Serbian Surprise
Casinos Austria launches Belgrade casino
The new Casino Beograd in Belgrade, Serbia celebrated its grand opening with two nights of partying in February. On the second night, when the general public was allowed in, the casino played host to 1,800 guests. The event marked the beginning of a new era in
casino development in Southeastern Europe.
The casino is situated alongside the Danube River, on the Promenade. The 5,500-square-meter property offers roulette, blackjack and Caribbean Stud at 25 tables, plus 222 of the newest slots, in a contemporary setting of leather, glass, marble and wood. But what really separates Casino Beograd from other venues in the region is its heavy emphasis on non-gaming amenities.
Inside the gaming area are two restaurants. Diva offers a gourmet, international menu and wine list and Ginger features Asian fusion. A third restaurant, Chameleon, located outside the gaming area and accessible with no casino registration, serves French and Italian cuisine.
A relaxing piano bar adjacent to Diva serves cocktails and live music. The Roulette Lounge, also accessible to non-casino goers, has more of a club atmosphere with a circular bar, sofas and a terrace area.
The Parada function room can accommodate up to 250 people for receptions, press conferences, seminars and banquets. Finishing the offering is the high-end retail Vicky M shop, located right in the gaming area.
Casino General Manager Ivan Crossman said, “We have done our utmost to create a venue that meets the expectations of a wide range of target groups—from business travelers and tourists to local people seeking a fun night out. No other place in Belgrade offers as large a choice of entertainment, and our service is second to none.”
The 400-strong staff has been trained with special emphasis on guest relations.
The property is a joint venture led by Casinos Austria International, which owns 51 percent. The other two participants are Club Hotel Casino Loutraki of Greece, with 39 percent, and local host State Lottery of Serbia with 10 percent.
Originally estimated at €60 million when first announced in February 2007, the project has so far cost €85 million.
E.U. questions Sweden, Germany
The European Commission is requesting that Sweden provide information on its legislation regarding the restriction of supply and promotion of poker and poker tournaments by non-state providers.
The E.C. wants to know that all Sweden’s laws and regulations regarding poker are in compliance with the E.C. treaty that guarantees free movement of services. The E.C. considers the provision of gambling a service.
Sweden’s national lottery organization, Svenska Spel, offers poker at its Cosmopol casinos and online. However, national laws prohibit other online operators— even those licensed in E.U. countries—from offering poker to Swedes.
E.U. members are allowed laws to protect consumers, but those laws must be “consistent and systematic.” Problems arise when a nation offers and actively promotes its own gaming operations to its citizens while claiming that it seeks to protect those same citizens from other gaming operators offering similar products.
Germany is also being asked for information following the introduction of its anti-online gaming treaty, which went into effect in January.
Poker ruled ‘game of chance’ in U.K.
The ongoing debate about the skill element of poker took a hit last month when a court of appeals in England ruled that the game is one predominantly determined by chance.
The court rejected the appeal of Derek Kelly, the former chairman of a private poker club who was convicted by a jury of violating the 1968 Gaming Act by running poker tournaments without a license.
Kelly and his business partner Barry Martin ran the tournaments at the Shots Bar and Restaurant in London. Kelly was arrested after investigators said he was charging entrance fees for players participating in the tournaments.
Russian plan still on
In January, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov signed a ruling establishing the Sherbinovsky district of the Krasnodar area and the Azov district of the Rostov region as a joint location for new casinos next year.
Currently, only four zones have been designated to allow gaming after July 2009: Kaliningrad, on the Baltic Sea just north of Poland; the Krasnodar-Rostov region, on the east coast of the Black Sea, about 1,100 kilometers south of Moscow; Altay Republic, on the northeast border of Kazakhstan and the northwest border of Mongolia; and Primorye, in the far east of the country, sandwiched between the northeast corner of China and the Sea of Japan.
Operators are saying that the four areas lack the infrastructure to support the necessary development
.
