Lottery company plans German exodus
German lottery company Fluxx AG has stated that it may have to abandon its native market if the country's 16 states eventually pass a law banning private operators. Fluxx's chief financial officer Stefan Haenel said that the company would not give up on Germany without a fight, but warned that it would be going to 'utilise opportunities' outside the country.
eCOGRA appoints new watchdog team
Online watchdog eCOGRA has created a dedicated team to monitor the 111 sites accredited with their 'Play It Safe' seal. The new four-person team will be responsible for on-site assessments and ensuring companies adhere to the organisation's standards and regulations.
Ireland's Civil Law bill waiting in parliament
The Republic of Ireland's Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006, which includes provisions designed to increase the legal limits on stake and prize money in slot machines (AWPs), is currently waiting at the committee stage in the Dáil. In further Irish news it is understood that betting shops will be given permission to start trials of FOBTs in the New Year.
Whittaker Brothers sign Chinese carousel deal
Whittaker Brothers has signed a contract with Chinese manufacturers Zhongshan Luck to import and distribute coin-operated horse carousels. The deal will boost the Lancashire-based firm's £1.75 million turnover by 20 per cent according to director John Whittaker.
Bingo keeps patients in place
Bingo is proving the best way to stop mental health patients from absconding, according to a report published in the Nursing Times. The survey, conducted at the South Essex Partnership NHS Trust, acknowledged that games were also partially responsible for a reduction in incidents of violence, petty theft and illegal drug use in the ward.
ICE breaks the mould
The ICE and ICEi exhibitions, which take place at London's Earls Court (23-25 January 2007), will occupy close to 15,000sqm (161,400sq.ft) of floor space; a year-on-year increase of nearly 50 per cent. As of December, a total of 237 exhibitors from 42 national territories have confirmed their presence at the high profile b2b event. Registration is Free.
Talarius estate hits 200
Talarius has increased its estate of Adult Gaming Centres to 200, following the purchase of two AGCs from The Wilson Fun Company. The AGCs, which are based in Gillingham, Kent, will be operated under Talarius' Quicksilver brand.
Carlton director attacks commission
Carlton Club's operations director Chris Barr has hit out at recent comments made by Peter Dean, chairman of the Gambling Commission, labelling them 'at best insensitive and at worst downright crass'. Dean had urged operators to 'crack on' despite a self-admitted 'onerous' workload being placed on the industry by the Commission's lack of a consultation timetable. The full report is featured in this weeks Coinslot, available today (Thursday).
Anti-gambling drug takes a hit
San Diego-based firm Somaxon Pharmaceuticals has admitted that trials of a drug aimed at curbing gambling addiction had been a failure. Chief executive Ken Cohen called results 'largely disappointing' adding that the company would now evaluate the data from the trials before making any further determinations regarding the future of the program.
Arlington calls on government to accept the seaside
Arlington Leisure's John Oram has called on the government to be far more accepting of the traditional seaside industry as part of the UK's heritage. He reasoned that if government had been more supportive then not so many people would be holidaying abroad.
Excel forms new sales outlet with Garlando
Pool table manufacturer Excel Leisure has teamed with Italian football table producer Garlando to form a new division dedicated to distributing the latter's entire range of domestic products to the UK market. The new division will trade as Garlando UK and is currently launching a dedicated website for retail customers.
Commission launches new raids on illegal operators
Nearly a dozen unregistered gambling machines were seized in Burnley last week as part of the Gambling Commission's drive to shut down illegal operators. The Commission's local inspector Pippa Coombes said that it was 'determined to crack down on the suppliers and operators of these machines.' For a full report read this week's Coinslot, released today (Thursday).
JPM and Games Warehouse sign SWP deal
Games developer JPM International has signed a perpetual game content distribution agreement with Games Warehouse, to deliver server based terminals to clubs and pubs across the UK. Under the terms of the licence, JPM will initially deliver the company's Catchphrase and Hangman 3 SWP games.
Harrah's mulling revised offer
Harrah's Entertainment has announced that a committee of non-management directors were reviewing Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group's new takeover offer of $83.50 per share. The special committee plans to meet to consider the offer, which values the company at $15.5 billion.
Mobile entertainment to grow by $30 billion
The mobile entertainment market is set to grow from $17 billion to $47 billion by 2009 according to estimates by UK-based Juniper Research. The study predicted that the Asia-Pacific region will dominate the market with a 37 per cent share of global revenues, closely followed by Europe at 35 per cent and added that the value of bets placed through mobile devices would exceed that of the music industry, the current highest earner, by 2011.
Whitbread's strong results fuel takeover speculation
Hospitality and leisure firm Whitbread has posted a 10.1 per cent rise in sales for the 39 weeks to November and a 3.9 per cent increase in like for like sales. The news increased speculation that US property group Starwood Capital, which recently acquired a 3 per cent stake in Whitbread, is preparing a cash bid for the company worth more than £4 billion.
PBL continues search for Asian opportunities
Publishing and Broadcasting Limited's executive chairman James Packer has said that his company would continue to search for investment opportunities in the Asian gaming market despite failing to win Singapore's second casino license. In a statement, Packer called the company's participation a valuable experience and said that they had always considered their bid to be an outside chance.
Government favours Tote management buyout
The Tote's management were invited to lead a bid to buy the state-owned bookmakers from the government at a meeting between industry figures and the Department for Culture Media and Sport. The government is also thought to have ruled out overseas investment in the bid, dashing the Racing Consortium's current plans to include Australia's Tabcorp or Phumelela from South Africa.
HRA bans Lowestoft bookmaker
The Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) has banned Lowestoft bookmaker and racehorse owner Owen Churchill for 8-years after finding him guilty of plotting to corrupt the sport. Jockeys Dean Williams and Brian Reilly were also banned for 18-months apiece for assisting Churchill.
Felix in £10 million sponsorship deal
Felix Corporation has announced three new deals with Brewers Fayre, Beefeater and TGI Friday's, worth around £10 million. The combined initiatives will see the three brand's sales promotion offers dispensed via Felix's Max Box interactive kiosks and its voucher dispensing ATM function.
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