Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
THE BUSINESS FOR GAMES<br />
www.<strong>G3</strong>imagazine.com<br />
GLOBAL GAMES AND GAMING MAGAZINE I JULY 2013<br />
PROFILE<br />
GALAXY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP<br />
SETTING ALL PHASES TO STUN<br />
AGEM REPORT<br />
A SPOTLIGHT ON INTERNATIONAL GAMING EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS<br />
ENGINES FOR CHANGE<br />
INSIGHT<br />
VLT OPERATORS AND SUPPLIERS GO<br />
TO WAR IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC<br />
EXHIBITION<br />
G2E ASIA EXHIBITION 2013<br />
COMPLETE GAMING REVIEW<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
VNE - CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM<br />
DOWNLOAD <strong>G3</strong> ANDROID AND IOS MAGAZINE<br />
APPS FOR THE GLOBAL GAMING INDUSTRY<br />
VIEW DIGITAL ISSUES OF <strong>G3</strong> MAGAZINE AND READ THE LATEST GAMING<br />
MARKET REPORTS DIRECTLY FROM THE ANDROID AND APPLE APP STORES
One way for the player to choose their bet and game is by<br />
using the industry’s only iDeck TM . The Multi-Game iDeck<br />
introduces the Super EasySelect button deck, which provides<br />
10 EasySelect touch-screen buttons to allow for more<br />
intermediate bet levels.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
©2013 Bally Technologies. All Rights Reserved. Images are for illustration purposes only and are subject to change.
“It is already becoming obvious that majority of the cities<br />
and municipalities can foresee the possible effects and<br />
impacts of the total prohibition of lotteries, and they will<br />
prefer regulation rather than unlimited prohibition that<br />
would only open the market to illegal operators and would<br />
deprive cities and the state of billions for the state budgets.”<br />
Ivo Valenta, founder and owner, Synot. Page 32<br />
Contents<br />
JULY 2013<br />
KEEPING VLTS IN CZECH<br />
The VLT disaster in the Czech Republic unfolds as government, local<br />
councils and manufacturers go head-to-head<br />
Page 32<br />
KANGWON LAND INSTALLS SPIELO - PAGE 12<br />
BARCELONA TAX CUTS<br />
Barcelona looks to hit back at Madrid<br />
with a reduction in casino taxation<br />
PAGE 10<br />
MOUNTING INVESTMENT<br />
Genting is to invest RM3bn in a<br />
mountaintop makeover in Malaysia<br />
PAGE 26<br />
ZITRO’S UNIQUE MEXICO PROJECT - PAGE 30<br />
CROC AIMS FOR BEST BET<br />
Croc’s Casino in Costa Rica breaks<br />
ground and plans to open Q4 2014<br />
PAGE 14<br />
FIRST CLOUD MULTI-SITE<br />
Grosvenor creates world’s first multisite<br />
cloud casino in IGT partnership<br />
PAGE 28<br />
G2E ASIA EXHIBITION REVIEW - PAGE 34<br />
SAMOAN PROJECT IN JEOPARDY<br />
Samoa’s second casino licence in<br />
doubt - Pg 18<br />
GRAND HO TRAM READY IN JULY<br />
The Grand is set to open on Ho<br />
Tram Strip in Vietnam - Pg 25<br />
ENGINES FOR CHANGE - PAGE 60<br />
GALAXY MACAU - ALL PHASES SET TO STUN - PAGE 50<br />
July 2013 PAGE 3
Viewpoint<br />
JULY 2013<br />
It was a tricky question. What did<br />
Frank Fahrenkopf, outgoing chairman<br />
of the AGA, think about the<br />
proliferation of illegal gambling in<br />
China Posed by a Chinese journalist,<br />
the interpreter in the large Venetian<br />
Macau conference room turned to<br />
Mr. Fahrenkopf for a reply. “To<br />
WHAT DID THE<br />
OUTGOING AGA<br />
CHAIRMAN, THINK<br />
ABOUT THE<br />
PROLIFERATION OF<br />
ILLEGAL GAMBLING<br />
IN CHINA<br />
paraphrase Winston Churchill,” Mr.<br />
Fahrenkopf began, “I have three<br />
things to say on the matter. Number<br />
one. Never try to climb a wall that’s<br />
leaning towards you.” Nodding to<br />
the interpreter to take his point to<br />
the massed ranks of Chinese media,<br />
the interpreter hesitated, launched<br />
into a frenzied description; paused,<br />
sought the ceiling for help - then<br />
proceeded to cup his elbow with one<br />
hand, while making a rocking<br />
motion with his free hand. The<br />
Chinese press looked on bemused as<br />
sweating and obviously in some<br />
discomfort, the interpreter turned<br />
back to Mr. Fahrenkopf after what<br />
seemed like an eternity. “Number<br />
two,” said the gaming guru. “Never<br />
try to kiss a girl leaning away from<br />
you.” Visibly shaken, the interpreter<br />
gripped the podium and entered the<br />
breach. Now wildly expressive and<br />
gesticulating excessively, the<br />
audience remained inscrutably<br />
dumbfounded. The interpreter was<br />
obviously speaking Chinese, it was<br />
just that the meaning had been<br />
redacted. There wasn’t a shared<br />
moment of understanding amongst<br />
them as the interpreter mimed<br />
blowing kisses to a reluctant object<br />
of affection. Obviously beaten, and<br />
with some regret, the poor man<br />
turned back to Mr. Fahrenkopf with<br />
the resignation of a dead man<br />
walking. “Number three. Never<br />
answer a question from a man<br />
asking the question, who knows<br />
more about the answer than you<br />
do...”<br />
Mr. Fahrenkopf, you will be missed.<br />
Lewis Pek Editor - Tel: +44 (0) 1942 879 291,<br />
Email: lewis@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
John Slattery Commercial Director - Tel: +44 (0)7917 166471,<br />
Email: john@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
Phil Martin News Editor - Tel: +44 (0)161 236 6669<br />
Email: phil@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
Karen Southall <strong>G3</strong> Spain - Associate Editor, Email: karensouthall@gmail.com<br />
John Carroll <strong>G3</strong> Germany, Email: carroll@carrollconsulting.de<br />
James Marrison <strong>G3</strong> Latin America, Email: jamesmarrison@gmail.com<br />
Lisa Nichols Sub Editor, Gareth Irwin Senior Designer,<br />
Paul Jolleys Production Manager,<br />
John Malin, David Addison, Bepi Mottes, Alexandre Rotenberg Contributors,<br />
Jennifer Pek Subscriptions Manager<br />
John Pek Commercial Administrator, Cover Image: Gareth Irwin<br />
For sales enquiries contact: John Slattery, Tel: +44 (0)7917 166471<br />
Email: john@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
For editorial enquiries contact: Lewis Pek, Tel: +44 (0)1942 879 291<br />
Email: lewis@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
Gaming Publishing Limited, Samson House, 457 Manchester Road,<br />
Manchester M29 7BR, UK<br />
July 2013 PAGE 4
Calendar<br />
JULY 2013 - OCTOBER 2013<br />
Looking to<br />
Advance your<br />
bottom line<br />
You designed the answer.<br />
MEI has made it possible with<br />
MEI has redefined expectations of note<br />
acceptors yet again with SC Advance.<br />
Enhancements were driven by customer<br />
requests to improve upon core measures<br />
of performance---acceptance, speed and<br />
security---and do so in a manner that is<br />
backwards compatible with the existing<br />
installed base.<br />
By maximizing the number of street-grade<br />
notes accepted, while simultaneously<br />
increasing the security against counterfeit<br />
notes, the MEI SC Advance is a step forward on<br />
on the most important measure...<br />
operator profitability.<br />
Learn how to specify cashboxes in your<br />
property that fill up faster than ever before.<br />
Call +44 (0) 118 938 1100 to<br />
schedule a SC Advance demonstration.<br />
Proven performance. Increased profits.<br />
meigroup.com<br />
MEI is ISO 9001:2000 certified. ©2013 MEI. All rights reserved.<br />
WORLD GAMING<br />
EXECUTIVE SUMMIT 2013<br />
Date: July 9th-11th, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
W Hotel, Barcelona, Spain<br />
Contact: Kellie Jenkins<br />
Organiser:<br />
Terrapinn Ltd<br />
Wren House, 43 Hatton Garden<br />
London EC1N 8EL, UK<br />
Tel: +44 207 827 5955<br />
Email: kellie.jenkins@terrapinn.com<br />
Web:<br />
www.terrapinn.com/2013/wges<br />
SALEX 2013 - SOUTH<br />
AMERICAN LEISURE EXPO<br />
Date:<br />
July 23-25, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Transamerica Expo Center, Sao<br />
Paulo, Brazil<br />
Organiser: Games News Magazine<br />
Rua Tome de Souza 479<br />
Alto de Lapa, Sao Paulo, Brazil<br />
CEP 05079-000<br />
Tel: +55 11 3836 3271<br />
Email: info@salex.com.br<br />
Web: www.salex.com.br<br />
GAMING, RACING &<br />
WAGERING AUSTRALIA 2013<br />
Date:<br />
August 12-14, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Sydney Conference & Exhibition<br />
Centre, Sydney, Australia<br />
Organiser: Beacon Events<br />
20/F Siu On Centre<br />
188 Lockhart Road<br />
Wanchai, HongKong<br />
Tel: +852 2219 0111<br />
Email: info@beaconevents.com<br />
Web: www.GamingDownUnder.com<br />
AUSTRALIAN GAMING EXPO<br />
Date:<br />
August 13-15, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Sydney Convention & Exhibition<br />
Centre, Sydney, Australia<br />
Contact: Ross Ferrar<br />
Organiser:<br />
Gaming Technologies Association<br />
Level 34, 50 Bridge Street<br />
Sydney, New South Wales<br />
Australia NSW 2000<br />
Tel: +61 2 8216 0931<br />
Email: info@gamingta.com<br />
Web: www.austgamingexpo.com<br />
July 2013 PAGE 6<br />
JULY 2013<br />
AUGUST 2013<br />
SEPTEMBER 2013<br />
ENTERTAINMENT ARENA<br />
EXPO 2013<br />
Date:<br />
September 3-5, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Romexpo Fair Ground, Bucharest,<br />
Romania<br />
Organiser: Expo 24 Romania<br />
1st Morarilor Street<br />
022451 Bucharest, Romania<br />
Tel: +40 21 335 6681<br />
Email: contact@expo24.ro<br />
Web: www.earena.ro<br />
US ONLINE GAMING LAW<br />
Date:<br />
September 19-20th, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
The Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada,<br />
United States<br />
Organiser:<br />
C5 Online, Trans-World House, 100<br />
City Road, London, United Kingdom<br />
EC1Y 2BP<br />
Contact: Jessica Horner<br />
Tel: +44 20 7878 6886<br />
Email: j.horner@c5-online.com<br />
Web: www.c5-online.com<br />
G2E LAS VEGAS 2013<br />
Date:<br />
September 24-26, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Sands Expo and Convention Center,<br />
Las Vegas, United States<br />
Organiser: Reed Exhibition<br />
Companies<br />
383 Main Avenue, Norwalk<br />
Connecticut, United States<br />
Tel: +1 203 840 5662<br />
Email: inquiry@reedexpo.com<br />
Web: www.globalgamingexpo.com<br />
Show times: Tues 10:00am - 5:00pm<br />
Wed 10:00am - 5:00pm<br />
Thurs 10:00am - 3:00pm<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
ASSOCIATION OF GAMING<br />
REGULATORS (IAGR)<br />
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2013<br />
Date:<br />
September 29- October 1, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Le Grand Hotel, Oslo, Norway<br />
Contact: Mariah Echele<br />
Organiser:<br />
IAGR, PO Box 1365, St Charles,<br />
Missouri,<br />
MO 63302-1365, Missouri, United<br />
States<br />
Tel: +1 314 973 4784<br />
Email: Mariah@mecheleconsults.com<br />
Web: www.iagr.org
OCTOBER 2013<br />
INTERNATIONAL MASTERS<br />
OF GAMING LAW - AUTUMN<br />
2013 CONFERENCE<br />
Date:<br />
October 1-4, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Le Grand Hotel, Oslo, Norway<br />
Contact:<br />
Mellissa Lurie<br />
Organiser:<br />
IMGL, 3288 St Vincent Place<br />
Boulder, Colorado, United States<br />
CO 80301<br />
Tel: +1 303 449 9955<br />
Email: IMGLDirector@aol.com<br />
Web:<br />
www.gaminglawmasters.com/conference/oslo2013<br />
BARCELONA AFFILIATE<br />
CONFERENCE 2013<br />
Date:<br />
October 3-6, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Barcelona, Spain<br />
Contact:<br />
Nick Richardson<br />
Organiser:<br />
iGaming Business<br />
33-41 Dallington Street<br />
London, United Kingdom EC1V 0BB<br />
Tel: +44 207 954 3406<br />
Email: nick@igamingbusiness.com<br />
Web:<br />
www.igbaffiliate.com/events/barcel<br />
onaaffiliateconference<br />
EIG EUROPEAN IGAMING<br />
CONGRESS & EXPO 2013<br />
Date:<br />
October 8-10, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Fira Barcelona, Spain<br />
Contact: Shane Mortimer<br />
Organiser:<br />
Clarion Events<br />
Fulham Green, Bedford House<br />
69-79 Fulham High Street<br />
London, United Kingdom SW6 3JW<br />
Tel: +44 207 384 7700<br />
Email: shane.Mortimer@clarionevents.com<br />
Web: www.eigexpo.com<br />
ENADA ROME 2013<br />
Date:<br />
October 16-18, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Rome Expo Centre, Rome – Italy<br />
Contact: Sonia Bodellini<br />
Organiser: Rimini Fiera Spa<br />
Via Emilia 155, Rimini, Italy 47900<br />
Tel: +39 0541 744250<br />
Email: s.bodellini@riminifiera.it<br />
Web: www.enada.it<br />
SUREXPO 2013 - POLAND<br />
Date:<br />
October 17-18, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Expo XXI Centre, Warsaw, Poland<br />
Organiser:<br />
Wigor Agency<br />
ul. Sokolnicza 34/38<br />
Wroclaw, Poland 53-660<br />
Tel: +48 71 359 6271<br />
Email: office@wigor-targi.com<br />
Web: www.wigor-targi.com<br />
BEGE EXPO 2013 -<br />
BULGARIA<br />
Date:<br />
October 22-23, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
Inter Expo Center, Sofia, Bulgaria<br />
Organiser: BEGE, 7 Kukush Str<br />
Sofia, Bulgaria 1345<br />
Contact: Milena Tsankarska<br />
Tel: +359 2 812 9474<br />
Email:<br />
milena@balkangamingexpo.com<br />
Web: www.balkangamingexpo.com<br />
SAGSE BUENOS AIRES<br />
Date:<br />
November 12-14, 2013<br />
Location:<br />
OCTOBER 2013<br />
NOVEMBER 2013<br />
Costa Salguero Convention Center,<br />
Buenos Aires, Argentina<br />
Contact:<br />
Alan Burak<br />
Organiser:<br />
Monografie SA, Avenida Alvear 1883,<br />
Loc. 21<br />
Buenos Aires, Argentina 1129<br />
Tel: +54 11 4805 4623<br />
Email: alan@monografie.com<br />
Web: www.monografie.com<br />
JANUARY 2014<br />
IMA 2014<br />
Date:<br />
January 14-17, 2014<br />
Location:<br />
Inter Expo Center, Sofia, Bulgaria<br />
Organiser:<br />
Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH<br />
Volklinger Str. 4, Dusseldorf<br />
Germany 40219<br />
Contact:<br />
Petra Lassahn<br />
Tel: +49 211 901 91134<br />
Email: info@ima-messe.com<br />
Web: www.ima-messe.com<br />
July 2013 PAGE 7
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
DER STADTRAT VON MARSEILLE WIRD<br />
demnächst darüber entscheiden, ob die<br />
Schaffung eines Casinos im Hafenviertel der<br />
Stadt für die Gemeinde nützlich sein und der<br />
Stadt € 10 Mio. pro Jahr einbringen würde.<br />
Der Generalsekretär des Bürgermeisters,<br />
Jean-Claude Gondard, sagte, dass das<br />
Objekt am Hafen, neben dem neuen<br />
Kulturmuseum gebaut werden würde.<br />
DAS SPANISCH-ARGENTINISCHE<br />
Unternehmen Boldt Chile Group Peralada ist<br />
mit dem Stadtrat von Ovalle zusammengekommen,<br />
um seine Vision des Ovalle<br />
Casino Resort vorzustellen. Dabei handelt es<br />
sich um einen von drei Vorschlägen, die sich<br />
in der chilenischen Stadt um eine<br />
Betriebslizenz mit einer Dauer von 15 Jahren<br />
bewerben.<br />
STORM INTERNATIONAL, EINER DER<br />
führenden Betreiber, der per Gesetz aus<br />
seinem Ursprungsland Russland getrieben<br />
wurde, berichtet von einem<br />
Gesamtwachstum im Jahre 2012 von 12<br />
Prozent sowie von einem Anstieg des<br />
Nettogewinns um sieben Prozent.<br />
DIE BEHÖRDEN IN BARCELONA HABEN<br />
Pläne verkündet, nach denen die Steuern für<br />
Casinos gesenkt werden sollen. Diese<br />
Ankündigung ist das direkte Ergebnis des<br />
neuen Euro-Vegas-Projektes, das jetzt für<br />
2025 im regionalen, langjährigen kulturellen<br />
und wirtschaftlichen Rivalen Madrid geplant<br />
ist.<br />
DIE GAUSELMANN-GRUPPE MIT SITZ IN<br />
Deutschland verbündet sich mit den<br />
Betreibern des Grand Casino Baden in der<br />
Schweiz, um sich um das Recht zu bewerben,<br />
ein neues Casino in Wiens renommiertem<br />
Palais Schwarzenberg zu betreiben. Betreiber<br />
wie Casinos Austria, Novomatic und Century<br />
Casinos zählen zu den Bewerbern für drei<br />
neue Lizenzen in Wien und Niederösterreich.<br />
REAL MADRID SUCHT NACH EINER<br />
Möglichkeit, eine Lizenz in das Stadion<br />
Santiago Bernabeu des Vereins zu bekommen,<br />
was die Gewinne um € 120 Mio. in die<br />
Höhe treiben würde.<br />
SPIELO INTERNATIONAL HAT DIE<br />
Installation seiner Casinosystemlösungen auf<br />
allen 960 Glücksspielautomaten in Kangwon<br />
Land, Südkoreas größtem Casino,<br />
abgeschlossen. Zu den ausgewählten<br />
Modulen gehört Galaxis Jackpots, das dazu<br />
dient, 153 verschiedene Levels progressiver<br />
Jackpots und Mystery-Jackpots auf 18<br />
Jackpot-Links zu managen und es gibt 80<br />
Stand-Alone-Jackpots.<br />
MIT DEM BAU DES US $ 40 MIO. teuren<br />
Croc’s Casino Resorts in Costa Rica wird<br />
offiziell am 20. Juni mit einer Pool-Party für<br />
Würdenträger, Prominente, lokale<br />
Entscheidungsträger, Medien sowie<br />
Sportgrößen aus dem In- und Ausland<br />
begonnen.<br />
DICK FLINK IST VON SEINEM AMT ALS<br />
Chairman bei Holland Casino zurückgetreten,<br />
nachdem er fast sechs Jahre für den<br />
staatlichen niederländischen Casinobetreiber<br />
verantwortlich war. Die Ankündigung erfolgte<br />
nach Bekanntgabe der Geschäftsergebnisse<br />
von Holland Casino für 2012, die einen<br />
Nettoverlust von € 652,000 aufwiesen.<br />
DIE POLIZEIBEHÖRDEN VON St. Petersburg<br />
haben ein illegales Casino mit einer<br />
Spielfläche von mehr als 4.000 m² und einem<br />
Einnahmenpotenzial von etwa $ 1 Mio. pro<br />
Monat geschlossen.<br />
Marseille waterfront casino<br />
A turnaround in the Mayor’s<br />
office in Marseille could see a<br />
new city casino development<br />
Marseille city council is set to vote on<br />
whether the creation of a casino on the<br />
city’s waterfront would be beneficial for<br />
the municipality. The Mayor’s Secretary<br />
General Jean-Claude Gondard said that<br />
the development would be built on the<br />
harbour next to Marseille’s new Museum<br />
of Civilisation. He added that the casino<br />
could be up and running within four<br />
years and would be capable of generating<br />
€10m in gaming tax. The original concept<br />
of housing a gaming floor in the former<br />
headquarters of the National Society<br />
Corse Méditerranée has been shelved.<br />
Mr. Gondard said: "For a long time the<br />
mayor believed that Marseille was not<br />
suited for a casino establishment, but<br />
now he has changed his mind. We<br />
regularly receive proposals. We even had<br />
a request from an operator wishing to<br />
install an art house cinema on this site.<br />
However, we are aiming for a large facility<br />
that could bring the city up to €10m per<br />
year.”<br />
The council wants Marseille to attract<br />
more luxury yachting and cruise lines to<br />
Spanish-Argentine company,<br />
Boldt Chile Group Peralada,<br />
has met with the Ovalle City<br />
Council to present its vision of<br />
the Ovalle Casino Resort, one<br />
of three proposals competing<br />
for a 15 year operating licence<br />
in the Chilean city.<br />
The US$29.1m project would<br />
be located at the northern exit<br />
of Ovalle at the beginning of<br />
Route D43, where it would<br />
house 230 slots, 13 table<br />
games and 60 bingo positions.<br />
It would also boast a four-star<br />
hotel with 78 rooms,<br />
restaurant, bar, cafe, spa, gym,<br />
pool, ballroom, nightclub,<br />
convention center, business<br />
center, fitness center,<br />
amphitheatre, shops,<br />
exhibition hall, museums and<br />
observatory. It would create<br />
271 direct jobs.<br />
"For a long time the<br />
mayor believed that<br />
Marseille was not<br />
suited for a casino<br />
establishment, but<br />
now he has<br />
changed his mind.<br />
We regularly<br />
receive proposals.<br />
We even had a<br />
request from an<br />
operator wishing to<br />
install an art house<br />
cinema on this site.<br />
However, we are<br />
aiming for a large<br />
facility that could<br />
bring the city €10m<br />
per year.”<br />
JEAN-CLAUDE<br />
GONDARD,<br />
Marseille Mayor’s<br />
Secretary General.<br />
Boldt and Peralada<br />
deliver vision for Ovalle<br />
Javier Picola, the Director<br />
General of Grupo Empresarial<br />
Peralada, said: “It will be<br />
between the size of our<br />
casinos in Barcelona and<br />
Peralada in Spain. We will try<br />
to mix the best of both along<br />
with the experience we have<br />
casinos in Argentina and<br />
Uruguay to provide a fully<br />
integrated and tailored<br />
approach to suit the city.”<br />
Ovalle Mayor Claudio Renteria<br />
added: “It seems a very<br />
interesting proposal. We have<br />
met two of the projects and all<br />
we need is to see the<br />
Likanantay Casino proposal,<br />
which we will do soon, so we<br />
can select the best project.”<br />
The Council plans to make a<br />
public announcement in July<br />
once all three projects have<br />
been viewed.<br />
its port and sees a casino as being pivotal<br />
to this goal. “It is necessary to reinforce<br />
the continued development of the city by<br />
creating new spaces reclassified and made<br />
public,” Mr. Gondard added. If the vote<br />
brings a positive outcome the council will<br />
then seek administrative approvals,<br />
including the most crucial one from the<br />
Ministry of the Interior before selecting an<br />
operator through the framework of a<br />
public service delegation.<br />
The casino concept will face tough<br />
opposition though. Councillor Sophie Goy<br />
said: “The opening of a casino in<br />
Marseille is a risky idea,” she said. “Our<br />
city is one of the poorest cities in France.<br />
If we open a municipal casino in<br />
Marseille what will the social cost be To<br />
then manage unpaid rent or eviction No<br />
thank you! There are already several<br />
casinos in the metropolitan area in Carry,<br />
Cassis and Aix-en Provence, more than<br />
enough for Marseille, as well as tourists.<br />
As for the cruises, they often have a<br />
casino on board their ship. Certainly, we<br />
need more money in the coffers of the<br />
city, but we cannot do this at any price.<br />
In a city like Marseille, the establishment<br />
of a casino is an open door to money<br />
laundering. It is our moral responsibility<br />
as elected officials to strongly oppose this<br />
project.”<br />
Exiled Storm feels<br />
the growth again<br />
Storm International, one of the leading<br />
operators driven out of its native Russia by<br />
legislation, reported a total growth of 12 per<br />
cent in 2012, while net profit increased by<br />
seven per cent. The company opened the<br />
Shangri La casino in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2012<br />
along with Shalimar slots in Bucharest,<br />
Romania and in Minsk, Belorussia. It also<br />
took its brand to Germany with the<br />
purchase of two locations now operating<br />
under the Storm Casino brand. Currently<br />
Storm is developing projects in Germany,<br />
Mexico, Romania, Belorussia, Armenia and<br />
Georgia with two new projects due to start<br />
operations by the end of 2013. Darren<br />
Keane, CEO of Storm International, said:<br />
“Storm is a rapidly developing company,<br />
which focuses on the gaming business<br />
around the world. Our high standards of<br />
operations, teamwork and best customer<br />
service give stable and positive results. We<br />
will always strive for perfection and growth<br />
rate adequate to the market conjuncture.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 9
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Tax cut for Barcelona casinos<br />
Barcelona looks to hit back at<br />
rival Madrid and boost casino<br />
gaming with a reduction in tax<br />
The government of Barcelona has<br />
announced plans to cut the tax rate on<br />
casinos. The announcement is a direct<br />
result of the new Euro Vegas now<br />
scheduled for 2025 in the Spanish city’s<br />
long standing cultural and economic rival<br />
Madrid.<br />
Under new rules casinos in Madrid will<br />
pay 10 per cent on GGR from gambling<br />
once the casinos are up and running for<br />
the €22bn complex. Now the government<br />
of Barcelona has agreed that a tax cut on<br />
casinos is necessary if casinos in<br />
Barcelona have any chance of competing<br />
on a level playing field. The proposed tax<br />
cut has been put forward as a way to<br />
increase profitability of Barcelona World,<br />
which was announced soon after Euro<br />
Vegas. Barcelona World will house an as<br />
yet unspecified number of casinos, six<br />
hotels, and will be open in 2016.<br />
The new tax rate will have to be<br />
approved by the Parliament of Catalonia,<br />
but has been put forward by local officials<br />
as a way to improve boost tourism in the<br />
area and improve tourist infrastructure.<br />
Spanish economist, Andreu Mas-Colell<br />
said that casinos were being used around<br />
the world as ways to improve tourism and<br />
that casinos in Barcelona would be part of<br />
a much larger tourist complex. Mr. Mas-<br />
Colell, who is one of the leading<br />
economists in Spain, said: “Madrid is<br />
trying to compete with us in terms of<br />
Real Madrid is<br />
evaluating casino<br />
Real Madrid is looking at how it could bring<br />
a casino licence into its Santiago Bernabeu<br />
stadium in a move it believes would boost<br />
profits by €120m. The Spanish footballing<br />
giant is keen to model a revamped and<br />
renovated Bernabeu on Madison Square<br />
Gardens in New York which has<br />
successfully exploited new revenue streams<br />
including a shopping mall, a hotel and<br />
other leisure amenities. President Florentino<br />
Perez is considering proposals for a casino,<br />
a hotel and a shopping mall, whilst various<br />
sport betting options are also being<br />
analysed by the club.<br />
“Madrid is trying to<br />
compete with us in<br />
terms of tourist<br />
attractions on offer<br />
and visitors... if we<br />
need to compete<br />
with them in this<br />
field then we have to<br />
reduce taxes on<br />
gaming.”<br />
ANDREU MAS-<br />
COLELL, Economist.<br />
The Germany-based<br />
Gauselmann group is teaming<br />
up with the operators of Grand<br />
Casino Baden in Switzerland to<br />
bid for the right to operate a<br />
new casino in Vienna’s<br />
esteemed Palais<br />
Schwarzenberg. Three new<br />
licences are up for grabs in<br />
Vienna and Lower Austria and<br />
are being contested by<br />
operators including Casinos<br />
Austria, Novomatic and<br />
Century Casinos.<br />
Gauselmann and Baden<br />
confirmed they have secured<br />
the use of the Palais<br />
Schwarzenberg, located next to<br />
the Swiss embassy and<br />
Belvedere Castle, in the 3rd<br />
District of Vienna. Grand<br />
Casino Baden CEO Detlef<br />
Brose said: “It is time that this<br />
great baroque building from<br />
the 18th Century was<br />
accessible to the public again.<br />
tourist attractions on offer and visitors... if<br />
we need to compete with them in this<br />
field then we have to reduce taxes on<br />
gaming.”<br />
The announcement in Barcelona and<br />
Madrid could also have a larger affect on<br />
casinos throughout the country as other<br />
regions could soon follow suit in order to<br />
boost the ailing casino industry. Casinos<br />
in Spain have beet hit by a smoking ban,<br />
which went into effect in 2011, the<br />
economic crisis and traditionally brutal<br />
taxes which can stand as high as 55 per<br />
cent GGR in some regions.<br />
Gauselmann and Grand<br />
Casino Baden Vienna bid<br />
Whilst it is ultimately the<br />
Austrian Minister of Finance<br />
who will decide, I think this is<br />
a very good offer for a Grand<br />
Casino, which would more<br />
than earn its name and be an<br />
asset to the city of Vienna. We<br />
are sure this project will<br />
receive a lot of publicity.”<br />
The Gauselmann Group holds<br />
one-third of the shares in the<br />
new company, Plaza 3<br />
Entertainment Development<br />
AG, with the remaining two<br />
thirds owned by Casino Baden<br />
AG. The casino would boast a<br />
large range of table games<br />
including poker, blackjack,<br />
roulette and baccarat in its<br />
various gaming rooms, whilst<br />
the slot hall would house 290<br />
slots. The group will invest<br />
CHF60m into the project and<br />
expect 300,000 visitors per<br />
year, generating revenues of<br />
CHF33m.<br />
DIE ONLINE-SLOT-SPIELE VON BALLY<br />
Technologies stehen jetzt auch bei Mr. Green<br />
im Vereinigten Königreich zur Verfügung, so<br />
dass Bally-Spiele jetzt auch von Online-<br />
Spielern genutzt werden können.<br />
MGM CHINA BESTÄTIGTE, DASS DIE<br />
Eröffnung seines US $ 2,6 Mrd. schweren<br />
Cotai-Objektes für Mitte 2016 geplant ist. Der<br />
Chief Executive, Grant Bowie sagte, dass die<br />
Fundamentarbeiten bis Ende 2013<br />
abgeschlossen sein werden und 2014 dann<br />
mit Bauarbeiten im Bereich der Infrastruktur<br />
begonnen werden kann.<br />
MOHEGAN SUN MASSACHUSETTS hat<br />
einige neue Einzelheiten zu seinem<br />
geplanten Ressort-Casino in Palmer,<br />
Massachusetts, vorgestellt, die die<br />
Investitionskosten auf insgesamt fast $ 1 Mrd.<br />
in die Höhe treiben werden. Dazu gehören<br />
ein familienfreundlicher Wasser-<br />
Entertainment-Park und ein zweites Hotel im<br />
Ressortstil.<br />
DIE ASSOCIATION OF CHILEAN CASINOS<br />
(ACCJ), die alle im privaten Besitz befindlichen<br />
Casinos Chiles vertritt, hat Klage<br />
gegen den Leiter der chilenischen<br />
Aufsichtsbehörde für Glücksspiele, Renato<br />
Hamel, erhoben. Der Vorwurf lautet<br />
dahingehend, dass Herr Hamel es versäumt<br />
habe, eine geeignete Übersicht über die<br />
Branche vorzulegen und das illegale<br />
Glücksspiel im Lande einzuschränken.<br />
HO TRAM PROJECT BESTÄTIGTE, DASS<br />
sein erstes Ressort, das sich in einer<br />
Entfernung von etwa zwei Stunden von<br />
Vietnam größter Stadt, Ho Chi Minh City,<br />
befindet, am 26. Juli seine Pforten öffnen<br />
wird und unter dem Namen The Grand - Ho<br />
Tram Strip operieren wird.<br />
DIE IGAMING-PRODUKTE VON SHFL<br />
Entertainment stehen jetzt zur Verfügung und<br />
bieten die Möglichkeit, auf der markführenden<br />
Online-Glücksspielplattform von<br />
GameAccount Network einschließlich<br />
derB2C Site, Money Gaming, Echtgeldwetten<br />
zu platzieren.<br />
SCIENTIFIC GAMES CORPORATION<br />
unterzeichnete einen neuen<br />
Lottosystemvertrag mit Szerencsejatek Zrt,<br />
der ungarischen Staatslotterie, mit einer<br />
Laufzeit bis zum 31. Dezember 2020.<br />
Scientific Games will seine AEGIS NGS<br />
Zentralsystemhardware und –software der<br />
nächsten Generation einführen, zusätzliche<br />
Wave-Terminals installieren und dazugehörige<br />
Dienstleistungen anbieten.<br />
DREI GROSVENOR-CASINOS GEHEN MIT<br />
der IGT-Cloud im Vereinigten Königreich ans<br />
Netz. Damit entsteht das weltweit erste Multi-<br />
Site-Cloud-Casinoumfeld. Grosvenor Casinos<br />
in Coventry, Reading und London werden<br />
vom sofortigen Zugang zum AVP-<br />
Spielesortiment von IGT UK und der<br />
verbesserten analytischen Berichterstattung<br />
profitieren.<br />
INSPIRED GAMING GROUP, DER britische<br />
Anbieter von SBG-Automaten und virtuellen<br />
Sportarten, hat seinen exklusiven Vertrag mit<br />
Betfred hinsichtlich der Lieferung von<br />
Spielautomaten der Kategorie B2/B3 verlängert.<br />
Im Rahmen dieses Vertrages mit<br />
einer Laufzeit von fünf Jahren wird Inspired<br />
auch Spielautomaten an weitere 500<br />
Betfred-Shops liefern, die früher Tote-<br />
Wettbüros waren.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 10
NOVOMATIC<br />
GLOBAL ATTRACTIONS<br />
Visit us at:<br />
International national Sales:<br />
Jens Halle, Phone: +43 2252 606 234, sales@novomatic.com
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Kangwon Land install Spielo<br />
South Korea’s only casino to<br />
allow domestic players has<br />
completed its Galaxis install<br />
Spielo International has completed the<br />
installation of its Galaxis casino systems<br />
solutions on all 960 slots at Kangwon<br />
Land, South Korea’s largest casino.<br />
Among the modules selected was Galaxis<br />
Jackpots, which is used to centrally<br />
manage 153 different levels of progressive<br />
and mystery jackpots on 18 jackpot links,<br />
and there are 80 stand-alone jackpots.<br />
Chiang Lai Fatt, Spielo International’s<br />
Asia Pacific General Manager, said: “Many<br />
customers use a management system, but<br />
still need an external controller to run the<br />
jackpot. Our system can manage all<br />
jackpot activity, which in the end<br />
simplifies the IT requirement and saves<br />
the customer money. This project also<br />
highlights our system’s reliability in<br />
handling high levels of player traffic: at<br />
Kangwon Land there are more than<br />
150,000 system transactions every hour.”<br />
Kangwon Land is the busiest casino in<br />
the country, and it is the only one that<br />
allows the admission of Koreans, as all<br />
Luzern launches<br />
industry-wide app<br />
The Grand Casino Luzern<br />
has launched a<br />
pioneering Swiss Casino<br />
app that combines<br />
information on all the<br />
casinos in Switzerland in<br />
one application with useful and interesting<br />
features and services. The new app, the first<br />
for a casino based in Switzerland,<br />
combines information in the practical<br />
Casino Swiss Casino Finder. It allows users<br />
to view the games on offer, the location of<br />
the property and also displays hotels and<br />
car parks in the vicinity. Moreover, the app<br />
shows the current status of Swiss jackpots.<br />
Upon request, the user is automatically<br />
supplied with jackpot information with a<br />
free alarm informing the user when the<br />
Swiss jackpot has reached a certain level.<br />
As an additional benefit game explanations<br />
are also compiled within the app with<br />
simple descriptions of the most important<br />
rules. An integrated Fun Blackjack game<br />
also offers the chance to play for free.<br />
The Kangwon Land<br />
IT team, from left to<br />
right: SEONUK<br />
CHOI, Assistant<br />
Manager,<br />
HAEJUNG JU,<br />
Senior Manager,<br />
DO HWAN KIM,<br />
Manager and<br />
NAMGYUN KIM,<br />
Assistant Manager.<br />
Products chosen by<br />
Kangwon Land for<br />
installation at their<br />
facility include the<br />
following Galaxis<br />
modules: Jackpots,<br />
Bonusing, Slots,<br />
Cashless,<br />
Marketing, Connect<br />
and Multimedia.<br />
Century Casinos has applied<br />
for a Casino license at Hotel<br />
InterContinental in Vienna,<br />
Austria. As one of at least four<br />
companies applying for the<br />
license, Century Casinos is<br />
managing a consortium of<br />
Austrian individuals,<br />
entrepreneurs and investors. A<br />
26 per cent share in and a<br />
management agreement with<br />
the newly established ‘Century<br />
Betriebs’ makes Century the<br />
leader of the group.<br />
A decision to grant the 15-year<br />
license in Vienna is expected<br />
in Q4 of this year, however,<br />
there is no assurance that the<br />
company will be granted the<br />
concession by the Minister of<br />
Finance.<br />
others are exclusively for visitors. It is so<br />
busy that there are queues at the slot<br />
machines, which boast 95 per cent<br />
occupancy. This made the slot system<br />
migration a challenge, as most of the slots<br />
are being played at any given time.<br />
Ju Haejung, Senior Manager, System<br />
Management Department at Kangwon<br />
Land, said: “The whole migration was so<br />
smooth that it hardly affected our daily<br />
business. We would like to thank Spielo<br />
International for their efforts on this<br />
project.”<br />
Century bids for Vienna<br />
licence as a consortium<br />
The company expects Century<br />
Betriebs AG to invest around<br />
US$18m if the casino<br />
concession is granted. The<br />
casino would be developed in<br />
a retro 1960s style at the 450-<br />
room Hotel InterContinental<br />
Vienna and target domestic<br />
and international tourists,<br />
business travellers, congress<br />
and convention guests as well<br />
as affluent domestic and<br />
European casino visitors.<br />
After a nine months<br />
construction period, the casino<br />
would offer approx. 300 slot<br />
machines and 25 gaming<br />
tables on a 16,000sq.ft.<br />
gaming floor. Hotel<br />
InterContinental is located in<br />
the city centre of Vienna.<br />
EL AYUNTAMIENTO DE MARSELLA SE<br />
dispone a votar si la creación de un casino<br />
en el puerto municipal resultaría beneficiosa<br />
para la ciudad, con unos ingresos<br />
para el consistorio de unos 10 millones de<br />
euros al año. El Secretario General de la<br />
alcaldía, Jean-Claude Gondard, afirmó que<br />
el complejo se construirá en el puerto que<br />
hay junto al nuevo Museo de la Civilización.<br />
LA EMPRESA HISPANO-ARGENTINA<br />
Boldt Chile Group Peralada ha mantenido<br />
una reunión con el consejo municipal de<br />
Ovalle para presentar su visión del Ovalle<br />
Casino Resort, una de las tres propuestas<br />
que compiten por una licencia operativa de<br />
15 años en la ciudad chilena.<br />
STORM INTERNATIONAL, UNO DE LOS<br />
operadores líderes expulsados de su Rusia<br />
original por la legislación, registró un crecimiento<br />
total del 12 por ciento en 2012,<br />
mientras que sus beneficios netos aumentaron<br />
un siete por ciento.<br />
EL AYUNTAMIENTO DE BARCELONA HA<br />
anunciado planes de recortar la tasa fiscal<br />
impuesta a los casinos. Este anuncio es<br />
resultado directo del nuevo Euro Vegas,<br />
previsto ahora para el año 2025 en<br />
Madrid, la eterna rival cultural y económica<br />
de la capital catalana.<br />
EL GRUPO GAUSELMANN, CON BASE<br />
en Alemania, está aunando fuerzas con los<br />
operadores del Grand Casino Baden de<br />
Suiza con vistas a presentarse a la licitación<br />
para obtener el derecho a operar un nuevo<br />
casino en la codiciada ubicación vienesa<br />
de Palais Schwarzenberg. Han quedado<br />
libres tres nuevas licencias en Viena y la<br />
Baja Austria que están siendo disputadas<br />
por diversos operadores, entre ellos<br />
Casinos Austria, Novomatic y Century<br />
Casinos.<br />
EL REAL MADRID ESTÁ ESTUDIANDO LA<br />
forma de introducir una licencia de casino<br />
en su estadio Santiago Bernabeu, en una<br />
iniciativa que sus mandatarios consideran<br />
que podría aumentar los beneficios en 120<br />
millones de euros.<br />
SPIELO INTERNATIONAL HA culminado la<br />
instalación de sus soluciones de sistema<br />
para casino Galaxis en las 960 máquinas<br />
tragaperras de Kangwon Land, el mayor<br />
casino de Corea del Sur. Entre los módulos<br />
seleccionados estaba Galaxis Jackpots,<br />
que se usa para administrar de forma centralizada<br />
153 niveles diferentes de jackpots<br />
progresivos y sorpresa en 18 enlaces de<br />
jackpot, además de los 80 jackpots independientes.<br />
LA CONSTRUCCIÓN DEL CROC’S Casino<br />
Resort en Costa Rica, valorada en 40 millones<br />
de dólares, se pondrá oficialmente<br />
en marcha el 20 de junio con una gran<br />
fiesta en la piscina a la que están invitados<br />
altos dignatarios, personajes famosos,<br />
creadores de opinión locales y medios de<br />
comunicación, además de figuras del<br />
deporte costarricense y de otros países.<br />
DICK FLINK HA PRESENTADO SU renuncia<br />
como presidente de Holland Casino tras<br />
casi seis años al cargo del operador de<br />
casinos estatal holandés. El anuncio se produce<br />
a consecuencia de los resultados<br />
financieros de Holland Casino en 2012,<br />
donde registró una pérdida neta de 652<br />
000 euros.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 12
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Croc aims to be ‘the best bet’<br />
Croc’s Casino in Costa Rica<br />
breaks ground with a planned<br />
opening scheduled Q4 2014<br />
Construction on Costa Rica’s US$40m<br />
Croc’s Casino Resort officially commenced<br />
on June 20 with a celebratory pool party<br />
for dignitaries, celebrities, local<br />
influencers, and media, as well as sports<br />
figures from Costa Rica and abroad.<br />
INSPIRED GAMING GROUP, EL proveedor<br />
británico de máquinas de juegos basados<br />
en servidor y deportes virtuales, ha renovado<br />
su contrato en exclusiva con Betfred relativo<br />
al suministro de máquinas de juego de<br />
categoría B2/B3. Según este contrato de<br />
cinco años, Inspired también suministrará<br />
máquinas de juego a otras 500 tiendas de<br />
Betfred que eran anteriormente establecimientos<br />
de apuestas Tote.<br />
LAS MÁQUINAS TRAGAPERRAS ONLINE<br />
de Bally Technologies están disponibles a<br />
partir de ahora en Mr. Green, con base en el<br />
Reino Unido, en lo que constituye una de las<br />
primeras ocasiones en las que los juegos de<br />
Bally están disponibles para jugadores<br />
online.<br />
The casino will be built at Jaco beach on<br />
the Pacific coast of Costa Rica an hour<br />
and a half drive from the San Jose airport.<br />
The aim is to open the venue in<br />
December 2014. It will be the biggest<br />
employer in the region, hiring over 300<br />
people.<br />
Owner Dag Hascall said: “The years of<br />
planning and permitting have been a<br />
great reason to get to know Costa Rica,<br />
the culture and the people, but getting to<br />
build this impressive resort is what it is<br />
all about.”<br />
He added that the casino would be<br />
operated and managed by a highly<br />
professional team of Las Vegas<br />
Executives, and aims to be ‘the best bet<br />
in Costa Rica.’<br />
Two concession<br />
launches in Malta<br />
Malta’s Lotteries and Gaming Authority has<br />
invited proposals for two new casino<br />
concessions to go along with its bid to find<br />
a new operator for its licence in Vittoriosa,<br />
where operations at Casinò di Venezia<br />
have been suspended. Parliamentary<br />
Secretary for Competitiveness, Edward<br />
Zammit Lewis, revealed that one of the new<br />
licences would be in Malta and one would<br />
be in Gozo. The call for expressions of<br />
interest was short, expiring on July 1, with<br />
the government now deciding whether to<br />
issue a call for tender or to shortlist some of<br />
the interested applicants. According to the<br />
Parliamentary Secretary the casino industry<br />
contributed €13.5m in gaming taxation in<br />
2012, up from €10m in 2008. He explained<br />
the process was open to standalone<br />
casinos as well as casinos in shopping<br />
malls or hotels. Tumas Gaming operates<br />
the Oracle in Qawra and the Portomaso<br />
casino in St Julian's, whilst the renewal of<br />
the 10-year licence for Dragonara Casino<br />
saw Pinnacle Gaming Group win out.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 14<br />
The venue will<br />
stand 17 stories<br />
high with 152 hotel<br />
rooms, 44 luxurious<br />
condominium<br />
residences, a<br />
beachfront resort<br />
pool, restaurants,<br />
disco, spa, the Croc<br />
Habitat, retail<br />
shopping centre<br />
and meeting and<br />
convention facilities.<br />
Dick Flink has resigned as<br />
Chairman of Holland Casino<br />
after almost six years in charge<br />
of the state-owned Dutch<br />
casino operator.<br />
The announcement follows<br />
Holland Casino’s financial<br />
results for 2012 when it posted<br />
a net loss of €652,000.<br />
Ath Schouwenaar, Supervisory<br />
Board Chairman for Holland<br />
Casino, said: “For six years,<br />
Dick Flink has energetically<br />
led our organisation through<br />
particularly challenging times.<br />
The casino concept is<br />
revitalised, a large number of<br />
branches have been rebuilt<br />
and modernised and<br />
preparations for an online<br />
casino have been started.<br />
Simultaneously, a<br />
comprehensive reform<br />
programme has been sorted.<br />
The latest results show,<br />
however, that we need<br />
profound and structural<br />
reforms and Dick feels that his<br />
Croc’s Casino Resort is a richly diverse<br />
hotel-casino-resort in Jaco, Costa Rica. It<br />
is located in the exclusive north end. Mr.<br />
Hascall wants Croc’s Casino Resort to be<br />
the predominant casino resort in Costa<br />
Rica, changing the landscape of Jaco and<br />
the Costa Rica’s Pacific coast forever. The<br />
venue will stand 17 stories high with 152<br />
hotel rooms, 44 luxurious condominium<br />
residences, a beachfront resort pool,<br />
restaurants, disco, spa, the Croc Habitat,<br />
retail shopping centre and meeting and<br />
convention facilities.<br />
Dick Flink resigns as<br />
Holland Casino Chairman<br />
governance profile does not<br />
correspond to these needs.<br />
The decision was therefore<br />
taken that he retires and that<br />
we look for a new Chief<br />
Executive Officer who will<br />
head the necessary reforms at<br />
Holland Casino. The<br />
Supervisory Board would like<br />
to thank Dick Flink for his<br />
ambition, inspiration and for<br />
all that he has put into his<br />
leadership in recent<br />
challenging and difficult<br />
years.”<br />
Mr. Flink added: “My strength<br />
lies in the development and<br />
realisation of new concepts<br />
and formulas. The ambitions<br />
Holland Casino had on that<br />
plane, have been under<br />
pressure from economic and<br />
market conditions in recent<br />
years. The prospects are such<br />
that, as in previous years,<br />
radical structural reforms must<br />
be introduced which is not<br />
where my values lie,”<br />
concluded Mr. Flink.<br />
MGM CHINA HA CONFIRMADO QUE SU<br />
proyecto Cotai, valorado en 2600 millones<br />
de dólares, abrirá sus puertas en el plazo<br />
previsto, es decir, a mediados de 2016. El<br />
Director General, Grant Bowie, afirmó que<br />
los cimientos estarán listos a finales de 2013<br />
y que las obras de construcción de la<br />
infraestructura se iniciarán en 2014.<br />
Mohegan Sun Massachusetts ha revelado<br />
algunas nuevas características de su futuro<br />
resort-casino en Palmer (Massachusetts) que<br />
harán aumentar el proyecto a aprox. 1000<br />
millones de dólares de inversión total e<br />
incluirán un parque de atracciones acuático<br />
de carácter familiar y un segundo hotel estilo<br />
resort.<br />
LAS AUTORIDADES POLICIALES DE SAN<br />
Petersburgo han cerrado un casino ilegal<br />
con una superficie de juego de más de<br />
4000 m² y una capacidad de beneficio en<br />
torno a 1 millón de dólares al mes.<br />
LA ASOCIACIÓN DE CASINOS CHILENOS<br />
(ACCJ), que representa a todos los casinos<br />
de propiedad privada de Chile, ha iniciado<br />
acciones legales contra el director del<br />
Comité de Control del Juego de Chile,<br />
Renato Hamel. Según los cargos presentados,<br />
el Sr. Hamel no ha mantenido una<br />
supervisión adecuada del sector y no ha<br />
cumplido su tarea de limitar el juego ilegal<br />
en el país.<br />
HO TRAM PROJECT HA CONFIRMADO<br />
que su primer resort, ubicado a unas dos<br />
horas de la metrópoli más grande de<br />
Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, abrirá sus puertas al<br />
público el 26 de julio y operará bajo la<br />
denominación «The Grand - Ho Tram Strip».<br />
LOS PRODUCTOS DE IGAMING DE SHFL<br />
están ahora disponibles y listos para aceptar<br />
apuestas con dinero real en la plataforma<br />
de juego online líder del mercado de<br />
GameAccount Network, incluido su sitio B2C,<br />
Money Gaming.<br />
SCIENTIFIC GAMES CORPORATION HA firmado<br />
un nuevo contrato relativo a sistemas<br />
de lotería con Szerencsejatek Zrt, la lotería<br />
estatal húngara, que se extiende hasta el 31<br />
de diciembre de 2020.<br />
TRES CASINOS GROSVENOR DEL REINO<br />
Unido empezarán a utilizar la IGT Cloud, lo<br />
que supondrá la creación del primer<br />
entorno de casinos con nube multisitio del<br />
mundo. Los casinos de Grosvenor en<br />
Coventry, Reading y Londres disfrutarán de<br />
acceso inmediato a la biblioteca de juegos<br />
UK AVP y de una elaboración de informes<br />
analíticos mejorada.
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Mexico’s 107 illegal casinos<br />
Massive number of unlicensed<br />
casinos according to Mexican<br />
gaming association ASPJAC<br />
An investigative committee has heard that<br />
there could be as many as 250,000 slot<br />
machines operating illegally in Mexico.<br />
An investigation into the issuing of casino<br />
licences is currently underway in Mexico<br />
and a cross party committee made up of<br />
11 deputies has been charged with the<br />
investigation of the federal government’s<br />
past involvement in the issuing of<br />
licences. This is amongst growing calls<br />
that licences have been trafficked by<br />
former members of Mexico’s Interior<br />
Ministry (SEGOB).<br />
The Special Investigative Commission,<br />
has already revealed that there could be<br />
at least 300 casinos in Mexico which<br />
remain open due to judicial stays of<br />
closures. Speaking before the committee,<br />
Alfonso Perez Lizaur, President of<br />
Mexican gaming organization ASPJAC<br />
(Asociación de Permisionarios y<br />
Proveedores de Juegos y Sorteos, A.C)<br />
has revealed that there are 107 casinos in<br />
Mexico which are currently operating<br />
without a licence.<br />
Mr. Green launch<br />
Bally collection<br />
Bally Technologies’ online slot games are<br />
now available on the United Kingdombased<br />
Mr. Green.com, marking one of the<br />
first times Bally games are available for<br />
online players. Mr. Green also plans to offer<br />
Bally games on tablets and mobile phones<br />
in the near future. Licensed and registered<br />
in Malta, Mr. Green was the first online<br />
casino to offer games from several different<br />
casino vendors through an in-house<br />
developed seamless solution, which makes<br />
it possible for players to change vendors<br />
without exchanging chips or coins. With Mr.<br />
Green, players can set their own limits as to<br />
how large a risk they want to take.<br />
Mr. Green Chief Product Officer, Markus<br />
Aurala, said: “I'm very excited that Mr.<br />
Green can be one of the first ones to offer<br />
Bally's games to its customers online. Bally's<br />
proven game concepts and innovative<br />
features have been successful in landbased<br />
casinos around the world, and I'm<br />
sure our customers will enjoy them. The<br />
games surely bring the feeling of Las Vegas<br />
everywhere.”<br />
ALFONSO PEREZ<br />
LIZAUR, President<br />
of Mexican gaming<br />
organization<br />
ASPJAC.<br />
"We have<br />
repeatedly<br />
denounced the<br />
growth of illegal<br />
gaming;<br />
businesses,<br />
legislators and the<br />
government must<br />
work together to<br />
establish clear rules<br />
and create<br />
incentives for<br />
investment and the<br />
respect for laws.”<br />
Mr. Lizaur told the committee that there<br />
are around 250,000 slot machines which<br />
are located between 100- to 120,000<br />
different locations such as chemists and<br />
other small businesses. According to Mr.<br />
Lizaur, due to the lack of regulation the<br />
government per year loses an estimated<br />
one billion pesos in tax. Mr. Lizaur urged<br />
the committee to push for new laws to<br />
establish a much clearer regulatory<br />
framework for gaming in Mexico.<br />
“We have repeatedly denounced the<br />
growth of illegal gaming; businesses,<br />
legislators and the government must work<br />
together to establish clear rules and create<br />
incentives for investment and the respect<br />
for laws,” Mr. Lizuar told the committee.<br />
Reacting to the statements made by Mr.<br />
Lizaur, Chair of the committee and<br />
member of the Citizens Movement Party<br />
(Movimiento Ciudadano), Deputy Ricardo<br />
Mejia Berdeja said that it was becoming<br />
increasingly apparent that the issue of<br />
gaming in Mexico was now a question of<br />
national security and that new laws were<br />
needed. The Special Investigative<br />
Commission has been charged with<br />
delivering a report to the Chamber of<br />
Deputies and proposing legal measures,<br />
policies or legislation on the back of its<br />
findings.<br />
Betfred renews Inspired<br />
gaming machine contract<br />
Inspired Gaming Group, the<br />
British-born supplier of SBG<br />
machines and virtual sports,<br />
has renewed its exclusive<br />
contract with Betfred for the<br />
supply of Category B2/B3<br />
gaming machines. Under the<br />
five-year contract, Inspired<br />
will also supply gaming<br />
machines to an additional 500<br />
Betfred shops that were<br />
previously Tote betting shops.<br />
The UK Government sold Tote<br />
to Betfred in July 2011. The<br />
Betfred estate now totals over<br />
5,100 machines and is one of<br />
the largest bookmakers in the<br />
UK. Inspired will install the<br />
additional 1,700 gaming<br />
machines in January 2014.<br />
Lee Gregory, Inspired’s<br />
Managing Director for the UK,<br />
commented: “Betfred is well<br />
known for its successful<br />
machines business and<br />
award-winning retail<br />
marketing campaigns for new<br />
game launches. We’ve worked<br />
together to accomplish many<br />
successes over the past 15<br />
years, from when AWPs were<br />
first allowed in bookmakers,<br />
and look forward to many<br />
more milestones – including a<br />
new hardware launch in<br />
Autumn 2013. Inspired’s UK<br />
business as a whole is going<br />
from strength to strength and<br />
we anticipate a positive year<br />
ahead with the recent launch<br />
of Fortune Spins, a new game<br />
feature, and the upcoming<br />
launch of the next phase of<br />
our technology roadmap.”<br />
The past two years have seen<br />
Inspired Gaming Group win<br />
competitive tenders, following<br />
head-to-head trials, including<br />
the 100 per cent win of the<br />
William Hill estate and now<br />
Betfred’s additional machines<br />
business.<br />
IL CONSIGLIO COMUNALE DI<br />
Marsiglia dovrà decidere se la creazione<br />
di un casinò sul lungomare della città<br />
sarà vantaggiosa per il comune; si prevedono<br />
entrate per € 10 milioni all'anno. Il<br />
segretario del sindaco, Jean-Claude<br />
Gondard, ha detto che l’edificio verrebbe<br />
costruito sul porto, accanto al nuovo<br />
Museo della Civilizzazione.<br />
LA SOCIETÀ ARGENTINO-SPAGNOLA<br />
Boldt Chile Group Peralada ha incontrato il<br />
consiglio comunale di Ovalle per presentare<br />
il progetto Ovalle Casino Resort,<br />
uno dei tre progetti in competizione per<br />
l’assegnazione della licenza di gestione di<br />
un casinò nella città cilena, della durata di<br />
15 anni.<br />
STORM INTERNATIONAL, UNA DELLE<br />
principali aziende che sono state spinte a<br />
lasciare la Russia dalla nuova legislazione,<br />
ha riportato una crescita totale del<br />
12% nel 2012, mentre l'utile netto è<br />
aumentato del 7%.<br />
LA GIUNTA COMUNALE DI<br />
Barcellona ha annunciato l'intenzione di<br />
ridurre l'aliquota fiscale sui casinò.<br />
L'annuncio è la conseguenza diretta della<br />
nuova Euro Vegas, che sarà inaugurata<br />
nel 2025 a Madrid, da sempre la rivale<br />
culturale ed economica della città catalana.<br />
IL GRUPPO TEDESCO GAUSELMANN<br />
sta collaborando con i gestori del Grand<br />
Casino Baden in Svizzera, per partecipare<br />
alla gara per la gestione di un nuovo casinò<br />
nel palazzo Schwarzenberg, a Vienna.<br />
Ci sono in palio tre nuove licenze a Vienna<br />
e nell’Austria inferiore, e le società interessate<br />
includono Casinos Austria,<br />
Novomatic e Century Casinos.<br />
IL REAL MADRID STA STUDIANDO LA<br />
possibilità di ottenere una licenza per casinò<br />
nello stadio Santiago Bernabeu; si<br />
pensa che ciò potrebbe far aumentare i<br />
profitti di 120 milioni di euro.<br />
L'AZIENDA SPIELO INTERNATIONAL<br />
ha completato l'installazione dei propri<br />
sistemi per casinò Galaxis su tutte le 960<br />
slot machines a Kangwon Land, il più<br />
grande casinò sudcoreano. Tra i moduli<br />
selezionati era presente Galaxis Jackpots,<br />
che viene usato per gestire centralmente<br />
153 diversi livelli di jackpot progressivi e<br />
misteriosi, su 18 collegamenti jackpot.<br />
Sono presenti anche 80 jackpot autonomi.<br />
LA COSTRUZIONE DEL CROC’S<br />
Casino Resort in Costa Rica, del valore di $<br />
40 milioni, inizierà ufficialmente il 20 giugno,<br />
con una festa celebrativa alla quale<br />
saranno presenti ufficiali, celebrità, persone<br />
influenti e rappresentanti dei media,<br />
nonché personaggi sportivi della Costa<br />
Rica e di altri paesi.<br />
DICK FLINK SI È DIMESSO DA<br />
presidente della società Holland Casino<br />
dopo essere stato, per quasi sei anni, a<br />
capo dell’azienda statale che gestisce i<br />
casinò in Olanda. Questo annuncio segue<br />
i risultati finanziari di Holland Casino per il<br />
2012, che hanno registrato una perdita<br />
netta di €652.000.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 16
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Samoan project in jeopardy<br />
Samoa’s second casino licence<br />
in doubt as Chinese developers<br />
are arrested in corruption sting<br />
Samoa’s Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele<br />
Malielegaoi, is blaming ‘domestic politics’<br />
in China for accusations against head<br />
developers of a 500 room casino destined<br />
for the island.<br />
As recently as March, Robbie Kearney,<br />
chief executive of Samoa's Gambling<br />
Control Authority, was explaining to local<br />
media that the Chengdu Exhibition and<br />
Tourism Group (ETG), had been<br />
extremely good to deal with as “they do it<br />
in a business-like manner and they are<br />
very prompt and efficient.” Chinese news<br />
media, meanwhile, were reporting that<br />
Chairman Deng Hong and his CEO were<br />
being investigated in relation to<br />
corruption linked to land deals.<br />
Communist Party anti-corruption officials<br />
have since kept Hong in custody, while<br />
the Samoan Government continue to<br />
expect him to visit with an update.<br />
The revelations in China, which date back<br />
a substantial period of time, have raised<br />
concerns in Samoa as to the advice<br />
received by the government regarding the<br />
casino development.<br />
The debacle surrounds the second casino<br />
licence granted on Samoa, the first to<br />
Aggie Grey's, which is planning a beach<br />
resort near the international airport in the<br />
capital Apia (plans include a casino over<br />
two floors in existing buildings, with 12<br />
gaming tables and up to 85 gaming<br />
machines). The second casino, awarded<br />
to ETG, was to be situated on Samoa's<br />
main island, Upolu. This casino was to<br />
include a 500 room hotel and a much<br />
larger casino complex with several<br />
restaurants.<br />
While the ETG deal presently looks dead<br />
in the water, the Samoan Prime Minister<br />
TUILAEPA SAILELE<br />
MALIELEGAOI,<br />
Prime Minister,<br />
Samoa.<br />
FutureLogic’s Gen2 Universal<br />
printer has been chosen as the<br />
exclusive printer for all gaming<br />
platforms in Jimmy Buffett’s<br />
Margaritaville Resort Casino<br />
scheduled to open this<br />
summer in Bossier City, LA.<br />
Margaritaville Resort Casino is<br />
destined to become the<br />
premier casino resort in the<br />
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA<br />
market. Situated on 19 acres<br />
next to the Louisiana<br />
Boardwalk Shopping Center,<br />
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville<br />
Resort Casino is set to open its<br />
30,000 square foot casino with<br />
1,237 slot machines and 54<br />
table games.<br />
Keith Dollar, Director of Slot<br />
Operations at Margaritaville<br />
Resort Casino, said: “When<br />
selecting peripherals for our<br />
slot floor, reducing downtime<br />
is our primary focus. We<br />
selected the GEN2 Universal<br />
printer because of its excellent<br />
is rallying bravely, stating that official<br />
anti-corruption efforts are a disguise for<br />
political in-fighting in China with<br />
powerful leaders using bad publicity to<br />
weaken the reputation of rivals.<br />
The previously emphatic Tuilaepa,<br />
however, now sounds more hesitant<br />
discussing the project, but is keeping his<br />
options open. “It would be the first big<br />
resort for Samoa and could be the take off<br />
point for the development of our tourism<br />
industry,” he said to a local news<br />
channel. Now, if only they’d let his<br />
developers out of prison...<br />
FutureLogic’s Gen2 fits<br />
the bill at Margaritaville<br />
design, its track record, and<br />
FutureLogic’s outstanding<br />
technical support and<br />
commitment to the industry.”<br />
Nick Micalizzi, FutureLogic’s<br />
VP Sales & Marketing, North<br />
America, said: “We are<br />
extremely pleased with<br />
Margaritaville Resort Casino’s<br />
selection of the GEN2<br />
Universal and the fact they<br />
recognise FutureLogic’s<br />
commitment to delivering the<br />
best-in-class TITO printers.<br />
Looking ahead, as<br />
Margaritaville Resort Casino<br />
looks to expand their<br />
marketing plans, the GEN2<br />
Universal presents a seamless<br />
solution with PromoNet<br />
promotional couponing.”<br />
Ready for promotional<br />
couponing, the printer can<br />
provide operators with<br />
separate and secure processing<br />
environments for both TITO<br />
and promotional couponing.<br />
I GIOCHI ONLINE DELLA BALLY<br />
Technologies sono adesso disponibili sul<br />
sito inglese Mr. Green. Si tratta di una delle<br />
prime volte che dei giochi Bally vengono<br />
resi disponibili ai giocatori online.<br />
L’AZIENDA MGM CHINA HA<br />
confermato che prevede di inaugurare il<br />
progetto Cotai, del valore di US$2,6 miliardi,<br />
alla metà del 2016. Il direttore generale<br />
Grant Bowie ha detto che le fondamenta<br />
saranno ultimate alla fine del 2013 e la<br />
costruzione delle infrastrutture inizierà nel<br />
2014.<br />
L’AZIENDA MOHEGAN SUN<br />
Massachusetts ha rivelato alcune nuove<br />
funzionalità del proprio casinò a Palmer,<br />
nel Massachusetts. Queste faranno<br />
aumentare il costo del progetto a quasi $ 1<br />
miliardo. Il progetto prevede un parco<br />
acquatico per famiglie ed un secondo<br />
hotel in stile resort.<br />
LA POLIZIA DI SAN PIETROBURGO HA<br />
chiuso un casinò illegale di oltre 4000 m²,<br />
che generava entrate per $ 1 ml al mese<br />
circa.<br />
L’ASSOCIAZIONE DEI CASINÒ CILENI<br />
(ACCJ), che rappresenta tutti i casinò privati<br />
in Cile, ha iniziato un’azione legale contro il<br />
capo dell’ente di controllo dei giochi d’azzardo<br />
in Cile, Renato Hamel. L’accusa<br />
afferma che il Sig. Hamel non ha svolto<br />
un’adeguata sorveglianza del settore e<br />
non è riuscito a limitare il gioco illegale nel<br />
paese.<br />
L’AZIENDA HO TRAM PROJECT HA<br />
confermato che il suo primo resort, situato<br />
a circa 2 ore di strada dalla più grande<br />
città del Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, aprirà<br />
al pubblico il 26 luglio e opererà col nome<br />
The Grand - Ho Tram Strip.<br />
I PRODOTTI IGAMING DI SHFL<br />
entertainment sono adesso operativi e<br />
possono accettare scommesse con soldi<br />
veri sulla piattaforma di giochi online<br />
GameAccount Network, che comprende<br />
anche il sito Money Gaming.<br />
L’AZIENDA SCIENTIFIC GAMES<br />
Corporation ha firmato un nuovo contratto<br />
per sistemi di lotterie con Szerencsejatek<br />
Zrt, la lotteria di Stato ungherese. Il contratto<br />
avrà termine il 31 dicembre 2020.<br />
Scientific Games utilizzerà i propri sistemi<br />
hardware e software di ultima generazione<br />
AEGIS NGS, installerà nuovi terminali<br />
Wave e fornirà tutti i relativi servizi.<br />
I TRE CASINÒ GROSVENOR, NEL<br />
Regno Unito, stanno per iniziare le attività<br />
col sistema IGT Cloud – creando così il<br />
primo ambiente nuvola informatica di casinò<br />
multi-sito. I casinò Grosvenor a<br />
Coventry, Reading e Londra potranno beneficiare<br />
di un accesso immediato alla<br />
library di giochi AVP della IGT, e ai relativi<br />
rapporti analitici.<br />
IL GRUPPO BRITANNICO INSPIRED<br />
Gaming, che produce macchine da gioco<br />
su server e sport virtuali, ha rinnovato il<br />
contratto in esclusiva con Betfred per la fornitura<br />
di macchine da gioco della categoria<br />
B2/B3. In base a questo contratto, della<br />
durata di cinque anni, l’azienda Inspired<br />
fornirà macchine da gioco anche ad altri<br />
500 negozi Betfred, che erano precedentemente<br />
dei centri di scommesse al totalizzatore.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 18
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Mohegan theme park casino<br />
Mohegan Sun Massachusetts<br />
has revealed plans for an<br />
ambitious theme park casino<br />
Mohegan Sun Massachusetts has detailed<br />
new features for its proposed resort<br />
casino in Palmer, Massachusetts, that will<br />
grow the project to nearly $1bn in total<br />
investment and will include a premier<br />
family-oriented water entertainment park<br />
and a second resort-style hotel.<br />
The adventure-themed park and resort<br />
hotel will be developed by Boston-based<br />
Finard Properties, which has also<br />
partnered with Mohegan Sun to develop<br />
the project's retail complex. It will consist<br />
of an indoor and outdoor water park that<br />
is connected to a 250-room hotel separate<br />
from the property's main casino hotel.<br />
The outdoor portion of the adventure<br />
park will wind through the hills and<br />
valleys of the natural wooded terrain off<br />
Route 32 and provide a variety of<br />
activities for the entire family including<br />
kayaking and zip lining.<br />
Mitchell Etess, Chief Executive of the<br />
Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, said:<br />
“We've always said Mohegan Sun<br />
Massachusetts will be designed to attract<br />
visitors from all over New England and<br />
the Northeast, and deliver economic<br />
benefit to Western and Central<br />
Massachusetts and the entire<br />
Commonwealth. These new features will<br />
allow us to do just that. Mohegan Sun<br />
Huge operation<br />
closed in Russia<br />
The St. Petersburg police authorities have<br />
closed down an illegal casino with a<br />
gaming floor of over 4,000sq.m. and an<br />
earning capacity of around US$1m a month.<br />
The Interior Ministry said: "During<br />
investigations, 14 card tables, a roulette<br />
table, 55 jackpot machines, a large amount<br />
of betting chips and decks of cards, as well<br />
as video archives and photo registrations of<br />
clients were confiscated.” The venue’s<br />
books detailed illegal income of around<br />
30m rubles per month. The building was<br />
said to be ‘subdivided into several zones’<br />
including a poker club, casino and slot<br />
rooms. The walls of the rooms had been<br />
designed with secret pockets to conceal<br />
equipment in case of a police raid.<br />
"The combination of<br />
resort casino<br />
gaming and<br />
exciting nightlife,<br />
dining options and<br />
family-oriented<br />
entertainment is<br />
designed to draw<br />
new visitors, deliver<br />
jobs and vendor<br />
opportunities and<br />
generate maximum<br />
revenue for the<br />
Commonwealth."<br />
MITCHELL ETESS,<br />
Chief Executive of<br />
the Mohegan Tribal<br />
Gaming Authority.<br />
The company behind Fiji’s first<br />
casino says the delays are over<br />
and construction of the multimillion<br />
dollar project on<br />
Denarau Island near Nadi is<br />
set to recommence.<br />
The Fiji regime granted the<br />
casino license to the American<br />
company, One Hundred Sands<br />
Limited, in December 2011 and<br />
construction was expected to<br />
start last year.<br />
The attorney-general Aiyaz<br />
Sayed-Khaiyum then extended<br />
the deadline for construction<br />
to start by the end of this<br />
month and said there would<br />
be consequences if it wasn’t.<br />
But the owner of the company,<br />
Larry Claunch, says it was a<br />
mutual deadline and they are<br />
pleased they have been able to<br />
Massachusetts will offer our guests a full<br />
array of entertainment and amenities and<br />
integrate exciting, family oriented<br />
attractions into the overall experience."<br />
The 70,000sq.ft. water park resort will<br />
complement Mohegan Sun's planned<br />
world-class resort casino project, which<br />
includes gaming facilities, a casino hotel,<br />
a 300,000sq.ft. dynamic retail<br />
development and other lifestyle amenities.<br />
Altogether the total planned investment in<br />
the project is now approaching $1bn.<br />
Mohegan Sun Massachusetts' project<br />
features include a full-service resort<br />
casino with 3,000 slot machines and 80<br />
table games, a resort casino hotel with<br />
300 rooms and a family-oriented water<br />
entertainment park with an adjoining 250-<br />
room hotel.<br />
Fiji development back on<br />
track at Denarau Island<br />
work through the<br />
complications associated with<br />
building a casino. He says the<br />
first priority is to get subcontractors<br />
on the site before<br />
they organise a main<br />
contractor.<br />
Under the original timeline,<br />
the casino, which includes a<br />
convention centre, was due to<br />
open in October this year, but<br />
Mr. Claunch says that will now<br />
be mid- to late next year.<br />
One Hundred Sands’ gaming<br />
licence allows the company to<br />
develop and execute a slot<br />
machine and table gaming<br />
leasing agreement to transfer a<br />
portion of its right to the<br />
20,000 slot machine and 5,000<br />
table games allotted in its<br />
licence to any future gaming<br />
operations conducted in Fiji.<br />
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA<br />
and Aristocrat Technologies have been<br />
granted an interactive gaming license from<br />
the Nevada Gaming Commission. The<br />
decision was made on the unanimous<br />
recommendation of the Nevada Gaming<br />
Control Board. The license allows Aristocrat<br />
to provide online poker technological<br />
services to Nevada-licensed interactive<br />
operators. Aristocrat’s free-to-play solution,<br />
nLive, has already gone live in casinos<br />
around the country. The award-winning<br />
nLive solution features the most complete<br />
online gaming platform available, offering<br />
operators B2B solutions in social gaming,<br />
wager-ready online gaming, managed<br />
services and online poker.<br />
Aristocrat Technologies President, Atul Bali,<br />
said: “This latest news is a very important<br />
milestone for two reasons. First, it further<br />
validates our aggressive online strategic<br />
vision. Second, being licensed to provide<br />
our interactive gaming services in Nevada,<br />
a state that is leading the online gaming<br />
charge in the U.S, puts us in a very strong<br />
position for future activity.”<br />
Aristocrat Vice President of System Sales<br />
and Marketing Kelly Shaw said: “We have<br />
created what we believe is, quite simply,<br />
the best platform for online gaming in the<br />
US. The nLive virtual casino solution<br />
empowers operators to extend their brand<br />
beyond the confines of the brick-andmortar<br />
casino and into the online space,<br />
where their players can continue to enjoy<br />
the property and its rewards.“<br />
IGT IS TO PROVIDE<br />
Canada’s Loto Quebec<br />
access to its entire<br />
online and mobile<br />
games library with a full<br />
integration to IGT rgs<br />
(remote game server).<br />
Loto Quebec will utilise the IGT data center<br />
located in Kamloops, British Columbia.<br />
As a result, players visiting EspaceJeux, the<br />
real-money online wagering site<br />
administered by Loto Quebec for the<br />
province, will have access to more games<br />
than ever before, including interactive<br />
versions of IGT's most popular land-based<br />
titles. All will be available in English and<br />
French. "IGT is the leading provider of high<br />
quality casino games to regulated lotteries<br />
throughout Canada and worldwide," said<br />
Robert Melendres, IGT Executive Vice<br />
President, Interactive Group (pictured)<br />
July 2013 PAGE 20
www.gtechg2.com<br />
We Speak Gaming
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Chilean operators incensed<br />
Chilean operators are to sue<br />
their country’s Gaming Board<br />
for illegal casino oversights<br />
The Association of Chilean Casinos<br />
(ACCJ), which represents all of the<br />
privately owned casinos in Chile, has<br />
brought legal action against the Head of<br />
the Chilean Gaming Control Board,<br />
Renato Hamel Maturana.<br />
The charges state that Mr. Hamel has<br />
failed to provide adequate oversight of the<br />
industry and that he has failed to limit<br />
illegal gaming in the country. The charges<br />
relate specifically to Article 42 No. 16 of<br />
Chile’s gaming law, which states that the<br />
board has a duty to take legal action<br />
against gaming whenever it develops<br />
illegally alongside the legal sector.<br />
According to the ACCJ, the gaming<br />
control board has paid no heed to the<br />
numerous complaints brought before it<br />
regarding the rise of illegal gaming in the<br />
country and has not moved against the<br />
rise in illegal slot machines and parlours,<br />
AGEM AGA event<br />
raises $129,000<br />
The 15th annual AGEM/AGA Golf Classic<br />
Presented by JCM Global continued to<br />
attract a high level of demand from players<br />
and sponsors, who came together to raise<br />
a generous $129,000 in support the<br />
research of the National Center for<br />
Responsible Gaming. The event, held April<br />
30 on the award-winning greens of<br />
Cascata in Boulder City, Nevada, drew 140<br />
players from across all facets of the industry<br />
– suppliers, operators and test labs. More<br />
than 30 companies sponsored the event.<br />
“We are incredibly grateful to the industry<br />
for this outpouring of support. Thanks to our<br />
generous sponsors and players, we can<br />
continue to fund a portion of the NCRG’s<br />
important research. The fact is more work<br />
lies ahead, and we encourage everyone<br />
across the industry to continue to be<br />
involved and support the NCRG, not just at<br />
this event, but year-round,” said event<br />
producer Tom Nieman of JCM Global. The<br />
Golf Classic title sponsors are the<br />
Association of Gaming Equipment<br />
Manufacturers and the American Gaming<br />
Association. The event is presented by JCM<br />
Global and benefits the NCRG.<br />
RENATO HAMEL<br />
MATURANA.<br />
The rise is blamed<br />
on “Skill with Prizes”<br />
machines which<br />
are permitted in<br />
Chile and which<br />
local authorities fail<br />
to distinguish<br />
between those and<br />
slots. The rise is so<br />
great that the<br />
administration is<br />
considering<br />
legislation which<br />
would legalise slot<br />
parlours, a move<br />
backed by the<br />
Chilean Gaming<br />
Control Board.<br />
Evolution Gaming has<br />
announced the launch of<br />
another first for Italy – a new<br />
Live Casino Hold’em table for<br />
Lottomatica. The new game,<br />
which can be played in real<br />
time online, is the first Live<br />
Casino Hold’em to be certified<br />
by the AAMS and the first to<br />
go live.<br />
The poker-style game joins<br />
Lottomatica’s already<br />
comprehensive online Live<br />
Roulette, Blackjack and<br />
Baccarat offering for Italy.<br />
Launch night was marked by<br />
a guest appearance at the<br />
Lottomatica tables by Max<br />
Pescatori, one of Italy’s most<br />
famous poker players.<br />
Pescatori, who trained as a<br />
croupier in Las Vegas before<br />
becoming a poker<br />
professional, dealt at the Live<br />
Casino Hold’em table for two<br />
evenings, entertaining<br />
surprised Italian players<br />
Gionata La Torre, CEO of<br />
Evolution Italy, added: “we<br />
even though it has a legal obligation to<br />
act. The gaming board’s failure in this<br />
regard has, according to the ACCJ, not<br />
only led to the proliferation of illegal<br />
gaming but has led to a rise in underage<br />
gambling and tax evasion.<br />
Furthermore, when it comes to illegal<br />
gaming there are no loopholes as the<br />
gaming law of 1995 specifically provides<br />
the board with sufficient powers to<br />
combat illegal gaming and provides a<br />
clear legal definition as to what<br />
constitutes legal and illegal gaming.<br />
Illegal gaming has been on the rise<br />
nationwide in Chile and lawyers<br />
representing the ACCJ claim that they<br />
have overwhelming proof that the board<br />
has failed in its duty. Slots outside<br />
casinos are currently banned and those<br />
found to be operating slots illegally can<br />
be fined and face imprisonment.<br />
However, according to government<br />
estimates there could be as many as<br />
150,000 slots located in slot parlours with<br />
a further 50,000 slot machines located in<br />
small businesses and shops.<br />
Evolution first Live Casino<br />
Hold’em for Lottomatica<br />
are very proud to have<br />
achieved yet another first in<br />
Italy – for Evolution and for<br />
Lottomatica. This underlines<br />
our shared commitment to<br />
delivering the best live<br />
gaming experience across<br />
multiple channels.”<br />
The Lottomatica Live Casino<br />
Hold’em game is available<br />
now, live via PC and Mac.<br />
iPad play will be added after<br />
the summer and the game<br />
will also be incorporated into<br />
Lottomatica’s Vegas Club<br />
show (DTT channel 59).<br />
All Lottomatica Live Casino<br />
games are streamed live from<br />
Lottomatica’s dedicated,<br />
branded area within<br />
Evolution’s European Live<br />
Casino studios. Evolution<br />
Gaming’s bluescreen<br />
technology is used to create<br />
an authentic casino<br />
environment online, and<br />
players are served by a<br />
dedicated team of native<br />
speaking Italian dealers.<br />
REFLEX GAMING IS SCALING UP ITS<br />
manufacturing capability in order to<br />
meet demand while ensuring that quality<br />
and customer service remain a top<br />
priority. “We have recently moved to an<br />
additional 8,000 sq ft premises and<br />
taken on a new production manager;<br />
Adi Cutts, who will be well known to the<br />
industry from his time at Bell-Fruit Games<br />
and Games Warehouse,” says Quentin<br />
Stott. “Adi is involved in training up new<br />
staff and we have managed to get the<br />
new factory building operational in an<br />
incredibly short space of time. However,<br />
split-site operation is not ideal; we are<br />
hoping to conclude negotiations on even<br />
larger premises in the local area in the<br />
near future, so that we can move<br />
everything under one roof.”<br />
Reflex Gaming has had to hit the ground<br />
running since it entered the Category C<br />
sector last year and was met with<br />
incredible demand for its games. “We<br />
didn’t initially plan to bring out a new<br />
pub retail model every month, but<br />
following our explosive first release, that<br />
is what has happened and we have<br />
managed to keep the momentum going<br />
with one successful title after another,”<br />
says Quentin. “However, we are fully<br />
aware that these are unusual<br />
circumstances, so we want to manage<br />
our expansion carefully in order to<br />
ensure that we continue to offer a great<br />
service to our customers, maintain our<br />
diversity of developments and keep our<br />
senses alive to other new opportunities.”<br />
Reflex Gaming, which is currently<br />
involved in the Category D, C and B<br />
sectors, with both analogue and digital<br />
product is also planning to bring out a<br />
new cabinet this year for high tech<br />
machines. “At the moment we are reliant<br />
to a certain extent on the base product<br />
that we can buy in and this imposes<br />
some limitations,” says Quentin. “We<br />
want to be free from these restrictions<br />
and also we want to create a cabinet<br />
that is more sophisticated in its<br />
technology than what is currently<br />
available. We are confident that we can<br />
do this, while keeping prices<br />
competitive.”<br />
In the meantime, the team at Reflex is<br />
working very hard to ensure that it can<br />
keep up with current demand, with<br />
continued high quality product and<br />
service. “Everyone is working extremely<br />
long days and we have recently taken<br />
on Martin Austin and Steve Clark to<br />
ensure that we keep close to many more<br />
of our customers in order to not lose<br />
sight of their demands,” said Quentin.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 22
CASINO CURRENCY<br />
PRECISION DICE<br />
CARDS<br />
FURNITURE & LAYOUTS
EiG<br />
Totally Gaming<br />
Dissect the<br />
anatomy of<br />
iGaming<br />
New format, new features, new delivery<br />
8th-10th October • Barcelona, Spain<br />
<strong>Download</strong> the brochure to find out more at eigexpo.com
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
BATAVIA DOWNS CASINO IN NEW<br />
York, owned by Western Regional Off-<br />
Track Betting, has enrolled Bally<br />
Technologies to replace a competitor’s<br />
system with the Casino Market Place<br />
casino-management, patron-loyalty,<br />
and player-tracking system.<br />
Bally’s systems solutions will support<br />
779 gaming devices at Batavia Downs.<br />
Eight of the nine racetrack casinos in<br />
New York use Bally Technologies’<br />
systems technology for player-centric<br />
marketing. Batavia Downs Casino and<br />
Western Regional Off-Tracking Betting<br />
President Michael Kane said: “Our goal<br />
is to provide our players with a topnotch<br />
experience when they visit our<br />
casino. CMP’s player-centric design and<br />
world-class marketing tools will help put<br />
us in the position to best reward loyal<br />
players and grow our business.”<br />
The Bally systems solutions selected by<br />
Batavia Downs Casino will handle<br />
player-loyalty programs and various<br />
other marketing, promotions, and<br />
bonusing functions. Bally will provide the<br />
property with a version of Bally’s Power<br />
Coupon designed specifically for the<br />
New York lottery market. Batavia Downs<br />
Casino will also install Bally's state-ofthe-art<br />
Promotional Kiosk application<br />
across all kiosks on the gaming floor.<br />
MERKUR SPIELBANKEN SACHSEN-<br />
Anhalt, the partnership between<br />
Gauselmann Group and Swiss operator<br />
Stadtcasino Baden, has beaten off<br />
competition from four other casino<br />
groups to secure the right to operate<br />
casinos in Saxony-Anhalt in central<br />
Germany. Two are planned initially with<br />
Magdeburg and Günthersdorf the<br />
chosen locations. The licensing<br />
committee said the winning group’s<br />
professional expertise, economic solidity<br />
as well as social concepts and location<br />
strategies saw it come out on top.<br />
Paul Gauselmann, Chairman of<br />
Gauselmann, said: “Together with our<br />
partner Stadtcasino Baden AG and the<br />
state of Saxony-Anhalt, we are optimally<br />
prepared for a new beginning in the<br />
casino sector in Saxony-Anhalt. We will<br />
now make the repeated change in<br />
hands of operators and ultimately three<br />
years of stagnation without casinos in<br />
Saxony-Anhalt a permanent thing of the<br />
past and very soon once again operate<br />
attractive casinos,” he added. “The<br />
opening of casinos in Magdeburg and<br />
Günthersdorf is first planned upon this<br />
certification. Truly special recreational<br />
offers will be possible in future here<br />
where the player will always be the<br />
centre of attention thanks to the 40 years<br />
of experience in the operation of modern<br />
and top quality entertainment centres.”<br />
Grand Ho Tram ready for July<br />
The Grand is set to open on Ho<br />
Tram Strip in Vietnam after a<br />
tumultus development period<br />
Ho Tram Project has confirmed that its<br />
first resort, located around two hours<br />
from Vietnam’s largest metropolis, Ho Chi<br />
Minh City, will open its doors to the<br />
public on July 26 and will operate under<br />
the name The Grand - Ho Tram Strip.<br />
John Webb, The Grand Ho Tram Strip's<br />
VP of Hospitality, said: “Extraordinary<br />
resort properties should be identified by a<br />
name and brand that reflect their quality,<br />
stature and uniqueness. After a long<br />
discussion process with stakeholders,<br />
branding experts and all departments<br />
within our organization, we found<br />
ourselves coming full circle - all the way<br />
back to the first name that was put on the<br />
table: The Grand. We looked at adjectives<br />
in every language you care to imagine,<br />
but when we stepped back and focused<br />
on the property, it is ultimately a Grand<br />
development, and so we are thrilled to<br />
announce that that is exactly what it will<br />
be known as."<br />
The property, which includes 541 rooms,<br />
extensive entertainment space, and one of<br />
the largest function centers in Vietnam,<br />
was to have operated under another<br />
international brand and operator, however<br />
SHFL games go live on<br />
GameAccount Network<br />
SHFL entertainment’s iGaming<br />
products are now live and<br />
eligible to take real-money<br />
bets on GameAccount<br />
Network's market leading<br />
online gaming platform,<br />
including its B2C site, Money<br />
Gaming. SHFL will offer its<br />
online versions of popular<br />
proprietary table games, such<br />
as Three Card Poker,Ultimate<br />
Texas Hold'em, and Fortune<br />
Pai Gow Poker, to many of the<br />
iGaming operators using the<br />
GAN platform in the UK, Italy,<br />
and Spain.<br />
GAN's impressive portfolio of<br />
customers consists of over 20<br />
online operators, including<br />
Lottomatica, SNAI, Sisal,<br />
Paddy Power, William Hill,<br />
SportingBet and Rank Group,<br />
to name a few.<br />
The first phase of<br />
The Grand Ho Tram<br />
Strip includes 541<br />
five star rooms,<br />
gaming facilities,<br />
meeting and<br />
convention space,<br />
ten bars and<br />
restaurants, a spa,<br />
teen’s and children’s<br />
areas, three<br />
swimming pools<br />
and luxury retail<br />
shops. The operator<br />
also announced in<br />
October 2012 that it<br />
had broken ground<br />
on the second<br />
phase of The Grand<br />
Ho Tram Strip, which<br />
will include a<br />
second tower of 559<br />
rooms.<br />
Gavin Isaacs, CEO for SHFL,<br />
said: "The go-live of our<br />
online games is a significant<br />
milestone for SHFL and it is<br />
very exciting to see this come<br />
to fruition. Online players in<br />
key European markets will<br />
now have the opportunity to<br />
experience our renowned<br />
proprietary table games<br />
through a multitude of sites<br />
that GAN serves.”<br />
Dermot Smurfit, CEO,<br />
GameAccount Network,<br />
added: "We believe that there<br />
is strong demand among our<br />
online operators and their end<br />
user players for the authentic<br />
SHFL proprietary table games<br />
experience delivered online by<br />
SHFL's proprietary Remote<br />
Gaming Server integrated with<br />
our Internet Gaming System.”<br />
with the dissolution of that management<br />
contract, the owners will instead manage<br />
the property under The Grand - Ho Tram<br />
Strip name, with its 2000-strong team<br />
recruited and trained under the direction<br />
of MGM Resorts International.<br />
Ho Tram Project Company General<br />
Director, Colin Pine, said: "We could not<br />
be more excited. We have a superb team<br />
on site who are absolutely raring to go,<br />
and cannot wait to pin their new 'The<br />
Grand - Ho Tram Strip' name badges on<br />
to their shirts and start welcoming guests<br />
in just over a month to the most exciting<br />
development Vietnam's hospitality<br />
industry has ever seen."<br />
Interblock signs<br />
cyberspace deal<br />
Slovenian multi-player manufacturer<br />
Interblock has signed a deal with Bally<br />
Technologies to integrate its game content<br />
onto Bally’s iGaming Platform. The ability to<br />
integrate Interblock’s online content will<br />
provide land-based casino operators<br />
another best-in-class business-to-business<br />
offering and allow them to utilise worldclass<br />
technology, while maintaining control<br />
of their operations through Bally<br />
Technologies. “Interblock’s CEO Tom O’Brien<br />
said: “The combination of Bally and<br />
Interblock, will provide operators and their<br />
players the many benefits of a strong<br />
strategic alliance, bringing state-of-the-art<br />
content to the market.” Bally Technologies’<br />
Vice President of Business Development<br />
John Connelly said: “This relationship<br />
further validates the current transformation<br />
within the online gaming sector, which<br />
integrates traditional and online casino<br />
systems, allowing casino operators to<br />
protect their data while offering their<br />
customers best-in-class content.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 25
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
Genting mounting investment<br />
Malaysian operator Genting is<br />
to invest RM3bn in mountain top<br />
makeover of its flagship resort<br />
Malaysian operator Genting is investing<br />
RM3bn (US$958m) renovating its<br />
mountaintop Genting Highlands casino<br />
resort as the group looks to bring it in<br />
line with the standards set at its newer<br />
operations in Singapore and The<br />
Philippines. The aim is to double the<br />
profit at the 42-year-old venue. Genting<br />
Malaysia announced a profit of RM1.4bn<br />
for 2012, representing a decline of 1.8 per<br />
cent from 2011 when profit was 1.43bn.<br />
Revenues for last year showed 7.1 per<br />
cent year-on-year decline to 7.89bn.<br />
Chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay said:<br />
“RM3bn is just a ballpark figure. Plans<br />
are still being finalised but we want to<br />
share our thoughts with shareholders.<br />
The idea is to double our profit. Plans are<br />
still being finalised and the board still<br />
needs to approve the plans. We’ve been<br />
investing substantial amounts overseas<br />
and it is now a good time to also invest<br />
here back home. We’ve received some<br />
feedback on how other people would like<br />
things to be improved and we will do our<br />
best. We will make an announcement<br />
once everything is finalised.”<br />
The first quarter of this year saw Genting<br />
Malaysia record a total revenue of<br />
RM1,862m in 1Q13 compared to<br />
RM1,903.8m in the preceding year.<br />
In Malaysia, the group reported<br />
RM1,343.9m in revenue, a three per cent<br />
increase from a year earlier primarily<br />
contributed by higher volume of business<br />
and hold percentage in the premium<br />
players business.<br />
Genting hopes that the redevelopment<br />
work will help it tap into the expanding<br />
regional gaming market and continue to<br />
grow the international premium players<br />
business. “The Group will also develop<br />
strategies to build on the domestic and<br />
overseas premium mass market to<br />
improve the Group’s performance,” it<br />
stated. “Along with these strategies,<br />
ongoing properties and facilities upgrades<br />
will enable the Group to meet the<br />
demands of its discerning customers.”<br />
The group stated: “The global economy<br />
continues to register growth amidst the<br />
challenging economic environment. The<br />
year 2013 started positively,<br />
notwithstanding fiscal and economic<br />
concerns still remaining in Europe and<br />
US. Asian economies have registered<br />
“It’s a lot of money<br />
but it’s not entirely<br />
unexpected and it<br />
is long overdue. In<br />
the gaming<br />
industry there is a<br />
constant need to<br />
revitalise one’s<br />
offering and they<br />
are running at<br />
about 96 per cent<br />
occupancy on<br />
10,000 rooms.<br />
LUCIUS CHONG,<br />
CIMB Analyst.<br />
growth and remained resilient. Similarly,<br />
the leisure and hospitality industry<br />
outlook is expected to grow though<br />
competitive pressures in the regional<br />
gaming sector continue to intensify. The<br />
group is cautiously optimistic on the<br />
overall outlook of the leisure and<br />
hospitality industry.”<br />
Revenue from the United Kingdom<br />
operations meanwhile slumped by a<br />
further 23 per cent on last year’s first<br />
quarter figures, down to RM263.5 due to<br />
lower hold percentage and volume of<br />
business in its London operations.<br />
Floating casino in Misiones<br />
Argentina gets green light<br />
A new floating casino has<br />
been officially unveiled after<br />
an agreement was reached<br />
between the Provincial<br />
Institute of Lotteries and<br />
Casino, and the Company of<br />
Tourism and Services SA.<br />
Officials revealed that the<br />
casino will also house 52 five<br />
star category rooms will have<br />
eight floors, a swimming pool<br />
and other entertainment<br />
facilities including a sauna and<br />
spar and will be operational in<br />
the next six months. The<br />
casino will be moored<br />
permanently to the harbour in<br />
the city of Puerto Iguazú and<br />
will consist of six gaming<br />
rooms while another hotel will<br />
be constructed nearby on the<br />
harbour which will also be<br />
part of the floating casino and<br />
consist of 60 rooms.<br />
Located in the far north east of<br />
Argentina, the province of<br />
Misiones is one of the most<br />
popular tourist destinations in<br />
Argentina and the floating<br />
casino is part of a larger<br />
government project to boost<br />
tourism in the region famous<br />
for the Iguaza falls. According<br />
to Eduardo Torres, president of<br />
Provincial Institute of Lotteries<br />
and Casinos a floating casino<br />
in the city of Puerto Misiones<br />
is part of the development of<br />
five star hotels and casinos in<br />
the city which will generate<br />
levels of tourism “parallel to<br />
that which is experienced in<br />
the province.”<br />
The boat will be unique in<br />
Latin America as it will not<br />
only serve as a casino but also<br />
hotel and entertainment<br />
centre. The ship is currently<br />
being converted into a casino<br />
in the harbour of Puerto<br />
Madero in Buenos Aires and<br />
will create 500 jobs and be the<br />
first stage in the building of a<br />
“mini Las Vegas” according to<br />
local government officials.<br />
EVOLUTION GAMING, A SPECIALIST IN<br />
video-streamed Live Dealer gaming, has<br />
announced it has signed a deal with SHFL<br />
entertainment, Inc. that will see SHFL table<br />
games added to Evolution’s Live Casino<br />
offering in regulated online gambling<br />
markets. Under the agreement, Evolution<br />
receives the rights to offer many of SHFL’s<br />
speciality table game titles in its online Live<br />
Casinos. Two “market-leading” SHFL<br />
casino table games will be made<br />
available later this year, with more to<br />
follow. PC and iPad versions will be<br />
launched simultaneously, which,<br />
according to Evolution, where legislation<br />
permits, “will enable operators to offer<br />
world-class online Live Casino as well as<br />
intra-resort services that allow resort<br />
guests to continue to<br />
enjoy live table games<br />
away from the main<br />
gaming floor – in their<br />
hotel rooms or when<br />
relaxing by the pool, for<br />
example.”<br />
Evolution Chief Executive Officer Jens von<br />
Bahr (pictured) said: “We are delighted to<br />
have struck this agreement with SHFL,<br />
which positions us perfectly to lead the<br />
exciting new online markets, including<br />
emerging regulated markets like the US,<br />
with a customised solution that gives<br />
operators a true competitive edge. Our<br />
already wide offering of Live Roulette,<br />
Blackjack, Baccarat and Casino Hold’em<br />
games will soon be enriched with further<br />
key games that we are confident all<br />
players love to play in their favourite landbased<br />
casinos.”<br />
Lou Castle, CSO for SHFL added: “Evolution<br />
is a proven leading supplier to top<br />
operators in Europe for Live Casino, videostreamed<br />
live dealer services. Evolution's<br />
offering of live games streamed to online<br />
patrons on or off property, creates a<br />
compelling platform to offer SHFL's leading<br />
table games for emerging online<br />
regulated markets like the US.”<br />
IGT HAS PARTNERED WITH BETSSON<br />
a leading Maltese operator, which will<br />
significantly increase its online and<br />
mobile offering via a single integration<br />
with IGT rgs (remote game server).<br />
Monopoly Plus, 100 Pandas, Cleopatra<br />
and Da Vinci Diamonds will be among<br />
the broad portfolio of games to go live in<br />
a multitude of countries with full<br />
language and currency support across<br />
all channels. Players at the Betssonowned<br />
CasinoEuro.com will be the first to<br />
benefit from IGT’s world-leading branded<br />
games and top-performing titles, before<br />
they are rolled out on Betsson.com and<br />
Betsafe.com as well as the group’s other<br />
Nordic gaming brands.<br />
Sam Brown, Head of Gaming at Betsson<br />
Group, said: “Leading the industry with<br />
the largest and most diverse selection of<br />
premium quality casino games is at the<br />
heart of Betsson’s product proposition.<br />
The addition of IGT content will help us<br />
stay ahead of the curve in delivering the<br />
best possible experience and range of<br />
games to our players.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 26
Jamaica seek resort operator<br />
Jamaica’s Ministry of Finance<br />
has launched a bid to find a<br />
casino resort developer<br />
The Government of Jamaica has launched<br />
its bid to bring casino gaming to the<br />
Caribbean island for the first time.<br />
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
JURGEN DE MUNCK of DRGT and<br />
JOHANNES WEISSENGRUBER of APEX<br />
gaming at the FADJA Peru<br />
THE GROWING DEMAND FOR APEX<br />
gaming solutions is set to receive a great<br />
boost in Latin America with DRGT named<br />
as a key distributor. With DRGT’s Latin<br />
American subsidiary based in Lima, Peru,<br />
the Peru gaming show, the FADJA Peru,<br />
which took place last month, was the<br />
perfect location to officially announce the<br />
new partnership. A choice of three<br />
gaming cabinets from APEX gaming were<br />
on display on the DRGT stand; the<br />
Pinnacle upright, the Pinnacle SL slant top<br />
and the Dual Slim Line upright, which will<br />
soon be available to customers in Peru.<br />
The very best Multi Magic Classic games<br />
are set to become favourites among<br />
players in Peru.<br />
Johannes Weissengruber, CEO and<br />
founder of APEX gaming, together with<br />
Max Pessnegger, CTO, both attended the<br />
FADJA Peru. Max Pessnegger said: “My<br />
working relationship with DRGT dates<br />
back to my time with BMM where I was<br />
privileged to get to know a very<br />
professional and approachable company.<br />
DRGT is an excellent partner for us in<br />
Peru.”<br />
Jurgen De Munck, CEO and co-founder of<br />
DRGT, added: “We already have received<br />
our first orders for APEX gaming<br />
machines, even before the official<br />
announcement. That underlines the<br />
potential great demand for APEX in Latin<br />
America and we are here with our<br />
extensive sales and service team to<br />
ensure that APEX can be enjoyed by<br />
players all around Latin America.”<br />
THE UK’S IOA HAS CONFIRMED DETAILS<br />
of a partnership agreement with the<br />
Gauselmann group, the German gaming<br />
machine manufacturer. The deal, which<br />
was ratified recently, will see Gauselmann<br />
supply the IOA with its Genie series of<br />
digital Category C AWPs for the UK single<br />
site market. Initial volumes have been<br />
agreed between both parties with orders<br />
set to rise to 500 machines.<br />
Delivering on the initiative to expand and<br />
improve Jamaica's tourism product, Dr.<br />
the Honourable Peter Phillips, Minister of<br />
Finance and Planning, on behalf of the<br />
Government of Jamaica has commenced<br />
the process for interested investors to<br />
submit proposals for the Integrated Resort<br />
Development (IRD).<br />
The Request for Proposal process began<br />
on June 1, 2013, and was made possible<br />
under the Casino Gaming (Application for<br />
Declaration of Approved Integrated Resort<br />
Development) Regulations 2012 and the<br />
Casino Gaming (Prescribed Games)<br />
Regulations 2012, passed by both the<br />
Parliament and the Senate in 2012.<br />
Minister Phillips, in his 2013-2014 Budget<br />
presentation, spoke about ‘the IRD as the<br />
means by which the Government<br />
proposes to substantially grow the Hotel<br />
Sector.’ The Ministry of Finance said:<br />
“The project will lead to the expansion<br />
Scientific sign significant<br />
Hungarian lottery deal<br />
Scientific Games Corporation<br />
has signed a new lottery<br />
systems contract with<br />
Szerencsejatek Zrt, the<br />
Hungarian State Lottery,<br />
ending December 31, 2020.<br />
Scientific Games will<br />
implement its AEGIS NGS<br />
next-generation central system<br />
hardware and software, install<br />
additional Wave terminals and<br />
provide related services.<br />
Dr. Kalman Szentpetery, Chief<br />
Executive Officer and<br />
Chairman of the Board of<br />
Directors of Szerencsejatek Zrt,<br />
said: "Scientific Games has<br />
been successfully serving our<br />
Lottery for many years and we<br />
believe its innovative products<br />
and services have been a key<br />
factor in our growth. We are<br />
impressed by the WAVE<br />
terminal and the AEGIS NGS<br />
PETER PHILLIPS.<br />
Currently, gaming<br />
by way of slots is<br />
governed in<br />
Jamaica under the<br />
Betting Gaming<br />
and Lotteries Act<br />
under strict limits as<br />
to the number of<br />
machines per<br />
establishment and<br />
number that can<br />
own machines<br />
including hotels.<br />
Table games will<br />
not be allowed<br />
anywhere apart<br />
from in licensed<br />
casinos.<br />
system appears to be the best<br />
performing lottery system<br />
available today. Scientific<br />
Games has delivered once<br />
again and we believe it will<br />
continue to help our lottery<br />
grow."<br />
"We are pleased to continue<br />
our valued partnership with<br />
Szerencsejatek Zrt," added<br />
John Donahue, Managing<br />
Director, International Lottery<br />
Systems for Scientific Games.<br />
"Innovation is important to<br />
both Scientific Games and<br />
Szerencsejatek Zrt and we<br />
look forward to further<br />
collaboration to drive the<br />
lottery's performance."<br />
Szerencsejatek Zrt is the only<br />
lottery in Hungary, operating<br />
over 4,800 retail terminals<br />
with total lottery sales of<br />
nearly $900m in 2012.<br />
and enhancement the tourism product,<br />
enabling guests to have access to the full<br />
range of gaming facilities including<br />
traditional table games as well as gaming<br />
machines. More importantly, the<br />
establishment of such developments will<br />
not only create jobs for many Jamaicans<br />
during the construction phase and when<br />
the entity is operational but also trigger<br />
new investments in the tourism sector.”<br />
The application documents and a<br />
summary of the key RFP specification can<br />
be obtained from the Ministry of Finance<br />
and Planning website at<br />
www.mof.gov.jm. Interested investors<br />
have until September 30, 2013 to submit<br />
proposals and the review period for<br />
applications is estimated to not exceed<br />
four months after the deadline of<br />
submission of RFPs. A Project Coordinator<br />
has been appointed to oversee<br />
the application process and to act as<br />
agent for the Ministry of Finance.<br />
Rank launches<br />
Greentube games<br />
Rank Group will be launching six new<br />
Greentube games at the end of July.<br />
Since Rank’s recent successful acquisition of<br />
19 Gala Casinos, a move that takes Rank<br />
into 11 new markets, and creates a market<br />
leading position for the Grosvenor Casinos<br />
brand in the UK, the relationship with the<br />
Novomatic Group, in particular, with<br />
Greentube and also Novomatic’s UK<br />
subsidiary, Astra Games, has strengthened<br />
even further. Rank has been working with<br />
Greentube since September 2009 and<br />
earlier this year, the popular Greentube<br />
games Fairy Queen, Spinning Stars,<br />
Dazzling Diamonds, Flame Dancer, Golden<br />
Ark and Jewel Action were added to Rank’s<br />
gaming portfolio. Moreover, Cash Farm,<br />
Fruit Farm, Rumpel Wildspins, Jolly Star,<br />
Indian Spirit and Pharao’s Tomb will follow.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 27
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
First multi-site cloud casino<br />
Grosvenor creates world’s first<br />
multi-site cloud casino with the<br />
installation of the IGT Cloud<br />
Three Grosvenor casinos are going live<br />
with the IGT Cloud - creating the world’s<br />
first multi-site cloud casino environment.<br />
Grosvenor Casinos in Coventry, Reading<br />
and London will benefit from instant<br />
access to IGT’s UK AVP game library and<br />
enhanced analytical reporting.<br />
Driven by player behaviour and<br />
preference, the cloud-enabled casinos can<br />
make informed real-time decisions about<br />
which IGT games to deploy on each<br />
terminal. The three casinos have complete<br />
access to IGT’s UK AVP game library,<br />
including all themes under IGT’s Fort<br />
Knox progressive system.<br />
Simon Beacham, head of electronic<br />
gaming at Grosvenor Casinos said: “We<br />
are always looking for ways to provide<br />
our players with the very best gaming<br />
experiences possible. Through our IGT<br />
Cloud we now have the ability to evaluate<br />
the performance of games and quickly<br />
offer the best and newest IGT games to<br />
our players. Now, our customers can<br />
benefit from a customised gambling<br />
experience, with the games they want<br />
available at a touch of a button."<br />
San Remo casino<br />
reversing fortunes<br />
Despite further losses in April and May, the<br />
management of the casino in San Remo,<br />
Italy, believe they are beginning to turn<br />
around the casino’s fortunes. April ended<br />
with a drop in GGR of 16 per cent,<br />
compared to April in 2012. May came in 14<br />
per cent down. In May, table gaming<br />
revenue was actually up six per cent to<br />
€973,069 whilst the slots brought in<br />
€2,420,896. President of Federgioco,<br />
Marco Cambiaso, Director of Casino Spa:<br />
"The numbers are rewarding given the<br />
company's great team effort. Despite the<br />
current difficulties we are positively<br />
involved with all employees, whom we<br />
thank. With this commitment, we will not<br />
only be able to save the casino, but also<br />
lay a solid foundation for its rebirth and its<br />
progressive improvement.”<br />
SABBY GILL, IGT<br />
regional VP for<br />
EMEA and LATAM.<br />
The initial launch<br />
includes a total of<br />
26 AVPs connected,<br />
with plans to<br />
extend the cloud<br />
offering to other<br />
Grosvenor Casino<br />
sites later in the<br />
year.<br />
Gaming Partners International<br />
has bought The Blue Chip<br />
Company, a privately-held<br />
manufacturer of compressionmoulded<br />
gaming chips.<br />
This transaction is part of<br />
GPIC's previously announced<br />
strategy to use its strong cash<br />
position to acquire companies,<br />
products or technologies to<br />
enable it to grow its product<br />
offerings. Gregory Gronau,<br />
GPIC’s President and Chief<br />
Executive Officer, said: "We<br />
are pleased to acquire Blue<br />
Chip's product portfolio. This<br />
acquisition unites sister<br />
compression-moulded clay<br />
Cloud adoption also represents a<br />
significant step forward in casino<br />
management. Where previously machine<br />
performance could only be measured on a<br />
terminal by terminal basis, the analytical<br />
tools provided by the IGT Cloud will<br />
enable important insight into product<br />
performance on a game by game basis.<br />
By instantly being able to analyse player<br />
trend data and other key performance<br />
indicators the casino operator can act on<br />
strategic information to optimise floor<br />
potential.<br />
“The deployment of the world’s first<br />
multi-site cloud casino environment with<br />
Grosvenor Casinos is a sign of IGT’s<br />
forward thinking approach to driving<br />
technological innovation in the gambling<br />
industry" says Sabby Gill, regional vice<br />
president for EMEA and LATAM, IGT.<br />
“The IGT Cloud gives casinos the ability<br />
to optimise the gaming floor, thereby<br />
driving revenue and enhancing the<br />
gaming experience for the player.”<br />
GPIC acquires Blue Chip<br />
rival chip manufacturer<br />
chip products developed by<br />
the Endy brothers, Paul and<br />
Charlie. It enables GPIC to<br />
expand its suite of currency<br />
product offerings to new and<br />
existing customers, while<br />
continuing to serve the market<br />
with our premium Paulson<br />
clay chip products."<br />
Charlie Endy, Blue Chip's<br />
Managing Member, added:<br />
"On behalf of The Blue Chip<br />
Company, we are pleased to<br />
complete this transaction with<br />
GPIC. We are confident in<br />
their ability to continue to<br />
support our customer base<br />
and grow the brand."<br />
REAFFIRMING ITS INTEREST AND<br />
dedication to local markets, Merkur<br />
Gaming made a successful appearance at<br />
Gaming Expo Belgrade 2013. The event<br />
took place on May 21–23 at Belgrade Fair,<br />
Hall 5, and Merkur Gaming exhibited a<br />
range of its cabinets, including Privilege,<br />
Evolution and Highflyer. The company also<br />
showcased the Merkur Dispenser and a<br />
number of different game packages.<br />
Thomas Niehenke, COO of the<br />
Gauselmann Group said that although the<br />
show was small, only featuring four<br />
manufacturers among the exhibitors, the<br />
company felt it was important to take part:<br />
“Our performance within the Serbian<br />
market, as well as surrounding markets, is<br />
an indication we are a strong partner in<br />
the region, and we want to expand this<br />
position further. Gaming Expo Belgrade<br />
2013 was an ideal opportunity to lay the<br />
groundwork for doing so.”<br />
GLI HAS APPOINTED<br />
respected consultant<br />
William Higgins as its<br />
new Development<br />
Manager for Global<br />
Professional Services<br />
where he will be<br />
positioned in GLI’s office<br />
located in Moncton, New Brunswick,<br />
Canada. GLI Canada CEO Salim Adatia<br />
(pictured) said: “I am very pleased with the<br />
growth rate of our professional services<br />
team and look forward to working with<br />
William. Adding a seasoned professional<br />
such as William to our existing talent pool<br />
will help us to meet the demand that has<br />
accompanied the division’s growth.<br />
William will be a great help to the planning<br />
and directing of the administrative,<br />
financial, development and operational<br />
activities for the growing consultancy<br />
demands, both in gaming and in nongaming<br />
areas.”<br />
“Bringing William to the GLI team will add<br />
tremendous depth and skill to our growing<br />
Global Professional Services team, in<br />
particular as it relates to our enterprise risk<br />
management, audit and advisory<br />
channels, and we are thrilled to add him<br />
to the team,” added Global Professional<br />
Services Director Gregory Doucette.<br />
Mr. Higgins has extensive professional<br />
services experience, having worked for<br />
more than 25 years for companies such<br />
as Grant Thornton and Ernst & Young.<br />
Higgins comes to GLI with experience in<br />
both the private and public sectors. Most<br />
recently, he served as New Brunswick<br />
Practice Leader for Business Risk Services<br />
at Grant Thornton.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 28
News<br />
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE<br />
THE FADJA PERU EXHIBITION took place<br />
in Lima at the end of May and proved to be<br />
the perfect setting for DRGT to underline its<br />
unique benefits for the Peruvian gaming<br />
market. The close links to operators in Peru<br />
makes DRGT a key partner for slot machine<br />
sales and service. During the show, DRGT<br />
officially announced two new major<br />
partnerships with Alfastreet and APEX.<br />
DRGT was the only premium sponsor of<br />
the FADJA Peru, underlining its<br />
commitment to the market.<br />
Jurgen De Munck, CEO and co-founder of<br />
DRGT, commented on the choice of<br />
partners, explaining: “We can now provide<br />
operators with an excellent choice in the<br />
two key areas of both electronic<br />
multiplayers and slot machines. Alfastreet<br />
has an excellent reputation and is<br />
extremely innovative in the field of<br />
electronic multiplayers. The same is true for<br />
APEX gaming in the field of slot machines<br />
and slot games. We are very proud to have<br />
been able to seal partnerships with such<br />
top companies. The feedback from the<br />
exhibition demonstrated that both<br />
companies are set to become household<br />
names here.”<br />
AEG AND MGM RESORTS HAVE<br />
completed and executed transactional<br />
agreements behind a new arena project,<br />
which will be the centre piece of a<br />
complete revitalisation of the area between<br />
New York-New York and Monte Carlo<br />
resorts, extending from Las Vegas Blvd. to<br />
Frank Sinatra Drive. They have selected<br />
Populous, designers of many of the world's<br />
most memorable sports, concert and<br />
entertainment venues as the Architect of<br />
Record and designer for the new<br />
approximately 20,000-seat indoor arena.<br />
The arena is expected to break ground in<br />
summer 2014, with the grand opening<br />
projected for spring 2016. The project is<br />
anticipated to cost approximately $350m<br />
and be financed with equity contributions<br />
from each of the partners as well as<br />
privately funded third-party financing.<br />
"Finalising our agreement with AEG and<br />
selecting Populous, a world-class design<br />
firm, as the architect of this project are both<br />
important milestones in this process," said<br />
Jim Murren, MGM Resorts International<br />
Chairman and CEO. "The combination of<br />
MGM and AEG, along with the excellent<br />
Las Vegas Strip location, is already driving<br />
interest from potential investors in this<br />
exciting new development."<br />
Barcelona’s Melco approach<br />
Melco International has been<br />
approached to lend its expertise<br />
to help Spain’s Barcelona World<br />
Melco International development could be<br />
poised to be taking on Las Vegas Sands in<br />
the battle for super casino supremacy in<br />
Spain having confirmed that it has been<br />
invited to take part in Barcelona World, a<br />
US$1bn casino resort project set for the<br />
outskirts of Barcelona.<br />
Melco International, a partner in Macau<br />
operator Melco Crown Entertainment,<br />
confirmed that it was exploring the<br />
opportunity with the company behind the<br />
project; Veremonte.<br />
It stated that it was ‘happy to be invited’<br />
by Veremonte to take part in the<br />
Barcelona World project as casino<br />
operator and said that in the coming<br />
months, it would ‘continue to work with<br />
Veremonte on the definitive casino<br />
management agreement.’ It added it<br />
would make an announcement when the<br />
‘agreement is signed.’<br />
If it did get involved in Barcelona world,<br />
it would pitch the internationallyrenowned<br />
operator directly against its<br />
Macau rival Las Vegas Sands, who three<br />
months ago it would build a US$9bn<br />
casino leisure resort in Alcorcón,<br />
Following a spate of raids on<br />
illegal casinos, Tokyo Governor<br />
Naoki Inose has announced he<br />
wants to start the process to<br />
open a waterfront casino in<br />
Japan’s capital, saying he<br />
expects casino gaming to be<br />
legalised soon.<br />
Speaking at the metropolitan<br />
assembly session, he said: “I<br />
expect the Diet to revise the<br />
law as soon as possible. I will<br />
consider preparing an<br />
integrated resort facility that<br />
combines restaurants, theatres<br />
and casinos to boost foreign<br />
visitors to Tokyo.”<br />
Mr. Inose described his vision<br />
of a casino as being a<br />
‘sightseeing facility and a<br />
place for social interaction<br />
among adults.’<br />
“The casinos will be<br />
an essential part of<br />
the leisure mix. We<br />
also have six smart<br />
cities inspired by<br />
Brazil, India, China,<br />
Russia and the<br />
Middle East, with<br />
food, entertainment<br />
and commercial<br />
offers from these<br />
locations.”<br />
XAVIER ADSERÀ,<br />
CEO, Veremonte.<br />
Tokyo Governor pushes<br />
for waterfront casino<br />
His predecessor, Shintaro<br />
Ishihara, also publically<br />
advocated allowing casinos in<br />
Tokyo soon after he was<br />
elected governor for the first<br />
time in 1999. However, his<br />
vision of bringing a casino to<br />
the Odaiba area remained<br />
unfulfilled as he couldn’t<br />
convince legislators to<br />
overhaul laws prohibiting<br />
gambling in the Penal Code.<br />
Pro-casino legislators have<br />
been trying to get legislation<br />
approved for more than a<br />
decade. Japan has watched<br />
Macau and Singapore sprint<br />
away with the gaming taxation<br />
and tourism benefits from<br />
allowing casinos to operate.<br />
The only form of legalised<br />
gambling in Japan remains<br />
pachinko, which generates<br />
over US$200bn each year.<br />
potentially called EuroVegas. At a press<br />
conference at Tarragona Chamber of<br />
Commerce, Veremonte President, Enrique<br />
Bañuelos, confirmed that the hope was<br />
that Melco Crown that Melco would have<br />
two local partners, Meliá hotel group and<br />
a shopping mall firm called Value Retail.<br />
Melco is seen as being the key partner<br />
though and not just for its financial<br />
muscle. Its proximity to Chinese tourists<br />
via its Macau commitments marries<br />
perfectly with the first phase of the<br />
project’s partial reliance on junkets.<br />
Andreu Mas-Colell, a legal representative<br />
for the Government of Cataluña’s<br />
Department of Economy, explained that<br />
up to 5,000 new permanent jobs would<br />
be created at the complex, which is<br />
scheduled to open in 2016. He added that,<br />
in contrast to Sheldon Adelson’s Las<br />
Vegas Sands’ proposal in Madrid, there<br />
would be no demands to change antismoking<br />
legislation prior to any funding<br />
being confirmed.<br />
He added that the casino did not require<br />
a single Euro of public money. It is<br />
envisaged that BCN World would open<br />
with a single resort called Barcelona<br />
Dream which would have a foot print of<br />
3.2m sq. ft. offering 1,100 hotel beds, a<br />
casino and a theatre. It could be open by<br />
2016.<br />
The project would be funded equally by<br />
bank loans and equity. Each partner<br />
brings a different amount BCN World<br />
project. Melco could invest almost<br />
$150m, according to sources close to the<br />
project.<br />
The long-term plan is to open six resorts<br />
at BCN World with six hotels, a total of<br />
12,000 rooms, six casinos and retail<br />
offering up to 450 brands. Each casino<br />
will be themed on a geographical part of<br />
Europe, the USA, China, Brazil, Russia or<br />
the Middle East.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 29
Insight<br />
MEXICO EXPERIENCE<br />
UNIQUE MEXICO EVENT<br />
The Mexican gaming industry attended a special Zitro invitational to discover the<br />
latest innovations and product offerings from this rapidly expanding games creator<br />
Zitro presented 17 new games at the<br />
‘Zitro Experience 2013’ event, held in<br />
June in Mexico City. The entire Mexican<br />
gaming sector turned out to find out more<br />
about Zitro’s offer, giving its unanimous<br />
support for this initiative and looking<br />
forward to receiving more games before<br />
the end of the year.<br />
This impressive display will be boosted<br />
by a further five games in the second half<br />
of the year, consolidating Zitro’s creative<br />
drive, with 22 new games in a single year.<br />
Zitro’s CEO, Johnny Ortiz, said: “Zitro<br />
surpasses itself with every new launch, as<br />
shown by the people attending the Zitro<br />
Experience, who were amazed at our<br />
ability to create and revolutionise the<br />
Video Bingo sector once again. The<br />
Mexican market is very important to us,<br />
because we are the exclusive supplier of<br />
video bingo for the largest groups in the<br />
country.”<br />
The games on show incorporate 3D<br />
technology, new interactive systems for<br />
purchasing extra balls; bonuses ranging<br />
from car races to 80s music, five bonuses<br />
WE ARE THE<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
SUPPLIER FOR<br />
THE LARGEST<br />
GROUPS IN THE<br />
COUNTRY.<br />
in a single game and images of real<br />
characters in video and community<br />
games; innovations that have never been<br />
seen before in a bingo product.<br />
AN EVENT PACKED FULL OF SURPRISES<br />
Zitro celebrated the important company<br />
landmark with an event packed full of<br />
surprises and an experience dedicated to<br />
its customers, showing the latest<br />
innovations and the technology of Zitro’s<br />
‘factory of ideas.’<br />
The event was spiced up with a tasting of<br />
Mexican products and, to top it off, those<br />
attending were able to enjoy one of the<br />
most successful musicals currently<br />
showing in the Federal District.<br />
“Zitro surpasses<br />
itself with every<br />
new launch, as<br />
shown by the<br />
people attending<br />
the Zitro<br />
Experience, who<br />
were amazed at<br />
our ability to create<br />
and revolutionise<br />
the Video Bingo<br />
sector once again.”<br />
JOHNNY ORTIZ,<br />
CEO, Zitro.<br />
Images were also displayed of the<br />
12,000sq.m. avant-garde installation that<br />
Zitro has just opened in Barcelona, the<br />
site where 300 professionals create the<br />
company’s video bingo games.<br />
MEXICO, A VERY IMPORTANT MARKET<br />
Zitro games have been favourites with<br />
Mexican players’ for a number of years,<br />
making the country Zitro’s largest market<br />
in the world. The company is the<br />
undisputed leader in Mexico, where each<br />
new launch is awaited enthusiastically as<br />
it translates into greater earnings and<br />
profitability and sets Zitro apart from its<br />
competitors. The huge variety of games<br />
satisfies the tastes of today’s customers<br />
and attracts a younger clients, the<br />
customers of tomorrow, into the gaming<br />
rooms.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 30
Insight<br />
EGT NEW FACILITY<br />
FACILITATING CHANGE<br />
Bulgaria’s Euro Games Technology has expanded its headquarters in Sofia with a<br />
new facility dedicated to the production of high quality gaming machines<br />
Euro Games Technology has expanded its<br />
headquarters in Bulgaria with a new<br />
production facility. It has been<br />
particularly adapted for the<br />
manufacturing of the company’s highquality<br />
Premier Series branded products.<br />
“The advanced technology which EGT<br />
uses for the production of the high-class<br />
Premier Series gaming machines has<br />
imposed the need for an additional<br />
facility which would accommodate<br />
exclusively the manufacturing process of<br />
the Premier cabinets,” commented<br />
Vladimir Dokov, EGT Managing Director.<br />
The new production unit enables EGT to<br />
create the high-class Premier P-24/24<br />
Upright and (later this year) P-24/26 Slant<br />
top cabinets. These elegant machines,<br />
engineered by Euro Games Technology,<br />
use the latest technological innovations to<br />
meet the needs of players and operators.<br />
The main door opening system lifts<br />
upwards providing easy and quick access<br />
and on-the-spot maintenance, and with<br />
their ergonomically shape and attractive<br />
design, the Premier cabinets capture<br />
player attention and prolong play by<br />
“The advanced<br />
technology which<br />
EGT uses for the<br />
production of the<br />
high-class Premier<br />
Series gaming<br />
machines has<br />
imposed the need<br />
for an additional<br />
facility which would<br />
accommodate<br />
exclusively the<br />
manufacturing<br />
process of the<br />
Premier cabinets.”<br />
VLADIMIR DOKOV,<br />
Managing Director,<br />
Euro Games<br />
Technology.<br />
utilising high-quality technology on the<br />
inside too. Based on the Exciter II<br />
Platform, EGT’s Premier cabinets offer<br />
key advantages to both players and<br />
operators.<br />
Each Premier cabinet offers a greater<br />
variety of EGT games. The Exciter II<br />
Platform allows the operation of more<br />
than 40 games in one Multi Game mix. It<br />
also provides for high quality sound FXs<br />
and graphics. The advanced technical<br />
characteristics of the Premier Cabinets are<br />
supplemented by Premier Multigame<br />
mixes. The most recent Premier<br />
Multigames also include card games, keno<br />
and virtual roulette games, along with<br />
other brand new EGT games.<br />
The P-24/24 Upright Cabinets have<br />
recently been upgraded with<br />
sophisticated multimedia toppers and<br />
keyboard. The button panel offers easy<br />
and intuitive play, whereby the interactive<br />
content of each button can be set<br />
individually for every game – especially<br />
the ‘bet’ and ‘lines selection’ buttons.<br />
Durable materials, programmable<br />
perimeter LEDs and integrated brightness<br />
THE FACILITY<br />
WILL ASSURE THE<br />
IDEAL<br />
ENVIRONMENT<br />
FOR THE<br />
PRODUCTION OF<br />
EGT’S QUALITY<br />
PREMIER<br />
MACHINES.<br />
control are just a few of the advantages of<br />
the exclusive button panel. The Premier<br />
series cabinets by EGT also feature new<br />
toppers with wide viewing angles.<br />
Designed to display multimedia videos,<br />
the toppers can be customised<br />
individually for each operator and are the<br />
ideal solution for presentation of the<br />
current jackpot levels, statistics and other<br />
information.<br />
“EGT implements a great variety of<br />
complicated multimedia which require<br />
advanced hardware. I believe that the<br />
new facility will assure the ideal<br />
environment for smooth and safe<br />
production of EGT high-quality Premier<br />
machines,” observed Stanislav Stanev,<br />
EGT Sales and Marketing Director.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 31
Insight<br />
CZECH VLTS<br />
KEEPING VLTS IN<br />
CZECH<br />
The VLT disaster in the Czech Republic unfolds as government, local<br />
councils and manufacturers go head-to-head<br />
The recent ruling by the Czech<br />
Constitutional Court has raised the<br />
possibility that a third of all VLTs in the<br />
Czech market could be removed from<br />
locations, with operators potentially<br />
losing billions of crowns and state offices<br />
seeing the lost of huge amounts in taxes<br />
as a result of the ruling.<br />
The crackdown on VLTs in the Czech<br />
market, widely expected as the<br />
Constitutional Courts last month reversed<br />
the right of operators to continue to<br />
operate VLTs until 2014, could leave some<br />
of the major suppliers in the market<br />
reeling from the changes.<br />
While operators had purchased 10-year<br />
lottery licences from the government in<br />
2007, the Czech Constitutional Court<br />
granted municipalities the right to<br />
regulate within their territory all types of<br />
gambling devices in a new ruling in 2011.<br />
In response to the ruling the Ministry of<br />
Finance created a Lottery Act amendment<br />
setting a three-year transitional period<br />
before any terminals could be withdrawn,<br />
ending in 2014. The three-year<br />
transitional period was the result of an<br />
agreement that the lawmakers, the lottery<br />
industry, the Association of Towns and<br />
Municipalities and the Ministry of<br />
Finance had to respect until the<br />
Constitutional Court decided otherwise -<br />
which it did in April, 2013. The result<br />
saw the three-year transitional period<br />
abandoned with municipalities seeking to<br />
remove VLTs from their communities<br />
immediately.<br />
The Association of Central Lottery System<br />
Operators has since said that the Czech<br />
Republic ruling will ultimately lead to<br />
disputes relating to compensation for<br />
damages in the billions of crowns. The<br />
Association states that the withdrawal of<br />
the protection of the transitional period<br />
for operators of central lottery systems is<br />
“absolutely unacceptable.” However,<br />
according to constitutional judges, lottery<br />
operators “must reckon with the risk of<br />
changes in conditions of business.”<br />
The Ministry of Finance, based on the<br />
decision of the Constitutional Court,<br />
initiated administrative proceedings where<br />
gaming halls are in conflict with local<br />
regulations. It is believed that roughly<br />
6,000 procedures relating to 20,000 units<br />
have been put forth for removal to date.<br />
Operators have already threatened to<br />
claim damages in the billions of crowns<br />
due to the loss of profits until 2017 (the<br />
full tenure of the 10-year licence). There<br />
are also additional restrictions on the<br />
licensing of automated roulette games,<br />
with warehouses filled with dozens of<br />
unsitable roulettes that were once<br />
destined for the Czech Republic. Preparing<br />
are being put in place to take an action to<br />
the administrative court in the country,<br />
with operators determined to take their<br />
IT IS ALREADY<br />
BECOMING<br />
OBVIOUS THAT<br />
THE MAJORITY OF<br />
THE CITIES AND<br />
MUNICIPALITIES<br />
CAN FORESEE<br />
THE EFFECTS OF<br />
THE TOTAL<br />
PROHIBITION.<br />
claims all the way to the European Court<br />
should their voices not be heard in their<br />
own country.<br />
AT THE OPERATOR LEVEL<br />
Synot is the second largest operator of<br />
video lottery terminals in the country and<br />
at the same time with machines and game<br />
software in the business. The Czech<br />
gaming machine supplier and distributor<br />
IVO VALENTA,<br />
Founder and<br />
Owner, Synot<br />
Holdings<br />
“It is already<br />
becoming obvious<br />
that majority of the<br />
cities and<br />
municipalities can<br />
foresee the<br />
possible effects<br />
and impacts of the<br />
total prohibition of<br />
lotteries, and they<br />
will prefer<br />
regulation rather<br />
than unlimited<br />
prohibition that<br />
would only open<br />
the market to illegal<br />
operators and<br />
would deprive cities<br />
and the state of<br />
billions for the state<br />
budgets.”<br />
believes that despite the inevitable<br />
reduction in numbers of VLTs in the<br />
marketplace (currently at 34-37,000), the<br />
leading companies will continue to<br />
maintain their installed base, while the<br />
effects will be felt most severely by the<br />
small-to-medium-sized competition.<br />
The Czech gaming machine supplier and<br />
distributor believes that despite the<br />
inevitable reduction in numbers of VLTs in<br />
the marketplace (currently at 34-37,000),<br />
the leading companies will continue to<br />
maintain their installed base, while the<br />
effects will be felt most severely by the<br />
small-to-medium-sized competition.<br />
"It's expected that certain cities will shut<br />
gambling down completely," explained<br />
Synot's David Mixa, "but we don't believe<br />
that every city will follow this route as<br />
they must consider the revenue and tax<br />
implications of their actions. We also<br />
believe that the reduction in VLT numbers<br />
will concentrate the minds of operators<br />
who as a necessity will need to offer<br />
July 2013 PAGE 32
Insight<br />
CZECH VLTS<br />
PATENTLY DISTURBING ISSUE<br />
VLTs are not only under attack from government and local city councils in<br />
the Czech Republic, but from the patent office too. Companies such as<br />
Synot have operated VLTs in the country since 2003, having worked with<br />
Boss Media to establish the market. However, a patent claim from an<br />
individual in 2004, which was dismissed by local courts as inadmissible at<br />
the time, has since returned to plague not just Synot, but every company<br />
operating VLTs in the Czech marketplace. The patent claim, which dates<br />
back to 2003, insists that every company operating VLTs in Czech must<br />
pay a compensation fee to Mr. Keprt, who recently sent letters to all<br />
companies, including Czech national operator, Saska, claiming patent<br />
rights to the VLT model. Mr. Keprt first attempted to enforce his patent in<br />
2003, but after showing that the VLT model had long been established in<br />
markets such as Canada back in the 1990s, the local courts threw-out the<br />
claim. The patent office, which registered the patent on June 30, 2003 for<br />
a period 10 years (and is renewable beyond this period), has received<br />
various requests from legal representatives to delete the design from its<br />
records. Despite the fragility of the patent claim, Mr. Keprt has sent legal<br />
letters to every Czech VLT supplier and operator threatening to sue these<br />
companies if they fail to pay a substantial fine.<br />
UTILITY DESIGN NO.13650 FROM 2003 (UD): System of the self service<br />
wagering terminal. This UD removes the negative attributes of existing<br />
terminal solutions (existing in 2003), representing a major advance as it<br />
removes the betting counter and is fully available for the player. All the<br />
player has to do it browse through user friendly software and hardware,<br />
which is easy to interact with.<br />
The UD allows the player to create a ticket/slip for direct payment and<br />
printing, so that it will not be necessary to complete forms to make a bet,<br />
and it will not be necessary to contact an attendant. The terminal is able<br />
to show offers of various betting companies, which is not possible in<br />
normal betting shop, as it is not physically possible to manage the<br />
complete offering of many different companies with a normal shop.<br />
Actualisations can be done immediately at the terminal, with no human<br />
interaction.<br />
customers the system that can generate<br />
the most revenue, which will believe will<br />
be to the advantage of Synot. We think<br />
that the market will undergo a 'shuffling'<br />
of terminals from different locations as the<br />
market shrinks, but that we will not lose<br />
out as the best performing machines are<br />
retained by operators. The relocation of<br />
machines will undoubtedly hurt the<br />
weaker suppliers in the Czech market,<br />
whereby the current 24 suppliers will be<br />
unsustainable going forward. It's very<br />
likely that we will see many disappear<br />
from the list. It will also take some time<br />
for the cities to fulfil the legal steps to<br />
implement the changes."<br />
There is also an opportunity for the<br />
resurgence of AWPs in the Czech market<br />
as the numbers of the dominant VLT<br />
sector is diminished by the changes. There<br />
are currently so many older machines on<br />
the market 'treading water' that the loss of<br />
income from VLT removals is expected to<br />
reinvigorate the 50,000 machine market.<br />
"While operators are uncertain as to the<br />
future of the VLT market in the Czech<br />
Republic, there is a preference to invest in<br />
a less volatile product, and as a result we<br />
have seen a great deal of interest in AWPs<br />
right now,” stated Mr. Mixa.<br />
IMPACT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT<br />
DECISION ON SYNOT HOLDINGS<br />
“The decision of the Constitutional court<br />
of the Czech Republic, that has cancelled<br />
the three year protective period for the<br />
operation of some types of lotteries, is -<br />
from the view of the operators -<br />
surprising,” stated Ivo Valenta, founder<br />
and owner of Synot Holding. “A number<br />
of times we were assured by the state<br />
authorities, that retroactivity is not<br />
possible and that municipalities must<br />
respect transitional periods.<br />
“The activities or even future of Synot<br />
Holdings is definitely not in danger<br />
because of this issue. We are a stable and<br />
internationally respected company with<br />
“The activities or<br />
even future of Synot<br />
Holdings is<br />
definitelly not in<br />
danger because of<br />
this issue. We are a<br />
stable and<br />
internationally<br />
respected company<br />
with over 20 years<br />
of experience. In<br />
our business we<br />
are on the top, we<br />
are a technological<br />
leader and<br />
constantly increase<br />
not just our service<br />
offering, but also<br />
our activities in<br />
other countries.”<br />
IVO VALENTA,<br />
Founder and<br />
Owner, Synot<br />
Holdings.<br />
over 20 years of experience. In our<br />
business we are on the top, we are a<br />
technological leader and constantly<br />
increase not just our service offering, but<br />
also our activities in other countries.<br />
“We don’t expect that the decision of the<br />
court will have a fundamental impact on<br />
the lottery business. It is already<br />
becoming obvious that the majority of the<br />
cities and municipalities can foresee the<br />
possible effects and impacts of the total<br />
prohibition of lotteries, and they will<br />
prefer reasonable regulation rather than<br />
unlimited prohibition that would only<br />
open the market to illegal operators and<br />
would deprive cities and the state of<br />
billions for the state budgets.<br />
“The decision of the court can actually<br />
sort out the market in the Czech Republic,<br />
with small and unstable companies<br />
ceasing operation and only the key players<br />
left in the market. Synot Holdings is<br />
definitely one of them.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 33
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
BLAZING A TRAIL<br />
ACROSS ASIA<br />
Having kept its cards close to its chest in recent months,<br />
TCSJohnHuxley revealed its hand at G2E Asia with a stunning<br />
line-up of products and strength and depth in its regional support<br />
TCSJohnHuxley has spent the last 12<br />
months strengthening and developing its<br />
entire product range and offering to the<br />
company's international customer base.<br />
Significant staff hirings have been taking<br />
place at the same time across all areas of<br />
the business, while the company has<br />
sought to integrate its product range into<br />
a cohesive series of interconnected<br />
specialist products.<br />
Asia has developed into an especially<br />
important region for TCSJohnHuxley,<br />
with the posting of the company's head<br />
of product development in Asia an<br />
indication of just how important an area<br />
of the world this is to the company. As a<br />
result, at the G2E Asia show in Macau<br />
July 2013 PAGE 34<br />
TCSJohnHuxley showed a range of Asiafocused<br />
products that have been<br />
developed in conjunction with operators<br />
in the region on the back of significant<br />
installs of key products.<br />
Cath Burns, Group CEO, TCSJohnHuxley<br />
commented: “At last year’s show we<br />
spoke about focusing heavily on refining<br />
and improving our processes and<br />
investing in our products and our people.<br />
The first stage of this is now complete<br />
and we are able to provide a clear vision<br />
of the future - our products and services<br />
and to develop and grow customer<br />
partnerships by understanding their<br />
challenges and business requirements. We<br />
are adding new dimensions to what we<br />
TRACY COHEN and<br />
LUKE DAVIS<br />
pictured at the G2E<br />
Asia show with the<br />
latest Sic Bo Blaze.<br />
“In Asia our<br />
OmniBaccarat<br />
display has been<br />
hugely successful.<br />
We are now able to<br />
display different<br />
images on the two<br />
sides of the new<br />
e-FX Elite 2 display,<br />
with LED lighting<br />
strips at the edges,<br />
so an operator can<br />
choose to show<br />
results on one side<br />
and advertising on<br />
the other."<br />
LUKE DAVIS.<br />
“WE ARE ADDING<br />
NEW DIMENSIONS<br />
TO WHAT WE DO,<br />
FROM TECHNICAL<br />
SUPPORT TO A<br />
SIGNIFICANT<br />
INVESTMENT IN<br />
KEY AREAS.”<br />
do, from technical support to a significant<br />
investment in key areas, such as Asia to<br />
service the fastest growing region in our<br />
business.”<br />
An example of integrated product<br />
thinking in practice is the interconnected<br />
technology driving the latest displays<br />
from TCSJohnHuxley. The ability to link<br />
the displays to multiple casino systems<br />
makes the new e-FX Elite 2 winning<br />
number display range a platform for<br />
growth and development in the future,<br />
while meeting all the current needs of<br />
operators today.<br />
“In Asia our OmniBaccarat display has<br />
been hugely successful,” commented<br />
TCSJohnHuxley’s Luke Davis at G2E<br />
Macau. “We are now able to display<br />
different images on the two sides of the<br />
new e-FX Elite 2 display, with LED<br />
lighting strips at the edges, so an operator<br />
can choose to show results on one side<br />
and advertising on the other.” e-FX Elite 2<br />
brings fully integrated cable management<br />
and improved camera fixing points with<br />
the option of an additional promotional<br />
topper screen. Backlit buttons with<br />
intelligent lighting modes deliver<br />
improved usability; whist dual<br />
attendant/staff call lights bring improved<br />
customer service.<br />
Another tech-driven product that’s<br />
performing extremely well in Asia is<br />
TCSJohnHuxley’s Blaze gaming surface<br />
technology running on sic bo tables.
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
Having updated from an older, more cumbersome bulb system, running<br />
Blaze technology means that not only is the display more attractive,<br />
thinner and easier to use, it’s very low maintenance while also offering<br />
more complex animations. “We are rolling blaze out throughout the year<br />
across a variety of games,” explained Mr. Davis. “The beauty of this<br />
technology is that the table layout can be placed right over the lightbox<br />
making it a seamlessly integrated product, doing away with the acrylic<br />
panel of the previous generation.” The Blaze technology has also been<br />
added to baccarat and linked to both the OmniDisplay and Angel Shoe,<br />
delivering attract modes and functional alerts to both players and dealers.<br />
Also on show, Supernova Table Bonus System combined with new Asian<br />
focused games, such as Dragon 21, demonstrated the delivery of floor wide<br />
progressives and game bonusing. With the recent installations of<br />
Supernova tables across South Africa, Asian operators were keen to see the<br />
added potential that Supernova offers for all their live table games.<br />
Dragon Roulette was making its debut on the TCSJohnHuxley stand in<br />
Macau, running on the company’s Double Action roulette technology,<br />
whereby the outer wheel is part of a traditional roulette bet, while the<br />
inner wheel features eight dragon symbols against which players can get<br />
excellent odds. In the event the ball comes to rest in alignment with one of<br />
the gold or silver dragons, wagers placed on the corresponding ‘Dragon<br />
Racetrack’ number will be paid. With its exciting Asian twist, operators<br />
from across the region were impressed by the simplicity and added player<br />
appeal of Dragon Roulette.<br />
Baccarat and Sic Bo were also the focus for the latest enhancements to<br />
Gaming Floor Live; the Live real-time game optimisation tool designed to<br />
maximise key performance areas and profitability. Initially launched with<br />
roulette, the recent additions of baccarat and sic bo provide operators with<br />
a fully inclusive system. Having already enjoyed success in Macau more<br />
significant installations are planned across the region.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 35
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
FUTURELOGIC<br />
UNPLUGGED<br />
FutureLogic’s networkless ticketing solution,<br />
Ticket2Go, has found applications far beyond its<br />
intended UK market-driven launch<br />
Developed primarily for the UK coin-op<br />
market, the success of Ticket2Go,<br />
FutureLogic's networkless ticket-out<br />
solution, has not just been the rapid<br />
adoption of the system in its intended<br />
market, but the clamour from<br />
international operators for this product. At<br />
the G2E Asia show in Macau, FutureLogic<br />
was showing Ticket2Go for the Asian<br />
marketplace having found success in<br />
Spain and S.Africa in recent months were<br />
cost-sensitivity is high, but there’s even<br />
higher demand for the latest coin-in to<br />
cashless technology. “We are seeing<br />
operators approach us that understand<br />
the value of ticket-out and want to utilise<br />
Ticket2Go across their locations,” said<br />
"We have a number<br />
of significant trials<br />
lined up in Asia<br />
already and will<br />
have a series of<br />
announcements to<br />
make that we think<br />
will demonstrate<br />
the significant<br />
opportunities<br />
Ticket2Go has in<br />
this marketplace."<br />
JOHN EDMUNDS,<br />
FutureLogic.<br />
PROMONET<br />
PROVIDES A LINK<br />
BETWEEN<br />
OFFLINE AND<br />
ONLINE PLAY,<br />
PROMOTING<br />
LAND-BASED<br />
PLAY TO ONLINE.<br />
FutureLogic’s John Edmunds. “We have a<br />
number of significant trials lined up in<br />
Asia already and will have a series of<br />
announcements to make that we think<br />
will demonstrate the significant<br />
opportunities Ticket2Go has in this<br />
marketplace.”<br />
FutureLogic's promotional couponing<br />
system, PromoNet, is currently enjoying a<br />
spree of sign-ups from operators looking<br />
not only to promote to guests on-site, but<br />
connect with customers while playing offsite<br />
and online. “PromoNet is capable of<br />
linking land-based gaming to online<br />
gaming,” stated Mr. Edmunds. “A lot of<br />
casinos are currently working out their<br />
online strategy in the US, whereby their<br />
greatest concern is the cannibalisation of<br />
their player base. PromoNet provides a<br />
link between offline and online play,<br />
promoting land-based play to online<br />
players and branded Internet gaming to<br />
offline players.”<br />
FutureLogic’s JOHN<br />
EDMUNDS and<br />
ALFRED HWEE,<br />
pictured at G2E<br />
Asia 2013.<br />
Utilising redeemable rewards, both online<br />
and offline can be interconnected using<br />
PromoNet’s promotional ticketing system.<br />
It’s something that’s helping to spur<br />
interest in Asian markets too. At present<br />
FutureLogic has around 20 sites utilising<br />
PromoNet’s promotional ticketing<br />
worldwide, with trial sites in Asia having<br />
been determined, though details have yet<br />
to be released. “PromoNet has proved to<br />
be an invaluable addition to our product<br />
range, one that broadens our product<br />
capability,” commented Mr. Edmunds.<br />
“We tie our system into the server and<br />
the games at a local level, which is the<br />
key differentiator for PromoNet.”<br />
Finally, and having gestated for a similar<br />
period as PromoNet before launch,<br />
FutureLogic's TableXchange, the ticketing<br />
solution that ties together slots and<br />
tabling gaming, is gathering momentum<br />
in partnership with GCA.<br />
The latest hurdle to deployment, however,<br />
is that there’s currently no regulation for<br />
the generation of tickets from the cashcage<br />
within casinos in the US. All current<br />
connectivity has been devoted to slots,<br />
rather than tables, which has meant that<br />
FutureLogic has been in discussions with<br />
regulators to facilitate the change, which<br />
understandably takes time. However,<br />
TableXchange is conceptually ready for<br />
release in 2013 - but that’s in the hands of<br />
the regulators.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 36
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
ICONIC<br />
GAMING APPEAL<br />
Gaming Partners International showed its dynamic new range of<br />
jetons and plaques at G2E Asia and revealed major RFID plans<br />
Gaming Partners International proved that<br />
new technology is helping to develop all<br />
aspects of the casino supplies sector, even<br />
in the most traditional of product areas.<br />
The creation of the new J3 jeton from GPI<br />
is a mini-marvel, occupying the same<br />
form factor as an American-style chip, the<br />
new jeton uses the latest edge-spot<br />
technology to create an extremely<br />
counterfeit resistant jeton that offers the<br />
versatility of easy stacking. “We are very<br />
excited about this product,” stated GPI’s<br />
Kirsten Clark. “The J3 is especially suited<br />
to the Asian market where counterfeiting<br />
continues to be major issue for<br />
operators.”<br />
Continuing with the traditional theme,<br />
GPI showed its latest premium plaque at<br />
G2E Asia. A very limited product in the<br />
past, the plaques shown at the Macau<br />
exhibition dazzled with their variety and<br />
added elements using a multitude of<br />
different materials that would have<br />
previously been cost prohibitive in the<br />
past to produce.<br />
“We can now offer very brand related<br />
plaques,” explained Ms. Clark. “Plaques<br />
haven’t really changed much in design<br />
since they were invented, but with our<br />
layered printing decor effects we are able<br />
to create intricate designs that take<br />
customisation to a new level. GPI plaques<br />
have never been successfully<br />
counterfeited, which is part of their iconic<br />
appeal that has proved so popular with<br />
operators. We recently produced a<br />
commemorative plaque for the Monaco<br />
operator, SBM, designed along the same<br />
lines as the original plaque that was<br />
created for the casino group (see above).”<br />
MIGUEL CHOI, RFID<br />
Product Manager,<br />
Gaming Partners<br />
International<br />
pictured at G2E<br />
Asia in Macau with<br />
the company’s RFID<br />
chiptray and<br />
plaque-box.<br />
“RFID trays improve<br />
performance - it’s<br />
as simple as that.<br />
They help operators<br />
meet their<br />
operational needs<br />
and meet a specific<br />
efficiency demand<br />
at the tables. We<br />
are very aware of<br />
the abilities of RFID<br />
having spent so<br />
much time<br />
developing the<br />
systems. We are<br />
also aware that<br />
we're not trying to<br />
claim that RFID is<br />
able to reinvent the<br />
wheel.”<br />
KIRSTEN CLARK,<br />
Senior Vice<br />
President And Chief<br />
Operating Officer -<br />
Asia, Gaming<br />
Partners<br />
International.<br />
Having relocated to Macau to provide<br />
dedicated full-time support for customers<br />
in the market and surrounding regions,<br />
Ms. Clark has overseen the next stage of<br />
RFID development in SE Asia, the stepchange<br />
from security to functionality at<br />
the tables. “GPI RFID chips have a very<br />
high volume of play here in Asia,” stated<br />
Ms. Clark. “RFID has been used, very<br />
successfully, from a security perspective<br />
in the Asian market, but having an<br />
established installed base means that<br />
operators are now looking at how RFID<br />
can also drive efficiency on the gaming<br />
floor.”<br />
At G2E Macau GPI showed its latest<br />
RFID-enabled chip tray and plaque-box,<br />
which updates the casino operator with<br />
live inventory data, helping speed-up<br />
gameplay by eliminating the need for<br />
manual counts. Utilising the RFID chips<br />
in combination with the chip-tray and<br />
plaque-box means that there's no<br />
stopping of the game to manually count<br />
chips, while tables can be opened<br />
instantly as chip inventory is a known<br />
value from the outset.<br />
WE ARE<br />
SHOWING REAL<br />
VALUE AT THE<br />
TABLE OF<br />
IMPLEMENTING<br />
ADDITIONAL RFID<br />
FUNCTIONALITY.<br />
“RFID trays improve performance - it’s as<br />
simple as that,” stated Ms. Clark. “They<br />
help operators meet their operational<br />
needs and meet a specific efficiency<br />
demand at the tables. We are very aware<br />
of the abilities of RFID having spent so<br />
much time developing the systems. We<br />
are also aware that we’re not trying to<br />
claim that RFID is able to reinvent the<br />
wheel. RFID is, however, capable of<br />
benefiting the core operational values in<br />
which efficiency is hugely important in<br />
markets where table gaming dominates<br />
the volume of play, such as here in<br />
Macau. We are showing real value at the<br />
table of implementing additional RFID<br />
functionality that is proven and<br />
functioning 100 per cent.”<br />
GPI made the investment in its RFID<br />
inventory system in 2010, acquiring the<br />
technology from IGT, and has since been<br />
refining and testing its robustness to<br />
ensure that the applications are fully<br />
operational. The system allows the casino<br />
to automate opens and closes at the table<br />
and can track live chip play. “It’s been a<br />
long two years of continuous<br />
development,” said Ms. Clark, “but we<br />
are very pleased with the interest we are<br />
receiving right now. We are looking at the<br />
continued long-term relationships with<br />
our customers and RFID is part of that<br />
development pathway.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 37
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
ASIA’S<br />
HEAVYWEIGHT<br />
HITTER<br />
Still the undisputed champions of Asian slots<br />
gaming, Aristocrat showed another knock-out<br />
selection of games at G2E Asia<br />
Having built its G2E stand around its<br />
latest Asian ‘Legendary’ games themes,<br />
specifically 50 Dragons Deluxe and<br />
Fortune King Deluxe, Aristocrat was<br />
building on the enormous footprint it has<br />
established in the Asian region.<br />
Continuing to dominate all competitors in<br />
the region, 50 Dragons remains the best<br />
performing game in the VIP and mass<br />
markets in the region; the latest deluxe<br />
game brings substituted wilds, increased<br />
multipliers and enhanced graphics.<br />
“We are bringing our best into the next<br />
generation of Legend titles,” explained<br />
Aristocrat Asia's General Manager, David<br />
Punter. “We are unveiling the new 5 Level<br />
Hyperlink, Cash Express Gold Class,<br />
launched for the first time at G2E Macau.<br />
It’s a stunning product with interactivity<br />
across an entire bank of products, with<br />
synched media connecting across all<br />
screens, which enables more features<br />
across the bank. All the original base<br />
game features are included in addition to<br />
the Hyperlink feature, which is a first.”<br />
“We have 2,000 Cash Express links in the<br />
Asian market right now and we are<br />
looking to build upon that success with<br />
this innovative new addition to the<br />
Hyperlink family,” continued Mr. Punter.<br />
“The new link brings theatre and<br />
presence to any floor with the jackpot<br />
highlighted in the top boxes and<br />
celebrated across the whole bank. We are<br />
putting the best Asian themes as base<br />
games under this link, making it one of<br />
the most complex products we have ever<br />
developed.”<br />
Aristocrat has built on the momentum of<br />
the original Cash Express that introduced<br />
Hyperlink to the Asian market. The new<br />
Cash Express Gold Class incorporates a<br />
new jackpot feature that randomly awards<br />
one of four jackpot levels and comes with<br />
a series of the highest performing base<br />
games, including 5 Dragons, Fortune King<br />
and 50 Lions. New concepts included<br />
Wonder 4, More Power, Reel Tubes,<br />
Standalone Jackpotting, Symbol Driven<br />
Links and Hyperlink 2.0. A stand-out<br />
amongst the new concepts, Wonder 4 is a<br />
multi-reel innovation in which players<br />
July 2013 PAGE 38<br />
Aristocrat’s DAVID<br />
PUNTER pictured at<br />
the G2E Asia show<br />
in Macau with the<br />
newly licensed<br />
Mega Manny<br />
Jackpot, a mystery<br />
jackpot featuring<br />
exclusive footage of<br />
boxer, politician<br />
and living legend<br />
that is Manny<br />
Pacquiao.<br />
"When you have<br />
such a major share<br />
of the market you<br />
have to underline<br />
that presence on<br />
the floor with<br />
distinct categories<br />
of products. Here<br />
we have<br />
standalone and<br />
links, mystery<br />
jackpots, Cash<br />
Express and true<br />
dedicated content<br />
that has seen us<br />
continue to grow in<br />
the Philippines,<br />
Vietnam and<br />
Cambodia, and<br />
helped us to<br />
maintain our 50-60<br />
per cent share in<br />
Macau. We have a<br />
great portfolio right<br />
now and we're<br />
looking forward to<br />
sharing these<br />
games and<br />
concepts with<br />
customers and<br />
players over the<br />
year."<br />
DAVID PUNTER,<br />
Aristocrat.<br />
select and play from two, three or four<br />
games onscreen at once in the base game.<br />
A spectacular coup for Aristocrat is the<br />
signing of professional boxer and<br />
politician, Manny Pacquiao, in his own<br />
licensed mystery jackpot. Aristocrat spent<br />
a day and a half filming the Philippines’<br />
star to incorporate exclusive footage and<br />
images in the mystery jackpot, which is<br />
again packaged with some of Aristocrat's<br />
best performing base games.<br />
Racing Tycoon with its Xtreme Mystery<br />
Jackpots was also shown for the first time<br />
at G2E Asia 2012 and is now being rolled<br />
out across Asia having secured its<br />
approvals. Dragon on the Lake is also<br />
now available having made its debut last<br />
year, which uses a next-gen extension of<br />
the Hyperlink jackpot utilising a symbol<br />
triggered jackpot feature.<br />
“We are offering the widest choice of<br />
games and concepts that we’ve ever<br />
shown at G2E Asia,” stated Mr. Punter.<br />
“When you have such a major share of<br />
the market you have to underline that<br />
presence on the floor with distinct<br />
categories of products. Here we have<br />
standalone, links and mystery jackpots.”<br />
“Cash Express and true dedicated content<br />
has seen us continue to grow in the<br />
Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, and<br />
helped us to maintain our 50-60 per cent<br />
share in Macau,” continued Mr. Punter.<br />
“We have a great portfolio right now and<br />
we’re looking forward to sharing these<br />
games and concepts with customers and<br />
players over the year."<br />
Aristocrat displayed its latest generation of<br />
downloadable product at G2E Asia.<br />
Already running on its second site in the<br />
US, Aristocrat’s downloadable games<br />
solution is able to download games<br />
directly to EGMs, change denom on the<br />
fly and reconfigure the entire gaming floor<br />
in an instant, putting complete dynamic<br />
control of the slots floor in the hands of<br />
the operator. “We are changing the way<br />
that we sell the system right now,”<br />
explained Aristocrat’s Jeremy Wilton. “We<br />
are allowing operators to choose which<br />
game they want to add to their library<br />
and select whatever games they want to<br />
run on their cabinets. We are up and<br />
running in the US already and we’re<br />
presently converting the games library to<br />
dual language to bring the system to the<br />
Asian marketplace.”<br />
The Aristocrat server-based product,<br />
TruServe, is also going strong in markets<br />
such as Italy and in Norway where there<br />
are over 3,000 terminals linked to<br />
TruServe at present. “We have just<br />
acquired Bingo Madness,” commented<br />
Mr. Wilton. “It's a deal that enables us to<br />
explore the social interactive gaming<br />
space, while the additional acquisition of<br />
the nLive platform means that we own<br />
the source code, which can't be said of<br />
our competitors. We’re in a great place in<br />
the interactive sector right now.”
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
BOXING<br />
CLEVER<br />
Inspired Gaming Group<br />
expanded its range of gaming<br />
products in Asia with BetBOX<br />
Inspired Gaming Group launched its<br />
BetBOX complete retail bet management<br />
solution at ICE in February and has since<br />
taken orders from numerous operators<br />
who have relished the opportunity to<br />
offer players a complete betting solution<br />
without the need to operate their own<br />
network.<br />
On the stand at G2E Asia in Macau,<br />
Inspired showed an up-to-the-minute<br />
incarnation of BetBOX featuring many of<br />
its latest sporting events, including cycling<br />
and tennis, with Chinese commentary<br />
throughout the races. "It's a fantastic<br />
solution for operators that didn't think<br />
they could run a virtual sports solution in<br />
their casinos or street locations,"<br />
explained Inspired’s Lucy Buckley.<br />
“At G2E Asia we are also launching the<br />
latest Virtual Sport 'cricket' and showing<br />
our ETG product ‘Sabre Synchro’, which<br />
was unveiled at ICE in London and<br />
features 4 channels of casino content,<br />
including electronic roulette and virtual<br />
horse betting, all on one betting screen.<br />
Also on our booth is our VLT product<br />
range for emerging street markets such as<br />
the Philippines, which we see as a fast<br />
growth market. There's already been a lot<br />
of interest in our Latin bingo and slots<br />
games.”<br />
While the major gambling concerns all<br />
have their own sports-books, BetBOX is<br />
the perfect solution for operators without<br />
their own live sports betting offer,<br />
bringing virtual sports to locations that<br />
previously considered sports-betting as a<br />
solution they couldn't offer to their<br />
players. “Virtual Sports appeal to those<br />
looking for a fun betting and gaming<br />
experience,” said Ms. Buckley. “It’s about<br />
the odds for the player, the security for<br />
the operator and the ease of play and<br />
connection. There are a host of<br />
customisation options with operators able<br />
to schedule a new event every three to<br />
five minutes, generating constant<br />
excitement at the venue. Vietnam is an<br />
example of one country that has just<br />
approved live sports betting and is<br />
indicative of the opportunities in the<br />
region. We're extremely positive about the<br />
future prospects of Virtual Sports across<br />
Asia as a whole.”<br />
The TV screens on the stand at G2E Asia<br />
displayed virtual sports content from<br />
Hunan province in China showing<br />
Inspired's Virtual Sports motor racing<br />
game (known as “Lucky Racing” in<br />
China), with football expected as the next<br />
virtual launch in Hunan. “We are making<br />
a big Virtual Sports push into the region,”<br />
explained Ms. Buckley. “There are others<br />
providing pre-recorded races and events<br />
“Virtual Sports<br />
appeal to those<br />
looking for a fun<br />
betting and gaming<br />
experience. It’s<br />
about the odds for<br />
the player, the<br />
security for the<br />
operator and the<br />
ease of play and<br />
connection.”<br />
LUCY BUCKLEY,<br />
Inspired Gaming<br />
Group.<br />
or just one type of virtual sports, but we<br />
go much further in our offering. Our<br />
events are live and totally random, and<br />
we have eight sports and four numbers<br />
games – this creates a completely<br />
different experience for the player and inturn<br />
generates higher incomes. We hope<br />
to be working with other lotteries in the<br />
Asia region in the near future.”<br />
Finally, the launch of Sabre Synchro sees<br />
a very high quality casino product<br />
entering the Asian market aimed at highend<br />
casino gaming, with Inspired looking<br />
initially at Macau and then wider into<br />
markets such as Vietnam and its border<br />
countries.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 39
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
PINBALL<br />
WIZARD!<br />
Novomatic’s Pinball Roulette<br />
draws the crowds at the G2E<br />
exhibition in Macau<br />
Pinball Roulette was undoubtedly the star<br />
of the G2E Asia show for Novomatic. A<br />
novel twist on the traditional game of<br />
roulette, the ability of the player to launch<br />
the roulette ball - pinball style - into the<br />
wheel, brought a steady, continuous flow<br />
of Asian visitors to the Novomatic stand<br />
in the Venetian. “The interest has been<br />
remarkable,” commented Novomatic’s<br />
David Orrick in Macau. “We have brought<br />
the Dominator to G2E Asia for the first<br />
time with a specific game mix of up to 42<br />
tailored games for the Asian market,<br />
based on the requests of individual<br />
operators in this market. It’s been a major<br />
draw to the stand here in Macau, but<br />
everyone visiting us has been<br />
overwhelmed by Pinball Roulette. I’d say<br />
that it’s certainly a contender for the star<br />
of the show!”<br />
Originally developed by Slovenia’s<br />
Panther Gaming, Novomatic brought the<br />
concept into its portfolio in 2010 and has<br />
since redesign the game and with the<br />
help of subsidiary EDP, redeveloped and<br />
integrated a GLI approved roulette wheel<br />
that’s causing a stir wherever it’s<br />
exhibited. Already installed in the UK and<br />
Macau, in Colombia Pinball Roulette is<br />
beating daily slot averages on casino<br />
floors. “It’s a fantastic gaming innovation,<br />
despite the fact that it is a niche product,”<br />
stated Novomatic’s Max Lindenberg at<br />
G2E Asia. “Interest has been<br />
overwhelming and we have taken a string<br />
of orders at the show, which we look<br />
forward to fulfilling over the next few<br />
months.”<br />
Looking beyond the crowds for Pinball<br />
Roulette, the Dominator is unmistakable<br />
on the stand. The latest Novomatic<br />
cabinet with its five screens, three<br />
dedicated to gameplay and a further<br />
18.5ins. topper and jackpot display, which<br />
resolves any height restrictions faced by<br />
casinos unable to site bespoke signage;<br />
the final touch panel interface delivers an<br />
unforgettable experience whichever game<br />
from the multi-game mix is currently<br />
being displayed. “Gaming operators in the<br />
US and Asia prefer the touch panel<br />
display, while in Europe we have seen a<br />
preference for buttons for bets and line<br />
“After sales service<br />
and support is<br />
crucial to our<br />
business and Jade<br />
Gaming provides<br />
the quality of<br />
support and service<br />
that customers<br />
expect from<br />
Novomatic. We<br />
have been very<br />
careful as regards<br />
to market entry in<br />
Asia; not making<br />
the quick easy<br />
deals, but instead<br />
building long-term<br />
relationships. As a<br />
result, in markets<br />
such as Macau,<br />
having run several<br />
trials to date, we<br />
believe that we<br />
have the right<br />
product for this<br />
market and you'll<br />
see evidence of<br />
that with the current<br />
crop of<br />
installations.”<br />
MAX LINDENBERG,<br />
Novomatic.<br />
play,” stated Mr. Lindenberg. “In addition,<br />
the game dependent LED side lighting on<br />
the terminals has been a big hit with<br />
operators, which illuminates according to<br />
the game being played. Despite the<br />
success of our previous cabinets,<br />
including the phenomenal Gaminator, the<br />
Dominator cabinet has been our most<br />
immediate hit, with very high sales<br />
volumes from the launch at ICE. It’s been<br />
our quickest hit ever.”<br />
One of the highlights of the slots floor<br />
during its launch at ICE, ‘Reach the Hill’<br />
is a remarkably novel game that<br />
substitutes traditional reels for pathways<br />
negotiated by a stream of digital ants, all<br />
attempting to Reach the Hill to reward the<br />
player with a doubling of their wins. “The<br />
Asian visitors to our stand at G2E have<br />
mobbed this game,” enthused Mr.<br />
Lindenberg. “Its unique concept<br />
combined with a community jackpot, in<br />
which all the participating players share<br />
the jackpot, has really struck a chord with<br />
this market. The game has been designed<br />
by our team of game designers in Poland,<br />
who are creating a fantastically diverse<br />
range of games for different markets and<br />
sectors.”<br />
Working with local distributor in Asia,<br />
Jade Gaming, a company established by<br />
Joe Pisano in the Philippines, has proved<br />
to be a very successful relationship for<br />
both companies. “After sales service and<br />
support is crucial to our business and<br />
Jade Gaming provides the quality of<br />
support and service that customers expect<br />
from Novomatic,” underlined Mr.<br />
Lindenberg. “We have been very careful<br />
as regards to market entry in Asia; not<br />
making the quick easy deals, but instead<br />
building long-term relationships. As a<br />
result, in markets such as Macau, having<br />
run several trials to date, we believe that<br />
we have the right product for this market<br />
and you’ll see evidence of that with the<br />
current crop of installations.”<br />
One of the significant new elements that<br />
Novomatic showed in Macau was the<br />
expanding range of accessories now<br />
available from the company to<br />
complement the traditional product lineup.<br />
Stand-out is the Admiral Absolute<br />
Vision, a video panel that’s able to<br />
display all kinds of video content to<br />
players in a range of configurations that<br />
perfectly blends with the LED lighting<br />
featured on the new Dominator cabinets.<br />
Finally, Octavian and the ACP casino<br />
management system continue to play an<br />
enlarging role in Asia thanks to its<br />
scalable systems solution that fits<br />
operators’ needs of all sizes. “We have a<br />
range of modules fit for all the<br />
applications an operator needs, from<br />
accounting and controlled progressives<br />
right through to player loyalty<br />
programmes,” concluded Mr. Lindenberg.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 40
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
THE PERSONAL<br />
TOUCH IN ASIA<br />
The roll-out of TransAct Technologies’ EpiCentral continues with<br />
feedback from operators showing that promotional couponing<br />
delivers substantial ADT level uplifts and revenue growth<br />
TransAct Technologies displayed a shiny<br />
new incarnation of its EpiCentral<br />
promotional couponing system at G2E<br />
Asia, now incorporating new features that<br />
include a new redemption centre, which<br />
has been added at the request of<br />
customers. The redemption centre<br />
verifies, voids and redeems tickets.<br />
However, the big news from TransAct at<br />
the show was the first flush of results<br />
from installations of EpiCentral that<br />
showed casinos realising revenue growth<br />
as a result of utilising the system.<br />
“Casinos are realising revenue growth in<br />
several ways,” outlined TransAct's Tracey<br />
Chernay. “We are seeing players<br />
incentivised with coupons doubling their<br />
ADT (Average Daily Theoretical - the<br />
formula that combines average bet, type<br />
of game played and length of time at<br />
play). The player is rewarded for their<br />
play and feels that they have another way<br />
to enjoy their win. The results have also<br />
shown that lower-end players can be<br />
reached with EpiCentral to bring their<br />
ADT level up, while carded play has also<br />
grown significantly. In fact, carded play<br />
on average rose by 30 per cent during the<br />
90 day trial period, as operators were able<br />
to market directly to players and grow<br />
their individual play.”<br />
EpiCentral allows operates to conduct<br />
non-carded and carded promotions, but<br />
where casinos have seen the most growth<br />
is in the creation of campaigns design to<br />
TransAct’s JAY<br />
ROPER and TRACEY<br />
CHERNAY pictured<br />
at the G2E Asia<br />
show in Macau.<br />
"One of the really<br />
successful trials<br />
saw a casino<br />
printing tickets for a<br />
draw for<br />
US$100,000 every<br />
10 days, with<br />
carded players<br />
receiving a ticket<br />
with their name<br />
and card number,<br />
which is<br />
automatically<br />
printed on every<br />
carded player's<br />
ticket.”<br />
TRACEY CHERNAY,<br />
TransAct<br />
Technologies.<br />
make it easier for carded players to enter<br />
promotions. “One of the really successful<br />
trials saw a casino printing tickets for a<br />
draw for US$100,000 every 10 days, with<br />
carded players receiving a ticket with<br />
their name and card number, which is<br />
automatically printed on every carded<br />
player’s ticket,” explained Ms. Chernay.<br />
The casino was printing over one million<br />
coupons per week with the draw night<br />
completely rammed with players. It’s just<br />
one of the ways that operators can use<br />
the system to incentivise play.”<br />
Having created the promotional system, it<br />
is now operators that are finding diverse<br />
ways of utilising the promotions to really<br />
engage with players. In other trials,<br />
operators have used lucky draws to<br />
randomly send a ‘lucky ticket’ onto the<br />
floor offering free plays or entry into the<br />
monthly $1m draw. It’s this kind of<br />
creative use of the system that is exciting<br />
both players and TransAct right now.<br />
“We are seeing operators using free play<br />
and random rewards for carded and<br />
uncarded players to engage with players<br />
in new and exciting ways,” stated Ms.<br />
Chernay. “We can also look at the card-in<br />
and can track to see if new players are<br />
COMPING<br />
PLAYERS USED TO<br />
BE A MANUAL<br />
PROCESS, BUT<br />
NOW THE SLOT<br />
MACHINE<br />
COMMUNICATES<br />
DIRECTLY WITH<br />
THE PLAYER.<br />
being incentivised to play games for the<br />
first time. One casino is currently<br />
operating the system in ‘Stealth Mode,’<br />
which means that they run EpiCentral as<br />
though live, but nothing actually prints<br />
out at the game. It’s a nice way for<br />
casinos to test the promotion and<br />
evaluate the system before go-live. In<br />
other ways we are seeing operators using<br />
the system to get players to earn meal<br />
and drink comps, whereas in the past this<br />
has been random, it can now be based on<br />
actual play, with the system automatically<br />
rewarding the player at the slot. Comping<br />
players used to be a manual process, but<br />
now the slot machine communicates back<br />
and forth with the player, delivering<br />
everything that they need. We are seeing<br />
proven, positive results, watching casinos<br />
interact with the system and create truly<br />
dynamic and original promotions, which<br />
in turn are making their customers<br />
happy.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 41
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
PINPOINT<br />
THE HOT<br />
SPOT<br />
The Bis2 analytics tools from<br />
SPIELO International spotslights<br />
key sytem information<br />
One of the key products in the SPIELO<br />
Systems portfolio is the analytic tools<br />
available to operators that help casinos to<br />
optimise their business performance. The<br />
tools available from SPIELO are very<br />
different from what Fivos Polymniou<br />
describes as ‘the usual reporting tools.’<br />
“We are creating a run-of-the-mill<br />
spreadsheet,” described Mr. Polymniou at<br />
the G2E exhibition in Macau. “This is a<br />
very different proposition. We create a<br />
series of information charts that put the<br />
most relevant, high level useable info into<br />
easily digestible graphic layouts, from<br />
which operators can extract exactly the<br />
details they need.”<br />
The advanced analytics Bis2 tool gives a<br />
visual overview of the entire casino,<br />
mapping out the gaming floor, with a<br />
'heat-map' depicting every machine.<br />
Colours denote the performance of the<br />
slots, which are linked by GPS so that any<br />
shift in their location is automatically<br />
tracked. “You can see every change that<br />
made on the floor in real-time,” explained<br />
Alexandra Comman, Product Manager<br />
Casino Systems, SPIELO. “Changes to<br />
machine location, denomination, etc.,<br />
with real-time information fed back<br />
relating to current and previous values.<br />
The results show how effective any<br />
changes have been, with operators able to<br />
see in an instant the effect of the change.<br />
Each change can be linked to a specific<br />
location on the floor, about which the<br />
operator can see the performance quickly<br />
and easily on the visual map.”<br />
The visual map shows not only the<br />
statistics relating to machine performance,<br />
but also tracks players, creating a map of<br />
the floor showing the location of players,<br />
where they have been and where they<br />
have travelled within the casino. Not only<br />
that, but the system can show where that<br />
player has travelled from regionally,<br />
switching to Google Maps to display the<br />
address from which the player has<br />
travelled. It's a tool that perfectly attuned<br />
to show how effective regional advertising<br />
has been in attracting players to the<br />
location. You can see exactly where a<br />
player has travelled from and to which<br />
BRUNO OZENDA,<br />
Director Product<br />
Management<br />
Casino Systems<br />
and ALEXANDRA<br />
COMMAN, Product<br />
Manager Casino<br />
Systems, SPIELO<br />
International,<br />
picutred at G2E<br />
Asia demonstrating<br />
the Bis2 system.<br />
What is the most<br />
significant tool is<br />
the one that shows<br />
what information is<br />
important from all<br />
the data that's<br />
generated by a<br />
system. This tool<br />
cuts through the<br />
volume and means<br />
that operators are<br />
not looking through<br />
hundreds of Excel<br />
spreadsheets to<br />
glean the<br />
information that<br />
really need.”<br />
BRUNO OZENDA,<br />
SPIELO<br />
International.<br />
ULTIMATELY,<br />
DATA VOLUME<br />
ISN'T<br />
IMPORTANT,<br />
WHAT'S<br />
IMPORTANT IS<br />
DATA QUALITY.<br />
machines they've made a bee-line for on<br />
the floor, how long they’ve stayed and<br />
played and what games they preferred.<br />
Bis2’s circle reports show the weekly,<br />
daily and hourly analysis of the casino’s<br />
performance and quickly delineates how<br />
performance alters in relation to specific<br />
changes, for example, marketing<br />
campaigns. The circle reports give a<br />
visual reflection of the effects on the<br />
casino with positive and negative swings.<br />
Linking into table games, the system can<br />
analyse not just performance, but also<br />
deliver results that inform the operator as<br />
to which games are attracting younger<br />
players, which machines are attracting<br />
female demographics, etc.<br />
“Ultimately, data volume isn’t important,”<br />
described SPIELO’s Bruno Ozenda,<br />
Director Product Management Casino<br />
Systems. “What’s important is data<br />
quality. What is the most significant tool<br />
is the one that shows what information is<br />
important from all the data that’s<br />
generated by a system. This tool cuts<br />
through the volume and means that<br />
operators are not looking through<br />
hundreds of Excel spreadsheets to glean<br />
the information that really need. This tool<br />
gives them an overall view from which<br />
they can drill down to exactly the<br />
information they need - the information<br />
that is important. It’s not about the data<br />
itself, it’s all about the way you use the<br />
data. Bis2 is a perfect complement to<br />
SPIELO’s systems and you can see on the<br />
website the number of testimonials show<br />
that this is a revenue increasing tool.”<br />
In addition to the advances being made<br />
with the Bis2 analytics tool, SPIELO’s<br />
System2Go has been a big hit in South<br />
East Asia, with the latest system sold into<br />
Cambodia, wherein SPIELO has shipped<br />
the product directly to the customer who<br />
has installed it themselves. “We send an<br />
engineer to help with training and<br />
‘tweaking’ for the location, but that’s all<br />
they need,” said Mr. Polyminou. “It really<br />
is an out-of-the-box 'lite' solution for the<br />
smaller location and we've had an<br />
excellent response for operators in South<br />
East Asia.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 42
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
NEVER TAKING THE<br />
SAFE ROUTE<br />
Aruze Gaming has found success in the Macau market with its<br />
Asian hit Ultra Stack series of games and jackpots<br />
An American company, but with its roots<br />
firmly planted in Asia, Aruze Gaming<br />
took the largest stand by far at the G2E<br />
Asia exhibition in Macau. In something of<br />
a global role reversal, the company has<br />
used its success in the US as a point of<br />
reference with operators in international<br />
markets such as Macau. The success of<br />
Paradise Fishing, which is now a staple<br />
on the slot floors of all the major casinos<br />
in the US, is also mirrored on the gaming<br />
floors in Macau.<br />
“We have been quite successful in<br />
Macau,” stated Albert Yu, Aruze Gaming<br />
Macau’s Operations and Sales Manager.<br />
“Our Ultra Stack games have been doing<br />
massive numbers right across Asia, with<br />
the Ultra Stack Jackpot outperforming its<br />
rivals three-to-one. We have been rolling<br />
out a lot of different mixes of product too,<br />
with video and steppers proving popular<br />
with different game mixes that offer new<br />
visual effects.”<br />
Asked if players recognise Aruze as an<br />
Asian gaming brand, Mr. Yu believes that<br />
players are attracted to the games first<br />
and foremost, but that brand recognition<br />
is important. “We’ve seen a lot of new<br />
brands in the Asian gaming sector, but<br />
Asian players, especially in Macau, like to<br />
stick with one particular game, with a<br />
certain cabinet and they're quite loyal that<br />
way,” stated Mr. Yu. “More and more<br />
players are seeking out our games and<br />
our cabinets, which makes it increasingly<br />
difficult for new market entrants to break<br />
into established markets. Game and brand<br />
loyalty makes a big difference to the<br />
“More and more<br />
players are seeking<br />
out our games and<br />
our cabinets, which<br />
makes it<br />
increasingly difficult<br />
for new market<br />
entrants to break<br />
into established<br />
markets. Game<br />
and brand loyalty<br />
makes a big<br />
difference to the<br />
continued success<br />
of Aruze Gaming in<br />
Asian markets and<br />
it's something that's<br />
certainly helping to<br />
continue the<br />
success of existing<br />
games and help<br />
establish new<br />
titles.”<br />
ALBERT YU,<br />
Operations<br />
Manager & Sales<br />
Manager, Aruze<br />
Gaming.<br />
continued success of Aruze Gaming in<br />
Asian markets and it's something that's<br />
certainly helping to continue the success<br />
of existing games and help establish new<br />
titles.”<br />
Discussing the involvement of Aruze<br />
Gaming’s Chairman, Kazuo Okada, in the<br />
creation of the company's key products,<br />
Mr. Yu explained that Mr. Okada is the<br />
source and inspiration for each of the<br />
original game ideas from Aruze. “As a<br />
company, we analyse game performance,<br />
conduct market research and understand<br />
which games are the most popular,” said<br />
Mr. Yu. “We can see what style of games<br />
players in different markets prefer, and<br />
using that information create new games.<br />
Mr. Okada is the focus of this research, he<br />
is the owner of the company and at the<br />
same time he is an engineer. He is the<br />
one adding the important additions to<br />
games, the physical connectivity of a<br />
push-button or fishing reel, for example.<br />
These are the differences that prolong the<br />
machine’s performance. Mr. Okada can<br />
pinpoint exactly what is critical to a<br />
game’s success, he sees what a specific<br />
title needs and it’s this attention to detail<br />
that is so vital to the success of the<br />
company.”<br />
MR. OKADA CAN<br />
PINPOINT<br />
EXACTLY WHAT IS<br />
CRITICAL TO A<br />
GAME’S SUCCESS,<br />
HE SEES WHAT A<br />
SPECIFIC TITLE<br />
NEEDS THAT IS SO<br />
VITAL TO SUCCESS<br />
Recognising that many Asian<br />
manufacturing rivals are simply<br />
producing 'MeTwo' products right now, at<br />
the G2E Asia exhibition Mr. Yu underlined<br />
the individuality that so characterises<br />
Aruze’s games. “One way to conduct<br />
business is to copy the products of your<br />
rivals,” stated Mr. Yu. “We are seeing a<br />
lot of copies from China right now, but<br />
that’s not the way to build your own<br />
brand. We are not a company that follows<br />
others, we are not changing our colours<br />
or slightly altering our titles. The Aruze<br />
market strategy is to be brave enough to<br />
take a risk on a new idea. We are<br />
innovating in a stable economic<br />
framework that allows us to analyse all<br />
the available data and bring something<br />
very different to the market. This has to<br />
be the way to do business - you learn<br />
from your successes and your failures -<br />
and you don't take the safe route.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 43
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
MASTER OF<br />
ALL TRADES<br />
The hottest slots games, proprietary table<br />
games, electronic table-games and utility<br />
products in Asia - it’s all going right for SHFL<br />
It's become increasingly difficult to<br />
pigeon-hole SHFL entertainment into any<br />
given category as the company continues<br />
to strengthen each of the individual<br />
divisions in its gaming portfolio. SHFL's<br />
exhibit in Macau featured products from<br />
four product categories – slot machines,<br />
electronic table systems, utility products<br />
and proprietary table games. Speaking to<br />
CEO Gavin Isaacs at the G2E Asia show,<br />
he described a company that is presently<br />
riding on a wave of slots success in<br />
Macau with the No.1 game in the<br />
marketplace, Duo Fu Duo Cai progressive<br />
jackpot link (which launched at G2E Asia<br />
2012), which was joined at the exhibition<br />
by the third game in the series, Diamond<br />
Eternity, adding to proven performers, 88<br />
Fortunes and 5 Treasures.<br />
SHFL entertainment showed a total of 16<br />
slot titles in Macau, though it was one<br />
title, Flintstones, making its Asian debut<br />
at the show, that drew the most attention.<br />
This three-level linked progressive theme<br />
with a suite of three base games offers<br />
entertaining, interactive bonus features<br />
and an attractive jackpot prize.<br />
Slot success shouldn't come as a surprise,<br />
with SHFL Entertainment in February<br />
having acquired ProTec Games, a Chinabased<br />
content provider for casino slot<br />
games, table games and online video<br />
games. SHFL engaged Qingdao-based<br />
ProTec in 2012 to create game graphics<br />
supplemented by software development<br />
and testing for SHFL's slot machines and<br />
other electronic products.<br />
“We have been working with the ProTec<br />
team for quite some time and have been<br />
very happy with their work," said Mr.<br />
Isaacs. "To support and enhance the<br />
global growth of our slots, e-Tables and<br />
iGaming businesses, we decided to fully<br />
integrate the ProTec team into our<br />
business.”<br />
Having a studio based in China allows<br />
SHFL to deliver game content that is<br />
better tailored to the Asian region. "Duo<br />
Fu Duo Cai is the hottest game in<br />
Macau," underlined Mr. Isaacs. "We are<br />
driving great content in America and<br />
“I have never<br />
worked in a<br />
company that has<br />
so many different<br />
categories of<br />
products; games<br />
on tables, iGaming,<br />
slots, utility<br />
products, electronic<br />
table games, etc.<br />
but everything is<br />
utilising the same<br />
set of systems -<br />
that's massively<br />
important. We're<br />
not trying to juggle<br />
dozens of different<br />
platforms and<br />
systems. We have<br />
one platform for<br />
slots and multiplayers<br />
only - it's<br />
about leveraging<br />
the technology, not<br />
creating dozens of<br />
different platforms."<br />
GAVIN ISAACS,<br />
CEO, SHFL<br />
entertainment.<br />
"Duo Fu Duo Cai is<br />
the hottest game in<br />
Macau. We are<br />
driving great<br />
content in America<br />
and Australia right<br />
now and have a<br />
fabulous team of<br />
leaders in every<br />
region and across<br />
every product<br />
category. As<br />
gaming in Asia<br />
continues to grow,<br />
our expanding<br />
regional offices in<br />
Macau, the<br />
Philippines, and<br />
Singapore, along<br />
with our new<br />
content studio in<br />
China, underscore<br />
our long-term focus<br />
in the region."<br />
“THE LAST 12<br />
MONTHS IN ASIA<br />
HAVE BEEN THE<br />
BEST EVER FOR<br />
THE COMPANY<br />
AND I LOOK<br />
FORWARD TO<br />
MORE OF THE<br />
SAME.”<br />
Australia right now and have a fabulous<br />
team of leaders in every region and across<br />
every product category. As gaming in Asia<br />
continues to grow, our expanding regional<br />
offices in Macau, the Philippines, and<br />
Singapore, along with our new content<br />
studio in China, underscore our long-term<br />
focus in the region."<br />
The extraordinary growth of SHFL<br />
entertainment has been charted by<br />
investors and gaming experts around the<br />
global, but speaking to Mr. Isaacs in<br />
Macau, he explained the philosophy of<br />
the company very simply: "The strength<br />
of this business is its people, each focused<br />
on their separate areas of expertise,"<br />
stated Mr. Isaacs. "My role, as CEO, is to<br />
let the people closest to their areas of<br />
expertise get on with their jobs, while<br />
making sure that our plans and strategies<br />
are in a line. I keep the pressure on my<br />
team, but continue to support them too."<br />
Part of the success has also been the new<br />
branding - the shift to SHFL entertainment<br />
has underlined the changes that have<br />
taken place within the business as a<br />
whole. "The business is very different<br />
from the company that I joined," stated<br />
Mr. Isaacs. "The fusion branding has been<br />
incredibly important for the identity of the<br />
company going forward. SHFL's growth<br />
and investment is purely gaming focused.<br />
I have never worked in a company that<br />
has so many different categories of<br />
July 2013 PAGE 44
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
products; games on tables, iGaming, slots,<br />
utility products, electronic table games,<br />
etc. but everything is utilising the same<br />
set of systems - that's massively<br />
important. We're not trying to juggle<br />
dozens of different platforms and systems.<br />
We have one platform for slots and multiplayers<br />
only - it's about leveraging the<br />
technology, not creating dozens of<br />
different platforms."<br />
Having made headlines for the wrong<br />
reasons at G2E Asia 2012, LT Game's<br />
battle with SHFL entertainment looks to<br />
have subsided with a public statement<br />
from LT Games prior to the G2E Asia<br />
show. Encouraged by the LT public<br />
statement, that the company does not<br />
recognise it has any monopoly with live<br />
dealer baccarat, which corresponds with<br />
the same conclusion arrived at by SHFL -<br />
that no company can protect a general<br />
idea or concept relating to multi-gaming -<br />
the issue appears to have run its course.<br />
"SHFL has only been defending the<br />
obvious," stated Mr. Isaacs. "While we<br />
will strongly continue to display our<br />
products in competitive environments, my<br />
reaction to the comments from LT Games<br />
is that this will hopefully contribute to a<br />
peaceful way forward and settlement of<br />
all disputes. SHFL will vigorously<br />
compete in all markets and we believe<br />
that we should be able to compete in<br />
Macau. I would love to see things settled<br />
and I think that LT feel the same. The last<br />
12 months in Asia have been the best<br />
ever for the company and I look forward<br />
to more of the same."<br />
Each of the electronic table games shown<br />
at G2E Asia have been completely<br />
revamped, with the brand new<br />
TableMaster FUSION making its debut at<br />
G2E Asia. Featuring a high definition<br />
display, widescreen player terminals with<br />
touchscreen betting, enhanced<br />
illumination, multiple side bets, a modern<br />
design and support for multiple game<br />
offerings, TableMaster FUSION is a<br />
significant update to its long-standing,<br />
successful predecessor.<br />
Finally, having debuted at the ICE show<br />
in February, SHFL showcased its latest<br />
utility innovation to the Asian markets -<br />
the new ChipStar roulette chip-sorting<br />
machine features state-of-the-art<br />
technology to deliver an exceptionally<br />
smooth, efficient, and accurate chip<br />
sorting process. The House Money<br />
blackjack side bet, is also worthy of<br />
special mention too as it enables players<br />
to add all or part of their side bet<br />
winnings to their standard blackjack<br />
wager. Players enjoy the unique level of<br />
control over their side bet and operators<br />
receive the benefit of a higher hold<br />
percentage.<br />
NEW WAVE<br />
A unique product and a unique presentational<br />
style defines Zitro’s global expansion plans as<br />
the company exhibited for the first time in Macau<br />
It is Johnny Ortiz's vision to grow Zitro<br />
into a global gaming business and recent<br />
evidence from the G2E exhibition in<br />
Macau shows a company that’s right on<br />
track. Zitro displayed its latest range of<br />
video bingo products on the stand of its<br />
regional distributor, Malaysia-based RGB.<br />
Taking one market at a time, initial<br />
indications have proved successful in the<br />
Philippines, though at the exhibition at<br />
the Venetian Macau, Zitro was launching<br />
to the broader Asian market its wider<br />
portfolio of titles.<br />
“The show has exceeded my<br />
expectations,” stated James Boje,<br />
Executive Vice President International,<br />
Zitro. “I can see Zitro entering several<br />
markets in the region with our video<br />
bingo product. We have a unique style<br />
when it comes to delivering our products<br />
to customers, taking the time to present<br />
the games to staff and players to<br />
“The show has<br />
exceeded my<br />
expectations. I can<br />
see Zitro entering<br />
several markets in<br />
the region with our<br />
video bingo<br />
product. We have a<br />
unique style when it<br />
comes to delivering<br />
our products to<br />
customers, taking<br />
the time to present<br />
the games to staff<br />
and players to<br />
familiarise them<br />
with all aspects of<br />
the game.”<br />
JAMES BOJE,<br />
Executive Vice<br />
President<br />
International, Zitro.<br />
“WE DON’T JUST<br />
PUT A PRODUCT<br />
ON THE FLOOR<br />
AND LEAVE. WE<br />
HELP CUSTOMERS<br />
TO UNDERSTAND<br />
OUR PRODUCTS.”<br />
familiarise them with all aspects of the<br />
game. It's proved very successful and a<br />
winning formula for Zitro. We have<br />
promoters on-site helping to demonstrate<br />
the games to players. We don’t just put a<br />
product on the floor and leave. We help<br />
customers to understand our products<br />
and this has proved a very successful<br />
philosophy for Zitro.”<br />
Presented for the first time at the G2E<br />
exhibition, Zitro showed its BlueWave and<br />
brand new BlackWave cabinets with<br />
interest initially starting in the<br />
Philippines, but with customers in Macau<br />
also looking to site products, Zitro's first<br />
steps into the Asian market look very<br />
promising.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 45
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
GENERATION X<br />
IGT’s third-generation of slot<br />
content for the Asian market is<br />
hitting all its marks<br />
Great Zodiac Race is something of a<br />
game-changer for IGT in Asia as it's the<br />
company's first market-attuned multi-level<br />
progressive for the region. The symbol<br />
driven, server-level progressive has been<br />
built from the ground-up for Asian players<br />
and while progressing through the<br />
approval process at present, IGT has great<br />
ambitions for Great Zodiac Race across<br />
the region.<br />
Speaking to IGT's Dirk Geere at the G2E<br />
Asia show, he explained that IGT is in its<br />
third phase of game development for the<br />
Asian marketplace, with dedicated themes<br />
and specific gameplay and mechanics<br />
targeted at this market. "Games such as<br />
the new Fire Pearl show that we're<br />
understanding better the Asian player,"<br />
said Mr. Geere. "New games including<br />
Jade Fortune are attuned to deliver a very<br />
volatile experience for the player, which is<br />
exactly the kind of game that attacks<br />
Asian players. We have found success<br />
with games that propel the player into the<br />
bonus round were they're able to win a<br />
large jackpot amount - with players all<br />
aiming to enter the bonus stages."<br />
"Our first round of Asian games were<br />
Asian themed titles," explained Mr. Geere<br />
July 2013 PAGE 46<br />
“New games<br />
including Jade<br />
Fortune are attuned<br />
to deliver a very<br />
volatile experience<br />
for the player,<br />
which is exactly the<br />
kind of game that<br />
attacks Asian<br />
players. We have<br />
found success with<br />
games that propel<br />
the player into the<br />
bonus round were<br />
they’re able to win<br />
a large jackpot<br />
amount - with<br />
players all aiming<br />
to enter the bonus<br />
stages.”<br />
DIRK GEERE,<br />
Director,<br />
International<br />
Product<br />
Management, IGT.<br />
of the deeper integration now taking place<br />
with games targeted at Asian market.<br />
"Our successes with these initial titles<br />
helped to inform the games you saw at<br />
G2E 2012, and now we have the third<br />
generation of player mechanics on which<br />
we've placed the Asian themes. We now<br />
understand what the player wants from a<br />
game in each of the different player<br />
segments in Asia, as we must offer a<br />
complete portfolio of games that reach<br />
across all the player profiles. We have<br />
games that are specifically targeted for<br />
Asia, such as Jade Fortune, and then<br />
there are games such as Candy Bars,<br />
which has been a huge hit for us, which<br />
we have translated and have looked to<br />
build an Asian version of the game."<br />
Siberian Strom is a perfect example of<br />
IGT's creativity in action in the Asian<br />
market with not just a high risk bonus<br />
game, but a series of volatile elements<br />
that contribute to an experience that's<br />
totally aimed at a true 'gambler' profile.<br />
"This third generation of games has built<br />
on the foundations of the previous<br />
generations to create art themes and play<br />
mechanics that are truly Asian games,"<br />
said Mr. Geere. "These are games that<br />
don't appeal to all players, they are<br />
targeted and specific to the niches within<br />
the different markets. It's something that<br />
has translated into success in other<br />
markets too, in which these games have<br />
found niches with players in countries<br />
from the US, through to Europe and<br />
South America too."<br />
ASIA<br />
PACIFIC<br />
SPECIFIC<br />
Bally Technologies displayed<br />
market focused titles and<br />
world-class brands at G2E<br />
Bally Technologies showcased its largest<br />
range of market specific games for the<br />
Asian marketplace at G2E in Macau.<br />
These vibrant, entertaining games feature<br />
stunning Asian-themed graphics and<br />
symbols along with player-favourite<br />
features such as free games, stacked<br />
wilds, and engaging play mechanics. But<br />
most important, they feature playerselectable<br />
dual-language English/Chinese<br />
to meet the demands of the dynamic<br />
Asia-Pacific market.<br />
The first of four romantic-landscape novel<br />
games linked to a progressive multijackpot<br />
is Zhi Nu. Entwined in Chinese<br />
mythology, the game is available on<br />
Bally’s Pro Series V32 platform and is a<br />
five-reel, 50-line game sparked by three<br />
Free Game triggers scattered anywhere on<br />
the middle three reels. Heavily promoted<br />
on the exhibit in Macau, Chinese Zodiac<br />
is a new video slot for the Pro Series<br />
V22/22 Upright and V22/26 Slant<br />
cabinets, where players choose their
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
favourite zodiac symbol and lock the<br />
wilds to win. For Bally’s upright and slant<br />
cabinets other Chinese language games<br />
on display included China River, Fantastic<br />
8s, Red Phoenix, Shadow Diamond,<br />
White Lion, Heavenly Empress and<br />
Pharaoh’s Dream.<br />
GAMING<br />
TO NEXT<br />
LEVEL<br />
“We could not be prouder to be<br />
displaying some of our hottest new games<br />
and trailblazing systems solutions in<br />
Macau, including many developed<br />
specifically for the Asian market,” said<br />
Bally Technologies’ Senior Vice President<br />
of Asia-Pacific/Africa and Managing<br />
Director of Bally India Srini Raghavan.<br />
“These technologies showcase Bally’s<br />
continued focus on creating innovative<br />
gaming experiences for players, while<br />
delivering a strong return-on-investment<br />
for casino operators around the globe.”<br />
In addition to market specific games,<br />
Bally showed its latest licensed branded<br />
games. “We have focused on creating a<br />
new portfolio of dual-language<br />
English/Chinese video titles with rich<br />
graphics and rewarding bonuses that are<br />
sure to entertain casino patrons in the<br />
Asia-Pacific region,” said Kurt Gissane,<br />
Bally Technologies’ Senior Director and<br />
Managing Director of Asia-Pacific. “Those<br />
core titles, combined with compelling<br />
game content on titles like Tiki Magic and<br />
NASCAR, showcase Bally’s unfaltering<br />
focus on creating innovative gaming<br />
experiences for players, while delivering a<br />
strong ROI for casino operators.”<br />
Konami Gaming showed its<br />
market knowledge and<br />
breadth of games in Macau<br />
If there's a company in gaming that<br />
knows how to create a market from<br />
scratch, it's Konami. Few companies have<br />
penetrated the top international slots<br />
league in the way that Konami has in such<br />
a short space of time. Attending the G2E<br />
show in Macau, Konami exhibited a range<br />
of six titles for Asian players that the<br />
company's Steve Walther describes as<br />
'taking Konami to the next level in Asia.'<br />
The titles included Golden Dynasty, Fantastic<br />
Gold, Legion Warrior, Chinese<br />
Mystery, Pride of Egypt and Lion Festival.<br />
“The idea behind these titles is that we<br />
use strong symbols, good math and the<br />
newest video cabinet, the Podium Goliath,<br />
to connect everything together,”<br />
commented Mr. Walther. “Operators can<br />
choose to run standalone or mystery<br />
progressives over the six games, plus<br />
there's the added option of the four-level<br />
linked progressive, Dragon's Victory, a<br />
linked mystery progressive which is<br />
randomly triggered.”<br />
STEVE WALTHER,<br />
Director Product<br />
Management,<br />
Konami Gaming<br />
pictured at G2E<br />
Asia in Macau.<br />
“OPERATORS CAN<br />
CHOOSE TO RUN<br />
STANDALONE OR<br />
MYSTERY<br />
PROGRESSIVE<br />
OVER THE SIX<br />
GAMES.”<br />
Konami recently established an office in<br />
Singapore led by industry veteran, John<br />
Gomes, as part of its growth strategy to<br />
focus on emerging markets in Asia,<br />
including Singapore and Macau.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 47
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
THRILLER IN<br />
MANILA<br />
Amatic Industries builds on its success in the<br />
Philippines’ market with its first exhibition at G2E<br />
Asia and an immediate market impact<br />
Exhibiting for the first time at G2E Asia<br />
2013, Amatic Industries was delighted<br />
with the feedback and opportunities that<br />
arose from its initial presence at the show.<br />
“We have had a presence in Asia for a<br />
long time, but this is the first-time that we<br />
have elected to take a stand at the show,"<br />
explained Thomas Engstberger, sales<br />
manager at Amatic Industries at the<br />
Macau show. "We have been present in<br />
the Philippines with customers for many<br />
years, but here at the show we have had<br />
suggestions for new models and been<br />
approached by potential partners to<br />
expand our presence in the region."<br />
Much of the attention on the Amatic<br />
stand focused on the company's multiplayer<br />
roulette the Grand Jeu Double<br />
with live gaming options, while Amatic's<br />
multi-game platform also enjoyed a great<br />
deal of interest from regional operators.<br />
"Customers at the show have discussed<br />
the targeting of VIP high-end slots areas,<br />
which fits with the high quality products<br />
from Amatic, though we are not excluding<br />
ourselves from the mass market here in<br />
Asia. We offer a complete range of<br />
products for all sectors of the market,<br />
including smaller, more compact six and<br />
eight terminal multi-player systems to be<br />
adaptive to every request," said Mr.<br />
Engstberger.<br />
"However, it's the combination of live<br />
dealer and multi-player terminal solutions<br />
that have drawn the most interest. We are<br />
in the process of meeting regulatory<br />
approvals as we believe that Asia is a<br />
huge opportunity for Amatic. We have<br />
seen a great deal of interest from<br />
operators in Macau, but equally other<br />
countries have presented the same level<br />
of opportunities across the region, with<br />
the main focus clearly on roulette."<br />
“Games such as Dragons Pearl and Lucky<br />
Coin fit perfectly here to the Asian player<br />
mentality. Visitors came from near and far<br />
in Asia to visit us at the G2E Asia,<br />
including Macau, Cambodia, Laos and<br />
South Korea. We extend our thanks to all<br />
our visitors,” concluded Mr. Engstberger.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 48<br />
“We have had a<br />
presence in Asia for<br />
a long time, but this<br />
is the first-time that<br />
we have elected to<br />
take a stand at the<br />
show. We have<br />
been present in the<br />
Philippines with<br />
customers for many<br />
years, but here at<br />
the show we have<br />
had suggestions for<br />
new models and<br />
been approached<br />
by potential<br />
partners to expand<br />
our presence in the<br />
region."<br />
THOMAS<br />
ENGSTBERGER,<br />
Sales Manager at<br />
Amatic Industries,<br />
pictured Top Right<br />
at the G2E Asia<br />
show.<br />
“We were<br />
absolutely thrilled<br />
by our experience<br />
at G2E Asia 2013.<br />
With this being our<br />
first time at the<br />
exhibition, we had<br />
modest<br />
expectations, but<br />
we were intent on<br />
gaining a strong<br />
foothold in this<br />
market that’s full of<br />
potential.”<br />
DANIEL VAN<br />
MARISSING,<br />
Merkur Gaming.<br />
GOING NATIVE<br />
Merkur Gaming reveals its first<br />
selection of Chinese games<br />
developed for Asian markets<br />
Merkur Gaming enjoyed a successful first<br />
appearance in Macau at G2E Asia 2013.<br />
Merkur showed a number of its industryleading<br />
cabinets, featuring games<br />
designed and fine-tuned for the Asian<br />
market. With this being Merkur’s first<br />
exhibit at G2E Asia, the company was<br />
determined to make an impact. The stand<br />
boasted animating screens along its entire<br />
length, grabbing the attention of visitors.<br />
On the stand, the Privilege upright,<br />
Evolution slant-top, and well-received<br />
Highflyer were all on display, along with<br />
the Merkur Dispenser.<br />
Highlighting Merkur’s commitment to<br />
local markets, plenty of emphasis at the<br />
stand was placed on the company’s first<br />
selection of Chinese games. Nine titles<br />
were developed specifically for the Asian<br />
market, and visitors received a detailed<br />
demonstration of them in both English<br />
and Chinese.<br />
“We were absolutely thrilled by our<br />
experience at G2E Asia 2013. With this<br />
being our first time at the exhibition, we<br />
had modest expectations, but we were<br />
intent on gaining a strong foothold in this<br />
market that’s full of potential,” said<br />
Daniel van Marissing.<br />
“In the event, the show was fantastic,<br />
from the many people we met through to<br />
selling the entire content of our stand<br />
right away. We’re very much looking<br />
forward to returning to G2E Asia next<br />
year, with even more innovative games<br />
especially tailored to the Asian market.”
Exhibition<br />
G2E ASIA 2013<br />
THE EDGE IN ASIA<br />
WMS Gaming brings its new Blade cabinet to the G2E Asia<br />
exhibition and headlines the show with 34 games for the market<br />
The Blade cabinet from WMS Gaming is<br />
the company's next-generation for-sale<br />
cabinet configured with dedicated and<br />
exclusive Asian themes, gameplay and<br />
artwork that speak directly to Asian<br />
players. Headlining the showcase of 34<br />
games at G2E Asia, the Blade cabinet is<br />
currently enjoying 2.5x the house average<br />
across casino floors in the US since its<br />
launch in March, with currently over<br />
1,000 units installed. WMS plans to<br />
launch the Blade cabinet across Asia<br />
during the summer, bringing a different<br />
library of content utilising new maths<br />
models powered by the CPU-NXT3<br />
operating system.<br />
For Macau, WMS has a mix of content<br />
ranging from Great Zeus, Raging Rhino,<br />
Lantern Festival and Emperors &<br />
Pharaohs mixing both US and Asian<br />
themes and 5x4 and 6x4 reel<br />
combinations and game mechanics. One<br />
of the attractive features of the Blade<br />
cabinet is its ability to cycle through the<br />
game elements to inform the player of all<br />
the options available to them. The cabinet<br />
offers these new features thanks to the<br />
processing power now on hand. "The<br />
content, maths and graphics of the Blade<br />
cabinet have all been enhanced," stated<br />
ONE OF BLADE’S<br />
FEATURES IS ITS<br />
ABILITY TO<br />
CYCLE GAME<br />
ELEMENTS TO<br />
INFORM OF ALL<br />
OPTIONS<br />
AVAILABLE.<br />
WMS’ Julien Drouet. "Details such as the<br />
reels reducing in size and then growing<br />
larger when they are being played has<br />
made a big impact on players and has<br />
been bourne out by the performance on<br />
gaming floors. Blade represents the nextgeneration<br />
of slot gaming and we've had<br />
great results in every location in which it<br />
has been sited."<br />
"Our focus in Asia right now is to<br />
maintain the footprint of existing<br />
platforms and promote WMS' first multigame<br />
launch, Game Chest," explained Mr.<br />
Drouet. "Game Chest is our first multigame<br />
offer and here in Asia we have a<br />
pack of six games that operators can<br />
WMS Gaming’s<br />
KRISTI KASOVETZ<br />
and JULIEN<br />
DROUET, pictured<br />
at the G2E Asua<br />
exhibition with the<br />
latest Blade<br />
releases for Asia.<br />
"We've seen a<br />
great deal of<br />
success with WAPs<br />
in the Asian<br />
market. In the<br />
Philippines our Life<br />
of Luxury Deluxe<br />
has 30 machines<br />
interconnected in<br />
what is proving a<br />
very popular link<br />
with players. We<br />
have also just<br />
opened a new<br />
market for WMS in<br />
the Singapore<br />
Clubs sector,<br />
whereby we have<br />
just started a line of<br />
products for the<br />
Singapore slots<br />
sector that meets<br />
the needs of the<br />
members clubs in<br />
Singapore."<br />
JULIEN DROUET,<br />
WMS Gaming.<br />
choose from, taking all six or selecting<br />
individual games as fits their needs. The<br />
mix offers a wide variety of different<br />
maths models, with 5x3 and 5x4 reel<br />
layouts for the gamblers through to the<br />
entertainment-orientated players."<br />
As there's less of a focus on multi-games<br />
for Macau and Singapore, Wide Area<br />
Progressives are the target products for<br />
these markets with randomly triggered<br />
progressives such as Exotic Gems and Top<br />
Gun. Utilising WMS' Portal technology,<br />
both WAPs are randomly triggered and<br />
take over the screens of the base games<br />
once hit by the players. King of the Titans<br />
is a server-level player progressive,<br />
whereby the chances of winning is<br />
increased proportionately in relation to<br />
the amount bet by the player, with Max<br />
Bet guaranteeing one of the progressive<br />
jackpots will hit. The players have the<br />
opportunity to win all seven progressive<br />
in a single bonus round across all three of<br />
the base games.<br />
"We've seen a great deal of success with<br />
WAPs in the Asian market," stated Mr.<br />
Drouet. "In the Philippines our Life of<br />
Luxury Deluxe has 30 machines<br />
interconnected in what is proving a very<br />
popular link with players. We have also<br />
just opened a new market for WMS in the<br />
Singapore Clubs sector, whereby we have<br />
just started a line of products for the<br />
Singapore slots sector that meets the<br />
needs of the members clubs in<br />
Singapore."<br />
July 2013 PAGE 49
Profile<br />
GALAXY MACAU<br />
SETTING ALL<br />
PHASES TO STUN<br />
The opening of Galaxy Macau by Galaxy Entertainment Group on the Cotai Strip in<br />
Macau shocked the world. Now GEG plans to do it again - three more times<br />
Galaxy Macau opened on May 15, 2011 to<br />
a rapturous welcome. The quality, scale<br />
and ambition of the development shocked<br />
the casino establishment and marked the<br />
entry of a new gaming giant happy to<br />
stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the<br />
established casino fraternity. A year-anda-half<br />
since opening, Galaxy Macau has<br />
transformed Galaxy’s earnings profile and<br />
Macau’s standing as a leisure and tourism<br />
destination. In May, Galaxy Entertainment<br />
Group reported record first-quarter<br />
adjusted EBITDA of HK$2.8bn<br />
(US$360.76m), up 29 per cent from a year<br />
previously. The flagship Cotai property,<br />
“2013 has started<br />
well with GEG<br />
achieving records<br />
in quarterly<br />
earnings. Galaxy<br />
Macau delivered its<br />
seventh<br />
consecutive quarter<br />
of Adjusted EBITDA<br />
growth even as<br />
new capacity<br />
opened in Cotai.”<br />
DR. LUI CHE-WOO,<br />
Chairman of GEG.<br />
Galaxy Macau, saw its seventh<br />
consecutive quarter of adjusted EBITDA<br />
growth with revenue of $8.9bn, up 23 per<br />
cent year-on-year.<br />
Bringing new levels of local design and<br />
architectural expertise to play in a Macau,<br />
which was beginning to look like ‘Las<br />
Vegas Town,’ Galaxy Entertainment Group<br />
actually had more ambitious plans for its<br />
flagship project, with the opening in 2011<br />
constituting Phase 1 of a development<br />
that is now due to encompass four phases<br />
in its entirety. Phase 2 will more than<br />
double the original HK$16.5bn<br />
investment, extend the 550,00sq.m. to 1<br />
million sq.m. and is expected to meet its<br />
completion date of mid-2015.<br />
Having unveiled the world’s largest<br />
skytop wave pool, with a 350-ton white<br />
sand beach, the next phase will build<br />
upon the leisure amenities and add lush<br />
tropical gardens to take the Grand Resort<br />
Deck to 80,000sq.m. Hotel space increases<br />
from the existing 2,260 (split between<br />
Galaxy Macau’s 1,500 and Hotel Okura<br />
Macau with 500 and the Banyan Tree’s<br />
260), to incorporate the JW Marriott<br />
Macau (1,100) and the Ritz-Carlton (250)<br />
July 2013 PAGE 50
Profile<br />
GALAXY MACAU<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
BEGINS ON<br />
PHASES 3 & 4 AT<br />
THE END OF 2013,<br />
WITH CURRENTLY<br />
HK$60BN<br />
EARMARKED FOR<br />
THE NEXT TWO<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
PHASES.<br />
for a combined 3,600 rooms, suites and<br />
villas across five luxury hotels. Food and<br />
beverage will also increase with over 45<br />
restaurants, cafes, bars and lounges<br />
creating the largest pan-Asian cuisine<br />
selection under one roof in the world,<br />
with over 100 F&B offers in total. Retail<br />
space will dramatically treble in size, from<br />
today’s 35,000sq.m. to over 100,00sq.m.<br />
taking the 40 outlets to over 200 overall.<br />
Meeting, events and banqueting will also<br />
treble in size from the total capacity of<br />
Phase 1’s 1,100 guests, to over 3,000 by<br />
mid-2015. Finally, the brilliantly<br />
illuminated gaming floor of the Galaxy<br />
“Phases 2, 3 & 4 of<br />
GEG on Cotai will<br />
offer fresh and<br />
captivating new<br />
products and<br />
service experiences<br />
that will<br />
reinforce Macau’s<br />
standing in the<br />
global leisure and<br />
tourism<br />
community.”<br />
DR. LUI CHE-WOO,<br />
Chairman of GEG.<br />
Macau will increase from 39,000sq.m. to<br />
over 70,000sq.m., growing the number of<br />
tables from 450 to 1,000 and the casino’s<br />
slots from 1,500 to over 3,000 EGMs<br />
overall.<br />
Construction begins on Phases 3 & 4 at<br />
the end of 2013, with currently HK$60bn<br />
earmarked for the next two development<br />
phases of Galaxy Macau, which will<br />
predominately target premium mass<br />
customers. Phases 3 & 4 will significantly<br />
diversify GEG’s product and service<br />
offering to include a multitude of new<br />
entertainment elements, including a state<br />
July 2013 PAGE 51
Profile<br />
GALAXY MACAU<br />
of the art multi-purpose 10,000 seat arena<br />
for world class entertainment and<br />
sporting events and a 50,000sq.m.<br />
convention centre. GEG believes that the<br />
ambitious HK$50 to HK$60bn project,<br />
predominantly targeting premium mass<br />
guests, will set a new benchmark for the<br />
global leisure and tourism industry, and<br />
prove pivotal in GEG securing a strong<br />
share of the expected influx of new<br />
visitors to Macau. Around 95 per cent of<br />
Phase 3 will be dedicated to retail and<br />
entertainment. Phase 3 alone is expected<br />
to cost approximately US$6.5bn.<br />
DEVELOPMENT ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE<br />
Speaking to Jane Tsai, VP of Marketing<br />
and Communications for Galaxy Macau,<br />
and Shirley Tam, responsible for Galaxy<br />
Macau’s casino marketing service<br />
programmes, it’s obvious that regardless<br />
of the industrial scale of the project,<br />
what’s ultimately driving Galaxy Macau is<br />
the vision of one man, GEG’s Vice<br />
Chairman, Francis Lui. From the<br />
glistening gold cupolas to the individually<br />
styled restaurants, everything has been<br />
touched by Francis Lui’s vision to create a<br />
Asian destination resort with the highest<br />
international standards running through<br />
its core.<br />
JANE TSAI is Vice<br />
President of<br />
Marketing<br />
Communications<br />
for Galaxy Macau,<br />
where she is<br />
responsible for the<br />
brand, marketing<br />
communications,<br />
and public relations<br />
strategy of over 15<br />
hospitality, food and<br />
beverage,<br />
entertainment and<br />
gaming brands<br />
within the<br />
integrated resort.<br />
She has over 20<br />
years of experience<br />
in marketing across<br />
a variety of<br />
disciplines.<br />
PREMIUM MASS,<br />
MASS AND VIP<br />
PLAYERS ALL<br />
SHARE ONE<br />
THING IN<br />
COMMON IN<br />
MACAU - THEIR<br />
ABSTINENCE<br />
FROM ALCOHOL.<br />
“If you look at the Macau market from a<br />
macro level, you can't refute the traffic<br />
levels,” explained Ms. Tsai of the stunning<br />
visitor figures being enjoyed by Macau.<br />
“20 million is quickly growing into 25<br />
million visitors to Macau each year,<br />
which is balanced against the native<br />
population of 550,000. Growth in Macau<br />
has been exponential, expanding at 20-22<br />
and most recently 25 per cent. We know<br />
that there is enough demand to follow the<br />
'build it and they will come' mantra.<br />
“The philosophy of Francis Lui is that<br />
despite a delay to the opening of Galaxy<br />
Macau, we actually got our timing exactly<br />
right. Too early and we'd have touched<br />
the financial crisis, but we didn't. We<br />
missed the downturn and opened at a<br />
time in which the market was absolutely<br />
ready for Galaxy Macau,” commented Ms.<br />
Tsai.<br />
A great deal of focus for the development<br />
of Galaxy Macau has been the targeting of<br />
the premium mass market, but although<br />
externally this has been viewed as nongaming<br />
elements aimed at attracting<br />
general tourism to Macau, the split of<br />
gaming to non-gaming events at Galaxy is<br />
90/10. "We are still the Las Vegas of the<br />
1970s,” admits Ms. Tsai. “We don’t yet<br />
have large numbers of families visiting<br />
Galaxy Macau, but we are developing<br />
much faster than Vegas did. Integrated<br />
resorts are the next tier of developments<br />
in Macau and there’s steady demand for<br />
this type of experience. Galaxy Macau<br />
right now is a 3,000 room property in<br />
which a high proportion of our business<br />
is VIP. However, we have a mass market<br />
focused effort going forward, whereby the<br />
next stage of expansion in Macau is<br />
focused on the premium mass segment of<br />
the market.”<br />
According to Ms. Tam, the gaming ‘pie’ in<br />
July 2013 PAGE 52
Profile<br />
GALAXY MACAU<br />
Macau isn't shrinking due to competition,<br />
but rather it's growing because of it.<br />
“Competition is tough, but we are able to<br />
see the market growing with the addition<br />
of the premium mass market,” stated Ms.<br />
Tam. “We see a lot of potential in this<br />
segment, which is high end profitability<br />
from cash paying customers with the<br />
highest margins. This segment make the<br />
lowest demands upon the resort and give<br />
the most back to the casino.”<br />
While much of the international attention<br />
on Macau centres on the international<br />
operators; MGM, Wynn, Crown and Las<br />
Vegas Sands, Galaxy offers a very<br />
different style and ambience that is<br />
attracting Asian players to a familiar<br />
playing environment. “The F&B offering<br />
at Galaxy Macau is very important to the<br />
premium mass market,” stated Ms. Tsai.<br />
“We cater for the Asian palate with spice<br />
gardens and Hong Kong cafes helping to<br />
keep customers here with well known<br />
regional F&B brands. Players are a long<br />
way from home and want the sense of<br />
familiarity and comfort they can<br />
experience from Asian food brands they<br />
recognise and appreciate.”<br />
Most of the Asian travel market right now<br />
THE NO.1<br />
BEVERAGE ON<br />
THE GAMING<br />
FLOORS IN<br />
MACAU IS<br />
GINSENG TEA.<br />
is focused upon resorts. Galaxy is themed<br />
around a tropical destination resort,<br />
however, it understands that F&B is an<br />
integral part of the travel experience and<br />
so provides an extensive pan-Asian range<br />
of cuisine, which enables visitors to<br />
explore difference flavours, while at the<br />
same time isn't too estranged an<br />
experience that it makes the trip<br />
unenjoyable.<br />
“The experience must match the<br />
aspirations of the visitor,” stated Ms. Tsai.<br />
“Our VIP guests want opulent design and<br />
the very highest standards of service, but<br />
this more attentive service must also be<br />
sincere. As an Asian resort destination we<br />
know that we have to deliver the very<br />
best experience. When you walk into the<br />
Galaxy you know that you are welcome.<br />
SHIRLEY TAM is<br />
responsible for<br />
Galaxy Macau’s<br />
casino marketing<br />
service<br />
programmes and a<br />
variety of customer<br />
relationship<br />
marketing<br />
initiatives. Shirley<br />
oversees six<br />
departments at<br />
Galaxy Macau:<br />
Casino Services,<br />
Loyalty Program,<br />
Club Operations,<br />
Training, Casino<br />
Events &<br />
Promotions and<br />
Database Analysis.<br />
We have Galaxy ambassadors to promote<br />
this message to players, but even if you<br />
approach a member of our security staff,<br />
you’ll find them to be just as attentive<br />
and helpful.”<br />
A LIGHT BULB MOMENT<br />
One of the things that strikes everyone<br />
about the gaming floor in Galaxy Macau<br />
is its illumination. The gaming floor at<br />
Galaxy Macau must be one of the<br />
brightest in the industry. “The floor is<br />
meant to be inviting and welcoming,”<br />
said Ms. Tam. “It’s brighter to reflect the<br />
fact that Chinese players find security in a<br />
brighter environment, they also like to be<br />
seen winning. Players entering our VIP<br />
Pavilion, for example, are still visible from<br />
the main gaming floor. They like to feel<br />
that they are part of the action, but they<br />
want the rest of the floor to know that<br />
they're being treated differently."<br />
Just as happened in Russia, a country in<br />
which all things and people were,<br />
theoretically, treated equally, the Chinese<br />
now revel in ‘VIP’ status. And despite the<br />
concentrated talk of the premium mass<br />
market, the VIP market in Macau still<br />
accounts for 70 per cent of revenues,<br />
which is the same at Galaxy Macau as it<br />
July 2013 PAGE 53
Profile<br />
GALAXY MACAU<br />
is elsewhere. There is a distinction within<br />
the Group, however, with Starworld<br />
having made a move much more towards<br />
the VIP club market, that this enables<br />
Galaxy Macau to focus more on the mass<br />
market due to the nature of the resort<br />
property.<br />
The extension into Phase 2 adds the<br />
collective capability of 950 tables,<br />
essentially doubling the size of the<br />
gaming floor at Galaxy Macau. The casino<br />
is adding more pavilions, more VIP<br />
gaming rooms and food services at the<br />
tables. “Phase two is an extension of<br />
Galaxy currently<br />
has HK$16bn on<br />
book in terms of<br />
cash and $5.4bn<br />
net cash, which is<br />
comfortably<br />
funding its<br />
expansion phases.<br />
what you see already,” said Ms. Tsai. “It<br />
is the completion of the original vision,<br />
with an extra 3,000 hotel rooms including<br />
JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton, the latter<br />
being the first all-suites property in<br />
Macau.”<br />
Galaxy has the largest land-bank of any of<br />
the developers in Cotai. The development<br />
of Phases 1 & 2 represents only a third of<br />
the land Galaxy owns in Cotai, whereby<br />
Phases 3 & 4 will see the customisation of<br />
products that Galaxy believe will further<br />
fuel the exponential growth of the market<br />
in Macau. All this development is borne<br />
of enviable cash-flow levels. Galaxy<br />
currently has HK$16bn on book in terms<br />
of cash and $5.4bn net cash, which is<br />
comfortably funding its expansion phases.<br />
“We have all the foundations that we<br />
need, hotels, retail and non-gaming<br />
elements that we will be adding to the<br />
Phase 3 and 4 developments, but have yet<br />
to make them public,” explained Ms. Tsai.<br />
“We are taking our cues from consumer<br />
insights and from the marketplace as we<br />
see appetites shifting. There’s now greater<br />
need for entertainment space, convention<br />
facilities and the expansion of the MICE<br />
July 2013 PAGE 54
Insight<br />
GALAXY MACAU MULT<br />
segment in Macau. There will always be a<br />
gaming element and it’s this element that<br />
will fund the rest, but we are seeing a<br />
shift in emphasis towards greater<br />
integration of non-gaming elements in the<br />
mix. The investment in Phase 1 and 2 is<br />
significant. We have been building a<br />
gaming palace - even the food court in<br />
the Galaxy Macau has crystal chandeliers.<br />
It’s this extreme level of detail and<br />
authenticity that sets Galaxy Macau apart<br />
- it is a location that has both style and<br />
substance. The current hotels at the<br />
property, the Banyan Tree and the Okura<br />
are woven into the fabric of the resort,<br />
GALAXY MACAU<br />
PHASE TWO IS AN<br />
EXTENSION OF<br />
WHAT YOU SEE<br />
ALREADY. IT IS<br />
THE COMPLETION<br />
OF THE ORIGINAL<br />
VISION.<br />
but they are also very different and<br />
individual properties in their own rights<br />
(not a single room in the Banyan Tree is<br />
the same as another).”<br />
Prior to the G2E Asia show, it was<br />
revealed that the Galaxy Entertainment<br />
Group had acquired neighbouring<br />
property, the Grand Waldo. Having<br />
operated the gaming floor of the Grand<br />
Waldo since its opening, GEG has an<br />
intimate knowledge of the casino, while<br />
its proximity to the newly extended<br />
Galaxy Macau suggests that the properties<br />
will be linked, though little has been<br />
confirmed right now. What is expected is<br />
that the rather dreary casino will be<br />
refurbished in the Galaxy style and will<br />
inevitably undergo a name change.<br />
CRISIS WHAT CRISIS<br />
Reading an article in MoneyWeek<br />
magazine on the plane back home from<br />
G2E Asia, the Macau market is apparently<br />
in crisis with competition from Singapore<br />
and the Philippines, with visa restrictions<br />
FRANCIS LUI,<br />
Vice-Chairman<br />
Galaxy<br />
Entertainment<br />
Group.<br />
“We are pleased<br />
that we will further<br />
extend our casino<br />
permitted landbank<br />
with the<br />
announcement of<br />
the strategic<br />
acquisition of the<br />
Grand Waldo<br />
Complex. We<br />
believe this will<br />
benefit the Group’s<br />
future development<br />
and enhance value<br />
for our<br />
shareholders.”<br />
DR. LUI CHE-WOO,<br />
Chairman of GEG.<br />
and permitted cash allowances set to<br />
cripple the market. It's not a magazine to<br />
which a subscription will be sought.<br />
The expansion of the transport<br />
infrastructure in Macau didn't deserve a<br />
mention in the report despite its rather<br />
positive impacts. Transportation to Macau<br />
is already a simple, quick and relatively<br />
cheap experience, with Hong Kong an<br />
hour away by subsidised ferry;<br />
Guangdong province with its 23 million<br />
people two hours by bus and a series of<br />
land bridges currently under construction<br />
to link Hong Kong with Macau (the Hong<br />
Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge) and Zhuhai,<br />
the three major cities on the Pearl River<br />
Delta.<br />
The link is expected to cost US$10.7bn<br />
when complete, with construction having<br />
begun in 2009 and completion expected<br />
mid-2015 (just as Galaxy Macau Phase 2<br />
opens). The 29km span would make it<br />
one of the world's longest bridges and is<br />
expected to reduce travelling times<br />
between Hong Kong and Zhuhai or<br />
Macau to approximately 40 minutes;<br />
down from 4.5 hours (by road) at present.<br />
It will shorten the distance from Hong<br />
Kong to Macau and Zhuhai from 160km<br />
to 30km, and reduce the journey time to<br />
within half an hour. As a result, Pearl<br />
River West will lie within the three-hour<br />
transport network that radiates from Hong<br />
Kong as its centre.<br />
A light rail link is also to be completed in<br />
the near future which will take visitors on<br />
July 2013 PAGE 55
Profile<br />
GALAXY MACAU<br />
a circuit of the casinos on Cotai. Of<br />
course, Macau isn't without its faults. The<br />
existing transportation hubs have not<br />
expanded and improved to take account<br />
of the volume of visitors, while remaining<br />
inefficient and bureaucratic to the core.<br />
Each of the terminals, from the airport to<br />
the ferries is in need of streamlining away<br />
from the government processes that are<br />
primarily manual and paper-based. “The<br />
infrastructure at present simply can't<br />
handle the volume of people visiting<br />
Macau,” stated Ms. Tsai. “We need a<br />
mass transport system and investment in<br />
the infrastructure to support it.”<br />
Expansion in Macau is also dictated by<br />
the finite resource of local labour. Galaxy<br />
Macau employs over 10,000 staff, and<br />
with strict labour laws that favour native<br />
workers, projects are backing-up behind<br />
Galaxy's Phase 2 project as developers<br />
wait for labour to be released for their<br />
own developments. While the local<br />
council is seeking to loosen labour laws,<br />
it is imperative that the government<br />
recognises that the 2/3 local labour rule is<br />
not tenable. The 1.5 per cent<br />
unemployment rate in Macau might be<br />
Galaxy Macau<br />
employs over<br />
10,000 staff, and<br />
with strict labour<br />
laws that favour<br />
native workers,<br />
projects are<br />
backing-up behind<br />
Galaxy's Phase 2<br />
project as<br />
developers wait for<br />
labour to be<br />
released for their<br />
own developments.<br />
the envy of the rest of the world, but for<br />
employers it's a permanent and persistent<br />
headache.<br />
Staff retention is also a massive issue in<br />
Macau, though Galaxy is proud of its<br />
higher than average track record, which it<br />
maintains is due to staff team-building<br />
efforts that have proved to create an<br />
environment with one of the lowest<br />
turnovers of staff in Macau. “It's<br />
surprising how many actually stay put<br />
when you look at the opportunities for<br />
our Macanese staff,” admitted Ms. Tam.<br />
“We concentrate on providing hours and<br />
hours of training and make a real<br />
commitment to all our team members.<br />
We believe that we have a strong brand<br />
and ethos that bonds us together as a<br />
team. It's something that players<br />
recognise as they too buy into the brand<br />
when they visit Galaxy Macau. Much of<br />
the brand respect comes directly from<br />
Vice Chairman, Francis Lui.”<br />
Much of the dedication of Galaxy staff is<br />
taken from the inspiration from Mr. Lui.<br />
“He is accessible at every level," said Ms.<br />
Tsai. “He remembers where he came from<br />
and with every project he looks at every<br />
element from the top down, interacting<br />
with each team member at whatever the<br />
level.”<br />
GALAXY’S GLOCAL AMBITIONS<br />
At present, GEG’s eggs are currently all in<br />
the Macau basket, but such has been the<br />
global impact of Galaxy Macau that future<br />
international expansion isn’t being ruled<br />
out. “We are building to the demand of<br />
1.6 million people on our doorstep,<br />
launching the first mega-resort in Macau,<br />
and in that you can't take your eye off the<br />
ball,” stated Ms. Tsai. “We have a very<br />
solid base here in Macau, one that we<br />
continue to exhaustively work to serve.<br />
We have achieved a critical mass and<br />
while it would be very interesting to see if<br />
this model would work elsewhere, and<br />
while we do keep an eye on other market<br />
opportunities, we have enough on our<br />
plate right now with our phased growth<br />
to occupy us for sometime. Asia continues<br />
to grow in sophistication. Our visitors are<br />
developing into very sophisticated<br />
customers and expect the very highest<br />
standards. Our hands are full right now<br />
making sure we deliver.”<br />
July 2013 PAGE 56
Insight<br />
TABLE GAME SECURITY<br />
NEW REFERENCE IN TABLE<br />
GAME DROP SECURITY<br />
Italy’s CMS Group has teamed up with MEI’s CASHFLOW SC to bring its secure<br />
at-the-table solution, EasyDrop, to live tables operators<br />
CMS Group SRL from Italy is the new<br />
reference company for table game<br />
security. The company introduced itself<br />
with a product tailor-made for solving a<br />
long-standing issue in live gaming – the<br />
secure handling of money on the gaming<br />
table itself. The EasyDrop enables<br />
croupiers to enter banknotes in a bundle<br />
of up to 30 at one time (including tickets<br />
when used in association with ticket-in,<br />
ticket-out gaming) in a simple and<br />
practical way.<br />
CMS Group SRL has chosen MEI to<br />
provide the heart of the EasyDrop –<br />
quick, secure note validation and storage<br />
thanks to the SC Advance bill reader with<br />
the BNF (bulk-note feeder). The awardwinning<br />
CASHFLOW SC has been<br />
produced over one and a half million<br />
times and the new SC Advance brings<br />
further key attributes that makes it the<br />
perfect solution. Together with the BNF,<br />
this solution has enabled the successful<br />
introduction of the EasyDrop to market.<br />
CASINÒ DI<br />
VENEZIA HAS<br />
IMPLEMENTED<br />
EASYDROP WITH<br />
CMS RECEIVING<br />
ORDERS FROM<br />
CASINOS IN<br />
FRANCE, SPAIN<br />
AND AUSTRIA.<br />
automatically registered by the bank and<br />
very often credited to the store account<br />
within a short space of time, if not<br />
instantly. Thus, the product ensures that<br />
the float is secure, ready for pick up by<br />
the cash-in-transit (CIT) company to be<br />
brought to the bank. An excellent<br />
reference for CMS Group SRL is the<br />
Italian CIT company IVRI that employs<br />
over 3,500 people.<br />
“The EasyDrop is an<br />
ideal solution for<br />
managing the drop<br />
on live gaming. The<br />
faster note-to-note<br />
speed that the SC<br />
Advance offers<br />
together with the<br />
BNF makes MEI<br />
stand out as the<br />
preferred partner<br />
for this new market<br />
segment. We are<br />
very proud that<br />
CMS Group has<br />
chosen us to<br />
supply these key<br />
components.”<br />
ERIK-JAN VAN DEN<br />
BERG, MEI.<br />
all banknotes are being validated by the<br />
MEI SC Advance – so any counterfeits are<br />
rejected at source. Older and crumpled<br />
true notes can also be validated and<br />
securely stored. The ability to place up to<br />
30 notes and/or tickets at once into the<br />
EasyDrop and its sheer speed means that<br />
croupiers can focus more on what is most<br />
important to them – the players. The<br />
patented vertical note drop means that<br />
croupiers can enter the notes/tickets in<br />
the most natural way. Back office<br />
management can see immediately the<br />
level of the float and when it was entered.<br />
All the data is registered and can be<br />
called upon in real time. Differing sizes of<br />
cashboxes are available and operators can<br />
programme the maximum capacity it<br />
should have so that they are<br />
automatically informed when it needs<br />
replacing with an empty one. This<br />
maintains uptime and keeps revenue<br />
running.<br />
Giuseppe Storniolo, General Manager of<br />
the CMS Group, comments on the initial<br />
feedback from the ICE: “We had the<br />
opportunity to introduce the EasyDrop to<br />
the global gaming market at ICE. Casino<br />
Venice has already implemented it and we<br />
received orders directly from casinos in<br />
France, Spain and Austria. The fact that<br />
we make use of the SC Advance and BNF<br />
gives us an additional boost as the<br />
feedback we received is that we are using<br />
the best solutions here available. Together<br />
with our patented note drop,<br />
programmable menu buttons and<br />
thorough accounting/software, we<br />
received very encouraging feedback.”<br />
Erik-Jan van den Berg, sales director<br />
EMEA at MEI, underlines the necessity of<br />
the EasyDrop for the market: “The<br />
EasyDrop is an ideal solution for<br />
managing the drop on live gaming. The<br />
faster note-to-note speed that the SC<br />
Advance offers together with the BNF<br />
makes MEI stand out as the preferred<br />
partner for this new market segment. We<br />
are very proud that CMS Group has<br />
chosen us to supply these key<br />
components.”<br />
CMS Group SRL was founded in 2012 – a<br />
group born from the integration of two<br />
key companies – CMS Cash Management<br />
System (founded in 1997) and ST Net<br />
Communications (founded in 2001). CMS<br />
Group SRL has made a name for itself in<br />
the retail industry, specifically in the field<br />
of smart safes. These safes are in constant<br />
use in shops and stores for shopkeepers<br />
and their employees to securely enter<br />
cash takings. The value entered is<br />
The extensive knowledge that combines<br />
the hardware and software technology to<br />
make CMS Group SRL a market leader in<br />
this sector was the natural reason for<br />
CMS Group to amalgamate both<br />
companies so that all security sectors are<br />
within one group of companies. The new<br />
EasyDrop is also a combination of key<br />
hardware and software. Now croupiers<br />
and the casino back office both have<br />
distinct benefits. The croupier knows that<br />
July 2013 PAGE 57
Interview<br />
MADE IN ITALY - VNE<br />
CHANGE IN THE<br />
SYSTEM<br />
New Italian gaming laws and the introduction of<br />
Comma 6a has complicated the market and<br />
brought about change for operators and suppliers<br />
HAVE THE RECENT CHANGES TO ITALIAN<br />
COMMA 6A LAWS HAD AN IMPACT ON<br />
VNE'S DOMESTIC BUSINESS<br />
It is still foreseen that banknote acceptors<br />
will not be allowed in Comma 6a AWPs.<br />
Thus, we believe the demand for change<br />
machines will stay strong. This demand<br />
may even increase if the stake and win<br />
amounts are increased. As the number<br />
one supplier of change machines to the<br />
Italian market, we continue to bring yet<br />
more innovative solutions to market.<br />
ARE ITALIAN OPERATORS FINDING THAT<br />
THEY HAVE LESS TO INVEST AS THE<br />
REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW LAW MEAN<br />
THAT THEY MUST REPLACE THEIR EXISTING<br />
MACHINE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET THE<br />
NEW REQUIREMENTS<br />
For sure the economic crisis here in Italy<br />
is having an effect. If and when the<br />
Comma 6a AWPs have to be exchanged,<br />
then operators will be very wary of the<br />
new AWPs they wish to buy. Concerning<br />
change machines – these are a must in<br />
cafés, bars and arcades. Naturally the<br />
operators are very conscious to make the<br />
right purchase. Our excellent reputation<br />
for quality, security, service, value for<br />
money, design, online support – all these<br />
features put us in the pole position for<br />
operators in Italy.<br />
HAS THIS IMPACTED THE NUMBERS OF<br />
OPERATORS IN THE MARKETPLACE WILL<br />
THERE BE FEWER OPERATORS AS A RESULT<br />
HOW DO YOU SEE THE MARKET EVOLVING<br />
AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR<br />
DOMESTIC BUSINESS IN THE FUTURE<br />
This has already impacted the market and<br />
it will continue to affect it. New laws and<br />
increasing taxes are rising new problems<br />
to this industry which is currently made<br />
up of small and medium firms, unable to<br />
face new challenges as consequence of<br />
the crisis and inefficiency of credit<br />
institutes. In my opinion, the new setting<br />
will see fewer companies result but they<br />
will be bigger and stronger: so being able<br />
to reach enough economical and political<br />
strength to influence the legislative<br />
situation.<br />
“Change machines<br />
are a must in cafés,<br />
bars and arcades.<br />
Naturally the<br />
operators are very<br />
conscious to make<br />
the right purchase.<br />
Our excellent<br />
reputation for<br />
quality, security,<br />
service, value for<br />
money, design,<br />
online support – all<br />
these features put<br />
us in the pole<br />
position for<br />
operators in Italy.<br />
VALENTINA<br />
SANTERELLI, VNE.<br />
“New laws and<br />
increasing taxes<br />
are rising new<br />
problems to this<br />
industry which is<br />
currently made up<br />
of small and<br />
medium firms,<br />
unable to face new<br />
challenges as<br />
consequence of the<br />
crisis and<br />
inefficiency of credit<br />
institutes.”<br />
IT WAS WIDELY ANTICIPATED BEFORE THE<br />
LAW WAS FINALLY CONFIRMED, THAT BILL<br />
ACCEPTORS WOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED<br />
IN STREET MACHINES IN ITALY. WHAT WERE<br />
THE REASONS THAT THIS WASN'T AN<br />
INCLUSION IN THE NEW LAW AND WILL<br />
THIS AFFECT VNE POSITIVELY OR<br />
NEGATIVELY<br />
The Italian authorities wish to have a<br />
clear distinction between the Comma 6a<br />
and Comma 6b gaming machines. The<br />
difference between stakes and prizes is<br />
key. If AWPs can only be played with<br />
coins, then there is a clear, visible<br />
acceptance that these are targeted for<br />
amusement, entertainment. They are not<br />
meant to be gambling machines per se.<br />
The lack of a banknote reader highlights<br />
this. Thus, we were very pleased that this<br />
factor was adhered to. This, however, has<br />
no affect of our business as no change<br />
has been made. It does nevertheless<br />
ensure that the market for change<br />
machines in Italy in gaming and<br />
amusement will remain buoyant.<br />
WHAT DIFFERENCE TO THE INCOME OF A<br />
LOCATION CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE<br />
INSTALLATION OF NOTE RECYCLING UNITS<br />
WITHIN THE CHANGE MACHINES DOES THE<br />
RECYCLING OF NOTES HAVE A POSITIVE<br />
IMPACT ON THE PLAYER OR IS THE BENEFIT<br />
PURELY IN TERMS OF OPERATIONAL COSTS<br />
SAVINGS<br />
We have been offering change machines<br />
with banknote payout from the start. The<br />
standard offer was to place a banknote<br />
reader and Fujitsu banknote payout units<br />
into our change machines. Depending on<br />
the location, a banknote recycler may<br />
suffice. This naturally reduces costs. We<br />
were the first company in Italy to place<br />
the banknote recycler Merkur Dispenser<br />
100 into change machines and have made<br />
this banknote recycler a household name<br />
June 2013 PAGE 58
Interview<br />
MADE IN ITALY - VNE<br />
in our sector. The<br />
possibility to payout up to<br />
100 banknotes in three<br />
separate denominations is a very<br />
good combination for change machines.<br />
We work closely together with MDS in<br />
Italy as well and implement the CashCode<br />
Bill-to-Bill 200 banknote recycler in our<br />
latest products. Thus, the benefits of<br />
being able to pay out banknotes from the<br />
same unit as where they are accepted<br />
gives us added flexibility and a cost<br />
saving which we pass on to our<br />
customers. Furthermore, we save space in<br />
our change machines by having just a<br />
banknote recycler which helps us focus<br />
more on new, stylish designs.<br />
WHAT ARE THE DIRECT BENEFITS TO AN<br />
OPERATION WHEN THEY INSTALL A VNE<br />
CHANGE MACHINE HOW MUCH OF AN<br />
UPLIFT IN PLAYER ACTIVITY DO YOU SEE AS<br />
A RESULT<br />
Let’s look to the change machine<br />
attributes first. Our change machines are<br />
very stylish and stand out beyond the<br />
competition. Indeed I am seeing more and<br />
more competitors adopt our style of<br />
change machines – I see this as a<br />
compliment. Our change machines are<br />
extremely secure, weighing up to almost<br />
200 kg (without change inside of course).<br />
The dual steel door with multiple<br />
strengthen hooks are part of the<br />
mechanical security. Furthermore, VNE<br />
change machines can be secured to a<br />
wall-mounted or floor-mounted device<br />
from us for even more security.<br />
We believe that our benefits of electronic<br />
and online security are second to none.<br />
Our new Viking change machine is fitted<br />
with a biometrics reader. This gives the<br />
operator the added security that personnel<br />
can be better managed on their level of<br />
access to the change machine. For<br />
example, the operator can decide to have<br />
a time delay before the door opens.<br />
Change machines often carry a lot of<br />
money and so are obviously subject to<br />
theft. Should a thief be successful, then a<br />
secure tracking device will point out<br />
precisely the whereabouts of the change<br />
machine. This links with our online<br />
security – the change machine location is<br />
show via ‘Google maps’.<br />
Looking to the day-to-day benefits. As all<br />
VNE change machines can be connected<br />
online – operators can have real time<br />
information on a full range of details –<br />
from coins and notes in, coins and notes<br />
out, the amount of coins and notes within<br />
the change machine. The settings can be<br />
seen and altered – for example the<br />
minimum amount of coins in the hopper<br />
or banknotes in the banknote recycler. If<br />
this minimum level is reached, then the<br />
operator automatically receives an email<br />
or text message so can react specifically<br />
to the individual needs. This is a great<br />
benefit as operators no longer have to<br />
guess when to refill their change<br />
machines – they can plan their time<br />
better. The change machines are then<br />
working all the time; there is no<br />
downtime. Players can change their<br />
money at any time, ensuring that the<br />
AWPs / VLTs are not affected.<br />
Being situated in the country with<br />
Europe’s largest VLT market, we have<br />
amassed much experience in developing<br />
and manufacturing change machines for<br />
the VLT market as well as the AWP<br />
market. That is another reason that<br />
operators choose VNE.<br />
Finally, we are placing more and more<br />
focus on offering operators benefits<br />
outside of money changing. Our new<br />
change machines have a large monitor<br />
and loudspeakers fitted. Thus, the VNE<br />
change machines can interact with the<br />
end users. Operators can use the VNE<br />
change machines to advertise, inform or<br />
entertain their guests. Our change<br />
machines can even be used as a juke box.<br />
And as our change machines are very<br />
stylish, operators wish to place them in a<br />
prominent position and are thus very<br />
visible in their locations.<br />
“We are placing<br />
more and more<br />
focus on offering<br />
operators benefits<br />
outside of money<br />
changing. Our new<br />
change machines<br />
have a large<br />
monitor and<br />
loudspeakers fitted.<br />
Thus, the VNE<br />
change machines<br />
can interact with<br />
the end users.<br />
Operators can use<br />
the VNE change<br />
machines to<br />
advertise, inform or<br />
entertain their<br />
guests. Our change<br />
machines can even<br />
be used as a juke<br />
box. And as our<br />
change machines<br />
are very stylish,<br />
operators wish to<br />
place them in a<br />
prominent position<br />
and are thus very<br />
visible in their<br />
locations.<br />
LORENZO VERONA,<br />
VNE.<br />
“I believe that we<br />
have two sets of<br />
reactions to ‘Made<br />
in Italy’. The first is<br />
as you state – we<br />
are a strong<br />
manufacturing<br />
nation. Our fast<br />
cars such as<br />
Ferrari,<br />
Lamborghini and<br />
Bugatti are very<br />
nice examples.<br />
Fashion, food,<br />
wine, the list<br />
continues. Yet, there<br />
is still sometimes a<br />
negative<br />
connection with<br />
Italian goods. That<br />
may have been the<br />
case 20 years ago<br />
– but for most<br />
companies in Italy,<br />
quality is the<br />
number one focus.”<br />
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INTERNATIONAL<br />
EXPANSION OF VNE TO THE FUTURE<br />
SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY<br />
The benefits we offer operators in Italy<br />
can be transferred to operators around the<br />
globe. Particularly with the 24/7 online<br />
support, operators know they can reach<br />
us at any time regardless where they are.<br />
This helps our drive to strengthen our<br />
export markets. We are very active here<br />
and often exhibit at international gaming<br />
exhibitions, such as the G2E in Las Vegas<br />
or the IMA in Germany. We foresee many<br />
opportunities and therefore are placing<br />
great emphasis on international markets.<br />
MADE IN ITALY IS A LABEL THAT OFTEN IS<br />
ASSOCIATED WITH FASHION, CONJURING<br />
UP IMAGES OF OLD WORLD TAILORS.<br />
OFTEN OVERLOOKED IS THE COUNTRY'S<br />
MODERN MANUFACTURING BASE THE<br />
SECOND LARGEST IN EUROPE BEHIND<br />
GERMANY, WHERE PLENTY OF BUSINESSES<br />
PUSH THE ENGINEERING ENVELOPE. HOW<br />
IMPORTANT FOR VNE IS IT TO BE 'MADE IN<br />
ITALY'<br />
I believe that we have two sets of<br />
reactions to ‘Made in Italy’. The first is as<br />
you state – we are a strong manufacturing<br />
nation. Our fast cars such as Ferrari,<br />
Lamborghini and Bugatti are very nice<br />
examples. Fashion, food, wine, the list<br />
IN THE COUNTRY<br />
WITH EUROPE’S<br />
LARGEST VLT<br />
MARKET, WE<br />
HAVE AMASSED<br />
EXPERIENCE IN<br />
DEVELOPING AND<br />
MANUFACTURING<br />
VLT CHANGE<br />
MACHINES.<br />
continues. Yet, there is still sometimes a<br />
negative connection with Italian goods.<br />
That may have been the case 20 years<br />
ago – but for most companies in Italy,<br />
quality is the number one focus. Thus, it<br />
is very important for me to underline the<br />
positive ‘Made in Italy’ logo for it<br />
highlights the best of Italy – the<br />
combination of design and quality.<br />
Italians are emotional people and we use<br />
our emotions to create products that<br />
people just want to buy as they feel<br />
drawn in by them. Thus, our change<br />
machines are and will always stand out<br />
with their unique Italian design. The<br />
quality and security I have talked about<br />
then unites the design and quality<br />
together.<br />
June 2013 PAGE 59
Report<br />
AGEM 2013 SURVEY<br />
THE ENGINES<br />
FOR CHANGE -<br />
A SPOTLIGHT ON<br />
GAMING SUPPLIERS<br />
The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) has<br />
compiled a comprehensive survey of the manufacturing sector<br />
over the last 12 months and has now published its findings<br />
During 2012, the global gaming<br />
equipment manufacturing and technology<br />
sector of the commercial gaming industry<br />
continued its expansion, reporting<br />
positive gains in all key measures of<br />
economic activity. Working with the<br />
Association of Gaming Equipment<br />
Manufacturers (AGEM), Applied Analysis,<br />
a Nevada-based economic research and<br />
analysis firm, conducted a comprehensive<br />
assessment of the sector in conjunction<br />
with a survey of AGEM members. The<br />
results of the analysis demonstrate the<br />
relative strength and growth of this key<br />
component of the broader gaming<br />
industry.<br />
Direct economic output by the gaming<br />
equipment manufacturing sector rose to<br />
$13.0bn in 2012 — an all-time high and<br />
5.7 per cent increase compared to 2011<br />
figures. Approximately 31,200 workers<br />
were directly employed in the sector<br />
during 2012, earning $2.3bn in salaries<br />
and wages. The employment figure was a<br />
3.0 per cent increase compared to 2011<br />
figures, and the earnings number was a<br />
4.6 per cent uptick.<br />
Overall, the gaming equipment<br />
manufacturing and technology sector<br />
continues to generate increasing demand<br />
for its products and services. Market<br />
improvements, technological<br />
advancements and continued investments<br />
have translated into positive job growth<br />
and increased income profiles for workers<br />
within the industry. The market is<br />
expected to continue its growth pattern in<br />
the near term as new technology and<br />
regulatory approvals position traditional<br />
gaming suppliers to capitalise on global<br />
online, interactive, mobile and content<br />
opportunities.<br />
ECONOMIC OUTPUT<br />
Direct economic output sourced to the<br />
gaming equipment manufacturing and<br />
technology sector reached an all-time<br />
high in 2012 as the expansion of gaming<br />
continued, replacements sales resumed<br />
and broader economic recovery took hold<br />
in selected markets. Direct output rose 5.7<br />
per cent when compared to 2011 figures,<br />
reaching $13.0bn. When combined with<br />
indirect output, total economic activity<br />
sourced to the sector reached $25.2bn —<br />
a 5.4 per cent increase over 2011 totals.<br />
EMPLOYMENT<br />
During 2012, overall employment in the<br />
sector trended in a positive direction for<br />
the second year as direct employment<br />
within the industry reached a new high of<br />
31,200 jobs — a 3.0 per cent increase<br />
over 2011 totals. Direct employment<br />
helped to support an additional 22,700<br />
indirect positions for a total employment<br />
impact estimated at 53,900 individuals.<br />
SALARIES AND WAGES<br />
Salaries and wages for gaming<br />
manufacturing employees edged up to an<br />
aggregate $2.3bn in 2012, which was a<br />
4.6 per cent increase over 2011 figures.<br />
Direct employment helped to support<br />
another $1.5bn in indirect wages. The<br />
average wage of industry workers reached<br />
premium to the United States average<br />
annual wage of $45,790 (Bureau of<br />
Labour Statistics).<br />
The market is<br />
expected to<br />
continue its growth<br />
pattern in the near<br />
term as new<br />
technology and<br />
regulatory<br />
approvals position<br />
traditional gaming<br />
suppliers to<br />
capitalise on global<br />
online, interactive,<br />
mobile and content<br />
opportunities.<br />
EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE<br />
Overall, the equipment manufacturing<br />
and technology sector has been<br />
supportive of its employees, which is<br />
demonstrated by the relatively high<br />
participation rate of company-sponsored<br />
health care programs. Nearly threequarters<br />
(72.1 per cent) of surveyed firms<br />
indicated they offer employer-sponsored<br />
health care plans to at least 75 per cent of<br />
their workers, while an additional 11.6<br />
Source: Association of Gaming Equipment<br />
Manufacturers (AGEM) All surveyed<br />
gaming equipment manufacturers noted<br />
making purchases from local vendors, and<br />
more than three out of 10 (31.0 per cent)<br />
made more than 50 per cent of their<br />
purchases from local suppliers. Half of<br />
surveyed equipment manufacturers (50.0<br />
per cent) purchase at least 25 per cent of<br />
their supplies and services from<br />
companies in their local market.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 60
Report<br />
AGEM 2013 SURVEY<br />
LOCAL VENDORS<br />
All surveyed gaming equipment<br />
manufacturers noted making purchases<br />
from local vendors, and more than three<br />
out of 10 (31.0 per cent) made more than<br />
50 per cent of their purchases from local<br />
suppliers. Half of surveyed equipment<br />
manufacturers (50.0 per cent) purchase at<br />
least 25 per cent of their supplies and<br />
services from companies in their local<br />
market.<br />
MARKET EXPECTATIONS<br />
When asked to consider their<br />
expectations for the market during the<br />
next 12 months, more than three-quarters<br />
(76.7 per cent) of AGEM members think<br />
the sector is poised for further<br />
improvements. Only a modest 4.7 per<br />
cent of manufacturers expect conditions<br />
to worsen.<br />
HISTORICAL EXPECTATIONS<br />
More than three-quarters (76.7 per cent)<br />
of AGEM members taking part in the<br />
survey think that market conditions will<br />
improve during the next 12 months. This<br />
is the second-highest level of optimism<br />
since the recession hit, but slightly below<br />
2011’s figure.
Mobile<br />
MOBILE GAMING<br />
THE TOP FIVE THINGS YOU<br />
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT<br />
MOBILE GAMING CUSTOMERS<br />
Tuning the performance of mobile gaming offerings is hugely important in a time<br />
sensitive sector in which attention spans last mere minutes, not hours<br />
Smart phone ownership is approaching<br />
65 per cent in Britain and averages more<br />
than 55 per cent across the EU5. Mobile<br />
phones and tablets are driving<br />
tremendous growth in online gaming.<br />
With up to 50 per cent of online wagers<br />
being made on mobile devices, there are<br />
five things you need to know about these<br />
customers.<br />
WHAT KIND OF APPLICATION<br />
Many operators are making a significant<br />
investment in browser-based mobile<br />
gaming applications. That certainly<br />
makes sense. The latest version of the<br />
basic web development language –<br />
HTML5 – now supports an extended set<br />
of features including audio and video.<br />
This year, gaming companies are also<br />
investing in responsive web design. This<br />
technique creates sites that are easy to<br />
read and navigate with a minimum of<br />
resizing, panning, and scrolling—across a<br />
wide range of devices. This “write once,<br />
use anywhere” approach helps you<br />
support more devices while saving<br />
development costs. Why would you use<br />
anything else<br />
There is one important reason. With any<br />
browser-based software, your customers<br />
are only one click away from competitive<br />
gaming sites. Native applications, on an<br />
iPad for instance, provide a more<br />
immersive experience for customers. The<br />
interface is sophisticated, tuned for the<br />
device, and switching to other web-based<br />
applications requires more than a single<br />
click. Many customers develop a level of<br />
loyalty to native applications on their<br />
mobile devices that they don’t have for<br />
generic browsers. The extent of their<br />
loyalty is highly dependent on how well<br />
the application is designed and how easy<br />
it is to use.<br />
Know what your mobile customers want.<br />
Balancing your development costs against<br />
customer switching costs involves a<br />
complex equation. Your costs are<br />
important; the customer’s preferences are<br />
paramount.<br />
WHAT IS THEIR MOBILE ATTENTION SPAN<br />
In mobile gaming, performance is your<br />
brand. While the attention span of online<br />
customers can be measured in fractions of<br />
a second, mobile customers are even<br />
more time sensitive. Studies indicate that<br />
the average time spent on a mobile<br />
gaming session is 12 minutes Vs. 1-2<br />
hours for online gambling overall.<br />
Insuring that your betting platform is<br />
tuned for performance on mobile devices,<br />
TOM BATCHELOR is<br />
the Senior Solutions<br />
Architect at<br />
Correlsense and is<br />
responsible for<br />
creating innovative<br />
solutions geared<br />
specifically to the<br />
needs of clients.<br />
Prior to joining<br />
Correlsense, he<br />
worked in various<br />
pre-sales roles for<br />
OpTier and<br />
Symantec.<br />
and prepared to support communication<br />
surges is critical to your business.<br />
With shorter attention spans the margin<br />
for error is smaller. Many operators are<br />
investing in application performance<br />
management software like our SharePath<br />
application. This software enables<br />
companies to predict, identify, and<br />
respond rapidly to any slowness or outage<br />
in gaming applications.<br />
Outages, like those at this year’s Grand<br />
National event, can be catastrophic. Still,<br />
these are just the most obvious case of<br />
performance. Customers need to place<br />
their bets and have them acknowledged<br />
before the next ring of their mobile<br />
phone. If this doesn’t happen they may<br />
answer the incoming call.<br />
THEIR LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION<br />
Mobile customers may be at home, in the<br />
office, at a sporting event, or walking past<br />
one of your betting shops. Are they at<br />
work with just a few minutes to bet Are<br />
they in the stands at the football grounds<br />
and totally focused on the next goal<br />
Know where customers are and it is<br />
possible to tune what information is<br />
presented to them and improve the<br />
chance that they place a bet.<br />
A new generation of location-based<br />
service technology is becoming popular in<br />
advanced gaming systems. With this<br />
software operators can access the mobile<br />
device’s coordinates to identify where<br />
customers are and what is nearby.<br />
Determine that a top customer is near one<br />
of your company’s betting shops and you<br />
can provide an incentive to come inside<br />
and get personal attention. If he is near a<br />
July 2013 PAGE 62
Mobile<br />
MOBILE GAMING<br />
competitor’s storefront, you can provide<br />
an incentive to place a bet before he has<br />
a chance to take his business elsewhere.<br />
The obvious challenges are time and<br />
communications. In mobile gaming there<br />
are often just a matter of seconds to<br />
identify the customer’s location, scan the<br />
nearby environment, determine the<br />
appropriate action, and inform any local<br />
staff that a VIP customer may be entering<br />
the shop.<br />
THE “WHY” NOT JUST THE “WHAT”<br />
Your mobile betting platform knows when<br />
a customer places a bet, but do you know<br />
why Eighty percent of mobile gamblers<br />
recruited through a mobile platform do<br />
not have an online gambling account.<br />
Your history with them may be limited.<br />
As you build profiles on individual mobile<br />
users, look beyond the basics of how<br />
much, how often, and how profitable.<br />
Whether walking down the street or<br />
sitting in front of the television, mobile<br />
gamers are often doing two things at<br />
once. Understanding what else they are<br />
doing, gives you key insights into the<br />
“why” of their experience.<br />
OUTAGES, LIKE AT<br />
THIS YEAR’S GRAND<br />
NATIONAL EVENT,<br />
CAN BE<br />
CATASTROPHIC.<br />
STILL, THESE ARE<br />
JUST THE MOST<br />
OBVIOUS CASES OF<br />
PERFORMANCE.<br />
One of the most significant areas of<br />
investment is in analytical software.<br />
These tools can sort through many<br />
millions of customer clicks to determine<br />
the time and sequence of customer<br />
activity.<br />
Marketing is the primary consumer for<br />
this kind of analysis. This helps them<br />
prioritize development investments and<br />
understand what is working and what is<br />
not. Don’t forget the customer service<br />
organization. Arming them with timely<br />
insights can help them ask the right<br />
question of the right customer and learn<br />
more about why they behave as they do.<br />
Traditional mobile<br />
phones and many<br />
smart phones can<br />
only manage one<br />
activity at a time.<br />
Calling a customer<br />
while he is on your<br />
site may interrupt<br />
his betting session.<br />
Newer smart<br />
phones enable<br />
multiple actions to<br />
take place at once.<br />
This offers the hope<br />
that in the near<br />
future operators will<br />
be able to call<br />
active customers<br />
without worrying<br />
about disturbing<br />
their betting activity.<br />
DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS MATTERS<br />
Many operators use SMS messaging or<br />
online chat as a primary means of<br />
communicating with their online<br />
customers. That makes sense for wired<br />
communication, but mobile gaming will<br />
soon be different.<br />
Traditional mobile phones and many<br />
smart phones can only manage one<br />
activity at a time. Calling a customer<br />
while he is on your site may interrupt his<br />
betting session. Newer smart phones<br />
enable multiple actions to take place at<br />
once. This offers the hope that in the near<br />
future operators will be able to call active<br />
customers without worrying about<br />
disturbing their betting activity.<br />
In the meantime, save your SMS<br />
messages for emergencies. Use it only<br />
when there is a real-time situation that<br />
warrants the intrusion: a failed wager,<br />
slowed performance on a specific wireless<br />
carrier, or urgent advice for a VIP<br />
customer. Providing this kind of proactive<br />
support assumes that operators can<br />
recognize and respond instantly to<br />
customer problems. Luckily, a new<br />
generation of performance management<br />
software like SharePath lets your<br />
company do just that.
Products<br />
INTERACTIVE/VIDEO<br />
Interactive<br />
IOS/ANDROID<br />
Novomatic<br />
NOVOMATIC B2B APP<br />
www.novomatic.com<br />
The new Novomatic App<br />
offers customers and<br />
partners the opportunity<br />
to access comprehensive<br />
game descriptions plus<br />
various game-related<br />
information, such as player<br />
categories and pay tables.<br />
There is also the possibility to demonstrate how the<br />
games work and for which guest which game is<br />
interesting. Moreover, the app offers the possibility<br />
to read and download, on demand, the latest<br />
Novomatic news and the award winning industry<br />
magazine ‘novomatic - the world of gaming’. The<br />
iPhone app is free of charge and is now available<br />
for download at the Apple Store.<br />
This new iOS app is presented as a direct support<br />
tool for the use of customers and partners of the<br />
Novomatic Group and provides casinos’ staff the<br />
opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest<br />
game offerings to assure the best possible<br />
customized service to the guests.<br />
In principle, the app clearly demonstrates a<br />
description of the different games and delivers a fit<br />
to the different player categories which can be<br />
briefly described as follows: the “Novice Player”,<br />
prefers simple games, many small wins and lower<br />
volatility; the “Fun Player” strives for entertaining<br />
graphics and game elements as well as unusual<br />
features; the “Time-on-Device Player” describes a<br />
player who prefers a maximum playing time with<br />
numerous features and finally the game category of<br />
the “Regular Player” is designed for players who are<br />
attracted by a high volatility and who are less<br />
interested in a lot of small wins but rather strive to<br />
achieve the ‘Big Hit.’ Through a comprehensive<br />
game detail overview the customers have the<br />
chance to find out how the games function and into<br />
which player category they fit. Apart from this, the<br />
user can also search quickly and easily for games<br />
by using the search function and retrieve the desired<br />
information rapidly.<br />
The clear structure of the app further comprises<br />
direct B2B contacts within the Novomatic Group.<br />
With its visual appearance, the Novomatic app<br />
scores with a clear and simple user interface. Easy<br />
structures intuitively guide the user through the<br />
application that serves as an information tool and<br />
does not display any game offering.<br />
The development of the<br />
Android <strong>Version</strong> has<br />
already started and is<br />
expected to be available<br />
this month.<br />
Visit the Apple Store to<br />
download the Novomatic<br />
B2B App for free.<br />
Land-based<br />
VIDEO BINGO<br />
Zitro<br />
POWER SPIN<br />
www.globalzitro.com<br />
Power Spin is the latest Zitro game launched to<br />
receive rave reviews from players. In this title, the<br />
world’s leading video bingo games company has<br />
combined some of the most successful features of<br />
its games, great playability and themes and<br />
incorporated one of its star products, the<br />
Powermania Bonus game.<br />
A new feature included in Power Spin is a<br />
spectacular Bonus Roulette. This is a bonus prize<br />
reminiscent of the successful Zitro game Spin Bingo,<br />
which relies on the skill of the person spinning the<br />
roulette wheel to obtain greater prizes. The player<br />
activates the wheel and leaves the choice of prize to<br />
chance; the more bets placed, the bigger the<br />
prizes. This Bonus mode was introduced by Zitro<br />
in its Spin Bingo game, a pioneering<br />
development that introduce elements in the<br />
games which allow interactivity between the<br />
player and the game, offering a unique<br />
entertainment experience. Details such as this<br />
help to set Zitro games apart and establish its<br />
games as player favourites in global gaming<br />
markets.<br />
This strategy of combining highly successful<br />
products is Zitro’s way of rewarding its customers’<br />
loyalty, in a constant attempt to offer new products<br />
and versions adapted to their tastes.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 64
Products<br />
LAND-BASED<br />
Land-based<br />
AWPS<br />
Land-based<br />
CASINO SLOTS<br />
Reflex Gaming<br />
DIGISLOTS<br />
www.reflexgaming.co.uk<br />
The Original Bowling Company has<br />
endorsed Digislots from Reflex<br />
Gaming, which is now the highest<br />
density digital gaming machine on their estate.<br />
“We have been pleased to see this multi-faceted<br />
machine sit well amongst our more traditional<br />
AWPs and equally hold its own financially,” says Will<br />
Etherington from The Original Bowling Company.<br />
“Within bowling it has been a difficult transition into<br />
multi content machines and to date, Digislots is<br />
looking like the biggest step we’ve seen with clear<br />
indications of players choosing to play all the game<br />
formats on offer”<br />
“The cabinet design ensures this piece can’t be<br />
ignored and the range of content including the<br />
Reflex reel-based games has proved popular,” he<br />
adds. “Digislots has secured its place amongst the<br />
strongest performers in these centres and on<br />
occasions has been the top earner.”<br />
Land-based<br />
COMPONENTS<br />
Advantech-Innocore<br />
DPX-S435<br />
www.advantech-innocore.com<br />
The upcoming DPX-S435 gaming motherboard<br />
from Advantech provides an unrivalled CPU<br />
platform for the next generation<br />
of casino games with never<br />
before seen CPU performance<br />
up to and including 4th<br />
Generation Intel® CoreTM<br />
Processor: Enabling the most<br />
compute-intensive games with<br />
streaming video, picture-inpicture<br />
and other features coming to the casino<br />
floor.<br />
Best in class CPU performance- The DPX-S435<br />
supports a huge range of price and performance<br />
from dual core Celeron, through Core i3, Core i5,<br />
Core i7 and up to Xeon CPUs. The latest Intel<br />
Embedded platform ensures customers a long lived<br />
(guaranteed 5 years in production), and future proof<br />
platform ready for whatever performance needs<br />
come along.<br />
Working closely with Intel, Advantech has many<br />
new products coming out based on the 4th<br />
Generation Intel® CoreTM Processor. The DPX-S<br />
series products are intended for use electronic<br />
gaming machines. Typically video slot machines,<br />
multi-player games, computerized table games,<br />
video lottery terminals, and kiosks. The DPX-S435<br />
supports Windows 7, Windows 8 and embedded<br />
Microsoft operating systems as well as Linux.<br />
Advantech's in house teams of software engineers<br />
All Digislots are fitted with a router and mifi dongle<br />
to allow live data to be transmitted to the operator.<br />
This allows us to monitor performance closely.<br />
Among other things it produces hourly profit tables,<br />
game play graphs, hopper levels, switch-on times<br />
and stake info. Bespoke reports can be produced<br />
for individual retailers, from one site upwards. In<br />
addition, new content can be downloaded at the<br />
touch of a button.<br />
“It is still early days but the feedback we are<br />
receiving on Digislots is incredible,” says Nick<br />
Wheeler, Corporate Sales Manager of Kossway<br />
Limited, one of the operating company’s that has<br />
helped to develop Digislots, alongside Reflex<br />
Gaming. “The combination of traditional Category C<br />
content, casino games and the Pure Roulette game<br />
has proved to be a winning one. We have seen the<br />
steady growth of Digislots to now in excess of 150<br />
sited pieces, more importantly we are working<br />
closely with site owners and retailers to identify the<br />
best possible sites, to achieve the best results for all<br />
and due to our ongoing support we are seeing very<br />
high success rates for this new and exciting<br />
product” he added.<br />
can support customers to build and integrated their<br />
own embedded operating systems. With a<br />
specialized hardware feature set as well as<br />
extensive software features, the DPX-S series<br />
provides the OEM with a single board platform and<br />
eliminates the need for additional boards,<br />
hardware and software from third parties.<br />
Samples of the DPX-S435 will be available for<br />
customers around the time of the G2E Gaming<br />
industry tradeshow. (Sept 23-26 2013). The DPX-<br />
S435 is a single board integrated solution with a full<br />
feature set of I/O, COMs, storage and advanced<br />
security designed specifically for the regulated<br />
Gaming Industry.<br />
As the latest member of the field proven DPX-S<br />
Series range from Advantech, the DPX-S435 is<br />
backwards compatible with previous models giving<br />
existing customers an easy migration path to the<br />
fastest technology available.<br />
Craig Stapleton, Advantech-Innocore Product<br />
Director, commented "We always try to give our<br />
customers the highest performance available as<br />
well as good scalability. 4th Generation Intel®<br />
CoreTM Processor gives us all that and more. The<br />
DPX-S435 will be the first gaming board with Intel®<br />
Xeon® Processor, marking a milestone in casino<br />
gaming platforms. The slot machine industry has<br />
transformed in the last few years with an explosion<br />
of 3D graphics, multi-screen, picture-in-picture and<br />
immersive multimedia effects. The DPX-S435 will<br />
give our customers the most powerful platform on<br />
which to build the next generation of dazzling<br />
gaming products".<br />
Aristocrat Technologies<br />
THE WALKING DEAD<br />
www.aristocratplayingdead.com<br />
Aristocrat has inked a licensing agreement to<br />
bring AMC’s monster hit “The Walking Dead” to<br />
a casino near you. Based on AMC’s series,<br />
Aristocrat’s “The Walking Dead” slot machine<br />
game grabs players and puts them right in the<br />
middle of the show’s gritty post-apocalyptic<br />
world with a chance to escape with some major<br />
jackpots. Aristocrat is bringing AMC’s series to<br />
its award-winning VERVEhd cabinet, where<br />
video clips and images from the show will come<br />
to life with stunning HD video and sound.<br />
The thrilling and chilling new game is expected<br />
to hit casino slot floors starting in early fall 2013,<br />
coinciding with the launch of the series’ highly<br />
anticipated fourth season.<br />
Since its debut in October 2010, “The Walking<br />
Dead” has become the most-watched TV<br />
drama in cable TV history. The season three<br />
finale set ratings records, attracting 12.4 million<br />
viewers total, with 8.1 million viewers in the key<br />
18-49 demographic. The show also has nearly<br />
17 million followers on Facebook and has<br />
earned two Emmy® Awards.<br />
“We are very excited to bring AMC’s ‘The<br />
Walking Dead’ to our product line of playerfavorite<br />
games. We have been very aggressive<br />
in bringing top licensed products to operators<br />
and to their players, and this new license with<br />
AMC and ‘The Walking Dead’ is a continuation<br />
of that strategy,” said Dallas Orchard Vice<br />
President of Gaming Operations.<br />
“Capitalizing on the show’s dedicated following;<br />
we have designed a game that will appeal to<br />
the show’s audience which consistently draws a<br />
viewership, the most for any show on television<br />
for the 18-49 demographic. Clips and images<br />
from the show will combine with our proven<br />
math models to create an incredible<br />
experience,” Orchard added.<br />
Based on the comic book series written by<br />
Robert Kirkman and published by Image<br />
Comics, “The Walking Dead” chronicles the<br />
struggle for survival after a zombie apocalypse.<br />
July 2013 PAGE 65
Index<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
Advantech-Innocore 17<br />
<strong>G3</strong> UK MARKET REPORT<br />
Gaming Publishing’s <strong>G3</strong> UK Market report examines the state of gaming play across<br />
the United Kingdom. The report features in-depth studies of each gaming sector:<br />
arcades, licensed betting offices, casinos, online and interactive, single sites and<br />
bingo. The report also features interviews with Reflex Gaming’s Quentin Stott,<br />
Grosvenor Casino’s Phil Urban, Praesepe’s Nick Harding, BACTA’s Leslie Macleod-<br />
Miller, the Bingo Association’s Miles Baron, Odobo’s Ashley Lang, Peter Craske of the<br />
Association of British Bookmakers, Lee Gregory of Inspired Gaming Group, Clive<br />
Hawkswood of the Remote Gambling Association and many more...<br />
WWW.ADVENTECH-INNOCORE.COM<br />
Alfastreet<br />
OBC<br />
WWW.ALFASTREET.SI<br />
APEX Gaming Technology 5<br />
WWW.APEX-GAMING.COM<br />
Austrian Gaming Industries 11<br />
WWW.AUSTRIAN-GAMING.COM<br />
AW Signs 35<br />
WWW.AWSIGNS.EU<br />
Bally Technologies<br />
IFC<br />
WWW.BALLY-TECH.COM<br />
DOWNLOAD<br />
<strong>G3</strong> MAGAZINES TO<br />
ANDROID AND IOS<br />
DEVICES<br />
Cammegh 15<br />
WWW.CAMMEGH.COM<br />
EIG Expo 24<br />
WWW.EIGEXPO.COM<br />
G2E<br />
IBC<br />
<strong>G3</strong>I APP - IOS AND<br />
ANDROID DEVICES<br />
Gaming Publishing<br />
launched its <strong>G3</strong>i App in<br />
August 2011. The first to<br />
launch a magazine App,<br />
the response has been<br />
overwhelming, as the<br />
App now provides readers with instant access to<br />
their favourite gaming magazine wherever and<br />
whenever they want. We have now added Android<br />
to this functionality, allowing readers to download<br />
magazines for free from the Apple App Store and<br />
their Android Marketplaces. <strong>Download</strong> back-issues<br />
or the latest magazines today.<br />
WWW.<strong>G3</strong>NEWSWIRE.COM<br />
A dynamic daily news website that simplifies the<br />
reading of news by headline, region and industry;<br />
thumbnails of every story encapsulate the content of<br />
the article for a focused user-friendly experience. The<br />
result is the fastest delivery mechanism for both<br />
'relevant' gaming news items.<br />
WWW.GLOBALGAMINGEXPO.COM<br />
Gaming Laboratories International 8<br />
WWW.GAMINGLABS.COM<br />
Gaming Partners International 23<br />
WWW.GPIGAMING.COM<br />
GTECH G2 21<br />
WWW.GTECHG2.COM<br />
IGT 19<br />
WWW.IGT.COM<br />
JCM Global 4<br />
WWW.JCMGLOBAL.COM<br />
MEI Group 6<br />
WWW.MEIGROUP.COM<br />
<strong>G3</strong> MARKET REVIEW - INTERNATIONAL GAMING STATISTICS<br />
Gaming Publishing produces its <strong>G3</strong> Market Review in January each year. A<br />
combination of our market reports from the year with the latest, up-to-date statistics<br />
regarding casinos, slot halls, bingo, arcades and betting sites across the globe.<br />
Including 20 different countries and further in-depth market analysis, the <strong>G3</strong> Market<br />
Review has become an essential guide to the international gaming market. This year<br />
we have extended our our reach to include continental gaming reports covering<br />
Canada and the United States. To view the latest reports download the <strong>G3</strong>i App from<br />
the Apple App Store.<br />
Patir Casino Seating 19<br />
WWW.PATIR.DE<br />
PST Seating 63<br />
WWW.PSTSEATING.COM<br />
Suzo Happ 7<br />
WWW.SUZO.COM<br />
ADVERTISING SUBSCRIPTIONS EDITORIAL<br />
John Slattery<br />
T: +44(0)7917 166471<br />
E: john@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
James Slattery<br />
T: +44(0)7917 166471<br />
E: james@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
Jennifer Pek<br />
T: +44(0)161 7248716<br />
E: jennifer@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
Disclaimer: All contents© Gaming Publishing Limited 2013. No part of this publication<br />
may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the publisher. While<br />
we make every effort to ensure that everything we print in Global, Games and Gaming<br />
(<strong>G3</strong>) is factually correct, we cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur.<br />
Advertisements are accepted by us in good faith as correct at the time of going to press.<br />
Printing: Manson Group, 8 Porters Wood, Valley Road Industrial Estate, St Albans, AL3 6PZ<br />
July 2013 PAGE 66<br />
Lewis Pek<br />
T: +44(0)1942 879291<br />
E: lewis@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
Karen Southall<br />
T: +44(0)1942 879291<br />
E: karensouthall<br />
@gmail.com<br />
Follow <strong>G3</strong> on Twitter<br />
@<strong>G3</strong>imagazine<br />
Join the <strong>G3</strong> Network<br />
on LinkedIn<br />
Phil Martin<br />
T: +44(0)161 2366669<br />
E: phil@gamingpublishing.co.uk<br />
Find us on Facebook:<br />
Gaming Publishing <strong>G3</strong><br />
Connect with us<br />
Google+<br />
Gaming Publishing Ltd<br />
Samson House, 457<br />
Manchester Road,<br />
Manchester M29 7BR,<br />
United Kingdom<br />
Website:<br />
<strong>G3</strong>iMagazine.com -<br />
Company Registration<br />
Number: 7342069 -<br />
VAT No: 995 9138 52
THE GAME<br />
IS CHANGING.<br />
TRACK THE<br />
TRENDS AT G2E.<br />
SEPTEMBER 23-26, 2013<br />
THE SANDS EXPO & CONVENTION CENTER | LAS VEGAS, NEVADA<br />
<br />
CHANGE IS GOOD WHEN YOU’RE READY FOR IT: LEARN TO ANTICIPATE BEFORE YOU’RE TAKEN BY SURPRISE.<br />
At G2E, you’ll find the hard-hitting strategies, essential education and unparalleled networking that are indispensable<br />
for predicting upcoming opportunities and unforeseen challenges. Depend on G2E to get you ahead of the trends<br />
and the competition.<br />
For more information and to register: www.globalgamingexpo.com/ad
THIS WHEEL SPINS ON YOUR SIDE<br />
REVEALS YOUR DREAMS,<br />
REALIZES YOUR BUSINESS<br />
20 years of experience<br />
WOF brings you WOW! limitless options<br />
and perfected design.<br />
Reveal your dreams,<br />
bet safe, bet on Alfastreet.<br />
Take your chance on Alfastreet’s Wheel of Fortune<br />
and double your success with its unique multigame system<br />
for simultaneous play.<br />
www.alfastreet.si<br />
INNOVATION, NOT IMITATION<br />
SOME IMITATE, WE INNOVATE
Change language