AGEM/AGA BATTLE ILLEGAL SLOTS
The gaming industry invites Texas elected officials and law enforcement to join effort to fight illegal gambling Texas - Gaming Machines
The American Gaming Association (AGA) and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) have entered a new partnership to highlight and combat the rapid spread of illegal gaming machine activity in Texas. With an estimated 100,000-150,000 “8-liner” and illegal slot machines now present in Texas, the state has become the most glaring current example of widespread illegal gaming activity in the United States.
“Over the last several months, AGA has been shining a spotlight on the vast, dangerous illegal gambling operations running rampant across the country, and few places exemplify the thriving nature of illegal gambling better than Texas, where hundreds of thousands of black market machines are currently in operation,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “By partnering with AGEM and building off of the already strong support of law enforcement officials at every level, we will make real progress in shutting down illegal operators.”
“AGEM represents the most respected licensed and regulated gaming suppliers in the world, and we no longer can remain silent about the current environment of widespread illegal gambling in Texas,” said Thomas Jingoli, AGEM President and Chief Compliance Officer for Konami Gaming. “On behalf of our 140-plus member companies who supply gaming equipment and technology to regulated markets around the world, we are asking
Canada Gaming testing laboratory and technical consultancy, BMM Testlabs, has doubled the size of its QA/Pre-Compliance testlab facility in Canada this month. The new offices and laboratory officially opened on June 1st, 2015. Jean Corriveau, Director Operations, BMM Testlabs - Canada commented "We are extremely pleased with BMM's growth over the last 18 months and are now employing almost 50 staff in our Moncton facility. This not only proves that New Brunswick has a qualified workforce to support this growth, but that the industry is embracing the need for a competitive environment when it comes to choosing a test lab.”
for law enforcement in Texas, from the highest levels in Austin to the smallest communities, to enforce the state’s existing laws that forbid the kind of uncontrolled activity that continues to spread.”
Among those issuing statements in support of the AGA-AGEM effort are State Representative Allen Fletcher, R-Tomball; Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst, R- Brenham; and Representative John Kuempel, R-Seguin. Read quotes of support from Texas legislators here.
In a letter to elected officials and law enforcement in Texas, AGA and AGEM are inviting them to join this initiative and to take action. Among the recipients are: Texas’ congressional delegation; Governor Greg Abbott; Attorney General Ken Paxton; and state legislative leaders. Since launching “Stop Illegal Gambling - Play it Safe” last month, the AGA has worked hand in hand with law enforcement, attorneys general and other agencies to expose illegal gambling. While “8-liner” machines are not technically illegal in Texas, payouts by law must be limited to $5 in non-cash prizes. Game rooms in most cases are clearly not following the law, creating a statewide environment of illegal gambling activity that has spread rapidly over the past few years.
According to a recent New York Times article and local media reports, illegal gambling activity is taking place in various locations such as windowless former tire shops and tractor-trailers parked along busy roadways. In some cases, illegal slot machines brought in from other states are mixed with the “8- liners” in an attempt to expand the illegal gambling activity. The current “8-liner” landscape is a breeding ground of criminal activity, including robberies, assault, money laundering, tax evasion and organised crime.
Hard Rock announces New Jersey ‘Meadowlands’ intention
NEW JERSEY Hard Rock International wants to build a casino at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. The proposed entertainment destination would be ideally situated in northern New Jersey and is projected to generate $400m of new tax rev- enues a year.
“With its close proximity to an international airport, the new casi- no would be designed to attract visitors from not only the 14 mil- lion adults in northern New Jersey and New York City, but also inter- national travellers, making it a premier entertainment destina- tion,” said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International. “The sig- nificant tax revenue brought into New Jersey could go directly to aid in the development and recon- struction of Atlantic City’s casino and hotel industry.”
Reports show a casino in northern New Jersey would help draw visi- tors from other states, creating competition with New York and Pennsylvania, who have taken more than $13bn in revenue from New Jersey in the past eight years since they’ve expanded their gaming options.
The casino will feature 5,000 slots and 200 tables. The project will also feature 10 restaurants and four bars; a multi-purpose Hard Rock Live showroom and New Jersey Music Hall of Fame. The entertainment destination will also offer retail shops and a six- story parking garage conveniently located just steps away from the casino grounds. Due to the $120m investment that owner Jeff Gural made in the Meadowlands in 2012, Phase One could be open as soon as Summer of 2016.
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US – INTERBLOCK APPOINTS Looking toward expanding its current global footprint, luxury gaming manu- facturer Interblock has named Mark Lipparelli Compliance Committee Chairman.
“We are extremely privileged to have
Mr. Lipparelli Chair our Compliance Committee. Mark is someone I have had the privilege to work with over the years and appreciated the positive impact he had during his tenure as the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board,” Interblock CEO John Connelly said. “Our commitment in hav- ing the highest level of regulatory standards is only strength- ened through Mark’s leadership and involvement with Interblock. I look forward to him taking a meaningful role within our organization in the months and years to come.”
Lipparelli is one of the most respected names in the gaming industry and within the regulatory community. Today he serves as CEO of Gioco Ventures, a strategic advisory firm to gaming, investment, technology and entertainment industry clients around the globe. Over the past 20 years, he has been Chairman and Board Member of the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, Executive Vice President of Bally Technologies, President/Executive Vice President at Shuffle Master, Chief Financial Officer of CAMCO, Inc., Executive Vice President of Entertainment Systems at Bally Gaming, Inc. and Vice President of Finance for Casino Data Systems. He has been honored as Regulator of the Year by the International Masters of Gaming Law.
US – ARISTOCRAT APPOINTS Aristocrat has appointed Brooks Pierce to the position of Managing Director of the Americas, based in Las Vegas, subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.
Mr. Pierce brings more than 20 years
of executive leadership in the gaming industry to Aristocrat and is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the compa- ny’s Americas Class III business.
Aristocrat Chief Commercial Officer Maureen Sweeny said, “I am thrilled to welcome Brooks to the Aristocrat leadership team. His unique skill set and insights will be valuable to our Americas and global strategy of delivering a broad portfolio of great performing games and cabinets as well as exceptional service to our customers.”
US – BMM APPOINTS BMM Testlabs has appointed Jason Elison as Director of Technical Compliance. Based at BMM's Las Vegas Headquarters, Elison will be working directly with gaming regula- tors and BMM's Service Delivery team to ensure equipment testing is con-
ducted in compliance with jurisdictional regulations. Elison will be joining Peter Nikiper, Director Technical Compliance to jointly head-up the department, both reporting to Travis Foley, EVP Operations - Americas. Elison will also join the BMM Academy as a Regulatory expert, providing customised education and training programs to the industry.
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