This month we focus on coin-op tournaments. These have been running for around a decade and, in some sectors, have matured into a global phenomenon. But the pitfalls awaiting the unwary tournament organiser are manifold. We spoke to some of the more successful tournament operators about what they find most challenging about organising tournaments - what the legal implications are - and how they get their message across to the players.

Legislation which governs the use of UK Category C amusement with prizes (AWP) machines, including those in pubs, changed last month.

Grand Casino Bern recently announced its decision to award Eurocoin top marks at its annual vendor assessment.

The development of the Cashino brand of Adult Gaming Centres has taken a further step forward with the announcement that parent company Praesepe plc had added six sites through the acquisition of the entire share capital of Issue Depth Limited and its wholly owned subsidiary, Classic Leisure (Northern) Limited for a total consideration of circa £1.5 million, excluding fees.

Brent Sales is anticipating a successful UK summer season as a number of factors coincide to bring the best out of its current range of ‘star performers'.

Merkur Casino - the pan-European arcade operator owned by the Gauselmann Group - has opened its seventh entertainment centre in Slovakia in the town of Trencin in mid May under the brand name "Merkur Herna".

MEI has announced that Sun International management has informed its casino operations that they are now specifying the MEI CASHFLOW SC banknote reader.

Inspired Gaming Group, a leading player in Open Server-Based Gaming has announced a strategic alliance with the Gauselmann Group, Germany's largest machines operator, to manufacture Inspired's new high definition gaming cabinet ‘Storm'.

3M Touch Systems, a division of diversified technology company 3M, has announced that Dave Williams, European Operations Manager, is now responsible for UK gaming accounts and sales development activity in the UK, Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.

The European Gaming and Amusement Federation celebrated its 30th anniversary last month by welcoming four new members into the Federation.  Established in 1979, the organisation is probably one of the longest standing trade organisations active at EU level, representing a combined industry turnover of 17.3 billion Euro, directly employing about 350,000 people, and accounting for 20% of the overall gambling sector.  "The way in which gambling services are provided has evolved enormously over the past 30 years which has required a great deal of innovation and flexibility from industry" said EUROMAT President Annette Kok (pictured), who is also the Chair of the Dutch association, VAN.  "In the same way, we have had to keep up with the ever-changing way in which decisions are made at EU level and the impact this has on our national markets".

Lo-Q plc, the leading supplier of virtual queuing systems to theme parks, has signed an agreement with Parque Isla Mágica for the installation of its Text-Q ride reservation system.  The Spanish Parque Isla Mágica is the first theme park outside of the UK to sign up to Text-Q and takes advantage of the new multi-language capability.

In a significant judgment last month, the UK High Court has upheld the earlier decision of the VAT Tribunal and ruled that the Rank Group Plc (Rank) is entitled to a refund from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for VAT overpaid on games of interval bingo and certain gaming machines.  In a strong decision in favour of Rank, the High Court stated that there was no objective justification for the differential in tax treatment by HMRC which breached the European Community principle of fiscal neutrality.

Avalue Technology, a world leading manufacturer of embedded systems and industrial computers has recently extended its distribution agreements with MDS Technology, a large embedded solution company in Korea, in June. The new agreement covers broad of countries in Asia-Pacific and South Asia regions.

The 1st GTI Asia China Expo, organized by Game Time International (GTI), will take place on the 1st floor of Hall 1, 2, 3 and 5 of Liuhua Exhibition Center, China Import and Export Fair, in Guangzhou, China on September 3 to 6. 

WagerWorks, the leading remote gaming software supplier, has announced the release of online ports of Barcrest Group's leading UK branded game titles.  

Scratch and Win, based on the UK model, could be launched in the next few months in Italy. The winners will receive a payment every month forever. This is a new way of playing that will certainly fire up the Italians' passion for games of chance even more.

The fixed quota sports betting market continues to grow. In May, this segment of the market saw takings of 404.1 million euros, an increase of 44% in comparison with May of last year. However the figure for May was just 0.2% up on the figure for April 2009 when takings were 403.2 million euros. More substantial is the increase in on-line betting with receipts showing a total of 121.5 million euros in May, equivalent to over 30% of the total fixed quota sports betting market, up 1.8% on the previous month.

In a time of economic crisis and recession, the video games industry does not seem to have been affected. The latest data speaks for itself.

The Cirsa Gaming Corporation has presented its results up to March of the present financial year. Cirsa has recorded an operating revenue of 411 million euros, with an operating profit of 52 million euros, which represents a growth of 9% over the same period of the previous year.

The commercial launch of the GigaVegas machine, the most recent creation of Conei's Industrial Division, which was presented at the Andalusian Fair in Málaga, took place in Barcelona and Valencia last month. With the image of Elvis Presley as backdrop, emulating the spectacular atmosphere of the Las Vegas casinos,  Gigames has attempted to transfer into the bars and restaurants the attraction that comes from combining a traditional machine with the new technological trend of incorporating a video screen.

The XIV Cofar Congress took place in June in the Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid. Once again this year it saw the gathering of the most representative Associations in the Spanish Private Gaming Sector. Several papers were presented to the Congress during the day. Distinguished speakers together with various legislators analyzed the current market situation.

The European Union has condemned Spain for not regulating the lotteries and random combinations and commercial draws which are being developed at the present time. In this regard, the central Administration and the autonomous communities must act immediately to regulate aspects such as the deceptive publicity and the use of lotteries and random combinations for commercial gain, following the sentence by the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg, which has condemned the Spanish State for not transposing the Directive from the European Parliament and the Council dated 11th May 2005 on unfair commercial practices of companies in their relations with the consumers in the internal market.

In veto-proof majorities in both the Illinois House and Senate, each licensed bar and truck stop statewide will be permitted to operate up to five video gaming devices. As part of an omnibus bill favored by Governor Pat Quinn, the Video Gaming Act is among many fundraising provisions. The 30% tax on legal poker earnings could generate $375 million in annual revenues for the state, with much allocated toward educational projects.

President Barack Obama has endorsed The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which will give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco products. The measure overwhelmingly passed both the Senate and the House in early June.

The Louisiana State Senate has approved SB 273, requiring video poker machines inside truck stops to be at least half a mile from residential properties. If enacted into law, it would apply to truck stops seeking new gaming license applications after January 1, 2010.

As of press time, negotiators from the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) were completing the conditions of the proposed merger between the two groups.

U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection & Enforcement Act. It would allow online gambling in the U.S. for the first time in three years. American businesses could legally compete in this market for the first time.

After an eventful decade, veteran American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) leader Mike Rudowicz has stepped down as president. With 40 years of industry experience, he brought knowledge of both distribution and manufacturing to his job.

UNITED STATES

The European Commission has published the outcome of its investigation into US laws on remote gambling and their impact on EU suppliers. The report found that the US measures are inconsistent with WTO rules, and it urged the US administration to address the situation and end its "violation of global trade rules". Source: Euromat

Over 1200 French men, ladies and under-16s took part in the ninth AFEBAS individual and team finals held from May 30 to June 1. This figure, which about equals the total number of players who attend the European Blackball Masters event in April and the BAPTO Finals in November, brings further evidence of the growing popularity in France of the blackball game.

Pool tables are better made these days than they were about 30 years ago when such items as inferior cushions could determine the course of a tight game. From the operators' points of view there were no such things as electronic coin-acceptors or adjustments that could be made to the price of play during busy and less busy parts of the day.

Following a number of queries about which tables are currently being made by Simply Pool Ltd following its merger at the start of this year with Excel Leisure the company's commercial director, Stan McKenna, has confirmed to Euroslot that a full complement of both parties' tables are available.

Business if improving for Sam Leisure in family entertainment centres and bowling alleys where the company's air hockey tables and American pool tables are popular. Liam Barratt, Sam Leisure's PR, told Euroslot: "Pub business in pool is tough but we have been able to switch to places like FECs and bowling alleys with our air hockey tables and American pool tables. New developments and investments in such places have brought some increased sales for us and although we still think it  will be a tough year we are quietly satisfied with the progress so far".

G2E Asia 2009 that was held at the Venetian Macao on June 3~4 showed signs of being affected by the global financial crisis. The show's scale dwindled; booth and visitor numbers decreased. Among nearly 150 exhibitors, there were 21 exhibitors coming from Taiwan, including Astro, Borden, Bingotimes, Jumbo, IGS, Subsino, Homer, Taiwan Fulgent, Huai I, New Sun Yu, Shang Yang, Jyuee Ang, Grantech, Advantech, King Cabinet, IBASE, Taiwan Yuanmei, Axiomtek, Paokai, and GTI Magazine. 

Shenzhen Huaqiang Holding Limited will establish a cultural and technological theme park in Johannesburg, South Africa with the investment of USD 250 million.

The registration of GTI Asia China Expo 2009 has started; the first companies to complete the registration were members of Panyu Game Association, Panyu government, Jucheng Technology, Shuang Ying, Belrare, Borden, Yi Eel Shang Enterprise, Nippo Tusho, Zhong Yi, 7 Color, Fuchen and BingoKing International; more companies will be finishing the registration soon.

Holding a tournament is a bit like throwing a huge party - to ensure its success, one has to make sure several elements are in place. Firstly, you have to ensure that the guests know they are invited. Secondly, you have to make it worth their while to turn up. And thirdly, you need to make sure that you have the controls in place in case the whole thing gets out of hand.

Tournaments on video games have their own set of challenges. Sega Amusements Europe has run a couple of very successful tournaments on two video games; namely World Club Championship Football (WCCF) and Dinosaur King , the children's card collecting game.

Events conspired against the Park Avenue Open Day this year - tube workers decided to go on strike and the rain came down. Bizarrely, the introduction of the new stakes and prizes for the £70 AWPs also happened on the same day. Everyone was expecting the changeover date to be two days later.

Like many others at the Park Avenue Open Day last month, Steve Hawkins at Essex Leisure was surprised to find the changeover date for new stakes and prizes AWPs had been moved forward two days.

Namco Europe/Brent Sales has launched what videogame aficionados are describing as 'the innovation of the year' with the release of Raw Thrills' hi-tech powerboat racing game H2Overdrive.

UK Kiddie Ride specialists Jolly Roger have added two exciting new carousels to their range: the Plane Carousel and the Horse Carousel.

BetStone, a pioneer in server based gaming (SBG) solutions, has launched its newest game for the Asian market at this year's G2E Asia. Lucky Money Frog, joins BetStone's portfolio of over 80 games as its newest offering.

Aristocrat Technologies Europe has underlined its commitment to get closer to its customers with the development of a new client-facing microsite. Hosted at www.aristocratgreatvalues.co.uk, the site encapsulates the company's 'Great Values' CRM initiative and provides a communications platform packed with entertainment, news, tips, hot contacts, monthly information on top games, competitions and more.

Simworx Ltd., the UK-based 4D effects theatre and simulation attraction specialist, has supplied a Mobile Morphis Movieride Theatre to Walt Disney Corporation's European promotions agency.

Combining sports theming with coin roll-down prowess, Hat Trick is a new three-player ticket redemption game from ICE, distributed exclusively throughout the UK, Ireland and continental Europe by Brent Sales/Namco Europe.

Allstar's iCarly sticker series is based on the number one-rated live-action show for boys and girls ages 5-11. iCarly's numbers are so high that they even surpassed the NBA playoffs. This Nickelodeon winner features Miranda Cosgrove as Carly who broadcasts her own popular web show, iCarly, with her friends Sam and Freddie - right out of her own attic. Allstar's iCarly stickers are available in a series of 12 colorful designs that showcase the characters in individual and fun group poses.