Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/384358
Events 45 maltatoday, Sunday, 21 September 2014 Portomaso gaming unveils new live Casino following €500,000 investment Portomasogaming has launched a new digital platform for its live Ca- sino and studio, which are now com- bined into one product, following an investment of €500,000. The invest- ment also saw the creation of 25 new job opportunities in Malta with the company. The new platform, which offers a complete bonus system, a new stu- dio roulette with interactive back- ground, high definition streaming and a dynamic games lobby, was un- veiled today by the directors of Por- tomasogaming in the presence of the Parliamentary Secretary for Com- petitiveness and Economic Growth, Dr Jose' Herrera. Portomasogaming invested in the new platform to reach a wider au- dience and to tap into the mobile games sector which is a relatively new area of the entertainment in the gaming industry and makes a signifi- cant contribution towards internet based products usage. "The new technology employed means by which the games can be ac- cessed from both desktop computers and mobile devices and is compat- ible with all browsers and operating systems. Moreover, all streams are broadcast in high definition (HD) for a better experience all around," the directors explained while launching the new platform. Explaining the differences between the previous platform and the new technology, the directors said that while the old version was built on the technology available at the time ana- logue streaming hampered the oper- ation. "Besides, the advanced features of the previous platform worked to our disadvantage since it restricted operators to a fixed games lobby, al- though the end user could open up to 16 games in one screen. The new platform was built with flexibility in mind to enable operators to design their own games lobby and all games are HTML5 compatible meaning that they will work seamlessly on any device." "The company has also increased its employees to 25 as a result of the investment in the new platform which was produced by a dedicated team of 30 programmers, 15 graphic designers and a host of musicians," the directors added. Parliamentary Secretary Jose' Her- rera said that this investment augurs well for the efforts made by the present government and the private industry to make Malta a gaming hub. Malta's success as a gaming hub is attributable to a number of factors among them the reputable jurisdic- tion we presently enjoy. "Our efforts will continue to strengthen Malta's potential in this industry. We believe that with the advent of Gaming Malta and the Gaming Academy, this potential will increase further," the Parliamen- tary Secretary added. Hon. Herrera thanked Tumas Gaming for believ- ing in the industry because through their efforts Malta is becoming a centre of excellence in the gaming industry. Portomasogaming started operating in the remote gaming busi- ness seven years ago and was the first to offer two live games from the Por- tomaso Casino. At the time, players could play Roulette and Punto Banco against the dealer and live casino players. In 2010, Portomasogaming started to produce RNG games and added 12 new games. Work on the new casino platform started in 2012 with the first devel- opment being a blackjack studio that added an interactive element to the game. Since then the offer increased to include live casino roulette, live studio roulette, automatic roulette, live studio blackjack, 60 RNG games and Punto Banco. Central Bank Of Malta publishes second issue of Quarterly Review 2014 The Central Bank of Malta has published the second issue of its Quarterly Review for 2014, which analyses economic and financial developments in Malta and abroad during the first quarter of 2014 and highlights further developments in subsequent months. The Review also carries three brief analytical reports on developments in Malta's structural unemployment, the cy- clically adjusted fiscal balance and communicating uncertainty around inflation projections. The Review notes that the Euro- pean Central Bank (ECB) eased the monetary policy stance during the period reviewed on the basis of the persistently low inflation environ- ment, weak growth momentum in the euro area and subdued money and credit dynamics. In June the Governing Council of the ECB lowered the interest rate on the main refinancing operations (MRO) by 10 basis points to 0.15%. The rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility were also reduced to 0.40% and -0.10%, respectively, with the latter moving into negative territory for the first time. Meanwhile, the Eurosystem fur- ther enhanced its package of non- standard measures through the introduction of four-year targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTROs) at fixed interest rates. In September, the Governing Council of the ECB announced fur- ther rate cuts, lowering all three key interest rates by 10 basis points and thus bringing the MRO rate down to 0.05%. It also announced that the Eurosystem will begin to buy asset-backed securities and covered bonds issued by the non-financial private sector, to support the provi- sion of liquidity to the economy. The Review notes that in the first quarter of 2014, overall growth in the global economy remained sub- dued. The United Kingdom and Japan reported solid expansion, whereas the United States' econo- my contracted in quarter-on-quar- ter terms. In emerging economies, activity generally weakened, led by a slowdown in China. Meanwhile, global inflationary pressures re- mained moderate. The euro area economy contin- ued to recover slowly during the first quarter of 2014, with real gross domestic product (GDP) rising by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter, driven by domestic demand. In the second quarter, however, Eurostat's pre- liminary estimate indicated that real GDP growth was stable com- pared with the first three months of the year. In terms of inflation, the annual rate based on the Harmonised In- dex of Consumer Prices (HICP) dropped to 0.5% in March, from 0.8% three months earlier. This mainly reflected developments in food and energy prices. Price pres- sures remained subdued in the sec- ond quarter of 2014, with the annu- al rate remaining at 0.5% in June. According to the Eurosystem's macroeconomic projections pub- lished in June, real GDP growth in the euro area was expected to rise to 1.0% in 2014 and pick up further to 1.7% and 1.8% in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The annual inflation rate was projected to weaken to 0.7% in 2014, before rising to 1.1% in 2015 and 1.4% in 2016. The second issue of the Quarterly Review for 2014 is available on the website of the Central Bank of Mal- ta at www.centralbankmalta.org. Students lead the march toward science's advancement Young scientists from across Malta are charging up the upcoming Sci- ence in the City Festival with their energies through a slew of events to bring science to everyone. A number of university student or- ganisations will be setting up stands along Republic Street with experiments, health checks and huggable dentists. Medical students, MMSA, will run free health checks for adults and the elderly, including testing blood pressure, blood glucose levels and BMI, while a Teddy Bear hospi- tal is being set up for children. The organisation will additionally con- duct a blood pressure experiment featuring a before-and-after read- ing following exercise by a MMSA student, as well as a Beat the Burn experiment to demonstrate the harmful effects of UV rays on skin. Dental students, MADS, will be using activities, experiments, games and advice on taking care of your oral health. They'll also have tooth fairies and the lovely Molly the Molar. Health students, MHSA, will be testing blood glucose levels, blood pressure, BMI, food screen- ing, and posture and cancer advice. Computer science students, ICT- SA, will be showcasing a History of Computing exhibition with Vin- tage Computer Club Malta at La Vallette Band Club, and will also feature Spheros – the electric balls. They are also running a QR Treas- ure Hunt with several educational fun facts distributed across the Re- public Street. Techsercise, the winners of this year's Imagine Cup; a programming competition hosted by Microsoft Malta, will be showcasing their app which consists of collecting points by doing exercises and exchanging those points for various gifts. S-Cubed will be carrying out a number of science experiments, that the public can do themselves, throughout the night. Around 50 S-Cubed volunteers will be on hand to show people how to do these ex- periments. Young scientists at IEEE stand will be exhibiting robots, flying robots and electrical components and the public is invited to find out the physics behind these mechan- ics. UESA are bringing a catapult to their stand and simple Arduino boards to create LED Cubes. Over at the City Gate an MCAST IAS exhibit will explore the simi- larities and intersections between art, entertainment, and science. Filled with high-energy and fast- paced experiments, laughter, fun and audience involvement, the ex- hibit is guaranteed to entertain and educate the whole family. Meanwhile, NSTF will showcase some of the projects of the students who participated in the NSTF School Contest of Young Scientists that were exhibited in this years' edition of the NSTF Science Expo 2014, held in April at MCAST. The participating students will show- case their projects and inform passersby of their research or ex- periment conducted and the results obtained. The Science in the City festi- val—European Researchers' Night is supported by the EU's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action of the Horizon 2020 (H2020) Programme. The event is organised by the Uni- versity of Malta, Malta Chamber of Scientists and the Research Trust of the University of Malta (RIDT), in partnership with Karl Borg Events, Studio 7, Valletta 2018 Foundation, MEUSAC, Valletta Local Coun- cil, Malta Council for Science and Technology, Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology, Arts Council Malta, PBS, Notte Bianca, St James Cavalier, Lufthansa Tech- nik Malta, General Soft Drinks with Coca Cola, Ta' Mena wines, Italian Cultural Institute and Brit- ish Council. The full programme and venue details can be downloaded from www.scienceinthecity.org.mt Children rule the roost at Science in the City Friday 26 September sees the ever- expanding Science in the City host- ing more than 40 events spread along Republic Street, from City Entrance and St James Cavalier to St George's Square, including espe- cially designed activities and events for children from the ages of 5 and above. At the Music Room St James Cava- lier from 6pm onwards, an engross- ing puppet show 'Zargo comes to Earth' by S-Cubed will mimic the arrival of Zargo, an alien from outer space, who begins exploring the world along with the help of some scientists he meets. While older children are watching the plays younger ones can be doing some sci- ence experiments and arts with an animator in the Atrium of St James Cavalier. The 'Search for the Scientist' treas- ure hunt, organised by University science student Julia Vella, begins from the S-cubed Physics stand in Republic Street where young par- ticipants will go on a hunting spree to search for well-known scientists who will be strategically present around the streets of the capital. Once found, the participants will need to give the scientists a keyword and in turn the scientists will ask them to solve a small puzzle or an- swer a question in order to receive a clue. More excitement will ensue at the Quakes and Shakes, organised by the Seismic Monitoring and Re- search Unit, mixed-used event at City Entrance where children will be asked to create a 'mini earthquake' by jumping and shaking. A number of personnel will be on hand at the stand to explain earthquakes and in particular in the Mediterranean in the form of posters and video presentations. A real seismometer, among other equipment, will be onsite to demonstrate earthquake recordings. The world of video games will enthral children and adults alike at the National Library. Academics from University of Malta's newest research centre Institute of Digital Games will showcase alternative in- dependent games that challenge our assumptions, ask problematic ques- tions, and even help children with dyslexia. A Space Detectives gallery will be set up in collaboration with the University of Malta Library at Ca- sino Maltese to display unique high resolution photos taken from space. Meanwhile the centrepiece of S- Cubed's involvement in Science in the City will be a Live Science Show; featuring a series of performances by students and lecturers from Univer- sity who will produce the best sci- ence trick in the business to show- case the soft and fun side of science. The full programme and venue de- tails can be downloaded in the com- ing days from www.scienceinthecity. org.mt