AB UK articles from January 1 2006

AB UK archives from January 1 2006

From the editor.(recreation equipment industry and forecasts)(Editorial)
January 1, 2006... Another year, another ATEI. So what can we expect to see? I guess the only real answer is more of the same, and in recent times that means an abundance of Section 16/21 product. Now there's no problem with that. The sector is booming and...

Peter Dean get telling off from government for 'hands off qoute.(UK NEWS)(Peter Dean )
January 1, 2006... GAMBLING Commission airman Peter Dean has been given a dressing down by angry ministers after 'humiliating' the government in an interview in The Times, earlier this month. Richard Caborn, the Culture Minister, contacted Dean, on the last...

Deith Group, Photo-Me move closer to merger.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... FURTHER details were emerging regarding the merger between the Deith Group and Photo-Me International as this magazine went to press. The two companies will join forces in a cash and shares deal that will see Photo-Me become the majority...

ICE move by Money Controls may signal trend that leaves the ATEI out in the cold.(Amusement Trades Exhibition International)(International Casino Exhibition)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MONEY Controls has become the first company to announce that it will not be exhibiting at ATEI 2007. Managing director Mike Innes told ab:UK that the changes in the configuration of ATEI and ICE means that the company "which has products...

Gala to Avago broadcasting success in YooMedia deal.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... INTERACTIVE media group YooMedia will sign a long term strategic agreement with Gala for its gaming channel Avago, believed to be worth around 8m [pounds sterling]. Gala will acquire the Avago brand and associated intellectual property...

Suko UK has been appointed distributor for the British casino industry.(UK NEWS)
January 1, 2006... SUZO UK has been appointed distributor for the British casino industry representing the German Hess line of money handling and redemption centre equipment.

Camlock System is offering the opportunity to win a superb Olympus FE-110 five million pixel digital camera with 2.8 optical zoom and movie recording function at ATEI.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... CAMLOCK Systems is offering the opportunity to win a superb Olympus FE-110 five million pixel digital camera with 2.8 optical zoom and movie recording function at ATEI. Simply pick up a key on the Camlock stand, try it in the gaming machine...

2005 was a good year for SAM Leisure with continued growth in American pool and steadily increasing sales of English tables.(UK NEWS)
January 1, 2006... 2005 was a good year for SAM Leisure with continued growth in American pool and steadily increasing sales of English tables. 2006 will see new cabinet designs and accessories to keep SAM, Europe's largest pool and hockey manufacturer, at the...

Chief Inspector of the Gaming Board, Graham White, has resigned and left the Board on December 31 to take up a new post as special advisor to the States of Jersey.(Graham White)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... CHIEF Inspector of the Gaming Board, Graham White, has resigned and left the Board on December 31 to take up a new post as special advisor to the States of Jersey. White, who joined the Board as an inspector for the north-west of England in...

Broadcast Networks.(UK NEWS)
January 1, 2006... INSPIRED Broadcast Networks announced the appointment of corporate strategy consultant and founder of Sphere Partners Nish Kotecha to its Board of Directors.

Parker and Thomas hope to bring new life to Ace Coin.(Alan Parker)(Phil Thomas)(Ace Coin Entertainments)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... ALAN Parker made an emotional purchase when he bought the Ace brand name from a company which he helped to found, JPM. Parker, the 'P' in JPM, started in the coin machine business at the old Ace factory in Ferry Road, Cardiff in the 1960s....

Cosmic take new lines to Earls Court.(Cosmic Video Amusements distribution agreements with Deith Group)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... UK-based Cosmic Video Amusements has confirmed that it will be sub-distributing the new Section 16 game Pac-Man from the Deith Group. Leon Deith commented: "We are delighted to have such a established distribution team working with us to...

Excel to make its debut in the American pool market.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... THE first American specification pool table to come from UK manufacturer Excel, was due to be shown at ATEI as this issue was going to press. The company, founded by ex-Hazel Grove executives Stan McKenna and Dan Cullen, has been building...

Gamestec links to BT broadband.(British Telecommunications PLC)(Gamestec Leisure Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... TELECOMMUNICATIONS firm BT has won a 10m [pounds sterling] plus, five-year deal to provide an enhanced managed broadband network for Gamestec Leisure, the UK operator of gaming and amusement technologies. Over 5,000 UK sites will be...

Hot Games to bring Samples to ATEI.(exhibiting its online games at Amusement Trades Exhibition)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... RECENTLY-established Hot Games, former JPM sales and marketing director Heath Samples' company, is due to bring to the London show its first rebuilds--for the 10p/5 [pounds sterling] market--in the lo-tech Las Vegas Nights and hi-tech Bugs...

Astra Games, part of the Novomatic Group of Companies, has announced the completion of a deal with Adrian Whitter of Adante Creative Solutions.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... ASTRA Games, part of the Novomatic Group of Companies, has announced the completion of a deal with Adrian Whitter of Adante Creative Solutions for the exclusive supply of advertising and design services. Whitter has spent the last nine...

A project to improve the performance of jackpots in the giant Palace Promenance arcade in Scheveningen, Netherlands, has been successfully undertaken by Signs4U, the Dutch company.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... A PROJECT to improve the performance of jackpots in the giant Palace Promenance arcade in Scheveningen, Netherlands, has been successfully undertaken by Signs4U, the Dutch company. The Palace is owned by Hommerson and its AWP machines...

According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report entitled Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2005-2009.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
January 1, 2006... ACCORDING to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report entitled Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2005-2009, the online gaming market in the Asia/Pacific region is expected to grow by 45 per cent on a compound annual rate to the rear 2009,...

US court hands violent vids a lifeline in game ban battle.(United States. District Court (California Northern District))
January 1, 2006... Judge Ronald Whyte, United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, has handed down a preliminary injunction halting the implementation of California's law that would restrict video...

Terror del fuego as Spain snubs fags.(antismoking laws)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... STRONG new anti-smoking laws in Spain are likely to have an effect on arcades and street locations. The country's parliament has approved a law which, among other measures, forbids smoking at work. Any premises larger than 100sq.m will have...

Merit takes on counterfeit game makers in new attack.(Merit Industries)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MERIT Industries has declared war against Chinese game copiers. The company has been engaged in a battle with Chinese manufacturers building and advertising replicas of Merit games and has been working through the US trading authorities and...

EELEX shifts time slot and location to try and compete.(East European Leisure Exhibition compared with World of Games show)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... THE Russian EELEX show is going head-to-head with its new rival, the World of Games show, which is also held in Moscow. EELEX, short for East European Leisure Exhibition, is traditionally held in December. The last one was...

Video set to impact on Spanish AWPs.(amusement equipment)
January 1, 2006... MORE than half of Spain is now prepared to accept video AWPs following the approval of legislation in Andalucia in December 2005. The province is the largest autonomous community in the country and its opening to the new form of AWP is...

IMA's fate left in question as manufacturers make plans.(International Trade Fair for Amusement and Vending-Machines)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... THE delay due to the introduction of Germany's new AWP law has left a question mark hanging over the IMA show for 2006. Now most German manufacturers of AWPs are planning their own events to market their new-law machines during the first...

Several suspects have been arrested in Moscow on suspicions of breaking codes in slot machines.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
January 1, 2006... SEVERAL suspects have been arrested in Moscow on suspicions of breaking codes in slot machines. A spokesman for the Russian interior ministry's economic crime department, said the detainees had been caught red-handed in a Moscow gambling spot.

Euro Commission VP Gunter Verheugen has sent a warning letter to the Dutch government about its plan.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
January 1, 2006... EURO Commission VP Gunter Verheugen has sent a warning letter to the Dutch government about its plan to award Holland Casino a three-year licence to exclusively operate games of chance over the internet, as this would contravene European Law.

US company ICE has signed a five-year contract with Spain's 46 TSM Games for the exclusive worldwide distribution rights to SuperTrivia, a multiplayer quiz game which ICE took for the US domestic market last year.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... US company ICE has signed a five-year contract with Spain's 46 TSM Games for the exclusive worldwide distribution rights to SuperTrivia, a multiplayer quiz game which ICE took for the US domestic market last year. The game has been so...

A thief broke into the Warfordsburg Exxon, Bethel Township in the US.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
January 1, 2006... A THIEF broke into the Warfordsburg Exxon, Bethel Township in the US recently and stole scratch-off lottery tickets valued at $2,562, according to Pennsylvania State Police in Fulton County.

MGM Mirage has been chosen to develop the casino complex planned for the NEC in Birmingham.(National Exhibition Centre)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MGM Mirage has been chosen to develop the casino complex planned for the NEC in Birmingham, subject to a licence being granted and local regulatory approval. "We believe the NEC site provides an excellent location and with our...

Small fields at the World of Poker TV Winter Windfall Poker Fest.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... SMALL fields at the World of Poker TV Winter Windfall Poker Fest at the Stanley Casino in Glasgow, Scotland, did not dampen the spirit of the poker that was played. The fields consisted of players of many different experience levels,...

Hilton finalises hotel chain sell-off to focus on gaming.(CASINO NEWS)(Hilton Hotels Corporation of America)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... DAVID Michels, chief executive of Hilton Group, will earn almost 9m [pounds sterling] over the next three years after the sale of the company's hotel division to Hilton Hotels Corporation of America for 3.3bn [pounds sterling]. Michels,...

New boost for Dome casino plans.(Greenwich Council, England interested in casinos)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... GREENWICH council's cabinet has expressed an interest in having a casino in the borough, meaning odds of a regional casino being developed at the Millennium Dome have improved. Anschutz Entertainment Group has drawn up plans with South...

Study backs Manchester location as 'real alternative'.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MANCHESTER'S plans for a regional casino are back on track after a report supported its bid over one from Blackpool. A 50,000 [pounds sterling] study commissioned by the city council has supported the argument that a planned development...

Rank files 300m [pounds sterling] return as Deluxe sale is confirmed.(CASINO NEWS)(Deluxe Film)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... RANK is expected to return up to 300m [pounds sterling] to shareholders as part of a review of its capital structure. Mike Smith, Rank's chief executive, had been waiting for the sale of its Deluxe Film processing arm to go through before...

Ladbrokes to continue its casino plans.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... LADBROKES will continue to set up casinos in Hilton hotels after parent company Hilton Group sells the hotels. The prospect of continued strong links between the two brands was confirmed over Christmas when Ladbrokes applied for permission to...

Middlesbrough remaining 'cautious' over casino bid.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MIDDLESBROUGH'S bid to win a regional casino licence is being 'taken forward with caution,' according to the borough's Mayor, Ray Mallon. Mallon has said that he will seek safeguards if the project is allowed to go ahead--including the...

Casino licence applications look set to double in 2006.(CASINO NEWS)(UK Gambling Commission)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... A TOTAL of 39 applications for new casino licences have already been filed so far this financial year with the UK Gambling Commission under the old regulatory regime. That is already close to double the number in 2004-05. A further 12...

Torex Retail has acquired XN Checkout, the parent company of XN Entertainment, XNSA and ACE.(CASINO NEWS)
January 1, 2006... TOREX Retail has acquired XN Checkout, the parent company of XN Entertainment, XNSA and ACE, for 72m [pounds sterling], creating a company with nearly 400m [pounds sterling] market capitalisation. The company employs over 3,000 people in...

Bannatyne's Casino on City Road, Newcastle, has been ordered to take down a 25ft sign.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... BANNATYNE'S Casino on City Road, Newcastle, has been ordered to take down a 25ft sign from the side of its building after it was denied planning permission. The controversial sign has been fixed to the side of the building since February. The...

Brent Electronic, part of the Bandai-Namco group, is using ATEI to unveil a wide selection of low cost, high performance money handling equipment.(CASINO NEWS)
January 1, 2006... BRENT Electronic, part of the Bandai-Namco group, is using ATEI to unveil a wide selection of low cost, high performance money handling equipment. Taking centre-stage among a full range of Japan Cash Machine products will be Taiko, a...

Camlock to offer security to its key ATEI customers.(CASINO NEWS)(Amusement Trade Exhibition International )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... CAMLOCK Systems, desingners, manufacturers and suppliers of industrial locks and locking systems, will exhibit its newest range of products at ATEI. Among the latest Camlock products on show will be the new 12-change Camatic lock which...

Cash Handling Systems' full range.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... CASH Handling Systems will be showing a full range of cash handling products at ATEI--from coin counters, sorters and wrappers to counterfeit detectors. Cash Handling Systems recently renewed its distribution deal for the De La Rue range...

MEI to show redesigned bezel with dual benefits at ATEI.(CASINO NEWS)(Amusement Trade Exhibition International)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MEI will be unveiling its new single coin entry bezel at this year's ATEI exhibition. The new bezel design is based upon customer input and holds several advantages over the traditional dual entry version. Visitors to the ATEI show will see...

Heber will be launching Firefly X10i at ATEL.(Amusement Trade Exhibition International )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... HEBER will be launching Firefly X10i at ATEL Heber will also be exhibiting its Axis System, Pluto 6 Dual Video and the newly launched Pluto 6 Dual Video Development Kit at the Earls Court show. "I am delighted to be launching Firefly X10i...

Money Controls to show it can hit all the right notes.(SPARES)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MONEY Controls is set to show a full range of note acceptance technology at the ATEI on stand 1130. As one of the leading manufacturers of money handling peripherals, Money Controls supplies the industry with total amusement solutions,...

Forge Europa even more illuminative.(SPARES)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... PUSHING the boundaries of its product performance still further, the latest precision high intensity LEDs available from Forge Europa continue to build on recent developments in chip technology, providing a range of new devices ideally suited...

Eurocoin discovers new distribution deal just the ticket.(SPARES)
January 1, 2006... SUSAN Mitchell, president of Slot-Tickets, and Colin Veitch, sales director of Eurocoin, have announced an agreement appointing Eurocoin as the exclusive distributor of Slot-Tickets throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Slot-Tickets...

Bah, humbug! ab:UK columnist and seasonal ray of light David Snook looks back at his Christmas festivities and outlines his wish-list for the year ahead ...(SNOOKERED)(Directory)(Illustration)
January 1, 2006... HATE Christmas. It is an orgy of over-indulgence for the entire population and its original significance is totally lost on the vast majority. I am not particularly religious, you understand, and when half the world celebrates 'the...

Spin When You're Winning.(PRODUCTS)(Mazooma's new machine)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Mazooma MAZOOMA'S latest hi-tech machine, Spin When You're Winning, has come through its test procedures with flying colours with a full tally of approvals propelling it into the order books for early injection. The game brings a...

Pac-Man 500.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Deith Gaming DEVELOPED in house by Alan Claypole, formally with Voodoo Games and Mazooma, and under the guidance of Barry Thompson, director of gaming, Pac Man 500 is Deith Group's first section 16/21 machine. Making full use of a...

Casino Poker.(PRODUCTS)(one-player pusher from Harry Levy Amusements)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Harry Levy CASINO Poker is the latest one-player pusher from Harry Levy Amusements. It follows in the footsteps of the highly successful Magic 7 and Full House machines, taking the latest technology to the next level with a poker game...

Simpsons redemption.(PRODUCTS)(Stern's )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Stern Pinball EVERY so often pinball maker Stern brings out a redemption piece, and when it does, it's usually a hit. The company obviously felt that its The Simpsons pinball was a strong enough product to derive a redemption game from...

Zoofari.(PRODUCTS)(from ICE)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... ICE HERE'S a shooting game in which there is no gratuitous violence. ICE of the US has launched Zoofari, a twin-gun shooter in which the player aims at different animals and 'shoots' peanuts at them, feeding rather than killing...

Virtua Tennis 3.(PRODUCTS)(new video game)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Sega Amusements Europe VIRTUA Tennis 3 is the latest version of a strong proven arcade piece that will receive its first showing outside Japan at the ATEI. The game will feature a host of world professional tennis stars, including three...

Bowl-a-Rama.(Brent Sales' new product)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Brent Sales LONDON-based fun games distributor Brent Sales will use ATEI 2006 as the launch pad for the latest addition to its extensive product range, Rockin' Bowl-O-Rama. Housed in an stylish retro pedestal cabinet with an integral...

Micro Music.(PRODUCTS)(Value wall selector)(Sound Leisure Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Sound Leisure SOUND Leisure will show a brand new value wall selector called Micro Music for the first time at ATEI, at an extremely competitive price. It has also announced that it will unveil a mystery product on its stand at this...

Everyone's a winner.(PRODUCTS)(Felix Corp.'s multi function retail kiosks)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Felix Corporation FELIX will unveil the next generation of its multi-function retail kiosks at the ATEI. Aimed at the licensed trade, retailers and the leisure industry, the new kiosks bring together a range of consumer services...

The Bling and Queen.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Extreme Gaming DESIGNED for pubs, LBOs and arcades, The Bling and Queen has been developed with a brand new game format, and is strengthening Extreme Gaming's growing reputation with a very strong test and early approvals from retailers....

Millionaires Row.(PRODUCTS)(Reflex Gaming's new machine)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Reflex Gaming NOTTINGHAMSHIRE-based company Reflex Gaming will be showing an extended range of Section 16/21 product at this year's show including the exciting brand new machine Millionaires Row which takes Section 16 to a brand new...

Chuv It!(PRODUCTS)(Bell-Fruit Games' latest AWP Chav It)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Bell-Fruit Games CURRENTLY doing the business on industry standard test is Bell-Fruit's latest AWP Chav It! Strongly themed with plenty of bling, Chav It! has an impeccable pedigree, with the very successful Fat Boy Spin at the top...

Section leader: we at ab:UK know how hard it is to make sure you get to, and get around, all the trade shows. But never fear, Sales Pitch brings the industry's top salesmen to your desk and gives you a choice of the hottest products every month. This month ... Section 16/21.
January 1, 2006... Game: Heads Up Texas Hold 'Em From: Deith Group Pitcher: Steve Bryant HOT on the heels of popular Pac Man 500, Deith Gaming has a new Section 16 poker game called Heads Up Texas Hold 'Em at the ATEI. Already successful in the...

The story so Farr: Terry Farr has taken Cosmic Video Amusements from a small, two-machine operation to become one of today's most respected distributors. Rowan McIntyre visited the company offices in East London to find out the secret of CVA's success.
January 1, 2006... When I arrive, at Cosmic Video Amusements' head office in East London, Terry Farr is in the company showroom testing one of the firm's current hot products, PGA Challenge Edition Golf. The company has just developed a way for the game to be...

Zen and the art of casino maintenance: is feng shui the way forward or just a fad?
January 1, 2006... AS befits an industry that is based on the roll of a dice, turn of a card and spin of a wheel, the casino sector has a history of speculating to accumulate. However, the latest innovation is more of an eyebrow than a revenue raiser. A...

Without prejudice: the UK coin-op market has been in turmoil recently with all of the uncertainity over the new gaming act. So what have others thought of our position? David Snook met up with italian manufacturer Fabrizio Alberici and discovered that there are some who are optimistic about our AWP industry.(INTERVIEW)(Interview)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2006... AN outsider's view is always useful. Someone not directly involved might be said to be able to 'see the wood for the trees.' What, then, does a significant non-Briton, living and based outside of the UK but closely involved in the coin...

Show diary.
January 1, 2006... 2006 March 7-8: AMEX 2006, Lynch Green Isle Hotel, Dublin, Ireland (Eire). Contact: MD Associates, Enterprise Centre, Melitta Road, Kildare, Ireland. Tel: +353 45 521190 Fax: +353 45 521198 e-mail:...