Paul Edwards follows the trail of beautiful people - and mere mortals - to the world's most glamorous casinos.
Sometimes it seems Lady Luck has lost a few of her beauty spots. These days casinos are a dime a dozen, particularly in Victoria, where many of our pubs resound to the banal music of poker machines and the blare of racing telecasts.
A true casino conjures up visions of European royals and aristocrats - many displaced - beautiful blondes, playboys, despairing dowagers down to their last dollar and an ensemble of raffish travellers spending their days in cheap hotels and their nights in glamorous gambling palaces.
That's how Somerset Maugham and F. Scott Fitzgerald saw the world of high rollers and low losers, and it's a world that still exists if you know where to look.
The beautiful people are still there - although outnumbered by mere mortals - and while the despairing dowagers might look more like desperate housewives, nowhere else on earth will you see triumph and tragedy wrapped up in such a glitzy bundle.
Here is the rundown of the royal list when it comes to roulette, baccarat, blackjack and poker - the world's top 10 glamorous casinos:
MONTE CARLO CASINO
There may be bigger, better, more luxurious casinos, but the grande dame of Monaco still clutches her blueblood eminence with a grip nurtured by old money and new technology.
The last time I was here, the Cary Grant-lookalikes had morphed into more laid-back Brian Ferry impersonators and the Grace Kellys seemed to have turned into Paris Hiltons, but discounting the odd loudmouth who would be better positioned in his/her native land, the in-crowd would still be recognised by Graham Greene.
The casino has a stunning position - below the palace of the ruling Grimaldi family and above the harbour that shelters the floating mansions of the rich and famous. Some of Europe's most expensive and desirable real estate clings to the cliffs and the casino's interior reflects the vast wealth of this most exclusive of principalities.
The gambling palace was built in 1863 and was designed to attract the world's richest people. It still does its job, luring the kind of people who regularly dine at the nearby Louis XV, which has a wine cellar with more than 300,000 bottles, none of which costs less than $100 and many of which are more than $1000.
The casino has the inevitable poker machines in the American Room but the European Room is just for roulette, baccarat, chemin de fer and other traditional games. Then there are the private rooms for the very private people who don't want anyone to see them adding to or subtracting from their seriously vast wealth.
CLERMONT CLUB, LONDON
Addresses don't come any better than 44 Berkeley Square, Mayfair - but there's no Monopoly money changing hands here. London's conservative gambling laws decree that if you want to visit any of the city's casinos, you have to apply for membership at least a day ahead of your proposed big plunge.
I'm not sure if that rule applied to HRH Princess Margaret or 007 Roger Moore, who used to add a bit of colour to the place in the early days. The Clermont was once a Playboy Club, but these days it's the punters rather than the staff who lose their shirts. Baccarat, blackjack and the English version of roulette are played here.
The club is in a lovely old mansion that was opened as a casino by eccentric entrepreneur John Aspinall. As a sideline to gambling, Aspinall kept a private zoo for which he found it increasingly hard to get staff - perhaps because five of his keepers were killed by elephants and tigers.
This is an understated place compared with garish facilities in Las Vegas and elsewhere, and its membership includes many British bluebloods. It is understood that missing murder suspect Lord Lucan is way behind with his membership payments.
ST JAMES'S CLUB CASINO, ANTIGUA
People who know a lot about casinos say this is as good as they come. The smallish facility - just 50 gaming machines and eight tables - attracts the kind of enthusiasts who want to keep their chips high and profiles low. Most are high-fliers from the US, with Chicago and New York providing many of the players.
The American version of roulette is the star attraction here, together with blackjack and craps.
Visitors are happy if they break even - the deluxe hotel has been judged for four consecutive years as the best in the Caribbean and has a beautiful setting on a sliver of sand fringing Mamora Bay.
The gaming rooms are styled on those at Monte Carlo - all rich timbers, murals, ankle-deep carpet and a wide range of opportunities for the endless battle with Lady Luck.
The crowd here is international, with a heavy sprinkling of New Yorkers, and if your luck is in you may catch a glimpse of Antigua's most famous son, Sir Vivian Richards.
BADEN-BADEN CASINO, GERMANY
Marlene Dietrich, who knew a bit about such things, declared this was the most beautiful casino in the world. Certainly it has a distinctive style, stemming from its history spanning almost three centuries and the workmanship of Europe's greatest designers.
Baden-Baden is in the Black Forest of south-west Germany and was well known to the Romans for its mineral springs. As is common with European spa cities, the wealthy visitors wanted something to break up the long hours of bathing and drinking medicinal waters. The first mention of gambling is in advertising leaflets dated 1748. Today's casino was founded in 1824, when the Kurhaus was built.
New gaming rooms were created by architects, designers and artists from Paris, which had lost its own leading casino. Extreme opulence was built into the Winter Garden, the Red Room, the Florentine Room and the Salon Pompadour and, over the years, new rooms have been opened: the Baccarat Terrace, the American Salon and the Austrian Room.
From 1872, there was a 60-year break during which German casinos were closed - Hitler's regime reopened them.
MANDARIN ORIENTAL, MACAU
Up there with the best of them, this luxurious casino continues to flourish despite political and techno-logical changes. It has a bewildering assortment of gaming machines and sumptuous rooms housing roulette, boule, blackjack and baccarat. Macau has perhaps the widest range of casino games in the world, including fan-tan and hungry tigers - the local version of one-armed bandit.
The casino is part of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which is part of the glitzy Chinese enclave along the Pearl River delta. This strip is roaring ahead with competitors for the Oriental, including seven casino resorts due to open on the Cotai Strip. At last count there were 14 casinos here, attracting high rollers from Japan, China, Taiwan and other rich and developing nations.
The former Portuguese colony of Macau is now, like Hong Kong, part of China, but in many aspects it's more like Las Vegas. The Oriental may lose its position as the gambling pearl of the East when the US-funded Venetian casino resort opens, at a cost of $3 billion and with about 3000 guest rooms.
It seems there will be no shortage of punters - the mainland has well over a billion Chinese who, historically, have not been averse to chancing their luck.
CASINO METROPOL, MOSCOW
The doors never close at this big casino resort, where occupants of the 450 guest rooms are given special privileges over local punters in the fight for a place at the tables. The Metropol has 11 table games, including five-card stud, blackjack, American roulette, punto banco and poker.
There are nearly 50 licensed casinos in Moscow, including the well-named Casino Desperado, but aficionados say the Metropol still has the edge for class and service. How long this will last may depend on the whims of the Russian bureaucracy, which claims casinos are run by criminals and has started to rip out the slot machines that have sprung up in almost every public place.
Moscow's deputy mayor has stated there should be no gambling establishments at all, but the Metropol has friends in high places and brings in eagerly accepted foreign currency. Odds are it will stay.
SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA
Africa's premier resort, Sun City, has four major hotels: the Cabanas, Sun City Hotel, Cascades and the Palace of the Lost City. Their existence came about when Bophuthatswana was declared an independent state by the former apartheid regime and could provide entertainment such as gambling and topless revue shows, which were banned in the rest of South Africa.
Sun City is a 90-minute drive from Johannesburg and is that city's major weekend destination. Entertainers including Queen and Elton John have worked the Sun City Super Bowl, Africa's largest entertainment venue.
The Sun City Hotel was the first of the super resorts and is famous for the huge jackpots on its slot machines, with one lucky punter picking up $1.2 million.
Trying to find your machine won't be easy - there are almost 900 of them. There's also punto banco, American roulette, craps and blackjack, with reserved rooms for sky's-the-limit gamblers.
BELLAGIO, LAS VEGAS
In the modern home of garish gambling dens, the Bellagio is perhaps the best of the best. The casino is part of the amazing Bellagio resort, with its 4000 rooms and suites, 30 restaurants, bars and cafes, shops including Tiffany, Gucci, Dior and Chanel, an art gallery with originals by Picasso, Degas and Monet, and a nightly performance by Cirque du Soleil.
Bellagio is owned by MGM, one of the major players in this sizzling city, and has a Players Club offering deals on seven resorts and casinos, 100 restaurants, 10 shows, seven-day spas and salons and three golf courses. There are almost unlimited events and free promotions.
There's an enormous range of gambling machines and a spread of table games including blackjack, Caribbean stud poker, craps, keno, Let It Ride, poker, Pai Gow poker, roulette, slots, big six, baccarat and megabucks. There's also a global service offering bets on sporting events - see if you can get set on the Yarra Glen trots.
You can enjoy much of this opulence for nothing - many of the amazing public rooms are open to all comers - and if you're a guest the resort expects to take your money at the gaming tables rather than the dining version. In other words, it's surprisingly affordable.
BORGATA CASINO, ATLANTIC CITY
Atlantic City is where the players from New York and other US eastern seaboard cities go to get their gambling fix. Serious wealth mingles with the hoi polloi and although the sky is the limit to what you can spend, the Borgata offers a range of accommodation packages starting around $100 for bed and buffet breakfast.
There are 14 table games and the usual range of jangling machines. You can have a flutter on races and other sports events around the world - in fact almost everything except two-up. The Borgata is big on entertainment and coming up soon are acts including Rod Stewart and Pearl Jam.
ATLANTIS RESORT, BAHAMAS
The largest casino in the Caribbean, Atlantis has 1000 slot machines, all linked to a system that offers rewards such as accommodation discounts each time you play. The salons are over the top in design - all gold plate and blown glass - and offer both French and American roulette.
There are 18 restaurants, buffets and cafes here and a range of non-gambling activities including water sports, golf, marine eco-exhibits, theatre and escorted island tours. But gambling aside, the marine attractions are what bring the punters here - Atlantis claims the largest artificial marine habitat in the world, with 11 lagoons and an estimated 200,000 sea animals.
There's a big choice of accommodation and you'll hear stories of punters who've started off in a $500 standard room, had luck on the tables, moved into a $4000 suite, lost the lot and moved back to their original accommodation.
But then, life's a gamble, isn't it? (Credit: Fairfax)
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Playtech plots M&A trail inc $750m marketing company - 26th June 2009
Playtech is considering a string of acquisitions in coming months including a $500-750m deal to take over a marketing business, chief finance officer Shuki Barak said today.
Playtech has a call option on the undisclosed target, he said in an interview with Mergermarket. The call option is based on a 5.5x multiple over annual profits of $500m, Barak added, which will expire in March 2011.
Barak said that the operation will be two to three times bigger than Playtech’s $250m deal with William Hill in 2008.
Playtech is also looking at four smaller targets including a hosting provider, a customer services specialist and a payment advisory firm, he added, and is planning to finalize between 10-15 licence agreements by the end of the year.
Barak said Playtech would not bid for distressed gaming operators such as Spain’s Codere, which split from a joint venture with William Hill in Spain in May, but will remain focused on software development and will not try to access operational activities.
Barak said: “as a pure software supplier we have no intention of going into operations as it would create a conflict of interest. We could only consider a minority stake investment in a gaming operator, but this is unlikely to happen in the short term.”
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Playtech has a call option on the undisclosed target, he said in an interview with Mergermarket. The call option is based on a 5.5x multiple over annual profits of $500m, Barak added, which will expire in March 2011.
Barak said that the operation will be two to three times bigger than Playtech’s $250m deal with William Hill in 2008.
Playtech is also looking at four smaller targets including a hosting provider, a customer services specialist and a payment advisory firm, he added, and is planning to finalize between 10-15 licence agreements by the end of the year.
Barak said Playtech would not bid for distressed gaming operators such as Spain’s Codere, which split from a joint venture with William Hill in Spain in May, but will remain focused on software development and will not try to access operational activities.
Barak said: “as a pure software supplier we have no intention of going into operations as it would create a conflict of interest. We could only consider a minority stake investment in a gaming operator, but this is unlikely to happen in the short term.”
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PartyGaming to build first grassroots poker team; Signs Ian Fraser - 26th June 2009
PartyPoker is to create its first ever grassroots poker team to compete at major poker events.
PartyPoker.com has previously stayed out of the player sponsorship market with the exception of main site ambassador Mike Sexton, but has sponsored UK player Ian Frazer as the new team’s first member.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The sponsored player and grassroots team initiative will continue to grow, with all VIPs reviewed for suitability. We are looking for players that have shown themselves to have star quality in their play but who are also fun, humorous and possess a strong character and willingness to co-operate. Our extensive international television distribution gives players the chance of brilliant exposure.”
VIPs, loyal players and players with historic links to PartyPoker will form the basis of the team.
Ian ‘The Raiser’ Frazer, a 50-year-old building contractor from London with live tournament winnings of over US$1.3m, started playing online at the site in 2004, and has finished on the final table of five offline Party tournaments.
Frazer will host invitation-only private tournaments on PartyPoker.com and represent PartyPoker.com at events at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, on which he has started blogging on the PartyPoker blog.
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PartyPoker.com has previously stayed out of the player sponsorship market with the exception of main site ambassador Mike Sexton, but has sponsored UK player Ian Frazer as the new team’s first member.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The sponsored player and grassroots team initiative will continue to grow, with all VIPs reviewed for suitability. We are looking for players that have shown themselves to have star quality in their play but who are also fun, humorous and possess a strong character and willingness to co-operate. Our extensive international television distribution gives players the chance of brilliant exposure.”
VIPs, loyal players and players with historic links to PartyPoker will form the basis of the team.
Ian ‘The Raiser’ Frazer, a 50-year-old building contractor from London with live tournament winnings of over US$1.3m, started playing online at the site in 2004, and has finished on the final table of five offline Party tournaments.
Frazer will host invitation-only private tournaments on PartyPoker.com and represent PartyPoker.com at events at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, on which he has started blogging on the PartyPoker blog.
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Hard Rock Intl Signs Deal To Build Hotel, Casino In Hungary
26th June 2009
Hard Rock International signed an agreement with EuroVegas Hungary Ltd to open Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hungary.
The move is part of a plan announced in 2007 by the company's owners, the Seminole tribe of Florida, to expand the restaurant chain aggressively in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. The group said at the time it planned to open 25 to 30 hotels.
But the company's bid to lend its name to a theme park in the U.S. recently failed, as the park closed less than a year after it opened and was eventually sold in bankruptcy proceedings.
The Hungarian hotel will be in the northwest part of the country, near the Austrian and Slovakian borders, and is expected to open in early 2012. It will have more than 600 guest rooms.
Alfred Supersberger, co-chairman of EuroVegas Hungary, said his company was convinced Hard Rock was its ideal partner for the project, citing its expertise in operating large hotels and casinos.
Hard Rock has hotel and casino properties in several U.S. cities and in Macau, Pattaya and Bali, and has announced others in Malaysia, Singapore, Atlanta, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, among other locations.
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Hard Rock International signed an agreement with EuroVegas Hungary Ltd to open Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hungary.
The move is part of a plan announced in 2007 by the company's owners, the Seminole tribe of Florida, to expand the restaurant chain aggressively in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. The group said at the time it planned to open 25 to 30 hotels.
But the company's bid to lend its name to a theme park in the U.S. recently failed, as the park closed less than a year after it opened and was eventually sold in bankruptcy proceedings.
The Hungarian hotel will be in the northwest part of the country, near the Austrian and Slovakian borders, and is expected to open in early 2012. It will have more than 600 guest rooms.
Alfred Supersberger, co-chairman of EuroVegas Hungary, said his company was convinced Hard Rock was its ideal partner for the project, citing its expertise in operating large hotels and casinos.
Hard Rock has hotel and casino properties in several U.S. cities and in Macau, Pattaya and Bali, and has announced others in Malaysia, Singapore, Atlanta, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, among other locations.
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
IGT-UK Group restructures its online and mobile operations - 22nd June 2009
Manchester, England, 22nd June 2009
IGT-UK Group today announces the restructure of its mobile and internet gaming operations following the recent news concerning its acquisition of Million-2-1 and the subsequent announcement covering the integration of the UK division of WagerWorks.
As a result of this restructure, the UK division of WagerWorks will take responsibility for the sale and distribution of:
* Barcrest Group game content in remote gaming markets (interactive digital television, mobile gaming and internet gaming markets); and
* IGT game content in mobile gaming markets, developed utilising the Million-2-1 mobile gaming platform.
WagerWorks game development strategy has been to supply a mixture of well-known consumer brands coupled with internet versions of IGT “killer” brands, such as Cleopatra®. WagerWorks will now also leverage online versions of successful game titles from Barcrest Group, offering streams of game content in interactive digital television, mobile gaming and internet gaming markets.
Million-2-1 will continue to focus on interactive services for media organisations and land-based retailers, using mobile solutions to deliver new revenue streams. This includes prize competitions, mobile marketing campaigns and lotteries for the UK and international markets.
Also announced is the appointment of Simon Murphy to the position of Head of Business Development for WagerWorks. Simon joins WagerWorks from Million-2-1 and will be responsible for developing commercial relationships with key clients across mobile gaming and internet gaming products alongside the existing WagerWorks team.
Robert White, Vice President, IGT-UK said, “This restructure streamlines our current sales and distribution process and enables us to offer an integrated remote gaming solution to our partners through one business relationship. It is also consistent with our game development strategy of offering great game content across multiple channels, including mobile and internet. By developing new branded content and continuing to access the best games from land-based environments I am confident we can further strengthen our games portfolio and our position as a leading content supplier.”
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IGT-UK Group today announces the restructure of its mobile and internet gaming operations following the recent news concerning its acquisition of Million-2-1 and the subsequent announcement covering the integration of the UK division of WagerWorks.
As a result of this restructure, the UK division of WagerWorks will take responsibility for the sale and distribution of:
* Barcrest Group game content in remote gaming markets (interactive digital television, mobile gaming and internet gaming markets); and
* IGT game content in mobile gaming markets, developed utilising the Million-2-1 mobile gaming platform.
WagerWorks game development strategy has been to supply a mixture of well-known consumer brands coupled with internet versions of IGT “killer” brands, such as Cleopatra®. WagerWorks will now also leverage online versions of successful game titles from Barcrest Group, offering streams of game content in interactive digital television, mobile gaming and internet gaming markets.
Million-2-1 will continue to focus on interactive services for media organisations and land-based retailers, using mobile solutions to deliver new revenue streams. This includes prize competitions, mobile marketing campaigns and lotteries for the UK and international markets.
Also announced is the appointment of Simon Murphy to the position of Head of Business Development for WagerWorks. Simon joins WagerWorks from Million-2-1 and will be responsible for developing commercial relationships with key clients across mobile gaming and internet gaming products alongside the existing WagerWorks team.
Robert White, Vice President, IGT-UK said, “This restructure streamlines our current sales and distribution process and enables us to offer an integrated remote gaming solution to our partners through one business relationship. It is also consistent with our game development strategy of offering great game content across multiple channels, including mobile and internet. By developing new branded content and continuing to access the best games from land-based environments I am confident we can further strengthen our games portfolio and our position as a leading content supplier.”
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Cryptologic Extends Relationship With Marvel
Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men and other heroes extend their stay with CryptoLogic to 2013
June 22, 2009 (Dublin, IRELAND) -- CryptoLogic Limited, a world leader in Internet casino and branded gaming software, today announced the extension of its exclusive licensing agreement with Marvel Entertainment, Inc., a relationship that has produced some of the company’s most popular and profitable games.
Under the agreement, CryptoLogic retains its rights as the exclusive worldwide developer of Internet casino games based on Marvel’s characters as they appear in the comic books through 2013. This is the third time CryptoLogic has extended its very successful licensing agreement with Marvel.
“CryptoLogic’s exclusive partnership with Marvel has been daringly different for our industry – as together we have brought some of the world’s favourite characters to the world’s top Internet casinos,” said Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic’s President and CEO. “It’s exciting to extend a deal that has been mutually successful and profitable, and to strengthen CryptoLogic’s competitive advantage in the branded gaming space. We look forward to working with Marvel to deliver an even more compelling experience for every player, every day.”
According to Simon Philips, President, Worldwide Consumer Products for Marvel Entertainment, “We are very pleased to be extending our relationship with CryptoLogic. They have proven they are able to translate Marvel’s world renowned Super Heroes into hugely successful Internet casino games and we are confident they will continue to fully leverage these properties on a global level."
Since 2005, CryptoLogic has launched more than 17 slot games featuring classic Marvel Super Heroes — including Spider-Man, the Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Blade, Sub-Mariner, the Punisher and others — at some of the world’s most popular Internet casinos.
Boasting more than 280 games, CryptoLogic has one of the most comprehensive casino suites on the Internet today, with games featuring some of the world’s most famous action and entertainment characters. CryptoLogic has earned rave reviews from industry peers and players alike, and in 2009 earned Gambling Online Magazine’s Top Casino Software award for the fourth consecutive year. Based on the votes of players around the world, it is widely considered the industry’s top honour.
“CryptoLogic is committed to building on this great partnership by delivering even more blockbuster entertainment with Marvel in the years to come,” added Justin Thouin, CryptoLogic’s Vice President.
About CryptoLogic (www.cryptologic.com)
Focused on integrity and innovation, CryptoLogic Limited is a leading public developer and supplier of Internet gaming software. Its leadership in regulatory compliance makes it one of the very few companies with gaming software that is certified to strict standards similar to land-based gaming. WagerLogic Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CryptoLogic, is responsible for the licensing of its gaming software and services to blue-chip customers that offer their games to non-U.S. based players around the world. For information on WagerLogic, please visit www.wagerlogic.com.
CryptoLogic’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CRY, CXY), the NASDAQ Global Select Market (CRYP) and the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (CRP).
Marvel and all related characters: TM & 2009 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. www.marvel.com. All rights reserved.
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June 22, 2009 (Dublin, IRELAND) -- CryptoLogic Limited, a world leader in Internet casino and branded gaming software, today announced the extension of its exclusive licensing agreement with Marvel Entertainment, Inc., a relationship that has produced some of the company’s most popular and profitable games.
Under the agreement, CryptoLogic retains its rights as the exclusive worldwide developer of Internet casino games based on Marvel’s characters as they appear in the comic books through 2013. This is the third time CryptoLogic has extended its very successful licensing agreement with Marvel.
“CryptoLogic’s exclusive partnership with Marvel has been daringly different for our industry – as together we have brought some of the world’s favourite characters to the world’s top Internet casinos,” said Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic’s President and CEO. “It’s exciting to extend a deal that has been mutually successful and profitable, and to strengthen CryptoLogic’s competitive advantage in the branded gaming space. We look forward to working with Marvel to deliver an even more compelling experience for every player, every day.”
According to Simon Philips, President, Worldwide Consumer Products for Marvel Entertainment, “We are very pleased to be extending our relationship with CryptoLogic. They have proven they are able to translate Marvel’s world renowned Super Heroes into hugely successful Internet casino games and we are confident they will continue to fully leverage these properties on a global level."
Since 2005, CryptoLogic has launched more than 17 slot games featuring classic Marvel Super Heroes — including Spider-Man, the Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Blade, Sub-Mariner, the Punisher and others — at some of the world’s most popular Internet casinos.
Boasting more than 280 games, CryptoLogic has one of the most comprehensive casino suites on the Internet today, with games featuring some of the world’s most famous action and entertainment characters. CryptoLogic has earned rave reviews from industry peers and players alike, and in 2009 earned Gambling Online Magazine’s Top Casino Software award for the fourth consecutive year. Based on the votes of players around the world, it is widely considered the industry’s top honour.
“CryptoLogic is committed to building on this great partnership by delivering even more blockbuster entertainment with Marvel in the years to come,” added Justin Thouin, CryptoLogic’s Vice President.
About CryptoLogic (www.cryptologic.com)
Focused on integrity and innovation, CryptoLogic Limited is a leading public developer and supplier of Internet gaming software. Its leadership in regulatory compliance makes it one of the very few companies with gaming software that is certified to strict standards similar to land-based gaming. WagerLogic Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CryptoLogic, is responsible for the licensing of its gaming software and services to blue-chip customers that offer their games to non-U.S. based players around the world. For information on WagerLogic, please visit www.wagerlogic.com.
CryptoLogic’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CRY, CXY), the NASDAQ Global Select Market (CRYP) and the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (CRP).
Marvel and all related characters: TM & 2009 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. www.marvel.com. All rights reserved.
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Sunday, June 21, 2009
WagerWorks Releases Transformers: Ultimate Payback
Online gaming software supplier WagerWorks has debuted its latest slot title, Transformers: Ultimate Payback, in hopes of taking advantage of the excitement surrounding the release of the next film in the Transformers series.
London-based WagerWorks is a subsidiary of International Game Technology (IGT), the Reno-based designer and manufacturer of computerised gaming equipment, and revealed that its new 25-payline slot features original characters, graphics and sounds from the age-long story about the square-off between Optimus Prime and Megatron.
The debut film in the series, Transformers, was released in 2007 and its first sequel, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, debuts this week at cinemas around the world.
Transformers: Ultimate Payback features transforming symbols and animated wilds that multiply wins into fortunes. These wilds expand to make an entire reel wild and the slot also features a Cybertron Wild offering a multiplier of up to ten times.
Players gain entry into the game’s free spins Ultimate Payback Bonus when two bonus symbols appear on the first and fifth reels while additional transforming and Cybertron wilds during the bonus round allow players to further multiply their winnings.
The game also features a free spins bonus where Optimus Prime and Megatron battle for supremacy. If a player’s preferred Transformer wins during this stage, that competitor can receive a bonus of up to 3,250 additional credits. This bonus ends when one Transformer wins or 100 free spins have been played.
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London-based WagerWorks is a subsidiary of International Game Technology (IGT), the Reno-based designer and manufacturer of computerised gaming equipment, and revealed that its new 25-payline slot features original characters, graphics and sounds from the age-long story about the square-off between Optimus Prime and Megatron.
The debut film in the series, Transformers, was released in 2007 and its first sequel, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, debuts this week at cinemas around the world.
Transformers: Ultimate Payback features transforming symbols and animated wilds that multiply wins into fortunes. These wilds expand to make an entire reel wild and the slot also features a Cybertron Wild offering a multiplier of up to ten times.
Players gain entry into the game’s free spins Ultimate Payback Bonus when two bonus symbols appear on the first and fifth reels while additional transforming and Cybertron wilds during the bonus round allow players to further multiply their winnings.
The game also features a free spins bonus where Optimus Prime and Megatron battle for supremacy. If a player’s preferred Transformer wins during this stage, that competitor can receive a bonus of up to 3,250 additional credits. This bonus ends when one Transformer wins or 100 free spins have been played.
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Friday, June 19, 2009
The Robots in Disguise Are Coming to Virgin Casino-Transformers: Ultimate Payback
-Virgin Casino launches new slot game, Transformers: Ultimate Payback(TM)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, Jun 19, 2009 - Virgin Casino today announces the launch of the brand new online slot game, Transformers: Ultimate Payback(TM). The multi-coin slot game offers players the chance to experience an action packed battle between their favourite Transformers complete with authentic characters, voiceovers and the theme song from the cult science-fiction series! Players can reap the rewards along the way with the slot game's 25-payline configuration, Transforming Wild symbols, free spins and bonus level.
Throughout the base game, players can multiply their winnings into fortunes by making an entire reel wild by revealing Optimus Prime and Megatron Transforming Wild symbols on the second and fourth reels. And if that's not enough, the Cybertron Variable Wild symbol can offer up to a 10 x line multiplier.
Players can settle the ongoing battle between The Autobots and The Decepticons once and for all with the Ultimate Payback Bonus(TM) which is triggered by bonus symbols landing simultaneously anywhere on the first and fifth reels. Optimus Prime (leader of Autobots) or Megatron (leader of Decepticons) battle when a 'Fight' symbol is revealed anywhere on the fifth reel. Before the great battle commences players are tasked with the tough decision of selecting which robot they believe will win. Players can spin for free (maximum 100 spins) until one of the Transformers triumphs and if their chosen hero wins players can cash in on up to 3250 bonus credits.
As with all Virgin Casino games, players can also earn V-POINTS - Virgin Games' loyalty points - every time they play. Offering players the chance to redeem their points for further Virgin rewards, including Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles or cold, hard cash, V-POINTS can be transferred across Virgin Games portfolio of products, including Virgin Poker and Virgin Bingo.
Premium releases including ELVIS - A Little More Action(R), Dungeons and Dragons: Fortress of Fortunes(TM), Cleopatra II(TM) and Da Vinci Diamonds(R) have already been added to Virgin Casino's portfolio of games. Further big titles will be added to Virgin Games in the coming months, ensuring a constant stream of new and exciting games to keep players' adrenalin going.
Virgin Casino launched under the Virgin Games brand in June 2004. The site was refreshed in June 2006, providing players with a greater choice of games and additional means of earning bonus points and rewards.
Transformers: Ultimate Payback(TM) is available on www.virgingames.com/casino
(i) Transformers: Ultimate Payback(TM) is a trademark of IGT in the U.S. and/or other countries, and is used with permission. U.S. and international patents pending.
About Virgin Games
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises four distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, brings consumers classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Cluedo, Dungeons and Dragons Fortress of Fortunes(TM) and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a seeding value of Pounds Sterling 1,500,000
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, Jun 19, 2009 - Virgin Casino today announces the launch of the brand new online slot game, Transformers: Ultimate Payback(TM). The multi-coin slot game offers players the chance to experience an action packed battle between their favourite Transformers complete with authentic characters, voiceovers and the theme song from the cult science-fiction series! Players can reap the rewards along the way with the slot game's 25-payline configuration, Transforming Wild symbols, free spins and bonus level.
Throughout the base game, players can multiply their winnings into fortunes by making an entire reel wild by revealing Optimus Prime and Megatron Transforming Wild symbols on the second and fourth reels. And if that's not enough, the Cybertron Variable Wild symbol can offer up to a 10 x line multiplier.
Players can settle the ongoing battle between The Autobots and The Decepticons once and for all with the Ultimate Payback Bonus(TM) which is triggered by bonus symbols landing simultaneously anywhere on the first and fifth reels. Optimus Prime (leader of Autobots) or Megatron (leader of Decepticons) battle when a 'Fight' symbol is revealed anywhere on the fifth reel. Before the great battle commences players are tasked with the tough decision of selecting which robot they believe will win. Players can spin for free (maximum 100 spins) until one of the Transformers triumphs and if their chosen hero wins players can cash in on up to 3250 bonus credits.
As with all Virgin Casino games, players can also earn V-POINTS - Virgin Games' loyalty points - every time they play. Offering players the chance to redeem their points for further Virgin rewards, including Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles or cold, hard cash, V-POINTS can be transferred across Virgin Games portfolio of products, including Virgin Poker and Virgin Bingo.
Premium releases including ELVIS - A Little More Action(R), Dungeons and Dragons: Fortress of Fortunes(TM), Cleopatra II(TM) and Da Vinci Diamonds(R) have already been added to Virgin Casino's portfolio of games. Further big titles will be added to Virgin Games in the coming months, ensuring a constant stream of new and exciting games to keep players' adrenalin going.
Virgin Casino launched under the Virgin Games brand in June 2004. The site was refreshed in June 2006, providing players with a greater choice of games and additional means of earning bonus points and rewards.
Transformers: Ultimate Payback(TM) is available on www.virgingames.com/casino
(i) Transformers: Ultimate Payback(TM) is a trademark of IGT in the U.S. and/or other countries, and is used with permission. U.S. and international patents pending.
About Virgin Games
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises four distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, brings consumers classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Cluedo, Dungeons and Dragons Fortress of Fortunes(TM) and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a seeding value of Pounds Sterling 1,500,000
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
PartyGaming Is Going Online With Five - 17th June 2009
Leading listed online gaming operator PartyGaming has signed an exclusive agreement with Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited to create a Five-branded online bingo and casino service targeting the UK market.
This is PartyGaming’s fourth business-to-business deal in 2009 and it stated that the online service would be launched in the second half of the year.
“With more than 30 million viewers each week and a household entertainment brand, Five is an important addition to our expanding business-to-business portfolio,” said Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer for PartyGaming.
“We are confident of securing more business-to-business deals in the coming months as we match our eGaming talents and assets with the consumer reach of other companies around the world.”
Five has already launched a popular video-on-demand catch-up service, Demand Five, and has begun expansion into key vertical markets with FiveFWD, an advertiser supported portal for young men featuring content from two of the broadcaster’s key programme brands, The Gadget Show and Fifth Gear.
“Five is looking aggressively at how to expand its presence in digital media both in terms of its core broadcast content as well as allied offerings that reflect the channel’s unique sense of dynamism and fun,” said Dawn Airey, Chair and Chief Executive for Five.
“We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with PartyGaming, whose job it will be to create for Five’s audience the very best gaming experience.”
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This is PartyGaming’s fourth business-to-business deal in 2009 and it stated that the online service would be launched in the second half of the year.
“With more than 30 million viewers each week and a household entertainment brand, Five is an important addition to our expanding business-to-business portfolio,” said Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer for PartyGaming.
“We are confident of securing more business-to-business deals in the coming months as we match our eGaming talents and assets with the consumer reach of other companies around the world.”
Five has already launched a popular video-on-demand catch-up service, Demand Five, and has begun expansion into key vertical markets with FiveFWD, an advertiser supported portal for young men featuring content from two of the broadcaster’s key programme brands, The Gadget Show and Fifth Gear.
“Five is looking aggressively at how to expand its presence in digital media both in terms of its core broadcast content as well as allied offerings that reflect the channel’s unique sense of dynamism and fun,” said Dawn Airey, Chair and Chief Executive for Five.
“We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with PartyGaming, whose job it will be to create for Five’s audience the very best gaming experience.”
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
New Landmarks For PartyCasino.com and PartyBingo.com More Additions To World's Largest Online Casino As Number Of Games Doubles In Six Months
Gibraltar -- 16th June – www.partycasino.com and www.partybingo.com are both currently offering record jackpots that are waiting to be hit! The PartyCasino.com Gold Mega Jackpot is at a record level and stands at over $2.4 million, while the PartyBingo.com jackpot in the Lillac Lounge is industry leading at over £63,000 and is rated as highly winnable by independent comparison checks.
Gold Mega Jackpot games on PartyCasino.com include The Godfather, Super Star, Super Joker, Super Fortune Wheel, Super Mystic and Mega Fortune Wheel. PartyCasino.com now offers over 120 games and pays out well over $10 million EVERY DAY to players. The world’s largest online casino continues to expand rapidly - in fact the number of games on PartyCasino.com has DOUBLED in just six months and there are a lot more to come! The latest release has seen dozens of new games added with the highlights being the in-house developed dinosaur themed Raptor Island and online casino classic Cleopatra. They join the group of Cryptologic licensed Marvel games, Wagerworks games like the very popular Monopoly and Next Gen slots such as Dolphin Reef.
With rights acquired from Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE), a joint venture of the Sinatra Estate and Warner Music Group, PartyCasino.com has also developed the Sinatra Slot - a five-reel, 20 line slot game with a Sinatra Big Band feature. Play through the three ages of Frank in Hollywood, Las Vegas and New York, collecting and writing big band tunes on the way. The game features an accumulating bonus trigger; collect a Treble Clef for each reel to build up a Sinatra track at the top of the screen. Complete the track to see Frank sing a classic track and then get a chance to write your own number in the Big Band Bonus feature. The minimum bet is $0.01 and maximum is $1,000. To celebrate the recent introduction of this innovating slot, PartyCasino.com is offering the chance to win trips to New York, Las Vegas or Hollywood and free spins until July 7 – see http://www.partycasino.com/news/newsletter for more details. Other highlights include film themed slots such as Mission:Impossible, The Terminator, Top Gun, Saturday Night Fever, Gone with the Wind and Rambo.
The PartyBingo.com jackpot in the Lilac Lounge is now over £63,000, the largest in the industry at the current time. It is rated by independent adjudicators to be one of the most ripe to be hit and the ball count has been increased to 37 make it easier to hit!
A PartyGaming spokesman said: “PartyCasino.com is a completely different product to what it was six months ago with so many great new games added. The Gold Mega Jackpot just continues to grow and grow past previous record levels – we’re surprised it hasn’t been hit yet. At the same time jackpot hunters are going to find PartyBingo.com very attractive, £63,000 would be a seriously big bingo win!”
PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming company. Founded in 1997, the Group is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index and the FTSE4Good Index Series, which measures the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. PartyGaming’s shares are listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY. PartyGaming’s principal brands are: PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, EmpirePoker.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyGammon.com, PartyBets.com, PartyMarkets.com and Gamebookers.com.
PartyGaming is regulated and licensed by the Government of Gibraltar and is certified by GamCare as a responsible gaming operator. For more information, please visit www.partygaming.com
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Gold Mega Jackpot games on PartyCasino.com include The Godfather, Super Star, Super Joker, Super Fortune Wheel, Super Mystic and Mega Fortune Wheel. PartyCasino.com now offers over 120 games and pays out well over $10 million EVERY DAY to players. The world’s largest online casino continues to expand rapidly - in fact the number of games on PartyCasino.com has DOUBLED in just six months and there are a lot more to come! The latest release has seen dozens of new games added with the highlights being the in-house developed dinosaur themed Raptor Island and online casino classic Cleopatra. They join the group of Cryptologic licensed Marvel games, Wagerworks games like the very popular Monopoly and Next Gen slots such as Dolphin Reef.
With rights acquired from Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE), a joint venture of the Sinatra Estate and Warner Music Group, PartyCasino.com has also developed the Sinatra Slot - a five-reel, 20 line slot game with a Sinatra Big Band feature. Play through the three ages of Frank in Hollywood, Las Vegas and New York, collecting and writing big band tunes on the way. The game features an accumulating bonus trigger; collect a Treble Clef for each reel to build up a Sinatra track at the top of the screen. Complete the track to see Frank sing a classic track and then get a chance to write your own number in the Big Band Bonus feature. The minimum bet is $0.01 and maximum is $1,000. To celebrate the recent introduction of this innovating slot, PartyCasino.com is offering the chance to win trips to New York, Las Vegas or Hollywood and free spins until July 7 – see http://www.partycasino.com/news/newsletter for more details. Other highlights include film themed slots such as Mission:Impossible, The Terminator, Top Gun, Saturday Night Fever, Gone with the Wind and Rambo.
The PartyBingo.com jackpot in the Lilac Lounge is now over £63,000, the largest in the industry at the current time. It is rated by independent adjudicators to be one of the most ripe to be hit and the ball count has been increased to 37 make it easier to hit!
A PartyGaming spokesman said: “PartyCasino.com is a completely different product to what it was six months ago with so many great new games added. The Gold Mega Jackpot just continues to grow and grow past previous record levels – we’re surprised it hasn’t been hit yet. At the same time jackpot hunters are going to find PartyBingo.com very attractive, £63,000 would be a seriously big bingo win!”
PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming company. Founded in 1997, the Group is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index and the FTSE4Good Index Series, which measures the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. PartyGaming’s shares are listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY. PartyGaming’s principal brands are: PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, EmpirePoker.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyGammon.com, PartyBets.com, PartyMarkets.com and Gamebookers.com.
PartyGaming is regulated and licensed by the Government of Gibraltar and is certified by GamCare as a responsible gaming operator. For more information, please visit www.partygaming.com
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
UK: Virgin Games delivers 5 minute customer response time with multimedia contact centre application from NEC Philips - 11th June 2009
Virgin Games, Virgin's on-line gaming offering announces an average email response time of less than five minutes to customers, following the implementation of a multimedia contact centre solution from NEC Philips Unified Solutions.
The company went live with the new solution, which utilises the latest IP and contact centre technology from NEC Philips, in November 2008 with the launch of its in-house Customer Support Team, beginning the process of replacing its previously outsourced customer support functions to ensure full ownership of and a better more streamlined customer experience.
With the new, dynamic all-in-one solution from NEC Philips, which combines call, chat and email customer contact facilities to enable communication through a variety of preferred channels and improved customer experience, Virgin Games has seen a 200-300% improvement in service delivery.
In addition to a dramatic improvement in response times, Virgin Games has announced a drop in average abandonment rates to below 1%.
Operations Director Christina Thakor-Rankin explains, "Most companies consider 2-5% abandonment acceptable, however Virgin Games has proved that with a dynamic and cost-effective solution like the one offered by NEC Philips, a better level of customer experience has been made possible. Of course, at launch our volumes went through the roof and whilst we aim for First Contact Resolution wherever possible, the fact that some customer interactions require some investigation means that unfortunately it is not always possible to give an instant response. However, aside from this and exceptional events, we treat all customer contacts irrespective of channel as 'on demand' and aim to respond accordingly, with an average combined response time of under five minutes. The challenge now is to maintain this level and ensure that our customer service delivery continues to improve in spite of a rise in traffic through the site - we remain quietly optimistic that we can sustain this esteemed level of service."
The Virgin Games combined multi-media contact centre is a first within the Virgin Group, breaking away from traditional telephony based applications and embracing new and evolving customer contact applications. Thakor-Rankin says, "We regularly compare ourselves against the industry standard and we're really pleased to be able to say that our response rates are some of the very best out there, especially in the case of e-mails where we operate to a standard service level of minutes rather than hours."
Commenting on the selection of NEC Philips, Thakor-Rankin says, "We must have looked at the best part of a dozen systems before we came across the NEC Philips solution. We were instantly impressed by the proposition, and NEC Philips has continued to demonstrate a thorough understanding of our business needs and a quality and dynamic solution that has revolutionised the way that we operate and pushed Virgin Games up the leader board."
Thakor-Rankin continues, "Critical to the instant success of the new solution is that it is an all-in-one application. In the last five and a half months we have received 25,000 hits across all media, be it call, chat or email. Nevertheless, the system we are now running is so dynamic that our 24/7 contact centre, offering support for three distinctive products (poker, casino and bingo) including all query types and escalations, is staffed by 11 people against a perception that the minimum required is around 14. This is another metric by which we can demonstrate that we are running a more cost-effective service than our competitors, which in turn will enable us to offer a better service to our customers."
The customer experience is critical both to an online business model such as Virgin Games and the Virgin brand, and relies on a cohesive and intelligent customer management processes. The intelligent solution from NEC Philips is a critical element of the customer relationship management strategy at Virgin Games, and the company continues to work closely with NEC Philips to maximise the potential of the new system and to identify any further areas for improvement.
Thakor-Rankin concludes, "We are using the application from NEC Philips to measure first time resolution as well as other key performance indicators, to better understand the customer experience and to continue to deliver improvements across all communication channels. We are delighted with the system and the service from NEC Philips and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them."
About NEC Philips Unified Solutions
NEC Philips Unified Solutions (NEC Philips) is a provider of secure enterprise IT and communications solutions, specialising in the deployment of unified communication solutions which combine the best in voice, data, mobile, video and IT communications. NEC Philips engages directly with medium and large enterprises, in both the public and private sectors, providing them with customised productivity solutions integrated tightly into business processes.
NEC Philips designs solutions that combine a range of leading technologies from both the NEC stable and other credible and recognized industry vendors. These solutions consist of infrastructure and application components, wrapped with value added services to deliver a range of IT and communication solutions aimed at transforming enterprise collaboration.
Designed to reduce costs and environmental effects, the infrastructure components combine best-of-breed market technologies in a secure and reliable environment to underpin enterprise IT and communications activities. Infrastructure components incorporate software, IT, voice and data elements, including virtualization, security, identity management, converged networks, storage and wireless solutions.
The application components offer a range of business and end-user solutions focused on improving productivity and efficiency through enhanced collaboration. They incorporate routing applications, mobility, conferencing, presence management, messaging and other user-centric solutions using Microsoft and other technologies.
Maximising potential is the focus of the NEC Philips value added services, which include scoping, assessment, solution design, optimisation, configuration, integration, hosting and managed services. The company has a long and proven track record in the provision of enterprise solutions, systems integration, design services and ongoing support services to a network of enterprise customers across the UK.
For further information, please contact:
Clare Granville
The itpr Partnership
Tel: +44 (0)1932 578800
Fax: +44 (0)1932 578801
Email: clareg@itpr.co.uk
(Credit: itpr)
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The company went live with the new solution, which utilises the latest IP and contact centre technology from NEC Philips, in November 2008 with the launch of its in-house Customer Support Team, beginning the process of replacing its previously outsourced customer support functions to ensure full ownership of and a better more streamlined customer experience.
With the new, dynamic all-in-one solution from NEC Philips, which combines call, chat and email customer contact facilities to enable communication through a variety of preferred channels and improved customer experience, Virgin Games has seen a 200-300% improvement in service delivery.
In addition to a dramatic improvement in response times, Virgin Games has announced a drop in average abandonment rates to below 1%.
Operations Director Christina Thakor-Rankin explains, "Most companies consider 2-5% abandonment acceptable, however Virgin Games has proved that with a dynamic and cost-effective solution like the one offered by NEC Philips, a better level of customer experience has been made possible. Of course, at launch our volumes went through the roof and whilst we aim for First Contact Resolution wherever possible, the fact that some customer interactions require some investigation means that unfortunately it is not always possible to give an instant response. However, aside from this and exceptional events, we treat all customer contacts irrespective of channel as 'on demand' and aim to respond accordingly, with an average combined response time of under five minutes. The challenge now is to maintain this level and ensure that our customer service delivery continues to improve in spite of a rise in traffic through the site - we remain quietly optimistic that we can sustain this esteemed level of service."
The Virgin Games combined multi-media contact centre is a first within the Virgin Group, breaking away from traditional telephony based applications and embracing new and evolving customer contact applications. Thakor-Rankin says, "We regularly compare ourselves against the industry standard and we're really pleased to be able to say that our response rates are some of the very best out there, especially in the case of e-mails where we operate to a standard service level of minutes rather than hours."
Commenting on the selection of NEC Philips, Thakor-Rankin says, "We must have looked at the best part of a dozen systems before we came across the NEC Philips solution. We were instantly impressed by the proposition, and NEC Philips has continued to demonstrate a thorough understanding of our business needs and a quality and dynamic solution that has revolutionised the way that we operate and pushed Virgin Games up the leader board."
Thakor-Rankin continues, "Critical to the instant success of the new solution is that it is an all-in-one application. In the last five and a half months we have received 25,000 hits across all media, be it call, chat or email. Nevertheless, the system we are now running is so dynamic that our 24/7 contact centre, offering support for three distinctive products (poker, casino and bingo) including all query types and escalations, is staffed by 11 people against a perception that the minimum required is around 14. This is another metric by which we can demonstrate that we are running a more cost-effective service than our competitors, which in turn will enable us to offer a better service to our customers."
The customer experience is critical both to an online business model such as Virgin Games and the Virgin brand, and relies on a cohesive and intelligent customer management processes. The intelligent solution from NEC Philips is a critical element of the customer relationship management strategy at Virgin Games, and the company continues to work closely with NEC Philips to maximise the potential of the new system and to identify any further areas for improvement.
Thakor-Rankin concludes, "We are using the application from NEC Philips to measure first time resolution as well as other key performance indicators, to better understand the customer experience and to continue to deliver improvements across all communication channels. We are delighted with the system and the service from NEC Philips and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them."
About NEC Philips Unified Solutions
NEC Philips Unified Solutions (NEC Philips) is a provider of secure enterprise IT and communications solutions, specialising in the deployment of unified communication solutions which combine the best in voice, data, mobile, video and IT communications. NEC Philips engages directly with medium and large enterprises, in both the public and private sectors, providing them with customised productivity solutions integrated tightly into business processes.
NEC Philips designs solutions that combine a range of leading technologies from both the NEC stable and other credible and recognized industry vendors. These solutions consist of infrastructure and application components, wrapped with value added services to deliver a range of IT and communication solutions aimed at transforming enterprise collaboration.
Designed to reduce costs and environmental effects, the infrastructure components combine best-of-breed market technologies in a secure and reliable environment to underpin enterprise IT and communications activities. Infrastructure components incorporate software, IT, voice and data elements, including virtualization, security, identity management, converged networks, storage and wireless solutions.
The application components offer a range of business and end-user solutions focused on improving productivity and efficiency through enhanced collaboration. They incorporate routing applications, mobility, conferencing, presence management, messaging and other user-centric solutions using Microsoft and other technologies.
Maximising potential is the focus of the NEC Philips value added services, which include scoping, assessment, solution design, optimisation, configuration, integration, hosting and managed services. The company has a long and proven track record in the provision of enterprise solutions, systems integration, design services and ongoing support services to a network of enterprise customers across the UK.
For further information, please contact:
Clare Granville
The itpr Partnership
Tel: +44 (0)1932 578800
Fax: +44 (0)1932 578801
Email: clareg@itpr.co.uk
(Credit: itpr)
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
PARTYPOKER.COM AND PARTYCASINO.COM LAUNCH NEW GLOBAL CAMPAIGN
PARTYPOINTS STORE TO BE IMPROVED AT END OF JUNE
Gibraltar – 9th June 2009 – An exciting new global campaign has been launched for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com.
Extensive worldwide customer research helped PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com develop a new proposition and this is delivered through the new strapline ‘Feel it’. The research identified ‘it’ as the intense rush as the river card is turned or the wild anticipation as the roulette wheel begins to slow. In fact ‘it’ is something different to every player and with its range of new games, promotions and tournaments PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com are constantly innovating to deliver the best customer experience in online poker and casino.
The campaign will roll out on TV, online, billboards and in press in territories worldwide. At the heart are thrilling TV commercials for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com that show players caught up in a whirlwind of excitement. The whirlwind captures the journey of the game for poker and the fun and excitement of casino as players enjoy the games in a virtual world. The campaign also sees the introduction of a redesigned logo.
The television advertisements were filmed on the biggest stage at the famous Shepperton Studios in the UK where so many blockbusters including the Bond movies are shot. All the action was overseen by Hollywood film director Paul WS Anderson - his experience in directing Event Horizon, Resident Evil and Alien versus Predator was key to delivering the action packed footage. A look at the tv ads can be found at http://www.partypoker.com and http://www.partycasino.com
The campaign was created by Leeds based agency Home, in conjunction with PartyGaming’s in-house team.
A PartyGaming spokesman said: “The new campaign has gone global and you will already see the brand changes when you log on to PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com. PartyPoker.com has just launched the Million Dollar Hand promotion for June, while PartyCasino.com is the world’s largest online casino and is continuing to expand at a rapid pace. The Gold Mega Jackpot at PartyCasino.com currently stands at just over a record breaking $2,281,000 and is waiting to be hit!”
At the end of June, PartyPoker.com will be improving the PartyPoints store. Customers are advised to hold on to their PartyPoints until then to make the most of the changes that will be introduced. See http://www.partypoker.com for more details.
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Gibraltar – 9th June 2009 – An exciting new global campaign has been launched for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com.
Extensive worldwide customer research helped PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com develop a new proposition and this is delivered through the new strapline ‘Feel it’. The research identified ‘it’ as the intense rush as the river card is turned or the wild anticipation as the roulette wheel begins to slow. In fact ‘it’ is something different to every player and with its range of new games, promotions and tournaments PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com are constantly innovating to deliver the best customer experience in online poker and casino.
The campaign will roll out on TV, online, billboards and in press in territories worldwide. At the heart are thrilling TV commercials for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com that show players caught up in a whirlwind of excitement. The whirlwind captures the journey of the game for poker and the fun and excitement of casino as players enjoy the games in a virtual world. The campaign also sees the introduction of a redesigned logo.
The television advertisements were filmed on the biggest stage at the famous Shepperton Studios in the UK where so many blockbusters including the Bond movies are shot. All the action was overseen by Hollywood film director Paul WS Anderson - his experience in directing Event Horizon, Resident Evil and Alien versus Predator was key to delivering the action packed footage. A look at the tv ads can be found at http://www.partypoker.com and http://www.partycasino.com
The campaign was created by Leeds based agency Home, in conjunction with PartyGaming’s in-house team.
A PartyGaming spokesman said: “The new campaign has gone global and you will already see the brand changes when you log on to PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com. PartyPoker.com has just launched the Million Dollar Hand promotion for June, while PartyCasino.com is the world’s largest online casino and is continuing to expand at a rapid pace. The Gold Mega Jackpot at PartyCasino.com currently stands at just over a record breaking $2,281,000 and is waiting to be hit!”
At the end of June, PartyPoker.com will be improving the PartyPoints store. Customers are advised to hold on to their PartyPoints until then to make the most of the changes that will be introduced. See http://www.partypoker.com for more details.
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Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Others could follow us, says Virgin Games chief executive - This Is Guernsey - 9th June 2009
Guernsey has become the central hub for all Virgin Games online gaming services.
The company moved to Guernsey last year and took on four people, according to Virgin Games chief executive Simon Burridge (pictured).
‘We started as a marketing operation, which meant we had to outsource all operations except marketing,’ he said.
That has now changed and the company has centralised its casino, poker and bingo services in the island.
Making all the operations in-house had always been the intention when moving to Guernsey, according to Mr Burridge.
He said he was pleased with how the company was operating here.
‘It is a lovely place. It has fantastic infrastructure and we wanted to employ people with financial experience. It is also close to the UK and we are regulated nearby in Alderney.’
He said he could definitely see more online companies moving to the island. (Credit: This Is Guernsey)
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The company moved to Guernsey last year and took on four people, according to Virgin Games chief executive Simon Burridge (pictured).
‘We started as a marketing operation, which meant we had to outsource all operations except marketing,’ he said.
That has now changed and the company has centralised its casino, poker and bingo services in the island.
Making all the operations in-house had always been the intention when moving to Guernsey, according to Mr Burridge.
He said he was pleased with how the company was operating here.
‘It is a lovely place. It has fantastic infrastructure and we wanted to employ people with financial experience. It is also close to the UK and we are regulated nearby in Alderney.’
He said he could definitely see more online companies moving to the island. (Credit: This Is Guernsey)
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Thursday, June 04, 2009
Monday, June 01, 2009
Virgin Games Delivers The Ultimate Gaming Experience
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - June 1, 2009)
Today Virgin Games, the online gaming service, announces that it has centralised its offerings and has become an operating company in its own right working from one common platform. This development will provide a streamlined customer experience by offering players the opportunity to play across multiple gaming products using a central sign on solution and a single Virgin Games wallet. The operation of Virgin Games gaming service was formerly outsourced to three different operators; Wagerworks for Casino; Boss Media for Poker and St.Minver for Bingo. The operation on the new Virgin Games platform has now been taken in-house and will be managed centrally from their head office in Guernsey.
With the Virgin customer experience being of core importance, players now only need to register once to become a Virgin Games player and browse seamlessly through all of the games at Virgin Poker, Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo. Additionally, under the new system, Virgin players will be able to play for bonus promotions and Virgin Games loyalty points, V-Points, across all games offered.
The strategic shift to become a fully fledged gaming operator has taken place at Virgin Games over the last 18 months. The company now operates using two gaming licenses held in Alderney and Malta and runs an in-house customer service call centre as well as owning and co-ordinating player databases and payment processing systems. The 24/7 customer experience solution will bring all consumer touch points together in-house including telephone, email and web-chat communication resulting in greater control, improved efficiency and an all round excellent customer experience.
Simon Burridge, CEO Virgin Games, comments: "In developing and taking ownership of the new customer experience program, we have focused on creating the best possible value and service for our customers. Here at Virgin Games, we live and breathe the Virgin brand values and feel taking the customer service department in-house and integrating all three gaming services allows us to continue to deliver the unique Virgin experience that our customers have come to expect."
"Our players have told us that they would like to see a wider range of games at Virgin Games and we intend to give them exactly what they're looking for. There have been some very exciting new games brought into the market recently and we look forward to introducing them into the Virgin Games product offering" said Burridge.
For more information on Virgin Games please visit www.virgingames.co.uk.
Notes to Editors:
About Virgin Games
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises four distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, brings consumers classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Cluedo, Dungeons and Dragons Fortress of Fortunes(TM) and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a seeding value of Pounds Sterling 1,500,000
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros Texas Hold em, Five card Stud Poker and more - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
For more information, please contact
Nelson Bostock Communications
Melissa Robinson
020 7792 7436
melissa.robinson@nelsonbostock.com
or
Nelson Bostock Communications
Lucinda Pride
020 7792 7471
lucinda.pride@nelsonbostock.com
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Today Virgin Games, the online gaming service, announces that it has centralised its offerings and has become an operating company in its own right working from one common platform. This development will provide a streamlined customer experience by offering players the opportunity to play across multiple gaming products using a central sign on solution and a single Virgin Games wallet. The operation of Virgin Games gaming service was formerly outsourced to three different operators; Wagerworks for Casino; Boss Media for Poker and St.Minver for Bingo. The operation on the new Virgin Games platform has now been taken in-house and will be managed centrally from their head office in Guernsey.
With the Virgin customer experience being of core importance, players now only need to register once to become a Virgin Games player and browse seamlessly through all of the games at Virgin Poker, Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo. Additionally, under the new system, Virgin players will be able to play for bonus promotions and Virgin Games loyalty points, V-Points, across all games offered.
The strategic shift to become a fully fledged gaming operator has taken place at Virgin Games over the last 18 months. The company now operates using two gaming licenses held in Alderney and Malta and runs an in-house customer service call centre as well as owning and co-ordinating player databases and payment processing systems. The 24/7 customer experience solution will bring all consumer touch points together in-house including telephone, email and web-chat communication resulting in greater control, improved efficiency and an all round excellent customer experience.
Simon Burridge, CEO Virgin Games, comments: "In developing and taking ownership of the new customer experience program, we have focused on creating the best possible value and service for our customers. Here at Virgin Games, we live and breathe the Virgin brand values and feel taking the customer service department in-house and integrating all three gaming services allows us to continue to deliver the unique Virgin experience that our customers have come to expect."
"Our players have told us that they would like to see a wider range of games at Virgin Games and we intend to give them exactly what they're looking for. There have been some very exciting new games brought into the market recently and we look forward to introducing them into the Virgin Games product offering" said Burridge.
For more information on Virgin Games please visit www.virgingames.co.uk.
Notes to Editors:
About Virgin Games
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises four distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, brings consumers classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Cluedo, Dungeons and Dragons Fortress of Fortunes(TM) and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a seeding value of Pounds Sterling 1,500,000
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros Texas Hold em, Five card Stud Poker and more - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry
- Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
For more information, please contact
Nelson Bostock Communications
Melissa Robinson
020 7792 7436
melissa.robinson@nelsonbostock.com
or
Nelson Bostock Communications
Lucinda Pride
020 7792 7471
lucinda.pride@nelsonbostock.com
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Virgin Games
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