Milwell Global Gaming, one of Australia's long-standing gaming machine manufacturers, has announced that it has just installed the fifth of Sigma's horseracing games into an Australian venue.
The company commenced distributing Sigma multi-terminal gaming machines in Australasia in January 1999. The 12-station Derby Mk VI products are currently available at Lasseters Casino in the Northern Territory, and four of the top New South Wales clubs.
"No doubt, the reason for our sales has been the popularity amongst players and the earning capacity for the operators of this superior quality item," said Milwell Sales and Marketing Manager, Mr Martin Johnson.
The machine offers a 24-hour operation with horses racing 262,000 times a year, with standard seating of 12 players, which can be extended to 38-stations. The game also features broadcasting via a "live race" video through 5 CCD cameras located around the track.
"In addition, two interstate casinos and one in New Zealand have expressed their intention to take delivery of the interactive multi-player equipment in the first half of 2000," he said.
To date, a total of 31 units of the Derby MkVI have been in operation at casinos and clubs world-wide, including:

Lasseters Casino Australia
Revesby Workers Club Australia
Central Coast league Club Australia
Western Suburbs Leagues Club Australia
City Tattersall's Club Australia
Aladdin Casino Colombia
Salon Versalles Colombia
Casino Berlin Germany
Casino Holland Holland
Casino Municipale Di Venezia Italy
Ceasars Gauteng South Africa
Carnival City South Africa
Gold Reef City South Africa
Casino Jai Alai Palace Macau
Genting Highland Casino Malaysia
Casino Philipino Heritage Philippines

More recently, Milwell is awaiting approval to proceed with its sales orders for the Sigma 10-station Roulette King. This interactive multi-terminal machine brings automatic "live table pit action" to the slots floor, which is managed by itself and doesn't require any dealers or shift managers.
"Clubs and casinos can comfortably offer the single zero wheel odds to players with much faster action and less operating costs than live tables," said Mr Johnson.
The Roulette King is currently under testing by GLI and approval is expected in the first quarter of this year.

Aussie casinos on winning streak

Australia's 13 casinos are posting record results, with a combined profit of A$93 million over the past financial year, according to the latest results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Takings from gambling (A$2.2 billion), comprise 80 per cent of total income of $2.8 billion, an increase of $100 million over the previous fiscal year ending June, 1998.
The overall profit margin of 3.4% is a hefty improvement from the negative 10.8% recorded in 1997-98.
Takings on the 10,733 poker machines at $867 million were up by a whopping 24 per cent, while the 1129 gaming tables at $1.3 billion was still the cash cow, even though takings fell 7 per cent compared to the previous year. There was a larger drop in takings from overseas premium players, down 32% to $365 million.

Australian Casinos
ACT - Casino Canberra, Canberra
NSW - Star City, Sydney
NT - Lasseters Hotel-Casino, Alice Springs
MGM Grand, Darwin
QLD - Conrad Jupiters, Gold Coast
Treasury Casino, Brisbane
Sheraton-Breakwater Casino-Hotel, Townsville
Reef Casino, Cairns
SA - The Adelaide Casino, Adelaide
TAS - Wrest Point Casino, Hobart
Country Club Hotel & Casino, Launceston
VIC - Crown Casino, Melbourne
WA - Burswood Casino Resort, Perth

Keno winner hits the jackpot
A lucky Sydney player recently won A$4.7 million on the state-wide NSW keno game, and also had the honour of being Club Keno's 20th millionaire. The unidentified man visits his local club most days, spending about $50 on keno. On the winning day, he purchased 20 $1 quickpick games then sat back and watched as his 10 numbers were included in the 20 balls selected from 80 numbers. The keno game has paid out more than $1.8 billion since its commencement in 1991.

Aussie joins Interactive Gaming Council
Mr Rick Smith, previously from the Queensland Office of Gaming Regulation in Australia, has been appointed as Executive Director of the Vancouver-based Interactive Gaming Council.
"Rick Smith has been instrumental in the development and implementation of an international regulatory model for the online gaming industry," said IGC Chairman Sue Schneider.
"His knowledge and experience is an important addition toward the evolution of the IGC."
The Interactive Gaming Council is a non-profit association of over 80 companies around the world that are involved with the interactive gaming industry. Members are operators of internet gaming sites, software suppliers, e-commerce providers, information-providers or other companies related to the industry. The IGC represents operators who generate approximately 70% of the industry revenues.

Hotel industry regulates gamblers
The Australian Hotels Association has released a package of self-regulation measures to control hotel gaming in NSW.
One of these measures involves a "self-exclusion" program, where gamblers can sign an undertaking not to enter the gaming area of a hotel within a given period.
Those seeking the exclusion must also attend an interview with a counsellor before signing the undertaking, which will be followed by more counselling.
If they try to enter the gaming area during the exclusion period, they can be asked to leave by hotel staff, who are entitled to use "reasonable force". If a patron still refuses, police can be called.

Microcoin QL's ATEI launch a success!!
The new Microcoin QL validator from Australia-based Microsystem Controls enjoyed a successful launch at the recent ATEI show.
Fielding enquiries from all parts of the globe, the Microcoin QL product has caught the eye of many ATEI attendees.
"We have been very busy dealing with the high level of interest people have shown in QL" stated Microcoin's Marketing & Sales Manager, Robert Bird. "The features of the product have obviously hit the mark and we intend to capitalise on the excellent results we've achieved at this show"
With application in all types of markets and features set to address the pending Euro issue, the Microcoin QL will fast become a popular choice with operators and manufacturers alike.
"We're geared up for production, so I'm confident we can keep up with demand" concluded Bird.
The Microcoin QL can be seen on the corporate website at www.microcoin.com

Gaming Company Expands International Presence to Australia and New Zealand

WMS Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc. announced today that it has, subject to regulatory approvals, entered into an exclusive agreement with Vidco Holdings Pty. Ltd.
(Vidco), a subsidiary of Kolback Group Ltd, whereby Vidco will manufacture and sell WMS Gaming's multi-line, multi-coin video games in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
WMS Gaming will act as Vidco's sales representative for a select number of key accounts in Australia while Vidco will sell to other clubs, hotels and casinos in all three countries. The agreement is strategically important for WMS Gaming as it further broadens the Company's international presence. The agreement is valuable to Vidco, as it provides access to some of the most popular, in-demand gaming titles available today.
"The relationship with Vidco significantly strengthens WMS Gaming's presence in these important markets, extending our success in broadening our sales and marketing efforts outside of North America," noted Kevin L. Verner, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of WMS Industries. "In addition to the relationship with Vidco, in the last six weeks, we have announced a supply agreement in the Slovak Republic and opened an international sales office in Barcelona, Spain.
"Worldwide demand for our products is attributable to the popularity of our video titles like Reel 'em In(R) and Jackpot Party(TM). By joining forces with Vidco, an established gaming manufacturer, we believe we can successfully launch WMS Gaming products into the well established Australian gaming marketplace."
Subject to regulatory approvals, the Vidco agreement with WMS Gaming commences immediately. The first WMS Gaming products are scheduled to be released in the marketplace by year-end.
"WMS Gaming will also establish an engineering group in Australia to adapt popular WMS titles onto Vidco's new PC III platform," continued Mr. Verner.
"Having an engineering base in Australia gives WMS the advantage of responding quickly to customer needs and trends unique to that market."
Vidco, established in 1986, designs, manufactures and sells video gaming devices in Australia and New Zealand. The Vidco product line includes successful titles such as Sea Lion, The Chief and Mister Magic. It is currently estimated that there are 172,000 gaming machines installed throughout Australia. The Kolback Group Ltd., the owner of Vidco, is a publicly-held company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange Limited.
WMS Gaming Inc. is headquartered in Chicago. The company designs, manufactures and markets video and reel-spinning gaming devices and video lottery terminals.

Penthouse set to launch Australian internet gaming site

It was only a year or so ago that Playboy entered the online gambling business with their play4fun casino at playboy.com. Now Penthouse has joined the bandwagon.
The company recently announced that it had initiated the licensing application process in Australia to operate an online casino and sportsbook, and expects to be operational in the spring of 2000.
The site will be based in Australia, one of the most rigidly-controlled countries to regulate and legislate online gambling. It will also retain the services of local accounting firm KPGM, to verify security, transactions and the system.
Casino industry veteran Mr Fishman, previously Chairman of Players International, will be the licensee and operator of the online casino.
"This can quickly become the largest online casino in the world," said Mr Fishman, "when you consider the power of the Penthouse marketing expertise and the fact that more people in most countries throughout the world can play with us simultaneously, at any hour of the day or night."
When a gambler wants to take a break from gaming, the site will be fully integrated with the Penthouse website, www.penthouse.com, where bettors can chat online with the Penthouse pets, visit the photo library, read Penthouse articles and columns, visit gift shops, showrooms and seek advice ranging from wagering to sex.
Until the legal issues are resolved in the USA, Americans will be prohibited from betting at penthousecasino.com with real cash wagers, but are free to play for fun.
Sydney-based Gaming & Entertainment Technology will supply the state-of the art casino games using Java technology as well as the encryption technology. The company is a leader in the development of government regulated online casino gaming technology.

Thai company files lawsuit
Jaco Co, a local Thai company, has filed a 12 billion bath damages claim with the government in compensation for what it claims is a contract breach over an online lottery system.
The company believes that there was a violation over its contract to distribute lottery tickets via computers, as the Government annulled the contract, citing that the lottery would make gambling more accessible and poison the minds of young people.

Patent feud looms over intranet gaming
A secretive merger Tuesday between a shell corporation and a privately held Las Vegas company could lead to a rash of lawsuits that may delay plans for some casino operators to set up intranet betting operations.
The shell company, PCG Media Inc., is scheduled to issue 24 million shares of stock it values at $72 million to acquire Home Gambling Inc., whose sole asset is a "method patent" covering electronic wagering on live events.
The merger calls for HGN to operate under its own name as a wholly owned subsidiary of PCG Media, whose only asset is its publicly traded stock. PCG would also change its name to i2corp.com.
Lawyers for and executives of PCG Media and HGN declined to answer most questions about the deal, their valuation of it, the reason behind the name change for PCG Media to i2corp.com or future plans.
But HGN principal deedee Molnick -- who will become president of PCG when the merger is consummated -- indicated the patent owned by HGN may be used as the basis of a lawsuit against companies such as Virtgame.com and Youbet.com.
According to a report by the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, she said "The patent covers all remote wagers on live events using electronic transactions. Whether you're doing live racing, bingo, casino games or sports events, if the player isn't present and there's an electronic transfer of money, we get a licensing fee. That's the whole basis of our business."
HGN doesn't accept wagers. It was formed to license other entities to operate under its patent, she said. Molnick said the method patent covers any technology used to let people wager away from a track or casino on live racing, sports events and casino games.
HGN has already sued several Internet gambling companies, asserting that by taking bets on live sporting events, they are violating the company's patent. HGN claimed its patent covers "all transmissions of live casino games and wagered events" and "provides the right to exclude others from practicing" such activities.
That includes intranet, as well as Internet, gambling, Molnick said.
Neither Virtgame nor Youbet would book bets in the Nevada deals; that would be done by the participating casinos. But both deals would cover gambling on live horse racing and sporting events and could eventually lead to betting on casino games -- all of which HGN claimed fall under its patent.