Gaming briefs for July 11, 2003

Friday, July 11, 2003 | 11:08 a.m.

Slot makers terminate deal

Mikohn Gaming Corp. and Aristocrat Technologies Inc. have terminated an agreement that would have supplied Aristocrat hardware and services for Mikohn slot machines.

But Aristocrat will uphold its agreement to provide platform games for Mikohn's upcoming "Yahtzee" slot machine in some jurisdictions, Las Vegas-based Mikohn said.

Mikohn said the majority of the company's future game development will be focused on other ventures, including a "Clue" slot machine developed with Bally Gaming and Systems and licensing arrangements with other entities.

"Aristocrat's primary focus must be on our own customers and our core gaming and systems business," Gavin Isaccs, president of Aristocrat Technologies, said. "We will work closely with Mikohn to ensure a smooth transition of the service operations within the next 60 days."

Mikohn has cut staff and reorganized the company to stem losses and transition from a hardware provider to a game content company. Aristocrat, which manufactures slot machines worldwide, also has restructured its money-losing U.S. division amid controversy that the Australian-based company hid losses in the unit.

Visitor volume flat in May from '02 levels

A slight dip in convention traffic in May resulted in Las Vegas visitor volume being flat compared with May 2002 levels, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said today.

The LVCVA said there were 3 million visitors in May, a fractional decline from the approximately 3 million reported a year earlier. There were 2,031 conventions and meetings drawing 398,675 people in May compared with 2,077 bringing in 411,444 in the same month a year ago, a decline of 3.1 percent.

Occupancy levels were at 85.7 percent for the month, off 0.6 points from May 2002, but the average daily room rate increased 9.3 percent, from $78.05 in May 2002 to $85.47 this year.

The LVCVA also said visitor volume increased 12.2 percent to 150,953 people in Mesquite in May and it was up 2.4 percent to 366,061 people in Laughlin.

Convention attendance was up 33.7 percent from May 2002 to this year to 19,393 people in Laughlin. In Mesquite, the LVCVA said total occupancy was up 10.1 points from May 2002 to the same month this year to 93.4 percent.