casino life march 2016
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www.casinolifemagazine.comTRANSCRIPT
March 2016
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Glyn ThomasEditor in Chief
Editorial:
Editor in Chief: Glyn Thomas
Mob: +38 976 007 [email protected]
Features Editor:
Damien Connelly
Associate Editor Asia: Bill Healey
Associate Editor North America
David Mckee
Special Assignment
Correspondent:
Jack Bulavsky
International Casino & Gaming
Correspondent:
JJ Woods
Technology Correspondent:
Rebecca Green
Production:
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Publisher: Peter White
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Welcome to Casino Life...ICE is a lifetime away already but the ripples still, well ripple out as we catch up with some of the key aspects of the show but rather than churn out the post-show PR as the latest news we’ve got our handy “Spotlight” section to focus on what caught our eye. Meanwhile, we’re back on the road with contemporary interviews with operators.
We lead with Olympic Entertainment Group which has leapt forward this year with a prestigious new casino resort on Malta and a planned Flagship casino opening in Tallinn planned for the summer. We’ll be there to give you our impressions, but in the meantime interview CEO Madis Jaager on both projects.
Next up is an interview by Peter White with Mark Jones Managing Director at Grosvenor casinos who is buoyant after strong figures in both the provinces and London. Already he and his colleagues want to talk to machine manufacturers about the needs of future gamers – read more on page 9.
Stateside David McKee caught up with Blake Sartini CEO at Golden Entertainment to chat about how the company had grown and its future plans. Read it and I hope you too will be struck by the humble approach to the business by a man who started as a dealer and ended up at the head of a small empire that is still growing.
Rebecca Green, Our tech correspondent, talks to Leroy Daniel at MCE about Studio City and Dallmeier’s surveillance system which is not only extensive, cutting edge and partially custom-made, but satisfies the clients requirements exactly. I popped in to Studio City last October and can only imagine the amount of cameras needed due to the architectural design creating curves and niches. Embedding the whole surveillance system into the business operation itself and balancing form and function was a challenge well met.
Mark Wayman continues his series of insights into recruitment with sound advice about making counter-offers (don’t do it), whilst Victor H Royer continues to give me palpitations with his no-holds-barred-pull-no-punches approach to how he sees Las Vegas being torn apart by corporate stupidity. Bob Ambrose meanwhile grasps the thorny subject of Responsible Gambling and outlines how Problem Gaming Month in Pennsylvania could be an approach others could follow.
Finally, ICE is over but Jo Mayer is here for a recap on what you missed if you didn’t attend what can safely be called “The best Gambling show on the planet”. Plans to develop the Miami show and offer South America such experience as we witnessed in London are all cause for celebration.
Editor’s page
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Editorial Policy: The views and opinions expressed in Casino Life remain principally the views of contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or publishers.
The publishers wish to avoid inaccuracies and, whilst every precaution has been taken to ensure that information contained in this publication is accurate, no liability is accepted by the editor or publishers for errors or omissions, however caused.
Unless otherwise stated, articles appearing in this publication remain the copyright of the publishers and may not be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written consent.
Printed in the UK by MPC Ltd.
Contents1 Editors Page
3 Guest Comment Harald Neumann CEO Novomatic
Group
4 Magic in Malta Glyn Thomas chats to Madis Jääger
CEO Olympic Entertainment Group about the company’s expansion
9 Premier Performance Mark Jones Managing Director
Grosvenor Casinos chats to Peter White
15 Golden Entertainment David McKee chats to Blake Sartini
CEO Golden Entertainment
21 Swift and Sure Leroy Daniel Executive Director MCE
Surveillance Operations chats to Casino Life’s Technology Correspondent Rebecca Green
24 For a Few Dollars More Mark Wayman gives the lowdown on
recruitment counter-offers
27 The Death of Las Vegas How Corporate stupidity and ignorance
is killing the great City of Neon by Victor H. Royer
29 Encouraging a Conversation about Responsible Gaming…
By Bob Ambrose
30 Smashing ICE! Andrew Behan interviews Jo Mayer,
Marketing Director ICE Totally Gaming 33 ICE Totally Gaming 2016 Spotlight
Review By Rebecca Green
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Guest Comment:Harald NeumannNOVOMATIC’s CEO praises ICE and looks forward to growth in 2016
Another hugely successful ICE Totally Gaming has wrapped
up and we are moving ahead in 2016 with a clear roadmap that outlines new product innovation and strategic acquisitions to continually set NOVOMATIC apart as a global gaming leader. ICE has grown to become the world’s largest gaming exhibition and as such we remain committed to producing the largest exhibition stand ever seen in the industry.
4,500 square metres of exhibition space this year allowed us not only to display our strength as Europe’s largest gaming technology supplier, but also provided the space to present 22 international subsidiaries and to illustrate our sustained global expansion. Through targeted acquisitions and by allowing each subsidiary to remain autonomous with their identities intact, we have been able to incorporate best-in-class content and talent into the NOVOMATIC Group.
At the same time we ensure each of our global subsidiaries can adapt to shifts in the marketplace and deliver innovative products that appeal to the next generation of players. We have successfully
combined some of the best innovations and market knowledge to create a truly omni-channel organisation that empowers operators to provide a seamless gaming experience across all segments of land-based, online, mobile and social channels.
Several acquisitions have already been made with more being undertaken, giving us access to new technology, content and know-how that will help expand our presence in the worldwide gaming market. We recently announced our intention to acquire 53% of Ainsworth Game Technology, one of the industry-leading designers of gaming equipment and
software, in order to develop our line of products available to international markets as well as extend our geographical reach in Australasia and the US.
This continued growth and pooling of resources enables new synergies to emerge that spark industry-leading innovation, enhancing the player experience at all points of consumption. Most importantly, we work together with our customers to enable them to offer their clients NOVOMATIC content on any device.
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Harald Neumann CEO Novomatic Group
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Madis Jääger CEO Olympic Entertainment Group
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Magic in Malta
Glyn Thomas chats to Madis Jääger CEO Olympic Entertainment Group about the company’s expansion
Madis, February saw the opening of your new casino on Malta – did everything go to plan?Our aim was to open the new casino by the end of last year and we did have a soft opening already in December. Now in February we had the official casino opening and it was huge with close to 1,500 visitors during the first night. So yes, even though the active tourism season has not started in Malta, our launch has been really successful and things are looking very promising.
Can you tell us more about the Malta development?Well, the new Casino Malta has been set up in partnership with the leading Maltese tourism and entertainment company Eden Leisure Group and we will be managing the casino on the basis of an operating contract. We’ve invested up to 7 million Euros in the new venture that will comprise nearly 3,000 square metres, has more than 285 slot machines and nearly 30 casino and tournament poker tables in addition to a sports betting area – being the largest casino we have operated.
We had been looking for a good chance to expand to a popular holiday destination and this is a huge step toward carrying out our expansion plans with the benefit of a strong cooperation partner. We have great faith in Eden Leisure Group who is investing more than 30 million Euros to create two more floors of luxury “6 star” suites, a Holiday Inn Express hotel with 100 rooms and a conference centre of 3,600 square metres. As a result of the
ambitious extension plan the accommodation complex will have 652 rooms in all. I really believe that the hotels with their dining and conference facilities will provide a great synergy with the casino for everyone visiting and organising events in Malta.
So why Malta?Malta is a member of the European Union, it has nearly 450,000 inhabitants but more importantly over 1.6 million tourists visiting annually. The country has a stable casino market with an annual volume of about 44 to 45 million Euros. So far, the market has been divided between three casinos, but I am convinced that we will be able to provide stiff competition to them. I also think that with the growth of high-quality supply the market will grow as well.
Are any other casinos for holiday destinations planned for the future or is that information under wraps?As a publicly listed company we cannot talk about our plans in detail but as you probably know we are always on the lookout for good expansion possibilities. Although Malta is our first resort market as such, several other casinos also benefit from heavy tourist traffic. Tallinn, for example, with its remarkable medieval Old Town is also a busy holiday destination, especially popular among tourists from Finland and Sweden. Therefore, our local flagship casinos have always been located in hotels as well.
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As if that were not enough this Summer you will also be opening your Flagship Casino in Tallinn. Can you tell us more?Sure. The new Olympic Park Casino will be opened in the centre of Estonia’s capital Tallinn together with the Baltic’s first Hilton in a few months – we are busy working hard to get it complete. The casino will be 1,600 square metres and 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 an OlyBet sports bar offering a comfortable sports betting experience.
I understand you are pleased to have Heikki Rinta-Panttila on board as the GM. We’ve interviewed him in the past and he has a wealth of gaming experience.Yes, Heikki was former GM of Finland’s state-owned Casino Helsinki and also worked at a senior level in Casino RAY so we are very pleased to have him on board for the new venture. 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. 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.
We have talked in the past about your online and sports bar brand OlyBet – how is that progressing?The progress of OlyBet has been great. Recently, we had a strong entrance to the Lithuanian market and also became the general sponsors of the top Euroleague basketball club BC Žalgiris. Basketball is huge is Lithuania and supporting the most successful club of the country will help bringing technologically advanced sports betting closer to all Lithuanian sports fans. We see great synergy between our land-based and online operations, not just with sports betting but also with poker. Connecting our online and land-based opportunities we just had a record-breaking international poker festival called OlyBet Kings of Tallinn with 27 tournaments scheduled and hundreds of world-class poker players travelling to Estonia for a whole week worth of great poker action. As with the opening of bigger premises in Olympic Park Casino in Hilton Tallinn Park I am convinced that integrated casino and hotel will bring even more poker enthusiasts in Estonia next year making Olybet Kings of Tallinn the most prominent and biggest poker
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event in the Baltics and Scandinavia.
You attended the recent Game ON event in Ukraine as a speaker and expressed interest in expanding there if the conditions were right. Has anything changed with that regard?That’s absolutely right. We have previous experience from Ukraine where Olympic quickly became a symbol of quality and a role model in the market. If Ukraine decides to take very clear steps to adjust their legislation creating a proper gaming regulation and opening the market for high-quality casino entertainment then we would be indeed interested in returning to the market.
We had the chance to chat at ICE with you and your senior management team who looked remarkably relaxed after a hectic few days at the show. How do you keep your team working together - how do you bring out the best in them and in their staff?As a service enterprise, people are our most valuable resource so we put a great effort into making them happy and working together. Our main strength is our goal-oriented approach. Everyone at the management team knows what we want to achieve together and how we want to do it, also clearly knowing their role and responsibilities in the
OEG – The factsWith more than 3,000 employees, Olympic Entertainment Group is the largest provider of casino entertainment in its region. OEG is a full member of the European Casino Association (ECA). Today, the Group operates casinos in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Italy and Malta. OEG shares are traded on the main list of Tallinn Stock Exchange and Warsaw Stock Exchange. All casino operators of Olympic Entertainment Group are responsible enterprises that notify their clients of the dangers associated with gambling.
process. Most of our senior management team has been with the company for many years and they are highly experienced and confident doing what they do. As we never rest, we always have new interesting ventures to work on and being part of something new and exciting all the time keeps the team together and well motivated.
Many years ago I remember being introduced to your SMILES programme and was impressed with how it lead to greater staff and customer interaction. Is the scheme still going strong?Yes, of course. The SMILES programme is still the very foundation of our service. Keeping the staff motivated to make each and every customer enjoy their stay has been behind our success in all Olympic Casinos.
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Premier PerformanceMark Jones Managing Director of Grosvenor Casinos
chats to Peter White
How did you find the transition from Mecca to Grosvenor Casinos and how would you describe your first 18 months in the role?I’ve been fortunate in the fact that I’ve now been with Rank for coming up to seven years. Before moving across to Grosvenor Casinos I’d been sitting on the executive side of the business with my then colleague, Phil Urban, who was running the Grosvenor brand. So, I’ve always been close to Grosvenor and its strategy and have been able
to admire the great work that’s been going on. I already knew the senior management team so I was very lucky from that point of view and as a result, it was a very smooth and straightforward transition for me into the Grosvenor business.
Grosvenor Casino Luton is one of your best performing Casinos in the UK, is that why you chose that casino to reopen in October with the newest Casino games and state of the art displays
L-R_Mark Jones Managing Director Grosvenor Casinos, Cherry Tatlow Rank Cares Manager, Sarah Walsh Senior Fundraising Manager Carers Trust
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and equipment?It was an unusual situation where we bid and won a new licence on the site of an existing casino. With the refurbishment costing over £4 million, it was our largest ever single investment into a site that wasn’t a new build. We increased the square footage by around a third, installed 80 slot machines and added new poker rooms into the casino, so it has been a very big investment for Grosvenor Casinos. It’s still early days but it has always been a town that has performed well for us over the years and we are very encouraged by the results so far.
Have there been many changes in the table game mix as well as EGM’s in other Grosvenor Casinos?We continue to develop our table games and our table gaming team have done some first class work coming up with new side bets such as Ace King Suited, our blackjack side bet, which has been hugely popular with customers since its launch. We continue to really drive product innovation across our offering whether it be slots, poker or the classic casino games and I’ve been very pleased with the progress we’ve made.
What is Grosvenor’s approach with Sports Betting provisions in Casinos?We’ve been trialling sports betting at a few of our
sites for a number of months now. However, as you require a separate licence from a regulatory point of view it can be quite complex. We think the future of sports betting is in the development of our digital platform but we see sports betting in casinos as a smaller part of our mix going forward.
How is the performance of the regional Casinos compared to those in London? We’ve just published our half year results and as always have split the numbers by London and by the provinces. We were delighted that the provinces saw an increase in revenue and profit and believe this is off the back of big investments we’ve been putting into the provincial business. London is still our power house, but we are delighted with the growth of our regional casinos.
What, in your opinion are some of the key attributes and characteristics that differentiate Grosvenor Casinos from other brands in the UK?I think it’s a fiercely competitive and innovative market and we’re very respectful of our competitors. We have worked hard over the years to get a competitive advantage and believe there are a few things in particular that make us stand out. Firstly, we have built trust. We’ve been around for over 45 years and building a brand where one
11
of its key attributes is trust is very important in the casino market.
The second area I believe we have an advantage in is our people. We’ve been very focused on developing our team from within, so many have grown with the brand and share vast experience and know our customers, products and games very well.
Lastly and most recently, we took a decision to spend a lot more developing our core estate. We spent a number of years opening new sites however, now we can go back and invest in growing and improving existing sites, making sure that we have great facilities for our customers. That has helped us in many of our locations where we now have leading positions as a result.
With the parent company Rank Group’s financial results for 2014/2015 showing a strong growth of profits of 16 percent, how is 2015/2016 shaping up for Grosvenor Casinos?Our half year results are now out and Rank has had a solid half year, as has Grosvenor. The figures show Grosvenor revenue is up 7% and profit is up 7%, across both retail and digital, and we believe this is a solid performance in this market place.
What has been Grosvenor Casinos approach
by the head office to the Operations in the UK, Centralisation often characterised as the one size fits all or local with each operation incorporating their own individuality that’s often founded on the clubs locality and the community it serves?We take a combination of both a branded and pragmatic approach here. So, for example, our G formats are the newer casinos. We don’t brand them this way; this is just an internal format. Common operating platforms in these G casinos include bigger bars, bigger restaurants, as well as bigger gaming areas and they tend to be targeted differently as they enjoy more leisure customers, as opposed to straightforward casino visitors.
Some towns where we don’t have a G format are much more reliant on income from slot machines and don’t have full facilities so might not have big restaurant and bar areas so we have to be realistic in these towns. Over time we are trying to build bigger and better assets with broader facilities and certainly when we refurbish casinos we seek to add bigger bars, restaurants and poker areas. We can’t necessarily deliver that in every area but that is something we are looking to develop as a business.
What initiatives do you think can be put in place from a UK perspective to engage with millennials?This is something we’ve been thinking about. We
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have had discussions with machine manufacturers about how games will develop to fit the needs of this audience, for example, they may want more skill-based games in their slot machines.
We also need to drive our online offering. Our online presence is pretty small but growing at the moment and we are currently just under 3% crossover with our retail and online customer database. We want to drive this as we think this is where millennials are heading, wanting to play a casino game of their choice at a time of their choosing and you need to have a strong online presence to do that.
In an announcement in January that GrosvenorPoker.com was to become part of the Microgaming Poker Network (MPN), how is that relationship performing?Well the partnership has only just started so it’s still early days but we already have a really strong presence in retail poker. In particular, we have the biggest poker club in the UK on the Edgware Road near to our Victoria Casino. Poker is at the heart of what we do but our online poker presence isn’t where we want it to be quite yet and we have found a new partner to help us develop this so watch this space.
Value for money is an important factor in customer retention whether it’s buying a drink or having something to eat. How do Grosvenor Casinos prices compare for food and beverage with alternatives?I think we have a competitive food and beverage offering. Our food and beverage income is separate to our gambling income and we do see it as an area we can grow. At the half year results, we had 7% growth in our food and drink income which we think is above the market, as well as above the restaurant and bar market, so we are very pleased with that.
We have put additional resource in this area, with a particular focus on strengthening our menu and drink range. This has included adding more premium offers, as we previously felt it was too mainstream. We have also added an informal dining menu which includes several sharing options which are perfect for group nights out or experiences. We have also put a lot of effort into creating experience packages for customers and have done some good work with boxing and recently the Superbowl. We created a dine, drink and play offer so we continue to see food and beverage as a key income stream to grow as we broaden and diversify the casinos.
What initiatives does Grosvenor take to ensure that the high standards are maintained for both
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the quality and variety of food provided to patrons of Grosvenor Casinos?We have a defined structure within the clubs around F&B managers, and quality of food is at the core of our training. In addition to that, we have a central food and beverage team working on a regional basis that spends a lot of time ensuring we deliver the highest quality food. We also follow things such as TripAdvisor comments very closely to ensure we are constantly improving. It’s one of the areas of the business we really keep on top of which is why we are gaining a reputation for consistently high quality food and drink.
How is the fund raising going for the Carers Trust Charity, and can you provide details on some of the various fund raising events in place over the course of the year?We’re delighted with the progress we have made with Carers Trust. We’ve just celebrated reaching a £1 million milestone as a result of the Rank Group’s fundraising efforts over the last two years. We have seen a number of different activities take place across the business, from an employee who dyed their hair pink to an executive at Mecca who is running a marathon. Everything you can think of, we have done, including a manager having spent 6 hours in a bath of beans!
What has delighted me more than the way our team has got behind the cause is the way our customers have got behind it as well. They understand what we are trying to achieve with Rank Cares and it is one of those charities that the closer you get to it, the more you realise how remarkable the work is that they do so it has been a great relationship.
Are there plans for Rank Group to expand into mainland Europe?As you know we have got two casinos in Belgium. We also have a very successful business in Spain and Rank is always on the lookout for other European opportunities.
What are amongst the main accomplishments of the organisation in 2015 and are among the organisations principal goals for 2016?For 2015 the standout for us was winning, building and opening the Luton casino which was a huge positive for us. In 2016 the big focus is the launch of our new online platform and driving our multi-channel strategy. The business has put a huge investment into that area and the new online platform will help drive our digital business going forward.
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Golden Entertainment
David McKee chats to Blake Sartini CEO Golden Entertainment
Golden Entertainment is thinking big these days and if you didn’t know
by its actions, the lobby of its corporate headquarters might provide a clue. It’s a three-story atrium, decorated with hunting trophies, and filled with sofas and coffee tables. Amid such grandeur, the lone receptionist seems dwarfed into insignificance. Outside, a few steps away, stands one of the company’s upmarket Sierra Gold taverns. Golden’s success is built in large part on its various tavern brands, 49 of which undergird the company’s prosperity with a mix of food, drink and video poker. Golden Entertainment also prospers from its distributed gaming or “slot route” division – locations in restaurants, stores and gas stations that host as many as 15 slot machines.
Golden is the creation and success story of CEO Blake Sartini, 57. In 2001, he gave up a sure thing as chief operating officer of Station Casinos to break out on his own as a slot-route operator, Golden Route Operations (formerly Southwest Gaming Services). Taverns came the next year, when he acquired the 23-outlet PT’s chain from businessmen Phil and Tom Boeckle and put his own stamp on the brand. He’s since added the Sierra Gold and Sean Patrick’s brands, and opened the company’s first microbrewery, PT’s Brewing Co. Brewmaster Dave Otto has been commissioned to craft six house brews, as well as to import his seasonal saison from Belgium. The restaurant will vary its standard menu with farm-to-table specials.
Farther afield, Sartini closed a $341 million merger with Lakes Entertainment last August. That brought
it Rocky Gap Casino Resort, a 600-slot, 17-table-game casino in western Maryland whose amenities include a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. For an additional $20 million, Sartini picked up three distributed gaming operators in Montana, bringing another 1,200 one-armed bandits into the Golden fold. The transaction was financed with a mix of Golden stock (ticker symbol: GDEN), cash on hand and lines of credit.
For someone whose fortunes are on a roll, Blake Sartini is of a very modest demeanor, as befits a man who put himself through college by recycling mobile-home tires and axles, and who worked his way to the top of the casino business after starting as a dealer. He answers questions in a simple, direct manner and his boardroom is remarkably devoid of testimonials to his company’s success. Only two antique slot machines flanking the door offer any clue to the kind of business transacted within.
We began our conversation by harkening back to Sartini’s very humble beginnings in the casino business, a long way from the CEO’s office.
What was your break-in joint?I broke in at the El Cortez Casino in downtown Las Vegas as a 25-cent craps dealer. That’s where I started in the industry, in 1982, I think.
What did you learn working for the Gaughans, Jackie and Michael?I learned a significant lesson in the art of providing
Blake Sartini CEO Golden Entertainment
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value to gaming customers who are taking chances on games of chance. But the constant that Michael and his organization provided was always great value, whether it was in their gaming offerings or non-gaming offerings, and they put their customers first.
You rose from table games foreman at Palace Station to COO of Station Casinos in eight years. How did you achieve that? That’s quite impressive.The organization was growing rapidly and there was a significant need for management to step up, and that experience was very strong for me. It was two things: The growth provided significant opportunity and that opportunity was filled by very strong individuals, and I was fortunate to have a strong gaming background and filled a void in that gaming-specific area.
You’ve worked for two of the three great Las Vegas gaming families, the Gaughans and the Fertittas. What was the importance of Frank Fertitta Jr. to your career? I understand it was very great.Frank Fertitta Jr. was an immense influence not only on my professional career but on me personally. He was a man of great character. He was a terrific individual to work for and with. He influenced me in significant ways, personally and professionally, that have guided my career. I can’t say enough about the man, and not only about his oversight, his involvement and his vision of his business but what he did in the community: How he shared his success within the community in giving back was second to none. He was a very humble guy.
What was the genesis of Southwest Gaming Services, which eventually became Golden Route Operations?I had a high school friend who was working in the vending industry in Southern California, traditional vending – soft drinks, chips, candies and snacks. He came home to Las Vegas, worked in the same industry here and at one point said, “There’s an opportunity for us to get into this business.” I was a full-time, committed executive at Palace Station, and we decided to get into the business and purchase some equipment, rented a warehouse, and we started vending around town, leveraging relationships to put vending machines in local gaming facilities. That grew into our effort to build these taverns with machines. We called them Loose Caboose.
Southwest Services was being run as a subsidiary of Station Casinos, whereby we had gaming devices around town. I think at the time I purchased it [from Station], it was around 900 gaming devices and a few small taverns, and that business was competing for significant capital that we were using to build very large-scale, local casinos. So it was being run as a subsidiary but obviously was not a priority of the company, given that we were building world-class locals facilities in
various parts of the valley. Around 2000, 2001, I thought there was an opportunity to take that business and today it’s Golden Entertainment.
So now we’re up to 2002 and you’ve struck out on your own and are following up the slot routes with Golden Tavern Group. How do you differentiate its various brands?The brands are differentiated in a couple of different ways. Primarily, we operate four unrestricted locations with 35 devices. We put a PT’s under those to differentiate the fact that we call them small casinos. The PT’s Pubs consist of the original 19 or 20 taverns that I purchased and they are traditionally smaller, in line in strip malls or major retail centers, and then the PT’s Golds are those that I developed from the ground up, which were new designs, casually upscale and those tend to be freestanding, in higher-traffic areas, and the primary growth --- post the original pubs that we purchased – is in the Golds and the Sierra Golds, which is our upper-end, our flagship, our most casually upscale property. The idea was Golden Gaming was planned feeling that I had a golden opportunity in purchasing the original Southwest Services from Station.
Nevada requires gaming revenue to be incidental to taverns. How big a portion of Golden’s revenue stream is it?The Nevada regulatory section covering restricted gaming does not require [gaming revenue to be incidental], it’s one component of about eight, starting with a restricted operation must have a primary business. So that primary business is the catalyst to that waterfall of the six or seven other items that they take into account to determine whether it’s appropriate for 15 devices. Gaming revenue is one of those. Our franchise in our taverns, taking into account cash and comps on the retail side, overall, is roughly about 50/50. There are taverns that skew higher on the gaming side but the incidental [revenue] can happen as a consequence … in other words, if you have a primary business as a result of a great product, someone may come in to one of those devices and play a significant amount of money, and therefore skew for that day or month gaming revenue to retail revenue. But the primary business is what drove that person – a sporting event, a pool table, a bar host they have a relationship with – to that location.
If I were to walk into the most rudimentary PT’s, what would I see that differentiates it from a Dotty’s or a Jackpot Joanie’s slot parlor?The original PT’s, immediately you will see in most of our locations a large island bar. That is a standard, 42-inch-high bar with multiple seats and spots that have
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gaming devices in front of them and spots that don’t. In addition, you will see activity from pool tables, to shuffleboard to dart games. You will see 45- to 70-inch TVs and the primary difference is the bar is obvious in the way it sits within the space and, as a result that bar is the prime differentiator. In each of our locations, other than those that were grandfathered, we provide food and beverage out of a kitchen, prepared fresh. So there are pretty significant differences.
How have you adjusted to the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act?When it was first passed, there was no flexibility. There was no smoking in those tavern locations, period. Going forward, when we built new taverns, we would provide a non-smoking area to eat, and in the bars themselves, as long as [you] were 21 or older, you could smoke. As that law morphed and was revisited, smoking’s now allowed in our locations and, the way we operate, we are 21-and-older, period. So the law is clear that the exposure of minors to secondhand smoke is prohibited. We solved that by maintaining that you’re 21 or older when you walk in the door. So there’s no families, no children, no adolescents in our locations. We are an adult-orientated tavern facility.
When you bought PT’s in ‘02, how did you address the previous ownership’s reputation for poor paytables?We immediately did a couple of things. They were operating with devices that were not mainstream at that time, so we did immediately replace some of their devices with primarily newer, IGT devices. And those
devices had paytables that were common to players, that they would see in other parts of town. Secondly, we overlaid an awards program to our guests, a proprietary program, written specifically for our gaming business. It rewards people who participate in the gaming side of our offerings with rewards from additional play to retail.
You’re revamping your loyalty program again. Could you explain a bit more about what’s being done and why?In our casino group in Nye County, we are implementing a Konami integrated-gaming admin system, which will tie all three of our properties together. So we are introducing a one-card opportunity, which will allow us to leverage what we believe are the premium food-and-beverage outlets and entertainment. Guests earn value on that single card wherever they play. Right now, our rewards programs are separate and they don’t aggregate. So this investment in casinos will allow for a linked approach to player-rewards programs in Nye County, allowing a patron to use one card no matter where they go.
Gold Town is going to a smoke-free bingo room. We’ve seen a few of those in Southern Nevada now. Are we evolving towards a smoke-free casino floor or is that simply too unlikely?My view is, particularly in the state of Nevada, it remains to be unlikely. Nevada clearly understands the relationship between allowing people to participate in smoking, if that’s what they choose. There’s a high correlation and Nevada understands that. If you look at
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other markets where [smoking bans] have gone, I don’t have the specific information but immediately post these types of initiatives the revenues have significantly decreased. People know what they’re doing when they walk through the door of a casino, much like when they walk through my taverns: We allow smoking and in our places we try to contain it around the bar but they can actually smoke anywhere. People understand what happens within those casinos and it’s unlikely that we’ll see non-smoking.
How many taverns, slot routes and aggregate slot machines does Golden have at this point?Don’t hold me to this exact number because we just added about 1,200 in Montana, but I can show you a page that puts us above a lot of the companies you’re probably familiar with. I think our aggregate device count is around 10,000 or 11,000. If you back the three casino floors out, it’s 8,000 or 9,000 devices. So we are, as far as I know, the largest operator of gaming devices that exist outside of casinos at this point in the country. By the first half of this year, give or take around June, we will have 54 or 55 taverns under our wholly owned brands. We are adding six. We just opened a new brewery concept and we will roll out five more over the first half of this year.
What was the attraction of Rocky Gap Casino and what are your plans for it?As a part of the merger that we consummated in August, I felt that the Rocky Gap facility fit very nicely within the current casino portfolio. It is within three
hours’ drive of 10 million people. It is extremely unique, given its location within a national park and on a lake. We are very bullish on the future of that property. We are working on a master plan there now that, over the course of time, will include an additional 200 hotel rooms, additional food and beverage facilities, additional slot machines and some entertainment venues. We are very excited about the future of that property, given its location. We haven’t put a magnitude to that [new investment] yet. We are in the process of remodeling hotels. That number is anywhere from $2 million to $4 million for 200 rooms. We’ve just added 150 parking spaces, which was $1.2 million.
But this isn’t your first casino in a drive-in market. You used to have some in Colorado, didn’t you?We had three casinos in Black Hawk, Colorado. It was a commute from Denver and the surrounding areas, and we did very well with those properties, divesting them in March of 2012, when we acquired the Nevada assets through the Affinity Gaming transaction.
How concerned are you about MGM National Harbor cutting into Rocky Gap’s business?Any time a facility of that size opens, you’re aware. However, if you look at the Horseshoe property that opened in downtown Baltimore while Rocky Gap was operating, we saw zero [impact] in that. We’re anticipating, given the insular location of Rocky Gap, which is about an hour and a half or so from Baltimore and about two or two-and-a-half hours from Pittsburgh, we’re not anticipating an impact to our operations.
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What was the attraction of the Montana market?Montana was a natural for us for a couple of reasons. We have an affiliation up there in that one of my sons graduated from the University of Montana, which is located in Missoula, and over the course of the years that he was in school we spent some time up there and became aware of the burgeoning gaming business that was growing up there. As we looked for opportunities, particularly post the [Lakes] merger, to grow and create value. Montana has, give or take, 16,500 restricted gaming devices, in comparison to Nevada, which has about 18,500. So it’s a significant footprint of gaming devices up there and the state is clearly very spread out and in large part rural. We felt it was a natural to leverage our current operations, particularly out of northern Nevada where we operate a significant route, to springboard into that market. It was the combination of a couple of things: our analysis of the market over the last couple of years and opportunity. So we’re very excited about establishing our footprint up there.
In 2013, you were licensed for interactive gaming. What are your plans in that sector?We have no immediate plans. At that time, the online-poker effort was underway, both locally and nationally. And we spent a lot of time investigating various ways that our company could participate and were actively pursuing ideas on how to get involved. Over the last couple of years, online poker – which is where we were focused – has not gained the momentum we or anyone else thought. So at this point, whether it’s real-money
online gaming to social gaming, which is becoming a pretty big phenomenon, we’re simply evaluating those particular opportunities.
What’s your theory for the underperformance of online poker?I don’t really have a specific answer to that. There was a large population of play prior to Black Friday, when the offshore businesses were essentially shut down, and I’m not sure it ever got restarted. I’m not going to call it dead at the moment but it just doesn’t seem to have gotten a resurgence and I don’t know why.
Generically speaking, what’s the next logical step in growing the company?We are very uniquely positioned, primarily as a public company with access to capital, to grow in taverns, distributed or route gaming, or traditional casino gaming, which is where my DNA originated. So we have tangible opportunities to grow, as illustrated by the Montana acquisition, in routes, and tangible opportunities as represented by the six taverns we’re opening this year. You will see us continue to take advantage of opportunities in those two areas. I also think, over time, that we will be in additional, traditional casino operations and I see some opportunity from these regional facilities to be involved, and we are actively looking at those, but I would say they’re not as tangible as the ones that we’re acting on in the routes and taverns today. But you will see us involved in casinos as well in the future.
Swift and SureLeroy Daniel Executive Director MCE Surveillance Operations
chats to Casino Life’s Technology Correspondent Rebecca Green
Glamour, excitement, fun: With Studio City, Melco Crown Entertainment has set a new milestone in Macau. Even the video equipment has to be described in superlatives: Dallmeier has installed
the largest full HD casino video system in the world, involving several thousand IP cameras.
Studio City is a mega-entertainment resort, unparalleled anywhere in the world. The all-pervading theme of the resort is film and cinema. The Hollywood-inspired resort offers excitement of every conceivable kind – not just in the glamorous casino with its countless gaming tables and staggering jackpots, but also in the many other cinema-themed attractions. If you are looking for thrills, you will certainly find them in “The House of Magic”, where world-famous magicians will defy your senses, or the action-packed “Batman Dark Flight”, a 4D simulation ride. An opulent hotel with 1,600 guest rooms, an international collection of exquisite restaurants and a New York and Hollywood
themed shopping street with world-famous designer labels offer something for everyone. The resort even has the highest figure-8 Ferris wheel on the planet.
And the video system is unique as well: The entire video security system is based on IP technology and delivers outstanding full HD image quality throughout. Besides other casinos in the Melco Crown Entertainment Group – City of Dreams Macau, City of Dreams Manila and Altira Macau – Studio City now joins the long list of Dallmeier’s customers.
We spoke with Leroy Daniel, Executive Director MCE Surveillance Operations, about the challenges and unique features of this video security system.
Leroy, what are the special features of the video security system in Studio City? The video surveillance system supplied by Dallmeier is the world’s first 100% end-to-end IP full HD system of this size, scale and complexity within the casino industry.
Studio City – Aerial view
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What were the main reasons for choosing Dallmeier?Dallmeier was the partner of our choice for numerous reasons, first and foremost the casino industry is by nature the most demanding surveillance system application in the world today. From airports, prisons, shopping centres, universities, military facilities, city surveillance, etc., nowhere has the concentration of cameras per square metre than what you will find in a casino property as well as the real-time demands by individual users. Very few systems can seamlessly meet such high level of demand in all aspects, let alone also as a full IP system. Dallmeier is the best of them!
The outstanding image quality of the Dallmeier cameras also influenced our decision. The full HD PTZ and fixed cameras perform with an extraordinary resolution and excellent zoom functionality. In casino surveillance, definition of details is absolutely critical and can make the difference in a case or incident!
Another reason was the ability to adjust camera settings via global configuration down-the-line, which means less time on ladders and less disruption to our business.
Dallmeier technology stands for a proven resilient system with the highest level track record of performance and availability. And not to forget the ability to customize high and low level interfaces directly to all our business revenue streams and associated systems.
What exactly is monitored with the Dallmeier video system?Via the system, we monitor every aspect of the entire Studio City integrated resort: gaming areas, retail boulevards, hotel towers, entertainment venues, Heart-of-House, cash areas and vaults, points-of-sale, car parks, high security areas, external perimeter and all public areas.
More than 6,000 full HD network cameras are recorded on reliable video appliances. Furthermore, standby and failover servers ensure highest availability of all data.
What was the biggest challenge in this project? The biggest challenge for us was the design complexity of the property, both in terms of the master plan but also ceiling design and fixtures. The challenges come
when other ceiling infrastructure such as lighting elements, fire systems, ventilation, design features, public announcement and sound system all end up in the same place where you need to place cameras.
Designers tend to focus priority on Form over Function, whereas operations people lean towards Function over Form. There is, however, a balance of function and form that can be achieved via close collaboration with architects and designers whereby the Dallmeier IP cameras (running off CAT-6 cabling and low heat emitting) can be aesthetically integrated into or within ceiling design fixtures or chandeliers…this we have achieved quite successfully.
Dallmeier has also developed a special camera for you…That’s correct. Pit-View – a small HD 1080P camera which we specifically requested Dallmeier to produce in order to meet our needs. It has been successfully
integrated into all our gaming table scoreboards, finally bringing surveillance cameras out of the ceiling and down to patron level providing superior views of the gaming action much to the satisfaction of internal stakeholders, not to mention also the Gaming Regulator and Law Enforcement for irrefutable evidence of occurrences and/or illegal acts.
What is the concept for your control room?Our Surveillance Operations Centre is designed with functionality and ergonomics in mind, with the understanding that we achieve results through the “eyes” of our surveillance operators. So providing them a work space that can deliver a high-performance results-orientated environment with the highest level of HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and intuitiveness was a key focus. The operator intuitiveness and user-friendliness of the video management, the Dallmeier SeMSy® system, also goes in line with this philosophy.
At the Surveillance Operations Centre, the on-shift management team are embedded in the heart of the operation with direct line of sight or peripheral on all monitoring stations. The managing support levels can flow and circulate around and behind consoles with ease, providing the necessary guidance, coaching and performance management.
Studio City Surveillance Operations Centre – Leroy Daniel (Executive Director, Melco Crown Surveillance Operations), Damian Phillips (Director of Surveillance, Studio City), Kevin Iek (Director of Surveillance Technology), Roberto Leong (Manager of Surveillance Systems)
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You have been talking about interfaces… What integrations have been realized and what is the added value for you?Some of the key integrations that make Dallmeier unique and enhance our ability to protect the business, is the customized development of high-level interfacing to our core systems around the property. Interfaces include gaming machines, intelligent gaming shoe, point-of-sale, security access control intruder detection system and RFID gaming chips.
This brings the convergence of video and data or events directly to our operators in real-time and book marked for click-&-play or available for post investigation, analysis, or export looking into trends and anomalies.
Additionally, direct interfaces to the security system allow immediate on-screen-display of cameras associated or nearby any alarmed event, enabling the effective timely detection, assessment and dispatch of response teams with situational awareness.
Leroy, are you satisfied with your choice?Dallmeier’s continual and ongoing Research & Development dedicated to the product is clearly seen in this holistic video solution. We are highly satisfied with the system and with both the regional and global unconditional Dallmeier technical support.
About DallmeierDallmeier has at its disposal more than 30 years of experience in transmission, recording as well as picture processing technology and is an outstanding pioneer of CCTV/IP solutions worldwide. This profound knowledge is used in the development of intelligent software and high quality recorder and camera technologies enabling Dallmeier to not only offer stand-alone systems, but complete network solutions up to large-scale projects with perfectly integrated components. Right from the beginning the company always focused on own innovative developments and highest quality and reliability. Dallmeier is the only manufacturer in Germany that develops and manufactures all components on its own. This includes the entire product range, from cameras to picture storage and transmission to intelligent video analysis and even individually adjusted management systems. Quality made by Dallmeier, made in Germany!
Over the years, Dallmeier has repeatedly given fresh impetus to the market with new developments and extraordinary innovations. The world’s first DVR for example, which introduced digital recording to the entire CCTV industry, came from Dallmeier. The multifocal sensor system Panomera® will have a similarly groundbreaking effect: This unique and novel camera technology will revolutionise the market and open up completely new possibilities to the video security industry. This and the extensive experience in the CCTV and IP field have led to a top position in the international market for digital video surveillance systems.
www.dallmeier.comwww.panomera.com
Studio City – Hero Statues & the Figure-8 Ferris Wheel
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For a FewDollars More
Mark Wayman gives the lowdown on recruitment counter-offers
My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, average placement
is $250,000; last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.
This article discusses the topic of offer and counter-offers from both the hiring manager and candidate perspectives. How do job offers work? Should I consider a counter-offer from my current employer? There are exceptions to every rule, however in general, after 11 years and 700+ high level placements, here are my insights.
Hiring Managers and Human Resources ExecutivesNEVER Make a Counter Offer – Always remember this, HAPPY EMPLOYEES DON’T QUIT. Mostly they leave for a better offer (title and/or money), and you can’t blame them for wanting to improve their position in life. In many cases, they may be unhappy working for your company…for whatever the reason. And unfortunately in some cases, they are trying to leverage you for a pay raise. Regardless, NEVER MAKE A COUNTER OFFER. Top performers don’t use quitting as a tactic to get a raise. One of my clients engaged me to replace a VP that gave notice. To my mind this VP was mediocre, so my thought was “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” I queued up three excellent replacement candidates. At the eleventh hour, the incumbent decided to stay (his
new job probably did not come through). Even more surprisingly, the President decided to keep him. As Julia Roberts says in Pretty Woman, “Big mistake. Big. Huge.” The company lost out on three great candidates, and you guessed it, the incumbent was gone six months later. All you did was give him time to find another job. Never, ever make a counter offer.
Don’t Short Sheet Candidates at Offer time – Always get consensus on the compensation package prior to interviewing a candidate. No need to waste your time on candidates that are out of range on salary, or with the ones that are unrealistic about compensation (and they are many!). On the other hand, if you agree on compensation up front, don’t lowball them at offer time. For example, if you agreed on $200,000, don’t make the job offer at $175,000. It paints your company in a bad light. If you have an agreement on compensation, honor your commitment.
Great Employees Don’t Get Fired – In many cases, companies ask me to perform a CONFIDENTIAL SEARCH because the incumbent is still on payroll and is not aware they are being terminated. And that makes sense. My only comment is that once you make the decision to terminate someone, follow through. One time a CEO communicated he was firing one of his “C” level folks. He asked me to provide candidates to backfill the role. Identified an excellent replacement, however at offer time the CEO decided to give the incumbent “one more chance.” Big mistake. Big. Huge. Once you decide to terminate an executive…get them gone.
Death by Due Diligence – This is a terrible hiring
ENTER INTO THEHEART GAMING !OF
Visit the new SUZOHAPP Europe website www.suzohapp.com/eu
THANKS FOR VISITING US!
We look forward to welcoming you at Enada Rimini, 16th-18th March, HALL C5 | STAND 115
ENTER INTO THEHEART GAMING !OF
Visit the new SUZOHAPP Europe website www.suzohapp.com/eu
THANKS FOR VISITING US!
We look forward to welcoming you at Enada Rimini, 16th-18th March, HALL C5 | STAND 115
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strategy. As of today, November 2015, we are in an ultra-competitive talent market. In other words it’s a sellers’ market. Sellers being the candidates. All the good executives are gainfully employed and not moving around. My philosophy is, “If it takes you three months to hire someone, you won’t be hiring anyone good. They will have three other jobs offers…and be long gone.” A two to four week interview window is all you are going to get. If it’s a technical role, you might only get a week to wrangle them. The job market is THAT hot. If you think it’s an honour and privilege to be you on your payroll, you are wrong. Treat candidates with professionalism and respect; move through the hiring process quickly.
CandidatesNEVER Accept a Counter Offer – If you don’t remember anything else from this article, remember this: COUNTER OFFERS ARE ALWAYS A BAD STRATEGY. You just let the boss know you are unhappy, and by accepting a counter offer gave him time to transition your job to someone new. I would say that is accurate 95% of the time. You will be gone in three to six months. And if you leveraged your boss/company for a pay raise, do you REALLY think they appreciate your arm twisting for a few more nickels? Never, ever take a counter offer.
All You Have in Life is Your Word and Reputation – A client recently emailed me that he invested significant time and effort interviewing a candidate, only to have the candidate accept an offer from another firm at the last minute. My best story in this regard is an SVP that had me rush him through the interview process, then told me he already had an offer from Microsoft. If I could beat it, he was in. Not only did I beat it, I blew the Microsoft offer away. The candidate used my offer to sweeten his Microsoft deal, and left me twisting in the wind. Here is my point. If you have multiple irons in the fire (interviewing with several companies), be honest and let the hiring companies know. They are investing time and money to interview you, so the least you can do is be honest and not pull the rug out from under them at the last minute. Here is another good story. Worked on a “C” level search and got the candidate an outstanding offer. More money than he ever made in his life. He declined, stating he had a sick relative. That was pretty odd - never mentioned it during the two months of interviewing. Come to find out he was interviewing for a “bigger” position down the street. Unfortunately for him, I was the Recruiter on that one. Wow, bummer, huh? He is now making half what I offered him, while living in San Francisco and paying 13.2% state income tax. All you have in this world is your work and your
reputation, be a person of integrity.Once you Accept an Offer, Honour Your Commitment
– Over the course of eleven years I have seen three executives accept offers, then renege on their commitment. For me, integrity is everything, and when someone goes back on their word, I won’t deal with them again in the future. There are too many great executives to deal with the ones that lack integrity. I had a VP, Casino Marketing executive that accepted an offer from one of my clients. On the first day of work he was a no show, no call. When I contacted him he stated, “Oh yeah, I got a better offer from the Las Vegas Sands, so I took it.” Kid you not. Honor your commitments.
Fighting Over Nickels – If you have decided this is the job for you, don’t fight over nickels. Take the offer! Placed a candidate years ago that fought with the hiring company for three weeks to get…$5,000. When he was terminated two years later, I declined to represent him. Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered.
The Answer is YES! – There are several HUGE errors in judgment I see at offer time. First, candidates that use the offer to leverage their current employer. They accept verbally, and then renege to take a counter offer. As discussed previously, worst career strategy ever. Second, candidates use the offer to leverage an offer from a second company, playing one off against another. Another bad strategy. There is a good chance you will get “middled” and end up unemployed. Don’t play games. If you are expecting multiple offers, bravo! But be sure each hiring company is aware. Pick the job that is right for you, but don’t expect one company to hang around while you see if a better offer is coming. Third, if you say anything other than “YES” to a job offer, you have declined the offer and it is no longer valid. Just like buying a house. No one is opposed to negotiation, however you don’t want to appear greedy. If you don’t say YES, the company can withdraw the offer at any time.
No Sour Grapes – Never cry sour grapes if you don’t get the job offer. There are many valid reasons that you got passed over, but here are the two most common ones. First, there may have been a dozen highly qualified executives being interviewed, and one of them was more qualified than you. Second, possibly it was not a culture/chemistry fit. This is actually pretty common. Could be you are highly qualified, but don’t interview well. Regardless of the reason, it does NOT make the hiring company a bad place to work, so don’t run around town badmouthing them. And it’s not the Recruiter’s fault, they got you the interview. Actually, it’s not anyone’s fault. If you don’t get the job offer, understand everything happens for a reason…and move on!
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The Death ofLas Vegas
How Corporate stupidity and ignorance is killing the great City of Neon by Victor H. Royer
MGM Resorts has built a Sports Arena on the Las Vegas Strip – but …. ummm, let’s see … it seems that the corporate dunderheads who run that company kinda forgot
something – seems they left out an important part of that plan. Now … what could that be?
Oh yeah – Parking!I can just see the thinking in the Board Room.Great plan there, Boss! So say the legions of brown-nosed executives as
they wallow at the feet of Jim Murren, licking his boots to a pristine shine.
And don’t worry about that parking thing! We’ll think of something.
But what?Oh, yeah … we got it! Let’s stick it to the Customers! Yes, that’s it! Let’s flood the parking garages with
people who DON’T gamble, so that all the people that DO gamble will now have to pay to park there – and so pay for the privilege of losing money in our casinos!
Perfect! That’s how we can squeeze more money from this
money-pit of a project – stick it to the guests! What do you say, Boss?
Jim Murren must have been drooling with excitement at that idea!
He has already invested yet more hundreds of millions of his investor’s money into building a PARK, in between New York New York and the Monte Carlo! A Park! With walkways, trees, statues, fountains, cafes, and whatnot.
Why?!So that people who come to Las Vegas – to
experience CASINOS – now have yet another place to go where they DON’T gamble?
I can just hear that discussion in the Board Room.
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Ummm, Boss … We have this idea, see, where we can waste another $500 million or so of our investors money by destroying and wasting a huge portion of our Real Estate holdings along the Las Vegas Strip – by building a Park there!
What’s even better, is that we won’t have ANY parking there! So, along with the Sports Arena, we will now have wasted nearly a Billion, while at the same time keeping as many players OUT of the casinos, and forcing them into the Arena and into the Park – and then … get this now, it’s a doozey! … we’ll make sure that they CAN’T PARK anywhere!
And when they get really angry over it, we’ll charge them $10 just to go into one of the parking garages we already have.
Yes, we know these were supposed to be for the CASINO players and guests – but heck, who cares about them, right? I mean, you want all the casinos out anyway, right? I mean, you’re an East Coast guy anyhow, and you’ve wanted to destroy everything and anything that was unique about Las Vegas anyhow, so why not, right?
And I can just see Jim Murren drooling with pride over his minions, and how well trained they are in all things that kill Las Vegas.
So what has all this actually achieved?
It cost MGM’s investors billions. Their stock is in the toilet, and dropping, the company has had to “restructure” by shifting itself into REIT’s, they have alienated their entire client base, caused a worldwide anger against themselves and their properties and plans, and – worst of all – have disrespected the founding visionaries of Las Vegas by this insanity and sheer stupidity.
Well, at least so it seems – unless, of course – as a journalistic conjecture – you realize that Jim Murren’s plan has been all of this all along. He’s been wanting to destroy Las Vegas, and his company, so that he can then move back East, and brown-nose it with his Banker and Hedge Fund buddies as they gloat over how well the plan worked: Short the stock, destroy the business, leverage the real estate, and then plunder it!
Hasn’t anyone seen the movie “The Big Short?”Hasn’t anyone learned anything from what is still
happening at Caesars Entertainment?Are the investors and the regulators so blind that
they just don’t see what’s happening in front of their eyes?
Well, I guess not. They seem to be just that – deaf, dumb, and blind.
To everything, and to all of it.Why can I say this?Well, all you have to do is listen to the latest
proposal by Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani. Her latest “brilliant” idea?
Turn the Las Vegas Strip into a pedestrian MALL!Seriously!I mean, really? Just how STUPID can you people
get?Not only because of the transportation logistics,
and the fact that there is no infrastructure in place to handle all that displaced traffic, but to yet again legislate to kill the thrill of cruising the Strip?
Already – thanks to Giunchigliani and her cronies – we have those idiotic trees lining the Strip, and blocking out what’s left of the Neon.
So much for the Neon Jungle, that once could be seen even from Space.
THAT’S what made Las Vegas famous, and a destination unlike any other.
So what do we have now?A Sports Arena, with no
parking.A Park with walkways,
statues, fountains, and cafes – and no parking.
The Las Vegas Strip lined with trees, and no real Neon. Just advertising signs for Drug
Stores.And now – yet another Shopping Mall in front
of the Wynn and Encore. Like Las Vegas needs yet another shopping mall!
And what about the casinos?Oh yeah! You mean that old thing – that, whatever
it was, that was once there, right? I mean, Las Vegas is now just another Convention Destination, right? I mean, it’s now the same as every other city, right? I mean, every city everywhere has Parks, Sports Arenas, tree-lined walkways, and Shopping Malls, right? So what’s different about Las Vegas?
Nothing. That’s what. Not now. Not any more.Didn’t Las Vegas used to be something? I mean,
something really nice, and unique?Whatever happened to that?Who killed Las Vegas?And why?
Victor H. Royer President of Gaming Services & Research
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Encouraging a Conversation about
Responsible Gaming…By Bob Ambrose
In my role as instructor and former VP of Casino Operations, I have
the “Responsible Gambling conversation” every semester with students. Last semester I asked Josh Ercole, to also have the conversation. He is Chief Operating Officer of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of PA, Inc. www.pacouncil.com Since March is the month, I thought we would have the chat.
What happens during Problem Gaming Month in Pennsylvania as well as other jurisdictions?“During this month, several events take place throughout Pennsylvania and the United States focusing on raising awareness of the issue, highlighting resources that are available for those folks and also their friends/family members, who are suffering from problem gambling related issues,” said Ercole.
Casino companies have done a remarkable job with programs to educate their employees on this issue and create awareness for the general public. Representatives like Josh Ercole and members of the national program work with the gaming companies to keep the conversation going.
Who do you work with in Pennsylvania? “My position allows me the unique opportunity to work with treatment providers throughout Pennsylvania, legislators, the gaming industry and the recovery community,” said Ercole.
Where is the Council’s (CCGP) stance regarding gambling and legislation for expansion of legalized gambling?“We take a neutral stance on whether gambling should or should not be legalized and/or expanded. We fully appreciate that
the majority of the population are able to engage in gambling activities responsibly. Our focus is on doing everything possible to make sure that services and resources are in place for those who are not able to control themselves,” said Ercole
Mr. Ercole said that his organization is fortunate in Pennsylvania to have wonderful partnerships with the existing casino industry, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania Lottery.
“We all work very closely to make sure that needs are met, and that services are in place for those seeking assistance. Our goal is to blanket the state with trained clinicians who can offer help, so that no matter where our Helpline Call Center receives a call from, they will be able to put that caller in touch with help that is nearby,” said Ercole.
The gaming industry recognizes the need for appropriate treatment and people like Josh Ercole continue to have the conversation. http://www.ncpgambling.org/programs-resources/.
Bob Ambrose, Instructor Gaming & Hospitality Center for Hospitality & Sport Management Drexel University
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Smashing
ICE!Andrew Behan interviews Jo Mayer,
Marketing Director ICE Totally Gaming
The feedback from exhibitors to the members of our Casino Life team in attendance at this year’s show was an overwhelmingly unanimous success with most adding that this has been there best ever ICE Totally Gaming Show!
One of the major differences of this year’s show from my own experience as an exhibitor was that all 3 days were very productive and that customers were still on booths as the show was closing at the end of each day. A new highly impressive record 28,400 plus visitors!
What were amongst ‘Team ICE Totally gaming’s’ primary Goals for this year’s Exhibition and Conference?First of all, many thanks for your kind comments, both as a valued member of our media corps but also in your capacity as an ICE exhibitor. It’s exactly this kind of insight which we value and take extremely seriously indeed. Of course attendance figures are important and as the person responsible for constructing and implementing the marketing and communications campaign for ICE, to a certain extent I am judged on whether the attendance is up, or down.
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Clearly we are in a much better place when the ICE story is told against the backdrop of an upturn in attendance and 2016 represented the 7th consecutive year of growth for what is now the world’s biggest gaming event. But and it’s an important proviso, the most important measure is the opinion of our stakeholders; if our exhibitors and our visitors have positive things to say about their experience at ICE then we have, to a large extent, achieved all of our strategic goals.
How do we gauge the response? Well, to a certain extent it’s anecdotal. Comments like yours are incredibly valuable and we spend a significant amount of time reading the business to business media and following the ICE commentary on social media. For each edition of ICE we undertake an extensive programme of customer research to provide a more scientific analysis of what went well and more importantly in what areas we need to raise our game. We also get something which many of your readers may use in their businesses and that’s a Net Promoter Score or NPS. It’s a universally known metric used by many well known brands which measures the propensity of
stakeholders to recommend your brand. It can be positive or negative and it’s particularly relevant because it is based on their most recent experience and ignores anything which is historical or based on reputation.
With the advent of new emerging gaming markets in Africa South America and Eastern Europe can we expect to see further targeted marketing of ICE Totally Gaming Exhibition & Conferences during the course of this year so that those in legislation and government as well as operations can?
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Our overriding objective is to help our customers and stakeholders meet their business objectives wherever they are based in the world. Take for example Juegos Miami, our upcoming event taking place across May 31st to June 3rd 2016 at The Biltmore, Coral Gables, Miami.
We have been talking with and listening to all sectors of the gaming industry active in Pan-Latin America and the Caribbean for over a year about what they wanted from a new style gaming event. The upshot is a totally new concept predicated around relationship building and top level networking set against a strong commercial backdrop. The industry has been asking for an event that will truly embrace the region and reflect an entire continent of gaming excellence and through listening to and working with the market we are confident that Juegos Miami will meet the business expectations of the market. There is a lot of development going on around the Greenwich Peninsula will that involve an increase in facilities such as bars, cafe’s & hotels?2013 was the first edition of ICE to be held at ExCeL and over what is a relatively short period of time the hospitality infrastructure has improved substantially. The heart of London is moving east and with that will come more facilities and a greater
range of hospitality options to add to those already in place. Venue changes are never straightforward and it takes time for stakeholders to bed down into new surroundings. I get the feeling that process is well underway and that the benefits of being in London’s biggest purpose-built events venue and the opportunities it allows for ICE to continue to grow at a controlled pace are recognised.
And finally when does planning start for next year’s ICE Totally gaming and are the rumours true that their plans to open up more exhibition floor space in ExCel for 2017 ?The team never stops planning for the next year and for the year after that – it may sound like a cliché but it’s true. We have submitted our attendance figures for independent audit, I will be receiving the results of our post show research and in April the team will be participating in the annual strategy days at which the focus will be firmly on 2017.
In terms of the future size of ICE we will be renegotiating our contract with the owners of ExCeL for the 2020 show onwards. We have enough space for the next few years, unless something dramatic happens within the industry. Our current contract runs out in 2019, so clearly, we will have to re-evaluate everything before then. Nonetheless, our policy remains one of continued and sustainable growth.
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
Cammegh, manufacturers of the world’s finest roulette wheels, enjoyed another successful show at this year’s ICE exhibition. Cammegh were able to show off their latest roulette innovations with
the impressive Aurora Halo wheel, complimented by the new slim line Billboard Displays with LED strips.
The Aurora Halo Wheel takes advantage of the Mercury 360 in-rim sensor technology to produce a dazzling display of LED lighting which tracks the ball to ramp up excitement at the gaming table. Cammegh’s new ‘2016’ line of Billboard Displays now come in a slim-line design and feature customisable RGB LED strips to enhance the ambience of the gaming floor.
Sharing the limelight at ICE was Cammegh’s unique roulette side bet, Spread Bet Roulette. The side bet, launched last year, offers jackpot
style payouts of up to 1200-1 and has so far been installed throughout the UK in Grosvenor, Aspers and Aspinalls casinos, as well as in South Africa.
Andrew Cammegh, Sales Director at Cammegh said “As ever the ICE show was worthwhile as always. The response from operators to the new display hardware, as well as the new Aurora Halo roulette wheel, which was also making its debut has been excellent. During the three days we managed to see everyone we wanted to see going into the show plus a host of new operators from other territories around the world. This allowed us not only to establish interesting new enquires but also take orders off the stand.”
Best ICE Ever for CammeghCammegh exhibits its ever increasing
product portfolio at ICE 2016
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
SUZOHAPP is ‘at the heart of gaming’ – this message was truly well received by visitors to the stand at the ICE. “Last year we said that the ICE was the best ever. Well, this year’s ICE was better still”, enthused Mr.
Harald Wagemaker, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing of Gaming and Casino EMEA.
SUZOHAPP is fully committed in providing the industry with the best-possible solutions and service. A completely new stand design reflected these varying solutions for different market segments. The stand was divided into three categories – OEM, operations and sports betting. As the global gaming industry’s largest supplier of spare parts, components and cash-handling equipment with an ever-growing product range, the SUZOHAPP team has great experience in providing each and every customer with the products and services that best fit their needs. Customers could thus much more easily find exactly what they were looking for.
“ICE is a very busy show and we wanted to ensure that our customers knew intuitively where to look. The challenge is to funnel down the entire product range into the specific solutions the customer is looking for. That is why we invested to adapt our
customer-centric approach even more and the feedback we received confirmed that we made the right decision”, continued Mr. Wagemaker.
The speed and professionalism at which SUZOHAPP has integrated its recent acquisitions was clear to see on the stand. A wide array of COMESTERO change machines and the SCAN COIN banknote and coin counters / sorters were on display – placed together on the operator-dedicated part of the booth. The SHIFT Interactive Pro Table
with greatly updated content could be found at both the operator and sports-betting sections of the stand. The revolutionary iDROP cash-handling solution for live gaming tables was integrated into a gaming table to especially demonstrate its features. OEM solutions included the latest ELO
touchscreen monitors and the TransAct printers with Epicentral software. The SUZOHAPP toppers, hoppers, locks, LCD button display and much more were also on proud display.
“Please let me take this opportunity to thank all the visitors to our stand. It was great to see you all again. And I would like to extend a big thank-you to the entire SUZOHAPP team for their continued commitment in making this ICE again extremely memorable”, concluded Mr. Wagemaker.
SUZOHAPP reaches new heights at ICE
New stand reflected the sheer strength in depth of solutions on offer
Harald Wagemaker, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketingof Gaming and Casino EMEA
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
The collaborative R&D efforts within the Austrian gaming group and its international subsidiaries and competence centres were presented in London by teams of no less than 22
group companies. Paying tribute to its sheer size, the NOVOMATIC booth was split into industry
segments. A casino section demonstrated the Very Important Player Experience with new cabinets, themes, jackpots and the ACP system by Octavian, as well as Crown Technologies’ cash management solutions. An extensive line-up of Arcade and Pub products for international markets was on show by LÖWEN Entertainment and Crown Technologies of
Novomaticwith a Massive Performance at ICE 2016
For three days the world’s biggest gaming show ICE Totally Gaming transformed the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London’s Docklands into the ‘Gaming Technopolis’ and right at the heart of the show the NOVOMATIC booth covered all aspects of gaming with a spectacular Omni-channel offering. 4,500 square meters of exhibition space, 300 gaming machines, 18 semi-trailers for the delivery and logistics efforts and 450 staff on the show floor: These were the impressive benchmarks deployed to stage NOVOMATIC’s ‘V.I.P. Experience @ ICE 2016’
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
World Regulatory Briefing Africa
Realising market potential to ensure
a sustainable future
Four Points by Sheraton • Lagos • 11 - 12 April 2016www.wrbriefing.com/africa
Charles Wambia, Director, Betting Control and Licensing Board, Kenya
Simon Burrell, Head of Business Development, Editec
Edward Lalumbe, COO,
Gauteng Gambling Board
Tarimba Abbas , Director General Tanzania Gaming Board
Lanre Gbajabiamula, CEO, Lagos Lottery Board
Speakers confirmed to date:
In association with
Germany, NOVOMATIC Italia, NOVOMATIC Gaming Spain and Novo Gaming Netherlands. Another significant part of the stand was dedicated to Omni-channel Sports Betting and Lottery products, as well as a standout online, mobile and social gaming display that presented new innovations with specialists on hand from NOVOMATIC Interactive subsidiary companies such as Greentube, iGaming2Go, Funstage, StakeLogic, Mazooma Interactive and Extreme Live Gaming.
An important headliner for NOVOMATIC this year was the extended V.I.P. cabinet line-up. Due to the overwhelming success of the NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. II
since its introduction at ICE last year, NOVOMATIC launched four new cabinets at ICE 2016 - NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. III, NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. Royal, the V.I.P. Lounge and the new slant top EXECUTIVE SL™ - all of which were eagerly acknowledged by the many
customers and visitors.The NOVOMATIC Omni-
channel offering allows operators to deliver a seamless gaming experience across land-
based, online, mobile and social channels – and at ICE it was spearheaded by the new Football Gladiators™
game on all product verticals. One of the main 3D animated
game characters and brand ambassador of this
game is Manchester Utd and English football legend Rio
38
SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEWFerdinand along with fellow icons Robin van Persie, Toni Kroos and Andrea Pirlo. His appearance at ICE drew large crowds of fans all wanting their personal Football Gladiators™ ball signed by Rio Ferdinand himself. This special highlight was – like the multitude of video content on display – broadcast via the omni-present video content delivery system Absolute Vision™ that turned the booth into a truly spectacular arena of action and innovation.
Dedicated Sports Betting and Lottery areas of the booth presented Omni-channel solutions for discerning operators. Key members of the
NOVOMATIC SPORT BETTING SOLUTIONS team were on hand to discuss the available solutions for the management
of an unlimited number of self-service terminals and tills in the land-based segment,
as well as a secure online and mobile sports betting solution via Responsive Web Design and platform independent apps. The team of NOVOMATIC LOTTERY SOLUTIONS showcased the superior offering of premium technology solutions for the international B2B lottery industry.
Harald Neumann, CEO NOVOMATIC AG, sums up the significance of ICE 2016 for the Group: “ICE is unarguably the world’s biggest and most important gaming show. For NOVOMATIC it has always been the ideal professional setting to present the Group’s leading-edge innovations and gaming technologies for the various segments of the international gaming industry. ICE brings together the industry’s major technology providers and decision-makers for one large-scale event early in the year. This makes ICE an event of major importance for our Group and its international competence centres as a dynamic kick-start into every new year.”
APEX gaming has extended its gaming offer with the introduction of its VIP gaming machine called Pinnacle Premium. Two brand new models were introduced at the ICE – the extra-large
upper monitor either with a flat screen or a curved screen. Both portray the APEX games in pin-sharp high-definition graphics.
The games selection has grown even more with the new EVO 3 games platform containing games that come to life so much more on the large wide-screen of the Pinnacle Premium. These games include the new Book of the 7 Seas, Eye of the Dragon and new Fruit Games. Each game contains exciting features that make great use of 3D technology. Alongside such exciting advancements, the APEX gaming team has added a traditional game to its repertoire, namely Bingo – where the player can bet on a number of balls – and this choice positively affects the potential win.
The Pinnacle Premium completes the Pinnacle slot machine family of APEX gaming. There were further innovations of the well-known Pinnacle SL 27 and Pinnacle NSL 27 Pinnacle slant-tops alongside the upright Pinnacle 24. Naturally the EVO games platform are available for all Pinnacle gaming machines. APEX gaming now offers a gold edition with a gold-plated front around the gaming monitors – thus right where the player focuses their eyes. This gives the player a further feeling of playing on a premium slot machine. Another innovation includes the possibility for operators to include their own company name on the Pinnacle – and so brand them accordingly. The LED lighting around the Pinnacle attracts player attention as well of course.
The iDROP and iDROPe are the revolutionary cash-handling devices for live gaming – enabling croupiers to accept cash, tickets or card in exchange for jetons. Players no longer need to go to the cash desk to exchange their cash for jetons. Similarly, players can cash out their jetons at any time to
receive the value printed as a ticket or placed on their card. The iDROP is the solution to place within the table, the iDROPe is the side-mounted solution with larger dimensions as it contains a note stacker with a capacity of up to 2,000 notes - so simplifying the drop even more. It goes without saying that operators have a complete overview of the contents of the iDROP/iDROPe. The danger of shrinkage is completely removed. Indeed, fitting the iDROP/iDROPe to live gaming tables enable operators to renounce upon the need for a cash desk. The integrated touchscreen makes it simple for operators to run. The iDROP connects with the SAS communication and can run with any casino management system (CMS) – so providing clear and reliable instant reports on the drop.
“At APEX it is all about taking gaming to the next level. Each solution we offer is a premium solution. We invest in creating the best. That is why the Pinnacle Premium fits so well to our product range. The feedback was excellent as was for all the solutions we offer. We are bringing real value to our industry as the iDROP demonstrates – our in-depth knowledge of operations and manufacturing puts us at an advantage that we share with our customers”, explained Kubilay Özer, Global Sales Director at APEX gaming.
Perfect with the new EVO 3 games platform
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
APEX gaming – VIP Pinnacle Premium introduced at ICE
L2R Johannes Weissengruber Owner and Managing Director, Kubilay Özer, Global Sales Director
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
This year’s edition of the London ICE show has marked a successful opening to the 2016 exhibition season for Alfastreet, meeting partners, friends and customers in a familiar atmosphere of a London
themed stand. It was a busy three days, with great attendance and with party time extension after the official opening hours.
Alfastreet brought a selection of top products with novelties prepared specially for the exhibition. The roulette range was represented by the compact R5, 5-station machine, a custom solution for all the venues with limited space availability. Alfastreet’s signature model still remains the R8, a synonym for the automated electronic roulette, this time with
an imposing superstructure Signage, displaying live camera feed, statistic data and a specially designed roulette Jackpot solution. For those seeking modular setups there was an attractive choice of automated wheels (roulette and SicBo), combined
Alfastreetstunning visitors and competition
at ICE 2016Team Alfastreet ICE 2016
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEWwith live sources, such as Baccarat table and a premiere for this year, the Alfastreet live wheel. The visitors were intrigued by the multigame slot range in two editions, the first being a virtual games package, with a selection of premium Alfastreet virtual games, followed by a near completed 12 titles slot machines.
Last year’s star of the show, the mechanical horse-racing machine already affirmed itself on the field, yet it still captured the interest of many. A unique solution in the gaming industry uses a proven platform which offers plenty of possibilities of implementation. That brings us to a this year’s attraction, the Alfastreet “Wet Race”. It was the most sought after product, with packed stand for the whole duration of the exhibition, making people wondering how it’s possible to combine a pool full of water in a flawless synergy with the electronic nature of the machine. Needless to say, Alfastreet is pushing the boundaries again, showing the gaming community, the value of a stable platform and that anything is possible with the right vision and approach.
Equally interesting, and also a very clever concept was the “Alibi box”. A phone box shaped cabin that provides a quiet, reserved space inside a crowded and noisy environment, giving a bit of privacy for delicate phone conversations and many other things. It gave a cue for many entertaining conversations when the visitors tried to guess a true purpose of it. Not to mention, a popular photo spot for suggestive pictures!
At the end, the customers appreciated Alfastreet’s venture into an online gaming field, which will provide a live feed and familiar user interface to the players, that will be able to extend their gaming experience to their mobile devices inside a casino environment and at home as well.
The 2015 ICE show marked a very successful year for the company and judging by the feedback from this year’s edition, the future is even brighter. Alfastreet is thanking everybody for their visit and support, extending the invitation to the upcoming shows, already planning the next big surprises for the 2017!
Sales Director Albert Radman
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
The industry trend set by Casino Technology at ICE 2016
Another remarkable industry event performance was scored by the team of Casino Technology at the ICE TOTALLY GAMING 2016 show in London. The spectacular stand of the company
gathered customers, visitors and guests from all over the world and deservingly was rated as the
ultimate center of gaming innovations at Excel Exhibition Center which elevated both the value, credibility and brand recognition of the company renowned as one of the best multi-game maker at the globe. The dedicated show spectacle drove the visitors’ attention and hundreds of fascinated customers passioned by the hot rodding style and
Innovate & elevate
Elena Shaterova, International Sales Director and Sonya Nikolova, Business Development Director
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEWhot atmosphere defined by the genuine concept of the HOT ROD™ Slot Machine – an authentic red vintage car blended with the one and only ARCH™ Slot Machine. The visionary idea to offer an immersive gaming experience by the power of the curved full HD display introduced first by Casino Technology back in 2013 at the same industry event in London had been developed into the brilliant and first of a kind ARCH™ slot machine featuring 42’’ horizontal, curved, gaming LED display covering the natural vision range dressed with the newest collection of the multi-game GAMOPOLIS™ series scoring first places in performance at many European, African and South American markets for more than 18 months now. The novelty product was called an ultimate future-proved asset for any casino floor and Casino Technology recorded a great interest and commitment for installations and sales at the core markets.
Casino Technology’s best selling package including the glamorous AURORA™ Upright Slot Machine equipped with the multigame series GAMOPOLIS™ was presented with the latest SPEEDWAY versions introduced for the first time with the newest gaming platform ARMSTRONG™ providing HD graphics design and enhanced gameplay speed affecting the key performance indicators by at least 25% growth. The brand new SPEEDWAY series is offered in version 70 and 71 each featuring 40 unique titles and the copyrighted EASY FIND navigation adopted for all of the recently released multi-game series.
Apart from the company’s leadership in land based product developments giving a turnkey solution including extensive raft of multi-game concepts, premium products, progressive links, multiplayers and electronic bingo games, Casino
Technology reaffirmed the strategic positioning in the interactive segment by demonstrating the fully executed convergence environment through the state of the art system suite THE BIG 5™ combining RHINO™ Casino Management System, BUFFALO™ Universal Jackpot Server, LEOPARD™ Online Gaming Platform, ELEPHANT™ Remote Game Server and LION™ Money Management System.
The new add-on to the cutting-edge system architecture and functionality showcased at ICE 2016 was the wide library of mobile and remote gaming content adapted to various online platforms and utilizing latest HTML 5 software technology ensuring realistic gameplay emotions like graphics,
speed, convenience, choice and intuitive navigation available for various range of hand-held and mobile devices. The longterm land-based experience and knowledge in game design for the land-based segment
in the emerging markets and the great popularity of Casino Technology’s video slot games brings progressive value to the remote and mobile content which was recognized as an exclusive future-proof asset by the leading content aggregators who target newly opened online jurisdictions with traditions in the classic gaming alike Spain whereas Casino Technology was recently approved as one of the four vendors delivering video slot games to licensed online gaming operators.
Casino Technology’s team contracted multiple deals at the ICE 2016 and messaged their prominent innovation, customer approach and business competency for the global emerging markets backed up with the elevated quality and variety of products and solutions both for traditional and interactive gaming worlds.
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
New innovations were promised by DRGT at the ICE – and were delivered with overwhelming success. The fastest growing systems company in the industry introduced the latest
new benefits – and these can be displayed on the slot machine monitor thanks to drScreen. In fact operators can choose between 3 versions of drScreen – the standard drScreen via the game screen, the 6.2” drScreenMini or the brand new drScreenMicro version on a 3.2” LCD touchscreen display. In this way the player tracking screen can be put to optimal use.
The popularity of sports betting was reflected in the number of such companies exhibiting at the ICE. Indeed, drInteractive enables sports betting to be linked into the slot machine. Together with drScreen, the player can make use of both monitors
and the player tracking screen – for example, the upper monitor to continue playing the slot, the lower monitor then to place the sports bet and the player tracking screen to watch the match. Players have the possibility to choose how to continue monitoring the game / sports bet. The natural move after having placed the bet is to continue playing the slot on the lower monitor and watch the game on the upper monitor. In this way operators no longer need to purchase a slot machine and a sports betting machine – DRGT’s drInteractive combines both in one.
DRGT has expanded into the development and marketing of table games. Three such games were on display at the ICE. The key element in these new innovations is that the basic table game – such as Black Jack and Roulette – does not change. These are additions to the standard table game – that
Expansion into live table games; drInteractive places sports betting right into the slot machine
DRGT reports of best ICE ever yet again
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
can be played as a side bet or not played – that is completely up to the player. Blackjack 11’s makes use of the drSensor technology. The player chooses whether to play Blackjack 11’s by placing a chip on his drSensor. A player wins if the first two cards come to a value of eleven. That’s not all – there are 5 combinations of the eleven. The Perfect Jackpot 11 is when the player draws a king and a ‘Jackpot Ace’ which is the only variation to the standard pack of cards. The operator can choose the combination of normal aces and jackpot aces – and so influence the probabilities of the Perfect Jackpot 11 being reached – more Jackpot Aces in the pack will lead to a higher win frequency with lower pay-out rates (less Jackpot Aces lead to fewer such wins but with higher pay-outs).
The second card-based game is called MatchMaker. Again based on Black Jack, the player can place a side bet to participate. The display shows a virtual deck of games and upon the game then a virtual card is display. The player has the possibility then to have three games of the triple –
so the pair from the real cards and the virtual card on top. The odds range from 2 TO 1 (mixed colour pair) to 1000 TO 1 (perfect trip – three Kings all of the same suit).
Both Blackjack 11’s and MatchMaker can be linked to a Mystery Progressive – that can be a local-area or wide-area progressive. In this way, the operator can link these games on all his tables in different locations – so increasing the game input and the value of the mystery jackpot. This is triggered at complete random – the drSensors each light up quickly one after each other, slowing down until the lucky winner is found.
The third new table game from DRGT is called Roul8. A dice game is added to the standard Roulette game. Indeed the three dice each have one 8 on them. Once the wheel is set in motion, the dice are automatically shaken. Getting one ‘8’ multiplies the bet by 8, two ‘8’s’ multiplies the bet by 88 and all three ‘8’s`multiplies it by 888.
Mr. Jurgen De Munck, CEO and co-founder of DRGT, explained the expansion of DRGT into table games as follows, “We began our systems focus on linking the slots. Our severless technology offers great advantages over server-based systems. Having expanded our connectivity to live tables, we have put together our significant operator and manufacturer knowledge in making the standard live games more exciting by the possibility of placing side bets. The drSensor is key to the success. The initial feedback from the G2E Las Vegas last year was so overwhelming that we decided very quickly to expand this division and develop new table games. This strategy fits perfect with our core business. We invent exciting new games and can connect them with our system and provide a Mystery jackpot over a wide-area progressive. Our drInteractive division is growing quickly and the sports betting on slots machines has aroused great interest. The number of casinos we are supplying continues to grow. Not only that – the number of casino operators who publically endorse the great partnership with us and our technology is growing as well. DRGT is very much at the centre of systems technology. We had more enquiries on the first day of ICE this year than the whole three days last year – and that was a great ICE as well”.
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
Aristocrat recently completed ICE as part of their Worldwide tour and the Behemoth took
centre stage – we found out more
Having successfully completed star-studded performances at G2E and SAGSE, Aristocrat
Technologies celebrated its ‘Big Play’ tour at ICE 2016 as the next stage on its global circuit.
“Every casino operator wants to make the big play – creating an experience for their player that is exciting, engaging and that builds loyalty,” says Chief Commercial Officer Maureen Sweeny, explaining the rationale behind Aristocrat’s latest comprehensive package of Class III gaming solutions. “We are uniquely prepared and positioned to help operators do just that, with a deep and broad portfolio of industry-leading hardware and gaming content designed to reach every type of player demographic.” Visitors to the Aristocrat booths in Las Vegas and Buenos Aires will already have witnessed a myriad of large format cabinet innovations and a plethora of premium big name
Big, Bad, Bold ...and beautiful
Managing Director – EMEA, James Boje
SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
themes, now being prepared for roll-out in Europe and Africa, explained Managing Director – EMEA, James Boje. “During their first showing at G2E, Arc™ Double cabinets were voted the most innovative technology and have gone on to win multiple awards and widespread acclaim as they enter gaming floors across the US,” he said.
Aristocrat is bringing to EMEA a strong list of spectacular licensed themes for Arc Double, leading out with Game of Thrones™ Slot Game and will be supported by follow-up titles including Britney Spears™ and The Walking Dead™.
The range can be complemented with illuminated branded inserts between machines to create feature banks in carousel, diamond and oval formations, creating a substantial floor presence and player destination.
Landing on US casino floors in just the last few weeks, Aristocrat’s Behemoth™ is big in name, big in nature and about to make a big impression in Europe, Aristocrat predicts. Boasting a colossal 84-inch ultra high-definition LCD portrait monitor, it’s definitely no shrinking violet, creating high visual impact and sight lines that shout across the casino floor. Yet the world’s biggest single-screen slot machine, standing fractionally shy of three metres high, has a surprisingly small footprint and the cabinet itself is sleek and ergonomically designed for player comfort, resulting in a package that is, said Mr Boje, ‘big, bad, bold and beautiful all at the same time.’ “Our debut title on Behemoth will be Sons of Anarchy™ – a highly revered and much sought after theme in this region,” Boje stated., “With The Big Bang Theory Bazinga!™ planned to follow later in the year.”
Another premium Aristocrat cabinet configuration already proving itself on gaming floors is the uniquely crafted Wonder Wheels™. Over three metres tall, each Wonder Wheels dual-seat pod sports a large community-style video display with three mechanical wheels delivering frequent bonus features, prizes and head-spinning entertainment. The wheel’s spin
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SPOTLIGHT - ICE 2016 REVIEW
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Following on from Batman™ Classic TV Series Slot Game, the next scheduled releases include more big names with strong maths models, including Superman™ The Movie, Ted™, The Big Bang Theory™ and Man of Steel™. “This format has proved very successful but we continue to innovate in response to the market feedback so we will be launching a more compact Wonder Wheels™ in ‘low’ format at the show!,” Boje cited.
He continued: “All of these larger than life hardware solutions provide operators with a variety of centrepiece options to draw in the crowds, led by a barrage of Triple A licensed gaming content and a long list of further titles in our roadmap to enhance longevity and ensure that casinos always have strong, fresh marketing assets to help maximise new player appeal and hold.”
Chief Commercial Officer Maureen Sweeny
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© 2016 Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited.
Introducing Lightning Link™ — Aristocrat’s first player-selectable multi-denomination progressive range. Players will love the multiple game themes — and they’ll be on the edge of their seats waiting for the free games and Hold & Spin bonuses to strike. Especially when a single bonus spin could award both multiple progressives and bonus values.
Add more flash to your floor today!
TAKING THE GAMING WORLD BY STORM.
Aristocrat Technologies Europe Limited 25 Riverside Way, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 2YF (UK)
Telephone: +44 (0) 1895 618500 Web www.aristocratgaming.com
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