johns, Vice President, Electronic Games Gaming Operations at Galaxy Macau Resort Casino talks to Damien Connelly & Peter White
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An Immersive Gaming Experience Daniel Lindsay at GameAccount Network knows games and the gaming market. He shared some of those insights with Jack Bulavsky, Special Assignment Correspondent for Casino Life
10 Eyes on the Action at Four Winds Casino USA Chris Sanson chats to Marcel Zangger & Joe McDevitt of Dallmeier USA 12
Live Dealer Gaming Casino Life’s Mark McGuinness caught up with live dealer casino platform provider Ezugi’s Mathias Larsson to discuss the growth in live dealer gaming on mobile
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Great successes for DRGT in Germany Glyn Thomas, interviews Joost van Egeraat, Sales Director EMEA at DR Gaming Technology on their progress in Germany
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.
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Guest Editor
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t is less than a year until the United Kingdom goes to the polls to elect a new government. By this time we will also know if the people of Scotland will have voted for independence. The outcome of both elections is uncertain, the safest money being on a No vote north of the border and the riskiest being on a minority Labour government in Westminster. What does this mean for the casino industry, you may ask? Well nothing directly. Just that over the next few months all political parties will be writing their election manifestoes. The safest bet of all will be that they don’t mention the word casino at all. But it’s pretty likely that in the small print they will mention gambling in reference to betting shop clustering and the perceived danger of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT’s) and how each party aims to deal with this in a restrictive and constraining way. Yet again you may be asking what this has to do with casinos, apart from the fact that many in the industry have been actively campaigning against FOBTs as an inappropriate product to have freely available on the high street. Well the result of this has been, I would argue, successful to some extent but has also been akin to ‘urinating in the well’. The campaign against the FOBT’s has increased the political toxicity of gambling in general and the majority of our Parliamentarians are not knowledgeable enough to know the difference between the sectors. All they see is the spectre of problem gambling in the press and they don’t want anything to do with it or any part of the industry. The UK casino industry is in aspic. We need to change the law to allow for parity between ’68 Act and 2005 Act licences. We need to change the law to allow for more licences through portability. But in order to do this, we need to stop fanning the flames of anti-gambling rhetoric in Parliament. By doing so we make any reform too much trouble for politicians to consider the heavy lifting. The Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats are not the gambling industry’s biggest fans and they don’t need more reasons to dislike us. Steve Donoughue MBA has been a management consultant specialising in the business strategy and politics of the gambling industry for the last twenty years. Further details about Steve can be found at his website www.gamblingconsultant.co.uk
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Cruise Control Glyn Thomas speaks to Jim Abbas, Vice President, Casino Operations at Norwegian Cruise Line
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ue to the resounding success of Norwegian Breakaway, which is the first of Norwegian’s two new 146,600 gross ton, 4,000-passenger Breakaway class vessels with the first launched in April, 2013; followed by Norwegian Getaway in February both of these will be followed by two further Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss vessels with the first scheduled for delivery October 2015 followed by the second in Spring 2017. Glyn Thomas caught up with the Vice President of Casino, Jim Abbas during a brief break in his busy travel schedule. It has been a year since we last spoke, how has it treated you? It has been a great year. We launched two new ships, ordered two more, and had our one year anniversary as a public company. I was even
able to take a little vacation in Hawaii with my wife on Pride of America. Having never been to Hawaii, I could not imagine a better way to see one of the most beautiful places in the world. Now we need to get gaming approved for the Pride of America. How was the maiden voyage of Norwegian Getaway in February? The maiden voyage of Norwegian Getaway was simply amazing. Since it was our second ship launch in less than a year, our team members were very well prepared for the maiden voyage. The guests who sailed told us over and over how great the new ship was and how they loved the Miami vibe. These orders will amount to a total of 10 with the German Ship builders MEYER WERFT which is a clear endorsement that Norwegian is pleased with the quality of the craftsmanship of the company. Meyer Werft has been an outstanding partner. Their state of the art facility greatly reduces build time and the quality is top notch. Their team is very easy to work with, and quick to assist with any issues that may arise in the build process. We are excited to continue our relationship for two new ships, Norwegian Escape and Bliss coming out in 2015 and 2017.
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The responsibilities involved with the fit out of the Leisure Gaming areas of these Ships must require massive amount planning and organisation from personnel, supply of equipment fitting out and testing. How early in the process are you involved with the new Vessels once the building has the green light and what are amongst your first tasks? My team and I are involved from the very beginning. We start working with the Architects long before we have the ship contracted with a yard. The first task is determining the correct locations for all our venues. Having the right adjacencies for all the outlets including the casino, bars, theatres, and dining facilities determines the flow of guests and their overall satisfaction when they interact with the final product. The layout of a new ship can make or break a ship. Once the location of the casino is determined, it is off to the races. We locate the Cage, Players Club, VIP room and other essentials before we begin laying out slot and table games making sure we build an open and comfortable floor plan for our guests. Our team reviews the layout several times to ensure we offer the perfect product to our guests within the ships structure. It must be a very satisfying feeling for you and your team when a new vessel takes to the sea on its maiden voyage. Words cannot describe the feeling of launching a new ship. It can take up to two years from the time you start the design until the ship sails for the first time and the maiden voyage when you find out if your vision has translated into a success. Based on the overwhelming responses from our guests, all of our hard work has paid off and I could not be happier. How are trends influencing the design and layout of the Vessels gaming areas? Norwegian has changed the face of gaming in the cruise line industry. When I first started at Norwegian in 2008, we had gaming floors with the best the 1990’s had to offer. From outdated gaming
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product to stools versus chairs we needed to evolve. Since then, we have completely revamped our casinos. We changed our layouts to provide additional space and comfort for our guests. Spent millions on new gaming product, and replaced the stools with comfortable gaming specific chairs. From a gaming technology standpoint, we are leading the industry as well. We have embraced new technologies such as in-room, mobile, and community gaming. On our newest ships, you can even use your cabin key or players’ club card to download gaming funds directly to your favorite slot machine with use of a personal PIN, eliminating that unwanted trip to the ATM. On our newest ships we are utilizing the Bravo table games tracking system from Genesis Gaming Solutions. The many land based casinos have moved to electronic table tracking. Following the trend, we took it to the next level by automating the recording of actual hands dealt. Their system allows us to track the actual hands dealt to an individual guest utilizing sensors located below the table top. These sensors track when a card is dealt, a spin on roulette occurs, and when a roll of dice on craps occurs. The key advantage to this system is the ability to reward the correct players. When a Blackjack player is playing heads up with the dealer at over 120 hands per hour, they are getting rewarded based on the actual hands versus the assumed 60 hands per hour that most casinos use for their average on Blackjack. This is a win/win solution where a player earns what they actually deserve. What customer trends are you seeing across your gaming areas? Customers are becoming more demanding. They insist upon having the latest gaming product because they have become accustomed to having it at their local casino. The old cruise line philosophy of a captive audience will play whatever gaming product you have does not work. We use a lot of multi-denominational product so that all guests
have the opportunity to play the product they want at their preferred price point. If you had spoken to me six years ago I would have never considered having a multi-denominational slot with the credit options of $25, $50, $100. Now we have them on every ship. What EGM manufacturers and specific game themes are your best performers? We have seen a significant change in the products guests are now playing. Smaller manufactures such as MultiMedia, Konami, and Aruze have gained a very strong following with their products. Manufacturers who were predominantly known for their low denomination product are now seeing success in high limit rooms. Most of the trends we are seeing in manufacturers and themes relate to our target markets. Macau and other properties in Asia support many high limit slot machines, similar to the Northeast markets in the United States. When we move south into the Caribbean, our guests are demanding less high limit slot machines and more 1 and 2 cent slot machines. Do you have your own in-house EGM maintenance and support staff, or do you use an outside organisation to deal with the management and maintenance of your machines? With our operations operating in international waters, we have our own internal technical team to repair slot machines, shufflers, and any other electronic devices we may use in our casino operations. Since we are constantly moving around the world, it is not cost effective to hire an outside team to perform maintenance and repairs because you never know when and where they will be needed. In my experience from land based gaming, outsourcing can be a practical solution for smaller venues, or if you have a large project where you need to augment your team for a short period of time. With outsourcing your technical team, you can reduce expenses, and increase uptime by having
a trained technician who works on slot machine on a regular basis. In larger facilities, down time is too costly so having your own team of technicians is more practical. What is the Norwegians policy as far as training of staff on the latest EGMs? When we introduce a new slot machine for the first time, we have the manufacture send out technicians to our ships and train our staff. Doing so ensures that our games are set up properly and that our technicians are appropriately trained to diagnose potential problems with a new slot machine. How do you see EGM use changing in Cruise Liners Gaming areas? Our slot players are very similar to the US gaming market. Throughout the years, we have reduced our stepper footprint and replace it with additional video reel product. We have seen a strong uplift in Action Gaming video poker, their unique products are in very high demand on our ships. What do you feel is missing from the current EGM product that will help Norwegian in the future? I have always thought that downloadable gaming would be huge success on cruise ships. The reason being is that our guest demographic can vary greatly from week to week. The ability to quickly adjust game theme and denomination to match the incoming guests would be a great advantage. Each time I look at the downloadable product I find that the manufacturers are overpriced. Gaming regulations, proprietary technologies, and pricing have greatly slowed the adaptation of the technology. As brick and mortar gaming continues to merge with online gaming, it is inevitable that slot manufacturers will need to continue their investment into server/ cloud based technologies. All one has to do is look at social gaming on Facebook to see one possible outlook. Gamblers love to show off and what better
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way to do so than posting your big win on Facebook. Another item more specific to us is the ability to have multilingual slot machines and Player Tracking systems. Konami has added multi-lingual features to their player tracking system which is nice, but slot machines are typically only offered in one language at a time. What innovations in Casino operations in recent years have most impressed you? The Bravo table games tracking system by Genesis Gaming is one of the best new products I have seen. Being able to track actual hands dealt versus using averages allows us to reinvest in the correct players. They have an RFID version as well that allows you to track actual bets whereby a casino could calculate theoretical win the same way you can with slot machines. At this point, the cost is still prohibitive to most casinos. What is the mix in the Casinos between traditional table games and EGM’s is it for example an average of 60% slots vs 40% tables or can it vary. The mix of an on-board casino may vary greatly
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depending on the market where it operates. Our US originating cruises have many more slots than table games. Ships that predominantly sail in Asia have gaming floors are dominated by table games. Does Norwegian provide online
gaming for passengers? We do not. Online gaming has many regulatory hurdles in which to operate. Many of the online jurisdictions are not stable at this point. We will continue to focus on delivering the Best gaming product at sea. And finally how is the year ahead shaping up and do you plan to take a vacation and if so will it be on the high seas or terra firma? 2014 looks to be another great year at Norwegian. If you’re a gambler, there is no better cruise line to sail on unless of course you are me and cannot gamble on Norwegian ships. My plan is to take a little time off this fall and explore the Adriatic on Norwegian Jade. I love the fact that I only have to unpack once, there is non-stop entertainment, and I get to see so many beautiful countries in a single vacation.
Be prepared for the Lunar invasion Lunar Poker is bigger, better, and coming soon to a casino near you. By Steve Karoul 10
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ince I first covered Lunar Poker back in early 2013, the game has evolved significantly to the benefit of both players and casino operators. The game inventors have developed a highly robust and innovative game with great service and support. The table layout designs and state of the art double-sided, digitally animated signage really set a new standard for the industry to follow. While Lunar Poker has been live in South Africa, the Philippines and few select casinos in the US for the past couple years in evolving formats, the game is now positioned perfectly to invade the United States. An incredible amount of compliance work has been completed in order for the developers to distribute Lunar Poker independently throughout North America, which Casino Operators are finding very refreshing. In order to stay at the forefront of innovation with high performing products, Casino Executives need to watch this unique and fast moving game closely to evaluate it for their casino. However, based upon personal observations, I think that this game has merit as well as mass appeal. Despite the tremendous growth of slot machines in recent years, table games are still a very important component for the overall success of any casino. Lunar Poker is a new, exciting and profitable table game. The original version of Lunar Poker released in 2012 was revolutionary for the number of options it gave players. The new version keeps all of the most popular options such as Drawing 2-5 cards and Buying a 6th Card to beat the dealer’s hand. Most significantly, the game developers have managed to make Lunar Poker faster and simpler to deal, teach and play while creating non-stop action and excitement. The introduction of two new features attached to the existing side bet have taken the player experience and revenue streams for the Casino Operator to a whole new level. Lunar Poker has added Multi Super Bets, so players can now place a Super bet on their friends hand or any other player’s hand and share in the winning moments. This has added a real social aspect to the game in an almost communal atmosphere found in most casinos. This game is fun to play either alone or in conjunction with other players sitting at your table. Even more innovative, a new patent protected feature allows players to bet on the Dealer’s hand having a Super combination. This keeps the player fully involved until the end of the round of play even if the player has folded their hand. The dealer may also beat the player’s
hand but the player still wins on the Dealer Super bet. Combined, these cutting edge Super features add an extra 25 betting opportunities per round, encouraging the social nature of the game for customers and boosting the revenue for casino. These new features indicate that the new “Super” features add 200% to the Super bet revenue alone. The dealers especially like the added Super bet options as they lead to increased tips and fun on the game. Therefore, Casino Operators can expect friendly and enthusiastic dealer support for Lunar Poker. The unique Double Combination Payout feature is still in the game, where a player can also be paid for any 2nd poker combination within their winning hand, and players love being told they won more than they thought. The latest version of Lunar Poker has a very fast learning curve for somebody familiar with basic 5 Card Draw Poker, and it will engage and entertain all levels of Poker aficionados. The Lunar Poker developers have engaged GLI to conduct extensive mathematical analysis of the game. The house edge on the game is 2.38%, with the typical hold on cash drop being 26 - 32% which supports a very healthy win per unit for any Casino Operator. The developers of Lunar Poker haven’t left a stone unturned and have placed a very heavy focus on protecting Lunar Poker against advantage play. They even had GLI stress test the game for the impact of player collusion. Due to the ingenious design of the game, this analysis concluded that even if 4 players were colluding on Lunar Poker, the hold % would still be better than a standard game of Blackjack where the players would find it impossible to get an advantage over the house. This is a nice benefit for any casino operator. The developers have held the approaching launches of the Lunar Poker in the US close to their chest, but word has it now that we will see a torrent of Lunar Poker unleashed across Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri, Arizona and Washington coming shortly once final Gaming Commission approvals are completed. Casino Executives everywhere have been impressed by what the Lunar Poker developers have independently achieved. But with intense research and development, particularly within the last 12 month period, these casino guys have produced something very special. They have put together a product unlike any other, to the point where only 2-3 rounds of play at a demonstration
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of Lunar Poker is needed to convince even the most skeptical operator or casino manager that they must have this game for their casino. It’s been a long time since anything truly innovative as well as being beneficial to both players and to casinos alike has hit the US table game market – Lunar Poker has certainly arrived to meet that challenge. So many of the Carnival Poker games are starting to look very similar, to the point where they almost merge together as one. Lunar Poker undoubtedly sits in a class of its own above all competitors as a unique product and it is becoming very clear that this game will make a major impact shortly across the American gaming industry as well as internationally. Key Excerpts from our previous article from last year for any readers who may have missed it: Lunar Poker Hits the USA By Steve Karoul Rumor has it, that a Team of Casino Executives originally took a number of different versions of the base game from Eastern Block European and Russian casinos and then further developed this already powerful product with some very unique features to compete with the best in the American market. The game math was initially verified by the renowned poker wiz, Stanley
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Ko, from Las Vegas and has subsequently been fully reviewed and certified by GLI. All this has taken approximately five years to complete and now this so called “Caribbean Stud Poker on steroids” type game is about to roll out across the United States. Industry experts believe that Lunar Poker will leave most existing poker variants in its wake. The developers and licensors of Lunar Poker are based in Macau. They have recently established a new development team conveniently located in the United States. Prior to entering the US market, the game developers thought it best to test the market in Australasia first. Australasian Casino Executives in Macau, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand were very excited about the new game. Overall acceptance has been almost immediate after experienced gaming personnel were able to view and participate in an actual demo of the new game. The feedback has been universally positive and the product seems to be in a class of its own. The base game is very attractive but it becomes even more exciting and appealing to players due to some of the unique side bet features as well as an added progressive jackpot option. The base game has proven to hold approximately 35% of cash drop and the side bets provide a strong house advantage of over 2.3% for the casino. This occurs innocuously while the players are engrossed in a “real” game of poker. It’s no wonder that the gaming industry
is starting to take a much closer look at this new game. Lunar Poker is the only true game of draw poker played against a dealer currently available in today’s market place and was developed with the poker player’s every desire in mind. Even though Lunar Poker is loaded with several different options for the player to better compete against the dealer’s hand, the game itself is still relatively straight forward and very enjoyable to play which is one of the reasons why play acceptance of this new game is so high. For example, once the Ante bets are placed, the players and dealer each receive 5 cards with the dealer’s 5th card exposed just like in Caribbean Stud Poker. Then the real fun begins with the players having the option to buy a 6th card or exchange 2-5 cards in hope of improving their hand before they decide to play or fold against the dealer. The dealer basically sits on their original 5 cards and just like in Caribbean Stud Poker must qualify with Ace-King to pay out on the players raise bets. However, if the dealer doesn’t qualify with Ace-King, the players with high paying combinations can chose to force the dealer to change their highest value card with the next card from the deck in a second attempt for the dealer to qualify. Each of these options attracts a fee equivalent to the player’s original Ante bet which is immediately locked away as casino revenue. Henceforth, we have the basic game of Lunar Poker. Lunar Poker goes a step further by offering a number of additional highly competitive and very popular features which include: • “Instant Cash Payout” Feature: If the player lands a Royal or Straight Flush in the initial 5 card deal, they will automatically be paid out at least 600 to 1 or 200 to 1 respectively on their Ante bet. Casino operators may offer even higher odds if they elect to do so. We’re told that the math stacks up for this option. • “SUPER Side Bet” Feature: The player has the option
of participating in the “SUPER Side Bet” feature at the beginning of each round, where they can win at generous odds if they strike any one of 8 “SUPER” combinations within their initial 5 card hand. The pay table for this feature appears to outdo the competition and is very appealing to most players. Layered on top of all this, the Casino Operator also has the option to offer a progressive jackpot where we must assume that jackpot totals will match or surpass those of the carnival game poker variants as the popularity of Lunar Poker increases among players and casinos. One can see why people would say that this poker game seems just too good to be true. Many are still struggling to find the catch but there isn’t one. The game is very transparent and straight forward. For now, all we can do is wait and watch to see how Lunar Poker will develop in the United States and if the pumped up version will thrive here. Based upon initial results and history abroad, one can only speculate that the boys from Macau will be here for many years to come. There are many new games introduced each year but only a very few ever gain optimal success. Lunar Poker definitely has all of the attributes to be one of them Steve Karoul is a recognized casino consultant with over 36 years of hands-on experience with the best casinos both within the United States and internationally. He is also an authority on all aspects of casino marketing. Steve has lived in numerous countries and has conducted casino marketing activities in well over 100 countries around the world. He also monitors Poker, online Poker and online Gaming around the world. He is an author, a lecturer and an educator who often injects his own hands on experiences and openly shares his ideas and thoughts with fellow industry executives. Telephone + (1-860) 536-1828 or skaroul@comcast.net or see www.euroasiacasino.com
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Alejandro Ortiz A lifetime of achievement 15
I would like to commence our interview with congratulations to you and your father for yet another award, presented at the opening of this year’s Fer Interazar where Alejandro Ortiz’s professional career has made him a deserving winner of the “Lifetime Achievement” award. Thank you on behalf of my father and from me as well. I have to say it’s really an honour to receive the recognition of the sector after so many years of hard work. How was 2013 for the company? 2013 was marked by the major commercial records we reached worldwide, which exceeded all our objectives and expectations thanks to the great professionalism of the whole Zitro team. We have consolidated our position around the world in the countries where we do business and we have also opened up new markets. What would you say are the main benefits that gaming operations get from partnering with your
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organisation? There is no doubt that Zitro is the technological partner which will ensure great success in all the places in the world where it is present. The difference between Zitro and other companies stems fundamentally from three pillars: technology as our mainstay, an original, quality product, and great business solvency. Taking that as a starting point, I can say that in recent years Zitro has become an undisputed leader in the video bingo category, with games which have become a model to follow in terms of fun and entertainment. Earlier this year Zitro launched its game app World of Bingo for Facebook how was it received by the social media networks and can you explain to our readers what is involved with this new app that can also be accessed online at www.worldofbingo. com. In April, Zitro launched World of Bingo, its game application for Facebook which has received an
Zitro Team at the Fer Interazar
enthusiastic welcome from the public on social networks since the launching. World of Bingo has the latest technology in social gaming and its own gamification motor to transmit Zitro’s most successful video bingo games to all the markets around the world via Facebook and the social networks. 3D Interactive that brings three dimensional graphic sound and character to the game continues to be at the forefront of game development at Zitro that can be seen with the recent launch of Jack & the Beans. Zitro has created an innovative 3D development motor for cutting-edge technology games which has incorporated into its latest generation games. Jack & The Beans is the new game incorporating this 3D motor. It is a stake in the future which brings the most spectacular graphics, sounds, threedimensional characters and interactivity in latestgeneration devices to the video bingo world. This has placed Zitro firmly in a new era of
interactive 3D machines which cements its position as a technological leader in the video bingo sector. We are always thinking of ways of offering users the chance to enjoy a gaming experience which has never been seen before in our sector. The popularity of the VLT and games based the Zitro Server continue to prove popular World Wide especially as the appeal of the Blackwave cabinet. Zitro’s technology is designed to offer our customers the finest offer of games remotely, with the download of those games which are best adapted to the needs of each customer and optimise the profitability of their room. This optimisation is made possible by the latest generation tools which Zitro technology has at its disposal to monitor, analyse and manage the games and any incident encountered in each machine and each room in real time. The recent launch of Cash Bonus, the new system for accessing Zitro’s community games , can you
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explain to our readers the benefits gained with this new service. Zitro has developed a new system for entering the new Air Cash, El Botín and El Salpicón community prizes in which you don’t need to accumulate points. All you have to do is play, and the Cash Bonus is activated on the game screen to give direct access to the draws. This new way of accessing Zitro’s community games significantly increases participation in them, adding much more emotion to the game and offering customers more chances to win prizes. Recently Zitro gained another impressive installation in South America were the organisation continues to increase market share. The key to Zitro’s success, in Latin America and the rest of the world, has always been the fact that we offer to the market products of great quality, which are adapted to the tastes of the players in each of the countries where we are present. This is made possible by the fact that we have the full support of Zitro’s R&D&i team, which is continually improving the games to adapt them to the particular features of each market. In early March Zitro celebrated its 8th Millionth web visitor which is a very impressive amount. That’s true. Zitro is also a leader in online gaming, and has reached the record of eight million visits to its online game website in the “for fun” mode. Zitro’s online game website has been active for more than two years, and in that time its games have achieved great success, comparable to the success the same games have achieved in gaming rooms around the word. With the half way mark nearing for 2014 what have been the highlights for you so far this year and what excites you most about the second half of the year? This year we have reinvented ourselves and have revolutionised the world market in video bingo, launching the largest quantity and variety of new features in our history. New community games, new functionalities available for all the games and, of course, new games. All of this makes up “ZITRO REVOLUTION 2014”, which will be implem.
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Casinos should invest in employees
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Employees should invest in themselves too by Janice Chaka
am hugely in favor of continuing education, and a lot of people feel that there is no case for it in the Casino industry unless you want to work in management. This is very narrow minded from both a company and an employee point of view. Even just learning a new game can be educational. What about spending the day in another department? That way you get a better impression of how the casino operates as a whole. If companies want their employees to stay, then they should take an interest in what their employees want to achieve both inside and outside the workplace. More and more companies are providing their employees with professional education, and Casinos should follow suit. There was a study this year from Bersin by Deloitte, a huge company, which showed that businesses increased their training budgets by 15 percent, with a strategic focus on building the skills of their leadership team and career road-mapping. Every company’s success, or failure for that matter, comes down to its employees. There should be nothing more important than finding the right fit for your company, and then nurturing and developing those people. With casinos being
so customer oriented, this is even more important, because if an employee is not happy they will end up feeling like they are faking it every time they go into work, and customers will pick up on this. The other plus point is referrals. It has long been known that referrals make the best new hires, and just like gaining new customers, keeping the current ones happy is the only way you are going to get referrals from your staff of other great members of staff, after which you can invest in them. It is human nature to want to be taken care of, and companies that do that never have a shortage of people lining up to work for them. Can you imagine if Virgin decided to join the gaming industry? People would flock in their thousands to join. Why? Not only do they have a great and charismatic CEO who listens to his staff and customers to the point of serving as part of the cabin crew on flights. They invest and of their staff as well as having a sense of fun they are known worldwide for their professionalism and amazing customer services, and it shows in how they interact with customers and how customers in general feel about flying with Virgin. Who would not want their company or casino to be compared to Virgin? There is also the fact that employees love to
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give back to their community and casinos should encourage this as well as help create projects to enable their employees to do so. Not only does this build moral and keep employees happy, but it also serves as positive press, which is not something you see a lot of casinos getting these days. One thing you could do is give employees time off to help with serving in homeless shelters or soup kitchens. Everyone has their own strengths and passions and ways of helping. As a company you should do what you can to help people do that. Don’t forget your staff are human. Stop looking outside the company for all of your new hires. One of the great things about investing in your current staff is that it means you have a greater pool of talent to pull from that completely understands your company and the way it works, and already has good working relationships with members of staff from all different departments. I experienced this first hand when I went from working on the tables to the Office/HR Manager at a casino. I did not get the job because I was a great administrator (I had only worked temp office jobs for about 6 months) but because I knew the casino business. Which 9-5 administrator could work those hours in a casino? Not only would they have almost no interaction with the staff and management, they also would not really get a feel for the company they worked for. I ended up trying new things by working some days 2-10 to just working longer hours, and I also got to take on more responsibilities due to my availability. I did this not because I had to, but because I cared about my job and the staff. It also helped that I had experienced every position in the place. That way you could understand the issues that came up from various members of staff. I was very lucky that the casino I worked at was prepared to invest in me professionally, and to this day it was one of the best jobs I have ever had, and I am still in touch with the GM. Don’t get me wrong, it is not just the companies that have to invest in employees but employees also have to want it. More about that in my next article. It pays to invest in your employees, plus if someone is looking to better themselves why would you not want someone like that working for you instead of the competition?
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Japan’s casino dreams are founded on false hope Japan has stepped up efforts to liberalise its gambling legislation and cultivate a casino industry, whose potential value has been put at $40 billion by some analysts. However, a poor showing in parliament for new gambling reforms means Japan’s ambitions might be strangled in the crib
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he current political debacle reveals that investors’ buzz around ‘the new Macau’ was groundless from the start. In this article, I will provide an overview of the recent, botched efforts to legalise casino gambling in Japan and demonstrate that the country’s potential as a gambling hot-spot has been drastically overstated.
The road to decriminalisation Gambling in Japan is largely banned, although grey markets exist for boat, motor and bicycle racing, as well as pachinko (an idiosyncratic game, similar to pinball). Last year, pro-gambling lobbyists and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party submitted a historic parliamentary bill, containing provisions for a dedicated casino ‘hub’ on Japanese soil, comparable to Vegas or Macau. It looked to be a slam-dunk. Aside from the support of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s nascent casino market drew bold promises from key international investors, including MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Las Vegas Sands Corp. Sheldon Adelson (Sands CEO) said he would “spend whatever it takes” to
get the ball rolling in Japan, offering to put up $10 billion as statement of intent. It was also hoped that the impending 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo would force the pro-gambling bill through the Diet (Japan’s parliament), which (at the time of writing) is currently in session. If the bill is not ratified before the Diet adjourns on June 22, it is highly unlikely any new casino resort would be able to capitalise on the Games. In short, all the stars seemed to align for Japan’s burgeoning casino industry. However, a sea change has been felt. The atmosphere in the Diet has apparently been less amenable than Abe and the LDP had anticipated, with lower house member Sakhito Ozama admitting that “passing the casino bill in the current session of parliament will be tough.” The LDP’s deflated confidence in the bill was highlighted by Sakihito Ozama, a senior official in the bipartisan group pushing for new gambling legislation. During an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Ozama said: “I saw a 90% chance of the bill passing during the current session earlier this month, but now I think it’s fifty-fifty.”
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Insurmountable obstacles But why the sudden turnaround? Taken at face value, the conditions couldn’t have been more perfect. Domestic and foreign commentators both agreed that the “one-two punch of the Olympics and the opening of integrated resorts in 2020” would provide a boost to Japan’s profile and buoy its struggling leisure industry. The emergence of casino tourism would also have been a political boon to Abe and LDP. The Prime Minister’s fiscally conservative ‘Abenomics’ have so-far weakened the yen; guiding Japan through a lucrative new initiative has the potential to appease some of Abe’s sceptics. Meanwhile, initial support from overseas couldn’t have been more enthusiastic – hardly surprising when you consider the success of the Asian market. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, Macau accounted for 61 percent of Las Vegas Sands’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization last year, with almost 30 percent from its lone casino in Singapore and the remaining 9% from the domestic U.S market. However, while voices from the centre-right LDP and international investors tell a singular narrative, Japan has not reached a consensus on casino gambling. Two newspaper polls in 2011 revealed that 60% of Japanese citizens surveyed were in favour of allowing domestic casinos. Conversely, a December poll conducted by Toyo Keizai (a leading business magazine) held that 40% of respondents were in favour of allowing casinos in Japan and 47% were opposed. While critics cite moral and social objections to casino gambling (i.e. crime, personal debt and mental health issues), much of the concern is economic. It has been argued that cultural and political tensions between China and Japan might deter the wealthy Chinese players (who contribute the lion’s share to Macau’s gambling revenue) from flocking to Japanese casinos. This would limit any Japanese gambling destination to a domestic market, at least initially. Also, many in Japan are hesitant about emulating the success of Macau, which relies heavily on the semi-legal junket system. Several Japanese officials have argued that junkets, who manage the affairs (and debts) of China’s highrollers, often engage in criminal activities like money laundering. Should Japan legalise casino gambling at all, it is likely to follow the example of Singapore and disallow junkets in its casinos. However, this would
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substantially decrease the potential value of Japan’s proposed casino market, inflicting a costly drain on its already stagnant economy.
Opposition, uncertainty and disarray Should the bill actually go to vote, the LDP’s controlling majority will probably ensure it passes. However, the goal of dissenters is to prevent the bill (and a follow-up piece of legislature which will detail a framework for legal gambling) from ever reaching the floor. In the Diet, the LDP must contend with opposition from a variety of parties, led by the Communists and religious New Komeito. At an anti-gambling rally during Parliament’s current session, lawmaker and Communist Mikishi Daimon told attendees that: “It is vital that we won’t let the discussion begin.” This is the only option for opponents of the bill, given their limited number of seats. One consequence of this deliberate stalling tactic has been a waning of confidence (and patience) on the part of international investors. “As an ex-Wall Street guy, it’s all about deal momentum,” said MGM Resorts International chief executive Jim Murren. “When you lose the deal momentum, sometimes you lose the deal.” Last Thursday, LDP member Yoshiko Mimi Koga was clearly concerned about the effect on business relationships with Western investors as deliberations drag on. “If we turn them down this time, I don’t know what they’ll think,” she said. Time is rapidly running out for Japanese pro-gambling lobbyists. If the bill fails on this occasion then it will be a rocky start for any burgeoning Japanese gambling market, without the Olympic Games to provide the essential critical mass of footfall and capital. If nothing else, the LDP’s set-backs in the Diet are throwing into sharp relief a brutal likelihood: Japan will never be the next Macau. Even if the bill passes, the lack of big spenders from mainland China and the evercontroversial junkets will quickly put paid to any claim for the Eastern dominance. It’s time for Abe and his ring of Western well-wishers to say sayonara to the Asian casino crown. By Sam Miranda. Sam is a gambling industry journalist, editor and marketer. He helps run CastleCasino. com, and his work is featured on CalvinAyre and iGamingBusiness.
British Gaming Golf Championship Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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his will be the 13th year of this major fundraising event in the CHIPS Charity calendar as 100 players ‘tee off’ in this years’ tournament at Wentworth Club. CHIPS Charity is run entirely voluntarily with every penny raised going to purchase powered wheelchairs for youngsters with various disabilities. Each chair is specially made for each child depending on their needs, even the colour is the youngsters own choice. This years’ tournament on Wednesday 3rd September is almost full, but if you would like to enter a team, please contact Linda Lindsay, Tracy Damestani, Alan Goodenough or Barry Hardy and join us for a great days golf whilst helping some very special youngsters gain their independence and mobility. Chipscharity@aol.com See our website: Chipscharity.org
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The National Casino Forum
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Now with a single industry voice
he British Casino sector has seen significant developments in the last 12 months; the rebranding of the trade association to the National Casino Forum (NCF) and the publication of the casino sector’s commitment to Playing Safe. The industry also saw the successful outcomes to the review of machine stakes and prizes, increasing the limits for Cat B1 machines along with a positive step change to progressive linked jackpots. The merging of both industry trade associations in January 2014 formally re-united the sector for the first time in 14 years. The National Casino Forum led by CEO Tracy Damestani is now the sole trade association for the sector. With representation of almost 100% defines the NCF as the most representative trade body in the gambling industry. Continuing in the spirit of strength through unity, the UK industry, represented by NCF, is pleased to have re-joined the European Casino Association and to working with European colleagues on a wide range of gambling related topics, including improving and promoting responsible gambling. Now with a single industry voice, NCF’s efforts to gain
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progress with the industry’s three commercial objectives is strengthened; seeking a harmonised regulatory and entitlements regime for all casinos; increased access to more modern products – including remote gambling and flexibility in allowing movement of licences. Progress is crucial to the industry and fundamental in ensuring a vibrant and dynamic casino experience. The existing legislative regime, though only 7 years old, was flawed from the outset and looks increasing anachronistic as gaming technologies converge and the remote industry comes of age. But gambling legislation never won a voter. The scars of the 2005 Gambling Act’s troubled passage through parliament, if not still raw are etched in the political memory. So, in the run-up to an election the political, economic and social gains of legislative change have to be clear. The NCF proposals offer a unique balance of opportunity bringing significant economic benefit in terms of jobs and capital investment and a new sharper focus on social responsibility and player protection. That balance now sits at the core of everything NCF is seeking to achieve. Tracy Damestani, CEO National Casino Forum
NCF and Playing Safe
Last year NCF members launched Playing Safe as a statement of commitment – signed by seven leading CEOs of the sector - promoting responsible gambling through a dedicated Forum, which I have the pleasure of leading. Work includes; developing an operator led national voluntary self-exclusion scheme, testing the effectiveness of age restrictions, a core social responsibility programme and the development of risk mitigation measures currently involving collaboration with international researchers. Playing Safe is not a tick box exercise nor a short term fix, or a political trade off; it is a vehicle for a long term change of direction for the industry that should
inspire confidence that operators are committed and aligned with the same goals as the regulator. Trade marking Playing Safe is yet another example of the sector’s long term commitment to the Playing Safe principles. Roy Ramm, Chairman Playing Safe
An Operator’s View
Norman French isn’t widely spoken these days, not even by the French, but during the ancient grandeur of ceremony around the Queen’s speech, Her Majesty gave Royal Assent to ‘an act to make provision about the licensing and advertising of gambling’ The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014, the
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clerk to the parliament proclaimed to the House in Norman French the phrase ‘La Reyne le veult’, the ‘Queen wishes it’. The Act has very limited provisions. It deals only with licensing remote gambling in the UK and restricting advertising only to UK sites. In truth, the bill was nothing much to do with social policy at all. It was just a legislative fig leaf - to avoid EU interference - to cover the government’s primary intention of raising tax from remote gambling. It’s not that this thin misrepresentation is in itself offensive. As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Nothing is certain except for death and taxes.’ And, as land-based operators with our own crippling tax obligations, we broadly welcome the measures that spread the tax burden. It’s not even the disparity in tax rates between the sectors that grates – though it does! No, it’s the missed opportunity to bring forward wider and coherent modernising gambling legislation that is so infuriating and disappointing. From the outset NCF argued that, the bill offered a rare parliamentary opportunity to deal with the convergence of technology and to consider the impact of licensing remote gambling and virtual products on the landbased industry. The government with, it has to be said, some encouragement from the Gambling Commission, ran headlong for the separate silos position - in which remote and land based legislation are kept well apart. The reaction to their approach raised very sensible and valid questions from Members of all sides of the House as to why, and for how much longer? The response was, there is another way which does not require Primary legislation, and indeed there is, by amending the ‘Dual Use Computers’ clause. The industry wants government to be realistic in its approach with the land-based sector and not treat casinos in a Dickensian fashion where cards have to be made of paper, virtual dice are the devil’s work and having access to on-line products in casinos akin to sorcery. The legislation became The Gambling (Lost Opportunities) Bill. Operators with both land based
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casino and remote UK operating licences issued by the same regulator being permitted to promote their remote products in their casinos, but denied the opportunity to offer the actual product. If the customer has their own tablet or smartphone, they will be able to play, but they can’t be offered access on a device provided by the casino. Imagine the dialogue with our casino customers. ‘Yes sir it’s our product, one of the best, safest, fairest, licensed, taxed and well regulated here in the UK, but I can’t offer it to you here in our carefully regulated casino!’ The argument from government has been that on-line play is synonymous with offering Category A slot machines. The industry rejects that, but for the sake of argument let’s says the government was right. Why is then okay to advertise, licence and recover tax at a lower rate from Category A slot machines being accessed in the UK from anywhere other than when offered by a casino? At a stroke DCMS inverted the regulatory pyramid. During the eleven stages of the bill’s passage through both houses of parliament, ministers repeatedly told parliament they knew what the industry wanted and knew how to deliver it without amending bill. Perhaps they did. We hope they will. But as the parliamentary timetable ticks along, even with a thin, almost bulimic legislative programme, we are anxiously looking for the early signs of political paralysis that will presage the General Election in May 2015. Aping Sir Humphrey, a senior gambling board official told us that ‘it would be a brave minister that accepted your proposed amendment to the Bill’. Looking at the mess paranoia has got us into, would a little bravery be such a bad thing? The heritage and ancient traditions of parliament’s procedures are to be respected, but the content of the legislation that parliament passes needs to be modern, relevant and fit for purpose. This legislation fails that test. Norman French gave way to Double Dutch. Roy Ramm, Governance and Public Affairs Director Caesars Entertainment UK