Месяц: Июль 2014

International Game Technology (IGT) has announced a new relationship with DLV, a gaming software and casino equipment manufacturer in Latvia.
Under the new agreement, IGT will install systems in 50 slot halls connecting some 1,000 machine locations throughout Latvia over the next two years.
The first installations are scheduled to be made this month.
The installations will “enable DLV to dramatically enhance its patron offerings while greatly improving its operating efficiencies and control,” said Ian Baynes, IGT’s regional vice president.

California has joined the growing list of states cracking down on Internet Cafés when games, dubbed gambling, are being offered on the Internet. Similar law enforcement activity against such locales, have taken place in a number of states east of the Mississippi.
Last week, California state officials began raids on what they termed “gambling dens.”
They described the Sweepstakes Cafés as “a growing problem throughout California” and lawmakers are retaliating with additional legislation. Because of the different interpretation of the activity in court rulings, it was believed the matter would end up in the state Supreme Court.

Investors and analysts wondered over the weekend, as Macau completed its worse month of gambling growth in the past couple of years, whether the worst was over.
The price of gaming company shares with a presence in Macau began inching up last week after dramatic declines following concerns some Chinese gamblers were staying home during the World Cup Soccer matches or the Macau Monetary Authority was cracking down on usage of China’s UnionPay Cos handheld card swipers.
In a research note published over the weekend, Karen Tang, gaming analyst for Deutsche Bank, said she believed “the worst is almost over.”
Explaining her reasoning, Tang noted that “Historically, Macau stocks started to re-rate when Gross Gaming Revenue growth hit the bottom, and June will be it. We feel that the market is, by now, well aware that the World Cup, which ends July 13, is having a severe short-term impact on Macau, and that June GGR might fall 2% to 5%.”
As for the financial concerns, the Macau government clarified the policy it has on the use of cash cards. Francis Tam explained that contrary to media reports the Macau Monetary Authority had not asked jewelers to move out of casinos. Only, he said, the jewelry and watch retailers operating in casinos are banned from adding new card devices starting in July.
The recent decline in share prices, said one analyst, gives investors “some degree of comfort to bargain hunt.”
Still a concern, however, was the probe being conducted by U.S. authorities into the possibility of money laundering in casinos operated by American-based companies.
Agents of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s criminal enforcement unit reportedly had gone to Macau to review money flow in and out of the casinos.

Racinos, competing against full-fledged casinos in generating revenue, rarely fall into the same category. Casinos traditionally outdraw racinos.
But, that may not be the case in Ohio for very long.
During the month of May, the state’s four casinos reported gaming revenue of $71.2 million. That easily topped the five operating racinos that banked a reported $55.7 million.
Come this fall, however, there will be two additional racinos operating in Ohio. One will open in the Dayton area while the other will be in the Youngstown area. With seven racinos in operation, the possibility that they will generate more gaming revenue than their big brothers seems a likely possibility.
Actually, the slot machines at the racinos are already taking in more money than the slots installed at the casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati. Where the casinos have table games as their draw, the racinos have horse racing to bring in fans that can play the slot machines. Or, maybe, as some insists, the slot players are the ones who bring in the horse racing wagerers.
According to a report in the Dayton, Ohio, News, the “likely key” to the success of racinsos is location.
“The advantage the racinos have is that the majority of them are in the suburbs and a lot of people don’t want to drive into the main cities,” said Alan Silver, an Ohio University professor and gambling expert.
“We’re seeing these suburban-type racinos pick up a lot of people,” he added.
The first Ohio-licensed racino to open, Scioto Downs in Columbus, last month took in more slots revenue ($12.4 million) than the Hollywood Columbus casino ($12 million).
When all seven track/slots facilities are operating, they will have as many as 8,500 VLTs (video lottery terminals) or slot machines.
A major beneficiary of the Ohio gaming law that authorized four casinos and seven racinos is Penn National Gaming Corp. (PENN). The company operates two of the casinos (Rock Ohio LLC, a partnership between Detroit entrepreneur Dan Gilbert and Caesars International Corp. (CZR,) has the other two) and owns the two racinos that will be opening in a few months.
The company expects that within the next five years, Ohio will be a $2 billion-a-year gaming market.

Coming off a difficult year and faced with the prospects of additional competition from the recent acquisition of PokerStars by Canada’s Amaya Gaming, international online gaming giant Bwin.Party may be looking for a buyer.
In an exclusive Bloomberg story filed late last week by featured gaming writer Christopher Palmeri, the Gibraltar-based Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc. reportedly has hired Deutsche Bank AG to review potential moves for its future.
The report, said to come from “two people who requested anonymity because the matter isn’t public,” was denied by Bwin which said it had no plans to break up or sell the company.
Bwin, as a partner with Boyd Gaming Corp. (BYD) and MGM Resorts International (MGM) in the online gaming activity of Borgata Hotel/Casino/Spa in Atlantic City, has, so far, established a dominant position in New Jersey’s Internet gaming. During the month of May, the partnership captured nearly 40 percent of the state’s 10.5 million in online gaming revenue.
As described by company CFO Martin Weigold at the company’s March conference call, Bwin “faced a difficult year in 2013,” that included a decline in sales due to regulatory and competitive challenges in a number of markets.
Also, the U.K. has recently passed a law that will require Gibraltar-based gaming companies to be re-licensed and to pay a higher tax.
Internally, the company now has a new chairman and has settled a proxy fight for board seats with a company that was led by U. S. analyst-turned-investor Jason Ader.
New Jersey regulators, who previously had placed a two-year ban on PokerStars seeking licensing, have now agreed to review the application of the new owners, Amaya.
A slow start of online gambling in New Jersey and the prospects of additional competition will likely add pressures to licensees in that state.

The big boys were ready and waiting on Monday as the deadline approached for potential casino bidders to file their plans with the State of New York.
Jumping right into the mix was Caesars Acquisition Company (CACQ), the offshoot of the parent, Caesars Entertainment Corp. (CZR), with plans for an $800 million luxury casino resort in Woodbury, New York.
Also ready with plans was the partnership of the Cordish Cos. of Maryland and Penn National Gaming Inc. (PENN). They propose a $750 million Live! Hotel & Casino project in the Hudson Valley-Catskills Region.
There are at least 15 other developers who must submit their plans for a casino if they want to be considered. Monday was the deadline.
Caesars said its casino would be situated in the heart of the Hudson Valley, some 50 miles from New York City. It will be a sustainably designed, contemporary structure that complements the region’s natural surroundings “to create a world-class entertainment-retreat.”
The company said the facility would attract more than 10 million visitors a year, making it a strong economic engine for the State of New York.
Also locating in the Hudson Valley was the Cordish facility that hoped to capitalize on its short distance from New York City.
“No other applicant can match our comprehensive plan to maximize revenue and jobs in the State of New York while simultaneously empowering the region to grow exponentially for years to come,” said Chairman David Cordish.
He added that the project would create a unique Angel incubator – H2V2 – non-profit organization to attract new and existing out-of-state manufacturing, computer science, and research businesses to the Hudson Valley-Catskills Region.