Thursday, October 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Virgin Casino to Release Necker Island Slot Game
Profiles
Virgin Casino Virgin Games IGT Microgaming Casino Slots Richard Branson Necker Island
Virgin Casino have added a ton of new slot games over the past week.
News
Virgin Casino has announced that it is releasing a new slot game entitled Necker Island this week.
Necker Island is a new 5 reel, 50 pay-line slot game that is being developed by Genesis Gaming Inc. The game has a theme based on the private island hideaway owned by Virgin Casino founder Sir Richard Branson.
The game also includes an additional row of symbols that gives players a greater chance of winning. Players can win free spins and also have the chance to unlock a free wild game. The game will be released on Virgin Casino’s QuickFire platform.
Warren Eloff, Virgin Games Head of Products, said “We wanted to create a game exclusively for our Virgin Games players – something that only we could offer and that truly summed up being part of the Virgin community. As such, we thought it would be ideally fitting to have a game created by Genesis Gaming that was themed around Sir Richard Branson’s luxurious private island."
Eloff added “As an operator, offering our customers seamless game play is crucial, and as a Virgin company maintaining brand integrity is a must. Using Microgaming’s QuickFire platform has delivered on both counts - offering both easy integration and allowing us to give our players a unique Virgin Games experience.”
Steven Meisrich, CEO for Genesis Gaming Inc, stated "It was exciting for our team to build a customized and branded video slot game consistent with the quality and fun users expect from the Virgin brand. We are also pleased that Necker Island will be integrated to the Quickfire platform as we have a successful partnership already in place and are confident that it can maintain the optimal experience for Virgin players.”
QuickFire also released a statement saying “We’re delighted that Virgin Games have chosen the Quickfire platform to host this unique game. It’s always great to be involved in something a bit different, particularly as the involvement of Genesis Gaming Inc. has allowed us to work alongside a company with whom we already have a strong relationship. We’re confident that this exclusive product will please new and existing players alike.”
News...
Virgin Casino Releases Reely Poker Slot Game...
Virgin Casino announced the release of its latest slot game title called Reely Poker this week.
This new game is a 5 reel, 30 pay-line slot game and has a theme based on poker. In fact, the game incorporates both a slot game experience with the opportunity for players to play some poker as well.
The game begins in a slots format. The symbols are represented by the playing cards and the wild symbol is represented by the joker and the scatter symbol is represented by the ace. The maximum payout is 5,000 coins and this is offered by the joker wild symbol.
There is a bonus feature called the Multi-hand Infinite Hold’em Bonus. This is activated when the player hits three or more ace scatter symbols. The number of hands dealt to the player in this bonus depends on how many ace scatter symbols the player hit to activate the bonus. The player then wins a bonus depending on how strong the poker hands they receive are with a bonus of 2 coins being paid out for a pair and a bonus of 500 coins being paid out for a royal flush. The player keeps playing in this bonus round if they hit a two pair or higher.
Players can also activate the Slot Poker aspect of this game. For every spin, a side bet of 10 times the line bet will be automatically taken from the player. The player must then choose one of the horizontal rows. The cards that appear on that chosen row are the given hand for that spin. The player will then win if the hand on that chosen row is better than the hands on the other two rows. The Slot Poker part of the game will continue to function until the player de-activates it.
Reely Poker is available to play at Virgin Casino right now.
If you haven’t got an account at Virgin Casino, now is the time – they offer a 100% welcome bonus up to £100. This means that if you deposit anything up to £100, you will get the same value free. When registering, click on the ‘Select A Bonus’ button and select the ‘Casino’ option – simple.
*Virgin Casino does not accept Australian, U.S or Canadian players. See World Casino Directory.
Website Network
Media Man Int
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Media Man Entertainment
Virgin Casino Virgin Games IGT Microgaming Casino Slots Richard Branson Necker Island
Virgin Casino have added a ton of new slot games over the past week.
News
Virgin Casino has announced that it is releasing a new slot game entitled Necker Island this week.
Necker Island is a new 5 reel, 50 pay-line slot game that is being developed by Genesis Gaming Inc. The game has a theme based on the private island hideaway owned by Virgin Casino founder Sir Richard Branson.
The game also includes an additional row of symbols that gives players a greater chance of winning. Players can win free spins and also have the chance to unlock a free wild game. The game will be released on Virgin Casino’s QuickFire platform.
Warren Eloff, Virgin Games Head of Products, said “We wanted to create a game exclusively for our Virgin Games players – something that only we could offer and that truly summed up being part of the Virgin community. As such, we thought it would be ideally fitting to have a game created by Genesis Gaming that was themed around Sir Richard Branson’s luxurious private island."
Eloff added “As an operator, offering our customers seamless game play is crucial, and as a Virgin company maintaining brand integrity is a must. Using Microgaming’s QuickFire platform has delivered on both counts - offering both easy integration and allowing us to give our players a unique Virgin Games experience.”
Steven Meisrich, CEO for Genesis Gaming Inc, stated "It was exciting for our team to build a customized and branded video slot game consistent with the quality and fun users expect from the Virgin brand. We are also pleased that Necker Island will be integrated to the Quickfire platform as we have a successful partnership already in place and are confident that it can maintain the optimal experience for Virgin players.”
QuickFire also released a statement saying “We’re delighted that Virgin Games have chosen the Quickfire platform to host this unique game. It’s always great to be involved in something a bit different, particularly as the involvement of Genesis Gaming Inc. has allowed us to work alongside a company with whom we already have a strong relationship. We’re confident that this exclusive product will please new and existing players alike.”
News...
Virgin Casino Releases Reely Poker Slot Game...
Virgin Casino announced the release of its latest slot game title called Reely Poker this week.
This new game is a 5 reel, 30 pay-line slot game and has a theme based on poker. In fact, the game incorporates both a slot game experience with the opportunity for players to play some poker as well.
The game begins in a slots format. The symbols are represented by the playing cards and the wild symbol is represented by the joker and the scatter symbol is represented by the ace. The maximum payout is 5,000 coins and this is offered by the joker wild symbol.
There is a bonus feature called the Multi-hand Infinite Hold’em Bonus. This is activated when the player hits three or more ace scatter symbols. The number of hands dealt to the player in this bonus depends on how many ace scatter symbols the player hit to activate the bonus. The player then wins a bonus depending on how strong the poker hands they receive are with a bonus of 2 coins being paid out for a pair and a bonus of 500 coins being paid out for a royal flush. The player keeps playing in this bonus round if they hit a two pair or higher.
Players can also activate the Slot Poker aspect of this game. For every spin, a side bet of 10 times the line bet will be automatically taken from the player. The player must then choose one of the horizontal rows. The cards that appear on that chosen row are the given hand for that spin. The player will then win if the hand on that chosen row is better than the hands on the other two rows. The Slot Poker part of the game will continue to function until the player de-activates it.
Reely Poker is available to play at Virgin Casino right now.
If you haven’t got an account at Virgin Casino, now is the time – they offer a 100% welcome bonus up to £100. This means that if you deposit anything up to £100, you will get the same value free. When registering, click on the ‘Select A Bonus’ button and select the ‘Casino’ option – simple.
*Virgin Casino does not accept Australian, U.S or Canadian players. See World Casino Directory.
Website Network
Media Man Int
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Media Man Entertainment
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Genting sells half its shares in Echo Entertainment - 20th September 2012
Profiles
The Star Echo Entertainment Genting Gambling Celebrity Casino Legal Property Casinos
The battle for control of Echo Entertainment Group, the operator of Sydney’s Star casino, has taken a new twist, with Malaysia’s Genting selling down half of its 10 per cent stake.
Genting, which operates casinos in south-east Asia, told the stock exchange last night that it had entered into an agreement with Citigroup Global Markets Australia to dispose of a 4.8 per cent stake in Echo at $3.99 a share, a 2.7 per cent discount to yesterday’s closing price of $4.10. That values the stake at around $158 million.
"This comes after a review by the company to rationalise its investments portfolio," Genting said in a statement. "The disposal is not expected to have any material effect on earnings per share for the current financial year," Shares in Genting rose 2.5 per cent in Singapore trade.
Genting and Crown have been circling Echo for its Sydney Casino, which attracts scores of Asian high rollers and last night’s move may allow Crown to close in on what is Sydney’s only casino operator. Crown, which owns a 10 per cent share in Echo, has sought regulatory approval to boost that holding to 25 per cent. An exit by Genting opens the door for Crown to increase its stake.
"The market, looking at the share price, welcomes this [move]. People didn’t understand what the strategy could be in Australia," said Lucius Chong, an analyst at CIMB Research. "This removes a lot of uncertainty because Genting is good at building casinos, looking at emerging growth, whereas Australia is a mature market," Mr Chong said.
Crown, which operates casinos in Melbourne and Perth, has amassed a 10 per cent stake in Echo, and has sought regulatory approval to go to 25 per cent.
Echo also operates casinos in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville in Queensland. Echo in August reported a net profit for the 2011/12 financial year of $42.2 million, well down on the previous year’s $226 million. Echo recently spent $870 million redeveloping its main asset, The Star, including a $100 million payment to the New South Wales government for exclusivity.
Crown has been lobbying the NSW government to build another casino in Sydney at the Barangaroo redevelopment near the CBD, just across the harbour from The Star.
Malaysian-based parent Genting Group built its stake through its subsidiaries in Singapore and Hong Kong in June, sparking talk of a potential bidding war. Genting had also sought regulatory approval to increase its holding.
It was not clear whether Genting has withdrawn the application. A spokesman for the regulator was not immediately available to comment on the matter.
Website
Echo Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
The Star Echo Entertainment Genting Gambling Celebrity Casino Legal Property Casinos
The battle for control of Echo Entertainment Group, the operator of Sydney’s Star casino, has taken a new twist, with Malaysia’s Genting selling down half of its 10 per cent stake.
Genting, which operates casinos in south-east Asia, told the stock exchange last night that it had entered into an agreement with Citigroup Global Markets Australia to dispose of a 4.8 per cent stake in Echo at $3.99 a share, a 2.7 per cent discount to yesterday’s closing price of $4.10. That values the stake at around $158 million.
"This comes after a review by the company to rationalise its investments portfolio," Genting said in a statement. "The disposal is not expected to have any material effect on earnings per share for the current financial year," Shares in Genting rose 2.5 per cent in Singapore trade.
Genting and Crown have been circling Echo for its Sydney Casino, which attracts scores of Asian high rollers and last night’s move may allow Crown to close in on what is Sydney’s only casino operator. Crown, which owns a 10 per cent share in Echo, has sought regulatory approval to boost that holding to 25 per cent. An exit by Genting opens the door for Crown to increase its stake.
"The market, looking at the share price, welcomes this [move]. People didn’t understand what the strategy could be in Australia," said Lucius Chong, an analyst at CIMB Research. "This removes a lot of uncertainty because Genting is good at building casinos, looking at emerging growth, whereas Australia is a mature market," Mr Chong said.
Crown, which operates casinos in Melbourne and Perth, has amassed a 10 per cent stake in Echo, and has sought regulatory approval to go to 25 per cent.
Echo also operates casinos in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville in Queensland. Echo in August reported a net profit for the 2011/12 financial year of $42.2 million, well down on the previous year’s $226 million. Echo recently spent $870 million redeveloping its main asset, The Star, including a $100 million payment to the New South Wales government for exclusivity.
Crown has been lobbying the NSW government to build another casino in Sydney at the Barangaroo redevelopment near the CBD, just across the harbour from The Star.
Malaysian-based parent Genting Group built its stake through its subsidiaries in Singapore and Hong Kong in June, sparking talk of a potential bidding war. Genting had also sought regulatory approval to increase its holding.
It was not clear whether Genting has withdrawn the application. A spokesman for the regulator was not immediately available to comment on the matter.
Website
Echo Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Jury awards casino mogul $US20m for slander - 11th September 2012
Profiles
Steve Wynn Las Vegas Gambling Celebrity Casino Legal Property Casinos
A jury has awarded US casino mogul Steve Wynn $US20 million ($19.3 million) in his slander case against Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis, who claimed the creator of some of Las Vegas's most upscale resorts threatened to kill him over a gambling debt.
Witnesses disputed Francis's claims during a four-day trial, including record producer Quincy Jones, who Francis said told him about Wynn's threats and showed him a stack of emails that contained them.
Wynn vehemently denied that.
In siding with Wynn, the jury determined that there was clear and convincing evidence that Francis slandered the casino mogul and knew his allegations were false when he made them.
Neither Wynn nor Francis was present in court when the verdict was read on Monday morning.
Wynn's lawyer on Friday had asked the panel to award the billionaire $US12 million plus punitive damages to send a message that false statements that travel far in the internet age will not be tolerated.
The CEO of Wynn resorts and designer of signature Las Vegas casinos such as The Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn and Encore attended the trial.
Francis, who testified, has built a business empire based on videos of young women flashing their breasts for video cameras. (AP)
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Steve Wynn Las Vegas Gambling Celebrity Casino Legal Property Casinos
A jury has awarded US casino mogul Steve Wynn $US20 million ($19.3 million) in his slander case against Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis, who claimed the creator of some of Las Vegas's most upscale resorts threatened to kill him over a gambling debt.
Witnesses disputed Francis's claims during a four-day trial, including record producer Quincy Jones, who Francis said told him about Wynn's threats and showed him a stack of emails that contained them.
Wynn vehemently denied that.
In siding with Wynn, the jury determined that there was clear and convincing evidence that Francis slandered the casino mogul and knew his allegations were false when he made them.
Neither Wynn nor Francis was present in court when the verdict was read on Monday morning.
Wynn's lawyer on Friday had asked the panel to award the billionaire $US12 million plus punitive damages to send a message that false statements that travel far in the internet age will not be tolerated.
The CEO of Wynn resorts and designer of signature Las Vegas casinos such as The Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn and Encore attended the trial.
Francis, who testified, has built a business empire based on videos of young women flashing their breasts for video cameras. (AP)
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Monday, September 10, 2012
Police detain 150 in Macau casino raids amid fears of new gang war
Profiles
Crown Limited Casinos James Packer Property Hotels PartyCasino.com Affiliate Programs Advertising
Police detain 150 in Macau casino raids amid fears of new gang war...
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Police detained more than 150 people in weekend raids on casinos and hotels in Macau after a recent spate of killings raised fears of a new gang war in the world's largest gambling destination.
The former Portuguese territory was gripped by gang wars in the late 1990s and the recent murder of three people in two weeks, thought linked to the gambling industry, comes just months ahead of the release from jail of triad boss "Broken Tooth" Wan Kuok-koi, who wreaked havoc at that time.
About 1,300 people were rounded up on Friday and Saturday in Macau and 150 of those were taken in for questioning in the operation codenamed "Thunderbolt".
"This operation is an annual exercise to maintain public security. It is a joint exercise undertaken by police in Guangdong province, Macau and Hong Kong to crack down and prevent crime in this region," a Macau police spokeswoman said.
In Hong Kong, police raided 21 locations on August 2 as part of the joint operation and arrested 130 people on suspicion of various crimes including money laundering involving HK$300 million (24.77 million pounds), illegal gambling and prostitution.
Police also seized cash, watches and cars worth more than HK$11 million.
The Macau raids came just weeks after a Chinese woman was found murdered in a residential area minutes away from the cavernous gambling halls of gaming magnate Sheldon Adelson's Venetian casino.
That followed the murders of two Chinese nationals at the five-star Grand Lapa hotel in Macau, a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, and an attack at the end of June on a senior figure in Macau's junket industry, which extends credit to rich gamblers.
By contrast, only five homicide cases were recorded between June 2011 and May 2012, according to Macau police statistics.
Macau, which like Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, has boomed since the 1999 handover from Portugal, with Las Vegas moguls including Adelson and Steve Wynn setting up glitzy casino hotels.
That growth, however, has slowed significantly in the past three months, forcing junket operators into more aggressive debt-collecting tactics.
Many of the smaller junket companies, which collect gambling debts in exchange for a commission from casino operators, are struggling to stay in business.
IGT partners with California casino...
American computerised gaming equipment designer and manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) has signed a deal that will see the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center in California host an online casino application from its Double Down Interactive subsidiary.
Las Vegas-based IGT purchased the casual games developer in January and revealed that the Golden Acorn Casino is set to utilise its technology in order to offer casino players free-play gaming experiences.
“Golden Acorn recognises the opportunity to provide gaming entertainment to its players across various channels,” said Eric Tom, Global Sales Executive Vice-President for IGT.
“This solution is allowing it to grasp an opportunity to evolve as the landscape of gaming also changes permitting it to drive engaging gameplay directly to its casino guests and fans of the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center brand.”
IGT stated that the revenue sharing partnership will see Golden Acorn use its own website in order provide players with a ‘truly convergent gaming experience’ that is to include access to a ‘full-casino-style offering of games in one convenient place’.
“Offering the same game titles on the web that we offer inside our casino gives us the unique opportunity to deliver fun and engaging casino-style experiences to our players,” said David Baggerly, Marketing Director for Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center, which is located 47 miles from downtown San Diego near the Mexican border.
“This is an incredible chance to drive interactive slot culture to our players while allowing them to stay connected to our brand.”
Guests at the Golden Acorn will be able to enjoy online social versions of Texas hold‘em poker in addition to some of IGT's top-performing slot titles including Da Vinci Diamonds and Cleopatra. New games are to be added automatically while first-time users will receive one million dollars in virtual chips.
Development agreement for Bally and High 5 Games...
Bally Technologies has entered into a multi-year agreement with games developer High 5 Games to publish a substantial number of new H5G games under the Bally brand for the worldwide land-based, mobile and online business-to-business casino gaming markets.
“We’re excited to partner with a game creator that has such a world-class track record of developing high-performing and engaging game content,” said Jean Venneman, Vice President of Product Management and Licensing at Bally Technologies. “We look forward to leveraging H5G’s newest game content to help casino operators across the world drive revenues and delight players.”
Ramesh Srinivasan, Bally's President and Chief Operating Officer, added, “The partnership with H5G reflects our commitment to delivering best-of-breed, cross-platform game content to our customers. This promise is reflected in the more than 25 game studios we have established across the globe, augmented by relationships with proven game developers like H5G that enable us to deliver a diverse array of creative, interactive, and exciting game content.”
“We are delighted to partner with Bally Technologies, a long-time leader in the casino gaming industry,” said Anthony Singer, Chief Executive Officer of H5G. “With Bally’s sophisticated new ALPHA 2 game platform, and a new Bally Interactive division committed to mobile, online, and social business-to-business game content, we believe that the sky is the limit for this next generation of H5G games.”
Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc : The bearish trend should continue...
07/18/2012
Opinion : Bearish under 115.5 GBp
Target price : 83.4 GBp
Stop loss: 115.5 GBp
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE
Bwin.party (BPTY) was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc in March 2011 to create the world’s largest listed online gaming. Incorporated and licensed in Gibraltar, the Group has over 2,700 employees across Europe, India, Israel and the US. It commands leading market positions in each of four product: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo.
A month ago, we forecasted a downtrend with a target price at GBp 102. This target was reached and we reiterate our opinion. In a bearish trend, BPTY continues to decline.
From a fundamental viewpoint, the group is in a bad financial situation. Analysts have recently downgraded their forecasts for earnings per share. This indicator is often a precursor of a declining profitability and a worsening climate of investor confidence. Even if the company has a lot of cash, it is overvalued : BPTY’s PER for 2012 is 38.9x and 16.3x for 2013 and growth rates are low.
From a technical viewpoint, prices are in a downward trend. Moving averages are trending down and put pressure on the stock, which confirms this downward momentum. This trend may continue toward the GBp 95 support. Moreover, the security is testing a pivot point at GBp 102.6 in weekly data and the significant breakdown of this level would be a new bearish signal.
Taking into account fundamental and technical elements, investors can initiate a short position in BPTY with a first target price at GBp 95. If the security crosses this level, the second target price will be the long term support at GBp 83.4. A return towards GBp 115.5, the short-term resistance area, will invalidate the bearish strategy, which justifies a stop loss. (4 Traders)
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Crown Limited Casinos James Packer Property Hotels PartyCasino.com Affiliate Programs Advertising
Police detain 150 in Macau casino raids amid fears of new gang war...
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Police detained more than 150 people in weekend raids on casinos and hotels in Macau after a recent spate of killings raised fears of a new gang war in the world's largest gambling destination.
The former Portuguese territory was gripped by gang wars in the late 1990s and the recent murder of three people in two weeks, thought linked to the gambling industry, comes just months ahead of the release from jail of triad boss "Broken Tooth" Wan Kuok-koi, who wreaked havoc at that time.
About 1,300 people were rounded up on Friday and Saturday in Macau and 150 of those were taken in for questioning in the operation codenamed "Thunderbolt".
"This operation is an annual exercise to maintain public security. It is a joint exercise undertaken by police in Guangdong province, Macau and Hong Kong to crack down and prevent crime in this region," a Macau police spokeswoman said.
In Hong Kong, police raided 21 locations on August 2 as part of the joint operation and arrested 130 people on suspicion of various crimes including money laundering involving HK$300 million (24.77 million pounds), illegal gambling and prostitution.
Police also seized cash, watches and cars worth more than HK$11 million.
The Macau raids came just weeks after a Chinese woman was found murdered in a residential area minutes away from the cavernous gambling halls of gaming magnate Sheldon Adelson's Venetian casino.
That followed the murders of two Chinese nationals at the five-star Grand Lapa hotel in Macau, a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, and an attack at the end of June on a senior figure in Macau's junket industry, which extends credit to rich gamblers.
By contrast, only five homicide cases were recorded between June 2011 and May 2012, according to Macau police statistics.
Macau, which like Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, has boomed since the 1999 handover from Portugal, with Las Vegas moguls including Adelson and Steve Wynn setting up glitzy casino hotels.
That growth, however, has slowed significantly in the past three months, forcing junket operators into more aggressive debt-collecting tactics.
Many of the smaller junket companies, which collect gambling debts in exchange for a commission from casino operators, are struggling to stay in business.
IGT partners with California casino...
American computerised gaming equipment designer and manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) has signed a deal that will see the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center in California host an online casino application from its Double Down Interactive subsidiary.
Las Vegas-based IGT purchased the casual games developer in January and revealed that the Golden Acorn Casino is set to utilise its technology in order to offer casino players free-play gaming experiences.
“Golden Acorn recognises the opportunity to provide gaming entertainment to its players across various channels,” said Eric Tom, Global Sales Executive Vice-President for IGT.
“This solution is allowing it to grasp an opportunity to evolve as the landscape of gaming also changes permitting it to drive engaging gameplay directly to its casino guests and fans of the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center brand.”
IGT stated that the revenue sharing partnership will see Golden Acorn use its own website in order provide players with a ‘truly convergent gaming experience’ that is to include access to a ‘full-casino-style offering of games in one convenient place’.
“Offering the same game titles on the web that we offer inside our casino gives us the unique opportunity to deliver fun and engaging casino-style experiences to our players,” said David Baggerly, Marketing Director for Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center, which is located 47 miles from downtown San Diego near the Mexican border.
“This is an incredible chance to drive interactive slot culture to our players while allowing them to stay connected to our brand.”
Guests at the Golden Acorn will be able to enjoy online social versions of Texas hold‘em poker in addition to some of IGT's top-performing slot titles including Da Vinci Diamonds and Cleopatra. New games are to be added automatically while first-time users will receive one million dollars in virtual chips.
Development agreement for Bally and High 5 Games...
Bally Technologies has entered into a multi-year agreement with games developer High 5 Games to publish a substantial number of new H5G games under the Bally brand for the worldwide land-based, mobile and online business-to-business casino gaming markets.
“We’re excited to partner with a game creator that has such a world-class track record of developing high-performing and engaging game content,” said Jean Venneman, Vice President of Product Management and Licensing at Bally Technologies. “We look forward to leveraging H5G’s newest game content to help casino operators across the world drive revenues and delight players.”
Ramesh Srinivasan, Bally's President and Chief Operating Officer, added, “The partnership with H5G reflects our commitment to delivering best-of-breed, cross-platform game content to our customers. This promise is reflected in the more than 25 game studios we have established across the globe, augmented by relationships with proven game developers like H5G that enable us to deliver a diverse array of creative, interactive, and exciting game content.”
“We are delighted to partner with Bally Technologies, a long-time leader in the casino gaming industry,” said Anthony Singer, Chief Executive Officer of H5G. “With Bally’s sophisticated new ALPHA 2 game platform, and a new Bally Interactive division committed to mobile, online, and social business-to-business game content, we believe that the sky is the limit for this next generation of H5G games.”
Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc : The bearish trend should continue...
07/18/2012
Opinion : Bearish under 115.5 GBp
Target price : 83.4 GBp
Stop loss: 115.5 GBp
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE
Bwin.party (BPTY) was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc in March 2011 to create the world’s largest listed online gaming. Incorporated and licensed in Gibraltar, the Group has over 2,700 employees across Europe, India, Israel and the US. It commands leading market positions in each of four product: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo.
A month ago, we forecasted a downtrend with a target price at GBp 102. This target was reached and we reiterate our opinion. In a bearish trend, BPTY continues to decline.
From a fundamental viewpoint, the group is in a bad financial situation. Analysts have recently downgraded their forecasts for earnings per share. This indicator is often a precursor of a declining profitability and a worsening climate of investor confidence. Even if the company has a lot of cash, it is overvalued : BPTY’s PER for 2012 is 38.9x and 16.3x for 2013 and growth rates are low.
From a technical viewpoint, prices are in a downward trend. Moving averages are trending down and put pressure on the stock, which confirms this downward momentum. This trend may continue toward the GBp 95 support. Moreover, the security is testing a pivot point at GBp 102.6 in weekly data and the significant breakdown of this level would be a new bearish signal.
Taking into account fundamental and technical elements, investors can initiate a short position in BPTY with a first target price at GBp 95. If the security crosses this level, the second target price will be the long term support at GBp 83.4. A return towards GBp 115.5, the short-term resistance area, will invalidate the bearish strategy, which justifies a stop loss. (4 Traders)
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Friday, August 24, 2012
IGT Highlights Innovative 3D Gaming Technology and a Star-studded Gaming Lineup at the Australasian Gaming Expo
Profiles
IGT Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
IGT Highlights Innovative 3D Gaming Technology and a Star-studded Gaming Lineup at the Australasian Gaming Expo
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 20, 2012 -- International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT), a global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, announced today it will deliver new industry firsts for Australia's gaming enthusiasts at the Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) Aug. 21 – 23 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in Sydney, Australia.
IGT will launch the 3D gaming technology MLD™ (Multi-Layer Display™), paired with the unveiling of one of the world's most iconic pop culture brands, Elvis The King®. This new title is now available in Australia exclusively on the IGT bluechip Neo® Tower Top cabinet after successful launches in other global markets, along with many new games and products.
"IGT continues to provide our customers with strong game performance, the widest variety of games, the latest in systems innovation and world-class service, all of which will be on display at AGE," said Eric Tom, IGT executive vice president of Global Sales.
"Our research indicates that many players are entertainment seekers who are attracted to iconic brands and IGT delivers this with our pop culture hit Elvis The King®. This game has been adapted to suit the Australasian players' playing style. The 3D capabilities of MLD with Elvis The King® also provides venues with a strong differentiator as they look to broaden gaming's appeal and provide something special for players," said Tom. "Elvis The King® is packed with multiple features and number one hits."
IGT's 3D MLD™ screens take gaming to another dimension in play. The 3D effect is simulated because the content exists on two separate LCD panels; one in front of the other which gives a depth of field, with game elements appearing and moving between the front and back screens. This allows for new game play options and heightened entertainment.
The line-up of over fifty games at AGE reflects IGT's re-invigorated game design strategy with the legendary performance of games such as Siberian Storm®and Dangerous Beauty®. Additional games debuting at AGE include:
Black Widow® – a low denomination game with a 'web capture' feature during free games for the chance to accumulate additional credits.
Dakota Thunder® - featuring the 'Thunder Shudder'.
A global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, IGT provides a holistic solution to the industry and its strength in gaming management systems and new interactive technologies will also be showcased at AGE.
The IGT Advantage Club® System will be demonstrated with new technologies such as Service Window, a small window that appears on the left hand side of the screen. The Service Window can be used for personalized player messaging and for service requests, adding a unique level of service for venues with the IGT system. The IGT Advantage Club® system is proving to be a winner with clubs in New South Wales.
IGT will again be playing host to industry experts who will present a range of topics including game floor design, customer service and systems. For more details on the free business seminar sessions visit www.igt.com.au/AGE12.
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 Double Down 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.
© EPE, Reg. U.S. Pat & TM O_.
Dangerous Beauty and Black Widow were created by High 5 Games. For more information on High 5 Games, go to www.High5games.com
Pure Depth™, MLD®, Multi-Layer Display® and Actual Depth™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Depth, Inc. All other trademarks are registered trademarks or the property of their respective owners without the intent to infringe. www.puredepth.com. All trademarks or registered trademarks are owned by IGT (Australia) Pty. Limited or its related entities. All information is subject to change without notice. Game type availability is subject to jurisdictional approval.0. SOURCE IGT
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
IGT
Media Man News
Casino News Media
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
IGT Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
IGT Highlights Innovative 3D Gaming Technology and a Star-studded Gaming Lineup at the Australasian Gaming Expo
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 20, 2012 -- International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT), a global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, announced today it will deliver new industry firsts for Australia's gaming enthusiasts at the Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) Aug. 21 – 23 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in Sydney, Australia.
IGT will launch the 3D gaming technology MLD™ (Multi-Layer Display™), paired with the unveiling of one of the world's most iconic pop culture brands, Elvis The King®. This new title is now available in Australia exclusively on the IGT bluechip Neo® Tower Top cabinet after successful launches in other global markets, along with many new games and products.
"IGT continues to provide our customers with strong game performance, the widest variety of games, the latest in systems innovation and world-class service, all of which will be on display at AGE," said Eric Tom, IGT executive vice president of Global Sales.
"Our research indicates that many players are entertainment seekers who are attracted to iconic brands and IGT delivers this with our pop culture hit Elvis The King®. This game has been adapted to suit the Australasian players' playing style. The 3D capabilities of MLD with Elvis The King® also provides venues with a strong differentiator as they look to broaden gaming's appeal and provide something special for players," said Tom. "Elvis The King® is packed with multiple features and number one hits."
IGT's 3D MLD™ screens take gaming to another dimension in play. The 3D effect is simulated because the content exists on two separate LCD panels; one in front of the other which gives a depth of field, with game elements appearing and moving between the front and back screens. This allows for new game play options and heightened entertainment.
The line-up of over fifty games at AGE reflects IGT's re-invigorated game design strategy with the legendary performance of games such as Siberian Storm®and Dangerous Beauty®. Additional games debuting at AGE include:
Black Widow® – a low denomination game with a 'web capture' feature during free games for the chance to accumulate additional credits.
Dakota Thunder® - featuring the 'Thunder Shudder'.
A global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, IGT provides a holistic solution to the industry and its strength in gaming management systems and new interactive technologies will also be showcased at AGE.
The IGT Advantage Club® System will be demonstrated with new technologies such as Service Window, a small window that appears on the left hand side of the screen. The Service Window can be used for personalized player messaging and for service requests, adding a unique level of service for venues with the IGT system. The IGT Advantage Club® system is proving to be a winner with clubs in New South Wales.
IGT will again be playing host to industry experts who will present a range of topics including game floor design, customer service and systems. For more details on the free business seminar sessions visit www.igt.com.au/AGE12.
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 Double Down 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.
© EPE, Reg. U.S. Pat & TM O_.
Dangerous Beauty and Black Widow were created by High 5 Games. For more information on High 5 Games, go to www.High5games.com
Pure Depth™, MLD®, Multi-Layer Display® and Actual Depth™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Depth, Inc. All other trademarks are registered trademarks or the property of their respective owners without the intent to infringe. www.puredepth.com. All trademarks or registered trademarks are owned by IGT (Australia) Pty. Limited or its related entities. All information is subject to change without notice. Game type availability is subject to jurisdictional approval.0. SOURCE IGT
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
IGT
Media Man News
Casino News Media
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Australasian Gaming Expo report from Sydney; Australia - Day 3 - 23rd August 2012
Profiles
Human Statue Bodyart Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
Today was the 3rd day for the most high profile and successful gaming expo in Australia - the Australasian Gaming Expo, which is being hosted by the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour. It's gaming, gambling, technology, sales...even creative arts elements and much more.
It's a key time for the gaming industry in Australia with all the regulation elements, responsible gambling initiatives and such, and most of the big boys of the industry were on hand to show off their wares, with some exhibitors demonstrating significant creative flair to help showoff their latest and greatest wares.
Our friends at Human Statue Bodyart were back again and they had a couple of body models made up in bodypaint (Anastasia as a butterfly and Victoria as a panda) - complete with wings and sparkles, for leading gaming brand Paltronics and its latest game 'Jungle Madness'.
The expo centre itself is huge - 15,000 square metres (about the size of an Aussie Rules football oval) and this provided more than ample opportunity for over 750 slot games on display.
The Australasian Gaming Expo is by far the largest event of its type in Australia and one of the world’s biggest.
We learned through the grapevine that a trip for 2 to Las Vegas will be won by a lucky visitor on each of the 3 days of the Expo, and this is compliments of the Gaming Technologies Association which owns the event. It's understood the winner of the trip will be named later this afternoon.
It's tipped over 20,000 people have walked through the games expo thus far, with those in the business being the majority, and no doubt a few punters, checked through the gates (but note that the games on display do not accept coins or notes).
Well done to everyone associated with the success of the expo and we'll see you there again next year.
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
PALtronics Australasia
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Human Statue Bodyart
Human Statue Bodyart Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Media Man News
Casino News Media
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Human Statue Bodyart Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
Today was the 3rd day for the most high profile and successful gaming expo in Australia - the Australasian Gaming Expo, which is being hosted by the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour. It's gaming, gambling, technology, sales...even creative arts elements and much more.
It's a key time for the gaming industry in Australia with all the regulation elements, responsible gambling initiatives and such, and most of the big boys of the industry were on hand to show off their wares, with some exhibitors demonstrating significant creative flair to help showoff their latest and greatest wares.
Our friends at Human Statue Bodyart were back again and they had a couple of body models made up in bodypaint (Anastasia as a butterfly and Victoria as a panda) - complete with wings and sparkles, for leading gaming brand Paltronics and its latest game 'Jungle Madness'.
The expo centre itself is huge - 15,000 square metres (about the size of an Aussie Rules football oval) and this provided more than ample opportunity for over 750 slot games on display.
The Australasian Gaming Expo is by far the largest event of its type in Australia and one of the world’s biggest.
We learned through the grapevine that a trip for 2 to Las Vegas will be won by a lucky visitor on each of the 3 days of the Expo, and this is compliments of the Gaming Technologies Association which owns the event. It's understood the winner of the trip will be named later this afternoon.
It's tipped over 20,000 people have walked through the games expo thus far, with those in the business being the majority, and no doubt a few punters, checked through the gates (but note that the games on display do not accept coins or notes).
Well done to everyone associated with the success of the expo and we'll see you there again next year.
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
PALtronics Australasia
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Human Statue Bodyart
Human Statue Bodyart Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Media Man News
Casino News Media
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Australasian Gaming Expo report from Sydney; Australia - Day 2 - 22nd August 2012
Profiles
Human Statue Bodyart Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
Today was the 2nd day for the most high profile and successful gaming expo in Australia - the Australasian Gaming Expo, which is being hosted by the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour.
It's a key time for the gaming industry in Australia with all the regulation elements, responsible gambling initiatives and such, and most of the big boys of the industry were on hand to show off their wares, with some exhibitors demonstrating significant creative flair to help showoff their latest and greatest wares.
Our friends at Human Statue Bodyart had a couple of body models made up in bodypaint (Anastasia as a butterfly and Victoria as a panda) - complete with wings, for leading gaming brand Paltronics and its latest game 'Jungle Madness'.
The expo centre itself is huge - 15,000 square metres (about the size of an Aussie Rules football oval) and this provided more than ample opportunity for over 750 slot games aka "pokies" to strut their stuff.
The Australasian Gaming Expo is by far the largest event of its type in Australia and one of the world’s biggest.
We learned through the grapevine that a trip for 2 to Las Vegas will be won by a lucky visitor on each of the 3 days of the Expo, and this is compliments of the Gaming Technologies Association which owns the event.
We understand that over 16,000 people have walked through the games thus far, with those in the business being the majority, and no doubt a few punters, checked through the gates (but note that the games on display do not accept coins or notes).
News...
Human Statue Bodyart helps make Paltronics...
Gaming firm Paltronics was once again looking for their fair share of attention by having a few body models made up in forest like bodypaint attire to compliment their selection of games, including the very popular 'Jungle Madness'.
There's little doubt that folks Paltronics knew that competitors of sorts, IGT, were going all out with an Elvis promotion (including imitator), and may have also noted their 'Sex In The City' promotional stand from last years show.
It's always good to see Australian companies such as Paltronics take on international giants such as IGT and promotional models are just one of the weapons that gaming companies will continue to employ in the high stakes world of electronic gaming, and the folks from the Human Statue Bodyart creative arts agency certainly helped Paltronics make a positive splash today.
We hear that more bodypainted models are on the cards tomorrow (the 3rd and final day of the expo) so be sure to check the stands, with 11am to 2pm being the prime time to catch the action if bodypainted models are your thing.
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
PALtronics Australasia
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Human Statue Bodyart
Human Statue Bodyart Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Media Man News
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Human Statue Bodyart Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
Today was the 2nd day for the most high profile and successful gaming expo in Australia - the Australasian Gaming Expo, which is being hosted by the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour.
It's a key time for the gaming industry in Australia with all the regulation elements, responsible gambling initiatives and such, and most of the big boys of the industry were on hand to show off their wares, with some exhibitors demonstrating significant creative flair to help showoff their latest and greatest wares.
Our friends at Human Statue Bodyart had a couple of body models made up in bodypaint (Anastasia as a butterfly and Victoria as a panda) - complete with wings, for leading gaming brand Paltronics and its latest game 'Jungle Madness'.
The expo centre itself is huge - 15,000 square metres (about the size of an Aussie Rules football oval) and this provided more than ample opportunity for over 750 slot games aka "pokies" to strut their stuff.
The Australasian Gaming Expo is by far the largest event of its type in Australia and one of the world’s biggest.
We learned through the grapevine that a trip for 2 to Las Vegas will be won by a lucky visitor on each of the 3 days of the Expo, and this is compliments of the Gaming Technologies Association which owns the event.
We understand that over 16,000 people have walked through the games thus far, with those in the business being the majority, and no doubt a few punters, checked through the gates (but note that the games on display do not accept coins or notes).
News...
Human Statue Bodyart helps make Paltronics...
Gaming firm Paltronics was once again looking for their fair share of attention by having a few body models made up in forest like bodypaint attire to compliment their selection of games, including the very popular 'Jungle Madness'.
There's little doubt that folks Paltronics knew that competitors of sorts, IGT, were going all out with an Elvis promotion (including imitator), and may have also noted their 'Sex In The City' promotional stand from last years show.
It's always good to see Australian companies such as Paltronics take on international giants such as IGT and promotional models are just one of the weapons that gaming companies will continue to employ in the high stakes world of electronic gaming, and the folks from the Human Statue Bodyart creative arts agency certainly helped Paltronics make a positive splash today.
We hear that more bodypainted models are on the cards tomorrow (the 3rd and final day of the expo) so be sure to check the stands, with 11am to 2pm being the prime time to catch the action if bodypainted models are your thing.
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
PALtronics Australasia
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Human Statue Bodyart
Human Statue Bodyart Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Media Man News
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Australasian Gaming Expo report from Sydney; Australia - Day 1 - 21st August 2012
Profiles
Human Statue Bodyart Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
Today was opening day for the most high profile and succesful gaming (as in gambling) expo in Australia - the Australasian Gaming Expo, which is being hosted by the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour.
It's an important time for the gaming industry in Australia with all the regulation elements, responsible gambling initiative and such, and as you would expect most of the big boys of the industry were on hand to show off their wares, with some exhibitors demonstrating considerable creative flair to help showoff their latest and greatest wares.
Our friends at Human Statue Bodyart had a couple of body models made up in bodypaint (Anastasia and Victoria as butterfly's) - complete with wings, for leading gaming brand Paltronics.
The expo centre itself is huge - 15,000 square metres (about the size of an Aussie Rules football oval) and this provided more than ample opportunity for over 750 slot games aka "pokies" to strut their stuff.
The Australasian Gaming Expo is by far the biggest event of its type in Australia and one of the world’s biggest.
We learned through the grapevine that a trip for 2 to Las Vegas will be won by a lucky visitor on each of the 3 days of the Expo, and this is compliments of the Gaming Technologies Association which owns the event.
Over 8,000 people have registered to attend and Day 1 attracted a health crowd, seeings thousands of interested folks, and no doubt a few punters, check through the gates.
Human Statue Bodyart helps make Paltronics...
Gaming firm Paltronics was looking for their fair share of attention by having a few body models made up in forest like bodypaint attire to compliment their selection of games.
There's little doubt that folks Paltronics knew that competitors of sorts, IGT, were going all out with an Elvis promotion (including imitator), and may have also noted their 'Sex In The City' promotional stand from last years show.
It's always good to see Australian companies such as Paltronics take on international giants such as IGT and promotional models are just one of the weapons that gaming companies will continue to employ in the high stakes world of electronic gaming, and the folks from the Human Statue Bodyart creative arts agency certainly helped Paltronics make a positive splash today.
We hear that more bodypainted models are on the cards tomorrow and for the duration of the gaming expo, so be sure to check the stands.
Shuffle Master promotes The Flintstones Slot...
"We are thrilled to be able to offer such an iconic brand as The Flintstones and we feel confident that it will take center stage at the show," said Adrian Halpenny, President of Shuffle Master Australasia. "Our game development team worked very hard to deliver a final product that demonstrated meticulous attention to detail in order to maintain the high quality and authenticity of the television series. As a result, The Flintstones is a breakthrough product that is not only highly enjoyable to play as a traditional gaming machine, but also brings the much-loved characters to life with entertaining and engaging features."
Since debuting on American television, The Flintstones has endured as one of the most recognized cartoon TV shows of all time and is still shown on TV around the world. The beloved characters of The Flintstones have been a part of our childhoods for decades, and this new game allows us to play and interact with them in new and exciting ways.
Preston Kevin Lewis, Managing Director of Warner Bros. Consumer Products ANZ, said, "It is testament to the enduring nature of The Flintstones brand that the likes of Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty continue to reach new audiences in diverse areas. Shuffle Master is one of the world's leading gaming suppliers and we're sure these fantastic machines will provide consumers with yet another opportunity to fall in love with The Flintstones."
Designed to make a big impact on the gaming floor with its broad appeal, The Flintstones is a three-level standalone progressive, low-denomination product with a suite of exciting base games and attractive jackpot prizes. It also introduces Shuffle Master's patented new "mini-reel" feature trigger that ignites the player's anticipation during game play.
The game offers three interactive bonus features that provide players with the chance to win jackpots and credit prizes. Each bonus feature evokes classic scenes from the original TV show, such as the ten-pin challenge at Bedrock Bowl, the family night out at The Drive-In and the antics of Fred Flintstone's lovable pet dinosaur in Dino's Dig.
Every element has been carefully crafted to captivate players. The Flintstones will feature themed door trims with matching halo lighting, a unique character marquee with a built-in LCD top box, and re-mastered music and sound effects from the original TV show. The three launch games - Lioness, Peacock Garden and Tiger Power - will be supplemented with more games from Shuffle Master on an ongoing basis to keep the installations fresh and exciting.
Press Release...
IGT Highlights Innovative 3D Gaming Technology and a Star-studded Gaming Lineup at the Australasian Gaming Expo...
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 20, 2012 -- International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT), a global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, announced today it will deliver new industry firsts for Australia's gaming enthusiasts at the Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) Aug. 21 – 23 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in Sydney, Australia.
IGT will launch the 3D gaming technology MLD™ (Multi-Layer Display™), paired with the unveiling of one of the world's most iconic pop culture brands, Elvis The King®. This new title is now available in Australia exclusively on the IGT bluechip Neo® Tower Top cabinet after successful launches in other global markets, along with many new games and products.
"IGT continues to provide our customers with strong game performance, the widest variety of games, the latest in systems innovation and world-class service, all of which will be on display at AGE," said Eric Tom, IGT executive vice president of Global Sales.
"Our research indicates that many players are entertainment seekers who are attracted to iconic brands and IGT delivers this with our pop culture hit Elvis The King®. This game has been adapted to suit the Australasian players' playing style. The 3D capabilities of MLD with Elvis The King® also provides venues with a strong differentiator as they look to broaden gaming's appeal and provide something special for players," said Tom. "Elvis The King® is packed with multiple features and number one hits."
IGT's 3D MLD™ screens take gaming to another dimension in play. The 3D effect is simulated because the content exists on two separate LCD panels; one in front of the other which gives a depth of field, with game elements appearing and moving between the front and back screens. This allows for new game play options and heightened entertainment.
The line-up of over fifty games at AGE reflects IGT's re-invigorated game design strategy with the legendary performance of games such as Siberian Storm® and Dangerous Beauty®. Additional games debuting at AGE include:
Black Widow® – a low denomination game with a 'web capture' feature during free games for the chance to accumulate additional credits.
Dakota Thunder® - featuring the 'Thunder Shudder'.
A global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, IGT provides a holistic solution to the industry and its strength in gaming management systems and new interactive technologies will also be showcased at AGE.
The IGT Advantage Club® System will be demonstrated with new technologies such as Service Window, a small window that appears on the left hand side of the screen. The Service Window can be used for personalized player messaging and for service requests, adding a unique level of service for venues with the IGT system. The IGT Advantage Club® system is proving to be a winner with clubs in New South Wales.
IGT will again be playing host to industry experts who will present a range of topics including game floor design, customer service and systems. For more details on the free business seminar sessions visit www.igt.com.au/AGE12.
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 Double Down 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.
© EPE, Reg. U.S. Pat & TM O_.
Dangerous Beauty and Black Widow were created by High 5 Games. For more information on High 5 Games, go to www.High5games.com
Pure Depth™, MLD®, Multi-Layer Display® and Actual Depth™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Depth, Inc. All other trademarks are registered trademarks or the property of their respective owners without the intent to infringe. www.puredepth.com. All trademarks or registered trademarks are owned by IGT (Australia) Pty. Limited or its related entities. All information is subject to change without notice. Game type availability is subject to jurisdictional approval.
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
PALtronics Australasia
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Human Statue Bodyart
Human Statue Bodyart Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Media Man News
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Human Statue Bodyart Sydney Entertainment Australia Gaming Promotions Publicity
Today was opening day for the most high profile and succesful gaming (as in gambling) expo in Australia - the Australasian Gaming Expo, which is being hosted by the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour.
It's an important time for the gaming industry in Australia with all the regulation elements, responsible gambling initiative and such, and as you would expect most of the big boys of the industry were on hand to show off their wares, with some exhibitors demonstrating considerable creative flair to help showoff their latest and greatest wares.
Our friends at Human Statue Bodyart had a couple of body models made up in bodypaint (Anastasia and Victoria as butterfly's) - complete with wings, for leading gaming brand Paltronics.
The expo centre itself is huge - 15,000 square metres (about the size of an Aussie Rules football oval) and this provided more than ample opportunity for over 750 slot games aka "pokies" to strut their stuff.
The Australasian Gaming Expo is by far the biggest event of its type in Australia and one of the world’s biggest.
We learned through the grapevine that a trip for 2 to Las Vegas will be won by a lucky visitor on each of the 3 days of the Expo, and this is compliments of the Gaming Technologies Association which owns the event.
Over 8,000 people have registered to attend and Day 1 attracted a health crowd, seeings thousands of interested folks, and no doubt a few punters, check through the gates.
Human Statue Bodyart helps make Paltronics...
Gaming firm Paltronics was looking for their fair share of attention by having a few body models made up in forest like bodypaint attire to compliment their selection of games.
There's little doubt that folks Paltronics knew that competitors of sorts, IGT, were going all out with an Elvis promotion (including imitator), and may have also noted their 'Sex In The City' promotional stand from last years show.
It's always good to see Australian companies such as Paltronics take on international giants such as IGT and promotional models are just one of the weapons that gaming companies will continue to employ in the high stakes world of electronic gaming, and the folks from the Human Statue Bodyart creative arts agency certainly helped Paltronics make a positive splash today.
We hear that more bodypainted models are on the cards tomorrow and for the duration of the gaming expo, so be sure to check the stands.
Shuffle Master promotes The Flintstones Slot...
"We are thrilled to be able to offer such an iconic brand as The Flintstones and we feel confident that it will take center stage at the show," said Adrian Halpenny, President of Shuffle Master Australasia. "Our game development team worked very hard to deliver a final product that demonstrated meticulous attention to detail in order to maintain the high quality and authenticity of the television series. As a result, The Flintstones is a breakthrough product that is not only highly enjoyable to play as a traditional gaming machine, but also brings the much-loved characters to life with entertaining and engaging features."
Since debuting on American television, The Flintstones has endured as one of the most recognized cartoon TV shows of all time and is still shown on TV around the world. The beloved characters of The Flintstones have been a part of our childhoods for decades, and this new game allows us to play and interact with them in new and exciting ways.
Preston Kevin Lewis, Managing Director of Warner Bros. Consumer Products ANZ, said, "It is testament to the enduring nature of The Flintstones brand that the likes of Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty continue to reach new audiences in diverse areas. Shuffle Master is one of the world's leading gaming suppliers and we're sure these fantastic machines will provide consumers with yet another opportunity to fall in love with The Flintstones."
Designed to make a big impact on the gaming floor with its broad appeal, The Flintstones is a three-level standalone progressive, low-denomination product with a suite of exciting base games and attractive jackpot prizes. It also introduces Shuffle Master's patented new "mini-reel" feature trigger that ignites the player's anticipation during game play.
The game offers three interactive bonus features that provide players with the chance to win jackpots and credit prizes. Each bonus feature evokes classic scenes from the original TV show, such as the ten-pin challenge at Bedrock Bowl, the family night out at The Drive-In and the antics of Fred Flintstone's lovable pet dinosaur in Dino's Dig.
Every element has been carefully crafted to captivate players. The Flintstones will feature themed door trims with matching halo lighting, a unique character marquee with a built-in LCD top box, and re-mastered music and sound effects from the original TV show. The three launch games - Lioness, Peacock Garden and Tiger Power - will be supplemented with more games from Shuffle Master on an ongoing basis to keep the installations fresh and exciting.
Press Release...
IGT Highlights Innovative 3D Gaming Technology and a Star-studded Gaming Lineup at the Australasian Gaming Expo...
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 20, 2012 -- International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT), a global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, announced today it will deliver new industry firsts for Australia's gaming enthusiasts at the Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) Aug. 21 – 23 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in Sydney, Australia.
IGT will launch the 3D gaming technology MLD™ (Multi-Layer Display™), paired with the unveiling of one of the world's most iconic pop culture brands, Elvis The King®. This new title is now available in Australia exclusively on the IGT bluechip Neo® Tower Top cabinet after successful launches in other global markets, along with many new games and products.
"IGT continues to provide our customers with strong game performance, the widest variety of games, the latest in systems innovation and world-class service, all of which will be on display at AGE," said Eric Tom, IGT executive vice president of Global Sales.
"Our research indicates that many players are entertainment seekers who are attracted to iconic brands and IGT delivers this with our pop culture hit Elvis The King®. This game has been adapted to suit the Australasian players' playing style. The 3D capabilities of MLD with Elvis The King® also provides venues with a strong differentiator as they look to broaden gaming's appeal and provide something special for players," said Tom. "Elvis The King® is packed with multiple features and number one hits."
IGT's 3D MLD™ screens take gaming to another dimension in play. The 3D effect is simulated because the content exists on two separate LCD panels; one in front of the other which gives a depth of field, with game elements appearing and moving between the front and back screens. This allows for new game play options and heightened entertainment.
The line-up of over fifty games at AGE reflects IGT's re-invigorated game design strategy with the legendary performance of games such as Siberian Storm® and Dangerous Beauty®. Additional games debuting at AGE include:
Black Widow® – a low denomination game with a 'web capture' feature during free games for the chance to accumulate additional credits.
Dakota Thunder® - featuring the 'Thunder Shudder'.
A global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, IGT provides a holistic solution to the industry and its strength in gaming management systems and new interactive technologies will also be showcased at AGE.
The IGT Advantage Club® System will be demonstrated with new technologies such as Service Window, a small window that appears on the left hand side of the screen. The Service Window can be used for personalized player messaging and for service requests, adding a unique level of service for venues with the IGT system. The IGT Advantage Club® system is proving to be a winner with clubs in New South Wales.
IGT will again be playing host to industry experts who will present a range of topics including game floor design, customer service and systems. For more details on the free business seminar sessions visit www.igt.com.au/AGE12.
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 Double Down 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.
© EPE, Reg. U.S. Pat & TM O_.
Dangerous Beauty and Black Widow were created by High 5 Games. For more information on High 5 Games, go to www.High5games.com
Pure Depth™, MLD®, Multi-Layer Display® and Actual Depth™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Depth, Inc. All other trademarks are registered trademarks or the property of their respective owners without the intent to infringe. www.puredepth.com. All trademarks or registered trademarks are owned by IGT (Australia) Pty. Limited or its related entities. All information is subject to change without notice. Game type availability is subject to jurisdictional approval.
Websites
Australasian Gaming Expo
Gaming Technologies Association
PALtronics Australasia
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Human Statue Bodyart
Human Statue Bodyart Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
Eva Rinaldi Photography
Media Man News
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Monday, August 13, 2012
Casinos of The World: Land based and online
Sin City Cleopatra Rambo The Godfather Sinatra The Terminator Thor Saturday Night Fever Unicorn Legend Palladium Slot
Punters, here's 10 of the world's top land based casinos for you to mark down in your travel plans.
Monte Carlo, Monaco: Perched above the Mediterranean and bounded by the French
and Italian coastlines on either side, Monaco provides a spectacular and luxurious setting for the wealthy and the wannabees. Home to the Monaco Grand Prix and the legendary Casino de Monte Carlo, this isn't the place for those on a tight
budget. The magnificent Casino hosts the annual European Poker Tour and was also the scene of several James Bond Films, including the original "Casino Royale" and "Golden Eye".
Paradise Island, Bahamas: Located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, Paradise
Island is best known for its sprawling 'Vegas-by-the-sea' resort, Atlantis. The resort spans seven acres along a lagoon, where guests can soak up the Caribbean sun and choose from a variety of outdoor gaming areas. When in need of a break from
the tables, guests can enjoy the private beach or one of the resorts 20 sunlit pools.
Melbourne, Australia: As Australia's sporting and entertainment capital, Melbourne
offers the perfect option for high rollers looking for a local break. Aussies need look no further than Crown Casino on the southern bank of the Yarra River, which is one of the largest casino complexes in the southern hemisphere. The main gambling
floor stretches more than half a kilometre and the casino was the first to introduce the new game Rapid Roulette, which allows players to place bets on a personal electronic touch screen connected to a central roulette wheel.
Macau, China: Known as the 'Monte Carlo of the Orient,' and the gambling capital of Asia, Macau now rivals Monaco and Las Vegas as one of the premier gambling destinations in the world. With no less than 33 casinos, in addition to local horse and greyhound racing venues, Macau is perfect for the betting junkie. The Wynn Macau
casino is a standout, highlighted by 24-carat gold 'Tree of Prosperity' at the entrance, extravagant water displays and Moon Jellyfish Aquarium at reception.
Baden-Baden, Germany: Situated on the western foothills of the Black Forest and on
the banks of the Oos River, Baden-Baden is not your typical casino town. However, in addition to its hot springs and picturesque countryside, the town is also known for its 200-year-old 'Spielbank' casino - the oldest of its type in Germany. With French chateau-style salons rooms named after historical figures such as Madame Pompadour and Louis XV's mistress, the quirky casino provides visitors with a very unique
gaming experience.
Las Vegas, United States: With over 1700 licensed casinos in operation, Las Vegas
offers the ultimate package for travellers who fancy a flutter. A visit to the famous 'Strip' is a must for any player, whether they're looking for a spin on the roulette table or a game of blackjack - this city has it all. The iconic Caesar's Palace
hotel and casino offers 129,000 square feet of casino space plus an endless smorgasbord of entertainment, shopping and fine dining options, including Cleopatra's barge, a floating lounge perfect for a relaxing drink after a jam-packed night on the
casino floor.
Manila, The Philippines: With a favourable exchange rate, Manila provides great value
for Aussies wanting to live the high-life overseas. The city offers a range of shopping and entertainment options, along with a world-class casino at the Hyatt Hotel. Spread across three levels, the sparkling casino offers the newest in gaming
facilities for both hotel guests and visitors, and is just a short distance from Manila's tourist hub.
Sun City, South Africa: Known as 'Africa's Kingdom of Pleasure,' this luxury resort
and casino complex, just two hours from Johannesburg, boasts two large casinos, two 18-hole golf courses and a wildlife reserve. At the extravagant yet picturesque Palace of the Lost City, guests are treated to stunning valley views from the guestrooms, along with exclusive access to the Grand Pool. The nearby Sun City Casino is the entertainment Mecca of the resort, featuring a myriad of gaming options as well as an indoor jungle of native foliage and water fountains.
Atlantic City, United States: Regarded as the US's 'Las Vegas of the East', Atlantic City in New Jersey is renowned for its gambling, shopping and fine dining. Towering above the banks of the Atlantic Ocean, the Trump Taj Mahal casino is an icon of the city, with an on-site shopping district and an abundance of restaurants and bars. The
157,000 square-foot casino is also hard to miss, with 3,500 slot machines and 200 table games. Unveiled in 1990 by a number of celebrities, including the late Michael Jackson, the casino is the second-largest in Atlantic City and well worth a visit.
Genting Highlands, Malaysia: Nestled on the Titiwangsa mountain range, just an hour's
drive from Kuala Lumpur and 6,000 feet above sea level, the Resorts World Genting offers 360-degree views of the surrounding countryside. This spectacular resort has first-class accommodation, dining and entertainment, while avoiding the hustle and bustle of a capital city. The on-site casino, which covers 200,000 square feet, is Malaysia's sole gaming venue and is divided into separate themed areas, such as Hollywood and Monte Carlo, for the ultimate gambling experience.
Online Casinos:
PartyCasino.com : The world's leading online casino brand and part of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment. Play for free or play for money at PartyCasino.com New players get up to $3000 sign up bonus via Media Man.
VirginCasino.com : Virgin Casino is part of Virgin Games. The parent company is Virgin Enterprises Limited, the creation of the world's most famous and celebrated entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson. Unfortunately the casino does not accept players from many countries due to what is known in legal circles as "grey areas". Most European players can play, but no Americans, Canadians, Australians or New Zealanders.
Captain Cooks Casino : Was once a very popular online casino with Australians and New Zealanders, however we understand these days they can only accept players from a few regions such as Europe, South Africa, Canada and South America.
PKR : Once only a 2D online poker room, they are now more 3D and offer online poker and a good range of online casino games, including classics, Marvel slots and table games.
Media Man's top online casino choice: PartyCasino.com PartyCasino is a multi-time Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' winner and have also won awards from EGR. Earlier this year PartyGaming merged with Bwin to create the worlds leading igaming company, Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.
News
Playtech Signs Gala Coral Contract, Acquires Mobile-Bet Company...
Playtech Ltd, the Internet gambling software maker and content developer which has a joint venture with William Hill Plc (WMH), said it signed a long-term contract with Gala Coral Group Ltd., and acquired Mobenga AB, a mobile-phone sports-betting company.
Playtech will pay as much as 15.8 million euros ($22.4 million) for Mobenga, the Isle of Man-based company said in a statement. Playtech also said second-quarter revenue rose 7 percent to 39.6 million euros over the same period a year earlier, led by online casino games.
Gala Coral, which has 2,000 betting shops in the U.K. and Italy, should become one of Playtech’s top three clients within a year after its software is transferred, in 2012, Playtech’s Chief Executive Officer Mor Weizer said in a telephone interview. Mobenga will help Playtech expand in mobile telephone gambling, which generates 30 percent of bets for some companies, he said.
“This is a very important win for us,” Weizer said. “We already have most of the established operators in the U.K., and Gala Coral we were after for a long time.”
Playtech gained 18.25 pence, or 5.4 percent, to 356.75 pence at 8:47 a.m. in London, after earlier rising as much as 6.3 percent. The shares have fallen 16 percent so far this year, giving the company a market value of 866.3 million pounds.
Stockholm-based Mobenga will give Playtech the ability to combine sports-betting, casino and poker games in one mobile- phone application, Weizer said.
Playtech generates more than 10 million pounds ($16.1 million) from its biggest client, Imperial E-Club Ltd., Weizer said.
‘Players’
Most of the company’s clients attract players through sports, though they make most of their money through games, so they’re always seeking to convert sports betters to game players, he said.
Second-quarter casino revenue gained 9 percent to 27.3 million euros, and bingo sales increased 32 percent to 3.6 million euros, the company said.
Poker sales dropped 32 percent to 5 million euros, the company said. The poker business declined even though the U.S. charged founders of online poker companies still accepting games in the country with money laundering in April.
Weizer said the companies still had cash to lure poker players. Poker numbers have been “picking up” since the end of June, when one of the companies stopped play, he said. Full Tilt Poker, then the world’s second-biggest poker site, lost its license from Alderney on June 29.
PartyCasino Gets New Games...
Aztec Gold, Atomic Fruit, Nag's To Riches and Fairies Forest. Check out the new games here.
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Global Gaming Directory
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Media Man Games
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Casino News Media: Sydney, Australia; UK, Fiji, Macau, California, U.S
Profiles
Crown Limited Casinos James Packer Property Hotels PartyCasino.com Affiliate Programs Advertising
Crown Limited Does Deal With Barangaroo In Sydney...
In big news today, James Packer’s Crown Limited (ASX: CWN) has struck a deal to build a $1 billion hotel development at Barangaroo, on Sydney’s foreshore. Crown signed an agreement with the developer, Lend Lease Limited (ASX: LLC) earlier today, but said it will only go ahead if Crown gains approval to including VIP gambling facilities (in other words – a casino). Just yesterday, Crown announced that it was spending up to $568m to build a six star hotel at its Burswood casino in Perth.
Work on Fijis first ever Casino to begin...
Work on Fiji’s first casino will begin this month as investors will meet to give contracts to local companies in Denarau this week.
One Hundred Sands – the company behind the project has managed to raise $400million for construction.
However the initial projections for phase one of the project which will see the construction of a convention center, casino and resort is $290m.
Managing Director Larry Claunch says overseas investors are often given misconceptions about Fiji’s investment potential by local private sectors.
“There has been a lot of criticism if we could raise the money in a timely fashion – we have, criticism and comments if we can finish on time – we will – its going to be probably a fastest development anybody has ever seen and it going to be fun to watch.”
Claunch says the current government played a vital role for this investment.
“I didn’t come to Fiji with a though of developing a casino or anything for that matter – I really just came here to eat fresh fish – but after seeing the vision of this government I knew everything was possible and I was all in.”
Five hundred locals will be employed during the construction and around 600 to 850 will be employed at the casino.
The new casino is expected to begin operation from September next year.
Aspers Casino looks forward to end of Games...
Though it’s happening right on the doorstep of his company’s flagship casino, Richard Noble is looking forward to when the 2012 London Olympic Games finish.
The chief operating officer of Aspers Group – a joint venture between the Australian Securities Exchange-listed Crown and the Aspinall family, which operates Aspers Casino at Westfield Stratford City next to Olympic Park – says weekly takings and average visitor numbers are down about 20 per cent in the first week of the Games.
When Aspers at Westfield Stratford City, the country’s largest casino, opened on December 1 last year, Noble told The Australian Financial Review it was immediately popular. “In our first three days we had 30,000 visitors which was about 100 per cent above our business case. After that we were averaging 25,000-30,000 visitors per week. But in the last few months we’ve seen the three carparks here at the Westfield get cut down to one and now it is none, so we have been adversely affected.”
There have been restrictions placed on visitor numbers to Westfield Stratford by the London Olympic Games Organising Committee (LOCOG). These include only Games ticket holders being allowed access to Westfield between 8.30am and 5pm on Friday and Saturday.
Noble says this cut down on the ability of regular Aspers patrons to visit the casino. He said it also affecting the numbers of people in the local area attracted to Westfield during the Games, who could have potentially visited the casino for the first time. LOCOG is also likely to institute another similar “lock-out” later this year due to fears about congestion at the mall, which is between Olympic Park and public transport links.
With the Olympics not providing the boost in business once hoped, Noble says Aspers will now concentrate its marketing efforts on the post-Games period. “On the 18th of September, after the Olympics and then the Paralympics are over, we will be having a huge relaunch.”
Noble says the casino concentrates on a high volume of customers who spend relatively little. It has a catchment area of 4.1 million people.
“And that is just in the east and the area around, north to Luton and east to Southend,” he said.
“But what’s been surprising and also delightful is that we’ve managed to get a lot of visitors from the west of London as well.”
A change to British gaming laws in 2007 allowed for the casino to be built without previous restrictions that meant patrons had to become members. Aspers also owns casinos in Newcastle, Swansea and Northampton and is planning to open a new venue in Milton Keynes in 2003.
Overall, he says Aspers is pleased about how the Stratford business has performed given it has already expanded since its December 2011 opening. It now has 57 gaming tables, the highest number in Britain, up from 38 when it opened. It has room to accommodate 80 tables. There are also now 138 electronic gaming terminals, up from 92. The site will soon feature a bespoke poker room to go with the sports bar, VIP bar and terrace, which has been hired out to corporate clients for the Games.
But Noble, who is otherwise enjoying the Games, can’t wait until September. “Some of our patrons are not able to get here at the moment but that will change once all this is over.” (The Australian Financial Review)
Police detain 150 in Macau casino raids amid fears of new gang war...
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Police detained more than 150 people in weekend raids on casinos and hotels in Macau after a recent spate of killings raised fears of a new gang war in the world's largest gambling destination.
The former Portuguese territory was gripped by gang wars in the late 1990s and the recent murder of three people in two weeks, thought linked to the gambling industry, comes just months ahead of the release from jail of triad boss "Broken Tooth" Wan Kuok-koi, who wreaked havoc at that time.
About 1,300 people were rounded up on Friday and Saturday in Macau and 150 of those were taken in for questioning in the operation codenamed "Thunderbolt".
"This operation is an annual exercise to maintain public security. It is a joint exercise undertaken by police in Guangdong province, Macau and Hong Kong to crack down and prevent crime in this region," a Macau police spokeswoman said.
In Hong Kong, police raided 21 locations on August 2 as part of the joint operation and arrested 130 people on suspicion of various crimes including money laundering involving HK$300 million (24.77 million pounds), illegal gambling and prostitution.
Police also seized cash, watches and cars worth more than HK$11 million.
The Macau raids came just weeks after a Chinese woman was found murdered in a residential area minutes away from the cavernous gambling halls of gaming magnate Sheldon Adelson's Venetian casino.
That followed the murders of two Chinese nationals at the five-star Grand Lapa hotel in Macau, a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, and an attack at the end of June on a senior figure in Macau's junket industry, which extends credit to rich gamblers.
By contrast, only five homicide cases were recorded between June 2011 and May 2012, according to Macau police statistics.
Macau, which like Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, has boomed since the 1999 handover from Portugal, with Las Vegas moguls including Adelson and Steve Wynn setting up glitzy casino hotels.
That growth, however, has slowed significantly in the past three months, forcing junket operators into more aggressive debt-collecting tactics.
Many of the smaller junket companies, which collect gambling debts in exchange for a commission from casino operators, are struggling to stay in business.
IGT partners with California casino...
American computerised gaming equipment designer and manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) has signed a deal that will see the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center in California host an online casino application from its Double Down Interactive subsidiary.
Las Vegas-based IGT purchased the casual games developer in January and revealed that the Golden Acorn Casino is set to utilise its technology in order to offer casino players free-play gaming experiences.
“Golden Acorn recognises the opportunity to provide gaming entertainment to its players across various channels,” said Eric Tom, Global Sales Executive Vice-President for IGT.
“This solution is allowing it to grasp an opportunity to evolve as the landscape of gaming also changes permitting it to drive engaging gameplay directly to its casino guests and fans of the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center brand.”
IGT stated that the revenue sharing partnership will see Golden Acorn use its own website in order provide players with a ‘truly convergent gaming experience’ that is to include access to a ‘full-casino-style offering of games in one convenient place’.
“Offering the same game titles on the web that we offer inside our casino gives us the unique opportunity to deliver fun and engaging casino-style experiences to our players,” said David Baggerly, Marketing Director for Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center, which is located 47 miles from downtown San Diego near the Mexican border.
“This is an incredible chance to drive interactive slot culture to our players while allowing them to stay connected to our brand.”
Guests at the Golden Acorn will be able to enjoy online social versions of Texas hold‘em poker in addition to some of IGT's top-performing slot titles including Da Vinci Diamonds and Cleopatra. New games are to be added automatically while first-time users will receive one million dollars in virtual chips.
Development agreement for Bally and High 5 Games...
Bally Technologies has entered into a multi-year agreement with games developer High 5 Games to publish a substantial number of new H5G games under the Bally brand for the worldwide land-based, mobile and online business-to-business casino gaming markets.
“We’re excited to partner with a game creator that has such a world-class track record of developing high-performing and engaging game content,” said Jean Venneman, Vice President of Product Management and Licensing at Bally Technologies. “We look forward to leveraging H5G’s newest game content to help casino operators across the world drive revenues and delight players.”
Ramesh Srinivasan, Bally's President and Chief Operating Officer, added, “The partnership with H5G reflects our commitment to delivering best-of-breed, cross-platform game content to our customers. This promise is reflected in the more than 25 game studios we have established across the globe, augmented by relationships with proven game developers like H5G that enable us to deliver a diverse array of creative, interactive, and exciting game content.”
“We are delighted to partner with Bally Technologies, a long-time leader in the casino gaming industry,” said Anthony Singer, Chief Executive Officer of H5G. “With Bally’s sophisticated new ALPHA 2 game platform, and a new Bally Interactive division committed to mobile, online, and social business-to-business game content, we believe that the sky is the limit for this next generation of H5G games.”
Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc : The bearish trend should continue...
07/18/2012
Opinion : Bearish under 115.5 GBp
Target price : 83.4 GBp
Stop loss: 115.5 GBp
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE
Bwin.party (BPTY) was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc in March 2011 to create the world’s largest listed online gaming. Incorporated and licensed in Gibraltar, the Group has over 2,700 employees across Europe, India, Israel and the US. It commands leading market positions in each of four product: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo.
A month ago, we forecasted a downtrend with a target price at GBp 102. This target was reached and we reiterate our opinion. In a bearish trend, BPTY continues to decline.
From a fundamental viewpoint, the group is in a bad financial situation. Analysts have recently downgraded their forecasts for earnings per share. This indicator is often a precursor of a declining profitability and a worsening climate of investor confidence. Even if the company has a lot of cash, it is overvalued : BPTY’s PER for 2012 is 38.9x and 16.3x for 2013 and growth rates are low.
From a technical viewpoint, prices are in a downward trend. Moving averages are trending down and put pressure on the stock, which confirms this downward momentum. This trend may continue toward the GBp 95 support. Moreover, the security is testing a pivot point at GBp 102.6 in weekly data and the significant breakdown of this level would be a new bearish signal.
Taking into account fundamental and technical elements, investors can initiate a short position in BPTY with a first target price at GBp 95. If the security crosses this level, the second target price will be the long term support at GBp 83.4. A return towards GBp 115.5, the short-term resistance area, will invalidate the bearish strategy, which justifies a stop loss. (4 Traders)
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Crown Limited Casinos James Packer Property Hotels PartyCasino.com Affiliate Programs Advertising
Crown Limited Does Deal With Barangaroo In Sydney...
In big news today, James Packer’s Crown Limited (ASX: CWN) has struck a deal to build a $1 billion hotel development at Barangaroo, on Sydney’s foreshore. Crown signed an agreement with the developer, Lend Lease Limited (ASX: LLC) earlier today, but said it will only go ahead if Crown gains approval to including VIP gambling facilities (in other words – a casino). Just yesterday, Crown announced that it was spending up to $568m to build a six star hotel at its Burswood casino in Perth.
Work on Fijis first ever Casino to begin...
Work on Fiji’s first casino will begin this month as investors will meet to give contracts to local companies in Denarau this week.
One Hundred Sands – the company behind the project has managed to raise $400million for construction.
However the initial projections for phase one of the project which will see the construction of a convention center, casino and resort is $290m.
Managing Director Larry Claunch says overseas investors are often given misconceptions about Fiji’s investment potential by local private sectors.
“There has been a lot of criticism if we could raise the money in a timely fashion – we have, criticism and comments if we can finish on time – we will – its going to be probably a fastest development anybody has ever seen and it going to be fun to watch.”
Claunch says the current government played a vital role for this investment.
“I didn’t come to Fiji with a though of developing a casino or anything for that matter – I really just came here to eat fresh fish – but after seeing the vision of this government I knew everything was possible and I was all in.”
Five hundred locals will be employed during the construction and around 600 to 850 will be employed at the casino.
The new casino is expected to begin operation from September next year.
Aspers Casino looks forward to end of Games...
Though it’s happening right on the doorstep of his company’s flagship casino, Richard Noble is looking forward to when the 2012 London Olympic Games finish.
The chief operating officer of Aspers Group – a joint venture between the Australian Securities Exchange-listed Crown and the Aspinall family, which operates Aspers Casino at Westfield Stratford City next to Olympic Park – says weekly takings and average visitor numbers are down about 20 per cent in the first week of the Games.
When Aspers at Westfield Stratford City, the country’s largest casino, opened on December 1 last year, Noble told The Australian Financial Review it was immediately popular. “In our first three days we had 30,000 visitors which was about 100 per cent above our business case. After that we were averaging 25,000-30,000 visitors per week. But in the last few months we’ve seen the three carparks here at the Westfield get cut down to one and now it is none, so we have been adversely affected.”
There have been restrictions placed on visitor numbers to Westfield Stratford by the London Olympic Games Organising Committee (LOCOG). These include only Games ticket holders being allowed access to Westfield between 8.30am and 5pm on Friday and Saturday.
Noble says this cut down on the ability of regular Aspers patrons to visit the casino. He said it also affecting the numbers of people in the local area attracted to Westfield during the Games, who could have potentially visited the casino for the first time. LOCOG is also likely to institute another similar “lock-out” later this year due to fears about congestion at the mall, which is between Olympic Park and public transport links.
With the Olympics not providing the boost in business once hoped, Noble says Aspers will now concentrate its marketing efforts on the post-Games period. “On the 18th of September, after the Olympics and then the Paralympics are over, we will be having a huge relaunch.”
Noble says the casino concentrates on a high volume of customers who spend relatively little. It has a catchment area of 4.1 million people.
“And that is just in the east and the area around, north to Luton and east to Southend,” he said.
“But what’s been surprising and also delightful is that we’ve managed to get a lot of visitors from the west of London as well.”
A change to British gaming laws in 2007 allowed for the casino to be built without previous restrictions that meant patrons had to become members. Aspers also owns casinos in Newcastle, Swansea and Northampton and is planning to open a new venue in Milton Keynes in 2003.
Overall, he says Aspers is pleased about how the Stratford business has performed given it has already expanded since its December 2011 opening. It now has 57 gaming tables, the highest number in Britain, up from 38 when it opened. It has room to accommodate 80 tables. There are also now 138 electronic gaming terminals, up from 92. The site will soon feature a bespoke poker room to go with the sports bar, VIP bar and terrace, which has been hired out to corporate clients for the Games.
But Noble, who is otherwise enjoying the Games, can’t wait until September. “Some of our patrons are not able to get here at the moment but that will change once all this is over.” (The Australian Financial Review)
Police detain 150 in Macau casino raids amid fears of new gang war...
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Police detained more than 150 people in weekend raids on casinos and hotels in Macau after a recent spate of killings raised fears of a new gang war in the world's largest gambling destination.
The former Portuguese territory was gripped by gang wars in the late 1990s and the recent murder of three people in two weeks, thought linked to the gambling industry, comes just months ahead of the release from jail of triad boss "Broken Tooth" Wan Kuok-koi, who wreaked havoc at that time.
About 1,300 people were rounded up on Friday and Saturday in Macau and 150 of those were taken in for questioning in the operation codenamed "Thunderbolt".
"This operation is an annual exercise to maintain public security. It is a joint exercise undertaken by police in Guangdong province, Macau and Hong Kong to crack down and prevent crime in this region," a Macau police spokeswoman said.
In Hong Kong, police raided 21 locations on August 2 as part of the joint operation and arrested 130 people on suspicion of various crimes including money laundering involving HK$300 million (24.77 million pounds), illegal gambling and prostitution.
Police also seized cash, watches and cars worth more than HK$11 million.
The Macau raids came just weeks after a Chinese woman was found murdered in a residential area minutes away from the cavernous gambling halls of gaming magnate Sheldon Adelson's Venetian casino.
That followed the murders of two Chinese nationals at the five-star Grand Lapa hotel in Macau, a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, and an attack at the end of June on a senior figure in Macau's junket industry, which extends credit to rich gamblers.
By contrast, only five homicide cases were recorded between June 2011 and May 2012, according to Macau police statistics.
Macau, which like Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, has boomed since the 1999 handover from Portugal, with Las Vegas moguls including Adelson and Steve Wynn setting up glitzy casino hotels.
That growth, however, has slowed significantly in the past three months, forcing junket operators into more aggressive debt-collecting tactics.
Many of the smaller junket companies, which collect gambling debts in exchange for a commission from casino operators, are struggling to stay in business.
IGT partners with California casino...
American computerised gaming equipment designer and manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) has signed a deal that will see the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center in California host an online casino application from its Double Down Interactive subsidiary.
Las Vegas-based IGT purchased the casual games developer in January and revealed that the Golden Acorn Casino is set to utilise its technology in order to offer casino players free-play gaming experiences.
“Golden Acorn recognises the opportunity to provide gaming entertainment to its players across various channels,” said Eric Tom, Global Sales Executive Vice-President for IGT.
“This solution is allowing it to grasp an opportunity to evolve as the landscape of gaming also changes permitting it to drive engaging gameplay directly to its casino guests and fans of the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center brand.”
IGT stated that the revenue sharing partnership will see Golden Acorn use its own website in order provide players with a ‘truly convergent gaming experience’ that is to include access to a ‘full-casino-style offering of games in one convenient place’.
“Offering the same game titles on the web that we offer inside our casino gives us the unique opportunity to deliver fun and engaging casino-style experiences to our players,” said David Baggerly, Marketing Director for Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center, which is located 47 miles from downtown San Diego near the Mexican border.
“This is an incredible chance to drive interactive slot culture to our players while allowing them to stay connected to our brand.”
Guests at the Golden Acorn will be able to enjoy online social versions of Texas hold‘em poker in addition to some of IGT's top-performing slot titles including Da Vinci Diamonds and Cleopatra. New games are to be added automatically while first-time users will receive one million dollars in virtual chips.
Development agreement for Bally and High 5 Games...
Bally Technologies has entered into a multi-year agreement with games developer High 5 Games to publish a substantial number of new H5G games under the Bally brand for the worldwide land-based, mobile and online business-to-business casino gaming markets.
“We’re excited to partner with a game creator that has such a world-class track record of developing high-performing and engaging game content,” said Jean Venneman, Vice President of Product Management and Licensing at Bally Technologies. “We look forward to leveraging H5G’s newest game content to help casino operators across the world drive revenues and delight players.”
Ramesh Srinivasan, Bally's President and Chief Operating Officer, added, “The partnership with H5G reflects our commitment to delivering best-of-breed, cross-platform game content to our customers. This promise is reflected in the more than 25 game studios we have established across the globe, augmented by relationships with proven game developers like H5G that enable us to deliver a diverse array of creative, interactive, and exciting game content.”
“We are delighted to partner with Bally Technologies, a long-time leader in the casino gaming industry,” said Anthony Singer, Chief Executive Officer of H5G. “With Bally’s sophisticated new ALPHA 2 game platform, and a new Bally Interactive division committed to mobile, online, and social business-to-business game content, we believe that the sky is the limit for this next generation of H5G games.”
Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc : The bearish trend should continue...
07/18/2012
Opinion : Bearish under 115.5 GBp
Target price : 83.4 GBp
Stop loss: 115.5 GBp
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE
Bwin.party (BPTY) was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc in March 2011 to create the world’s largest listed online gaming. Incorporated and licensed in Gibraltar, the Group has over 2,700 employees across Europe, India, Israel and the US. It commands leading market positions in each of four product: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo.
A month ago, we forecasted a downtrend with a target price at GBp 102. This target was reached and we reiterate our opinion. In a bearish trend, BPTY continues to decline.
From a fundamental viewpoint, the group is in a bad financial situation. Analysts have recently downgraded their forecasts for earnings per share. This indicator is often a precursor of a declining profitability and a worsening climate of investor confidence. Even if the company has a lot of cash, it is overvalued : BPTY’s PER for 2012 is 38.9x and 16.3x for 2013 and growth rates are low.
From a technical viewpoint, prices are in a downward trend. Moving averages are trending down and put pressure on the stock, which confirms this downward momentum. This trend may continue toward the GBp 95 support. Moreover, the security is testing a pivot point at GBp 102.6 in weekly data and the significant breakdown of this level would be a new bearish signal.
Taking into account fundamental and technical elements, investors can initiate a short position in BPTY with a first target price at GBp 95. If the security crosses this level, the second target price will be the long term support at GBp 83.4. A return towards GBp 115.5, the short-term resistance area, will invalidate the bearish strategy, which justifies a stop loss. (4 Traders)
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Friday, August 03, 2012
Virgin Games review
Website: VirginGames.com
Profiles
Virgin Games Virgin Casino Virgin Slots Virgin Bingo Virgin Poker Richard Branson Virgin Enterprises Limited Virgin Mobile Casino V*Points Affiliates Promotions
Since 2004, Virgin Games, a wholly owned Virgin Group company, has been spreading the Virgin love in the gaming world with online casino, online bingo and online poker games, as well as the brand new Virgin mobile casino.
Like our bearded boss, we love nothing more than fun, which is why we have games to suit every need, loads of freebies and a truckload of signup and weekly bonuses.
The fun goes away if the price isn't right though. Thankfully, in true Virgin fashion, that’s where we make a difference. Virgin Games offers great value for money, with small stakes (from 1p) available, no fees on cards, regular promotions and our unbeatable trademark loyalty scheme: V*POINTS, famously more rewarding than your Nectar card.
• Virgin Games Online Casino was launched in 2004 and offers over 300+ games from most industry leading software suppliers, with new games added every single week. Online slots, roulette, blackjack, bingo, scratch cards, video poker, instant win, £1,500,000 + progressive jackpots…You name it, chances are we’ve got it.
• Virgin Mobile Casino, the new kid on the block, went live in 2011. A unique mobile casino games entertainment platform, it is accessible from most smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry and any web kit enabled mobile phones) and tablets, including iPad, Android, RIM and Windows touchscreen devices. Visit m.virgingames.com from your mobile device to get started.
• Virgin Games Bingo launched in May 2005, has climbed the UK bingo sites popularity ladder at breakneck speed. Virgin Bingo is about more than just 90, 80 or 75 ball games though, with hundreds of exciting slots, instant win, scratch cards and side games itching to be played.
• Hone your bluffing skills at Virgin Games Poker, part of the International Poker Network (IPN). Our Poker room launched in 2005 and is an exciting place to challenge peers and strangers alike on a wide range of online Poker games: Texas hold’em, Omaha, and many more.
Virgin Games provide a safe and sound online gaming environment, with security our top priority. We have achieved exemplary standards in player protection and social responsibility, and have been awarded the GamCare Certification for Remote Gambling.
* Media Man has an online b2b agreement with Virgin Games, as they do with a number of entertainment, gaming and business brands.
Website: VirginGames.com
Website Network: Media Man Int
Profiles
Virgin Games Virgin Casino Virgin Slots Virgin Bingo Virgin Poker Richard Branson Virgin Enterprises Limited Virgin Mobile Casino V*Points Affiliates Promotions
Since 2004, Virgin Games, a wholly owned Virgin Group company, has been spreading the Virgin love in the gaming world with online casino, online bingo and online poker games, as well as the brand new Virgin mobile casino.
Like our bearded boss, we love nothing more than fun, which is why we have games to suit every need, loads of freebies and a truckload of signup and weekly bonuses.
The fun goes away if the price isn't right though. Thankfully, in true Virgin fashion, that’s where we make a difference. Virgin Games offers great value for money, with small stakes (from 1p) available, no fees on cards, regular promotions and our unbeatable trademark loyalty scheme: V*POINTS, famously more rewarding than your Nectar card.
• Virgin Games Online Casino was launched in 2004 and offers over 300+ games from most industry leading software suppliers, with new games added every single week. Online slots, roulette, blackjack, bingo, scratch cards, video poker, instant win, £1,500,000 + progressive jackpots…You name it, chances are we’ve got it.
• Virgin Mobile Casino, the new kid on the block, went live in 2011. A unique mobile casino games entertainment platform, it is accessible from most smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry and any web kit enabled mobile phones) and tablets, including iPad, Android, RIM and Windows touchscreen devices. Visit m.virgingames.com from your mobile device to get started.
• Virgin Games Bingo launched in May 2005, has climbed the UK bingo sites popularity ladder at breakneck speed. Virgin Bingo is about more than just 90, 80 or 75 ball games though, with hundreds of exciting slots, instant win, scratch cards and side games itching to be played.
• Hone your bluffing skills at Virgin Games Poker, part of the International Poker Network (IPN). Our Poker room launched in 2005 and is an exciting place to challenge peers and strangers alike on a wide range of online Poker games: Texas hold’em, Omaha, and many more.
Virgin Games provide a safe and sound online gaming environment, with security our top priority. We have achieved exemplary standards in player protection and social responsibility, and have been awarded the GamCare Certification for Remote Gambling.
* Media Man has an online b2b agreement with Virgin Games, as they do with a number of entertainment, gaming and business brands.
Website: VirginGames.com
Website Network: Media Man Int
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
NSW govt investigates 'floating casino'
Profiles
Casinos Casino Slots
NSW govt investigates 'floating casino'...
The NSW government is investigating whether cruise company P&O operated an illegal floating casino off the NSW coast.
Hospitality Minister George Souris on Wednesday said a government authority was investigating an allegation that passengers could play blackjack, pontoon, poker and roulette on a cruise that left Sydney on Friday night.
The cruise ship also had 40 poker machines onboard and let passengers charge $5000 on their credit cards for gambling, News Ltd reported.
"I've asked the Office of Liquor and Gaming to investigate whether a casino operation was under way in NSW territorial waters or whether gambling operations were under way in commonwealth waters," he told reporters in Sydney.
"It may be that NSW jurisdiction was breached, it may be that the commonwealth jurisdiction was breached. It may be even that both were breached."
He said NSW had no jurisdiction beyond 12 nautical miles from shore.
"Those are international waters," he said.
"In international shipping after the 12-nautical-mile limit it opens boats to gambling but also to duty-free liquor sales."
James Packer to speak at tourism conference in Canberra...
Billionare James Packer will be the drawcard for hoteliers, resort operators and owners attending a tourism conference in Canberra in late October. Mr Packer will open the Tourism & Transport Forum's annual "Leadership 2012" conference.
The gaming tycoon is a major tourism player given his Crown resorts in Perth and Melbourne attract 25 million visitors a year...
Jackman to Begin Filming ‘Wolverine’ in Australia...
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman will begin filming the next installment of his “X-Men” spin-off movies in Sydney next week, even though the female lead is yet to be confirmed.
Jackman, who admitted struggling to get into shape after packing on the pounds to play Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables,” said his role as Wolverine, which he first played 12 years ago, was “the backbone of my career.”
“I love the character. I still love the character,” he said. “I had no choice at the time, I was going to take anything that came along, but I happened to have walked into probably the most interesting and complex of the superhero characters.”
“I’ve always loved playing it and when I stop loving it I’ll stop doing it,” he added.
Melco Crown Project Gets Red Light on Casino...
Macau casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. MPEL +2.32% still doesn't have permission to build a casino at its latest project, according to a revised government contract published Wednesday.
The Macao Studio City project, in which Melco Crown has a 60% equity interest, is designated for a five-star hotel and film facilities, indicates the latest government contract detailing various revisions to the agreement. But the document doesn't mention any casino facilities despite the company's earlier statements they hope to open up to 400 gambling tables at the property. It's possible the government could give the green-light on a casino later, but the uncertainty could complicate the company's efforts to finance the project.
Melco Crown, backed by Lawrence Ho and James Packer—the sons of Macau gambling tycoon Stanley Ho and the late Australian casino-and-media magnate Kerry Packer—is one of six casino license holders in Macau, where it already runs two casino-resort properties in the world's largest gambling hub.
A representative for Melco Crown didn't respond to requests for comment.
In June 2011, Melco Crown signed a $360 million deal to gain control over the Macao Studio City project, resolving a bitter dispute between the project's earlier partners that had escalated to the Hong Kong courts, stalling development for years. New Cotai Holdings LLC, an arm of U.S. investment firms Oaktree Capital Management L.P. and Silver Point Capital L.P., retained its 40% stake in the project.
Earlier this month Melco Crown announced plans to enter the burgeoning Philippines market by teaming up with local property developer Belle Corp. BEL.PH -0.20% to partner on a casino resort that will cost at least $1 billion in an area the Philippines hopes will become Manila's version of the Las Vegas Strip. (The Wall Street Journal)
First Second unveils André the Giant comic...
First Second has confirmed its André the Giant biography.
Cartoonist Box Brown is working on the book charting the life of the professional wrestler and actor, reports ICv2.
André Roussimoff was a star and one-time champion of the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE).
He is also known for his role in cult classic movie The Princess Bride.
Roussimoff has the condition acromegaly, which saw him grow to 7'4" in height. He died of heart failure in 1993 at the age of 46.
Box is the author of Xeric grant-funded graphic novel Love Is a Peculiar Type of Thing.
The untitled André the Giant biography is scheduled for release in 2014. (Digital Spy)
The Expendables 2 slapped with R rating for extreme violence...
Action star-laden sequel The Expendables 2 has been given an R rating for its violent and sexual content in the US.
Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and co will even be throwing some bad language into the mix as they bat off hostile attackers in this follow-up to the 2010 action-packed extravaganza.
Lionsgate was rumoured to have been considering a PG-13 rating for the film, which is due for release in the States on August 17th.
Once again, Stallone assembles his hardened team of old-school mercenaries for a special mission - taking revenge after one of their squad is murdered on the job.
Director Simon West was never in any doubt that the film would receive such a high rating, given the 'very hard' violence and language perpetrated by the all-star cast throughout the film.
'I'm sure there were some financial people who wanted it to be PG-13 because they thought it would somehow make more money or have a broader audience, but there was no way,' he told wegotthiscovered.com.
'When you get these guys on the set, they can't say a line without putting the F-bomb in it, and they can't pick up a gun without blowing several limbs off.' (Metro)
Websites
Media Man International
Media Man
Marvel Entertainment
JR's Place blog
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Casinos Casino Slots
NSW govt investigates 'floating casino'...
The NSW government is investigating whether cruise company P&O operated an illegal floating casino off the NSW coast.
Hospitality Minister George Souris on Wednesday said a government authority was investigating an allegation that passengers could play blackjack, pontoon, poker and roulette on a cruise that left Sydney on Friday night.
The cruise ship also had 40 poker machines onboard and let passengers charge $5000 on their credit cards for gambling, News Ltd reported.
"I've asked the Office of Liquor and Gaming to investigate whether a casino operation was under way in NSW territorial waters or whether gambling operations were under way in commonwealth waters," he told reporters in Sydney.
"It may be that NSW jurisdiction was breached, it may be that the commonwealth jurisdiction was breached. It may be even that both were breached."
He said NSW had no jurisdiction beyond 12 nautical miles from shore.
"Those are international waters," he said.
"In international shipping after the 12-nautical-mile limit it opens boats to gambling but also to duty-free liquor sales."
James Packer to speak at tourism conference in Canberra...
Billionare James Packer will be the drawcard for hoteliers, resort operators and owners attending a tourism conference in Canberra in late October. Mr Packer will open the Tourism & Transport Forum's annual "Leadership 2012" conference.
The gaming tycoon is a major tourism player given his Crown resorts in Perth and Melbourne attract 25 million visitors a year...
Jackman to Begin Filming ‘Wolverine’ in Australia...
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman will begin filming the next installment of his “X-Men” spin-off movies in Sydney next week, even though the female lead is yet to be confirmed.
Jackman, who admitted struggling to get into shape after packing on the pounds to play Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables,” said his role as Wolverine, which he first played 12 years ago, was “the backbone of my career.”
“I love the character. I still love the character,” he said. “I had no choice at the time, I was going to take anything that came along, but I happened to have walked into probably the most interesting and complex of the superhero characters.”
“I’ve always loved playing it and when I stop loving it I’ll stop doing it,” he added.
Melco Crown Project Gets Red Light on Casino...
Macau casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. MPEL +2.32% still doesn't have permission to build a casino at its latest project, according to a revised government contract published Wednesday.
The Macao Studio City project, in which Melco Crown has a 60% equity interest, is designated for a five-star hotel and film facilities, indicates the latest government contract detailing various revisions to the agreement. But the document doesn't mention any casino facilities despite the company's earlier statements they hope to open up to 400 gambling tables at the property. It's possible the government could give the green-light on a casino later, but the uncertainty could complicate the company's efforts to finance the project.
Melco Crown, backed by Lawrence Ho and James Packer—the sons of Macau gambling tycoon Stanley Ho and the late Australian casino-and-media magnate Kerry Packer—is one of six casino license holders in Macau, where it already runs two casino-resort properties in the world's largest gambling hub.
A representative for Melco Crown didn't respond to requests for comment.
In June 2011, Melco Crown signed a $360 million deal to gain control over the Macao Studio City project, resolving a bitter dispute between the project's earlier partners that had escalated to the Hong Kong courts, stalling development for years. New Cotai Holdings LLC, an arm of U.S. investment firms Oaktree Capital Management L.P. and Silver Point Capital L.P., retained its 40% stake in the project.
Earlier this month Melco Crown announced plans to enter the burgeoning Philippines market by teaming up with local property developer Belle Corp. BEL.PH -0.20% to partner on a casino resort that will cost at least $1 billion in an area the Philippines hopes will become Manila's version of the Las Vegas Strip. (The Wall Street Journal)
First Second unveils André the Giant comic...
First Second has confirmed its André the Giant biography.
Cartoonist Box Brown is working on the book charting the life of the professional wrestler and actor, reports ICv2.
André Roussimoff was a star and one-time champion of the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE).
He is also known for his role in cult classic movie The Princess Bride.
Roussimoff has the condition acromegaly, which saw him grow to 7'4" in height. He died of heart failure in 1993 at the age of 46.
Box is the author of Xeric grant-funded graphic novel Love Is a Peculiar Type of Thing.
The untitled André the Giant biography is scheduled for release in 2014. (Digital Spy)
The Expendables 2 slapped with R rating for extreme violence...
Action star-laden sequel The Expendables 2 has been given an R rating for its violent and sexual content in the US.
Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and co will even be throwing some bad language into the mix as they bat off hostile attackers in this follow-up to the 2010 action-packed extravaganza.
Lionsgate was rumoured to have been considering a PG-13 rating for the film, which is due for release in the States on August 17th.
Once again, Stallone assembles his hardened team of old-school mercenaries for a special mission - taking revenge after one of their squad is murdered on the job.
Director Simon West was never in any doubt that the film would receive such a high rating, given the 'very hard' violence and language perpetrated by the all-star cast throughout the film.
'I'm sure there were some financial people who wanted it to be PG-13 because they thought it would somehow make more money or have a broader audience, but there was no way,' he told wegotthiscovered.com.
'When you get these guys on the set, they can't say a line without putting the F-bomb in it, and they can't pick up a gun without blowing several limbs off.' (Metro)
Websites
Media Man International
Media Man
Marvel Entertainment
JR's Place blog
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Friday, July 20, 2012
Virgin Casino to Release Necker Island Slot Game
Profiles
Virgin Casino Virgin Games IGT Microgaming Casino Slots Richard Branson Necker Island
Virgin Casino have added a ton of new slot games over the past week.
News
Virgin Casino has announced that it is releasing a new slot game entitled Necker Island this week.
Necker Island is a new 5 reel, 50 pay-line slot game that is being developed by Genesis Gaming Inc. The game has a theme based on the private island hideaway owned by Virgin Casino founder Sir Richard Branson.
The game also includes an additional row of symbols that gives players a greater chance of winning. Players can win free spins and also have the chance to unlock a free wild game. The game will be released on Virgin Casino’s QuickFire platform.
Warren Eloff, Virgin Games Head of Products, said “We wanted to create a game exclusively for our Virgin Games players – something that only we could offer and that truly summed up being part of the Virgin community. As such, we thought it would be ideally fitting to have a game created by Genesis Gaming that was themed around Sir Richard Branson’s luxurious private island."
Eloff added “As an operator, offering our customers seamless game play is crucial, and as a Virgin company maintaining brand integrity is a must. Using Microgaming’s QuickFire platform has delivered on both counts - offering both easy integration and allowing us to give our players a unique Virgin Games experience.”
Steven Meisrich, CEO for Genesis Gaming Inc, stated "It was exciting for our team to build a customized and branded video slot game consistent with the quality and fun users expect from the Virgin brand. We are also pleased that Necker Island will be integrated to the Quickfire platform as we have a successful partnership already in place and are confident that it can maintain the optimal experience for Virgin players.”
QuickFire also released a statement saying “We’re delighted that Virgin Games have chosen the Quickfire platform to host this unique game. It’s always great to be involved in something a bit different, particularly as the involvement of Genesis Gaming Inc. has allowed us to work alongside a company with whom we already have a strong relationship. We’re confident that this exclusive product will please new and existing players alike.”
News...
Virgin Casino Releases Reely Poker Slot Game...
Virgin Casino announced the release of its latest slot game title called Reely Poker this week.
This new game is a 5 reel, 30 pay-line slot game and has a theme based on poker. In fact, the game incorporates both a slot game experience with the opportunity for players to play some poker as well.
The game begins in a slots format. The symbols are represented by the playing cards and the wild symbol is represented by the joker and the scatter symbol is represented by the ace. The maximum payout is 5,000 coins and this is offered by the joker wild symbol.
There is a bonus feature called the Multi-hand Infinite Hold’em Bonus. This is activated when the player hits three or more ace scatter symbols. The number of hands dealt to the player in this bonus depends on how many ace scatter symbols the player hit to activate the bonus. The player then wins a bonus depending on how strong the poker hands they receive are with a bonus of 2 coins being paid out for a pair and a bonus of 500 coins being paid out for a royal flush. The player keeps playing in this bonus round if they hit a two pair or higher.
Players can also activate the Slot Poker aspect of this game. For every spin, a side bet of 10 times the line bet will be automatically taken from the player. The player must then choose one of the horizontal rows. The cards that appear on that chosen row are the given hand for that spin. The player will then win if the hand on that chosen row is better than the hands on the other two rows. The Slot Poker part of the game will continue to function until the player de-activates it.
Reely Poker is available to play at Virgin Casino right now.
If you haven’t got an account at Virgin Casino, now is the time – they offer a 100% welcome bonus up to £100. This means that if you deposit anything up to £100, you will get the same value free. When registering, click on the ‘Select A Bonus’ button and select the ‘Casino’ option – simple.
*Virgin Casino does not accept Australian, U.S or Canadian players. See World Casino Directory.
Website Network
Media Man Int
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Media Man Entertainment
Virgin Casino Virgin Games IGT Microgaming Casino Slots Richard Branson Necker Island
Virgin Casino have added a ton of new slot games over the past week.
News
Virgin Casino has announced that it is releasing a new slot game entitled Necker Island this week.
Necker Island is a new 5 reel, 50 pay-line slot game that is being developed by Genesis Gaming Inc. The game has a theme based on the private island hideaway owned by Virgin Casino founder Sir Richard Branson.
The game also includes an additional row of symbols that gives players a greater chance of winning. Players can win free spins and also have the chance to unlock a free wild game. The game will be released on Virgin Casino’s QuickFire platform.
Warren Eloff, Virgin Games Head of Products, said “We wanted to create a game exclusively for our Virgin Games players – something that only we could offer and that truly summed up being part of the Virgin community. As such, we thought it would be ideally fitting to have a game created by Genesis Gaming that was themed around Sir Richard Branson’s luxurious private island."
Eloff added “As an operator, offering our customers seamless game play is crucial, and as a Virgin company maintaining brand integrity is a must. Using Microgaming’s QuickFire platform has delivered on both counts - offering both easy integration and allowing us to give our players a unique Virgin Games experience.”
Steven Meisrich, CEO for Genesis Gaming Inc, stated "It was exciting for our team to build a customized and branded video slot game consistent with the quality and fun users expect from the Virgin brand. We are also pleased that Necker Island will be integrated to the Quickfire platform as we have a successful partnership already in place and are confident that it can maintain the optimal experience for Virgin players.”
QuickFire also released a statement saying “We’re delighted that Virgin Games have chosen the Quickfire platform to host this unique game. It’s always great to be involved in something a bit different, particularly as the involvement of Genesis Gaming Inc. has allowed us to work alongside a company with whom we already have a strong relationship. We’re confident that this exclusive product will please new and existing players alike.”
News...
Virgin Casino Releases Reely Poker Slot Game...
Virgin Casino announced the release of its latest slot game title called Reely Poker this week.
This new game is a 5 reel, 30 pay-line slot game and has a theme based on poker. In fact, the game incorporates both a slot game experience with the opportunity for players to play some poker as well.
The game begins in a slots format. The symbols are represented by the playing cards and the wild symbol is represented by the joker and the scatter symbol is represented by the ace. The maximum payout is 5,000 coins and this is offered by the joker wild symbol.
There is a bonus feature called the Multi-hand Infinite Hold’em Bonus. This is activated when the player hits three or more ace scatter symbols. The number of hands dealt to the player in this bonus depends on how many ace scatter symbols the player hit to activate the bonus. The player then wins a bonus depending on how strong the poker hands they receive are with a bonus of 2 coins being paid out for a pair and a bonus of 500 coins being paid out for a royal flush. The player keeps playing in this bonus round if they hit a two pair or higher.
Players can also activate the Slot Poker aspect of this game. For every spin, a side bet of 10 times the line bet will be automatically taken from the player. The player must then choose one of the horizontal rows. The cards that appear on that chosen row are the given hand for that spin. The player will then win if the hand on that chosen row is better than the hands on the other two rows. The Slot Poker part of the game will continue to function until the player de-activates it.
Reely Poker is available to play at Virgin Casino right now.
If you haven’t got an account at Virgin Casino, now is the time – they offer a 100% welcome bonus up to £100. This means that if you deposit anything up to £100, you will get the same value free. When registering, click on the ‘Select A Bonus’ button and select the ‘Casino’ option – simple.
*Virgin Casino does not accept Australian, U.S or Canadian players. See World Casino Directory.
Website Network
Media Man Int
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Media Man Entertainment
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Gaming, Entertainment, Hollywood and Celebrity News
Gaming, Entertainment, Hollywood and Celebrity News: Sydney casino, Spider-Man movie, movie ratings, The Wolverine, Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, James Bond 007 in Skyfall, Highest paid actors includes "The Rock" and more...
Profiles
Movies Hollywood Entertainment Marvel Entertainment Amazing Spider-Man The Wolverine Marvel Games James Bond Casinos Affiliate Programs Advertising
Australia's Lend Lease: development could host small-scale casino...
A planned $6 billion development on Sydney Harbour does not have space for a large casino but could cater for smaller-scale VIP gaming, developer Lend Lease said on Monday, which would suit a proposal put forward by billionaire James Packer.
Packer outlined a plan for an international hotel and casino at Barangaroo, on Sydney's waterfront, after his company Crown Ltd doubled its stake in its main rival, Echo Entertainment, which owns Sydney's sole casino.
Crown wants to raise its stake in Echo to 25 percent from 10 percent, as part of its plans to lobby for a second Sydney casino licence to attract more Asian high-rollers.
The developer of the site, Lend Lease, said on Monday it could focus more on plans for the hotel after announcing it has secured A$2 billion ($2.04 billion) funding for the first two commercial towers at its flagship project, including A$1 billion committed by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
Lend Lease chief executive Steve McCann said the site did not have the capacity for a mass-market casino.
"If there was going to be anything in the tower with any gaming capacity, it would be VIP-style gaming," he told analysts on a conference call.
The New South Wales state government would need to approve any gaming licence, since Echo currently holds Sydney's exclusive casino licence until 2019. The state government previously welcomed Packer's proposal as a boost to tourism.
Lend Lease has said it is in talks with a number of hotel groups for the site, including Crown.
Shares in Crown gained 1.5 percent in morning trade and Lend Lease was up 0.3 percent, against a broader market down 0.8 percent. (Reuters)
'Amazing Spider-Man' Tops Box Office, Snares $140 Million Over Six Days...
After a record-setting opening day, "The Amazing Spider-Man" remained strong through the weekend, helping the Sony/Columbia production earn $140 million in less than a week in theaters. Oliver Stone's "Savages" also opened with a decent $16 million in revenue, though music documentary "Katy Perry: Part of Me" struggled to find an audience and racked up just $7 million. Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" also continued to hit with its target demographic, hauling in $32 million and pushing its 10-day total to an enormous $120 million in domestic revenue.
With a $230 million production budget and a very large built-in fan base, expectations were understandably high for "The Amazing Spider-Man." The Sony/Columbia reboot didn't take long to find its audience, racking up $35 million in revenue on Tuesday alone and putting up solid numbers throughout the rest of the week. "The Amazing Spider-Man" ended up with $65 million in weekend revenue, helping it to hit the lofty industry expectations.
Globally, "The Amazing Spider-Man" also got off to a good start by bringing in more than $200 million in revenue outside of the U.S. After already eclipsing $340 million worldwide, "The Amazing Spider-Man" will easily cruise past $500 million in worldwide revenue in the coming weeks, though it's still unclear whether it will be able to challenge the franchise-best $890 million that "Spider-Man 3" brought in. Without any major new competition until "The Dark Knight Rises" opens in a couple weeks, "Spider-Man" should remain a box office stalwart and continue to put up some big overall numbers throughout the rest of the month.
As mainstream action audiences came out in droves to see the new version of "Spider-Man," older audience members turned up for Oliver Stone's thriller "Savages." Backed by some decent critical reviews, "Savages" ended up with a decent $16 million in opening revenue - a strong total for a $45 million production. "Savages" also doesn't have to worry about too much new competition next weekend, opening the door for another decent revenue haul.
While "Spider-Man" and "Savages" mainly hit with their target demographics, "Katy Perry: Part of Me" wasn't quite as fortunate. "Katy Perry" managed just $7.15 million over the weekend and $10.25 million in its first four days following its Thursday release. Though these are unimpressive numbers for a release of more than 2,700 total venues, "Katy Perry" also comes with a slender production budget of just $12 million. "Katy Perry" won't end up as one of the most lucrative music documentaries released in recent years, but it should end up as an overall success for distributor Paramount.
Aiming at a much different demographic than "Katy Perry" this weekend was "Ted," which headed into its second weekend with plenty of buzz. After dominating the box office a week ago and posting $54 million, "Ted" dipped just 40% from its opening totals and finished the weekend with $32 million. Now with $120 million domestically in just 10 days in theaters, "Ted" is easily the top R-rated hit of the year and might even challenge $200 million in the U.S. if it can remain strong in the coming weekends.
Also continuing to hit with its intended audience was Pixar/Disney's "Brave." "Brave" earned $20 million in its third weekend in theaters, pushing it to a very solid $174 million in its first 17 days. Foreign numbers have been slow so far for "Brave," though that should also change as it gets released in its biggest overseas markets in the coming weekends. The only real problem for "Brave" is the impending release of "Ice Age: Continental Drift," which opens this weekend with an enormous built-in family audience.
Next weekend, the release schedule will slow down, as "Ice Age: Continental Drift" is the only new title slated to hit theaters in wide release. Though not as touted as some other animated franchises, "Ice Age" has been a great success for Fox, with enormous worldwide revenues despite production budgets roughly half the size of Pixar releases. The following weekend, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" brings a similar amount of hype as "The Avengers" and is a lock to dominate the box office well into August.
Early Studio Box Office Estimates for 7/6/12 - 7/8/12 (In Millions):
1. The Amazing Spider-Man (Sony/Columbia): $65 [$70]
2. Ted (Universal): $32.59 [$32]
3. Brave (Disney): $20.16 [$18]
4. Savages (Universal): $16.16 [$13.5]
5. Magic Mike (Warner Brothers): $15.61 [$21]
6. Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (Lionsgate): $10.20 [$11.5]
7. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Paramount/Dreamworks): $7.70 [$6.4]
8. Katy Perry: Part of Me (Paramount): $7.15 [$13]
9. Moonrise Kingdom (Focus): $4.64 [$2.6]
10. To Rome with Love (Sony Classics): $3.50 [N/A]
Hugh Jackman Joined By Six Additions to Cast of The Wolverine...
If director James Mangold's (3:10 to Yuma) The Wolverine hadn't been beset by weather, script and scheduling problems — title star Hugh Jackman opted to star in the musical version of Les Miserables rather than wait for those issues to be sorted out — the movie would currently be in post-production, with potentially enough edited footage to offer at least a teaser at this week's San Diego Comic-Con. As it is, Mangold is spending his time in the casting room, rather than the editing room, as he tries to put together a cast to support Jackman. In the last several days, six actors have joined the cast of The Wolverine, which takes Logan (Jackman) far away from his X-Men teammates and his wilderness retreat in Canada to Japan, where he must fight against the Silver Samurai and the deadly Hand ninjas at his command.
Written by Chris McQuarrie (Valkyrie), with rewrites by Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard), The Wolverine is based on the classic Marvel Comics limited series Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, creator of Sin City and 300. The series stripped away Wolverine's superhero trappings and thrust him into a Japanese underworld brimming with feudal warriors and mystical ninjas. According to the list compiled by Empire from various sources, the cast will include: Hiroyuki Sanada (Speed Race) as Japanese crimelord Shingen Harada, leader of Clan Yashida; Tao Okamoto as Shingen's daughter and Wolverine's love interest, Mariko Yashida; Will Yun Lee (Total Recall remake) as Mariko's mutant half-brother, Kenuichio Harada, a.k.a. the Silver Samurai; Rila Fukushima as Yukio, an assassin who drugs Wolverine before his duel with Shingen; Hal Yamanouchi (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) as Yashida; and Brian Tee (Wedding Palace) as Noboru Mori, a corrupt minister of justice betrothed to Mariko.
The Wolverine is set to begin shooting next month. It will primarily be filmed in Jackman's native Australia, but will also shoot on location in Japan.
Next Showing:The Wolverine is slated to open July 26, 2013 (Reelz)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson In Highest Paid Actors List...
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was listed at #4 on the Forbes annual list of the highest paid actors in the world over the past year. Johnson was reported as earning $36 million this past year, behind only Tom Cruise ($75 million), Leonardo DiCaprio ($37 million) and Adam Sandler ($37 million).
Bwin.party warns over 'predictable' Euro 2012 results...
Bwin.party digital entertainment, the world’s largest listed online gaming company, said a run of “predictable” results in the Euro 2012 football championships marred an otherwise “solid” second quarter performance.
The football tournament, in which all of the favourites progressed to the later stages, is believed to have hit the betting industry hard this summer.
Bwin said customer numbers and activity rose during the tournament but gross margins were “lower than expected”.
Despite this, the online gambling group said its casino and bingo products helped offset the weakness in sports betting and “continued pressures” in poker.
Bwin had been in negotiations with Shuffle Master (NasdaqGS: SHFL - news) to offload Ongame, its poker network, but talks were aborted at the end of last month after the two sides failed to reach agreement.
In a pre-close trading update on Tuesday, bwin said several parties were interested in buying Ongame.
The group claims it has reached a top three market position in Spain, where online gaming was recently opened up by authorities.
Looking ahead, the company warned gaming taxes in Germany and an investment in social games games that are played through sites such as Facebook would impact its performance in the second half. (News Corp)
Zynga is “all in” to acquire Bwin.party-owned poker business Ongame: Report...
Social gaming juggernaut Zynga is poised to take over online poker provider Ongame Network from its current owner, Internet gambling powerhouse Bwin.party.
An exclusive report from eGaming Review (eGR) – behind a paywall – says Zynga is ‘leading the race’ to acquire Ongame, although there are four other unnamed bidders at the table (poker pun intended).
Zynga has made a ‘verbal offer’, according to eGR’s sources, and have reportedly visited Ongame’s Stockholm headquarters last Friday.
Gambling table and slot machine maker Shuffle Master had already agreed and announced that it would be purchasing for up to $38.9 million in cash in February 2012, but it dropped those plans last week.
Interestingly, Shuffle Master said it would pay out 10 million euros ($12.6 million) of that total purchase price within five years of the transaction closing, provided that real-money online poker would be legal in the United States within such period – something that will happen eventually but is taking time.
Not familiar with Ongame? Here’s what they do, according to their website:
Ongame is the world’s leading B2B online poker provider, serving partnes including bwin, Betfair, Betsson and Unibet. Reaching over 20 million customers in more than 25 markets, with an international network licensed in Gibraltar, as well as regional networks in Italy and France.
Ongame is the premier choice for sportsbook operators, providing a poker environment optimized for recreational players and a proven track record of increasing partner revenues.
Ongame claims P5, the game engine powering its poker offering, is the ‘most advanced poker engine ever designed’.
The company is owned by Bwin.party as a result of an earlier merger, and has been dubbed by the latter as a ‘surplus asset’.
Zynga of course offers a wildly popular poker game called – wait for it – Zynga Poker, which can be played on Zynga.com, Facebook, iOS and Android devices.
In fact, Zynga Poker was the company’s very first game.
It certainly makes a lot of sense for them to buy Ongame Networks, even if it’s to keep it out of the hands of other players looking to move online with poker games as soon as it becomes legal in the US, and the company certainly has the cash on hand to make this kind of acquisition.
'Amazing Spider-Man' finishes weekend with $62M...
LOS ANGELES (AP) "The Amazing Spider-Man" had a slightly slower start at the box office than initially estimated, taking in $62 million domestically over opening weekend.
The final numbers Monday came in $3 million lower than the $65 million that distributor Sony had projected a day earlier, but it still was a healthy start for the new take on the Marvel Comics superhero.
Since opening last Tuesday, "The Amazing Spider-Man" has taken in $137 million domestically. Its worldwide total is about $340 million since it began rolling out overseas the previous week.
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:
1. "The Amazing Spider Man," Sony, $62,004,688, 4,318 locations, $14,360 average, $137,022,258, one week.
2. "Ted," Universal, $32,202,395, 3,256 locations, $9,890 average, $119,849,740, two weeks.
3. "Brave," Disney, $19,612,370, 3,891 locations, $5,040 average, $173,969,341, three weeks.
4. "Savages," Universal, $16,016,910, 2,628 locations, $6,095 average, $16,016,910, one week.
5. "Magic Mike," Warner Bros., $15,642,337, 3,120 locations, $5,014 average, $72,829,107, two weeks.
6. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection," Lionsgate, $10,177,029, 2,161 locations, $4,709 average, $45,822,984, two weeks.
7. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," Paramount, $7,520,690, 2,861 locations, $2,629 average, $195,905,126, five weeks.
8. "Katy Perry: Part of Me," Paramount, $7,138,266, 2,730 locations, $2,615 average, $10,240,213, one week.
9. "Moonrise Kingdom," Focus Features, $4,519,195, 884 locations, $5,112 average, $26,780,989, seven weeks.
10. "To Rome with Love," Sony Pictures Classics, $3,104,328, 806 locations, $3,852 average, $4,863,538, three weeks.
11. "People Like Us," Disney, $2,194,535, 2,055 locations, $1,068 average, $9,190,902, two weeks.
12. "The Avengers," Disney, $2,168,124, 1,125 locations, $1,927 average, $611,127,884, 10 weeks.
13. "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," Fox, $1,944,534, 1,657 locations, $1,174 average, $34,050,910, three weeks.
14. "Prometheus," Fox, $1,815,500, 1,105 locations, $1,643 average, $122,390,274, five weeks.
15. "Snow White & the Huntsman," Universal, $1,768,355, 1,152 locations, $1,535 average, $149,756,565, six weeks.
16. "Men in Black 3," Sony, $1,680,714, 879 locations, $1,912 average, $173,089,690, seven weeks.
17. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," Fox Searchlight, $741,091, 359 locations, $2,064 average, $41,991,873, 10 weeks.
18. "Rock of Ages," Warner Bros., $639,406, 701 locations, $912 average, $36,974,619, four weeks.
19. "That's My Boy," Sony, $621,656, 400 locations, $1,554 average, $36,100,833, four weeks.
20. "Bol Bachchan," FIP, $561,996, 98 locations, $5,735 average, $561,996, one week.
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
Broker snap: Taxing times for bwin.party, says Peel Hunt...
Peel Hunt has pared its target price for online gaming group bwin.party digital entertainment from 140p to 124p and maintained its ‘hold’ rating on the stock.
‘The H1 pre-close held few surprises and no real catalyst to get the shares moving. At the current point the rating reflects concerns about Germany and a lack of visibility in many of the group’s markets,’ said analyst Nick Batram.
‘This is unlikely to change in the short term and further downgrades reflect the uncertain margin environment.’
The broker says that the uncertain regulatory backdrop continues to hit the bottom line, with federal sports taxes in Germany set to reduce EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) by EUR5-10m.
Peel Hunt has reduced its clean EBITDA forecast by EUR10m to EUR165m for the year ending December 2012. The 2013 EBITDA estimate has been cut from EUR196m to EUR175m.
‘While regulation is the main factor, the business’s underlying performance is also a growing concern, particularly the rate at which poker is going backwards,’ Batram said.
Shares were down 3.25% at 104.3p by 10:56 on Tuesday.
Roger Moore croons 007 birthday song...
PARIS — One-time 007 Roger Moore has teamed up with a former Bond Girl to record a song marking 50 years of the spy's on-screen adventures, a James Bond fan club said on Wednesday.
The 84-year-old British actor took over Bond film duties from Sean Connery in 1973, making his debut in "Live and Let Die" before completing the sequence with "A View to a Kill" 12 years later.
He teamed up with Irka Bochenko, his co-star in the 1979 film "Moonraker", for the anniversary duet titled "Happy Birthday Mr. Bond!", the spy's French fan club told AFP.
Extracts will be posted online at www.jamesbond007.net ahead of the record's release in September.
Hundreds of items -- from tuxedos to bikinis and vodka martinis -- went on show at London's Barbican Centre last week to mark 50 years since Bond made the jump from Ian Fleming's novels to the silver screen with the 1962 "Dr No".
The next Bond movie, "Skyfall", directed by Sam Mendes with Daniel Craig as the glamorous spy, will hit world screens from October.
Websites
Media Man International
Media Man
Marvel Entertainment
The Amazing Spider-Man movie website
007 official website
Skyfall official website
James Bond 007 website
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Profiles
Movies Hollywood Entertainment Marvel Entertainment Amazing Spider-Man The Wolverine Marvel Games James Bond Casinos Affiliate Programs Advertising
Australia's Lend Lease: development could host small-scale casino...
A planned $6 billion development on Sydney Harbour does not have space for a large casino but could cater for smaller-scale VIP gaming, developer Lend Lease said on Monday, which would suit a proposal put forward by billionaire James Packer.
Packer outlined a plan for an international hotel and casino at Barangaroo, on Sydney's waterfront, after his company Crown Ltd doubled its stake in its main rival, Echo Entertainment, which owns Sydney's sole casino.
Crown wants to raise its stake in Echo to 25 percent from 10 percent, as part of its plans to lobby for a second Sydney casino licence to attract more Asian high-rollers.
The developer of the site, Lend Lease, said on Monday it could focus more on plans for the hotel after announcing it has secured A$2 billion ($2.04 billion) funding for the first two commercial towers at its flagship project, including A$1 billion committed by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
Lend Lease chief executive Steve McCann said the site did not have the capacity for a mass-market casino.
"If there was going to be anything in the tower with any gaming capacity, it would be VIP-style gaming," he told analysts on a conference call.
The New South Wales state government would need to approve any gaming licence, since Echo currently holds Sydney's exclusive casino licence until 2019. The state government previously welcomed Packer's proposal as a boost to tourism.
Lend Lease has said it is in talks with a number of hotel groups for the site, including Crown.
Shares in Crown gained 1.5 percent in morning trade and Lend Lease was up 0.3 percent, against a broader market down 0.8 percent. (Reuters)
'Amazing Spider-Man' Tops Box Office, Snares $140 Million Over Six Days...
After a record-setting opening day, "The Amazing Spider-Man" remained strong through the weekend, helping the Sony/Columbia production earn $140 million in less than a week in theaters. Oliver Stone's "Savages" also opened with a decent $16 million in revenue, though music documentary "Katy Perry: Part of Me" struggled to find an audience and racked up just $7 million. Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" also continued to hit with its target demographic, hauling in $32 million and pushing its 10-day total to an enormous $120 million in domestic revenue.
With a $230 million production budget and a very large built-in fan base, expectations were understandably high for "The Amazing Spider-Man." The Sony/Columbia reboot didn't take long to find its audience, racking up $35 million in revenue on Tuesday alone and putting up solid numbers throughout the rest of the week. "The Amazing Spider-Man" ended up with $65 million in weekend revenue, helping it to hit the lofty industry expectations.
Globally, "The Amazing Spider-Man" also got off to a good start by bringing in more than $200 million in revenue outside of the U.S. After already eclipsing $340 million worldwide, "The Amazing Spider-Man" will easily cruise past $500 million in worldwide revenue in the coming weeks, though it's still unclear whether it will be able to challenge the franchise-best $890 million that "Spider-Man 3" brought in. Without any major new competition until "The Dark Knight Rises" opens in a couple weeks, "Spider-Man" should remain a box office stalwart and continue to put up some big overall numbers throughout the rest of the month.
As mainstream action audiences came out in droves to see the new version of "Spider-Man," older audience members turned up for Oliver Stone's thriller "Savages." Backed by some decent critical reviews, "Savages" ended up with a decent $16 million in opening revenue - a strong total for a $45 million production. "Savages" also doesn't have to worry about too much new competition next weekend, opening the door for another decent revenue haul.
While "Spider-Man" and "Savages" mainly hit with their target demographics, "Katy Perry: Part of Me" wasn't quite as fortunate. "Katy Perry" managed just $7.15 million over the weekend and $10.25 million in its first four days following its Thursday release. Though these are unimpressive numbers for a release of more than 2,700 total venues, "Katy Perry" also comes with a slender production budget of just $12 million. "Katy Perry" won't end up as one of the most lucrative music documentaries released in recent years, but it should end up as an overall success for distributor Paramount.
Aiming at a much different demographic than "Katy Perry" this weekend was "Ted," which headed into its second weekend with plenty of buzz. After dominating the box office a week ago and posting $54 million, "Ted" dipped just 40% from its opening totals and finished the weekend with $32 million. Now with $120 million domestically in just 10 days in theaters, "Ted" is easily the top R-rated hit of the year and might even challenge $200 million in the U.S. if it can remain strong in the coming weekends.
Also continuing to hit with its intended audience was Pixar/Disney's "Brave." "Brave" earned $20 million in its third weekend in theaters, pushing it to a very solid $174 million in its first 17 days. Foreign numbers have been slow so far for "Brave," though that should also change as it gets released in its biggest overseas markets in the coming weekends. The only real problem for "Brave" is the impending release of "Ice Age: Continental Drift," which opens this weekend with an enormous built-in family audience.
Next weekend, the release schedule will slow down, as "Ice Age: Continental Drift" is the only new title slated to hit theaters in wide release. Though not as touted as some other animated franchises, "Ice Age" has been a great success for Fox, with enormous worldwide revenues despite production budgets roughly half the size of Pixar releases. The following weekend, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" brings a similar amount of hype as "The Avengers" and is a lock to dominate the box office well into August.
Early Studio Box Office Estimates for 7/6/12 - 7/8/12 (In Millions):
1. The Amazing Spider-Man (Sony/Columbia): $65 [$70]
2. Ted (Universal): $32.59 [$32]
3. Brave (Disney): $20.16 [$18]
4. Savages (Universal): $16.16 [$13.5]
5. Magic Mike (Warner Brothers): $15.61 [$21]
6. Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (Lionsgate): $10.20 [$11.5]
7. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Paramount/Dreamworks): $7.70 [$6.4]
8. Katy Perry: Part of Me (Paramount): $7.15 [$13]
9. Moonrise Kingdom (Focus): $4.64 [$2.6]
10. To Rome with Love (Sony Classics): $3.50 [N/A]
Hugh Jackman Joined By Six Additions to Cast of The Wolverine...
If director James Mangold's (3:10 to Yuma) The Wolverine hadn't been beset by weather, script and scheduling problems — title star Hugh Jackman opted to star in the musical version of Les Miserables rather than wait for those issues to be sorted out — the movie would currently be in post-production, with potentially enough edited footage to offer at least a teaser at this week's San Diego Comic-Con. As it is, Mangold is spending his time in the casting room, rather than the editing room, as he tries to put together a cast to support Jackman. In the last several days, six actors have joined the cast of The Wolverine, which takes Logan (Jackman) far away from his X-Men teammates and his wilderness retreat in Canada to Japan, where he must fight against the Silver Samurai and the deadly Hand ninjas at his command.
Written by Chris McQuarrie (Valkyrie), with rewrites by Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard), The Wolverine is based on the classic Marvel Comics limited series Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, creator of Sin City and 300. The series stripped away Wolverine's superhero trappings and thrust him into a Japanese underworld brimming with feudal warriors and mystical ninjas. According to the list compiled by Empire from various sources, the cast will include: Hiroyuki Sanada (Speed Race) as Japanese crimelord Shingen Harada, leader of Clan Yashida; Tao Okamoto as Shingen's daughter and Wolverine's love interest, Mariko Yashida; Will Yun Lee (Total Recall remake) as Mariko's mutant half-brother, Kenuichio Harada, a.k.a. the Silver Samurai; Rila Fukushima as Yukio, an assassin who drugs Wolverine before his duel with Shingen; Hal Yamanouchi (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) as Yashida; and Brian Tee (Wedding Palace) as Noboru Mori, a corrupt minister of justice betrothed to Mariko.
The Wolverine is set to begin shooting next month. It will primarily be filmed in Jackman's native Australia, but will also shoot on location in Japan.
Next Showing:The Wolverine is slated to open July 26, 2013 (Reelz)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson In Highest Paid Actors List...
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was listed at #4 on the Forbes annual list of the highest paid actors in the world over the past year. Johnson was reported as earning $36 million this past year, behind only Tom Cruise ($75 million), Leonardo DiCaprio ($37 million) and Adam Sandler ($37 million).
Bwin.party warns over 'predictable' Euro 2012 results...
Bwin.party digital entertainment, the world’s largest listed online gaming company, said a run of “predictable” results in the Euro 2012 football championships marred an otherwise “solid” second quarter performance.
The football tournament, in which all of the favourites progressed to the later stages, is believed to have hit the betting industry hard this summer.
Bwin said customer numbers and activity rose during the tournament but gross margins were “lower than expected”.
Despite this, the online gambling group said its casino and bingo products helped offset the weakness in sports betting and “continued pressures” in poker.
Bwin had been in negotiations with Shuffle Master (NasdaqGS: SHFL - news) to offload Ongame, its poker network, but talks were aborted at the end of last month after the two sides failed to reach agreement.
In a pre-close trading update on Tuesday, bwin said several parties were interested in buying Ongame.
The group claims it has reached a top three market position in Spain, where online gaming was recently opened up by authorities.
Looking ahead, the company warned gaming taxes in Germany and an investment in social games games that are played through sites such as Facebook would impact its performance in the second half. (News Corp)
Zynga is “all in” to acquire Bwin.party-owned poker business Ongame: Report...
Social gaming juggernaut Zynga is poised to take over online poker provider Ongame Network from its current owner, Internet gambling powerhouse Bwin.party.
An exclusive report from eGaming Review (eGR) – behind a paywall – says Zynga is ‘leading the race’ to acquire Ongame, although there are four other unnamed bidders at the table (poker pun intended).
Zynga has made a ‘verbal offer’, according to eGR’s sources, and have reportedly visited Ongame’s Stockholm headquarters last Friday.
Gambling table and slot machine maker Shuffle Master had already agreed and announced that it would be purchasing for up to $38.9 million in cash in February 2012, but it dropped those plans last week.
Interestingly, Shuffle Master said it would pay out 10 million euros ($12.6 million) of that total purchase price within five years of the transaction closing, provided that real-money online poker would be legal in the United States within such period – something that will happen eventually but is taking time.
Not familiar with Ongame? Here’s what they do, according to their website:
Ongame is the world’s leading B2B online poker provider, serving partnes including bwin, Betfair, Betsson and Unibet. Reaching over 20 million customers in more than 25 markets, with an international network licensed in Gibraltar, as well as regional networks in Italy and France.
Ongame is the premier choice for sportsbook operators, providing a poker environment optimized for recreational players and a proven track record of increasing partner revenues.
Ongame claims P5, the game engine powering its poker offering, is the ‘most advanced poker engine ever designed’.
The company is owned by Bwin.party as a result of an earlier merger, and has been dubbed by the latter as a ‘surplus asset’.
Zynga of course offers a wildly popular poker game called – wait for it – Zynga Poker, which can be played on Zynga.com, Facebook, iOS and Android devices.
In fact, Zynga Poker was the company’s very first game.
It certainly makes a lot of sense for them to buy Ongame Networks, even if it’s to keep it out of the hands of other players looking to move online with poker games as soon as it becomes legal in the US, and the company certainly has the cash on hand to make this kind of acquisition.
'Amazing Spider-Man' finishes weekend with $62M...
LOS ANGELES (AP) "The Amazing Spider-Man" had a slightly slower start at the box office than initially estimated, taking in $62 million domestically over opening weekend.
The final numbers Monday came in $3 million lower than the $65 million that distributor Sony had projected a day earlier, but it still was a healthy start for the new take on the Marvel Comics superhero.
Since opening last Tuesday, "The Amazing Spider-Man" has taken in $137 million domestically. Its worldwide total is about $340 million since it began rolling out overseas the previous week.
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:
1. "The Amazing Spider Man," Sony, $62,004,688, 4,318 locations, $14,360 average, $137,022,258, one week.
2. "Ted," Universal, $32,202,395, 3,256 locations, $9,890 average, $119,849,740, two weeks.
3. "Brave," Disney, $19,612,370, 3,891 locations, $5,040 average, $173,969,341, three weeks.
4. "Savages," Universal, $16,016,910, 2,628 locations, $6,095 average, $16,016,910, one week.
5. "Magic Mike," Warner Bros., $15,642,337, 3,120 locations, $5,014 average, $72,829,107, two weeks.
6. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection," Lionsgate, $10,177,029, 2,161 locations, $4,709 average, $45,822,984, two weeks.
7. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," Paramount, $7,520,690, 2,861 locations, $2,629 average, $195,905,126, five weeks.
8. "Katy Perry: Part of Me," Paramount, $7,138,266, 2,730 locations, $2,615 average, $10,240,213, one week.
9. "Moonrise Kingdom," Focus Features, $4,519,195, 884 locations, $5,112 average, $26,780,989, seven weeks.
10. "To Rome with Love," Sony Pictures Classics, $3,104,328, 806 locations, $3,852 average, $4,863,538, three weeks.
11. "People Like Us," Disney, $2,194,535, 2,055 locations, $1,068 average, $9,190,902, two weeks.
12. "The Avengers," Disney, $2,168,124, 1,125 locations, $1,927 average, $611,127,884, 10 weeks.
13. "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," Fox, $1,944,534, 1,657 locations, $1,174 average, $34,050,910, three weeks.
14. "Prometheus," Fox, $1,815,500, 1,105 locations, $1,643 average, $122,390,274, five weeks.
15. "Snow White & the Huntsman," Universal, $1,768,355, 1,152 locations, $1,535 average, $149,756,565, six weeks.
16. "Men in Black 3," Sony, $1,680,714, 879 locations, $1,912 average, $173,089,690, seven weeks.
17. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," Fox Searchlight, $741,091, 359 locations, $2,064 average, $41,991,873, 10 weeks.
18. "Rock of Ages," Warner Bros., $639,406, 701 locations, $912 average, $36,974,619, four weeks.
19. "That's My Boy," Sony, $621,656, 400 locations, $1,554 average, $36,100,833, four weeks.
20. "Bol Bachchan," FIP, $561,996, 98 locations, $5,735 average, $561,996, one week.
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
Broker snap: Taxing times for bwin.party, says Peel Hunt...
Peel Hunt has pared its target price for online gaming group bwin.party digital entertainment from 140p to 124p and maintained its ‘hold’ rating on the stock.
‘The H1 pre-close held few surprises and no real catalyst to get the shares moving. At the current point the rating reflects concerns about Germany and a lack of visibility in many of the group’s markets,’ said analyst Nick Batram.
‘This is unlikely to change in the short term and further downgrades reflect the uncertain margin environment.’
The broker says that the uncertain regulatory backdrop continues to hit the bottom line, with federal sports taxes in Germany set to reduce EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) by EUR5-10m.
Peel Hunt has reduced its clean EBITDA forecast by EUR10m to EUR165m for the year ending December 2012. The 2013 EBITDA estimate has been cut from EUR196m to EUR175m.
‘While regulation is the main factor, the business’s underlying performance is also a growing concern, particularly the rate at which poker is going backwards,’ Batram said.
Shares were down 3.25% at 104.3p by 10:56 on Tuesday.
Roger Moore croons 007 birthday song...
PARIS — One-time 007 Roger Moore has teamed up with a former Bond Girl to record a song marking 50 years of the spy's on-screen adventures, a James Bond fan club said on Wednesday.
The 84-year-old British actor took over Bond film duties from Sean Connery in 1973, making his debut in "Live and Let Die" before completing the sequence with "A View to a Kill" 12 years later.
He teamed up with Irka Bochenko, his co-star in the 1979 film "Moonraker", for the anniversary duet titled "Happy Birthday Mr. Bond!", the spy's French fan club told AFP.
Extracts will be posted online at www.jamesbond007.net ahead of the record's release in September.
Hundreds of items -- from tuxedos to bikinis and vodka martinis -- went on show at London's Barbican Centre last week to mark 50 years since Bond made the jump from Ian Fleming's novels to the silver screen with the 1962 "Dr No".
The next Bond movie, "Skyfall", directed by Sam Mendes with Daniel Craig as the glamorous spy, will hit world screens from October.
Websites
Media Man International
Media Man
Marvel Entertainment
The Amazing Spider-Man movie website
007 official website
Skyfall official website
James Bond 007 website
Media Man News
Australian Sports Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man News
Media Man Entertainment
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)