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Global Games and Gaming Magazine August 2017

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The Chilean city of Chillán is preparing to carry out definitive closures of neighbourhood casinos Chile P8

Vikings Casinos plans to begin construction in Sanary sur Mer in September and open in 2018 FranCe P18

Gaming Laboratories International Group acquires rival testing laboratory, NMi Gaming US P20

G3 Mar ket Update: GerMany Resorts World Manila has now resumed casino operations following the PAGCOR suspension Calm befo re the storm PhiliPPineS P22 SubScribe A mass ive s torm hangs abov e G erman stree ts whose at G3-247.com aftermath w ill dis appear a third of its gaming machines Read every G 3 m agazine, download every marke t report a nd muc h more... The latest magazine i s a vailable to digitally download via G 3-247.com or via the App Store Available on the Interact with G3 via... App Store and Google Play S tore

Contents August 2017

SOUtH AMERICA EMEA

Chile P8 UK P12 The municipal government of Chillán is The UK Gambling Commission is to bring into preparing to carry out a definitive closure of effect new measures aimed at protecting online the so-called ‘neighbourhood casinos’ players by granting them additional controls

Samson House, ColomBia P8 SPain P14 Manchester Road, Manchester M29 7BR, Gaming regulator Coljuegos has awarded Melco International Development has released United Kingdom Colombia’s first online gaming licence to a statement confirming that it will not be Aquila Global Group pursuing a licence for a casino near Barcelona

laTam P10 FranCe P16 As one of the fastest expanding gaming Construction on Vikings Casinos’ Sanary sur groups in the Americas, Merkur Gaming Mer, southeast coast of France, is to begin in Americas, adds to its pool of gaming talent September having cleared legal hurdles World partner to clarion events

G3Newswire.com delivers NORtH AMERICA ASIA & OCEANIA daily international gaming industry news and BahamaS P18 PhiliPPineS P22 information, with the G3Newswire newsletter Sarkis Izmirlian’s BMD Holdings claims the Resorts World Manila has now resumed some circulated three times per sale of Baha Mar amounts to state-sponsored of its casino operations following the lifting of a week to a 8,000+ database discrimination suspension order from PAGCOR of gaming industry influencers US P20 SaiPan P22 GLI Group has confirmed the acquisition of Imperial Pacific Resort, the permanent casino NMi Gaming, bringing together the world’s resort, opened its gaming floor on July 15 biggest games testing facilities despite not having opened its 250 room hotel

PennSylvania P21 China P24 Senate and the House of Representatives Stanley Ho is resigning as Chairman of Shun battle over gaming reforms, though both tak Holdings and is handing over the reins to hope online will balance the books his daughter, Pansy Ho

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Report Interactive Germany Street Market Colombia

Germany - Talk of the Town: The Mexico - colombia: perfect online blend calm before the storm extraordinary Hippodrome Zitro experience or over-roasted? Report P40 Insight P26 Insight P34 Interactive P62 As Germany enters a new phase G3 interviews the Hippodrome Johnny Ortiz, President of Zitro, R. Franco’s Alejandro Casanova in its relationship with the London’s Simon Thomas about welcomes guests to a celebration explains the opportunities and the gaming industry, G3 takes an his vision to take the decaying on the 10th anniversary of the pitfalls (mostly regulatory) that overview of the marketplace husk of a building and make it company at the Mexico City- makes the Colombian online and details the changes into a modern gaming palace based Zitro Experience 2017 market such an exciting prospect

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM PY lewis Pek Editor Comment August 2017 Apologies to readers expecting the Poland market report this issue, but we’ve bumped the report into our September magazine in order to deliver the latest update on the German street market legislation. Everyone knew that the market was heading for a short, sharp, shock, but the full extent is only now becoming clear as the rules and regulations for operation of street gaming machines have been released. And it’s just about as bad as expected. The number of machines in the market will be reduced by 30-35 per cent, with operators also taking a massive hit to their gaming hall estates. Depending on your fact-checking sources, between 80,000 and 110,000 machines from the street gaming sector will be removed from the market, while at the same time hundreds of arcades will be forced to close due to the new rules taking effect next year. We already know from the operators that we’ve spoken to in this issue that there are legal ramifications over licences and understandable disputes over who should relinquish their gaming halls to meet specific geographical quotas. It’s undoubtedly going to be a messy process that has ramifications for the industry in Europe as a whole. When Russia and Ukraine enforced their gaming bans, thousands of the nUMber Of Machines in the Market Will be redUced by 30-35 per cent, With arcades alsO takinG a Massive hit machines and components flooded the market, hurting suppliers and distorting the sales market from gaming machines, monitors, cash handling units etc., for months, if not years. We have already seen a concentrated focus by German operators to divest into neighbouring markets and expand sales operations into international markets. Just as the closure of the Russian market affected the rise of VLT gaming in Italy - as one door closes a window is sure to open. We already know that the concentration of gaming in Germany, as the market is forced to reduce its scale and numbers, will put greater emphasis on the surviving machine-base to earn back that 30 per cent. Operators will have to become even more efficient, machines generate greater return on investment and every component of the machine must deliver beyond current expectations.

ediTorial adverTiSing G3 Magazine Editor Commercial Director lewis Pek John Slattery [email protected] [email protected] +44 (0) 1942 879291 +44 (0)7917 166471 G3Newswire Editor Advertising Executive Phil martin James Slattery [email protected] [email protected] +44 (0)7801 967714 +44 (0)7814227219 Features Editor Advertising Executive Karen Southall alison dronfield [email protected] [email protected] Consultant +44 (0)1204 410771 John Carroll ProdUCTion [email protected] Senior Designer International News Editor gareth irwin James marrison Production Manager [email protected] Paul Jolleys Contributors Subscriptions Manager Paul Witten, Phil horne, robert Jennifer Pek hess, dieter Kuhlmann, Josef Commercial Administrator Kron, alejandro Casanova John Pek

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Calendar August 2017

ASIA Gaming, Racing & Wagering Australia August 14-16, 2017 LOCAtION Hong Kong Novotel Darling Harbour, Sydney, CONtACt Australia Louise Lim ORGANISER t: +852 2219 0111 Beacon Events E: [email protected] 1201-1203, 12/F Siu On Centre www.GamingDownUnder.com 188 Lockhart Road Wanchai ASIA AGE 2017 - Australasian Gaming Expo August 15-17, 2017

LOCAtION CONtACt ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour, Ross Ferrar Australia t: +61 2 9211 7430 ORGANISER E: [email protected] Gaming technologies Association www.austgamingexpo.com Level 34, 50 Bridge Street Sydney Australia NSW 2000

EMEA Entertainment Arena Expo 2017 September 4-6, 2017

LOCAtION Bucharest, Romania Romexpo Exhibition Center, 65-67 041918 Marasti Blvd, Bucharest, Romania CONtACt ORGANISER Anton Vlad Expo 24 Romania t: +40 21 335 6681 Monaco towers E: [email protected] 96 Berceni Road, Office B14.01 www.earena.ro

EMEA

Sports Betting Academy September 5-7, 2017 LOCAtION United Kingdom London, United Kingdom SW6 3JW ORGANISER CONtACt Clarion Events ELSPEtH BROWN Fulham Green, Bedford House t: +44 207 384 7700 69-79 Fulham High Street E: [email protected] London www.totallygamingacademy.com

NORTh AMERICA

Casino eSport Conference September 7-8, 2017

LOCAtION CONtACt West Gate Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Benjamin Fox Nevada – United States t: +1 201 450 1718 ORGANISER E: [email protected] Fox Marketing www.casinoesportconf.com United States

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It is estimated that there are currently 25 illegal gaming SoUTh ameriCa establishments in operation in the Chilean city sun International prevé incrementar considerablemente su participación hasta alcanzar cHile LICENCES casi el 65% de Sun Dreams, operador de casinos centrado en el negocio en América Latina. Sun International ha logrado un acuerdo que lo conver - Crackdown on Illegal Chillán slot Parlours tirá en accionista asociado con Nueva Inversiones Pacífico Sur Limitada para adquirir una The municipal government of the Chilean city of allowed amusement arcades to operate in their participación adicional del 19,30% de la empresa Chillán located in the Bio Bío region, is jurisdictions but they have not drawn a clear chilena Entretenimientos Del Sur Limitada. preparing to carry out a definitive closure of the line between AWP machines and slot machines. so-called ‘neighbourhood casinos’ that operate Subsequently, a great many slot parlours house en tanto que uno de los grupos de juegos illegally and which remain open despite the both with revenue increasingly deriving from de azar que más rápidamente se expanden en las repeated attempts made by the government to the latter. Américas, Merkur Gaming Americas ha aumen - close them down. The slot parlours have been in tado su personal, lo cual se ha hecho efectivo en operation in some cases for over five years However, there have been a number of julio contratando una serie de profesionales despite the fact that they are in violation of both significant developments of late and other extremadamente bien cualificados que aportarán local and national gaming rules. municipalities are finally moving against illegal su distintas capacidades para contribuir a acelerar operators and making headway in local courts. el proceso de desarrollo y expansión que está There are currently around twenty five illegal At the same time they are also being helped by haciendo que Merkur Gaming destaque como una gaming establishments in operation in the city. new rules now in place which have been put de las empresas que despiertan más interés en el So far local attempts to control the businesses forward by The Office of the Comptroller mundo de los juegos de azar de Estados Unidos y have been ineffective but according to local General of Chile which in January issued a América Latina. reports, municipal inspection teams will take to statement clarifying the procedure for the the streets to definitively close these businesses municipal governments when it comes to tras el vencimiento de la fecha límite para one and for all. defining when machines should be classed as presentar ofertas finales de licitación para una gambling machines in so called licencia de casino para operar el Complejo Turístico Via its web page the government informed ‘neighbourhood casinos.’ y Recreativo de Vila-Seca y Salou (antes conocido illegal operators that local laws passed in 2013 como BCN World), se desveló la noticia de que rule over the specific licensing of AWP New guidelines rule that the municipalities Melco International había decidido no participar en machines while Chile’s gaming laws specifically should ask those interested in obtaining el proceso actual de licitación debido a otros ban slot machines outside of casinos. permission to operate electronic gaming proyectos de desarrollo en curso ya comprometi - machines, to obtain certification that prizes are dos, según informó la empresa en un comunicado In the past, local rules applicable to AWP not handed out randomly by the electronic de prensa. machines in Chillán resulted in local machines on their premises. The new rules businessmen taking the issue to the appeals ultimately give the Chilean Gaming Control GlI Group ha adquirido Nmi metrology & court and this led to a large number of long Board (SJC) the right to determine what Gaming y los activos de la empresa relacionados drawn out court cases. This eventually led to constitutes random and what constitutes con juegos de azar (NMi Gaming) de NMi Certin, Mayor Sergio Zarzar to order that all slot entertainment machines and state that only B.V. y de sus partes asociadas. La adquisición parlours should be closed down forthwith as certifications issued by gaming laboratories aporta beneficios a los clientes de NMi Gaming al they they did not conform to local rules. approved by the SJC will have the capacity to proporcionarles un alcance global inmediato gra - verify conclusively if a machine is either a cias a las 475 jurisdicciones para las que GLI está The rise of illegal slot parlours is mainly down to gambling machine or if the result depends on an acreditada. Además, la transacción también bene - local municipalities as local governments have element of skill. ficia a los clientes de GLI gracias a que permite a la empresa proporcionar niveles de servicio y aten - ción incluso superiores a los actuales. Colombia online gaming market could be laTam worth as much as $8bn in revenue la prohibición del estado australiano de Coljuegos grants online in its first year. Sun International is set to Australia Occidental contra los casinos en cruceros licence to Aquila Global boost its stake in Latin ha sido levantada por el gobierno, lo que supone Coljuegos has said it will America-focused casino un esfuerzo para conseguir que la región sea un Gaming regulator Coljuegos has crackdown on illegal operators operator Sun Dreams to destino más atractivo para las compañías de awarded Colombia’s first online with as many as 325 gaming sites almost 65 per cent. Sun cruceros. Los cruceros se han vuelto cada vez más gaming licence to Aquila Global expected to be blocked in the International has agreed to a populares en Australia Occidental con previsiones Group. coming weeks. deal that will see it partner que afirman que esta industria aporta ya 275 with fellow stakeholder Nueva millones de dólares a la economía del estado, con The Medellin based company will Mr Hidalgo stated: "With this Inversiones Pacifico Sur un porcentaje significativo procedente de ingresos launch WPlay.co with the aim of initiative we seek greater resources Limitada in order to purchase brutos de juegos de azar. reaching 1,000,000 registered for the health of Colombians, a further 19.3 per cent share of users during the term of the expanding the portfolio of games Sun Dreams from Chile’s el gobierno municipal de la ciudad chilena de contract, creating around 3,000 through innovative tools and Entretenimientos Del Sur Chillán situada en la región del Bío-Bío se está jobs. tuning with the trend towards Limitada. Sun Dreams was preparando para llevar a cabo el cierre definitivo de greater use of new technologies in established in June of last year los conocidos como «casinos de barrio» que Coljuegos President, Juan Perez the world. We are aware that the after Sun International merged operan ilegalmente y que continúan abiertos a Hidalgo said: "We want more fight against illegality is not an its Latin American operations pesar de que dicho gobierno ha intentado cerrarlos operators to obtain authorisation easy task and less so with regard to with those of Chilean repetidamente. En algunos casos, estos salones from Coljuegos to achieve a strong technological platforms. That is counterpart Dreams SA. The de máquinas recreativas operan ya desde hace sector and tune in with the new why we are working in an South African firm reportedly más de cinco años a pesar del hecho de que no technologies." articulated way with the National explained that its Sun Latam cumplen con la normativa local ni nacional de Police and the Ministry of subsidiary is set to pay around juegos de azar Analysts believe the Columbian Defence." $63m for its half of the stake.

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merkur americas recruits an array of talent As the various international companies that comprise Merkur Gaming Americas SoUTh ameriCa continue to flourish the company is recruiting top professionals to fill key roles el presidente del estado de África occidental de Gambia, Adama Barrow, ha dictado oficialmente Merkur Gaming un decreto presidencial que levantará la prohibición Americas’ recent de dos años contra actividades de juegos de azar en el país. El paso dado por el Presidente para abrir recruitment drive brings el país a los juegos de azar legales forma parte de top gaming talent into reformas de amplio alcance para modernizar las economías de las naciones africanas. the fold la Comisión federal de Comercio está lATAM & uS SUPPLIER NEWS bloqueando la fusión de las dos páginas web princi - pales de juegos de fantasía diarios, DraftKings y As one of the fastest expanding gaming groups Specialist for Merkur Gaming Americas is FanDuel, alegando que la empresa resultante de la in the Americas, Merkur Gaming Americas has Geovanna Soberón, while the company’s fusión controlaría más del 90% del mercado de added to its staff by the employment, effective technical team is further strengthened through concursos de deportes de fantasía diarios de pago July, of a range of exceptionally well qualified the arrival of Raul Simon as Service technician. de los Estados Unidos. professionals who will now bring their various skills to help accelerate the process of Maria Virginia Bocci has been named as the Playtech bGt sports (Pbs) ha incrementado development and expansion that is marking out Finance and Administrative Manager of Merkur sensiblemente su presencia a nivel de terminales Merkur Gaming as one of the most keenly Gaming Argentina, the latest addition to the de apuestas de autoservicio (SSBT) entre los corre - watched companies on the US and Latin team at the recently opened latest company dores de apuestas independientes con una gran American gaming landscape. addition to the roster of Merkur Gaming cantidad de nuevos acuerdos comerciales. A lo Americas subsidiaries. largo de los últimos meses se han firmado nuevos Keith Moore joins Merkur Gaming Americas and acuerdos con BG Bet, Wilf Gilbert, Victoria Gate its US subsidiary Sunshine Games as Chief IP In Peru the Merkur Gaming Peru team has been Casino, Sean Graham y Star Sports Mayfair. Counsel. With 22 years’ experience as a considerably bolstered by the appointment of practicing attorney, including 17 years of IP the very experienced Ronald Diaz as Un nuevo establecimiento de juegos de azar experience, he has previously worked with Commercial Manager, while Helmut Arlt has empezará a operar a finales de 2018 después de several of the gaming industry’s leading been promoted from his previous role in product que el ayuntamiento abriera, o más bien reabriera, manufacturing companies and will henceforth analysis and marketing to now become Sales un casino hace 15 años (dado que había estado play a key role as Merkur Gaming US begins its Executive. Also new in Peru is Miriam Vera operativo entre 1936 y 1952). Ferdinand Bernhard, commercial launch phase. Valcarcel who becomes the company’s alcalde de Sanary-sur-Mer, presentó los planes Coordinadora Comercial. concebidos por el grupo Vikings Casinos, cuya con - Brad Broderick has been appointed Business strucción está previsto que se inicie a principios de Development Executive with Merkur Gaming In Merkur Gaming Mexico Ricardo Espinosa septiembre. US and he brings to his new role a wealth of assumes the key role of Product Manager. He experience; covering operations and both the has 10 years of experience as a systems engineer se ha pospuesto a finales de 2017 la revisión land based and internet gaming disciplines from in the gaming industry and his technical gubernamental sobre terminales de apuestas de a commercial perspective. knowledge will be an important asset in this, probabilidades fijas (FOBT). Está previsto que la one of Merkur Gaming’s fastest growing revisión se lleve a cabo en octubre como conse - taking on the role of New Media Marketing subsidiaries. cuencia de desacuerdos entre el gobierno del Reino Unido y la hacienda británica en aspectos relacionados con la regulación de terminales de Guard shot during a blackjack table and from other Chile apuestas de probabilidades fijas. players. When security guards Attack on Monticello tried to overpower him he shot Chilean lawmaker Ramón Farías bmD holdings, el promotor original de baha casino in the air wounding one of them. visited Macau for the first time Mar, el resort con casino en las islas Bahamas, last month , accompanied by desea que el gobierno imponga una moratoria en la Chile Defence lawyer Eduardo Navia José González Serrano, Consul conclusión de cualquier tipo de venta de Baha Mar y said that his client, who is General of Chile in Hong Kong que reabra el caso de investigación sobre el casino A guard on the duty at the Sun Palestinian but has permanent and Macau, and Sonia Chan, the contra los dueños de las instalaciones, Chow Tai Monticello casino has been shot residency in Chile, was suffering vice-president of the Macau Fook. and wounded after a failed from an undiagnosed gambling Association for the Promotion of robbery. According to police a addition and had lost 15m pesos Exchange between Asia-Pacific Casino miami y magic City Casino han dado la man identified as Stiven Mi (around US$22,000). and Latin America (MAPEAL). bienvenida al sistema de máquinas recreativas de Abuamsha (40), began shooting Lawmaker Chui Sai Peng 4 aciertos y a los gabinetes Premier Curved de EGT. into the air in the main gaming Chief prosecutor, Nayalet received the Chilean delegation Reel Games, el socio de EGT en los Estados Unidos, room of the casino located in Mansilla, has brought formal at the Legislative Assembly’s anunció el lanzamiento al mercado de ambos San Francisco de Mostazal, charges against the accused building. They discussed the modelos con la instalación de los 12 primeros gabi - around 50km from the Chilean including arson, robbery with legislative system and operation netes y con la firma de acuerdos adicionales para capital. violence resulting in serious of their respective governments. futuras instalaciones en centros ubicados en Esta - injuries, illegal possession of Farías was particularly dos Unidos. Investigators say that Abuamsha firearms and possession of sharp interested in the laws and entered the casino via an weapons. regulations regarding Macau’s el ente regulador de juegos de azar unguarded entrance and then set gaming industry. He believes Coljuegos ha concedido la primera licencia de jue - fire to a rug in the VIP area in In addition the casino refuted that the Chilean government can gos de azar en línea de Colombia a Aquila Global order to draw the attention of the defence saying that his learn from Macau’s Group. La empresa con sede en Medellín lanzará security guards away from the statements are unsupported as management of the gaming WPlay.co con el objetivo de conseguir 1.000.000 main gaming room. He then in his last visits to the casino he industry. The two sides also de usuarios registrados durante el período de entered the casino with his face had gambled less than $400 exchanged opinions on the validez del contrato, de forma que se crearán aprox - covered and fired a shot into the thousand (around US$600) via continuation of cooperation imadamente 3.000 puestos de trabajo. air and began to grab chips from slot machines on the premises. between Macau and Chile.

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online regulation tightens in the UK New regulations aimed at ensuring online operators offer all consumers in Britain emea the same tools to monitor their gambling have been introduced Die Kommunalverwaltung der in der region Bío-Bío gelegenen chilenischen Stadt Chillán The UK Gambling Commission is to bereitet die endgültige Schließung der illegal bring into effect new measures betriebenen sogenannten „Nachbarschaftskasi - nos“ vor, die trotz wiederholter Versuche der aimed at protecting online players Verwaltung, sie zu schließen, nach wie vor by granting them additional geöffnet sind. Die Spielhallen werden in einigen Fällen seit mehr als fünf Jahren betrieben, obwohl financial controls das sowohl gegen örtliches als auch gegen uK ONLINE GAMING staatliches Recht verstößt. Following a consultation earlier this year, new their consumers and the ease by which that sun International steht in den startlöchern, measures are being implemented by the UK information is accessible. The new requirements den Anteil an dem auf Lateinamerika konzentri - Gambling Commission to enhance protections seek to address this and ensure greater erten Spielbankbetreiber Sun Dreams auf fast 65 in place by helping consumers make informed consistency in the information available to Prozent zu erweitern. Sun International hat einem decisions about their online gambling activity. consumers regardless of who they choose to Geschäft zugestimmt, bei dem man gemeinsam gamble with. mit dem Co-Anteilseigner Nueva Inversiones The new requirements mean remote operators Pacifico Sur Limitada einen weiteren Anteil an Sun must ensure consumers are able to directly “Gambling operators must see beyond the Dreams im Umfang von 19,3 Prozent von der access three months’ worth of account and bottom line, and ensure both new and existing chilenischen Entretenimientos Del Sur Limitada gambling information, with a minimum period gambling products are effectively managing the übernimmt. of 12 months available on request. risks to the licensing objectives, keeping gambling safe and fair for all.” als einer der am schnellsten expandierenden They must ensure account and gambling history Spielautomatenanbieter auf dem amerikanischen provides easy to understand totals for a defined An updated remote gambling and software Kontinent hat die Unternehmensgruppe Merkur period (for example, the ability to be able to technical standards is now published, but Gaming Americas ihre Belegschaft mit Wirkung view transaction history for the previous two operators have until 1 April 2018 to ensure the von Juli um eine Reihe äußerst hochqualifizierter months). above requirements have been implemented. Fachleute verstärkt, die ihre vielseitigen There are a number of additional requirements Fähigkeiten jetzt einbringen werden, um dazu beizutragen, den Entwicklungs- und Expansion - They need to give consumers access to concerning information displayed to players that sprozess zu beschleunigen, der Merkur Gaming information about their net deposits (ie the will come into effect 1 October 2017. als eines der genauestens beobachteten running total of all deposits minus the sum of all Unternehmen in der US- und lateinamerikanis - withdrawals). Mrs McNair added: “Innovation and chen Glücksspielandschaft auszeichnet. technological advancement continues to drive They must also allow consumers to set financial growth in the £4.5billion a year online gambling Nachdem der abgabetermin für Gebote auf limits across their entire gambling account as market. We are seeing operators developing eine Zulassung für den Betrieb einer Spielbank in well as individual games. new gambling products and technologies every der Ferien- und Freizeitanlage Complejo Turístico day – something that it is vital to the further y Recreativo de Vila-Seca y Salou (vormals BCN Sharon McNair, programme director at the advancement of the sector. World) verstrichen war, wurde bekannt, dass Gambling Commission said: “Consumers must Melco International sich aufgrund der sich be able to make informed decisions about their “But as the industry transforms, operators are Verpflichtungen im Zusammenhang mit anderen online gambling activity. The findings of our reminded that we too will continue to adapt our geplanten Entwicklungsvorhaben gegen eine recent consultation indicate that there are regulation to raise standards across all gambling Beteiligung an dem aktuellen Ausschreibungsver - differences in approach amongst licensees in sectors and enhance the protections available fahren entschieden habe, wie das Unternehmen relation to the level of information available to for consumers.” in einer Pressemitteilung erklärte. Spain georgia Die Unternehmensgruppe GlI hat Nmi Metrology & Gaming nebst dem dazugehörigen Amatic approved for Spanish online market Yggdrasil Gaming has gone live Glücksspielableger (NMi Gaming) von NMi Certin in Georgia after agreeing a deal B.V. sowie den mit dieser verbundenen An extensive approval process, best gaming solutions for players with the country’s largest Gesellschaften übernommen. Diese Übernahme managed by the iGaming test- in Spain. That explains our success online operator, Adjarabet. The kommt den Kunden von NMi Gaming zugute, da institute NMi, has resulted in both with our electronic and our agreement will see Yggdrasil sie ihnen dank der 475 amtlichen Zulassungen, authorisations for all areas of multi-game solutions. Our games games available in the über die GLI in verschiedenen Staaten verfügt, online gaming within the Spanish make up part of the Spanish jurisdiction for the first time. It weltweiten Direktzugriff verschafft. Zudem nützt jurisdiction for Amatic’s AMANET. gaming culture and naturally the will also see the supplier's in- die Übernahme den Kunden von GLI, indem sie players want to enjoy them online. game promotional tools, dem Unternehmen eine Verbesserung seines A total of 27 games are now We are proud to say that this is BOOSt, including BRAG and Kundendienstes und größere Kundennähe available for play in the Spanish now possible”. Missions, provided to ermöglicht. online market, including Arising Adjarabet. tom Hutchinson, Phoenix, Bells on Fire and Leopold Öller, Director at Amatic, Head of Casino at Adjarabet, Das westaustralische Verbot von Kasinos auf Diamond Cats. Each game was who has a wealth of experience in said: “We are excited to make Kreuzfahrtschiffen ist von der Regierung im Zuge tested to fulfil the Spanish iGaming the Spanish market, added: “We use of Yggdrasil’s range of in- ihrer Bemühungen um eine Steigerung der laws and passed the test procedure are excited about gaining the game promotional tools, which Attraktivität der Region als Zielort für Kreuzfahrt - without effort. online certification for our Amanet have never before been gesellschaften aufgehoben worden. Kreuzfahrten games. We have been going from deployed in Georgia. We aim to erfreuen sich in Westaustralien wachsender “We are very much respected in the strength to strength in Spain. In maintain our position as the Beliebtheit, und es wird bereits erwartet, dass die Spanish land-based market,” said addition to our constant growth in leading online operator in Branche 275 Mio. AUD zum haushalt des Bun - Amatic’s Online Gaming Manager the land-based sector, the launch Georgia, and agreements such desstaates beisteuern wird, wovon ein Tatjana Bauer-Engstberger. “For of our games in the Spanish online as this one ensure we continue wesentlicher Anteil aus den Bruttoglücksspielein - many years we have continuously market is the next logical step for to raise the industry standard.” nahmen resultieren dürfte. placed our focus on providing the further success>”

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melco abandons spain Casino bid Casino investor Melco International Development has released a statement emea confirming that it will not be pursuing a licence for a casino near Barcelona, Playtech bGt sports (Pbs) hat seine Spain, concentrating instead on its licence in Cyprus Präsenz im Bereich der Selbstbedienungs- wettschalter (SSBT) bei unabhängigen Wettanbietern durch eine Fülle neuer Another blow for the BCN World Geschäftsvereinbarungen erheblich ausgebaut. In casino resort project as one of its den zurückliegenden Monaten wurden neue main supporters and potential Abschlüsse mit BG Bet, Wilf Gilbert, dem Victoria Gate Casino, Sean Graham und Star Sports May - licence holders and investors bails fair erzielt. out of its casino bid eine amtliche Überprüfung der SPAin CASINO OPERATIONS Eingabegeräte für Wetten mit festen Gewinn- quoten (FOBT) wurde auf einen späteren As the deadline passed to submit final bids for a underlined the company’s expansions plays, Zeitpunkt des Jahres verschoben. Die Prüfung soll casino licence to operate at the Complejo stating that they remains an important strategy infolge von Unstimmigkeiten hinsichtlich der für turístico y Recreativo de Vila-Seca y Salou, of the company. The firm, which includes Asian Eingabegeräte für Wetten mit festen (formerly BCN World), it was revealed that casino developer Melco Resorts and Gewinnquoten geltenden Bestimmungen zwis - Melco International had decided not to Entertainment, has gaming investments in chen der britischen Regierung und der participate in the current bidding process owing Macau, Philippines and Russia. Finanzverwaltung im Oktober stattfinden. to other “development projects in the pipeline.”. Reprioritising its plans in Europe, Melco Der Präsident des westafrikanischen staates Melco International was one of the casino International confirmed that it has been Gambia, Adama Barrow, hat eine Präsidialanord - groups involved in the bidding for a casino formally been awarded a licence to develop a nung zur Aufhebung des zweijährigen Verbotes von Glücksspielaktivitäten in dem Land erlassen. licence in the proposed development project in casino resort in the Republic of Cyprus. The Der präsidiale Zug zur Öffnung des Landes für Catalonia, the much maligned project proposed casino resort in the coastal town of legales Glücksspiel ist Teil weitreichender Refor - announced by the regional government in 2012. Limassol is expected to cost more than €500m men zur Modernisierung der Wirtschaft des The bidding process faced several delays and the (US$559m) to build. The scheme is said to afrikanischen Staates. conceptual plan for the new tourism and include 136 gambling tables and 1,200 gambling entertainment area was revised in 2016, cutting machines, while the adjoining hotel will have a Die bmD holdings, der ursprüngliche down the overall development area of the 500-room capacity, a health spa and 1,500-seat Erschließer von Baha Mar, der Spielbank- und project. concert hall. Freizeitanlage auf den Bahamas, verlangt von der Regierung eine Aussetzung des Verkaufs von Melco International thanked the government of The Melco group is also expanding its City of Baha Mar sowie die Wiederaufnahme des Ver - Catalonia “for its collaboration and guidance” Dreams Macau property and its tigre de Cristal fahrens gegen den Eigentümer der Spielbank throughout the bidding process. It added: “Melco casino resort in Russia. In addition, the company Chow Tai Fook. International is looking forward to keep working is hoping to be one of the successful bidders for with the Catalan government, the local properties in Japan, once the tender process Die Kartellbehörde der Usa (ftC) blockiert authorities and local partners for exploring brings. Mr Ho has made clear his intentions to die Fusion der beiden größten Anbieter täglicher future opportunities at the Centre for Recreation be part of the gaming infrastructure as it opens Online-Fantasiesportereignisse, DraftKings und and tourism.” in Japan, stating that Melco would “absolutely FanDuel, weil man davon ausgeht, dass das spend whatever we need to win” a casino fusionierte Unternehmen mehr als 90 Prozent Melco International Chairman, Lawrence Ho licence in Japan.” des US-Marktes für zahlungspflichtige tägliche Fantasiesportwettkämpfe kontrollieren würde. hard Rock affirms be developed by phases in the next years. Cyprus commitment to its Die spielbank miami und das magic City Kasino haben das Jackpotsystem 4 happy hits resort in Catalonia Phase 1 will be headlined by Melco Resorts & Entertainment: und die geschwungenen Premier-Automatenge - the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Melco International (MLCO) has häuse von EGT in Empfang genommen. Reel Spain tarragona integrated resort. signed a contract to be the first Games, das Partnerunternehmen von EGT in den The Hard Rock integrated and only casino resort licence in USA, meldet die Einführung beider Modelle in den Hard Rock International has resort will also include a Cyprus. Melco International held dortigen Markt durch die Aufstellung der ersten announced details of its Hard collaboration with a majority stake in Melco 12 Gehäuse sowie die Unterzeichnung weiterer Rock Entertainment World PortAventura on the Resorts signed the first and only Verträge über kommende Vorhaben in Spielstät - proposal, which is slated to be development of a family- casino resort licence with the ten in den USA. one of the largest resort oriented hotel of up to 500 government of The Republic of destinations in Europe. The rooms, and Value Retail on a Cyprus. Melco International has Die spielbank- und freizeitanlage Pacific project, located in Vila-seca luxury tourism shopping also entered into an contract to Resort von Imperial, die gerade in Saipan errichtet and Salou (tarragona), Spain, destination of approximately assume majority stake of 70.74 wird, öffnet ihren Glücksspielbereich spätestens will consist of a unique 10,000sq.m, featuring more per cent shareholding in the am 15. Juli, obwohl das 250-Zimmer-hotel combination of hotels and than 75 shops. Cyrus casino resort project by anders als in den Geschäftsbedingungen fest - convention areas, with world- acquiring Hard Rock’s entire gelegt noch nicht eröffnet worden ist. class entertainment, dining Hard Rock Entertainment interest in the project. The and shopping. This project is World will bring thousands of acquisition completion is subject stanley ho, der einst als „König des defined through a complete new jobs and foreign direct to the approval of the Cyprus Glücksspiels“ bekannte Kasinomagnat aus Zoning Plan already approved investments. Phase one Government. The Company Macau, legt den Vorstandsvorsitz bei Shun Tak by the Catalan Government, minimum investment is currently holds 35.37 per cent of holdings nieder. ho, der den Mischkonzern aus with a maximum capacity of expected to exceed €600m the company formed between hongkong 1972 gegründet hat, übergibt das 745.000sq.m for all the and is estimated to create more the Company, HR Cyprus Zepter an seine Tochter Pansy ho. Dem 1921 in different uses and an estimated than 11,500 direct and indirect Investor, and Cyprus Phasouri hongkong geborenen, heute 95-jährigen ho wird global investment of €2bn, construction and ongoing jobs (Zakaki) Limited. CPZL currently die Verwandlung Macaus in eine hochburg des including the cost of the land and an economic impact to the holds the remaining 29.26 per Glücksspiels zugeschrieben. and infrastructures needed, to region of more than €1.3bn. cent interest in the company.

P14 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM Codere revenues a reward for Investment Gaming operator Codere has reported revenues of €1.8bn, an increase of 14.4 per cent over 2015. Investments made by the Group in 2016 exceeded €120m, with emea 62.3 per cent allocated to gaming halls in Mexico, Argentina and Europe

Codere Group Chairman and CEO, José Antonio Martinez Sampedro, calls this year one of restoring growth and recovering competitvie capacity SPAin OPERATOR NEWS

Despite two currency depreciations in Argentina remaining 50 per cent for €31m. In this process, SPAIn – AMATIC Industries has delivered its and Mexico both of which have had a significant the Hotel Casino Carrasco fee has been 1,000th Roulette Grand Jeu to Spain. This success impact on the company’s accounts, the Codere renegotiated, which should allow us to has been made possible on the one hand thanks to Group has increased its EBIDtA in 2016 to overcome the negative results that it has been the sheer quality and longevity of the Roulette €343.9m, an increase of 16.7 per cent. dragging along until now.” Grand Jeu, alongside its style and game design. Investments made by the Group in 2016 exceeded €120m, with 62.3 per cent of this In 2016, Argentina generated income of having the right partner in Spain has also been being allocated to the maintenance and €538.9m for Codere, up 18.5 per cent from 2015. decisive. Grupo Comatel is AMATIC’s long-standing renovation of gaming halls in Mexico, Argentina Mexico generated €329.8m, down 7.2 per cent partner. Due to the tireless efforts of Fidel Molina and Europe. whilst revenues in Spain grew by 9.2 per cent and his team, the Valencian based company has reaching €170.3m. In Panama, income fell by 5.1 grown to become a major player in the Spanish José Antonio Martínez Sampedro, Codere per cent whilst Colombia fell by 13.9 per cent. gaming market. Group’s Chairman and CEO, said: “This year our The company’s casino in Carrasco saw income investments have increased with the aim of fall by €13.7m to €14.2 MM, due to the volatility Comatel celebrated in style the inauguration of its restoring growth and recovering our competitive in the VIP table sector in the first half of 2017. new facilities in Valencia in July. This was the perfect capacity. Compared with €65.9m in 2015, in opportunity for AMATIC’s Director, Leopold Öller, to 2016 we have reached €120.2m, which Looking to the future, Mr. Sampedro added: “We present an exclusive commemorative award to Mr. represents an 82.4 per cent increase. The already know that in 2017 we will be, once Molina. greatest group investment has been made in again, facing the challenge of making our Uruguay, where debts have been capitalised in project development plans compatible with the “This is a very special occasion”, commented Mr. Carrasco Nobile, therefore now we own 100 per increase in tax burden initiatives in some of our Öller. “Indeed it’s the best event I have ever cent of the company’s share capital, and Hípica key markets. We are confident that we will attended. It has such a wonderful blend of Rioplatense, where we have acquired the succeed.” entertainment, hospitality and professionalism. Spanish players really enjoy playing our roulette as GVC goes live with benefited from working with gambia well as our gaming machines. AMATIC is a one of the world’s leading household name in the Spanish gaming market. most popular Blueprint manufacturers who continue The president of the west African The whole team at AMATIC is thankful for the great slot games to follow their proud German state of Gambia, Adama Barrow, work Fidel and his team has done throughout the heritage by creating market- has officially issued a years and continues to do every day. What a leading content. presidential order that will lift a fantastic day - and what a fantastic achievement. UK two-year ban on gambling here’s to many more years working together,” Matt Cole, MD of Blueprint activities in the country. The enthused Mr. Öller. GVC Holdings, the multi- Gaming, said: “This is a really President’s move to open up the national sports betting and exciting deal for Blueprint country to legalised gambling is UK – Playtech BGT Sports (PBS) has significantly gaming group, has gone live Gaming. GVC have been a part of sweeping reforms to increased its SSBT presence in independent today with Blueprint Gaming’s tremendous success story over modernise African nation bookmakers with a host of new commercial innovative casino games the past few years and have economies. Lotteries, sports agreements. New deals have been signed with BG content, including Jackpot some hugely powerful brands. betting and casinos were Bet, Wilf Gilbert, Victoria Gate Casino, Sean Graham King, GVC’s first ever third to see Blueprint games on prohibited in 2015 under the and Star Sports Mayfair over recent months. party jackpot. those websites is a real thrill. leadership of the immediate “We’re committed and former president Yahya Likewise, the following independent operators have Blueprint Gaming, a UK-based passionate about creating the Jammeh. Mr. Barrow assumed extended their current deals with PBS: Corbett’s, game studio and part of the best games in the business and presidency in January and is Toals, Bet Sid, Toolan’s, GR8Odds and S&D. The Gauselmann Group, will be look forward to rolling out carrying out sweeping reforms improved contracts will see average terminal providing 30 of its popular more exciting content across that are expected to modernize density levels double in these shops. slots to GVC, which will be GVC’s brands.” the country’s economy. The available across the group’s lifting of the gambling ban is PBS’ SSBT offering has helped bookmakers boost portfolio of brands, including GVC’s Chief Product Officer, part of the new government’s incremental revenue and margins in recent years as bwin and Sportingbet. Liron Snir said: “We’re really plan to turn Gambia into a hub customers take to the increased choice and pleased to have gone live with for local and foreign investors. functionality which terminals provide over the The rollout includes four Blueprint and give our players The move is also expected to traditional over-the-counter service. Jackpot King games – top Cat, the chance to play some of the create much needed Slots O’ Gold, Super Spinner best games in the industry. It’s employment in a country where John Pettit, MD for UK, Ireland, Asia, and Australia at Bar X and Worms Reloaded – our aim to provide as engaging over 50 per cent of the youth are Playtech BGT Sports, said: “The various deals we which will kick start the an experience as possible, unemployed. The ban was so have signed with new and existing operators alike Jackpot King progressive which is why our partnership severe that the Gambian police prove that there is a hunger amongst independent product across GVC’s network. with Blueprint can only help and military had been mandated operators to adapt and thrive in the space, offering As a subsidiary of Merkur us in our mission to be the to conduct crackdowns on any their customers the increased range of betting Gaming, Blueprint has world’s best online casino.” perceived gambling locations. opportunities they now expect.”

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P1[ Vikings to open sanary sur mer in 2018 Having defeated all legal and administrative efforts launched against the casino emea project, the municipality of Sanary sur Mer finally sees the end of the road

Construction on Vikings Casinos’ Sanary sur Mer, on the southeast coast of France, is to begin in September having cleared all legal hurdles FrAnce CASINO LICENCES

GERmAny – APEX Gaming has installed its Fifteen years after the municipality opened, or From the outset, the building will be ground Shuffle King II electronic and fully automatic card rather reopened, since a casino had already floor level only, blending into the landscape, shuffler within its own poker tables at the casino been in operation between 1936 and 1952, a new with a total floor area of 2 ,550sq.m, including Spielbank Saarbrücken in Germany. gaming establishment will begin operations by 500sq.m for the games room, a 560sq.m theatre, the end of 2018. Ferdinand Bernhard, the Mayor 180sq.m piano bar and 229sq.m for the dining Spielbank Saarbrücken is the flagship casino in the of Sanary sur Mer, showcased the plans put area, accommodating 96 indoor and 60 covers state of Saarland, belonging to the casino group forth by the group Vikings Casinos, and whose outside on the terrace. Saarland Spielbanken. The ShUFFLE KING II card construction is expected to start in September. shuffler from APEX gaming shuffles a full deck of The roof of the structure is to be fully planted 52 cards automatically and randomly in two cycles The future casino will be located on a plot of with appropriate vegitation to ensure that the in just over 30 seconds. It can shuffle both paper 15,000sq.m, adjacent to the Bois du Colombet, property blends into its surroundings, while the and plastic cards, checking each time that 52 cards an area of 50,000sq.m. With the construction of walls of the building are to be made of local have been counted – should the card deck not be a road interchange in 2019, the tricky to navigate stone. The wooden structures of the terraces and 52, it reports this immediately to the croupier. location will be easily accessible from toulon entrance patio, bathed in the natural light, will and Marseille in the near future. emphasise the interior spaces and their “The tests with the ShUFFLE KING II proved to be extension into the outside. excellent. This product is ideal for our poker tables”, Sanary is intercalated between the neighbouring explained Thomas Kliebenstein from Spielbank communes of Bandol to the east and La Seyne At the cultural level, the casino will host at least Saarbrücken. “It is simple to use and has increased sur Mer, which already offers a gaming 35 events, including three national shows. establishment. The casino Vikings wants to our productivity. It is a great help for our croupiers Finally, within four to five years, the who can now focus on the game, our customers distinguish itself from its competitors by creating a more sophisticated and conservative construction of a hotel is also planned at the site and offer more games per hour. Furthermore, I at an estimated cost of 8.3m euros. The total must say that it is excellent value for money.” offering which it describes as “rather sober and less marked "bling-bling." amount of the casino-hotel package is €30m. APEX Gaming has provided the ShUFFLE KING II card shufflers complete within their own poker tables. “We can provide complete solutions. For Fixed Odds Betting exactly why it has previously UK casinos looking to install new poker tables, then we expressed its concern about can offer the table with the ShUFFLE KING II Terminals review the impact that the reduction BetConstruct is expanding its already installed. Naturally, we offer the ShUFFLE pushed to October of fixed-odds betting terminals games catalogue and looking to KING II by itself to be retrofitted into poker tables stakes would have on the inject some boom with unique already at the casino. We are flexible in our UK revenue portion received from slots by Booming Games. Just approach and can provide the service of offering such operators. some of the acclaimed titles to table designs to suit our customer requirements”, A governmental review of be added are Booming Seven explained Ricardo Gröhlich, International Sales fixed-odds betting terminals The difference in the opinions Deluxe, Classico, Monster Manager at APEX gaming. (FOBts) has been postponed of the UK Government and the Munchies, Cherry Bomb Deluxe until later in 2017. The review is UK Department for Culture, and Desert Drag, available on set to take place in October, Media and Sport has provoked desktop and mobile devices. following disagreements on the the review’s delay, with the “We look forward to being able matters concerning fixed-odds decision of the Government to offer Booming Games betting terminals’ regulation being further complicated by portfolio. Packed with slots between the UK Government the fact that the Democratic configured to a multitude of and the treasury. Unionist party’s members of volatilities, backed by solid Parliament have given their mathematical foundations, and Recently, fixed-odds betting support for the reduction of set within a diverse selection of terminals have been put under maximum FOBt stakes from unique and classical themes, a lot of criticism due to the fact £100 to as much as £2. they are sure to satisfy our they have been considered diverse client base,” says UK – At the fifth annual Small Cap awards highly addictive. The review In the G3 interview this month Satenik Danielyan, ceremony held on Thursday 22nd June 2017 in over the FOBts is being with Hippodrome owner, BetConstruct’s Head of Gaming London, Quixant is pleased to announce that its conducted by the Department Simon Thomas, he states that Operations. CEO, Nick Jarmany (above centre), won the for Culture, Media and Sport. while the recent UK election Booming Games Head of prestigious Executive Director of the Year award. has pushed back the trienniel Business Development, Frederik The award recognised the outstanding There are over 34,000 fixed- Review, the UK’s review of its Niehusen added: “BetConstruct performance of Quixant since its listing on the odds betting terminals on the gaming machine sector, FOBts has an impeccable track record London Stock Exchange in 2013, during which time territory of the UK. They are likely to be targeted with in providing software solutions revenues have grown by 319 per cent and profits acount for annual taxes restrictions while UK casinos for the gaming market. We look by 176 per cent. This has led to the value of the amounting to £400 million – a are hoping to be able to site 80 forward to working with such shares in the company increasing over 800 per sum that UK Government can machines per location, 60 accomplishes experts in the cent over the four years as a public company. not afford to lose. This is more than at present. iGaming industry.”

P1\ NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM Portugal online market off to a flyer The online gaming market in Portugal generated €82.2m in the first 10 months of it being regulated according to a report published by the regulatory body emea

Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ), Portugal’s gaming regulatory body, has completed its first report on the online gaming sector in the country PorTuGAl ONLINE GAMING

Portugal’s sports-betting sector generated a Younger players, on the other hand, make up SWITzERLAnD – The Swiss Federation of Casinos total of €57m between May 2016 and the end of almost 30 per cent of the total registered (SFC) has reported that land-based casinos made March 2017. According to the SRIJ in 2016 sports players. Players resident in the districts of Aveiro an overall gross profit of ChF689m ($711 million) betting operators obtained close to €40.2m in and Setúbal make up more than 15 per cent of last year, which represents an increase of 1.2 per gross revenue, but revenues decreased by 18.6 the total. The lowest number of players are cent from the previous year, the first such increase per cent between the third and the fourth registered in Portalegre (less than 1 per cent). since 2007, with a total of 21 casinos reporting they quarter from €22.2m to €18m. When it came to sports betting football reported have boosted their profit. however, despite the the highest volume of bets (75 per cent). This figures showing a much-needed positive sign for In the first quarter of 2017, gross income stood at was followed by tennis (15.2 per cent) and gambling venues in Switzerland, profits have still €17.4m, a decrease of 3.3 per cent compared to basketball (7 per cent). not risen back to the high levels they were at when the last quarter of 2016. gambling was first legalised in the country in 2004. Back in 2012 it was revealed that a government The first licence to run online casino games was committee was looking into legalising online The expected legalisation of online gambling in the granted in July 2016. From July until March 2017 gambling in order to raise cash for state pension country will likely provide a further welcome boost gross revenues reached €25.1m. Online slots funds and to aid debt-ridden soccer clubs. This in gambling profits, easing the reliance on land- accounted for 34 per cent. Cash game poker was after a Portuguese court ruled that the based gaming venues. Despite casinos in made up 23 per cent. tournament poker made sponsorship of sports by online gambling Switzerland looking like they are now finally on the up 9 per cent. Roulette accounted for 22 per cent companies was illegal. Under previous rules up again, the small increase in profit for the first and Blackjack 11 per cent. only the state-run charity Santa Casa de time in seven years means this will likely be seen Misericordia de Lisboa could offer sports betting as just a first step to consistently increasing the There are currently 523,000 registered players in and lotteries. The Government approved rules amount of money made at the land based venues. Portugal. According to the latest data more than for online gambling and betting on April 29, 60 per cent of players are aged between the ages 2015. Since the, the SRIJ has received 19 HOLLAnD – SUZOhAPP has of 25 and 44, with the predominant group being applications from operators who wish to operate appointed Evrim Özsoy as Vice made up of those in the 25 to 34 year old bracket in the Portuguese online betting market and President of Retail Sales for its (about 40 per cent). awarded six licenses. EMA Components Division.

Evrim brings with her a 13-year Berlin court dismisses Berlin outlined that claims of track record of success in Novomatic may neither be leadership and sales. Before joining SUZOhAPP, Novomatic’s based on trademark law nor on Evrim led teams and delivered outstanding results France infringement claim competition law. The District as Country Sales Manager at Diebold and as Court of Berlin did not Account Manager at NCR. her extensive On June 23, a player at the germany recognise an illegitimate use of experience, coupled with her degree in Electronic Partouche casino of La Grande essential game elements. Engineering, gives her a significant amount of in- Motte (Hérault) won 2.795.195 The District Court of Berlin has depth knowledge of the industry. euros (before levies) on one of dismissed Novomatic AG's Vladimir Dokov, CEO of EGt, the slot machines connected to claim for injunctive relief, commented: "We were very FRAnCE – The commune of Megève (haute- the French casino operator’s information and damages confident that the District Savoie) decided at its last municipal council Megapot, the progressive against Euro Games Court of Berlin would dismiss meeting, to move the site of operation of its casino, multi-site jackpot of the group technology. the claim. We considered the leading to a call for applicants. The council intends Partouche, which connects 188 allegations as unfounded from for the the casino to cross the street from its machines of 39 casinos. In October, 2016, Novomatic the beginning, as our products current location and incorporate gaming into an AG informed via a press are highly innovative and our existing nightclub and restaurant facilities. It had been five months since release that it was initiating R&D department focuses on the Megapot had been hit at the court proceedings against Euro current and modern The renovation of the nightclub, restoration and La tremblade (Charente- Games technology based in technologies. installation of the casino is estimated at €3.5m as Maritime), which occured on Sofia and its German sales part of a 20-year public service contract. The the 20th of January, rewarding partner D-Systems GmbH. “We will continue to expand seasonal casino would be open from December 15 the then Megapot winner with our market position on the to April 15 and from June 15 to September 15. The a jackpot of €2.6m. The new Novomatic took the view that basis of our own developments municipal levy is currently 8.5 per cent for Casino Megapot has since been re- several games offered by Euro and advanced know-how,” de Megève-Mont Blanc. Since its acquisition in seeded with a minimum Game technology commented Mr. Dokov about March 2014 to the group Malortigue, the 800,000 euros prize. Since ‘systematically and unfairly the future of the company. establishment is operated by the group Lucien March 2009, more than €67m use essential elements Barrière. It had been ceded with the casino of Cap have been distributed to the (including the reel strips) of Novomatic said it was d'Adge (hérault). Partouche Group’s 57 Megapot well-established Novomatic checking the decision of the winners, all of whom have games.’ Immediately following court in detail and that it was The casino of Megève, with a PBJ of €2,379,644, become millionaires. the oral hearing on May 9, very likely that the company ranked 176th out of 200 French casinos at the end 2017, the District Court of would file an appeal. of the 2015-2016 season.

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P1] bmD attempts to halt baha mar sale Sarkis Izmirlian’s BMD Holdings claims the sale of Baha Mar amounts to norTh ameriCa state-sponsored discrimination, contrary to the laws and constitution of the Bahamas, and sets an ‘awful’ precedent for foreign investment in the Bahamas la municipalité de la ville de Chillán, située dans la région de Bio Bío au Chili, se prépare à fer - mer définitivement les casinos dits « de quartier » A BMD statement calls for a ouverts illégalement malgré les tentatives succes - sives du gouvernement pour les fermer. Les salles moratorium on the completion of de machines à sous sont ouvertes depuis plus de the sale and other transactions cinq ans pour certaines malgré le fait qu'elles sont en infraction avec les lois locales et nationales rela - resulting from the deal struck by tives aux jeux d'argent. the former government

Une révision gouvernementale des terminaux bAHAMAS CASINO OPERATIONS de paris à cote fixe (FOBT) vient d'être repoussée à fin 2017. La révision devrait avoir lieu en octobre BMD Holdings, the original developer of Baha former Attorney General. The giveaways laid out suite à des désaccords entre le gouvernement Mar, the casino resort in the Bahamas, wants the in the Heads of terms by the Christie britannique et le Trésor au sujet de la réglementa - government to place a moratorium on the administration to China EXIM Bank and Chow tion qui régit les terminaux de paris à cote fixe. completion of any sale of Baha Mar and reopen tai Fook are egregious and an insult to the the casino investigation case into the venue’s Bahamian people,” it added. “What else did the bmD holdings, le promoteur de baha mar, un owners Chow tai Fook. BMD said it had former administration do in its desperation to complexe avec casino situé dans les Bahamas, reviewed the Heads of terms regarding get any kind of a deal to announce related to the souhaite que le gouvernement impose un mora - concessions agreed upon by the previous sale of Baha Mar to try to win reelection and toire sur la finalisation de la vente du complexe et Government of The Bahamas, the China EXIM feather the economic nest of its members? The rouvre l'enquête en incluant les propriétaires du site, Bank, and China State Construction with Heads of terms is only one document of many Chow Tai Fook. respect to the yet to be completed sale of Baha about the former government's secret dealings Mar to Chow tai Fook. on Baha Mar and the only document made l'instance de contrôle des jeux Coljuegos public thus far. It is a bread crumb trail to many vient d'attribuer la première licence de jeux de "These documents confirm the nation's fears other referenced documents that must be vetted Colombie à Aquila Global Group. Cette entreprise that the previous administration had engaged in to determine the extent of the improper basée à Medellin lancera WPlay.co avec pour objec - the wholesale giveaway of hundreds of millions giveaways; the individual benefits to have been tif d'atteindre le chiffre de 1 000 000 d'utilisateurs of dollars in tax waivers and concessions that received by former PLP administration officials inscrits pendant la durée du contrat, créant ainsi 3 the country could not afford and that rightfully in return; and the longer term economic and 000 emplois. should have been earmarked for The Bahamian social destruction implications to The Bahamas people, solely to facilitate a charade of a sale in of the so-called sale of Baha Mar.” sun International devrait augmenter la part the lead up to the general election last May,” de capital qu'il détient de Sun Dreams, l'opérateur said BMD. “The agreement raises the concern BMD added that it was ‘outrageous’ that the de casinos qui opère sur le sol sud-américain, pour about the corruption and self-dealing by Christie administration would agree to grant atteindre presque 65 %. Sun International vient de members of the previous Government, even 1,200 new Chinese work permits to CCA when conclure un contrat de partenariat avec son homo - beyond the now public self-dealing by the Bahamian workers should finish the resort. logue Nueva Inversiones Pacifico Sur Limitada pour acquérir 19,3 % supplémentaires de parts de Sun US Dreams auprès d’Entretenimientos Del Sur Limi - tada au Chili. The Federal Trade Commission is blocking the merger of the two en tant que l'une des sociétés de jeux à la largest daily fantasy sports sites, croissance la plus rapide en Amérique du Nord et DraftKings and FanDuel, du Sud, Merkur Gaming Americas a décidé d'em - alleging that the combined firm baucher, embauche qui prendra effet dès juillet, une would control more than 90 per palette de professionnels extrêmement qualifiés cent of the US market for paid qui mettront leurs diverses compétences au serv - daily fantasy sports contests. ice du développement et de l'expansion qui font de The FTC, jointly with the Offices Merkur Gaming l'une des entreprises de jeux les of the Attorneys General in the plus suivies du paysage nord et latino-américain. AGEM/AGA/JCM Golf to have the opportunity to State of California and the Classic breaks produce the AGEM/AGA Golf District of Columbia, will file a alors que la date limite pour soumettre les Classic. The NCRG, its staff, and complaint in federal district candidatures finales pour obtenir une licence de fundraising records its mission play a vital role in court seeking a preliminary casino pour le complexe Complejo Turístico y the gaming industry, and we injunction to stop the deal and to Recreativo de Vila-Seca y Salou est dépassée nevada are humbled to play a small maintain the status quo pending (anciennement BCN World), il s'est avéré que Melco role in helping them achieve an administrative trial. Speaking International a décidé de ne pas participer à l'appel The gaming industry broke all success. We are thankful to the in a joint statement, DraftKings d'offres du fait de son engagement dans d'autres previous fundraising records at many players and sponsors chief executive Jason Robins and projets de développement en cours, a affirmé l'en - the 19th annual AGEM/AGA from across the industry who his FanDuel counterpart, Nigel treprise dans un communiqué de presse. Golf Classic Presented by JCM joined us in raising the bar and Eccles, said: “We are Global, bringing in an breaking all fundraising disappointed by this decision le Casino miami et le magic City Casino astounding $155,000. Proceeds records for this event,” said and continue to believe that a viennent d'accueillir le système de jackpot 4 happy directly benefit research JCM VP tom Nieman. merger is in the best interests of hits et les consoles Premier Curved du groupe EGT. conducted by the National our players, our companies, our Reel Games, le partenaire d'EGT aux États-Unis, Center for Responsible Gaming. A total of 144 players joined 21 employees and the fantasy vient d'annoncer le lancement des deux modèles to date, the Golf Classic has sponsors in supporting the Golf sports industry.” sur le marché, a installé les 12 premières consoles raised more than $1.7m to Classic. Premier sponsors According to the FTC’s et l'entreprise vient de signer d'autres contrats pour advance the NCRG’s research. included AGEM, AGA, CPI, G2E, complaint, DraftKings and de futures installations sur les sites des casinos JCM Global, Konami, and FanDuel are each other’s most américains. “We are honoured and grateful Scientific Games. significant competitor.

P18 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM

GlI Group acquires Nmi Gaming The GLI Group has announced the acquisition of rival gaming laboratory, NMi norTh ameriCa Gaming, bringing expanded global reach to NMi gaming clients

Quinze ans après la décision de la municipalité d'ouvrir (ou plutôt de rouvrir, GLI Group has confirmed the puisqu'un casino a fonctionné entre 1936 et acquisition of rival testing 1952) un nouvel établissement de jeu, celui-ci sera apte à accueillir le public d'ici fin 2018. Ferdi - laboratory, NMi Gaming, bringing nand Bernhard, maire de Sanary sur Mer, vient de together the world’s biggest dévoiler les plans élaborés par le groupe Vikings Casinos. La construction devrait démarrer en sep - games testing facilities tembre. uS SUPPLIER NEWS le groupe GlI vient d'acquérir Nmi metrology & Gaming et ses actifs liés aux jeux (NMi Gaming) The GLI Group has acquired NMi Metrology & acquisition of NMi Gaming, we have created auprès de NMi Certin, B.V. et d'autres parties Gaming and related gaming assets (NMi synergies that are beneficial to both NMi and afférentes. Cette acquisition bénéficiera aux clients Gaming) from NMi Certin, B.V. and related GLI clients and provides additional bandwidth de NMi Gaming puisque GLI devient accessible parties. The acquisition benefits NMi Gaming’s for even greater customer service.” dans l'ensemble du monde via ses 475 juridictions clients by providing them with instant global accréditées. Cette transaction s'avère d'autant reach through GLI’s accredited 475 jurisdictions. NMi Gaming’s Andrew Rosewarne said, “This is plus profitable aux clients de GLI puisque l'entre - Additionally, the transaction benefits GLI’s an excellent opportunity for our customers, as prise est dorénavant en mesure de leur offrir une clients by allowing the firm to provide even this allows us to leverage GLI’s worldwide meilleure qualité de service et d'attention. greater levels of service and attention. coverage while retaining the dynamism of our independent operations.” la federal trade Commission bloque NMi Gaming has offices in the UK, the actuellement la fusion des deux plus grands sites Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Canada and will NMi Gaming’s Dr. Richard Edwards added, de paris sportifs virtuels quotidiens, DraftKings and continue to operate under the NMi brand name “GLI’s unrivalled jurisdictional expertise, FanDuel, en mettant en avant le fait que l'entité for the foreseeable future. Customers can expect coupled with our team’s technological, issue de l’association de ces deux groupes con - a “business-as-usual” approach while also problem-solving mindset promise to make this trôlerait plus de 90 % du marché américain des being able to leverage GLI’s global presence to an exciting new chapter in the ongoing compétitions sportives virtuelles payantes. grow and enhance NMi Gaming’s services. GLI development of the business.” President and CEO James Maida said, “Over the l'Imperial Pacific resort, le complexe avec last two years, the GLI Group has completed GLI MD of EMEA Martin Britton said, “The casino permanent construit à Saipan, ouvrira les multiple strategic acquisitions, such as compliance industry has come to know Richard portes de son casino le 15 juillet et ce indépen - Bulletproof, Kobetron Inc. and Gaming Edwards and Andrew Rosewarne as outstanding damment de l'ouverture de son hôtel de 250 Informatics LLC., which further enhance our leaders in their field. Adding their expertise and chambres qui, d'après les conditions générales de business offerings and increase the level of the NMi Gaming team to the GLI Group is an vente, devait ouvrir à la même date. customer service that the GLI Group provides to alliance that affords complementary services our gaming clients globally. Now, with the that clients of both companies can leverage.” l'australie occidentale vient de lever l'interdiction des bateaux de croisières avec casino intégré afin de rendre la région plus attractive pour nevada Connecticut les sociétés de croisière. Les bateaux de croisière Governor signs legislation for third casino sont de plus en plus populaires en Australie Occi - Scientific Games has completed dentale, ils devraient représenter un chiffre the acquisition of long-time d'affaires de 275 millions de dollars dans business partner Lapis Software l'économie nationale, dollars provenant majori - Associates. Although terms of tairement des revenus bruts issus des jeux. the deal were not disclosed, it was confirmed that all existing stanley ho, le magnat des casinos de Lapis staff have been employed Macao, surnommé le « King of Gambling », vient by Scientific Games and will de démissionner de son poste de PDG de Shun continue to support Lapis Tak holdings. M. ho a fondé le conglomérat de customers. Lapis is an hong Kong en 1972, et transmets le relais à sa fille, international supplier of lottery Pansy ho. Né à hong Kong en 1921, M. ho, âgé de sales force and retail Connecticut has moved a step closer to getting its third casino with 95 ans, est connu pour avoir transformé Macao en performance applications Governor Dannel Malloy signing legislation permitting the joint venture épicentre du jeu. ‘gem │Intelligence’ and project between the state’s two gaming tribes to go ahead. The state’s ‘gemRetailer’, and also offers current casino operators, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, owners of le président de la Gambie, un état situé en technology consulting services, Foxwoods and the Mohegan Tribe, owners of Mohegan Sun, have united to Afrique de l'Ouest, vient d'émettre un décret prési - focusing on high-performance, form the MMCT Venture. They want to build a satellite casino in East dentiel qui lève l'interdiction de deux ans qui mission-critical distributed Windsor with the aim of preventing the flow of potential players to a new touchait les jeux d'argent dans le pays. La applications. As part of the deal, US$950m MGM casino across the state border in Springfield, démarche du président d'ouvrir le pays aux jeux gem │Intelligence’ and Massachusetts. Governor Malloy said: “Over the years, our state has d'argent légaux fait partie des réformes en cours ‘gemRetailer’, will remain intact maintained a long-standing partnership and compact with the Mohegan destinées à moderniser les économies nationales in the market. “We have enjoyed and Mashantucket Pequot tribal nations, who employ thousands of en Afrique. a long and strategic relationship Connecticut residents at their casinos. Make no mistake about it, the with Scientific Games; now, we legislation I signed today is about jobs for the residents of Connecticut, Playtech bGt sports (Pbs) vient d'accroître will approach our collaborative, and securing those jobs in our state.” sa présence SSBT de manière significative chez customised solutions as one les bookmakers indépendants via de nombreux team, driven by the desire to Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chairman Rodney Butler said: "The accords commerciaux. De nouveaux accords ont innovate the best products and governor has signed one of the most significant jobs bills passed by the été signés ces derniers mois avec BG Bet, Wilf experiences in the world for our General Assembly this legislative session. With so much at stake, we can't Gilbert, Victoria Gate Casino, Sean Graham et May - lottery customers,” Lapis thank him and his partners in the legislature enough for standing with us fair, la star des jeux sportifs. president Jean Lombard said. in our fight to save jobs and revenue in Connecticut."

P20 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM Pennsylvania Creeps Closer to online The Senate and the House of Representatives have been battling over a gaming reform package, though both sides are hoping online will balance the state budget norTh ameriCa

Pennsylvania’s state spending bill was passed by both Houses, but failed to explain where the money would come from, if not from online gaming PennSylvAniA ONLINE GAMING

In an 11th-hour vote the US Senate and the license. That would lead to an estimated 40,000 nEVADA – Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and House of Representatives passed Pennsylvania’s new slot machines in bars, taverns, truck stops, Aristocrat Americas Managing Director Matt Wilson state spending bill, but we’ve yet to learn where and off-track-betting parlours. were joined by Clark County Commissioner Susan that money is going to come from, since by law Brager and Kevin T. Orrock, President, Summerlin, Pennsylvania must pass a balanced budget. Authorisation of VGts would be a massive The howard hughes Corporation and dozens of expansion of gambling in the state that goes too Aristocrat employees to break ground on Throughout June the Pennsylvania House and far for the Senate and it looked like the VGt Aristocrat’s new two-building campus in Summerlin Senate have been battling over a gaming reform issue might derail the entire gaming reform in west Las Vegas. Aristocrat’s new campus will package. Both sides are banking on the bill to package, as the House didn’t want to give in to consist of two three-story structures and house help balance the US$32bn budget. The issues the Senate, or displace online gambling in the more than 600 employees. The campus will be a debated included fixing the local share tax issue; gaming reform package. hub for the company’s Class III Americas team, legalising and regulating online gambling in helping to support customers across North America, Pennsylvania; legalising and regulating daily It is expected, therefore, that VGts will be a Latin America, and the Caribbean. fantasy sports; authorising the Pennsylvania casualty of the final bill as both the Governor lottery to sell products online; authorising tablet and Pennsylvania’s casino operators are almost gaming at certain Pennsylvania airports; and unanimously against VGts. “This proposal removing the Category 3 amenity requirement would destroy the brick-and-mortar casino for a one-time fee. industry and risk the nearly $1.4bn in tax revenues that these establishments generate Aside from some quibbles over the tax rate annually,” said Michael Bailey, a spokesperson placed on online gambling in Pennsylvania, the for Pennsylvanians for Responsible only major point of disagreement was video Government. “Worse yet, because VGts are gaming terminals (VGts). The House proposal designed to operate without employees, the included the authorisation of VGts at most 18,000 people casinos collectively employ in Pennsylvania businesses that possess a liquor Pennsylvania will be put in serious jeopardy.” FLORIDA – Casino Miami and Magic City Casino have welcomed the 4 happy hits jackpot system and the Premier Curved cabinets from EGT. Reel Intralot signs for the full complement of new Jersey Games, EGT’s partner in the US, announced the scratch games, EZPLAY, launch of both models in the market, installing the extension with Ohio EZPLAY tAP and QuicKeno The crystal chandeliers from first 12 cabinets, and inking additional deals for Lottery games and other related Austria that President Donald forthcoming installations in US properties. services. The extended renewal trump bought for the Atlantic ohio provisions include 750 City casino he proclaimed "the “Casino Miami and Magic City Casino are perfect for additional online vending eighth wonder of the world," the North American debut of these products. Now INtRALOt has announced the machines, the ability to were among the items up for we can gauge the local performance of our latest renewal of its current contract upgrade 1,100 MP’s currently in sale at a liquidation sale last and greatest slot machine and the first generation with the Ohio Lottery for the the field, cashless sales month. What the President of the Multi-hits 1 jackpot system,“ said Sean two-year period from July 1, functionality added at all makes of the fire-sale of his Smith, President of Reel Games. 2017, through June 30, 2019, vending terminals, and “Muslim Mosque-inspired” consistent with its existing approximately 11,000 new casino is anyone’s guess, but Stephen Blank, Jr., general manager of Casino agreement and the State of Photon terminals with cashless fans of the trump taj Mahal Miami, shared that they had been anticipating both Ohio’s Controlling Board, functionality and the only Casino Resort were able to take models from Reel Games: “The Curved cabinet is a covering the period 2009-2021. terminal with modern digital home a piece of the former great design with the 42ins. monitor and 27ins. LCD The value of the two-year deal camera reading technology, casino before the process toppers. The multi-level mystery and linked is estimated at US$71m. replacing all currently installed began to make way for the progressive jackpots of 4 happy hits will definitely clerk operated machines. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. be player pleasers!” Mr. Blank added that he had The amendment of the current Furniture, poker tables, grand also seen a glimpse of several other new products agreement with the Ohio John Donahue, CEO of pianos, art and even its famous Reel Games plans to bring into the US market and Lottery provides the Ohio INtRALOt Inc., stated: “This chandeliers were among the that he was looking forward to having them on their Lottery with three additional allows INtRALOt to continue merchandise up for grabs at the floor in the near future. two-year renewal options, thus to provide to one of our most liquidation sale. National extending the contract term valued customers INtRALOt’s Content Liquidators said the Magic City Casino is also confident that 4 happy through June 30, 2027. leading gaming solutions. I sale would continue until hits and Premier Curved of EGT will be a hit with its would like to personally thank everything was gone. Hard players in Miami. “We first viewed them during the INtRALOt provides a secure the Ohio Lottery Management Rock bought the shuttered G2E show in Las Vegas and were pleasantly central gaming system that team for their trust. Our casino in March for $50m from surprised. The new Asian themed Fu Gua Rong hua delivers, manages, and experienced US team will billionaire investor Carl Icahn. jackpot system will also soon be at our The accounts for all current in-state closely cooperate with the A summer 2018 opening is Casino@Dania Beach,” said Shawn Veerasammy, and multi-state draw games, Ohio Lottery in the new period planned. slot director of Magic City Casino and asst. GM of inventory control and logistics to help meet its goals.” sister property The Casino@Dania Beach.

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P21 rW manila reopens Ground floor Casino Resorts World Manila has now resumed some of its casino operations following aSia & oCeania the lifting of a suspension order from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) after the attack in June

The casino will no longer use the second floor for gaming but will return gaming operations to the third floor.

PHiliPPineS CASINO OPERATIONS

AUSTRALIA – Tabcorp boss David Attenborough PAGCOR has stated that Resorts World’s owners big part of this is to bring in world experts. We has indicated that the company’s Luxbet brand travellers International Hotel Group, Inc. are going all out to reassure everybody, our could fold after it merges with Tatts Group. (tIHGI) had complied with the agency’s required nearly six thousand employees and their security and safety improvements, which led to families, and the millions who come to visit, that Mr. Attenborough said the company had recently the lifting of the suspension order following the their safety is our priority.” revealed that Luxbet, its corporate bookmaking June 2 shooting and arson incident that killed 38 business, was under review, as it was set to record people dead. Since the attack, Resorts World has worked with an earnings loss in the 2017 results. Hong Kong-based security firm Blackpanda, an Whilst the ground floor gaming floor has expert in crisis response, risk management, and he said after the merger with Tatts, the new $11bn reopened, gaming areas on the second and third security consulting, to tighten its security and gaming giant would operate in every state except floors where former Department of Finance safety protocols. “We are determined to regain Western Australia. “It then becomes a big question employee Jessie Javier Carlos set gaming tables people’s trust after the tragic incident. mark as to whether Luxbet is a fit to the business on fire before killing himself, remain closed. Blackpanda’s breadth of experience covers over post merger,” Mr Attenborough said. 1,000 missions across 50 countries in six The casino will no longer use the second floor continents,” he added. “They have successfully Tabcorp’s chief added that the merger took the for gaming but will return gaming operations to conducted peacetime advisory operations and country closer to a national tote pool. the third floor. Kingson Sian, Resorts World even counter terrorist combat missions.” Manila’s President and CEO, said: “With “We will extend the TAB brand in those (Tatts) PAGCOR’s assistance and guidance, we can now As part of the improved Casino Security states and as Ubet falls away, it creates a pathway start the difficult task of rebuilding as it is also Protective Action Plans, Resorts World Manila to a national tote pool,” he said. our responsibility to take care of our 6,000 staff has doubled the number of x-ray machines and and personnel. We are bringing back the gaming metal detectors, and the number of deployed “There are a range of approvals and support operations on the ground and third floors of our guards with firearms. required from the racing industry to achieve that integrated resort. The second floor will no longer but it’s an aim of ours to get there. “There’s a strong be used for casino operations and will be PAGCOR, who was losing an average P14m per will from racing jurisdictions to support this,” added utilised for other non-gaming purposes.” day or P434m per month in revenue when the Mr. Attenborough. casino was closed, said it also had to consider Resorts World Manila’sChief Operating Officer the welfare of the venue’s 6,000 gaming AUSTRALIA – Western Australia’s ban on cruise Stephen James Reilly added: “We will rebuild employees. The government was also losing ship casinos has been lifted by the Government in and make Resorts World better and stronger. A revenue as a result of the suspension order. an effort to make the region a more attractive destination for cruise companies. Imperial Pacific green lit saying the change was in the Cambodia Cruise ships have become increasingly popular in to open gaming floor best interests of the CNMI and Western Australia, with the industry already the licensee. Chen Lip Keong, CEO of predicted to be pumping $275m into the state’s before hotel NagaCorp has sought to transfer economy, with a significant proportion coming from Commission Vice Chairman his personal investment of gross gambling revenue. Saipan Joseph Reyes said: “They have $369m used for the been granted conditional development of Naga 2 and however, the long standing ban has meant that Imperial Pacific Resort, the approval already, so they can NagaCity Walk at the cruise companies have been forced to close their permanent casino resort being proceed with their next plan. NagaWorld facility in Phnom casinos when they begin to reach the west coast of built in Saipan, has opened its The licensee has complied with Pehn in a concurrent conversion Australia, preventing holidaymakers from playing gaming floor on July 15 despite all our requests, and the of bonds. casino games onboard. not having opened its 250 agreement has been signed by room hotel as was previously the AG and all parties This updated conversion, if Tourism Minister Colin Barnett announced the set out in its terms and concerned, so it’s now time to accepted by shareholders and changes at the 2016 WA Tourism Conference. he conditions. give them the green light.” market regulators under a said: “Cruise ships are crucial to growing the State’s whitewash waiver, would see Lip tourism industry. The number of cruise ships The island’s Commonwealth The temporary venue hit the Keong’s stake in the Hong coming to Fremantle has more than tripled since Casino Commission has headlines last year when its Kong-listed company jump from 2012-13 when 17 ships brought 49,000 amended the particular details VIP table games rolling chip nearly 40 per cent to 70 per cent. passengers to the port city. In 2015-16, 58 ships governing this point in the reached US$32.4bn, making it berthed at Fremantle with 152,000 passengers. casino license agreement to one of the top earning casinos A previous application for a allow the licensee to transfer in the world. whitewash waiver in June would “Lifting these casino restrictions, allowing players to the gaming operations from have given Lip Keong a 61 per enjoy games such as roulette while on board, will the temporary Best Sunshine The permanent casino, being cent stake in NagaCorp, the make the State more attractive as a destination for Live casino at the t Galleria designed by Steelman Partners, operator of NagaWorld, Phnom cruise companies, which generate more than shopping mall to the new will boast 300 gaming tables Penh’s sole licensed casino A$275 million for the local economy.” casino facility in Garapan and up to 400 slots. complex.

P22 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM

Stanley Ho has stepped down as Chairman of Shun tak Holdings, aSia & oCeania passing the reins to daughter Pansy after Daisy Ho became Executive Director of SJM cHinA CASINO OPERATIONS succession Plan Unfolds for Gambling King

Stanley Ho, the Macau casino magnate, who development, hospitality, and gaming has been called the ‘King of Gambling,’ is investments. It also holds a considerable stake resigning as Chairman of Shun tak Holdings. in SJM. Stanley Ho will take on the ceremonial Mr. Ho founded the Hong Kong conglomerate in title of chairman emeritus at Shun tak, but will AUSTRALIA – Much is being made of a visit by 1972, and is handing over the reins to his remain in his leadership capacity at SJM Steven Tight, President of hong Kong-based daughter, Pansy Ho. Born in Hong Kong in 1921, Holdings. Caesars International Development to Australia’s the 95 year-old Mr. Ho is credited with Gold Coast. During the visit Mr. Tight met with Gold transforming Macau into a gambling epicenter. Though nothing has ever been proven, Coast Tourism chairman, Paul Donovan and government agencies in the United States have confirmed that the company is undertaking an The flamboyant businessman is estimated to linked Stanley Ho to the Kung Lok triad, a internal feasibility study on whether another large- employ about one-fourth of the entire Chinese mafia syndicate. It’s a link that has scale integrated resort could be supported in the workforce in Macau. The announcement that caused problems for both Lawrence Ho’s Gold Coast market. Mr. Ho is walking away from Shun tak was relationship with Crown and MGM Resorts’ welcomed by investors who have been dealings with Pansy Ho, who acquired nearly Mr Tight said he hoped to have a better idea of the concerned about the holding company’s future. five per cent of its entire company stock over city’s potential for a Caesars property by mid- the years. summer. “It would be Caesars’ first property in Speculation over Ho’s health has been Australia,” Mr Tight said. “All I can say at this point is circulating ever since he suffered a stroke in The Nevada Gaming Commission has ruled that Caesars Entertainment continues to evaluate 2009. After the health scare, he began Pansy is a suitable investor for MGM Resorts, opportunities throughout the region to expand our allocating money to his wives and children. but in New Jersey, the state’s Gaming Control network of world-class properties.” Shun tak began as a shipping operation, but Board has barred her from running a gaming today has a diverse portfolio that includes business due to “extensive ties” to organised Mr Donovan said time frames and sites weren’t transportation, commercial and real estate crime through her father. discussed, though Mr Tight was very interested in hearing about what was happening with other major development projects on the Gold Coast as india well as its population and tourist figures. Amaya is pursuing business CHInA – SUZOhAPP has interests in India as it looks to appointed Allen Ko as Vice grow its online poker offer. President OEM – Cash handling “India is quite an exciting for the Asia Pacific region. Allen market,” CEO Rafi Ashkenazi Ko comes to this new position after the company’s annual after many years of experience meeting where shareholders in the Cash Processing market. approved a name change and Before joining SUZOhAPP, Allen worked at high headquarters relocation to profile companies like De La Rue, Talaris and Glory, toronto, Canada. Amaya will covering relevant positions for technical, pre- and become The Stars Group this after-sales support, channel development and month as it opens a head office product marketing. Allen then moved to a direct in downtown toronto to sales role which he fulfilled for 13 years. complement about 300 people who work in technology AUSTRALIA – hong Kong development in Richmond Hill, Crown's offices in eight Asian countries from Okada sues family to wrestle back control north of the city. A small Macau to Indonesia which helped attract gamblers finance office will be in the region to its resorts in Australia appear to Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada (pictured) has reportedly filed a lawsuit maintained for now in have closed. Staff who were detained in China in against his son, daughter and wife in Hong Kong in an attempt to regain Montreal. Amaya’s chief October are due to appear in a Shanghai court on control of Okada Holdings. The casino and pachinko tycoon has said that a operating officer is in India charges related to promoting gambling, and lawsuit is the only way to get his son and daughter to the negotiating table working to finalize a structure billionaire James Packer's company now lists hong after they took control of the board of Hong Kong-based Okada Holdings. that will allow the company to Kong as its sole international outpost. The company holds a 67.9-per cent stake in Japanese gaming operate with an already conglomerate Universal Entertainment Corp. licenced partner, likely Crown Resorts' apparent dismantling of its Asian beginning later this year. office network threatens to choke the flow of Last month Mr Okada was dropped as chairman of Okada Holdings, but India is an attractive market overseas visitors to the company's Australian the Japanese businessman still owns a 46.38-per cent stake in the because of its huge population casinos and a planned $US1.5bn ($2bn) flagship company. Mr Okada was ousted of Universal Entertainment’s board of and the penetration of resort in Sydney. Crown Resorts' apparent directors at an annual meeting on June 29, when the firm’s shareholders smartphones that exceed the dismantling of its Asian office network threatens to approved a new slate of directors. The Japanese conglomerate announced US, according to Mr. Ashkenazi. choke the flow of overseas visitors to the in early June that it had established an internal investigative panel to probe He said the company hopes company's Australian casinos and a planned Mr Okada’s use of company money. Universal Entertainment said it had eventually to capture at least $US1.5 billion ($2 billion) flagship resort in Sydney. found three cases in which Mr Okada is suspected of misappropriating half of the online poker market Offshore visitors generated more than a third of the company funds. The Japanese firm said on June 8 that it had suspended the that could reach US$150m in a revenue in Crown’s Melbourne operation in the last leadership powers held by Mr Okada, accusing him of “a serious violation few years time. fiscal year. of governance.”

P24 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM ADMIRAL Romania launches Insight roMAniA Online Casino and Sportsbook Online and Sports-betting

novomatic Group companies Admiral and Greentube have teamed up to launch a fully-fledged online casino and sportsbook into the Romanian market. Featuring a broad range of novomatic Interactive slots from the Greentube library, some of the most exciting table games and sports betting options, Admiral.ro went live on July 5 and has become an instant hit amongst players.

Following the successes of online casinos in Italy, the Sizzling Hot deluxe. A total of over 100 titles went live A total of over 100 titles UK and Spain, as well as extensive operational on launch, including a range of classic and new Group experience with upwards of 1,800 physical locations titles, top 3rd party content, as well as a variety of went live, including a range worldwide – including over 100 sites in Romania – leading table games. The tip & Cash sports book of classic and new Group Admiral has developed an industry-leading online provided by Kambi adds Admiral Romania to one of titles, top 3rd party experience for the Romanian market. the largest sports book networks worldwide, offering a vast range of pre-match and in-play betting content, as well as a variety Built in HtML5 for seamless play across desktop and services. of leading table games. mobile, the Admiral Romania online casino and sportsbook brings Novomatic games online for the Highly popular amongst players and operators alike The Tip & Cash sports book first time in the Eastern European country. in Romania, Novomatic machines capture more than provided by Kambi adds 60 per cent market share in land-based operations, The new online casino features all Novomatic game and there has been a huge demand for Novomatic Admiral Romania to one of content developed for interactive channels by content online. With the new interactive offering, the largest sports book Greentube including blue-chip Novomatic titles such Admiral Romania now offers players their favourite as Book of Ra deluxe, Lucky Lady’s Charm deluxe and Novomatic titles in a secure and regulated online networks worldwide, environment, replicating the experience at physical offering a vast range of locations. pre-match and in-play The established popularity and high-quality betting services. associated with Novomatic brands in Romania creates a wide range of cross-channel marketing, loyalty and bonus opportunities, with the aim to boost player experience and at the same time, take users away from unregulated, offshore or illegal sites. Developing the multi-channel approach further, players can register on pop-up terminals as well as deposit and withdraw online funds from any Admiral site throughout Romania, at the cash desk.

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P2[ Insight The Talk of the Town: The HiPPodroMe AnniverSAry Simon Thomas Interview Extraordinary hippodrome

Simon Thomas, Co-Owner, Hippodrome London

Besides having a fantastic property, we have amazing people. They create the atmosphere, the buzz and the customer experience. It’s a great combination of an amazing physical experience within the building and also a brilliant personal experience from the customer services team. We still view ourselves as a little immature - there is still a long way to go. Much like having a child, the first year is sleepless nights, finding out what you’re supposed to do while getting through on sheer enthusiasm. Now the child is fully functional, but nowhere near an adult, I’m looking forward to the next five years as we grow and mature further.

and the instigation of the smoking ban created a Visiting the London Hippodrome for the European Casino Association perfect storm for bingo in the UK. I had Dealers Championships in may, Simon Thomas explained that the casino conducted a lot of research tracking what had would be celebrating its fifth anniversary this summer, with extravagant happened in other countries affected by smoking bans. What people thought and what parties par for the course. G3 discussed the past, present and the future of a actually happened was very different. In unique entertainment venue with the man whose vision took a decaying Australia, operators reported that the expected 30 per cent drop was exceeded and that the husk of a building and made it into a thoroughly modern gaming emporium bounce back afterwards never happened. They learned that it wasn’t just the smoker heading The changes affecting the the 2005 Gambling act was a literal game- outside for a cigarette, it was their friend too - changer for the casino industry in the Uk. What and that they both grew accustomed to standing sector meant that I was very was it about the new legislation that triggered outside smoking. your interest in becoming a casino operator? uncomfortable regarding the The changes affecting the sector meant that I future of bingo while at the It was a whole combination of things. In terms was very uncomfortable regarding the future of of casino legislation, the new freedoms were bingo while at the same time the credit market same time the credit market very important; being able to advertise for the was extremely strong, which meant we were first time, promote and offer live entertainment able to attract a number of very interesting was extremely strong, which since 1968, and not have to be a member or be offers for the bingo business. I sold in August subjected to a 24 hour cooling off period before 2006 and was blessed to have an opportunity to meant we were able to attract you could walk into a casino. All this changed use the skill base I’d acquired over the last 20 a number of very interesting casinos from traditional gaming boxes, tucked years to apply it to a related, but slightly away in the basements of high cost areas, into different, business. offers for the bingo business. I international-style mainstream entertainment. Bingo had been through deregulation in the the Gambling act was enacted in 2007, sold in August 2006 and was 1990s and so the legislation was moving casinos making the hippodrome the first casino built to blessed to have an opportunity into a space in which I was familiar. fully integrate the changes in the law into its core offer. to use the skill base I’d acquired At this time bingo was, in my mind, ceasing to be as attractive as the Gambling Act was much less The law actually changed twice. We had over the last 20 years. favourable. The removal of Section 21 machines notification of all the new freedoms and then

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HiPPodroMe AnniverSAry Simon Thomas Interview

Why did you take the design of the hippodrome back to frank Matcham’s original designs for the building, which date back to 1900?

Both buildings are Grade II listed, so we couldn’t make many changes and in fact we didn’t want to either. We wanted to build on the grandeur, the drama and the splendour of the original Matcham designs. When we acquired the building a lot of the original plasterwork had been removed over the various works, but we had accurate records from which we could recreate the plasterwork, winning the Plaisters Award for Fibre Plaster 2014 for the renovation of the ceiling. I think we have created something that is really special, but then there are quite a few contemporary features to soften the original design, so what we have created is an historical building that works very well as a modern entertainment complex.

What were the biggest planning issues you faced and how did you overcome them?

The big issue was not knowing what we were going to uncover when we started stripping off. English Heritage was obviously very interested in what we were doing and there was a lot of negotiation when, for example, be began adding staircases. However, they were very sensible. They wanted the overall envelope to be lovely, but realised that to achieve that required give and take to make the building more commercial.

I would say, however, that the biggest risk was going down four metres into London’s subsoil. the number of new casino licence applications I have to say that Westminster Council was We had nice lady from the Museum of London started to multiply and the government took superb, because they really understood the camped in the building to make sure we weren’t fright, saying they weren’t accepting project, especially Councillor Robert Davis. He hitting any Roman artifacts, we had the worry of applications after a certain date, which meant understood the potential and was very finding an unexploded bomb etc., but the biggest there was a very tight window to complete the supportive. He was very thorough, making sure fear was to find a river. If you think of London as application. The result is that the Hippodrome is that we ticked every box and crossed every t, a concrete platform with lots of rivers one of the few casinos that actually has a proper but he was also very helpful. Beyond that, it was underneath, we were aware that the river entertainment space and has been designed to always going to be a challenging building project Cranbourn is pretty close to us and we didn’t be more than just ‘gaming with ancillaries.’ We converting two Grade II listed buildings in the want to encounter that! are a fully integrated entertainment complex middle of Westminster. Though again, we were with six bars, a cabaret theatre, poker lounges, able to attract very good quality contractors and The other issue was that we had a lot of smoking decks, a brilliant steakhouse, private negotiate competitive prices, which was very interested parties from police, fire and heritage, dining rooms, along with three different casinos. helpful. theatres trust, planning, highways, licensing etc., The Hippodrome was the first one to do it and is and they weren’t always consistent. For probably the only one to do it to this extent. Why the hippodrome - surely there were easier example, we wanted our fire doors to open choices you could have made in terms of the straight out onto the street, without a recess, but as the Gambling act came into force in 2007 building and location? Highways said we had to have a recess, while the the country was quickly plunged into one of the police said it would become a place for rough- worst ever economic crises. how difficult was Not really - it’s a unique site and its heritage is sleepers and didn’t want one. Things like that this period and was your resolve tested? known to 60 per cent of people in London took six months of negotiation. already, which has to do with the location. The It was certainly an ‘interesting’ period, but in Hippodrome is on the busiest corner in Europe What hoops, hurdles and barriers did you have some ways it was helpful too. We started the with a quarter of a million people per day to clear to obtain your gaming licence? Hippodrome project as a consortium of three walking past. The backdoor opens directly into different factions, but as the economic crisis hit Chinatown, which is very useful from a casino We had to go to appeal on the licence as the the other two factions wanted to sell, which point of view. It is straight above Leicester biggest obstacles were the trade objections as meant we were able to buy them out at a Square tube station with 40 million users per three local operators put up a very spirited sensible price. It also meant that the local year. It is an extremely easy to get to location defence. It was slightly narrow-minded and authority was particularly helpful when they and, frankly, large properties in London are protectionist, because we’ve now demonstrated could see investment heading into their local incredibly hard to find - and a building like the that the Hippodrome has complemented their area with a major building project and jobs to Hippodrome is pure gold dust as a casino. businesses and added to the overall market follow. reputation of casinos. It was actually good that

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P2] When we opened the the only objections we had were from the three local building and not just the theatre. You have to go operators. We had support from the local community, through the learning process before you can finalise hippodrome we believed we the council and all the local businesses. It was a good things, but having said that - we’re still changing had created a beautiful experience in the end, but it did take two years. things… even if it’s good, it doesn’t mean you can’t make it better. product, but it was still just a in hindsight, looking back at the grand opening of big empty box until the the hippodrome, what things did you get right and One of the small things I’d add is that architects don’t what, if you could step back in time, would you do like directional signage. One of the things that we had customers started coming. differently? to do in the first few months was put in more and Despite being on a very busy more signs to point people around the building. When corner, we were offering a The big picture was definitely right. A casino you have 100 people ask you where the toilets are, entertainment venue that fully utilised you know you should have more signage. product with which people entertainment, offered great food and breathtaking weren’t familiar. We had design to bring in visitors and introduce casinos to a how long, hard and how much of a challenge was it brand new audience, domestic and foreign. for the business to get cash positive? huge volumes of visitors, but they weren’t spending as I think if we did go back in time it’s likely that we Clearly it’s a fundamental challenge, if you’re not cash would just make different mistakes, though there are positive then you’re in trouble. When we opened the much money as we hoped; some things we didn’t get right from the beginning. Hippodrome we believed we had created a beautiful our staff were enthusiastic, We had to go through a learning process to see how product, but it was still just a big empty box until the people moved through the spaces in the building in customers started coming. Despite being on a very but they weren’t experienced order to fine tune the design. In the basement, for busy corner, we were offering a product with which with the building; and while example, we started off with our baccarat room, but people weren’t familiar. We had huge volumes of our systems were great, they the Chinese players said that they preferred the visitors, but they weren’t spending as much money as ground floor with everyone else. We had also worked we hoped; our staff were enthusiastic, but they weren’t refined. out by that point that we were half-full on both the weren’t experienced with the building; and while our ground floor and basement in the afternoons, so we systems were great, they weren’t refined. Add that all had two management teams, two cash desks and sub- together and we just didn’t have enough cash coming critical mass of people. in, which meant that there was an extraordinary amount of work to do to refine the product and there From an operational point of view it was better to was the stress of making sure we were doing have a ground floor with critical mass supported by a everything possible to become cash positive. I think single management and cash team. It was a better that anyone who has sought to achieve something solution with a lower overhead, which gave us the similar will understand the dread fear of the cold basement to develop Lola’s, but we had to learn sweat at 3am as so many things are going round your before we came to the more developed design we mind. It certainly makes you work hard! have today. Having said that, the core of the business really worked. The smoking deck was an unparalleled The good news is that we became cash positive within success from day one, the restaurant developed its nine months, which really did help, but there were own character and footfall, while the theatre quickly many sleepless nights before that. In fact, I don’t think discovered which clientele worked for the whole I slept through the night once in the first year due to

P28 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM the sheer pressure of the whole thing. We began with success. to take a basement and make it into a My biggest worry with Lola’s 400 staff and a hope that we’d draw 12,000 people a destination where people choose to spend their week through the doors, which rose to 18,000 by the evening is fantastic. was that women would see end of year two, and by the following Christmas we it as misogynistic, but the had over 500 staff and 24,000 admissions per week, how important was it to bring the theatre back to the rising to the current 35,000 per week and 670 staff. hippodrome and what has it added to the opposite is true. When we entertainment offer? host burlesque shows in the you hadn’t worked in the casino sector of the cabaret theatre, 55 per cent business before launching the hippodrome. Would It is a fundamental part of the mix. People associate direct casino experience have helped the business? theatre with the Hippodrome and it’s something of the audience is female. unique in UK casino sector. However, it is also And when we stage male- The product we were developing was very different essential to the business in tackling one of the from a traditional UK casino. While clearly the casino challenges we have as an industry, which is getting led burlesque, 80 per cent of is the core product, I knew more about the mass people across the threshold, because they have the the audience is male. We are market entertainment side than most people in the assumption that the casino is going to be fairly small casino industry, who would have had challenges and just offer gambling. So when visitors come to see not a church - if you do creating something like the Hippodrome. Being able a world class performer they’re attracted by a brilliant anything in a classy to involve an industry veteran such as Peter McNally show, or because we have a conference in the theatre from the outset was also crucial. Peter had been the space, or someone is holding a private party, or professional way, people see Managing Director of London Clubs, he owned they’ve simply come to watch the Super Bowl, the it for exactly what it is. Lola’s Crockfords at one point and has forgotten more about theatre has given us so many more options and ways has been an unparalleled casinos than I’ll ever know. So I had a very strong to attract people to the building. And of course when person working with me on the casino side and that they’re here, the experience isn’t what they were success. To take a basement took the pressure out of it. expecting - it’s fun and they come back for more. and make it into a Gaming is often painted in a nefarious light, so how We have thousands of visitors to the Hippodrome destination where people big a risk was opening lola’s and embracing the every week who don’t gamble, they just use the choose to spend their risqué of burlesque performances in a casino building as a place to visit for a brilliant steak or environment? cabaret show, for a drink, to smoke on the roof, and evening is fantastic. watch world class performers: Dion Warwick, Joss None whatsoever. Lola’s is fun, it is sexy and it’s sassy, Stone, Dire Straits, Roxy Music, Prince, etc. The theatre there is nothing seedy about it at all. It is actually raises the venue’s profile and attracts a bigger interesting that burlesque covers so many different audience to the whole entertainment offer. extremes. My biggest worry with Lola’s was that women would see it as misogynistic, but the opposite you have what is arguably the best steakhouse in is true. When we host burlesque shows in the cabaret london, but where does f&b sit within the theatre, 55 per cent of the audience is female. And hippodrome offer? is it a standalone business or a when we stage male-led burlesque, 80 per cent of the supplement to the gaming and entertainment mix? audience is male. We are not a church - if you do anything in a classy professional way, people see it for We operate all the elements within the Hippodrome exactly what it is. Lola’s has been an unparalleled as standalone businesses that support the whole. We

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P2_ Probably the most don’t want to provide something that’s just fuel for sports-betting lounge (if the law changes) or a customers, as that would end up being a much lesser possible food court. bizarre moment I’ve had product, instead we want to be able to compete on the London scene as a brilliant standalone restaurant, and you’ve hosted lots of famous guests, from prince to at the hippodrome was have people tell us our steaks are ‘delicious.’ If you rafa nadal and the bishop of liverpool; what have when we had the Dire look on tripAdvisor people do say they’re the best been your proudest moments in the five years they’ve ever had, which is pretty impressive! you’ve been open? Straits Experience, in Offering a great F&B experience means that we have The danger is that we become too proud of what we which most of the both gambling and non-gambling customers wanting do, but there are those lovely moments, multiple to eat at the Hippodrome. It’s the same with the bars. things like looking across the cabaret floor to see a original band were Grown-ups like going to a bar where they can sit- full room of people having an amazing time; or getting performing in the down, where they don’t have music pumping so loud tripAdvisor reviews saying “best steak ever;” or those that their ears bleed and where drunks and idiots poker moments when you have Rafa Nadal playing cabaret room. In the aren’t tolerated. We offer relative peace and quiet and against Ronaldo. Then there are the really odd ones, a grown-up experience that is very important to our such as when John James, the bishop of Liverpool, middle of the set, one of customers and fundamental to the business. visited for a Radio 4 programme and was wandering my managers the gaming floor in full purple robes, large cross and a What are your plans for the crystal rooms, the radio sound crew in tow, with customers wondering approached me and said former arcade? is it still to be an integrated sports- what on earth was going on. betting location? that I should leave to Probably the most bizarre moment I’ve had at the speak to ‘two girls at the Well, we have done the challenging bit, which is Hippodrome was when we had the Dire Straits integrating the space into the building as we had to go Experience, in which most of the original band were bar.’ I told him that I was through listed building consent again. We have the performing in the cabaret room. In the middle of the original door into Cranbourn Mansions now set, one of my managers approached me and said that watching Dire Straits, but completely remodeled, open and receiving 4,000 I should leave to speak to ‘two girls at the bar.’ I told customers per week through this entrance, of which him that I was watching Dire Straits, but he was very he was very insistent quite a few are new to the building. I can remember insistent that I go with him to meet, as it turned out, that I go with him to discussions about casino peel-off points being really Miss World and Miss England. It was my George Best important to a venue and this demonstrates just how moment! It’s great because the reality of this business meet, as it turned out, important they are. Currently we’ve split the Crystal is that it is high volume, high pressure, high profile Rooms into two halves, one half is remaining as an and there are some pretty bleak times, so when you Miss World and Miss adult gaming centre to give us more slot machines, as get brilliant moments it helps to balance things out. England. It was my clearly we’re still woefully short, and in the other half we’re adding more electronic gaming terminals is the hippodrome a mass market casino or does it George Best moment! because we’re at capacity far too often. compete with the high-end clubs in london - how do you describe your venue? Going forward the Crystal Rooms gives us flexibility. If the triennial Review does deliver more slot We don’t try to fit in - we’ve tried to create a multi- machines, which is expected, then the ground floor of level business in which we do everything in three the Crystal Rooms will be put into gaming use straight flavours: good, better and best. And whilst we don’t away, with the machines distributed around the try to compete with the high-end Mayfair casinos in building. The basement could then make a brilliant terms of the maximums they offer and with the level

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HiPPodroMe AnniverSAry Simon Thomas Interview

of customer service you need to support that risk, we more casinos of the type that we’ve managed to offer. The recent election has do get quite a few of their customers coming to us delayed what was expected who are happy to play at lower maximums because is the government listening to calls to harmonise the we are different and we are fun! Having the three Gaming act 1968 so that all casino can offer a to be an announcement in different physical casino levels gives us space to offer realistic level of machine gaming, as they do on the May, but we are hopeful that different strata of play, but then you’ll also have high- continent and in the Us? end customers who don’t want to play on the third next month or shortly after floor, they want to play in the middle of the main The government and regulators have all been very the summer we’ll see a floor. Frankly, they want to show off and have fun and positive and supportive and we’re now very far down we can cater for that too. We try to be all things to all what has been called the gaming roadmap. The recent change in the number of people. We are in the middle of the West-End election has delayed what was expected to be an gaming machines we’re attracting an eclectic range of visitors and try to keep announcement in May, but we are hopeful that next all of them happy. month or shortly after the summer we’ll see a change allowed. however, in in the number of gaming machines we’re allowed. comparison to the Continent in the last five years, 85 per cent of the growth in Uk However, in comparison to the Continent and the US, and the US, what we are casino gaming has come from two casinos, aspers what we are asking for is very modest, capping out at Westfield and the hippodrome. has the 2005 around 80 gaming machines, where in the US it’s asking for is very modest, Gambling act failed in its purpose of bringing many thousands per location. I think it is a healthy capping out at around 80 investment and entertainment into the casino sector evolution for the British casino industry. We don’t in the Uk? want revolution. We have to work with the art of gaming machines, where in political possible. the US it’s many thousands Yes and no. Changes don’t happen overnight and to be fair to the legislative changes, there have been more in as an employer of 670 staff, what are the attributes per location. I think it is a the last five-10 years than in the previous 50. We have you look for that go beyond ‘box-ticking’ to healthy evolution for the demonstrated the potential for mass market casinos complement and enhance the atmosphere at the to provide gaming in a properly controlled and hippodrome? British casino industry. We supervised environment that offers brilliant bars, don’t want revolution. We restaurants and ancillary benefits to the community - We employ people who smile - it is a fundamental have to work with the art of all the positive things that a casino can and should do. requirement. It’s fairly easy to employ good people However, we “get away with it” because of our who can do the job, but we want great people who can political possible. location more than anything else. If we were in a do the job and smile. If people smile under the lesser location we would need more slot machines to pressure of the interview, then they are probably a fund it. happy person. Happy people tend to find solutions, not problems, and that’s a really strong cultural UK gaming legislation is forever evolving and the next requirement for us. Beyond that we try to remove the evolution will hopefully be more slot machines. elements of their job that stop them smiling. I’ve seen When that happens it will really unlock the 2005 too many really good managers stuck in offices Gambling Act and encourage more investment and writing emails, when they want to be on the floor

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM PY1 Besides having a fantastic managing people and driving income. So we’ll put a you’re soon to welcome your eight millionth good administrator behind a good manager so that customer to the hippodrome - how did an immature, property, we have amazing they can both do the job they enjoy and produce a enthusiastic business become such a worldwide people. They create the much better business. phenomenon? atmosphere, the buzz and how different is the business today to the one you Besides having a fantastic property, we have amazing the customer experience. It’s envisioned when you acquired the lease back in people. They create the atmosphere, the buzz and the 2009? customer experience. It’s a great combination of an a great combination of an amazing physical experience within the building and amazing physical experience It’s broadly what I imagined, but it feels much more also a brilliant personal experience from the customer grown-up. When you look at the fact that the services team. We still view ourselves as a little within the building and also a Hippodrome employs 600+ people it’s just numbers immature - there is still a long way to go. Much like brilliant personal experience on a sheet; when you’ve met all those characters and having a child, the first year is sleepless nights, finding from the customer services have relationships with them, you understand the out what you’re supposed to do while getting through quality and quantity of people coming to be on sheer enthusiasm. Now the child is fully team. We still view ourselves entertained and the scale of everything we are doing. functional, but nowhere near an adult, I’m looking as a little immature - there is When you actually see it in the flesh it’s definitely forward to the next five years as we grow and mature very grown-up. I also didn’t expect to be quite so high further. still a long way to go. Much profile as a business, which is testament to the like having a child, the first Hippodrome and the team working here that it is so is the hippodrome a ‘one-off’ or could it be created well regarded. As for the rest of it, it feels like we’ve again - could you repeat the formula elsewhere? year is sleepless nights, just moved and we’re forever moving the furniture, finding out what you’re but that’s what we enjoy – the constantly evolving If you’d asked me that three years ago I’d have said no nature of this business. - it’s all special and one-off, but actually as the supposed to do while getting building matures, there’s a culture and management through on sheer you’re continuing to renovate and innovate within style that can be moved elsewhere and it’s the enthusiasm. Now the child is the confines of the building, legislation and combination of people and communication, with permissions - what changes are forthcoming for the customers, staff, the local area; it’s about being a good fully functional, but nowhere hippodrome in the next five years? neighbour. The Hippodrome is high profile in the West near an adult, I’m looking End because we fight for whatever is needed, be that There’s a couple that I’m happy to mention and a few Chinese visas, defending people’s right to park in the forward to the next five years that are ‘in-plan’ that I can’t right now. The full evenings, legislating the pedicabs, things like that. We as we grow and mature integration of the Crystal Rooms is an obvious one also build great partnerships with brands and and using the basement area of the Crystal Rooms to businesses such as PokerStars and Microgaming, and further. add another product into the building is ongoing. the Chinese community. We are patient and We’ve recently knocked through two smaller rooms determined. A mantra I live by is attributed to on the third floor and we will be developing the third Hannibal when he was asked how he’d get his floor gaming area into something a little bit more sexy elephants across the Alps and he said: “I will find a and sassy. At the same time we’re even trying to find a way or I will make a way.” It’s that kind of philosophy way to extend our smoking area, which is an that lends itself to taking the Hippodrome from a engineering challenge - but we relish a challenge. dilapidated shell to a very interesting business, which would be equally adaptable to other opportunities.

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Insight Zitro imbues its decade of Mexico Zitro Experience experience into Mexico event

Johnny ortiz zitro President

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Mexico Zitro Experience

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NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM PY[ Insight The T8 from SG Gaming: When Modern GAMinG deSiGn SG Gaming standout means sitting down

Phil Horne, Chief Executive Officer of SG Gaming

“The new T8 sit-down terminal combines modern hardware design, our advanced technology platforms, as well as leading content, and demonstrates our commitment to continually improving the player experience and support for operators across the arcade and bingo sector.

The retail team at Gala Bingo Retail are always looking to boost the content and terminal offering in venues for their loyal customers and we were pleased to be able to add to their floor offering with the T8 sit-down terminal – a product that we are extremely proud of as part of our portfolio.”

The T8 sit-down is an We report on the installation of gaming machines in almost every article in G3, but impressive addition to the what happens after all the party balloons have popped? nine months after SG gaming floor, with lighting Gaming installed its machines into Gala Bingo’s Ashton-under-Lyne site, we’re and hD graphics which catch invited back to speak to Chris Wrigley at Gala Bingo about their progress the attention of our In the final quarter of 2016, SG Gaming announced the Gala Bingo currently has six of the t8 sit-down customers. Installing these launch of its latest arcade and bingo sector terminal; terminals at its Ashton-under-Lyne site. The team new terminals has also the t8 sit-down. reports that it is the cutting-edge content and ‘walk- enabled us to provide our up’ factor that has enabled the terminals to really make The terminal was designed by SG Gaming’s their mark on the venue. customers with an engaging experienced in-house engineering team, who have variety of leading SG Gaming built on the success of the existing t8 terminal to Chris Wrigley, Head of Digital Products and Gaming strengthen the business’ overall product offering. Development at Gala Bingo Retail, comments: “The t8 content titles.” sit-down is an impressive addition to the gaming floor, Chris Wrigley Built to the highest standard, the t8 sit-down terminal with lighting and HD graphics which catch the is available across all SG Gaming platforms, from the attention of our customers. Installing these new advanced server-based gaming platform to connected terminals has also enabled us to provide our customers and non-connected platform offerings. The state-of- with an engaging variety of leading SG Gaming content the art terminal benefits from dual HD 23” screens titles.” with touch-screen game interface, a video top-box, enhanced audio, and multi-coloured LED lighting Over the last year, one of the key areas of focus for SG effects. Gaming has been content innovation within the community gaming offering. Multi-player community Here, we will take a look at how SG Gaming’s leading games operate across the t8, triple 7 and now t8 sit- content teamed with the latest hardware has already down terminal product range and are particularly benefitted both players and operators in the sector. successful within the arcade and bingo sector.

PY\ NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM The multi-player functionality of these games is a community games with the t8 sit-down. terminals at “We have seen a rise in popular proposition for players who are looking for an Gala’s Ashton club run a full hybrid menu of £100- demand for community entertaining and social element to their gaming £500 jackpot games and three B4 slots titles. Aside experience whilst in venue. The new t8 sit-down from the newly launched games, players can choose gaming, which adds an terminals at Gala Bingo benefit from a portfolio of from a variety of innovative £500 slots titles, including additional social aspect for player-popular titles, including 10 community games – BoulderBuck$, Quick Hit Blazing Sevens, and from classic titles to new releases. Rainbow Riches Pick ‘N’ Mix. visitors to our venues. These games also provide an extra One particularly exciting new B4 community gaming Phil Horne, Chief Executive Officer of SG Gaming, release is Black Knight. Based on the player-popular commented about the latest technology: “The new t8 level of theatre which can £500 version, this £200 jackpot game features an sit-down terminal combines modern hardware design, enrich the overall gaming engaging community free spins bonus and is also our advanced technology platforms, as well as leading available as a category C £100 jackpot. Classic content, and demonstrates our commitment to experience for our community games from SG Gaming are also on offer to continually improving the player experience and customers. The T8 sit-down players, including Rainbow Riches Party and Reel ‘Em support for operators across the arcade and bingo offers an appealing selection In. sector. of titles using this format, Wrigley said, “We have seen a rise in demand for “The retail team at Gala Bingo Retail are always looking with recognisable licensed community gaming, which adds an additional social to boost the content and terminal offering in venues for aspect for visitors to our venues. These games also their loyal customers and we were pleased to be able to content such as GREASE as provide an extra level of theatre which can enrich the add to their floor offering with the t8 sit-down well as feature-packed new overall gaming experience for our customers. The t8 terminal – a product that we are extremely proud of as sit-down offers an appealing selection of titles using part of our portfolio. titles like Black Knight this format, with recognisable licensed content such as Community.” GREASE as well as feature-packed new titles like “We look forward to receiving further feedback from Black Knight Community.” the team at Gala Bingo and working in partnership Chris Wrigley with the team to continue to refresh and innovate our The leading content offering does not stop at offering for the bingo sector.”

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM PY] MEMBERSHIP NEWS AGEM AGeM Key board of directors Actions l AGEM members are exploring a game / cabinet / table census project to primarily assess the makeup of the roughly 1 million gambling machines in North America. A MeMberSHiP newS working group met in June to discuss possible content for a scope document and the information is being now being collated. Once this is finalised, an outside company will be identified to bid on executing the census. l AGEM is looking at how the recently approved Nevada Assembly Bill 75 language might be implemented into regulations in other states. The bill speeds up the MEMBER PROFILE approval process as it takes out a layer of regulation that manufacturers have to deal with when partnering with non-licensed third parties, so each individual licensed Company / CMC trading Engineering (International) Ltd. partner assumes responsibility for who they do business with and for the content in Web address / www.cmcmacau.com products. Five states have been highlighted and AGEM is currently looking at agem membership level / Associate Member suitable legal partnerships that are able to review the language and make the description / Founded in 1992, CMC started out in the home correct recommendations locally. and office furniture business in Macau and Hong Kong. After l AGEM and its members continue to monitor gaming expansion developments in the relaxation of gaming laws in Macau, CMC evolved into one Pennsylvania and support the introduction of video gaming terminals (VGts) of the earliest manufacturer of gaming furniture and through its membership in the Pennsylvania Video Gaming Association. House equipment in the 2000s. The booming development of the lawmakers passed a bill that could bring as many as 40,000 VGts, but the Senate gaming industry in Macau created an opportunity for CMC to version stalled and a state budget has been put forth without any gambling become one of the largest supplier of Gaming furniture and expansion. The debate in Harrisburg continues, but the full Legislature may not equipment in Macau. officially address gambling expansion again until possibly September. In recent years, CMC have also expanded services to the l The Illinois Gaming Board has recently demanded that all manufacturers introduce international markets such as South East Asia, Russia, Europe “cryptographically sound” random number generators (RNGs) within a six-month and the U.S. Some of our esteemed customers include but not timeframe. This is as a result of news reports regarding Russian hacking of machines limited to: Macau Casinos (Sands, Venetian, Parisian, City of where they have been able to determine a pattern in the RNG. AGEM is supportive Dreams, Grand Lisboa, MGM, Wynn, Galaxy, etc.), Singapore of this implementation, but acknowledges six months is not a feasible timeline. Marina Bay Sands & Resort World Sentosa, Russia’s tigre De AGEM members agreed to draft a letter to request a meeting with the IGB so they Cristal, Philippine’s City of Dreams & Solaire Casino, Korea could ask them to consider a more workable lead time. Jeju Shinhwa World, Australia Crown, U.S. Norwegian Cruise l As part of AGEM’s support of Responsible Gaming initiatives, the membership has Line and The Genting Dream. approved two significant contributions. The Problem Gambling Center based in Las As an international supplier and manufacturer of the gaming Vegas will receive funding of $50,000 as an annual contribution. This is vitally industry, we are continuously developing new innovations and important for this worthy organisation as it receives limited funding from the State ideas to provide to our business partners. Should your and will go a long way to help benefit problem gamblers. In addition, AGEM once company or your business partners be interested to purchased again agreed to support the National Council on Problem Gambling with a products that we have, we would be more than happy to contribution of $40,000 for the year. provide customised quotations based on your needs at very l AGEM welcomed two new members in July, bringing the membership to a total of competitive pricing. Please also do not hesitate to contact us 151. PariMAX, an historical racing content supplier, based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, for more information regarding our products or to get our was approved as a Bronze member, while Digital Gaming Corp., based in the UK and product brochure. delivering cutting-edge gaming software, was voted in as an Associate Member. new products for 2017 / Self tracking cabinet events and Activities newsworthy events to share / Sponsor for the Japan Gaming l The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference and trade Show, Congress 2017. takes place from July 24-26, in Oklahoma City. The common commitment and Forthcoming events / Exhibitor at the Macau Gaming Show purpose of OIGA is to advance the welfare of tribes and the state economically, (MGS) 2017, 14-16 November 2017 socially and politically.

AGEM INDEX

The AGEM Index reached another record high in June, continuing the momentum from previous months. The composite index stood at 421.95 points at the close of June 2017, which represents an increase of 31.77 points, or 8.1 per cent, when compared to May 2017. The AGEM Index reported a year- over-year increase for the 21st consecutive month, and has climbed 161.94 points, or 62.3 per cent, since May 2016. During the latest period, 10 of the 13 global gaming equipment manufacturers reported month-to- month increases in stock price, with five up by more than 10 per cent. Three manufacturers reported decreases in stock price during the month, with one posting double-digit declines.

AGEM is an international trade association representing manufacturers of electronic gaming devices, systems, lotteries 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.

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Reports GerMAny uPdATe

Calm before the storm

of 309,200 amusement and gaming products As Germany enters a new phase in its divided up between 267,000 AWPs and 23,800 amusement games and 18,400 sports games relationship with the gaming industry, G3 (billiards, table soccer etc). The German gambling market saw a total of takes an overview of the marketplace, details €12.7bn in revenues in 2015 and of this the regulated market had an 82 per cent share with the changes and speaks to the protagonists €10.4bn. However the growth of the unregulated market is growing and was 15 per cent back in 2013. With over 82 million people Germany is the overtook the UK last year as the fastest growing most populous country in the EU and the 16th among the G7 states with a growth rate of 1.9 per Of the €10.4bn total revenue in 2015 (€10bn in most populous in the world and is divided into cent in 2016. 2014) online gambling accounted for €299m 16 states. (€223m in 2014). Unregulated revenues Germany is also one of the most visited amounted to €2.2bn (€1.7bn 2014) of which It has the world’s fourth largest economy by countries in the world and it is the second most online casinos were responsible for 84 per cent. nominal GDP and the fifth largest by PPP and is popular destination in Europe. Berlin has a global leader in several industrial and become the third most visited city in Europe. THE CASINO MARKET technological sectors. It is the world’s second Germany’s gambling houses are split into two largest exporter and importer of goods and In 2015 there were 79.7 million overnight stays categories – Spielhallen (small scale gambling exports account for more than one third of by visitors from abroad and 436 overnight stays halls/arcades) and Spielbanken (state licensed national output. in total. The highest number of visitors came large scale casinos). from the Netherlands followed by Swiss, Germany is a highly developed country with a American and the British visitors. Half of the country’s casinos are state owned high standard of living, low level of corruption and the other half privately owned. BuPris and a skilled labour force. The service sector In addition it is said 30 per cent of Germans represents the privately owned sector whilst the accounts for around 71 per cent of GDP whilst spend their holiday in their own country whilst state owned landbased casinos are organised by industry (28 per cent) and agriculture (one per tourism contributes over €33.2bn (travel the DSbV. cent) make up the rest. Unemployment rate was receipts from foreign visitors) to the GDP (4.5 3.9 per cent (March 2017), the lowest of all EU per cent of GDP) and accounts for seven per cent There are currently a total of 66 casino sites and states, and at its lowest level since December of the workforce. are governed by strict laws under a 2008 1980. agreement GlüStV. The German amusement machine industry is GDP is at $3.3bn and per capita is at $45,260. It equally as large and impressive and is made up There are 31 privately owned casinos (BupriS)

P40 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM MARKET NuMbERs TYPE OF MACHINE 2014 2015 2016

Amusement machines without prizes 27,000 23,800 20,500 Pinball 2,000 2,000 1,900 Internet terminals 13,000 10,000 7,000 Score games (touchscreens, jukeboxes) 2,300 2,200 2,100 Video games 9,700 9,600 9,500

AWPs 269,000 267,000 264,000 Sports Games 18,400 18,400 18,300 tOtal 314,400 309,200 302,800 operated by nine companies and 35 state owned treasury. The sector is governed by the Federal taxes for good causes. There were some three casinos (DsBV) operated by nine companies. Ministry of the Interior and Federal Affairs (MIB) million visitors to the state casinos and 2.6 and the Federal Law covers all forms of public million to the private casinos. Casino gambling began in Germany in the mid gambling (except commercial games and 1930s. Prior to 1933 there were no gambling gambling halls) which comes under the Ministry The sector has seen serious declines since 2007 centres and the only exception was a casino in of Economic Affairs, Labour, transport and with profits dropping by 40 per cent and visitor Sopot (Gdansk) which opened in 1919. In 1933 technology. figures down. The number of gambling machines the ban on gambling was abolished by the however has risen by 47 per cent from 87,000 National Socialists and a casino in Baden-Baden In 2016 the casino sector saw revenues of devices back in 2005 to around 267,000 in 2014. received the only concession to operate. This €577m (up by 3.7 per cent on the previous year). later closed and the gambling halls began to In 2015 this figure was €566m (and in 2014 Otto Wulferding, Chairman of DSbV said: “The flourish after the war. €508m) and of this amount €156m came from profit situation in 2016 shows that the German table games and €399m from slots. There were casinos have not only stopped the declines. We today gambling houses pay taxes on gross some 5.53 million visitors to all the casinos last could even reverse the trend. The growth shows profits and on average they pay anything from year and there are 550 table games and 7,500 the high acceptance of legal gambling. It is clear 20 to 80 per cent to the treasury depending on slots in casinos in total. however that we can not keep pace with the the state. Due to the high taxes they are however exorbitant development of illegal providers. exempt from all other taxes. In 2014 the German The state casinos saw a gross profit of €309m. gambling houses paid a total of €254m to the Of this €120 was donated to the federal states in “In the market for sports bettors for example,

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P41 Reports GerMAny uPdATe

Essential information and facts about Germany:

country Germany capital Berlin Total Area 357,022sq.km Population 80,722,792 Median age 46.8 years ethnic groups German (91.5%), turkish (2.4%), religions Roman Catholic (29%), Protestant (27%), Muslim (4.4%) languages German (official) currency Euro Government type Federal Parliamentary Republic chief of State Frank Walter Steinmeier (2017) Head of Government Chancellor Angela Merkel (since 2005) cabinet Cabinet or Bundesminister recommended by the Chancellor and appointed by President elections President elected for 5 year term (eligible for second term) by a Federal Convention. Next due 2022. Chancellor elected by absolute majority by Federal Parliament for four year term. Next due September 2017) researchers expect a plus in 2016, which will the company is Novomatic. located in Bad Bentheim, Bad Harzburg, Bad allow the turnover to be increased, 10 times the Pyrmont, Bad Zwischenahn, Gottingen, legal turnover of casinos, which means over Hamburg – this state is the home of the first Hannover, Norderney, Osnabruck, Seevetal and €5bn. The casinos cannot miss the aggressive casino opened by the Blanc brothers in the early Wolfsburg. The company has a total of 40 competition of tV and magazines. They are 19th century there are four locations in Hamburg gaming tables and 1,244 slots in its casinos. prohibited by suggestive advertising.” operated by Spielbank Hamburg Jahr and Achterfeld KG. Spielbank Hamburg was set up in rheinland-Pfalz – there are six casinos here PRIVATE CASINOS 1977 and opened its first casino two years later in operated by Spielbank Bad Neuenahr located in Members of BupriS operate in six federal states the Hotel Intercontinental on the Outer Alster. It Bad Neuenhar, Bad Dürkheim and Nürburgring. of Berlin, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, later moved in 2006 to the Casino Esplanade The Ring Casino in Nürburgring is the latest Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt and whilst the other casinos Casino Steindamm, casino which opened in 2009 and is located at the casinos include: Casino Mundsburg and Casino Reeperbahn the Lindner Congress and Motorsport Hotel at followed. the start and finish of the Grand Prix circuit. The berlin – has five locations operated by other three casinos are operated by Spielbank Spielbank Berlin with its flagship located at Hessen – four locations in this state. The Mainz and located in Main, trier and Bad Ems. Potsdamer Platz which also has a poker floor Francois Blanc Spielbank is operated by alongside slots and tables. Spielbank Berlin was Spielbank Bad Homburg whilst there are two Sachsen-Anhalt has two casinos operated by founded in 1975 by 10 partners and it was then casinos operated by Spielbank Gauselmann Group’s Merkur Spielbanken called Gustav Jaenecke which was set up to open Kassel/Novomatic in Kassel and Bad Wildungen Saxony Anhalt in Leuna-Günthersdorf and a casino in then West Berlin. After the fall of the and the fourth is operated by Spielbank Magdeburg. The first is a modern casino which wall the company began to grow and relocated Wiesbaden in the heart of the historic spa town opened in 2015 with table games, slots and its casino, then located at the Europa Center, to of Wiesbaden. poker whilst Magdeburg opened in April 2016 its premises now in Potsdamer Platz in 1998. The with slots and poker. company also has casinos now in Spandau, lower Saxony has 10 casinos operated by Wilmersdorf, Hasenheide and since 2013 at the Spielbank Niedersachsen which is a wholly STATE CASINOS base of the television tower. Main shareholder in owned subsidiary of Casinos Austria. These are There are nine state licensed operators with 35

P42 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM DATA FOR THE REGuLATED MARKET 2015 CATEGORY NO. OF SITES NO. OF PROduCTS GROSS GROSS OPERATORS REvENuES REvENuES LANd-bASEd ONLINE casinOs 66 17 7,500 slots €557m 550 table games slOts 70-80,000 5,000 267,000 slots €5.3bn Gaming halls 9,000 190,000 slots Single sites 60-70,000 77,000 slots lOttery 21,977 pos 16 llG/13 Gew.spv €3.9bn €258m Lotterien Lotto 6/49, €3.6bn €254m Eurojackpot, Keno, Bingo, etc Sportsbetting Football Toto/ €71m €0.4m Football Toto/Oddset Klassen 91 PoS GKL NKL/SKL €198m €0.2m Other lOtteries various various €683m €41m

TOTAL €10.4bn €299m

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P4Y MARKET REVENuEs GAMING SHARE STAKES SHARE REvENuE

Regulated market €10.4bn 82% €55bn 61% Non regulated market €2.2bn 18% €35bn 39% tOtal €12.7bn 100% €90bn 100% locations and these are members of the Potsdam opened in 2002 and located in a listed Saarland – seven casinos here located in Deutscher Spielbankenverband association 1750s building whilst Jokers Palace in Cottbus Saarbrücekn (three casinos), Neunkirchen, (DSbV) and operate in eight federal states – opened in 1998 and is located in the former state Nennig, Homburg and Saarlouis all operated by Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Bremen, North bank building. Saarland Spielbanken. Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. The casinos include: Bremen – has two casinos operated by Saxony – has three casinos in Leipzig, Dresden Westspiel Casinos and they are located in and Chemnitz operated by Sachsen Spielbanken Baden-Württemberg – has three casinos in Bremen and Bremerhaven. The Bremen casino all offering bingo, poker, roulette and slots. The Baden-Baden, Konstanz and Stuttgart offers classic gaming and slots in an historic company was founded in 1994. building on the banks of the river Weser and Bavaria – there are nine casinos here operated opened in 1980. Bremerhaven opened in 1982 on Schleswig holstein – has five casinos operated by the State Lotteries Administration Bavarian the river Weser also. Westspiel operates four by Spielbank Schleswig Holstein and they are Spielbanken (Spielbanken Bayern) and they more casinos in the state of North Rhine located in Flensburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Schenefeld located in Bad Füssing, Bad Kissingen, Bad Westfalen and Westerland all offering table games and Reichenhall, Bad Kötzting, Bad Steben, Bad slots. Wiesse, Feuchtwangen, Garmisch Partenkirchen north rhine Westfalen – has four casinos and Lindau. operated by Westspiel Casinos located in GAMING HALLS Aachen, Bad Oeynhausen, Duisburg and There is no (current) limit on the number of Brandenburg – two casinos here operated by Dortmund-Hohensyburg. Westspiel Casinos licences available for amusement arcades or Brandenburgische Spielbanken and is located in sees around one million visitors to all its six slots in single sites (see page 54 for changes), but Cottbus and Potsdam. The Jokers Garden in casinos with a gross profit of €90m last year. there are strict conditions. These include:

P44 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM TOTALLy GAMbLiNG REVENuE €13bn LOTTERy 16 state lotteries POiNTs OF sALE 22,000 LOTTERy & sPORTs bETTiNG REVENuE €3.7bn ONLiNE REVENuEs (TOTAL) €299m bOOKMAKERs 60 HORsE bETTiNG 49 racing clubs GAMiNG HALLs 9,000 sLOTs iN GAMiNG LOuNGEs 195,000 siNGLE siTEs 60-70,000 sLOTs iN siNGLE siTEs 77,000 TOTAL sLOTs REVENuE €5.3bn CAsiNOs 66 NO. OF sLOTs iN CAsiNOs 7,500 NO. OF TAbLEs iN CAsiNOs 550 TOTAL CAsiNO REVENuEs €566m (gross profit)

l One amusement arcade only can be operated in any one building. The number of AWPs in Germany grew significantly l The ItSG requires a minimum distance during 2006 and 2010 then began to drop and between arcades set by the individual states and varies between 50m and 500m. remained stagnant for a number of years until 2015 l Some states have a distance requirement when the number dropped by 2,000 to 267,000. between arcades and schools, youth institutions. Apparently the decline was down to interventions l Maximum number of slots in an arcade is 12 significantly during 2006 and 2010 then began countries and by 2007 established itself as the with only one machine permitted per 12sq.m to drop and remained stagnant for a number of largest bookmaker in Germany and offers bets years until 2015 when the number dropped by on more than 250,000 races per year. l In bars and restaurants the maximum number 2,000 to 267,000. Apparently the decline was of slots permitted in three. down to interventions from German states in It holds licences in the UK, Ireland, Malta and their quest to roll back commercial gaming. Of Germany. Racebets revenue reached €9.3m in Licence fees for arcades vary between states but course back in 2006 the fun games were 2015 with an annual growth rate of around 12 are usually between €150 and €3,000 removed from the market and these were per cent. depending on size. Operators meanwhile pay an replaced in effect by AWPs. amusement tax of between 12 and 20 per cent In 2016 Betsson acquired the company from its based on the gross income from slots. SPORTS BETTING founders and the German Thoroughbred Gambling has a long standing history in Association in a deal worth €40m. The Meanwhile there are some 5,000 operators Germany. Horse racing developed back in 1822 cooperation with German Racing continues. which have some 9,000 gaming halls in and later organised bookmakers and betting Germany with 190,000 slots. There are also salons arrived. In 1922 the racing law and lottery Meanwhile sports betting in Germany is around 60 to 70,000 single sites operating law was passed which is still valid today. There dominated by large chains running franchise 77,000 slots. Revenues for this sector amount to are around 40 horse racing tracks in Germany. systems and a concession procedure is carried €5.3bn which is 64 per cent of the regulated out for those requiring licences. market. There is a dedicated bookmaker for horse racing called RaceBets which is only available via the In reality Oddset is the only company legally The number of AWPs in Germany grew internet. It offers markets for horse racing in 40 allowed to offer sports betting. Providers of the

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P4[ Reports GerMAny uPdATe

TuRNOVER OF AMusEMENT iNDusTRy SECTOR 2014 2015 2016

tOtal €6.6bn €7.2bn €7.7bn Upstream turnover total €800m €850m €860m Manufacturing costs €460m €570m €540m

Operators €5.8bn €6.3bn €6.9bn Amusement machines With prize €5.7bn €6.3bn €6.8bn Without prize/sports €55m €50m €50m Internet terminals €25m €15m €5m lotteries and sports betting are state owned Kompakt betting programmes in most federal companies such as Lotto, toto and Oddset and states for more advanced betting. Bets can be this is coordinated by the Deutsche Lotto und made at PoS plus online and via mobile apps. totoblock (DLtB) a consortium of state owned providers. DLtB is made up of 16 independent Meanwhile in 2014 a Sports Betting Association lottery companies in the states and was founded (DSWV) was formed to look at the legal in 1955. uncertainty in the German market. The members all have licences for sports betting or Oddset is a part of the DLtB and is basically a are in the round of the nationwide concession. monopoly in the sports betting market. Every state and city has at least two Oddset stations The 12 members are Admiral, Bet-at-Home, whilst you can place bets at any Lotto outlets of Betway, BttY Sportwetten, Bwin, Cashpoint, the DLtB which have 23,000 points of sales. Bet365, Interwetten, Ladbrokes, Mybet, Paddy Power Betfair, Skybet, tipico, tipwin, Wetten, Oddset has provided betting options in Germany William Hill and Xtip Sportwetten. since 1999 and is one of the largest state owned betting providers in Europe. It began operations The DSWV records record tax revenues from the in Bavaria via the State Lottery Administration sports betting sector which increased by almost and a year later offered its products nationwide 20 per cent in 2015 to €4.5bn – 97 per cent of to the 16 German lottery companies. this is from private operators. Oddset supplies the remaining three per cent. Oddset recently introduced its new Plus and

P4\ NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM The unregulated market is made up of sports and horse race betting plus online casino, poker and lottery sector. There are said to be around 200 unregulated operators with approximately 4,500 locations plus another 133 online sites. There are said to be as many as 400 online casino sites, 85 poker and up to five unregulated lottery sites.

From this sector the unregulated sports betting sector takes around €736m of which 40 per cent is from online sales. They do however pay around €250m in taxes. The casino online sector takes around €1.1bn followed by lotteries with €246m and poker €123m. total online unregulated revenues amounted to €2.2bn in 2015.

Germany’s sports betting market was worth around €5.12bn in 2016 based on both landbased and online betting operators. However it is said that €4.9bn of this is generated by ‘grey’ market operators with the remained €210m generated by the state owned monopoly provider Oddset which is the only legal provider of sports betting in Germany.

Apparently 63 operators paid taxes on German wagers in 2016 compared to 47 back in 2012 whilst the state earned around €250m in sport betting taxes last year with the majority coming from ‘cooperate’ grey market operators.

The grey market is growing by around 12 per cent each year since the Interstate treaty was signed in 2012 and the European Football Championships in 2016 boosted wagers with an extra €150m generated during this time.

The InterState treaty included an ‘experimental’ clause to allow 20 private companies to acquire a sports betting licence but as yet no licence has been granted. Madly they pay taxes on their operations and the system remains. This limitation has been found to be incompatible with EU law and now the sports betting sector is under review.

Each state has its own gambling laws too which limits the number of licences issued. Baden- Wurttemberg for example can have a maximum of 600 betting shops whilst Berlin is 200 (with a maximum of 10 per licensee).

Bookmaker or totalisator licences on horse race betting are granted under the Race Betting Lottery Act. Although there is no legal limit on numbers for totalisator licences they can only be issued to horse racing or breeding association and for certain race tracks.

Sports betting operators are subject to a five per cent federal tax on stakes on bets both for land and online gambling and this applies to horse race betting. Betting shop owners can also be subject to local betting shop taxes which are determined locally and is approximately €200 per month per 20 sq.m

There are around 60 commercial bookmakers in Germany (regulated) and 49 racing clubs for horse betting and another 200 non regulated internet companies operating.

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P4] ONLINE GAMBLING The VDAI claims online gambling has negatively The gambling regulation of 2008 in Germany was replaced in 2012 by the new German affected land-based gaming. Gross revenues for the Interstate treaty on Gambling (IStG). The treaty maintained a state monopoly on the operation gambling sector in 2005 amounted to €952m, which of lotteries and stipulated a total ban on online casino operations and limited the availability for by 2014 had dropped to €508m. meanwhile, online sports betting licences. casinos reached just under €200m in 2005 and by It was implemented by 15 of the 16 states. The state of Schleswig-Holstein refrained from 2012 it topped €658m. signing the treaty and created its own online gambling law. As a result the only licensed The treaty states the following: number of online sports books can be operated. online gambling sites were in this state but Meanwhile in 2013 Schleswig Holstein’s available to all German players. l Limitation of 20 licences for sports betting gambling law was abolished by Germany’s only. newly elected state government and all states Schleswig Holstein has almost three million now adopt the IStG. inhabitants and at the time passed its own more l Monthly limitation on stakes to €1,000 per liberal law permitting licences for sports bets, customer. Although this state no longer issues online poker, games of chance and casino games licences the licences which were granted via its online. By 2013 there were around 50 licences l Betting operators liable for a five per cent tax GluckspielG law continues to apply to the granted in the state. on stakes (called torpedo tax) permits granted for a six year period and so they are valid until 2018/19. The IStG meanwhile, although did not permit l In-play betting limited to final results and casino games, did grant concessions to 20 period of a game. This includes about 25 betting licences issued to private bookmakers for sports betting shops and various companies include 888 Germany, online portals. However not a single licence has The treaty states that although online casinos Admiral, Bet at Home, Betwin, Bet365 plus a still been issued to date. are still banned, online lotteries and a limited further 23 licences to online casinos including

P48 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM DATA FOR THE uNREGuLATED MARKET 2015 NO. OF SITES NO. OF OPERATORS TOTAL REvENuES

Betting Outlets (total) 4,500 200 €2.27bn Sports-betting 133 €736m (60% landbased and 40% online) Casinos 402 €1.16bn Poker 85 €123m Lottery <5 €246m

DECLiNiNG FiGuREs 2007 2015 dIFFERENCE

Gross Profit €923m €556m -40% Table games €210m €156m -26% Slots €713m €399m -44% Tronc €142m €85m -40% Visitors €8.9m €5.6m -37%

888, Bet at Home, Betway, Bwin, Ladbrokes. The penalise or restrict foreign operators. The association Deutscher Online state also has several lottery licences issued, Casinoverband (DOCV) is calling for an four horse racing betting licences and five The VDAI claims online gambling has negatively amendment to the gambling state treaty to casinos. affected land-based gaming. Gross revenues of including the licensing of casino online the gambling sector in 2005 amounted to products. They want a viable and law safe The ban on online gambling, however, only €952m, which by 2014 had dropped to €508m. regulation for online casinos in Germany. applies to domestic online gambling companies, Meanwhile online casinos reached just under Oddset at the moment remains the only legal which means that Germany cannot legally €200m in 2005 and by 2012 it topped €658m. German internet provider.

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P4_ Insight Gauselmann’s note of caution GerMAny Gauselmann Group after hugely successful year “All in all, the Gauselmann Group achieved a good result in 2016. What the raw numbers do not reveal, however, is that as a result of the legislation many arcades in Germany continue to be directly threatened by closure. Although for the past 65 years the Gauselmann Group and the coin-op sector in general have ensured that people’s desire to play has been kept in check in a coordinated manner.” Paul Gauselmann, founder and Chairman of the Management Board of the From a purely economic perspective, the family-owned Gauselmann Group Gauselmann Group. from Espelkamp in eastern Westphalia – under the management of Paul and Armin Gauselmann and six other managing directors – closed the 2016 financial year on an extremely positive note. Cumulative sales of all entities in the Gauselmann pioneer. In cooperation with leading companies for Group with its internationally known “laughing biometric control systems, the company has Merkur sun” trademark were up by 14.2 per cent to developed the FACE-CHECK automatic admission €2.53bn. Adjusted for intragroup sales, sales revenues control system for arcades, which with the help of climbed by 17.8 per cent to €1.72bn – an increase of biometric data ensures the exclusion of barred players €260m. Hand in hand with this, the number of and minors under the age of 18. employees rose in the same period by 1,198 to total 10,438 games makers worldwide. Internationally, the Gauselmann Group was again able to grow through further acquisitions in the This growth is above all attributable to foreign sales, financial year 2016: sales increased by 23.6 per cent which have risen steadily for the past several years, from €673m in 2015 to €832m in 2016. to ensure the whereas the share of sales of the German market is organisation is well-positioned to meet future now just over 50 per cent. In the ongoing business challenges, the Gauselmann Group has optimised the year, foreign sales will for the first time account for structure of its business segments, splitting them into substantially more than 50 per cent. the four pillars Merkur, Gaming operations, Sports betting and Online gaming. As a result of the Glu cksspiela nderungsstaatsvertrag (“First Amended Intërstate Gam̈ bling treaty”) and the The equity of the family-owned company, which was respective state arcade laws, the situation on the founded in 1957, increased in 2016 by 12.6 per cent to German home market is difficult, although a growing €775m (2015: €688m), which corresponds to an Picture right: from l. to r.: (1st number of players use and enjoy the products and equity ratio of 54 per cent. row) Armin Gauselmann, Paul services, but remain silent. Gauselmann, Chairman of the “The Gauselmann Group has always reinvested Management Board, (2nd row) “All in all, the Gauselmann Group achieved a good realised profits – in recent years primarily in Dr Werner Schroer, result in 2016. What the raw numbers do not reveal, international markets – with the result that despite Technology, (3rd row) Manfred however, is that as a result of the legislation many the difficult situation on the German market, we are Stoffers, Marketing, arcades in Germany continue to be directly now able to run an extremely successful organisation. Communications and Political threatened by closure,” says Paul Gauselmann, Through their commitment and passion, our Affairs, Ju rgen Stu hmeyer, founder and Chairman of the Management Board of employees have, of course, played an important part Merkur Sä les, (4tḧ row) Dieter the Gauselmann Group. “ in this,” explains Vice-Chairman Armin Gauselmann. Kuhlmann, Gaming Operations, (5th row) Although for the past 65 years the Gauselmann Group Numerous national and international awards and Alexander Vleeming, and the coin-op sector in general have ensured that certifications testify to the high quality of the Finances, Alexander Martin, people’s desire to play has been kept in check in a products and services on offer. In early 2017, the Online Gaming. coordinated manner,” Paul Gauselmann adds. This CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOtHEK subsidiary received includes extensive protection of players and minors, recognition as ‘top national employer’ for the third an area in which the Gauselmann Group is seen as a year in succession.

P[0 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM

Insight Keeping the flow of cash GerMAny Cash handling constant despite the changes

With legislation changes CPI explains why Germany’s street gaming operators should demand the best in affecting the German AWP banknote recycling as they consider how to respond to the changes in legislation market, the performance of going forward. G3 speak to CPI’s Anette Jauch about the specifics of those each machine becomes changes and how they will impact operators, suppliers and players even more critical than “You can have every colour you want so long as it is from CPI. Excellent first-time acceptance rates of before. As we all know, the black”. What Henry Ford said in 1909 is applicable genuine notes – regardless of their quality – is its today in our market. The significance, power and hallmark, ensuring a smooth experience at the new regulations will association of a colour with a product have machine for players. This unbeatable acceptance and unfortunately reduce the size immortalized this quote – only today, yellow is the a range of leading-edge security features place the of the market, and players new black. It is the colour of the CPI banknote reader SCR Advance at the forefront of technology in its field. and recycling solutions. Many operators know CPI will have fewer machines to products simply as the yellow ones. And yellow Another distinguishing characteristic of SCR Advance play upon. The value of each stands for the best quality in the market. is its performance as measured by its jam rate, and this is where it truly outperforms the competition. EGM then rises, and any Banknote recyclers have rightly become standard in Players play with the banknotes they have with them performance issues will the German AWP industry. Players appreciate the – they may be new from the AtM but players usually optimal service a banknote recycler offers, allowing also carry older notes that are crinkled, dirty and torn. make a considerably larger them to both play and receive their wins in Banknote recyclers must be able to accept, store and impact on operators and convenient notes instead of coins. Operators have a pay back notes of varying conditions; if they instead their profitability. host of benefits: because notes are recycled, the place worn notes into the stacker as a means to amount of ‘dead capital’ within the EGM is reduced prevent issues – or jams – during pay-out, the raison and the term ‘coin starvation’ practically no longer d’être to use a banknote recycler is displaced. exists. A note that gets stuck in the machine during pay-out The SCR Advance’s performance speaks for itself, and is what we call a jam, and how often jams occur is the most recent ‘Advance’ model offers newfound what we call the jam rate. The higher the jam rate, the enhancements in performance, security and speed more often the EGM goes down – reducing uptime.

P[2 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM A New Era of Cash Handling in Germany

It seems clear that the market will shrink in Netherlands) have also adopted notes/tickets number of arcades as well as number of and note recycling. Note recycling is also the machines in the market. Whilst it is still very most efficient solution when tItO is not or unclear by how much the market will shrink, cannot be made available, as is the case in the industry is preparing for a more Germany. Additionally, the current stake/prize competitive playing field. In a first step, at the structure in the German AWP market provides end of this year, some arcades will have to operators with the revenue to demand the best close or downsize. As a result, machines will performing products with casino-like levels of have to be taken off the floor and returned to acceptance and security. Anette Jauch the supplier. CPI Sales Director - EmEA Gaming is jam-rate actually more important in a From a supplier’s point of view, the available recycling unit as it’s expected to be operating market will shrink. From an operator’s point of for longer periods without support? anette, the scr advance was specifically view, the performance of each remaining designed for the German aWp market - what machine becomes that much more critical to As said earlier, this is definitely the case, both were the factors that were taken into account their profitability. A dip in the acceptance rate for Adult Gaming Centres as well as single-site and how was the scr advance adapted to or downtime from a coin/note jam will impact operations. In AGCs, there is usually an specifically suit the German aWp sector? the arcade owner’s revenue much more attendant or technician who can clear the jam, severely than before. whereas at single sites technicians might have As you know, CPI’s products are used across a to travel from far away to clear a jam – which range of industries – including Gaming, With fewer games available, players may have means the machine remains “unplayable” Financial Services, Retail, transport and less choice and may have to wait until their until the jam has been cleared and the Vending. While SCR Advance is now being favourite machine becomes available. And, of machine is up again. A low jam rate is one of used in several of these industries, it had been course, they will certainly be more annoyed the most important factors when choosing a originally designed and developed for Gaming than before if their coins/notes are not being note recycler – and SCR Advance offers the – and especially for the German AWP market. accepted by the machine or if there is a lowest jam rate in the industry. problem during payout – further emphasising What makes it a “German” product? We all the importance of performance to operators. What message are you sending to operators know that German operators expect the very about the help and support offered by cpi best – any products they use must be What are the opportunities for cpi and the during what is going to be a difficult time for brilliantly engineered and include advanced scr advance in the new German market the aWp industry in Germany? features that are highly secure and of the best reality of less locations and fewer machines possible quality. This is especially true of in operation? CPI’s daughter site CPI GmbH – the original payment peripherals, as operators in the NRI facility – is a German office with German German AWP sector require a number of Clearly, CPI’s products – and especially the staff and, most importantly, a German- security features to protect them against SCR Advance – stand out head and shoulders speaking technical Support and Service frauds and manipulation that aren’t as above the competition with regards to security department. With an engineering team close to common in other sectors. and performance. With a jam rate of one in “where it happens” and technical support only 10,000 or more transactions, its performance a phone call away, both suppliers and Unlike other note recyclers on the market, the is unparalleled in the German AWP market operators can rely on fast and efficient service. SCR Advance can detect the position of each and, in fact, the entire industry. And, as each and every note on the recycling drums and will single machine becomes more important, it And last but not least: Yellow is the new Black! know if notes are missing or become missing must be a priority and focus of both machine For years, the high-quality, high-performance even during a powered down state. suppliers and operators to offer machines with note products have been known in Germany as the best performing games and the highest- “the yellow ones”. With the increasing Additionally, features like the anti-stringing quality peripherals. pressure of high performance for the gaming mechanism and anti-skew note path make machines and its peripherals, it would be SCR Advance the fastest, most secure and Why has Germany so thoroughly adopted the negligent not to ask for the best product with most efficient note recycler inside and outside concept of note recycling when other markets the best performance on the market. the Gaming market. continue without such a large-scale install base of this product? What is it that makes Low cost of ownership from high machine how do you see the impact of the legislation Germany different? uptime and low service costs will easily changes in Germany affecting the different balance the higher cost that naturally comes sectors of the industry, from the suppliers In reality, it’s actually only Italy that has from high quality and high performance. through to the operators and the players? remained a “Coin-only” market. All the other When ordering machines, ask for “the Yellow major AWP markets (Spain, UK, the one” – ask for SCR Advance!

When this happens, a member of staff has to be With legislation changes affecting the German on the market. We all deserve to ask for the best, called to fix the jam. typically, this person is a AWP market, the performance of each machine and the best for banknote recycling is yellow – technician who has to be called to the arcade. becomes even more critical than before. As we the SCR Advance. Operators of EGMs in bars and cafés may have all know, the new regulations will unfortunately their machines spread over long distances – so it reduce the size of the market, and players will Based in Buxtehude, the former headquarters of may take a technician hours to reach an affected have fewer machines to play upon. NRI, CPI works from a well-known location machine, during which time the machine with a local team has many years of experience remains out of order. The value of each EGM then rises, and any in the market. Yet another reason to choose the performance issues will make a considerably SCR Advance is the fact that it was designed CPI offers the lowest jam rate in the industry. larger impact on operators and their especially for the German AWP market. With a jam rate of less than 1 jam in more than profitability. The importance of individual Extensive market research and customer 10,000 transactions, the SCR Advance truly machine uptime will increase for every feedback is what led to a product that can meet stands out head and shoulders above the operator. Now more than ever, it is vital to have all operator requirements for banknote competition. the best performing banknote recycler available recycling. No wonder yellow is the new black!

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P[Y Reports leGiSlATive cHAnGeS GerMAn STreeT MArKeT

Views of the German market at street-level

G3 appraises the legislative changes amounted to 985 million euros l Number of employees in the German AWP affecting the street market in Germany and industry – approx. 70,000

l Number of people who play on AWPs in speaks to the principle operators in the Germany – approx. 5 million sector, asking for their views and opinions Yet the German AWP industry faces an uncertain future. The changes began back in about the affects on their business and 2012 when the Interstate Gambling treaty (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag) was updated to reflect the fact that the 16 individual states in player behaviour following the new ruling Germany were to assume the responsibility of gambling in their own individual states. The The German AWP has in the past years grown l Number of concessions: 14,877 present Interstate Gambling treaty was ratified strongly. The latest statistics available from 1st on 01.0.2012 and will last until 30.06.2021. January 2016 from the umbrella association The l Number of arcade operators – approx. 5,000 German AWP Industry (Die Deutsche today, AWP gambling in Germany is managed Automatenwirstschaft) show: l tax paid by the German arcade industry – over by 16 local governments. Each state has the right 2 billion euros to interpret the Interstate Gambling treaty in l Number of arcades: 9,102 different ways. The result is 16 different sets of l ‘Amusement tax’ (Vergnügungssteuer) rules. In some states the results have been

P[4 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM concessions and so continue to offer a high-quality gaming portfolio in the future as well.

how many arcades will you have to close? It is too early to give conclusive information here due to the complexity of the subject matter and the diverse implementation laws within the individual states. In the long-term it will be ex-ceptional that we will be able to operate our large arcade complexes without any restrictions.

how many arcades have you had to reduce in size? The situation at this moment in time is not clear. Thus, we cannot make a conclusive state-ment here. In the medium-term the majority of our arcades will most likely have to be reduced in size.

these changes stem from desired improvements in responsible gaming. how do you see this? The Gauselmann Group conforms to the requirement to channel its gaming offer as stated in the Interstate Gaming Treaty. however, the company does not believe that creating larger distances between arcades will lead to greater player protection given the fact that the next gaming offer is only a click away in the internet. Thus, the Gauselmann Group has been regu-larly training its staff for years in the field of dieter kuhlmann, responsible gaming. In addition to that, the com-pany is setting new Spokesman for the Management Board, standards with its new, biometric entry control system called ‘FACE- ChECK’. This recognises biometric facial features and can thus ensure CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOThEK that under-aged and banned players are prevented from entering the arcade. ‘FACE-ChECK’ works at the same time very diligently with the What consequences are you faced with due to the new state arcade data. General information on responsible gaming is available both in the regulations? arcades and on the Gauselmann Group website. Distance regulations to other arcades or institutions such as schools and youth centres are stipulated in the state arcade laws. These will also What are the advantages and disadvantages for the player regarding affect the CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOThEK arcades. Arcades will have to these changes? be closed or reduced in size. As our company operates at various Players are faced mainly with disadvantages. The reduction in the locations with multi-concessions, the ban of multi-concessions affects machine number may means that there are not enough machines for us. each player. This may lead customers trans-gressing to the internet or to illegal forms of gambling. Players are faced mainly with the deadline for implementing the state arcade laws in 30th June in disadvantages. The reduction in the many states. What does this mean for Merkur spielothek? The deadline varies according to the state. The law cases are still machine number may means that impending. Generally speaking, CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOThEK is facing various several challenges. This in-cludes, for example, the there are not enough machines for adaptations necessary to the arcades and organisational structures. each player. This may lead customers What changes do you expect when the new technical directive comes into power next year? Many positive effects can be expected as the industry has had a long transgressing to the internet or to time to prepare for the new Technical Directive. We have had over four years to think about new cabinets as well as new games / content and illegal forms of gambling. to accordingly develop these. There will be a vast number of innova- tions in 2018. The legal specifications will mean that the machines built What is your strategy to maintain your positive business strategy? to Technical Directive 5.0 surely won’t meet the current level. The Our company will enforce the legal rights for existing arcades and political upheaval is just too deep. Nevertheless, our company sees the concessions. There are laws that apply to cases of hardship to secure industry as innovative enough to be able to offer players very interest- investments that have already been made. Fur-thermore, CASINO ing machines at this point in time so that the change from the old to the MERKUR-SPIELOThEK will develop further new locations with single new Technical Di-rective should not be so difficult.

CHANGEs TO MACHiNE sTAKEs AND PRizEs PRESENT RuLING NEw RuLING (FROM 10.11.18 ONwARdS)

Bet stake – max. 0.20 euro every 5 seconds remains unchanged Max . amount allowed on credit metre: 25 euros 10 euros Max. loss per hour: 80 euros 60 euros Max. average loss per hour: 33 euros 20 euros Max. win per hour: 2 euros every 5 seconds remains unchanged Max. win per hour (not taking stake into consideration) 500 euros 400 euros Max. potential win that can be displayed on AWP 1000 euros 300 euros

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P[[ gaming and player protection have been an indispensible part of our daily work for a long time. Only this way can players enjoy their recreational time in a secure environment. We hope that politicians will quickly understand this and react accordingly. We are convinced that we provide a socially responsible offer and we will therefore continue to fight for our playing guests and our staff so that commercial gaming has a good and economically sound future. People will always want to play and we are apprehensive that the restrictions on the legal and controlled form of gambling will force some into illegal gambling. Responsible gaming and player protection have been an robert hess, Politcal Respresentative, indispensible part of our daily work SchmidtGroup for a long time.

What is the update concerning multi-concession arcades? The transition period as stated in the InterState Gambling Treaty ended these changes stem from desired improvements in responsible on 30th June 2017 – apart from in North Rhine-Westphalia gaming. how do you see this? (30.11.2017) and Schleswig-holstein (09.02.2018). Multi-concession Player protection plays a central role as our offer is by definition arcades are fundamentally forbidden after this transition period. connected with risks. Therefore, we founded the society Spielerschutz however, the legislator sees the possibility according to §29.4.2. of the und Prävention mbh (GSP) (Society for Responsible Gaming and InterState Gambling Treaty of so-called hardship cases for existing Prevention) with two further companies. Qualified responsible gaming arcades. The implementation of this regulation varies from state to staff at the GSP are responsible for player protection and prevention at state. For example, in Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, the hardship all arcades of these three companies. case allows the continued operation of up to 48 AWPs (i.e. 4 concessions together) until the end of the InterState Gambling Treaty on What are the advantages and disadvantages for the player regarding 30th June 2021. Thus, each location has been individually inspected these changes? referring to the implementation of the corresponding State Arcade Law A reduced offer does not mean that there will be fewer players. We are and necessary changes have been carried out. Only this single convinced that a limited offer of the responsible, controlled and legal inspection and classification guarantees lawful arcade operation. And gaming market will force players more and more into the grey and illegal that is our top priority. gambling markets. What the individual player ‘gambles away’ in a poker backroom or on his or her own laptop remains unregulated and What consequences are you faced with due to the new state arcade unprotected. That is why we have demanded for years that politicians regulations? sit together with us, the providers of commercial gaming, at a round Only the politicians in Lower Saxony have forced us in the first step to table together with representatives from science and self-help groups reduce our locations to one concession (12 AWPs). however, we are to create constructive dialogue. The solution lies only through the confident that through the pending lawsuits we will be able to maintain qualitative regulation of the entire gaming market. our locations in their original form. In the other states we have succeeded through close collaboration with political and municipal the deadline for implementing the state arcade laws is 30th June in decision makers to either completely or mostly secure our locations many states. What does this mean for the schmidt Group? until the end of the InterState Gambling Treaty. A very busy and enthralling time has come to an end. There is no time to pause as four years remain to create a new quality-focused ruling for What is your strategy to maintain your positive business strategy? the entire gaming market together with politicians. Only if this succeeds People will always want to play and we are apprehensive that the will then our business model of so-called multi-concessions have a restrictions on the legal and controlled form of gambling will force some chance in the future. We are cautiously optimistic that this will be the of them into the grey market or even into illegal gambling. Responsible case! draconian, in others more relaxed. The State often been granted the rights to offer larger would be going very well if it were not for the Arcade Laws (Landesspielhallengesetze) came arcades. Normally only 12 AWPs are allowed per forthcoming changes. The past few years have into existence in 2012. Yet most states gave the arcade and in the 1990s and before that the probably been the most successful and AWP operators five years until they came into market was characterised by small arcades – profitable for manufacturers and operators power. This date for the majority of the states often known in those days as Spielhöllen – alike. These times are now over. was June 30, 2017. ‘gaming hells’ is the literal translation. These days are long gone with the multi-concession The changes will affect operators the hardest. This has led to significant upheaval. The German arcades that are often know as Entertainment Not surprisingly there are many court cases AWP sector is facing major changes. Some states Centres. being fought and many of the outcomes are still have had more stringent implementation dates outstanding. Most states have banned multi- (such as in Berlin). The strong investment made by many operators concessions and the arcades can offer a – especially the large chains – has changed the maximum of 12 AWPs. (In Hamburg and Berlin The major changes affect the concession rights way arcades are perceived. The number of the number is only eight). Multi-concessions and the future minimum distance between players has risen to approx. five million in the may only be kept if a legal exception is granted. arcades. The German AWP market has population – and the percentage of female Some states will continue to allow multi- flourished over the past years as operators have players has significantly increased. Things concessions yet reduce the numbers. In Bavaria

P[\ NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM time being in order to give the municipalities more time and to enable them to better cope with the complex situation. The states Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate have been so far most understandable and com- promising to our industry at least for a transition period.

how many arcades have you had to reduce in size? To date our arcades in Lower Saxony have had to be reduced to single concession arcades. We are fighting each case on an individual basis.

these changes stem from desired improvements in responsible gaming. how do you see this? At Löwen Play, we invest in several ways to ensure we provide highest quality and the utmost responsible gaming offer. Our staff are well trained. We ensure that any customers that may have problems with their gaming behaviour receive help as quickly as possible. Players have the ability to ban themselves if they deem this as necessary. With a whole array of measures we ensure that we focus on and take this subject very serious. Therefore, we are at a loss to say why the new regulations should make any further positive effect. On the contrary, if our customers cannot play in a high quality certified arcade we would expect that traditional land-based players will move to online gaming – which is not regulated. Josef kron , Managing Director, the deadline for implementing the state arcade laws is 30th June in Lo wen Play many states. What does this mean for löwen play? ̈ There is no general answer to this question. Each federal state has reacted differently and the responsible local municipalities have to What consequences are you faced with due to the new state arcade enforce the somewhat unclear regulations. For us at Löwen Play, it regulations? means we will further intensify our focus in protecting our business in The deadline for the German government to enforce the new gaming providing safe and legal gaming. We are a large operator and take our regulations passed on 30th June for all states except North-Rhine responsibilities very seriously. In cases where a compromise is not Westphalia and Schleswig-holstein. Now that the laws are valid, the viable, we are prepared to fight for our rights with the appro-priate legal administration tries to implement them. however, there is a great deal steps. of uncertainty in the market as the laws are lacking in clarity.

What is your approach to maintain your positive business strategy? We offer professional, regulated gaming with low stakes and prizes and Town halls have a difficult job despite are proud of the contribution we make to the German AWP industry. It goes without saying that we are doing all we can to ensure that our endeavours to cope with the very customers can enjoy the level of gaming entertainment they know and expect from us. The mentioned state laws have to be enforced on a specific situation. We are following local, municipal level. It goes without saying that the staff in town halls has a difficult job despite intensive endeavours in order to cope with the the strategy of cooperating with the very specific situation. We are following the strategy of cooperating with the local staff at municipalities and try to find a compromise wherever staff at municipalities and try to find possible. Let me state though that we are nevertheless protecting our business and if a compromise is not possible, then we air our a compromise wherever possible. We complaints – in lawsuits if necessary. are nevertheless protecting our how many arcades will you have to close? This is much too early to predict. We have not been forced to close any business and if a compromise is not site right now. The state that is acting in an extremely tough way is Lower Saxony. here we have had to reduce our multi-concessions to possible, then we air our complaints single sites. In other states the story is different. Saarland and ham- burg have decided to tolerate the arcades in the existing form for the – in lawsuits if necessary. and Rhineland-Palatinate the maximum distance of 500 metres between arcades. The person playing on more than one machine at number will be 48 AWPs per arcade (four technical Directive (Spielverordnung) is one time. to prevent this, the ‘automatic’ play concessions). In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern controlled at the federal level. The new button will no longer be allowed. This means the maximum number will be 36 AWPs per technical Directive that was agreed in that a player has to press the play button each arcade (three concessions). November 2014 will come into power on time to activate the game. November 10, 2018. The major changes are listed The second major upheaval is the new in the table: ‘Changes to Machine Stakes and At present up to three AWPs may be placed in minimum distance rule between arcades. In Prizes’ on page 55. bars and restaurants. However, on November 10, Lower Saxony it’s 100 metres between arcades. 2019, this will change to a maximum of two In Saxony-Anhalt the minimum distance that’s Furthermore, the stake can only be shown in AWPs per location. permissible between arcades is 200 metres. euros and cents. This hails the end for the points metre. The game pause of five minutes every There is much change ahead yet our interviews In Bavaria, Bremen and Saxony the number is hour remains unchanged. However, during this with three major operators – CASINO 250 metres. The states of Hesse and Schleswig- time it will no longer be allowed to show any MERKUR-SPIELOtHEK, LÖWEN PLAY and the Holstein demand a minimum distance between games or game demos and or animations. A SCHMIDt GROUP – highlight how the industry arcades of 300 metres. All the other states further new point is that the AWP has to be has fought for its rights and continues to do so. (Baden Württemberg, Berlin, Hamburg, reset to its initial setting every three hours. The only ‘overnight change’ has been the ban on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rheinland- multi-concessions in Lower Saxony. The story is Palatinate, Saarland and Thüringen) stipulate a A point of discussion has been how to prevent a different in the other 15 German states.

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P[] Interactive SPorTS-beTTinG PuSH TecHnoloGy Data transfer: When shove comes to Push Now that everyone deals in ‘big data’ we have to find ways to efficiently transfer information, which isn’t just about speed, it’s about managing the packets of information that we send - or at least that’s what Push’s Sean Bowen thinks... Despite advances in the speed of technology enablers, the need to transport increasingly large volumes of data over the Internet has been a perennial problem since the creation of the world wide web, as the packets of information needed to be transmitted are forever enlarging as users demand ever greater experiences from their devices. Back in the heyday of the dotcom boom-and- bust, when the iPhone saw its launch in the summer of 2007, Push technology CEO, Sean Bowen, was working in It within the banking sector, gathering what he describes as essential experience of both front and back-end systems pricing because their customers didn’t wants to used to transfer data. “I became aware of a see ads ‘out of synch’ with the data. Fast forward massive opportunity brewing around in-play to today’s market and the biggest driver is in- betting and big data, because I felt that there play, and what has really driven the market is Sean Bowen were essentially two types of businesses,” both real-time and the sheer scale of the data. I describes Mr. Bowen. “At that time you had the just don’t think people prepared for the Ceo ‘bricks and mortars’ - William Hills, Ladbrokes, avalanche of data that was to engulf them - and Push Technology Coral etc. - that were basically retailers who some still aren’t.” weren’t used to working in the online space and certainly weren’t familiar with building trading PROPORTIONATELY LARGE DATA Sean Bowen, CEO of Push Technology systems on the Internet. And then you had the While it’s a fact that gaming has been doing big Sean drives the spirit of innovation at Push bedroom-to-boardroom types, like the bet365s, data for years, operators have been sending Technology with his market vision, business which were going through such rapid growth, hundred of thousands of topics per second, acumen, technical expertise, and unbounded they didn’t have everything they needed in place offering millions of different prices to customers energy. With his keen understanding of the to deliver the resilient trading platform for future down what is essentially a piece of string. requirements for real time data streaming growth.” Advances in technology may have improved the technology to power mission-critical business Internet and we’ve all bought the latest 4G applications, he founded and has invested his According to Sean, the betting industry a decade mobile phones, but what have we done with this talent in leading Push Technology to serve the ago was split into distinct camps, with these two extra capacity? We’ve flooded every channel real time data delivery needs of markets very different types of business coming at the with (cat) videos. So we still have a service that worldwide. same problem from different ends of the isn’t reliable and have been attempting to deliver spectrum. He remembers raising the issue of a trhbading system over the top. It’s something ‘real-time’ with stakeholders at the time, who that Sean Bowen and Push technology has were dismissive of suggestions that punters viewed as flawed from day one. would want such a solution, let alone that the industry could supply it. “I won’t name and “From the very outset, our view was that shame, but there was one advertising company I traditional messaging just doesn’t work for the spoke to that said they didn’t need real-time Internet,” explains Sean. “If you look at how

P[8 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM a very quick, cheap and easy way of building a web tier, which is why it’s so widespread - but the trouble with RESt is that it doesn’t scale or perform to meet the needs of gaming operators. Operators are realising that the need to adopt an event-driven approach, which means that when something changes in the back-end system, they want to be able to push the appropriate response to the person that’s interested in that offer - in real-time. Creating an event-driven response returns us to the issue of data and the volume being sent over the wire, as profitability directly correlates to improvements in performance.

“too many operators chose the easy option,” says Sean, “but they’re realised its fallibility and are now contacting us. They’ve seen what we have achieved for our clients - the ‘holy grail’ of creating a single, build once and deploy everywhere platform that’s driving mobile, web and advertising.

If you are sending less data then you can offer more markets - it’s that simple. We have taken customers from offering just 20 betting opportunities per game/sport to being able to offer over 150, which means they’re now market leaders.”

Push technology is able to move small data so quickly that customers can offer point by point betting on fast moving games such as tennis on a mobile device. Again - it all comes back to the challenge of how do you transport large volumes of data through a small pipe quickly to mass numbers of connections? “We have always had this calculation of the size of the message multiplied by the frequency of the message multiplied again by the number of connections, the result of which is how many gigabytes you’re trying to push to your customers,” says Sean. “If you can change one element in three, you can do more with the other two. Reduce the message and you can either do more throughput or more scale.”

For many years Push technology has been, well, pushing a concept called the ‘real-time data network.’ The premise is that Push needed to traditional messaging product have worked, I’m a lot less down the wire, which means you’re decouple Apps from back-end data systems to talking about MQ (Message Queue) type paying less for the privilege (which is important enable operators to build things faster. And by products. They not only send every message, but when you’re hosting your data remotely), but creating such a platform the company can create they send the whole message every time. And you’re establishing a much more consistent an equivalent to a CDN (Content Delivery that’s problematic when you’re sitting on a performance that’s ‘real-time all the time.’” Network) but for data. “If you think about CDNs, congested network looking to deliver a they were built for files, moving html and video consistent service.” When a punter is interested in a certain match files around, they weren’t built for moving data or certain statistic, operators don’t want to be inside those files,” explains Sean. “By creating a Push technology takes inspiration for its data polling their back-end systems for offers, as this real-time data network it enables you to put service from television - or more specifically, floods the network with stale data, which adds data in anywhere and retrieve it everywhere, from the television network. When you switch latency. The request, therefore, has to be event- which means that people are accessing data on a television, the first frame you receive driven. Anyone not doing event-driven today, locally. The other unique thing we have created contains every pixel of information for that according to Mr. Bowen, is already way behind is our cache. We are not just streaming data and whole picture, but thereafter - from the second the eight-ball. “Some of those customers with messaging, we actually cache that data on the frame onwards - you only receive the changes to in-play alone have two and a half million edge, so if I’m inputting data in California while the first frame, or as Sean describes it, the topics,” says Bowen. “That’s a lot of data to be you’re accessing a mobile app from a server ‘delta.’ “We followed this delta model and set storing and moving. So again, if you’re sending farm in the UK, you are retrieving data locally, out to build a streaming data product around it,” the whole message every time you are going to which again increases performance.” says Sean. “We wanted to be smart about how flood that network, which is adding latency. We much data we needed to send, having recognised say, only send to the delta because it is a lot MOVING DATA AND EASY INTEGRATION that we’re working with a very finite ‘pipe’ in more efficient, which helps with speed.” Push technology is currently moving around 15 which to channel the data. I like to use the million messages a second to 75,000 analogy of a 10 ton truck attempting to join a CHOOSING THE RIGHT STANDARD concurrently connected devices in its busy motorway. If it’s congested there isn’t Most gaming companies have wanted to build benchmark tests and is doing that consistently. enough space for it to enter and slip between the their platforms as quickly as possible, and This is a highly tuned product that can handle other vehicles - but if you’re driving a they’ve approached the task by using a tool scale and when you’re talking gaming, they are motorcycle, it can nip in and out very quickly. called RESt, which is a ‘request and response’ not building it for 10 customers, they are So by having small data you’re not only sending way of transporting data. RESt has proven to be building for tens of thousands of customers to

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whom they’re pushing out millions of adverts. It CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RETENTION has to scale - the data the more scores, news and If a customer can’t find what they want that’s stats, it puts a load on the system. You need to be the definition of a poor service. However, the efficient so that you can steal performance reality is that there is only so much data near the during the really busy periods. If you have a big consumer that they can bet upon, so there’s the race approaching - always see unreliability perpetual balancing act of offering enough issues in the gaming industry until we deployed markets to excite the player, but not too many to our software. Case-study on our website from overwhelm them. previous MD of Oddschecker who said every Saturday they would see struggles due to scale The argument isn’t how can you acquire and performance around peak events such as 300,000 new customers, it’s how can you retain the Grand National, for example, they used to as many as possible as it’s always more cost have everyone on site to keep the site up - but no effective to retain a customer than it is to win a matter what they did it would creak and fall customer. There has been a race to sign-up as over. Diffusions just works - it stays up. They many players as possible with acquisition teams don’t need people on-site. It gives you that incentivised to hit a quota of new sign-ups in resiliency. any given year. Stories abound of operators signing up 100,000-150,000 new sign-ups Push technologies can deploy its Diffusion annually, but who have lost them all because of solution on-premise, in the cloud or as part of a the performance of their platform. Playing on hybrid between the two. The API remains the mobile isn’t like signing into a two-year phone same under the hood, but the operator can contract, in which you make a single choice and utilise any configuration to serve their own have to ‘put up with’ a gradually slowing and purposes or those demanded by legislation. poor performing product over an extended build a lot of it yourself,” says Sean. “Now that’s “When you think about gaming, cloud products period. Players test, sample and swap between all being deployed and developed so that it’s a on their own will struggle,” says Sean. “Some operators at the kind of speeds they’re simpler shift, which has also helped to drive this customers can trade with you from anywhere in demanding from their betting experience. forward. There has been a steep learning curve the world, but others are in regulated territories in which operators understand that things don’t were you have to trade locally. Add into the “We are all used to things using our scale unless you do them correctly using event- equation the fact that there aren’t cloud nodes desktop/laptop at home or at work, which is driven technologies. Real-time matters - if you in every country, and there certainly aren’t two, serviced by a dedicated network delivered by a don’t deliver real-time then your customer will which makes things tricky when operators want performance platform - and then we head leave, which means that there’s pressure from fail-overs, having the ability to offer an ‘on- outside and we’re trying to bet on a mobile multiple sides and it’s the reason why over 50 prem’ solution is very important. And having the device on a web browser and suddenly we’re per cent of the meetings we had at ICE are now ability to offer both at once is a compelling story waiting for that spinning wheel of death,” real opportunities.” for the gaming sector.” describes Sean. “It is no surprise when people, who aren’t network experts, see open-source Operators that have built their own solutions, solutions, or find that RESt is quick and cheap but who are now faced with huge scaling and that they decide to take the route of least performance issues, are seeking out Push. “There has been a steep resistance. It is only when you go live and start technologies have evolved to being event- scaling up that things start to go spectacularly driven, the methodologies they are using, like learning curve in which wrong.” micro-services, are event-driven. For Sean and operators understand that his team, the distillation of the problem and the SCALING AND FAILING reason for his company’s recent flood of things don’t scale unless you According to Push, the scenario is a familiar one. enquiries is down to the fact that operators are do them correctly using event- An operator goes live and they start to do really prioritising their core competencies, as opposed good numbers and everything is fine, but then to be the jack-of-all-trades as they were in the driven technologies. Real-time they try to scale their offer in line with demand past. “10 years ago, this was an exciting area in and everything falls apart. And that’s not just which you could build your own platform,” matters - if you don’t deliver gaming, it is all sectors. And at the same time, states Sean. “today, however, these businesses real-time then your customer new techologies have arrived like Lightbend and don’t want to be studying how to punch through Kafka, whereby these event driven messaging the next level of a firewall to deliver extra will leave, which means that systems, these micro services have come along performance, they want to be creating the next there’s pressure from multiple to break up the monolithic systems into smaller exciting game, offering the best service - that’s more ‘chatty’ components - which again means where their expertise and value lies. There is less sides and it’s the reason why more events. And on the front-end you have focus now on building platforms and more focus products such as React, Angular and Ember on driving costs down and delivering more, over 50 per cent of the creating the frameworks for event-driven User faster. Commoditising solves that challenge.” meetings we had at ICE are Interfaces. “In the past, the tools simply weren’t available for an operator to hook into for event AND THE NEAR FUTURE? now real opportunities.” driven systems, which meant that you had to Having created a pilot solution for Africa, where

P\0 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM data efficiency really comes to the fore, Push less focused on those types of challenges. For us analyse and send an event out that has a technologies’ solutions are perhaps even better now, it’s about how we make things even more positive effect on their business,” says Sean. suited to the challenges thrown up by new resilient. We see security as one of the next territories and new market sectors. The battle-grounds, not just in gaming, but in health, “We have been focused on the out-bound problems of working over a smaller more the Internet Of Things - how do you lock down message, but we’re just as interested on the in- expensive bandwidth in emerging markets is these devices? bound directional, as it’s not just about where Sean believes the company has exactly understanding the data you’re pushing to a the right product. “The fact that we can cache How do you keep the hackers out while making mobile devices, it’s about understanding the data anywhere, on-prem or node on in the the product easier to adopt and adapt? Push is data you’re streaming in as well. Again, that’s cloud, retrieving that data locally, is the ideal building tools for monitoring and delivering the key - streaming data to us is the unique solution for emerging markets,” says Sean. real-time data from analytics systems. Push piece of the equation - enabling a huge volume enables traders to make decisions ‘in the of events that allow businesses to evolve and “And the fact that we’ve been around for 10 moment’ no matter where they are, but even offer new and exciting services. We are taking years means that we’re only beating our own then response times are limited because of the the movement of data from minutes down to performance with each new release. Shaving a human-factor - the next step is machines. seconds with our customers. We do streaming, milli-second off doesn’t make much difference “Machines respond a lot faster, so the faster you we do messaging, we do both, which means you when you’re scaling to huge numbers, so we’re send information to them, the quicker they can don’t need to buy two different products.”

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P\1 Interactive online GAMinG coloMbiA Colombia: perfect online blend or over-roasted? R. Franco’s Alejandro Casanova speaks to G3 about the opportunities and the pitfalls (mostly regulatory) that makes the Colombian online market such an exciting prospect As Colombia becomes the first country in Latin America to implement a workable regulatory framework, R. Franco Group’s New Business Development Director & Chief Digital Officer Alejandro Casanova discusses opportunities for operators in the market and the wider region

alejandro Casanova It is no exaggeration to say that Latin America is the country’s regulator, Coljuegos, recently the most exciting emerging region in the gaming issuing its first online gambling licence. new Business world right now. development Coljuegos has already said it expects to issue Operators and suppliers are scrambling to take further licences in the coming months, with the director & Chief advantage of the opportunities that are opening intention of raising around US$2.5 million in digital officer, up as jurisdictions push through new regulation. gaming taxes annually. But at the same time, they are quickly learning r. Franco group that Latin America poses a series of unique Under the framework, licensed operators will challenges that tend not to be present in the pay between 15-17 per cent tax on gross gaming more mature online markets of Europe. yield, and must maintain a return to player of 83 The regulator has said that it per cent. will back up the licences by While it is important to lean on those with existing expertise in the region, it is also The regulator has said that it will back up the enlisting the country’s Ministry essential to understand that as Latin America licences by enlisting the country’s ministry of moves towards a similar dot country model of Information Technologies and Communications of Information Technologies patchwork regulation as we see in Europe, a local to enforce a ban on more than 300 gaming and Communications to approach to individual markets is crucial. companies that are not licensed, in an attempt to successfully channel users into the regulated enforce a ban on more than STEPPING STONE sector. 300 gaming companies that With this in mind, Colombia is being viewed by many operators and suppliers looking to make “We want more operators to obtain authorisation are not licensed, in an attempt the leap into Latin America as an ideal stepping from Coljuegos to achieve a strong sector, in tune stone. with new technologies,” Juan Pérez Hidalgo, to successfully channel users president of Coljuegos, said in June. into the regulated sector. The country has led the way in terms of establishing an intelligent and workable TRANSITIONING ONLINE regulatory framework for the online sector, with Colombia provides an opportunity for operators

P\2 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM to establish a legal presence in Latin America for Many major online operators have already been enjoying an the first time in a European-style regulatory framework. increase in custom from Colombia, with betting and gaming a many major online operators have already been well-established pastime. Much of this has been the result of a enjoying an increase in custom from Colombia thriving land-based sector, and we can expect to see those over recent months and years, with betting and gaming a well-established pastime for many in operators look to extend their success into the online realm the country. Corredor Empresarial controls the nation’s the fate of similar firms in the UK and Europe, much of this has been the result of a thriving largest commercial network of luck and chance where many land-based and high street giants land-based sector, and we can expect to see games, operating 25,000 retail points of sale were surpassed by newer and more agile those operators that have enjoyed land-based comprising a total of 75,000 gaming terminals, online-focused operators at the beginning of the success to look to extend it into the online which helped it generate a total operating digital revolution. realm. income of US$78.5m in 2016. many of these firms failed to move quickly, or One such operator is Corredor Empresarial S.A., The operator is in a strong position in terms of undertook ambitious online projects for which which plans to enter the online market with the brand and local knowledge, but what it has they lacked the requisite expertise. help of R. Franco Digital, which is providing its lacked is a great deal of experience in providing latest-generation IRIS omni-channel platform, an online solution, which is why it turned to R. Fortunately, Latin America’s major land-based along with a variety of online games and sports Franco Digital. operators have a distinct advantage; they are betting services. able to call upon the expertise of a wide range of Operators in a similar position in Colombia and digital suppliers to ease the transition to the The operator chose to integrate R. Franco beyond need to consider carefully the best way online space. Digital’s IRIS platform on account of its modular to approach the new online opportunities that and flexible approach to gaming, its wide range are now emerging. FLEXIBLE PLATFORMS of content, and its omni-channel expertise. In Colombia and across Latin America’s These operators could do worse than to look at regulating online jurisdictions, we are likely to

NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P\Y Interactive online GAMinG coloMbiA see a battle between local land-based heritage operators and offshore online-focused European and Asian operators for supremacy.

While these two sides bring very different assets to the table, they must all understand one central reality to gaining success in Latin America: rolling out products that have proved popular in Europe will not be enough.

Accordingly, all will be in need a flexible platform that allows these operators to create a bespoke proposition that speaks to local customers.

This includes everything from offering relevant markets for sporting events to having a data solution in place that personalises marketing to boost retention and grow revenues.

This is why R. Franco Digital’s IRIS platform allows easy integrations, offers more than 15 payment gateways and in excess of 1,500 games, as well as regulatory expertise for the entire region.

BEYOND COLOMBIA While Colombia is an extremely encouraging first step for the region, it is really just scratching the surface of what is possible for online gaming in Latin America.

According to H2 Gambling Capital, igaming accounts for just 6.3 per cent of gambling gross win across Latin America in 2017. That number is expected to rise to 7.7 per cent over the next five years, and it is clear that the potential of the market is huge.

Similarly, of total igaming gross win, just 20.9 per cent came from the mobile channel in 2017. If you compare this figure to major European operators, most of which take more than half of their revenues on mobile, it is apparent there is tax revenues, will be watching the Colombian room for mobile-focused firms to disrupt the example closely for an alternative. These are Currently around 80 per cent Latin American gaming space. exciting times for Latin American gaming. Led by Colombia, the region has an opportunity to of igaming revenues are These opportunities will come into sharper drive huge growth over the coming years. accounted for by offshore, focus as more markets regulate the online sector. Peru has made some encouraging steps But operators, whether they are local or unlicensed operators. This is on this front of late, although the big prize international, must take time to learn the remains Brazil. intricacies of each regional market if they are to unsustainable and regional succeed. governments, under pressure Brazil’s lawmakers continue to debate potential legislation, and while the process may still take The R. Franco Group, with more than 50 years of to raise tax revenues, will be some time, there is a growing sense that it will experience in Spanish-language gaming and a watching the Colombian ultimately introduce a framework that permits market-leading online division that already some degree of online gaming. provides some of Europe’s most innovative example closely for an operators, is already in a series of interesting Elsewhere it seems inevitable that others will discussions with operators. alternative. These are exciting follow. Currently around 80 per cent of igaming times for Latin American revenues are accounted for by offshore, And with the growth only set to accelerate, Latin unlicensed operators. This is unsustainable and America is quickly emerging as a region that gaming regional governments, under pressure to raise operators simply cannot afford to ignore.

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Interactive cASino SPorTSbooKS

Why it’s never been so easy to set up a sportsbook Paul Witten, product director at SIS, explains how integrating a sportsbook has never been easier and can provide casinos with much needed additional revenues

Major sporting events such as last summer’s European Championships in France saw customers flocking to their nearest betting shop or favourite online sportsbook in their droves, looking to add some more excitement to one of the year’s biggest tournaments.

Paul Witten, With many operators reporting a surge in visitors sports-style bars, with a high-profiled boxing and revenues during the one-month period, it bout or major Premier League clash likely to Product director, comes as no surprise that there are so many draw in sports fans in their numbers. In an SiS sports betting websites in the marketplace now. industry which is fiercely competitive, maximising the lifetime value of a player is It was an opportunity many casinos didn’t want hugely important and the last thing any business Sportsbooks have fantastic to miss out on, and last year saw many of these wants to see is a customer leaving their site to websites launch a sportsbook offering for the find entertainment elsewhere. revenue-boosting qualities, first time. The likes of mr Green and LeoVegas with cross-selling acquisition took the plunge just ahead of the Euros, while Sportsbooks have fantastic revenue-boosting traditional land-based operators have also been qualities, with cross-selling acquisition and and retention opportunities quick to enter the marketplace, with Grosvenor retention opportunities being an effective way to Casino and Genting Casino adding sportsbooks keep players on your website, rather than being an effective way to keep to their online offerings. switching brands. Online casinos which entered players on your website, rather the sports betting space for the first time have We’re also seeing more land-based casinos than enjoyed early success, as mr Green has already than switching brands. ever before making big spaces available for announced plans to launch a new and upgraded

P\\ NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM sportsbook later this year, while approximately Operators no longer need to have the sufficient Players can bet on the odd- 15 per cent of Grosvenor Casino’s weekly active knowledge of sports or headcount to have a user base placed bets during the second half of competitive offering. numbered greyhounds against 2016. With such a wide variety of markets on offer in the sports betting arena, from football to For instance, at SIS we deliver live data feeds, the even-numbered ones, horse racing to handball, there’s no shortage of streaming and pictures to both retail and online similar to how roulette is options for players to bet on should they want to operators across a wide range of sports, leave the casino floor. including greyhounds, horse racing and football. played, which will not only be With over 30 years of experience, we’ve built up attractive for existing casino But while online sportsbooks have always been a powerful database backed by knowledgeable an attractive proposition for casinos, there’s staff, removing the need for a casino to hire customers but will also enable always been a sticking point as to why more additional staff members to offer such sporting haven’t taken the plunge. In previous years, the events. new audiences less familiar challenge of setting up a sportsbook will have with the sport to join in the fun. been a daunting prospect for the uninitiated, And with over 100,000 betting opportunities a with many citing a lack of knowledge of the year, there’s certainly no shortage of choice for marketplace for not wanting to take on the casino players looking to take a break from the which will not only be attractive for existing vertical. tables and enjoy a different type of betting casino customers but will also enable new experience. In addition, thanks to our new audiences less familiar with the sport to join in There have also been concerns with the derivatives service customers will soon be able the fun. additional costs involved for example, hiring to enjoy casino-style ‘spin-and-win’ bets on traders capable of pricing up events effectively greyhound and horse racing events. With the growing need for casinos to maximise doesn’t come cheap. However, thanks to revenues in a fiercely competitive market, advances in technology, integrating a Players can bet on the odd-numbered sportsbooks are now an easier and cheaper way sportsbook has never been easier for firms greyhounds against the even-numbered of keeping your customers on board then they looking to broaden their product portfolio. greyhounds, similar to how roulette is played, have ever been.

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Merkur Gaming celebrated the 15th edition of the Land the ‘Sheriff’ and ‘Bandit’ Peru Gaming Show as part of a diverse expanding wild symbols in the main representation of the Gauselmann Group’s as a game and watch as they shift across multifaceted gaming solutions strategic business the reels on subsequent spins in partner that, in Lima, included cash handling experts search of a fight, as the reels ‘ain’t GeWeTe and sports betting leaders Cashpoint and big enough for the both of them! edict alongside the dynamic product display of the cabinets are both already well known and established Gauselmann Group’s subsidiary, Merkur Gaming Peru. as firm favourites with Peru’s leading operators. Merkur Gaming was proud to also demonstrate, to an Procoin Cash- The Peru Gaming show holds a hugely special enthusiastic audience, the latest diverse range of position on the landscape of Latin American gaming. exciting game themes that provide the ‘magic factor’ handling G+D With an importance and consequently a visitor for the devotees of true gaming entertainment: the Currency technology attendance that extends far beyond its own national players. borders Merkur Gaming duly acknowledged this by G+D Currency Technology has bringing senior members of the Merkur Gaming Adding to the theme of diversity Merkur Gaming once acquired Procoin, a German Americas network from across the region to take full again extended its unique brand of hospitality in the provider of counting, sorting, advantage of the opportunities created by an form of the hugely popular Merkur Beer Garden and and packing machines in the international attendance. On display at Peru Gaming with musical accompaniment from one of Lima’s top coins sector, as well as Show was Merkur Gaming’s unique Avantgarde slant DJs, Maya Marquez, performing live on the booth. The banknote counters. top, together with its latest evolution, the Avantgarde Merkur Gaming booth was thus once again the focal Trio, and the exciting Merkurstar, and a range of newly networking point of the Peru Gaming Show and was With this takeover G+D released games. The Avantgarde and Merkurstar packed to capacity for both show days. Currency Technology is expanding its offering in the Roulette Grand Jeu 24hX 8 is the coins segment, whilst also Peru Gaming show latest 8-player electronic roulette strengthening its position as a multi-Players amatIC solution from AMATIC. global market leader for cash Industries cycle automation. In addition, All AMATIC solutions are driven by the company is benefiting from AMATIC Industrieshas once again the new hARDROX hardware the wide product range offered exhibited at the Peru Gaming Show platform – that provides even more by Procoin, as well as its strong in Lima together with its local gaming power. distribution network in Europe. distributor happy Peru, where Procoin was founded in 1998, AMATIC showed just why its “here in Peru it is our design that and has its registered office in gaming solutions are so popular stands out the most. Everyone Frankfurt. and respected in Peru. knows our focus on quality. Visitors sleek curved design and the often commented on how much “The global volume of cash will Multi games offered a very strong AMATIC team is always looking they like the design of our gaming grow steadily. For this reason, range of games – known as Multi bring further entertainment to solutions. For example, operators G+D Currency Technology’s Juegos in Peru. Whether feature players and this slant-top certainly told us that the classic look of our acquisition of Procoin games, card games or fruit games does that. The PGA was joined by Roulette Grand Jeu added to our represents an investment in a – there was something for the stand-alone Amarox C24. popularity. It gives players a familiar market with an exciting future,” everyone within Multi Juegos. feeling and operators know that it is stated Wolfram Seidemann, AMATIC is also the master of jam packed with the greatest CEO of G+D Currency The Performer Grand Arc (PGA) has electronic roulette and has great technology available on the market. Technology. captured the heart of so many experience and long-standing Let me on behalf of the AMATIC players around the world with its success in this business field. The team thank all our visitors.”

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