Thursday, September 6, 2012

news.casinolife

news.casinolife

BETVICTOR ACQUIRES BOTSPHERE LIMITED

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:37 AM PDT

BetVictor, the Gibraltar based gaming group has announced today that it has acquired Botsphere Limited (‘Botsphere’), a UK based provider of automated trading solutions, for an undisclosed sum.

Botsphere was formed in 2005 by the technology entrepreneurs Stewart Vassie & Julian Leach, who prior to Botsphere created and subsequently sold Oddschecker, the world's most successful odds checking site.

Botsphere is based in London, with 14 full time employees, and currently provides trading solutions to a number of gaming businesses including BetVictor, Betfair, BetFred, Boylesports and Offside Gaming.

The acquisition is strategically significant to BetVictor as it brings market leading technology and expertise in-house and provides the foundation from which the on-line and mobile gaming operator expects to deliver complete automated trading solutions across a number of mainstream sports over the next two years.

Victor Chandler, Chairman of BetVictor commented: ”We have been using Botsphere within our business for over four years and I have always been impressed by the team and their skill at providing us with exceptional technology solutions, which are now integral to our business. In recognising that to remain a world class, innovative gaming company we needed to be in control of our future technical development, strategically this acquisition was therefore the perfect solution. I am very excited about welcoming the team at Botsphere into our business and am delighted to have such a talented set of individuals creating technology solutions for Bet Victor into the future."

Stewart Vassie, Managing Director of Botsphere commented: ”Botsphere is delighted to be joining the BetVictor family. Having worked with their management and technology teams over a number of years we recognised that we shared the same business ethos and technology ambition, which is why we fully supported the sale of the business to BetVictor. Myself, Julian, and the rest of the team are looking forward to integrating our business into BetVictor to create genuinely world class leading automated trading solutions."

 

SPIELO INTERNATIONAL TO SHOW MORE ENTERTAINING GAMES THAN EVER AT G2E 2012

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:27 AM PDT

(LAS VEGAS, Nevada) – SPIELO International is showing more entertaining games than ever before at the 2012 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas. For the North American market, they include four exciting new licensed titles that casual gamers know and love, and that will be unveiled before the show.

In addition, hot on the heels of the success of DEAL OR NO DEAL™ Join'N Play®, SPIELO International has amped up the deals and the excitement with DEAL OR NO DEAL™ Join'N Play™ 2. The successor has all the features that players love – the time-based bonus, the player-friendly community aspect, the use of strategy, and the broad appeal to both entertainment-seekers and gamblers.

In DEAL OR NO DEAL Join'N Play 2, the game is now quicker, bigger, and better. The guaranteed bonus hits more frequently, every eight minutes, for even more excitement. It keeps the same stress-free eligibility and easy bonus qualification that thrilled players in the original. Mystery bonuses occur more frequently as well, including brand new free spins that sweeten the deal. Occasionally, the community bonus becomes a Super Bonus, where the top briefcases have their values doubled, leading to much larger banker’s offers and wins. This sequel is truly SPIELO International's biggest deal yet!

SPIELO International's innovative new core games include 1421 Voyages of Zheng He™, where lucky eights are all around in this Asian-themed game. Featuring beautiful scenery and big win potential, this culturally-true 88 line game offers huge wins from stacked coin wild symbols and lots of player interaction and control through a player-selectable bonus feature. The gambler-friendly "all or nothing" feature offers the player a 1-in-3 chance of winning triple the ordinary bonus win.

In Hawaiian Treasures™, players visit the Big Island to uncover unrivaled wonders and 243 Ways to Win. A volatile base game offers big win potential, and a Player's Choice approach in the Free Games Bonus adds tension and excitement.

Let the gypsy weave her intoxicating spell in Gypsy Moon™, where three or more Astro Sign symbols trigger the Gypsy Moon Free Game Bonus, awarding up to 600 Free Games with multipliers. Stacked Wilds and 243 Ways to Win, as well as the evolution of a proven player-friendly math model, offer magical win potential.

But that's only the beginning of SPIELO International's exciting content-driven solutions. Visit Booth 1265 at G2E 2012 to see much more, and find out how SPIELO International speaks entertainment.

SPIELO International is a world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of top-performing games, cabinets, central systems and associated software for legal gaming markets around the world. It offers a complete range of end-to-end gaming products for diverse gaming segments, including distributed government-sponsored markets, commercial casino markets, Amusement with Prize (AWP) markets, and interactive and sports betting markets as a result of integration with GTECH G2. SPIELO International serves more than 1,650 customers on five continents and has shipped more than 200,000 gaming machines worldwide, and holds more than 300 gaming licenses. Of those, it is licensed to sell machines in 25 U.S. states, including Nevada, as well as to 142 tribes.

SPIELO International is 100 percent owned by Lottomatica Group, a market leader in the Italian gaming industry, one of the largest Lottery operators in the world based on total wagers, and a leading provider of lottery and gaming technology solutions worldwide. SPIELO International is also an affiliate of GTECH, a leading gaming technology and services company. SPIELO International is a platinum member of the Gaming Standards Association, and supports open industry standards such as Game to System® (G2S®) and System to System® (S2S®). For more information on SPIELO International and our products, please visit our website at www.spielo.com.

Game to System and G2S are registered trademarks of the Gaming Standards AssociationTM.

BALLY TECHNOLOGIES IS DRIVING INNOVATION TO THE GLOBAL GAMING EXPO OCTOBER 1-4 WITH PROMINENT BRAND NASCAR® ACROSS GAMES AND SYSTEMS

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:15 AM PDT

LAS VEGAS, September 5, 2012 − Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI)  is roaring into the 2012 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) October 1-4 packing a lot of power under the hood – new games, systems, and interactive solutions designed to excite players and rev up casino operators' revenue and operating efficiency.

Premiering this year in its exhibit no. 1127, Bally unveils two more world-class brands: NASCAR® and Pawn Stars™. Look for them under the flag, "Driving Innovation" at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

Richard M. Haddrill Chief Executive Officer of Bally Technologies

We will showcase an explosion of content as we combined our expanded game studios and systems engineers with our record-setting innovation to create stunning products across games, systems, and interactive technologies," said Richard M. Haddrill, Chief Executive Officer of Bally Technologies. "This will be our best G2E ever."

Ramesh Srinivasan, Bally's President and Chief Operating Officer, added, "This year should prove to be nothing less than amazing as we unveil our new NASCAR brand – the first license that we have carried across both Games and Systems."

It's Full-Throttle Ahead with World-Class Licensed Brands

NASCAR Video Slots

The NASCAR video slot features a lineup of who's who in racing royalty – Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Jimmie Johnson. NASCAR is delivered on Bally's ALPHA 2™ Pro Series™ V22/32 cabinet available with both a life-changing Cash Connection™ wide-area progressive top jackpot award and stand-alone versions for non-WAP jurisdictions. Players select their favorite driver and the game screens change to reflect that driver's team colors and branding. This high-octane experience features three bonuses: The Pit Stop Bonus, Burnout Free Games, and the U-Race™ Bonus.

Virtual Racing™ NASCAR

Bally extends its NASCAR lineup with Virtual Racing NASCAR. This fast-paced, floor-wide community-bonusing event brings the sights, sounds, and thrill of NASCAR racing to casino floors as players select one of eight famous NASCAR drivers. Players root for their driver as the cars race around the track, with the action showcased on the iVIEW™ or iVIEW DM™ player-user-interfaces and CoolSign®-enabled displays throughout the casino resort. The ability of iVIEW DM to bring virtual NASCAR races to life alongside slot play in game windows will make this an even more thrilling experience that delivers the excitement of NASCAR racing to any casino, on any slot game, from any manufacturer, anytime − driving increased coin-in, new-card signups, and carded play.

Pawn Stars™ Bally brings one of the world's top TV shows to casino floors in Pawn Stars, featuring Rick, grandfather Richard (Old Man), grandson Corey, and Corey's loveable sidekick Chumlee, from the hit TV series Pawn Stars on the HISTORY® Channel. Airing in more than 150 countries in 37 languages, Pawn Stars has been rated a top cable show in the United States, Europe, and Latin America, and has millions of viewers across the globe.

The game begins when a player chooses their favorite character from the show. Selling and negotiating adds excitement during the Negotiation Bonus, where players choose one of five items to sell and then negotiate with the Pawn Stars for credit awards. With its giant wheel, free games, 11 wheel-bonus prizes, wilds, pick-'em features, and iDeck interaction, this game promises to be as popular as the show itself.

For-Sale Game Content Driven by 11 New Play Mechanics The Pro Series cabinets' for-sale game portfolio is turbo-charged this year as Bally unveils a host of new games featuring engaging play mechanics, clever themes, and animated graphics that deliver an exceptional play experience. From must-hit standalone progressives, multipliers, and entertaining new features that take wilds, stacked reels, free games, Quick Hit™, Hot Zone™, and iDeck™ to the next level, the content for Bally's Pro Upright, V32, Curve, and Stepper cabinets kicks the fun into high gear.

Must-see core for-sale titles include Sumo Kitty™, wrestling up plenty of fun with the Super Hot Zone™ play mechanic. The delightful devils in Triple Trouble™ deliver a rewarding play experience in a classic Bally theme. Bally's first 100-line game, Spirit™, engages players with Locking Wilds and rich Native American graphics. Star Signs™, on the innovative Pro Curve cabinet, offers players the chance to choose their zodiac sign to theme the game.

Systems Business Excites Players Bally's systems business continues to drive revenue and operating efficiencies for casinos around the globe. At G2E, Bally will showcase new features and functionality in its core slot-management systems ACSC™ and SDS™. SDS works across Windows® and UNIX, offering operators of all sizes a choice of platforms. Bally's extensive systems product portfolio provides casino operators with one-stop-shopping for solutions necessary to manage casino resorts.

Visitors to Bally's G2E exhibit will be able to see live demonstrations of iVIEW DM, the award-winning picture-in-picture-style player-user-interface that enables gaming operators to choose where on the game they want to display player information and bonusing promotions. iVIEW DM delivers a full interactive experience that can highlight the resort's amenities and venues – functioning as a kiosk at the slot machine.

Elite Bonusing Suite™ G2E attendees will see first-hand how iVIEW DM, when coupled with the Elite Bonusing Suite's DM Tournaments™ solution, enables powerful, floor-wide slot tournaments on any manufacturer's touchscreen-enabled gaming devices. Earlier this year, DM Tournaments made it possible for one California casino operator to host the "World's Largest Slot Tournament" with the "Most Machines Running the Same Game Simultaneously" at the same venue.

Virtual Racing, the group-start promotion that lets players select a winning NASCAR race car, horse, or other contest-driven event, will be a standout in Bally's G2E booth. Casino operators have used Virtual Racing to generate tremendous excitement on the gaming floor, driving coin-in, carded player, and new player's club signups.

Service Tracking Manager™ Taking center stage in Bally's systems display will be Service Tracking Manager, the leading-edge automated dispatch and alert system that enhances customer service by routing messages from Bally's suite of systems products. From managing the slot floor, reviewing table-game alerts, identifying premier patrons, notifying casino hosts, and enrolling "hot" players, Service Tracking Manager takes the efficiency of casino operations to new heights by monitoring, managing, executing, and providing statistical analysis. Service Tracking Manager, which has enhanced and optimized casino operations in one of the world's largest casinos, interfaces with handheld smart devices such as iPhone® and iPad® for faster routing of casino-floor personnel to patrons.

Bally Interactive Provides a Single View of the Player Bally's internet and mobile solutions are designed to give casinos a single view of the player across online, mobile, and traditional land-based gaming platforms. At G2E 2012, Bally will showcase its full suite of interactive solutions including the Bally Mobile™ platform for concierge casino apps and mobile websites; its open iGaming platform that enables casinos to deliver play-for-free and wager-based poker, table games, video slots, and sports betting and choose from best-of-breed content; and a library of interactive games based on proven casino-gaming content.

No other company has the ability to integrate traditional casino systems with online, mobile, and social. As a result, operators can conduct marketing, bonusing, data tracking, and collection seamlessly, enabling them to understand and market to their players in ways never before possible. Players can play the same games, receive the same bonuses, and earn the same points on the casino floor, at home, or on the move.

A key differentiating factor for casino customers choosing Bally as a provider of interactive technology is the Company's open architecture and integration of Bally's iGaming platform to casino operators' traditional systems.

About Bally Technologies, Inc. With a history dating back to 1932, Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies designs, manufactures, operates, and distributes advanced gaming devices, systems and technology solutions worldwide. Bally's product line includes reel-spinning slot machines, video slots, wide-area progressives, interactive and mobile applications, and Class II, lottery, and central-determination games and platforms. Bally also offers an array of casino management, slot accounting, bonusing, cashless and table management solutions. For more information, please contact Laura Olson-Reyes, Senior Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications, at 702-584-7742, or visit http://www.ballytech.com.  Connect with Bally on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is the international gaming trade show and conference "by the industry and for the industry." Organized by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibitions, G2E made its debut in fall 2001, defining itself as the pre-eminent show for the gaming-entertainment industry.

The AGA represents the commercial casino-entertainment industry by addressing federal legislative and regulatory issues. The association also serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs, and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leader in organizing a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. In 2006 Reed brought together more than 6 million industry professions from around the world, generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 37 fully staffed offices. Reed's portfolio of more than 460 events services 52 key industry sectors.

 

IGT Creates the Systems that Create Fans at G2E 2012

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:25 AM PDT

(LAS VEGAS – September 4, 2012) – Empowering operators and engaging players like never before is the name of the game at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) this year as International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) debuts an exhilarating line-up of total systems solutions.

"IGT Systems represent solutions which provide optimal performance and avenues to provide exciting content on any platform," said Eric Tom, executive vice president of Global Sales at IGT. "We offer a full-range of casino management tools, to maximize performance and increase player loyalty across the globe".

On the floor at G2E 2012 will be a fully functioning line-up of system solutions including:

  • sbX®: IGT sbX® Floor Manager provides operators access to IGT's expansive 400-plus game theme library, giving operators the choice and flexibility needed to best serve players demand for fresh new game themes. sbX® Analytics , the newest sbX module and only G2S-based analytics platform in the industry, provides operators with access to more frequent and in-depth analysis of a wide array of slot performance data to optimize every game for maximum performance.
  • IGT Advantage®: Provides casino operators the 'best-in-class' fully integrated casino management suite including machine accounting and patron management, marketing, cage, credit, and table management tools.
  • IGT Casinolink®: Supports every facet of gaming operations by linking slot machine, table games, marketing and cage management into one comprehensive solution.
  • IGT Game Applications: G2E visitors will have the opportunity to see a demonstration of our intelligent bonusing applications, such as Random Riches® and Point Pursuit™, which deliver instant rewards to players who achieve specific point levels. Auction Action™ allows players to bid on different items and amenities offered by the casino, while Big Game Hunt™ gives players the opportunity to earn Xtra Credit® or comps in real-time by playing and reaching certain goals on select IGT themes. With the Tournament Manager™ app a casino can easily provide a unique and seamless tournament experience for their patrons while at the same time, reducing the labor and overall cost of running tournament events.

For a complete list of the many applications and systems solutions that will be shown at G2E 2012, please visit igt.com/G2E, visit us on Facebook, facebook.com/IGT, or follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/IGTnews.

About IGT International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is a global leader in casino gaming entertainment and continues to transform the industry by translating casino player experiences to social, mobile and interactive environments for regulated markets around the world. IGT's recent acquisition of DoubleDown Interactive provides engaging casino style entertainment to more than 5 million players monthly. More information about IGT is available at www.IGT.com or connect with IGT at @IGTNews or www.facebook.com/IGT.

 

GTECH G2 to host groundbreaking tournament at G2E for US operators to win FREE play for fun poker installation

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 01:52 AM PDT

Wednesday, September 5, 2012 (London, UK) – With the future of online gaming in the US set to dominate proceedings at The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2012, GTECH G2 is offering US gaming operators the chance to win something totally unique – the free installation of an online play for fun poker platform, including website design and a tailored services package.

GTECH G2, the premier full service provider to the iGaming and sports betting industry, will host the first tournament of its kind at G2E at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada (October 1-4, 2012).

The prize will provide the winning organisation with the tools with which to start their iGaming journey and includes the poker client itself, bespoke portal design, full installation and a tailored package of services.

Entry is now open at www.gtechg2.com/freepoker and employees from any licensed US commercial and tribal casino can register and represent their company in this unique challenge. The first 83 players to register are guaranteed a seat and each contestant will be given $5,000 of free play poker chips. The remaining seats will be drawn live on the SPIELO International booth, where GTECH G2 and SPIELO International will be presenting their integrated gaming offering.  All players must register on the website before Tuesday, September 25.

The action will be contested through a specially created tournament on the market-leading GTECH G2 Poker product and played in nine sessions of 30-minute hellcat/turbo games, beginning at 11:00 (local time) on October 2, the opening day of exhibits at G2E. Two semi-finals, each with a very special guest, will take place on Wednesday, October 3, before the grand final later in the day where the industry's ultimate poker player will be crowned.

"Never before has there been an opportunity for operators to enter a competition like this," said Walter Bugno, President and CEO of GTECH G2 and SPIELO International. "We are closer than ever to regulated iGaming in the US and this competition provides the most unique of opportunities for employees to make the difference at their organisation by helping to secure their company's entry into the world of iGaming – for free."

William Scott, GTECH G2, Vice President added: "There can be no underestimating the power of play for fun products. With the ever-increasing rise in recreational play, they form a vital role in a gaming portfolio. We feel our play for fun poker platform is second-to-none and we are giving the industry the chance to see for itself with this innovative competition. Nothing like this has been done before, we are extremely excited about the tournament and our ability to give away a free poker installation which will start an organisation's iGaming journey."

Full details and terms and conditions can be found at www.gtechg2.com/freepoker.