I.C.E report - day two

25.01.2006

According to the news channels, temperatures in London reached nine year lows this week, but that didn't stop the crowds arriving in droves, packing this huge Earls Court exhibition facility and creating a real buzz.

Two European licensing jurisdictions are prominent in the Interactive section of the display with well presented and well manned sites: Isle of Man and Malta.

Mario Galeo, the head of Malta's Lottery and Gaming Authority (LGA) which licenses 104 gaming operations from its Mediterranean base has been active in networking with many of the international visitors at the show. A friendly and gregarious man, he says the LGA is determined to maintain high standards of player protection.

The LGA recently took up a player complaint involving one of its licensees and conducted an investigation which ceased when the complainant withdrew the allegations after reaching a private settlement with the gaming company involved.

Throughout the incident, and in sharp contrast to many lesser jurisdictions the Maltese proved to be responsive, augering well for the future.

The Avantia and Bell Med services and hosting companies from the island were also active.

Isle of Man representatives were pretty busy too, selling their attractive tax and services advantages to encourage more gaming companies to license on the island. With its more practical regulations, which have lifted the ban on US gamblers at its licensees, there was clearly a lot of interest in their well presented exhibition stand.

New kid on the online casino block is Cantor Gaming, scion of the major New York brokerage Fitzgerald Cantor (although not operating from that country for obvious reasons!)

Cantor became active in September last year, offering white label turnkey casinos to the market powered by the Australian GET software. The download games suite is on large flatscreen display showcasing some very attractive graphics and smooth play on the 18 download games currently available, which cover most of the casino faves.

Cantor casinos will have to meet the Alderney licensing requirements.

Payments Manager Marcus Ford who is based in London told us that there was a high level of interest, although to date there had been no sign-ups. Cantor is working on a mobile offering that it expects to release in the near future, and the company is assessing various poker and network providers with whom it could partner.

TAIN is a name we're likely to be hearing more about in the months ahead. The Swedish company did a Bodog-style deal with poker software developer MicroPower before it was acquired by Chartwell Technology, and has used this source code to introduce its own unique modifications and improvements. There are 6 gamestyles.

The Australian head of betting, "AJ" Thompson told us that by attracting big international companies like Parbet, Expekt, IndoBet, CBN and InniGame among others TAIN has managed to build up a creditable critical mass in only three months of operations. The global player roster now includes over 300 000 individuals, and numbers simultaneously on-network swing between 3 900 and 9 000. TAIN has a Malta based Support which it is growing, and 12 major licensees.

It's always nice to see an old veteran coming back strong after a rocky patch, and World Gaming is certainly producing solid results lately under its dynamic CEO Daniel Moran.

Having acquired one of its major licensees, Sportbetting recently, there are now 13 companies using the WG proprietary platform which offers sportsbook (the core of their business) racebetting (a strong performer) and 19 download / no-download casino games. WG offers poker in a partnership deal with Boss Media and its network. With 3 million accounts and income last year likely to exceed 2004 levels of $ 6 billion it looks as if the company is headed for a bright future.

WG is "looking at" mobile gambling but feels it still has a way to go in terms of real commercial viability, director of Marketing Paul Botelho told us....but there is likely to be some additions to the games selection soon.

River City Group are as always very active at this major international event, with Sue Schneider and her organising team well prepared for three major conferences around the world, so make a note of the following:

20 - 21 February PCIG in Macau

16 - 18 May GIGSE in Montreal

27 - 28 June World Poker Congress in Stckholm, Sweden.

The latter will be the first major land and internet combined poker event.

Finnish company EGET (European Game and Entertainment Technology) seems to be attracting crowds, and Teija Rasanen, the marketing manager says they have been busy. Their casino software package has 20 no-download games with more on the way - mainly slots for the 5 licensees. A horseracing product in collaboration with the State racing monopoly is doing well and the sportsbook product has one licensee at present. The business is mainly Scandinavian, but EGET has developed mobile capability which it is partnering with the UK company Stream Group.

The Apex network operated by Tribeca Tables seems to have accumulated many licensees and players thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign and Murray Chisholm says the proprietary software which offers 5 games is about to be augmented by a new 7 card stud game, along with improved functionality and player tools. With 70 000 and some active players and simultaneous sessions often exceeding 10 000 players online through over 350 skins working for 9 major licensees, business is booming.

Tribeca are particularly happy with the fact that many of their major clients have signed long-term 5 year agreements with them.

InfoPowa reported on the Australian run but Costa Rican based live over the Internet gambling company Vuetec over two years back, and this company is still going strong with 2 casinos on its books and 3 more likely to join soon. Vuetec's "Distance Gambling" streams live gambling from land casinos in CR, and online casinos can buy this feed for use on Internet sites.

Gambling Federation is tucked away on a small and not very attractive stand which did not appear to be genrating too much action when we visited.

Tonight the networking will continue in the more relaxed ambience of a major party hosted by Lyceum Media, Cryptologic, New Generation and Bodog. Invitees are promised belly dancers and comic book heroes, decadent Middle Eastern delights, a Vodka Luge, and Heroes and Villains themes on three floors.

The event will also see the launch of the new European edition of Bluff Poker Magazine and a new bi-monthly title from the Gambling.com search engine and portal people, Gaming Corporation.