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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Virgin Casino launches new website; Massive web relaunch sees competitors step up - Media Man reports, by Greg Tingle - 20th August 2011

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Virgin Casino, gaming brand of Richard Branson, launches new beta website to engage users through content and to provide easy navigation for their players. Media Man, long time friend and b2b affiliate partner of Virgin Games, probes the situation, and no, before you ask, Virgin Games does not offer United States, Australian or New Zealand players paid casino games, but Party and others accept Aussies and Kiwi's, so the news ain't all bad...

The fully re-structured, re-designed, and re-optimised beta website of Virgin Casino, Virgin Poker and Virgin Bingo is now live and can be accessed via their current website.

For a limited time, visitors to the Virgin Casino website will be able to switch between the new and classic sites, with the new site to be fully-implemented in a few short weeks.

Virgin Casino is encouraging players to give their feedback on the new design by completing a short survey, which will earn them 100 V Points and enter them into a prize draw for an iPad 2.

Some other gaming companies such as Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment and their showcase PartyCasino.com have stepped up and made website upgrades of their own, albeit minor, along with launching a selection of new games.

Paddy Power has revamped their online casino and added the popular Monopoly You're In The Money slot game.

Grand Reef Online Casino has recently added some more world class promotions, complementing their selection of Playtech powered online games.

PKR Casino, sister website of PKR Poker, is looking sharp and has new promotions and games.

Microgaming powered online casinos, Captain Cooks Casino and Aspinalls Online Casino seem to be lagging behind, with their websites looking rather stale and both lacking any new games.

In the online casino world this month Media Man has the following in the running for their monthly awards: 1. PartyCasino 2. Virgin Casino 3. PKR 4. Grand Reef Online Casino 5. Paddy Power online casino

Summary: For our money PartyCasino.com remains the #1 online casino (that doesn't accept U.S players). For online casinos that do accept U.S players be sure to check out the news and offerings at portals such as Gambling911.com Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment continues to power ahead with Richard Branson's Virgin Games on their trail, and you never know who will step up to the plate next. To the winner goes the spoils.

Media Man has a dedicated Website Reviews section, as well as a Casino Reviews section on their website portal.

*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They have conducted online b2b with all of the above entities referenced.

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Wynn Resorts May Purchase Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, by Greg Tingle - 20th August 2011

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Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com Steve Wynn World Poker Tour United States Media Man



Earlier this year, PartyGaming and bwin merged to create Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, which is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol BPTY. In an news article that appeared in The Independent last Tuesday, it was noted that since the two online gaming giants merged, the combined company’s share price has dipped by nearly half. While part of the drop might be due to a slowing economic environment worldwide and so no action might be needed, other entities felt that an infusion could be in the offing.

The Independent added that Wynn Resorts, headed up by Steve Wynn, has emerged as a possible investor in the newly formed gaming giant, which is focused on the European market and continues to feature two separate online poker rooms. Readers will recall just before Black Friday in the United States, PokerStars and Wynn Resorts announced that, once a gaming license was secured in the United States, the two companies would team up to launch Poker Stars Wynn.

Following Black Friday, in which the founders of PokerStars were indicted on charges that included money laundering and bank fraud, the deal with Wynn was called off as you would expect.

The news outlet cautioned, however, that investors might wait for the gaming environment in the United States to be sorted out first: "Not everyone agreed with the chatter, however, with one trader saying acquisitions in the sector were unlikely until there was further clarification over the potential regulation of online gambling in the U.S."

On Thursday, shares of Bwin.Party closed at 106.50 in London. Other rumored "aggressors," as the Independent calls prospective investors, include William Hill, which is also publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Shares of BPTY stood above 160 pence in April, but have since dipped.

One poster on the TwoPlusTwo forum, questioned whether the rumors of a Wynn takeover were plausible: "So the newly merged Bwin.Party will sell to Wynn before even taking advantage of all the millions of Euros they will make in the first two years by virtue of the their merger synergies?"

Despite the merger, PartyPoker.com remains the flagship site of its own network, while bwin makes its home on the Ongame Network alongside rooms such as Betfair.

Caesars Entertainment, one of the principal competitors of Wynn Resorts, has partnered with 888, also a publicly traded company in London. Prior to Black Friday, Full Tilt Poker teamed up with Fertitta Interactive, whose ownership group has strong ties to Station Casinos. Along with the PokerStars - Wynn deal, the latter fell by the wayside once the U.S. Department of Justice took action in April.

Other members of TwoPlusTwo continued to cast doubt on the validity of The Independent’s report. One player wrote, "Party has never had any interest in selling. This feels like an absolute recycle of the previous such rumor that they were going to be bought out by Harrah’s. Unsurprisingly, it turns out there was never such a thing on the table and the only connection was former Party CEO Mitch Garber moving to Caesars Interactive."

Rumors have also persisted that the Ongame Network could be sold outright. To that end, Sharecast.com noted in a recent article, "Bwin.Party, the world's largest online gaming group, already has its poker network, Ongame, on the auction block. The sale is expected to generate between 20M and 30M Euros ($28.5m to $42.7m), a modest figure reflecting the loss of players the network will incur through the sale."

But could a deal between Wynn and Bwin.Party be finalized before online poker is legalized in the United States? And will it matter? This week, the New York Post published an article stating that online poker legislation could be coming sooner rather than later. One source told the Post, "I think there is becoming a feeling in Congress that this is something that needs to be regulated and be done. I believe there is a possibility a bill will pass towards the end of the year."

Media Man will be following the story with weekly reports.

*The writer has conducted b2 with Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment and Betfair.

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Underbelly Razor Gets A Makeover; More Advertiser Friendly, by Greg Tingle

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Network Nine top brass has confirmed they worked the casting to put a prettier face on the femme fatale series.

Mug shots of Sydney's most notorious criminals from the roaring '20s were used to hire actors resembling the hard men, the female leads went to Kiwi fems Chelsie Preston Crayford and Danielle Cormack.

Nine boss David Gyngell sold the sexed up and prettier version to advertisers as part of the network's push to get Underbelly the right sort of attention.

Photographs from the time show real-life vice queens Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh were hardly the stuff of cinematic close-ups. They were rough looking girls.

Much of themale casting reflects an uncanny likeness to the real crims who would become underworld legends.

It certainly follows the Underbelly tradition of art imitating life, with Gyton Grantley making his name as Carl Williams in the first series, while Firass Dirani passed as John Ibrahim in last year's 'The Golden Mile'. Dirani later picked up a role opposite Robert Di Niro in 'The Killer Elite'. John "Vulcan" Seru, closely associated with the Media Man agency, is understood to be working on a couple of films under wraps. Long time James Bond fans will know Seru from playing Gabor in 'The World Is Not Enough'.

Make no mistake, bad girls and bad guys are still in vogue.

Underbelly Razor premieres this Sunday night at 8.30pm on Channel Nine.

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Centrebet likes chances in court case - 18th August 2011

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Online gambling company Centrebet International believes that a court case through which it is seeking a refund of $90.7 million in GST payments from the tax office is likely to be decided in its favour.

Centrebet said on Thursday that the outcome of a recent Federal Court case between the tax office online and gambling firm Sportsbet - decided in favour of Sportsbet - gave it "reasonable basis to hold the view that the Federal Court at first instance is likely to determine the Centrebet proceedings in favour of Centrebet.

"Centrebet Pty Ltd was advised yesterday afternoon by the Commissioner of Taxation that the Commissioner has decided not to appeal against the Sportsbet Judgement," Centrebet said in a statement.

"Further, the commissioner's solicitors have informed Centrebet Pty Ltd that they are instructed that he will not re-argue the issues in the Centrebet proceedings."

Centrebet shares were 16 cents higher, by 7.62 per cent, higher at $2.26 at 1250 AEST.

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PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award

PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

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PartyCasino.com Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment PartyPoker.com Sin City Sinatra Slot PartyPoints Palladium Slot Live Dealer

Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.

The competition to knock off PartyCasino.com for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPT Casino, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Frank Miller's Sin City, The Sting, Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $4 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Frank Miller's Sin City, The Sting, Enchanted Unicorn, Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.

Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Co-CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Casino News Media: Online Gaming Promotions

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Current Promotions

Grand Reef Online Casino website - new players get up to $750 sign up bonus. Australian and New Zealand players welcome. Powered by Playtech. Grand Reef Online Casino profile

PartyCasino.com website - world class promotions and over 300 games. Players from most parts of the world accepted including Australia. Sorry, no U.S players. PartyCasino.com profile

Virgin Casino website - world class promotions and over 300 games. Virgin Casino profile.

Paddy Power casino website - world class promotions. Hundreds of games. Paddy Power profile.

News

Grand Reef Online Casino gets new games

PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino war continues

Microgaming powered online casinos at war. Captain Cooks VS Roxy Palace.

Paddy Power online casino gets new games.

Australian government looking into affiliate program deals

Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts rumoured to be interested in purchasing Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.

Donald Trump continues to lobby for full legalisation of iGaming sector in the U.S

Media Man website network attracting over 6 million hits per month

Casino News Media website attracting over 1 million hits per month

*Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory has conducted business with all of the above entities, as they have with dozens of other companies in the gaming, technology, media and entertainment sector

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Australian And New Zealand Casino And Gaming News Round-Up, by Greg Tingle - 18th August 2011

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Australia, as well as its southern neighbour, New Zealand, continue to be the source of some of the world's most important and influential casino and gambling news. Media Man and Gambling911 readers will recall that we recently reconfirmed Australia as home to the world's most passionate and highest spending gamblers. Today Media Man takes a look at the business end of the industry down under and learn that many Australian casinos are enjoying record profits. What does this mean to the punter who visits the land based casinos we are left pondering...

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Media Man Crown Casino James Packer Tabcorp Holdings Asia Pacific Games Gambling911 Internet City Of Dreams Macau Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Australia


Aussie Sportsman and Gambling Icon Shane Warne And Liz Hurley Deny Engagement Rumours...

Shane Warne and Elizabeth Hurley have denied reports they are engaged. Australian magazine New Idea reported a source as saying the two were set to walk down that aisle, reporting the former Australian spin king had proposed while holidaying with the actress/model on James Packer's multimillion-dollar yacht in Spain. However Hurley, 46, hit back at the reporters, saying on Twitter "Why bother actually investigating anything? Just sit at your desk & make up 'friends' to say anything that suits your silly stories?." "When will talentless journalists stop using unattributed quotes? A lazy & transparently obvious device to avoid actually doing any work." Warne did not react to the story on his Twitter page, but his manager said the reports were untrue. It's not known when Warne will become pro active on the Australian gambling scene again, but his mateship with Crown boss James Packer continues.


Tabcorp Wins As Profit Leaps 13.9% To $534.8m...

Aussie gambling giant Tabcorp is defying the slump in consumer spending, reporting steady trading in the new financial year after unveiling a 13.9% jump in full-year net profit to $534.8 million. In a transformational year, Tabcorp demerged its casino business and secured two long-term licences -- the $60m, 10-year Victorian keno licence, starting next April, and the $410m, 12-year wagering and betting licence for the same state, from next August. Chief executive David Attenborough said each of the four continuing businesses -- wagering, gaming, media and international and keno -- had lifted revenue and earnings in 2011. "The company has seen steady trading activity continue into (2012)," Mr Attenborough said. "This underlines the resilience of our businesses." The profit included an extra $79m from the actual win-rate in the casino division's VIP rebate business, partly offset by a $6.8m loss relating to the demerger. On a normalised basis, reflecting the same business's theoretical win-rate and excluding the demerger items, profit was up 1.9% to $486.3m. Morningstar analyst Ross Macmillan said the result was reasonable, characterised by strong cost control and relatively low growth due to the soft consumer environment. "Technology is playing an increasingly important role at Tabcorp, with expansion in the Easy Bet self-service terminals and online betting," he said. In the key wagering division, earnings before interest and tax were up 4.5% to $220.2m. Strong growth in fixed-odds betting, where revenue climbed 31.7% to $242m, offset declines in Victorian and NSW totaliser revenue, which was in line with global trends. Turnover on the internet, including Luxbet, jumped 18.6% to $2.36 billion. Tabcorp said 44% of $3.02bn in Victorian retail turnover was channelled through relatively low-cost Easy Bet terminals, compared to just 19.2% of $3.67bn in NSW retail turnover. The future is clear, with Tabcorp continuing to roll out terminals last year to 3400 in TAB outlets in Victoria and NSW. While Attenborough said opportunities in domestic wagering mainly centred on consolidation, Tabcorp would also examine expansion options offshore. Elsewhere in the business, the newly separated media and international operations grew EBIT by 2.7% to $52.8m on a revenue increase of 9.3% to $179.3m. This was offset by a 9.1% rise in expenses, mainly due to the expansion of Sky Racing. EBIT from keno rose 4.7% to $48.8m.


Adelaide Casino Enjoys Record Profit...

Celeb chefs are keen to headline restaurants in a $250 million Adelaide Casino expansion as it reported a third straight record annual profit. General manager David Christian said the casino would look for "a few big names" to headline restaurants in the new Adelaide complex, as it did with restaurants in its Auckland casino. Both national and South Australian names are in the spotlight, he said, but SkyCity is yet to formally approach any of its preferred names. Before any expansion goes ahead, tax and regulation changes will be on the bargaining table with the State Government today as SkyCity bosses meet Treasurer Jack Snelling and Infrastructure Minister Patrick Conlon. SkyCity yesterday unveiled Adelaide Casino as the best percentage performer in its stable, which includes Darwin, Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch casinos. Annual pre-tax earnings climbed 8% to $34.3 million in the year to June 30, based on a 1.8% rise in revenue to $150 million. It contributed to net annual profit for the group of $97.85 million, up 20.5%, adding to improved earnings from its newly expanded Auckland Casino. SkyCity chief executive Nigel Morrison said he would like to see the 43.5% tax on SA poker machines brought into line with the 20-25% rate elsewhere in Australia. Replacing coin-operated poker machines in VIP areas also would lift the casino's inbound tourism revenue, he said. "Those VIP customers who go to Crown in Melbourne and Star City in Sydney as well as Brisbane, they'd love to go to Adelaide . . . but the experience of playing (poker machines) with coins is messy," he said. "People like coming to Adelaide Casino, they like the old-style ambience, but it needs more car parks, more restaurants more bars and entertainment facilities. Ahead of today's meeting, Mr Snelling said the Riverbank Precinct did not need Adelaide Casino's expansion to go ahead. '"We'd welcome their involvement obviously," Mr Snelling said. "The Riverbank Precinct will stand on its own . . . I'm not going soft about them potentially renewing their monopoly in the city."


Accor Australia Continues To Ranked As Australia's #1 Aussie Hotel Operator...

The Accor Australia hotel group, which has eight properties in the Far North, continues to rank as the leading hotel operator in Australia. In the latest CB Richard Ellis Hotels market review Accor, with 161 hotels and 21,740 rooms, is first, followed by the Mantra Group (110, 16,268) and third placed InterContinental Group (34, 8355). Accor properties include Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, Novotel Palm Cove Resort, Mercure Cairns Harbourside, Grand Mercure Rockford Esplanade Palm Cove, All Seasons Cairns, All Seasons Colonial Club and Mercure Port Douglas Treetops Resort. The Mantra Group has six properties at Port Douglas, three in Cairns and two at Palm Cove, while IHG has the Holiday Inn in Cairns. CBRE Hotels senior director Wayne Bunz said Accor was an "aggressive" operator with a strong management and sales team. "They have a great spread of properties within Australia, from All Seasons Ibis, Mercure, Novotel and Sofitel to Pullman," he said. Mr Bunz said they were strong performers with good revenues and had particularly good Cairns properties, including the Pullman Reef Hotel
Casino. Accor Australia vice president Simon McGrath said its Far Northern hotels were among the first to join the group which is marking its 20th anniversary in Australia. "It’s pleasing that we are still the major force in the Australian hotel industry," he said. "New hotel development may have slowed but Accor is still growing its network strongly through acquisition of new hotel management contracts and franchise agreements. "North Queensland was one of the first locations in Australia for Accor, when we launched the Novotel Palm Cove Resort in 1994. "The All Seasons Colonial Club Resort has just become the second hotel in Australia to be accredited under Accor’s Optimum Service Standards for Chinese visitors and this highlights our aim to open up new markets for the region. "While international inbound is soft from traditional markets, and the high Australian dollar is continuing to restrict arrivals, we are actively looking at emerging markets such as China and India to grow our business in north Queensland and elsewhere.
"Having worked here myself I know what an outstanding destination it is. "We just need to give more reasons to discover or return to the region."


New Zeland's SkyCity Gambles On Weather...

SkyCity Entertainment chief executive Nigel Morrison is forecasting sunnier days ahead for the Kiwi casino company, despite frequent snow falls at present. Financial results for the year to June 30 have came in with significant increases in Auckland gaming machine revenues and in non-gambling revenue. Auckland gaming machine revenue was up 5% in the first half and 10.5% in the second half - providing returns not seen since 2008 and the global financial crisis. Auckland non-gaming revenue - from the firm's increasing array of food and beverage sales and hotels - was up 8% last year. Morrison predicts the Rugby World Cup will deliver an extra $8 million profit to hotels, which will flow through to the casino floor. Morrison was predicting a mainly fine outlook for the New Zealand economy, saying that in the second half of the 2011 financial year SkyCity was "exhibiting a momentum for growth". "Business confidence in New Zealand is improving, with positive employment statistics, retail turnover growth and a stable interest rate environment," he said yesterday. Many in the retail sector are wary about consumer confidence in a volatile market. First New Zealand Capital analyst Rob Bode noted that the SkyCity chief executive tended to be bullish. But other analysts said there were signs the gambling market had started to recover. While Auckland gaming machine revenue has been a shining light, SkyCity has not been so lucky with table games in Auckland. Revenue for the year was down 5.6%, mainly through a fall from second-tier upmarket gamblers - a group mainly made up of New Zealand punters. Morrison admitted these customers had not been well served and would benefit from some of the new capital developments. Results across the Tasman have been mixed. In Adelaide operating profits were up 8.9% to $34 million, due in part to cost-cutting and a 5.6% increase in revenue from table games. Morrison said Adelaide achieved pleasing growth despite the challenging retail environment in Australia. Results for Darwin were "disappointing" with an 8 per cent fall in slot machine revenue contributing to an overall drop of 3.1% to $112.5 million. Operating profits were down 10.7%. Morrison said the high value of the Australian dollar meant more Australians had travelled overseas and fewer had visited the Northern Territory, where the local economic recovery was expected to be slow. SkyCity's Hamilton casino operating profits were up 4.2%, buoyed by the local dairy sector, with gaming machines up 9.6%. Christchurch casino was closed from February 22 to May 27 while it was inside a cordon, but its proximity to the quake-hit city's closed-off red zone continued to hurt revenue. SkyCity announced a $15 million write-off of the value of its 50% stake in the casino from $89 million to $74 million. Morrison said capital expenditure in Auckland had been a major boost for its flagship casino, with $60 million on upgraded gambling facilities and several additional bars and restaurants. He said the improvements, including a new rooftop development opening at the end of month, were reinvesting the return from the sale of SkyCity's cinema interests 18 months ago. SkyCity Entertainment's half-year dividend of 8c brings the annual dividend to 16c a share, representing 70% of net profit. 60% was imputed at 28% with the payment date on October 7. Make no mistake, SkyCity Group are in the money!


PokerStars.net New Zealand Poker Tour Queenstown...

Press Release: SKYCITY
17 August 2011

PokerStars.net New Zealand Poker Tour Queenstown - SKYCITY Snowfest only days away!

With the 2011 PokerStars.net New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT) Queenstown - SKYCITY Snowfest poker tournament only days away, Queenstown is preparing for the arrival of poker players from across New Zealand, Australia and beyond.

The tournament takes place at SKYCITY Queenstown Casino from 22 – 28 August 2011. Big name poker players including Joe Hachem, who is the regions only World Poker Champion will be hitting the felt during the tournament and hitting the slopes in the off days.

Well over half the seats for this great tournament have been snapped up, with some seats remaining, so hurry to ensure your place in New Zealand's most exciting poker tournament this year.

The PokerStars.net NZPT Queenstown - SKYCITY Snowfest will provide a week long poker extravaganza for visiting players with an expected total prize pool of $540,000 NZD* in the $3,000 NZD buy-in Main Event.

Participation in this event will be capped at 200 players, so quick registration is advised to avoid disappointment.

To register for the tournament or for more information visit wwwskycity.co.nz/poker or go to www.nzpt.com.

*Based on full participation of 200 entrants


New Zealand's Sky City Year Profit Up, Expects Growth...

New Zealand's largest casino operator Sky City Entertainment Group Ltd. reported a 4% rise in full year net profit on Wednesday, and said earnings were showing signs of improving further. The top-10 company said earnings had lifted in the second half and it was already showing further growth in the early stages of the new fiscal year. "With Rugby World Cup upon us in less than a month and our Auckland flagship property in great shape, we are excited and optimistic about the future," chief executive Nigel Morrison said in a statement. Sky City made a net profit of NZ$123 million ($103 million) in the year ended June 30, compared with a NZ$102 million profit the year before. The prior year's result was hit by tax changes but also offset by a NZ$10 million gain on the sale of its cinema chain, resulting in a normalised figure of NZ$129 million. The current year's normalised profit was NZ$131 million. In February it said it expected to report a net profit in line with last year, and a survey of seven analysts forecast a net profit of NZ$128.9 million. Sky City declared a dividend of 8 cents per share, compared with 9.5 cents per share last year. Shares in Sky City closed on Tuesday at NZ$3.51 having gained around 5 percent so far this year, compared with a fall of nearly 1% fall in the benchmark NZSX-50 index. Morrison said the company had had a good second half and this had been reflected in the earnings for Auckland and the main Australian establishment in Adelaide. He said NZ$50 million has been spent on upgrading Auckland to attract Asian visitors and high stakes gamblers and this was expected to bolster revenue in the current year. Adelaide's earnings had increased for a third consecutive year despite mixed consumer activity. Sky was prepared to invest further in the complex depending on the outcome of new gaming laws in South Australia. Sky City owns or has an interest in four casinos in New Zealand, where a ban on new casinos has given it dominance. In addition to Adelaide and Sky operates in Darwin in Australia, where it competes with Tabcorp and Crown Ltd. On Aug. 3 the board of Sky City said it had selected Chris Moller to be its next chairman, replacing Rod McGeoch when he retires at the next annual meeting. In November the company said it had made a cash offer to buy out the 50 percent in the Christchurch Casino it did not already own but had been rebuffed.


Crown's City Of Dreams Macau Saves The Day; Bumps Figures For Packer...

City of Dreams Macau and a few more of its casino assets in Macau have made its financial figures look pretty decent. Crown shares would look a touch ordinary than their current near three-year highs if not for Macau. Rid the value of its 33.4% stake in Melco Crown Entertainment and you discover that Crown's domestic business lost value in the past 4 and underperformed the ASX 100 Index. That is not necessarily a bad thing, just a sobering reminder for supporters of Packer's gaming empire that Melbourne's Crown casino and Perth's Burswood are staunch contributors, but in an aged market. Broker JPMorgan, after factoring in the soaring worth of Melco Crown, advised last week the Macau gains warranted a lift in its price target for Crown stock from $9.80 to $10.25. That compares with Friday's $9.15 close. While the independence of Morgan's analysis is unlikely to be impaired by the fact that it has provided investment banking services to both casino groups, it is a market maker in the Macau associates stock. Morgan also produced a strained argument for how a $3.3 billion Crown bid for the spun-out Tabcorp casino arm, Echo Entertainment, might work in shareholders' favour. The speculation has been running since it emerged last month Crown had 4.9% stakes, in derivative form, in Echo and Tabcorp. Crown has said it did that deal before the split and had "no current intention" of increasing its investment in either company. Hopefully, Crown bought into Tabcorp at a low price, because the combined value of it and Echo is below their June 6 separation — and most of that fall has come in Echo (although Tabcorp was assisted by renewal of its wagering licence in Victoria last week). Echo Entertainment's shares have dived down from $4.35 on debut to a close of $4.07. That may make Echo an easier target, but whether it is sensible for Crown remains to be seen. The Morgan theory is that because Crown already has a stretched balance sheet there are only two real ways of funding a bid for Echo. One is through a share-swap offer, which would dilute the Packer holding to about 33% of the enlarged company. The second is by selling its $2.6 billion stake in Melco Crown, which would clear close to the entire cash amount required to buy Echo. Morgan thinks that for Crown investors that might mean a reward in share price terms because it believes the worth of the company's Melco Crown holding could be discounted by as much as 50 per cent because it is an arm's-length investment in City of Dreams and Altira casinos. Theoretically, if the "passive" stake is cashed in and Crown gobbles up Echo, then its shares may fully reflect the worth of having direct involvement in all its casinos. There may be some sentimental desire of Packer to buy the company that owns a Sydney casino...given that his legendary father, Kerry (KP), missed out on winning the original licence, almost got control of it in the late 1990s and then pulled out when it all got too hard. Strategically, though, it makes little sense to swap the foothold in Macau for more in Australia unless Crown has a particularly grim view of abroad and wants to cash up pronto like. Australians' propensity ala passion to gamble may be high, but this economy is not built around casinos alone. Macau is home to multimillionaires a plenty and casino visits are frequent and dolphins and whales spend up big. As such, the total Macau casino market is generating about $2.25 billion in revenue each month, of which Melco Crown is netting in about $300 million. In the June quarter of 2010, Melco Crown revenues were about $710 million. The same quarter of 2011 they were $1.01 billion, which means growth of 40%. Since March 31 Crown's shares have gained 15%. Melco Crown's stock, though, has gone from $US8 on Nasdaq at the end of March to a close of $US15.73 on Friday — a 97%. Packer is delighted with his Macau investments.



Casino Operator Melco Eyes '$600M Hong Kong Float'...

Macau casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment plans to raise up to $600 million in a Hong Kong share sale later this year, a report said, as operators continue to bet on the Asian gaming hub.
Melco, a joint venture between Lawrence Ho, son of gaming mogul Stanley Ho, and Australian entertainment tycoon James Packer, would launch its offering in the fourth quarter, Dow Jones Newswires reported, citing an unnamed source. The casino operator, already listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, plans to raise between $400 million and $600 million in the southern Chinese financial hub, Dow Jones said. Melco Crown said Thursday it had applied for a Hong Kong listing, but did not say how much it planned to raise or when the flotation would go ahead. In June, the firm said it would pay $360 million for a controlling stake in a new gaming resort call Macau Studio City, its second in the gaming hub. Melco said it will spend $1.7 billion developing the 2,000-room resort, with construction starting as early as next year to meet a 2015 completion target. Its listing plans come after MGM China Holdings, a casino firm jointly owned by US-based MGM Resorts International and Stanley Ho's daughter Pansy, listed in Hong Kong in June after raising about $1.5 billion. US rivals Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts have also listed their Macau units in nearby Hong Kong. Macau, the world's biggest gaming hub and the only place in China where casinos are legal, drew $23.5 billion in gaming revenue last year, outpacing the Las Vegas Strip four-fold.

Casino And Gaming Share Prices...

Symbol Company $AUD

CWN Crown Limited 8.280
EGP Echo Entertainment Group 3.860
RCT Reef Casino Trust 1.75
TAH Tabcorp Holdings Limited 3.240

BPTY Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment 1.15 GBP
PLS Paddy Power plc 33.04 EUR


Punters, er readers, stay glued to Media Man reports for more "can't miss" information on Australian pokies, gaming and casino wars.

If you have a bet, please do so responsibly and bet with your head, not over it, and most importantly, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming. Media Man also publishes Media Man News

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

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PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino iGaming "war" continues

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Thor: The Marvel Entertainment movie, dvd and slot game

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From Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures comes a unique and compelling twist on the super hero genre with the out-of-this-world warrior THOR, debuting on high definition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD September 26, 2011.

Cited as 'Thor-some' (Daily Star) and 'Brilliant. An action spectacular.' (Mirror) the phenomenal screen debut of the legendary God of Thunder took audiences by storm, earning more than $440 million at the global box office.

When Thor is banished to Earth from his home world of Asgard, and pursued by a force sent to destroy him, he must learn what it takes to become a true hero in this exhilarating story, that 'Comes on like thunder, delivering epic fireworks' (Rolling Stone).

Featuring an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, stunning visual effects and explosive action sequences, THOR wields outstanding entertainment that the whole family can enjoy.

The THOR three-disc set includes the film on Blu-ray in high-definition 3D and on high definition 2D, as well as a digital copy.

The two-disc Blu-ray/DVD - triple play pack includes a high definition presentation of the film, plus a standard definition presentation with a digital copy.

Both Blu-ray packs come fully loaded with 80 minutes of immersive bonus materials including an exclusive special feature that goes deeper into the Marvel Universe, a sneak peek into Marvel’s The Avengers, an unprecedented look inside the world of Director Kenneth Branagh and much more.

Marvel Entertainment via PartyCasino.com and Media Man present the Thor slot game. Don't just read the comics and watch the movies, play the games!

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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Gaming And Financial Market Report: Investors take a flutter on Bwin.party bid talk - 16th August 2011

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Takeover talk was on the cards for Bwin.party yesterday, as investors mulled over whether to take a gamble on the online gaming group after rumours emerged it could be in line for an approach from the US.

The company has existed in its current form only since March, when the merger between PartyGaming and Austria's Bwin was completed. Since then, however, a steady slide – exacerbated by the sharp falls seen across the markets in the past few weeks – has resulted in its share price plummeting by 45 per cent.

The move has prompted chatter that the world's biggest listed online gambling group may become a target, and yesterday vague speculation suggested the casinos group Wynn Resorts, whose chief executive is the Las Vegas billionaire Steve Wynn, could be a potential aggressor.

With the gossip claiming a possible bid could reach as high as 170p a share, Bwin.party managed to touch 107.8p during trading before closing at 105.7p, a rise over the session of 1.7p.

Not everyone agreed with the chatter, however, with one trader saying acquisitions in the sector were unlikely until there was further clarification over the potential regulation of online gambling in the US.

The recent rumours came after mutterings last week suggested potential aggressors for Bwin.party could come from closer to home, with William Hill – up 1.9p to 224p – one of the names linked.

Those in the City returning to their desks after the FTSE 100's volatile movements last week would not have been blamed for being somewhat fearful over what the days ahead would hold, yet the top-tier index ended up powering forwards 30.55 points to 5,350.58, its third consecutive session on the rise.

Nonetheless, traders were still cautious. "We are not out of the woods yet," said one, who added that he would feel more confident if the banks managed a sustained rally as well. That was certainly not the case yesterday as – with nerves raised ahead of today's key meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy on the eurozone crisis – the sector was left in the red.

Following reports suggesting "ring fencing" proposals could be tougher than anticipated, Barclays dropped 3.85p to 183.35p, while Lloyds Banking Group was 0.59p behind at 33.23p. Meanwhile, HSBC fell 4.6p to 547.2p despite being picked by JP Morgan Cazenove as one of the more attractive stocks after the recent sell-off.

Saying that "equity markets are oversold and [we] see many signs of panic", the broker added that "indiscriminate selling is offering great opportunities if one can look through the current extreme volatility."

Also among its picks were Amec, which finished 43.5p stronger at 949p, and Xstrata. The latter was lifted 21.5p to 1,092.5p, and – with data from Japan showing its economy for the second quarter had shrunk less than feared – the rest of the miners were also rising.

SABMiller pushed up 15p to 2,105p after Nomura raised its glass to the Grolsch brewer and toasted its emerging markets exposure. Cutting its growth expectations for the amount of beer consumed in Western Europe and US, the broker pointed out that around 84 per cent of SABMiller's profits come from outside these regions and raised its recommendation to "buy" as a result.

However, Nomura's analysts were less keen on Diageo, dropping its advice to "neutral", thanks to its new estimates that spirit volumes Stateside will rise only 1 per cent next year, although the owner of Smirnoff vodka and Bell's whisky still ticked up 11p to 1,189p.

Down on the FTSE 250, there was a definite appetite for Domino's Pizza as the pizza delivery company – recently the subject of bid rumours – surged forwards 24p to 486.8p, helped by Peel Hunt upgrading its rating to "buy".

As well as claiming that investors now have "a rare second chance to buy into Domino's iconic marketing enterprise", the broker's analysts added that they would "also take seriously recent social developments which, even after calm has been restored, may result in a subtle shift between the considerations for going out as opposed to staying at home".

The wooden spoon on the mid-tier index was taken by Michael Page, with the recruiter dropping sharply as it released its interim results. The company ended up shedding 32.4p to finish at 368p after saying it was being knocked by hiring freezes among the European banks, several of which have recently announced large job losses.

It was a good session for the explorers operating off the coast of the Falkland Islands, with Rockhopper increasing its estimates for its Sea Lion discovery. As a result it spurted up 19.25p to 237p on the Alternative Investment Market, while Desire Petroleum – which operates in the same region – was 2.25p higher at 19.25p.


Sportingbet chatter a rare ray of light in a gloomy market; UK Report...

Takeover tittle-tattle engulfing the internet gambling industry provided a welcome distraction on an otherwise miserable morning in the markets today.

Sportingbet, at present being courted by Ladbrokes, rose 3.3p to 53.7p as investors bet that a deal is imminent. Sportingbet's rival GVC Holdings said it is in exclusive discussions with the company about buying its Turkish language website. According to Evolution Securities, a sale of the site would "pave the way for a Ladbrokes takeover [of Sportingbet]."

Recycled bid speculation also pushed Bwin.party Digital Entertainment into first place on the FTSE 250 winners' list. The ludicrously named gambling group is rumoured to be in the sights of either bookmaker William Hill or a predator from across the Atlantic, Wynn Resorts. Gossips named a price of up to 170p per share for an approach: that's already 10p more than they were dreaming about last Friday. Bwin.party, formed from the merger of PartyGaming and Austria's Bwin, surged 7.4p to 113.1p.

UBS also gave the stock a boost, noting that it is trading at levels last seen during the market panic which ensued after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. That is, according to the big-hitting bank, despite the prospect of €55 million (£48.3 million) of "merger synergies", the demise of a major rival (Full Tilt Poker) and better-than-ever prospects for re-entering the US poker market.

But analyst Simon Whittington added that first-half results at the end of the month are likely to be lacklustre and may provide an even better buying opportunity. He is a buyer of Bwin, and has a 185p price target.

Shares in London ended their three-day winning streak after disappointing German GDP data renewed investors' fears for global growth. The FTSE 100 fell 55.16 points to 5295.42, dragged down by mining stocks because of their exposure to economic growth. Xstrata dropped 35½p to 1057p, Kazakhmys lost 28p to 1022p and Chilean copper producer Antofagasta shed 34p to 1230p.

Car parts maker GKN was the worst performer on the top flight though, off 7.5p at 194.7p, as auto stocks were sold-off amid concerns that the economic slowdown will hit demand.

Only a smattering of blue-chips managed to post any gains. They were mostly "safe haven" stocks: drug-makers Shire and GlaxoSmithKline ticked up 14p to 1965p and 5p to 1282p respectively, and gold miner Randgold Resources climbed 60p to 6240p.

Recruitment firm Harvey Nash was 4p up at 72p as investors applauded a 40% jump in first-half profits. Polo Resources surged 0.4p to 5.3p after doubling its proposed special dividend to 2p per share. It comes after the mining investment vehicle sold its stake in Caledon Resources.


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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Casino News Media: PartyCasino gets new games; Want to get your hands on King Tut’s legendary treasure?; Atomic Fruit

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About Us
We are bwin.party digital entertainment plc , the world’s largest listed online gaming business created by the merger of bwin and PartyGaming in March 2011. We have market leading positions in each of our four product verticals: sports betting, poker, casino and bingo. Our leading brands include bwin, PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com and Foxy Bingo. Our mantra is to ‘Let the World Play for Real’ – and our mission is ‘to be a leading digital entertainment company that anticipates market demands and delights our consumers by offering smart, safe and fun real money games’.

We invite you to learn more about bwin.party.

Licensed, regulated and tested
Licensed by the Government of Gibraltar and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner under the Gambling Act 2005, our games are powered by the bwin.party systems which are independently tested to ensure that our games operate correctly, are fair, their outcomes are not predictable and that the system is reliable, resilient and otherwise up to the highest standards of software integrity, including access control, change control recording, fingerprinting of the executables and regular monitoring of all critical components of our systems.

Game fairness and responsible gaming
We see online gambling as a legitimate form of entertainment that is enjoyed by millions of adults worldwide. We advertise and operate responsibly in order to protect minors, and we assist those that may have problems to help identify their issues and, if appropriate, seek counselling. For more information, see game fairness and responsible gaming.

Safe, secure and private
We use 128-bit encryption, provided by Thawte Security, to ensure the security and privacy of your data. We keep all of your information confidential, and we will never share it or sell it to third parties, except in accordance with our privacy policy. Our state-of-the-art player identification and controlled-access log-in ensure maximum account safety.

Zero tolerance for fraud and collusion
Our systems perform random security checks and other log-file reviews to maintain system integrity and fairness at the tables. If we find any players participating in collusion or deceptive practices, we will close their accounts immediately.

Payment processing
We offer a variety of easy deposit options and guarantee fast cash outs. All payment processing transactions are transmitted by, and stored in, our secure, proprietary Pay-Pro cashier system. Additionally, our new integrated platforms allow you to play a variety of gaming sites using a common account and log-in.

Excellent customer care, VIP services and rewards
We understand that your time is valuable and that you want to have fun, free from hassles or problems. That's why our five-star Customer Care Team is available to help you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, we assign dedicated hosts to our regular players to ensure the highest level of support and the best comps and bonuses. At bwin.party, we believe our rewards programme is second to none.

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Monday, August 15, 2011

PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award

PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

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Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.

The competition to knock off PartyCasino.com for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPT Casino, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Frank Miller's Sin City, The Sting, Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $4 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

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Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Co-CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Casino News Media: CryptoLogic gets back to profit; Marvel Entertainment troubles behind them - 14th August 2011

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Software developer CryptoLogic has recorded its first quarterly profit in 3 years.

The Canadian online branded games and casino outfit saw its total revenues for the second quarter of this year lift to just below US$7m compared to $6.74m for the same period last year...an increase of a modest $260,000, which in some industries may be seen as pretty good, but no so for the igaming sector.

Crypto advised its Q2 numbers benefited from a reduction of $0.8m in liabilities previously provided against revenue through the resolution of a dispute with a “significant supplier of games”. Readers may may recall in late September last year CryptoLogic settled with entertainment firm and comic publisher Marvel Entertainment, with the new contract terms including the redrawing of the licensing agreement between the two parties on a “non-exclusive” basis. The company’s revenues for the first quarter were $6m.

Proceedings were launched in April by CryptoLogic’s subsidiary WagerLogic against Marvel Enterprises Inc and Marvel Enterprises BV, with the igaming supplier claiming the terms of its October 2005 deal with Marvel Enterprises to be the “sole developer of Marvel-branded casino slot games on the internet” had been breached.

WagerLogic stalling the roll-out of Marvel-branded titles and launching legal proceedings against the comic book company followed competitor Playtech signing an “exclusive multi-year licensing agreement” with Marvel Entertainment’s Netherlands-based subsidiary, Marvel Characters BV in March 2008 to produce Marvel-branded casino, poker and bingo games across its web, mobile and other platforms.

In March CryptoLogic engaged consultants Deloitte to carry out a strategic review of the firm suggesting it could soon be part or completely sold. In a statement the company chose to only say that the review was still "ongoing" and that further announcements would be made “as and when appropriate”.

CryptoLogic has yet to return to its former glory since its former chief executive Brian Hadfield resigned a year ago following continuing losses and hampered progress being made to restructure the business model. Chairman David Gavagan has been running things since Hadfield’s departure and has been forced to substantially slash the outfit's workforce.

Despite continuing the restructuring process its board advised was “encouraged” by the performance in the quarter and that it “continues to focus on driving revenues further while managing costs tightly to enhance shareholder value”.

Something tells us that this company is one to continue to watch closely this year and that developments may be in order with a Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment or Virgin Games, but this may take considerable time to verify.

Media Man believes CryptoLogic are a takeover target and a deal could potentially be reached by year end.

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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Media Man Movie And Entertainment News: WWE Studios, Planet Of The Apes, Mission: Impossible, Marvel Entertainment, Underbelly Razor; Movie Games...by Greg Tingle - 14th August 2011

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Tom Cruise Dead Serious in New 'Mission: Impossible 4' Still...

The 'Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol' picture sees the 'Rock of Ages' actor wearing a hoodie while standing with his back on the explosion scene and giving a fierce gaze to the camera.

A brand new still from "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol" has just arrived, giving a look at Tom Cruise who looks fierce as he throws a steely gaze at the camera. The Ethan Hunt depicter wears a black hoodie and plants his hands in the pockets of his jacket. He's surrounded by smokes and flames coming from the explosion behind him.

The fourth installment of "Mission: Impossible" franchise, the action movie will follow Ethan and his team as they go undercover to clear their name after they were blamed for a terrorist bombing. While trying to find out the true mastermind behind the crime, they have to dodge the government to avoid being captured and charged for something they didn't do.

The film is supported by Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames, Josh Holloway and Simon Pegg among others. Co-produced by Cruise along with J.J. Abrams and Paula Wagner, it is scheduled to make its way out in the United States on December 21.


WWE Studios rethinks its strategy after shooting seven films in New Orleans...

WWE Studios' New Orleans experiment might not be down for the count, exactly. But the wrestling-linked outfit's unique local strategy -- in which it shot seven films in town in less than two years, including the just-wrapped "No One Lives" -- is definitely changing.

WWE Studios chief Mike Pavone, who had been a near-constant presence in New Orleans for the better part of a year and a half, is leaving the company "to pursue other opportunities," according to a report this week in the trade paper Variety. That follows by days remarks from WWE honcho Vince McMahon that the company is rethinking its film strategy.

Taking advantage of Louisiana's filmmaking tax credits was a key to that strategy, which was Pavone's brainchild, dreamed up after the locally shot, bigger-budgeted 2009 action film "12 Rounds" performed poorly at the box office in the wake of a marketing push by distributor 20th Century Fox that was lackluster at best.

The Pavone plan was intended to keep the budgets of the studio's films -- mostly family-friendly fare on his watch, ranging in genre from comedies to a period drama -- in the $5 million range, a bargain by Hollywood standards. In addition to taking advantage of Louisiana tax credits, it signed a new deal with independent distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films that gave the studio more say in marketing strategy.

Another key to it all, though, was Pavone's mass-production concept, in which production on one film cranked up just as its predecessor was wrapping, allowing the studio to roll much of its crew over from film to film and tamp down startup costs.

That was great for local film-industry workers hired by the studio, as they saw steady work with largely the same group of people for more than a year. And local movie buffs got to see New Orleans on the big screen. (Particularly memorable: Michael Rappaport's black-and-gold Super Bowl XLIV shirt in the forthcoming "Inside Out," albeit a shirt of questionable copyright.)

WWE's bean counters didn't have much to complain about, either -- at least not at first.

"This whole idea is based on a television model," Pavone said in a September interview on the New Orleans set of the forthcoming "Bending the Rules," starring Jamie Kennedy and wrestler Adam "Edge" Copeland. "Amortizing your costs over several movies, you roll the same crews over and over, you don't have to spend all the money for startup and shutdown costs, which could be to the tune of six grand a day to start up in a new place and hire new people and hire stage space.

"We make all of our deals based on multiple movies, so they give us some better rates and on and on. We found out we save a million dollars a movie."

Unfortunately, while all of that meant savings on the production side, it didn't necessarily translate into quality at the box office. Pavone tried to lend his films credibility by signing established actors -- including Ed Harris, Patricia Clarkson, Danny Glover, Michael Rappaport and Parker Posey -- to star alongside a selection of WWE wrestler/actors. But audiences didn't respond.

The new distribution deal didn't help matters. It was built around a cost-cutting plan to give each film a limited theatrical release followed just weeks later by DVD releases -- meaning WWE Studios would foot the bill for just one, rather than two, advertising campaigns. But the results apparently weren't much different than when Fox had the reins.

Although WWE Studios generated $4.3 million in the past three months, its latest release -- the coming-of-age comedy "That's What I Am," starring Harris and directed by Pavone -- lost $3.3 million during the second quarter after mustering only $6,400 from 10 theaters in three days at the box office, Variety reported.

After getting an exclusive DVD release at Walmart on May 17, "That's What I Am" -- shot mostly in Jefferson -- gets a wide home-video release on Tuesday (Aug. 16).

As for what direction the studio will take next, a hint could be in "No One Lives," which just wrapped production on the north shore.

That film saw the studio team with Pathe U.K., part of a strategy to share costs with other production partners. As a horror flick directed by Ryuhei Kitamura ("Midnight Meat Train"), it also might signal a shift toward more genre fare, Variety speculated, after Pavone's slate of mostly feel-good dramas and family fare didn't appeal to the company's fan base.

And, it's worth noting, Louisiana is apparently still part of the picture.

WWE Studio's Snapshot...

A look at WWE Studios' films shot locally under the supervision of recently departed executive Mike Pavone:

"Knucklehead," available on DVD now.

"Legendary" (working title: "Brother's Keeper"), available on DVD now.

"The Chaperone," available on DVD now.

"That's What I Am" (working titles: "Big Red," "Big Ginger") available Tuesday on DVD.

"Inside Out", set for limited theatrical release Sept. 9.

"Bending the Rules," release date unannounced.

"No One Lives," just wrapped production.


Rise Of Planet Of The Apes Delivers US Numbers...

Close competition for the top spot on Friday kept Fox's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" in the lead for its second weekend in a row. "Rise" made $8.1 million from 3,691 locations at the US box office. Closely followed by Disney's "The Help" scored $7.626 million from 2,534 locations and Warner Bros' "Final Destination 5" earned $7.34 million from 3,155.


Marvel Schedules Release Dates for Two Mystery Projects...

Marvel Entertainment and Disney are getting close to announcing the next chapters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While 2012 will only see the release of The Avengers, Marvel has already planned two movies for 2013: Iron Man 3 (opening May 3) and Thor 2 (opening July 26). 2014 will also have two releases from the comic book company, though which ones is still a secret. Box Office Mojo reports that two mystery projects will open in 2014, with "Marvel Untitled 1" will open on May 16, 2014, while "Marvel Untitled 2" will open June 27, 2014. No details on which movies they might be, though there are a few obvious possibilities.


Disney - Marvel Comic War Escalates With DC Comics...

On Wednesday, Walt Disney (NYS: DIS) stock suffered its worst sell-off in a decade, dropping 13% in a single day. Sales were strong, but investors worried consumer wallets might not be big enough to keep Disney growing much longer. Result: Wednesday was a horrible day for Disney ... but hold onto your portfolios our friends. The week ain't over yet.

Background...

Two years ago, Disney snagged Marvel Entertainment for a cool $4 billion. Marvel shareholders wept for the loss of their stock, but Disney shareholders cheered approval.

With the fun and games Disney has got itself in a bit of negative publicity. Its new subsidiary Marvel Comics is offering comic book retailers the chance to sell a "variant cover" edition of Fear Itself No. 6. All a retailer has to do to get the coveted item is ... rip the covers off of 50 copies of any No. 1 issue from rival DC Comics' Flashpoint line of titles, and send them to Marvel, coupon-style.

The gambit's perfectly legal. The retailers paid for these comics, and would be destroying their own property, essentially turning their DC comics into coupons to acquire a rare Marvel edition. Marvel has even done this before -- successfully -- cajoling envious retailers into destroying tens of thousands of copies of its rival's comics. Still, there's a bit of an underhanded feel to the whole gambit. Marvel's clear aim here is to limit readership of DC publications, with the hope of strangling DC Comic's fan base.

It may work, but its not a lock. Marvel may have forgotten that by destroying its rivals' work, it's actually making the DC publications rarer...thus increasing their aftermarket value. This could have the perverse effect of encouraging collectors who might not have bought the DC comics before to rush out and buy them now before they disappear. And that's before we even consider the amount of bad blood and negative publicity Marvel (and Disney) are bringing upon themselves through this "dirty tricks" campaign.

What this may mean to the motion picture war between Marvel Entertainment and DC Comics is not totally clear at this point, but Marvel flicks such as Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and X-Men: First Class, have it all over DC's Green Hornet. Will Marvel tie up DC in webs, or will DC fight back and snatch the crown back from Marvel with the help of Batman and friends. Marvel legend Stan Lee and his friends at The Avengers are up to the fight, and news media and fans will not want to miss a second of the action.


Marvel Movies Upcoming...

Movie Studio Date

Captain America: The First Avenger Paramount Pictures 7/22/11
Ghost Rider 2 (3D) Sony 2/17/12
The Avengers (2012) Buena Vista 5/4/12
The Amazing Spider-Man Sony 7/3/12
Iron Man 3 Buena Vista 5/3/13


Underbelly Razor Gets A Makeover; More Advertiser Friendly...

Network Nine top brass has confirmed they worked the casting to put a prettier face on the femme fatale series.

Mug shots of Sydney's most notorious criminals from the roaring '20s were used to hire actors resembling the hard men, the female leads went to Kiwi fems Chelsie Preston Crayford and Danielle Cormack.

Nine boss David Gyngell sold the sexed up and prettier version to advertisers as part of the network's push to get Underbelly the right sort of attention.

Photographs from the time show real-life vice queens Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh were hardly the stuff of cinematic close-ups. They were rough looking girls.

Much of themale casting reflects an uncanny likeness to the real crims who would become underworld legends.

It certainly follows the Underbelly tradition of art imitating life, with Gyton Grantley making his name as Carl Williams in the first series, while Firass Dirani passed as John Ibrahim in last year's 'The Golden Mile'. Dirani later picked up a role opposite Robert Di Niro in 'The Killer Elite'. John "Vulcan" Seru, closely associated with the Media Man agency, is understood to be working on a couple of films under wraps. Long time James Bond fans will know Seru from playing Gabor in 'The World Is Not Enough'.

Make no mistake, bad girls and bad guys are still in vogue.

Underbelly Razor premieres next Sunday night at 8.30pm on Channel Nine.


Mad Max Fury Road Won't Be Made In Australia...

Rural NSW town Broken Town is feeling quite broken hearted after learning that Max Mad will not be filmed there.

The decision, described by the Mayor of Broken Hill as a "tragedy", has stripped the outback city of the $10-12 million in investments it was expecting to receive as a result of the production.

Local council announced the decision saying the production company behind the movie, Kennedy Miller Mitchell (KMM), felt recent heavy rains had ruined the arid landscape the film required.

The now cancelled production would have seen acclaimed director George Miller, as well as Hollywood celebrities Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, working in the western New South Wales city.

Local business people, such as hotel owners who were banking on the influx of people and money, will be hit hard by the decision to cancel filming.

The Mayor of the Broken Hill City Council, Wincen Cuy, told ABC Broken Hill he is disappointed by the decision, but concedes nothing can be done to change the outcome.

"This decision hasn't been taken lightly by KMM... but nature's caused it, nothing else has caused it apart from nature."

Mayor Cuy says the money KMM has already paid to use the film studio is "signed, sealed and delivered", but other parts of the Broken Hill community will suffer from the decision.

"What we're saying is that... from a community's point of view, and from trying to take Broken Hill into the future, yeah it is disappointing."

Despite the disappointment, Mayor Cuy says the City Council understands the decision and respects KMM's right to make it.

Mayor Cuy feels that, although having missed this opportunity, Broken Hill could stand to gain from future opportunities with KMM.

"Let's look at the long term future; if there's going to be a Mad Max Four, it's better to be made (so) then we possibly can get some input into Mad Max 5, or have Mad Max 5 (filmed) here."

Kennedy Miller Mitchell has made no comment as to where the filming of Mad Max: Fury Road will now take place.

Wild flowers cover the Australian desert after a one-in-100-year rain event.

“The Mad Max landscape looks like Wales,” director George Miller said in The Sydney Morning Herald. “There was a carpet of flowers on the location we were shooting on. There’s no way it’s going to brown off.”

The search for browness and a new location is now on. Africa or South America are likely candidates.

This will mark the first time a major Australian film will be shot predominately overseas since “Disgrace” in 2007.

Namibia is the most likely location for the first installment in what will be a new three-movie series.

The film was originally meant to be shot in the African country in 2003, but the production ran into complications with travel restrictions and political sensitivities caused by the Iraq War.

At that time, original Max Mel Gibson was signed for the film. And while it’s still rumored Gibson will appear, the reality is getting increasingly unlikely.

“It won’t be Mel. He was 21 when he made the first one,” George Miller told news.com.au. “Now he’s a lot older and his passion is for filmmaking and directing.”

Tom Hardy, Teresa Palmer and Charlize Theron will reportedly star in the film.

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