By Staff   Fri, Mar 05, 2010

Removal of President Casino license will be re-visited by state commission

Pinnacle Entertainment last week celebrated the opening of its new $375 million River City Casino near St. Louis, Missouri with champagne, red carpets and women costumed in riverboat regalia of a bygone age.

It brings the state's total to 13 casinos.

About 400 guests were invited to the soft opening that included the ceremony of the executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission officially presenting the casino with its license.

"I was in awe. It's a beautiful facility. Very well done," observed the commission's chairman Jim Mathewson earlier in the week.

The Lemay casino, one of the largest in St. Louis area, has 2,100 slot machines and 55 tables of blackjack, poker and craps. Its décor recalls the 1904 World's Fair that was held in St. Louis. A hotel may be added in a $75 million second phase. It is expected to bring in about $17 million a month in revenue.

A hotel is not seen as a necessity just yet as the new casino will be competing in a market that has been estimated at $1.3 billion. Other casinos in that rapidly expanding market includes the Lumière, Casino Queen, the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles and Harrah's in Maryland Heights.

The Lumière, also owned by Pinnacle, is expected to lose some of its business to the new casino, which is just a few minutes away by shuttle bus. However, it has a hotel and right now the River City does not. A fleet of buses will link the two operations.

Pinnacle expects that the two casinos will work symbiotically to grow the market for both.  The company has recent history backing up its contention. The Lumière has grown faster than had been originally projected. Gambling profits in the state as a whole have bucked recession blues that most other jurisdictions have suffered.

"Our goal is to grow the market," he said. "It's always easier to do that than to try and steal other people's customers," said a spokesman, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Kathleen Ratcliffe, president of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission said she expects the new casino to draw business into the area, especially from bus tours.

In honor of the new arrival the St. Louis County Council voted last week to change the names of the residential streets adjacent to the casino to River City Boulevard and River City Casino Boulevard. The casino is expected to pay about $12 million in taxes annually to the county.

The new casino's development helped to redevelop an old, contaminated, and abandoned industrial property on the banks of the Mississippi in a flood plain.

Meanwhile Pinnacle has successfully won a battle in its war to preserve the President Casino, which is just a short distance from the River City in downtown St. Louis. The commission in August voted to force the President to close by this summer by taking away its license-and not allowing Pinnacle to retain the license for a different location.

The Western District Court of Appeals has reversed the commission's ruling and ordered the commission to look at the issue again. The court expressed puzzlement as to the purpose of the commission's original ruling and said it was concerned that Pinnacle had been deprived of due process.

 The court wrote, "While neither party fully convinces this court of its position, the confusion regarding what the resolution attempts to accomplish raises concern that this was a contested case without sufficient process."

In its appeal the company argued that nothing has changed since the commission renewed its license three years ago. It calls the most recent decision "unreasonable and an abuse of discretion." It added that the commission's action had the effect of revoking its license and to make it available to another casino operator.

It had asked the commission to allow it to replace the old, damaged Admiral riverboat with a new barge. The commission chose to treat that request as a brand new application for a license.

The commission's executive director Gene McNary commented on the ruling: "The courts have sent it back to us and the commission will act as they deem fit."

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

Patti Hart joined IGT in 2006 when she was chosen to sit on the board of directors. Her previous technology experience made her a good match for the company. She had previously been chairman and CEO of Telocity, Inc. and prior to that served with the Sprint Corporation in many different roles leading to president and COO of the company's long distance division. Hart was appointed to lead IGT last April and has spent the year infusing new blood into the business and concentrating on core assets and strengths, as the company battles increased competition in the U.S. and around the world. She spoke with Global Gaming Business Publisher Roger Gros and Editor Frank Legato in the IGT offices in Las Vegas in January.

Fri, Mar 05, 2010

A campaign to pass a constitutional amendment that would allow the location of a casino in Columbus, Ohio to be moved from the Arena District to a former auto parts plant on the city's west side has begun. The election will be held in May.

Proponents of Issue 2 have hired two consulting firms based in the city: Griffin Communications and Strategic Public Partners Group.

Lisa Griffin, of Griffin Communications helped organize the group Stand Up Columbus that pushed the state legislature to put the amendment on the ballot, and which successfully lobbied Penn National, which is building the casino, to agree to the move.

The second consulting firm was hired by Penn National to push Issue 3, which voters approved last November, and which authorizes four casino resorts in Ohio's largest cities.

Businesses in the city will be solicited to fund the up to $5 million election campaign that proponents envision for the May election.

That's a tenth of what Penn National and its partner spent last year to approve Issue 3, however no organized opposition is expected this time.

Since it's going to be inherently difficult to get the rest of the state interested in an issue that just affects the residents of Columbus, one part of the campaign will be to hype how much better the casino can be if it is allowed to move.

Penn National has said it is prepared to spend up to $400 million on the casino in the new location, because that would allow it to add a hotel. It had only committed itself to $250 million for the Arena District site.

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

Two executives at MGM Mirage's Mississippi operations were recently promoted. Pete Brascia is now the company's senior vice president of customer development for the region, while Brandon Dardeau has been promoted to regional director of casino marketing in Mississippi.

Brascia has more than 20 years of gaming industry experience, having begun his career at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He later worked for the Stardust Hotel and Casino before moving to the South to serve at the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel in Bossier City, Louisiana. Brascia joined MGM Mirage in 2006 as vice president of player development after Hurricane Katrina.

Dardeau began his career with MGM Mirage in 2000 as the casino marketing coordinator for MGM Grand. He was transferred to Beau Rivage in 2001 and has served at the property ever since. 

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

Automated table-game supplier PokerTek, Inc. announced that its board has approved CFO Mark Roberson as the company's new chief executive officer. Roberson, who has been acting CEO since last May, will add the CEO title to his continuing roles as chief financial officer and treasurer.

"As acting CEO, Mark has taken charge of the company's strategy and led an impressive business turnaround over the past nine months," said PokerTek Chairman Lyle Berman. "With Mark at the helm, we have a leader who brings a strong financial orientation along with the broad sales, marketing, operations and process disciplines necessary to effectively grow this business and create value."

"My goal as CEO is simple: to increase PokerTek's recurring revenues while controlling our expenses in order to drive profitable growth and shareholder value," said Roberson. "I am excited about the opportunity to lead PokerTek."

Roberson joined PokerTek as CFO and treasurer in October 2007.

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

SugarHouse Casino has named Wendy Hamilton as its new general manager, replacing Bob Sheldon, who stepped down as president and chief operating officer of the Philadelphia casino earlier this year.

Hamilton was previously general manager of Philadelphia Park Casino, before it was renamed Parx. She also has held management positions with Harrah's Entertainment properties in Atlantic City, Missouri and Illinois; and at the former Harrah's corporate headquarters in Memphis.

SugarHouse is slated to open by the end of the summer.

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

Atul Bali, the president of GTECH's online division GTECH G2, has been named to a new position at GTECH's parent company Lottomatica Group.

The move, which is yet to be officially announced, was communicated internally earlier in February after Bali identified his successor Paolo Personeni, sales director at Lottomatica Italy, according to online news source Yogonet.com. Bali will remain president and work with Personeni during a transition period.

The management change at G2 follows a number of changes at Lottomatica Group, including the resignation of Lorenzo Pellicioli as group CEO and the installation of Marco Sala as his replacement.

Bali joined GTECH in the UK in 1997. He subsequently joined the senior management team in 2005 and took the G2 role as a two-year assignment, which is due to finish this summer.

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

WagerWorks, the U.K.-based online gaming division of leading slot manufacturer International Game Technology, announced it has signed a deal to provide its entire library of branded slot games to Parlay Games Limited, an online gaming operator based in the British dependency Alderney in the Channel Islands.

"We are extremely excited to form a new supply relationship with Parlay Games Limited," said Oliver Lofthouse, director and general manager for WagerWorks. "This collaboration means WagerWorks games can now be made available to a greater range of players in the European marketplace and we are confident our games will bring increased revenues and interest to the Parlay client sites."

Parlay officials say they will offer players access to WagerWorks' entire library while allowing for immediate access to future games at launch.

"WagerWorks is a highly regarded organization, and is well-recognized for the quality of its branded and non-branded content, and Parlay is delighted to have formalized a close working relationship," said Perry Malone, chief technology officer for Parlay.

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

Spielo Manufacturing and Octavian International Limited have signed a licensing agreement whereby Octavian will use Spielo's game development kit to create games for the Italian VLT market.

Spielo, a subsidiary of Lottomatica Group, recently entered the Italian VLT market, known by its regulatory designation as Comma B6.

Spielo President and CEO Victor Duarte said, "This partnership with Octavian supports Spielo's strategy of providing the largest and most compelling portfolio of game content in Italy."

The games initially will be available on machines operated by Lottomatica Videolot Rete S.p.A, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lottomatica Group and one of Italy's largest gaming machine concessionaires.

Octavian, an International provider and integrator of networked gaming solutions, currently provides top-performing games to the Comma 6A market, the designation for the AWP market in Italy.

"Spielo's high-tech team provides world-class platforms, and their VLT and GDK are quite advanced," said Octavian President Peter Moffitt. "When joined with Octavian's winning content and Comma 6A successes, the end-product will definitely have a significant impact on the new Comma 6B marketplace in Italy. We look forward to seeing a large number of our games on the Lottomatica VLT network very soon."

Lottomatica Videolot Rete CEO Guglielmo Angelozzi said, "This agreement between Octavian, a well-known provider of proven, high-performance game content to the Italian Comma 6A market, and Spielo, a longtime leader in international VLT markets, allows a more robust and complete offering to players."

Octavian and Spielo expect to release the first games in the second half of 2010. This is the first of several content agreements Spielo expects to announce relating to the Italian VLT market.

Fri, Mar 05, 2010

Cash-access equipment and service supplier Global Cash Access Holdings announced that it has signed a five-year renewal contract with Wynn Las Vegas, which includes both the Wynn and Encore resort casinos in Las Vegas.

GCA's renewal with Wynn Las Vegas includes GCA's full suite of cash access services, including ATM, credit card cash advance and point-of-sale debit transactions, GCA's back-of-house QuikCash Plus system, and the services of Central Credit, the leading gaming patron credit bureau.

The company's cash access transactions will continue to be enabled through ticket-redemption kiosks. Wynn Las Vegas will also continue to use GCA's QuikMarketing service, which provides casino managers with highly targeted marketing materials and mailing lists from GCA's database of over 14 million multi-casino gaming patrons.

"We are pleased to announce the renewal of the Wynn Las Vegas contract, as it represents a very significant brand in the Las Vegas market," commented Scott Betts, president and CEO of GCA. "We look forward to providing Wynn Las Vegas with payments and customer market solutions that we believe will enhance the player experience and enable seamless integration, ultimately helping drive more business property-wide."

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

IGT Asia says Genting's Resorts World Sentosa, which opened as Singapore's first public casino February 14, includes a significant amount of floor space occupied by IGT products.

According to the manufacturer, the 15,000-square-meter casino includes premier IGT video slot themes including Wheel of Fortune, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Alien vs. Predator and Indiana Jones, as well as the IGT advantage casino management system, including EZ Pay ticketing and the company's RFID Chip Inventory System.

The manufacturer and the casino will collaborate this month to bring in celebrity impersonators to plug the new themed games, including "Storm Troopers" from Star Wars, "Indiana Jones," and "Marty McFly" and "Dr. Emmett Brown" from Back to the Future.

"IGT Asia is proud to have added successful games, IGT Advantage, EZ Pay, Advantage Bonusing system and RFID CIS installation to our portfolio," said John Gomes, managing director of IGT Asia. "We worked diligently with Resorts World Sentosa to facilitate a smooth go-live. And the successful opening of Resorts World Sentosa and the partnership we created with the casino are a true testament to our team's dedication to this project."

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

Gaming Laboratories International announced plans for its ninth annual Regulators Roundtable, to be held March 16-17 at the South Point Hotel Casino and Spa in Las Vegas. The conference, titled "Linking Worlds Together," features leading experts in discussions on a wide range of regulatory topics.

Topics at this year's Roundtable include "Crossover Technology: Going Outside the Lines," "Cutting Edge Technology: 2010 and Beyond," "Global Impact: A Worldwide View," "Implementing Gaming Legislation" and "Regulating Hybrid Technology: Finding a Clear Direction." Political regulatory issues will be discussed in "Legislative & Regulator Update: Doing More with Less" and "An Update from Capitol Hill." As hacking attempts continue to grow in sophistication, regulators will also be asked how safe their data is in the session "Risk Assessment & Security."
 

In addition to panel speakers, the event will feature a close-up tour of GLI's Las Vegas lab and in-depth training modules at the lab.
 

GLI's annual roundtable gives regulators the chance to gather to learn about the latest technological developments and their potential regulatory impact, and to openly discuss regulations with one another in a private setting. GLI offers the conference to regulators free of charge. Last year's event drew more than 200 regulators from across North America. 
 

Conference registration is available at  www.gaminglabs.com. Room reservations are available at www.southpointcasino.com. When booking rooms, attendees should mention room block code REG0314 to receive a preferred rate. 
 

The event is part of the company's GLI University, a program that offers continuing education and training to regulators around the world. "Technology in the gaming industry is evolving rapidly, and it is crucial that regulators stay ahead of the technology learning curve," said GLI Vice President Paul Magno. "We created the roundtable series specifically for that reason-to help regulators fully understand new technologies and their potential impact on each regulator's individual jurisdiction."
 

GLI produces similar events each year around the globe. Next month the company will stage its sixth European Regulators Roundtable, and expects to announce plans for its third Latin American Roundtable later this year.

Sat, Mar 06, 2010

The upcoming Gaming Expo Belgrade in Serbia will feature a stand from the government's gaming department that will provide information on new regulations and investment opportunities.

The government has instituted new slot machine requirements, including a rule that individual machines newly introduced to the Serbian market "must not be older than one year from the date of the application submittal for the issue of approval."

Additionally, a ruling from last year set a deadline of June 2010 for slots to meet new technical conditions, which only 4,000 machines currently do.

In short, Serbian operators are being encouraged to buy new gaming machines.

The regional event runs for three days in Belgrade, the Serbian capital, April 27-29, 2010.