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Green shoots


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Buoyed by growth in racetrack casinos, Palenik believes regional casinos will be the fastest growing cat- egory during the next five years as investment in new and improved offerings and facilities continue to re-direct visitors and revenue. Over the five year


forecast, Nevada will increase at a 4.1 per cent compound annual rate to $12.5bn in 2014 from $10.2bn in 2009. According to the


report, Atlantic City is the only market where revenues in 2014 will be lower than in 2009. The region is most impacted by the eco- nomic downturn and intensifying competi- tive pressures from regional casinos (i.e. Pennsylvania and New York). Casino revenues in Atlantic City fell by 13.2 per cent in 2009 and revenues are not expected to pick up again until 2013, with 2014 levels still well below their 2006 peak. According to PwC’s


report ‘Playing to win: The outlook for the global casino and online gaming market to 2014,’ the US will remain the largest gaming region in 2014, although Asia Pacific will be the fastest growing with a pro- jected 23.6 per cent increase compounded annually to $62.9bn in 2014 from $21.8bn in 2009.


Respondents to the


American Gaming Asso- ciations’ second survey on the state of the industry gave similar responses to last year when asked to compare their business activity from the previous year with 48 per cent believ- ing the business was getting better com- pared with 47 per cent in 2009. However, only 11 per cent thought the indus- try would bounce back in one or two years. The bulk of the 2010 survey respondents, 44 per cent, said it would take the gaming industry three to four years to rebound.


Playboy takes first mover advantage in Cancun


If you’re going to be the first fully fledged, legal casino in a resort, you might as well do it in some style. Congratulations go to Palmas Group who has teamed up with Playboy for the first Playboy Club in South America. Phil Martin reports.


latinflair MEXICO


Playboy Club Cancun, a bou- tique gaming and entertain- ment venue that features a restaurant, nightclub, casino, sports gaming and sports lounge, opened in the famous Mexican holiday resort on December 4.


Owned and operated under licence by Entreten- imiento De Mexico, a leading Mexican casino company that operates and licenses over 18 gaming venues throughout the country under the Palmas group, it has also achieved the status as Cancun’s first casino. The company and its subsidiaries serve over 2,500,000 players a year and also own and operate two restaurants. Entretenimiento De Mexico was established in 2005 and is headquartered in Monter- rey, Mexico. The new property is located in the renowned hotel zone district of Cancun,


Mexico and


launched with an invitation- only VIP party for Playboy Club members and a red- carpet celebrity event, which included a star appearance from Carmen Electra. Hugh Hefner, founder and


chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises, said: “I am pleased to bring the


Playboy Enterprises, said: “With the opening of this striking new venue, both Cancun residents and inter- national visitors alike will now be able to experience the energy and excitement that the Playboy brand gen- erates. By working with this calibre of strong local part- ners we have at Playboy Club Cancun, we will continue to grow our successful licens- ing and location based enter- tainment businesses around the world. We look forward to bringing the Playboy brand to life at additional Playboy venues in select global markets.” Ex playmate Electra cut


Playboy Club to Mexico for the first time and to combine the sexy sophistication of the Playboy brand with the international allure of Cancun. With the opening of Playboy Club Cancun and the arrival of the Playboy Bunnies, nightlife there will never be the same.” The 12,000 square foot designed by


property,


Archon Design, incorporates influences from the original Playboy Club in Chicago with the jet-setting ambience of tropical Mexico. The


venue’s intricate custom design details include an authentic Mexican hand- punched metallic wall fea- turing the iconic Playboy Rabbit Head Design; select pieces from Playboy’s multi- million dollar art collection; and a specially commis- sioned illustration of the Cancun Playboy Bunny by famed pinup artist Don Lewis. The new property integrates gaming with con- temporary nightlife, and will showcase an international mix of DJs and musical enter-


tainment. Playboy Club Cancun also boasts a restau- rant with a tapas menu offer- ing flavours from around the world. Playboy Club Cancun fea-


tures the world famous Playboy Bunnies, who will be making their debut in Mexico.


Bunnies at the


Playboy Club Cancun will work as hostesses, cocktail servers, and Bunny dealers and hail from countries including Argentina, Cuba, Canada, Russia and Mexico. Scott Flanders, CEO of


the ribbon that inaugurated the venue. “I am happy and enchanted to be in Cancun, which is a marvellous place,” she said. Jared Dougherty, vice pres- ident of marketing and licences of Playboy Enter- prises, said that Cancun is one of the most famous and appreciated places world- wide. “We are sure that this new casino will be very attractive for men and women that like to have a life full of style, fun and class.” Playboy Club Cancun joins Playboy Club Las Vegas at The Palms Casino Resort, Playboy Club Macao, and future properties in develop- ment in Miami and London.


Hard Rock casino fights back against Seminole claims


counterclaim UNITED STATES


The Las Vegas Hard Rock hotel-casino is fighting a trademark lawsuit filed by the owner of the Hard Rock brand head on, with a counterclaim that the cafe business is interfering with its business in Nevada and other states. The cafe business, owned by Florida’s Seminole tribe, has rights to develop Hard Rock casinos east of the Mississippi River. It said that the reality TV show ‘Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel’ was damaging to the worldwide Hard Rock brand. In its counterclaim, the Las Vegas casino said: “The (Las Vegas) Hard Rock defendants have done nothing wrong and, in fact, are victims of systematic legal and business harassment by the cafe, which today’s countersuit seeks to remedy. The Cafe complains about a range of alleged trademark abuses that in many cases it has long known about, tolerated or even approved. Most notably, the Cafe claims to be shocked and disturbed by the popular reality


television show ‘Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel,’ filmed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas - despite the fact that this show and the lively behaviour it portrays have already been on the air for two years; depicts an event similar to the ‘Detox’ party held at one of the Cafe’s properties (Biloxi, Miss); and has brought enormous positive publicity to the Hard Rock brand.” Attorneys for the Las Vegas casino claim that


the Hard Rock Cafe has interfered with its agreements to sublicense the Hard Rock name to two tribes: Cherokee Nation Enterprises which built a Hard Rock hotel-casino in Catoosa, Oklahoma in 2009, and to the Pueblo of Isleta for a renovated and newly branded Hard Rock hotel-casino in Albuquerque in 2010. Attorneys argued: “In breach of its obligations under the licence agreement, the cafe has pursued a campaign of engaging in hotel-casino business development in the (Las Vegas) Hard Rock defendants’ exclusive territories and interfering with the Hard Rock defendants’ sublicensees and potential sublicensees.”


January 2011 • internationalnews 3 totally gaming


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