Cadillac Jack Appoints Anthony CFO
Cadillac Jack announced the appointment of Kenneth Anthony as CFO. Anthony will oversee all accounting related operations and direct the company’s strategic financial initiatives to grow and support the overall business direction of Cadillac Jack. “Ken brings a tremendous level of expertise to Cadillac Jack that will help us further our strategic initiatives,” Greg Gronau, president and CEO, said. “His more than 20 years of experience and his strong track record of success in the areas of strategic planning, investor relations, and process improvements will help us further refine our growth and investment opportunities.” Prior to joining Cadillac Jack, Anthony served as CFO for Timbervest, a privately held company with over $1 billion in assets. In addition, he has extensive financial leadership experience in large publicly traded companies including the Kmart Corporation, Ford Motor Credit Corporation, Apple Computer and Ernst & Young. “Cadillac Jack is experiencing strong growth due to a great product line and an experienced management team,” Anthony said. “I am excited to be a part of this dynamic company.” For more information, visit www.cadillacjack.com.
Elo and AMIS Enter Joint Development Agreement
Tyco Electronics’ Elo TouchSystems and AMI Semiconductor (AMIS) have entered into a joint development agreement to create an integrated circuit (IC). The chip will enable Elo TouchSystems to port Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) touch technology to small handheld and mobile devices commonly found in consumer electronics, industrial handheld devices, handheld medical devices, NAV devices, white goods, portable gaming devices, and signature-capture devices. Elo TouchSystems has selected AMIS design services to develop an audio chip for its APR technology. APR touch technology is based on the physical principle of recording the unique characteristics of a sound generated by a touch on a surface and comparing that to a pre-measured value, thus determining the location of that touch on the surface. Durable and scalable, APR technology already combines the best features of all currently available touch technologies into a single comprehensive solution. According to Ken North, Elo’s director of engineering, manufacturers of mobile and handheld devices will now be given a third option over the existing capacitive and resistive technologies they currently use. For more information, visit www.tycoelectronics.com or www.elotouch.com.
Gary Platt Ships to Hipódromo de las Américas
Gary Platt Manufacturing shipped 352 slot chairs to the Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City. The casino selected the Sierra style X-Tended Play chair with Hue Grape upholstery on the seat and inside back, and Strategy Teak on the outside back. San Manuel Casino in Highland, Calif., received 710 of the Gazelle Royale style Gary Platt chairs. The new seats have a dark walnut color understructure. The Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma’s Kansas City casino received 425 Gazelle four-legged chairs purchased through the company’s distributor, Gitchi Gaming. The upholstery is Cashmere Ebony for the seat and Del Mar Rose for the inside and outside back. Blue Water Casino in Parker, Ariz., located right on the Colorado River, received 468 of the new Riva style chairs. The Riva is the newest in the line of X-Tended Play seating and is designed to maximize time on device. Mystic Lake in Prior Lake, Minn., the Twin Cities’ only casino hotel, received 295 of the Gazelle Style X-Tended Play chairs with a Sun Gold understructure. For more information, visit www.garyplatt.com.
Station Casinos Enters Partnership with Sona Mobile
Sona Mobile announced it has entered into a multi-year development and licensing agreement with Station Casinos for the joint development and integration of Station’s race and sports wagering applications. The jointly developed products may be distributed by Sona worldwide (other than in the Las Vegas locals market, where Station Casinos has exclusive rights for at least five years) and used by Station Casinos in its properties. Sona will receive application development fees and licensing fees, and the parties will share revenues from applicable race and sports wagers. From time to time, at its option, Station Casinos may elect to serve as Sona’s test site for certain products contemplated in this agreement. Sona’s first licensing fee payment was made upon execution of the agreement, and development fees will be paid monthly. Subsequent licensing fees and revenue sharing are subject to receipt of all necessary Nevada gaming regulatory approvals. For more information, visit www.stationcasinos.com and www.sonamobile.com.
Bally’s System Integrates with CVPS
Clients of Computerized Valet Parking Systems Inc. (CVPS) and Bally Technologies’ Casino Management Systems (CMS®) can use their player’s card status and points for valet parking privileges. This unique integration between CVPS and CMS® allows for a seamless flow of information between the two systems. Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Minnesota, as well as other casino clients in Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia area, now use their player’s club card status and points for valet parking privileges. With the swipe of a player’s club card, CVPS valet parking operators recognize which casino customers merit valet parking privileges and can immediately offer complimentary parking and move up their vehicle requests to the top of the queue, not to mention greeting customers by name. Bally Technologies and CVPS understand their clients’ needs and have worked together to offer clients the tools that will help them succeed. For more information, visit www.cvaletps.com or www.BallyTech.com.
NAV Expands Operations in Macau
North American Video (NAV) is adding a fully functional demonstration and training facility to its recently opened Asia Pacific office in Macau. NAV has appointed Michael Katris, an experienced security industry professional, as the managing director. Katris will spend the majority of his time in Macau, concentrating on the local market in addition to looking into opportunities in the surrounding regions. Macau’s economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling) and textile and garment manufacturing. For more information on NAV, visit www.navcctv.com.
Krawczyk and Bonorino Join Orion
Orion has appointed Henry Krawczyk as director of international sales and has recruited Laureano Bonorino to sales manager looking after South America. Krawczyk brings over 20 years of gaming industry experience with him to Orion. Having been responsible for Europe, the former CIS, the Middle East and North Africa for another international manufacturer, he is ideally suited to this challenging role. Krawczyk said: “I feel privileged to have joined such a dynamic and innovative team at this stage of the company’s development. Although a wholly owned subsidiary of WMS, it is important to build and grow Orion as a unique, separate and distinct brand. There are always challenges in attempting to achieve the quite substantial goals we have set ourselves, but with the talent already at Orion, and when you add to that the support of WMS, the future looks extremely promising.” Bonorino, formerly of Unidesa, brings strong industry knowledge with him to Orion, and is looking forward to putting Orion firmly on the South American map. With Orion’s impressive product portfolio, new technology and the strength of the WMS brand behind him, this is a challenge that he is looking forward to. For more information, visit www.wmsgaming.com.
Siller Named to WMS’ Board of Directors
WMS Industries Inc. has named Bobby L. Siller to serve on its Board of Directors, its Gaming Compliance Committee, and its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. His election increases the board to 10 members, nine of whom (including Siller) meet the independence requirement of the New York Stock Exchange. Siller served on the Nevada State Gaming Control Board for eight years, from January 1999 until Dec. 31, 2006, and recently completed his required separation time from government office. Prior to his appointment to the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, he served for 25 years with the FBI. At the FBI, he was special agent-in-charge of the Las Vegas division for three years, as well as at bureau offices in Dayton, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas, and as an administrator with the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. Siller was named “Gaming Regulator of the Year” in 2003 by the International Masters of Gaming Law. For more information, visit www.wms.com.
Salat Named President of WMS International
WMS Gaming announced Sebastian Salat has been promoted to the new position of president, WMS International. Salat joined WMS in January 2000 and has led the company’s commercial efforts to increase its penetration in the global marketplace. Under his direction, WMS has established a highly accomplished, customer-centric sales and service organization that has positioned WMS as one of the leading global gaming equipment suppliers with sales in more than 70 countries. In his new role, Salat will oversee WMS’ international business strategy, market development, sales and distribution, and operational execution efforts. In addition to his focus on growing existing markets, supporting customers’ needs and pursuing the development and opening of appropriate new international markets, Salat will also direct the growth enabled by leveraging the international capabilities of Orion Gaming and Systems in Progress (SiP), which were acquired by WMS in 2006 and 2007, respectively. He will also pursue new business opportunities to leverage WMS’ respected capabilities for innovative product development that meet the demand for state-of-the-art gaming technology to capture significant growth opportunities throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. Salat most recently served as WMS’ VP and managing director, International. For more information, visit www.wms.com.
Gaming Systems Patent Granted to Cyberview
Cyberview Technology Inc. has been granted a patent, U.S. 7,297,062, “Modular Entertainment and Gaming Systems Configured to Consume and Provide Network Services.” Effectively, the company has asserted its role as the world’s leader in providing end-to-end secure distributed gaming solutions to the gaming industry. With more than 10 years experience in supplying cutting-edge gaming technology to casinos, lotteries and pari-mutuel betting operations worldwide, Cyberview has proven itself as a leader in secure, server-based downloadable gaming. The technology represents a major departure from standalone gaming machines and provides increases in the security, flexibility and profitability of gaming operations. Cyberview introduced the first-ever downloadable system for U.S. casinos. This patented architecture overcomes the critical technical and security limitations of present-day technology while its agility allows for the accommodation of regulatory requirements as demanded by the most rigorous standards of gaming jurisdictions worldwide. This visionary patent is setting the foundation for future-proofing the concept of distributing gaming using the SOA Service Oriented Architecture, as applied to every hardware or software computing resource in a gaming system. For more information, visit www.cybview.com.
ACE Interactive Resumes SBG Project in Norway and Appoints Andersson
Aristocrat Leisure Limited announced its fully owned subsidiary ACE Interactive has received an initial order of 500 interactive Video Terminals (iVT) from Norsk Tipping, the Norwegian National (State) Lottery. These terminals will be implemented during a re-launch that begins in summer 2008. The supply of these iVTs is part of the True Server-Based Gaming project that was initially entered by ACE Interactive (formerly Essnet Interactive) and Norsk Tipping in 2003. Execution of the project was delayed pending the outcome of a legal challenge brought on by existing operators. The case was resolved by a decision of the EFTA (European Free Trade Area) court in March 2007, and as a result the Norwegian government authorised Norsk Tipping to resume the roll-out of the project. It is expected that the iVTs will be placed in locations throughout Norway, whereas the server-based gaming central system will be located and operated by Norsk Tipping in Hamar, Norway. ACE Interactive has also strengthened its senior management team with the promotion of Håkan Andersson to the post of General Manager R&D. Andersson will be responsible for delivering the ACE SBG platform through Aristocrat to the international casino sector, as well as VLT solutions to the global lottery industry. For more information, visit www.aceinteractive.se or www.aristocrat.com.au.
Gray Named CTO of IDeaS Revenue Optimization
IDeaS announced the appointment of Mike Gray as chief technical officer. Gray joins IDeaS with more than 26 years of leadership and technical experience in the information resource industry. He will be responsible for leading the technology organization within IDeaS, specifically in data center operations, software development, and infrastructure support and development. “IDeaS is unique in its ability to provide an extendable product offering as a software-as-a-service business,” Gray said. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to enable IDeaS to scale its business and the associated technology to the next level.” Gray brings IDeaS vast experience in product development, business development, architecture and platform development, and system support. Prior to IDeaS, Gray worked for West Publishing and Thomson Corporation focusing on software-as-a-service solutions for the legal, financial and scientific markets. While at Thomson, Gray led the development of a number of customer facing solutions, including Shepard’s Citations on Westlaw and Shepard’s PreView on Westlaw. In addition, he led the development of multi-site, high availability architectures and infrastructure for Thomson products. For more information, visit www.ideas.com.
Lionel Sawyer & Collins Names Two Shareholders
Laura J. Thalacker and Doreen Spears Hartwell, attorneys at Lionel Sawyer & Collins, have been named shareholders in the firm. Laura J. Thalacker, a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, was previously Of Counsel with the firm. A litigator in Nevada since 1994, Thalacker’s practice with Lionel Sawyer & Collins has focused on representing employers in employment and labor law matters. Thalacker provides day-to-day compliance advice and training to employers on a wide range of workplace matters, drafts employment policies, handbooks and contracts, and litigates employment and labor disputes before federal and state administrative agencies and courts. Doreen Spears Hartwell is with Lionel Sawyer & Collins’ Litigation Department, where her practice focuses on civil litigation in state and federal courts. Her areas of practice include commercial litigation, employment, real estate, product liability and trust/probate matters. Hartwell is the 2001 recipient of the Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award, and the 2005 recipient of the Judge Sally Loehrer Pro Bono Service Award. She is also actively involved in the Clark County Bar Association’s Trial by Peers Program. For more information, visit www.lionelsawyer.com.
Carnival Corp. and Iverson Gaming Finalize Agreement
The Carnival Corporation and Iverson Gaming Systems announced their finalized agreement to develop and implement a new, customized integrated casino management accounting system that will support all Carnival brands. The new system — CMAS (Casino Management Accounting System) — is expected to significantly improve financial controls and operating efficiencies by harmonizing casino accounting systems across Carnival’s various brands and lines. “Each of these operations came to us with established accounting and operational systems that were to some extent unique, presenting a challenge in integrating them into a uniform financial controls system,” Rodney C. Dofort, VP of casino operations for Carnival, noted. “The new CMAS system will address this challenge by integrating financial information flows from casino operations from all Carnival brands. The result will be improved operational control and cost efficiencies overall.” Joanne Iverson, president of Iverson Gaming Systems, commented: “After a highly successful installation of the Iverson slot and player tracking system on the Carnival, Princess and Holland America ships, Carnival has engaged Iverson to develop an integrated casino financial system to tie together all of the Carnival Corporation brands.” For more information, visit www.carnivalcorp.com or iversongaming.com.
GPI Equips UK Casinos with RFID
GPI supplied both Maxims and Mint Stanley casinos in Southend on Sea with chips and plaques fitted with 125 KHz RFID technology. The former Westcliff casino has recently undergone a major refurbishment as member of Genting International Casinos and is now the largest Maxims Casino in the U.K. All the chips are from the popular “S2” range, and the plaques are from the B&G collection. The use of 125 KHZ RFID is aimed at providing the highest possible level of security against counterfeiting with the combination of RFID chips and readers. Installed at the cage and on all Blackjack, Roulette and Punto Banco tables, these reading devices (Cage Reader and TableTop Reader) allow for an instant verification and accounting of the chips/plaques. “As an easy way for the dealer to authenticate and value chips at the table, GPI 125 KHz RFID technology proves once again that it delivers ideally for chips security applications with products readily available from the shelves, easy to install at cost effective price,” Lionel Cazalis, area sales manager for GPI, said. For more information, visit gpigaming.com.
Cabot Ranked in Chambers Global Edition 2008
Lewis and Roca LLP announced that Anthony N. Cabot, a partner in the Las Vegas office, has been named a “Band 1 Notable Practitioner” in the Gaming and Gaming & Gambling categories of Chambers Global Edition 2008. Chambers commentary regarding Cabot includes: “One of the doyens of the field, recognized worldwide, is Anthony Cabot. ... Peers tell us that Cabot is ‘widely regarded as the most reputable gaming attorney in the United States and has practically written the entire library on the subject.’” Cabot is the leader of Lewis and Roca’s national Gaming Practice Group. He supports casino operators, suppliers, state and local governments, communities, businesses, nonprofit organizations and others in addressing casino gaming, riverboat gaming, casinos, interactive and mobile gaming, Poker and interstate horse racing. Cabot received his J.D. cum laude from Arizona State University College of Law, and his B.A. summa cum laude from Cleveland State University. For more information, visit www.lewisandroca.com or www.chambersandpartners.com/global.
LEO A DALY Las Vegas Welcomes Sowers
The Las Vegas office of LEO A DALY has appointed Patrice A. Sowers, AIA, as managing principal. A prominent leader in the Nevada design community, Sowers will be responsible for overseeing business and client services in the Las Vegas office. Sowers has more than 15 years of architectural and managerial experience. She has directed many large-scale, multi-faceted projects in the residential, hospitality and commercial office building sectors. Some of her notable project experience includes the Avi Hotel & Casino in Laughlin; Buffalo Bills Hotel Casino in Primm, Nev.; and Resorts International in Atlantic City. She also has worked on various mixed-use projects, such as the Celebration Village and Katalyst, both in Las Vegas, and contributed to numerous projects for Station Casinos and Ameristar. Prior to joining LEO A DALY, Sowers worked as the managing principal of the commercial division of Nadel Commercial Architects LLP. She began her career in Las Vegas as a project architect for Veldon Simpson Architect and has served as managing director of the Las Vegas office of MBH Architects Inc., and as project manager and director of marketing for Bergman, Walls & Associates. For more information, visit www.leoadaly.com.
Asian Gaming Market Expected to Triple by 2010
According to the South China Morning Post, gambling revenues for Macau in October jumped 56 percent from a year earlier, crossing the $1 billion mark for the first time month-on-month. Casinos in the Special Administrative Region took $1.15 billion, besting May’s record by 23 percent. Online gambling in Asia is also set to grow by $19.4 billion, or 130 percent, according to Leighton Vaughan Williams, director of the Betting Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University. All of this looks positive for Asian i-gaming, but there are several caveats to be aware of, including internet access and usage, payment systems, security issues and government attitudes towards online gambling. The 6th Annual Asian iGaming Congress & Expo (AiG 2008) will take an in-depth look at the potential and pitfalls of this market, with experienced operators and gaming companies giving the benefit of their experience, so individuals can assess for themselves the opportunities in this exciting region. AiG 2008 features an unparalleled line-up of speakers covering topics such as: strategies for future growth in Asia, how to evaluate an emerging market and reach critical mass, understanding the Chinese concepts of luck and superstition, etc. For more information, visit www.aigcongress.com.