Interview with Nick Harding in The Times
In the corner of Nick Harding's office on a...
Praesepe acquires 13 gaming centres in South West England and South Wales
Bulletin Box As we move in the spring we seem to be seeing more confidence in terms of player activity at our venues. This is coupled with an increasing number of new style Category C gaming machines being installed and also the conversion of a number of our premises over to the new 'MicroBingo' format, which amongst other things gives us the opportunity to operate the new generation of electronic bingo machines. We continue to increase the number of gaming machines operated on a revenue share basis with a number of UK manufacturers and in order to further promote this symbiosis we are holding a ‘Gaming Machine Symposium’ in April.A significant number of UK gaming machine manufacturers have accepted our invitation to attend this event. At this meeting we will be presenting some market research which we recently commissioned and which focuses on player demographics, spending patterns, and game design and we will then outline our interpretation of this research and how we would like to see games designers taking the product forward over the next few months.
The gaming industry has always been highly creative and innovative and as a sector we now understand what the framework of regulations contained in the 2005 Gambling Act allows us to do. I do anticipate more, and better new products coming onto the market in the coming year. I am pleased to report that we now have 10 ‘MicroBingo’ venues operating, with a further ten applications being processed throughout the country. All future acquired businesses will be evaluated in terms of their potential for conversion to the MicroBingo format and I am hopeful that we will see the launch of a permanent linked bingo product (throughout our estate) in the near future.
We are concerned that the present government are once again 'dithering' over what ought to be a simple adjustment to stakes and prizes for category B3 gaming machines. Very simply we are seeking to increase the maximum stake on these machines from £1 to £2. We currently have a completely unprecedented situation in that the maximum stake for Category C gaming machines is the same as for category B3, which is very confusing for the player and makes game design for B3 machiness quite complex. This review was promised by the government before Christmas and I have been concerned that our trade association (BACTA) has not moved on this issue as swiftly as I would like. I am attending a meeting on March 12th designed to galvanise BACTA into action. In the absence of any agreed strategy (coming out of that meeting) designed to address this important Gaming machine stake issue we will move swiftly towards a more independent lobbying position and will probably team up with some other operators in our sector in order to work towards achieving our objectives.
Shareholders will be aware that our shares are currently suspended as we contemplate a reverse takeover of another operator. We held our EGM on Monday 1st March and I was very pleased that a number of our shareholders were able to attend. All the resolutions were passed and we are aiming to get our shares readmitted to AIM in the near future. One of the outputs from a general discussion with shareholders (following the formal business of the meeting) was a suggestion that some would find it helpful to visit some of our trading venues, this is now being planned and I would be delighted to extend this to any other shareholders or potential investors who would be interested in a more personal explanation as to how our business works. Please e-mail either myself or my Commercial Director Byron Evans through this web site and we will make the necessary arrangements.
Nick Harding.
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Praesepe plc Seebeck House, 1A Seebeck Place, Knowlhill Milton Keynes MK5 8FR
Tel: 01908 351200 Fax: 01908 669714 Email: byronevans@praesepeplc.com
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Praesepe plc 201 Bishopsgate London EC2M 3AF Registered in England No: 5745526
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