YULAI - Alliance Tournament XV finals weekend will see eight capsuleer alliance teams fight it out for the coveted championship title and Serpentis-techology prize ships made available by CONCORD's Independent Gaming Commission.
Ahead of the finals, fans across New Eden have been preparing and the gaming sector is anticipating a peak of betting activity this weekend. Casinos affiliated to the IGC have been attracting regular custom, including the Lucky Clash chain of space tourism casinos that have been plagued by attacks from a mercenary group known as the "Redtail Sharks".
A spokesman for the Lucky Clash chain said, "As soon as the threat from these mercenaries materialized, we took steps to provide for the security of our casinos. I'm happy to report that our contract with the Agency to source capsuleer protection has been very successful and losses have been minimal. We've even found that tourist traffic has gone up as the spectacle of capsuleers fighting the Redtail Sharks outside the casino locations has attracted thrill-seekers. We have taken some revenue from betting on the outcome of these combats and this more than makes up for the costs in extra security, additional escape pods and occasional capital asset losses."
While the Lucky Clash casino chain seeks to cash in on the Alliance Tournament XV, the fans are more interested in which capsuleer alliance will seize the crown this year. The powerful Virtuoso and Victor prize ships have also attracted much comment with the advanced Serpentis ships, built under the long collaboration of the Serpentis with the Guardian Angels, noted for their stealth and neural booster uptake technologies.