Asia’s First Gaming Technology Testing Center
A significant milestone in the development of the gaming industry in Macau took place recently with the signing ceremony for the exclusive agreement between Macao Polytechnic Institute and BMM Compliance for the establishment of the MPI – BMM Testing Centre for Gaming Devices. Professor Lei Heong Iok, president of Macao Polytechnic Institute and Peter Turner, managing director of BMM Compliance Asia Pacific, addressed the distinguished guests, which included representatives from government, local operators and manufacturers as well as the Macau media. For more information, visit www.bmm.com.
Bally Tech wins Prestigious Award
Bally Technologies has won the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Gaming Voice, Best Customer Publication award for its Networked Floor of the Future customer publication. The award was presented to Bally Technologies by AGA President and Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. at a special awards luncheon during the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas.“This prestigious award testifies to our customer-driven focus in all that we do,” said Dan Savage, Bally Technologies’ vice president of marketing. “We developed our Networked Floor of the Future publication to help our customers make better decisions regarding the evolving landscape of networked gaming by providing them with useful information in a clear and concise manner. This national award confirms that we achieved our communications objectives in a most meaningful way.” The AGA’s Gaming Voice awards recognize outstanding corporate communications, public relations, and advertising in the global gaming industry. Awards were presented in 15 categories, and a panel of judges with expertise in advertising, marketing, public relations, Internet design, graphic arts, and financial communications evaluated more than 270 entries, the highest number in the award program’s history. For more information, visit www.ballytech.com.
Gary Platt Promotes Yabroff
Gary Platt Manufacturing has promoted Mike Yabroff to the position of regional sales manager. Mike is a recent graduate of the University of Nevada. He has been with Gary Platt Manufacturing since 1997, working in all aspects of the company from inside sales to production. Yarbroff will be serving Colorado, Montana and northern Nevada. For more information, visit www.garyplatt.com.
Edgewater Casino Promotes Ahluwalia to Vice President, GM
Edgewater Casino announced Paul Ahluwalia has been named vice president and general manager of the gaming organization. Ahluwalia, who was previously the assistant general manager of Edgewater, will now assume the primary management role and oversee all day-to-day operations. He will be responsible for the future growth strategy of the company. “Paul has been instrumental in building Edgewater into the successful business it is today,” said Barry Pritchard, past vice president and general manager of Edgewater Casino. “His enthusiasm and proficiency has always garnered him the utmost respect from our employees and executives. I am confident Paul will lead Edgewater to even more achievements while maintaining the strong foundation of the company.” Ahluwalia has over 11 years of casino experience in the BC Gaming & Entertainment Industry. For more information, visit www.edgewatercasino.ca.
Bally to Open Headquarters in Amsterdam
Bally Technologies will be opening a new European headquarters for its sales and service operations located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company also announced a realignment and expansion of its European sales and service organization to meet the needs of its expanding presence in the European gaming market. The new Amsterdam headquarters will house the company’s main European logistics, warehousing, financial, sales, production/assembly, and customer-service operations. “Our new Amsterdam European headquarters will allow us to be more flexible, responsive, and proactive than ever before in serving our existing customers in Western Europe and growing our customer base throughout the continent,” said John Connelly, Bally’s vice president of international and gaming operations. “Our senior European sales management team, along with our outstanding technical support and gaming service personnel, will be even better equipped to provide our current and future customers with the kind of superior, best-in-class support they expect from Bally, a world leader in gaming products and systems technology.” For more information, visit www.ballytech.com.
Suzo-Happ Group and Wolff Gaming Team Up
Suzo-Happ Group has appointed Wolff Gaming as its gaming distributor in Colorado. Wolff Gaming will handle all sales, service and support in Colorado for Suzo-Happ gaming products, including MEI bill validators, FutureLogic printers and Kortek monitors. “Wolff Gaming has a well trained and knowledgeable team of experienced technicians that have been servicing Colorado casinos for years,” said James Brendel, president Worldwide Gaming, Suzo-Happ Group, “Their dedication to customer service sets them apart. Wolff Gaming’s business model is based in the belief that the customer always comes first.” “We are happy to be working with the Suzo-Happ Group,” said Kevin Wolff, president, Wolff Gaming. “The Suzo-Happ Group’s broad product line, which includes toppers, illuminated pushbuttons, touchscreens, Starpoint Reels, Kortek monitors, MEI bill validators and FutureLogic printers allow us to offer our customers in Colorado a one-stop shop for gaming products”. Both companies will leverage a shared commitment to provide high quality products and world-class customer service. For more information, visit www.happ.com.
Bally Names Heutmekers Director of Europe
Bally Technologies has named Marcel Heutmekers director of Europe. Heutmekers will be responsible for managing all of the company’s activities within Europe and in North Africa, based in the company’s new European headquarters for its sales and service operations in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. “I am extremely pleased to be joining Bally Technologies during this impressive period of growth for the company, especially in Europe,” Heutmekers said. “The company’s outstanding product line, its dedicated sales and service staff, and its unwavering commitment to its customers are just a few of the reasons why Bally is doing so well, even in the midst of these uncertain economic times. I am truly excited to be a part of this dynamic and forward-thinking organization.” Prior to joining Bally, Heutmekers was responsible for slot operations and product placement at all 14 of Holland Casinos’ gaming properties throughout the Netherlands. This amounted to approximately 7,000 slot machines, with annual revenue of approximately €400 million. For more information, visit www.ballytech.com.
MEI Exhibits at IGE
MEI will exhibit at the IGE show on Jan. 27 to 29, 2009, and show many products from its portfolio, including the CASHFLOW SC bill validator, the CASHFLOW 9500 coin acceptor, and the introduction of the GEO Gravity bill validator. The introduction of GEO Gravity has expanded MEI’s product portfolio to include a multi-width, stacker-less bill validator for smaller scale casinos and amusement equipment. “GEO allows MEI to provide the knowledge gained from decades of producing validation equipment to a broader audience,” said Tom Nugent, president of MEI’s gaming division. “Customers will recognize MEI’s core value proposition in GEO products. Beginning with GEO Gravity, the product line will raise performance expectations for its intended markets.” The product line has been two years in the making, evolving from MEI’s April 2007 acquisition of Validation Technologies International (VTI). That time has been invested in creating synergies between VTI hardware and MEI recognition algorithms. For more information, visit www.meigroup.com.
GLI Asia Testing and Interoperability Center Opens
Gaming Laboratories International has reached another milestone in the company’s storied history, opening the first-ever fully operational independent testing and interoperability center in the region. The new 3,000 square foot facility is located in the China Civil Plaza in Macau. GLI Asia Managing Director Ian Hughes said: “The driving philosophy behind opening GLI Asia is customer service. Now we have a fully functionally lab, staffed by experts with unsurpassed knowledge, to help our clients prepare for rapidly changing technologies and laying down the groundwork for the future of gaming.” Already several gaming equipment suppliers have begun submitting devices and systems. The lab also functions as GLI’s regional headquarters, enabling suppliers, regulators and operators to utilize the center’s advanced testing and interoperability capabilities. The lab will serve several regional markets including mainland China (lottery), Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and other emerging Asian gaming and lottery markets. For more information, visit www.gaminglabs.com.
GLI’s Spooner Receives ASQ-Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence
GLI is proud to announce that its Quality Systems Manager, Craig Spooner, has received the ASQ-Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence certification from the American Society for Quality. Spooner, who has been with GLI since 2004, received the certification this October. His primary responsibility is to ensure quality, so the certification gives further credence to GLI’s commitments. GLI President and co-founder James R. Maida said: “From the first day we opened our doors, our number one priority has been to give our customers the highest quality service without compromise. We are very proud that Craig, in his position as Manager Quality Systems, has accomplished the very difficult task of achieving this certification.” According to the American Society for Quality, a CMQ/OE is a professional who leads and champions process improvement initiatives in organizations that range from small businesses to multinational corporations in a variety of service and industrial sectors. For more information, visit www.asq.org.
Snoqualmie Casino Chooses MEI
Snoqualmie Casino (pictured) has specified the MEI Cashflow SC as the standard bill validator for all 1,700 slot games. MEI Cashflow SC was selected based on its excellent reliability, unrivalled security, and great acceptance rates. “I have used MEI in the past, and there was no question as to which bill validator we would choose for Snoqualmie,” said Tim Barker, Snoqualmie Casino’s vice president of operations. “MEI makes a great bill acceptor; we need very few parts and it is easy to flash and update. MEI Cashflow is such a great unit that does not fail.” “Snoqualmie Casino is a great property with premier facilities and staff,” said Eric Fisher, MEI’s VP of Americas Gaming. “We are very happy Snoqualmie opened with MEI Cashflow in all 1,700 slot games. MEI looks forward to serving Snoqualmie Casino and strengthening our relationship as we continue to release new innovative products that incorporate MEI technology beyond the game into other parts of the casino.” For more information, visit www.meigroup.com.
TCSJOHNHUXLEY Signs Exclusive Contract with Holland Casino
After a lengthy and vigorous process assessing TCSJOHNHUXLEY’s Chipper Champ 2 chip sorting machine, Holland Casino was very pleased to sign a five-year exclusive supply contract. Holland Casino has been a long-standing customer of TCSJOHNHUXLEY across a broad spectrum of products for many years. The core of the relationship however, is based on the Chipping Machine. Holland Casino entered into its first rental agreement of chip sorting machines some 18 years ago, with the Chipper Champ being supplied to all their casinos throughout Holland. The original machines lasted for many years until the introduction of the Chipper Champ Plus, which Holland Casino installed on a like-for-like replacement throughout their estate. The rentals continued and their satisfaction was further demonstrated when TCSJOHNHUXLEY introduced the Chipper Champ 2 to the market and agreed to a head-to-head trial against a competitive product. For more information, visit www.tcsjohnhuxley.com.
Caliente Group’s U.S. Rep Facilitates Internal Organizational Change
Arturo Alemany, president of Management Information & Resources (MIR), announced his company’s organizational and restructuring changes. MIR has 22 years experience serving as the U.S. representative for the Mexican gaming giant, the Caliente Group. Located in San Diego, Calif., MIR handles all the negotiations for business agreements in the United States for Caliente. Contracting simulcast agreements for Caliente with various U.S. horse racing entities including Magna and Tracknet among others is a key element of the company’s endeavors. Additionally, the company negotiates major purchases, acquisitions and strategic alliances for Caliente, both in the U.S. and in the international arena. As an example, Codere, a Spanish company, was brought to Caliente by MIR, forming a strategic alliance to operate bingo parlors and Class II slot machines in Mexico. Yet another critical function MIR provides to Caliente is the mass marketing and advertising of the Caliente brand to Caliente’s U.S. customer base.
Spielo and Atronic Announce Introduction of Alfastreet™ Roulette Tables in Delaware
Alfastreet Roulette, a fully automated, multi-player table game, is making its Delaware Lottery debut. Alfastreet Roulette brings all the fun and excitement of a casino classic by offering the same wheel, bets, and odds as the traditional table game, but without a dealer. “Alfastreet’s arrival marks a new era of gaming for Delaware, pairing the excitement of table games with the speed and ease of automated operation,” said Robert Neugebauer, Delaware account manager for Spielo. “As part of GTECH’s Gaming Solutions group, Spielo and Atronic are proud to combine their resources to create a first for Delaware.” For more information, visit www.atronic.com and www.gtech.com.
Weike Gaming Tech Secures GLI 11 Certification
Following the recent launch of Weike Gaming Technology’s new Infinity gaming machine range, Singapore’s only licensed gaming machine company has reached another milestone in the international gaming industry: full GLI 11 certification for it products. Weike achieved GLI-11 Certification for its Infinity platform and gaming machine range, and its METG (Multi Player Electronic table game) equipment. The testing and certification to GLI 11 standards was undertaken by BMM, one of the world’s foremost testing and certification laboratories for gaming equipment. GLI standards are developed and owned by Gaming Laboratories International of USA, and are accepted as benchmark gaming equipment standards by many jurisdictions around the world. As of the December 2008 Weike also had four games certified on its Infinity gaming machine platform, and two games certified for its METG platform. For more information, visit www.weikegaming.com.
TableMAX Creates “Electronic Pit” at Fantasy Springs
TableMAX Gaming has successfully installed four machines at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. TableMAX placed two Progressive Blackjack® games and two Caribbean Stud® Poker games on the casino floor, making this the first full four-system carousel placement for the company. “This is a landmark event for TableMAX,” TableMAX CEO Steve Crystal said. “We are very pleased that Fantasy Springs has chosen to be the first to install a full carousel of our multi-player electronic table games. Creating an electronic pit is a growing trend that more casino operators are embracing and this placement at Fantasy Springs is a great example of that trend in action.” For more information, visit www.tablemax.com.
Harrah's Provides Players with New Experience from WMS
WMS Gaming and Harrah's Entertainment have entered into an agreement to deploy a Harrah's Total Rewards version of WMS' Star Trek series of gaming machines. Harrah's introduced these customized games across its enterprise, beginning in Las Vegas in December 2008. Players who are members of the Harrah's Total Rewards program will be able to use their cards to create a personalized and differentiated gaming experience on the Star Trek-themed gaming machines at most of the company's casinos in North America, as Harrah's moves forward with a market-by-market implementation plan, subject to additional jurisdictional regulatory approvals. For more information, visit www.harrahs.com/total_rewards.