Inside Asian Gaming

45 44 Online Briefs A Seismic Entry The first of the Internet’s global giants has entered the gambling are- na. Yahoo has launched a real-money poker portal, Yahoo Poker, on Yahoo .co.uk in partnership with Gibraltar-based white-label special- ists St. Minver and the International Poker Network, which is owned and operated by Sweden’s Boss Media. The site will also offer real-money bingo. The association with Boss Media and IPN indicates Yahoo will be targeting a mostly European clientele. US players will not be accept- ed, according to reports. Gaming Intelligence Group called Yahoo’s entry into the sector a “seismic event” that “may well mark a shift in the balance of power in the online gaming industry.” “As one of the most recognizable brands in the world, with one of the biggest data bases of online consumers,Yahoo is in a position to rapidly challenge the established online gaming companies,” the site said. 888 Rebounds After UIGEA Fallout 888 Holdings managed to grow profits by 55% last year despite the loss of its US business. Net income rose for the Gibraltar-based operator from US$48 million to $74.5 million, for earnings per share of 21.8 cents, on a 7% increase in revenues to $290 million. Revenues from outside the United States increased 28%, which is significant because prior to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act last October, American players had com- prised more than half of 888’s business. New real-money registrations rose by 1 million to 3.9 million. New products such as multi-hand poker, blackjack and backgam- mon, together with the introduction of mobile phone gambling and the acquisition of Globalcom’s bingo business, has bolstered the company’s shift into newmarkets, principally in Europe.The company is also developing an in-flight gambling offering in partnership with software firm DTI. Games will include blackjack, roulette and slots available in real-money and free-play versions. Looking ahead to 2008, the company said Italy will contribute a “significant part”of European sales.The Asia-Pacific region,which cur- rently accounts for 8% of revenues, should see “quicker growth”. Commenting on the failed merger talks with Ladbrokes, Chief Ex- ecutive Gigi Levy said he is “confident” 888 will have a sports book by the end of the year. As for any future deals, Levy said he expects his company will be “predator rather than prey”. NETeller Launches New Payment Cards Payments provider NETeller has launched the first of a new series of reloadable pre-paid debit cards for customers in Europe and the Asia- Pacific region. The new card replaces the existing NETeller card and is tied to customers’ NETeller e-wallet accounts.The new card also can be used at ATMs and point-of-sale terminals worldwide. The card, which debuted last month, offers lower pricing, NETeller said, and is available in multiple currencies. “As we continue to grow our business in Europe and Asia Pacific, we believe this new prepaid debit programme will allow us to open up new areas of business,” said CEO Ron Martin. NETeller’s marketing efforts outside the United States have be- come critical to the company’s survival in the wake of its forced exit from the American market following a crackdown by Washington on unlicensed Internet gambling and the arrests earlier this year by US authorities of two of the company’s founding shareholders. Tour de France Stands Firm on Unibet Ban Undeterred by a €5 million fine in Belgium, the organizer of the Tour de France has refused to allow the Unibet.com team to compete in the world’s most prestigious cycling race, sparking a controversy that has found its way to the European Commission. The Commission has attempted to turn up the heat on Amaury Sports Organisation, which has refused to let Unibet’s Belgian-Swed- ish team enter any of the major races it manages in Belgium and France because the online gambling operator is not recognized as legal in either country. Internal Markets Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has written to ASO to explain Brussels’ position that the cycling giant is violating EU free-trade protections. ASO maintains that it is adhering to national laws, which in the case of France restricts advertising by gambling companies to li- censed French casinos and the state-sponsored racing and lottery monopolies — Pari Mutuel Urbain, a major bankroller of the Tour, and Francaise des Jeux. France similarly has forced a number of football teams to reject lucrative sponsorships from Web operators. But the country’s position has run it afoul of the EC, which is investigating longstanding gambling policies in several EU Member States it views as anti-competitive. In the case of Unibet and theTour,the Commission stated:“The con- sistency of the French approach is highly questionable,given that other teams sponsored by gaming operators in France are permitted to par- ticipate,and given that themain sponsor of the event is in fact a gaming operator, the PMU. All this is in breach of internal market rules.” Ainsworth Game Technology will be displaying at this month’s Gaming Expo with a revitalised approach for the Asian market,featuring a Ainsworth is launching a range of new games - being a complete departure from its previous product offering - and have recently appointed an experienced Sales Manager to the region. Chairman Len Ainsworth welcomed Keith Jeffery to the role of Asian Sales Manager earlier this year. Keith has over 10 years experience in the Asian region and has a successful career span- ning manufacturers Konami, Aristocrat and IGT. Of his appointment to the role Keith commented, “I am ex- cited to join Ainsworth and work with them to develop their presence in the Asian markets. My arrival has coincided with the availability of the new product range and I am looking forward to showing this to our customers – I’m confident it will exceed their expectations.” Ainsworth’s latest Ambassador product includes a new range of stand alone games, complemented by link progressives, stand alone progressives, and ante-bet bonus products. All products will be available at the stand for viewing. www.ainsworth.com.au Agilysys, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative information tech- nology (IT) solutions serving corporate and public-sector customers, with special expertise in select markets, including retail and hospitali- ty.The company provides technology solutions – including hardware, software and services – to help customers resolve their most compli- cated IT needs. Its expertise includes enterprise architecture and high availability, infrastructure optimization, storage and resource man- agement, and business continuity; along with software and services designed specifically for the retail and hospitality markets. Agilysys operates from locations throughout North America,and in the United Kingdom and China, with headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. Ainsworth Game Technology Ainsworth makes changes in Asia with a new appointment, new products and a new approach Agilysys Showcasing innovative retail and hospitality IT solutions In January 2007 Agilysys completed the acquisition of Visual One Systems, a privately-held company with US headquarters in Frederick, Md., and Europe headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey, U.K. The acquisition provides Agilysys expertise around the develop- ment,marketing and sale of Microsoft®Windows®-based software for the hospitality industry, including additional applications in property management, condominium, golf course, spa, point-of-sale, and sales and catering management. Announcements and Exhibits at G2E Just announced at the recent Hospitality User’s Group in April, news of the next generation Agilysys products. Excitement surround- ed talk of the upcoming Guest 360(TM) technology, a guest-centric property management solution and the next generation Materials Management System (MMS). Long time clients also got a first-hand look at the recently acquired Visual One line of products. These proj- ects, acquisitions and projects are being added to strengthen our po- sition in the hospitality industry.  the Agilysys will also have on hand the current product line of the LMS Property Management System, MMS Materials Management System and DMS our DataMagine document and imaging solution as well as a wide range of technology management solutions for resorts and casinos. http://www.agilysys.com G2E Asia Vendor Profiles The Agilysys Value Proposition