INAG Places New Game in Oklahoma
INAG Inc. has partnered with Avalon Gaming to release the first placement of INAG’s propriety game Mystery Card Roulette into the Oklahoma gaming market. According to INAG President Mark H. Jones, Kiowa Casino in Devol, Okla., went live with the game in August. Creek Nations Casino will be right on the heels of Kiowa and will offer the game to its customers in its newly expanded casino. Mystery Card Roulette offers players the excitement and thrill of the Las Vegas-style game but without the wheel. This is a card game that will draw new customers to the casinos. INAG and Avalon Gaming received the proper state approval before offering the game in Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.inag11.com.
BMM Establishes Asian Operations in Macau
BMM Compliance has established BMM Macao as its first Asian office in the Macau Special Administrative Region. BMM Macao will assist in the expansion of BMM’s Asian market presence by the provision of local compliance, testing and consulting support for gaming manufacturers, operators and regulators in Asia. It will also provide clients with international gaming and regulatory knowledge and experience to facilitate access into other regulated markets around the world. The new BMM office will be headed by Dora Deparis, who has extensive business experience in Asia and lives in Macau. “BMM’s reputation as a trusted partner of regulators, manufacturers and operators, combined with its testing leadership, attracted me to BMM Asia,” Deparis said. “I am looking forward to working with the global BMM team and its global partners to support and progress the standard of gaming operations here in Macau.” For more information, visit www.bmmcompliance.com.
CasinoCAD Debuts in Maine, Continues Success in Mississippi
Riverwalk Casino Hotel and Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway have licensed Casino Data Imaging’s (CDI) CasinoCAD v4 business intelligence program. The recent sales mark the 14th CasinoCAD installation in Mississippi and first in Maine. “These sales are very exciting for CDI as both companies have either opened or are soon to open brilliant new casinos,” said corporate spokesman George Levine. “By licensing CasinoCAD v4, our clients receive a proven analysis program backed up by a dedicated development and support team. Focusing on our core competencies allows CDI to continue providing robust technology at very competitive pricing. In addition, with over 145 installations to leading casino operators worldwide, we have an exceptional product development resource with our user base.” For more information, visit www.casinodataimaging.com.
Cannery Appoints Cates as Marketing Manager
Cannery Casino Resorts LLC has appointed Maria Lee Cates to marketing manager for Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel. “Maria Lee Cates has been a great asset for several years to Cannery Casino Resorts,” said David Risdon, director of marketing at Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel. “We look forward to her continued success with the company.” Prior to joining Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel, Cates served as the marketing manager for The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington County, Pa. Before that, she was the rewards center manager at the Fiesta Rancho Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas. Cates holds a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel and restaurant management from St. Paul University in Quezon City, Philippines. For more information, visit www.cannerycasinos.com.
WMS Reports Quarterly Record Results
WMS Industries Inc. has reported record financial results for its Fiscal 2008 fourth quarter and full year ended June 30, 2008. Fourth quarter highlights included total revenue growth of 17 percent to a quarterly record $185.6 million and a net income increase of $4.9 million to a quarterly record $21.6 million, or $0.36 per diluted share. Product sales contributed a record $122.0 million to the bottom line with new unit shipments rising to 8,180 gaming machines. For the first time in company history, product sales gross margin was 50 percent. Gaming operations revenues rose 33 percent, reflecting a 13 percent increase in daily revenue to $68.13 per unit and 13 percent growth in the ending installed participation base to 9,321 units. WMS also reported its total gross profit margin rose 60 percent, its operating margin rose to 18 percent, and adjusted EBITDA rose 31 percent to a quarterly record $67.1 million. “WMS’ record new unit shipments and gaming operations revenues for the Fiscal 2008 fourth quarter and full year periods underscore the continued strength and industry appeal of our innovative, differentiated product portfolio and put a strong exclamation mark on our results for Fiscal 2008,” said Brian R. Gamache, WMS chairman and CEO. For more information, visit www.wms.com.
Eldredge Named Interim GM at Santa Ana Star
Tamaya Enterprises Inc., manager of Santa Ana Star Casino, has appointed Scott Eldredge, director of marketing and transportation, as interim general manager of Santa Ana Star Casino in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. Effective Aug. 15, Eldredge replaced Conrad Granito, who resigned to become the general manager of the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, La. Granito had served as the casino’s general manager since 2003. “I’ve always been proud to be a part of the Santa Ana Star Casino family and the strength of our team will make a smooth transition,” Eldredge said. “I’m excited to step in and lead the organization until a new general manager is named.” For more information, visit www.santaanastar.com.
Cullimore Named Chief Executive of The Ritz Club
Timothy Cullimore has been appointed as the new chief executive of The Ritz Club, where he will bring his vast experience to supervise a new phase of growth and development at the London casino. Prior to joining The Ritz Club, Cullimore was managing director of operations for Casinos Austria International’s U.K. representation. Andrew Love, the former chief executive of The Ritz Club will continue his role as executive chairman of the club and deputy chairman of The Ritz Hotel. “Tim is a vigorous and dedicated individual whose previous responsibilities have included securing new licences, building, development and operation of new casinos,” Love said. “He will enjoy bringing to fruition the strategic planning of both his own initiatives, and the directives emanating from the board of directors. He will be accountable for achieving financial success for the operation, and motivating his team to excel.”
Ellis Gaming & Entertainment Names President, CFO
Ellis Gaming & Entertainment LLC has named Jack Parkinson as president and appointed Gregg Carlson to the position of chief financial officer. Parkinson returns to Ellis Gaming from a stint in Muckleshoot Indian Casino of Auburn, Wash., where he served as general manager. Ellis Gaming recently completed a consulting agreement with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe where the company advised the tribe’s resort and casino in the food and beverage, construction, human resource departments, and training and development. He was previously the general manager of the Kickapoo Casino in Oklahoma. Carlson first moved to Las Vegas in 1963 and has lived in the city on and off since that time, gaining extensive experience in the gaming industry. Prior to joining Ellis Gaming, Carlson was a consultant to two international gaming companies with business dealings in Jamaica, Guatemala and Taiwan, and spent a period of time before then managing the gaming-related hedge fund AS Capital.
AC Coin & Slot Games Buck Downward Trend
After 100 days in the field, AC Coin & Slot announced the continuing success of three of its most anticipated bonusing games of 2008: Big Game Show Gold Edition Bonus™, Chef’s Daily Special™ and When in Rome™. One key to the success of these games has been the uniqueness of their higher-line paytables, ranging from the Triple Star®, 5-reel, 25-line paytable of Big Game Show Gold Edition Bonus to the Double Diamond®, 5-reel, 30-line paytables of Chef’s Daily Special and When in Rome. AC Coin & Slot’s move away from the more traditional 9-line paytable in favor of these more competitive tables has proven successful in several of its games and can be seen as an indicator of an industry-wide trend. “In the current market, 25- and 30-line paytables really appeal to players, giving them more ways to win and the opportunity to stretch their dollars across more lines for a higher return,” said Jerry Seelig, AC Coin & Slot executive vice president and general manager. For more information, visit www.ac-coin.com.
NAV Creates Integrated Business Solutions Division
North American Video (NAV) has created a new business unit. The Integrated Business Solutions Division will focus on providing enterprise-level security solutions and services for corporate clients. To support the effort, the company has added a core team of individuals with extensive experience in the corporate sector and is opening a new office in northern New Jersey that will serve as headquarters for the new business unit. The business will be led by Vice President and General Manager Frank Lloyd, a security industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in systems integration. “North American Video has a first-class reputation in the security industry,” Lloyd said. “The new business will leverage the company’s technology and integration expertise to further cultivate relationships with corporate clients and build a customer focused business that is second to none.” Additional appointments to NAV’s new Integrated Business Solutions Division include Director of Business Development Alex Melo, Director of Engineering Kurt Heinicke, Director of Operations Glenn Durant, and Strategic Account Executive Brendan Burns. For more information, visit www.navcctv.com.
Aristocrat Completes OASIS 360™ Agreement
Aristocrat Technologies’ OASIS 360 Casino Management System has been selected for the M Resort, Spa and Casino, a $1 billion resort scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2009 on South Las Vegas Boulevard. Under the agreement, M Resort will leverage its Ethernet casino floor network with the use of Aristocrat’s SpeedMedia™ Marketing and Promotions applications on more than 1,900 Sentinel® III in-game displays across the casino. SpeedMedia gives M Resort the flexibility to create and deploy customized downloadable media and offer players additional gaming excitement with configurable secondary bonusing events. In addition, OASIS 360 will provide M Resort with multi-game analysis, customer management tools, casino floor diagnostics applications, PersonalBanker® cashless wagering technologies, and the integration of the resort’s hotel and food and beverage outlets. “We are thrilled that the M Resort, Spa and Casino has chosen the OASIS 360 system for their property,” said Aristocrat Senior Vice President of Sales Sean Evans. “We are confident that this newly enhanced product will provide the resort with the tools needed in order to provide its customers the highest levels of personal service throughout the property, and were are excited about partnering with them on this venture.” For more information, visit www.aristocratgaming.com.
SAS Acquires Software Firm IDeaS
SAS has acquired IDeaS Revenue Optimization, a provider of advanced revenue-management software for the hospitality industry. With its existing broad and powerful portfolio of market-leading advanced analytics, business intelligence and industry-specific solutions, SAS now has the leading revenue-management offering designed specifically for the travel and hospitality industries. IDeaS customers will benefit from the global resources of SAS, a $2 billion company. “Effective revenue management is an essential tool, process and discipline for nearly all asset managers who serve customer demand that varies by market segment, season and economic cycle,” said Bill Carroll, senior lecturer at Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. “Getting it right can make the difference between profitability and non-profitability. An RM system based on advanced analytics is critical to any firm’s overall revenue-management strategy.” For more information, visit www.sas.com.
Sycuan Names Tabor Director of Marketing
Michael Tabor has been promoted to director of marketing for Sycuan Casino. “Michael Tabor has served admirably as assistant director of marketing,” said Sycuan Casino General Manager Sheila Howe. “He’s a forward thinker with a collaborative attitude, and he has proven to have a wealth of great ideas.” Tabor had been the assistant director of marketing for the past two years and has more than 12 years of experience in casino marketing, including eight years as director of marketing with Hollywood Park Casino. In his new role with Sycuan Casino, Tabor will guide all aspects of marketing, including advertising, promotions, player development, entertainment and publicity. For more information, visit www.sycuan.com.
Seminole Tribe Installs Bally’s TableView™
The Seminole Tribe of Florida will implement Bally Technologies Inc.’s TableView table-rating and player-tracking system at its six casinos in south Florida. Bally’s award-winning TableView allows Seminole casino staff to enter player ratings, request chip fills and credits, and issue customer comps and markers in real time. The groundbreaking Seminole Tribe of Florida has already implemented the system on 70 tables at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, with plans to ultimately offer TableView on more than 400 tables across six Seminole properties. “We’re delighted to strengthen our partnership with the Seminole Tribe of Florida and provide their industry-leading operations with the most cutting-edge table-rating system,” said Ramesh Srinivasan, executive vice president of Bally Systems. For more information, visit www.ballytech.com.
Bally Forms Innovation Lab
Bally Technologies Inc. has formed a lab to focus on the research and development of new gaming technologies, features and products, and help accelerate the commercial deployment of the most cutting-edge games and systems technologies of the Networked Floor of the Future™. Bally appointed Bryan Kelly, vice president of technology, as head of the Innovation Lab, which is based in Northern California. Through the Innovation Lab, Kelly will lead Bally’s efforts to inspire and synergize development efforts from its entire R&D team, which has tripled in size in less than three years. The lab will research emerging and paradigm-shifting technologies to help ensure that Bally stays at the forefront of the gaming manufacturing and technology industry. For more information, visit www.ballytech.com.
Bally Names Carlotti VP of Investor Relations and Capital Markets
Michael J. Carlotti has joined Bally Technologies Inc. as vice president of investor relations and capital markets. Carlotti brings 10 years of experience as an investment banker and three years of experience as an equity research analyst in which his primary focus was on the gaming industry. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Boston College and a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. For more information, visit www.ballytech.com.
Bally Establishes Office of the CTO
Bally has created the Office of the Chief Technology Officer to serve as a thought leader on technology. Bally’s Office of the CTO will be comprised of Robert Luciano, Bally’s CTO, who has returned to Bally part-time after a medical leave; John Acres, chief executive officer of Acres-Fiore, a gaming content provider who is a well-respected entrepreneur and gaming industry veteran; Tom Frisina, a leading executive in the interactive gaming industry for 25 years, focusing on product development, publishing and distribution; and Bally Technologies board member Kevin Verner, who was previously the chief operating officer of WMS Industries Inc. The Office of the CTO will also include Bally Technologies’ executives Ramesh Srinivasan, executive vice president, Bally Systems; Bruce Rowe, senior vice president of strategy and business development; Bryan Kelly, vice president of technology; Dan Savage, vice president of marketing; Loren Nelson, vice president of engineering; Marco Herrera, vice president and managing director, Bally Nice; Mike Mitchell, vice president of game development; Robert Crowder, vice president of advanced product development; and Walt Eisele, vice president of systems development. For more information, visit www.ballytech.com.
GameLogic Named Top Global Technology Company
GameLogic Inc. has been named to AlwaysOn’s AO Global 250 list, recognizing the next generation of game-changing global technology companies. GameLogic was named to the list after an exhaustive worldwide review of companies by the AlwaysOn editorial team and industry experts based on innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value and media buzz. “Being recognized as a leading private firm—alongside distinguished companies such as Twitter and Facebook—is a great honor,” said John E. Taylor Jr., GameLogic president and CEO. “We attribute this success to our Web-based marketing solution that helps casinos effectively and efficiently increase visitation levels combined with our team’s unrivaled commitment and passion to our business.” For more information, visit www.gamelogic.com.
Suzo-Happ Names Asia Pioneer as Macau Distributor
Suzo-Happ Group has selected Asia Pioneer Entertainment as its exclusive gaming distributor in Macau. Asia Pioneer, a leading gaming equipment distributor in Macau, will give the Suzo-Happ Group strong representation in the fast-growing Macau gaming market. Asia Pioneer has served the Macau market since 2004 and has placed and serviced hundreds of slot machines and electronic game tables in local casinos. Its firm commitment to customer service has been the foundation of its success. Marketing Suzo-Happ Group’s broad product line, which includes toppers, illuminated pushbuttons, touchscreens, Starpoint reels, Kortek monitors, MEI bill validators and FutureLogic printers, will allow Asia Pioneer to offer local casinos a one-stop shop for electronic games, technical services, components, and parts and supplies. Both companies will leverage a shared commitment to provide high-quality products and world-class customer care service. For more information, visit www.suzohapp.com.
Suzo-Happ and Acrosser Team Up
Suzo-Happ Group has been appointed as a distributor and representative for Acrosser Technology Co. Ltd gaming products in the United States, Canada, Central America and South America. Acrosser, established in 1987, is a leading global supplier of industrial computing hardware for the gaming and amusement industries. Acrosser’s ACE line of products was developed specifically for the gaming industry to meet all security requirements while also being compliant with GLI, BMM and other regulatory agencies. “With both standard control boards as well as custom solutions, Acrosser has a proven record of innovation and reliability,” said James Brendel, Suzo-Happ Group president of worldwide gaming. “Their dedication to quality and outstanding dependability sets them apart. The Acrosser product line is a natural fit as it works with all the components we currently provide to game manufacturers such as reel mechanisms, bill validators, printers, monitors, push buttons, etc.” For more information, visit www.suzohapp.com.
Ameristar Casinos Names Koch Senior VP and GM
Ameristar Casinos Inc. has promoted Chet W. Koch to senior vice president and general manager of Ameristar Kansas City. Koch had been serving as the property’s vice president and acting general manager. He has been an Ameristar team member since September 2006. “Chet has consistently proven himself to be a skilled and respected executive,” said Michelle Shriver, senior vice president of operations for Ameristar. “I am very pleased to announce his promotion to the role of general manager at one of Ameristar’s largest properties.” Before being promoted to the acting general manager role in August 2007, Koch was the property’s vice president of finance. For more information, visit www.ameristar.com.
Tropicana Names Ailstock GM of the River Palms
Tropicana Entertainment has named Ed Ailstock as general manager of the River Palms Hotel Casino in Laughlin, Nev. Ailstock joined the River Palms Hotel and Casino in 2001 as slot manager. In 2005 he was promoted to director of casino operations and in 2006 was named casino general manager. In addition, Ailstock has 19 years of experience in the gaming industry in various management positions in Nevada, Louisiana and Iowa. “Ed has both a technical and management background that is a great asset to the property,” said Regional Vice President of Tropicana Entertainment Rick Yuhas. “He is bringing new and exciting games to the casino floor, and with his personal emphasis on customer service, our guests will have a memorable experience at the River Palms. A long-time Laughlin resident, Ed brings a local perspective to the property and to the community.” For more information, visit www.river-palms.com.
AGEM Announces Three New Members
The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers’ (AGEM) board of the directors has approved the membership applications of three new companies, bringing the trade group comprised of the world’s leading gaming suppliers to a milestone total of 50 members. The new AGEM members are CashCode, based in Concord, Ontario, Canada, a leading international manufacturer of currency validation technology; Suzo-Happ Group, based in Elk Grove, Ill., a manufacturer and distributor of gaming components, parts and accessories with warehousing, production and engineering facilities around the world; and TCSJOHNHUXLEY, an international company with operations in all of the world’s major gaming jurisdictions and a leading manufacturer and product innovator of traditional and technology casino and gaming equipment. For more information, visit www.agem.org.
Storm International to Install Chain Reaction™
Gaming operator Storm International has installed Atronic’s Chain Reaction™ Mystery Jackpot link in its Moscow casino, Udarnik, making it the first installation of its kind in Russia. Chain Reaction is based on the principle of giving customers the feeling of team spirit in that when someone hits the jackpot all participants have a chance to share in the prize and even multiply it for the main winner. The new concept has attracted players’ attention immediately and has started to gain popularity among casino guests. “While guests experience a new way of ‘being a part of winning mysteries,’ we get the benefit of added activity on our casino floor,” said Jose Da Silva Rocha, slot director for Storm International. For more information, visit www.atronic.com.