Second in the chain of stylish Vincendo outlets opens in Meran with 60 Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs).

Vienna/Meran, 29 April 2011

Casinos Austria International has opened the second in its new chain of Vincendo mini casinos in northern Italy. Set at the eastern end of the spa plaza in Meran, the new venue was completed in just five months and celebrated its official opening on 29 April 2011.

After the ceremonial cutting of the red ribbon, guests at the gala opening were treated to a superb evening of entertainment and culinary delights by top chef Albert Gross. The festivities continued throughout the weekend with an “open day” on 30 April and entertainment on an open air stage – giving local residents and tourist visitors the chance to experience the superb facilities for themselves.

Director Alexander Artmann is confident that Vincendo Meran will quickly become a popular destination both for locals and for visitors to the town: “We have a great gaming mix with 60 video lottery terminals (VLTs), sports betting and some exciting jackpot opportunities. We will be combining this with a warm welcome, friendly service and an attractive bar and cocktail lounge. With the right level of personal service, a VLT outlet can be far more than just a slot parlor, and we are certain our venue will be a valuable addition to the Meran entertainment scene and provide the town with a further great tourist attraction.

Artmann, who has worked for Casinos Austria since 1988, heads up a team of ten highly trained staff at Vincendo Meran. He also emphasized the importance of responsible gaming at the venue: “In addition to great entertainment and service, we will also be placing a clear emphasis on responsible gaming and the protection of minors – in line with the established Casinos Austria philosophy.”

Casinos Austria International CFO Josef Leutgeb was delighted about the opening of the first Vincendo mini casino in South Tyrol: “Casinos Austria International is known for its high standards of service, entertainment and responsible gaming, and we obviously want to continue this tradition in this beautiful spa town. Many people in South Tyrol are already familiar with our company,” explained Leutgeb. “So they know they can expect the very best. To build on and emphasize these links, we are working closely with Director Kurt Steger and his team at Casino Innsbruck on this project to ensure optimal know-how transfer.”

Vincendo Meran is operated by Azzurro Gaming S.p.A., a joint venture between Casinos Austria International and Italian gaming provider Cogetech S.p.A. (www.cogetech.it). “Cogetech is one of ten companies licensed to operate VLTs in Italy, and we are proud to be part of this joint venture with Casinos Austria International. Through our Azzurro Gaming subsidiary, we will ultimately operate a total of 1,800 VLTs in exclusive venues across the whole of Italy,” said Fabio Schiavolin, CEO of Cogetech and President of Azzurro Gaming.

The first Vincendo mini casino opened in Milan in December 2010. Further outlets are due to open in Ancona (100 VLTs) and Varese (70 VLTs) in June 2011 and in Prato (100 VLTs) in July 2011.

About Vincendo Meran
Address: Via Garibaldi 1, 39012 Meran, Italy
Phone: +39 473 238 331
info@vincendo-merano.it
www.vincendo-merano.it

Opening hours:
Sunday to Thursday: from 10 am to midnight
Friday and Saturday: from 10 am to 1 am

Facilities:
60 VLTs, sports betting, cocktail bar & lounge

About Casinos Austria International
Founded in 1977, Casinos Austria International (CAI) is a leading player in the global gaming and entertainment industries. The company and its partners currently operate 61 gaming entertainment venues in 18 countries around the globe. These include 38 landbased casinos, 6 shipboard casinos, 15 slot parlors in Argentina and 2 Vincendo VLT outlets in Italy (in Milan and Meran). In addition, Casinos Austria International also operates a lottery in Argentina and the online gaming platform CAIGAMES.COM in the United Kingdom. Together the CAI Group’s operations feature over 690 gaming tables and 7,200 gaming machines.

For further information on Vincendo mini casinos please contact:

Giorgia Fertilio
Executive Assistant
Azzurro Gaming S.p.A
Phone: +39 345 6740 385
E-mail: gf@azzurrogaming.it

For further information on Casinos Austria International, please contact:

Hermann Pamminger
Corporate Head of Marketing
Phone: +43 1 534 40 524
E-mail: hermann.pamminger@casinos.at