Novomatic, together with its Polish branch ATT S.A., subsidiary of the Novomatic sister-holding C.S.C. Casino Systems, celebrated a great show appearance at Poland’s SUREXPO from 18th-20th October 2007 in Warsaw. Novomatic’s Hot Spot™ machine, hugely popular in Poland, was awarded the show’s Grand Prix for the most successful AWP-machine.

The 6^th edition of the annual International Salon of Entertainment, SUREXPO, was characterized by a larger than ever before range of both international and local market exhibitors. This increasing importance and prestige of the Warsaw show was also reflected in the growing number of visitors and the greater diversity of products on display.As one of the largest, the Novomatic booth featured an extensive range of products – international bestsellers like the Multi-Gaminator® as well as products specifically for the Polish market, including the hugely successful Hot Spot™ machines.

This highly popular product is available in Poland in an international version for gaming halls and casinos plus, in a special AWP-version, for the increasingly important Polish AWP-market. In the context of the show this AWP Hot Spot™ version was awarded the Grand Prix for the most successful foreign machine. The sales figures are indeed impressive: in a market which numbers a total of 23,000 AWP machines, 8,500 Hot Spot™ machines have been sold from the product’s launch in 2005. Also on display at the show booth was the ASIC box, the heart and basic platform of the Hot Spot™ which was met with great visitor interest.

DI Ryszard Presch, Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Novomatic Holding and leading figure of Novomatic’s success in the Eastern European markets is pleased with the show results: “Our participation at this show has over the years become a fixture in the international exhibition calendar and a very important and welcomed opportunity to meet with our Polish customers and partners. SUREXPO offers the ideal environment to present our products for the local casino and AWP markets, and the visitor interest is traditionally great. We feel honoured by this very special award which signifies the position of our Hot Spot™ product in Poland. We congratulate the organizers on another well-organized and successful show and say thank you for this award.

Novomatic Group of Companies- www.novomatic.com - is an integrated global gaming group that, in addition to its extensive operational activities encompassing casinos, electronic gaming halls and sports betting outlets, specializes in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines and advanced technology products.

Aristocrat Technologies Europe has reinforced its strong presence in Bulgaria following the opening of the Nymphes Princess Casino in the town of Svilengrad. Owned by the Pleasure Company AD, the Casino features 30 Aristocrat slot machines including 16 Zorro®s, eight Outback Jack's, three Big Ben's and three Golden Gong's. Inaugurated on July 20th and officially opened on October 12th, the Nymphes Princess Casino houses slot machines and table games, positioned across the main floor and VIP room. Open between 12 noon and 6am during the summer season, it also boasts two bars, an à la carte restaurant, purpose-built stage for performing artists and valet parking. The Pleasure Company has also rented and refurbished a 27-room motel in the town centre for the exclusive use of Casino patrons. With 20,000 residents, Svilengrad is served by excellent communication links, located 10 minutes from the Turkish border and just five from the Greek frontier. Bulgaria's second city, Plovdiv is one and a half hours away from the country's capital, Sofia around three hours away. The town serves as a major hub for transportation companies and also plays host to major multi-national wine production facilities. Marcus Honney, Aristocrat Technologies Europe Sales Director, commented: "A good location is crucial to successful operations and the Nymphes Princess Casino certainly ticks all the boxes for building a good customer base. We are honoured that the Pleasure Company is counting so strongly on Aristocrat to help deliver strong returns and the product mix they have opted for will, I am certain, do just that."

Suzo-Happ Group today announced the acquisition of Dynamics Chinatec Industries (HK) Limited (“Chinatec”), a Zhuhai, China-based manufacturer of parts and components used in the gaming, amusement and transportation markets.  Chinatec is a long-time Suzo-Happ supplier that will now be part of the Suzo-Happ Group, a portfolio company of Pfingsten Partners, L.L.C.    The Chinatec acquisition provides Suzo-Happ with state-of-the-art Asian manufacturing capabilities, expanded engineering capabilities, and additional capacity to accommodate future growth.

Chinatec manufactures slot machine toppers, reel mechanisms, push button panels, front plate assemblies, sorters, PC boards, coin collection and dispensing systems for gaming and amusement machines, as well as transit fare collection devices.  Chinatec has over 200 employees at its ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility in Zhuhai, China, and maintains sales and administration offices in Hong Kong and Hamburg, Germany.

Chinatec is the seventh company to become part of the Suzo-Happ Group’s strategic platform.   All seven companies combine to strengthened Suzo-Happ's position as the leading global supplier of amusement and gaming parts and accessories with over 30,000 SKUs, customers in 80 countries, and now more than 600 employees in 14 locations. Pfingsten Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Deerfield, Illinois and Hong Kong, is Suzo-Happ's majority shareholder.

“This transaction assures that we have a high-quality, cost effective manufacturing capability that enables us to service our customers even more effectively,” said Chuck Turnbull, President and CEO of Suzo-Happ Group.  “This is an important step in strengthening our control over our supply chain, maintaining our industry leadership, and enabling us to explore new opportunities for growth.”

“Suzo-Happ has been one of our primary customers for many years, so joining the Suzo-Happ family is a logical step that also positions Chinatec for significant growth,” said Rudi Meyer, Chinatec Director and co-owner of the company.  “We will now have direct access to Suzo-Happ’s administrative, organizational and strategic resources to help shape the company’s future direction.”

The Chinatec transaction closed on October 31.

‘Breaking The ICE’, the official party for ICEi 2008, will take place at Chelsea’s Bluebird Bar, 350 Kings Road, London on the evening of Tuesday, January 22^nd, show organisers have announced.

 Clarion Gaming’s Events Co-ordinator, Daniel Wiseman enthused: “ICEi’s successful launch in January 2007, saw a sell out event with remote gaming revellers partying until the early hours. Given the exclusivity of the venue and size, Bluebird was thought most appropriate to host this calibre and number of guests.  The Chelsea venue combines sophisticated design with warm colours and subtle lighting to create a relaxed environment. The Bluebird provides the perfect backdrop for an industry that places a significant value on networking and parties.”

 Tickets for the party, restricted to 750, cost £45 and promise a free bar until late. Head of Exhibitions, Karen Cooke concluded: “‘Breaking The ICE’ promises to build on the impressive success and profile of the 2007 ICEi party. We see the event as a real extension of the ICEi 2007 show floor at a location perfectly resonant with ICEi’s unique personality.”

 Sponsorship packages for ‘Breaking The ICE’ are also available and include a complimentary ticket allocation, advertisement in the official ICEi show catalogue, company logo and description on show website, branding on all event marketing literature and tickets, as well as branding and signage at the event.

The first official party for London’s International Casino Exhibition, ‘After Dark’, will take place at Adam Street Private Members’ Club, The Strand on Wednesday, January 23rd, organiser Clarion Gaming has announced.

 Clarion Gaming Events Co-ordinator, Daniel Wiseman explained: “If ICE represents three of the international casino industry’s most important days, After Dark is one of the most important nights. The inaugural ICE party offers a chance to discuss business at one of London’s most relaxing and stylish venues. The sheer calibre of Adam Street makes it a fitting venue for this unique and exclusive event.”

 Tickets for ‘After Dark’, restricted to 400, cost £45 and include a free bar until late. Head of Exhibitions, Karen Cooke added: “After Dark’ confirms ICE as the place where you can do business whilst enjoying the company of your friends and guests. Adam Street is the epitome of understated elegance, providing the level of quality and service that ICE guests have come to expect.”

Sponsorship packages for ‘After Dark’ are also available and include a complimentary ticket allocation, advertisement in the official ICE show catalogue, company logo and description on the show website, branding on all event marketing literature and tickets, as well as branding and signage at the event.

Adam Street private members currently include Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, Yo Sushi’s Simon Woodroffe and the eponymous Sir Rocco Forte amongst others.