Inside Asian Gaming

September 2012 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 67 Briefs building, we were using approximately 22,000 square feet of space. Nowwe have expanded tomore than 80,000 square feet, andwe have increased our Nevada team by nearly 40% since March of this year. All of this expansion has been done to aggressively stay ahead of the ever-increasing demand for our services, and we are grateful to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, to the Nevada elected officials who have supported the privatization initiative, and to all of our regulator and supplier clients for being so tremendously supportive.” The Las Vegas lab expansion and hiring push began in advance of 1st July, 2012, in response to the implementation of Nevada A.B. 279. “The goals of A.B. 279 were to improve access to new technology in Nevada, make it the jurisdiction of first choice for new technology and to create high-tech investment and jobs,” Mr Maida said. “GLI’s substantial additional investment in Nevada and the creation of more than 75 new jobs since A.B. 279’s passage indicates those objectives are being met. We are continuing to hire and look forward to a long and successful tenure as the GLI team in Las Vegas serves the needs of their fellow Nevadans.” Since being named a “Registered Independent Testing Laboratory” by the Gaming Control Board, GLI has received more than 700 submissions for testing for Nevada. The submissions include every type of gaming product, from iGaming to sports book devices and systems, as well as slot products, Live Entertainment Tax systems, mobile technology, cashless systems and casino management systems. “With this expansion and hiring initiative, we have brought in a talent pool with an even broader and deeper skill set. That is exactly what the industry expects from an independent test lab, and we are committed to exceeding expectations,”Mr Maida said. The Las Vegas lab is one of 20 lab locations GLI maintains worldwide, staffing more than 750 employees. GLI serves more than 455 global jurisdictions, more than 130 of which exclusively accept GLI certification letters. Sheldon Adelson Meets Toronto’s Mayor Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson had a 45-minute meeting with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford late last month ahead of what is expected to be a heated debate in City Council this fall over a proposed casino in the city. Mr Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp is one of several companies— MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment among the more prominent—interested in developing the resort-scale complex, preferably somewhere in the downtown waterfront district. George Christopoulos, Mr Ford’s press secretary, said LVS asked for the meeting, which took place in the mayor’s office. Mark Towhey, the mayor’s chief of staff, and Earl Provost, director of stakeholder relations, also attended. It was the first meeting between the controversial Mr Adelson, whose company is under federal investigation in the United States in connection with its gaming businesses in Macau, and the pro- business, pro-casino Mr Ford. “Themayor has said he would always be open-minded to casinos, but it had to be a good deal for taxpayers and in the best interest of the city,” said Mr Christopoulos. Mr Adelson said only that “There are a lot of ifs.” In themeantime, he and five other LVS executives have registered as lobbyists in the city. The casino plan has also sparked interest from two Canada- based companies, racetrack operator Woodbine Entertainment and developer Onex Corp. But the issue is a divisive one, and its fate is likely to turn on the results of a report due out this fall from the mayor’s Executive Committee on the pros and cons. Bwin.party, Man U, Sign Sponsorship Deal Online betting giant bwin.party Digital Entertainment has entered into a three-year sponsorship deal with Britain’s Premier League football powerhouse Manchester United. The deal, which was concluded for an undisclosed amount, makes the operator the club’s “official online gaming and betting partner” and includes the right to run betting kiosks and advertise at Man U’s Old Trafford stadium. Bwin.party, which also is the shirt sponsor of Spanish football giant Real Madrid, sees the deal as a chance to expand globally. “Man U has 569 million followers outside of Europe, providing us with a great opportunity to offer jointly designed and innovative products in countries that do not yet allow real money online sports betting,” said co-CEO Norbert Teufelberger. The club, which debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last month, has a series of commercial linkups, including a shirt- sponsorship deal with insurance broker AON, which is set to be replaced on the famous red jerseys by Chevrolet in 2014. Rank’s Acquisition of Gala Coral Casinos Delayed Rank Group’s acquisition of Gala Coral casino division has been delayed, and the proposed takeover has been sent to the UK Competition Commission for approval. If Rank acquires Gala Coral casinos it will own 40% of Britain’s casinos and there are concerns about reducing competition, according to a report in The Guardian . Rank, the bingo, casino and online gaming company which recently agreed to acquire Gala Casinos from Gala Coral Group, said it is “considering the implications of this decision” and will make a further announcement in due course. The £205m (US$328 million) acquisition, which includes 23 casinos in the UK, is to be funded by new three-year bank facilities totalling £175 million, together with existing bank facilities. The purchase, which is set to take place in the third quarter of the current year, will make Rank the largest casino operator in the UK by number of casinos with 58 operating venues and 13 non-operating licences. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford