Game Spectrum

The leading Eastern European Trade Show dedicated to the gaming and entertainment industry will be held on 4 - 6 October 2010 at Inter Expo & Congress Center in Sofia, Bulgaria. This year once again will consolidate existing business relationships while keeping up with the latest concepts and ideas. We are proud to present a truly exceptional environment as we invite closely related sectors to be a part of the 3rd BEGE Expo:

AMUSEMENT - An opportunity for those in the amu...

With estimates that between 49,000 to 65,000 machines could enter the country in the short space of 12 months – can the industry cope with the influx?

The smoking ban, the credit crunch, the closure of a number of  lucrative east-European markets including Russia, and the exponential growth of online gaming, have collectively dealt repeated blows to the suppliers of equipment to the terrestrial gambling industry.

Witnessing a maj...

For the first time regulators, advisors, operators, manufacturers, concessionaires and testing labs come together to discuss the latest opportunities of the Italian VLT market

With the VLT expansion in Italy already being described as the biggest single thing to happen to the European gambling business for at least a decade, Italian regulators are set to take centre stage at ENADA, Rimini on 19 March.  Awedacity are honoured to have Armando ...

JANUARY 2010

Press release    - PDF file /EN/ (47KB)

Pictures -

Motormania Jackpot system with Tangra Touch video slot machines - ZIP file (667 KB)

Absolute Games series - Gamopolis III, IV and V - ZIP file (1 MB)

Gemini Sensa Plus video slot machines - ZIP file (722 KB)

Casino Technology IGE 2010 stand - ZIP file (1.93 MB)

Casino Technology IGE 2010 stand - ZIP file ...

February9th 2010. (London):  GamblingCompliance, the international regulatoryinformation service, today announces that it has been approved as anassociate member of the World Lottery Association (WLA), the globalassociation for State lottery and gaming organisations.

The WLA approval acknowledges GamblingCompliance as a trusted providerof regulatory information for private and State-owned lottery operatorsin regulated markets around the world.

Already over 40 inte...

London’s International Gaming Expo, which took place at Earls Court Exhibition Centre across 26-28 January, has been heralded as a major success by exhibitors, visitors and show organisers. The total gaming and wagering expo, which came of age as the most complete event of its kind, attracted 15,403 dedicated IGE buyers (16,692 in 2009) plus a cross-over figure from ATEI of 3,012 – giving a total audience of 18,415 drawn from 120 sovereign states, 70 of which are outside Europe....

Koloyan Krastev was appointed Tuesday by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov  the Chair of the Bulgarian State Gambling Commission.

Djankov's order is effective Tuesday afternoon. The two are said tohave been classmates at the English Language High School in the city ofLovech.

Krastev replaces Dimitar Terziev, who resigned Monday. Terziev was the Gambling Commission Chair during the previous cabinet of the Three-Party Coalition, led by the Socialists.

Kaloyan Kras...

The Chair of the State Gambling Commission, Dimitar Terziev, has submitted his resignation Monday.

The resignation has been accepted by the Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, the Finance Ministry press center informs.

Terziev states as motives the speculations and rumors among thepublic in Bulgaria, related to the amendments in the Gambling Act andhis inability to defend himself and the Commission against themadequately.

“I do not want to create negative attitudes...

London, 2010 – As the Italy's new VLT gaming market looks poised to become the largest VLT market in Europe, regulatory events agency Awedacity has announced that it is teaming with gaming exhibition leader, ENADA, to deliver a landmark forum examining the regulatory, technical and operational implications associated with this  new market.

The one-day event, “VLTs in Italy” comes at a critical time where there is still uncertainty about entry into the market...

The parliament increased the tax on gambling to 15% on second reading. A total of 149 MPs supported premier Boyko Borisov's proposal for amendments to the Corporate Income Taxation Act.

Until Wednesday noon the prime minister insisted on a rise of two percentage points, from 10 to 12%. After a meeting with MPs Iskra Fidosova from ruling GERB party, Ivan Kostov from the Blue Coalition and Volen Siderov from Ataka, he changed his position and called for a 5 pp increase to 15%. <...

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, gave Wednesday stark instructions to Members of Parliament from his ruling GERB party about increasing gambling tax to compensate for not raising the liquor one.

Borisov requested that the gambling tax is raised to 15%, no tax on hard liquor, precisely the traditional Bulgarian brandy known as “rakia."

He also asked them to keep the alleviations for granting mortgage loans to young families wishing to purchase their first home....

Deputies tovote ontax laws

The parliament ispreparing an increase in exciseswhich will raise the price of a liter of hardalcohol by 60 stotinki (0.60 BGN). Homemadealcohol, if up to 30 liters, will incur a 30 stotinki (0.30 BGN) increase inprice per liter.

Almosttwo months agothe Ministry of Financesuggested the excise of alcohol to be increased by 15 % - asuggestion which was later abandoned. However, the idea was once again revisitedthis past week in parliament. Initi...

The Budget Commission of the Bulgarian National Assembly has rejected the motion of the conservative party RZS and the Blue Coalition to raise the tax on gambling to 15%.

The conservative party “Law, Order, Justice” (RZS) and the members of the Blue Coalition had proposed that the gambling tax be raised from its current 10% to 15%, arguing that this should be calculated on a profit basis.

The Council of Ministers has confirmed on Friday that it has accepted only t...

Reading, November 13th 2009 – MEI was awarded the “Most Effective Customer Support” award on October 6th during the gala held by the Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo in Sofia, Bulgaria.

“We are very appreciative of this distinguished honour,” said Mark Greenawalt, Vice President – Gaming – Europe and Africa.  “MEI takes tremendous pride in both our products and service.  This award is something our whole team can share – pr...

For the second successive year, as an initiative of the Bulgarian Trade Association of the Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry (BTAMOGI) and under the patronage of Bulgarian State Commission on Gambling, the Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo and the Eastern European Gaming Summit were held on 5-7 October in Sofia. The list of exhibitors included 53 companies representing more than 15 countries including Slovenia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Russia, Canada...

One of the most notable industry personalities, Mr. Robert van Enkhuijzen, has founded his own consultancy company called Trebor Consultancy.

The main focus of Trebor Consultancy is to give strategic support to companies within the gaming and amusement industry to exploit new markets and opportunities. With Mr. van Enkhuijzen at the helm of Trebor Consultancy, Trebor Consultancy offers considerable consulting value. Mr. van Enkhuijzen has a wealth of expe...

The Gaming industry in Bulgaria is also affected by financial economic crisis. Even many investments that were made have been affected by the recession in the country, shared Nadia Hristova, Member of Management Board of BTAMOGI. Since the end of the last year problems caused by the crisis are even more obvious.

One of the indicators of an economy downturn is the reduction of income affecting everyone, including clients of the resorts and entertainment halls. Insufficient...

Minister of Finance Ivan Suker has announced the introduction of new taxes on games of chance in Croatia. People with winnings larger than 5,499 Euros will have to pay a tax of 15 to 20 % on them. There will be a fee of 10 % of the value of lottery tickets that are sold.

The value-added tax (VAT) on lottery tickets will no longer be in effect, but there will be a fee of 10 % of the value of lottery tickets that are sold. Those running games of chance will be obligated t...

The four designated legal gambling zones are in Russian western Kaliningrad exclave; along the Azov Sea in the south; in the Altai region of Siberia; and in the far eastern Primorye region, near North Korea and Japan. But the gaming industry has been reluctant to move there, given the regions' undeveloped infrastructure and difficulty of attracting customers to the far-flung locations.

Despite the 450,000 workers that will lose their jobs in Russia and its economic crisis...

Bulgaria is planning on increasing their casino revenues with Russian gamblers seeking relief from the upcoming gambling ban. Eastern European casinos are expecting a jolt in business after the nationwide stoppage in gambling takes place in Russia on July 1st. Bulgarian casinos on the Black Sea especially anticipate an onslaught of new business as gaming patrons head from Russia to nearby casinos to enjoy their entertainment. Russian legislation will cause the closing of all casin...

The Remote Gambling Association stressed its commitment to social responsibility and expressed the need for action to be taken to ensure that licensing and regulatory arrangements within the EU respect the rules of the internal market and provide a level playing field for all operators, irrespective of whether they are in the private or public sectors.

Speaking at a two-day conference in Prague organised by the Czech Presidency of the EU Council and the Academy of Europea...

Poor infrastructure is being cited as the biggest barrier to Russia creating its own "Las Vegas" in special gaming zones, a spokesman for one of Moscow's largest casino chains said this week.

Under a 2007 law designed to curb gambling in major cities and boost economic growth in poorer regions, casinos and other gaming establishments are to be relocated from Moscow and other cities to four remote Russian centers - in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, Siberia, the Pacific c...

The researchers conducted in-depth follow-up interviews with 43 participants last summer from the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007.

The UK Gambling Commission has published the results of an exploratory study aimed at providing further insight into gambling behaviour, identifying four typological categories of gambler from the research findings ranging from the “peripheral” gambler to the “compulsive” gambler.   Commissioned by the Gambling Commission an...

President Viktor Yushchenko signed a law that bans gambling business in Ukraine . The law should be in effect until a special legislation is adopted providing for a right to organize and carry out gaming in specially assigned gambling zones.

Just couple months ago b an s on operation of gambling business in Ukraine , initiated by the Regions Party MP Hryhoriy Smitiukh and BYT MP Valeriy Pysarenko , was supported by 340 out of the 442 MPs eligible to vot e Lawmakers voted ov...

Representatives of the European gambling industry met in Prague this week for the Czech Presidency of the EU Council conference “Gambling in the Internal Market: balancing the governments’ and stakeholders’ interests”. A EUROMAT delegation comprising President Annette Kok, 1st Vice-President Helmut Kafka, Secretary Marco Di Benedetto, Harro Bunke of Germany and Nadia Hristova of Bulgaria took part in the high level conference. EUROMAT called on the EU and the Member States t...

The Fifth World Meeting of Bulgaria Media, following Sofia, Chicago, Rome and Madrid was organized by BTA /Bulgarian News Agency/ 16- 22 May, 2009 with the focus on the tourism sector. This year forum attracted representatives from 22 countries to Varna and Bourgas in the Black Sea region

With the opening session, BTA General Director, Maxim Minchev shared that the forum will focus on media issues, the economic crisis and ways to go out of it, how to bring back ex-pat Bu...

A Bans on operation of gambling business in Ukraine, initiated by the Regions Party MP Hryhoriy Smitiukh and BYT MP Valeriy Pysarenko, was supported by 340 out of the 442 MPs eligible to vote

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to approve the bill. They said gambling in this economically struggling ex-Soviet republic has reached epidemic proportions. They also said that most casinos evade taxes.

The ban is expected to last for couple of months, until a special new law g...

Russian President Dimitry Medvedev has given very clear notification to the Federal Tax Service chief, Mikhail Hokretsov that he would not tolerate any delays in moving all gambling to the special regional zones within two months, despite lobbying by casino owners and investors.

Casinos must be closed, and betting will be banned outside the zones, which are located in areas on the Azov Sea, in the Far East and in the Altai and Kaliningrad regions. Casino owners complained t...

The Dutch government faces a court battle with UK betting firm Betfair, denying the government’s is protectionist and seeking to shut down foreign online gaming operators. Dutch banks were requested by the ministry to block the payment of bets made over the internet as Dutch laws did not allow for the licensing of internet gambling companies, it was “inappropriate for banks to provide facilities to the providers of illegal games of chance”.

Betfair called such actions ...

On May 15th a spectacular party marked the official opening of Grand Casino in the city complex Maxi .Situated very close to Vitosha Mountain,the new casino welcomed a lot of guests, among which were famous sport representatives, VIP’s, show -business celebrities  and  fans of gaming and entertainment. The party was also honored by the presence of Mr.Ivan Slavkov, ex-president of the Bulgarian football union. 

The guests were entertained by the popul...

The Responsible Gaming Fund and Storm International are announcing the first English-language edition of Evgeny Kovtun’s book “Legal regulation of gambling in former USSR countries”.

The book gives full and comprehensive analytical coverage of the legal regulation of gambling in ex-USSR countries (the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan...

The only Bulgarian magazine for the Gaming and Entertainment Industry at the Balkans and Eastern Europe won the prestigious Special Award of the Audience for the best Print Media on the Media festival in Albena - Mediamixx 2009.

With the motto “New Kid on the block” Game Spectrum magazine took the opportunity to introduce its presence on the Media Market among wide audience of experts, journalists and specialists from the region. Game Spectrum, presented a Video exclu...

The current world economic crisis has not only attracted the attention of the media, but spread to all sectors of life. The gaming industry, like every other industry, is also affected by the negative financial trends. The financial indicators are worsening.

Regardless of the widely spread opinion that the gaming business is protected because the people are tempted to try their luck in periods of crisis, the casino operators in Bulgaria and the world are suffering lo...

Annette Kok – President of the European Gaming and Amusement Federation

Annette Kok has more than 20 years of experience in the gaming and the entertainment industry. Before taking the position of a President of the trade association representing the gaming and entertainment industry in the Netherlands VAN Dutch Gaming Machine Organization, she was successively a Board member of JVH gaming BV (the biggest private company in the world in this sector), and Errel ...

In the casino business is no second chance for a first impression”, says the former Governor of Nevada, Bob Miller. It is exactly this first impression that counts at the new Ritz entertainment complex in Plovdiv, consisting of a modern casino and a bingo hall in one complex: attractive design, excellent service, and incredible atmosphere. The complex captures the eye with its size, covering an area of 35 acres. Quite impressive too is the level of investment: 10 mill...

Wulf Hambach, Founding Partner, Hambach & Hambach Law Firm, Germany

In your opinion, how should online gaming be regulated?

I think the licensing model is the best way for Europe. If we have 27 different licensing regimes there would be no problem for the offline world to regulate those 27 different jurisdictions but when it comes to online cross border and gaming, the best would be to have a licensing regime, which partially recognizes the existin...

Traditionally the biggest expo for the gaming industry in Europe is ICE in London and it took place 27-29 January at Earls Court expo center. This classic London show changed its name this year to IGE - International Gaming Expo, so as to reflect the new developments in the gaming industry and specifically the active entry of online games that are already developing as an equal market to the classical land-based games.

The initial reports from the organisers are ...