THE Russian government delivered a deadly blow to vice: it shut down all the casinos in the country, relocating them on the southeastern borders with the Orient and the south-western borders with the Western world. The first to enjoy the success after czar Putin – the initiator of the law – are the clerics. The Church is extremely thrilled to have supported the shutdown of this moral decay of the society. “We are very pleased to have registered a victory over gambling in this country, we won this fight together – the authorities, the society, scientists, teachers, journalists, the clerics, law enforcement…” declared for Interfax the chief of the Synod Department – Church and Society – within the Moscow Patriarchy. Chaplin is the name of this servant of God, probably in virtue of a divine communion and, most definitely, he has never considered asking the prohibition of the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Federation, a demon which mutilates at least as many souls as gambling. And nor could he have dared to. The state budget cashes subsequent to the practice of this “element of social culture” much more significant sums out of fees and excises than from casino taxes (700 million in 2008 alone).

“People are tired of gambling, are tired of the countless human tragedies caused by the passion for these games” said the archshepherd – this is how they call him in those parts -, content that he exorcised several tens of thousands of sinners – obviously those with pathological problems, because not all casino clients play to their last dime. As collateral, through this moral purging, the government and church left unemployed, in times of world crisis, 400,000 people who were working in the system. “They turned my whole life upside down. It’s a tough blow to me and my family.

The authorities took this decision without thinking of the consequences” says a young woman from Moscow. But of what importance is this marginal aspect as compared to the society as a whole, which is spontaneously healed of the obsession of gambles?!

Or maybe not… The same law stipulates the possibility of reopening, on large surfaces, of countless casinos in disadvantaged areas.

It is possible that the inhabitants of those areas, being disadvantaged, are not part of the herd of the shepherd Chaplin?! ?

Casino Palace, famous through its elegance and atmosphere of hospitable guesthouse, is launching an offer to the clients interested, first of all, in electronic games – the Stargate slot machines.

According to the statements made by the producer’s representative, Mrs. Sylvia Dietz, Marketing Director of Atronic, and by the Manager of the slot machines department from Casino Palace, Ali Birbudak, the new machines constitute an exceptional product and a very pleasant surprise for the gaming fans in Romania. In fact, our country is the first in Eastern Europe where the new product made by Atronic is available to players.

CASINO PALACE, THE FIRST IN EASTERN EUROPE FOR STARGATE TO REACH

The Slot Manager Ali Birbudak declared he is extremely confident that the Stargate slot machines will become very popular in Bucharest as soon as possible. “Beside the attraction represented by the theme of Stargate, the players from Casino Palace will soon discover an innovative blend of jackpots, bonuses and free games. Moreover, we are very sure that our players will appreciate the fact that we are offering these new games with a very generous percentage of winnings, of over 98%” says Ali Birbudak.

Casino Palace has acquired a set of six Stargate slot machines, connected to the system of progressive jackpot with four levels.

The location is also a special one, as claims the representative of the casino, everything contributing to the creation of a unique experience. “The sign Stargate which includes a huge plasma screen and sound and light effects will make a strong impression on all players”. With regard to the new acquisitions, the strategy of the casino is to improve continuously the mix of games according to the preferences of the clients and to the new evolutions of the products in this domain. The very good relations with important producers help the managers of the casino improve the offer.

“Our priority is to strengthen the position of leader that Casino Palace currently has on the Romanian market. During the 14 years of activity, we have built a very good reputation with respect to the commitment to permanently upgrade the entertainment offer for our clients. Thus, we have learned that new games and innovation play a major role in this sense and that they are highly appreciated by our players” says Ali Birbudak.

The Stargate slot machines present an extremely attractive theme based on the ongoing Sci- Fi TV series where it got it name from. Apart from the theme, the games offer a four-level progressive jackpot. Playing the optional bonus, the clients have the chance to win 5 different bonuses, in addition to the individual bonus in the basic games. The multitude of different bonuses and the game features will al ways attract players. “The clients are in search of diversity and multiple entertainment possibilities.

As such, only the players can decide which slot machines are better, according to their criteria and preferences, so our task is to offer a great diversity of games, playing rooms and spaces to account for all the details in order to create a quality, captivating and memorable experience” concludes the director Ali Birbudak.

A DECADE OF ATRONIC – CASINO PALACE COLLABORATION

Sylvia Dietz is similarly confident in the future of Stargate in Bucharest. “We have recently launched the Stargate SG-1 product in a show in November 2008 in Las Vegas, shortly followed by the official launch for the European gaming market in London, in January. We started to receive orders and now the first games are already coming up on the market.

The first game was installed in a casino in Lisbon, and we chose Casino Palace from Romania, this being the first one in Eastern Europe to have Stargate. We have a very good and durable relation with Casino Palace – we have been doing business together for more than 10 years – so it is truly an important chance to launch this product on the Romanian market, with a maximum of efficiency” says the marketing manager of Atronic.

Atronic started working with Casino Palace 10 years ago, the casino being the first in Romania to acquire these machines. To this day, Atronic has sold in Romania more than 1,500 games representing 15% of the total sales in Europe. “For the Stargate products, we are expecting a success at least as big as that registered by Cash Fever or King Kong Cash. We sold over 1,000 of these machines each year, so we are expecting Stargate to follow the same trajectory. How much of the total percentage will be sold in Romania is something I cannot predict right now, but we are expecting it to be a big share” adds Sylvia Dietz.

Atronic is distributing its devices in Romania through INNOGATE or directly to its clients with which it has signed a non-exclusive distribution agreement. “We have our team of European sales which is seated in the UK but we also have people working in Spain, Italy, etc. So, it’s a combination between local partners who can provide services at this level, at the same time seeing that our people can keep a close eye on the market” states the official from Atronic.

Michelle Cummins went across the English Channel, through several countries and several casinos before arriving to Romania in 1994. She has not left ever since, and probably is not going to, at least not before seeing through what she set her mind to.

WHEN DID YOU ENTER THE GAMING INDUSTRY?

I was 18 years old and had tried a few day jobs but found it difficult to get up in the morning. My mom said I should apply for a position as a Trainee Dealer in Southport (North West England) as night work might suit me better. This was in 1985, and 24 years later I am still working in the casino industry; it was the right choice for me. Working my way through the ranks, from trainee Dealer, Dealer, Inspector, Pit Boss, Trainer, and Casino Manager, in 9 countries in Europe and Africa, provided me with a wideranging experience which has been priceless for my current position as General Manager.

HOW DO YOU FIND THE GAMBLING MARKET IN ROMANIA NOW?

I first came to Romania in 1994 to work at Casino Bucur, and at the time I think there were just three other casinos in Bucharest. In 1994 I don’t think anybody was giving away free drinks and food, and offering parties and lotteries, all of which Casino Bucur introduced for all guests. This was great for business at the time but in the end I think it damaged the market.

Every casino has since felt pres- sured to offer the same which makes things difficult as every player now expects everything for free. Not so in other casinos around the world, which are not so generous, as complimentary offers are provided according to the value of the player. In the past few years it has become very noticeable that investments in Romanian casinos have increased; operations have become much larger and the use of innovative new technologies is transforming the business. Casinos now are a great deal more sophisticated than the rather basic casinos of the 1990s.

WHEN YOU FIRST CAME TO ROMANIA, WHAT WAS YOUR JOB?

I came over as Pit Boss and Training Manager for Casino Bucur. I must have trained over 300 people as dealers and it is a pleasure to meet up with them now, many have gone on to become Casino Managers or became successful in other ways.

CAN YOU TELL ME A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE NETWORK OF WHICH CASINO BUCHAREST IS PART?

Yes, Casino Bucharest is part of the Casinos Austria International Group, which operates 67 casinos around the world. The origin of the company dates back to 1934 in Austria and its international operations started in 1977.

In 2008 the Casinos Austria Group expanded its stake in Austrian Lotteries and the group now offers, beside casino gaming, lotteries, sports betting, slots and video lottery gaming. The product range and international reach have been quite dramatically expanded and these are exciting times to work for the Casinos Austria Group.

PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT CASINO BUCHAREST HERE.

Casino Bucharest was the first casino to open in Romania after the events of 1989 and it has operated continuously within the Hotel Intercontinental since 1991.

Initially, the Intercontinental had a majority share but now Casinos Austria International owns 99% percent of the operation with the Intercontinental retaining 1%. Over the past 18 years we have had the opportunity to learn from our guests and adapt ourselves to their needs, striving continuously to enhance and improve their experience.

The contemporary elegance of Casino Bucharest creates an intimate and discrete gaming environment in which, to maximize the comfort of our guests, we chose to operate 14 gaming tables in a single gaming currency. The currency of choice, after an in-depth survey of our guests, is the Euro. 7 of the gaming tables are American Roulette, 4 Blackjack and 3 are variations of Poker.

We have created a Players Club rather than just a standard formula casino; our specialty is table gaming, with emphasis on discretion, player comfort, security and quality. We reckon we offer the most favorable game rules and payout percentages available to players in Romania, and our services are tailored towards the most discerning of guests; personalized limits, top quality drinks, cigars and refreshments, and an extensive choice of freshly cooked meals from an A la carte menu prepared by the chefs of the Intercontinental Hotel. Our biggest strength, however, is our friendly and highly professional team of staff who do their utmost to ensure every guest receives exemplary service.

WHAT ARE THE FUTURE PLANS FOR CASINO BUCHAREST? DO YOU INTEND TO EXTEND THE NETWORK?

We thought about extending the network, but have not so far because of the uncertainty pending over the gaming law, particularly since 2004, when a new law was first discussed. We saw so many different versions and heard so many rumors concerning artificial limitations on the number of licenses, or restrictions on locations, that there was no sense in investing in advance. Now that the new law has finally been introduced, we have to take time to decide how we can move forward from here; it is still too early to make firm plans for the future. I believe Romania has a lot of potential and when the economy eventually comes out of the current crisis, and as the living standard improves, there should be potential for growth as the number of casinos per head of population in Romania (just over 1 casino per million people) is actually lower than in many other European countries.

YOU ARE ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE ROMANIAN CASINOS ASSOCIATION. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS ASSOCIATION?

The Association was set up in late 2007, after discussions with Casinos Austria International and Queenco, because a gap in the market for proper representation of casino operators was identified. There is another association on the market but their focus started to drift towards slot operations and we were looking for a representative organization dedicated to casino operations, an association that was transparent, with open communication, which represented the ideas of all of its members, clearly and openly. For that reason we decided to set up a new association, with Olympic Entertainment joining us. Since 2007 we have worked very closely on security and surveillance issues, organizing training and the sharing of information, and we are working towards a more socially responsible casino industry, which includes development of responsible gaming policies.

We’ve also worked together to ensure our point of view has been put forward in the development of the new gaming law. If we have a question on policy or procedure we can refer to European Casinos Association, of which we have been a member (and sole representative for Romania) since early 2008.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE NEW LAW?

The gaming law published in 1999 could not possibly have foreseen the many technological advances and developments within the gaming industry and it was therefore no longer adequate to the task of setting the rules and regulations for gaming in the 21st century. As such, we have supported the concept of a new gaming law since the idea was first discussed in 2004.

The published draft of the gaming law, approved on June 26th 2009, is the result of many hundreds of hours of debates and discussions between private operators, gaming associations, and the authorities. The classifications are clearer, the regulations more detailed, and the law takes into account new games and technologies available to the gaming industry.

The introduction of a licensing system should eventually see a reduction in the needless bureaucracy confronting authorities and operators alike.

The introduction of a significant license fee and the very sharp increase in gaming taxation, capital and guarantee requirements will be a cause of serious concern for some operators.

However, we believe that the new focus on taxation of gaming units (tables and slots) as opposed to gaming taxes applied to revenues or profit, will ensure that the taxation system is more transparent and easier to control, leading to a reduction in fiscal evasion and eventually ensuring a fairer competitive environment.

The outcome will be a natural and fair regulation of the gaming market, a market which will attract solid, serious operators, eventually leading to a more responsible gaming industry in Romania.

WHAT IS THE ASSOCIATION TRYING TO ACHIEVE ON THE ROMANIAN MARKET?

Casinos are portrayed in a demonic light in the media and not looked favorably upon by the authorities, and our main objective is therefore to see gaming accepted as a truly legitimate and socially responsible industry that is beneficial to the country.

Legislation and taxation that is transparent and clear is essential to this process and the removal of para-fiscal taxes on gaming has been something that we have lobbied hard for; their removal will clarify and simplify gaming taxation and control. We are working towards improving standards throughout all areas of casino operation, from security issues, employment and training practices, to responsible gaming policies.

We want to remove some of the fear and ignorance about the industry, and to demonstrate that we are a serious option for those looking for an exciting and challenging career. As part of this process we will host a Romanian Dealer Championship and send the winner to represent Romania at the European Dealer Championship in 2010.

An experience like the one at Eurovision changes you greatly

Freshly returned from the mega show in Moscow, Elena Gheorghe resumed her hard work. She says she can’t afford a single day of vacation because people want her in more and more concerts.

HOW IS LIFE AFTER EUROVISION, ELENA? MORE INTERESTING, MORE DRAMATIC, MORE INDIFFERENT?

It is more intense and more ambitious. After such an experience, you demand more from yourself. You work harder, want to be more professional and approach things with increased dedication than before.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE OF YOUR LIFE AFTER MOSCOW 2009?

If until now I worked in view of certain priorities and purposes, now they have changed. I postponed my vacation, even though I was anxious for Eurovision to end so that I could get the chance to relax for a couple of weeks. Well, I didn’t do that but went straight to the studio where I changed the entire choreography and I re-mastered some songs together with my band.

Probably two weeks from now I will go to the recording studio where I will record a new album.

We want to bring new elements to the show; we will have magical moments and a few special surprises. performed fine and there is nothing I have to reproach myself.

WHAT ABOUT THE ROMANIANS THEMSELVES, DID THEY SEEM MORE INTERESTED IN COLLABORATING WITH YOU THAN THEY WERE BEFORE EUROVISION?

What can I say, the first moment we were very amazed because it was such a great difference between what had happened on the scene and the result of the vote. But the Romanians appreciated what I did and even as I arrived back home, I received a warm welcome on the airport.

There are people hugging me on the street, telling me it was very good and that they liked it. I received tons of messages, we have lots of concerts, which stands as proof that it was very good and they people want to see me more.

WHY DOES LATINO MUSIC SUIT YOU BEST?

It’s simple, because I like it. I find myself in this music and I think that an artist should love very much what he does. Just as any person should love their job, because only then can we transmit the emotion, the state, and we can do a positive thing. Beside Latino music I like several other genres, I will also show you different sides of Elena Gheorghe.

DO GIRLS IN THE BALKANS HAVE SOMETHING MORE THAN THE OTHER GIRLS OF THE WORLD?

This is something for the composer to say, he wrote the text. We wanted this song to appeal to most girls, to make them feel good while dancing, to rid them of the daily routine… To boost some energy into them.

WHICH IS THE SONG THAT REPRESENTS YOU BEST FROM YOUR MUSICAL REPERTOIRE?

“Pana la stele” I think is my dearest one. It’s a slow song which I launched last summer. I think it represents me best.

WHICH IS THE NEXT WISH YOU ARE BURNING TO MAKE TRUE?

There are more. The first would be to launch an album a hundred percent Elena Gheorghe, with the music I want now, after Moscow and after the experience I had there. Because such an experience will definitely change you.

HOW MANY TIMES WERE YOU IN A CASINO?

Whenever I was invited for various shows. But, unfortunately, we go in casinos with a limited formula. I have a band made up of 11 people going up on stage next to me. But here space is more limited. But we come for the people who like us and who insist that we are present at such events. And we want to please everybody.

“I kept staring at my screen.

I thought it was a joke. I then called the Unibet helpdesk and they confirmed that I had won the Mega Fortune jackpot!” It was no joke – M. from Utrecht, Netherlands, has won EUR 4.3 million at the video slot Mega Fortune. One spin and her life was going to change for ever.

This amount is with out any doubt a life changing amount.

The 4.3 million jackpot won in Mega Fortune was the third biggest ever amount won at an online casino, and at the same time the highest online prize ever won in Netherlands. The video slots with progressive jackpots from Unibet are a lucky charm for the casino players in 2009: 3 customers have won prizes of over EUR 1 million in 2009: Nils from Norway won EUR 1.1 million in January, M. from Netherlands won the mega jackpot of EUR 4.3 million on June 16th, and three weeks later, L. from Sweden joined the millionaire club with a EUR 1.2 million prize won at the Mega Moolah slot machine.

And Unibet does not stop here. In june 2009 Unibet has introduced the new Live Casino, where players can play their favourite casino games live with live dealers – players can watch the spin of the roulette live on the screen and bet at the same time.

Visit now the new Live Casino from Unibet and grab the bonus for new customers of up to EUR 100, by using the promo code “Casino Magazin”! All you have to do is open a Unibet account, and during the registration process use the bonus code “Casino Magazin”.

After you do the first transfer to the casino wallet, Unibet will double the amount up to EUR 100! Good luck!

It is not easy to find a place in the world where the brand Hard Rock is not present and Las Vegas is definitely not one of those places…

One the most crowded, most sought and most joyful locations in the famous Sin City, Las Vegas, is definitely Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, maybe also due to the young segment to which it predominantly addresses, but also to the great number of events which are being organized here all throughout the year.

THE GUITAR – A FAMOUS BRAND

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, with the guitar as distinctive brand mark, was built in 1995 by Peter Morton, the co-founder of the Hard Rock Café franchise, then it extended in 1999 and yet another extension process began in 2007, under a different management. In May 2006, Morgans Hotel Group signed the definitive agreement for taking over Hard Rock Hotel and Casino from Las Vegas, at the same time being granted the right to use the name of Hard Rock for its hotels and casinos in western United States and in other territories. Furthermore, Morgans Hotel Group also received a 93,000 square meters land for the extension. The property of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino includes the hotel with 11 floors and 700 rooms and suites, the 2,800 square-meter casino, a beach and pool in Tahiti style, the “Body English” night club, five restaurants, three cocktail lounges, stores, a spa, the poker room and the famous concert location “The Joint”, a place witness to very special concerts performed by name such as The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, etc. The new location “The Joint”, inaugurated this year, promises yet more fun for the fans.

A LOCATION WITH FAMOUS “FINGERPRINTS”

The Hard Rock Casino, stretching over a 2,800 squaremeter surface, includes playing tables among which blackjack, roulette and poker, a swim-up blackjack for those who want to play at the pool, Fender Room – a room for high-stake slot machines and Peacock Lounge – a highstake playing room. As for the customers around the world, the Hard Rock brand remains true to its style in Vegas too, the casino walls being packed with famous objects from the world of rock stars and even the tables bear a rock signature, all too familiar to the regular guests of the “house”.

The Hard Rock poker lounge, the first and only one built in this style, offers a complete bar and lounge, private rooms for VIPs, iPod terminals and TV screens with large diagonals, and there are even free poker lessons for the beginners. The lounge has 18 poker tables and music is as good as always. For those interested, the place is host to daily and weekly poker tours as well as to special events.

PEACOCK LOUNGE, IN MEMORY OF JIMI HENDRIX

Peacock Lounge is the place reminding of the legendary Jimi Hendrix, the one who went on stage and performed with a peacock- feather vest, making his signature on music. His legend is still alive at the Peacock Lounge in Hard Rock Casino, this being the high-stake playing room for the celebrities with a passion for gambling. Located directly outside the main casino area, Peacock Lounge is a place where leather seats and expensive wood is a regular sight.

The playing tables include blackjack, dice, Pai Gow, roulette, Mini-Baccarat, Midi-Baccarat, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, Let It Ride, Big 6 and many others. Slot machines are also available as the enthusiasts can find at hard Rock more then 600 mechanical games with divisions from a penny to $100 and there is also a special room, Fender Room, dedicated to high-stake slots. A specificity of the slots area in Hard Rock is represented by the machines with handles in the shape of guitar heads. The space for sport bets and races offers, in addition to the exciting atmosphere of live racing and a special bar, HD projectors, plasma screens, as well as famous items in the world of sports. Moreover, Hard Rock Casino brings by an absolute novelty: Hell’s Belles, a unique space where blackjack comes in pack with Go-Go dancers and where blackjack fans can test their skills in the company of some of the most beautiful women in the world.

Doctor Dorian Oana is the young Country Manager of Bet-at-home.com Romania, one of the most accessed sports bets websites in the country and overseas.

WHEN AND IN WHAT CONDITIONS DID BET-AT-HOME ENTER THE ROMANIAN MARKET?

Bet-at-home.com came to Romania at the end of 2006, given the conditions that there was only one online betting agency which had a website in Romanian at that point and which was also developing marketing activities in our country.

TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY OF THE MOTHER COMPANY, BET-ATHOME. COM!

The company Bet-athome. com, set up 10 years ago, has offices in Austria, Germany and Malta, with a number of 1.5 million registered clients from over 70 countries. It is one of the most popular betting houses in Europe, listed on three stock exchanges: Frankfurt, Xetra and Vienna.

Bet-at-home.com offers sports bets, casino, poker on www.bet-at-home.com and horse racing on www.racebets.com.

WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY OF BET-AT-HOME IN OUR COUNTRY?

In our country Bet-athome. com imposed itself through credibility and its special relation with the clients, as we try to offer users in Romania the chance to place online bets in optimal conditions. We are permanently carrying out marketing activities, especially on the biggest sports websites in the country, our constant partners also including Gsp.ro, Prosport.ro, Sport.ro, Onlinesport.ro, etc. Starting with last year, we became the main sponsors of the Romanian handball federation, strongly supporting both the feminine and the masculine national teams, but also the national handball leagues.

WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BET-ATHOME WEBSITE AND OTHER SIMILAR WEBSITES?

We offer safety to our clients, a website easy to use, and a support team which is nice and professional, having a wide range of offers at very competitive odds.

WHICH AREA OF YOUR ACTIVITY IS THE MOST ACCESSED – SPORT BETTING, CASINO, POKER?

Sports bets are the most accessed, but the number of clients in search of poker and casino is gradually increasing.

WHICH ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACILITIES OF THE WEBSITE? I GET THAT IN THIS SENSE YOU RECENTLY OPENED AN ACCOUNT AT RAIFFEISEN BANK IN ORDER TO HARMONIZE BANKING OPERATIONS.

Yes, we offered our clients the possibility to make rapid and safe money deposits through this powerful bank in Romania with which we collaborate in optimal conditions. At the same time, we are permanently working for the development of more and more facilities destined to clients in order to help them bet in the best conditions on the betting market.

WHAT IS THE DAILY TRAFFIC ON THE BET-AT-HOME WEBSITE?

This information is confidential, but with more than 1.5 million registered clients, you can get a picture about the daily traffic on the Bet-at-home.com website.

WHAT WERE THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL SUMS WON AT BETAT- HOME?

There is on our website, www.bet-at-home.com, a section called TOP 10 WINNERS which is updated weekly and contains the biggest winnings with the matches on which bets were made in the last 7 days.

WHAT IS THE STATE OF ONLINE GAMBLING AND BETTING IN ROMANIA? WHAT ABOUT IN THE REST OF THE WORLD?

If across the world the industry of online gambling and betting has a very clear position which brings annual profits worth billions of Euros, Romania is still making the first steps because most players still prefer the rigid and overcharged system of offline operators because, on the one hand, the Romanian online area, even if in a constant growth, is far behind what happens in the western countries, and on the other hand, online transactions in Romania are still a novelty to many citizens.

BET-AT-HOME.COM IS A VERY VISIBLE BRAND ON THE MARKET OF SPORT SPONSORS. APART FROM SPONSORING SOME TEAMS AND EVENTS IN HANDBALL, CAN WE THINK OF AN EXTENSION OF THE SPONSORED DOMAINS?

We are in a constant search of important partners whom we help, on the one hand, through sponsoring, on the other hand trying to increase the results of Romanian sports through our contribution, which could also benefit the image of Bet-at-home.com.

TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU TAKE OVER THE SUBSIDIARY BET-AT-HOME IN ROMANIA, WHEN AND HOW INVOLVED ARE YOU?

I graduated Medical School in 2006, at Oradea. The same year, due to multiple online projects in which I collaborated with the agency Bet-at-home.com, I proposed them to extend on a new market, at that time in search of a serious operator of online betting and, with the help of the marketing manager, Markus Lamprecht and of my colleague, Anca Hirtan, we managed together to imposed Bet-at-home.com as one of the top betting agencies in Romania.

ARE YOU KEEN ON BETTING, ON ONLINE GAMBLING, LIVE GAMBLING?

Yes, by all means. I believe you can’t sell a service in the best conditions if you don’t know very well the phenomenon underlying it and, to get back to one of your previous questions, what differentiates us from other agencies is the passion of each employee for sports betting and online gambling.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CASINO MAGAZINE?

I was surprised by the quality of Casino magazine and, on the occasion of the event organized by you at the end of last year where I was also present, I was happy to meet some of the founders of this magazine and I can say that you have a team of genuine professionals, the magazine having a bright future in case you manage to keep the team you have brought together.

Growing popularity of SYNOT products in Romania indicates that proper market research and investments into R&D projects are key attributes to successful implementation of new products in foreign markets.

SYNOT sees the main reasons of its successful campaign in the ability to identify a huge potential of Romanian market and constant full commitment to expansion and aggressive penetration of new markets.

There is no doubt that innovative game concept, which has been introduced at the Entertainment Arena Expo 2008 in Bucurest triggered a dramatic increase in interest in SYNOT products among Romanian operators. SYNOT believes that presentation of the latest range of its new products at the Entertainment Arena Expo 2009 in Bucurest should contribute to the growing interest in SYNOT products and give operators and visitors broader idea about this wellrecognized Czech manufacturer.

SYNOT will present Explosive Games 1, which has already proved its potential in a whole range of operations in Romania.

Apart from SYNOT’S core product EG1, visitors will have an opportunity to see Saphire Games with 6 video games produced by SYNOT major partner- JPM International.

Finally, visitors will have a unique opportunity to see a brand new compilation of games – Explosive Games 2, which have not been yet presented at any exhibition. The range of games includes proven titles such as Burning Ocean, Dirty Money, Twenty Seven etc. All products are offered in 3 types of high quality metallic cabinets.

Famous in the casinos in Macau (under the name of Dai Siu), in the Philippines (under the name of Hi-Lo), and also in the United States and even Europe, Sic Bo is a dice game, a 100% pure gamble, easy to play, easy to learn and extremely popular around the world.

How to play

The objective of the game is that the player to try to foresee the combination of the three dice and to place the bets so as to win. So, the game only implies, strictly speaking, the guessing of the numbers in order to win. There are no specific skills to develop for this game and no game system or strategy that can help.

Sic Bo is an old Chinese game meaning “pair dice” or “two dice”, although in real life the game is played with three dice which are thrown out of a glass, after the bets are placed. The betting options are various, otherwise being similar to the game of roulette. The possibilities of the players include single numbers, two of a kind, three of a kind or combinations of whichever two or three dice. For starter, the players place their bets on a possibility or on several, and after the bets are closed, the dice are cast. All the winning possibilities of a round appear highlighted on the playing area. The sums which can be paid go from 1 to 1 up to 180 to 1.

There are eight ways to place a bet:

1. On a number which has to appear on all three dice – Triple (exp. 1,1,1 or 6,6,6). The odds of winning are of 1 to 216, so there are 216 ways for the dice to combine.

The chances of losing your money on such a bet are very high, unless you are a really lucky person.

2. On a number which has to appear on two of the dice – Double (exp. 1, 1 or 6, 6, regardless of what the third dice indicates).

3. One can bet on the possibility that a number from 1 to 6 (without having been previously chosen by the one placing the bet) will appear on all three dice – Any triple.

4. On Small, where the sum of the three dice needs to be between 4 and 10, without the version Triple. (So, versions 2, 2, 2 and 3, 3, 3 are not winners).

5. On Big, where the sum of the three dice needs to be between 11 and 17, without the version Triple. (So, the versions 4, 4, 4; 5, 5, 5 or 6, 6, 6 are not winners).

6. On a specific sum, between 4 and 17.

7. On two different numbers which need to appear on at least two of the dice – Duo.

8. On a single number which needs to appear on one, two or all of the dice (figures between 1 and 6).

The most common bets are Small and Big and, generally, caution is recommended and the betting on just these two versions, but then, what would be the fun in that?! The table can also offer other types of bets, even though they offer far smaller odds of winning…