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ITALY - NEW DIRECTION FOR GAUSELMANN GROUP The Gauselmann Group, present in the Italian market with its Merkur brand, is taking Merkur in a new direction in Italy, focusing its activities on the manufacturing and marketing of AWPs and games according to the new law that will enter into force starting from the first months of 2014.
In Addition, Merkur Italy Group will continue the expansion that began in 2011 in AWP rentals and maintaining its share in the new concessionaire NTS. Simultaneously, it will contin- ue with the development of its online platform
www.merkur-
win.it, which was completely updated last year and saw Merkur signing partnership agreements with major operators on the market, such as Active Games and Evolution.
“Following these strategic changes,” states GM of Merkur Interactive Italia, Roberto Ronchi, “Our Group has decided to finalise an agreement with Sisal to transfer 75 shops of the Merkur-win brand. This operation will allow us to strengthen the commercial partnership between the two groups.”
UK - REFLEX APPOINT NEW DISTRIBUTORS Reflex Gaming has expanded its distribution channels in the UK. “Following a period of extremely rapid expansion, we felt we needed to entrench ourselves further in the single site and club sectors with some very focused representation,” says Quentin Stott, Managing Director. “We has appointed both Wessex Coin, which has a fantastic sales team based in Newbury and Data Leisure, which is an experienced distribu- tor based in Oldham, Lancashire.
“Reflex now has a comprehensive route to market with Crown Direct and Deith Leisure, with whom we have worked for many years. We have Steve Clarke and Surj Stott in house who are working closely on a customer level and feed- ing back information, which is also helping to refine our prod- uct initiatives. With the appointment of Chris Skelly’s team at Wessex and Karl Taylor at Data Leisure we feel we have closed the circle to really effectively cover the single site sec- tor. Their appointment now allows them to become fully con- versant with our product range ahead of the Triennial Review implementation,” concluded Mr. Stott.
TSOGO SUN EYES 900 EXTRA SLOTS
Tsogo Sun wants to invest R1.5bn into expanding its Suncoast Casino entertainment complex in Durban
South Africa - Operations
A major extension is planned to the gaming floor at the Suncoast Casino, including a new retail and restaurant complex, 1,500 additional parking bays, a new entertainment area, additional banqueting facilities and an ‘iconic elevated outdoor pool and serviced leisure entertainment deck.’
The operator submitted the plans as an applica- tion to the KwaZulu-Natal Gaming and Betting Board asking for an amendment to its licence to increase the foot print of the property.
Tsogo Sun is also applying to increase its gaming machines from 1,450 to 2,350 and its gaming tables from 64 to 80. Tsogo Sun Chief Executive Marcel von Aulock was hopeful that Sun would get all the necessary approvals from the gaming board by the end of the year.
“We have the financial resources and, once the regulatory approvals are in place, we can begin construction,” he explained. “Suncoast is our sec- ond-biggest operation after Montecasino in Joburg. We have a major presence on the Durban beach- front, which includes the Garden Court hotels, the Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani and the Suncoast Casino, which contributes about 20 per cent. Anything we do in this area is important to Tsogo Sun. The city has done a great job of fixing
and upgrading the beachfront promenade and this has made it attractive for Tsogo to commit capital to the area, in Suncoast and our hotels. We are working closely with the city to deal with any concerns they may have and achieve the approvals we need. There is a lot that has to be evaluated in a project like this, and they have been very supportive.”
Tsogo Sun is currently investing R220m on the redevelopment of the Elangeni and Maharani hotel complex, close to Suncoast.
There is an existing dispute that Tsogo Sun needs to resolve in Durban, regarding a previous appli- cation. Mr. von Aulock said: “We have agreed with the council to let it run its course through the legal system and keep it separate from the application process relating to the larger new development. The dispute relates to an application to convert one of the restaurants to a gaming area, as we need more space. Importantly, we are still pro- ceeding with the larger redevelopment application regardless of the outcome of this dispute.”
Holland Casino under state supervision as debts sky-rocket
ITALY - SUZO-HAPP’S HOPPERS AND TOPPERS The long-standing partnership between Suzo-Happ and Comestero in Italy was again on show at the ENADA Roma. While the new Comma 6a+ law is on the horizon, Suzo-Happ solutions are already up and working for the future demands operators will face in Italy. Italian manufacturers can fit AES products today, knowing they can be adjusted to the new requirements once they become enacted.
The Flow hopper was rightly the focus of attention for Suzo- Happ on the Comestero stand. Furthermore, the abundant choice of quality toppers is making strong headway in Italy with several companies exhibiting their gaming machines with Suzo-Happ toppers fitted.
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HOLLAND State-owned Holland Casino has been put under direct supervision due to its perilous financial status. The organisation, which holds the casino gaming monopoly in the Netherlands, is also to cut a further 150 jobs and reduce staff perks. Willem-Jan van den Dijssel, Holland Casino Chief Executive, has said that the company must reach agreements with workers’ unions to reduce personnel costs by 18 per cent by November 1 in order to keep the business afloat.
Mr. van den Dijssel admitted that the company’s debt had increased from €60m to €100m as a result of increased losses, costs associated with reorganisation and necessary investments. As a result, Holland Casino directly depends on the banks, which he said were demanding more security in the form of cost reductions. "The situ- ation at Holland Casino requires
vigorous action," said Mr. van den Dijssel. "Turnover has dropped by 30 per cent over the past five years."
The Holland Casino group, which operates 14 casinos nationwide, has been hit by lower visitor num- bers and lower spending per play from those who do visit. Last year the company announced plans to reorganise and cut 400 out of 3,000 jobs. Between 2008 and 2012 it also shed 800 jobs.
Malta Evolution Gaming has entered into a three-year agreement to provide
LeoVegas.com with Live Casino solutions across mobile and desktop devices.
LeoVegas.com went live on October 10 with Evolution’s full portfolio of Live Casino games - Live Roulette, Live Blackjack, Live Baccarat, Live Casino Hold’em and Slingshot Auto Roulette – for iPad/iPad mini and PC/Mac and Samsung Galaxy and Google Nexus tablets. LeoVegas co- founder Gustaf Hagman said: “Spearheading the Smartphone revolution in the casino space, it was very natural for us to partner with Evolution, a truly innovative leader, to create an iPhone Live Casino experience to match the LeoVegas brand.”
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