G3 June 2015

76 Pages·2015·12.41 MB·English

by  Gaming Publishing

GLOBAL GAMES AND GAMING MAGAZINEIJUNE 2015 IWWW.G3NEWSWIRE.COM I WWW.G3-247.COM
INTERNATIONAL GAMING NEWSIKNOWLEDGEISTATISTICSIMARKET INFORMATIONIDIGITAL AND PRINT
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
WWW.G3NEWSWIRE.COM
MEXICO
WWW.G3-247.COM - THE GAMING MEDIA VAULT Codere, the largest operator in Mexico, reports
annual first quarter growth of 15.9 per cent 0 8
SLOVENIA
Slovenian government to sell its casino
stakes as part of new privatisation plans 1 4
ILLINOIS
Cash-strapped Chicago is seeking to licence
at least one major casino for the city 2 4
Multiplication
AUSTRALIA
A Barangaroo row has broken out between
How do games developers create Echo Entertainment and Crown Sydney 3 2
content across multiple gaming channels?
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Contents
JUNE 2015
06 03
08 07 04
05
01 09
11
10
02
WWW.G3-247.COM
SOUTH AMERICA NEWS EMEA NEWS
01: MEXICO 03: SLOVENIA
Codere, the largest operator in Mexico, has Under new privatisation plans revealed by the
reported an annual growth of 15.9 per cent in Slovenian government, stakes in casino
Mexico in its first quarter groups are to be put up for sale
–G3Newswire pg 08 –G3Newswire p g 14
01: MEXICO 04: SPAIN
The US Department of State’s warning BCN World developer vents frustration at the
ROMANIA MARKET REPORT
advising Americans against visiting casinos in lack of legislative progress and threatens to
GOVERNMENT MAKES ONLINE BET
Mexico is rebuffed by AIEJA move from Barcelona area
Romania is betting the farm on online and
–G3Newswire pg 10 –G3Newswire pg 16
sports-betting opportunities to fill the short-
falls in its budget and keep the IMF at bay
02: URUGUAY 05: GREECE
–G3-247 Market Update pg 46
The Mantra Casino Resorts and Spa, located in Synot has confirmed the supply of its first
the in Punte del Este, has been sold to a tranche of VLTs to the Greek gaming market,
ECA DEALER CHAMPIONSHIP 2015
consortium of global investors with 2,000 terminals en route
The ECA European Dealer Championship was
–G3Newswire pg 12 –G3Newswire pg 20 this year held mid-May at the Park Casino in
Nova Gorica, part of the Hit Group
NORTH AMERICA NEWS ASIA & OCEANIA NEWS
–Insight pg 22
06: ILLINOIS 09: CAMBODIA
Cash-strapped Chicago and equally Entertainment Gaming Asia sees marked first
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD CASE
impoverished Illinois, is seeking to bring at quarter revenues improvement, especially in
Aland’s online and land-based operator, Paf,
least one major casino to the city relation to NagaWorld
has opened its Casino Sunborn aboard the lux-
–G3Newswire pg 24 –G3Newswire pg 30
ury 5 star super yacht Hotel, Sunborn Gibraltar
–Insight pg 40
07: MARYLAND 10: AUSTRALIA
The Maryland Live! Casino is launching a new Echo Entertainment claims that Crown
mystery progressive slots initiative that Sydney’s Barangaroo VIP casino resort is
guarantees wins of up to $100k legally flawed has sparked a row
–G3Newswire pg 26 –G3Newswire pg 32
08: NEVADA 11: PHILIPPINES
Bally Technologies has both given and taken PAGCOR has given Tiger Resorts 90 days to
away from the profits of its new parent explain why it shouldn’t have the licence for
company, Scientific Games its future casino resort revoked
INTERACTIVE
–G3Newswire pg 27 –G3Newswire pg 34
MULTI-CHANNEL DEVELOPMENT
G3 asks the gaming industry’s leading
developers of omni-channel games to explain
G3Newswire.com delivers daily international gaming industry news and
the process and outline future development
information, with the G3Newswire newsletter circulated three times per
–Insight pg 62
week to a 8,000+ database of gaming industry influencers
Gaming Publishing
Samson House,
457 Manchester Road, 0 3
Manchester M29 7BR,
United Kingdom
Comment
JUNE 2015
I met Jens Halle at the launch of Touchbet Roulette in the Golden Horseshoe
Casino in London in 2000. Three months earlier I’d left the videogames industry
as a journalist on a series of PC, Playstation and Nintendo titles and was pressed,
rather reluctantly into a suit, shoulders still bearing the marks of the hanger, and
then into the midst of a massive casino product launch with all the fanfare TCS,
Touchbet’s distributors, could muster.
Sat quietly at the bar while a great deal of announcements and mayhem broke
around him was Jens, who looked, I have to say - angry. I was politely asked to
interview him as it was, after all, his product launch.
I introduced myself and, well, it all went very quickly downhill from there. I was
told, in no uncertain terms, that journalists knew nothing about the gaming
industry, that we’d no level of appreciation, had accrued a contemptuous lack of
knowledge through scant research and were wholly ignorant of the creation of
the machines that were propelling the industry forward at that time. It was a
hair-dryer moment I’ll never forget, and of course, new to the job and green to
the industry, I could do nothing but agree with him.
Three weeks later I was in Gumpoldskirchen and was again sweating into the
same collar at the prospect of meeting Mr. Halle once more. The man that swept
into the room, spent hours with me detailing all aspects of the business, showed
me through the production process, sound and
special effects, introduced me to the entire com-
Jens halle was pany and took me to dinner, was the tangental
opposite of what I was expecting. He was, in
one of the most
short, one the most generous, funny and warm-
generous, hearted people I’ve ever met. His passion for the
gaming industry was both startling and contagious
funny and
and I’ve looked forward to meeting Jens at every
warm- hearted gaming show ever since. His death is such a huge
blow because he had such integrity, because he
people that I’ve was such a charismatic man and because he left
ever met that mark on all of us.
My deepest sympathies to Jen’s family and every-
one that knew him.
EDITORIAL ADVERTISING
Editor Commercial Director
Lewis Pek John Slattery
[email protected] Email:
[phone] [email protected]
[phone]
News Editor
Phil Martin Advertising Executive
[email protected] James Slattery
[phone] Email:
[email protected]
Associate Editor (MALAGA) [phone]
Karen Southall
[email protected] PRODUCTION
Sub Editor
Consultant
Lisa Nichols
John Carroll(BILLERBECK)
[email protected]
Senior Designer
South America Correspondent Gareth Irwin
James Marrison
[email protected] Production Manager
Paul Jolleys
Contributors
Subscriptions Manager
Todd Haushalter
Jennifer Pek
David Addison
Frank Fantini Commercial Administrator
Jeremy Thompson Hill John Pek
0 4

Events
JUNE 2015
June 2-5, 2015
IAGA 2015 Gaming Summit, Canada
Location Nevada 89009, US
Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Tel: [phone]
Vancouver, Canada Contact: Kirsten Clark
Organiser Email:[email protected]
International Association of Gaming Web: www.theiaga.org
Advisors
PO Box 92495, Henderson,
June 9-11,, 2015
The Slot Summit Europe 2015,
Romania
Location Contact
Bucharest, Romania Ewa Zbrzeska
Organiser Tel: [phone]
Clarion Events Fax: [phone]
Fulham Green, Bedford House Email: ewa.zbrzeska@clarionevents
69-79 Fulham High Street .com
London, UK SW6 3JW Web: www.slotsummit.com
June 10-11, 2015
Peru Gaming Show, Peru
Location Tel: +(51-1) 447 3635/447 3657
Jockey Exposition Center, Lima, Peru Email: [email protected]
Organiser Web: www.perugamingshow.com/
Affiliated Marketing Group
Show times:
Wednesday, June 10, 2 pm - 8 pm
Thursday, June 11, 2 pm - 8 pm
June 16-18, 2015
Canadian Gaming Summit 2015
Location M2N 6P4
Caesars Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Contact: Brad Moore
Canada Tel: [phone]
Organiser Email: [email protected]
MediaEdge Communications Web:
5255 Yonge Street, Suite 1000 www.canadiangamingsummit.com
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
0 6
June 22-23, 2015
Gaming In Holland Conference 2015
Location Contact: Willem Van Oort
Amsterdam, Netherlands (held in Email:[email protected]
association with the iGaming Web:
Supershow Amsterdam www.GamingInHollandConference
Organiser .com
Gaming in Hollland
Netherlands
June 23-26, 2015
iGaming Super Show 2015,
The Netherlands
Location London
RAI exhibition centre, Amsterdam, United Kingdom
Netherlands E1W 1YW
Organiser Tel: [phone]
iGaming Business Email: ialana.jones@igamingbusi-
Electric Word ness.com
2nd Floor, 5 Thomas More Square Web: www.igamingsupershow.com
July 6-8, 2015
World Gaming Executive Summit 2015
- WGES, Spain
Location Contact
W Hotel, Barcelona, Spain Tayyab Abbasi
Organiser Tel: [phone]
Terrapinn Ltd Email: [email protected]
Wren House, 43 Hatton Garden Web: www.terrapinn.com/confer-
London, United Kingdom ence/wges/
EC1N 8EL
July 14-16, 2015
Casino Marketing & Technology
Conference, US
Location United States
Rio Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las MI 48084
Vegas, Nevada, US Contact: Lesley Grashow
Organiser Tel: [phone] Email:
BNP Media Gaming Group [email protected]
2401 W Big Beaver Road, Suite 700 Web: www.casinomarketingconf.com
Troy, Michigan
0 7
G3Newswire
SOUTH AMERICA NEWS
www.g3nEwswirE.coM
El prEsidEntE dE la asociación dE codErE rEports growth in MExico
Permisionarios, Operadores y Proveedores de la Industria del
Entretenimiento y Juego de Apuesta en México (AIEJA), Miguel
Ángel Ochoa, ha defendido la trayectoria de seguridad de los Codere, the largest operator in Mexico, Hank, President of Caliente Interactive, a sub-
casinos mexicanos en respuesta a la advertencia del sidiary of Grupo Caliente in Mexico, agreed that
has reported an annual growth of 15.9
Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. que recomienda a los ciu- the new regulations will open up opportunities for
dadanos estadounidenses no visitar establecimientos de juego per cent in Mexico in its first quarter the company, as the new regulation will ensure
en México. Ochoa afirmó que la seguridad de los extranjeros foreign operators will no longer be able to offer
Mexico - Operations
que acuden a los casinos de México está garantizada mediante their services locally.
una amplia serie de controles internos y medidas de protección
que se han puesto en marcha desde el ataque perpetrado con- The largest gaming operator in Mexico, Codere has Under current rules gaming companies which are
tra el Casino Royale en 2011. reported an annual growth of 15.9 per cent in already physically established in Mexico are per-
Mexico in the first three months of this year to mitted to apply for an online license and it is
los ingrEsos durantE El priMEr triMEstrE dE reach €90.9m. The result was driven by the believed that the new gaming act, although
las 15 empresas que gestionan el juego en Panamá aumen- appreciation of the Mexican peso against the euro focused primarily on the land based sector, will
taron un 10 por ciento en comparación con el mismo período (7.5 per cent), and a low base of comparison to the further seek to limit online gambling to local land
de 2014 hasta alcanzar los 647,7 millones de dólares, según same period of 2014, when its revenue fell 25.2 based operators.
información de la Junta de Control de Juegos, del Ministerio de per cent due to the Anti-Money Laundering Act
Economía y Finanzas (MEF). which came into force. According to the Association of Licensees,
Entertainment Gambling & Gaming Industry
El EMprEsario argEntino JorgE albErto goitia, “Revenues in the first quarter of 2014 recorded a Operators and Suppliers (Asociación de
junto con una serie de operadores europeos e inversores drop of 25.2 per cent mainly due to lower average Permisionarios, Operadores y Proveedores de la
uruguayos, ha adquirido el casino del Mantra Resort Spa and net revenue per machine per day as a result of Industria del Entretenimiento y Juego de Apuesta)
Casino de Manantiales, un balneario ubicado en el departa- increased competitive pressure, as well as the offshore online gaming companies generates
mento de Maldonado, en el sudeste de Uruguay. La compra implementation of anti-money laundering law ... about US$300m a year without paying tax in
incluye la participación de operadores de hoteles interna- which involved the application of new technologi- Mexico.
cionales, con un acuerdo con la cadena hotelera Bagatelle, que cal procedures for customer management and
opera en Saint-Tropez y otras ciudades. gaming activity in our rooms,” said the company In the last three months of 2014, Codere acknowl-
in a statement last year. edged the closure of seven of its gaming rooms in
intErblock ha noMbrado a natalia kostova, Mexico as a result of inspections undertaken by
una experta en turismo y ventas internacionales, como nueva Despite the recovery, Codere has still not reached the federal government.
directora de ventas regional de la empresa para Latinoamérica. its pre-implementation levels of the Act, as in the
Kostova tendrá como base las oficinas de la empresa en la ciu- first quarter of 2013 the company had revenues of Mexico is the second most important market for
dad de Panamá y dirigirá desde allí las iniciativas de ventas de €104.8m. According to reports in local press, the Codere after Argentina, Italy and then Spain.
toda Latinoamérica. company is looking to strengthen its position Codere has been present in the Mexican market
ahead of Mexico’s new gaming act which is cur- since 1998 and operates in Mexico in association
caMMEgh, fabricantEs dE las ruEdas dE rently awaiting approval in the Mexican Senate. with two groups that are leaders in the domestic
ruletamás exquisitas del mundo, continúan con su impresion- market: Grupo Caliente and Compañía
ante año y han anunciado su selección como proveedor exclu- In a recent interview with CNN Expansión, Emilio Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE).
sivo de ruletas y pantallas para el grupo Aspers. Según este
acuerdo para cinco años, Cammegh se basará en la exitosa
instalación de ruedas de ruleta Mercury 360 y Billboard Novomatic delighted MyACP Its multiple benefits present the
Displays de doble cara en su casino de Milton Keynes el año MyACP system not only as an
pasado. efficient control system but also
receives approval in Colombia
as a valuable integrated manage-
otro casino sE disponE a cErrar sus puErtas ment tool that has been chosen
en Puerto Rico después de que el Radisson Ambassador by many operators worldwide in
anunciara que por motivos financieros se ve obligado a dar por COLOMBIA the official requirements of the order to meet governmental
finalizada su actividad. Con este cierre, actualmente ya solo The Novomatic Group subsidiary respective regulatory authorities. requirements while also increas-
quedan 21 casinos en el país. La directora general del casino, Octavian Argentina has now The functionalities of the system ing their profit.
Miriam Vélez, declaró que el cierre se produjo debido a que el received the official GLI certifica- include modules for Accounting,
banco que había financiado sus operaciones transfirió sus tion for its proprietary casino Floor Monitoring, TITO, Cashless, Manuel del Sol, CEO of AGI
intereses a un tercero. Sin embargo, el comprador rehusó otor- management system MyACP for Player Loyalty and Player Gaming Colombia commented on
gar fondos para mantener el hotel activo. Se perderán doscien- the Colombian market. Tracking. With its modular and the recent approvals in Colombia:
tos puestos de trabajo. scalable design MyACP offers in “Achieving this certification of
This innovative casino manage- real-time data as well as a wide our sister company Octavian
El gobiErno dE EslovEnia sE disponE a ment tool is distributed in range of features for operators of Argentina is undoubtedly an
privatizar una serie de activos estatales, y los más atractivos de Colombia by the local Novomatic gaming machines and live games important step towards position-
ellos se encuadran en los sectores de la banca, el turismo y el group subsidiary AGI Gaming in all market segments. ing Novomatic in Colombia as a
juego. El más destacado entre los intereses de los inversores Colombia. The casino manage- leading provider, not only just as
es Hit Casinos, la mayor empresa de juego de Eslovenia, que ment system MyACP is highly MyACP also meets all require- a supplier of machines for the
ha experimentado dificultades en los últimos años pero que modular solution that can be ments and prerequisites of the market but also as the leading
parece estar recuperándose poco a poco. flexibly adapted to the individual Columbian gaming authority solutions supplier to the indus-
needs of the operator as well as to Coljuegos. try.”
0 8

G3Newswire
SOUTH AMERICA NEWS association dEfEnd safEty rEcord
The US Department of State’s warning
advising Americans against visiting
www.g3nEwswirE.coM casinos in Mexico is rebuffed by AIEJA
Mexico - Politics
opEnbEt ha aMpliado significativaMEntE su
presencia global mediante la adquisición de sus operaciones President of the Mexican Gaming Association
griegas de Athens Technology Center S.A (ATC), anteriormente (AIEJA) Miguel Angel Ochoa has defended the
subcontratadas. Esta adquisición incrementa en principio la safety record of Mexican casinos in response to
plantilla de OpenBet en un 25 por ciento, con un contingente the US Department of State warning which advis- in some states of Mexico was linked to casinos
adicional de empleados dedicados al desarrollo. Le permitirá a es American citizens against visiting gaming when it is not.
la empresa seguir mejorando su capacidad de suministrar y establishments in Mexico.
escalar su tecnología y servicios, con una nómina cada vez más In addition the number of illegal establishment
amplia de talentos y recursos. También le permite a OpenBet Mr. Ochoa said that the safety of foreigners who has greatly been reduced meaning that gaming on
ofrecer a sus clientes una flexibilidad adicional como soporte de attend casinos in Mexico is guaranteed due to a a whole is becoming an increasingly safe pastime.
sus planes de expansión, según proceda. wide number of internal controls and protection “Today I can practically affirm that there are no
measures which have been put in place since the illegal casinos in Mexico when there were over 60
attack on the Casino Royale in 2011. during previous administrations. So SEGOB (The
grEat canadian gaMing sE disponE a adquirir
Interior Ministry) has done a great job,” he said.
el Casino New Brunswick de manos de Sonco Gaming por 95
“After the fire, the civil protection authorities of the
millones de dólares. La adquisición de la empresa, que se finan-
state governments and municipalities and the fed- According to Mr. Ochoa the new gaming law,
ciará con los balances de efectivo existentes, incluirá la
eral government ordered us not only to double but which could soon be approved by the Senate, will
propiedad y la operación de su casino CNB ya existente, así
often to multiply protective measures,” he said. create a more closely regulated market with a
como del hotel y un centro recreativo y de congresos multiusos.
He further pointed out that since the tragedy there clearer legal framework for operators and will
have been no incidents resulting in death at a also provide more legal certainty for local and for-
El fabricantE dE Máquinas tragapErras
casino, nor have there been any incidents of kid- eign investors alike.
International Game Technology tiene previsto vender su cam-
napping. He explained that security measures are
pus corporativo de Las Vegas dentro del proceso de consoli-
now in place in casinos which prevent people Published in April the US Department of State
dación de operaciones que está llevando a cabo la empresa tras
from entering with firearms or sharp weapons and advice comes as part of Mexico’s Travel Warning
su fusión con el proveedor de loterías GTECH por un valor de
main doors are shielded to prevent any attempt to which urges US citizens to avoid certain places
6400 millones de dólares.
throw a bomb at the premises or intimidate the and institutions in Mexico. The warnings specifi-
owners. cally single out casinos and other gaming estab-
Maryland livE! casino Está lanzando los
lishments saying that: “Of safety concern are casi-
Giant jackpots, un nuevo programa de tragaperras progresivo
Mr. Ochoa categorised the warning as dispropor- nos, sports books, or other gambling establish-
de premios sorpresa que garantiza unos premios de jackpot de
tionate, as it indicated that the violence occurring ments and entertainment establishments.”
entre 50 000 y 100 000 dólares. El programa Giant Jackpots
es el primero de sus características en el estado de Maryland.
Chile
Cada Giant Jackpot comenzará en 50 000 e irá creciendo cada
vez que un cliente que participa en la promoción realiza una Chilean gaming company Enjoy could soon be expanding its operations in Latin America with both Colombia
jugada en una máquina tragaperras incluida en la promoción and Peru in its sights. General Manger of Enjoy, Gerardo Cood in an interview, said that the company had
(excluye el póquer en vídeo y los juegos de mesa electrónicos) recovered from the difficulties of 2013 when Chile imposed its smoking ban. The smoking ban, which went
con su tarjeta Live! Rewards Card o su nueva tarjeta Giant into effect on March 1 2013, banned smoking in closed areas such as pubs, nightclubs restaurants and casinos.
Jackpots Card debidamente introducida. With a smoking rate of around 40 per cent Chile has the highest percentage of smokers in Latin America. The
company was the first in Chile to open up a specially designed outside smoking space on its premises.
El Millonario dE hong kong tony fung sE ha
apresurado a adquirir el Sheraton Mirage en la Costa Dorada Revenues continue to show
the industry is facing a number of
australiana por 160 millones de dólares, ya que tiene previsto
challenges revolving around the
otro proyecto de casino en la región. A pesar de que todavía está
improvement across Panama expansion of slot parlours in
pendiente de recibir la licencia y las debidas aprobaciones por
poorer areas. There have been
parte del Gobierno de Queensland, la inversión de Fung en la
growing reports that the govern-
Costa Dorada ya ha alcanzado por el momento los 280 mil-
PANAMA as Type A slot machines in ment has been poised to tackle
lones de dólares.
Revenues during the first quarter Panamanian gaming law) record- the issue. A new law which is
for the 15 companies that manage ed the highest revenue with rev- being considered would enforce
la búsquEda dE un socio Estratégico por
gaming in Panama increased by enues standing at U.S$544.2m tighter control over the industry
parte de Enjoy ha cambiado de rumbo, toda vez que el director
10 per cent, reaching US$647.7m which is an increase of US$ and would put in place a number
general, Gerardo Cood, ha anunciado que la empresa está bus-
compared to the same period in 56.2m compared to the same of strict player protection meas-
cando un socio inmobiliario para desarrollar los terrenos que ya
2014, according to the Board of period the previous year. This is ures including banning slot par-
tiene disponibles en Chile, como Pucón y Coquimbo. Gaming Control of the Ministry of followed by table gaming and lours and casinos from operating
Economy and Finance (MEF). sports betting while betting in in rural and poorer districts.
El sEctor dE los casinos dE Macau gEnEró un bingo halls and the Presidente
38,8 por ciento menos de ingresos este mes de abril en com- In the first quarter of last year, Remón racetrack have fallen sig- In 1998 the government passed a
paración con el mismo mes del año anterior, de forma que los revenues stood at U.S$588.5m nificantly compared to the same wide sweeping gaming law
ingresos brutos del juego se situaron en 19 160 millones de meaning that gaming revenue has period last year. which permitted casinos as long
MOP (2400 millones de dólares). Abril se convirtió así en el increased by more than as they were part of five star
undécimo mes consecutivo de bajada en Macau, pero se US$S56m. Gaming has been on Gross income in the first three hotel with a minimum of 300
percibió una ligera mejora en la tendencia con respecto a marzo, the rise in Panama despite the months of 2015 increased by 5.9 rooms. Since then the casino
mes en que los ingresos brutos del juego cayeron un 39,4 por fact that the economy’s’ growth per cent standing at US$S110m industry in Panama has grown
ciento, o respecto a febrero, en que la caída fue del 48,6 por rate has decreased by around six compared to US$103.5m in 2014. rapidly and is now home to one of
ciento. per cent over the last two years. the most developed gaming
Type 3 slot machines (classified The news comes at a time when industries in the entire region.
11 0