Aristocrat Leisure is to withdraw from many world markets and focus its efforts on the U.S., Japan and Australia.

The Australian game supplier's CEO and MD Jamie Odell said: "We will home in on the few gamechanging opportunities that will make us successful."

Server-based gaming systems supplier BetStone is the latest to strengthen its commitment to the Latin American market, with the opening of a new office in Mexico City and the launch of games and management software at ELA.

BetStone - headquartered in Dublin, Ireland - is setting up its office in the Mexican capital to provide a local support presence for its customers in Central and South America.

Ian Whiston has joined Clever Duck Media, organiser of the International Gaming Awards, as media manager. A graphic and multimedia designer, Whiston has previously worked with companies including Evo Games and Sony.

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) has added four new corporate members, bringing its total to nearly 80, while continuing to support industry initiatives with cash donations.

The new members are Cammegh, the British manufacturer of roulette wheels and display equipment; Taiwanese slot maker Paokai Electronic Enterprise; Cole Industries, the Las Vegas supplier of turnkey gaming cabinets; and Trade Show Fabrications, also of Las Vegas, which provides services for exhibitors at trade fairs.

Gaming software developer Hermes SoftLab says it is supporting version 2.0 of the Gaming Standards Association's Game-to-System (G2S) protocol, devised to improve communications and interoperability between casino systems and devices.

Bally Technologies has named three vice presidents to spearhead technology development and North American sales.

Walt Eisele, who joined Bally in 2004 when it acquired Sierra Design Group, becomes VP of strategic technology.

Bepi Mottes has joined payment mechanism maker MEI as Vice President of new business development for EMEA.

"He is well-known in the gaming industry for his determination to help customers find a solution that adds tremendous value," said Tom Nugent, MEI President of gaming and retail.

London Clubs International (LCI) is attracting Chinese gamers to two of its venues in the British capital with the addition of Pai Gow to its range of games.

Casino at the Empire in Leicester Square and the Golden Nugget on Shaftesbury Avenue, both close to London's Chinatown, now offer the game.

Aristocrat Technologies Europe will offer nearly 80 games across its Viridian/Gen 7 and Xcite/Mk VI platforms after the launch of a new range in the autumn.

On the way for Viridian cabinets are three Multi Line games - Agent M, Attack of the Monsters, and Kick'n Ass - and three 50 Line products, Harlequin Hearts, Reel Power Flights of Fancy, and Spring Festival. They bring the total Viridian range to 43.

Spanish casino operator Orenes Group has opened a new venue in Peñiscola.

Its latest casino is in the Hosteria del Mar Hotel on the town's seafront promenade. Games include American roulette and blackjack - with two tables apiece - along with French roulette, five-card stud and poker.

Taiwan could get its first casinos if residents of the Penghu archipelago off its western coast approve in a September referendum. About 3600 of the Penghu islands' 70,000 residents - slightly more than required - have signed a petition to request the referendum, which will ask voters whether Penghu should "host international-calibre hotels with gaming facilities". Tourism is a significant industry on the islands.

Anew casino in western Pennsylvania is expected to grab a large share of the region's gaming revenue.

The $800m Rivers Casino, a joint venture by Walton Street Capital, High Pitt Gaming and Don Barden, will be a competitor for the area's currently dominant pair of racinos - the Meadows, southeast of Pittsburgh, and the Mountaineer complex just over the state line in New Cumberland, West Virginia.

About 140 exhibitors have already booked stands at January's International Gaming Expo (IGE) in London, according to organiser Clarion Gaming.

They include Novomatic-AGI/Astra Games, IGT/Barcrest/Cyberview, Merkur Gaming, WMS Gaming, JPM/Synot, Aristocrat Technologies, TCS John Huxley, TAB Austria, Bally Gaming, Atronic, Play4Win, Boss Media, Playtech, Microgaming, and Cryptologic.

Downtown Las Vegas appeared to be out-performing the Strip this summer, with gaming revenue across downtown declining just 5.6 percent year on year during June while the Strip sank 14.8 percent.

That figure meant downtown gaming revenues were still ahead of 2007.

Estonian casino operator Olympic Entertainment was hit hard in the first half of the year by worsening economic conditions in the Baltic nations.

Revenue at the firm, listed on the Tallinn stock exchange, dropped 31 percent to 61.7m Euro ($88m), while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) plummeted 91 percent to 1.53m Euro ($2.2m).