CR59-p2&3-Euro 2&3:SJC-Casino Review 19/8/07 10:24 Page 1
casinoreview
Partouche creating online poker ‘space’
Having opened it doors at the sixth venue for the wider
Despite being excluded from a monopoly allowed to offer
start of July, Partouche is Charente-Maritime area with
internet betting to French customers, Groupe Partouche
Low denom
hoping that its new casinos in other venues belonging to
is seemingly safeguarding its existence on the internet by
slots head
La Tremblade-Ronce will be Barrière in La Rochelle, Royan,
snapping up domain names linking the Partouche brand
to La
able to quickly install Jonzac and to Emeraude
to a series of websites specifically dedicated to poker.
low denomination in Chatellaillon and
Of the names registered,
partouche-poker-tour.fr, will
Tremblade slots to add to the Fouras.
enable internet users to register for the Stage Poker
table games on
Tournament.
offer. The French
gaming
commission has
already approved the
introduction of 50 slot
EUROPEANNEWS
machines with low-
denomination slots, starting
from just 2 cents. This is the
The roulette wheels
and the slot reels at
Gran Casino Aljarafe
remain as lifeless as
the competing bids
to take over the
licence. But still the
casino has been
forced to shut up
shop and enter
another project
outline. Phil Martin
reports on a level of
bureaucracy which
few other industries
can serve up.
Current operator the only
bidder at the Aljarafe table
redtape family, remain philosophical. is over, business can resume although we do not agree. project, which is a reality explained. “Another 30 or 40
SPAIN Having been awarded the without problems of any kind. There have always been that we wish to see con- per cent would not have been
licence a decision was later Juan Manuel Abolafio, public declarations about tinue,” he said. “The decision out of the question.”
Over two weeks after the made by local government to director of general services ensuring continuity of the must take into account how He attributes the venue’s
deadline for new applica- officially put forward a new at the casino, described the business until any new public things have gone during the success to its diversity. “I
tions, the only firm interest in public tender following legal unfortunate situation as an competition was resolved, but past year and a half when believe we are offering great
the Gran Casino Aljarafe doubts cast over the validity ‘inevitable matter in view of political intentions are one there have been no prob- quality on the gastronomic
remains that from the exist- of the last process by subse- the legal situation’ but he thing and it is another when a lems and our professional- side,” he explained. “In fact,
ing/previous management quent rulings from the said the team in Tomares was court gives a sentence which ism has been demonstrated. the Japanese restaurant is one
team. Supreme Court and the High also greeting the situation has to be obeyed in the end, We have fully complied with of the landmarks of Seville.
The casino, already Court of Justice of Andalusia. with some optimism in the and perhaps the best thing the law in all respects.” People can come and do dif-
believed to be in Spain’s top The Autonomous Govern- hope that it would win this that has happened is that the It has also proved itself in ferent things, this is the best
five in terms of GGR, despite ment Ministry has now con- new competition and re- sentence is being properly terms with bets totalling some guarantee of the casino’s
having only opened the doors firmed, however, that the only open soon. enforced and a new stage is 80m euros being placed in its success.Weddings, baptisms
to its 25 table games, 100 slots company to have presented a The casino, which was the beginning without further first 16 months, sending the and even some first commun-
and five restaurants, in March bid in the new competition fifth to open in Andalusia, problems of a legal type.” venue into the top five league ions have been held.”
2006, finds itself at the centre for the casino has indeed been has been able to continue The bizarre backdrop of standings for top earning But still the gaming feeds
of an unusual situation. the Gran Casino Aljarafe the operation of its five what appears a one horse casinos in Spain. Abolafio says everything else. If the casino
Having invested some 30m company, the former manager restaurants and night club, race to smooth over any per- that around 20 per cent of this licence is awarded to the
euros in developing the of the gaming centre. although all gaming opera- ceived legal pitfalls is high- ends up as profit. “It really owners of the current
project in Tomares to the west The current management tion ceased on August 3. lighted again by the fact that could have been more if the venue, there are certain pro-
of Seville in the Autonomous is remaining cautious because Abolafio said of the closure: the group is simply submit- circumstances had been cedures stipulated in the
region of Andalusia, the there is still the possibility “It could have been avoided, ting the blueprints which normal during this time and Andalusian casino regula-
venue’s owners have been that other bids may arrive by but if the court giving the sen- won the race last time round. we had been able to develop tions which would mean
forced to close its doors after mail from any other adminis- tence rules that for the proce- But as Abolafio explains, why our business with normality, that once the decision is
less than a year and a half of tration in Spain, but they are dure to be correct this has to change a winning formula? but with all the problems that made the venue could be
operation. The owners of the optimistic and hope that in be done, then there is no “Basically, what we have there have been we have had back to full operational
venue, the British Binstock September, once the contest option but to comply with it done is to present the same to keep a low profile,” he strength within six days.
London
numerouno poker only venues across the capital.
UNITED KINGDOM The World Series of Poker Europe is also set
to land in London in the coming autumn along
named as
London has been named as the European with the Grosvenor Poker Tour Grand Final and
centre of poker by poker player magazine Bluff the European Poker Tour.
Europe. And the UK government is not only looking
Europe’s
It classed the English capital as number one on, they are paving the way for more and more
for the popular card game, saying it had made poker by creating regulations that permit and
vigorous improvements to welcome and legalise these games not only at casinos but
poker
accommodate poker games in its vicinity. Bluff also at online casinos and poker rooms online.
placed London ahead of other European poker This shift in government policy has not only
cities such as Tallinn, Barcelona, Monte Carlo benefited the tax payer, but has caused a
centre
and Dublin. Bluff said London had an extraor- surge in poker playing especially from those in
dinarily large diversity of poker on offer not just the US who have been banned from playing
at its 24 casinos but at an increasing number of because of new US government regulations.
2 September 2007 europeannews
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