Inside Asian Gaming

January 2009 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 47 Briefs a leading supplier of slot machines and gaming equipment based in Australia, knows all about brand building and the challenges of competition. Mr Odell was previously a senior executive for another ASX 100 company, Foster’s Group, where he worked as managing director of its Australia, Asia & The Pacific division. The global beverage business owns world famous brands including the eponymous Foster’s lager, as well as the Australian wine houses Penfolds andWolf Blass. IAG would like to offer a toast to Mr Odell’s success in his new post at Aristocrat. GigaMedia and Victor Chandler Team Up GigaMedia, the Taiwan-based parent of Everest Poker and Everest Gaming, says it has formed a strategic partnership with the Gibraltar-based land and online gambling company Victor Chandler International. Gigamedia said the deal, focused on sports betting products, would significantly expand the online capability of the Everest Gaming platform. It includes a new sports betting product called EverestBets.com. The new site offers wagers on a variety of sports including horse racing and soccer, and is available in multiple languages, 24 hours a day. Victor Chandler’s land based operation was founded in 1946. The firm’s sports betting business takes over two million betting calls per year from customers in over 160 countries, 24 hours a day. The group does not accept bets from US-based customers, in compliance with the US’ Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Earls Court Prepares for IGE The International Gaming Expo (IGE) will take place January 27th–29th at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, with more than 300 companies from 48 nations showcasing their products and services to the industry. The biggest stand at the showwill belong to AGI’s Novomatic and covers an impressive 1,115 square metres. The 2009 ‘big league’ of exhibitors also includes IGT–Europe, Astra Games, TCS John Huxley, WMS Gaming, Atronic International, Aristocrat Technologies, Amatic Industries and APEX Gaming—all with stands in excess of 300 sq. m. Also firmly on the radar of show visitors with stands of 200 sq. m and above are Alfastreet, Casino Technology, Recreativos Franco, Barcrest Group, XtalE, Merkur Gaming, Bally Technologies, Gold Club, Games Warehouse, Inspired Gaming, Elektroncek, Gaming Partners International and Unidesa-Cirsa Group. These are joined by a further 32 companies with 100sq. m-plus displays. IGE also serves as a vital market place for small to medium size enterprises (SME’s) which use the exhibition as a platform to launch their innovations to an international audience of buyers. Many of the SME’s are amongst the 72 organisations that will be making their debut appearance at the London show. Drawn from a total of 27 countries, the debutantes bring a fresh approach and perspective on the gaming industry, helping to sustain the exhibition’s reputation for being a dynamic and commercial market place to source new products of which an estimated 2,000 are launched each year at show. The list of IGE first-timers includes renowned industry names, as well as those looking to make a big impression with their maiden appearance by taking significant stands. Those with 50sqm [538sq. ft] or more include Alsart (Russia), Cryptologic (Canada), Intervision Marketing (Cyprus), WorldMatch (Malta), Synot (Czech Republic), Hydako (Korea), Intel Corporation (USA), Ivobank (UK) and Shock Machine México. Adding to the pre-existing casino (ICE) and remote gaming (ICEi) components, the introduction of soft gaming, lottery, betting and other gambling and wagering disciplines has formed the umbrella ‘International Gaming Expo’ which weighs in at a colossal 20,000 sq. m of net floor space. For up to date exhibitor lists, floor plans, the latest show news, travel and accommodation and FREE entry badge registration, visit www.ige-exhibition.com . Big Players at ICEi Within the 2009 International Gaming Expo is ICEi, which focuses on i-gaming companies. ICEi will feature more exhibitors (90) from more jurisdictions (25) and occupy more stand space (2,750 square metres) than at any time in the event’s history. Labelled the fastest growing gaming exhibition in Europe, the roll call of exhibitors reads like an industry power list comprising remote gaming giants including Playtech, Cryptologic, Microgaming, Boss Media, WorldMatch, A Bet A, Ongame Network, Synot, Net Entertainment, Chartwell Games, Cyberarts Licensing, Partouche Interactive, Continent 8, Medialivecasino, Orbis Technology and Ivobank—all demonstrating a wide selection of new and innovative products and services on substantial showcases. ICEi’s reputation for providing visitors with a rich variety of the latest products and services for the remote gaming sector is due in no small part to the number of new exhibitors which are attracted to the event each year. The 2009 edition will feature 35 ICEi debutantes, 39% of the exhibitor base. This year’s newcomers comprise AliQuantum, Antigua & Barbuda Directorate of Gaming, Connected Table, Cryptologic, CSB Group, Enetpulse, Esanda Recruitment, Global Betting Exchange, Global Collect, GoResponse, Hyperion Online, Imobgaming, Inside Poker Business, Ivobank, Lucky 8, Meridian Gaming, Mfuse, Mirada, NET4Uonline, Netrefer, Noble Gaming, Openlot Systems, Optimal Payments, Player2Players, Play’n GO, QAS, Reed Personnel Services Malta, SC Dollarobet, Search Focus, Synot, Technical Systems Testing, Teckpro, Visionary iGaming, Vodafone Malta andWorldMatch. Earls Court Exhibition Centre