AB UK articles from June 2005

AB UK archives from June 2005

From the editor.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... SO, the Gaming Act has been passed in the wash-up. We can all stop going on about it, put away our lobby horses and get back to worrying about making money, right? Wrong. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but it's a long way from...

RAL achieves AIM listing as it backs into Talarius with view to expansion.(UK NEWS)
June 22, 2005... UK adult gaming centre operator RAL has been conditionally sold to the recently AIM-listed Talarius PLC for 39m [pounds sterling]. RAL is the UK's largest operator of licensed high street adult gaming centres, with 5,500 gaming machines in...

ATE receives Clarion call as sale decison nears.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... AS ab: UK went to press, the sale of ATE was approaching its final stages. Sources close to BACTA suggested that, while there was still some details to be finalised, the ink was almost dry on a deal with London based exhibitions and trade...

BRENT Sales will once again be underlining its commitment to the seaside sector with its third Big Truck-Stop Tour.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... BRENT Sales will once again be underlining its commitment to the seaside sector with its third Big Truck-Stop Tour. The tour, which is being undertaken by Mick Kennedy and Danny Hester, will see Brent take a 40-tonne articulated lorry complete...

Progressive gaming opens UK office to service growth.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... PROGRESSIVE Gaming International is to open an office in Oxford, UK on July 1. Neil Crossan, vice-president international at the company and lain London, international product marketing manager, will move to the UK to head up the new...

Leisure Link pens new deal with BT and looks to Europe.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... LEISURE Link has announced a renewed 45m [pounds sterling], five-year deal with BT to employ its broadband network to support the continued roll-out of the company's digital product portfolio. This builds on an existing two-year deal worth...

Nigel McLaughlin joined Bell-Fruit Games on May 9 in the new position of director of business development (technical).(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... NIGEL McLaughlin joined Bell-Fruit Games on May 9 in the new position of director of business development (technical). Reporting to MD John Austin, he will be responsible for identifying and developing technically-based business opportunities....

Fatspanner.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... FATSPANNER, the design and manufacturing company based in the Midlands has announced the appointment of Lee Timmins to the position of sales and support manager. Timmins previously worked at Mayagy running the customer support department.

Leisure Link.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... LEISURE Link has appointed Chris Campbell as director of product management who, along with his new management team of six, will look after both traditional and networked products and focus their efforts on the management and coordination of...

Park Avenue opens its doors as Electrocoin plans for 30th.(UK NEWS)
June 22, 2005... THE Park Avenue Open Day, once again looks like it will be a great success. Electrocoin and UDC are set to open their doors to the industry on June 8 with all the usual hospitality. Electrocoin's Greek barbecue will be fired up and a...

Amuse UK later but still at Norbreck.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... AMUSE UK and the Hall of Fame, which have both traditionally been held together ahead of the new tourist season, have been moved later after consultation with representatives of the coin-op industry. Amuse 2006 will be held on May 10 and 11...

Konami launches legal attack on dance simulation foe.(UK NEWS)
June 22, 2005... ON May 9, 2005, Konami Corporation filed a complaint against Roxor Games, Inc of Austin, Texas, with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, asking the court to grant an injunction and damages against Roxor's In The Groove...

Heavyweight Naz in Cosmic move.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... THE UK's Cosmic Video Amusements (CVA) has announced that it has appointed Nassir Ghanchi as its business development manager. "Of all the companies in the industry, I have long admired CVA," said Ghanchi. "They are well respected and...

Queen's Awards call to industry.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... SUCCESSFUL leisure and gaming companies are being invited to apply now for a chance to win a Queen's awards for Enterprise--the UK's most prestigious award for business related achievement. The official call for entries for the 2006 Queen's...

Admiral--part of the Novomatic Group of Companies--opened a new entertainment centre in East Street, Bedminster, on April 15, 2005.(UK NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... ADMIRAL--part of the Novomatic Group of Companies--opened a new entertainment centre in East Street, Bedminster, on April 15, 2005. The new Admiral leisure facility is housed in the old Lloyds TSB Bank grade II listed building and consists of a...

There are around 400,000 video games--excluding touchscreen games--in the European market, according to stats compiled by ab:UK in conjunction with some leading manufacturers.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... THERE are around 400,000 video games--excluding touchscreen games--in the European market, according to stats compiled by ab:UK in conjunction with some leading manufacturers. However, a number of these are older games which are not being...

Opinions are divided regarding the size of the amusement market in Russia.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... OPINIONS are divided regarding the size of the amusement market in Russia. According to UK-based Deith Group, the demand is increasing for top-end amusement pieces, but gaming is a much bigger business where larger profits can be made, and...

Namco and Bandai unite to create second game giant.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
June 22, 2005... A $1.7bn. deal has seen the merger of major video game maker Namco with Japanese toy maker Bandai, which makes a range of toys including the Power Rangers. The deal makes the new Bandai-Namco group the second largest maker of toys and...

Electronic darts on the up in Europe.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
June 22, 2005... THERE is a noticeable resurgence in the fortunes of electronic darts throughout Europe, according to Adrian Buckley, managing director at Spanish firm Diana Marketing. From the peak years of 1992/4 darts has steadied into a mature market...

Global VR lands new president and CEO to much Acclaim.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... CONSUMER game and animation industries veteran Jim DeRose is Global VR's new president and CEO. He replaces interim president Brad Nelson of Calim Private Equity and CEO Milind Bharvirkar, the arcade game factory founder who will remain...

Jukebox veteran Jablonski lands place at Touchtunes.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Touchtunes Music corp)
June 22, 2005... STATESIDE digital jukebox pioneer TouchTunes has added a new regional sales manager. Industry veteran Mike Jablonski, will be tasked with spearheading the company's first push into international markets. Jablonski will focus on opening the...

Video set to impact on Spanish AWPs.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... VIDEO AWPs will make a major impact on the Spanish coin machine industry in the next year. Three more regions of the country--making six out of the 17 provinces--have now amended their gaming machine laws to permit simulated reels. ...

Family life takes Ecast chief exec out of the boardroom.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Robbie Vann-Adibe )(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... AFTER almost three and a half years, Ecast chief executive Robbie Vann-Adibe has left his post, citing personal reasons. "When I joined the company, there were only 300 Ecast-powered jukeboxes in the field and my mission was to ensure the...

Steve Blattspieler, a 30-year veteran of the amusement game manufacturing sector, passed away on Sunday, April 3 at Torrance Memorial Hospital in the Los Angeles area.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
June 22, 2005... STEVE Blattspieler, a 30-year veteran of the amusement game manufacturing sector, passed away on Sunday, April 3 at Torrance Memorial Hospital in the Los Angeles area. The 52-year-old died following a long battle with pancreatic cancer; his...

Virginia operator Jim Pietrangelo of Top Draw Amusements in the US is set to become the AMOA's next president in September.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Amusement and Music Operators Association)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... VIRGINIA operator Jim Pietrangelo of Top Draw Amusements in the US is set to become the AMOA's next president in September at the AMOA show in Las Vegas. Pietrangelo, who currently serves as first vice president, was nominated for the top...

The AAMA has reserved its coin-op pavilion for the forthcoming 2005 IAAPA Show.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
June 22, 2005... THE AAMA has reserved its coin-op pavilion for the forthcoming 2005 IAAPA Show, which will be held November 16-19 at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

An audience of 250 executives, mostly from advertising agencies, attended the first annual Advertising in Games Forum on April 14 in New York.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... AN audience of 250 executives, mostly from advertising agencies, attended the first annual Advertising in Games Forum on April 14 in New York. Advertising in games is expected to rise to US$800m in 2009 from nearly $120m in 2004 and the top...

Police have arrested four men in connection with a robbery.(CASINO NEWS)(Gala Casino)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... POLICE have arrested four men in connection with a robbery at a Bristol casino last December. The incident happened in the Gala Casino when a group of men burst into the building demanding cash. Two men from Weston-super-Mare and two...

BIL International, which owns the London hotel chain Thistle Hotels, is planning to apply for licences to have casinos at several of its sites.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... BIL International, which owns the London hotel chain Thistle Hotels, is planning to apply for licences to have casinos at several of its sites, a recent report indicated. BIL has hired Paul Collis, former managing director of Stanley...

The 1.8bn [pounds sterling] flotation of gaming giant Gala, one of the UK's largest casino and bingo operators, has moved a step closer with the appointment of three investment banks to advise on the deal.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... THE 1.8bn [pounds sterling] flotation of gaming giant Gala, one of the UK's largest casino and bingo operators, has moved a step closer with the appointment of three investment banks to advise on the deal. Merrill Lynch, which has been given...

Electronic gaming systems specialist XN Entertainment has introduced a new concept at the Golden Horseshoe casino.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... ELECTRONIC gaming systems specialist XN Entertainment has introduced a new concept at the Golden Horseshoe casino in London. It has installed roulette terminals that can double up as sports betting terminals in conjunction with Betfair in...

Genting sparks more rumours about Stanley and LCI merger.(CASINO NEWS)(Genting Berhad)(Stanley Leisure)(London Clubs International)
June 22, 2005... MALAYSIAN gaming giant Genting Berhad has increased its stake in casino firm London Clubs International to 29.9 per cent, ensuring it will play a major role in the UK's new gambling and live entertainment market. Already LCI's biggest...

Southend fights against casino plan.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... CAMPAIGNERS against a proposal to attract a new super casino to their resort town staged a protest on the seafront at Southend. Members of the group called Save our Seashore oppose the casino but also want to prevent an entertainment...

Milton Keynes planning casino study.(CASINO NEWS)(English Partnerships)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... THE land development agency English Partnership has commissioned a study into the feasibility of a regional casino being built in Milton Keynes. Local newspaper reports in October last year claimed that the city' was set for a casino in...

United tables casino bid as deal is forged with LV Sands.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... MANCHESTER United FC has unveiled plans to build a regional casino on land close to its Old Trafford ground. The club claims the massive regeneration of Salford Quays is the reason behind its bid for a licence. If successful, it would...

Send casino to Coventry say city chiefs.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... COVENTRY council bosses and business leaders have agreed to throw their weight behind a drive to bring the UK's first regional casino to the city. Mississippi-based Isle of Capri secured a gambling licence to operate at the 113m [pounds...

Stadium casino plans 'still being pursued' in Sheffield.(CASINO NEWS)(Sheffield United FC)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... SHEFFIELD United FC has announced it has not dropped plans to build an 80m [pounds sterling] casino at its Bramall Lane ground. The ambitious proposals, first revealed in August in partnership with Las Vegas Sands, were dealt a blow when...

World Gaming has announced the commencement of trading on AIM under the symbol WGP.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... WORLD Gaming has announced the commencement of trading on AIM under the symbol WGP. The company has raised a total of 2,499,000 [pounds sterling] at 52.5 pence per share. Daniel Stewart & I Company is acting as nominated adviser and broker....

Hilton is getting back into casinos.(CASINO NEWS)(Hilton Hotels Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... HILTON is getting back into casinos. The hotels group has regained its licence to run casinos 25 years after subsidiary Ladbrokes was forced out of the casino business over a betting scandal. The Hilton licence application was made for a...

Gaming VC Holdings has signed an agreement with Boss Media to provide a poker platform for Casino Club, Gaming VC's online casino, CasinoClub.com, in July.(CASINO NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... GAMING VC Holdings has signed an agreement with Boss Media to provide a poker platform for Casino Club, Gaming VC's online casino, CasinoClub.com, in July. In keeping with its historical strategy to not support US bets, the company's poker...

3M Touch Systems has launched a new rapid response warranty programme in UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Benelux that offers comprehensive and highly flexible technical support across its new and existing touch monitor range.(SPARES)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... 3M Touch Systems has launched a new rapid response warranty programme in UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Benelux that offers comprehensive and highly flexible technical support across its new and existing touch monitor range. Touch...

MEI's latest coin acceptor, the MEI Cashflow 9500e, which was launched at this year's ATEI, has come through its field trials with flying colours.(SPARES)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... MEI's latest coin acceptor, the MEI Cashflow 9500e, which was launched at this year's ATEI, has come through its field trials with flying colours. The new unit offers all the advantages of the MEI Cashflow 9000 series, alongside an enhanced...

Forge Europa has expanded its extensive range of high performance blue devices in seven segment.(SPARES)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... FORGE Europa has expanded its extensive range of high performance blue devices in seven segment, multidigit, dot matrix and discrete LED package styles and has also introduced blue SPLEDs and Xlamps to the European market.

E-service.(SPARES)(Steve Hughes appointed)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... E-SERVICE, the dedicated service, spares and support company for the coin-op industry, has appointed Steve Hughes as northern area technical sales manager. Hughes will be promoting and continuing to develop the company's comprehensive package...

Exports boost results in Queen's Award for Heber.(SPARES)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... CONTROLS specialist Heber has received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade. Heber was specifically recognised for having increased its overseas sales by more than 80 per cent in three years. The Queen's...

Finger ePoints to Hemisphere West.(SPARES)(distribution agreements)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... COMPONENT distributor Hemisphere West has signed an agreement with Scottish firm ePoint to sell its hardware and software products. These products are specifically designed to enhance the management of currency validation products such as...

Money controls makes a Spectacle of new coin specs.(SPARES)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... MONEY Controls has introduced a freely available software package allowing the download of note and coin specification files directly off a secure website. Spectacle is the latest addition to a range of customer support tools supplied and...

Initial D3 for Cycraft: Sega Amusements Europe.(PRODUCTS)(product introduction)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... SEGA Europe has released another new title for the Cycraft simulator. Initial D3 is now available in dedicated or update kit formats for Cycraft and follows on from the popular Club Kart and sci-fi race game F-Zero. Cycraft is an...

Fast Track: Sam Leisure.(PRODUCTS)(product introduction)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... SAM Leisure has launched a new four-player Fast Track air hockey. The potential for increasing price of play has generated lots of interest and already SAM have taken orders for over 400 new machines for delivery before the summer. The new...

Random Spinner: Bell-Fruit.(PRODUCTS)(product introduction)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... BELL-Fruit's Section 16/21 game Random Spinner has introduced a unique stake/prize structure that is having such a big impact on test results. Like many other Section 16/21 products it offers multistake options and a 500 [pounds sterling] cash...

Eyes Down: Mazooma.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... EYES Down has been eagerly awaited since first shown as a mock up at ATEI. Breaking new ground in game content, Eyes Down presents a brand new patented screen-to-screen game where multiple bingo cards, each offering a jackpot, can be won in the...

Mexicana Slotto: Astra Games.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... ASTRA Games has unveiled another instalment in the Slotto family. Mexicana Slotto joined the Party Games Slotto and multiplayer Megaslot, forming a trio of Section 16/21 products. "Mexicana Slotto is a different kind of Section 16/21 game...

Yabba Dabba Darts: Barcrest.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... BARCREST Games' latest machine designed for the pub, LBO and arcade markets, Yabba Dabba Darts, is one of the first games to be launched in the brand new Horizon Cabinet. Yabba Dabba Darts theme builds on the success of the hugely popular...

Big Screen Golden Game: Mazooma.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2005... BIG Screen Golden Game does what it says on the tin. The game itself presents the same well-proven reel combinations of its three-player brother but the big Golden Game reels are brought to life on a 42ins plasma screen. The powerful artwork...

Doctors 'n' Nurses: Extreme Gaming.(PRODUCTS)
June 22, 2005... EXTREME Gaming's first new game under the Barcrest Group umbrella is just what the doctored ordered. Doctors 'n' Nurses is a hi-tech AWP designed for the pub, LBO and arcade markets. The first game from the Barcrest Group to be launched in...

Around the World: Harry Levy.(PRODUCTS)
June 22, 2005... HARRY Levy introduces Around the World, a new 12-player pusher for the 2005 season. Around the World is modelled on the successful series of 12-player round machines and comes in a new cabinet, with totally new sound and special lighting...

Derby Owners Club: Sega.(PRODUCTS)
June 22, 2005... SEGA'S popular Derby Owners Club has evolved into a new compact size. The new format, much in the style of now popular four-player plasma AWP-style cabinets, is now available. Sega claims that the evolution into this style shows the importance...

Fortune 500 [pounds sterling]: Reflex Gaming.(PRODUCTS)
June 22, 2005... REFLEX Gaming has created another reel-based Section 16 product to add to its successful line. Fortune 500 [pounds sterling] is the UK's first reel-based 500 [pounds sterling] maximum cash win Section 16 machine and is now in full...

Convoy: Taito.(PRODUCTS)
June 22, 2005... CONVOY is the latest prize game available from distribution firm Brent Sales. The Taito-made game invites players to try and stop the wheel in the right place to win a prize. Tapping the brake button will result in a gradual slowing down of the...

In the brown stuff? ab:UK columnist David Snook has several reservations about the Blackpool show, but still thinks it's a worthwhile endeavour. Here he shares his thoughts about the show's past and future and asks a couple of very important questions ...(SNOOKERED)
June 22, 2005... THE surf on the beach at Blackpool always seems to be a dirty brown colour. Why is that? Don't answer... But it is an impression which springs to mind whenever the resort is mentioned. And it was confirmed in March when I returned for the...

Redeem me: 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 ... redemption.(SALES PITCH)
June 22, 2005... Game: Capsule Craze From: Deith Group Pitcher: Steve Bryant CAPSULE Craze, how to describe it? Well, it's a capsule prize redemption game. Players win prizes by making a capsule 'float' in the green section of 2 moving LED...

The ministry of sound: how can this be? An old-fashioned manufacturing firm run by a future-gazing family in Leeds? Alex Lee talks to Chris Black, managing director, sound leisure.(COMPANY FOCUS)
June 22, 2005... IT'S a testament to Sound Leisure that the company enjoys a very low turnover of staff. Many employees have been with the firm for over 15 years, some of whom have stayed loyal since its inception. "You can't get expertise like that from...

Reflexology: after a scoring a success setting up leading rebuild house QPS, Quentin Stott and Simon Dawson have branched out on their own to set up reflex gaming. Rowan McIntyre caught up with them to discover the story so far and plans for the future.(COMPANY FOCUS)
June 22, 2005... THERE are very few in the industry who would consider setting up a new machine manufacturing business in the present climate. A dark cloud hangs over the bigger companies, the major players are consolidating and even after a raft of...

Right on cue: as a staple of the UK's coin-op market, pool has been a stable provider for many years. But how is it faring at present? David Snook investigates.
June 22, 2005... GIVE or take a few, there are 60,000 pool tables in the UK, 95 per cent of them 'English' pool as it has been labelled. To a coin machine operator, the bumble pool table represents everyday bread and butter. And to some of them, you can keep...

The quiet man: the name Harry Levy is almost synonymous with the pusher industry in the UK. But the man behind the company prefers to stay out of the public eye and let his products and his salesmen do the talking for him. ab:UK's Stephanie Norbury managed to persuade Levy to step out of the shadows and share his insights on the the Gaming Act, the state of the seasides and his inspirations.(Interview)(Interview)
June 22, 2005... HARRY Levy is dreading this interview. Interviews rank pretty high on his list of pet hates, which he admits is headed by "people leaving lights on." And as the interview proceeds it is characterised by likes and dislikes. The things that...

Show diary: 2005.(Calendar)
June 22, 2005... June 8: PARK AVENUE OPEN DAY, Electrocoin Sales, 181 Park Avenue, London, NW10 7XH. Tel: +44 20 8965 2055 e-mail: sales@electrocoin.net July 8: DEITH OPEN DAY, Deith Group head office, Reigate, Surrey, UK. Contact:...