Michael started his casino career as a dealer in Charlie Chester’s casino in London in 1972 and left to work at The Playboy Club in London’s Park Lane. He subsequently worked in various casinos in different countries including Iran, the Bahamas and the United States, holding various positions up to shift manager in Atlantic City before returning to London in 1988 where he eventually started the rebirth of the independent gaming school at the British Gaming Academy in Leicester Square. His inexperience in the business world at that time forced him into voluntary liquidation but the lessons learned stood him in good stead and he went on to form his own consultancy company, providing staff world-wide, opening successful turnkey casino operations in Egypt and Turkey, as well as writing and acting as a consultant on the gaming laws for several countries. By the time he arrived in Russia in early 1992, he was ready to embark on the adventure that was to become Storm International. Over the next 17 years Storm built the company from one 3 table casino, to five casinos and 20 slot halls in Moscow and Nizhny-Novgorod with over 150 tables and some 3,000 slot machines, employing over 6,000 people and becoming the leading gaming operator in Russia. However following new legislation proposed in December of 2006, all these facilities will be forced to close on July 1st, 2009. As a result, since the new law was proposed, Michael has been actively looking for, and developing new gaming business around the world. Storm has opened its first of several slot casinos in Monterrey Mexico, a 450 machine facility as well as a Shangri La casino in Yerevan, Armenia. Storm has also opened in Germany and will be opening its brand name Shangri La & X.O. casinos in Minsk and in the Hyatt Hotel in Bishkek on July 1st of 2009. Other projects include Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Costa Rica, Cambodia and several other projects in various stages of development.
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