Bingo Industry Suffers + More News

Scotland’s bingo industry suffers…

THE creation of smoke free bingo clubs through the implementation of a ban on smoking in public spaces has hit the bingo business in Scotland far harder than the ‘worst case scenario’ modelled by experts, as bingo players arrive later and leave earlier.

In the three full months since the ban came into effect on March 26, revenues at all clubs have been hit hard, with Scotland’s independent bingo clubs feeling the greatest pressure. Five clubs have already closed. KE Entertainments, which operates clubs in Gordon Brown’s constituency, has closed Premier Bingo in Denny and Rio Bingo in Kirkcaldy.

Operations manager Mike Lowe said: “Within a four week period of the ban being introduced it was apparent that the business would in fact be devastated and extreme measures would need to be taken to lessen the impact. After six weeks I had identified two clubs that would need to close. I have recorded as many as 47 per cent of players leaving a session in order to smoke… I do not feel that we have seen the worst effects of the smoking ban yet.”

Other operators in Scotland have experienced similar declines, reporting a 17-27 per cent drop in revenues

…But its casino industry gets a lift

EDINBURGH magistrates have agreed to a new licence in respect of the relocation of one of Stanley Leisure's three casinos in the city, from a 9,000sq.ft facility in Princes Street to a brand new 30,000sq.ft casino in the established Fountain Park development.

Meanwhile, Stanley has opened merger talks with casino operator London Clubs International. If it comes off, the merger will lead to the creation of a gaming industry giant worth around £700 million. The deal is being put together by Genting, the Malaysian gaming group that is a major shareholder in both companies.

Revolution teams up with Money Controls

REVOLUTION Entertainment Systems, part of the entertainment giant Leisure Link Group, has chosen Money Controls’ cash-handling components for its new product Rainmaker.

PayLink, a ‘central technology hub’ for money-handling peripherals, has been installed in around 5,000 of Revolution's Rainmaker FOBTs.

Each terminal, located in 2,100 of William Hill's betting offices, also comprises Money Control’s premium coin and note acceptor products - the SR5 high security coin acceptor and the Ardac 5 note and barcoded ticket acceptor.

PayLink allows the swift and simple integration of payment peripherals into PC-based amusement and gaming machines, and uses multiple industry standard protocols, such as ccTalk, Ardac 2, ID003 and MDB. This multi-protocol hub links the PC or host PC with note acceptors, coin handling, printer and other peripherals, as well as providing comprehensive diagnostics and machine audit data.

This latest project, which took three months to complete, is the latest in a number of successful applications carried out for Revolution.

Date set for Leisure Link last supper

A CREDITORS meeting of the ‘old’ Leisure Link - the forerunner of the newly launched Inspired Gaming Group - is to be held on July 17 followed by the AGM. Vantis has been appointed to handle the winding up of the old company, Leisure Link Holdings. It is understood that shareholders in the old company will receive around 1p in the pound.

Source:eCoinOp UK