Gaming and Casino Industrial News 6.10.2008 all over the world

06.10.2008, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «Gaming and Casino Industrial News all over the world».

Czech Lotto Operator Plans Online Casino
Play-for-fun format will prepare for proposed law changes legalising Internet gambling

Hopeful that upcoming legislation will legalise online gambling in the country, the Czech Republic’s biggest lottery operator, Sazka, has announced plans to launch a new play-for-fun online casino.

The Czech government has been considering the legalisation and regulation of online gambling for some time (see previous Online-Casinos.com/InfoPowa reports) and new legislation in the Eastern European nation could come up for a vote in Parliament before the end of 2008, according to reliable sources. Sazka has accordingly been gearing up its new free online offering in order to stand ready to switch to real money action once the laws come into effect, giving it an edge of foreign competitors.

E-Sazka.cz was launched as the carrying website earlier this year, allowing Internet gamblers to arrange bets online before placing their wagers at a physical retail point of sale using a bet identifier or barcode. The new online casino addition will initially offer roulette, blackjack, Texas hold’em and other poker games on a free-play basis.

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Harrah's Entertainment plans to lay off more workers
Harrah's Entertainment confirmed it is preparing another round of layoffs and hourly reductions at its Las Vegas properties.

Company officials late Thursday declined to say how many workers will be let go.

They said the company will work closely with all employees who will be affected.

"The country is experiencing a historically difficult economic period," said Jan Jones, senior vice president of communications and government relations for Harrah's. "The gaming industry, as nearly all consumer business in the country, has been negatively impacted by the difficult circumstances of the economy."

The casino operator, which owns and operates Paris Las Vegas, Bally's, Bill's, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Harrah's, Caesars Palace and Rio locally, has already cut nearly 1,500 Las Vegas jobs this year, according to an article published last month by Reuters.

The decision comes as revenue and visitor volume to the Strip continue to drop.

Gaming revenue on the Strip has declined 6.5 percent year-over-year through July, according to the latest figures available from the Gaming Control Board. Visitation to the Strip fell 4.6 percent in the same month.

"Business levels for the Las Vegas gaming market are down," Jones said. "These circumstances require us to carefully evaluate our business to insure that we are operating within current business volumes."

Harrah's is not alone in continuing to cut jobs and adjust employees' hours as businesses across the valley continue to adjust to the economic downturn.

Bill Lerner, a Las Vegas-based gaming analyst for Deutsche Bank, said some properties have been closing off gaming table pits for extended hours, cutting restaurant hours and even closing rooms in hotel towers.

"All of those carry employment," Lerner said. "Over the last two to three weeks, the behavior of visitors to Las Vegas has changed noticeably. They're spending very differently, and less, than they were prior to that. It's 100 percent related to the things people are watching on CNN and CNBC with the economy and the credit environment."

MGM Mirage, which owns 10 properties on the Strip, has cut nearly 1,500 jobs this year locally, according to the Reuters article.

Gordon Absher, MGM Mirage's vice president of public affairs, confirmed that number.

He added, "We are continuing to deal the downturn in the economy just like every other city, market sector and household in America."

Company officials wouldn't give exact staff counts.

Station Casinos conducted another round of layoffs in early September, saying the number of employees who were affected represented "a very small percentage" of the workers at its 17 properties.

The locals gaming company has hired most of the staff for its new Aliante Station, which opens Nov. 11, company spokeswoman Lori Nelson said Friday.

However, some of the positions were offered to workers who were affected by the reductions last month.

Newly laid-off workers will enter a job market that is already stressed.

Las Vegas' unemployment rate hit 7.1 percent in August, the highest rate since July 1993 when the rate was 7.2 percent, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Jobs in the hotel-casino industry fell by approximately 600 in August despite the 1,100 new jobs provided by the opening of the USD 250 Eastside Cannery on Aug. 28.

Jacob Oberman, director of gaming research for CB Richard Ellis, said the housing market will need to rebound before consumer spending returns and the job cuts slow.

More employment help is coming. Wynn Resorts Ltd. is hiring 5,300 workers for Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, scheduled to open in December.

Next year will see the opening of the USD 1 billion M Resort, which will employ about 2,000. Nearly 6,000 workers will be needed for the USD 2.9 billion Fontainebleau, and 12,000 will be hired for the USD 9.2 billion CityCenter project, slated to start opening late next year.

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New Mobile Software Improves Delivery
Think-gambling?

Edinburgh-based technology firm Rapid Mobile Media Ltd, is marketing an innovative range of mobile application and service delivery software platforms, branded ThinkPhone Design, ThinkPhone Deliver and ThinkPhone Direct. The new platforms make it easy for operators to deliver high quality interactive mobile Internet sites and downloadable applications to all types of handsets automatically, providing engaging services for end users.

ThinkPhone Design is a framework for the development of rich, interactive mobile applications that can be automatically provisioned to any suitable mobile phone through the associated ThinkPhone Deliver platform. The ThinkPhone development philosophy focuses on user interaction to create easy to use, intuitive applications. Porting and testing effort is minimised because of a provisioning process which automatically optimises applications at the point of delivery to match the individual handset capabilities. ThinkPhone Design includes a user interface framework with data presentation and effects components and a full communications infrastructure with end-to- end security.

“There are significant challenges in delivering easy to use services to an increasingly diverse universe of mobile phone types,” said Dr. Richard M. Marshall, Founder and CTO of Rapid Mobile Media. “Our unique self-learning device knowledge database underpins all of our ThinkPhone platforms. This not only enables automatic application and content optimisation, but ensures support for new phones as they enter the market, without any intervention or further engineering costs.”

ThinkPhone Deliver is a complete application management and provisioning platform, ensuring the best possible experience in the easy download and execution of mobile applications, with new mobile phone types being automatically supported by the platform. ThinkPhone Deliver’s complete infrastructure includes automated application delivery, web-based management console and the ability to re-brand and localise downloads as they are personalised to the individual user and their device.

ThinkPhone Direct is a content management platform for the delivery of rich mobile internet services for all mobile phone types. The platform allows content providers to focus on delivering quality material while automatically optimising the user experience. The white label software platform can be integrated into an operator’s existing infrastructure and is capable of automatically reskinning and delivering multiple related mobile internet sites.

“Proven commercial deployments demonstrate how our ThinkPhone application and service delivery platforms enable our customers to engage with mobile users,” said Jeremy Copp, CEO of Rapid Mobile Media. “As well as delivering services such as Metro Mobile, Betfair Mobile and the Jackpotjoy mobile portfolio, the ThinkPhone platforms are fully integrated with Ad360, our mobile advertising platform.”

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Good News For Internet Gambling
Isle of Man gambling consultants predict tough times ahead could benefit online gambling

The UK gambling consultancy Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC) was in the news over the weekend with its bullish predictions for online gambling despite the tough world economic environment.

Chief Executive Warwick Bartlett was widely quoted on his prediction that the world's gambling market is set to grow from $345 billion in 2007 to US$433 billion by 2012, with Internet activity benefitting from players' inclination to stay home and save on transport costs to land casinos.

In the GBGC report "Change is on the Cards" Bartlett says: "The slowdown in the USA will hit the pockets of Americans and Las Vegas will feel the effect of that along with high energy costs and a transportation system reliant on road and air. The US has not invested sufficiently in high speed rail, and destination resorts going forward will suffer as the cost of carbon-based fuels continues to be an issue of cost and supply," he said.

Bartlett is critical of British authorities, accusing them of missing out on an opportunity to pull in offshore operators and urging a rethink on Internet gambling taxation: "The bookmakers in October 2001 did a deal with the then Chancellor Gordon Brown to repatriate their internet gambling sites back to the UK in exchange for betting to be taxed on bookmakers' gross profits," says Bartlett.

"For five years it has worked well but now the bookmakers are losing market share to offshore operators and the government needs to re-think its strategy. The offshore bookmakers are now investing the tax saving in marketing and scooping up the business. The current 'gentlemen's agreement' is not sustainable in my view. The UK is missing the opportunity to create jobs, wealth, and taxation in a sustainable industry."

The complex European legal situation is addressed in the report, with the forecast that market expansion across Europe is taking place as governments come to terms with rulings from the European Courts of Justice that there should be equity and no interference with the free passage of goods and services between EU member nations.

Bartlett's company is also bullish about the future of two mega land casinos in Singapore and the prospect that the second largest gambling nation, Japan, could have a legal land casino within 5 years.

Referring to the current situation as the perfect storm for the Internet gambling sector, GBGC points to the tough global economic conditions allied to high energy and fuel costs, cheap broadband Internet connection and a smoking ban in all licensed land premises in most countries of the world.

"People are leaving their cars in the garage, playing online bingo or watching a match on TV and placing a bet from the comfort of an armchair," said Bartlett.

"The land based businesses are going to find it hard to compete with the value on the Internet and with as much as 30 percent of gambling revenue now leaving the UK and going offshore the government should take note."

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Would unionization of dealers push casinos to automation?
Technology is sweeping the casino floor.

Sophisticated slot machines are providing flashier graphics to keep players glued to their seats as video components turn the play into a better entertainment experience.

More and more casinos will install systems that will connect their machines to a single server so slot-floor managers will be able to make changes from a keyboard, minimizing the labor-intensive process of changing individual machines.

Some casinos are looking to increase play by offering devices that operate in restaurants, lounges and at poolside. They work just like portable video games.

In the race and sports books, video screens have gotten bigger and better and nearly every high-profile game is presented as it happens.

One place where technology hasn't come full throttle is at the table games.

Sure, we've seen automatic card-shuffling machines that can handle multiple decks at the tables and card scanners that enable blackjack dealers to determine if they have 21 without looking at the cards.

Probably the most obvious place for automation at the tables is with the dealers themselves.

Would that ever happen?

The dealerless blackjack table was a part of the discussion in a panel at the recent Raving Consulting Co.'s first-ever Table Games Conference.

A panel on the aftermath of efforts to unionize dealers determined it's possible continued union drives could be countered by management buying more machines that use video of attractive dealers to interact with players instead of human beings.

But panelist Jesse Guest, a table games dealer at Wynn Las Vegas, which went through its own unionization drive, said the personality most dealers bring to the floor may make it more difficult for casino management to dump live dealers for technology.

The Transport Workers Union was elected to represent dealers after a headline-making controversy erupted over whether dealers should be required to share tips with pit supervisors who weren't making as much money as the dealers. The crux of the issue was whether the dealers could be forced to share their tips or if the company should just pay the supervisors more so that the workers weren't earning more than their boss.

The big question was: Would the Wynn policy spread to other casinos?

Guest said the unionization never would have occurred had Wynn not touched the tips.

"Trust and control were the big issues," Guest said. "The bottom line is we trusted this guy."

But would casinos really pull the plug on live dealers and plug in machines to do the job?

More evidence was presented in a later panel on whether casinos should fear table game advantage players - those alert people who win more by paying attention to abundant comps, drawings and giveaways as well as casino weaknesses to win more than the average player.

Panelists talked about teams like those depicted in the recent film "21" as well as sloppy dealing practices that present advantage opportunities for players.

But how important is the issue of being wary of advantage players? Panelist Willy Allison, president of World Game Protection Inc., said a dealer survey listed the top five issues in table games and the results were surprising.

Of 115 dealers and pit bosses surveyed, only 3 percent listed advantage play as a key issue. Cheating and theft was listed by 14 percent; dealer errors, 17 percent; and overcomping, 18 percent. The biggest issue, listed by 49 percent of those surveyed: slow game pace.

That tells me that the union push may not be the only reason why casinos could someday look at further automating the table game pits.

Don't think it could happen? Check out the poker room at the Excalibur. In August, it was converted to PokerPro electronic tables, which takes the dealer out of the action. PokerTek, the maker of the new machines, says the system is capable of dealing 50 percent more hands for Texas hold 'em and 100 percent more hands for Omaha games since the "cards" are all video images.

Manufacturers are doing more and more with table-game technology, and it's likely that more of it will be unveiled in November at the next Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.

Machines can work faster and they'll never unionize.

But they'll never exude the personality of card dealers.

InBusinessLasVegas.com

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MGM plans more layoffs
MGM Grand Detroit, the top earner of Detroit's three casinos, is laying off less than 100 workers for the second time this year, officials said.

The layoffs coincide with MGM's one-year anniversary of moving to its new USD 800 million hotel and casino entertainment complex last October.

All affected are hourly workers in food and beverage -- meaning those who work in restaurants and bars.

"Being a year into operations, we are at a better point than ever to evaluate what our customer demand is and normalize operations according to that demand," said spokeswoman Yvette Monet.

Casino management met with union officials this week to inform them of layoffs, which will occur in phases and could involve downgrading some full-time positions to part-time jobs and will take place in the next two to four weeks.

MGM Grand Detroit currently employs has 3,600 people.

MGM's casino revenues were USD 50 million this August, up from USD 42.7 million August 2007, the last figures available.

MotorCity Casino has consistently ranked second and Greektown third, in terms of casino revenues. MotorCity Casino made USD 41 million in revenues last August and Greektown, which is in Chapter 11, made USD 26 million.

MGM Grand Detroit last laid off workers in April, six months after opening its permanent casino, hotel and entertainment complex.

About 100 employees were laid off then in the area of food and beverage and hotel operations.

The last round of layoffs included a combination of salaried and hourly workers.

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Lasseters Shutdown Confirmed
Parent company suffered A$15.5 million loss last financial year

The closure of Lasseters Online Casino this week (see previous Online- Casinos.com/InfoPowa report) has been confirmed by Australian newspaper "The Age" in its business section.

Reporting on the demise of the online company after nine years of operations, the report reveals that shares have been in suspension for almost a month following its A$15.5 million loss last financial year, to allow the company to plead for a capital injection from its parent company, Lasseters International.

In the results, the auditors declared there was "inherent uncertainty regarding continuation as a going concern".

With Lasseters International yet to decide whether to invest more money, the listed Lasseters Corporation said it was no longer taking bets on its three casino websites, Lasseters Online, AusVegas and Lasseters Euro.

"A review of the viability of the online casino operations was made and the board of Lasseters is of the view that the ability of the online casino to turn around is very remote, despite continuous support from the parent company over the last two years," the company said in a statement.

"The online casino has suffered continuous losses and faces numerous constraints, resulting in the company's online casino not being able to remain competitive."

Lasseters took its last online casino bets this week.

The company has previously lamented the impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, a 2006 law in the US that disrupts financial transactions with online gambling companies and has caused significant industry damage.

The only online Lasseters division still operating is the online sports betting operation, Lasseters Sportsbook.

Über Glücksspiele Las Vegas - Gambling in Las Vegas:

Las Vegas liegt im Westen der USA im Bundesstaat Nevada und ist das Glücksspiel-Paradies von Amerika.

Las Vegas hat rund 100 Spielcasinos. Im Bundesstaat Nevada sind sogar über 300 Spielcasinos registriert. Die grössten Casinos sind das Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Venetian / Palazzo, Wynn / Encore, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay.

Weitere bekannte Casinos sind das Mirage, frühere Heimat von Siegfried und Roy, das Luxor in Form einer Pyramide oder das Casino Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, in welchem jährlich die Pokerweltmeisterschaft (World Series of Poker WSOP) durchgeführt wird.

Die bekanntesten zwei Strassen sind der Las Vegas Boulevard, welcher auch als Las Vegas Strip bezeichnet wird. Daneben ist die Fremont Street eine gut besuchte Casino-Meile, wo beispielsweise das legendäre Casino Binion's (vormals Binion's Horseshoe) seine Spiele anbietet.

Las Vegas erstreckt sich über eine Fläche von 340 km2 und hat rund 650'000 Einwohner.

--- Ende Artikel / Pressemitteilung Gaming and Casino Industrial News 6.10.2008 all over the world ---


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