A year in review
by Jack Bulavsky
A year in review
AGEM Report by Jack Bulavsky
AGEM promoted good corporate citizenship by addressing problem gambling, federal antitrust laws and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
This is a time to reflect and review the past year. Yet even today, our attention remains focused on the Gulf Coast where many AGEM-member employees have struggled to begin anew following Hurricane Katrina.
It is incredible to comprehend what actually occurred there. AGEM members have many employees working and living throughout that area and for many, they are not just employees; they are friends and family.
AGEM immediately responded by donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross Katrina Relief Fund, and $25,000 to the Salvation Army Katrina Relief Fund. It was determined that these two charitable organizations cross all lines and have systems in place that direct food, clothing and shelter to the overall population. Beyond that donation, AGEM-member companies became involved with the welfare, health and safety of their employees
WMS Gaming established a WMS Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund to directly assist WMS family members impacted by the hurricane. Donations from employees, officers, directors and suppliers were added to the $100,000 contribution made by the company. Within a month of the disaster, WMS had redeployed 21 of its 31 Biloxi employees to other WMS regional offices.
Gaming Partners International presented a check for $50,000 to the Gaming Industry Katrina Relief Fund. JCM American's worldwide offices in Osaka, Hong Kong, Sydney, D�sseldorf and London joined the hurricane relief effort with a substantial donation to the same fund. Konami Gaming worked directly with the American Red Cross in assisting its employees. IGT pledged $1 million for IGT employees, customers and the Gulf Coast communities at large. Bally Technologies matched all employee contributions to the Industry Katrina Relief Fund for a total of $100,000.
Mission statement
During a strategy session held last summer, AGEM members developed the following mission statement:
"The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) is an international trade association representing manufacturers of electronic gaming devices, systems and components for the gaming industry. The Association, as a good corporate citizen, identifies and acts upon issues relating to education, trade show representation, regulation, manufacturing and licensing standards, and promotes the expansion of responsible gaming for the benefit of its members and the industry."
One of the issues in the mission statement is AGEM's relationship with the trade show industry. AGEM has increased its communication with a number of leading trade show organizers around the world requesting a stronger exchange of information. AGEM realizes its representatives provide the collective anchor for every significant gaming trade show around the world, and as the world's leading slot machine manufacturers and gaming suppliers, it is thankful for the opportunity to create such successful shows and conferences.
However, with that in mind, AGEM believes there should be an even greater level of cooperation with trade show organizers and that it is important for show organizers to include input from AGEM board members when any significant decisions related to trade shows are considered. From AGEM's perspective, the most important decisions are show timing (month and date), marketing efforts, attendance, rates and show services.
AGEM board member Marcus Prater (Bally Technologies) said AGEM supports post-show debriefings so that "our members can share their feelings about the positive aspects of the show as well as areas that fell short of our expectations. We want to provide feedback so all future shows and events can become even more successful."
Another issue is responsible gaming, and AGEM will continue to support and donate to problem gambling organizations. AGEM is a platinum corporate member of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, and has contributed a minimum of $25,000 for the next four years to support the efforts of the National Council on Problem Gambling. The group has also donated to the National Center for Responsible Gambling and to the Problem Gambling Center in Las Vegas, the largest of its kind in the state. The center provides treatment to individuals regardless of their financial situation.
Promoting compliance
It is the policy of AGEM and its members to strictly comply with federal antitrust laws that are applicable to AGEM activities. In order to ensure compliance with these laws, AGEM developed guidelines for its members, officers, participants and staff.
"As a trade organization, AGEM is comprised of competitors, so there is the potential for actions that could result in a violation of these laws," said Mark Lerner, general counsel for AGEM. "Being continually cognizant of this, it is AGEM's policy to comply with antitrust laws and be vigilant in our efforts to enforce strict compliance."
Jack Bulavsky is executive director of the Las Vegas-based Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). If you're interested in learning more about AGEM, contact Jack at (702) 434-4597 or visit www.agem.org.
About AGEM
AGEM officers are: president, Brooke Dunn (Shuffle Master); vice president, Orrin Edidin (WMS Gaming); secretary, Mark Hutchinson (JCM America); treasurer, Tom Jingoli (Konami Gaming), and general counsel, Mark Lerner (Bally Technologies).
Current AGEM members include: AC Coin & Slot, Aristocrat Technologies, Atronic, Bally Technologies, Cadillac Jack, Cyberview Technology, GTECH, Gaming Partners International, Gary Platt Manufacturing, IDX, IGT, JCM American, Konami Gaming, KSK, MEI, Progressive Gaming International, Shuffle Master Gaming, Summit Gaming, TCS America, TransAct Technologies, Unidesa, VendingData Corporation, Wells-Gardner Electronics, WMS Gaming, and 3M Touch Systems.
AGEM Report by Jack Bulavsky
AGEM promoted good corporate citizenship by addressing problem gambling, federal antitrust laws and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
This is a time to reflect and review the past year. Yet even today, our attention remains focused on the Gulf Coast where many AGEM-member employees have struggled to begin anew following Hurricane Katrina.
It is incredible to comprehend what actually occurred there. AGEM members have many employees working and living throughout that area and for many, they are not just employees; they are friends and family.
AGEM immediately responded by donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross Katrina Relief Fund, and $25,000 to the Salvation Army Katrina Relief Fund. It was determined that these two charitable organizations cross all lines and have systems in place that direct food, clothing and shelter to the overall population. Beyond that donation, AGEM-member companies became involved with the welfare, health and safety of their employees
WMS Gaming established a WMS Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund to directly assist WMS family members impacted by the hurricane. Donations from employees, officers, directors and suppliers were added to the $100,000 contribution made by the company. Within a month of the disaster, WMS had redeployed 21 of its 31 Biloxi employees to other WMS regional offices.
Gaming Partners International presented a check for $50,000 to the Gaming Industry Katrina Relief Fund. JCM American's worldwide offices in Osaka, Hong Kong, Sydney, D�sseldorf and London joined the hurricane relief effort with a substantial donation to the same fund. Konami Gaming worked directly with the American Red Cross in assisting its employees. IGT pledged $1 million for IGT employees, customers and the Gulf Coast communities at large. Bally Technologies matched all employee contributions to the Industry Katrina Relief Fund for a total of $100,000.
Mission statement
During a strategy session held last summer, AGEM members developed the following mission statement:
"The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) is an international trade association representing manufacturers of electronic gaming devices, systems and components for the gaming industry. The Association, as a good corporate citizen, identifies and acts upon issues relating to education, trade show representation, regulation, manufacturing and licensing standards, and promotes the expansion of responsible gaming for the benefit of its members and the industry."
One of the issues in the mission statement is AGEM's relationship with the trade show industry. AGEM has increased its communication with a number of leading trade show organizers around the world requesting a stronger exchange of information. AGEM realizes its representatives provide the collective anchor for every significant gaming trade show around the world, and as the world's leading slot machine manufacturers and gaming suppliers, it is thankful for the opportunity to create such successful shows and conferences.
However, with that in mind, AGEM believes there should be an even greater level of cooperation with trade show organizers and that it is important for show organizers to include input from AGEM board members when any significant decisions related to trade shows are considered. From AGEM's perspective, the most important decisions are show timing (month and date), marketing efforts, attendance, rates and show services.
AGEM board member Marcus Prater (Bally Technologies) said AGEM supports post-show debriefings so that "our members can share their feelings about the positive aspects of the show as well as areas that fell short of our expectations. We want to provide feedback so all future shows and events can become even more successful."
Another issue is responsible gaming, and AGEM will continue to support and donate to problem gambling organizations. AGEM is a platinum corporate member of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, and has contributed a minimum of $25,000 for the next four years to support the efforts of the National Council on Problem Gambling. The group has also donated to the National Center for Responsible Gambling and to the Problem Gambling Center in Las Vegas, the largest of its kind in the state. The center provides treatment to individuals regardless of their financial situation.
Promoting compliance
It is the policy of AGEM and its members to strictly comply with federal antitrust laws that are applicable to AGEM activities. In order to ensure compliance with these laws, AGEM developed guidelines for its members, officers, participants and staff.
"As a trade organization, AGEM is comprised of competitors, so there is the potential for actions that could result in a violation of these laws," said Mark Lerner, general counsel for AGEM. "Being continually cognizant of this, it is AGEM's policy to comply with antitrust laws and be vigilant in our efforts to enforce strict compliance."
Jack Bulavsky is executive director of the Las Vegas-based Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). If you're interested in learning more about AGEM, contact Jack at (702) 434-4597 or visit www.agem.org.
About AGEM
AGEM officers are: president, Brooke Dunn (Shuffle Master); vice president, Orrin Edidin (WMS Gaming); secretary, Mark Hutchinson (JCM America); treasurer, Tom Jingoli (Konami Gaming), and general counsel, Mark Lerner (Bally Technologies).
Current AGEM members include: AC Coin & Slot, Aristocrat Technologies, Atronic, Bally Technologies, Cadillac Jack, Cyberview Technology, GTECH, Gaming Partners International, Gary Platt Manufacturing, IDX, IGT, JCM American, Konami Gaming, KSK, MEI, Progressive Gaming International, Shuffle Master Gaming, Summit Gaming, TCS America, TransAct Technologies, Unidesa, VendingData Corporation, Wells-Gardner Electronics, WMS Gaming, and 3M Touch Systems.
