Everi Holdings recently announced the expansion of its TournEvent platform into historical horse racing markets with a debut installation at Gate City Casino in Nashua, New Hampshire.
In a release, Everi stated that the launch brings “cutting-edge slot tournament capabilities to players at Gate City Casino, enhancing the gaming landscape with a unique competitive experience.”
“We are excited to launch the award-winning TournEvent platform with Gate City Casino, the perfect venue to introduce our dynamic tournament experience to players in the HHR market,” said Everi Senior Vice President and Gaming Leader Jesse DeBruin in a statement. “These efforts are indicative of Everi’s dedication to supporting the growth and success of new gaming markets with state-of-the-art solutions while expanding TournEvent’s reach to meet the evolving demands of the gaming industry.”
Everi stated there are more than 5,000 TournEvent enabled electronic gaming machines at over 400 casinos in North America. The platform features fast-paced gameplay, competitive tournament structure, and real-time, player-focused engagement.
“Everi has provided their dynamic library of award-winning games on the Exacta Connectâ system for nearly two years now,” said Exacta Systems President Jeff Lind. “The expansion of TournEvent, enhanced for HHR play, is another exciting chapter in our combined efforts to bring players new experiences while maintaining the industry’s highest level of customer support.”
Gate City Casino features more than 500 HHR machines and other gaming and hospitality amenities. It is owned and operated by global hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North, which acquired the property in 2022 and completed the addition of HHR gaming in 2023.
“This launch provides players at Gate City Casino with an enhanced gaming experience, powered by Everi’s leading tournament platform,” said Delaware North Vice President of Gaming Operations Michael Carruthers. “Our players remain eager for competitive play, and based on Everi’s nationwide success with TournEvent, we know players will enjoy the incredible atmosphere during these tournaments.”
In the fast-paced world that is the Asia-Pacific gaming industry, it’s easy to overlook the goings on of smaller jurisdictions such as New Zealand. But a couple of recent regulatory initiatives in the Land of the Long White Cloud have certainly caught my attention for the fact that they are bold and politically risky but also the right thing to do.
The first of these is the government’s decision to legalize and regulate online casino gaming.
In November, the nation’s Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden revealed that a new Online Gambling Bill to be drafted in the coming months will offer up to 15 licenses to online gaming operators with a view to minimizing the proliferation of illegal offshore gambling across the country.
“My goal is not to increase the amount of gambling that is happening online, but to enable New Zealanders who wish to play casino games online to do so more safely than they can today,” van Velden said.
“Currently, New Zealanders can and do gamble on thousands of offshore gambling websites. By introducing a regulatory system my intention is to channel customers towards up to 15 licensed operators.”
Unsurprisingly the plan has its critics, but the fact is it represents a refreshingly honest recognition by the New Zealand government that simply banning gambling in any of its various forms does not make the “problem” go away. As I’ve said many times before, if people want to gamble, which many do, they will find a way.
Most impressive, however, is the fact that New Zealand’s stance in regulating online gambling is in stark contrast to the approach taken across the majority of the Asia-Pacific region, and most notably neighboring Australia, which should also consider regulation rather than prohibition but won’t for fear of the vocal anti-gambling brigade. Better to be seen as doing the right thing than to actually do the right thing.
But that’s not the only brave decision taken in Kiwi land. On 10 November, the New Zealand government announced it would ban greyhound racing due to ongoing animal welfare concerns. Specifically, racing minister Winston Peters said that although the greyhound racing industry had worked hard to make progress around animal welfare in recent years, the sheer number of animals continuing to suffer injuries had forced the government to make a call that was in the best interest of the animals.
Many will disagree with me here, but this is undeniably the right decision given all we’ve come to learn about what many of these poor racing dogs go through. I’m generally against prohibition, but I’m also an animal lover, and it’s about time we start considering more seriously the clear ethical issues that come with using any animals for sport.
It’s a message I expect will take a long time to be heard around the rest of Asia, but it’s great to see our friends in New Zealand taking it upon their shoulders to show the rest how it should be done.
