Gaming, Gambling, Casinos, Sports Betting, South Africa, South America, EMEA, Gauselmann Group

1. Interact with G3 via... AppStore
Available on the
and eSports? R
Global Games
and Gaming
Magazine
February 2016
WWW.G3NEWSWIRE.COM/WWW.G3-247.COM
International Gaming News / Knowledge / Statistics / Marketing Information / Digital and Print
WWW.G3NEWSWIRE.COMWWW.G3-247.COM
SOUTH AFRICA
Riding a new wave
A massive gambling market with even greater
potential for growth, despite online uncertainty
Spanish gaming company Codere has launched
a portal for online sports-betting in Brazil
BRaZiL P10
Olympic has appointed Heikki Rinta-Pantilla as
the new General Manage of Olympic Park Casino
EstONia P18
The New York State Gaming Commission
unanimously approves resort gaming licences
NEW YORK P30
Merkur’s Alex Moor and Tigre de Cristal’s Ian
Wood discuss the attraction of slant top games
Russia P36
SubScribe
at G3-247.com
Read every G3 magazine, download every
market report and much more...
The latest magazine is available to digitally
download via G3-247.com or via the App Store
and Google Play Store
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers

3. February 2016
Contents
WWW.G3-247.COM
G3-247.com
Colombia
G3-247.com
South Africa
battle for control and
legitimacy
Reports P66
In a country with an
extraordinary passion for
gambling, Colombia is often at
odds with itself when it comes
to controlling its urges
The Gauselmann Group
secures its legacy
Insight P42
The Gauselmann Group,
founded by Paul Gauselmann,
will in future operate under the
mantle of a ‘Gauselmann
Family Foundation’
Operator security and player
protection
Interactive P106
G3 discusses the issues
surrounding online operator
security and player protection
with Jumio, ECommPay, Isle of
Man and SafeCharge
Flourishing despite
market limitations
Reports P78
A huge gambling market with
even more potential for growth.
However an online gambling
market is still looking unlikely
despite calls to amend the law
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P3
BRaZiL P10
Spain’s Codere has launched a portal for
online gambling in Brazil in collaboration
with the Jockey Club of Porto Alegre
EstONia P18
OEG has appointed Heikki Rinta-Panttila, as
the new General Manager of Olympic Park
Casino, the group’s new Tallinn flagship casino
FRaNcE P20
Lucien Barrière has sold its Leucate and
Briançon casinos to Belgium’s Circus Casino
Group and Chamonix to France’s SFC
thE NEthERLaNds P24
Members of the ruling coalition parties have
submitted a proposal which could prove to be a
serious setback for future online operators
aRgENtiNa P12
The Governor of Buenos Aires does not want
to see any more gaming operations opening
during her time as governor
cuBa P14
Gary Rapoport, Meyer Lansky’s grandson, is
seeking compensation from the Cuban
government for the Riviera casino
NEW YORK P30
The NYS Gaming Commission has approved
licences to resort gaming destinations in
Sullivan, Schenectady and Seneca Counties
Russa P36
Merkur Gaming’s Alexander Moor and Tigre de
Cristal’s Ian Wood explain the attraction of the
latest Avantgarde slant top machines
austRaLia P38
Star Entertainment is hoping to build a 200-
metre Ritz-Carlton hotel tower casino opposite
Crown Resorts’ future Barangaroo resort
macau P40
International gaming giant, Novomatic, puts its
weight and backing behind the forthcoming
Macao Gaming Show in November 2016
NEW JERsEY P32
GAN has signed an agreement with the
Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the
launch of its Simulated Gaming experience
maRYLaNd P34
Interblock has completed the first-ever
North American installation of its newest
line of dealer-assist electronic table games
EMEASOUTH AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA ASIA & OCEANIA
Samson House,
457 Manchester Road,
Manchester M29 7BR,
United Kingdom
World Partner to Clarion Events
G3Newswire.com delivers
daily international gaming
industry news and
information, with the
G3Newswire newsletter
circulated three times per
week to a 8,000+ database
of gaming industry
influencers

6. CommentFebruary 2016
DuringOctoberandNovemberaspecialcommitteeoftheBrazilian
ParliamentpreparedadraftforanewBraziliangaminglawbasedon
proposalsinitiallyconsideredseveralyearsago.Thisdraftwas
presentedonDecember9,2015tothespecialcommitteeofnational
developmentfortheBrazilianSenate,whereitwasamendedtoinclude
aseriesofpositiveadditions:
l 1bingohallper150,000habitantsinsteadof250.000;
l Casinolicensesfor30yearsinsteadof20years;
l Startofthenewlawin90daysafterpublicationinsteadof180days;
l Politiciansarenotallowedtobeinvolvedingamingcompanies.
OnDecember20,thesecondoccasionthatthenewgaminglawwason
theagendaofthespecialcommitteeoftheSenate,nofurther
amendmentsweremade.Thismeansthatthedraftwaspassedbythe
Braziliansenate,unless,intheory,ninesenatorsofficiallyexpressan
interestindiscussingthedraftinaplenarymeetingofthesenate,which
doesnotseemtobethecaseatthismomentintime.
TheconsequenceisthatjustafterChristmasthenewlawreturnedto
theparliament’scommitteetofillinfurtherdetails.
Whileitisimpossibletopredictexactlywhenthewholepolitical
processwillbecompleted,everyoneinBrazilisheavilysurprisedbythe
speedandvelocityofthechangestakingplaceintheintroductionofthe
newgaminglaw.
Basedonspeedofimplementationthusfar,thenewBraziliangaming
lawcouldbepublishedbytheendofthefirstquarterof2016,willbe
effectivejustthreemonthslaterandtheBraziliangovernmentcould
starttoreceivetaxincomeduringthesecondhalfof2016.
TheunfoldingeventsinBrazilwillbeagame-changerfortheindustry
in2016andbeyond.Inacountryof205millionpeople,withanappetite
forgamingofallflavours,there-introductionofland-basedgaming
andthelaunchofonlinebetting/gaming,willbeacatalystforchange
bothatthelocalandgloballevel.
BASED ON SPEED OF IMPLEMENTATION, THE GAMING LAW COULD
BE PUBLISHED BY THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2016
Lewis Pek
Editor
P6 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
Editor
Lewis Pek
lewis@gamingpublishing.co.uk
+44 (0) 1942 879291
News Editor
Phil martin
phil@gamingpublishing.co.uk
+44 (0)7801 967714
Associate Editor (Malaga)
Karen southall
karensouthall@gmail.com
Consultant (Germany)
John carroll
carroll@carrollconsulting.de
South America Correspondent
James marrison
jamesmarrison@gmail.com
Contributors
david addison,
valery Bollier,
Rob Painter
Commercial Director
John slattery
john@gamingpublishing.co.uk
+44 (0)7917 166471
Advertising Executive
James slattery
james@gamingpublishing.co.uk
+44 (0)7917 166471
Advertising Executive
alison dronfield
alison@gamingpublishing.co.uk
+44 (0)1204 410771
Senior Designer
gareth irwin
Production Manager
Paul Jolleys
Subscriptions Manager
Jennifer Pek
Commercial Administrator
John Pek
EditORiaL advERtisiNg
PROductiON

8. CalendarFebruary 2016
EMEA
EMEA
EMEA
EMEA
P8 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
ICE Conferences, United Kingdom
February 1-3, 2016
LOCATION
ExCeL London Exhibition Centre,
London, United Kingdom
ORGANISER
Clarion Events
Fulham Green, Bedford House
69-79 Fulham High Street
London, SW6 3JW, UK
CONTACT
Stuart Dacre
T: +44 207 384 8114
E: stuart.dacre@clarionevents.com
www.icetotallygaming.com/
conferences
ICE Totally Gaming, United Kingdom
February 2-4, 2016
LOCATION
ExCeL London Exhibition Centre,
London, United Kingdom
ORGANISER
Clarion Events
Fulham Green, Bedford House
69-79 Fulham High Street
London, SW6 3JW, UK
CONTACT
Stuart Dacre
T: +44 207 384 8114
E: stuart.dacre@clarionevents.com
www.icetotallygaming.com/
conferences
London Affiliate Conference, United Kingdom
February 4-7, 2016
LOCATION
Olympia London, Hammersmith
Rd, London, W14 8UX
ORGANISER
iGaming Business
Electric Word, 2nd Floor
5 Thomas More Square
London, United Kingdom
E1W 1YW
CONTACT
Alana Jones
T: +44 207 265 4153
E: alana@igamingbusiness.com
www.igbaffiliate.com/events/lon-
donaffiliateconference/
Georgia Gaming Congress 2016, Georgia
February 25-26, 2016
LOCATION
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORGANISER
Smile Expo
11/10 Letnikovskaya Str
Moscow
Russia, 115114
CONTACT
Lyudmila Machuskaya
T: +7 495 212 1128
E: l.machuskaya@smileexpo.ru
www.g3congress.ru/en
SCEDHULE
Conference: February 25,
Business Tour: February 26

9. EMEA
NORTh AMERICA
EMEA
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM P9
EMEA
Irish Gaming Show 2016, Ireland
March 1-2, 2016
LOCATION
Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin,
Ireland
ORGANISER
Gaming and Amusement
Publications
8 South Ring Business Park
Kinsale Road
Cork, Ireland
CONTACT
Susan Feery
T: +353 (0)87 609 0109
E: info@irishgaming.ie
www.irishgaming.ie
ENADA Spring 2016, Italy
March 16-18, 2016
LOCATION
Rimini Fiera, Rimini, Italy
ORGANISER
Rimini Fiera Spa
Via Emilia 155
Rimini
Italy
47900
CONTACT
Sonia Bodellini
T: +39 0541 744250
F: +39 0541 744454
E: s.bodellini@riminifiera.it
www.enadaprimavera.it
Indian Gaming Phoenix 2016, US
March 13-16, 2016
LOCATION
Phoenix Convention Center,
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
ORGANISER
National Indian Gaming
Association
224 Second Street SE
Washington DC
United States
DC 20003
CONTACT
T: +1 202 546 7711
F: +1 202 546 1755
E: expo@indiangaming.org
www.indiangamingtradeshow.com
The Cash Handling Show, Africa 2016
March 1-2, 2016
LOCATION
Sandton Convention Centre,
Johannesburg, South Africa
ORGANISER
Terrapinn Ltd
1st Floor, Modular Place
Turnberry Office Park, 48
Grosvenor Road, Bryanston
South Africa 2021
CONTACT
Katherine Marriott
T: +27 11 516 4015
E:
katherine.marriott@terrapinn.com
www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/cas
h-handling-africa/index.stm

10. P10 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
Un tribunal de San Juan ha denegado la
moción de desestimación presentada por el
Departamento del Tesoro con relación al caso
iniciado contra él por la Asociación de hoteles y
Turismo de Puerto Rico (PRhTA).
La recién elegida gobernadora de la
provincia de buenos Aires, María Eugenia Vidal,
que tras jurar su cargo el pasado mes de diciem-
bre describió la provincia como «en quiebra»
debido al paupérrimo estado de las finanzas
gubernamentales, declaró que los ingresos fis-
cales generados por el sector no se utilizarán
como una forma de resolver las dificultades
financieras de la provincia, y añadió: «Mi objetivo
es que el juego no crezca en la provincia».
Los ingresos brutos producidos por los
cuatro mil establecimientos repartidos por 17
ciudades en la provincia de Córdoba ascendieron
a 140 millones de dólares en el año 2015, un 31
por ciento más que el año anterior y un 336 por
ciento más con respecto a hace seis años.
La controversia no deja de crecer en torno al
proceso de licitación del casino de Chillán, y el
Director General de Marina del Sol, Juan Ignacio
Ugarte, ha declarado que el consorcio hispanoar-
gentino boldt Peralada está ejerciendo una
presión indebida sobre el Subsecretario del
Tesoro de Chile, Alejandro Micco.
gary Rapoport, nieto de Meyer Lansky, está
reclamando compensaciones al Gobierno de
Cuba por el casino Riviera, expropiado durante la
revolución cubana de 1959. «Le arrebataron el
hotel a mi abuelo por la fuerza. Cuba le debe
dinero a mi familia», afirma el Sr. Lansky. hasta
ahora nunca habíamos presentado una recla-
mación ante el Gobierno ni habíamos solicitado
los servicios de un abogado porque nunca creí-
mos que se abriría la puerta a una posible
negociación. Ahora está abierta».
Olympic entertainment group ha designado
a heikki Rinta-Panttila, antiguo Director General
del Casino helsinki de propiedad estatal, como
nuevo Director General del Olympic Park Casino,
el nuevo buque insignia del Grupo que abrirá sus
puertas en Tallinn en mayo de 2016.
gan ha firmado un acuerdo con el Borgata
hotel Casino & Spa de Atlantic City (Nueva Jer-
sey) relativo al lanzamiento de la experiencia
online de juego simulado de borgata. borgata
comenzó a operar en el año 2003, y se trata de
una empresa de capital conjunto formada por
boyd Gaming Corporation y MGM Resorts Inter-
national, dos de los grupos operadores de
casinos más grandes de Estados Unidos.
Lucien Barrière ha vendido tres casinos en
Leucate, briançon y Chamonix, respectivamente.
SFC (la Société Française de Casinos) ha
adquirido íntegramente el casino de Chamonix,
pero ha creado una subdivisión denominada
«Société Franco-belge Casinos» con el operador
belga Circus Casino Group para asumir la
copropiedad de otros dos establecimientos.
sOuth amERica
A court in San Juan has denied
the motion to dismiss filed by
the Department of the
Treasury over the case brought
against it by the Puerto Rican
Association of Hotels and
Tourism (PRHTA).
The PRHTA has challenged
regulations which would lead
to video lotteries (VLT’s) being
permitted in the country and
in July the organisation took
their complaint to court
claiming that “the contested
regulations are illegal and
would cause the loss of
thousands of jobs in the
tourism sector on the Island.”
The PRHTA claims that new
regulations violate several
laws as well as public policy
on gaming machines outside
casinos including rules that
only the legislature may make
changes to gaming laws and
that the Secretary of the
Treasury is limited to
regulating the operation of
games and is not permitted to
authorise new games. It also
claims that VLT’s do not meet
the requirements as set out
under the amendments of Act
10-1989 when it comes to
player's choice when it comes
to selecting the combination
of digits or numbers, nor does
it meet rules when it comes to
public lottery draws. In
addition the PRHTA claims
that allowing for VLTs on the
island amounts to the raising
of an additional source of
income without any
intervention on the part of the
legislative branch which goes
in direct contravention of the
provisions of the Puerto Rican
constitution.
Judge Gloria Maynard Salgado,
while explaining the reasons
for her decision, stated that the
PRHTA had grounds to
challenge the new law on the
basis that the exclusive
operation of casinos could be
at risk if VLT’s were given the
green light.
In August it was announced
that Puerto Rico’s Treasury
Department would begin the
tender process for VLT’s in the
first quarter of 2016. Treasury
Secretary Juan Zaragoza
justified the decision saying
that new rules would legalise
between 20 and 25 thousand
machines in three years. Mr.
Zaragoza said that machines
now operating in illegal
casinos, bars, bakeries and
even shopping malls, could
join the network of legalised
VLT’s once changes to gaming
legislation are made.
San Juan court battle
continues over VLTs in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
As regulation change appears
imminent, Codere makes the first
move into Brazil’s online
sports-betting market
brAzil SPORTS-bETTING
Codere Launches Online Betting in Brazil
Spanish gaming company Codere has launched
a portal for online gambling in Brazil. In
collaboration with the Jockey Club of Porto
Alegre the website has launched in its beta
stage in order to take advantage of the possible
legalisation of gambling in the country.
The site Suaposta.com offers exclusive bonuses
for those who register with the site. Referring to
the possible changes in Brazil’s gaming laws
with the announcement that “Something
Amazing is on its Way” the site highlights the
fact that Brazilians could soon be allowed to bet
online on races staged at both local and
international tracks. These events would be
overseen by the Brazilian authorities and prizes
would be handed out in local currency.
The company has reportedly invested around
R$400,000 (US100,000) in the development of
the site so far and will contract 20 people to
develop the site further. The new website will
only initially accept bets on horse racing but
will eventually be expanded so that it will cover
other sports as well.
The move shows that operators are becoming
increasingly optimistic when it comes to
changes in Brazilian gaming laws which could
occur later on this year. Although the horse
racing industry has suffered many setbacks of
late Codere is well placed to take advantage of
any changes.
In Brazil horseracing is run by jockey clubs,
which own and operate their own track. Each
club is allowed to run off site betting agencies in
the area where they operate and Codere has 10-
year exclusivity agreements with some of the
main national Jockey Clubs through licences
granted by the Ministry of Agriculture. In
addition the company now runs a total of seven
sports betting shops in Brazil under brand name
Turff Bet & Sports Bar.
In 2012, CODERE signed an agreement with
United Tote that enables the company to extend
its services to Brazil and Latin America
racetracks, as well as to its off-track betting
network throughout the entire region. In 2014
Codere reported income of €2.8m and EBITDA
of €0.4m from its horse race betting operations
in Brazil.
Although online gambling is currently banned
in Brazil it is estimated that Brazilians gamble
US$600m a year via offshore sports betting
sites. Andrew Gelfi, director of Codere in Porto
Alegre announced: “An estimated five to six
million Brazilians already play online. We will
be the first national platform to tap into that
market.”

12. P12 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
La Comisión Británica del Juego ha criticado
a Caesars Entertainment por incumplir la legis-
lación relativa al lavado de capitales en dos de
sus casinos londinenses. Según los informes, las
salvaguardas destinadas a garantizar la lucha
contra el blanqueo de dinero fueron
especialmente laxas en el Caesar’s Empire
Casino de Leicester Square y el Playboy Club del
West End.
Miembros de los partidos de la coalición
gobernante han presentado una proposición que
podría revelarse como un serio revés para los
operadores que aspiran a introducirse en el mer-
cado del juego online neerlandés.
grosvenor Casinos ha lanzado el mayor
sistema progresivo de juegos de mesa del
mundo. Grosvenor Casinos ha finalizado recien-
temente su instalación de un sistema Wide Area
Progressive para los juegos de mesa de todo su
establecimiento de casino.
La Comisión del Juego del estado de nueva
York ha aprobado por unanimidad licencias para
destinos de juego en los condados de Sullivan,
Schenectady y Seneca, abriendo la puerta a
nuevos empleos e inversiones, así como a ingre-
sos para los gobiernos locales y los distritos
universitarios que acudirán a las regiones como
resultado.
gLi ha inaugurado su laboratorio de ensayo
de tickets de Global Lottery Instant (tarjetas
«rasca y gana») ubicado en Moncton. La inicia-
tiva apoya el compromiso de GLI con la provincia
de New brunswick mediante la suscripción de un
acuerdo con Opportunities New brunswick.
el fabricante de juegos de lujo interblock ha
finalizado la primera instalación en Norteamérica
de su más reciente línea de juegos de mesa elec-
trónicos (ETG) asistidos por crupier en el
Maryland Live! Casino.
La empresa española Codere ha lanzado un
portal de juego online en brasil. En colaboración
con el Jockey Club de Porto Alegre, el sitio web se
ha lanzado en su fase beta para aprovechar la
posible legalización del juego en el país.
el mayor resort-casino de Rusia, el
impactante Tigre de Cristal, con más de 600
máquinas de juego y más de 60 mesas de
casino, ha celebrado recientemente su gran inau-
guración en la zona de juego de Primorsky Krai,
cerca de Vladivostok. La marca Merkur Gaming
de Gauselmann cuenta con una destacada rep-
resentación en la sala de casino de este nuevo
complejo de juego, con una amplia gama de con-
solas inclinadas Avantgarde.
Los operadores de casino de Singapur han
asistido a una caída del 10 por ciento en sus
ingresos brutos del juego hasta situarse en 4800
millones de dólares en 2015, un descenso que se
ha achacado a la lucha contra la austeridad en
China y al valor del dólar de Singapur frente a
otras divisas asiáticas
The recently elected Governor of
Argentina’s Buenos Aires province,
has firm views on the proliferation
of casinos in the region
ArGentinA CASINO LICENSING
no new Bingos or Casinos in Buenos aires
The newly elected Governor of the province of
Buenos Aires María Eugenia Vidal, who
described the province as “broken” after being
sworn in as governor in December, due to the
dire state of the government finances, said that
tax income generated by the industry would not
be used as a way to resolve the province’s
financial difficulties and added that: “My
objective is that gaming does not grow in the
province.”
She went onto say that she would make sure
that the government was paid what was owed to
them by operators. “We will work in every case
to enforce the law” she said and that “those who
are legally established by previous
administrations pay what they have to pay.”
However, she ruled out any intervention against
gambling halls already established in the
province of Buenos Aires saying that it was
difficult to revoke the actions of the government
when licences had already been granted. When
asked if there were plans to nationalise gaming
she said that the government had yet to discuss
the issue.
Her assurances that tax income generated by
casinos would be not be used to solve the
province’s problems were a direct attack on her
predecessor Daniel Scioli. In 2012 Scioli
renewed licences for bingo halls in the province
for a period of up to 15 years, which affected 14
bingo halls: three of whose licences were set to
expire in 2013, 10 in 2014 and one in 2015.
The decree allowed his administration to find
emergency funding to pay bonuses for state
workers which ultimately enabled the
provincial Treasury to raise around US$328m
extra.
The result of the Presidential elections in
Argentina is likely to have a major impact on the
industry. Opposition candidate Mauricio Macri
won the presidential election beating rival
Daniel Scioli in a closely contested Presidential
race last month. Macri has vowed to introduce
more pro-business policies. Crucially for the
first time his Cambiemos (Let’s Change) party
now holds power over the province of Buenos
Aires, the City of Buenos Aires and the executive
branch which could mean a more cohesive
approach when it comes to gaming.
argentina
US$140m bet in Cordoba slots in 2015
colombia
According toareportreleased
bytheColombianGaming
Control Board (Coljuegos)
revenuesmadefromgambling
forthestateincreasedby7.6
percentin 2015 risingfrom
$344.541mpesos in2014to
$370.597min2015.In2015
revenuesfromlicensingrights
grewby10.3percent
comparedto 2014whilebingos
andcasinoswerethelargest
contributorsmakingup61per
cent ofthegaming income
generatedforthestate.
President of Coljuegosof
CristinaArango Olaya
welcomedthenewssaying
that thepositiveresultswere
dueto“theenactmentofnew
regulations,themodernisation
of thesectorthroughthe
implementation of online
connectivityandtheincrease
ineffortstocontrolillegal
gambling.”
The newly elected Governor of the province of Buenos Aires María Eugenia Vidal
has said that she does not want to see any more gaming operations opening
during her time as governor
Gross revenues for the four thousand slot parlours located in 17 cities in the
province of Cordoba stood at US$140m during 2015 - 31 per cent more
than the previous year and 336 per cent more than six years ago.
According to statistics released by the Lottery of Cordoba (Córdoba
Lottery SA), which is the body responsible for overseeing the local gaming
industry, a total of $390m pesos was bet on slot machines in the city of
Villa Carlos Paz the second top tourist destination in the country. This was
followed by Alta Gracia ($180m). Río Cuarto ($134m). Río Ceballos
($123m), Villa María (also with $123m) and San Francisco ($100m). The
lowest gross revenues were recorded in the towns of Dean Funes ($23m)
and Miramar ($3.7m). The Lottery measures the year from December to
November and calculated the average of the previous eleven months and
added it in order to complete its annual report.
Private company Compañía de Entretenimientos y Turismo (CET) runs 19
slot parlours in 17 locations throughout the province of Cordoba and was
first granted a licensed to operate in the province in 2004. The company
operates around 4,000 slot machines throughout the province.
sOuth amERica

13. ©2016 IGT.
Except where ownership is otherwise identified, the trademarks used herein are owned by IGT or its affiliates, may not
be used without permission, and where indicated with a ®, are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
IGT is committed to socially responsible gaming. Our business solutions empower customers to choose parameters
and practices that become the foundation of their Responsible Gaming programs.
Cutting-edge marketing and efficiency features originally developed for
IGT Advantage® are expanding into IGT Casinolink® and GALAXIS™
systems. Get the tools that Vegas-style casinos enjoy on systems created
for the European market. With the broadest palette of Systems solutions,
you’ll find exactly what you need to make your operation thrive, no matter
what market, size, channel or budget. With the new IGT, you don’t have
to spend big money to make a big impact.
Visit us at ICE, booth #N3-160, to see how IGT systems can
be tailored for you.
Big Features
Tailored Just For You.

14. The Havana Riviera Hotel, which
opened in 1957, is the centre of a
claim by Meyer Lansky’s family
for ownership
cubA CASINO OPERATIONS
Family demand Compensation from Cuba
As Cuba and the US seek to resolve claims for
the seizing of American-owned properties by
the island’s socialist government, the family of
the late gangster Meyer Lansky want
compensation for a Havana casino hotel taken
back after Cuba’s 1959 revolution.
Mr. Rapoport is hoping to make the most of
talks which have now opened between the US
and Cuba regarding honouring long standing
legal claims against the respective governments.
Hundreds of billions of dollars of claims will
need to be resolved before the embargo against
Cuba can be lifted. The US State Department and
Cuban officials began negotiating in Havana
over the property claims. There are nearly 6,000
U.S. claims for properties which were seized by
the Castro government.
“Trust me, I’m not looking to move down to
Cuba and take over the business,” Mr. Rapoport
said. “I believe my family is entitled to
something, I realise my grandfather was
considered an enemy by the Castros, so that
could hurt us. But I also realise that at some
point the Castro brothers will be off that island
and things may change. I don’t want that
property going to anyone else. It belongs to my
family.”
Before 1959 Cuba was a major gambling
destination and there were close ties between
casinos on the island, Dictator Fulgencio Batista
and organised crime. Under his rule Havana
became known as “the Latin Las Vegas.”
The Havana Riviera hotel opened in 1957 due to
the good relationship between Charles “Lucky”
Luciano and Batista and was funded mostly by a
state-run development bank set up by the
dictator. Meyer Lansky who owned the hotel
was a long time associate of gangster Luciano.
The construction of the hotel cost about US$8m
and was at the time one of the finest hotels in
the world. Meyer Lansky had been inspired to
build it after visiting Riviera on the Vegas Strip.
Brazil
SkyRacingWorld,aLouisville,
Kentucky-baseddistributorof
internationalhorse-racing
content totheAmericasand
subsidiaryof Tabcorp,has
announced apartnershipwith
Codere,theSpanish
multinationalgroup.Withthis
newagreement,SkyRacing
World willbe providing
wageringonAustralianraces
exclusivelytoBrazilviaCodere’s
upcoming advance deposit
wagering(ADW) brand
Suaposta andvariousdomestic
tracks.Followingitspartnership
with Codere,SkyRacingWorld
willprovide live videostreaming
ofAustralianracestoSuaposta,
Codere’sADWset tobe
launchedinQ1 2016,andto
varioustracks operatedby
Codere’s partners.
Gary Rapoport, Meyer Lansky’s grandson is seeking compensation from the
Cuban government for the Riviera casino which was appropriated during the
Cuban Revolution of 1959. “The hotel was taken from my grandfather forcefully.
Cuba owes my family money,” says Mr. Lansky.” We never filed a claim with the
government or hired an attorney earlier because we didn’t think the door for
negotiating would ever actually open. Now it is open”
CHILE – Controversy continues to grow over the
tender process for the casino license in Chillán with
General Manager of Marina del Sol, Juan Ignacio
Ugarte, claiming that the Spanish-Argentine
consortium boldt Peralada is putting undue
pressure on Undersecretary of the Treasury Chile,
Alejandro Micco.
“We understand that the Secretary is being put
under pressure by boldt. We hope that this pressure
does not make him deviate from the final purpose
of the Resolution Council, which is to assign the
casino to who has submitted the best project,” he
said. Mr Ugarte alluded to a letter sent to the
Undersecretary in which the counsel for Peralada
boldt, Ricardo Abdala described the judicial
processes in the Court of Appeals of Concepción
and another process currently ongoing in the
Supreme Court. Additionally, the letter requests that
the Resolution Council, headed by the
Undersecretary, “maintains or orders the
suspension of this process as long as there are
judicial and / or administrative appeals pending.”
In November the SCJ came out against reports in
local media which had claimed that it had failed to
deliver a report to the proper authorities on time
which would have ruled out Chilean-Canadian
operator Marina del Sol from the bidding process for
a casino in Chillan. The newest claims now
emerging in local media will only serve to being
more controversy to a process which has been
fraught with difficulties ever since Termas de Chillán
withdrew from the market in 2013.
The Chilean Gaming board officially accepted
Termas de Chillán’s withdrawal in November 2013
after the operator blamed bad market conditions as
well as the location of the casino for its decision to
close. In July 2014 Dreams announced its decision
to withdraw its application with company
spokesman saying that the process had been
fraught with irregularities.
CHILE – The Court of Appeals of Concepción in
Chile has ruled in favour of boldt-Peralada in its
dispute with the regional Regional Council (GORE)
over the tender process for the new casino in
Chillán. This means that for now, the bidding
process over the casino in the capital of the province
of Ñuble is suspended for a third time.
The lawyer acting on behalf of the Argentine -
Spanish boldt-Peralada group Ricardo Abdala in
this, the third complaint before the Court, stated
that the members of the Regional Council were
trying to change the “packaging” of their initial
argument, although in fact the reasons for their
decision remained essentially unchanged.
The appeal argues that in common with the
previous ballot that “the motivation of this third
statement is built on an ad hoc basis in order to
justify a decision which has already been made.” In
a strongly worded complaint the lawyer went onto
say that: “With zeal and stubbornness and almost
obvious contempt, in this new pronouncement
there is an obvious abuse of power when it comes
to assessing the permit to operate a casino...”
sOuth amERica
The City Council of Pucon has
approved a two-year licence
extension for the casino run by
Chilean operator Enjoy. The
property will remain under the
operation of Enjoy until
December 31, 2017. This is the
deadline set by new rules
which extend the term of the
municipal casino licences
while the biding process for the
new licences are under way.
General Manager of Enjoy SA,
Gerardo Cood welcomed the
decision and highlighted the
significance that the Casino de
Pucon has had for the
company in the past. He also
expressed an interest in
participating in the bid to
renew the license from January
1, 2018. “Our aspiration is to
continue to contribute to
strengthen the lakeside area as
a destination on an
international level,” he said
and went on to say that the
company wishes to maintain
the number of casinos it
currently operates in Chile. He
also confirmed the company’s
willingness to renew its
licenses in both Coquimbo and
Vina del Mar. Municipalities of
both communities also
recently approved the
extension of the Enjoy casino
licences for the next two years,
while bidding takes place for
the municipal casinos. Mr.
Cood confirmed that Enjoy was
working “energetically to
present the best projects for
each location, because we feel
we have a commitment to the
communities where we
operate . . .”
Enjoy’s casino licence
extended in Chilean city
of Pucon
chile
P14 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM

16. Gaming tax revenues in Panama
took a significant dip in 2015 with
operators identifying a new tax
that droves returns down
PAnAmA GOVERNMENT
Tax Revenue down 14.4 per cent in 2015
The decreased revenues mark the end of a
decade of increased revenues for gaming
companies. Between July and September bets in
casinos, bingo halls, sporting events and slot
halls, recorded an annual decrease of 10.2 per
cent with a total balance of US$562.2m.
According to figures released by the Gaming
Control Board (JCJ) from January to July tax
revenue generated by gaming decreased from
US$59m to US$49.6m, a decrease of US$9.4m
(16 per cent) compared to the same period in
2014.
But it is not all bad news for the industry as
gaming tax revenue generated by international
sports betting and grey hound racing increased
from $858,000 to US$963 000 in 2015 while tax
revenue generated by bingo halls also increased
slightly to US$117,607 compared to US$116,938
in 2014.
However due to the small number of openings
last year, fees for the right to open a gaming
establishment amounted to just U.S1.5m in 2015
compared to US$13.6m in 2014.
Operators have blamed a new tax which went
into effect last year on falling revenues. A 5.5
per cent tax now applies to all cash withdrawals
made in casinos, slot parlours, bingo halls and
sports betting shops and tracks. The new tax
was approved in order to fund US$60m of the
US$74.8m needed to increase pensions. Tax
deductions are made even if the customer
cashes in chips without winning. Antonio
Alfaro, President of the Association of Managers
of Gaming (Asaja) told local press that
customers refuse to be asked to pay this tax
above what they have already lost and so they
prefer not to play.
In June last years the ASAJA complained that
new regulations stipulating a tax on cash
withdrawals by customers in Panama’s casinos
are now being plagued with a number of
technical issues which make it almost
impossible to collect the tax. The ASAJA has also
called for exceptions to the tax for horse race
betting not only in the President Remón race
track but also all sports betting centres as many
already face closure.
According to a report released by the Gaming Control Board (JCJ) gaming
revenue in Panama decreased significantly in 2015. The industry generated
US$ 82,222,147 in gaming tax revenue in 2015 compared to $96,101,377 in 2014 -
a 14.4 per cent decrease
ArGENTINA – The recently elected Mayor of
buenos Aires, horacio Rodriguez Larreta (pictured)
will attempt to place all gaming operations which
are located in the city under the city’s jurisdiction for
the first time. The move is part of a number of
measures which are aimed at the transference of
powers from the national government to the city
government. Larreta is also looking at ways to
transfer jurisdiction over the city port to the city
which would put the floating casino under the city’s
jurisdiction for the first time.
Mauricio Macri won the presidential election beating
rival Daniel Scioli in a closely contested Presidential
race in December and his Cambiemos (Let’s
Change) party now holds power over the province of
buenos Aires, the City of buenos Aires and the
executive branch which could mean a more
cohesive approach when it comes to governing the
country including gaming.
Macri and Larreta signed an agreement this month
which puts part of the Federal Police under the
command of the City Government and gaming
could be next on the agenda. Slot halls, and bingo
halls are currently run and administered by the
national government which has been a long source
of contention between the city and the national
government.
In 2011 while serving as major of the city of buenos
Aires and before becoming President, Macri vowed
to continue to strive to put gaming once again under
the control of the city - an issue which successive
governments have been trying to achieve since
2007.
“We hold firmly that the city must recover
jurisdiction (over gaming) along with the resources .
. . . just as we have demanded the transfer of the
police and of the harbour (to the city),” he said in
2011.
Macri also tasked the now Minister of Justice
Germán Garavano with conducting a study into how
gaming would be transferred from the National
Lottery to the city government and his successor
Laretta, who served as the City’s Cabinet Chief
while Macr was Mayor, is now seeking city control
over the racino located in the racetrack in Palermo
as well as the floating casino in the city port.
The establishment of casinos within the city has
long been a divisive and controversial issue with
both the city government and the national
government vying for control over gaming. While
mayor Mauricio Macri tried to reach an agreement
whereby casinos located in the city would pay back
a long standing a debt of between $1.5bn pesos
and $2bn pesos in gross gaming back taxes to the
city but no agreement was reached during his term
in office.
sOuth amERica
The regulatory and
supervisory authority in Peru
over banking and financial
institutions has published a
number of new proposals
which would seek to prevent
money laundering in casinos
and slot parlours. The
Superintendency of Banking,
Insurance and Private Pension
Funds (SBS), aims to have the
new regulations in place by
April 1st this year.
The new proposals state that
operators would be required to
maintain a record of all those
clients who make bets of US$
2,500 or over as well as the
winners of high payouts. The
new rules are designed to
comply with anti money
laundering guidelines recently
put forward by the Financial
Analysis Action Taskforce -
which recommends that
casinos and slot parlours
effectively implement anti-
money laundering and
terrorist-financing measures.
The SBS, through the Financial
Intelligence Unit will seek to
prevent money laundering in
casinos and slot parlours
which will both be subject to a
comprehensive regulatory and
supervisory regime. Any
suspicious financial
transaction regardless of the
amounts involved, must be
entered in a register of
suspicious transactions and
must also be reported to the
Financial Intelligence Unit in a
period not exceeding 15
working days.
In order to ensure that
operators are meeting the new
rules gaming companies will
also be required to employ a
compliance officer. This officer
will monitor the full and
proper implementation and
operation of prevention of anti
money laundering measures.
While the new rules could
provide an extra cost to
operators they will serve to
regulate the industry further.
In 1994 Peru passed a major
gaming which allowed for slot
machine parlours and casinos.
However, in the face of a
proliferation of illegal
gambling in 2006 the
regulatory body began a
nationwide crackdown
confiscating and destroying
thousands of slot machines.
Overall, the industry has been
transformed into one where
just less than four per cent of
all slot machines were taxed
and regulated to a situation
where almost 100 per cent of
the industry is regulated by
the government.
Anti money laundering
measures proposed by
Financial Taskforce
Peru
P16 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM

18. P18 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
das spanische glücksspielunternehmen
Codere hat in brasilien ein Portal für das Online-
Glücksspiel eingerichtet. In Zusammenarbeit mit
dem Jockey Club do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto
Alegre wurde die Webseite im betatest-Stadium
freigeschaltet, um die in dem Land geltende
Glücksspielgesetzgebung zu nutzen.
ein gericht in San Juan hat den vom
Finanzministerium eingereichten Antrag auf
Abweisung der gegen es erhobenen Klage des
puerto-ricanischen hotel- und Tourismusver-
bands (PRhTA) abgewiesen.
die neu gewählte gouverneurin der Provinz
buenos Aires, María Eugenia Vidal, die die Provinz
bei ihrer Vereidigung im Dezember als „bankrott“
bezeichnet hatte, hat aufgrund der desolaten
Finanzlage der Provinz angekündigt, dass die von
der branche erwirtschafteten Steuereinnahmen
nicht als Mittel zur Lösung der Finanzprobleme
der Provinz verwenden würden. Sie fügte hinzu:
„Mein Ziel ist es, dass das Glücksspiel in der
Provinz nicht weiter wächst.“
die Bruttoeinnahmen der viertausend
Spielautomatensalons in 17 Städte der Provinz
Cordoba beliefen sich 2015 auf 140 Mio. USD, 31
Prozent mehr als im Vorjahr und 336 Prozent
mehr als sechs Jahre zuvor.
die Kontroverse bezüglich des
Ausschreibungsverfahrens für die Spielbankenl-
izenz in Chillán spitzt sich weiter zu, wobei der
Geschäftsführer von Marina del Sol, Juan Ignacio
Ugarte, beklagt, dass das spanisch-argentinische
Konsortium boldt Peralada unzulässigen Druck
auf den Staatssekretär des chilenischen
Finanzministeriums, Alejandro Micco, ausübt.
gary Rapoport, der enkel Meyer Lanskys,
beansprucht für das während der kubanischen
Revolution von 1959 enteignete Riviera-Kasino
eine Entschädigung von der kubanischen
Regierung. „Das hotel wurde meinem Großvater
gewaltsam entrissen. Kuba schuldet meiner
Familie Geld“, so Lansky. „Wir haben bis jetzt
noch keine Klage erhoben oder einen Anwalt
beauftragt, weil wir der Meinung waren, dass sich
die Tür für Verhandlungen niemals wirklich öff-
nen würde. Jetzt ist sie offen.“
gan hat einen vertrag mit dem Borgata
hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey,
über die Inbetriebnahme des Onlinespielange-
botes Simulated Gaming im borgata
geschlossen. Das borgata wurde 2003 eröffnet
und ist ein Gemeinschaftsunternehmen der
boyd Gaming Corporation und MGM Resorts
International, zwei der größten Spielbankenbe-
treiber in den USA.
die Unternehmensgruppe Olympic Entertain-
ment hat heikki Rinta-Panttila, den ehemaligen
Geschäftsführer der staatlichen finnischen Spiel-
bank Casino helsinki, zum neuen
Geschäftsführer ihres neuen Flaggschiffs, des
Olympiaparkkasinos, bestellt, das im Mai 2016 in
Tallinn eröffnet werden soll.
The Baltic’s first Hilton hotel will
open in May this year boasting a
1,600sq.m. casino operated by
Olympic Entertainment and
featuring an OlyBet sports bar
eStOniA CASINO OPERATIONS
Olympic appoints Flagship Casino gM
Olympic Entertainment Group has announced
the appointment of Heikki Rinta-Panttila, the
former General Manager of Casino Helsinki, as
the new General Manager of Olympic Park
Casino, Olympic’s flagship casino to be opened
in Tallinn in May of this year.
According to Madis Jääger, CEO of Olympic
Entertainment Group, he is proud to have Heikki
Rinta-Panttila join the team of Olympic Casino.
“With more than 20 years of international
experience in casino operations, he will
definitely have the skills and know-how we
expect from the General Manager of our flagship
Olympic Casino,” Jääger said. “We are working
to open simply the best casino in the region and
with Heikki on board I’m confident that we can
provide successful operations and
unprecedented gaming experience for our
guests from day one,” he added.
Heikki Rinta-Panttila said that while working
close-by in Finland he has followed the success
of Olympic Casino in Estonia for many years.
“I’m really excited to become a part of this
success story and contribute to take the
company even further,” Rinta-Panttila said.
The new Olympic Park Casino will be opened in
the centre of Estonia’s capital Tallinn together
with the Baltic’s first Hilton in May 2016. The
casino on 1,600 square metres will have
separate areas for slot machines, gaming tables,
tournament poker and VIP players. A large bar
area and stage at the casino allows for high-
quality entertainment program and the OlyBet
sports bar with a wide lounge area a
comfortable sports betting experience.
Heikki Rinta-Panttila (55) has an extensive
leadership experience in operations
management, gaming and casinos, leisure and
hospitality businesses, having worked at the
Finland’s state-owned RAY as a Development
Manager and as a Casino Vice President and
Casino General Manager at country’s top casino
operations, Casino RAY and Grand Casino
Helsinki.
Kenya
Intralot fosters presence in Africa
uK
OpenBet hasrenewedits
license,developmentand
support agreementswithSky
Betting& Gaming.OpenBet
willcontinueto provideSky
Betting &Gaming withits
onlineandmobilesports
bettingplatformforafurther
fiveyears.Theoperatorhas
fullindependencetoinnovate
anddifferentiatebybuilding
itsowncustomerinterfaceson
theOpenBet platform.
OpenBethassuppliedthe
Leeds-based operatorsinceit
wasformedin 2001.Richard
Flint,CEOSkyBetting&
Gaming,said:“OpenBethas
beenanintegral componentof
ourbusinesssincedayone.
Againstever-changing
regulatory frameworksand
fast-movingtechnological
developmentstheycontinue
to deliver.TheOpenBet
platformgivesustheflexibility
to createafirstclass sports
bookthatfitsourbrandand
ourplayers’needs.”
Olympic Entertainment Group has appointed Heikki Rinta-Panttila, former GM of
Finland’s state-owned Casino Helsinki, as the new General Manager of Olympic
Park Casino, the Group’s new flagship casino to be opened in Tallinn in May 2016.
Intralot Group has signed a 10-
year cooperation with Acumen
Communications Limited (ACL) to
organise sports-betting in Kenya,
under the brand name ‘mCHEZA’.
ACL is a local company authorised
and regulated by the Betting
Control and Licencing Board of
Kenya under the Betting, Lotteries
and Gaming Act. ‘mCHEZA’ was
launched December 18, 2015 and is
initially available on mobile
phones, while additional products
and services will be offered soon.
ACL and Intralot are also
partnering with Safaricom, the
leading telecom operator in the
region, through m-payment
platform MPESA, data center and
cloud services.
The new product ‘mCHEZA’, is
deployed on Intralot’s flagship
sports betting platform, iFlex. It is
an intuitive, multi-channel sports
betting platform, which focuses on
providing a complete betting
management solution through a
user-friendly environment. The
overall solution will include a
Mobile Native Application, which
will be supported by iGC (iGaming
Console), as well Player Account
Management (PAM), Customer
Relationship Management (CRM)
solutions together with Intralot’s
Horizon system.
mCHEZA’ CEO, Peter Karimi, noted:
“mCHEZA’ will initially be a pre-
game betting platform. Numerous
sports, markets and betting modes
will be incorporated on the
platform in Q1 of 2016 with live
betting to follow thereafter. The
platform is working on a strategic
expansion plan into other East
African markets from 2016.”
EmEa

20. P20 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
die britische glücksspielaufsicht hat Caesars
Entertainment für Verstöße gegen die
Geldwäschevorschriften in zwei der Londoner
Kasinos der Gruppe gerügt. Der Schutz vor Geld-
wäsche soll dem Vernehmen nach im Empire
Casino am Leicester Square sowie im Playboy
Club im West End zu lax gehandhabt werden.
von Mitgliedern der Regierungsparteien
wurde ein Gesetzentwurf eingebracht, der sich als
schwerer Rückschlag für Anbieter erweisen kön-
nte, die in den niederländischen
Online-Glücksspielmarkt einsteigen möchten.
die grosvenor Casinos nehmen das weltweit
größte Tischspielesystem mit progressiver Jack-
pot-Ausspielung in betrieb. Vor kurzem hat die
Grosvenor Casinos-Gruppe die Einrichtung des
ihren gesamten Kasinobereich umfassenden pro-
gressiven Systems für Tischspiele abgeschlossen.
die glücksspielaufsicht des Bundesstaates
New York hat die Zulassungen für Glücksspiel-
und Freizeiteinrichtungen in den bezirken Sullivan,
Schenectady und Seneca einstimmig
verabschiedet, um neue Arbeitsplätze und Investi-
tionen sowie höhere Einnahmen für die
Gemeinden und die Schulbezirke zu
erwirtschaften, die in der Folge in den Regionen
entstehen werden.
gLi haben ein global Lottery instant
(Rubbellos)-Prüflabor für Spielscheine in Moncton
eröffnet. Zusammen mit diesem Vorhaben wird
die Verbundenheit von GLI mit der Provinz New
brunswick durch den Abschluss eines Vertrages
mit der Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Oppor-
tunities New brunswick bekräftigt.
der Luxusspielgerätehersteller interblock
hat im Maryland Live! Casino die allererste Installa-
tion seiner neuesten Reihe geberunterstützter
elektronischer Tischspiele (ETG) in Nordamerika
abgeschlossen.
Russlands größte Spielbank- und
Freizeitanlage, der palastartige Kristalltiger mit
seinen über 600 Spielautomaten und mehr als 60
Kasinotischen hat kürzlich seine Große Eröffnung
in der Glücksspielzone Primorskij Kraj nahe Vladi-
vostok feierlich begangen. Die Marke Merkur aus
dem hause Gauselmann ist auf der Kasinoetage
dieses neuen Glücksspielkomplexes mit einer
Reihe von Avantgarde Slant Top-Automaten stat-
tlich vertreten.
die Spielbankbetreiber in Singapur hatten
2015 einen Rückgang ihres bruttospielertrags um
10 Prozent auf 4,8 Mrd. USD zu verzeichnen, für
den der harte Antisparkurs der chinesischen
Regierung sowie das Wechselkursgefälle des Sin-
gapur Dollar gegenüber anderen asiatischen
Währungen verantwortlich gemacht werden.
die welle von viP-aufwertungen, die über
die australische Kasinolandschaft hinwegrollt, hat
die Insel Tasmanien erreicht, auf der eine mit 70
Mio. AUD veranschlagte Neugestaltung ein neues
Kapitel in der langen und stolzen Geschichte des
Wrest Point in Tasmanien, Australiens erster Spiel-
bank, einläutet.
France’s La Société Française de
Casinos is expanding in the
domestic market with the
acquisition of three casinos
FrAnce CASINO OPERATIONS
Lucien Barrière Offloads Three Casinos
SFC (la Société Française de Casinos) has
confirmed the acquisition of Lucien Barrière’s
casino in Chamonix outright, but it has created a
subdivision called ‘Société Franco-Belge
Casinos’ with Belgian operator Circus Casino
Group to co-own the other two properties in
Leucate and Briançon. SFC will own 49 per cent
of the capital of the newly created subsidiary
with Circus owning 51 per cent.
The amount of the transaction, expected to be
completed on January 31, was not disclosed.
Until this deal, SFC has operated four casinos
located in Gruissan (Aude), Châtel-Guyon (Puy
de Dome), Port La Nouvelle (Aude) and
Collioure (Pyrénées Orientales).
During their last year, the three casinos
generated a net turnover of €6.5m with €2.15m
being generated in Chamonix, €2.2m by Leucate
and €2.15m by the Casino Briancon.
A spokesperson for SFC said: “This operation is
fully in the French Casino Development
Corporation’s strategy to establish itself as a key
player in the casino market in France by
refocusing on gaming, helping to strengthen the
attractiveness of its institutions. The acquisition
of Leucate casinos and Briançon will be funded
1/3 equity and 2/3 by bank loans taken via the
holding company Société Franco-Belge Casinos.
The acquisition of the Chamonix casino will be
fully financed with the Group’s cash. The three
entities will be consolidated in the accounts of
French Society of Casinos from February 1
2016.”
Lucien Barrière has sold three casinos in Leucate, Briançon and Chamonix. SFC
(la Société Française de Casinos) has bought the casino in Chamonix outright but
it has created a subdivision called ‘Société Franco-Belge Casinos’ with Belgian
operator Circus Casino Group to co-own the other two properties.
EmEa
uK
A regularNetBet customerhas
struckit luckybywinningthe
progressive jackpotof€4
million on Playtechfavourite
GoldRally,justdaysafterthe
long-termlicensee agreedasix-
yearcontract extensionuntil
2021.Themegajackpotwaswon
just beforeChristmasbya
regularNetBet player–whohas
chosen to remain anonymous–
ononeof Playtech’smost
establishedslot gamesGold
Rally,andcomesjustsixmonths
afterNetBetlaunchedits
exclusivePlaytech Vegastab.It
isalsothe first timeoneof
NetBet’splayers hashitthebig
timeandclaimedthetopprize
on thePlaytechprogressive
network.
Thenewcontract includes
exclusive Playtech Casino
content,pokerand pokerside
gamesandwill see the
partnershipbetweenthetwo
companiesextendtomorethan
twodecades.
The Casino Princess in
Gevgelija, Macedonia, is relying
more and more on Euro Games
Technology’s products to
entertain its customers. Adding
to its existing 120 EGT
machines, the casino recently
installed a further 200
cabinets from the company,
including the slant top model
P-27/27 St Slim with its two
27ins. monitors, the latest
multi-game mix Premier
Multi-6; jackpot systems
Diamond Life and Egypt Quest
and the flagship Premier
series’ P-24/24 Up. Together
with the already proven EGT
high performers on the gaming
floor of Princess Casino - Vega
Vision Up, Vega Vision St, Vega
Vision+ St, Premier, Cat 4 Cash,
Egypt Quest and the automated
roulette Vega R8, they
represent almost the complete
EGT product line-up.
“The latest installed cabinets
from Premier series in the
casino are connected to the
EGT’s Lady’s Cards mystery
jackpot system of 4 levels and
have immediately attracted an
enormous attention,” shared
Dobriyan Spirov, regional
manager of EGT for Macedonia.
“During their first days in
action I was pleasantly
surprised to see it myself how
every of all the 176 machines
were occupied most of the
time. It was the same with our
Diamond Life mystery jackpot
system.”
Full complement of EGT
products now grace the
floor at Casino Princess
macedonia

22. P22 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
The UK Commission has
highlighted breaches in due
diligence with regard to
calculating customer risk
uK CASINO OPERATIONS
UK Commission Cracks down on Caesars
The UK Gambling Commission has criticised
Caesars Entertainment for money laundering
compliance failures at two of its London casinos.
The UKGC said: “The Commission has
determined that there were significant
weaknesses in the way Caesars managed risk
with regard to money laundering,” said the
UKGC and considers that this case provides
valuable learning for operators, who should in
light of these matters consider reviewing their
legal obligations regarding the prevention of
money laundering.”
“We examined AML controls used at two casinos
owned and operated by Caesars: the Playboy
Club London and the London Clubs LSQ,” it
added. “The Commission considers that, at both
of these premises, the processes and procedures
used to manage the risk of money laundering
did not comply with the requirements of the
MLRs, nor did they satisfy the duty to comply
with the licensing objective to keep crime out of
gambling. Specifically the Commission found
that Caesars failed to appropriately assess
customer risk; demonstrate appropriate levels of
ongoing monitoring; undertake appropriately
rigorous due diligence checks, instead over-
relying on negative information, such as no trace
results from third party and open source
information; ensure that decision-making
records relating to high risk customers such as
politically exposed persons (PEP) were
complete; obtain adequate information with
regard to customers’ source of funds or source of
wealth; ensure that customer due diligence
(CDD) and enhanced due diligence (EDD)
records, and the policies behind those records,
were sufficiently comprehensive to form an
effective money laundering control system or
undertake appropriate due diligence checks on
customers of other overseas’ Caesars Group
companies.”
Caesars has agreed to pay £845,000 towards
socially responsible causes, and must
immediately address the problems highlighted
by the Commission. The Commission added: “An
independent external provider will review
Caesars’ AML policies and processes. This will
be done at Caesars’ expense, within an agreed
timeframe, and will be shared in its entirety
with the Commission.”
denmark
Denmarkhasamendedadecree
relating togamingmachinesin
amusementarcadesand
restaurants.The changestothe
lawmeanthatfromJanuary1,
2016,Denmarkchangedthe
rulesforthe maximumbetand
winnings.The changemeans
thatmaximumdeposits
changedfrom0.50 kr.to1kr
(€.07-0.13) .Andthemaximum
gainischangedfrom300kr.to
600 kr.(€40-80).
The latest Q32015resultsfrom
the Danish GamingBoardshow
that the country’s 25,500slot
machinessawrevenuesincrease
to385mkr.(€52m),a15mkr.
rise overthecorresponding
quarterin2014.Theseven
Danish casinosalsoreportedQ3
revenuesrisingto 95mkr.,the
highest levelsinceearly2012.
The UK Gambling Commission has criticised Caesars Entertainment for money
laundering compliance failures at two of its London casinos. Safeguards to ensure
against money laundering were reportedly lax at Caesar’s Empire Casino in
Leicester Square and the Playboy Club in the West End
Germany – Industry veteran
David Orrick has joined adp
Gauselmann’s Merkur Gaming
as the company’s Director of
Industry Relations. Mr. Orrick
brings with him a wealth of
knowledge and experience,
gathered over more than 20 years work with three
of Europe’s foremost gaming companies.
Charles hiten, Chief Executive for Merkur Gaming
Americas noted: “David Orrick has been a valued
and respected colleague for many years. I am
excited to be working with David again, drawing on
his proven skills and his wealth of contacts as we
continue to expand across a swathe of international
markets and build a truly international brand.”
Like Charles hiten, David Orrick was a former
colleague of the late Jens halle and he paid tribute
to halle’s memory by stating: “Jens was much more
than just my boss, he was my mentor, my
inspiration and, above all, my friend. Through this
new appointment I will wear the Merkur Sun
emblem with pride and I hope that I will honour the
memory of Jens and always strive to work within
the personal values and professional excellence on
which he built his, sadly all too short, career.”
EmEa
Inspired, the leading provider
of Virtual Sports, Mobile
Games and SBG Video Lottery,
today announces that it will be
supplying Betfred with its first
collection of Mike Tyson
gaming products.
Betfred is one of the UK’s
leading retail and online
bookmakers - Inspired is its
exclusive supplier of VLT
gaming machines, technology
and games. Betfred has also
been offering Inspired’s Virtual
Sports across retail and online
since 2001, and in 2013 it also
launched Inspired’s Virtual
Sports on mobile. Details of the
deal are:
l Inspired will provide Betfred
with access to its initial
Tyson package
l The package includes the
new Virtual Rush Boxing
game for retail and online,
featuring ‘Iron Mike’, which
is set for launch in 2016
l Inspired will also be
providing Betfred with its
new Tyson-branded
omnichannel slots and table
gaming content
l The games will be supported
with exclusive Tyson
marketing materials
Steve Rogers, CCO Digital
Games, Inspired, comments:
“Our new products are set to go
down a storm with players
across the gaming gambit and
we are thrilled that Betfred will
be the first UK operator to
bring them to market.”
betfred signs knock out
Virtual Sports boxing
deal with Inspired
uK
MALTA – Malta’s Dragonara Casino has recently
arranged for six P-24/32V Up cabinets linked to
progressive jackpot system, Egypt Quest, from Euro
Games Technology. The casino has been
established for over 50 years and is situated in a
picturesque reinforced 19th century palace in the
most affluent location on the island, surrounded by
a number of 5 star resorts.
“The customers appreciate our commitment to
continuously improve their gaming experience,”
shared Svetlana bukova, Director of Operations at
Dragonara Casino. “The anticipation of trying the
new product was there right from the very
beginning and the players responded positively to
Egypt Quest. They especially liked this EGT system
for its design and game graphics, being a true eye-
catcher, and were excited about the win.
Progressives, in general, attract our clientele and
with this installation we certainly will exceed their
expectations.”
Dragonara Casino decided to include Egypt Quest
to their portfolio due to its reliability, multi-game
mix of six specially chosen titles, and the high-level
of technical support services provided by EGT. “As
the largest operator on the island, quality is crucial
for us in every aspect of the business. We build our
success on it, and EGT are synonymous with
superiority. This is why we look forward to
expanding our collaboration in the near future,”
added Mrs. bukova.

24. P24 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
GEOrGIA – Casinos Austria International (CAI) is a
long-standing customer of systems expert DRGT.
The great partnership over the years ensured for
CAI management that there could only be one
choice for the systems requirements at their latest
casino – namely DRGT. The Casino International
batumi was opened in October 2015 and is located
in the stylish hilton batumi hotel (above).
CAI Operations Service Manager helmut Wede
explained the company decision to ensure that
DRGT systems work day-in, day-out at their new
Georgian casino, stating “The positive experience
gained throughout the years at other locations in
Switzerland and brussels meant that we know well
the systems features that DRGT offers. The
functionality, the way the systems is structured
enables us to optimally manage our Slots. The
decentralized system needs no central server –
there is no potential single point of failure. DRGT
systems are extremely reliable”.
The Casino International batumi enjoys one of the
best locations in town, near the popular 6 May Park
and Seaside boulevard. The elegant European-style
design features a choice of 13 live gaming tables
and 105 latest generation gaming machines,
including electronic Roulette. batumi is a vibrant
seaside city on the black Sea coast and capital of
Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest
Georgia. “The installation was carried out in a very
professional way – DRGT again impressed us with
their excellent work ethics. The DRGT team in Graz
and the installation engineer did a great job. DRGT is
particularly strong in its jackpot systems solutions
and we are making good use of these,” concluded
Mr. Wede.
dutch Propose 29 per cent Tax Rate
Members of the ruling coalition parties have
submitted a proposal which could prove to be a
serious setback for operators looking to become
involved in the Dutch online gaming market.
According to reports emerging in local media,
members of the coalition have put forward
amendments to the proposed Remote Gambling
Bill which would increase the tax rate from 20
per cent GGR to 29 per cent. This is the same tax
rate which was initially considered back in early
2013 and reflects the rate which is currently in
place regarding the brick-and-mortar Holland
casinos. The new tax would mean an initially
uniform tax rate of 29 per cent for both online
and land based operators. This would gradually
be reduced to 25 per cent three years after
online gambling is legalised.
In May 2014 Holland’s Council of State argued
that the 20 per cent tax rate could be considered
as unjustified and unequal treatment when
compared to the tax rate imposed upon land
based operations. However, the State Secretary
at the time Fred Teeven argued that any
disadvantages arising from these rates were
outweighed by the importance of achieving the
goal of a high level of legality in the market (80
per cent). In addition under previous proposals
operators would also have to contribute 0.5 per
cent of turnover to a fund aimed at curbing
addiction to gambling as well as a further 1.5 per
cent on turnover, which would go to the Dutch
Gaming Authority (KSA).
Lawmakers claim that the uniform tax rate
would create fairer market conditions but the
news will come as a surprise to many operators.
Only last month State Secretary Klaas Dijkhoff
answered the second round of questions
regarding the Dutch remote gaming bill. Once
again he rejected proposals to change the tax
rate to 29 per cent arguing that it was necessary
to ensure that a sufficient number of online
players will be channelled towards licensed
operators. The minister’s response was
welcomed by industry insiders who said that it
was clear that the government had learned from
past mistakes from other jurisdictions which
had set the tax rate too high making it hard for
operators to make a profit and had discouraged
players from playing via licensed sites.
Virtual games specialist Kiron
Interactive has signed a deal to
offer its full suite of games via
independent technology
provider Comtrade Gaming.
Using its recently launched
Betman Online RGS solution,
Kiron will make its portfolio
available to Comtrade’s sports
betting and casino clients on
an omni-channel basis via
their iCore gaming platform.
As well as having one of the
market leading igaming
platforms, Comtrade also offer
online and mobile casino
games, live casino, and server-
based gaming systems.
Steven Spartinos, co-CEO of
Kiron, said the deal was
strategically important for the
supplier as it looks to expand
its global reach even further in
2016. He added: “We’re
delighted to have signed the
deal with Comtrade which
presents some great
opportunities for us,
particularly in Asian markets.
They have a great platform
which allows operators to
differentiate their offering by
taking control of the player
experience, which is a tailored
approach that we favour too.”
Steven Valentine, Comtrade’s
Director of Interactive, said:
“Kiron’s proven virtual games
are a welcome addition to our
platform. It is increasingly
important to offer clients a
complete range of products
and services from which they
can chose and the popularity
of virtuals means it is now a
must-have vertical.”
Comtrade partners
with Kiron Interactive
with virtual suite
slovenia
Estonia
It’s been a busy few months
for Olympic Entertainment
Group, which recently
acquired a 100 per cent
shareholder in Ultramedia, a
Polish company, with the aim
of creating a legal platform
for expanding the group’s
activities in Poland. OEG also
confirmed the acquisition of
Lithuania’s sports-betting
operator, UAb Orakulas.
Orakulas has 35 betting
shops in Lithuania, 12 of
which are located in the
capital, Vilnius. OEG’s first
casino in Malta in cooperation
with Eden Leisure has been
granted a casino licence by
the Malta Gaming Authority.
The €12m Casino Malta will
be the largest of the four
casino on the island with
285 slots and 29 tables
spread over 3,000sq.ft.
EmEa
Holland – Crane Payment
Innovations has expanded its
Gaming sales team in EMEA
with the addition of sales
manager Marc Jongerius. In his
role, Jongerius is responsible for
direct and indirect sales
activities across German-speaking territories, the
benelux Union, Scandinavia, the baltic States and
Eastern Europe.
“I am delighted to welcome Marc to CPI. Increasing
demand from our customers, along with the recent
launch of our SCR note recycler, has opened
tremendous growth opportunities for CPI across the
EMEA region,” said Anette Jauch, Director of Sales,
Gaming – EMEA . “We knew we needed additional
resources to support our initiatives, and Marc was
the ideal candidate to strengthen our team. he has
already become a valuable asset to our customers
in EMEA, and I am confident that he will play a key
role in our continuous drive for growth.”

26. P26 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
The largest casino operator in the
UK launches the biggest wide
area progressive table gaming
system in the world
uK CASINO INSTALLATIONS
grosvenor Breaks Records with Tables waP
Grosvenor Casinos has recently completed its
installation of a Wide Area Progressive System
for table games across its entire casino estate.
The completion of the installation heralds a
worldwide record in the history of Operator
Wide Area Progressive table game roll outs, as
Grosvenor Casinos’ brings its life-changing
progressive jackpot experience from the slot
floor straight into the table games pit.
The installation covers over 100 Blackjack tables
nationwide, and with more than a dozen game
options, Grosvenor Casinos’ customers will now
enjoy a completely unique, unforgettable
entertainment experience with the thrill of
jackpots at the table.
Priced at £1 per bet, per round, adding a
Grosvenor Ace King Suited progressive side bet
to a game gives customers the chance to win
one of three progressive jackpots; Minor, Major
and Mega, with the Mega jackpot paying out a
guaranteed minimum of £10,000 if the
customer and the dealer draw a Blackjack
match by both holding the Ace and King of the
same suit.
Kevin Grahame, Head of Table Gaming at
Grosvenor Casinos commented: “We always aim
to deliver cutting-edge gaming to our customers
and are now proud to offer our customers the
world’s largest Operator Wide Area Progressive
system for table games.
“The Blackjack tables in all of our casinos have
been upgraded with Scientific Games’ Shuffle
Master Wide Area Progressive System to deliver
exceptional gaming for our customers. Now
we’re able to link progressive jackpots across
our entire casino estate, customers will benefit
from faster incrementing and more frequent
jackpot wins.”
Roger Snow, Senior Vice President Product
Management at Scientific Games said: “This is
by far the world’s largest installation of a Wide
Area Progressive System for table games within
a single operator. We are extremely excited to
see our Operator Wide Area Progressive System
for table games now available in a total of 53
Grosvenor Casinos located nationwide,
representing more than a third of the total UK
casino industry.”
gibraltar
Mr Green isthelatestmajor
online gamblingdestinationto
offergamesfromOdobo.Six
Odobogamesare alreadylive-
Extinction,GourmetRanch
Riches,Epic City,LuckyPirates,
The OddventurersandBigTime
Journey-withanother14dueto
complete thefirstwaveof
contentreleases.
Mr Green,launchedin2008,has
cementeditsplace asoneofthe
fastest growingandsuccessful
gamingsitesin theindustry,
endorsedbyback-to-back
award winswithinthemost
prestigiouscategories.MrGreen
servesthousandsofplayers
throughoutEurope withastrong
Scandinavian presencethatwill
strengthen Odobo’sreach
outsidethe UK market.
The dealprovidesMrGreenwith
accesstoOdobo’sentirelibrary
of Marketplace content
consistingof over60newand
exclusive gametitles.
Grosvenor Casinos launches largest progressive table gaming system in the world.
Grosvenor Casinos has recently completed its installation of a Wide Area
Progressive System for table games across its entire casino estate
UK – Inspired has launched seven new hTML5
mobile games, which are already proving popular
with players. The following games will be available
to all Inspired operators, including William hill, Gala
Coral and bet365. Centurion, Legend of Triton, I ♥
Kittens, The Musketeers and 20p Roulette. Inspired
is exclusively supplying its premium omnichannel
game Kingdom of Fortune to Gala Coral sites
coral.co.uk, galabingo.com and galacasino.com.
Its newest mobile game, Tiki Tastic, launched with
William hill in January.
Steve Rogers, CCO Digital Games, commented: “We
are hugely upping the anti with the launch of these
seven titles with an exciting portfolio of brand new
titles due to hit the market in 2016.”
SWEDEN – Evolution Gaming
has signed an agreement with
Scientific Games to exclusively
provide a Live Casino version of
Ultimate Texas hold’em.
Ultimate Texas hold’em is the
world’s most popular house-banked Texas hold’em
game, and generates in excess of €1.5bn per year in
GGR in land-based casinos globally. Under the
terms of the 3.5- year agreement, Evolution will be
the sole Live Casino provider to offer the game as
part of its product range with the possibility to
extend with additional game content from Scientific
Games’ proprietary portfolio. Ultimate Texas
hold’em is fully scalable, making it possible to deal
an unlimited number of players from a single table.
Evolution expects the game to be an attractive tool
for operators to convert poker players into casino
players. A first launch to licensees is expected this
summer.
EmEa
Olympic Entertainment
Group’s (OEG) subsidiary in
Malta opened the group’s all
time largest casino in the
country's most attractive
tourism region.
According to Madis Jääger, CEO
of Olympic Entertainment
Group, year-long preparations
to expand the group’s
operations to Malta have been
successful. “After receiving
Maltese gambling license we
were able to open our first
casino in Malta making it the
eighth market where OEG
operates,” Jääger said.
The group’s all time largest
casino with close to 3,000 sq
metres – named Casino Malta
by Olympic Casino – is located
in Malta InterContinental
Hotel. The casino features 285
slots, 2 electronic roulette
tables and 29 casino and poker
tables as well as a wide sports
betting and bar area.
OEG’s first casino in Malta was
established in cooperation with
Maltese hotel and
entertainment enterprise Eden
Leisure Group. The casino will
be operated by OEG under a
management agreement.
OEG expands reach to
Malta opening its
largest casino yet
malta
AUSTrIA – New Year’s Eve saw the opening of
Casinos Austria’s lakeside Zell am See casino,
located between Schmittenhöhe and Zeller See in
Eastern Austria, with 350 guests in attendance.
The 800 m² gaming floor located in the four star
Grand hotel Zell, boasts 50 slot machines and 21
tables, including five American Roulette tables, four
blackjack tables, three poker tables, a wheel of
fortune and 12 Easy Roulette terminals. Guests
staying at the hotel on New Year’s Eve were given
50 of gaming chips to spend in the casino.
Casino Director Paul Vogel said: “We’ve planned the
project perfectly and with the Grand hotel and Zell
am See tourism centre we have perfect partners.”
Casinos Austria General Manager Karl Stoss said at
the opening: “Casinos Austria has opened its first
new casino in Austria in 24 years and it’s a great
pleasure that we here in Zell am See to open this
year-round operation. We have invested €4.6m and
are expecting around 60,000 guests per year.”

28. P28 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
spain
NewYear’sEve sawtheowners
ofCasinodeCastillayLeonin
thesuburbofBoecilloclosethe
gamingflooratPalaciodelos
CondesdeGamazovenueand
openCasinoRoxyinValladolid,
thecapitalcityintheregionof
Castilla yLeon.
Havingbeen grantedthe
relocation tothe busiercity
streetsbyValladolidCity
Council,thecasino’sowners
havespentover €800,000
renovatingtheformerRoxy
cinemain Calle MariadeMolina
inthecentre of Valladolid.It
openedfollowing agaladinner
with50slots,tablesanda
dedicatedpokerroom,Casino
Roxywillboastalargecafeteria,
acocktailbarandarestaurant
withcapacityfor35people.
UK – The UK amusement show – the EAG – took
place between 12th and 14th January at London’s
ExCel. AMATIC Industries’ long-standing exclusive
partner for the UK and Ireland – Genesis Games –
were in force at this exhibition to support operators
in their push towards MULTI GAME.
As masters of MULTI GAME, AMATIC Industries
provide exciting solutions for both the b3 arcade
segment and the Cat C pub market. In particular,
the PERFORMER is making great impact as AMATIC
has much experience already gathered on the global
gaming and amusement market which Genesis
Games is passing on to their customers.
“AMATIC Industries has a unique style and feel to its
AWPs / gaming machines that appeal to many
players in the UK and Ireland”, explained Mr. Steve
bierrum, Director of Genesis Games. “The fact that
AMATIC has already integrated ticket-in, ticket-out
into their product portfolio is a massive benefit for
us. TITO is quickly growing in importance for the b3
segment.”
both the AMATIC Performer and X3000 series
cabinets are available from Genesis Games. “Our
partnership with Genesis Games is a great example
of how we approach our business”, explained Mr.
Thomas Engstberger, Sales Manager at AMATIC
Industries. “Firstly our business partnership goes a
long time, based on trust and mutual respect. The
team at Genesis Games knows that we have the
capacity to create games that players in britain and
Ireland are looking for.”
SPAIN – Melco International
Development has said its plans
to get the licence needed to
develop a resort casino at bCN
World, near barcelona, will face
further delays further delays
due to new political
uncertainties caused by delays in forming a coalition
Catalan government.
In a filing to the stock exchange by Melco said:
“Since this election outcome and the expiration of
the master plan consultation period, there has been
no public announcement from the Catalan
government as to when the definitive master plan
will be concluded. The timetable for a conclusion of
the definitive master plan is relatively uncertain at
this juncture and may potentially delay the
finalisation of the master plan and subsequently the
overall timetable of the tender process.”
The Catalan parliamentary elections took place in
September 2015 but with no majority a coalition
has to be formed. The two parties have only recently
agreed to form a separatist government
If completed, bCN World, located an hour away
from barcelona in Tarragona, would be home to six
casino resorts costing a total of €4.7bn.
EmEa
Ainsworth has made a
significant step for its French
customers. Not only has
Ainsworth opened a brand
new office in France –
Ainsworth France has gained
the licence from the French
government to act as a SFM.
Ainsworth France can
therefore directly distribute
Ainsworth slot machines and
games to the operators in
France and provide direct
support as well.
The managing director of
Ainsworth France is Mr.
Thierry Aiglon, an industry
expert with over twelve years
of experience in gaming – both
on the manufacturing and
distribution front. Ainsworth
France is situated close to the
city of Nice in southeast France
and is an entirely owned
subsidiary of Ainsworth (UK).
Len Ainsworth, celebrating this
year 63 years in the gaming
industry, comments on the
significance of the creating of
Ainsworth France as follows,
“The French gaming market is
one of the most important in
Europe, particularly taking into
account that there is no street
market in France. Given our
successes in Australia, Asia
and America, I am confident
we can mirror this success in
France. We see it as essential in
being able to work hand-in-
hand with our customers and
that explains we have further
invested in this market so as to
be able to sell directly our
gaming solutions to the
operators”.
Ainsworth Game
Technology opens
office in France as SFM
France
One Hundred Cabinet installs in georgia
Slovenia’s multi-player specialist, Gambee, has
continued its successful cooperation with the
Adjara Bet brand, one of the strongest domestic
players in the Georgian gaming market
After years of constant improvement of the
service in their Tbilisi Saburtalo gaming hall,
which has in its centre piece a gigantic 220
cabinets and two wheels amphitheatre Gambee
roulette, the company is now opening another
gaming hall, a large venue in a different part of
the town. The new gaming hall will, among
other equipment, feature a 100 cabinet Gambee
roulette machine with Lucky number Jackpot.
The hall will be opened this month.
“Adjara Bet is satisfied with Gambee roulette
machines,” stated Zura Beruashvili, General
Manager of Adjara Bet (pictured right). “The
machine is strong and reliable, and the company
is providing us with good service. Besides, few
companies can provide reference that a single
roulette system can support more than 200
cabinets. The Lucky number Jackpot from
Gambee is a great attraction for the players and
basically provides a game within the game. We
have two types or roulette players; a classical
roulette player that plays every spin; and a
player that is just a Lucky number Jackpot
player. We are happy with both.”
In addition to Tbilisi, Batumi is becoming a
much more distinctive gambling destination.
Starting out as a gambling zone for the Turkish
and local Georgian guests, Batumi has since
outgrown its roots. With an ever growing
number of new casinos that provide luxury
environments and service comparable to the
best and newest casinos in the world, the city
has become a destination for visitors from wider
geographical areas that includes countries such
as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iraq, Israel, Russia and
Ukraine.
Important names from the gambling and hotel
sectors have recognised the appeal and have
moved to secure their own slice of the pie. In
2015, Casinos Austria, Hilton, Pasha
International and Melco, among others, have
either opened a venue or started along the path.
The total number of casinos in Batumi has now
reached double digits and is expected to grow
further in coming years. Into this market
Gambee roulettes have proven to be an essential
piece of equipment as the brand maintains its
position as the first choice for local operators.

30. P30 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
La société de jeux espagnole Codere vient
de lancer un portail de jeux d'argent en ligne au
brésil. En collaboration avec le Club de Jockey de
Porto Alegre, le site Web vient de lancer sa version
bêta afin de tirer profit de l'éventuelle légalisation
des jeux d'argent dans le pays.
María eugenia vidal, nouveau gouverneur
récemment élu de la province de buenos Aires
après avoir prêté serment en décembre, a qualifié
la région de "surendettée" du fait de l'état désas-
treux des finances gouvernementales. Elle
affirme que les impôts sur les sociétés issus de
l'industrie du jeu ne seront pas utilisés pour pallier
les difficultés financières de la région et ajoute :
"Mon objectif est d'empêcher l'expansion des jeux
d'argent dans la province."
Les recettes brutes issues des quatre mille
machines à sous situées dans 17 villes de la
province de Cordoba s'élèvent à 140 millions de
dollars US pour l'année 2015, ce qui équivaut à
une hausse de 31 % par rapport à l'année précé-
dente et de 336 % par rapport aux résultats d'il y
a 6 ans.
L'appel d'offres pour la licence d'un casino à
Chillán continue à alimenter la controverse tandis
que le Directeur général du Marina del Sol, Juan
Ignacio Ugarte, affirme que le consortium his-
pano-argentin boldt Peralada exerce une pression
indue sur le sous-secrétaire du Trésor chilien,
Alejandro Micco.
gary Rapoport, le petit-fils de Meyer Lansky,
cherche à obtenir un dédommagement auprès du
gouvernement cubain qui s'était approprié le
Casino Riviera pendant la Révolution Cubaine de
1959. "L'hôtel de mon grand-père lui a été con-
fisqué. C'est Cuba qui détient l'argent de ma
famille", affirme M. Lansky. "Nous n'avons jamais
porté plainte contre le gouvernement ni fait appel
à un avocat plus tôt car nous ne pensions pas que
nous pourrions négocier un jour. Maintenant, nous
le pouvons."
Lucien Barrière vient de vendre trois de ses
casinos à Leucate, briançon et Chamonix. La SFC
(la Société Française de Casinos) a acheté le
casino de Chamonix au comptant et a créé une
sous-division dénommée ‘Société Franco-belge
Casinos’. L'opérateur belge Circus Casino Group
devrait devenir le copropriétaire des deux autres
casinos.
La concurrence entre les deux plus grands
opérateurs de jeux australiens s'intensifie une fois
de plus à Sydney, ville dans laquelle l'opérateur
Star Entertainment espère construire un hôtel-
casino de 200 mètres de haut face au futur
complexe barangaroo de Crown Resorts. Star
profite actuellement des trois dernières années de
sa licence de casino exclusive : l'année 2019 verra
le lancement du complexe à hautes mises Crown,
face à Darling harbour.
Un tribunal de San Juan vient de rejeter la
requête émise par le Ministère des Finances con-
cernant la plainte déposée par l'Association des
hôtels et du tourisme portoricains (PRhTA).
Governor Cuomo signed legislation
in July 2013 mandating that 80 per
cent net casino tax revenue be
used for elementary and
secondary education
new YOrK CASINO LICENCES
nYS Commission approves Licences
“New York State will soon realise the economic
benefits of resort gaming destinations,” New
York State Gaming Commission Executive
Director, Robert Williams, said. “These projects
will create thousands of jobs, bring much-
needed economic development to long-stressed
communities and drive revenue to support
schools and local governments – with zero
taxpayer dollars.”
The destination resorts include new hotels,
restaurants and other attractions that will serve
as an additional incentive for tourists, including
the more than 50 million tourists that visit New
York City every year to Upstate regional
attractions. The New York Gaming Facility
Location Board, appointed by the Commission,
previously selected the three projects to be
considered for licensure through a competitive
bid process.
Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor will
be a $320m investment and include a 51,000
square-foot gaming floor, 1,150 slot machines, 77
table games, public green spaces on the
riverfront, and a new 150-room hotel. Adelaar
will be a $1.25bn investment by Empire Resorts,
and EPR Properties, and will include an 18-
storey casino, hotel and entertainment complex
titled the Montreign Resort Casino, with 2,150
slot machines, 102 table games, and 332 luxury
hotel rooms. They will also construct a 325,000
square-foot indoor waterpark lodge,
entertainment village with retail and dining, and
an 18-hole golf course. Lago Resort & Casino
will be a $425m capital investment and include
1,950 slot machines, 84 table games, a 205-
room hotel and a 10,000 square-foot spa.
With a combined capital investment of more
than $1.3bn, the three casinos will create more
than 3,600 permanent jobs, with approximately
1,300 in Schenectady County, 1,050 in Sullivan
County, and 1,250 in Seneca County.
Construction will require nearly six million man
hours, creating thousands of additional jobs.
A fourth facility, Tioga Downs Casino Racing
and Entertainment in Nichols, was also selected
by the Gaming Facility Location Board and is
currently undergoing the Commission’s
licensing review process.
The New York State Gaming Commission has unanimously approved licences to
resort gaming destinations in Sullivan, Schenectady and Seneca Counties,
ushering new jobs and investment, as well as revenue for local governments and
school districts that will come to the regions as a result.
NORth amERica
GLI has opened its Global
Lottery Instant (Scratch Card)
Ticket Testing Laboratory in
Moncton. The initiative
supports GLI’s commitment to
the province of New
Brunswick by signing an
agreement with Opportunities
New Brunswick.
Based on repeated client
demand over the past year
throughout the company’s
global network of clients, GLI
decided to establish a Global
Lottery Instant Ticket Testing
Lab. To facilitate this latest
service and the tremendous
triple-digit growth the
Moncton office has
experienced this past year, GLI
has relocated its Moncton
office and is actively recruiting
and hiring to expand current
staff. The new office houses
GLI’s certification testing and
lottery instant ticketing labs
as well as the SLI Global
Solutions Quality Assurance
and Professional Services
Practice.
GLI’s Director of Lottery and
Gaming, Thomas Bierbach,
said, “I am extremely excited
about the GLI Instant Ticket
Testing Lab and the fact that
we can offer instant ticket
testing services to our valued
lottery clients. Having
managed and operated a ticket
testing lab myself, along with
auditing instant ticket
operations and testing
globally, the GLI Instant Ticket
Testing Lab will be a
tremendous value proposition
for lotteries around the world.
“I am excited to run operations
at the GLI Moncton Ticket
Testing Lab, where our lottery
clients benefit from the
unparalleled expertise and
quality they are accustomed to
from GLI. We can now provide
clients with world-class
instant ticket testing services
that fall under our ISO 17025
quality management system.
While a handful of labs offer
instant ticket or scratch testing
as a sideline, GLI is the only
lottery industry specialized,
dedicated and independent
instant ticket testing lab in the
world, and we are proud of it,”
he said.
GLI’s MD of Quality Assurance
and Professional Services Greg
Doucette said: “The signing of
this new agreement with
Opportunities NB only
solidifies the commitment GLI
has made to New Brunswick
over the past four years. We
are really excited about the
triple-digit growth we have
achieved during 2015 and are
looking forward to an even
better 2016.
GLI establishes Global
Lottery Instant Ticket
testing lab in Moncton
canada

31. ExCel, London
2. - 4. Feb. 2016
Stand S3 - 350
STAY INDIVIDUAL - SELECT AMATIC
sales@amatic.com I www.amatic.com

32. P32 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / 247.COM
La commission de contrôle des jeux
britannique vient de critiquer Caesars Entertain-
ment pour ses manquements aux
réglementations sur le blanchiment d'argent dans
deux de ses casinos londoniens. Les mesures de
précaution à l'encontre du blanchiment d'argent
ont été qualifiées de laxistes au Caesar’s Empire
Casino de Leicester Square et au Playboy Club
dans le West End.
Les membres des parties de la coalition au
pouvoir viennent de soumettre une proposition
qui pourrait s'avérer être préjudiciable pour les
opérateurs qui cherchent à investir le marché des
jeux en ligne aux Pays-bas.
grosvenor Casinos lance le plus grand
système de jeux de table progressifs du monde.
Grosvenor Casinos vient récemment de terminer
le déploiement d'un système progressif large pour
les jeux de table dans l'ensemble de ses casinos.
La Commission des jeux de l'état de new
York a unanimement approuvé l'émission de
licences à destination des complexes de jeux
dans les comtés de Sullivan, de Schenectady et
de Seneca, ce qui pourrait favoriser la création
d'emplois et encourager de nouveaux investisse-
ment engendrant ainsi des recettes au profit des
autorités locales et des districts scolaires.
gLi vient d'ouvrir son laboratoire de tests
pour tickets de loterie instantanée (carte à gratter)
à Moncton. Cette initiative renforce l'engagement
de GLI dans la province du Nouveau-brunswick
avec la signature d'un accord avec Opportunities
New brunswick.
gan vient de signer un accord avec le
borgata hotel Casino & Spa à Atlantic City, dans le
New Jersey, pour le lancement de son système de
simulation de jeux en ligne borgata. borgata, qui a
ouvert en 2003, est une joint-venture entre la
boyd Gaming Corporation et le groupe MGM
Resorts International, deux des sociétés de ges-
tion de casinos les plus importantes des
États-Unis.
Le fabricant de jeux de luxe interblock vient
de terminer le premier déploiement de sa toute
nouvelle gamme de jeux de table électronique en
ligne avec gestionnaire intégré (ETG) au Maryland
Live ! Casino.
Le plus grand complexe de casinos de
Russie, le Palatial Tigre de Cristal, doté de plus de
600 machines de jeux et de plus de 60 tables de
casinos, vient de célébrer son ouverture dans la
zone de jeux Primorsky Krai, près de Vladivostok.
La marque Gauselmann Merkur Gaming est fière
qu'une gamme de ses machines à sous Avant-
garde soit présente dans le casino.
Les opérateurs de casino de Singapour ont
vu leurs recettes liées aux jeux baisser de 10 %
pour atteindre 4,8 milliards de dollars US. La
répression anti-austérité et la chute du dollar
singapourien par rapport aux autres monnaies
asiatiques sont toutes deux considérées comme
étant à l'origine de ce déclin.
GAN’s social casino partnership
with Borgata is another step in
expanding its Simulated Gaming
offering in the United States
new JerSeY ONLINE GAMING
gan deal for Simulated gaming at Borgata
Borgata’s Simulated Gaming offering will be
operated from an instance of the GameSTACK
Internet gaming system deployed on-property
in Atlantic City and is expected to go live across
web and mobile in the first half of 2016
integrated with the My Borgata Rewards loyalty
program, pending New Jersey approval.
Borgata been the market leader since online
gaming was introduced in New Jersey two years
ago, with a 31 per cent share of the state’s online
market so far this year. The majority of Borgata’s
customers live outside of the State of New
Jersey and cannot engage with Borgata’s
regulated real money Internet gaming website
while outside of the borders of New Jersey.
Simulated Gaming will permit patrons in
neighboring states to play online with Borgata
for free, as an alternative to Social Casinos.
Borgata patrons will have the opportunity to
instantly receive reward points in the My
Borgata Rewards program by purchasing credits
for extended online play. GAN’s US-patented
iBridge Framework will link the GameSTACK
Internet gaming system to Borgata’s land-based
casino management system.
Tom Ballance, President and COO of Borgata
Casino Hotel & Spa commented: “GAN’s
experience and capability will enable the
integration of our My Borgata Rewards with
GAN’s product enabling Borgata to offer a much
more compelling and attractive social gaming
product than the competition.
“The power of the Borgata brand has allowed us
to establish ourselves as the leading online
gaming operator in New Jersey, and we are
equally optimistic that Borgata will enjoy
similar success with our social gaming product,”
said Mr. Ballance.”
costa Rica
Croc’s Casino opens with TCSJohnHuxley
connecticut
Interblockhaspartneredwith
FoxwoodsResort Casino,to
installamix of 74 ETGsacross
fourcasinosonproperty,as
part of adealto bring
innovationsto thecasinofloor
throughout itsterm.Foxwoods
ResortCasino Presidentand
CEO,Felix Rappaportsaid:“At
Foxwoods,weaimtoprovidea
versatileplayerexperiencefor
ourcustomers.Theluxuryand
playerexperienceprovidedby
Interblock’sElectronicTable
Games unitswillbeafantastic
additionto ourcasinofloor.”
Interblockcurrentlyhasone
Organic Rouletteunitwith
eight stationsinstalledat
FoxwoodsResort Casino.The
incoming installationswill
includeafullmix of its
product portfolioincluding
bothDiamond andOrganic
versions of theirroulette,
craps,blackjackandbaccarat
games,offering awiderange
of luxuryelectronic table
gamingsolutionstoitsplayers.
GAN has signed an agreement with Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City,
New Jersey for the launch of Borgata’s Simulated Gaming online experience.
Borgata opened in 2003 and is a joint venture between Boyd Gaming Corporation
and MGM Resorts International, two of the largest casino operating groups in the
United States
Costa Rica’s newest 5-star luxury resort, Croc’s Resort & Casino, has
received the latest gaming equipment from TCSJohnHuxley. Located on the
country’s Pacific Coast, in the charming town of Jaco, the new facility
opened its doors a few months ago.
TCSJohnHuxley ’s turnkey install included two Blaze Roulette tables with
e-FX displays, Saturn Roulette Wheels and Chipper Champ 2’s; sixteen
Blackjack-style tables; one Midi Baccarat table; one Craps table and a Big
Six Money wheel and table. In addition, four custom Pit Podiums featuring
built-in T.V. monitors complimented each gaming pit.
Also supplied by TCSJohnHuxley were all of the custom gaming chairs,
which were manufactured by the prestigious Italian-based chair
manufacturer, Royal Stool.
Rory Hascall, President and COO of Croc’s commented, “Once again,
TCSJohnHuxley delivered the finest quality products for our stunning
gaming floor. Everything was built as specified and on time. We especially
enjoyed the superior service and attention to detail received by Brad
Broderick and the team in Las Vegas.”
NORth amERica