p4-10 news:News 05/03/2010 09:53 Page 3
CASINO NEWS
Octavian to link 12,000
Harrah’s “could go
Italian VLTs; conference will
focus on new market
public again” when
A
s video lottery terminals (VLTs) start to appear in Italy following last
Vegas revenues recover
year’s legalisation and issuing of licences, vendors are beginning to
land large orders, and a conference devoted to the new market is
planned for this month. H
arrah’s Entertainment could return to the stock market in 2013-15,
CEO Gary Loveman has speculated. Loveman told Reuters that the
company – taken private by buyers TPG and Apollo in a $31bn deal at
the beginning of 2008 – would wait, however, for economic recovery and the
Octavian Global Technologies has signed a ten-year contract with AWP legalisation of online Poker in the U.S. before returning to the market. There
gaming concessionaire BetPlus, which will deploy Octavian’s Symphony had been no discussion of firm dates yet, he added.
VE system to manage Comma 6b devices, as VLTs are known under
Italian rules. A recovery in the Las Vegas market, particularly, will be important to make
Harrah’s attractive to investors. While gaming revenue there appears to be
The system will link about 12,000 machines at venues across the country, stabilising, hotel room rates are still low, and Harrah’s relies on Vegas and
providing monitoring, accounting, reporting and player tracking as well as Atlantic City – also beset by its own problems, as we report elsewhere in this
allowing wide-area multiple progressive jackpots. Rolling out over the next two issue – for about 40 percent of earnings.
to three months, it could later be scaled up to handle more VLTs if needed.
“Las Vegas remains weak and will remain weak for the foreseeable
It will also let BetPlus venues offer Octavian’s Comma 6b games, as well future,” said Loveman, although he added that bookings for 2011 were
as content from other suppliers. Octavian is porting many of its existing “encouraging”.
Comma 6a games to Comma 6b.
The firm is also looking at moving into Macau, he said, although no deal is
Meanwhile, conference organiser Awedacity is running an event dedicated on the table.
to the major changes that the arrival of VLTs are expected to bring about in
the Italian market. “We do have an interest in Macau . We think Caesars is the best brand for
that market,” Loveman was reported as saying.
The one-day conference, named “Italy VLTs – Seizing the VLT Opportunity in
the Italian Market”, will be held 19 March at the Rimini Exhibition Centre on Separately, MGM Mirage is preparing for a $1bn initial public offering
Italy’s Adriatic coast. It coincides with the third day of the Enada (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, a move which is seen as
amusements and gaming show at the same venue deepening its commitment to Macau and possibly precipitating a departure
from Atlantic City.
Conference tickets are 499 Euro.
Organisers hope to invite speakers from the AAMS, Italy’s gaming
regulatory body, as well as from local operators. Awedacity’s previous Aspers Newcastle
events include conferences dedicated to online gambling in the French and
Spanish markets.
enlarges card room
A
spers at The Gate in the northern English city of Newcastle Upon Tyne
has doubled the size of its card room, which can now hold 200
people.
Opened in 2005, the card room has hosted Poker events such as the
Sky Poker Tour and the Virgin Festival. After extending it into the former
Club Aspinall VIP room, Aspers management now hope to hold more
such high-profile events as well as more tournaments for local
customers.
“When Aspers first opened, I don’t think the designers quite
appreciated the level of demand for a quality poker venue in the
northeast, so we had simply outgrown the old poker room,” said Alan
Barnes, Head of Gaming at Aspers.
“We’ve worked with the design team to give our customers exactly what
they want, with improved lighting, a spacious layout and more relaxed
surroundings,” added Richard Smith, the casino’s General Manager.
Club Aspinall has been relocated to an upper storey of the building.
6 MARCH 2010
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