Canadian Gaming Business August 2008

Canada's Premier Gaming Industry Magazine

Vol. 2 No. 6

August 2008

Caesars Windsor Opens Inside: What's New in Slots?

Sales Product Agreement No. 40063056

The Future of Canadian Gaming Server-Based Gaming: What's Happening?

April 28 - April 30, 2009 - www.canadiangamingsummit.com CanadianGaming_Aug08rev.indd 1

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August 2008 Publisher

Volume 2 Number 6 Chuck Nervick chuckn@mediaedge.ca 416-512-8186 ext. 227

Editor

Lucie Grys

contents 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

6

CANADIAN GAMING SUMMIT A review in pictures.

lucieg@mediaedge.ca

Advertising Sales

Philip Soltys philips@mediaedge.ca

Senior Designer

Annette Carlucci

Designer

Ian Clarke

annettec@mediaedge.ca ianc@mediaedge.ca

Circulation Manager

Cindy Youman

8

MESSAGE FROM CGA

9

GAMING NEWS ROUNDUP New horseracing report creates a stir.

11

GAMING PERSONALITY

12

WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF SLOTS? -

Michael Graydon

circulation@mediaedge.ca

Part one of a two part series.

Proudly owned and published by:

14 President Kevin Brown

President & CEO Bill Rutsey

kevinb@mediaedge.ca

wrutsey@canadiangaming.ca

Vice President, Strategic Development Chuck Nervick

Vice President, Public Affairs Paul Burns

chuckn@mediaedge.ca

pburns@canadiangaming.ca

Canadian Gaming Business is published five times a year as a joint venture between MediaEdge Communications and The Canadian Gaming Association For advertising information, Contact Chuck Nervick 416-512-8186 ext. 227

HARRIS/DECIMA 2008 NATIONAL GAMBLING REPORT A look at the most recent statistics

16

THE FUTURE OF THE CANADIAN GAMING INDUSTRY

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CASINO WINDSOR TRANSFORMED

Where is the industry heading?

Caesars Windsor is the first of its kind outside of the United States.

24

SERVER-BASED GAMING What’s happening?

28

CHARITABLE GAMING CANADA Partnerships are critical.

chuckn@mediaedge.ca

30

LISTENING TO THE PLAYERS

For editorial information, Contact Lucie Grys 416-274-2582

31

CHEF SPOTLIGHT

32

BRANDING FOR THE REST OF US

33

HURDLES IN GAMBLING RESEARCH

34

LOTTERY AND GAMING CORPORATION HIGHLIGHTS

lucieg@mediaedge.ca

Copyright 2008 Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40063056 ISSN 1911-2378 Guest editorials or columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Canadian Gaming Business magazine's advisory board or staff. No part of this issue may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process without written permission by the publisher. Subscription rates: Canada $44.94 per year, $80.79 two years. All rates are payable in Canadian Funds only.

Postmaster send address changes to: Canadian Gaming Business Magazine 5255 Yonge Street, Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario M2N 6P4

Bingo is changing.

Kevin Easton, Dakota Dunes Part Two

Measuring the social and economic costs of gambling News from Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

VOLUME 2 NO. 6

Canada's Premier Gaming Industry Magazine

Vol. 2 No. 6

August 2008

Caesars Windor Opens Inside: What's New in Slots?

ON THE COVER Caesars Windsor opened this past June after a multi-million dollar renovation.

The Future of Canadian Gaming Server-Based Gaming: What's Happening?

April 28 - April 30, 2009 - www.canadiangamingsummit.com

Official Publication of the Canadian Gaming Summit CanadianGaming_Aug08rev.indd 3

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editor'snote

Editorial Advisory Board Howard Blank, Vice President Media & Entertainment / Marketing & Promotions Great Canadian Gaming Corporation Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director Ontario Charitable Gaming Association

Editor's Note

Robin Drummond, Senior Director Spielo, GTECH Nick Eaves, President and Chief Operating Officer Woodbine Entertainment Group Art Frank, President Niagara Casinos Brian Fraser, Marketing Manager IGT Canada Jordan Gnat, President & Chief Executive Officer Boardwalk Gaming Muriel Grimble, Executive Director Gaming Products & Services Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission Lyle Hall, Managing Director HLT Advisory Inc. Zane Hansen, President & Chief Executive Officer Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority Brad Johnson, Vice President Marketing Aristocrat Technologies Inc. Ron Kelly, Executive Vice President Arrow Games Michael Lipton, Q.C., Past President, International Masters of Gaming Law and Partner, Elkind & Lipton LLP Eric Luke Eric R. Luke and Associates Alan Lyman, Senior Regional Director Scientific Games Margaret McGee, Vice-President of Business Innovation Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation Jovica Perovic, Vice-President Operations, Gateway Casinos Michael Randall, Vice President Corporate Responsibility & Communications Atlantic Lottery Corporation George Sweny, Senior Vice President Lotteries OLG Monique Wilberg, Chief Operating Officer Gateway Casinos

Stepping in to a new role is always exhilarating. Taking over as editor of Canadian Gaming Business means stepping into big shoes in a field that I am intrigued by.

For the last issue, I had the good fortune of working with Michael Lipton on the inaugural issue of Canadian Gaming Lawyer that was included in the last release of Canadian Gaming Business. I was able to speak with and write short biographies on the deserving winners of the Canadian Gaming Awards which gave me insight into how rewarding the industry is. From all accounts, readers of both CGB and CGL have remarked that it’s fantastic to have a Canadian perspective on so many aspects of the gaming industry.

As editor of CGB, I am on a steep learning curve as I delve into the gaming world. As a cultural anthropologist trained in studying the reason behind the actions and the implications on human behaviour, the gaming industry is an ideal area of exploration. Topics like the future of gaming in Canada and the impact of technology on server-based gaming are examples of where the industry is –

and where it is headed. As systems are developed, as technology is perfected and as players become more aware of the growing number of gaming options available to them, the industry is on a massive upswing in terms of how it can deliver its product – and service. People love to be entertained and inspired and if gaming can offer them new avenues of discovery, then we have all done our jobs.

Paul Burns of the Canadian Gaming Association and Chuck Nervick, the publisher at MediaEdge, have been incredibly helpful with bringing me up to speed on the industry. I still have much to learn and I look to you to keep me current and offer suggestions. Most importantly, please give us feedback. This magazine is for you - and together we can inform, educate and inspire.

Thanks for the welcome so far.

Sincerely, Lucie Grys, Editor

E-mails to the Editor Policy Canadian Gaming Business welcomes e-mails to the editor. E-mails should include the name of the sender, business or professional affiliation, and city and province of the sender’s office or home. A phone number should be included for contact purposes; the phone number will not be published. We reserve the right to edit e-mails for purposes of brevity and clarity. Please email lucieg@mediaedge.ca

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HIGHLIGHTS

Palais des congrès, Montréal, Québec Home of the 12th Annual Canadian Gaming Summit

t Entertainmen ident, Harrah’s ssion , CEO & Pres se an e m ot ve yn Lo Ke y Gar e Opening legates in th addresses de

Canadian Gaming Summit Golf Classic at Club de Golf d’île de Montréal

The Gaming

Volunteerism & Community Service –

Industry Leadership & Outstanding Contribution –

Cares Foundation of Fallsview Casino Resort and Niagara Casino

Lynne Roiter, Loto-Quebec (second from right)

CanadianGaming_Aug08rev.indd 6

bition

Summit Exhi

Industry Leadership & Outstanding Contribution – Elliott Daradich, Saskatchewan Gaming Corp. (accepted by Gerry Fisher)

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Bru

April 29 - May 1, 2008 Palais des congrès, Montréal, Québec “Where the Canadian

Gaming Industry Meets”

Greeting old friends and making new at the Opening Reception. (Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal)

Inside the Palais des congrès

r the Québec

fo $5000 raised dustry

ht into the in

le offers insig

Roundtab The Executive

Industry Leadership & Outstanding Contribution –

Volunteerism & Community Service – Wendy Thompson,

Bruce Caughill, Falls Management Group (second from right)

Community Gaming Management Association (centre)

CanadianGaming_Aug08rev.indd 7

dation!

Cancer Foun

Flower Power wows the audience during the Awards Gala.

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messagefromCGA

Wasn't that a party!

By Bill Rutsey, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association

As Chair of the Canadian Gaming Summit I am very proud of the progress and changes we’ve made – starting with Vancouver in 2006, Toronto in 2007 and this year in Montreal, which was the biggest and best Summit ever.

I’d like to congratulate and thank our wonderful hosts, Loto Quebec, and especially Alain Cousineau and Lynne Roiter. They vowed to me a year ago that the show in Montreal would raise the bar, and from all the feedback I’ve been getting, you all agree.

One only had to look at the Show Guide to see the top notch experience on offer – two sensational keynote speakers (Gary Loveman and Allan Gregg), more information and education sessions than ever, including Security, R acing, Legal and Charitable Gaming conferences within the conference, and a jam-packed exhibit floor. Sessions dealing with cutting edge issues included Dr. Jamie Weibe’s “How Prevalent is Problem Gambling?”, the panel “What is the State of Aboriginal Gaming in Canada and the US?” and the Executive Town Hall Panel were some of the highlights. Manufacturers and suppliers had all the latest products and services on display.

There were also great opportunities to get together including the Golf Classic where even the weather cooperated, holding back the rain on a day forecast for deluge, the opening reception at the Musee d’art contemporain de Montreal and numerous parties and receptions.

Our closing event, the Canadian Gaming Awards Reception and Charity Gala, which raised $5,000 for the Quebec Cancer Foundation, was a celebration of excellence that formally recognized the contributions of Lynne Roiter (Loto Quebec), Bruce Caughill (Fallsview Management), Elliott Daradich (Saskatchewan Gaming Corp.), Wendy Thompson (Community Gaming Management Association of British Columbia) and the Cares Foundation of Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.

Memories of the Gala include Art Frank’s hilarious video and the room singing and dancing along with Flower Power, including holding their cell phones aloft ala lighters at 60s and

70s arena concerts. And who will ever forget Wendy Thompson’s inspiring acceptance of her well deserved Volunteerism and Community Service Award. The room rose as one – there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

What the success of the Summit really speaks to is the depth and breadth of our industry and our success – the success that we will be celebrating again next year at the beautiful new Caesars Windsor.

The expansion and re-branding of Casino Windsor as Caesars Windsor is part of the growth that is happening across the country, from Gateway’s Grand Villa Hotel and Convention Centre and Great Canadian’s River Rock expansion in British Columbia, the newly opened Stampede Casino and Stoney Nakoda Casino in Alberta, SIGA’s redeveloped Painted Hand Casino and new Living Sky Casino in Saskatchewan, Woodbine Entertainment’s “Woodbine Live” project with Cordish in Ontario and the introduction of casino gaming in New Brunswick by the RFP winning consortium that includes Sonco Gaming, the Navegante Group and Clairvest Group.

Tellingly, a large proportion of these projects includes nongaming amenities (convention, hotel, food and beverage, theatre, concert, retail and the like) to better meet the expectations of customers seeking a more complete entertainment experience.

Along with these successes come challenges, which is why the Canadian Gaming Association commissions research – to better inform the discussion around gaming. Research like HLT Advisory’s ground breaking Economic Impact of the Canadian Gaming Industry and Dr.Jamie Weibe and Dr. Rachel Volberg’s Problem Gambling Prevelance Research: A Critical Overview, which found that no matter when or where or how, severe problem gambling rates are approximately one per cent; both of which were much discussed at the Summit.

I would like to close by thanking each and everyone involved in our industry. Without you there would not be the success that we celebrated in Montreal, and look forward to gathering together next year at Caesars Windsor.

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AD MAGAZ REVISED PDF 0-

gamingnewsroundup New Horseracing Report Creates a Stir Likening the new recommendations from the recent Ontario government review of horseracing to A Tale of Two Cities, Hugh Mitchell says racing in the province in 2008 is “the best of times and the worst of times.� “The horseracing industry is going through what I call a watershed period,� says Mitchell, chief operating officer for the London, Ont.-based Western Fair Association. “Pari-mutuel wagering is literally under siege in North America.�

Even though Ontario is home to a world-class horse racing and breeding industry and is the largest horse racing jurisdiction in Canada (in terms of wagering) and the third largest in North America, Mitchell says change is needed.

He commends the initiative of the government and the three-person panel—consisting of Ontario R acing Commission Chairman Stan Sadinsky, former ORC Director Bill McDonnell and retired politician Jane Stewart—he understands how tracks may be unhappy with the proposed funding formula changes.

On July 5, 2007, Gerry Phillips, former Minister of Government and Consumer Services, appointed the panel to develop a strategic vision and direction for the Ontario horse racing and breeding industry.

David Willmot, chair and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group, recently told the Globe and Mail that the recommendations in the 80-page report are “entirely impractical, unrealistic and unworkable from a financial perspective.�

He added that WEG, a not-for-profit company financed entirely by debt, would “breach its banking covenants and would not be able to obtain future financing.� And while he says the report is well-intentioned, the effect of its recommendations would “devastate the second largest agricultural sector in the province, which generates 55,000 jobs.�

Adds Jane Holmes, WEG vice president, corporate affairs, “The industry was looking forward to the recommendations, as there are a number

of industry concerns that needed to be resolved. However the recommendations would have a devastating impact on the financial viability of racetracks.�

The report, released in June, recommends cutting the commissions by half that a track would receive from slot-machine revenue. Presently, 20 percent of the revenue goes to the racing industry, with racetracks and horsemen (race purses) splitting the revenue. There are 18 racetracks in the province.

The new report suggests that horsemen and racetracks would get 25 percent, with the remaining revenue going towards programs such as research, marketing, betting products and breeder and owner awards, as well as financing Horse Racing Ontario, which would replace the Ontario Horse R acing Industry Association.

The HRO would be responsible for the ultimate structure and administration of programs recommended in the report with respect to the use of some of the slot revenues. “The recommendation that all the slot revenues would be managed by a thirdparty industry association is not viable, even with a large portion of the revenues returned to the racetracks,� says Holmes. “Race tracks have debt obligations and the financiers would not continue under this situation. Also, a number of tracks, such as WEG, still have debt related to the construction and retrofitting costs of the slot operations that have still not been paid off. I can only speak from WEG’s perspective. It would move them from a positive revenue projection into an immediate significant net loss.�

Adds Mitchell: “In all fairness to the panel, there are many questions about the formula that have yet to be answered.

My view is that we should try to get ourselves, as racetracks, in front of the panel to ask them for greater clarification and detail about the funding formula being proposed because this formula on first blush, constitutes a reduction in revenue to racetracks.�

J o h n Wa l z a k , c h i e f o p e r a t i o n s officers for the Ontario Harness Horse Association, believes the new report is a

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gamingnewsroundup good thing. “It is something very close to what the OHHA asked for when we made our submission.” Walzak says that before this report, tracks were basically on their own and operated according to their own business concerns. “They were all doing what they needed to do in their local markets to service their business plans. Business plans were not coordinated and in some cases, not really shared.” He adds, “My take, quite frankly, is that there is a lead-in period adjusted in this report where we would need to talk about these business arrangements and find a way to satisfy them. We don’t want Woodbine out of business. We don’t want any track out of business. I may be overly optimistic and too simplistic, but I am thinking that is the kind of issue we can solve as an industry.”

The report outlines 11 recommendations. Remarks Panel Chair Stan Sadinsky, “Both the government and many stakeholders in the horseracing and breeding industry felt that the industry

needed a strategic vision and direction that would identify the challenges and opportunities that the industry faces within the current gaming environment.

This is especially important given that the industry lacked an effective governance structure and that the government needed to insure that the Slots at Racetracks Program was meeting its desired objectives.”

While some tracks feel they will take a bit financial hit, Sadinsky says, “If the recommendations regarding the Slots at Racetracks Program are implemented, the race tracks in Ontario will collectively receive approximately 95 percent of the slot revenue that they currently receive.”

Retorts Holmes: “Clearly there was not enough of an understanding of the business operations of the racetracks when some of these recommendations were brought forward. A ‘one size fits all’ solution does not work in an industry that is so complex with a variety of business structures from private/public/not-forprofit and agricultural societies.”

Also noteworthy is the fact that wagering on foreign races is up, but down on domestic racing. The report notes that Ontarians now wager 57 percent of their wagering dollars on foreign product.

Remarks Walzak: “I think the big issue here is access to the product. Foreign racing is more accessible in Ontario than Ontario racing is. A number of our smaller tracks don’t broadcast.

You actually have to go to a racetrack.”

For the larger tracks, you can bet online, by phone or at tele-theatres. “As an industry, we have failed to position our product on the betting shelves. We have not made ourselves available or accessible. We have a good product. In Ontario, we dropped the ball and have not really gone after our customers the way we should. [But] we can create the kind of environment the customer can respond to.”

Lisa Kopochinski is a freelance writer based in Sacramento, CA. She can be reached at lisakop@sbcglobal.net

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gamingpersonality

Michael

Graydon New President and CEO rises to the challenges of the dynamic industry. by lisa kopochinski

With more than three decades of marketing and general management experience under his belt, Michael Graydon joined the British Columbia Lottery Corporation as president and CEO on March 31.

“The board of directors was looking for an individual with exceptional management and leadership experience and we found that in Michael,” says John McLernon, chair of the BCLC board of directors. “We are excited about the direction he will take the organization.”

While Graydon, 53, is new to the gaming industry—this fifth-generation Torontonian comes to BCLC from Mega Group, Inc., Canada’s largest retail buying group. He says, “This is an industry that needs fresh thinking and perspective and I am here to drive innovation and creativity. My approach is to drive the team by finding and recruiting the best, most experienced people with the necessary expertise to work for BCLC.” BCLC, which is a provincial Crown Corporation that reports to the Minister of Public Safety and Solictor General through a board of directors, has a mission to offer responsible gaming entertainment and generate income for the public good.

Over the next year, Graydon says, “We

are going to put a strong leadership team in place that can guide the organization over the long term.”

Graydon developed a personal leadership style that focuses on innovation, creativity, strategic vision, profit generation and the development of human capital. He considers employees the most critical aspect of the business and aims to foster a vibrant and healthy workplace environment.

“In order for our business to grow and evolve,” he explains, “It is critical to establish and build on our relationship with our government shareholders, service providers and lottery retailers alike.”

Graydon began his career path in 1976 after completing studies at the University of Western Ontario. He has also studied at the London School of Business in England, and Insead in Paris, France. He developed his skills in a number of industries that include beer sales and marketing for Carling O’Keefe; advertising with Vickers & Benson; the Keg restaurant; grocery retail at Sobeys; and food manufacturing at J.D. Sweid.

Though this is his first position in gaming, he says, “I love the newness of the business, which offers a significant change from what I was doing previously. The past few months have presented a huge learning curve and I am enjoying the fun and entertainment aspect of the business immensely. I’m also enjoying building new relationships throughout the business and in government.” He continues,

“I like that it is an industry in constant and dynamic change. From the evolvement of bingo halls into community gaming centres, complemented with great restaurants, theatres and slot machines, I look forward to having an influence on the growth of the business.”

He cites the greatest challenge facing BCLC and the gaming industry as the ability to be innovative and find new ways to attract customers, by making existing facilities and lottery games appealing.

“There is a lot of new technology, similar to Xbox and Nintendo Wii, that hasn’t yet made it to the gaming industry,” he explains.

“Bringing new technology to our business poses a substantial challenge. We can rise to these challenges by taking our lottery games and gaming establishments to the next level.

In doing so, we must look at everything we do through a socially responsible lens.”

BCLC has been demonstrating social responsibility since its inception more than 30 years ago. Over the years, it has evolved from a lottery company to an organization that conducts and manages lottery, casino, bingo and Internet gaming in the province. In 2007 alone, BCLC generated more than $900 million for provincial programs and charities.

In his limited spare time, Graydon and his wife Ann, who live in White Rock, love to travel and spend time with their children, Matt, 26 and Alexa, 23. And, when time permits, he loves to satisfy what he calls his “insatiable passion for golf.”

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What's new

in the worl

Canadian Gaming Business approached major manufacturers of slot machines to get their input on the future of their industry. We wanted to know why slots are so popular and some of the challenges they face in attracting and maintaining players. We also wanted to discover some of technological improvements in the slot industry. This is what they said.

Bally Technologies People enjoy playing slots not just because they win money, but because they enjoy the social interaction. Today’s modern slot machines offer a whole lot more entertainment value in the form of exciting secondary bonus rounds, video-game quality animations, fun themes and a variety of choices. Also, compared to table games, slot machines are – by and large – less intimidating for novice gamblers.

Slots are going to become a lot more interactive, offering players a more personalized gaming experience. Also, slots are going to evolve into “information centers,” allowing casino operators to push out an array of marketing messages such as cross-promoting their dining, entertainment and other offerings; as well as providing the slot player with such conveniences as instant access to their slot club points, the ability to order drinks right from the machine and other interactive services. Of course, the big buzz in the industry these days is the push for “server-based” gaming, or what we like to call, the “networked floor of the future.”

While this new technology has the potential to offer casino operators enhanced levels of “command and control” over their slot operations, the average slot player will not

notice a whole lot of difference other than the increased functionality as previously stated.

It’s important to note that most gaming jurisdictions do not permit 18 year olds to gamble (with some very limited exceptions), and that Bally does not, as a rule, develop slot products for a particular age demographic.

Rather, Bally strives to create a complete portfolio of products that are intended to appeal to gamers of all ages and play styles.

The traditional gaming demographic is not based so much on age as it is based on the resources necessary to partake in casino offerings: time and money. Within that spectrum of players, many different ages and play preferences are represented. Our goal as a slot manufacturer is to provide a variety of offerings that encompass all these preferences.

Bally has probably the deepest library of classic reel-spinning titles of any manufacturer. We’ve taken a number of these classic, three-reel, one-line stepper slots and ported them over to a new cabinet design using our latest ALPHA operating system.

For those players who still seek out a more traditional slot gaming experience, these slots will continue to have great appeal.

Slots will continue play an increasingly

important role driving casinos ROI and profitability. High-speed Ethernet connectivity, coupled with advancements in software and hardware, will also continue to transform slot machines into comprehensive “gaming-entertainment” devices that give players much more than just an opportunity to win money. Slot machines will further evolve into devices that will offer players a much more individualized gaming experience with a greater degree of choices in game theme, denominations, multiple lines, bonus features and intelligent ergonomic cabinet design to reduce player fatigue and enhance player enjoyment. The slot operators’ ability to “command and control” their slot floor will allow them to make dynamic changes to their slot inventory, thereby allowing a new level of responsiveness to their customers’ needs and wants. Nevertheless, the thrill of winning a big jackpot will always be the foundation of what continues to make slots one of gaming’s most popular – and enduring – choices for players.

AC Coin & Slot Over the course of our 30 years in the slot business, slot machines have evolved to meet the demands of an everchanging player population. Games that

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C

largest casino resort in canada.

rld of slots Part One of a Two Part Series

have remained popular throughout this evolution are those that consistently offer exciting game play and a good mix of math volatility and hit frequency.

Technology is quickly gravitating into the industry, which is allowing manufacturers to expand the capabilities of game play, and in turn, increase player appeal. The changing demographic make-up of the player population has been an additional incentive for operators and manufacturers alike to offer higher entertainment value to attract a younger demographic whose demands are not the same as the traditional slot player.

These younger players demand a social/ community aspect of gaming that until the introduction of multi-player slot games, had not been offered.

To c o n t i n u e t o a t t r a c t t h e m o r e traditional slot player amid these changes, casino operators must continue to offer proven player favourites and keep game play competitive and intuitive while ensuring the utmost level of player entertainment.

Looking toward the future, we see technology as a great tool for customer satisfaction. New game technology will allow more ways to wager, which will ultimately mean more ways to play, win and be rewarded—and what player doesn’t love to be rewarded!

Spielo Slots continue to enjoy a high degree of popularity primarily because they are very entertaining and a offer variety of

themes and gaming concepts. Themes based on popular movies or television shows such as Deal or No Deal™ help to keep the games current and fresh.

Slot machines are able to change and evolve in ways that other casino games simply cannot. Technology also allows slots to meet the demands of different players who have different budgets and gaming preferences. They are a source of entertainment that have a lot of flexibility and can be adapted to new or emerging player preferences.

The biggest changes to come to slot floors will be driven by advances in technology. Server Assisted Gaming (SAG) is going to have a very big impact on the business. At the same time, games still need to be fun and advances in technology platforms will continue to maximize the entertainment value of slots.

We are already seeing this with our many linked gaming offerings. Technology will also result in more innovative cabinet design and functionality.

The 18-35 demographic important player segment is attracted to a different set of game themes and concepts than many other players might be. Newer game themes that they find appealing, such as Deal or No Deal™ really help us reach these players. Offering games in a wide variety of denominations that appeal to their budgets is another way. Having an understanding on how important the entertainment proposition and interactivity of games are to these players is key. After all, they come from

a video or online gaming generation.

Incorporating features from that realm into the playing experience offered by slots, particularly in the community gaming area, is how we will keep them entertained and interested.

Retaining this core player is vital to the success of any slot vendor. Through research with this demographic, we choose game themes and concepts they tell us they like. Games with certain nostalgia or imagery in their themes, such as King Kong Cash™ or THE DOG appeal to this age demographic more than they do other groups. Using new technologies such as photo-realism to replicate mechanical slots is another we keep them interested. Backing up those moves with player focus groups also helps us ensure we are on track and creating games that core players will enjoy.

The biggest technological impact will be the move toward server-based solutions. Partnerships between vendors and properties in Server Assisted Gaming (SAG) will allow for two very important developments. Player / casino relationships and marketing will benefit tremendously while floor management will enter a whole new dimension. With these changes, casinos will be better able to meet the expectations of players, making the slot floor even more important to the overall success of properties than they already are.

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Harris/Decima 2008 National Gambling Report

A look at the most recent stats released this past June

By Peter MacKenzie

There can be no doubt Canadians enjoy gambling, though to varying degrees and with diverse interests. In the past year, over 80% of the approximately 25 million Canadians of gambling age played a lottery game and just under half participated in other gambling activities such as casinos, sports betting, and bingo.

These are just some of the key points noted by Harris/Decima Chairman Allan Gregg when he delivered a keynote address at the Canadian Gaming Summit in April while unveiling some of the latest information and analysis from the 2008 National Gambling Report, officially released on June 16th.

“Gambling interest continues to grow,” discloses Gregg, “with a 5% increase in lottery participation since 2006, and though there has been a 4% reported decrease in other gambling activities over 2007, that is still on par with 2006.”

This unique consumer study, the fourth released by Harris/Decima since 2005, delves deeply into the gambling habits of Canadians, and puts their participation in these activities into social and political context. The study, created by Richard Leigh-Bennett, Senior Vice President of Lottery and Gaming Research at Harris/Decima, deals with every form of legal gambling in Canada, and segments Canadians based on their attitudes towards gambling in Canada. It also identifies who play which games, how they feel about new gaming concepts, their perceptions of the provincial governments which regulate gambling, and

of great importance, the perceived and real prevalence of problem gambling.

“By highlighting emerging issues and trends, this report can assist gaming managers in anticipating changing market conditions,” says Leigh-Bennett, “and it sheds light on future growth opportunities and potential barriers.”

Of particular significance is that the percentage of Canadians who claim to have never gambled continues to decline, from 20% in 2006 to 13% in the past year. “For the most part, Canadians see themselves as social gamblers who play when the opportunity

arises, on social occasions, or when the lottery jackpots are big,” notes Leigh-Bennett.

The supply of, and demand for, gambling activities in Canada marry nicely to allow governments to feel comfortable in the end result, which is to count on revenues from gambling to deliver additional programs and funding, rather than to increase taxes for such purposes. In fact, over two thirds 64%of Canadians support this direction, as the more preferable means for provincial governments to raise additional revenues, if 60% required. This represents a 10% increase over the past year.

Seriousness of Social Problems 57% (% who rated the social problem in their province a 4 or 5 out of 5) Drug Addiction

64%

Drug addiction

64%

57%

Driving Above the speed limit

60%

Driving above the speed limit

60%

57%

Smoking Addiction Smoking addiction

57%

54%

Alcohol Abuse

57%

57%

Alcohol abuse

54%

Crime Rates

54%

Crime rates

Gambling Addiction

48%

48%

Gambling addiction

Unemployment Rates

48%

2008

2008

40%

40%

Unemployment rates

0% 0%

40%

20% 20%

40% 40%

60% 60%

80% 80%

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0%

20% CanadianGaming_Aug08rev.indd 14

40%

60%

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“As with any industry,” explains LeighBennett, “it is essential the negative impacts of gambling are quantified, qualified, accepted, and properly addressed. Canadians perceive gambling problems to be rather high although less than 5% of Canadians are considered severe problem gamblers according to the CPGI. The strong addiction awareness campaigns played out over the past few years have no doubt helped heighten the awareness of gambling problems.”

“Regardless of the low percentage, gambling addiction is an issue that is being, and must continue to be addressed,” suggests LeighBennett. “When asked to rate gambling addiction against other societal issues, 48% of Canadians say it is a serious or very serious issue, up 5% over the previous two years. However, to put it in perspective, Canadians rank gambling addiction the second lowest concern among the seven issues tested.”

In terms of personal gambling habits, one in three Canadians say they are gambling less than they did three years ago. Older Canadians are

more likely to be gambling less while younger Canadians are more likely to be gambling more. Unfortunately for lottery jurisdictions in Canada, this younger group favours the more convenient technology driven gambling options of the future.

Despite views that gambling addiction is becoming more of a concern, acceptance of technology driven gambling delivery systems is also on the rise. Younger males, those who feel it is up to the individual to control their own gambling, and those who recognize the economic benefits of gambling are far more likely to approve of these new delivery systems.

Leigh-Bennett notes the gambling “public pressure barometer” (i.e. those who feel that gambling is a serious problem and that the government is doing a poor job in regulating gambling) is highest in the East and lowest in BC and Ontario, a reflection of a more cautious approach in British Columbia and Ontario as to the placement of electronic gambling machines into age-controlled and regulated environments.

Leigh-Bennett advises that any public policy addressing future gambling expansion, whether it is for online gambling, for lottery ticket purchase through mobile devices or for allowing single game sports betting, needs to balance the views of those favouring economic benefits versus those with concerns about the problems of gambling.

“The segments delineated within the study provide us with the foundation to better understand how current gambling policy has shaped Canadians attitudes towards the issue and can be used to guide future changes that are needed to address some of the shortcomings of today's legal gambling options,” he concludes.

For further details on the 2008 Harris/ Decima National Gambling Report, contact Richard Leigh-Bennett at (613)230-2200 or rleighbennett@harrisdecima.com.

Peter MacKenzie is Senior Writer with Gaming Market Insights, a Harris/Decima publication.

A Winning Philosophy.

The fundamental goal of the Canadian Gaming Association is to create balance in the public dialogue about gaming in Canada.

Our members are the largest and most established gaming operators, suppliers and gaming equipment manufacturers in Canada, including provincial lottery corporations, casino and race track operators, and makers of slot machines and other related equipment.

Our mandate is to create a better understanding of the gaming industry through education and advocacy. Visit our web site at www.canadiangaming.ca and find out more about who we are and what a CGA membership can do for you.

www.canadiangaming.ca

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The Future of the

Canadian Gam

Monopoly. Largely depending on which side of the fence you’re on, this word evokes either thoughts of effective consumer protection or archaic anti-competitive protectionism. I happen to work for one of Canada’s provincial government gaming monopolies, but that doesn’t mean I see the current approach as a “one-size-fits-all” solution. In fact, my thoughts on the future of the gambling industry in Canada are quite contrary to the status quo. mOnOPOlies made a lOt of sense when gaming was initially legalized and regulated in Canada. Back then, the industry was largely unknown and caution was the order of the day. At that time gambling was also a bricks and mortar-based business. This meant it was easy to operate and control a monopoly within each geographical jurisdiction simply by physically limiting and regulating the number of casinos and lottery retail outlets, and then channeling 100 per cent of profits directly into government

programs and services. For decades, this approach served us well, with the lottery and gaming corporations in our country collectively delivering billions in profits to provincial governments and investing more per capita in responsible gambling programs and problem gambling treatment than any other country in the world.

But with the advent of online gambling the game has fundamentally changed. The trouble is, our monopolistic mindset has

not. Consider the facts. Ten years ago there were 250 online gambling websites; now there are more than 2,500. In 2005, all casinos in the gambling mecca of Nevada combined made $2 billion in profit, while global online gambling and betting reached a comparatively staggering $70 billion. What’s more, the online industry is expected to continue to grow by $2 billion every single year. The conclusion: our future is online, but we aren’t.

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aming Industry A look at where the industry is heading By maRGaRet mCGee

This is without question the single fastest growing sector in the gambling industry, yet not one of the provincial gaming corporations in Canada has gone into the business of online casinos, poker or betting. This leaves the sector being served by unregulated operators. And since only gaming “conducted and managed” by provincial governments is legal, this means the $700 million wagered online each year in Canada is illegal.

So, as industry experts, why are we ignoring the choices of our customers and the evolution of our business model? And perhaps the even bigger question, why are we ignoring our mandates? After all, government got into the business of gambling in the first place to protect consumers. But how can you effectively protect players when you are ignoring the fastest growing part of your industry? Quite simply, you can’t and we aren’t. We protect them when they play our products, but when they go online, they are on their own. And to make matters worse, our citizens seem to have no idea this gap exists. A national survey conducted in January 2008 found that a full 73% of Canadians erroneously believe that online gambling is legal. That means they wrongly assume that when they play online they are subject to the same protections and policing they benefit from in land-based casinos and lotteries.

Since this fundamental online shift in our business started happening more than a decade ago, how did we miss the boat? I think complacency and courage are the two key explanations. Monopolies can be like large, lumbering dinosaurs, slow-moving and the

opposite of quick-to-change. So when online gaming providers started popping up, at first we likely didn’t even notice them. And when we did, we didn’t think they posed a serious threat.

After all, we had a distribution model that worked well so we didn’t need to worry about these fly-by-nighters playing in an underground online world. Or so we thought. This is a classic mistake taught over and over again to freshfaced MBA students every semester: The large industry incumbent fails to recognize the very real threat posed by new entrants who are innovating and successfully changing the game right under their noses. These corporate giants who made the rules in the first place can’t adapt to change and end up doomed to fade into obsolescence.

The good news for gaming corporations is that our monopoly status has provided some protection. So instead of going out of business we have seen our market shares drop. The bad news is, for companies used to dominating the marketplace we are suddenly faced with a stark new reality. We have ticket lottery products in the mature end of the product life cycle, declining or flat revenues in some business lines for the first time ever, and we are being forced to compete because our monopolies are no longer fully protected. Complacency is, quite simply, no longer an option.

The other half of the explanation for our current conundrum is courage, or more to the point lack thereof. Gambling is still a controversial industry in our country, with public approval ratings sometimes plummeting to the low teens in some provinces. Gaming

corporations have stayed offline largely because governments don’t want to do anything that seems like expanding gambling as that could create bad press and raise the ire of voters.

Nothing breeds political inaction like the potential for a no-win issue. This is the same reason why individuals are not prosecuted in Canada for engaging in the illegal activity of gambling online; better to turn a blind eye than ignite a public debate on the merits and morality of gambling.

As well, many politicians and members of the public don’t really believe online gambling is actually happening here. To be fair, in real terms the participation numbers seem fairly small. But what’s important to analyze and understand is that they are growing exponentially. And, for example, we know that underage teenagers are gambling online for money three times as often as adults. We also know that the younger someone starts to bet the higher the chance they have of developing a gambling problem later in life. So we have legions of teenagers who are learning to gamble online with no conception of the risks and consequences.

This is the next generation who will be coming of age for our industry to deal with.

Talk about the perfect storm.

So here we are. We are regulating our industry, but not the fastest growing part of it.

We are giving all of our profits to government, except for the hundreds of millions that flow to offshore operators through the unregulated online sites. Meanwhile, online gambling is illegal, but no one is doing much of anything to Canadian Gaming Business | 17

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actually enforce that prohibition. All the while, gaming and lottery corporations are struggling to become more relevant, entertaining, innovative and customer-focused to stave off flat revenues and declining futures, but none of us are venturing online. It’s a strange neverland of inertia that will get us nowhere….nowhere good at any rate.

The solution to all of this is clear, but far from simple. We need to reinvent ourselves as uber-monopolies that are nimble, flexible, competitive and hungry for change.

To be clear, I am not advocating abolishing monopolies. I believe this approach has done and continues to do a lot of good. A prime example: without the Canadian monopoly approach, I don’t think we would be leading the way globally in social responsibility. Being run by government has allowed us to truly build an industry that balances economics and responsibility in a fashion that simply doesn’t happen to the same level in a private company that has to focus solely on the bottom line in order to survive. Monopolies have worked well in the traditional gambling industry, but they need to change to keep pace with an online world that offers 24/7 on-demand gambling with no global boundaries.

So what exactly am I suggesting the solution is? Number one, I think the provinces always will and should retain their monopolies to “conduct and manage.”

But, number two, I think we should look for ways to introduce more competition into our industry. This likely means getting out of the business of government operating gaming and instead focusing our efforts on managing and regulating the industry.

Number three, I think we should look to creative approaches and partnerships to make this happen.

Online gambling is the perfect test case for a new approach. If you look at the history of our monopolies, some of the most effective outcomes arise from private partnerships that marry our monopolies with the best of the private marketplace. For example, some provinces maintain the “conduct and manage” role but contract out the day-today operations of casinos to private operators and most use private sector retailers as lottery distributors. There is a huge opportunity to take this public-private approach to the next level with online gaming. But we only

get one strategic opportunity to enter into this market the right way, so it is crucial to consider what has worked and what hasn’t in other jurisdictions.

We are well behind the international curve online. Sweden was the first government monopoly to venture into the online world with Svenska Spel’s poker offering. In economic terms it has been hugely successful, capturing 35 per cent of the internet market in Sweden in one year. But will it last? Svenka’s former chief executive has been outspoken in his belief that a monopoly approach is the wrong one.

It is also currently subject to numerous trade and political challenges from antiprotectionist forces in the European Union.

The United Kingdom was the first major jurisdiction to regulate online gambling with an open market approach. Jurisdictions apply to be “white listed” and if they meet the high standards set out in legislation for social responsibility, fairness and security, operators in white-listed jurisdictions win the right to advertise and legally offer their services to British citizens. This is working well from a regulatory and responsibility approach, but with a total tax rate that can be as high as 50 per cent for online gambling companies the new regime hasn’t succeeded in convincing many British companies to bring their offshore gambling operations back onto home soil.

The United States has taken an opposite approach and its attempt to prohibit online gambling by targeting the financial transactions that make e-wagers possible has been largely unsuccessful. After an initial dip in betting from US citizens, levels have now apparently surpassed pre-prohibition dollar values. The US is also facing a barrage of trade and political challenges. Logically, we all know that prohibition doesn’t solve anything but instead only creates a host of new problems. Not surprisingly, observers predict this prohibitionist legislation will fall within a few years, maybe sooner.

There are also a handful of small jurisdictions that have been quietly regulating online gaming for years. Alderney, Isle of Man, Malta and Gibraltar are some of the best-known offshore havens for low tax and credible regulatory regimes.

The key lessons to be learned from these international examples are: effective regulation

absolutely can be achieved, the system works best when the regulator doesn’t get too greedy from a taxation perspective, and monopolies are not sustainable in the online world. They simply don’t make sense. Why would we take what amounts to an existing open market and try to wrestle the genie back into the bottle?

Consumers have already spoken and we have to respect their wishes. They like the current offerings. The top tier online operators have exceptional brands, solid responsible gambling measures, fair and secure sites and excellent technology and software. They know their business and they are highly competitive. As slow monopolies not even in the race yet, how could we possibly ever hope to compete? The truth of the matter is: we couldn’t.

However, we can add value through regulation and social responsibility. These are two things we do very well and we could help international online gambling sites take their operations to the next level in this regard.

All we have to do is open our minds and our monopolies. Add in some careful navigating of the Criminal Code, a few innovative partnerships and international reciprocal agreements, and a Canadian province or provinces could conceivably introduce North America’s first legal, regulated open market for online gambling.

We would need a competitive corporate tax structure, a fair gaming duty, appropriate licensing fees and the necessary technology infrastructure. And of course, we would need the political will to pass a regulatory regime that ensured sites in our jurisdiction were fair, safe, secure and responsible. With all this in place we could then open our borders to online companies wishing to locate their servers in our jurisdiction, play by our world-class rules and benefit from all the credibility gained from receiving a Canadian government sanctioned stamp of approval. Then we, in turn, could ensure we were truly leading and regulating the entire gambling industry and offering our citizens all the appropriate consumer protections they deserve, both on land and online. It’s the right thing to do and it makes economic sense.

In my mind this is not an “if” but a “when.”

The question at the heart of the matter is: who will have the courage to leap first?

Margaret McGee is Vice President, Business Innovation at the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation.

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FORMED Caesars Windsor is the first of its kind outside of the U.S.

By lisa kOPOChinski

Billy jOel, kenny ROGeRs, Clint BlaCk, The Beach Boys. I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto. With one look at this line up of superstars, you’d think you’re at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas—rather than Caesars Windsor.

The startling transformation of the Casino Windsor to Caesars Windsor was completed in June. First established as an interim casino in 1994, this luxurious world-class resort is now the first Caesars of its kind outside the U.S. to celebrate the gala opening on June 19,

legend Billy Joel was the entertainment at the new 5,000-seat Colosseum theatre. And, the Piano Man is just the beginning of great headliners slated to entertain throughout this summer and fall. The list also includes Patti Labelle, Ringo Starr, Michael Bolton, Reba McEntire, Howie Mandel and others.

“We are very excited about launching a new era for Windsor as a travel and entertainment hotspot,” says Kevin Laforet, President and CEO of Windsor Casino Limited. “The name ‘Caesars’

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instantly conveys an image of excellence, high-quality amenities and superb service. I can assure you Caesars Windsor will live up to that reputation.”

Laforet was named president and CEO of Windsor Casino Limited (WCL) in June 2003 and is the first Canadian to hold this position within the company. WCL, which is equally owned by Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. and Hilton Hotels, operates Caesars Windsor on behalf of the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation.

Remarks Kelly McDougald, CEO of the OLGC, “We are proud to have invested $439 million in this exciting expanded facility. We look forward to attracting new and repeat visitors to Caesars.”

Located at 377 Riverside Drive East in Windsor, and situated on nearly 10 acres on an international waterfront, only 25 minutes from Detroit Metro airport, the expanded property includes a new luxury hotel tower—the 369-room, 27-storey Augustus Tower, the tallest building on Windsor’s skyline.

The new hotel complements the existing 389-room four-diamond hotel. “All 758 rooms meet the luxurious Caesars brand standards with golden hues, combined with charcoal accents and soft walnut wood tones,” says Holly Ward, Director of Communications and Community Affairs. “Hotel guests are treated to valet service, 24-hour room service and concierge attention, an indoor pool, health gym and wireless highspeed Internet service.”

The renovation—which took three years—also includes 100,000-square feet of convention space, making it the largest casino resort in the Windsor-Detroit market, and the largest casino resort in Canada.

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“The 26,000-square-foot Augustus ballroom features subtle silver and gold tones against a neutral backdrop, creating a level of sophistication desired for a high-end function area,” explains Ward. “The new ballroom is the largest of its size in the area and can be separated into four sections with soundproof dividers.”

As well, the 5,000 seats inside the Colosseum retract, transforming the venue into an exhibition hall with 39,500 square feet of column-free space. Seven conference rooms are available for smaller meetings along with multimedia equipment and a full-service business centre.

And when business concludes for the day, guests can check out five new restaurants, two bars and an impressive six-story rotunda.

Considered the hub and drawing inspiration from Italian piazzas, the rotunda acts as a town square with a six-story domed ceiling, soaring skylights, sparkling water features, Romanesque sculptures, marble columns and gorgeous murals. “Located on the main level, there is the Cosmos Lounge where guests can relax and socialize, while the VU bar on the second floor offers views of the Detroit skyline and an outdoor balcony,” offers Ward.

With no shortage of great eating establishments, there’s Neros, a traditional gourmet steakhouse that is a signature Caesars Palace restaurant in Las Vegas. Diners can feast on the finest cuts of beef, a wide variety of fresh seafood and sample from 200 world-renowned wines.

Inside the Artist Café, this European bistro combines contemporary style with world-class tradition. The extensive menu offers 24-hour dining with a patio located in the Rotunda offering open-air ambiance.

Appealing to everyone, the 650-seat Market Buffet invites guests to view dozens of chefs display their talents at seven serving stations. Watch the fun as these stations double as kitchens, with 95 percent of the dishes made fresh on the spot.

Sports fans can place a bet on their favourite team and grab a bite at Legends. With 36 video screens visible from anywhere in this multilevel venue and, unlike anything else in the Detroit/Windsor region, this sports bar offers game picks multi-sport wagering. Bets can be placed on American professional football, North American professional hockey, professional baseball, American college football and college basketball.

For gaming action, 2,600 slot machines, 90 table games and sports wagering can be found on 100,000 square feet stretched across two levels.

“The majority of our visitors are American,” says Ward, “but a specific breakdown is proprietary for competitive reasons. Our competition is in Detroit with the MGM Grand, Motorcity Casino and Greektown Casino.” Caesars Windsor employs 4,000 people and is “the second largest employer in the city after Chrysler,” she adds.

WCL operates the casino on behalf of the Government of Ontario. The Government of Ontario retains 20 percent of the gross gaming revenues of the casino and WCL is paid an operating fee that is tied to revenue and operating results. The profits from the casino accrue to the Province of Ontario to support programs such as health care and education. With more than 4 million visitors last year, revenue for the Casino Windsor in 2007 was $370 million.

Says Laforet, “We are ready to compete and we look forward to showing the world the best Windsor has to offer.”

Lisa Kopochinski is a freelance writer who is based in Sacramento, CA. She can be reached at lisakop@sbcglobal.net.

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Server-Based Gaming: What’s Happening?

An operator, a manufacturer and the Gaming Standards Association all offer their insights into bringing server-based gaming to the marketplace.

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An Operational Perspective It is proven fact that the introduction of TITO improved customer service by eliminating wait times for hopper fills, as well as provided players with the convenience of playing different denomination games without needing different types of coins - or coins period. This technology was all about overall convenience for the player. The same will be said about server-based gaming.

The future value of any new technological advancement in casinos and particularly server-based gaming for the gaming operator will be directly related to its value to the player. The gaming operators already analyze information from various sources with some forward thinking predictive modeling.

However, the goal is to incorporate those capabilities into one central-SB product. For the first time, the entire play experience is customized to the players' expectations.

Server-based applications will allow casinos numerous operational advantages including downloading of game themes and machine configurations from one central computer, which will simplify the process that is still handled manually on each machine on most of the casino floors in North America.

Choosing between hundreds of potential games may be overwhelming for players, although having the casino operator pick and choose games can more effectively weed out under performing themes, making casinos definitively more efficient and profitable.

Implementation of server-based gaming will require massive technical infrastructure changes to the gaming floor: new wiring, new servers, new gaming machines, just to name a few. Now is the time for operators to look to the future, investigating the possibilities that server-based gaming opens up. It’s time to consider the capabilities of the current systems. Will these systems be able to deliver on the promises made by server-based gaming?

Is now the time to move to a more open standard for these systems? Thus, serverbased gaming is the catalyst causing operators to contemplate technological changes that will govern how the gaming floor integrates with the rest of the property for years to come.

Over and above the technology challenges, operators will need to be ready for the new processes required to implement serverbased gaming effectively. Changing game

themes, denominations, number of lines, etc. will all require a significant understanding of the customer. Who makes these decisions? Once the decisions are made, who implements the decisions? Will it be IT or the Slot Department? Again, server-based gaming is the catalyst for change.

This transformation won't occur 3Rock_1(2ISL.pdf 2/7/2008 9:55:13 AM overnight. Software upgrades that take

a few months to implement in other industries can take two or three years for casinos, highly regulated businesses with rules that differ by jurisdiction, let alone country. Gaming equipment makers have been working together over the course of last couple of years to develop compatible system and yet we still don’t have any significant operation running 100% serverbased technology.

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Jo v i c a Pe r o v i c i s Vi c e P r e s i d e n t o f Operations-GVRD, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Inc. Will Parei is the Director-Product Development, BCLC

A Manufacturer’s Perspective The open network is no longer just a concept; it’s a reality. Forward-thinking gaming operators, manufacturers and other partners recognize the benefits of the Gaming Standards Association (GSA) universal protocols. The industry is coming together and collaborating like never before to develop standards that open the doors for true innovation.

Pr e p a r i n g t o r u n a s e r v e r- b a s e d environment requires transitioning the casino floor, over a period of time, to the open network. Transitioning to tomorrow’s floor will not happen overnight, but during the transition, a casino can maintain the functionality of its current transactional system. IGT’s server-based solution, for example, is integrated but modular in design and the casino can introduce the various components at the time that is right for its business.

Investing time and resources now will leverage the power of the open network and the introduction of server-based technologies. The following five steps outline what can be done right now to incorporate the next generation of technology into the operation.

Step 1: Build an Ethernet-ready casino floor Building an Ethernet-ready casino floor is the most critical part of the process. This step ensures that the correct bandwidth and infrastructure is in place prior to installation of a server-based system, guaranteeing the proper flow of communications.

Step 2: Order Game-to-System (G2S) serverbased ready games Only G2S-compliant games provide complete interoperability with the open network. Games should be purchased from slot manufacturers that adhere to the G2S protocol to avoid additional interfaces and development.

Step 3: Upgrade to Service Window-capable games and devices The power of the open network is only fully realized when the innovations it makes possible reach the intended audience – the players. With the Service Window in place, property-specific marketing offers and other incentives can be delivered right to a player’s game.

Step 4: Invest in a Business Intelligence system The concepts of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Business Intelligence (BI) are critical for operations to streamline the business, increase player loyalty and stay ahead of the competition.

CRM and BI allow an operator to compete with the data it already has and provides the ability to ask the right questions about players and their preferences, as well as machines and floor mix. With this kind of knowledge power, an operator can act on the results of that data with speed and agility.

Step 5: Bring the right talent on board To run a server-based network on the casino floor requires a tech-savvy team that is ready to progress along with the technology.

From developing integrated marketing campaigns based on predictive analytics to creating new strategies and content, the team will need to understand the power the open network can provide.

Rick Sorensen is Manager of Public Relations, IGT

The Regulator’s Perspective For the past ten years, the Gaming Standards Association’s consortium of international

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26 | August 2008

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operators, manufacturers and test labs has been developing protocol standards for the gaming industry. And with many successes under our belt, perhaps GSA’s most important is the Gameto-System (G2S) protocol, which literally is the power behind networked gaming.

The protocol briefly remained a vague reality; however, after it won four major awards, and after the trade show floors at G2E, ICE, NIGA and G2E Asia became populated with games and systems that were labeled “G2S-ready,” the reality of standards set in industry wide.

Live in-field tests are underway right now, and that means now is the time for operators and regulators to begin planning for near-future, widespread implementation.

From operator and customer perspectives, networked gaming – being either systemsupported or system-based – brings incredible new advantages. Operators report that less than 50 percent of total revenue now comes from gaming; the majority of revenue is coming from sources such as spas, shows, restaurants, retail and other services. Linking gaming systems to other revenue systems will give a more accurate player profile, enabling the property to give the customer a unique experience, perfectly tailored to his or her own individual tastes and preferences.

So as operators and customers demand more from their systems, regulators will deal with the rapidly approaching reality of networked gaming systems.

The good news is, with the additional level of complexity these systems bring, also come more capable tools to help regulators secure their gaming floors with encryption and certification. They even allow regulators to authenticate the entire floor with the GAT function, the entire floor from the back of the house or even from the regulator’s office.

With G2S comes the capability to download software to gaming machines. And it brings an authorization feature, where a change on the floor cannot happen unless authorized by the operator or by the regulator, giving an even greater level of control.

Another feature of G2S that is helpful to regulators is the guest host function, which allows a regulator to put a regulatory server on the gaming floor. This allows for full monitoring of the entire floor. With this function, regulators get the information they need not from an accounting system, but directly from the floor.

To help with the transition to the world of networked gaming, GSA has developed an

education program that regulators can take advantage of, providing in-depth schooling on G2S, S2S, Transport and all of the intricacies that enable the networked gaming floor. Additionally, GSA will provide, free of charge, protocol evaluation tools for qualified government regulatory agencies.

This is an exciting time for the industry.

The move to networked gaming will bring incredible innovations, and the industry will quickly adopt technologies from outside gaming, as innovations will come as much from the outside as from the inside. Content will be more portable, and customers will be more comfortable with new experiences. Data demand will increase, as will security, which will become more complex.

The lesson for regulators comes down to one word: Now. Now is not the time to delay; now is the time to act. We’ve been talking about networked gaming for a long time, long enough to lull us into a cynical sense of security that maybe it’s not going to happen. The reality is, it’s here, it’s happening, and regulators and operators need to be ready. Now. Marc McDermott is the Technical Director at the Gaming Standards Association.

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Charitable Gaming Canada Partnerships are Critical by lynn cassidy

i aM the eXecutive director of the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association, the provincial association of charities and nonprofits that raise funds through charitable gaming in Ontario. This column will be an ongoing feature in Canadian Gaming Business so that we can profile the initiatives and activities of charitable gaming across the country. For this first column, I want to focus on the importance of strong partnerships and share with you a bit of our experience in Ontario.

Our organization has been in existence for over ten years and believes that building positive partnerships with the provincial and local governments, the regulator, government agencies, and the private sector, is the path to effective change. Over the years, our organization has worked in partnership with our regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and Ontario Lottery and Gaming, on many exciting initiatives to improve charitable gaming in Ontario. Both organizations have been excellent partners - truly supportive of charities and their fundraising efforts.

A key example of this has been the Electronic Bingo initiative with Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) that established four Bingo Gaming Centres across the province. These sites have now been operating successfully for three years.

Plans for expansion are currently being implemented in Windsor with four other communities identified to follow.

This initiative came about because charities were concerned about rapidly declining bingo revenues. Criminal Code restrictions and provincial policies prevented charities from using modern technology in bingo centres so the only avenue open to charities for access to new technology was through a partnership with OLG.

Significant time and effort from all parities was dedicated to develop a model that provided financial opportunities for charities in local communities and required facilities’ investment by the private sector.

For charities, this initiative was a sign that the McGuinty Government was committed to ending the ongoing decline for bingo charities in the face of competition from government gaming and other forms of entertainment. It also signaled a new approach at Ontario Lottery and Gaming – that this organization was about more than making money for government and saw value in partnering directly with local charities on a cost-recovery basis.

The new Electronic Bingo sites are a

Charities play an active role in the facilities, providing customer service and bringing public awareness of how the money raised beneďŹ ts the local community.

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revolution for charities and their customers.

At the ceremonies, both provincial The facilities are beautifully renovated and and municipal politicians recognized the provide customers with a range of options for importance and the tremendous contribution bingo-play, using touch screen computers, that a strong volunteer base makes to local wireless hand-held units, and, of course, communities and to the province. This traditional paper. The facilities emphasize appreciation was reinforced by the Honorable great customer service and provide a terrific Aileen Carroll, Minister of Culture and entertainment experience.

Minister Responsible for Seniors, the Charities play an active role in the facilities, Honorable Rick Bartolucci, Minister providing customer service and bringing of Community Safety and Correctional public awareness of how the money raised Services, and the Honorable John Gerretsen, benefits the local community. We have Minister of the Environment. over 4,000 volunteers dedicating their time This initiative supports many critical to assisting with the operation of these four Ad causes such as assisting to provide food for RG Conference Bingo Gaming Centres in order to raise over 10,000 people in the Sudbury area money for their charities. through the food bank network; supporting In the first three years, almost $16.5 Aboriginal Healthy Babies and Prenatal million has been raised for the charities Program; providing resources for Hospice in these four sites. In 2007 alone, over Simcoe; ensuring that women and children $6 million was distributed to charities for have the safe haven of the Women’s and good works in their local communities. Children’s Shelter in Barrie; providing We recently had media events at these program dollars for Big Brothers/Big Sisters; Bingo Gaming Centres where provincial funding TALK Kingston – a crisis line; and Ministers and MPPs presented cheques, for many health related organizations. representing the money raised, to the Bingo is a critical source of fundraising for Mayors of the four communities. these organizations. Many have little or no

government funding for their operational needs and the direct flow of funds locally is essential for survival. Bingo funds cover direct service needs that most granting organizations such as the Trillium Fund define as outside their scope.

This partnership between charities/ non-profits in Ontario and OLG has been a tremendously positive one and we are grateful to the McGuinty Government for providing this direction. As we move forward with the planned expansion of this initiative to other communities such as Windsor, we are very appreciative of the resources, efforts, and support from OLG that have gone into our sector.

We look forward to building on this successful partnership with Ontario Lottery and Gaming to strengthen local charitable gaming and increase the number of opportunities for charities to fundraise through bingo, providing needed services and programs to their communities.

Lynn Cassidy is the Executive Director of Ontario Charitable Gaming Association

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Listening to the Players Bingo is changing.

By Shannon Larsen

M any chari ta b l e o r g a n izat io n s , commercial hall operators, First Nations, manufacturers and governments would like to see bingo further evolve and be more profitable. However, in order to succeed, we must first understand why our patrons play bingo and what attracts them to the game.

Together as an industry we can find ways to keep our existing players enticed, and create new ones to bring people to our facilities.

Over the past several months, I have polled countless bingo players of varying age, sex, and coming from different geographic areas across North America. In an effort to collect valuable data, I asked them a simple question, "Why do you come to bingo and what is your favourite part of the experience?"

The answers were quite surprising as the majority answered similarly. The general consensus of why players go to bingo halls is to have a place to go to that is not too expensive, to enjoy a few hours of entertainment alone or with friends and to be entertained in a comfortable atmosphere where they know what to expect. And who doesn’t want to win?

With that said, there is another reason I will detail later in this story.

Going to a bingo hall or entertainment centre provides a place where you can spend a fixed amount of money for several hours of gaming. Players can have a full afternoon or evening of entertainment that doesn’t threaten their pocketbook. Bingo players enjoy a night out in a comfortable, nonrowdy and relaxing atmosphere.

Bingo Halls provide routine and familiarity where regular players know the other patrons, workers, games, and the prize structures. These familiarities make players want to bring others with them as the expectation is already set. Bingo patrons also appreciate the opportunity to set their own social climate, whether they go alone or bring a few friends.

Of course, the chance to win enough times to want to come back again, or win big is a vital ingredient to patrons wanting to return.

Although only a small percentage of people expect to win big, the mere fact of having the chance is enough. Winning is only viewed as an added bonus to the outing.

Before I reveal what players most liked about their bingo experiences, I came across a revelation you may find surprising but is another major reason people play bingo.

Most players don’t realize it but the game of bingo not only provides adrenaline or anticipation of the win, but also provides various levels of mental exercise that includes speed, agility, memory, and focus. Scientific studies show that games are a good way for people to sustain and grow their mental capabilities. A study by the Southampton University Psychology Department proved that bingo keeps the mind sharp. Bingo is not only a form of entertainment but an enjoyable way to exercise your brain through gaming. Bingo players showed more accuracy and speed in the conducted tests that measured memory, mental speed and the ability to absorb information from their environment compared to those who don’t play bingo. “The tight knot in my stomach from the anticipation, the thrill of being set and the challenge to win!” as one player put it, is another factor in repeat visits.

What about service, you ask? When players talked about the service that makes it an enjoyable experience, they referred to the service received from the moment they walk in the door. The person greeting them with a smile, cashiers that are familiar with their usual ‘buy-in,’ floor workers who help with specials, callers who create a little fun and the canteen or restaurant staff that make and serve a wide variety of food. Everyone plays a vital role in the overall experience.

Patrons enjoy courteous service in a clean environment where they can relax.

Last but not least, the most revealing of the results was that atmosphere is an extremely important part of a player’s expectations. Different bingo operators are trying new ways to create a calm and relaxing yet exciting Bingo environment. I know this may sound like an oxymoron but the new wave of pub-style locations is becoming more and more popular. And as rowdy as one may assume they are, they really are quite relaxing. Subtle wall tones combined with unique seating arrangements, ambient lighting and professional service are the new Bingo. Gone are the days of folding tables in an open room. Some operators are offering both traditional and new environments in one facility in order to ease the tradition. This is generally achieved by dividing the rooms with one side outfitted in the typical bingo hall fashion offering regular rectangular tables and chairs, quiet, bright, and dare we say, bland. The other room is designed to keep the senses stimulated through casino style lighting and European style seating where patrons can socialize during game play. Some places are even going as far as adding fireplaces with cozy couches in the rooms.

Both young and old enjoyed the electronic bingo experience and loved the ability to play more cards with less focus in order to take advantage of the social aspect of bingo.

Technology also helps newer players who don’t have the speed to manually daub and don’t have a clue how to follow along!

With this valuable input, we can rest assured that we are on the right path to higher attendance and profitability and players are taking notice.

Shannon Larsen is a 3rd Rock Gaming Consultant and can be reached at 1 (585) 298-7299 or email slarsen@3rdrockgaming.com web www.3rdrockgaming.com

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Ch e f Sp o t l i g h t

Kevin Easton, Dakota Dunes A chef with great experience.

T

Photo by Harald McArthur.

By Andrew Coppolino

Few and far between are gaming venues where you can nosh salads with bannock croutons, or be tantalized by a marvelous Saskatoon berry vinaigrette. And it’s a unique kitchen in a casino that rustles up a cedar-planked Diefenbaker steelhead trout while carving succulent roast elk tenderloin or rotisserie duck stuffed with rosemary.

But executive sous chef Kevin Easton is quite casual about such fare: it’s just part of cooking at Dakota Dunes Casino. Easton was there in the kitchen at Dakota Dunes when the casino opened in August 2007 on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, just south of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on route 21.

Coming in under its $61 million budget, the facility, according to the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, represents “a unique blend of traditional First Nations hospitality and service in a world-class facility.”

Dakota Dunes covers more than 80,000 square feet. including the large gaming floor with 600 slots, 12 table games, and restaurant. As an entertainment venue, the facility can accommodate 700 customers for concerts and 500 for banquets.

The casino boasts more than 400 full-time and part-time staff, while the restaurant and a kitchen of roughly 3,000 sq-ft. needs the coordinated efforts of nearly three dozen staff to produce up to 1,000 meals a week.

In order to get all of that underway, Easton, 41, says that the Dakota Dunes

kitchen relies on teamwork. “It’s a great crew of people from all walks of life, and they bring a lot of fun and atmosphere to the kitchen. People are willing to learn new things here,” Easton said.

He should know. The Sudbury, Ontario native has been in the cooking business for 22 years and has worked his way up the kitchen brigade from line-cook to manager to even once owning his own Italianinspired restaurant. “Everything was made in-house: pasta, bread, sauces, the whole nine yards,” he said.

He completed culinary training at the Kelsey campus of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, and that combined with his years of experience helps him perform a wide range of Dakota Dunes duties, from a few hours behind the stoves to ordering, inventory control, menu development, and scheduling staff.

Easton helps oversee Dakota Dunes’ sandwich deli as it prepares freshly made sandwiches, chili, soups, and pastries, as well as the Vegas-style buffet with Saskatchewantheme decor which seats approximately 120. The lounge seats about 50 guests with the multi-purpose event centre can help entertainment up to 700.

It makes for long hours in the kitchen, sometimes 12-hour days. Easton arrives about 7:30 a.m. to go through paperwork before hitting the kitchen, and he could end his day close to 8:00 p.m.

Getting away from those demanding hours might mean visiting the Saskatchewan outdoors for canoeing, hiking, or camping; his two Honda motorcycles—a Goldwing 1100 and 750 CBK—are further diversions.

“I try to fix them when needed, but I’m not very mechanical. I just enjoy riding them around the countryside,” said Easton.

Back in the kitchen, it is characteristically Canadian cuisine that Easton works with.

“We work with buffalo, elk, pickerel, and trout, as well wild mushrooms and the berries, of course. We do First Nations cooking as much as we can.”

Ranges, flat-tops, double-deck convection ovens, cookers that allow slow overnight roasting, and banquet warmers are part of the kitchen’s arsenal. But the kitchen is also the proud owners of a new Cleveland combination oven, the first in Saskatoon.

“It’s a really good piece of equipment. It’s very versatile—steamer or convection, or both.

We’ve had the university hospital come out to take a look at it when they were thinking of purchasing one,” according to Easton.

Versatility, Easton notes, is important when your kitchen has to put out meals for hundreds and hundreds of people a day. “We average about 16,000 people a month with food sales of just over $500,000 a month.

The sheer volume of people that come through is staggering. It’s challenging, and it certainly keeps us busy,” Easton laughs.

In 2007, the kitchen opened with 13 employees and has grown to 30 with new hires pending. “The kitchen’s philosophy is fresh products. We try to stay away from the frozen, pre-made stuff. I think the guests appreciate the time and effort that goes into preparing a great tasting dish,” Easton said.

As the number of employees in Dakota Dunes Casino’s kitchen has grown, so too does Easton envision further culinary development. “I think we will continue to take the food up a notch. It’s an on-going process.”

And with Saskatoon berries at your doorstep and a trout bearing the name of Canada’s 13th prime minister, how could it not be?

Andrew Coppolino, andrew@tablescraps.ca, is a Kitchener-based freelance writer.

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Branding for the Rest of Us: Part Two

By David Bellerive

In the previous article about branding, I discussed the importance of momentum – and the most important part of momentum is choosing the direction.

Now that you know where you’re going – try to enjoy the ride! We can all get bored on a long trip, we can also get bored with our brand over time. The grass really does seem greener at the other brand. They have a way cooler colour. Their logo is so much better. Their tagline is a lot sexier. When this kind of thinking starts to creep in something awful happens, we start to hide our brand. Hide the logo. Use different colors.

Maintaining Momentum The hardest part about branding is not the branding – it’s maintaining the brand. Don’t get me wrong, branding is not easy. But once all that work is done, inevitably the distractions start. The excitement starts to fade. It’s not shiny anymore. So we want to make it new again. We really need to fall in love with our brands. Consistency does not mean always doing the same thing.

One of my favourite brand metaphors is to view a brand as a person. It helps to remind me that the brand is alive and it has a personality. It can be outgoing, shy, athletic, thoughtful, and still be same brand.

Your brand also has moods. It doesn’t

need the same voice for every piece of communication. It doesn’t even necessarily have the same clothes. It can dress down and dress up. You might be concerned that this would create a schizophrenic brand, and it could if you didn’t manage the look and keep the brand presentable. Nobody wants to see you in public wearing your pyjamas.

The personality of your brand can stay the same, but you can look different and say new things. You don’t want to be the guy who keeps repeating the same story. You don’t want to be the guy who only has one suit to wear. Stay true to who you are, but don’t become boring or irrelevant. Don’t cling to a look so long that you become wallpaper. You need to be exciting and fresh – to a point. You can’t become something new every six weeks.

Don’t throw out the Brand Guide Momentum still requires simple rules to help audiences identify you. And momentum is gained by maintaining a strong brand look and sound. But momentum is not lost by redressing the brand.

It’s like pushing a car, once it gets rolling it doesn’t require much effort to keep it rolling.

But it’s hard if you have to keep stopping it and starting it. Try hard not to stop your momentum. Remember that you will get bored with your brand LONG before the

public does. As a creative person, as a brand manager, you live and breathe that brand every day. The public doesn’t. They come and go into your brand. They don’t want it to change every six to eight weeks, or every year. They want it to be familiar.

In the classic booklet, Testing To Destruction, published by the IPA, the author notes some truths that we often forget: “An advertiser and his agency are very closely bound up with the brand and its advertising.

They spend a large part of their waking life thinking and worrying about it. They know a great deal about its market. They are vitally interested in its future. They read and work over the advertising copy many times in the various stages of its evaluations. It is very difficult but very important for them to remember that the consumer generally shares neither their interest, nor their knowledge, nor their anxieties, nor their preconceptions.”

Sometimes we need to step back and appreciate how little our brand means to most people. Momentum takes time. Especially considering the size of budgets most of us have and the impact of our communications.

We may be getting four impressions a day… but the consumer is receiving thousands.

Love your brand, don’t keep changing, and you will be surprised how fast you gain momentum!

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Hurdles in Gambling Research Measuring the Social and Economic Costs of Gambling

By Doug Walker

My presentation at this year’s Canadian Gaming Summit focused on some of the problems that researchers face when trying to identify and estimate the social and economic effects of gambling. There are a variety of issues that make the cost side of the equation particularly difficult to deal with, and some of these issues have been the focus of academic conferences in Canada. In 2000, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse sponsored the Whistler Symposium. Papers from the symposium were published in the Journal of Gambling Studies in 2003. In 2006, the Alberta Gaming Research Institute sponsored another conference in Banff. Despite these efforts, researchers have yet to adopt a standardized methodology for identifying and estimating the social and economic costs of gambling.

One problem with this type of research is that researchers often begin their work with biases. These may be biases inherent in the researchers’ disciplines, or they may be based on personal opinions about gambling.

In some cases, researchers are clearly intent on affecting policy toward gambling. This has been an ongoing problem, especially as it affects monetary estimates of the social costs of gambling.

A second problem in measuring the social costs of gambling is that the relevant costs are those relative to the counterfactual scenario. If gambling was not legal there would still be social costs of gambling because people can still engage in illegal gambling. The appropriate measure of the costs of a particular gambling policy, then, is the difference between the costs under the particular policy and the costs under the counterfactual. Measuring this value is much easier said than done.

The third problem I addressed in my presentation has to do with how surveys of problem gamblers are used to estimate the costs associated with problem gambling. Recent studies have shown that it is very difficult for problem gamblers to accurately estimate the magnitude of their gambling losses, yet many social cost estimates use these data in deriving their cost measures. It is similarly difficult for problem gamblers to appropriately attribute their financial woes to gambling. This is because an individual’s budget is fungible and it may be difficult to legitimately attribute financial problems to a single source. For example, problem gamblers may have other causes of their financial woes (large mortgage, expensive car payments, etc.), but diagnostic tools used to identify problem gambling do not address these issues.

Fourth among the difficulties in estimating the costs of gambling is how to deal with government expenditures. It would seem that government spending to treat problem gamblers or otherwise offset the costs associated with such behaviour would be easily classified as social costs.

However, if one jurisdiction dedicates a lower level of spending toward these problems, does that mean the costs are lower in that jurisdiction?

No. Government expenditures may not be the best measure of the actual costs associated with problem gambling. But it is an indicator.

Fifth, and perhaps most critical, is the issue of comorbidity. Recent published studies have shown that about 75% of problem gamblers have other behavioural disorders; one study found that 56% had multiple co-occurring disorders. Another study reports that 74% of problem gamblers experienced the co-occurring disorders prior to their gambling problems. Obviously if all of the costs of pathological gamblers’ behaviour is attributed to gambling, the social costs of gambling will be overestimated. How can researchers correctly attribute or patrician social costs among different disorders? No one has yet posited a reasonable way of doing this.

With so many problems inherent in social cost research, is it really worth producing social cost monetary estimates? Maybe. Some information is better than none. But every methodology of which I am aware, including the new Canadian “Socio-Economic Impact of Gambling” (SEIG) framework, has its limitations. There have been some advances in this area of research, but there is still far to go before monetary estimates, particularly of costs, are reliable. Until researchers are able to deal with some of the issues I raised in my Montreal presentation, the cost estimates produced will continue to be largely arbitrary. As a result, policy makers should exercise discretion in how they use this type of research.

Douglas M. Walker, Ph.D., is an associate professor of economics at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC, USA. His research focus is on the economic and social aspects of casino gambling. His book, The Economics of Casino Gambling, was published by Springer in 2007.

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Lottery and Gaming Corporation Highlights The following summaries of news and activities were submitted by the provincial lottery and gaming corporations. Look for reports from other provinces in the October issue.

Saskatchewan Casino Highlights Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation’s Learning and Development unit was honored for the second consecutive year with a Saskatchewan Labour Market Commission Training for Excellence award in the Career Enhancement category. The award goes to an organization that engages in "long-term planning, training, and development that enhance an individual's present and future employability."

SGC was also named as finalists for t h e To u r i s m S a s k a t c h e w a n Aw a r d s of Excellence for the Business of the Year and Service Excellence (Business) categories. As well, Casino Regina Ambassador Mark Ryder was honored as a finalist in the Service Excellence (Individual) category.

Tournament Highlights The 12th annual Station Poker Classic was held at Casino Regina in March, attracting players from Canada and the United States, with a total tournament prize pool of approximately $600,000.

Tournament winners were: March 26: Clayton Mozdzem of Stonewall, Manitoba, who won the top prize of $16,187.

March 27: Shannon Vargo of Saskatoon, who won top prize of $30,462.

M a r c h 2 8 : Fe r d i n a n d Q u e l l e o f Brandon, Manitoba, who won $43,390.

March 29 Canadian Poker Challenge: Ritch Nally of Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba won $48,951.

Casino Regina hosts two other multiday tournaments per year. The Diamond Poker Classic July 22-26 and the Harvest Poker Classic, November 11-15, 2008.

For visit www.casinoregina.com

Sponsorship Highlights Casino Moose Jaw marked National Aboriginal Day on June 21 by hosting the first ever community celebration, commemorating the nationally recognized day held across Canada. Participants enjoyed live music, dancing, and children’s activities. Casino Regina was involved in the day through sponsorship of the Circle Project National Aboriginal Day celebration, which attracts hundreds of people each year. SGC is proud to have one of the most diverse workforces in the country and is pleased to celebrate and honour Aboriginal culture and heritage.

Casino Moose Jaw was the presenting sponsor of the July 1 Moose Jaw Charity Road Race, which benefits the Moose Jaw Health Foundation. The annual event has raised thousands of dollars to support health care in the community.

Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw staff laced up their running shoes for the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life.

The teams hosted a series of fundraising events, which included shaving the head of Casino Moose Jaw’s Director of Operations and putting SGC executive and directors in a dunk tank. The corporation matched funds raised by the enterprising teams, donating a total of $6335.80 to the Regina event and $11,262 in Moose Jaw. For more information about Casino Regina and Moose Jaw, visit www.casinoregina.com or www.casinomoosejaw.com

commitment to responsible gambling and the prevention of problem gambling in Alberta. The free training program is for staff who work in licensed venues with VLT machines. The interactive modules educate staff on how to promote healthy attitudes towards gambling, recognize signs of addiction and avoid actions that reinforce gamblers’ myths. Reel Facts, along with other Smart Training Programs, can be found website at www.aglc.gov.ab.ca.

Alberta

Stampede Casino The new Stampede Casino in Calgary welcomed thousands of guests to its grand re-opening celebration on June 19. The casino is operating under the new ownership of The Calgary West Hospitality Company

Reel Facts – VLT Staff Training The Albert Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) introduced Reel Facts into its lineup of Smart Training Programs. Reel Facts strengthens the AGLC’s ongoing

Responsible Gambling Information Centres (RGICs) The AGLC continues to expand the number of Responsible Gambling Information Centres (RGICs) in casinos as part of its responsible gambling initiatives. RGICs are staffed information kiosks where patrons can discuss their gambling habits with an AGLC representative and receive information on responsible gambling practices or where to go for help. Currently, the AGLC has RGICs in seven casinos and one Racing Entertainment Centre. The AGLC plans to expand the number of RGICs to 17 before March 31, 2009 and to 26 before March 31, 2010. Included in all RGICs are the AGLC’s new electronic Player Awareness Terminals (PATs). The touch screen terminals offer a series of self-tests and tips on how to develop responsible gambling practices. The AGLC has proven that RGICs and PATs are valuable tools in promoting responsible gambling throughout Alberta casinos.

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Stoney Nakoda Resort The Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nation Bands proudly announced the official grand opening of the Stoney Nakoda Resort on June 20. The $75 million project will cater to the thousands of tourists visiting Alberta’s Rocky Mountains every year. The 5850 m2 casino facility includes 300 slot machines, 15 gaming tables and three restaurants. An 111-suite hotel is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed this fall.

Future plans for the resort complex include a golf course, outlet mall and RV campground. The Stoney Nakoda resort is Alberta’s 24th casino and fifth First Nation casino.

British Columbia 2008: A Lucky Year for Lotto 6/49 Players in B.C. Last year, Lotto 6/49 jackpot payouts in B.C. totalled $17.5 million.

This year, that number has already more than doubled, jumping to $38.2 million with six months remaining.

The average Lotto 6/49 jackpot won in B.C. last year was about $4 million, compared to this year’s average of about $9.5 million.

A B.C. player who claimed a $21.9 million prize in June is the luckiest winner so far. That single sum is $4 million more than last year's Lotto 6/49 jackpot prizes in B.C. combined.

West Coaster crowned Canadian poker champion Keith Wintermans of Vancouver was crowned the champion of BCLC’s inaugural Coast to Coast Poker Championships held in May at River Rock Casino Resort.

After three days of tournament play in the No Limit Texas Hold’Em main event, Wintermans outlasted 301 competitors from all over North America to take home $224,100. Television viewers across Canada can see him in action when the Coast to Coast Poker Championships is aired by the World Poker Tour Canada™ late this summer.

Almost 2,000 players competed in the nine-day tournament, which featured seven Texas Hold’Em events for a total prize pool of more than $1.6 million.

Local fan wins world’s first Olympic figure skating tickets Karen Anderlini of Aldergrove, B.C., won the first tickets in the world to the figure skating finals (ice dancing) at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games by playing the SportsFunder Gold Medal Figure Skating Instant Win ticket.

After receiving the winning ticket as a birthday gift, she was overjoyed when her favourite skater, Victor Kraatz, was introduced as the surprise presenter of the tickets.

Currently, the only way to win tickets to the figure skating finals in 2010 is by playing the SportsFunder Gold Medal Figure Skating Instant Win. In addition to offering 20 pairs of gold medal tickets and $1,000 spending money, the $3 ticket also offers top cash prizes of $50,000.

security

and remains within the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede grounds, only three blocks from its previous location. The new 8640 m2 facility houses 600 slot machines, 40 gaming tables and three restaurants.

Added Security, Complete Solution All in One Card

1.800.387.9794 • www.ca-gi-de.com

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2008 SUMMIT PROFILES AMAYA GAMING GROUP Operating out of Montreal, Canada, Amaya Gaming Group offers multi-player gaming and server-based products that are sure to make a casinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment grow. The Amaya team was pleased to attend the Canadian Gaming Summit in its home town. The party organized at Buonanotte Ristorante and Bar allowed key players in the Canadian Gaming industry to meet in a relaxed ambience.

Having recently returned from G2E Asia in Macau, we are preparing for the launch of our new gaming tables at G2E in Las Vegas Nov. 18th-20th, 2008.

J.P. Symeonidis, Director of Sales for Amaya Gaming Group, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Company was founded on the principles of innovative thinking and world-class customer service. We are dedicated to providing our customers with technological expertise to deliver quality gaming solutions and products.â&#x20AC;?

Amayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s complete line of products includes: PokerMateâ&#x201E;˘, PokerStationâ&#x201E;˘, Wireless Gaming, Server-Based Slots & Multi-Game Terminals, Multi-Player Electronic Table Games, Sports Betting Amaya Gaming Group s $ALTON s -ONTREAL 1# ( 4 6 s #ONTACT * 0 3YMEONIDIS $IRECTOR 3ALES -ARKETING s www.amayagaming.com

ARROW GAMES / BAZAAR & NOVELTY Arrow Games Corporation and Bazaar & Novelty Limited are Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading suppliers of charitable and social gaming products. These proud Canadian companies operate manufacturing, sales and distribution facilities across Canada.

Arrow Games and Bazaar & Novelty are members of the Arrow International, Inc. group of companies. Arrow International is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest manufacturer of charitable and social gaming solutions. With facilities in North America and Europe, Arrow provides the highest quality gaming products, the most reliable service in the industry and professional support that enables bingo and gaming to remain fun, competitive and profitable.

Our extensive product line consists of a full array of bingo paper, Popp-OpensÂŽ pull-tab tickets, award winning bingo ink markers, electronic bingo equipment and various bingo accessories. We continue to expand our product lines on a daily basis to provide the largest selection of creative and custom gaming solutions that excite players and keep them coming back for more.

Arrow Games / Bazaar & Novelty s www.arrowgames.com

ATRONIC AMERICAS LLC - "%.'!, 4)'%23Š s % -/4)/. (!2-/.9 3,!.4 Bengal Tigers roar onto the screen of this new video slot bringing free game bonus rounds and great wins! â&#x20AC;&#x153;White Tigerâ&#x20AC;? symbol is wild during the base game and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yellow Tigerâ&#x20AC;? is wild during the free games. Three or more Tiger symbols pay scatter wins. Two or more Tiger symbols appearing on adjacent reels (left to right) trigger the free game bonus round. The free games can be RE TRIGGERED AND THE PLAYER CAN WIN UP TO FREE GAMES !LL WINS ARE DOUBLED DURING THE FREE GAME BONUS ROUND This game has an air or mystery with a special Pyramid symbol on reel 2 that appears randomly. The Pyramid covers a game symbol and will fade to reveal the symbol underneath it on the reel strip.

Atronic Americas LLC s s www.atronic.com ÂĽ !TRONIC

CANADIAN GAMING SERVICE LTD. - RAZAR â&#x20AC;&#x153;PURE ENTERTAINMENTâ&#x20AC;?

Canadian Gaming Service Ltd. has been serving the Canadian and Global Gaming Industry for the past eight years. As a new game manufacturer, CGS is pleased to introduce RAZAR â&#x20AC;&#x153;pure entertainmentâ&#x20AC;? to the Canadian Market. Designed to provide SUPERIOR PLAYER S COMFORT AND APPEAL THIS LUXURY GAMING MACHINE BOASTS A DUAL v ,#$ DISPLAY %LEGANT AND ATTRACTIVE THIS game introduces a set of ergonomic features that encourages longer play from casino visitors. The players experience has been ENHANCED BY GREAT GRAPHICS AND SUPERIOR SOUND SYSTEM 4O ENHANCE YOUR SLOT MACHINE PURCHASE EXPERIENCE WE HAVE ADDED A day free trial and added our optional game content daily lease program. Choose from our ever changing library of exciting GLI approved games, keeping your floor fresh, new and exciting for a fraction of the cost of replacing the slot machines.

Features and Options: $UAL v ,#$ DISPLAY 4OUCH 3CREEN 4)4/ 2EADY *#- 5"! "ILL !CCEPTORS AND CHOICE OF 'EN OR %PIC PRINTERS Canadian Gaming Service s -ONCTON ." #ANADA s bernie.babineau@canadiangamingservice.com s www.canadiangamingservice.com

CanadianGaming_Aug08rev.indd 36 CompanyProfiles.indd 1

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Comp

7:30 AM

2008 SUMMIT PROFILES IGT CANADA The 2008 Canadian Gaming Summit represented the official Canadian launch of IGTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new line of AVPÂŽ machines. Featured were IGTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new SAVP Stepper, G20 Video, and G22 Video Slant. These new platforms have been developed from the ground up, using our unique Human Machine Inteface (HMI) process for ultimate player comfort, convenience and playability. Machines are designed to showcase games on a whole new level and were truly designed with your players in mind. Standardized AVPÂŽ electronics provide unmatched flexibility and connectivity, ready to support IGTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sbâ&#x201E;˘ open network technology.

Contact IGT Canada

www.igt.com

GIESECKE & DEVRIENT - LOTTO AND GAMING CARD Lottery players can use the Giesecke & Devrient Lotto and Gaming Card to access any participating lottery or gaming online portal. The card or stick includes a lottery identification process using local requirements to prove a player has reached the age of majority. Identification and authentication provide the basis for robust protection of young people when using Internet services. Players just insert the card or stick into THEIR COMPUTER S 53" PORT AND ENTER THEIR 0). NUMBER 4HE 0# IS THEN AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURED TO READ the product. Both card and stick products do not require any special knowledge of computers, while still offering an important contribution to the security of any online gaming system. Sticks and cards can easily be distributed at participating lottery locations or online. The Internet Smart Card is the smallest Web based product currently available worldwide, and can be used on all standard browsers.

Contact Paul Mazzeo, Strategic Government Solutions, 905 946 2809, paul.mazzeo@gi-de.com

MEI GROUP /UR REPUTATION HAS BEEN BUILD ON THE PRODUCTION OF MORE THAN MILLION NOTE ACCEPTORS 4HAT EXPERIENCE COMBINED WITH A commitment to technology and individual customer service, has resulted in the ability to provide the best products for you and your customers. MEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products are relied upon by its customer for more than two billion transactions a week in over 100 countries. MEI Cashflow SC provides unrivaled security and acceptance rates, leading to satisfied players and more money in the cashbox. Contact MEI to learn how to bring the best acceptance and security to your casino.

MEI s 7ILSON $RIVE s 7EST #HESTER 0!

53!

0HONE OR Contact: Mark Staudt, mark.staudt@meigroup.com

-),,)+%. (/30)4!,)49 GRAND PLAZAÂŽ CARPET -ILLIKEN (OSPITALITY MANUFACTURES MODULAR AND BROADLOOM CARPET FOR THE GAMING MARKET /UR INCH 'RAND PlazaÂŽ carpet tile offers the perfect solution for the gaming customer. Installation is fast and convenient and can even take place while gaming activities continue. Grand Plaza is engineered to stay flat and square on the floor eliminating the issues of split seams and wrinkles sometimes associated with broadloom carpet. In addition to the practical benefits, Grand Plaza also offers unparalleled design possibilities. Our proprietary pattern technologies make it possible for designers and end users to create totally unique concepts that translate vision into reality on the floor. Grand Plaza carpet is also protected with Millikenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary StainSmartÂŽ treatment to provide superior resistance to soiling and staining.

-ILLIKEN (OSPITALITY #ARPET s TEL WWW MILLIKENCARPET COM HOSPITALITY

PROGRESSIVE GAMING INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Progressive Gaming is a leading supplier of integrated casino and jackpot management system solutions for the gaming industry worldwide. This technology is widely used to enhance casino operations and drive greater revenues for existing products. Progressive Gaming is unique in the industry in offering casino management and progressive systems in a modular yet integrated solution. Products include multiple forms of regulated wagering solutions in wired, wireless and mobile formats. There are Progressive Gaming products in over 1,000 casinos throughout the world. Please visit www.progressivegaming.net

Trusted leader in enterprise gaming solutionsTM

CanadianGaming_Aug08rev.indd 37 CompanyProfiles.indd 2

For further information please contact Bob Parente, EVP Sales and Marketing at 800-3368449 or 702-896-3890, or e-mail to sales@pgicorp.net.

8/19/08 3:02:13 PM 7/24/08 9:47:32 AM

Mark Your Calendar For 2009 Canadian Gaming Summit

Caesars Windsor • Windsor Ontario

Index to Advertising Pages Company

Web site

3rd Rock Gaming

3rdrockgaming.com

Aristocrat

aristocratgaming.com

Atronic Americas Bally Technologies

ballytech.com

Canadian Gaming Association

canadiangaming.ca

Canadian Gaming Service

canadiangaming service.com

Page # 25 Inside Back Cover 10 Outside Back Cover 15 9

Elkind & Lipton LLP

26

Fallsview Casino Resort

fallsviewcasinoresort.com

27

Gary Platt

garyplatt.com

19

Gasser Chair Company

gassergaming.com

27

Giesecke & Devrient

ca-gi-de.com

35

IGT Canada

igt.com

MEI Group

meigroup.com

Milliken Hosptality

hospitalitycarpet.com

Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation

responsiblegamblingna.ca

29

The Phoenix Group

thephoenixgroup.ca

23

Inside Front Cover 22 4

38 | August 2008

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It’s easy to recognize the real thing.

It’s been more than a decade since Aristocrat changed the way people play, and over that time we’ve seen games designed to look like our product – even sound like our product – yet none of these imitators delivers our performance. The reason? Pure and simple: they’ve lacked the forward thinking of the original.

Casinos with seasoned slot players come to us time and again because of one undeniable fact: our enhanced playability and proprietary mathematics keep people playing longer. So to maximize revenues at your casino, look no further than the original. Contact Aristocrat today.

aristocratgaming.com

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