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Telecom & UNiTAB join on gaming tender

8 December 2003
MEDIA RELEASE

Telecom & UNiTAB join forces to tender for New Zealand gaming machine monitoring

Telecom has signed a Teaming Agreement with Queensland-based gaming and wagering company UNiTAB to jointly tender for an RFP to be issued by the Department of Internal Affairs for electronic monitoring of gaming machines.

The Gambling Act 2003, passed in September, requires all non-casino gaming machines to be connected to a central monitoring system.

The Department of Internal Affairs is expected to issue an RFP for monitoring services by mid 2004 and has adopted the QCOM (Queensland Communication) protocol as New Zealand’s monitoring standard.

UNiTAB, with a market capitalisation of more than A$800 million, works with more than half of Queensland’s hotels and clubs and won the exclusive monitoring license for the Northern Territory. UNiTAB developed its QCOM monitoring system in-house and has more than seven years experience in wide area gaming machine monitoring.

Telecom Advanced Solutions General Manager Chris Quin said the agreement combined Telecom Advanced Solution’s local knowledge, technology and communication infrastructure with UNiTAB’s proven QCOM monitoring systems and their decades of experience operating online gaming and wagering networks.

“This agreement brings together two operators that jointly have the experience and capability to provide a cost-effective, robust monitoring regime for New Zealand.

“Telecom has the network to link all sites nationally and proven reliability, through Telecom Advanced Solutions, to install, host and support the necessary IT monitoring infrastructure,” Mr. Quin said.

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The joint bid would provide a complete end-to-end solution tailored to the needs of New Zealand’s gaming industry.

UNiTAB Managing Director Dick McIlwain said the alliance would benefit all parties involved in gaming - the community, gaming venues, trusts and the government.

“The community is assured of the integrity of gaming funds collection, and the conduct of gaming in accordance with licensed site hours. Venues benefit from the electronic data collection of meter information and have the option of software programs that automate the production of required regulatory reports.

“Trusts will have central access to site gaming date for financial and regulatory reporting, accurate site data and security event reporting - even centrally configured jackpots.”

Mr McIlwain said monitoring would provide the government with enhanced tax compliance and other compliance benefits. Additional employment will also be created through the establishment of a monitoring operations centre in Wellington.

ENDS


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