AGEM Announces Two New Members
The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) announced that its board of directors has approved the membership applications of two new companies, bringing the trade group comprised of the world’s leading gaming suppliers to a total of 120 members. The new AGEM members include: Assurance Ltd., based in Las Vegas, which has been assisting its business partners since 1952 by providing a wide range of insurance options while developing unique solutions to protect assets, reduce cost of risk and increase profitability; and Scientific Games Corp., based in Alpharetta, Ga., a global leader in providing customized, end-to-end gaming solutions to lottery and gaming organizations worldwide. For more information, visit www.agem.org.
IGT and Lottomatica Announce Partnership in Italy
International Game Technology (IGT) and Lottomatica Group announced that they have entered into a strategic relationship to bring game content and game terminals to the Italian VLT (Comma 6b) gaming market. This strategic partnership provides entry for IGT into the Italian VLT market, a market reported to be in excess of $2 billion in gross gaming revenue, with Lottomatica, currently the leading operator in the VLT market. IGT game content will be available to the Lottomatica Group in Italy VLT for a period of exclusivity. Lottomatica will deliver IGT game content to a high percentage of the installed base of VLTs in Lottomatica’s network, which, with nearly 9,000 units, is currently the largest active VLT network in Italy. IGT will also partner with Lottomatica to integrate IGT’s VLT terminals on the Spielo VLT system, which is currently adopted in Italy by Lottomatica and several other concessionaires.
IGT also announced the launch of IGT Cloud at Olympic Casino in Estonia. The IGT Cloud will allow Olympic Casino Eesti to provide seamless gaming experiences while significantly reducing their capital expenditure investment. Specifically, the Cloud allows for the download and configuration of games to machines on the casino floor and adds the ability to use deep analytics to make timely decisions based upon player behavior. For more information, visit www.igt.com or www.lottomaticagroup.com.
Konami Unleashes Annual Upgrades, Adopts IGT Game Adaptor, Partners with DRGT
Konami Gaming Inc. is upgrading approximately 70 casinos currently running Konami Casino Management System (KCMS) to KCMS v3.20. Konami’s goal with the yearly upgrades is to ensure their customers are provided with the most up-to-date technology and product enhancements in the most cost-effective manner to keep KCMS users leading the competition. KCMS v3.20 was developed with feedback from the entire KCMS customer base and incorporates a new “Microsoft Windows-like” look and feel graphical user interface. For table games, KCMS v3.20 now provides features such as more accurate, real-time tracking of players based on behaviors such as skill, game speed and play percentage. KCMS v3.20 also offers a new incentive promotion called Random Free Play where marketing can choose the minimum, maximum and average award amounts that are transferable to the player. KCMS v3.20 also includes a form that allows marketers to queue messages on the player service window (LCD) to a single player or specific group.
Konami has also announced that the company has adopted the IGT Universal Game Adaptor. Konami will adopt IGT’s Universal Game Adaptor (UGA) for an IGT systems solution to enable IGT’s Service Window functionality on Konami slot machines. This technology allows IGT’s system to manage picture-in-picture functionality on enabled Konami machines. It caters to the immediate needs of casino customers, as it is a great resource for operators who are not yet ready to move to a full, open standards-based Game-to-System (G2S) floor, or intend to mix legacy slot machines with newer, native G2S machines.
Konami Gaming Inc. and DR Gaming Technology (DRGT) are pleased to jointly announce the new distributor agreement between Konami Gaming Inc. and DRGT from Belgium. The signed agreement passes on the responsibility for distribution, service and sales of Konami slot machines to DRGT in three key European countries, namely Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. For more information, visit www.gaming.konami.com.
Aristocrat Selected for Oxford Casino, Enters U.S. VLT Market, Partners with Magic Dreams
Aristocrat’s Oasis 360™ is expanding its system dominance with its first entry into New England at the soon-to-open Oxford Casino. Oxford Casino will celebrate its grand opening this summer, and the casino has been working with Las Vegas-based Silverton Casino Hotel since last year to assist with the preparation of the gaming floor, property amenities and the selection of a casino management solution provider. Craig Cavileer, president of Silverton Casino Hotel, said comprehensive customer management features is one of the reasons they selected Oasis 360, along with the flexibility they need to help retain a competitive advantage. Aristocrat’s Oasis 360 system will monitor all of Oxford Casino’s 529 games. The installation will include Aristocrat’s Sentinel™ III with Ethernet and the two innovative SpeedBonusing™ solutions: Ricochet Rewards™ and Splashdown Countdown™. Aristocrat will also be installing 70 of its player-favorite game titles at the casino.
Aristocrat also announced that the company is making its first entry into the U.S. VLT marketplace, having recently received approvals for its Player’s World™ product from the South Dakota Lottery. Earning the approval is another milestone in Aristocrat Americas’ aggressive business strategy that has propelled the company forward over the past decade. Aristocrat and its distributor, Moss Gaming, will move immediately to place Player’s World By Demand games throughout South Dakota, where the product has generated significant interest from operators.
Aristocrat has also announced their partnership with Magic Dreams to enter the Comma 6a market. The content licensing arrangement will give customers of Italy’s leading slot machine manufacturer access to Aristocrat’s most popular casino titles, specifically adapted and refined for Comma 6a regulations. For more information, visit www.aristocrat.com.au.
Lai Fatt ChiangMaria GarciaSPIELO International Expands Sales Team in Asia, Opens Peru Office
SPIELO International’s Casino Systems and Asia Sales groups are working together to increase the company’s presence in the Asian gaming market with two appointments. Lai Fatt Chiang was appointed as general manager of casino systems for Asia-Pacific. Based in Malaysia, Lai Fatt Chiang has 10 years of experience in all aspects of the gaming industry in Asia. His past experience includes his role as group general manager at RGB International, as well as three years with SPIELO International’s games division (previously ATRONIC). In addition, Maria Garcia was appointed as director of sales for Asia (Casino Games). Based in Macau, Garcia has been a well-respected distributor for several slot manufacturers in the region since 2006. Her most recent role was as sales and marketing director for Asia Pioneer Entertainment Ltd.
SPIELO International also announced the official opening of their Latin American office in Peru. SPIELO International’s Latin American customers can enjoy a modern new showroom, expanded meeting space, and many other convenient amenities at the company’s new regional headquarter at SPIELO International moved and expanded its headquarters following record-breaking growth for the company in the Latin American region. For more information, visit www.spielo.com.
Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Casino Resorts Select MICROS Simphony
MICROS Systems Inc. announced that Wynn Resorts has selected MICROS’s Simphony™ Enterprise Solution for its Wynn Las Vegas and Encore casino resort properties. MICROS completed its enterprise-wide conversion upgrade from the MICROS 9700 Hospitality Management System (HMS) and other Legacy POS solutions to the MICROS Simphony Software as a Service (SaaS) enterprise solution in the cloud on March 31. The project encompasses more than 100 revenue centers located across the two casino resort properties and includes more than 500 MICROS Workstation 5A (WS5A) point-of-service terminals. As the look and feel of MICROS Simphony is similar to the MICROS 9700 Hospitality Management System, Wynn Resorts is able to leverage its employees’ familiarity with MICROS to reduce training time, as well as utilize new screen option layouts to improve guest service. For more information, visit www.micros.com.
Louis KellyTransAct Technologies to Install Epicentral® Print System at Revel, Expands Sales Team
TransAct Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce it has signed a contract to install the Epicentral® Print System at Revel in Atlantic City. The Epicentral Print System will be connected to all 2,427 slot machines at the resort, which will already have the TransAct Epic 950® printer installed in order to ensure full usage of the system. The new Epicentral Print System—connected directly to TransAct’s ServerPort™ device inside the slot machine—is an easy-to-use, cost-efficient software system that enables casinos to internally develop marketing programs and promotional coupons to be distributed to customers on a real-time basis at a slot machine. Casinos will be able to use the Epicentral Print System to connect to all existing slot machines, regardless of the game’s manufacturer.
TransAct also announced that they have further expanded their commitment to the growing South American gaming market with two important appointments. Louis Kelly, most recently national sales director for TransAct, will assume the new role of director of sales, Americas. Kelly brings in excess of 12 years of experience in the gaming industry. Diego Mejia will be responsible for technical and sales support within the North American and South American regions. In his new role, Mejia will lead the integration process for the complete Epic printer product line with a specific focus on the South American region. For more information, visit www.transact-tech.com.
Eclipse Compliance Testing Receives License from Ohio Lottery
Eclipse Compliance Testing is pleased to announce that it has received its Video Lottery Technology Provider License from the Ohio Lottery Commission. In January, the company received its certification as an independent testing laboratory from the Ohio Casino Control Commission. “With our license from the Ohio Lottery and our certification from the Ohio Casino Control Commission, Eclipse Compliance Testing is fully vetted and qualified to test all forms of gaming equipment and systems that will be used in casino and racino facilities throughout the state of Ohio,” commented Nick Farley, president. For more information, visit www.eclipsetesting.com.
Gasser Chair Co. Awarded Contract for Ohio’s First Casino
Ohio-based Gasser Chair Co. Inc. has completed production of more than 2,800 slot and table game seats for the Cleveland Horseshoe Casino, which will be Ohio’s first and Cleveland’s only casino once it opens during the spring of 2012. Enriched with a deep gaming history and a profound relationship with some of the most prestigious casinos worldwide, Gasser seized the opportunity to partner with Cleveland’s Horseshoe Casino because of its relationship with Harrah’s, which gave Gasser its start in the gaming industry. “It was the perfect opportunity to work with the Cleveland Horseshoe Casino,” said Mark Gasser, president of Gasser Chair Co. “I believe our partnership over the past five decades testifies to our quality of work and customer service.” For more information, visit www.gasserchair.com.
Incredible Technologies Receives New Mexico and Iowa Licenses
Incredible Technologies (IT) announced that it has been granted two gaming licenses in support of the national rollout of their popular Magic Touch® brand of Class III games. IT received a manufacturers’ license by the state of New Mexico Gaming Control Board and a manufacturer’s and distributor’s license by the state of Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The licenses increase the company’s North American slot market potential to 11 states plus various tribal jurisdictions, where more than 350,000 total industry games are currently in operation. In addition, the company is also a licensed manufacturer in the state of Nevada, where it intends on introducing its popular slot games this summer. For more information, visit www.itcasinogames.com.
BMM Awarded Recognition by NYCE
BMM is pleased to announce that the Mexican-based organization Normalización y Certificación Electrónica A.C. (NYCE) formally recognizes BMM as a testing facility for the technical standards known as “NMX” that are used by many in Mexico. As the Mexican market continues to develop at a rapid pace, both BMM and NYCE wanted to ensure all global products had a clear path to meet the voluntary certification requirements. BMM and NYCE have chosen to work together closely over the last several months to ensure BMM meets the necessary criteria and achieve this significant milestone. Mexico has more than 70,000 gaming devices operating in more than 300 slot parlors. For more information, visit www.bmm.com.
Steve ZbinFutureLogic Launches First-of-Its-Kind Customer Service Role
FutureLogic Inc. announced that it has named Steve Zbin as customer experience manager. In this capacity, Zbin will act as a valuable resource and point of contact for customers with inquiries about technical or service-related issues regarding FutureLogic products. This first-of-its-kind position in the gaming market reaffirms FutureLogic’s superior customer service program and assures world-class support for existing customers, as well as those just beginning to adopt the company’s popular TITO printers and promotional couponing solutions. Zbin has been with FutureLogic for eight years, first as sales manager-OEM applications and then as business manager. Before joining FutureLogic, he held positions as field applications engineer and regional sales manager for Seiko Instruments’ Micro Printer Division. For more information, visit www.futurelogic-inc.com.
Rainmaker Chosen by Revel Entertainment Group and Dover Downs
The Rainmaker Group announces that Revel Entertainment Group LLC has selected Rainmaker’s revolution™ system to optimize profits for its brand-new $2.4 billion lifestyle resort, Revel, on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The revolution system implementation will help Revel maximize the total customer value of guest spend for the resort’s hotel rooms, gaming and other entertainment, as well as the spa, restaurants, retail and meeting facilities. Spanning 6.3 million square feet and standing 47 stories tall in Atlantic City, Revel is bringing a true resort option to the Northeast. The beachfront destination is smoke-free and features 1,800 rooms with an ocean view, two performance spaces, more than a dozen restaurants, two night clubs, a day club, spa, beach club, retail shops and a casino.
The Rainmaker Group also announced that Dover Downs Hotel & Casino will implement its revolution profit optimization solution to maximize total customer value for the 500-room hotel, its nine food and beverage outlets, spa, gaming floor, and group convention facilities. Rainmaker expects to complete the system installation later this year. For more information, visit www.letitrain.com.
Kate Lowenhar-FisherIMGL Welcomes Lowenhar-Fisher to Elite Gaming Law Education Group
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is pleased to announce that Kate Lowenhar-Fisher has been accepted as a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL). She shares this honor with many of the world’s top gaming attorneys, regulators, compliance officers, tribal leaders and educators, and is the first Brownstein attorney to be admitted to IMGL. As a shareholder in Brownstein’s Gaming Law Group, Lowenhar-Fisher counsels gaming clients on regulatory issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, reorganizations and financings. She also advises many of the firm’s clients on issues related to Internet gaming, sweepstakes, contests and promotions. IMGL membership consists of more than 200 members from more than 38 countries, including members from 32 states and the District of Columbia in the United States. For more information, visit www.gaminglawmasters.com.
JCJ Architecture Designs First-Ever Casino in New York City
JCJ Architecture has announced the completion of the first phase of the 1,086,000-square-foot Resorts World Casino New York City in Queens, N.Y., the largest entertainment center in New York City’s metro area and the city’s only casino. Developed and operated by Malaysian-based Genting Group, the project is the first company-owned U.S. venture for the leading global leisure and hospitality corporation. The long-anticipated entertainment complex will contribute approximately $350 million annually to the state of New York to support education, while offering locals and tourists alike world-class gaming, dining and entertainment options. For more information, visit www.jcj.com.
Warrior Gaming Associates Inc. Makes Las Vegas Debut
Warrior Gaming Associates (WGA) welcomed well wishers at its official debut March 1 at a reception held at the company’s Las Vegas headquarters. The start-up Native American-owned manufacturer of Class II and Class III machines is managed by veterans of Mandalay, Wynn, Trump and IGT, as well as multiple Native properties. “While we will be providing myriad services throughout the gaming industry, our primary focus will be the production and distribution of slot machines, including the much sought after, newly-patented perimeter bonus system which we will be showcasing in the near future,” said company president Gary Green. Warrior Gaming Associates also unveiled its new Perimeter Bonusing game at this year’s NIGA trade show. For more information, visit www.warriorgamingassociates.com.
G2E Asia to Offer Enhanced Educational Content
From learning about the latest trends in Asian and global gaming to hands-on professional development workshops, Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia) 2012 will offer the insights and knowledge industry professionals need to compete in the global gaming market. The event takes place May 22-24 at the Venetian Macao, in Macau S.A.R., People’s Republic of China. The conference will begin with the Global Markets Forum, a full-day program featuring a series of in-depth discussions on how various economic and regulatory issues are affecting current and emerging gaming jurisdictions in the pan-Asian region. This year, G2E Asia will host Asia’s first Global Gaming Women (GGW) event, a networking breakfast and speed mentoring event for women executives from across the international gaming industry. On May 23, the conference will divide into two tracks—one for senior management and one for middle management—covering operations, gaming technology and marketing, with content tailored to each group. One seminar will feature Sal Piacente and the latest casino cheats and scams in blackjack and craps. For more information, visit www.g2easia.com.
Bernhard TeuchmannNovomatic Gaming Spain S.A. Names Teuchmann Managing Director
Novomatic announced Bernhard Teuchmann as the new managing director for its subsidiary company Novomatic Gaming Spain. Teuchmann is excited about his new role and the challenges ahead. He said, “The Spanish B market is, with its 17 differently regulated regions, characterized by a large degree of segmentation; hence each jurisdiction needs to be seen and treated as a market on its own. The whole team at Novomatic Gaming Spain is working hard and is full of enthusiasm to cater each of them with the greatest care in order to supply the right products to the different customers in the respective jurisdictions.” For more information, visit www.novomatic.com.
Michael D. LiptonRobert Stocker IITwo Dickinson Wright Attorneys Recognized by Chambers
Dickinson Wright attorneys Robert W. Stocker II and Michael D. Lipton, Q.C. have been ranked as Band 1 attorneys by Chambers and Partners in the Gaming & Gambling Global Practice Area for the fifth consecutive year. Chambers Global, publisher of the world’s leading guides to the legal profession, researches the strengths and reputations of international law firms and attorneys through in-depth interviews with peer and competing-firm attorneys, in-house counsel and significant purchasers of legal services. Stocker’s international practice focuses on gaming, regulatory, corporate and alternative insurance programs law. Practicing in Dickinson Wright’s Toronto office, Lipton has served as senior counsel on several gaming law matters. For more information, visit www.dickinson-wright.com.
Scioto Downs Casino & Racetrack Appoints GM of Gaming
MTR Gaming Group Inc. announced that it has named industry veteran Troy J. Buswell to the position of vice president and general manager of Scioto Downs Casino & Racetrack in Columbus, Ohio, effective immediately. The casino is currently under construction and slated to open in the second quarter of 2012. Buswell is a 17-year veteran of the gaming industry. He most recently served as director of slot operations at MTR Gaming Group’s Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort, located in Chester, W. Va. For more information, visit www.mtrgaming.com.
Pinnacle Entertainment Elects Rogers and Studenmund to Board of Directors
Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. announced the election of Desiree Rogers and Jaynie Miller Studenmund to the company’s board of directors. Rogers is CEO of Johnson Publishing Company LLC. Rogers joined Johnson in August 2010, and has revitalized the company’s EBONY and JET magazine brands, and its Fashion Fair Cosmetics business. Studenmund’s current corporate boards include Orbitz Worldwide Inc., Western Asset, Forest Lawn Memorial Parks, and until recently, eHarmony and MarketTools. Studenmund brings more than 30 years of executive operating experience in the Internet and financial services industries. For more information, visit www.pnkinc.com.
Kelly SkindzelewskiPotawatomi Bingo Casino Names Skindzelewski PR Director
Potawatomi Bingo Casino has named Kelly Skindzelewski as its public relations director. In her new position, Skindzelewski will oversee all functions of the public relations department, which includes the areas of internal communications, external communications and public affairs. Skindzelewski has been with the casino as public affairs manager since 2007. She has more than 20 years of communications and PR experience. For more information, visit www.paysbig.com.
Michael StarrLittle Creek Casino Resort Selects Starr as New CEO
Squaxin Island Tribe has named Michael Starr the new CEO of Little Creek Casino Resort, the tribe’s award-winning entertainment property in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle and Olympia. With 30-plus years of experience in the gaming industry, Starr comes to Little Creek Casino Resort from Primm Valley Casino Resorts in Nevada, where he managed three hotel-casinos as executive vice president and general manager. Starr was previously senior vice president and COO of Fontainebleau Resorts-Las Vegas and Miami Beach, Fla. For more information, visit www.little-creek.com.
Matthew WhalenGTECH Corp. Names Matthew Whalen New CTO
GTECH Corp. announced that Matthew Whalen has been promoted to senior vice president and chief technology officer. In his new role, Whalen will be responsible for providing the overall technology leadership and strategy for GTECH. He will report to GTECH President and Chief Executive Officer Jaymin B. Patel. Whalen began his career at GTECH in 1994 and has worked in various technology, engineering and management positions. Most recently, Whalen served as senior vice president, global technology solutions. For more information, visit www.gtech.com.
Marge AndersonMarge Anderson Honored by NIGA
Marge Anderson, chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, was honored on April 2 by the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA). Anderson received the Tim Wapato Sovereign Warrior Award for her longtime commitment to championing tribal sovereignty and Indian gaming. Anderson is one of the nation’s most respected tribal leaders and a foremost advocate for tribal sovereignty. She has served nearly 30 years in the band’s government. Anderson’s extensive honors include selection as one of the 25 most influential women in Minnesota by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and one of the 100 most influential Minnesotans of the 20th century by the Star Tribune. For more information, visit www.millelacsband.com.
Merkur Gaming Appoints van Marissing Managing Director
Daniel van Marissing has been appointed managing director at Merkur Gaming, a subsidiary of the eastern Westphalian Gauselmann Group, commencing his position on March 1. In his new function as an experienced industry expert, van Marissing will make a substantial contribution to further strengthening the presence of Merkur Gaming internationally. As managing director, he is responsible for expanding the existing business activities and opening up new markets. For more information, visit www.merkur-gaming.com.