There's no business like show business, apparently. It has certainly been keeping folks busy in the UK coin-op industry of late. Clarion will continue to organise the ATEI next January at Earls Court with Emma Green as the new show director, we learned this month. But, in 2011, the show might just move to Olympia, down the road if that's what the amusement and gaming industry wants.

Britain experienced a ‘bingo revival' last month with queues forming outside clubs up and down the country.

 Thanks to Gala Bingo providing a unique opportunity for the nation to play for free, more Britons than ever are grabbing their dabbers to take part in the Great British game.

Clarion Gaming has announced the promotion of Emma Green to the division's post of Show Director, responsible for world-leading b2b exhibitions, events and conferences.

TAB-Austria has again set new standards in the gambling industry with its "GOLDEN ISLAND" gaming platform. Both the complex technology and the design has been given a total make-over, with its high-resolution displays, intuitive design and modern software.

MEI has agreed to license use of EASITRAX Soft Count to Money Controls. The arrangement provides Money Controls global access to the integrated software/hardware solution that makes cash verification more efficient and places information collected in a bill validator into a database that can be accessed to analyse slot floor performance.

Electrocoin is pleased to announce that Shane Breaks will be working with the company as an International Business Development Executive, to assist with overseas sales in Europe/Middle East and Africa where Electrocoin is not represented.

At the beginning of March, MERKUR Casino, the Gauselmann Group arcade chain that operates throughout Europe, opened two arcades in Hungay.

TouchTunes Corporation, one of the largest out-of-home interactive entertainment networks in America, and Victory Acquisition Corp. a specified purpose acquisition company, have signed a definitive merger agreement.

Sound Leisure's Chris Black is planning to cycle 140 miles with colleagues and friends - along the length of the Leeds to Liverpool canal in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Reinhard Schloh has joined the Bally Wulff Entertainment team. His chief task is the integration of the Versus product line - above all the Versus Speed mini-airhockey - into the Berlin AWP manufacturers' product portfolio.

David Bellis MBE, Chairman of Innovative Technology received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the first-ever One Oldham Business Awards last month.

Magic Dreams exhibited for the first time at the Fadja show in Bogotà.

Included in the range of new games are Aztec Moon, a five-reel video slot, available in a nine or 25-line configuration, that recalls the ancient myth of Aztec Empire; and Return of the Phoenix, a game that perfectly mixes traditional Egyptian art and science fictional elements.

Alsart Group will take part in the 18th EELEX 2009 being held in Moscow, Russia on the 9-11th of June, 2009.

Alsart Group has continued to expand rapidly. Carrying out one after another of its ambitious projects, Alsart has confirmed its status as one of leading representatives of gambling market in the region.

TAB-Austria started a three-month international SILVERBALL CHAMPIONSNET tournament in April. Players all over the world will be playing for prizes and the trip of a lifetime worth more than 7,000 euros on more than 1,200 SILVERBALL terminals.

Rolf Klug, a member of the management board of the Gauselmann Group, has decided to leave the company after 13 years to pursue a career as a self-employed industry consultant in the greater area of Kassel.

Praesepe plc, the low stake high volume gaming group headed by former BACTA President Nick Harding, has continued the roll-out of its Cashino brand with the opening of a Greenfield site in Birmingham's inner city district of Smallheath. The opening of the 1,200 square feet (112sq.m) venue increases the number of Cashino branded Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) to 33.

Gaming Support has reached a definitive sales agreement with Holland Casino covering the purchase and installation of Gaming Support signage for its Rotterdam casino. Under the terms of the agreement, Gaming Support will provide exclusively designed custom signage, as well as slot-themed signage to be featured within Holland Casino Rotterdam.

This is the busiest time of the year for Strachan cloth manufacturer Milliken, whose snooker and pool products are in demand around the globe.

Apart from the China Open in Beijing, Strachan was used at the African Billiards & Snooker Federation's Snooker Championships in Johannesburg, which attracted players from countries including Mozambique, Libya and Egypt.

The second B.E.R. (Rimini Bowling Event) has aroused curiosity and interest. This is the first European Bowling Show, held at the same time as ENADA Primavera. Even when it first opened, this event generated a feeling of ownership among the sector operators: manufacturing companies, bowling operators and players.

Present at the Show were all the main players and products from the world of gaming: institutions, network licensed dealers, gaming machines, spare parts, together with a complete roll call of the industry international press.

No crisis in the gaming sector and success again for Enada Primavera. The initial conclusions are being drawn after the ending last Saturday of the 21st ENADA Primavera staged at the Rimini Fiera. This is the Sapar Gaming Machines International Show, organised by Rimini Fiera SpA under the patronage of AAMS, with the support of Euromat and working closely with Ascob, As.tro, Fidart & Sicon.

Total tax revenues for the period January to December 2008, before one-off payments, were € 422,297m (+1.1% against 2007): € 12,287m (+6.0%) from activities connected with gaming (indirect taxes).

A law for gaming in the autonomous region of Aragón. This it is the only requirement that is lacking before the province of Huesca can become the great Casino of Spain. According to sources close to Gran Scala, there is only one more obstacle to be overcome : the Aragonese law, which has to regulate gaming and which must allow a concentration of casinos as proposed by ILD. In fact, Spyland, Spaceport, Sport Market, Realities and Novomatic are waiting for the legal viability of the project to be confirmed.

After acceptance of the Code on responsible gaming by all the casinos and 32 of the 50 bingo halls in Catalonia, the General Directorate for Gaming in this autonomous region has started to issue its first directives. The application of these measures becomes a reality with the adjustment of the software for the Binjocs lottery terminals, which are to be found on the premises of Bingo Halls, so that these terminals send warning messages about responsible gaming to the people playing.

Just two or three years ago poker did not feature in the list of games at some of the Spanish casinos. Now there coexist large European tournaments that are played simultaneously such as the EPT (European Poker Tour) with local series that are organised by each of the Spanish casinos, not forgetting Texas Hold´em which has its own electronic version. At the last two Spanish fairs they have continued to produce multiplayer versions of this machine intended mainly for the arcades that are licensed for type "B" machines. As an example of the popularity of the game, suffice it to say that it is generating a new form of tourism.

As a prior step before its participation in the Málaga Fair, the Carfama company organized an event in Barcelona to present its new line of products for this season. More than one hundred representatives of the main operators and distributors in the autonomous region met in the Baccara room of the Casino de Barcelona. They showed great interest in the advantages of the models on display, among them, the "Captain Morgan" machine from the Greek manufacturer Vlassis which is imported by the Murcian company Videmur and guarantees an excellent quality of play thanks to its high standards in terms of both image and sound, as well as the latest generation of technical devices that turn the machine into a guaranteed success.

In May, a membership board vote will decide if the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) will be absorbed into the Family Entertainment Center (FEC) committee of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). IAAPA's board must also approve a merger.

President Barack Obama unveiled a $730 million small-business stimulus package on March 16. Banks receiving federal bailout money must increase lending to small businesses to help make payroll, purchase equipment and maintain (or expand) employment levels.

Fewer attendees were at the March Amusement Showcase International (ASI) and co-located Fun Expo trade shows. The economy and stricter company travel policies were the explanations.

The National Dart Association's (NDA) new MySpace page went live in March. NDA officials hope its presence showcases the association via videos, slideshows and blogs. The MySpace page lets visitors sign up for NDA's player e-newsletter and find quick links to the association's services. MySpace members can add NDA as a friend at myspace.com/ndadarts.

Some Taiwanese game companies recorded new highs in revenues in January and February this year. With new game releases in March, these developers have the chance to create new records again. IGS, Chinesegamer and Soft-World all had outstanding performance in the first quarter of 2009. IGS has started to ship new machines to Italy and China. With the closed beta test of Prophecy Online starting, IGS is expected to reach a new revenue high in the second quarter.

KN&U, which successfully distributed Korean dance games, has always had a close relationship with Korean firms. It has built co-operative relationships with several Korean game developers on diverse contents including game distribution and collaborative development.

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a Japanese governmental organization, published last month the 2008-2009 Content Market Status in the North America Market. The white paper announced a series of market statistics, which included that the output of Japanese comics and cartoon products reached US$2.829 billion (280 billion Japanese yen) in the market of North America for 2007.

Think Services, organizer of the world famous Game Developers Conference (GDC), have said the event will return to China this October. In March, the Ministry of Culture of China officially became the guiding unit of the GDC China 2009.

Saint-Fun, which will have a spacious booth spanning an area of 270 square meters at GTI Asia Taipei Expo 2009, specializes in developing intellectual, entertainment and non-electronic categories of game machines. Founded in 1992, Saint-Fun has achieved outstanding results in product sales, operating site planning and cooperative operations. The firm also has acquired ISO900 certification and successfully built a good reputation and wide sales networks in Taiwan, China and other countries like the US and Italy. The Saint-Fun brand is widely and profoundly recognized.

UNITED KINGDOM

The UK's Department of Culture, Media and Sport has submitted two notifications to the European Commission's TRIS database: the first proposes to change the definition of category C and D gaming machines in order to allow the increase in stake and prize levels and therefore improve the financial situation for gaming operators. The second notification makes changes to the technical standards of category C machines, so that they are clearly distinct from category B machines.

Source: Euromat

The European Blackball Association returned to the recently and expensively refurbished Spa Hall in Bridlington on April 5 - 12 for its World Masters' Pool Championships, an annual event held in the Yorkshire coast resort since the year 2000. The event was initially held in the Spa Royal Hall but moved to the Leisure World complex three years ago when the Spa refurbishment started.

Stan McKenna, who since the merger of Excel Leisure and Simply Pool has been made the commercial director of Simply Pool Ltd., has confirmed to Euroslot that Excel tables will continue to be made alongside Simply tables and that they willl be badged with the Excel logo.

Liam Barratt, of Sam Leisure, told Euroslot in early April that the company was "hellish busy" because everybody wanted their stuff before Easter. But even that degree of sales pressure did not blind Barratt to the fact that there were other considerations to take into account once the rush was over.

The world appears to have gone poker crazy. The appetite for the classic card game has increased hugely in recent years, partly due to the popularity of the game Texas Hold'Em. Poker has the endorsement of some of the most glamorous celebrities, and has built up a devoted following on specialist TV channels.

While we are used to thinking of poker as a game played in casinos and gambling dens, we are now starting to see it as an amusement or skill game in bars and other locations where no prize is on offer.

Visitors to one of the world's most famous landmarks and popular destinations will now be able to enjoy all the fun of a Pan Amusement Hillbilly Electronic Shooting Gallery. The gallery will be part of the attractions at the Clifton Hill Family Restaurant located on Clifton Hill, the major tourist promenade and amusement area just a stone's throw from Niagara falls.

Harry Levy Amusements has two new redemption games, which are showing great promise. Tycoon Dream is a light-spinning game. The ticket payout values are indicated on the wheel but if the player lands on the question mark symbol, they are entered into a bonus game. Each game is different and enables big ticket payouts.

Due to the success of the redemption game Big Bass Wheel from Bay-Tek Games, a new smaller version has been launched called Big Bass Wheel Pro, designed to take advantage of venues where space is an issue. Big Bass Wheel Pro is 30 per cent smaller than the original but still offers dual ticket dispensers, and a new Big Bass Bonus where players can win up to a thousand tickets for a perfect spin. Players pull the handle to spin the wheel and win different prizes depending on where it stops.

Comestero Group has introduced another new product to its coin-to-note and note-to-change family, called Nexus. By using Nexus, players can put all their winnings in a special containing drawer connected to an automatic counting and validation system.

Microgaming the world's largest provider of online gaming software has launched its 400th new casino download game, ‘The Great Galaxy Grab'.

Innovative Technology Ltd is pleased to announce the NV200 Bank Note Validator has received European Central Bank (ECB) approval for it's ability to recognise Euro Note counterfeits. The high volume, high security NV200 received first acceptance rate results of 100% in the independent tests, having correctly identified all genuine and counterfeit notes within the test.

Kiefer Sutherland will be back to play Jack Bauer for an eighth season of the hit counter-terrorism drama 24^TM. The 42-year-old actor told The Associated Press that 24^TM, currently in its seventh season, will start shooting its eighth in May. Sutherland, whose gritty portrayal of the counterterrorism agent has made Bauer an iconic character, said he's committed to the television show that's revived his career.

Double Up Stacker is the ultimate ticket dispensing game for amusement locations. It combines the exhilarating block stacking game play of Stacker with an excitement of a Progressive Jackpot Ticket Dispensing Game. The two new exciting Double Up and Cumulative Super Bonus Progressive Jackpot features keep players mesmerized and entertained longer. Players can stop their play anytime in the first nine levels and win the tickets or play into the "Double Up Zone" for a chance to win Double tickets or Jackpot tickets.

The latest ticket redemption game from ICE, Free Fallin', is a towering, small-footprint, standout piece designed to test players' skill-stop drop reaction times.

Inspired Gaming Group, a leading player in the Open Server-Based Gaming (Open SBG) market, has signed a deal with William Hill to supply its Virtual Racing Platinum product across the entire estate. Inspired's Virtual Racing Platinum is the next generation in virtual racing and boasts a host of graphical improvements, such as a choice of weather variations - from snow to sunshine or even night-time - improved horse animation, photo realistic back plates and dynamic advertising hoardings. The way the horses or dogs interact has also been revolutionised, making it one of the most technologically advanced virtual racing products on the market.

Barcrest has launched its latest cabinet, ‘Horizon Plus', which it believes has the potential to reshape the reel-based gaming market.

funworld is offering its customers more choice, excitement and revenue in betting business with the new and considerably expanded X-LIVE live betting system, which was available for touch2win betting terminals from the end of March. X-Live includes attractive betting formats, such as the dynamic "zero points betting", exciting over/under betting and combinable live betting.

Bankers have new cause for concern following the European release of Bank Buster, the third Viridian Hyperlink from Aristocrat. Featuring a charismatic safe-breaking pig, designed to entertain players with his vault raiding antics, the game combines a four level progressive jackpot with six swag-snatching Bonus Features.

From the same team that developed the redoubtable Time Crisis series comes Razing Storm, Bandai Namco Games' latest two-player, fully immersive video shooter now shipping across Europe.

The Global Drawis releasing an innovative new B2 game to the UK betting shop market.

 ‘Reels of Fortune' was first unveiled at the International Gaming Expo (IGE) earlier this year. It is a revolutionary B2 game based on a multi-reel format and has been designed by The Global Draw's sister company Games Media.

Booth No. 720 at G2E Asia will bear witness to a spectacular battle between the forces of Good and Evil as Astro Corp releases ‘War of Gods' . The five-reel, 25 line multi-line game is the latest development from Taiwan-based Astro Corp on the IPC Artemis SVGA platform.