Casino Life September 2015

September 2015

CENTURY CASINOS

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Editor’s page Editorial: Editor in Chief: Glyn Thomas 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 UK: Alan Campbell alancampbellcasinolife@gmail.com International Casino & Gaming Correspondent: JJ Woods jjsilks@eircom.net Technology Correspondent: Rebecca Green rebecca@ace123.com

Production: Designer: Stewart Hyde design@ace123.com www.totaldesignworks.com Subscriptions: Helen Holmes subs@ace123.com Web & IT: Sudip Banjeree sb@ace123.com Publisher: Peter White Tel: +44 (0) 1892 740869 Mob: +44 (0) 7973 273714 pwhite@ace123.com

Welcome to Casino Life...

Back in 2009 when the casino industry was shut in Ukraine nobody thought it would be another six years before it was discussed seriously again.

In the interim, whilst gambling is totally illegal in the country, sports betting and online gambling have proliferated (tolerated if they pay tax) whilst the casino industry operates out of basements, floors of offices with no elevator floor number, and sometimes apartments. As for lotteries – well, don’t get me started on those as every day seems to see a new one. The time, therefore, is long overdue for the industry to be regulated. So, to that end, we have organized a conference – Game ON! Bringing gambling back to Ukraine – on October 13-14 and all is going well. Top government and industry speakers are confirmed and it should be a great networking event. To borrow my own words on Page 19 – Gambling is returning to Ukraine, so, you have a choice – get on the train as it leaves the station or wave as it goes by.

All that will be needed then is for the amended laws to be steered through parliament and 2016 should see new opportunities. For more information on the event see the advert in this issue or visit www.ukrainegaming.com Back to this issue and we lead with Genting and Resorts World Birmingham.

Casino Life was the only trade media invited to tour the property, currently under construction – our thanks to Barry Clemo and his Genting UK team for the invite. We all talk in the industry about casinos and the need for entertainment and integration, but this project takes all of that to a new level. Synergy with the NEC, full multi-use integration with cinema, hotels and shopping mall, RWB takes the traditional mall concept but leads with entertainment rather than allowing that to be a bolt-on somewhere on the upper floor. Here, the casino is at the sharp end of the offering not tucked away. Can’t wait to see it in person on my next UK trip.

Someone else with a mindset that melds casinos and entertainment into a single package is Peter Hoetzinger, Co-CEO & President of Century Casinos, who gives us an insight into how fast decision-making helps to keep them at the forefront of casinos – and entertainment – worldwide. David Heap – lifelong Chelsea supporter – meanwhile, reflects on a long career with TCS John Huxley and gives an insight into some of his favourite casinos and why he stepped down at the right time. That he is still here as a consultant and on tour with the rest of us at trade shows worldwide is indicative of the magnetism of the industry. It’s hard to leave.

Moving on, Dean Wilson from Bet’em All explains its new Blackjack communal game to Steve Karoul, whilst Mark Wayman, Founder and CEO of the executive placement firm The Foundation LLC, gives us more timely advice on recruitment communication. Robert Ambrose asks the question “Can we do better Next Time?”, and provides some advice on how we can. Finally, we have another insight from Victor H. Royer on how to improve your product performance and do something nice for slot players at the same time. Who could ask for more than this?

See you in Vegas!

Glyn Thomas Editor in Chief

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Contents 1

Editors Page

4 Resorts World Birmingham: helping Britain Work Regionally Damien Connelly met with Barry Clemo, Strategic Marketing Director, Genting UK, on a tour of this soon-to-open resort casino 12 Come for the Action and Stay for the Fun Peter White interviews Peter Hoetzinger,

Co CEO & President, Century Casinos 19 GAME ON! Bringing Gambling back to Ukraine Glyn Thomas, Event Director Game ON Ukraine talks about the forthcoming event that is likely to herald a new dawn for Ukrainian gambling. Interview by Gambling Consultant, Steve Donoughue MBA 23 A Casino Life Chris Moore chats with David Heap former Group CEO TCS John Huxley 27 The Sky is the limit Surveillance Security at SkyCity Darwin.

CCTV Specialist Vlado Damjanovski 31 Bet’em all Blackjack If it looks like Blackjack, Tastes like Blackjack and Smells like Blackjack, it may not be Blackjack as you know it. Interview with Dean Wilson from Bet’em All Blackjack. Steve Karoul 35 The GREAT Million Dollar Candidate, Part 3

By Mark Wayman, Founder and CEO of the executive placement firm The Foundation LLC 39 Executive Role & TEAM Building

Part 2, Robert Ambrose 41 The Brave New World of Slots How to improve your product performance, and do something nice for slot players at the same time. Victor H. Royer

45 G2E Las Vegas Spotlight 2015

By Rebecca Green

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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Resorts World Birmingham: helping Britain Work Regionally Damien Connelly met with Barry Clemo, Strategic Marketing Director, Genting UK, on a tour of this soon-to-open resort casino 5

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“

esorts World Birmingham will be a successful business with a very, very strong leisure remit. Resorts World Birmingham will help open people’s eyes to the casino experience and the wider leisure and entertainment experience offered by resort casinos; and in doing this, help the industry overall in the UK improve its product.

I’d like Resorts World Birmingham to be a catalyst for change that benefits our entire industry,” commented Barry Clemo.

Allow me to introduce you to Europe’s latest casino resort; and the UK’s first resort casino.

With a Grand Opening planned sometime in the fourth quarter of 2015, Resorts World Birmingham is a beautiful property with a very wide range of non-gaming amenities surrounding the casino that makes it unique in the UK and, to my knowledge, Europe. And with the train from Birmingham Airport to central London taking as little as 1 hour 10 minutes, you can actually fly into Birmingham and be in central London faster than using some ‘London’ airports.

POSITIVES FOR THE ECONOMY Resorts World Birmingham has already added

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significantly to the regional economy by employing 1,700 construction workers for over 2.5 years. Once open, the resort casino will employ a further 1,150 full-time equivalents (FTEs). This will make Resorts World Birmingham the single biggest creator of new employment in the region since Deutsche Bank moved into the area. Based on research by PwC once open, Resorts World Birmingham will create almost £35 million in added value to the regional economy…exceptional, I think, for a ‘single property’ leisure and entertainment business.

As research from the American Gaming Association proves, casinos deliver significantly more positives than negatives to their regional economies. Plus, casino jobs provide excellent training, salaries and benefits, as well as opening up a wealth of quality career opportunities to employees—especially for those fortunate enough to work for Genting, as this company has truly global reach.

Genting has casinos in highly regulated jurisdictions in Asia, North America, and Europe, and casino cruise operations based in Asia and North America…if you want a career that provides a very wide range of opportunities from customerfacing croupiers to back-office IT support staff, that

requires a high level of professionalism, that delivers superb training opportunities, that gives you the chance to work worldwide…then I can’t think of a better option than working for Genting.

CASINO DICHOTOMY One of the dichotomies I continually find jurisdictions (and people) have with casinos is their incorrect, negative perceptions—even in places like Singapore, where resort casinos bring in enormous economic and social benefits.

“We are also hoping to have a positive influence on the British casino industry and help change perceptions so people see the reality that resort casinos such as Resorts World Birmingham and The Hippodrome in London offer a leisure and entertainment experience significantly beyond gambling,” noted Barry.

IMPORTANCE OF NON-GAMING “From the original architect’s perspective, there’s a cruise ship feel to Resorts World Birmingham; the shape of the building, the fact it overlooks a lake, our atrium which is classic cruise ship, and then all the entertainment feeding off the atrium. When you think how a casino cruise ship operates, there is

a synergy between how you integrate a landbased casino with its leisure and entertainment offerings and how a cruise ship integrates all its offerings within the space limitations of the ship.

“Resorts World Birmingham is quite a small plot; something like 534,000 square feet. We have seven floors in total—five for public use—and we’ve crammed quite a lot into a relatively small amount of land space. Our efficient use of space is based on our having spent a lot of time focusing on the customer journey to get that right. Our design will help our customers explore the building and ‘touch’ all of its elements from the casino, through leisure and entertainment, to retail.

“One of the big volume drivers for Resorts World Birmingham is our outlet retail mall on the ground floor. This has 51 outlet stores; ‘outlet’ refers to a factory outlet store, which has certain rules: it has to be High Street product that’s discounted between 30% and 60%. The reason we opted for that is there is no other outlet retail mall on this scale in the West Midlands region. And secondly, we like the idea of the discount concept as this is a volume based model that, we hope, will drive significant numbers of people to our property. So they will come here and experience the discounted outlet

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retail experience, and also our food and beverage, our leisure, our entertainment, and our casino.

“There’s also 44,000 square feet of conference space and several meeting rooms, which gives us the capacity to do full-blown banqueting for about one thousand people. There is a clever ceiling system which lowers the ceiling within three minutes of pressing a button, so if we reduce the space to allow for a smaller meeting or event, the ceiling can be lowered in height to keep the feel of the room ‘intimate’ and in balance so it doesn’t feel too cavernous.

“There is a 180-room 4-star hotel, of which on the fifth floor there are 5-star suites as well as a Presidential suite which has its own kitchen and dining room. The hotel is way north of 4-star with excellent fitting out standards, but we want it to be accessible to our mass customers, so we chose to go for a 4-star rating so we don’t put people off… although the hotel and its rooms are most definitely stylised.

“There’s an 11-screen Cineworld cinema that can seat 1,750 people in total, with a purpose-built IMAX screen; the first purpose-built IMAX screen in the UK undertaken by Cineworld. We’ve also got a spa with a slight Asian theme to it that is very subtle.

It’s a medi-spa, so it’s not just about pampering as proper medical treatments can be carried out by the trained practitioners in our spa. We’ve partnered with EF MEDISPA who operate several top-end spas in London.”

IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS “Resorts World Birmingham is a landlord operating model where we have tenants renting space from us, as well as directly operating elements of the building ourselves. We took a decision to operate more than just the casino so we could be in touch with what I call the ‘heartbeat’ of the building to allow us to bring the building to life.

“We will directly operate five bars—possibly six—two or three restaurants, the casino, the salles privées, the hotel, the spa, and the gym. This gives us lots of elements we can directly influence so we can create the noise and build excitement so we bring the building to life. That is a key component of what we think will be a major success factor for Resorts World Birmingham.

“Another important partner is the NEC (National Exhibition Centre). We recently signed a 10-year deal to sponsor the nearby Genting Arena, which is on the NEC campus and attracts over 1 million

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customer visits annually. We have a very strong relationship with the NEC, which was recently sold and that will hopefully bring new investment into the campus to support our investment to benefit everyone.

“Resorts World Birmingham brings an added dimension, I think, to the kind of shows the NEC can pitch for, which will help them grow. If the NEC performs well, we will perform well. You’ve then got the fact that Birmingham Airport is right next door, and there’s a major train station next door also.

Travelling to or from London by train is only just over an hour; and the train travel time to London will reduce to 37 minutes once HS2 opens. It’s actually easier to fly into Birmingham than it is to fly into Luton if you’re traveling on to London.

“This highlights one of the reasons we built Resorts World Birmingham here; the infrastructure is great. We have an international airport, there will be a super-fast train connecting to central London and north to Manchester, there are three motorways to act as feeders, and there are something like seven million people living within 60-minutes travel time of this location.”

GROUP BENEFITS As Barry commented, “We also face challenges, given we’re a destination venue. Our research highlights that people in the UK who haven’t visited a resort casino before are rather naive in their

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perception of what it can offer them. One of our key challenges is understanding how we can get our name out there so we can communicate with consumers so they understand just how exciting and fun it will be to come here.

“That will take a lot of work as consumers don’t understand what a resort casino offers as it’s never been done before. So they don’t know what to expect. Our research is leading us to the view that once we get established, once we get our name known, once we get through to people what a resort casino offers in terms of one destination with endless possibilities, it does offer a very exciting draw for people. This makes it both exciting and challenging.”

This challenge has been supported by Genting Group, as Barry noted: “This is the first time we’ve taken what is a very successful international brand – Resorts World—learned from all the experience of both our parent company – Genting – and from the different Resorts World properties around the world, and developed a property within what is, internationally, quite a tight physical space. In doing so, we’ve had to be quite creative with some of our solutions.

“I think we’ve shown we can successfully develop a small resort casino whose model can be replicated around the world.”

Go see for yourself if you agree with Barry and his Genting team: Have they? I think so.

Come for the Action and Stay for the Fun Peter White interviews Peter Hoetzinger, Co CEO & President, Century Casinos, Inc. What would you say are amongst the many unique aspects that make a Century Casino stand out from its competitors?

Gaming is an entertainment business and we strive to offer the most friendly and fun guest experience in the market. That is the foundation of our continued success and it is always great to see that we are recognized for that. Our Century Casino & Hotel in Central City, Colorado, has been voted Denver’s Best Casino for the third year in a row. Our slogan ‘Come for the Action and Stay for the Fun!’ says it best.

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A Century Casino is known for its special hospitality and outstanding staff. We promote fun with our employees and it flows throughout the casino; when the staff has fun – the guests have fun; we are like family to our guests and players and they love coming to Century Casino.

Century Casinos feature the latest and loosest slots and video poker in a warm inviting and easily accessible gaming layout. The table action is located in more intimate rooms separated from the slot floor where you can enjoy popular table games with dealers who create

a fun experience unlike any in the market. Many of our guests create friendships while playing, which to them is as valuable as winning.

Also, guests rave about our food. Many come to a Century Casino because they heard about our great food and then fall in love with the feel of the casino.

Our own Mid City Grill restaurants maintain outstanding reputations for consistent food quality and great value and selection. Most of our properties have small “boutique style” hotels, a quiet escape yet close to the gaming action.

Most importantly, Century Casinos’ player rewards and benefits are definitely some of the best in each of the markets we operate in. Daily and monthly promotions are always fun and offer great payouts and paybacks.

Can you explain a little more about how Century Casinos has evolved over recent years?

Erwin Haitzmann and myself formed Century Casinos, Inc. in 1992 as an international casino entertainment company with the goal to develop and operate casino resorts in well-regulated markets worldwide.

We have a great management team – you’ll hardly find another that has developed and operated more casinos worldwide. Our international focus and our

casino locations, including the ones on luxury cruise vessels, make us a very attractive employer. In total, we have 1,800 employees from 32 different nationalities, of whom 51% are female. The international experience and diversity of our people enable us to cater specifically to each local and tourist market, giving all our casino resorts that special, local flavor and character.

Today, we own and/or manage 30 casinos in Canada, USA, Caribbean, Argentina, Eastern Europe and onboard luxury cruise ships, offering a wide variety of 230 popular gaming tables and over 4,500 gaming machines, hotels, restaurants, bars, show-lounges, sports and concert venues, a comedy club and even a horse race track.

Due to their convenient locations, the variety of offerings and our focus on personal service, our casinos enjoy a very high proportion of repeat visitation – more than 70% of our customers are repeat customers and members of our loyalty club! Besides the very important loyalty factor, this also allows for efficient direct and personalized marketing and promotions programs.

We have generated a compound annual growth rate of revenues of 20% since 1992. The shares of our company have been traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market since 1994 under the ticker symbol “CNTY”.

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Did your newest property, the Racetrack and Casino in Calgary, Canada, get off to a good start?

Our newest property, and our third major casino investment in Canada, the Century Downs Racetrack and Casino in Calgary, opened in April this year. We have been anticipating the opening with great excitement and, so far, this new property does not disappoint at all – it is holding up to our high expectations really well.

On a total investment of approx. CAN 27 million, adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was CAN 2.9 million and the EBITDA margin was 43% in just its first quarter of operation! The casino – as most new casinos do – will ramp up further over the next few quarters. The results are very, very encouraging and confirm our vision that Century Downs Racetrack and Casino will become one of the leading operations in our entire portfolio of casinos.

Century Downs is the only horse race track in the greater Calgary area. The racing entertainment center includes a casino with 550 slots, seven video

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lottery terminals as well as food and beverage and off-track betting facilities. Its location offers huge potential in the years to come; situated just north of Calgary, adjacent to the successful Cross Iron Mills regional shopping mall that attracts 12 million visitors annually, it has direct off-ramp access from the major highway connecting Calgary and Edmonton, the busiest highway in Western Canada.

In general, Alberta provides an excellent regulatory and economic environment for our casino investments: • over the past ten years, Alberta’s population has increased by 27% to over four million, the fastest growth rate of any Canadian province; • the median income is 24% above Canada’s national average; • Alberta has one of the lowest unemployment rates in all of Canada; • Albertans show an above average propensity to gamble relative to the rest of Canada; and • the number of casino licenses is limited.

In addition to our three casinos in Alberta (two in Calgary and one in Edmonton), we have also entered the off-track betting business. In May of this year, our 75%-owned subsidiary, Century Bets!, started to operate the pari-mutual off-track betting network and already generated significant revenue and EBITDA for us. Through Century Bets!, we have agreements with close to 100 racetracks throughout North America and world-wide for the sourcing of common pool pari-mutuel wagering content. And we have contracts with 14 off-track betting parlors in Southern Alberta – we are providing pari-mutuel wagering content and live video to them. In return, we retain the handle from all bets placed on horse races, minus commissions, fees and expenses. We are very pleased with the initial success of this venture.

Are there plans for Century Casinos to expand into other regions with land-based casinos?

We see substantial organic growth at our larger properties in the USA and Canada, as well as in

Poland. Our focus for new projects (green field developments) lies in Asia and South America. Japan is a market we are particularly interested in, as our operating model and stimulus for international tourism seems very well suited for that market.

Regarding the potential acquisition of existing casinos, we tend to favour the regional Canadian and US markets.

Because our casinos also help stimulate tourism by providing additional entertainment options and by marketing and promoting a specific market or region to our best customers at all our other casinos around the world and on the luxury cruise ships, we get a lot of proposals and projects on our table.

Erwin and I are fast decision makers and we strive to grow our business worldwide and look to continue our financial success by: • offering our guests excellent customer service and the latest exciting casino entertainment; • focusing on employee development and creating a positive work environment;

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• adding value to the local communities through responsible operations, employment and development of business associate relationships; and • actively pursuing the development of new gaming opportunities and reinvesting in the success of our existing operations.

And on the Seven Seas?

Operating casinos on luxury cruise vessels is an exciting niche and we are the market leaders in that niche. Currently, it accounts for about five percent of Century Casinos’ overall business and we plan to add another one or two cruise ship casinos next year.

Do you think the style and format of land-based Casinos are likely to change in the future due to the rise of online gaming through the internet and smart phone app’s?

As the land-based casino industry has grown over the last decades, it has become more than simply an entertainment past time: the casino industry has emerged as an economic mainstay in many communities and plays an increasingly prominent role in state and regional economies. Casino gaming creates jobs and reduces the level of unemployment and government assistance in communities that have legalized it and certainly has net economic benefits for economically depressed communities. Studies in the US show that those communities closest to casinos experienced a sizeable drop in welfare payments, unemployment rates and unemployment insurance. All this results in casino gaming becoming

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legalized and regulated in many countries that don’t have it yet, which is great for an international growth company such as ours. You don’t necessarily see all these benefits with virtual, online casinos.

By now, most industry experts believe that online casinos would enhance business at land-based casinos instead of cannibalizing it. Land based casinos were concerned online poker would take a lot of customers, but what has been found was (that) it actually brought people into the poker rooms of land-based casinos.

Technology plays such an important part in our lives and it has certainly affected our leisure time. How has it affected the offering within your casinos?

Emerging technologies are continuing to change all aspects of casino operations, creating exciting opportunities. In Marketing they opened up new marketing channels via social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, mobile devices) as well as social and online gaming. Advertising and promotions inside the casinos are fully digital now, as well as the point of sales displays. On the casino floor, we see slot machines with stunning capabilities (huge, curved screens, impressive sound, 3D content, etc.), the capabilities of electronic live games continuously enhancing as well. Interestingly enough and certainly depending on the demographics we target, we experience that traditional mail still works better in many markets as opposed to emails, when it comes to drawing customers back to our casinos.

Does Century Casinos provide opportunity for manufactures and suppliers to trial their new games, in events where your GM’s and Table Games management can see the games in action and where the public are able also to play (perhaps not with real chips) and also participate in providing feedback?

Trial of slot machines and new table games has been an integral part of our operating strategy for many years. Typically, in a land-based casino, this will need to be pre-approved by the gaming commission in charge of the gaming market. Trials are time limited and pending on the feedback received, they will convert to permanent offerings or disappear. Unlike most other casino companies, we also have the opportunity to try and test new games in our cruise ship casinos in international waters on a quick and uncomplicated basis.

How has Century Casinos developed over the years its ways of providing promotions and incentives to its customers in this digital world of Facebook & Twitter?

Facebook and Twitter are integral parts of our marketing strategy. We communicate upcoming promotions and events. At the same time we are receiving valuable feedback. We commit dedicated time and resources to social media, as participants always expect quick responses to any issue raised through social media.

Q2 2015 financial results have just been published; can you provide the details on how the first half of this year has been for the corporation?

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What a great first half of 2015 for Century Casinos!

Already the first quarter showed excellent growth with adjusted EBITDA up 72% – and now this great second quarter. Net operating revenue was up another 20% and we more than doubled our adjusted EBITDA, which was up 116% compared to the second quarter a year ago.

But the true operational performance was even stronger: excluding exchange rate swings, on a constant currency basis, net operating revenue was up 34% and adjusted EBITDA actually was up 144%.

Net Earnings for the quarter came in at $6.6 million, or 27 cents per share.

Congratulations to the entire Century Casinos team for delivering an excellent performance at pretty much all properties and at all levels.

The results generated by each region, as part of our total consolidated results, are as follows: Canada is now our strongest market by all measures – it generated 35% of our total Revenues and 57% of EBITDA, Poland remains very solid and growing, generating 34% of our Revenues and 21% of EBITDA, closely followed by our operations in the US, which contributed 19% of Revenues and 20% of EBITDA. Our balance sheet continues to be clean, strong and in very good shape, with a ratio between Net Debt and adjusted EBITDA of just 0.9. The book value per share increased to $5.05 as of June 30.

That great operational performance, coupled with our healthy balance sheet, puts us in a great position to continue the pursuit of new development and acquisition opportunities worldwide.

GAME ON! Bringing Gambling back to Ukraine

Glyn Thomas, Event Director Game ON Ukraine talks about the forthcoming event that is likely to herald a new dawn for Ukrainian gambling. Interview by Gambling Consultant, Steve Donoughue MBA Having traveled extensively overseas, what have been amongst the most compelling reasons behind your choice of making Ukraine your home?

It has a great vibe and the people are very friendly.

I suppose my family here is the biggest attraction but from a business perspective it’s good to be in an emerging country; one that has yet to learn all of the nuances of Western business, so I can be ahead of the game in many cases. It also has some very bright IT guys and girls – very switched on.

I may as well also add that I feel very safe here. I’ve been here eight years; My children go to kindergarten here and I’d rather walk across Kyiv at 3.00am than most other western cities. The BBC do not impress anyone being interviewed on the main street in downtown Kyiv in flak jackets - but it makes a good story I suppose.

You are also an investor in the Country, is that set to continue in light of these developments?

Yes. I’ve owned the largest Expat Forum for a number of years – www.expatua.com – and have a number of other business websites. I’ve just taken over the British Business Club in Ukraine plus recently I also invested in a niche music bar as some fun, but also because I can see it’s commercial potential.

How will opening up the gambling industry in Ukraine assist the Ukraine economy and will it bring more investment into the region?

Gambling is here already – let’s make that perfectly clear. However, it exists as either an illegal industry (hidden away casinos) or a grey one (Sports betting – which is taxed and therefore tolerated). The whole idea of regulating the industry is one I’ve advocated for some time. Yes, to bring revenue but also to make sure that the people get what they deserve – a proper industry offering jobs and entertainment. It will bring investment directly but also through tourism.

Something not mentioned often is that the gaming industry in a country is often a good barometer of attitude – of a society being “grown up”.

You have been in contact with the new Ukraine Government since the earliest days of its formation and have met the Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. So it is fair to say your extensive knowledge and experience of the gaming industry has been an important factor in this exciting new era for Gaming in Ukraine?

I’m merely the catalyst for change – not a driving force.

I’m not employed by the government as an advisor – I just happen to be in the right place at the right time

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to offer them advice. They like the idea of having a conference to bring “International know-how” to the discussions but I certainly can’t promise which way the legislation will go.

That said, they have received my opinion of what is necessary to bring gambling back to international standards.

The event commences with an address by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Can you provide an insight into what can delegates expect to hear?

The Prime Minister speaks for himself but I expect him to lay the foundations for a very successful industry here based on transparency and International standards.

As someone who knows little about the Ukraine or its economy, how sophisticated is its internet and its banking?

The country has rolled out 3G and wifi is everywhere and free. The bank system is sophisticated. I have two bank accounts here – both accessible via the internet and contact–less payments are becoming the norm. Another indicator is how it has become easier to pay bills online, plus you can now set up a business in only 2 days.

As mentioned earlier, I own www.expatua. com and that is full of information about visas, employment law, health, community and the essentials of living here.

How has the political and economic situations in Ukraine evolved over recent years that has brought about this turn around?

Everyone knows about the bad news – nobody listens to the good. There’s a war going on in a small part of the country but that has little bearing on normal life in the main cities. In the interim the country has turned itself around following the monumental theft of assets by the Yanukovich government and replaced many of the old soviet era systems of management and control that hampered growth. The reforms are happening fast and are having a positive effect. Now is the right time to look at building a gambling industry.

In the words of the EBRD President: “Ukraine is not squandering this chance to build a better tomorrow. This is the most reform-minded government that Ukraine has known. Indeed, it is one of the most professional administrations that we in the EBRD have ever worked with”.

The Ukrainian gambling industry was closed down in 2009 on a political whim. What will prevent this happening in the future?

Good question and one that I’m asked a lot. I think it’s a question of faith and realising just why this legislation is being introduced. It’s not primarily to bring about an economic upturn but to bring in tax revenue. The fact that the government want to bring the legislation in mindful of what the gaming industry wants should be a good pointer to the fact that this is not a short-term stop-gap fix. This is a long term strategy. That said, any future government could close the industry down again but the chances of that happening as it did in 2009 with those particular circumstances – “purely co-incidental” to Russia closing down it’s industry that week – are remote.

What Timoshenko did was right – she shut down a corrupt industry that could barely squeak at its demise. Time though has moved on. Perhaps the 350,000 jobs that she removed at a stroke will be re-created in a brand new environment.

Ukraine comes 142nd out of 175 on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2014, joint with Uganda and Comoros and just above Bangladesh, how will this impact on the new gambling industry?

The fact that such perceptions still exist is of course worrying. I’d be worried too if the state of Ukraine now is what it was in 2014 which is when the survey was published. A lot of positive changes have happened and corrupt officials and their modus operandii been removed. Corruption is still here but more people are getting caught! It will be a challenge to create a corruption-free gambling industry but if they start with an independent Gambling Commission this should be a good start.

Can you give a general overview of the networking opportunities that are on offer. Will it be the same for every delegate whether they are a supplier or from operations or both?

For this event we are trying to get a good cross section of audience that want to not only hear firsthand about what the government has to say, but also to give their views on what should happen. The government is open-minded and prepared to listen.

So, yes – all are welcome. As for opportunities to network we have created enough breaks and “downtime” within the event for people to get to know each other – government staff, potential operators and suppliers.

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What opportunities are there for manufacturers and suppliers to commence their intent and stand out from the rest in for this new market, as it undoubtedly provides such an advantage given the level of Government representation?

This is the first serious event of its kind. I can’t recall many others that have such access to decisionmakers. Gambling is returning to Ukraine, so, you have a choice – get on the train as it leaves the station or wave as it goes by.

I have over 15 years’ experience of traveling the World in the Gaming industry, and in that time visited many Casino operations and conferences and exhibitions, unlike alternative events hosted by organizations that concentrate on conferences and exhibitions that involve many different markets.

So although this event by ACE Publishing Ltd will be its first it is undertaken by an organization that has extensive experience of media, conference exhibitions.

GameOn is also in partnership with Whites PR. Can you provide details of their involvement?

They’ve been here over 20 years in Ukraine and are advising both The Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers on PR, media relations and policy issues. With such access to key governmental figures and with extensive experience of setting up successful events here they are a natural partner for Game ON! Given ACE Publishing Ltd publishes Casino Life magazine, do you see that as a barrier to other publications becoming media partners to Game ON! Ukraine?

We will see. I’d like to think some of my peers are less self-serving than they seem but many print magazines seem to be ignoring Ukraine even as a news item because of our involvement. This is a little short-sighted given the fact that many of their advertisers would expect them to keep them informed of such developments. Calvinyare.com and Yogonet have been very good.

What’s the best way to ensure that visitors don’t miss out on the many activities and events hosted

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during GameOn Ukraine?

Attend. And make some time to also see the beauty of Kyiv.

What would you say are amongst the main benefits that online and land-based operators & suppliers can gain from attending Game ON! Ukraine?

Everyone says they would love to be “first to market”. This is their chance. Those who attend will be remembered by those that matter.

Who are some of the key speakers you are expecting at the event and what topics will they be addressing?

Speakers are still being contacted but I can confirm senior Government figures all playing a role starting with a business breakfast with the Country’s Prime Minister on the morning of the first day – an indication of how this is being treated seriously.

On the casinos side we have Madis Jaager, CEO of Olympic Group; and Michael Boettcher of Storm Entertainment.

What kind of networking opps will you be hosting for your delegates?

We kick off in style with a delegate reception hosted by Macallan Whisky on the opening night. Our lead sponsor Pari Match will be hosting a VIP reception on the evening of the first day at a newly built sports betting complex set up in the heart of Kyiv already prepared for instant opening once the legislation changes. A number of special guests are planned for the evening.

Is there anything else your wanted to add about this inaugural event?

Only that it’s not going to be a grey event filled with grey men. The beautiful Marysya Gorobets – ex-super model and Eurovision presenter – is our hostess and is going to put the glamour and oomph into the event over the two days.

And finally what are your hopes and expectations for the industry in Ukraine?

A vibrant progressive industry that is the best in the world.

A Casino Life

M

Chris Moore chats with David Heap, former Group CEO, TCS John Huxley Group

any in the casino industry will remember when TCS and John Huxley were two of the most intense rivals in the casino equipment market.

I remember that at every exhibition I attended, both companies were expanding, becoming more innovative and increasingly competitive. However in early 2003, as a surprise to many of us, both companies merged to become the major, global table games casino equipment supplier.

David Heap had joined TCS Group as CEO in 1996 and took full control of the new combined business.

The new company TCS John Huxley, has expanded far beyond the level that the individual companies probably could have achieved. David’s career in the casino gaming industry has been focused on the leading edge of product development alongside global distribution which makes him one of the industry’s most knowledgeable and innovative CEO’s. We recently caught up with David, his answers to our questions provide a broad view of his concepts, ideas and evaluations. Although David retired from the casino equipment industry some 3 years ago he has in more recent times taken up some consultancy projects that may well see him return on a more permanent basis.

Chipper Champ, the original automatic chipping machine, was your company’s first product that made a massive impact. How much effect did it have on

TCS’s success?

Chipper Champ was the “business foundation” product for TCS. The success of the first automatic gaming chipsorting machine for roulette established the business in just about every regulated casino worldwide. By doing so, in effect, Chipper Champ helped create the opportunities and funding for the development of a comprehensive and integrated range of other gaming related products and support services that the Group is renowned for today.

The founder and owner of TCS, Bertil Knutsson, was most certainly one of the industry’s colourful characters. How did he influence your career?

I was introduced to Bertil at a gaming industry event in late 1995. At that time I was the managing director of Bell Fruit Services, the UK’s largest single site operator of low stake gaming and amusement machines. I subsequently joined TCS as their group CEO during the following year. Taking on this new role with Bertil, who was the group chairman, enabled me to further develop and enhance my general international business skills and experience. Working with Bertil, my new role gained me access to the world of casinos for the first time. My career up until then had mainly been spent in the UK domestic market in various senior general management roles in the commercial laundry and waste disposal industries. Working with Bertil in the global casino market was a great career opportunity.

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We understand that TCS had a very special relationship with Novomatic for many years. As the CEO you would have worked hand in hand with Jens Halle, one of the industry’s most popular characters.

What are your recollections following his recent, tragic death?

Both for our company and for me, on a personal level, the involvement with Novomatic and Jens Halle goes back as far as 1997. The products we worked on together turned out to be real ground breakers. For example Touchbet Roulette, the first live casino table game that could be played via a personal electronic terminal. Touchbet Roulette transformed the game of roulette for the player and for casino operators resulting in many thousands of terminals being installed around the casino world. During all the years I worked with Jens, he was a much trusted business partner, a loyal friend and a wonderful family man. His recent sudden and premature passing is of course sad and tragic for his family and many friends. It is also a major loss to the casino industry that he helped so much to grow and improve.

Was it your company’s ambition to buy out John Huxley, or was that just the way things worked out?

I have been asked this question many times over the years. It is true to say that Bertil was always interested in acquiring the John Huxley Company. We both recognized the combined product, brand strengths and synergistic opportunities. Like all acquisitions and mergers timing turns out to be of critical importance. It so happens that 2002/3 was the right time for both companies, so I guess you could say, the coming together of both companies was the realisation of an ambition and just how things worked out.

Your operation in Stoke as a major employer and a highly important contributor to the city seems to be a perfect strategy. Why did you choose Stoke and do you support their football team?

The selection of Stoke was a fairly straightforward process of research and analysis. Following the acquisition of the John Huxley Group of Companies

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we knew we had a year in which to relocate the John Huxley manufacturing and administration facilities from their HQ in North London. In considering various options and locations we decided on Stoke because of its geographical location (mid-country) good transport access (just off the M6) and what was at the time a good pool of “craft skill” and engineering labour. We were also able to find an excellent site from which we could build to our own design the facilities we needed for the longer term. As for Stoke football team, I always wished them well of course, whilst remaining a lifelong ardent Chelsea Fan! During your gaming career you have had an exclusive view of the international growth of the industry. Do you expect things to carry on growing, to slow down, or to flatten out?

It would be true to say that during my time in the casino industry, and gambling/ gaming in general, that growth has been phenomenal, both for land-based gambling and online in particular. Of course during this period of some 23 years there have been some slow-downs, more than offset by the explosive growth of online and land-based gaming in Asia and elsewhere. Looking to the future I see no reason for the current trends not to continue. Everything of course is market related and driven by local micro, and macro economics and regulation.

What in your opinion are the biggest challenges ahead for the established and newly launched international casino suppliers?

The cost of regulation and compliance continue to escalate. There is no doubt that the barriers to entering, maintaining a presence and prospering within the gaming industry are substantial and I am sure in many cases prohibitive. Technical innovation continues at an increasing pace with the resulting rise in the costs of research, development and product development. All markets are extremely competitive.

To try to offset some of these elements some companies look to acquire and/or merge. Strategically this is not new, and as such I’m sure will continue for some time yet. This said, it’s normally the case

that as some companies get bigger, and as the major players continue to look to strengthen their position by acquisition, that this activity creates opportunities for growth for the smaller companies. I would argue that some of the smaller and newer companies are also in a strong position to provide excellent customer service and customised product development. The product supply side of the industry has proved itself more than capable of meeting the significant challenges it faces, I’m confident it will continue to do so. The risks can be significant, but the rewards can be fabulous! After all if you are in the gaming business you shouldn’t expect it to be any other way.

Exhibitions must be a massive individual challenge, with access granted to such a wide variety of guests. It must be difficult to focus on your regular clients and to identify potential new customers?

The answer is very straight forward; Surround yourself with a great team of marketing, commercial and technical people that are not only talented and committed but also PLAN. I was very fortunate to have enjoyed the support from a fantastic team of people, at all levels. All I had to do was approve the plans and budgets and then, TURN UP! Of all the casinos you have visited during your international career, what were your favorite three?

A very difficult question to answer because there are so many great casinos out there that I have been involved with. On a very personal level I have always liked the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, I am not sure why but I have always enjoyed my many stays there over the years.

On a purely business level the three casinos that stick in the memory more than most are Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Star City (now The Star) in Sydney and the Crown Casino in Melbourne. The reason for this was at the time they opened they were all, on a global basis, state of the art, showcase properties, and we at TCSJH had won their orders and successfully installed during the preceding months, the entire live table gaming floors for all three properties. Of course since then the company has installed many new showcase casinos the world over, but at that time these 3 particular projects really helped to put TCSJH on the global map as a turnkey provider for live table games, along with all of the associated table based technologies. In more recent times, the Hippodrome in London, along with the Empire in Leicester Square and Aspers in Stratford, London are also truly great venues.

Of all the casino workers you have met in countries

all over the world, who were the most memorable characters?

As you can appreciate I have had the pleasure of meeting numerous casino and gaming people, far too many to count over the years. I can truly say that I can’t recall anyone that wasn’t friendly, hospitable and passionate about their business and the international casino industry as a whole.

Have you ever been a casino gambler?

No. If you hadn’t gone into the casino industry what other career path do you think you might have followed?

My time in the casino industry is a little less than 20 years, and in gaming some 23 years, from a total career of close to 50 years. Prior to joining the casino industry I had enjoyed a successful career in the other industries and would have continued to do so. By chance I met with Bertil Knutsson and the rest is history, as they say.

You stepped down as the Group CEO of TCSJH and retired from the Industry in April 2012. Why was that and what have you been doing since?

During 2010/2011 I had experienced some serious health issues, and whilst I had recovered to some extent I began to realise that at 64 years old, and having held the position of Group CEO for some 16 years, I needed to change my lifestyle. As importantly the company needed some new blood at the top with a fresh pair of eyes. So following some lengthy discussions with Chairman Bertil, and with his agreement I decided to retire and step down from TCSJH, and did so some 15 months later. Once my retirement became common knowledge I was greatly flattered by the number of people from the industry who contacted me to wish me well and in many cases to offer me various part time roles as a consultant or advisor. For close to 18 months I resisted the temptation and focused my energies in regaining some level of fitness. This said, once this great industry of ours is in your blood, it’s almost impossible to resist its pull. As a consequence, I have over the last year or so taken up a few of the offers, but only on a part time basis. This has helped me stay interested, and involved, and connected with the industry. As for the future, who knows! It has been, and remains both a privilege and an honour to have been so deeply involved in our Industry. I see no reason at this time why that should not continue in some form or another.

We thank David for holding this interview and wish him good health, and luck in the future.

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The Sky is the limit Surveillance Security at SkyCity Darwin.

CCTV Specialist Vlado Damjanovski SIMPLY AND QUIETLY Back in 2008 something novel happened in our industry, which for most went unnoticed.

This historical occurrence was a little mile-stone in the CCTV industry: the SkyCity Casino in Darwin changed its old analogue 350+ camera system, based on the famous Maxpro MAX-1000 analogue matrix, to a digital system.

This wasn’t just a normal change; it was special because it was the first switchover from analogue matrix to digital network system without any downtime.

As most people would know, casinos are not allowed to operate without a surveillance system, by law.

Hence, shutting down an analogue system and putting a digital in, whenever convenient to the installer, was not an option. SkyCity Casino requested switching from analogue to digital without any downtime. The existing system had to remain in place and operate until the new one was installed, using the same cameras.

This was a real challenge. The only way this could have been done was to have the old analogue system running in parallel with the new digital system being put in place. This required some good installation practices and project management skills.

Each shift of operators was carefully trained on how the new digital system worked while remaining

shifts did their normal duty with the old system. One of the advantages of going digital is that you can run a control room anywhere there is a network connection: simply just one Gigabit cable is sufficient, instead of hundreds of coaxial cables. Darwin’s SkyCity Casino operator’s kitchen area was converted into a temporary digital training room. Once all of the operators were proficient and comfortable in using the new system, it was decided to make the switch. It all happened one fine morning in 2008, at around 4am, when there were the least number of visitors to the casino. The good old analogue Maxpro MAX-1000, after so many years of dutiful service, was turned off and the new Dallmeier based digital system engaged. Simply and quietly, with the flick of a switch, and without anybody noticing on the gaming floor – history was made: a casino analogue matrix system was replaced with a digital network one.

THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY The company that organized all this was C.R.Kennedy, the Australian and New Zealand exclusive distributor of the high quality German brand Dallmeier, which is, without any doubt, one of the biggest names in the casino surveillance industry.

To date, Dallmeier International Ltd, through its joint

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venture with C.R.Kennedy, have commissioned over 20,000 camera systems running over IP networks in more than a dozen casinos in Macao, Singapore, the Philippines and South-East Asia. These casinos are some of the largest in the world -- like the Venetian and City Of Dreams -- with over 5,000 cameras each and well over 5 PB (1 Peta Byte = 1,000 TB) of storage, all running smoothly with multiple operators and the multi-redundant Dallmeier SeMSy management system.

There are no analogue matrix switchers in these systems – all happens over IP networks. With nearly twenty years of experience, Dallmeier has been a pioneer in casino digital surveillance systems, commencing with Melbourne’s Crown Casino in 1996.

The digital revolution is inevitable, with old analogue systems sooner or later having to be converted to digital. Existing casinos have either switched or are planning to switch to the IP based network matrix switching. Not only the analogue matrix is removed from the core of the system, but also analogue cameras are gradually replaced with HD IP cameras. All this change needs to be seamless.

This change is now happening with the SkyCity Casino group. With their head office in Auckland, the SkyCity Casino group owns six casinos, four in New Zealand and two in Australia.

Having a first-rate experience with Darwin’s switch to digital, it is no wonder that the whole SkyCity group have chosen the proven system by Dallmeier.

Mr. Bill Bonar, General Manager of Corporate Asset Protection & Surveillance for SkyCity Entertainment Group has the following to say about their choice of Dallmeier…

“There are thousands of CCTV exponents in the world today, however, Dallmeier and C.R.Kennedy have delivered outstanding support and service to my operations. Providing a product tailored to our unique environments involving thousands of cameras, innovative recording solutions, video analytics and end user simplicity – for me Dallmeier, supported by C.R.Kennedy, provide excellent turn-key solutions with ongoing support and service.”

Dallmeier systems are guaranteed to run with exceptionally high up-time due to their careful redundant design. The hard disk redundancy is only one of the many redundant components. In a Dallmeier casino system, each recorder has a redundant power supply as well. Each power supply rail runs on a separate phase of a redundant UPS. Each SeMSy server has its own stand-by server and each network switch has a redundant path through redundant core switches.

Being able to guarantee the surveillance system

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continuous operation is what casinos are after. This is what Dallmeier systems deliver and this is why they are considered the best in the field.

THE SKYCITY GROUP The SkyCity Casino in Auckland, with over 3,000 cameras, is the largest casino in New Zealand and a most recognised landmark. Visitors to Auckland would know the SkyCity tower and the wonderful SkyCity restaurants and hotels around the casino, with their splendid conference rooms and exhibition venues. For many visitors the casino experience just adds to the overall superb service one may experience when visiting New Zealand.

There are two smaller casinos within the SkyCity group in the picturesque town of Queenstown on the southern island, and one in Hamilton on the north island, just south of Auckland. All three casinos have chosen to go with Dallmeier SeMSy. Interestingly – a new innovation in the casino industry – all three casinos can be supported remotely from either Auckland or, in Queenstown, from one site to the other (supporting each other as a hot-standby).

The SkyCity casinos in New Zealand have also implemented numerous Dallmeier High Level Interfaces (HLIs) needed in the gaming industry. One of Dallmeier’s strong points in casino surveillance systems is their HLIs to various systems. For example, these HLIs connect the surveillance system to the AngelEye playing card monitoring system, improving control over the purity of each game, and minimizing casino losses due to scams.

Each deck of cards is noted and counted individually, allowing the casino to overview all games and their outcomes.

Furthermore, there are HLIs to the Point Of Sales (POS) Micros system, Bally’s Gaming Machines, Cardax access control and similar. All such interfaces have been integrated very securely into Dallmeier’s SeMSy so that anything can be searched for at any time, even intelligent game analysis can be added if requested by the casino.

NOT ONLY IP VIDEO Dallmeier casino surveillance systems are not only digital large scale IP systems but also become profit management tools, game video analysis tools, inventory tracking tools, people traffic analysis tools and building management tools, all in one. When more is needed, it is easily added to the Dallmeier SeMSy by way of using standard interface protocols, such as OPC or ONVIF. The innovative ideas of the SkyCity management have initiated the development of an RFID card tracking

system, which will integrate with Dallmeier SeMSy. This tracking system is an Australian development by Vision Technology Systems and will be implemented this year.

The SkyCity group from New Zealand also owns two casinos in Australia – SkyCity Darwin and SkyCity Adelaide.

SkyCity Darwin was converted to Dallmeier, as outlined above, about seven years ago. Since then, this casino’s usage has grown to 525 cameras of which around 166 are HD IP. They have also added the AngelEye card tracking system, as well as interfaced to the Micros POS system.

Adelaide SkyCity followed suit in 2012 when it started slowly introducing Dallmeier recorders and IP cameras, while keeping the existing analogue as long as needed.

SkyCity Adelaide is an old casino, located in the top three floors of the historic Adelaide Central Railway Station. SkyCity Adelaide previously had the old famous Maxpro analogue system that was taken over by Honeywell, but it was only a question of time when the support for the analogue system would cease, so that in 2012 they also decided to follow suit and slowly convert to digital. The Adelaide SkyCity Casino now has close to 1,000 cameras, of which over 80% are 1080 HD IP cameras.

Mr. Geoff Stow, Surveillance Engineer at SkyCity Adelaide has the following to say about their crossover to IP with Dallmeier…

“I was very pleased with the professional approach taken with regard to the replacement of the previous recording system. We were able to maintain a fully operational Surveillance system during all parts of the change over without the loss of any major camera coverage. A decision was made to provide improved

camera coverage throughout the Adelaide SkyCity Casino in conjunction with the building upgrades. As a result, new HD IP cameras were installed and we now have approximately 80% HD IP cameras operational, all of which are fully recorded on the Dallmeier recording system and available to all operators.”

C.R.Kennedy has some very experienced technical people in all its offices throughout Australia and New Zealand. A number of them were involved in many of these projects, most notable of which were David Payne from the Sydney office, Trevor Joseph and Steve Maynard from the Queensland office, Nadir Sahiner and Paul Cafeo from the Melbourne office, and Amir Pirani from the Auckland office.

Dallmeier’s continued assistance and support from Regensburg in Germany has been invaluable in providing the final touches with high-end technical commissioning. Continuous improvement of the SeMSy, cameras and recorders, as well as the ability to interface to third party systems – including ONVIF cameras – is an important part of the big picture Dallmeier paints in their business strategy.

Since the early days of SeMSy version 1, in Sands casino Macao in 2002, SeMsy has evolved into its third generation, with so much functionality that a casino operator will not find anything a casino requires not covered. Yet, the new SeMSy v.4, is just around the corner, pushing further boundaries in user friendliness and functionality, and I am sure it will lift some eyebrows.

As their logo states, Dallmeier ensures that their customers will… ‘see more’ than others and from novel events in 2008 to today’s requirements, they continue to do so.

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Bet’em all Blackjack If it looks like Blackjack, Tastes like Blackjack and Smells like Blackjack, it may not be Blackjack as you know it. Interview with Dean Wilson from Bet’em All Blackjack. By Steve Karoul

D

ean, thank you for taking the time to be interviewed by Casino Life Magazine. As game developers, you have a very good track record especially with your new Lunar Poker table game. Your newest table game, Bet’em All Blackjack, sounds very exciting for many different reasons.

Casino Life readers are always interested in learning more from company leaders as to how they view the casino industry today. Can you please share some of your viewpoints as to how the casino industry is changing and why you think new games will be popular with players?

In the US on our marketing trips it has become very noticeable in the past 12 months that casino operators are leaning towards methods of increasing their BJ revenue rather than introducing a completely new

game. There are many new BJ side bets on trial with operators taking their time to see which side bet has the best uptake. This makes perfect sense with BJ being the major game in the US by far, so any gain to the bottom line makes a huge impact to overall revenue.

Can you please briefly explain an overview of Bet’em All Blackjack?

Bet’em All Blackjack is a very simple straight forward concept which can be applied to any BJ game, even with existing side bets in place. Bet’em All BJ is a betting methodology which allows players to place bets on any other player’s hand at the table. The player seated at the spot has full control over their hand and any Bet’em All wagers on their spot simply ride along with the action but can make decisions to participate in a double down, insurance, even money or surrender situation.

31

The Impact of Bet ‘em All Blackjack: The four examples below express the financial impact that Bet ‘em All wagers will have on a standard Blackjack game. Increase in house edge and decrease in game pace due to time spent placing and settling Bet ‘em All wagers have been factored into each scenario.

Assumption and Considerations: The models below assume the following:

• 6 players are in action per round of play • Bet ‘em All wagers show a 55% increase in house edge over the standard Blackjack wager Licensed by Mara Enterprises Limited

© 2015 Mara Enterprises Limited

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• Original game pace set at 40 rounds per hour • Game pace slowed by 4 seconds to account for placing and settling each Bet ‘em All wager

Can you explain the “benefits of” this exciting new game to both the player and to host casino?

Bet’em All Blackjack instantly multiplies the action for each and every player at the game creating up to 5 or 6 additional betting opportunities. Players can bet on their friend’s hands and jump on the “hot” hands on the table. While the players are enjoying all of the additional excitement, the operator sees their betting volume double or even triple with the Bet’em All wagers being placed.

How does your BJ table or layout differ from a normal BJ table layout?

The layout remains very similar to the operator’s current layout designs, side bets included and then the Bet’em All wager placement system is layered over the top of the existing layout design. The wager placement system has been designed to be attractive and actually enhances the look of the layout.

How is the actual wagering handled by dealers and what aspects are different from a normal BJ game?

The Bet’em All wagering system has been designed to create convenience and clarity for the players and dealer. The player places all their bets on other hands directly in front of their own betting area on designated numbered positions for each spot on the table. The dealer then moves the Bet’em All wagers to the spot number that the player has indicated they want to bet on.

The Bet’em All wagers can participate in all aspects of the game such as doubling down, insurance, even money against an ace and surrender. But, Bet’em All wagers cannot split and will ride on the first hand of a split only. The non-ability to split raises the house

edge on the Bet’em All wagers by 5090% depending on the specific rules used on the game. This means more profit for the casino.

What will be the big attraction to players and how will Bet’em All Blackjack benefit them compared to a normal BJ game?

Bet’em All Blackjack totally changes the way Blackjack is played. A highly exciting, socially engaging environment is created at the table as players share in the action on each other’s hands. When the game is full, players can still enjoy betting on multiple spots.

Groups of friends coming into the casino can bet on each other’s hands all night long and share in the ups and downs. Everyone can jump on the lucky player’s hand when they feel that their own luck is down.

Thank you again for your time and your thoughts on the casino industry today as well as your explanation of Bet’em All Blackjack. Good luck with your new game.

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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The GREAT Million Dollar Candidate, Part 3

By Mark Wayman, Founder and CEO of the executive placement firm The Foundation LLC 35

M

y name is Mark Wayman, and my 15 minutes of fame was two software companies. One went public on the NASDAQ and the other (counter-terrorism software) was acquired by IBM. For the last ten years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, and last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.

This is the last and final article in my series about what makes a GREAT million dollar candidate. Given that most senior level executives are placed through Executive Recruiters, we’ll focus this last article on how to interact with them.

represent you is if you communicate. On the other hand, candidates that over communicate and ask for hourly/daily updates will soon find themselves persona non grata. The Recruiter may have 50 to 100 executives interviewing. Trust me; they don’t get paid unless you get the job, so they are on the case. Emailing them every morning just paints you as desperate.

When You are Unemployed, All Jobs are Good Jobs – Most Executive Recruiters will ask you some preliminary questions about compensation, relocation and background. Be HONEST. They don’t care if you made $20,000 or $2,000,000, they are simply trying to match you to a job.

Unemployed candidates are a special situation.

The Executive Recruiter is your Agent – When an At the million dollar level, no company wants to Executive Recruiter submits you for a job, it is NOT interview unemployed executives. Sorry, not being a referral or introduction. rude or disrespectful, just Me with Mark Dunn (General Counsel, Aristocrat They are your agent of honest. Recently asked record for twelve months. If Technologies) and Anthony Pearl (General an unemployed executive Counsel, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas) you get hired, they get paid. for his base salary. He said Let the Executive Recruiter $400,000. I responded, manage the process, and “No, you are making ZERO. follow their directives. If You don’t have a job.” you end run the process, Surprisingly, I was able to there is a good chance you get him interviewed for will be withdrawn from a $600,000 job. He told consideration. I regularly me that was not enough get candidates that try to money. I kid you not. True brush me aside once the story! I dropped him like a interview process commences with, “Thanks for the hot rock. So my point is this – if you are not gainfully introduction.” No, I’m your Agent. Just as an Actor or employed, you need to consider all reasonable Actress has an agent, the Executive Recruiter is your offers.

Agent to the hiring company. Never, ever burn the bridge with the Recruiter. It’s a small, small world.

Mark Wayman is the Founder and CEO of The Foundation, LLC, an executive placement firm What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate focused on gaming/casinos and high tech. He – You want to communicate the RIGHT amount. has placed 600 executives over the last ten years, Not too much; not too little. Be sure to keep the with compensation packages from $100,000 to Executive Recruiter in the loop when you receive $2,000,000. Last year he placed eight executives communication from the hiring company. When you over a million dollars. His articles appear on The are scheduled to interview. When you have feedback Huffington Post, and he is a regular on the Internet after the interview. If I had $20 for every candidate radio show Casino Talk. Mark is an active supporter that failed to keep me in the loop, and then asked of Make-A-Wish, Opportunity Village, Olive Crest me to set their apple cart back up after the interview and a dozen other local and national charities. He process fell apart…I would be very wealthy. The can be reached at mwayman2@cox.net, or for more only way an Executive Recruiter can property information, go to www.godfatherlv.com

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Executive Role & TEAM Building

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Robert Ambrose, Part 2

eaders must be active participants in team building by managing people, and placing Employees in positions where they are most challenged. Team building relies on a mix of educated talented leaders that coach and lead diverse, multi-generational and multi-cultural groups of employees reflecting the department and property brand.

Team building requires a special mix of management talent. A commitment by property leaders is a must to support on-going educational programs that encourage development and keep all employees at a consistent

level of knowledge.

Through “consistent� employee education programs defining guest service and employee empowerment, you can build a team that is truly reflective and compliments the property brand. Executives are key team members and play an active role in providing leadership and guidance through this educational process. They must strive for personal best leadership practices.

And for company leaders, their personal on-going education is paramount for staying ahead of that curve through industry seminars, trade shows and industry

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publications. Complacency or resting on a job well done is not an option!

What is property leadership?

The property leadership is composed of a group of professionals that collectively present a unique diverse metric of experience. They are talented professionals that have learned and grown from their previous employment roles bringing their experiences to the staff through their “Best-Practice” concepts. The open minded leader(s) see the 360 degree property landscape not as a single silo view and will empower their employees and great things will happen.

The TEAM Here is how the former CEO of Chrysler Corporation Lee Iacocca summed it up in his book, Where Have All the Leaders Gone? (2007) “Here’s the thing I learned as a CEO. You succeed or fail, based on your team.”

A strong team concept supports the brand. Through this analysis we view the property as an honest presentation of a consistent hospitality presentation.

There must be a commitment presented by professionals that “get-it,” when it comes to meeting guest expectations. It is about a presentation where the service bar of a great hospitality experience should constantly be raised.

They understand that you can bring a customer to the door, but it’s what you do when they are there that will keep them coming back.

Hospitality team building is about constructing a strong motivated employee base through a culture that stands for honest open discussion. The guest service buy-in continues with all employees through continued communication and on-going educational applications, which reinforces the company service culture. An educated company employee having been empowered by the company may be the very same employee (s) that stays with the company for a longer employment period.

Studies have shown that employees will remain with their company longer when the company is more likely to offer empowering educational opportunities.

Investing in Employees Understandably with the current hard pressed economy, double digit tax rates in several gaming

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jurisdictions as well as other financial considerations; this sometimes leaves little for the employees beyond salary and medical benefits. But creative initiatives can produce several employee perks that may not always equal a large investment from the company going forward, they cost little to nothing, including recognition, rewards and educational training options.

In some states, there is grant funding available for inhouse educational programs. You’re Human Resource Department can also check with local colleges. They too can offer assistance, guidance and even a partnership to employers to drive some of these educational initiatives.

A great employee of casino/hospitality operations is always a Student of the industry and the property that employs them. They should be continually learning and adapting to new casino games, events, upgraded technology and are aware of all marketing programs.

Competent, trained and educated employees must be at the core of any operation. The technological tools designed for the industry, combined with a consistent, company supported guest educational/training program (s,) provides for an enhanced guest service experience.

• Employees in casino/hospitality operations face new challenges daily. As part of a very organized infrastructure the employees rely on the operations of several departments that are the support infrastructure.

The employee(s) works within the parameters of government regulations, company internal controls and customer circumstances that can strain and test the skill sets of the best trained employee.

• The Customer is the final word as to whether the casino operation has delivered on their promise.

That promise often viewed within the headings of a company’s core values, or motto. Did the customer have the experience they expected and was it positive enough for them to return?

Can we do better Next Time?

Robert Ambrose Instructor Gaming & Hospitality Center for Hospitality & Sport Management Drexel University The Dennis Gomes Memorial Casino Training Lab Rja73@drexel.edu Twitter@bobambrose http://www.drexel.edu/hsm/

The Brave New World of Slots How to improve your product performance, and do something nice for slot players at the same time. Victor H. Royer

S

kill games are here – well, soon, at least, once the rules are finalized. Get ready for Pac-Man, Mario Bros, Centipede, Pinball, Frogger, Space Invaders, and Hemorrhoids (Umm, I mean, Asteroids). Frankly, I just can’t wait – for the skill games, I mean. Not the Hemorrhoids.

In my case, and for anyone who was around in the 1970’s and 80’s, these Arcade Games are what we played everywhere. As young adults, or younger still, it didn’t matter – these were the games that weaned the gamers in all of us. And now that we are casino gamers, well, it’s about time – we are ready, waiting, and will gladly see our favorite arcade games finally pay us back some of the many thousands of quarters we all fed into them, back in the day.

But this brave new world of slots is not just about all things skill-based. There are plenty of other kinds

of games for the casino floor, and many of them are just as great, and just as interesting. And some even profitable (for all of the participants, be they the manufacturer, the casino, or the player). I have featured many of these new games in my latest book: “Great Casino Slots – Volume 1”, and the soonto-be-released “Great Casino Slots – Volume 2”. In each of these books I show the range of the latest new slot product that is being offered to casinos around the world. And, of course, to casino players.

Here in North America, primarily in the United States, casino operators are always scrambling for the latest, greatest, and hottest new games. And there is a definite flux in all of these things, be they games from the major OEM’s, or some newer offerings from a range of smaller manufacturers. As the old-timer prospector would say: “There’s gold in them thar hills!” Yes, that’s true. But increasingly the

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“gold” – meaning the percentage of the casino floor – is being contested much more forcefully, and much more frequently.

While in years past the Juggernaut that was IGT often commanded some 70%-80%, or more, of the casino floor, today that’s down to just around 50% in many casinos, and falling steadily. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the prognosis for IGT is a continuing reduction of floor-share, further reducing their footprint by some 20% to 30% over the next 2-3 years. Or perhaps sooner. Other manufacturers are now seen as having better product, and – in some cases – also better service. Especially compared to the “old” IGT – the one that’s still struggling.

But it’s not just IGT that’s facing these issues.

It’s the industry as a whole. We are now in a fastchanging paradigm, where all things as they used to be aren’t necessarily the things as they ought to be. And while casino operators are struggling to find the most viable balance for their slot floor, and get the best-possible deals they can squeeze out of the manufacturers in the process, equally so the manufacturers are struggling to meet the needs of not just casino operators, or shareholders of the much-merged OEM’s, but increasingly so the very fickle casino players.

Although the core casino customer – the gambler – remains a fairly steady and reliable source of revenue, many of the more casual casino players are becoming much more used to expecting things that are “new”, and this directly translates to expectations in the kinds of games that they will play. While WMS, for example, has great product that catches the interest of the players as soon as it hits the casino floor, the fact remains that much of that product then fades as players become familiar with it, how it plays, pays, and what it does. This is not an issue particular to WMS – all manufacturers face similar challenges in the creation of product that lasts – and each new offering is yet another entry into the lottery of “what will stick and stay.”

But my point is that not all of these challenges – and not all of these “expectations of new things” – are necessarily the cause of all the winners and losers in gaming machine manufacture.

OK, so we all know that several OEM’s are gaining and losing, a little bit here and there, sometimes between 5% and 10% or so, depending on the region

and the operator – but that’s in some way to be expected. IGT cannot remain as the Juggernaut it once was, simply and purely because there are now a lot more manufacturers than there were in years past. And customers, and casino players, who demand more and more, and new and new, and different offerings. It’s called “progress” – whether good or bad, well, we can’t tell just yet. But, in a sense, we know, anyway.

But – you see – many of the issues of “longevity on the casino floor”, and “interest from the casino players”, have much more to do with the way in which the new casino slot machines are made – rather than with the actual content of the games.

And these problems have a lot more to do with the design of the box, instead of the design of the game.

There’s been a whole slew of industry “buzzing” about a series of slot machine cabinets, such as Wave – and all of the other similar-style cabinet designs which are kind-of like uprights, but more so like slant-tops – in which designers have been creating something that they all think is great and wonderful. Well, yes, it is – it looks great, and is wonderful at the gaming show. But on the casino floor? Well – fixed-seating notwithstanding – can you spot the one thing that’s a problem with ALL such designs?

Google the design, look at the pictures, and think – can you see it?

Let me give you a hint – it has something to do with the actual usage of the device in the actual casino, under actual in-casino play by real casino players. See it? OK, I’ll tell you …

It’s the feet.

Yup. And the legs.

See it now?

All of these designs cram the player’s legs under the “lip” of the machine, right in an area where it gets really hot – even after only a few moments of sitting – and where the player’s legs become bent for long periods of time, causing cramps, restricted blood flow, and fatigue.

And the feet?

Well, see it? There’s no place to “put your feet up.”

On traditional slots – those that sit on cabinets – there’s room on either side of the machine for the player to put their feet up, then lean back into the

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seat, comfortably, and play. In this way, the player can easily play for several hours, and with little fatigue.

But on these “new” designs that’s not possible.

And the same applies to all slant-tops, too.

Combine that with the fact that these new designs – and slant tops – require players to keep “bending forward” to push the buttons, and you have a prescription that says: “I can only stand this for a few minutes, and then I gotta go.”

Result? No longevity of the game, player attrition, loss of player interest in the game, loss of revenue for the casino and the manufacturer, and – in the end – puzzlement by both the operator and the OEM as to “what went wrong?” Why isn’t this great game doing as good as it did in focus groups? Or in trials?

Hmmm … ?

Well, that’s why.

Because you made it uncomfortable to the Nth degree by these designs – which do not take into account the actual use of them by actual players in actual casinos under actual in-casino playing conditions.

Don’t agree?

Well then … YOU try to sit there for 3 hours, and see how YOU feel!

Why 3 hours?

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Because a real casino player, and slot enthusiasts – people like me – well, we WILL play that long, and longer. IF – that is – we are comfortable!

And right now – on most of these new games and slant-tops – the fact is that we just aren’t. We ache and hurt much too soon, and that makes us want to go somewhere else – to anything, anywhere – even if just to stretch out our tired, hot, cramped and bent legs – and sore feet.

And that’s why there is this great and complex fluctuation of winners and losers in slot product – and all because of a seemingly great disconnect between what is a great idea in the laboratory, but a lousy way to play a slot machine.

Solution?

Easy – put elevated foot-rests on the underside of the cabinet – either side – and make the “lip” narrower so the player can “put their feet up.” Then move the buttons closer to the edge of the “lip” so the players can push them while leaning back, instead of having to “bend forward” and cramp their bellies in the process, while also straining the lower back at the same time.

Do this, and you’ll be amazed at how much better your product results will be. And even if they should not be that much better – wouldn’t it be nice to do something good for the slot players?

NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. preSentS At G2e LAS VeGAS 2015:

THE VERY IMPORTANT PLAYER ExPERIENCE

• Giant 50” HD LCD screen • FLipSCreen® Feature • Attractive cabinet style with brilliant, LeD illuminated details • Highly comfortable Crown V.i.p. chair with integrated sound system

N O V O M AT I C

– W I N N I N G

T E C H N O L O G Y

International Sales: Jens Einhaus, Phone: +43 2252 606 319, sales@novomatic.com

www.novomatic.com

SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS

Novomatic Goes ‘Live’ at G2E in Las Vegas With a new two level booth (#2656), new attractions and the appearance of a live gaming display that will be supported by a live DJ, NOVOMATIC is all set to bring a live gaming entertainment experience to the forthcoming G2E show in Las Vegas (September 29th – October 1st). It is going to be unmissable!

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OVOMATIC has established itself as a rising force in the US gaming supply chain and, as such, has risen to the challenge of bringing to market product lines that provide operators and their customers with attractions that are packed with gaming entertainment. At G2E, Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) and the numerous Group subsidiary companies - including of course the recently expanded NOVOMATIC AMERICAS team will come together to ‘go live’ and excite the many business partners, customers and guests attending.

With recent key advances in both product approvals and licensing, the NOVOMATIC AMERICAS team fully expect to be inundated with enquiries from US operators as word of the arrival of NOVOMATIC on the US scene has spread rapidly.

NOVOMATIC AMERICAS has, since the company’s foundation in 2012, placed a clear emphasis on the Native American and VGT markets along with main stream casinos as it works to achieve the long held Group ambition of becoming a major supplier to US gaming markets. The progress to date of this initiative

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has been clearly demonstrated by the successful development of market specific products such as the Action-Gaminator® machine and its innovative multi-game mix or the new Magic Games™ Premium HD multi-games for the Video Gaming Terminal (VGT) market in the company’s home State of Illinois.

As always, G2E in Las Vegas will also prove to be a magnet for visitors from Latin American countries and, in order to cater completely for these welcome arrivals representatives of the NOVOMATIC subsidiary companies in Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Panama as well as Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica will be on hand and ready to present their product portfolios and answer all enquiries.

Set on split levels of the booth the NOVO LINE Novo Unity™ II upper level display will feature three live dealers – operating Novo TouchBet® LiveBaccarat, Novo TouchBet® Live-Black Jack and Novo TouchBet® Live-Roulette. 10 slant top terminals will seat the players in comfort while a live DJ will mix and play music to suit the mood. Additionally, all the live action will be prominently displayed on no less than 18 video screens set in front of the dealers

SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS and thus offering booth visitors a panoramic view of the games in play. NOVO LINE Novo Unity™ II also provides guests with the possibility to play multiple thrilling slot games, directly at their seats.

The Magic Joker Jackpot™ will be presented in the Dominator® cabinet while the new Book of Ra™Jackpot, that takes its name from the sensational NOVOMATIC hit game, will appear with the ever popular Super-V+ Gaminator® III. The Dominator® Curve will feature prominently at G2E and will naturally be an attraction in its own right as it is now being launched for use in the US markets where NOVOMATIC AMERICAS is licensed and where the necessary final product approvals are pending. As a significant technology evolution of the original Dominator®, the Dominator® Curve takes up its twin brother’s successful concept and enhances its attractiveness with its own unique feature: the upright 40” full HD touchscreen that ideally places the player position exactly at the focal point of the curved screen and thus guarantees maximum impact gaming with sophisticated graphics and sound.

In terms of gaming entertainment the NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. slant top is already a huge star on gaming floors around the world and this high end gaming experience will feature prominently in Las Vegas. With its Crown V.I.P. chair, huge 50” LCD top screen, armrest-located additional Start/Take win & bet setting buttons, plus sound volume control and the FLIPSCREEN® feature the machine represents gaming in a truly grand style.

Also, the Panther Roulette™ II will be on show in Las Vegas presenting the unique Pinball-Roulette experience where the guest is not just the player but also the ‘dealer’ thanks to the Pinball launch system. Additionally Panther Roulette™ II gives the possibility for guests to switch between the main Roulette game and a choice of 23 HD slot games, all at the same machine.

Group subsidiary Octavian’s product presentation at G2E will showcase the company’s internationally

established products such as the ACP Casino Management System (Accounting – Control – Progressives), the latest jackpot developments and a selection of new Octo-Games.

Presenting NOVOMATIC’s ‘third pillar’ of innovation and activity – the online gaming segment – the NOVOMATIC Interactive area of the G2E booth will be packed with the latest innovations and developments for this currently fastest growing segment of the international gaming industry.

The NOVOMATIC Interactive Group of companies now under the Greentube aegis is a leading provider and operator of online, mobile and social gaming services in only markets with a clearly defined legal framework in Europe, the U.S. and Australasia.

Another important presentation will be that of NOVOMATIC Lottery Solutions (NLS), a sector in which the Group has made huge strides. Key members of the NLS team will be on hand in Las Vegas to present and discuss the latest developments and innovations.

Since 1991, under the brand name ADMIRAL, sportsbetting has been an integral and important sector of the NOVOMATIC Group. At G2E in Las Vegas NOVOMATIC Sports Betting Solutions will proudly present the company’s market specific products, such as systems, cabinets and Cash Desk for international markets.

So, as can clearly be seen, NOVOMATIC will be a major force at the upcoming G2E show in Las Vegas, bringing its own multi-faceted ‘world of gaming’ and gaming entertainment ‘live’ to the most important, in US terms, and significantly one of the world’s foremost gaming events.

NOVOMATIC looks forward to welcoming business partners, customers and guests to what are sure to be three memorable show days in the city still regarded as the ‘world capital of gaming’.

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SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS

IGT and G2E

A Winning Combination At G2E 2015, IGT will present a comprehensive portfolio of gaming products and services across all channels, including premium content, core titles, hardware innovations, systems technologies and interactive solutions

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marquee product in IGT’s booth pairs the most successful slot theme of all time with the most unique video slots technology of the last several years to form the ultimate Winning Combination – Wheel of Fortune® Double Diamond® 3D. Housed on the AXXIS™ 3D/39 cabinet and featuring IGT’s award-winning TRUE 3D™ technology, this must-see title boasts glasses-free 3D gaming entertainment, the classic Double Diamond symbol set and the timeless “WHEEL - OF- FORTUNE!” celebration that players around the world have grown to love. The

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Company will also feature Return of the Sphinx 3D™, a new iteration of the long-tenured original spinning reel hit game, Return of the Sphinx. Additional titles to look for in IGT’s expanded TRUE 3D portfolio include Reef of Riches 3D™, Grit, Guns & Gold 3D™ and PLANTS vs. ZOMBIES™ 3D Ancient Egypt.

IGT will further expand its legendary Wheel of Fortune portfolio by introducing several new themes to the famed game family. An anticipated title is Wheel of Fortune Gold Spins™ Double Diamond®.

Based on one of the most famous slot themes of all time, Double Diamond, and housed on the new

SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS CrystalWheel™ Stepper hardware, this game is a must-see. Wheel of Fortune New Orleans is another much-anticipated video slot title that invites players to enjoy Mardi Gras-inspired game play and vie for the game’s five progressive jackpots.

IGT will continue the Company’s tradition of bringing pop culture’s most touted licensed brands to the G2E trade show floor. This year, IGT partnered with the number one brand in entertainment news to create TMZ Video Slots. This interactive theme will introduce never-before-seen gaming technology, putting players in the middle of one of TV’s most famous newsrooms and on tour to several hot Hollywood celebrity hangouts. IGT will also introduce a new spin to one of Netflix’s most watched series, with House of Cards Power and Money™ Video Slots and House of Cards Welcome to Washington™ Video Slots. Other new exciting licensed themes from IGT include two Orange is the New Black™ video slot themes, The Ellen DeGeneres Show™ Have a Little Fun Today video slots game, additions to the Jurassic Park™ video slots family and a fourth game to the James Cameron’s Avatar™ video slots series, James Cameron’s Avatar™ The Sacred Bond video slots.

Following the S3000® cabinet’s exceptional first year in the field, IGT is ready take the hardware’s entertainment possibilities even further. IGT will introduce Spin-Ferno®, a turnkey tournament solution that is fueled by IGT’s Tournament Manager 5.0 and enables operators to efficiently host multisite slot tournaments on banks of S3000 cabinets.

The initial list of S3000 titles compatible with SpinFerno include Hotsy Totsy®, Red Hot Diamonds®, Fire Bells® and Red Hot Lil’ Devil – all themes that casino patrons can also enjoy in coin-in mode outside of the tournament environment. G2E attendees can look forward to the introduction of even more exciting content for the S3000 cabinet with the five-level progressive, Mucho Dinero®, the new Hot Hits Series™ that incorporates “Hot Hit” symbols as triggers for winning any of the game’s nine-level progressives and 3 Play/Wild Respin, an innovative game concept that allows players to spin virtual wheels in the game’s top box.

IGT’s emphasis on meaningful innovation shines through the Company’s for-sale video slot portfolio. Never-before-seen play mechanics,

unique reel configurations, new math, and compelling themes are just a few characteristics that make IGT’s new video slot games stand apart. IGT will introduce an array of games for the CrystalDual cabinet, the globally relevant hardware solution that continues to perform well since its February launch. New titles for the CrystalDual cabinet include:, Da Vinci Diamonds DualPlay, inspired by IGT’s highly successful Interactive title by the same name, the Mammoth Reels game series, which lives up to its name and gives players 200 paylines of action on a 4 x 4 and a 12 x 4 matrix and Gold in Motion™, an engaging game that allows players to place a side wager to create gold symbols that can trigger a variety of bonuses in both the base and bonus games. IGT will also add Bubble Craze™ to the Company’s for-sale product line up. Bubble Craze boasts a unique look, featuring colorful bubbles to make up the game’s 19 independent “reels.”

IGT will debut SyncSation, a unique tool that enables operators to deploy choreographed light and sounds shows across multiple cabinets including the S3000, CrystalCore® and CrystalDual™ hardware. With the addition of SyncSation operators can create attention-grabbing light and sound spectacles on their casino floors, ranging from mild to sensational.

Video poker remains a cornerstone of IGT’s success and at G2E the Company will extend its video poker leadership even further with the introduction of Ultimate X Poker Tournament Game. Fueled

by Tournament Manager 4.0, Ultimate X Poker Tournament Game enables operators to

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SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS host spirited tournament games on the most successful video poker title of the last decade. Spin-Ferno will be complimented by Ultimate X Poker Tournament Game in IGT’s dedicated in-booth tournament arena, where the Company will lead dynamic demonstrations of products under IGT’s premium tournament technology line, TournXtreme.

Class II games, public gaming video lottery terminals, and live and Electronic Table Games (ETGs) from LT Game (a subsidiary of Paradise Entertainment) will also all have dedicated areas in IGT’s booth.

IGT will showcase its Interactive HTML5 leadership with a diverse content portfolio that can meet a gaming operator’s needs for desktop and mobile gaming. In addition to the new online Poker, Casino, Sports Betting and Bingo platforms the Company will demonstrate OnPremise™, an integrated mobile technology solution that modernizes gaming experiences

and enables players to wager via a single mobile app anytime within set boundaries at a Casino or Lottery retailer. IGT will also spotlight the Company’s Play-for-Fun solution that allows casinos to build local player affinity, monetize them with virtual currency and position for the expansion of the Real Money Gaming segment. Following a wildly popular launch with the Company’s customers in Europe, IGT will spotlight two Interactive MegaJackpots® titles at G2E: MegaJackpots Cleopatra® and MegaJackpots Siberian Storm®. These multi-game, multi-channel progressives link play on desktop and mobile devices to a single progressive jackpot.

Rounding out the Company’s compelling G2E presentation, IGT will demonstrate its state-of-the art systems solutions and applications that enable casinos to operate efficiently, drive ROI and offer personalized player experiences. IGT will emphasize its new HTML5 support capabilities and several of the Company’s systems solutions including Floor Manager and Service Window.

IGT will spotlight the Company’s Advantage® systems and its ability to integrate with IGT’s DoubleDown® Casino to drive reach, player retention and revenue. Other standout systems solutions from IGT include mobile solutions such as Mobile Host and Mobile Responder, and a suite of Intelligent Bonuses including Point Pursuit™ and Intelligent Rewards.

For more information on IGT and the Company’s G2E products visit igt. com or gtech.com

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SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS

Focus on MULTI GAME from AMATIC Industries at G2E Austrian pioneer to exhibit alongside INAG in Las Vegas

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ULTI GAME represents a growing market in the United States of America. Visitors to this year’s G2E Las Vegas show will have the opportunity to see just why AMATIC Industries is a pioneer in this sector. This Austrian family-owned company focuses on continual innovation to create optimal MULTI GAME solutions. In addition to this, the Performer Grand Arc Slant Top gaming machine also boasts a pioneering, curved design.

AMATIC Industries will be exhibiting at booth #3219 alongside INAG. Both companies have a drive and passion for innovation and have linked up to provide a truly new way to enjoy roulette. The Turbo Card Roulette is the card-based version of roulette and opens up roulette to markets where wheel-based games are not permitted. It is already licensed in Nevada and California.

AMATIC Industries provides the Satellite gaming terminals and all the technology to link the Turbo Card Roulette with the

individual terminals.

MULTI GAME is already being demanded in several states in the USA. AMATIC Industries is currently implementing its strategy to introduce its popular and entertaining games on a state-by-state basis.

Mr. Thomas Engstberger, Sales Manager at AMATIC Industries, sends out a warm welcome to visitors at the forthcoming G2E, “We have had the chance at past shows in Vegas to well understand what players in the USA are looking for. We have combined this knowledge with our long-standing experience. We look forward to presenting our MULTI GAME solutions in our acclaimed Performer cabinets. Our partnership with INAG shows how we transcend continents with combined American and European expertise to bring new gaming solutions to the market. We look forward to greeting our guests to our stand in Las Vegas”.

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arena berlin 20 – 22 / 10 / 2015 Excellence in iGaming

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308076_EiG03A_170x119mm_2015_V1.indd 1

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22/06/2015 10:51

SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS

Alfastreet

brings the spectacular Royal Derby to the 2015 G2E Las Vegas

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SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS

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he 2015 edition of the G2E at the Sands Expo & Convention center in Las Vegas will see the US premiere of the new mechanical horse-racing machine, the Alfastreet Royal Derby. Hugely anticipated, the machine has already impressed at the London ICE show and at G2E Macau with the sophisticated technical solutions and the intuitive, yet entertaining user interface. It’s the machine that has been missing on the global gaming panorama for the last couple of

latest modifications, making them more powerful, reliable and durable. The brand new orange theme finish and countless customization options set them apart from the competition, confirming the leadership status among ETG producers.

The other absolute novelty are the Alfastreet slot machines, that have generated huge interest in their prototype form on exhibitions earlier this year and we are eager to test the response of the audience in the North American show. They represent a huge step from the established product lineup for the company, but the

decades and it’s now ready to bring joy to the players and operators worldwide. The first machines are already in operation and confirm the quality of the project with great results. Make a mark for the booth number 4039 and join us to experience it.

Along with the Royal Derby, the completely renewed 2015 range of other products from the flagship R8 roulette, which has been joined by the R4, R5 and R6 more compact models (4-, 5- and 6- playing stations respectively) to the solid SL single terminal and the amazing WIKY, featuring the industry’s biggest, 32” touch screen monitor. It is not really a premiere for G2E but it remains equally impressive, and offers counless options for operators. All the machines have got the

reactions of our customers and players was extremely positive, therefore we continued with the development.

The first units are already on casino floors, with great results.

The brand has gained significant mommentum on North American ground, more and more operators are acknowledging the engineering and technical superiority of Alfastreet products, not to mention the impeccable support that the company provides.

These facts confirm the extreme importance of a good presentation on the show, and you can be sure our team will deliver. Once again a very warm invitation to the booth number 4039, to experience our hospitality and be amazed by our machines!

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SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS

Aristocrat

Aristocrat Invites Operators to Make the Big Play at G2E 2015

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AS VEGAS (September 9, 2015) – Every those who want an immersive experience with their casino operator wants to make the big play favorite movie or TV characters. Closing the loop is – creating an experience for their players a broad portfolio of system solutions that capture that is exciting, engaging and builds loyalty. and respond to what the player is doing across the In booth #1141 at G2E 2015, Aristocrat will enterprise and responding in scientific ways that help operators make the big play with a deep and build loyalty. broad portfolio of industry-leading hardware, Aristocrat’s cutting-edge and award-winning games and system solutions hardware is built on designed to reach every type a solid foundation of of player demographic. groundbreaking ergonomics Visit Aristocrat’s and upgraded graphics G2E microsite: www. capabilities and includes the thebigplayg2e.com.

Arc Single™, Arc Double™, “This year, perhaps more Arc Wheel™, Behemoth™ than ever, it’s time for and Helix™ cabinets, which operators to make a big play, give players the most and Aristocrat is uniquely interactive, innovative game prepared and positioned play on the market today. to help them do it. We Aristocrat continues to have the right hardware, bring entertaining, playerthe right games, and the favorite brands to the lease right systems solutions to segment with new themes help operators capture and like Game of Thrones™, retain players. Operators Downton Abbey™, Ted, can confidently turn to Dumb and Dumber, A Aristocrat for the products Christmas Story™ and Man they need now to make the of Steel™. These themes big play with their customers join the existing line up of Maureen Sweeny with Aristocrat CEO Jamie Odell today,” said Maureen exciting games that recently Sweeny, Aristocrat’s Chief hit the market including Sons Commercial Officer. of Anarchy™ Slot Game, The Big Bang Theory™ Slot Aristocrat will present jointly with VGT, Game, The Big Bang Theory™ Bazinga! ™ Slot Game showcasing content that speaks directly to every and Britney Spears™ Slot Game. type of player segment: Class III, Class II, players Complementing the licensed themes is who prefer more of an entertainment experience, Aristocrat’s core proprietary linked products, those who love the thrill of frequent jackpots, those including Lightning Link™, Aristocrat’s first playerwho love Aristocrat’s core gaming experience, and selectable denomination linked progressive

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SPOTLIGHT – G2E LAS VEGAS designed for core players.

Additionally, the industry’s best performing game, Buffalo™, is launching on the new fleet of hardware with Buffalo Grand™ available on Arc Double and Buffalo Stampede™ on Behemoth.

Aristocrat’s sale games are making a big play, with the introduction of innovative SAP mechanics, core volatile game innovations, multi-denom, high-denom and multi-game content. These innovations can be clearly seen across the C*Series™, E*Series™, J*Series™ and the newly introduced M*Series with titles like Buffalo Gold™, Wonder Tower™, Liberty Stripes™, Dragon of Destiny™ and Reel Sweet Stacks™.

Also helping operators make the big play is Aristocrat’s Oasis 360™ system solutions.

Oasis 360 keeps operators connected to customers, on property or out in the world.

Oasis 360 solutions track behavior when customers patronize affiliates and strategic partners, giving a clear and complete view of crucial data, empowering operators with crucial data to meaningfully reward customers.

Many new solutions are available to operators regardless of the CMS system the operator is

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currently using. Some of these solutions include ONE LINK™ technology, HALO™ loyalty, Carded Mystery™ and Mobile Concierge™. Aristocrat will also show its new beverage ordering system, Drinks on Tap™ (DOT), unattended jackpot processing system, and a completely redesigned nCompass™ player interface. Additionally, the Oasis SpeedSolutions Bonusing™ rewards players and creates anticipation and energy with a vast range of events, such as floor-wide mystery bonus or a spontaneous EGM promotion.

VGT is sharing a booth with Aristocrat and will be showcasing its new LAP, WAP, video and hardware products. The new local area progressive theme is based on VGT’s popular Polar High Roller® character with two new titles: “Fortune Flurry” and “Frozen Fortunes”.

The Polar High Roller brand is a proven player favorite and is also featured in VGT’s new high denomination video series and in VGT’s new jumbo cabinet, VGT XL™.

VGT recently premiered its wide area progressive, Easy Money Jackpot™, including Mr. Money Bags®, Hot Red Ruby® and Lucky Ducky® titles. Between the wide area progressive offering, VGT’s new Red Spin™ Gambler Series high denomination video games and VGT XL, VGT’s product mix at G2E reflects VGT’s core brands that casino operators have come to know and expect.

GAME-CHANGING INSIGHTS. Technologies unveiled. Services and products to be bought. Insight to be gained.

Connections to be made. But only one place in the world to find them all together.

AT G2E.

PRESENTED BY

SEPT 29 - OCT 1, 2015 SANDS EXPO CENTER LAS VEGAS

INTRODUCING

INTRODUCING THE INTEGRATED RESORT EXPERIENCE AT G2E, FEATURING END-TO-END CASINO RESORT SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING SLOTS AND SKILL-BASED GAMES, CMS AND P.O.S. TECHNOLOGIES, STAY WELL AMENITIES, CUTTING-EDGE FURNISHINGS AND SIGNAGE, LOYALTY PRODUCTS, F&B AND FRANCHISE CONCEPTS AND MORE. ALL IN ONE PLACE: G2E, HELD SEPT. 29-OCT. 1 AT THE SANDS EXPO AND CONVENTION CENTER IN LAS VEGAS.

REGISTER TODAY AT GLOBALGAMINGEXPO.COM T H E WO R L D ’ S L A R G E S T G AT H E R I N G O F G A M I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S – # G 2 E 2 01 5

Your Winning Combination

As the leader in casino gaming and lottery, IGT is committed to shaping the future of the gaming industry for our customers globally. From the innovative hardware of IGT CrystalDual™ to award-winning titles like SPHINX™ 3D - you can count on IGT to bring the convergence of state-of-the-art platforms and player-favorite content to the next level.

Join us at G2E 2015 Booth #2139 to discover your winning combination.

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