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PHEW, WHAT A SCORCHER!

This month’s red hot poker news page brings you news from Hong Kong, Chile, China, the US and the UK, while our international news section mops up the rest of the continents nicely, proving once again that Integrate is the only truly international publication for our industry. We popped over to Shanghai and Taiwan recently to see a couple of thriving trade shows on the day our delegate arrived in Taipei it was the hottest and most humid day since 1921, whereas the trip to China proved full of surprises for one of our team traveling from the UK, not least the fact that he needed a visa to get into the country.

Look out for the special edition of Russia and Eastern Europe that comes with this month’s issue. The Russian gaming industry is on the verge of momentous change that will herald a whole new era. Read all about it inside as well as the latest information from the likes of Serbia, Romania and Belarus. Enjoy Integrate the monthly magazine for the international coin-op industry. Remember, we can’t write it without your help all opinions, comments and inside information you might want to share with us are always gratefully received.

RED HOT NEWS

CHILE

Three are small slot machines in poor places, mainly in cities, operating outside the law and cheating people, which is a crime and discredits chance games, according to Geyger Mailath’s Steve Geyger. “Casino have been able to overcome this by operating chance games fairly and under effective control. The current law has been successful in trying to eliminate these devices that operate without control and cause damage to the people,” he said.

Britain’s largest operating company, Inspired Gaming Group Holding’s, with nearly 100,000 machines in operating, takes over the operating name of Leisure Link. The previous ‘umbrella’ company, Leisure Link Holdings, was formally wound up at a creditors’ meeting in a London on July 17. Inspired Gaming has been listed on the UK AIM. Some shareholders, in the old company challenged the way in which the firm was rebranded, but were out-voted at the meeting.

CHINA

A strategic alliance has been formed by Octavian and CLS, which will see the UK firm entering the Chinese market with lottery-related equipment. A joint venture firm has been formed, Aceteam Investment, in which CLS has a 60 per cent stake, with total paid-up capital of HK $46.8m. The new company will use Octavian’s technology and CLS’s market resources in China to concentrate on video lottery terminals.

River City Group has joined the Clarion family of gambling industry events and publications through a purchase. ATE and River City Group have co-produced the European I-gaming Congress and Expo for past four years. Sue Schneider, founder and CEO of River City Group, said: “It’s a marriage based on a proven relationship that will create a powerhouse serving both the land-based and interactive gambling industries.”

UK GAMBLING COMMISSION PREMISES OPEN

The UK Gambling Commission has officially opened its new headquarters in Birmingham, UK. The commission has the entire top floor of the Victoria Square Building in the centre of the city and is one of the first government departments to move our of London. Before it, the Gaming Board occupied Berkshire House in Holborn. The custom-built 2,500sq.m Birmingham installation is open plan with state–of-the-art technology and workstations for staff that will be engaged in the Commission’s expanded role in administering poker gambling in the UK under the Gaming Act 2005. The Commission will employ a total of 200 people in Birmingham and a number of inspectors based at different points around the country.

Chairman Peter Dean told guests: “Birmingham was the clear frontrunner in our search for new headquarters.” Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport and Gambling, said: “This impressive new location provides an ideal base from which to enforce the tough new rules the Gambling Act brings in. the purpose-built intelligence poker room they have installed will help the Commission to deliver its three key objectives: to keep crime out of gambling, to ensure that it is fair and open and to protect children and the vulnerable.”

As the Gambling Commission opened the doors of its new offices in Birmingham, it simultaneously released its first annual report, for 2005/6. The previous report had been issued under the old Gaming Board. The report stated that in 2005 there were 235,000 gaming machines operating in the UK, of which 192,000 were AWPs, 25,000 were club machines and 17,000 pinball games, pushers or cranes. For the first time FECs were listed as the premier location, with 33 per cent of the installed base, with 29 per cent in pubs, 14 per cent in adult gaming centres, nine per cent in clubs, eight per cent in bingo halls and the rest split between other locations. Turnover was listed as £ 10.3bn, of which £ 8.2bn was paid in prizes. The industry directly employs 22,000 people.
The report noted some concerns over Section 16 and Section 21 games which it said had ‘proliferated’ and were ‘designed to exploit a perceived loophole in the definition of a gaming machine’ under Part III of the 1968 Act. It reports that the DCMS retains misgivings about the games and that they ‘will not attract any protected rights under the new legislation.’ It also raised concerns about parallel and serial games, the former of which it said is illegal. While serial games do not breach the law, the Commission and the DCMS is concerned at the rapid staking which is possible on serial games. Manufacturers are advised therefore they ought to be ‘circumspect’ and about what they do in advance of consultations that are taking place between the DCMS and the Commission on the subject, the report said.

Cirsa snubbled in chile casino license awards

Nine of the 17 casino licenses up for grabs in Chile were awarded by the Government on July 16. Spain’s Cirsa group was snubbed in the final analysis, winning none of the new licenses. The Chilean company Fischer was awarded three licenses at Temuco, valdivia and Punta Arenas, while Latin Gaming of Panama was given Osorno, Valmar Talcaarhuano, JL giner has Pinto, the Austrian Chilean Partnership of Polaris was given Los Angeles, Spanish Company Egasa-Nervion was granted Copiapo and Chile’s Enjoy won Antofagasta. This first phase of the tender process sees an investment of US $324.9m and the creation of 4,405 jobs. The new casinos will have to pay 20 per cent of gross income to the local communities.

The Enjoy Group is a subsidiary of the Martinez family, which already operates the Puerto Veras casino in a joint venture with Fischer and the casinos at Pucon, lquique and Vina del Mar. The Martinez Company had been in a bitter wrangle with Spain’s Cirsa. Cirsa suggested that the authorities ‘did not consider aspects which we consider are crucial for the beginning of a transparent casino industry.’
Cirsa added: “ In particular, we remark that they have not considered the danger that they have not considered the danger that the gambling market concentration represents as well as the poker experience of top operators in the casino industry, hostelling and convention centres.” Another major surprise was the exclusion of the Canadian-based Thunderbird. Legal action involving the company and the authorities has delayed the awarding of casino licenses in another five regions.

* HONG KONG: Merit’s anti-counterfeiting expert, Bob Fay, led a joint raid with the local authorities on a number of businesses in Hong Kong recently, arresting one employee and seizing 32 illegal copies of Merit’s Force video games. Fay had once headed up the anti-copying campaign at the AAMA and had experience of working with the Hong Kong Customs and Excise department.
Now, as Merit’s director of government relations, he is once again using his contacts in a succession of initiatives in Asia to fight copying. It was a three-month investigation into the illegal distribution of Force games from the 2005 and 2006 series and the target was one of the largest distributors of copied Merit products. The evidence seized will be the basis for criminal charges under Hong Kong’s Trade Descriptions Ordinance. Merit CEO Dave Logan said that the raids were the first of several which are likely to take place worldwide in the coming months.

World calendar

AMOA INTERNATIONAL EXPO

DATE : September 27-29, 2006
LOCATION   : Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, Novada, US.
CONTACT     : Willian T. Glasgow, Inc., 10729 W, 163rd Place, Orland Park,
    IL 604467 US
TEL     : +1 708 226 1300
FAX    : +1 708 226 1310
EMAIL     : info@funexpo.com
WEBSITE      : www.funeexpo.com
DETAILS       :   The organizers of the AMOA show are imploring people to take advantage of the opportunity to unleash their passion for the coin-op industry by attending the show that offers visitors ‘hands on’ information about the latest new and exciting products and services the coin-op industry has to offer. Apparently, the AMOA international Expo is a ;must visit’ event in order to fully experience the various products and services new to the industry that will help firms build a more profitable entertainment / leisure facility. Many sectors will be represented, including amusement rides, billiards, coin mechs, darts, electronics, jukeboxes/music, novelty games, plush/ novelties, redemption equipment/merchandise, table games, touchscreens and video poker games. Free seminars have been scheduled in too.

SLOVAK SHOW 2006
DATE : October 4-5 2006
LOCATION   : PKO Convention Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia.
CONTACT     : Expotrend SK Sro, Zahradnicka 46, Bratislava, 821 08m, Slovakia.
TEL     : +421 2 5564 2791
FAX    : +421 2 5564 2792
EMAIL     : slovakiashow@expotrend.uk
WEBSITE      : www.expotrend.uk
DETAILS       : The Slovak Show is the only international exhibition for the entertainment industry in Slovakia. The organizers also publish the magazine Jackpot- the magazine focused on the entertainment industry in Slovakia. The annual conference of the trade association VDP VP will be held during the show. Reasons to exhibit at Slovak Show include positive legislation for the production and operation of online poker gaming machines, a rising interest in the entertainment industry from the general public, dynamic economics and favorable conditions for business news .