Inside Asian Gaming

May 2011 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 55 Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood according to media reports. Mr Wynn’s ex-wife Elaine still owns approximately 9% of Wynn Resorts. Neilsen family gives up control of Ameristar Casinos Ameristar Casinos Chairman Ray Neilsen has resigned with effect from 5th May. The move ends the Neilsen family’s control of the company, which has eight casinos in Missouri, Colorado, Mississippi, Indiana, Iowa and Nevada. Mr Neilsen said he would focus his attention on The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation which his late father—the founder of Ameristar—established to further spinal-cord injury research and treatment. Craig Neilsen, an Idaho developer who started the regional casino operator in the 1970s, died in November 2006. He was paralysed in a November 1985 car accident while driving home from the company’s casinos in Jackpot, near the Nevada-Idaho state line. On 19th April Ameristar completed the repurchase of 26.15 million shares of its common stock from Craig Neilsen’s estate— controlled by the foundation—for US$17.50 a share. The US$457.6 million transaction represented 45% of Ameristar’s outstanding shares and 83% of the estate’s ownership in the company. David G. Schwartz, director for the Center of Gaming Research at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the Neilsen family’s exit could put Ameristar back in play for potential buyers. Poker goes to the dogs in Florida Florida’s lower legislature has approved a bill that will allow greyhound tracks to operate poker rooms without having concurrent live dog races, the News Press reported. Dog tracks face challenging financial times and have discovered economic potential in poker rooms, the report explained. The bill, HB 1145, must now continue to the Senate for approval. It could face opposition, however, as Republicans in the legislature are divided over the matter, the News Press report said. Group in a note to investors. “The segment represents 48% of gross profit compared to systems at 29%, and should grow (profits) at an estimated 11% in fiscal 2011,” Union Gaming added. IGT calls time on Barcrest Slot machine manufacturer International Game Technology has sold its British-based Barcrest Group subsidiary for between US$54 million and US$66 million. The transactionwith lottery equipment provider Scientific Games is expected to close later this year. Barcrest develops slot machines and game content for casinos in the United Kingdom and other European markets. IGT acquired the manufacturer in 1998 and built up the business over the last decade. Barcrest once had the lead share in the UK market. According to a statement, the deal was for a net-cash consideration of approximately US$54 million. IGT could receive an additional US$3 million in cash subject to certain post-closing adjustments. In total, the enterprise value of the transaction could reach approximately US$66 million. “We see this divestiture as another signal that [IGT] management is focused on exiting non-core businesses that consume resources and have modest growth potential,” Credit Suisse gaming analyst Joel Simkins told investors. IGT Chief Executive Officer Patti Hart said the sale allows the company to focus on its other business lines. “Scientific Games is an ideal new home for Barcrest and provides a strategic alignment between both companies’ core objectives,” Ms Hart said. Antigua may take US to WTO over online poker crackdown The Caribbean jurisdiction of Antigua may return to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to challenge the United States’ federal authorities’ decision to close down three major online poker sites, according to The Jamaica Observer . The US federal government has long-standing objections to Antigua licensing offshore online gaming. Antigua says this means the US is in non-compliance with WTO free trade directives. Antigua licenses Absolute Poker—one of the targets of the recent enforcement action by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Antigua may bring a ‘discriminatory trade practices’ case against the US, The Jamaica Observer said. Marriage encore for Steve Wynn Steve Wynn, the chairman of Wynn Resorts, married his British girlfriend Andrea Hissom at a private ceremony in Las Vegas a little more than 24 hours after Prince William— second in line to the British throne— tied the knot with Catherine Middleton in London. Guests at the US$1 million event included Donald Trump and Briefs SteveWynn and Andrea Hissom Craig Neilsen— stepping down as chairman of Ameristar Poker rooms may operate on non-race days at Florida dog tracks