MEDIA RELEASE

28 July 2008: for immediate release

Wizard of Odds at Oz Gaming Expo

World gaming guru and ‘Wizard of Odds’ Michael Shackleford, will address the Gaming Conference at the Australasian Gaming Expo on 24-26 August 2008, according to organisers of the event, the Australasian Gaming Machine Manufacturers Association (“AGMMA”).

Mr Shackleford will deliver a keynote presentation to the Gaming Conference on Sunday 24 August and will also speak on Tuesday 26 August.

“Michael Shackleford brings an international flavour to the Gaming Expo, and we are delighted that he is attending our event and will address our conference,” said AGMMA’s Chief Executive Officer, Ross Ferrar.

“It will be fascinating to hear what he has to say about gaming machine and table gaming odds, mathematically correct strategies, his perspective on our gaming industry here in Australia, as well as the overall global market.”

Based in Las Vegas, Mr. Shackleford is a professional actuary who has made a career of analysing casino games. He sometimes teaches the course in Casino Math at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Mr. Shackleford’s landmark research into the actual returns of slot machines on the Las Vegas strip garnered international attention in 2002, and he has appeared numerous times on US national television as a recognised expert on gambling strategy. His expertise also extends to inventing and marketing new casino games.

“I am looking forward to speaking at the AGE in August – the premier gaming event in Australia and one of the most popular in the region,” said Michael Shackleford, otherwise known as “The Wizard of Odds”.

“My gambling advice is a combination of themes that are true to all games, and advice specific to each game. I think of every game as a math problem, in most cases using computers to crunch the numbers together.”

“My presentations at the AGE will focus on both electronic and table games. Attention will be paid to the mathematical design of both single-line and multi-line slots. Many myths will be debunked in both games. The odds of live table games, such as Baccarat, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, Craps, Let it Ride, Pai Gow, Pai Gow Poker, Roulette, and Sic Bo will also be covered.

The Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE), now in its 19th year, is renowned as the region’s premier annual gaming occasion for the Hospitality Industry. Comprising a trade exhibition and the Gaming Conference, the event is held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. Entry to both the trade exhibition and the Gaming Conference is complimentary for representatives of Gaming Industry Organisations.

Further information about Mike Shackleford is available at www.wizardofodds.com.

Further information about the Australasian Gaming Expo is available at www.austgamingexpo.com.

ENDS

Gordon Campbell: On John Key’s Agenda For The Nation

There seemed to be three main components to John Key’s speech:

a) tax cuts largely paid for by a hike in GST
b) mining in national parks and on conservation land, while building more roads.
c) giving firms easier access to the r&d from Crown Research Institutes, so that business can continue to get the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the research that keeps them competitive.

After all, corporate welfare is always such a blessed thing – its only social welfare that corrodes enterprise and ambition. More>>