Inside Asian Gaming

July 2009 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 47 Briefs the company’s employees,” said Evaggelos Dimou, Slots Director at Regency Casino Mont Parnes. The signs deal is part of a major €140 million upgrade to the near- 18,000 square metres property including new gaming areas, a new restaurant, bars and Club Regency, a private room for members with 63 table games and 1000 slot machines. Eastern Europe launch for ATRONIC hit ATRONIC´s new multi-bonus progressive link game STARGATE SG-1™ had its Eastern European premiere recently at the Casino Palace in Bucharest, Romania. An extensive promotion programme, a press conference and an open-house party marked the event. The game, based on the successful film and globally popular TV series STARGATE SG-1offers fivedistinct bonuses and four progressive levels packaged in an eye-catching display. “In a period of economic downturn, when many casinos in Bucharest are cutting down their offerings or are even closing down, Casino Palace is investing in the newest products,” said Andrei Frimescu, Marketing & PR Manager at Casino Palace. “We are confident that this European premiere has once again demonstrated our continuous commitment to offer the newest and most innovative products to our customers,” he added. “ATRONIC is very excited to be part of this Eastern European premiere of STARGATE SG-1 andwe are looking forward to continuing our great relationship and cooperation with Casino Palace Bucharest andQueen Investments,”commentedSylviaDietz, MarketingDirector at ATRONIC. Playtech revenues up in fourth quarter Playtech, a leading supplier of gaming software, reported a 52% year on year increase in revenues to €31.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2008. The company said income from customers in the Asia Pacific region was a major factor in the improved performance Revenues in that region rose 141% for the quarter, representing 28% of overall revenue for the company. Playtech added that the online casino and poker sectors globally also showed steady growth. It believes that can be sustained during 2009. Playtech got off to a strong start in 2009 when the leading UK high street betting shop brand William Hill launched its online service, William Hill Online, using Playtech software. Playtech singledout the Italianonline pokermarket as a particular success story in Q4 2008, offering growth above the company’s own forecasts. “The company has met management’s demanding expectations andwill meet its targets for the year,”saidMorWeizer, CEOof Playtech, commenting on the quarter’s results. “We are particularly pleased with the integration of the William Hill joint venture,” added Mr Weizer. This year the company signed a landmark licensing deal with Marvel Entertainment Inc. to produce themed gaming products based on film franchises, including The Incredible Hulk and X-Men. Playtech says it plans to use the film themes on a range of platforms and for a wide range of games including bingo, poker and other online casino games. The company describes the deal as an exclusive multi-year agreement. “Our customers can now enjoy games with Playtech’s market leading software featuring up-to-date Marvel film characters, which have a trulymass-market appeal.The proven strength of these brands will allow our licensees to gain market share using the strength of our product,” said Mr Weizer. STARGATE SG-1’s launch in Romania Playtech-powered video poker