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Enjoy the English language edition of Ricki Chavez-Munoz's popular Casino International column…
It's just one month to go for the expo Sagse Buenos Aires 2008, and we are getting ready to return to South America, where two new casinos will be opened: Thunderbird Resorts' Fiesta Casino will open in Lima this month, while NovoSun's Monticello Grand Casino will open in October just south of Santiago in Chile.
While the first casino is sited right in the middle of the elegant city of Miraflores in Lima, which according to Lawrence Levy, Thunderbird Director of Casino Operations - Peru, will be an entertainment property for all with bars, restaurants and the first Spa and Wellness health and beauty centre in the country, as well as a VIP casino par excellence, in Chile, the casino is the first part of a project that will be the largest in South America.
During the Peru Gaming Show 2008 in Lima, we had the opportunity to talk with Karen Sierra-Hughes, GLI's representative for the region, who said that Ecuador had approved gaming machines certification regulations. We also met David Chavez Munoz, no relation, the new Chief of LabCert, who has just taken charge of the country's certification department at the Catholic University.
It was great to see a Mexican friend, who we were told was coming to Lima to eat all the ceviche he could find. Ceviche being a popular local dish where fish is marinated in lime and seasoned with garlic and salt, as well as a generous compliment of onions, et al. My friend was saying to all and sundry that he wanted to eat the real McCoy ceviche, as the one he tries everywhere is no match for Peru's very own.
The thing is that after a few straight Cuzqueña beers and Pisco chasers, my Mexican friend started to have a go at everyone who counterfeited, or claimed as their own ceviche, Pisco, and even tequila! Still, after PGS 2008, where the stand builders for our British associates were the very worst anywhere, we are sure that as far as I am concerned they will not build another stand at a gaming show, whether in Lima or Timbuktu!
Cheers,
Ricki.
TWO CASINOS OPEN IN CHILE
On August 7, the Spanish group Egasa-Nervion opened Gran Casino Copiapó near the northern town of Atacama, as the first phase of a US$33.3 million project, which will also feature a five-star hotel, convention centre, spa, sports facilities, cinemas, disco, and eateries. The new entertainment complex will create 292 new jobs.
The casino has 240 slot machines and 12 gaming tables, as well as a bingo salon for 357 people. According to Gaming Commission estimates, the local governments will net around US$950,000 in gaming tax during the first year from casino revenue.
Earlier in the month Casinos Austria launched its newest casino in the capital of Bio-Bio province in southern Chile, where the Gran Casino Los Angeles celebrated its opening with an official ceremony and cocktail reception attended by local dignitaries, representatives of the gaming authorities, invited guests and journalists.
The casino has 12 gaming tables, 200 slot machines and a 40-seat Bingo room. The gaming experience at Gran Casino Los Angeles is unrivalled in the region. "We are very excited about our new casino," said Gabriel Benvenuto, General Manager of Gran Casino Los Angeles. "The interior has been inspired by the amazing natural surroundings around Los Angeles. With its original woodwork and modern, spacious design, Gran Casino Los Angeles is a great new attraction in the heart of the city.
NOVOMATIC AND CASINO TECHNOLOGY SHINE AT PGS 2008
At the Peru Gaming Show 2008 Austrian Gaming Industries GmbH (AGI), wholly owned subsidiary of Novomatic AG, and its subsidiary Crown Gaming Peru exhibited their latest products for the Peruvian and Latin American markets.
Novomatic featured a large array of internationally successful games in the latest bestselling cabinets that included the sophisticated Super-V+ Gaminator and Super-R+ Gaminator game mixes, as well as the Super V+ Gaminator mix number 20 that was launched during the Peru Gaming Show.
The game mixes featured either a great choice of Coolfire II video multi-game mixes only (Super-V+ Gaminator) or the highly popular blend of a reel game on three giant mechanical reels and state-of-the-art video gaming technology: Hybrid Technology made in Austria and offered to the world of gaming in the Super-R+ Gaminator. Further highlights at the show were the Novo Super-Vision and Novo-Vision Slant Top I cabinets also featuring a number of hot multi-game mixes that have been specially designed for the Latin American markets.
The new games presented in the attractive multi-game mixes will include a number of newly designed AGI classics that are now for the first time available on the Coolfire II platform for the South American continent. Among them are hit games such as the long-awaited Dolphin’s Pearl deluxe, Lucky Lady’s Charm deluxe, Pharaoh’s Gold II deluxe and Queen of Hearts deluxe as well as innovative new games such as Luxury Express or a number of 20-line games such as Cities of Gold.
Jens Halle, Managing Director AGI said: “After AGI’s award winning in Peru last year we were very definitely looking forward to this year’s event. Our strong sales success in Peru and further afield, not just in the last year but over many years, clearly proves our determined strategy to become a major force across South America, which has become one of the global gaming industry’s hottest regions.”
Also greatly pleased with results at Peru’s expo was Nevena Aleksieva, Latin America Sales Manager for Casino Technology, who said that they had been successful beyond belief, as they sold all the numerous machines at the show: “Our stand was visited by many people and we realized a great deal of sales of our GEMINI machines, which has a progressive system compatible with this popular game. We’re sure that the operators are going to be very happy with the results from our games and I am sure that we shall sell a lot more games in the region”
Casino Technology has also completed the certification of their games based on the Pluto system, and is following the same certification process for the Apolo and Serie G-Club games, as well as games based on personal PCs. GLI has already homologated the latest CCT video games such as Golden Bird, Carnival King, Aztec Returns, Colombus Treasure and Ocean Delight, and the complete MULTI-GEMINI series, which were also well received in Panama and Mexico.
US$20M REVENUE PROJECTION FOR MONTEVIDEO CASINOS
The Montevideo Municipal Council has presented a revenue projection for the Municipal Casinos in the Uruguay capital city for 2009 with data around US$20 million. Current estimates for this year will improve on 2007's US$1 million.
We never had any doubt that the Montevideo municipal casinos would be profitable if they were properly managed and have maintained that the loss during the term of Juan Carlos Bengoa, ex casino director between 2000 and 2005 was greater than the reported US$15 million, because missing revenue was not taken into account. Bengoa awaits sentence in jail charged with fraud and grand larceny.
STATE-OF-THE-ART ROULETTES IN SAGSE BUENOS AIRES 2008
The ultimate in state-of-the-art electronic roulettes with the highest worldwide sales will be at SAGSE Buenos Aires 2008 on 15, 16 and 17 October. It is estimated that around the world there are some 12,000 such gaming machines with cutting-edge technology, innovative systems and eye-catching games for players.
These products include the latest 2D and 3D High Resolution graphics with liquid crystal touch-screen monitors, high speed microprocessors, SAS protocols, TITO, player tracking systems, etc. Hybrid systems that combine traditional with electronic roulettes, customized bets and onscreen statistics are also available.
Present at SAGSE 2008 in the Costa Salguero Convention Center will be top electronic roulette manufacturers, including Alfastreet, Electro Chance, Heal Technology (Montalay), TCSJohnHuxley, Selton, Gold Club and others. These manufacturers have exciting new and enlarged stands where they will welcome visitors and buyers at the gaming exhibition.
