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Latino America
Ricki Chavez Munoz reports from this gaming hotspot in March 2009...
It’s been a very bad winter in Europe, and I’m glad to be back in Latin America. Frankly, if it wasn’t for the London Show, IGE, I would scarper to sunnier climates as soon as the New Year was in! Maybe now that ICE has changed its name it should move to the Caribbean!
I will try to catch the Aruba Gaming Show 2009, which my friends Elizabeth Leiva and Patricia Alarcon have organized in mid-March, before going to Mexico City for GAMMEX 2009 on April 1-2, at the World Trade Center, and soon after that it will be time to move to Bogotá for FADJA 2009.
Someone said: “So many shows!” Well, as gaming develops in the region, gaming expos are a sign that competition is rife in all the segments of the industry, as can be seen by the opening of casinos at the rate of one or more per month. The good news for Latin America is that the economic malaise that affects most of the rest of the world is not making a telling impact on the local economies. Peru grew at over 10% in 2008!
The best thing that the expo organizers have is their ability to create and open up new markets and opportunities for the industry, and from this column I sincerely wish all of them a load of visitors, so that the exhibitors can do good business.
Cheers,
Ricki.
Ritzio opens premium Allegre Casino en Medellin
Ritzio International launched a premium class Allegre Casino in the city of Medellin, Colombia, and says that the property will become the country's most luxurious gaming environment yet seen, offering the highest level of service to upscale clientele in the heart of the city.
The 2,600 square-meter venue features 490 state-of-the-art gaming machines and 25 tables for Blackjack, Baccarat, Caribbean Stud, and a double zero Roulette. Poker players are provided with a special treat, the Poker Room, which allows playing of the game on six tables.
For premium guests the Allegre Casino offers an opulent VIP lounge to enjoy gaming in a more intimate and relaxing atmosphere. In addition to the main gaming floor the property also provides a performance area with a stage for band concerts, dance and lounge act entertainment. Two cozy bars, located near the stage and the VIP zone, seat 52 persons and entice clients to enjoy a martini between gaming sessions.
Allegre is designed by prominent Peruvian architect Willy Gomez-Moron, who decorated Admiral Prater Casino in Vienna, Austria, Ritzio's New York Casino in Lima, Peru and other large gaming environments in Latin America . The property features classical casino decor with elegant touches of Latin American patterns interspersed around the venue.
Uruguay gets ready to start tender for 13 casinos
The Direccion General de Casinos (DGC) in Uruguay have started to set the legal parametres for the tender process for thirteen new casinos throughout the country, starting next month. DGC media coordinator Luis Gama explained that all properties would fall under the Mixed Tourist and Commercial Business Exploitation System, which controls state owned operating company Casinos del Estado, as contractor with tender winners.
According to Gama, the Uruguay government enables the investor to set up a turnkey casino property and hand it over to Casinos del Estado to run the casino operation. Under the system, the investor rents the fully equipped casino property to the DGC but as part of the contract the investor may able to provide services to the casino for security, surveillance, maintenance, etc., subject to DGC controls and directives.
The mixed system affords between 30-35% of the profits to the investor and, according to Gama, the percentage 'depends on each venture'. In 2008, Casinos del Estado posted revenue at US$150 million, with slots taking 91.34%.
Paraguay President replaces Gaming Commission chief
Paraguay President, Fernando Lugo, signed the executive decree naming Patricia Marchewka as representative of the Exchequer to the National Gaming Commission, Conajzar. This put an end to Cristhian Vera's controversial role as head the local regulators in Asuncion.
Marchewka is a career civil servant at the Paraguay Exchequer and is considered to be one of Minister Dionisio Borda's close aides. As new head of Conajzar, Marchewka will have so sort out the problems that Vera has left in Conajzar, especially the tender for the second casino in the Paraguay capital, where one of the companies reported Vera to the National Ombudsman for dubious dealings.
BetStone appointment for Latin America
BetStone, the pioneer in server-based gaming (SBG) solutions, has appointed Marzia Turrini as head of business development for Latin America. Reporting directly to the board, Turrini will focus on working closely with customers in Latin America to deliver industry-leading customer service and to support the growth of server based gaming across the region.
Avron Goss, Director BetStone says: "BetStone is delighted to welcome Marzia to the senior management team during this exciting period when BetStone is demonstrating the difference server-based gaming can make in the Latin American market".
Turrini brings a wealth of server-based gaming business and technology expertise to the role, having been immersed in the European and Latin American gaming industry for over six years.
Valeria Guzman joins GAMMEX 2009 team
With the gaming legislation process getting hotter in Mexico and with less than 60 days from the first-ever industry expo in Mexico City, the Gaming & Amusement Expo Mexico – GAMMEX 2009 – named Valeria Guzman as Marketing Manager.
As an expert in marketing and tourism, Valeria Guzman is Customer Service Manager in Nicaragua’s Tourist Institute (INTUR) and in charge of organizing the institute’s participation in international expos. As a marketing officer of Korean company ACE A&G, Guzman was responsible for customer services during ICE 2007.
Guzman said: “I believe that my experience in marketing and the tourist sector, along with my studies in Europe will be valuable in my new appointment. I am used to working in a team environment where creativity and sales drive are essential success tools.”
