Swedish slots supplier ranked among the country’s top 50 tech companies

Stockholm, November 2016 – Swedish Slots specialist Quickspin has been ranked among the top 50 technology companies in the country by financial advisory giant Deloitte.

The firm was listed in the Deloitte Fast 50 Sweden 2016, a rundown of the fastest growing tech companies based on its average revenue increase over the past four years.

The acknowledgement is another feather in the cap for Quickspin, which has long been considered one of the best technology companies to work for.

In the search of finding young gems in the gambling industry, 10 Questions adjusts its lens and zooms in at this Australian entrepreneur who is in the same mission of ‘discovering.’

Carla Maree Vella, whose experience in technology trails back from her knack of reassembling a motherboard as if it was just a bunch of Lego blocks as young as six years old, is the CEO and COO of Malta-based venture capital Optimizer Invest. Just like a fairy godmother in fantasy stories, she leads the search for the next big tech unicorn. She’s been in the iGaming industry for only five years but with her extensive knowledge in digital marketing, drive and dedication, and her young energy, she surely will be a force to reckon with.

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If there’s something that struck me the most upon learning about your journey is this one particular statement you said, “I haven’t worked a day in the last 10 years. When asked how this is possible, I tell people, I love what I do”. How do we score your job? 😉

The ninth Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS), held in Sofia, Bulgaria at the end of November, was the most successful and beneficial of all editions of the conference according to the feedback received from its regular delegates. EEGS has once again proven to be the nexus linking experts, professionals, representatives of land-based and online gaming. Organised by the Bulgarian Trade Association of Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry (BTAMOGI), the summit aroused an extraordinary interest from the representatives of the industry. Around 200 visitors and more took part in conference’s panels and discussions that got together more than 60 seasoned experts.

The chairman of the Bulgarian Trade Association of Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry (BTAMOGI) Mr. Angel Iribozov and the chairman of the Bulgaria’s State Commission on Gambling Mr. Ognemir Mitev performed the official opening of the Conference. In his opening remarks Mr. Angel Iribozov pointed out that the gaming industry is stable and the revenues in the state budget are exceeding the expectations and guarantee the stability. According to Mr. Ognemir Mitev, the conference serves as a great opportunity to exchange information and good practice on the manufacturing, operating and regulatory aspects of the gaming business. Local companies and operators showed great interest in the summit that proved once again their open mindedness about the European experience in all topics, related to developments in the gaming industry.

The regulatory changes and challenges in Europe were the most debated issues during the first day of the summit. As there are different regulations in every country, the talks were very fruitful and led to more understanding of the various markets. The compliance in emerging European markets was a hot topic as well and the speakers succeeded to present the matter in all possible angles, explaining the standards and factors in the process of certification in the emerging European jurisdictions.

The Q&A session, led by Dr. Simon Planzer was also of a great significance. Bertil Vagnhammar, policy officer, European Commission, presented an update on the enforcement and the key compliance facts regarding the 4th Anti-money Laundering Directive and its implementation for gambling establishments.

The ninth Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS), held in Sofia, Bulgaria at the end of November, was the most successful and beneficial of all editions of the conference according to the feedback received from its regular delegates. EEGS has once again proven to be the nexus linking experts, professionals, representatives of land-based and online gaming. Organised by the Bulgarian Trade Association of Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry (BTAMOGI), the summit aroused an extraordinary interest from the representatives of the industry. Around 200 visitors and more took part in conference’s panels and discussions that got together more than 60 seasoned experts.

The chairman of the Bulgarian Trade Association of Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry (BTAMOGI) Mr. Angel Iribozov and the chairman of the Bulgaria’s State Commission on Gambling Mr. Ognemir Mitev performed the official opening of the Conference. In his opening remarks Mr. Angel Iribozov pointed out that the gaming industry is stable and the revenues in the state budget are exceeding the expectations and guarantee the stability. According to Mr. Ognemir Mitev, the conference serves as a great opportunity to exchange information and good practice on the manufacturing, operating and regulatory aspects of the gaming business. Local companies and operators showed great interest in the summit that proved once again their open mindedness about the European experience in all topics, related to developments in the gaming industry.

The regulatory changes and challenges in Europe were the most debated issues during the first day of the summit. As there are different regulations in every country, the talks were very fruitful and led to more understanding of the various markets. The compliance in emerging European markets was a hot topic as well and the speakers succeeded to present the matter in all possible angles, explaining the standards and factors in the process of certification in the emerging European jurisdictions.

The Q&A session, led by Dr. Simon Planzer was also of a great significance. Bertil Vagnhammar, policy officer, European Commission, presented an update on the enforcement and the key compliance facts regarding the 4th Anti-money Laundering Directive and its implementation for gambling establishments.

Nichols, N.Y. – November 30, 2016 – After a gaming license pursuit that has spanned more than three years, Tioga Downs has announced it will officially open the new casino to the public on Friday December 2 at 3 pm.

The new gaming floor features 33 long-awaited table games, including Blackjack, Craps and Roulette, as well as popular casino games like Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Let It Ride, 3-Card and 4-Card Poker and the Big 6 Wheel.

Guests who have previously spent time in the Winner’s Circle Lounge, won’t recognize it today.  The room was gutted down to the studs and rebuilt to house the casino’s new Poker Room.  With 12 tables, seating up to 10 players at each table, the room can accommodate up to 120 players and plans are already being made to host multiple tournament events in 2017.

New tables aren’t the only new games players will find in the casino.  The facility also needed to replace all of the 798 video lottery terminals with new slot machines.  When the casino is complete, guests will find 944 games, including recently released titles like Game of Thrones, new 3D models like Plants vs Zombies, as well as plenty of bells, bars and cherries.  Many of the new machines have a sleeker design and more modern profiles than the older VLTs.

Nichols, N.Y. – November 30, 2016 – After a gaming license pursuit that has spanned more than three years, Tioga Downs has announced it will officially open the new casino to the public on Friday December 2 at 3 pm.

The new gaming floor features 33 long-awaited table games, including Blackjack, Craps and Roulette, as well as popular casino games like Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Let It Ride, 3-Card and 4-Card Poker and the Big 6 Wheel.

Guests who have previously spent time in the Winner’s Circle Lounge, won’t recognize it today.  The room was gutted down to the studs and rebuilt to house the casino’s new Poker Room.  With 12 tables, seating up to 10 players at each table, the room can accommodate up to 120 players and plans are already being made to host multiple tournament events in 2017.

New tables aren’t the only new games players will find in the casino.  The facility also needed to replace all of the 798 video lottery terminals with new slot machines.  When the casino is complete, guests will find 944 games, including recently released titles like Game of Thrones, new 3D models like Plants vs Zombies, as well as plenty of bells, bars and cherries.  Many of the new machines have a sleeker design and more modern profiles than the older VLTs.

I am completely head over heels in love with the iGaming industry because of the outstanding professionals who work within it. I’m not a gambler, nor do I have a background in journalism, but I do have a degree in psychology and an endless passion for people.  Its for these very reasons that I am uniquely drawn towards one of CalvinAyre.com’s newest video series, “Shared Experiences”.

The Shared Experiences series consists of one-minute videos featuring industry leaders answering a question regarding management strategy, cultivating innovation, personal growth and more.  This series has nothing to do with gambling and everything to do with inspiring us as viewers.

I am honored know personally all of our Shared Experiences contributors thus far and would like to encourage you to recommend others, even if they are outside of the gambling realm.  In the meantime, I’d like to introduce you to the series and each of our contributors, I hope you enjoy these Shared Experiences as much as I do.

Andy McIver, CEO, Intertain Group Ltd

Phil Ivey’s legal team are contesting an allegation from the Borgata’s legal team that Ivey’s case is identical to one between 14 gamblers and the Golden Nugget in 2012 where the judge sided with the casino.

A legal team representing The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in their Baccarat battle with Phil Ivey are arguing that his case mirrors that of a group of gamblers who were forced to return $1.5m in winnings to the Golden Nugget.

In that 2012 case, 14 players realised that the deck of cards they were using in a game of Mini-Baccarat had not been shuffled and quickly increased their bet sizing from $10 a hand to $5,000. They won 41 straight hands.

The judge presiding over that case declared that the games were ‘not authorised’ because the cards were not pre-shuffled ‘in accordance with any regulation’, and this violated the Casino Control Act. The judge ordered the players to return their winnings plus outstanding chips. The casino had to refund the money the gamblers put up to play.

PokerNews writer Marty Derbyshire offends poker players after suggesting they are lazy vagabonds who offer little value to the world and Lee Davy shares his opinion on the ensuing flak that followed.

Brian Hastings is quitting poker to sell tea.

The man who won $4.2 million in four hours against Viktor Blom has had enough. I know because Hastings said so on his blog – an invention that allows anyone with Internet access and an opinion to divulge in the freedom of speech we hold so dear to our hearts.

Hastings commented on the consequences of being accused of cheating after the Blom match (he studied hand histories obtained from a third-party). And this sentence got my grey matter flowing like mercury.

Playtech founder Teddy Sagi has sold around one-third of his stake in the online gambling technology provider.

On Tuesday, Playtech announced that Sagi’s trading arm Brickington Trading Ltd planned to sell 32.3m Playtech shares, representing 10% of the company’s issued share capital.

On Wednesday, Playtech announced that Brickington had sold 38.7m shares, or 12% of Playtech’s issued share capital. The sale reduces Sagi’s Playtech stake from 33.6% to 21.6%, but he remains the company’s single largest shareholder. The sale marks the first time Sagi (pictured) has unloaded any Playtech shares since selling £212m worth in 2014.

Brickington has promised not to sell any more shares for at least 180 days. Since the sale reduced Brickington’s stake to below 30%, Brickington has surrendered its right to appoint two non-executive directors to Playtech’s board.

In Venezuela, a food crisis is happening due to government currency controls that are making it very expensive to buy food from other countries. But Venezuelans have found a way to bypass these restrictions, thanks to digital currency.

The Latin American country is in the middle of the worst inflation period in history, with consumer price inflation hitting 480 percent this year. But that’s nothing, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) experts, who predicted the inflation rate will soar to 1,640 percent in 2017.

Rodrigo Souza, founder of BlinkTrade, which operates the exchange for Venezuelan online marketplace SutBitcoin, where people can buy and sell government-issued bolivars for bitcoins, told Reason that the exchange’s monthly trade volume has tripled in the last year as more and more people started using the popular cryptocurrency, primarily to buy food from e-commerce sites like Amazon and Walmart.

Meanwhile in Brazil, digital currency is being used as a tool to bypass the high tariffs charged by the government when purchasing products like the latest smartphones or even when moving investment capital into the country. Even Brazilians traveling out of the country have found that using a bitcoin credit card will enable them to escape the 6.38 percent levy that they pay every time they swipe a debit or credit card.

Melco Crown Entertainment is on track to open its long-awaited fifth hotel tower at the City of Dreams casino resort in Macau—a $1 billion project that will offer gaming starting 2018, the casino operator announced on Tuesday.

MCE CEO Lawrence Ho said his company will be moving gaming tables from its other existing operations in Macau to one floor of the new hotel, which they named Morpheus.

The tower, designed by late architect Zaha Hadid and named after the God of Dreams, will also feature some 780 rooms, restaurants, an executive lounge, a sky pool and VIP gaming and villas at the top floors, the casino operator said in a press release.

“There’s one floor of Morpheus, and I think it’s going to be a few VIP [gaming] tables or a few premium mass tables,” Ho told Macau-based reporters.

BetBright, the young and ambitious on-line digital entertainment, sports betting and casino operator is pleased to announce it won, “Best In-House Product” Award at the 2016 EGR Operator awards.

BetBright won this prestigious award for the development and launch of two of its most exciting new products “Genius” and “Recall” in 2016.  These products were created and developed by BetBright’s market leading in-house product development team in collaboration with the Sportsbook and marketing teams.  The company is unique as it controls and develops its own proprietary technology giving it the flexibility and agility to rapidly create and deliver market leading new products to meet its customers’ demands.

EGR received a record number of entries for its awards and said:

“The on-line gambling industry is evolving at a rapid pace…..But as in any industry, the highest achievers perform in the toughest of conditions and tonight EGR will reward those of you who have stood out from the crowd.”

HongKong-listed junket operator Amax International Holdings Ltd cashed in some HKD1.71 million (US$219,000) from its “interactive gaming” in Vanuatu from July to September 2016 period

Amax reported before the HongKong Stock Exchange that it generated profit from its online business in the Pacific island nation, which began operation in July.

“Between then and September 2016, the business recorded gross revenue of HK$1.71 million,” Amax International announced. “With the number of visitors to Vanuatu on the rise and in view of its supportive demographics, the board is confident in the long-term success of the gaming business… At the same time, while working hard to formulate a strategy to develop the Vanuatu gaming business, the group has also been exploring opportunities to expand its revenue sources by tapping the Asia-Pacific region.”

In October 2014, Amax acquired a 60-percent equity interest in Forenzia Enterprises – a company that operates a gaming business in Vanuatu under an interactive gaming (online gambling) license valid for a period of 15 years from February 2014.

After PokerStars wins the EGR Operator of the Year award for the third successive year, Lee Davy, shares player opinion and questions justification of the award.

When not writing about poker, I am helping people quit alcohol through my company Needy Helper. I have been working hard to understand my customer, provide them with the value they crave and grow my business. A friend suggested listening to the This is Your Life podcast with Michael Hyatt.

I listened to five or six episodes. Instead of feeling positive and accruing new ideas to introduce into my business – I came away with a nasty taste of distrust.

Each episode was carefully designed to manipulate the listener into purchasing a particular product. In one sense, this is a good thing. Hyatt understands the worldview of his customer. He provides training courses, webinars and books that solve some of his customers biggest issues. He then sells these through his carefully choreographed podcasts.

November 2016 –  the organizers are proud to announce out the latest addition to Vienna International Gaming Expo 2017, which will take place between 20 and 22 March 2017 at the Austria Center Vienna. VIGEN is the title which we have given to the Networking Area which will be found on the Expo Floor and the Sessions that will take place in Vienna around the event to maximize your experience during the conference and during the days you are in Vienna.

The VIGEN Area can be found on the Expo Floor located right at the entrance to the Expo Hall.

The networking sessions will be announced in time and we promise that you will only walk away with unique experiences and deals.

Below you will find some suggestions about how you can maximize your attendance at the VIGEN Networking sessions.