Gaming briefs for Feb. 23, 2004

Monday, Feb. 23, 2004 | 11:08 a.m.

Slot maker develops games to draw Hispanic gamblers

Mikohn Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas has entered into an agreement with Star Slots International LLC for the right to develop a new series of games featuring Hispanic icons such as singers Julio Iglesias and Celia Cruz.

Star Slots is a slot machine licensing company focused on the Hispanic market and has a portfolio of names including Tito Puente, Pele, Julio Cesar Chavez and Los Tigres del Norte. Star Slots representatives could not be reached by press time to discuss whether these names are also in development for slot machines.

"The explosive growth of the Hispanic market nationwide has outpaced any other group and this, coupled with the continued expansion of gaming nationwide, provides opportunities for us to address a new and exciting market," said Bob Parente, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mikohn.

"The Hispanic population has tremendous buying power, with nearly 40 million consumers and $500 billion in buying power in the United States alone," Carlos Barba, founder of Star Slots, said. "Yet to date it is a market segment that is largely unaddressed by the gaming industry."

Executive leaves company

SYDNEY, Australia -- Aristocrat Leisure Ltd., the world's second biggest maker of slot machines, said Chief Operating Officer David Creary will leave the company on Feb. 29 for health reasons.

Creary was acting chief executive for eight months in 2003, after Des Randall was sacked, Sydney-based Aristocrat said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.