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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
GLOBAL GAMES AND GAMING MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2015 I WWW.G3NEWSWIRE.COM I WWW.G3-247.COM
INTERNATIONAL GAMING NEWS I KNOWLEDGE I STATISTICS I MARKET INFORMATION I DIGITAL AND PRINT
WWW.G3NEWSWIRE.COM
BRAZIL
WWW.G3-247.COM - THE GAMING MEDIA VAULT
France’s Pari Mutuel Urbain will operate horse
racing in Brazil for the Brazilian Jockey Club 0
8
RUSSIA
Melco Int. has opened its Tigre de Cristal casino
1 4
in the Primorye gaming zone in Russia
US
Cammegh has received a spectacular order for
wheels and Billboard displays from MGM 2 4
THE NEW TARGET
AUDIENCE...
Why was G2E dominated by
skill-based, millennials and eSports?
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AUSTRALIA
Crown Melbourne is adding a six-star hotel
tower to its Melbourne casino precinct
2 8
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Contents
NOVEMBER 2015
06
07
05
04
09
08
11
12
03
10
01
02
SOUTH AMERICA NEWS
01: BRAZIL
French company Pari Mutuel Urbain will
become the operator of horse betting in Brazil
through the Brazilian Jockey Club
EMEA NEWS
04: RUSSIA
Melco International has opened the first phase
of Tigre de Cristal, the first casino to open in
the Primorye gaming zone
– G3Newswire pg 08
02: CHILE
The Chilean Gaming Control Board has come
under fire over new rules for the granting of
licences for casinos
05: ALBANIA
The Albanian government is considering new
legislation to curb ‘economic irregularities and
fiscal evasion’ - or fraud
03: PANAMA
There is concern in Panama over the rise of
slots located in lower income neighbourhoods
with plans for tax hikes
06: AUSTRIA
The first of two major announcements from
Greentube sees the Austria-based company
supplying content to Unibet
NORTH AMERICA NEWS
07: NEVADA
Cammegh has received a spectacular order for
wheels and Billboard displays from one of the
US’ biggest operators
ASIA & OCEANIA NEWS
10: AUSTRALIA
Australian operator Crown Melbourne is
adding a brand new luxury six-star hotel
08: FLORIDA
Clarion target the Who's Who of Pan-Latin
American and Caribbean gaming in a joint
event with Urban Expositions
11: LAOS
The Savan Vegas Hotel and Entertainment
Complex, located in Savannakhet Laos is on
the market
09: CANADA
SuzoHapp celebrated the official opening of its
new Canada-based 22,000sq.ft. production
facility in town of Vaughan
12: CAMBODIA
The Cambodian government has issued 10
additional new casino licenses, increasing the
country’s total to 75
Gaming Publishing
Samson House,
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Manchester M29 7BR,
United Kingdom
G3Newswire.com delivers daily international
gaming industry news and information, with the
G3Newswire newsletter circulated three times
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WWW.G3-247.COM
G2E LAS VEGAS 2015 REVIEW
THE CHANGING FACE OF CASINOS?
G3 interviews the show floor in Las Vegas,
revealing the latest products and innovations
and speculating on the changes ahead...
– Exhibition Reviews pg 34
GAUSELMANN INDUSTRY SUMMIT
Now in its sixth year, the Gauselmann Industry
Summit plays an important role in keeping
operators informed of regulatory changes
– G3 Interview pg 36
APPLYING THE RIGHT FORMULAS
G3 seized the opportunity to interview
Novomatic’s CEO, Harald Neumann and CTO,
Thomas Graf, at the G2E show in Las Vegas
– G3 Interview pg 42
CASINO TELEVISION ADVERTISING
GENTING - THIS IS FOR ‘THE PLAYER’
Genting Online has launched a multi-million
ad campaign in the UK aimed at both landbased and online players
– Interactive pg 78
World Partner to Clarion Events
0 3
Comment
NOVEMBER 2015
When Chariots of Fire director, Colin Welland, having bagged his award at the
Oscars in 1981, proclaimed that: “The British are coming!,” he was forever immortalised as a bit of a fortune-telling twit. If anything, the movie-making industry in
the UK accelerated backwards. Predictions are tricky, fickle things, but the G2E
exhibition in Las Vegas showed all the signs and portents of change. The absence of
some of the industry’s stalwarts from the show floor was immediately visible and
obvious, but what was interesting, hopping from stand-to-stand at the show, was
the general enthusiasm for the US market, which predominantly came from nondomestic suppliers.
Each company we interviewed had recently opened offices in the States or were in
the process of doing so. Stand after stand discussed the opportunities now on offer
in the US, as if the market barriers had suddenly fallen. Where in the past we were
accustomed to discussing South American visitors and Tribal Gaming opportunities
with international exhibitors at G2E, the US is firmly on the agenda of companies
such as Novomatic, Merkur Gaming, Ainsworth, EGT, Alfastreet, Casino
Technology, Quixant, Cammegh, Interblock, etc. The diversity of product on the
IGT stand (I apologise to purists, but IGT, with its head offices in the UK and Italian
lottery ownership, is a ‘European’ company), was spectacular, as was the Aristocrat
booth at G2E, which fizzed with on-the-nose licences and pick-up-and-play
appeal, while Konami’s Frogger was a G3 favourite.
THE CALLS FOR
‘GREATER
INNOVATION’
SHOWED THAT
OPERATORS ARE
LOOKING FOR
NEW PRODUCT
FROM NEW
SOURCES.
This month we have a selection of interviews with
CEOs at G2E and while there was so much emphasis on eSports, millennials and skill-based at the
show, it’s easy to miss the actual message. The
mergers and acquisitions of recent years have
redistributed the power in the US and there’s a rush
to fill that space. The calls for ‘greater innovation’
showed that operators are looking for new product
from new sources and are willing to try new concepts. From what we saw at G2E, everything they
need is already there, they just have to look in different places. As Colin might say: “The non-domestic producers of games for the US market - are
coming!” (I did say he was a twit).
EDITORIAL
ADVERTISING
Editor
Lewis Pek
[email protected]
+44 (0) 1942 879 291
Commercial Director
John Slattery
Email: [email protected]
+44 (0)7917 166471
News Editor
Phil Martin
[email protected]
+44 (0)161 236 6669
Advertising Executive
James Slattery
+44 (0)7917 166471
Associate Editor (MALAGA)
Karen Southall
[email protected]
Alison Dronfield
+44 (0)1204 410771
Consultant
John Carroll (BILLERBECK)
[email protected]
South America Correspondent
James Marrison
[email protected]
Contributors
David Addison
Jeremy Thompson Hill
Dr. Damir Böhm
0 4
PRODUCTION
Senior Designer
Gareth Irwin
Production Manager
Paul Jolleys
Subscriptions Manager
Jennifer Pek
Commercial Administrator
John Pek
Events
NOVEMBER 2015
November 9-11, 2015
Table Games Conference 2015, US
Location
Paris Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas,
Nevada, United States
Organiser
BNP Media Gaming Group
2401 W Big Beaver Road, Suite 700
Troy
Michigan
United States
MI 48084
Contact: Lesley Grashow
Tel: +1 203 938 2782
Web: www.tablegamesconf.com
November 10-12, 2015
SAGSE Latin America 2015, Argentina
Location
Costa Saalgusto Convention Centre,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Organiser
Monografie SA
Avenida Alvear 1883, Loc. 21
Buenos Aires
Argentina
1129
Contact: Alan Burak
Tel: +54 11 4805 4623
Web: www.monografie.com
Mobile & Tablet Gambling Summit
Europe 2015, UK
Location
Victoria Park Plaza Hotel, London,
United Kingdom
Organiser
Bullet Business
7-9 Fashion Street
London
United Kingdom
E1 6PX
Contact: Jonny Clegg
Tel: +44 207 375 7193
Web: www.bulletbusiness.com/mobilegambling
MiGS 2015 – Malta iGaming Seminar
Location
Corinthia Hotel, St George’s Bay, Malta
Organiser
MiGS Ltd
Level 1, Tower Business Centre
Tower Street
Swatar, Malta
0 6
Tel: +356 9947 7102
Contact: Ramona Mifsud
Web:
www.maltaigamingseminar.com
MGS 2015 - Macao Gaming Show
Location
The Venetian Macau, Macau
Organiser
Macau Gaming Equipment
Manufacturers Association
Avenida de Amizade No 555
Macau Landmark, 12/F – 1209, Macau
Tel: +853 6363 0080
Skype: skype.mgs
Email:
[email protected]
Web: www.macaogamingshow.com
Gambling Indaba Conference &
Expo, South Africa
Location
CTICC - Cape Town International
Convention Centre, Cape Town, South
Africa
Organiser
Gambling Indaba
PO Box 1239
Cape Town, Western Cape
South Africa 8001
Tel: +27 82 468 8622
Fax: +27 86 427 4944
Contact: Roy Bannister
Web: www.gamblingindaba.com
EEGS 2015 – Eastern European
Gaming Summit, Bulgaria
Location
Inter Expo Center, Sofia, Bulgaria
Organiser
BEGE
7 Kukush Str, Sofia
Bulgaria
1345
Contact: Agne Braziunaite
Tel: +359 2 812 9333
Web: www.eegamingsummit.com
Novermber 24-25, 2015
BEGE 2015 – Balkan Entertainment
& Gaming Expo, Bulgaria
Location
Inter Expo Center, Sofia, Bulgaria
Organiser
BEGE
7 Kukush Str, Sofia
Bulgaria
1345
Contact: Milena Tsankarska
Tel: +359 2 812 9474
Fax: +359 2 812 9479
Email:
[email protected]
Web: www.balkangamingexpo.com
0 7
G3Newswire
SOUTH AMERICA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
PMU win at brazilian jockey clUb
French company Pari Mutuel Urbain will
become the operator of horse betting in
Brazil through the Brazilian Jockey Club
Brazil - Horse-racing
la coMPañía francesa Pari MUtUel Urbain ha
anunciado que se convertirá en el operador de las apuestas de
carreras de caballos en Brasil a través del Club de Jockeys de
Brasil (JCB). PMU ha suscrito un acuerdo de colaboración con el
Jockey Club Brasileiro para desarrollar las apuestas de carreras
de caballos en Brasil.
el recién elegido alcalde de acaPUlco, evódio
Velázquez, ha salido en defensa del gran casino de la ciudad
afirmando que los casinos pueden representar un atractivo
añadido para los turistas. El alcalde, de orientación izquierdista,
declaró que los casinos pueden generar los ingresos fiscales
necesarios para pagar los programas de bienestar social y que
se pueden usar para construir infraestructuras turísticas adicionales y mejorar la seguridad en la región.
la sUPerintendencia de casinos de jUego de
Chile (SCJ) ha sido objeto de numerosas críticas en el contexto
de las nuevas normas que regulan el procesamiento y la concesión de licencias para casinos. Los operadores aprovecharon
un reciente proceso de consulta pública para expresar sus
temores y su enojo por las nuevas leyes cuando la
Superintendencia recibió los comentarios del sector y del
público en general en torno a las propuestas realizadas por el
Ministro de Finanzas.
existe Una creciente PreocUPación en PanaMá
por el incremento de las tragaperras ubicadas en barrios de
ingresos bajos, y los legisladores han admitido que son necesarias medidas urgentes para aplicarles una imposición fiscal
más eficiente.
el coMité de control del jUego de coloMbia
tiene como objetivo aportar un nuevo empuje al sector de las
carreras de caballos recortando los impuestos y ampliando las
licencias. Las enmiendas a las leyes colombianas sobre las
carreras de caballos recortarán los impuestos a solo un 1 por
ciento, ampliarán las licencias durante 10 años y darán a las
administraciones municipales locales más capacidad de
decisión sobre el sector.
según el Ministro de finanzas de albania,
Shkelqim Cani, el comité parlamentario del país ha empezado
a debatir nuevos cambios en la legislación sobre el juego que
tienen como objetivo combatir las irregularidades económicas
y la evasión fiscal.
scientific gaMes ha concentrado sU sede
central europea en Barcelona (España) y eliminará los puestos
redundantes en Ámsterdam (Países Bajos) a fecha 31 de
diciembre de 2015. Bally Technologies, ahora una marca dentro de Scientific Games, había inaugurado su sede central en
Ámsterdam y una sala de exposición vanguardista en noviembre de 2013. Esta decisión representa la sexta reubicación de
oficinas de la empresa en el plazo de una década.
caMMegh, fabricante de las rUletas Más
exquisitas del mundo, ha sido designada por MGM Resorts
International para suministrarle sus insuperables ruletas
Mercury 360 y sus pantallas Billboard a toda una serie de
establecimientos de MGM Resorts en Las Vegas, entre los que
se incluyen ARIA, Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas, New York
New York, Monte Carlo y The Mirage.
0 8
French company Pari Mutuel Urbain announced it
will become the operator of horse racing betting in
Brazil through the Brazilian Jockey Club (JCB).
PMU, signed a partnership agreement with Jockey
Club Brasileiro to develop horserace betting in
Brazil. PMU’s subsidiary PMU Brasil has been created “to manage horse race betting on behalf of
JCB, taking bets in points of sale, via the Internet
and by phone, and to produce and broadcast live
footage of horse races.”
PMU's Chairman and CEO Xavier Hürstel said:
"We are proud and delighted with this partnership
with Jockey Club Brasileiro, which has given PMU
access to the Brazilian market with the objective
of boosting horserace betting and promoting
Brazilian races. This agreement is the proof that
PMU's expertise is acknowledged at an international level. This project is the largest we have
ever launched outside of France and falls within
the scope of our proactive international development policy, itself part of PMU 2020 plan."
Carlos Palermo, President of Jockey Club
Brasileiro added: "With this partnership with PMU
we are entering in a new era for the betting activity on horse races in Brazil. I am convinced that
PMU, thanks to its expertise and as the 3rd largest
operator at a global level, will bring a more professional approach to the management of horse race
betting in our country. For JCB, this agreement will
promote the transfer of know-how with the train-
ing of the Brazilian teams and bring new resources
for the development of local bets."
Brazil horseracing is run by jockey clubs, which
own and operate their own track. Each club is
allowed to run off site betting agencies in the area
where they operate. Situated in Rio de Janeiro The
Brazilian Jockey Club was established at the end
of the 19th century.
Pari-mutuel horserace betting in France is dominated by state company Pari-Mutuel Urbain
which is made up of 59 horseracing associations.
PMU is the leading pari-mutuel operator in Europe
and the 3rd largest at global level, with close to 10
billion Euros in stakes in 2014. The PMU operates
365 days per year with a total of more than 17,000
races organised across the 252 French racecourses.
As well as its domestic races PMU also offers an
international option, to both promote French racing in other countries and to let French customers
experience racing from other countries. Foreign
races have proven popular with French customers.
Through a number of agreements Brazilian racetracks are now being broadcast live around the
world commingling local races into single pools
betting which means that the industry could benefit from modern, global pari-mutuel industry
standards. And those outside of Brazil can now bet
directly on the outcomes of Brazilian horse racing
for the first time.
Mayor in favour of Las Vegas
style gaming in Acapulco
MEXICO
The recently elected major of
Acapulco, Evódio Velázquez has
come out in support of large scale
casino in the city saying that
casinos could be an extra attraction to tourists. The left wing
major said that casinos would
generate the necessary tax
income in order to pay for social
welfare programs and would be
used to generated additional
tourist infrastructure and
improve security in the region.
He also promised that investors
would be guaranteed tax incentives and legal safeguards over
their investments.
"Acapulco has an adequate budget if spending is handled responsibly,” he said and added that the
extra revenue generated by casinos would be used to diversify
the number of tourist attractions
already on offer. Asked about the
concerns generated by converting
Acapulco to a Las Vegas type
gambling destination Velazquez
told Europa Press that: "There are
clear laws in Mexico which can
already pre-empt certain problems. . .” and went on to say that
there were already clear anticorruption laws in place which
allowed the government to trace
the source of the investment in
order to prevent money laundering.
Casinos he said would be primarily aimed at tourists rather than
locals. “We must educate locals
that casinos are a tourist attraction. We cannot force locals not
to play, that would violate their
rights as citizens, but we should
carry out a public awareness
campaign so that they understand that casinos are a tourist
attraction that will generate jobs.
They must be seen not be seen as
a place for locals.”
The mayor also anticipated that a
number of incentives would also
be in place ahead of the government’s plans to change Mexico’s
gambling laws. "We are going to
open investment and will create a
benefits package for those who
believe in Acapulco and want to
invest and create jobs here. There
will be a package of tax incentives as well that will always be
protected under law."
Changes to Mexico’s new gaming
laws will soon be up for debate in
the Senate. Possible changes
could see large scale casino complexes so called “Preferred
Complexes” which would be
allotted in tourist hotspots that
are on the Riviera Maya.
However the news has led to
speculation that Las Vegas gaming could be permitted in tourist
hotspots on the Pacific coast as
well.
G3Newswire
SOUTH AMERICA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
gaMing board’s rUles Under fire
The Chilean Gaming Control Board has
come under fire over new rules for the
granting of licences for casinos
Chile - Legislation
el eMerald casino de sUdáfrica, Parte del
Caesars Entertainment Group, se ha convertido en el último
cliente de DRGT. Con un contingente total combinado de 540
tragaperras de carrete y de vídeo de una amplia gama de fabricantes y 23 mesas, el Emerald ha instalado casi todos los
módulos de sistema más recientes de DRGT.
la coMPañía con base en hong kong Melcolot
ha confirmado que «sigue interesada» en el proceso de licitación para operar un casino en el BCN World de Barcelona
(España) a pesar de haber roto un acuerdo para presentarse a
una licitación con Veremonte España S. L.
delaware y nUeva jersey, dos de los tres
estados de EE. UU. con un sector del iGaming regulado, han
suscrito un acuerdo que les permitirá a los jugadores de
Delaware participar en juegos de casino online albergados en
Atlantic City.
greentUbe, del novoMatic groUP, ha
anunciado que Greentube Pro, la plataforma de marketing de
Greentube de casino social privada que se suministra ya lista
para funcionar, será la plataforma de casino social exclusiva
para el Foxwoods Resort Casino.
a PrinciPios de octUbre, sUzohaPP tUvo el
honor de contar con el Ministro de Transportes de Ontario,
Steven Del Duca, y el alcalde de la ciudad de Vaughan, Maurizio
Bevilacqua, para unirse al equipo de SuzoHapp Canadá en la
celebración de la ceremonia de inauguración oficial de sus
instalaciones vanguardistas de 22 000 m² en Vaughan
(Canadá).
aristocrat ha sUscrito Un iMPortante
acuerdo con Caesars Entertainment que supone la instalación
de 200 juegos prémium a lo largo y ancho del imperio del juego
de Caesars. Este acuerdo viene a complementar la base de
instalación con leasing prémium ya existente de Aristocrat, y se
trata del acuerdo único sobre ingresos recurrentes de categoría
III de mayores dimensiones en los más de 60 años de historia
de Aristocrat.
el oPerador aUstraliano crown MelboUrne se
dispone a añadir una torre-hotel de lujo de seis estrellas a su
establecimiento de casino en Melbourne. El despacho de arquitectos británico Wilkinson Eyre se ha impuesto en el concurso
convocado para diseñar el nuevo Queensbridge Hotel Tower y
su correspondiente establecimiento anexo que estará situado
en el área Southbank de Melbourne.
el Proveedor de jUego de MacaU Paradise
Entertainment ha instalado con éxito su Live Multi-Game (LMG)
en el casino Lan Kwai Fong de Macau. La nueva zona de juego
electrónico ha abierto sus puertas con 63 terminales de LMG
donde se ofrecen seis juegos de bacarrá y Paradise Jackpot bajo
un acuerdo de leasing.
el gobierno de caMboya ha eMitido 10 nUevas
licencias de casino, con lo que el total del país se incrementa
hasta las 75. Ros Phearun, Subdirector General del
Departamento del Sector Financiero dentro del Ministerio de
Economía y Finanzas, reveló que la mayoría de las nuevas
licencias estarán en el complejo costero de Sihanoukville.
1 0
The Chilean Gaming Control Board (SJC) has come
under fire over new rules regarding regulations
over the processing and granting of licences for
casinos. Operators used a recent public consultation process to express their fears and anger over
new laws when the board received comments
from the industry and the general public, over
recent proposals made by the Ministry of Finance.
The legislative proposal, which will repeal the
Supreme Decree No. 211 of 2005, was also posted
on the SJC for consultation.
The public consultation regards the recent enactment of Law No. 20,856, which introduces
amendments to gaming Law No. 19,995. The
amendments extend the municipal licenses until
December 2017 and modifies the allocation mechanism for operating permits. This includes both
the technical and financial parameters for licences
made by future applicants.
According to Enjoy in a written statement the
new rules ignored the fact that investments had
already been made by current operators and that
the renewal of licences as laid out in the new law
did not favour those operators which had already
invested in Chile. Instead taxes had been added
for the municipal localities where they are located
which constituted “an alteration to the rules
defined for industry investment.” This according
to Enjoy could seriously “damage the property and
interests of these companies.”
Other land based operators joined suit with operators of the Monticello casino, the largest casino in
Chile, arguing that the new law favoured new
entrants to the market and discriminated against
operators who are already in the region as it does
not take into account “for the purposes of technical evaluation of the bids submitted, infrastructure and investments made by existing operators.”
The company also argued that the new law discriminated against foreign investment as it established arbitrary requirements to “limit the participation of stakeholders who are part of foreign
conglomerates, producing a perverse disincentive
effect on the participation of large conglomerates
in this industry.”
The growing controversy comes after President
Michelle Bachelet signed into law new regulations,
which extend the licenses of the seven municipal
casinos in Chile earlier this year. The new rules
extend the licenses until December 2017 in the
districts of Vina del Mar, Arica, Iquique, Puerto
Varas, Coquimbo, Pucon and Puerto Natales,
which all expire on December 31, 2015.
However, once these licences expire the statute
provides that from that date onwards, those
municipalities will continue to be a home to a
casino for a total of three periods of 15 years each
and the new casinos will come under the supervision of the SJC. This will herald in a number of
new large scale casinos especially as a number of
the municipal casino licenses, such as the licence
for Vina del Mar, are located in the most popular
local tourists destinations.
New rules seek to ban cash
transactions in casinos
ARGENTINA
The deputy representing the
province of Córdoba Diego
Mestre, has put forward a bill
which would only ban the use of
cash in casinos and slot parlours
in Argentina in order to curb
money laundering and tax evasion. Instead only credit cards
and debit cards would be permitted.
According to Mestre’s proposals,
Argentina’s anti money laundering laws would be amended so
that they would incorporate new
measures which only allow credit cards and debit cards in casinos
and slot parlours. The use of
credit and debit cards would be
the only means of purchasing
chips and betting in casinos, bet-
ting shops, bingo halls, racetracks, and slot parlours throughout Argentina, he said.
Speaking to local press Mestre
said that the new law would
safeguard against money laundering: “With putting the process
within the banking system, the
way of acquiring chips and betting, would be by informing the
banking system who and how
much is being bet. Today, casinos
and the gambling business
engage in financial activities in
the context of entertainment, but
they do not care who or where
the money is coming from.
Neither the state nor anyone
knows for sure where they these
funds end up which may come
from all kinds of crimes, such as
drug trafficking or arms dealing,”
he said.
Mestre’s proposals are the latest
in a number of measures which
seek to enforce stricter rules
when it comes to financial transactions in casinos and other gaming establishments in Argentina.
In May 2014 Deputy Juan Carlos
Juárez introduced a bill into in the
Buenos Aires Legislature which
would prohibit cash betting
throughout the province.
The bill would make it obligatory
for all slot parlours, casinos and
lottery outlets to put the technology in place which would allow
the player to make their bet: “via
debit cards, credit cards and other
forms of electronic payment.” In
addition to imposing daily betting
limits the initiative would also
ensure that all prizes would be
deposited into bank accounts
directly and “under no circumstances shall be made in cash.”
G3Newswire
SOUTH AMERICA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
fears grow over slot nUMbers
There is concern in Panama over the rise
of slots located in lower income
neighbourhoods with plans for tax hikes
Panama - Legislation
ParagUay - only one bid for caPital casino
The Paraguayan Gaming Commission (CONAJZAR) has only
received one bid during its latest tender process. The offer
was made to run a casino in capital Asunción as part of the
bid to operate a second casino in the city¬ according to the
head of CONAJZAR Javier Balbuena. The official estimated
that in about fifteen days, it would decide whether or not the
license should be awarded.
He said nine companies in all purchased the bidding terms
and conditions, but when the opening of the bids was held on
October 2nd, the only bid submitted was that by company
Gloria Hotelería S.A which already operates a casino in the
Hotel Guarani.
"We are now in the process of evaluation of the documentation submitted. The ideal is that the largest number of bidders are always presented,” Mr. Balbuena said before pointing out that the lack of offers was due to the rigour and high
standards demanded as part of the new bidding terms. "This
is a different competition . . .We are providing a license, which
should provide reassure to customers," he said.
Mr. Balbuena went onto say that the commission is now in
the process of evaluating the documentation and noted that
recent tenders have also only attracted a small number of
bids including the tender processes for the right to run both
telebingo and quinela.
The tender process for a number of new casinos has been
fraught with difficulties and delays for many years, with three
tender processes being abandoned. In 2009 and again in
2010 and 2011 CONAJZAR was forced to halt the bidding
process over accusations of irregularities and other issues
mostly revolving around the fact that bidders were not meeting the minimum requirements set out to by the gaming
commission.
UrUgUay - Us bets PerMitted at racetracks
Betting on local pools at the Uruguayan racetrack of Maroñas
and the racetrack of Las Piedras is now under way in the
United States via The Latin American Racing Channel
(LARC). It marks an important milestone for the Uruguayan
horse racing industry as it seeks to expand its audience to
the United States and it’s the first time that customers based
in the United States are able to place their bets directly on the
pari-mutuel pools from the Latin American racetracks.
President of Monarch Content Management Scott Daruty
welcomed the news and said in a statement: “For many
years the Latin American Racing Channel has been working
for bettors who are in the United States so that they would be
able to place their bets directly on the pari-mutuel pools
from racetracks of South America. We are very pleased that
US bettors can now place commingled wagers directly into
the pools of these Uruguayan racetracks.”
Customers in the United States will be able to place wagers
via Xpressbet a service which allows account holders to
wager on horse racing through online, phone, and mobile
devices.
1 2
There is growing concern in Panama over the
rise of slot machines located in lower income
neighbourhoods with lawmakers admitting
that urgent measures are necessary to tax them
more efficiently. According to local press
reports, the state is currently unaware of the
exact amounts which are bet via Type C slot
machines located in slot parlours. This is
because unlike slot machines located in casinos
and categorised as type A in Panamanian gaming law, slot machines located outside of casinos are not connected to a central government
controlled server. Under current rules slot
machines outside of parlours pay a monthly fee
of US$150 per machine, while slot machines in
fully fledged casinos pay a percentage of their
income.
As result there is growing fear that the money
generated by slot parlours could be being used
for money laundering, according to sources in
the gaming sector. Secretary of the Gaming
Control Board (SJC) Eric Ríos told press that the
government was working on a project to connect type C machines slot machines to the government controlled server. Mr Ríos said that the
board was currently in the analysis stage and
said that the system could be operational as
early as next year.
In 2012, the Gaming Board pulled 3000 slot
machines out from circulation arguing that 4 of
the 21 companies which had been authorised to
operate were operating without a proper permit.
However despite a number of measures aimed
at reducing levels of problem gambling slot parlours have continued to grow and by 2013 there
were at least 8000 slot machines located
throughout Panama. In 2012 the board established new rules which imposed a US$10 thousand licence fee with operators authorised to
operate from 15 to 75 slot machines on site
which allowed for another expansion of the
market.
The expansion of slot parlours in poorer areas
has been a growing cause for concern and there
have been reports this year that the government had been poised to tackle the issue. This
was after a number of statements released by
the Gaming control Board that it considered
Type C machines, to be the main causes of
pathological gambling, since they are located in
nearby low income neighbourhoods. Type C
slot machines may only pay a maximum of
US$200 per machine in prizes.
In September it was revealed that the
Commission of Economy and Finance in
Panama’s National Assembly had begun the
consultation phase in the first debate of the bill
that will restructure the Gaming Control Board.
New proposals seek to regulate casinos and
gaming halls due to their proximity to local to
communities, schools and churches.
Gaming board seeking to
revitalise horse racing sector
COLOMBIA
The Colombian Gaming Control
Board is aiming to provide a new
impetus to the horse race industry by cutting taxes and extending licences. Amendments to
Colombia’s horse racing laws will
cut taxes to just 1 per cent, extend
licences for 10 years and give
local municipalities more say
over the industry.
While other betting platforms
such as lottery game Baloto or
sports betting have tax rates of
32 per cent and 24 per cent
respectively the short duration of
licences granted to racetracks in
the past, along with a high tax
rate have meant that operators
have been forced to make large
investments with little time for
returns.
The industry was singled out for
high taxes in the 1970’s and
1980’s with taxes ultimately
reaching 30 percent which meant
that a large number of tracks
were forced to close. Since 1990 a
number of attempts have been
made to increase investment in
the industry but new amendments now being put forward by
Coljuegos are causing optimism
that the industry could once
more gain in popularity.
Rules to ease the pressure on the
industry were first introduced
five years ago but could soon
become reality according to
Coljuegos with Law 179 which
will give local authorities the
autonomy to give the green light
to horse race tracks for ten years
with licences renewable for a
further ten. According to
Coljuegos a revitalised industry
could generate around $3bn
pesos for the health service.
Gaming tax revenue in Colombia
is destined for the health sector
and currently makes up two percent of its budget
In its heyday the horse racing
industry employed over 40 thousand people in Colombia but has
been sharp decline with a total of
eleven tracks closing over recent
years and there are now only a
handful of thoroughbred breeders left.
According to industry insiders
tracks could follow the example
of Mexico, where the industry
has been successful in attracting
younger people by incorporating
shopping centres and in some
instances nightclubs. Insiders
also argue that the new is being
put forward as a way to generate
jobs and improve the local economy.
G3Newswire
EMEA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
tigre de cristal PriMorye oPen
Melco International has opened the first
phase of Tigre de Cristal, the first casino
to open in the Primorye gaming zone
Russia - New Operations
das französische UnternehMen Pari MUtUel
Urbain (PMU) meldet, dass es über die brasilianische
Jockeyvereinigung (JCB) Anbieter von Pferdewetten in Brasilien
wird. PMU hat einen Partnerschaftsvertrag mit dem Jockey Club
Brasileiro zur Einführung von Pferdewetten in Brasilien
geschlossen.
der kürzlich gewählte bürgerMeister von
Acapulco, Evódio Velázquez, hat sich zur Unterstützung eines
Großkasinos in der Stadt bekannt und betont, dass Spielbanken
ein zusätzlicher Touristenmagnet sein können. Der linksgerichtete Bürgermeister sagte weiter, dass Kasinos das zur
Finanzierung von Sozialprogrammen erforderliche
Steueraufkommen erwirtschaften und dazu genutzt würden,
weitere Infrastrukturen für den Tourismus zu schaffen und die
Sicherheit in der Region zu verbessern.
die chilenische glückssPielaUfsicht (sjc) ist
aufgrund neuer Bestimmungen bezüglich der Bearbeitung und
Zuerkennung von Zulassungen für Kasinos in die Kritik geraten.
Die Betreiber haben eine vor kurzem zur Einholung von
Rückmeldungen aus der Branche und der breiten Öffentlichkeit
zu den kürzlich vom Finanzministerium gemachten Vorschlägen
durch die Aufsichtsbehörde durchgeführte öffentliche Anhörung
genutzt, um ihren Befürchtungen und ihrer Verärgerung wegen
der neuen Gesetze Luft zu machen.
in PanaMa wachsen die bedenken wegen der
steigenden Zahl von Glücksspielautomaten in einkommensschwachen Wohngebieten, wobei der Gesetzgeber einräumt,
dass dringend Maßnahmen zu ihrer wirksameren Besteuerung
ergriffen werden müssen.
die kolUMbianische glückssPielaUfsicht zielt
darauf ab, dem Pferdewettengeschäft durch Steuersenkungen
und die Verlängerung der Zulassungen neuen Schwung zu
geben. Durch die entsprechenden Änderungen an den
kolumbianischen Rechtsvorschriften für Pferdewetten werden
die Steuern um etwa 1 Prozent gesenkt, die Zulassungen auf 10
Jahre verlängert sowie den örtlichen Verwaltungen mehr
Kompetenzen in Bezug auf die Branche eingeräumt.
laUt deM albanischen finanzMinister,
Shkelqim Cani, hat die Abgeordnetenkammer des Landes mit
den Beratungen über neuerliche Änderungen an dem
Glücksspielgesetz begonnen, die auf die Bekämpfung
wirtschaftlicher Unregelmäßigkeiten sowie der
Steuerhinterziehung abzielen.
scientific gaMes haben ihre eUroPäischen
Hauptsitze im spanischen Barcelona zusammengefasst und
werden die überflüssig werdenden Funktionen am niederländischen Standort Amsterdam zum 31. Dezember 2015 aufgeben.
Bally Technologies, jetzt eine Marke von Scientific Games, hatten
ihre Firmenzentrale und den hochmodernen Ausstellungsraum
in Amsterdam erst im November 2013 eröffnet. Der Umzug ist
der sechste Standortwechsel des Unternehmens binnen einer
Dekade.
der aUstralische betreiber crown MelboUrne
erweitert seinen Spielbankkomplex in Melbourne um ein
Hochhaus mit einem Sechs Sterne-Luxushotel. Die britischen
Architekten von Wilkinson Eyre haben den
Architektenwettbewerb zur Planung des vorgesehenen neuen
Queensbridge Hotelhochhauses und des ebenfalls im
Southbank-Viertel von Melbourne gelegenen
Spielbankkomplexes gewonnen.
1 4
Melco International has now opened the first
phase of Tigre de Cristal, the first casino to open in
the Russian gaming zone of Primorye close to the
city of Vladivostok.
Nearly 5,000 guests, including the governor of
Primorye, visited the casino within the first four
hours of its soft opening. Phase one of the project
includes a hotel with 121 hotel rooms, seven food
and beverage outlets, and three main gaming
areas. Gaming is made up of 42 mass-market
tables, 25 VIP tables, and 769 slot machines and
electronic table games.
The casino is looking to challenge Macau for players from China and Korea, although with 300m
people living within a three-hour flight of
Vladivostok, many more Asian countries will be
targeted.
Melco International owner Lawrence Ho, the main
investor in the Russian project, got involved in the
project in 2013 via his Hong Kong-listed Summit
Ascent Holdings. Mr. Ho and his partners have
vowed to invest US$700m in total, including a
second phase currently scheduled to open in 2018.
Eric Landheer, Director of Corporate Finance and
Strategy at Summit Ascent, said: “Lawrence is
very committed to Macau with the Studio City
project and the other stuff he has going there. But
it wasn’t a bad idea to diversify a little bit. Where
we sit, we’re next to Japan, which has no gambling
legislation passed so far. You’ve got South Korea
talking about setting up a bunch of different types
of casino resorts, but in reality they are ‘foreigneronly’ resorts, and they are entirely predicated on
Chinese customers. We are in a different situation.
We can welcome Koreans, we can welcome the
Japanese, we can welcome the northeast Chinese,
and we have our local Russian customer base as
well.”
Phase two of Tigre de Cristal will see 500 rooms
added across two hotels, one four-star and one
five-star. A further 500 slot machines will be
installed alongside a further 100 VIP tables, 70
mass-market gaming tables, a shopping mall, food
and beverage outlets; a spa centre; a nightclub;
and conference and auditorium facilities. The
phase two complex will be three times the size of
phase one.
Belarus
Belarus, known affectionately as ‘the Russian Las Vegas’ has seen a flood of closures recently as Russian
VIP players, hit by a downturn in the rouble, have stayed away from casinos in the capital of Minsk. 2015
has seen gaming floors go out of business at Bakara, Millennium, Mirage, Victoria and Zolotoi Arbuz.
Industry sources believe that all but a few high-end casinos will close in Minsk. Located only one and a
half hours away from Moscow by plane, Minsk had boomed following the closure of casinos throughout
Russia in the summer of 2008 but now, the affects of falling oil prices and western sanctions, have seen the
rouble half in value, sending Russia into recession.
Portugal’s online framework
edges step closer says NMi
PORTUGAL
NMi Gaming has announced that
it has been chosen as a gambling
technical system certifying
organisation by the Serviço de
Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos.
The draft Legal Framework for
online games in Portugal is still in
a "standstill" position under the
European Commission standard
TRIS procedure ending 6th
November 2015. To date only regulated and inspected land based
games have been permitted in
Portugal. The new online Legal
Framework, defining multiple
gaming categories in addition to
technical requirements for online
gambling systems, allows interested parties to apply for licences
covering casino table games,
bingo, sports betting, racing, and
slots. NMi anticipate the opening
of licence applications towards
the end of the year.
Julian Borg-Barthet, Business
Development Manager for the
NMi Gaming Division: "We are
delighted to add Portugal to our
accreditation list and look forward to this partnership going
forward. Our clients rely on NMi
being at the forefront of regulatory change and opportunity, and
the invitation to enter the
Portuguese market is just part of
that commitment.”
Andrew Rosewarne, NMi,
Director of Gaming commented
"Portugal is the latest major
European country to go down the
path of online regulation and NMi
are already experiencing a high
level of interest in certification
for the jurisdiction.
“Gaming operators and suppliers
can't seem to get enough of our
services at the moment. It's been
a busy time for compliance with
UK level 3 and Spanish slot testing, and NMi is pleased it has
managed to maintain our usual
high level of service to existing
customers, in addition to assisting
new customers left out in the cold
late in the process."
G3Newswire
EMEA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
‘end of insanity’ in albanian law
The Albanian government is considering
new legislation to curb ‘economic
irregularities and fiscal evasion’ - or fraud
Albania - Legislation
das eMerald-kasino in südafrika, als teil der
Unternehmensgruppe Caesars Entertainment, ist zum
neuesten Kunden von DRGT geworden. Mit einer kombinierten
Gesamtzahl von 540 Rad- und Videospielautomaten einer
ganzen Reihe von Herstellern sowie 23 Spieltischen sind bei
Emerald nahezu alle aktuellen Systemmodule von DRGT verbaut.
die in hongkong ansässige Melcolot bestätigt,
dass sie an dem Ausschreibungsverfahren für den Betrieb
eines Kasinos in der BCN World in Barcelona, Spanien, ‚weiterhin interessiert‘ sei, auch wenn sie die Vereinbarung mit der
Veremonte España SL für ein gemeinsames Gebot auf eine
Zulassung aufgelöst habe.
caMMegh, der hersteller der edelsten
Roulette-Kessel der Welt, wurde von MGM Resorts
International mit der Lieferung ihrer unvergleichlichen Mercury
360-Kessel und Anzeigetafeln an eine Reihe von MGM
Resorts-Standorten in Las Vegas beauftragt, darunter ARIA,
Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas, New York New York, Monte
Carlo und The Mirage.
delaware Und new jersey, zwei der drei
US-Bundesstaaten mit einer gesetzlich geregelten OnlineSpielebranche, haben eine Vereinbarung unterzeichnet, durch
die Spielern in Delaware die Teilnahme an in Atlantic City beheimateten Online-Kasinospielen ermöglicht.
greentUbe, aUs der UnternehMensgrUPPe
Novomatic, meldet, dass Greentube Pro, die GreentubeVertriebsplattform für schlüsselfertige Kasinospiele auf
mobilen Endgeräten (Social Casino) unter Eigenmarken, bei
Foxwoods Resort Casino zur alleinigen Social Casino-Plattform
wird.
anfang oktober wUrde sUzohaPP die ehre der
Teilnahme des für das Transportwesen zuständigen Ministers
der Provinz Ontario, Steven Del Duca, sowie des
Bürgermeisters von Vaughan, Maurizio Bevilacqua, gemeinsam
mit dem Kanada-Team von SuzoHapp an den Feierlichkeiten
zur offiziellen Eröffnung unseres hochmodernen über 2.000
m2 großen Betriebes in Vaughan, Kanada, zuteil.
According to the Albanian Minister of Finance,
Shkelqim Cani, the country's parliamentary committee has commenced discussing new changes to
the gambling law, which aims to fight economic
irregularities and fiscal evasion.
According to the new changes, casinos will be located outside cities and only in certain tourist areas and
they will be obliged to register all the players.
Meanwhile, a person may be banned from entering
casinos if his or her family makes a request.
"Each casino will have its register of players, which
will be located far from education institutions and
religious communities," Mr. Cani added. Another
important change is that the taxation for the licensing of casinos, which will vary from 400,000 lek
(US$3,105) to 1 billion lek (US$7.76m) based on the
activity of casinos.
Through the changes, Albania aims to reduce irregularities in the sector, improve the regulatory framework by implementing an online monitoring system
for casinos by 2016 and reduce any negative effects
of gambling on society.
The previous government demanded for casinos to
be moved outside of cities and be placed in grouped
locations. Part of the current government has also
backed this plan, but there are those against the proposal, therefore all incentives have remained on
paper.
The Ministry of Finance says that a bill on gambling
is under discussion. This bill aims at offering a full
legal solution to the numerous problems associated
with the present system, which begins with high
level tax evasion and illegality and ends with negative social consequences as the result of the development of the industry without robust legislative
boundaries.
Albanian authorities have also published information regarding a two year operation code named
“End of insanity” which aimed at cracking down on
illegal gambling activities. From October 2013 until
April 2015, 6,500 gambling activities have been
inspected. Authorities have identified 1,709 legal
violations as part of the operation.
The Ministry of Finance, says that it has issued 144
fines against gambling activities amounting to
US$720,000. During the same period, more than
1,500 illegal gambling facilities have been shut down
and 1,149 slot machines have been seized. According
to the Watchdog, activity has been suspended for
nine licensed organisation, while bank accounts for
35 other subjects have been frozen. 20 subjects were
also stripped of their licence and 40 casino owners
have been criminally prosecuted.
Bardhi Sejdarasi, adviser to the Minister of Finance,
says: “For every violation that has been identified, a
fine has been issued or a seizure has been carried
out and the person has been prosecuted.”
UK
NetEnt recently signed a license agreement with gaming operator Gala Coral. After a successful integration
process, a selection of NetEnt's games is now live and available in Gala Coral’s online casino network.
“I am very pleased that we are launching a selection of our world-class games with Gala Coral’s strong
brands and look forward to this important partnership,” says Enrico Bradamante, MD of NetEnt Malta Ltd
and Chief of European Market Operations.
aristocrat hat einen richtUngweisenden
Abschluss mit Caesars Entertainment unter Dach und Fach
gebracht, durch den 200 erstklassige geleaste Spiele über das
gesamte Glücksspielimperium von Caesars verteilt werden. Der
Vertrag ergänzt die bereits vorhandene Basis vermieteter
hochwertiger Spiele und ist in der über sechzigjährigen
Geschichte von Aristocrat der größte Einzelabschluss in der
Umsatzklasse III für wiederkehrende Einnahmen.
Evolution Gaming launches
PokerStars’ live dealer for Italy
der in MacaU beheiMatete
Glücksspielanbieter Paradise Entertainment hat sein Live MultiGame (LMG) erfolgreich im Lan Kwai Fong-Kasino in Macau
installiert. Der neue Bereich für elektronische Glücksspiele
wurde mit 63 geleasten LMG-Geräten eröffnet, die sechs
Bakkarat-Spiele sowie den Paradise Jackpot bieten.
ITALY
Evolution Gaming has extended
PokerStars’ localised Live Casino
offering with the launch of a full
suite of Italian-focused live dealer games at www.PokerStars.it.
die kaMbodschanische regierUng hat 10 neUe
Spielbankzulassungen ausgegeben, wodurch die Gesamtzahl
im Land auf 75 steigt. Ros Phearun, stellvertretender
Generaldirektor der für das Finanzwesen zuständigen Abteilung
des Ministeriums für Wirtschaft und Finanzen, hat bekannt
gegeben, dass die Mehrzahl der neuen Zulassungen auf den
Küstenferienort Sihanoukville entfallen wird.
This latest introduction follows
the launch earlier this year of two
other Evolution-hosted Live
Casino services for PokerStars;
the brand’s dedicated Live Casino
at PokerStars.com and its Spanish
Live Roulette service at
PokerStars.es
1 6
The new PokerStars.it live dealer
offering includes Evolution’s
Venezia Roulette, Ventuno
(21/Blackjack), Punto Banco
(Baccarat) and Casino Hold’em.
Player choice is further extended
by two PokerStars.it dedicated
tables created by Evolution — one
Roulette table and one Ventuno
table. Both of these Italian dedicated tables are fully branded and
match the look-and-feel of the
dedicated environments already
in operation at PokerStars.com
and PokerStars.es. All the new
PokerStars tables for Italy went
live during the week commencing October 12, and all are served
by Evolution’s teams of native
speaking Italian dealers.
Sebastian Johannisson, Chief
Commercial Officer at Evolution,
said: “PokerStars is committed to
offering the best service and
choice for its players. At the same
time, as a massive global brand
they need the highest levels of
operational excellence and brand
consistency across all territories.
Evolution is delighted to be able
to deliver the complete package
at both dot com and country
level.”
G3Newswire
EMEA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
drgt’s glittering eMerald jewel
The DRGT systems success story
continues in South Africa with the latest
install at Caesars’ Emerald Casino
South Africa - Installaitons
Uk - caesars Uk aPPoints groUP oPs director
Caesars Entertainment UK has
appointed Tony Boyd as its new
Group Operations Director in the UK.
Mr. Boyd will be responsible for overseeing group operations across the
UK, Middle East and Africa.
Formerly Managing Director at
London Clubs Egypt, Mr. Boyd joins the business with significant global gaming experience. He has held multiple senior
positions for various industry operators including London
Clubs International, Asia Pacific, and International Casino
Services and most recently has been consulting for Royal
Caribbean Cruises.
Uk - new rendezvoUs brighton venUe director
Caesars Entertainment UK has
announced a series of new senior
posts at Rendezvous Brighton casino. Headed up by new Venue
Director George Gordon (pictured)
and supported by Marketing
Manager Roxanne Malan and F&B
Manager John Higgin the new team
bring 12 years’ of international gaming expertise to the table.
Gordon, former General Manager of Gala casino in Bristol, is
focused on returning Rendezvous Brighton casino to its former status as the number one gaming destination in
Brighton.
Uk - gaUselMann assigns new england role
Sascha Blodau is new General
Manager England for the
Gauselmann Group, based in
Germany’s eastern Westphalia
region. He will be coordinating the
business activities in the UK with
immediate effect for the Executive
Board of this family-run company.
“We have been present in the UK for 15 years now.
Especially in the last few years, the market there has become
more and more significant for our company. It offers stable
legal parameters and is currently experiencing a technological shift to video-based multigamers, which, in contrast to
Germany, is not yet fully completed,” explains Chairman Paul
Gauselmann.
Uk - ainsworth aPPoints franz Plasser
Ainsworth UK has announced the
appointment of Franz Plasser as
Sales Manager. Mr. Plasser brings a
wealth of experience in international
gaming to this new position. He has
gained invaluable experience not just
in slot machine sales in Europe and
Latin America. The operations management he gained throughout the years naturally brings a
closer understanding of operator and player needs as well.
Robert Dijkstra, Managing Director for Ainsworth UK, welcomes Mr. Plasser to the team, stating, “Franz is an
extremely focused and dedicated business professional. We
are very pleased to have been able to gain a man of such talents for our team. We wish him every success.”
1 8
Emerald Casino in South Africa, part of the
Caesars Entertainment Group, has become DRGT's
latest customer. With a combined total of 540 reel
and video slots from a wide range of slots manufacturers and 23 Tables, Emerald has installed
almost all of DRGT’s latest system modules.
By making the move from a Coin-based environment to Cashless Cards and using the latest
drScreenMini 6.2” Player Tracking Touch
Interface and Dual Slot Card Reader, Emerald
Casino is now experiencing the benefits and efficiencies of implementing the DRGT drCashless
solution on all slots.
In addition to this, all 23 tables have been fitted
with the drTable Manager solution, which
includes a 15” Touch Screen Terminal fitted with a
RFID Card Reader. The great advantage of this
solution is that not only does this module allow
live table results, but it also enables full Player
Tracking and affords the Player the luxury of buying in directly at the table from their Cashless
Account. This greatly speeds up transaction times,
reduces table fills and credits and ultimately
allows more time to play and invokes more gaming satisfaction with customers.
Asked how long it took to install all of the DRGT
modules throughout the casino, Charl Geyser,
Managing Director of DRGT Africa, replied, “The
change from a Coin environment to a Cashless one
is never an easy process, but in saying that and
adding the fact that there were over 80 different
slots bases across the floor, we still managed to do
the full installation in under two weeks. This
included the data migration from their legacy system, which was seamlessly carried out in under
an hour.”
Feedback from Emerald Casino has been excellent: Paul Lingeri, Slots Manager at Emerald
Casino, added, “The speed at which you can start
playing is the edge it has over other systems. With
the ability to just walk from one machine to
another and transfer money to a machine in under
six seconds, you have to love the system.”
Marinda Gerber, the Cashiering Manager noted, “It
is very quick to balance a cashier. It takes under
five minutes. The drCage interface is extremely
easy to use”.
Jurgen De Munck, CEO and co-founder of DRGT, is
rightly proud to thank and welcome Emerald
Casino to the ever-growing DRGT customer base.
He noted, “DRGT systems not only have a great
positive effect on reducing ongoing costs, but also
through the drPlayerTracking, drJackpots and
drBonusing modules, we have the ability to help
operators drive increased revenue. In support of
this, we significantly reduced their IT
Infrastructure and not only that, the move from
Coin to Card has added so many efficiencies that
the casino is now offering 24/7 gaming. The longterm benefits of using DRGT are very powerful.”
GLI accredited to perform
online gaming compliance
PORTUGAL
Accomplishing yet another company milestone, Gaming
Laboratories International (GLI®)
has been accredited by the
Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção
de Jogos (SRIJ) to perform online
gaming compliance testing services in Portugal.
GLI Europe and Africa Managing
Director Martin Britton said, “We
are pleased to be awarded the
privilege to perform online testing services in Portugal. We have
worked diligently with the regulator since the initial stages of the
introduction of iGaming regulations in Portugal through to the
stage of this recent accreditation.
This latest accreditation
enhances GLI’s value to our
clients who are currently active
in the iGaming space, many of
which have expressed aspirations to enter the Portuguese
market with GLI’s assistance
alongside the extensive list of
established jurisdictions GLI
already tests them for.”
GLI Vice President of iGaming
Salim Adatia said, “Since 1996,
GLI has provided independent
testing and consultation services
for emerging online gaming jurisdictions in Australia, Europe,
Asia, Latin America and North
America. In particular, GLI has
certified many of the first online
gaming systems to go live in regulated jurisdictions such as
Alderney, Malta, Isle of Man,
Gibraltar, Italy, France, Spain,
Denmark, First Cagayan
(Philippines), United Kingdom,
British Columbia, Manitoba,
Québec, Nevada and Delaware.
Portugal is the latest extremely
important regulated jurisdiction
GLI proudly adds to its long list of
approved iGaming jurisdictions it
can test for and facilitate transfer
of approvals to.”
GLI works tirelessly to provide
high quality iGaming and
Information Security compliance
testing and consultancy by maintaining world-class resources
globally with requisite expertise
and knowledge for every regulated online market where independent lab services are permitted. With more iGaming testing
experience and certifications
than any other laboratory worldwide, GLI remains the market
leader and clear choice lab for the
growing interactive gaming
space.
G3Newswire
EMEA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
Malta – indUstry heavyweight joins odobo
Former Managing Director of Inspired
Gaming Group, Mat Ingram, is now
heading up Odobo’s Content Strategy.
Mr. Ingram brings 20 years of industry experience, most of which were
spent in senior-ranking positions
within gaming. Mr. Ingram’s early
career focused on mathematics and
engineering, a combination which
would later provide him with the credentials to enter the
gaming industry.
Ashley Lang, Founder and CEO at Odobo, commented, “Our
focus is on quality content and games that stand out in a
crowded market. Mat is using his expertise to identify what
operators and their customers want, delivering relevant and
attractive content that drives player engagement. We’re
proud that Mat has chosen to work with Odobo and we’re
excited by his energy and ideas.”
slovenia – interblock installs in new york
Achieving another company milestone, Interblock is bringing
electronic blackjack to New York State for the first time, with
plans to install more than 228 incremental Organic ETG
Blackjack stations on long term, multi-year deals.
Interblock’s popular games, including roulette and baccarat,
already dominate the New York gaming landscape, where
there are approximately 800 recurring revenue stations currently in place at Resorts World New York and Empire City
Casino at Yonkers Raceway. The upcoming installations
bring the Interblock footprint to over 1,000 stations.
“With recent new legislation and regulatory approval of
blackjack clearing the way, Interblock is happy to partner with
two premiere properties in New York to bring the first-ever
electronic blackjack to players, and to usher in a new era in
casino entertainment in the State,” said Rob Bone, Interblock
North America President. The Organic Blackjack games
coming to New York are the latest iterations in Interblock’s
popular blackjack game. It features several efficiency
enhancements in game speed, as well as multimedia innovations.
Uk – ian chUter joins the Playtech teaM
Ian Chuter, former group operations
director at both William Hill and
Betfair, has joined Playtech as a
strategic advisor with a specific remit
focusing on gaming, sports betting
and M&A. Mr. Chuter, who has more
than 25 years’ experience in the gaming industry, will join Playtech on
November 2nd following a four and a half year period at
Betfair where he was responsible for risk, fraud, payment,
customer services and sports operations and was part of the
management team that led the business to huge success
during its biggest period of change.
Shimon Akad, COO, Playtech, said: “Ian is one of the best
operators in the business. He has a proven track record of
managing large-scale transformational projects and delivering great success everywhere he has worked. We’re delighted he has chosen to join Playtech and I’m confident he will be
an invaluable member of the senior management team as
we continue to grow this incredible business.”
intralot lifts off in new Mexico
Greece’s Intralot has been selected by the
New Mexico Lottery as its gaming vendor
to provide its lottery central system
Mexico - Lotteries
Intralot, Inc., based in Duluth, GA, the North
American subsidiary of Intralot Group, has been
selected by the New Mexico State Lottery as its
gaming vendor to provide for the implementation,
operation and maintenance of the Lottery’s
Gaming System including the lottery Central
System and software platforms, terminal network,
communications and associated gaming products.
The terminal network includes 1,200 new, state of
the art Photon lottery terminals. Intralot, Inc., was
initially awarded a contract by the New Mexico
Lottery in 2006 and is pleased to announce that it
has again been named the successful vendor pursuant to the Lottery’s competitive proposal
process.
New Mexico Lottery Director, David Barden,
added: “Intralot has been a valuable partner. Their
technical capabilities and innovative games have
The new contract is for a term of eight years and
will begin November 22, 2015. Under the terms of
the new contract, Intralot will continue to work
closely with the Lottery regarding marketing,
advertising and sales initiatives.
Tom Little, President and CEO of Intralot Inc., stated “We were initially awarded a contract by the
New Mexico Lottery in 2006. At that time we
committed to the state of New Mexico to provide
the Lottery with the very best technology and
services. Having been awarded this new contract
is a testament to the success of our endeavors
resulting in a successful partnership with the
Lottery. We are very pleased that we have been
awarded this second contract to continue to deliver, along with our partners at the New Mexico
Lottery, on our commitment to the State.”
Spain
Hong Kong-based MelcoLot has confirmed that it ‘remains interested’ in the tender process to operate a
casino at BCN World in Barcelona, Spain, despite having severed a deal to bid for a licence with Veremonte
España SL. Veremonte is reported to have walked out on the project having missed a second funding
deadline and passing control of the project to the Catalan government. MelcoLot said that ‘due to the lack of
basis of further cooperation,’ the two companies had opted to terminate the 50-50 joint venture. The joint
venture had gone through to the second stage of the tender. “A notice of withdrawal from the tender
process was sent to the Catalan government on October 8,” Melco informed adding that the joint venture
‘will be wound up in due course.’
Genesis Gaming launches Star
Crystals on OpenBet platform
UK
Genesis Gaming is pleased to
announce the launch of Star
Crystals, a video slot game with
a fun and friendly science fiction theme. Designed for both
mobile and desktop use, Star
Crystals is an All Pays (243
Ways) 5 reel game with multiple
random features and a free
spins bonus round. The game is
available now on the OpenBet
platform and is offered exclusively for Sky Vegas.
“We are highly focused on pro-
2 0
allowed us to continue to expand our product
offering with new and exciting games and distribution channels. With these new channels and
games, we have increased our sales and player
base without adversely impacting sales of other
products. We very much look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the team from
Intralot.”
viding entertaining and engaging player experiences,” said
James Watson, Director of
European Sales. “This game has
many quirky animated characters and several exciting features that only add to the enjoyment.”
The focus of this fast and fun
science fiction game is a galactic mission to find and protect
valuable Star Crystals. This
game will keep you entertained
with three Base Game Features
in the form of the Win Multiplier
up to x5, Robot Added Wilds
and Crystal Pick Credit Award
that can be triggered randomly
on any spin during the game.
Three or more Scatters award 8
Free Spins with a x2 Multiplier
and free Spins may be re-triggered with 3 Scatters for unlimited re-triggers.
“This game has much to offer
for both the casual and serious
gambler,” said Scott Sims, Head
of Global Design at Genesis
Gaming. “It combines frequent
modest wins with interactive,
entertaining random features
for casual players along with a
bonus feature that can result in
substantial wins for the serious
gambler.”
G3Newswire
EMEA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
greentUbe seals its Unibet deal
The first of two major announcements
from Greentube sees the Austria-based
company supplying content to Unibet
Austria - Online Gaming
belarUs – winbet eqUiPs egt for new casino
The WINBET casino chain has once more showed its faith in
Euro Games Technology, choosing the manufacturer’s latest
products for its new establishment in Minsk. The first casino
from WINBET in Belarus opened a year ago in the city of
Gomel, where EGT became its main gaming equipment supplier, delivering 33 cabinets in its Premier and Vega Vision
series, plus Cat 4 Cash jackpot system. The positive initial
acceptance by local slot aficionados soon developed into a
success story, persuading the investor to add 49 EGT
machines this time at its new casino in Minsk.
The recent purchase is of wider range of slots - P-24/24 Up
and Vega Vision+ St with Premier Multi-3 gaming mix, Vega
Vision Up, Cat 4 Cash jackpot cabinets, as well as of Vega R8
Roulette. All these products are recognisable by their vast
multigame mixes, user-friendly interface and stylish appearance. Most successfully competing for player’s attention in
the new WINBET casino are reportedly the automated Vega
roulette with 8 gaming places, each equipped with a 22-inch
wide-screen LCD-TFT touch monitor, and the cabinets from
Premier series. From the multigame mixes stands out the
Premier Multi-3 with its 39 different-themed titles and high
resolution graphics.
“WINBET are genuinely satisfied with the installation and
EGT’s services. What is more, they are positive that our products are contributing directly to the development of their
business in Belarus. Having in mind that our partner is an
international chain of casinos and we work with them also in
other countries, this assessment is even of greater importance to us. The local gaming equipment market is highpotential and having the WINBET successful installations in
our track record will certainly present us with new opportunities,” stated Boyko Boev, person in charge of EGT Belarus.
Uk - ProMotion for astra’s Phil bUrke
Bridgend-based gaming machine
manufacturer Astra Games has
announced a key change to its management team. Business
Development Manager Phil Burke
has been promoted to Director of UK
Casino and Export.
Managing Director Zane Mersich explained the rationale
behind the change, saying: “Phil has played a pivotal part in
our casino and export sector business since he was first
appointed back in 2008. Given the huge growth in this area
of our activities, coupled with the ever-increasing demands
and responsibilities it brings, we have decided to promote
Phil to Director of UK Casino and Export. Phil’s contribution
has been significant to date and he will continue to drive forward this area of our business.”
2 2
Greentube, the interactive business unit of
NOVOMATIC, has confirmed the signing of a content agreement with Unibet. This significant content deal expands the market reach of Unibet by
now offering NOVOMATIC’s interactive content.
NOVOMATIC´s blue chip slot games such as Book
of Ra deluxe, Lucky Lady´s Charm deluxe, Sizzling
Hot deluxe and many more genuine slot classics
are now available. Through this new partnership
with Greentube, Unibet remains true to its corporate motto: ‘By players, for players’ by taking an
active role in understanding what game content
players want and by continuously exceeding their
expectations.
Maintaining its market leading position in the
online space, Greentube further expands in this
evolving gaming industry sector by welcoming
this new complementary partnership with Unibet.
Gernot Baumgartner, Head of Marketing and Sales,
commented: “We are delighted about this partnership and are glad to make our exciting content
available to Unibet’s customers. Unibet undoubtedly is one of the leading players in the industry
and we are looking forward to a strong and successful collaboration.
David Craeghs, Unibet’s product manager, added:
“We are happy that we are in a partnership with
such an established and globally respected industry player and are looking forward to launching a
strong roadmap of games in the very near future.”
France
International Game Technology has announced its agreement with LUDI S.F.M. to provide IGT’s full suite of
slot machines and systems in France. The agreement also includes legacy GTech machines offered by GTech
France S.F.M, as well as systems that the GTech Austria legacy organisation has sold in France for the last 23
years. In addition, IMagine S.A.M, a LUDI associated company, will provide French customers with seamless
support and service by leveraging legacy GTech systems experience. “This agreement is an exciting
evolution in the close relationship between LUDI and the new IGT,” said LUDI CEO Willy de Bruyn. “By
offering our customers a larger selection of high-performing cabinets, games and systems, as well as
supporting those products, they can reap the benefits of tailoring their gaming floor and operations more
precisely to their needs and their players’ preferences.”
“This agreement demonstrates IGT’s continued commitment to the French gaming market, which is an
important region for the Company,” said Walter Bugno, IGT CEO International. “It enables LUDI, a valued IGT
distributor, to provide a greater choice of top-performing products and systems to customers, and provides
clients with the additional benefit of LUDI’s direct connection with IGT, the world’s leading end-to-end
gaming company.”
Scientific Games centralises
EMEA HQ in Barcelona, Spain
SPAIN
Scientific Games has centralised its European headquarters in Barcelona, Spain and will
discontinue redundant functions at its Amsterdam, the
Netherlands office by
December 31, 2015. Bally
Technologies, now a brand of
Scientific Games, had opened
its Amsterdam headquarters
and a state-of-the-art showroom in November 2013. The
move represents the sixth
office relocation of the business
in a decade.
The Scientific Games facility in
Barcelona is now the central
hub for Europe, Middle East,
and Africa (EMEA) sales, serv-
ice, support, and manufacturing
for the Company’s Bally,
Shuffle Master, and WMS product brands.
“Our business in the EMEA
region is strong and growing.
We are excited to have our
EMEA operations centralised in
Barcelona, where we have the
proper infrastructure to support
our customers, along with a
world-class showroom to highlight our trailblazing product
innovations,” said Marco
Herrera, Managing Director of
Gaming, EMEA for Scientific
Games. “We are looking forward to bringing our talented
teams from our legacy companies under one roof to enhance
communication and leverage
the combined knowledge of our
strong product brands.”
The company will maintain
localised sales, field support,
product support, and product
development personnel across
the EMEA region, including
Austria, France, Germany, the
Netherlands, Slovenia, South
Africa, and the United
Kingdom.
Herrera leads Scientific Games’
EMEA team, along with Jon
Lancaster, Executive Director of
Sales, EMEA; Stelios Tsapatos,
Europe Sales Director; and
Wavell Alexander, South Africa
Sales Director. Together, this
seasoned team brings more
than five decades of industry
experience building deep customer relationships and helping
casino operators leverage technology to grow their businesses.
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G3Newswire
NORTH AMERICA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
l’entrePrise française Pari MUtUel Urbain a
annoncé qu’elle deviendra l’opérateur de paris hippiques au
Brésil par l’intermédiaire du jockey club brésilien (JCB). Le PMU
a signé un accord de coopération avec le Jockey Club Brasileiro
visant à développer les paris hippiques au Brésil.
Maire réceMMent élU d’acaPUlco, evódio
Velázquez a manifesté son soutien à un grand casino dans la
ville en affirmant que les casinos pourraient représenter une
attraction supplémentaire pour les touristes. Ce maire de
gauche a affirmé que les casinos génèreraient le produit fiscal
nécessaire pour financer les programmes d’aide sociale et
qu’ils seraient utilisés pour générer davantage d’infrastructures
touristiques et augmenter la sécurité dans la région.
la coMMission de contrôle des jeUx de hasard
du Chili (SJC) a essuyé de nombreuses critiques au sujet de
nouvelles règles pour traiter et accorder les licences pour les
casinos. Les opérateurs ont exprimé leurs craintes et leur
colère concernant les nouvelles lois par le biais d’une procédure
de consultation publique récemment organisée par la commission afin de rassembler des commentaires de la part du
secteur et du grand public concernant des propositions
récentes émises par le Ministère des finances.
aU PanaMa, on se fait de PlUs en PlUs de soUcis
en ce qui concerne le nombre toujours croissant de machines à
sous situées dans des quartiers à faibles revenus alors que les
législateurs s’accordent sur l’urgence de prendre des mesures
pour les taxer de façon plus efficace.
la coMMission de contrôle des jeUx de hasard
de Colombie vise à insuffler un nouvel élan au secteur des
courses hippiques en allégeant les taxes et en prolongeant les
licences. Des modifications apportées aux lois colombiennes
sur les courses hippiques réduiront les impôts à seulement 1
pour cent, prolongeront les licences pour une durée de 10 ans
et donneront aux municipalités locales plus d’influence sur ce
secteur.
Melco international a Maintenant entaMé la
première phase de construction du Tigre de Cristal, le premier
casino à ouvrir ses portes dans la zone de jeux russe de
Primorié près de la ville de Vladivostok.
selon shkelqiM cani, Ministre des finances
albanais, le comité parlementaire du pays a entamé des discussions pour introduire de nouveaux changements à la loi sur
les jeux d’argent qui vise à combattre les irrégularités
économiques et l’évasion fiscale.
scientific gaMes a centralisé son qUartier
général européen à Barcelone, en Espagne, et cessera ses
fonctions faisant double emploi à son bureau d’Amsterdam,
aux Pays-Bas, à partir du 31 décembre 2015. Bally
Technologies, maintenant une marque de Scientific Games,
avait ouvert son quartier général à Amsterdam ainsi qu’une
salle d’exposition moderne en novembre 2013. Ce transfert
représente la sixième relocalisation de cette entreprise en dix
ans.
le Projet en sUsPens de 8 Milliards de dollars
du Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort, prévu au Queensland, est
remis sur les rails après de nouveaux efforts de la part du gouvernement nouvellement élu pour encourager sa progression.
Tony Fung s’était retiré du processus en février dernier après
l’échec des discussions avec le gouvernement précédent du
Liberal National Party.
2 4
caMMegh win Major vegas order
durable bowls for the Mercury 360 wheels.
Cammegh has received a spectacular
order for wheels and Billboard displays
from one of the US’ biggest operators
Nevada - Installations
When asked about the order, Andrew Cammegh,
Sales Director at Cammegh said "We're extremely
honoured to have won this order, as well as the confidence MGM Resorts has placed in us. Having
exhibited at G2E for almost 20 years, and meeting
the regulatory requirements for Nevada, we're very
proud of this significant achievement."
Cammegh, manufacturer of the world's finest
roulette wheels, has been appointed by MGM
Resorts International to supply their incomparable
Mercury 360 wheels and Billboard displays to a
number of MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas,
including ARIA, Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas,
New York New York, Monte Carlo and The Mirage.
Andrew added "This is a substantial addition to our
portfolio in Las Vegas and serves as a huge endorsement for our products in the US market. I'm sure this
will help us continue to increase our market share
not just in the Nevada, but the US as a whole."
Cammegh had been in dialogue with MGM Resorts
since G2E 2014, and during the course of the last 12
months has identified a specification for both
wheels and displays suitable for this market sector,
specifically highlighting large 32" double-sided
screens and Cammegh's unique Voustone stable and
Pictured with Andrew Cammegh at the G2E Las
Vegas exhibition are Zachary Levine, Executive
Associate, Gaming Operations, MGM Resorts
International (left) and Cody Aughney, Sr. Business
Analyst, Gaming Operations, MGM Resorts
International, (centre).
US
Delaware and New Jersey, two of the three US states with a regulated iGaming industry, have entered into
an agreement that will allow players in Delaware to participate in online casino games hosted in Atlantic
City. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said that it has approved Delaware Lottery’s use of
online gaming content hosted on Atlantic City servers, with Scientific Games and Caesars set to deliver
content to the Lottery. SG Interactive’s online casino games will be provided to the Delaware Lottery from
servers located in Caesars’ data centre in Atlantic City, with those games only available to Delaware online
gaming patrons. The agreement is the first time that online casino content has been shared between US
states with regulated iGaming.
Desert Diamond’s West Valley
Casino picks Konami Synkros
US
Konami Gaming,’s SYNKROS
casino management system has
been selected by Desert Diamond
Casino - West Valley, Arizona’s
newest casino. Desert Diamond
Casino - West Valley is owned
and operated by the Tohono
O’odham Gaming Enterprise, and
is slated to open later this year
with Konami’s SYNKROS as its
central gaming enterprise management suite. Situated on 54
acres near Glendale, AZ, the
interim facility becomes the
state’s newest casino in the West
Valley, with 1,050+ devices.
“As construction continues to
take shape at the property site,
the technology and marketing
tools we have available through
SYNKROS will allow us the flexibility and control to empower
West Valley for long-term success,” said Don Ayers, director of
slots at Desert Diamond Casinos
& Entertainment. “It’s just the
beginning, but with SYNKROS at
the core we have access to a
number of important technology
features down the road, like
SYNKiosk and Advanced
Incentives Bonusing.”
West Valley is Desert Diamond’s
fourth casino property. West
Valley is set to launch
SYNKiosk’s self-service enrollment stations, thereby allowing
patrons to create and/or reprint a
valid player loyalty card in under
60 seconds. The new resort also
plans to introduce floor-wide
community bonusing with
SYNKROS’ SuperSeries systemdelivered themes such as Tomb
Treader and Mustang Mayhem.
G3Newswire
NORTH AMERICA NEWS
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clarion laUnch MiaMi exhibition
Clarion target the Who's Who of PanLatin American and Caribbean gaming
in joint event with Urban Expositions
Florida - Exhibitions
faisant Partie dU caesars entertainMent
Group, Emerald Casino en Afrique du Sud est devenu le client le
plus récent de DRGT. Avec un total cumulé de 540 machines à
sous à rouleaux et machines à sous vidéo d’un grand nombre
de fabricants de machines à sous ainsi que 23 tables de jeux,
Emerald a installé pratiquement tous les modules des systèmes les plus récents de DRGT.
sitUé à hong kong, Melcolot a confirMé qU’il «
reste intéressé » au processus d’appel d’offres pour gérer un
casino à BCN World à Barcelone, en Espagne, malgré le fait
qu’il ait rompu un marché afin de faire une offre pour une
licence avec Veremonte España SL.
caMMegh, fabricant des MeilleUres roUlettes
au monde, a été chargé par MGM Resorts International de
fournir leurs incomparables roulettes Mercury 360 et dispositifs d’affichage à un certain nombre d’emplacements de MGM
Resorts à Las Vegas, dont ARIA, Bellagio, MGM Grand Las
Vegas, New York New York, Monte Carlo et The Mirage.
le delaware et le new jersey, deUx des trois
États des USA avec un secteur régulé de jeux en ligne, ont conclu un accord qui permettra aux joueurs du Delaware de participer aux jeux de casino en ligne organisés à Atlantic City.
greentUbe, dU groUPe novoMatic, a annoncé
que Greentube Pro, la plateforme de marketing de casino social
label privé clés en main de Greentube, deviendra la plateforme
exclusive de casino social de Foxwoods Resort Casino.
aU débUt dU Mois d’octobre, sUzohaPP a eU
l’honneur d’être rejoint par le Ministre des transports de
l’Ontario, Steven Del Duca, et le maire de la ville de Vaughan,
Maurizio Bevilacqua, avec l’équipe SuzoHapp Canada Team à
l’occasion de la cérémonie d’ouverture officielle de nos locaux
modernes, grands de plus de 2 000 m² à Vaughan, au Canada.
aristocrat a signé Un iMPortant accord avec
Caesars Entertainment plaçant ainsi 200 jeux de location premium dans l’ensemble de l’empire de jeux de Caesars. Cet
accord vient compléter la base déjà existante de locations premium d’Aristocrat et il représente le plus important accord sur
les revenus récurrents de classe III dans toute l’histoire
d’Aristocrat longue déjà de plus de 60 ans maintenant.
l’oPérateUr aUstralien crown MelboUrne
ajoute une tour avec hôtel de luxe six étoiles à son domaine de
casinos à Melbourne. Les architectes britanniques de
Wilkinson Eyre ont remporté le concours pour concevoir le
nouvel Queensbridge Hotel Tower proposé ainsi que le
domaine de jeux qui devra se trouver dans le quartier urbain de
Southbank à Melbourne.
Paradise entertainMent, le foUrnisseUr de jeux
d’argent de Macao, a installé avec succès son Live Multi-Game
(LMG) au Casino Lan Kwai Fong de Macao. Ce nouvel espace
de jeux d’argent électroniques a ouvert ses portes avec 63 terminaux de LMG, proposant six jeux de baccara et Paradise
Jackpot, dans le cadre d’un contrat de location.
le goUverneMent caMbodgien a délivré 10
nouvelles licences de casino, portant ainsi le total du pays à 75.
Ros Phearun, directeur général adjoint du service du secteur
financier au Ministère de l’économie et des finances, a révélé
que la majorité des nouvelles licences se concentreront dans la
station balnéaire de Sihanoukville.
2 6
Clarion Events, which owns and organises a suite of
world class gaming events including EiG, GiGse and
ICE, the world's biggest gaming event, has confirmed the launch of Juegos Miami, a totally new
event concept for the Pan-Latin American and
Caribbean gaming industry. The event will take
place at The Biltmore, Coral Gables, Miami from May
31-June 3, 2016.
Explaining the background to and her aspirations for
Juegos Miami, Kate Chambers, Managing Director
responsible for Clarion's gaming brands, said: "We
have been researching, planning and most importantly listening to all sectors of the gaming industry
active in Pan-Latin America and the Caribbean for
over a year about what they wanted from a gaming
event. Based on that and in partnership with Urban
Expositions, in which we are now a majority partner,
we have created a bespoke event which reflects
those needs. Logic may suggest that it should be a
case of lifting a successful template such as ICE and
recreating it in Miami – but that could not be further
from the truth. Juegos Miami is a totally new concept
whose foundation stones are relationship building
and top level networking, set against a strong commercial backdrop."
She continued: "The market has been extremely
clear about the importance of attracting the key
operators, the legislators, the big buyers, the busi-
ness owners and their most trusted and influential
decision-makers to a single prestigious event. We
have received a very straightforward brief from our
stakeholders and that is to create a branded event
which is the Who's Who of Pan-Latin American and
Caribbean gaming. Our challenge and that of our
colleagues at Urban Expositions, is to deliver that
brief and in the process satisfy the very specific
needs of the industry that we serve."
Julian Graves, Chairman of Clarion's gaming division
stated: “It’s taken some time to arrive at this point
but the simple fact was that Juegos Miami needed to
be different. Our sole purpose is to bring the right
people together, at the right time and in the right
way. Launching another trade show, would have
been a lot easier but it would not have met the needs
of the business leaders I have been speaking with
for over a year.”
Looking ahead to Juegos Miami, Courtney Muller,
Urban Expositions Executive Vice President added:
“The industry has been asking for an event that will
truly embrace the region and reflect an entire continent of gaming excellence. Pooling our respective
skill sets, Juegos Miami will benefit from the marketing excellence, investment and organisational
thoroughness that have become synonymous with
our major global gaming events, not least ICE Totally
Gaming and NIGA.”
Canada
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation has received the necessary governmental approvals for its acquisition
of the assets and undertaking of Casino New Brunswick from Sonco Gaming New Brunswick Limited
Partnership, as first noted on May 12, 2015. With this final prerequisite now completed, the acquisition was
expected to close in October 2015.
Greentube’s exclusive social
casino platform for Foxwoods
CONNECTICUT
Greentube, the Novomatic
Group, has announced that
Greentube Pro, the turn-key
private-label social casino marketing platform from Greentube
will be the exclusive social
casino platform for Foxwoods
Resort Casino.
By implementing Greentube
Pro, Foxwoods Resort Casino
will leverage the expansive
library of games offered by
Novomatic/Greentube. In addition, Foxwoods will benefit
from Greentube’s advanced
functionality and the ability to
have a uniform brand presence
on their social gaming site.
“Foxwoods’ leadership in the
gaming industry makes them a
perfect home for Greentube
Pro,” said Thomas Graf, CEO of
Greentube. “We are proud of
our alliance with Foxwoods and
the Mashantucket Pequot
Tribal Nation. We look forward
to a long-term and mutuallybeneficial relationship.”
Designed to enhance player
retention and boost new player
acquisition for land-based casinos, Greentube Pro integrates
proven loyalty strategies with
the mass appeal of online and
mobile play into a custom
branded experience. The platform is fully customisable,
allowing land-based casinos to
choose from Novomatic’s vast
library of respected games as
well as content from Greentube
partners. Players can experience the casino’s brand anywhere they may be and on any
internet-enabled device they
prefer.
“We are impressed by the
quality of the Greentube Pro
product line and are excited
about working with Greentube
to realize this shared vision,”
said Felix Rappaport, President
& CEO of Foxwoods Resort
Casino. “This relationship
marks an important transformation for the social gaming
segment of our business and we
are confident that the fundamental principles that make the
Foxwoods brand so distinctive
will continue to evolve.”
sUzohaPP cUts factory ribbon
SuzoHapp celebrated the official opening
of its new Canada-based 22,000sq.ft.
production facility in town of Vaughan
G3Newswire
NORTH AMERICA NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
Canada - Components
At the beginning of October, SuzoHapp was honoured
to have the Transportation Minister of Ontario,
Steven Del Duca, and The Mayor of the City of
Vaughan, Maurizio Bevilacqua, join the SuzoHapp
Canada Team in celebrating the official Opening
Ceremony of our state of the art, 22,000 sq ft facility
in Vaughan, Canada.
As part of the SuzoHapp commitment to the
customers in providing a competitive leading edge
product, the facility has recently received a
tremendous investment and for the past 10 months
has been growing its Manufacturing facility and
Development initiatives. This moves SuzoHapp
forward in the ability to provide the latest banknote
validation technology, the technology that helps
governments keep counterfeit banknotes out of
circulation and the users safe.
The Group is looking forward to continued growth of
its product lines within the increasing demand of the
global Parking, Retail, Gaming and Transportation
markets. The Bill-to-Bill Banknote Recycler and MFL
Banknote Validator product lines are proudly
designed and manufactured in Canada. Two product
lines which have become industry standard and have
set the bar high, especially when it comes to its
reliability, performance and customer satisfaction.
“We have cut the ribbon, marking our latest
milestone in carving a solid foundation for our
business to ensure our customers have a strong
partner they can count on” explains Sim Bielak,
Executive VP & General Manager, Global Bill-to-Bill
Product Line. “We would like to thank everyone who
has attended the event, including our customers,
suppliers and the entire SuzoHapp team. It was yet
another significant milestone for our business, with
many more to come”.
"The opening of SuzoHapp Canadian factory,"
comments Harald Wagemaker, SuzoHapp Executive
VP Sales & Marketing of Gaming and Casino EMEA, "
is a demonstration of the fact that SuzoHapp strongly
believes in growth and continuous development.
SuzoHapp is focused on its customers and aims to
offer advanced solutions able to provide a real added
value to the operators in our different markets.”
Canada
BMM Testlabs will create 1,000 full-time jobs during the next five years in the Greater Moncton area.
Premier Brian Gallant and Martin Storm, President and CEO of BMM Testlabs, made the announcement at
The Capitol Theatre in Moncton. "This is a historic announcement in terms of the numbers of jobs being
created by the private sector in partnership with the New Brunswick government," Gallant said. "We are
proud to partner with BMM Testlabs in creating 1,000 new good-paying jobs for the province. This is a
game-changer for the province as we work to create more jobs for New Brunswickers in priority sectors,
such as information technology."
"BMM Testlabs is honoured to work closely with New Brunswick in this important initiative," said Storm.
"BMM looks forward to building on its already substantial business in Greater Moncton, as we consider the
city an ideal location to grow our Canadian presence." The 1,000 jobs that will be created include quality
assurance testers, engineers, computer scientists, business development managers and project managers.
The investment by the provincial government will contribute an estimated $75 million annually to New
Brunswick's gross domestic product once all positions have been filled.
Aristocrat inks landmark
Caesars Entertainment deal
NEVADA
Aristocrat has inked a landmark
deal with Caesars Entertainment
that places 200 premium lease
games across the Caesars’ gaming empire. The deal complements Aristocrat’s existing premium lease install base and is the
single largest Class III recurring
revenue deal in Aristocrat’s more
than 60 year history.
The installation marks the global
debut of Aristocrat’s award-winning Arc Double and Behemoth
cabinets, as well as the debut of
the wildly popular Britney
Spears Slot Game, which hit
Caesars’ casino floors in August.
Additional popular titles making
a splash with players include The
Big Bang Theory Slot Game and
Batman. Ted themed slot games
will roll out in December.
“We are excited to partner with
Aristocrat in the branded game
space. We are continually
searching for ways to innovate
the gaming floor to deliver the
best, most exciting experience for
our players. These titles resonate
with our guests and provide a
premium gaming experience,”
said Melissa Price, Caesars
Entertainment Senior Vice
President of Enterprise Gaming.
“Additionally, we are thrilled to
be the first gaming company to
feature the Britney Spears Slot
Game, launched in early August.
Britney’s highly successful resident show at Planet Hollywood
has brought a lot of excitement to
that property and we have experienced that same level of enthusiasm for her slot game on our
casino floors across the country,”
concluded Ms. Price.
Us - igt aPPoints david flinn as vP canada
International Game Technology has appointed David Flinn as
Regional Vice President, Canada.
In this role, Flinn has responsibility for all facets of IGT’s product lines in Canada (excluding Ontario Lottery and Gaming
interactive operations, which is supported in collaboration by
IGT’s Interactive division) including casino and casino systems, video lottery terminal (VLT) and VLT systems, interactive gaming and traditional lottery. Flinn reports to Nick
Khin, SVP North America Sales & Strategic Accounts, and Jay
Gendron, SVP WLA North America.
Us – aiga joins list of ice show sUPPorters
The Arizona Indian Gaming Association (AIGA) has become
the latest high profile non-profit organisation in the gaming
space to give its support to ICE Totally Gaming 2016 (2nd,
3rd & 4th February, ExCeL Centre, London). Heralding the
support, AIGA Executive Director, Valerie Spicer said: "We are
very excited to be able to officially announce our relationship
with ICE in the lead-up to our own EXPO at the end of
October. ICE is widely respected throughout world gaming
and it is the most appropriate event for us to expand the
reach of Tribal Gaming into the international space."
Us – interblock naMes gaMing service exPert
Luxury gaming manufacturer
Interblock has named gaming sales
and service expert Todd Sims as the
company’s new Vice President of
Operations. Sims will be based in the
company’s Americas’ headquarters in
Las Vegas.
Sims’ appointment is the latest in a string of high-profile
executive positions the company has filled. “I had the privilege of working with Todd during our time together at Bally
Technologies, where as Vice President of System Operations,
he played a senior role in our global operations,” Interblock
CEO John Connelly said. “As Interblock continues to expand
globally, his experience in creating a cost effective service
and logistics infrastructure, combined with a customer centric focus, will be critical to our success.”
Us - aristocrat aPPoints Matt wilson
Aristocrat has appointed Matt Wilson
to Senior Vice President of Global
Gaming Operations. Previously,
Wilson was the company’s Senior
Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
In his new role, Wilson is responsible
for the development and execution of
Aristocrat’s global recurring revenue
strategy in all Class III markets including oversight of North American gaming operations, which is
a critical growth engine for the company.
“Matt’s proven leadership and insight have been instrumental in driving Aristocrat’s recent momentum in the North
American market,” said Aristocrat Chief Commercial Officer
Maureen Sweeny. “His experience in the sales and marketing
functions across the company’s major Class III markets in
Australia and New Zealand, Asia Pacific and North America,
have given him a deep understanding of our global growth
opportunities. This experience uniquely qualifies Matt to
spearhead our efforts as we look to build sustainable business models across the globe.”
2 7
G3Newswire
ASIA & OCEANIA GAMING NEWS
www.g3newswire.coM
crown MelboUrne’s tower Plan
Australian operator Crown Melbourne is
adding a brand new luxury six-star hotel
china - Paradise installs at lan kwai fong
Macau gaming supplier Paradise Entertainment has successfully installed its Live Multi-Game (LMG) at Casino Lan
Kwai Fong in Macau. The new electronic gaming area has
opened with 63 LMG terminals, offering six baccarat games
and Paradise Jackpot, under a leasing agreement.
“Paradise is committed to meeting the needs of its customers, “said Jay Chun, Chairman and Managing Director of
Paradise Entertainment. “We welcome the opportunity to
work together with Casino Lan Kwai Fong to provide electronic gaming solution that is befitting the current casino
landscape. We are confident that our solution will deliver
incremental growth to the casino floor yield.”
A representative of Casino Lan Kwai Fong, added: “We are
excited to be partnering with the frontrunner of the ETG
industry. We can leverage on Paradise’s solution to appeal to
a broader mass market audience and to offer a variety of
games that enhances our players’ experience.”
Paradise has over 3,700 LMG terminals across 18 casinos in
Macau. The company’s patent-protected LMG solution is a
hybrid, live dealer technology with multi-table game offerings.
Mr. Chun added. “There is certainly a pickup in momentum in
the demand of electronic table game (ETG) in Macau. We
hope our success at Casino Lan Kwai Fong will open up more
deployment opportunities in the satellite casino market.”
Paradise Entertainment Limited is listed on the main board
of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Group is principally
engaged in the development, provision and sales of electronic gaming systems and the provision of casino management
services.
china – wynn rocked by inside jUnket job
Hong Kong-based investment bank Daiwa Capital Markets
has informed that up to $US258m has been stolen from a
VIP room operator in inside Wynn Macau. Wynn Macau’s
shares fell by nine per cent on the news casino. Daiwa said:
“Staff at Dore Holdings, a VIP room operator in Macau, have
allegedly fled with between HKD200m and HKD2bn.”
Dore Holdings, the VIP operator at the centre of the scandal,
has stated that the alleged theft is not directly related to the
company. A Wynn spokesperson said: “The current reported
concerns with respect to Dore, one of Wynn Macau’s junket
operators, have no direct financial impact on Wynn Macau.
Dore owes no money to the company and continues to operate in Wynn Macau. Dore is an independent, registered and
licensed company operating a gaming promoter business at
Wynn Macau the company hopes that all parties will be able
to resolve their differences in the near future. The company
will continue to monitor the situation”
2 8
Australia- Operations
Australian operator Crown Melbourne is adding a
luxury six-star hotel tower to its Melbourne casino precinct. British architects, Wilkinson Eyre
won the contest to design the proposed new
Queensbridge Hotel Tower and precinct to be
located in Melbourne’s Southbank area.
Situated in one of Melbourne’s premier living and
leisure destinations and one of Australia’s prime
hosting areas for international meetings and
events, the proposed Queensbridge Hotel Tower
will comprise a 388room, luxury six–star hotel
and approximately 680 apartments. The hotel will
feature a truly unique special event space and a
publicly accessible restaurant, lounge and garden
terrace at the top of the tower.
The design also provides an active streetscape and
public forecourt area with retail outlets and
restaurants, which will become a new amenity for
locals and visitors, connecting the ground floor of
the building and hotel to the outdoors area. Crown
Resorts Executive Director, James Packer, said:
“Wilkinson Eyre have designed a beautiful and elegant building that is destined to be an important
addition to the Melbourne skyline. Melbourne just
keeps getting better as a city, but we can’t take
this success for granted.”
“A new hotel is the next evolution of Crown
Melbourne. I am committed to this city and committed to keeping Crown Melbourne at the forefront of Australian tourism. A new Crown hotel
means more rooms for interstate and internation-
al tourists and that means more jobs for
Victorians,” Mr. Packer said.
Schiavello Group Chairman Tony Schiavello said:
“It was a very competitive design process, with
some of the world’s and region’s best known
architects involved. The calibre of all five firms in
the process shows how special the city of
Melbourne is and its’ prominence on the world
stage. This site deserves a truly special building
and our vision is to create a landmark building
that has international appeal, timeless form and
design. We want to create a place that people are
proud to call home,” Mr Schiavello said.
Crown Resorts CEO, Rowen Craigie added: ‘‘The
new luxury hotel addition to Crown Melbourne
will have significant economic and employment
benefits for Victoria with over 3,000 new direct
and indirect jobs during construction and over
1,000 new direct and indirect jobs on an on-going
basis after completion. The development will also
assist Melbourne in attracting more high net
worth tourists, reinforcing the city’s appeal as a
destination for important international conferences, sporting and cultural events.”
Paul Baker, Director Wilkinson Eyre said: “We
approached this project with the ambition to create an elegant and timeless building that will
become a new, world-class landmark against the
Melbourne skyline. All across the world we are
seeing cities embrace iconic developments as they
vie for their share of international tourists. We are
confident that the design of the proposed Hotel
and the ’one of a kind’ offerings like the ’Sky Bar’
at the top of the tower will be ‘must see’ destinations in Melbourne. We are delighted to have been
given the opportunity to design what we believe
will be an outstanding addition to the world’s
most liveable city,’’ Mr Baker added.
Xin Gaming signs partnership
agreement with Asia Gaming
ASIA
XIN Gaming has signed a partnership agreement with Asia
Gaming, a leading gaming solution provider in Asia.
According to the terms of the
agreement, XIN Gaming will now
distribute its fabulous range of
slot games to Asia Gaming and its
operators. Asia Gaming is one of
the largest platform and game
providers on the Asian market
and its casino games are
renowned for delivering an interactive and authentic gaming
experience to players. Apart from
offering a variety of live casino
games, Asia Gaming also provides
poker, slot games and P2P 3D
games to international markets.
Sky, Chief Executive of Asia
Gaming, said: “We are very selective when it comes to choosing
third-party providers. XIN
Gaming has a thorough understanding of how to develop slot
games that we believe our players in Asia will trust and be fond
of. This is a very important partnership that will further
strengthen Asia Gaming’s position within the Asian market, as
well as the international one. We
are very excited to add their
quality games for our players to
enjoy and, as a result, maximising
every opportunity for our operators.”
G3Newswire
www.g3newswire.coM
savan vegas solicits for bUyer
The Savan Vegas Hotel and
Entertainment Complex, located in
Savannakhet Laos is on the market
Laos - Operations
india – sikkiM licences sPorts-betting
Sikkim, arguably one of the loveliest destinations in India, is a
small state in northwest of the country, bordered by Bhutan,
Tibet and Nepal – it is also expected to set up betting shops
across the state in the very near future. The move will allow
players to place bets on major international sporting events
from within the state, a unprecedented move in a country
that bans most forms of sports-betting and is in the grips of
multiple match-fixing scandals.
Since opening in late 2008, Savan Vegas has provided its surrounding region with a full-service
casino and entertainment destination, a contemporary hotel complete with a spa and exercise
facilities, a convention center and multiple food
and beverage options. With steady VIP program
play and walk-in customer base, the property
presents a compelling investment opportunity.
In August, the Sikkim Legislative Assembly passed the
Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015,
allowing for the establishments of India’s first legal betting
shops in the state. The move comes at a time when matchfixing in cricket tournaments are seldom out of the news in
India. However, industry insiders who support legalising betting hail this as a step in the right direction. The bill, which is
expected to be ratified soon, will allow private companies to
‘open centres for betting purposes.’ The activities will be conducted via the intranet (a private network). India has so far
only allowed betting on horse racing, lotteries conducted by
state governments and casinos in Goa, Sikkim and Daman
and Diu.
As the exclusive sales agent working on behalf of
the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, San Marco Capital Partners (SMC)
announced that it has issued a Solicitation of
Interest inviting interested parties to participate in
a competitive sales process for the purchase of the
Savan Vegas Hotel and Entertainment Complex
located in Nongdeune Village, Kaisonphomvihanh
District, Savannakhet Province of Lao PDR.
The Complex includes a full-service casino, a
hotel and numerous entertainment and leisure
offerings. The sale process is undertaken pursuant
to the Law on Investment Promotion No. 02/NA
dated July 8, 2009 and other applicable laws, regulations and decrees of Lao PDR.
A copy of the Solicitation of Interest is available at
www.savanvegaslaolimited.com. Persons interested in receiving additional information or participating in the sales process should complete and
execute both the Expression of Interest and NonDisclosure Agreement annexed to the Solicitation
of Interest and submit them to [email protected].
For Sikkim, with a population of a little over 600,000, betting
is another way to attract tourists and earn revenue. In 2009,
Sikkim became the first state to offer land-based casinos in
India. In Goa, casinos are offshore-only and pay over
Rs100crore in taxes to the government. Sikkim currently has
two operational casinos in five-star hotels.
So far, the state has issued licences to three companies as
Sikkim gears up for a surge in tourism. The number of
tourists went up from 4-5,000 to 12,000 per year with the
opening of the state’s casinos. With this new law, Sikkim
hopes to double those figures, though the real aim is to
attract around 50,000 tourists a year, helped in no small
measure by the opening of the airport in Sikkim, which will
become operational by 2017.
Companies have already started putting in place infrastructure for the new betting shops. Maarm International, one of
the three licence holders, has targeted the MG Road in
Gangtok. “We will start operating from a 6,600-sqft location
once we get all the formalities cleared. Our target is the end
of September,” says Manoj Sethi, director, Maarm
International. The company has started a marketing campaign, putting up hoardings across the capital, Gangtok.
Besides betting, the company intends to offer games such as
poker, baccarat, blackjack and roulette.
Sikkim has been preparing for the big gamble since 2008
when it first passed the Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation)
Act, which was planned for Internet betting throughout India.
In 2009, Sikkim issued provisional licences to key players.
“We wanted Sikkim to be the base from where websites
could run online betting games and anyone from anywhere
could play online,” said K.P. Sharma, Directorate, Sikkim
State Lotteries. But last year the Home Secretary asked the
state to revise its law and restrict its betting activity to the
state. Since gambling is a state subject, Sikkim was allowed
to commence activities, but websites could be blocked by
other states. Also, the Reserve Bank of India indicated that it
would not allow payment gateways to accept deposits on
gambling websites. The best option for Sikkim, therefore, is
to offer betting through gaming terminals in the state.
3 0
Queensland’s Aquis Great
Barrier Reef Resort on track
AUSTRALIA
The stalled $8bn Aquis Great
Barrier Reef Resort project earmarked for Queensland is back
on track following renewed
efforts by the newly elected government to encourage its
progress. Tony Fung had withdrawn from the process in
February following failed discussion with the previous Liberal
National Party government.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt has said the
team behind the Aquis Great
Barrier Reef Resort project has
signed an agreement to re-enter
the government’s integrated
resort development (IRD)
process. Mr. Pitt said: “Following
the election, the Palaszczuk government sought to engage in positive discussions with Mr Fung
and we welcome his company’s
commitment to re-entering the
IRD process. The IRD process is a
rigorous way to protect the community’s interests and also evaluate Aquis’ credentials and
financial capacity.”
The proposal, to be located 13km
north of Cairns and to be called
Aquis Resort, would market itself
to Chinese tourists and has
pitched itself as being bigger than
James Packer’s Crown casino in
Melbourne. It wants to operate
750 tables and 1,500 slots at a
resort that, if approved, would
include nine hotels with 3,750
rooms, one of the world’s largest
aquariums, a 25,000-seat sports
stadium, 1,200 apartments and
135 villas, high-end retail shopping, theatres, a 13-hectare reef
lagoon, 18-hole golf course, a
convention and exhibition. Mr.
Fung said of the development:
“We remain committed to the
Aquis Yorkeys Knob project as
part of our overall strategic
investment plans for Australia.”
The government will now
analyse a detailed proposal from
Aquis when the government will
execute an acceptance deed,
which will commence the probity
process. Mayor Bob Manning
said: “Things seem to be heading
in the right direction. But that’s
today. Tomorrow and the day
after, it must be kept on track.
Time eventually kills everything,
and time will kill a deal. The people have the capability, they have
the desire, they have the will to
invest, spread around Australia.
The great pity is that now we
have the Gold Coast and
Canberra running ahead of Cairns
when Cairns should have been
ahead of both of those cities. It is
clear to me that Aquis do have a
broad-based plan for Australia.
We are missing out on the start
but we are going to be the flagship. But we need to get moving
or it could slip away.”
G3Newswire
caMbodia adds 10 new licences
The Cambodian government has issued
10 additional new casino licenses,
increasing the country’s total to 75
www.g3newswire.coM
Cambodia - Regulations
the National Workshop on Statistics of
The Cambodian government has issued 10 new
casino licenses, increasing the country’s total to 75. International Trade in Services (SITS), bank
Director Chea Serey thanked the governments of
Ros Phearun, Deputy Director General of the
Australia and New Zealand for their assistance in
financial industry department at the Ministry of
improving Cambodia’s data collection.
Economy and Finance, revealed that the majority
of the new licences would be in the coastal resort
“Perhaps next to Macau and Monaco, Cambodia
of Sihanoukville.
has the largest proportion of casino income to total
international travel credits of any country in the
“By the end of the third quarter of the year, we will
world. In the case of Cambodia, income generated
have 75 casinos operating in our country. In the
by casinos from non-residents represents about
third quarter, we licensed 10 new casinos. Most of
40 per cent of total international travel credit,”
them are operating in Preah Sihanouk province
she said. “Cambodia is the only country in the
where the industry is nearly nonexistent,” he said.
ASEAN and perhaps the only one in the world to
“Our policy is to attract more investment, but we
undertake a survey of casinos for travel credits
are also careful for any investment in the gameven though casinos have been established in
bling industry because it is different from other
eight of the 10 ASEAN countries.”
industries. Although gambling is good for investment, the government has a clear policy to govern
Cambodia’s gaming tax revenue surpassed $12m
the industry in order to both increase the national
in the first half of 2015, representing a 20 per cent
budget and also protect national security.”
increase from the first six months of 2014. The
Ministry believes this was driven by an increase
He added that most of the new casinos would be
in Thais crossing into Cambodia. Mr. Phearun said
owned by Chinese investors. The National Bank of
casino tax revenue collected is entirely dependent
Cambodia said it would make its first attempt to
on the situation in the border areas.
collect accurate data from casinos. In a speech at
china – dji to bring online booking systeM
DJI Holdings, a licensed promoter and distributor of Chinese
sports and welfare lottery products to third party retailers and
direct to consumers, is partnering with Heilongjiang Sports
Bureau to establish a joint venture.
This will include, for the first time in a Chinese province, a
Business-to-Business (B2B) online booking system for
sports. Based on DJI’s technology, the system is expected to
generate significant incremental revenue. Terms have been
agreed with three of China’s largest online portals to sell and
promote its B2B system from November 2015, giving it
direct access to their significant customer bases. A full ecommerce platform for the HSB is expected to follow in
2016.
Beyond the online booking system, it is expected that the
HSB Joint Venture will have exclusive lottery contracts with
HSB for its lottery distribution channels including its official
web site (B2C), mobile platform (B2B), lottery stores (offlineto-online) and digital and physical scratch cards, and will be
responsible for the introduction of new games. The development and support of the soccer industry in Heilongjiang, in
parallel with China’s wider ambitions for its involvement in
the sport, is a key aim of the HSB.
AGEM
MEMBERS NEWS
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
AGEM KEY BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACTIONS:
l
MEMBER PROFILE
Company – AMATIC INDUSTRIES
Web address – www.amatic.com
AGEM Membership level – Bronze Member
Company Description –
AMATIC Industries supplies the global gaming market with state-of-the-art
casino gaming machines with the MULTI GAME brand, Multiplayer Systems,
Video Lottery Terminals, Jackpots, Casino Management Systems as well as
Online and Social Gaming solutions.
What new products, technologies or services will you introduce this year?
– AMATIC Industries latest gaming solution is the PERFORMER GRAND ARC
gaming machine – an ingeniously curved cabinet fitted with two or three 27”
wide-screen monitors. When designing this new stand alone casino cabinet,
the focus has been placed on maximum convenience for the player: The
control panel has been designed in such a way as to allow players to relax more
whilst playing – increasing game fun and wanting players to stay.
Do you have any newsworthy events to share? –
The G2E Las Vegas proved to be an excellent show. MULTI GAME represents a
growing market in the United States of America. Visitors to this year’s G2E Las
Vegas show had the opportunity to see just why AMATIC Industries is a pioneer
in this sector. For the US American market, The AMATIC team is proud to be
providing the terminals and system to link all the INAG technology together –
so that INAG can provide a multiplayer card-based roulette solution.
Forthcoming events / exhibitions (in the next 3 months) you will attend –
AMATIC Industries will naturally be exhibiting at major international gaming
shows. These include the BEGE in Bulgaria in November, the EAG in London in
January and the ICE in London in February. Relating to the global exhibition
focus, visitors can get the best overview of the size of AMATIC Industries and
see the entire product and service range at the London ICE show.
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l
The process continues to finalise the technical standards governing
variable-payback slots allowing for skill-based gaming and other new
features. The Nevada Gaming Control Board convened a meeting on Oct.
9 with the AGEM working group. Following the meeting, an updated
draft of the technical standards is being circulated and then a public
comment period will ensue before the GCB acts for full adoption.
Another state considering the variable-payback slots bill that mirrors
SB9 from Nevada, is Pennsylvania. The State Legislature has set a
hearing date of 19th November to consider HB 1423. In addition, online
gaming in Pennsylvania is also being considered again as a way to
address state budget issues.
The Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission is initiating the regulatory
oversight process from scratch as it prepares to award up to three casino
licenses. The Commission’s Executive Director met with AGEM
representatives at G2E to propose working with AGEM on the
development of ‘best practices’ regulations that could serve as a unique
model of industry cooperation and possibly reduce the regulatory
burden on suppliers.
Following G2E, AGA COO Ron Rosenbaum And Reed Expo SVP Ed
Several reported on this year’s expo giving an update to AGEM members
on the post show stats. The number of registered buyers was up 7.1% on
last year’s figures, as were VIP’s – up 7.3%. Non-buyers were down,
5.1% and overall conference passes were also down 2.2%.
The AGEM Endorsed Service Provider (ESP) Program is designed to offer
member-to-member discounts on goods and services. Recently, two
new companies - Gill’s Printing & Color Graphics and James Industry
Research Group - have been added to the program. Details of other ESP
vendors can be viewed on the AGEM website – www.agem.org
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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The annual AGEM Cup Golf Tournament And Holiday Reception will be
held on 20th November at DragonRidge Country Club, Nevada. Open to all
members, the competition will consist of 20 two-person teams fighting for
the AGEM Cup. All competitors will be welcome to attend the post-game
reception.
AGEM INDEX
In September, the AGEM Index fell to 183.34, which
represents a decline of 7.10 points (-3.7 per cent)
compared to August 2015. This period represents the
second consecutive monthly decline in value and
the fifth monthly decline since the beginning of the
year. Compared to a year ago, the AGEM Index fell
4.16 points (-2.2 per cent), representing the fourth
year-over-year decline this year.
During September, seven of the 13 global gaming
equipment manufacturers reported month-tomonth declines in stock price, with four down by
more than five percent. Of the five manufacturers
that reported monthly gains in stock price, three
were up by more than 10 per cent, with two
reporting increases of more than 20 per cent. The
remaining manufacturer, Galaxy Gaming Inc.,
reported no change in stock price from August 2015
to September 2015.
AGEM is an international trade association representing manufacturers of electronic gaming devices, systems, and components for the
gaming industry. The Association works to further the interests of gaming equipment manufacturers throughout the world. Through
political action, tradeshow partnerships, information dissemination and good corporate citizenship, the members of AGEM work together
to create benefits for every company within the organization. Together, AGEM and its member organisations have assisted regulatory
commissions and participated in the legislative process to solve problems and create a positive business environment.
3 2
G3 Interview
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES
Aristocrat goes
‘Big’ at G2E
G3 interviews Aristocrat Technologies’
Chief Commercial Officer, Maureen
Sweeny, at G2E as the company
showed its most comprehensive
range of Class II, Class III and systems
products in its long gaming history
In an industry currently obsessed with down-sizing,
consolidation and cost efficiencies, at G2E Las Vegas,
Aristocrat went in the opposite direction - it went BIG!
Big game licenses, Behemoth gaming machines and as
the third largest slot manufacturer in the world,
Aristocrat showed that it has big ambitions too.
Under a booth themed ‘Make the Big Play’ the acquisition of VGT by Aristocrat Technologies has propelled
the company beyond its heritage Class III business,
firmly into Class II and the Tribal Gaming market in the
US. However, more impressive than sheer volume figures was the depth and diversity of the Aristocrat product portfolio as seen at the recent G2E exhibition in Las
Vegas. As operators at G2E clamoured for variety and
innovation to appeal to all player demographics,
Aristocrat revealed an impressive list of titles, including:
Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Ted, Dumb and
Dumber, A Christmas Story and Man of Steel. These
themes joined the existing line up of Sons of Anarchy,
The Big Bang Theory, The Walking Dead and Britney
Spears. Cabinet choice also expanded at G2E, with the
Arc Single, Arc Double, Arc Wheel, Behemoth and Helix
cabinets, giving players the most interactive, innovative
game play on the market today.
Such an impressive and wide-ranging portfolio takes
enormous preparation, with Aristocrat having spent the
last 12 months polling customers as part of its product
planning process, with each region creating specific
products for clients. Aristocrat has been assessing global
3 4
“Our focus is upon delivering
what the market wants and
investing in local designer talent,
which is why we currently have
studios all around the world.”
market needs and investing in research and development right through to delivery. Speaking to Maureen
Sweeny, Aristocrat's Chief Commercial Officer at G2E
Las Vegas, she explained that such detailed product
development demands meticulous forward planning,
with Aristocrat currently working upon its fiscal 2017,
having already mapped out the company’s 2016
roadmap.
“We thoroughly assess the needs of the market and
decide upon the product we need to build for the future,
creating a portfolio of products to serve many different
types of customer needs across multiple markets,”
explained Ms. Sweeney at G2E 2015. “A great example
is WonderWheels, which is a fantastic product for
Aristocrat that is market leading in the US and most
recently in Europe too, with Asia the next focus for us.
Our focus is upon delivering what the market wants
and investing in local designer talent, which is why we
currently have studios all around the world. We allow
each studio the space, dollars and freedom to create
great games.”
Maureen Sweeny,
Chief Commercial
Officer, Aristocrat
We are looking at skill-based gaming
and at systems that can drive online
players back into the casino. Skill-based
gaming is of great interest, but while we
don’t have the technical standards at
present, we are showing mock-ups to
clients to see if this style of gaming
makes sense to the operator and to
Aristocrat. I think there will be a lot of ‘try
and test and iterate,’ before skill-based
really takes off, but it is exciting because
it’s trying to offer a different player
experience. Ultimately, we’re looking to
solve the issues that are worrying
operators right now and if skill-base
plays a part in that then Aristocrat will be
at the forefront of that development.”
G3 Interview
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES
Highlighting Aristocrat’s connection to global gaming markets, the Aristocrat team in
Europe has recently swollen in ranks, adding a number of well-known and highly
respected gaming executives to its roster. While others are downscaling in Europe,
Aristocrat is investing in market specific talent. Ms. Sweeney explained: “We have
been hiring talent from the industry who really understand the customers across a
mosaic of markets. We see a real growth opportunity in Europe in which we are seeking to cover all markets.
“Aristocrat is totally focused on games and clients,” continued Ms. Sweeney. “My
background is from IBM, where everyday you wake up and think about your clients.
We have made changes to personnel to enable us to know both our clients and the
market more intimately. We recently hired Brooks Pierce in the US, as part of our customer focused approach. His unique skill set and insights will be valuable to our
Americas and global strategy of delivering a broad portfolio of great performing games
and cabinets as well as exceptional service to our customers. At Aristocrat, we create
industry leading content, cabinets, social and skill products. We are a company that
has not ‘thrown out’ what we are good at.”
Some of the big themes from G2E Las Vegas centered around skill-based gaming,
eSports, social games and the need to attract millennials. While these could potentially be seen as ‘off topic’ for a major real-money games developer, Ms. Sweeny pointed
out that these are subjects that fall within the sniper-focused remit of Aristocrat. “We
are already focused on the social gaming side of the business,” stated Ms. Sweeney,
“but that doesn’t just mean online. We are looking at skill-based gaming and at systems that can drive online players back into the casino. Skill-based gaming is of great
interest, but while we don’t have the technical standards at present, we are showing
mock-ups to clients to see if this style of gaming makes sense to the operator and to
Aristocrat. I think there will be a lot of ‘try and test and iterate,’ before skill-based
really takes off, but it is exciting because it’s trying to offer a different player experience. Ultimately, we’re looking to solve the issues that are worrying operators right
now and if skill-base plays a part in that then Aristocrat will be at the forefront of that
development.”
Asked why Aristocrat recently divested itself from its lotteries division, just as its
competitors are consolidating around core lottery businesses, Ms. Sweeny pointed out
the different approach Aristocrat is taking. “We are very clear that at Aristocrat we
don’t want to be everything to everyone,” Ms. Sweeny underlined. “We have to ensure
that we get a return on every dollar we spend on R&D and you can only do that as part
of a very focused business. The market is hugely competitive and it’s not enough to
take Australia-focused content and distribute those games globally, we have to develop products for local markets and local players. It’s an investment that demands focus
and to achieve that we have to ensure that we concentrate upon our core competencies.”
We understand operators’ are facing a hugely competitive market. That is why we are
developing products for local markets and local players. It’s an investment that
demands and receives our total focus to achieve, and we have to ensure that we concentrate on our core competencies to help our customers achieve their goals.
3 5
G3 Interview
Thinking outside
the new ‘M-Box’
Now in its sixth year, the Gauselmann
Industry Summit plays an important
role in keeping operators informed of
regulatory changes and presents the
ideal opportunity for the Group to
showcase its latest gaming portfolio
Aristidis Tsikouras from GeWeTe with
customer Elfriede Lauser.
The Gauselmann ‘Industry Summit’ is an annual event
that takes place in autumn, just before the company
starts its sales campaign with its subsidiaries around the
country. The latest summit took place in Frankfurt at
the start of September. It is a combination of product
display, panel discussions and presentations / information on key issues in the industry. Over 1,000
Gauselmann customers attended the event.
The Gauselmann Group took the opportunity to introduce its latest cabinet to the German AWP market – the
M-BOX. This cabinet is already known in the international gaming market as AVANTGARDE SLT or AURORA. It consists of two HD 27” monitors with a button
panel. A coin elevator and banknote recycler are built in
such a way that coins and notes can be entered and dispensed at the same level – a coin tray at the bottom of
the cabinet is now a thing of the past.
Visitors to the Industry Summit were given a chance to
get to know the M-BOX – via Virtual Reality. Upon
placing the 3D glasses on, one could delve into a 360
degree world in 3D where the M-BOX was introduced
alongside several new games. The focus was on nature
and sustainability as Gauselmann stated that the MBOX requires only half the amount of electricity compared with conventional gaming machines.
A further product highlight was the Merkur Roulette
that makes use of a real classic wheel for the German
3 6
Barbara Müller of adp Gauselmann GmbH.
It could be possible to continue
operating multi-concession
arcades in Bavaria (max.
machine 36) and Rhineland
Palatinate (max. 48) from 2017
onwards. The state of Hamburg
tried to reduce machines per
concession - but failed.
arcade market. The sports betting solutions were also
on display, such as the Merkur BetBook.
The latest games packages were introduced, including
the Merkur Magie 2016 HD De Luxe and the Merkur
Magie 2016 HD. Further Gauselmann subsidiaries
exhibited at the Summit, including GeWeTe (showing
the new Duplex Safe change machine).
An innovative way to solve entry-control restrictionsfor arcades is called Face Check. Here the player’s face
is scanned upon entry and compared with a data bank.
A member of staff is informed when there is a match (or
possible match) with a player who is banned. This
method is reactive and so players are only approached
Merkur Gaming’s Athanasios "Sakis"
Isaakidis and Lars Felderhoff.
if they need to be. As the vast majority of players have no
problems with problem gambling, then they will not not
be put to any inconvenience. They enter and leave as
normal. The software is also used to estimate the player’s
age to prevent minors entering the arcade.
The latest generation of the Merkur Dispenser 100 – the
Gold version – was exhibited. This is fitted as standard in
the M-BOX. Gauselmann have produced well over
100,000 of this banknote recycler. The new version has
new drive motors, more light guides and improved banknote acceptance rates.
The presentations enabled visitors to keep up-to-date
with industry regulations. In particular, the presentation
made by lawyer Volker Nottelmann explained the latest
legal stance concerning arcade laws. The industry is
fighting hard against future regulations. For example, it
could be possible to continue operating multi-concession
arcades in Bavaria (max. machine number 36) and
Rhineland Palatinate (max. machine number 48) from
2017 onwards. The state of Hamburg tried like Berlin to
reduce the machine number per concession from 12 to
eight - but failed. Youth protection /responsible gaming is
being interpreted in different ways and at present the
state of Hesse is leading the way with the required
Sperrdatei (file of banned players).
Gauselmann director Dieter Kuhlmann explained how to
make best use of arcade management to secure a bright
Paul Gauselmann with the M-BOX
future. Holger Schwarze from adp Gauselmann and
Matthias Wellenbrink focused on the restaurant/bar
segment.
Thomas Breitkopf, Head of the BA (operator association)
looked at the future of commercial gaming, stating the
following statistics: there are approx. 9,000 arcades in
Germany. Around 200,000 AWPs are situated here,
approx. 69,000 in the bar/restaurant segment. The
industry pays an annual tax sum of about 1.8 billion
euros. More than 70,000 people work in the industry
(75% of whom are women). The industry has been
offering qualified training positions since 2008.
Kajo Wasserhövel (politician) gave a presentation called
‘The Industry 4.0’ – on how an industry should behave
in order to be successful. The aim has to be to make
gambling more socially accepted. The strategy is to i) be
modern and optimistic, ii) work together in the industry
to support common interests, iii) be seen as a partner for
politicians, iv) maintain order, v) be socially active, vi)
be able to easily explain the value-added of one’s product or service, vi) be active in associations, vii) be a partner for dialogue for science and social institutions and
lastly viii) – not to complain too much.
The guests were treated to a special evening with a 3course meal with an ABBA show. The Gauselmann
Group clearly invests in this Industry Summit – and the
response to it shows this to be money well spent.
Jürgen
Stühmeyer,
Group Sales
Director
“The entire industry-political work is
brought together under the umbrella
organisation ‘Deutschen
Automatenwirtschaft’ (DAW), that was
founded by the main associations in
2013. It represents the interests of our
market participants in a united voice.
Thus, regular meetings take place
where the industry comes together. We
travel with the DAW in the German
states to inform the local sections that
represent the Association for AWP
Operators (BA) and so represent the
ideal, political, legal and economic
interests of the industry.”
At the Gauselmann industry event, G3 quizzed
Jurgen Stuhmeyer about the origins of the
Industry Summit...
The Industry Summit was born six years ago. We traditionally always carry out our MMM events (Merkur
Markt der Möglichkeiten – Merkur Market
Opportunities) in autumn at our distribution subsidiaries. The Industry Summit has established itself
right from the beginning for chosen customers as the
exclusive opening event for the autumn exhibitions.
Alongside the presentation of our new product innovations, the Industry Summit serves as a platform for
political discourse and dialogue amongst colleagues,
business partners and friends as well. The mixture of
products, politics and party has made the Industry
Summit a unique and coveted event.
What importance does the Gauselmann Group
place on the Industry Summit?
Compared to conventional trade shows, the Industry
Summit plays an important role for the Gauselmann
Group for its autumn business focus. It is the event solely for our business friends. We have our biggest customers all for ourselves – the perfect framework to
present our latest product highlights. Alongside our
development, manufacturing and sales company adp
Gauselmann, further Gauselmann subsidiaries such as
MEGA and GeWeTe show their latest portfolio.
3 7
G3 Interview
The product presentation revolved mainly around our
new top innovation – the M-BOX – this year. Yet novelties from other segments like the Feature Games Library
Chip, the GeWeTe Duplex-Safe and the Merkur
Dispenser 100 Gold or the Merkur Magic Event Portfolio
also captured the imagination of our guests.
Furthermore, an innovation of particular importance for
the German market is a simple yet highly developed
solution to maintain youth protection in the bar/restaurant segment by using a remote control. We were thus
able to prove at the Industry Summit that we very much
listen to our customers and the players to correspondingly develop and offer practically orientated products.
“Complex regulations are yet
nothing new. We know similar
working conditions already from
Spain where we have been
active for many years where
individual approvals for the
AWPs are required.”
crowning the summit.
Why does the Summit take place in Frankfurt?
We have fond memories of Frankfurt as the city where
the IMA used to take place. Other reasons naturally play
a role – the combination of trade show, hotel and event
room is unsurpassable. Furthermore, Frankfurt is well
connected, so easy to reach and offers an outstanding
infrastructure.
The mood at the event was very positive – both
from Gauselmann employees as well as the visitors. Given the insecurities that the industry faces,
how can this positive mood be explained?
We have enjoyed this positive mood at each Industry
Summit to date. Our customers look forward to seeing
innovations that affect their daily business and listen to
interesting presentations that cover subjects of future
sustainability in a realistic way, independent of any
theoretical restrictions. The Industry Summit visitors
stem from our top customers who can estimate the
working framework in our industry both very well and
realistically. Another reason for the positive mood is
naturally the evening event that offers a great show,
3 8
Can you explain how the industry works together
to confront the political opposition?
The entire industry-political work is brought together
under the umbrella organisation ‘Deutschen
Automatenwirtschaft’ (DAW), that was founded by the
main associations in 2013. It represents the interests of
our market participants in a united voice. Thus, regular
meetings take place where the industry comes together.
We travel with the DAW in the German states to inform
the local sections that represent the Association for
AWP Operators (BA) and so represent the ideal, political, legal and economic interests of the industry.
The industry has had to adjust to setbacks in the
past. How do the current challenges compare to
those from the past?
The sheer amount of threats was never so great than
today to our business. The Gaming Ordinance, the
Interstate Gambling Treaty, Amusement Tax, State
Arcade Laws – that is all so much at the moment. Yet
we will face the corresponding challenges step by step.
We are getting indeed positive feedback and news just
like in Rhineland Palatinate where the wish for a player
self-ban has been confronted with a time-controlled
player ban or play pause.
We are still doing business in a satisfactory way –
despite the many constraints and restrictions. For as long
as people wish to gamble, they will gamble.
Each state interprets the rules in a different way –
sometimes each local authority. How did such
complex market conditions come about?
These complex market conditions are the result of our
federal system. The states assumed the right for arcade
law in 2006 within the Federal Reform. Whether this
applies just to the AWPs or the locations is even today
unclear. Such complex regulations are yet nothing new
for the Gauselmann Group. We know similar working
conditions already from Spain where we have been
active for many years where individual approvals for the
AWPs are required.
One can and has to live with this – yet what is currently
happening in Germany does not fit whatsoever with the
notion of an open European and global market.
The Industry Summit served to present your new
M-BOX. The M-BOX is described as being a ‘quantum step ahead’. Please explain why.
The M-BOX cannot be explained – it has to be seen! We
had been planning the M-BOX in our minds for four
years. The result is a very elaborate concept – that will
turn the gaming industry on its head and set new standards. The two external monitors fit optically to the
‘Apple’ generation and is thus not foreign to anybody.
The M-BOX has also undergone fundamental technical
G3 Interview
Merkur Multi Mix that we know what the market wants
and needs. The operator can influence the games package even more with Merkur Multi Mix as the package
can be individually put together.
You prove time and again with new innovations
also with the games – such as ‘My Top Game’ and
additional games that are enabled month by
month. What role do the games / games packages
play in the company strategy?
The role content plays is immeasurable. Those who cannot deliver good games should not be active in the market. The games are of utmost importance as this is what
the player spends his or her money on. When the games
are presented in a great cabinet, then the chances of
success are even higher. Yet no cabinet can be successful without good games inside. Our product range is particularly characterised by the quality and variety of
games. 16 development teams around the world are
continually working on game content so that we can
offer the best games. And when the money management
is under control, for example with the Elevator, Hopper
Scale and Dispenser, then that is optimal.
Your sports betting solutions were shown at the
Industry Summit. Why is the Merkur BetBook ‘the
ideal sports betting terminals for betting offices’?
optimisations as well. The Industry Summit has shown
that especially ladies are attracted by the linear design
of the M-BOX. This is further proof for me that our latest
cabinet innovations are so much different to what we
have seen so far. The test results have proven this!
The cabinet is the German version of the Avantgarde SL
and the Aurora that we are selling in the international /
British markets. We chose the name M-BOX for the
German market as Merkur is the most popular gaming
brand here. That explains the letter ‘M’ in the name.
The Industry Summit placed its focus on nature
and sustainability. Why?
Right from the start, the underlying idea and premise for
the M-BOX development as well as that of the
Avantgarde SLT and the Aurora was to create a sustainable product. This innovative cabinet thus requires less
than half electricity that comparable products in the
market. Furthermore, the Gauselmann Group is one of
the few companies that is certified with the internationally valid norm DIN EN ISO 14001:2004 in the fields of
development, production and sales. Protecting the environment is an important part of our company philosophy. We are taking on a leading role in the industry by
integrating environmental protection in our entrepreneurial decisions. This guiding principle was therefore
the focus for this year’s Industry Summit.
The M-BOX was presented in a very impressive
way in a 3D show. How did this idea come about?
How was it done?
The Virtual Reality glasses are a fascinating technology
that is growing in trend in the gaming industry. The
Industry Summit gave us the perfect opportunity present the many M-BOX features with the same fervour
and conviction as we developed it. Customer feedback
confirms that Virtual Reality has enabled us to make the
machine technology 1-1 tangible and understandable.
We designed a detailed storyboard in advance and the
creative implementation was principally carried out by
the brand management team of adp Gauselmann GmbH.
Gauselmann is the ‘by far most popular brand’
with ‘Merkur Multi’ in the bar/restaurant segment.
Could you explain why?
More and more suppliers are
successful in legal action against
the regulations. I can predict that
there will a limited number of
licensed companies for sports
betting in the foreseeable future
– but the number will not be 20.
That is due to the good machines and the fact that the
gastronomy (bar/restaurant) sector has always played a
major role for us. The industry consists of two segments
– bar/restaurant and arcades. Even though the
bar/restaurant segment ‘only’ makes a quarter of the
complete market – this was the mother of gaming operations. We have always placed a considerable part of
our development efforts here as we continually want to
play a major role in the bar/restaurant segment. We
intuitively know what this segment is looking for. This
focused strategy has proven itself successful and
enabled us a high market share. We are continually
working on new products for this market segment and
showed once again at the Industry Summit with the
As sports betting originally stems from ‘bookmaking’,
we made use of this and called our solution Merkur
BetBook that optically resembles an open book. The two
monitors next to each other enable betting sequences to
be shown in logical sections. Many things used in daily
life are done this way, such as instruments in the car
industry or having two screens at one’s work desk. We
have created an innovative and new product with the
Merkur BetBook that has been automatically accepted
by betting customers.
How do you view the further developments in the
German sports betting market? How is the
Gauselmann Group placed for this?
Given the numerous disappointments in the German
sports betting market, I cannot foresee its development
any more. More and more suppliers are successful in
legal action against the regulations. I can predict that
there will a limited number of licensed companies for
sports betting in the foreseeable future – but the number will not be 20. We can only show our true strengths
when there is a legal platform for the German sports
betting market. We cannot be the optimal player in this
tolerated grey market that we currently have. We need
firm working conditions and calculable competition. All
has been in place for years now for this step but unfortunately we have been prevented so far.
The Industry Summit has now taken place for the
sixth time. Is this event now firmly fixed in the
Gauselmann diary for the coming years?
We actually make the decision year-on-year whether
to continue or not. But I can reveal to you that the number six is not a good number to stop. The Industry
Summit is very popular with our customers as there is
only a set number of invitations. If such a platform has
been created, then it should be used. That is why we
have already pre-booked for next year.
3 9
G3 Interview
David Schnabel introduced Face Check at the
Gauselmann Industry Summit
Face-Check was revealed for the first time at the
Industry Summit. G3 spoke to David Schnabel,
Head of Responsible Gaming at the Gauselmann
Group about this new development.
The state-specific political working conditions are yet
again bringing new challenges to commercial gaming in
Germany. For example, operators in Hesse have been
obliged by youth and player protection regulations
since early 2014 to carry out entrance controls for every
customer in order to check that the customer is at the
legal age to enter and also compare data with the statewide player ban file. Such entry controls are now in the
meantime legally binding in further states. This places
operators in front of great technical challenges. Data
protection is here one of the central themes.
The solutions used in the state of Hesse, for example,
requires checking all players in order to identify banned
ones.
advancement for the operator and player alike.
Biometric processes check personalised features (thus
without checking data on the person him- or herself)
and these are non-transferable. These could be physiological or behavioural characteristics.
The most important characteristics that can be checked
by a machine are: finger print, facial features, iris pattern, retina pattern, hand vein structure, hand geometry, voice, signature, typing rhythm. The fingerprint
sensors, face recognition systems, iris scanners, voice
recognition systems and vein scanners are the ones that
have established themselves in the market. Depending
on exactness and user-friendliness, the systems are
used in various application scopes. The typical results
of properly implementing biometrics are an increase in
security and ensuring more comfort of use.
To ensure that a banned player cannot participate in
gaming, then a comparison of personal data is made for
each entrance without fail with the data of the blacklist.
Face recognition systems have the further benefit over
other biometric systems that they are contactless and
fast; they are self-explanatory and also can be used in
many further areas as an extension of existing applications that make use of photos or videos.
That means that all guests – regardless whether they
are banned or not – have to reveal their personal data
on every arcade visit.
That is why we are entirely convinced that modern face
recognition systems will positively change the entry
systems in arcades.
This goes against the wish of many guests for anonymity and also their rights for data protection. The current
method is also very arduous and susceptible to error.
The required camera technology is integrated near the
entrance within the arcade interior design, thus invisible for the players.
Computer-based face recognition systems offer a much
more promising alternative to the present way of control. The development of such systems have undergone
a quantum leap in the past years and so made this technology available for more efficient control systems.
That is why the Gauselmann Group has developed a
variant as entry control for arcades with its Face-Check
system with computer-based face recognition. This
represents a maximum of comfort and technological
Most players enjoy gaming without any problems
– these people should not need to be checked at
the arcade entrance. That seems to be a strong
advantage of Face-Check. Is that correct?
4 0
The comparison of image data with the blacklist (ban
file) happens ANONYMOUSLY with NO WAITING TIME
and recognisable BARRIERS within a few seconds. The
focus is on recognising banned players and implement-
ing youth protection stipulations. Stigmatising the
majority of players as potential problem gamblers then
becomes a thing of the past.
The personified player data remains absolutely anonymous and protected.
Only guests are identified and approached that have
asked to be banned and whose image data is saved in the
ban file. Despite identification, the players’ names
remain anonymous.
How can you identify the players’ age?
The facial identity software can undertake age estimation based upon the individual aspects / physiognomies
and gender of the players. Age estimation is especially a
good tool to support youth protection controls in the
arcades.
How does Face-Check work if a person covers their
face, for example with a baseball cap??
The comparison of the biometric data follows independently of what the person is wearing and so enables
secure identification of banned players who attempt to
bypass their identity check by changing their visual
appearance, for example with:
l
l
l
a beard
headgear
or other accessories.
The precondition for the comparison with the stored
image data is the recognition of facial patterns/expressions.
If people enter the arcade and the Face-Check software
does not recognises a facial pattern, then the staff is
informed and the person involved is asked to pass by the
camera area again to ensure a comparison can take
place.
G3 Interview
NOVOMATIC GROUP OF COMPANIES
Applying the right
market formulas
G3 seized the opportunity to interview
Novomatic’s CEO, Harald Neumann
and CTO, Thomas Graf, at the G2E
show in Las Vegas, exploring the
Group’s plans for the US market, its
ownership of Casinos Austria and
views on interactive expansion into
both new and existing markets.
Amid the amalgamations taking place in the gaming
supplier businesses, the clamour for skill-based games,
eSports and claims of a lack of innovation from some
sections of the industry by operators at G2E 2015, there
was a calm, rock-like stability about Novomatic. Posting
record half-year figures just before the Las Vegas
exhibition, Novomatic was a ‘safe island’ at the G2E
show, a consistent and stable bet amongst an industry in
the grips of transition.
Speaking to Novomatic CEO, Harald Neumann and Chief
Technology Officer, Thomas Graf, it’s clear that beneath
the calm exterior, Novomatic is wrestling with those
major issues affecting the gaming industry, but it is doing
so in a considered and highly structured fashion.
“The German street market is one example of the issues
facing the business right now,” confirms Mr. Neumann of
the shifting legislative environment in Germany that
could possibly see the removal of over 100,000 machines
in 2017. “Novomatic assembles machines in Germany at
present and while we anticipate a reduction in the
volume of machines assembled, we are increasing our
operations business in the market. The acquisition of
players is our focus, alongside a transition from
predominately machine rental to an ownership model.”
4 2
“The biggest challenges we face in Europe are legislative
in nature,” agrees Mr. Graf. “Changes in the legislation of
gaming in The Netherlands, Austria and Germany in
regards to online, lotteries, casinos and VLTs present
challenges for Novomatic but also create opportunites.
The duality of our business means that we are both
producer and developer, which enables Novomatic to
spread our interests across all gaming sectors. We have a
very strong operations focus in Europe, recently
expanding with the purchase of PlayNation in the UK
and the acquisition of 40 gaming arcades in the Madrid
market.”
Casino slots, lotteries, online, sports-betting, multiplayers, street machines and VLTs are all integral
components in the Novomatic portfolio of products. The
breadth and depth of the offering enables the company
to prioritise with pinpoint precision its focus at a
market-by-market level. “In the US, we are
concentrating our efforts upon the video gaming
terminals,” states Mr. Neumann. “When you enter a
major market as a newcomer you have to define where
you’re going to achieve the greatest impact. You must
also take account of local market legislation, where, for
example, in most of the states in America a developer of
machines can’t also be licensed as an operator. The
reason this dual model is so successful elsewhere is that
“Our feedback from the market
is that customers are looking for
alternatives. Many are looking at
the changes from a security
perspective, as some of the
newly formed groups are
carrying significant debt.”
it provides important feedback as to the interests and
habits of the players, which we incorporate in the
development of new products. In the US, we have to take
a different approach.”
sense of PersPective
Before joining the Novomatic Group of Companies in 2011,
Mr. Neumann’s career history was focused upon the
telecoms sector. Asked for his view on the recent spate of
mergers and acquisitions in the gaming industry, Mr.
Neumann states that he believes the changes present real
opportunities for Novomatic. “I’ve personally witnessed
G3 Interview
the effects of M&A activity and consolidation in the
telecoms business and seen just how many of those
businesses went on to be successful in the future. It’s
certainly something to watch very carefully.”
“Our feedback from the market is that customers are
looking for alternatives,” adds Mr. Graf. “Many are
looking at the changes from a security perspective, as
some of the newly formed groups are carrying significant
debt and will need to service that debt for the foreseeable
future. It’s an important consideration, especially when
strategic views for most of those businesses are
measured in the very short-term. When your goals are
determined by the needs to service huge debt it changes
your objectives too.”
Novomatic, for all its colossal size and scale, is a familyowned business. The company has 23,000 employees,
but a single shareholder. It’s for this reason that
Novomatic has a different perspective. “We are focused
on long-term results,” qualifies Mr. Neumann. “We are
not driven by short-term profitability, something that is
very important as stability in the gaming industry is a
fundamental requirement for our customers.”
As a gaming business, Novomatic has been a major
player in the acquisitions and consolidations process
Harald Neumann,
Novomatic CEO
“When you enter a major market as a
newcomer you have to define where
you’re going to achieve the greatest
impact. You must also take account of
local market legislation, where, for
example, in most of the states in
America a developer of machines can’t
also be licensed as an operator. The
reason this dual model is so successful
elsewhere is that it provides important
feedback as to the interests and habits
of the players, which we incorporate in
the development of new products. In the
US, we have to take a different
approach.”
taking place in the gaming industry, but where
Novomatic differs is in the type of acquisitions made, and
the fact that it’s always Novomatic making them. “When
we acquire a business it’s either to invest in a local
producer and benefit from their market knowledge; or
we buy into an international business with synergistic
technologies that broaden our portfolio,” underlines Mr.
Graf. “It’s the secret of our success in markets such as
Germany, where we acquired businesses that provided
both local and global expertise to the Novomatic Group.”
“We have also helped those local businesses to survive,”
adds Mr. Neumann. “Small businesses very often simply
cannot afford the requirements that today’s industry
demands in terms of R&D. Novomatic has over 1,000
software developers working for the company, which
have helped each of those businesses to remain at the
forefront of product development, while keeping their
local market connections.”
interactive by design
It was indicative of the broad reach of Novomatic’s
business that the biggest announcements at the G2E
show in Las Vegas centred not upon the Group’s landbased business, but its interactive division. Greentube, a
developer of Internet, mobile, PC and iTV content for
4 3
G3 Interview
parent company, Novomatic, announced that its
Greentube Pro, its private-label social casino platform,
was to become the exclusive social casino platform for
Foxwoods Resort Casino in the US. Shortly after the
show, Greentube further announced a deal with Unibet
to supply Novomatic’s interactive content to the Swedish
online giant.
Speaking to Thomas Graf about the growth of
Novomatic’s interactive gaming division, he described
the need for the company to play a role in the online
gaming space. “When we started providing interactive
content to UK customers, we quickly realised that while
Novomatic was synonymous with quality gaming
products on the land-based side, online customers had
little to no knowledge of Novomatic. To create that
recognition we would have to own the channels of
distribution and supply content direct to operators,
which led to our Malta licence and the acquisition of
Greentube. We added a local operating company in
Latvia to enter the B2C space, entering our first market,
Italy, with AAMS approval and began directly competing
with companies such as Lottomatica in their home
markets.”
What’s significant about Novomatic’s expansion into
online is that the company has taken the same approach
to Interactive development as it has taken to land-based
4 4
growth. It has acquired complementary businesses in
local markets and leveraged the expertise of the wider
group to bring platform expertise and market-leading
content to local firms, which has expanded their market
reach. Where Novomatic has needed key technology for
expansion, the Group has acquired highly specific firms,
specialised in delivering to the exact needs of their
markets. The acquisition of BlueBat, a Vancouver-based
social gaming and marketing specialist, at the start of
2015 is an example of Novomatic’s precision in selecting
key partnerships to fulfil very specific roles.
“We acquired BlueBat to add a crucial social media
component,” agrees Mr. Graf. “We added Greece’s
AdZorba Games, which specialises in social casino
gaming apps for mobile devices to further complement
Greentube’s social casino portfolio. We have diversified
our online gaming platform, adding standalone products
to create a truly diversified solution, including bingo,
sports-betting and lotteries, alongside traditional casino
games. We currently have three bespoke solutions
under the Novomatic Sports Betting brand for retail,
terminals and online.mobile, all of which are integrated
into our B2B solutions.”
doMestic Market
Type the name Novomatic into a search engine right now
Thomas Graf,
Chief Technology
Officer, Novomatic
“In the US, you can either copy others,
improve upon the copies of others or you
can introduce your own concepts. Our
belief is that for the locals market in the
US, you don’t need bells and whistles,
you need the right formula. If you look at
the machines in casinos that remain on
the floor year after year, nearly half of
them are stepper games. The loyal
casino players are conservative by
nature and developing the right products
for this market will not happen
overnight.”
G3 Interview
and every first page result will return a story linking the
company to Casinos Austria. The probability that
Novomatic will own a controlling stake in Austria’s
domestic casino operator by the time this article is
published is extremely high. The fact that this is a story
that dominates current conversation is unsurprising.
Novomatic has been at loggerheads with the Austrian
government about the casino monopoly controlled by
Casinos Austria in the domestic market for the best part
of four decades. The fact that Novomatic must now
answer to a cartel investigation body concerning its
acquisition of Casinos Austria shareholding is tinged with
more than a little irony.
As we head to print, Novomatic owns 24 per cent of OLG,
the Austrian Lottery, and almost 40 per cent of Casino
Austria. Barring any last minute interventions,
Novomatic will bring its skills and international landbased operations know-how to support Casinos Austria
in the very near future. “The European market has
changed fundamentally in recent years, while Casinos
Austria has existed in a protected environment,” states
Mr. Neumann. “Our task over the long-term is to stabilise
the business and bring the synergies of the Group and
global expertise of Novomatic to bear on the Casinos
Austria business, especially in the lotteries sector. We see
great opportunities for the Austrian Lottery business,
which has a great international image.
“Our understanding of VLT products and markets will
ensure that Austrian Lotteries can compete at the global
level. To date, in their WinWin operations they have
rolled out only some 700 VLTs within locations in
Austria, despite having a 5,000 machine licence,”
continues Mr. Neumann. “Novomatic has the experience,
expertise and crucially the locations to maximise that
opportunity.”
continUed international growth
Novomatic’s former brand statement, that it ‘leads while
others follow’, prompted an interesting question at the
G2E show. The company’s long-term view of market
growth and expansion in the US has, to date, been slow
and steady. While the fast and the furious have built
growth based on debt, Novomatic’s long-term approach
has been more tortoise and the hare. Winning the race in
the US is about patience and market expertise, and we’re
about to see big changes in Novomatic’s growth strategy
for the US market.
In the last 12 months Novomatic has formed a new US
team, moved its headquarters to Illinois, (where
coincidentally there are currently lots of skilled gaming
people looking for employment in the Chicago area), and
is building a support network across the US with a focus
on distribution and licence acquisition.
“If you look at the machines in
casinos that remain on the floor
year after year, nearly half of
them are stepper games. The
loyal casino players are
conservative by nature and
developing the right products for
this market will not happen
overnight.”
“In the US, you can either copy others, improve upon the
copies of others or you can introduce your own
concepts,” states Mr. Graf. “Our belief is that for the locals
market in the US, you don’t need bells and whistles, you
need the right formula. If you look at the machines in
casinos that remain on the floor year after year, nearly
half of them are stepper games. The loyal casino players
are conservative by nature and developing the right
products for this market will not happen overnight.”
But what is a certainty with Novomatic, is that it will
happen.
4 5
G3 Interview
INTERBLOCK
A finger on the
gaming pulse
Interblock was almost
unrecogniseable at G2E 2015,
presenting its extraordinary Pulse with
more stage presence, music,
technology and entertainment than an
Imogen Heap concert. G3 interviewed
Global CEO, John Connelly about the
major changes that have taken place
over the last six months at Interblock.
The name above the booth was the same, but everything
else about the Interblock stand at G2E Las Vegas was
different. A tour began with the Occulus Rift, whereby
visitors slipped on the VR headset and were treated to an
all-encompassing 3D flyby exploring the casino of the
future as described by Interblock. It was - simply amazing.
The Slovenia-based company is celebrating its 25th
anniversary this year, but it’s in the last six months that
Interblock has gone through the most profound change in
its history. From the appointment of International CEO,
John Connelly, at the ICE show in London to the launch of
the stunning Pulse Arena at G2E Vegas, Interblock is an
altogether different force in the gaming industry.
Speaking to Mr. Connelly at the Sands Expo, he detailed
the path the company has set itself upon and the journey
it’s taking with its customers.
“Joining the company in January, the first task was to
address the infrastructure of the business, identify the
KPIs by division and product life-cycle, evaluate
budgetary requirements and solidify the global executive
management team,” states Mr. Connelly of a programme
that is already ahead of schedule. “The talent in this
organisation is astounding, combined with decades of
experience in multiplayer gaming; my job was to build
upon that foundation, recruiting industry veterans from
major gaming companies around the world to strengthen
that mix.”
4 6
Mr. Connelly admits that Interblock has been fortunate
in attracting the highest calibre of talent to the company,
interested in working for a smaller private-enterprise
within which change can be affected much faster and
with greater impact. The significant level of
consolidation taking place in the business at present has
also helped Interblock attract a top-class roster of
executive heavy-hitters.
One of the employment statistics is especially
interesting, wherein Interblock has multiplied the
number of engineers it employs by a factor of five. “Our
product portfolio has never been stronger,” underlines
Mr. Connelly. “The combination of growth opportunities
in new markets combined with new products on display
here in Vegas, means this is a very exciting time for
Interblock. We have the momentum to achieve our
goals, we are dynamic and nimble and have the
expertise in the ETG market to channel that innovation
and monetise it through traditional tools and metrics.”
The Interblock team now stresses the importance of
ensuring the infrastructure around product creation and
delivery is as important as the sale itself. The entire
product life-cycle now goes through a thorough betatesting process and where products enter a market,
Interblock is able to optimise its knowledge and
expertise and tie innovation to strategic global initiatives.
“We conduct upfront market research and undertake
component GAP analysis to ensure that we maximise
John Connelly,
Global CEO,
Interblock
“Joining the company in January, the
first task was to address the
infrastructure of the business, identify
the KPIs by division and product lifecycle, evaluate budgetary requirements
and solidify the global executive
management team. The talent in this
organisation is astounding, combined
with decades of experience in
multiplayer gaming; my job was to build
upon that foundation, recruiting industry
veterans from major gaming
companies around the world to
strengthen that mix.”
G3 Interview
INTERBLOCK
R&D spend,” describes Mr. Connelly. “Market
penetration is a key strategic goal and an enormous
opportunity for the company. Around 70 per cent of all
casinos in the US have never placed an Interblock
product. It’s a figure that presents a tremendous
opportunity for the business.”
One of the things that Mr. Connelly quickly identified,
was that Interblock is a gaming brand focused on the ‘A’
category casino. The company supplied a premium
gaming product for the highest level gaming operations
around the world, which is, ultimately, a limiting factor.
“We initiated a product segmentation strategy in the
same way that Mercedes structures is car line-up,”
explains Mr. Connelly. “Mercedes employs various levels
of product segmentation, encompassing the C-Class, EClass and S-Class in its range while still providing the
same level of quality and luxury associated with the
brand. Interblock has expanded its product offering along
the same lines.”
Having opened offices in Sydney, Macau and Latin
America this year with the goal of building the best team
in gaming, Mr. Connelly describes 2015 as a ‘solid year.’
While the majority of time spent has been focused on
infrastructure and the organisation at the global level, it’s
obvious that the Interblock is now a highly attractive
acquisition target. Questions about the possible sale of
the business, however, are met with a typically enigmatic
response. Mr. Connelly simply states that the owners of
“The fact that it was a private
business presented for me an
amazing opportunity. This is a
business that’s focused on the
mid-term, as opposed to a
quarter-by-quarter strategy,
something that’s reflected in the
decisions we have made in
2015.”
the private business are open to any and all options that
would bring long-term shareholder value to the
company.
“As a company, we will continue to operate with a sense
of urgency, though we feel confident we’ll see significant
growth in our market segment,” states Mr. Connelly.
“Coming from such an amazing situation at Bally (John
Connelly was formerly Senior Vice President of Business
Development and Interactive at Bally Technologies),
Interblock resonates the most as a brand that’s globally
recognised. Our core product offering is viewed as one of
the best in the business, yet the company is a private
business, with tremendous opportunities to bring the
best-in-class solutions on a global scale to the
organisation. Just as importantly, we have an ownership
structure that is willing and eager to both take the
company to the next level and provide capital and
resources necessary to achieve those goals.”
Asked what attracted him most to the role with
Interblock, Mr. Connelly is candid about the opportunity
that the company offered, having looked across the
global casino industry for his next role after Bally. “I
couldn’t find a better positioned, highly respected,
regulated and licensed gaming business in the world,”
says Mr. Connelly. “The fact that it was a private business
presented for me an amazing opportunity. This is a
business that’s focused on the mid-term, as opposed to a
quarter-by-quarter strategy, something that’s reflected
in the decisions we have made in 2015.”
Historically, Interblock as a company has been more
focused on the sale approach to the market, which has
been driven by cash-flow requirements. However, the
‘new’ Interblock is a company that is quickly evolving
into a recurring revenue business as demonstrated by the
most recent installations and soon-to-be confirmed
installs worldwide. It’s a key success factor if Interblock
is to maintain a market-leading position today. It’s
another new direction that Mr. Connelly and his team are
taking on a path that’s just as exciting as our VR tour - but
where the 3D casino was a future space - this journey is
very, very real.
4 7
G3 Interview
IGT
Hitting the target
with fewer bullets
G3 discussed the new player
landscape with IGT’s CEO
International, Walter Bugno, at the
G2E show in Vegas. He mapped out
the focus of the company into 2016
and discussed the amazing products
brought to G2E 2015 in super-quick
turnaround times.
It’s a different business – that much was obvious from
the IGT G2E booth in Vegas, whose sheer variety and
spread of product innovation was overwhelming. While
the name on the door is the same, the component parts of
IGT have been rearranged to create an amalgam of
GTECH and IGT that’s more customer focused than ever.
“No one is meeting us at the show to discuss corporate
structure,” pointed out Walter Bugno, International CEO
of IGT, in answer to yet another question from G3 about
the merger of the two companies. “If you walk the floor
of the booth it’s obvious that the companies have come
together,” he continued. “You see the innovation and you
see the technology taking advantage of the library of
games from GTECH and IGT, while the business culture
continues to put customers first.”
The products on display at G2E Vegas were testament to
the immediacy of the collaboration between IGT and
GTECH and the way in which the two companies, as one,
have hit the ground running. “It’s amazing to think that
the phenomenal products that we’re launching at G2E
are the result of six months’ work between teams who
had to mesh together immediately and despite the
timescales involved, we have delivered,” said Mr. Bugno.
Mr. Bugno said that there is still work to be done, but the
direction that IGT is heading is already clearly defined.
“We have a new set of tools in place to complete the
circle; we have all the pieces, and over the next 12-18
months we are leveraging all the components to deliver
the best results for our customers. On the show floor in
Vegas, you can see omni-channel in action – platforms
that players can use to access content on any device of
their choice. IGT OnPremise goes beyond on-site options
for players, with mobile devices integrated into existing
casino management solutions, while Trend Cloud is a
way of sharing a sports-betting device, telling you which
games others are betting upon, and displaying the top
games in bold, big fonts. It’s a fabulous way of capturing
trends and delivering those to the player.”
Skill-based gaming was the buzzword of the G2E show –
4 8
“We strive to understand where
and on what device players want
to engage, and that’s our theme.
We are concentrating on what
our customers want to achieve,
and on giving the user the
experience they want to play.”
that and ‘New Millennials,’ a topic we raised with Mr.
Bugno. “We will not focus on one concept. Our aim is to
provide relevant content across all channels as defined
by the player,” he underlined. “We strive to understand
where and on what device they want to engage, and
that’s our theme right now. We are concentrating upon
what our customers want to achieve, and on giving the
end user the experience they want to play.”
The legacy of IGT as a North American company with a
strong international distribution structure also continues,
but it’s supplemented with the localised expertise of
GTECH. “IGT was an organisation that exported its
success in North America to international markets,”
stated Mr. Bugno. “SPIELO, by contrast, was a small
business, but it was localised and highly specific. We’ve
brought these two elements together, creating both the
scale to ‘go global’ and skills to ‘go local.’ I believe that’s a
winning combination. Customer intimacy is where you
play the game, which is about putting senior executives
in front of the customer. It’s about senior level customer
intimacy at the highest level.”
In a changing landscape with constraints on operator
budgets still affecting the market, suppliers must also
change the way in which they innovate in the future.
“My personal view is that there’s been too much focus on
the concept of the replacement cycle,” stated Mr. Bugno.
“Every year you work with the pieces put on the table in
Walter Bugno,
International CEO,
IGT
“IGT was an organisation that exported
its success in North America to
international markets. SPIELO, by
contrast, was a small business, but it
was localised and highly specific. We’ve
brought these two elements together,
creating both the scale to ‘go global’ and
skills to ‘go local.’ I believe that’s a
winning combination. Customer
intimacy is where you play the game,
which is about putting senior executives
in front of the customer. It’s about
senior level customer intimacy at the
highest level.”
front of you. Some of those are challenges, while others
are opportunities. It’s not, however, about the volume of
product in the market – it’s about adapting to local
requirements.
“Coming from SPIELO and GTECH, where the gaming
R&D budgets were smaller, meant that we had to hit the
bullseye more often with fewer bullets. As IGT, we’re
continuing that deep research into how products perform
and how they involve the player. We are maintaining our
belief in thorough testing and trialing, to the point of
returning to the lab for consideration and reappraising if
that’s what’s necessary,” said Mr. Bugno. “Our motivation
is to completely understand all our players for the benefit
of all our customers.”
G3 Interview
NETENT
Adding all the
right ingredients
It’s been a long wait, but NetEnt’s
patience is paying dividends as its
entrance into the US market, via New
Jersey, has been swift and productive.
Announcements are flowing since
acquiring its licence and there’s more
to follow according to Björn Krantz,
Managing Director of NetEnt Americas
Until recently, the US market has been a slow-burner for
NetEnt, with the online gaming solutions provider
appraising the market, attending conferences and
gathering information as to the ‘tipping point’ that would
see NetEnt entering the regulated US online market. Now
that the time appears right and things have been
happening at quite the pace.
Speaking to Björn Krantz, Managing Director of NetEnt
Americas at G2E in Vegas, previously Managing Director
at NetEnt Malta, he explained that NetEnt had been
waiting for the regulatory framework to formalise in the
US before making the leap. “As a leader in regulated
online casino markets, NetEnt has been closely
monitoring development in North America,” said Mr.
Krantz. “In mid-2014 we announced to the market that
timing was right to intensify efforts to enter both the
United States and Canada. We initiated the licensing
process in New Jersey and handed our submission to the
Division of Gaming Enforcement's (DGE) early 2015. It
was,” underlined Mr. Krantz, “a major undertaking for all
the key stakeholders involved in the process.”
The effort proved worthwhile, however, with NetEnt
receiving its vendor number by the end of the first
quarter of 2015. Soon-after NetEnt signed a patent
partnership with IGT, a cross-patent-licensing
agreement that allows NetEnt to use all of IGT’s featured
games patents when looking at the roadmap
development efforts for North America. “The agreement
with IGT allows us to capitalise on their technology
assets and to focus our efforts on our New Jersey
customer’s, ” said Mr. Krantz. “It has proved a very
positive experience. Many of the US stakeholders closely
examined the European online model, understanding the
important role NetEnt has played in this space for the last
20 years. It was this awareness of the company and our
best-of-breed product that has helped us to enter the US
market.”
NetEnt is a company that focuses on regulated markets,
building its competence in Europe’s largest online gaming
markets. US licensing is a big, complex process and it’s no
small feat for an independent Scandinavian company to
pass with flying colours on its first attempt. “I think it
definitely helped that we waited to enter the market in
New Jersey, rather than rush in before the market was
properly regulated,” explained Mr. Krantz.
“The maturity of the market has helped the discussion
process and understanding of operators as to the value of
our offer. They are interested in maximising the player
experience, and this fits into our own strategy which is to
provide the ultimate entertainment experience through
our premium online gaming solutions. What exists
today in New Jersey and what NetEnt brings to the table
is a game-changer for this market.”
At the beginning of September, NetEnt signed an
agreement with Simulated Gaming provider, GAN, to
supply its games through GAN’s virtual currency
solution. “The agreement with GAN will allow landbased casinos in the US to introduce NetEnt’s online
casino games to their player community ahead of
possible state regulations,” stated Mr. Krantz.
“The opportunity to build early recognition and loyalty
regarding our best-in-breed gaming titles fits perfectly
into our long term growth strategy in the US,” continued
Mr. Krantz. “There is a positive growth trend in the past
couple of quarters in New Jersey, and there are a number
of online gaming bills being considered in other US states
as well. Our cooperation with GAN positions us perfectly
to capitalise on regulated market expansion as and when
the legislation is passed.”
Mr. Krantz hopes that the model established in New
Jersey will become a blueprint for online gaming
progress across the US. He also believes that NetEnt’s
library of best-of-breed games prove the right formula
for US players. “We believe that our content is the
perfect fit for this environment,” commented Mr. Krantz.
“We believe the needs of the European player are
matched by players in the US and that the gaming offer,
balanced between mobile and desktop, is what we feel is
the current right mix for US players.”
Björn Krantz,
Managing Director,
NetEnt Americas
“I think it definitely helped that we waited
to enter the market in New Jersey, rather
than rush in before the market was
properly regulated. The maturity of the
market has helped the discussion
process and understanding of operators
as to the value of our offer. They are
interested in maximising the player
experience, and this fits into our own
strategy which is to provide the ultimate
entertainment experience through our
premium online gaming solutions. What
exists today in New Jersey and what
NetEnt brings to the table is a gamechanger for this market.”
“There are a number of online
gaming bills being considered in
other US states as well. Our
cooperation with GAN positions
us perfectly to capitalise on
regulated market expansion as
and when the legislation is
passed.”
4 9
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
Roulette Technology Center has been created with this
in mind. Our service center allows operators the peace
of mind in knowing that their wheel is always
operating at peak efficiency – saving them time,
money and unnecessary worry. We want to keep
every customer fully operational and generating
revenue.”
Services at the RTC include number and pocket repair,
electronic repairs, part upgrades, wheel testing,
evaluations and more. Through floor-to-ceiling glass
walls, visitors to the facility can view the technicians
as they work through the various stages of refinishing
and testing. This illustrates to customers how each
wheel part plays its role before the device is completed
for return to the casino.
An intriguing prototype, shown for the first time at G2E to gain feedback from visitors,
was a new multi-player island that featured fixed tablets which can be linked to live or
RNG tools, and can also be used on a bar-top. The tablets are fixed to the surface as
many jurisdictions do not allow the untethering of tablets for betting purposes, having
prescribed dedicated gaming zones. The prototype is a great looking workaround that
provides the elegant functionality of a tablet, within the constraints of local regulation.
WHEEL-CENTRIC VIEW OF WORLD
The manufacture and sale of roulette wheels is highly
regulated, but when the wheel leaves the factory with
the TCSJohnHuxley name inscribed upon it, the
company can’t control how that wheel is cared for
beyond the sale. For operators taking advantage of the
RTC service, TCSJohnHuxley will swap out the wheel
on the floor, test the wheel, refurbish were necessary
and bring the wheel back to peak performance, which
means no drop zone bias, giving operators complete
visibility of the wheel. And it’s not just a service for its
own wheels, TCSJohnHuxley can refurbish the wheels
of other manufacturers too.
For complete visibility into wheel data and statistics,
the RTC also leverages TCSJohnHuxley’s advanced GFL
Optmisation module, which is part of the Gaming Floor
Live platform. Drawing on detailed Wheel analysis
reports concerning wheel integrity and performance,
the RTC is able to provide customers with accurate
wheel insight that can be used to improve the device
and business. All spin data downloaded from the wheel
is encrypted using AES Encrypted files – the same
method of encryption used by the US government –
and is transferred to an encrypted repository, with
limited access rights.
Tracy Cohen and Todd
Cravens at G2E 2015
TCSJohnHuxley put the roulette wheel at
the heart of its G2E Las Vegas
presentation with brand new services
Backed by over 40 years experience in manufacturing
the most random and secure wheels on the market,
TCSJohnHuxley launched its newest service solution
at G2E Las Vegas, the Roulette Technology Center
(RTC), a state-of-the-art facility in Las Vegas dedicated
to the full refinishing, rebuilding and testing of wheels.
Accessible only by authorised personnel and
regulators with scheduled appointments, the RTC is a
highly secure facility. Skilled, factory-trained
technicians, who are experienced in wheel
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maintenance best practices, ensure that wheel repairs
and upgrades are conducted securely and to the
highest of standards. Whether a customer requires
monthly or weekly wheel maintenance or they’re
looking to upgrade or rebuild their existing wheels to
match the level of TCSJohnHuxley’s latest product
offerings, the RTC uses the most advanced materials
and procedures to deliver outstanding performance.
Todd Cravens, TCSJohnHuxley’s CEO of the Americas
commented: “Roulette wheels are paramount to a
casinos business. Strict regulations are in place
regarding the manufacturing of the devices, however,
when a wheel is delivered onto a casino floor, it’s
possible for any number of staff to come into contact
with it and unintentionally alter its performance. The
“We are very passionate about roulette wheels at
TCSJohnHuxley,” underlined Mr. Cravens. “There is no
regulation as to the maintenance and refurbishment of
roulette wheels, but the way a wheel looks is 10 per
cent of the refurb process, whereas 90 per cent is
focused on the running of the wheel itself.
“We have developed new ways to test wheels and
have patents pending for these processes,” described
Mr. Cravens. “We measure tolerances using statistical
analysis, ensuring integrity of the wheel to the finest
tolerances. A roulette wheel is a Random Number
Generator, but there are no regulations on the
continued maintenance of that RNG. We think there
should be regulation in this area and we think we need
regulatory standards.”
It takes TCSJohnHuxley around two weeks to
complete a refurb, with them keeping an online
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G2E VEGAS 2015
repository to enable easy tracking of all the wheels
that have been sold and refurbished over the last
decade. “We have all the data about our wheels, so
that we can discuss the assets in detail with our
customers,” stated TCSJohnHuxley’s TracyCohen.
“When you add our GFLproduct to this with its indepth analysis, we now have a unique set of tools that
can remedy any issues.GamingFloor Live is not just
about new technology, it is an enabling technology for
our traditional products too, such as wheels, that
allows operators to better understand all the gaming
offers on their floor.“
“The average roulette wheel spins the equivalent of
900 miles a month in a casino,”added Mr.Cravens.
“Just like a car, that kind of milage needs maintenance.
The question is - who spots that need first, the operator
or the player? Whether you’re looking at sections or
dead pockets, if it’s the player that finds out the wheel
has an issue, it could be very costly indeed.”
Continuing the car theme, TCSJohnHuxley also
launched its Roulette Wheel Configurator at G2E,
which is akin to car websites that let potential owners
configure the exact specification for their vehicle and is
available through the TCSJohnHuxley website. This
new tool, which is currently available for the Saturn
range of wheels, allows customers to build their own
device by selecting from a range of finishes and
components. It’s now easier than ever to visualise
colours, designs and textures by browsing through a
selection of veneers, finishes, turret styles and
separator rings. This user-friendly tool’s graphics
perfectly illustrate the finished wheel so that, once the
viewer is satisfied with the selection, they can simply
submit their design for a personalised quotation.
Tristan Sjöberg, Executive Chairman said:
“TCSJohnHuxley roulette wheels have always offered
an impressive range of finishes to compliment any
interior theme or décor. This new tool provides our
customers with yet another first, giving them the
ability to design their own wheels and see what the
finished results will look like, without having to step
outside of their office. We believe our customers will
love this tool and we look forward to seeing a whole
host of new creativity!”
Finally, Big Bang Blackjack is an easy to play and deal
proprietary game from TCSJohnHuxley that was
unveiled at G2E Las Vegas. In addition to playing the
traditional Blackjack bet, all the player is required to
do is to place a wager on the flashing bet sensor. For
Dealers, there is virtually no additional training
needed; any Blackjack Dealer can learn the game in
just minutes. Players who choose to participate in the
side bet have a chance to win one of three jackpots,
making the game even more exciting than traditional
Blackjack. In addition, because the jackpots can be
linked with other Big Bang Blackjack tables around the
casino floor, jackpots increment at a faster rate, which
creates a positive buzz throughout the venue.
Anette Jauch pictured with the new
EASITRAX web management solution
CPI ON TRACK WITH SOLUTIONS
FOR ONLINE CASH MANAGEMENT
CPI showed its new MEI SCR note
recycler and EASITRAX Web cash
management solution at G2E 2015
Among the product highlights shown by CPI at G2E
was the MEI SCR note recycler and the EASITRAX
Web cash management solution. The twodenomination SCR note recycler is the most recent
extension of the reliable SC product line, which has
achieved an installed base of more than 1.5 million
units worldwide. It follows the same formula as the
CASHFLOW SC and SC Advance note acceptors,
raising performance expectations to deliver a more
efficient, secure and cost-effective way to handle
cash payments. CPI confirmed it has currently
installed over 5,000 SCR note recycling units in
Germany to date, and is looking to expand into
neighbouring markets, were jam rates and speed
are also top priorities for operators.
At the G2E show, CPI further announced its latest
installation in Batumi, Georgia. Casino Leogrand
recently opened with all 280 slots utilising SC
Advance note acceptors. Fatih Güner, purchasing
manager at Casino Leogrand, was involved in the
decision to specify SC Advance. “Our guests come
from all over the world,” he said, “so it’s imperative
that we can accept more than just one or two
different currencies – in fact, we need to accept
four. CPI met our requirements by creating a
customised note set for us.”
“We want to give all our players – foreign or not – a
great experience, and CPI has helped us do exactly
that,” said Mr. Güner. “SC Advance is performing
beautifully, and our guests are delighting in their
time at the slots. We wish to thank Eren Yildrim,
CPI’s business development manager for our region,
as well as the rest of the CPI team for their attentive
support and willingness to go the extra mile in our
partnership.”
“Best fit solutions don’t come from products alone,”
said Anette Jauch, CPI sales director for Gaming –
EMEA. “Customer service is equally important, and
CPI is pleased to have been able to tailor the right
noteset for Casino Leogrand. Optimising the way
they, and their players, benefit from using SC
Advance allows us to deliver even more value to
their bottom line.”
Finally, CPI demonstrated its EASITRAX Web cash
management solution with maintenance alerts, in
which operators can set their thresholds, whereby
the unit will message back the precise status of the
unit. Operators can customise their own reports to
include specific maintenance alerts, letting them
know pro-actively if there are any issues. It’s an
ideal system for route-operations, which hasn’t
gone unnoticed in Greece, whereby all 15,000 VLTs
have been outfitted with CPI’s EASITRAX.
EASITRAX delivers accurate current feedback not
just from an individual site, but critical details about
the entire route estate.
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Revview
G2E VEGAS 2015
THE FUTURE OF GAMES AND TESTING
Skill-based gaming stole lots of headlines
at G2E, but a regulatory framework must
still be agreed. G3 spoke to GLI about what
testing requirements need to be met
The major topics at G2E 2015 in Las Vegas centred on
eSports, Skill-Based gaming and the need to attract the
‘New Millennials’ generation not just as a future
aspiration, but most pressingly, in the present too.
Accusing an industry of lacking innovation is one
thing, but working within regulatory limits and defined
player protection boundaries is not something the
video game, social gaming and eSports culture has had
to deal too intimately with in the past. The fact that the
first Fantasy Sports scandal hit the news as G3 went to
press is confirmation that testing and compliance has
to be an integral part of any real-money gaming offer
and a company at the forefront of this shift is Gaming
Laboratories International.
Speaking to GLI Vice President of Global Services, Ian
Hughes, at G2E, he explained that a large focus of his
work with land-based casinos in the US is currently
aimed at creating the ultimate gaming floor off the
future. “While the industry wants to offer a very social
environment for their players, there exist regulatory
and technical barriers before we arrive at that
destination,” explained Mr. Hughes. “At GLI we are
looking at how we can bridge the gap, whereby social
media can be utilised within a casino environment
without causing regulatory protection issues. We
already know that the network infrastructure is going
to be huge - part of what’s termed the ‘Internet of
Things,’ which is all about connectivity and how
everything will link together not just on the floor, but at
the check-in desk and restaurant too. Gaming and
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While the industry wants to offer
a very social environment for
their players, there exist
regulatory and technical barriers
before we arrive at that
destination. We are looking at
how we can bridge the gap.
non-gaming systems will need to work together and
right now, that’s the biggest barrier to affecting this
social level of change.”
Open protocols between non-gaming and gaming
platforms is no small issue. While there has been a
concerted effort within the gaming industry to adopt
open protocols between gaming systems and platforms
using the G2S standard, the APIs needed to allow full
integration and interoperability between gaming and
non-gaming platforms is currently back at the starting
line. Every new casino and major resort is looking at
how they can install the latest technology to drive
forward the customer experience, but they’re having to
work with systems that currently are incompatible
with the vision.
What’s vital to build into any system that touches and
bumps into the player, as part of their interactions with
the casino, are systems that remain firmly within the
regulatory environment. However, not all
communications need to travel so deep into the
machine or system protocol as to necessitate major
reconfigurations.
Ian Hughes, VP Global
Services, GLI.
“Interface communication standards that pass
information between systems and machines should
enable social interaction at the machine level without
going through the machine protocol,” emphasised Mr.
Hughes. “Operators should be able to offer NFC and
ApplePay options to players without the need for
complete backbone core system changes. We are
working with operators to establish common protocols
and APIs that will provide system solutions without
the need to overhaul entire networks.”
In the hotel sector, HTNG is an example of this in
practice, a global trade association dedicated to
enhancing the deployment of technology in hotels.
HTNG has fostered, through collaboration and
partnership among hoteliers and technology providers,
the development of next-generation solutions that will
enable them to do business globally in the 21st century.
The common interfaces developed with HTNG means
that you can book any hotel online anywhere in the
world and your booking is processed as though
through one system. GLI is working on the tools to
make this part of casino operator’s armoury too.
“While the operator wants a plug-and-play solution, in
many cases they are instead faced with proprietary
systems,” commented Mr. Hughes. “These involve
expensive connection costs wherein there are no
commonly defined protocols. Of course, common
protocols need to be tested and certified, but that
should be a one-off process, not tested individually,
operator by operator. From the operator’s perspective
it’s difficult to know which protocol is going to be the
definitive technology in the future. What the industry
needs is something akin to the way Apple brought
together so many different developers to create Apps
that all work on the same platform. If you develop an
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G2E VEGAS 2015
App, everyone knows that technology is going to
work on your phone. It’s this same level of
interoperability that we’re striving towards in
gaming.”
SuzoHapp’s Rene Huibers and
Goran Sovilj at G2E 2015
GLI is playing a major role in providing information
to operators as regards compliant systems,
interoperability and regulations concerning the
privacy of personal information. It is also looking at
how a whole new type of game, skill-based, fits into
the regulatory environment. Opening up a different
entertainment experience, skill-based gaming is also
a whole new can of worms. “Skill-based gaming
changes all the traditional evaluation models,” stated
Mr. Hughes. “If a player playing beer pong, for
example, misses the cup 100 per cent of the time, the
return to the player is zero - which on a gaming
machine is not allowed. Skill-based will need to
accommodate different RNG models, ones designed
to compensate for the lack of skill in some cases and
also excessive competence on the other, providing a
chance element to re-address the payout.”
One of the things that does appear clear is that skillbased testing is going to be more complicated than a
traditional slot, as the tester has to look a different
elements of the RNG and apply the tests to a greater
volume of potential outcomes. While simple games
such as beer pong will have only a handful of
variables, the greater the complexity of the game
being played, the more complex the testing process.
Things we learned in Vegas: The New York Times
ran an article on September 23 investigating the VW
‘defeat device’ scandal, comparing the car sector to
casino machine testing...
“There is one industry in particular that employs
many of these safeguards in an admirable fashion:
slot machines in casinos. These machines, which in
some ways present the perfect cheating scenario,
are run by software designed by the manufacturers
without a centralized database of winnings and
losses to check if frequencies of losses are excessive.
Despite all these temptations, in many jurisdictions,
these machines run some of the best regulated
software in the country. The machines are legally
allowed to win slightly more often than lose, of
course, ensuring a tidy profit for the casinos (and tax
revenues for the local governments) without
cheating on the disclosed standards.
It’s a pity that casinos have better scrutiny of their
software than the code running our voting
machines, cars and many other vital objects,
including medical devices and even our
infrastructure. As computation spreads in society,
our regulatory systems need to be funded
appropriately and updated in their methods so that
keeping our air clean and our elections honest is not
a worse gamble than a slot machine.”
Zeynep Tufekci, New York Times. “Volkswagen and
the Era of Cheating Software.”
SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT EACH
SECTOR EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
G3 spoke to SuzoHapp’s Goran Sovilj at
G2E about supporting the interest now
being expressed in skill-based gaming
As talk at G2E Las Vegas polarised around attracting
‘New Millennials’ to land-based casinos, one of the
keys examples used to describe US casinos success
in attracting a younger generation of players was
the use by MGM Resorts of 20 interactive tables
across both MGM Grand and the Mirage casinos. The
tables are designed for up to four people to play
with their own window on the tabletop’s
touchscreen and the devices were installed in July
2014 by manufacturer SuzoHapp.
The Multi-touch TV Table was envisaged as a
sports-betting solution for sports books, lounges
and even coffee shops. Real-money gaming on the
tables is still under development, but effectively
players could, for example, have one or more games
open on the tabletop screen while simultaneously
using a sports-betting application to make bets. The
tables also open up the possibility of betting in real
time during sports games, playing on RNG or live
wheels, while simultaneously viewing Youtube or
connecting with friends via social networks.
In addition to the development of its own
touchscreen gaming solution, SuzoHapp has seen
significant growth with OEM businesses across
Europe due to innovations from SuzoHapp and
strategic partner, Elo Touch Systems. Goran Sovilj,
Regional Sales Manager for SuzoHapp, explained:
“Elo Touch, famous for being the No.1 touch monitor
brand in the world, has developed several new
touch monitors that have become the standard in
the gaming industry. The next evolution is the -90
series, which is the result of the re-engineering of its
whole range of open-frames (which remain
backwards compatible), including all sizes with
projected capacitive and (flat) saw touch
technologies.
“One of the main advantages is that every size (per
touch technology) will have the same board, which
is a great plus for every OEM,” continued Mr. Sovilj.
“SuzoHapp is currently working with a host of
manufacturers, especially Eastern Europe, where
we see increased opportunities for lower cost
monitor solutions that are being assembled and
shipped from the Netherlands.”
Another success story for SuzoHapp is the reintroduction of the MFL Cascode bill validators to
OEMs, which is now owned by SuzoHapp as part of
the acquisition of the Bill-to-Bill and Currenza from
CPI. “It’s a high quality bill validator that has proven
to be a standard bearer in the industry for many
years now,” outlined Mr. Sovilj. “SuzoHapp also
manufactures custom-made products, such as the
new SH1950 Video Topper, LCD push buttons,
customised LCD button deck and much more. We
are convinced that in 2016 we will be able to build
on our strong growth and partnerships with OEMs
and operators.”
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G2E VEGAS 2015
Alfastreet’s Albert Radman at G2E
ALFASTREET REVEAL ALL THE TRAPPINGS OF SUCCESS
The popularity of Alfastreet’s Royal
Derby has caused a wonderful problem
for the manufacturer, a long waiting list
Alfastreet premiered its mechanical horse-racing
multi-player, Royal Derby, at G2E Las Vegas, most
likely causing itself untold production issues. The fact
is that even before its US debut, the Royal Derby order
book is sold through to April 2016, Alfastreet having
seen a 40 per cent increase in business in the last 12
months, with production across the entire product
portfolio fully accounted for until February 2016.
Alfastreet simply cannot keep up with orders placed
by customers for its latest range of products, which
also include the phenomenally successful R8 Roulette.
Arriving at G2E Las Vegas having most recently won a
competitive tender to supply a stadium-style multiplayer arena at the City of Dreams in Manila, Alfastreet
Sales Director, Albert Radman, believes that the US
market will take a different tack to Asia. “I don’t
believe that stadium gaming will work in the US
market,” underlined Mr. Radman. “As experts in
stadium gaming, Alfastreet having installed multiple
arenas in Asia, I can say that the trials we have
undertaken in the US show that smaller units, such as
the R8, outperform all other configurations.”
“Stadium gaming looks great, but the American market
is not looking for this style of play,” continued Mr.
Radman. “Players in the US prefer the R8 and R6 due
to the level of privacy and intimacy with the game. The
physicality of the 100+ terminal set-up strips away
that intimacy and is not popular with US players.”
PATIR DESIGN UNVEILS PLANS TO
OPEN AN OFFICE FOR US MARKET
Germany’s Patir Design is to open a new
office in the US to offer local service
showroom will be part of a new office scheduled to
be opened by the end of the year in Las Vegas.
The G2E Vegas show has been a great place for Patir
Design to meet with its international clientele,
though as an opportunity to break into the US
market, the trade show has provided excellent
contacts, but little in the way of commitment. A
recent announcement from Patir Design looks to
change all that.
“We are building upon our network of contacts we
have established in the US market and creating a
support structure dedicated to the US market,”
explained Süleyman Yilmaz, at the G2E Vegas
exhibition. “The first step is an office facility and
small showroom, before we progress to a warehouse
for parts and assembly. Patir Design supplies the
whole world except for the US market. We have
recently signed agreements for new projects in Chile,
Colombia, Uruguay and Suriname. We believe this is
an important step in completing the circle and adding
the US market to those currently enjoying the Patir
product line.”
The latest range from Germany’s Patir Design,
featured at the G2E show in a bronzed patterned,
hard-wearing, but luxuriously textured material, will
be included in a showroom to be opened in the US as
part of Patir’s push into the US market. The
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Alfastreet has installed stadium configurations in the
US, but has converted each to smaller island units as
US players have not warmed to the experience. In
Asia, the opposite is true, where players much prefer
the banks of terminals arranged in the stadium format.
“The Asian market is attracted to the hi-tech,” stated
Mr. Radman. “They want the mass market, socialcrowd style of gaming and prefer the massive set-ups
we have installed with the major casino groups. I
believe it is in their DNA to be involved in that form of
gaming and, just as at the City of Dreams in Manila,
that is the format we supply in Asia. My opinion in the
US, however, is that it is optimistic to believe that
stadium gaming is the next big thing for this market.
Players prefer to be closer to the wheel, they enjoy the
privacy, comfort and proximity to the game. I don’t see
this changing any time soon.”
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G2E VEGAS 2015
INSPIRED BRINGS IRON MIKE TO
G2E WITH LATEST RUSH BOXING
It was obvious before G2E Las Vegas
that Inspired has been shifting
emphasis, having been a machinecentric business in the past the thrust of
the business is currently much more
software focused.
It was obvious before G2E Las Vegas that Inspired
has been shifting emphasis, having been a machinecentric business in the past the thrust of the business
is currently much more balanced with a strong omni
- channel focus. The change was especially evident
at show, whereby Inspired placed its Virtual Sports
right at the forefront of its gaming offer.
Its new Virtual Sport Rush Boxing drew the crowds
at the Sands Expo, not just because of the
partnership with Mike Tyson, whose appearance at
the show blocked the aisles in all directions, but
because Virtual Sports showcased Inspired’s breadth
of omni-channel solutions, bringing American Rush
Indy Car Racing, Rush Basketball and its new Rush
Football 2 Matchday format to an already packed
roster of sports titles.
Its new Rush Boxing featuring ‘Iron Mike’ looked the
finished article, but was in fact an early demo that is
expected to go live around May 2016. As with each of
Inspired’s Virtual Sports titles, boxers including Mike
Tyson were motion-captured and mapped in 3D to
capture authentic motions and specific styles to add
to the ‘close to reality’ feel of Inspired’s Virtual
Sports.
“Mike Tyson is a great fit with our brand,”
commented Inspired’s Lucy Buckley at G2E. “When
you think of Mike Tyson you think of boxing and
Vegas, thanks to his profile in the film The Hangover.
Now that Virtual Sports has been legalised in
Nevada, we are very excited about the opportunity
to launch Rush Boxing, Rush Basketball and stock
car racing in the state”
In Vegas, Inspired was already looking to the next
show, EiG, and hotly anticipating the new Rush
Football 2 Matchday, a match day version of the
company’s hugely successful football title with
commentary that draws players into the game
unlike ever before. “Virtual Sports has been a gamechanger for us,” described Ms. Buckley. “Demand
has become amazing across all markets, showing
that Virtual Sports is not a filler or gimmick - it’s a
major gaming product and one that has become a
strategic focus for Inspired.”
In addition to Virtual Sports, Inspired has
concentrated heavily on social gaming, having
acquired social games developer, We R Interactive in
January 2015. We R Interactive’s title, I AM PLAYR, is
a social Facebook football game played by as many
as 20 million people worldwide. Its other title, We R
Football, is the only first-person football game on the
market and is quick, social and easy to play. Under
Inspired’s leadership, the games have developed into
native apps and are a natural fit with Inspired’s
Virtual Sports products, tying together real-money
and social gaming very neatly.
The shift in focus has not, however, meant that
Inspired is now a ‘software-only’ business, with high
quality machines proudly on display in Vegas.
However, the omni-channel nature of the offer is
ever present, with slot game, mobile and online
versions of hit title Centurion, demonstrating that
hardware is just one channel in a much broader
picture. “Centurion is currently live with William
Hill across online, mobile and machines,” outlined
Ms. Buckley, “and is still in the top three games with
William Hill, six months after launch. We have a
library of eight strong titles with operators such as
Coral and Bet365 and have around 25 new games in
the pipeline ready for rollout in 2016.”
Once the green light is lit in Greece, Inspired will be
rolling out its G2S compliant, “Core Connect”
platform inside its brand new Optimus and Blaze II
cabinets, with Greece being Inspired's second large
VLT market outside the United Kingdom. The booth
at G2E also included a demonstration of Inspired’s
UK server-based gaming product featuring the
successful Eclipse cabinet and a suite of 100+ pieces
of Slot and Casino game content, rapidly converging
with mobile and online platforms for the complete
omni-channel solution.
Things we learned in Vegas: Mr. Tyson does not
keep tigers in the backyard of his Vegas home, but
he is a keen pigeon-fancier and racer. Who knew?
TIME IS RIGHT FOR BGT AND VEGAS
Best Game Technology is building on its
foundations in the European self service
betting market to launch into the US
Best Gaming Technology (BGT) was making its debut
at G2E bringing its full range of white label, turnkey
sports betting solutions, including its Self Service
Betting Terminal, to Las Vegas for the first time.
Account Manager Scott Ferguson said: “Las Vegas is in
need of technology in sports betting and we feel that
we offer the best retail solution in the world. We
combine broadcast, data and pricing feeds from
BetRadar and Betgenius with race feeds from XBnet
and Racing Post across over 170,000 markets a week
covering more than 30 sports.” The BGT terminal
allows the online experience to be replicated in the
retail market with a dual screen allowing customers to
find what they want to bet on in the lower screen with
the upper screen showing live feeds, scores and results.
“We offer a high degree of customisation with room for
operator-generic information,” Mr. Ferguson added.
“We’ve had huge success with operators such as
Ladbrokes in the UK and Codere in Latin America.
Players love the interactive aspect of the terminal.
We’ve also worked with Scientific Games and
Novomatic and feel we’re now ready to bring our
technology to the US.”
BGT’s Scott Ferguson at G2E 2015
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G2E VEGAS 2015
KONAMI’S PERFECT ENSEMBLE PIECE
Konami Gaming orchestrated yet another virtuoso performance at G2E Las Vegas,
revealing the sweetly constructed Concerto to the delight of the G2E audience
The launch of Konami Gaming’s new Concerto cabinet
six years on from the introduction of its hugely popular
Podium, was the centrepiece attraction on a widely
varied stand that included G3’s favourite game of G2E
2015. While the Podium will exist in the short-term
alongside the Concerto, the evolution of the Podium’s
KP3 platform to the new KP3+, means that the added
processing power will drive next generation games,
with greater resolution, speed and memory, while
KP3+ also runs content from the existing KP3 library of
games.
The Concerto launched with its own roster of six KP3+
games that capitalise fully on the increased real-estate
that includes two 27ins. HD monitors, the biggest in
their class, and holographic lighting, designed to attract
(but not overwhelm) players. The Concerto’s dynamic
button panels have to be seen, and pressed, to be
believed. The first of its kind, a glass deck features real
polycarbonate button overlays that are physically
pressed like a regular button, while the screen beneath
changes the panel and buttons in relation to the events
taking place on the monitors.
“We have been beta-testing Concerto for 3-4 months
and we’ve had zero mechanical issues,” described
Konami Gaming’s Matt Reback at the G2E show. “The
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topper is also a 19ins. HD monitor that can interact
with the game or switch to attract mode when the
machine is idle. The entire cabinet is covered in a sleek
black finish, distinct from all the chrome on display at
the show, which is non-reflective, immune to fingerprints and is easy on the eye - letting the graphics pop
from the screens and the frame disappear into the
background.”
The Concerto’s dynamic button
panels have to be seen, and
pressed, to be believed. The first
of its kind, a glass deck features
real polycarbonate button
overlays that are physically
pressed like a regular button.
In addition to the latest KP3+ games, Konami also
demonstrated its bolt-on standalone KP3+
progressiveall of which benefiting from a beefed-up
sound system provided by the new Concerto cabinet.
“In addition to all the ergonomic elements and cutting-
edge technology, the design incorporates human
touches to make the new cabinet appealing and
welcoming to players,” explained Mr. Reback. “People
want, at the subconscious level, to interact with other
people, so we added human characteristics to the new
Concerto. If you look closely at the proportions and
features of the cabinet it resembles a welcoming
human face.”
A machine that features distinctly reptilian features is
Konami’s Frogger, a fabulous-looking reimagining of a
Konami’s 1981 arcade classic. Resplendent in vivid
green the cabinet leaps (sorry) out from any location
on the floor and while presently features an RNGbased bonus game, the title is ripe for a skill-based
gaming make-over in the future, as are the entire
collection of Konami video gaming titles. It was a
favourite of the G3 team in Vegas and complements
the currently hugely popular Crossy Road, which is
such a mega-hit on mobile.
Konami’s proven game content will also be available
across a multitude of potential online channels through
the launch of Konami’s remote gaming server (RGS)
with Spin Games. Konami announced its partnership
with Spin Games the week prior to the Vegas show, in
which Spin Games will to offer popular Konami video
slot games for online interactive distribution to social
and for-wager gambling environments. Both landbased and online casino gambling entities will have the
ability to provide Konami game content to all relevant
mobile devices, desktop platforms, and internet
browsers, through use of HTML5 technology.
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
Konami’s Matt Reback, Tashina Wortham and Jon Bartel
pictured with the new Concerto cabinet at G2E Las Vegas
“Primarily we are a content developer,” described Mr.
Reback. “We make great games, of which the cabinet
plays a huge part, but it’s really just the platform
vehicle for the success of the content. iGaming is
another channel through which we can distribute our
content. When you look at the available online
platform, the challenge is in electing the right one to
distribute your games; whether that’s Flash, HTML5 or
Unit. We’ve closely followed the shift towards mobile
and believe that HTML5 is the best approach to take for
our customers and casino operators.”
In addition to its collaboration with Spin Games,
Konami is also working with GAN, providing content
as part of GAN’s Simulated Gaming solution and
PlayStudios’s myVegas.com, a social casino
environment. The partnership with GAN, which began
in 2013, provides Konami content via GAN’s network to
a wide range of iGaming service providers that include
legal real money online wagering and simulated
gaming sites around the world. Konami started
“When you look at the available
online platform, the challenge is
in electing the right one to
distribute your games; whether
that’s Flash, HTML5 or Unit.
We’ve closely followed the shift
towards mobile and believe that
HTML5 is the best approach to
take for our customers and
casino operators.”
working with myVegas.com in 2014, bringing branded
Konami game content to players of myVegas on
Facebook.
“Land-based games content has proved to outperform
organic content on social gaming sites hands-down,”
stated Mr. Reback. “Social gaming provides a real
opportunity for premium land-based content to find
new players. When you play a game on myVegas.com,
players receive actual MGM and Station Casinos
rewards. We see from the affiliation that Konami titles
are performing better in brick-and-mortar locations as
a result. Social gaming has a symbiotic relationship
with land-based gaming, where we’ve seen the
rewards to be self-reinforcing.”
Using the GAN system Konami can integrate its online
offering into the Synkros casino management system.
If a player is online and has entered their loyalty
number, Synkros can track their play and send targeted
offers directly to the player’s mobile. Synkros can also
track the player on-site and offer incentives to play
later online, including promotions that refer the player
back to the land-based location. Synkros provides a
360 degree view of the player, wherever and
whenever they decide to play.
5 7
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
Theuns Jonck, DRGT Systems Manager Africa.
SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED
DRGT showed in Vegas that in the case
of touchscreen monitors, it’s not about
size, it’s what you do with it that counts
The latest micro-screen from systems experts, DRGT,
is a 3.2inch screen retrofitted easily onto any gaming
machine. The fully interactive gaming screen is
accessed via a player card, giving player statistics, fund
transfer options, points progress and call attendant
functionality, etc. “Everyone has been adding larger
and larger screens,” explains DRGT’s Theuns Jonck, at
the G2E Vegas show. “However, as player tracking
functionality moves to mobile devices, operators want
functionality on small, robust and fast touchscreen
devices, and this new screen is both cost sensitive and
features a very quick processor. You even have the
option of adding advertising and video play-back to
the screen.”
Also shown at G2E Vegas on the DRGT stand was the
proprietary table game, Perfect Elevens. Displayed
utilising the chip reading skills of drTable, chips are
read on a blackjack table whereby a progressive side
bet game offers a jackpot across either a wide area
network or localised play.
“We do not change the dynamics of blackjack,
explained DRGT’s Mr. Jonck. “And we don’t alter the
way the player bets, they simply try to get an ‘11’ with
the same cards they are dealt. We can vary the payout
according to the number of jackpot cards added to the
deck and can offer huge jackpots and mysteries too,
which makes this the first approved mystery WAP
table game on the market. We can even publish the
jackpot straight to the casino’s Twitter feed, so players
can check the progress of the jackpot directly on their
phones.”
GAN SIGNS UP FIRST MAJOR STRIP
NAME TO SIMULATED GAMING
GAN has completed an amazing year
stateside by signing up its first major Las
Vegas land-based casino client to
Simulated Gaming, its fifth deal with a
major commercial US casino operator
The deal, all but finalised at G2E but announced just
after the show, will see American Casino &
Entertainment (ACEP), owners of four Nevada casinos
including the Stratosphere, launch a Simulated
Gaming online experience for new customers and
existing patrons nationwide in the United States.
Dermot Smurfit, CEO of GAN commented: “Breaking
into the Las Vegas casino market has remained a
priority for GAN in 2015, supported by my own move
to Las Vegas earlier this year. We’re delighted to
partner with ACEP to bring their local casinos and the
major destination casino ‘Stratosphere’ online
nationwide in the United States. We believe Simulated
Gaming is the right opportunity for major land-based
Nevada casino operators seeking to extend their
business and patron relationship online and take
market share in the highly competitive Las Vegas
gaming market.”
Alec Driscoll, Director of Gaming Development at
ACEP added: “The team at GAN has demonstrated
their ability to execute swiftly to bring us online, the
power of their technical platform and the merits of
their Simulated Gaming model supported by Slot
Tournaments, a wide range of games and their
patented approach to driving increased visitation on5 8
Supported by 41 months’
operating data across three
major US casino’s
deployments, Simulated
Gaming is now proven to drive
increased visitation onproperty and in 2014 delivered
on average a 28 per cent uplift
Simulated Gaming has been proven to monetize
Internet traffic to existing websites operated by landbased US casinos with average revenue per daily
active user (ARPDAU) of $2.75 in 2014 and $2.82 in H1
2015, as against an original estimate of $0.60, greatly
exceeding equivalent numbers reported by Social
Casino operators on Facebook.
Dermot Smurfit, GAN CEO
property. ACEP will have the opportunity to launch
Simulated Gaming online this Winter, before year’s
end.”
Simulated Gaming is the innovative Internet gaming
service designed by GAN specifically for land-based
US casinos to launch in advance of prospective
regulation, offering a gaming-as-entertainment
consumer website and mobile Apps enabled with
unique monetization features such as real-time Slot
Tournaments and a compelling Internet gaming
content portfolio of over 200 casino slot, table and
skill-based games, including poker, backgammon, gin
rummy, poker dice and blackjack tournaments.
Launched in the US by GAN in January 2014,
Supported by 41 months’ operating data across three
major US casino’s deployments, Simulated Gaming is
now proven to drive increased visitation on-property
and in 2014 delivered on average a 28 per cent uplift in
on-property theoretical win from increased visitation
by existing patrons who also engage with Simulated
Gaming online.
US casino operators report up to 50 per cent of their
surveyed casino patrons are already engaged in
playing Social Casinos on Facebook. Simulated
Gaming enables land-based US casinos access to the
Social Casino market worth an estimated $1.3bn per
annum in the United States in 2015 and is proven to
increase property visitation among existing patrons,
reactivate lapsed patrons bringing them back onproperty and drive acquisition of new patrons from
outside the typical drive distance to the property.
Review
JCM Global President, Yojiro Kamihigashi, whose father founded the company
in 1955, addressed G2E visitors on the 60th anniversary of the business.
G2E VEGAS 2015
working with all the major groups on a series of onsite trials. “The operators are really pleased that JCM
is back in the South African market,” confirmed Ms.
Drews. “In the past few weeks we have received
orders from the market for a substantial number of
installations having exhibited on our own booth for
the first time at a non-gaming exhibition in March.
It’s been a really positive start to what we hope will
be the reclaiming of the market in South Africa for
JCM Global.”
PRIORITISING SPAIN HAS PAID
DIVIDENDS FOR JCM GLOBAL
JCM Global is experiencing something of a Spanish
Renaissance of late, with a series of major
announcements emanating from both the country’s
mainland and island casinos. The deals are
surprising for the fact that Spain is a market
renowned for its ‘frugal’ approach to gaming sector
investment and where price-sensitive purchases are
culturally ingrained.
operators are responding to the value proposition in
ever increasing numbers. “We put into place a
strategic regional focus on the Spanish market,”
explained JCM Global’s Michaela Drews at the G2E
show in Las Vegas. “We established a local team and
charged them with the responsibility of informing
operators as to the benefits of working with JCM and
specifically the iVIZION product. As a result of the
trials we conducted, the market has responded
positively, recognising the quality, reliability and
value of the product, while at the same time we have
earned the trust of operators at the local level.”
While JCM’s iVIZION bill validator is market leading,
it certainly isn’t the cheapest in the sector, and yet
It’s the same story in the South African gaming
market where JCM has installed a local team that’s
As JCM Global celebrated its 60th year at
G2E Las Vegas, concentrated focus in
key markets continues to drive growth
Celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary at the
G2E show in Las Vegas, it’s fitting that JCM Global is
resurgent in many important international markets
around the world, not least with the FutureLogic
range of products, having acquired the US-based
business in 2014. Ticket2Go is one of the products
that is currently at the forefront of JCM Global’s
product line-up, with the FutureLogic brand still part
of the proposition, but one that’s definitely fading
into the background as JCM integrates products such
as the GEN3 printer into the company’s ownbranded portfolio.
“Ticket2Go is a major focus for JCM in the UK
market where we are focusing on the Coin-op Show
in London where we will be making a major launch
announcement with a UK operator,” outlined Ms.
Drews. “The UK team, led by Jim Foster, has received
really positive feedback since the EAG exhibition in
January and it’s been great to integrate Ticket2Go
into the product family as part of an exciting
complementary range of payment solutions. We
focused on the UK market from the outset due to the
strong market demand, but we also have lots of
interest from the Spanish market too, where we’ll be
working with local operators to match our success
with iVIZION in the future.”
E-GAMING SCORE MAJOR STRIKES IN LATAM MARKETS
e-gaming’s expansion into Latin America continues
with news that the first containers of machines arrived
in Colombia several weeks before the Las Vegas show,
with installation of these units taking place during the
event. “Our Colombian agent was visiting G2E and
asked for more machines as he had just organised a
presentation of our equipment before visiting G2E,”
described Mr. Thewissen. “The agent met a large
number of Colombian operators in Las Vegas and got
very positive feedback. We are very excited to receive
our first results from this market.”
The Caribbean, Central and South America
are all markets currently enjoying the latest
games and terminals from e-gaming
Urbain Thewissen from VLT specialist, e-gaming, held
a series of successful meetings at G2E in Vegas with
agents and partners from South America. “G2E is the
ideal place to meet with all our South American
partners in one place,” explained Mr. Thewissen at the
Sands Convention Centre. “We held a series of very
constructive meetings with our partners and made key
decisions as to our mutual future plans.”
e-gaming recently reported excellent outcomes in
Mexico, wherein the company has machines installed
with several major casinos across the country. “We
have machines installed with an important operator in
several of their best locations,” stated Mr. Thewissen.
“On the back of this success we have additionally
signed with several other major operators in the
market. Our machines there have proven their ability
to perform strongly over the last couple of years and
are now finding their way to other casinos.”
Mr. Thewissen underlined the fact that G2E is the show
e-gaming prioritises to meet with clients from the
Caribbean and Latin America. “We held some
interesting meetings with potential customers from
other Latam countries and hopefully we will be able to
send the first test units in the next couple of months,”
concluded Mr. Thewissen.
5 9
Review
Jason Krause and Mike Sigona
G2E VEGAS 2015
Stunning statistics make up only half
the story with ELO as the touchscreen
specialist threw a curve into G2E’s mix
Every 57 seconds, ELO Touch Systems manufactures
sells and installs one of its touch screen products.
With statistics like that it’s no surprise to hear that
ELO has secured over 20 million touch screen
installs in more than 80 countries. Not surprising
either then that the casino industry has commanded
a healthy slice of those sales figures.
The Elo IntelliTouch Curve touchscreen solution was
launched at last year’s G2E with incredible results.
Delivering full HD resolution and clear glass optical
clarity using professional-grade components built
for continuous use in public environments, the Elo
curved touchscreen solution features SAW
technology or to give it its full name, patented
IntelliTouch and IntelliTouch Zero-Bezel surface
acoustic wave (SAW) touch technology.
Jason Krause, Product Manager said: “Our aim is to
help gaming manufacturers avoid integration
problems, enable touch on borders, create unique
shapes and curves, and incorporate company or
brand logos into their slot machine or gaming
terminal. IntelliTouch Pro projected capacitive
technology (PCAP) allows for horizontal counter,
furniture and tabletop integration for electronic
roulette. Elo surface capacitive (SCAP) touchscreens
ELO CAME, SAW AND CONQUERED
lower maintenance costs of gaming machines
already deployed by plugging directly into third
party touch controllers. One of our most recent
breakthroughs has been in the development of chip
flipping and dragging.”
Mike Sigona, Regional Sales Manager added: “The
pure-glass construction and SAW touch technology
delivers superior image clarity, resolution and light
transmission ideal for HD and 4K graphics. There
are no coatings, plastic films or moving parts to
scratch, wear out, or be damaged. The touchscreen
will continue to work even if it gets scratched. It has
been tested to handle 50 million touches in one
location without failure. It’s available with
transactional single-touch or interactive dual-touch
capabilities in 32-inch and 42-inch sizes. The stable,
drift-free operation of SAW touchscreen technology
provides an accurate touch response measured on
three axes using a finger, gloved hand, or passive
stylus. ELO’s sensitive touch response recognises
location and amount of pressure applied. It’s being
used by a lot of the slot companies out there on the
exhibition floor.”
ORTIZ GAMING DAZZLES IN LAND-BASED AND ONLINE
Ortiz Gaming separated its story into two
parts at the G2E in Vegas, with one stand
for land-based and another for online
Year after year, Ortiz Gaming makes the journey to the
Global Gaming Expo held in Las Vegas and each year
Ortiz Gaming stands out amongst the suppliers,
whether it be for its beautiful stand, amazing product
launch events, or the Spain-based company’s complete
re-imagining of the video bingo product. This year
Ortiz Gaming stepped into the spotlight yet again,
unveiling two booths with three times as many
products for a global market. In an industry which has
been riddled with uncertainty, downsizing, and
company identity crises, Ortiz Gaming’s presence
made the statement that they are a growing worldwide
presence and a company to be reckoned with.
Ortiz Gaming, one of the leading providers of video
bingo gaming products worldwide, unveiled a slew of
new games, cabinets, systems and platforms. With two
very different yet true to brand booths, Ortiz Gaming’s
mega booth, which hosted land-based products in one,
while the Ortiz Interactive booth displayed a wide
range of offerings from the interactive division.
6 0
Land-based products highlighted were international
favorites alongside new exciting titles, amongst others,
Rimba and Oasis Bingo, which allow players to play up
to 18 cards at once. New game themes such as Lottery,
Keno and Slots were also on display together with
community gaming systems and new cabinet styles to
suit the needs of any casino décor. Machines were laid
out to highlight various global markets, which featured
the adaptability of some of the games and their themes.
The Ortiz Interactive booth unleashed a completely
new concept designed to show operators how they can
integrate the game titles from Ortiz Gaming into nearly
any vertical. On display were three new product
segments, Bingotronic, a bingo hall solution, OrtiZone a
turnkey gaming area, and iContent, which makes the
ever-growing Ortiz Gaming library available on a wide
variety of platforms; including social, mobile, and
online gaming.
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
player acquisition for land-based casinos,
Greentube Pro integrates proven loyalty strategies
with the mass appeal of online and mobile play into
a custom-branded experience. The platform is fully
customisable, allowing land-based casinos to
choose from Novomatic’s vast library of respected
games as well as content from Greentube partners.
Players can experience the casino’s brand anywhere
they may be and on any internet-enabled device
they prefer.
GREENTUBE SIGNS SOCIAL DEAL
WITH FOXWOODS AT G2E 2015
Greentube completed G2E with a
groundbreaking deal with Foxwoods
Resort Casino, who will use Greentube
Pro, the turn-key private-label social
casino marketing platform, as its
exclusive social casino platform
As part of the Greentube Pro deal, Foxwoods will
also act as the exclusive partner for the product
taking it to the tribal and commercial casino markets
in North America.
Gabriel Cianchetto, President of Market
Development for Greentube in North America, said:
“This is very much a partnership rather than just a
distribution deal. Firstly we’re delighted to be
making our first big marquee signing in the States
with Foxwoods, where we will be replacing a
competitor’s product. Foxwoods will act as a
showcase site for the white label B2C social casino
platform that we’ve developed. We expect this to go
live in four to six months. Then Foxwoods will be
helping us roll-out the platform across North
America. We very much think that social and real
money online gaming can co-exist. A lot of people
thought that social gaming was just going to be
temporary as markets moved to real money, we see
it, however, as a huge marketing platform with the
ultimate aim being to drive custom back to the landbased casino sooner.”
Thomas Graf, CEO of Greentube, said: “Foxwoods’
leadership in the gaming industry makes them a
perfect home for Greentube Pro. We are proud of our
alliance with Foxwoods and the Mashantucket
Pequot Tribal Nation. We look forward to a longterm and mutually-beneficial relationship.”
Designed to enhance player retention and boost new
“We are impressed by the quality of the Greentube
Pro product line and are excited about working with
Greentube to realise this shared vision,” said Felix
Rappaport, President & CEO of Foxwoods Resort
Casino. “This relationship marks an important
transformation for the social gaming segment of our
business and we are confident that the fundamental
principles that make the Foxwoods brand so
distinctive will continue to evolve.”
Greentube Pro was designed to engage with players
away from the casino floor. By offering free-to-play
social casino games for computers, tablets and smart
phones, Greentube Pro enables players to earn
rewards including complimentary meals, hotel
stays, tickets to events and more.
The Greentube Pro platform is distinctive in several
ways. The Greentube Pro solution is specifically
designed to drive players into the land based casino
by tying play to specific offers, rewards and
promotional events. Greentube Pro offers more than
just casino games. It is a real social casino experience
complete with social engagement and gamifications.
Players only see the Client’s brand while playing,
ensuring a uniform brand experience.
GOLDEN RACE
SHOWING ITS
GOLDEN TOUCH
Golden Race was seeking to add its golden
touch to G2E Las Vegas with its GoldenBox all-in-one solution for new customers
looking to get started in the industry
Loaded with a suite of popular sports betting and
casino games including Greyhounds racing, Horse
Racing, 3D Football, Speedway Racing, Keno, Poker,
Mini Roulette and Live Lotto, Golden Race is constantly
bringing more and better games. The Golden-Box autoupdate feature allows the system to automatically
incorporate any new features and games as soon as
they are ready. Golden-Box’s back office enables
operators to configure key aspects in the games’
playback, allowing customers to play all events at the
same time or one after another. As well as supplying its
game content via terminals, Golden Race additionally
offers opportunities online.
Alongside its suite of 3D Virtual Sports, Golden Race
was showcasing the new Perfect 6 game, a bright,
visually attractive bingo game offering multiple types
of bets and bonuses.
6 1
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
MERKUR SHOWS ITS PROTOTYPE FOR THE FUTURE
The merkurstar cabinet was shown for first time to a global audience at G2E and is set
to play a significant role in the company’s future plans to expand its international reach
Merkur Gaming was showing a prototype of its
merkurstar cabinet for the first time to a global
audience at G2E, whereby merkurstar will play a
significant role in the company’s future plans to further
expand its presence in international casino markets.
This upright gaming machine stands out visually with
its elegant lines and striking light effects around two
24-inch glossy screens. merkurstar was designed and
developed with the player in mind and the result is
outstanding. The ergonomic assembly of the monitors
and the player controls deliver a relaxed gaming
experience. Merkur Gaming showed four new games
packages in Full HD, each with a total of 10 new game
titles, at the G2E show in Las Vegas, all of which are
compatible with the merkurstar, Avantgarde SLT and
the Evolution SL cabinets.
Charles Hiten, Chief Executive of Merkur Gaming
Americas, commented on the success of the
presentation: “G2E is the ideal platform for us to test
market reaction to our new merkurstar cabinet, as well
as an opportunity to strengthen existing business
contacts and introduce new friends to our great
product range. The keen interest, especially from Latin
American visitors, exceeded all of our expectations.
We are gratified to have received many positive
comments and the excitement around merkurstar was
fantastic, and I thank one and all for taking the time to
visit our booth.”
6 2
The Gauselmann subsidiary GeWeTe was also
represented on the Merkur Gaming stand, featuring its
highly successful change machine and payment
systems portfolio, presenting its Cash-Center, CashCenter-Compact and Maxi-Bill-Breaker amongst
others to the international trade show public.
Ideal change machine solutions include the CashCenter Compact with coin pay-out for three different
coin values and bill pay-out for four different
banknotes types. Furthermore, the Cash-CenterCompact offers a barcode scanner and thermal printer.
The Cash Center has great in-built change capacity –
up to 15,000 coins and 2,700 notes. Moving up a gear,
the Mega Cash-Recycler can store 25,000 coins and
8,000 notes.
“The keen interest, especially
from Latin America, exceeded
all of our expectations. We are
gratified to have received many
positive comments and the
excitement around merkurstar
was fantastic.”
Other highlights were the Avantgarde SLT with its LED
light boxes framing each of its two 27-inch high-gloss
widescreen displays, the Evolution SL and the
Highflyer with its ‘floating’ upper monitor and the
Vision Plus.
The Maxi-Bill-Breaker meanwhile offers a capacity of
up to 8,000 banknotes. It is very secure – made of
3mm sheet steel housing with a 5-point locking on
front door. The card reader offers different use / service
levels (player, technician, supervisor) and the printer
has an automatic cutter to provide account receipts
and statistics print-outs.
Aristidis Tsikouras, Managing Director of GeWeTe,
said: “We have been developing and making change
machines, payment terminals and bill beakers for over
twenty years. GeWeTe has sold over 60,000 change
machines worldwide. We are proud to be here at the
G2E Las Vegas to support the global casino industry for
all its change giving requirements – bills, tickets, cards
and coins.”
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
Maricela Maciel, GPI’s Executive Director of Global Marketing
GPI SMART RFID IS FAST, SMART AND COST-EFFECTIVE
Gaming Partners International has been
asking its customer to get Smart when it
comes to RFID, with San Manuel Indian
Bingo & Casino in California becoming
the first to sign up to this new technology
“We’re delighted with the order for Smart RFID from
San Manuel who was impressed with the faster,
smarter, cheaper technology used with Smart as well
as the more compact readers,” described Maricela
Maciel, GPI’s Executive Director of Global Marketing,
about the latest RFID deal. “When used with GPI’s Chip
Inventory System (CIS) software, Smart delivers a
complete currency tracking and authentication
solution. Opening and closing tables is much quicker.
We offer all the necessary components from Smart
RFID currency, both antennas and readers, which
means we’re in control of every aspect. We developed
the Smart range having listened to what the operator
wanted. It reads 400 chips per second with the
compact reader size easier to install in croded
locations.””
GPI was showing its Paulson, Bud Jones and B&G
currency product lines at G2E, including 3-in-1 UV and
SecuriFilm. 3-in-1 UV is a security taggant that remains
invisible under standard UV wavelengths, but revealed
with a special device. Because it can be added to plastic
injection-moulded chip materials, it is easy to validate
chips when placed in stacks or racks. SecuriFilm is
used on a chip’s decal and features a semi-transparent
hologram-like effect.
“We’re delighted with the order
for Smart RFID from San
Manuel who was impressed
with the faster, smarter,
cheaper technology used with
Smart as well as the more
compact readers.”
Ms. Maciel added: “We’re introducing our Paulson
Premium chip at this show, which combines our
traditional Paulson chip with the same décor materials
used in our high-end European-style plaques and
jetons. A specially selected and complementary ring of
décor is added to the outer chip ring. The result is a
unique piece of currency that is both aesthetically
pleasing and difficult to counterfeit. It still feels like a
Paulson chip, but has the added extras of a plaque.”
“Under our B&G brand, the new V-Series chips have
been made using an innovative, exclusive and highly
durable injection material formula,” she added. “This
chip was developed for Asian casinos where pit bosses
need to differentiate between cash and non-cash
chips. With the large amount of handling of casino
currency by dealers and players alike, we have also
included ChipShield, an anti-fungal that helps keep the
gaming chips cleaner for longer for a more sanitary
chip surface. Our V-Series chips were designed to offer
a whole new range of versatile edge spot patterns that
can be created with a choice between two different
size decals. For customers who order the V-Series with
four or more colour shots, the chips come standard
with an infra-red security feature exclusive to GPI.
With our Gemaco playing card range, table layouts and
chips, plaques and chip cleaning solutions, we’re trying
to offer our customers a complete package.”
The exhibition also saw GPI hosting its Hot Poker Spot
tournaments. “GPI’s Hot Poker Spot puts a new spin on
Texas Hold ‘Em poker with a side bet, allowing players
to win even if they didn’t win the pot. It also provides a
second revenue stream for casino operators.”
6 3
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
IGT’s Joe Moore and
Michelle Schenk
IGT’s Mike Brennan at G2E
WHEEL OF FORTUNE DOUBLE DIAMOND 3D BRINGING
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS TO CASINO CUSTOMERS
Never has one product better
exemplified the benefits of a merger
than IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Double
Diamond 3D game. Released at this
year’s G2E, it’s sure to be one of the slot
stars of the coming year.
Combining the legacies of two gaming giants, it brings
the True 3D technology developed on the GTECH side,
Spielo and Atronic before that, together with the most
successful slot brand of all time; Wheel of Fortune,
from the IGT side.
IGT claims it represents the most realistic, glasses-free
3D ever utilised in the gaming industry and it’s easy to
see why.
An in-game photo booth
feature takes a snap of the
player’s face and superimposes
it on one of the reporters
covering all manner of scandals
involving celebrities such as
Lindsay Lohan.
“Players can even adjust the level of 3D to their own
preference,” Joe Moore, Product Manager for IGT
explained. Housed on the AXXIS 3D/39 cabinet, the
True 3D technology depicts a classic stepper game,
utilising iconic Double Diamond symbols with a fourth
reel transforming into a bonus reel with 3D cascading
coins.
“There’s also a bonus wheel on a 39-inch top LCD
monitor with full HD resolution and a Puzzle Bonus
6 4
taking the player to a 3D touch version of the wellknown Wheel Of Fortune game from the TV game
show,” Moore added. “It also boasts the first 3D widearea progressive in the United States.”
celebrities such as David Hasselhoff and Lindsey
Lohan. Housed in the CrystalCore 42” cabinet, it also
uses voice-overs by the show’s executive producer
Harvey Levin.
IGT was also adding several new titles to the
Company’s legendary Wheel of Fortune slots portfolio.
The Wheel of Fortune Gold Spins Double Diamond
game debuted on IGT’s new hardware solution, the
CrystalWheel Stepper cabinet. The CrystalWheel
Stepper cabinet melds the mechanical reels from IGT’s
S3000 cabinet with the pristine video presentation of
IGT’s CrystalCore cabinet, and is topped with an iconic,
physical Wheel of Fortune wheel. IGT will also
introduce Wheel of Fortune New Orleans slots. Housed
on the CrystalWheel cabinet, this Mardi Gras-inspired
game theme transports players to the Big Easy as they
vie for the game’s five progressive jackpots.
“It’s very much bringing tabloid TV to the slot floor,”
Moore explained. “We think it will appeal to a younger
demographic and bring a lot of fun to the floor.”
The True 3D technology meanwhile was also being
used on Cash Fever 3D, Plants vs. Zombies 3D Ancient
Egypt, Reef of Riches 3D and Return of the Sphinx 3D
but it wasn’t the only breakthrough technology on the
stand.
The TRUE 3D title, Reef of Riches 3D “features
Dynamic Tracking, which interacts with the passing
customer, telling them for example to take a seat, and
distinguishing them from a player who has already sat
down to play. It analyses the movement of the player’s
head to engage in the most appropriate way to attract
players and encourage play,” added Moore.
IGT was heralding another industry first with some
innovative technology on its slot ode to US
entertainment news source, TMZ. In TMZ Video Slots,
an in-game photo booth feature takes a snap of the
player’s face and superimposes it on one of the
reporters covering all manner of scandals involving
With the popularity of the recent return to the film
franchise, IGT was also launching a new version of
Jurassic Park video slots, featuring a T-Rex chase
bonus whereby players escape the advancing dinosaur
by matching symbols as the T-Rex chases the player.
“Jurassic Park will be another really powerful game in
2016,” Moore added. “The game boasts superb highdefinition video and reels that swell by up to 10 rows
high for free spins. The surround sound chair really
adds to the excitement.”
IGT was inviting fans of NetFlix to enjoy the launch of
two slots games inspired by Orange Is the New Black
Slots, developed in conjunction with Lionsgate. On the
first day of G2E, IGT also launched Orange Is the New
Black on the Company’s social casino, DoubleDown
Casino.
“We’re launching the two slot games simultaneously
with the debut of the themes on IGT's social gaming
mobile and desktop website, DoubleDown Casino.
This marks the first time we’ve launched a marquee
licensed brand on DoubleDown Casino at the same
time we’ve introduced the land-based casino version
of the game,” Moore explained.
IGT Senior Vice President and DoubleDown Casino
General Manager Joe Sigrist added: “Each of the games
captures the essence of this blockbuster series in
unique ways that fans will appreciate, and the launch
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
of the DoubleDown Casino social version is designed
to reach the massive fan base that watches the show
on desktop and mobile devices."
The IGT Orange Is the New Black Video Slots for
casinos will offer two captivating game themes on
the Company's Center Stage Duo cabinet. Each game
can award one of three multi-level progressive
awards displayed on the impressive 55" top screen.
The Orange game features completely new math in a
4X5 reel configuration and the Black game displays
a 3X5 reel in a 30 payline game.
There are four character-driven bonus rounds,
including Crazy Eyes' Wild Feature, Alex's More
Symbols Feature, Mendoza's Double Game Feature,
and Piper's All Features! showcase bonus, which
combines all characters' bonus rounds together for
big player rewards.
The Netflix-inspiration was also evident in slot
versions of House of Cards video slots. Breaking Bad
video slots rounded out IGT’s portfolio of neverbefore-seen licensed themes for the show.
IGT also gave a debut to SyncSation, a unique tool
that enables operators to deploy choreographed light
and sounds shows across multiple cabinets
including the S3000, and CrystalDual hardware.
With the addition of SyncSation operators can create
attention-grabbing light and sound spectacles on
their casino floors, ranging from mild to sensational.
Video poker got a tournament makeover with the
introduction of Ultimate X Poker Tournament Game.
Fuelled by Tournament Manager 4.0, Ultimate X
Poker Tournament Game enables operators to host
spirited tournament games on the most successful
video poker title of the last decade.
Spin Ferno meanwhile represents the world’s first
automated tournament technology system for a
spinning reel cabinet. Fuelled by IGT’s Tournament
Manager 5.0, the Spin Ferno product enables
operators to host single or multi-site slot
tournaments on the S3000 cabinet. IGT also
introduced an array of new titles for the S3000
cabinet including Mucho Dinero, the all-new Hot Hit
Game Series and many more.
ADVANTECH-INNOCORE BUOYED
BY HAT-TRICK OF DPX RELEASES
Advantech-Innocore used G2E as the
launch pad for three new platforms from
its DPX Series plus mini-ITX, COM
Express, industrial touch monitors, flash
storage and graphics cards. All around
the theme of ‘Gaming Intelligence’
Advantech-Innocore’s releases included the DPXE135 and DPX-E250 being unveiled in the E Series
range with the DPX-S440 in the S Series range.
Koen Stomph, Senior Key Account Manager and
Channel Manager at Advantech Europe, said:
“We’re really excited about these new releases.
They are in fact the 3rd generation of AMD’s
G Series embedded platform. The DPX-E135
provides a complete PC platform with passive
cooling and the system uses AMD’s latest high
performance dual and quad core SOC devices with
“Discrete-level Graphics” from the integrated
HD8000 series graphics core. A full feature set of
I/O and COMs designed specifically for gaming
devices is also included, making the DPX-E135 an
ideal integrated platform for many gaming,
amusement and kiosk applications. The DPX-S440
is another new motherboard for the gaming
industry. It features the very latest AMD top-end R
Series embedded platform. It provides massive
scalability and future upgradeability. The DPXE250, meanwhile is a Xeon capable motherboard
for the gaming and lottery industry. It features the
very latest 4th Generation Intel Core architecture
CPUs up to and including Intel Xeon CPUs. Best in
class CPU performance – the DPX-E250 supports a
huge range of price and performance from dual core
Celeron, through Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and up to
Xeon CPUs. The latest Intel embedded platform
ensures customers a long lived, guaranteed five
years in production, and future proof platform ready
for whatever performance needs come along.”
Also on show was a range of industrial
motherboards and modules in a variety of formats
including Mini-ITX, Q7, COM Express and MicroATX
along with Advantech’s growing line of industrial
LCD monitor products from ADS (Advantech
Display Systems). With screen sizes available from
7seven inches up to 55 inches and beyond, the ADS
range includes the latest technology products for
high visibility, touch screen, sunlight view ability
and ruggedisation.
Craig Stapleton Advantech’s Product Director, said:
“Our range of software solutions add further
intelligence with functions such as media
validation, SAS networking, security and
diagnostics. Finally for customers requiring customdesigned products we can add intelligence in the
form of custom FPGA and additional microcontrollers with custom firmware for sophisticated
security, control and supervisory functions.”
6 5
Review
Jason Krause and Mike Sigona
G2E VEGAS 2015
Stunning statistics make up only half
the story with ELO as the touchscreen
specialist threw a curve into G2E’s mix
Every 57 seconds, ELO Touch Systems manufactures
sells and installs one of its touch screen products.
With statistics like that it’s no surprise to hear that
ELO has secured over 20m touch screen installs in
more than 80 countries. Not surprising either then
that the casino industry has commanded a healthy
slice of those sales figures.
The Elo IntelliTouch Curve touchscreen solution was
launched at last year’s G2E with incredible results.
Delivering full HD resolution and clear glass optical
clarity using professional-grade components built
for continuous use in public environments, the Elo
curved touchscreen solution features SAW
technology or to give it its full name, patented
IntelliTouch and IntelliTouch Zero-Bezel surface
acoustic wave (SAW) touch technology.
Jason Krause, Product Manager said: “Our aim is to
help gaming manufacturers avoid integration
problems, enable touch on borders, create unique
shapes and curves, and incorporate company or
brand logos into thei slot machine or gaming
terminal. IntelliTouch Pro projected capacitive
technology (PCAP) allows for horizontal counter,
ELO CAME, SAW AND CONQUERED
furniture and tabletop integration for electronic
roulette. Elo surface capacitive (SCAP) touchscreens
lower maintenance costs of gaming machines
already deployed by plugging directly into third
party touch controllers. One of our most recent
breakthroughs has been in the development of chip
flipping and dragging.”
Mike Sigona, Regional Sales Manager added: “The
pure-glass construction and SAW touch technology
delivers superior image clarity, resolution and light
transmission ideal for HD and 4K graphics. There
are no coatings, plastic films or moving parts to
scratch, wear out, or be damaged. The touchscreen
will continue to work even if it gets scratched. It has
been tested to handle 50 million touches in one
location without failure. It’s available with
transactional single-touch or interactive dual-touch
capabilities in 32-inch and 42-inch sizes. The stable,
driftfree operation of SAW touchscreen technology
provides an accurate touch response measured on
three axes using a finger, gloved hand, or passive
stylus. ELO’s sensitive touch response recognizes
location and amount of pressure applied. It’s being
used by a lot of the slot companies out there on the
exhibition floor.”
QUIXANT MONITORS PROGRESS ACROSS US MARKETS
Quixant has been making a significant
impact with its combined range of gaming
boards and monitors for US OEMs
“We’ve been offering gaming specific monitors for
several years now, but what’s new for Quixant is that
we’re now shipping in volume for a major
manufacturer. It’s become an important part of the
business,” described Quixant’s Jon Jayal at the G2E
gaming show in Las Vegas. “We are offering OEMs
several new packages, with bundles comprised of
computer boards and gaming specific monitors with
the benefits of combining the two together. We have
applied the same skills and disciplines from the
computer board sector to gaming monitors,” explained
Mr. Jayal. “Last year we invested in a new US office and
took the decision to invest in a much larger two-tier
stand at the G2E show.
“Our strategy has always been to invest heavily in the
design and development of our products, both in terms
of hardware and software. This, together with having
our own manufacturing in Taiwan, is a key factor in
our success. Our product does exactly what it says on
the tin and the market knows that.”
6 6
The Quixant team at G2E 2015
Quixant’s focus on the gaming industry has enabled
the company to deliver a range of standard products
that meet the complex needs of its customers. Couple
that with an excellent track record for engineering
support and unrivalled reliability and flexibility and
Quixant is the ideal partner for casino operators and
OEMs.
“As well as confidence in our products Quixant also
has a commercial model that fits well with the needs of
the market. A policy of holding stock of our product
range reduces lead times and enhances our ability to
react to unexpected orders, with NO minimum order
quantities,” concluded Mr. Jayal of the growing range of
products offered by Quixant.
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
Greentube’s Gabriel Cianchetto with BlueBat CEO Kenny Huang
GREENTUBE SIGNS SOCIAL DEAL
WITH FOXWOODS AT G2E 2015
Greentube completed G2E with a
groundbreaking deal with Foxwoods
Resort Casino, who will use Greentube
Pro, the turn-key private-label social
casino marketing platform as its
exclusive social casino platform.
As part of the deal, Foxwoods will also act as the
exclusive partner for the product taking it to the
tribal and commercial casino markets in North
America.
Gabriel Cianchetto, President of Market
Development for Greentube in North America, said:
“This is very much a partnership rather than just a
distribution deal. Firstly we’re delighted to be
making our first big marquee signing in the States
with Foxwoods, where we will be replacing a
competitor’s product. Foxwoods will act as a
showcase site for the white label BtoC social casino
platform that we’ve developed. We expect this to go
live in four to six months. Then Foxwoods will be
helping us roll-out the platform across North
America. We very much think that social and real
money online gaming can co-exist. A lot of people
thought that social gaming was just going to be
temporary as markets moved to real money, we see
it however as a huge marketing platform with the
ultimate aim being to drive custom back to the landbased casino sooner.”
Thomas Graf, CEO of Greentube, said: “Foxwoods’
leadership in the gaming industry makes them a
perfect home for Greentube Pro. We are proud of our
alliance with Foxwoods and the Mashantucket
Pequot Tribal Nation. We look forward to a longterm and mutually-beneficial relationship.”
Designed to enhance player retention and boost new
player acquisition for land-based casinos,
Greentube Pro integrates proven loyalty strategies
with the mass appeal of online and mobile play into
a custom branded experience. The platform is fully
customisable, allowing land-based casinos to
choose from Novomatic’s vast library of respected
games as well as content from Greentube partners.
Players can experience the casino’s brand anywhere
they may be and on any internet-enabled device
they prefer.
“We are impressed by the quality of the Greentube
Pro product line and are excited about working with
Greentube to realise this shared vision,” said Felix
Rappaport, President & CEO of Foxwoods Resort
Casino. “This relationship marks an important
transformation for the social gaming segment of our
business and we are confident that the fundamental
principles that make the Foxwoods brand so
distinctive will continue to evolve.”
Greentube Pro was designed to engage with players
away from the casino floor. By offering free- to-play
social casino games for computers, tablets and smart
phones, Greentube Pro enables players to earn
rewards including complimentary meals, hotel
stays, tickets to events and more.
The Greentube Pro platform is distinctive in several
ways. The Greentube Pro solution is specifically
designed to drive players into the land based casino
by tying play to specific offers, rewards and
promotional events. Greentube Pro offers more than
just casino games. It is a real social casino experience
complete with social engagement and gamifications.
Players only see the Client’s brand while playing,
ensuring a uniform brand experience.
GOLDEN RACE
SHOWING ITS
GOLDEN TOUCH
Golden Race was hoping add its golden
touch to G2e Las Vegas with its GoldenBox all-in-one solution for new customers
looking to get started in the industry
Loaded with a suite of popular sports betting and
casino games including Greyhounds racing, Horse
Racing, 3D Football, Speedway Racing, Keno, Poker,
Mini Roulette and Live Lotto, Golden Race is constantly
bringing more and better games. The Golden-Box autoupdate feature allows the system to automatically
incorporate any new features and games as soon as
they are ready. Golden-Box back office access
operators to configure key aspects in the games
The Golden Race team at G2E
playback, allowing customers to play all events at the
same time or one after another. As well as supplying its
game content via terminals, Golden Race offers
opportunities online.
Alongside its suite of 3D Virtual Sports, Golden Race
was showcasing the new Perfect 6 game, a bright,
visually attractive bingo game offering multiple types
of bets and bonuses.
6 7
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
EGT’s Radostina Ganeva
EGT BUILDS ON THE FERTILE SLOT SOILS OF FLORIDA
It’s been a huge year of North American growth which has seen the slots of Bulgarian
company Euro Games Technology installed in almost every casino in Florida state
Installs of EGT’s Egypt Quest jackpot system; a
customised solution for the US, which offers a novel
type of bonus and jackpot features, have flown into
Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, Magic City Casino,
Mardi Gras Casino and the Seminole Coconut Creek
Casino, all located in Florida. With installs set to follow
in Valley View Casino in California, the Hard Rock
Rocksino Northfield Park in Ohio, the Margaretville
Resort Casino in Louisiana, the Gold Strike Casino
Resort in Mississippi and several casinos in Puerto
Rico, EGT’s distribution deal with Reel Games is
certainly paying off Stateside and beyond.
The objective for 2016 is even more ambitious with the
plan being to penetrate the major jurisdictions in North
America. The driving force behind this push will be the
newly created multigame mixes for the USA – the
Premier Green and the Premier Red, each including six
carefully selected games. They will soon be installed at
Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park and the Calder
Casino in Florida with more three mixes from the same
series – Premier Blue, Premier Orange and Premier
Purple, to follow.
The Premier Red and Premier Green mixes were
generating plenty of interest at G2E. Sean Smith,
President of Reel Games, the partner of EGT for North
America, said: “They got the approval of every visitor
6 8
“The intriguing design, proven
mathematical models and
various themes are their major
advantages and key selling
points. Moreover, they
complement perfectly our slot
cabinets.”
jackpot model is also on the verge of going into
Panama.
Nadia Popova, Director of EGT Panama, added: “Egypt
Quest and P-24/24 Up have already given us
phenomenal sales results in many regional markets in
a short space of time. At G2E my team expanded our
contacts with operators from Latin America, Mexico,
Paraguay, Uruguay, Curacao, Jamaica, Aruba, etc. and
the interest in these two products is getting stronger
and stronger. We are also in the final launch stages of
our Diamond Life jackpot system in St. Martin. For the
P-24/24 St Slim slot cabinet we have contracted many
future installations too.”
we have spoken to during G2E. So I expect them to
become a great hit on the market and am eager to
provide them to more and more casinos in the US.
This year EGT had a high number of visitors also from
Europe, many of whom were viewing EGT’s Luxury
series of touch table roulettes.
“The intriguing design, proven mathematical models
and various themes are their major advantages and
key selling points. Moreover, they complement
perfectly our already recognised slot cabinets, so it is
just a matter of time to convince the clients in their
merits,” said Mr. Smith.
Stanislav Stanev, Sales and Marketing Director of EGT,
said: “This year’s G2E exhibition went beyond our
expectations. Its post-event effect will be considerable.
We are progressing further in Central, South and North
America, so the name of EGT and its brands, especially
Premier and Egypt Quest, are no longer unknown to
the local operators and players. All our guests during
the show acknowledged the high quality,
contemporary design and competitive prices of our
product solutions and this feedback gives to me and to
my international team the confidence in our future
success in the region.”
During the exhibition EGT carried out another
installation of its highly successful Egypt Quest jackpot
system, this time in Louisiana at Margaritaville Casino.
It was followed by numerous inquiries about the
product from many new potential customers. The
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
CASINO TECHNOLOGY AND ALTO DRIVE A HOT ROD
Casino Technology has of course already achieved
notable success with such ‘out of the box’ concepts
with its Play Me Grand Piano blazing a trial in markets
with its embedded auto-roulette and slot screens
situated around a real piano. Meanwhile further
innovation was on show in the form of the new Arch
cabinet, demonstrated with Casino Technology’s new
slot title, Treasure Journey, with its unique math
models, game features and adventurous themes.
Casino Technology has teamed up with
North American partner Alto Gaming to
launch a Hot Rod range of slots dedicated
to classic American cars, bringing the
deep rumble of power, the nostalgic
passion of rodding, and the irresistible
mix of speed and wins to casino floors
The suite of games carrying the Hot Rod brand feature
unique game design characteristics, but it is the
packaging that saw this project stand out from the G2E
exhibition floor with the cabinet being a sit down,
shrunken version of a vintage hot rod car.
The Hot Rod slot machine features Casino
Technology’s Arch technology with a full HD
resolution, 42" curved, gaming customised display.
Alexander Gornakov, Founder and CEO of Alto Gaming,
said: “Being a loyal Hot Rod fan since my childhood
and dreaming of driving such an exclusive vehicle, just
like millions of adrenaline seekers, the idea was born
to turn a boy's dream into an innovative gaming
experience, bestowed with the premium play
performance expected by our clients .The Hot Rod slot
machine has translated Alto Gaming's brand message,
“Altering Gaming” to the best possible extent,
employing cutting-edge technology and authentic
game concepts with bespoke designs for contemporary
customers.”
Tyler Schulze, SVP of TEN Enterprises, owners of the
Hot Rod brand, added: “We are very excited to see the
Elsewhere the multi-game series Gamopolis, with its
recent releases Highway and Multiskin, has proved
extremely popular for Casino Technology in Latin
America. The road-map of the newest Speedway
versions contain 40 unique games and a progressive.
Elena Shaterova with Arch
Hot Rod brand extended to this unique category. Alto
Gaming is a leader in the gaming technology industry,
and immediately recognised the outstanding
opportunity to leverage long-standing consumer
affinity for the Hot Rod brand into gaming experiences
that feature both the vehicles and the lifestyle
surrounding this enthusiast passion.”
Roy Student, President of Alto Gaming, said: "The
passion for hot rodding brings together people of all
generations. We are pleased to have the opportunity to
partner with a globally recognised brand like Hot Rod,
as it is a household name that everyone is familiar
with. Everyone knows exactly what a hot rod is and
why it’s exciting.”
One of many games expected to do well is Wild
Sunrise, focusing on the adventurous Wild West and
the wilderness of endless prairie where anything can
happen after sunset. This classic American story has
been specially developed for the American market
after extensive observations of the local preferences.
Casino Technology’s Elena Shaterova said:
“Empowered by a system library and improved
reactions, we’ve seen a 50 per cent increase both for
the game play speed and customer satisfaction. The
new platform adopted in the Gampolis Speedway
series is also driven by operator demand for greater ingame interaction and higher slot machine efficiency
(per unit of time spent on device). The Latin Americans
really like our multi-games and we’ve made progress
in the locals market in North America. We expect to be
in four or five locations by the end of the year.”
6 9
Review
Wendy Anderson and Martin Storm at G2E
G2E VEGAS 2015
BMM Testlabs was at G2e Las Vegas
celebrating a huge deal to create 1,000
full-time jobs during the next five years
in the Greater Moncton area of Canada
Martin Storm, President and CEO of BMM Testlabs,
told us: “This really is a huge milestone for BMM. We
look forward to building on our already substantial
business in Greater Moncton, as we consider the city
an ideal location to grow our Canadian presence.
BMM Testlabs is honoured to work closely with New
Brunswick in this important initiative. The deal is a
game changer for the gaming industry and in many
ways the beginning of the future. We’ve spent 12
years getting to this point in North America. We’ve
moved carefully, but persistently and having got to
this stage we know exactly what we have to
deliver.”
The 1,000 jobs that will be created include quality
assurance testers, engineers, computer scientists,
business development managers and project
AMD or Advanced Micro Devices, is a
name that won’t be too familiar with
casino operators, although its work will
undoubtedly be on your slot floor
BMM BREAKTHROUGH IN CANADA
managers. The investment by the provincial
government will contribute an estimated $75m
annually to New Brunswick’s gross domestic
product once all positions have been filled.
Moncton Premier Brian Gallant added: “This is a
historic announcement in terms of the numbers of
jobs being created by the private sector in
partnership with the New Brunswick government.
We are proud to partner with BMM Testlabs in
creating 1,000 new good-paying jobs for the
province. This is a game-changer for the province as
we work to create more jobs for New Brunswickers
in priority sectors, such as information technology.”
AMD’s Chris Mikeshall with Kamal Khouri and Becky Ellzey
AMD is at the forefront of some of the market-leading
3D graphics being used by the industry’s biggest
players as well as video on multiple large displays,
leading-edge HD video and immersive multimedia.
New out at G2E were multiple discrete AMD
Embedded Radeon graphics options suitable for
multiple form factors. The suite of products is
specifically designed to advance the visual and parallel
processing capabilities of embedded applications. The
graphics cards represent AMD’s commitment to
embedded market innovation, providing engineers
with more choices to achieve their design goals, from
leading performance to energy efficiency.
The new offerings cover a broad range of needs, from
192 GFLOPS to 3 TFLOPS of single precision
performance, and from 20 to less than 95 watts of
thermal design power. The products are offered as a
Multi-Chip Module (MCM), Mobile PCI ExpressModule
(MXM) and PCIe options, with AMD offering the only
MCM solutions. All of these products offer extended
support and longevity. The new discrete graphics cards
offer the right balance of performance, power and
graphics memory size, to meet the needs of most
customers.
“The demand for rich, vibrant graphics in embedded
systems is greater than ever before, and that demand is
growing,” said Scott Aylor, corporate vice president and
7 0
AMD ADDING A NEW DIMENSION
general manager, AMD Embedded Solutions. “Our
latest additions to the embedded product lineup help
designers build mesmerising user experiences with 4K
multi-screen installations and 3-D and interactive
displays. In addition, the powerful capabilities of our
GPUs can address the toughest parallel computing
challenges.”
The graphics cards span three levels of performance
within the embedded market: UltraHighPerformance,
High Performance and Power Efficient.
The new AMD Embedded Radeon E8950MXM Module
is an incredibly powerful discrete GPU that is wellsuited for GPGPU computing and built for 4K
applications with support for 4K decode, 4K encode,
and up to six 4K displays. This product is ideal for highend casino and arcade gaming machines.
Amatic’s Thomas Engstberger with INAG’s Mark Jones
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
game in the world and our new electronic table
game, Turbo Card Roulette, should do the same.”
Thomas Engstberger, Amatic’s Sales Manager, said:
“INAG is enjoying increasing success with its cardbased roulette. The Amatic team is proud to be
providing the terminals and system to link all the
technology together, so that INAG can provide a
multiplayer solution.”
AMATIC INDUSTRIES FEELING
THE TERMINAL SUCCESS OF INAG
Amatic was exhibiting on the stand of
INAG, a company who it supplies
terminals to for INAG’s innovative range
of card-based roulette products
INAG’s range of games includes Turbo Card Roulette,
Mystery Card Poker, Poker or Bust, Knock out
Baccarat and Suit 2 Kill.
Company Owner Mark Jones said: “The company
started as a means to circumnavigate the ban on
roulette games in California. We developed a card-
based alternative which has proved hugely popular
in California with over 60 tables installed. Besides
holding the patent on the number one card-based
roulette style game in the world, INAG has joined
with several major gaming companies collaborate
upon intellectual property to present some really
unique games. We’ve also been been awarded the
title “ World’s Greatest Card-Based Gaming
Company” by World’s Greatest as seen on `US TV.
Becoming No.1 is our goal with every product we
patent. Mystery Card Roulette is the number one
card based roulette game in the world. Mystery Card
Bonanza is the number one card based Big Six style
Amatic was also showing the Performer Grand Arc
with a three-screened version demonstrating the
purposely-chosen curved design the best.
Mr. Engstberger added: “The Amatic stand was very
busy throughout the three days of the show. Visitors
often complimented the design of the PGA3. It is the
company’s aim and focus to offer a gaming cabinet
that really appeals to the eye and the feedback
received at the G2E confirmed that the Amatic team
has been successful here. All games are designed inhouse. In this day and age where large gaming
companies are merging to create giants, customers
appreciate AMATIC even more as a medium-sized,
family-run company that has remained true to its
roots for over two decades. The G2E was a great
show. In particular many visitors from Latin
America came to the Amatic stand and this
continent for sure represents a growth market for
Amatic Industries.”
AINSWORTH
READY TO TAKE
ON THE STATES
entertaining game range that has delighted players
across North and South America. The A560 SL features
a striking 32” high definition display, 19” LCD topper
option for jackpot promotion, unique attract lighting
stylised to each game, premium sound experience and
breathtaking animations.
AGT was supplementing its ‘Reel Deal’
theme at this year’s G2E 2015 with the
news that its 290,000 square foot
headquarters for the Americas in Las
Vegas would soon be open
Player favourites over the year have included Rumble
Rumble, Flying Horse, Jumbo Wilds and King Cat with
G2E Las Vegas seeing the debut of the brand new
Sweet Zone title Grand Lions.
The exhibition floor featured new themes such as The
Sound of Music, Showgirls and Cinderella, marking
Ainsworth first foray into the world of film licensees.
Ainsworth will release its Sound of Music and
Showgirls machines into the North American market in
the fourth quarter with three more licensed games:
King Kong, Cinderella and Three Amigos expected in
2016.
Overseas sales now generate 61 per cent of
Ainsworth’s earnings up from 41 per cent a year ago.
Revenues in North America increased by 41 per cent
year-on-year whilst unit volume increased by 30 per
cent. The licensed titles, the huge Americas-focussed
facility and the impressive financial stats for the North
American market all suggest Ainsworth is ready to mix
Len Ainsworth
it with the big boys in the biggest of American markets.
North American President Mike Dreitzer said: “The
new facility will serve North and South America and
will employ 100 people. It will open in April and will
really cement a very solid year of growth for us driven
by the runaway success of our A560 SL 32 cabinet.
This has accounted for 70 per cent of sales in the
Americas.”
The A560 SL was exclusively designed for a highly
Another highly anticipated brand that was unveiled at
G2E was Double Sweet Zone. It was launching with
three entertaining Order of the Dragon titles, Double
Sweet Zone offers players the option to play the
original ‘Sweet Zone’ for 50 credits or the ‘Double
Sweet Zone’ for 50 credits plus 50 credit ante-bet.
Mr. Dreitzer added: “We’ve installed in several new
states during the last year, including Arizona,
Wyoming, Missouri and Mississippi and our footprint
continues to grow. We expect more states with our
improved service and definitely have our sights on Las
Vegas. There are 100,000 slots in Nevada with lots of
supply and recycle. The locals market is very different
to the Strip. Customers want variety. One customer we
recently worked with had 25 vendors supply his
casino. There’s a huge opportunity for us here and we
feel ideally placed to meet it.”
7 1
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
G2E hosted another coming out party on
the booth of Everi, a new brand created
following the merger and integration of
Global Cash Access and Multimedia Games
Everi’s new branding and product portfolio reflects the
company’s new direction and position as the casino
industry’s only provider of both payments and games
solutions. A host of new product was on show at G2E
originating from both sides of the merger including the
Core HDX gaming cabinet, the Apex V topper, the
newest version of TournEvent, Everi’s slot tournament,
the full-service CXC 3-in-1 kiosks, Everi Compliance
solutions, and its CashClub and CentralCredit
integrated payments solutions.
Ram Chary, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Everi, commented: “Our Austin, Reno and Chicagobased game development teams continue to deliver
some of the gaming industry’s most unique cabinets
and games including our new for-sale Core HDX
cabinet. We plan to double our game studio
development teams over the coming months.”
The Core HDX includes game-controlled lighting,
ergonomic controls and an integrated LCD button panel
that for Class II settings includes a mini bingo
touchscreen display. The eye-catching cabinet is
topped by a custom premium LCD top box with gamecontrolled lighting and can be fitted with Everi’s
award-winning Apex V topper which enables the
display of synchronised video content across banks of
up to 16 cabinets.
Core HDX supports a content library of 86 existing
games and will also feature cabinet-specific titles that
Everi’s Mike Wabschall and Julia Smegal
EVERI HIGHLIGHTS ITS UNIQUE
POSITION IN SLOTS AND KIOSKS
will take full advantage of the two large monitors and
the cabinet’s other exciting features. Exclusive titles for
the new Core HDX platform include Twin Dragon,
Quad Burst Tiger Strike, Jackpot Inferno and Bonus
Attack.
On the payments side, Everi was showing its CXC 4.0R
and CXC 4.0L full service kiosks, which offer extensive
cash handling functionality in two distinct footprints.
Both deliver powerful marketing peripherals, an
intuitive interface, the ability for multiple ticket
redemption, easy bill breaking and access to Everi’s
patented 3-in-1 Rollover technology. Thanks to 3-in-1
Rollover, patrons can easily turn an unsuccessful ATM
transaction into a credit card advance or a POS debit
card transaction. The next-generation CashClub from
ALL’S GOOD FOR LAND-BASED AND
ONLINE WITH CELEBRATORY HIGH 5
High 5 Games was at G2E with four major
celebrations; 20 years of supplying online games,
three years of operating the High5 Casino, the
company’s 150th online game title and its first
HTML5 launch.
launched in 1995, High5 Games has been around
since the very beginning of the internet. A lot of has
happened in 20 years. We’ve just released our first
HTML5 game. Our HTML5 development teams in
London and New York will oversee our new push
into the mobile sector. We expect 10 HTML5 games to
be released by the end of the year. Then they’ll be a
full programme of monthly dual platform launches
throughout 2016, which will make H5G a major
powerhouse for mobile content.”
Captain Payback with its Expanding Wilds, increased
wins and bigger prizes took the accolade of being the
company’s 150th game but was quickly surpassed by
game 151 in Zombie Zone. Patrick Benson, the
company’s VP of Integrated Marketing, said: “Having
In September, the spin button at High 5 Casino was
pressed approximately three billion times with the
most popular games being Captain Payback, Curious
Kingdom, Midnight Eclipse, Dream Beauty and
Golden Tower.
There was a party atmosphere on the
High 5 stand at G2E as the company
celebrated a host of anniversaries
7 2
Everi gives operators a single, easy-to-use interface for
processing credit/debit card transactions and check
warranties. CashClub allows for electronic signature
capture and dynamic currency conversion and
interfaces directly with the Company’s Everi
Compliance solutions to improve compliance with
Title 31 requirements. Furthermore, CashCluballows
operators to use their existing cage equipment,
removing the need for a separate stand-alone terminal.
QuickCash is designed to be a powerful combination of
hardware and software that delivers benefits for both
the casino patron and casino operator. QuickCash
provides additional cash access opportunities to
patrons whose kiosk or ATM transaction is declined by
the issuing bank.
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
TRANSACT IS TAKING EPICENTRAL
TO PLAY THE GAMING TABLES
TransAct was taking its Epic 950 to two
new locations beyond the slot machine
at this year’s G2E, bringing all the
benefits of the Epicentral bonusing
system to the casino tables
The TableTop Enclosure brings together an Epic 950
and power supply in a tidy, compact design for use at
table games, players’ club desks and cash desks. The
new In-Table Enclosure allows the Epic 950 to be
mounted underneath the table game, presenting
tickets via a bezel that rises up through the table.
Tracey Chernay, Senior Vice President, Global
Casino, Gaming and Lottery, said: “We often hear
table players complain that all the promotion and
rewards on the gaming floor are geared towards the
slot player. TableTop Enclosure brings the power to
reward and rive play and repeat visits to the pit boss,
which is hugely exciting for live gaming staff.
“The printer uses the same technology as the slot
version used on over 500,000 slot machines
worldwide. It can be deployed alongside our
ServerPort and Epic 950 ticket printer, giving casino
marketing teams access to table players with easyto-manage floor-wide campaigns. One casino
recently reported a 1,000 per cent return on
investment with Epicentral and another of a 100 per
cent increase in lower-tier Average Daily Theo.”
Also on show was the Epic 3000 printer for the
lottery industry at this year’s G2E. Big things are
expected of the 3000 with its anti-jam front paper
exit for reliable operation, its ability to print and
stack up to 100 tickets without shuffling, a large 7.5inch diameter paper roll, and the industry’s only full
tool steel rotary cutter, making it the fastest
transaction printer for the lottery industry.
Tracey Chernay explained: “This is the world’s
leading online lottery ticket printer, in use at 1,000s
of sites around the world. It has a small, spacesaving footprint and is an ideal choice for Online
Lottery, Parimutuel Betting, and any high-speed
transaction printing application. It reflects the efforts
of our team to make this innovative and reliable
solution available to the broader lottery market.”
The Epic 880 meanwhile is a compact printer for all
types of gaming machines, including amusement
with prizes, skill with prizes and video lottery
terminals. It features a modular design that is
configurable to nearly any space, a variable length
ticket presenter and ticket retract capability. It also
offers auto paper loading and can accommodate 4inch or 6-inch paper rolls.
NYX ANNOUNCES R. FRANCO DEAL
NYX Gaming signed a landmark game
development with R. Franco at G2E Las
Vegas that will see NYX developing and
distributing internationally R. Franco’s
Neopolis in the online iGaming market
David Flynn, EVP of Business Development for NYX
Gaming Group, said:” This is a landmark deal for NYX
Gaming Group. Working together with such an
influential, successful and established games
developer as R. Franco, is an honour for the team at
NYX. When it comes to land-based slots machines in
Spain, R Franco is THE company.
“R. Franco’s international reach and historical
reputation make an excellent fit with NYX. Their
games are excellent performers in the land based
environment and we are extremely excited to have the
opportunity to deliver this title online using our expert
game development team within the company,” he
added. Neopolis is one of the latest and most successful
Tracey Chernay
The Epic 883 meanwhile is a higher resolution
version of the company’s popular Epic 880 printer,
this compact kiosk printer delivers clear graphic and
text reproduction capabilities at resolutions up to
300 dpi.
Also on show was the Epic 430. With an easy-toconfigure modular design, the Epic 430 is ideal for
casino operators’ customer self-service kiosks. The
printer features variable length tickets with graphics
and coupons capabilities, quick paper roll changes, a
fast print speed and an array of standard paper
sensors.
NYX’s Kristalina Steininger
games from R .Franco’s current crop of land-based
titles.
Alejandro Casanova, Director of New Business
Development for R. Franco, added: “We were looking
for a fast moving partner who could provide not only
the highest quality development but also international
distribution. Besides, in NYX Gaming Group we have
found a great partner with which we have reached the
very best level of cooperation, understanding and
support.”
On the Las Vegas exhibition floor of G2E 2015, NYX
was following up the success of its Psycho online slot
game with one dedicated to iconic film star James
Dean. Celebrating the life of the movie actor, who
starred in the film Rebel Without a Cause, the game is a
five reel video slot that features win multipliers of up
to 750x the wagered amount, wild symbols, expanding
wilds, free spins, re-spins, scatter symbols, and a
pick'em style bonus game. The game features a posted
RTP of 95.40 per cent
7 3
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
Kelly Dyer, Director, Product Management and Marketing at DEQ, with Triple Up
DEQ meanwhile has signed a deal with GES to launch a
Poker Room Bonus system in North America.
It will use GES’ innovative wireless and web based
technology to offer a powerful and flexible jackpot and
bonus system designed specifically for poker rooms.
What will be branded as the DEQ Poker Room Bonus
system allows card room operators to configure their
own jackpot and bonus prize structures to drive player
attendance and reward player loyalty. Utilizing cutting
edge technology the system is compact yet powerful
and allows the operator to use their existing computer
hardware and display screens.
Mr. Bertolone added: “Partnering with GES has enabled
DEQ to grow its global business even further. The
Poker Room Bonus system is a fantastic addition to our
growing progressive offerings. We are happy to bring
this excitement to Poker Room operators.”
Much of the focus at G2E was placed on DEQ’s newly
branded progressive options driven off of the PRSM
Progressive System including; Triple-Up Progressive
enabling operators to link any number of table games
into three jackpots, 6 Card Hand Progressive is a 6 card
progressive with an optional multi-bet side wager and
EZ Baccarat Progressive, a brand driven betting
progressive for EZ Baccarat the world’s leading
Baccarat brand.
DEQ’S EZ BACCARAT SET TO ENJOY
AN INTERBLOCK MAKEOVER
A host of new games were matched by new faces at a newly focussed DEQ Systems,
an electornic tables company with two massive new deals announced at the show
G2E was the platform for a huge announcement with
Interblock who will now be using DEQ’s EZ Baccarat
on its electronic table games (ETGs) worldwide by the
first half of 2016.
Rob Bone, President of Interblock North America, said:
“Interblock’s continued success with baccarat, in
specific markets, continues to demonstrate the market
need and growing popularity of this product within the
ETG gaming segment. We are thrilled to bring the EZ
Baccarat brand to the electronic table game industry
and to introduce this new automated version of
baccarat to existing and new players everywhere.”
“EZ Baccarat is the only virtual
baccarat game that has a
traditional eight-deck shoe,
does not shuffle after every
hand and enables players to
follow the roads. It’s the only
genuine baccarat game to be
offered on ETGs. Period.”
Joe Bertolone, President and Chief Executive Officer,
added: “DEQ continues to leverage our premium
content like EZ Baccarat onto new platforms and into
new markets. We believe the ETG marketplace offers
exponential growth opportunity for our brands beyond
table games.”
“This means that EZ Baccarat is the only virtual
baccarat game that has a traditional eight-deck shoe,
does not shuffle after every hand and enables players
to follow the roads,” said Robin Powell, Talisman
Group Principal and Co-inventor of EZ Baccarat. “EZ
Baccarat is the only genuine baccarat game to be
offered on electronic table games. Period.”
EZ Baccarat uniquely offers a new technology built
into its electronic and online game.
EZ Baccarat has an installed base of over 750 tables in
more than 150 casinos worldwide.
7 4
The PRSM Progressive System product is an enhanced
and technically superior progressive platform that
provides extensive progressive options to our
customers. It is designed to significantly drive drop
with unique multi-level, random jackpot and wagering
options while enhancing the experience of live table
game players.
While retaining the best attributes of our bullet proof
legacy platforms, new key product features of the
PRSM Progressive System product include; Next
generation dealer station and display screens,
Enhanced ancillary systems interface capabilities,
Industry leading back of the house reporting with
upgraded data mining and performance statistics and
Secured intra and inter property linking capabilities.
In the Proprietary Tables Games segment, DEQ
released What’s Wild Poker and re-release Player’s
Choice 21 all exciting poker derivative games that are
positioned to compete with current industry leading
products to further enhance player experience.
Mr. Bertolone added: "Over the last year, DEQ has
continued to grow its business into new markets. We
have reached unprecedented milestones with EZ
Baccarat installations and are focused on our table
systems product pipeline with equal intensity. As we
move into 2016, we will continue to diversify our
product lines and use our strengths to help our global
customers make money.”
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
ASTRO SHOWING
ITS VERSATILITY
Debbie Malin, General Manager, Astrosystems
George Voyatzis
BET CONSTRUCT LAUNCHES
TRIBAL POKER IN US MARKET
BetConstruct was at G2E Las Vegas
launching tribal.poker, a poker network
specifically for tribal gaming operators
coupled with the social gaming platform. As part of
the social gaming platform BetConstruct will
demonstrate its innovative social Sportsbook
featuring an industry leading selection of events.
The company’s Commerical Director George
Voyatzis explained how the network will provide its
members with a custom designed and branded
online cardroom, which will facilitate superior
player retention and acquisition and allow tribes to
realise more profit from current and new players. It
was also demonstrating its fantasy sports offering
BetConstruct currently powers over 120 partners
globally, enabling them to offer Sportsbook, Live
Dealer Casino, RNG Casino Suite, Poker, Skill
Games, Virtual Betting, Financial Betting and
Fantasy Sports, which are designed to benefit both
start-ups and established gaming businesses.
Astro Systems was showing its range of
coin validators and bill acceptors including
the GBA ST1-C at G2E Las Vegas 2015
Astro Systems was showing its range of coin
validators and bill acceptors including the GBA ST1-C,
a versatile, multi-orientation bank note reader which
is designed for those compact applications that
require minimal height clearance in either an upwards
or downwards note stacking orientation.
It is a global product, which can be used in any
application with notes up to 70mm in width.
With its technologically advanced “Sense
Technology” note validation platform, secure note
cassette and internalized connections between upper
and lower housings, the ST1-C is a sleek, compact and
affordable solution for its market place.
MAKING SURE EVERY ONLINE TRANSACTION KOUNTS
Kount was demonstrating ways to ensure
online deposits and money transfers are
protected, making sure when an online
casino pays out, it goes to the right person
with its Kount Complete solution.
Already servicing international gamers from 180
countries it offers advanced mobile and online fraud
detection with velocity, IP proxy, active/passive device
ID, and customisable rules. There’s no wait to approve
good players with a 300 millisecond average response
time and real-time monitoring of transactions to detect
organised fraud.
Kount keeps fraudsters from slipping through the
cracks by providing dozens of patented features and
proprietary processes. These include Proxy Piercer,
which combats fraudsters who use proxy servers to
hide their actual location and multi-layer device
Fingerprinting, which collects a comprehensive set of
data that positively identifies a device in real time,
whether fixed or mobile. Mobile Device ID and SDK
allows access payments from mobile devices with ease
and security while eliminating fraud whilst the
company also offers affiliate/agent monitoring
providing secure transactions from affiliate channels.
Kount’s Melayna Olsen
Melayna Olsen, Marketing program Manager at Kount,
said: “Fraudsters have many different ways to break
into a network. But wherever they try to steal around
the globe, Kount’s systems can detect it and stop them
from penetrating your system. Transaction Linking
reveals hidden connections between multiple
transactions, or players coming from the same group of
fraudsters. It uses patented technology to show several
types of associations that are proven to be risky and
fraudulent.”
7 5
Review
G2E VEGAS 2015
APEX gaming enjoyed an excellent and
extremely busy G2E Las Vegas
exhibition. It is the strength in depth of
this Austrian company with innovations
throughout that drew in the crowds. All
three major product lines captured the
imagination of exhibition visitors
The iDROP is the way to get the most out of live tables
– this cash management system offers many benefits
for players and operators alike. Players can now
redeem their tickets directly at the live table for jetons.
Cashing-out is simple as the jeton amount is returned
in ticket form. Operators have complete real-time
information on this GLI-20 approved device that links
with all possible casino systems. The croupier can
enter notes and tickets in a bundle of up to 50 at a time.
Each note/ticket is securely checked, validated and
then stored within the iDROP. A player card reader can
simply be connected with the iDROP.
The APEX team introduced the iDROPe to the global
gaming industry for the first time at the G2E Las Vegas
show. The iDROPe is the side-mounted version – so
much simpler to build into the live table – it has a bill
reader with a 2,000 note capacity stacker and is player
card ready. This is the right solution for very busy
tables that require greater note capacity.
The EVO2 gaming platform on the Pinnacle gaming
machines merge together state-of-the-art gaming
software and hardware. The high-resolution, widescreen monitors portray the games in pin-sharp
quality. Changing between games is done in an instant.
A wide range of games is available – including classic
APEX gaming’s Johannes Weissengruber (center) with Casinos Austria’s
Robert Vierziger and Ewald Kirschenmann at the G2E exhibition in Vegas
APEX HELPS OPERATORS GET THE
MOST FROM THEIR GAMING FLOOR
games, table-based games and 3D games. Further
benefits include the simple swipe function on the
screen, the possibility to show/hide credits and partial
ticket pay-out.
The APEX PLAYER STATION (APS) is the electronic
multiplayer from APEX gaming – equipped eight
gaming terminals, each with a 24” high-resolution
screen. This fully automatic player station incorporates
a roulette wheel. APS also offers Sic-Bo, Baccarat,
Black Jack and Quikker. Flexibility is key – for
example, the Pinnacle gaming machines can be linked
together with the APEX PLAYER STATION and vice
versa.
“All our gaming solutions arose great interest at the
show,” explained Kubilay Özer, Global Sales Director of
APEX gaming. “Visitors commented on the quality,
style and innovativeness of our gaming solutions.
Following from the G2E, we will be installing the
iDROP and our EGM’s at several casinos in northern
America, including Canada. We are looking forward to
supporting the market with these trials. We were also
particularly pleased with the interest from Latin
American operators for all our products, especially the
APS automated multiplayer and EGMs. This was a
show to remember – we even had customers from all
over the world especially Europe placing orders. The
gaming market is truly in growth mode again.”
CAMMEGH ENJOY ‘BEST EVER’ G2E
Cammegh cements its US credentials
with MGM Resorts deal, which headlined
another grand performance at G2E
industry super powers, we are both honoured and
enthused about delivering the best roulette
experience for players and the most secure from the
operator’s perspective”.
Cammegh, manufacturer of the world’s finest
roulette wheels, had their best ever show at G2E Las
Vegas. Having exhibited at G2E for the past 14 years,
Cammegh have seen their market share in Nevada
grow from zero, to becoming the roulette wheels
suppliers for The Venetian, The Palazzo, MGM Grand,
The Bellagio, Aria, NewYork NewYork, Monte Carlo,
The Mirage and most recently Cosmopolitan.
Andrew added, “Of course, G2E is not just about the
local market and as ever we were delighted to
welcome visitors from casinos all over the world,
demonstrating our new ‘Glass’ Billboard Displays,
our new Mercury 360 ‘Halo’ feature, Slingshot,
EyeCard and our unique roulette added value side
bets, Lucky Symbols and Spread Bet Roulette”. When
asked about new business, Andrew added: “The
show (G2E Las Vegas) has become a great place to do
business, and we received orders and serious
enquires for products across our entire range, from a
mix of OEM’s, land based operators and on-line
casinos.”
Andrew Cammegh, Sales Director at Cammegh Ltd
said, “G2E 2015, was by far the most relevant and
rewarding show Cammegh has participated in Las
Vegas. Having won the confidence of some of the
7 6
Cody Aughney, Sr. Business Analyst,
Gaming Operations, MGM Resorts
International with Andrew Cammegh
Review
CHANGING
THE RETENTION
LANDSCAPE
G2E VEGAS 2015
DLV FEATURES
THE CREATURES
AT VEGAS SHOW
Having worked with Zynga, Caesars,
Golden Nugget and Scientific Games,
Optimove has helped as entire cross
section of online gaming companies to
better retain their players
With a knowledge base encompassing many online
industries, it was at G2E promising to change the
entire paradigm of how a company offers incentives
to its players. Alon Tvina, Chief Commercial Officer
at Optimove, said: “The recent trend has been for
land-based casino operators to transcend into social
gaming. We’re working with 160 companies globally
but the US is gaining. Our advice is to be more
personalised. Operators need to be emotionally
intelligent regarding what their player is feeling and
what offers they need at what times. Player
retention needs to be performed with real time
engagement. Optimove is the only company that
offers real time, segmented campaigns with
predicative analysis catering to each person for each
event. Real time data analysis allows player
retention teams to know when they must act to
keep a player and can automatically send a realtime message when the player is still engaged,
rewarding him or even refunding him part of his
loss, but most importantly, to convince him to
continue playing or return at a later date.”
BetAmerica , the largest, fully licensed and regulated
horseracing, greyhound racing and fantasy sports
betting website in the United States, is one of many
companies stateside that has worked with
Optimove . BetAmerica’s management wanted to
execute more frequent, more targeted and more
personalised communication with their players.
Before implementing Optimove’s daily customer
segmentation and dynamic targeting, BetAmerica
was sending out one incentive offer a month to their
entire player base. Because a third-party agency
was involved in developing and sending the
campaigns, the process of getting a campaign sent
out took days or weeks. The company wanted to be
able to target many individual customer segments,
quickly and easily.
Instead of one large incentive offer per month, the
company now uses Optimove to send out over 800
ultra-targeted campaigns to more than 50 distinct
“target groups,” every month. And this number is
growing steadily as the company continuously finetunes its customer targeting. More than 90 per cent
of the company’s customer base is already receiving
personalised incentives based on various levels of
segmentation. The marketers are also leveraging
this high campaign frequency to be able to test,
optimize and iterate much more effectively,
resulting in asteady increase in the measurable
financial uplift of each campaign.
BetAmerica management now has complete
visibility into their most important player behaviour
KPIs, calculated on a daily basis. Marketers can
easily segment customer behavior metrics by bet
type, race/game type, player type and even by
individual players.
DLV presented its Lab creatures and
Diamond Excel at G2E Las Vegas 2015
DLV always prepares something new for the Las
Vegas gaming show and this year was no exception.
The Latvia-based gaming firm this year showed the
company’s three-level LAB CREATURES jackpot with
eye-catching graphic design and exciting themes.
A new jackpot solution was shown for DLV’s new
DIAMOND EXCEL machines incorporating two 27ins.
screens, which was presented alongside the
DIAMOND Ultra 3 mutligame with 25 games grouped
into categories for added convenience for players.
“Most attention visitor attention was directed towards
our new products; however, depending on the country
of origin of our booth guests and their needs, DLV, with
its wide range of products, could offer just what the
guests were looking for,” commented DLV’s Julija
Barbakadze.
ADOPTION GROWING FOR THE GSA’S GAME TO SYSTEM
A busy G2E for Gaming Standards
Association (GSA) saw it reveal the
results of its 2015 Standards Adoption
Survey, present a study comparing its
G2S Game to System Standard to the
SAS protocol standard, and unveiled a
new G2S case study aimed at OEMs
“The annual survey allows us to better understand
who is adopting the protocol,” said GSA Protocol
Director Ethan Tower (pictured right). “It’s shown that
adoption is growing.”
Support for G2S functionality by manufacturers is up
by 16 per cent whilst the number of EGMs deployed in
the field that support G2S increased by 15 per cent to
265,000.
The Association (GSA) also recently released its new
Compliance Verification Tools CVT 1.0 and CVT 2.0.
These tools empower suppliers to conduct compliance
testing at the point of software creation, significantly
reducing implementation errors, Q/A overhead, and
speeding time to market.
“We are very proud of the fact that GSA’s G2S protocol
is the new standard for the global gaming industry.
Now with CVT 1.0 and CVT 2.0, suppliers have an
automated way to quickly and precisely ensure games
and systems are properly implementing G2S. The
verification tools will dramatically benefit suppliers,”
Mr Tower added. “We expect these tools will generate
immediate and significant value for the industry. That
is precisely what GSA was created to do. These new
tools are a direct fulfilment of GSA’s brand promise and
value proposition.”
7 7
Interactive
Genting - this is
for ‘The Player’
Genting Online has launched a multimillion ad campaign in the UK aimed
at both land-based and online players,
which takes the perspective of the
player. Shot in Kuala Lumpur, the
agency hopes to change the way
operators advertise in future...
View the advert at: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=QC_YFQ39t_Y
Genting, one of the world’s biggest and best
known casino brands, has launched one of the
most progressive online casino TV advertising
campaigns in the UK. The 60 second commercials,
shot over three very hot and sticky nights on and
high above the streets of Kuala Lumpur, the birthplace of the Genting global brand, the ad follows
'the player', a fictional character.
Played by Charlie Gardner, fresh from a recent
role in Ridley Scott’s The Martian, the ad follows
the player around the far eastern cityscape.
Interspersed with iconic casino images of chips,
cards and roulette wheels and supported throughout by the hard edged CryBabyCry soundtrack,
the player shares his thoughts and reflections on
his gaming ethos and attitudes as a serious casino
player.
The creative approach deliberately turned its back
on the homogenised neon flashing, gimmicky
attention-seeking online gaming ad landscape
and instead, through research, delved into the
minds, attitudes and behaviours of the most
important people in any casino... the players.
The advert sets out to encapsulate how they really
feel about playing. Research for the project
revealed that for players, it’s not all about winning, it’s about the opportunity to test their theories and game strategies to beat the house. Honing
these skills gives them the greatest thrill. They
understand they won’t win all the time, but they
expect, through their ability, that they will eventually come out on top.
7 8
Just as the advertisement went live in the UK
market, G3 took the opportunity to discuss the
origins of the project and the aspirations of
Genting Online with Peter Nolan, Managing
Director of Genting Alderney.
Peter Nolan
Managing Director,
Genting Alderney
What were you looking to achieve with the ad?
A number of things. We wanted to create more
awareness of the Genting brand and our online
product to drive receipts from more customers.
Secondly, we wanted to exploit an opportunity, as
this year is the 50th anniversary of Genting as
group. The Genting brand has a lot of values
appropriate to players; a fabulous track record,
real insights into player needs and a great product
range. The advert is focused largely around online,
but it’s also about our sister companies too. Plus,
more broadly, our land-based offer too as we
open Resorts World Birmingham in October.
Why utilise the medium of television?
Predominantly for brand awareness. TV as a
medium provides one big advantage, breadth of
coverage. Through television we can really bring
the brand to life and we think this ad is distinctive
enough to stand out from the rest.
Why shoot in Kuala Lumpur?
A number of reasons, though having looked at
numerous locations, Kuala Lumpur proved to be
one of the strongest and proved cost-effective too.
The director also really liked the style of the location and, of course, it is the home of Genting.
“Genting has lot of values
appropriate to players; a
fabulous track record, real
insights into players’ needs
and a great product range.
The advert is focused largely
around online, but it’s about
our sister companies too.”
The advertising company that shot the ad claims
that it will: “Change the face of online gaming as
it’s a TV commercial unlike anything seen before.”
The company also: “Expects the impact to be
huge - this particular commercial will change the
way operators look at their advertising in future.”
What are your expectations?
We hope it will have an impact on the players we
are targeting. For us, there’s a lot of advertising
Interactive
The advert feels like it’s advertising a land-based
gaming environment - is that how you’re positioning your online presence?
We are talking to both audiences. Any online
business needs the base of triangle, the massmarket, which is complemented by high-rollers
with strong margins. We have deliberately sought
to reach to these players as it reassures them that
they are making the right choice with Genting.
We should be something players aspire to, and at
Genting we deliver on those aspirations.
out there that is entirely appropriate for other
online operators, but our brand demands something that is high quality in format, focused on the
player, and thirdly, through the way it is shot,
convey all that to customers. Despite our strong
presence in the UK, we wanted the advert to
deliver clear brand identity.
To create the advert, you began by talking to players, conducting research into clubs, those who
play online, specifically with Genting, and those
who play with other brands - what did you learn
about your brand and your audience?
Our strong feedback from the players centred
around their perception of security. Genting has
been a huge part of the gaming business for 50
years. We have built trust, heritage and reassurance, which is all part of the player experience.
The advert presents the opportunity for the player
to touch this brand in a physical way.
You have spoken about capturing the ‘DNA of
Genting’ - what is that?
When we reference the ‘DNA of Genting’ we are
talking about core values, which centre around
managing players’ expectations of us. We have
spent half a century managing players, both at the
high-end and, with 40+ casinos in the UK, the
mass market players too. Everything we do is centred around player management, which includes
online as its crucial to maintain a consistency of
experience and recognise players wherever they
play for the contribution they make. It’s about
operational experience and knowledge of play.
“Genting has been part of the
business for 50 years. We have
built trust, heritage and
reassurance, which is all part of
the player experience. The
advert presents the opportunity
for the player to touch the
brand in a physical way.”
You don’t feature a comedy mascot or overplay
humour in the advert - however, it does have a
James Bond feel, which is something that casinos
have sought to downplay for years - what’s the
right balance and have you struck it?
Charlie, the player in the commercial, doesn’t
wear a bow-tie or dinner jacket, and he is
younger, a bit rougher around the edges. I don’t
think that’s a James Bond image. For us, it’s reasonably simple in terms of approach; we’re talking to the land-based casino player, those with
the opportunity to gamble online. We are appealing to the slots player who plays online tournaments. This is our opportunity to raise the profile
of online games within the group and use as a
launchpad, to encourage players in the club to go
online and online players to visit the clubs.
This advert feels like a hybrid between online and
land-based, can you attract players to both with
one advert?
We believe so. The research group says we have
an audience of online players that play in landbased, and because of the range of clubs, we have
access to both ends of the marketplace. We are
looking to raise awareness of Genting as an online
brand with existing players and attract customers
from our competitors. We think it does appeal to
both types of players.
The advertising agency that created the advert
talks about the “rubbish and abstract imagery
associated with online gaming commercials” and
the distance you have put between Genting and
those brands. Was that deliberate?
No - that was not the deliberate intent, though I’m
not going to sit on the fence either. I was the marketing director of William Hill in the past, and
while it was great to work on that brand, Genting
is a very different proposition and we’re concerned that whatever we do reflects the positives
of the Genting brand.
This is an advert that looks and feels VIP - is that
attractive to the mass player too?
I think one follows the other in regards to brand
awareness. I think the quality of the advert,
because of filmic nature, is a standout in the sector, and that will hopefully raise awareness of
Genting brand and the reflected glow for the landbased estate.
Is this multi-million TV ad campaign the first of
many, or is it a one-off?
We are entering this on the basis of a continuous
process of brand building in the UK. However, we
are very early in the cycle and we will need to
evaluate the impact at different points. It’s too
early to comment right now.
What I’d say is that as Resorts World Birmingham
launches in the UK, we are capitalising on the
brand image of Genting across its 45 mass and
high-end locations, exploiting that image in the
online gaming sector. This advert is a deliberate
attempt to make sure we appeal to every audience out there.
7 9
Products
LAND-BASED & INTERACTIVE
01
THE BRITNEY SPEARS SLOT GAME
Casino Slots
Aristocrat Technologies
International superstar Britney Spears recently took
her show from the stage to the casino floor to
premiere Aristocrat’s Britney Spears Slot Game at
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. According to the
property, the slots became an overnight success on
the floor with lines forming day and night.
The Britney Spears Slot Game appears on
Aristocrat Technologies’ newest stage, The ARC
Double cabinet with the surround sound iChair. The
newest addition to casino floors across the US,
features Britney’s top-charting hits, including: Hit
Me Baby One More Time, Toxic, 3, Oops I Did It
Again and Crazy. The game has two base features,
four entertaining bonus features and a $10,000
single site progressive jackpot.
LUCKY PIRATES
Online Slots
Odobo
Lucky Pirates is a 5-reel, 9-payline title with a
pistol-toting starfish scatter bonus, a card-based
gamble feature and humorous animated graphics.
The majority of the symbols are fruits sporting an
array of pirate paraphernalia including cutlasses,
eyepatches and massive hoop earrings.
Lucky Pirates is a fast-paced game that is suitable
to players of all experience levels. The highest value
symbol is the red parrot, which can pay out up to
5000 times the stake value. For players that revel
in the excitement of the gamble feature, multiplying
their winnings hinges on correctly predicting the
colour of a undisclosed playing card. Bigger
multipliers are available for guessing the actual suit,
with up to ten consecutive gambles permitted on
each win.
In addition to Planet Hollywood, The Britney Spears
Slot Game can also be found at the following
Caesars Entertainment properties: Caesars Palace,
Paris Las Vegas, Flamingo Hotel & Casino, The
LINQ Hotel & Casino, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Rio AllSuite Hotel & Casino, Harrah’s Laughlin, Harrah’s
Tahoe, Horseshoe Southern Indiana and Bally’s AC.
02
THE VIKINGS
Online Slots
Endorphina
Endorphina, a Czech-based software provider that
offers a wide range of high quality slot games for
online casinos, introduces its new 5 reel, 20-line
video slot called The Vikings.
DPX-S440
The Vikings game was first introduced to the public
at Super Show in Amsterdam earlier this year.
Since then Endorphina released big hits such as
Satoshi’s Secret and The Ninja.
Components - Gaming Platforms
Advantech-Innocore
Advantech-Innocore has
revealed the latest member of its
DPX S –Series products, the DPX-S440.
Based on the new AMD R-Series SOC high
performance embedded platform, the DPX-S440 is
a hugely capable single board integrated solution
with a full feature set of I/O, COMs, storage and
advanced security designed specifically for the
gaming industry.
Featuring the AMD R- Series SOC with AMD Radeon
R7 Graphics the DPX-S440 gives the gaming OEM
“Best in class” integrated GPU performance with the
capabilities to drive higher resolution displays
including up to three 4k displays for the next-gen of
immersive graphics- intensive gaming machines.
The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics in the R-Series SOC
platform pushes the performance bar of integrated
graphics up considerably with 3rd Gen Graphics
Next Architecture (Up to 8 CU) sporting features
including Direct X 12 support as well as UVD 6 with
H.265 4K 60fps decode.
Three independent monitors are supported via three
DisplayPort 1.2 DP++ ports and for even higher
performance the standard PCI-Express graphics
card slot allows the DPX-S440 to support the latest
discrete graphics cards.
8 0
In The Vikings game you can feel the freezing
breeze and listen to the conquest background
music that gets even stronger during the free
spins. Fortunately, a couple of blond Viking ladies
will melt your heart with their attractiveness and
charm.
As a wild, the game is featuring a ship, marine
vessel, with a dragon's head, typical for the Viking
03
Age. Wild symbols substitute all symbols except
scatters. The scatter symbol has a shape of a
horrifying scull with swords.
Free games - 3 or more scatter symbols trigger
free games and you get a whole lot of 12 of them.
Players will appreciate especially the stacked wilds,
that you can find at other slots of Endorphina such
as Safari. It’s a real thrill when you see stacked
wilds line up on a slot. Not only that such screen is
looking beautiful, but also the payout is very
generous. There is no doubt that stacked and
expanding wild slots are the most favorite and
advanced video slots. It might not be that easy to
win, but when you do, you can win really big.
PROJECT TRAFALGAR
Online/Mobile Gaming
William Hill
William Hill has rolled-out a new sports betting
platform called Project Trafalgar, consisting of a
new website infrastructure and new mobile app.
Project Trafalgar enhances the customer
experience with a clean, responsive layout and
faster in-play betting as well as representing a
powerful platform for future development. The new
front end provides William Hill customers with
quick and seamless navigation between markets
to enable faster last-minute and in-play betting,
and a cleaner interface.
“Project Trafalgar is not a simple website redesign,”
said Jamie Hart, Director of Innovation and
Customer Experience. “Instead, it is a
comprehensive overhaul of our entire web
architecture, with important implications for the
core William Hill business – and for the innovation
work of WHLabs.” The new platform provides
William Hill’s developer teams with an improved
product delivery model, empowering them to make
rapid, frequent release deployments with no
dependency on third parties for the front end.
“Project Trafalgar signals an important shift in our
digital product offering, giving us complete control
over the experience we offer our users,” adds
Jamie. “Crucially, it gives an outlet our development
talent to deploy an unprecedented velocity of
change and further enhance our position as the
market leader.”
Products
COMPONENTS
HEBER LAUNCHES ITS FASTEST GAMING CONTROLLER
Heber has had a long history of designing and selling
successful gaming controllers since the mid 1990s.
Earlier this year we launched a new range of PCbased controllers known as the Pluto A100 and
T100 based on the AMD “Steppe-Eagle” processor.
We have now launched our latest – and fastest –
gaming controller to date known as the Pluto A400,
based on the new AMD Embedded R-Series SOC
processor (formerly code named “Merlin Falcon”) that
was only announced on October 20th. The Pluto A400
will target the casino, bingo and street gaming markets.
Designed for demanding embedded needs, the new
Embedded R-Series SOC processor incorporates AMD’s
latest generation x86 64-bit CPU core (“Excavator”),
third-generation Graphics Core Next GPU architecture,
and state-of-the-art power management for reduced
energy consumption, to enable industry-leading
performance and key embedded features for nextgeneration designs.
connector that will support a range of new USB and
PCIe gaming I/O products.
The Pluto A400 is a small form-factor gaming platform
that supports three display ports, two SO-DIMM slots
of DDR4 memory, dual SATA drives and dual mSATA
sockets with hardware RAID capability. It also
supports seven USB ports, four serial ports, high
definition audio 5.1 channels, two Gigabit LAN ports,
and a PCIe x 16 graphics expansion slot. In addition, the
Pluto A400 provides a new Heber-defined I/O slot
The AMD Embedded R-Series SOC architecture
provides astounding graphics and
multimedia performance. High End AMD
Radeon™ graphics provided on-chip also
allows users to take advantage of
Heterogeneous Systems Architecture (HSA)
technology for the heaviest compute tasks. With the
latest generation AMD Radeon™ graphics as well as the
latest multimedia technology integrated on-chip
means that the AMD Embedded R-Series SOC provides
enhanced GPU performance and supports High
Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) for full 4K decode and
DirectX® 12.
The Pluto A400 will be sold as a standalone PCB with a
range of add-on I/O boards and also as a platform
installed within a small footprint enclosure. Pricing and
availability will be announced in November this year.
Information
SUBSCRIBE
AGEM – pg 33
www.agem.org
AMATIC – pg 11
www.amatic.com
APEX GAMING – pg 05
www.apex-gaming.com
www.G3Newswire.com
The international gaming industry’s
daily portal for news
A dynamic daily news website and
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reading of news by headline, region
and industry; thumbnails of every
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www.G3-247.com
The G3-247.com website is a
gaming media vault
The newly launched G3-237.com
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magazine feature and report G3 has
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review all the back issues of the
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Social Networking
AUSTRIAN GAMING INDUSTRIES – pg 09
Connect with G3 across every type
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www.austrian-gaming.com
Readers can follow G3 on Twitter
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Links are also distributed for the
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with www.G3-247.com blogs and
pushed to the 8,000+ database of
industry connections via email.
www.cammegh.com
CAMMEGH – pg IFC
CASINO TECHNOLOGY – pg 19
www.casino-technology.com
CLARION GAMING – pg IBC & 41
www.totallygaming.com
CPI – pg 6
www.cranepi.com
DRGT – pg 31
www.drgt.com
E-GAMING – pg 21
www.e-gaming.cz
G3i App - iOS & Android
EGT – pg 13
The international gaming industry’s
daily portal for news
www.egt-bg.com
Gaming Publishing launched its G3i
App in August 2011. The first to
launch a magazine App, the response
has been overwhelming, as the App
now provides readers with instant
access to their favourite gaming
magazine wherever and whenever
they want. We have now added
Android to this functionality, allowing
readers to download magazines for
free from the Apple App Store and
their Android Marketplaces.
Download back-issues or the latest
magazines today.
www.gaminglabs.com
GAMING LABORATORIES INT. – pg 15
HEBER – pg 82
www.hebergaming.com
JCM GLOBAL – pg 04
www.jcmglobal.com
KONAMI GAMING – pg 25
www.gaming.konami.com
LT GAMES – pg 23
www.ltgame.com
MERKUR GAMING – pg OBC
www.merkur-gaming.com
Subscribe at www.g3-247.com to print and digital editions
PATIR CASINO SEATING – pg 23
www.patir.de
PST – pg 27
Subscribers have 24/7 access to the complete G3 reports back catalogue, reduced rates for the latest market reports,
access to the complete G3 back issues library, discounts on commissioned reports, discounted events/conference
access passes and attractive subscription rates for the monthly G3 magazine and special issues. Subscribe to G247 to
receive a series of unique benefits.
www.pstseating.com
SUZO HAPP – pg 07
www.eu.suzohapp.com
G3Newswire.com delivers daily international gaming industry news and information, with the G3Newswire newsletter
circulated three times per week to a 8,000+ database of gaming industry influencers
SYNOT – pg 29
www.synotloterie.eu
Disclaimer: All contents© Gaming Publishing Limited 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express
permission of the publisher. While we make every effort to ensure that everything we print in Global, Games and Gaming (G3) is factually correct, we
cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur. Advertisements are accepted by us in good faith as correct at the time of going to press.
Printing: Manson Group, 8 Porters Wood, Valley Road Industrial Estate, St Albans, AL3 6PZ
TCSJOHNHUXLEY – pg 35
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