British bingo operators have won some reprieve from planned tax increases, but venue closures are still feared. In April, the government had proposed to increase the gross profit tax from 15 percent to 22 percent – an unexpected move that led to a demonstration at the Houses of Parliament in London under the banner of the I’m Backing Bingo pressure group.

Many casino operators’ attention is likely to be turning to Africa this winter, with regulations easing in Mozambique and a South African licence up for grabs.

The relaxed Mozambique gaming regime, unanimously approved by the nation’s assembly in June and now signed into law by President Armando Guebuza, will allow casinos to be developed throughout the country.

Elektroncek add-on

Elektroncek has redesigned the PID component of its Megastar Roulette and Dicestar multiterminal gaming machines. The new PID Star, an optional add-on, is mounted above the centre unit and provides players with information including live video and statistical data about the last 200 games.

Two Las Vegas casinos have opened new hotel towers despite what some see as an over-supply of rooms in the gaming capital.

Planet Hollywood Resort has 1201 rooms in its new PH Towers – about 200 of them marketed as timeshares for extended visits – while the HRH Tower at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has 374 rooms, intended to offer a boutique option to older, premium customers.

888.com has acquired the Wink online bingo business, which operates networks including Wink Bingo, Posh Bingo and Bingo Fabulous.

Wink has enlisted more than 60,000 active players since its launch in early 2008.

Casinos Austria has reshuffled top management as it prepares to implement international expansion plans approved last month by the group’s board.

Josef Leutgeb, previously Financial Director, and Paul Herzfeld, currently Deputy Director General, are leaving their posts to focus on international development. Leutgeb has already stepped down from his finance role; Herzfeld will vacate his position in the middle of the year.

Genting is this month opening the first phase of its $4.4bn Resorts World Sentosa development in Singapore.

The complex debuts with 1350 rooms and ten restaurants across the Hard Rock Hotel, Hotel Michael and Crockfords Tower, as well as the Festive Hotel, which – unusually for a casino resort – is designed specifically for families with children.

Online gaming firms based outside the UK may have to apply for a British licence if they want to serve customers in that country.

British Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe is proposing that licensing by the country’s Gambling Commission should be a requirement for companies wanting to advertise or provide online gaming services in Britain.

Rank Group subsidiary Grosvenor Casinos opened its G-branded venue in the northern English city of Sheffield in December, just a week after closing its Grosvenor-branded site in the same city.

Online gaming firm 888 has published its first report on corporate responsibility, covering 2008.

During that year, 888 jointed FTSE4Good – a London Stock Exchange index “designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards”.

Online gamers can play Poker with real cards – kind of – after a deal between Gioia International and Red Planet Gaming.

The RealDealPoker.com Website, run on a Red Planet platform, will use Gioia’s new Cut N’ Shuffle dealing system when it launches in February.

Mark Gasser is the new President of Gasser Chair Company, where he has worked since 1973, becoming Executive Vice President in 1985. The role was previously held by Gary Gasser, who remains Chairman and CEO. The Ohio firm specialises in seating for the hospitality and gaming sectors.

The arrival of table games in Pennsylvania’s casinos is likely to bring smiles to cash-strapped state authorities and woes to already beleaguered Atlantic City.

A law recently ratified by Governor Ed Rendell allowing casinos, currently slots-only, to offer table games too will help to balance Pennsylvania’s budget by adding to its annual casino tax revenue, currently just over $1bn.

The president of Palau has vetoed legislation which would have allowed gaming in the tiny Pacific nation.

The Palau Gaming Control Act of 2009 would have authorised the first gaming venues in Palau – also known as Belau – and established a supervisory commission.

Aristocrat has collaborated with video-game legend Sega to create two new slots.

Based on characters from the Sega classics Bonanza and Golden Axe, they will be available from Aristocrat in the first quarter of 2010.

Online casino group Grand Privé has enlisted eCogra to investigate claims that it betrayed affiliates when it cancelled its affiliate-marketing programme in December 2008.

Internet forums have bubbled with resentment at Grand Privé apparently expressed by former affiliates, making claims such as “the casino group will continue to profit while tossing hundreds if not thousands of Webmasters into the cold”.

An alliance between game design firm Astro and server-based gaming (SBG) specialist Inspired Gaming Group will see the two draw on each other’s technology and expertise.

One man was jailed and another received a suspended sentence after cheating at British casinos.

Abdullah Toksoz, a Turkish national living in London, was sent to prison for 16 months after pleading guilty to deception, false representation and fraud.

Two casinos in England’s Midlands region have been acquired by an independent operator after going into administration.

Casino 36 Ltd., which runs the eponymous Casino 36 in Stockport, paid an undisclosed sum for the Castle Hill casino in Dudley and The Rubicon in Wolverhampton. Both are located in the conurbation surrounding Birmingham, Britain’s second city.

Construction has started on a 50km-long bridge linking Hong Kong to Macau.

The 73bn yuan ($10.7bn) project is expected to cut driving time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai to just one hour, and with Zhuhai already linked to Macau by another bridge, it will potentially open up Macau’s casinos to many more Hong Kong visitors. It currently takes four hours to make the journey.

CityCenter is open. MGM Mirage’s grand project on the Las Vegas Strip welcomed the first guests to its Aria resort and casino in mid-December.

The casino is a 150,000-square-foot facility with 1940 slots and 145 table games, while the 61-storey hotel has just over 4000 rooms. Cirque du Soleil will stage a resident production.

New York City’s suburbs could get a new Indian casino following federal recognition of the Shinnecock tribe on Long Island.

Following a three-decade fight in court to be acknowledged as a legitimate tribe, the Shinnecock Indians are likely to gain their new status after a public comment period of six months at most. They would then be able to run a Class II casino on their territory.

Singapore’s Weike Gaming Technology is to enter the European market with the launch in Spain of its multiplayer Baccarat, Blackjack and Poker games.

The gaming machine and systems maker will offer its five-player Revo Baccarat and Blackjack and ten-player Poker Pal X to Spanish casinos before turning to other European territories.

Visitor numbers in the exhibition hall at November’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas were up about seven percent on 2008.

Overall attendance – including exhibitor staff – was about 26,000. That figure was down about 3.5 percent on the previous year, but organisers said the drop was largely because of a decline in the numbers of exhibitor staff, who represent about one in six of attendees.

Harrah’s Entertainment was poised to take over the Planet Hollywood resort and casino in Las Vegas as we went to press.

A Harrah’s subsidiary had filed an application for approval of the move with the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

British operator Genting Group appears to be embracing electronic gaming, closing one conventional casino in favour of an electronic-only site and opening an electronic-only betting office next to another casino.

JCM Global and Bally Technologies have both been victorious in patent infringement cases at US federal courts, as we reported last issue.

In the JCM case, a federal district court judge upheld the verdict delivered by a Las Vegas jury in January that found MEI’s CashFlow SC series of bill acceptors had infringed patent protection on JCM’s removable stacker mechanism.

Server-based gaming (SBG) is allowing casinos in developing markets to catch up with their counterparts in the developed world, according to BetStone, which supplies an SBG platform.

The firm said that recent industry events such as Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas and SAGSE in Buenos Aires had showed that “casino operators are no longer viewing this technology in a conservative way, but want the best technological fit”.

JCM Global is to continue as exclusive provider of currency-validation systems to eight venues operated by Ameristar Casinos in the US.

The deal includes sites in  Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Nevada.

Two new casinos in Pennsylvania pushed gross gaming revenue in the state up by nearly 27 percent in November.

The state’s nine casinos with slots brought in $166,293,583 during the month, up 26.73 percent from November 2008, according to the State Gaming Control Board.

Ladbrokes has chosen Evolution Gaming to manage live dealing on its LadbrokesCasino.com Website.

Evolution Gaming will provide 24-hour streaming video of real dealers from its Latvia studios, allowing Ladbrokes’ customers at Baccarat, Blackjack and Roulette tables to interact with live croupiers.

Industry veteran Robert van Enkhuijzen has set up his own consultancy to help gaming and amusement firms develop new markets and new business opportunities.

“Although the gaming market is global it is still full of complexities and I see my task as supporting and accompanying my clients in understanding the requirements, challenges and indeed potential stumbling blocks in each individual country,” said  van Enkhuijzen.

Two Ohio residents learned that it pays to read the terms and conditions after their lawsuit against online gaming operator Party Poker failed.

A federal court in Ohio rejected their class-action claim that they and others had lost money playing with Party Poker because other players had colluded against them. They claimed that Party Poker was aware of the collusion but did not act to stop it.

The second annual International Casino Conference (ICC) on 25 January will cover issues including regulation, casino design, new products, the role of social media, and loyalty programmes.

Clever Duck Media has named the finalists for the 2010 International Gaming Awards.

Nearly 300 entries were received from 30 countries for the prizes, which will be presented at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London on 25 January. Tickets for the event, where Francis Lui of Galaxy Entertainment and Mitch Garber of Harrah’s Interactive will take the stage, were almost sold out as we went to press.

Bally Technologies, Konami Gaming and WMS Gaming are among the notable casino suppliers expanding their presence at IGE this year.

But the biggest stands will belong to IGT Europe and Novomatic, organisers say.

Britain’s new responsible-gaming charity the Great Foundation will present its first awards at IGE on 26 January.

They “will recognise those gaming organisations whose donations [to the foundation] have exceeded reasonable expectations”, it said.

Bulgaria has raised gambling taxes by as much as 50 percent despite industry warnings that it could lead to job losses.

Under new regulations coming into force at the beginning of January, all forms of gambling will be taxed at 15 percent. Currently, taxes on sports betting are levied at ten percent, while other types of gambling – including casino gaming, the national lottery and bingo – are taxed at 12 percent.

More members

Three new entrants bring the membership list at the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) to 83 firms. The latest additions are display maker Ceronix, poker and slot machine developer Lightning Gaming, and promotions company SCA Gaming.

The Aspers casino in Swansea, Wales, says going membership-free has helped it to grow customer numbers to more than three times the average for venues outside London.

Footfall at the casino in Salubrious Place rose by 13 per cent in its second year of operation, with Aspers welcoming some 35,000 visitors during October alone.

Online gaming will be legalised in the U.S. by 2014 at the latest, according to experts surveyed by the American Gaming Association.

Half of those polled for the eighth edition of the G2E Future Watch forecast, unveiled at November’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, said legalisation is likely in 2010 or 2011, while the majority of the others were confident it would come just a few years later, in 2012-2014.

Law-makers in Australia and Bermuda are pondering their gaming policies in exercises which could lead to new regulatory approaches in both countries.

In Australia, the government’s Productivity Commission is seeking public comment on a draft report which urges joined-up policy on problem gambling.

Bally Technologies and MEI have both been recognised at industry awards events in the US and Europe.

At the Global Gaming Business Gaming and Technology Awards, presented at G2E in Las Vegas in November, Bally says it won more awards than any other firm for the second year running, including two first places for Best Slot Product and Best Productivity Enhancement.

JCM and Bally Technologies have both been victorious in patent infringement cases at US federal courts.

In the JCM case, a federal district court judge upheld the verdict delivered by a Las Vegas jury in January that found MEI’s CashFlow SC series of bill acceptors had infringed patent protection on JCM’s removable stacker mechanism.

Rank Group has taken over Isle of Capri Casinos’ property at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, England, rebranding it under the G Casino marque and confirming Isle of Capri’s departure from markets outside the US.

The acquisition brings Rank’s G Casinos estate in Britain to a total of nine sites, with a tenth set to open soon in the northern city of Sheffield.

The progressive Magic Casinos Jackpot launched in France in September is based on the world’s largest network of interconnected casinos, according to Atronic, which provided the underlying technology and is operating the system.

Diaries are fast filling up for delegates to IGE, the International Gaming Expo which runs 26-28 January at Earls Court in London, and the International Gaming Awards held on the eve of the show.

IGE organiser Clarion Gaming - which also produces the ATEI, ICEi and Betting Show events running simultaneously - will next year launch a new party for IGE attendees at the Orchid nightclub.

The law passed mid-October that will open up French online betting to the private sector is expected to grow the market by nearly 500 percent. The new legislation, which should take effect in the summer of 2010, for the first time will allow companies other than two state-owned operators to run online poker as well as sports and racing betting. And more than three quarters of the operators surveyed in a study by consultants MECN and law firm Ulys are hoping to obtain a French poker licence.

The largest casino in Puerto Rico has opened in Sheraton's newest property. The 20,000-square-foot facility at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel, based around a circular bar and entertainment area, is a 24-hour operation with 16 table games and 448 slots including multidenominational units.

Sweden's online operator Hem Bingo has become the first to upgrade to the Bingo 2.2 system from Gtech's G2 division.

The software supports multiple currencies, linked games, and a set of multi-lingual mini-games shown in the main bingo window. These include progressive slots, table games, video poker and scratch-cards.

Britain's Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT) has relaunched as The Great Foundation with a pledge to aggressively pursue funding from all sectors that benefit from gambling.

The Great Foundation - with Great standing for Gambling Research, Education and Treatment - will research the extent and causes of problem gambling, as well as paying for treatment of affected individuals and funding educational programmes to encourage responsible gambling.

British game content provider WagerWorks has added online sports betting and casino operator Entergaming to its client roster. Entergaming joins high-profile names including Bet365, Betfair, Ladbrokes, Quicksilver and Virgin in offering its customers games from WagerWorks, which also supplies content for mobile and interactive TV platforms.

IT specialist Hermes SoftLab has named Matt Webb as Sales Manager for Gaming. Webb, who previously worked for a payment solutions firm and for Chartwell Games, will be based in London and work with clients throughout Europe.

Dealers at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas have protested against the failure of casino owner Harrah's Entertainment and their union, the Transport Workers Union of America, to reach a contract agreement.

Although it is nearly two years since the dealers - along with workers at Wynn Las Vegas - voted to be represented by the union, no pact has been reached.

Microgaming has added two more online services to its poker network - 5050Poker and Mansion88.

Mattias Eriksson, CEO of 5050Poker, said: "Our players wanted the chance to play against a truly global opposition on a platform that offered improved game and tournament selection as well as greater liquidity."

The end is nigh

The deadline to submit nominations for January's International Gaming Awards has been extended to 28 October. Make nominations or book tickets for the London event at www.gamingawards.Com

Innovative Technology's new Smart Payout device can accept and dispense up to 80 different denominations - a feature which the firm says distinguishes it from most cash recyclers.

"Most of the recycler units currently on the market can accept multidenomination notes but can only pay out one or two small denominations," said Aidan Towey, Innovative's Managing Director.

A further ten of Genting's UK casinos are to install multi-win roulette terminals from server-based gaming specialists Inspired Gaming Group.

The new Resorts World Manila casino which opened this summer is said to have doubled the number of gaming tables in the city and be on track to increase annual revenue by nearly 125 percent.

Britain's Brightshare, which manages online affiliate marketing for Jackpot Factory Group, has become the third recipient of eCogra's Affiliate Trust Seal.

The Affiliate Trust Seal shows that casino and poker affiliate schemes adhere to operational and player-protection standards set by eCogra, a nonprofit organisation based in London.

Two London card cheats were sent to prison after digital video recording helped catch them. The men, reported to be 24 and 46, were recorded making a total of seven cheat moves on two separate visits to the London Clubs casino at the Empire, Leicester Square. Their actions included card swapping under the table during three-card poker.

Casinos Austria International will next year introduce a new brand with the launch of an entertainment complex in Brussels.

Viage, located in the newly-opened Anspach Center on Anspach Boulevard, will include restaurants, bars, chill-out zones, and an event area with a capacity for a thousandstrong audience, as well as a casino.

Casino operators Stanley and Harrah's are both developing their online sites in the UK. Stanley Casinos is launching a Chinese-language version of its online Circus Casino as part of its plan to integrate Internet and offline brands.

Alfastreet Gaming Instruments in the UK funded an expedition to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money for charity.

The firm's John Seed hopes to raise more than $7000 to buy a powered wheelchair for a disabled child after climbing the mountain, which at nearly 5900 meters is the highest in Africa.

More than 80 percent of floor space is now booked up at next year's International Gaming Expo (IGE) and Amusement Trade Exhibition International (ATEI), according to organiser Clarion Gaming Exhibitions.

Casino Technology is to debut up to ten new games at events in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania.

They include African Moon, Chinese Gate Treasure, Girls With Diamonds, Rumble in the Jungle, Super Market and Viva Cuba Libre, as well as a new version of Gamopolis II. All are available in both Gemini and Gemini Sensa cabinets.

Three more companies have joined the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), bringing the membership to a total of 81.

A casino with 200 tables and 2000 slots is to be built as part of the 1bn Euro ($1.5bn) King's City resort development on the shore of Lake Velence, near Budapest in Hungary.

Regulators in New South Wales have approved the Gaming Standards Association's Game to System (G2S) standard.

Storm International has begun operations at its XO Casino in Bishkek, the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. The Art Deco-style casino in the Hyatt Hotel has 12 tables with games including Russian poker, punto banco, blackjack, and roulette.

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).

Former UK Shadow Gambling Minister Nick Hawkins sorts the wheat from the chaff in his bi-monthly column…

Austrian Gaming Industries and Octavian Global Technologies have jointly announced that AGI is now Octavian's majority shareholder. AGI recently increased its shareholding in Octavian to 51 per cent.

Two men are in prison for a total of 14 months, one of them banned from casinos for the next ten years, following the quick thinking work of London Clubs International staff supported by the Met Police.

Aspers in Swansea has appointed a new General Manager, as the venue approaches its second anniversary.

Interblock's excellent G4 Organic Roulette Single Zero with between 3 and 10 play stations have been approved by the Italian jurisdiction.

IGT-UK Group is to restructure its mobile and internet gaming operations following the recent news concerning its acquisition of Million-2-1 and the subsequent announcement covering the integration of the UK division of WagerWorks.

FutureLogic has been named preferred global technology partner by Cirsa Gaming Corporation. Cirsa operates over 150 casinos and bingo halls, and provides gaming solutions worldwide under the Unidesa brand.

As Singapore moves closer to opening its marketplace to casino gaming, Gaming Laboratories International has been officially recognized as a testing laboratory by the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) of Singapore, the regulatory authority responsible for supervising and regulating the casino gaming industry in Singapore.

3M Touch Systems has announced a ‘true multi-touch' LCD developer kit that tracks up to 10 individual fingers and is compatible with the Microsoft Windows 7 platform.

U k sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has announced a new voluntary funding arrangement to bring in at least £15 million over the next three years for the research, education and treatment of problem gambling.

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers has announced that its Board of Directors has approved the membership applications of three new companies, bringing the trade group to a total of 76 members.

ATRONIC Austria has announced that its new technological development project has been granted financial support by the FFG (Oesterreichische Forschungsfoerderungsgesellschaft mbH) and SFG (Steirische Wirtschaftsfoerderungsgesellschaft mgH) due to its rating as "innovations project".

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP have appointed leisure director, David Trunkfield, as the new head of Gaming for the UK practice. Following eight years experience with PwC, this internal promotion sees David move from leader of travel and leisure within the firm's Strategy group, to overall head of Gaming. Previously he worked at the COBA Group, a boutique strategy consultancy.

Suzo Happ in Europe has appointed Trade Game as distribution and service partner in Portugal. Both companies are well known for the dedication to service and focus on supplying the best solutions possible to the gaming market.

Leading full service mobile gambling solutions provider Spin3 has become the first specialised mobile gambling provider to earn the software accreditation seal from the independent player protection and standards organisation eCOGRA.

PokerHeaven.com has launched a new poker tool, The Hand Tracker, that lets players track their playing activity in real time via an animated console.

Edward Hoffman has joined the TableMAX sales team, bringing with him more than 21 years of experience in the gaming industry.

Congressman Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, has introduced two Bills to Congress. His Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009, calls for a legislative infrastructure to allow licensed operators to accept wagers from US residents, while a second bill seeks to push back the date for mandatory compliance with The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) from 1st December this year until the end of 2010.

Grosvenor Casinos, owned by British leisure gaming company, The Rank Group, has paid £650,000 for the casino at Coventry City Football Club's Ricoh Arena.

IGT's second-quarter profit fell by 44 percent, as falling sales and the costs of restructuring the business hit home.

Mark J Wiedemer has returned to Bally Technologies as Director of Systems Sales after a spell at Konami Gaming in a role in which he was responsible for developing systems sales strategy and overseeing business development.

NX2, the latest licensed Roulette table game from TCSJOHNHUXLEY, dispenses with the traditional ‘racetrack' layout to enable a new approach to Roulette neighbour betting.

The US National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) has set up two NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research - one at Yale University, and one at the University of Minnesota. Each Center will receive a three-year grant for a total of $402,500 to undertake research.

Global Cash Access reported strong results for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. Revenues were up 26.6 percent, year-on-year, operating income up 5 percent, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 11.6 percent.

When the organisers of ELA polled exhibitors regarding Swine Flu, the preferred option was postponement rather than total cancellation or the risk of going ahead as planned.

Italian slot specialist Magic Dreams chose the Fadja show in Bogota to show Aztec Moon, a five-reel video slot, available in 9 or 25 lines configuration, that recalls the ancient myth of Aztec Empire, and Return of the Phoenix, the game that mixes traditional Egyptian art and science fiction elements. Both games feature a themed, four-level mystery jackpot.

Aristocrat has released the Sky Heroes theme for its Xtreme Mystery Link, which is available both for Viridian and Xcite machines. Sky Heroes provides a mini-blockbuster aerobatic display for Xtreme Mystery's overhead signage and for the LCD top box on each linked machine.

A federal district court has issued summary judgment rulings that products in Bally's Power Bonusing Suite, in particular Power Promotions, Power Bank, and SDS/CMP Power Winners, don't infringe IGT patents.

The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) has released clarifications to the G2S protocol standard that ‘fine tunes' many points of the protocol. The G2S Message Protocol v2.0.1 is a freely available download at www.gamingstandards.com

Marjolein Clarijs from Holland Casino Breda won the 2009 European Dealer Championship organised by the European Casino Association (ECA) and hosted by the Casino Cosmopol in Malmö, Sweden.

The Las Vegas Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino welcomed 280 competitors to the first World Series of Slots tournament in April. After battling head-to-head through eight rounds, one player walked away with the $100,000 grand prize, part of a $262,000 prize pot. A $10,000 Bonus Tournament was open to players knocked out in the first round.

The 2010 International Gaming Awards will be held in London, England, on 25th January 2010 alongside IGE.

Blackjack Switch, the blackjack variant in which players are dealt two hands and can swap the top two cards between hands, has been approved for trial in Britain by the Gambling Commission.

DEQ Systems' EZ Baccarat no-commission Baccarat with Dragon 7 side bet has been approved for play in Macau, following a request from Wynn Casino in Macau, which is installing four tables. The game accelerates the speed of Baccarat by eliminating the commission, and also increases revenue by allowing players to place side bets.

Lai Fai Chiang has joined the Atronic team in Asia as the Key Account Manager for the region, replacing Zane Reynolds. Chiang, who was with Atronic's distributor RGB for five years, has a detailed knowledge and understanding of the Asian gaming market and its specific requirements. He holds a Bachelor Degree of Commerce majoring in Accounting and Finance.  

According to Spanish Gaming News, International Leisure Development (ILD), the company behind the Gran Scala project has scaled back its ambitions and is currently seeking new partners.

Gaming Support USA has received approval as a gaming supplier by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Ontario is the largest gaming market in Canada, recording both the highest casino and slots revenues of any Canadian province during fiscal 2007-08, according to the company.

IGT has named Craig Billings as its new Vice President, Corporate Finance and Investor Relations, and Tom Mikulich as its new Vice President MegaJackpots.

UK-based online gambling operator Party Gaming has struck a ‘non prosecution' deal with the US Government as part of which it has agreed to pay $105 million dollars over the next three years.

Rolf Klug, member of the management board of the Gauselmann Group, has decided to leave the company after 13 years to pursue a career as a self-employed consultant in the gaming industry.

Cath Burns, Bally's Vice President and Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, has received Casino Enterprise Management Magazine's 2008 Great Women of Gaming ‘Proven Leader' award.

With the looming July 1st deadline for the closure of casinos outside four designated gaming regions in Russia, a lack of investment in replacement infrastructure does not bode well - at least not for the future of the legal casino industry.

The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) and the Gaming Technologies Association (GTA) co-hosted a  Gaming Communication Technology Workshop in Sydney, Australia, to review recent changes in technology and explore how Australasian jurisdictions might be affected by those changes and by the application of GSA protocols.

A £15million refurbishment of the UK's London Hippodrome, due to complete in 2011, is set to create the largest casino in London. The relaunched Hippodrome will offer fine dining and live entertainment alongside gaming. The project is being taken forward by, Simon Thomas and his father Jimmy, who sold their Beacon Bingo business in 2006 for £80 million.

Ian Burke, Rank Group Chief Executive, took part in the Cape Argus Pick 'n' Pay Cycle Tour, a 109km race around the Cape of Good Hope peninsula, South Africa. He rode to raise money for several good causes, including Mecca Bingo's charity of the year, the children's mobility charity Whizz-Kidz. So far Ian has raised £21,000, of which he will be giving £16,000 to Whizz-Kidz.

The Californian Barona Resort and Casino has put up a prize fund of $23,000 in a viral video competition that aims to link in to social networking to promote the venue. Five videos will be shorlisted from entries received by the end of May and the winner will be decided by public vote in June.

The five-year-long intellectual property dispute between Elixir Gaming and Shuffle Master has ended, with Shuffle Master paying between $2.4 and $2.8 million for Elixir Gaming's intellectual property related to card shuffling and card deck checking equipment, including the RandomPlus Shuffler, the ShufflePro Shuffler, and the DeckChecker. As part of the deal, Shuffle Master is to buy Elixir's inventory of those products.

Bank Buster is the third Viridian Hyperlink from Aristocrat. Featuring a charismatic safebreaking pig, designed to entertain players with his vault-raiding antics, the game combines a four-level progressive jackpot with six swag-snatching Bonus Features.

Dr Stanley Ho will be given the 2009 G2E Asia Visionary Award this June, during Global Gaming Expo Asia.

After nine years as the head of exhibitions at Clarion Gaming, organisers of International Gaming Expo, or IGE, Karen Cooke has returned to work at Eurocoin.

WMS Gaming is moving into electronic bingo, Class II and other central determination lottery-based markets following a licensing agreement for back-end systems technology from Canadian firm, Bluberi Gaming Technologies.

Following the appointment of Chris Butler as Gamestec Leisure's new Managing Director, Peter Collinge has now joined the company as Operations Director.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on online gambling that points the way to continued exclusion of the sector from the application of EU Internal Market principles.

The European Commission has finalised its draft report following a year-long investigation into United States measures affecting foreign suppliers of Internet gambling services.

This year's Asian Poker Tour will be a 12-day festival of poker, running from August 12th-23rd at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel and Casino in Macau.

Casino Barrière de Sainte- Maxime, with views over the Gulf of St Tropez, claims to be the first casino in France to provide a true open-air gaming terrace.

Monaco-based Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) is equipping four casinos with Atronic's Crystal.net, upgrading from Crystal Web. According to Atronic, SBM is the first operator to select Crystal.net as a floor management solution following the system's launch in January.

MEI has agreed to licence use of Easitrax Soft Count to its competitor Money Controls. The deal gives Money Controls global access to MEI's integrated software/hardware solution that places information collected in a bill validator into a database that can be accessed to analyse slot floor performance.

Online games based on Forrest Gump and Bravehart are due to be released by Cryptologic before the end of this year, under a licensing deal the company has entered into with Paramount Digital Entertainment.

The Taiwanese national government has announced that it will be issuing no more than two licences for casinos established on the offshore islands, following a local referendum.

Bally collected more awards than any other gaming supplier in the judging for Casino Journal's ‘Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Technology Products 2008'.

Ritzio International has opened Volcano-themed clubs in three Croatian cities: Metkovic; Mokosica; and Orebic. It now manages 34 gaming clubs in over 20 Croatian cities and towns, part of an international chain of Volcano-themed clubs with premises in six European countries.

TCSJOHNHUXLEY and Aristocrat Technologies Europe Limited have signed a distribution deal under which TCSJOHNHUXLEY has non-exclusive rights to distribute Aristocrat electronic gaming machines into the European jurisdictions of Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria and Northern Cyprus.

Nanoptix Inc, a global thermal printer solutions provider for the gaming, point-of-sale and kiosk markets has signed a representation agreement with Jon Temple of Demon Interactive (www.demoninteractive.com).

Using the slogan "Get in the game, Bet in the game", the Las Vegas M Resort Spa Casino is the first US casino to offer ‘in-running' betting, allowing account customers in its Race and Sports book to place bets on live sporting events before and during the game.

Former UK Shadow Gambling Minister Nick Hawkins sorts the wheat from the chaff in his bi-monthly column…

Frank Ziegler is now Director Sales & Marketing for Merkur Gaming GmbH, part of the Gauselmann Group. He has over 20 years of relevant experience: from 1988 to 2000 he worked in the industrial sales and wholesale arms of the Gauselmann Group, then he became the head of Business Development with Germany's largest Casino operator in 2000.

The emerging gambling markets of Eastern Europe could provide rich pickings, even during the global downturn, according to a new report published by Global Betting & Gaming Consultants (GBGC).

Following two years' experience of building bill validators in China with a partner, Innovative Technology has now opened its own, wholly-owned manufacturing plant in Shenzhen.

The Lithuanian subsidiary of the Olympic Entertainment Group has invested €1 million to open its first casino in the city of Siauliai. Designed with a tropical theme, the new casino is located in the Akropolis shopping centre and offers 31 slots and four tables. Olympic Entertainment operates casinos in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Poland and Slovakia. The company has a further ten casinos in Lithuania - six in the capital city Vilnius, two in Kaunas, one in Klaipeda, and one in Panevezys.

Gaming Support has appointed Don Baugh as Chief Executive Officer, Gaming Support USA, effective upon receipt of the required regulatory approvals.

Gaming Laboratories International, GLI South America and the Instituto de Ayuda Financiera a la Acción Social (IAFAS, Gaming Regulatory Entity in the Province of Entre Rios), have completed the first-ever field inspection of electronic gaming devices in South America.

Tropicana Entertainment could emerge from Chapter 11 in May this year, following approval of the company's Disclosure Statements by the Delaware Bankruptcy Court.

Vanessa Marks has joined JCM as Sales Director JCM Germany/Europe. Based in JCM's Dusseldorf office, Ms Marks will direct all sales efforts for Germany and continental Europe.

The Gaming & Amusement Expo GAMMEX 2009 has agreed to change its dates in response to requests from the gaming industry. The event will now be taking place in Mexico City's World Trade Center on 10th-11th June this year.

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) has admitted seven new companies into membership, to bring its membership roster to 73.

A spokesman for the Irish Independent Mortgages Advisers Federation has claimed that banks looking for reasons to turn down mortgage applications take a dim view of even modest online gambling activities that appear on financial records.

Money Controls has entered into an agreement with DGL Pro. As well as being Money Controls' distribution partner in Rumania, DGL Pro provides full postsales support for its products.

Clarion Gaming's Karen Cooke is taking a break from her role as Head of Exhibitions, following the launch of the International Gaming Expo and will be taking on another role in the gaming industry. "Now is the right time to take some time out and recharge the batteries.

On 12th February Chris Philibbosian stepped down as a director of Shuffle Master to devote more time to SAAK Management, the Company he created in 2008 and over which he presides. Philibbosian was appointed to the Shuffle Master board on 5th January 2009.

Hollywood Entertainment is Storm International's first entertainment centre in Monterrey, Mexico. It includes a slot hall, Marilyn's Steakhouse restaurant and Brando's sports bar, as well as an elevated music stage, above the main floor.

Gary Platt Manufacturing has hired Dave Mysel as its Florida Sales Representative and his company, Casino Supply, as its seating distributor for Florida.

Aparcel of some 1,000 hectares of land in the Ontiñena area of Spain, one of five sites shortlisted, has been signed up by the promoters of ‘Gran Scala', a large-scale project that promises to attract 25 million visitors a year and lead to the creation of 200,000 jobs, directly or indirectly.

Atronic's new dual-screen cabinet, e-sense, is aimed firmly at the Eastern European slot hall market, according to the company. With two 17-inch screens, it comes with a library of games including proven core games and classic links such as Cash Fever and The Game of Life, which are available in multidenominations.

The French government has announced that it is to put an end to the Pari Mutuel Urbain and Francaises des Jeux state-run monopolies with legislation that is expected to be enacted later this year.

William Weidner was told he would be removed from the posts of President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Las Vegas Sands in early March, after a 13-year career with the company.

Demon Interactive now covers the UK and Ireland for Innocore Gaming. Jon Temple of Demon Interactive said: "We are very pleased to be representing Innocore which is one of the fastest growing and dynamic hardware suppliers in gaming today. Their wide range of PC platforms is the broadest in the industry and provides solutions suitable for every application. We are eager to take on the Innocore product line and expect much success."

Global Cash Access reported a strong set of financial results, year-on-year, for the quarter ended December 31st, turning in a 23 percent increase in revenues and a 43 percent increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

Following the repeal of Missouri's loss limit legislation, which prevented players from losing more than $500 in two hours, the six casinos in the St Louis area reported a mixed set of year-on-year results for January.

BetStone has appointed Marzia Turrini as Head of Business Development for Latin America.

Shuffle Master has added three new wagering options, including side bets and upgrades, to some of its table games as part of its ongoing programme to add bonus bets and progressives to proprietary tables.

KIS Gaming has contracted with TableMAX Gaming to provide its SUM+IT+UP game for use on the TableMAX platform.

Family-owned German company the Gauselmann Group reported stable revenue for the 2008 financial year, earning over €1 billion from its activities in some 60 countries, which include operating 270 arcadecasinos in Europe under the Merkur brands.

The Gaming Standards Association international membership spans most gaming industry segments, including operators, manufacturers and test labs. Now that Techlink International Entertainment of Sydney, Nova Scotia, has joined the Association, the GSA includes the responsible gaming sector.

Final figures released by exhibition organisers Clarion Gaming following the launch of the International Gaming Expo reveal an increased level of visitor interest, year on year.

Lucien Barrière is poised to launch online and mobile gaming in the UK. Working in partnership with French video production company MKO, the casino group will be offering a 3D casino experience for Windows users at www.lecroupier.com, based on its Deauville property.

Fivos Polymniou, a 25 year veteran of the European gaming industry and former Western Regional Sales Manager for Bally Technologies Europe, has joined FutureLogic to head up Business Development for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Trump Entertainment Resorts, the company behind Atlanta's Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino and the Trump Marina Hotel Casino, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, its third such filing in sixteen years.

WMS Industries is the first company to receive approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission for a networked gaming system and remote configuration and download application utilising the Gaming Standards Association's (GSA) award-winning G2S protocol.

MEI has been awarded the Industria Limpia (Clean Industry) certification at its manufacturing facility in Querétaro, Mexico, where it makes coin and bill validators. Overseen by the Federal Enforcement Agency for the Environment, Industria Limpia certification is the Mexican government's highest level of recognition for environmental excellence.

Bally has announced record diluted earnings per share figures for the second quarter, with an increase 40 percent year-on-year.

Atronic's Dragonboat slot tournament won the 2009 Asian Gaming Suppliers Award for Best Asian-Themed Slot Game, defeating five products from four competing manufacturers to claim the title.

Phil Satre, 59, a former Harrah's Entertainment chairman and chief executive, has been elected to the board of IGT. "To add a director of Phil's calibre, who brings valuable related gaming industry knowledge as well as broad business and board service experience, is a great plus for our company," said Thomas J. Matthews, IGT's chairman and chief executive.

IGT has acquired some of the operating assets of Progressive Gaming International Corporation (PGIC) and is integrating activities with its respective offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, Canada and the US.

Promotion and gaming firm Jackpot UK has made its list of UK players of game and competitions available for rent via the Lloyd James Group.

Crystal.net, Atronic's new online platform, offers enhanced player communication and bonusing capabilities to slot operators, providing functions such as player information display, casino promotions, and live messages which can be delivered to individual players via a touch screen at the point of play.

Over 200,000 people have visited Alea in its first year of operation, attracted by the venue's bars, restaurants and special events according to the venue's operators, London Clubs International (LCI), part of Harrah's.

The Gala Coral Group has opened Ocean Village, a £6 million, multi-branded venue in Gibraltar.

Congressmen Barney Frank, chairman of the US House financial services committee, and Jim McDermott have announced that they intend to introduce a bill that will set up a legal framework for online gambling in the USA. "...we should make online gaming legal and subject it to a reasonable taxation like anything else," Rep Frank explained.

Ritzio International has opened a premium class Allegre Casino in the city of Medellin, Colombia. 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, backed by a six-table Poker Room.

Tristan Sjoberg has been promoted by TCSJOHNHUXLEY to Managing Director for the Asia region.

UK company Poker Controls is poised to launch its wireless controller for online poker games, and is understood to be exploring partnership opportunities with providers of online poker services.

DisplayMaster developed by Atronic Systems to enhance Roulette tables, can be used to provide game information and winning numbers history on its 22-inch TFT screen. It can be used to provide a wide range of table and game information, including table code and minimum bet, winning number history, ‘No more bets' and ‘Dealer change' events, and includes a statistics area that show hot and cool numbers, percentages of black/red, odd/even, and 1-18/19-36 to players.

Gaming Laboratories International has expanded its GLI Italy lab, prompted by increased work load from manufacturers and suppliers submitting new and modified games for the Italian Comma 6A market.

After a nine-month pilot in three French casinos, Courses et Jeux, which regulates gaming in France and French territories, has approved Atronic as its Wide Area Progressive (WAP) provider and Atronic's System Division as its operator.

Probability claims that its new platform, Zaphod, is the first to include person-to-person mobile gaming.

TableMAX Gaming has received GLI certification for its Caribbean Draw poker, which is proprietary to TableMAX in the electronic table game arena.

Longtime European gaming technical expert Martin Britton has joined the GLI Europe staff as Director of Engineering, responsible for managing all engineering activities in the Netherlands office.

Former UK Shadow Gambling Minister Nick Hawkins sorts the wheat from the chaff in his bi-monthly column...