THE PROVOCATEUR

Groupe Partouche has announced a turnover of 452.2 million euros at the end of its fiscal year 2004, up 3.9% compared to 2003 in 2005 awaits the arrival of slot machines in casinos Nice, Le Havre, Port Barcarès and La Trinité sur Mer, bringing to 4,565 the number of machines permitted. Two applications are under way to Saint-Amand-les-Eaux and Vichy. The group also participates in three tenders including Lille and Toulouse.

Moreover, Mr. Isidore Partouche resigned from his position as chairman of the supervisory board. This will be replaced by Mr. Hubert Benhamou, co-opted to the supervisory board. The latter will itself be replaced as CEO by Patrick Partouche .

NICE (AFP) – Former Mayor of Cannes UDF-PR, Michel Mouillot, was jailed after being sentenced Friday to six years in prison by the Nice Criminal Court for corruption in a case of jars of wine leaders claimed cons of casinos authorized to operate slot machines.

Michel Mouillot was taken directly to jail leaving the courthouse through a back door, escorted by police, according to an AFP journalist.

The judges ordered the confusion of this new sentence with a sentence of four years imprisonment imposed on 1 December 2004 by the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence and became final.

“In principle, we will not appeal that conviction,” told AFP François Saint-Pierre, defender of the former mayor of Cannes contacted by telephone. “The purpose of Michel Mouillot is to overcome this court. We’re realists,” said the lawyer. By contrast, Mr. St. Pierre has not ruled out an appeal on the civil side.

Mr. Mouillot, 61, who must execute the sentence of six years in prison, has already completed 15 months in custody from July 1996 to October 1997. In addition, he was sentenced to 100,000 euros fine and a 5-year ban on civil rights, in accordance with the requisitions of the floor.

The 5th Magistrate’s Court also sentenced Nice Nessim Gaon, 82, boss of Swiss Noga, 3 years imprisonment suspended on “given his age,” said Chairman, and EUR 100,000 to fine.

The son of Mr. Gaon, Joel Herzog, 55, was sentenced to 2 years suspended sentence and 50,000 euro fine. The three men were jointly sentenced to pay 680,000 euros near damages to the city of Cannes.

Among the eight other players in this case, only two were acquitted.

The company yesterday denied “any resumption of exclusive negotiations” with Groupe Partouche on the possible sale of its casinos. It “remains on the lookout for any opportunity” for sale while continuing to manage “for the long term,” said the “Echoes” its director general, Jacques Chateau.

A trio using a device based mini-cameras, headsets and computers to cheat the casino was sentenced Friday to one year in prison by the Nice Criminal Court after being arrested in Beaulieu-sur- Mer (Alpes-Maritimes).

The three men and one French, one Lebanese and one Romanian-foamed from January 2004 a total of 32 casinos throughout France before being arrested in the Alpes-Maritimes.

Hermann Maynard who has confessed, was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with one year suspended while his two buddies more cautious in their confessions were sentenced to three years with two suspended.

The scenario was particularly sophisticated. Hermann Maynard, a French citizen, and Nicu Santuzi, a Romanian national, appeared at the poker table. The two men then placed their forearms on the table edge with their wrists well directed to the dealer trying to deal the cards.

Outside, a car from Alfred Assaf, a Lebanese citizen, then established visual contact between their computer and mini-cameras placed on the wrists of his accomplices. They dictated the strategy to follow when using a microphone connected to earphones worn by both players.

With this system, the three men managed to escape fraud totaling more than 100,000 euros, half the casino Beaulieu-sur-Mer, in one evening, one where they made themselves identify. They came in this institution for the third consecutive time. The two previous evenings, they had lost radio links being defective.

NEW YORK (AFP) – 02.05.2005 12:43 – Over the last 24 hours, some 180 million dollars have been played poker on the internet, and Boyd Leys hopes to reap a game in order to live his passion.

Five months ago, the American left his job at $ 65,000 / year in a publishing company on the internet to join the community of avid poker bet on the explosion of online gaming to a new life.

At its first online tournament, Boyd Leys, 50, has recovered his bet. But with average earnings of $ 300 per month, it is little illusion to become overnight millionaire.

“I just want to earn enough money to live,” he says. “I give myself another three months and if it starts to walk, I’ll see how far I can go.”

Boyd Leys plays an average of six hours per day, “with breaks”, building 50 or $ 100 on sites such as PartyPoker . com or PokerStars.com.

In January 2003, 11.1 million were traded per day on major poker sites. Two years later, that average jumped to 180 million, according to PokerPulse.com, a Canadian company that tracks the progress of the game

And with approximately 1.8 million active players at any time of day or night, the poker sites should brew more than 2 billion this year.

This explosion may explain why men like Leys are ready to abandon a comfortable professional position to engage in the world, though riskier, internet poker.

One benefit is “to work in my underwear,” Matthew Hilger fun, turned professional poker online four years ago.

But beware not to dream, he warns. “The excitement of playing online disappears when you start to stay 40 hours a week glued to your screen.

The dream, the two men have done. Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer stunned the world of traditional poker on leaving the darkness of the game on the internet to win the World Series of Poker 2003 and 2004.

“After these two triumphs, everyone from the bellboy to the CEO, wanted to try his luck,” said Bill Seymour, 63, who counsels players on Pokercoaching.com after ten years on the circuit.

He stressed that the online poker equalizes the level, because it removes the experienced player the ability to “read” the game by observing his opponents’ flesh and bones “.

“Being confronted with bad opponents can sometimes hamper the pro. They call, bluff, and worst of all, win when they should not,” said Seymour.

Do not forget, “says Barry Shulman, editor of Card Player magazine, that luck is part of the game” A golfer will correct any chance against a great professional. But a proper poker player may, any day, overcoming the world number one. ”

Online poker also allows amateurs to avoid the intimidating atmosphere of a game room or casino. “With anonymity, you have no fear except that of losing your money,” Boyd said Leys.

Patrick Partouche hires a new game. The withdrawal of his father, Isidore Partouche , founder of the eponymous group of casinos, the place at the helm of the board. The seat of the patriarch, president of the supervisory board, returned to his cousin, Hubert Benhamou, former chief executive. Isidore Partouche remains a shareholder in the family holding company, which owns 70% of the group.

His resignation comes at a tense situation. The Partouche began discussions with Permira and Cinven. For his part, Hubert Benhamou wants to keep its shares. The transaction, if successful, plans to raise the controls group.

However, an initial offer from Permira and Cinven, which values ??the group at 18 euros per share, was refused by the family, who says he was approached by other funds.

Moreover, the casino group is negotiating the takeover of five casinos in the group Didot-Bottin. Indeed, in an industry has matured, the French casino market evidence of a slowdown in its growth. A situation conducive to the consolidation movement, symbolized by the recent marriage Accor Casinos Barriere.

At 40, the only son of Isidore Partouche boasts rich experience, almost a quarter century in the group, where he “climbed one by one all levels.” In 1982, ten years after the purchase of a first casino by his father, he becomes a nightclub operator, dealer, restorer … to DG. He now inherits a set that shows a profit increase of 14% in 2004 to 20.1 million euros for a turnover of 452.5 million (+3.9%).

He said the internal movements “represent less than a handover formalization technique.” ” Partouche remains a family affair, despite the departure of my father and step back from Hubert Benhamou, “says this father of five children, avid golfer. “I’m not here primarily for sale”, but rather use “the vision of my father” in a market subject to technological innovations such as the explosion of the Internet.

For 2005, Groupe Partouche expects including “the arrival of slot machines in casinos in Nice, Le Havre, Port Barcares and La Trinite-sur-Mer and authorizing the opening of casinos and St. Tremblade Cast-le-Guildo.

The management of the Group in full force Moliflor Entertainment (GML) starts this week its annual tour of its traditional gambling establishments on the ground Roussillon. For three days, leaders – led by the new territorial delegate to the Languedoc-Roussillon, Michel Bruyère, installed at the casino in Canet-Plage – will successively visit the five sites in the Pyrenees-Orientales which owns GML: Amelie les-Bains, Argelès-sur-Mer, Canet-en-Roussillon, Le Boulou and Saint-Cyprien.

With 160 machines to under (reel and video poker), the Casino de Canet-Plage, the best equipped in “bandimanchots” throughout the region Languedoc-Roussillon – before the Cap d’Agde (150 machines to under / Tahoe-Malhortigue Group) and La Grande-Motte (130 / Groupe Partouche ) – remains the flagship of GML. It displays a fine financial health, with a turnover increase of 3.50% in the last year known.

This is not the establishment of Canet that returns the prize for best annual rise, in GML, but the Casino du Boulou, remarkably well-kept family-run by a young director very well established in the OP, Renaud Carboneill. This has included operating a gambling establishment in a world increasingly competitive.

Renaud Carboneill seems to have succeeded “the impossible challenge”, namely: to return to the Casino du Boulou wealthy clients Spanish. Lately, it’s true, the rich Barcelona have found the path to Bulu. And first results are there to attest: Casino du Boulou is the only all casinos anchored in Roussillon to show positive results in two numbers: + 13%!

13% is also the result that characterizes the gross gaming revenue recorded in the last year for St.-Cyprien, but then in the opposite direction! Indeed, it is more than + 13%, but – 13%.

In defense of the Casino of Saint-Cyprien, we must remember that it costs cifait partial closure which will be affected for 2 months …

Following serious incidents, which would also have led to the closure of the site altogether, the establishment of St. Cyprian had been punished severely, including the withdrawal of approval to six people with more or less directly manages the local casino.

Concern remains the case of the casino to Argeles-sur-Mer, on the beach.

Architectural wonder from the outside and raises again and again a great enthusiasm among students of Fine Arts. Viewed from inside, the place experienced a succession of missed since its takeover by the Group Moliflor Entertainment : we remember the social conflict in 2003, a “first” in the French casino operator, which has been disorder and that has left Traces … On arrival, these disorders could have significant consequences for the future of casino Argelès-plage. A new director (Yves Bernaudon successor to John Banizette), has been appointed head of the institution: it is then that the third in two years.

This will probably not escape the police officers responsible for supplying the reports to the Commission on Gambling … One understands better why the extension request our machinery to sub made by GML are systematically rejected.

Social conflict, repeated changes to the casino management, personal long illness, transfers, MCD (Member of Executive Committee) who go to competition, etc: Casino d’Argeles-sur-Mer is in turmoil. In the last financial year, it posted a loss on the gross gaming revenue (1) about 5%. Since 1 November 2004, the drop was dangerously amplified: – 25%! It is true that in the meantime there was the opening of Casino of Collioure (Group-Tahoe Malhortigue) and the arrival of some 80 machines to worsen in coming competition in a local market already very saturated. But in the case of casino-su-Mer Argelès, this does not explain everything. Far from it!

The group Partouche , a specialist in casinos, remains, as we know, a real family business. Financial Partouche which represents the interests of the family still owns 62% of the round. The company is organized with the Executive Board of Supervision. The latter was chaired by the founder, Isidore Partouche who just resign and be succeeded by his nephew Hubert Benhamou. Isidore, former radio officer was repatriated in 1964, began to climb the steps of fortune with the resumption of the casino in Saint Amand les Eaux symbolic 1 franc 30 years ago … Within the supervisory board is also Marcel Partouche , Maurice Sebag and some Ghrenassia Gaston … The latter, who has served as spokesman for the company, is far from being unknown to the general public. You hear it may be a little less on the airwaves in recent years but the hits “Children of all countries”, “Girls of my country” or “Northerners” are still on everyone’s lips, it will be recognized It is indeed the singer Enrico Macias …

Please note, our “Rumors” is meant to echo the information circulating in the trading rooms. These rumors could not be verified, so they must be viewed with caution.

With this luxury hotel of 334 rooms on 4 hectares of the peninsula Larvotto, SBM opens another hotel concept in Monaco: the space, hosting different types of complementary and novelties such as Spa “Five Worlds”.

This is the big project of SBM (Société des Bains de Mer) for the beginning of this century come true. The new 4-star hotel company Monaco has a face and it now has a name. This baptismal name, revealed recently that Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. Construction on the peninsula Larvotto currently ends and along the planned schedule, the hotel should open its doors on October 1.

With this Resort, the Société des Bains de Mer will inaugurate a new concept of hotel in Monaco: the space, hosting different categories and complementary facilities such as the newly studied Spa “Cinq Mondes” will complete the park hotel Monaco.

Resolutely turned towards the sea, this new hotel in the Societe des Bains de Mer covers four hectares of the peninsula Larvotto. It includes a 4 star hotel of 334 rooms and suites at the forefront of technology, gardens planted with Mediterranean and tropical lagoon animated sand bottom – unique in Europe – an indoor pool, a ‘Spa 5 worlds’, ten high-tech meeting rooms, a varied cuisine contemporary, two banquet rooms, a casino slot machine, Junior club, a hotel residence of twenty luxury apartments. Not to mention the exceptional offer of Sporting: Salle des Etoiles, Jimmy’z, the Bar & Boeuf – Alain Ducasse, the Fuji and the Summer Casino. All for an investment that exceeds 200 million euros.

Open all year, this resort is designed to meet both, depending on the season, the expectations of leisure customers, especially families, than business customers. But thanks to him, SBM increases at once its potential to accommodate a third (over 950 rooms cons 640 today) look forward to expand its offerings in the business tourism segment. To prepare for the opening on October 1, the operations of recruitment are incurred. About 400 people work for the complex, including 250 permanent and 150 seasonal.

Like the Bank of France, the casino Niederbronn-les-Bains proposes, until tomorrow to exchange coins francs against euros.

On 18 February, the franc coins have permanently lost their value. The Bank of France will cease to exchange against euro DNA (January 8). The deadline approaching, the Bank of France began to be overwhelmed with requests. “Every day when I pass, I see the queue stretching,” smiled Thierry Pouillaude.

The idea came while the director of casino Niederbronn-les-Bains to offer this service in turn. “Get the parts and give it is precisely our job,” he smiled. We have a real expertise: each day, we process three tons of parts, which is more than the Bank of France. ”

Since yesterday and until tomorrow (*), it is possible to exchange parts (and tickets) in francs at the spa casino Vosges du Nord, who will deposit them to the Treasury from Monday .

Wink

Two people showed up yesterday at the opening of the facility, respectively, exchanging the equivalent in francs of 5 and 15 euros. “Once the transaction is complete, customers can go home quietly,” says Thierry Pouillaude. It’s mostly a snap. Now if we can do some business, we will not complain … “Slot machines shine close to the counter. “Your franc may be worth thousands of euros,” says the slogan chosen for the operation baiters.

(*) The casino is now open Saturdays from 11 am to 4 pm and tomorrow from 11 am to 2 pm www.casinodeniederbronn.com