ECA keys on ‘markets vs. monopolies’

The European Casino Association has formed a working group to analyze and assess the “gravity and urgency” of the debate raging continent-wide between upholders of the historically restrictive policies of Europe’s national gambling monopolies and EU free-trade proponents demanding access to markets across Member States.

The goal of the working group, the ECA said, is to anticipate changes and act accordingly.

“We work very hard to keep up with the pace of developments at an EU level across the entire gaming industry and make sure we try and provide the decision-makers with access to all the information they need,” said Holland Casino’s Ron Goudsmit, chairman of the 950-casino trade group.

The association did not take a position on the monopolies vs. markets debate at its annual General Assembly in May, which was held at Groupe Tranchant’s Grand Casino Basel in Switzerland, acknowledging it to be a “complex issue”.

“There is uncertainty in some countries concerning regulation, a fact that has led to an increasing number of cases being referred to the European Court of Justice,” the association said in a communiqué released at the conclusion of the meeting. “The ECA expects this practice to continue and even grow in the future, thus reopening the regulatory debate.”

The battle against money laundering is another area of concern, and the association set up a working group to cooperate with the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, the purpose being “to maintain contact with the relevant authorities and associations and ensure they have access to authoritative information on how casinos operate and the measures and procedures they already have in place.”

The association also approved Lithuania as a member, bringing the total of ECA countries to 23.

Dutch cracking down on payment services for Web gambling

The Netherlands Ministry of Justice is taking steps to impose criminal penalties on banks and credit card companies that process financial transactions between Dutch citizens and foreign gambling Web sites.

A report by Gambling Intelligence Group said the ministry circulated a list of 30 to 50 banned sites to financial payment processors insrtucting them to block transactions involving Dutch citizens.

“The move by the Ministry of Justice has further widened the rift between the Netherlands and the European Commission and is the latest in a string of protectionist moves by European states seeking to protect their national monopolies from private competition,” GIG said.

The Netherlands has been warned by the EC about its restrictive policies and was given two months to bring its laws into compliance with Common Market guarantees of freedom of services or face legal action in the European Court of Justice. That deadline expired in April.

The upper house of the Dutch legislature recently voted against a proposal to grant land-based monopoly Holland Casino an exclusive license to provide online gambling in the Netherlands. It is thought that the vote was intended to provide the government with a defense against the Commission, GIG said.

Harrah’s looking to Ireland for OK on €350M. casino

Reports are that U.S. casino giant Harrah’s Entertainment is lobbying government departments in Ireland in hopes of influencing proposed reforms to the country’s restrictive gambling legislation.

Harrah’s is said to be interested in developing a €350 million resort-scale casino in Ireland and reportedly has pitched the proposal to the Department of Justice, which is considering new legislation to formally license and regulate the country’s thriving gray market casino industry.

Harrah’s scheme would create 2,000 jobs, according to reports, and likely would include a 200- to 300-room hotel and other amenities.

Several major casino operators are interested in investing in Ireland, depending on the scope of the legislation and if and when it is passed. Justice Minister Brian Lenihan, who left the department in May, had sought to establish a cross-party committee in the Dáil to craft some form of legalization plan and move it forward.

Good times rolling for remote gambling, new report says

The first quarter of 2008 was the largest on record for online gambling, according to a report by UK-based Global Betting and Gaming Consultants.

The firm estimated gross revenues at US$3.8 billion from commercial betting, gambling and lotteries, a 25 percent increase over the same period in 2007. Including government-run lotteries, the gross was $4.5 billion.

“Our initial conclusion is that the online gambling industry will prove stronger than most, including its land-based counterpart, in the face of an economic downturn,” partner Simon Holliday told Interactive Gaming News.

GBGC projects that sports betting will achieve gross revenues of $5.7 billion this year, rising to $7.6 billion by 2012. But bingo is the fastest-growing product category, Holliday said, with the sector projected to hit $2.1 billion in 2008.

Europe is expected to generate the lion’s share of online revenues at $8.1 billion, rising to $12.8 billion by 2012. The U.S. market will generate $4.5 billion. Asia will be the fastest-growing market with growth projected at 18 to 20 percent over the next five years.

Castellón Casino opens in Spain at cost of €20M

Spain’s Gran Casino de Castellón has opened its doors in the port city of La Plana after several months of delay.

The 4,000-square-meter gambling hall is the property of Orenes Franco Group, which has invested €20 million to develop it and expects visitation to hit 80,000 annually in the casino and 150,000 in the entertainment, dining and meeting facilities

The casino has two French roulette and eight American roulette tables, three blackjack tables, seven poker tables, a baccarat table and 75 slot machines.

Gran Casino de Castellón also is equipped with a convention center, a theater for events and shows and three restaurants. The property employs 250 people.

The opening coincides with the appointment of industry veteran Jorge Ibáñez as director of Orenes’ Spanish casino division, which includes properties in Murcia, Costa Meloneras, Lanzarote, Extramadura and Electra Rioja.

Ibañez was UK director for Terrassa and served as international commercial director for Unidesa Gaming and Systems and country manager for Cirsa/Unidesa’s casinos in the Dominican Republic.

Despite UK reforms, little has changed in remote gambling

A study from the UK Gambling Commission has found that the proportion of the country’s adults participating in remote forms of gambling has remained static at 8.8 percent for the year despite the lifting of restrictions on advertising.

Excluding remote participation in the National Lottery, the survey found that only 5.1 percent of respondents had gambled online or by using a mobile device or interactive television in the month of March, compared to 5.2 percent a year ago.

Internet gambling continues to be the most popular way to participate at 7.1 percent. Mobile gaming was favored by 2.4 percent of respondents versus 2.5 percent last year and 2.2 percent in 2006. Interactive television remained almost unchanged at 1.8 percent.

The National Lottery remained the most popular form of remote gambling with 6.3 percent of all respondents indicating that they take part. This was followed by sports betting at 2.3 percent, poker at 1.4 percent, other lotteries at 1.3 percent and casinos and bingo halls at 1 percent each.

The findings were derived from a survey of 8,000 people conducted by ICM research and reported in iGaming Business magazine.

Austria honors favorite son Novomatic

Bartenstein (from left), Wohlfahrt and Dr. Christoph Leitl, president of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.

Novomatic Holding, parent company of slots, systems and operations giants Novomatic and Austrian Gaming Industries, was honored recently by Austria’s Foreign Export Association as one of the nation’s most successful companies.

Novomatic was presented with the “Austrian Export Trade Award 2008” as part of the celebrations surrounding the 15th annual Austrian Export Day. The award was accepted by Novomatic CEO Dr. Franz Wohlfart. “This is a great honor,” he said, “which I gladly accept on behalf of all our staff members.”

Lottomatica-GTECH shopping spree shows no signs of cooling

Lottomatica subsidiary GTECH has acquired 90 percent of Gibraltar-based St. Enodoc Holdings and its subsidiaries, including St. Minver, for Ä28 million in cash.

The purchase includes an additional payment of up to Ä13.6 million based on performance targets for 2008 and 2009.

GTECH and its recently acquired subsidiary Boss Media also have been chosen by Finland’s state-owned gaming operator Veikkaus to supply the platform and services for a national bingo Web site.

Veikkaus has signed a four-year contract extension with GTECH to provide software and services to Finland’s national lottery.

IN OTHER NEWS …

Daniel

—Novomatic Gaming Spain has deployed a comprehensive electronic roulette reorder at Casino Barcelona, the flagship casino of Spain’s Grup Peralada. The installation includes two fully automated Novo Multi-Roulette wheels, —London’s International Casino Exhibition and its remote gaming segment ICEi are being rebranded for 2009 as the International Gaming Expo, said producer Clarion Gaming.

—Aristocrat Technologies Europe has appointed David Daniel to the newly created post of customer services manager.

—Britain’s Rank Group has appointed Phil Urban as managing director of its Grosvenor Casinos division, succeeding Peter McCann. Urban formerly was managing director of Whitbread’s pub/restaurants division and the restaurants and hotels of Scottish & Newcastle.

—Party Gaming’s PartyPoker and PartyCasino operations achieved a 119 percent increase in profits in 2007 to US$111.7 million. Net revenues came up short of predictions at $476 million but were significantly better than the $325 million posted in 2006.  The company also found a replacement for CEO Mitch Garber, who left in May. St. Minver CEO Jim Ryan has been named to the position. Ryan, a Canadian, formerly was chief executive of Excapsa Software and CFO of Cryptologic. … Party also has promoted its chief games officer, John O’Malia, to the position of managing director.

—FutureLogic and Octavian International have joined in a strategic partnership that will see Octavian integrate, support and promote FutureLogic’s thermal ticket printers and promotional couponing technology across its full range of electronic gaming machines, server-based games and slots and casino management systems. 

—Playtech’s Videobet subsidiary has signed a joint-venture agreement with Unicum Gaming Group. Under the terms of the agreement, 500 of Videobet’s Bling multigame machines will be installed in several casinos across the Ukraine.

—888 has concluded a three-year licensing contract with Cryptologic subsidiary WagerLogic for game content, including initially Bejeweled, Cubis and Millionaire’s Club.

—Bwin Interactive Entertainment will no longer market broadcasting rights for Bundesliga games after this year. German soccer league DFL plans to take over the marketing itself, according to a recent report in Die Welt.

—The parliament of Monaco has voted to ban smoking in all public places, including casinos. The edict will go into effect in six months.