Organization Welcomes New Member Companies; IGT Resigns

LAS VEGAS, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gaming Standards Association (GSA), an international trade organization dedicated to ensuring open standards and communication in the gaming industry, announced today that its membership has climbed 43 percent in less than a year to 53 companies worldwide.


During the last 3 months GSA welcomed several new member organizations. Joining as gold members are Alliance Gaming Sales BV of the Netherlands and GameTech International. Joining as silver members are Cadillac Jack's, Cyberview Technology Incorporated, Giesecke & Devrient America Incorporated and Glory USA Incorporated. The Australian Gaming Machine Manufacturers Association (AGMMA) joined as an affiliate.


"We are proud to welcome these new members, a diverse group of gaming equipment suppliers, a gaming operator, and a national association of gaming machine manufacturers in Australia," said GSA President Peter DeRaedt. "They join an international alliance of gaming manufacturers, suppliers and operators united to ensure that gaming technology is developed for the benefit of the entire industry using common protocols and open communication standards. In order to develop standards that will actually work and be deployed in our industry, we need to have the participation and technology input from as many manufacturers and operators as possible. These companies, through their membership, commit to support the vision of GSA, to implement open standards that enable innovation."


International Gaming Technologies (IGT) has resigned its membership in GSA due to differences of opinion over revisions to GSA's patent policy. Gregg Solomon, senior vice president of operations for Mandalay Resort Group and the Chairman of GSA expressed his regret at IGT's decision. "On June 13, 2003, the Board of Directors of the GSA met in Las Vegas, to vote on revisions of the patent policy. The intent of the revision is to encourage full and prompt disclosure by GSA members of information regarding the existence of patent rights that may impact our standards-setting activities. We are truly saddened by IGT's decision to resign especially in light of their long-standing, publicly stated support of GSA. Hopefully IGT will decide to participate in GSA once again in the future. However, we will not be deterred from our mission -- GSA and its member companies remain committed to the development of industry-wide open standards that enable innovation."


GSA worked to improve its Patent Policy with its legal counsel Howard and Howard as well as the national law firm, Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, an expert in the representation of standards bodies, technology consortia and trade associations. "Gray Cary strongly recommended to GSA that it review its patent policy based on recent court rulings, which place an increasing level of scrutiny on standards bodies and their intellectual property policies. Standards bodies, like GSA must adopt appropriate policies to govern their actions and protect themselves from a growing number of civil actions brought against private parties by the Federal Trade Commission and by private litigants," said Tom French, senior partner in the Palo Alto office of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich. "The GSA Board of Directors has a fiduciary responsibility to its membership to enact a policy that serves the interest of the membership and the industry as a whole."


To develop the Patent Policy, GSA facilitated a process for board members to provide their comments through numerous meetings covering five months, which were mediated by GSA's legal counsel, in consultation with Gray Cary and overseen by GSA's management firm. "Because of the rapid diversification of gaming interests to so many states and jurisdictions, GSA strives to act in the best interests of both its membership and gaming consumers throughout the world," Solomon said. "The policy that will go into effect on July 14, 2003, strikes a fair balance between the individual member's rights and the interests of the industry as a whole."


About the Gaming Standards Association (GSA): The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) is an international trade association representing gaming manufacturers, suppliers, operators and regulators. We facilitate the identification, definition, development, promotion, and implementation of open standards to enable innovation, education, and communication for the benefit of the entire industry. Since its incorporation on May 6, 1998, GSA has grown to 53 members representing a wide cross section of the global gaming industry. Platinum members include Acres Gaming Corporation (AGAM); Aristocrat Technologies Inc.; Bally Gaming and Systems (AGI); Harrah's Entertainment (HET); Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. (ISLE); Mandalay Resort Group (MBG) and WMS Gaming Inc. (WMS). Other members include: 3M Touch Systems (MMM); Alliance Gaming Sales B.V.; AGMMA - Australasian Gaming Machine Manufacturers Association; AstroSys International Ltd.; Atronic Americas LLC; Austrian Gaming Industries GmbH (Novomatic); Boyd Gaming Corporation (BYD); Cadillac Jack; CashCode Company Inc.; Casino Management Association; Cirsa Interactive; Coin Mechanisms Inc.; Cyberview Technology, Inc.; Elo Touchsystems; Ensico d.o.o.; European Gaming Organization; Foxwoods Resort Casino; Friedberg & Associates; GameTech International (GMTC); Gaming Consultants International; Giesecke & Devrient America Inc.; Global Payment Technologies Inc. (GPTX); Glory USA Inc.; Gold Club; Himecs Co, Ltd.; IDX Inc.; JCM American Corporation; Konami Gaming Inc.; Mars Electronics International; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Business Development Authority; Mikohn Gaming Corporation (MIKN); MIS Group; Money Controls; Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation; Park Place Entertainment; Scientific Games (SGMS); Sierra Design Group; Shuffle Master Gaming (SHFL); Sigma Game Inc.; Soanar; Spielo; Station Casinos (STN); Transact Technologies (TACT); Unidesa Gaming; UNLV International Gaming Institute and Universal Distributing of Nevada. For more information, visit www.gamingstandards.com.


Source: Gaming Standards Association