West Bromwich Albion

“They are a vibrant brand and have been a pleasure to work with over the course of what has been an important season in the club’s history.”

Albion Sales & Marketing Director Adrian Wright added: “The mutual decision to part company with Bodog was not an easy one for the Club based on the fact we were very happy with our relationship.

“However, the Club have been presented with an attractive new opportunity and Bodog were more than happy to accommodate our request to step aside and enable us to pursue a different avenue.”

Albion fans have been able to take advantage of Bodog’s “Baggie of the Month” competition throughout the year and Ed Pownall, PR Director for the Bodog Brand, said: “We have very much enjoyed working alongside West Bromwich Albion during another successful season for the club as well as teaming up once again with Roy Hodgson.

“We would like to thank the fans, the club and the playing staff, and wish them and the new club sponsor all the best for the future.”

South Africa’s sports betting could worth nearly R1 billion in the next few years. ITWeb reports that the market is expected to grow from R660 million to around R800 million in the next two years. From there it could grow even further but one company in particular that is licensed by Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, Ladbrokes, is worried that without an association the market will suffer.

“Sports betting is relatively new to the South African market, and although it is a highly regulated industry, an industry association will establish collaboration between licensed operators, regulators and our customers,” said Anli Kotze, GM for Ladbrokes.co.za.

Ladbrokes’s South African representative is of the belief another way to prevent illicit sites is to block residents from accessing the sites and taking legal action against those that don’t respect the laws.

“In the same way, the US is currently implementing this. Also, the government can fine and/or take legal action against South Africans who play on non-licensed betting sites. The UK and Europe are good examples of areas where online sports betting is lucrative. If you look at companies like Bet365, Ladbrokes.com, Bwin, PaddyPower; their massive successes in fixed odds sports betting in both the UK and Europe are very evident.”

Business News

Get staring!

It’s that time again when the weekend arrives and the only plan is to find the nearest pub and see where the night takes you. By your side will obviously be your mates, a pile of empty glasses and with any luck a beautiful bird come the end of the evening. You’re forgetting something already though. It’s small, sometimes black, sometimes white and if you learn how to press its buttons you can work wonders with the opposite sex. It’s your iPhone of course.

Heading out this weekend we thought we’d set out a five-point guide on how to get the best from this oh-so-essential of toys:

1. Load it up with all the sports apps you can find. One can never ever have too many of these useful trinkets and it will alleviate a lot of boredom if you find yourself having to take part in the walk of shame tomorrow morning. For football fans we particularly recommend the Football App and for those of over the pond I’m told that Canadian app ScoreMobile is the one to go for. It actually focuses on other stuff besides hockey and is up to date almost all the time. How aboot that!

2. Get yourself a copy of THE game. On a stag do earlier this year one of those wearing a pair of antlers brought Rack Stare to my attention. You score points by trying not to get caught staring at a woman’s cleavage and can even buy new women to stare at later on in the game. Definitely makes the Night Bus home a lot more bearable and you get those all important #LAD points in the kitty for playing it.

3. Betting apps. One of the easiest and best ways to entertain yourself on that dreaded hungover Saturday afternoon is to sit in front of the day’s sport and bet in play. We’re not going to sit here and advise on which ones to download. No. We’re going to suggest you get them all and get on OddsChecker to get the best deal. Then sit down. Open beer. Turn on TV. Done

4. Make the Saturday more exciting with a dating app. These are very easy to find and a lot of fun to peruse over on a quiet Saturday evening. PlentyOfFish is obviously the grand-daddy of them all. A friend of mine swears by Flirt Maps. So it really is take your pick and, if you like, see what you can find and take the plunge with one of those fish.

5. Instagram. This begrudgingly makes the list as it’s almost weirder if someone doesn’t have it already. It’s a good way to document the weekend that was and make really horrendous pictures look a lot better.

Lifestyle News

Unlimited Overtime

Ice Hockey has used it for some time so why not now for football? Well I’ll tell you why. This is a sure fire way to take away a lot of excitement from the game. If Blatter were annoyed that Chelsea had won the Champions League with their tactics they’d win a lot more with this in place. Although I can’t help but think making the players really earn their money by playing for hours on end would be a sight.

Crossbar Challenge (if you don’t know what we’re on about click here for a best of!)

This is a game championed by the Saturday morning TV show Soccer AM and lays down the gauntlet to players by challenging them to hit the crossbar from the halfway line. Ultimately requires a lot more skill than a penalty shootout and can also be set out in a similar format. Under Blatter’s rules it probably goes down as another of his so-called “tragedies”.

End the game as a draw

There was once a time when you could conceivably have an infinite number of replays to decide a cup-tie so why not a return to that sepia tinged era. While they’re at it there should be a stipulation that they wear some kind of garish kit from bygone days if it heads to a second replay. Got to make it exciting after all.

What Ray says goes

For a couple of seasons now anyone watching televised football will have become familiar with the sight for sore eyes of Ray Winstone giving us the la’est loive odds on behalf of bet365. Now to make matches get closer to their conclusion how about what ever Ray says goes? It would solve Blatter’s conundrum, make it really easy to bet on and, most importantly, keep Ray happy. Wouldn’t want to meet him down a dark alley with a snooker ball in a sock after all would we Sepp!

Management Deathmatch

A cute take on the MTV show where, instead of wax models, a ring is erected in the middle of the pitch should the game end in a draw. The two managers then don a pair of boxing shorts and gloves before fighting until we have a winner. We can’t imagine there will ever be the need for it to go to points and Blatter may well face some kind of backlash from certain sections of the public. From a betting point of view it makes it even more exciting. Who needs penalties!

If any of our readers have a better idea on how Sepp can rid the game of this tragic element then feel free to comment below. So far he has his best man, Franz Beckenbauer, on the job and with these two in charge who knows what could befall the beautiful game.

Sports News

“Without an attractive scheme of service, CRA cannot perform its important mission of keeping Singapore safe through a robust and effective regulatory regime,” he said.

Technology is taken very seriously by the country’s gaming authority and S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry, commented: “CRA must also strive to uphold gaming integrity – in particular, by building technical forensic-investigation capabilities against counterfeits and gaming-equipment fraud.”

That will take place over the next three to five years with the view to maintaining efficiency.

Cheats working in the Asian gaming industry are among the best on the planet and are becoming more sophisticated. Security consultant Sal Piacente told the G2E Asia conference that the scams happening in Asia are extremely sophisticated and added: “What was happening here in Macau five years ago, is happening in the States now.”

AsiaOne also reported that the panel heard that U.S. technology firms are tailoring their products to the Asian market as it’s far more lucrative than anything that exists back home.

Genting has got permission to proceed with a bond programme to fund its operations. The Malaysian Securities Commission approved the 20-year RM2 billion (US$636 million) programme will be advised by CIMB Investment Bank, HSBC Bank Malaysia and Maybank Investment Bank. In the form of medium term notes they have been assigned an AAA rating by Malaysian agency RAM Rating Services.

Casino News

GVC Holdings posted a huge increase of 168 percent in first quarter turnover as their decision to enter Turkey already looks like paying dividends. €279,000 was the group’s total turnover with B2B, including the East Pioneer Corporation in Turkey, contributing €179,100 per day. Prior to the deal B2B was just €5.8k per day. B2C turnover increased 7 percent to €105.2k per day with Latin American and Spanish arm Betboo seeing sports wagers per day rise from €45.8k to €115.4k. Sports net gaming revenue was up from €4.2k per day to €5.7k with gaming net revenue rising from €16.1k to €21k. Chief executive Kenneth Alexander added: “Whilst economic conditions in Europe continue to be volatile, we remain cautiously optimistic for the year. The Group has today paid its shareholders an increased dividend of €11 cents per share, compared to the €10 cents per share GVC paid in 2010.”

JAXX SE shareholders have voted unanimously to change the company name to mybet Holding SE later this year. A shareholders meeting agreed to the proposal and it will reflect the group’s new focus on sports betting, casino and poker. The changeover is expected to take place in July 2012 and includes the launch of mybet.de, mybet.it and netbet.es.

Bet365 has signed a deal to sponsor ITV’s coverage of the French Open. Action starts on Sunday and will see the bet365 logo screened throughout the 15 days of the tournament. According to The Drum ITV Commercial, Drummond Central and Republic of Media negotiated the contract.

Business News

888 Holdings

A temporary injunction that prevented talks between Maltco Lotteries and the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) has been lifted. Malta Today report the injunction, which was pushed for by Betco, was lifted after finance minister Tonio Fenech and LGA chief executive Reuben Portanier issued certain assurances. “Under oath” both Fenech and Portanier told the court that Maltco’s licence will give exclusivity to them for just three games: Super 5, Lotto and the National Lottery. The judgment also means exclusivity cannot be extended to any other games and the court promised that Betco will suffer no future prejudice.

Sports betting site Pinnacle Sports are the latest to be licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). Their category 1 licence was awarded earlier this week and means the popular sportsbook is now licensed in two jurisdictions – the other being Curacao. SportsbookReview report the company will be offering various different tennis odds, including alternative markets, as well as odds on a wide range of South American soccer leagues.

Legal News

PKR

Betfair are following suit by launching a Euro Team Selector Facebook app designed to attract fans to the brand ahead of the upcoming tournament. The application will run via the group’s Facebook page and gives you a chance to select your team for every single game in the tournament. Roy Hodgson eat your heart out. Chris Harrison, head of UK acquisition at Betfair, told The Drum: “We wanted to create an app that would create excitement and engage our existing fan base, as well as interest new fans in the Betfair brand by bringing them to our Facebook page.”

He continued: “It allows our customers to communicate to one another, strengthening our online community, giving them a chance to show off their football expertise.”

BetVictor has appointed VCCP to handle its advertising account. CampaignLive reports that BetVictor’s new partner was chosen after a four-way pitch managed by OysterCatchers.

The app, created in association with Essence, also lets your predict other things including goal scorers, winners and yellow cards.

With social gambling set to see huge growth over the next few years these are both very savvy moves by betfair and PKR.

Business News

Macau

Analysts are still confident about Macau’s casino sector despite a number of drops in the share price over the past week. Nomura analysts Charlene Liu and Michael Shen are particularly buoyant, according to Macau Business, and posted an investors note stating: “Casino stocks remain attractive in the mid- to long-term”. The two stocks they highlight are Wynn Macau and SJM Holdings with the others not holding as much luster for the analysts.

Shuffle Master has been at the centre of a row at this year’s G2E Asia conference after they were forced to cover up some of their products. Media in Macau report the U.S. firm got into a row with Macau based LT Game over the intellectual property rights of an electronic multi-game casino product. Shuffle Master got so worried they covered up their products and obtained a court order to show it was permitted to show the product in question. This dispute will likely roll on given they’ve had a number of disagreements over the same patent in the past.

Casino News

For anyone that isn’t able to grab the time off work, CalvinAyre.com will be providing remote coverage of the conference. It means you can fill yourself in on some of the insight and what’s being discussed. Honestly though…it’s not going to measure up to being there yourself.

If you can somehow get a few days off work and jump over the continent you will have fun by the shed load. First off there’s the conference itself where you will be able to get all the insight on one of the newest markets in the European Union. The day will include keynotes looking at different issues such as the past, present and future of the Dutch market; more information on taxation; and of course how effective mobile and other mediums will be in the territory.

This gives way to an evening of informal drinks when you can network with various regulators and policymakers to bend their collective ears on the best way to go about your business in the Dutch market.

Now for those extra days off you need to make sure you get. Amsterdam is one of the most picturesque cities in the whole of Europe and when the weather’s good, like it is at the moment, it makes for a great three-day break. Not to mention you get the chance to sample some of the local delicacies before the rules change later this year.

If all that wasn’t enough, CalvinAyre.com readers can get a 10 percent discount on the entry fee by entering the following code: CALVIN12. If you’re still reading this then what are you waiting for?! Get on over to the site and book your place! It will be a day that you cannot afford to miss if you have an eye on the market.

Conference News

Out in front with 27 percent of the vote were the valiant Lions bowing out in the semi finals. We didn’t specify whom England will go out to and you’ve got to think that it’ll be either Portugal or Germany on penalties. That is the way it usually pans out. More about that later.

Andy Carroll being on the plane, and the cheap price of beer in Poland and Ukraine, make it no surprise 21 percent think it will all be marred by a drunken frolics. It’s what those frolics might entail which fascinates us.

Next up comes one of the most likely ends to the tournament in the mind of anyone that doesn’t let themselves get too caught up in the whole occasion – stumbling through the group and out to the Irish. That polled 19 percent and is obviously also under the premise that the Irish – and English –make it through the group.

This is reflected in the next answer – lose all three games – which also took 19 percent of those voting. We don’t have Rooney for the first two after all.

England winning the tournament isn’t a realistic outcome according to most in the iGaming industry with just 12 percent thinking Roy Hodgson’s men will succeed and 2 percent the boys in white, or navy blue, will bow out in the final, on penalties, to the Germans.

There you have it. By our reckoning England will be out in the semis and celebrate it with one momentous piss up. This week we ponder which ‘new’ Asian casino will be the biggest in the future.

Sports News

Juniper Research

Author of the report, Dr Windsor Holden, commented: “Social gaming companies such as Zynga are seeking to move from play-for-fun casino games into real money gambling, while pureplay mobile casinos including Probability have begun to integrate with the Facebook mobile platform. In this way, consumers will be able to use their social networks to register for casino games, substantially increasing both the reach and engagement of such services.”

Sports betting, which already accounts for a growing amount of wagers, will be “overhauled” by casino gambling inside five years. Much of this hinges on the U.S. market hitting the figures being quoted and it also being able to legislate successfully on an intrastate context.

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

Asia is one part of the world that will be wondering where the love is as there is no mention of what effect mobile gambling or casino could have in that part of the world in the press release. Given the growth the rest of the industry is realizing in this part of the world the $100 billion projection for 2017 is slightly pessimistic. Mobile penetration is huge in both Europe and North America but Asia will also see this growth filter through.

If you look at China as an example, the country has seen an insane level of growth in the number of people buying internet ready mobile phones with the number expected to boost the total amount online to 701 million by 2015. To put that into context it’s double the U.S. and Japan combined and still just 51 percent of the population. You can see then that if mobile gambling starts to take hold the opportunities are endless.

FROM RETENTION TO ACQUISITION

Another change identified by the report is that mobile will move from a retention to an acquisition one in the next few years. The same was being discussed at the recent mGaming Summit in London and would mean the movement towards mobile will get even stronger.

Social gambling, which was mentioned by Holden as a factor linked to mobile growth, will be a huge factor and the two married together could determine how big mobile casino becomes. Put this together with Asia and the growth experienced will be endless.

Marketing News

The event takes place from September 11-12 at the island’s Hilton Resort and there’s no one in doubt that this is the premier event for anyone looking to tap in to this impressive market. This is a jurisdiction that already has 60 companies trying to obtain licences and to gain an advantage on this competition will be extremely valuable.

Conference goers can expect one of the more professional gatherings on the iGaming industry circuit with expert speakers that have worked in the jurisdiction giving sound advice. CEOs from a number of different firms will give you the insight and tips and tricks in addition to the pitfalls to avoid to succeed in the area.

That’s not to say it’s all work and no play. As we know the iGaming industry works hard but it also plays hard and as such there are a number of “networking sessions” to help lubricate deals and fine tune those all important contacts. In addition to the endless opportunities for networking there is the ever-popular MiGS12 poker tournament. It gives you a chance to pit your ‘A’ game against industry peers and find who is the biggest hustler of them all.

The conference culminates in what is dubbed the “iGaming industry’s finest Pool Party” which also signals the end of a whirlwind two days in this beautiful Mediterranean setting. If the presence of a who’s who of Malta’s iGaming industry in attendance then in the sunny climbs of Malta should be just about enough to make this the next iGaming conference you attend.

Check out last year’s video…

Conference News

One company awarded a licence in the first round was Betfair and they’ve become the latest operator to please the Spanish by paying off their tax bill. The online betting exchange explained in an RNS announcement that it had “satisfied” everything set out by the Spanish tax authority and will pay “not more than €10 million”. By paying the charge they will be able to offer a sportsbook service to Spanish customers. Under the regulations their exchange won’t be available until the Spanish regulator has undertaken further consultation.

Betfair also launched their fixed odds offering in the UK earlier today in a move that will look to further challenge their competitors. They estimate that 30 percent of customers go to competitors to partake in fixed odds betting and they’re hoping that becoming a “one-stop shop” it will address this shortfall. Group operations director Ian Chuter added: “From today, Betfair customers can now bet whatever way they choose.”

Business News

Statista’s chart of the day, which is at the foot of the page, clearly illustrates the shares of Facebook set against one of the world’s largest social gaming firms, Zynga. It doesn’t take a Harvard degree to work out that where Facebook goes Zynga follows and that such a strong relationship with Facebook isn’t doing it any good in the short term. CalvinAyre.com contributor Vince Martin wasn’t wrong describing Zynga as one of the dumbest stocks around. Now that it’s at $6.80 – down from $10 at opening – you can see why.

From a gaming industry point of view, there is a couple of ways to look at the struggles. In the optimism camp, there will be those that say social gaming can come to the rescue and save the day. “Remember when Zynga announced they were thinking about gambling”, is what they will say, along with “just think of the untapped resource of users they have”. Of course the gambling industry could have a great time with the customer base. It’s not as simple as that though.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Zynga said it was interested in gambling came the day after their shares had dropped off massively and it’s not pessimistic to say their main motivation was to drive the share price up. Then there’s the quandary of having to convert free play customers to ones that pay.

There’s the obvious chance that Facebook will start to recover some its pre-IPO value and all the one-night stands/sons/daughters/wives/distant relations (delete as appropriate) will be okay. It started off today back up to just over $32 and Zynga followed suit with a similar rise. So just keep an eye out which way Facebook goes; Zynga is sure to follow.

Marketing News

Bwin.party digital entertainment

Groupe Partouche has reiterated that it has nothing to hide following allegations of tax evasion from the French government. A La Tribune article quoted by eGR reports that Partouche CEO Frédéric Payre said in an email: “The tax office seems to have been convinced [that online activities in Gibraltar are consistent with company financials], as no action has since been taken following this ‘investigation’. Groupe Partouche had and has nothing to hide.”

The proof is in the pudding as La Tribune report the subsidiary involved, Partouche Interactive Gibraltar, recorded revenue of €4 million in 2009 and 2010 before it dropped to just €35,000 in 2011. It also showed their new subsidiary, Partouche Gaming France, had revenues of €840,000 from when the market opened in 2010 and then €3.4 million in 2011. The authorities argue they didn’t immediately produce “evidence of the presence of human and material resources” on Gibraltar when asked.

Partouche Interactive has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Worldlink Group under which it will become the firm’s gaming partner. The Groupe Partouche subsidiary announced the agreement and it will see the French company’s poker and casino platform offered alongside Worldlink’s odds comparison betting service. It follows Worldlink announcing a partnership with Napdaq just last week.

Business News

Russia

Marina Lomakina, general director of Nash Dom, explained to Reuters that firms will require a minimum of $2 billion to invest and added: “We want companies who are well known and will help create amenities that are more than just casino gaming.”

Government officials will enter discussion with interested parties in October and who knows. In seven years time we might all be talking about Russia in the same vein as Macau and Singapore.

Macau’s new pedestrian-only border crossing is expected to operate around the clock. The crossing between the enclave and Zhuhai in the north will handle up to 250,000 people per day according to Macau Business and was approved by Macau and Guangdong authorities just last week. The news could mean more mass-market customers for the enclave’s casinos and more people is never a bad thing where business is concerned.

A Mongolian man has been fined for cheating at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands casino. Strait Times report that Khorloo Khaliun, 44, was fined $4,000 after he attempted to try and cheat a croupier at a three card poker tables. He deliberately placed an extra $25 chip on top of his stack in the “ante column” and as such would have received an additional $50 worth of chips.

Casino News

Optimal Payments has signed an agreement to become an official partner for the Lotus F1 team. As part of the deal Optimal will devise unique strategies for “cardholder-not-present” transactions for the Asian, European and North American markets. They will also develop payment solutions for the team’s associates and after Interwetten become the second online gaming industry firm to sign an agreement with the team.

Paddy Power has announced an extensive reshuffle including the appointment of a new chief financial officer. Cormac McCarthy moves from a non-executive director into the CFO throne and as such becomes an executive director. Jack Massey has been made director of finance and company secretary and as such relinquishes his role as finance director. Meanwhile David Johnston takes the position of group general counsel after giving up his position as company secretary and general counsel.

Both Massey and Johnson have been with the company for a number of years now and speaking on the appointments Patrick Kennedy, chief executive of the firm, said: “We have a strong track record of investing for growth and today’s appointments represent another step in this direction. They broaden and deepen our capability and capacity in the key areas of finance, legal and compliance and follow our philosophy of hiring, rotating and retaining great talent.”

Business News

During one conversation, reported by Philly.com, Joseph Graziano, the purported owner of Beteagle.com, said: “If at the end of the year I can make two million and I gotta give away, like four or five hundred thousand … that’s a million and a half, you know. … My money.” This was before he admitted to hiding money “in the bushes” in order to avoid tax.

Mob members in the state have used bookmaking to raise cash for some time and the main difference with this case is they got with the times by moving operations online. Michael Ward, the FBI agent in charge of the Newark office, explained that it “demonstrates an evolution and increased sophistication” to their money making efforts. Meanwhile New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman described it as a “new wrinkle” to what was one of their traditional money making ventures.

Another case that could be linked is being heard in a district court in Springfield, Missouri where the main defendant entered a guilty plea after reaching a plea agreement. Kenneth B. Lovett, 72, changed the plea late last week as he answers a single count of transmitting wagering information over the Internet. Joplin News report that both Lovett and his co-defendant William Lisle, 57, paid two Costa Rica based sites to handle their site. The names of the sites were GOTOHC and BETEAGLE, according to the article, and it would suggest that Lovett and Lisle are linked to the aforementioned case.

The plea bargain reached by Lovett states: “Lisle and Lovett’s gambling operation flourished when they began using the offshore gambling website in 2006. Their number of customers and the amount they wagered increased. One gambler would wager as much as $35,000 a weekend during football season.”

It still remains to be seen whether there is any link between these two cases and it could just be in the name. If they are linked then it begs the question as to how far the Beteagle net was cast.

Legal News

Gaming Laboratories International

Ladbrokes has added itself to a list of retailers urging the U.K. government to take action over certain card fees imposed by card companies. ThisIsMoney report the fees have recently gone up and banks are now demanding an “interchange fee” that eventually filters down to the retailer. There is now the growing possibility that this will be passed onto the customer and to try and combat it CMS Payments Intelligence has written to retailers to call for some regulation of the sector. It currently costs £1.5 billion per year and will continue to rise with the advent of more premium cards.

Malta has seen 1,000 people ask to have their names added to a self-exclusion list related to the country’s gaming industry. The figure came out when finance minister Tonio Fenech presented a proposal for a fund to promote responsible gaming in the country and heard that scores of Maltese citizens already want a part of the list according to the Times of Malta.

Business News

“We are on the 18th month of a gradual decline rate. May will likely see a notable slowdown in the growth rate, but a record overall number,” Govertsen said.

The fact it will still break a record flies in the face of those that think the drop in growth is at all worrying. If it gets any worse and, for example, dips as low as 8 or 9 percent growth then Billy Ng, director at Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific, thinks it will be a “very shocking number to see”.

Among those that own properties in the enclave this doom mongering simply isn’t present. Laurence Ho, chief executive of Melco Crown Entertainment, explained “With the potential for a significant increase in penetration, a supportive infrastructure development pipeline, as well as the economic growth and increasing prosperity of our major feeder market, we believe the future of Macau is well supported.”

Attention was also focused on whether Japan will decide to either say yes, no or choose to decide later – that choice to be made next week. The conference heard that regulation is likely to be slow and steady with pachinko operators being allowed in – despite now unfounded fears over them being shut out if gaming is permitted. Much of this has to with the pachinko operators, including Kazuo Okada, being needed, as they’ve been the strongest lobbying group in the push for Japanese casinos. Whatever the decision is next week it looks like the pachinko operators will be at the forefront.

Russia could be Macau’s unlikeliest of new challengers in the Far East gaming industry. Las Vegas Review Journal report that Nash Dom Primorye, a government owned corporation in Russia’s Primorsky region, will announce its intention to find developers to help them construct a new casino complex near Vladivostok – a city on the country’s South East Coast.

Marina Lomakina, general director of Nash Dom Primorye, said in a statement: “Over the next five years, the Russian Federation will continue to have a strong strategic interest in the economic development of the Far East region. Our view is that the tourism sector is a strategic economic opportunity that has yet to be fully developed. We believe that the private sector will be interested in the tourism and casino gaming potential of the (entertainment zone).

“We believe the (entertainment zone) will create a compelling experience for Asian tourists seeking a destination that is near, but culturally different.”

The “entertainment zone” she speaks of is one of four zones the Russian government earmarked for casinos when they banned them from all other areas just last decade. That could have been a masterstroke as far as they’re concerned thanks to the short two-hour plane ride to both Seoul and Tokyo from Vladivostok.

Confirmation will come at the G2E Asia conference on Wednesday with a website also likely to be unveiled on the same day.

Conference News