p4-10 news:News 05/03/2010 09:53 Page 4
CASINO NEWS
Playtech moves into Bingo with
News in brief
Virtue Fusion acquisition
Live dealers
Sportingbet is to offer Roulette,
Blackjack and Baccarat using
G
aming software provider Playtech has acquired increased liquidity when their networks are combined.” Evolution Gaming’s live dealer
the business and assets of online Bingo software. Evolution’s Sales and
developer Virtue Fusion. Virtual Fusion licensees will also have access to slots Marketing Manager Fredrik
and other games from Playtech, as well as the firm’s Osterberg said: “The move towards
Virtue Fusion is claimed to have the largest IMS information management system. live dealer gaming has steadily
independent network in the fast-growing online Bingo gathered pace over the past two
sector, with 30,000 daily players and more than €100m And Playtech – which went public four years ago via a years as gambling operators have
($135m) staked each month. £548m ($817m) flotation on Britain’s Alternative accepted its potential to help attract
Investment Market – is hoping that the acquisition will new players, re-activate existing
Its main market is Britain, although it also has players enable it to expand into new territories. ones, and – compared with
from other European countries. At peak times up to traditional random number
6000 players can be active simultaneously. “In a number of newly regulated markets, Bingo is an generators – increase player
embedded part of the social and gaming culture and a lifetime.”
More than 20 licensees include Bet365, Crown Bingo, product which finds early favour with regulators.
Ladbrokes, Mecca, Paddy Power, Sky, Virgin and William Consequently we see this acquisition as not only Nevada closure
Hill. furthering what is already Playtech’s competitive Casino MonteLago in Henderson,
advantage in the growing online gaming market as a Nevada is closing. Commentators
Customers can either join the Virtual Fusion network whole, but as having the potential to generate blamed the lack of surrounding
or use its technology to run their own Bingo operations. meaningful opportunities in newly regulated markets,” population and the paucity of other
Among the most recent additions to its roster is added Mor Weizer, Playtech’s CEO. leisure businesses at the site, 17
PartyGaming’s Foxy Bingo in Sweden. miles from the Las Vegas Strip.
Playtech is paying £29m ($43m) for Virtue Fusion,
Management see the greater liquidity of a combined which it is drawing from cash. A further payment of up to Chilean earthquake
gaming network as a key benefit of the takeover. £7m ($10m) could be due in the first quarter of 2011, Sun International has closed
based on 2010 performance. indefinitely its Monticello Casino in
“As with Poker, network player liquidity is an important the Chilean capital Santiago
element for Bingo operators,” said Playtech. “By linking The company said it expects the Virtue Fusion following the earthquake there in
the operator’s Bingo rooms across the network, Virtue business, which last year turned over £12.3m ($18m) late February. CEO David Coutts-
Fusion can facilitate more frequent games being offered and generated earnings of £3.8m ($5.7m), to contribute Trotter was quoted as saying:
and higher prize values and jackpots for the same to its bottom line this year. Key Virtue Fusion personnel, “There has been significant damage
individual stake. Both Playtech and Virtue Fusion’s including its founders, have undertaken to remain in to the casino and retail complex
existing licensees will therefore enjoy the benefits of place for two years. including the convention centre and
administration areas, some of it due
Cambodian casino
to the quake and aftershocks and
some due to the sprinkler system,
looks over the border
Princess Hotel,
which was activated during the
tremor.” Five people at the casino
A
Guyana: where only
new casino in Cambodia, the thirtieth in the when the temblor struck were
country, is wooing foreign players including injured, but only one seriously.
Vietnamese, Chinese and Malaysians.
guests can gamble
Printer deal
The Titan King at Bayet, near the Vietnam border and Thermal ticket printer maker
about 70 miles from Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, FutureLogic is to supply its Gen2
opened late February after three years of construction. T
he new Princess Casino in Providence, Guyana,
plans to work closely with tour operators in order
to comply with local rules that only resident guests Universal printers to WMS Gaming
can gamble there. for inclusion in WMS’s slots.
The $100m facility, owned by tycoon Kith Thieng,
features slots as well as casino games including The casino in the Princess Hotel – formerly Buddy’s Full again
Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, Fan-Tan, and three-card International Hotel – offers Blackjack and Poker as well Organisers of May’s Latin
Poker. An eight-storey hotel with 200 rooms will as slots. American Gaming Exhibition (ELA) in
accommodate visiting players. Mexico City say that space on the
It is owned by Sudi Ozkan’s Princess Group, which show floor has again sold out,
Cambodian gaming revenue is believed to have fallen invested $2m in developing the facility. despite increasing it to make room
last year not only thanks to the economic downturn but for companies on the waiting list.
also because tensions on the border with Thailand have Providence is only about two miles from the Guyanese The event, to be held 6-7 May, is
discouraged travel in the region. But Thieng said that the capital, Georgetown. But laws limiting gambling to expected to bring major slot
town of Bayet, where the new casino is located, is residents at the casino’s attached hotel mean that the manufacturers from around the
rapidly becoming “much like Las Vegas and Macau”. Princess cannot rely on casual visitors from Georgetown. globe to Mexico.
8 MARCH 2010
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