Featured Editorials

Prolific inventor Bill Kitchen turns his proven talents toward gaming. By: David McKee

Blame it on the Air Force. Or maybe it was skydiving. Somewhere along the line, the thrill bug bit William Kitchen, turning him into a prolific inventor. It all began 30 years ago in his living room, with a model for a thrill-ride prototype made out of broom handles and G.I. Joe parts. “At the time, my girlfriend looked at this ride …and told me I was absolutely crazy,” Kitchen recalls. “Nevertheless I built one and people lined up all day to get on it. I patented it and it became Skycoaster, the fastest-selling ride in the world. They’re in almost every Six Flags park, every Cedar Fair park and smaller seaside parks, everywhere from Sweden to New Zealand.”

Bill Healey chats with Jment Lim, Founder and Managing Director at Lucky Ruby Border Casino

Back in 2019 I was fortunate to make my way through rural Cambodia to spend a few days at the Lucky Ruby Border Casino, located and Casino, located at a remote crossing on the Cambodia-Vietnam border. As a resident of Las Vegas, and somewhat familiar with the SE Asian casino market, I found this gambling outpost a refreshing change-of-pace. I’ve recently had time to chat with Jment Lim, founder and owner of two border casinos: Lucky89 and Lucky Ruby.

Can you provide some background on yourself, and what led you into the casino gaming industry?

First and foremost, I would like to thank Casino Life Magazine for taking this opportunity to interview me and allowing me to share my message with your readers.

Dr Stanley Ho (1921-2020), the Legendary Emperor of Gaming, passed away on Tuesday 26th of May 2020 at the age of 98.

Stanley Ho Hung Sun was born on 25th of November 1921 in Hong Kong. His father left when he was a young man, leaving him to struggle to take care of his mother and siblings. He worked hard and was awarded a scholarship to Hong Kong University. He moved to Macau in 1942 during the Japanese occupation and quickly made a solid reputation for himself as a very clever, tough, street smart businessman. His warm and charismatic personality made him a popular favourite among Macau’s Portuguese and local community leaders.

Dr. Stanley Ho and his partners Teddy Yip, Yip Hon and Henry Fok founded STDM in 1962. STDM was granted Macau’s casino monopoly, which it held for 40 years. During this time Dr. Ho played a fundamental role in the development of Macau and made himself a multi-billionaire along the way.

 Amy Culora, Head of Marketing, Grosvenor Casinos chats to Peter White

 Grosvenor Casino Brighton has been reinvented by the Rank Organisation as a bigger, better Pier Nine Casino. Not many people would think of Doctor Who as a gambler but the old casino was “a bit of a Tardis,” in the words of Rank marketing chief Amy Culora. Part of that reworking of Casino Brighton was to rebrand it as Pier Nine Casino, cashing in on Brighton’s historical cachet as a seaside resort. Rank poured $6.8 million into the makeover, one that resulted in a two-casino facility with 24-hour bars, among other amenities, which include private cinemas and karaoke lounges. Not missing a step, Pier Nine remained open throughout the conversion process. In conversation with Peter White, Culora explained the rationale behind the name change, what customers want and how being started in the casino industry in Stoke was the best thing that could have happened to her.