16 January 2013

Công Nghệ Golf Tương Lai - Innovative Golf Technologies


from Vietnam Golf Magazine
January 2013

Original article content:  vietnamgolfmagazine.net/news/cong-nghe-golf-tuong-lai

Một mùa Xuân nữa lại về, đây là thời điểm lý tưởng để nhìn lại những sáng kiến và các bước đột phá về công nghệ sẽ có ảnh hưởng lớn đển môn thể thao golf và CLB trong tương lai.

Cơ sở của bài đánh giá này dựa trên triển lãm mới về GOLF 20X trong hội nghị thường niên của Hiệp hội Các chuyên gia về Công nghệ và Tài chính (HFTP). Được thành lập năm 1952, HFTP là một hiệp hội chuyên nghiệp toàn cầu về tài chính và công nghệ cho nhân viên làm việc trong các khách sạn, CLB và các doanh nghiệp liên quan đến khách sạn. Khoảng 35% người tham dự đến hội nghị và triển lãm thường niên của HFTP làm việc trong ngành công nghiệp CLB, trong đó rất nhiều người có sân golf ngay tại khu BĐS của họ. Triển lãm GOLF 20X thực sự đã cung cấp một diễn đàn giới thiệu và thảo luận về các công nghệ liên quan đến môn thể thao golf.

Vietnam Golf Magazine
January 2013
"Việc sử dụng công nghệ vào môn thể thao golf có thể tạo ra bước cải thiện lớn về kỹ thuật và bảo dưỡng. Đây là xu hướng đang ngày càng trở nên phổ biến trong ngành công nghiệp không khói này", Tom Smith, chủ tịch hội đồng tư vấn của GOLF 20X kiêm CFO của CLB Westmoor Country Club ở Milwaukee, Wisconsin cho biết. "Với GOLF 20X, HFTP đã tạo ra một bức tranh toàn diện về những gì sẽ có."

Ủy ban đặc biệt của GOLF 20X được tập hợp từ các chuyên gia đến từ nhiều CLB lớn và các điểm chơi golf, trong đó bao gồm một TGĐ Câu lạc bộ và một golf chuyên nghiệp của LPGA / PGA để giúp tìm kiếm các công nghệ. Ủy ban này không có liên kết với các công ty về công nghệ, do đó kết quả đưa ra là một lựa chọn khách quan về công nghệ thực sự hữu ích cho tương lai của môn golf.

Triển lãm Golf 20X năm 2012 được tổ chức tại Orlando, Florida trung tuần tháng 10, và đây thực sự là ngày hội của công nghệ golf hàng đầu tiên bao gồm các vật dụng dành cho cả golfer và các nhà quản lý.

Đối với các tay golf, những công nghệ dưới đây sẽ khiến họ không thể bỏ qua:

SwingShot: Một thiết bị máy quay hình ảnh rõ nét trên sân golf được thiết kế phù hợp để trong túi golf, bạn có thể đặt trên mặt đất, nhắm vào bóng và tiến hành quay. SwingShot có một ống kính góc rộng, tai nghe, GPS, màn hình LCD, đèn LED chỉ thị và đinh đánh dấu trên cỏ. Thiết bị này được sử dụng để xem lại các video thực tế nhằm chia sẻ với các chuyên gia giảng dạy/ bạn bè hoặc giữ lại những kỷ niệm về vòng golf.

Swingbyte: Máy phân tích cú swing 3D dành cho dòng điện thoại thông minh và máy tính bảng. Đây là thiết bị được Golf Digest bình chọn là một trong “12 vật dụng tuyệt vời nhất” tại 2012 PGA Show. Swingbyte có thể ngay lập tức gửi hình ảnh kỹ thuật số về cú swing của bạn và đưa ra những bí quyết cải thiện ngay trên điện thoại của bạn. Với trọng lượng chưa đến 30 gram, golfer có thể dễ dàng dính kèm ngay dưới cán gậy.

Approach S1: Thiết bị kết hợp cảm ứng cao, hỗ trợ GPS với kiểu dáng đồng hồ thể thao nhẹ và mềm dẻo.

CaddyTrek: Xe robot caddy dụng máy cảm biến bỏ túi để tự động theo sát từng bước chân của golfer. 

The ES12 Digital Assistant: Đây là một trong những màn hình ra mắt đầu tiên trên thế giới thích hợp với mọi đối tượng người chơi từ chuyên nghiệp đến nghiệp dư để cải thiện các bài luyện tập nhằm hạ thấp điểm số. 

Đối với các nhà quản lý golf, chắc chắn họ sẽ quan tâm đến những thiết bị sau:

SmartCart App:  Một ứng dụng trên điện thoại thông minh cho phép golfer có khả năng đặt trực tiếp thực đơn từ nhà hàng cho dù họ đang ở trong hay ngoài sân golf.

LaserGLOW Golf:  Một máy laser chiếu sáng có thể sạc điện trên sân golf, cho phép tạo ra một môi trường sáng sủa trên sân ngoài các loại bóng và gậy bắt sáng. Với thiết bị này, các sân golf có thể mở cửa vào buổi tối.

Golfcart Solar:  Dùng cho các xe golf, tấm pin mặt trời với trọng lượng nhẹ này (chưa đến 2kg) sẽ giúp tiết kiểm 25% chi phí tiêu thụ điện của xe golf.

ezLocator:  Giải pháp duy nhất giúp tạo ra các vị trí đặt lỗ golf thuận lợi nhằm giúp bảo vệ điều kiện của green và mang đến cho người chơi cảm nhận được chơi ở một sân golf khác nhau mỗi ngày. Thiết bị làm được điều này bằng cách tích hợp công nghệ sáng tạo vào chương trình phần mềm để tiết kiệm tiền sân golf, nâng cao hoạt động giao tiếp giữa các nhân viên, thay đổi việc giám sát green và vị trí đặt cờ trong khi vẫn cung cấp thông tin về gậy cờ mỗi ngày cho golfer.

Golf Course Maintenance:  Một công cụ giúp giám sát, lập kế hoạch và thực hiện hiệu quả các nhiệm vụ bảo dưỡng sân golf.

Đây là những sản phẩm điển hình về công nghệ trong ngành công nghiệp golf sẽ có tác động lớn đến môn thể thao golf và câu lạc bộ trong tương lai, nó dự báo sự ra đời các công nghệ hàng đầu có thể không ngờ tới. Chi tiết tham khảo tại: http://issuu.com/hftp-hitec/docs/golf20x12guide


===== English version =====

With the holiday season in full swing, we thought it would be a good time to review a few innovative, golf-related technologies that we expect will have a major impact on the game of golf and the clubhouse of the future.  The basis of the review will be the new GOLF 20x exhibit at Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) annual convention and trade show.

Founded in 1952, HFTP (Austin, Texas, USA and Maastricht, The Netherlands) is the global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses.   Approximately 35 percent of attendees to the HFTP Annual Convention & Tradeshow work in the club industry, with many who have a golf course onsite at their club property. GOLF 20X provides a forum that showcases and discusses technology related to the sport, and creates a dialogue on innovation among industry professionals.

“The use of technology for the game of golf can greatly improve technique and maintenance, and is growing in popularity within the industry,” said Tom Smith, CHAE, chair to the GOLF 20X advisory council and CFO for the Westmoor Country Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  “With GOLF 20X, HFTP has created a comprehensive picture of what is coming available.”

A special GOLF 20X committee, consisting of hospitality experts from major country clubs and golfing venues, which includes a club general manager and an LPGA/PGA golf professional, helped search for the technologies. The committee has no association to any of the companies submitting the technologies, resulting in an unbiased selection of technologies that truly represent the possibilities for the future of golf.

The most recent Golf 20X exhibition was held Orlando, Florida on 17-18 October 2012, and featured leading-edge golf technologies that included items for both the golfer and golf manager.  Golf Channel anchorman and reporter Steve Sands was present at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando to join in celebrating the debut of Golf 20X.

For the golfer:

SwingShot, a high definition on-course golf video camera designed to fit in the golf bag, planted in the ground, pointed at the ball and set to record.  SwingShot has a wide angle lens, microphone, GPS, LCD viewfinder, LED indicator and turf spike. Used for reviewing actual on-course video to share with teaching professionals and/or friends or retaining for memories of great rounds on great courses.

Swingbyte, a 3D golf swing analyzer for smartphones and tablets.  One of Golf Digest’s “12 Coolest Items” at the 2012 PGA Show, Swingbyte instantly sends a digital version of your golf swing and tips for improvement right to your mobile device. Swingbyte weighs less than an ounce and attaches to any club just below the grip.

Approach S1, combines a high-sensitivity, GPS receiver with a lightweight, flexible sports watch.

CaddyTrek, an automated robotic golf caddy cart that follows the golfer throughout the round of golf.  The innovative caddy uses a pocket-sized sensor to follow in a golfer’s footsteps during a round of golf.

SwingSmart Golf Analyzer, a first-of-a-kind training solution that provides immediate feedback to your smartphone or tablet computer.  SwingShot has a wide angle lens, microphone, GPS, LCD viewfinder, LED indicator and turf spike. Used for reviewing actual on-course video to share with teaching professionals and/or friends or retaining for memories of great rounds on great courses.

The ES12 Digital Assistant is the world’s first affordable launch monitor for every golfer, from professional to amateur, to implement in their practice sessions to lower their scores.

The Swinguru Golf Pro is the world’s first real time, markerless, gesture recognition golf training and teaching system. It uses data from a 3D camera to automatically detect, capture and display relevant data about a golf swing, including body position, swing plane, swing tempo, center of gravity and balance.

For golf manager:

SmartCart App, a smartphone application that allows golfers the ability to order directly from the restaurant menu anywhere on or off the facility.

Real Feel Golf Mats™ provide a long dense fiber system that accepts a real wooden tee, and lets you swing ‘down-and-through’ with true divot action for realistic practice.

LaserGLOW Golf, a rechargeable glow golf course that can be set up in an hour and taken down in less.  It allows golf courses to provide an upscale, visible environment that is a significant advance beyond simple glow sticks and glow balls.  With LaserGLOW, golf courses can offer weekly night golf for fundraisers, leagues and members like never before.

Golfcart Solar, an affordable, durable solar panels for golf carts.  The lightweight solar panel charging systems weigh less than 4.5 pounds (2kg), saving over 25 percent on golf courses electricity expenses.

aboutGolf is a world leader in golf technology and golf performance products designed for instruction, entertainment, club fitting and club sales. aboutGolf simulator is powered by the only commercially available launch monitor that precisely measures ball and club kinematics on every plane.

Texas Greens by Design, the premier designer and installer of synthetic putting greens and lawn grass.  The smartly designed synthetic putting greens feature putts and chips that perform like a tour quality green, undulations that are challenging and entertaining.

ezLocator, the only solution that creates a variety of hole locations in advance, helps maintain pristine green conditions and gives the golfer a feeling of playing a different golf course every day. It does this by integrating an innovative patent-pending technology into a software program to save golf courses money, improve employee communications and transform managing the green condition and pin placement, while automatically providing a daily pin sheet for the golfer.

Golf Course Maintenance,  Monitoring, Scheduling and Task Completion Efficiency Tool as developed at Wisconsin’s Westmoor Country Club.

These products are examples of golf and club related technologies that will have a major impact on the game of golf and the clubhouse of the future, bringing to the forefront upcoming technologies that could have gone unnoticed.  A complete guide to what was shown can be found at issuu.com/hftp-hitec/docs/golf20x12_guide







07 January 2013

Current Status & Future of Gaming in Italy


From Gaming & Leisure Magazine
Winter 2012

Interview with Giulio Coraggio
Technology & Gaming Lawyer in Milan, Italy

Though world-renown for its romantic reputation and the many waterways which criss-cross through it, Venice had also made its mark on the casino gaming industry.   “Il Ridotto” was opened in the Italian city in 1638 as the world’s first government-sanctioned casino.

Gaming & Leisure Magazine
Winter 2012
In exploring the current status and future of gaming in Italy, we’re fortunate to be joined by Giulio Coraggio, a highly experienced technology & gaming lawyer based in Milan.  (a short bio of Mr. Coraggio follows the interview).

[G&L] Italy’s Gaming Authority, Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS) was established in 2002 to monitor and regulate the national gaming industry.   AAMS also publishes regular reports on the status of the casino industry. What do recent AAMS statistics indicate for the health of the Italian gaming industry?

[GIULIO] The last data published by AAMS shows an amazing growth of the Italian videolottery market in the first 5 months of 2012 with a turnover of € 8,772 million which is more than the double of the turnover generated in the same period during year 2011 and is accompanied by an aggregate growth of the land-based market generating € 20,607 million from January to May 2012. It is worth it to mention that such data is on the top of those generated by the Italian four "real" casinos and refer only to machines located outside of them, mainly in the so called "mini-casinos" where AWPs and VLTs can be located.  

This market represents a massive opportunity for experienced casino operators which might bring their experience in a market where so far only 4 casinos are allowed and local operators struggle in creating the look and feel of real  casinos. Indeed, we recently saw some joint ventures between local operators which can bring their know-how on local regulations and foreign casino companies that are able to contribute with their experience in running casinos and results achieved by such joint ventures.

For this purpose, it may be useful to mention that the management of a VLT casino does not require a local gaming license, but just an agreement with the 10 licensed entities (which will become shortly 13) managing the network connecting the machines to the servers of AAMS.
This makes an easier entrance into the market but the timing might be crucial as obviously a number of foreign casino operators are currently looking at Italy.

As per the online market, the launch of cash poker games and casino table games in July 2011 gave a massive boost to the sector if it is considered that the turnover of the Italian online gaming market was of € 9,849 million in the entire 2011 and has already reached € 6,842 million in just the first 5 months of 2012. Also, the fact that some of the new entrants in the market obtained a relevant market share in  short term shows that there is still room for new entrants as far as they are able to distinguish their products and services from those of competitors consolidated in the market.

[G&L] 3rd December 2012 is an important date for the Italian online gaming market.  What will the AAMS decree allow starting this December?

[GIULIO] The 3rd December 2012 is an important date as from that date Italian licensed gaming operators will be entitled to launch online slot games. Indeed, the regulations governing the kind of games were already in place from mid-2011 as they were part of the package of regulations introducing poker card games and casino table games, but the lobby of land-based video lottery operators had pushed for a delay in the launch of online slot games since such games have features similar to those of land-based video lotteries but are subject to a better tax regime.

Given that online slots represent at least 50%- 60% of the turnover for most of the online casino operators, it does not seem too optimistic to foresee that the turnover of casino games will reach the same results achieved by cash card games which was  € 3,808 million in just the first 5 months of 2012 and represents together with skill games, poker tournament games and nonslot casino games 65.4% of the entire Italian online gaming market.

[G&L] The Politecnico di Milano monitors the Italian gaming market.  Recent reports show that the online gaming market grows faster than any other type of e-commerce.  How do statistics compare between traditional games and newer online games?

[GIULIO] There is no doubt that the launch of cash poker games has led on  one hand to a considerable increase in the turnover of the online gaming market, but on the other hand has hampered traditional games such as sports betting and bingo. Indeed, card games and casino games now represent 66.8% while sports betting and bingo games saw a reduction in their turnover higher than 20%.

However, AAMS' recent moves might help such products because of the decree recently notified to the European Commission allowing the placing of bets that are not included in the official AAMS schedule (the "palinsesto"), the decrees just approved by the European Commission for betting exchange and bets on virtual events and the upcoming decree allowing operators to offer bingo variations.

These new regulations might help traditional games to recover after the launch of casino and cash card games, but everything will depend on whether AAMS will switch also for bingo and sports betting games (as already done for casino and cash card games) from a tax regime based on the turnover to a taxation based on GPT.

[G&L] Each year, the University of Milan holds a conference on gaming.  What are the ongoing discussions regarding non-Italian licensed websites that attract a relevant share of Italian players?  Are there considerations on controlling these non-licensed, black market sites?

[GIULI] The data show that the black market is still around 35% of the entire Italian online gaming market which is an indicator that the regulated market still has considerable potentials to grow. The launch of casino and cash card games led to a reduction of the black market since players found that licensed platforms have the same games available as the un-licensed websites, but stronger measures against non-licensed operators are in the pipeline.

Indeed, regulations were approved last year requiring the notification to AAMS by financial entities of transactions engaged by Italian players with websites in AAMS' blacklist which needs only an implementing decree to come into force. This measure might force both players (who can face criminal penalties themselves for playing on non-licensed websites) and operators (which might face a criminal proceeding if found offering games to Italians without a local license) to switch to the regulated market.

At the same time, AAMS recently published a bulletin circular clarifying that non-licensed operators offering games online or through betting shops (the so called "CTDs") to people located in Italy are obliged to pay Italian gaming taxes plus applicable penalties for lack of payment.  Such circular is likely to be followed by actions from AAMS and the Italian tax authority against operators for the recovery of retrospective taxes as recently occurred in Spain.

Such changes are likely to force operators to get an Italian online gaming license if they want to keep targeting Italian players.

[G&L] Will an online gaming company need to be established in Italy (or the servers located in Italy) to apply for an Italian gaming license?

[GIULIO] Absolutely not! This is a very common mistake, 2011 regulations entitle companies based in any country of the European Economic Area (including Gibraltar or Malta for instance) to hold an Italian license. Likewise, the servers of the company can be placed in any country of the EEA.

No regulation requires operators to have infrastructures or offices in Italy and this leads to a major tax saving as foreign operators will pay Italian gaming duties but will pay corporate taxes of their country of establishment.  

[G&L] Have foreign operators been encouraged to invest into the Italian gaming market?

[GIULIO] This is definitely the approach from AAMS. Foreign operators can bring their experience and knowledge of a market that is still in a start-up phase and they might contribute to its growth bringing value and a better service to players.

Traditionally Italy has always encouraged investments as far as new entrants accept to comply with local laws. Also the current economic crisis is likely to lead to regulations fostering the sector because of the considerable tax entries generated by the gaming market.

[G&L]  Is there anything further you’d like to add?

[GIULIO] My comments above are a mere snapshot of a market that is still in a start-up phase and this might be the right time for investors to enter into the market before it reaches a mature phase where investments will become more expensive.

[G&L]  We’d like to thank Mr. Coraggio for his vast insight into the Italian gaming industry.  A bit on his background:

Giulio Coraggio (giulio.coraggio@dlapiper.com) is a gambling and Internet lawyer qualified both in Italy and in England and Wales and is working for DLA Piper, one of the largest international law firms in the world.

From experience gained through assisting world leading online and landbased gambling, e-commerce, e-payment and search engine operators, Giulio has become among most distinguished lawyers in the Italian market in advising clients on gambling law, e-commerce and information technology matters.

In particular, Giulio advises many prominent foreign gambling operators on both their day-to-day matters and major regulatory issues, the acquisition of other gambling operators and suppliers, software/technology transfer and license agreements, payment and sponsorship deals, advertising and privacy issues as well as on disputes with other operators and players. 

Giulio has been a frequent speaker at many conferences on gambling and Internet law topics, and is the blogmaster of the blog www.gamingtechlaw.com on gambling and Internet law issues.