A couple of weeks ago, a prominent UK government advisor was slammed for claiming to see "green shoots" of recovery in the economy. The opposition and the press said she was out of touch and called her remarks insulting to those who were suffering as a result of the recession. While I feel for those who have lost their jobs and homes during these dark times, I also believe that we need to take note of those good things that are happening in order to boost our confidence and in turn our spending.

Electrocoin have its biggest ever presence at ATEI/IGE with three stands across the two shows. There will be numerous product launches across a number of sectors of the business, reinforcing the company's position as a manufacturer and distributor of both gaming and amusement machines.

The new product catalogue of wh Münzprüfer Berlin GmbH has been just released. New products especially for PC based applications have been developed and are included in this new catalogue version such as:

International Game Technology has announced the promotion of Patrick W. Cavanaugh to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The promotion will be effective upon receipt of any required regulatory approvals. Cavanaugh was most recently IGT's Vice President of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations.

TAB Austria will be showing a range of exciting new products at this year's ATEI. The company already showed its Fun4Four game concept at IMA, which allows up to four players to enjoy a range of games simultaneously. In addition to this, TAB Austria will be showing its video AWP concept called Golden Island which can be configured to a number of different markets and comes packed with exciting games.

Betson Enterprises in conjunction with Access to Money and WRG Services, Inc. is adding two new ATM machines to its diverse coin-operated product line. Betson, after careful consideration is proud to present the Triton RL 2000 and the WRG Genesis, two of the industries leading cost effective ATM solutions. Betson Financial Services has also announced a special introductory 24-month lease with zero money down and payments as low as $79.00 per month.  Please call for details on this limited time lease program.

As this issue of Euroslot was going to press we learned that two of the top English pool table manufacturers had merged on January 9 to form one company in an effort to increase the sale of their pool tables and to help overcome the current problems from which the pool table manufacturing industry is suffering.

Sound Leisure was recently short-listed for an innovation award, as part of the Manufacturer Live programme in association with the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Betson Imperial Parts and Service a leading distributor of amusement, vending and gaming parts and service in the US, recently announced that they have expanded and redesigned their national internal call centre. The call centre is located in Carlstadt, NJ about six miles outside of New York City where Betson is located.  The call centre has increased its staffing and hours of operation to handle Betson's increasing volume of calls and emails, which reflect the rapid growth of products sales and service.

Octavian, a leading provider oftotal gaming and lottery solutions, serving Casino, AWP (Amusements With Prizes), Lottery and emerging gaming market sectors worldwide, has announced a 1-for-5.0174 reverse stock split of its shares of common stock and a change of its trading symbol on the OTC Bulletin Board to "OCTV."

Soundnet - the leading supplier of digital music to the UK jukebox sector - reveals that an amazing 85 per cent of all tracks chosen by customers are new releases.

Charlie Palmer, Marketing Director of leading mobile gambling company Mfuse, has spoken about his organisation's excitement at becoming first-time exhibitors at ICEi. Mfuse will unveil its new mobile roulette, blackjack and multi-line slots to the international online casino sector at ICEi 2009.

Aristocrat Leisure has announced that its fully owned subsidiary Ace Interactive has received an order for 1,000 Indago interactive Video Terminals (iVT's) from Norsk Tipping, the Norwegian National  Lottery.

Alsart Group has opened a new slot shop ‘1,000,000' located in the business centre of Kyev.

Sound Leisure was pleased to be able to support two worthy charities over the festive season. The company decided not to send Christmas cards this year, instead donating funds to the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity devoted to improving the lives of teenagers and young people with cancer.

Magic Dreams has released a new prime quality cabinet called 404. It is perfectly suited to the requirements of the European street market. "Plug your 404" is the main feature of this machine as it gives everyone the possibility to build it up as much as one likes: as a complete product, with cabinet and game, or simply as a cabinet to plug into with one's own board, not necessarily belonging to the Magic Dream's games library. 

Cash Management Innovation showed the new improved MCT 700 high-speed coin recycler and coin/note recycler at the recent IMA show and will also show it in London.

SEGA Prize Europe, the dedicated merchandise division of Sega Amusements Europe Ltd, will be exhibiting the full range of Hello Kitty plush on the main SEGA Stand No.1380, upstairs at Earls Court 1 at this years' ATEI 2009.  This follows the recent granting to SEGA Prize Europe of the exclusive European Amusement Licence for trade sales and distribution of all branded Hello Kitty plush products throughout Europe, the Balkan States, Middle East and Africa.

The UK AWP industry has received a boost thanks to new stakes and prizes for Section C machines. The Government has doubled the existing levels by increasing the maximum stake from 50p to £1 and increasing the jackpot from £35 to £70.

In addition to €6 million plus interest already due to its croupiers, the Casino will have to pay a further €2 million plus interest. The ruling by the employment judge Margherita Bortolaso upholding the case brought by 121 employees of the Venice gaming house has now been followed by the ruling by her colleague Chiara Coppetta Calzavara, who has upheld the case brought by another 41 gaming employees regarding the minimum amount guaranteed on tips.

The Finance Commission has tabled a proposal in which it is stated that previous horseracing betting licenses expiring in 2009 will be revoked for those operators who sign up to the new licenses on the basis of the new call for tenders aimed at granting at least another 3,000 horseracing betting licenses valid until 30 June 2016.

A few days after the coming into force of the law decree on gaming, and therefore of the measures raising the Unified State Tax on takings from slot machines to 12.7%, an amendment to the wording of the Finance Bill has been tabled in the Senate. If approved, it will modify the previous decree and will raise the Unified State Tax to 13.4% of the takings with the aim of allocating the increase from tax revenues to the financing of the Italian National Olympic Committee.

The Italian Minister of Finance has indicated that he is pleased with the results coming in daily from the on-line poker market. In view of the excellent trend and the very heavy demand from Italian players, the Minister was keen to adjust the previously issued data. Anticipated results for this market this year will not be €400 million, but €1 billion.

Recommendations from a Pennsylvania Task Force on Violent Interactive Video Games may finally set a precedent for states who continue to enact restrictive legislation on game content similar to that which has already been invalidated by years of federal court decisions.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) will end its five-year program of filing copyright infringement lawsuits against individuals who illegally download songs on their computers. Using a new tactic, the RIAA will work in cooperation with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to curtail the practice.

The National Dart Association (NDA) said it has completed its move into new headquarters. The new address is 9100 Purdue Rd., Ste. 200, Indianapolis, IN 46268. The phone number is unchanged, (800) 808-9884, and the website is located at ndadarts.com. 

It is no surprise that the coin-operated amusement category has faced many challenges. According to its annual "Census of the Industry", American trade journal Vending Times reports that pool tables and prize-dispensing redemption equipment accounted for more than half the sales volume.

A study released in December revealed that the international liquor industry has not experienced a decline in sales. However, the study also claims that, due to the downturn in the general economy, consumers are doing their drinking at home rather than at bars, taverns and restaurants. Part of the shift reflects an unwillingness to pay premium prices for alcoholic beverages and rising gas prices.

On the contrary however, the betting companies established in Spain do not seem to be feeling the credit crunch. In those regions where this activity has been approved the number of premises dedicated to betting in person continues to grow. At the start of 2009, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Boadilla del Monte and Las Rozas will have premises dedicated exclusively to sporting bets, run by the Intralot company which, under its trade name Apuesta Oé, is already established in other towns in the Madrid autonomous region such as Colmenar Viejo.

In the development projects for the neighborhoods of five major Taiwan High Speed Rail stations, the Council for Economic Planning and Development decided to develop the Taichung Station neighborhood into an entertainment and shopping complex.  According to Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, the Taichung Station neighborhood is very suitable for gaming business development because the land surrounding the Taichung Station is small and needs to rely on an activity-packed industry to create business opportunities based on the concept of "bet small to win big".

The 16th GTI Asia Taipei Expo will take place on May 7~9, 2009, in B&C Zones, TWTC.  The first phase of VIP booth registration has begun.  A great number of international companies have also singed up for this biggest Asian gaming expo, showing their great expectations.

Established in 1992, Saint-Fun International is well known in overseas business, and has been devoted to the business with the operation principle of reputation and professionalism to steadily expand itself to cover the import and export of video game P.C.boards and manufacturing of game cabinets and establishing itself as one of the most important importers of game P.C.boards in Taiwan. 

Subsino, the outstanding R&D firm and maker of AWPs, kiddie rides, multiple-players machines, and cabinets in Taiwan, has completed its GTI 2009 registration, taking twenty booths, 180 square meter, to exhibit its products. Ranging from video fruit machines, video pokers, redemption message boards, baccarats, and kidde rides, Subsino products are all creative market-leading games. 

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic, the next Member State to hold the EU Presidency, is receiving pressure from the Dutch and the French governments in order to continue work on gambling policy at Council level. It seems likely that the Czech Presidency will devote part of its agenda to gambling although it is not yet known in what form and when. Source: Euromat

Sam Leisure decided to stay with the ATEI rather than join other pool tale manufacturers at the InterGame Show because of the global international status of the company and the number of overseas visitors the exhibition attracts. Its Press Liaison Officer, Liam Barrett, said: "We wish our fellow table manufacturers every success at their exhibition but we felt we needed to stay with the main one because of our status."

This year the ATEI, regarded by so many as the world's best coin-operated amusement equipment exhibition, will be joined in London on January 27,28 and 29 by a newcomer; the InterGame Show, organised by the publishers of the InterGame and associated magazines.

Pool has been going through a fairly quiet period recently although Stan McKenna, managing director of Excel Leisure, was reasonably satisfied with the number of pool tables sold during the last quarter of 2008. But, unless he is keeping something up his sleeve for the InterGame Show, his company will rely upon its top of the range Mayfair table and its beech Regent table to attract buyers. Both are regarded in the trade as top quality tables and, as usual, Excel Leisure will have a wide range of spares on show.

The InterGame Show will introduce to the pool industry the new Hazelgrove Superleague table made by a company formed in 2007 as part of Master Billiards Supplies who acquired the right to use the prestigious name when the previous owners, Riley Leisure, ceased business.

In most inustries there are expensive items offered to the buying public by some and cheap items are often referred to as such by that term at the lower  end of the prices scale. David Hallworth, of Heywood Pool and Snooker, would be quick to resent the Supreme range of tables made by his company being referred to as cheap. Inexpensive when compared to others, perhaps, but not cheap either in style or appearance.

For 2009 funworld is planning the successive expansion of its product brands and the introduction of further product innovations at ATEI (stand 1340) in January.

It looks as if this year there will not be as many Spanish companies exhibiting as there have been in previous years. Scarcely twenty companies will be presenting their new products directly to the visitors at the three shows which up to now, jointly and separately, have given London its unquestionable international leadership when it comes to the gaming market.

Leading operator of automatic photo-booths, Photo-Me has announced it will show the coin-op version of the popular new entertainment concept DANCE HEADS® at ATEI 2009.

Emerging Danish company SmokeSolution ApS are looking to fire up enthusiasm for their Smoke Cabins when their make their debut appearance at IGE 2009, which runs between Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th January at London's Earls Court Exhibition Centre.

The objective for HERMES SoftLab at IGE 2009 is to create new business opportunities by positioning itself as the leading force in software development within all areas of the gaming industry. During IGE 2009, HERMES SoftLab will be launching new software in the areas of G2S standard protocol as well as operator offerings.

Namco Europe, combining leading European amusements supplier Bandai Namco Games (BNG) and UK & Ireland distributor Brent Sales, is ready to stage an all-star debut line-up of amusement games at ATEI 2009, with leading roles being filled by a host of Triple A videogames, arguably the industry's foremost cast of prize and ticket redemption machines, industry-leading prize merchandisers and a growing roster of novelty/entertainment pieces covering every sector of family fun.

ICEi 2009 - which takes place within the International Gaming Expo at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London between Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th January - will include the most mature, accountable and responsible gathering of e-gaming exhibitors in the industry's brief history, according to a leading regulatory body.

Interactive digital media specialists mirada has announced that it will make its ICEi debut by showcasing ‘Virtual Dealer Roulette' at the Earls Court remote gaming show, part of the International Gaming Expo.

Gaming and amusement product designers and developers, Suzo Happ, will unveil no fewer than six new products when the Earls Court Exhibition Centre opens for business.

Denmark's live sports and data specialists, Enetpulse have announced that they will make their ICEi debut on Tuesday January 27th with two new additions to their company's squad.

World leader in cash management, JCM Global has announced that it will make an impressive addition to its award-winning, top-of-the-line portfolio at the 2009 International Gaming Expo (IGE).

Leading gaming platform and service solution package provider, Trimark Gaming is looking forward to pitting its wits against the rest of the e-gaming industry when the Isle of Man-based company opens for ICEi business.

Forget the credit crunch for just one moment - the German amusement machine industry is cautiously positive. This was the message of this year's show.

New machines for the UK and international markets will feature strongly in the exhibitor line-up for the first IGX trade show - the ‘alternative show' to Earls Court, at the Ibis Hotel in Lillee Road, London, to the rear of Earls Court.  

Gauss Enterprise is one of the leading arcade game manufacturers in Taiwan. The company has developed a set of VGA Multigame (GSE-626A 7-in-1) which includes a virtual homepage, four amusement games and three gambling games. A customized homepage to cover the games is also available.

Following on from the launch of the Nucleus range and N500 gaming controller, Heber is unleashing the N1000, the latest controller from their Nucleus range.

Project has started testing its latest B3 models, Empire and Merlin. Both products, which were unveiled at Preview, have been well received by operators and distributors alike.

Betson Enterprises, with 11 distribution offices nationwide has joined together with Family Fun Companies, Inc. to exclusively offer their US customers a special New Year programme. NO payments, NO interest for six months on the Pharaoh's Treasure four-player pusher. Also Betson Financial Services has created a special 30-month lease program for $399.00 per month with no deposit.

San Marino-based International Games Trade is pumped up after becoming the first exhibitor from the European principality to exhibit at ATEI 2009.

Gaming machines provider The Global Draw, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation has confirmed details of three new B3 multi-stake games recently released for its betting shop customers.