Our History and Experience
In just a few words...Storm International was founded in 1992 by Michael Boettcher, an Englishman, who started his career in gaming as a croupier and eventually, established an internationally respected casino company, which now has experience of operations in 14 countries.
During its first years, Storm International acted as a consulting company, helping investors to open successful gaming businesses all over the world.
During 1995 – 2008 the company was actively developing in the Russian market, where its international experience and approach to gaming business management resulted in a large share of the industry and establishment of the company's most successful brand – Casino Shangri La.
The Shangri La concept has always been based on the highest possible standards of operations, which have always been undergoing improvements. The result is a growing chain of Shangri La casinos.
In 2008 Michael Boettcher was awarded for Outstanding contribution to gaming industry development at the Gaming Awards, London.
At the Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo 2008, Storm International was recognized for its efforts in establishing a Responsible Gaming Program with a corresponding award.
The same year Darren Keane, who joined Storm in the position of a pit boss many years ago, becomes the CEO of the company.
New Shangri La Casinos are operating in the highly competitive markets of Minsk, Yerevan and Tbilisi, all three projects have become market leaders and are still operational. Moreover, to date the complex in Yerevan has been extended twice since opening.
In 2009 Storm International revolutionized gaming in Monterrey, Mexico with two "all new to the market" multi-purpose Hollywood Entertainment complexes with 500 slot machines, sportsbook clubs, music stages, restaurants and bars in each. While being successful, the projects were sold in 2016 to optimize the geography of the company’s operations.
New businesses followed with a chain of cozy Storm Casinos in Germany, SL Casino in the Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga and other projects currently in various stages of development.
Our long history gives us not only an incomparable knowledge base and reputation in the market, but most importantly, we have grown and continue developing our own generations of highly skilled professionals, who have gaming management experience in many countries, cultures, conditions and circumstances.
