Talarius opens second Quick-Bet
BRITAIN'S biggest adult gaming centre company, Talarius, has opened its second Quick-Bet shop, in Peterborough. Talarius, with 185 AGCs and 10,000 machines, has a policy of widening its operating base and more Quick-Bets (terminal based betting shops) are planned. The company runs 9,000 AWP machines and around 1,000 Section 16 games, at an average of four per location to fit in with the incoming legislation.
Manchester's Hard Rock casino to close
RANK’S Hard Rock Casino in Manchester is due to close down.
Sources close to Rank told ecoin-op that the casino ‘just wasn’t making enough money’ to justify it staying open.
The closure comes at a time when Rank is said to be considering selling off its Hard Rock arm and breaking up the company completely.
Thompson lands Euro award
CAMELOT'S chief executive, Dianne Thompson, has won the business category of the European Women of Achievement Awards 2006.
Judges were most impressed with Thompson’s strategy for ‘bucking the international trend of falling lottery sales, which has delivered the longest period of growth in the National Lottery’s history.’
Thompson said: "The European Woman of Achievement Awards have a history of recognising some of the world’s most inspirational women, and I feel honoured to be in their company.
"But this award is not just for me - it’s for the remarkable team I have at Camelot who have helped to push annual sales over the £5bn mark."
Brits look to turn tables in Kentucky
THE best of British table football players are packing their bags for the Kentucky State Table Soccer Championships in the US. To be held from August 3-6 in Lexington, this event is expected to draw over 400 table soccer (foosball) players, including members of the US national team. The tournament will include categories for men, women and children from beginner to master.
Now recognised as an International Table Soccer Federation Master Series event, the annual Kentucky tournament has even been elevated to international tour status. This means the competition is likely to draw match ups between top American players, such as defending champion and US number one Billy Pappas, and other US team members against national team members from Canada, Ireland, Germany, the UK and more.
Players at the master levels will compete not only for cash and prizes at the event, but also for qualifying points to compete at the ITSF World Series Masters Championships in St Vincent, Italy, in November.
Source: eCoinOp UK
Friday, July 28, 2006
Crazy Frog, Dome ahead + More
JPM gets Extreme with new release
JPM International has launched a new reel-based AWP, Extreme, housed in the Linear cabinet and designed for the central and eastern European market.
Extreme introduces a radical element to the top game award card structure, with players offered dramatically enhanced prizes for increases in stake, with the top stake delivering jackpot level awards for all three of a kind wins.
Additionally enhancing the high stake player’s experience is the X wild symbol, active on the centre reel for stake 5+45 (2+23 on the 300 version) and on all reels at the highest stake.
The top game is played on all five win-lines, with all lower wins eligible for 50-50 double or nothing gamble, or collection at the player’s discretion. The new game is now available from JPM’s exclusive distributor for these markets, Synot.
No escape from Crazy Frog
Deith Group has launched Football Crazy, a brand new Section 16/21 machine from Deith Gaming.
Making the best of a strong licence, Football Crazy focuses on the exploits of the Annoying Thing, more commonly known as the Crazy Frog, playing football against the Robots. The game is a multi-stake, multi-line random game that has three feature games. These are Whistle, Pick a Ball and Penalty Shootout, where the Robot will shoot footballs at the Frog with each goal scored rewarding the player with cash winnings.
Football Crazy also benefits from inclusion on the Crown Jewels progressive link system, where customers will be able to link with their existing Deith Gaming and CMS products.
Nuts tops itbox charts
After a long reign as most played game on itbox, Bullseye has been knocked off the top spot by Inpired and IPC’s quiz game Nuts, less than a month since it launched.
Built and designed by Inspired, the Nuts-branded skill game features a range of franchises direct from the magazine, as well as content exclusive to the itbox.
Dome ahead in CAP voting...
The Millennium Dome site was named top of a shortlist of proposed venues for the UK's first regional casino following the first round of judging by the Casino Advisory Panel.
Greenwich came just ahead of Glasgow and Blackpool.
The eight bids were judged on eight different criteria - social impact, need for regeneration, willingness to license, probability of implementation, regional context, community benefits, unique characteristics and range of areas – each with a possible score of 10 points.
Greenwich came top of the shortlist with 67 points, followed by Glasgow on 66, Blackpool on 65 and Sheffield on 62. Brent and Newcastle both got 58 points, followed by Cardiff and Manchester, both with 57.
However, the CAP has extended the deadline for submissions from those authorities which did not make its original shortlist and has hinted that it may add new venues if they can meet the judging criteria.
The panel has said that the next stage of judging would start on a ‘level playing field,’ unaffected by the initial first round scores.
...as Blackpool vision released
Gensler have been appointed as planners and architects for Blackpool's proposed Conference and Casino Quarter.
Seen as a key part of the £1.4bn master plan to transform Blackpool into an international resort, the development will contain 1.7m sq.ft of entertainment, hotel, conferencing and casino development on a 20-acre site.
The conference centre will consist of a 3,000-seat auditorium and a 5,000sq.m exhibition space, with adjacent hotel accommodation. This will be supported by a brand new Winter Promenade, a leisure attraction offering retail outlets, restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities.
"We want to create a memorable and commercially successful development that will change people's perception of Britain's most famous seaside resort, giving the UK market a compelling new reason to visit Blackpool while injecting life and resources into the economy," said Reg Haslam, director of development at ReBlackpool, the resort's regeneration company responsible for the bid.
Source: eCoinOp UK
JPM International has launched a new reel-based AWP, Extreme, housed in the Linear cabinet and designed for the central and eastern European market.
Extreme introduces a radical element to the top game award card structure, with players offered dramatically enhanced prizes for increases in stake, with the top stake delivering jackpot level awards for all three of a kind wins.
Additionally enhancing the high stake player’s experience is the X wild symbol, active on the centre reel for stake 5+45 (2+23 on the 300 version) and on all reels at the highest stake.
The top game is played on all five win-lines, with all lower wins eligible for 50-50 double or nothing gamble, or collection at the player’s discretion. The new game is now available from JPM’s exclusive distributor for these markets, Synot.
No escape from Crazy Frog
Deith Group has launched Football Crazy, a brand new Section 16/21 machine from Deith Gaming.
Making the best of a strong licence, Football Crazy focuses on the exploits of the Annoying Thing, more commonly known as the Crazy Frog, playing football against the Robots. The game is a multi-stake, multi-line random game that has three feature games. These are Whistle, Pick a Ball and Penalty Shootout, where the Robot will shoot footballs at the Frog with each goal scored rewarding the player with cash winnings.
Football Crazy also benefits from inclusion on the Crown Jewels progressive link system, where customers will be able to link with their existing Deith Gaming and CMS products.
Nuts tops itbox charts
After a long reign as most played game on itbox, Bullseye has been knocked off the top spot by Inpired and IPC’s quiz game Nuts, less than a month since it launched.
Built and designed by Inspired, the Nuts-branded skill game features a range of franchises direct from the magazine, as well as content exclusive to the itbox.
Dome ahead in CAP voting...
The Millennium Dome site was named top of a shortlist of proposed venues for the UK's first regional casino following the first round of judging by the Casino Advisory Panel.
Greenwich came just ahead of Glasgow and Blackpool.
The eight bids were judged on eight different criteria - social impact, need for regeneration, willingness to license, probability of implementation, regional context, community benefits, unique characteristics and range of areas – each with a possible score of 10 points.
Greenwich came top of the shortlist with 67 points, followed by Glasgow on 66, Blackpool on 65 and Sheffield on 62. Brent and Newcastle both got 58 points, followed by Cardiff and Manchester, both with 57.
However, the CAP has extended the deadline for submissions from those authorities which did not make its original shortlist and has hinted that it may add new venues if they can meet the judging criteria.
The panel has said that the next stage of judging would start on a ‘level playing field,’ unaffected by the initial first round scores.
...as Blackpool vision released
Gensler have been appointed as planners and architects for Blackpool's proposed Conference and Casino Quarter.
Seen as a key part of the £1.4bn master plan to transform Blackpool into an international resort, the development will contain 1.7m sq.ft of entertainment, hotel, conferencing and casino development on a 20-acre site.
The conference centre will consist of a 3,000-seat auditorium and a 5,000sq.m exhibition space, with adjacent hotel accommodation. This will be supported by a brand new Winter Promenade, a leisure attraction offering retail outlets, restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities.
"We want to create a memorable and commercially successful development that will change people's perception of Britain's most famous seaside resort, giving the UK market a compelling new reason to visit Blackpool while injecting life and resources into the economy," said Reg Haslam, director of development at ReBlackpool, the resort's regeneration company responsible for the bid.
Source: eCoinOp UK
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Stakes and Prizes charge + More news!
Leisure Link will continue in UK
Inspired Gaming Group plc has asked us to make it clear that Leisure Link, as the UK operating division of the Inspired Gaming Group, is the leading machine operator of both server based gaming and analogue gaming machines in the UK and will continue to operate as such in the UK under the Leisure Link brand.
Coinslot golf day axed
The cancellation of the Coinslot golf tournament last week was through lack of numbers, the organisers have confirmed.
The traditional event was revived under its old name because of its traditions and the separation from the BACTA golf day with which it was amalgamated a few years ago.
The tournament cancellation is seen as a ‘sign of the times.’
Phil Howard, who runs the London Preview, recently ran a golf event in Le Touquet, France and although it was very successful in terms of organisation and enjoyment, the numbers were hit by the recession in the industry and by the fact that Electrocoin held a golf event the same day. Nevertheless, the Preview organisation will repeat the exercise as a pairs competition next year.
Morgan leads stakes and prizes charge
Julie Morgan, MP for Cardiff North, led a delegation of MPs to meet Sports Minister Richard Caborn earlier this week.
Their objective was to press for higher jackpots on AWP machines. Morgan said that delays in bringing in the new stakes and prizes had had a devastating effect on the industry. “South Wales used to be a centre for the manufacture of these machines but there is now very little left,” she said. “With adequate safeguards to protect the vulnerable, I think these increases should be brought in right now, rather than in 2007.”
IGH stands firm
The Directors of Interactive Gaming Holdings, the online sports betting and gaming operator, has released a statement in the wake of the recent regulatory announcements released by BETonSPORTS, regarding the firm's temporary suspension from trading on the AIM, together with the adverse reaction by the market towards the online sports betting/casino sector in general.
Betonsports chief executive David Carruthers was recently charged with fraud in a US court for accepting bets from US customers via the telephone and online.
"IGH wishes to reiterate the board's long-standing policy of not taking wagers from the US. The company operates predominantly in the UK and emerging markets, where online gaming is entirely legal. The company continues to increase its presence in these markets as well as other legal gaming markets and is extremely optimistic about its prospects for the future," it said.
Source: eCoinOp UK
Inspired Gaming Group plc has asked us to make it clear that Leisure Link, as the UK operating division of the Inspired Gaming Group, is the leading machine operator of both server based gaming and analogue gaming machines in the UK and will continue to operate as such in the UK under the Leisure Link brand.
Coinslot golf day axed
The cancellation of the Coinslot golf tournament last week was through lack of numbers, the organisers have confirmed.
The traditional event was revived under its old name because of its traditions and the separation from the BACTA golf day with which it was amalgamated a few years ago.
The tournament cancellation is seen as a ‘sign of the times.’
Phil Howard, who runs the London Preview, recently ran a golf event in Le Touquet, France and although it was very successful in terms of organisation and enjoyment, the numbers were hit by the recession in the industry and by the fact that Electrocoin held a golf event the same day. Nevertheless, the Preview organisation will repeat the exercise as a pairs competition next year.
Morgan leads stakes and prizes charge
Julie Morgan, MP for Cardiff North, led a delegation of MPs to meet Sports Minister Richard Caborn earlier this week.
Their objective was to press for higher jackpots on AWP machines. Morgan said that delays in bringing in the new stakes and prizes had had a devastating effect on the industry. “South Wales used to be a centre for the manufacture of these machines but there is now very little left,” she said. “With adequate safeguards to protect the vulnerable, I think these increases should be brought in right now, rather than in 2007.”
IGH stands firm
The Directors of Interactive Gaming Holdings, the online sports betting and gaming operator, has released a statement in the wake of the recent regulatory announcements released by BETonSPORTS, regarding the firm's temporary suspension from trading on the AIM, together with the adverse reaction by the market towards the online sports betting/casino sector in general.
Betonsports chief executive David Carruthers was recently charged with fraud in a US court for accepting bets from US customers via the telephone and online.
"IGH wishes to reiterate the board's long-standing policy of not taking wagers from the US. The company operates predominantly in the UK and emerging markets, where online gaming is entirely legal. The company continues to increase its presence in these markets as well as other legal gaming markets and is extremely optimistic about its prospects for the future," it said.
Source: eCoinOp UK
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
New from JPM, Leisure Link wound up + More
Leisure Link formally wound up
BRITAIN'S largest operating company, Leisure Link, was finally laid to rest at a creditors' meeting on Monday, July 17. The company has been replaced by the publicly-quoted Inspired Gaming Group.
It controls nearly 100,000 pieces of equipment in the UK.
The creditors' meeting agreed by a majority a voluntary arrangement which would give shareholders 1p in the pound for their shares. A number of minority shareholders had sought legal advice on the valuation of the public offering which they believed undervalued the company and disadvantaged the majority of shareholders.
A sometimes acrimonious meeting saw a number of questions posed on the issue of the previous restructuring of the company in 2001 for £220m and its refinancing early last year.
Despite growth by mid-2005, there was a large shortfall against budget which did not match the business plan set out in the refinancing of earlier in the year.
Clarion buys River City.
CLARION Events has bought sister company River City Group, organiser of the GIGSE online gaming show.
ATE and River City Group have been sister companies, co-producing the European i-Gaming Congress and Expo (EiG) for the past four years.
"We're pleased to formally join the Clarion family through this sale," said Sue Schneider, founder and chief executive of River City Group.
Schneider stressed that there will be little or no change to River City Group operations as a result of the sale.
Octavian strikes Chinese partnership
UK-based Octavian, which makes games and systems for both the casino and AWP markets, has formed a joint venture relationship with China LotSynergy to access the mainland China market with video lottery terminals.
The Hong Kong-based subsidiary will be known as Aceteam Investment and has a start-up capital of US$600,000 with the ownership split 60-40 in favour of the Chinese company.
Boulton top man at RLMS
RLMS Sales has appointed Phil Boulton as managing director, working alongside Tony Glanville, sales director, and Reg Morosoli, who will continue his role as a non-executive chairman.
Boulton joins RLMS Sales from Qubic Print Direct, a printing and marketing company where he was also managing director. Boulton has worked for several high-profile companies including Photo-Me International where he spent over eight years in operations and sales.
Boulton said: "I'm delighted to be joining RLMS Sales at such an exciting time as the company continues to grow and develop as a whole. I've got some catching up to do in terms of product, legislation and industry contacts, however, I've inherited a superb team of dedicated employees here at Burton and I am extremely excited to be heading up such a strong team."
Games Warehouse eyes gaming machines
GAMES Warehouse of Nottingham will be moving into the gaming machine sector, we understand, later in the year. It is one of a series of major announcements coming from the company, part of the Harbour Group of companies, which also includes Rowe and Merit.
JPM goes for Gold
JPM International has launched a new AWP for the eastern European market named Gold Bar.
The game, which can be played either in traditional or high-stakes formats, is one of a succession of new products on the way from JPM for the international market.
Source: eCoinOp UK
BRITAIN'S largest operating company, Leisure Link, was finally laid to rest at a creditors' meeting on Monday, July 17. The company has been replaced by the publicly-quoted Inspired Gaming Group.
It controls nearly 100,000 pieces of equipment in the UK.
The creditors' meeting agreed by a majority a voluntary arrangement which would give shareholders 1p in the pound for their shares. A number of minority shareholders had sought legal advice on the valuation of the public offering which they believed undervalued the company and disadvantaged the majority of shareholders.
A sometimes acrimonious meeting saw a number of questions posed on the issue of the previous restructuring of the company in 2001 for £220m and its refinancing early last year.
Despite growth by mid-2005, there was a large shortfall against budget which did not match the business plan set out in the refinancing of earlier in the year.
Clarion buys River City.
CLARION Events has bought sister company River City Group, organiser of the GIGSE online gaming show.
ATE and River City Group have been sister companies, co-producing the European i-Gaming Congress and Expo (EiG) for the past four years.
"We're pleased to formally join the Clarion family through this sale," said Sue Schneider, founder and chief executive of River City Group.
Schneider stressed that there will be little or no change to River City Group operations as a result of the sale.
Octavian strikes Chinese partnership
UK-based Octavian, which makes games and systems for both the casino and AWP markets, has formed a joint venture relationship with China LotSynergy to access the mainland China market with video lottery terminals.
The Hong Kong-based subsidiary will be known as Aceteam Investment and has a start-up capital of US$600,000 with the ownership split 60-40 in favour of the Chinese company.
Boulton top man at RLMS
RLMS Sales has appointed Phil Boulton as managing director, working alongside Tony Glanville, sales director, and Reg Morosoli, who will continue his role as a non-executive chairman.
Boulton joins RLMS Sales from Qubic Print Direct, a printing and marketing company where he was also managing director. Boulton has worked for several high-profile companies including Photo-Me International where he spent over eight years in operations and sales.
Boulton said: "I'm delighted to be joining RLMS Sales at such an exciting time as the company continues to grow and develop as a whole. I've got some catching up to do in terms of product, legislation and industry contacts, however, I've inherited a superb team of dedicated employees here at Burton and I am extremely excited to be heading up such a strong team."
Games Warehouse eyes gaming machines
GAMES Warehouse of Nottingham will be moving into the gaming machine sector, we understand, later in the year. It is one of a series of major announcements coming from the company, part of the Harbour Group of companies, which also includes Rowe and Merit.
JPM goes for Gold
JPM International has launched a new AWP for the eastern European market named Gold Bar.
The game, which can be played either in traditional or high-stakes formats, is one of a succession of new products on the way from JPM for the international market.
Source: eCoinOp UK
Friday, July 14, 2006
Hope for stakes and prizes review + More News
Gambling Commission opens doors
THE Gambling Commission opened its doors yesterday to a specially invited guest list of over 120 at its new Birmingham headquarters.
The Commission has the entire top floor of the Victoria Square Building in the centre of the city and is one of the first government departments to move out of London. Before it, the Gaming Board it occupied Berkshire House in Holborn.
The custom-built 2,500sq.m Birmingham installation is open plan with state-of-the-art technology and workstations for staff who will be engaged in the Commission's expanded role in administering gambling in the UK under the Gaming Act 2005. The Commission will employ a total of 200 people in Birmingham and a number of inspectors based at different points around the country.
Chairman Peter Dean told guests: "Birmingham was the clear frontrunner in our search for new headquarters."
Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport and Gambling, said: "This is a good day for the Gambling Commission and a good day for Birmingham. This impressive new location provides an ideal base from which to enforce the tough new rules the Gambling Act brings in. The purpose-built intelligence room they have installed will help the Commission to deliver its three key objectives: to keep crime out of gambling, to ensure that it is fair and open and to protect children and the vulnerable."
Leisure Link criticised over pay-offs
MONDAY'S creditors' meeting to wind up the old Leisure Link company is likely to be stormy. The meeting, in London will see the end of the company, which has been rebranded and relaunched as the AIM listed Inspired Gaming.
Several Leisure Link shareholders have privately uttered bitter condemnations of the way in which the new company has shed its old debts and Roy Howell has been publicly quoted comparing shareholders’ 1p in the pound pay-off to the new directors' large salaries.
Hope for stakes and prizes review
THE word on the street is that the government might be having a re-think on the stakes and prizes issue.
A review is not scheduled until September of next year, but the pressure from the industry in face of dramatic downturns - particularly in the fortunes of the AWP machine trying to compete with video lottery terminals in bookmakers' shops - may be having an effect.
Talks between the industry and the DCMS are thought to be at an advanced stage and an announcement could be made as early as September.
European ruling could affect gaming
A RULING by the European Court of Justice yesterday, that call centre services provided by United Utilities to Littlewoods' Bet Direct service did not qualify for exemption from value added tax, could mean that gaming and lottery operators with outsourced operations could face an additional tax bills.
United Utilities locked horns with HM Revenues and Customs over whether the service they provide for Ladbrokes - taking calls and recording bets - should be VAT exempt in the same way that betting and game-of-chance operations are.
And although the ruling specifically referred to outsourced call centre services, some tax experts claimed that there could be implications for the gaming industry.
Robert Crooks, UK head of indirect taxes for Ernst & Young, told the Financial Times: "This will cast doubt on the correctness of Revenue and Customs’ decision to allow retailers to exempt their sales of lottery tickets. But I would not be convinced that it either needs to or should change its policy."
Patrick Walker, UK head of indirect taxes for PwC, the professional services firm, told the Financial Times: "The situation is not absolutely certain. The House of Lords judges could shed more light, but the gambling industry is watching closely. They may have to factor in additional costs."
Sherratt snaps up top Felix post
LYNDA Sherratt has been appointed as the new managing director of Felix Group, the AIM listed company behind the Everyone's A Winner sales promotion system and Max Box interactive kiosks.
Sherratt previously held the position of director of operations and finance for Felix and replaces John Liwosz, who has resigned from the company, to pursue other interests.
In her new role, Sherratt will be responsible for overseeing the continuing development and roll-out of Felix's Max Box product, a multi-function kiosk that features an ATM, digital photo processing, mobile phone top-up and content downloads together with the Everyone's A Winner SP system. Last month Felix announced its first major Max Box commercial partnership with Kwik Save supermarkets, which will see Kwik Save installing kiosks in its stores.
Prior to joining Felix in 2005, Sherratt worked for nearly 10 years at Sportech PLC, the operator of Littlewoods on and offline gaming and pools division.
Ecoin-op reunites Taylor with phone
GAMESOFT'S Robert Taylor has offered thanks to Bernard from Rossendale and e-coin-op, who teamed up to return his lost mobile phone, reported in Tuesday's news.
Taylor told us he lost it in France recently and didn't expect to see its return. “Fortunately I'd backed up all my telephone numbers via Bluetooth to my laptop before I went away so I wouldn't have lost my contact information, but it was nonetheless very nice to know that someone out there was prepared to take the trouble to try and return it - maybe I should put my own telephone number into it next time and make it easier for everybody!”
Source: eCoinOp UK
THE Gambling Commission opened its doors yesterday to a specially invited guest list of over 120 at its new Birmingham headquarters.
The Commission has the entire top floor of the Victoria Square Building in the centre of the city and is one of the first government departments to move out of London. Before it, the Gaming Board it occupied Berkshire House in Holborn.
The custom-built 2,500sq.m Birmingham installation is open plan with state-of-the-art technology and workstations for staff who will be engaged in the Commission's expanded role in administering gambling in the UK under the Gaming Act 2005. The Commission will employ a total of 200 people in Birmingham and a number of inspectors based at different points around the country.
Chairman Peter Dean told guests: "Birmingham was the clear frontrunner in our search for new headquarters."
Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport and Gambling, said: "This is a good day for the Gambling Commission and a good day for Birmingham. This impressive new location provides an ideal base from which to enforce the tough new rules the Gambling Act brings in. The purpose-built intelligence room they have installed will help the Commission to deliver its three key objectives: to keep crime out of gambling, to ensure that it is fair and open and to protect children and the vulnerable."
Leisure Link criticised over pay-offs
MONDAY'S creditors' meeting to wind up the old Leisure Link company is likely to be stormy. The meeting, in London will see the end of the company, which has been rebranded and relaunched as the AIM listed Inspired Gaming.
Several Leisure Link shareholders have privately uttered bitter condemnations of the way in which the new company has shed its old debts and Roy Howell has been publicly quoted comparing shareholders’ 1p in the pound pay-off to the new directors' large salaries.
Hope for stakes and prizes review
THE word on the street is that the government might be having a re-think on the stakes and prizes issue.
A review is not scheduled until September of next year, but the pressure from the industry in face of dramatic downturns - particularly in the fortunes of the AWP machine trying to compete with video lottery terminals in bookmakers' shops - may be having an effect.
Talks between the industry and the DCMS are thought to be at an advanced stage and an announcement could be made as early as September.
European ruling could affect gaming
A RULING by the European Court of Justice yesterday, that call centre services provided by United Utilities to Littlewoods' Bet Direct service did not qualify for exemption from value added tax, could mean that gaming and lottery operators with outsourced operations could face an additional tax bills.
United Utilities locked horns with HM Revenues and Customs over whether the service they provide for Ladbrokes - taking calls and recording bets - should be VAT exempt in the same way that betting and game-of-chance operations are.
And although the ruling specifically referred to outsourced call centre services, some tax experts claimed that there could be implications for the gaming industry.
Robert Crooks, UK head of indirect taxes for Ernst & Young, told the Financial Times: "This will cast doubt on the correctness of Revenue and Customs’ decision to allow retailers to exempt their sales of lottery tickets. But I would not be convinced that it either needs to or should change its policy."
Patrick Walker, UK head of indirect taxes for PwC, the professional services firm, told the Financial Times: "The situation is not absolutely certain. The House of Lords judges could shed more light, but the gambling industry is watching closely. They may have to factor in additional costs."
Sherratt snaps up top Felix post
LYNDA Sherratt has been appointed as the new managing director of Felix Group, the AIM listed company behind the Everyone's A Winner sales promotion system and Max Box interactive kiosks.
Sherratt previously held the position of director of operations and finance for Felix and replaces John Liwosz, who has resigned from the company, to pursue other interests.
In her new role, Sherratt will be responsible for overseeing the continuing development and roll-out of Felix's Max Box product, a multi-function kiosk that features an ATM, digital photo processing, mobile phone top-up and content downloads together with the Everyone's A Winner SP system. Last month Felix announced its first major Max Box commercial partnership with Kwik Save supermarkets, which will see Kwik Save installing kiosks in its stores.
Prior to joining Felix in 2005, Sherratt worked for nearly 10 years at Sportech PLC, the operator of Littlewoods on and offline gaming and pools division.
Ecoin-op reunites Taylor with phone
GAMESOFT'S Robert Taylor has offered thanks to Bernard from Rossendale and e-coin-op, who teamed up to return his lost mobile phone, reported in Tuesday's news.
Taylor told us he lost it in France recently and didn't expect to see its return. “Fortunately I'd backed up all my telephone numbers via Bluetooth to my laptop before I went away so I wouldn't have lost my contact information, but it was nonetheless very nice to know that someone out there was prepared to take the trouble to try and return it - maybe I should put my own telephone number into it next time and make it easier for everybody!”
Source: eCoinOp UK
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Amusement & Leisure News
CAP criticised in Commons
AN early day motion in the House of Commons from Malcolm Moss criticised the Casino Advisory Panel for not being ‘open or impartial’ when awarding the one regional casino licence in Britain.
Moss, Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire, said that he was concerned and disappointed over the decision making process employed by the Casino Advisory Panel which “contrary to commitments given in its Guiding Principles, seems not to have been as ‘open as possible’ or observed the ‘highest standards of impartiality, integrity and objectivity’.”
“The chairman, Professor Stephen Crow, has admitted there was no single marking process which determined the final outcome of the sifting; regrets that no minutes of meetings have been published on the Panel's website since January 2006 thereby making scrutiny of its decisions impossible, and the Panel seems to have fallen short of meeting the seven principles of public life as set out by Lord Nolan,” Moss said.
Moss also fears that disappointed regional casino applicants ‘will seek judicial review in increasing numbers’ and he urged the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to investigate the matter ‘to restore confidence’ in the process.
Harding not fazed by PartyGaming threat
DAVID Harding, chief executive of William Hill, is relaxed about signs that online gaming giant PartyGaming is looking to buy a sports betting operation.
"Their main focus is in the US," he told Reuters. "Clearly they're an 800lb gorilla, so I'll watch whatever happens with interest, but in our core markets of bookmaking and particularly the betting shops business, no one can beat us."
PartyGaming is reportedly planning to raise US$500m, part of which could be used to buy a sports betting site.
Deith day gets thumbs up
ECOIN-OP has been receiving positive feedback from the recent Deith Open Day in south London.
Sam Leisure’s Liam Barrett told us: “It was a beautiful sunny day spent catching up with a number of industry stalwarts. We brought two air hockeys, a Fast Soccer and a Baby Air, both of which were placed. All in all, a great day out courtesy of Deith's wonderful hospitality.”
Jolly Roger’s Marshall Ashdown was equally complimentary: “It was a nice day, I met some nice people, and had a tasty hog roast into the bargain. We didn't do any business, but then we didn't really expect to. For us this event is mainly a public relations thing.”
Ainsworth appoints AMS' Vinson
HAVING just moved its development office in Cardiff to a new location close to the Millennium Stadium, Ainsworth UK, has recruited Ron Vinson of Irish distributor AMS to assist in sales, although he will remain active with AMS. The company has now taken on premises in Crawley, close to London as its main headquarters, which will be used to receive machines from Australia and assembling British coin-handling before shipping.
Source: eCoinOp UK
AN early day motion in the House of Commons from Malcolm Moss criticised the Casino Advisory Panel for not being ‘open or impartial’ when awarding the one regional casino licence in Britain.
Moss, Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire, said that he was concerned and disappointed over the decision making process employed by the Casino Advisory Panel which “contrary to commitments given in its Guiding Principles, seems not to have been as ‘open as possible’ or observed the ‘highest standards of impartiality, integrity and objectivity’.”
“The chairman, Professor Stephen Crow, has admitted there was no single marking process which determined the final outcome of the sifting; regrets that no minutes of meetings have been published on the Panel's website since January 2006 thereby making scrutiny of its decisions impossible, and the Panel seems to have fallen short of meeting the seven principles of public life as set out by Lord Nolan,” Moss said.
Moss also fears that disappointed regional casino applicants ‘will seek judicial review in increasing numbers’ and he urged the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to investigate the matter ‘to restore confidence’ in the process.
Harding not fazed by PartyGaming threat
DAVID Harding, chief executive of William Hill, is relaxed about signs that online gaming giant PartyGaming is looking to buy a sports betting operation.
"Their main focus is in the US," he told Reuters. "Clearly they're an 800lb gorilla, so I'll watch whatever happens with interest, but in our core markets of bookmaking and particularly the betting shops business, no one can beat us."
PartyGaming is reportedly planning to raise US$500m, part of which could be used to buy a sports betting site.
Deith day gets thumbs up
ECOIN-OP has been receiving positive feedback from the recent Deith Open Day in south London.
Sam Leisure’s Liam Barrett told us: “It was a beautiful sunny day spent catching up with a number of industry stalwarts. We brought two air hockeys, a Fast Soccer and a Baby Air, both of which were placed. All in all, a great day out courtesy of Deith's wonderful hospitality.”
Jolly Roger’s Marshall Ashdown was equally complimentary: “It was a nice day, I met some nice people, and had a tasty hog roast into the bargain. We didn't do any business, but then we didn't really expect to. For us this event is mainly a public relations thing.”
Ainsworth appoints AMS' Vinson
HAVING just moved its development office in Cardiff to a new location close to the Millennium Stadium, Ainsworth UK, has recruited Ron Vinson of Irish distributor AMS to assist in sales, although he will remain active with AMS. The company has now taken on premises in Crawley, close to London as its main headquarters, which will be used to receive machines from Australia and assembling British coin-handling before shipping.
Source: eCoinOp UK
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