Summer is here and with it come a raft of depressing headlines - particularly in the UK, concerning the "credit crunch" and the "housing crisis". In the coin-operated amusement business we know only too well that times have been hard for some time now. This month UK operator Gamestec secured new financing, following a couple of very difficult years for the management team, as they fought the twin perils of the UK smoking ban and the highly unhelpful gaming act. This follows the news that another leading UK operator is pulling out of the UK single site business altogether.

Ritzio International has acquired new gaming locations in Croatia. As a result of the transaction, the company has added sixteen new clubs in Zagreb and the other urban areas to the fifteen venues Ritzio has been operating in Croatia.

Chris and Diane Eborall of Sound Leisure celebrated personal goals in completing their 1000th Nostalgia cabinet last week. Chris and Diane have worked as part of the Sound Leisure Woodworking team in excess of 20 years each are now also joined in the department by their nephew, Jason.  

Brunswick Bowling & Billiards and Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors have created a strategic partnership for new and existing bowling centers. Pinnacle will assist Brunswick in creating state-of-the-art game rooms and other family entertainment attractions for their venues. Company executives believe that bowling centers are evolving into the latest version of Family Entertainment Centers (FECs), with bowling as one of many activities.

This company, which specialises in providing financial solutions for businesses and businessmen within the gaming sector, has its headquarters in Germany and has a direct presence in various countries with branches that operate autonomously, in each case applying the criteria that are most suitable for each market.

AN HISTORICAL Review of public gaming from the unification of Italy to the present. This has been an initiative started with the cooperation of the following bodies: Salerno University (Department  of historical and social sciences in the Faculty of training sciences); of Naples University (Faculty of training sciences); Fit (Italian Federation of tobacconists); the International watchdog on gaming; Sts (Association of sports Totoricevitori).

FOR MORE than 80 years the family-owned company wh Münzprüfer Berlin GmbH offers electronic and mechanical coin selector equipment to the international market.

Sega Rally is one of the best known and most loved driving franchises in the video game market. It's hardly surprising therefore that, after almost a decade since the last title in the series was released, there is a buzz of excitement in the industry surrounding the launch of Sega Rally 3.