程阳: 墨西哥博彩市场

A bit of background info on Mexican gaming:

---Internet wagering, numbers games such as Keno or Bingo, lottery and Class II gaming, and sports wagering are legal in Mexico. Table games, including roulette and all card games, are not.

---Gaming, other than Internet and lottery, is predominantly offered through betting parlors, of which there are roughly 500. Caliente currently owns and operates around 90, roughly 18%.

---A significant portion of Caliente’s offering has been race wagering, offered both over the Internet and at betting parlors via simulcast. A cooperative relationship and offering has been established between Caliente and all the major US racetracks.

---MIR has had a critical role in negotiating the cooperative relationships between US racetracks and Caliente.

Mr. Arturo Alemany of MIR

Mark Jason, Public Gaming: What types of gaming are legal in Mexico? Internet gaming, lottery, casino

Arturo Alemany: Internet wagering, numbers games (incl bingo, lotteries, keno), NO table games, NO cards, NO roulette – no actual “Casinos” (Although Caliente’s remodeled race track is now called the “Caliente Casino”)

How are the games regulated? Mexican Gaming Control Board, Lottery Board, etc.

A. Alemany: The Mexican Government’s Ministry of the Interior

How many casinos are there in Mexico? How many of these are owned by Caliente?

A. Alemany: There may be as many as 500 betting parlors (or remote wagering sites – NOT casinos) in Mexico. Some operating as grey market with suspended licenses and challenging these suspensions with the gov. Caliente has approximately 90 locations spread across the Republic. Their record with the government is spotlessly clean, legal, transparent and paying their share of the  20% gaming tax on handles.

Describe the gaming that Caliente offers.

A. Alemany: Internet race & sports book wagering – but not for residents of U.S. or Canada – Caliente geo-location software to prevent transfers from U.S. or Canada -  numbers games (incl bingo, lotteries, keno), Electronic Bingo numbers games – looks like a Class II Slot that they are now calling “Mexico Class” machines. And race and sports books. Caliente operates the only live greyhound track in Mexico – 11 programs weekly.

Casinos, simulcast within the casinos, etc. Internet gaming?

A. Alemany: The simulcast racing is a huge program that involves all of the top US. tracks.

Can you tell me where the casinos are located (Mexico City, US border cities like Juarez and Tijuana)?

A. Alemany: The locations are spread across Mexico in municipalities, tourist areas, border areas and the 2 major operations – The Caliente Casino and Race Track in Tijuana and the Las Americas Race Track in Mexico City.

What role does MIR play in supporting Caliente's efforts, either or both in expanding existing business and in the pursuit of new opportunities?

A. Alemany: MIR (Market Information & Research) is the “Face of Caliente in the U.S.” MIR acts as gaming consultants and research analysts. Most importantly, MIR negotiates all simulcast agreements with the various U.S. entities. MIR provides the tactical assistance to get high tech equipment and systems into Mexico.

Mr. Eduardo Hernandez, President and CEO of Caliente Group

Is all Mexican gaming, other than Internet and lottery, centered in the roughly 500 betting parlors? Caliente operates what percentage of those?

Eduardo Hernandez: Actually yes, in the absence of a master development plan for the gaming industry the core guideline is the SEGOB permit emission time schedule. As for the end of 2008 Caliente held a 48% percentage of the operating gaming facilities in Mexico. However, this percentage is on a downward trend as new entrants in the market are developing operations in the sites allowed by their own permits. It is expected that Caliente will hold a 33% of the open locales by 2012.

How many of the “Mexican Class” gaming machines does Caliente currently have at its betting parlors throughout the country?

E. Hernandez: There are currently 9,864 Class II Type gaming machines operating at 57 electronic bingo halls along the Mexican territory.

It is odd to me that no table games are allowed anywhere in Mexico. Is there a specific reason or story behind this? Do you expect this prohibition to continue?

E. Hernandez: The Federal Law of Games and Draws forbids the operation of table games since 1947. Nevertheless, political process in order to enhance the waging offerings for the general public is still being pursued. It is likely to expect gradual changes throughout the next federal legislature 2009-2012 resting upon the correlation of political forces represented in the Congress.

How do you view Caliente growing? Increasing the number of owned betting parlors? Expanding the Internet race and sports books to other games?  What role will Caliente play?

E. Hernandez: The aim of the ongoing efforts is to optimize the operation of 110 locales. Caliente is forecasting to double its actual stock of Class II Type machines by 2012 accounting for 22,718 gaming machines at 98 electronic bingo halls. Moreover, it is expected to improve the internet betting site in order to expand Caliente´s current customer base. These efforts are meant to enforce Caliente´s leadership in Mexican gaming industry with a market share ranging between 32 to 35%.