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MGS LAYS FOUNDATIONS TO BECOME NUMBER ONE SHOW IN ASIAMACAO GAMING SHOW 2014 REPORT26

DECEMBER 2014 • EDITION 146

WORLD NEWSGeorgia stakes its claim asthe new land of opportunity 2

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EUROPE NEWSUK gambling shows growth asfocus turns to London and ICE 6

TUNITED STATES

he Golden Nugget Hotel andCasino has opened in LakeCharles, Louisiana. Located justtwo hours from Houston, Texas,the $700m (E570m) property fea-tures 740 luxury hotel rooms, an18-hole golf course, a spa, exten-sive retail options, restaurantsand a casino floor featuring 70table games, poker room and1,600 of the world’s newest slotmachines.

Tilman Fertitta, chairman,CEO and sole shareholder ofoperator Fertitta Entertainment,cut the ribbon on the south-westLouisiana venue on December 8.The 1.3m-square-foot propertyhas become Feritta’s fifth casinosince he took over GoldenNugget casino and hotel proper-ties in Las Vegas and Laughlin,Nevada, nine years ago. He laterbought and rebranded a Trumpfacility in Atlantic City, NewJersey, and he recently opened acasino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“Golden Nugget Lake Charlesis like no other gaming resortoffering a first-class, Las Vegas-style atmosphere right here in theSouth,” said Fertitta. “We knowour strong Texas and Louisianacustomer base will enjoy havingthese unbeatable, luxury ameni-ties closer to home.

“Our Vegas, Laughlin, AtlanticCity and Biloxi properties eachrequired a dramatic renovationand rebranding, whereas LakeCharles is our first ground-updevelopment and articulates ourstyle through and through.”

A popular spot for Texas gam-blers and the closest in proxim-ity, Lake Charles is located hoursaway from three of the largest,top-tier Texas markets - Hous-ton, San Antonio and Austinwhich generate almost 65 percent of the gaming revenue inLake Charles.

Golden Nugget joinsL’Auberge and Isle of Capri inLake Charles. Less than 30 milesin either direction, gamblers canalso visit the Coushatta CasinoResort in Kinder and the DeltaDowns racetrack in Vinton.Together, they draw millions ofvisitors each year.

Fertitta and L’Auberge opera-tor Pinnacle Entertainment saidthat while they are competitors,their proximity to one anotherwill help both businesses. Aboardwalk and walkway con-necting the two casinos areunder construction.

Louisiana now has 16 autho-rised casinos and four horseracing tracks with casino games.The Harrah’s venue in NewOrleans is the only casino not

required to be on an approvedbody of water - an exception tothe 1992 legislation that allowedso-called ‘riverboat casinos’ andled in short order to their open-ing on designated waterways,including the Calcasieu River,which runs through LakeCharles.

Because of that law, theL’Auberge and Golden Nuggeteach maintain a steering wheeland propellers even though nei-ther building can float.

“It’s the closest place you canhave a casino in Texas,” he said.“You have so many Texans thatwant to gamble. And we havebuilt a property that is so beauti-ful. This property is Vegas. Youwalk into it and you could be onany property on the strip.”

A new $700mcasino projecthas opened in thesouthern USgambling enclaveof Lake Charles,Louisiana. But willit turn out to be aGolden Nugget?James Walkerreports.

ANALYSIS

Over the last two decades, gamblersfrom Texas have helped transform LakeCharles, a blue-collar petrochemical

town in south-western Louisiana, into avibrant tourist destination anchored bywaterfront casinos. While some industryanalysts have questioned the need for a newgaming venue in Lake Charles, the openingof Golden Nugget comes as the Louisianagaming market begins to recuperate fromthe economic collapse of 2008. In fiscal2014, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board(LGCB) said the industry generated revenuesof $675m (E546m), up $4m (E3.2m) on theprevious year. More recently, in October2014, all but three of Louisiana’s casinovenues reported a year-on-year increase inmonthly revenues, with the total reaching$137m (E110m), up 3.5 per cent on the sameperiod in 2013.

Tilman Fertitta: ‘LakeCharles is our f irstground-up development’

Golden Nuggetopens as thejewel in Lake

Charles crown

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M

WorldNews

GEORGIA

elcoLot, the lottery and serv-ices provider to MainlandChina, has partnered withTaiwanese firm FirichEnterprises Company toopen a casino in the Republicof Georgia.

A subscription agreementhas been reached for a com-pany called SPV, ExpressWealth Enterprises, wholly-owned by MelcoLot, toobtain a gaming licence andundertake the casino projectin Tbilisi, capital of theEurasian state.

Pursuant to the agree-ment, Firich has agreed tosubscribe for the 5,530 new

SPV shares at a considera-tion of US$50m (E41m),while Oz Gaming Georgiahas agreed to subscribe for200 new SPV shares at a con-sideration of $200 (E160).

MelcoLot, of which theCEO is Henry Ko ChunFung, is incorporated in theCayman Islands. The com-pany is a subsidiary of HongKong-listed Melco Interna-tional Development, theprincipal investment vehi-cle of gaming magnate,Lawrence Ho.

The gaming licence inGeorgia is expected toenable SPV to conduct gam-

ing business in respect ofthe casino project for a mini-mum period of 15 years.

“It is intended that SPVwill utilise the net proceedsfrom the subscription ofapproximately $49,890,000(E40.6m) to fund the costsand expenses related tosecuring the lease arrange-ments in respect of the proj-ect site of the casino projectand payments under thatlease, and the general devel-opment, implementationand running of the casinoproject,” read the filing.

According to Firich, thecasino project is expected to

be complete by the end ofnext year, becoming opera-tional in the first quarter of2016. According to reports,future customers areexpected to be from the Mid-dle East, Turkey and Europe.

“MelcoLot will be respon-sible for the managementand operations as well asmaintaining relations withgovernment officials inGeorgia,” Melco Interna-tional said.

Ho, who has a core busi-ness developing casinoresorts in Macau and thePhilippines - via MelcoCrown, his joint venture

2 | casinoreview December 2014

A Hong Kong-listed company controlled by Melco co-chairman Lawrence Ho is co-ordinatinginvestment for a new casino project in Georgia.

Melco subsidiary turns toGeorgia casino development

NEW TERRITORY

Lawrence Ho

The historicalcentre of Tbil isi

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December 2014 casinoreview | 3

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ICR NEWS: WORLD 2-5 EUROPE 6-9 ASIA & OCEANIA 10-13 AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST 14-15NORTH AMERICA 16-19 SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 20-23 COMMENT & ANALYSIS 24-25

CANADA / ESTONIA / GEORGIA / PHILIPPINES

The Entertainment City gaming andentertainment complex in thePhilippines will soon have its sec-

ond operational casino following a softlaunch this weekend of the $1.2bn(E973.7m) City Of Dreams Manila devel-opment.

The product of operator Melco CrownEntertainment and Filipino backer Pre-mium Leisure and Amusement, which isrun by local billionaire Henry Sy, City OfDreams Manila will open on a 6.2-hectaresite a year after Solaire Resort andCasino offering VIP and mass-marketgaming facilities.

Although originally scheduled to com-mence operations in November, City OfDreams Manila is now set to have a ‘softopening for the local market’ with ‘prettymuch everything’ on offer followed by amore formal launch in February, accord-ing to Lawrence Ho Yau Lung, co-chair-man and CEO for Melco CrownEntertainment.

“It’s the first time we are in that market[and] it’s a new jurisdiction [so] this is thesafest approach,” said Ho.

Macau-based Melco Crown Entertain-ment stated that City Of Dreams Manilawill be able to offer its full complement ofup to 380 gaming tables and 1,700 slotsalongside the same number of electronictable games in addition to 950 rooms bythe end of December.

Entertainment City is owned by thestate-run Philippine Amusement andGaming Corporation (PAGCor) and it isbeing hoped that the Las Vegas-like com-plex will help the Asian nation increaseits gaming revenues from last year’s$2.2bn (E1.7bn) to $7bn (E5.6bn) by2019. City Of Dreams Manila and SolaireResort and Casino are scheduled to bejoined late in 2016 by the $2bn (E1.6bn)Manila Bay Resorts development ofJapan’s Tiger Resort Leisure and Enter-tainment before Bayshore City ResortsWorld, which is a joint venture of Filipinobillionaire Andrew Tan and Malaysia’sGenting Group, opens in the fourth quar-ter of 2018.

NEW OPENING

City Of Dreams Manilaprepares for soft launch

PHILIPPINES

Century Casinos, the Colorado-basedoperator of 30 casinos worldwide,has been selected by Horse Racing

Alberta (HRA) to operate the pari-mutueloff-track horse betting network in south-ern Alberta, Canada, starting in 2015.

HRA invited applicants to submit theirproposals to operate the off-track bettingnetwork in Alberta. After a thoroughselection process, Century Casinos,together with its off-track betting partner,

was awarded the licence to operate thebetting network in southern Alberta,which includes Red Deer, Calgary, Leth-

bridge, Medicine Hat and the rural OTBs in this area.

HRA awarded a second licence to North-lands Park out of Edmonton, which will runthe OTB network in northern Alberta.

“This licence will enable us to profes-sionally develop and operate off-track bet-ting offerings throughout southernAlberta,” said Century CEOs, Erwin Haitz-mann and Peter Hoetzinger.

“It is an exciting time in the pari-mutuelindustry with various new technologiesthat will assist in growing and servicing theAlberta off-track betting network.”

DIVERSIFICATION

Century Casinos awarded Canadian licence

CANADA

European casino operator Olympic EntertainmentGroup has beaten a host of fellow Estonian companiesto be voted by daily business publication Aripaev as

the Baltic nation’s best enterprise.The Tallinn-based firm operates casinos in seven Euro-

pean countries including Poland, Italy and Slovakia as wellas online and came top of a list of the 500 largest Estoniancompanies in terms of revenues and profitability ahead ofelectricity generator Elering, construction giant Riversideand energy firm Eesti Energia.

“We have put a lot of effortinto building a prosperousinternational business keep-ing the high satisfaction of ourcustomers and the bestindustry standards at thesame time in all our markets,”said Armin Karu (pictured),chairman of Olympic Enter-tainment.

“Our ambition never settles, however, and we are continu-ously looking for possibilities to expand and grow our busi-ness in Europe even more as well to other continents.

Olympic Entertainment also operates venues in Latvia,Estonia, Belarus and Lithuania with Karu stating that thefirm’s newest casino inside the Hilton Tallinn remains onschedule to open in the spring of 2016.

The prestigious award follows what has been a challeng-ing year for Olympic Entertainment with its third-quarterfinancial results showing an almost one percent drop year-on-year in total revenues to $47.4m (E38.1m) although thenine-month figure was up by 4.2 percent to $137.3m(E110.3m).

A six percent rise year-on-year in third-quarter expensesfor Olympic Entertainment to $37.3m (E30m) led to its totalprofits for the three-month period falling by 24.4 percent to$8.7m (E7m) while $111.5m (E89.6m) in costs since Janu-ary, which was a 7.6 percent escalation when compared tothe same nine months in 2013, led to profits falling by 3.2percent to $22.4m (E18m).

AWARDS

Best business prize forOlympic Entertainment

ESTONIA

with Australia’s Crown - isdeveloping a track recordfor independently usingsmaller listed vehicles tomake more modest bets onother casino markets.

MelcoLot is also beingused as a vehicle to bid for acasino licence in the BCNWorld real estate develop-ment called in Barcelona,Spain. Firich, meanwhile,already counts itself amongthe Summit Ascent Hold-ings consortium, which isputting money into an exist-ing Lawrence Ho-backedcasino scheme near Vladi-vostok in Russia’s Far East.

MELCOLOT

MelcoLot, aninvestmentholding

company, is engagedin the lottery businessin the People’sRepublic of China. Itprovides lottery-relatedtechnologies, systemsand solutions forlottery operators,including the ChinaWelfare Lottery and theChina Sports Lottery.The company alsodistributes versatilelottery terminals for theChina Sports LotteryAssociation. Inaddition, the HongKong-based groupmanages a network ofretail outlets and atelebetting system forthe distribution oflottery scratch cardsand computer-generated tickets, aswell as providesmaintenance andupgrade services forthe high frequencygame. MelcoLot alsodevelops multimediacontent distributionchannel for the Shi ShiCai game, and offersmanagement servicesfor the distribution ofmobile lotteryproducts, as well asvenue managementconsultancy services.


Hong Kong-basedconglomerate ChowTai Fook Enter-

prises is reportedly inter-ested in investing in a $4bn(E3.21bn) casino projectfor the central Vietnameseprovince of Quang Nam.

The company is con-trolled by the family ofHong Kong’s fourth rich-est man, Cheng Yu-Tung,with interests from prop-erty to jewellery and ishoping to tap into theboom in gaming demandas more Chinese nationalstravel overseas.

“We are interested,”said Henry Cheng, a direc-tor for the firm and ChengYu-Tung’s son. “We aredoing something now tosecure this project.”

Policy makers in Viet-nam are hoping to repli-cate the success of Macauand Singapore in attract-ing gaming resorts andtourism with the nation’slargest fund manager,VinaCapital Group, incharge of developing theQuang Nam project.

Henry Cheng alsoserves as chairman ofHong Kong-listed Interna-tional Entertainment Cor-poration, which agreed to

pay up to $948m(E763.2m) in January for astake in Macau gamblingjunket operator Sun CityGaming Promotion.

Cheng Yu-Tung’s familyalso holds a ten percentstake in operatorSociedade de Turismo andDiversoes de Macau,which was established bylongtime friend StanleyHo and gives the 89-year-old control of more than290m shares in Asia’slargest casino operator,SJM Holdings.

Finally, the summer sawChow Tai Fook partnerwith Far East ConsortiumInternational and EchoEntertainment to bid for acontract to build a casino inBrisbane, Australia, whileit also wants to expand itsgaming business in SouthKorea with any profitsgoing to charity.

After announcing ear-lier this year that itintends to licence its

first resort casino sometimeover the next 12 months, thegovernment for the Greekhalf of Cyprus has revealedthat interest from potentialforeign operators has been“immense”.

Large numbers of GreekCypriots regularly travelnorth to the breakawayTurkish Cypriot state,recognised only by Ankara,to enjoy its casinos. Now,the conservative govern-ment of president NicosAnastasiades is set tolegalise gambling next yearas a way to invigorate theisland state’s tourism indus-try, create jobs and attractforeign investment in thewake of last year’s interna-tional financial bailout.

Cyprus welcomesapproximately two milliontourists a year, and the sec-tor represents about 10 percent of its overall output.The previous communistgovernment of presidentDemetris Christofias, whichruled from 2008 to 2013,flatly refused to entertainthe idea of legalised gam-bling despite reported inter-est from foreign operators,while some Cypriots still see

the activity as socially andmorally undesirable.

“This will be one of themost important infrastruc-ture projects in Cyprus incoming years,” said govern-ment spokesperson NicosChristodoulides.

The first resort casino forthe Greek half of Cyprus isto be sited in the south of theisland near the city of Limas-sol with the successfulapplicant receiving a 30-year licence that includes amonopoly for the first 15years in exchange for agree-ing to pay a 15 per cent grossincome tax.

The selected operatorwill also have to pay annuallicence fees of $3m (E2.5m)for the first four years, fol-

lowed by $6.1m (E5m) forthe next quadrennial termand build a hotel containingat least 500 rooms and offer-ing a minimum of 1,000machines and 100 gamingtables. After the eighth year,proposed legislation wouldpermit the National GamingAuthority to modify the feeevery four years to supportits operating costs.

The government hasalready invited expressionsof interest and expects tobegin a two-stage selectionprocess following the pas-sage of relevant legislationbefore unveiling the even-tual winner in August. UScasino giant Caesars Enter-tainment is one of manyoperators said to be inter-

ested in bidding for theCypriot licence and report-edly has already dispatchedrepresentatives to presentits case to government rep-resentatives.

Following a meeting ofministers in November, thegovernment revealed thatinterest had also come frominvestors in the US in addi-tion to Asia while it decidedto permit the successfulapplicant to build the resortcasino on private land. Toaddress any concerns overlost time while the newdevelopment is con-structed, the winning bid-der will now also be allowedto operate in an existingstructure until the full resortis completed.


World

MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ATTENDANCE FIGURES AT THIS YEAR’S MGS JUMPED FROM 8,634IN 2013 TO 11,987, AN INCREASE OF 39% WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

MacaoGamingShow November17-19 2015

CYPRUS / MACAU / VIETNAM

News

NEW LICENCE INVESTMENT

Chow Tai Fookinterested in newVietnamese casino

‘Immense’ interest forCyprus casino licence

CYPRUS

VIETNAM

US casino giant Caesars Entertainment is one ofmany operators said to be interested in bidding for anew gaming licence in Cyprus.

At the recent Macao Gam-ing Summit, industry ana-lysts Grant Govertsen and

Philip Tulk claimed that growthwould return to the Macau mar-ketplace during 2015.

Grant Govertsen (pictured),founder of Union GamingResearch Macau, and Philip Tulk,director of Conglomerates,

Hotels and Gaming at StandardChartered, met on the stage ofthe Macao Gaming Summit totake a detailed look at the futureof the Macanese gaming marketand beyond.

The pair focussed mainly onthe unexpected slowing ofgrowth numbers in the region,with Tulk admitting that he hadoptimistically forecast 17 percentgrowth for this quarter, whereasfigures actually put Macau closer

to zero percent. He credited thelack of transparency in the junketsystem for making Macau a hardmarket to predict, but noted thatpeople were still coming to theregion in droves. “The slowdownwe’ve seen doesn’t appear tohave anything to do with visita-tion,” he said, declaring insteadthat a lower spend was to blamefor a cooling financial climate.

VIP figures have suffered par-ticularly, with Tulk claiming that

big-money players from Chinahave lost some faith in the junketbusiness model. He did, however,predict that they would return:“My crystal ball is saying that pos-itive growth for VIP should returnin the second half of 2015.”

Govertsen, meanwhile, sug-gested that mass market num-bers could rebound more quickly

“VIP recovery is probablylonger tail than the mass recov-ery, especially if there’s some

sort of resolution in Hong Kong,”he said.

Looking at the wider Asiangambling environment, Govert-sen was doubtful that Japaneselegislation would pass any time inthe near future, while Tulk sug-gested that new casinos projectsin South Korea may benefit fromattractive the under-served east-ern Chinese market.

MARKET FORECAST

Macau to rebound in 2015, say local analysts

MACAU


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An official report from theUK’s Gambling Commissionhas found that the country’sgambling industry experi-enced significant growthfrom April of 2013 to Marchthis year, after generating£6.8bn (E8.6bn) in grossgambling yield - a rise of sixper cent year-on-year.

The study reported thatthe non-remote betting sec-tor represented the largestportion of the market, with a47 per cent share of grossgambling yield, while theremote betting, bingo andcasino verticals experi-enced the highest growth at22 per cent followed by casi-nos with 15 per cent.

The Commission foundthat other sectors showinggrowth included arcades,betting and large society lot-teries, with only bingo expe-riencing a decrease in gross

gambling yield over thecourse of the reportingperiod.

The research detailed anincrease in gross gamblingyield for Category B2machines in betting shopsof one per cent or just under£17.6m (E22.2m) to £1.56bn(E1.97bn) set against a fourper cent rise in the numberof machines, while reveal-ing that 102,715 people wereemployed across the indus-try, which was a five per centdecline year-on-year.

The land-based gamblingindustry could find itself inan even better position bythe time the Gambling Com-mission’s next survey isreleased, after new provi-sions contained in the con-troversial Gambling(Licensing and Advertising)Act targeting the remotesector came into force ear-

lier this month, after surviv-ing a High Court challengefrom the Gibraltar Bettingand Gaming Association(GBGA).

Passed by Parliament inMay following an influx ofoffshore operators, theGambling (Licensing andAdvertising) Act nowrequires that all remotegambling operators wishingto advertise or offer theirservices to UK-based play-ers first obtain an operatinglicence from the GamblingCommission.

Such operators were pre-viously permitted to offertheir services to UK-basedplayers if they had beenlicensed by authorities inGibraltar, a nation in theEuropean Economic Areaor a ‘white-listed’ jurisdic-tion such as Alderney, theIsle of Man, Tasmania orUNITED KINGDOM

COUNCIL LEADS FOBTCAMPAIGN

At the heart of east London, Newham Council isleading a group of 93 local authorities fromacross the UK in petitioning the government to

decrease the maximum stakes on Category B2gaming machines - also known as fixed-odds bettingterminals (FOBTs) - from £100 (E126) to £2 (E2.53).The authority has filed a Sustainable CommunitiesAct calling on the government to “bring an end tounregulated casino-style gambling on the nation’shigh streets”. Concerned about the proliferation ofhigh street betting shops, Newham Council cited arecent Campaign For Fairer Gambling report thatfound double the numbers of FOBTs in England’s 55most deprived areas when compared with the 115most affluent. Officials at Whitehall must nowrespond within a year, which will come before thestart of a triennial review into gaming machinestakes and prizes.

GAMBLING STATISTICS

Significant growth forBritish gambling industry

The UK’s Gambling Commission has reported a six per cent annual increase in gross gaming yield for the y


EuropeNewsCR146-p06-08-Europe_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 09:51 Page 1


YXYXYXY

Only a few months from opening its new£150m (E189.3m) Resorts World Birming-ham integrated leisure and entertainment

complex and Genting UK has signed a deal to serveas the title sponsor for the adjacent 13,900-seat LGArena.

The 10-year agreement with owner NEC Groupbegins in January following the expiration of cur-rent title sponsor LG Technology’s deal.

Genting UK declared that the arrangementwould provide it with an opportunity to build theawareness of its brand across the country whileadditionally supporting its strategy of positioningits name ‘beyond that of a purely gaming-focusedbusiness to a major provider of entertainment andlifestyle experiences’.

“We are delighted that from January 2015 thissuperb venue will be known as the Genting Arena,”said Peter Brooks, president and chief operatingoperator of Genting UK. “Over several years, in par-

allel with developing Resorts World Birmingham,we have been working closely with the NEC Groupand enjoyed a very productive partnership.

“The sponsorship of the Arena is a very strongsymbol of that working relationship and of theexciting opportunities that lie before us to furtherenhance and develop the experiences of visitors tothe NEC.

Brooks added: “Sponsorship of the Arena is asignificant development for the Genting businessin the UK. As our offer develops further it is impor-tant that we continue to strengthen awareness forthe Genting brand and this is a significant part ofthat strategy.

“Our parent, the Genting Group, based inMalaysia, is well known and respected across Asiaand the US as a leisure and entertainment brandand this is a further step in helping us to do the samehere in the UK.”

EUROPEROUND-UP

The controversy over who willoperate the newest casino inMalta took a unique turn last

month after the losing bidder filedan injunction and asked officials toinvestigate allegations of perjuryby the retired judge tasked withleading a committee preparing atechnical report into the best pro-posal.

Following the submission ofbids, Eden Leisure was selectedas the preferred operator for anew casino in St Julian’s (pictured)while Dragonara Gaming, whichalready operates the nearbyDragonara Casino, placed sec-ond. Dragonara Gaming subse-quently filed an injunction andclaimed that its bid had been$3.7m (E3m) higher than EdenLeisure’s.

The tit-for-tat legal dispute hasnow seen the injunction lifted withnegotiations between Eden

Leisure and the government overconcessions set to resume.

In Germany, meanwhile, thecasino inside Frankfurt Airporthas closed with the loss of up to15 jobs following an over 46 percent drop in annual revenues.

Opened 14 years ago as theworld’s second airport casino, the150-square-metre venue insidethe departure lounge at TerminalOne offered American rouletteand blackjack in addition to 45slots.

Elsewhere, a Hong Kong-listedinvestment company hasdecided not to acquire a majoritystake in the firm holding the rightsto operate a casino at the LaraPark Hotel in the northern Cypriottown of Girne.

Amax International signed anon-binding agreement in Juneof 2013 to buy 51 percent ofSamoa-incorporated SouthernRuby but has now bowed outafter failing to finalise ‘the terms ofa formal sale and purchaseagreement’.

Genting UKinks Arenasponsorshipdeal

UNITED KINGDOM

eld for the year to March.

Antigua and Barbuda.As a result, all broadcast-

ers, publishers and sportsclubs carrying any gamblingadvertising must nowensure that the involvedoperator holds an appropri-ate licence in addition to dis-playing a link to theGambling Commissionwebpage where furtherinformation is to be dis-played.

Another key part of thelegislation will see allremote gambling operatorsrequired to pay a 15 per centtax on all gross gamblingprofits attached to transac-tions from players whoseusual place of residence is inthe UK. Previously, numer-ous operators had chosen tobase their operations in ter-ritories such as Gibraltar,where tax rates could be aslow as one per cent.

YXYXYXY

The first annual European Slot Champi-onship (ESC) took place at the luxuriousCasino Campione d’Italia in Italy on

November 22, with a Spanish player winning theinaugural title and a trip to Las Vegas.

The brainchild of Carlo Pagan, CEO of the Ital-ian casino group and member of the EuropeanCasino Association (ECA) board, ESC bringstogether slot enthusiasts from across Europe.

The final involved participants who wonqualifying rounds held in eight different Euro-pean countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Slovenia,Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Poland) in 28 reallife casinos and on the Casino Campione gam-ing site.

Ron Goudsmit, chairman of the ECA,attended the final, which saw Spaniard Josè Swinning the three-minute round with a score ofover one million points - more than 200,000points ahead of the young runner-up, Tatjana G

from Poland. Third place went to the Hungarian,Marton.

ESC is supported by the ECA, alongside lead-ing global slots manufacturer IGT. The tourna-ment has been created to help promoteEurope’s land-based casino industry and link-ing markets together in a new and exciting way.

Both the ECA and IGT have confirmed theirsupport for the event in 2015.

TOURNAMENT

Spain wins first European Slot Championship

ITALY

MARKETING

CROATIA / ITALY / SLOVENIA / UNITED KINGDOM


MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: MGS HAS BEEN DECLARED A MAJOR SUCCESS WITH ALL KPIS UTILISED BYTHE ORGANISERS SHOWING A POSITIVE YEAR-ON-YEAR TREND WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

CR146-p06-08-Europe_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 09:52 Page 2


Europe MacaoGamingShow November17-19 2015News

Croatia is movingtowards the launch ofan open, legalised

and expansive online pokermarket, following approvalby the European Commis-sion of proposed gaminglaws.

Legislators in the easternEuropean nation will nowallow Croatian poker playersto join gaming websites andregister as users. This is dif-ferent from prevailing mod-els in other larger Europeancountries such as Italy andFrance, which have madeonly specific sites availableto players, in a more closedmarket situation.

Contingencies forapproval include operatorcompliance with taxationrequirements for the coun-try, and applications for aspecific gaming licence

before offering services toCroatian players.

The laws are scheduled togo into effect in 2015, foroperators who apply forlicensing at the Ministry ofFinance and pay an initial feeof HRK3m (E390,000).Operators must also main-tain in Croatia a bank depositof a financial value surpass-ing the licensing fee, arequirement that enablesregulators to insure againstany damages that mightrequire revocation or sus-pension of the licence.

The Croatian govern-ment plans to ask operatorsto pay a five per centmonthly levy on their grossrevenues, and at the sametime set a tiered incrementaltax that players will have topay on their winnings.

Hit Group, the easternEuropean leisureconglomerate, is

contemplating the sale ofits Hit Coloseum sub-sidiary, which operates theColoseum Club gamingand entertainment centrein Sarajevo, the capital ofBosnia and Herzegovina.

“As one of the first casi-nos offering table games,Coloseum Club still has adominant market share ingaming tables in SarajevoCanton, namely 78.6 percent,” Hit said in a state-ment. “It also has strong

local market share in slotmachines (16.3 per cent)and entertainment activi-ties (11 per cent).

“The company is ontrack with restructuringactivities since 2013results improved over

2012, while capital injectionduring 2013 provided nec-essary strengthening ofthe balance sheet.”

While the ColoseumClub is predominantlydependant on domesticand surrounding local mar-

ket, its position provides anopportunity to tap growingMiddle East markets, thegroup said.

Earlier this year, HitGroup, which currentlyconsists of seven compa-nies that focus on gaming,

entertainment and high-end hotels, announcedplans to sell its 75.01 percent stake in MaestralResort and Casino in thecoastal town of Pr no,Montenegro.

Through its Montene-gro subsidiary, Hit co-ownsand operates the Maestralresort, which includes afour-star hotel, casino,congress centre, spa andrestaurants. According tothe group, the casino con-stitutes the facility’s coreactivity, with 130 slotmachines, three electronicroulettes and 18 gamingtables spread over1,000sq.m.

CROATIA

SLOVENIA

Croatiagamblinglawsapprovedby EU

LEGISLATION

DIVESTURE

Hit looks to offload Sarajevo property

The introduction of vir-tual sportsbettingalongside the success

of its video lottery terminal(VLT) business has seen Ital-ian operator SindacatoNazionale Agenzie Ippiche(SNAI) post an almost 12 percent rise year-on-year intotal revenues for the firstnine months of 2014 to$488.9m (E393.9m).

For the third quarter, theMilan-based firm saw over-all revenues hit $159.8m(E130.2m), which repre-sented an increase of 31 percent year-on-year, whileadjusted earnings beforeinterest, tax, depreciationand amortisation rose 76.6per cent to $36.5m(E29.8m).

Adjusted earnings beforeinterest, tax, depreciationand amortisation for the ini-tial nine months of the year

reached $106.3m (E86.6m),which represented a boostof 24.6 per cent when com-pared to the same period in2013, despite a decrease inrevenues from horseracingbets.

All of this left SNAI with athird-quarter loss of justover $3m (E2.5m), whichwas 80.6 per cent better thanlast year’s deficit of $16.2m(E13.2m), while its nine-month shortfall of $12m(E9.8m) was a 31.8 per centimprovement on the E17.6m(E14.4m) recorded for thesame period in 2013.

“Revenues from VLTsgrew along with the expan-sion of the installed net-work, which at the end of

September comprised 4,858certified machines nation-wide,” read a statementfrom SNAI.

“The remaining 194 rightsare being reallocated as pro-vided by the plan for reloca-tion to more performing

premises. However, thegood performance waslower than expectationsdue both to the delay in theavailability of the reducedpay out games and theupdating activitiesrequested by ADM.

“As stated, the introduc-tion of betting on virtualevents at the end of Decem-ber 2013 had a significantimpact, generating duringthe period a direct collec-tion of $322.3m (E262.5m)and revenues of $41m(E33.4m). The revenuesfrom AWPs nearly closedthe gap experienced in Junerelative to the same periodof the previous year but theeffect generated by thedeparture from our networkof a major customer whobecame a direct concessionholder on March 20, 2013,has not yet been fully over-come.”

• In other news from Italy,late-October saw the Euro-pean Court of Justice ruleagainst controversial legis-lation that taxed winningsfrom games of chanceplayed in casinos located inother European Union (EU)nations while exemptingsuch levies on prizes won indomestic venues.

The bloc’s highest courtfound that Italy had estab-lished discriminatory taxarrangements, which is con-trary to the ‘freedom to pro-vide services’ principle laidout in Article 56 of the ECTreaty, and rejected the gov-ernment’s contention thatthe measure was justified asa way to prevent moneylaundering and compulsivegambling.

PERFORMANCE

Businessimproves for SNAI

Introduction of virtualsportsbettingalongside VLTsuccess has seenItalian operator SNAIpost increases inrevenues andearnings.

ABOUT SNAI

Sindacato Nazionale Agenzie Ippiche (SNAI) is oneof the primary national operators in the Italiangames and gambling sector, and is the country’s

leading company for horse and sports betting. Listedon the Milan stock exchange, SNAI is a multi-licenseefor the management of authorised gaming in Italy. Italso accepts games on the Superenalotto lottery andWin for Life online through agreements with otherlicensees and licences obtained from the ItalianCustoms and Monopolies Agency.

ITALY

MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: THE NUMBER OF EXHIBITING COMPANIES AT THIS YEAR’S MGS ROSE30% WITH A TOTAL OF 146 EXHIBITORS ON THE SHOW FLOOR WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

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Asia & OceaniaNews

t will take a lot more than adip in Macau’s monthly per-formance to deter busi-nesses from investingheavily in the city as GalaxyEntertainment Groupdefies all with reports of asix per cent rise in third-quarter revenues to $17.3bn(E13.9bn).

Adjusted EBITDA forGalaxy, which operates theGalaxy Macau and Star-World Hotel properties inthe Chinese SAR, was upone per cent to $3.3bn(E2.6bn) in the threemonths to September 31,compared with the sameperiod last year.

Total Mass revenueincreased 12 per cent year-on-year to $4.8bn (E3.9bn)while VIP climbed five percent year-on-year to$11.8bn (E9.5m). Elec-tronic games grew six percent year-on-year to $500m(E400m).

“Our results represent astrong performance in theface of strong macro head-

winds, underlining theenduring appeal of ourproperties and manage-ment’s rigorous focus ongrowing revenues and driv-ing efficiencies across thebusiness,” said Galaxychairman, Lui Che Woo.

“During the quarter wecompleted our 10th year ofoperation in Macau. We arepleased that both of ourflagship properties per-formed well in the period.

Galaxy Macau deliveredsolid financial results, andStarWorld Macau’sEBITDA performance wasin line with the same quarterlast year and ahead of theprevious quarter.”

In addition to GalaxyMacau and StarWorldHotel, Galaxy is currently inthe process of renovatingthe Grand Waldo Complexon the Macau Peninsula.Across the water, on Cotai,Phase 2 of the group’ssprawling Galaxy Macaudevelopment is scheduledto be finished on time by

mid-2015.“The redevelopment on

the Grand Waldo Complexis on schedule, and we planto unveil our exciting con-ceptual plans in January2015,” Lui said. “Theemphasis will be family-friendly leisure, and enter-tainment for the middleclass.

Galaxy currently offersapproximately 2,700 five-star hotel rooms, all ofwhich have been at nearmaximum occupancythroughout 2014. To meetthe expected growth indemand and to provide visi-tors with a more completeentertainment, retail andfood and beverage offer, Luisaid the group has “ambi-tious plans” to furtherdevelop its offer in Macau.

“Phase 2 of GalaxyMacau will add approxi-mately a further 1,350 five-star hotel rooms targetinghigher value customers andwill dramatically extendthe property’s retail offer,”

EXPANSION

Galaxy expands amid slowdow

With two majorprojects set for

completion nextyear, Galaxy

Entertainment isbucking

downward trendin Macau.

AWARD-WINNINGPROPERTIES

As Galaxy booked its third-quarter results, thegroup’s flagship properties, Galaxy Macau andStarWorld Hotel, were recognised with a total of

seven high-profile awards from various organisationsduring October, and made nine appearances in theprestigious Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau2015. Commenting on the awards, Mike Mecca,president and chief operating officer for Galaxy, said:“Our unique philosophy of ‘World Class, Asian Heart’informs everything we do to provide guests withexceptional experiences that combine sincere Asianhospitality with the highest service standards foundanywhere in the world. It is immensely satisfying tohave the highly respected Michelin Guide recognise thequality of all our four hotels and five of our restaurantstoday. The opening of our Phase 2 development inGalaxy Macau next year, will add two additional world-class hotels, renowned restaurants and a doubling ofour Grand Resort Deck, which I am confident willcontinue to delight our guests in future.”

MACAU

CR146-p10-12-Asia_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 10:02 Page 1


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MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: THE NUMBER OF EXHIBITING COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT MGSTHIS YEAR ALMOST DOUBLED JUMPING FROM 11 TO 20. WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM


AUSTRALIA / CAMBODIA / MACAU / NORTHER MARIANA ISLANDS

Australian entertainmentoperator Donaco Inter-national has signed a deal

that will see it acquire a signifi-cant gaming and hospitalitybusiness in Cambodia,although the group has yet toreveal the name or location ofthe new venue.

The Sydney-based firm,which already operates a 428-room hotel and casino in Viet-nam’s northern province of LaoCai on the border with China,stated that it is currently in theprocess of conducting due dili-gence on its latest acquisition.

“Cambodia has a well-estab-lished gaming industry, which issupported by the government asa driver of tourism, since localcitizens are not permitted toenter casinos,” read a statementfrom Donaco.

“The business proposed tobe acquired is well-established

and profitable with goodgrowth prospects. The marketthat it serves is distinct from thecompany’s existing China-fac-ing business at the Aristo Inter-national Hotel (pictured). Theproposed acquisition thus pro-vides diversification as well asscale benefits.”

Donaco declared that thenext few months will see it com-plete its due diligence investi-gations with the finalacquisition price due to be set atsix times the unknown Cambo-dian casino’s earnings before

interest, tax, depreciation andamortisation for the twelvemonths to the end of December.

“The acquisition will befunded from the company’sexisting cash reserves and newdebt facilities together with anequity component for the ven-dor,” read the statement fromDonaco.

“Based on the range of financ-ing scenarios reviewed by theboard, the proposed acquisitionis expected to provide strongearnings per share accretion forthe company’s shareholders.”

wdown

CAMBODIA

ACQUISITION

Donaco planning to purchaseCambodian casino

the chairman stated. “Weare confident that it willcomplete by mid-2015 asMacau’s next major resort.

“We are expanding ourretail offering to approxi-mately 100,000sq.m. Galaxyexpects that the expandedGalaxy Macau will capturea new wave of higher valuevisitors and believes that ithas a distinct advantage inbeing the first operator toopen new capacity in 2015.”

He added: “The redevel-opment on the Grand WaldoComplex is on schedule andwe plan to unveil our excit-ing conceptual plans in Jan-uary 2015 with the aim tore-launch the complex inearly 2015.”

For the long term, Galaxyis set to begin initial worksfor Cotai Phases 3 and 4with a targeted phasedopening between 2016 and2018, and is also advancingconceptual plans for its2.7sq.km land parcel onnearby Hengqin Island.

ASIA ROUND-UP

Hong Kong-based gaminginvestment firm Silver Heritagelooks set to be approved as

the new operator of the casinoinside the Shangri-La Hotel andResort (pictured) in Kathmandu,Tibet.

Previously run by Malaysiancompany Star Management, thecasino opened in December of2010 but was forced to close due tolabour unrest only a year later andhas since sat idle.

Silver Heritage already operatescasinos in India, Vietnam and thePhilippines and plans to invest over$10,000 (E8,100) in the propertybefore opening for business duringthe first quarter of 2015.

Elsewhere, the two casinos inSingapore have been fined a total ofalmost $168,000 (E135,800) forvarious breaches of the city-state’sCasino Control Act after last yearbeing penalised to the tune of$381,000 (E307,900).

Marina Bay Sands, which isowned by American giant LasVegas Sands, has been forced tohand over $150,535 (E121,600) tothe Casino Regulatory Authority fol-lowing numerous infractionsincluding failing to prevent threeexcluded people and three minorsfrom entering its casino. The venuewas also penalised for allowinglocals to enter without chargingvalid entry levies and permitting an“unauthorised person to exercisethe functions of a specialemployee”.

For its part, the other Singaporevenue, Genting’s Resorts WorldSentosa, was fined over $15,000(E12,100) for failing to prevent twominors from entering its casino.

Finally, Melco InternationalDevelopment has become the newmajority shareholder of Entertain-ment Gaming Asia (EGT), whichoperates the Dreamworld ClubPoipet casino in Cambodia.

Hong Kong-listed Melco Interna-tional now holds 64.81 per cent ofEGT after paying more than $14m(E11.3m) for some 26m newshares.

Macau has posted its sixth consecutivedrop in monthly gambling revenuesdue to an ongoing anti-corruption

drive that has seen high-rollers cut back onspending and is now contemplating the firstfull-year decline since 2002.

The only place where casino gambling islegal in China, the former Portuguese enclavesaw total revenues for November fall by 20 percent year-on-year to $3.04bn (E2.45bn), whilethe previous month’s drop of 23 per cent to$3.78bn (E3.05bn) represented the sharpest

since the Special Administrative Region begankeeping records.

November revenues have also beenadversely affected by continuing pro-democ-racy protests in Hong Kong, which is only ashort ferry ride away from the island city, whileanalysts predict that December’s results maynot improve, especially if a planned visit byChinese president Xi Jinping goes ahead. Theman behind the year-long campaign againstcorruption, the successor to Hu Jintao is due tovisit Macau later this month to celebrate the15th anniversary of its official handover withnumerous experts warning that revenuescould be pushed down by as much as 25 percent year-on-year as a result.

Whether things will rapidly turn arounddepend on how casino operators can ride thefresh challenges: a wavering Chinese econ-omy, tighter visa policies for those travelling toMacau, increased oversight on UnionPaycards and new smoking restrictions.

However, Macau is still the world’s largestgaming centre with its 35 casinos recently earn-ing approximately six times as much as theircounterparts in Las Vegas with gross gamingrevenues of $38.18bn (E30.83bn) for the whole of2012 and $45.27bn (E36.56bn) last year.

PERFORMANCE

High-rollers push Macau’s figures down

MACAU



Asia & Oceania

MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ‘THE SUCCESS OF MGS HAS SENT OUT A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THEINTERNATIONAL GAMING COMMUNITY’ STATED JAY CHUN. WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

MacaoGamingShow November17-19 2015News

The future of the plannedAquis Great Barrier ReefResort project in northern

Queensland, Australia, couldbe in jeopardy, with developerTony Fung blaming the Office ofLiquor, Gaming and Racingstate regulator for delays.

Fung has penned an open let-ter declaring that he will have tomake some “difficult decisions”about the proposed mega-resort following the failure of hisbid for the nearby Reef Hotel

Casino in Cairns with the wholeproject now undergoing a“comprehensive review”.

The billionaire, who wants to

own an Australian casinobefore the end of the year sothat he can list his Aquis Groupconcern on the Hong KongStock Exchange in 2016,recently walked away from thedeal to purchase the existingCairns casino for up to A$219m(E176m). This would have sub-sequently enabled his firm toraise cash for theplanned A$8bn (E5.7bn) AquisGreat Barrier Reef Resort proj-ect, which is due to be built on340ha of land at Yorkeys Knobjust north of Cairns.

However, Fung also con-

firmed that his firm is in talks topurchase Casino Canberra inthe Australian Capital Territory(ACT) and has been “assured”by local authorities that thetransaction will be completed“shortly”.

For his part, Queensland pre-mier Campbell Newman statedthat the government would notbe bullied into bypassing pro-bity checks and that theQueensland regulator is nowworking “hand in glove” with itsACT counterpart.

“This government will not bepushed into any situation

where we don’t have total con-fidence in those who are seek-ing to run a casino in this state,”said Newman. “This govern-ment will always do the rightthing in terms of the awardingof a casino licence or theawarding of a transfer of alicence.

“We are absolutely commit-ted to making sure that, if casi-nos are run in this state, theyare run cleanly, by respected,reputable, business interests. Itis important that all peoplewishing to invest in casinossubmit to the process.”

Hong Kong-listed gaming investor Impe-rial Pacific International Holdings hasannounced the appointment of vet-

eran casino executive Mark Brown (pic-tured) as president and chief executive of thecompany’s Saipan casino resort project.

Brown’s past experience includes open-ing and operating one of the largest casinoresort projects in history, as president of allLas Vegas Sands Corporation’s (LVS) Macauproperties - which includes the Venetian,Four Seasons and Sands Macau - and servingas president and chief executive officer ofTrump Entertainment Resorts.

As a chief executive with a career workingdirectly for prominent gaming figureheads,Imperial Pacific said Brown is “uniquelyqualified” to head up the group’s $7.1bn(E5.7bn) casino resort project on the islandof Saipan, part of the Northern MarianaIslands in the Pacific.

In September, Imperial Pacific outlinedits plans for the casino resort on Saipan, say-ing it expects the first phase of the scheme tobe completed by 2016. The large-scale “townhotel” development is expected to include acasino with 1,600 gaming tables and 3,500s l o tm a c h i n e s ,while provid-ing about4,250 roomsand 300 lux-ury villas forguests.

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

AUSTRALIA

CONSTRUCTION

Aquis development in jeopardy following delays

CASINO RESORT

LVS veteran tohead up Saipandevelopment

Two of the world’s mostsought after gaming mar-kets are Japan and Tai-

wan, so it was no surprise todiscover some of the region’sfinest minds gathered at thenearby Macao Gaming Summitto update the industry on thepotential for casino gambling inthese states.

The protracted political fightfor casinos in Japan fell underthe purview of Dr KazuakiSasaki (pictured), assistant pro-fessor at Nihon University’s Col-lege of Economics. He touchedon not only the protracted leg-islative wrangling which hascharacterised Japan’s attemptto enter the large-scale gamingindustry, but also the culturalapproach to gambling in hiscountry. “There is a kind of

taboo related to gaming inJapan,” he said, but noted thatboth horse racing and pachinkoremain intensely popular.

However, constant setbacksin the country’s parliament hasleft Dr Sasaki unwilling to com-mit on a roadmap for the futureof Japanese casinos. He charac-terised the government as “tak-ing three steps forward and twosteps back,” on the long road tolegislation. And, as if to provethe wisdom of his pessimism, inthe weeks since his comments,the Japanese prime minister hasdissolved parliament, effec-tively pushing back casinoslaws until late 2015 at the earli-est.

The picture in Taiwan, how-ever, was more positive, as DrDay-Lang Yui of the Center forthe Study of Lottery and Com-mercial Gaming at the NationalTaiwan University of Science

and Technology explained. Hesuggested that casinos legisla-tion could be a major tentpoleof the upcoming elections andhe expected a draft law to bediscussed during December2014. This created the “opti-mistic possibility for casino lawto be passed in the first half of2015.”

Taiwan’s individual islandshave the right to decide forthemselves whether they willallow casinos on their land. A2009 referendum on Penghuisland ruled against the creationof local casinos, while the Matsuislands voted 57 percent infavour in 2012.

The success of Taiwan’scasino venture will hinge, Dr Yuisuggested, on the reaction ofBeijing, which may not be recep-tive to the idea. Just like Macau,Taiwan will depend largely ontourists from mainland China to

power its gaming industry andthe issue of travel visas may yetbe a sticky one.

Finally, Eugene Christiansen,founder and chairman of Chris-tiansen Capital Advisors,explained how developments inneighbouring Japan and Taiwanwould affect the future ofMacau. “The Macau market isclearly going through a phase oftransition,” he said, “it is leavingits initial phase of grossly under-supplied market conditions,which allowed the operators inthis market to record enormousgrowth.” He also suggested thatwhile the establishment of rivalmarkets would not unduly rockthe boat in Macau, their pres-ence would contribute to thefact that companies with highdebt and low equity are lessappropriate for Macau that theymay have been in previousyears.

MARKETS

UpdatesfromMacau’spotentialrivals

Mike Tanji led adiscussion of newgaming markets inAsia with threedistinguishedspeakers giving theirthoughts on thefuture of casinolegislation in thisregion of untappedpotential.

MACAU


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G

Africa & Middle EastNews

ambling industry special-ists at Price WaterhouseCoopers (PwC) haveissued their third assess-ment of the African gam-bling market. Headed byJohannesburg-based part-ner and gambling industryleader Nikki Forster, Rais-ing the Stakes in Africapaints a country-by-coun-try landscape of both thecurrent and future make-up of the continent’scasino industry.

According to the report,South Africa remains byfar the dominant playerwithin the region: in 2013its 37 landed licensed casi-nos generated revenue of$1.6bn (E1.3bn), com-

pared with $40m (E32.5m)and $18m (E14.6m) inNigeria and Kenya respec-tively. Of late, SouthAfrican gross gaming rev-enue (GGR) growth hasbeen muted (just 0.6 percent last year), and PwCforecast this will remainthe case in the near future:a product of rising payoutrates and a receding econ-omy. With this in mind,combined with the highlevel of saturation withinthe country (38 casinolicences have been issuedout of a legal maximum of40), the firm considers theopening of new venuesunlikely. However,upgrades and develop-

ments at existing resorts(such as Sun Interna-tional’s bid to relocate itsMorula Sun casino to Men-lyn) will, the firm predicts,steer the sector towards amodest but steady growthof 3.9 per cent over thenext four years.

Whilst the Nigerian mar-ket pales in size when com-pared to its South Africancounterpart, its economicprospects seem rosy: lastyear saw GGR rocket byover 19 per cent year-on-year. The country’s risingprominence as a destina-tion for international busi-ness and tourism was onlybriefly slowed by the cur-rent outbreak of ebola

sweeping West Africa, withswift eradication of alltrace of the disease withinthe country’s borders. PwCforecasts fallout from thecrisis will neverthelessslow Nigerian GGR in 2015,with strong performanceof the wider economy(exhibiting average annualGDP growth of over 7 percent since 2009) buoyingthe sector’s growth to 7.8per cent by 2018.

Meanwhile, the operat-ing environment of Kenyancasinos has grown morechallenging in recentyears, with internal secu-rity placed in jeopardy bySomali-based Islamic ter-rorist cell al-Shabab, com-

bined with a 2013 FinanceAct imposing 20 per centtax on all gambling win-nings. As such, PwC pre-dict a slowdown in GGRgrowth-rate to 4.1 per centfor 2015 (down from 4.9per cent this year). Thatsaid, Kenya’s economyretains resolute rates ofgrowth and PwC predictthat GGR growth will aver-age 6.8 per cent on a com-pound annual basis to$25.6m (E20.8m) in 2018.

In total, the report placesthe 2018 worth of the com-bined South African, Niger-ian and Kenyan casinosectors at $2bn (E1.63bn), agrowth across the board of4.7 per cent.

The latestresearch

document fromfinance andconsultancy

experts PriceWaterhouse

Coopers predictssustained growth

in grossgamblingrevenues

throughout SouthAfrica, Nigeria

and Kenya.

MARKETS

PwC forecasts triumvirateof African growth

SOUTH AFRICA

CR146-p14-15-Africa_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 10:09 Page 1

YXYXYXY


NIGERIA / SOUTH AFRICA

South African gaming and hotelier groupTsogo Sun has unveiled plans to reinvest$446m (E362m) towards its casino devel-

opment in the coming years, despite a lull inshort-term growth.

The figure represents 17 per cent of the com-pany’s market capitalisation - indicative of theconfidence Tsogo executives are placing on itslonger-term prospects.

A South African economy in decline since2011 has formed the backdrop of a strugglingdomestic customer demographic. Interimresults up to September show that the company’sgaming revenue is up 2 per cent on last year, withtakings on room bookings also slowing.

Tsogo CEO Marcel von Aulock was keen toreassure shareholders following the release ofthe latest financials. “Our machine is still soundand generating cash,” he stated. “We are happy tospend on our structures knowing that when trad-

ing conditions turn, they will turn strongly.”Von Aulock went on to detail how approxi-

mately half of the newly allocated funds wouldbe directed towards the upgrade of two of thecompany’s flagship resorts: the SunCoatcasino in Durban and the Gold Reef City casinoin Johannesburg. The remaining $200m(E163m) would be used in the acquisition ofCape Town Sun International subsidiary Sun-west International.

September saw SunInternational take whatamounted to a drastic

change in direction. Facing low hotel occu-

pancy, negligible growth ingaming revenues and ademand for continuedinvestment in the upkeep andoperation of its resort portfo-lio, the South African opera-tor announced it would beselling the bulk of its Africaninterests in an aggressiveattempt to lower its costbase. It’s latest analysisplaces the amount savedsomewhere in the region of$28m (E21m), or approxi-mately 3 per cent of the com-pany’s total revenue.

While the freed assetsalone are helpful, the com-pany also aims to maximisethe earning potential of itsfuture investment. Its actionplan will direct funds away

from higher-risk, lower-return investments and backinto more stable ventures.Therein lies the logic behindthe sale of holdings in lowergrowth African territories.Then again, at home, Sun isbound by a restrictivenational limit on the numberof available casino licences.And this has promptedanother change in tack. Withthe South African gamblingmarket close to the point ofsaturation, it is actively seek-ing to diversity the nature of

its revenue streams awayfrom gambling in a number ofits existing domestic resorts.

Off the continent, Sun’sfocus seems to remain pre-dominately within landedcasino revenue, and its pro-posed $116m (E94m) buyoutof its partners in the Monti-cello Grand Casino in Chile,as well as significant recentinvestment in both Panaman-ian and Columbian venuesare all indicative of the com-pany stretching its wings inother developing markets.

INVESTMENT

Tsogo Sun bolsters casinodevelopment amid SouthAfrican slowdown

DIVESTURE

SOUTH AFRICA

The reinvention of Sun International

SOUTH AFRICA

SPOTLIGHT:NIGERIA

Last year PwCforecast a 2014growth in year-on-

year Nigerian GGR of 9.7per cent. The countrywildly outperformed thisexpectation: seeing a19.4 per cent increase.The firm attributes thisleap both to widereconomic factors, aswell as extendedopening hours andadditional slots at theFederal Palace hoteland casino in Lagos.The fact that thecontribution of a singlevenue can have such adrastic impact onnational GGR highlightsthe developing state ofthe Nigerian sector: thecountry currentlyoperates just threelegally licensed casinos.

AFRICA &MIDDLE EASTROUND-UP

In South Africa, professionalpoker player Dylan Wilkersonoutlasted 165 others last month

to win the World Poker Tour (WPT)Emperors Palace Poker Classicand its $147,509 (E118,637) topprize.

The event held at the EmperorsPalace Hotel Casino in Johannes-burg generated a total prize pool of$475,836 (E382,683) and saw theAmerican triumph after goingheads-up against local amateurRichard Barnard.

Elsewhere, sportsbetting pro-fessionals from around the worldwill soon be heading to Nigeria inorder to participate in the SportsBetting West Africa 2015 exhibi-tion, which is set to take place fromMarch 2-4 at the Eko Hotel andSuites in Lagos.

Being sponsored by sportsbet-ting platform developer iSolutionsSportsbook Software, the eventwill see exhibitors including Merid-ian Gaming, Betradar, Goldbet,and Supabets Gaming Groupshowing off their latest wares to vis-itors from across Africa.

Finally, the skyline of Dubai is setto get even more crowded afterHard Rock Internationalannounced plans to open its firsthotel in the Middle East in partner-ship with investment firm AbuDhabi Financial Group and devel-oper Sheffield Holdings.

With 101 floors, the Hard RockHotel Dubai Marina will be the sec-ond tallest structure in the emiratewhen it opens next year in theMarina 101 development nearJumeirah Beach. Featuring 281rooms spread over the first 33floors, the high-rise is to also housea new club lounge and diningestablishment in its penthousecomplemented by ‘the brand’s sig-nature world-class entertainment’.


MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ‘THE SHOW FLOOR WENT BEYOND JUST GAMING. WE HAVE A BROADER EXHIBITORBASE SHOWCASING TOP GAMING AND NON-GAMING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES...’ WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

CR146-p14-15-Africa_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 10:10 Page 2

he Mashantucket PequotTribal Nation, owner of Fox-woods Resort Casino in Con-necticut, has announced theappointment of Felix Rappa-port to the position of presi-dent and CEO.

Rappaport has more than34 years of hospitality, gam-ing and entertainment expe-rience, having providedleadership expertise atmajor resort gaming opera-tions throughout the coun-try. He started his tenure atFoxwoods last February assenior vice president andchief operating officer.

The industry veteran hasbeen part of the senior man-agement team responsiblefor bringing in new partnersto expand the full resort expe-rience for guests, includingnew attractions, nightclubs,restaurants and the TangerOutlets, which is expected toopen in May 2015.

Now, after taking his posi-tion at the helm of largestcasino resort in North Amer-

ica, Rappaport has outlinedhis plan for the future, whichfocuses increasingly onentertainment and non-gam-ing aspects.

Over the coming months,Foxwoods is set to reducethe number of slot machinesand table games across theproperty to free up space fornightclubs and other newattractions as it adapts tofierce competition, the newCEO said in an interview withThe Associated Press.

It’s a transition that Rappa-port says probably shouldhave started years earlier,and one that reflects adecline in the number of peo-ple gambling inside the Fox-woods Resort Casino on agiven day.

The sprawling Fox-woods resort currently has5,800 slot machines and350 table games spreadacross six casinos.According to reports, Rap-paport is looking to reducethis to 4,800 slot machines

and 250 table games.Rappaport has worked for

many of the world’s largestand most well known namesin the hospitality industry,including Station Casinos,Hershey Entertainment andResort Company and SteveWynn’s Mirage and TreasureIsland.

Foxwoods itself has had astrong entertainment foot-print for more than twodecades, hosting more of theworld’s leading performersthan any other property. Rap-paport, who has worked withnumerous entertainmentacts throughout his career,including Criss Angel, EarthWind and Fire, The BeachBoys, Jay Leno, Carrot Top,Rita Rudner, Terry Fator, RayRomano and Kevin James,will create new opportuni-ties for Foxwoods throughhis contacts in the industry,the group stated.

“Throughout my career,my philosophy has been onshared leadership,” said Rap-

T

North AmericaNews

UNITED STATES

KICKSTARTER

Prior to the economic crash of 2008,Foxwoods Resort Casino housed 6,300 slotmachines and 380 table games. The decline

in gaming revenues has yet to be reversed, andnow the resort is positioning itself to endurecompetition that is expected only to intensify incoming years, with as many as three casinos inMassachusetts. While Rappaport has outlined astrategy that focuses squarely on bolstering theresort’s entertainment offer, gaming remains acore part of the business, and one that is notbeing overlooked. In November, Foxwoodsannounced plans to redevelop its RainmakerCasino in order to create “more exciting anddynamic experiences” for its guests. During thetransition phase of this redevelopment, someareas of the Rainmaker Casino will remain open,including a newly created non-smoking slot areaconsisting of approximately 500 slot machines,as well as the Asian and domestic table games,racebook, poker room, tournament poker tablesand tournament slot machines.

Incoming Foxwoods CEOimplements bold strategy

RESTRUCTURE

Foxwoods’incoming chiefexecutive has

embarked on abold strategy, asthe group adapts

to fiercecompetition in theNortheastern US.


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UNITED STATES

The Cordish Companies andGreenwood Gaming andEntertainment have been

awarded a Category Two gaminglicence for their proposed $425m(E342.7m) Live! Hotel and CasinoPhiladelphia project by the Penn-sylvania Gaming Control Board.

The 200,000-square-foot hotel,gaming and entertainment venue,which will be the second such des-tination in the nation’s fifth largestcity, will be located on the site ofthe existing Stadium Holiday Inn inthe heart of the city’s Stadium Dis-trict featuring a Las Vegas-stylecasino floor with 2,000 slots and125 table games alongside an

upscale 240-room boutique hoteland 2,500-space parking garage.

“We’re very excited and hon-oured to have been selected by thePennsylvania Gaming ControlBoard and thank it for its consider-ation during a very fair, transparentand thorough process,” said JoeWeinberg, managing partner forThe Cordish Companies.

“We look forward to workingwith state and local officials,mayor Michael Nutter and theentire community as we moveforward with development of atrue world-class destination thatwill attract people from through-out the region for a uniquesports, dining, gaming and enter-tainment experience that can’tbe found anywhere else in the

country.”Situated off Interstates 76 and

95, Live! Hotel and CasinoPhiladelphia is projected to gener-ate approximately $400m(E322.6m) in economic benefitsduring construction including thecreation of some 3,000 jobs. Whencompleted, the project isexpected to attract four millionvisitors a year to the area and bringin annual gross gaming revenuesof over $300m (E241.8m).

“We are very appreciative of thetremendous community supportwe have enjoyed on our proposaland I can guarantee we will beexcellent neighbours and corpo-rate citizens for the city and state,”said David Cordish, chairman forThe Cordish Companies.

NORTHAMERICAROUND-UP

Last month saw voters inColorado overwhelminglydefeat a proposed

amendment to the state’s con-stitution that would have seenArapahoe Park Racetrack onthe outskirts of Denver permit-ted to offer casino gaming.

Amendment 68 would havealso authorised PuebloCounty and Mesa County totransform existing sites intocasinos over the next fiveyears with proponents claim-ing that the measure wouldbring in $114m (E92m) a yearto help fund education pro-grammes in the western state.

In Florida, a gambling cruiseoperator that sailed twice aday from Palm Beach has filedfor federal Chapter 11 bank-ruptcy after reportedly losing$1m (E807,786) in May follow-ing the failure of its sole ship’sstarboard main engine.

The Island Breeze Casinowas idle for three weeks as

repairs were made and subse-quently delayed a mandatoryUS Coast Guard ship inspec-tion, which led to it losing itsseaworthiness certificate forthe lucrative summer months.

Majority owned by IBI PalmBeach, the enterprise nowowes about $5.2m (E4.2m)and recently defaulted on a$1.5m (E1.2m) loan from slotsleasing firm SourcePoint.

However, the news is muchbetter north of the border withthe Hard Rock Casino Vancou-ver and the Vancouver Canadi-ans minor league baseballteam signing a multi-year part-nership that will see the venuelend its name to an area of theclub’s Scotiabank Field At TheNat Bailey Stadium.

The new Hard Rock CasinoVancouver Barbeque PicnicIn The Park area is to beunveiled down the first baseline in June and will accom-modate groups of up to 400people as they enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Bankrupt and struggling with a union dispute,Trump Entertainment Resorts has ceasedissuing credit to gamblers and is preparing to

close its iconic Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort inAtlantic City.

The US casino operator received formal permis-sion from the New Jersey Division of GamingEnforcement to shutter its last remaining casino onDecember 12 and the venue could become the fifthto close this year following Revel Atlantic City, TheAtlantic Club Casino Hotel, Showboat Atlantic Cityand Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino.

Trump Entertainment wants to hand itself overto American businessman Carl Icahn in return forthe billionaire investor cancelling the $286m(E232.4m) in company debt he owns. The 78-year-old would then be willing to invest $100m (E81.2m)into the property if Local 54 of the Unite-Here uniondrops an appeal over an earlier court decision onworker benefits.

In October, US bankruptcy judge Kevin Grossapproved a plan from Trump Entertainment thatwould see the operator swap union pensions with401(k) plans and cease payments to a union-run

health fund. But the union immediately appealedthe decision, which would reportedly save theoperator $14.6m (E11.8m) a year, and has sincepublicly protested against Icahn, who owns thenearby Tropicana Casino and Resort, describinghim as a union-buster determined to destroyworker benefits.

In reply, Icahn penned an open letter to Local 54president, Bob McDevitt, stating that he wouldagree to an arrangement restoring health benefitsfor at least two years and work to create a new pen-sion plan if the union withdrew its appeal and com-mitted to ‘labour peace’.

UNITED STATES

UNITED STATES

CASINO LICENCE

CLOSURE

Philadelphiaawards secondcasino licence

Trump Taj Mahal facing closure

Oy

paport. “I truly believe thatcollectively we must unlockthe full potential of the morethan 5,000 team members toensure that each and everyguest truly experiences thegreatest resort destination inNorth America.”

Backing the CEO’s strat-egy, Mashantucket PequotTribal Chairman, RodneyButler, said: “Felix has anincredibly extensive back-ground, and his expertise isunmatched in the industry.His vision has been the driv-ing force behind our masterplan, which is to provide anenhanced resort experiencefor all our guests.”

When Foxwoods openedin 1992, it became one of themost famous brands in all ofgaming, resorts, and enter-tainment. The property cur-rently sees nine millionvisitors each year, with ananticipated additional fourto five million visitors withthe opening of the TangerOutlets.

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North America MacaoGamingShow November17-19 2015News

Nevada entertainment andcasino operator StationCasinos has announced that

it will be selling off a large chunk ofits land holdings near Reno whileretaining a nearby plot where along-planned casino has yet to bebuilt.

Las Vegas-based Station Casi-nos disclosed the pending sale of101 acres of mostly flat land in thesoutheast quadrant of the city toan unidentified buyer in its latestquarterly earnings report but hassince declined to elaborate on thetransaction or identify the buyer.

“I can confirm an agreement tosell a 101-acre property on SouthVirginia Street,” said Lori Nelson

from Station Casinos, which ownsand operates 16 casinos in Nevada.

With visions of a casino on thesite, Station Casinos bought theland from Las Vegas gaming andrestaurant entrepreneur BlakeSartini in 2005 for $15.1m (E12.1m).However, it soon transferred thesite’s gaming licence to a nearby88-acre parcel on the south side of

the Mount Rose Highway acrossfrom The Summit shopping cen-tre, which it is still hoping todevelop.

“In September 2014, the com-pany entered into an agreement tosell approximately 101 acres ofland held for development in Reno,Nevada, for approximately $2m(E1.6m) and recognised an impair-ment loss of $11.7m (E9.4m) towrite down the carrying amount ofthe land to its fair value less cost tosell,” read the statement from Sta-tion Casinos.

“The impairment loss isincluded in impairment of otherassets in the condensed consoli-dated statements of operations.The company expects to com-plete the sale of the land in thefourth quarter of 2014.”

Legislation has beenintroduced in the Cali-fornia State Assembly

that could see the westernAmerican state legalise andregulate online poker asearly as next year.

Known as AB9 and sub-mitted by Democrat assem-blyman Mike Gatto, theproposed bill is similar to ameasure introduced butultimately withdrawn byoutgoing California StateSenator Lou Correa earlierin the year.

Gatto stated that the leg-

islation would establish aregulatory structure to pro-vide participants, from play-ers to operators, with“certainty and security thatwill legitimise the game,support locally owned busi-nesses and keep muchneeded revenue in thestate”.

“The status quo is a lostopportunity,” said Gatto,who represents the 43rdCalifornia State Assemblydistrict just north of LosAngeles. “California couldreceive significant revenuefor merely regulating andlegitimising an industry thatCalifornians already partici-pate in but send their dollarsoverseas.”

AB9 would limit licencesto tribal casinos and card

rooms and contain a ‘badactor’ clause designed toexclude operators and indi-viduals involved in US-fac-ing sites after December 31,2006.

Gatto declared that AB9would also adopt ‘a numberof established businesspractices’ from the worldsof banking and eCommercein addition to the CaliforniaLottery designed to preventillegal activities ‘that couldarise in the operation ofonline poker websites’while ensuring bricks-and-mortar gaming and hospital-ity establishments‘maintain or even increase

foot traffic’.To limit underage gaming

and discourage criminals,Gatto’s legislation wouldadditionally require playersto open online accounts inperson using two forms ofidentification while large orfrequent cash-outs wouldwarrant an appearance inthe flesh.

“California has led theworld in computer andInternet innovation, andthere is no good reason whywe can’t continue to leadwith a sensible online pokerframework,” said 40-year-old Gatto. “AB 9 borrowsfrom time tested businesspractices that will improveour government financesand keep our money in ourhome state.”

POKER

California toconsider new onlinepoker legislation

UNITED STATES

LAND HOLDINGS

UNITED STATES

Station Casinos selling Reno land parcel

Despite a turbulent local marketwhich has seen four of the 12casinos in Atlantic City close

this year with a fifth due to shut later inthe month, the operator behindResorts Casino Hotel is planning tospend some $9.4m (E7.6m) to expandthe venue’s convention and meetingspace facilities.

Majority-owned by local realestate developer Morris Bailey, whoturned the running of the propertyover to Mohegan Gaming Advisors in2012, the iconic Resorts Casino Hotelhas been around since 1978 and wasthe nation’s first hotel casino to belocated outside of Nevada. Thevenue added the 27-storey Ren-dezvous Tower in 2004 before under-going further renovations sevenyears later to install a ‘roaring 20s’theme. It grew even further in 2013with the opening of a Jimmy Buffett-themed Margaritaville restaurant,

bar and entertainment complex andnow plans to add an additional12,000sq.ft of new space in hopes ofattracting a larger share of the con-ventions market.

The construction project, whichwill also include renovations to hotelroom bathrooms in the property’sOcean Tower, is expected to start dur-ing the first quarter of 2015 and willfinish later in the summer withResorts Casino Hotel offering morethan 64,000sq.ft of total meeting andevent space via 27 occasional rooms.

“This conference centre expan-sion is the latest example of the com-pany’s reinvestment in the propertyand Atlantic City as a whole as wecontinue to strategise ways to reviveand turnaround this market,” saidBailey.

“From the growing demand foradditional conference space from anew niche audience to the increasing

popularity of Margaritaville, ResortsCasino Hotel is showing a positivereturn on investment as a successfuldestination location on the eastcoast.”

The expansion is further proof inthe turnaround of a casino that nearlywent bust in 2009 and was subse-quently considered one of the city’smost vulnerable. For the first threemonths of the year, Resorts CasinoHotel posted a gross operating profitof nearly $4.5m (E3.6m) compared toa loss of $6.6m (E5.3m) for the corre-sponding period in 2013.

“This expansion plan furthers therepositioning of Resorts Casino Hotelas the company continues to makesmart investments that will transformthe property into a more vibrant andprofitable destination with offeringsbeyond casino gambling,” said MarkGiannantonio, president and CEO forResorts Casino Hotel.

EXPANSION

Once struggling AtlanticCity casino, the ResortsCasino Hotel, is buckingthe closure trend byplanning to build 12,000sq.ftof new conference space.

Resorts CasinoHotel unveils$9.4m expansion

UNITED STATES

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South & Central AmericaNews

roposed legislation thatwould change the way allforms of gambling in Mex-ico are governed has passedits first hurdle after recentlybeing approved by theChamber of Deputies.

The new Federal Bettingand Lottery Act is the prod-uct of a special eleven-member committee firstconvened in April of 2013and tasked with updatingthe nation’s gambling regu-lations following growingreports of corruption andallegations that formermembers the Interior Sec-

retariat had traffickedlicences.

The measure was passedby the lower legislativehouse in Mexico City ear-lier this month by a vote of297 in favour versus 34against with 17 abstentionsand will now head to the128-member Senate forconsideration.

Should it subsequentlyalso receive the assent ofpresident Enrique PenaNieto, the planned Actwould replace existing reg-ulations that date back to1947 and task the head of the

Interior Secretariat, MiguelAngel Osorio Chong, withnaming a boss for a newNational Institute of Gam-ing and Raffles. This regula-tor would be responsible forthe licensing and inspectionof all gaming establish-ments including casinos,racetracks and sports-books.

Another measure con-tained in the legislationwould see the minimumcasino entry age raised from18 to 21 while additionallyending the controversialpractice of ‘umbrella

licences’ that currently seeoperators permitted to run anumber of venues utilisingonly one licence.

The Act would alsoimpose heavy fines on thosefound to be breaking the lawincluding jail sentences ofup to five years for opera-tors convicted of runningillegal gambling establish-ments. There would also besteep penalties for playersfound to be knowingly gam-bling in a clandestine opera-tion while the currentpractice of licensing minia-ture casinos with less than

30 machines is also set to beforbidden.

A number of last-minutedevelopments saw the pro-posed legislation changedso that all new casinolicences would be valid foronly twelve years with sub-sequent extensions legiti-mate for a further decade.This move could cause dis-appointment among opera-tors with some arguing thatlicences that were valid forup to 20 years followed withsimilar extension periodswould help to encouragelarge-scale foreign invest-

The newlyproposed

Federal Bettingand Lottery Act

in Mexico wouldestablish new

NationalInstitute of

Gaming andRaffles

regulator, whileraising casino

entry age to 21.

LEGISLATION

Mexican gambling legislatpasses first hurdle

MEXICO


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BAHAMAS / COSTA RICA / MEXICO

High operating costs have forced twogaming venues to close their doors inthe Costa Rican capital, San José.

According to local news reports, the closureof the Casino Europa facilities, located in thenow-closed Hotel Europa and the RadissonHotel, have left 200 people out of work.

The Hotel Europa will pay the outstandingpayrolls of the former employees left joblessafter the sudden closure of the hotel, Ministerof Labour, Victor Morales, said after a meetingwith hotel representatives.

However, the lawyer representing the hotel,Hugo Navas, admitted that the hotel does not

have all the necessary funds to pay the holidaybonuses and may need to take a bank loan tocover the cost.

Navas said a $182,000 (E146,000) electricitybill made it difficult for the company to con-tinue operating the hotel and two casinos,which culminated in the decision to shut downthe operation.

The Europa Hotel and Casino Europa ven-tures were owned by entrepreneur LuisMilanés, who will be going on trial for an unre-lated fraud charge in July 2015. In September,another Milanés property, the Royal DutchHotel and Casino, shut its doors in the capital.

Baha Mar, the operatorbehind the $3.5bn(E2.8bn) destination

casino resort currently underconstruction on Cable Beachnear Nassau, has converted thenearby Crystal Palace Hotel toserve as a training facility for itsfuture employees.

The giant new developmentbroke ground in February of2011 and is expected to openaround June using the CrystalPalace Hotel site as a live train-ing ground for more than 1,400future employees.

“Approximately 100 CrystalPalace employees have alreadybeen invited to accept newpositions at the Melia NassauBeach Hotel and Baha Mar,”

read a statement from BahaMar, which is the brainchild ofentrepreneur Sarkis Izmirlian.

“More than 350 new casinoemployees have been in train-ing classes at the Crystal Palacesince July and will complementthe existing casino staff.”

Being built by China StateConstruction Engineering withfunding from the Asian nation’sstate bank, the new casinoresort five miles from the cen-tre of Nassau and six from Lyn-den Pindling InternationalAirport will include 2,200 hotelrooms, a nightclub designed bymusician Lenny Kravitz andluxury condominiums pricedas high as $12m (E9.6m). Beingfashioned as a competitor tothe nearby Atlantis ParadiseIsland, the development willadditionally feature a 100,000-

square-foot casino and the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus SignatureGolf Course.

“All Baha Mar employees arebeing held to the highest stan-dards of performance and serv-ice that will distinguish BahaMar as a global destinationresort,” read the statementfrom Baha Mar.

“We offered extensive addi-tional training to all CrystalPalace employees to educatethem to the luxury service stan-dards that will be key to thenew Baha Mar brand andimage. We’re further investingin training literally thousandsof future employees at theCrystal Palace facility and weencourage all current andpotential Baha Mar employeesto strive for growth and profes-sional development.”

STAFF TRAINING

BAHAMAS

COSTA RICA

Crystal Palace to serve asBaha Mar training facility

CLOSURES

Costa Rica hit bycasino closures

SOUTHAMERICAROUND-UP

Anew casino planned for theMexican northern bordertown of Ciudad Juarez is

hoping to appeal to Americangamblers by offering a range ofhigh-stakes poker and tablegames.

Although the venue, which isbeing dubbed Room 802 and willbe about a 15-minute drive fromEl Paso, Texas, will be one ofseven casinos in the town, it is tobe the only one to offer pokeralong with a special VIP room forhigh-stakes players.

Meanwhile in Chile, the govern-ment has extended the licencesof seven state-owned casinos byanother two years to give munici-palities until the end of 2017 tofind a private buyer.

Chile is currently in the processof deregulating its gambling mar-ket while 2005 legislation alsoauthorised the construction of 18

additional casinos. But, localauthorities that operate their ownvenues objected to the December31, 2015 hand-over deadline withlast month’s extension designedto give these boroughs more timeto locate additional sources offunding.

Also in South America, the Min-istry of Finance and Economy inUruguay is in trouble after reveal-ing that it has paid $334,728(E272,334) over the last year torent an empty building for the pur-poses of housing its state casinoregulator.

The high-rise in Montevideowas reportedly rented onNovember 28, 2013, at a cost of$33,810 (E27,503) per monthand has yet to be equipped orused by the Department of StateCasinos while the rent for theregulator’s current headquarterscomes in at a lower $20,140(E16,383) per month.

slation

ment in the sector.“The Interior Secretariat

and members of the Cham-ber of Deputies have agreedto fast-track the issue,which will allow for newmodern legislation withclear and transparent rulesthat fit in with the country’scurrent needs and gener-ates certainty for those whotake part in this activity,”said Chong.

“It does so by replacingthe Federal Betting andRaffles Law, which datesback to 1947 and is nowobsolete.”

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Despite collecting record amountsof tax from casinos over the pastfour years, officials in Macau are

increasingly failing to spend these fundssubsequently budgeted for improve-ments to education, roads, bridges,ports and public transport, reports theMacau Business Daily.

Over the first 10 months of the year,officials have spent a mere 14.2 per cent,or $263m (E212.7m), of the $1.85bn(E1.49bn) collected from gamblingestablishments in tax, while the figurecomes to only 39.6 per cent for thewhole of the last decade.

From 2011 to 2013, Macau saw gamingtax rates rise by 40 per cent from$11.77bn (E9.51bn) to $15.78bn (E12.76bn)while officials have consequently failedto spend some $3.41bn (E2.75bn) in bud-geted Public Investment Plan fundsbetween 2009 and 2013.

The news comes as Beijing urgedMacau to cut its focus on casinos, whichnow employ more than half of the formerPortuguese colony’s population of624,000. According to a story from TheTelegraph, the city has therefore begun a

strategy that will see it follow the lead ofLas Vegas and concentrate on con-structing more family-oriented enter-tainment facilities while celebritiesincluding David Beckham have beensigned up to serve as ‘regional ambassa-dors’.

Finally, a piece in the Las Vegas Sunhas detailed how a man that recentlywon over $14.28m (E11.54m) thanks to a

$20 (E16.17) wager on a Rampart Casinoslot machine plans to donate the fundsto charity and his church.

The unnamed player was visiting LasVegas with a friend when he hit the multi-million windfall thanks to the Megabucksslot and now plans to help his church,which has been holding services in ahigh school gymnasium, construct itown bespoke venue.

MEDIA WATCH

As Macau looks to diversifyits economy away from a

reliance on gambling,government officials are

struggling to spend millions ofdollars in tax collected fromcasinos while a man in Las

Vegas has pledged todonate a recent slot win of

over $14m to charity.

t the 2014 edition of the Macao GamingShow last month, amid talk that Macauwas set to report its lowest monthly rev-enue since 2012, one exhibitor laid out asimple list of numbers:

“When you look at Macau, the SAR wel-comed 30 million visitors last year, 80 percent of whom were from Mainland China.Although this figure is high, there are 1.3billion people in Mainland China, so only asmall percentage of people are coming toplay at this time.”

Despite the recent reports on Macau’sperformance, the growth potential of the

Chinese market is staggering. From 1995to 2005, the population of China’s middleclass - defined as households with annualincomes ranging from $6,000 to $25,000 -grew from close to zero in 1995 to an esti-mated 87m in 2005, according to Master-Card Worldwide, Asia Pacific.

China’s middle class will jump to 340mby 2016. The purchasing power - dispos-able income minus savings - of China’smiddle class is also growing. In 2006,around 39 per cent of urban householdswere middle class. By 2016, that percent-age will likely rise to 60 per cent.

According to a market report in ChinaBusiness Review, the middle classaccounts for 27 per cent of China’s totalurban disposable income. By 2015, thatpercentage is expected to rise to morethan 40 per cent. “Considering its swellingnumbers, purchasing power, and trajec-tory, China’s middle class presents mar-keting opportunities that companiescannot afford to miss,” the report’sauthors, Kheehong Song and Allison Cui,said.

As International Casino Review went topress, reports emerged that consumerprices in China eased to a five-year low inNovember. The figures are the latest in astring of government data that showed adeeper-than-expected slowdown in theChinese economy.

However, although over recent weeksChina has proved itself susceptible to mar-ket forces, the country’s long-term growthis all but assured - and this will translateinto added revenues for Macau.

Stiff competition is being handed out byother ‘Big Leisure’ sectors in China, suchas theme parks and family entertainmentcentres. Rival casino operations else-where in Asia are also getting better atpulling consumers away. But the nextwave of major casino resort projects onCotai over the coming years should ensurelong-term stability in what remains theworld’s largest gambling market.

“The new global middle class in China,India and Brazil have propelled theireconomies to equal the size of the industri-alised G7 countries,” said Linda Yueh,chief business correspondent at the BBC.“By 2050, they are forecast to account fornearly half of world output, far surpassingthe G7.”

MARKETS

China’s market potentialwill serve Macau for many

years to come, writesJames Walker.

Macau business, daily

Tip of the iceberg:China’s risingmiddle class

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MGS 2014Review

The second edition of the Macao GamingShow (MGS), which attracted an interna-tional audience of C-Level gaming profes-sionals to the Venetian Macao onNovember 18-20, has been declared a majorsuccess with all key performance indica-tors (KPI) utilised by the organisers show-ing a positive year-on-year trend.

The attendance figure jumped from8,634 in 2013 to 11,987, an increase of 39 percent. The number of exhibiting companiesrose 30 per cent to 146, and the number ofexhibiting countries represented at MGSjumped from 11 to 20.

MGS opened in style with an address byJay Chun, chairman of the Macau GamingEquipment Manufacturers Association(MGEMA), the organiser of the show. Theopening ceremony was attended by inter-national gaming community and membersof the world’s media.

Besides MGEMA, officiating guestsfrom show co-organisers, supportingorganisations and diamond sponsorsgraced the opening ceremony. And it wasan impressive list including GamingInspection and Coordination Bureau(DICJ), Macao Trade and Investment Pro-motion Institute (IPIM), Macao Founda-tion, Macau Government Tourist Office(MGTO), General Association of Adminis-trators and Promoters for Macau GamingIndustry, Associao de Mediadores de Jogose Entretenimento de Macau, Macau Jockey

Club, Macau Slot, Macau (Yat Yuen)Canidrome Company, and representativesfrom all six gaming concessionaires ofMacau.

Chun believes that the success of MGShas sent out a clear message to the interna-tional gaming community. He stated: “Gam-ing professionals from throughout theworld as well as from the domestic industryhere in Macao took the opportunity to visitour exhibitors, to network with industrycolleagues, and to listen to the key notespeakers we assembled as part of the co-located Macao Gaming Summit whichdebated key topics impacting gaming inAsia. The show floor went beyond just gam-ing. We have a broader exhibitor baseshowcasing top gaming and non-gamingproducts and services, even luxury cars,including one worth HK$30m (E3.1m).

“Our international guests who came toMacau have witnessed the tremendouslyexciting projects that are taking place here.They saw at first hand the economic devel-opment of the city, which has been madepossible through the support of the govern-ment. I am delighted that MGS has beenable to play a part in assisting internationalgaming delegates to understand thedynamics of the city and the uniquely pro-gressive vision of our government.”

In addition to the action on the showfloor, MGS 2014 included an expanded con-ference programme that tackled the indus-

try’s most pressing issues. More than 30gaming industry leaders provided a uniqueinsight to the future of gaming in Asia dur-ing the three-day programme, with a partic-ular focus on established and emergingjurisdictions, including Japan, Laos, Cam-bodia, Vietnam, Korea and Sri Lanka, aswell as Macau.

Chun continued: “Our survey showedthat over 96 per cent of attendees are likelyto return to MGS in 2015 and that 94 per centwould recommend MGS to work colleaguesor industry peers. Based on these findingsand other show statistics, it is clear thatMGS has built on the momentum generatedfollowing its launch in 2013 when many sim-ilar events struggle in their second year. Weare now busy preparing for year three andputting an ambitious but deliverable strat-egy in place to take Asia’s number-one gam-ing exhibition to the next level.

“On a personal note I am very grateful forthe hard work of our organising team, forthe contributions made by the MGS sup-porting organisations, to our DiamondSponsors comprising: Galaxy Entertain-ment Group, Melco Crown Entertainment,MGM, Sands China, SJM and Wynn Macauas well as the international media for theirfantastic coverage and support. MGS is theonly show that is truly representative ofthe Asian gaming industry and I look for-ward to continuing the success story at theVenetian on 17–19 November 2015.”

As the MacaoGaming Show sets

about the task ofestablishing itself as

the leading gamingindustry trade show inAsia, the organisers of

the event havereported a near 40 per

cent increase invisitors in 2014.

MGS looks to the future witambition and confidence

MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014

CR146-p26-37-MGS previewG_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 10:53 Page 1

MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ‘WE ARE NOW BUSY PREPARING FOR YEAR THREE AND PUTTINGAN AMBITIOUS BUT DELIVERABLE STRATEGY IN PLACE...’ WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM


MACAO GAMING SHOW / MACAO GAMING SUMMIT

MACAO GAMING SUMMIT 2014


e withce

CELEBRATINGGAMINGEXCELLENCE

The second edition of MGSprovided an opportunity for theindustry’s leading innovators to

be recognised. The MGS SlotExperience Centre (SEC) allowedexhibitors to put their slot machinesinto competition and receive valuablefeedback from invited casino VIPplayers, casino slot directors andmanagers, slot professionals, andgeneral players who ‘test drove’ theseproducts before casting their votes.After two days of intense competition,the four slots prize winners were:Best Theme: Rising Dragon byKonami Gaming; Best Graphics: SkyRider Golden Amulet by AristocratTechnologies; Best Sound: SamuraiDragon by Aruze Gaming; and BestPlaying Experience: NovolineInteractive Mix All-In-One by LaxinoSystems. MGS organisers providedstatistics and player feedbackcomments to each participatingcompany in order to provide insightfrom both playing and operatorperspective, as well as providinginput for future game development.

Running in parallel with MGS,the Macao Gaming Summitprovided expo attendees and

figures from the international gam-ing industry a chance to reflect onthe region’s trends and to look for-ward to the future of gaming inMacau and beyond.

The event’s keynote speaker, Mar-garet Huang, ticked both boxes,using statistics from her work atBloomberg Intelligence to reveal thestories behind Macau’s recent finan-cial trends and provide a glimpseinto the future.

Huang highlighted that Macauremained the centre of the gamingworld. “On a monthly basis,” shesaid, “Macau is about seven timesthe size of Vegas.” In terms of visitornumbers, however, it’s a completelydifferent story. Vegas attractsaround 40 percent more touriststhan Macau, which, says Huang,“speaks volumes about the marketthat’s here - people come to gamble.”

Traditionally, Macau’s successhas been driven by the VIP market

and a it’s drop in VIP revenue whichhas led to the region’s matching dipin the past two quarters. However,Huang revealed that an operator’sprofit margins on VIP players are farlower than mass market. Differingfrom 12-13 percent to around 40 per-cent. “This is why a lot of casinooperators are focussing towards thismore profitable segment,” sheexplained.

She predicted that year-on-yearcomparisons may continue toappear unfavourable into May nextyear, thanks in part to unprece-dented growth in 2013. The slow-down during 2014, contrasted withmassive growth during the previous12 months, has made the coolingappear more dramatic at first glance.

A change in attitudes towardsMacau from Hong Kong and main-land visitors has also had an impact.Border easing and good travel infra-structure has meant that more peo-ple can travel in and out of Macau onthe same day. However, these visi-tors spend less than those that stay

overnight, which means that a sim-ple analysis of mass market visita-tion may not reveal the whole story.

The cause of this trend may wellbe a lack of capacity. Macau’s manyhotel rooms are fully booked almostyear round and as more rooms arecreated during the coming year,Huang suggested that this problemmay resolve itself.

The low rate of 1.17 percent unem-ployment has also taken its toll.“You’ve already started to see opera-tors paying higher wages and offer-ing benefits to try and retain peopleand attract more,” said Huang. “Oper-ators will also need 50,000 more peo-ple for all the new casinos resorts inthe pipeline during the next fewyears.”

However, noted Huang, thisfocus on why growth in Macau isslowing belies the fact that it is stillan extremely strong market.“There’s certainly a lot of opportu-nity ahead of us,” she confirmed,“and 2015 is going to be a year ofsheer volume growth.”

Data driven keynote drivesMacau understanding

The MacaoGamingSummit kickedoff with a keynotepresentation fromBloombergIntelligenceresearch analyst,Margaret Huang,who explained thedata behind shiftsin the Macaumarketplace.

Jay Chun


www.macaogamingshow.com

Venetian Macao17-19 November 2015

For more information contact [email protected], visit MacaoGamingShow.com or telephone +853 6363 0080 or +852 6329 6008

See younext

year! Event Organizer

Supporting Organizations

“A unique celebration of gaming in Asia and onewhich enabled us to demonstrate the depth andbreadth of our total casino solutions offering,” is

how Betty Zhao, chief operating officer at LT Gamechose to describe the company’s successful appear-ance at November’s Macao Gaming Show (MGS).

Following the partnership with IGT, which wasannounced in September, LT Game used the opportu-nity presented by its ‘home show’ to demonstrate thenew power house in casino gaming to an audience ofbuyers and industry professionals from countriesincluding Japan, Cambodia, US, Canada, Philippines,Vietnam, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UK, Austria, Sloveniaand the Netherlands, as well as Macau.

Zhao said: “We had the largest stand at MGS whichwe needed in order to show the totality of our productportfolio. There’s a great symmetry between the per-sonalities and team cultures at LT Game and IGT, and itwas fitting to cement our relationship at such an impor-tant and high profile event as MGS.”

LT Game’s commitment to innovation and its strongR&D culture was much in evidence with productsdeveloped to suit the needs of the market. Zhaoexplained: “One of the many product highlights werethe versions of our E-Baccarat, which we showed inboth traditional and bar top formats. In addition to

delivering a secure, fast and convenient gaming experi-ence for players, E-Baccarat has significant opera-tional benefits not least the fact that it is ‘attendantfree’, which not only reduces overheads but is particu-larly important in those jurisdictions which suffer froma shortage of labour.

“The bar top version delivers the same high endplayer experience but in a casual and compact mannerwhich is an important consideration for operators ofsmaller casinos where space is at a premium.”

Another product which attracted significant interestfrom stand visitors at MGS was the luxury Airline Con-cept Betting Terminal. Comprising the most advancedlive multi game system on the market and an HD touch-screen for betting, the product also features a fullyfunctional massage sofa and service functions includ-ing a service call phone, reading and background lights,a dining table, power supply and USB port.

“This represents the ultimate in private, luxury gam-ing entertainment,” stated Zhao. “Inspired by the firstclass airline experience, this terminal delivers gamingas its never been experienced before.”

She concluded: “MGS is extremely important to LTGame and we believe the growing influence of MGS willplay a part in helping us to expand further our growinginfluence on the international stage.”

LT GAME

LT Game cements IGTpartnership at MacaoGaming ShowLT Game’s commitment to innovation was underlined at MGS 2014, as was itsincreasing sphere of influence across the globe.

MGS 2014Review

In 2014, TCS John Huxley has been concentrating onrolling out its Gaming Floor Live platform as well as anumber of product releases, including the Blaze

suite.“The most significant project we recently supplied

was the Solaire Casino expansion in the Philippines,”said Tracy Cohen, director of marketing for the UK-based group. “This included over 60 tables and seesthe venue more than double in size with an increasedVIP gaming area.

“One of our strongest products this year is GamingFloor Live for Baccarat, with over 900 tables installed todate,” Cohen added. “This real-time game optimisationtool is designed to maximise key performance areasand profitability. Casinos now have powerful informa-tion at their fingertips that can assess Dealer Account-ability by giving real-time feedback on dealerperformance as well as speed of each of the handsbeing dealt; Pit Visibility with Table Alerting and Report-ing; Increased Security providing surveillance views ofall tables, alerts and incidents as well as complete FloorOptimisation with back of house reporting for tableoptimisation. All this is available on an open platformthat can interface with existing systems, if required.

“By having visibility of enough data and knowledge torefine and optimise processes even a tiny amount,operators are able to save and make more money. Evena fractional optimisation on the scale of Macau tablerevenues, adds up to a significant and positive changeto profitability. As a result, there has been a great deal ofinterest in the platform and we expect to roll this out in anumber of properties throughout Asia in 2015.”

There are a number of openings planned across Asiain 2015 and 2016, and to meet the growing marketdemands TCS John Huxley has focused this year onstrengthening its team by hiring the right people todrive our business forward as well as a continued com-mitment to develop key products for the region.

“We continue to grow our market share in Macau,Singapore and Malaysia and with new markets in thePhilippines opening up, it is important we are posi-tioned to provide the right service and support to meetthe market requirements and our evolving productmix,” Cohen said.

TCS JOHN HUXLEY

Maximising profitsthrough GamingFloor Live



BALLY TECHNOLOGIES

BALLY TECH SLOTS JCM GLOBAL IVIZION LT GAME E-BACCARAT NOVOMATIC NOVOSTAR VIPTCS JOHN HUXLEY GAMING FLOOR LIVE


BALLY TECHNOLOGIES / JCM GLOBAL / LT GAME / NOVOMATIC / TCS JOHN HUXLEY

Bally Technology’s $1.3bn (E1.1bn)acquisition of SHFL Entertainment inNovember 2013 saw the creation of

one of the world’s most diversified gaminggroups,

Speaking at the 2014 edition of the MacaoGaming Show (MGS), Ken Jolly, vice presi-dent of Asian operations for SHFL, said: “TheSHFL business in Asia prior to the Ballyacquisition was growing, and one of the greatthings about SHFL as a company was that itwas very diversified in its product range.

“Not only did we have a range of slotmachines, we also had a range of electronictable games. On top of that, we had propri-etary tables and, of course, the utilities thatSHFL built its business on: shufflers.”

Jolly said the merging of Bally and SHFL

created a much more diversified company.“As we move forward, with ScientificGames’ announcement, this adds furtherdelivery systems to our portfolio, and keepsus the most diversified company in the gam-ing industry and certainly one of the largestplayers in the marketplace,” he said.

Discussing the growth potential of gam-ing markets around Asia, Jolly stated: “Whenyou look at Macau, the SAR welcomed 30 mil-lion visitors last year, 80 per cent of whomwere from Mainland China. Although this fig-ure is high, there are 1.3bn people in Main-land China, so only a small percentage ofpeople are coming to play at this time, so thegrowth potential is huge, particularly whenyou consider what’s being planned over thenext few years in terms of casino openings.”

JCM Global continues to focus on bothnew and established markets in Asia,with the company’s recent acquisition

further helping operators maximise theirfloor efficiency.

Kunal Mishra, general manager of Asiasales for JCM Global, said: “Our major prod-ucts at Macao Gaming Show (MGS) are, ofcourse, the iVizion bill validator and Future-Logic’s Gen3 printers.”

The validation and denominationprocess of iVizion is powered by ContactImage Sensor (CIS) technology that scans75 times more data points than any competi-tive product and captures the full image of abanknote or a ticket. It optically centres ban-

knotes and eliminates the need for mechani-cal centreing, improving banknote-to-ban-knote-processing speed.

Inside iVizion is some of the best securitycombination in gaming: a combined opticaland patented mechanical anti-stringingdevice that detects and prevents manipula-tion or mechanical cheating. It runs fasterwith a powerful processor solely dedicatedto banknote evaluation, resulting in a 99+per cent acceptance rate and the fastest ban-knote-to-banknote processing speed. It isself-calibrating, accepts banknotes up to85mm wide and has a sealed banknote pathwith dirt and liquid resistant design, result-ing in less service-related down time.

“JCM is a leading supplier of peripheraltechnology for the global gaming market,”Mishra said. “Earlier this year, we mergedwith the leading supplier of printers in thismarket, FutureLogic, and this has created apowerful combination of complementingproducts.

“iVision by itself was arguably the num-ber one validator in its space. In this year inAsia we expect the majority of casinos willhave a combination of JCM products ontheir casino floor. One of our challenges isreally to be able to show the complementarynature of the products and the service andhow we’re trying to get two companies andtrying to build a complete solutions package

for our customers.”Mishra added: “Our DNA solution really

represents the merger of the applications ofperipheral technologies. By themselves,peripheral components are singular compo-nents that talk to a machine, but to be able tobring the value out in these components, wereally need to be able to have solutions andtechnologies and software that allow us todo that.

“We are creating a software package thatallows us to download the firmware for a billvalidator; to be able to check on the health ofthe bill validator or printer; to really be ableto bring out the value to the operators ofmaking their floors more efficient.”

Arange of Novomatic gamingproducts were on display at thisyear’s Macao Gaming Show

(MGS).Exhibiting alongside Jade Entertain-

ment and Gaming Technologies, Novo-matic’s Novostar VIP and PantherRoulette II took centre stage, as DavidOrrick (pictured), director of communi-cations and business development,said the group continues to support itspartners in the region.

An ideal fit for high-end gaming inAsia, the Novostar VIP includes a giant46-inch TFT screen positioned at theperfect ergonomic distance for bestgame play using the Flip-Screen Fea-ture to bring the games into an amaz-ing panorama format. The featuredCrown VIP chair with integrated soundsystem and start button in the armrestcompletes the thrilling gaming experi-ence of this unique cabinet innovation.

Panther Roulette II, meanwhile,uniquely blends the essence ofroulette with classic arcade pinball,delivering a new and immersive gam-

ing experience.Philippines-based Jade Entertain-

ment has been rapidly building a solidreputation as a trusted provider ofelectronic gaming machines and othergaming technologies.

JCM GLOBAL

JCM: makinggaming floorsmore efficientAfter acquiring FutureLogic earlier this year, JCM Global exhibitedat this year’s MGS with an expanded range of peripherals andprinters.

The JCM Globaland FutureLogic

team at MGS 2014

NOVOMATIC

Novomatic takes luxurygaming to MGS

Bally grows Asia footprintthrough SHFL acquisition

Ken Jolly



MGS 2014


APEX GAMING APEX PLAYER STATION IGT TOKIDOKI MATSUI RFID CASINO CHIP


APEX GAMING / IGT / MATSUI

Review

The flagship technology of themodern casino chip is RFID. Thisbuilt-in hardware allows for

unprecedented security and was, ofcourse, a major component of theproducts Japanese experts, Matsui,brought to the Macau Gaming Show.

The company’s RFID selectionboasted a significant advantage. “Thevery unique point is that our’s com-bines gate checking for employees,”said Shigeki Machida, managing direc-tor of Matsui Asia. “Normally the RFIDmicrochip cannot work together with amagnetic sticker, but our technologyhas some special treatment.”

Although the company has madereal progress in Europe during recentyears, Asia remains its core market.“We have been doing very good in theEuropean area, but its only 30 percentof our business,” said Machida. “Fif-teen percent is in US and the rest isAsia. Including Korea and Macau.”

This has an impact on the kinds ofcasino equipment that Matsui pro-duces. “In Europe they use more jetonsand plaques, the French style,” saidMachida, and the company’s display inMacau included a new range ofplaques which matched the style of itstrademark chips. “In Asia they still usethe plaques, but not many the jetons,”confirmed Machida. “The player hereprefers the metal chips and that’s ourcore product.”

The growth path of Apex Gaming in Asia was clear to see fromthe reaction of the visitors to this year’s Macao Gaming Show(MGS).

Together with local partner Laxino Systems Limited, the Apexteam enjoyed an extremely positive and busy show.

The Apex Player Station (APS) was warmly greeted by visitors tothe stand. This electronic multiplayer offers roulette and also threeother table games: bacarrat, sic-bo and the Apex game, Quikker,which is a unique card-based game.

“We have done our homework and will continue to do it,” saidMax Pessnegger, CEO of Apex Gaming. “We have studied playerrequirements. We have not just taken our European offer and exhib-ited these products. That explains why the APS is already certifiedfor the Macau market. Together with Laxino, we will be investing inensuring that our product range is ideal to meet local needs andrequirements.”

The strategy of introducing Apex Gaming to the South East Asianmarket is following clear steps. The first step has been successfullycompleted - the certification of the APS with four table games. Thenext step will to be to include slots games especially targeted toplayer needs here. The third step is then to offer the updated slotssolutions - namely the Pinnacle 24-inch upright and Pinnacle SL 27-inch slant top gaming machines.

“We have set our strategy and are looking for long-term success inSouth East Asia,” Pessnegger added. “There are opportunities forcompanies who offer the best gaming entertainment solutions. Hav-ing such a strong partner in Laxino ensures that we attain continualmarket feedback to safeguard we are creating the right solutions.

“We do not expect immediate success. We know and under-stand that it will take time to establish ourselves. We believe wehave the right solutions and look forward to supporting our cus-tomers there.”

MATSUI

Matsuiunifies chiptechnology

APEX GAMING

Apex Gaming steers for growth in South East Asia

Together with local partner Laxino Systems, theApex team enjoyed an extremely positive andbusy Macao Gaming Show this year.

IGT is renowned for producing slot titlesthat appeal to players’ different needs.The Las Vegas-based company offers

everything from entertainment-focusedtitles that utilise the world’s hottestbrands, to those which offer compellingvolatility levels for big bonuses.

Speaking at this year’s Macao GamingShow (MGS), Sabby Gill, senior vice presi-dent of international sales for IGT, reiter-ated the company’s commitment to theAsian gaming market.

Gill talked through the development ofIGT’s culturally-specific titles, and said thecompany’s success in the region has comethrough its local development studios in

Beijing and Sydney.“Tokidoki has been one of the highlights

of the year in Asia,” Gill said. “The other hasbeen our modular progressives, such asSan Xing Bao Xi. This format is workingwell - it particularly appeals to high rollers.Our Australia studio has also created a raftof new games that appeal to key demo-graphics, such as Dragon Fairy, Jade For-tune and Dragon Dance.”

“In terms of innovation, we have beenfocusing on compelling bonus features,”Gill said. “And when it comes to presenta-tion, we have been looking closely at char-acter sets - not only in relation to language,but also images. Having this approach has

been instrumental to our success.“We saw several major operators

throughout MGS this year,” Gill added. “Wewill also be moving to a new location in theAIA Tower in Macau. The upgraded show-room and offices reconfirms our dedica-tion to the market.”

Discussing IGT’s recently-signed part-nership agreement with LT Game, a lead-ing player in the Macanese casinoequipment market, Gill said: “The relation-ship with LT Game really allows us to ben-efit from their local presence, while IGTwill look to tap new markets for the com-pany’s own products in markets, particu-larly outside of Asia.

Chairman and CEO of the MatsuiGroup Takashi Matsui ( left) andShigeki Machida, managingdirector, Matsui Asia

IGT

Compelling local content from IGT

A freshly inked deal with LTGame, along with a host ofAsia-specific titles, resulted inwidespread interest at IGT’sbooth at this year’s MacaoGaming Show.

Sabby Gil l


www.ltgame.com [email protected]

Providing the Most Invigorating and InnovativeGaming Products

Providing the Most Invigorating and In

Live Multi Game


Macau’s status as the brightest star ingaming’s constellation oftendemands the biggest and the best

from the companies who support it. Thatincludes Aristocrat, whose stand at theMacao Gaming Show was dominated by ahigh resolution upgrade to some of its bestloved games.

The display centred around the newHelix cabinet, which was on show in bothupright and slant form. The latter boasted anew Super Screen - a high definitionwidescreen monitor designed to get thebest out of the company’s graphicallydriven titles.

“You want full HD in your house, youwant full HD in your casinos,” said market-ing manager, Nathan Drane (pictured,right). He also revealed that the simple addi-

tion of an high quality screen to the com-pany’s Helix machine has already elicitedpositive results. “What we’ve seen in othermarkets is the same game in widescreenactually outperform another Helix,” saidDrane. “It just gives it an extra punch whenit’s in full HD. The graphics were alreadybuilt to that standard.”

The Helix is not only about workmanshipon the digital side. Regional marketing man-ager, Miguel Choi (pictured, left), explainedhow the hardware had been created withthe human body in mind. “We did a lot ofdesign on this,” he said, “including anergonomic study to fit the machine to 95 per-cent of players.”

The team also revealed that they areworking on hitting all three of Macau’smajor market slices. “The first is mass mar-

ket, the second is premium and the third isVIP,” explained Drane. “So there’s our coreAristocrat volatile games, such as FiveDragons, which really are our staples andnow we’re trying to diversify into moremass market, as we’re seeing more playerscome from this area.

This mass market strategy may include afew big licensed titles, which have provedpopular for Aristocrat in the US. “They aredefinitely mass market products,” Dranesaid of licences such as The Walking Dead.“They are products that are going to get peo-ple on the floor that may not have tradition-ally done so.”

With Macau’s big players looking topush mass market visitation, the layout oftheir gambling floors becomes moreimportant than ever. For Aristocrat, offer-ing licensed titles is one of many ways theycan support casino designers. “What doyou put near the entrance to get peopleonto the floors?” asks Drane. “You say peo-ple do it with big jackpots, for example andyou can do it through hardware differentia-tion, which may be Wonder Wheels fromAristocrat, or you can do it through cabinetdifferentiation. There’s a whole manner ofways we’re going to look at for this marketin the future.”

ARISTOCRAT

Helix hasMacau in a spinA new eye-catching upgrade to the Helix cabinet marks the nextstep in Aristocrat’s Asian expansion.

Gaming Standards Association presidentPeter DeRaedt was one of the final speak-ers at the Macao Gaming Summit, deliver-

ing an invigorating presentation to onlookers onthe unstoppable march of technological progress.

One his key desires was to emphasise the blur-ring of lines between land-based and internetgaming technology. As server based slot pack-ages and on-site tablets become an increasinglyprevalent feature of the global gaming market, thiscreates challenges for regulators and operators.“Gaming is shifting from game centre to systemcentric to player centric,” said DeRaedt. The GSAchief emphasised that there would be more than1.75bn smartphones in use around the worldbefore the end of 2014, with some analysts pre-dicting that annual growth may top 39 percent.

All of this unstoppable change places pressureof governments to craft regulations to deal withwhat DeRaedt called a “borderless and facelessnew industry.” A lack of applicable standards hasled to the creation of custom interfaces for every

system licensed, creation confusion and a lack ofconsistency.

This is where the GSA can step in, explainedDeRaedt. “We can encourage collaborationbetween industry stakeholders and support thecreation of any standard that helps the industry,”he said. The group has a strong track record ofcreating standards used widely across both theonline and land-based industries.

Certain regulatory agencies have adopted theGSA’s standards full bore. The CanadianProvinces stipulate the use of GSA standards,while Greece does the same for its 35,000 videolottery terminals. Overall GSA standards are in playin 76 countries.

This coverage feeds into DeRaedt’s goal toencourage the adoption of open communicationstandards between regulators and companies.This bridge building project, he contends, is key tokeeping our heads above the water as theprogress of technology continues to swamp theglobal gaming industry.

GAMING STANDARDS ASSOCIATION

DeRaedt: Globalgaming mustrespond to rateof change

MGS 2014

ARISTOCRAT HELIX CABINET GAMING STANDARDS ASSOCIATION WMS GAMING WINNINGFORTUNE PROGRESSIVES


ARISTOCRAT / GAMING STANDARDS ASSOCIATION / RGB INTERNATIONAL / WMS GAMING

Review

RGB International, the Malaysia-based gaming manufac-turer, distributor and technical support services provider,took a range of products to this year’s Macao Gaming

Show (MGS).According to chief operating officer, Steven Lim, the listed

company has been a distributor of WMS Gaming products formore than 10 years. This year, the company showcased a rangeof Asia-specific titles from the manufacturer, including the Win-ning Fortune Progressives, known as Yi Lu Fa.

Yi Lu Fa was created with the Asian market specifically at theheart of its development. This product offers five levels of pro-gressives, an interactive feature that allows players to place thetop progressive symbol on the wheel before spinning, and threebase themes, Wishing You Fortune, Far East Fortunes Deluxe andDragon’s Legend, each with unique bonus rounds.

With roots going back to 1986, RGB is acknowledged as a pre-mier supplier of gaming machines and equipment in Asia.

RGB INTERNATIONAL / WMS GAMING

RGB showcases WMS titles

RGB chiefoperating officer,

Steven Lim (right) ,with Patrick Ng,

senior salesmanager for

WMS Gaming


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BMM Testlabs, the global independentgaming certification group, contin-ues to grow its activities in Asia, as

new markets open up and existing territo-ries refine their existing regulations.

“BMM’s Asia business has grown year-on-year since we first entered the region,”said Kirk White, executive vice presidentand general manager for BMM in the Asia-Pacific region, at the recent Macao GamingShow (MGS). “As the number of regulatedgaming jurisdictions around Asia growsBMMs Macau and Singapore labs are gear-ing up for an increased demand.”

In May, BMM announced that it had suc-cessfully extended its ISO:17025 QualityTesting Accreditation Standards for itsBMM Singapore branch to include onlinegaming, and had achieved the ISO:17025Accreditation for its Macau testlab facility.

This was followed by news in Octoberthat the group had received approval of its

Singapore licence by the country’s CasinoRegulatory Authority (CRA).

Although BMM has been licensed withthe Singapore CRA for some time under Sin-gapore Recognised Testing Laboratory(STRL), the CRA recently updated therequirements for testlab licences toApproved Testing Service Provider (ATSP),requiring BMM to be newly certified.

As BMM grows its Asia operations, thecompany is currently looking to testers inSingapore and Macau, along with a newbusiness development manager to supportthe group’s activities in the region.

“There has been a great deal of change inthe manufacturing world during 2014, andwe are yet to understand the outcomes ofthe recent consolidations in regards to themarket product offerings. I am sure anychanges will bring opportunity as well aschallenges so it will be interesting to seewhat happens during 2015.”

MGS 2014Review

BMM TESTLABS

GTech has enjoyed a successful year in Asia, with thelaunch of Plants vs. Zombies and Zuma slot games,which are both showing very promising results.

The group, which exhibited at this year’s Macao GamingShow (MGS), is currently in the final stages of regulatoryapprovals for Plants vs. Zombies 3D, Zuma 3D and Sphinx 3Din Macau.

“We expect these games to be huge successes, just asSphinx 3D is in both Europe and the US,” said Marcel Heut-mekers, vice president of commercial gaming, international,for GTech. “It’s been installed, or is scheduled to be installed,across many major operations, and in many locations is per-forming three to four times the house average.

He added: “For casino systems, we also had a very suc-cessful 2014, and extended our footprint across the regionwith multiple new installations, including some of our latestproduct portfolio extensions, such as our junket module.We also expanded our local team from our Kuala Lumpur

base in Malaysia.“Asia is a very important market for GTech. It’s shown

some incredible growth in recent years, and is expected tocontinue. It’s a key part of GTech’s expansion strategy for thecoming years, and we are committed to delivering high-qual-ity products and services that are customised for and adaptedto regional preferences and regulations.

“The launch of our Sphinx 3D game and expanded libraryof 3D products for Macau is the next major next step in thisstrategy.”

Discussing the success of MGS 2014, Heutmekers said:“MGS was a very well-organised show, and the organisers did agreat job. The event was very successful for GTech, as we wereable to build anticipation by demonstrating some of our prod-ucts that will soon be available in the market. Attendance wasvery good, and we were pleased to participate. The show itselfis still young, and has potential to grow in the next few years.”

The three-time award-winning Sphinx 3D is the first title

in the new Spielo True 3D product line, which uses a glasses-free 3D display designed exclusively for GTech for the gam-ing industry by SeeFront. It uses a unique, patentedautostereoscopic technology with integrated eye-trackingto make images jump off the screen or stretch into infinity inhigh resolution.

Sphinx 3D is presented on the Axxis cabinet, which isdesigned to maximise player comfort, create a sense of per-sonal space, and immerse the player in the game.

The GTech stand at this year’s MGS also featured two popu-lar titles that casual gamers know and love from PopCap -Plants vs. Zombies Backyard Showdown and Zuma. Gtechhas worked closely with PopCap to stay true to the spirit oftheir internationally acclaimed brands, creating terrificallyfun and engaging new slot gaming experiences.

The PopCap library of games is available on the MaXVu-sion cabinet, with a 32-inch portrait high-definition LCD topscreen.

GTECH

Asian gaming marketdemonstrating‘incredible growth’The universal appeal of key licensed games is helping GTech bolster its presence across high-growth Asian markets.

Australia’s Ainsworth Game Tech-nology has long maintained apresence in Macau and with no

signs that the Chinese peninsula willbe knocked off the top of the worldgambling charts, the company is nowlooking to increase its footprint.

Bringing a captivating display to theMacao Gaming Show was a key part ofthis strategy and the team on handwere reaping the rewards of this effort.“The show has been very good,” saidgroup general manager, Scott Clare-brough, “all our customers fromMacau and other Asian markets havebeen visiting, so it’s been a positiveshow for us.”

Ainsworth’s customers were partic-ularly keen to take a tour around thestand, thanks to changes in gamingmachine rules for the region. “Withchanges to the regulations here, we’reshowing for the first time all the gamesthat are designed for the new regula-tions,” said Clarebrough.

In many ways, Ainsworth’s gamesare clearly suited to Macau. Tradition-ally, Asian players have preferred morevolatile games, as opposed tomachines that encourage longer

games with smaller payouts. “Ourgames are traditionally very volatile,”noted Clarebrough. “These gameshave been developed for other mar-kets too, so the math isn’t specific toMacau so much. It’s used in Australia alot, in the US and Europe. We tend toglobalise a lot of our math models andthe translation that’s part of the Man-darin/English translation that ismandatory here.”

Of the games on show, there were afew standout performers. “TreasureStorm has been popular,” said Clare-brough, “as has Fortune Ox.”

AINSWORTH

Ainsworth making amark in Macau

Maria Garcia, directorof sales in Asia for GTech

Kirk White

‘The opportunitiesare growing

in Asia’


Scott Clarebrough(left) with salesmanager Keith Jeffrey


Crane Payment Innovations (CPI)took its expanded range of cashhandling and casino manage-

ment solutions to this year’s MacaoGaming Show (MGS).

The company continues to improveits SC product line. New extensionsand enhancements are being devel-oped for the SC Advance bill validator,which evolved from the Cashflow SCand applies the latest technology andcustomer feedback to make this unit adominant player in the field.

Speaking at MGS, Graeme Lewis,vice president of Asia-Pacific opera-tions for CPI, said: “We are really focus-ing on Easitrax Soft Count right now.The addition of Easitrax to SC noteacceptors links the slot floor to theback room and creates one of our mostcomprehensive cash managementsolutions for the Gaming industry.

“We’ve already released the webversion of the product, and now we’relooking to develop additional enhance-ments that will funnel even more valueinto our customers’ operations.”

CPI was formed through the Decem-ber 2013 merger of cash handling spe-cialists MEI and Crane PaymentSolutions. Lewis said the integration ofthe two companies in relation to itsAsian operations had been “seamless”.

“It’s business as usual for our cus-tomers in Asia,” Lewis stated. “Onlynow they have access to the largestportfolio of payment solutions in theindustry. By combining MEI’s strengthin notes and Crane’s strength in coins,CPI has become a full-service cashhandling group. We offer completesolutions.”

Konami Gaming presented a promis-ing selection of new games at the2014 edition of the Macao Gaming

Show (MGS) last month. The company dis-played an array of fresh products thatdemonstrate the company’s ‘Born FromFun’ heritage, as well as its ever-increasingspecialisation and performance in Asiangaming markets.

At this year’s MGS, Konami introduced astrong selection of games with uniquevisual experiences designed to entertainand delight Asian patrons, including itsUltraReels series with a 3-4-4-4-3 configu-ration and a number of five-reel titles withinnovative bonus play experiences andcelebration sequences.

New themes such as King of the World,Great Luck Great Profit, and Red Fortunefeature Asian-inspired design elementsand math models, housed in the classicPodium cabinet.

King of the World features a unique freegame bonus feature that allows players toinfluence their destiny by choosing from a

one of three different feature combina-tions of free games and multipliers. Basedon the trigger symbols, players can win upto 30 free games or 100x multipliers.

In More Gold More Silver’s free gamebonus, players are put in control when theychoose between three different statues. Ifthe statue reveals a gold ingot, all the silveringots become gold throughout the freegames. This symbol transformation givesplayers the opportunity for big wins. And ifthe ingot reveals silver, players still havethe opportunity to win big as all gold ingotsbecome silver for the free games.

Great Luck Great Profit, meanwhile,sees any 3, 4 or 5 wild symbols on adjacentreels trigger 5, 10, or 15 free games, respec-tively. During the free game feature, redgates unlock to reveal blocks of the samesymbols on outer reels, and 2x and 4x mul-tipliers randomly appear in the middlereels. Additional free games can also bewon during the free games.

One of Konami’s most popular newbonus features is Balance of Fortune. Any-

time 20 or more free games are awarded, itgives players the option to either beginusing their free games or exchange themfor a credit prize. This empowers them tochoose their own destiny, and it’s a keycomponent of the new Lion Festival: Boostcelebration five-reel video slot. Through-out the base game play, lanterns illuminatethe night, while drums and fireworks pro-vide the festival’s backbeat, for a truly cele-bratory encounter.

Konami also took its attention-grabbingRapid Revolver premium cabinet to MGS2014. Rapid Revolver takes a unique spinon classic mechanical reels by mountingsix stacked and vertically-mounted drumson its oversized top box, surrounded bysynchronised high-impact sound andlighting.

Designed to stand out on a casino floorand grab the attention of casino guests,Rapid Revolver presents two distinct gam-ing concepts fused into one by combiningtraditional video reel on the lower screenwith spinning reels up top.

AINSWORTH TREASURE STORM BMM CERTIFICATION CPI SC PRODUCT LINE GLI TESTING ANDCERTIFICATION GTECH SPHINX 3D KONAMI ULTRA REELS SERIES


AINSWORTH / BMM TESTLABS / CRANE PAYMENT INNOVATIONS / GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL / GTECH / KONAMI GAMING

Celebrating its 25th anniversary thisyear, Gaming Laboratories Interna-tional (GLI) enjoyed a successful

2014 edition of the Macao Gaming Show(MGS), with the testlab receiving interestfor its services across a wide range of gam-ing sectors.

“The Macao Gaming Show was a terrificevent for GLI, and we are grateful to ourclients and to the organisers for making itsuch a great show,” said GLI Australia’schief operating officer, Espee de Robillard.“MGS is important for GLI because we havefour laboratories serving the Macau andAustralia markets.”

GLI’s Asia laboratory is based in Macau,staffed primarily with Macau residents and

natives. “This lab has been very successfulin land-based, iGaming and lottery testingand certification in the region, and at theshow, we had a great deal of interest in ourworld-leading testing services, and we werealso very pleased to have had such tremen-dous interest in our many services beyond

testing, including consulting, auditing, ITsecurity testing and auditing and rule-writ-ing. These types of services are very impor-tant offerings for our existing clients andpotentially new clients.

“Of particular interest to our lotteryclients is our expanded portfolio of servicesas they relate to lotteries, including WLAauditing, network risk assessments, projectmanagement and responsible gaming,” deRobillard added. “And as iGaming contin-ues to grow globally, interest in our manyiGaming services was very strong at MGS,and we presented a range of our servicesincluding standards, project health checkand recovery, security reviews and othersuch professional services.”

CRANE PAYMENTINNOVATIONS

CPI takesexpandedportfolio to MGS

Edmond Tang ( left) , Asia-Pacificsales manager for CPI, and vicepresident of Asia-Pacificoperations, Graeme Lewis


KONAMI GAMING

Konamibrings thelatest videoslots forAsianmarkets to MGSGlobal gaming manufacturer Konami Gaming presented an array of new KP3 game titles created forAsian gambling markets at this year’s Macao Gaming Show.

GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL

GLI enjoys strong MGS presence

GLI Asia representatives,Amanda Chan and Leung Kar Wai

John Gomes, generalmanager at Konami

Gaming’s Singapore branch



E

News MacaoGamingShow November17-19 2015Supplier

There will be a newface at the helm ofTCS John Huxley in

the New Year after confir-mation that global chiefoperating officer Cather-ine Burns has left the com-pany. Executive chairmanTristan Sjöberg hasassumed the responsibili-ties until a successor to the

key post is found. Burns leaves after a suc-

cessful two and a half yearterm at the helm of the Lon-don based supplier.

Sjöberg said in a state-ment: “The board and Iwish to thank Cath for theexcellent contribution shehas made to the business.Under her leadership TCS

John Huxley has devel-oped innovative productsand services with commit-ted product roadmaps,which protect our cus-tomers’ investment in usand in turn provide strate-gic growth for the future.”

The firm added thatsince her appointment inMarch 2012, Burns had

overhauled the businessby ‘realigning, refocusingand preparing the com-pany for the next stage ofits growth’, placing astrong emphasis on elec-tronic devices for tablegaming and on gamingmanagement systems tosupplement its core prod-uct lines.

MANAGEMENT

Cath Burnsleaves TCSJohnHuxley

E-GAMING / NOVOMATIC GROUP OF COMPANIES / TCS JOHN HUXLEY

The Novomatic Group has confirmedthat gaming industry veteran JensHalle will step down from his joint posi-

tions as managing director of Austrian Gam-ing Industries (AGI) and CEO of NovomaticAmericas Sales.

This move, which was reached by mutualagreement, will see Halle relinquish his roleswithin Novomatic by the end of this year.

Commenting on the decision, Halle said:“Fifteen years ago I was honoured by theinvitation of president and majority share-holder Johann Graf to join the iconic Novo-matic Group as head of sales. Later, I wasappointed managing director of AGI and,assisted by a loyal team of true gaming pro-fessionals, was able to see Novomaticachieve notable success, not just in Europebut around the world.

“However, although I now feel the need fornew challenges and new directions, I willalways be grateful for the experience ofworking together with colleagues andfriends and for the satisfaction that I gainedfrom being within one of the gaming indus-try’s true leaders.”

Commenting on the decision reachedjointly by Novomatic and Jens Halle, HerbertLugmayr, chairman of the Novomatic super-visory board, said: “I extend my appreciationto Jens Halle on behalf of the owner, themanagement board and the supervisoryboard, for his long-standing commitment.Mr Halle has made a significant contributionto the international orientation of this com-pany. I wish him all the best for his future.”

-gaming has been active inthe field of server-based gam-ing (SBG) since 2005, andtoday has its reach in morethan 10 countries worldwide.

The Czech Republic-basedcompany operates - eitherdirectly or through its localpartners - more than 20,000terminals, and these num-bers are increasing con-stantly due to the fact thate-gaming is looking for newterritories and jurisdictions.

“Many countries are cur-rently looking to haveincreased control and bettermonitoring of their land-based gaming operations,”said the company’s PavelMichalcio. “In such territo-ries we are actively lookingfor long-term and securepartnerships.”

In Europe, e-gamingrecently passed the certifica-tion process in Macedoniaand Spain, with initial resultsproving successful. The com-pany is also ready to enternew markets in the region,once the gaming legislationin those territories has beenupdated and approved.

“In addition to these newmarkets, we always rankamong our priorities thedomestic markets of theCzech Republic and Slova-kia, where we achieve excel-lent results despite of thestrong competition and a dif-ficult period in terms of pend-ing legislative changes,”Michalcio said.

“We started to expand intoSouth America a couple ofyears ago, and now we have a

good quantity of machinesinstalled in some famouscasinos in Mexico. Mexicanplayers really like our games,and as such will send moreunits in the near future asother companies are nowinterested in working withus.”

Elsewhere in South Amer-ica, e-gaming has machines

installed in Panama, and thecompany is currently in dis-cussions with two as-yet-unnamed countries in thiskey region.

“As a young, innovativeand very flexible company inthe field of SBG, we are con-stantly looking for new chal-lenges,” said Michalcio. “Weclosed some deals with someEuropean companies fordelivery of game content foronline platforms, and arelooking to expand in thisfield, too.

“During the ICE show inLondon in February, we willpresent our latest games andinnovations, new onlinecasino platform and also ournew cabinet. We are lookingforward to welcoming visi-tors from around the world toour stand.”

MANAGEMENT

Jens Halle toleave Novomatic

SERVER BASED GAMING

E-Gaming targetsnew markets

As gamingjurisdictions

around the worldare realising the

benefits of server-based gaming,

e-gaming islooking ahead to

a busy 2015.

CR146-p38-45-SupplierG_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 11:08 Page 1

News


Supplier

Gaming SupportSigns has prideditself on providing

solutions for all conceiv-able problems and situa-tions and has become afront row player in thecasino sign industry.

Following the develop-ment of the company’sslim-line signs, the Gam-ing Support team hasbeen working hard tobring to market anothervisually striking andaffordable sign, theVacuForm sign.

According to GamingSupport, the VacuFormsign is lightweight andcompetitively priced.

“But we didn’t stopthere,” the companystated. “Since technicaldevelopments have

taken flight, we havedecided to devise a com-pletely new rotating signprogramme for which theprice will no longer be anargument for not havingthem.

“Our latest innovation,

the Sign Electronics Con-troller, gives an all-in-onesolution. Using an iPad asa remote controller, youare now able to controlthe sign’s LED animationas well as jackpot cele-brations, schedule its

operation, change thedirection of the rotator,synchronise the signs toemphasize floor-widejackpots and receivemaintenance messagesfrom signs if sorequired.”

GAMING SUPPORT

Gaming Support focus ondelivering affordability to the signage sector

Increased demand for its gamingtesting and technical consultancyservices was the key influencer as

Gaming Laboratories International(GLI) relocates its Colorado labora-tory to a new 40,000 square foot facilityin Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Dave Daniels, senior director ofengineering for GLI and general man-ager of the Colorado laboratory, saidthe new facility would allow the com-pany to better serve customers whilealso allowing for future expansion.

“GLI has been very fortunate tohave an ever-increasing demand forour services, both in our testing andcertification services and in our manyservices beyond testing, such as foren-sics, network security assessments,field inspections and GLI University

training,” he added. Daniels was quick to point out,

though, that despite moving to a newcity, the GLI laboratory and its 100+jobs remain in Jefferson County - asomewhat spiritual home for the com-pany.

“GLI has a long history in JeffersonCounty. We first opened a Coloradofacility in the county in 1995, and wehave enjoyed a successful relationshipwith the County, the State and regula-tors and operators ever since. We arevery pleased to announce our decisionto stay in the county, and we look for-ward to many more years of successfulcooperation.”

The new laboratory became fullyfunctional on December 1 joiningGLI’s 21 laboratory locations spread

across Africa, Asia, Australia, theCaribbean, Europe, North Americaand South America.

REGIONAL OFFICES

GLI relocates ColoradoLaboratoryGLI relocates its Colorado facility to accommodate demandand prepare for future expansion.

Suzo-Happ took itslatest range ofparts, components

and peripherals to theSlot Summit, which tookplace at Hôtel Barrière deLille in France, onNovember 25-27.

René Huibers, the ded-icated sales representa-tive for casino operatorsaround Europe, saidSuzo’s customers con-tinue to benefit from notonly excellent supportbut also first-rate infor-mation on which compo-nents fit their needs.

Products on displayincluded TransAct print-ers, as Suzo prepares tobecome the company’sexclusive partner for theUS-based group from

January 1, 2015. A furtherkey casino component ondisplay on the Suzo-Happstand included CranePayment Innovations’Cashflow banknotereader.

Harald Wagemaker,executive vice presidentof sales and marketingfor Suzo’s gaming andcasino division inEurope, said: “The SlotSummit provides somuch fundamental infor-mation to casino opera-tors and we have seen itssuccess grow from sum-mit to summit. We areproud to be a silver spon-sor of the Slot Summitand so have the opportu-nity to take an active rolehere.”

EXHIBITION

Suzo takescashhandlingsolutions toLille

Rene� Huibers(left) and HaraldWagemaker



MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ‘MGS IS THE ONLY SHOW THAT IS TRULY REPRESENTATIVE OF THEASIAN GAMING INDUSTRY...’ WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM


ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES / GAMING SUPPORT / GLI / GTECH / IGT / KONAMI GAMING / SUZO-HAPP

GTech hasannounced therelease of Terrific

Teal Deluxe, its brand newdiversity multigame. Fea-turing top-ranking gamespackaged in unique gamesuites, the gaming and lot-tery supplier’s diversityallows players to selecttheir preferred game typeand volatility from one sin-gle gaming machine.

The Terrific Teal Deluxeedition, available on theOxygen and Oxygen Slantcabinets, offers playersthe choice of five coregame titles in addition totwo top performing,stand-alone Cash Feverprogressive titles and aclassic, low-line game.One multi-action gameand a TENsion Slots titleround out the offering inthis suite.

For Line Action thereare five core games avail-able: Anvil of Gold, Queenof Olympus, TreasureBlast, Treasures of thePyramids II and Jump &Win. Thriller Jackpots fea-tures the proventop-performingCash Feverstand-aloneprogressivetitles: ActionJack andPoseidon.Classic Slotsfeatures thetraditionalvolatile, low-line game:Juicy Royale.The newgame typeTension Slotsadapts thesuccessful core gametitle to a 10-line version:Sphinx Wild. In MultiAction players can playfour games simultane-ously, with the game title:Glorious King.

MULTIGAMES

GTechreleasesTerrific TealDeluxediversitymultigame

Konami Gaming received firstplace honours in two categoriesat the 2015 Global Gaming Busi-

ness Gaming & Technology Awards fornew features available through itsSynkros casino management system.

Synkros Promotional Printing wasnamed Best Consumer Service Tech-nology for providing operators with

the ability to print offers, coupons, loy-alty vouchers, while Synkros InfoS-YNK was awarded Best ProductivityEnhancement Technology for provid-ing casinos the visibility to monitorperformance and configuration of sys-tem components throughout its tech-nology stack and infrastructure via aweb-based monitoring tool.

Michael Ratner, director productmanagement, systems at Konami,said: “These top honours for Synkroscontinue to signify to the industry thatKonami is consistently introducing thelatest features and enhancement avail-able for casino enterprise manage-

ment systems. It’s all because we takethe time to listen to our customers andturn their feedback into action, whichthe power and agility of the Synkrosarchitecture allows us to do.

“This new technology challengesstanding perceptions of slot machinesby delivering a wealth of patronaccount services and benefits to anyenabled game on the floor for greatercustomer convenience, operationalefficiency, game performance, andmarketing participation,” Ratneradded.

He concluded by saying that thepower of the award winning InfoSYNKencompassed the entirety of theSynkros environment, equipping ITstaff with all the necessary tools to eas-ily and instantly recognize inconsis-tent trends in system or networkactivity, which directly translates toquicker response, faster recovery, andeven complete prevention of potentialproblems before they happen.

AWARDS

Konami awardeddual honours atgaming awardsceremonyIGT’s player-focused Face-

book page has surpassedthe million-fan milestone,

cementing the group in therecord books for having thegaming industry’s largestonline jackpot-crazed virtualcommunity.

IGT shares the excitementof wins with this captive com-munity to support customers,further the company’s jack-pot-paying legacy and buildbrand affinity for IGT’s million-aire-making games.

“It’s a very exciting mile-stone to garner a million fans

on our IGT Jackpots Face-book page,” said SusanCartwright (pictured), IGT’svice president of corporatecommunications. “We haveworked diligently to cultivatean extremely engaged com-munity of slot fanatics that wecan engage to support wins atour customers’ properties.”

IGT’s fan-favourite interac-tive page was started in 2012and quickly grew into a livelyhub for celebrating big wins,swapping ‘good luck’ rou-tines and sharing the love ofgaming entertainment.

Aristocrat Technologies haslaunched Puerto Rico’sfirst wide area progressive

(WAP) on the Batman Classic TVSeries slot game powered byWonder Wheels product.

The WAP contract is exclusiveto Aristocrat in partnership withthe Puerto Rico Tourism Com-pany (PRTC). Under the terms ofthe deal, a total of 88 Batman Clas-sic games will be placed in andlinked across all 22 casinos inPuerto Rico.

All games went live across theisland on November 25. Addition-ally, the video slot game’s$250,000 (E200,000) startup jack-pot is the largest in Puerto Rico.

Andy Viera, director of gamingfor the PRTC, said: “This isanother exciting milestone in thehistory of gaming in Puerto Rico -one of the most vibrant jurisdic-tions in the world. We are happy to

partner with Aristocrat to bringour first and only wide areaprogressive to life, especiallyon a game that has beenproven to attract players, suchas the Batman Classic TVSeries Slot Game.”

Dallas Orchard, vice presi-dent of gaming operations forAristocrat, added: “The Bat-man Classic TV Series slotgame has been very suc-cessful in the fieldacross North America,and we have every rea-son to expect playersacross Puerto Ricowill enjoy the game’smix of classic TV con-tent, the independentwheel function, and ofcourse, the wide area pro-gressive and the island’slargest potential jackpot.”

The Batman game puts a triple s p i n

on fun on the casino floor. Themulti-site progressive game fea-tures still and video imageryfrom the classic TV series withAdam West and three mechanicalwheels that increase playerengagement.

Gameplay is enhanced bystacked wilds, six themed bonusfeatures, video clips from the TVseries, and a highly anticipatory

wheel featuretrigger. Com-pletely new tothe industry isthe independ-ent wheel func-

tion of WonderWheels, which

allows the play-ers on the bank to

continue uninterruptedwhen another player

hits a trigger andengages wheel-mode.

WIDE AREA PROGRESSIVES

Aristocrat launches Puerto Rico’s first WAP

MARKETING

IGT gets ‘thumbsup’ on Facebook


MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: Y‘AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF CASINO FLOOR SPACE DEDICATED TO POPULAR MASS MARKBEFORE THE END OF 2018.’WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

News


Supplier

WMS Gaming hasmarked the USlaunch of The

Flintstones game at Bor-gata Hotel Casino and Spain Atlantic City, New Jer-sey.

The Flintstones com-bines the sights, soundsand characters of the clas-sic animated series withthe striking Gamefield xDcabinet from WMS.

Commenting on theinstallation, Ted Herzchel,vice president slot opera-tions for Borgata, said:“Keeping our slot floor freshand exciting for our playersis extremely important toBorgata, and we are thrilledto be the first casino to offerThe Flintstones game fromWMS.”

The town of Bedrock isbrought to life thanks to a

42-inch horizon-tal screen over a vertical 32-inch screen with a

mechanical wheel on theGamefield xD cabinet. The5x4 base game features botha Flintstones and a Rubblesarray, and reels stretch up to10 symbols high as Wildreels and multipliers arepotentially added in TheFlintstones mystery fea-ture.

Unique bonus rounds,drawn straight from theiconic series, include theBedrock bowling feature

and the Dino Bonus.Dean Ehrlich, senior

vice president of globalgaming operations forScientific Games, said:“Borgata has always beena great partner to WMS,and we are very excited

to work with them on thefirst installation of ourexciting new brand, TheFlintstones.”

LICENSED GAMES

The Flintstones gamelaunches at Borgata

Casino and gamingmachine innovatorMerkur Gaming will

join its fellow GauselmannGroup subsidiaries at theupcoming ICE show in Lon-don to exhibit it range ofeleven cabinets and 20 high-definition games alongside apair of banknote recyclers.

Merkur will operate atExCel London from a650sq.m stand, demonstrat-ing just why ‘Made In Ger-many technology is thefuture for global gaming’.

The range of on-show

cabinets from the Germanfirm will encompass theEvolution, Privilege Plus,WB 4, Vision Plus, Uno,Motion, Motion 2, Highflyer,Evolution SL, AvantgardeSLT and Ozone, which aretailored for individual gam-ing markets such as Spain,Great Britain, The Nether-lands, Czech Republic, Italyand South Africa.

“Merkur Gaming offers somuch more than just uprightor slant top gamingmachines,” a statementfrom Merkur Gaming con-

firmed.“For example, the High-

flyer is a slant top with a realdifference. The upper moni-tor here seems to be floatingin the air. Extensive market-ing research followed byfocused research and devel-opment work led to thissolution where players canchoose between two funda-mental seating positions;either focusing on the lowergaming screen or choosingthe gaming screen to be onthe upper monitor with thedesire to lean back and relax

to this unique gaming expe-rience.

“Talking about unique,the Ozone is just that. Thisgaming orb allows theplayer to completely indulgehim or herself in this won-derful gaming experience. Ithas the feeling of an amuse-ment machine as the playersits inside the orb and isshielded from the outsideworld. The sound effectscan naturally be made mostuse of with such a design.”

Merkur Gaming will bejoined on stand by sister

firms adp Gauselmann,Blueprint Gaming and Cash-point where it intends toshow off its commitment tofuture investment with 20new high-definition games.

In addition, the companyis set to showcase its cashmanagement knowledgewith the innovative MerkurDispenser 100 banknoterecycler while the further-improved Merkur DispenserGold will also be on display.

“Never before has MerkurGaming offered so manygaming possibilities,” said

Ralf Markmann, managingdirector.

“We understand that eachmarket has its own specialrequirements and can drawupon great internal knowl-edge from our long-standingmultilingual team and natu-rally from a cabinet andgames choice that incredi-bly keeps continuing togrow. Made In Germanywith all the local marketrequirements in-built.Merkur Gaming has so muchto offer to global gaming.”

EXHIBITION

Merkur Gamingpreparing for ICEGauselmann Group subsidiary Merkur Gaming will be atExCel London from February 3-5 to showcase the very bestfrom its portfolio.

Bulgarian casino equipmentmanufacturer Euro GamesTechnology (EGT) bested 219

other firms recently to win the Com-pany of the Audience accolade at thethird annual Best Bulgarian Companyawards organised by First Invest-ment Bank.

Designed to recognise and honoursome of the most successful andfastest-growing companies with Bul-garian managers and capital, thisyear’s awards featured double thenumber of entrants for the presti-gious Company of the Audienceprize and EGT finished with 16 per-cent more votes than its closestcompetitor.

Vladimir Dokov, general managerfor EGT, was presented with a gilded

Bulgarian Rose silver coin at theawards ceremony which was stagedat the City Art Gallery in Sofia.

“The Best Bulgarian Companycompetition is becoming a good tra-dition and an awaited event amongthe Bulgarian business society,” saidDokov.

“There were many worthy com-petitors for the prize this year and I’mespecially proud that I’m holding pre-cisely the audience award plaquette.EGT has already established itself asa stable and fast-growing company inthis country and abroad. Apart fromthe financial parameters, an invalu-able barometer for our work is theaudience’s appraisal. EGT is in thegaming industry and this appraisal isespecially important for us.”

BUSINESS AWARDS

Euro GameswinsBulgarianbusinessaccolade


MASS MARKET GAMES, LEADS BLOOMBERG TO PROJECT STRONG GROWTH TO RETURN



Four Winds Casinos, opera-tor of three casinos inMichigan, US, has strength-

ened its relationship with Ger-man security and CCTVsolutions group, Dallmeier.

A Dallmeier video system hasbeen watching over Four WindsHartford since August 2011.Now, locations in Net Buffaloand in Dowagiac, the latter ofwhich opened in April 2013, havealso been equipped withDallmeier technology.

Owned and operated by thePokagon Band of Potawatomi

Indians, Four Winds Hartford issynonymous with gambling fun insouth-western Michigan. Morethan 550 slot machines and numer-ous gaming tables, includingroulette and blackjack, are avail-able to the guests across 4,800sq.m.

When the casino was built in2011, and after extensive testing,a decision was made to utilisehigh-resolution HD networkcameras by Dallmeier.

“Casinos always present a chal-lenge for cameras,” said MarcelZangger, director of operations forDallmeier’s US division. “Lighting

conditions are often unfavourable,but even the slightest movementslasting only fractions of seconds ata gaming table have to be followedto allow unclear situations orattempts at cheating to be unequiv-ocally resolved.”

The video system at FourWinds Hartford is controlled bythe SeMSy management system.From showing live images, tosearching through the recordingsin many different ways and on tocontrolling PTZ cameras, SeMSyoffers a wide variety of possibili-ties which were individually

adapted to the requirements ofFour Winds casinos.

The video system in Hartfordproved itself so well in practicalapplication that, after one year,Four Winds decided to replacethe existing video system in itsNew Buffalo venue withDallmeier technology. “We werealways having problems withthe old system,” said StaceySoria, vice president of surveil-lance for the operator. “Now,over 1,800 cameras in the resortlook after its guests and providea safe and secure environment.”

Four Winds New Buffalo islocated close to the border toIndiana, and with more than12,000sq.m of floor space it issubstantially larger than thecasino in Hartford.

The Dallmeier solution wasalso put to use in the Four WindsDowagiac casino, which openedits doors in 2013. This systemkeeps an eye on 300 of the latestslot machines and five gamingtables.

SURVEILLANCEDallmeier growsrelationship with Michigancasino operator

Four Winds casinos inMichigan are relying onvideo surveillancetechnology with a‘Made in Germany’ sealof quality fromDallmeier. Austria’s Novomatic Group has

acquired, through its Spanish sub-sidiary Novomatic Gaming Spain,

a majority shareholding in gamingmachine machine manufacturerGiGames. A statement from GiGamessaid the partnership with Europe’s largestgaming group would ensure its continuedgrowth as a gaming equipment manufac-turer and distributor, and allow it toexpand and improve its product offerings.

Novomatic added: “The Novomaticmanagement is convinced that the long-standing experience of GiGames, as alocal and successful manufacturer andoperator, will greatly help the Companyto consolidate and further enhance itsfuture market position in the Spanishgaming sector, clearly acknowledged tobe one of the most important gamingmarkets in Europe.”

ACQUISITION

GiGames joins theNovomatic Group

www.gamingsupport.com

Best wishes for 2015 from all of us...

gamingsupport.com

AREYOU

FORREADY2015?HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

DALLMEIER / EURO GAMES TECHNOLOGY / MERKUR GAMING / NOVOMATIC GROUP / WMS GAMING


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SAGSE ‘14SUPPLIER NEWS: [email protected]

The Costa Salguero Conference Centre inBuenos Aires saw the return of its 22nd annualSAGSE Latin America trade event in Novem-ber.

Taking place from 11 to 13 November, theshow might have witnessed a second year offalling attendance figures, but this was only tobe expected given the economic woes ofArgentina, whose protectionist import restric-tions have been in place since 2012. However,the show organisers insist that the quality ofregional industry attendance remains high,and as such SAGSE retains its position as thepremier industry event in Latin America.

“This year, we can remark a smaller level ofvisitor attendance,” conceded Alan Burak,newly appointed general manager of SAGSEevent organisers Monografie. “But in terms ofthe quality of the show experience and thosewho attended SAGSE exceeded expectations.”

A breakdown of the attendance statisticsshows that of 5,100 attendees, the vast majority- 78 per cent - were from Argentina. The remain-ing international audience was comprisedlargely of representatives from Uruguay,Brazil, Chile and Peru, with smaller numbers ofvisitors from Colombia, Panama, Mexico andCosta Rica.

A challenging economic environment was-n’t enough to keep both major European andNorth American suppliers at bay, however.Bulgarian manufacturer Euro Games Technol-ogy (EGT) showcased its new Premier P 24/24Up cabinet as well as a number of new multi-game mixes. “Short term, continued import

restrictions mean that it’s not realistic to makeambitious plans for the sales,” admitted thecompany’s sales and marketing director,Stanislav Stanev. “But longer term, these prod-ucts have proven very successful everywherethat they have been presented, and this makesme confident that ultimately, they’ll be wellreceived in Argentina also.”

GLI was also an established presence: host-ing a seminar for Argentinian gaming regula-tors on region specific challenges includingnew regulations, sports betting, forensics, car-bon footprints and data-centre architecture.

Both iVizion and PayCheck showed along-side the JCM Global display of bill validatorsand printers, with the company also addingeducational input to the show: conducting anoperator training session, elucidating the fulltechnical functionality of its products.

Meanwhile, IGT also made a key contribu-tion to the SAGSE programme: in addition toits own stand, Janine Roth, vice president forIGT Latin America, was the keynote speakerof a networking event specifically targetingfemale gaming professionals. A hundredwomen joined her for Gaming Woman LatinAmerica, where Roth underlined the growingcontribution women made to the regionalgaming sector.

In total, more than eighty companies show-cased at SAGSE 2014.

“Crisis represents new opportunities,”Burak concluded. “This particular year is onein which the most agile companies will takegreatest advantage.”

With Argentine importrestrictions warding off

foreign investment,numbers were down once

again at SAGSE LatinAmerica - the continent’s

largest industry trade show.Despite this, the event

retains a committedregional following and a

determined approach to theregion’s issues.

YOUNG BLOOD

SAGSE Latin America 2014 coincidedwith the announcement thatMonografie, the company behind

the show, had promoted businessmanager Alan Burak to the role ofgeneral manager, effective as of 1December. Although only 33 years ofage, Burak has already spent 12 yearswith the company, which he joined as amarketing graduate in 2002. Since then,he has served as show manager for bothSAGSE Latin America and CentroAmerica y Caribbean (held in Panama),and integrated networking andeducational events (such as SAGSEUniversity and Global Gaming WomanLatin America) into the SAGSE timeline.The new appointment was heralded as“much deserved” by Monografiepresident Giorgio Gennari Litta. Headded: “It recognises the constant andintelligent input Alan has provided to thecompany.”

SAGSE 2014: A strongshow in tough times

ReportSAGSE 2014


CR146-p46-SAGSE_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 11:49 Page 1

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CIRCULATION BREAKDOWN

GLOBAL COVERAGE


S

& City News

cientific Games Corpora-tion has completed its high-profile merger with BallyTechnologies in a transac-tion valued at approxi-mately $5.1bn (E4.1bn),including the refinancing ofapproximately $1.8bn($1.4bn) of existing Ballynet debt.

“Completing the Ballytransaction brings togethertwo exceptional organisa-tions with a common cul-ture of innovation andcustomer focus,” saidGavin Isaacs, president andchief executive officer ofScientific Games. “We areexcited by the opportuni-ties that will be created bycombining each organisa-tion’s core strengths indeveloping engaging gam-ing entertainment prod-ucts, advancedtechnologies and systems,and providing value-addedservices to help our cus-tomers grow their rev-

enues.“Our mission is to

become the premier gam-ing and lottery entertain-ment and technologycompany in the world byoffering gaming and lotteryoperators a comprehen-sive and differentiatedportfolio of high earning,player-appealing gamesand technology solutions,”Isaacs added. “By leverag-ing our excellence in thedevelopment of imagina-tive gaming entertainmentwith value-added services,we seek to become the part-ner of choice for our gam-ing and lottery customers.”

As the deal was com-pleted, Scientific Gamesannounced a new execu-tive leadership team thatwill take the group into2015. The executive teamwill oversee an organisa-tion comprised of threeoperating units: gaming,lottery and interactive.

In addition to presidentand chief executive officer,Gavin Isaacs, and execu-tive vice president andchief financial officer,Scott Schweinfurth, theexecutive leadership teamof Scientific Games willinclude Derik Mooberry, asgroup chief executive forgaming.

With more than 20 yearsof gaming industry experi-ence, Mooberry was mostrecently senior vice presi-dent of games, table gameproducts and interactiveresearch and developmentat Bally. He also oversawBally’s business in Mexicoand South America.

James Kennedy has beennamed as group chief exec-utive for the lottery seg-ment, while Jordan Levin,former president of busi-ness development for WMSGaming, has beenappointed as president ofthe group’s interactive divi-

sion. “Our new senior man-

agement team comprisessome of the most accom-plished executives in thegaming, lottery and interac-tive industries,” statedIsaacs. “I am very excited tohave this team of great lead-ers from Scientific Games,WMS, Bally and SHFLEntertainment helping tolead the company forward.

“Our new organisationalstructure will focus on driv-ing consistent and measur-able progress on our goalsof increasing profitableglobal growth and increas-ing free cash flow to paydown debt. The experi-ence, leadership skill andcommitment that each ofour senior leaders brings tothe company will be a sig-nificant influence in ourintegration efforts anddevelopment of solutionsto bring value to our cus-tomers and shareholders.”

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

ScientificGames

completesBally

acquisition

As Scientific Gamescompletes its high-profile

acquisition of rival BallyTechnologies, the company has

unveiled a new executiveleadership team that will take

the group into 2015.

Plans to develop anew casino in thehistoric city of

Bath, UK, are moving for-ward, as Groupe Par-touche and GlobalGaming Ventures havebeen awarded a licencefor their £4m (E5.1m)SawClose sheme,

The casino, which willbe run by the two com-panies, has beenawarded a ‘small’ casinolicence and will be ableto operate from 11:00amuntil 11:30pm Monday toSaturday and from11:00am until 11:00pm onSunday.

Local authorities saidthe casino must displaysigns instructing cus-tomers to exit the build-ing quietly, have a CCTVsystem in operation andtrain staff to adhere tothe ‘Challenge 21’scheme, which aims todeter underage patrons.

Several building are tobe demolished to makeway for the new casinocomplex in the city,which should see workstart in early 2015.

NEWDEVELOPMENTS

UKcasinogivengreenlight

BusinessCR146-p50-52-Business_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 13:15 Page 1



CENTURY CASINOS / FULL HOUSE RESORTS / GROUPE PARTOUCHE / SCIENTIFIC GAMES

Following negotiationswith a group of share-holders, US casino

operator Full HouseResorts has added fourmembers to its board ofdirectors while addition-ally accepting the resigna-tions of executives AndreHilliou and Mark Miller.

Las Vegas-based FullHouse Resorts owns threecasinos located in thestates of Indiana, Nevadaand Mississippi while alsooperating the Grand LodgeCasino on the north shoreof Lake Tahoe under a leaseagreement with the Hyattorganisation.

It revealed that DanielLee, formerly chairmanand CEO for regionalcasino operator PinnacleEntertainment, hasreplaced Hilliou as CEO,while it has also added WHBaird Garrett, RaymondHemmig, Ellis Landau,Bradley Tirpak and CraigThomas to its board ofdirectors subject to regula-tory approvals.

“I would like to thank theincumbent Full HouseResorts board for workingwith us to position the com-pany for future success,”said Cornell University-educated Lee, who is a char-tered financial analyst thatserved as CFO and seniorfinance and developmentvice-president for MirageResorts in the 1990s.

“I would also like tothank Andre and Mark fortheir many years of servicewith the company and wishthem well in their futureendeavours. Finally, I look

forward to meeting all ofthe Full House Resortsemployees and to workingtogether to make FullHouse Resorts into astrong and successful com-pany building value forshareholders.”

The reshuffle followslast month’s ‘topping off’ ofFull House Resorts’ new142-room hotel for the Sil-ver Slipper Casino venue inHancock County, Missis-sippi, which is locatedhalfway between NewOrleans and Biloxi.

“We are on schedule toopen in the first quarter of2015 and this topping off isan important step in com-pleting what is sure to be afantastic addition to the Sil-ver Slipper Casino,” saidHilliou.

“From the moment wepurchased the Silver Slip-per Casino it was our inten-tion to build a first-classhotel tower to welcomeour loyal customers andinvite new guests from fur-ther distances who willnow have the option to stay

overnight at our excitingcasino on the Gulf coast ofMississippi.”

Full House Resorts alsorecently unveiled its finan-cial results for the thirdquarter showing a 12 percent decrease year-on-yearin total revenues to $32.9m(E26.7m) while adjustedearnings before interest,tax, depreciation andamortisation dropped by$100,000 (E81,359) whencompared to the samethree-month period in 2013to $5.2m (E4.2m).

However, operatingexpenses fell by 14.5 percent year-on-year to$30.3m (E24.6m) leading tothe firm posting a net lossfor the period of $800,000(E651,005) compared to adeficit of $2.2m (E1.7m) forlast year’s correspondingperiod.

“While we continue toface strong competitiveand economic headwinds,we are encouraged by theimproved results weachieved this quarter,” saidHilliou at the time.

OPERATIONS

Executive reshuffleat Full House Resorts

Century Casinos, theColorado-basedcasino entertain-

ment company, hasextended its concessionagreement with cruiseship company TUICruises.

The deal will see Cen-tury Casinos manage thecasino operations on thesoon-to-be-launchedMein Schiff 4 cruise ship.The 2,500-guest vessel iscurrently being built andscheduled to commenceoperations in June 2015.

TUI Cruises is a jointventure between TUI andRoyal Caribbean Cruiseswith focus on the pre-mium all inclusive cruisemarket for German-speaking consumers. Thegroup currently has twoluxurious 1,900-guestships (Mein Schiff 1, MeinSchiff 2) and one luxurious2,500-guest ship (MeinSchiff 3) in service, withCentury owning the gam-ing concession for allthree vessels.

Century also holdsgaming concessions for

other cruise ship compa-nies, including OceaniaCruises, Regent SevenSeas Cruises, WindstarCruises and Nova StarCruises.

In the land-based sec-tor, meanwhile, the Col-orado casino operatorhas acquired a 7.5 per centstake in Argentinean firmMendoza CentralEntretenimientos (MCE)for $1m (E800,000). MCEhas the exclusive long-term concession agree-ment with the ProvincialInstitute of Gaming andCasinos of the Province ofMendoza to lease slotmachines and providetechnical services to theCasino de Mendoza,which is owned by theProvince of Mendoza.

MCE has installed 600slot machines at theCasino de Mendoza and,in return, receives 43 percent of the revenue gener-ated by the slot machines.The group’s goal is togrow in the land-basedand online gaming indus-try in Argentina.

OFFSHORE GAMING

Century Casinosannounces additionalcruise ship casino

Former PinnacleEntertainment bossDaniel Lee hasreplaced AndreHilliou as CEO of theUS casino operatorFull HouseResorts.

www.jcmglobal.com

More than a transaction. A connection.

Mein Schiff 2

MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ‘CURRENT MOVEMENT WAS CAUSED IN PART BY A BIG PUSH FOR MASS MARKETVISITORS ON THE PART OF MOST OF THE MAJOR CASINOS [IN MACAU]’. WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

CR146-p50-52-Business_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 12:55 Page 2


ARISTOCRAT LEISURE / CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT / GPI / IGT

City News MacaoGamingShow November17-19 2015

As it attempts torestructure $12.7bn(E10.3bn) of corpo-

rate debt, American casinooperator Caesars Enter-tainment Corporation isnow facing a lawsuit byUMB Bank over allegationsit has been involved in‘unimaginably brazen cor-porate looting’.

UMB Bank serves as thetrustee for $1.25bn(E1.01bn) of Caesars Enter-tainment’s senior securednotes and is suing the LasVegas-based firm including

several of its operatingunits, subsidiaries and lead-ership in the ChanceryCourt of Delaware.

Managed by Americaninvestor Paul Singer, UMBBank alleges in its suit thatrecent financial manipula-

tions by Caesars Entertain-ment have ‘stripped Cae-sars EntertainmentOperating Company ofeight of its most valuablehotel, casino and entertain-ment properties including asix-property stronghold inthe heart of the Las VegasStrip on terms that werepatently unreasonable inorder to enrich themselvesat the expense of CaesarsEntertainment OperatingCompany creditors’.

Struggling with plungingrevenues due to increased

competition, CaesarsEntertainment through itsCaesars EntertainmentOperating Company sub-sidiary recently shutteredits Showboat Casino inAtlantic City in addition tothe Harrah’s Tunica prop-erty in Mississippi withUMB Bank asserting thatthese and other moves have‘robbed’ the company ofmore than $4bn (E3.2bn) invalue.

The lawsuit seeks to haveCaesars Entertainmentplaced into chapter 11

bankruptcy before Decem-ber 19 whereas the defen-dant is planning to wait untilJanuary.

“We believe the claimsin this lawsuit are baselessand that this filing is anattempt to derail construc-tive talks that the companyis having concerning arestructuring of CaesarsEntertainment OperatingCompany and we willdefend ourselves vigor-ously,” read a statementfrom Caesars Entertain-ment.

CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT

Caesars Entertainment facing bankruptcy lawsuit

Recent successes in the US hasseen Aristocrat Leisure boost itstotal revenues for the 12 months

to the end of September by 6.9 per centyear-on-year to A$870.3m (E593m).

The Australian parent of AristocratTechnologies also increased its annualearnings before interest, tax, deprecia-tion and amortisation by 11.5 per centyear-on-year to A$209.8m (E143m),while its normalised profit after taxcame in at A$118.1m (E80.4m), whichwas a 10.2 per cent rise when comparedwith the previous 12 months.

Earnings for the Sydney-based firmdecreased by 115.3 per cent from theprevious year’s profit of $107.2m(E73m) to a loss of A$16.4m (E11m) forthe most recent 12 months. Aristocratstated that this shortfall was due to“significant items” including the

A$78m (E53m) write-down in the valueof its Japan pachislot business and thesale of Aristocrat Lotteries at a cost ofA$43.4m (E30m) to it bottom line.

October saw Aristocrat Leisure pur-chase American firm Video GamingTechnologies with CEO and managingdirector Jamie Odell declaring that the‘bold move’ would better position thecompany for future growth.

“In addition, the disposal of our non-core lotteries business and the adjust-ment in the carrying value of the uniqueand volatile pachislot business inJapan reduce risk and managementdistraction going forward,” said Odell.“Our results reflect a revitalised coreproduct pipeline that is approachingfull strength and driving consistentshare and value growth in line with ourstrategy.”

ARISTOCRAT LEISURE

FY revenues up for Aristocrat

International GameTechnology (IGT) hasreported a drop in rev-

enues for 2014, as anincrease in social gamingrevenue failed to offsetdeclines in product salesand gaming operations.

In the year to Septem-ber 30, IGT booked rev-enues of $2.1bn (E1.7bn),down 12 per cent on the$2.3bn (E1.8bn) in fiscal2013. Net income droppednine per cent to $247.9m(E199m).

Revenue from gamingoperations in 2014 dipped11 per cent to $886.9m(E713m), primarily due toinstalled base declines,while product sales fell 22per cent to $847m(E681m).

IGT’s interactive divi-sion continues to grow,with revenues up 22 percent to $324.2m (E260m)

in fiscal 2014. Daily activeusers on the group’s flag-ship DoubleDown plat-form were up nine percent year-on-year to 1,785million.

“Our focus on prof-itability resulted in signifi-cant improvements in ourgross margins for theyear, and in our gross andoperating margins for thefourth quarter, in largepart due to cost savingactions we took earlierthis year,” said Patti Hart,IGT chief executive offi-cer.

“While we continue tosee muted demand in ourcore business, our Dou-bleDown Casino businessdrove 28 per cent revenuegrowth for the full yearwhile maintaining indus-try-leading player moneti-sation rates and growingdaily active users.”

IGT

Revenues downfor IGT in 2014

Global casino currency and tablegaming equipment providerGaming Partners International

(GPI) has released its financial resultsfor the third quarter of 2014 showing a49.8 per cent increase year-on-year intotal revenues to $20.3m (E16.4m).

The Las Vegas-based firm alsoposted a rise in third-quarter netincome with its earnings forthe three months to the endof September improving by an incredi-ble 2,700 percent to $2.8m (E2.2m)

from last year’s $100,000 (E81,139).GPI revealed that overall revenues

for the same three-month period lastyear amounted to $13.5m (E10.9m)and stated that the boost had been“directly attributable” to the businessgenerated from its acquisition in Julyof GemGroup and improved currencysales in Asia.

“We do not expect any major casinoopenings for the remainder of 2014,but we are actively working on secur-ing orders for 2015 casino openings,”

said Greg Gronau, president, CEO,treasurer and secretary of GPI.

“Following our acquisition, wehave started consolidating our cardproduction in Blue Springs, Missouri.This will result in approximately$400,000 (E324,681) of pre-tax one-time charges but it will provide signifi-cant savings in the manufacturing ofcards. This is in line with our overallplan to streamline our operations andreduce our overheads and operatingexpenses.”

GAMING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL

GemGroup purchase improves GPI results

MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ‘THE ERA OF COMPANIES WITH LARGE DEBTS AND LOW EQUITY WAS OVER,WITH NEW FINANCIAL MODELS REQUIRED FOR OPERATORS TO PROSPER.’ WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM



TCS John Huxley hasappointed industrygames expert Bobby

Liscio as the head of itsnew Table Games Divi-sion. In the role, Liscio willbe responsible for sourc-ing, developing andexpanding the company’sextensive games portfolio,which includes Propri-etary Table Games andSide Bets, as well as a vari-ety of progressive andbonusing options that areavailable through the GFLBonusing platform.

He will also work withTCS John Huxley sales

teams worldwide, to assistwith the implementationand installation of tablegames and to provide sup-port and training to casinooperators.

Liscio’s career spans 35years of casino gamingexperience, 27 of whichhave been in operationshaving started as a crapsdealer before being pro-moted to various casinofloor operations manage-ment positions and finallyto casino manager. For thelast eight years he hasworked at Bally in its Pro-fessional Services team,

sharing his insight withcustomers on how to maxi-mize

Commenting on hisappointment, Bobby Lisciosaid: “I am very excited tobe joining TCS John Huxleyat a time when table gamescontinue to grow in popu-larity. As the leading sup-plier in table gametechnology, our focus is todevelop and increase ouroffering of proprietarytable games and side bets,to provide rewarding levelsof performance to opera-tors and added stimulationand fun to players.”

TCS JOHN HUXLEY

TCS John Huxley names Lisciohead of new Table Games DivisionGlobal gaming supplier TCS John Huxley has appointed industry veteran Bobby Liscio to lead its newlycreated Table Games Division.

Gaming Laboratories International(GLI) has appointed Phil Harri-son to the position of regulator

development, compliance and qualityassurance senior manager for its GLIAustralia subsidiary.

GLI, which recently celebrated its25th anniversary, confirmed that Harri-son will work closely with regulatorsand clients throughout its Australianand Asian marketplaces from its facilityin Adelaide, South Australia.

“We are very excited to welcome Philto the GLI Australia team,” said IanHughes, CEO for GLI Australia. “Hisextensive and diverse experience, com-bined with his commitment and dedica-tion to standards and responsiblegambling, make Phil an incredibly valu-able asset to GLI and to our clientsthroughout the Australia and Asian mar-ketplaces.”

Harrison’s experience in the gamingindustry dates to 1994 when gaming

machines were first introduced to SouthAustralia. In his role as inspector, sys-tems auditor and manager for the SouthAustralia Liquor and Gambling Commis-sioner, he worked with all major stake-holders throughout Australia and Asiaincluding regulators, manufacturersand operators.

GLI AUSTRALIA

Harrisonjoins GLIAustralia

APEX gaming has appointed Kubilay Özer as its newglobal sales director. A position designed specifi-cally to reflect the growing international demand

for the company’s solutions, including the Pinnacle gam-ing machines, Özer’s role will be to manage worldwidesales in all markets.

Johannes Weissengruber, chairman and founder ofAPEX gaming, said: “We are setting the managementstructure, knowing that our company motto to take gam-ing to the ‘next level’ has been mirrored in the demand forour solutions. We are thrilled to have gained such a pro-fessional gaming person in Kubilay Özer who will beresponsible for the sales department, covering all mar-kets and all products. I have great respect for Kubilay.This appointment is the natural next step after havingappointed Max Pessnegger as chief executive officer. Weare taking our management structure to the next level.”

Özer added: “I have had the pleasure to work closelytogether with the APEX team over the past years and wit-ness the company growth thanks to its innovative solu-tions. APEX has so much to offer to the gaming industry.The committed team is continually looking to create newsolutions that bring true value to the operators and addi-tional gaming entertainment to players.

APEX GAMING

Özer takes on global roleat Apex

Industry veteran SaschaBlodau was recentlyappointed as a chief

financial officer of CasinoTechnology to facilitatethe Bulgaria-based com-pany’s corporate strategyof global consolidationand growth.

As a long-term manag-ing director of Bally WulffGames and Entertain-ment, Blodau has a signifi-cant experience inpositioning and strength-ening the corporate finan-cial structure,establishing capitalinvestment and managinginvestor relationships. Hewas one of the main driv-ing forces behind theacquisition of the Ger-many-based manufac-turer Bally Wulff bySchmidt Group in 2007.

“The appointment ofSascha Blodau as a chieffinancial officer of CasinoTechnology is in line withthe company’s strategy ofstreamlining its activitiesand further expanding onthe global gaming mar-kets,” said Milo Borissov,founder and president ofCasino Technology. “Weare confident that with hisexperience and solidfinancial backgroundSascha will provide ahighly valuable contribu-tion to achieving thesegoals.”

CASINOTECHNOLOGY

SaschaBlodauappointedas a CFO ofCasinoTechnology


MACAO GAMING SHOW 2014: ‘IT’S “THREE STEPS FORWARD AND TWO STEPS BACK,” BUT THE MOOD ISBUOYANT ON THE FUTURE OF INTEGRATED RESORTS IN JAPAN.’ WWW.MACAOGAMINGSHOW.COM

APEX GAMING / CASINO TECHNOLOGY / GLI / TCS JOHN HUXLEY

People


& ServicesSECTOR NEWS: [email protected]

EDICT EGAMING / GAMEACCOUNT NETWORK / PAF

he Åland gaming com-pany Paf is launchingthe world’s first slotmachine arm forhome use, the iBandit.

The iBandit is aunique product com-prising a mixture ofnatural materials,

solid oak, durable steel and sophisti-cated technology. It connects to aplayer’s computer through a USB portfor the ultimate online casino experi-ence in the comfort of the home.

The product has been developed tocommemorate the world’s largestonline slot machine win of E17.9m, paidout by Paf to one of their players in 2013.

“The iBandit is a fantastic experimen-tal product that we developed at Pafwith the Nordic Society For Invention

and Discovery (NSID) to show that slotmachine games can be just as enjoy-able at home as in a traditional casino,”said Mattias Lindquist, communica-tions manager at Paf.

“Paf itself runs physical casinos bothat sea and on land, in addition to ouronline casino. The iBandit is therefore aproduct that forms a transparent linkbetween our businesses.”

Per Cromwell, inventor at the NSID,added: “We at NSID see the potential ofworking with real physical experiencesin the digital world. We are convincedthat the future of digital developmentwill involve an entirely new way of inter-acting.

“With the iBandit, our aim is to createthe perfect physical slot machine armfor the ultimate slot machine experi-ence online.”

TECHNOLOGY Paf launches at-homeslot machine arm

Paf has takeninspiration fromtraditional casinos todevelop a uniqueproduct for use inthe home.

GameAccount Network (GAN) has signed an agreementwith the Pennsylvania, US-based Parx Casino tolaunch a Simulated Gaming online experience for new

customers and existing patrons. The agreement will allow forall forms of online gaming with selected third-party remotegaming servers to be integrated into the GameSTACK internetgaming system and managed via GAN’s iSight Back Office.

The move comes in anticipation of the regulation of inter-net gaming in the state, plans for which were revealed in July.

Dermot Smurfit, CEO of GAN, said: “In 2015 we anticipatescaling Parx’s Simulated Gaming business through signifi-cant online marketing activities designed to acquire playersonline and drive them on-property to Parx Casino in Ben-salem, Pennsylvania.”

John Dixon, CTO ofGreenwood Entertainmentand Racing, which owns ParxCasino, added: “GameAc-count has demonstrated itsregulated gaming capabilityin New Jersey and the meritsof Simulated Gaming whenintegrated with a casino man-agement system.

“By deploying their sys-tem on-property, Parx Casino[will be] well prepared in theevent regulation of real-money internet gamingemerges in the state of Penn-sylvania.”

Games platform developeredict egaming hassecured another online

partnership deal by signing withinternational mobile and tabletcasino operator LeoVegas.Under terms of the agreement,the Germany-based onlinecasino solutions provider willoffer a selection of MerkurGaming slot games to LeoVegas’global player base, including itsnewly developed edict GameBridge which allows large oper-ators to integrate the Gausel-mann Group’s subsidiary slotsto their game portfolio via anAPI.

Dominic-Daniel Lienard,CEO of edict, said: “This is a

great opportunity for LeoVegasand edict. I am sure their playersbase will enjoy the unique expe-rience that the Merkur slotgames offer and we can gainfrom their mobile experience.”

Lienard continued by sayingthat the first Merkur slots will beavailable in HTML5, and go livewith LeoVegas, in early 2015.

Edict egaming, which hasbeen specialising in casino solu-tions for more than 15 years,said in a statement that the edictGame Bridge currently offers 10Merkur slots to large sports bet-ting or casino operators. Amongthe games are Gauselmann’sDouble Triple Chance, MagicMirror and 221B Baker Street.

PARTNERSHIP

edict signs onlineagreement withLeoVegas

T

ONLINE GAMING

GAN extendsPennsylvaniacasino deal

GameAccount and ParxCasino finalise a deal for

Simulated Gaming on-property gaming &

regulated Internet gaming inPennsylvania


CR146-p53-Sectors_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 11:59 Page 1

icr

If you’re searching for the very best journalism, the widest distribution and inventive advertising opportunities, International Casino Review is your partner of choice.

For more information on how we can help you deliver your message to the global casino industry community, simply contact John Sullivan at [email protected] to receive your media pack or call us on +44 (0) 1204 396 397.


& DiaryEVENTS NEWS: [email protected]

The Casino Marketing and Technol-ogy Conference takes place at theRio in Las Vegas on July 14-16, 2015.

More than 100 different gaming oper-ators and industry suppliers attendedthe 2014 event, which addressed mar-keting challenges across all sectors ofthe business, including commercial casi-nos, tribal casinos and racetrack casi-nos.

In 2015, the Casino Marketing andTechnology Conference will once again

offer the popular Host DevelopmentConference. This one and a half-day pro-gramme will run on July 13-14

The Host Developer Conferencepresents an advanced training pro-gramme that will focus on developingand segmenting qualified sales leads;creating compensation and specialisa-tion in a new player development model;managing reinvestment; and under-standing the true value of a playerthrough mathematics.

CASINO MARKETING CONFERENCE

Marketing conference addresses industry challenges

The cancellation of the IMA tradeshow, scheduled to take place inDüsseldorf in January 2015, will

effectively make London’s ICE TotallyGaming the German industry’s “inter-national trade show” according toLars Rogge, managing director ofBally Wulff, one of the principal Ger-man machine manufacturers.

“I would expect there to be at least300 of the most important Germanoperators visiting London for theshow,” he said. “For us - and our fellowmachine-makers in Germany - ICE willtherefore become our principal inter-national showcase. We will featureour machines for Italy and Spainthere.”

Responding to the news KateChambers, portfolio director respon-sible for ICE, said: “When Germanyhad no IMA show in 2013, we wel-comed a large number of Germangaming professionals to what was thefirst year at our new home at ExCeL.

“As part of the broader gaming fam-ily we sympathise with the complexpolitical situation, which has causedthe cancellation of IMA. ICE is a uniquemeeting place for the internationalgaming industry and we look forwardto welcoming German operators ineven bigger numbers to London inFebruary.”

With what is the busiest show floorin gaming, ICE features a significantnumber of German exhibitors includ-ing the Gauselmann Group subsidiaryMerkur Gaming, which confirmed thatit will be bringing an extensive selec-tion of gaming cabinets to ICE.

ICE 2015ICE 2015

ICE:Germany’sinternationaltrade show

ased in Silverwater,New South Wales, Aus-tralian casino componentmanufacturer The BrightGroup is preparing toembark on what it termsan ‘international voyage ofdiscovery’ as it transportsits people, products and

presentation over 10,000 miles and across11 time zones for its first ever exhibition atFebruary’s ICE show in London. Officiallythe furthest travelled exhibitor on the showfloor, The Bright Group (TBG) is taking astand presence at ICE in order to further itsaspirations of international expansion.

“Having previously been to ICE as visi-tors, we fully understand the show's impor-tance to the global gaming industry,”claimed the company’s director for globalengineering, Raif Oymen. “As we continueour international expansion outside of ourestablished Australasian and North Ameri-can regions, we believe attending ICE sendsout the signals that we are ready andextremely serious about the markets thatexist in Europe.”

It’s to this end that the company’s produc-tion and R&D departments have beenpreparing a range of products cateredspecifically to European tastes: “Thisincludes representative pieces demonstrat-ing our design capability, attraction fea-tures for machine toppers and top boxes, aswell as two new centrepiece products - the

Magnum topper range and the SoundChair,” added Oymen.

As an inception showing, TBG plans totake more away from their London exhibi-tion than an increase in global brand aware-ness and sales figures: “Our presence at theshow allows us to see first-hand the latestproducts from the markets in Europe,”stated Oymen. “It will also provide a valuedopportunity to meet with associates andclients, as well as receive valuable feedbackon our own offerings.”

For its organisers, the fact that the show’sreputation is enough to entice the likes ofOymen bodes well. “ICE has been describedas the world’s favourite gaming exhibitionand the experience of TBG endorses andreflects that billing,” commented ICE mar-keting director Jo Mayer. For her, theshow’s increasing international leveragealigns well with the 2015 thematic. “Ourcampaign theme for 2015 is Discover,” sheexplained, “and there's no doubt that withits community of international exhibitorsdrawn from over 50 nations there’ll beopportunity to discover and explore the lat-est gaming innovations at ICE in a waywhich no other exhibition can rival.”

Early indications suggest the upcomingICE is on course to eclipse the success of its2014 iteration: when 23,506 attendees froma record 156 nations travelled to London tobrowse the wares of 515 independentexhibitors.

Thefuture’sBrightfor ICE

With confirmation ofexhibitor attendance from

New South Walesmanufacturers The Bright

Group, the global appeal ofLondon’s upcoming ICE

show is seeminglyconfirmed.

BRaif Oymen, director of globalengineering, The Bright Group

CR146-p54-55-Events_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 12:11 Page 1

CASINO MARKETING CONFERENCE / ENADA PRIMAVERA / FADJA / ICE 2015 / INTERNATIONAL CASINO CONFERENCE

The 27th edition of the Enada Spring interna-tional amusement and gaming exhibition isset to take place at the Rimini Expo Centre

from March 18-20 with organisers confident of top-ping last year’s attendance figure.

Although the 2014 edition of the Italian eventsaw visitor numbers drop by just over six percentyear-on-year to 25,208, trade show specialist Rim-ini Fiera is assured that the over 400 exhibitors setfor March alongside a full programme of meetingsand debates will once again draw the best andbrightest from the global gaming and amusementindustries to the northern Adriatic seaside resort.

Set to occupy 40,000 square metres at the westend of the Rimini Expo Centre and with supportfrom the SAPAR and Euromat trade associations,Enada Spring will provide those in attendance withthe ability to check out the latest products, serv-ices and technologies in the gaming and amuse-ment sectors. Everything from slot machines,video lottery terminals and video games will be onshow alongside pinball machines, fussball unitsand billiard tables. Visitors will also be able tocheck out payment systems, furnishings, fittingsand services for amusement arcades and bingohalls plus a complete range of technologies foronline and mobile gaming.

ENADA PRIMAVERA

Enada Spring ready for Rimini

| DIARYJANUARY 2015

13-15EAG International ExpoExCeL London Exhibition Centre,London, UK www.eagexpo.com

FEBRUARY 20153-5 ICE Totally GamingExCeLLondon Exhibition Centre, LondonUK www.icetotallygaming.com

MARCH 20159-11 Gaming Technology Con-ferenceCaesars Palace, LasVegas, Nevada, US www.gam-ingtechnologyconf.com

18-19FADJAPeru Atlantic CityConvention & Entertainment Cen-tre, Lima, Peru www.fadja.com.pe

25-26Caribbean Gaming Show& Summit 2015San Juan, PuertoRico www.caribbeangaming-show.com

30-1 Indian GamingSan DiegoSan Diego Convention Center, SanDiego, California, US www.indi-angaming.org/events/tradeshow

APRIL 20158-9FADJAColombia Corferias,Bogota, Colombia [email protected]

MAY 20155-7Southern Gaming Summit &Bingo WorldMississippi CoastColiseum & Convention Centre,Biloxi, Mississippi, USwww.sgsummit.com

YXYXYXYEDITORIALManaging Editor: Ken Scott Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900Edition Editor: James Walker Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900Reporters: Joseph Ewens, ChrisWebster, Alan CampbellADVERTISINGNeil Judson

Email: [email protected]: +44 (0)1204 396 397PRODUCTIONAd Production: Dave RoderickEmail: [email protected] Design: Gina LloydEmail: [email protected] & Production Office: 20 New Road, Brighton BN1 1UF,UK Tel: +44 (0)1273 699 900

SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions:Sarah Haworth Email: [email protected]: +44 (0)1204 396 397Publishers GB Media Corporation Ltd, BoltonTechnology Exchange, 33Queensbrook, Bolton BL1 4AY, UKTel: +44 (0)1204 396 397Publisher: John SullivanEmail: [email protected]

Opinions expressed in this publication should not be regarded as the official view of GBMedia Corporation Ltd, except where stated. Views, opinions and recommendationscontained in this publication are put forward for consideration only. No action should betaken in reliance upon any such views, opinions or recommendations. Neither GB MediaCorporation Ltd nor contributors accept any responsibility for any loss occasioned toany person howsoever caused or arising as a result of or in consequence of action takenor refrained from in realiance on the contents of this publication.

Notes for contributorsThe Editorial Board welcomes the submission of articles for consideration by the editorwith a view to publication. Articles submitted will not be returned and accordinglycontributors making submissions should retain copies. Submission of an article will beheld to imply that the article contains original unpublished work which GB MediaCorporation Ltd may lawfully publish. All submissions are made at the owner’s risk.

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London’s iconic HippodromeCasino has been chosen asthe venue for the upcoming

2015 International Casino Confer-ence (ICC), taking place on Mon-day 2 February. Organised jointlyby Clarion Events and the Euro-pean Casino Association, the ICCserves as the curtain raiser to ICE- the world’s biggest B2B gamingevent – which runs from 3rd-5thFebruary at London’s ExCeL Cen-tre.

ICE marketing director, JoMayer, said: “This is the first timethat the International Casino Con-ference has been taken out of aconventional conference-stylesetting and we could not havewished for a more prestigious andappropriate venue than the Hip-podrome in London’s LeicesterSquare. Following a three-yearrenovation programme costing£40m, the Hippodrome wasnamed Casino Of The Year 2013,just six months after it opened.With a cabaret theatre attractinginternational stars includingDionne Warwick and Joss Stoneand critically claimed restaurantsand bars - there’s no doubt that theHippodrome is no ordinarycasino and a perfect venue at

which to host our ICC delegates.”Co-organised with the Euro-

pean Casino Association, the2015 ICC will bring togetherboard members of all of thelargest casino groups in Europe.The Conference will provide dele-gates with a platform to exchangeviews on the most burning issuesaffecting the land-based industrywhile giving them access to keyspeakers including Harrie Tem-mink, deputy head, online &postal unit, DG Internal Market &Services at the European Com-mission.

The ICC is one of eight targetedlearning events that cover all ofgaming’s vertical markets. Dele-gates can opt for an access-all-areas passport, which gives thefreedom to explore the entire ICEConferences programme or alter-natively select a single confer-ence of interest. In addition to theICC the programme comprises:Betmarkets; Cross-Platform &Multi-Channel Gaming; Cyber-crime, Security & RegulatoryCompliance; Data Insight & Busi-ness Intelligence; Game Design &Development; Lotteries For TheFuture; and, World RegulatoryBriefing.

INTERNATIONAL CASINO CONFERENCE

London’s Hippodrome to hostInternational Casino ConferenceLondon’s historic Hippodrome Theatre has been

chosen as the venue for February’sInternational Casino Conference.

Feria Americana de Juegos de Azar (FADJA), the SouthAmerican gaming trade show, will take place at Corferiasin Bogata, Colomba, on April 8-9, 2015.

With industry eyes firmly on high-growth markets across thecontinent, FADJA has grown to be a leading event for casinooperators in the region.

More than 70 manufacturers and suppliers exhibited at the2014 edition of the show, including Gaming LaboratoriesInternational(GLI), CasinoTechnology, BallyTechnologies,Gold Club, WMSGaming, Gtech,Novomatic, Aris-tocrat Technolo-gies and CranePayment Innova-tions (CPI).

FADJA 2015

Dates confirmed forFADJA 2015


CR146-p54-55-Events_Coinslot NEW 11/12/2014 12:13 Page 2

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