Indy Gaming: Aristocrat Americas president sees convergence with online and casinos

O'Brien returned to Aristocrat Technologies two years ago, becoming general manager, before spending 13 years in management roles at a competing gaming-equipment resale company.

Two weeks after O'Brien started the job, COVID-19 sent everyone home. He had time to get acclimated to Aristocrat's headquarters in Summerlin.

But Aristocrat's efforts didn't slow down, even when the universe "closed," according to O'Brien's writings.

"We never stopped working as a band," O'Brien told the Nevada Independent in a recent interview. "I worked with the design team, I worked with the service team to continue to support our customers, and I took care of my employees at the top. I think that's paid off.

In February, O'Brien was promoted to president of Aristocrat's South American division.

At the same time, O'Brien's predecessor, Hector Fernandez, was promoted to CEO of Aristocrat Gaming, overseeing the many land-based gaming products and services that the company offers. Mitchell Bowen, who was CEO of land-based, now leads the team developing Aristocrat's online gaming division.

"Mitchell will focus on the digital part of the market," O'Brien said. "We've created a third pillar."

O'Brien said his focus will be on maintaining and expanding Aristocrat's presence in land-based casinos. The collaboration between the two teams allows Aristocrat to provide its customers with the tools that casinos can use to promote themselves to players, both on the Internet and at the physical level within the facility.

When online gaming first started to take off, companies would take older versions of slot machines and put them on their platforms to see how they worked.

"Now that there's so much demand (for online gaming), everyone wants to see how quickly they can update their platforms to give customers a good chance to play in both areas (online and casino)," O'Brien said.

Aristocrat is working with "some of the big operators" to create an online platform that appeals to both sides of the market.

"You really want to use that as an advantage and attract more customers to the land-based casinos," he said.

Before joining Aristocrat, O'Brien worked in sales at two of the biggest gaming equipment suppliers, Scientific Games and International Game Technology. During the pandemic, he had the opportunity to meet with casino buyers.

"Our artists and creators have been doing a mythical work for our company. I'm thinking.

Two weeks later, Aristkrart will provide some new products and new slot machines at the Red Skins State Gaming Association trade show and conference in Anaheim, California. According to Oblien, this is to make the company know what the company's customers are waiting for, prior to the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas in October.

"We are preparing quite exciting things for the G2E." I hope that some entries will soon be available.

Aristocrat is still looking for a way to become a cashless game.

A ti e-up with Sightline Payments has promoted cashless gambling in two casinos in Boyd Gaming's Las Vegas casinos and Indiana, the company's casino management system in Boyd Gaming.

According to Obrien, the supervision test worked well, and the system shifted from a slot machine to a table game at a Boyd casino in Las Vegas. However, the spread of cashless games by casino customers is still in the early stages.

"It may not be as fast as we want, but this is a new thing."

A pedestrian walking on the Las Vegas Strip Strip on March 27, 2021. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent)

According to experts, the Las Vegas meeting and meeting organizations are recovering.

Until the Las Vegas conference and convention activities return to the level before the pandemic (probably by the end of this year), the healthy bazaars of the Las Vegas area will continue to make a profit to major casino operators.

Barry Jonas, a gambling analyst of TRUIST SECURITIES, visited Las Vegas every week, visiting the casino owner in the strip district, the surrounding facilities, and supporters in the gambling industry, as a result of this conclusion. Has reached.

After the Las Vegas casino operator dodged Omicron's bullet in January, the demand for consumers was accumulating after two years of closing and business restrictions, so other obstacles, such as financial inflation and gasoline rising. He said it was definitely useful to overcome it.

Jonas, based in New York, said in a survey report published on the first day of the week, Red Rock Resorts, according to the company's data, had some influence on cheap players. He says he is a person.

"Fortunately, this sector is currently not considered a priority for any operator, but" I keep in mind that if inflation is prolonged, the outlook may change. "

Barry Jonas, gaming analyst at Truist Securities

Jonas said the leaders of the two biggest Strip operators he met with, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, recorded increased bookings for group events and large conferences in the second half of the year.

The Las Vegas events calendar, including the announcement of a Formula One race in November 2023, was another positive point the operators mentioned, he said.

"Caesars leadership feels much better about the dynamics of the group business, which dropped significantly in the first quarter," Jonas wrote in his report. "There is positive momentum going into the second through fourth quarters, to the point where leadership believes that, despite the weakness in the first quarter, 2022 will be higher than 2019."

Most of the optimism comes from the Caesars Forum Conference Center, which will host the NFL Draft at the end of April. As for MGM Resorts, Jonas said a "subdued" consumer electronics trade show, where average traffic fell by more than 70%, contributed to the company's group business at the start of the year.

"However, the company's management expected the softness to be short-term, and that has been the case," Jonas wrote, adding that MGM Resorts Group business grew in both February and March.

Meanwhile, MGM Resorts said it has not historically observed a correlation between rising gas prices and normal business metrics, and that the Strip has been spared the negative impact of current fuel prices.

Only Steven Kuti, financial director at Red Rock Resorts, told Jonas that inflation and gas prices could deter some customers. However, he said, some of the business decline is explained by the fact that Red Rock closed its restaurant at the Swedish Table, which is linked to pandemic-related work restrictions.

Kuti said the loss of business from the elimination of buffets "outweighs the cash savings."

Jonas told investors that the upper class "has not yet felt the effects of inflation."

In meetings with Boyd Gaming, Jonas looked at the Orleans Hotel, about two miles west of the Strip on Tropican Boulevard.

The Orleans is considered a local establishment, but it often draws in tourists from the Strip on weekends. Jonas said midweek convention business remains slow, but demand is "on the rise."

"At the end of the year, Orleans are gaining attention for mass and conferences because almost all meetings have been postponed for omnrons," Jonas wrote. "The reservation has decreased, and it has become shorter than the past in six months."

According to Boyd Chapter's sentence, the attention of the mass business in the middle of the week has not yet returned to the previous level, but it has the potential to be "accompanied" in the fourth quarter.

A fountain show at Win Hotel in Macau. Credit: istock. com (AKE1150SB).

Macau-March Gambling profits, from deterioration to deterioration

Macau's March gambling revenue was the lowest in the past 18 months.

The number of $ 459 million is 56 % from March 2021 and 54 % less than February, but the cause is that most of the travel from mainland China continued to be restricted, and most of them are Macau. Covi d-19 advertises.

One of the gambling companies experts states that the investment association has overwhelmed the trends since January 2020, and the development of the Casino Macau industry was very surprising that it used to escape from bad things. Ta.

China continues to hold zero account politicians, and at the moment it will not be postponed, the quarantine measures will not recover yet, it will work in Macau, "Analysis Notebook Stephen Wiedzynski I wrote a STIFEL financial analyst.

In fact, Macau's casinos, which cover the properties managed by Las Vegas, Win Resorts and MGM Resorts International, are less likely to enter the "not" recovery mode until the third quarter of this year. Ta.

In the January-March 2022, Macau's gambling bazaar fell by nearly 25 % compared to 2021.

In 2021, Casino Macau rose $ 10. 8 billion, increasing 43, 7 % from 2020, but fell by more than 2019, when 36 casinos earned $ 6 billion. The interests of the gambling company acquired in 2020 and 2021 are considered to be the lowest indicators in 2006 and 2007.

Macau's gambling company has reached $ 45 billion in 2013.

"Because Beijing and Hong Kong have their own commands regarding zero matters, we have Macau's important opportunities to remain fog, and the correct ones for several months from the perspective of the gambling company are off the rails. I believe it is, "Vechinsky told the trader.

The announcement of compliments from January, when Macau's administrative institution explained the process of encouraging casinos, is not an expert at least. 6. The owner of today's game concession that covers Sands, Win, and MGM may have a 1 0-year license and the possibility of updating for that three years, and in fact for 2035, the future Peripellation process. Is possible.

Macau's exposure to the current concession was scheduled to reach in June, but the government extended until the end of the year. Macau had not yet introduced a constructive configuration in corporate contracts, for example, a dividend limit. Apart from this, Macau's gambling business remains 39 %.

"We believe that lon g-term traders will reverses the interests of current working conditions and have no obligation to focus on how Bazar will look through the years," said Vechinski.

On March 17, 2022, a client watching the NCAA March Madness Men's Basketball Games at Red Rock Resort Racing and Sports Club. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent)

Domestic links have led to SPORTRADA R-Inspections of information providers regarding betting

Switzerland SPORTRADAR is one of the reserve troops of Super Technology companies that benefited from the early spread of sports betting in the United States.

The company, which is registered on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange and has a room in the United States, collects statistical information during the match and provides it to a sportsbook. The sportsbook uses this data to establish a coefficient and section composition for gambling in all kinds of betting, for example, this IRGE.

Thanks to Sportsradar in partnership with NBA, NHL, baseball top leagues, NASCAR, and FIFA, the collected information is effectively provided to major sports authorities, and the sportsbating institution and revenue. You can sign a sexual sports betting license agreement.

Every year, the company tracks more than 750. 000 events in 83 sports.

From the number of SPORTRADAR sports, basketball players, Michael Jordan and Ted Leonsis, they are interested in the hig h-up trader with the NBA Club Washington Wizards and the NHL Washington Capitals.

Stephen Pizziclah, a German bank analyst for gambling, was SPORTRADAR last week, when most of the fellow sports betting has not achieved a foreign currency stream monitoring, for 2022 for 2022. Given a unique trader, a useful economic monitoring.

But last month, SPORTRADAR fell under the flame for events unrelated to play fields.

On March 25, SPORTSHANDLE reported that Russia had not blocked his relationship with a sportsbook in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine on February 23. Most of the worl d-famous companies, such as Apple, Disney, and McDonald's, have protested in Russia in Russia and have stopped working in Russia. Economic sanctions by the United States and other countries were introduced to weaken the Russian economy.

According to Matt Ribaltovski, the author of SportsHandle, Karsten Kurl, a CEO of SPORTRADAR, has increased net assets by $ 1. 6 billion due to the primary allocation of the company's shares in September and is a Russian sports bookmaker. He said he invested in a certain Liga Stavok.

SPORTRADAR CEO, Karsten Kurl

The report throws a negative light on SPORTRADAR, causing a headache in sporting charges and leagues, regarded as in Ukraine.

According to the fourth quarter financial results last Wednesday, before the Sportradader meeting, the company has stated that the company has employees in Ukraine and ensure its safety.

SPORTRADAR has stated that investing in Russia, including contracts with new customers, is increasingly suspended to comply with US sanctions. The company established an emergency fund to provide financial support to the same region, and donated $ 1 million to the Red Cross and UNICEF to provide humanitarian support for Ukraine.

According to SPORTRADAR, Kerla's investment on the Russian Sports Tour is a "minority" shares of the parent company and has no business management duty or authority.

According to the company, "existing sanctions measures" banned the sale of holdings, but if this rule is lifted, he said, "He will sacrifice the interests from investment management organizations supporting Ukraine. I promise.

In the financial report, Kururu left himself and the company again from Bad Glory.

In response to analyst questions about what Russia sanctions would affect the company's proposal, he said, "I'm monitoring all sanctions in this area."

According to Kerl, this is "a constant process to determine who is on the sanctions list and whether the list is included in the list." According to him, if sanctions were introduced, and companies in the United States and the United Kingdom could not cooperate with Russian companies, this would be the worst scenario.

Jefferies gaming analyst David Katz told investors that sports betting has been halted in Ukraine. In Russia, sports fees have been "reduced."

The Palms Casino Resort on Monday, March 21, 2022. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent)

Other interesting facts

The Palms Casino Resort casino will reopen on April 27 after more than two years of closure. San Manuel Band of Mission in Southern California, which acquired it from Red Rock Resorts in December for $650 million, is benefiting from investments made by the previous owner, who spent about $1 billion on the acquisition and rehabilitation of the property off the Strip.

"It is a great honor and privilege to welcome you to the Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas," said Latisha Casas, dean of the Department of Gambling Business & Hospitality. "We look forward to the opportunity to share our rich history, culture and roasting hospitality with our guests. We can't enter history together."

The Palms will reopen with many additional amenities during the rebuild, including Scotch 80 Prime and Mabel's Barbecue Restaurant. Serrano Vista Cafe will also open in San Manuel. A 766-room hotel and Syutov's will open April 28.

The San Manuel Tribe, which became the first American Indian corporation to own and operate a casino resort in Las Vegas, also owns and operates Ya'amaba's Resort & Casino in San Bernardino County. The tribe plans to set off fireworks on the night of the Palm's opening.

Scientific Games has acquired previously announced lottery company Brookfield Business Partners Inc. for $58 million. The company has completed a deal to sell Scientific Games for $1. 2 billion. As part of the deal, Scientific Games will take over the name from Brookfield and the gaming equipment supplier will be renamed Light & Wonder. The name change was announced last month.

Light & Wonder expects to receive $5 billion after the tax sale, which will be used to pay down long-term debt that stood at $8. 2 billion as of the end of 2021.

The company is also selling the business to data provider Endeavor, parent company of IMG Arena, for $1. 2 billion.

"We are rapidly evolving and realizing our vision to be a leading cross-platform global gaming provider," Light & Wonder general manager Barry Cottle said in a statement, adding that the transaction "will enable the lottery business to thrive as an independent company."

MGM Resorts International donated $ 250, 000 to the international center (ICRG) for responsible gambling, supporting the center research and educational activities. This subsidy was provided by a group of Massachusetts and was tailored to the March gambling awareness month.

MGM Resorts was a founding member of the organization in 1996. The center has funded research on gambling issues and has published hundreds of papers in pee r-reviewed scientific magazines.

According to the ICRG chairman of Asa Paykovsky, this donation is a number of programs aimed at training the attitude of treatment experts, responsible gambling, gambling regulations, state politicians, and responsible gambling attitudes. It will be funded.

MGM Resorts has been developed by British Columbia Lotary Corporation and has been conducting a gambling program approved in 2017.

MGM Resorts Bill Hornbakuru General Manager pointed out in a statement that the center research instructed MGM to promote gambling, which would help the company to improve communication with customers. "Game operators are obliged to support high standards that contribute to the sound of industry," said Hornbakuru.

The US Gambling Association has announced four promotions and three new people in the Colombia Special Washington industry group.

Alex Costello was appointed as a vice chairman of the government, David Foaman was the vice chairman of the investigator, Gabriel Vulkis was the vice chairman of the finance and management, and Brandon Legiaas was appointed as a member and partne r-related senior director.

Tresk York has become a senior director in charge of government, Christopher Brown, and Anabela Gozu has been appointed as a senior manager in charge of membership.

"I am very proud of the team born in AGA. Today's announcement reflects their vigorous activities and great achievements in the members and gambling industry," AGA General Manager. Bill Miller stated in a statement. < SPAN> MGM Resorts International donated $ 250, 000 to the international center (ICRG) for responsible gambling, supporting the center research and educational activities. This subsidy was provided by a group of Massachusetts and was tailored to the March gambling awareness month.

MGM Resorts was a founding member of the organization in 1996. The center has funded research on gambling issues and has published hundreds of papers in pee r-reviewed scientific magazines.