CR63-p14-Comment:SJC-Casino Review 22/12/07 20:32 Page 1
casinoreview
“The next big equipment replacement cycle is just around “Exponent recreated a gaming environment complete
the corner. We’re still working on field trials and on getting with blackjack tables, players, and dealer and monitored
regulatory approvals. This won’t happen overnight, but it
the routine handling of the Paulson chips by the players
should evolve over a period of four to five years.”
and dealer as well as sampled the air around the gaming
WMS President and CEO Brian Gamache
table. We are very pleased with the test results which are
believes the next slot replacement, spurred by
consistent with our position that when used as intended
server-based gambling, will slowly take place
there is no unacceptable risk to either casino employees
over the next five years.
or playing public pertaining to the amount of lead in
Paulson chips. The hysteria created by the unfortunate
portrayal of the Paulson gaming chip required that we
take these extraordinary steps in order to provide
independent evaluations of the safety of our product.”
COMMENT
GPI president and chief executive officer, Gerard
Charlier, on the results of independent testing of
GPI chips
Crack downs,
ostracisation,
u-turns and
inward investment
Twelve months after the continued to threaten some casino blueprints, but
announcement and the of the more mature markets whether Euro Vegas or what
owners of Russia’s biggest across Europe with is currently being called
casinos are still in business Germany and France partic- Gran Scala can attract the
and are still clinging to the ularly affected. In February, investment from operators
hope that the elections will German association DeSIA that they crave remains to
bring a change of heart from warned that half of the be seen.
what they see as the unwork- country’s casinos could be Indeed, the November
able four far flung zones forced to close because of news story of Gran Scala
which would do nothing to the dual threat of new styles seems to be carrying some
appease the gambling of gambling competition weight and irrespective of
appetites in Moscow or St and over taxation. Similar whether the 32 casinos
Petersburg. gloomsday predictions were it envisioned is a case of
The UK didn’t need an emanating from France at reaching for the stars and
election for a sea change in the end of the year, whilst embracing the moon, the
political direction. As Prime Kiev is currently looking at a project could provide
Minister Tony Blair stepped crackdown on gambling more stories in 2008.
Different casino down to be replaced by chan- activities. Europe was undoubtedly
jurisdictions pulled in
cellor Gordon Brown, the But such is the diversity left in the shade in 2007 by
different directions
views of the political party of the casino industry, the the lure of projects in
they both represented good news stories more than Macau, Singapore and Chile
over the last 12 changed overnight. The sur- pulled their weight. Govern- but there’s plenty bubbling
months. Casino
prise which greeted Man- ments in Hungary and Spain away to wrestling back at
chester’s February victory in lent their support to huge least some of the headlines.
Review editor Phil
the super casino race, and
Martin reviews the
the likelihood that Sol
different government
Kerzner would develop the
country’s first Las Vegas sized
stances which
casino, was nothing com-
shaped some of the
pared to that which greeted
headlines defining
Brown’s impromptu batting
to one side of the whole issue
the year 2007. in the summer. Apparently
after almost a decade of
newsstand studies, more research was
VIEWPOINT needed. A prevalence study
out in October sent all the
There are few businesses right messages to govern-
which provoke such ment that the industry was
polarised politic opinion already minimising problem
than the casino industry. One gambling but still there has
government’s blanket ban is been no governmental
another’s inward investment advice on how things will
opportunity, a point exem- proceed. The small matter of
plified perfectly by the news the new Gambling Act was
shaping the gaming head- brought in in September but
lines of 2007. without the new casinos
As the calendar changed licenses, it felt a little empty.
over from 2006, there was There were no new
little cheer in the Russian licenses either from the
casino sector, which learned Swiss government, which
it was to be banished to four having embraced a new
remote gambling zones. style of casino itself in 2002,
Putin’s aim of ridding felt the market was well
Moscow of some 787 gaming served with the current
venues won’t be complete quota, a point to which it
until June 2009, long after will return in 2010.
his presidential reign is over. Elsewhere over taxation
14 January 2008 comment
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