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EUROPEAN UPDATE Touch of Magic to Italian poker
Magic Dreams readies its successful poker game for the Italian VLT market
The introduction Magic Dream's Poker on the Inspired Open platform in Italy is a much anticipated event. The game has proved a particular favourite with Italian players in casinos both in the country's four traditional venues and neighbouring locations in Slovenia and France. Shown at the ENADA Spring exhibition on the Merkur Inspired stand and now awaiting homologation before installs with BPlus, Sisal and HBG, Magic Dreams is confident it can replicate success in the VLT sector.
"We are very confident that our poker will find success with VLT players," stated Magic Dream's Diana Parasmo. "While the VLT gaming halls will offer both VLTs and Comma 6a machines, only VLTs can offer exactly the same games players can find in the Class III market. We have a proven casino product that attracts not only different players to the VLT locations for the game, but also a different scale of bet. Whereas Comma 6a limits stakes to two euros, the VLT limit is 10 euros. The gameplay is very different to that of Comma 6a and is attracting a very different player. In gaming halls with VLTs we are seeing players betting 5-7 euros per spin, with players playing directly for the jackpot rather than for small incremental wins."
Magic Dreams is both a casino and Comma 6a developer and at the Rimini show launched three new Comma 6a titles. The Italian company is very aware of domestic successes by Lottomatica, which has brought ATRONIC casino titles to the Comma 6a street market and secured the number one spot in both the VLT and 6a sectors with Sphinx. "We are looking to further diversify our product offer," explains Ms. Parasmo. "We have a diverse casino portfolio, which we are looking to bring to both sectors. In addition, we are also offering Comma 6a roulette as the Alfastreet distributor for Italy. Roulette attracts many operators looking to create a mini-casino experience within their venues. Multi-player roulettes are an important visual element in creating the casino atmosphere. We distribute Comma 6a roulette as a VLT roulette would attract a very costly payment per terminal charge."
International markets are being covered by Magic Dream's new recruit, Jaime Bonet, who has brought a series of new contracts and contacts to complement the
Magic Dream's Poker in its new slant-top
cabinet was shown in London at ICE show
and has recently been installed in Monte Carlo.
company's larger and more diverse games offer. "This year has already proved a successful one," stated Ms. Parasmo. "However, we have big plans for growth in international markets. New countries in 2011 include Africa and Asia, with business development manager, Roberto Cian, responsible for Asian market development. We are entering these markets with products and installations in the latter part of the year. Another major market for us is Mexico, in which we are currently closing a distribution agreement, having expanded our reach internationally in South America, with Peru and Chile now big targets for the coming year as we build on our excellent product portfolio."
Rainbow refurb puts the colour back in UK casino
The Rainbow Casino is one of the oldest casinos in the UK, having been in its existing location in Edgbaston, Birmingham, since 1964. Despite many attempts by the big groups to buy it, the casino has remained in the same hands until February ’10 when it was purchased by Double Diamond Gaming.
Although run by a very experienced management team headed up by MD, Duncan Savage, DDG is new to land-based casinos. After three months of trading, the owners took the unusual step of closing the casino to carry out a major refurbishment. "When we took over, the casino had lacked any real investment and was struggling to attract new players and to compete in today's market. We realised pretty quickly that
we had to make major changes,” stated Mr. Savage. "We made the early decision to use TCSJohnHuxley for the supply of all our gaming tables, electronic roulette terminals, chips and other ancillary equipment. Their personnel were excellent and very professional in their approach, which ensured a smooth installation period, delivered on time and exactly as planned.”
TCSJohnHuxley supplied all the gaming tables, which include American roulette, blackjack, Three Card Poker and punto banco, as well as newer games such Blackjack Switch, Two Way Poker, Let It Ride, Lunar Poker. The new tables complement the sophisticated interior, perfectly blending with the red, black and grey colour scheme.
G3 I MAY 2011 I PAGE 26
The Poker room at Club Hotel Casino Loutraki was filled to capacity as the eight remaining hopefuls took their seats at the final table on Sunday 27 March 2011 in their quest to become the first Greek Poker Cup champion. This was the first major Poker tournament ever to be held on Greek soil and was hotly contested right from the start. Initially capped at 200 players, interest in the 1,100 euro buy-in Main Event with a total prize pool of 271,000 euro was so great that the field was quickly extended to the maximum room capacity of 260 as contestants from 16 countries claimed their seats. In February 2011, Club Hotel Casino Loutraki teamed up with PokerStars to bring major poker tournaments to Greece. As the largest casino in the country and the first to open a dedicated Poker Room, Club Hotel Casino Loutraki was always the venue of choice for the first such event. Poker is one of the fastest growing competitive games in Greece, and the country’s players are known for their aggressive style of play and Mediterranean flair. So with seven “home” players among the eight at the final table, fans and spectators were in for a real treat. After seven hours of suspense, 23-year-old Georgios Grigoropoulos from Athens emerged victorious in the heads up against Swedish professional Daniel Carlsson to take home the title and prize of €69,100.
PokerTek has announced that the Croatian Lottery has selected PokerPro tables as its preferred electronic poker solution after a successful field trial. Three PokerPro tables were installed for the trial in October 2010, and have now been accepted by the Lottery. “We successfully competed in this trial with the Croatian Lottery, and are pleased that PokerPro was selected as the product of choice for the Lottery’s properties,” said PokerTek’s President James Crawford. The Croatian Lottery owns and operates five casinos throughout Croatia.
Merkur Gaming has announced that Frank Ziegler, Director Sales & Marketing, has left the company, effective March 31, to pursue
new business opportunities as an owner of the recently founded Spirit Gaming. With this new company he will act as an official distributor for Merkur Gaming’s products in specific international markets. “We thank Frank Ziegler for his contributions to the development of Merkur Gaming within the last two years and wish him all the very best and every success, both for his personal and professional future,” commented Jens Stradtmann, CEO at Merkur Gaming.
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